Francesco Saverio Geminiani (1687-1762), born in Lucca, began his study at an early age with his father, but his most important lessons followed in his years with the great Roman Master, Arcangelo Corelli. Composition lessons with Alessandro Scarlatti helped inspire and solidify his craft. In 1714 Geminiani settled in London, where he quickly gained fame as an ensemble player, concert violinist, and teacher. Here he became friends with Handel and led the orchestra during many performances together. Geminiani enjoyed great success not only in London, but also in Ireland where he spent a considerable amount of time. In 1760 he settled in Dublin, dying there in somewhat impoverished circumstances in 1762.

Made in Basing Street (2012) by The Producers is a sophisticated rock and pop album created by a group of renowned British producers and musicians: Trevor Horn, Stephen Lipson, Lol Creme, Ash Soan, and Chris Braide. Recorded at the legendary SARM Studios in Basing Street, London, the album blends lush production, melodic songwriting, and polished musicianship. It features tracks like “Your Life” and “Man on the Moon,” showcasing the band’s flair for cinematic soundscapes and classic pop hooks. Made in Basing Street captures the essence of decades of studio mastery, merging vintage craftsmanship with modern sonic elegance.

Chick Corea (1987) is a self-titled album by the legendary jazz pianist and composer Chick Corea, showcasing his signature blend of virtuosity, lyricism, and exploration. Released on the Japanese label Polydor, the album features a mix of acoustic and electric jazz styles, reflecting Corea’s wide-ranging musical interests. With intricate melodies, rich harmonies, and dynamic improvisations, the record highlights Corea’s skill as both a soloist and bandleader. Each track demonstrates his deep connection to jazz tradition while pushing creative boundaries. Chick Corea (1987) stands as a testament to his continual evolution and enduring influence in contemporary jazz music.

Re-released on Capriccio this month is a disc of Italian Concertos performed by the Concerto Köln. Alongside masterpieces by Vivaldi and Pergolesi, this 2 CD set contains some rarities of Neapolitan composers such as Francesco Durante and Leonardo Leo.

Alexander Tcherepnin was a very good composer, and his six piano concertos, licensed from BIS for this Brilliant Classics release, constitute an impressive body of work, full of color, variety, and contrast. The first two are single-movement pieces, while in the third Tcherepnin expands the formal layout to two movements without exceeding the very modest length of his first two concertos. In the Fourth Concerto things get really interesting: it consists of three short tone poems based on Chinese stories and melodies. Now admit it, who can resist a slow movement called “Yan Kuei's Love Sacrifice”?

In 2001 this young British tenor became an international phenomenon with his platinum-plus debut album THE VOICE. With that blockbuster recording, he defined himself as the pop-opera crossover sensation of the 21st century. The appropriately titled follow-up ENCORE will likely be regarded with suspicion by those with their feet planted firmly in either the pop or operatic world. Those whose tastes fall somewhere in between are exactly the folks who've already made him a superstar, and it is for them that ENCORE was made.

If you might be interested in Early Music, you cannot go wrong with any CD's from David Monroe. These are historically accurate performances by one of the pre-emminent musicians of the early historical instrument repertoire. Unfortunately there is a somewhat limited number of his CD's available from the 1963-76. There are still ongoing professional discussions on what may be considered as an "historical performance" for this period music.

Here are some prime works by Vivaldi that are not hot from a recording studio, but bring a new Nibiru title to our catalogue. They feature Ensemble Inegal and Prague Baroque Soloists conducted by Adam Viktora, who are legendary for their performances of music by Zelenka. We know lots about him, but it is unclear if Antonio Vivaldi ever actually visited the Czech lands - Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. Certainly his music was circulating there, as some of his operas appeared in Prague.

She replaced Janis Joplin and performed with Big Brother & the Holding Company, Leon Russell, and the Rolling Stones. This is a masterpiece of female swamp rock featuring a stellar lineup, and the duet with Sly is a must-listen. Originally released in 1974 on Capitol Hill (USA). After joining Big Brother & the Holding Company as Janis Joplin's replacement, Leon Russell's Shelter People, and the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street" sessions, this album marks her solo debut. Featuring a stellar lineup including producer David Briggs (Neil Young), Ronnie Montrose, Nils Lofgren, the Pointer Sisters, and more, this is the definitive female swamp rock album. The title track, a duet with Sly Stone, is also a must-listen! Limited edition paper jacket

Mono. Recorded at Saal III, Berlin, 14.X.1963 [October 14, 1963]. By 1963, Dexter Gordon and Donald Byrd had become two of the leading lights of the Blue Note label, a gleaming showcase and an experimental laboratory for the evolutions and revolutions taking place in the small world of Afro-American jazz stemming from hard bop. Curiously, however, it was not until the autumn of that year that the two musicians made a recording together. Dexter Gordon had been recognized since the mid-1940s as a major stylist of the tenor saxophone and for having created the perfect synthesis of Lester Young’s laid-back rhythm and Coleman Hawkins’ sensuality by way of the then-flourishing bepob style (the two were the historical fathers of the instrument). Gordon subsequently went through a long purgatory of numerous, chronic addictions, but by the autumn of 1963 he had emerged from the ordeal and was experiencing a creative renaissance. Working with a new generation of musicians, he had regained his enthusiasm, his inspiration and his charisma.

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.