Paul Schütze Third Site (Rykodisc/Outside)

The story goes that "sound designer" Paul Schütze decided to pursue music during his proverbial Aussie peregrinations, so these days the London-based composer is pursuing (amid soundtrack work and DJing) a series of "Siteworks"--ambient stuff inspired by very particular places. Third Site is the sound of "contemporary architect Peter Zumthor's award-winning thermal baths in the Alpine Swiss village of Vals," but like electroacoustics, it's hardly steamy--pretty dry. 6.5/10 (Chris Yurkiw)

Blaque Ivory Self-titled (Sony)

It's obvious from the first listen that Lisa Lopes (aka TLC's "Left Eye") had more than a passing involvement with the debut album from this female trio. Whether that's good or bad depends on how you feel about TLC. However, while Blaque Ivory can hold their own on kickin' jams like "Roll With Me" and "808," not to mention a decent version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," they fall a letter short of TLC's penchant for the enticing slow jam. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)

Sonny Rhodes Blue Diamond (Stony Plains)

Although he does look boss in his blue turban, blues veteran Sonny Rhodes comes across more like a well-adjusted Wesley Willis when he sings, "Here at the 10th Street Inn they do chicken and blues right." On "Shame on You," it sounds like blues generated by a sequencer or just played by tired bar hack musicians. Once Rhodes lays down some serious slide on the unlikely lap steel, things start looking up, lending a real Texas blues sound to his lame Club Med blues backdrop. Unfortunately, his lap steel playing is not enough to save this puppy--although the interview at the end is pretty funny. 5.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Vic Dickenson/Joe Thomas Mainstream (Koch)

The term "mainstream" was coined by the late Stanley Dance, and the two groups heard here are certainly exponents of that jazz genre. Dickenson is an all-time great trombonist and Buck Clayton and Hal Singer are in his group. The lesser-known Thomas, a trumpeter, leads an excellent little combo, including another trombone giant, Dicky Wells, and Buddy Tate. The piano solo by Herbie Nichols on "Blues for Baby" is worth the price of admission. 8.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Trio Franz Joseph Haydn Trios (Atma)

Haydn's piano trios were intended for the personal pleasure of musicians in their homes. Because of their timeless beauty, they have moved into the concert hall where they are usually performed on modern instruments. Franz Joseph's trio put them back where they belong. We can hear the music played on instruments closely resembling those which were available to Haydn at the time, in restrained performances without excesses of tempo or expression. Meaning they mirror exactly the intentions of the composer while providing insights into the essence of classicism. 9/10 (Wolfgang Bottenberg)