Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas Fire & Grace (2004)

Alasdair Fraser is one of Scotland's most influential tradition-rooted fiddlers. A two-time winner of the open competition of the Scottish National Fiddle Championship, Fraser continues to expand the musical traditions of his homeland with his expressive and virtuosic playing. In addition to performing more than 50 times on BBC radio and television shows (and, in the U.S., on A Prairie Home Companion), Fraser has been featured on the soundtracks of such films as Titanic, Braveheart, The Spitfire Grill and The Last of the Mohicans. Fraser's 1996 album, Dawn Dance, which represented his first all-original recording, received a NAIRD award as best Celtic album of the year. The album's success inspired Fraser to form a band, Skyedance, with the musicians featured on the album.

Sisters Natalie (cello) and Brittany Haas (fiddle) began their musical lives together, filling their childhood home with Bach suites and Old-Time tunes alike. It was on their own, however–following divergent paths through disparate musical traditions, countries, and cultures–that they both arrived as virtuosi and composers at the highest levels of contemporary string music. Fans of acoustic music can hardly mention one without referencing the other's work. With 'HAAS', these singular musicians finally record together - in duo form - for the first time. It is a collaboration a lifetime in the making, and a music encompassing travels through time and through the world. From Nashville to Norway, the Celtic Isles to California, Natalie and Brittany have absorbed, adapted, and made their own world of music. The result? 'HAAS'.

María Álvarez, an independent, feisty, and underpaid seventeen-year-old Colombian rose packager is stuck in a tedious life and a dead-end relationship with her good-for-nothing boyfriend, Juan.

"Illumination" is the 19th album by R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire. It was released on Sanctuary Records. It featured collaborations with several artists including Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Kenny G, Kelly Rowland, will.i.am, and Brian McKnight. Illumination debuted at #32 on the Billboard 200 Chart, and #8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart.

The dates in the title of this retrospective may seem a bit strange (you'd expect them to be arranged from earliest to latest), but in fact they accurately reflect the presentation of the material on this program, which begins with three selections from Capercaillie's most recent album (2004's Choice Language) and ends with one from their 1984 debut. In between are offered two-discs' worth of live recordings, 12" single mixes, and album tracks from the band's 20-year career – an excellent overview of Capercaillie's frequently thrilling work that contains just enough rare and previously-unreleased material to tempt fans who already own most or all of the albums. Fronted by the sweet-voiced Karen Matheson, Capercaillie has always been unusually successful in its attempt to wed traditional Celtic songs and tunes to modern technology, alternating between straight-up trad fare ("Snuff Wife Jigs," "Rob Roy Reels") and Celtic-influenced pop songs ("Grace and Pride," "Waiting for the Wheel to Turn") with the occasional excursion into Irish/East European fusion ("Co Nu Mire Rium?") or disco-flavored mouth music ("Finlays") along the way. Very highly recommended.

Songbird is a beautiful new double-CD compilation of sublime songs from some of the world's finest female singers/songwriters. A broad and contemporary collection that blends 40 great voices from the past four decades with the new generation of award-winning singers currently gracing our charts and radio waves, it includes such luminous talents as Katie Melua, Diana Krall and Hayley Westenra.