All Categories — All Formats  

Not what you might expect when shopping for African music – unique electronic sounds from Cameroon musician Francis Bebey – as heavy on keyboards as other 70s work is on guitar! There's still plenty of acoustic elements in the mix though, too – lots of earthy percussion at the bottom, which links some of these tracks to other styles of the time – even though some of the more unusual tunes here have these great electronic sounds that almost feel like they came from the late 70s German underground! The mix of modes is breathtaking – as if Moebius and Roedelius recorded with musicians from Lagos – shaking off the colder sounds of the Conny Plank side of the spectrum, to come up with a warm new style that's really unique! Titles include "La Condition Masculine", "Sahle", "The Coffee Cola Song", "Super Jingle", "Pygmy Love Song", "Agatha", "Catching Up", and "Divorce Pygmee".

Quite an unusual little album from Connie Francis – her attempt to join in on the Bonnie & Clyde album craze of the late 60s – but a set that's got a different feel than most! While others were steeped in country and bluegrass sounds, the approach here is mostly in a 30s pop vocal mode – playful arrangements from Don Costa, occasionally augmented to give them an "old time" feel in the studio – and vocals from Connie that are quite different than her usual pop modes – really changed up nicely to fit the different spirit of the tunes. Titles include "Ace In The Hole", "Gold Diggers Medley", "Connie & Clyde", "Maybe", "Button Up Your Overcoat", and "Am I Blue".

A really lovely performance from Olivia and Francis Hime – and one of the most intimate we've ever heard from the pair, too! Olivia sings with just piano accompaniment from Francis – in a way that still has all the majesty of the latter's full arrangements, yet which comes across in this subtle, spare way that's mighty nice – especially when Francis joins Olivia a bit on vocals, too! The format really allows a strong showcase of the maturing talents of both artists – the kind of masterful performance we might have heard from MPB legends a few decades back – on titles that include "Canta Maria", "Minas Geraes", "Saudade De Amar", "Versos Soltos No Mar", "Cancao De Pedroca", "Eu Nao Existo Sem Voce", "Trocando Em Miudos", and "Risque".

A really lovely performance from Olivia and Francis Hime – and one of the most intimate we've ever heard from the pair, too! Olivia sings with just piano accompaniment from Francis – in a way that still has all the majesty of the latter's full arrangements, yet which comes across in this subtle, spare way that's mighty nice – especially when Francis joins Olivia a bit on vocals, too! The format really allows a strong showcase of the maturing talents of both artists – the kind of masterful performance we might have heard from MPB legends a few decades back – on titles that include "Canta Maria", "Minas Geraes", "Saudade De Amar", "Versos Soltos No Mar", "Cancao De Pedroca", "Eu Nao Existo Sem Voce", "Trocando Em Miudos", and "Risque". DVD features bonus tracks and "making of" material too!

Titles include "Follow Me"," Sunny", "All I Need Is You Girl", "I Like The Sunrise", and "Yellow Days".

One of our favorite recordings ever of George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess – done by Bethlehem Records in the mid 50s, and featuring nearly every one of the label's great talents at the time! The choice of the lead characters is a bit odd – as Mel Torme plays Porgy and Francis Faye plays Bess – but both singers are actually pretty darn great for the set, and really bring a lot out of the tunes. Plus, the other artists on the set really keep things interesting – as the collection features vocal performances by Johnny Hartman, Frank Rosolino, Betty Roche, Bob Dorough, and Sallie Blair. Plus, the whole thing's presented as Gershwin wrote it – complete with narration by Al Jazzbo Collins, and a number of strong instrumental passages. Music is performed by groups led by Russ Garcia, Duke Ellington, Pat Moran, and Stan Levy – and players are an array of the best of both the New York and LA scenes at the time! This unusual 10" LP appears to be a promo – with 6 tracks from the full score.

Fantastic stuff, and one of our favorite soundtracks of all time! The score is filled with beautiful haunting melodies by Francis Lai, and the instrumentation includes spare spooky electric keyboards and organ, swirling churning strings, and a lone lonely trumpet. Plus, a few tracks have some very groovy vocals, one by the great Nicole Croisille! Tracks include "Theme To Candice", "Theme To Catherine", "Theme To Robert", "All At Once It's Love", "Zoom", and a few versions of the title cut!

One of the greatest soundtracks ever – an archetypal album from French composer Francis Lai, and a record that set the tone for countless other imitations to come – yet which is still the best! The groove here is really unique – a spare blend of bossa influences, jazzy organ lines, and wordless vocals that are sung beautifully by French singers Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh – and although a mainstream success, the record was the initial force behind the legendary Saravah imprint that Barouh would form later, to record a wide range of groundbreaking work in a variety of genres. But history aside, the music here is plenty – and from the very first note the whole soundtrack grabs you with a sense of warmth and sentiment that defy description – modes never heard before in the soundtrack world, and which really broke the mold from Hollywood conventions! Titles include the seminal bossa number "Samba Saravah", plus "A Man & A Woman", "Today It's You", "In Our Shadow", "At 200 MPH", and "Stronger Than Us".

A beautiful pairing of mature Brazilian talents – working here in a setting that makes both of them shine even brighter than usual! The set features just piano from Francis Hime and guitar from Guinga – and vocals from both – often trading back and forth alongside their instruments, in a stripped-down setting that's wonderfully moody, and really opens up some darker corners in their music! The change is especially great for Guinga – maybe one of the most personal records he's ever cut – and is also a real difference from some of the fuller arrangements you might hear on Hime's larger-format records. Titles include "A Ver Navios", "Mar De Macarana", "Doentia", "Saci/Parintintin", "Cambono/Anoiteceu", and "Saudade De Amar".

He's got shaggy long hair on the cover, but we still love him anyway – and honestly, Francis Lai may well be one of our favorite soundtrack composers ever! Sure, the guy hit early fame for his soundtrack to A Man & A Woman, but as this big box set will attest, he had a genius career that lasted years – scoring films famously for French director Claude Lelouch, as well as a host of other screen efforts that are showcased here! The box includes many great recordings never issued on CD before – and is a great companion to other Lelouch-heavy collections of Lai's work showing his ability to go beyond famous themes, and hit a rich array of great sounds through the 70s and early 80s. In addition to two CDs of instrumental music, mostly from the three decades of Lai's career, the package also features one more CD of vocal numbers by Nicole Croisille – the singer who really made some of his best themes shine. Includes work from the films The Games, Hannibal Brooks, L'Odeur Des Fauves, Le Petit Matin, Un Amour De Pluie, Le Cinema De Minuit, Le Petit Poucet, Le Bon Et Les Mechants, Child Under A Leaf, Bilitis, Bonjour La Trois, Madame Claude 2, Les Yeux Noirs, Bernadette, Le Passager De La Pluie, and many more. Croisille sings versions of "Le Passager De La Pluie", "Images", "Un Deuxieme Amour", "Vivre Pour Vivre", "Il Y Avait", and "Avant Toi".

In case you've been thinking "they don't make 'em like that anymore", think again – because Jill Barber delivers a sweet set of vocal numbers that take us back to the best crossover years of the late 50s and early 60s! The style is jazz overall, but Barber works in a tightly syncopated style of singing that also has a keen ear for pop as well – a blend that's a bit like styles used by 60s singers like Connie Francis or Brenda Lee – particularly the latter, as there's sometimes a slight, very slight, twang in the vocals. But even better – something those 60s singers never gave us – all tunes here are originals by Jill, many co-written with Les Cooper, who does a beautiful job handling production and overall orchestrations with just the right vibe for the tunes. US release features more tracks than the original Canadian release – and titles include "Be My Man", "Never Quit Loving You", "Chances", "Tell Me", "Old Flame", "A Wish Under My Pillow", "If It Weren't For Loving You", and "All My Dreams".

One of the greatest Brigitte Bardot albums you could ever buy – some of the grooviest, sexiest work the famous French actress ever cut! The album's overflowing with excellent original material written by Bardot by Serge Gainsbourg and Francis Lai – two of our favorite French composers of the 60s, and both a very good choice to work with Brigitte! Bardot sings in a sexy, whispery style that's a bit like Jane Birkin, but somewhat different too – and the arrangements are by Michel Colombier, Paul Pio, and Christian Gaubert – three talents who definitely keep things groovy. There's a few instrumentals mixed in with the vocal tracks – but that's totally fine with us, because they're all pretty great – and there's plenty of moments with a nice groove and a bit of funk. Titles include "Harley Davidson", "Ay Que Viva La Sangria", "Gang Gang", "David B", "Mister Sun", "Paris", "On Demenage", and "Contact" – plus the excellent "Marseillaise Generique" instrumental – used to great effect in Austin Powers!

