One of the giants of the alto saxophone, Johnny Hodges was perhaps the most important soloist and sideman in Duke Ellington's orchestra from 1928 up to Hodges' death in 1970. The self-taught player made many solo forays during his long career - one of his '50s outfits included a young John Coltrane - but history remembers Hodges for his virtuosic sidemanship, particularly his sensitive rendering of ballads.

Led by Karl Böhm, the 3rd and 4th symphonies have long been recognised as classics of the Gramophone, but the ‘Vienna Philharmonic Bruckner cycle’ also contains several less-familiar recordings. Böhm's lyrical and expansive approach to Bruckner is probably best suited to the 7th symphony, which was certainly the best recorded legacy. Also on the disc the eight symphony of the Nowak edition, including the 1976 studio recording for Deutsche Grammophon.

U.K. are a British progressive rock supergroup originally active from 1977 until 1980. The band was composed of singer/bassist John Wetton (formerly of King Crimson, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry's band and Uriah Heep), keyboardist/electric violinist Eddie Jobson (formerly of Curved Air, Roxy Music and Frank Zappa's band), guitarist Allan Holdsworth (formerly of Tempest, Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime and Gong) and drummer Bill Bruford (formerly a full member of Yes and King Crimson, and also a tour drummer for Genesis), later replaced by drummer Terry Bozzio (formerly of Frank Zappa's band).

Danger Money is the second and final studio album by the progressive rock supergroup U.K., featuring John Wetton , Eddie Jobson and Terry Bozzio. It was released by E.G. Records / Polydor in March 1979. Early versions of "The Only Thing She Needs", "Caesar's Palace Blues" and "Carrying No Cross" (which had the opening chords to "Danger Money" in its intro) had been performed on tour throughout 1978 by the band's original line-up with Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth.

Night After Night is a live album recorded by the British band U.K. It features the trio lineup of Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, and Terry Bozzio. Recorded in late May and early June 1979 at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall and Nippon Seinenkan, Tokyo, Japan, it is UK's third album and their first live recording, released in September 1979 in support of the band's US tour supporting Jethro Tull (which Eddie Jobson joined after UK's split) and later headlining European tour.

This 1954 studio date, a self-titled album recorded for Emarcy, was later reissued as Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown to denote the involvement of one of the top trumpeters of the day. Vaughan sings nine intimate standards with a band including Brown on trumpet, Herbie Mann on flute, and Paul Quinichette on tenor.

The last of his studio albums released in his lifetime, Sam Cooke's Ain't That Good News offers a lot of superb material, pointing in several directions that, alas, were to go largely unexplored. The central number is, of course, the earth-shattering "A Change Is Gonna Come", with its soaring gospel sound and the most elaborate production of any song in Cooke's output.

Come On Over is the eighth studio album by Olivia Newton-John, originally released on 29 February 1976. It peaked at number 2 on the US Country albums chart, and number 13 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified Gold. Come On Over was also a success in the Japanese market, reaching the number 2 position on the Oricon Albums Chart.

Physical is the ninth full-length studio album by the British-Australian-American singer Olivia Newton-John. The album was produced and partly written by her long-time record producer John Farrar. Recorded and mixed at David J. Holman's studio in Hollywood, California, Physical became one of Newton-John's most controversial and sexual records, and her most successful studio album to date. Musically, the album features considerable use of synthesizers, and it explores lyrical themes such as love and relationships, sex, kinesthetics, and environmental protection. Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics, many of them considering it to be Newton-John's best work.

Counterparts is the fifteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush. After they finished touring in mid-1992, the band took a break before they started work on a follow-up. Counterparts reached No. 2 in the US, one of their two highest-charting albums in the country, and No. 6 in Canada.

One of the turning points in the career of John Coltrane came in 1965. The great saxophonist, whose playing was always very explorative and searching, crossed the line into atonality during that year, playing very free improvisations that were full of passion and fury.

70s magic from Percy Faith – two albums presented here in their quadrophonic mixes! Clair is a really wonderful album from Percy Faith – part of a handful of sweet 70s sides that really had him sounding a lot more groovy than before!

Northern Lights – Southern Cross is the sixth studio album by Canadian-American rock group the Band, released in 1975. It was the first album to be recorded at their new California studio, Shangri-La, and the first album of all new material since 1971's Cahoots. All eight songs are credited as compositions of guitarist Robbie Robertson. The album was well-received critically: Rolling Stone declared that The Band had kicked "a field goal", and, while he was put off by the sentimentality of the lyrics, Robert Christgau wrote "the pure comeliness of every melody on this album led to an immediate infatuation".

In 1955, Louis Armstrong, along with vocalist Velma Middleton, got into the studio to pay tribute to the late Fats Waller. All the standards are here: "Honeysuckle Rose," "Squeeze Me," "Ain't Misbehavin," rendered in fine and mellow but gently, genially swinging fashion. Armstrong's trumpet is superb and his voice carries the good-time spirit of Waller's music.

Massimo Faraò, who is from Italy, first visited the United States in 1983 when he played with Red Holloway. In Europe he has since worked with many top performers including Tony Scott, Jesse Davis, Franco Ambrosetti, Nat Adderley, Jack DeJohnette and a notable tour in 2007 with organist Joey DeFrancesco. Even with all of that, it is as the leader of his own trio that he really shines. Lovers of the classic jazz piano trio will find much to enjoy on Massimo Faraò's Autumn Leaves.