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A groovy take on the Zorro sound of yore – put together by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis for a hip 70s version of the character! The style here mixes some older Italian western modes with touches of "Mexican" instrumentation to set the scene – but there's also a brighter approach to production that definitely lets you hear some of the 70s elements in the music, too. The leadoff cut "Zorro Is Back" is a very groovy number with vocals in English by The Silver Onions – and other titles include "Huerta's Chase", "Ortensia's Capture", "The Governor's Son", "To You Mi Chica", and "Zorro & The Governor".

Volume 2 of a 2 LP set that brings together nearly all of Wardell Gray's classic LA bop recordings for Prestige – most of which were issued originally only on 45s and 78s. The players include the cream of the LA scene of the time – including Dexter Gordon, Sonny Criss, and Hampton Hawes – and tracks include classic long takes of "Move" and "Scrapple From The Apple", his famous "chase" with Gordon – plus "April Skies", "Jackie", "Farmer's Market", and "Bright Boy".

2 killer albums of boogaloo Latin Soul from the great Lebron Brothers – back to back on one CD! Both records are an excellent mix of Latin grooves, jazzy instrumentation, and late 60s soulful vocals – often sung in English on the records' best tracks. This stuff is the down-and-dirty side of Spanish Harlem in the early days of the NuYorican scene – the kind of soulful grooving that really gave chase to the older Latin players in the 60s, and which had a profound effect on the sound of the 70s for years to come. Titles include "My Cool Boogaloo", "Descarga Lebron", "Mary, Mary", "Summertime Blues""The Village Chant", "Let's Get Stoned", "Money Can't Buy Love", and "Boogaloo Pa Mi San Juan". 17 tracks in all!

The mothership has landed! While attempting to make a definitive compilation of all of Scratch's productions would take well more than 3 CDs, this set does a fine job of touching on important highlights and unearthing a few hidden gems, from the fertile Black Ark period. 55 tracks in all, with a fat 52 page book with extensive notes and loads of great photos, we'll let the exhaustive track list speak for itself: Max Romeo "One Step Forward", "War In A Babylon", "Chase The Devil" and "Norman", Devon Irons "Vampire", the Heptones "Sufferer's Time", "Mr. President" with Jah Lion, "Why Must I (version)" with Lee Perry and "Make Up Your Mind", Junior Dread "Sufferer's Heights", The Congos "Don't Blame On I", "Feast Of The Passover" and "CongoMan", The Meditations "Much Smarter", "Life Is Not Easy", and "No Peace", Junior Murvin "Tedious", 'police & Thieves", "Bad Weed" and "Roots Train" with Dillinger, Mikey Dread "Dread At The Mantrols", Errol Walker "In These Times", "John Public" and "John Public (version)" with Enos Barnes, Glen DaCosta "Magic Touch", Jah Lion "Soldier & Police War", Raphael Green & Doctor Alimantado "Rasta Train", Augustus Pablo "Vibrate On", The Upsetter Review with Junior Murvin "Closer Together", Keith Rowe "Groovy Situation", George Faith "To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy)", Lee Perry "Dub Revolution Pt. 1", "Dreadlocks In Moonlight", "Soul Fire", "Curly Locks" and 'Roast Fish & Cornbread" and The Upsetters "One Step Dub", "Vamp A Dub", "Sufferer's Dub", "Much Smarter Dub", "Life Is Not Easy Dub", "Revelation Dub", "In These Times Dub", "Grumblin' Dub", "No Peace Dub", "Party Time pt. 2", "Vibrator", "Bird In Hand", "Dyon Anasawa" featuring Full Experience, "Rastaman Shuffle", "Groovy Dub" and "Corn Fish Dub".

John Barry – eat your hat! The Man From Interpol is one of the best spy soundtracks we've ever heard – and one of the only scores we've ever seen from Brit jazz drummer Tony Crombie! The work was done a few years before Barry's famous Bond scores – but it's got a very similar feel, with lots of driving themes that make the best use of brazen horns, fast jazz, and beat-styled rhythms that crackle throughout the set. Most titles are pretty short, but really great – and nearly all of them feature some extremely strong jazz musicianship, in the manner of that used on the best American soundtracks by Mancini at the time! Titles include "Panic Station", "Interpol Cha Cha Cha", "Interpol Chase", "Samba De Janeiro", and "Blues Macabre".

Although we've been fans of Andy Bey for years (ever since his early 60s recordings with Andy & The Bey Sisters), we've got to admit that we're stunned at how successful his recent revival has been! This CD is probably the main reason for Andy's success – as it's a compelling batch of jazz vocal tracks that show Andy reinventing himself for a whole new generation of jazz listeners. The backing's by a nice small group that includes Gary Bartz, with whom Andy recorded extensively in the 70s – and the album includes a haunting reworking of Nick Drake's amazing song "River Man", plus a version of Dori Caymmi's "Like A Lover", Monk's "Straight No Chaser", and the moody "Dark Shadows", which was a page from Earl Coleman's songbook.

