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Looking at the cover of Huey Lewis & the News' Live at 25, it's hard not to think, "Wow! I had no idea that the News had 25 members!" Of course, the middle-aged men crowding the cover of this 2005 release number a mere nine, which means the one-time sextet has been expanded with a full horn section (original guitarist Chris Hayes has been replaced by Stef Burns and bassist Mario Cipollina has been replaced by John Pierce, as well). New members and a horn section don't change the basic nature of the band, which hasn't changed since the beginning of its career -- no matter what they do, Huey Lewis & the News are a good-time, good-natured, unabashedly fun party band. That served them well at the height of their fame in the mid-'80s, and it serves them well 20 years later, as they do those big hits -- "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "I Want a New Drug," "If This Is It," "Do You Believe in Love," "Hip to Be Square" (subtly changed to "(Too) Hip to Be Square," although the lyrics haven't been altered) -- balanced with covers and newer tunes that sound as if they could have been good album tracks on Picture This. Although the liner notes don't mention the date or location of the recording of Live at 25, the specifics don't really matter since the album is designed to be less a historical document than a nostalgic souvenir for longtime fans, capturing the group at a quarter-century mark. In that respect, it works well: the song selection is good, the band sounds tight and professional, the production is clean and punchy, and while it's never especially engaging, it is an enjoyable performance. Not essential, and certainly not nearly as energetic as the original LPs, Live at 25 is warm, friendly, and fun nonetheless, a perfectly respectable way to celebrate the group's anniversary.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

It’s almost as if Yuja Wang were playing at home in her second collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The music of Rachmaninov has no secrets left for the Chinese piano virtuoso, who strolls happily along these formidably difficult concertos. It’s the “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18”, the most iconic, that leads. Composed in 1901, at the time when Rachmaninov was just beginning to recover from the depression caused by the failure of his first symphony, this concerto became one of the centrepieces of the Russian composer’s work, when it was notoriously sampled in the legendary pop hit “All by myself”. Yuja Wang moves with alarming ease along a score rife with traps, starting with the tenth intervals that are every pianist’s worst nightmare. Wang offers a sublime variety in her playing, marvellously befitting of the very distinct moods of the three movements: raging and bold attacks in the “moderato”, languid legatos in the “adagio sostenuto”, and finishing with a triumphant and luminous “allegro scherzando”. “Concertos No. 1” and “No.4” are served with the same mastery, and the album closes with a “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” where the orchestra proves to be of tremendous precision. An impeccable record. © Pierre Lamy/Qobuz

John Cage's admiration for the music of Erik Satie is well known; Cage organized a Satie festival early in his career, and even casual listeners will detect a spirit of experimentation and a certain irreverence common to the two. Perhaps no one has explored the relationship in greater detail than pianist Bertrand Chamayou on this 2023 release, which hit classical best-seller lists in the autumn of that year. There are several real finds here. One is a rare Cage piece, All Sides of the Small Stone, that was actually dedicated to Satie's memory, and another is a work by Satie specialist James Tenney, Three Pages in the Shape of a Pear (In Celebration of Erik Satie), which suggests lines along which this compositional axis might be extended. In the main body of the program, Chamayou balances Satie and Cage nicely, picking some Cage works that sound quite a bit like Satie and tying the development of the prepared piano closely to these. This is a fresh interpretation. The overall effect has both charm and humor, qualities that aren't always associated with Cage. However, after hearing this album, listeners will feel that maybe they should be. Chamayou has, up to now, been better known for mainstream French and German repertory, but this release reveals him as a talented interpreter of 20th century music as well.© James Manheim /TiVo

A bassist vital to the US jazz scene since the 90’s – partner of choice for musicians as notable as Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, and Pat Metheny – Christian McBride, alongside his frequent work as a sideman (on over 300 records to date), leads a rich career as a frontman, expanding upon his orchestral formations (from trios to big band) in varying registers. He encompasses a large palette of styles that are always deeply anchored in the foundations of traditional African-American jazz. This new record conceived and recorded in partnership with another bass virtuoso, Edgar Meyer, himself exploring other idioms and imagining other landscapes (from bluegrass to “crossover” classical), indisputably introduces a new perspective to the bassist’s rich discography.Intended to feel like a conversation between friends, each speaking in a relaxed, playful tone, offering support through active listening in order for each to be able to “play their own melody” with full peace and security of mind, But Who’s Gonna Play the Melody? sounds like a charming and timeless departure into a world entirely dedicated to the bass. Applying their great virtuosity towards each melody, without ever veering into competitive territory, the two musicians, with an irresistibly natural sense of groove, never cease to seduce the listener through a repertoire that draws not only from jazz, but also from folk, classical music, bluegrass, and funk, making room for the kind of collective memory that goes beyond styles and generations. An album with no pretense other than the pure pleasure of playing music – authentically all-encompassing in the best possible way. © Stéphane Ollivier/Qobuz

