Following the global success of her 'Salsa Nueva' CD, Venezuelan virtuoso pianist Elena Riu returns with a simple but strikingly original concept. An eclectic line-up of sixteen of the UK 's foremost contemporary classical and jazz composers were asked to write a short piano-solo piece inspired by the blues. To this collection Riu added three compositions by 'established' composers: Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Aaron Copland and Stephen Montague (an extraordinary re-interpretation of the Gospel classic 'Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen') and her own piece composed specifically for the album. The result is a wide-ranging collection of works, each one reflecting the strong individuality of the composers and yet creating a thematically unified whole.This widely-appealing CD features some of the UK 's leading composers in the classical-contemporary and jazz scenes. Riu asked them each to listen to their favourite albums and to draw inspiration from past and present masters of this genre. The compositions by Sally Beamish, Harvey Brough, Peter Cowdrey, Cimeon Ellerton, Julio D'Escrivan, Douglas Finch, Rolf Hind, Elena Kats Chernin, Ana Lara, Phillip Neil Martin, Lola Perrin, Nick Redfern, David Rosenboom, Huw Warren, Matt Wright and Nikki Yeoh are like a set of variations along the well-travelled road of popular music. Sometimes mellow, sometimes more rhythm than blues, sometimes jazzy or just plain funky, Riu's aim is to enthuse both seasoned aficionados and newcomers to classical-contemporary music through a kaleidoscope of fresh ideas, infectious rhythms and harmonic twists. Riu's solo piano is occasionally complemented by the subtle brushes of percussionist Joby Burgess (Powerplant, New Noise, Ensemble Bash).

'Elena Riu brings all the virtuosity, colour and refinement one could hope for in her interpretations' American Record Guide

In an exclusive world premiere recording, virtuoso pianist Philip Mead interprets Tombeau de Messiaen for piano and tape, Harvey 's homage to the French composer, where the piano is continuously transformed by the swirling harmonic interactions and distortions of its ghostly tape counterpart.

Also for the first time on CD is 4 Images After Yeats, the epic piano solo composition inspired by Yeats' mystical poems; a definite tour de force by Philip Mead.  These piano compositions are intercut by two 'classic' Harvey tape pieces Ritual Melodies and the sublime Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco, both of which have been remixed by Harvey specially for this release. Built around the themes of Death and Rebirth and spanning a range from 1969 to 1999, this CD is an essential tribute to one of the most significant composers of our times.

Franco-Yugoslav composer and trombonist, Vinko Globokar has been at the forefront of the European avant-garde for the last four decades. His phenomenal virtuoso technique on the trombone first attracted the attention of composers like Stockhausen, Berio, Kagel and others who all wrote for him. Globokar's cosmopolitan approach, riotous imagination, early interest in jazz and theatrical sense of humour have all combined to produce a series of ground-breaking original works. This CD is representative of Globokar's versatility, starting with 'Oblak Semen' a theatrical trombone solo where Globokar starts playing with only the mouthpiece of the trombone and gradually reconstructs the whole instrument while dancing, playing drums, talking and screaming. Next is 'Discours IX' for 2 pianos performed by the renowned Stenzl Duo. This is the last of Globokar's 'Discours' series where instruments are used as human voices, creating imaginary dialogues. Finally 'Zlom', a grand-scale piece for 26 musicians. The Orchestra Giovanile Italiana masterfully plays out this drama described by Globokar as "a catastrophe happening in the physical world, but also as a slashing, a tearing of the spirit - a knife slicing through the labyrinth of the deepest intimacy". From solo to orchestra, Globokar takes the listener into his surreal universe where anything goes (usually with plenty of humour). A rare opportunity to reappraise this cult figure of contemporary music.

This CD is the first comprehensive collection of UK composer Gwyn Pritchard's main works, spanning nearly 40 years of his rich output. Featuring, amongst others, pianist Nicholas Hodges and cellist Beat Schneider, the compositions range from solos to ensemble pieces.

The music on this CD begins chronologically with music for double bass and harp written in 1969 (although revised on-and-off over the following two decades), and ends with song for icarus composed nearly forty years later. Often concerned with duality and the deployment of extremes, Pritchard's music is both direct and elusive and an acknowledgement of its composer's skill in articulating this balance between the known and the unknown, between things experienced and those yet to be discovered.