Madonna changed the trajectory of popular music not long after "Borderline" became her first Top Ten hit in 1984. Fusing post-disco dance with effervescent pop, the song was unexpected and fresh, a trick that soon became her signature. Over a career that lasted for decades, Madonna ushered underground sounds into the mainstream, specializing in trends percolating in dance clubs. As she arrived at the dawn of the MTV era, she seized the possibilities of music videos, creating a series of sexy, stylish clips that earned her the reputation of a provocateur while also establishing the network as the bastion for hip culture in the 1980s. Madonna recorded many of the pop anthems that defined that decade – "Like a Virgin," "Material Girl," "Live to Tell," "Papa Don't Preach," "Open Your Heart," "Like a Prayer," "Express Yourself" – and in the process she created the archetype of a modern pop star: one whose music was inextricably tied with its visual representation, and one who was loathe to trade upon past glories.

Fully integrated with the musical line, the singers avoid melodrama through intimate, small gestures as if acting for screen, not stage.’ Gramophone Critics' Choice 2021 Paul Agnew and Les Arts Florissants conclude their exploration of this fascinating corpus. Even more than in his first books, Gesualdo here displays incredible modernity, playing in inimitable fashion on dissonances and chromaticisms. Love and death, joys and sorrows embrace and clash amid ever bolder harmonies.

Sdban Records, the renowned independent groove & jazz label behind Funky Chicken, Hip Holland Hip, and Discophilia Belgica, is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of its latest compilation album, "The Belgian Soundtrack: A Musical Connection of Belgium with Cinema." Packed with the finest soundtracks boasting an unmistakable Belgian connection, this compilation takes listeners on a captivating journey through a collection of cinematic hidden gems from the early sixties to the late seventies. Curated by the passionate duo Robin Broos and Tom ‘Pélé’ Peeters, known for their profound appreciation of obscure soundtracks, "The Belgian Soundtrack" showcases the exceptional talents of both local and internationally acclaimed composers and musicians. From obscure finds composed by lesser-known artists to Hollywood scores performed by world-renowned musicians, this compilation offers a vibrant blend of tracks, including the occasional contribution from renowned international artists who have lent their musical prowess to Belgian films.

A 76 track celebration of all things Manchester from 1977 to 1981.
A comprehensive look at the city’s sounds featuring Buzzcocks, Joy Division, New Order, The Fall, John Cooper Clark, Durutti Column, A Certain Ratio, The Freshies, Slaughter & The Dogs, Magazine and many more. Includes tracks featuring many future stars of the Manchester music scene, such as Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), Martin Coogan (The Mock Turtles), Graham Massey (808 State), Mike Joyce (The Smiths) and Chris Sievey (Frank Sidebottom). Back in 2017, Cherry Red unveiled a mammoth 7-CD compendium entitled ‘Manchester North Of England’, which attempted to document the city’s vibrant music scene from punk to Britpop. Six years on, ‘Keeping Control’ is the sequel, a modest triple-disc retrospective concentrating on music from the punk and post-punk years.

Diogenio Bigaglia, a composer who at present is unknown to most people, was active in Venice in the first half of the eighteenth century, so he was a contemporary of the much better known Tomaso Albinoni, Alessandro and Benedetto Marcello, and, above all, Antonio Vivaldi, whose work shows several evident – and more or less explicit – references to Bigaglia’s production. So he turns out to be a composer who is worthy of interest not only for the intrinsic musical worth of his works, but also for the influence his activity may have had on musicians with whom we are more familiar; this is why musicologists have recently started showing an increasing interest in him.

Alison Balsom must be counted among the most popular classical trumpeters in the 2000s, as she's gained wide international recognition only since the turn of the century. Her first recording, Music for Trumpet and Organ, was issued in 2002, and her first major award came in 2006, when the jurors of the Classical BRIT Awards named her Young British Classical Performer. Balsom's repertory is broad, taking in a mixture of the standard repertory, original works, and arrangements. In 2020, she released the album Magic Trumpet on Warner Classics. Balsom was born in the English county of Hertfordshire in 1978.

Celebrating this timeless artist, a priceless collection delving into Randy Crawford's peerless recordings. So much more than a chronological checklist of the international award-winning singer/ songwriter's most popular hits, this 57-song set includes the cream of her Warner Bros. Catalogue recorded between 1976-1993, drawn from eleven albums (along with tracks from the classic all- star live jazz LP, Casino Lights) that all reflect the soul-baring breadth and depth of Randy's musicality through her instantly recognizable voice. Disc 1 features 20 roots R&B, Jazz, standards and the bluesier side of Randy's balladry. Disc 2 features 19 of Randy's lushest love songs. Disc 3 is a smorgasbord of Randy's dazzling shapeshifting musical styles that includes her signature breakthrough hit with The Crusaders' 'Street Life', the sassy dance rock jam 'Blue Flame', covers of Journey's 'Who's Crying Now' and Kenny Loggins' 'Who's Right, Who's Wrong', her movie soundtrack classics 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door', 'One Hello' and 'Don't Wanna Be Normal', the rare European one-off 45 'Give Peace a Chance', and the oft-covered anthem 'You Might Need Somebody' after which this anthology was named.

