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Three new releases as picked by the Soundcheck staff

“Sufi Soul” – The Mystic Music of Islam (Riverboat)

Our first CD pick this week is actually a DVD. It’s called “Sufi Soul,” and is a whirlwind tour of just some of the many ways that Islam’s mystical branch has produced some extraordinary music. From the Whirling Dervishes to the very modern trance music of Turkish DJ Mercan Dede, this collection offers a chance to hear many styles of Sufi music. Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour and Pakistan’s Rahat Fateh Ali Khan are just two of the stars who appear. It is a DVD, and it is beautiful to watch - but it’s even better to hear. – picked by John Schaefer

"Sufi Soul" is available for purchase at Amazon.com

Omara Portuondo – Gracias (World Village)

Cuban singer Omara Portuondo is one of the re-discoveries of the Grammy-award winning album Buena Vista Social Club. And whereas three of her fellow musicians have passed away since that release, Omara is going strong. She is celebrating her 60 years in music with a new album, Gracias, where the guests are a multi-national and multi-generational group: Brazilian composer Chico Buarque, Israeli bassist Avishai Cohen and Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler. Omara didn’t leave Cuban old-timers out though, and invited two of the country’s greatest pianists: Chucho Valdez and Pablo Milanes. The latter appears on this track, Amame Como Soy, or Love Me the Way I Am. – picked by Gisele Regatao

More information about "Gracias" is available here.

Shugo Tokumaru, “Exit” (Almost Gold)

Our next CD pick captures the sound of one man, one laptop … and more than 50 musical instruments. The Japanese songwriter Shugo Tokumaru (SHOO-goh TOHK-oo-mah-roo) creates walls of pop with flutes, doorbells, and toy pianos on his latest album, a home-recorded gem called “Exit.” During a concert at this year’s CMJ festival, Shugo put his formidable folk-guitar skills on display while his band remained faithful to the album, dipping over and over again into what was apparently a bottomless trunk of instruments. —picked by Joel Meyer

"Exit" is available for purchase on Amazon.com