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One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". Very nice!

One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". Very nice!

Excellent work from Laurindo – a truly wonderful album, played with small combo backing, which gives the set a jazzier feel than usual! Players include Jimmy Rowles on organ, Bob Cooper on tenor, Howard Roberts on guitar, and Shelly Manne, Milt Holland, and Chico Guerro on percussion – and although there's no credits for the arrangements on the album, the overall feel is similar to Roberts best work for Capitol, especially because Rowles' work on organ gives the record such a groovy sound! Titles include "Acapulco 1922", "Misirlou", "Satin Doll", "More", "Till Then", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", and "Desafinado".

A wonderful record from guitarist Laurindo Almeida – way way better than the title might make you think, and quite different from his albums for Capitol! The album is subtitled "electronic excursions", and while it's not exactly electronic, it does feature Almeida soloing over some nicely groovy backings that drift along in a very spacious way. There's a bit of keyboards in the mix somewhere, lots of strings, and some airy grooves that make the album dance in a magical way that most of Almeida's work does not. Arrangements are by Larry Cansler, Pete King, and Lex De Azevedo (David Axelrod?) – and titles include "The Lamp Is Low", "Till The End Of Time", "Full Moon & Empty Arms", "Moon Love", and "When I Write My Song".

One of the lovelier records cut by guitarist Laurindo Almeida during the 1950s – a spare set of duets with pianist Ray Turner – featuring original tunes and tracks by Brazilian composers, all performed in a lightly poetic style. The album's got lots of wonderful work on acoustic guitar from Almeida, very much in the pre-bossa mode that he's credited with as an influence on a later generation of Brazilian musicians. Titles include "Serenata", "Copacabana Sunset", "Gavota Choro", "Nosso Choro", and "Concertino For Guitar & Piano".

Breezy bossa nova – Hollywood 60s style! The album's one of the best cut for Capitol by guitarist Laurindo Almeida – and has a sweet groovy little style that features Laurindo's lovely guitar work over some lightly dancing small combo backings that include flute, harmonica, organ, percussion, and even a bit of whistling on a few tracks! The vibe's very much in the best Verve/Impulse takes on the bossa – done with a clear California influence, which keeps things cool and breezy – and which also pushes Almeida past his sometimes-staid style on guitar. Two cuts also feature some great vocals by Irene Kral – and titles include "Twilight In Rio", "Old Guitaron", "Sarah's Samba", "Izabella", "Winter Moon", "Girl From Ipanema", and "Choro For People In Love".

A rare session from Herbie Mann – hardly the sort of operatic fare you might guess from the title, and instead one of Herbie's most enigmatic albums of the time, thanks to a nicely dark-edged quality to the sound! Herbie's flute is crisp and clean, but also extremely soulful – and the set features Mann in a variety of settings. 4 titles feature backing by a trio with Jimmy Rowles on piano, Buddy Clark on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums – all playing with moodier tones than you might expect from some of their other work of the time. 3 more tunes feature a more Latin vein – with great arrangements from Laurindo Almeida, and guitar from Tony Rizzi. And a few more tracks feature a bit of strings, and some added rhythm by a group with Jimmy Rowles on piano and Howard Roberts on guitar. Titles include "Let's Dance", "Tenderly", "Strike Up The Band", "Frenesi", "Oddles Of Noodles", "Evolution Of Mann", "Baia", and "St Louis Blues".

A groovy 60s session from vibist Cal Tjader – and an excellent little Latin set, with a mixture of bossa nova and Latin jazz that goes way beyond the promise of the title! The great Clare Fischer arranged the set – and if you know his work with Cal, you know that he's got a wonderful approach to jazz that works perfectly with Tjader's unique phrasing – a spacious sensibility, and a great sense of timing – one that always ensures the tunes sparkle with a sweetly stepping groove. Fischer plays piano on the record – and other players include Laurindo Almeida on guitar, Paul Horn on reeds, Johnny Rae on timbales, and Milt Holland on percussion. Titles include "Choro E Batuque", "Nao Diga Nada", "Elizete", "Imagen", "Vai Querer", and "Que Tristeza".

A really unusual album from guitarist Al Viola – all solo material, recorded in the mid 50s – and quite a change from some of the more dynamic albums that Al would record in later years! The guitar here has a warmly acoustic feel, yet is still quite jazz-based overall – yet also, in a way, prefaces some of the styles that would soon come from the bossa generation – such as work from Luiz Bonfa, some of the Latin-tinged sides of Laurindo Almeida, or some later studies on the guitar by Baden Powell! Yet the early date of the record really makes the whole thing stand out, and sound very fresh – on titles that include "Nocturne", "Alone Together", "Warm Valley", "Don't Blame Me", "My Romance", and "I'll Remember April".

4th volume in this excellent series – and the groovy grooves are still running strong! As the title implies, the set's a blinding batch of rare bossa and samba tracks, mostly all of 60s vintage, from a blend of American and Brazilian sources. There's loads of great cuts on here that have gotten lost on LPs over the years – and titles include "Groovy Samba" by Cannonball Adderley, "Bossa Nova Ova" by Billy Mitchell Quintet, "Sambou Sambou" by The G/9 Group, "Os Grilos" by Walter Wanderley, "Onde Anda O Meu Amor" by Bossa Tres, "Vai Pr'a Frente" by Os Copa Vips, "Caminho De Casa" by Joao Donato, "Oo Oo Bossa Nova" by Milt Jackson, "Boranda" by Sergio Mendes, "Mas Que Nada" by Oscar Peterson, and "Batucada Sergiu" by Luiz Carlos Vinhas. The CD also contains the bonus tracks "Bossa" by Donald Byrd, "Corcovado" by Stan Getz and Laurindo Almeida, and "Sausalito" by Dave Pike.

