On his own recordings, Pat Metheny has always pushed his artistic envelope. Very occasionally when moving to the outside, it's been to the chagrin of some fans. It happened with Ornette Coleman on the brilliant Song X in 1985; next was on the screaming guitar effort Zero Tolerance for Silence in 1994, and finally on his collaboration with Derek Bailey on The Sign of 4 in 1997. But while his collaboration with another true American original, the prolific composer John Zorn, is outside work for Metheny, it may not alienate longtime fans due to its relative accessibility. The Book of Angels is the composer's second book of compositions based on ancient, often mystical Jewish music; it contains over 300 pieces. These works have set melodies but leave plenty of room for other musicians to interpret and add to them. Other than drums -- played by Antonio Sanchez -- Metheny performs everything: guitars, orchestrion, piano, bass, bandoneon, bells, even flügelhorn. He takes Zorn's mysterious compositions and completely recontextualizes them while remaining true to them. Metheny introduces new musical ideas, myriad textural flights, and rhythmic invention to these works with a wide colorist's palette. "Mastema," with its hypnotic theme, is adorned by rock drumming from Sanchez, who handles the 11/8 signature with ease, while Metheny layers numerous countrapuntal guitars, backmasked, wailing solos, and shifting orchestrion pulses to dynamic result. Likewise, the contemplative acoustic guitars of "Albim" give way to a shimmering swing that adds tinges of tango and Brazilian music -- it wouldn't have been out of place on one of his own albums. The heart of "Tharsis" is a klezmer melody. Acoustic guitars, percussion, guitar synth, and piano display Metheny's signature euphoric interiority and balance with the inherent lyricism in Zorn's tune even as Sanchez forcefully pushes at the tempo. "Sariel" uses tiples, baritone, and high-stringed guitars to shape the melody. It's like a choir of ouds. As the piece develops, chord structures advance the sketch, and eventually Sanchez enters, adding a rock thrust. Metheny piles on electric guitars and basses to go on an extended workout, soaring with harmonic ideas and textural elements that resemble those from Italian film scores of the 1970s and '80s. No matter how unfettered his imagination runs on these pieces, neither he nor Zorn disappear. The set's closer, "Hurmiz," may raise a few eyebrows. Metheny plays piano in a duet with Sanchez that suggests free jazz, though the attention to space, form, and lyricism is inherent. Tap: John Zorn's Book of Angels, Vol. 20 is a special album in both men's catalogs. (It's being released simultaneously on both Nonesuch and Tzadik.) These compositions offer Metheny something that he's seldom been able to take advantage of. While he's regularly performed the works of other composers, he has seldom had the opportunity to so thoroughly orchestrate and arrange them. Ironically, this collaboration has resulted in giving him the freedom to explore his artistic expression as an individual, at a deeper level.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

On his own recordings, Pat Metheny has always pushed his artistic envelope. Very occasionally when moving to the outside, it's been to the chagrin of some fans. It happened with Ornette Coleman on the brilliant Song X in 1985; next was on the screaming guitar effort Zero Tolerance for Silence in 1994, and finally on his collaboration with Derek Bailey on The Sign of 4 in 1997. But while his collaboration with another true American original, the prolific composer John Zorn, is outside work for Metheny, it may not alienate longtime fans due to its relative accessibility. The Book of Angels is the composer's second book of compositions based on ancient, often mystical Jewish music; it contains over 300 pieces. These works have set melodies but leave plenty of room for other musicians to interpret and add to them. Other than drums -- played by Antonio Sanchez -- Metheny performs everything: guitars, orchestrion, piano, bass, bandoneon, bells, even flügelhorn. He takes Zorn's mysterious compositions and completely recontextualizes them while remaining true to them. Metheny introduces new musical ideas, myriad textural flights, and rhythmic invention to these works with a wide colorist's palette. "Mastema," with its hypnotic theme, is adorned by rock drumming from Sanchez, who handles the 11/8 signature with ease, while Metheny layers numerous countrapuntal guitars, backmasked, wailing solos, and shifting orchestrion