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The final third of Jackie DeShannon's legendary run for Imperial Records in the 60s – a smashing batch of singles that really represent some great musical growth at the time! On these sides, Jackie's even more soulful than before – definitely taking inspiration from the generation of singers who were singing her songs – and from the growing wave of girl vocalists who were working with more soulful styles too – especially those from the Brill Building scene. The result is a great blend of New York uptown and LA sunshine – a superb batch of tunes that really sums up the unique place that Jackie DeShannon had in modern music. Many tunes are originals by Jackie – and the set also features great tunes penned by Jimmy Holiday and Bobby Womack too – titles that include "Changin My Mind", "I Keep Wanting You", "What Is This", "Nicole", "Nobody's Home To Go Home To", "You Keep Me Hangin On/Hurt So Bad", "Brighton Hill", "Christmas", "Keep Me In Mind", "Bird On The Wire", "What Was Your Day Like", "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "Always Together", and "Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown".

Standout sounds from the 60s pop scene in LA – classic tracks from jangle-pop genius of Gary Lewis & The Playboys! Gary's vocals are plenty catchy, as are the group's rhythms and guitars – but it's also the studio production that really grabs us too – much of which was handled by Bones Howe and Snuff Garrett, in that brilliant Liberty Records style of the time – a mix of syncopated pop, surf influences, and even a trace of nascent garage! The collection features both the a and b-sides of these singles – so it goes way way past any of the overplayed oldies you'll know from Lewis – a great illustration of the more creative modes both he and Liberty hit as the 60s moved on, plus some groovy overlooked tracks from the early years too. Titles include "Hard To Find", "Tijuana Wedding", "Without A Word Of Warning", "She's Just My Style", "Way Way Out", "Looking For The Stars", "Tina", "Green Grass", "Happiness", "Sara Jane", "Where Will The Words Come From", "The Loser", "Hayride", and "Gary's Groove" – plus "Doin The Flake", a cool tie-in with Frosted Flakes cereal!

John Williams come back! All is forgiven! We'll hardly complain anymore about all those overblown top-selling scores after hearing this gem from the early 70s! The record is a treasure – completely unlike any work that Williams did in later years – quite possibly because the film itself is a quirky little love story, starring James Caan and Marsha Mason in the sort of offbeat "when losers meet" sort of film that could have only been made in the early 70s. Some of the tunes on the set are nicely funky – almost in a Lalo Schifrin way – and others are mellow, but nicely moody, in a really understated scene-setting style that's great. Toots Thielemans plays some great harmonica on a few of the mellower cuts, and Paul Williams sings vocals to 3 of the tracks on the set, all contributed by him. Titles include "Wednesday Special", "New Shooter", "Boxing Montage", "The Ferry Ride", "Neptune's Bar", "Nice To Be Around", and "Maggie Shoots Pool".

A rare set of offbeat tunes from the creator of Alvin & The Chipmunks – in the style of some of the pre-chip sounds that Ross was doing for Liberty in the late 50s! Nice cover shot of Ross using a gold phone outside of his Rolls Royce!

A much more solidly American album than some of Vicki Benet's other efforts of the time – which were usually more French-styled than this one! This time around, Vicki's got a great breathy style that's right up there with Julie London on Liberty – a late 50s sexiness that perfectly matches her ice blond look on the cover, and her slinky slinky dress! Arrangements are relatively gentle – strings, but never too lush – and Vicki hangs mostly in a ballad mode that's perfect for the breathiness of the recording. Titles include "Our Very Own", "The Boy Next Door", "Love Me", "There's A Small Hotel", "A Shade Of Blue", and "Heartstring Melody".

Mad music from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – a brilliant mix of dada energy and psychedelic production – served up in these five classic Liberty albums from the cusp of the 70s! Frontman Neil Innes later went on to a lot of projects with Eric Idle in later years – including the famous Rutles project – and the work here definitely has a Monty Python sense of humor, especially in the way it mixes the modern and the vintage with effortless ease – but in ways that seem to create a really unsettling blend of two different eras! There's a definite psych influence going on too – possibly the contribution of Vivian Stanshall – and the set features the full albums Gorilla, The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse, Tadpoles, Kenysham, and Let's Make Up & Be Friendly – plus a huge amount of "extra treats" – 8 more bonus tracks from later years and singles.

Lots of older songs, nicely messed up by the Chips – which creates lots of yelling from Dave! Titles include "Buffalo Gals", "The Alvin Twist", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", and "Polly Wolly Doodle".

The Chips take on a whole host of 60s pop tunes – worth it alone for their versions of "What's New Pussycat", "King Of The Road", and "I'm Henry VIII I Am".

The Chipmunks take on The Beatles – in an early version of fab four fun! Titles are almost all early Lennon/McCartney numbers, sung by Alvin and the gang with a surprisingly nice groove!

Classic 60s pop from Jackie DeShannon – served up here with a massive batch of bonus tracks too! The core album was issued after Jackie's successful run opening up for The Beatles during their first American tour – but more than that easy association with the Fab Four, the record's actually a surprisingly great batch of material with a sweet west coast pop groove – and one that includes a fair number of original tunes written by Jackie herself! Jackie's ability to write her own material really made her stand out amongst sweeter female 60s singers – and it ensured that on an album like this, she'd be working with a depth that went beyond simple pop, and which avoided the over-trodden filler that clogged up too many other albums of the genre. Bonus tracks follow in a similar DeShannon-penned spirit – and the CD features a total of 20 tracks that include "She Don't Understand Him Like I Do", "Should I Cry", "You Won't Forget Me", "Did He Call Today Mama", "When You Walk In The Room", "Oh Boy", "The Prince", "Over You", "Till You Say You'll Be Mine", and "Today Will Have No Night".

A pair of late 60s albums from Martin Denny – back to back on a single CD! Exotic Love is an overlooked gem from Martin Denny – cut during a range of later sides for Liberty Records, but somehow a standout, thanks to some soulful undercurrents in the music! The arranger is billed as Harold Johnson – who may well be the same cat leading the groovy sextet over on Revue Records at the same time – and the record has this subtle groove that's mighty nice – definitely an ear for some of the more soul-based instrumental styles of the 60s, with a nice bounce on the bottom that might almost make some of these cuts just right for older-style steppers. Instrumentation has a few exotic touches, but more piano than anything else – and titles include "A Beautiful Morning", "Love Exotic Style", "I Say A Little Prayer", "This Guy's In Love With You", "Love Is All Around", and "Voodoo Love". Exotica Today is an album that signifies its style right from the first track – which echoes Martin Denny's classic "Quiet Village", but which then rolls into a set of sprightly arrangements from Julius Wechter – who almost brings an A&M Records vibe to the album! Tunes are mostly Denny remakes of 60s instrumental themes, plus a few originals co-penned with Wechter – and there's some nice percussion bits that lurk in the background next to Denny's piano – which mostly rings out in the lead. Titles include "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Lara's Theme", "Strangers In The Night", "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", "Patch Of Blue", "Promises", and "Snowflakes In Summer".

