Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel was a highly esteemed composer mentioned in the same breath as Bach, Telemann, and Handel. Today his name has largely vanished from our concert programs, but not from the cpo catalogue. Stölzel did remarkable things in the field of sacred music, as demonstrated by previous releases on cpo, but the label now presents the composer’s chamber music.

'I’ve Always Kept A Unicorn is the best album that Sandy Denny never made. This 40-Track / 2CD set captures Sandy at her most intimate as she runs through stripped down arrangements of songs with Strawbs, Fairport Convention, Fotheringay, The Bunch and from her 4 solo albums. Exclusive to this set are 3 demos from the original recording sessions for the 1972 Bunch album, “Rock On” including a beautiful duet with Linda Thompson on Phil Everly’s “When Will I Be Loved” and Buddy Holly’s “Love Made A Fool Of You” and “Learning The Game”.

What really makes this chronologically arranged major recording project stand out is the fact that Il Rossignolo have also incorporated all the duplicate movements and different forms by which each sonata has survived to the present day; and because these are also programmed alongside each other, it’s possible to instantly compare the differences worked by a key or instrumental change…Harpsichordist Ottaviano Tenerani’s colourful and responsive partnering is unfailingly enjoyable throughout.

The Bulgarian violinist Kremena Nikolova and her ensemble Vivaldi Society enlarge the spectrum around the solo concertos by Vivaldi presenting a program with concertos for violin and viola d’amore by Vivaldi together with compositions by Sardelli, Martynov and Bersanetti, three contemporary composers that consider themselves as followers of the tradition of the Venetian master.

In 2023, under the artistic direction of Daniel Yvinec and the arrangements by pianist Laurent Courthaliac, Pierrick Pédron ventured into a memorable project alongside the renowned Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Building on the success of that collaboration, Yvinec and Courthaliac have now embarked on an even more ambitious and challenging project, inviting Pédron to reinterpret one of the most iconic albums of free jazz: Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come, originally recorded in 1959.
Leading his established quartet—which includes bassist Thomas Bramerie, and two of France’s most promising young jazz talents, pianist Carl-Henri Morisset and drummer Elie Martin-Charrière—Pédron skillfully navigates the intricate demands of this historical piece. Guided by the insightful and scholarly framework set by his two “producers,” he deftly avoids the pitfalls of overly reverent or purely formalistic approaches, instead bringing an organic, poetic depth to the project.

Originally released in 2004, TV on the Radio’s debut album consists of nine songs that explore themes like discordant living, misrepresentation, the nature of existence, life, afterlife, love, and love "after hours." These are pop songs. These are rock songs. These are art songs. "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes" picks up right where TVOTR’s 2003 debut EP "Young Liars" left off, venturing into uncharted sonic territory. The album features undeniably catchy songs with incredible production, arrangements, and exceptional crooning, including stunning a cappella performances. It’s a seriously solid album. This limited edition 20th-anniversary release adds five bonus tracks to the album, including two previously unreleased tracks—neither available in physical format nor on digital service providers: "Dry Drunk Emperor" (a 2005 studio track) and "Final Fantasy" (a 2004 album outtake).

One of the most revered, reviled and talked about records in all Australian music history (I'm) Stranded by The Saints finally gets the vinyl box set treatment. A joint collaboration between In The Red, Universal Music Australia and spearheaded by Feel Presents and Saints founder Ed Kuepper, the deluxe edition of (I'm) Stranded will feature four vinyl long players covering all the band's studio and live recordings from 1976 thru 1977 and includes: - The iconic debut album remastered for vinyl for the first time in over forty years. - A five-song live performance from Paddington Town Hall Sydney 3.4.1977 appearing on vinyl for the first time. - A full live performance from the Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival, London November 1977 appearing on vinyl for the first time. - All three tracks from the 1977 This Perfect Day 12-inch single and all four tracks from the 1977 1-2-3-4 double 7-inch single. - The previously unreleased 1976 demo mix of the full (I'm) Stranded album. - In addition to all that vinyl, (I'm) Stranded - Deluxe Box Set will also features a twenty-eight page 12" x 12" photo essay of the band covering their origins from 1973 through the end of of '77, an authorised band history, an 8" x 10" 1976 promo photo and a (I'm) Stranded sticker. "It's been an exhausting yet thrilling process being involved in the creation of this box set. It's been fifty-one years in the making and has possibly turned out even better than I anticipated. It's by far the most extensive appraisal of the band, both aurally and visually, that has ever been made available and hopefully reveals some things people may not have known about the band." -Ed Kuepper

Roberto Colombo is a keyboard player, artistic producer and arranger and has worked with bands such as Le Orme, PFM, Finisterre and many other prominent Italian musicians. He's often considered one of the underrated gems in Italy. His solo albums from the 70's have a lot of Frank Zappa influences. In 1976 his first solo album, "Sfogatevi Bestie," was released. 1977 saw the release of "Botte da Orbi." This work verges on progressive and jazz-rock, but is marked by light-hearted ironic tones. He gathers together an all-star band of more than thirty musicians, featuring essentially the cream of the Italian music scene: from Mauro Pagani (PFM) to Walter Calloni (PFM), Ronnie Jackson to Lucio Violin Fabbri (PFM), Stefano Cerri (considered one of the best bass player of those days) to Tullio De Piscopo (another legendary drummer who have been playing with New Trolls on Tempi Dispari), and Ivan Cattaneo (a songwriter who was backed on one album by PFM).

