The Atlantic Jazz series continues with this slice of mostly '60s jazz-soul treats. Fittingly, the 11-track disc includes a side by one of the prime progenitors of soul, Ray Charles: He and MJQ vibraphonist, Milt Jackson, stretch out on the canonized "How Long Blues." Further expounding on the soul-jazz trajectory, the collection spotlights work by organist Shirley Scott (the Aretha Franklin hit "Think"), Les McCann and Eddie Harris (their classic Montreux Festival cut "Compared to What"), Yusef Lateef ("Russell and Elliot"), and Hank Crawford ("You're the One"). And there's even a bit of boogaloo-enhanced bossa, compliments of trumpeter Nat Adderley ("Jive Samba"). The soundtrack to your next retro-cool shindig.

Louisiana slide master Sonny Landreth takes his time between releases – his last studio disc of original material was five years prior to this – but when they arrive, the wait seems justified. For the debut album on his own Landfall records, Landreth calls in marquee name guitarists Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, and Vince Gill to bolster the visibility factor. Rather than focusing on guitar duals, Landreth wrote songs that incorporate their styles, and occasional vocals, organically into the material. There are plenty of stunning solos of course, but they are integrated into the tunes that stand up just fine without the six-string fireworks. The album's title is a double entendre as "reach" is a body of water and also describes Landreth inviting his guests to be part of the project.

The Hooters' first album of new material since 1993, TIME STAND STILL sounds as if the intervening 14 years had never happened. Featuring a full reunion of all five original members, as opposed to singer-songwriters Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian simply resurrecting the name, the Philadelphia quintet's familiar blend of traditional folk instruments and glossy rock remains. This includes Hyman's trademark melodica solos that gave the band their name. Along with 10 new songs, the album also includes a faithful cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer".

Alexei Lubimov is a Russian pianist who also plays fortepiano and harpsichord. In his early years he studied at the Moscow Central Music School, and in 1963, entered the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with Heinrich Neuhaus and Lew Naumov. He developed a strong interest in Baroque music and 20th century modernist works. Lubimov gave the Soviet premieres of many western compositions, including pieces by Charles Ives, Arnold Schoenberg, John Cage, Terry Riley, Pierre Boulez, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, which brought censorship from the Soviet authorities. For a number of years he was prevented from traveling outside the Soviet Union. Turning to his interest in period instruments and authentic performance practices, he founded the Moscow Baroque Quartet and co-founded the Moscow Chamber Academy with Tatiana Grindenko.

Fittingly for an album called Mumbo Jumbo, Air Supply do employ some smoke and mirrors on their 2010 album – perhaps more than any of their previous albums, dabbling with a variety of textures and rhythms. Although their touch remains decidedly light, this isn’t merely a collection of romantic ballads: it opens with the spooky prog pomp of “Setting the Seen”; “A Little Bit of Everything” pulsates with the clean sheen of the late ‘80s; they work up a fairly good head of steam on “Me Like You”; they get a little dirty on the slow groove of “Lovesex”; “Until” approaches the baroque; and even on something as soft as “A Little Bit More,” the acoustic guitars are unadorned in a way Air Supply never have tried. While none of the songs approach the skyscraping hooks of their soft rock classics, this isn’t the sound of a band resting on its laurels; if anything, this is one the group’s most adventurous records, which may also be why it’s one of Air Supply's best.

Heidi Berry cut a stark contrast to the prevailing musical mentality of the early '90s – despite releasing records on both Creation and 4AD, together the leading lights of the shoegazing and dream pop movements, her haunting, luminous folk-inspired sound instead harked back to the work of Sandy Denny and Nick Drake, complete with an earnestness and raw honesty far removed from her irony drenched times. Collection includes: Love (1991); Heidi Berry (1993); Miracle (1996); Pomegranate: An Anthology (2000).

Roll It Down begins with a funky, roots rock-based "Tomorrow's Yesterday,", a song that immediately brings to mind the super-group Little Village featuring John Hiatt. The bassline is also more prominent here. "Under The Bridge" is another slow blues-oriented song that could draw comparisons to Robert Cray without the great blues guitar solo but with a credible backing keyboard. The relaxing nature of most of Ray Bonneville's work is ever-present through the baker's dozen of offerings, especially the bounce emanating from "July Sun." "You might know the way to go/If you ask a passing crow," he sings as Colin Linden helps out on mandolin. Most of the time the arrangements work but the title of the album gets the tracks off on the wrong foot, and they can't quite right themselves. The shining moment comes during "Oxford Town," a heartfelt duet with Jonell Mosser on harmony vocals, bringing to mind a possible duet between Daniel Lanois and Emmylou Harris. Another very good effort comes from "Walk With Me," a toe-tapping melody straight from Waylon Jennings with some fine guitar picking.