Denny's combo with Augie Colon and Julius Wechter groove their way through some nice numbers from films of the 40s, 60s, and early 60s – mostly in the vein of familiar tunes, but as always, redone in a groovy exotic way by Denny's unique approach to easy instrumentals! The vibes, piano, and conga sound great together – and there's even some nice celeste on the album in a few parts. Titles include "Carioca", "Sayonara", "Paradise", "We're Off The See The Wizard", and "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing".

Classic stuff from the man who brought the Exotica sound to the mainstream! We hardly need to tell you about these albums – as they're virtually the blueprint for countless exotica albums to come, a mixture of 50s easy listening, strange tropical rhythms, and odd little sound effects! Denny's playing with his original combo of Arthur Lyman, Augie Colon, and John Cramer – in a mixture of piano, percussion, vibes, and lots of bird calls! Tracks include "Stone God", "Island Of Dreams", "Escales", "When First I Love", "Bacoa", "Ebb Tide", "Rush Hour In Hong Kong", "Singing Bamboos", "Jungle Flower", "Busy Port", "Lotus Land", and his hit recording of "Quiet Village".

A great illustration of the way that Martin Denny expanded his groove in the 60s – on some sweetly inventive records like this! On Latin Village, Martin Denny changes the rhythms from tropical to Latin – but the overall groove is still highly in his best exotica mode, and nicely augmented by some additional instrumentation! There's some traces here of the shift in production for instrumental music from the time – a bit of electric bass echoing out at the bottom of some cuts, more echo than usual on the piano lines, and a floating quality that's almost even more sublime than the original Liberty sessions. But the core Denny elements are also still in place – tinkling piano, island percussion, and a playful approach to familiar rhythms that never fails to please. The Latin is more of a nod to harder Latin modes than anything else, but it does make for a nice, if subtle change – one that works especially well when Denny's piano is out front, but compressed a bit in the mix. Titles include "Flying Down To Rio", "Ho Ba La La", "Something Latin", "Girl From Ipanema", and "Latin Village". The Versatile Martin Denny definitely lives up to the versatile in the title – working through a whole host of different 50s and 60s easy tunes – played in ways that are much wider-ranging than usual! Some are percussive and slightly exotic, some have more strings and tinkling piano, and some get slightly playful instrumentation – in a very nice way. Titles include "Little Bird", "Theme From Mondo Cane", "Exotique Bossa Nova", "Quiet Village Bossa Nova", and "Strawberry Tree".

A mix of storming instrumentals and vocal tunes by The Eliminators – one of the great 60s studio creations tailor-made to rip it up on surf, drag and any kinda thematic grooves! This one includes some takes on the Liverpool sound, as well – and the players include a few soon-to-be legends like Leon Russell – who serves as the musical arranger here! A nice mix of groovy and seedy stormers. Includes "Can't Buy Me Love", "Twist And Shout", "Needles And Pins", "Classy Lotus Chassis", "Surfing Iguana", "Malibu Wipeout", "The Challenger", "Hillclimb Hilda", "Red Hot Scrambler – Go!" and more.

An overlooked gem from the glory days of the west coast surf scene – the standout set from The Fantastic Baggys, a group who are also known for their backup work with Jan & Dean! There's a very Jan & Dean vibe going on here – right down to the backings from Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew – but the overall sound's a bit looser, too – a bit less iconic, and almost a bit less perfect – in ways that make for a lot of charm as the album rolls along! The set's almost worth it alone for the track "This Little Woody" – and other titles include "Big Gun Board", "Alone On The Beach", "Surfer Boy's Dream Come True", "When Surfers Rule", and "Wax Up Your Board".

A great bit of fusion from the start of the 70s – kind of a bridge between the late 60s "groovy" Japanese jazz, and some of the freer-thinking work to come! The group features excellent tenor from Takeru Muraoka, who plays with kind of a sharp edge that almost echoes more of the alto and soprano work of the generation – mixed with keyboards from Hiromasa Suzuki – who's plenty great on electric piano! Hiroshi Suzuki plays trombone, and the set's got some nice funky drums from Akira Ishikawa – who's always a treat. Overall, the set often has some of the same funky characteristics as some of the best late 60s electric jazz sets on Liberty Records in the US – on titles that include "Capricorn", "Something", "On A Sunny Day", "Some Other Night", and "Peaceful Planet".

Some nice small combo groovers – with Ernie Freeman on organ! Titles include "Stone Rocker", "Gravy Waltz", "Jivin Around", "Gator Bite", and "Cool Play".

A standout early classic from Jan & Dean – and the record that really helped make them as much of a studio force as The Beach Boys! Jan arranged and produced the entire set – and he definitely gives Brian Wilson a run for his money – coming up with cool charts, sharp instrumentation, and unusual timings for the tunes – really keeping things playful throughout, and setting a musical fire that really has the duo vocals taking off! The whole thing's about as perfect as you could get for a west coast set from the time – and titles include "Bucket T", "Mighty GTO", "New Girl In School", "Linda", "Barons West LA", "Dead Man's Curve", and "Hey Little Freshman".

Incredible vocals from Jan & Dean – a set that really has the duo taking off wonderfully – with soaring harmonies that are even better than before! The pair were already great from the start, but their singing really hits the limit here – often working with a bit less backings than on other albums, which means that there's even more creative arrangements on the vocals – and a lot more vocal parts taking the place of instruments – a bit like some of the more pyrotechnic east coast vocal groups from a few years before. Titles include "Linda", "Surfin", "Mr Bass Man", "Surfin Safari", "When I Learn How To Cry", "The Gypsy Cried", "The Best Friend I Ever Had", and "Rhythm Of The Rain".

A goofy title track, and a groovy little album from Jan & Dean – a set that has them settling nicely into their role as one of the most playful pairs in west coast pop – with a heck of a lot more staying power than some of their more surf-washed contemporaries! The album's got a number of tracks that follow in the similar LA-environs mode as the title track – but instead of being gimmicky, they almost come across with this whimsical sort of charm – like they're Jan & Dean's version of British tunes from The Kinks – a wonderfully playful picture postcard version of California, with more wit than you might expect! Titles include "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena", "The Anaheim Azusa & Cuckamonga Sewing Circle", "Summer Means Fun", "Old Ladies Seldom Power Shift", "Sidewalk Surfin", "One Piece Topless Bathing Suit", and "Horace The Swinging School Bus Driver".

