Karen Carpenter is the only solo album by singer/drummer Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters, recorded between 1979 and 1980 and released by A&M Records in 1996.

Jeff Lorber reached his commercial peak with Private Passion, an album that has more to do with urban contemporary singing than it does with instrumental pop-jazz. Because it features R&B singers so prominently, Private Passion is a perfect example of what Lorber meant when, in 1998, he complained that the mid-'80s found him becoming "a sideman on my own records." In the 1990s, the keyboardist would return to giving himself a lot of solo space, but on Private Passion, Lorber the soloist/instrumentalist isn't the main attraction.

Accomplished neo-soul queen Angie Stone's second solo outing, Mahogany Soul, delivers more of the organic, gritty, rootsy yet sophisticated soul which put her on the map as a solo artist. The production is great and the songs are funky, mature, and intelligent, but when she truly shines is when she actually spreads her wings and glides away from her neo-soul trappings, which she manages effortlessly.

George Duke says he “stretched a little more into the funk area on this one because I had so many people ask me to.” Think he’s kidding? The first half of Is Love Enough?, which is much more like his previous Warner Bros. albums Snapshot and Illusions than last year’s Muir Woods Suite, is heavy on the funk and slow jams.

"A Brazilian Love Affair" is a labor of love, something I have believed in for a long time but have not had the means to bring to life until now. It is not a pure Brazilian recording bur rather a blend of Brazilian musical concepts with the diverse musical ideas of my mind. For most of the selections, I have intermixed Brazilian artists with American artists to archieve a true fusion of the styles. ~ George Duke

British heavy metal/hard rock band formed in 1969. UFO's story began in London back in 1969, when vocalist Phil Mogg, drummer Andy Parker, guitarist Mick Bolton and bassist Pete Way formed the group.

British acoustic pop band who recorded an EP for Ann Marie's Shields' Morpheus Records label and the song 27 Women was featured on a Tic Tac ad campaign. In 2001 they recorded their debut album which due to the break up of the band, shortly after these sessions, never got released until 2013. Their lead vocalist Sarah Joyce went on to find major success as Rumer.

Judas Priest‘s 10th studio album is getting the deluxe reissue treatment for its 30th anniversary.
Turbo, originally released in April of 1986, is scheduled to return to stores on Feb. 3 with new artwork, remastered sound, and a heaping helping of bonus material that includes two discs of previously unreleased live recordings from that year’s Fuel for Life tour.

After the greatest-hits collection Back to Front disappeared without a trace in 1992, Lionel Richie spent four years making Louder Than Words, his first album for Mercury Records. Although there are some slight attempts to incorporate new jack and hip-hop influences into Richie's sound, Louder Than Words relies on his trademark balladeering, which remains his forte. All of the weak moments on Louder Than Words are ill-advised forays into rap to put it bluntly, he can rap about as well as Snoop Dogg can sing. Although the ballads aren't as strong as his late-'70s and early-'80s standards, they are nevertheless pleasant, which makes the record a worthwhile purchase for fans.

Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana – Galactic has been exploring their seemingly limitless musical possibilities for more than 20 years. Since then, the band has consistently pushed artistic boundaries on the road and in the studio, approaching their music with open ears and drawing inspiration as much from the sounds bubbling up from their city’s streets as they do from each other. Galactic’s release “Into The Deep” features collaborations with artists they’ve made connections with over the last 20 years - including Macy Gray, Mavis Staples, JJ Grey, Ryan Montbleau, David Shaw of The Revivalists, Maggie Koerner, Brushy One String and Charm Taylor.

New Orleans outfit GALACTIC has a well earned reputation as one of the most exhilarating live acts around. Last year the band released the critically acclaimed genre defying sonic tribute to the Big Easy entitled YA-KA-MAY, which The Boston Globe described as "an album that showcases a breathtaking array of New Orleans talent, from old-school R&B legends to influential underground hip-hop artists" and the Huffington Post proclaimed as “NOT your grandparents' New Orleans record!” Now the celebrated outfit offers up a rollicking live counterpart to YA-KA-MAY with The Other Side Of Midnight: Live In New Orleans out 5/3 via Anti- Records.

Sky King formed in Ann Arbor Michigan in about 1974 and their first and only album in 1975. Their nucleus (Chris Brubeck, David Mason, Peter Ruth) had all played together in “New Heavenly Blue" who had released two albums, "Educated Homegrown” (1970) and “New Heavenly Blue” (1972).

During the band's heyday in the late '70s and early '80s, Black Uhuru was one of the most unique and influential reggae bands in the world. This was partly due to their distinctive vocal sound - which was dominated by the keening wail of Michael Rose and the haunting harmonies of American expatriate Puma Jones - but in large part it was also due to their backing band, which was led by the legendary drum-and-bass duo of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare.

Although not exactly a household name in the U.S., Poland's SBB (short for either "Silesian Blues Band" or "Szukaj, Burz, Buduj") were a renowned act in their homeland during the 1970s. Like the majority of emerging '70s rock acts before punk's arrival, SBB were prog-based, and after spending much of the 1980s on hiatus, the group picked up right where it left off with sporadic reunions during the '90s and early 21st century. Released in 2005, New Century (issued as a DVD audio release) is exactly what you'd expect from the band: lush arrangements and soaring vocals merged with a polished/mainstream rock edge – with half the lyrics sung in English and the other half in Polish.

Reach for the Truth: Best of the Reprise Years 1971-74. Generously packed with 23 tracks including one previously unreleased selection (a closing acoustic demo version of "Red Light Ladies," the tune that also opens the album), rare photos, extensive liner notes, and track-by-track descriptions from Lewis in the 24-page book, it's hard to imagine a more perfect single-disc representation of her material from these years.