Period: 21st Century

Philadelphia's first tango music ensemble, The Oscuro Quintet, evokes the passion and the grace of tango from dance floors to concert halls with a mind toward both the music of the past and the vanguard of progression. As their first full release, this self-titled album provides a document of the Quintet's dedication to both well-established staples of tango and new, progressive forms of the genre, including pieces composed by members of the group.

In February 2012, three of today's greatest jazz musicians and arguably the world's top classical clarinetist entered Avatar Studios in New York to record a twelve-minute epic by the legendary Chick Corea. The resulting track, Marika Groove with marimbist Mika (Yoshida) Stoltzman, drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Eddie Gomez, and clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, captures the brilliance of both the composer and performers in a sprawling cut with constant interplay between the instruments and melodic marimba lines, which (Yoshida) Stoltzman navigates with ease.

Big Round Records is proud to present MORNING MOON, the debut commercial release from the eclectic and varied Ecco La Musica. The group's seamless blending of jazz, world, chamber, and experimental music-all of which is composed by the group members themselves-highlights their ability to remain ahead of the curve of their competition, both independent and mainstream. As most artists struggle to blur the lines of genre, Ecco La Musica has them nearly erased.

Ecco La Musica seeks to connect to its audience not through an ability to be pegged into a single category, but through the spiritual and cultural aspects of their music. Firm believers in the unifying power of music and the coexistence promoted by its very craft, the group strives to expose listeners to the idea that originality and cross-cultural influences in music can lead to a global awareness of artistic integrity, the necessity for peace, and the unity of culture.

SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES is the third release in the critically acclaimed Best Foot Forward series from Recess Music. This album of children's music features many contrasting styles and teaches our kids lessons of empathy, caring, and understanding, with songs chosen for their ability to engage, educate, entertain, and encourage children to think about both their own feelings and those of others. Just like the other discs in the Best Foot Forward series, SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES features engaging, fun tunes enjoyable for kids and parents alike!

THE CITY OF MY SOUL is a collaboration between jazz singer Sophie Dunér, classical ensemble The Callino Quartet, and Grammy- and Juno-winning producer Michael Haas, resulting in an explosion of stylistic fusion and musical ingenuity. Dunér talents as a composer, lyricist, and vocalist hailed as a genuine triple threat (Cadence) and prolific, fearless and quirky (Jazz.com) mesh seamlessly with the classically trained ensemble, allowing the colors and personality of her songs to shine through with musical and personal significance.

Recess Music is proud to present OCEAN MOTION, the third installment in the Celebrate Earth Music Series. The thirteen songs were hand-picked by Recess Music's Nancy Doan for their focus on educating kids about the wonders of our oceans and how it's up to all of us to keep them clean.

Recess Music is proud to present GROWING VEGGIE SOUP, the next installment in the Celebrate Earth Music Series. The thirteen songs were picked for their focus on educating kids about gardening and sustainable farming practices.

BIG BULLY is the first disc in the new Best Foot Forward series from Recess Music. This disc highlights the importance of education on bullying and its effect on children, as well as how children and their parents can deal with issues surrounding bullying. More importantly, the tracks on the disc teach kids that even if they are bullied, they are special to someone and that they can still make a difference.

Allen Savedoff composer

Big Round Records is proud to present MIKA MARIMBA MADNESS: LIVE IN CONCERT 2009, featuring a breathtaking performance from Japan's virtuoso marimbist Mika (Yoshida) Stoltzman alongside drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Eddie Gomez, and pianist Peter Stoltzman.

WILD CHILD is the fourth disc in the Celebrate Earth series from Recess Music. This album of children's music highlights the importance of the earth's rainforests and wildlife, as well as how parents and kids can think about sustaining this vital ecosystem. Just like the other discs in the Celebrate Earth series, WILD CHILD features catchy, fun tunes enjoyable for kids and parents alike!

CELEBRATE EARTH is an all-new collection of children's music with an environmental message. Each of the fourteen songs were hand-picked by Recess Music CEO Nancy Doan for their quality and commitment to making the Earth a better place. CELEBRATE EARTH is sure to entertain and educate kids of all ages.

Papa Mojo’s features Louisiana dance hall music straight from the bayou. Mel Melton and the Wicked Mojos bring a blend of zydeco, blues, and New Orleans jazz and funk with a Cajun flair. Take a listen and have a great time with the Mojo Music of Papa Mojo’s.

