Jackie Wilson earned the nickname "Mr Excitement" for his performances as one of the most dynamic and electrifying soul singers of the '50s and '60s, with an extraordinary four-octave vocal range and an ability to deliver up-tempo rockers and dramatic semi-operatic ballads with equal credibility and panache. He made his first solo records in 1953 under the name Sonny Wilson for Dizzy Gillespie's Dee Gee label, before joining Billy Ward & The Dominoes as a replacement for Clyde McPhatter, when the latter went solo. Wilson, in turn, embarked on a solo career in 1956 for the Brunswick label, scoring a landmark hit with his first release "Reet Petite", and going on to chalk up fifty hits before suffering a disabling heart attack in 1975, which ended his career, with thirty of those hits coming during the years covered by this collection. Great-value 55-track 2-CD set comprising the A & B sides of all his singles during the era for the Dee Gee and Brunswick labels, which as well as "Reet Petite" features the Top 10 hits "To Be Loved", "Lonely Teardrops", "Night" & "Alone At Last" along with his other chart entries from the era. Also included are bonus tracks from six of his albums released during from these years. It's a worthy showcase for a unique talent
All Time Greatest Hits Vol 3 / Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra
RCA
CD
$17.99Mar 22, 2011
Personnel includes: Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines, The Pied Pipers (vocals); Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra. Recorded between 1940 & 1942. In 1939, Frank Sinatra scored his very first success, "All Or Nothing At All," with trumpeter Harry James' Orchestra. The following year the young singer began an extraordinary two year apprenticeship with the much classier Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, a regimen which taught him everything he needed to know about musical taste and judgement if not popular adulation. Make no mistake, however; from the beginning, through sheer dint of will, Sinatra managed to make his time with the master trombonist and bandleader a collaboration of musical equals. Milestone recordings like "Stardust," "I'll Be Seeing You," "I'll Never Smile Again," "Everything Happens To Me" et al are both big band classics and the beginning of a new age of romantic popular singing. No male singer had ever gone as far as Sinatra did in exploring the tender feelings expressed in these songs, in identifying so completely with a given song's meaning. It was a revolution in popular sensibility that we are still living through several decades later.
Harry Belafonte has his eye on the big picture on STREETS I HAVE WALKED. He weaves a tapestry of the world he lives in, where a Japanese folk song and Woody Guthrie's protest anthem "This Land Is Your Land" can move him in equal measure. The gospel present is at home alongside the other tracks; spirituality never evades the artist.
This recording fulfills one of Dominique Visse’s life ambitions, which dates from the late 1970s and the period during which he studied and worked with Alfred Deller: to record an album of John Dowland’s songs. And who better than to record with than celebrated English viol consort Fretwork, who have made a number of historic recordings of Dowland’s music? Visse is also joined by Renaud Delaigue in rarely-performed versions of three of the songs.
A walk in the Delta with sanctified swagger, It Ain't Right is a joyous culmination and testimonial to Jimmy's vocal talent and musical gifts. Relevant and inspiring, these songs are loaded with a great sense of collective purpose. Other musicians may cover a tune, but his clear and soulful message and individual approach make any song directly his own, and Jimmy Burns our musical treasure. Jimmy is accompanied by his working band Anthony Palmer, guitar; Greg McDaniel, bass: Bryant "T" Parker, drums; with additional support from Sumito "Ariyo" Ariyoshi, piano; Roosevelt Purifoy, organ; Marques Carroll, trumpet; Chris Neal, tenor sax; Aaron Getsug, baritone sax.
Red is the color of love and of roses, but also of blood, anger, and shame. Soprano Eva Resch delves into the multifaceted meanings of this color in her new concept album for GENUIN. Together with her piano partner Eric Schneider, she interprets songs spanning from the Classical era to the present - from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Wolfgang Rihm. With her versatile voice, she traces the subtlest shades of human emotion and creates expressive character portraits that range from jubilant ecstasy to the depths of sorrow.
