Release Round-Up: Week of February 5

Taj Mahal, The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (Columbia/Legacy)

Fifteen discs of the blues legend’s Columbia output, including last year’s The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal compilation of unreleased material. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Townes Van Zandt, Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions and Demos 1971-1972 (Omnivore)

A new two-disc set features entirely unreleased outtakes, alternates and demos from the Texan singer-songwriter’s early-’70s career. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Barbra Streisand, Classical Barbra: Expanded Edition (Masterworks)

A newly-expanded version (with two bonus tracks) of Barbra’s 1976 album of pieces by Handel, Debussy, Orff and others. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Billy Paul, Going East: Expanded Edition / Dick Jensen, Dick Jensen / Azteca, Azteca: Expanded Edition / Pyramid of the Moon: Expanded Edition / Tyrone Davis, In the Mood with Tyrone Davis: Expanded Edition / Carmen McRae, I Am Music (Big Break)

Check out the scoop on the latest Big Break batch (complete with Amazon links) here, and read Joe’s review of Dick Jensen here!

Jewel, Greatest Hits (Atlantic/Rhino)

One of the biggest country-pop hitmakers of the ’90s releases her first compilation with a new single and two new duet recordings of previous hits with Pistol Annies and Kelly Clarkson. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Tony Bennett, As Time Goes By: Great American Songbook Classics (Concord)

A new budget-line, 12-track compilation of Tony’s mid-’70s Improv and Fantasy output. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Deep Purple, Slaves and Masters: The Deluxe Edition (Friday Music)

The band’s only Mk. V album, featuring onetime Rainbow frontman Joe Lynn Turner on vocals, gets expanded on CD with two bonus tracks. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Boris Midney and Festival, Evita/The Empire Strikes Back (Harmless)

Two mind-blowing disco adaptations of a legendary Broadway musical and the superb score to a sci-fi sequel? Yes, indeed! (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Paul Williams, Still Alive (Virgil Films)

A compelling documentary on one of the best songwriters of his age, newly released on DVD. (Amazon U.S.)

Jewel to Issue First Hits Compilation Next Week

Rhino will release the first-ever compilation by country/pop singer-songwriter Jewel next Tuesday.

Known for her unique voice and lyrical style and oft-repeated backstory – an Alaska-raised talent who famously honed her skills in West Coast coffeehouses, often while living out of her van – Jewel burst onto the scene with 1995’s Pieces of You, which spun off three hit singles including the Grammy-nominated “Who Will Save Your Soul,” “You Were Meant for Me” and “Foolish Games” (the latter two of which peaked at No. 2). Ultimately, the album moved 12 million copies, and Jewel was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist.

In the late ’90s and early ’00s, Jewel continued finding success with the right mix of countrified pop, honed by killer producers like Patrick Leonard and Dann Huff. She perhaps turned heads the most – if not inspiring as much record sales – with 2003’s 0304, an all-pop record that spun-off the club-ready “Intuition,” known for its humorous video sending up the MTV-ready performers of the time.

Jewel’s continued to put out country-pop records, and even ventured into music for kids with Lullaby (2009), and this single-disc compilation surveys that whole run up to now. In addition to 13 of her most beloved singles (some of which feature in their original single mixes, rather than the more common LP versions), she’s cut a new single, “Two Hearts Breaking,” and re-recorded two of her earliest smashes as group efforts. The new “You Were Meant for Me” features Miranda Lambert’s side group Pistol Annies while the re-recorded “Foolish Games” is a duet with American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson.

Available next Tuesday, February 5, you can pre-order the set and view the full track list after the jump.