Tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer recruited some of the best available jazz musicians in the Big Apple for these 1993 studio sessions, which focus mostly on his originals. The driving opener is "Treasure Hunt," though the tenor sax solo is by Bob Malach rather than the leader. Mintzer switches to bass clarinet for the adventurous "Modern Day Tuba," though the instrument sounds as if it has been electronically altered, as the normally woody tone seems a bit tinny.

Trumpeter Tim Hagans and drummer Peter Esrkine and the Norrbotten (Sweden) Big Band's last release - Worth the Wait was one of our favorites (see our review here and the boys are back with a brand new album of exciting Hagans-penned big band composition. This time they have upped the ante with the addition of several guest stars - occluding tenor saxophonist George Garzone, trumpeter Randy Brecker, soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman, bassist Rufus Reid and guitarist Vic Juris(on one track). The Norrbotten Big Band is known throughout Europe as one of the more adventurous ensembles on the current scene.

"Singulier est une compilation du chanteur français Jean-Jacques Goldman sortie le 23 août 1996. En plus d'être une sélection des tubes du chanteur, cet album est intéressant car il comporte un certain nombre de chansons rechantées sur la bande son originale." (wikipedia)

Mahler’s Resurrection has been much recorded in recent years, so much so that new versions prompt one to groan inwardly and mutter: ‘Not another one’. Such ubiquity has its price, for any newcomer has to be something out of the ordinary if it’s to have any impact. Of recent releases David Zinman (Sony-BMG), Jonathan Nott (Tudor) and James Levine (Orfeo) definitely belong in this category; Vladimir Jurowski (LPO) and Markus Stenz (Oehms) manifestly don’t. And now Oehms are taking another bite out of the cherry, with the Hamburg orchestra led by their chief conductor Simone Young. Curiously, this was recorded at around the same time as the Stenz Mahler 2, which seems extravagant in this already overstocked field.

SDG is proud to release a new recording of Bach's St John Passion. Previous releases have received phenomenal press coverage and tremendous reviews for performance, sound quality and packaging. Recorded in Königslutter in 2003, this two disc album features internationally acclaimed soloists, including Mark Padmore, Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Peter Harvey and Bernarda Fink.

Released in 1994, "Wildhoney" is a true masterpiece, a flowing melody of harsh vocals and beautiful keyboards. Back in 1994, critics and fans alike were blown away when they heard this. “Wildhoney” is not only Tiamat’s magnum opus, but also one of the finest albums. The limited deluxe edition (remaster is simply perfection) - "Wildhoney" + "Gaia " EP and "Live In Stockholm 1994" CD as a bonus! Cool!

If you have not yet had the pleasure of encountering the music of the Tōru Takemitsu (1930-1996), this CD, part of Deutsche Grammophon's 20/21 series, is an excellent place to start. It contains seven pieces from the last part of the Japanese composer's career, ranging from Dream/Window (1985), a representation of the city of Kyoto, to the supremely haunting Archipelago S. (1993).

Raymond Tuttle (classical.net)

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