pulses to dynamic result. Likewise, the contemplative acoustic guitars of "Albim" give way to a shimmering swing that adds tinges of tango and Brazilian music -- it wouldn't have been out of place on one of his own albums. The heart of "Tharsis" is a klezmer melody. Acoustic guitars, percussion, guitar synth, and piano display Metheny's signature euphoric interiority and balance with the inherent lyricism in Zorn's tune even as Sanchez forcefully pushes at the tempo. "Sariel" uses tiples, baritone, and high-stringed guitars to shape the melody. It's like a choir of ouds. As the piece develops, chord structures advance the sketch, and eventually Sanchez enters, adding a rock thrust. Metheny piles on electric guitars and basses to go on an extended workout, soaring with harmonic ideas and textural elements that resemble those from Italian film scores of the 1970s and '80s. No matter how unfettered his imagination runs on these pieces, neither he nor Zorn disappear. The set's closer, "Hurmiz," may raise a few eyebrows. Metheny plays piano in a duet with Sanchez that suggests free jazz, though the attention to space, form, and lyricism is inherent. Tap: John Zorn's Book of Angels, Vol. 20 is a special album in both men's catalogs. (It's being released simultaneously on both Nonesuch and Tzadik.) These compositions offer Metheny something that he's seldom been able to take advantage of. While he's regularly performed the works of other composers, he has seldom had the opportunity to so thoroughly orchestrate and arrange them. Ironically, this collaboration has resulted in giving him the freedom to explore his artistic expression as an individual, at a deeper level.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Over the years, John Zorn has offered up more projects than one can easily keep track of and you can find both passionate advocates and passionate detractors for almost every one of them. Every one, except perhaps Bar Kokhba. It's the Masada String Trio (Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander, and Greg Cohen) augmented by Marc Ribot (guitar), Joey Baron (drums), and Cyro Baptista (percussion). Their albums have all been exquisite and their release in the Zorn 50th Birthday series was perhaps the best of that series. Here they are with their first studio recording in over a decade, and their first of Zorn's Masada: Book Two material. Honestly, with this material and these players, you just can't go wrong. There are highlights aplenty, starting with Ribot and Baptistsa on the opening track. Friedlander and Feldman shine on both "Dalquiel" and "Quelamia." Joey Baron tears it up on "Gediel" and does some great brushwork on "Azbugah." The playing all the way around is just fantastic. You could even play this album for your grandmother, something you can't say about much of the rest of the Zorn catalog. Whether you like all his projects or not, John Zorn's output has been of a consistently high quality. Lucifer: Book of Angels, Vol. 10 is among the finest offerings in his discography, and a very accessible one at that.© Sean Westergaard /TiVo

John Zorn continues to debut new music with his Book of Angels series, the second collection of Masada material containing over 300 compositions -- none of which has been recorded before. The first two volumes featured Jamie Saft in an acoustic piano trio (Astaroth: Book of Angels, Vol. 1) and with the Masada String Trio (Azazel: Book of Angels, Vol. 2). Malphas: Book of Angels, Vol. 3 is performed by the veteran duo of Sylvie Courvoisier and Mark Feldman, who are intimately familiar with John Zorn's compositional world. They appeared on Masada Anniversary Edition, Vol. 4: Masada Recital and gave a startling performance of material from book one. Given that none of Zorn's compositions in this series equal more than five lines on a single page, there is plenty that the duo can add to any given work. And they do. The longest piece here is a little over six minutes, "Lathariel," with most falling into the three- to four-minute range. The set opens with the rhythmically driven "Azriel." Thematically there are two lines and Sylvie Courvoisier and Mark Feldman play all around one another as Courvoisier holds the anchor as Feldman just goes in flurries and twists. By contrast, the frenetic and knotty theme of "Basus" opens up into wide free improvising -- and is more intense and aggressive than the improvisational disc of Courvoisier's brilliant album (with Feldman) Abaton. This shifts again in "Rigal," which is a tight, intrinsically melodic, classically oriented