Quasimodo (1994) is an album by Quaterna Requiem, an Italian jazz band known for blending elements of progressive rock, jazz fusion, and avant-garde jazz. The album showcases their distinctive style and their approach to complex, experimental soundscapes. Quaterna Requiem is particularly recognized for their ability to mix jazz improvisation with rock elements, and Quasimodo stands as one of their notable releases in this vein.

Violet Violets (2005) is an album by Sam Rivers, Ben Street, and Kresten Osgood, bringing together a trio of accomplished jazz musicians. The album showcases a blend of avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, and dynamic interplay among the three artists, making it a significant contribution to contemporary jazz.

Vargtime (2002) is an album by Jan Kåre Hystad Kvartett, a Norwegian jazz group led by the saxophonist Jan Kåre Hystad. This album is notable for its deep exploration of modern jazz sounds with influences ranging from Scandinavian jazz traditions to more experimental and free jazz elements.

The Birth of Hard Bop (2000) is a compilation album featuring three iconic jazz trumpeters — Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, and Hank Mobley — and is a key release in understanding the development of the hard bop movement in jazz during the 1950s. The album serves as a reflection of the emergence of hard bop, a subgenre that evolved as a response to the cool jazz movement, incorporating more bluesy, soulful, and rhythmically intense elements.

November (2008) is an album by American trumpet player Jeremy Pelt, one of the leading figures in contemporary jazz. This album is known for its emotional depth, lush soundscapes, and refined artistry, showcasing Pelt’s skill both as a performer and a composer.

Suono di Donna (2012) is an album by Italian jazz singer Ada Montellanico, recognized for her distinctive voice and deep connection to jazz tradition. This album highlights her expressive vocal ability and features a blend of original compositions and jazz standards.

Kicking K8 - Score (2009) is an album by Kicking K8, a band known for their eclectic mix of avant-garde rock, post-punk, and experimental music. The band's sound often blends elements of psychedelia, indie rock, and post-rock, creating a unique atmosphere of tension and release.

Kruzenshtern i Parohod - Hidden Album (2012) is an album by the Russian jazz and avant-garde rock band Kruzenshtern i Parohod. The band is known for its eclectic mix of genres, blending elements of jazz, avant-garde, post-rock, and experimental music. Their sound is often characterized by unconventional compositions, improvised sections, and a willingness to push the boundaries of both musical structure and genre.

It is not possible to over-estimate the importance of Louis Armstrong to the development of Jazz. And his influence has spread throughout much of twen- tieth century music serious and frivolous "classical and pop. He was undoubtedly a genius and his special talent lay in his ability to improvise on a musical theme- unleashing a depth and power of expression which has never been surpassed. The evidence for such a claim lies in 24 superb recordings reproduced here. They capture Louis in the 1920s at the height of his creative powers, and include all of the "Hot Seven sides, heard in new digital stereo- Impressions of mint condition 78rpm originals. Robert Parker

First Cuts is a compilation album released in Germany by Deram in 1989. First Cuts presents 20 tracks culled form Cat Stevens' first and second albums, 1967's Matthew & Son and New Masters. Released on London's whimsical Decca (Deram) label, Stevens' early work was light and amiable with plenty of psychedelic pop orchestration and catchy melodies. These early successes included "Here Comes My Baby," "First Cut Is the Deepest," and "Matthew & Son," all of which can be found on this fun, but hardly representative collection of folk-pop songs.

Although it follows the same patterns and approach as Cycles, My Way is a stronger album, with a better, more varied selection of material and a more focused, gutsy performance from Frank Sinatra. Built around the hit single "My Way," the album again alternates between rock covers ("Yesterday," "Hallelujah, I Love Her So," "For Once in My Life," "Didn't We," "Mrs. Robinson"), a couple of adapted French songs, and a handful of standards. This time out, Don Costa has written more engaging charts than the previous Cycles. The Beatles' "Yesterday" is given an affecting, melancholy treatment that brings out the best in Sinatra, as does the new arrangement of "All My Tomorrows," which is lush and aching. If Sinatra doesn't quite pull off the R&B of "Hallelujah, I Love Her So," he does sing the light Latin stylings of "A Day in the Life of a Fool" beautifully, and he has fun with Paul Simon's "Mrs. Robinson," changing the lyrics dramatically so they become a tongue-in-cheek, swinging hipster tribute. For that matter, most of the record is successful in creating a middle ground between the traditional pop Sinatra loves and the contemporary pop/rock that dominated the charts in the late '60s. My Way doesn't have the macho swagger of his prime Rat Pack records, but its reflective, knowing arrangements show that Sinatra could come to terms with rock & roll at some level.

For her first collaboration with the period ensemble Il Giardino Armonico, violinist Isabelle Faust performs the five Violin Concertos of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, along with three shorter concertante works. This is an extraordinary set, for the historically informed performances, the polished sound of the group, the almost palpable presence of the players, which Harmonia Mundi has captured with superior engineering, and for the unrepressed joy in the music. Faust is the center of attention, naturally, and her refined and expressive playing immediately pulls the listener in. These are far from the most demanding concertos in the repertoire, so Faust is less concerned with technical execution than with conveying the pure feeling of the music, which is delightfully buoyant and uplifting. Under the direction of Giovanni Antonini, the group provides warm and sparkling accompaniment that gives Faust all the support she needs, but there's no doubt that she sets the emotional tone for these exquisite recordings. Highly recommended, especially for devotees of Classical style at its finest.

This is part I & part II of the re-issue series of the cult-band of the 80s in the fieid of electronic-nature music - G.E.N.E. In the years 1991 until 1999 they released quite a number of CDs which all gained big success all over the world. Inspired by the travelling of the artists Cléo de Mallio and Lisa-Maria Tedesca they created compositions which became all-time greats in the collections of their fans. The music built from original tones and authentic sounds was put together with electronic devices to create unique compositions. This first CD covers the best songs from the initial releases “Get The Taste” (1991), "Katchina” (1991), “Diving Dreams" (1992), "Fluting Paradise" (1992) and last but not least "Mediterranean Moods” (1993).

Baldassare Galuppi was extremely popular during his lifetime, and according to more than one contemporary source he died the wealthiest Italian composer of the 18th century. Though primarily remembered for his contribution to the development of opera (he wrote more than 100), Galuppi also composed an abundance (148 works as of last count) of oratorios, cantatas, motets, and masses. Utilizing a score that Galuppi composed earlier, conductor Filippo Maria Bressan and the Academia de li Musici and the Athestis Chorus offer a reconstruction of a service that may have taken place in 1766 during Advent at St. Marks in Venice, where Galuppi held his long-standing position of musical director.

When it comes to old Italian vocal music, the Italian choir "La Stagione Armonica" from Padua under the direction of Sergio Balestracci has proven its high musical level several times. After the recording with responsories, which Alessandro Scarlatti composed for Good Saturday, the follow-up album with Scarlatti's responsories for Good Friday is now released.