Fantastic! Easy Tempo scores again with this beautiful rerelease/repackaging of Gianni Ferrio's lost score for the film Una Farfalla Con Le Ali Insanguinate. The music has lots of spare spooky keyboards, with a slow building sound that's similar to Francis Lai's best soundtrack work, and a warm wash of sound that's very similar to some of Morricone's best stuff – like La Donna Invisible. Don't go looking for funky breaks on this one, but if you love cool swirling Euro soundtrack material, this set's an amazing piece of work, and it's been repackaged with the usual sexy Easy Tempo look. God, we love their stuff! Tracks include "Concerto Blues", "Soliloquio", and "Inutile".

Psychedelic easy listening! This groovy late 60s instrumental session features fuzzy guitars, squeaky moog, heavy drums, and lilting strings – a bit like Pierre Henry, a bit like Francis Lai, and a lot like some of the best Italian sound library themes from the time – pretty weird and wonderful, and the sort of record that almost sounds better now than it did when it first leapt on the market! There's a very cool sound here that's a bit like some of the grooviest "jerk" records from the fuzzy French scene of the 60s – and titles include "Radio Pirat Program", "Am Stram Gram", "Kriminal Theme", "The Whistler", "Inside My Brain", "Concerto Genocide", "Crazy Circus", and "Heathcliff Y Cry Your Name". All instrumental – save for some weird electronic voices!

It's like a dream come true! Francis Lai's soundtrack to A Man & A Woman is one of the greatest scores of the 60s – not to mention one of our all-time favorites – and the whole thing's give a nice jazzy finish here by the great Johnny Lytle, who serves up a tasty organ and vibes reading in this rare LP! Lytle's jazzy stepping style works great for the music, and matches the easy bossa-inflected beat of Lai's writing perfectly. The music's played by a small group that features Johnny Pacheco on congas, Richard Davis on bass, and Jim Foster on organ. Titles include "Man & A Woman", "Samba Saravah", "Stronger Than Us", and "In Our Shadow".

A stellar set of surviving 70s Black Ark productions by Lee Perry – with rare and unreleased cuts plus pivotal, if long-buried sides by Junior Byles, U Roy, Delroy Butler, Tinga Stewart, The Upsetters, The Flames, The Ethiopians, Jah T and more – Perry-produced gems for Kingston's cultural rebels and sufferers! The Sound Doctor compilation is really an essential, perfectly-collected batch on Pressure Sounds – the UK label that once again proves to be among the finest and most respectful of Sound Doctor devotees. Among the exceptional rarities are the unreleased "Army Of Love" by Junior Byles, an exclusive dub plate mix of the Upsetters "Horny Train", the raw original mix of U Roy's "006" and many more – stirringly soulful Black Ark singles and dub versions including "Sound Doctor" by Bobby Floyd, "Do Good" by Al Maytone", "Different Experience" by Brother Ray", "Smiling Faces" by Tinga Stewart, "It’s Impossible" by The Ethiopians, "Grandfather Land" by Jah T, "King Of Kings" by Pat Francis, "Be Prepared" by Keith Poppin, "Key Card" by Lee & Jimmy, "Start Over" by The Gatherers and more.

An excellent idea for a bossa nova compilation – one that pulls tunes from groovy soundtracks of the 60s! The work on the set is of both American and European origin – and focuses on the kinds of tunes that often showed up in some of the best soundtrack work by our favorite 60s composers – light, jazzy numbers that were clearly inspired by the bossa, but which also felt free to expand a lot on the style – using interesting instrumentation, rhythm changes, and even a bit of vocals to highlight the tune in really great ways. Some tracks are straight off of soundtrack albums, and others are soundtrack tunes, lifted from jazz albums – but altogether, they make for a wonderful collection of work – with titles that include "Silvia" by Lalo Schifrin, "Mutiny On The Bounty" by Bob Brookmeyer, "The Bobo" by Francis Lai, "Bossa Nova In The Restaurant" by Ken Thorne, "Bossa Des Teurs" by Vladimir Cosma, "I Like The Look" by Henry Mancini, "Mr Lucky" by Jack Wilson, "Deiter's First Mistake" by Quincy Jones, "Naked City" by Laurindo Almeida, and Dax Rides" by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Sort of a "part 2" to the excellent Sexopolis compilation – issued more than a few years ago, and one of the first times anyone ever paid attention to the huge undiscovered legacy of funky French music! The package, like the first, is put together by DJ BNX of Fantomas – and it's got a really wonderful blend of French tunes from sources that include jazz, soundtrack, pop vocal, and easy listening albums of the 60s and 70s. The groove is really great – with lots of mad twists and turns that you'd never hear in American albums of the time, and a surprisingly fresh sound that keeps us digging back for French rare goodies like these! Titles include "Shore Of Sumatra" by Pierre Dutour, "Afromania" by Clyde Borly, "High Tide" by Jack Arel, "Hysterie" by Eric Framond, "Shirley" by Pierre Devevey, "Zozoi" by France Gall, "Dingo" by Olivier Despax, "Chakan" by Jef Gilson, "Africa" by Mat 3, "Popcorn" by JP Bottura, and "Number One" by Francis Lai.

Hardly the gospel of your father's generation – and hardly even the gospel of previous Numero releases either – as the set's a wonderfully offbeat batch of tracks that definitely lives up to the "apocryphal" in the title! Production sounds and musical styles go way past the mainstream – and lots of these numbers feel like secular soul from the definite left end of the spectrum in the 70s – especially the mellower cuts, which have a trippy quality that comes from weird instrumentation and unusual studio work – often matched by vocal presentation that's anything but spiritual, and which feels more like Darondo overall! These tunes are a real discovery – a deeper level of unusual gospel recordings than even the funk and or soul sides featured on other compilations – all pulled from the hinterland of self-released albums and singles from back in the day. As usual, Numero's done as great of job with the notes and packaging as they have with the music – really telling the full tale of this unusual stream of music – in a smoking set that features "That's All I Need" by Sensational Saints, "A Message Especially From God" by Robert Vanderbilt & The Foundation Of Souls, "Come Holy Spirit" by God's Band, "Faith" by Soul Superiors, "Can't Run This Race Alone" by Flying Eagles Gospel Singers, "Searching For The Truth" by Dwain Vinyard, "Get Involved" by Jonah Thompson, and "I Hear You Calling" by Francis Reneau & The Mission Singers.

Hardly the gospel of your father's generation – and hardly even the gospel of previous Numero releases either – as the set's a wonderfully offbeat batch of tracks that definitely lives up to the "apocryphal" in the title! Production sounds and musical styles go way past the mainstream – and lots of these numbers feel like secular soul from the definite left end of the spectrum in the 70s – especially the mellower cuts, which have a trippy quality that comes from weird instrumentation and unusual studio work – often matched by vocal presentation that's anything but spiritual, and which feels more like Darondo overall! These tunes are a real discovery – a deeper level of unusual gospel recordings than even the funk and or soul sides featured on other compilations – all pulled from the hinterland of self-released albums and singles from back in the day. As usual, Numero's done as great of job with the notes and packaging as they have with the music – really telling the full tale of this unusual stream of music – in a smoking set that features "That's All I Need" by Sensational Saints, "A Message Especially From God" by Robert Vanderbilt & The Foundation Of Souls, "Come Holy Spirit" by God's Band, "Faith" by Soul Superiors, "Can't Run This Race Alone" by Flying Eagles Gospel Singers, "Searching For The Truth" by Dwain Vinyard, "Get Involved" by Jonah Thompson, and "I Hear You Calling" by Francis Reneau & The Mission Singers.

A quartet of cool remixes – all pulled from vintage grooves on the Kenya Special – but brought together here with a slightly contemporary flavor! The work still echoes its roots quite strongly, but often has a more focused rhythmic approach – tilted towards the dancefloor with the remix energy, yet never with any sort of forced beats or gimmicky additions. Together, the tracks might well serve as a blueprint to show others the right way to remix older African grooves – and titles include "Tiga Kundega (Hide & Smile edit)" by Gatanga Boys Band, "Mapenzi Hayana Daktari (Frankie Francis edit)" by Nairobi Matata Jazz, "Ndiri Ndanogio Niwe (Batida 1977 rmx)" by Mbiri Young Stars, and "Kivelenge (Busy Twist rmx)" by Kalambya Boys.

