Carolyn Sampson Wadsworth

CPO follows its stellar releases of Conradi's Ariadne and Lully's Thésée by the Boston Early Music Festival with an equally extraordinary performance of Lully's Psyché. These are works that have had limited exposure and are known far better by reputation than by performances or recordings.

Jonathan Kent's spectacular production of Purcell's huge semi-opera is joyous, imaginative and witty Glyndebourne, with its intimate auditorium, provides the perfect setting for a drama which is partly spoken and partly sung. Based on an adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the story is lavished with a brilliance that justifies this production's acclaim. Paul Brown's inventive designs, Kim Brandstrup's exquisite choreography, an excellent cast of actors and singers and outstanding playing by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under William Christie combine to make a seamless theatrical experience, here recorded in High Definition and true surround sound.

Carter Sampson burst onto the European Americana scene in 2016 with the release of her album “Wilder Side”. Both the general public and the media lauded the singer and her CD with all the praise one can imagine. As a result, in the first year after the release, the Queen of Oklahoma (as she is lovingly titled by both her fans and her colleague Okie songwriters) spent almost as much time in Europe as in her beloved Queendom: the Great State of Oklahoma. 2018 will see the release of “Lucky”, a highly anticipated brand new album by this Oklahoma songstress. Carter will be touring Holland and UK to promote the CD release in May, but due to public demand 5 of the best songs from “Wilder Side”, together with 5 audience favourites from her 2012 album “Mockingbird Sing” have now been collected fot the first ever Carter Sampson vinyl release.

Pittsburgh native Barry Levenson's lifelong love affair with the blues began at an early age. At fourteen, an older friend played him some of Buddy Guy's Vanguard records and Levenson immediately fell hopelessly and passionately in love with this great American art form. After playing in numerous blues bands in his home town, Levenson landed a job doing studio work, which he still does to this day. He then moved to Boston to study arranging at the Berklee School of Music. While in Boston, he became the house guitarist at Boston's premier rhythm and blues hot spot, the Sugar Shack, backing up numerous R&B and soul greats…