Now Sound — LPs  

Fantastic French grooves from the end of the 60s – a killer set of jazz-based tracks recorded by trumpeter Ivan Jullien, with help from funky arranger Michel Colombier! Jullien recorded a fair bit of jazz and studio work around the time, and his playing here is razor-sharp – and supported by Colombier grooves that rival his best soundtrack material, his experiments with Pierre Henry, or his backings for singers like Serge Gainsbourg or Brigitte Bardot! Colombier also plays keyboards on the record, as does the great Maurice Vander – amidst a host of other great French jazzmen who include Pierre Gossez on sax, Roger Guerin on additional trumpet, and Eddie Louiss on organ. Drums are nice and funky on most cuts – and the whole thing kicks even more than most funky big band records on MPS! Includes the great break cut "I Remember Otis" – plus "Sonoro", "The Looser", "Talk", "An Oscar For Eddy", "Wake The Monster", "Edith", and "Crescendo".

Groovy pop instrumental versions of Donovan's hits, including "Catch the Wind", "There Is a Mountain", "Sunny Goodge Street", "Jennifer Juniper", and "Hampstead Incident". The sound is very Brit now sound, with a lot of electric bass, and jumpy orchestrations banked in strings.

Nice one! This is a groovy reissue of the soundtrack to Milano Violenta, written by Enrico Pieranunzi and Silvano Chimenti, and performed by the funky studio group Pulsar Music Ltd. The feel of the album is similar to that of some of the best tracks on the Stroboscopia comps – with lots of tight drums, rumbling basslines, and cool electric moments. The whole thing is very groovy all the way through – with no dead moments, and a good mix of cool themes that keeps changing all the time. Titles include "High Tension", "Subway", "Blue Funk", "Cat Theme", "Obsession", and "Dreamland".

Although not nearly as well-remembered as Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl is really our favorite comedian from the late 50s. He's got this incredible delivery style that is both immediately arresting and surprisingly heartfelt – and instead of doing short canned "bits", he just sort of rambles on at length about news, politics, and other groovy subjects. This album captures him before a very hip crowd at San Francisco's legendary Hungry I, and it's probably as good a glimpse into post-war American neuroses as you'll ever get!

Wonderfully groovy! This is the first-ever album by the legendary Marc 4 studio group – a funky Italian combo that featured Armando Trovajoli on keyboards, plus backing by guitar, drums, and bass. The keyboards vary from funky organ to jangly electric harpsichord to sharp-edged piano – and the group's sound is often augmented by some extra horn work. Things are nicely funk and nicely groovy throughout – and although you may have a few tracks by Marc 4 on other comps, this is a great complete release of their work, with plenty of tracks that we've never heard before. Titles include "Silouette", "Jockey", "To Pedal", "Trafalgar Square", "Soho", "Love Theme", "Mato Grosso", "Lua Linda", and "Gare". Great cover, too!

Totally cool new 2LP set on Plastic, and in a very similar mode to some of the other great Italian comps of funky music – like Stroboscopia, Mo' Plen, and Easy Tempo. The set's a collection of funky grooves from the lost Phase 6 label, and features some totally wild tracks with electric harpsichord, electric sitar, and other cool electric instruments – all over funky grooves and tight beats! The sound is stunning, with razor sharp production, and a stereo sound that's bound to burst you out of your seat. There's 16 tracks in all, and every cut's a winner, with hot "Now Sound" vibes. Plus, we recognize none of the artists, so you don't have to worry about duplication from other sets you might have. The whole thing's great, and ranks as one of the best Italian funky comps we've had so far!