... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album of Latiny tunes from Henry Mancini – played by a very hip lineup of west coast jazzmen! The rhythms have a great mix of Latin influences and Mancini magic – the kind of grooves you'd hear on his 60s soundtracks at the time, played by a lineup that includes Bud Shank and Tom Scott on reeds, Buddy Childers and Pete Candoli on trumpets, Ray Brown on acoustic bass, Max Bennett on fender bass, Larry Bunker on percussion, and Shelly Manne on drums. The vibe is nice and relaxed – a bit more upbeat than bossa, but not as all-out as other RCA Latin sessions – thanks to Mancini's nice sense of warmth and space in the arrangements. Titles include some pretty darn cool takes on "Mission Impossible", "Fistful Of Dollars", "Magnificent Seven", "Touch Of Evil", and "Springtime For Hitler", from the film The Producers. Other titles include "Patricia", "Zacatecas", and "Las Cruces". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that has Sid Ramin working with a large group, but getting a really tight sound out of them throughout – a mode that's more soundtrack-styled than any sort of jazz big band – but which still has lots of jazzy flourishes from the horns in the group! Arrangements are plenty playful throughout – like some of Ramin's great soundtrack scoring – and titles include "Nola", "In The Mood", "Never On Sunday", "Ruby", and "And The Angels Sing". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums by the guy who did so many groovy versions of the score to his own hit musical. This one's got the famous "Ripped Open by Metal Explosions" sample, plus some other great stuff that wasn't in Hair. Very groovy, choppy, and groovy/funky stuff here – and a real tough LP to find these days! Other tracks include "Colored Spade", "Hashish", and "Freakout". (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

Herb Alpert's first-ever album – a runaway hit that was the birthplace of so many groovy things – not just the start of the Tijuana Brass sound, also the birth of A&M Records! The album's the first to feature Herb's trademark take on the Mexican band style – done here with a bit more "jaunty" pop stylings than in later years, including a "rocking" electric bass that kicks along nicely at the bottom of some of the more chart-oriented tunes. The first full album on A&M – and the beginning of an empire – with titles that include "The Lonely Bull", "El Lobo", "Desafinado", "Mexico", "Never On Sunday", and "Struttin With Maria". LP, Vinyl record album

Not really "the best", but a pretty nice collection of Denny's early work for Liberty – with a groovy photo on the back that shows him working with the group in action, beating on a big conga, while the rest of the band plays exotic percussion! Titles include "The Enchanted Sea", "Ruby", "Bali Hai", "China Nights", "Moonlight & Shadows", "Ebb Tide", and "Harbor Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly groovy album from Jackie Gleason from the mid 60 – with a sound that's a lot hipper than you'd expect from the "brass" in the title! Jackie's working here with an electric bass at the bottom of the band – providing a nice bouncing rhythm that makes the tunes dance nicely, stepping out in a 60s easy mode that has a lilt at the bottom that makes for a lot more play at the top. 11 tracks in all – with titles that include "The Art Of Love", "My Love For Carmen", "A Taste Of Honey", "Mame", "La Terre", "Call Me", "Love Is Here to Stay", "It All Depends On You" and a great version of Galt MacDermot's "African Waltz"! LP, Vinyl record album

Swingin hi fi and big band sounds – and, as the label says, "a marriage of music and electronics – spellbinding". The "electronics" aren't moogy or anything like that, but the sound's pretty good, and there are some nice covers such as "A Taste Of Honey", "Michelle", "King Of The Road", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "People" plus an original called "The Soundaroundus". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from Brit easy bandleader John Gregory – an assortment of 70s police and crime themes, played by a big band with a nice soundtrack-y finish! Nearly all the tunes are uptempo, and the feel of the record is very much in the same vein as Henry Mancini's Cop Show Themes album – although perhaps with a bit less electronics. Titles include "Cannon", "The Rockford Files", "Kojak", "Six Million Dollar Man" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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". (Jazz, Now Sound) CD

Not as great as some of Keating's other work – which can be wonderfully goofy, or arranged in a hip swinging manner that pushes it way past the usual big band groove. Still, the record's not bad, and has some pretty tight playing by a well-selected group of Brit Easy players. Titles include "The Preacher", "Ticket To Ride", "Chihuahua", "My Kind Of Girl", and "Bee Bom". (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album