A sound library and a dancefloor? Sounds like an unlikely combination – but it results in a killer collection that's still one of the greatest sets of sound library funk we've ever heard! This massive batch of music is a great illustration of the special sound of the KPM library – a really unique outlet for British musicians in the 60s and 70s to craft records that were even more amazing than their studio sides – vintage jazz, soul, and electronic grooves – served up by a lineup that represents the cream of the crop of the UK scene of the time – plus a few surprising outside contributions as well! Titles include "That's What Friends Are For" by Alan Parker & Madeline Bell, "Second Cut" by James Clarke, "Swamp Fever" by John Cameron, "Incidental Backcloth No 3" by Keith Mansfield, "Cross Talk" by Francis Coppieters, "Jungle Baby" by Juan Erlando & His Latin Band, "Freeway To Rio" by Les Baxter, "In Advance" by Pierre Lavin, "Senior Thump" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Expo In Tokyo" by Alan Moorehouse, "Funky Express" by Duncan Lamont, "Morning 1/Morning 2" by Klaus Weiss, "Assault Course" by Johnny Pearson, and "Samba Street" by Barry Morgan. The package is a great reworking of the original KPM collection from Strut – and not only features the original funky set, but also features a bonus CD that includes a rare live performance by the KPM All-Stars in 2000 – a wicked reunion with work by James Clarke, Duncan Lamont, Alan Hawkshaw, Keith Mansfield, and other giants from the heyday of KPM.

A sound library and a dancefloor? Sounds like an unlikely combination – but it results in a killer collection that's still one of the greatest sets of sound library funk we've ever heard! This massive batch of music is a great illustration of the special sound of the KPM library – a really unique outlet for British musicians in the 60s and 70s to craft records that were even more amazing than their studio sides – vintage jazz, soul, and electronic grooves – served up by a lineup that represents the cream of the crop of the UK scene of the time – plus a few surprising outside contributions as well! Titles include "That's What Friends Are For" by Alan Parker & Madeline Bell, "Second Cut" by James Clarke, "Swamp Fever" by John Cameron, "Incidental Backcloth No 3" by Keith Mansfield, "Cross Talk" by Francis Coppieters, "Jungle Baby" by Juan Erlando & His Latin Band, "Freeway To Rio" by Les Baxter, "In Advance" by Pierre Lavin, "Senior Thump" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Expo In Tokyo" by Alan Moorehouse, "Funky Express" by Duncan Lamont, "Morning 1/Morning 2" by Klaus Weiss, "Assault Course" by Johnny Pearson, and "Samba Street" by Barry Morgan. The package is a great reworking of the original KPM collection from Strut – and not only features the original funky set, but also features a bonus CD that includes a rare live performance by the KPM All-Stars in 2000 – a wicked reunion with work by James Clarke, Duncan Lamont, Alan Hawkshaw, Keith Mansfield, and other giants from the heyday of KPM.

A crucially important slice of work – and maybe one of the most striking sets in this all-great Spiritual Jazz series! The focus here is on some of the great American players working in Europe during the late 60s and early 70s – often in collaboration with equally forward-thinking Europeans, and with results that are still musically amazing all these many years later! The collection has American flautist Sahib Shihab working with Swiss guitarist Pierre Cavalli, sound library maestro Johnny Hawksworth with west coast giant Hampton Hawes, Don Cherry working with Krzysztof Penderecki, a rare version of "Enlightenment" by Sun Ra in France and other legendary European recordings by Albert Ayler, Billy Gault, and Lee Konitz – a wonderfully rich blend of players. The tracks are pulled from records we almost never see – especially on vinyl – titles include "Studie Nr 1 Fur 12 Saitige Gitarre" by Pierre Cavalli & Sahib Shihab, "Jazz Rule" by Johnny Hawksworth & Hampton Hawes, "Born & Shake" by Clarence Peters, "Enlightenment by Sun Ra, "Summertime" by Albert Ayler, "T & W" by Frank Wright Sextet, "Humus The Life Exploring Force" by Don Cherry & The New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra, "Five, Four, & Three" by Lee Konitz, "The Creators" by Bobby Hutcherson with Harold Land, and the masterful, nearly 20-minute "Springtime" by Eric Dolphy. Includes a great essay on the scene by Francis Gooding, plus extensive info for each track!

Another great Studio One collection from the folks at Soul Jazz, this time highlighting the DeeJays! While heavyweights like Big Youth & U Roy never voiced tracks for the groundbreaking label, there's no shortage of first class toasting on this selection, and it's Studio One, so you know the rhythms are hot! Dennis Alcapone, Dillinger and Prince Jazzbo all come hard with tracks like "Power Version" and "Natty Kung Fu", and there's a few sweet numbers by less well known names like Prince Francis & Jah Jesco, plus a nice slice of history with Count Machuki's "More Scorcha". 16 burning tracks in all.

Features some tremendous tenor from Andrew White – in a quartet with Juney Booth on bass, Beaver Harris on drums, and Francis Haynes on steel drums!

Very hip vocal work from singer Janet Lawson – an under-discovered vocalist with a very groovy sound! Janet's got a soaring, breezy feel that's a bit like some of the best Bay Area or European work from a few years before – inflected with some Brazilian influences, but also delivered with an American approach overall – all in a mix of sung and scatted vocals! There's a vibe here that's a bit like Monica Linges or Rimona Francis, but perhaps even freer and harder grooving, as Janet never stops for a ballad, and likes to riff away on the hippest work she can find. This long out of print set features vocal versions of "Better Get It In Your Soul" and "Hot House" – plus the originals "Dreams Can Be" and "Break Free" – all supported by acoustic small combo instrumentation, with some great work on sax and flute from Roger Rosenberg.

Beat jazz galore – a wonderful CD that features two of the best late 50s efforts in the genre! The first half of the set features work from poet Kenneth Patchen – very well set up with small combo backings from The Chamber Jazz Sextet – a combo that includes piano, bass, and drums – plus some especially wonderful horn work that snakes and twists together with the complexity of some of the best California jazz of the 50s! Patchen's voice is nicely restrained – never too over the top, with a darkly dipping quality that's quite striking – and his words are used perfectly to pepper the tunes, and never overwhelm them – a real synthesis of words and music that didn't always happen on records like this. Titles include "Murder Of Two Men By A Young Kid Wearing Lemon Colored Gloves", "State Of The Nation", "Lonesome Boy Blues", "I Went To The City", and "Do The Dead Know What Time It Is". Next up are some equally great shorter poems by City Lights impresario Lawrence Ferlinghetti – read in a slightly more serious mode, but one that still suits the setting well. Ferlinghetti titles include "Autobiography", "Junkman's Obbligato", and "The Statue Of St Francis" – and all the tracks are backed by obscure The Cellar Jazz Quintet – a group that features Bruce Lippincott on tenor, Dickie Mills on trumpet, Bill Weisjahns on piano, Jerry Goode or Bob Lewis on bass, and Sonny Wayne on drums.

A crucially important slice of work – and maybe one of the most striking sets in this all-great Spiritual Jazz series! The focus here is on some of the great American players working in Europe during the late 60s and early 70s – often in collaboration with equally forward-thinking Europeans, and with results that are still musically amazing all these many years later! The collection has American flautist Sahib Shihab working with Swiss guitarist Pierre Cavalli, sound library maestro Johnny Hawksworth with west coast giant Hampton Hawes, Don Cherry working with Krzysztof Penderecki, a rare version of "Enlightenment" by Sun Ra in France and other legendary European recordings by Albert Ayler, Billy Gault, and Lee Konitz – a wonderfully rich blend of players. The tracks are pulled from records we almost never see – especially on vinyl – titles include "Studie Nr 1 Fur 12 Saitige Gitarre" by Pierre Cavalli & Sahib Shihab, "Jazz Rule" by Johnny Hawksworth & Hampton Hawes, "Born & Shake" by Clarence Peters, "Enlightenment by Sun Ra, "Summertime" by Albert Ayler, "T & W" by Frank Wright Sextet, "Humus The Life Exploring Force" by Don Cherry & The New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra, "Five, Four, & Three" by Lee Konitz, "The Creators" by Bobby Hutcherson with Harold Land, and the masterful, nearly 20-minute "Springtime" by Eric Dolphy. Includes a great essay on the scene by Francis Gooding, plus extensive info for each track!

One of the greatest Brigitte Bardot albums you could ever buy – some of the grooviest, sexiest work the famous French actress ever cut! The album's overflowing with excellent original material written by Bardot by Serge Gainsbourg and Francis Lai – two of our favorite French composers of the 60s, and both a very good choice to work with Brigitte! Bardot sings in a sexy, whispery style that's a bit like Jane Birkin, but somewhat different too – and the arrangements are by Michel Colombier, Paul Pio, and Christian Gaubert – three talents who definitely keep things groovy. There's a few instrumentals mixed in with the vocal tracks – but that's totally fine with us, because they're all pretty great – and there's plenty of moments with a nice groove and a bit of funk. Titles include "Harley Davidson", "Ay Que Viva La Sangria", "Gang Gang", "David B", "Mister Sun", "Paris", "On Demenage", and "Contact" – plus the excellent "Marseillaise Generique" instrumental – used to great effect in Austin Powers!

