Johann Sebastian Bach's six Partitas for Harpsichord are among the greatest and most inspired works of all keyboard literature. They represent the composer's genius at the height of his maturity, matched only by his Goldberg Variations. They are performed here by Colin Tilney on a copy of an instrument by Christian Zell, Hamburg, 1728, built by Colin Booth, Wells, England, 1984. Colin Tilney is internationally known for his harpsichord, clavichord and fortepiano playing, with many solo recordings on DG (Archive), EMI Electrola, Decca, Hyperion, Dorian, Doremi and CBC SM 5000.

Asked the question ‘How many sonatas for violin and piano did Johannes Brahms compose?’, many lovers of chamber music would probably answer three, and maybe also add their respective keys and opus numbers. When pressed, a number of them would also remember the so-called F.A.E. Sonata, a collaborative effort by the young Brahms, Albert Dietrich and their mentor Robert Schumann. But very few would probably think of the two Opus 120 sonatas, composed in 1894 for clarinet (or viola) and piano, but a year later published in the composer’s own versions for the violin.

Instrumental works utterly dominate the extensive oeuvre of Johann Gottlieb Graun. It is hardly surprising that among them (besides overtures, symphonies, quartets, trios, and wind concertos) he wrote a great number of concertos and solo sonatas for the violin. He composed at least 83 solo concertos, double concertos, and several ensemble concertos with solo violin. The concerto by Markus Heinrich Grauel on this CD may be taken as an example of Graun's influence.

The emphasis on this fine LP is on John Lewis' piano playing. Taking time off from the Modern Jazz Quartet and his orchestral writing, Lewis performs five standards plus two of his originals ("Delaunay's Dilemma" and "Love Me") in a trio with drummer Connie Kay and either George Duvivier or Percy Heath on bass. A master at playing blues, Lewis' versatility and solid sense of swing can be heard on such songs as his two originals as well as "Now's the Time," "Yesterdays," and "September Song."

Walker remains in fine form on this 1995 set, a mix of remakes of past triumphs ("Hello, My Darling," "Hey, Hey Baby's Gone") and fresh explorations. Two distinct bands were utilized - a New Orleans crew populated by bassist George Porter, Jr., and his funky cohorts, and an L.A. posse with more of a straight-up swinging feel.

Midnight Sun were a Progressive Rock group from Denmark, whose style is influenced by such acts as Traffic, Burnin' Red Ivanhoe, and later on, Blood Sweat And Tears. They first started out as Rainbow Band, but soon had to change their name, after it was found that a Canadian group had already taken it. They released four studio albums during their career, the first two or three probably being the more famous. Their albums are also of serious value to collectors and were all designed by the famous Roger Dean.

First recognized as the dance duo behind the club hits "Stakker" (as Humanoid) and "Papua New Guinea," Future Sound of London later became one of the most acclaimed and respected international experimental ambient groups, incorporating elements of techno, classical, jazz, hip-hop, electro, industrial, and dub into expansive, sample-heavy tracks, often exquisitely produced and usually without easy precursor.
Notoriously enigmatic and often disdainful of the press, the group's Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans worked their future-is-now aesthetic into a variety of different fields, including film and video, 2- and 3-D computer graphics and animation, the Internet, radio broadcast, and, of course, recorded music…