This series of the complete harpsichord concerti of C.P.E. Bach is one of the most important and monumental recording projects of the century so far… it is a whole planet of delights and amazing discoveries.

When Camille Saint-Saëns passed away, he left an impressive musical legacy. A child prodigy, virtuoso pianist and accomplished travel writer, the prolific French composer came to embody the spirit of Classicism in an era of high Romantic creativity. Yet the elegance and formality of his music never overwhelm the unstoppable verve and spontaneity that make it so irresistible.

Don Giovanni’s special amalgam of dark drama and sparkling comedy is captured with startling immediacy by Carlo Maria Giulini. The Viennese baritone Eberhard Wächter faces a particularly formidable pair of noble ladies: Donna Anna in the form of Joan Sutherland (in one of her rare recordings for a label other than Decca) and the Donna Elvira of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.

Inspired by a general love of the tango, and more specifically the tango of Astor Piazzolla, on the part of Yo-Yo Ma, the Soul of the Tango album is a masterful work of the nuevo tango, played by Ma's cello and many of Piazzolla's former associates. Piazzolla's old guitarists Sergio and Odair Assad even showed up to work on a pair of tracks arranged by Sergio: the Tango Suite (consisting of Andante and Allegro). The sheer beauty of one of Piazzolla's tangos is generally enough to warrant the purchase of an album involving them. An album such as this one, where all of the songs (save one: Tango Remembrances, where Ma plays along with outtakes from Piazzolla's recording of The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night album) are compositions by Piazzolla is even better. Add to this the masterful playing of Ma, and the surprising facility in which the cello fits into the tango, and you've got what could become a classic album, if only it weren't on the classical label from Sony.

Some artists like to signal their pretension in a subtle way - James Murphy with his “Hello Steve Reich” remix of David Bowie’s “Love Is Lost”, for example. Others, however, just can’t help themselves. Chilly Gonzales (A.K.A Jason Beck) might be fall into the latter camp. His 2015 album, Chambers, has been in gestation since Solo Piano II, the sequel to the acclaimed - and innovatively named - Solo Piano I. This LP is similarly literally titled, as it is, in essence, a 12-track suite for a chamber ensemble - string quartet and piano, to be precise.
If you know anything about our man Gonzales, though, you'll know that things are never quite what they appear when he's around. All genres are permeable for this man: from the '90s indie-rock stylings of his first project Son to the Manic, and surreal rap of The Entertainist, he's pretty much tried it all…

Pastoral and dramatic, lyrical and brutal by turns, Job is one of Vaughan Williams’s finest scores. Despite its subtitle, A Masque for Dancing, there is nothing homely about the work. Vernon Handley’s authoritative view of the score makes the most of the drama and brings rare passion to the long, lyrical lines. Matched by a clear recording, this reissue makes splendid and inspiring listening.

40 Success en Or is a French double-disc compilation of the best songs by French pop legend Dalida. The tracks for this compilation issued in 1997, ten years after the singer's passing, were personally selected by her brother Orlando and then remastered. It is believed to be one of the defining compilations of Dalida's work.

All of Fasch's music that I've heard is extremely attractive and pleasurable to listen to without being shallow. Many have said that he sounds similar to Telemann. I disagree. His harmonies are richer and more masculine without sounding plodding, and he has an excellent command of melody. He uses the woodwinds in these suites very cleverly, inserting very rich sounding interjections between the tutti sections. The suite for double orchestra is a wonderful example of his lushness of sound.

The wonderful timbres of original Baroque instruments and the vigorous period interpretations by Paul Dombrecht and Il Fondamento go far to make this 2004 release a delightful listening experience, even if Johann Friedrich Fasch's music falls short of genius. Not that Fasch was considered a mediocrity in his time: despite his later reputation as a modest Prussian kapellmeister, he was widely traveled, well-educated, and popular in his youth; and he enjoyed the benefits brought by continued publication of his Ouvertures, even after settling down in Zerbst in 1722.

12 (American Song Book) is an album by Italian singer Mina, released in 2012. In the album, Mina covers 12 standards of American music, originally published between 1930 ("Just a Gigolo") and 1970 ("Fire and Rain"). Among the others, she sings "Everything Happens to Me" for the third time (previously recorded in 1964 for the album Mina and in 1993 for Lochness) and "Love Me Tender" for the second time (previously covered for the 1991 album Caterpillar).

After their previous release “The Sky is the Limit”, Norwegian band Stargazer entered the radar of connoisseurs of the hard rocking world. The group was loudly hailed as one to watch. They received a lot of great reviews all over the western world and were, back then in late 2019, ready to take on the world for serious touring. But serious touring saw an abrupt end due to Covid-19 for almost every band in 2020-21, with Stargazer being no exception.
The nordic five-piece didn’t lose their spirit and, diligently, took the downtime to start penning their next album. Produced by guitar player William Ernstsen and vocalist Tore André Helgemo, “Life Will Never Be The Same” is the result of those dark times with a silver lining ahead…

In InfInIte Bach, the avant-garde cellist Maya Beiser elevates our sensory perception of the solo cello Suites of J. S. Bach in the expanded realm of spatial audio. Anchoring her body and instrument in the studio space, she reimagines this seminal Baroque work in a visceral experience that is both immersive and transcendental. The multilayered sounds of her cello emerge as ethereal and illuminated, like ambient lights and shadows tempering the overwhelming force of tradition.

Topping off a wealth of full-band recordings, the various stars of Ellington's great outfit recorded many combo sides under their own names. And while not on the same sophisticated level of classic Ellingtonia, the late-'30s material cut by Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, and Rex Stewart is packed with tasty solo work and some of the finest examples of early small-group swing. These later examples from 1958-1959 feature Hodges backed by both Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on piano and such non-Duke luminaries as Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Jo Jones. Like its companion album, Back to Back, Side by Side has a loose, jam session feel, with all the soloists stretching out. Hodges is in top form throughout, while Edison and Webster man their spots just fine. Highlights include the sveltely swinging "Going Up" and Hodges' bluesy closer, "You Need to Rock." A must for fans of vintage combo swing.