This concert captures Dire Straits front man Mark Knopfler performing some of his greatest hits live from the BBC studios, London in 1996, joined by drummer Chad Cromwell, along with guests Sonny Landreth and Jools Holland. Among the memorable selections from the set are "Walk of Life," "Darling Pretty," "Imelda," "Golden Heart," "Je Suis Desole," "Going Home," "A Night in Summer Long Ago" and many more.

Along with Leos Janacek, Bohuslav Martinu was one of the twin giants of Czech music in the twentieth century, a composer with a distinctly individual voice and a versatility that led him to excel in every medium from stage works to symphonies to string quartets. Martinu was born in the Moravian town of Policka. Starting violin lessons at the of seven, he gave his first recital when he was 15. By the age of 10 he had written his first compositions; his juvenilia include songs, piano music, symphonic poems, string quartets, and ballets. In 1906, he entered Prague Conservatory, but reading and the theater diverted Martinu from his studies, and he was finally expelled for "incorrigible negligence" in 1910. However, he continued composing. Exempted, as a …….
From Allmusic

Through his far-reaching endeavors as composer, performer, educator, and ethnomusicolgist, Béla Bartók emerged as one of the most forceful and influential musical personalities of the twentieth century. Born in Nagyszentmiklós, Hungary (now Romania), on March 25, 1881, Bartók began his musical training with piano studies at the age of five, foreshadowing his lifelong affinity for the instrument. Following his graduation from the Royal Academy of Music in 1901 and the composition of his first mature works – most notably, the symphonic poem Kossuth (1903) – Bartók embarked on one of the classic field studies in the history of ethnomusicology. With fellow countryman and composer Zoltán Kodály, he traveled throughout Hungary ……..

From Allmusic

While Al Jarreau's jazz following probably ignored this 1986 studio release in droves, they missed a gem, a perhaps surprisingly scintillating collaboration with one of the leading dance-music producer/guitarists of the time, Nile Rodgers (late of Chic). Not only did Rodgers and Jarreau assemble some strong tunes from many sources, Rodgers took advantage of Jarreau's rhythmic capabilities…

Blow by Blow is the seventh album by British guitarist Jeff Beck, released on Epic Records in 1975, and recorded in October 1974. It is the first under his name alone. An instrumental album, it peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

HEL were founded in Germany in 1994, one of the first German metal bands with lyrics embracing Northern Mythology. The style of music ranges from Black Metal to Folk & Pagan Metal. Vocalist Skaldir comments that Bathory are probably one of the most important influences on HEL.

Many of you are familiar with guitarist Shawn Starski from the series of memorable shows at Big Cities Lounge that he was involved with as a member of Jason Ricci's band, New Blood. Now Shawn gets the opportunity to step into the spotlight and he quickly shows that he is ready for the attention. Starski wrote all of the songs and handles most of the lead vocals, with his wife Elle taking over on two cuts. This is a very impressive first effort for Starski. He has delivered a strong batch of tunes and, no surprise, his guitar work is a consistent delight. A very well-done project that merits your attention.