A smoker of a swing session from tenorist Eddie Barefield – one of the few records he ever cut as a leader! Barefield's tenor has a rich legacy that goes back to famous 30s work with Bennie Moten, Cab Calloway, and Fletcher Henderson – and had a longtime friendship with Ben Webster, with whom he often played. While it might be a stretch to say that Eddie's as great as Ben, he's definitely got the soul and feeling of that generation – and really opens up here in the kind of modern setting that lets his solos spin out even more than back in the day. The group's a nice mix of players, too – and includes Jon Faddis on trumpet, John Bunch on piano, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Panama Francis on drums. Titles include "Spud", "For Grandma Webster", "Brown Baby", "Barefield's Lady", and "Soup Beans". CD also features two unissued bonus tracks – "Wildcat Blues" and "The Fox".

2 of the greatest soundtracks ever from Francois De Roubaix – both recorded in that magical year of 1967! First up on the set is Les Adventuriers – a mindblowingly wonderful score for a Robert Enrico film, and one that offers a unique blend of jazzy rhythms, western themes, and more – all tied together by an extremely haunting theme! Some tunes have spaghetti western-esque acoustic guitar and whistling, while others have a more Frenchy isolated piano, played with a slightly watery feel – and some others take on a much more driving, almost Francis Lai-like approach. De Roubaix score for Jean Pierre Melville's classic Le Samourai follows in a much darker mode – as moody and solitary as the film's main character, but graced with some warmer touches on piano, flute, and even a bit of organ – none of which are especially jazzy, but which color in the music with extremely evocative tones. Titles include "Laetitia Par Alain Delon", "Journal De Bord", "Enterrement Sous-Marin", "Acrobaties Aeriennes", "Hotel Sandwich", "Martey's", "Valerie", "Le Samourai", and "Le Destin De Costello".

A masterpiece of moody keyboards – two killer 70s scores from the great Dave Grusin! First up is The Friends of Eddie Coyle – wonderful music for a superb late Robert Mitchum film – never available on record, at least that we know of – and filled with the kind of groovy, funky, keyboard-heavy lines that make some of Grusin's early 70s scoring so great! The tunes are wonderful – often a bit short, but very enigmatic – and the package features stunning sound on tracks that include "Mr Connection", "Clean Cut", "Baylis Robbery", "The Stakeout", "Shopping Center", "Partridge Robbery/Take A Walk", "Jackie Meets Pete & Andrea", and "Eddie Is Hit". Three Days Of The Condor is an incredible soundtrack – one of the all-time greats of the 70s! Dave Grusin really outdid himself with this one – and created a sublime mix of sound, space, and spare funky beats that holds up wonderfully all the way through! The main theme steps around in a haunting mix of electric piano, basslines, and muted trumpets over strings – and lots of other tunes on the set follow the same format – taking the best of funky Morricone and Francis Lai, and giving it an even hipper American twist! Plus, most of Grusin's soundtrack work of this nature was never properly issued (like his great tunes for Barretta!) – and this rare album is one of the few that ever made it, however briefly, to the record racks! Titles include "Condor", "Yellow Panic", "Out To Lunch", "Flight Of The Condor", and "Flashback To Terror". Loads of great keyboards! CD also features 8 more bonus tracks added to the original record – more great Grusin nuggets from the Condor soundtrack – packaged here with great notes, on a CD that's over 70 minutes in length.

2 of the grooviest soundtracks ever recorded by this Italian genius! For the score to the mod 60s film Il Profeta, Trovajoli adds in some great elements like twanging guitars, trippy sitar, and hammond organ – all of which groove along in kind of a "go go" mode on the set's best numbers, laying out a vision of swinging Italy that really makes us wish we were there! Titles include "Il Profeta", "Abbiamo Capito", and "Topo Di Campagna", all done in a number of versions, making for a total of 16 cuts in all! La Matriarca is even better – built around one lovely little melody, similar to Francis Lai's legendary A Man & A Woman soundtrack! The tune is totally compelling, and is played in a variety of speeds and settings – on organ, electric harpsichord, and piano – all with jaunty little rhythms, and a slightly bossa, slightly Frenchy sound to it. Really wonderful, and the kind of ditty you'll be humming for weeks after you listen to it! There's 9 tracks in all – including "Bossa Nova Remix", "Piano Solo", "Slow Take", "Main Titles", and "Dream Version". 25 cuts in all – with both soundtracks on the CD!

Fantastic! Easy Tempo scores again with this beautiful rerelease/repackaging of Gianni Ferrio's lost score for the film Una Farfalla Con Le Ali Insanguinate. The music has lots of spare spooky keyboards, with a slow building sound that's similar to Francis Lai's best soundtrack work, and a warm wash of sound that's very similar to some of Morricone's best stuff – like La Donna Invisible. Don't go looking for funky breaks on this one, but if you love cool swirling Euro soundtrack material, this set's an amazing piece of work, and it's been repackaged with the usual sexy Easy Tempo look. God, we love their stuff! Tracks include "Concerto Blues", "Soliloquio", and "Inutile".

A stellar set of surviving 70s Black Ark productions by Lee Perry – with rare and unreleased cuts plus pivotal, if long-buried sides by Junior Byles, U Roy, Delroy Butler, Tinga Stewart, The Upsetters, The Flames, The Ethiopians, Jah T and more – Perry-produced gems for Kingston's cultural rebels and sufferers! The Sound Doctor compilation is really an essential, perfectly-collected batch on Pressure Sounds – the UK label that once again proves to be among the finest and most respectful of Sound Doctor devotees. Among the exceptional rarities are the unreleased "Army Of Love" by Junior Byles, an exclusive dub plate mix of the Upsetters "Horny Train", the raw original mix of U Roy's "006" and many more – stirringly soulful Black Ark singles and dub versions including "Sound Doctor" by Bobby Floyd, "Do Good" by Al Maytone", "Different Experience" by Brother Ray", "Smiling Faces" by Tinga Stewart, "It’s Impossible" by The Ethiopians, "Grandfather Land" by Jah T, "King Of Kings" by Pat Francis, "Be Prepared" by Keith Poppin, "Key Card" by Lee & Jimmy, "Start Over" by The Gatherers and more.

A wonderful testament to songwriting mastery of Don Covay – one of greatest singing and songwriting double threats ever – and if you didn't already know that, this excellent compilation will set you straight! No tribute to Covay the songwriter would be complete without Aretha Franklin's "Chain Of Fools" – but the set actually goes a lot deeper, with straight-up classic soul treasures, raucous R&B, stirring vocal tunes, some funk and funky rock. The reach is impressive, with the aforementioned Aretha hit, plus songs recorded by Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Joe Tex, The Staple Singers, Wanda Jackson, The Wailers, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Dee Clark, Connie Francis and more! 26 tracks in all, completed by a great set of notes: with "Three Time Loser" by Wilson Pickett, "You’re Good For Me" by Lena Horne, "Don't Drive Me Away" by Ben E King, the funky gem "Sookie Sookie" by Tina Britt, "She Said Yeah" by Joe Tex, "Watch The One Who Brings You The News" by Millie Jackson, "Long Tall Shorty" by The Graham Bond Originization, "Mon Cherie Au Revoir" by Arlene Smith and more.

A great collection of the classic pop-soul-rock songwriting of Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield – very well curated to show how far-reaching their talents are in writing across genres and styles – as well as to more simply play brilliantly as great collection of songs,purely iconic and relatively forgotten ones alike! It's got soul, pop vocal and proto rock icons – Connie Francis, Bobby Darin, The Everly Brothers, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Peggy Lee, Ben E King, The Monkees, Tom Jones, The Tokens, Patti Drew, The Globetrotters, The Tokens and many more – including Neil Sedaka himself! 25 tracks in all: "Stupid Cupid" by Connie Francis, "Keep-A-Walkin'" by Bobby Darin, Calendar Boy" by Dee Dee Sharp, "Get Rid Of Him" by Dionne Warwick, "Foolish Little Girl" by The Cookies, "Magic Colors" by Leslie Gore, "Bewitched" By Peggy Lee, "Walking In The Footsteps Of A Fool" by Ben E King, "Don't Look Over Your Shoulder" by Nanciy Wilson, "You're Knocking Me Out" by Neil Sedaka and more.

An overlooked 60s gem from Oscar Peterson – one of his great sides for Limelight Records, and possibly the most soulful of the bunch! The group's a trio – with either Sam Jones or Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and they've got a really great feel, one that's a bit different than some of Oscar's earlier groups of the 60s. Hayes' work on drums is nicely sensitive, and almost takes backseat to Peterson's rhythmic piano lines at times – and Jones' work on bass is always a treat, and kicks some of the best tracks here into a really great groove! The record's got a few great original titles, too – like the midtempo groover "Bossa Beguine", and the groovy "L'Impossible", a cool little instrumental that sounds like it was from a soundtrack by Francis Lai or Michel Legrand, and the title track "Blues Etude". Other titles include "Let's Fall In Love", "Shelley's World", "I Know You Oh So Well", and "Stella By Starlight".

