Aside from his tremendous powers of performance, Stevie Wonder stands as one of the greatest songwriters of the late 20th century, probing the joyous peaks and depressing valleys of love and relationships. The Motown tribute album Conception: An Interpretation of Stevie Wonder's Songs has its highs and lows as well; with Stevie himself in the producer's chair (along with new-era Motown exec Kedar Massenburg), the album certainly has a lot of promise. It boasts plenty of neo-soul balladeers – India.Arie, Mary J. Blige, Brian McKnight, Joe, Musiq – as well as mainstream stars like Eric Clapton and John Mellencamp, who took musical cues from classic Stevie Wonder LPs like Talking Book or Songs in the Key of Life.

Following on the enormous success of Tzadik's Burt Bacharach collection, this second installment of Tzadik's Great Jewish Music series focuses on the songs of French composer Serge Gainsbourg. A superstar since the 1950's in his native France, Gainsbourg is barely known here in the United States - a condition this special tribute to his genius hopes in some way to remedy. In addition to Tzadik regulars, Tzadik is proud to be able to include tracks by Cibo Matto, Elysian Fields, Kramer, Franz Treichler (of the Young Gods), Blonde Redhead and many, many others. 21 tracks by 21 artists - over 74 minutes of music, all on one dynamic disc. This is an unusual project that you will play again and again, discovering new delights with each listen.

Recorded in the late 70s, Gwindingwi Rine Shumba is Zimbabwean artist Thomas Mapfumo's second full length album. Featuring Mapfumo's incendiary guitar playing and lyrics of struggle, sung in his native Shona language, this is political dance music that rivals the work of another African legend, Nigerian Fela Kuti. Available on CD in the U.S. for the first time ever.

A live set celebrating the group’s 50th anniversary loops in a 20-piece orchestra, rousing poetry and new improvisers among the hardcore veterans.

Michel Legrand, who has been loved around the world since his death in 2019, celebrates the 90th anniversary of his birth on February 25, 2022. Musician of many classic films such as "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg," "The Girls of Rochefort," and "The Skin of the Donkey," Legrand was a music legend who broke down the boundaries between jazz, symphonic music, musical comedy, and popular music, and a three-time Academy Award winner who, over the decades He has left behind many works with themes that remain in people's memories. A tribute album to Legrand's music, "Legrand (Re)Imagined," will be released by Decca Records.

I Get A Kick: Cole Porter Reimagined presents adventurous new takes on 10 classic tunes written by Cole Porter for stage and screen, performed by jazz singer and award-winning poet Lisa B (Lisa Bernstein) on her sixth record and first for Jazzed Media. This distinctive homage appeals to fans of vocal music, jazz, and the Great American Songbook, as well as anyone seeking a lush and witty background to a cozy night at home or a sophisticated gathering. It was co-produced and engineered by James Gardiner, who boasts two Grammy nominations and 42 gold and platinum records, and features internationally known, Bay Area-based jazz players Mike Zilber, John Santos, Ben Flint, Frank Martin, Fred Randolph, Troy Lampkins, Jeff Marrs, Alan Hall, and Paul Van Wageningen.

A 5CD box set edition of Consequences, the remarkable triple vinyl debut release from ex 10cc members Godley & Creme.

New album from Shakatak bassist recorded during lockdown and featuring Guitars: Dave Ital , Jerome Hol, Gianfranco Mascayano; Keyboards: Dimitris Dimopoulos; Trumpets: Sid Gauld Saxes: Mat Sibley, Sean Freeman; Trombones: Pat Hartley Percussion: Luis R. Dias; Vocalist: Debby Bracknell, Liane Caroll, Chy-Kira Mezas , Fannah Palmer, Noel McCalla.

The internationally acclaimed organist Stephen Farr presents his first J.S. Bach recording with the virtuosic Clavier-Übung III. Containing some of Bach's most stunning work, this collection demonstrates the composer at the height of his powers in composing for the organ and was one of the few works that Bach had published during his lifetime.
Recorded on the Metzler organ of Trinity College, Cambridge, this album follows Farr's contemporary organ recital on the same instrument released on Resonus Classics in 2012 - Jacquet's Ghost (RES10111). Clavier-Übung III is performed here in its entirety, complete with the four 'Duetti'.

Diana Damrau gave her first performance as Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at the Metropolitan Opera in October 2008, to much critical acclaim. This recording with the Munich Opera followed almost five years later, in July 2013, showing that she has staying power in the ultimate coloratura role. The Munich performance was conducted by Jesús López-Cobos, and Damrau was joined by an exceptional cast, which included Joseph Calleja as Edgardo, Ludovic Tézier as Enrico, and Nicolas Testé as Raimondo.

Messiah has been played in many ways, from the gigantic to the minimalist. Each style has its own devotees. This 2CD set contains a small scale performance that brings the work to life in a dramatic and wonderful way. Singing and playing are outstanding and the overall performance is moving and thrilling.

It was Robert Schumann’s Kinderszenen and Album fur die Jugend that inspired Tchaikovsky to start composition on his Children’s Album in 1878. He dedicated the set to his nephew Vladimir Davidoff (Bobik) who was 7 years old.‘For a long time I have been saying to myself that it would be a good thing to contribute, within the limits of my powers, to the enrichment of the piano literature for children, which is rather poor. I would like to compose a series of very easy little pieces with attractive titles like Schumann did’ he wrote to his patron Mme von Meck.

Guillaume de Machaut is the first “famous” composer in western musical history. In his time, the Middle Ages, most composers delivered their works anonymously (as part of their clerical duties), but Machaut was considered such a master of his creative art that he presented his works under his own name. He was in service of the highest monarchs, among whom Charles V, King of France. Machaut’s “Messe de Nostre Dame” is the first polyphonic Mass written, a complicated structure full of ingenious compositorial techniques. But even without the theoretical knowledge we are still spellbound by the haunting beauty and mystery of this masterpiece.

Though Tchaikovsky had an obvious penchant for writing astounding melodies for the cello (the soaring 5/4 waltz from the Sixth Symphony, or the brooding opening of the A minor Piano Trio for example), he wrote surprisingly little repertoire for the instrument on its own. No concerto exists; the closest cellists have is the popular and charming Variations on a Rococo Theme. Four other short works – two of which are transcriptions by the composer himself – make up the remainder of Tchaikovsky's cello works.