A goofy title track, and a groovy little album from Jan & Dean – a set that has them settling nicely into their role as one of the most playful pairs in west coast pop – with a heck of a lot more staying power than some of their more surf-washed contemporaries! The album's got a number of tracks that follow in the similar LA-environs mode as the title track – but instead of being gimmicky, they almost come across with this whimsical sort of charm – like they're Jan & Dean's version of British tunes from The Kinks – a wonderfully playful picture postcard version of California, with more wit than you might expect! Titles include "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena", "The Anaheim Azusa & Cuckamonga Sewing Circle", "Summer Means Fun", "Old Ladies Seldom Power Shift", "Sidewalk Surfin", "One Piece Topless Bathing Suit", and "Horace The Swinging School Bus Driver".

The title track is one of the biggest hits ever from Jan & Dean – but the album's filled with other groovy numbers that really stretch out past familiar territory – including a number of other "city-based" tracks, all given the sweet Jan & Dean touch! The duo are great on lead vocals – and get some ripping studio help from members of the Wrecking Crew, plus great lead guitar from folks like Glen Campbell and Billy Strange – both of whom help keep a nice twangy sound on the tunes! Titles include "Surf City", "Soul City", "Detroit City", "Memphis", "Manhattan", and "Tallahassee Lassie".

An oft-overlooked gem from Julie London – a dreamy album of Cole Porter tunes, and one that has her singing with small group backing, very much in the mode of some of her best early work for the Liberty label! The group on the album's the Bud Shank Quintet – with Shank on alto and flute, Joe Pass on guitar, Russ Freeman on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Colin Bailey on drums – a great little combo who give the work a light, lyrical feel, and a bit less of the sadness of other London albums. Freeman did the arrangements, and titles include "So In Love", "Get Out Of Town", "Easy To Love", "At Long Last Love", and "In The Still Of The Night".

A rare live session from Julie London – surprising in that most of her classic work for Liberty was put together with some real studio magic! Yet this time around, the live setting's a real charm – one that makes for a whole new side of London's personality – showing the singer to be much more of an entertainer than we would have expected. The solitary sultriness of Julie's studio albums is really on the backburner – at least in the overall feel fo the recording, with its pronounced audience noise, oft-swinging arrangements, and male vocal quartet in the mix – although when London starts to sing, things often hit that familiar mode, too. Titles include a very boozy version of "Daddy" – almost drunken, we'd say – plus "Lonesome Road", "Send For Me", "Gotta Move", "I Love Paris", "Cry Me A River", and "By Myself".

One of the greatest early albums by Julie London – a record that features sublime jazz backings from the Jimmy Rowles Orchestra, in a mode that gets way past the "breathy girl with subtle guitar" sound of her first few for Liberty! Rowles' backings bring in some really nice horn work – inflecting the tunes with subtle solos and shadings of color that deepen them past London's spare and sexy presentation of the tunes – but which also don't go too far, or force Julie to do things she's not ready to do. Bobby Troup produced, and the record's got all the subtle wit of his own best efforts – and titles include two Troup numbers, "Daddy" and "Free & Easy", plus "Somebody Loves Me", "For You", "Midnight Sun", "All My Life", "Bye Bye Blackbird", and "Dream Of You".

A landmark album in 50s vocal jazz – spare, moody, and evocative tunes from Julie London – sung in a stripped-down setting that few other singers would dare at the time! The sound of the set is as sexy as the cover – intimate, personal, and breathily sung in a mode that comes across with a brashly adult presentation of the material. Backing only features Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on bass – leaving Julie plenty of room to take over the record with her vocals – a real masterpiece of understatement, given the setting! Titles include her famous version of "Cry Me A River" – virtually THE version of the tune – plus "I Should Care", "Say It Isn't So", "Gone With The Wind", "Laura", and "Can't Help Loving That Man".

Looking like she does on the cover, it's hard to imagine Julie London being a lonely girl – as she's very seductively posed, with that slinky bare shoulders look that no doubt helped many of her early Liberty sides sell so well! But apart from the cheesecake, the record's one of Julie's perfect late 50s sides for Liberty – spare, moody, and very smoky – all set to mellow accompaniment, and backed by some nice guitar work by Al Viola. Tracks are short and sad, and titles include "Fools Rush In", "What'll I Do", "Lonely Girl", "When Your Lover Has Gone", and "Mean To Me".

A set that has Julie London still working in the breathy and mellow style of her late 50s classics – with very spare backings that really let Julie's vocals take center stage, and often a nice guitar line in the front of the mix, picking its way through the tunes right behind Julie's voice! Titles include "My Heart Reminds Me", "Love Letters", "Broken Hearted Melody", "Fascination", "Never On Sunday", "Hey There", "I Miss You So", and "Come On-A My House".

Hard to imagine that Julie London would ever have to ask anyone to make love to her – at least not when she looks as sexy as this on the cover! The album's a key early classic for Liberty – still very fragile, personal, and up-close enough to make you think you might just be able to jump inside the cover and spend the night with Julie! Russ Garcia handles the backings with great care – a bit of gentle strings here, some light jazz there – but always letting London's breathy vocals come up very high in the mix. Titles include "Go Slow", "Lover Man", "Body & Soul", "Snuggled On Your Shoulder", and "Make Love To Me".

Sweet, sophisticated musings from Julie London – a set that has her taking on some of the coolest tunes from the first half of the 60s – including a fair bit of soundtrack themes too! Backings are by Richard Wess and Ernie Freeman, who each have their own distinct flavor – and help give the record a nice sort of balance between mellow and upbeat. There's loads of groovy tunes on the set – and London does a wonderful job with "Theme From A Summer Place", "More", "Never On Sunday", "An Affair To Remember", "Boy On A Dolphin", "The Second Time Around", "Charade", and "Wives & Lovers".

Money, minks, and a diamond tiara – whatever Julie wants, it's pretty well laid out in the album's cover image! The set's a slinky swinger that definitely follows in the spirit of the title track "Whatever Lola Wants" – that postwar vampy sort of groove that Peggy Lee was doing so well over at Capitol – a natural fit here for Julie London, given the naturally sensuous quality of her singing! The backings have just the right sort of sexy bounce for the themes – and London sexes it up even more than usual, really adding some great life to tunes that include "Love For Sale", "Why Don't You Do Right", "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", "Take Back Your Mink", "Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend", and "An Occasional Man".

