LOVE THESE TENDER

MUSIC OF HOPE (Koch)< br/>Billy Joel and Paul McCartney join hands with the classical world to help raise two things: money for the Ameri-can Cancer Society and the spirits of those plagued with the disease. Joel and McCartney’s contributions, interpreted by the London Symphony, paint uplifting images, hence the disc’s name. Good music, good cause.

CURTIS MAYFIELD
LOVE SONGS (Rhino)
One of several “Love Songs” collections Rhino’s aiming at your wallet and heart strings this Valentine’s Day. This 16-song CD captures rhythm-and-blues pioneer Curtis Mayfield, who died in 1999, at his most elegant and intimate. Candles and wine sold separately.

THELONIOUS MONK
Live At The Jazz Workshop-Complete (Columbia Legacy)
Recorded in 1964, jazz institution Thelo- nious Monk’s historic sessions at the Jazz Workshop are finally being released in their entirety via this 26-track double-disc set. Every piece is so deliciously delicate, it’s hard to imagine why this material has remained unheard so long.

— MALCOLM MAYHEW