Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, Loudon Wainwright III and Rupert Holmes all share the distinction of having a song grow to such epic proportions that it casts a career-wide shadow. But even before liking piña coladas and getting caught in the rain became a national pastime, Rupert Holmes had a successful career as producer, performer and songwriter. In fact, the New York Times called Holmes "one of the world's greatest storytellers in song." Over the course of seven years, Holmes released seven albums on five different labels. All of them are included on this box, as well as a Japanese-only album called Scenario from 1994.

Tony Iommi and Glenn Hughes have quite a storied history together. Both hail from the same area in England. Iommi and Hughes first collaborated together on the 1986 Black Sabbath album, Seventh Star, before reuniting in 1996 to work on some new tunes Iommi had penned. The project was ultimately shelved when Iommi reunited with his Sabbath pals, but it finally saw an official release in 2004, as DEP Sessions: 1996. During the album's resurgence, the duo decided to work on a proper album together, which resulted in Fused a year later. Joined by ace session drummer Kenny Aronoff, Iommi and Hughes made a conscious decision to come up with a heavier, more riff-based album than DEP (which Iommi felt was more melody based)…

Not released until 1996, this was an unusual gig for the band, which was breaking in a new rhythm section (this may have been this lineup's first show) without much or any rehearsal. You can't tell from this 77-minute disc, which offers a typically amorphous, free-floating set of black rock - which is to say, judged by most standards, it's not typical music at all. Seguing from spaced-out jams to occasional numbers with vocals by George Clinton, and throwing in imaginative improvisations by guitarist Eddie Hazel and keyboardist Bernie Worrell, it sounds something like a combination of Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and Sun Ra. The 14-minute "Maggot Brain" verges on prog rock/psychedelia (in the good sense), with its almost mystical guitar lines; earthier pleasures are offered with cuts like "I Call My Baby Pussycat" (two versions)…

Issued in tip-on gatefold jacket. Blue Note Tone Poet Series hype sticker reads: 'Mastered from the original analog tapes, reissue supervised by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray at Coherent Audio, manufactured at Record Technology Inc. on 180 gram vinyl' Recorded: New York City, Sept. 17, 1962.

HE ORIGINAL LP OS 3550 (1970) STEREO/SQ 30993 QUADRAPHONIC. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by George Furth. Musical direction and orchestra conducted by Harold Hastings. Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. Dance music arrangements by Wally Harper, except* David Shire. Remastered from the original analogue tapes by Michael J. Dutton. This hybrid CD can be played on any standard CD players.

Jazz recording tended to follow an all too specific format in post-war America. Specialist independents would record the music up until a level of success was achieved when the majors would move in and steal the stars away. The new independents that grew up recording R&B may have dabbled in jazz from time to time, but rarely more than that. In this way, as in so many others, Atlantic bucked the trend. Perhaps it was the fact that the Ertegun brothers were avowed jazz collectors, or perhaps it was some European sense of the need to record high culture. Whatever, through Nesuhi Ertegun's careful A&R and art direction, Atlantic extended itself beyond R&B into the jazz world with both skill and aplomb, becoming one of the most important players in an increasingly crowded market. The artists who made important records for the label speak of the success of the jazz series, starting with the Modern Jazz Quartet and Charles Mingus in the 50s, the label recorded important albums by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Roland Kirk, Freddie Hubbard and a host of others. In the 60s the label recorded a more soulful selection of artists as soul jazz became popular. These records and their 1970s fusion offspring are now highly sought after by soul/funk collectors the world over, and Vibrafinger provides you with the first instalment from that particular area of the Atlantic vaults.

Original double album remixed in stereo, plus 'The Spirit Of Man 2009' featuring Jennifer Ellison & Shannon Noll and new, never before seen video medley 'The Eve Of The War' & 'Forever Autumn' featuring Justin Hayward. The bonus tracks in the 'Enhanced CD' content are playable as audio tracks (2-9 & 2-10) on a CD player or watched as videos in most computers.

Fresh Sound Records presents: Rare and Obscure Jazz Albums. A CD series created for the most discerning jazz collectors. Introducing the Tony Luis Trio
Pianist Tony Luis, born in Philadelphia in 1931, was stricken with infantile paralysis at the age of 12. Having the use of only two fingers on his right hand, he was advised by a physician that consistent exercise would help to strengthen them. This is when he first became interested in the piano. His conquest of this restriction was remarkable. By using a close piano style, he was able to achieve a captivating sound that is both relaxing and swinging. His trio created considerable enthusiasm in his hometown and its environs in the mid-50s and also distinguished themselves by accompanying singers such as Terry Morel and Teddi King. These are the only recordings available from this trio. Tony plays with percussive vigor, and on a song like “You’re Blasé,” he also showed a particularly relaxed ballad feel. His creativity is shown in “Un Poco Fresco,” one of his original compositions. Tony received excellent rhythmic support from bassist Ronny Andrews and drummer Hank Nanni, both displaying fine taste and imagination, combined with a beat that is warm, fresh, and swinging.