The 2023 release of Dr. John - Malcolm Rebennack (The Crazy Cajun Recordings) is a compilation of early recordings by the legendary New Orleans musician, Dr. John (real name: Malcolm Rebennack). These tracks were recorded during his formative years in the mid-1960s, long before he adopted the "Dr. John" persona that made him famous. The compilation highlights his roots in New Orleans R&B, blues, and early rock and roll, showcasing his distinctive piano work and unique vocal style that would later shape his career.

The great baroque composer George Frideric Handel’s final masterpiece! Recorded live in September2022 by multi-GRAMMY®-award winning engineer Christopher Willis, conducted by Dame Jane Glover, and performed by Music of the Baroque- Chorus and Orchestra. Now in its fifth decade, Music of the Baroque is one of the leading professional ensembles in America devoted to 17 th and 18 th -century works. The Chicago Sun-Times writes, “Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra may be the big guys on the local classical music scene, but in terms of sheer quality of performance…Music of the Baroque inhabits the same stratosphere.”

Indulge in a blissful audio escape with "Loungin' - The Easy Pop Album." This 3-disc collection is a haven of easy listening classics that will provide a calming and enjoyable backdrop to any part of your day. Ease into the captivating melodies of "Chanson D'Amour" by The Manhattan Transfer, and the sentimental "Forever & Ever" by Demis Roussos. With tracks like John Denver's "Annie's Song" and Bread's "Make It With You", this disc sets the tone for a serene musical journey. End the disc on a dreamy note with the timeless "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton. Continue your journey with the soulful "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell, and "The Most Beautiful Girl" by Charlie Rich. Heartfelt renditions like "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen and "Without You" by Harry Nilsson encapsulate the heartfelt essence of this disc. Close out with Ralph McTell's touching "Streets of London," for a perfect end to this auditory voyage.

The soundtrack to Robert Wise’s film version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is being reissued across multiple formats, with a super deluxe edition offering “every musical element” from the film and a Dolby Atmos Mix.
The musical features classics such as as ‘My Favourite Things’, ‘Do-Re-Mi’, ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Edelweiss’ and Robert Wise walked away with Best Picture and Best Director Oscars (being director and co-producer) at the 1966 Academy Awards.
The new reissue is led by a 4CD+blu-ray super deluxe which features over 40 previously unreleased tracks, including 11 never-before-heard alternate takes and instrumentals of each song for that singalong-a-Sound-of-Music experience. The blu-rays capacity allows it to deliver the full score in hi-res stereo audio and well as a Dolby Atmos Mix of the 16-track original soundtrack.

This compilation focuses on Godwin's work from the 1980s, primarily featuring his iconic synth-pop and new wave tracks. The album includes a total of 14 tracks, featuring remixes, singles, and B-sides from his career. Notable tracks include remixes of "The Art Of Love" and "Baby's In The Mountains," as well as "Images Of Heaven," which was a significant hit in the 80s. The album showcases various versions of his popular songs, such as the John Luongo New York Dance Mix and the Razormaid remixes.

Def Leppard celebrated the release of their `Drastic Symphonies' album (released the day of this show) by revisiting their club days and playing an intimate show in front of just under 900 die-hard fans at The Leadmill in their hometown of Sheffield, in support of the Music Venue Trust. Those lucky enough to score a ticket to one of the group's most unique shows in years, along with the global audience tuning into the livestream, were treated to a set filled with hits and rarities spanning their entire catalog from `On Through The Night' to the band's most recent album `Diamond Star Halos.'

The four works offered here by the Piatti Quartet on its Rubicon label debut are all but unknown; even the Household Music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, written during World War II for amateur performance, has been recorded only sparsely, and the String Quartet in E minor of Vaughan Williams Ina Boyle, having thus far been passed over in the general revival of music by women, here receives its world premiere.

With this album - subtitled La Bella Cubana - the Mozart y Mambo trilogy is complete. After two critically acclaimed albums, three documentary films, two international tours and fundraising to help support classical musicians in Cuba, Sarah concludes this adventure of a lifetime with the Havana Lyceum Orchestra and their conductor, José Antonio Méndez Padrón by recording Mozart's Concerto No. 4 with its famous final Rondo. Also on the album, three of her colleagues from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Jonathan Kelly, Wenzel Fuchs and Stefan Schweigert, join her for more Mozart, performing the Sinfonia Concertante for four solo wind instruments and orchestra.