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Tom Manoff reviews a new CD by the Akademie fuer Alte Musik Berlin that features exciting performances of some less than famous composers. The CD is Ouvertueren (Overtures): Music for the Hamburg Opera is on the Harmonia Mundi label.

Even a ubiquitous figure like Chuck Berry has neglected gems gathering spiderwebs in remote corners of his catalog. Blues helps fill in a bit of his legend, showing how he transferred devices used by generations of blues guitarists into the then-new rebellion of rock.

Johnny Paycheck's Gospel Time in My Fashion was recorded in 1966, during a period when many country stars were doing gospel projects. It stands apart because Paycheck's sweet voice can't fully mask the orneriness underneath — and because the songs, even the waltzes, move at a brisk, buoyant clip.

Chestnut took his 15th win at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, and Sudo made a decisive comeback to win the women's title.

A performer of boundless energy, Sammy Davis Jr. was known for plowing over audiences with flim-flam and razzle-dazzle. But in the studio, the diminutive don of the Rat Pack was, at times anyway, a serious singer. Here, he performs in a desolate cocktail bar, with only a guitarist for support.

The eyepatch-wearing pianist was among the most erratic characters in the Crescent City, and as a result, his discography includes few solid studio sides. Booker was prone to effusive showboating, but on this 1977 live recording, he sounds engaged playing songs that were staples of his live show.

Jenny Lewis has the clear voice and honest melodicism of a guitar-strumming angel. But she is so good to look at and so forthright about her sexuality that some of Rilo Kiley's serious-minded natural audience suspect she is a pop starlet on the make, like Rihanna or the pitiable Britney Spears.

Over an 18-month period, Joan Tower's Made in America was heard in all 50 states, played by 65 different orchestras. Her composition, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, has now netted three Grammy awards.

In 2014, metal still believes in traditions and keeps the faith, but recognizes that evolution is inevitable — with some of its defenders kicking and screaming.

For centuries, the country turned its back on black musicians — including the jazz artists whose creations embodied freedom and empowerment. Today, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is one of Africa's largest musical gatherings. Here are five musicians who played the festival this year.