Lover's

Army of Lovers are back with new long-awaited studio album "Sexodus". Army of Lovers is a Swedish dance-pop group which formed in 1987 and had a number of hits in Europe throughout the 1990s. Some of their biggest successes include the song "Crucified", which was a big hit in Europe, charting 31 weeks in the Eurochart and peaking at number 14 in 1992. It remains their best-known song internationally. Their second international hit, "Obsession", charted 32 weeks and peaked at number 29.

The 14 cuts on Stan Getz's Music for Lovers - as part of Blue Note's eight-part series - were all recorded between 1948 and '54. With the exception of "Early Autumn," on which Getz is a member of Woody Herman & His Orchestra, and "Easy Living," as a member of Count Basie's band, these were all small group sessions, quartets. and quintets. There are a number of classics here, such as "Moonlight in Vermont," with the saxophonists' memorable solo and Johnny Smith's empathic guitar playing. Ditto that with Jimmy Raney playing on "These Foolish Things" (which also featured Duke Jordan on piano) and "Tenderly." Another high moment is "Imagination," where Getz interacts with pianist Horace Silver (who has his own volume in this series)…

Music for Lovers is a nice 12-track collection that covers several of Earl Klugh's laid-back, romantic tunes recorded for Blue Note Records, including "If You're Still in Love With Me," "Long Ago and Far Away," and "Livin' Inside Your Love." Though it isn't a comprehensive retrospective of his greatest hits, Music for Lovers is a decent introduction to the sentimental material the lite-jazz guitarist is known for.

The Music for Lovers series from EMI and Blue Note spotlights the balladic nature and romantic side of artists who have recorded for its associated labels. Joe Williams, of course, was a superb ballad singer whose rich voice and patient interpretations usually brought a maximum of feeling to the standards he sang. His Music for Lovers volume includes songs from three sessions for the EMI-owned Roulette - all but one from either 1959 or 1961 - and it features Williams in a comfortable setting with musicians who knew how to swing the Joe Williams way; two of the tops, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison and tenor Ben Webster, join him on the highlights, "I Only Have Eyes for You" and "You Are Too Beautiful"…

These nine ballads were recorded by Hank Mobley between 1955 and 1967. Apart from being a genuinely wonderful set of romantic tunes, Music for Lovers showcases a different side of the great hard bop tenor's playing. Mobley's approach to ballads was reverent, but it was loose, too. Mobley brought a big helping of soul to his readings of standards such as "Darn That Dream," "I Should Care," and even the ethereal "Deep in a Dream." However, as this small collection illustrates, it is in his own tunes that Mobley shines brightest. First, there's the beautiful "No More Goodbyes," recorded with Bob Cranshaw, Billy Higgins, and John Hicks from a late date in 1967…

This edition of Blue Note's Music for Lovers set combines nine remastered tracks by hard bop trumpeter Lee Morgan recorded between 1957 and 1967. Obviously, the purpose of this CD is to spotlight Morgan's romantic side by featuring such standards as "You Go to My Head," "What Now My Love," and "Lover Man." The trumpeter is in excellent company on these tracks, sharing the spotlight with several legendary horn players including Wayne Shorter, Hank Mobley, Curtis Fuller, Jackie McLean, Benny Golson, Gigi Gryce, and Pepper Adams. Despite the drab packaging and generic title, the music of Lee Morgan remains timeless in any context.

These nine ballads were recorded by Stanley Turrentine between 1962 and 1969. Apart from being a genuinely wonderful set of romantic tunes, Music for Lovers showcases a soft side of the great tenor's playing. Turrentine is one of the quintessential soul-jazz saxophonists. His Blue Note recordings from the 1960s with Shirley Scott are generally the works cited, but there is so much other material on offer that a small collection like this is welcome. A pair of ballads with Scott on organ are here, representing that darker groove aspect, but so are tunes with pianists like Sonny Clark, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Horace Parlan, and Cedar Walton…