The Book of Genesis tells us that in the beginning was the Word and that the Word was sound. But what if it was music? What if God, in contemplating the creation of Creation, sang being into being? If so, it might have sounded something like the Sacred Songs of Valentin Silvestrov. In this seventh ECM album devoted to the Ukrainian composer’s music, we thusly encounter a sense of space unique to the Russian liturgy: the more the voices unify in movement, the more they lift from one another like temporary tattoos, leaving behind mirror images that wash away with baptism into infinite oneness with the Holy Spirit. Sin as sun. Firmament as fundament.

My new EP “Swingin’ Through the Holidays” with The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra is almost here! Tomorrow you’ll be able to hear swingin' renditions of “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Blue Christmas” & “(I’m Spending) Hanukkah in Santa Monica” by Tom Lehrer. Here’s a sneak peak of the artwork – I can’t wait for you to hear it. Pre-save the album now! Deborah Silver

Pål Thowsen is a Norwegian drummer, mainly in jazz. He is known for his collaboration with a number of Norwegian and international jazz musicians, and has also released several solo albums and received two Spellemann awards. He started his career in the early 1970s as a musician in Arild Andersen's quartet, which experienced international success throughout the decade. At the same time, he was also a member of the jazz rock band Moose Loose. In 1973, he collaborated for the first time with the jazz guitarist Jon Eberson, a collaboration that has lasted throughout his career in various constellations. Has otherwise played with musicians such as Radka Toneff, Terje Rypdal, Palle Mikkelborg, Odd Riisnæs and Dag Arnesen and was a member of the Jazzpunk ensemble, the Net, Halle/Eberson/Thowsen/ Kjellemyr and Metropolitan. Thowsen has released several albums under his own name and won the Spellemannprisen 1979 in the jazz album Surprise . Jon Eberson, Knut Riisnæs, Terje Venaas, Iver Kleive, Arild Andersen and Håkon Graf also play on the album, just to name a few.

Pål Thowsen is a Norwegian drummer, mainly in jazz. He is known for his collaboration with a number of Norwegian and international jazz musicians, and has also released several solo albums and received two Spellemann awards. He started his career in the early 1970s as a musician in Arild Andersen's quartet, which experienced international success throughout the decade. At the same time, he was also a member of the jazz rock band Moose Loose. In 1973, he collaborated for the first time with the jazz guitarist Jon Eberson, a collaboration that has lasted throughout his career in various constellations. Carnival was Thowsen's second solo album, and contains e.g. a cover version by Gino Vanellis Brother to Brother.

Endlessness is a deep dive into the cycle of existence. The 45-minute album delicately spans 10 tracks with a continuous arpeggio playing throughout, creating an expansive, mesmerising celebration of life cycles and rebirth. Following Sinephro’s critically acclaimed 2021 debut album Space 1.8, Endlessness further elevates her as a transcendent and multi-dimensional composer, beautifully morphing jazz, orchestral, and electronic music.

The most comprehensive set on record of the sonatas by a pivotal figure in the English Classical piano school, including several first recordings.Johann Baptiste Cramer (1771-1858) was identified by the influential pedagogue Edward Dannreuther as ‘one of the fathers of the church of pianoforte playing’. Born in Germany, he moved as a child to London with his family – his father Wilhelm was a violinist and conductor – and took lessons with a notable émigré of a previous generation, Muzio Clementi.

Wilco Evolving from a rough-and-tumble alt-country act into a mature and eclectic indie rock ensemble, Wilco have become critical favorites and cult heroes on the back of a stylistically diverse body of songs from founder Jeff Tweedy. Rising from the ashes of the seminal alt-country band Uncle Tupelo, Tweedy assembled Wilco's first lineup from the membership of UT's final edition.

Complete 3CD anthology of harmony pop band who had a Top 30 UK single in 1969 with 'All The Love In The World'. Features all of their singles as well as a huge number of demo recordings, including 20 tracks now gaining a first-ever issue. After being signed by producer and songwriter Tony Macaulay, North London harmony pop group West Coast Consortium issued a handful of sophisticated, lushly-orchestrated late Sixties singles for Pye. In the spring of 1969, they reached the No. 22 spot in the UK singles chart with the ballad 'All The Love In The World', issued under the abbreviated name Consortium. Unable to build on that success, the band splintered in 1972, although lead singer Robbie FaiR. Would put together an entirely new Consortium line-up a few years later. A 3CD set, 'All The Love In The World' features all of their Pye releases as well as subsequent recordings for the short-lived Trend label and no less than four acetate-only 1967-1969 albums recorded in the band's home studio. These demo recordings reveal them to have been a garage psychedelic pop band at heart, utilising Mellotron, fuzz guitar and Vox Continental organ while also suggesting a parallel debt to the lo-fi, DIY approach of 'Smiley Smile'/'Friends'-era Beach Boys. While some of these recordings have been issued before, this package sees the first-ever release of twenty additional tracks to provide the first-ever complete anthology of a band that deserve better than to be remembered as one-hit wonders.