Over the last two centuries and in today's churches, hymns may be referred to as songs, prayers, or even spirituals, but the need for them remains the same. These pieces are written as instruments of praise and worship to God, as prayers in time of need, and as reflections in expression of joy, sorrow, or thanksgiving. On this recording, there are inspirational words written to a Gaelic melody of unknown date and origin ("Morning Has Broken"), a song written by a grieving father after the loss of all five of his children to tragedy ("It Is Well with My Soul"), and a hymn assembled gradually by three people over 150 years in three countries ("Be Still My Soul"). The words and melodies may mean something different to everyone who sings them, but the intention of them has been the same for hundred of years - to worship, praise, and thank God.
Louise Farrenc's Rondos - heard here in world premiere recordings - were composed within the period of a decade, and are delicious examples of her art: graceful, elegant and expressive. Some of them are based on operatic themes or on songs, while others are simpler and intended for younger performers. Volumes 1 and 2 of this 6 album cycle can be heard on GP912-13 and GP934.
Aptly titled, this collection offers songs for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Las Posadas (the traditional Mexican remembrance of Mary's search for an inn), and Christmas. The recording was produced by Gary Daigle. Celebrate the season with this wonderful music!
Igor Stravinsky is renowned for his legacy of glittering fairy tales in treasured favourites such as Petrushka and The Firebird. Another favourite is the ballet Pulcinella, a lovable melange of Baroque theatricality, heard here in it's concert suite form. The other works in this programme are surprisingly less known: the luminous and symphonic Song of the Nightingale, and The Fairy's Kiss based on Tchaikovsky's music, are both derived from stories by Hans Christian Andersen. An astonishing rarity, The Faun and the Shepherdess is an ancient Greek tale that was Stravinsky's romantically sensual gift to his young bride.
Die schönsten Weihnachtslieder - Christmas for Children / Ulmer Spatzen Choir
Carus
CD
$21.99Oct 21, 2022
When we make ourselves comfortable at home with the children at the most wonderful time of the year, songs can't be missing, of course. And the time until Christmas also passes much faster with melodies to listen to and sing along with. On this release, the Kinderchor SingsalaSing and the Ulmer Spatzen Chor present reimaginings of favorite Christmas songs, including Still, still, still, Ding Dong Merrily On High, Stille Nacht, and many more. These are songs for children, sung by children, which can also be enjoyed by young and old alike.
42 Treasured Favorites from the African American Heritage Hy
GIA
CD
$27.99Jan 01, 2008
After the success of 49 Hidden Treasures and 46 More Hidden Treasures, we've switched our focus and have recorded 42 of the most beloved hymns of the church. With this recording, GIA hopes to preserve the tried-and-true treasures of the African American religious experience. Favorites like “Guide My Feet,” “How Great Thou Art,” “It Is Well with My Soul,” and “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling” are just a few of the songs at the heart of this recording. These hymns play a deeply formative role in the shared faith and theology of the assembly. It is our hope that 42 Treasured Favorites will inspire, edify, and uplift the lives and souls of every listener.
This recording by the Taize Community offers all the songs found on Laudate Omnes Gentes, but in instrumental versions only. Taize: Instrumental was created to support small groups who wish to pray in song, but are uncomfortable singing a cappella or do not have the resources for live instrumental accompaniment. It contains instrumental support for 19 songs that are straightforward to sing and do not require solo verses. The guitar accompanies throughout, with a flute playing the melody, sometimes joined by the oboe or clarinet. Ideal for small prayer groups!
(2-CD set) This 2-CD set features all original songs by vocalist Carmen Lundy joined by top jazz musicians from New York, Miami and L.A. - Robert Glasper, Billy Childs, David Roitstein, Curtis Lundy, Nathan East, Kenny Davis, Phil Upchurch, Victor Lewis, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Mayra Casales, Steve Turre, Bobby Watson, Mark Shim, Krystal Davis Williams, The L.A. String Quartet. This set includes bonus tracks. (Previously deleted: 1/1/08. Original release date: 11/4/05)
The third album from Beatles Jazz is consistent with their previous two. But this time the trio has enlisted help from some of jazz's big names, such as John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker and Mike Stern. This album is full of musical virtuosity but remains true to the essence of each song.