A groovy set of surfing stomps performed by The Marketts – some of the best Liberty surf rock ever! This record finds these players pairing up rumbling rhythms and raw percussion with nicely grooving piano and some sweet sax – with some tight, punchy guitar grooves to keep it well enough within the surf instros idiom. Rugged stomps and sunny rockers from the masterful Marketts! Tracks include "Surfer's Stomp", "Let's Go Trippin'", "Surfin", "Stompin' Room Only", "The Bristol Stomp", "Here Comes The Ho-Dads", "Stompede", "Let's Go Trippin'".

A fairly straight album of piano tracks for Liberty, but with a subtle Polynesian feel to it. The cover would imply more, though – since it's got a beautiful underwater shot of an exotic looking model hiding behind some coral! Titles include "Hana", "Black Coral", "Maui Chimes", "O Makalapuna", and "Ono Ono".

A surprisingly trippy record by Del Shannon! The set is way different than the simpler pop you may know from Shannon's bigger hits – and the album's a rare late 60s gem with great British touches that include production by Andrew Loog Oldham and backings by Arthur Greenslade! There's a compressed psychedelic approach going on here that's served up with mellow organ, baroque orchestrations, and standout instrumental touches that would almost be enough, even without Shannon's vocals. But Del's presence is really what holds the whole album together – bringing in a sense of sweetness from past years, but also showing a strong desire to move into more mature themes that creates a really great sort of tension. Tunes include a few originals by Del, plus a number of other great ones by Andrew Rose and Billy Nichols – with titles that include "Led Along", "It's My Feeling", "Mind Over Matter", "My Love Has Gone", "Cut & Come Again", "Runaway 67", and "He Cheated". CD also features 5 bonus tracks too – mono singles mixes of titles on the album!

Lots of percussion – and loud! Slatkin's normally a bit sleepy, but this record's filled with drums and chimes and vibes and loads of exotic percussion instruments – and swings with a groove that's in the best of the Liberty easy styles from the late 50s. Titles include "Night Train", "Caravan", "Blue Tango", "Opus 1", and "The Happy Hobo". The tracks are less originals than they are oddly-worked (or worked-over) versions of more familiar tunes.

Raucous drag strip rockers and driving R&B-fueled instrumentals by The T-Bones – killer material on Liberty from a group of young session wizards – including Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Dave Pell, Steve Douglas and others! It's wildly fun stuff that goes all in with the drag strip novelty – but totally transcends it – with some rubber-burning, rumbling excellence! Killer guitars, sax, organ drums from a one-time relatively anonymous cast of players. Includes "Hey Little Cobra", "Shut Down", "Drag City", "Draggin'", "Scorchin", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Boss Drag" and more.

Very hip work from one of the coolest cats of the 50s – the amazing Bobby Troup, heard here at the height of his powers in a very sweet setting! The group's actually a quartet – given that Bobby's on piano, alongside Howard Roberts on guitar, Bob Enevoldsen on bass, and Don Heath on drums – and all players have a sweet, spare groove that leaves plenty of room for Troup's wonderfully charming vocals – sung in that uniquely personal way that always seems to transform a tune with its playfulness. Titles include "That's All", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Dream Of You", "The Hucklebuck", "Yes Sir That's My Baby", "Thou Swell", and "They Didn't Believe Me".

Early 70s albums from Ike & Tina Turner – later material from the together years – 1970's Come Together & '71's Nuff Said in a single package! Come Together includes the title high profile cover and others in "Honky Tonk Women" "I Want To Take You Higherr", but, it's got a number of solid ke originals, too. It's in a bit of loose blues & soul mode, with trademark powerhouse vocals from Tina. Titles include "It Ain't Right", "Too Much Woman", "Unlucky Creature", "Young And Dumb" and more. Nuff Said is another one that's among their last albums together, and it’s very much in the hit Ike & Tina style! Lots of hard heavy guitar, pounding drums, and raw heavy soul vocals from Tina. Tracks include "Baby", "Sweet Flustrations", "I Love What You Do To Me", "Tell The Truth", "I Love Baby", and "Nuff Said".

A pair of late Ike & Tina albums in a single package! Workin' Together is a pivotal album – one that has them still retaining some of the earthiness of earlier years, yet also honing their groove for the crossover audience that was digging them big at the end of the 60s! The best results of this shift is the increasing funk component in their music – a move away from R&B into a tighter 60s groove, one that often featured very strong guitar parts in its best incarnation. The set includes the classic "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter", plus "Ooh Poo Pah Doo", "Let It Be", "Goodbye So Long", "You Can Have It", "The Way You Love Me", "Get Back", and "Workin Together". Let Me Touch Your Mind is a fairly loose set of diverse material from the tumultuous duo, from the tender, lovely chorus backed and string accented grit of the title track to more stripped down, kinda country funk accented number. Includes "Annie Had A Baby", "Don't Believe Her", "Early One Morning", "Up On The Roof", "Heaven Help Us All" and more.

Wild work from The Ventures – a set that really has them trying to change with the times – and coming up with some excellent sounds in the process! The inside cover features a cool "photo story" of the group – very unusual, as it shows the aging quartet trying to act real groovy and camp it up for the camera – like some surf act on Capitol – yet they only come off looking stiff and flat. Fortunately, the music more than makes up for the visuals – as the group's well-crafted guitar lines are a perfect fit for the album's pop psych tunes! And instead of the easy covers you might expect, there's a wealth of original material here – proof that the group could still write some great ones when they wanted – as you'll hear on "Psychedelic Venture", "Guitar Psychedelics", "Reflections", "Endless Dream", "Psyched Out", "1999 AD", and "Vibrations". Also features versions of "Happy Together", "Strawberry Fields Forever", and "A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You".

Wild work from The Ventures – a set that really has them trying to change with the times – and coming up with some excellent sounds in the process! The inside cover features a cool "photo story" of the group – very unusual, as it shows the aging quartet trying to act real groovy and camp it up for the camera – like some surf act on Capitol – yet they only come off looking stiff and flat. Fortunately, the music more than makes up for the visuals – as the group's well-crafted guitar lines are a perfect fit for the album's pop psych tunes! And instead of the easy covers you might expect, there's a wealth of original material here – proof that the group could still write some great ones when they wanted – as you'll hear on "Psychedelic Venture", "Guitar Psychedelics", "Reflections", "Endless Dream", "Psyched Out", "1999 AD", and "Vibrations".

