The Carpenters' first long-player, cut in 1969 (and originally released as Offering) amid the breakdown of America's postwar social contract, the Vietnam War's soaring to a crescendo of bloodshed, the coming apart of the Beatles, and the final flowering (and wilting) of the youth rebellion of the prior four years. And in the middle of all of that, Karen and Richard Carpenter issued a finely crafted record that moved effortlessly between Spanky & Our Gang-style pop/rock ("Your Wonderful Parade") and art-song. In some ways, Ticket to Ride is the Carpenters' most interesting album, for it contains a range of interests and sounds that were modified or abandoned on subsequent albums. The lushly orchestrated "Someday" is a brilliant showcase for Richard's arranging skills and the most dramatic side of Karen's voice - it points the way toward songs like "Crescent Noon" on the next album, and although that highly dramatic sound…

Naked is already Isgaard's fifth studio album. Together with her producer and co-musician Jens Lueck she continues to mix variuos styles and influences. A creation of emotional, interwoven sounds, always focussed on her charismatic voice. Fragile piano-parts face pulsating beats, electronic sounds are combined with warm acoustic instruments and generate a unique mixture. Isgaard's vocals are constantly leading the listeners, telling musical tales, and fly through various timbres from low to high. Her songs are on the one hand about actual topics (critical reflection of the financial world and the consumer-society), on the other hand about very personal and introverted themes. As already in the past Naked will be appreciated by fans of Kate Bush, Lisa Gerard, Tori Amos, Loreena McKennit or Peter Gabriel, but as well by friends of epic soundtracks.

This Charles Brown session from early 1992 finds the singer sounding just as natural as he did in the early '50s. Brown is in a typically soulful mood, crooning like a gritty modern day Nat "King" Cole. Backing up the piano and vocals of Brown are soul-groove saxophonist Houston Person, whose smokey tenor chops were an excellent match for Brown's blues. Danny Caron on guitar, Ruth Davies on bass, and Gaylord Birch round out the rhythm section. These ten tracks consist of five originals and five covers featuring a brief version of Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight," showing off Brown's ability to play straight jazz.

Audacious fighters, indomitable queens, and evil witches: On their debut CD, soprano Margriet Buchberger and the musicians of Il Giratempo put Handel’s strongest and most mesmerizing women centre stage - where they rightfully belong. The „wild“ women in Georg Friedrich Handel’s operas are truly queens of their own destiny.

Few legends have had the impact of the extraordinarily handsome Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection in the water. In the arts, the legend of Narcissus made its mark from ancient Greece onward. In music, interest in the legend dates back to the baroque. The opera by Domenico Scarlatti Amor d’un’ombra e gelosia d’un’aura was composed in Rome on a libretto by Carlo Sigismondo Capece and was revised in 1720 by Domenico Scarlatti himself- but with a libretto by Paulo Antonio Rolli- for a London performance of Narciso at the King’s Theatre in Haymarket.

“Il mondo della luna” fu scritto da Paisiello durante il suo soggiorno in Russia, ospite a San Pietroburgo della zarina Caterina II che lo impiegò a corte come maestro di cappella. L’opera, su un testo di Carlo Goldoni, venne rappresentata nel 1783, per l’apertura del nuovo Imperial Teatro di pietra per festeggiare il giorno dell’incoronazione di S.M.I. Caterina II.

With a nearly two decades separating Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko’s ECM debut, Balladyna, and Matka Joanna, his label follow-up as leader, it’s no wonder the two are so different. Taking Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s 1961 film Matka Joanna od Aniołów as its inspiration, the second draws from a palette of possession and temptation as grittily as its namesake’s B&W canvas.
Backed by pianist Bobo Stenson, bassist Anders Jormin, and drummer Tony Oxley (in a decidedly Christensenian mode), Stanko brings his pungent lyricism to bear across a swath of mountains and shadows that inhales cobwebs from a “Monastery In The Dark” and exhales the mummified sermons of its “Klostergeist.” Within those lungs mingle forgotten bells, vibrating between prayer and dreams, and chains of latent virtues…

Homer's "The Odyssey" is one of the most beautiful stories ever written. The Odyssey-like venture of the French label Musea and the Finnish magazine Colossus was therefore bound to come across the road of the famous Greek poet of Antiquity. The triple album presented is made up of nine symphonic pieces lasting about 25 minutes each, and recorded by the most exciting gathering of international talents you may imagine: Nathan Mahl (Canada), Nexus (Argentina), Glass Hammer (USA), XII Alfonso (France), Simon Says (Sweden), C.A.P. (Italy), Tempano (Venezuela), Minimum Vital (France) and Aether (Brasil). Jointly inspired by Homer's masterpiece and the best works of the masters of Progressive rock, the nine bands have been able to give the best they could. Coming across the ancient spirit of Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Genesis is not scarce here, which will delight the connoisseurs…

This is a fine two-disc anthology of the Platters which manages to combine both the classic early hits ("Only You," "The Great Pretender," "Twilight Time," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes") when the group was led by Tony Williams' sweet tenor, and the later uptown soul hits ("I Love You 1000 Times," "With This Ring," "Washed Ashore") that featured the spirited vocals of Sonny Turner. The result is a nearly seamless overview of this important group's history.

The expansion into and incorporation of jazz in the electronic scene is a concept far from new, but its impact is best felt on a disc like Coco. Parov Stelar approaches the double album from an innovative standpoint, dismissing the habit of ignoring less prominent tracks on an album by creating something of enviable proportions. Jazz and swing shine through on Coco, the bold brass and beautiful arrangements blending with minimal house and electro elements, melancholic piano and sax. With six singers from different genres making appearances, Stelar creates a melodious patchwork of sounds across 26 tracks. The first disc plays more with guest vocals (with eight of the 13 tracks collaborations), hitting the mark with songs like the evolving "True Romance" (featuring Lilja Bloom) and "Distance" (featuring Lylith)…

Toss a line into the vast ocean of budget-priced classic rock greatest-hits/ultimate/definitive collections, and you’re bound to snag a Bay City Rollers overview or two, but this 21-track compilation from Sony may be one of the better ones. Stocked with all ten of the sugary power pop group’s Top Ten hits, as well as 11 choice album cuts, this Greatest Hits collection is both simple and essential, resulting in the perfect introductory companion for those who have yet to “Give a Little Love” to these fine bubblegum Scotsmen.