Released in 1978 after London Town gave McCartney another huge hit, Wings Greatest rounds up McCartney's greatest hits from 1971 to 1978 – which means it skips "Maybe I'm Amazed" but touches on Ram. The main strength of this collection is that it contains many hits that never appeared on any album, and these are among McCartney's very best non-Beatle singles: the eccentric domesticity of "Another Day," the choogling rocker "Junior's Farm," the Bond anthem "Live and Let Die," the piledriving "Hi Hi Hi," and "Mull of Kintyre," a Scottish-styled folk ballad that was his biggest hit in England. And yes, it's fair to peg these as McCartney successes, since some of them were billed as McCartney, not Wings, and as such, this record is a great overview of McCartney's first decade of solo recording, containing many of his very best solo tunes.

Jazz & Blues Revue Featuring George Kahn Unveils Holiday Magic with New Album “Holiday Soirée” Los Angeles, CA – August 30, 2024 – As the holiday season approaches, the George Kahn = 1250 Jazz & Blues Revue is ready to light up your celebrations with their latest release, Holiday Soirée. This collection of twelve tracks is the perfect soundtrack for your festive gatherings, offering a fresh spin on Christmas and Chanukah classics. The album is a festive feast, where timeless holiday tunes meet the vibrant energy of jazz and blues. Holiday Soirée features the dynamic vocals of Courtney Lemmon, Gina Saputo, and Crystal Starr, whose voices weave together like a cozy winter scarf, wrapping listeners in warmth and cheer.

Legendary vibist Bobby Hutcherson delivers an attractive collection on this, his first recording for the Verve label. Accompanied by an all-star lineup, it's Hutcherson himself who raises Skyline to a level above the average straight-ahead jazz jam, but he is obviously inspired by his young bandmates. Alto saxman Kenny Garrett is especially impressive here. Highlights include a "Delilah" played in a relaxed, slow groove; a beautiful reading of Herbie Hancock's "Chan's Song"; and a lovely piano/vibes duet on the Hutcherson original "Candle." In addition, the opening "Who's Got You" features fine interplay between Hutcherson and Garrett, and smokin' solos from the whole crew, while the arrangement of "I Only Have Eyes for You" takes that warhorse far beyond the mundane place where it usually resides.

Sunny Days, Starry Nights is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, released on the Milestone label in 1984, featuring performances by Rollins with Clifton Anderson, Mark Soskin, Russell Blake and Tommy Campbell. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow states: "By 1984 it was a common complaint that Sonny Rollins's live appearances were much more exciting than his studio recordings. Although none of the latter were throwaways (and virtually all of the Milestone sessions have their moments of interest), few were real gems. Sunny Days, Starry Nights as usual finds the great tenor at his best on the two ballads ("I'm Old Fashioned" and Noel Coward's "I'll See You Again") while the other four originals have been largely forgotten."

A great combo from Mannheim, Germany, also known as Joy & The Hit Kids. They were mixing jazz-rock, krautrock, funk, soul, pop and psychedelic rock, with Hans W. Herkenne (drums, percussion), Albin Metz (trumpet, bass), Roland Heck (organ, piano, vibes, marimba, percussion, vocals), Dieter Kindl (bass, guitar, percussion), Gerd Köthe (saxophone, flute), Klaus Nagel (guitar, woodwind, percussion, flute) and Hans Lingenfelder (guitar). Led by extraordinary vocal skills of female singer Joy Fleming, the band released their debut 'Overground'in 1970 (released under the name 'Turbulence' in UK and 'Joy Unlimited' in the US). Their second album, 'Schmetterlinge' (which means 'Butterflies' in German) along with the debut is the most representative band's material, and certainly worth checking.

Oliver Lieb was particularly influential via the first wave of European club trance that emerged in the 1990's, the melodic and more accessible cousin of techno… and the distinctive futuristic, techy quality of his trance productions also carries over into his downtempo and ambient albums, relatively few in number but exceptionally high in quality. "Constellation" (1993) was his first ambient album release. The title certainly makes explicit the deep space and sci-fi themes but the music itself is sophisticated and understated. The fourteen minute "Dimension X" is an absolutely gorgeous cosmic hymn with exquisitely layered melodic loops in the best Berlin-school ambient tradition and executed with a feather-soft touch. This stunningly accomplished track alone makes the album worth having.

Art Pepper's final recording sessions were comprised of duets with pianist George Cables. Pepper, who splits his time almost evenly here between alto and clarinet, is in surprisingly strong form considering that he only had a month left to live. He is heard at his best on "Goin' Home," "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying," "Isn't She Lovely," and "Lover Man," really pouring out his emotions into the ballads.