The Mighty Angel Pod Mocnym Aniolem (2014) Wojciech Smarzowski, Robert Wieckiewicz, Julia Kijowska, Adam Woronowicz, Drama

Jephtha (1751) was Handel's last oratorio. It does not have quite the dramatic sweep of Messiah or Israel in Egypt, but it contains many moments equal to anything in Handel. These include the choruses, several of which are among the most dramatically effective fugues ever composed. One attractive feature of this excellent recording of the oratorio under the directorship of Harry Christophers is that these choruses are crystal clear in texture, with all the words intelligible: hard enough for the soloists, who likewise won't have you turning to the booklet, and well-nigh remarkable for a chorus. Christophers' group the Sixteen consists of 18 members here, plus an orchestra of 30, so this is a fairly sizable performance by current standards.

Rod Piazza began his career in the mid-'60s as a Young Turk who, like plenty of young rockers of the day, was putting his own stamp on the blues. Almost 50 years on, Piazza is a seasoned veteran who is still paying homage to the vintage sounds that first turned his head around, and on his 15th solo album, 2014's Emergency Situation, Piazza is still showing what he's learned over the years from the masters. Piazza's powerful, overdriven sound, clearly modeled on Little Walter and George "Harmonica" Smith, is as distinctive as ever, and the most exciting moments here are the ones where Piazza cuts loose and wails with his band, blowing gale-force solos on numbers like "Neighbor, Neighbor" and "Colored Salt"…

Enjoying great success in music, film, television, and the stage, Dean Martin was less an entertainer than an icon, the eternal essence of cool. A member of the legendary Rat Pack, he lived and died the high life of booze, broads and bright lights, always projecting a sense of utter detachment and serenity; along with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and the other chosen few who breathed the same rarefied air, Martin – highball and cigarette always firmly in hand – embodied the glorious excess of a world long gone, a world without rules or consequences.