The Mindbenders in their post-Wayne Fontana configuration were a hot little British pub trio specializing in a kind of jazzy rock similar in a lot of ways to the Zombies or Traffic, and they amount to one of the great lost groups of the 1960s. Although they had two strong songwriters in Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman (together they would go on to form one half of 10cc), the Mindbenders were also one hell of a cover band, and their recorded legacy is surprisingly diverse because of it. This two-disc, 37-track set, which collects the two LPs, six EPs, and ten singles the group released between 1966 and 1968, is a revelation in that regard - it includes imaginatively done garage soul covers of “Shotgun,” “Mystery Train,” and “The Seventh Son” alongside the pipe dream psychedelia of “Yellow Brick Road” and the hazy sunshine pop of “A Groovy Kind of Love”…

The dedicated fans of the legendary but also problematic Prog/Power Metallers Crimson Glory who made a sensation in the late 80’s and early 90’s, will remember that in 1999 they released their controversial fourth and last album, “Astronomica” after several back and forth. On that album, Wade Black, a tireless heavy metal worker was their frontman. Wade Black’s latest project is Astronomica, with a name (and artwork) obviously influenced by his participation in that Crimson Glory album. But this is where the similarities on every level stop. Black doesn’t revisit his prog/power past with Crimson Glory but sticks to what he knows better, namely a heavy metal approach of a clear old school aesthetic. In almost an hour, Astronomica offer us a heavy metal creation, without much inspiration and originality, that is nevertheless well crafted and what really stands out are some excellent guitar solos by Rich Marks (War of Thrones).

Beautiful work from French pianist Michel Sardaby - a wonderfully lyrical talent with a sweeping and soulful flair! The set's got a stripped-down approach that has Sardaby working with bassist Gilbert Rovere and drummer Philippe Combelle - sometimes hitting the keys in a harder style that has touches of Les McCann, but mostly gliding magically in that warm and soulful mode that's made more than a few of his albums jazz dance classics! Includes the great groover "Come From No Where", plus other wonderful originals like "Lament For Billy", "Wendy", "Empty Room", and "Always Room For One More". Plus, the CD also features a full bonus album by Sardaby - the Con Alma set recorded in Paris in 1964! That album's in a similar trio mode, and features backing by bassist Michel Finet and Philippe Combelle - on tracks that include the wonderfully-titled "Volcanic", plus "Brother Bill", "Con Alma", "Little Sister", and "Blues For Mae".

Christophe Goze creates music that combines world, jazz, and electronic music. His soothing and melodic tunes elevate emotions and inspire relaxation.
My Kind of Blue marks the beginning of a new period reflecting a more contemplative, personal journey and going back to his Lounge experimental sound he is most known for where the “Blue” raw emotion meets the relaxed ambiance of Lounge, and the sleek rhythms of Smooth Jazz give it a modern, refined edge. It’s a period of embracing mood and emotion, where the music invites the listener to experience a spectrum of “blue” feelings from calm reflection to profound introspection.

Brainbox is usually remembered as Dutch heavy progressive band with guitarist Jan Akkerman and drummer Pierre van der Linden - just before they have founded fame in Focus. Many fans still even remember the vocalist Kaz Lux, but nobody ever mentions ‘Parts’ - an official 2nd album recorded by completely revamped line-up (with the exception of drummer Frank Smit) and released by EMI Harvest in 1972. This unjustly forgotten, but great record (now on CD for the first time!) was completely ignored at the time of release, which surely was a big mistake! LP featured very eclectic, mostly progressive and sometimes truly experimental tracks characterized by changing moods and clever arrangements - in many ways similar in style to Wishbone Ash, Livin’ Blues, Fleetwood Mac and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Antti Martikainen, an independent composer, producer and entrepreneur from Finland. He also run Omniscore, a music label that features other talented composers and producers.

Smokin' Joe Kubek is pure Texas blues - he's a forceful guitarist and his band rocks with a loose, greasy vibe. What makes the album so much fun is the combination of solid material and piledriving performances - it may follow a tradition, but it manages to be unpredictable.