Still in the framework of Led Zeppelin’s fiftieth anniversary, Jimmy Page wanted to add a new iteration to the double live that wasn’t unanimously received upon its release. Granted he had already dusted it off in 2007, adding no less than six new tracks, including Black Dog, Heartbreaker and an epic version of Since I've Been Loving You that might actually top the original. For a total of 34 minutes and 40 seconds of additional happiness. But, despite these presents, the criticism is once again the same: even in Hi-Res Audio (at last!), The Song Remains the Same remains very frustrating compared to the studio-album versions. Released a little later in 1976, because the film had been delayed, it seemed offbeat compared to the band’s two latest productions, Physical Graffiti and Presence. This also meant giving a miss to a few marvels, like the immortal Kashmir and a few other gems. An injustice that hasn’t been repaired to this day, except for Led Zeppelin DVD and Celebration Day, as the first didn’t feature a purely audio version, and the second was only recorded in 2007, without the late John Bonham. Four decades later, it could all seem very much incidental. One just needs to listen to it in a row after the first five studio albums, going through How the West Was Won then The Complete BBC Sessions and finally Celebration Day, to realise it holds up just fine! And while the critics were harsh at the time, it is now obvious that the recording audio quality is exceptional. Those who enjoy long instrumental digressions, which do credit to the talent for improvisation of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham, will be on cloud nine, with a brand new sound. Pending The Song Remains The Same II The Return for 1974-1980? © Jean-Pierre Sabouret/Qobuz

June 1972, Led Zeppelin had reached the summit, America at their feet, as indicated very immodestly by the claim “conquest of the west”, chosen to baptise this live album that we had finished waiting for with its release in May 2003. The stage was their kingdom, but it was especially good for bootleg dealers, because for almost thirty years, the only official live record available was The Song Remains the Same. Released in 1976, to accompany the film of the same name, it was barely representative of the power and the unconstrained creativity of the quartet, despite some really exceptional moments. The very different BBC Sessions of 1997 had filled the gap a little, but it was not until six years later that Jimmy Page had finally consented to give up the tapes that they had kept, with some underlying paranoia up to that point. As we are about to celebrate the group's 50th anniversary, the first rehearsal had took place on August 12th, 1968, and the 18 tracks from the two concerts at the Los Angeles Forum and Long Beach Arena on June 25th & 27th, 1972. It will almost act as a a better “Best of". In addition to the immortal Stairway To Heaven, which is presented in a version far superior than on The Song Remains The Same or BBC Sessions, the tracks Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Since I've Been Loving You, Dazed And Confused, Whole Lotta Love Rock'n'Roll are all delivered with as much freedom as mastery. So much so that we will soon listen to them more willingly than the studio versions.The great quality of Zeppelin was obviously this incredible ability to improvise and therefore to invent constantly without their performance being felt as being extremely technical, quite the contrary. However, we must believe that the digital format was not yet at a high level in 2003 since Jimmy Page felt the need to resume the work of mastering the record. The differences may seem subtle, but for those who tend to turn up the volume unreasonably, it will be more than appreciated. We can nevertheless regret the fact that the guitarist did not shell out a deluxe version with his "companion disc" by offering new unpublished tracks, as Tangerine and Communication Breakdown are still missing. Unless the trickster concocts an even more substantial live album that will include the period 1973-1980, covered so far only through The Song Remains the Same (with three concerts in July 1973) and the Led Zeppelin DVD . This would finally allow the opportunity to hear a decent version of the immortal Kashmir ... With its 02h 27m 23s of listening, this updated How The West Was Won will nevertheless make you wait. © Jean-Pierre Sabouret / Qobuz

After bursting onto the scene in 2013 with the brilliant WomanChild, Cécile McLorin Salvant raised the bar two years later with For One To Love, an even more impressive and complete album on which her voice worked wonders, and the more traditional Dreams & Daggers, recorded live at the Village Vanguard and the DiMenna Center with her faithful trio, the Quatuor Catalyst and the pianist Sullivan Fortner. She chose only to work with the latter of the two for her 2018 vintage album titled The Window. Born on August 28th, 1989 in Miami, Florida, she studied French law, baroque and vocal jazz in Aix-en-Provence in France before winning the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010 (at only 20 years old, in front of a panel of judges made up of Al Jarreau, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Patti Austin, Dianne Reeves and Kurt Elling!). For this album she decided on a vocal-piano duet. A baptism of fire which further demonstrates her astounding vocal ability. It is an album that also focuses on the complex nature of love through covers of songs by Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein and even Stevie Wonder. This is further proof that Cécile McLorin Salvant is anything but the cliché of a jazz singer, as trumpeter Wynton Marsalis puts it: “ You get a singer like this once in a generation or two…” © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