A sublime set of 60s New York sounds – some of the best compositions by the team of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, served up by a host of excellent soul, rock, and pop artists of the time! There's a really unifying feel to the work here – not just the continual themes of sadness and wanting that the pair were known for (especially Ellie!), but also the "wall of sound" style of production, which always seemed to bring their subtle messages to the forefront in really wonderful ways! And while this may be the second set in Ace's series on the pair, all the work here is totally top-shelf – essential stuff that include "Sweet Laurie Fair Laurie" by The Tokens, "Baby I Love You" by The Ronettes, "Every Boy & Every Girl" by The Chiffons, "All Grown Up" by The Exciters, "I Got To Go Back" by The McCoys, "That's All I Ever Want From You Baby" by Manfred Mann, "Goodnight Goodnight" by Ellie Greenwich, "Look Of Love" by Leslie Gore, "The Train From Kansas City" by The Shangri-Las, "Don't Ever Leave Me" by Connie Francis, "I Know It's All Right" by Sam Hawkins, "I Wanna Love Him So Bad" by The Jelly Beans, "That Boy John" by The Raindrops, "I Wonder" by The Butteflies, "Chapel Of Love" by The Dixie Cups, and "Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home" by Darline Love.

An album that definitely lives up to its title – as congolero Francisco Aguabella comes on hard, hitting strong throughout – and serving up a wicked blend of Latin, funk, and soul! The mid 70s set is a standout recording from Aguabella – done after he left the group Malo, and one of the best west coast takes on the modes that scene was changing up from New York at the time – really transforming the sound of contemporary Latin with a trans-genre vibe that was easily some of the most revolutionary music of the period. Rhythms are acoustic, but there's a nice dose of electric energy too, thanks to some sweet keyboards. Some cuts have English vocals, others are instrumental – and titles include "Hitting Hard", "I Wanna Know", "Cisco", "Image of a Star" and a nice version of Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte".

One of Airto's greatest records ever – a really hard hitting batch of tracks that mix sharp-edged fusion lines with some earthier Brazilian percussion touches – all in a way that nicely steps off of Airto's first few American releases, and warms the groove up with a nice dose of California soul! Flora Purim joins in here on both vocals and percussion – and the rest of the group features Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorgte Fattoruso on drums, and David Amaro on both electric and acoustic guitars – shifting nicely between both instruments in a way that further underscores the blended vibe of the record! Most of these tracks are Airto classics – like "Tombo in 7/4", "San Francisco River", "Romance Of Death", "Ringers", and "Wind Chant" – and the record has a very sweet CTI production style, but is still rough enough around the edges to keep things nice and real!

Lost Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the 70s – and an album that may well blow away better-known work by groups like Malo, Azteca, or El Chicano! The album's near-perfect right from the start – and brings in plenty of New York elements to the groove, thanks to the inclusion of a heady amount of jazz alongside the soul, Latin, and funk elements in the grooves! The legendary Teo Macero produced and arranged – and really takes a lot of care in the studio to focus the overall energy of the tremendous talents on the record – players who include Hadley Caliman on flute and tenor, Steve Marcus on soprano sax, Benny Velarde on timbales, and Francisco Aguabella on congas – plus the trio of Cesar, Mark Levine, and Merl Sanders on keyboards. Most numbers have this really full, flowing groove – jazzy, but with a strong emphasis on the rhythms – and often touched with some great work on guitar that echoes the Santana-inspired sound of the generation, yet never in a rock way at all. Linda Tillery sings vocals on a few numbers, but the main focus is definitely instrumental – and the whole album's great – with cuts that include "See Saw Affair", "Azucar", "Descarga", "The Devil & Montezuma", "Gotta Get Away", and "Bridges".

Elmer Bernstein serves up some of his most famous soundtrack themes – but in a style that's even more jazz-based than the original! The group here is a large one, filled with great west coast players – and Bernstein's tunes sparkle even more in this rich setting than they did in their initial use on film – partly because the presentation allows some musicians the chance to really open up and solo! The lineup features Bud Shank and Bob Cooper on saxes, Pete Candoli and Don Fagerquist on trumpets, Milt Bernhart and Dick Nash on trombones, Bob Bain on guitar, Russ Freeman on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Francisco Aquabella on percussion – and titles include "Rat Race", "Three Time Blueser", "Hop Skip But Jump", "Jubilation", "Man With The Golden Arm", "Saints & Sinners", and "Sweet Smell Of Success".

A sweet live set from Dave Brubeck's early years on Columbia Records – recorded in New York, but with all the calculated cool and modern tones Brubeck first forged in the San Francisco scene of the 50s! Paul Desmond's on board on alto sax – really getting a lot of space to stretch out on the album's extended performances, with a haunting, floating tone that really sends us. Remaining members include Bob Bates on bass, and Joe Dodge on drums – and tracks include "Lover", "Love Walked In", "The Duke", "Little Girl Blue", and "Fare Thee Well Annabelle".

The Dave Brubeck Quartet goes to college – a pretty good place for the combo, considering how many fans they had on campus in the 50s! The sound here is never too academic for the setting, though – just the same sort of Brubeck groove first forged in the small clubs in San Francisco – played beautifully by an incarnation of the quartet that includes Paul Desmond on alto sax, Bob Bates on bass, and Joe Dodge on drums. The long, bluesy "Balcony Rock" is a real gem, with some standout work by Desmond that reminds us that he could be a great improvisor in an extended format – and other tracks include "Out Of Nowhere, "Le Souk", "The Song Is You", "Don't Worry Bout Me", and "Take The A Train".

Charles Bukowski in all his glory – reading his own material before a very lively (and probably lubricated!) audience – bringing all his own vocal tones into play with his earthy writing – which makes us love the words even more than in printed form! The set was recorded in San Francisco in the early 70s – and definitely has that feel – and titles include "The Sex Fiends", "Love He Said", "The Last Days Of The Suicide Kid", "The Shoelace", "Hot", "Earthquake", and "The Rat". Note that some of the language gets a bit strong at times!

A 22 track collection of work by Mike Cambpell – a little-known Bay Area vocalist from the 80s, with a sweetly swinging style that's very much in the tradition of Mark Murphy, another San Francisco contemporary. The CD features 12 tracks from Campell's 1982 album Secret Fantasy, originally issued on the Palo Alto Jazz label – plus another 10 tracks from various sessions throughout the 80s, all with a similar warm small combo feel. The tracks are a mix of originals, standards, and some hipper fare from the left end of the jazz vocal spectrum – and titles include "Dat Dere", "Early", "Another Star", "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco", "Round Midnight", "Soft Strum Blues", "And It All Goes Round & Round", "Mystery", "Alone Again", and "High Wire".

A legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is definitely at the core – but the set also features wonderful contributions from Vincent Bowens on tenor and soprano sax, Jerome LeDuff on berimbau, Alberto Nacif on quinto, and Detroit jazz legend Kenny Cox on piano! There's a balance here that really matches the best Strata East energy of the 70s – an open, flowing approach that's completely sublime, and very righteous too – even more so than anything Mora's done since the 70s – making this record one of his greatest achievements ever. Tersa Mora sings a bit of vocals at times – and titles include "Afra Jum", "Five AM", "Rumba Morena", "Samba De Amor", and "Cultural Warrior". CD has an insane amount of bonus tracks – 8 more than the original album – with titles that include "Old Man Joe", "Afra Jum", "Amazona", "Por Que Paro", and "El Morro".

Obscure spiritual avant garde material, recorded in San Francisco by the little-known sax player Ray Collins. One track on the album, "Catchin The NY Subway", is fairly straight, and played with a larger group. The rest are sparer, and more out – and include "Images of Africa", a duet with pianist Rudi Abdullah Mwongozi; "Hiroko" a soprano duet with bassist Mark Izu; and "Farewell to Rufus G", a haunting and short work on soprano sax.

With Gary Bartz, Keith Jarrett, Michael Henderson, Leon Ndugu Chancler, Don Alias, James Mtume Foreman, Jack DeJohnette, Jumma Santos and Airto Moreira. Recorded in Vienna November 5, 1971 and San Francisco, October 17, 1970. Titles include "Directions", "Honky Tonk", "What I Say", "The Sanctuary Theme", "Yesternow, Part 3" and "Funky Tonk".

