Andres Segovia plays works by Albeniz, JS Bach, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Chopin, Debussy, Dowland, De Falla, Franck, Frescobaldi, Grieg, Handel, Mendelssohn, Moreno Torroba, Mussorgsky, Paganini, Pedrell, Ponce, Rameau, Rodrigo, Roussel, Scarlatti, Scriabin, Segovia, Sor, Tarrega, Turina, and Villa Lobos. CD

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Chamber versions arranged for piano and string quartet. CD

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Really fantastic work from the continuing version of Sun Ra's Arkestra led by Marshall Allen – and an album of rich sophistication that definitely shows the mature version of the group really finding their own sense of voice and spirit! There's a laidback take to the music that partly recalls some of the modes that the Arkestra had in their earlier days, when they were exploring some exotica currents mixed with more avant jazz inclinations – although the expression of the sound here is more focused and majestic, with slight string touches blending in with instrumentation of a more jazz-based mode – handled by Marshall Allen on alto and kora, Knoel Scott on tenor and baritone, Michael Ray and Cecil Brooks on trumpets, Dave Davis on trombone, Farid Barron on piano, Dave Hotep on guitar, and Tara Middleton on some mighty nice flute and violin. There's a richness to the sound that comes from all the other players involved in the proceedings – and titles include "Day Of The Living Sky", "Firefly", "Wish Upon A Star", "Chopin", "Marshall's Groove", and "Somebody Else's Idea". CD

Pianist Enrique Villegas has an amazing command of the keyboard – one that really comes through on his other records, but which is maybe the most striking here on this set that expands on a set of themes from Chopin! The material is very different than any other jazz-meets-classical records – in that the themes are taken very loosely, and swung in very modern ways – but also delivered in short takes too – which almost seems to give them more of an edge, and more of a sense of surprise! The trio is great – with equally dynamic work from Jorge Lopez Ruiz on bass and Eduardo Casalla on drums – and the set runs through 24 short variations on Chopin Preludes, Op 28. CD

A huge legacy of work from one of the greatest classical pianists of the 20th century – the complete Decca, Philips, and Deutsche Grammophon recordings of Sviatoslav Richter – brought together in a massive set that also includes two bonus CDs as well! The bulk of the set – 34 CDs – includes solo performances – Richter's transcendent readings of works by Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Shostakovich, Scriabin, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, and others – including his famous Sofia Recital from 1958 – with all the music brought together on extended CDs that often carry two to three albums' worth of material on each disc – all annotated with a booklet in both German and English. Next are some wonderful chamber music recordings – 7 CDs' worth of smaller ensemble pieces by Brahams, Dvorak, Franck, Bartok, Britten, and others, including collaborations with Rostropovich and the Borodin Quartet – and the set is completed by 8 more CDs, with both concerto recordings, and a few lieder recordings with singers who include Peter Schreier and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Package also includes 2 bonus CDs – with works by Mozard, Schubert, and Debussy – done with Benjamin Britten. CD

A pair of Enoch Light oddities from the 70s – both in Quad! First up is Beatles Classics – a very cool take on the sound of The Beatles – served up here by Enoch Light, but in a way that's a bit different than some of his other records of the time! The set features symphonic readings of tunes by the fab four – much more heavy on woodwinds and strings than you might expect, but still delivered with that sense of separation that can make Light's music so great – with solo standouts that are completely seductive! Titles include the suite "Hello Goodbye/Something/Penny Lane" – plus "Eleanor Rigby", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "Let It Be", "Hey Jude", "Michelle", and "Norwegian Wood". Serendipity has reverse sort of approach – as the set takes classical themes, but strips them down a bit for the 70s – the unique Enoch Light spin on themes from Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, and Chopin! CD

A set that's dedicated to the famous Beatles producer George Martin, and which seeks to bring together a whole host of sounds and styles that not only influenced his work in the studio – but which also represent maybe the odder aspects of the British scene, in a way that really helps create a greater understanding of the more offbeat sounds of The Fab Four themselves! CD1 is titled In All Directions – and brings together jazz, skiffle, vocal tracks, and plenty more – in a nicely varied lineup that includes work from Basil Kirchin, John Dankworth, Bert Weedon, The Vipers, Christopher Logue, Temperance Seven, Ray Cathode, Ron Goodwin, and Cleo Laine. CD2 is titled Experiments With Pop – and has a bit of comedic moments mixed with more musical selections – in a lineup that includes Peter Sellers, John Dankworth, Flanders & Swann, Matt Monro, The Goods, Bernard Cribbins, and Ron Goodwin. CD3 is titled Comedy Surrealist, and continues that spirit – with more Goon Show material, Beyond The Fringe, The Alberts, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore, and other important pre-Monty Python acts from the UK – who often brought a lot of creativity to the production of their work in the studio. CD4 features straighter classical influences, but in a range of modes – tracks that begin with Bach, and move through Chopin, Ravel, Debussy, Holst, and even Gershwin. As always with these unusual sets on El Records, there's a lot of thought that goes into the choice of material – drawing lines between sounds that we really didn't expect! CD

Music by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Chopin, Pachelbel, and Tchaikovsky – adapted for electric guitar. CD

Think what you want about Jon Batiste on TV – the man's out to show you here that he's one hell of a pianist – and a jazz musician with a lot more depth than just his mainstream appearances! The set is mostly solo, and surprisingly beautiful – as Batiste is able to both serve up some New Orleans roots, and also hit some even more striking moments that have a much more modern appeal – this range of emotion we never would have expected, and which is mostly pretty surprising – apart from a few titles that Jon must have thrown in to keep some of the "visitors" on track. The solo piano numbers are fantastic – a real revelation – and titles include "Green Hill Zone", "Mr Buddy", "Kenner Boogie", "Chopinesque", "Nocturne No 1 In D Minor", "Is It Over", and "Don't Stop". CD