Heinz Holliger, Erich Hobarth, Camerata Bern JS Bach. Ich Hatte Viel Bekummernis (2011) 24 Bit 44,1 Khz [official Digital Download]

A superb debut album from Saga; Prog-rockers with a melodic vein of songwriting already fully formed, and a vocalist possessing a velvety yet urgent and powerful voice…

Tenor saxophonist Bob Cooper's only Contemporary album is a near-classic and one of his finest recordings. Cooper, along with trombonist Frank Rosolino, vibraphonist Victor Feldman, pianist Lou Levy, bassist Max Bennett, and drummer Mel Lewis, performs colorful versions of five standards (best are "Confirmation," "Easy Living," and "Somebody Loves Me") that show off his attractive tone and ability to swing at any tempo…

Star Bright is an album by Jamaican-born jazz trumpeter Dizzy Reece, featuring performances recorded in 1959 shortly after his move to New York City and released on the Blue Note label. So far, it has been released on CD only in Japan…

Despite the co-billing, Sete only appears on the second half of the album, leaving the Guaraldi trio to knock out a crisp series of standard pop tunes of the time ("I'm a Loser," "People," "More") and two memorable Guaraldi originals ("Nobody Else," "El Matador") in its patented mainstream and Latin modes in the first half. When Sete turns up, the set goes all-Brazilian as the two display their blended, intertwined teamwork for the third and last time on records in "Favela" and a brace of tunes from Black Orpheus. Though it is only a partial collaboration, this album has a bit more fire than their previous ones, possibly due to the live factor.

When Saga started out in the late '70s, their culmination of keyboards and guitar presented them with a sound that was nothing short of progressive. As the '80s approached, they began to slim down their long instrumental rock suites and play shorter songs with more lyrics, eventually taking on a sound that veered more toward a commercial feel. Behaviour represents a little of both, with some of the tracks gleaming with radio savvy while a few still involve the band's unmistakable progressive flair but to a lesser extent…