Parry was indebted to the grand Romantic tradition of the late nineteenth century, and his colourful and exuberant concerto probably lays claim to be the first British piece written in such a style worthy of comparison with contemporary continental models. It is a virtuoso work, extrovertly conceived for piano and undoubtedly written for the technical proficiency of Edward Dannreuther, one of the most important exponents of the grand concerto style in London during the 1870s and 1880s.

The overall feeling on this 1955 recording, which was originally titled Velvet Mood, is strictly after-hours: the party is long over but a few close friends remain for nightcaps and, is that the sun peeking through the windowà? With slow tempo songs outnumbering not-so-slow songs fourteen to four, producer Norman Granz may or may not have had concept album on his mind. Whatever the case, he brought together a brilliant cross-section of cats who evidently put Billie entirely at ease and in the mood - no small feat when one considers her spotty later recordings.
Lady Day's renderings here of "It Had to Be You" and "Isn't This a Lovely Day?" are timeless gems…

You might think that Castro's first album recorded for mighty blues indie Alligator – and twelfth overall – would mark a departure for this longtime rocking soulman. Despite a fuller sound, fleshed out with Lenny Castro's percussion and boosted by an ever-present horn section led by longtime cohort Keith Crossan, this is another typically solid effort from the singer/guitarist. Perhaps it's unfair to expect that Castro would somehow break free of, expand, or alter the blue-collar persona he has cultivated over his solo career as he shifts to a higher-profile label affiliation. Veteran producer/musician John Porter returns to join Castro's strong, husky vocals – a cross between Delbert McClinton, James Brown, and Bob Seger – to a rather slick, radio-friendly approach that buffs off the frontman's natural grit, arguably overly so.

Young Team, Mogwai's first full-length album fulfills the promise of their early singles and EPs, offering a complex, intertwining set of crawling instrumentals, shimmering soundscapes, and shards of noise. Picking up where Ten Rapid left off, Mogwai use the sheer length of an album to their advantage, recording a series of songs that meld together – it's easy to forget where one song begins and the other ends. The record itself takes its time to begin, as the sound of chiming processed guitars and murmured sampled vocals floats to the surface. Throughout the album, the sound of the band keeps shifting, and it's not just through explosions of noise – Mogwai isn't merely jamming, they have a planned vision, subtly texturing their music with small, telling details. When the epic "Mogwai Fears Satan" draws the album to a close, it becomes clear that the band has expanded the horizons of post-rock, creating a record of sonic invention and emotional force that sounds unlike anything their guitar-based contemporaries have created.

As far as budget-line compilations are considered, 10 Great Songs is as straightforward as it gets. The disc contains Paula Abdul's first ten charting singles, from “Knocked Out” through “Vibeology.” That means that each one of her six consecutive number one singles – “Straight Up,” “Forever Your Girl,” “Cold Hearted,” “Opposites Attract,” “Rush, Rush,” and “The Promise of a New Day” – is included. “It’s Just the Way That You Love Me” and “Blowing Kisses in the Wind,” both of which reached the Top Ten, are here as well. This is all that most casual Abdul fans could possibly need.

Loved Me Back to Life is Celine Dion's first English-language album in seven years, but even that long gap of time doesn't tell the whole story. The last time Dion placed in the Billboard Top 40 was in 2002, when "A New Day Has Come" reached 22, and the last time she saw the Top 10 was in 1999, when "That's the Way It Is" reached number six. That's a roundabout way of saying that Dion's days as a formidable hitmaker are long gone, but the interesting thing about Loved Me Back to Life is how the French-Canadian diva has seized this opportunity to try a little bit everything, ranging from duets with neo-R&B stalwart Ne-Yo to covers of Janis Ian's "At Seventeen."

Though Michael Feinstein remained in the public eye throughout the latter half of the 2010s, performing live and appearing intermittently as a presenter on the Turner Classic Movies network, the onetime Ira Gershwin archivist went nearly a decade without releasing any albums. It was his first gap of more than two years since his 1987 studio debut, Pure Gershwin. He comes back to key influences George and Ira Gershwin, for more than the first time, on his return, 2022's Gershwin Country. A set of 11 duets, each with different guests, it navigates timeless romantic ballads and what prove to be playfully old-fashioned, vaudeville-esque takes with giants of country music (and one with album executive producer Liza Minnelli).

Working Week combines the strong elements of contemporary jazz with Latin influences. They also add a touch of gospel for good measure. The only missing track that would have been the crowning jewel for this collection was Rodrigo Bay. This track can only be found on the 1986 motion picture soundtrack Absolute Beginners (movie, video-like musical about British or U.K. teens in the early 60's with musical and screen appearances by David Bowie and Sade). Rodrigo Bay would have shown just how seamlessly and vibrantly Working Week could mix Latin, jazz, and cha-cha rhythms for a tropical partying frenzy. Still, this collection offers the 10 minute Latin and jazz musical opus of Venceremos which includes vocal and musician contributions by Tracey Thorn (Everything But the Girl) and Stuart Matthewman (Sade). This compilation is guaranteed to stay fresh in anyone's eclectic music collection.

The hell-bound iron horse is picking up speed again and races towards an exciting future with red-hot steaming engines and well-oiled gears… Devil's Train Are Back! With the band's ten year anniversary coming up, and two well received albums under their belts, the European answer to Black Label Society, The Dead Daisies and Black Stone Cherry presents us with a killer new long-player. Singer and band master-mind RD Liapakis (Mystic Prophecy/Steel Prophet) joined forces with drum monster Jörg Michael (ex- Saxon/Stratovarius/Axel Rudi Pell/Running Wild…), legend Jens Becker (Grave Digger/ex-Running Wild/ex-X-Wild) and six-string wizard Dan Baune (Lost Sanctuary/ex-Monument). This line-up, which could undoubtedly be dubbed a super-group, delivers a modern yet raw and honest album that bubbles over with visceral energy, southern sleaze and sex appeal.

Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo is naturally an iconic work for Leonardo García Alarcón. The Argentinian conductor has performed and matured his interpretation of Monteverdi’s masterpiece throughout his life. Together with his group of soloists, the Namur Chamber Choir and the Cappella Mediterranea ensemble, he now presents his vision of L’Orfeo: Monteverdi’s opera is as much the apotheosis of the Renaissance as a testimony to the nascent Baroque style. This is what strikes us when we listen to this new recording, which so eloquently emphasises the contrasts between sometimes nostalgic glances towards the past and the most innovative expressions of operatic language.