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Vladimir Horowitz, "Horowitz in Hamburg: The Last Concert" (Deutsche Grammophon)

In June 1987, the great Russian pianist Vladimir Horowitz arrived in Hamburg, Germany at the end of a long European tour. He was 83 and it turned out to be his last public engagement. Fortunately, there were microphones from North German Radio ready to record every brilliant run, quirky accent, and crashing chord. This new disc documents that event. Listen to his performance of Chopin’s Polonaise No. 6 in A-Flat and you'll get a taste of that Horowitz magic, mellowed only slightly by age. --Brian Wise

Silver Jews, “Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea” (Drag City)

Our next CD pick comes from Silver Jews, the longtime project of the musician and writer David Berman. The band's lineup has included some of indie rock’s biggest names -- Pavement's Stephen Malkmus co-founded the group nearly 20 years ago. Now, with his wife Cassie backing him up, Berman’s storytelling talent continues to shine, like on the character sketch "Aloyisius Bluegrass Drummer." –-Joel Meyer

Peter Gabriel, et al. "Big Blue Ball" (Real World)

For some 20 years, Peter Gabriel has lived and worked in a refurbished mill outside the English city of Bath. The mill houses his Real World studios, and at three points during the 1990s, Gabriel invited musicians from all over the globe to what can only be described as a world music camp. For a week, musicians would live and eat and play together, and some unexpected, and unexpectedly good collaborations ensued. Big Blue Ball is a collection of some of those performances, from a motley crew that touched on the traditions of Madagascar, Central Africa, the Near East, American Gospel, indie rock, and of course, Peter Gabriel’s own brand of global pop.--John Schaefer