Ella Fitzgerald's voice was satin to Louis Armstrong's sandpaper, but when you put them together on a single song, their chemistry was unimpeachable. This disc selects highlights from the three albums they made together at Verve (including their Porgy and Bess), and adds a spiffy live track from the Hollywood Bowl. Though they don't harmonize much (Armstrong's voice wasn't built for harmony), Ella's dignified swing and flashes of teasing wit play off Satchmo's gritty, good-humored roar symbiotically. The material is mostly lightweight Tin Pan Alley stuff (lots of Gershwin, plus the likes of "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"), and they fly it like a kite. Douglas Wolk (Amazon)

The Circle is the title of the eleventh studio album by rock band Bon Jovi. Produced by John Shanks, the album was released November 2, 2009, with the new single "We Weren't Born to Follow" premiering on radio August 17. The album was released in Germany on October 30, 2009. In an interview given to Rolling Stone Magazine, guitarist Richie Sambora says the album is a return to "rock and roll" and said "There’s going to be some big choruses on there. It sounds like Bon Jovi, but it sounds fresh. We experimented with a lot of new sounds and had a really good time working with John Shanks, who is also a really good guitar player, so he and I did a lot of ‘weaseling’ with the guitar sounds. There are a lot of really good guitar sounds and new kind atmospheres on the new Bon Jovi record, that I think makes it really modern. I think people are going to dig it, man. And it rocks hard." The Circle tour will ensue the following year, "2010, probably spring time we’ll get going. And we’re going to go for a long time. It’s going to be a big one." Sambora stated. In an interview on UK radio station Absolute Radio, Jon Bon Jovi stated the album title has multiple meanings. It stands for the fact that a circle is never ending, and that it also refers to Bon Jovi's inner circle - stating that "in this organization, the circle is very difficult to get into, and even more difficult to get out of."

Back on the Block is a 1989 Grammy Award-winning studio album produced by the American music impresario, conductor, record producer, musical arranger, film composer and trumpeter Quincy Jones.[1] It features many famous and important musicians and singers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Ice-T, Tevin Campbell and Ray Charles. Fitzgerald had previously recorded with Jones on her 1963 album Ella and Basie!, which is revered as one of her greatest recordings. She is featured on the tracks "Jazz Corner of the World" (where she is introduced in rap style by Big Daddy Kane), "Birdland" and "Wee B. Dooinit", where she scats alongside Sarah Vaughan and Bobby McFerrin.

Gregorian is a German band, headed by Frank Peterson, which performs Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. Because it features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment, the music cannot be considered true Gregorian chant.Gregorian have released six albums in their Masters of Chant series and a number of other albums, including a Christmas album. They have also released two types of video album; live concerts and music video albums featuring the singers in various surroundings.

Southern Voice is an album by country music artist Tim McGraw. It is first album of all new material since 2007's Let It Go album. The lead single from the album, "It's a Business Doing Pleasure with You," was released to radio in late June 2009 and reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The second single, the title track, was released on September 21, 2009, and debuted at #49 on the country chart.

Margaret LeAnn Rimes, known simply as LeAnn Rimes, (born August 29, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for her work in country music. She is best known for her rich vocals similar to legendary country music singer Patsy Cline, and her rise to fame at the age of 13, becoming the youngest country music star since Tanya Tucker in 1972. Rimes made her breakthrough into country music in 1996. Her debut album, Blue, reached Number 1 on the Top Country Albums chart and was certified "multi-platinum" in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album's lead single of the same name (originally intended to be recorded by Patsy Cline in the early 1960s) became a Top 10 hit. With immediate success, Rimes attained widespread national acclaim for her similarities to Cline's vocal style. When Rimes released her sophomore studio effort in 1997, You Light up My Life: Inspirational Songs, Rimes went more towards country pop material, which would set the trend for a string of albums that would be released into the next decade.[2][3] LeAnn Rimes is the youngest person to win a Grammy, and the first country singer to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Since her debut, Rimes has won many major industry awards, which include two Grammys, three ACMs, one CMA, twelve Billboard Music Awards, and one American Music award.[4] In addition, Rimes has also released ten studio albums and four compilation albums through her record label of 13 years, Asylum-Curb, and placed over 40 singles on American and international charts since 1996. She has sold over 50 million albums worldwide.

Queen were an English rock band. Formed in London in 1970 following the demise of the band Smile, Queen consisted of vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. The band became popular with audiences via their hit songs, live performances, originality and showmanship.[2] Their 1985 Live Aid performance was voted the best live rock performance of all time by fellow artists, journalists and music industry executives in a 2005 industry poll.[3] As of 2009, Queen have sold more than 300 million albums worldwide becoming the 5th best selling artist ever. The 12" Collection is a compilation album by the band Queen. It features various 12-inch single format recordings and remixes.

Passage is an album by American popular music duo The Carpenters. Released in 1977, it produced the hit singles "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song", "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day)" and "Sweet Sweet Smile". This album was a considerable departure for the siblings and contained experimental material such as the Star Wars-like "Calling Occupants" single - which reached #32 in the US but was a Top Ten hit in much of the world. Although considered by many to be their best work, it was their first album to fall short of the Gold standard in the United States. The Carpenters' version of "Sweet Sweet Smile" (written by an up-and-coming singer/songwriter named Juice Newton) was, surprisingly, picked up by Country radio put the duo in the Top Ten of Billboard's Country chart in the spring of 1978. Passage is currently out of print.