Wild work from The Ventures – a set that really has them trying to change with the times – and coming up with some excellent sounds in the process! The inside cover features a cool "photo story" of the group – very unusual, as it shows the aging quartet trying to act real groovy and camp it up for the camera – like some surf act on Capitol – yet they only come off looking stiff and flat. Fortunately, the music more than makes up for the visuals – as the group's well-crafted guitar lines are a perfect fit for the album's pop psych tunes! And instead of the easy covers you might expect, there's a wealth of original material here – proof that the group could still write some great ones when they wanted – as you'll hear on "Psychedelic Venture", "Guitar Psychedelics", "Reflections", "Endless Dream", "Psyched Out", "1999 AD", and "Vibrations". Also features versions of "Happy Together", "Strawberry Fields Forever", and "A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You".

Si Zentner back to back – two nice ones from the 60s on a single CD! From Russia With Love is one of the grooviest Si Zentner albums of the 60s – thanks to a host of hip spy themes that keep things interesting throughout! The material really brings out the best in Si – as does the album's excellent arrangements from Ernie Freeman and Bill Holman – both talents who know how to find the right mix of groovy and jazz that works the best for the Zentner touch! Titles include "Mr Lucky", "Dragnet", "Burke's Law", "James Bond Theme", "Charade", "007", and "The Fugitive". Warning Shot is a great set, and feature some excellent crime and thriller jazz-based cuts composed by Jerry Goldsmith! The groove is more in the Quincy Jones mid 60s soundtrack mode than anything else – and there's plenty of breakaway solos on most of the tracks. Titles include "Warning Shot", "The Gasser", "Messed Up", "Back To The Seascape", "Miss Alice", "Mona Lisa", and "A Patch Of Blue".

A pair of killers from Dayton – two albums back to back on a single CD! First up is Dayton – the first album by this excellent 80s groove ensemble – and a key part of the Ohio funk scene of the end of the 70s! Forget the more famous funk acts you may know from Ohio, because Dayton's Dayton (can we say that?) were one of the sweetest, smoothest, tightest funk acts to come out of the entire midwest at the time – and the group had a hard-riffing, catchy-hooking sound that should have made them legends instantly. This album's got a great sound that mixes harmony vocals with modern soul use of bass and keyboards – blending the two aspects perfectly, without any of the painfully overwrought vamping and popping that could ruin other funk bands at the time – and from the very first note of the set, you can tell that Dayton's a class act, ready to go all the way! Titles include "Living For Today", "Dank", "Eyes On You", "Let Go", "So Glad", and "Tonight". Cutie Pie is one of the greatest albums ever from Dayton – the kind of bouncy, funky combo who really put Ohio soul on the map at the start of the 80s! The group's got a wonderfully tight ensemble style that mixes both male and female vocals with bumping bass and sweet jazzy keyboards – all very much in a mode that's similar to some of their Capitol label contemporaries – like BB&Q Band or Mystic Merlin – with perhaps just an undercurrent of the Roger/Zapp sound too. Titles include the groover "Cutie Pie", plus the tracks "Let Me Know", "Wanna Be Your Man", "You Lift Me Up", and "Fool Was He".

Back to back gems from Martin Denny – two albums on a single CD! Taste Of Honey is a great later moment from Martin Denny – a set that gave him a big 60s hit in a sweet version of "Taste of Honey"! Denny approaches the tune with all the great mellow moods that Bobby Scott intended – none of the too-fast styles of Hirt, and instead the slow-moving rhythms that work perfectly for the blue undercurrents on the piano. Other tunes follow in a similarly nice blend – still a bit exotic, but almost showing more of a vibes/piano/percussion mix that seems to be borrowed from George Shearing or Cal Tjader – one that we approve of highly! Titles include "Route 66", "Exodus", "I'm In A Dancing Mood", "Black Orchid", "Take Five", and "Taste Of Honey". The second albums is a sweet follow up to Martin Denny's Taste Of Honey album – one that's got a great blend of piano, vibes, and percussion – all used in a way that's almost more jazz-like than some of Denny's earlier work! The formula works great to transform a host of 50s and 60s tunes – and titles include "Volare", "Cool", "Bijou", "Harlem Nocturne", "Satin Doll", "Anniversary Song", "Like Young", "Blue Carousel", and "Theme From The Manchurian Candidate".

The insane debut of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – an amazing late 60s Brit ensemble who were almost to music what Monty Python were to TV! This first effort by the group is a mad array of sounds and styles that come together with a great sense of play and joy – a real delight in quick turns, witty phrases, and parodic re-castings of earlier modes – inspired by dada work of the early 20th century, but also handled with a lot more of a post-modern feel overall. Most tracks are short, and many echo earlier music styles, filtered through a slightly psyche filter – and titles include "Death Cab For Cutie", "In San Francisco", "Jollity Farm", "Equestrian Statue", "Cool Brittania", "I'm Bored", "Piggy Bank Love", "Big Shot", "Mickey's Son & Daughter", and "The Sound Of Music". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks – including "My Brother Makes The Noises For The Talkies", "I'm Gonna Bring A Watermelon To My Girl Tonight", "Alley Oop", "On Her Doorstep Last Night", and "Ali Baba's Camel".

Some of the most tuneful moments on record from the Bonzo Dog Band – set that's got some really great songs, but which still allows some space for gags and jokes as well! After three previous albums together, even with a shifting lineup, the group have obviously gotten their groove down a bit more – and the result is some focused little numbers that stand out strongly, and which almost show a more sensitive and (dare we say it!) serious side of the group. All the older sense of dada-inspired play is still at the core, though – and even though there's less radio parodies or audio experiments, the tuneful tracks still have some trippy, psyche-styled moments. Titles include "Tent", "You Done My Brain In", "Keynsham", "Quiet Talks & Summer Walks", "Look At Me I'm Wonderful", "What Do You Do", "Noises For The Leg", and "Busted". CD features 5 bonus tracks – including "How Sweet To Be An Idiot", "The Young Ones", "Are You Having Any Fun", and a great cover of "Witchi Tai To".

