[ dvd ]

They say movies are made twice: once in the shooting and again in the editing room. Nowadays, they’re often made (or unmade) in the transfer to home video as well. When it came time to preserve The French Connection, William Friedkin took the liberty of digitally tweaking the film’s color timing, resulting in a desaturated, grainy look that was widely derided and finally corrected with Fox’s new “Signature Series” Blu-ray. With its rich, rusted colors, it’s a vivid and gorgeous thing, looking at last as the film always has and should. If you’ve still got a copy of the old disc, it makes an excellent coaster. —Sam Adams

[ jazz  ]

Trombonist Jacob Garchik subtitles his third album, The Heavens, “The Atheist Gospel Trombone Album.” That’s not quite as contradictory as it sounds, as Garchik offers plenty for even non-believers to marvel at. Most miraculous is the trombone choir, all multi-tracked by Garchik himself — he’s been flexing his arranging skills for the Kronos Quartet for several years and conjures an exuberant Hallelujah chorus of brass. —Shaun Brady

[ irish/folk ]

Let’s get the local interest out of the way: Cathie Ryan’s Through Wind and Rain (Mo Leanbh) was partially recorded, mixed and mastered at Philadelphia Post, where the big guy John Anthony added percussion. Mike Brenner also shared various slide guitars, Séamus Egan more strings and whistle, and Chico Huff bass. Proud as we are, these guys are just the part of the platinum setting, subtle but shiny, for the jewel of Ryan’s singing. Old-style Irish or contemporary, her tone digs deep into your psyche. She plays the Tin Angel on Wednesday, Oct. 10. —Mary Armstrong

[ folk/rock ]

It’s taken an almost unheard-of interval — 41 years — for British songwriter Bill Fay to follow up his two cult-beloved LPs with a third, his first album of new material since 1971. Life Is People (Dead Oceans) would be a wondrous thing under any circumstances: a collection of poignant, humbly heartfelt ruminations on existence, mortality and self-acceptance, imbued with the patient wisdom of a lifetime and an uncommon sense of compassion. These songs, delivered with sturdy, gospel-hued folk-rock directness (and one Jeff Tweedy cameo), are as necessary as it gets. —K. Ross Hoffman