Welsh singer Shirley Bassey is arguably best known internationally for her poised, belting renditions of the themes to the cinematic James Bond series, with Goldfinger in 1964, 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, and 1979's Moonraker. Bassey earned the distinction as one of the most enduring, popular vocalists in Great Britain during the latter half of the 20th century. Known as "Bassey the Belter" and also the "Tigress of Tiger Bay," her early career in touring shows and cabaret brought her a recording contract with Philips by the late 1950s. After reaching the top of the British charts in 1959 with "As I Love You" and, later, "Reach for the Stars/Climb Every Mountain," Bassey's voice, at once brassy and seductive, conveyed the James Bond myth perfectly; the song "Goldfinger" also became a Top Ten hit in the States. Appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2000, she recorded well into her eighties, releasing I Owe It All to You in 2020. It became her first album in 50 years to reach the U.K. Top Five. Further, Bassey became the first female artist to chart Top 40 on the U.K. Albums Chart in seven consecutive decades. In 2025, Cherry Red released the multi-disc retrospective Dame Shirley Bassey: The Singer - Classic and Undiscovered Gems from the EMI/UA Years 1962-1979.

Drummer Bill Stewart (best known for having formerly been a regular member of John Scofield's group) has been developing into a notable bandleader and composer himself. In fact, seven of the nine numbers on this CD are his (they are joined by Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae" and an eccentric version of Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning"), and the interesting and unusual structures clearly inspire Stewart's sidemen to some of their best playing. Steve Wilson (on alto and soprano), tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, pianist Bill Carrothers and bassist Larry Grenadier are all up and coming players, and someday this CD may be looked upon as an all-star group. The post-bop solos and occasional surprises make the stimulating set easily recommended.

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's third LP, Io Sono Nato Libero, was released only a few months after the impressive Darwin!, and featured the same lineup (brothers Vittorio and Gianni Nocenzi on keyboards, Rodolfo Maltese on guitar, Pierluigi Calderoni on drums, Renato d'Angelo on bass, and Francesco Di Giacomo on vocals). It yielded one classic track, "Non Mi Rompete," a beautiful Italian ballad that would be part of the band's set list for the rest of its life. Another important track is "Traccia II," which develops the musical idea found at the end of the 1971 LP Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. Music history may have preserved these two pieces, but the real point of interest on Io Sono Nato Libero is the 15-minute opus "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico," a complex and very moving piece (the title translates to "Nomad Song for a Political Prisoner")…

Martha Argerich There are very few good pianists, many average ones, and only one Martha Argerich.

The Sessions VI contains a long instant live composition from the current Tangerine Dream line-up Thorsten Quaeschning, Ulrich Schnauss, Hoshiko Yamane and new TD member Paul Frick. This live session was recorded at the RBB Sendesaal in Berlin (November 3, 2018) during the Elektro Beats Festival organized by Radio Eins. Tangerine Dream are very much enjoying their new respectively revived concept of performing a so-called real time composition session at the end of their concerts.

The Smurfs Movie Soundtrack (Music From & Inspired By) was released on June 13, 2025, by Paramount Pictures. The soundtrack features music from and inspired by the live-action animated musical comedy film, "The Smurfs". The film stars Rihanna as the voice of Smurfette, alongside a large ensemble cast.

Promotion Only. Not For Sale. Interview with Neil Young and music from his Reprise Records release, Silver & Gold (4/2-47305).

Newcastle-born and -based, Charles Avison issued his string arrangements of harpsichord sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti in 1744. Forty-two of Scarlatti's sonatas had been published by Roseingrave in London five years earlier and it was these which, by and large, provided Avison with his material. 'By and large', since, as Stephen Roe remarks in his note, the sonatas included only two slow movements and Avison, planning 12 concertos in the slow-fast-slow-fast scheme favoured by his teacher, Geminiani, required 24.