Whether melting away like a singing gondolier on the Grand Canal or tumbling around like Eulenspiegel, whether chuckling melancholically in the depths like a brooding hen or springing acrobatically across the high wire: once the clarinet had outgrown its infancy, its rapidly expanding possibilities soon made it “the talk of the town” – praised by enthusiastic advocates such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, technically advanced by new virtuosos, and given a wide variety of tasks by composers eager to experiment. At the forefront of these pioneers was Carl Stamitz, one of the first Mannheimers of the second generation, who wrote almost a dozen concert works for the slender instrument, leaving the guild of clarinet players with a precious little catechism, which can now be heard in its entirety on record for the first time.

Three years after their album of works by J.S. Bach (FUG 792), flautist Toshiyuki Shibata and keyboard player Anthony Romaniuk now record works not only by Bach but also by his sons Carl Philipp Emanuel and Wilhelm Friedemann, "the most original and innovative" of the lineage, according to Shibata. Both musicians were trained in historically informed interpretation in Belgium and admit their fascination for Art Nouveau, stating that it harmoniously combines tradition and innovation; they have also been influenced by other musical traditions, including jazz and contemporary music: "Preludes and improvisation were essential elements of music-making in the 18th century — for us it’s natural to add preludes and postludes to our performances," says Shibata, who plays three traversos, copies of instruments by after Buffardin, Eigentopf and Quantz; Romaniuk plays a Flemish harpsichord and a Silbermann fortepiano. Their programme includes improvised preludes, a bold ending to BWV 1032/I and an original extra movement — a Gigue from BWV 997 with influences from several genres woven into its bass line, honouring both tradition and invention.

The Far Flung Trio are Katherine Hunka (violin), Dermot Dunne (accordion) and Malachy Robinson (double bass): the name reflects their sense of fun and the eclecticism in their programing and performances.

Loewe composed Hiob as his twelfth oratorio in 1848. To understand the context and background of the work and Loewe’s oratorio style in general, it is important to be aware of the environment in which he wrote: Mendelssohn had died a year earlier, and his benchmark oratorios ‘Paulus’ (1836) and ‘Elias’ (1846/47) were already available, and Loewe is likely to have been familiar with them. Telschow wrote a condensed summary of the 42-chapter Book of Job from the textbooks and psalms of the Old Testament for the oratorio.

In 1777, Mozart met the wealthy Ferdinand Dejean, an amateur flautist and retired surgeon of the Dutch East India Company. Dejean commissioned a handful of works from the young composer, who termed them ‘some simple, short little concertinos’. Nevertheless, these pieces, which actually demand great virtuosity from the soloist, as well as a sensitivity to tonal nuances, have continued to be popular favourites ever since. A short while later, during his stay in Paris, Mozart wrote a further concerto, this time for a flute-playing aristocrat and his harpist daughter to perform as a duo of soloists – both of them ‘admirable musicians’ according to Mozart. Unlike Dejean, this noble virtuoso had an up-to-date instrument with eight keys, allowing the flute to reach down to middle C, and to play in the – hitherto impractical – key of C. Supported by A Nocte Temporis, the ensemble that she founded in 2016 with Reinoud Van Mechelen, flautist Anna Besson, now one of the most acclaimed instrumentalists of her generation, has recorded these evergreen works, with solo harpist extraordinaire Clara Izambert joining her in the Concerto for Flute and Harp.

Jorge Rossy turns to vibraphone and marimba and delivers a trio set filled with momentous originals for his ECM leader-debut. Marked by their immediate melodic appeal, the vibraphonist’s lines are in lively interplay with his colleagues, Robert Landfermann on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums. After Jorge’s recent contribution on drums to Jakob Bro’s trio with trumpeter Arve Henriksen on Uma Elmo, the present line-up sees him focusing on his own music. On Puerta the Spaniard shines as he navigates a programme that proves him as much an eloquent composer as a powerful melodic voice.

With its inspired marriage of bossa nova and cool electronics, Bebel Gilberto’s acclaimed debut album has perfectly captured the mood of the times. Released by Crammed in 2000 on its Ziriguiboom imprint, “Tanto Tempo” has become an international best seller, making it one of the most globally successful albums of Brazilian music ever. Produced by Suba (the Sao Paulo-based Serbian producer who tragically passed away just before the release of the album), and featuring collaborations with Amon Tobin, Mario Caldato, Chris Franck & Nina Miranda, and the Thievery Corporation.

