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"Beauty and the Beast [Original Broadway Cast Recording] [Special Edition]" (04/26/1994) Pop Vocal Original Cast, Walt DisneyPrincipal cast includes: Wendy Oliver (Enchantress); Harrison Beal (Young Prince); Terrence Mann (Beast); Susan Egan (Belle); Kenny Raskin (Lefou); Burke Moses (Gaston); Sarah Solie Shannon, Paige Price, Linda Talcott (Three Silly Girls); Tom Bosley (Maurice); Heath Lamberts (Cogsworth); Gary Beach (Lumiere); Stacey Logan (Babette); Beth Fowler (Mrs. Potts); Brian Press (Chip); Barbara Marineau (Madame de la Grande Bouche); Gordon Stanley (Monsieur D'Arque); David Ogden Stiers (Voice of Narration). Recorded at Sony Music Studios, New York. All music written by Alan Menken. All lyrics written by Tim Rice or Howard Ashman. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: A NEW MUSICAL was nominated for Best Musical Show Album in the 37th Annual Grammy Awards. Disney's Beauty and the Beast is not the kind of film that needs a direct-to-video sequel, though one has already been made. Every spin-off product which falls short of this classic serves only as a mockery. The best idea by far was to carry the film to Broadway, where it has developed into one of the best examples of a true theater experience, and a classic in its own right. There is no gimmick, no distortion of the tale or of the film; everything that made the film so magical is right there on stage -- it is not an addition to the film, but a tribute. What is added is a grander experience, including a song which was originally intended for the film, but left out due to time constraints and editing tugs. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (Little Shop of Horrors) had hoped to take the film to Broadway, but plans were stalled when Ashman passed away in 1991. Menken then collaborated with Tim Rice to develop new material that would extend the musical into a full-length play. There may not have been reason to own the Broadway Cast Recording, aside from being a fan of Susan Egan's (voice of Belle), if not for these extra songs. Each one could have fit in perfectly with the film -- they aren't simply shoveled in as bonuses, but make the whole picture bigger and fuller. Every major character has their own new song, the standout being "Home," which is sung by Belle upon arriving at the Beast's castle. "Me," sung by the handsome and evil Gaston, is a boisterous love song to himself, stuffed with witty lines like "women can have their uses too/mainly to extend the family tree." Even the Beast has his solo moment with the dark, mournful ballad "If I Can't Love Her." The household objects who gave Disney World a new theme of "Be Our Guest," reveal their longings to return to human form in "Human Again," the only new song which was written by Howard Ashman. There is something for all fans here, even those who prefer the clear-cut original versions and voices from the animated film. What is better: throwing in a new, weaker story line and lesser animation to pop out sequels on video or taking originals like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King to 42nd street, where they can shine? ~ Peter Fawthrop

"It's Time" (02/08/2005) Pop Vocal Buble, Michael, ReprisePersonnel: Michael Bubl? (vocals); Nelly Furtado (vocals); Brian Green, Brian Green (guitar, acoustic guitar); Heitor Teixeira Pereira, John Chiodini, Anthony Wilson (guitar); Brandon Jenner (acoustic guitar); Jeff Clayton , Keith Fiddmont (alto saxophone); Rickey Woodard, Charles Owens (tenor saxophone); Lee Callet (baritone saxophone); Gilbert Castellanos, Sal Cracchiolo, Kyle Palmer (trumpet); George Bohannon, Ira Nepus (trombone); Bill Reichenbach Jr. (bass trombone); David Foster (piano, keyboards); Tamir Hendelman (piano); Brian Bromberg (bass guitar); Frank Capp, Jeff Hamilton (drums); Neil Devor (programming); Dean Parks (guitar); Michael Thompson (electric guitar); Dan Higgins (flute, saxophone); Jochem van der Saag (harmonica, organ, programming); Chris Botti (trumpet); Randy Waldman, Alan Chang (piano); David Tull, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Rafael Padilla (percussion); Debbie Timuss (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Humberto Gatica; Al Schmitt. Recording information: Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Chartmaker Studios; Henson Recording; Paramount Studios, Hollywood, CA; Record Plant; Signet Sound; Village Recorder, West Los Angeles, CA; Warner Bros. Sound Stage. Photographer: Olaf Heine. Arrangers: David Foster; John Clayton, Jr.; William Ross ; Don Sebesky; Jeremy Lubbock; Jerry Hey; Bill Holman. Michael Buble's third major US release (including the mostly live COME FLY WITH ME) stays on message--this young Canadian loves the lush, swaying music of his parents' and grandparents' generations. Buble's albums, however, are much more than mere back-in-the-day exercises. The production and arranging of David Foster (Celine Dion, Josh Groban) is eclectic in a way that firmly places the tunes at the dawn of the 21st century, and, more importantly, Buble possesses the chops and sense of style to re-imagine the adult-contemporary vocal genre in a distinctive manner. In addition to standards by Gershwin and Porter, Buble embraces a variety of sounds, from Motown ("How Sweet It Is") to bossa nova ("Quando, Quando, Quando" with Nelly Furtado) to the Beatles ("Can't Buy Me Love" with a "She Loves You" tag). With his smooth croon and charming persona, Buble is a natural performer, and, for fans of fearlessly romantic and infectiously swinging music, IT'S TIME is a sure bet.