Ticket to Ride is the first album by the American music duo The Carpenters. At the time of its release in 1969 under the name Offering, it was a commercial failure and produced only one minor hit single - "Ticket to Ride", a ballad version of a song made famous by The Beatles. After the Carpenters' breakthrough however, the album was re-issued internationally under the name Ticket to Ride and sold moderately. The CD in the "Remastered Classics" series went out of print in March 2007. However, in Japan, the "Pack Series" released the Ticket to Ride and Close to You CDs together.

"Scream"/"Childhood" is the lead single from Michael Jackson's HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I album—where "Scream" is track one and "Childhood" is track ten. "Scream" is the A-side release and "Childhood" is the corresponding B-side. The former is a duet with his younger sister Janet Jackson, where as the latter is a solo piece. "Scream" is cited primarily as an aggressive, retaliatory song directed at the tabloid media and their coverage of the child sexual abuse accusations made against Michael Jackson in 1993. "Scream" was co-written, composed and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis; Jackson played many of the instruments. It incorporates elements of pop, R&B, hip hop, and funk. Recording for Scream took place at the Hit Factory in New York City and at Flyte Tyme Studios in Edina, Minnesota in December 1994. The song was leaked to radio stations early, despite Epic Records' attempt to keep it off air until the official release date. Generally well received amongst critics, it has been compared favorably to other accomplished pieces by Jackson. It went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award and an American Music Award. The corresponding music video remains one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed pieces; it won numerous MTV Video Music Awards and a Grammy. At a cost of $ 7 million, it is listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made. The imagery in "Scream" has been replicated in several contemporary pieces, including "No Scrubs" by TLC and "Shawty Get Loose" by Lil Mama. "Childhood", the corresponding B-side, is an auto-biographical song written and composed by Michael Jackson solely. The theme of the track centers around his difficult childhood experiences. It would become the main theme song for Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, continuing his association with the Free Willy series. The track appeared on several compilation albums, but was met with a mixed reception amongst critics. The song's music video, which had little in common with the supporting film, has been critically praised. "Scream"/"Childhood" would become the first single in the 37 year history of Billboard to debut at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked. It was a worldwide hit, reaching the top five in the vast majority of major music markets.

"Blood on the Dance Floor" is the first single from Michael Jackson's remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. Jackson and Teddy Riley created the track in time for the 1991 release of Dangerous. However, it did not appear on that record and was minimally altered before commercial release in 1997. The song is about a predatory woman by the name of Susie, who seduces Jackson before plotting to stab him with a knife. The composition explores a variety of genres ranging from rock to funk. Commentators compared "Blood on the Dance Floor" to music from Dangerous. Others commented on the songs perceived aggressive tone and the vocal style, the broad genres heard and possible lyrical interpretations of the song. Reviews at the time of release were largely mixed, but contemporary reviews have been favorable. The song was promoted with a music video that premiered on Top of the Pops. It centered around Susie seducing Jackson in a courtship dance, before opening a switchblade. "Blood on the Dance Floor" was the only track from the remix album performed on the HIStory World Tour. The lead single peaked at number one in several countries, including the UK.

"HIStory"/"Ghosts" is a double A-side single from Michael Jackson's 1997 remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. The original version of "HIStory" was released as a track on Jackson's 1995 studio album HIStory, but was never released as a single. "Ghosts" was a brand new recording. "HIStory" was composed by Michael Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis before it was remixed by Tony Moran in 1997. Like the original version, it contained many historic audio clips and samples. "Ghosts" was written, composed and produced by Jackson and Teddy Riley in 1997. Commentators made observations about the paranoid lyrics, a common theme in Jackson's work. The double A-side was promoted with a music video for each song. "HIStory" was set in a nightclub, in a futuristic era, and recalled Jackson's filmography. "Ghosts" was a five minute clip taken from the much longer film of the same name. The song would become a top five hit in the UK, but did not chart as highly elsewhere.

"They Don't Care About Us" is the fourth single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory. The song remains one of the most controversial pieces Jackson ever composed. In the US, media scrutiny surrounding alleged antisemitic lyrics were the catalyst for Jackson issuing multiple apologies and re-recording the album–altering the lyrics for that particular track. The singer countered allegations of antisemitism, arguing that reviews had misinterpreted the context of the song, either unintentionally or deliberately. Musically, it is an aggressive hip-hop production about social ills. The song was accompanied by two music videos directed by Spike Lee. The first was shot in a shantytown of Rio de Janeiro, and Salvador where State authorities tried to ban all production over fears the video would damage their image, the area and prospects of staging the 2004 Olympics. Still, the residents of the area were happy to see the singer, hoping their problems would be made visible to a wider audience. The second video was shot in a prison and contained video footage of multiple references to human rights abuses. Commercially, the song became a top ten hit in all European countries. In the US, r