The first joint album from countertenor Philippe Jaroussky and guitarist Thibaut Garcia, À sa guitare takes it's name from a song by the 20th century French composer Francis Poulenc. But it's frame of reference is extraordinarily wide - both culturally and stylistically. It's 22 tracks range across 400 years and music by composers and songwriters from France, Britain, Austria, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and the USA.

The most beautiful film scores composed by Ennio Morricone and sung by the lady from Avignon! Recorded in Rome in 1974 at Ennio Morricone's studios with the maestro himself, this album, remastered this year for the occasion, includes the 10 tracks from the original album (unavailable on CD for many years) as well as 4 rare bonus tracks! In this magnificent album, rediscover one of the finest French voices performing the greatest themes from legendary films such as "Once Upon a Time in the West," "Sacco and Vanzetti," "The Burglars," "Once Upon a Time… the Revolution," and "At the Dawn of the Fifth Day." Also included are two tracks specially composed by Ennio Morricone for Mireille Mathieu!

The Cool Side of the Pillow stands as a bold, atmospheric, and forward-thinking world-fusion experiment from Moroccan singer, songwriter, and sentir (gimbri) player Michy Mano. Released in 2004 on the prestigious European jazz imprint Enja Records, this fifty-one-minute recording bridges traditional North African Gnawa and Chaabi roots with modern Scandinavian electronic production, co-crafted with pioneering Norwegian jazz keyboardist and producer Bugge Wesseltoft. Blending deep, resonant acoustic instrumentations—driven by Mano's hypnotic sentir patterns, expressive vocal delivery, and Hassan Shoukat's fluid tabla grooves—with lush ambient synthesizers, subtle electronic beats, and cosmopolitan Franco-Brazilian guitar touches, the eight-track program crafts an intriguing cross-cultural soundscape. Notable highlights include the laid-back vocal feature Music Is Bigger Than Me, the genre-blurring hip-hop/samba hybrid Tellement Gadjo Que Je Suis Gypsy, the intricate rhythms of Gherbelize It, and the spiritual prelude of Salla Nabi. Sourced from original high-fidelity lossless transfers complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine audio clarity, this album is a compelling centerpiece for world fusion collectors, electronic jazz purists, and modern global sound archives.

Gitans stands as a landmark, cross-cultural acoustic masterpiece from French multi-instrumentalist, composer, and World Fusion pioneer Thierry "Titi" Robin. Released in 1993 on the revered French roots and acoustic label Silex, this seventy-minute album represents a magnificent musical dialogue bridging Romani, Flamenco, Arabic, and Balkan traditions. Playing guitar, bouzouki, and oud with virtuosic expressiveness, Robin gathers a stellar ensemble of traditional musicians—including renowned Flamenco singer Camaron-style vocalists, Rajasthan folk artists, and Mediterranean percussionists—to trace the historical migration and rich artistic heritage of the Gypsy people. Moving fluidly between fiery Flamenco palos, evocative Oriental scales, hypnotic rhythmic improvisations, and delicate acoustic string interludes, the fifteen-track program displays extraordinary emotional depth and technical finesse. Highlights include the lyrical La Petite Mer, the intense Martinetes Y Debla, the expansive Mehdi, and the poignant tribute Hommage À Matelo. Sourced from original high-fidelity digital transfers complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine lossless audio, this release is an essential centerpiece for World Fusion purists, acoustic guitar collectors, and international folk archives.

The "Intoxicated Man" LP by Serge Gainsbourg is released on Wagram as an expansive double LP edition dedicated to the early years of one of the most influential songwriters in French music. The compilation brings together key recordings from his beginnings and explores the interplay of jazz, chanson, and literary storytelling that early on established his characteristic sound. The selection includes classics such as "Le Poinçonneur des Lilas," "La Chanson de Prévert," "L'Eau à la Bouche," and "Black Trombone," alongside the title track "Intoxicated Man"; these pieces document Gainsbourg's early experimentation with melody and lyrics. He is accompanied by renowned musicians including Alain Goraguer, Marcel Zanini, and Hubert Rostaing, whose arrangements and instrumental contributions lend the material its nuanced jazz coloring. This carefully curated set focuses on the formative period before his international breakthrough and already reveals the sharp-witted lyricist and stylistic boundary-crosser who would later become a cultural icon. The double LP thus offers a tightly composed retrospective that makes both the musical subtleties and the historical significance of this early creative phase tangible.