"The Christmas Collection" (10/25/2005) Easy Listening Il Divo, Syco/ColumbiaCHRISTMAS COLLECTION is also available with a bonus disc in the limited edition IL DIVO GIFT PACK. Audio Mixer: Ren Swan. Recording information: Rokstone Studios, London, England (2004); Whitfield Street Studios, London, England (2004). Photographer: Walter Chin. Quickly following up the success of its 2005 self-titled debut, the international pop/opera quartet Il Divo unveiled its first Christmas album later that year. Vocalists David Miller (US), Sebastien Izambard (France), Urs Buhler (Switzerland), and Carlos Marin (Spain) stick to a mostly English-language set of Christmas classics, with their resonant, emotive voices lifting every track on this lovely holiday album.

"Swingin' Miss 'D' [Bonus Tracks]" (09/22/1998) Pop Vocal Washington, Dinah, Verve (USA)Personnel: Dinah Washington (vocals). Quincy Jones's Orchestra: Quincy Jones (conductor); Hal McKusick (alto saxophone, flute); Anthony Ortega (alto saxophone); Jerome Richardson, Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone); Danny Bank (baritone saxophone); Don Elliott (trumpet, mellophone, vibraphone, xylophone, bongo); Bernie Glow, Jimmy Maxwell, Ernie Royal, Doc Severinsen, Charlie Shavers, Clark Terry, Nick Travis, Joe Wilder (trumpet); Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, Quentin Jackson (trombone); Tommy Mitchell (bass trombone); Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson (piano); Barry Galbraith (guitar); Milt Hinton (bass); Jimmy Crawford, Osie Johnson (drums). Includes liner notes by Brian Priestly & John Wilson. This is part of Verve's Master Edition series. Personnel: Dinah Washington (vocals); Barry Galbraith (guitar); Hal McKusick (flute, alto saxophone); Anthony Ortega (clarinet, alto saxophone); Jerome Richardson, Lucky Thompson (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Danny Bank (bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); Don Elliott (trumpet, vibraphone, xylophone, bongos); Clark Terry, Doc Severinsen, Ernie Royal, Joe Wilder, Bernie Glow, Jimmy Maxwell, Nick Travis, Charlie Shavers (trumpet); Jimmy Cleveland, Quentin Jackson, Urbie Green (trombone); Tommy Mitchell (bass trombone); Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson (piano, celesta); Jimmy Crawford , Osie Johnson (drums). Liner Note Authors: John S. Wilson ; Brian Priestley. Recording information: New York, NY (06/25/1956-12/06/1956). Editor: Peter Pullman. Photographers: Howard; Chuck Stewart. Arrangers: Ernie Wilkins; Quincy Jones; Benny Golson. Dinah Washington had everything you could ask for in a singer--pitch, phrasing, diction, savvy, romanticism, humor, a voice golden or guttural, you name it. She was utterly comfortable in whatever style was called for that day, whether jazz, R&B, blues or pop. Her versatility is readily apparent on the series of classy "jazz" albums she recorded for Emarcy/Mercury from 1954 through 1959, till the enormous success of "What A Difference A Day Made" inspired Mercury to try to force her into a purely hit-making mold. THE SWINGIN' MISS "D" was recorded in 1956 with 23-year-old Quincy Jones arranging. Jones was already an experienced hand with Dinah, since he wrote the charts for her lyrical FOR THOSE IN LOVE in 1954. As the full title states, MISS "D" is an altogether different affair--upbeat and crisply arranged, with Washington turning in one exhilarating tour de force performance after another. Expectedly, there are also exquisite ballad performances here like "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," "I'll Close My Eyes" and the newly-written "Never Let Me Go." But it's the hard-driving charts (surperbly restored in a Verve Master Edition) that show Miss D to such advantage on this particular day. Dinah Washington was accompanied by an orchestra organized and conducted by Quincy Jones on this 1957 album, and she was singing to arrangements mostly written by the young bandleader, swing charts of pop standards by the likes of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Duke Ellington. The result had much in common with the swing albums of Frank Sinatra in the same period, especially because Jones' arrangements were heavily influenced by Billy May and Nelson Riddle. Sinatra's records were regarded as "pop, " of course, and Washington's, at least when released on the EmArcy subsidiary of Mercury Records, as "jazz, " but her precise articulation and attention to lyrical meaning left little room for improvisation, and while Jones allowed for brief solos from a band that included Charlie Shavers, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, and Milt Hinton, the jazz categorization was actually arbitrary. Whatever musical genre you assign it to, however, this is an excellent Washington album. For the 1998 reissue, Verve has added seven bonus tracks recorded around the same time and with much the same personnel, though they were intended as singles and thus are inferior contemporary tunes. Often, however, Washington sounds more comfortable and enthusiastic on these pop and R&B songs than she does on the standards. [The CD

