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Three composers whose contributions to the Anglican choral tradition are rich in historical significance: no less than the Abbey itself, much of this music is inseparably bound up with the national celebrations or commemorations appropriate to war, coronation and royal marriage.

“These songs were written to be performed by anyone,” veteran folk-pop giant James Taylor tells Apple Music of his covers collection of 14 American standards—called, naturally, American Standard (and not to be confused with the popular toilet brand of the same name). These evergreen tunes, including “My Blue Heaven,” “Ol’ Man River,” and “Pennies From Heaven,” are rarely associated with any particular artist, making them ripe for constant reinvention, which was the songwriters’ intention all along. “The songwriting was all there was in the era that these songs were written, because they would be sheet music—they'd be part of a musical, and who knew who was going to be cast singing these parts. All you had to carry a song was the melody, the lyric, and the changes.”

One of the great blues albums of the early '80s, Classified captures the legendary New Orleans pianist James Booker not long before his premature death at the age of 43 on November 8, 1983. Recorded in a series of sometimes problematic sessions in 1982 – producer Scott Billington details them in his terrific liner notes on the 2013 reissue of the record, which is remixed and expanded – Classified appeared just a few months before Booker's death, so it's hard not to read it as something of a final statement.

Seven Year Itch is the fifteenth studio album by Etta James, released in 1988 by Island Records. The title of the album refers to her comeback after approximately seven years without a major recording contract. The song "Come to Mama" was included on James's live album Burnin' Down the House: Live at the House of Blues in 2003.

James Brown’s celebrated homecoming concert in Augusta, Georgia will have its 50th anniversary marked by Republic/UMe’s first-ever release of the complete show on 25 October. Live At Home with His Bad Self will be available on CD, 2LP vinyl, and digital audio as a full memento of the Godfather of Soul’s concert at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta on 1 October 1969.

James will release their 16th studio album All The Colours Of You via Missing Piece Records. The new full-length was produced by Grammy award-winning Jacknife Lee (Taylor Swift, U2, REM, Snow Patrol, The Killers), who brought a fresh approach to James' sound and captured the band in all their glory. All The Colours of You features the most arena-ready tracks of James' 38-year career, the sound of one of Britain’s best bands, deconstructed and reassembled by one of the world’s most renowned producers.

This is the best contemporary James Cotton album gracing the shelves, thanks to its ingenious formatting: half the set places Cotton in a traditional setting beside guitarist Magic Slim, pianist Pinetop Perkins, and a solid rhythm section; the other half pairs him with a contemporary combo featuring guitarist Michael Coleman's swift licks and a three-piece horn section. Both combinations click on all burners. High Compression includes the scorching theme song "Superharp."

Esoteric Recordings are proud to announce the release of a newly re-mastered and expanded edition of the classic gold selling 1976 album by Barclay James Harvest, “Octoberon”. Originally released at the end of October 1976, the album was a big selling release for the band achieving Silver disc status in the UK and Gold in Germany, their first breakthrough album in that territory.

“As requested by many lovers of the band – a live DVD and album to capture the spirit of the gigs of the last few years. Hopefully this will help us through the long nights of lockdown – reliving these gatherings of intimacy and passion. Thank you for coming along for the ride in the crazy world of James.” – Tim