Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing. Like many great violinists of his generation, he produced a characteristic sound which was immediately recognizable as his own. Although it derived in many respects from the Franco-Belgian school, his style is nonetheless reminiscent of the gemütlich (cozy) lifestyle of pre-war Vienna.

The Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 was the only concerto for violin composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Composed in 1878, it is one of the best-known violin concertos.

Standers is the second full-length album by Craven Faults. It follows a trilogy of long sold out EPs, 2020’s Erratics & Unconformities LP, the Enclosures mini-album and a series of studio performances entitled Live Works.

Composing has always formed an integral part of the artistic life of pianist-conductor Olli Mustonen (b. 1967) and he first emerged as a symphonist in the early 2010s. This album by the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra with Olli Mustonen conducting contains two of his most latest symphonies, both dramatic works firmly rooted and continuing the tradition of the great classical composers. Seeking inspiration from multiple sources, the theme of Mustonen’s 2nd Symphony, ‘Johannes Angelos’ (2013), is the ancient city of Constantinople and its mysticism.

The Fourmost were a British merseybeat band from the 1960s. They, like many similar bands from Liverpool, signed with Brian Epstein in 1963 and ended up on the Parlophone label, with George Martin as record producer. With some John Lennon-Paul McCartney compositions, the Fourmost had some success, especially with John's 'Hello Little Girl'. Their biggest hit was 'A Little Lovin' (#6 in Britain in 1964). After that, though, the lack of a songwriter within the band kept the Fourmost from achieving the same popularity that others achieved during the late 1960s, and they soon stopped recording, instead touring on the cabaret circuit. This 33 track single CD features the two afore mentioned tracks plus lots more.

This old Erato disc features one of Alfred Schnittke's most popular works in excellent performance along with, as far as I know, the only recording of a late work. Gennady Rozhdestvensky leads the London Sinfonietta, with Viktoria Postnikova as piano soloist, and the composer's widom Irina Schnittke appearing on the piano four-hand work. Note that this disc has been reissued in Warner's budget line Apex, so that's a better place to hear this music.

The fourth and fifth albums of this Szymanowski’s complete solo piano works series. This release introduces piano music from all of three Szymanowskis style periods. Pianist Anu Vehviläinen (DMus) works as a university lecturer at the DocMus Doctoral School of the Sibelius Academy, the University of the Arts Helsinki. She teaches piano, supervises artistic doctoral students’ theses, runs courses and develops the artistic education at the doctoral level. Vehviläinen’s artistic interest has focussed on Karol Szymanowski’s piano music.

The most obscure album in the Hollies' entire catalog, Out on the Road marked the second half of the "Mikael Rickfors Era," that two-year period in which the Swedish-born singer provided the group's lead vocals. The album was originally released only in Germany. This is a slicker, smoother, and harder-rocking version of the Hollies than most casual fans, familiar with their hits of the early '70s ("Long Dark Road," "The Air That I Breathe") might expect. Rickfors is firing on all cylinders as a singer, his vocals every bit as expressive if not as compellingly memorable as those of the man he was (temporarily, as it turned out) replacing, Allan Clarke. But the equally dominant personality on a lot of the material here is guitarist Tony Hicks, whose instrumental prowess is all over this record (and not just on guitar, but banjo, among other stringed devices) along with a lot of solid songwriting on his part (in tandem with Kenny Lynch) and backing vocals.

Not since the release of Tiamat's groundbreaking masterpiece Wildhoney in 1994 had the extreme metal scene witnessed such an overwhelming show of fan enthusiasm and uniform critical praise as that bestowed upon Blackwater Park, the astounding fifth effort from Swedish metal titans Opeth. A work of breathtaking creative breadth, Blackwater Park (named after an obscure German progressive rock outfit from the 1970s) keeps with Opeth's tradition by transcending the limits of death/black metal and repeatedly shattering the foundations of conventional songwriting, to boot. Rarely does a band manage to break new ground without losing touch with its roots, but Opeth has made a career of it - perhaps never as effortlessly as on this occasion…

The recording history of Little Jimmy Scott is peppered with long hiatuses from the studio. He was absent for a period of seven years from 1962 to 1969 and then for more than 15 years from 1975 to 1990. Bordering on singing in the range of a counter tenor, Scott brings a distinctive, immediately recognizable sound and sensitivity to material he sings. It is hard to find any other vocalist, other than Billie Holiday, who matches Scott's depth of emotion that he applies to the classic standards he favors. All the Way was recorded more than 40 years after Scott made his first album for Roost. Over those years, even with his long absences, he has been able to command the services of top of the line musicians. He is one of those rare vocalists that jazz musicians like to be on the stage or in the studio with. And this album is no exception, featuring an all-star lineup that includes Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, and Grady Tate on rhythm…

One of the most obscure United States acts from the 70's, October were based in Detroit and released two albums with the same line-up on which they showcased an unique mix of symphonic rock and fusion; symphonic elements often realized from the use of different keyboards and both acoustic and electric violins. These original privately pressed LP's were made in very small numbers (the album After The Fall in 50 copies or less even had hand painted covers).

Ian Hawgood: "No Voices was recorded during 2018. I came across a pile of old tape in my garage back in Warsaw, and decided to try to salvage it. It ultimately destroyed an old Akai reel to reel recorder but not before I caught a few recordings of it as it slowed down to an eventual halt. I listened to the recordings for a while and just found the concept of such a beautiful old machine dying, leaving behind such unique tones and disintegrating textures, truly special.
After one of my regular chats to Stijn about our current recording processes and equipment, I shared the long-form recording with him, and thus began the path for 'No Voices' with Stijn's rare ability to subtly create submerged and subtle melodies…

If eclectic is your bag, then Heartbeat might be your thing. Like Hector Zazou, Ryuichi Sakamoto employs a realm of many styles on this upbeat collection. Songs performed in Japanese, Russian, French, and English (by friends Youssou N'Dour, David Sylvian, and Deee-Lite's DJ Towa Towa and Super DJ Dmitri) top an already brimming album that is everything its predecessor, Beauty, wasn't. Two completely different versions of the title track add arty spice. "Triste" is a wonderful, lazy-afternoon stroll in Paris jazz; "Lulu" follows suit. Is there no end to this Sakamoto's talent? He does jazz, rap, and chucks in a couple of solo piano pieces reminiscent of his soundtrack work. "Songlines" came about via his score for Pedro Almodovar's High Heels. "Boram Gal" and "High Tide" – with guests Youssou N'Dour and Arto Lindsay, respectively – are both delicate and swathed in summer. Ingrid Chavez adds poet's fire to frozen dust on "Returning to the Womb" and contributes eerie funk on "Cloud #9."