80s groove galore – a pair of classic albums form Dayton! Hot Fun is a wonderfully sweet groover from Dayton – a group that's equal parts modern soul and 80s groove – and outta site all the way! The album's big title hit is a remake of Sly Stone's classic "Hot Fun In The Summertime", done in such a way that it's got a cool skating stepper's groove to it – and set amidst some jazzy riffing and ensemble vocals that are totally great. The rest of the album follows in a similar mode – really bouncy and joyous, with mixed male and female vocals stepping out over a set of lean, mean 80s groovers that should have been huge! Tracks include "Hot Fun", "Patiently", "We Can't Miss", "Meet The Man", "Movin Up", and "Gunch". Feel The Music is a massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

One of Martin Denny's greatest albums – thanks to some extra special added elements! For the record, Denny's classic quartet is augmented by a wealth of odd added percussion – including gongs, cymbals, tuned logs, steel drums, chimes, and "chromatic bamboo"! All of these elements take Denny's exotica sound way further than ever before – and if that's not enough, the legendary Tak Shindo plays a bit of Koto on the record too! Titles include "M'Bira", "Burma Train", "Kalua", "M'Gambo Mambo", and "Mau Mau".

Late 60s magic from Martin Denny – a pair of albums back to back on a single CD! On A Taste Of India, Martin Denny takes a tip from the sound of the East – adding some slight Indian flavors to his usual exotica groove – with the help of arranger George Tipton! Most of the music is still in the lush piano instrumental mode that Denny was using in these later Liberty years – but things are definitely groovy throughout, even if the Indian elements are sometimes used in ways that are more bossa than anything else. Maybe not the clearest picture you'll get of the sound of India in the 60s – but a sweet little record, with titles that include "Incense & Peppermints", "Live For Life", "Touch Of India", "Hypnotique", and "Indrani". Exotica Classica is pretty darn nice later work from Martin Denny – a great batch of sexy tracks with stunning backings, and a really nice late 60s mellow piano groove! The great Nick DeCaro handled the arrangements, and gives the record a feel that's almost like A&M Records at times – with these nice weird percussion bits amidst more polished larger arrangements – all punctuated by these sweet piano lines from Denny! The overall feel is less classical than Frenchy/sexy – but that's OK with us – and titles include "Exotic Night", "For Lovers", "The Terry Theme", "Stella By Starlight", and "I Will Wait For You".

Tight funky organ work from Billy Larkin and his hard-swingin Delegates combo! This stuff was the west coast equivalent of New Jersey organ combos – and you can bet your bippy that Billy & Co were blasting loud out of every jukebox on Central Ave during the 60s. This album's still got the group working in a straight soul jazz mode – and the original trio's been expanded to include Fats Theus on tenor and Leon Flowers on trumpet. Titles include "Next Time You See Me", "Red Wine", "Love For Sale", "Don't Stop", "Unit Seven", and a groovy version of "Sunny".

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.

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by crack drummer Charlie Persip – and a great record that you might have missed because Howard Rumsey's name is bigger on the cover than Charlie's! The album's one of Rumsey's "Lighthouse Series" sides of the 50s – but it's a lot harder-driving and more energy-filled than most of the other Lighthouse-related sides coming out of LA at the time. Half the record features Charlie's group – a set of east coasters that includes Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, and Wynton Kelly – and the other part features some of the players from that ensemble mixing it up with drummer Stan Levey and other LA talents that include Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli, Bob Cooper, and others. In all, the album's a great meeting of east and west coast hardbop styles – with short driving tracks that include "Reggie Of Chester", "Celedia", "Moto", "The Champ", and "Wildwood".

Nice groovy instrumentals from one of the best little combos of the 60's. The record includes their big hit "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)", plus a number of other tracks that have a similar "TV commercial" feel – like "Chiquita Banana", "Pizza Parlor", "What's In the Bag, Goose", and the groovy "Sippin N Chippin".

Two of the grooviest Si Zentner albums of the 60s – both of them great, but in very different ways! More is Si's attempt to follow up on the Italian soundtrack hit of the time – but the album also features loads of other great tracks from the time, done as very jazzy instrumentals by Zentner, with sharp horn passages that swing with plenty of brass upfront! The whole thing's mighty groovy – and titles include "Wildwood Days", "Hobo Flats", "Watermelon Man", "I Wonder", "The Good Life", "The Shampoo", and "More". Exotica Suite features all the great names in Exotica, packed together in one album – a set that features Martin Denny's piano, Les Baxter's compositions, and Bob Florence's arrangements – all served up with the orchestrations of Si Zentner! Si's music brings a really jazzy feel to the tunes – one you wouldn't expect from Denny on his own, and which even surpasses some of Les Baxter's grooviest moments too. The sound is very dynamic – originally recorded for Liberty's "Poly 120 Sound" series, with great recording quality that really makes the whole thing pop! Tracks include "Tiki", "Temple Pageant", "Bali Monkey Dance", and "Pagan Ritual".

2 exotica classics on one CD! Quiet Village is an undisputed classic in the exotica field, and the record that yielded Denny his biggest hit – the title reworking of "Quiet Village", written by Les Baxter a few years earlier. The rest of the record's pretty darn nice, too – with Denny's trademark piano/percussion style firmly in place – and we can't think of a better way to start off a collection of exotic 50s tunes. Titles include "Sake Rock", "Martinique", "Tune From Rangoon", and "Pagan Love Song". Enchanted Sea is another great classic by Denny – with a nice approach that has sort of a drifting South Seas feel! The record is one of his last good ones for Liberty, and has lots of nice tracks like "My Isle Of Golden Dreams", "Beyond The Reef", "Flotsam & Jetsam", and "Cross Current". Nice sexy cover, too!

A sexy gal, stretched out on a couch, with two drinks on the coffee table – that should give you plenty already to guess what this set's about! The album's a killer from late 50s Liberty – sultry vocals from Meg Myles, set to these gently jazzy backdrops from Jimmy Rowles that are equally wonderful too – often with standout solo elements that show he's clearly working with some of his more top-shelf west coast associates. Meg takes it nice and easy throughout – never forcing things, and keeping the proceedings in just the right sort of adult mode to fit the cover image, and the words of the tunes. Titles include "I Wanna Be Loved", "You Took Advantage Of Me", "You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me", "Paradise", "Last Night On The Back Porch", "It's So Nice To Have A Man Around The House", and "Goodnight Sweetheart".