Jazz pianist Don Pullen was taken away from us way too soon. He passed at age 53 in 1995. He could play anything from blues to straight ahead to the outer regions of avant garde jazz. This is a re-issue of his 1975 Sackville album originally titled Solo Piano Album. The new title track is a dedication to Muhal Richard Abrams who made his recorded debut on Delmark. "Suite (Sweet) Malcolm (Part 1: Memories and Gunshots)" is for Malcolm X. "Big Alice" is a tour de force embedded with all of Pullen's gospel and soul roots. "Song Played backwards" is a song Pullen decided to play in reverse of the note sequence he had composed! Pullen's music is fierce and joyous and alive, and his presence abides in every note here.
Vinyl LP pressing. Blue Note Tone Poet Series. Jackie McLean's music weaved in and out of the avant-garde throughout the 1960s with the brilliant 1963 inside-out dates One Step Beyond and Destination... Out! Eventually leading to full-throated free jazz of the 1967 dates New and Old Gospel (featuring Ornette Coleman on trumpet) and 'Bout Soul. Demon's Dance, which was recorded in December 1967, found the alto saxophonist maintaining a decidedly post-bop edge with a spirited quintet comprised of trumpeter Woody Shaw, pianist LaMont Johnson, bassist Scott Holt, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. The six-song set presented a pair of tunes each by McLean, Shaw, and composer Cal Massey with highlights including McLean's churning title track, Shaw's tuneful bossa "Sweet Love of Mine," and Massey's brightly swinging "Message from Trane" in tribute to the great John Coltrane who had passed away early that year. But the album's most striking feature may be the unforgettable cover artwork by Mati Klarwein whose work also graced the cover of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew.
This Robert Johnson disciple recorded a ton as a sideman but didn't make an album 'til he was 55. Here's that 1970 LP; his voice and guitar take you from Arkansas to Chicago and back as you hear Steady Rollin' Man; Mean Red Spider; Take a Walk with Me; Ramblin' on My Mind, and more blues mastery!
Sir Stephen Hough's new solo piano album, Stephen Hough's Piano Postcards, explores the world from the perspective of the itinerant pianist sending home musical messages from his voyages. Music from Asia includes "Spring breeze prelude" by Taiwanese composer Deng Yu-Hsien and a piano version of "Aka tombo," a children's song so beloved in Japan that it features in citywide "5-o'clock chimes" across the country. Folk and popular traditions appear in "Cielito lindo" and "Nature boy," while the final group of pieces turns to nature, with works by MacDowell, Schumann and Sinding. Alongside these musical travel diaries, he intersperses new transcriptions of songs from popular films, including arrangements he created for Lang Lang's 'Disney Book' album. This is the first chance Sir Stephen has had to include piano arrangements of songs from Frozen, Coco and Mary Poppins.
At a time when the world situation is changing drastically and fear, worry and negativity reign, many people feel tired and overwhelmed. With "HOPE", the release of various spiritual and gospel songs, the duo Praxedis would like to set an antipole to let hope and confidence flow into people's hearts. For the first time, they are dedicating themselves to the fascinating world of sacred, heavenly songs from America and have written their own arrangements for the duo genre of the two solo instruments harp and piano, which was popular in the 19th century. The complexity of the poetry in the 23 songs allows for different moods and interpretations. On the one hand, there are allusions to the social situation alongside a belief in the hereafter. The call to protest stands alongside the longing for freedom. The belief in a higher power stands alongside the need for a leader to save us from enslavement by the events of the world. Just as it was today when the songs were written. Living on multiple planes of existence as a citizen of the earth is becoming increasingly oppressive, with well-defined structures as a projection screen for the social cliche that society makes of us all. While songs used to be performed as a vocal construct with accompanying instruments, the interpretation with harp & piano dusts off the religious scheme of the time by omitting the singing voice and emphasizes the topicality of the works, which deal with themes of the human longing for love, light and peace, through spherical harp sounds in dialogue with sparkling piano dynamics.
