62 songs from this gifted singer-songwriter, plus a discography of his early-'70s output. Includes: Another Saturday Night - Father and Son - The First Cut Is the Deepest - Hard Headed Woman - If You Want to Sing Out Sing Out - Katmandu - Longer Boats - Moonshadow - Morning Has Broken - Oh Very Young - Peace Train - Trouble - Where Do the Children Play? - Wild World - more.

Songlist: Wild World, Time, The Wind, Music, Trouble, Father And Son, Ready, Morning Has Broken, Katmandu, Moonshadow, Later, Oh Very Young, Foreigner Suite, Can't Keep It In, Sitting, Peace Train, Hard Headed Woman, Where Do The Children Play, Lady D'Arbanville, Another Saturday Night, Ghost Town, Ruins, On The Road To Find Out, The Boy With The Moon And Star On His He, If I Laugh, Sad Lisa, Sun/C79, Rubylove, Tea For The Tillerman, Bad Penny, and more

Masterpiece, Brett, Rob, Alan and Patrick, won the Barbershop Harmony Society's 75th Anniversary International Quartet Championship in Toronto in 2013, and also won CASA's "Best Barbershop Album, "Nice & Easy," and Best Barbershop Song, "Stormy Weather," that year. Our wait for their second album has finally been rewarded with brand new release "Old Friends!" The secret to their 2013 success, combining three veteran, past-champion singers with a hot young lead, created a winning sound, a rich, powerful blend that still works for Masterpiece and their happy live audiences. Some of our many favorites among these dozen tunes are Sondheim & Styne's "Everything's Coming Up Roses," Learner & Lane's "On a Clear Day," Boyd Atkins' "Heebie Jeebies," Leon & Otis Rene's "Sweet Lucy Brown," Lewis & Wooten's title tune, Hammerstein & Kern's "Old Man River" and Stephen Foster's classic "Oh! Susanna." You'll love the selections, arrangements, leads, harmonies, breathtaking held notes... in short, "Old Friends" is a, well, Masterpiece!

Songlist: Everything's Coming Up Roses, On A Clear Day, I Heard You Singing, Everyone's Wrong But Me, The Wind, Drown In My Own Tears, Heebie Jeebies, Not While I'm Around, Sweet Lucy Brown, Old Friends, Old Man River, Oh! Susanna

Poor Baker's Dozen is Jeff Zupfer, Tenor, Chris Heng, Bass, Kendal Marsh, Baritone, Jeremiah Gamble, Tenor, David Olson, Tenor and Jon Olson, Alto, and they are a cutting-edge Contemporary Christian group from St. Paul, Minnesota. 'Go Stop Go' is their 3rd CD, and we have been impressed with them since the first! This is all original music, most by Jeremiah but some by Jon and Jeff. All the songs are powerful, but we particularly liked 'The Wind,' 'Send Your Rain,' 'Cry,' 'Get On Board,' and the first cut, 'Listen.' The 12-page liner notes are among the most beautiful and extensive we've seen. Great stuff!

Songlist: Listen, Go, The Wind, I Want To Know You, Send Your Rain, For The Lamb, Cry, Stronger Than Superman, Get On Board, Wrestle With Angel, Send Your Rain (Reprise), The Sweetest Name

"Shenandoah" is the SVCC's ninth recording since its founding by Artistic Director Julia J. White, and it represents highlights of the 220-strong, 3-choir ensemble from its 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. Included are 8 lightly-accompanied selections from the Concert Choir of 2003-04, 5 selections from the Preparatory and Treble Choirs, and 8 songs from the Concert Choir of 2004-5, for a total of 21 songs. Some of our favorites are J.S. Bach's "Wir eilen, mit schwachen doch," the beautiful Swahili Lullabye/Prayer "Allunde, Alluia," Charles E. Ives' "The Circus Band," the traditional spiritual "Hand Me Down My Silver Trumpet," the Chinese Folk song "Chinese Fisherman's Song," the Calypso song "Shake the Papaya Down," the sea chantey title tune, the traditional Hawaiian song "'Ullili E" and James Papoulis' lovely "Can You Hear." Wonderful harmonies, a bright, clear, spirited sound and a well-chosen songlist all add up to another enjoyable, feel-good album from a great childrens' choir, the SVCC!