waltz that is stunning in its beauty. And on it goes. These two musicians bring so much to Zorn's wonderful compositions that they are indeed co-collaborators, and that's as the composer wishes it. The episodic improvisation in "Kafziel" is countered and turned upside down again in the seemingly somber "Labariel." Here the mournful theme is stated by Feldman's violin as Courvoisier colors it and the pair moves together to quote a legendary composer in humor before slipping into a more spacious abstraction that underscores the melancholy in the work. The gorgeously funereal theme in "Paschal" disintegrates into a brief silence before the pianist calls for a response form Feldman. He does in dark gypsy tones and Courvoisier moves to the lower register in a series of three notes to begin an engagement that results in a disappearance of theme, structure, and intensity, allowing silence and the interstitial comments by both instruments seemingly whispering -- albeit somewhat forcefully -- to one another across the void. "Samiel" is just plain wild, full of humor and the sound of a chase between violin and piano and both switch roles. The set ends with "Sretil"; it's a beautiful, song-like piece that deceives the listener for a moment with its playfulness and humorous anarchy. Malphas is a success from start to finish, and perhaps the most exciting of the three volumes in the series thus far. Listeners looking for excellence and adventure would be wise to keep an eye out for this duo, who are perhaps redefining the space for modern composition and performance.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Sad Clowns & Hillbillies marks the first time in a decade that a John Mellencamp studio record finds him in the producer's chair. It's the first time ever that he's shared billing on an album cover. Carlene Carter is a singer/songwriter and music biz veteran; the daughter of country music royalty -- Carl Smith and June Carter Cash -- making her the stepdaughter of Johnny. She and Mellencamp worked together on 2012's Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, the musical theater project he scored for Stephen King; they collaborated further on the soundtrack for Ithaca -- the "Sugar Hill Mountain" reprised here is one of a handful of excellent duets between them. Things don't begin well, however. Mellencamp's attempt at Mickey Newbury's "Mobile Blue" (from his classic 'Frisco Mabel Joy album) is utterly dull despite using a full band driven by Miriam Sturm's excellent fiddling. "Battle of Angels" hearkens back to the songwriter's Lonesome Jubilee/Big Daddy period, and works like a charm. It's got everything: A killer hook, a poetic lyric, and a gritty vocal. Martina McBride appears as his duet partner on first single "Grandview," a rocking paean to trailer parks -- -- though guest guitarist Izzy Stradlin almost steals the show with a greasy blues-rock shuffle and break. "Indigo Sunset," the first duet between the headliners -- is kicked off by Carter's soulful country contralto. She frames the lyric's haunted loneliness while Mellencamp's grainy rasp -- framed by B-3, mandolin, fiddle, and guitars -- balances perfectly to bring it home. "All Night Talk Radio" is classic Mellencamp: Its dark vision is painted in compelling, ironic, and dark imagery packaged as in a taut, acoustic rocker. Morally, he should share the royalties for "You Are Blind" with Leonard Cohen's estate: A careful listen reveals that the strategic manner of stacking images and metaphors to draw out the last syllables bears the unmistakable imprint of the late songwriter's classic "Suzanne." Carter's soaring lead opening the duet of the rocking blues-gospel of "Damascus Road" is another set highlight. That theme also guides "My Soul's Got Wings," with Mellencamp's melody and chart accompanying a Woody Guthrie lyric -- Carter's command of the country church vernacular (after all, she sang with her mom in the Carter Family) lights the fuse for Mellencamp -- no stranger himself to rural Sunday services -- and he brings it home. While the words in closer "An Easy Target" rank among Mellencamp's most politically charged and socially arresting, his faux Tom Waits' delivery blunts the tune’s impact a bit, but it's too powerful to be completely buried under a stylistic mistake. While Sad Clowns & Hillbillies is a bit of a mixed bag, it's better than all of his other records that bear that mark (Dance Naked, Whenever We Wanted, Rough Harvest, et. al). It puts all his strengths -- excellent original songs, unforced arrangements, and (mostly) inspired performances -- on full display. Well, almost. Because Carter's dynamic presence here, and the pair's unmistakable chemistry, lift this album above the ordinary.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Recorded live at the Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles on their 2018 tour, Live in the City of Angels captures Simple Minds at their best. Featured are numerous tracks from their back catalog including fan favorites "Don’t You (Forget About Me)," "Sanctify Yourself," and "Alive and Kicking."© Rich Wilson /TiVo

