Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is the only studio album by Anglo-American blues rock band Derek and the Dominos. Released in November 1970, the double album is best known for its title track, "Layla", and is often regarded as Eric Clapton's greatest musical achievement. 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition contains the original album and a bonus disc containing out-takes, both sides of a rare non-LP single produced by Phil Spector and the band’s complete performance on The Johnny Cash Show from November 1970 (featuring guest appearances from Cash and Carl Perkins on Perkins’ own “Matchbox”). The rest of the disc is devoted to sessions from the group’s aborted second LP, newly remixed for this edition.

By licensing these previously unreleased live and studio tracks (plus some previously released but rare material) from the Special Markets division of EMI-Capitol Music, the mail-order company Collectors' Choice Music has legitimized Quicksilver Messenger Service recordings that had floated around on bootlegs and quasi-legal discs for many years. The performances all date from 1967-1968, a period during which Quicksilver consisted of lead guitarist John Cipollina, rhythm guitarist and singer Gary Duncan, bassist David Freiberg, and drummer Greg Elmore. As Richie Unterberger points out in his liner notes, "They were not so much singer-songwriters as they were virtuoso players and creative interpreters and stylists. They were not the greatest of vocalists or composers." True, but in Cipollina, with his tremolo-laden leads, they had one of the great San Francisco guitarists of the '60s…

This live Boston summit meeting between Ray Brown, Christian McBride and John Clayton was the logical outcome of several joint appearances, as well as an extension of a one-off bass troika track that McBride included on his first solo album. The idea of a bass trio on records probably would have been unthinkable in the primitive days of recording when Brown was coming up, but Telarc's fabulously deep yet clear engineering makes it seem like a natural thing to do. Whether pizzicato or bowed, whether taking the melodic solo or plunking down the 4/4 bottom line, all three perform with amazing panache, taste, humor, lack of ego, and the sheer joy of talking to and against each other beneath the musical staff.

Avid Jazz continues with its Four Classic Album series with a re-mastered 2CD second set release from Kenny Burrell, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details. “Earthy” (with The Prestige All Stars); “Kenny Burrell”; “On View At The Five Spot Café” (with Art Blakey) and “A Night At The Vanguard”.
For our second exploration of the work of Kenny Burrell we have divided this 2CD set into a studio side and a live side in order to contrast the many styles and nuances of the playing of this great Detroit guitarist. We begin with “Earthy” an album Kenny led for The Prestige All Stars (an ever evolving group of jazz musicians who would come together for a recording date and then split to do their own thing). On this occasion Kenny leads a fine set of musicians in a fiery five set recording…

A companion to Elements Of King Crimson 2014 Tour Box, the 2015 Elements Tour Box is a limited edition release created exclusively for sale at King Crimson's concerts and via the band's official online outlets. The set contains a 24 page tour booklet and two CDs featuring extracts, elements from studio recordings, alternate takes, live tracks, rehearsals and finished recordings from 1969 - 2015 (much previously unreleased on CD).
A fascinating audio history/alternate best of/introduction to the band, which includes every KC line-up across its two discs.
Packaged in DVD-sized fold out digipak style book case, the accompanying booklet features sleeve-notes by co-compiler Sid Smith, photos of memorabilia, full info about the current tour and a number of band and individual photos taken by Tony Levin.

Vangelis uses ringing synthesizer textures and stately rhythms to evoke the majesty of China, in a similar fashion to another of his "geography" works, Antarctica. While a few tracks use acoustic piano and other organic instruments, the centerpieces "Chung Kuo," "The Dragon" and "Himalaya" use bracing percussion and synthesizer effects to emphasize the subjects (each reflected by its title).

Issued in 2007 on the 4AD label, THE BEST OF LISA GERRARD collects many of the finest tracks by the former Dead Can Dance vocalist/multi-instrumentalist. While the compilation includes a few tracks by that revered act, most notably the mystical "Yulunga (Spirit Dance)," a song that showcases Gerrard's striking voice, it primarily focuses on her solo work and film compositions, which both draw from music across the globe. On these pieces, Gerrard often collaborates with fellow Australian native Pieter Bourke, as on the passionate "Swans" and the expansive "Sacrifice," the latter from the INSIDER score. Although this anthology is a mere fraction of Gerrard's recorded output, it does serve as an excellent introduction to her impressive catalogue.