This Gershwin collection is divided into two CDs; the first has many of his more popular pieces from Broadway productions, and the second has a selection of his symphonic works. Some of the songs on the first CD are performed by singers such as Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington and sound absolutely spectacular.

Originally part of a fan-based live bootleg recording project called Bootmoon, this recording of the pioneering and influential German electronic outfit Tangerine Dream is part of a series of unadorned live performances (the band habitually added post-production instrumentation and otherwise altered its sound on its official live releases). This mid-1980s performance in Cleveland presents a series of cinematic-sounding compositions that make full use of the available electronic technologies of the period, including sequencers and synthetic percussion, to heighten the sense of musical drama.

Well, what do you expect from an artist who's reading Penthouse, surrounded by liquor bottles and cigarettes, on the cover of his album? Perfection? Accessibility? Sanity? Well, you ain't gonna get that from Nilsson, a man who left sanity behind shortly after he entered the mainstream with Nilsson Schmilsson. Instead, you get a record from an artist who's just at the fringe of popular culture, not really caring if he has a hit, but not really wanting to be so weird that he's just a cult. Realizing all of this, the artist also knows that he doesn't need to try so hard - he can be as lazy as he looks on the cover. So, that means That's the Way It Is is essentially a covers record, with songs ranging from material penned by longtime favorite Randy Newman ("Sail Away") to longtime fan George Harrison ("That Is All") to oldies ("Just One Look/Baby I'm Yours") to obscurities ("She Sits Down on Me" and "Zombie Jamboree")…

Dear Mr Time were originally around at the dawn of the 1970s when, in line with many fascinating obscurities of this type, they recorded a sole album before imploding and disappearing in a tidal wave of public apathy. Like many of these curios, the album later became a sought-after collectors’ item on vinyl, fetching significant sums whenever it appeared.
The album is actually a conceptual piece telling the story of a man’s life from birth to death. Now, this wasn’t an original idea even then, but it is surprisingly well-executed, even now not appearing too dated. The influences are clear throughout: the album comes across as something of a cross between The Moody Blues and King Crimson’s first album…

As a bonus to accompany their annual calendar, Blues Images adds a disc of classic 1920's blues. Featuring Pre-War classics from Blues masters such as: Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe, Willie Lofton, Henry Thomas, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Blake, Mississippi Sheiks and others.

The Opener is trombonist Curtis Fuller's first album for Blue Note and it is a thoroughly impressive affair. Working with a quintet featuring tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, Fuller runs through a set of three standards - "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening," "Here's to My Lady," "Soon" - two originals and an Oscar Pettiford-penned calypso. The six songs give Fuller a chance to display his warm, fluid style in all of its variations. "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" illustrates that he can be seductive and lyrical on ballads, while the brassy "Hugore" and hard-swinging "Lizzy's Bounce" shows that he can play hard without getting sloppy. His backing musicians are equally impressive; in particular, Mobley's robust playing steals the show…