This is the kind of CD that makes us love reissues! Why? Well, because it features 2 incredibly rare jazz albums – both of which never turn up on vinyl, and are lovingly packaged here on 1 CD filled with a dozen hard bop grooves. The album Matador was originally issued under Kenny Dorham's name, and Inta Somethin' was issued under Jackie McLean's name – but both players are sort of co-leaders on both albums, and it's fitting to pair the records together here because they represent the unique union of these two different players. Dorham's lyrical trumpet is an unlikely match for McLean's edgey alto, but the records work well, and with a modernist groove that's extremely compelling. Titles include "El Matador", "San Francisco Beat", "Prelude", and versions of "Una Mas" and "Melanie" – both of which were recorded later by the artists on Blue Note.

One of the finest moments ever from The Flamin Groovies – a set that's awash in 50s rock and roll influences, yet filtered through the heady late 60s San Francisco scene – making for a mix that's completely compelling throughout, and unlike anything else we can think of! The Groovies might initially seem like retro-rockers, yet they've got this sharp edge that makes their music more of a commentary on rock and roll, and its roots as well – uttered beautifully at a time when so many others were falling into excess, but also done without any of the "roots" cliches that others were embracing in a much clunkier way! It's hard to sum up adequately, but the record's almost a leap forward from Gene Vincent over 60s psyche – but on its way to the rough edges embraced by the UK punk scene in years to come – kind of that odd space that the Modern Lovers hit with their Kim Fowley recordings, but much more rocking overall. Most numbers are originals from vocalist Roy Loney – and titles include "Comin After Me", "Headin For The Texas Border", "Second Cousin", "Childhood's End", "Jailbait", and "She's Falling Apart".

A big, warm sunshine psychedelic pop set from John Carter and the Flower Pot Men – built around the richly groovy Brian Wilson styled gem "Let Go To San Francisco" – featuring a number of tunes credited to the Flower Pot Men proper and a slew of related material! Listen To The Flowers Grow features a bunch of sweet summer of love style pop gems – including demos and previously unreleased bits buy the Flower Pot Men and their circle of cast members, related projects and pseudonyms – including work credited to John Carter, the Ministry Of Sound, Haystack, Dawn Chorus and more. Titles include "What's The Matter With Juliet" (demo), "Rain, Rain, Rain" (Ministry Of Sound/John Carter vocal), "Let's Go To San Francisco Pt 1", "Let's Go To San Francisco Pt 2", "A Walk In The Sky", "Am I Losing You", "A Man Without A Woman", "You Can Never Be Wrong", "Letter To Josephine" (as Haystack), "A Night To Be Remembered" (as Dawn Chorus) and more!

We love Sonny Fortune – because he always plays so great! Sonny started as more of an acoustic soul jazz player – but by the time of this session, he's working with a lot of electric backing, in a fusiony mode that should dampen his enthusiasm, but which only seems to spur him onto new heights! The group's got some killer keyboards from Larry Willis, tight guitar from Ray Gomez, and lots of Latin percussion touches that really make the grooves dance – but the real highlight is Sonny, whose tone and placement are impeccable, almost in the vein of Gary Bartz during his years with Larry Mizell, but perhaps a bit more soaring and searching. Titles include "Afortunado", "Georgiana", "Igbob's Shuffle", "Francisco" and "Come In Out Of The Rain".

A cool large ensemble set from the same Teresa Record scene that gave us great albums by Pharoah Sanders and John Hicks! The group's led by trumpeter David Hardiman – and features a hip rotating lineup throughout.

The coolest chapter so far in the long-lost story of the He3 Project – wonderfully spiritual jazz sounds from the San Francisco scene of the early 70s – recorded with a wicked blend of instrumentation and vocals, and a really cosmic sound overall! The music isn't just the usual spiritual jazz of the time – nor the familiar funky sound from the other side of the Bay – and instead, it's kind of a tripped-out hybrid that's really unique – and often served up with a rough edge that makes the instrumentation even more compelling! Players include Hadley Caliman on tenor and flute, Joe West and Terry Mederios on guitars, and Herman Eberitzsch (the HE in the group's name) on Fender Rhodes, Echoplex, piano, and screwdriver. Vocals are from two members of The Waters – Maxine and Julia – although the overall vibe is more instrumental in the end. Titles include "Civilization", "The Massage", "Dark Angels", "Artesian Wells", "Shake A Leg Woman", "To Be True", and "This Is The Struggle".

A second chapter of excellent jazzy soul from the HE3 (Herman Eberitzch III) Project – killer stuff recorded from 1974 to 1977 at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco – with a sound that blends intense, yet sultry disco era live soul with both jazzier and funkier sounds! HE is on piano, Rhodes, synths – and the vibe on Chapter Two has moments of jazz funk reminiscent of the previous Chapter One set from Family Groove – but others that have a straight up, live and direct modern live soul feel, and others that are straight up jazzy. It's all great stuff – and alternate group lineups throughout include vocalists Johnny Lyvett, Linda Tillery and Wendy Hass, trombone player Sheldon Bermont, sax players Robert Olivera and Jerry Vejmoja, percussionist John Mingo Lewis, guitarist Pat Duffy, drummer Amadeus Barrios and others. Includes "Thesis On Love", Soul Support", "From Africa To Oakland", "Try A Different Road", "It Came From The Clear Blue Sky", "Sashay Sahay", "She Got You By The Hook', "I Know You", "Inspiration", "Make It Sweet", "Hop Skip & Jump", "Summertime" & "High Life".

A landmark bit of jazz funk – from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give his work the right dose of funk it needed to reach new audiences during the decade. This album's the first to feature the group on their own, without Herbie – and if we don't mind saying so, they sound even better without him! The whole thing's a wonderful mix of jazz funk grooves and very unusual rhythms – and the record contains the monster full length version of "God Make Me Funky", which is 9 minutes and 35 seconds of non stop funk, plus the cuts "If You've Got It, You'll Get It", "Magic", and "Here & Now".

A landmark bit of jazz funk – from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give his work the right dose of funk it needed to reach new audiences during the decade. This album's the first to feature the group on their own, without Herbie – and if we don't mind saying so, they sound even better without him! The whole thing's a wonderful mix of jazz funk grooves and very unusual rhythms – and the record contains the monster full length version of "God Make Me Funky", which is 9 minutes and 35 seconds of non stop funk, plus the cuts "If You've Got It, You'll Get It", "Magic", and "Here & Now".

A seminal set of grooves – two Headhunters classics on a single set! First up is Survival Of The Fittest – a landmark bit of jazz funk from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give his work the right dose of funk it needed to reach new audiences during the decade. This album's the first to feature the group on their own, without Herbie – and if we don't mind saying so, they sound even better without him! The whole thing's a wonderful mix of jazz funk grooves and very unusual rhythms – and the record contains the monster full length version of "God Make Me Funky", which is 9 minutes and 35 seconds of non stop funk, plus the cuts "If You've Got It, You'll Get It", "Magic", and "Here & Now". Straight From The Gate is a killer – and the album's much more of a solid soul effort than the group's debut! The vocals are better, with more of a feel for the lyrics – and the songs themselves are a great mix of funk and smooth soul. There's still plenty of tight jamming and cool electronics – and the group still includes Mike Clark, Bennie Maupin,and Paul Jackson. Includes the sample cut "I Remember I Made You Cry", plus "Pork Soda", "Dreams", "Straight From The Gate", and "Mayonnaise".

Fantastic! This is the kind of soul that we still collect vinyl for and are all the more thrilled to see officially reissued by careful curators such as those at Kent UK! Freddie Hughes is one of the great lost voices of the 60s, and this sparkling album of soulful tunes is a real gem – loaded up here with incredible bonus tracks recorded in earlier duo sessions! He's not the same singer as the Freddie Hughes from Chicago – and he hailed from San Francisco, a very unlikely source for such great soul music. The session was recorded with Lonnie Hewitt (Cal Tjader's funky piano player) in SF – but it's got that perfect New York Wand/Scepter "deep soul meets uptown" sound. The tracks are mostly written by Hughes or Hewitt – and they are all pretty amazing, filled with hooks that just don't quit, and some heartbreaking verses that match the work of writers like Curtis Mayfield or Garland Green. Titles include "Send My Baby Back", "He's No Good", "Tonight I'm Gonna See My Baby", "You're My Everything", "Natural Man" (the Aretha classic remodeled for a male perspective) and "I Gotta Keep My Bluff In" and bonus tracks "Love Can't Be Understood" and "My Baby Came Back". Earlier in the decade, Freddie sang in San Francisco duos Casanova II with Wylie Trass and The Soul Brothers with Ken Pleasants. This CD includes "Maybe They're Right", "Love's Philosophy", "I Was A Fool" and "We Got To Keep On" by Casanova II, plus "Let Our Love Go On", "Love's Philosophy" (Pts 1 & 2), "Where's My Baby" and more by The Soul Brothers, many previously unreleased. One more bonus track: "Do The Philly" on the Music City label, credited to The Music City All Stars.

