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All the early albums from Barclay James Harvest, plus a huge amount of tracks from singles and radio performances here – all adding up to an incredibly rich document of this seminal British group! Barclay maybe never had the huge crossover success as some of their contemporaries, but their sound here is brilliant throughout – a mode that goes way past mainstream prog and psych, with some tremendous instrumentation that really packs a hell of a lot of punch – never going too far out, or getting too overindulgent – yet really fusing so much into a tight little package. The set features the full albums Their First Album, Once Again, And Other Short Stories, and Barclay James Harvest – plus BBC Top Gear tracks, an early single, Bob Harris sessions, and more – a whopping 69 titles in all!

One of the grooviest Brazilian albums you could ever hope to buy – and one that's not even from Brazil, either! This little gem was recorded in France in the early 70s – but it's got a swinging groove that's very similar to the work of Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 during the 60s – upbeat, bossa-inflected, and with a strong undercurrent of jazz! Mesquita's group is a lot like Sergio's – right down to its mix of two vocalists on the lyrics – but there's a few important differences: this group's got one male and one female singer, a lot more percussion than Sergio ever used, and an overall sound that's less pop-oriented, and much harder overall! The whole album's great – tight, driving, and lively, with some incredible production – and titles include "Balanca Pema", "Dabadeia", "Aguas De Marco", "Fechado Pra Balanco", "Zanzibar", and "O Gato".

Sexy grooves from 70s France – exactly the kind of record that we'd never find coming out in the US! Philippe Nicaud has this whispering, talking sort of style – kind of a cross between Serge Gainsbourg and Rod McKuen, set to music that's much more in the spirit of the former – with hip funky French touches in the rhythms, and lots of cool tripped-out instrumentation in the mix! Nicaud voice sets the scene wonderfully for the erotic themes of the set – and even on the few numbers where he sings a bit more, his style is still plenty great – with a raspy edge that's almost the summation of Euro erotic for the time. Titles include "Cuisses Nues Bottes De Cuir", "Leger Leger", "La Marie Des Champs", "Bonne Nuit Chuck", "Tout Bas Tou Bas", "Cover Girl", "Le Jardin Merveilleux", "Les Cigales Et Les Fourmis", and "Breve Rencontre".

Organist Rhoda Scott takes on the Bach jazz groove of the French jazz scene – using her Hammond with just a bit of drums in the background, all in a style that's pretty darn spacious, and which shows a tremendous command of the instrument! Given the setting, there's certainly some echoes of pipe organ work in Scott's tones – but as on her other albums of the time, she still manages to swing at the right moments, which usually kick in as the tunes roll on! Most numbers mix up an initial theme from Bach with a groovier contemporary song – in ways that make for a pop/classical medley mode that's quite unique. Titles include "Symphonie Du Noveau Monde/Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay", "Prelude En Sol Mineur/Moanin", "Toccata En Re Mineur/Les Feuilles Mortes", and "Prelude En Si Bemol Majeur/The Preacher".

One of the grooviest albums ever from organist Rhoda Scott – a hip, double-length set recorded at the Club Saint Germain in Paris – often with a good deal of funk in the mix! Rhoda's working here in a slightly expanded version of her usual format – her own Hammond organ in the lead, plus drums from Cees Kranenburg and tenor sax from Leo Johnson – the last of which makes for a wonderful addition to the groove! Most tracks are quite long, and build with a good sense of energy – almost jamming at times, with the drums used much more heavily than on other Scott albums. And Johnson's sax is great too – bringing in a sharper edge that really deepens the soul, and helps show a side of Rhoda that wasn't always caught on record at the time. Titles include a killer 18-minute version of War's "Slipping Into Darkness", a funky take on "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)", and the originals "Espoir", "Floor Lip", "Le Saint Germain", and "Nyugi-Nyugi".

Live set recorded in 1983, with large arrangements by Wagner Tiso that feature a string section behind a smaller rock group that includes Tiso, Robertinho Silva, and Helio Delmiro. Milton plays guitar, and his voice is still in fine form. Gal Costa sings a tiny bit – and the record includes "Para Lennon E McCartney", "Maria Maria", "Brasil", "Solar", and "Paisagem Na Janela".

3 lost vocal gems from 50s Paris! The set pulls together some rare eps on the Barclay and Fontana labels – all the picture of Left Bank hip! The first 8 tracks are by Harold Nicholas – singing in French and English with a swinging combo on tunes that include "Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours?", "That Old Black Magic", "Teach Me Tonight", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" – in a style that's similar to early work by Claude Nougaro, but perhaps a bit more mellow. The next 4 tracks feature June Richmond singing with a hip group arranged by Quincy Jones – and featuring work by Billy Byers, Roger Guerin, Kenny Clarke, and Henri Renaud. Tracks on that set include "Sleep", "Everybody's Doing It", and "I've Gotta Right To Sing The Blues". The last two tracks are rare gems by Andy Bey and his sisters Salome and Geraldine – performing in the style of their classic Andy & The Bey Sisters albums in the US, and recorded in 1959, quite early in their career! Their two tracks are wonderful – and feature the trio grooving soulfully on the tunes "Smooth Sailin" and "Scoubidou".

A beautiful lost bit of Exotica from the early 60's! Michel Magne recorded this "adventure in exotic sounds and percussion" in the Barclay Studios in Paris – as one of the excellent albums he cut in France before moving onto more famous soundtracks – and the set's got a wonderful mix of percussion, woodwinds, vibes, and piano – but also features tiny bit of tape manipulation, which gives the whole thing an even groovier sound! The feel is way cooler than the usual exotica groove – key proof of Magne's early musical vision – and titles include "Congo", "Tabu", "Sahara", "Two Silhouettes", and "Tropical".

Although Belgian in origin, tenorist Bobby Jaspar was a key part of the French jazz scene of the postwar years – and his playing on records like this also made him one of the standout jazz talents in Europe in the 50s! The set features extremely rare material by Jaspar – cut for Barclay Records in 1955, and featuring a quintet with Rene Utreger on piano and Sacha Distel on guitar. Distel is especially wonderful, and even though he later went on to become a teen heartthrob pop singer in France, he's an excellent guitarist with an edgey string-heavy tone that really makes the recording stand out from some of Jaspar's other sides. That, and the fact that Jaspar's playing tenor on all tracks but one (he often plays mostly flute on some albums), makes the record one of his best from the time – and titles include "Minor Drops", "Bag's Groove", "Memory Of Dick", "Night In Tunisia", and "I'll Remember April".

A beautiful lost bit of Exotica from the early 60's! Michel Magne recorded this "adventure in exotic sounds and percussion" in the Barclay Studios in Paris – as one of the excellent albums he cut in France before moving onto more famous soundtracks – and the set's got a wonderful mix of percussion, woodwinds, vibes, and piano – but also features tiny bit of tape manipulation, which gives the whole thing an even groovier sound! The feel is way cooler than the usual exotica groove – key proof of Magne's early musical vision – and titles include "Congo", "Tabu", "Sahara", "Two Silhouettes", and "Tropical".

An overlooked gem from Chico's mid 80s period – a record filled with strong and subtle songs, often backed by some nicely jazz-tinged arrangements from Cristovao Bastos! The album's not as revolutionary as some of Chico's earlier records, but it more than makes up for that with an incredibly solid quality overall – and a mature, sophisticated approach to songwriting that easily matches some of Caetano Veloso's best work of the same time. Titles include "Pleas Tabelas", "Samba Do Grande Amor", "Mil Perdoes", "Vai Passar", "As Cartas", and "Suburbano Coracao".