David Groggins

The Man Who Sold The World David Bowie’s landmark entry into the 1970s not only began the collaboration with guitarist Mick Ronson that would continue with such Bowie classics as Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, it kicked off a 10-year run of indispensable albums stretching through 1980’s Scary Monsters.

The greatest diva of the Netherlands, Fay Claassen, joins forces with gifted Belgian singer-composer-lyricist and longtime Parisian David Linx on 'And Still We Sing', a magnificent collaboration with the WDR Big Band, conducted by Magnus Lindgren. The title of this reunion of Claassen and Linx (they sang together on 2005's 'One Heart, Three Voices') is a paraphrase of one of Maya Angelou's most famous poems: "…And Still I Rise." Claassen brings her crystal clear delivery and adventurous scatting chops to the program, blending beautifully and organically with Linx, a singular talent who has gained notoriety throughout Europe while still flying under the radar on the United States jazz scene. Produced by WDR tenor saxophonist (and Claassen's husband) Paul Heller, 'And Still We Sing' features stellar big band arrangements by Heller, Lindgren, Bob Mintzer and Michael Abene.

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.

In 1906, Komitas gave a concert and lecture in Paris. Debussy came on stage after the concert and knelt before the Armenian composer (who was also a priest, a singer and a pioneer of ethnomusicology), exclaiming: ‘I bow before your genius, Reverend Father.’

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.

This CD is the audio soundtrack to the long, out of print US only released VHS video from 1984 called Pink Floyd's David Gilmour which was recorded and filmed at The Hammersmith Odeon in London in April of 1984. This classic 1984 concert was recorded and filmed towards the end of Gilmour's 1984 European leg of his first solo tour in support of his 1984 album About Face and sees Gilmour joined by an all-star band featuring Bad Company lead guitarist Mick Ralphs, ex-Manfred Mann drummer Chris Slade (who would join The Firm with Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers after the US leg of the About Face Tour ended in the summer of 1984 and he would later join AC/DC), longtime Pete Townshend percussionist Jodi Linscott, keyboard player Gregg Dechart (a Canadian who had played for awhile in Uriah Heep), bass player Mickey Feat (who had just played on the first Fastway album (the band formed by ex-Motorhead guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke) before joining Gilmour's band) and saxophonist Raphael Ravenscroft and they deliver a blistering performance.