Fantastic work from one of our favorite Dizzy Gillespie groups ever – an early 60s lineup that not only features a young Lalo Schifrin on piano, but also the great Leo Wright on alto sax and flute! Dizzy's maybe best known for his bebop material – and he recorded famously in that mode earlier on the Parisian scene – but here at the start of the 60s, he's opening up an entirely new chapter in his book – blowing on much longer tracks that are really set free in new rhythmic modes – in large part by Schifrin's input in the group, which comes not just from his piano work and arrangements, but also from some of the great material he penned for the set! There's plenty of influences from Latin and Brazilian music – but at a level that's nicely submerged, and very different than Dizzy's earlier cubop – more matured, and taken in all these new righteous directions, which unlocks all these incredible elements in Gillespie's trumpet too. This isn't the scat-singing, bebop jokester from the past – and instead a proud, powerful talent who sounds incredible throughout. The 1960 material also features Art Davis on bass and Chuck Lampkin on drums, plus guest congas from Candido – on the long "Gillespiana Suite", plus "Caravan" and "Cripple Crapple Crutch". The 1961 material features Bob Cunningham on bass and Mel Lewis on drums – on titles that include "Kush", "Lorraine", "Desafinado", "Long Long Summer", "Pau De Arara", and "Cripple Crapple Crutch". CD

A great tribute to Lalo's classic years with Dizzy Gillespie – performed by himself and the WDR Big Band, with players that include Jon Faddis, Paquito D'Rivera, Alex Acuna, and Markus Stockhausen. Faddis handles most of the trumpet parts, and with a style that's different enough from Diz to open the work up nicely – yet still hearken back to the sweet and Latinesque style of the early 60s Gillespie group that included Schifrin. Titles include "Blues", "Panamerica", "Africana", "Tocata", and "Bachianas Brasileiras No 5". CD

With Ray Brown on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums. CD

The great Lalo Schifrin plays piano and leads a crack group of studio players through some larger orchestral material with a nice jazzy feel! The overall approach is similar to Lalo's classic 60s soundtrack work – with nice solos arching out over sweeping strings and orchestral passages, and all tracks written with a good deal of punch, plus lots of little Latiny influences. Easily one of his most perfectly conceived albums of the 60s – and pretty darn tough to find. Tracks are long and titles include "El Salon Mexico", "New Fantasy", "Sabre Dance", and "Prelude #2". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from Lalo Schfrin! This one mixes together bossa piano and sweeping string arrangements – in a style that's incredibly dark-edged and driving, with a sound that's at once spooky and lovely – a dancing groove that makes the best tracks really sparkle! The album's light years away from other "piano with strings" albums of the time – proof that Schifrin was easily one of the most imaginative forces of his generation, and an arranger who really helped reshape music in the 60s. Titles include the incredible version of "Maria" that's played quite often by Gilles Peterson – plus loads of other nice ones, like "The Wave", "Insensatez", "You And Me", "Murmurio", "Rapaz De Bem", "Rio After Dark", and "Time For Love". CD

