REUBEN BRADLEY – Resonator (RATJ1003, Rattle):  More than just a modern jazz album, Resonator references the jazz tradition while pursuing an array of rhythms & textures unique to Bradley’s eclectic musical personality. The result is an album of rich musical diversity, where high art meets organic improvisation & eclectic contemporary grooves.

JOHN PRINE – In Person & On Stage (OBRCD039, Oh Boy):  “Best Of” collection (of sorts) from the legendary country-folk singer. Featuring special collaborations with Emmylou Harris, Josh Ritter, Sara Watkins, Iris Dement & Kane Welch Kaplin, the CD is a snapshot of the best moments from Prine’s recent tours featuring songs handpicked from literally hundreds of concerts, that span his career from his eponymous debut album to his 2005 Grammy Award winning Fair & Square album (also now available!).

THE GLASS CHAMBER PLAYERS – Schoenberg / Glass (OMM0069, Orange Mountain Music): The debut album from this new 6-piece group of hand-picked virtuoso players.  This combines a subtle reading of Schoenberg’s hyper-romantic 1899 masterpiece ‘Verklarte Nacht’ for string sextet with a performance of Glass’ four-movement ‘Symphony No. 3’ (transcribed for string sextet) which demonstrates their close relationship with the composer.

ROBERT SCHUMANN – Spanische Liebeslieder (HMC902050, Harmonia Mundi): “They are mostly modest little songs about love & loss, but as these performances – done with just the right light touch – show, the sequences are both touching & charming, & just occasionally find the expressive vein that yielded some of Schumann’s greatest songs nine years earlier.” – The Guardian, 4 Stars.

SARAH NEMTANU – Gypsic (VCD5235, Naïve): The debut album from this Romanian-born virtuoso violinist. A surprising mixture, impressive in its respect & precision, & delightful in its insubordination to form & genre, Gypsic brings a subtle touch of Balkan extravagance to classical masterpieces from Ravel & Enesco.

MONTEVERDI – Vespers 1610 / The King’s Consort (CDA67531.32, Hyperion):  “…nothing will prepare you for the ecstatic consequences of taking seriously at least one aspect of Monteverdi’s so-called seconda pratica… what ecstasy!... majestic… astonishing flexibility… freedom & delicacy… fragile spaciousness… luxuriant… fluency… superb performances…”  - Gramophone Classical Music Guide 2010

NATACHA ATLAS – Mounqaliba (WV479048, World Village): Inspired by the poems of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. In addition to original works, it also contains covers of Francoise Hardy and Nick Drake songs. The album also features composers Zoe Rahman and Jocelyn Pook. Atlas has a beautiful voice, which sounds curiously like a blend between traditional Middle Eastern singers an Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. 

ARVO PÄRT – Symphony No. 4, Los Angeles (ECM2160, ECM):  A composition in three movements, the Fourth opens with characteristically shimmering suspended chords & an extraordinary journey begins. The 37min work is augmented work is augmented on this CD by a montage of “fragments” of Kanon Pokajanen, a piece Pärt himself feels is closely related to the symphony.

ARVO PÄRT – Alina (ECM1591, ECM):  A reminder for this album!  There have been other recordings of Fur Alina & Spiegal im Spiegal but none like the versions on this CD, realised with the participation of the composer Arvo Pärt – who revisits those seminally important compositions with the aid of exceptional interpreters – such as Alexander Malter.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Island Song (MMT2044, Trust Records):  A collection of beautiful NZ classical music featuring classical pieces written by five celebrated NZers: Gareth Farr, John Psathas, Douglas Lilburn, David Farquhar & John Ritchie. Also includes leading NZ performers, orchestras & ensembles such as the NZ Symphony Orchestra, NZSO Chamber Orchestra & NZTrio; and conductors Donald Armstrong, Marc Taddei & Kenneth Young; with soloists Patrick Barry (clarinet), Conal Coad (bass), Bridget Douglas (flute), Mary Scott (clarinet) & Rachel Thomson (piano). The full colour booklet contains images of artworks by renowned NZ artists Gretchen Albrecht, Max Gimblett, Russell Moses, Heather Straka, Ans Westra & Paul Dibble.

ALEXANDER IVASHIN – Russian Cello Concertos (CDALMA5029, Alma): Russian Cello Concertos sees Ivashkin turn his hand to pieces from Edison Denisov, Rodion Shchedrin, Alexander Vustin & Alfred Schnittke. He is joined by Yuri Gureev (3-7); the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Lev Markiz (1); Chamber Orchestra ‘Soloists of Nizhny Novgorod’, conducted by Evgeny Kirillov (2-6); & Ensemble Pentaedre de Montreal, conducted by Jeremy Bell (7).

WILLAERT – Missa Mente Tota & Motets (CDA67749, Hyperion): The all-male 6-strong vocal ensemble Cinquecento have won great praise for their recordings of Renaissance rarities. Their tones, vocal flexibility, collective & individual musicianship & commitment to their chosen repertoire places them at the forefront of modern-day specialists in this music. A beautifully conceived & immaculately realized sequence, sung with simple directness by the six male voices of Cinquecento in a nicely churchy but never overpowering acoustic.

JOHN RUTTER – Three Musical Fables (CSCD513, Collegium): The 3 stories – The Reluctant Dragon, The Wind In The Willows (based on the famous books by Kenneth Grahame) & Brother Henrich’s Christmas (by Rutter) – are sung with narration. This CD is designed for repeat plays for children, with the music beautiful, matching the stories perfectly; the singing & narration are flawless, with every word audible. A great pleasure!

SONGLINES Magazine Issue #70: Featuring their regular ‘Top Of The World CD’ with 10 tracks from the finest new releases from around the planet plus a 2^nd free CD showcasing music from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The main editorial features include: Cheikh Lo & Carlou D, Etoile de Daker (Senegal’s answer to the Beatles) Morris Dancers, Irish/Cuban Pianos, Dobet Gnahore, a feature on music in the fast-developing Chinese City Of Sganfhai, a beginners guide to Australian legends Yothu Yindi… and more!

PATTY LARKIN – 25 (SIG2028, Signature Sounds): The new double-album from the famed US singer-songwriter. 2010 marks Patty Larkin’s 25^th year of recording music. With her new album, she reworks 25 of her own love songs from 1985 to the present day, with the help of 25 very special guests including Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Bruce Cockburn, Roxanne Cash, Martin Sexton, Dar Williams, Jennifer Kimball, Lucy Kaplansky, Janis Ian & many more.

MICHAEL FORMANEK – The Rub & Spare Change (ECM2167):  The debut for this renowned bassist & bandleader who is joined by pianist Craig Taborn & drummer Gerald Cleaver. On this release he is heard playing his own pieces, with unorthodox constructions setting up strong solos & fiery group interaction. Formanek’s formidable bass playing has propelled groups from the Mingus Big Band to Tim Berne’s Bloodcount & has backed artists as diverse as Chet Baker & Elvis Costello.

ANAT FORT TRIO – And If (ECM2109, ECM): The second album for ECM from the Israeli pianist Anat Fort & her regular touring band. She has a remarkable style of piano-led instrumental jazz music that is somehow classically-minded & stepped in the colours & atmospheres of the Middle East.

DEBUSSY - Preludes & Postludes / Halle / Colin Matthews (CDHLD7527, Halle): “Orchestral works of great variety, beauty & drama… these pieces are more than orchestrations, they are recreations achieved by entering into the mind & thought of the original composer” – Sunday Telegraph  Colin Matthews is Composer-in-Association of the famous Halle (Britain’s longest established symphony orchestra) and this album presents the culmination of his orchestrating all 24 Debussy Preludes for Halle.

KIRK WHALUM – The Gospel According to Jazz Chapter 3 (REN5142, Mack Avenue): The noted US saxophonist & composer Kirk Whalum elevates his award-winning Gospel According To Jazz series to a new level with a live-recorded double CD set featuring the best in contemporary jazz, gospel & urban music. The Gospel According To Jazz Chapter 3 demonstrates the deep connections between Gospel & Jazz.

CATHERINE RUSSELL – Inside this Heart of Mine (WV468092, World Village): Representing vocalist Catherine Russell’s third album for the famed World Village label.  This album is a wonder, pure & simple. Inside This Heart Of Mine is a personal selection of gems from the 1920s through to the present; these are vital interpretations, bursting with soul & humour, from a singer who is emotionally tied to the lyrics.

KEMP ENGLISH – Stormin’ Norma (CDMANU5005, Ode Records): Now back in stock after a lengthy absence!  Hang onto your seats for a rip-roaring romp through some of the organ’s most popular repertoire, on the Dunedin Town Hall Organ, fondly known as “Norma”. 

