Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's alternative CD releases.

"Concert for George" (UMC)- On November 29,2002 George Harrison's widow Olivia and his longtime friend Eric Clapton oversaw a heartfelt tribute concert to honour the great man's memory. This star-studded show at London's Royal Albert Hall featured performances of the former Beatles' finest songs from rock luminaries such as Tom Petty,Jeff Lynne, Procol Harum's Gary Brooker and George's former bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, alongside contributions from the Monty Python team and Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar. A very good time was obviously had by all concerned, and the sound and video recordings of this historic event have now been re-issued in a variety of formats to mark what would have been George's 75th birthday.

Phil Everly, "There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby / Mystic Line" (Morello / Cherry Red)- The Everly Brothers' pristine vocal harmonies graced some of the finest country pop singles of the late fifties and early sixties, but as their commercial fortunes waned the sibling rivalry which had always been bubbling away just beneath the surface became unendurable and the duo finally gave up the ghost in 1973. They would join forces again a decade or so later but this tuneful CD focusses attention on the two solo albums that Phil Everly recorded for the Pye label during those "wilderness years" , aided and abetted by the then unknown Warren Zevon of later "Werewolves of London" fame. "Lion & The Lamb" and "Better Than Now" are the pick of the surprisingly eclectic "Mystic Line."

Mississippi John Hurt, "The 1928 Sessions" (Wienerworld)- John Smith Hurt was well into his seventies when the American folk revival finally ignited interest in his distinctive brand of country blues , prompting a memorable appearance at the prestigious Newport Festival in 1963. This fascinating anthology focusses attention on his musical output from the dim and distant year of 1928 however , when this still relatively youthful character released a string of 78 rpm records on the Okeh label . These historic recordings may have been commercial failures at the time, but as vehicles for Hurt's fast, highly syncopated acoustic guitar wizardry their subtle charm remains totally undimmed by the passage of time."Frankie" and "Spike Driver Blues" are stand-out tracks.

Nazz, "Evolution : From Woody's Truck Stop to Nazz 1966-1968" (Wienerworld)-This interesting collection of late sixties, demos, alternate takes and hitherto unreleased tracks was captured for posterity by Philadelphia based Anglophiles the Nazz , featuring the first appearance on record of the multi-talented Todd Rundgren, who was still a teenager when he formed the band in 1967. Their eclectic garage band sound was heavily influenced by the likes of The Move, Kinks and Cream , and this richly rewarding CD also boasts an early version of "Hello, It's Me," which would go on to become one of Rundgren's signature songs when he re-recorded it as a solo performer in 1972.