A lost set of work from the team of Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land – recorded right around the same time as their famous San Francisco album! The album's overflowing with the soulful, righteous tones the pair could create together – sublime vibes from Hutcherson, both tenor and flute from Land – and a top-shelf supporting cast that includes Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums! Like others of this nature, Blue Note never issued the material at the time – but wisely released it as an album at the start of the 80s – a great contribution to Hutcherson's catalog for the label – of which we can never get enough! Titles include "Ungano", "Avis", "Comes Spring", and "Orientale".

Cali funk revivalists The Incredible Say Whats! pay tribute to a rare late 60s treasure by Leon Haywood's group The Soul Machine – covering both sides of funky 45 from 1968! Each demonstrates real love for the original versions, ably replicating the vibe, without mimicking it – a tricky thing to pull off, but the fresh funky life breathed into these too little heard gems is, well. . .kinda incredible! "Twitchie Feet" is built around a stable, funky drummer and wicked guitar and bass sound, nicely cooking organ and really great use of a solid horn section – that latter element may be even a bit more prominent than the version that inspired it! "Bag Of Goodies" is, natch, another goodie – again with some great use of jazz funk organs, guitar and horns. Recorded in San Francisco with vintage mic & amps, giving it the wholly classic vibe the group was shooting for. Direct hit!

A later chapter in the career of soul singer Etta James – six full albums, plus a bonus disc of live material too! The set represents most of Etta's work from recent years – a series of albums done for the Private Music label – in styles that range a bit more than before, yet still come across with plenty of the soul you'll know from Etta's roots. Production is definitely a bit more modern at times, yet the vocals are still top-shelf – whether in a more blues-based setting, or one that's going for a crossover vibe instead. Packaging is great – all CDs come in LP-styled sleeves – and titles include Love's Been Rough On Me, Life Love & The Blues, Matriarch Of The Blues, Burnin Down The House, Let's Roll, and Blues To The Bone – plus a bonus CD, Live In San Francisco!

A spare and dramatic score for this film that starred Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, and Omar Sharif – penned by Maurice Jarre with some slight Spanish touches, to fit the setting of the narrative! Light guitar is used on many numbers – but with a very high-register sort of sound that almost feels like harpsichord at moments – and other tracks feature an isolated flute snaking along the tunes slowly, carving out some nice moods and colors with a fair bit of subtlety. Orchestrations are relatively subdued throughout – and for the time, the music is wonderfully understated – especially for Jarre! Titles include "Manuel In San Martin", "Paco Leaving Spain", "Spanish Street", "Manuel Studies Map", and "Father Francisco In Hospital".

A more elegantly-composed soundtrack than you might expect from a film titled Nude Odyssey – and one that's actually quite dramatic to start – and gets more playful as it goes along! We know nothing of the film, but Angelo Lavagnino's music for 1961's Odissea Nuda begins with lush, subtle strings, and progresses with with kind of a tropical island-inspired style. Really solid work from maestro Lavagnino! This great GDM CD edition includes the 7 tracks from the original 45 RPM EP – plus a wealth of alternate sequences from the film – with more than 70 minutes of music! 29 tracks in all.

Early grooves from Leon Pattillo – later a club maestro, but working here in a much rootsier style at the head of Leon's Creation – an ultra-cool funk combo from San Francisco! The album's got a groove that really lives up to the promise of its title – a heady brew of funky tracks played by a tight young group – often with vocals in the lead from Leon and a female singer, but sometimes featuring other group members – adding a nice sense of variety while the players riff away with boundless energy! Pattillo plays some great organ at times – and other instrumentation includes guitar, bass, trumpet, tenor, and even some cool violin – and titles include "Confusion", "If I Had The Power", "Sightless", "Back Roads", "This Is The Beginning", and "Mirage".

One of the grooviest albums of the late 60s – a lost vocal treasure from the team of Dave MacKay & Vicky Hamilton! The pair were sort of like a hip version of Jackie & Roy – usually singing together on their tracks, with a mixed male/female vocal approach that sounds totally great – and which really fits the breezy mood of the tunes on the set! Dave himself plays Fender Rhodes and piano on the album – along with an odd little combo that includes flute and tenor played by Ira Schulman, percussion by Francisco Aguabella, and guest sitar by Bill Plummer. The whole thing's got an amazing feel that's equal parts groovy jazz and sunshine pop – and tunes include a great reading of Tom Scott's "Blues For Hari", Flip Nunez's classic "See You Later", and the original tracks "Jacques The Junkman", "Samba For Vicky", "Now", and "Moon Rider".

Early work from Les – recording at the Jazz Workshop in SF, with his famous trio that included Herbie Lewis on bass and Ron Jefferson on drums. The album's pretty standard fare – short soul jazz piano numbers, with more than a bit of church in the grooves. Titles include "Come On & Get That Church", "We'll See Yaw'll After While, Ya Heah", "I Am In Love", "Big Jim", and "Oh Them Golden Gates".

A great illustration of the genius of Carmen McRae in the 70s – a record that easily shows why Carmen was hipper than most of her contemporaries from two decades before! The set has the vocalist somehow managing to still stick in a straight jazz style, without going for cheaper soul routines – yet also opening up with more of a sense of mature presence that showed the sophistication of the times – a killer blend that really makes the album a gem from these 70s years! The live setting features Carmen working through a mixture of new and old material in some really unique variations – working with a small group that includes Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and Marshall Otwell on keyboards, carving out some space with a really wonderfully confident feel. Titles include "Paint Your Pretty Picture", "On A Clear Day", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Time After Time", "Miss Otis Regrets", and "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco".

Monk's alone in San Francisco – playing solo piano throughout, with that thoughtful, introspective approach to his work that we really love! Most of the tunes here are Monk originals or standards that Thelonious has played before at least a few times on record – but the solo setting almost has him pulling the tunes apart slowly – contemplating their components, then stepping through them with new inspiration as he puts them back together. Titles include "Blue Monk", "Pannonica", "Remember", "Reflections", "Bluehawk", "Everything Happens To Me",a nd "Round Lights". CD features 1 bonus track.

A buzzing, hard-hitting batch of pychedelic rock from Japan's The Mops – featuring some groovy, echoey tunes penned by the group and sung in their native language – plus a nice choice of passionate covers! The sound is a little bit like Love in their early rawness – and the Mops obviously have a great feel for psychedelia at its fuzziest and most tuneful. Great stuff! Tracks include "Asamade Matenai", "San Francisco Nights", "I Am Just A Mops", "The Letter", "Blind Bird", "Somebody To Love", "White Rabbit", "Light My Fire", "Kienai Omoi" and more – plus 2 bonus tracks "Omae No Subete O", "Atsuki Narenai"

Fuzzy sounds from the South Bay scene of the 60s – a really cool little combo that's equal parts psych and garage – with a tightness that's more Sunset Strip than most of the San Francisco groups of the time! The guitars have a nice sort of fuzz, but the rhythms are super-tight too – almost borrowing a soul influence at times, although there's no doubt that these guys are rockers through and through! The vocals have a quality that gets nicely trippy with the guitars, but never too far out – a bit like early Byrds – and titles include a nice remake of "Get Out Of My Life Woman", plus the cuts "Signed DC", "Light Switch", "Our Fate", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Run Run Run", and "Evil Hearted You".

A rare British session from vocalist Mark Murphy – and one of his grooviest albums of the 60s! Mark's working here with great backings from the orchestras of Tubby Hayes, John Dankworth, and Les Reed – all of whom give Murphy some of his hippest grooves to date, very much in the mode of some of his work on the Midnight Mood album cut for MPS during the same overseas 60s stretch. And as with that one, there's a nice selection of tunes that goes way past the usual – and which shows off the widest range of Murphy's groovy vocal talents – titles that include "Ballyhoo", "Iceberg", "Stablemates", "She Loves You", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "I Left My Heart In San Francisco", "From Time To Time", and "The Best Is Yet To Come".

A memorable set from Mushroom – captured live at San Francisco's Tip Top Inn in March of 2000! The set promised to channel the creative spirit of leftfield Brit jazz figures of the 70s, such Keith Tippett, Chris McGregor and Ian Carr – and dare we say so, they pretty much nail it! Recorded by drummer Pat Thomas, the group features Jeff Palmer on bass, Marc Capelle on trumpet, Carroll Ashby on trombone, Davie Mihaly on percussion, Jon Sanders on keys and Erik Pearson on guitar and sax. The titles are a trip, too: "No Anagrams Found by Recursive Algorithm", "I've Never Understood The Importance Of Club DJs, They Seem Like The Lowest Link In The Chain, Like A Fluffer On A Porn Site", "Loft Hawk", "Blues For An Airplane" and more. 9 in all, and the set runs north of an hour long.

