Crack all the jokes you want about Mike Oldfield and his Tubular Bells becoming the hit theme song for The Exorcist. While Oldfield is an amazing guitarist who could play with the best of them, with a lithe synth touch that became a trademark, the bottom line is that the man is a serious composer…

After 35 years and the release of over 2800 contemporary blues tracks, it's safe to say that Bruce Iglauer's Alligator Records is the world's premier blues label, particularly if sheer numbers are factored in, and while the label's releases tend to sound mind-numbingly similar sometimes, this two-disc overview of Alligator's history shows how much raw vitality the blues still has in its tank. Alligator Records 35X35, arranged chronologically and featuring a selection drawn from each of the artist's debut albums with Alligator, gets rolling right where it all began, with Hound Dog Taylor's "She's Gone" from 1971, and marches through to 2004, closing the second disc with a stunning version of "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" (here called "A Dying Man's Plea") by the great Mavis Staples, who makes clear the deep affinity of gospel to the blues, or vice versa, since the two forms philosophically complete each other, the way Saturday marches straight into Sunday.

Warner Classics presents a new album recorded specifically for an immersive listening experience and showcasing the fascination of a full symphonic orchestra in an immersive, three-dimensional sound experience. Spatial Audio - The 3D Orchestral Collection features epic orchestral classical pieces showcasing the capabilities of Immersive Dolby Atmos sound. Be prepared for some sound fireworks - as for instance the cannons in Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

Kalevi Aho is one of today’s most prolific composers of large-scale orchestral scores, including 17 symphonies and 32 concertos to date. Less well-known is the fact that he has also written chamber music, as well as an ever-expanding series of solo pieces – starting with Solo I for violin from 1975, the most recent in the series, for clavichord, is the 17th. Some of these pieces has originated as part of Aho’s preparations when composing a concerto for the instrument in question, while others have been written for competitions, including Solo III for flute and Solo IV for cello on the present disc.

‘An excellent record, beautifully played, splendidly recorded, in every way highly rewarding’ (Gramophone)

Chris Smither left New Orleans in the mid-'60s for Boston, and quickly became part of a booming Cambridge folk scene that also included Bonnie Raitt, who went on to make his "Love (Me) Like a Man" a folk-blues standard. He eventually signed a deal with Poppy Records, which led to the release of I'm a Stranger Too! in 1970.

"Full Moon in St. Petersburg" is a CD/DVD pack capturing German heavy/power metal pioneers "Rage" live in Russia during their 2006 tour in support of their album "Speak of the dead" (2006)…

Fondé en 2009 à Bâle, en Suisse, par Arianna Savall et Petter Udland Johansen, le groupe musical Hirundo Maris s’est spécialisé dans le répertoire de la musique ancienne du Moyen Âge au baroque en y ajoutant des compositions de leur cru. De par l’origine de ses fondateurs, leur noyau créatif englobe les musiques méditerranéenne et nordique. Après un premier project pour ECM, les revoici dans un nouveau projet sous le label Fuga Libera.

As we enter the final quarter of 2021, Olivia Rodrigo leads the way with the UK's biggest album of the year so far, OfficialCharts.com can reveal.

The Kuss Quartet’s "KussPluss" at the Klassiklounge of the Berlin Classical Radio station RBB and in the trendy Watergate riverside nightclub in Berlin is the inspiration for their latest album. Guests Sarah Maria Sun, the soprano in the Reimann Lieder, percussionist Johannes Julius Fischer and slam poet Bas Böttcher mark this innovative album as something far removed from the standard string quartet recording. Prepare to be shocked, excited and delighted as you embark on a journey of musical discovery with one of the most creative and innovative quartets of our time.

Le sicilien a plus d’une corde à son archet. Violoniste, soliste précoce et chef d’orchestre, Fabio Biondi est une véritable star du violon baroque. Après une formation classique dès son enfance, il se dirige rapidement vers les répertoires anciens. Il enchaîne ses premiers concerts en tant que soliste. Agé seulement de seize ans, le jeune violoniste est invité à jouer en soliste les concertos de Bach à la Musikvereine. Très attiré par le violon baroque, il collabore alors avec les prestigieuses formations de Marc Minkowski, Philippe Herreweghe, Gérard Lesne ou encore Jordi Savall. Il créé d’abord le Quatuor Stendhal en 1981, devient professeur au Conservatoire de Parme et en 1990, Biondi créé son propre orchestre qu’il dirige de son violon. L’Europa Galante composé d’une quinzaine de musiciens révolutionne l’approche de la musique baroque en s’attachant toujours à la quintessence de l’œuvre. Si Vivaldi est le cœur de ses recherches et interprétations, le violoniste a pour ambition de faire revivre l’ensemble du répertoire italien baroque : Scarlatti, Tartini, Caldara, et bien d’autres. Son ensemble aux interprétations toujours dynamiques est présent dans de prestigieuses salles sur tous les continents. Il acquiert une réputation internationale et est appelé à diriger de nombreux orchestres parmi lesquels l’Opéra de Nice, l’Orchestre de chambre de Zurich ou encore le Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

"Hydra" is the 2nd studio album by American rock band Toto, released in 1979. It reached #37 on the Billboard Pop Albums. While most of the album's singles failed to make any impact in the charts, "99", a song inspired by the 1971 science fiction movie THX 1138, reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Way back in 1963, Paul McCartney sang "A Taste of Honey" on the Beatles' debut album, and "Til There Was You" on their second LP, establishing that his tastes ran far beyond the world of rock & roll and R&B. Over the years, he touched upon pre-rock & roll pop – writing pastiches like "Honey Pie" with the Beatles and, crucially, snatching up the publishing rights to many of these tunes, thereby building his MPL empire – but he never devoted a full record to the style until 2012's Kisses on the Bottom, a cheekily titled (pun not only intentional but solicited) collection of songs you know by heart…

2 of Betty Wright's harder to find albums on one CD! Both are from her classic Alston years, and were recorded in the mid-70's with the help of Miami soul giants like Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Steve Alaimo. The set doesn't include "Clean Up Woman", but it's got a lot of other nice ones in the same tight soul vein – including "Brick Grits", "Room At The Top", "If You Abuse My Love", "Show Your Girl", "Come On Up", "That Man Of Mine", and her classic "Tonight's The Night". 18 cuts in all.

A rotating group of Los Angeles-based studio musicians, the Vitamin String Quartet have carved out a unique niche for themselves, recording new versions of songs by a wide variety of well-known rock, pop, and country artists, arranged for a small string ensemble. Since first appearing in 1999, the VSQ have released well over 100 albums (through their own Vitamin Records label), most of which feature the songs of a single artist (and in some cases interpret a single album in full), though the group has also released thematic collections based on a particular moods, styles, or genres. Some of their many releases include tributes to David Bowie, Madonna, Slayer, Michael Jackson, Kanye West, and the Flaming Lips. Their canon also includes thematic collections like The Gay Wedding Collection, My Metal Valentine, and Music from the Filmes of John Hughes.