A New Orleans musician in every sense of the word, drummer Stanton Moore's main gig is with his enormously popular funk band Galactic but he also plays with a wide variety of other musicians in both club and studio settings. Growing up in New Orleans, Moore was attracted to the thriving music scene, where he absorbed the work of Professor Longhair, Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, and his mentor, Johnny Vidacovich. After meeting founding Galactic members Robert Mercurio and Rich Vogel in the early '90s, Moore played in a series of early versions of the group, including Galactic Prophylactic and the Ivanhoes (in which the band learned a good portion of the catalog of the legendary Meters, New Orleans' founding funk band).

In The Moment is a fourteen track instrumental jazz fusion album, with the exception of the last track, "Can I Count On You", which features vocalists Christopher Cross, Melinda Doolittle, Bill Champlin, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Ron Hemby, and Mandisa. The highlight of the project is definitely the monster rhythm section of drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta and bassist, Nathan East, who appear on three tracks; a fourth track with Vinnie, the title cut, is a duo with Tom Hemby on electric guitar.

German guitarist Axel Rudi Pell will release his 17th album, "Knights Call", on March 23 via SPV/Steamhammer.

For The Hour of Separation Tawadros and his percussionist brother, James, went to New York and enlisted three of jazz’s heavyweights: drummer Jack DeJohnette, guitarist John Abercrombie and bassist John Patitucci. The results should raise the international profile of Sydney’s leading player of the oud (a fretless lute) to the same heights as his art.