Songlist: Wir Eilen Mit Schwachen Doch Emsigen Schritten, The Wind, Dance To Your Daddie, Inscription Of Hope, Allunde Alluia, The Song That Nature Sings, The Circus BAnd, Glory To Thee My God This Night, Give Ear Unto Thee, Shenandoah, Little Wheel, My Hearts In The Highlands, Ulili E, A Psalm Of Life, Can Your Hear, Praise To The Lord, the Almighty

Presented as "a tribute to the Authentic Roots, 1950's RnB Groups, "Destiny" is several cuts above your average Doo-Wop CD. First, the material concentrates on that of mid-50's groups, primarily those from Chicago and New York. Songs like the Pipes' "Be Fair," The Velours' "Romeo," The Crows' "Baby Doll," "Call A Doctor" and "I Love You So," The Orchids' "Newly Wed" and The Diablos' "The Wind"- these songs are the real thing, and take us back to the years when streetcorner Doo-Wop was a ticket for some very talented singers and songwriters into recording studios and onto the radio and tv. Clean, sweet, in-tune leads by 5 guys who have paid their dues, and the arrangements (by Tommie Shider), don't take the easy path of many groups. There's 23 songs, including two nice originals, the title tune and "UGHA." A couple of songs are accompanied, but trust us, "Destiny" is a treat by a group that takes care of business!

Songlist: Be Fair, Romeo, Baby Doll, It Wasn't A Lie, You're Mine, Gloria (The Girl for Me), Castle in the Sky, PS I Love You, It Was Destiny, Tell Me Why, She Was A Battle Axe, I Love You So, All I Want, Call A Doctor, Newly Wed, The Verdict, I Know, Starting from Tonight, Fool's Prayers, The Wind, UGHA, How Would You Know, The Beat of Our Hearts

In 1956 Gil Valentin formed a group he called the Casanovas. But another group had recorded under that name, so he changed the name to the Valentinos, a romantic play on the famous actor, the holiday and Gil's own name. Beginning as an all-male quintet, they went to 3 men and one woman, and finally to 2 men and 2 women. There are 26 songs on "Gems," some favorites are "That's Why I Love You," "Oh My Love," the classic "Spanish Harlem," "IOU," "Gypsy Woman," "Peppermint Stick," "Rendezvous With You," "What Did Daddy Do," "Close Your Eyes" and "Set Me Free" are some of many favorites. The Valentinos have the classic Doo-Wop sound, and they use it well on "Acappella Gems." Great original recordings by one of the best groups of the era!

Songlist: Dee I, My Vow To You, That's Why I Love You, Darling, The Wind, Oh My Love, If I Should Lose You, Please Be Mine, Never Let Me Go, Spanish Harlem, I.O.U, Gypsy Woman, Peppermint Stick, Please Tell The Angels, How Much I Love You, Dear Sonia, Rendezvous With You, What Did Daddy Do, Guardian Angel, The Time, That's All I Want From You, I Mei Giorni Felici, Close Your Eyes, I've Been Good To You, Set Me Free, En Mi Viejo San Juan

WeBe3 : Live & Improvised   

Rhiannon, Joey Blake and David Worm are veterans of Bobby McFerrin's Voicestra, and have been involved in the quest to determine how far the human voice can go, individually and with other voices. "World Tour 2007" is an amazing live recording of WeBe3's performance at the Vic in Santa Monica, with Rhiannon mostly singing the leads, Blake adding yummy deep bass lines and Worm making sounds very much like a man playing a drum set. There are 10 cuts, "The Wind," "Ascona Sky," the exotic "Istanbul Blue," "Zingahlae," with Joey taking the lead, the finger-snapping, stream-of-feline-consciousness "Dear Cats," "WeBe3," "Time Goes By," a worthy attempt to describe the experience of living in 3 minutes, "Spontaneous Swing," the crazed "Serbian Taxi Ride" and "Let It Be So." Each of these 3 to 7 minute pieces is at once funny, joyous, unexpected, liberating and amazing. "World Tour 2007" is a pair of top-drawer vocalists and a sublime vocal percussionist going off in the direction of the standing bass- and snare drum-accompanied beat poets at San Francisco coffee houses, but on a whole other level musically and improvisationally. "Live and Improvised" is surprising and delightful from the first cut to the last!

Songlist: The Wind, Ascona Sky, Istanbul Blue, Zingahlae, Dear Cats, WeBe3, Time Goes By, Spontaneous Swing, Serbian Taxi Ride, Let It Be So