Following his debut ‘Maxinquaye’ was never going to be an easy task for Tricky – the record defined a sound and a generation, and took abstract, stoned hip hop into the UK charts and around the world in the mid-1990s - but ‘Pre-Millennium Tension’ managed that comfortably. Densely packed with Tricky’s trademark choking, paranoid beats, intelligent scepticism and guttural rhyme technique, and boasting three successful singles, this album took the Bristolian to a far deeper, murkier level than his debut. So much so that Q Magazine dubbed ‘Pre-Millennium Tension’ one of the 50 ‘Heaviest Albums Of All Time’. Well-received by both fans and critics, and featuring long-time collaborator, the brilliant Martina Topley-Bird, ‘Pre-Millennium Tension’ is ripe for rediscovery.

Ennio Morricone 's compilation album from Quentin Tarantino's films including Django, Kill Bill and Inglourious Basterds.

With Absinthe, his second release for ECM, guitarist Dominic Miller has created an album colored by a distinct atmosphere. “The first thing that came to me before I wrote any tunes was the title,” he says. “Living in the South of France, I am fascinated by Impressionism. Sharp light and witchy mistrals, combined with strong alcohol and intense hangovers must have driven some of these artists toward insanity. Skies that are green, faces blue, perspective distorted.” While Miller’s ECM debut, Silent Light, emphasized intimacy in solo and duo settings, Absinthe finds the guitarist fronting a quintet that brings his ever-lyrical compositions to textured life.

From the wreckage of Free came Bad Company, a group fronted by singer Paul Rodgers and featuring his drummer bandmate Simon Kirke, Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs, and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. The latter is something of a ringer, suggesting an undercurrent of adventure in the band, but as the group's eponymous 1974 debut decidedly proves, the band is proudly not progressive. If anything, Bad Company excise the excesses of Free - there are no winding jams and very little added color by way of pianos or even air in the production; those two tricks are evident on their title track/rallying call "Bad Company," and the details make a difference, as do the pastoral acoustics of the closing "Seagull" - reducing their rock & roll to a strong, heavy crunch; compare "Ready for Love," a tune Ralphs brought over from Mott the Hoople, to the original to see how these quartet members keep their heads down as they do their business…

Here are 3CDs of essential blues from the legendary artists who started it all, Featuring 60 classic recordings grom the likes of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, Lowell Fulson, Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and many, many more.

The ultra-hip and sophisticated "cool jazz" that Chet Baker (trumpet/vocals) helped define in the early '50s matured rapidly under the tutelage of producer Dick Bock. This can be traced to Baker's earliest sides on Bock's L.A.-based Pacific Jazz label. This album is the result of Baker's first sessions for the independent Riverside label. The Chet Baker Quartet featured on Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You includes Kenny Drew (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). (Performances by bassist George Morrow and drummer Dannie Richmond are featured on a few cuts.) This results in the successful combination of Baker's fluid and nonchalant West Coast delivery with the tight swinging accuracy of drummer Jones and pianist Drew. Nowhere is this balance better displayed than the opening and closing sides on the original album, "Do It the Hard Way" and "Old Devil Moon," respectively…

The beauty of nature, landscapes, impressions from other countries and cultures inspire the music of Marcel Waldburger and Gabriel Meyer, two musicians trained in classical and jazz music. They attach great importance to authenticity and are conscious of their roots in Western Europe, in Switzerland. The duo draws on the wealth of tonal and percussive possibilities that arise from the interplay of guitar and piano. Their compositions, arranged with great imagination and attention to detail, provide the framework for improvisational journeys and sonic adventures.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 1970 eponymous LP was only a rehearsal. It hit hard because of the novelty of the act (allegedly the first supergroup in rock history), but felt more like a collection of individual efforts and ideas than a collective work. All doubts were dissipated by the release of Tarkus in 1971. Side one of the original LP is occupied by the 21-minute title epic track, beating both Genesis' "Supper's Ready" and Yes' "Close to the Edge" by a year. Unlike the latter group's cut-and-paste technique to obtain long suites, "Tarkus" is a thoroughly written, focused piece of music. It remains among the Top Ten classic tracks in progressive rock history. Because of the strength of side one, the material on the album's second half has been quickly forgotten - with one good reason: it doesn't match the strength of its counterpart - but "Bitches Crystal" and "A Time and a Place" make two good prog rock tracks, the latter being particularly rocking…