f you were going to envision the ultimate avant-garde meeting-of-the-minds jam session, who would you pick? Even the most hopeful fan of strange and innovative music couldn't have seen this one coming: on one afternoon in 1986, at Coney Island's dilapidated freak show, space-age avant-jazz genius Sun Ra met avant-garde "serious music" composer John Cage in an unforgettable performance. You couldn't imagine two figures more opposite. Cage was known for his unusual approach to composition, using objects such as radios and television sets, as well as pure silence, as instruments, often encouraging his musicians to do other things at their whim on stage. Sun Ra, on the other hand, was a jazz arranger known for his "space-age" approach to jazz, adding free-jazz and surrealist elements into a musical form that Cage often disdained – improvisational music. And yet, for one afternoon, they pooled their talents – Ra playing keyboards, leading his small group and reading his unusual poetry; Cage "performing" vocal readings and passages of vocal sound – plus his trademark silence – designed to baffle and disorient. The combination is breathtaking, both organic and mechanical, free-form and totally composed.

Here presenting his debut album, Oleg Shebeta-Dragan came to international attention in the spring of 2022 as winner of the clarinet category at the Carl Nielsen International Competition in Odense, where he also claimed the Special Prize of the Odense Symphony Orchestra and the Junior Jury Prize. For his debut recording, Oleg Shebeta-Dragan is once again joined by the Odense Symphony for works by Busoni, Milhaud and Françaix, along with Nielsen's dynamic, intense, unpredictable and emotionally charged Clarinet Concerto.

On his latest album “Liszt: Via Crucis & Solo Piano Works” for Sony Classical, Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes unveils the often-forgotten side of the famed virtuoso Franz Liszt - the sacred music that offers a more intimate picture of the man and his deeply held faith.

The Lebanese-American Karim Sulayman joins the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective for this album of works by Reynaldo Hahn.

Black Sabbath – The Singles 1970–1978 is a limited edition box set released in 2000 by Sanctuary Records. It compiles six classic 7" vinyl singles (or CD singles in some editions), each featuring iconic tracks from the band's early years. The collection spans the golden era of Black Sabbath, showcasing their evolution from heavy blues rock to pioneering heavy metal.

For an optimal and immersive experience, headphones are recommended. One can give a great number of explanations that might seem contradictory, according to whether one endeavors to present one facet rather than another. The difficulty is the choice of the facet, because they all are bound together by an overall organization. Overall I can say that this work was born from a juxtaposition of conditions having no other relation between them than the moment in which they were proposed; the friction of these so-called disparate conditions and of the shock of their heterogeneity. So I can also say that I believe in encounters and that I deny the chance that seems to instigate them. A certain number of problems were approached in this work – which does not mean that they were solved. The encounter between indefinite idea and schema, between schema and score, score and material, material and structure can only ever be a troublesome one. Or it instead explains the desire that one has to adjust things until they enter in relation with one another. I could almost say that there was a kind of expression born from these encounters that suggests the beginning of the undefined idea – and be content with this happy outcome.

Chicago blues mainstay guitarist Johnny B. Moore delivers more raw electric energy on Rockin' in the Same Old Boat. Working a similar approach to many of his recent Delmark releases, Moore covers a wide swath of stylistic territory, from old-style Southern classics like Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Matchbox Blues" to more contemporary covers like Samuel Maghett's "Lookin' Good." Moore's hard-driving lead guitar lines are well intact as is his off-hand, sometimes slurred vocal delivery. This can be a jarring aesthetic combo depending upon your blues tastes, but shouldn't dissuade longtime fans from enjoying the proceedings.

Following the botched collaboration with David Byrne on Mesopotamia, the B-52's decided to craft their fourth album as a return to the pop-culture funk explosion of their debut. Smartly, they decided to not simply replicate the skewed Southern funk of that album, choosing to update their signature sound with drum machines and new wave synths. As a result, it now sounds a little forced and dated, but the best moments – "Legal Tender," "Whammy Kiss," "Butterbean," "Song for a Future Generation" – rank as B-52's classics, and the entire record is certainly entertaining, even with its faults.

