Liza Minelli - The Capitol Years[/center]


UK 'best of' for the superstar entertainer. 22 tracks including, 'Blue Moon', 'I Knew Him When', 'Try To Remember', 'Meantime' and 'Don't Ever Leave Me'. 2001 release.

Elisa Vellia was born and grew up in the heart of Greece, and was entranced by the music of her native country. At the age of 21, she left Athens for London, where she discovered the singular beauty of the Celtic harp. She devoted all her time to it, working with some of the major figures in the world of the Irish and Scottish harp, and took part in two recordings of Scottish music, Power and Honesty and After the Ceilidh. This musical passion inevitably led her to Brittany and its wealth of cultural riches. It was here that Elisa found the ideal place for her own music, that of a cultural identity without frontiers. On her album Voleur de Secrets (Robber of Secrets), Vellia's songs contain a mixture of poetry and singing in every accent and every tone of the Mediterranean. Her unique voice evokes the entire range of cultures this fascinating and mysterious sea has brought to the world. Jean-Luc Aimé's delicate and pure orchestration is enhanced by the presence of such exceptional musicians as Youval Micenmacher and Haig Yazdjian.

Rolling Stone (2/3/00, p.61) - "...ferry's voice has aged handsomely as the rest of him, with a rough, smoky edge making his instrument more intimate than ever....a painfully erotic meditation on age, memory and staying power..."

With a series of terrific albums, Cassandra Wilson has established herself as one of the day's great vocalists and, in branching out from jazz into blues and folk and pop, paved the way for genre-crossing stars including Norah Jones. But the Mississippi native has rarely sounded as relaxed or winning as she does on "Thunderbird," which teams her with the stalwart O Brother Where Art Thou? producer T Bone Burnett. Recorded mostly in Los Angeles, the album is noteworthy not only for its roomy, atmospheric sound and experimental touches, but also for its improvised-in-the-studio approach. Working with innovative Burnett regulars including keyboardist (and co-producer) Keefus Ciancia, guitarist Marc Ribot, and drumming legend Jim Keltner, Wilson delivers such offbeat delights as "Going to Mexico," a dreamlike, funk-tinged tune built on a sample of "Hey Pocky A-Way" by New Orleans' Wild Tchoupitoulas. Eschewing the well-known pop tunes she usually covers, she lends her huskily seductive vocals to Jakob Dylan's wistful "Closer to You" and Burnett's dark "Strike a Match," to which she claimed co-ownership by changing the time signature and adding a lyric. The inspired contributors also include programmer and bassist Mike Elizondo (producer of Fiona Apple's "Extraordinary Machine") and guitarist Colin Linden, who wails on a gripping extended reading of Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Easy Rider" and duets with Wilson on the cowboy classic "Red River Valley," which eloquently sums up her ability to breathe jazz meaning into anything she chooses. – Lloyd Sachs

Philip Glass - Glassworks



Glassworks was originally written as a commission for CBS Records in 1981. Philip Glass' music is frequently described as minimalist, though he prefers the term theatre music. He is considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century.

The actor and singer, Peppe Barra, presents us with an adventurous musical treat of theatrical and operatic vocalizations with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern instrumentation. The many varied instruments do not distract from the vocal performances. You will hear violin, viola, cello, guitar, bouzouki, bass, trumpet, cymbals, mandolin, oud, accordion, drums and others throughout the album. Peppe is also joined on vocals by several other people. A highly infectious and professional production to say the least. Guerra, which translates to "war", should bring peace to everyone with this effort. One of the best Italian releases of 2003! If Italian art could speak - Guerra would be it's voice.