A CD collection featuring a captivating mix of songs by contemporary artists from across Spain, showcasing the country’s diverse yet accessible music styles. The modern music of Spain is a fascinating blend of old and new, reflecting centuries of tradition, diverse regional cultures and international influences. España spotlights a broad cross-section of music, from Spain’s best-known genre, flamenco, to Barcelona’s mestizo (mixed) movement, which incorporates fusions of pop, rock, jazz, reggae, rumba, flamenco and more. The featured songs were selected from hundreds of albums collected during several scouting trips to Spain by Putumayo’s A&R team. España also features the work of renowned photographer Peter Adams and a recipe by famed Basque chef Eva Arguinaño. A portion of Putumayo’s proceeds will be donated to Intermón Oxfam, the Spanish branch of Oxfam International, which supports the empowerment of fair trade artisans and farmers worldwide.

Claude Challe knows how to relax…and how to party. The creator of the famed Buddha Bar CD compilations has lent his Midas touch to bars, spas and hot spots around the world. This latest collection offers relaxing beats with an Oriental flare from some of the greatest DJs and world music artists recording today. It seeks to transport listeners to the hedonistic, calming atmosphere of Challe’s Six Senses spa resort, even if the closest we can hope to get is a bubble bath by candlelight!

Subway, Fire on the Mountain, Awe, Bibanke, 360, Jailer, So Beautiful, Feelin Good (Nina Simone cover), Speech, Iya, No One Knows, Eye Adaba

Asa's spirited debut captivated listeners last year, her intoxicatingly husky voice part Adele, part Macy Gray; her upbeat guitar belying profound political lyrics. This new live CD/DVD set from Paris, beautifully recorded, demonstrates the full extent of her prowess and joie de vivre. Fans of Rokia Traore, Fela Kuti and even Bob Marley will love Asa.

Golijov, Ziporyn, Angel Lam, Gabriela Lena Frank

Envisioned in 1998 by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, The Silk Road Ensemble is a collective passionate about cross-cultural dialogue and the historical contribution of the ancient Silk Road to the arts. Ensemble members include Wu Man on the pipa (Chinese lute or pipa); Kayhan Kalhor on the kamancheh (Persian fiddle); Sandeep Dason on the tabla; Kojiro Umezaki on the shakuhachi and others. Off the Map ventures further afield than ever before, presenting premiere recordings of 4 compositions commissioned by Carnegie Hall in 2006. Discover music from established composers (Osvaldo Golijov, Evan Ziporyn, Gabriela Lena Frank) and from an emerging talent (Angel Lam), each of whom contributed a new work for instruments native to the lands along the traditional Silk Road, using different combinations of strings and percussion.

This genre-defying trio was formed by Justin Adams, the mastermind guitarist behind Sinead O’Connor and Robert Plant; together the three multi-instrumentalists unleash an eclectic sound world of folk and backwater blues, enriched by Middle Eastern flourishes and African beats. Adventurous listening for fans of Tom Waits through to Le Trio Joubran.

An emotional journey from the soul of Palestine: Trio Joubran are the worthy inheritors of a rich family tradition. Samir, Wissam and Adnan are three brothers who share a common and limitless love for the oud. Their parents, Hatem Mbadda Joubran (stringed-instrument maker emeritus known throughout the Arab world) and singer Ibtisam Hanna Joubran, both come from families where music is transmitted from generation to generation. The trio’s repertory includes original creations and magnificent improvisations. This new live album follows the surprise hit of the best-selling album Majaz.

Outra Praia is the luscious new album from Omara Portuondo’s guitarist and producer, a master of contemporary Brazilian and Latin music. Swami Jr offers a gentle, impeccably crafted melange of samba, bossa nova and jazz that’s impossible to resist! Varied male and female guest vocalists include Chico César. Listeners who have enjoyed the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and the recent Putumayo Brazilian Café album will love Swami Jr's sophisticated Latin pop.

Following their Grammy Award-winning work with The Klezmatics, vocalists Susan McKeown and Lorin Sklamberg have embarked on an exciting musical collaboration: an album of Yiddish and Irish songs culled from rare archive material and old recordings. Various themes from the Jewish and Celtic traditions are represented: love, death, betrothal, betrayal and the demon drink. Dubliner Susan McKeown has performed with Billy Bragg, Johnny Cunningham and Linda Thompson, while Lorin Sklamberg is the founding member of The Klezmatics and has performed with Itzhak Perlman and other greats.

