Secret Garden's formula is plain to hear. They have the lush string orchestrations of Yanni, the layered vocals of Clannad and Enya, and the stage-show Celtica of Riverdance. In the past these elements have weighed down the music of Irish violinist Fionuala Sherry and Norwegian keyboardist Rolf Lovland with a sweetness that would make tiramisu taste like poi. On Dawn of a New Century, they finally dance closer to the line that divides schlock from serenity, beauty from the banal. Capercaillie singer Karen Matheson gives a haunting vocal performance on "Prayer," surrounded by Clannad-like harmonies. "Children of the River" is a cinematic expanse with Asian overtones, while "Lore of the Loom" swoops through orchestral landscapes that could be Ireland or Norway. But there's also the hokey faux-Baroque of "Divertimento" and the title piece, which could stand in for "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing."

Contemporaries of the Beatles, along with other Liverpudlian rockers like Gerry & the Pacemakers and Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, the Remo Four were lost to the darkest corners of Merseybeat history, with only See for Miles' 1992 compilation The Best of Tommy Quickly, Johnny Sandon, Gregory Phillips & the Remo Four – a disc featuring singers the group backed, along with a handful of their tracks – being the only reissue to surface until Bear Family's 2010 Smile!, Peter Gunn…And More. Only one of the songs on that 1992 disc – a cover of “Peter Gunn” – is on this 2010 CD, which contains the entirety of their 1967 LP Smile!, released only in Germany, and singles surrounding the album.

A blues purist, John Hammond came to prominence in the mid-'60s and recorded for the prestigious Vanguard label, earning himself the title of "the white Robert Johnson" with his authentic National Steel guitar, voice, and harmonica blues. Highly praised in the blues and folk worlds, Hammond led a career spanning four decades with outstanding dedication to the purity of the blues. The Band served as rhythm section on some of his albums, but solo is arguably the best way to hear him - with no discredit to Robbie Robertson and company. It's just that Hammond is that kind of artist. Footwork was recorded in isolation by Hammond alone in 1978. The album is haunting in its pragmatic recording; every nuance of his gravelly voice and subtle inflection of the guitar and harmonica reverberate with an intimacy that had defined Delta blues…

The Depths Of Winter is the third release from multi-instrumentalist Peter Jones. "The Depths of Winter is an album based on wintery concepts, and stories which take place in the winter season," explains main man Jones. "There are a number of different themes explored on this album, including winter folk tales and characters such as the Ojibwe wind spirit, Biboon, the Viking legends of Baldr, Loki and Frigga, and the death of English folklore hero, Robin Hood." This new outing sees Tiger Moth Tales taking on a somewhat more mature sound, tackling some darker but less personal themes that are predominantly based on wintery concepts, and stories that take place in the winter season.

John Pizzarelli lays it all out in the title of his 2015 album: this tribute to Paul McCartney is designed for play in the smoky late-night hours, when everything turns sweet and mellow. Furthermore, this is a tribute to McCartney, not the Beatles. There isn't a Fab song to be found here, as Pizzarelli focuses entirely on Paul's solo work (for these intents and purposes, this includes Wings records), concentrating on the '70s but also sliding McCartney's Great American Songbook wannabe "My Valentine" into the mix. Pizzarelli digs up a few other obscurities – the early Wings song "Some People Never Know," the Speed of Sound deep cut "Warm and Beautiful" – and he also plays around with expectations, making "Let 'Em In" swing like mad and relaxing "Hi Hi Hi" so it doesn't rock, it grooves. He also invites Michael McDonald to sing on "Coming Up," which swaggers like Sinatra in Vegas, but for as delightful as that is, the key to the record's success is Pizzarelli himself, who delivers upon the laid-back promise of the title but is savvier than he needed to be, which is why Midnight McCartney satisfies.