Wide Angles is a 70-minute suite spotlighting Michael Brecker's electrifying tenor saxophone accompanied by a 15-piece chamber jazz group. Each of the 10 compositions (all by Brecker except one cowritten with George Whitty and one by Don Grolnick) serves as an extended showcase for Brecker's tenor in its various manifestations-at times driving and fiery, at times poignant and gentle, always emotion-charged and technically prodigious.

Michael Brecker, a major influence on today's young saxophonists, shows off his own influences a bit throughout this fine modern straight-ahead set. Brecker sounds surprisingly like Stanley Turrentine on parts of "Midnight Voyage," and otherwise displays his roots in Ernie Watts and John Coltrane. With the exception of Don Grolnick's "Willie T.," the music on the CD is comprised of group originals (five by the leader) and falls into the 1990s mainstream of jazz. While the tenor saxophonist has plenty of blowing space (really letting loose on the exciting closer, "Cabin Fever"), Pat Metheny is mostly pretty restrained (in a Jim Hall bag) except for his wild solo on guitar synth during "Song for Bilbao."

Bassist Mark Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb have been longtime friends, starting with their days at the University of Miami in the early '70s and continuing during their period with Pat Metheny (Egan was in the guitarist's group from 1978-1980, while Gottlieb stayed until 1983). They formed Elements in 1982, which, from its start, also included Bill Evans on soprano and tenor and keyboardist Clifford Carter.

Bassist Mark Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb have been longtime friends, starting with their days at the University of Miami in the early '70s and continuing during their period with Pat Metheny (Egan was in the guitarist's group from 1978-1980, while Gottlieb stayed until 1983). They formed Elements in 1982, which, from its start, also included Bill Evans on soprano and tenor and keyboardist Clifford Carter.

This CD has some of the best all-around playing by the Mark Egan-Danny Gottlieb group Elements. The band originally started out as a crossover/fusion group, but by the mid-'90s it was much more post-bop with touches of Weather Report and Miles Davis-type fusion. In addition to the co-leaders, the solo strength of keyboardist Gil Goldstein and particularly David Mann on soprano and tenor gave this unit its own musical personality, permanently taking it away from crossover into adventurous jazz. The seven originals on this live set (six by Egan) serve as stimulating devices for fiery and creative solos, and the music is consistently exciting. Highly recommended, this date is an essentially unclassifiable set of modern jazz.

When Spirit River was recorded in 1990, a decade had passed since the electric bassist's departure from the Metheny Group; but Metheny's influence remained. Nonetheless, the album makes it clear that Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb (Elements' other leader) have a collective vision of their own. This charming jazz/pop date isn't about intense or aggressive swinging, and tends to have an introspective, floating quality. Saxman Bill Evans (not to be confused with the late piano legend) is characteristically expressive and soulful on soprano, and Brazilian greats Flora Purim (vocals) and Airto Moreira (percussion) make some valuable, heartfelt contributions to the engaging CD.

Bassist Mark Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb have been longtime friends, starting with their days at the University of Miami in the early '70s and continuing during their period with Pat Metheny (Egan was in the guitarist's group from 1978-1980, while Gottlieb stayed until 1983). They formed Elements in 1982, which, from its start, also included Bill Evans on soprano and tenor and keyboardist Clifford Carter; guitarist Steve Khan, keyboardist Gil Goldstein, several percussionists, saxophonist David Mann, and other players have been guests.

Another from fusion ensemble Elements, this one more introspective and heavily produced than some earlier releases. It was reissued on CD in 1991. Mark Egan and Danny Gottlieb were the central performers and group's compositional backbone.

Emile Parisien this year received the prestigious French jazz award Victoires du Jazz as "musician of the year" and in 2012 won the Prix Django Reinhardt . Such accolades are evidence of a supreme talent, now given an international platform by ACT. The saxophonist has appeared on ACT once before, in the Duo Series alongside Vincent Peirani, but his Quartet is a different beast altogether, honed over the course of three albums into a tightly cohesive unit which enables the musicians to tackle the abstract time signatures and swift changes with consummate ease.

Earth, Wind & Fire Original Album Classics (2008 UK 5-CD album set comprised of the best selling and critically acclaimed album releases 'All In All', 'That's the Way of the World', 'I Am', 'Gratitude' and 'Spirit'; and features 8 Bonus Recordings [not on the original albums] including 'Saturday Nite', 'Imagination', 'African Symphony', 'Diana' & more - a total of 62 recordings; each album is housed in a mini LP-style card picture sleeve with the complete set presented in a sealed card slipcase).

With 1993's Let's Set The Record Straight, 1994's Forbidden Zone and 1995's From the Street, Tom Coster was hell-bent for fusion – he came across as someone who was determined to make exactly the kind of music he wanted, and if that meant little or no airplay on NAC radio, so be it. But when From Me to You was recorded in 1990, the keyboardist was still recording commercial projects that favored pop-jazz/crossover over fusion.

Keyboardist Tom Coster looks to the 1970s for inspiration on this set, particularly toward Chick Corea's Return to Forever and Miles Davis. The music mixes together funk and jazz with liberal doses of R&B and Latin, and the passionate rhythms add to the power of the improvisations. Coster, Bob Berg on tenor, and guitarist Frank Gambale take strong solos that give the CD plenty of stimulating moments. Acoustic purists are advised to look elsewhere, but fusion fans will enjoy this fine set.

William DeVaughn, a native of Washington, D.C., beat the odds when "Be Thankful for What You Got," scaled the charts and sold a million copies. You see, DeVaughn paid for the session. All artists who signed with Omega Productions paid to record. The title track, with its cool, shuffling beat and Biblical-influenced lyrics, was the summer jam of 1974. "Diamond in the back, sunroof top, digging the scene with a gangster lean" was the buzz phrase.

Earth, Wind & Fire has delivered more than its share of excellent albums, but if a person could own only one EWF release, the logical choice would be That's the Way of the World, which was the band's best album as well as its best-selling. Open Our Eyes had been a major hit and sold over half a million units, but it was World that established EWF as major-league, multi-platinum superstars. Fueled by gems ranging from the sweaty funk of "Shining Star" and "Yearnin' Learnin'" to the gorgeous ballad "Reasons" and the unforgettable title song, EWF's sixth album sold at least five million units. And some of the tracks that weren't major hits, such as the exuberant "Happy Feelin'" and the gospel-influenced "See the Light," are equally powerful. There are no dull moments on World, one of the strongest albums of the 1970s and EWF's crowning achievement.

The Crusaders are an American music group popular in the early 1970s known for their amalgamated jazz, pop, and soul sound. Since 1961, more than forty albums have been credited to the group (some live and compilations), 19 of which were recorded under the name "The Jazz Crusaders" (1961–1970).