Happy Birthday, Monsieur Ravel! Accurate to the 150th Composer birthday on March 7, 2025, Bertrand Chamayou presents an anniversary present of the musical extra class with his solo album Ravel Fragments. On it, the French pianist closes a discographic gap, which he has left conscious in his total recording released in 2016: in the centre are works of Ravel in his own hands as well as chamayous edits, extended to the birthday program by pieces by composers who were inspired by the piano music of their great predecessor.

Aimi Kobayashi, who rose to prominence as a prizewinner at the 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition, has been praised by Gramophone as a pianist who can “rivet the attention through fine-drawn line and hushed dynamics as much as through vivid gesture and brute force”.

Together with its artistic director Julian Azkoul, the United Strings of Europe develop engaging programs with the aim of finding connections between different works and eras, music from different cultures, connecting familiar with new, and encouraging people to listen to works in different ways and discover new repertoire. With "Hommages," the ensemble celebrates musical traditions, from the myth of Apollo and the muses of Greek antiquity to twentieth-century legends, Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla, reinterpreted through contemporary voices.

Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan present Brahms‘ two Cello Sonatas, alongside their arrangement of his Violin Sonata in G Major on the cello. This Brahms portrait is a logical next step after the duo’s acclaimed interpretation of Beethoven’s complete Cello Sonatas, released in 2022. While Beethoven’s sonatas reveal the gradual ascendancy of the cello as the proper solo instrument over the piano, Brahms opens a new chapter in the history of the cello sonata, realizing a glorious marriage of equals between the two instruments.

Known for his solo hits in the 1980s as well as his hits with the band Smokie in the '70s, Chris Norman is a British soft rock singer with an international following whose career spans several decades. As Smokie's popularity trailed off around the turn of the decade, Norman split from the band and made his solo album debut in 1982 with Rock Away Your Teardrops. While his debut album was fairly unsuccessful, his second full-length effort, Some Hearts Are Diamonds (1986), was another story, spawning the international Top Ten smash hit single "Midnight Lady."

First reissue of Bobby Hutton's 1973 LP "Piece of the Action". This special release includes bonus tracks on the CD, featuring everything Hutton recorded between 1969 and 1974, all meticulously remastered from the original master tapes. Additionally, two 7” reissues are also available, providing further gems from his catalogue.

"Good Life" is the first new album from Rockie Robbins in 24 years. He recorded for A&M and MCA records in his heyday with US national hit "You And Me". This new album reunites Rockie with producer Ricky Peterson (George Benson, Chaka Khan, Rosie Gaines) with smooth and funky soul grooves his fans will love.

After playing in the Italian art pop band "Showmen 2", James Senese and Franco Del Prete formed what would become one of the most intriguing and unique bands of the early 70's. Centered around a fusion rock core, Napoli Centrale's debut album convincingly combined Jazz and Progressive rock. Once again this album defies simple categorization, but the music is highly exploratory and very progressive in approach. Kind of a mix of National Health with Gentle Giant, Herbie Hancock and a good dose of Weather Report. Instrumentally these guys love to groove with lots of sax, fender electric piano, bass and drums. Vocals are not central but are well done and sung in native Italian… kind of a nice full soulful voice.

The Paradise Projex; a music project started and developed by Music Director musician, songwriter, producer Phil Edwards, co-founder of 80s group Paradise (“One Mind, Two Hearts”) from London. “I Am You” is a creative venture with inclusive approach. The message is simple, music has the power to unite minds across the continents, cultures, generations and decades. It features the digital single “Here & Now” (former No.1 UK Soul Breakers chart) and 7” vinyl release of two brand new songs “Magic Night” and “Someone Like You”. Guest vocalists include Judy La Rose, Everett Peters, Charlotte Kelly, Lee Callaghan, Emma Callaghan.

The first solo release from Breeze McKrieth, known for his work over many years with Light Of The World, Beggar & Co and The Brit Funk Association. Highly regarded for his unique style of rhythm guitar playing, the album focuses more on his lead guitar. With influences taken from bands like Caldera, Crusaders and Santana, Breeze embellishes the music, much of which are his own composition, in a style that shows his affinity with his instrument. Joined on the album by many of his stalwart fellow musicians through the years there are many surprises throughout. As well as long time friends and colleagues David Baptiste, saxophone, Kenny Wellington, trumpet and flugelhorn there is great contribution by Toby Baker, Peter Hinds and Luismi Valles on keyboards, Pat Clahar on saxophone, Rolando Domingo, trumpet, Camelle Hinds, Ernie McKone, bass and Billy Osborne on drums. The songs show a different side to the music usually associated with Breeze and are clearly chosen on a more personal and introspective level, as showcased in tracks like ‘Return To Valencia’ and This Is Paradise’. The cover versions in the main are interpreted in different ways to the original version and crafted in a manner befitting the direction of the album.

This may be an overview of Musselwhite's career (from the late '60s to the present – with some previously unreleased tracks, including the title cut), but it is not the best introduction to the artist. For that, his Vanguard '60s output is still recommended, along with the 1984 session on Blue Rock'it and Alligator's In My Time.

Less than three years after their triumphant, chart-storming comeback record, Eyes Of Oblivion,which entered on #1 in their home country and on #3 in Germany, Sweden's most consistently great rock outfit is back with another banger of an album. Overdriver was recorded at Strawberry Studio & The Honk Palace and is the first The Hellacopters album entirely produced by Nicke Andersson. As you might expect from The Hellacopters album it's filled to the brim with roaring guitars and earth-shattering grooves, fist-raising energy and anthemic choruses, while keeping the variety richer than ever before. The striking cover for Overdriver was created by German illustrator Max Löffler.

C.O.C.X. That word not necessary conjures up images of relaxation, stress-relief or healthy living with no drugs nor booze - especially when you consider the date when this album was recorded (1983), which is probably somewhere around 'the darkest' period in Stanko's body of work. But - surprise surprise - the main promise of C.O.C.X. is just that - relaxation and stress-relief. Stanko's romantically rocking trumpet, Apostolis' guitar solos on their way from Greece to Jamaica, J.A Torress' Latin congas, Rek's swinging bass - all those integrands create an experience which tend to be everybody's favorite, even among the folks who are not especially keen on post-electric Miles grooves. For those times when you just want to be noncommittal about you music selection, that would be a perfect record to choose, especially in company of well chilled bottle of Pino Grigio or New Zeeland's Sauvignon Blanc.