The first volume of this three-CD set, Music for a knight, consists of a widely varied assortment of pieces, some sacred, some secular, some instrumental, and some vocal, including trouvère and troubadour songs, Cantigas de Santa Maria, dances, and works by Hildegard and Perotin, taken from about a dozen previous releases by ensembles such as Tonus Peregrinus, Oxford Camerata, Ensemble Unicorn, and Ensemble Accentus. The diversity of material and performing forces makes this an especially attractive disc, and the performances are outstanding – lively and polished. The second volume, Music of the church, is a reissue of a single CD, Adorate Deum: Gregorian Chant from the proper of the mass, performed by Nova Schola Gregoriana, and all-male ensemble led by Alberto Turco. This CD is notable for its homogeneity – all the chants are monophonic, and the performances are quiet and low-key. This would definitely work as lulling background music or as an aid to relaxation or meditation. The third volume, Music of the Mediterranean, provides a fascinating combination of Eastern and Western music of the period, including an astonishing setting of the Kyrie Eleison that sounds like it came from a mosque rather than a church. As in the first volume, the selections come from a variety of previous releases, with the Ensemble Oni Wytars is featured prominently. The sound is consistently good for all the selections. The collection should be of interest to early music fans, and is especially useful in that it points listeners to the CDs from which the selections are taken. – AllMusic.com, Stephen Eddins, June 2008

Chávez Ravine: A Record by Ry Cooder is the twelfth studio album by Ry Cooder. It is the first concept album and historical album by Ry Cooder which tells the story of Chávez Ravine, a Mexican-American community demolished in the 1950s in order to build public housing. The housing was never built. Ultimately the Brooklyn Dodgers built a stadium on the site as part of their move to Los Angeles. Chávez Ravine was nominated for "Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album" in 2006.

Recorded live in Lueneburg, Germany on September 3rd 1993. Sounboard Recording.

Recorded in New York City at Columbia Recording Studios on May 21, 1975. This CD contains previously released material.

The two long-form pieces presented as Portals and Spirals were created in 2025, inspired by over two years of live performances across the US. These studio-created pieces capture the current evolution of Steve’s passion, obsession, and dedication to the multidimensional sonic inner-weaves emanating from the Timehouse ridgetop studio. The phrase “judging a book (CD or LP) by its cover” applies here. The LP and long-box trifold CD with die-cut portal digipak (DVD size) is stunning—a testament to physical objects that hold energy within themselves. In this case, the music contained within these packages is honored by this magnificent presentation for your collection, reminding us why the physical medium is very much alive and remains a piece of beauty to behold while traveling through the Portals and Spirals.

The opening pair of songs on Swedish musicians and composer Sven Wunder's fifth full-length album—"Setting Off" and "Misty Shore"—work in tandem to build from flute-led ambience to fully realized, bass-driven grooves to create a powerful representation of a sunrise. It's not often a record perfectly captures one of nature's most beautiful moments, much less leaves listeners in awe in the process. Daybreak accomplishes that in its first five minutes. Daybreak represents a day in the life of the sun. The title track continues the morning fulfillment with a breezing, sweeping string procession backed by simple yet momentous guitar and flute riffs and an up-front bassline that borders on funk. It's a mug of coffee at a chilly campsite or a dive into a deep, refreshing pool for a top-of-the-day workout. The flute, deftly played by Per "Texas" Johansson, has a more important role on Daybreak than on any of Wunder's earlier records. Fittingly, too, because the instrument provides balance as the music transitions from morning to midday on "Still Moorings" and for the terrific sway of "Scenic Byway."

VA - On The Road - Romantic II (1989) is a compilation album featuring various artists with a focus on romantic and smooth soft rock or pop ballads. Released in 1989, it offers a collection of love-themed songs perfect for easy listening or road trips. The album includes heartfelt melodies and soothing vocals, capturing the late ’80s vibe of sentimental and melodic tunes. It’s ideal for fans of romantic music from that era.