Beyond The Black are most certainly that. And with a sensational new line-up ready to conquer the planet, Beyond The Black’s ascension is guaranteed. Joining dynamic, world-class frontwoman and vocalist Jennifer Haben are Christian Hermsdörfer (guitar & backing vocals), Tobias Lodes (guitar & backing vocals), Jonas Roßner (keyboards), Stefan Kerkenhoff (bass) and Kai Tschierschky (drums). This power-packed sextet will immediately dazzle audiences on Beyond The Black’s own headline tour in November, as well as in support of the mighty Scorpions during the same month in Germany and France. Further road adventures will come when Beyond The Black join forces with Powerwolf & Epica in January & February 2017, with a US special guest slot slated in Spring 2017. To celebrate the new band’s union, an international tour edition of the “Lost in Forever” album will be released worldwide on January 13th 2017, featuring four brand-new bonus tracks, “The Other Side”, “Dim The Spotlight”, “Our Little Time” and “Rage Before The Storm”.

With ten brand new contemporary jazz numbers (four of them co-written by Steve Oliver) ‘Persuasion’ is an unadulterated delight and a ready-made Christmas gift for smooth jazz lovers everywhere. The album is quickly up and running with the funky groove of the title cut that, as well as being the lead single, also features sax from Boney James. Also delivering all the rhythm and melody you will ever need is ‘Take It Up’ while elsewhere the horn driven intro of ‘Surreal Theme’ paves the way to contemplative piano from Simpson that is in magical contrast to the foot tapping chorus line.

Pink Martini casts its unique big-band lounge sound around the world on the new album Je Dis Oui! The French phrase, meaning “I say yes,” comes from the opening track “Joli Garçon,” and the song’s carpe diem message sets the tone for the whole high-spirited enterprise.

This set, made in 2007, is the last studio recording Joe Zawinul worked on before his death. It places the great Austrian pianist/composer in front of a mixed-genre chamber orchestra led by young Estonian classical conductor Kristjan Jarvi, and concentrates on the music of Zawinul's later years with his Syndicate, rather than the more famous two-decade reign of Weather Report. The dressing of jazz, improv or fusion ideas in classical music's graceful robes often does few favours to any of the contributing genres, but this is an exception: sustaining the Syndicate's headlong energies while enhancing passing melodic ideas that the erudite Zawinul would sometimes casually toss out.

"Fragments" is the sophomore album from UK-based Submotion Orchestra, a seven-piece collective of musicians making progressive electronic music. SubMotion Orchestra describe their own sound as drawing upon dubstep, soul, ambient electronica, jazz and dub. This description of their sound is likely to cause a dichotomous reaction of either intrigue or repulsion. Some of the tracks on Fragments really show how interesting fusions of genres work.