Grillzeit Magazin From N 1, 2009

2009 three CD set, the first volume in the So80s series. The finest collection of original classic 12" club & extended mixes. So80s was mixed by German DJ duo Blank & Jones and features non-stop mixes of great '80s tracks from legendary bands like by Yazoo, O.M.D., Ultravox, Simple Minds, Pet Shop Boys, Talk Talk, Erasure, Bryan Ferry, Duran Duran and many others.

Toshio Hosokawa is a Japanese composer born in Hiroshima. This release brings together three concertos written by Hosokawa since his first mature works in the late eighties. They range over a period of roughly ten years, and are each marked by similar musical concerns, concerns treated in different ways according to the particular instrumental forces utilised.

The survival of classical music may hinge on its ability to appear prominently outside the standard venues of concert halls and recording studios, thereby reaching a much larger audience of listeners who might otherwise never be treated to the masterworks of the canonical repertoire. New York-based ensemble the Knights seeks to do that by coupling its impressively broad repertoire (ranging from classical to jazz to world music) with a desire to play in locations where one might not expect to see an orchestra.

Longtime Bob Seger fans are united by one desire: to have his earliest recordings reissued. Usually, this means his earliest singles for Cameo and Hideout, but the sentiment also pertains to his first seven records that have remained out of print for years, with some – like the superb Back in '72 – never seeing a CD reissue. All this means that the 2009 appearance of Early Seger, Vol. 1 caused great excitement, especially since Seger chose Hideout as the imprint for this self-released compilation of highlights and outtakes…

The Triple Feature series by Sony Legacy compiles three – usually well-known – catalog albums by big-name artists, assembles them in a slipcase box, and sells them at a budget price to consumers. While the reason may be simply a new package in order to clear shelves of excess inventory, this exercise also serves a purpose for collectors and fans filling in holes for a favorite artist. In the case of Frank Sinatra, Sony actually compiled three previously issued compilations – Classics & Standards, I’ve Got a Crush on You, and Songs from the Movies. Sinatra-philes already know that the earliest part of his career was spent recording for Columbia, and these titles reflect more the crooner than the finger-popping swing daddy of jazz and pop. It’s not that the music here isn’t worth hearing…

Sting: A Winter s Night…Live from Durham Cathedral places the artist in the unique setting of England s most famous cathedral. This majestic live performance captures the mood and spirit of the season with a diverse collection of songs, carols and lullabies spanning the centuries…