Begley Flac

Ireland's Mama's Boys were a band of brothers – literally, the three McManus boys, John, Pat, and Tommy – and in 1986 they were dealt a cruel hand by fate midway through a European tour, when Tommy suffered a relapse of leukemia, which he had been treated for successfully as a child. Luckily, the drummer recovered in due time, but then it was brother John's turn to experience health issues with his vocal chords, forcing the hire of singer Keith Murrell before Mama's Boys could start working on their next album.

With Long Black Veil, the Chieftains attempted a mainstream pop crossover by recording with rock and pop stars from the Rolling Stones and Sting to Van Morrison and Sinéad O'Connor. Instead of changing their sound to accommodate the talents of their guests, the band plays it straight. As always, their performance is superb; what is surprising is how well the pop stars sing Celtic material. None of the guest singers sound displaced or uncomfortable, which is largely due to the sympathetic performances of the Chieftains.

Wild Bill Davis pioneered the Hammond Organ in the late 1940s and early 1950s. His always famous driving and swinging trio concept with organ, guitar and drums has served as inspiration for all important jazz organists including Jimmy Smith. From 1964 to 1969, Wild Bill Davis was under contract with RCA Victor and recorded a number of remarkeable albums. "Midnight To Dawn" - Wild Bill's personal favorite album - recorded on August 10 & 11, 1966 with members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and James "Dickie" Thompson on guitar.

Wild Bill Davis was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis. With the dynamic, swirling sounds of his Hammond B-3 organ, Wild Bill Davis provided a bridge from the big band swing of the 1930s and '40s to the organ-driven R&B of the 1950s and early '60s.

When Billy Strayhorn died of cancer in 1967, Duke Ellington was devastated. His closest friend and arranger had left his life full of music and memories. As a tribute, Ellington and his orchestra almost immediately began recording a tribute to Strayhorn, using the late arranger’s own compositions.

Chapter 24's second album release comes from young Parisian composer Anton Dhouran. Born into a family of movie-makers and having grown up dreaming of writing music for film, the 23-year old has turned his hand to making cinematic dance tracks. His success so far has seen him sign to labels such as Diynamic, Jeudi and The Soundgarden.