A crazy album of funky tracks from Lalo Schifrin – very different than most of his other jazz and bossa work! This set's got some very tripped out styles that mix together funky backings, jazzy riffing, and even some nice electronics – a sweet little groove that's even more wild and hip than even the best of Schifrin's soundtrack work from the 60s! Some tunes certainly show the deft talent for arranging woodwinds and rhythms that first caught the ears of so many listeners on famous soundtracks – but in the setting of this record, away from any directorial needs, Lalo's also free to explore some groovier music ideas – and he really lets loose tremendously as the set rolls on! The titles alone should tell you the feel of the record – with names like "Secret Code", "Dissolving", "Vaccinated Mushrooms", "Wheat Germ Landscapes", and "How To Open at Will The Most Beautiful Window". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare oddity – and a surprisingly nice record! Sarah Vaughan sings the words of Pope John Paul II – but set to groovy arrangements by Francy Boland, conducted by Lalo Schifrin! This trio of secular talents helps make the album much nicer than you'd expect – an unusual later project from Gigi Campi! (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Funky 70s work from film score maestro Lalo Schifrin – served up with a bit of a disco twist, and plenty of the electric jazz funk elements that were showing up in his soundtracks at the time! Lalo's on keyboards, playing a cool host of electric ones that give the record a nice spacey sound over the top of the funky arrangements – and there's plenty of nice guitar work – either by Eric Gale or John Tropea – which gives the cuts some nice choppy funky bits that drive them a bit harder than you might expect! Titles include an amazing funk remake of "Quiet Village", plus "Dragonfly", "Black Widow", "Baia", "Turning Point", and a version of the "Jaws" theme! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of bossa jazz from the great Lalo Schifrin – recorded at a time when he was working in the group of Dizzy Gillespie, and picking up a few great touches from that scene too! The combo is super-sharp – with the great Leo Wright on alto and flute – blowing these great solos that are worth the price of the album alone – next to Lalo's piano, the bass of Chris White, and drums of Rudy Collins – plus two more percussionists too! Titles include "Apito No Samba", "Poema Do Adeus", "Chora Tua Tristeza", "Boato", "Bossa Em New York", and "Patinho Feio". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An ambitious set of funky jazz tunes from Lalo Schifrin – cut in the clubby style of some of his later CTI work, but also done with some interesting instrumental flourishes from track to track – which gives the album some of the depth of his soundtrack work of the 70s! The album's got a "gypsy" spirit in the compositions – sometimes touched with a bit of acoustic guitar – but overall, the main groove is electric, laid down by lots of keyboard grooves from Lalo and Mike Melvoin, which are matched by these soaring horn lines that are nice and soulful, and really deepen the groove! Titles include "Fortune Tellers", "Ring Around The Moon", "Prophecy Of Love", and "Pampas". LP, Vinyl record album

Electric 70s work from Lalo Schifrin – with a tight uptempo funky sound that's similar to his strong "cop show" soundtrack themes of the time! This album's a pretty great testament to Lalo's durability as one of the great composer arrangers – sublime stuff from the late 70s, and a record that really works nicely alongside Schifrin's music for films. Lalo's got a great crew for the set, too – including Joe Farrell and Jeremy Steig on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Anthony Jackson on bass, Steve Gadd and Andrew Smith on drums, accompaniment on keys by Chuck Spangler and a host of others! Titles include "Eagles In Love", "Macumba", "Theme From Most Wanted", "Theme From King Kong", and "Roller Coaster". LP, Vinyl record album

The Marquis De Sade never sounded so sweet! For some strange reason, Schifrin decided to pay a musical hommage to De Sade with this one – but fortunately, he's not punishing himself with the subject matter at all, and is sticking to his jazzy bossa guns. The arrangements have a tight Verve mid 60s groove to them – with breakout solos on piano and flute, slightly baroque scoring that mixes strings, harpsichord, and some straighter jazz playing, and a good focus on strong rhythm playing throught. A breezy treat that would make any of us drop a paddle and kick back for a cocktail – if we had the chance! Titles include "Bossa Antique", "The Wig", "Old Laces", "Beneath A Weeping Willow Shade", "Renaissance", and "Troubadour". LP, Vinyl record album

Lalo Schifrin conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – with Christian McBride on bass, James Morrison on trumpet, and Gordon Rytmeister on drums. CD

A great lost chapter in the Cannonball/David Axelrod story! The record features Cannon's classic quintet performing some longer, more serious works with orchestral backing – and the sound is vaguely similar to some of Axelrod's "high concept" work for Capitol. The record features a recording of Axelrod's "Tensity" and William Fischer's "Experience In E", both conducted by Fischer, a hip modern soul-oriented arranger, with a sound that's not dissimilar to Axelrod. The last piece on the album is a nice long one by Lalo Schifrin, "Dialogues For Jazz Quintet & Orchestra", which is also conducted by him as well. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most striking Eric Dolphy work we've ever heard – a set of live performances from the years 1962 and 1963 that feature Dolphy in a free-thinking mode that surpasses even the modernism of his classic studio sides! The recordings feature Dolphy amidst a variety of players – including a number of unlikely suspects like Barry Galbraith, Eddie Costa, and Jim Hall – and although some of the tracks have a moody and introspective third stream quality (3 of the numbers are written by Gunther Schuller), others are quite open, and almost have an ESP-like intensity. One longer title is a jam session take on Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" – recorded with a lineup that includes Phil Woods, Nick Travis, Benny Golson, Don Ellis, and Lalo Schifrin! Other titles include "Iron Man", "Half Note Triplets", "Densities", and "Night Music". CD