When One Direction went on hiatus and its members went their separate ways to work on solo projects, the most anticipated of them was Harry Styles. His charming persona and elastic vocals had him positioned as the Timberlake of the group -- the one who might be able to stake his own claim in the pop landscape. With his self-titled debut album, he does a fine job of delivering a statement of independence while staying true to the One Direction sound. Working with a small handpicked band and producer Jeff Bhasker, Styles crafted an album that ranges from intimate to epic, while always keeping the focus on his vocals and doing a little self-exploration in the lyrics. He and his team don't really stretch past what One D did musically; there are folky acoustic tunes ("Sweet Creature"), lush introspective ballads ("From the Dining Table"), nods to '80 hair metal ("Kiwi"), and silly pop songs ("Carolina") of the sort that could be found on any One D album. The difference is that with just one guy singing all the songs, Harry Styles sounds more focused and personal. And his voice is a thing of beauty; soaring on the big-screen ballads ("Sign of the Times"), reaching emotional depths on the hushed confessionals ("Meet Me in the Hallway"), and snapping with a Jagger-esque strut on the uptempo songs ("Only Angel"). His lyrics can't quite keep up; along with the occasional cliché, there are too many times when listeners are left guessing who he's singing about instead of losing themselves in the song. That being said, it's certainly no worse than the writing on One D songs. Besides, it's easy to forgive the weakness of the words when they are sung so powerfully and with such conviction. The band Styles employs isn't exactly distinctive, and the production sometimes errs on the side of slickness, but for the most part it all comes together in a pretty package topped by Styles' impressive singing. The album really clicks when the arrangements and production combine into something interesting. "Sign of the Times" is the kind of sweeping, heart-stoppingly epic ballad Robbie Williams mastered; "Ever Since New York" borrows the guitar riff from Badfinger's "Baby Blue," builds a lush wall of Styles' vocal harmonies, and comes off like a well-crafted folk-rock update; and the glammy, Elton John-inspired "Woman" adds some welcome '70s-style weirdness to the proceedings, which is something the album could have used more of. Harry Styles works exceedingly well as a modern pop album and an extension of the One D sound and brand, but as the kind of personal statement Styles wants to make, it comes very close, but ultimately falls just short. More weirdness, less slickness, and a distinct musical vision next time and maybe he'll get there.© Tim Sendra /TiVo

I Want You, while it a Top Ten smash for Marvin Gaye in 1976, is not as generally as well-known as its predecessors for several reasons. First, it marked a sharp change in direction, leaving his trademark Motown soul for lush, funky, breezy disco. Secondly, its subject matter is as close to explicit as pop records got in 1976. Third, Gaye hadn't recorded in nearly three years and critics were onto something else -- exactly what, in retrospect is anybody's guess. From the amazing Ernie Barnes cover painting "Back to Sugar Shack" to the Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson string and horn arrangements to Leon Ware's exotic production that relied on keyboards as well as drums and basses as rhythm instruments, I Want You was a giant leap for Gaye. The feel of the album was one of late-night parties in basements and small clubs, and the intimacy of the music evokes the image of people getting closer as every hour of a steamy night wears on. But the most astonishing things about I Want You are its intimacy (it was dedicated to and recorded in front of Gaye's future second wife, Jan), silky elegance, and seamless textures. Gaye worked with producer Leon Ware, who wrote all of the original songs on the album and worked with Gaye to revise them, thus lending Gaye a co-writing credit. The title track is a monster two-step groover with hand percussion playing counterpoint to the strings and horns layered in against a spare electric guitar solo, all before Gaye begins to sing on top of the funky backbeat. It's a party anthem to be sure, and one that evokes the vulnerability that a man in love displays when the object of his affection is in plain sight. Art Stewart's engineering rounds off all the edges and makes Gaye's already sweet crooning instrument into the true grain in the voice of seductive need. "Feel All My Love Inside" and "I Want to Be Where You Are" are anthems to sensuality with strings creeping up under Gaye's voice as the guitars move through a series of chunky changes and drums punctuate his every syllable. In all, the original album is a suite to the bedroom, one in which a man tells his woman all of his sexual aspirations because of his love for her. The entire album has been referenced by everyone from Mary J. Blige to D'Angelo to Chico DeBarge and even Todd Rundgren, who performed the title track live regularly. By the time it is over, the listener should be a blissed-out, brimming container for amorous hunger. I Want You and its companion, Ware's Musical Massage, are the pre-eminent early disco concept albums. They are adult albums about intimacy, sensuality, and commitment, and decades later they still reverberate with class, sincerity, grace, intense focus, and astonishingly good taste. I Want You is as necessary as anything Gaye ever recorded. © Thom Jurek /TiVo

