Helmut Lotti is a Flemish Belgian tenor and singer-songwriter. He is performs in several styles and languages, and he is a multi-million-selling artist worldwide. Once an Elvis impersonator, he has sung African, Latino and Russian hit records, and he crossed over into classical music in the 1990s.

For more than 30 years, South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo has infused its township sound of Isicathamiya with rich gospel harmonies. LBM's unique sound was brought to American audiences thanks to Paul Simon's landmark Graceland, and the group has toured and recorded tirelessly since. Long Walk To Freedom is a new retrospective in which the group rerecords new versions of songs from throughout its career with help from such guests as Emmylou Harris, Sarah McLachlan, Taj Mahal, and Zap Mama as well as several popular countrymen. As with the Simon album, the North American guests' voices fit hand-in-glove with the group's warm harmonies.

Luciano Pavarotti has long avoided doing the kind of solo crossover release often proffered by his Three Tenors comrades Plácido Domingo and José Carreras; indeed, in his liner introduction he claims that he was initially "very skeptical" of this project. He came around, though, and the result marks his first solo album of any kind in years.

A set of songs written by jazz musicians were arranged for this project by pianist Carlos Franzetti for piano, sax, bass, flute, clarinet, and a string quartet. The results are pleasing if not overly memorable. While the selections are often challenging, the interpretations are more middle-of-the-road and fairly accessible due to the strings. Franzetti and saxophonist Lawrence Feldman take most of the solos and their improvisations are excellent, although the utilization of strings and woodwinds smoothes over some of the rough edges of the compositions, making the results fairly safe if occasionally unpredictable.

The orchestral marimba is one of the most expressive instruments in the percussion battery, and enterprising performers such as Nathaniel Bartlett have the goal of expanding its repertoire by commissioning new pieces and arrangements of works originally written for other instruments. Bartlett has a special interest in creating multidimensional sound environments using computers and other electronics, and two of these pieces commissioned by Bartlett employ electronics. In purely musical terms, both Allan Schindler's Precipice and Greg Wilder's Interlude are attractive additions to the repertoire of music for marimba and electronics. Schindler's work in particular creates a vivid and mysterious soundscape that seamlessly integrates the acoustic and electronic worlds.

Bitches Brew is called the monument of "Electric Miles", a popular work that became Miles's first gold disc. It was originally released in March 1970, which was popular not only for jazz fans since its launch. Recording is taking place in New York in August 1969 the day after Woodstock is over. This 2018 Limited Edition Japanese Multichannel Hybrid SACD release comes in a deluxe 7" packaging and features the first release of reviving the 1970s Quadraphonic mix in over 40 years. Stereo layer is also features the latest mastering from analog master.

"Live-Evil" is an album of both live and studio recordings by American jazz musician Miles Davis. This greatest masterpieces of all genres finally becomes SACD multichannel (quadraphonic) hybrid format reissue. Remastered in 2019. The 4ch mix of the front and rear is a sound source recorded in Quadraphonic, initially released in March 1973, and can be said to be a long-awaited revival release. The stereo mix that can be heard on SACD have been newly mastered from the analog master. Japanese original release.

Following the success of Die Schöpfung (The Creation), which had swiftly gained popularity throughout Europe, Haydn’s librettist Baron Gottfried van Swieten suggested another project, based on James Thomson’s pastoral epic, The Seasons. One of Haydn’s last major works, Die Jahreszeiten depicts the yearly cycle of life in the countryside through the eyes of three peasants, providing us with music of thrilling vitality and creativity.

This Sony Music's promotional release features Stereo and Multichannel surround sound, and includes the tracks from James Taylor, Midori with Eschenbach, Miles Davis & Roger Waters.

Vocalist Philip Bailey's high-flying falsetto made Earth, Wind & Fire an immortal supergroup. On this album, he's backed by a streamlined combo featuring saxophonist Bob Belden, keyboardists Scott Kinsey and Myron McKinley, and remixer DJ Smash. Nine of the 11 tracks are updated classic jazz, pop, and R&B/fusion-tinged tunes, from Nat "King" Cole's "Nature Boy" to Freddie Hubbard's "On the Red Clay". Thelonious Monk's "Ruby My Dear" is revived as a quiet-storm ballad, "Dear Ruby". "My Indiscretions", Bailey's take on the funky, futuristic Weather Report jam, "Indiscretions", features catchy lyrics by the singer's son, Sir Bailey. Chick Corea's "Sometime Ago" is turned into a club-friendly dance number, while Herbie Hancock's "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" is retouched with Afro-Latin tinges. The church-inspired EW&F hit, "Keep Your Head to the Sky", is rendered with hip-hop-styled rim shots. Philip Bailey's vocalisms show that Soul on Jazz does mix.

Colorado-based guitarist Janet Feder has developed a highly personal musical language, drawing inspiration from folk, jazz, minimalism, classical, avant-garde and even pop. Since the early nineties she began experimenting with her guitar, preparing it in different tunings, attaching objects to the strings, developing a unique original sound of her own. "T H I S C L O S E", her fifth solo album, is Feder's most fully realized album, featuring nine haunting songs. She manages to create a intimate sonic atmosphere in each of these songs, still, each sounds as a distilled essence of a much larger and deeper musical idea, leaving the listener with lingering thoughts.

A native of Boulder, Colorado Janet Feder is most widely known for pioneering composition for prepared guitar. She has been featured on numerous recordings, radio programs, and film scores. Deeply layered, textured and intimate, "Songs With Words", features Janet Feder's prepared guitar compositions accompanying her voice.

Rachel Podger has been recording and performing Bach's music for violin to critical acclaim for over two decades. In 2015 she became the tenth (and first female) recipient of the Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize. On this release she leads her own ensemble, Brecon Baroque, in JS Bach's monumental Art of Fugue (Die Kunst der Fuge). Bach's The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080, broken off at the end by the composer's death, was written out in open score, with no indication of instrumentation. This has given rise over the years to a variety of instrumental realizations, with keyboard performances being the most common, but string orchestra, or wind versions, and so forth, are also often essayed.

This is a tribute album with a difference. Vocalist Jen Chapin, daughter of Harry, has decided to take on the Stevie Wonder songbook with the minimalist accompaniment of bass and saxophone alone, played by Stephan Crump and Chris Cheek respectively. ReVISIONS is more of personal project, close to an all-original jazz set, similar in feeling and sound to Sheila Jordan's duos with the solo bassist Harvey Swartz. These boys and a lady create groove and feeling with only 2 instruments and natural jazzy voice!

The most adventurous quartet in contemporary jazz has met its visual match in Peter Max, the legendary pop artist who, as it turns out, is a huge fan of the band. Russell Ferrante and company could probably feel at home naming any of their innovative, loose-spirited albums after one of Max's paintings, but Altered State definitely fits the vibe here – which is all odd meters, emotionally provocative melodic lines, and unexpected harmonies.