Dizzy Gillespie caught live at Monterey – recorded with a great group during one of our favorite stretches in his career! The combo's kind of a post-Lalo Schifrin quintet, but still shares plenty of the bossa-inspired elements of his tenure with Diz – long tracks, bits of Latin rhythms, and a hip swing that's just right for the 60s! James Moody's in the group on alto, flute, and tenor, Kenny Barron plays piano, Chris White is on bass, and Rudy Collins is on drums – and Jon Hendricks joins the group on vocals for one cut too! Titles include "Morning Of The Carnival", "Dizzy Atmosphere", "Vote Dizzy", "Desafinado", "No More Blues", and "The Cup Bearers". CD

Outstanding Dizzy Gillespie material – from one of his most overlooked periods! The time is the mid 60s, and after a few years of working with Lalo Schifrin in his group, Dizzy's changed his Latin bag from hard-edged Cubop to mellower more complicated Bossa and modal jazz. The result is some of the most sophisticated playing in Dizzy's career – hitched to a groove that's still filled with soul and fire, and which rolls on in a compelling way that always hooks us hard! The group features Kenny Barron on piano, and reed work by James Moody, one of the other great secrets of the mid 60s! Tracks are all long – and titles include "One Note Samba", "Con Alma", "Umh, Umh", and "Chega De Saudade". CD

A great burner from Diz – and one that features a large group, long tracks, and some stellar early work from Lalo Schifrin! Schifrin was in Diz's group at the time, playing piano and contributing fantastic Latin-tinged arrangements that gave the band a whole new life. Other players on this session include Candido, Leo Wright, Julius Watkins, and Willie Rodriguez – and the tracks include "Africana", "Blues", and "Panamerica". CD

Features Lalo Schifrin on piano, Leo Wright on alto and flute, and two tracks with Candido. CD

A rare 60s meeting of groovy talents from both sides of the Atlantic – and a record that matches the trumpet of Dizzy Gillespie with the hiply swinging vocals of The Double Six Of Paris! The group were a wonderfully groovy precursor to the Swingle Singers – and sung in a scatting approach to jazz vocals that was very much in the tradition of Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross – but also drew inspiration from the earlier work of Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, and others. Their sound is great – much more 60s groovy than some other vocal groups – and pairing them with Dizzy gives this record an added punch that some of their other sessions are missing! Backing is small combo throughout – with either Bud Powell or Kenny Barron on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and James Moody on tenor – and with the presence of Diz, most of the material here is of bop orientation – taken at a fast and lively clip! Lalo Schifrin arranged the whole session too – and titles include "One Bass Hit", "Blue N Boogie", "Emanon", "Groovin High", "Ow", "The Champ", "Tin Tin Deo", "Hot House", and "Con Alma". CD

Wicked funk from Japanese keyboardist Norio Maeda – also a hell of an arranger, too – as you'll hear on this superb set from the start of the 70s! The record's one of those key albums that took a 60s groovy Japanese sound much further into the future – giving the whole thing a sharper edge, with heavier drums – and using trippy guitar, weird flute lines, and keyboards to give the whole thing a vibe that's almost more blacksploitation or kung fu soundtrack than most of what Maeda had done before! Tracks are all pretty lively, and work together as a sweet set of grooves – almost with a funky Lalo Schifrin sort of vibe – and all the notes and titles are in Japanese, or else we'd have even more information to convey. LP, Vinyl record album