With Mariza touring Australia late 2009, there has been a resurgence of interest in the deeply moving sound of Portuguese Fado. Along with Ana Moura, Joana Amendoeira is considered to be one of the most important Fado singers of the new generation. Wotj Pedro Amendoeira on Portuguese Guitar, Pedro Pinhal on Fado’s Guitar and Paulo Paz's acoustic and double bass, À Flor da Pele presents an intimate Fado ensemble rather than just a Fado soloist with her accompanying musicians.

Jazz with a global twist! Jazz Around The World presents original songs and standards performed by musicians from 10 countries: New Zealand, Mali, Canada, Cuba, Cameroon, Mexico and more. Putumayo’s third jazz collection follows the bestsellers Women of Jazz (PUT284) and Latin Jazz (PUT265). The ‘Around the World’ series has sold over 1 million CDs worldwide.

Nature Boy, Everything Happens To Me, Please, I'm Gonna See My Baby, Sweet Lorraine, Cheek To Cheek, The Thrill is Gone, My Baby Just Cares For Me, On The Sunny Side of the Street, Mam'selle, I'm In A Mess, Personality, I Won't Dance, I Owe This Dream To You, If That's The Way You Feel, Blue and Sentimental

Thrill to the sound of the velvet-voiced legends: Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire and many more. This stylish, superbly re-mastered compilation for jazz lovers includes 'Cheek To Cheek', 'My Baby Just Cares For Me', 'On The Sunny Side of the Street', 'Nature Boy' and other crooner favourites.

As Long As I Live, Blue Moon, Do Your Duty, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, It Don't Mean A Thing, Mean To Me, Them There Eyes, Lover Come Back To Me, Four Or Five Times, Take Love Easy, Oh Look at me Now, Perdido, Sing Sing Sing, Rich Man's Blues, Blues With Helen, My Baby Likes to Be-Bop, Mr Paganini

The world of jazz is perceived as a male world, but what would have become of it without these lively ladies? Amidst the big bands, during the swell swing era, the singers clad in black silky garments needed to be tough to win their status and find their place. There are very few well-known women instrumentalists of the time, but many have taken up the mic and asserted their independence through song. On this essential collection, the revered ladies of swing include Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, The Andrews Sisters, Bessie Smith and Lena Horne, with favourites such as ‘Blue Moon’, ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)’ and much more.

Memories of You, Everybody Loves Somebody, Laura, Memories of You, I Cover the Waterfront, I Wanna Be Loved, Sweet Lorraine, There Is No Greater Love, You Don't Know What Love Is, I've Got The World On A String, This Love of Mine, Yesterdays, After Hours, Stardust, Night and Day, I Can't Get Started, Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me, Love Me Pretty Baby, I Miss You So

The music of the greatest jazz legends should be savoured on special occasions: in a quiet corner, cheek-to-cheek, by candlelight or fireside with a glass of chilled champagne. Glamour Rendez-Vous is the perfect mellow accompaniment to such encounters, featuring the most ardent songs from Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and more.

Harlem Nocturne, In The Still of the Night, The Way You Look Tonight, Goodnight My Love, Night in Tunisia, Night On Bop Mountain, The Midnight Hour, Please Love Me Tonight, Nights at the Turnable, Midnight Sun, Black Night, Night and Day, Saturday Night Fish Fry, Nightmare, Round About Midnight

Insomnia is one of the cardinal virtues a musician must cultivate if he considers pursuing an illustrious career in the world’s jazz hot spots. Many a musician has paid tribute to those languorous, sultry nights and the love that emerges by moonlight; just think of Cole Porter’s delicately crafted ‘Night and Day’, the sophistication of Thelonious Monk’s ‘Round About Midnight’ and the exotic undulations of ‘Night in Tunisia’ by Dizzy Gillespie. This stylish nocturnal compilation celebrates a great jazz tradition with contributions from Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald and other favourites.

Dancing in the Dark, While You Are Gone, I'm Thru With Love, You Better Go Now, Alone Together, Don't Smoke in Bed, Temptation, One For My Baby, Why Shouldn't I, Moanin Low, That Old Black Magic, Lullaby of the Leaves, Good Morning Heartache, Djangologie, I Love You For Sentimental Reasons, Out Of Nowhere, I Married An Angel, Just Friends, Night and Day

Legends of jazz at the height of their careers, performing favourites like 'Night and Day' and 'I'm Thru With Love' with swooning strings and orchestral accompaniment. This larger-than-life compilation of classic orchestral jazz features Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Django Reinhardt and many more.

