Ozzy Osbourne, born in 1948 in Solihull, West Midlands, became a founding member of Black Sabbath in 1968, providing lead vocals for their self-titled debut album in 1970 until Never Say Die! in 1978. The band was highly influential in the development of heavy metal, in particular their critically acclaimed releases Paranoid, Master of Reality, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Osbourne was fired from Sabbath in 1979 due to alcohol and drug problems. He then began a successful solo career with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 and has released 13 studio albums, the first seven of which received multi-platinum certifications in the US. He has since reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions. He rejoined in 1997 and helped record the group's final studio album, 13 (2013), before they embarked on a farewell tour that ended with a 2017 performance in their native Birmingham. His longevity and success have earned him the informal title of the "Godfather of Metal". DISC ONE was recorded at the Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN, on 15th January 1982, while the band was still touring Ozzy’s second album, Diary Of A Madman, and when the legendary Randy Rhoads was still in the group prior to his tragic death in March ’82. DISC TWO features a show played in Tokyo in June 1984 performed while touring the Bark At The Moon record, and one of six dates in the Far East while on the tour. DISC THREE concludes this superb live collection with an Ozzfest performance from 2003, played at the Tweeter Center, in Camden, NJ, on 7th August 2003.

Grains of Paradise (2001) by cellist Erik Friedlander is an inventive jazz album that blends classical sensibilities with avant-garde improvisation. Featuring Friedlander on cello alongside top-tier musicians, the record explores rich textures and rhythmic complexity across original compositions. The music moves fluidly between lyrical, meditative passages and bold, percussive moments, showcasing Friedlander’s mastery of tone and technique. Grains of Paradise stands out for its balance of structure and freedom, creating an expressive soundscape that defies easy categorization. It exemplifies Friedlander’s unique voice in modern jazz, where chamber music elegance meets adventurous, genre-bending creativity.

Speak Low (1999) by the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio is a jazz album that highlights the group’s refined artistry and emotional depth. Led by pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, with Hiroshi Kagawa on bass and Tetsujiro Obara on drums, the album blends lyrical piano melodies with subtle rhythmic interplay. Known for its pristine recording quality and intimate atmosphere, Speak Low features elegant renditions of jazz standards and ballads, including the title track “Speak Low.” The trio’s chemistry and Yamamoto’s expressive touch create a timeless listening experience, capturing the essence of classic acoustic jazz with Japanese precision and warmth.

​The Concerti of the violinist-composer Francesco Venturini (c.1675-1745) are a real discovery - melodious, virtuosic, elegant and dance-like, combining Italian and French stylistic elements to form a "mixed taste", as Telemann described this mélange. Inspired by the pulsating cultural and intellectual life at the Hanoverian court, Venturini wrote ambitious orchestral music full of joie de vivre, defined by numerous concertato passages for both wind and string instruments.

The universal appeal of the music of Johannes Sebastian Bach is such that most musicians, regardless of their instrument, long to play it. As a consequence, his works are constantly being arranged for other instruments – following a practice that Bach himself excelled at, repeatedly reworking his own music as well as that of others. A case in point are the four so-called lute suites, all of which now belong to the standard repertoire of most concert guitarists. To what extent they were originally composed for a plucked instrument has always been a matter of contention and has given rise to many hypotheses.

​A classic returns! Carlos Kleiber reportedly suffers from such nerves that he rarely manages the fortitude necessary to commit his interpretive thoughts to disc. That makes every one of his all too few recordings special, and this is no exception. Kleiber's Brahms is straightforward, rock steady, and superbly played. There are many versions of this symphony that feature more emphatic highlights and individual features, but few have the sort of cumulative power that carries right up to the last note. This one does. Kleiber's architectural grasp is especially evident in the finale, which, as a series of variations over a repeated bass line, is in itself a type of musical architecture. An unforgettable experience.