Ensemble Marsyas' recording of Johann Fasch's finest chamber music demonstrates why the man and his music were so appreciated in his own lifetime. Founding member Peter Whelan and "the queen of the recorder" (BBC Radio 3) Pamela Thorby are the soloists challenged with meeting the virtuoso demands of this engaging music. The four-movement Quartet in B flat major for recorder, oboe, violin and continuo is among one of Fasch's most popular works; full of catchy tunes and contrapuntal ingenuity in equal measure, virtuosity is demanded from all concerned. The Concerto in F major for recorder and strings was only recently attributed to Fasch. It is full of characteristic Fasch-isms and of the same dramatic quasi-recitative style as his Bassoon Concerto. Upon release Fasch: Quartets and Concertos was named a Chamber Choice by BBC Music Magazine and awarded the maximum five stars for both Performance and Recording.

Originally released in 1996 and now re-issued as part of Linn's ECHO series, 'Years Apart', Martin Taylor's second recording with his Spirit of Django band, featured a star-studded guest list that included legendary violinist St�phane Grappelli, Britain's leading jazz vocalist Claire Martin and pianist Brian Kellock. Released to critical acclaim and public popularity, the album won two British Jazz Award categories: 'Best Guitar' and 'Best Small Group'. 'As revivalists go, Martin Taylor's Spirit of Django rank among the more ingenious.' (The Guardian)

Gill Manly, a British Jazz jewel in the crown and a unique interpreter of the jazz singers’ vast cannon who has worked for years with the cream of UK jazz artists but went unrecorded since 1994, made a welcome and decisive return to the studio in 2009 with the release of 'With a Song in My Heart'. Now re-issued as part of Linn’s ECHO series, Ms. Manly’s debut Linn album features performances by trumpeter Guy Barker and singer Mark Murphy. It is a gentle and flawless selection of jazz standards enhanced by her band’s virtuoso playing. ‘Manly's interpretations glow with a sense of rediscovery.’ Jazzwise

Critics and audiences agree, Joe Stilgoe is a gem among classical artists. He has an extremely successful live career, and his recordings have gained him international attention. Joe is a regular at the world’s best jazz festivals, and is always in demand from jazz greats like John Wilson and Claire Martin. His virtuosity, theatricality, and witty audience interaction make him a favorite. This release is Joe’s second tribute to the silver screen, and takes listeners on a tour of Hollywood with themes from movies like Pulp Fiction, Monsters Inc, Whiplash, and Footloose. As an additional treat, he has included a special 1980s melody. “Songs at the piano don’t get much sharper than this.” (The Observer) “…a powerful improviser with an instinctive gift for melody.” (The Times) “A jazz pianist and songwriter of considerable talent.” (The Guardian)

Richard Strauss and the Viennese Trumpet is the latest in Jonathan Freeman-Attwood's imaginative series of musical reinventions for trumpet and piano. Works by Fux, Beethoven, Schubert, Mahler, Bruckner, Webern and Zemlinsky complement the core work: a newly imagined Strauss trumpet sonata. Building on his highly successful transcriptions of sonatas by Faur�, Grieg, Mendelssohn and Schumann, Freeman-Attwood pushes the boundaries further delivering a fully-realized trumpet sonata which Strauss did not write. This innovative approach embraces various levels of transcription, transformation, realignment and composition to create a significant new contribution to the trumpet repertoire, full of the gloriously idiomatic writing for which Strauss is renowned. The material is variously drawn from the first movement of Strauss's Violin Sonata, Op. 18, a combination of both light and very significant arrangements of miscellaneous music, newly composed music, and development or transitions based on existing material within the Sonata. Pianist Chiyan Wong, who was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque by the Franz Liszt Society, accompanies Freeman-Attwood.

For her sixth Linn recording KUNIKO has chosen to pay a personal tribute to one of Japan's most celebrated post-war composers: Akira Miyoshi (1933-2013). Showcasing Miyoshi's marimba works from the last four decades of the twentieth century, this recording represents a reference collection commemorating the composer's significant contribution to this repertoire. Solo marimba works include the Conversation Suite, Torse III, Rippleand the unpublished Six Prelude Etudes, the last piece for marimba that Miyoshi composed. The inclusion of Miyoshi's Concerto for marimba and string ensemble inspired an exciting collaboration between KUNIKO and Scottish Ensemble. This recording offers a compelling exploration of the marimba's remarkable sound-world, highlighting sharper and more percussive characteristics than those heard on KUNIKO's critically acclaimed album, J.S. Bach: Solo Works for Marimba. Tribute to Miyoshiis an important addition to the wider percussion catalogue and enhances KUNIKO's celebrated discography.