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.

A whole new dimension of pop from the lovely Joanie Sommers – an album of bossa tunes, recorded with strings and backing by the great Laurindo Almeida! The style is wonderfully sweet – and works perfectly with Joanie's gentle vocals – and although not all the tunes are strict bossa standards, they're all taken in a similar mode, which makes for a really unified set. The album features a few tasty debuts – including "Old Guitarron" and "You Can't Go Home Again" – plus versions of "Meditation", "Quiet Nights", "Once", "Carnival", "That's All", and "Watching The World Go By".

The first-ever album from Henry Mancini – and a wonderfully spooky set! The style here is quite different than most of Hank's better-known film work and instrumental hits – as the record is very moody and laidback – cut with a slow-moving, dreamy sort of darkness that's really compelling! The instrumentation is very unusual – a mix of organ, accordion, and guitar by Laurindo Almeida – all stepped gently along with some spare electric bass bits by Bob Bain, who really knows how to preserve a sense of space in the set. There's a bit of wordless vocals from the lovely Lulu Jean Norman – almost in modes that would show up later in Italian soundtracks – and although there's a bit of an exotica feel to the record, it's very slight, given the lack of any percussion or drums – and instead comes off with a very spooky dream-like quality. Titles include "Bali Hai", "Poinciana", "The Whispering Sea", "Ebb Tide", and "The Naked Sea". CD features the full mono and stereo mixes of the album – plus bonus tracks that include "Young Love", "Free & Easy", and "Cha Cha Cha For Gia" – and "What's It Gonna Be", sung by the Four Freshmen.

But this album, if only for one track! The album's a collection of tunes by jazz guitarists – put together by Guitar Player magazine, and featuring rare tunes by a variety of different players. Our standout favorite is Lee Ritenour's version of "Valdez In The Country" – the great Donny Hathaway funk instrumental, handled here with a very different approach than the original! Other tracks range from straight jazz to swing to bossa – and titles include "Contrary-ness" and "Two For The Blues" by Barney Kessel & Herb Ellis, "Allison II" and "Django" by Joe Pass, "Guitar Player" and "Counting My Tears" by BB King, "Spain" and "Toronto Under the Sign Of Capricorn" by Larry Coryell, and "Lament In Tremolo Form" and "Feelings" by Laurindo Almeida.

June's got rhythm, sure, but the real thing that makes her great is her dark and moody sense of melody! This album's one of June's late 50s efforts done with husband/arranger Bob Cooper – not as arch modern as some of her work with Pete Rugolo, but still in a style that's definitely inspired by that classic work. Backing is by a small group of LA jazzers – including Shelly Manne, Russ Freeman, Laurindo Almeida, Frank Rosolino, and Cooper – and titles include "My One & Only Love", "Blue Moon", "I Can Make You Love Me", "When Lights Are Low", and "Gypsy In My Soul".

Although Manos Hadjidakis' soundtrack work of the 60s is mostly in the Greek-sounding mode, this one features him hitting a bit of a western soundtrack feel – to back a drama starring Terence Stamp, Ricardo Montalban, and Karl Malden. About half the tracks are instrumentals with an orchestral feel, and the others are similar, but have slight "westerny" touches – although not as much so as work for Italian films of the same time. Laurindo Almeida plays a bit of acoustic guitar on the album – and titles include "Blue's Solitude", "The Mexicans Are Coming", "Death Of Blue", "Nocturne", "Scherzo", and "Morning After Love".

Amazing! This is a perfectly-constructed compilation of funky abstract downtempo grooves – in a style that evokes the classic work of David Axelrod, and a million lost 70s soundtrack composers! The vibe is very serious – with complex jazzy grooves shifting slowly about, but always staying pretty darn funky. Titles include "Funky Chimes" by Lee Arnold Trio, "Fine & Funky" by David Mensah, "Rosa Mae" by Mary Lou Williams, "Rain Rain Go Away" by Bob Azzam, "Brazilian Greens" by Laurindo Almeida, "Los Caballos" by Alice Coltrane, "Mellow Funk" by Floyd Morris, "It Seems That Way" by The Returners, "Bass In Action #7" by Tonio Rubion, "Head In My Clouds" by Johnny Pearson, "Al's Blues" by Sound Prospect, and "Filigree Funk" by King Ant. 17 tracks – and all great and rare!

4th volume in this excellent series – and the groovy grooves are still running strong! As the title implies, the set's a blinding batch of rare bossa and samba tracks, mostly all of 60s vintage, from a blend of American and Brazilian sources. There's loads of great cuts on here that have gotten lost on LPs over the years – and titles include "Groovy Samba" by Cannonball Adderley, "Bossa Nova Ova" by Billy Mitchell Quintet, "Sambou Sambou" by The G/9 Group, "Os Grilos" by Walter Wanderley, "Onde Anda O Meu Amor" by Bossa Tres, "Vai Pr'a Frente" by Os Copa Vips, "Caminho De Casa" by Joao Donato, "Oo Oo Bossa Nova" by Milt Jackson, "Boranda" by Sergio Mendes, "Mas Que Nada" by Oscar Peterson, and "Batucada Sergiu" by Luiz Carlos Vinhas. The CD also contains the bonus tracks "Bossa" by Donald Byrd, "Corcovado" by Stan Getz and Laurindo Almeida, and "Sausalito" by Dave Pike.