In 2009, just over a year before his untimely death, the late, great Irish bluesman played an intimate set at London's Islington Academy which has since gone down in legend among his fans. Recorded for posterity, it appeared in January 2020. Featuring Moore at the top of his game, it includes some of his best-loved tunes including "Since I Met You Baby," "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know," "Walking by Myself," and the classic "Parisienne Walkways."© John D. Buchanan /TiVo

Nina Simone Sings the Blues, issued in 1967, was her RCA label debut, and was a brave departure from the material she had been recording for Phillips. Indeed, her final album for that label, High Priestess of Soul, featured the singer, pianist, and songwriter fronting a virtual orchestra. Here, Simone is backed by a pair of guitarists (Eric Gale and Rudy Stevenson), bassist (Bob Bushnell), drummer (Bernard "Pretty" Purdie), organist (Ernie Hayes), and harmonica player who doubled on saxophone (Buddy Lucas). Simone handled the piano chores. The song selection is key here. Because for all intents and purposes this is perhaps the rawest record Simone ever cut. It opens with the sultry, nocturnal, slow-burning original "Do I Move You," which doesn't beg the question but demands an answer: "Do I move you?/Are you willin'?/Do I groove you?/Is it thrillin'?/Do I soothe you?/Tell the truth now?/Do I move you?/Are you loose now?/The answer better be yeah...It pleases me...." As the guitarists slip and slide around her husky vocal, a harmonica wails in the space between, and Simone's piano is the authority, hard and purposely slow. The other tune in that vein, "In the Dark," is equally tense and unnerving; the band sounds as if it's literally sitting around as she plays and sings. There are a number of Simone signature tunes on this set, including "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl," "Backlash Blues," and her singular, hallmark, definitive reading of "My Man's Gone Now" from Porgy and Bess. Other notable tracks are the raucous, sexual roadhouse blues of "Buck," written by Simone's then husband Andy Stroud, and the woolly gospel blues of "Real Real," with the Hammond B-3 soaring around her vocal. The cover of Buddy Johnson's "Since I Fell for You" literally drips with ache and want. Simone also reprised her earlier performance of "House of the Rising Sun" (released on a 1962 Colpix live platter called At the Village Gate). It has more authority in this setting as a barrelhouse blues; it's fast, loud, proud, and wailing with harmonica and B-3 leading the charge. The original set closes with the slow yet sassy "Blues for Mama," ending with the same sexy strut the album began with, giving it the feel of a Möbius strip. Nina Simone Sings the Blues is a hallmark recording that endures; it deserves to be called a classic.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Dan Wilson is unquestionably one of the true great revelations of jazz guitar in recent years. He was discovered by the organist Joey DeFrancesco, who was the first to put him on an international stage within his orchestra (cf. Trip Mode and Project Freedom). He was then immediately dubbed by the double bassist and arranger Christian McBride, who integrated him into his trio Tip City for the duration of one of their tours. He was subsequently invited to record as leader on his Brother Mister Productions label for the highly successful Vessels of Wood and Earth. Still produced by McBride, Things Eternal pretty much takes up the basic winning elements behind the success of his previous work. At the head of a remarkable small and organic cohesive group (a special shout out to Glenn Zaleski and the constantly inventive and elegant Fender Rhodes), Dan Wilson offers a repertoire that skilfully mixes a few original compositions with a well measured dosage of rare themes touched by some of modern jazz’s greatest figureheads (McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker), and songs drawn from the field of pop and soul (the Beatles, Sting, Stevie Wonder). The freshness he breathes into the soul jazz of the 60s, of which he claims to be the heir, demonstrates the unique nature of his music. As part of this tradition of great jazz guitarists, from Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Grant Green and Kenny Burrell, Wilson has a rounded, warm sound, brimming with soul and fluidity. His music is very vocal and boasts beautifully accented phrasing, delivering airy and melodic music which is brought to life by a constant swing. The only downside, the presence (on some titles) of vocalists which really weren’t needed, especially given how little they brought to the quality of the ensemble. © Stéphane Ollivier/Qobuz

After spending the 1980s moving in an increasingly pop-friendly direction, 1991's We Can't Dance marked a return to earlier aesthetics for Genesis. Edgier with more prominent guitars and live drums than on Invisible Touch, the record was the band's strongest musical statement in over a decade. With "Driving the Last Spike" and the dark "Dreaming While You Sleep" the group revisited one of their forgotten strengths, telling extended stories. That's not to say the album is a return to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or Trick of the Tail. Indeed, while there are several extended pieces on the record, there is none of the eccentricities, odd meters, or extended virtuoso solos of the band's progressive heyday. The album's closer, "Fading Lights," comes the closest, featuring an outstanding instrumental mid-section. Unfortunately, the record also contains some gutless ballads and paeans for world understanding that sound miles away from any immediacy. However, the surprisingly gritty singles "No Son of Mine," "Jesus He Knows Me," and "I Can't Dance" help make up for the album's weaker moments.© Geoff Orens /TiVo