Jazz — All Formats  

The grooviest work so far from the Hi-Fly Orchestra – a set that moves even farther past the sublime territory of their debut, into a really classic blend of soul jazz and Latin rhythms – produced to perfection with a wonderfully solid feel! Instrumentation here is all live – a blend of sax, flute, trombone, Fender Rhodes, piano, and plenty of percussion – all handled with a feel that takes us back to some of our favorite territory on Verve Records from the 60s, those wonderful records that blended elements from the Latin underground with some of the harder jazz leanings of the period – a legacy these guys are happy to add to with their wonderful grooves. Miriam Aida guests on vocals on two cuts, but most titles are instrumental – and tunes include "Afro Boo", "Carioquinha", "Polonesa", "Mrs Shing A Ling", "Hi Fly Stomp", "Mambo Atomico", and a surprisingly groovy cover of "Crosstown Traffic".

One of Sinatra's greatest records ever – pure genius all the way through! Frank's backed here by the orchestra of Count Basie, with some incredible arrangements by Quincy Jones that really have a jazzy, syncopated kick to them. The move seems to be an unintentional way of covering for Frank's slightly failing pipes – but it also picks up on a seminal beat change in 60s pop, the same sort of gentle snapping groove that you'd find in the best work by Bacharach, a shift that really infuses Frank's vocals with a whole new sound, one that shows that he's ready to keep on growing and growing after being stuck in a Nelson Riddle rut. All tracks are superb – hip 60s pop and showtunes, like "I Believe In You", "Fly Me To the Moon", "More", "The Good Life", "Wives & Lovers", and "I Wanna Be Around".

An amazing set of modern jazz – penned by Italian film composer Piero Umiliani, but also played by a very hip group headed by a young Gato Barbieri! Although Gato's probably best known for his late 60s appearances on the American scene, and his 70s dates for Impulse and Flying Dutchman – his earlier work in Italy is all pretty darn great, and this set shows the budding modernist to be in very strong company with a lineup that includes Enrico Rava on trumpet and Franco D'Andrea on piano, plus bass and drums. Side one of the record features full orchestrations by Umiliani – still plenty jazzy, with some great horn passages and cool use of vibes. Then side two features Umiliani's music played by the small group with Gato in the lead – a really great mix of modes that make the soundtrack a real standout, both in the Italian jazz and film scenes of the 60s. Titles include "Jazz Alla Vivaldi", "Ballata Della Bassa Padana", "Brass Fugato", "Una Bella Grinta", "Lontananza", "Sequenze Autostrata", "Free Theme", and "Hammond Blues"

Soaring grooves from the legendary KPM Sound Library – a set of tunes that sparkles with all the charm and glamour of early 70s air travel! The title and cover really fit the spirit of the music here – as most of the tracks are upbeat and sky-flying – the sorts of numbers that go way beyond the sleepier side of easy listening, and really show the way that Easy maestros of the 70s were picking up plenty of funky elements in their music! There's no hard funk tracks here – as you might find on other sound library sets – but there's definitely an undercurrent of groove, thanks to some well-chosen rhythms, strong use of electric bass, and an overall sense of flow in most of the orchestrations – a feel that reminds us a lot of some of the excellent Brigade Mondaine compilations from a few years back. The package really offers up a different look than usual at KPM – and the tunes are as classy as anything we might have loved years ago, on the legendary Sound Library collections. Titles include "Sun Lover", "The Great Outdoors", "Husky Birdsong", and "Towards The Sun" by Keith Mansfield; "Holiday People", "Soft Memories", "Gentle Breeze", "Summer Dreams", "Summer Season", and "Friendly Faces" by James Clarke; "Paradise Found" by Dick Doerschuk, "Silk Stream" by David Gold, "Busy Spectacle" and "Fun In The Sun" by Neil Richardson, "Sunseekers" by David Lindup, and "A Tender Touch" by Steve Gray.

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Circus" and "Flying Home".

A nice lost treasure! This is one of those LPs that you always passed by for years, but which actually has some nice funky tracks on it. Despite the fact the cover has Bob Thiele's ugly puss on it, dressed up as an old flying ace, the record actually contains performances by Lonnie Liston Smith, Larry Coryell, Charlie Mariano, and Jon Faddis. The music is played by a large ensemble, with a tight studio sound, and it's got some nice electric grooves, with a few funky breaks. Tracks include "Shadows", "Summer Days", "Nice N Spicy", and "A Dream Deferred".

Great jazzy grooves from the Quiet Nights Orchestra – the second set from the group, and every bit as wonderful as the first! There's wicked blend of modes going on here – a bit of modal jazz, some clubjazz rhythms, a touch of Schema groove, and also just a hint of older jazz modes too – all wrapped together with a youthful, vibrant energy that really makes the whole thing sparkle! If you've ever dug work on labels like Ricky Tick, Schema, or some of the best older Compost material, you'll find plenty here to love – and it's great to know that there's folks like Quiet Nights out there, still putting out grooves like this. Sofie Norling sings these beautiful vocals on a few tracks, but overall most of the set is instrumental – with a nice mix of trumpet, trombone, saxes, and even some vibes. Titles include "Waves", "When We Fly", "Movin", "The Path", "Dreaming", "One More Try", "He Is My Music", and "Falling For You".

An amazing set of modern jazz – penned by Italian film composer Piero Umiliani, but also played by a very hip group headed by a young Gato Barbieri! Although Gato's probably best known for his late 60s appearances on the American scene, and his 70s dates for Impulse and Flying Dutchman – his earlier work in Italy is all pretty darn great, and this set shows the budding modernist to be in very strong company with a lineup that includes Enrico Rava on trumpet and Franco D'Andrea on piano, plus bass and drums. Side one of the record features full orchestrations by Umiliani – still plenty jazzy, with some great horn passages and cool use of vibes. Then side two features Umiliani's music played by the small group with Gato in the lead – a really great mix of modes that make the soundtrack a real standout, both in the Italian jazz and film scenes of the 60s. Titles include "Jazz Alla Vivaldi", "Ballata Della Bassa Padana", "Brass Fugato", "Una Bella Grinta", "Lontananza", "Sequenze Autostrata", "Free Theme", and "Hammond Blues"