Hyperion is delighted to present the debut recording of the wonderful young harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani. He was the first harpsichordist to be named a BBC New Generation Artist or to be awarded a fellowship prize by the Borletti- Buitoni Trust. Here Mahan Esfahani has recorded CPE Bach's six 'Württemberg' sonatas, which were written in 1742 and published in 1744, and his thrillingly intense performances make the best possible case for this dramatic, beautifully written, endlessly imaginative but for some reason under-performed music.

This CD traces Jelly Roll Morton's period in New York, starting with his second record date in the Big Apple. A few of the sessions have Morton joined by an excess of musicians, with the results certainly being spirited, if bordering on getting out of control. "Tank Town Bump" and "Red Hot Pepper Stomp" are the best of these numbers. In addition, Morton is heard on four excellent piano solos (including "Seattle Hunch" and "Freakish"), leading a nucleus taken from the Luis Russell Orchestra on four other songs, and playing as a sideman with vaudevillian clarinetist Wilton Crawley's pickup band, sometimes to hilarious effect. One of the true jazz giants, every recording by Jelly Roll Morton is well worth acquiring in one form or another.

Recorded by Norman Dayron live on the street (you can actually hear cars driving by!) in 1964 with just Robert Whitehead on drums and Johnny Young on rhythm guitar, Robert Nighthawk's slide playing (and single-string soloing, for that matter) are nothing short of elegant and explosive. Highlights include "The Maxwell Street Medley," which combines his two big hits "Anna Lee" and "Sweet Black Angel"; a mind-altering 12-bar solo on "The Time Have Come," which proves that Nighthawk's lead playing was just as well developed as his slide work; and a couple of wild instrumentals with Carey Bell sitting in on harmonica. Nighthawk sounds cool as a cucumber, presiding over everything with an almost genial charm while laying the toughest sounds imaginable…

Eye in the Sky provided the Alan Parsons Project with their first Top Ten hit since 1977's I Robot, and it's hard not to feel that crossover success was one of the driving forces behind this album. The Project never shied away from hooks, whether it was on the tense white funk of "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" or the gleaming pop hooks of "Games People Play," but Eye in the Sky was soft and smooth, so smooth that it was easy to ignore that the narrator of the title track was an ominous omniscient who spied either on his lover or his populace, depending on how deeply you wanted to delve into the concepts of this album. And, unlike I Robot or The Turn of a Friendly Card, it is possible to listen to Eye in the Sky and not dwell on the larger themes, since they're used as a foundation, not pushed to center stage…

THIS MONTH’S COVERMOUNT CD explores the chamber pop legacy of Hunky Dory, with tracks by Plush, Cardinal, Richard Swift, John Grant, St Vincent, Father John Misty, Mike Garson and more!

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 Sympathy is his third. Here he had help from i.a. Bendik Hofseth, Freddy Dahl, Sveinung Hovensjø,. Iver Kleive, Jon Eberson and Håkon Graf - and the then #1 brass line Jens Wendelboe/Fred Nøddelund/Petter Kateraas. Pål was nominated for artist of the year at the Spellemannprisen this year, but lost to The Monroes.

THE THE, one of the most acclaimed and cherished bands of the last few decades, have announced details of the release of ‘Ensoulment’, their first studio album of new songs in a quarter century. This 12-song album will be released through Cinéola / earMUSIC on Friday 6th September 2024.

Woob² 4495 is the second full-length album from Woob, the stage name of ambient musician Paul Frankland. While not generally regarded by ambient music fans to be as cohesive or ground-breaking as its predecessor, Woob 1194, Woob² 4495 still contains material reckoned to be among the best ambient music released in the 1990s - particularly the 25-minute long Depart, and the album's closer, Later. It also contains the shortest Woob track to date, the 33-second long Cupboard, which is made up of elements of Depart. The album also makes less use of vocal samples than 1194, instead utilising organic sounds such as hand-claps and heartbeats.

BEING GUIDED BY THE LIGHT is the fifth album by pianist Mamiko Watanabe and the fifth album to be released by acclaimed record label, Jojo Records. It is the representation of a musician in full flower, an artist reveling in her endless state of exploration. Mamiko plays the piano with the grace of a master but also the feral intensity of a jungle cat. This has led esteemed bassist Santi Debriano, one of her long-time collaborators and in the trio on this album, to compare Mamiko to the legendary McCoy Tyner.

Grammy nominated Laura Marling is back with her eighth studio album Patterns in Repeat. Now eight albums and 15 years into her career as one of the most acclaimed, prolific and respected songwriters of her generation (Grammy and Mercury Nominated and Brit award winning) Patterns in Repeat was written following the birth of her daughter in 2023 and finds Laura reflecting on her motherhood experience as well as more broadly diving deeper into her reckoning with the ideas and behaviours we pass down through family over generations. Almost entirely acoustic with minimal overdubbing and elegantly placed orchestral accents, this is the most focused, subtle and sharpest collection of Laura's career.

Featuring four of the most accomplished musicians in the rich firmament of modern jazz, Incerto is one of Zorn’s newest and most exciting projects—a chamber ensemble of striking virtuosity that is capable of covering the full range of Zorn’s deepest passions and wildest fantasies. Their fourth CD is a touching tribute to the magical surrealist painter Remedios Varo. Filled with exotic juxtapositions, lush harmonies, lyrical explorations, and fiery solos, this music is a soulful and quirky homage to one of the world’s greatest alchemical artists.

Here he slides back into the raw, blown out garage rock that he's so well known for and man does it sound good. The riffs are piled high all over this album and he's never sounded so urgent and utterly relevant. Everything distorts in just the right places and the hooks are guaranteed to stay in your head for a long, long time. He's stripped everything back and come back bigger, badder and better than ever. 2024 needs this man big time.

After a decade being born, Josh Tillman is finally busy dying. Mahashmashana is the sixth album by Father John Misty. It was produced by Josh Tillman and Drew Erickson. It was engineered and additionally produced by Michael Harris. It was arranged by Drew Erickson. It was performed by Josh Tillman, Drew Erickson, Jonathan Wilson, Dan Bailey, Eli Thomson, David Vandervelde, Chris Dixie Darley, Jon Titterington, and Kyle Flynn. It was executive produced by Jonathan Wilson.It was recorded and mixed at Five Star and East/West , United and Drew's House. Mahasmasana - great cremation ground, all things going thither.

'Across The Universe' is a homage to The Beatles and their influence on generations of musicians and music lovers all over the world. You will enjoy the instantly recognizable Beatles melodies blended into the elaborated and unique style of one of the greatest jazz guitarists of our time. These recordings not only are means to pay tribute to the Beatles, whom Di Meola had admired since his teenage years, but also go back in time and capture all the moments that define him today as a man and guitarist who inspired generations of musicians. Di Meola invites his audience to accompany him on his very personal musical journey throughout his life. A life that has been accompanied by iconic Beatles songs like 'Hey Jude', 'Here Comes The Sun', 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Yesterday'. 'Across The Universe' is a musical retrospective of Al Di Meola’s life, his music and his unique career of almost five decades.