Rock and metal flagship Avantasia return with thrilling 10th studio album, 'Here Be Dragons'!
Featuring absolute Avantasia essentials such as spellbinding choirs and theatrical symphonic metal elements, multitalented mastermind and frontman Tobias Sammet also surprises fans old and new with plenty of intriguing fresh soundscapes. Here Be Dragons gives the celebrated Avantasia sound that has been carefully crafted over a quarter of a century an exciting and powerful spin. The new album is the most consistent and concise piece of art that the band has ever crafted.
In typical Avantasia manner, the new full-length is rich in vivid storytelling and cinematic atmospheres, not to mention the highest level of musicianship…

This is the fourth in a series of five CD reissues from guitar legend Joe Diorio's classic Spitball Records recordings from the 1970's. Originally released in 1974 on Spitball Records, "Rapport" was recorded on April 29, 1973 at The First Unitarian Church in Miami, Florida and features Joe Diorio on guitar and Wally Cirillo on piano. Now available for the first time on CD including the original album cover artwork and liner notes from the original LP release. The album contains three original compositions by Joe Diorio and Wally Cirillo, "Talla Sunshine and Naima Rainbow: Dance for Their Father", "Emiereicity" and "Lovely Afternoon", in addition to the song "Sonnymoon for Two / Four Score" by Sonny Rollins and Wally Cirillo. 24-bit digital remastering by Paul G. Kohler at Art of Life Studios in Charleston, South Carolina in January 2019. Art of Life Records is pleased to make this long out-of-print recording available to the world once again.

Ray Manzarek was an American musician, singer, producer, film director, and author. He was best known as a member of the Doors from 1965 to 1973, which he co-founded with singer and lyricist Jim Morrison.
This is a staggeringly different piece of music for those who only know the Ray Manzarek of "Light My Fire" or "L.A. Woman" fame. The 1983 collaboration with Philip Glass and Kurt Munkacsi holds many revelations. As the post-Morrison Doors splintered off into various side projects, Manzarek's notable The Golden Scarab and The Whole Thing Started With Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control to the Krieger/Densmore schizophrenic unit known as the Butts Band, as well as guitarist Krieger's jazz-flavored solo discs, the journeymen musicians opened windows beyond the music of the Doors. Carmina Burana's power emerges from the fusion of musical forms, heralded by Manzarek's sincere approach to the project…

Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a compilation album by American duo the Carpenters. It was released on 7 December 2018, by A&M Records and Universal Music Enterprises. The album features Carpenters' "original vocal and instrumental tracks" accompanied by new orchestral arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The Japanese release has "Please Mr. Postman" as a bonus track. Richard Carpenter served as the album's arranger, conductor and co-producer. The Royal Philharmonic recorded its portions at Abbey Road Studio. The album was completed at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

While Tangerine Dream amassed its vast catalog throughout the '70s and '80s, chief Dreamer Edgar Froese was quietly releasing influential records of his own. This handy, two-disc set is a fine collection of some of the better moments from Froese's numerous solo outings, including 15 new tracks recorded specifically for this set, and the rest are extensively reworked with "new timbres." Consequently "Beyond The Storm" comes off less as a compilation than as a whole studio album based upon old themes. If you're a fan of Froese or TD this is a nice slice of that pie.

The Morgan Studios session team's sophomore album is a classic example of (very) early-'70s British pop, an exquisitely performed, flawlessly arranged collection of lightly rocking originals that are not quite soft enough to be as cloying as similar efforts by contemporaries Harmony Grass and the Brotherhood of Man, but only occasionally memorable enough to actually stick in the mind. The title track, Blue Mink's third U.K. hit, was the original album's main selling point – subsequently, of course, the group's prototype rendition of "Gasoline Alley Bred" attracted the most attention, courtesy of the Hollies' hit version, and it must be said that there is little to choose between either version. Impressive, too, is "You Walked Away," a Madeline Bell showcase that layers her vocals over sultry percussion and percolating guitar, while the closing "Jubilation" is a "Get Back"-style rocker that illustrates just what a powerful bunch of musicians Blue Mink was…

Despite his Italian name, Mario Bernardi was a native-born Canadian and one of his country's leading conductors. His family sent him back to the Old Country to study music as a child, though, and this was through the entirety of World War II. He studied piano, organ, and composition at the Manzato Conservatory in Treviso (1938 - 1945) and the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice (1945). Young Bernardi returned to Canada after the war to complete his studies in piano and conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (1948 - 1951).

Elmore James Jr., son of the great Elmore James, is an accomplished and masterful Chicago blues singer, slide guitarist, and former rock & roll drummer. Second CD for Wolf Records, titled Old School Lover, is one of the best traditional Chicago blues albums of 2012. Includes six new songs and six traditional tunes in the Chicago blues style. Features Eddie Taylor Jr., Ed Williams, and Illinois Slim.

Krystian Zimerman is getting better as he gets older. He used to be one of a half-dozen great young pianists, a brilliant virtuoso with tremendous expressivity, enormous soul, and a habit of making even fewer recordings than Argerich or Pollini. Over the years of ever-fewer recordings, he's grown into an astounding virtuoso and the emotional power of his interpretations have grown with his technique.