"Avenue Q [PA]" (10/07/2003) Pop Vocal Original Cast, RCA Victor Records (USA)Music and lyrics written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Principal cast includes: Jennifer Barnhart, Natalie Venetia Belcon, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Jordon Gelber, Ann Harada, Rick Lyon, John Tartaglia. Recorded at Right Track Studio, New York, New York on August 10, 2003. In the late 1990s, the television show SOUTH PARK sparked a trend of using figures associated with children's entertainment, such as puppets and animated characters, in the service of adult comedy. Depending on your viewpoint, this either generates marvelously clever social critique or cheap, tasteless jokes. Adding to the controversy is AVENUE Q, the smash Broadway hit that reads like a thinly veiled SESAME STREET parody, in which a charming puppet world is subverted by smart, bawdy humor about sexuality, pornography, and racism. In this production, for example, puppet roommates Rod and Nicky seem to have a particularly close relationship (explored in "If You Were Gay") and other characters wonder "What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?" and declare "It Sucks to Be Me" in a rousing medley. The original Broadway cast recording features these songs and more, and it is no wonder AVENUE Q won the Tony for Best Musical given its catchy tunes, witty lyrics, and spirited performances. One listen to the score and you, too, may find yourself singing "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" and "The Internet Is for Porn."

"Meet Me in St. Louis [Rhino]" (04/25/1995) Pop Vocal Original Soundtrack, Rhino Records (USA)Personnel include: Judy Garland (vocals). Principal cast includes: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brian, Tom Drake, Lucille Bremer. Personnel: Denny Markas, John Caroll, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Tom Drake, Harry Davenport, Lucille Bremer, Judy Garland, Marjorie Main, Arthur Freed (vocals). Recording information: Culver City, CA (11/03/1943-05/26/1944). As one of the premiere MGM musicals of all time, it is amazing that a definitive Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) had never been available prior to this 1995 single CD. Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin's complete score is included, as are the oft-overlooked orchestrations from Conrad Salinger. Even though the role seems to have been written specifically for Judy Garland, the actress purportedly fought the studio, as she had grown weary of portraying children onscreen. As fate would have it, her performance not only stole the show, but became one of Garland's most critically and commercially successful performances. The plot deals with the Smith family during the winter of 1903, as they eagerly await the opening of the World's Fair in their hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. However, when the father is offered a substantial job in the Big Apple, their hopes of attending the event are dashed. Simply put, Garland -- who plays the second oldest female of five siblings -- is splendid from tip to tail. Especially notable are her solos on the yearning "The Boy Next Door," the holiday standard "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the career-defining "Trolley Song," and on this edition, an outtake titled "Boys and Girls Like You and Me." She is joined by Lucille Bremer on the familiar reprise of the theme "Meet Me in St. Louis" and on the high-energy square dance routine "Skip to My Lou." Tom Drake -- the object of Garland's affections in the film -- pairs up for the poignant waltz ballad "Over the Banister." Although it tends to be eclipsed somewhat by the other luminous entries in the songbook, the vaudevillian "Under the Bamboo Tree" is a great production number with a very young Margaret O'Brien accompanying Garland. The liner notes are extensive, housing plenty of eye candy, as well as a detailed essay by George Feltenstein. ~ Lindsay Planer

"Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday" (10/02/2001) Pop Vocal Holiday, Billie, Columbia/LegacyPersonnel includes: Billie Holiday (vocals); Tab Smith (soprano & alto saxophones); Benny Carter (alto & tenor saxophones); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Lester Young (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Ben Webster, Chu Berry (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, clarinet); Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, Bunny Berigan, Hot Lips Page (trumpet); Benny Morton (trombone); Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Edmond Hall, Buster Bailey, Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet); Teddy Wilson, Claude Thornhill, Billy Kyle, Joe Sullivan, Joe Bushkin, Eddie Heywood (piano); Freddie Green, Lawrence Lucie, Carmen Mastren, Dave Barbour (guitar); Walter Page, Milt Hinton, John Kirby (bass); Jo Jones, Gene Krupa, Cozy Cole, Kenny Clarke. J.C. Heard (drums); Producers include: John Hammond, Bernie Hanighen. Compilation producers: Michael Brooks, Michael Cuscana. Recorded between 1935 and 1942. Includes liner notes by Gary Giddins. Digitally remastered by Mark Wilder & Seth Foster (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York). Personnel: Billie Holiday (vocals); Danny Barker , Dave Barbour, Dick McDonough, Eddie Durham, Freddie Green, Gene Fields, John Collins, Lawrence Lucie, John Trueheart, Allan Reuss, Bernard Addison, Al Casey, Jimmy McLin, Carmen Mastren (guitar); Edgar Sampson, Hymie Schertzer (clarinet, alto saxophone); Ernie Powell, Babe Russin (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (clarinet, baritone saxophone); Edmond Hall, Irving Fazola, Jimmy Hamilton, Artie Shaw, Vido Musso, Benny Goodman, Buster Bailey (clarinet); Tab Smith (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Benny Carter (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Earle Warren, Eddie Barefield, Jack Washington, Carl Frye, Johnny Hodges, Leslie Johnakins (alto saxophone); Chu Berry, Lester Boone, Stanley Payne, Kenneth Hollon, Lester Young, Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Emmett Berry, Irving "Mouse" Randolph, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Hot Lips Page, Jonah Jones, Roy Eldridge, Shad Collins, Buck Clayton, Bunny Berigan, Charlie Shavers (trumpet); Benny Morton (trombone); Claude Thornhill, Clyde Hart, Ken Kersey, Eddie Heywood, Jimmy Sherman, Joe Bushkin, Joe Sullivan, Margaret Johnson, Sonny White, Teddy Wilson, Billy Kyle (piano); Cozy Cole, Hal West, Eddie Dougherty, Gene Krupa, Alphonse Steele, J.C. Heard, Jo Jones , Kenny Clarke (drums). One of the top three female jazz singers in history, Billie Holiday (along with Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan) changed not only the course of jazz but the very shape of pop culture. On this 2001 Columbia two-CD collection, we hear Holiday in her early years. These indelible recordings, backed by legends in their own right, Teddy Wilson (piano), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Benny Goodman (clarinet) and others, highlight the passionate singing of the great Lady Day. Holiday was known for her elegant phrasing, warm (often heart-rending) tone, and her coarse, witty parlance. This combination of musical and personal attributes was her charm and, indeed, few of her contemporaries could compete with such magnetism. In the entire history of jazz, arguably no one sang such standards as "You Go to My Head," "The Very Thought of You," and "God Bless the Child" with the same radiance as Holiday; these sessions are testament to this. Compiled from performances recorded between 1933 and 1944, this CD represents the golden years of Holiday's career.

"Il Divo" (04/19/2005) Easy Listening Il Divo, Columbia (USA)Il Divo: Carlos Marin, David Miller , Sebastien Izambard, Urs Buhler (vocals). Additional personnel: Mathias Venge (guitar, programming); Esbj?rn ?hrwall, Fridrik Karlsson (guitar); Jannika Gustafsson (violin); Gavyn Wright (strings); Jan Bengtsson (flute); Bengt Rosengren (oboe); Maj Widding (bassoon); Hans Larsson, Rolf Nyqvist (French horn); Per Magnusson (piano, keyboards); Dave Arch, Kristoffer Nerg?rdh (piano); Steve Mac (keyboards, synthesizer); Andy Hill (keyboards); Tomas Lindberg (bass instrument); Chris Laws (drums); Frank Ricotti, Karl Thorsson (percussion); Josef Larossi, David Krueger, Andreas "Quiz" Romdhane (programming); Emil Heiling, Anders Von Hofsten, Maria Diephuis, Linda Norrg?rd (background vocals). Ensemble: Stockholm Session Strings. IL DIVO gives the classical/pop crossover a twist, via a quartet of singers whose vocal chops and model-like looks make them four times the heartthrob threat of predecessor Andrea Bocelli. Masterminded by AMERICAN IDOL's Simon Cowell, Il Divo resonates with an international appeal, thanks to the disparate backgrounds of Sebastien Izambard (France), Urs Buhler (Switzerland), Carlos Marin (Spain), and David Miller (United States). Further solidifying the pop quotient is the involvement of Britney Spears/Backstreet Boys producers Per Magnusson and David Krueger. Lush orchestral arrangements are applied to Spanish-language readings of Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart (Regresa a Mi)" and Frank Sinatra's signature "My Way (A Mi Manera)," enhancing the romantic sweep of the originals. Although much of Il Divo's repertoire is performed in Spanish or Italian, the group also offers up the English-language tunes "Mama," "The Man You Love," and "Every Time I Look at You," which features swelling strings and light piano. As a bonus, the album includes a hidden track--an Italian version of "Unchained Melody," which is tailor-made for Il Divo's bold, dramatic phrasing.