In the year of his 90th birthday (which he would have celebrated on the 23rd of September 2020 had he not died in 2004), Ray Charles is honoured with a new 90-track compilation box set. Just another compilation like all the rest? Yes and no. Ray Charles is undoubtedly one of the most-compiled artists in the history of music. Published by Tangerine, the label that the musician set up at the end of the 50s to keep the rights to his songs, this box set starts out like all the others: with the post-Atlantic hits, Georgia On My Mind, Hit The Road Jack, One Mint Julep, Busted... These are timeless treasures of proto-soul, but there doesn't seem to be much novelty here. The rest is much more interesting, and much rarer: tracks recorded between the second half of the 1960s and the 2000s, many of which were only released on vinyl, never reissued on CD and until now unavailable on digital. This is the first time that Ray Charles' lesser-known years have been given the compilation treatment in this way, and it is a revelation. In the 90s and 2000s, the production of his songs had a synthetic feel, and they did not age too well. These rarer songs are often hidden gems of southern soul, flavoured with country and wrapped in sumptuous symphonic orchestrations. Whether he is singing the Muppets (It's Ain't Easy Being Green) or Gershwin (Summertime, a duet with Cleo Laine), Ray Charles is always deeply moving. Now, the dream is to hear reissues of all these albums in their entirety. © Stéphane Deschamps/Qobuz

It probably surprised a few people that guitar eccentric John Fahey chose to record Christmas music. This release comprises the majority of not one but two Christmas releases from 1968 and 1975. Most of the instrumentals on both albums will be familiar, such as "White Christmas," "The First Noel," and "What Child Is This?" On The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album, Fahey plays alone, using unusual harmonics and open tunings to turn in pleasant versions of classic Christmas songs. This is a relaxed album, with a pleasing version of "We Three Kings of Orient Are" and a nice fingerpicking adaptation of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Fantasy." The music from the second album, Christmas with John Fahey, Vol. 2 includes several duets with guitarist Richard Ruskin, giving this music a fuller sound and offering a nice contrast to the first album. "Oh Holy Night" presents an abundance of textures, as light and airy as the season, but more resonant due to the continuous melody line. While the material from both albums is satisfying, the later album gathers more depth and presence by the addition of Ruskin's unique but complementary guitar work. The instrumentals on the second album are also more eclectic, as with the "Russian Christmas Overture" and the 12-minute "Christmas Fantasy, Pt. 2." On this tune, Fahey uses a more eccentric approach, creating the type of Christmas music a fan would expect from him. This instrumental contains more dissonance and improvising than the other material, but nonetheless retains a seasonal air. This is a fine collection of holiday guitar music. © Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo

Listening to the Olympic Fanfare and Theme conducted by a spritely 89-year-old man, you’d be forgiven for wondering who the real sportsman is. A top athlete or this valiant conductor? For the first time in his life, John Williams conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker. The concert began with the theme Williams composed for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Perusing the Berlin Concert programme, you’ll notice that it’s not just this epic piece that centres on self-esteem, unwavering effort and innate talent. In fact, many of the soundtracks Williams has composed focus on the very same ideas. Whether he’s working on films depicting the magical gifts of a young orphan (Harry Potter and the Philosophy’s Stone) or a superhero with superhuman strength (Superman), it seems the exceptional longevity of the