Cristopher Clark

There are almost more Petula Clark collections than there were actual songs (that's saying something), and Sanctuary's three-disc Songs of My Life: The Essential Petula Clark is one of the better ones. Split into three themes, "Swinging Times," "Mellow Moods," and "Beautiful Sounds," Songs of My Life relies heavily on the English pop sensation's peak '60s and '70s output. All of the key radio hits are here ("Downtown," "I Know a Place," "My Love," "This Is My Song"), as well as countless ballads, uptempo pop gems, and choice covers. Fans looking for a decent career overview (sadly, none of Clark's vast arsenal of French hits are here) may find the 78 tracks that populate Songs of My Life a bit overwhelming, but they're well worth spending some quality time alone with.

On his fourth album as a leader, French horn player John Clark showcases his talents as a composer and arranger for a rotating ensemble of up to eleven musicians, including Alex Foster on saxophone, Ryo Kawasaki on guitar, and Howard Johnson on bass clarinet. The eclectic lineup works its way through five Clark originals and three standards, including a rousing large group take on John Coltrane's "India," which opens, appropriately enough, with a sitar. Clark's compositions range from freely improvised duos and trios to more intricately orchestrated pieces for larger groups. The ensemble playing throughout the album is always interesting and frequently inspired.

2010 two CD anthology from underground Rock heroes Clark-Hutchinson. One of the first signings to Decca's underground imprint Nova, the duo of Andy Clark and Mick Hutchinson recorded the album A=MH2 in 1969, soon to become the biggest selling album on NOVA. Championed by John Peel, the duo's first album highlighted the extraordinary talent of guitarist Hutchinson. The 1970 follow up album Retribution saw the band augmented by Del Coverley and included the classic 'Free To Be Stoned' , earning the group numerous live spots alongside cohorts the Edgar Broughton Band and Hawkwind. Gestalt, the band s final album appeared in 1971 on the Deram label. This anthology has been remastered from the original master tapes and comprises all the recordings released by Decca Records between 1969 and 1971. It is an essential part of the story of British underground Rock at the turn of the 1970s.

Recorded in 1958, this legendary date with the still-undersung Sonny Clark in the leader's chair also featured a young Jackie McLean on alto (playing with a smoother tone than he had before or ever did again), trumpeter Art Farmer, and the legendary rhythm section of bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, both from the Miles Davis band. The set begins with one of the preeminent "swinging medium blues" pieces in jazz history: the title track with its leveraged fours and eights shoved smoothly up against the walking bass of Chambers and the backbeat shuffle of Jones…