East OF West 40

Recorded just before and after the period that she made the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook, Ella Fitzgerald is in fine form on this obscure LP, performing a dozen standards. Although two songs are by Harold Arlen, the composers were in most cases less prolific than the ones she saluted in her songbook series. Ella is backed by a large unidentified orchestra conducted and arranged by Frank DeVol. Swingers alternate with ballads, and as usual, Ella uplifts everything, including "Let's Fall In Love," "Moonlight Serenade," "Gone With the Wind" and "East of the Sun." An enjoyable if not classic release. Review by Scott Yanow

The history of military tanks unfolds in a documentary series that traces their role in history and geopolitics from World War I to the 21st century.

In this book historians Osmo Jussila, Seppo Hentilä, and Jukka Nevakivi cover the three periods of Finland's history since 1809.

Burak Bedikyan is a burgeoning jazz pianist/composer from Turkey, on his debut album he is joined by three superb American jazz artists, star saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Bill Stewart. They perform a set of original compositions by Bedikyan, plus the classic Beatles song "Here, There and Everywhere".