One Click Richard

When it was first released in 1994, Richard Buckner's debut album Bloomed seemed little short of miraculous, a beautifully spare but rich and compelling set of songs about the sweet and bitter sides of love, accompanied by a superb, primarily acoustic ensemble led by producer Lloyd Maines. In retrospect, Bloomed turned out to reveal just one of the many facets of Buckner's musical personality, but if his muse took him many places after this (and continued to guide him in fascinating ways), this still remains one of the most satisfying and engaging albums in his catalog.

Tango accordion has a clear icon in the late Astor Piazzolla, but these days Richard Galliano is making a strong case for being the premier jazz accordionist. He's as lyrical as one needs, swings like mad, or brings tempos down to a sensual jog with passion and soul. When called upon, he can play a gut-wrenching tango or two himself. For this effort he's joined by two different crack rhythm sections, the brilliant Jean-François Jenny-Clark and Daniel Humair (seven tracks), or the slightly cut below Remi Vignolo and Andre Ceccarelli (four tracks), bass and drums respectively. It's not hard to hear a distinctly French but improvisationally Americanized sound. The lone standard, "You Must Believe in Spring", is one of many waltzes, but this one jumps from second to fifth gear, Galliano rapidly flying through the changes. The title track is also quick, with "Augusta" more a sprightly 3/4, while "L'Envers du Décor" is an easier modal three beat. Nods to Brazilian Hermeto Pascoal are heard on his composition "Bébé" and the mallets on drums and heavy conga beat-based fanfare and theme of "Passarinho".

Limitless is the twelveth studio album (36th overall) by American singer/songwriter and record producer/arranger Richard Marx, released on February 7, 2020. It his first studio album since 2014. It was the first time Marx had recorded an album without the conscious thought of making an album. Marx usually produces his albums by himself but this time, he worked with several different producers, all of whom also co-wrote a majority of the songs on the album as well. His son Lucas was one of the producers who also co-wrote two of the tracks, including the single "Another One Down". "I wasn't really sure what making a new album meant for an artist like me," Marx said of the creative process behind Limitless. "All I knew was that I still write songs all the time and I realised I had a collection of songs I really liked. In my past, my only criteria were to write and record songs that pleased me, and hopefully other people would like them, too. So I returned to that ideology and dismissed any concerns of stylistic consistency and the next thing I knew, I had recorded a diverse album I really liked." The album was dedicated to his wife Daisy Fuentes.

This two-for-one pairing of two albums reminds listeners that Cliff Richard could still kick out the jams even into his forties (imagine, a rocker turning 40 – how revolutionary that seemed at the time!). Rock 'n' Roll Silver and The Rock Connection were originally recorded and released during 1983-1984, but never made so much sense as when they were paired together here. Rock 'n' Roll Silver was initially issued as part of the larger Silver project, marking Richard's 25th year in rock & roll. Working with a stripped-down band, the set caught Richard returning to his roots to fire out impassioned versions of the songs that moved him when he first cut "Move It" – things like "Lucille," "Tutti Frutti," "Be-Bop-A-Lula," and "Teddy Bear." There were also surprisingly strong revivals of past Richard hits "It'll Be Me" and "Move It" itself, and the result was one of Richard's most enjoyable albums ever.