American musician’s glistening career could be the subject of a film for which he himself would compose the soundtrack. Other works – which Williams rarely plays in concert – also handle topics such as overcoming your demons: Far and Away’s novelistic and spirited soundtrack accompanies the trials of two Irish men on their quest to achieve their American dream. Meanwhile, the modern and atonal music from Close Encounters of the Third Kind sheds a strange light on the faith of a handful of men who believe in an otherworldly civilisation. Of course, this album also includes John Williams’ greatest hits, from the heroic Indiana Jones soundtrack to the Imperial March from Star Wars and the lyrical melodies from E.T. and Jurassic Park. With this guest conductor, the Berliner Philharmoniker adds colour to its palette. The result? Music that’s inspiring, exciting and well-received. © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz

As a fan of J.K. Rowling's massively popular Harry Potter books and the composer of some of the best fantasy/sci-fi film scores, John Williams was a natural choice to write the music for Chris Columbus' film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. His score captures the childhood mischief, magic, and adventure of the film and the books, mixing winding, soaring melodies with instrumentation that spans the delicately spooky to the darkly majestic. However, his work here won't necessarily dispel Williams' reputation as an occasionally light-fingered composer: one of the score's main motifs, a light-as-a-cobweb celesta melody most clearly stated in "The Arrival of Baby Harry" and "Hedwig's Theme," recalls the work of both Danny Elfman and Tchaikovsky, while some of the other melodies sound like they're just a few notes away from themes in his own Hook and Star Wars scores. Harry Potter's score also tends to repeat these main themes a little too often; fortunately they're reinterpreted fairly creatively from piece to piece. "Harry's Wondrous World" and "Visit to the Zoo and Letters from Hogwarts" are sweeping and lighthearted, while "In the Devil's Snare and the Flying Keys," "The Chess Game," and "The Face of Voldemort" close the score with a trio of menacing, climactic musical cues. In between are pretty, delicate moments like "Fluffy's Harp" and whimsical pieces like "Christmas at Hogwarts," which manages to combine the festive, carol-esque melody with the atmosphere of a school for witches and wizards. The pomp and circumstance of "The Quidditch Match" is probably the score's most typically Williams composition; a thrilling mix of his heroic style and the rest of the music's spooky, supernatural feel. Not surprisingly, considering that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone runs nearly three hours long, Williams' score is on the long side, making it somewhat difficult to take in outside of the film's context. While it may not be one of his most inspired works, it's never less than perfectly appropriate and does include some brilliant moments.© TiVo

In 1765, Johann Christian Bach, who had settled in London, established with his friend Carl Friedrich Abel the prestigious "Bach Abel Concerts". Surrounded by some of the most talented artists of their generation, Margaux Blanchard and Sylvain Sartre invite us to rediscover the music that enlivened the luxurious London salons of the late 18th century. A chance to be admitted, for a moment's listening, into the very select Bach Abel Society. © Mirare

Peter Bjorn and John's third album deserves every bit of attention and hype it's received, from large media outlets right down to the lowliest blog. It's a major work of post-everything indie rock that has enough hooks, production genius, and emotional strength to make other rock acts (indie or otherwise) sound like they are just wasting everyone's time. The group's previous two albums were excellent power pop records with an excess of brains and style, whereas Writer's Block scales back the guitars in favor of subtler arrangements that deliver just as much power sonically and ups the stakes in every other way. Every song has that kind of stripped-down, well-thought-out, whatever-works production style that brings the music fully to life. Check the steel drums on "Let's Call It Off," the shh-shh-shh percussion on "The Chills," or the majestic tubular bells of "Roll the Credits" for Spectorian shoegaze production magic. Or look at the infectious single "Young Folks" for the key to why the record sounds so right. Here they added the whistling as a marker for a future instrument