VARIOUS - DRUMBEAT / SATURDAY CLUB & British Hits Of The Late ‘50s (JASCD580, Jasmine): An excellent 2CD set focusing on the popular UK TV show Drumbeat & the Saturday Club radio show. Featuring popular artists of the era including Ricky Valance, Adam Faith, Marty Wilde, Tommy Steele, Billy Fury, Dickie Pride, Cliff Richard & many more. This 2CD set captures the fun & excitement of the early rock n’ roll era & the two hit shows that millions of people tuned in to every week!

CLIFF RICHARD - Move It! The Early Years 1958-1959 (JASCD575, Jasmine):  At the start of his illustrious career, Cliff Richard was an out & out rock & roller, as these early recordings confirm – indeed, his 1^st disc, Move It!, is universally acknowledged as the UK’s finest ever rock n’ roll record. This superb compilation features Cliff’s first 6 singles, his first 2 LPs, his first 2 EPs, rarities recorded for the legendary TV show Oh Boy! & a handful of side by his renowned backing group, The Drifters aka The Shadows. Included are his first UK #1s, ‘Living Doll’ & ‘Travelling Light’. Full & in-depth sleeve-notes across an 8pg booklet make this a collector’s piece!

THE KINGSTON TRIO - Leaders Of The ‘60s Folk Revolution (JASCD566, Jasmine): Four original million selling LPs on 2 CDs by The Kingston Trio – the group who took Folk music out of the clubs & onto the university campuses & stages of America – and defined Folk Music in the late ‘50s & early ‘60s. Features many of their hit singles such as ‘Tom Dooley’, ‘Remember The Alamo’, ‘New York Girls’ & their version of ‘Sloop John B’, which was later revived by the Beach Boys. This set includes full sleeve notes & chart history!

VARIOUS ARTISTS – A New Day Laya Project Remixed (ES0037):  The original Laya Project album documents the regional folk music traditions in remote villages that lay in the 2004 South Asian tsunami’s path. Performances of unknown local musicians were filmed & recorded on-location, arranged & mixed to create a composition that embarks on a musical journey crossing borders, while preserving the music of the people. Five years after the Laya Project journey began, loved and respected musicians and remixers from cities across USA, UK, Germany, Israel, India and New Zealand come together in collaboration with the recordings from far away, remote lands, for a union of electronic and traditional music to create A New Day Laya Project Remixed.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Top 100 Favourite Classical Melodies (Brilliant Classics, BC94027):  An all-time classical music bestseller in the shape of this exhaustive 5CD collection of the Top 100 Favourite Classical Melodies, at a fantastic price! This set is newly compiled & features the 100 very best & most recognisable classical music tracks in the best available performances.

THOMAS LARCHER – Madhares (ECM, ECM2158): The third release dedicated exclusively to Larcher’s works, assembles some of the finest ECM musicians such as Kim Kashkashian, Till Fellner and the Munich Chamber Orchestra conducted by Dennis Russell Davies to present a gripping cross-section of Larcher’s recent orchestral output, enhanced by the third string quartet “Madhares” which is played by the youthful French Quatuor Diotima.

NORMA WINSTONE – Stories Yet To Tell (ECM, ECM2158):  The stark instrumentation – voice, piano, bass clarinet/soprano sax - seems never to limit their repertoire, but to encourage the players to explore widely, and to make musical use of the available space. Jazz ballads find their place alongside original music by Klaus Gesing and Glauco Venier, adaptations of folk songs, and ‘chamber’ pieces influenced by classical or contemporary composition. Textures, colours and rhythms may be drawn from scattered, surprising sources, and even the hypnotic lulling of an Armenian cradle song has a role to play as Norma cross-references Christina Rosetti nursery rhymes with Tigran Mansurian’s adaptation of Komitas!

SCHUMANN – Violin Sonatas 1-3 / Ilya Gringolts (ONYX, ONYX4053): Schumann's three violin sonatas are late works; full of unpredictable waves of expression and violent storms of emotion that give rise to his reputation as the arch-Romantic. One of the most exciting young violinists to emerge from Russia in recent years is partnered by a fellow countryman to electrifying effect.

RAHSAAN PATTERSON – Wines & Spirits (Artistry Music, ART7013): Showcasing the evolution of an artist who crosses borders without fear. From fresh alternative dance beats to retro-gospel, Wines & Spirits is a revelation of new soul, and Rahsaan’s testament of change, growth and human experience.

MAX BYGRAVES – Unbeatable Bygraves (Pickwick, PWK790442):  A new collection from the English comedian, singer, actor & variety performer, who appeared on his own TV shows (notably Family Fortunes), sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs. Unbeatable Bygraves is some of his best-known & most-loved songs from a career that spans five decades.

