Amin Al Aiedy Shams

Prepare to be blown away by the intesity of Al Bilali Soudan. This music has been performed from at least the 16th century by Touareg griots to celebrate the end of harvest and the changing of the seasons, to encourage warriors and to welcome them back from battles, to praise noble families and to heal the sick. Over centuries this music has evolved through fusion with other ethnic groups.

The world of music was forever changed in 2013 with the passing of legendary keyboardist, composer and producer George Duke. This year, Al Jarreau, famed vocalist and long-time friend of Duke, re-interprets some of Duke's renowned catalog of post-bop, jazz-fusion, R&B and Brazilian jazz with My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke. This work also hosts a stellar blend of guest artists including Gerald Albright, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Miller, Lalah Hathaway, Jeffrey Osborne, Kelly Price, Dr. John, and more, with a special appearance by George Duke on the track "Bring Me Joy" which also features Boney James.

The beloved, historic & previously unreleased recording by the famous Guitar Trio: Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin & Paco De Lucia – ‘Saturday Night in San Francisco’ will be released on July 1st, 2022.

HIVA: DEBUT ALBUM FROM VIRTUOSO AHMAD AL KHATIB & KAVEH MAHMUDIYAN. When the duo Ahmad Al Khatib and Kaveh Mahmudiyan now release their first album, "Hiva", it is with music from the piece "Study for Tombak and Oud" commissioned by Global Oslo Music in 2023. This work originated in a masterful meeting between two of the foremost performers in the world on the Oud, the stringed instrument that has a central place in classical Arabic music, and the percussion instrument Tombak, which is used to a particular extent within older Iranian musical traditions. Have a listen!

McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster is an album by McCoy Tyner released on the Telarc label in 2000. It was recorded in April 1999 and features performances of by Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster. The Allmusic review by Richard S. Ginell states that "This is Tyner reaffirming most of his strengths: the massive tone quality, the two-handed control over the entire keyboard, and the generally uplifting attitude conveyed through the shape of his melodic invention".

You probably know Al Hirt as the great New Orleans Dixieland trumpet player. But here's another side of Al Hirt. This is - one of Al Hirt's grooviest records – and a set that definitely lives up to the "soul" in the title! The album's always in demand for the excellent sample cut "Harlem Hendoo", but it certainly isn't a one tracker – thanks to composer Paul Griffin and arranger Teacho Wiltshire, as Hirt gets un-characteristically funky on tunes like "Honey Pot", "Mess Around", "Girl", and "Love Ya' Baby".

Wherever Elysium is, it’s a long way from where Al Di Meola started in the fusion supergroup Return To Forever, four decades ago. While the guitarist was initially famed for his dazzling technique and remarkable speed, he turned his back on the electric guitar during the 90s, switching to acoustic music, only to reintroduce it in the new millennium. Where his contemporaries John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell embraced the role of the jazz-rock shredder, fond of letting rip with rapid-fire bursts, Di Meola’s explorations of Latin and Spanish styles have taken him down a very different path.

Guitarist Al Di Meola has been internationally recognized over the past four decades as a virtuoso in performance and composition. His new album "Opus" is exactly what audiences expect, musically brilliant and an effortless fusion of acoustic and electric sounds.