Duke Ellington was the most important composer in the history of jazz as well as being a bandleader who held his large group together continuously for almost 50 years. The two aspects of his career were related; Ellington used his band as a musical laboratory for his new compositions and shaped his writing specifically to showcase the talents of his bandmembers, many of whom remained with him for long periods. Ellington also wrote film scores and stage musicals, and several of his instrumental works were adapted into songs that became standards. In addition to touring year in and year out, he recorded extensively, resulting in a gigantic body of work that was still being assessed a quarter century after his death.

Kenny G Live is the first live album by saxophonist Kenny G. It was released by Arista Records in 1989, and peaked at number 2 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and number 16 on the Billboard 200. This album was recorded live at Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay in San Diego, California. The lead track from the album, "Going Home" has become phenomenon worldwide, especially in China.

Oscar Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, but simply "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won eight Grammy Awards, and received numerous other awards and honours. He is considered one of the greatest jazz pianists, and played thousands of concerts worldwide in a career lasting more than 60 years.

Whether in its original serial form in the 1940s, in the low-budget films of the 1950s, in the television series of the 1960s, or even in the overgrown re-imaginings for blockbuster movies in the 1970s and beyond, the science-fiction genre on film (and videotape) has always had something cheesy about it, and that is part of its appeal. Even when the technical wizards at director George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic are dreaming up the next Star Wars movie, there is, at heart, a sense of the earliest, silliest versions of the genre still present. In that spirit come Neil Norman's souped-up and synthesized treatments of the various scores for sci-fi films and TV series.

The Wham! collection The Final stands as the most accurate compilation of the duo's hits, even including the correct single versions of hits that were not available on their respective albums. From the early bubblegum silliness of "Bad Boys," "Wham! Rap," and "Young Guns" to the singles that made them an international pop phenomenon ("Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," "Everything She Wants," "Careless Whisper," and "I'm Your Man"), the hits are all here. "Everything She Wants" and "Freedom" are included in their single versions which did not appear on the multimillion-selling Make It Big. Also included is George Michael's first true solo hit, "A Different Corner," which, along with "Careless Whisper," hints at the later, more sophisticated styles of music that would further propel him into international superstar status.

Julie Roset, a young French soprano from Avignon, immediately attracted attention with her first recital for Ricercar (Nun danket alle Gott with Clematis) and went on to record a recital of works by Sigismondo d'India with Mariana Flores that met with great critical acclaim. In this new recording she tackles several of Handel’s masterpieces on religious themes: his Salve Regina , Gloria and the motet Silete venti were all composed at the time when the young Handel had been inspired to new heights by his discovery of Roman musical life.

Ravel and the Basque Country have always been one and the same. His Concerto in G major is the central work of this album and is presented here in an original arrangement for piano and small ensemble. Pianist Aurèle Marthan also pays homage to his splendid hometown, Guéthary, where he founded the festival Classic à Guéthary. All of the works recorded here illustrate the richness of a region that has been cherished by so many artists: Stravinsky arranged his Petrouchka in Biarritz, Pablo de Sarasate chose to reside there and Isaac Albéniz opted to spend his last days there. Another Basque celebrity, although on the Spanish side, is Alberto Iglesias, director Pedro Almodóvar’s house composer. The Basque coast is often compared to California because of its excellent beaches for surfing; Aurèle Marthan evokes the Eagles as well as his passion for the American minimalists (Glass) and for cinema, with music from the films Amen and Waltz with Bashir; he also provides a piano version of the Biarritz-based rock band La Femme’s hit Sur la planche.