From Motown With Love

If there would be a list of afro-cuban orchestras then it would start with the 1973 founded “institution” Irakere. What makes this recording a highlight of the many releases of the band is the tracklisting – from Scott Joplins“Ragtime” over Mozarts “Adagio” right up to Chucho Valdes’s “Misa Negra” – it reads like the Who’s Who in music history.

After the surprise success of 1962's Dr. No, the producers of the budding James Bond series began to establish what would become its trademark elements, with its debonair anti-hero frolicking libidinously through increasingly amped-up foreign intrigue and exotic locales. Musically, this soundtrack represents perhaps their most crucial decision: hiring band leader/budding composer John Barry as scorer. Abandoning the first film's calypso kitsch for an orchestra powered cocktail of elegance and jazzy sophistication, Barry immediately gave the Bond saga a focused musical language that would become arguably its most consistent element over the decades and amidst a revolving series of lead actors and increasingly improbable cinematic predicaments. While anchored by a medley that includes Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme," this soundtrack also introduced another longstanding Bond tradition, the pop-ballad title track/single, here penned by Lionel Bart and sung with urgent conviction by British crooner Matt Munro. This digitally remastered new edition features new liner notes, as well as artwork and stills from the film.

Motown 50 Love features three CDs of the greatest love songs from the Motown label. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Lionel Richie, Boyz II Men are just a few of the phenomenal and iconic artists included in this 50 track collection of some of mysic's most enduring love songs. Exclusive to this collection are three tracks never before featured on a UK compilation album: Stevie Wonder – "Isn’t She Lovely", Stevie Wonder – "Lately" and Boyz II Men – "End Of The Road".

18 tracks, original Tamla-Motown recordings, 1963-1986, with Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, a.m.o.

Toninho Horta has been a reliable sideman and occasionally a leader in his lengthy career playing contemporary Brazilian music. The acoustic and electric guitarist has a quiet intensity that reflects the passion and verve of genius composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. This tribute to Jobim is quite laden with string charts, most done quite tastefully, rarely overarranged, and pleasantly emphasizing a flute section. Horta has an impressive complementary combo of pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Gary Peacock, percussionists Paulo Braga and Manolo Badrena, special guests as saxophonist Bob Mintzer, harmonicist William Galison, trumpeter Glenn Drewes, Charles Pillow on oboe, John Clark on French horn, and several members of the large Horta family.