You Am I Sound As Ever (1993)

Am I Blue? Offers a marvellous cross-section from the best of one of the finest of all jazz-styled vocalists, the pioneering Ethel Waters (1896-1977). Starting out as a blues/vaudeville singer (known as “Sweet Mama Stringbean”), the black American singer, entertainer, and later accomplished actress on stage and screen, became one of the era’s most accomplished and sensitive interpreters of popular songs…

Carmen McRae always had a nice voice (if not on the impossible level of an Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan) but it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretations of lyrics that made her most memorable. She studied piano early on and had her first important job singing with Benny Carter's big band (1944), but it would be another decade before her career had really gained much momentum.

Am I Right? [EP] (1991) [Limited Edition]. Separate from the actual Am I Right? EP itself, this pleasant release collects new mixes and alternate versions of tracks from Chorus, often with great results. Noted techno act the Grid gets its hands into "Am I Right?" itself for the leadoff track, adding some extra atmospheric synth lines and harder-edged electronic crunch; it's not a notable revision from the original otherwise, but still has a certain something. Mark Saunders, a regular studio compatriot of the band's, handles the LFO Modulated Filter mix of "Love to Hate You." The name's a touch misleading in that neither of the LFO duo actually appear on the track, but as a further pumping up of the arena-synth atmosphere of the original, it's a winner…

Considering the three-year delay since Jane Siberry's previous release (which reportedly saw one completed album scrapped altogether), Siberry had obviously gone through some intense soul-searching to determine where her muse was to take her next. Judging by When I Was a Boy, she ended up retreating to some neutral ground that drew on several elements of her previous work without really taking things anywhere new. This is a very personal, introspective album, its intimate textures consistent with the ambient work that production collaborators Brian Eno and Michael Brook were well known for. Even average Siberry was still better than most of what was foisted on the public as female vocalist pop circa this album's release in 1993. It was just that one had come to expect more from her – like surprises and wonder – rather than the sound of treading water.

Roland Kent LaVoie (born July 31, 1943), better known by his stage name Lobo (which is a Spanish word for wolf), is an American singer-songwriter who was successful in the early 1970s, scoring several U.S. Top 10 hits including "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo", "I'd Love You to Want Me", and "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend"…

All three works on this disc are essential Birtwistle. Oliver Knussen is one of best conductors in the world. The London Sinfonietta needs no introduction. And NMC is one of the great independent labels. What else do you need?
Well, I know Birtwistle's music alienates some people, and in its way it is more radical than anything 50/60s Darmstadt serialism could offer. But it is perhaps also the most interesting, often in a extra-musical way.

If I Can Dream is a compilation album by Elvis Presley. It was released on October 30, 2015 by RCA Records and Legacy Recordings. The album features archival vocal recordings of Elvis accompanied by new orchestral arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It also features duets with Canadian singer Michael Bublé and Italian trio Il Volo. If I Can Dream was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, England, and it was produced by Nick Patrick and Don Reedman. The album debuted at number one in the United Kingdom, giving Elvis a record-equalling 12th UK number one. As of September 2016, the album had sold 1.6 million copies worldwide. A second album featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Wonder of You was released on October 21, 2016. The album features archival vocal recordings of Elvis accompanied by new orchestral arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded at the Abbey Road Studios.