It Might As Well Be Spring, Summertime, Tis Autumn, Christmas Song, I'll Remember April, September Song, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year, September in the Rain, Winter Weather, It Might As Well Be Spring, Autumn Breeze, Winter Wonderland, Gin For Christmas

Let jazz guide you through the seasons with perennial favourites; rain, hail or shine! From Billie Holiday's sultry 'Summertime' to Django's 'September Song' and festive Christmas numbers, Four Seasons in Jazzwill have you covered all year round.

A ferocious, stomping music, beautiful swelling cadences, eerie group im pro visa tions seguing into tunes … incredible, vibrant music. David Lee’s description (in Coda 162) of the Creative Music Orchestra’s Moers Festival set could apply as well to their Köln concert of two days earlier. Similarly, Anthony Braxton’s comments on Composition 45 could also stand as a programme note for the entire Köln concert: ”big band music that takes the complete continuance of creative music into account – from the early marching structures in Dixieland music from New Orleans to the multiple structural dynamics of Duke Ellington“. (Though, after hearing these CDs, I’m tempted to add an enthusiastic ”– and then some!“)

Pasadena, I Love My Chili Bom Bom, Sweet Georgia Brown, I'm Gonna Charleston Back To Charleston, Don't Bring Lulu, Yes Sir That's My Baby, Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue, I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight, Everything is Hotsy-Totsy Now, That Certain Party, I Love My Baby My Baby Loves Me, Charleston Charley, I'd Rather Charleston, The Black Bottom, Crazy Words Crazy Tune, Miss Annabelle Lee, Ain't She Sweet, The Varsity Drag, That's My Weakness Now, I Wanna Be Loved By You, Crazy Rhythm, Happy Feet

The period now broadly referred to as the Charleston era was, outwardly at least, one of extrovert gaiety which masked the poverty and uncertainty of the Depression. An unrestrained time of pre-Wall Street Crash self-indulgence, of excess, and of showbiz ballyhoo, the new age in America gave rise to favourites such as ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ (Ben Bernie) and ‘I’d Rather Charleston’ (Fred and Adele Astaire with George Gershwin). Dance the night away with this lively collection!

Echoes of Harlem (Ellington), Lullaby from the Beginning, Cloisters sanctuary, Albert Everywhere, My Klezmer Dream, Struggle for Manhattan's Life, NYC Breakdowncalling, The Zen Bowman, Central Park West (Coltrane)

During his New York visit in 2004, French saxophonist Raphaël Imbert immersed himself in the creative freedom that marks the playing of the elders of Jazz, personfied by Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders and others. Since Imbert's return to Marseille, he has channelled the American greats from the drums of Ellington’s Harlem to an evocation of John Zorn, undisputed leader of the New York underground, to a meditation of Coltrane on Central Park West. This is a passionate portrait and tribute to the pulse and throb of the city that never sleeps.

JAZZ ICONS | 2119015 | DVD | 747313901555

Two wonderful Anita O’Day concerts from 1963 and 1970 that present the 'jazz singer supreme' in fine form and show unequivocally why she is ranked in the top tier of vocalists along with Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. O’Day’s horn-based approach to singing is in full effect throughout both shows including stand-out renditions in each show of audience favorites 'Tea For Two' and 'Sweet Georgia Brown' (both reprised from her triumphant appearance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival.) In the wake of O’Day’s recent passing, this DVD is a fitting testimony to one of jazz music’s true originals

A blistering one hour Woody Herman big band concert from 1964 featuring one of the very hottest line-ups of the 'Swinging Herd' including trumpeter Bill Chase, trombonist Phil Wilson and the amazing saxophonist Sal Nistico on the front line as well as drummer Jake Hanna and pianist-arranger Nat Pierce in the rhythm section. Woody and his band roar throughout the entire show which includes both classic standards such as 'Lonesome Old Town' and 'After You’ve Gone' as well as new originals including Horace Silver’s 'Sister Sadie' and Charles Mingus’s 'Better Git It In Your Soul.'