The Orchestra of the Americas performs Aaron Coplands euphoric Third Symphony and Mexican composer Carlos Ch�vezs rousing Sinfon�a India in a thrilling Linn debut. Carlos Miguel Prieto, known for his charismatic conducting and dynamic, expressive interpretations, directs the orchestra. The Orchestra of the Americas performed both works at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival as part of a European tour, which saw the orchestra perform at the Rheingau Festival, the Elbphilharmonie and the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music. Full of hope, heroism and joyful optimism Coplands Third Symphony is considered the Great American Symphony; it is perhaps most famous for it's finale in which Copland incorporates his Fanfare for the Common Man, an exhilarating conclusion that leaves listeners uplifted. With scintillating indigenous melodies, complex rhythms and highly percussive orchestration, Ch�vezs Sinfon�a India is the perfect piece to end the programme and showcase this passionate, flamboyant and brilliantly incisive orchestra.

Ars longa see theorbo specialist Elizabeth Kenny perform a typically inventive recital of diverse repertoire spanning five centuries. The theorbo's eccentric appearance and tuning belies it's expressive and delicate qualities; it's versatility extends to beautiful melodies, experimental harmonies and a wonderfully resonant bass. The recital takes the listener from the early avant-garde repertoire for the instrument of Kapsperger and Piccinini to the new and imaginative sounds explored by today's composers. Taken from his 2011 work Since it was the day of preparation... James MacMillan's motet is a haunting and melancholy piece in which the theorbo acts as an emblem of human fragility and sadness. Benjamin Oliver wrote Extending from the inside specifically for Kenny, who relishes the unique challenge of combining elements of funk guitar with the Baroque tradition of ground bass. Kenny also inspired Nico Muhly's Berceuse, a piece which exploits the unconventional tuning system and expressive possibilities of the theorbo to powerful effect.

Classical Music

"• Barb Jungr's uncharted journey into the King’s legacy • Originally released in 2005, now re-issued as part of Linn’s ECHO series • These tracks are real covers - deconstructions and reinterpretations – making the listener forget the original. • Ms. Jungr is renowned for her unique vocal style, interpretation of song and radical approach to arrangements."

Classical Music

Reminiscences is a collection of Chopin's best loved works for solo piano, each one of personal significance to Portuguese pianist Arthur Pizarro, who in turn delivers sensitive and thrilling performances. Originally released in 2005, Chopin: Reminiscences is re-issued as part of Linn's ECHO series that offers a second chance to enjoy the best of the label's award-winning catalog. The inspiration for the title came from Arthur's experience of Chopin frequently being played in his childhood home, as well as being the original name of the C sharp minor Nocturne. Arthur plays a Bluthner grand piano, which responds phenomenally to his dazzling articulation, while giving huge sonorous depth to the sound.

This is the world-premiere recording of Fauré’s complete vocalises, a thirty-song strong collection that has not seen the light of day in over a century. Written when Fauré was Paris Conservatoire Director, these exquisite vignettes are performed by a fellow Director, the Royal Academy of Music’s trumpet Principal, Jonathan Freeman-Attwood. Pianist Roy Howat, having edited the newly discovered vocalises with Emily Kilpatrick for publication in 2013, is uniquely qualified for his accompanist role.

"• Critics uniformly adored Barb Jungr’s reflective rendition of Ray Davies’ title track • Originally released in 2003, now re-issued as part of Linn’s ECHO series • This collection of classic and original material includes songs by Richard Thompson and Bob Dylan • Ms. Jungr has been compared to her heroine Nina Simone, as well as Edith Piaf and Peggy Lee"

This new recording captures the magic of the season as the RSNO and its Junior Chorus deliver a perfect selection of classic festive favourites in A Christmas Festival. These charming performances show why their joyous, fun-packed Christmas concerts, conducted by the inimitable Christopher Bell, are always a highlight of the Scottish seasonal calendar. The well-chosen programme finds traditional favourites, such as Jingle Bells, In A Cottage In A Wood and Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, sitting harmoniously alongside contemporary tunes from Michael Head and Howard Blake (The Snowman, The Bear). An unexpected but brilliant instrumental mash-up up of The Little Dummer Boy with Ravel’s Bolero gives centre-stage to the award-winning RSNO. Two fantastic medleys provide a one stop shop of Christmas tunes both old and new which you’ll be hard pressed not to join in with! At turns rousing, sentimental, cheering and familiar this is the perfect present this Christmas.