After the stripped-back collection I Often Dream of Trains, Robyn Hitchcock slowly formed a backing band called the Egyptians with ex-Soft Boys Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor, and keyboardist Roger Jackson over the course of the next year. Fegmania!, the Egyptians' first album, was a distinct departure from both the Soft Boys and Hitchcock's previous solo work, featuring layered, intertwining guitars and keyboards that created lush and thick sonic textures. Even with the more detailed arrangements, the songs remained twitchy and off-kilter, with melodies that usually went in willfully unpredictable directions, yet remained catchy all the while. Fegmania! was Hitchcock's most consistent work to date, featuring such highlights as the Eastern-tinged "Egyptian Cream", and the creepy "My Wife & My Dead Wife", and the relatively straightforward "The Man with the Lightbulb Head".

Finally Blue Note issues a Latin collection from its Italian (Italiana SPA) and Brazilian (EMI-Odeon) vaults that reveals the true diversity of its catalog and exploits some of the serious sensuous grooves that DJs have been spinning for over a decade. This is the first of three volumes, all of which feature the rarest most representative tracks from the various trends in jazz that grew out of Brazilian pop in the '60s, '70s, and even '80s. For starters, there's the mean brass swagger of Luis Amuda Perez on "Upa Neguinho," which was written by Edu Lobo. Besides being a popular dance tune (you can hear that in the opening measures), it is a masterpiece of Brazilian big band arrangement. Also featured is the stellar "Noa Noa," a trademark of Sergio Mendez. This is a tough bossa nova trio jam, with arpeggiated piano figures cutting right through the rhythms in the tune. In addition, Mandrake Som's "Beriambu" was the first to utilize in a swinging pop jazz context the use of the one string percussion instrument – there's also a very soul-jazzy sax solo in the break. This set's full of warm, frighteningly good examples of bossa, samba, and even the MPB and Joven Guarda rhythms as they inform folk and jazz melodies and modal figures.

Beethoven’s monumental contribution to Western classical music is celebrated here in this definitive collection marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Surveying the totality of his career and achievement, the Complete Edition spans orchestral, concerto, keyboard, chamber, music for the stage, choral and vocal works, encompassing his most familiar and iconic masterpieces, alongside rarities and recently reconstructed fragments and sketches in world premiere recordings. The roster of artists and ensembles includes some of Beethoven’s greatest contemporary exponents, in performances that have won critical acclaim worldwide.

Ludwig Daser's life and work encompassed both Catholic and Lutheran courts, at Munich and Stuttgart respectively. Cinquecento's program-which, besides the substantial Missa Pater noster, includes a selection of Latin motets and German chorale settings-illustrates a variety of styles and genres from both, offering a welcome introduction to this lesser-known master from the sixteenth century.

Member of the famous Ébène quartet, Gabriel Le Magadure highlights two masterpieces of chamber music for violin: the Chausson Concert and the Lekeu Sonata. Surrounded by pianist Frank Braley and the Agate quartet, Gabriel Le Magadure expresses with accuracy and depth the breathtaking romanticism of these two singular works.

The first recording by the up-and-coming Takayuki Mihara is three of Beethoven's masterpiece piano sonatas. Dedicated to the memory of his former teacher Akiko Sugitani, who passed away suddenly in 2019, the piety that pervades the entire work adds depth to the music. ＜Takayuki Mihara graduated from Kaisei Junior High School and Senior High School, and received his B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Keio University. Later, she studied under Akiko Sugitani, who became her lifelong teacher. She was fascinated by the gentle yet powerful music of her teacher's piano playing, and under her guidance, pursued the pursuit of beautiful sound. She performed with the Prima Vista String Quartet and the Polish Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra, and became passionate about bringing out a variety of tones from the piano.

The fact that a violinist can also play the piano with virtuosity and artistic perfection suggests an extraordinary musical talent. Tomoko Mayeda's recording of Mozart's late Viennese violin sonatas has already shown that this is the case.