Jazzy mambos from the Decca years of Noro Morales – titles that include "Jungle Bird", "Mambo Mono", "Shawanga Mambo", "Up & Down Mambo", "Mambo Coco", and "Que Problema". (Latin, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album of Latin jazz – and one of Dave Pike's best recordings in years! The set grooves a lot harder than Pike's previous album for Ubiquity – and no wonder, since he's got Bobby Matos helping him out to maintain a strong Latin jazz sound. Pike's one of those players who's amazingly adaptable, and who in fact always seems to take new strength from new settings. This record shows him pushing past some of the ill-chosen moments of other recordings of the past two decades, to return to his glory as one of the best vibes players around. Titles include "Peligroso", "Bronx Blue", "Cayo Coco", "Sandunga", and "Beauty & The Beast". LP, Vinyl record album

The Ebony Godfather is grooving here with a set of fuller backings – sweet clubby funk, arranged and conducted by Brad Baker (of B Baker Chocolate Company fame) – all as a showcase for Joe's sweet work on flute and tenor sax! There's a fair bit of keyboards on the tunes – played by Pat Rebillot and Barry Miles – and Steve Gadd's playing the drums on the date, which helps the rhythms keep a bit of an edge, even amidst the larger backing. Some cuts have backing chorus vocals, in a style used on other Thomas albums – and although definitely touched by a bit of disco fever, the album's still got a jazzy element too – like some of the crossover club sessions on the Kudu label from the 70s! Titles include "Funky Fever", "Feelins From Within", "Polarizer", "Coco", "Galaxy Dreamin", and "Venus". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure set from Azar Lawrence – self-produced and self-arranged, in a smooth modern soul mode that's kind of an 80s extension of his work in the 70s for Prestige. There's a definite R&B groove on most tracks, and vocalist Coco Evans sings on 2 of the album's 8 tracks – and an undercurrent of bass heavy funk all the way through! Lawrence is on reeds, and other players in the group include Leo Nocentelli on guitar and James Gadson on drums. Titles include "Keep It Hot", "Your Love Is Keeping Me Alive", "Magic In The Night", "Shadow Dancing", "One More Time", and "Inside Stuff". LP, Vinyl record album

A great overseas album by Art Farmer – done with a driving Latin-tinged feel and a mellifluous groove that really shows the best side of Art's playing! The set was recorded while Art was living in Vienna, and the group features Jimmy Heath on soulful tenor, soprano sax, and flute, plus some great piano work by Fritz Pauer. Jimmy Woode's in the rhythm section, giving the set the light dancing feel he brought to his best work for MPS – and the album's got a lot of drive, especially on cuts like Heath's "The Gap Sealer" or "Cascavelo", another great original from the session. Other tracks include "The Day After", "Con Fab", and "Cocodrilo". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark record – both in 60s jazz and bossa nova – and a set that not only bridged worlds of music, but set the tone for so many other albums to come! By the time of this 1964 set, Stan Getz had already issued a few bossa nova experiments on Verve – but this pairing with guitarist Joao Gilberto really pushed the format over the top – thanks in part to the vocals of Gilberto's lovely wife Astrud, who'd never sung in the studio before this famous recording! The record created a sound that was copied endlessly, and which catapulted Astrud to unbelievable fame worldwide – even though she was only included in the session at the last minute, because Joao couldn't sing in English – and the mix of Stan's tenor and Joao's guitar is wonderful – and backed throughout by this light, lilting bossa nova rhythms. Titles include the classic recording of "Girl From Ipanema", plus loads of other bossa classics like "Desafinado", "Cocovado", "O Grande Amor", and "Vivo Sonhando". LP, Vinyl record album

A solo piano set – tracks include "Cocoanut Sweet", "Let's Fall In Love", "A Sleepin' Bee", and "My Shining Hour". LP, Vinyl record album