Chart Choice with Paul Fairclough

WELCOME to this week's music column from Signal 2. Here we give you the opportunity to find out about new albums that are out or about to be released.

One of my favourite guests of last year was John Barrowman, pictured below. I'm pleased to say he'll be back in February to discuss his new album. John is the complete all-round entertainer and is about to release his self-titled third solo record.

John is one of the most familiar faces on British television and the West End stage. Best known for playing Captain Jack Harkness in the BBC's Torchwood and Doctor Who series, he has also been a judge on the award-winning BBC shows How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Any Dream Will Do and I'd Do Anything.

This is perhaps his most personal album to date and is a record that I know he has always wanted to make.

As with his last release Music Music Music, it is a masterful, evocative and uplifting journey into perhaps the man's first love, musical theatre, comprising his favourite moments from Cats, Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys and Mack And Mabel to name a few.

The album is filled with instantly familiar classics, Memory and My Eyes Adored You to the less immediately familiar, such as So Close, a spine-tingling duet with Jodie Prenger, winner of I'd Do Anything. There is also a beautiful version of You'll Never Walk Alone from the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Carousel.

John Barrowman is representative of a man at the height of his powers, someone who can fill a song with the same style that he can a role on the West End stage. Simply put, he has never sounded better.

2010 is already promising to be a remarkable year for John with a number of major projects confirmed. Watch him go global.

That's it for this week's albums, remember you can hear more great guests on my show on 1170am Signal 2 weekdays from 10am.

Next week Signal 1's Simon Morykin will bring you up to date with the latest singles being released.