Fred Again

'Live in Europe' crowns what was a momentous year for pianist Fred Hersch. Capturing his trio - with longtime associates, bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson - in peak form, the new album signals a high level mark for an ensemble that has been garnering critical and popular praise for nearly a decade.

' This is one of the great albums of all time, and is by far the most coherent, interesting and powerful album that James Brown was involved with. With Maceo Parker back on board to work with Fred Wesley and the gang at the height of their creativity, the album comes together as a coherent whole, exploring a number of funk and jazz themes. The album gives extended solo time to the horn players, while the guitar and bass players set up rock-solid foundations. The drumming and percussion are all superb. Even the mellow numbers on this album don't succumb to dullness, kept crisp by the sharpness of the band. The longer songs also challenge funk conventions, particularly since most of them don't even have vocals. This is a crucial album that every funk fan should have.' Rob.Clough@duke.edu

After years of silence, Patti Smith returned to music with a series of concerts in late 1995. It had been years since she had performed live – for most of the '80s and '90s, she concentrated on domestic life. Following the death of her husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith, in early 1995, Smith began playing music in public again and those concerts eventually led to the triumphant comeback Gone Again. Her husband wasn't the only loved one Smith lost between 1988's Dream of Life and 1996's Gone Again – her brother and her close friend Robert Mapplethorpe both died.