Blue Bossa Vol. 1. This compilation should be titled Blue Latin because it's more of a sampler of various Latin jazz styles than just a bossa nova-jazz mix. In an age of overzealous marketing and grab-bag reissues, though, the oversight is understandable. Thankfully, the misguided approach doesn't dim the quality of this very enjoyable Blue Note release. The six actual bossa nova tracks in the collection – out of 14 – range from effervescent, hard bop treatments by Hank Mobley ("Recado Bossa Nova") and Cannonball Adderly ("Sambop") to languid ballad renditions by Ike Quebec ("Loie") and Eliane Elias ("Waters of March/Agua de Beber"). The most authentic and best of the bunch is Duke Pearson's "Sandalia Dela," which spotlights Brazilian stars Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. Another standout is John Patton's B-3 organ bossa "Latona," which features inspired solos by guitarist Grant Green and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson…

This four-disc box from London's JSP Records collects an astounding 100 songs recorded by John Lee Hooker in Detroit from the years 1948 to 1952, including his first two sides ever, the signature tunes "Boogie Chillen" and "Sally Mae." Most of the tracks here are done solo, with Hooker's ever-present foot-stomping, although a few feature other musicians on loose-limbed blues boogies. Since Hooker never significantly altered his style during his long career, these first recordings set the stage for all that came after, and he arguably never sounded fresher or better. Four discs worth of this throwback Mississippi bluesman will be severe overkill for casual listeners, but diehard Hooker fans will find this box set absolutely essential.

From the deep woods now emerges Birna, Wardruna’s sixth studio album.
Through his never resting dialogue with nature, main composer Einar Selvik has been searching for the voice of the bear. Birna - the she-bear in Old Norse - is a work of art dedicated to the warden of the forest, nature’s caretaker, and her battles here on earth. Slowly driven out of her habitat by modern day societies, she has entered a stage of permanent hibernation. As a result, the forest is gradually dying, longing for its pulse and heart - its shepherd. Birna calls for her return.

Ange is a French progressive rock band formed in September 1969 by the Décamps brothers, Francis (keyboards) and Christian (vocals, accordion, acoustic guitar and keyboards). Since its inception the band's music has been inspired by medieval texts and fantasy. Caricatures is the first album by the French progressive rock band Ange, released in 1972.

Bryan Adams is the debut solo studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, after previously being the lead vocalist of Canadian hard rock band Sweeney Todd. The album was released on 12 February 1980 by A&M Records. "Hidin' from Love" reached number 64 and "Give Me Your Love" reached number 91 on Canada's RPM 100 Singles chart. In early 1978, Bryan Adams teamed up with Jim Vallance (formerly of Canadian band Prism) to form a song-writing duo. A&M Records signed the pair as songwriters, not long before signing Adams as a recording artist. He worked on the debut album for the balance of 1979. The first single was "Hidin' from Love" in 1980, peaked at number 43 on the Billboard dance charts, which was followed up by "Give Me Your Love" and "Remember". Although the album never received any US notoriety on its debut, it was the door opener that led to getting radio play, tours, management, agents and the music business in general, interested in the 20-year-old songwriter.

If there is truly such a thing as elegant sound, it can be found on Prive: The Lounge Anthology: a luxurious 6 disc compilation that reunites the best of chill-out, trip hop and lounge classics. On this album we find all of the music that comprised the 'new cool' sound of the early 90's and today is part of a style that has changed the way young people listen to music. Prive: The Lounge Anthology offers tracks by artists such as Alex Gopher, Thievery Corporation, Jose Padilla (DJ and creator of the infamous Cafe Del Mar series), Emiliana Torrini, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Beirut, Kevin Yost, Pink Martini, Stephane Pompougnac (DJ and creator of the Hotel Costes saga), Angie Bowie and many more. The eye-catching package is this time but a compliment to what is truly a meeting of the greatest minds of contemporary music.

Bookends is the fourth studio album by the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Produced by Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel and Roy Halee, the album was released on April 3, 1968, in the United States by Columbia Records. The duo had risen to fame two years prior with the albums Sounds of Silence and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme and the soundtrack album for the 1967 film The Graduate. Bookends is a concept album that explores a life journey from childhood to old age. Side one of the album marks successive stages in life, the theme serving as bookends to the life cycle. Side two largely consists of previously-released singles and of unused material for The Graduate soundtrack. Simon's lyrics concern youth, disillusionment, relationships, old age, and mortality. Much of the material was crafted alongside producer John Simon (no relation), who joined the recording when Paul Simon suffered from writer's block.

2025 will not only mark the 45th anniversary of German iconic metal institution, Grave Digger, but the release of their 23rd studio album “Bone Collector”, that is slated for a release on January 17, 2025 via ROAR! Founded in 1980 in Gladbeck, they set out to conquer the world; who would have thought that 45 years later Grave Digger would be one of the most important, consistent and influential metal bands from Germany. With the release of their ground-breaking debut "Heavy Metal Breakdown" in 1984, an unprecedented career began that will find its logical continuation more than four decades later with the band's much-waited new masterpiece “Bone Collector”, an album that sees the band going back to their old school roots.

