Standard jewel case.  (less)

'Swingtown' a  (less)

themselves to one great songwriter after another: Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, and so on. Her two-volume Rodgers and Hart project ranks with the best, and if Buddy Bergman's arrangements are a bit sweeter than his Cole Porter settings, or Nelson Riddle's Gershwin treatments, they suit the material just fine. And what a wide range of material it is (with original verses intact!), intermingling novelty show tunes ("Give It Back to the Indians," "Johnny One Note"), sophisticated standards ("Manhattan," "Blue Moon," "The Lady Is a Tramp"), and lush ballads ("Isn't It Romantic," "It Never Entered My Mind"). But the most exquisite thing Fitzgerald ever recorded is ...  (less)

known pieces ("Let's Begin," "You're Laughing at Me") to complement classic readings of "I'm Old Fashioned," "Oh, Lady Be Good!" and "Ill Wind (You're Blowing Me No Good)." Ella's singing tended to shield her pain, but the resigned note she brings to some of these numbers is touching. A good starter disc for those who would investigate her wide-ranging Verve catalog. --Rickey Wright  (less)

Avant-Garde ) until a year before his 1967 death. The Heavyweight Champion collects those masters plus revealing alternate takes and false starts in a typical handsome Rhino box that is also packed with informative notes and great Lee Friedlander photos. While the sheer volume of music and emotion Coltrane and cohorts throw at the listener might make purchases of individual discs like My Favorite Things , Giant Steps , and Coltrane's Sound a wise choice, those committed enough to jump right in won't regret adding these seven CDs to their collections. Coltrane had kicked his multilayered sonic and spiritual quest into fifth gear by the time of his Atlantic debut, and to say he scorched plenty of earth while under the care of staff producer Nesuhi Ertegun is only the...  (less)

in the abstract drum & bass book. On Music Is Rotted One Note , Squarepusher wisely expands his musical palette by sidestepping the conventions of electronic music. Relying primarily on minimalist jazz patterns and contemplative rhythms, he creates a low-key freeform soundtrack that is accented beautifully by electric guitars and moody bass lines. --Aidin Vaziri  (less)

of the folk tune "Sweet Betsy From Pike", this recording is a kaleidoscope of contemporary pianism, with nods to the musical worlds of bluegrass, Keith Jarrett, and John Adams, but with Aaberg’s very personal and unmistakable imprint. With the exception of the virtuosic and cinematic "Don’t Stop Now" (showcased in a 2002 PBS filming of the huge annual Montana Summer Symphony performance), and the heart-breaking "Forgiveness", these are all new pieces.  (less)