Released in 1976, this fifth album from the Eagles would remain their greatest success. Opened by the eponymous hit single, Hotel California marked a turning point in the career of the American group. Bernie Leadon, the most country-orientated band member, jumped ship and Joe Walsh came on board. For his part, Don Henley also seemed to take more control the business. The result was a much more mainstream record than the album’s predecessors with truly enveloping sounds at the peak of their tracks. Everything is XXL here! The production, the solos, the melodies… everything! A masterpiece of classic rock, this is above all a work that crosses decades and makes the crowds go wild. Glenn Frey, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, Randy Meisner and Don Henley would never again find again such impressive complicity and efficiency… Published in November 2017, this 40th anniversary edition offers an original remastered album as well as an energetic Californian live session recorded at The Forum in Inglewood, October 1976. © CM/Qobuz

At first glance, one might confuse the virtuoso cellist Angelina Kobekina’s latest album, Venice, as a classical “greatest hits” collection—a packaging of snippets taken from previous recordings released when a record company’s star artist hasn’t recorded enough fresh material. This recording is anything but that. Venice is a strikingly original and personal concept with Kobekina’s love for the titular city as the underlying theme. Kobekina’s original compositions are solo cello pieces, while those of Bach, Britten, Monteverdi, and Vivaldi feature her unique accompaniments. Some depart significantly from the originals, such as a 20th-Century jazz arrangement of a Vivaldi concerto. While some traditionally-minded classical listeners may object to the recomposing of works by the old masters, what must be kept in mind is that Venice is not the typical classical release in recital format, but a creation in which the artist takes the listener along on her own highly intimate journey. Some listeners may find themselves getting lost but the wordy “roadmap” provided in the booklet or even the notes by Kobekina herself may likely be of little assistance.  Rather than trying to figure out exactly what the artist is expressing, the best approach is to listen to Venice from beginning to end, with no interruptions or preconceived notions. Listeners may love it or hate it, but one thing on which all may agree: Anastasia Kobekina is an extraordinary cellist, artist, and musician. ©Anthony Fountain/Qobuz

Reference album, rock monument, pop masterpiece.

Trumpeter Erik Truffaz's releases inspire excitement, debate, and concert attendance in Europe and Asia. Back in 2020, film director Marie-France Brière approached him about collaborating with her and composing music for a documentary film (Les îles de Napoléon). Following post-production and its entry on the competition circuit, Brière requested the trumpeter's quartet play a concert of themes from French cinema to close the Angoulême film festival. The band enjoyed the process and gig so much, trumpeter/producer Truffaz approached Blue Note -- his longtime label -- about releasing two albums of themes. Rollin' is the inaugural release, Clap is due at the end of the year. Bassist and co-producer Marcelo Giuliani and Truffaz -- the only remaining member of the trumpeter's quartet -- chose Rollin's personnel together: percussionist Raphaël Chassin, keyboardist Alexis Anérile, and guitarist Mathis Pascaud. Also included here are two vocal selections, "One Silver Dollar" sung by Camélia Jordana and "Cesar et Rosalie" delivered by actress and partner Sandrine Bonnaire.It opens with a tender, impressionistic read of Nino Rota's title theme "La Strada." With finger-plucked electric guitar strings introducing the changes, Truffaz, slowly offers the melody with minimal embellishment. The electric piano colors the space between as a minimal bass drones in the backdrop. "Route de Nuit" was composed by Michel Magne for George Lautner's comedy Les Tontons Flingueurs. The original tune is a I-IV-V surf boogie progression. Truffaz's band keeps the bluesy changes, but otherwise turns it inside-out to become a wooly, distorted, funky, guitar-and-trumpet-driven fusion jam. Magne also composed the dark, carnivalesque "Theme de Fantomas," rendered with pathos, counterpoint, noisy electric pianos and guitars, and a swinging snare and hi-hat shuffle. "One Silver Dollar" (sung by Marilyn Monroe in Otto Preminger's 1954 western River of No Return opposite Robert Mitchum) is delivered by Jordana with the same deadpan eros as the original. Pascaud's tremolo bar work is exceptional, and that goes double on John Barry's theme from the Persuaders TV series. Bonnaire's appears on the theme from "Cesar et Rosalie" was composed by Phillipe Sarde. Truffaz uses a stone mute in the intro before a rippling piano introduces the progression. Bonnaire enters halfway through, speaking dryly yet passionately from the script. There is a version of "Ascenseur Pour L'echafaud," the theme from Luis Bunuel's film of the same name -- Miles Davis and his band composed and recorded the music while watching the rushes. Truffaz's take is reverent but more mysterious. His trumpet is the narrator, probing and questioning amid the gorgeous yet tentative melody while Anérile's electric piano hovers in the margin, adorned by guitar and bass. Also beautifully and unexpectedly rendered is Ennio Morricone's title theme "Le Casse" (The Burglars). The lyric interplay between Pascaud and Giuliani behind Truffaz's elegant horn is resonant. Rollin' furthers Truffaz's well-established reputation as an innovator; his quartet manages to imbue each of these selections with bracing new elements yet remains completely faithful to their sources.© Thom Jurek /TiVo