For Fans of, Gong, The Soft Machine, Hawkwind, and Psychedelic Prog Rock! Daevid Allen is well known as the founder of The Soft Machine in 1966 and Gong in 1969. Weird Biscuit Teatime is a studio project that he did in the early 2000s with producer/keyboardist Don Falcone of Spirits Burning, bassist Michael Clare from Daevid Allen’s University Of Errors, and drummer Trey Sabatelli who has worked with Jefferson Starship, The Tubes, and Todd Rundgren. The band recorded two albums. DJDDAY was the first, recorded and mixed from 2000 to 2004, and then released in England in 2005. For that release, the band considered putting Daevid’s name in the band title. They didn’t and the album got buried in the mass of releases at the time. To avoid making the same mistake twice with the second album, “Elevenses,” the name of the band was changed to Daevid Allen Weird Quartet. Now 20 years later, with a new remaster by Robert Rich and five bonus remixes, “DJDDAY” arrives with the band name Weird Biscuit Teatime Starring Daevid Allen to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. A lost masterpiece by the master of psychedelic/progressive music.

One of only a handful of male sopranos in the world today, Mariño is known for his natural high voice and gender-defying performances. As a teenager, he was bullied for his high speaking voice and briefly considered medical intervention before being encouraged to pursue singing instead. That same voice has since taken him around the world, with a sparkling opera career underway and his second album on a major label.

Composed for Rostropovich at the great cellist’s request, the cello concerto by Arthur Bliss is a late work, dating from 1970. It was premiered at that year’s Aldeburgh Festival, performed by its dedicatee with the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Britten. The composer called it a ‘concertino’, but Britten declared it a ‘major piece’ and begged Bliss to alter the title to concerto which he agreed to do. It is a demanding work for the soloist, and, as the composer commented ‘there are no problems for the listener – only the soloist!’ Cellist Guy Johnston, a former chorister at King’s College, Cambridge and BBC Young Musician winner, has built a distinguished international career as a soloist, chamber musician and guest principal.

‘Beautiful playing on a lovely, mellow-sounding guitar by master guitarist Enea Leone’ (Fanfare). The Italian guitarist Enea Leone has made several, critically acclaimed recordings for Brilliant Classics, in repertoire ranging from first complete recordings of the studies by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Fernando Sor, to more popular repertoire, from Argentina and from the catalogue of Sergio Leone, with the Leone album attracting an LP reissue.

Bach's English Suites are a set of six keyboard suites, each featuring a prelude and a series of stylised dance movements. While named 'English', the suites are more closely related to the French Baroque style, featuring intricate counterpoint, technically demanding passages, and a grander scale compared to Bach's French Suites. Papastefanou's Baroque style and technique is first-class in her brand new recording of these technically high demanding Suites. A natural Bach player who plays with panache, high skill, individuality with an attractive style and touch, Papastefanou's has produced another high quality recording of Bach, in this her 6th album for FHR.