Called 'Salve regina', this revealing new disc takes us back to Christian's early Italian period (1754-62). All three pieces are recorded here for the first time and testify to the composer's pragmatic conversion to the Catholic faith and his ability to transfer the extravagant vocal style of the opera house (where he was principally engaged) to the church. What would his father have said? The vocal duties here are fairly evenly shared between Emma Kirkby, who sings the Salve regina, and tenor Markus Schäfer, who takes the exuberant motet Si nocte tenebrosa; they share the limelight in the almost frivolous setting of Psalm 113, Laudate pueri Dominum. Kirkby is supremely secure in the high-wire acrobatics required in the Salve regina: there's a superbly controlled 11-second messa di voce at the very outset and she manages to make real music out of the outrageous vocal contortions demanded by the aria 'Ad te clamamus'.

DG presents John Williams in Vienna, the live recordings of the Hollywood legend's Vienna Philharmonic 2020 debut. Saying it's "one of the greatest honors of my life," he received a standing ovation before a single note was played. Sharing the stage with the famous orchestra and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, he performs iconic themes from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and other cinematic landmarks that have earned countless awards: 5 Oscars, 5 Emmys.

Jamaaladeen Tacuma's second free funk effort for Gramavision is almost the equal of his first (Show Stopper). Once again the first four songs feature his regular band (a quintet with guitarist Rick Iannacone and altoist James Watkins) while the second half of the program showcases his electric bass in diverse groups. "Dancing in Your Head" has some of the members of Ornette Coleman's Prime Time (including the innovative altoist); Tacuma often played with Ornette during this period. The lengthy "The Battle of Images" features Tacuma with the Ebony String Quartet and a percussionist, "There He Stood" has the leader joined by percussionists and a poet. Best is "Sparkle," a jam with tenor saxophonist David Murray and guitarist Vernon Reid. Alththugh a bit of a mixed bag, this set should appeal to listeners open to both the avant-garde and eccentric funk.

Marking 40 years since Joy Division's epic final album, Closer, and Ian Curtis’ tragic suicide, Joy Division’s surviving members revisit their 1980, while MOJO’s covermount CD, Atmospheres, traces the band’s fertile milieu and legacy through Wire and A Certain Ratio to Idles, Jehnny Beth and Black Country, New Road.

Her first original album in seven years, the eponymous record is a reflection of Carla Bruni, a wholehearted embracing of her true self.Guitar, piano, a bit of foot-tapping and fragments of melody are the foundation of all the tracks, recorded with Albin de la Simone, who produced the entire album. The renowned multi-instrumentalist was determined to give her new songs the most delicate treatment. The music of the album bears witness to a unique temperament and a strong sense of the present moment. Always sensitive, with a desire for a calm simplicity, there is a disarming allure about Bruni’s songs: the intimacy, the simplicity, in a spirit of freedom, friendship and love.

Mirror Mirror sets the tone from track one with a supposedly reworked version of previous hit "I'm Not in Love" that cannot be distinguished from the original. While new tracks peal off some pleasant moments, songs flashing the group's trademark lyrical wit generally tend toward musical vaporware, while those revealing an occasional glimmer of instrumental creativity go nowhere fast on the songwriting.

Tristan Perich’s Drift Multiply, for fifty violins and fifty-channel 1-bit electronics, will be released November 13, 2020, on New Amsterdam and Nonesuch Records, as part of the partnership between the two labels, and is available to preorder now.

Three CD box set gathering up the first three studio albums by UK Pub Rock R&B legends The Inmates. Includes the UK #36 hit single 'The Walk' and the USA #51 hit single 'Dirty Water'. Also features the singles 'Love Got Me', 'So Much In Love', '(I Thought I Heard A) Heartbeat', 'Me And The Boys', 'She's Gone Rockin' and 'Stop It Baby'. Debut album First Offence reached #40 in the American National Charts when originally released in 1979. Housed in a sturdy clam shell box, each album comes in a cardboard wallet featuring original LP artwork. Detailed 20 page booklet includes informative sleeve notes by "History Of Rock" editor Michael Heatley and pictures of all relevant records.

The world of pop music was hardly ready for the Velvet Underground's first album when it appeared in the spring of 1967, but while The Velvet Underground and Nico sounded like an open challenge to conventional notions of what rock music could sound like (or what it could discuss), 1968's White Light/White Heat was a no-holds-barred frontal assault on cultural and aesthetic propriety…

Classical music's star duo Sheku & Isata Sheku Kanneh-Mason have performed together all over the world. Now they present an impassioned programme of Barber & Rachmaninov, including each composer's Cello Sonata and a selection of beautiful songs transcribed for cello. The siblings have performed the sonatas many times and had prepared this specific programme for a tour when the pandemic hit. Instead, they turned to the recording studio to share their music.

Tracks mainly from albums 1957 A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing and 1962 Cast Your Fate to the Wind: Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus. Digitally remastered.