In a career spanning four decades Steveland Judkins Morris has been many things: child star, funk hero, political chronicler, the saviour of Motown Records and depressingly, the instigator of the painfully schmaltzy R&B ballad. Thankfully, this exhaustive "Best Of…", timed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his first appearance as Little Stevie Wonder, focuses mainly on the 1966-1980 glory years and his transition from incendiary soul man to voice of the 70s. The jackhammer beats, shout-along choruses and wailing harmonica peg "Uptight", "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and "I Was Made To Love Her" as three of the finest anthems of the Motown era, and "My Cherie Amour" as one of its sweetest love songs. But it was when he turned his attention to grinding keyboard grooves and social concerns that Wonder really came into his own

Concord Records is celebrating the 80th birthday of the legendary Ray Charles with a special gift for his legions of fans: Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters. This treasure trove of newly discovered recordings, highlighted by a duet with fellow icon Johnny Cash, will become available on October 26th, 2010.

Culled from four decades worth of demos and other previously unreleased material, Rare Genius showcases the remarkable artistic vision, stylistic range and emotionally rich vocals that crafted Charles enduring legacy. Listening to the ten gems from the '70s, '80s and '90s that comprise this CD, fans will have no trouble envisioning the late singer rocking back and forth at the piano as he effortlessly segues between R&B/soul, pop, country and gospel. "Ray would always get inside the meaning of a lyric and make the listener believe every word," says Concord Music Group Chief Creative Officer, John Burk. "His vocals carried incredible emotion and intensity, even on demo tapes. What we have here with Rare Genius is on par with some of his greatest works."

James Blunt releases his third studio album Some Kind Of Trouble. The album features 12 new songs and was produced by Steve Robson (with additional production from Greg Kurstin and Eg White). It sees Blunt, who has sold in excess of 16 million albums worldwide, capturing a new feeling of spontaneity and freshness summed up by his comment that he sees his first two albums as a pair of book ends – action and reaction. Some Kind Of Trouble, then, is very much the start of a new chapter. The album was recorded largely in London with members of James’ touring band. The album includes the single “Stay The Night”.

“An absolute must for children young and old (Háry János)”– Grammophone
“The Psalmus Hungaricus receives a bright and forceful performance under Kertész, dramatically sung by tenor Lajos Kozma.”– Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide
"Committed and idiomatic performances recorded in three-dimensional sound. The highlights from the collection are the Suite, the sets of orchestral dances and the Peacock Variations – one of the finest sets ever written; but there is interest too in the rarer Concerto for Orchestra – earlier than Bartók’s and equally nationalistic – and the three-movement Symphony of 1961. – George Hall, BBC Music Magazine
"It’s marvellous to have Kertész’s brilliantly idiomatic performances of Kodály’s best-known works. Peter Ustinov’s narration of Háry János threads the whole together." – Jan Smaczny, BBC Music Magazine
"In Dorati's hands the passionate Andante [from the Symphony] is strong in gypsy feeling and the jolly, folk-dance finale is colourful and full of vitality." – Penguin Guide

REPRINT (2nd EDITION) Comprising all previously unreleased recordings, this four-CD set presents classic, headline-generating performances by the London Symphony Orchestra with conductor Karl Böhm at the Salzburg Festival. Dating from 1973 to 1977, the recordings also feature pianist Emil Gilels (in the Schumann Piano Concerto) and violinist Henryk Szeryng (in a concerto once attributed to Mozart). A veritable symbol of Central European values, Böhm leads the LSO in Mozart's Symphonies No. 28 and No. 35 ("Haffner"), Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, Schumann's Symphony No. 4 and Brahms' Symphony No. 2. The four-disc set is sold for the price of three, with the Richard Strauss tone poem Death and Transfiguration coming on a bonus CD. The Austrian Radio (ORF) stereo tapes were digitally mastered by Ton Eichinger Studio in Vienna. Illustrated with photos from the LSO archive, the 96-page booklet features an introduction by Pulitzer Prize–winner Tim Page and an essay by notable British critic/author Richard Osborne, as well as artist bios from The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. REPRINTED COPIES INCLUDE: Attractive, informative and protective slipcase Improved book layout Additional photographs with expansive captions Same high-quality audio production

After several years in the making, The Pain Machinery proudly present their fourth album Urban Survival. 14 tracks custom built to sweep the scum off the streets. This time, Anders Karlsson and long time partner in crime Jonas Hedberg have enlisted guest vocalist Jared Louche, the driving force behind the legendary Chemlab, to maximise the impact of their sonic assault.