A host of accomplished conductors including Daniel Harding, Daniele Gatti, Bernard Haitink and Eliahu Inbal lead the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in these performances of Mahler's Symphonies Nos. 1-10. Recorded in Amsterdam over two seasons in 2010/11, the collection also includes 'Das Lied von der Erde'.

ndian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, the son of vocalist Shobha Gurtu, who had played with Don Cherry (1976), with Oregon (1984) and with John McLaughlin (1989), perfected a technique that draws equally from Indian tabla and dhol drums, from jazz music (cymbals, hi-hats) and from other ethnic cultures (gongs, congas, cowbells, snares). He even dipped resonating instruments in buckets of water to produce sounds that he could not produce with traditional instruments. He began his mission with the intense mixture of Indian music, jazz-rock and world-music of the CD Usfret (1988), featuring the likes of trumpeter Don Cherry, guitarist Ralph Towner, Indian violinist Lakshminarayana Shankar, Swedish bassist Jonas Hellborg, French keyboardist Daniel Goyone and his own mother, vocalist Shobha.

This ten-track compilation is drawn from a benefit concert held at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles to raise money for Don Henley's Walden Woods Project. Ten female singers essay song standards of varying vintage, from the 1930s to the '80s.

Here we have a promotional only compilation sampler from Warmer Bros. Records and associated labels issued in 2004.

David Benoit is one of the most accomplished pianists, composers and producers in the contemporary jazz arena. But now, with Orchestral Stories, his musical universe has expanded to include this incredible offering of symphonic/orchestral pieces all woven together by the brilliance only this musical genius can do. “Most of my fans know me for my contribution to the smooth jazz format. Over the years, within that context, I have experimented with fusing orchestral sounds, R&B grooves, and melodic piano lines. Orchestral Stories best represents how I have evolved as a pianist, composer and conductor.

Though he's skirted around in various genres, for Full Circle, as the title suggests, David Benoit returns to where he started: contemporary jazz. With the same set of musicians in the same studio as the ones who were used on the 1985 release This Side Up, Benoit plays his piano expertly through all ten tracks on the album (and only one, "Aqua de Beber," by Jobim and de Moraes, is a cover). It is, in short, smooth jazz at its finest, which means a lot of horns, a happily funky bass, pretty breaks, and a whole lot of production.

Since launching his recording career in 1977, David Benoit’s expansive career as a contemporary jazz pianist has included over 25 solo recordings. His ‘80s releases This Side Up, Freedom at Midnight and the GRAMMY nominated Every Step of the Way are considered influential genre classics. Among his other Grammy nominations are those for Best Instrumental Composition (for “Dad’s Room,” from 1999’s Professional Dreamer) and Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance (for the GRP All-Star Big Band).

From his poignant liner notes, David Benoit would have us believe that the wide range of styles he delves into on the majestic American Landscape will take us on an adventure completely new in the pianist's catalog, but it simply expands upon the unique themes he introduced on 1994's Shaken Not Stirred, one of his best ever. These include his expansion into orchestral music, which grew out of his budding film score career: the dusty Western flavors of the title track "American Landscape," for example, actually evolved from of an unused demo for a Kevin Costner movie. The song includes the brilliant touches of Tommy Morgan's harmonica and the swelling London Symphony Orchestra, which dances here not with wolves, but in and around Eric Marienthal's funky sax. The melancholy orchestral intro to "A Personal Story" sounds like it should accompany scenes of heartbreak, but then Benoit throws a curve, easing into a lively trio date.

Freedom At Midnight is a classic late 80's contemporary jazz session, the kind that in fact helped make pianist David Benoit one of the genres biggest stars. The combination of hummable acoustic piano melodies with synthesizer shadings and groove oriented rhythm section work, make for a pleasant listening throughout. The title tune, "The Man With The Panama Hat", and "Tropical Breeze" conjure feelings that will transport the listener to a memorable space in time. Drummer Jeff Porcaro (Toto), bassist Abraham Laboriel, and guitarist Russ Freeman all make significant contributions.