Despite setbacks, obstacles, and numerous challenges, these musical artists persisted and persevered to achieve success; becoming truly unstoppable.
Yo-Yo Ma and long-time friend and musical partner Emanuel Ax reunite for Hope Amid Tears, a new recording of Beethoven’s complete works for cello and piano. This three disc set presents Beethoven’s five sonatas for cello and piano in the order in which they were composed, tracing an important arc in Beethoven’s development and approach as a composer. Joining them are Beethoven’s three sets of variations for cello and piano. Hope Amid Tears is their second recording of the complete Beethoven cello sonatas, after a 1987 effort that earned the duo their second Grammy.
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Renaissance is the most recent full length album from global icon Beyoncé. Packed with rousing anthems, Renaissance is a culmination of freedom and escape that encourages jubilation, agency, and movement with abandon. A reinvention of four on the floor, intending to showcase music that stirs the soul and encourages dancing. It is a celebration of a club era when anyone who felt like an outsider sought each other and formed a community of freedom-seekers to express themselves creatively through the rhythm.
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Africa Unite, portrays two worlds colliding from a whole new generation of Afro-fused musicians reinterpreting Bob Marley's classic songs. A compilation of ten catalog tracks from Bob Marley & the Wailers in collaboration with a bracing assortment of 21st century Afrobeats (an umbrella term that describes popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s). These songs have been reimagined not as covers, but as collaborations. These various artists complement one another and approach the material with ambition and reverence, with unity being at the heart of the album.
Also available on Music Online Database
With His Hot and Blue Guitar is American singer Johnny Cash’s debut studio album originally released on October 11, 1957. It contains four of his hit singles, "Cry! Cry! Cry!," "So Doggone Lonesome," "Folsom Prison Blues," and the iconic “I Walk the Line” which reached number one on the US country charts and number seventeen on the pop charts. It was also one of the first albums ever issued on Sam Phillips' Sun Records label. This expanded version contains four additional tracks.
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Ray Charles was a brilliant, towering musical figure who through his singing and piano playing helped invent soul and R&B music. This expansive collection contains material previously released from 1960-2006, while disc six features all previously unreleased tracks. This set is accompanied by an illustrated 38-page book with performance notes by Valerine Ervin, A. Scott Galloway, and Quincy Jones.
Additional compilation available on Freegal Music+
Curtain Call 2 is the second installment of rap icon Eminem's greatest hits compilation. This two-disc album chronicles the releases since 2009’s Relapse, featuring most, but not all, of his charting singles, along with a handful of album tracks, non-LP cuts, and three new numbers. Featuring many highlights from Eminem's mid-career records and a plethora of guest artists.
Rhino Records compilation of selections previously released from 1967 to 1987 gathering together “The Queen of Soul’s” twenty best-selling singles from both her Atlantic and Arista years.
Additional compilation available on Freegal Music+
This captivating performance by psychedelic rock group, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, was recorded in the spring of 1969 before a raucous, sold-out audience. The crowd was eager to get as close to the stage as they could, while a similarly determined group of policemen working as security at the show were doing all they could to hold them back. In the midst of it all, the Experience were trying to play a show, and the result is a performance where Hendrix has to occasionally urge the crowd to cool out in the midst of a set full of extended jamming. Featuring the original lineup, this pristine recording was mixed directly from the original eight-track master tapes by Hendrix's longtime engineer Eddie Kramer and has never been released before in its entirety. It’s accompanied by a 24 page booklet with liner notes from ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, who witnessed the show first hand.
Dawn of Chromatica is a reinvention of Lady Gaga's sixth LP, Chromatica. It features new collaborations/remixes of the original album from Ashnikko, Bree Runway, Charli XCX, Chester Lockhart, Clarence Clarity, COUCOU CHLOE, Doss, Jimmy Edgar, Lil Texas, LSDXOXO, Mood Killer, Mura Masa, Planningtorock, Rina Sawayama, and Shygirl. Many of the collaborative artists were sourced by publicly asking fans who they would like to see on this project.
Nina Simone was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop. Created with the newest generation of Nina Simone fans in mind, this album is part of the Great Women of Song series and features Simone's most loved and notable hits assembled in one package.
Additional compilation available on Freegal Music+
Only the Strong Survive is the newest album from American singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and his first new studio album since 2020’s Letter To You. The album is a collection of soul music gems that celebrate the legendary songbooks of Gamble and Huff, Motown, Stax and many more. Only The Strong Survive features vocals from Springsteen and instrumentation primarily from his longtime producer Ron Aniello. The album also features guest vocals from Sam Moore, as well as contributions from The E Street Horns, full string arrangements by Rob Mathes and backing vocals from Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr., Fonzi Thornton, and Dennis Collins.
Also available on Freegal Music+
The 20th Century Masters collection, The Best of Stevie Wonder, features his greatest hits from his early years at Motown. Nearly every song here was a number one hit on the R&B or pop charts, sometimes doubling on both. Featuring many instantly identifiable classics, instantaneously synonymous not only with Motown, but with soul music itself. Casual fans will be delighted at this compilation celebrating one of soul music's most revered treasures.
Additional compilation available on Music Online Database