While on tour in Japan in 1982 the legendary Kenny Barron agreed to record his performance at the IMO House in Tokyo for the enigmatic Japanese Businessman-turned-producer Masahiko Yuh. One of the latest recordings Yuh collected for his Why Not label and one of the few recorded in his native Japan this is an exceptional glimpse of Barron at the top of his game.

Tchaikovsky composed songs throughout his entire career. The diversity of the genres and themes that he explored in musical form in them can be viewed as a lyrical diary mirroring his life as a composer. In the Russian language his songs are referred to as 'Romances'. Tchaikovsky's aim in his 'Romances' was to express emotions directly and simply and to make them accessible to all listeners. He allowed his own very personal feelings to provide the backdrop to his songs, by concentrating on one dominating psychological motif in the lyric template, which provided him with the suitable musical intonation. German soprano Julia Sukmanova initially studied piano and composition. Later she studied singing, first as a private pupil with the Russian dramatic tenor Donat. Pianist Elena Sukmanova lives in Hamburg. She trained as concert pianist with Prof. Leonid Sintsev at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St Petersburg.

The eagerly awaited volume 2 in the fascinating exploration of Antoine Reicha’s keyboard music by the trailblazing pianist Ivan Ilic is now out! Ilic here digs into a crucial aspect of Antoine Reicha’s music: counterpoint and the manner in which Bach’s music served as a point of departure for Reicha’s eclectic, fertile mind and wide variety of musical styles. If most of these etudes are made up of a Prelude paired with a Fugue, their variety offers the album great diversity, and unveils the compositional genius of Antoine Reicha: here are unexpected moods and textures, sophisticated canons, cheeky invertible counterpoint, chaconnes and minuet-like character pieces, even a piece the only unifying characteristic of which seems to be its tumbling scales in dotted rhythm. Ilic’s unique interpretations are supported by enlightening booklet notes, written by the pianist himself, shedding light on revelatory moments in the composer’s life.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at Tanglewood. Andris Nelsons is the current music director of the BSO. Bernard Haitink currently holds the title of conductor emeritus of the BSO, and Seiji Ozawa has the title of BSO music director laureate.

The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; German: Wiener Philharmoniker), founded in 1842, is an orchestra considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its members are selected from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. Selection involves a lengthy process, with each musician demonstrating his or her capability for a minimum of three years' performance for the opera and ballet. After this probationary period, the musician may request an application for a position in the orchestra from the Vienna Philharmonic's board.

The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO; Swedish: Göteborgs Symfoniker) is a Swedish symphony orchestra based in Gothenburg. The GSO is resident at the Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen. The orchestra received the title of the National Orchestra of Sweden (Swedish: Sveriges Nationalorkester) in 1997.

Considered today to be one of Russia’s leading orchestras, the Moscow RTSO was formed in 1978 by the composer Alexander Mikyailov, who became its resident conductor. Its eighty members, with numerous international prizewinners among them, ensure a high standard of performance. The orchestra’s first successes came with performances and recordings of the works of twentieth-century Russian composers, such as Sofia Gubaidulina and Dmitry Shostakovich. Its richly varied repertoire which also embraces operatic music includes the works of Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi alongside those of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Coleman Hawkins is frequently identified as the "father" of jazz tenor saxophone playing. With a perfect rhythm section featuring his working band - Tommy Flanagan on piano, Manor Holley, Jr. on bass, and Eddie Locke on drums, Hawkins showcases his illuminating artistry on this collection of love songs from Broadway shows. This "classic" Hawkins album has never before been available on CD.

Cheryl Deserée took home the 2017 Academy Of Western Artists award for Western Swing Female Vocalist Of The Year and it’s easy to hear why after a listen to her brand new release, Dreamy! Cheryl blends her traditional country, western swing and jazz influences in a unique style that is all her own. I was reminded of this wonderful project titled Great Hawaiian Hits by The Mills Brothers as I was listening to Cheryl’s album. They were one of my dad’s favorites and a group I didn’t fully appreciate until after his passing. Hearing Cheryl’s new project certainly brought a smile as a few of the tracks brought back the memory of this album and happy to hear new generations with a beautiful blending of styles. Deserée delivers standout sultry and smoky vocals throughout this project that is so aptly titled. Dreamy feels like the perfect record to put on to really get lost in each performance.

“My natural go-to is sad songs”, Troye Sivan tells Apple Music. But the South African-born, Australian-raised, LA-residing pop star found himself with a problem when he started work on his second album. “I’d go into the studio and think, ‘What am I sad about?’ And it just wasn’t there. So I started writing these lighter, happier songs.”

In 1994, the Japanese Paddlewheel label came up with a project for guitarist Royce Campbell. It was suggested that he team up with five better-known American jazz guitarists for two songs apiece. After much thought, Campbell asked guitarists John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell, Pat Martino, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Dave Stryker to join him in the project, playing with a few different bassists and drummers. Since Campbell is a flexible player, each of the combinations worked quite well. Among the high points are Coryell on "Love for Sale," a heated "Angular Blues" with Abercrombie, and a melodic version of "Dancing on the Ceiling" that teams Campbell with Pizzarelli.