Classics Live is a album by the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, released in 1986. Together, they constitute the band's second live offering, after Live! Bootleg. Classics Live I has gone platinum. Classics Live! is made up of concert recordings from 1977 and 1983. Some of the recordings include guitarists Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, who had temporarily replaced Joe Perry and Brad Whitford respectively. Venues and dates are not listed on the sleeve, and there is only the all-encompassing and vague statement "These songs were recorded at various concerts between 1977 and 1983." It is not listed which of the four guitarists played on which tracks. The studio track "Major Barbra" was originally recorded for the album Get Your Wings but remained unreleased.

Drummer Al Foster is widely recognized as a first call jazz drummer who has worked with many greats, including an extended tour of duty with Miles Davis, as well as stints with Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, and Joe Henderson. This 1996 studio session made for the German Laika label is evidently Foster's first opportunity to record as a leader. Putting together an excellent band, with saxophonist Chris Potter (who doubles on soprano and tenor), pianist Dave Kikoski, and bassist Doug Weiss, Foster writes challenging post-bop compositions that inspire his bandmates, while he is perfectly happy to give them the spotlight. His bittersweet, bluesy "Monk Up and Down," is harmonically rich, with a superb tenor solo by Potter.

For the last two decades, the Providence, RI-based Redfearn has crafted a compelling, uncategorizable sound that is wholly his own but has tendrils that reach into a stunning variety of influences both musical and otherwise. The music is centered upon Redfearn’s arcane rock sensibilities, beguiling vocals and serpentine accordion lines, which lace the music with tinges of everything from Krautrock to minimalism, alternate-universe folk tunes to psychedelic prog. Thematically, his hallucinatory lyrics hint at mind-expanding concepts from his voracious reading and adventurous experiences, with seductive insinuations.

The 7-th PESTE NOIRE full-length album is finally here! Three years since their previous release, Famine and his Kommando strike again. Peste Noire – split – Peste Noire, the name says it’s all: ten tracks divided in two parts – the traditional and the degenerate one, making it almost 50-minutes of “crème de la crème” of the French black metal.

Great grooves from Aurra – a group with a sound that's rooted in the late 70s funk of Slave, but which is given a whole new life at Salsoul by fearless leader Stephen Washington! The album's tight and right on the money at the very first note – heavy on bass, but not in a way that's ever overdone – and sparkling much more strongly from the vocal contributions of Curt Jones and Starleana Young – two singers who really know how to open up while holding a groove! The whole thing's great – polished and tight, but never slick or commercial – and a perfect summation of the 80s groove at its best. Titles include "Baby Love", "Such A Feeling", "Undercover Lover", "You Can't Keep On Walking", and "One More Time".

Eclats de Trois Temps requires some attention. Probably the best listener of a record like this will simply be the one who will be able to dispose listening curious but alert, without limiting the explorations that this work opens. Maybe it's trite to say, but it seems necessary to hope so when the Italian jazz scene presents an exit so rare, how precious.

Not too many years ago it seemed that the art of the male jazz vocalist was heading in the same direction as black and white televisions and 8-track cartridges. One or two notable voices kept the flame alive, but new, young, vocal talent wasn't emerging. Then it started: a slow process, but new male singers began to appear. In the UK the most obvious example of the new breed is the million-selling Jamie Cullum. Anthony Strong's performance on Stepping Out suggests that there's a contender for Cullum's crown.