“The whole conception of performance in these days is too heavy, loud and blatant,” said Walter Gieseking in 1926, expressing his preference for “more delicacy and ethereal refinement of tone”. That same year the New York Times praised the German pianist for “achieving unusual richness and fineness of effect within a relatively small dynamic scale,” noting “his poetic sentiment and imagination, the intimacy of his musical expression and his exquisite adjustment of tone values.” Gieseking’s finesse, imagination and sureness of touch brought him special and lasting distinction in the solo piano works of Debussy et Ravel, which he recorded in their entirety.

Louise Farrenc was a woman in a man’s world: 19th-century musical Paris. Clara Schumann had previously been the only woman to be praised for her compositions and performances; it was generally considered that to earn money from music was a masculine pursuit. Farrenc not only achieved the near impossible of getting her music published, leading to Robert Schumann’s praise of her work, but was awarded a piano professorship at the Paris Conservatoire. Compositions for piano formed a part of her oeuvre, alongside works for chamber ensemble and orchestra. These pieces gradually fell out of the repertoire and only began to be revisited towards the end of the 20th century.

There are few composers who have vanished from music history to the extent of Johann Abraham Schmierer. We know very little about this composer’s origins, education, career and life journey. Some listeners, during or after hearing this recording, may well wonder why this music – despite its undeniable qualities and relatively early publication (already in 1902 in the tenth volume of Denkmäler Deutscher Tonkunst) – has not been recorded earlier. One reason is surely the fragmentary character of the collection, for six suites are obviously missing. The main reason why his music was ignored for so long, however, was most probably the composer’s name.

A great 60s moment not just for reedman Charles Lloyd, but also for pianist Keith Jarrett - who was a key part of Charles' group for a few years at the time - and who really opens up on this classic set! Tracks are long and very open - reaching in a spiritual sort of way with definite Coltrane overtones, yet also showing that more complexly rhythmic mode that made Lloyd a standout in previous groups before he was a leader - a quality that's really augmented by the presence of Jack DeJohnette on drums! Lloyd plays both tenor and flute - and Jarrett switches to soprano sax on one number!

Seeking to interpret trumpeter/composer Kenny Wheeler's music with the boundless sense of adventure and nuance needed to honor his unique writing, Bay Area guitarist Jason Keiser was particularly intrigued by Wheeler's penchant for assembling unusual instrumental configurations as he made preparations for Kind of Kenny. Teaming with the one-of-a-kind, master guitarist John Stowell as the ensemble's rhythmic and harmonic base, Keiser enlisted lyrical improvisers, trumpeter Erik Jekabson and saxophonist Michael Zilber, and vocalist Danielle Wertz, acting as a horn-like melodic voice and as a singer on Wheeler & Norma Winstone's "For Jan."

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce a 2CD Anthology by the legendary Progressive Rock group Cressida. One of the finest groups to sign to the legendary Vertigo label in 1969, Cressida’s unique Progressive Rock style earned them a loyal fan base in the early 1970s, with their legend growing over the ensuing decades and their followers growing, with notable aficionados including Mikael Akerfeldt of the band Opeth. The roots of Cressida were sown in March 1968, when guitarist John Heyworth answered an advertisement in Melody Maker, and later travelled to London to join The Dominators. With vocalist Angus Cullen he settled down to some serious writing, eventually welcoming bassist Kevin McCarthy and drummer Iain Clark to the fold and now calling themselves Charge…

When New Order returned in 2001 with their first new record in eight years, the album they created (Get Ready) was given a great deal of leeway by fans (if not critics). Was it original? Not very. Although the band never recycled a riff, many of the songs recalled not just the band's salad days, but often specific performances from '80s touchstones Brotherhood or Low-life. What saved Get Ready from irrelevance was a brace of great songs, a new look at the band as capable rockers, and what's more, that uncanny ability to produce timeless, ever-fresh recordings. Almost as surprising as that comeback record was its follow-up, Waiting for the Sirens' Call, which arrived in 2005. If New Order's ambition was only to reinforce themselves in their fans' imaginations as members of a working band (à la their contemporaries Echo & the Bunnymen or even Duran Duran, for that matter), then the album is a success…