An exceptional one-hour concert by Art Blakey from Paris in 1965. This performance showcases one of the few undocumented Blakey bands, the New Jazzmen, and features the incomparable Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, as well as Jaki Byard on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, Nathan Davis on sax and, of course, Art Blakey on drums – truly a powerhouse quintet! Freddie Hubbard's recent death underscores the timeliness of this release as it features his incendiary playing on 'Blue Moon' and his own 'Crisis,' and serves as a cogent reminder that Freddie was one of the best in jazz history. This show cooks from start to finish. Art Blakey is Jazz Icons’ first repeat artist as he was featured in our first series back in 2006 and remains one of the best-selling titles in the entire series.

An incredible 90-minute Jimmy Smith concert from 1969 filmed in Paris. Working in a trio format (including longtime guitarist Eddie McFadden), Jimmy shows why he is still the uncontested king of the jazz organ. Highlights include blues jams 'Got My Mojo Workin’' and 'Sonnymoon For Two,' the classic ballads 'Alfie' and 'Satin Doll' as well as a blinding 23-minute version of Jimmy Smith’s showcase number 'The Sermon.'

An amazing one-hour Art Farmer concert from 1964 featuring the great flugelhornist in his prime. Farmer’s top-notch band includes legendary guitarist Jim Hall (fresh from Sonny Rollins’ band), drummer Pete LaRoca and Steve Swallow on bass. This legendary ensemble plays both standards and originals with ease and finesse and highlights why Farmer was considered one of the most innovative horn players in all of jazz.

Two incredible Coleman Hawkins concerts from 1962 and 1964 featuring 140 minutes of music. Both concerts feature stellar European and American side-musicians including Harry 'Sweets' Edison on trumpet and drummer Jonathan 'Jo' Jones – both Jazz Legends in their own right. The 1962 show is a newly-discovered one-hour concert from the Adolphe Sax Festival in Belgium, which has never been seen. Coleman Hawkins, 'The Father of Jazz Saxophone' demonstrates in these two concerts why he is still considered one of the most important innovators in the history of jazz.

Two Erroll Garner concerts from 1963 and 1964 featuring his classic trio of bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin. Erroll Garner was one of jazz’s true original players and this DVD is a parade of his most classic numbers. The trio delivers throughout both shows including favorites 'Fly Me To The Moon' and 'I Get A Kick Out Of You' as well as originals 'Erroll’s Theme,' 'Mambo Erroll' and his best-known composition, 'Misty.'

MICHAEL NYMAN RECORDS | MNRCD116 | CD | 814199010036

Celebrated British soul singer David McAlmont has collaborated with Michael Nyman in the wake of the popular composer's triumphant Australian tour, with an intriguing crossover project in the style of Elvis Costello and The Brodsky Quartet's The Juliet Letters. A gifted lyricist whose vocal range calls to mind Marvin Gaye and Seal, McAlmont has recomposed Nyman's most thrilling film music into a diverse and emotional song cycle drawing on the world news for inspiration. The result is a stunning collection of songs, brilliantly backed by the Michael Nyman Band in top form, reaching out on issues of poverty, exploitation, love and transcendent moments of human frailty.

NAIVE | K1663 | CD2 | 3298490016633

Symphonic Themes from Yentl, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Summer of '42, The Go-Between, Arrangements of Porgy and Bess, West Side Story, The Threepenny Opera, Le Passe Muraille, Donkey Skin, 9 Suites for Orchestra and Harp

2 CDs for the price of 1. Oscar and Grammy Award-winning French composer Michel Legrand is responsible for some of the most memorable classic film scores of the last fifty years, from the charming all-sung Umbrellas of Cherbourg starring Catherine Deneuve to Barbra Streisand's magnum opus Yentl. Having studied under Nadia Boulanger at the Paris Conservatoire, Legrand is also a renowned composer for Broadway, and a gifted arranger and conductor. This 2-CD career retrospective celebrates Michel Legrand as composer, conductor and arranger, his most famous film music (in sweeping symphonic suites) alongside arrangements from West Side Story, Porgy and Bess and other favourites.

MUSIC DIGITAL | CD6697 | CD | 5024952066971

For Good, What Is This Feeling, No Good Deed, I'm Not That Girl, Popular, Defying Gravity, Something Bad, One Short Day, As Long As You're Mine, The Wizard And I, I'm Not That Girl (remix), As Long As You're Mine (remix)

Show-stopping numbers from the Grammy and Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, showing at Sydney's Capitol Theatre from September 2009.