A record of incredible beauty from the great Leo Wright – and one that we'd never part with at all! Wright's one of those excellent players from the 60s who never really gets his due – largely because he was always hiding behind larger groups, and because he left the US in the decade for an extended stint in Europe. Still he cut some fantastic early work with both Dizzy Gillespie and Lalo Schifrin – and this album captures him right during the peak of that early period! The record features light lively backing from a quartet that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums – and some tracks have a beautifully groovy sound that's slightly bossa, slightly soul jazz. One of the best of these is Wright's great cover of "A Felicidade", but the record contains many other great moments, like "The Wiggler", "Tali", "Sassy Lady", and "Dionysis". CD

A wonderfully wide-ranging collection of work brought together in support of a long-running music festival in France – done here as a double-length set that offers up a "Past" disc of material recorded at the festival in previous years – and a "Future" disc that points the way towards new directions in European jazz! The set's worth it for the Past disc alone – as it offers up some never-heard recordings in jazz, Latin, and Brazilian modes – a nicely diverse array of tracks that have that open vibe of a really special live moment at a concert – similar to some of the best Montreux jazz recordings over the years! Titles include "Toda Menina Baiana" by Gilberto Gil, "Panamerica" by Lalo Schifrin with David Sanchez on tenor, "Chan Chan" by La Banda De Santiago De Cuba, "Delilah" by the Milt Jackson/Hank Jones Quartet, "Manalyuca" by McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz & Ravi Coltrane, "I'll Stay" by Roy Hargrove & RH Factor, and "Soweto Sorrow" by the trio of Louis Sclavis on bass clarinet, Henri Texier on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums. The Future disc is great too – with new recordings in a range of jazzy styles, mostly by younger French artists – with titles that include "On Dimanch Maten" by Arnaud Dolmen, "Baby Rover" by Jasual Cazz, "Strength" by Emile Londonien, "Olioqui Valley" by Ishkero, "Soulful" by Leon Phal Quintet, and "Tryin Times" by Abraham Reunion. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy stuff! Most of the cuts on these albums were pulled from rare 50s and 60s sides – and although you might recognize the artists, the material is hard to find, especially on vinyl! There's a total of 16 cuts in a groovy package, and titles include "Milestones" by Mark Murphy, "The Squash" by Hank Marr, "Dem Tambourines" by Don Wilkerson, "Soul Dressing" by Booker T & The MGs, "Mambo With Moody" by James Moody, "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf (part 2)" by Jimmy Smith, "Kingston Calypso" by John Barry, "Goodness Gracious Me" by Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren, and "Just One Of Those Things" by Lalo Schifrin & Bob Brookmeyer. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

Nice 2LP set that brings together some of his most striking sessions of the early 60s recorded for Emarcy. This set includes pieces composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Conquerors", "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". The set also features Diz playing tracks from Tom McIntosh, one of the scene's brightest arrangers at the time, and a talent who was looming large, thanks to support from folks like Diz and James Moody. Moody's in the group – blowing tenor with a quintet that includes Kenny Barron on piano, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums – and his tone is incredible, with a darkness that he'd rarely had before, and the whole group has a mixture of modern tones and soulful grooves that's beyond compare! Titles include "November Afternoon", "The Cup Bearers", "The Day After". Also included are songs from the soundtrack for the lost Shirley Clarke verite drama The Cool World. Mal Waldron wrote the material for the score, and Diz plays the music with a moody emotionality that you don't often hear in his other 60's work. The recording was made by his great group that included Kenny Barron and James Moody, and the titles include "The Pushers", "Duke's Fantasy", "Coney Island", and "Street Music". LP, Vinyl record album

A wickedly great album from Dizzy Gillespie – one of his most striking sessions of the early 60s, and a perfect blend of his Latin and modern modes! The album features an extended suite – composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin, who'd just begun working with Dizzy at the time, and who was inflecting his sound with a lot of South American grooves. The work's played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". CD