but realized the offhanded whistle was just what the song needed. These are the decisions that make for greatness. Sure, the songs would have worked fine with just guitar-bass-drums backing, but the arrangements are like huge hooks that catch you and won't let go. The band also isn't content to stick to a formula. From the reverberating New Order sound of "Up Against the Wall," the small-group balladry of "Poor Cow," and the dynamic indie rock hum of "Objects of My Affection" to the austere synth pop of "Amsterdam," each song has a unique feel that adds up to an album that works as a whole as well as a collection of great songs.While the sound of Writer's Block is varied, the lyrical content is pretty black-and-white, focusing on the highs and (mostly) lows of romance. On the high side there's the giddy us-against-the-world "Young Folks," which is as nice a love ballad as you'll hear anywhere. Victoria Bergsman and Peter Moren's duet is enough to warm the heart of even the grumpiest romance snob. The lilting "Paris 2004," which features the perfectly sweet line "while I'm sleeping you paint a ring on my finger with your black marker pen," is also heartbreakingly romantic. The lows are as low as the highs are high. You have lovers about to break up ("Let's Call It Off," "Up Against the Wall," and "Roll the Credits"), guys feeling wistful as hell ("The Chills"), and absolutely desolate heartache ("Objects of My Affection"). Without the love songs, this would have been a very bleak listen; as it is, the balance is just right. It's pretty rare for a band to get better after being together as long as PB&J. Usually they peter out quickly and start releasing retreads or desperate attempts to make a statement or keep a record deal. Writer's Block is the work of a band at the absolute peak of its writing and performing skill. It's hard to imagine Peter Bjorn and John getting better than this. Hopefully they will, but if not, they'll always have this album to call their masterpiece.© Tim Sendra /TiVo

Continuing with the folk inclinations of The Lonesome Jubilee, John Mellencamp recorded his most ambitious and serious-minded album with Big Daddy. Mellencamp produced the record himself, giving the album a concise and stripped-down sound, which help give his songs the appearance of being gritty statements of truth. Unfortunately, Mellencamp isn't saying nearly as much as he believes he is, since his lyrics tend to be clichéd and half-baked, making much of the album feel pompous and self-serving. This is only reinforced by the lack of rockers on Big Daddy, since he saves the most carefree moment -- a ripping cover of the Hombres' "Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)" -- for an unlisted bonus track. Still, when he does hit his target, like on the gentle "Jackie Brown," the stuttering, fiddle-driven "Sometimes a Great Notion," and even the self-pitying "Pop Singer," Mellencamp proves that his talents haven't abandoned him.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Everyone knows the Indiana Jones theme, with its strident rhythm and sparkling trumpet. But we sometimes forget that the composer John Williams also wrote specific themes for the female characters who accompany the archaeological adventurer in Steven Spielberg's legendary saga. In 1981, for Raiders of the Lost Ark, the post-Romanticism of Marion's theme (played by Karen Allen) provided a nice counterbalance to the relentless triumph evoked by the main theme. In this fifth edition, John Williams (91 years old!) has written a theme for Helena, Indy's goddaughter, played by Phoebe Waller Bridge. It is very aptly brought to life by violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who feels like the musical embodiment of this tender, almost cerebral melody. The German musician had already worked with Williams in 2017 when he dedicated her a violin concerto, entitled Markings. As for the rest of the soundtrack to this Dial of Destiny, John Williams seems to have had a lot of fun referencing the golden age of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s. Rather than playing on the traditional music of the countries featured in the film (Morocco, Greece, Germany), he drew inspiration from the great scores of adventure films by Max Steiner, Miklós Rozsa and Erich Korngold. The result feels much like a tribute that will appeal not only to nostalgic fans of this cinema, but also to those who have been following the archaeologist’s adventures since the early days of his momentous career. ©Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz