Charles Lloyd pays homage to his dear friend and longtime collaborator Zakir Hussain with Sangam & Friends", an extraordinary document of the deep musical camaraderie between the legendary saxophonist/flutist and master tablaist along with their Sangam trio mate drummer Eric Harland. The album is built around studio recordings made in Mumbai in 2009 for an album that was begun but never completed featuring an expanded ensemble with Carnatic singer Vijay Prakash", Rakesh Chaurasia on bansuri", Sabir Khan on sarangi", Ranjit Barot on keyboard", and Niladri Kumar on sitar.
Released at the dawn of the 1970s, Love Country Style finds Ray Charles fully embracing his love for country music-delivering heartfelt renditions of songs by Mickey Newbury and Jimmy Webb with his signature blend of soul and sophistication. Backed by lush gospel-tinged arrangements, the album highlights Ray's unrivaled ability to transform country standards into something unmistakably his own. The record became a fan favorite and remains one of the finest examples of Charles' country crossover work. Long out of print since it's original release, this album finally returns to vinyl and CD, fully restored and remastered in cooperation with the Ray Charles Foundation.
In late 1964, ABC-Paramount prepared to release Ray Charles Sings For You. The album was assigned catalog number ABC-500, with liner notes and artwork completed. However, the release was shelved in favor of issuing Ray Charles Live in Concert in January 1965. As a result, Ray Charles Sings For You remained unreleased, and it's tracks were scattered across various compilations over the years. Now, for the first time ever, this lost album is officially restored and released as the artist originally intended. Featuring tracks like "My Baby Don't Dig Me," "Without Love (There Is Nothing)," and "Worried Life Blues (Someday Baby)." The album's significance lies in it's historical context and the quality of it's performances, offering listeners a glimpse into a prolific period of Charles's career.
At the heart of this new album from renowned British pianist Charles Owen stand two towering masterpieces: Liszt's Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen and Franck's Prelude, Choral et Fugue - works that chart spiritual journeys through grief, doubt and despair toward radiant, redemptive hope. Each embodies the essence of de Profundis - a rising from the depths, a cry of the soul yearning for transcendence. Liszt and Franck, so different in temperament yet united by deep mutual admiration and shared faith, drew profound inspiration from their Catholic spirituality. Where Liszt's unbridled Romanticism blazes with drama and color, Franck's introspection glows with quiet devotion; both speak to the indomitable human spirit. Balancing such intensity are Liszt's visions of nature in the Deux Legendes and Les jeux d'eaux a la Villa d'Este: birdsong, flowing water, and the shimmer of divine light. His piano writing moves from the lightest suspension of sound to thunderous resonance, creating musical landscapes of awe and serenity. Charles Owen brings this immensely personal recording to life with luminous clarity and poetic insight, revealing music of both earthly struggle and eternal hope.