C'est Chic! French Girl Singers Of The 1960s is an essential anthology that captures the infectious charm, style, and vibrant energy of the French yé-yé pop phenomenon. Released in 2010 by Ace Records as the inaugural title on their Ace International imprint, this stellar 24-track compilation brings together 20 of the defining female vocalists from France and across Europe during the 1960s. Spanning an hour of catchy melodies, baroque arrangements, and groovy beat productions, the album features iconic Yé-Yé stars alongside cult favorites and international performers. Among the highlights are two standout tracks from the legendary Françoise Hardy, irresistible contributions from France Gall including the Serge Gainsbourg-penned hit Laisser Tomber Les Filles, cult garage-pop gems by Jacqueline Taïeb, and screen icon Anna Karina performing Roller Girl. The compilation also showcases unique French-language adaptations of American and British pop hits performed by Marie Laforêt, Sheila, Charlotte Leslie, and Les Surfs. Accompanied by meticulous mastering and an extensive historical context, C'est Chic! stands as an essential time capsule of 1960s Gallic pop culture.

This fabulous five disc set is replete with some of those old Stokowski warhorses all recorded in absolutely mind boggling Phase 4 sound, overblown perhaps but astounding for its time. Decca's remastering is absolutely magnificent and the discs are jam packed with almost six hours of music. This is another fine memorial to a great conductor who remained astonishingly vital until the very end of his life.

The Haydn series continues with the Paris Symphony no 87. Julien Chauvin and his orchestra keep shaking us up with historical instruments listening Haydn’s works and several other forgotten scores from the same period. All of them were commissioned for the Concert de la Loge Olympique - ancestor and model for Julien Chauvin and his musicians - and all of them sank into oblivion during the 19th century, except for Haydn’s symphonies. The release offers an opportunity to experience some rare works of Grétry, Lemoyne and Ragué and to revive the success that they once knew.

Guillaume de Machaut was one of the great composers of a pivotal period at the intersection between the late medieval times and the Renaissance. His works include sacred compositions, such as his Messe de Nostre Dame, which took polyphonic music to new summits, as well as popular dances and songs that reveal the influence of the trouvères.
Yet this disc actually contains little music by Machaut. Only the last two pieces are by him. This leads to a bit of confusion: is Calliope trying to use Machaut’s name to sell a compilation of medieval music? This barely seems necessary, yet there is clearly some ambiguity.

One of Germany’s best-loved classical performers joins forces with a legendary close- harmony group for a winter-themed album to bring warmth to the dark months of the year: Albrecht Mayer & The King’s Singers. The pairing of probably the world’s most famous and accomplished oboist, Albrecht Mayer with the UK’s celebrated vocal ensemble is a heavenly musical partnership, and the interplay of colours, melodies and harmonies between these performers enchant and delight with Baroque, classical and seasonal favourites. The album has a Yuletide theme with tracks such as ‘Let It Snow’, ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’.

Love Is Blue - 40th Anniversary is an exquisite two-disc retrospective celebrating the rich orchestral career of world-renowned French conductor and arranger Paul Mauriat. Released in 2008 by Universal Music Japan, this 48-track collection honors the 40th anniversary of Mauriat's historic chart-topping success with his signature masterpiece Love Is Blue, which defined the global sound of easy listening and instrumental pop in the late 1960s. Across two meticulously remastered CDs, the album highlights Mauriat's exceptional ability to transform contemporary pop hits, classical themes, motion picture scores, and original compositions into lush, elegant orchestral arrangements. Featuring timeless renditions of classics such as Penelope, Toccata, El Bimbo, La Reine De Saba, and Love Theme From 'The Godfather', alongside elegant interpretations of pieces by Bizet, Mozart, and Falla, this release offers an immersive listening experience. Driven by dazzling strings, graceful piano melodies, and vibrant brass accents, Love Is Blue - 40th Anniversary stands as a magnificent tribute to a legendary arranger whose refined sound captivated audiences worldwide for decades.