Virtuoso pianist Brad Mehldau continues his Art of the Trio series with a two-CD set titled Art of the Trio, Vol. 5: Progression. Recorded live at the Village Vanguard in New York City, this volume is his most satisfying triad outing yet. The trio opens disc one with a swinging up-tempo rendition of "The More I See You" and, for over ten minutes, Mehldau improvises his swinging instincts with his well-organized rhythmic partners, drummer Jorge Rossy and acoustic bassist Larry Grenadier. His original "Dream's Monk" features an extended variation on his profoundly introspective bebop. This composition is the centerpiece of disc one, which otherwise features covers of such standards as "Alone Together," "It Might as Well Be Spring," and "The Folks Who Live on the Hill."

On Mobile Safari, the Pastels stretched out to an American audience with their calm and reflective style of blissful indie pop. Stephan Pastel remained the band's primary songwriter, while Katrina Mitchell (drums) and Aggi Wright (bass) began to contribute more this time around. Mitchell sings bittersweet and awkward lead vocals on "Mandarin" and "Token Collecting." Her untrained crooning is part of the allure of her songs. Wright leads on vocals on the festive "Yoga" and composed the instrumental "Mobile Deli." Pastel leads the way on the rest of the songs with his dry and deep vocal style. His delivery speeds up from its normally sluggish pace on the toe-tapping "Classic Line-Up" and "Strategic Gear." He collaborated with former member David Keegan on "Exploration Team" and "Flightpaths to Each Other." The whole trio of Pastel, Mitchell, and Wright collaborated on the disc's final track, the sublimely cool and horn-filled "Worlds of Possibility." Gerard Love added guitar and vocals to some of the tracks, while Luna's Dean Wareham also appeared as a guest guitarist. Mobile Safari was recorded at CAVA Sound Workshops and Stuffhouse Studios, both in the band's home of Glasgow, Scotland. Seattle's Up Records released the disc in 1995.

Moorman and his band take the blues ethos, plant it in the garden of their own experience, and let it grow into something which is natural, unforced, blues-drenched, and rocks like crazy. More than just a Blues-Rock artist, award-winning guitar player Sonny Moorman balances his signature smoking-hot riffs with a hard-rocking precision and feel born deep in the Blues ethos. Seeming to channel inspiration from elsewhere, his world-class playing is at once both transcendental and firmly grounded in reality, captivating audiences nationwide. The music is original, complex and never stale, with relatable lyrics and a sound that conjures up masters like Duane Allman, Lonnie Mack, and Freddy King. Still, Moorman has forged his own intoxicating style throughout his decades-long career, which firmly establishes him as one of the last great authentic roadhouse players.

AFM Records are thrilled to announce the new Herman Frank album "Fight The Fear". Introducing Heavy Metal veteran HERMANN FRANK to the crowd is just meaningless like carry coals to Newcastle. The guitarist has been an integral part of the German metal scene since the early 80s. From ACCEPT to VICTORY to his solo project started in 2009 and his work as a producer. “Fight The Fear ", released by AFM Records on February 8th, 2019, and is the fourth studio of band history. "Fight The Fear” thrills with Herman's guitar attacks, killer riffs and outstanding, powerful vocals with good hook lines and catchy choruses. A Teutonic Metal fireworks as it could not be better!

Italian pianist Stefano Bollani has again partnered with the top-flight Danish rhythm section of bassist Jesper Bodilsen and drummer Morten Lund to create something very precious: an hour of emotive music that culminates in the blissful title cut, "Gleda (Joy). While their previous release, Mi Ritorni In Mente (Stunt, 2004), featured standards with Bodilsen as leader, Gleda, by way of Bollani's modern arrangements, turns a century of Scandinavian tunes into an improvisational delight.

Although the Byrds' Fifth Dimension was wildly uneven, its high points were as innovative as any rock music being recorded in 1966. Immaculate folk-rock was still present in their superb arrangements of the traditional songs "Wild Mountain Thyme" and "John Riley." For the originals, they devised some of the first and best psychedelic rock, often drawing from the influence of Indian raga in the guitar arrangements…

Secret Agent follows a by-now familiar pattern: a costume change, a re-shuffling of the cast, and a mix of songs that are individually impressive but collectively less so. The record ranges from life-some Latin jazz ("Central Park") to haunting Vangelis-like instrumentals ("Bagatelle #4"), with Chick Corea adding and subtracting instruments as the arrangements dictate. The steady forces behind the music include a new rhythm section (Tom Brechtlein and fretless bassist Bunny Brunel), familiar faces Gayle Moran and Joe Farrell, and a kicking horn section that gets a couple of well-deserved cameos.

The debut LP from the group Coven is noteworthy for reasons more historical than musical. That is not to say it is a bad record; it is more of an interesting record that is unique and listenable. With an elaborate package released on Mercury in 1969, a good trivia question can be made of the fact that bassist Oz Osborne performs on this album, whose opening track is "Black Sabbath."…