A brilliant album of Latiny grooves from Diz! The disc takes off from the soulful/modal mood of the early 60s groups with Lalo Schifrin and Kenny Barron – and features a young Mike Longo crafting some fantastic lines on piano, stretched out over tight rhythms on electric bass and drums, with Dizzy soloing on trumpet, and James Moody adding in washes of color and emotion on alto, tenor, and flute. The best tracks are long groovers that really show the group stretching out – especially on the album's 16 minute reading of Dizzy's classic "Kush", the title track "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac", and a great version of "Mas Que Nada"! CD

Coleman's friends here include Roy Eldridge, Don Byas, Benny Carter, Lalo Schifrin, Art Davis, and Jo Jones! LP, Vinyl record album

A lost chapter in the Stan Getz sound of the 60s – an album that features Stan blowing in front of some beautiful backdrops set by Lalo Schifrin and Claus Ogerman! The sound is super mellow – dreamy, but never sleepy – with Stan blowing in these soulful, magical, exploratory lines that sweep and swirl with his best 60s work. The sound is incredible – a whole new level of genius to a player who'd already recorded in so many other strong modes at the time – and titles include "Sleeping Bee", "Nitetime Street", "Early Autumn", "Charade", "Love", and "Reflections". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 60s meeting of groovy talents from both sides of the Atlantic – and a record that matches the trumpet of Dizzy Gillespie with the hiply swinging vocals of The Double Six Of Paris! The group were a wonderfully groovy precursor to the Swingle Singers – and sung in a scatting approach to jazz vocals that was very much in the tradition of Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross – but also drew inspiration from the earlier work of Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, and others. Their sound is great – much more 60s groovy than some other vocal groups – and pairing them with Dizzy gives this record an added punch that some of their other sessions are missing! Backing is small combo throughout – with either Bud Powell or Kenny Barron on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and James Moody on tenor – and with the presence of Diz, most of the material here is of bop orientation – taken at a fast and lively clip! Lalo Schifrin arranged the whole session too – and titles include "One Bass Hit", "Blue N Boogie", "Emanon", "Groovin High", "Ow", "The Champ", "Tin Tin Deo", "Hot House", and "Con Alma". LP, Vinyl record album

A great burner from Diz – and one that features a large group, long tracks, and some stellar early work from Lalo Schifrin! Schifrin was in Diz's group at the time, playing piano and contributing fantastic Latin-tinged arrangements that gave the band a whole new life. Other players on this session include Candido, Leo Wright, Julius Watkins, and Willie Rodriguez – and the tracks include "Africana", "Blues", and "Panamerica". An incredible live set from Dizzy Gillespie – one that has him working in stunning big band mode, but with all the depth and agility of a small combo! The set features variations on a number of classic Gillespie themes – including "Kush", "Manteca", "Ool Ya Koo", and "Tunisian Fantasy (Night In Tunisia)" – recast with that ever-growing Latin influence that Dizzy was picking up in the 60s, supported strongly by the presence of a young Lalo Schifrin, who plays piano on the set. Horn players include Dizzy, Clark Terry, and Nick Travis on trumpets; Gunter Schuller and Jim Buffington on French Horns; Leo Wright on sax and flute; and Don Butterfield on tuba – supported by rhythm from Schifrin on piano, Art Davis on bass, and Charles Lumpkin on drums. Tunes are awash in soulful solos and deeply colored hues – and titles include "Manteca", "This Is The Way", "Kush", "Ool Ya Koo", and "Tunisian Fantasy". CD

A wickedly great album from Dizzy Gillespie – one of his most striking sessions of the early 60s, and a perfect blend of his Latin and modern modes! The album features an extended suite – composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin, who'd just begun working with Dizzy at the time, and who was inflecting his sound with a lot of South American grooves. The work's played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album of Latiny grooves from Diz! The disc takes off from the soulful/modal mood of the early 60s groups with Lalo Schifrin and Kenny Barron – and features a young Mike Longo crafting some fantastic lines on piano, stretched out over tight rhythms on electric bass and drums, with Dizzy soloing on trumpet, and James Moody adding in washes of color and emotion on alto, tenor, and flute. The best tracks are long groovers that really show the group stretching out – especially on the album's 16 minute reading of Dizzy's classic "Kush", the title track "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac", and a great version of "Mas Que Nada"! CD