100 Japanese Gardens

Hang on Little Tomato, Pink Martini's long-awaited second album, features mostly original songs written by the band and its extended family. Drawing on themes articulated in its first album, Hang on Little Tomato is the result of the group's diverse collaborations and inspirations. From an advertisement for Hunt's Ketchup from a 1964 issue of LIFE magazine to a dance sequence in the 1950 Italian film Anna, Hang on Little Tomato includes songs in French, Italian, Japanese, Croatian, Spanish and English.

It is rare to find a disc as creatively programmed as this BIS release. Enhanced by lovely performances, played with great devotion to the memory of the recently-deceased Japanese master, the repertoire was chosen by conductor Tadaaki Otaka and producer Robert Suff, who organized it not only in the most effective succesion, but in a manner that illustrates the works’ individual meaning and illuminates Takemitsu’s career. All but one of the compositions are from Takemitsu’s late period. The other, the Requiem for Strings, is one of the earliest works to win him fame. Fantasma/Cantos II, for trombone and orchestra, is among the last Takemitsu compositions. Both it and the Requiem provide considerably more forward harmonic motion than the other four works, which are in Takemitsu’s typical “Japanese garden” meditative style, a kind of revival of French impressionism using harmonies that are more like Messiaen’s than Debussy’s.

2009 eight CD box set from the Finnish Goth/Symphonic Metal band. The Lokikirja box contains the albums Angels Fall First (1997), Oceanborn (1998), Wishmaster (2000), Over The Hills And Far Away, Century Child (2002), Bless The Child, Once (2004) and Dark Passion Play (2007), With a total of 84 tracks, this is simply the best way to start your Nightwish collection.

2009 eight CD box set from the Finnish Goth/Symphonic Metal band. The Lokikirja box contains the albums Angels Fall First (1997), Oceanborn (1998), Wishmaster (2000), Over The Hills And Far Away, Century Child (2002), Bless The Child, Once (2004) and Dark Passion Play (2007), With a total of 84 tracks, this is simply the best way to start your Nightwish collection.

A collection of previously unreleased materials by the Kenny Drew Trio, originally recorded for Japanese labels Baystate and Alpha beween 1978 and 1992, now released to commemmorate the 20th anniversary of his passing. A rich trove of superb piano trio performances!
American pianist Kenny Drew (1928-1993) moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1964. Although he may have somewhat faded from the radar of American jazz fans, he had a fantastic career in Denmark and was beloved by European and Japanese jazz fans. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Drew's popularity in Japan grew to incredible heights when he began recording for Japanese labels such as Baystate and Alpha under a partnership with Japanese producer Makoto Kimata…