Limited 20 disc (17 CDs + three DVDs) set. As one of the UK's most beloved and unconventional bands, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band have delighted audiences for over 60 years with their distinctive blend of music, comedy, and surrealism. This comprehensive 20-disc collection celebrates the complete works of the legendary Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and their impact on a generation of revered artists and comedians, from The Beatles to Monty Python. Known for their hit "I'm the Urban Spaceman," produced by Paul McCartney under the pseudonym Apollo C. Vermouth, the Bonzos left an indelible mark on the British music and comedy landscape. Seven years in the making and put together with band's full co-operation, 'Still Barking' includes: 17 CDs documenting a spectacularly entertaining career featuring: Stereo versions of all of the band's original albums, carefully remastered to capture their idiosyncratic charm. Additional remastered versions 'Gorilla' and 'The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse' in their original mono mixes. A newly compiled remastered CD of all the band's singles. Two discs of demos, rehearsals, and outtakes. A single disc of backing tracks. Three discs of BBC Sessions that capture the band's eccentric live energy. Two live discs: Studio Bellevue, Amsterdam. Recorded: November 1968. Fillmore East, NYC, 17 October 1969. A CD featuring a live show from London's Marquee Club and additional material of band rehearsals from the Manor Studios in Oxfordshire. Plus: Three DVDs of TV performances, including the complete 'Do Not Adjust Your Set' shows, 'Colour Me Pop', 'Beat Club', and more. Highlights include rare appearances, short films, and vintage footage from the height of their career. 148 page hardback coffee table book featuring an essay by Bonzos authority Chris Welch and an in-depth Day By Day Chronology/Cornology by noted author Andy Neill (The Who; Ready, Steady, Go!).

Hiatt's fifth album and his first for Geffen, his third record label, was given a somewhat inappropriate big-gloss production (all shimmering keyboards and filtered vocals) by Tony Visconti, known for his work with David Bowie. What counts with Hiatt, though, is the songs, and this album contains "I Look for Love," as knowing a dissection of the dating scene as anyone has yet attempted.

Bridget St. John's final album fell somewhere between vintage British folk-rock and the kind of singer/songwriter approach used by Phoebe Snow or early Joni Mitchell. A low-key, agreeable affair of sophisticated romantic ruminations, although not compelling.
English singer/songwriter Bridget St. John was one of the leading lights of the British folk scene of the late '60s and early '70s, a gifted vocalist and guitarist who also wrote intelligent, impressionistic songs. After an especially active early run that produced classic albums like her psych-tinged 1971 set Songs for the Gentle Man, St. John moved to New York and all but vanished from public performance for over 20 years, re-emerging in the mid-'90s with sporadic concert appearances.

This release includes 16 rare and previously unissued Otis Spann tracks recorded between 1964 and 1969. Featuring the blues piano genius in both a solo context and supporting a bevy of Chicago artists in a variety of settings, this plows through Pete Welding's old Testament tape vaults to uncover new treasures by the carload. Muddy Waters is listed on the front cover and, indeed, 12 of the 16 songs here are played in his company, most of it in the unusual role of backup musician to Spann. The compilation begins with five songs from a Martin Luther King tribute concert in 1968 featuring Spann and Waters on acoustic guitar performing as an "unplugged" duo, including a heartfelt "Tribute to Martin Luther King" standing next to his own tribute to Big Maceo Merriweather, "Worried Life Blues"…

For Kyanos, Jon Balke continues the journey begun on Further with an assembly of likeminded label mates - among them trumpeters Per Jørgensen and Arve Henriksen, bassist Anders Jormin, and drummer Audun Kleive - under the moniker Magnetic North Orchestra to ply the glaciers of the Norwegian pianist’s nostalgic compositional approach. Many permutations of the album’s title (which means “blue” in Greek) find purchase in the album’s intimate geography. “Mutatio,” for one, unpacks the depressing implications of the color, trading piano-heavy gestures with soft punctuations from the MNO, each a hope sidestepped in favor of seclusion. “Katabolic” tells the same story but reverses the formula, fronting Jørgensen and Henriksen against intermittent swells of synth. “In vitro” seems to speak in the language of the color itself, as if it were an entire species with specific taxonomic histories and genetic signatures…

Gnidrolog are one of the more overlooked bands that took part in the progressive rock explosion in Britain around 1971-73. Intricate band, with an eclectic music that is very hard to categorize. Their music is a blend of blusy prog, with horn instruments, and intense vocals on top of it. They might appeal to Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull and VDGG fans. Still, pick up "In Spite of Harry's Toenail" or better yet, their opus "Lady Lake", and prepare to be bowled over.

3.V is the third studio album by American hard rock band Zebra, released in 1986 by Atlantic Records. With the obliquely titled third record (a reference to how long it had taken to record it!) the band took stock and pledged to make the best record of their career. 3.V is actually an incredible creation. Melodic yet forceful, it moves them firmly away from their Led Zeppelin roots to a unique world, focusing on their brilliant arrangements and great songs. It also moved the band in a far more progressive rock style attracting comparisons to Rush but with their own melodic sensibility. The musicianship is phenomenal and leader Randy Jackson's vocals are wonderfully expressive, demonstrating an extraordinary range. Truly, it is one of the best hitherto underexposed rock albums of the 1980s.