The first compilation devoted to Mario Lanza's Neapolitan and Italian song recordings, representing the tenor at his interpretative peak in the genre! This collection comprises not only the highlights of his Mario! And Caruso Favorites albums, but the best of his earlier recordings of Neapolitan and Italian songs. It also includes a newly discovered rendition of "Mattinata." Bonus tracks aside, the recordings are arranged chronologically, providing fascinating evidence of the rapid darkening of Lanza's timbre during his final years, as his voice changed from a lirico spinto to a richer, pure spinto.
With "I Put A Spell On You", Nina Simone released one of her most popular albums in 1965, which also contains some of her best-known songs. Her great version of the title track in particular caused a sensation at the time. While Screamin' Jay Hawkins had given the song an ironic touch in the original, Nina transformed it into a rousing love song. Another highlight is the Broadway number "Feeling Good", which Mary J. Blige sampled for her song "About You" in 2006. Nina Simone delighted her then rapidly growing French fan base with interpretations of three well-known chansons: "Tomorrow Is My Turn" ("L'amour c'est comme un jour") and "You've Got To Learn" ("Il faut savoir") by Charles Aznavour as well as "Ne Me Quitte Pas" by Jacques Brel.
SOMM Recordings is proud to present The Mira Ensemble, taking it's name from the Latin word meaning "wonderful" or "admirable" and comprising professional singers from across the UK. The group was founded in 2025 to champion the extensive, yet little known and often-neglected body of music for upper voices. Their debut disc focuses on the upper-voices repertoire by Herbert Howells, and it features entirely premiere recordings that shine a light on a rarely discussed part of his output. The ensemble is directed by Newcastle-born conductor, composer, academic, editor, and orchestrator Tom Edney. They're accompanied by pianist Nick Salwey, who has performed live on BBC Radio 3, ITV, Channel 4, and Classic FM. Nick taught at Oxford, Eton College, and Winchester College, where he was Head of Piano from 2005 to 2025, and where he continues to teach and work as accompanist. Herbert Howells (1892-1983) composed a significant body of lyrical, often pastoral partsongs characterized by rich harmony and expressive text-setting. Early partsongs featured on this disc include The Shepherd, a setting of William Blake; A Croon from an old cradle song; An Old Man's Lullaby by Elizabethan Thomas Dekker; and A Tinker's Song, an anonymous old London song from 1667. Two unison songs from the 1920s-an old rhyme The Wonderful Derby Ram and a Spanish Lullaby-hint at Howells's own childhood singing experiences. A Golden Lullaby is another setting of An Old Man's Lullaby by Dekker, and Howells's different approaches to voicing are striking. My Master Hath a Garden, on an anonymous text, reflects the influence of Gustav Holst, while the old rhyme Sing Ivy evokes some of Holst's folk song arrangements-though it shifts midway to a sound reminiscent of Tudor keyboard music. Howells's interest in dance forms grew from his fascination with English Tudor music, and he adopted a Sarabande in setting a text by the late-Elizabethan Thomas Campion, Tune thy Music. In the early 1930s, Howells dedicated a setting of one of Walter de la Mare's miniatures, Bunches of Grapes, to his two children. In similarly light-hearted vein, Sea Urchins with texts by Gladys Balcomb describes a seaside holiday across ten movements. Two poetic meditations on Elizabeth texts-Sweet Content by Robert Greene and To Music Bent by Campion-also come from this decade. Howells lost his nine-year-old son to polio in 1935, and Piping down the Valleys Wild-William Blake's depiction of a divine child asking the piper to continue to play-is the bittersweet offering of a grieving parent. Howells composed fewer upper-voices partsongs after the Second World War. Featured among these are The Key of the Kingdom, another de la Mare text adapted from an old rhyme; Pink Almond, with a text by the Irish writer Katharine Tynan, in Sarabande form; and the delightful A Christmas Carol, to a text by 17th century writer George Wither, composed on Christmas Day in 1957.