A pair of overlooked gems from Si Zentner – both from the Liberty Records scene of the 60s! First up is Right Here Right Now – a mod swinger from bandleader Si Zentner – a talent who's always ready to groove with the times – which in this case means that he's got a sweet 60s style that's mighty darn nice! Si's band is a big one, but they've got a lean Liberty Records feel here – really moving nicely over a range of contemporary numbers that are somewhere between jazz and pop instrumentals – probably more of the former, given all the great horn arrangements on the set! Titles include "Sunny", "My Girl", "Double Whammy", "Goin Out Of My Head", "Soul Machine", "I'm On My Way", and "Skootchy". Rhythm Plus Blues has Si Zentner taking on some of the R&B modes of the late 50s generation – but in ways that really retune the style to the swinging big band mode of the Zentner group! Bob Florence handles the arrangements, and creates some great interplay in the horns – and surprisingly, there's a number of cool originals by Si nestled into the set, alongside his own instrumental readings of older R&B hits. Titles include "Simon Sez", "Walkin", "Doggin Around", "Caldonia", "What Am I Living For", "Puddle Jumpin", and "Honeydripper".

If anybody could take a great tune and make it better, it was The Ventures – as you'll hear on this album's killer version of "Hawaii Five O" – as well as a host of other groovy goodies too! The set's still got the core sound of the quartet – loads of fuzzy guitars riffing away over heavy drums – but there's also some fuller arrangements too, but handled by groovy guys Mike Melvoin and George Tipton – both of whom keep things swinging in a west coast 60s style that's very much like the best modes over at Capitol Records! In addition to "Hawaii Five O", other titles include "The Letter", "Don't Give In To Him", "A Summer Place", "Lovin Things", "Stormy", and "I Can Hear Music".

One of Byrd's most fantastic records for Blue Note, and one of the three that he recorded with Sonny Red on alto sax. Byrd and Red work magnificently together, and the two of them play with a tightness and funkiness that's missing from a lot of their other records as leaders. Hank Mobley joins the group on tenor, Walter Booker is on bass, McCoy Tyner's on piano, and Freddie Waits is on drums. The groove is tight and funky, with a mix of hard bop soloing and funkier Blue Note rhythm playing. Red burns throughout, especially on his own "Mustang", and on the cut "Dixie Lee". Other tracks include "Fly Little Bird Fly", "On The Trail", and "I'm So Excited By You".

An overlooked late 60s treasure on Blue Note – one of the few new groups to work on the label at the time, and an up-and-coming modern combo from Detroit! The album's quite unique for a number of reasons – not just because the group was a little-known new signing to the label, but also because the work is quite far-reaching at times – some of the most free-thinking jazz recorded for Blue Note during the time, with a sense of boldness that almost stretches back to Jackie McLean's first few records of the new thing years, or a sense of lyrical invention that's a bit like Wayne Shorter when he made a shift towards the outside. Some numbers are awash in fast colors and changes, while others are a bit more in the pocket, with echoes of soul jazz – but the whole thing's incredibly fresh and free, a wonderful little record that only gets better and better over the years! The group features pianist Kenny Cox as the leader, plus Charles Moore on trumpet, Leon Henderson on tenor, Ron Brooks on bass, and Danny Spencer on drums. Titles include "Mystique", "You", "Trance Dance", "Eclipse", and "Number Four".

Excellent funky work from Lou – and a groundbreaking record that was the first to feature him playing on Blue Note with drummer Idris Muhammad – who is listed on the session under his birth name, Leo Morris! Muhammad gives the album that crackling funky bottom sound that instantly defined Lou's later years at Blue Note – a hard and heavy approach to soul jazz that's had incredible repercussions in the world of hip hop, as well as soul and funk. The rest of the group features soul jazz burners Lonnie Smith on organ, Melvin Lastie on trumpet, and George Benson on guitar – and the album includes the highly successful "Alligator Boogaloo", plus hard groovers "The Thang", "Aw Shucks!", and "One Cylinder".

One of our favorite Dexter Gordon Blue Notes – a beautiful quartet recording that unites Dex with two other Americans in exile – Bud Powell and Kenny Clarke! The group's completed by French bassist Pierre Michelot, and includes a great take of "Scrapple from the Apple", plus excellent readings of "Stairway to the Stars" and "Night in Tunisia". The format is simple, but the sound is magic – classic Dexter Gordon in a tight Blue Note mode!

A nice late Blue Note change from Herbie Hancock – a very different album than his previous sets for the label – in that it features a slightly larger group, and a sound that really points the way towards his directions in the 70s! There's a slightly ambitious feel to some of these cuts – not in a way that's over-arranged, but just a new sort of thinking for Herbie's kind of groove – a mode that's partially informed by the seriousness of 60s jazz soundtracks, but which also has the beginnings of some more righteous modes of expression too. Players are all great – and include Joe Henderson on tenor and flute, Johnny Coles on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, Hubert Laws on flute, Jerome Richardson on bass clarinet, Buster Williams on bass, and Tootie Heath on drums. Herbie plays both acoustic and electric piano – using the latter here in one of his first recordings on the instrument – and titles include "Firewater", "I Have A Dream", "The Prisoner", and "He Who Lives In Fear".

Pivotal work from Freddie Hubbard – a tight, edgey quintet side with a sound that approaches the Blue Note "new thing" sound, but which stays just this side of the fence to keep in line with Freddie's other soulful work of the 60s! The group features some great work by James Spaulding, who gets a lot of solo room on alto and flute – and Ronnie Matthews is on piano, effortlessly shifting between rhythmic and soulful lines, and passages that get a bit darker and deeper. The tunes are nearly all Freddie Hubbard originals, except for the classic "Mirrors", written by drummer Joe Chambers. Other tunes include "Breaking Point", "Far Away", "Blue Frenzy", and "D Minor Mint".

Early Blue Note work from the legendary Bobbi Humphrey – a session cut before she hooked up with producer Larry Mizell, but one that's still got a righteously soulful vibe! The arrangements here are by Wade Marcus, but he still has the great idea of giving Bobbi a bit more expanded sound in the background – a full mix of sounds that lets her flute step out in the lead and find its own soulful space on the solos. Other players here include Lee Morgan, Billy Harper, and Frank Owens and the group hits a larger soaring spiritual sound that's very nice. Titles include a version of Eddie Harris' "Set Us Free", plus "Sad Bag", "Don't Knock My Funk", "Journey To Morocco", and "Ain't No Sunshine".

On Sophisticated Lady, Julie London's got her hair up, and is wearing a classy gown – so you can bet that the feel of the record definitely follows through with the "sophisticated" promise of the title! Things are as mellow as on London's early classics for Liberty, but there's a bit more of an orchestrated feel too – fuller backings that couch her lovely vocals in a near-perfect array of strings – usually quite gentle, and often breaking away to give Julie that personal, solitary space that usually has her singing at her best. Titles include "Make It Another Old Fashioned Please", "Sophisticated Lady", "Remind Me", "You're Blase", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and "Absent Minded Me". For The Night People is mature, mellow, and totally wonderful – clear proof that Julie London was still making great music well into the 60s! The album's got a simple, unassuming charm – very much in the late nite mode you'd guess from the title, with spare backings from Don Bagley that often have a key guitar line in the mix – working along with London's vocals in the same style as the mid 50s – but with a different feel overall – a bit more mature and world-wise, which makes for a perfect fit for tunes that include "I Got It Bad", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Am I Blue", "I'll Never Smile Again", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", and "When The Sun Comes Out".

