This is the first recording of the 45-musician Orchestre de Chambre de Paris (OCP) under the direction of famed violinist Thomas Zehetmair, who assumed the role of principal conductor and artistic advisor during the 2012/13 season. Together they present a program of French music by Ravel and Debussy. With a myriad of existing recordings of the orchestral works of Ravel and Debussy on the market, one might ask what would be the reason to pick up yet another.

Described as a ‘phenomenon’, Tatjana Vassiljeva is known as a musician possessing an irreproachable technique and irresistible range of sonorities, whose superlative virtuosity is of only minor importance beside the strength of musical personality and ideas, and her ability to communicate them. Tatjana’s innate musical curiosity is reflected by her extensive repertoire which ranges from baroque to contemporary music and includes several works of which she has given the world première.

Inspired by the raw power of the Stooges and the glam rock excess of the New York Dolls, Birmingham, England, native Dave Kusworth formed his first band (TV Eye) at the age of 16. Since then, the versatile singer/songwriter/guitarist has done time in the Hawks, Dogs D'Amour, the Jacobites (with ex-Swell Maps mastermind Nikki Sudden), the Bounty Hunters, and the Tenderhooks, as well as his own Dave Kusworth Group. His songs, gutter-bound tales of rock & roll heartache that bring to mind the Faces and the Rolling Stones, have been covered by Evan Dando and Mercury Rev and feted by the likes of Tom Waits, Chuck Prophet, and Peter Buck.

This compilation contains 20 of John Lee Hooker's hits, recorded in the `50s and `60s, 68 minutes of music.

For most intents and purposes, No Ordinary World is an ordinary latter-day Joe Cocker album, filled with slick but impassioned ballads, moderately paced rockers, and smooth adult contemporary pop songs. The thing is, this is just a cut above average, thanks to uniformly fine performances from Cocker and a strong set of songs. Yes, at 14 songs, there are inevitably a couple of slow patches, but there are not only good covers here ("First We Take Manhattan," "While You See a Chance") but some good professionally crafted tunes like "Different Roads," the title track, and the Michael McDonald/Tony Joe White composition, "Where Would I Be Now." No Ordinary World may not erase memories of the fiery early Cocker albums, nor is it quite as memorable as the best of his latter-day work, but for longtime fans, it's a nice, satisfying listen.

In collaboration with the Opéra de Nice and with the Ensemble Baroque de Nice, Dynamic releases a Vivaldian rarity, Rosmira Fedele, first staged at Venice’s Teatro Sant’Angelo on 27th January 1738. Written on a libretto by Silvio Stampiglia, Rosmira Fedele is the last opera by Vivaldi that has come down to us. Written three years before the composer’s death, this work heralds the end of one of the most fertile theatrical careers in the history of music.

The four compositions on this disc may be rather well-known, but Telemann aficionados who have them already on disc should still consider this new recording. The contrasts between the various styles are strongly emphasized. In particular the folk music elements are given much attention. In some recordings these are a little smoothed down, but here they are presented in all their 'barbaric beauty'. It results in these performances being pretty exciting. There is not a dull moment here, thanks first of all to Telemann, but also thanks to the performers who explore every detail in the scores.

On this, the largest set ever compiled of one of the last century's most popular composers, we may not only renew our familiarity with the Concierto de Aranjuez, or perhaps with one of the other ever-melodious guitar concertos that sustain his reputation with audiences, but also discover chamber, instrumental, choral and especially vocal works which testify to a creative imagination confident in the formation of its style but never satisfied with repetition, one which responded directly to poetic and lyric inspiration, and transformed its ideas with unfailing skill and respect for the idiom under consideration.