OST – South Pacific (Pickwick, PWK709532):  The 1949 musical with music by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II & book by Hammerstein & Joshua Logan. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950. Generally considered one of the greatest musicals in history, South Pacific features songs which have become worldwide standards.

BRIDGET DOUGLAS & CAROLYN MILLS – FLIGHT:  MUSIC FOR FLUTE & HARP (ACD709, Atoll):  Douglas and Mills are Flight, and this is their debut album for Atoll Records.  The duo has performed as Flight for many years and their performances, live or on radio, have be praised by critics and audiences nationwide.  Flight showcases the pair’s exceptional collaborative ability with exquisite modern pieces for flute and harp, several of which were written especially for this CD release.

FIRST LADIES OF JAZZ – GIRL TALK (RRCD1014, Rouge Records):  ‘Girl Talk’ is an album of previously unreleased recordings in loving memory of singer Beaver. Beverly Jean Morrison, better known as Beaver, one of NZ's finest jazz singers died in May this year. Beaver had a warm, vibrant voice. She had great phrasing and could deliver a ballad with a total lack of pretension. Beaver was a long standing member of the ground-breaking Blerta co-op and later of Red Mole. Her 1988 album 'Live At Ronnie Scott's' was awarded NZ's Best Jazz Album that year. In 1994, a four-part harmony group comprising Beaver, Candy Alderton-Conway, Julie Mason and Linn Lorkin came together for fun, becoming a popular fixture in jazz clubs and at festivals throughout the country in the 90s. Julie, Linn and Candy chose to call this album 'Girl Talk', remembering their favourite collective pastime, the harmony their harmonies brought, and the love for their dear friend.

STEVEN ISSERLIS & STEPHEN HOUGH – CHILDREN’S CELLO (BISCD1562, Bis):  On Children’s Cello, the outstanding 2006 Bis label release, Steven Isserlis (cello) & Stephen Hough (piano) play pieces for cello students of all ages.  Upon its initial release, Children’s Cello received glowing reviews and has since become much admired by students of the cello and other interested listeners.  Isserlis and Hough are masters of their instruments and the joy they had putting together the recording for this album shines through.  The programme ranges progressively from Ludwig Lebell’s ‘Berceuse’, to Cassado’s ‘Requiebros’.  The CD also features a bonus in the form of actor Simon Callow narrating a ghost story with a twist over the sound effects of Isserlis’ ‘Haunted House’, making the album a truly special experience.

CHILDREN’S CORNER, PIANO FAVOURITES FOR CHILDREN (BC92304,Brilliant Classics):  Choosing music for children is always a task of love, and this is a lovingly compiled collection of piano pieces for children, performed by Klara Wurtz.  This is the ideal kind of classical music that will stimulate kids and hold their attention, with swirling dances, adventurous tone poems and dreamy lullabies from Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Satie, Chopin, Mozart, Debussy, Mendelssohn and Grieg.  58 pieces in total on this specially priced set.

EARDROP’S JOURNEYS, SOUNDS OF THE CITY, COUNTRY & HOME (Eardrops):  Eardrop’s Journeys are fun, educational stories on CD, designed to teach preschoolers about real world sounds while enhancing language development and listening skills. 

SOPHIE MILMAN – TAKE LOVE EASY (270108, Linus):  A vocalist in the tradition of Ella Fitzgerald & Nat King Cole, Milman has one of those voices that has both range & power, but she knows how to caress a lyric & tap into the emotional depths of a song.

TIA FULLER – DECISIVE STEPS (MAC1043, Mack Avenue): Tia Fuller makes strong statements with her solid saxophone and imaginative compositions in Decisive Steps. Her strongest influence is Cannonball Adderley but she also looks to John Coltrane for inspiration & her solos throughout are gems of inspiration.

RICK BRAUN – ALL IT TAKES (ART7020, Mac Avenue): A collaboration between the chart-topping trumpeter Rick Braun & the versatile keyboardist, composer & producer Philippe Saisse; & it’s a far cry from the R&B beats of Braun’s past work. Most of the songs on All It Takes find Braun artfully combining flugelhorn with muted trumpet – add Euro, neo-classical, cinematic elements & a touch of disco flash. One for fans of Herb Alpert, Chuck Mangione, Tom Browne & Chet Baker!

RED HORSE – RED HORSE (RHRCD233, Red House): Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka & Lucy Kaplansky come together as Red Horse on this collaborative project from 3 of the most revered songwriters in folk music. Red Horse’s sparse instrumentation allows these 3 distinct voices to carry the magic of the music that is awash in great harmonies & lyrical depth.