From Branch to Branch is the fourth studio album by Leon Redbone, released in 1981. It was his first on Atlantic Records and peaked at No. 152 on the Billboard 200 chart.

This four-disc box from London's JSP Records collects an astounding 100 songs recorded by John Lee Hooker in Detroit from the years 1948 to 1952, including his first two sides ever, the signature tunes "Boogie Chillen" and "Sally Mae." Most of the tracks here are done solo, with Hooker's ever-present foot-stomping, although a few feature other musicians on loose-limbed blues boogies. Since Hooker never significantly altered his style during his long career, these first recordings set the stage for all that came after, and he arguably never sounded fresher or better. Four discs worth of this throwback Mississippi bluesman will be severe overkill for casual listeners, but diehard Hooker fans will find this box set absolutely essential.

If there is truly such a thing as elegant sound, it can be found on Prive: The Lounge Anthology: a luxurious 6 disc compilation that reunites the best of chill-out, trip hop and lounge classics. On this album we find all of the music that comprised the 'new cool' sound of the early 90's and today is part of a style that has changed the way young people listen to music. Prive: The Lounge Anthology offers tracks by artists such as Alex Gopher, Thievery Corporation, Jose Padilla (DJ and creator of the infamous Cafe Del Mar series), Emiliana Torrini, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Beirut, Kevin Yost, Pink Martini, Stephane Pompougnac (DJ and creator of the Hotel Costes saga), Angie Bowie and many more. The eye-catching package is this time but a compliment to what is truly a meeting of the greatest minds of contemporary music.

You Cross My Path is the tenth album by British alternative rock band The Charlatans, released on March 3, 2008. The album's cover art is drawn by Faris Badwan of The Horrors.

AVID Jazz here presents four classic Mel Powell plus albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. 'Borderline'; 'Thigamagig'; 'Mel Powell Out On A Limb'; 'Bandstand'; All the jazz tracks from 'Mel Powell Septet' and the E.P. 'Classics In Jazz.' Early 1950's recordings from pianist Mel Powell….'one of the first musicians to make the transition from swing to serious composition without losing his mastery of either idiom'. An extremely busy musician, composer and arranger Powell was a mere sixteen years old when he replaced Teddy Wilson in the Benny Goodman Band during the early forties. For two years his piano playing and arranging dominated the Goodman band until he was drafted in 1943 and became a member of the Glenn Miller Air Force Band. After Millers death in 1945 Powell became the band leader and chief arranger. He then went on to study composition at Yale University removing himself almost entirely from the jazz scene (with the occasional exception of the odd gig with Goodman). But now he's back!

Zig Zag is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1989. With Zig Zag, The Hooters moved toward a more political and folk music direction, contrasting significantly with their previous light-hearted songs. On this album, the songs dealt with the death of a friend, the demise of vinyl records and intrusion of technology, homelessness, a tribute to their own friendship, and even Beijing's Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.

The discovery of music manuscripts from the estate of composer and music journalist Johann Mattheson in Armenia has been the cause of great excitement for fanciers of the German Baroque – here, finally, is the opportunity to get to know this friend of Handel and Bach whose written words are so eloquent and informative, yet whose music has proven so elusive. Nevertheless, first things first – Brazilian-born harpsichordist Cristano Holtz makes the first comprehensive recording of a Mattheson set that has been available all along in Ramée's Johann Mattheson: Suites, namely the set of 12 harpsichord suites Mattheson published in England in 1714 and in Germany a little later. "Comprehensive" should not be taken to mean "complete"; this 75-minute disc contains a little less than half the set, with four suites presented in excerpted form. Purists may cry foul, but the full set of 12 suites would probably last about three hours in performance, and one is thankful to Ramée for restricting the release to a single disc and highlighting the good parts.

Almost all of country music's heavies contribute to this two-disc set, and many of the greatest anthems are all present. Forty tracks in all, including 'Rhinestone Cowboy' by Glenn Campbell, Kenny Roger's 'Coward of the County', 'Ring of Fire' by Johnny Cash, 'Me & Bobby McGee' by Kris Kristofferson, Tammy Wynette's 'Stand by Your Man', Patsy Cline's 'Crazy', 'Achy Breaky Heart' (Billy Ray Cyrus), The Charlie Daniels Band's 'Devil Went Down to Georgia', 'I Will Always Love You' by Dolly Parton and Much More.