Perdida David Velez

The forthcoming David Bowie ‘era’ box set which covers most of the 1990s will be released in late November. Brilliant Adventures will be an 11CD box set or a 18LP vinyl box.

This 3CD set contains all the FM Broadcast recordings made on the US leg of David Bowie s 1995 Outside tour, which featured then nu-industrial superstars Nine Inch Nails as support. With both artists trailing new, ground-breaking albums and - despite their generational differences - with their similarity of outlook and mutual respect, it was inevitable that a mix of the Bowie/NIN sound would ensue. So with each show including full sets from the Dame and his protgs, it was the mid-concert coming together of these two far reaching acts which stole the show night after night. Including concerts recorded at The Riverport Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, St Louis, MO, on 11th October 1995 and at The Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA, on 21st October 1995, this set features the very best of one of the most challenging and futuristic tours of the past 30 years.

One of the greatest performances to ever go down at Glastonbury is heading to your living room: Yes, David Bowie’s legendary, epic, and timeless 2000 headlining set is finally making its way on to every preferable format you could ever want.

Schütz’s ‘Christmas story’ is an absolute delight from beginning to end, its charming tableaux of angels, shepherds and wise men completely belying the composer’s old age and constrained circumstances. Here it’s the jubilant climax to a programme of Christmas motets from the 1640s.

Recorded in a simple trio format with bassist Brian Bromberg and drummer Gregg Bissonette, Standards is about as close as smooth jazz pianist David Benoit has come to the classic post-bop West Coast sound that's always been one of his primary inspirations. Benoit is simply not an adventurous soul as either a bandleader or a pianist, and so Standards consists mostly of familiar songs (John Lewis' "Django," Thelonious Monk's "Straight No Chaser," Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby," Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo à la Turk") given safe, pretty performances that never come close to re-invention. It's simply not in Benoit's nature to take risks, but to a listener on the pianist's mellow wavelength, these performances are both technically excellent and completely heartfelt. The choice of a couple obscurities by Henry Mancini and Neal Hefti adds an idiosyncratic personal touch as well. Bold and audacious it may not be, but Standards is a low-key delight.