A wonderful little package – way more than just a collection of soundtrack work by Italian maestro Riz Ortolani – and instead, a fully-fleshed look at his long career – with vocal, instrumental, and even some jazz titles too! The 4CD set comes in a book-styled package – with some great images from Ortolani's career in the middle, and notes in Italian – and the CDs break things up beautifully, to offer a rich look at the music in ways we hardly would have expected – showing lots of aspects of Riz's career we've never heard on CD! CD 1 features famous film themes – including "Sweet Dreams", "Africa Addion", "Yellow Rolls Royce", "The Great Dreamer", and many others. CD 2 features vocal and instrumental interpretations of Ortolani's compositions – with tracks by Jack Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Fabio Boltro, Aretha Franklin, Shirley Bassey, Erroll Garner, Johnny Mathis, Julie London, Matt Monro, and others. CD 3 is titled Unforgettable Love – and features loads of sweet 60s instrumentals, all with a soundtracky sort of feel – including "Magic Man", "Una Casa A Roma", "Lui Lui Lui", "My Blue", "Un Amore Cosi Tenero", "Easy Life", "Til Love Touches Your Life", and "True Confession". And CD 4 is the most striking of all – some rare jazz tracks swung strongly by Ortolani, most of them larger ensemble numbers – with titles that include "The Cold Nose", "St Francisco Railways", "Miami Beach", "Free Dixie", "Please Another Ball", "The Day Of Anger", and "Unna Sull'Altra".

Great stuff – one of Flora Purim's more R&B-sounding albums from the 70s, produced by George Duke with an appreciation for Flora's Brazilian jazz roots, but with a smoother sound that's in keeping with Duke's own work of the time! The combination is pretty sweet – a professional culmination of the mixture of fusion and Brazilian jazz that had been happening in the San Francisco scene during most of the 70s, and featuring many of the musicians who had helped make that groove so strong. Players include Airto, Sheila Escovedo, Joe Farrell, Ronnie Foster, Bobby Lyle, and Larry Williams – and tracks include "Niura Is Coming Back", "From The Lonely Afternoon", "Freeway Jam", "Beijo Partido", "Corine", and "Love Lock".

Amazing sounds from Ram Jam Holder – an artist unlike anyone else we can think of! Black London Blues is a brilliant British set from Holder – not really blues at all, but a cool kind of crossbreeding of styles in the 60s London scene – almost the same mad mix of modes you might hear in The Equals! There's plenty of funk on the record – some great drums, bouncing basslines, and an overall tightness that's more gritty soul than blues – although there's definitely a bluesy bent at times too! Titles include "Brixton Blues", "Too Much Blues", "Pub Crawling Blues", "Wimpy Bar Blues", and "Hampstead To Lose The Blues". Bootleg Blues has a groove that's really wonderful – definitely blues, but with lots of other elements mixing through the music too – kind of that criss-crossing of styles you'd find in San Francisco music of the late 60s – but given a particularly London twist here – with some folksy elements, soulful phrasing, and even some echoes of the mod 60s scene in the way the organ and grooves come across. The album's a great one – and titles include "Saturday's Child", "Bed Sitter Girl", "London Paris Rome Blues Express", "Freedom I'm Ready", and "Low Down In Paris".

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!

Amazing funky jazz from the 70s – a completely rare little set recorded in the Bay Area scene of the time – featuring hip trumpet work from Woody Shaw, and lots of cool keyboards from Patrick Gleeson! The feel here is somewhere in the territory of work that Gleeson did with Herbie Hancock in the mid 70s, or of some of the spinoff Headhunters funky jazz projects recorded on Mercury – but the groove's also a bit looser too, given that the album was done by the small Reynolds indie label. Other players include Norman Williams on alto, Michael Howell on guitar, and Allan Pittman on additional trumpet – and there's a simple, focused approach to the grooves that's totally great – very soulful, and very in the pocket – never too spacey or overly jamming, like some of the best Fantasy Records funky fusion of the time! Titles include "Getting It Together", "Getting To The Moon", "Hozrot", "Waterman", and "Love Ballad".

A madly tripped-out little record – about as wild as you could hope to expect from a group named Shiva's Headband! There's a real San Francisco hippie feel going on here – a blend of rootsy rock and psychedelia, plus a few bluesy touches – done in a mode that's down-homey, yet which is also the kind of vision of "down home" that was playing big in Haight Ashbury at the time! Instrumentation includes harmonica, violin, and electric piano – in addition to the usual guitar, bass, and drums – and the vocals often have a rough and ragged quality – fragile, yet also a bit bluesy too. Spencer Perskin arranged, wrote, and produced most of the record – and also sings lead vocals too – and titles include "My Baby", "Take Me To The Mountains", "Song For Peace", "Ripple", "Ebeneezer", "North Austin Strut", and "Good Time".

The very last performance at the legendary Keystone Korner in San Francisco – a well-blown session from Zoot Sims' overlooked years on Pablo Records! Like other Pablo dates, this one's got a very easygoing groove – a relaxed format that allows Sims to really stretch out on his horn – tenor on most numbers, but some surprisingly great soprano sax as well – a subtle delight that shows up at key points during the Pablo years. Rhythm is by the trio of Frank Collett on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – and titles include "Dream Dancing", "Changes", "I'll Remember April", "Tonight I Shall Sleep", and "If You Could See Me Now".

A rare early 70s record from guitarist, singer and songwriter Ray Stinnett – who was the guitar player for Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs at their wooliest and bulliest – and made this long-buried solo record for A&M in '71! Ray was born in Memphis, and after his success with Sam The Sham, he dropped out for a while in San Francisco before heading home to Memphis. A Fire Somewhere was recorded at Fame and Argent, and sure enough, it's got quite a swampy southern groove at times – but there's also some sparer acoustic numbers that carry a post-hippie vibe that he no doubt soaked up in San Francisco. It's hard to believe it's been shelved for such a long time! Includes "Salty Haze", "You Make Me-Feel", "Silky Path", "Wheel Of Time", "Stop", "Long Rivers Flow", "America", "You & I", "Honey Suckle Song", "Liberty High", "Natural High", "Love Is The Answer", "A Fire Somewhere" and "The Rain".

A rare early 70s record from guitarist, singer and songwriter Ray Stinnett – who was the guitar player for Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs at their wooliest and bulliest – and made this long-buried solo record for A&M in '71! Ray was born in Memphis, and after his success with Sam The Sham, he dropped out for a while in San Francisco before heading home to Memphis. A Fire Somewhere was recorded at Fame and Argent, and sure enough, it's got quite a swampy southern groove at times – but there's also some sparer acoustic numbers that carry a post-hippie vibe that he no doubt soaked up in San Francisco. It's hard to believe it's been shelved for such a long time! Includes "Salty Haze", "You Make Me-Feel", "Silky Path", "Wheel Of Time", "Stop", "Long Rivers Flow", "America", "You & I", "Honey Suckle Song", "Liberty High", "Natural High", "Love Is The Answer", "A Fire Somewhere" and "The Rain".

A great little set from Sylvester – 3 sides recorded live in San Francisco, one more recorded in the studio! All the sides have a complicated approach to the groove – larger orchestrations that really show Syl pushing his conception of soul to the max, sounding really wonderful, and almost a bit jazzy on the best tracks – much more than the colder dancefloor act of later years, and with a depth of soul that should have made him rank right up there with some of the more righteous soul geniuses of the 70s. Tracks include "Body Strong", "Blackbird", "Happiness", "Lover Man", "You Are My Friend", "Can't Stop Dancing", "In My Fantasy", and "Sharing Something Perfect Between Ourselves".

The accordion never sounded groovier – thanks to some great playing by Art Van Damme and amazing production by MPS! This 5CD set features a whopping 10 albums that Art recorded for the legendary German label between 1966 and 1972 – all of which are hipper and more swinging than any of Van Damme's work in the US – and most of which have never been on CD before! Most numbers feature a trademark blend of accordion, vibes, and guitar – and Van Damme plays his instrument in a way that's somewhere between an organ and a saxophone – often hitting notes in really surprising ways, and working with a phrasing that's far different from any mainstream use of the accordion in the 50s. A few sessions augment the instrumentation a bit more – using flutes or saxophones – and overall the whole thing's an amazing illustration of the way that MPS was always able to get work that was a cut above regular dates by any player! 5CD set features the full albums Mit Art Van Damme In San Francisco, Ecstasy, Gentle Art Of Art, Lullaby In Rhythm, Art In The Black Forest, On The Road, Art & Four Brothers, Squeezing Art & Tender Flutes, Keep Going, and Blue World – all remastered, and presented with beautiful notes!