Montserrat Caballé as Leonora is precisely what one would hope for. The voice is in near-pristine shape–the occasional attack on a loud high note early on can be vicious, but she sings with unusual commitment (not that the role has many nuances), glorious tone, and her entire arsenal of tricks: long-breathed phrases, diminuendos, high, floated pianissimo, grand chest voice. She even sings most of the words, rarely relying on “ah” sounds for high notes. The sound is huge and major-league and her comportment–acting is the wrong word–is regal. She sings the “Vergine degli angeli” with her back to the audience and the sound is as ethereal as you ever wanted it to be.

"Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2" (in Australia it was released as "Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 3") is the album by Olivia Newton-John released on 3 September 1982. The album compiled most singles released by Newton-John since the release of her 1977 "Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits" album from her following albums and soundtracks. The album included two new recordings: "Heart Attack" and "Tied Up". Both songs were released as singles and peaked at #3 and #38 on the pop charts, respectively. "Heart Attack" was a #1 single in France. The album is one of the best selling album by Olivia and was certified Multi-Platinum in both United States and Canada.

Japanese American singer Karuna Shinsho, known for her smooth and soothing vocal interpretations of jazz standards and bossa nova songs, releases her new, full album To Love Again on August 25th! Exposed to classical music as a child in Hawaii, Shinsho later fell in love with jazz in Japan after seeing the late Nancy Wilson’s show. She also became obssessed with bossa nova after hearing the music of Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

On her second album Ursgal Mongolian singer Enji creates a unique blend of Jazz and Folk with the traditions of Mongolian song. Currently based in Munich, her lyrics tell personal stories about unbearable distances, the oddness of being on earth and the simple truths in life. She’s accompanied by Paul Brändle on guitar and Munguntovch Tsolmonbayar on double bass.

Vocalist Staci Griesbach honors country icon George Jones with MY GEORGE JONES SONGBOOK, a jazz tribute album in celebration of Jones' 90th birthday. The album features 14 classic hits from Jones' extensive six-decade recording career, reimagined and reinterpreted in the style of jazz.

To document this celebration of music and spirit, Jones convened long-time colleagues who shared the stage with many of these masters alongside Jones throughout the years: trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, saxophonists Justin Robinson and Sherman Irby, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist George Cables, bassist Gerald Cannon, vocalist Renee Neufville; as well as emerging pianist Isaiah J. Thompson. Collectively, the personnel on Fallen Heroes represents the continuum of jazz, and dedication to uphold the legacies of several acclaimed icons.

Joan is a 3 times Grammy Nominated Singer / Songwriter. Consequences, Joan Armatrading’s new album, is one of her most intimate and direct albums yet and one that wears its conscience and its heart on its sleeve. Released via BMG, and her 22nd studio album to date, it ably illustrates the fact that Joan Armatrading never likes to repeat herself. It is a very different follow up to 2018’s Top 30 hit album Not Too Far Away.

Donald Fagen‘s classic 1982 album The Nightfly is being released as a live album in September. Produced by Gary Katz (who worked on all of the original era Steely Dan records), The Nightfly was a critical and commercial success with popular singles like ‘New Frontier’ and ‘I.G.Y.’ This new live release sees the whole of The Nightfly performed in its entirety, in order, by Steely Dan, or ‘The Steely Dan Band’ as they tend to be referred post Walter Becker’s 2017 death. Donald Fagen remains part of this band, in case that wasn’t clear! This is a performance from 2019.

This newest CD of Zorn compositions performed by the remarkable all-star guitar trio of Bill Frisell, Julian Lage and Gyan Riley is inspired by the ancient tradition of story telling as spiritual lesson. Drawing upon Sufic, Hebrew and secular traditions, Parables is a unique collection of compositional miniatures blending folk, classical, jazz, bluegrass, world music and more. Featuring seductive moods, driving rhythms and thought provoking twists and turns, this is a charming and adventurous program of music performed by three of the most distinctive guitarists around.

At the time of its release, Shaved Fish didn't attract as much attention as any compilation of John Lennon's work would have either a few years before or a few years after. Lennon had just issued the somewhat disappointing genre album, Rock 'n' Roll, and was only a year from Walls and Bridges, not one of his strongest albums, and had also grown somewhat stale as a public figure…

I Am Not Alone is an Armenian-American documentary film, directed by Garin Hovannisian and released in 2019. The film profiles Armenian politician Nikol Pashinyan and his role in the 2018 Armenian revolution.

There have now been 25 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s getting to the point where they are making films about superheroes that are incredibly niche, from way deep down in comic book lore. Such is the case with their latest film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The film stars Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu as the eponymous Shang-Chi; Shang is the son of Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), a fearsome warrior who has been granted immortality due to his possession of the legendary Ten Rings, and now controls a powerful army of assassins and fighters who have been loyal to him for centuries. However, Shang has been estranged from his father for years, and now lives now an intentionally uneventful life in San Francisco’s Chinatown, working as a parking valet, and hanging out with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina). Everything changes for Shang when his father’s minions come looking for him, and he is reluctantly drawn back into his old life when he learns that his father is searching for the gateway to the mythical realm of Ta Lo – and that, if he finds it, the entire Earth could be in jeopardy.

NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman has always declared that if he had to name one primary influence and inspiration, it would be John Coltrane. The first time he saw Coltrane at Birdland in February 1962, he was 15 years old. As he recounts in his autobiography, What It Is (as told to yours truly), that was the night he saw the light, though he didn’t realize it for years. “Once you see the light,” he explains, “you can never turn away from it, though you may try. I went to see Coltrane from then on, anytime I could.”

Following up on the incredible success of his recording of "Being" Michael Torke has a new work, about to be released on Ecstatic Records, "Psalms and Cancticles". Featuring the talented singer Lydia Brown, this promises to be a new major work in Torke’s catalogue.

Produced by Darren Tate and mixed by Boo Mitchell (Willie Mitchell's son) and Clay Jones, Give Me More Love: The Orchestral Greatest Hits was mixed at Royal Studios in Memphis - where it all began. For this recording, the innovative and award-winning FAME’s Macedonian Symphony Orchestra went into a studio to record orchestral arrangements to some of Al Green’s most cherished hits while retaining the 70s soulful essence and feel of the original recordings.