This Blu-ray box contains the international acclaimed Bruckner cycle of Christian Thielemann, a “magician of the Bruckner sound”(Kurier on Symphony No. 5) and the Staatskapelle Dresden, whose own Bruckner tradition dates back more than a century. Outstanding reviews emphasize the exceptionally high artistic quality of the concerts: “Once again Thielemann proved to be the unrestricted ruler on his ancestral territory, German Romantic repertoire” (Hamburger Abendblatt on Symphony No. 2). Christian Thielemann “displays the full musical maelstrom of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3” (Münchner Merkur). “Another Bruckner triumph for Dresden” (Sächsische Zeitung on Symphony No. 6). “… one would have to be hard-hearted not to be touched by this heartfelt music” (Der Tagesspiegel on Symphony No. 8).

“Honestly,” the new collaboration from Will St Peter, Steven Heffner, and Steve Barnes, exudes synergy, sensitivity, and vitality. Featuring compositions by St Peter alongside new arrangements of recognizable standards, “Honestly” puts on display what is possible when three friends gather to create in an environment of trust and vulnerability. In the space between their rendition of Mancini’s “Days of Wine and Roses” and St Peter’s tribute to his local “Windsor” community, the trio expresses themselves in the only way they know how: honestly.

The Pelléas Ensemble’s debut album illustrates the many possibilities offered by the unique combination of flute, viola and harp. It presents a rich and expressive collection of repertoire spanning three centuries. Debussy, Rameau and Bax all shared an appreciation of science and nature which they combined in their art with elements of improvisation, mystery and spirituality. Sir Richard Rodney Bennett illustrates the myth of Syrinx – a story of unrequited love and metamorphosis – through his own transformation of the music of Debussy. Composed for the Pelléas Ensemble in 2017, and recorded here for the first time, Scherzo by Benjamin Graves provides a vibrant and original exploration of the dramatic possibilities of all three instruments. The Pelléas Ensemble have made a name for themselves through their intimate, honest music-making, and ambitious programming. Through this album they demonstrate the versatility of the ensemble; each instrument has a chance to celebrate its distinctive voice, whilst multifarious textures and colours are afforded by the three together.

One of the most successful pop/classical fusion projects, Gregorian mixes well-known pop and rock songs with Gregorian chants. Overseen by producer Frank Peterson, co-founder of Michael Cretu's Enigma outfit, Gregorian's first album, Masters of Chant, released in 1999 (an early 1991 Peterson album released under the name Gregorian isn't counted among the group's official releases, but already employs the same aesthetic), became a smash hit throughout Europe, entering the Top Ten in nine different countries. The following albums continued in the same vein, covering songs by Peter Gabriel, Lenny Kravitz, Coldplay, Björk, Queen, Tears for Fears, and others. The Dark Side, released in 2004, put a stronger emphasis on the rock element and included songs by Nine Inch Nails and the Doors…

A 1996 Academy Award nominee for Best Dramatic Score, Braveheart is one of composer James (Titanic) Horner's most accomplished works. Utilizing the full range of the London Symphony Orchestra, the Choristers of Westminster Abbey, and a small ensemble of traditional folk instrumentalists, Horner largely eschews the bombast typical of the genre and cuts a more emotionally complex–and satisfying–musical course through this 14th-century tale of betrayal and rebellion. This album presents ample evidence of why Horner is currently at the peak of his profession.

There's little question that Shout! Factory's double-disc compilation The Marshall Tucker Band Anthology: The First 30 Years is exhuastive. It spans 32 songs, sampling from 20 albums, running more or less in chronological order, and giving a good idea of the group's narrative…

This laconic yet lasting statement from Terje Rypdal marked the Norwegian guitarist’s third ECM appearance as composer and leader. Its crucible continues to yield an enticing tincture of prog-rock and classical stylings for the weary musical mind. The reverberant French horn that animates “Silver Bird Is Heading For The Sun” betrays nothing of its cooption by a punchy g/d/b constituent. Floating on a well-aged mellotron, it bows out gracefully as Rypdal rolls in like a fuzzed haze.

The late '60s and early '70s didn't yield many (as far as we know) unreleased studio recordings of completed, otherwise unavailable Rolling Stones songs. But it did produce a wealth of fairly interesting alternate/working versions and song embryos that never got polished off, sixteen of which are presented on this compilation. As the title Sweet Black Angel implies, many are from that murky early-'70s period when the Stones were working, in fits and starts, on Exile on Main St., and several of these tracks are different versions of songs that ended up on that album…

Among the pleasures of this group of Rypdal reissues is the presence throughout of drummer Jon Christensen. Terje and Jon, lifelong friends, played on dozens of albums and in many groups together. Christensen always alluded to the trio with Terje and Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg as heard on Descendre - as a particular favourite of his, an ideal instance of an interactive small group that could move in multiple directions. As drummer in the trio he could from moment to moment underline the melodic jazz phrasing of Palle Mikkelborg or rock out with Terje, find ways to combine their different time feelings, or strike out on his own. The three musicians could create highly atmospheric ensemble music, drifting clouds of sound sometimes with both Terje and Palle playing keyboards or develop freely contrapuntal ideas.

Third Eye was formed in the Netherlands as a piano/ bass/ drums jazz trio and later expanded into an international band led by bassist Alfred "Ali" Haurand. The group played a terrific mix of modal jazz, spiritual jazz, bop and fusion. In 1976 they recorded their fiirst album simply entitled "Third Eye". For this second album named "Connexion" and released the following year, Ali Haurand brought the Jamaican Jazzman Wilton Gaynair (1927-1995) into the band.
"Connexion" mainly contains original material by Wilton Gaynair and stands out as a landmark in the fields of European progressive jazz from the 1970s. The LP includes the excellent Latin/ Brazil fusion track "Ogetnom", made famous by French DJ Cam on a long deleted Jazz Fusion Compilation from 1994…

Violinist Daniel Lozakovich was already a veteran at 18, having made his debut at age nine and signed to Deutsche Grammophon at 15. It may seem that each year brings a prodigal new violinist, but Lozakovich, a charismatic soul who boxes on the side, bow hand be damned, is one of the best. His Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, is muscular and unafraid of a little gravel in the tone. Sample his finale, a broad, arch-Russian thing where he is ideally backed by his mentor, Vladimir Spivakov, leading the new National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia. Lozakovich grabs your attention from the start but never overplays the transitions.

According to the press biography disseminated with advance copies of Gato Barbieri's Peak Records debut, The Shadow of the Cat, he was nearing 70 at the time of this release (previous published accounts would have put him at only 67) and this is the 50th album on which he is either featured or is the leader. One cannot, then, reasonably expect the old cat to have learned new tricks. Nor has his new label required him to; the company, run by contemporary jazz guitarist Russ Freeman, specializes in a melodic, commercial style of jazz. Producer Jason Miles (whose previous clients include Miles Davis and Luther Vandross) seems to have aimed at re-creating the sound of Barbieri's mid-'70s albums for A&M Records…

Ritual's third album came out in 2003 and marked a turning point for the band. Since 2000's Superb Birth, lead singer Patrik Lundström had raised his international profile thanks to his association with Kaipa's comeback. The group's signing to InsideOut Music also meant more money for the recording sessions, and it shows. Think Like a Mountain is very much in your face, drums leaping and guitars shredding. The music also bends toward the InsideOut sound, dropping the more complex elements of Ritual's music to focus on shorter, more accessible rock anthems. It means that the music loses part of its Scandinavian prog atmosphere and comes closer to, say, Spock's Beard, but Ritual manages to make the transformation convincing…