From genre-smashing composer and keyboardist Miguel Kertsman and drummer Ernie Adams comes IN THE MOMENT, a true-to-its-name album that leaps over musical boundaries and defies any label. The single-take, minimally microphoned recordings capture the raw emotional potential of music and the spontaneity of an intimate recording session. Kertsman’s vintage analog keyboards, bass pedals, and Adams’ drums work in tandem to duck and weave between musical forms, mingling with progressive rock, jazz fusion, Brazilian, Eastern, and more, all seamlessly fused together into one cohesive musical journey.

On PEOPLE, PLACES, MOMENTS, Nina Feric presents a wide selection of all original works, each deeply in tune with life and art, and enriched with personal anecdotes from her own life. Her first album as both a composer and performer, Feric’s compositions often alternate between lighter and darker moments, while the use of modulation and chromatics give the melodies a certain dose of playfulness. Thoughtfully composed and masterfully conveyed through a single piano, the main message behind Feric’s music speaks clearly and warmly throughout: a positive outlook on the future and the joy of living.

A signature sound deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition, the buoyant and soothing nature of Klezmer music speaks in a new tone in CELEBRATION MUSIC from Big Round Records. With pieces selected by renowned clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein and arranged for clarinet and string quartet by Ljova, Fiterstein and the critically acclaimed Muir String Quartet deftly handle the genre with passion and unbridled musicality, navigating both relaxing and exhilarating up-tempo passages with dynamism and verve. Historically performed by klezmer bands for major Jewish life events and celebrations in Eastern Europe and New York City, the style remains alive and well in this modern setting, arranged for the concert stage where audiences can enjoy its timeless, uplifting qualities.

APERÇU from composer and banjo innovator Michael Nix challenges listeners to reimagine the banjo as an instrument. The music, part of Nix’s New Classic Banjo Project, is brought to life by Nix’s 7-string Banjar, incorporating a wide range of folk and classical styles to forge an entirely new genre: New Classical Banjo. The album's title, which translates to “A survey or sketch; or an immediate impression, especially an insight” delivers just that. Koromanti, the opening piece on the album, is based on the very first notated banjo music, a transcription of music performed at a gathering of enslaved people in Jamaica in 1688. Banjar Lam Plearn, meanwhile, pays homage to the Mor Lam style traditionally performed in the Issan region of Thailand. These, and many other Aperçu shine through this remarkable collection of music.

Israel Neuman’s VOLUTION fuses the power of hip hop with the versatility of jazz to form a uniquely forceful expression. The music heard on the album hints at a number of other musical genres as well, including rhythm and blues and middle-eastern folk music, to name a few. Vocalists including AceKidd and Cole Bracey rap and sing over the kaleidoscopic timbres created by Neuman’s music. In Tear It Down, AceKidd’s lyrics decry systemic injustice with lines like “man down/oh but you won’t lend a hand out/pressed down expecting us to stand down.” In Rough, a lovesick Cole Bracey croons “I’m worthless without your love/I’m spinning…Oh it’s rough.” With evocative lyrics, masterful modulations, and a smooth blend of celebrated musical styles, VOLUTION invites a wide audience of music lovers to the table.

THE OXTET DOES HINDEMITH from Josh Oxford is a bold reimagining of classical music in a jazz fusion context. In this album, Oxford revisits some of Paul Hindemith’s greatest works. Hindemith, a late Romantic German composer, lived during the first half of the 20th century and was among the most significant composers of his time. The album contains sonatas for trumpet, tuba, trombone, and more, in which tonically complex horn lines weave above a jazz band. Recorded at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca and at Ithaca College, the timbres of the various horns along with marimba, Fender Rhodes, drums, electric guitar and bass, and more, are rendered in high fidelity. THE OXTET DOES HINDEMITH features the music of this legendary composer as you’ve never heard it before.

WHEN GAIA FALLS from composer Bradford Blackburn is an environmental call for action in the face of climate change manifested through musical, literary, and sonic eclecticism as a medium of universality. Its central message? There is no better time to save the future than the present. From the body of electroacoustic, choral, and chamber works emerge a trio of narrative sub texts. The first, to simplify our needs and desires, the second, to make ecologically sustainable choices, and the third, to pursue positive change as a society. Bradford calls upon several artists to drive his message home in this release, spanning a variety of genres and moods that make a compelling case.