A gracefully conducted, lush-sounding disc of much beauty and showing a greater range of emotion and sensitivity than we might otherwise expect of Sibelius. Where Finlandia is a work for the public, these works are for–and from–deeper in the heart. Theeden nudges and nuances the material gracefully and with great reverence.

An overlooked gem is rediscovered. A 1985 LP that went largely unnoticed on its release, Willie and the Poor Boys was an exercise in nostalgia for Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and a bunch of his musical pals. The LP was put together by Wyman as a means of raising funds to help out The Faces founder Ronnie Lane, then suffering greatly from Multiple Sclerosis. A major benefit – the A.R.M.S. Concert – had been mounted in September 1983, and Willie and the Poor Boys was an outgrowth of that effort, employing many of the musicians involved in the original concert.

Symphony No. 1, in four continuous sections, was commissioned by the Peterborough firm of Perkins Engines, and first performed there in 1973 by the London Symphony Orchestra and the composer. Symphony No. 5 was premièred in Seoul in 1992, and a Korean folksong threads its way unobtrusively through the lower strings at certain points. Penderecki again favours a single movement, although, unlike his second and fourth symphonies, the strongly-drawn contrast between slower and faster sections gives the work a greater dynamic charge.

Johannes Brahms - Hardy Rittner - Early Piano Works Vol.2
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 204 MB | MP3 CBR 320: 156 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MDG # 904 1538-6 | Country/Year: Germany 2008
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic

…It is often said that Brahms was late in writing a symphony but Rittner's playing shows that to be false; these works are symphonic in scope and scale - all that was left was for Brahms to produce an orchestration. Apart from capturing the grand sweep of the phrases and the structure of the compositions, Rittner also delivers on the poetry of the music. No detail escapes his attention but neither does it interrupt the musical narrative. Rittner's playing is fully at the service of the music, not his self-aggrandisement. The recording from MDG, again a 2+2+2 production, is as clear and rounded as that in volume 1.

Drew Sterchi: "After playing straight-ahead blues for years, the timing seemed right to pause, reflect, and commit songs to record that tell a different story of musical and personal evolvement; a story told by drawing from the influences of R&B, rock, and blues to define my journey. The decision to make a solo album without my band of brothers of many years presented challenges that demanded a new level of self-awareness and determination that in the end uncovered an unexpected style and new direction for my music".

In mid-November 2006, Bruce Springsteen and the 18-member strong Sessions Band performed a three-night series of concerts at The Point in Dublin, Ireland. 'Live in Dublin' (which is being concurrently released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray) features a wide-ranging collection of the best performances from those three concerts, including a host of songs from Springsteen's latest album ("The Seeger Sessions"), some radical interpretations from The Boss' past songbook, plus a few songs that have never before been captured on a Springsteen release.

Compilation of 2 CD's published in 1998 with a selection of the best Brazilian music performed by some of its most famous interpreters (Everaldo Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Jayme Marques, …). Besides universally wellknown issues (Girl From Ipanema, Mama eu quero or Tico tico) are other less known in Brazilian music (Adocica, Requebra, E o Tchan, …)

Sarah McLachlan's rich voice and haunting, polished songs make her one of my favorite singers, and one whose work I like from beginning to end, from 1989's Touch through Solace, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Surfacing, and Mirrorball, to 2003's Afterglow. McLachlan's 1998 appearance on the VH1 Storytellers program gave her the chance to perform a sampling of her songs to a small audience in an intimate setting; it's sure to please any fan of McLachlan's music, whether a devoted fan or a casual listener.

Gentleman & The Far East Band - Live [2xCD]
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 651 MB | MP3 CBR 320: 225 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Four Music # FOR 513405 2 | Country/Year: Germany 2003 | Genre: Reggae

The question could be whether this album is really that extraordinary. To answer that question before going into details: yes it is. Even if you already own Gentleman's studio albums, "Trodin On" and "Journey To Jah", this is a live album you want to own… I do recommend this disc to everyone, a must have, check "Gentleman's website" for more on this great artist and his releases.

Penderecki's Symphony No. 3 (1988-95) is the work of a mature mind, construed slowly and painstakingly. 'I've been writing my Third Symphony for seven years,' Penderecki said in an interview. 'Two movements were written in 1988 and performed at the festival in Lucerne as a separate piece, Passacaglia and Rondo. But I've known all along it was going to be a symphony. (…) It's just that my ideas take a long time to mature' (1997).