The act of switching to Columbia did not have a substantial impact upon Jean-Luc Ponty — not yet, at least — for his debut with the label found him mining the repeating, sequencer-driven lode that he was exploring while on Atlantic. But there are two areas where there is a difference: the material is superior to that of Fables, more memorable and immediately winning in melodic and arpeggiated content, and the sound quality is considerably improved over that of much of his Atlantic output. The rhythm section of Fables returns, with Pat Thomi replacing Scott Henderson on guitar, and as before, they take a definite back seat to their leader's violins, synthesizers and electronic devices.

Sebastian Knüpfer is yet another Baroque composer whose reputation and popularity have been overshadowed by J S Bach. Little of Knüpfer’s music has previously been transcribed from its many manuscripts, let alone published. However, in his day Knüpfer was a respected and highly soughtafter composer; his compositions were admired by his contemporaries and, according to his obituary, he ‘composed quotations of the Psalms and other Biblical books with such sweetness and skilfulness that he delighted even the saddest hearts, and his name is spoken with admiration not only in Leipzig but also outside’.

In France, during the reign of Louis XIV, the religious service known as Tenebrae was one of the most distinctive ceremonies in the liturgical year. Gradually, in the course of the office, the candles were extinguished, recalling the darkness that covered the earth when Jesus died on the cross. Charpentier composed Tenebrae settings throughout his career, thirty-one lessons in all. The three presented here, written for the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Holy Week, are scored for a solo bass voice, accompanied by an orchestra composed of recorders, oboes, strings, bassoon and organ.

Norway's TRAIL OF TEARS released their seventh full-length album entitled "Oscillation", on April 26th via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded earlier in the year at Sound Suite Studio inMarseille, France with producer Terje Refsnes. The artwork was done by Finnish artist Jan Yrlund.The follow up to 2009′s Bloodstain Endurance, which saw former vocalist Cathrine Paulsen re-join the band, will be their last. Back in January of this year, Ronny Thorsen, Endre Moe, and Bjorn Dugstad Roennow all departed from the group, leaving Paulsen and Bjorn Erik Naess as the only remaining members.

ATROCITY opus "OKKULT" is the start of an album trilogy! ATROCITY shows a musical diversity and delivers a powerful, homogeneous and atmospheric album. On the one hand the band utilizes lots of bombast and big choirs, while on the other hand ATROCITY offers pure, heavy, and authentic Metal songs that will get under the listeners skin. All elements of the sound are in perfect harmony. The fulminant production has a sweeping quality and gives the songs the necessary power, atmosphere and brutality. Thus, it is possible to dive right into the lyrical concept with occult magic, mysterious places, to conspiracy theories and unsolved mysteries. The finishing touches for the gloomy atmosphere of "OKKULT" were provided by the Canadian sound designer Katie Halliday (known for work on i.e. "Saw V", "Saw VI", "Saw 3D"). The orchestral parts were recorded in Minsk with the "LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTRA" with Victor Smolski (RAGE) as the conductor.

Although Billy Joel never was a critic's favorite, the pianist emerged as one of the most popular singer/songwriters of the latter half of the '70s. Joel's music consistently demonstrates an affection for Beatlesque hooks and a flair for Tin Pan Alley and Broadway melodies…

This profile from acclaimed singer and musician Kate Bush examines the songstress' life and career, beginning in the 1970's, and moving on through the 1990's and beyond, as the British artist continued to find new ways to create her art. The program includes rare interviews, archival footage, and concert scenes.
One of the most successful and popular solo female performers to come out of England during the last several decades of the 20th century, Kate Bush was also one of the most unusual, with her keening vocals and unusually literate and complex body of songs.

After the big success of Sausolito (AYVA 035), his first album as leader, Inaki Sandoval presents Usaquen, his new album recorded with his stable trio, featuring Horacio Fumero on bass and David Xirgu on drums. All the songs from Usaquen are original compositions, including two songs written by bassist Horacio Fumero.

An amazing collection of classic Blues standbys, along with little know songs that served as the basis of the music that we listen to today. Again, an outstanding collection of three CDs worth of history, an essential Collector's item…