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid 70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD also features 5 bonus tracks – "Shining Star (future star)", "All About Love (first impressions)", "Happy Feelin (anatomy of a groove)", "Caribou Chaser (jazzy jam)", and "That's The Way Of The World (Latin expedition)".

A triple-trumpet session with a really wonderful sound – the kind of all-star date that only a label like Verve could have done so well! As you'll guess from the title, the record's a showcase for the three trumpeters in the lead – and the tracks are long, with plenty of space for each player to state their case in a very distinct solo voice. Rhythm is by a familiar quartet that features Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums – and the use of guitar in a set like this creates an especially ringing tone at the bottom, one that often seems echoed by the brighter notes of the trumpet over the top. The album's got a great extended "Ballad Medley", plus long takes on "Tour De Force" and "Steeplechase".

The darkly brooding image of Hampton Hawes on the front cover of this one is a real standout in the mostly-sweet cover lineup of the Contemporary label – but it's also a great indication of the sound of the record, which is something different than most of its contemporaries! Hawes is working here at his top-shelf early best – stepping around the keys of the piano with a sense of grace and spaciousness – but also a hard-hitting, highly rhythmic mode on the left – a bit soul jazz at times, mixing earthy elements with the sweeter, lyrical moments in his solos. Rhythm is by the team of Red Mitchell and Chuck Thompson – and titles include "Yesterdays", "Blues For Jacque", Stella By Starlight", "Steeplechase", "Round Midnight", "Autumn In New York" and "Section Blues".

Classic 60s work from Thelonious Monk – featuring his incredible quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor, certainly Monk's best-ever musical soulmate! The album features some newer versions of older tunes, and a few written just for the album – but the source of the material is not important, as the Monk/Rouse treatment always transforms whatever is handled, and recreates the work as an an angular sculpture of modernist beauty. Other players include Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums – and titles include "Locomotive", "Blue Sea", "We See", "Japanese Folk Song", and "Straight No Chaser". Features previously unreleased versions of "Green Chimneys" and "I Didn't Know About You".

A great little return to form for Tal Farlow – his first recording in a decade, and a rare Prestige side that features a groovy quartet with John Scully on piano, Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. There's a different vibe here than Tal's work for Verve – a bit more open, but still with that great Farlow tone that was always one of the greatest jazz guitar sounds of the 50s. The tracks include "Straight No Chaser", "Darn That Dream", "Summertime", "Sometime Ago", "I'll Remember April", "My Romance", and "Crazy, She Calls Me". Farlow did not record again until 1976.

An instant classic the day it was released – and a perfect blending of the group's older freaked-out style with a slick late 70s funk sound that started showing up in the work of many other groups. "One Nation Under A Groove" is a monster cut with a hook that won't quit, and the LP version runs way over 7 minutes long. Other tracks are equally great, and the whole thing's woven together with the same sort of skill as some of the best Parliament albums from the mid 70s. Tracks include "Into You", "Grooveallegiance", and "Cholly". Plus, this CD reissue also includes the bonus cuts from the original 45rpm ep that came with the album – including "Maggot Brain (live)" and "Doodoo Chasers".

Monk doing his thing at the '64 Monterey Jazz Festival – backed by his core group of Charlie Rouse on tenor, Steve Swallow on bass and Ben Riley on drums – plus additional backing by the Monterey Workshop crew on a couple – a recording released now for the first time ever! Monk's playing here with space and nuance, but still kicks up the energy in spots – incorporating the accompanying players on the closing 2 tracks – which included Buddy Collette on sax & flute, Lou Blackburn on trombone, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Bobby Bryant & Melvin more on trumpets. The takes all run north of 8 minutes, and titles include "Blue Monk", "Evidence", "Bright Mississippi", "Rhythm-A-Ning", plus "Think Of One" and the immortal "Straight No Chaser" – fleshed out with the bigger band!

Obscure late work from Lee Morgan – the bulk of a live concert recorded in Baltimore in 1968, and featuring a group co-led with the great Clifford Jordan! The recording is one of many taped by Baltimore's Left Bank Jazz Society at the time – and like others you might have heard on disc, it's a rough-hewn effort that shows a very different side of the artists than you'd guess from their studio work of the time. Tracks are all quite long – 15 minutes or more, mostly – and both Jordan and Morgan are playing in a more open, improvised style. Rhythm is by a trio of Reggie Workman, John Hicks, and Ed Blackwell – and the album features a great 21 minute take on Hank Mobley's "The Vamp", plus versions of "Solar", "Straight No Chaser", "Like Someone In Love", and "The Theme".