An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality that isn't quite soul, but isn't rock or anything else either – and instead, the kind of progressive, "years ahead of its time" sort of set that guys like David Axelrod were cutting in the same stretch. Apart from the title, the whole record's got a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statement on the back – "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not – the good guys vs the bad guys". With words like that, you can definitely bet that Eugene is on the side of the good guys – really pushing a social agenda with some wonderfully-penned tunes on the album – set to cool musical backdrops from the equally-righteous William S Fischer. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red".

A really unusual album for Jack McDuff – one that was recorded in Memphis, with a lineup and a feel that's quite different from other Blue Note sessions of the time! There's a lot of electricity bubbling in the record – and although McDuff normally never worked with a bassist on earlier sessions, this one features a unnamed player who really lays out a nice bottom for the whole session – bubbling the tunes with lots of work on the electric, and letting McDuff concentrate on funking things up with the keys of the Hammond! The set features a key recording of Jack's classic "Theme From the Electric Surfboard", plus the funky numbers "Butter (For Yo Popcorn)", "The Vibrator", and "Down Home Style".

A modernist classic from 60s Blue Note! The album's one of Jackie McLean's greatest from the time – and one of his seminal "new thing" sessions cut with young modernists Grachan Moncur and Bobby Hutcherson. 3 of the 4 long tracks on the record were written by Moncur, and have a similar approach to his own recordings for Blue Note – moody and introspective, in a style that's as concerned with sound and space as it is jazz and rhythm – and Hutcherson's vibes are beyond compare here, with have a sinister metallic quality that he only used briefly in his early career! The whole record's a gem, and one not to pass up! Titles include "Kahlil The Prophet", "Riff Raff", and "Love & Hate".

Great stuff, and one of Jackie McLean's best for Blue Note from the "new thing" period! The album features Jackie working out a wealth of new ideas, in a quartet that includes Larry Willis on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Clifford Jarvis on drums. Jackie holds down the frontline himself on alto, and the tracks are nice and long, with one composition by Jackie, and two by Willis – all in the exploratory mode of work on records like One Step Beyond. Tracks include "Eco", "Poor Eric", "Christel's Time", and "Right Now".

An extremely well-titled set from the legendary Hank Mobley – one of his key Blue Notes of the 60s, and an album that glides along with an undeniable sense of joy, life, and soul! Mobley's really opening up his groove at this point – moving way beyond standard hard bop and soul jazz riffs, into a field of complicated rhythms – and a flurry of sound that features his mighty tenor atop a crack sextet that includes Blue Mitchell and Jackie McLean. John Hicks handles piano on the session – and brings in a beautiful range of colors and tones – and rhythm's handled by the skipping drums of Billy Higgins and the always-solid bass of Bob Cranshaw. Titles include "Two & One", "High Voltage", "No More Goodbyes", "Advance Notion", and "Bossa De Luxe".

Simply astounding! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing – in a way that makes for some of Mobley's best solos on record! The tracks here are all relatively basic in construction, but this territory allows all players to really relax and open up – especially Mobley, who really dominates the proceedings with some well-blown lines on tenor. Blakey's work is great too – nicely restrained, and the date marks one of his last sessions ever as a sideman. Titles include "Soul Station", "Split Feelin's", "Dig Dis", and "This I Dig Of You".

Beautiful late work from Lee Morgan! The last five years of Lee's life saw him really stretching out to do some fantastic writing, playing, and leading – and this record stands today as one of the best examples of that period – a pure act of genius, with a sound that really takes off from Lee's earlier Blue Note albums. The styles are a unique blend of soulful hardbop and the more stretched-out spiritualism that would later emerge in the early 70s soul jazz scene – and players include the lesser-known Frank Mitchell on tenor, plus Jackie McLean on alto, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – the last of whom provides an amazingly lyrical approach to rhythm, the sort that was key to some of Lee Morgan's best work of the time! Titles include "Afreaka", "Short Count", "The Cry Of My People", "Anti Climax", and "Psychedelic".

A much better record than you'd expect from the somewhat cheesy cover – one of Duke Pearson's funkiest sessions ever, and a hard swinging big band set with a great late 60s feel! The group is all-class all the way – with players that include Pearson, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Marvin Stamm, Julian Priester, Frank Foster, and Jerry Dodgion – and the tracks are short, but with an expansive groove that takes this one way past regular big band jazz, and into the mode of some of the hipper European groups at the time. Includes the classic track "Groundhog", which has a nice funky break on it – plus the cuts "New Girl", "Bedouin", "New Time Shuffle", and "Mississippi Dip".

A lost gem from Duke Pearson! For some reason, we always forget how great Duke Pearson's work really is – but listening to this album is an excellent reminder, especially on tracks like "Amanda", "Tones For Joan's Bones", "Dad Digs Mom", and "Make It Good". Duke plays piano and leads a large group that includes Mickey Roker, Pepper Adams, Frank Foster, Lew Tabakin, and others. The session appears to be nothing special on the outside, but Duke brings a warmth and imagination to his arrangements that keeps the whole thing lively and sparkling. A nice one, and one not to pass up!

One of the few rare non-trio recordings done by Powell from around this time. He plays with a trio (Paul Chambers bass, Art Taylor drums) on the whole first side of the record, but the group's then joined by Curtis Fuller for all of side 2. Fuller's deep trombone makes for a different twist, and a slightly deeper sound than usual – especially given that the album was recorded live at Birdland. Titles include "Moose The Mooche", "Some Soul", "Blue Pearl", and "Keepin' In The Groove".

A mindblowing moment from the young Sam Rivers – and definitely a set that warrants the "new conception" of the title! Unlike some of Rivers' other material of the time, which often featured original inventive compositions, this set's based around classic standards – but all presented in a way that's wickedly different than any previous readings you might have heard! The set's a great statement from Sam – as it shows his link to a strong jazz tradition, but a willingness to really move things forward – hanging here in a great balance between straight and out that's mighty compelling all the way through. There's a brilliant edge to the record that never lets up – and in addition to tenor, soprano sax, and flute from Rivers, the set also features Hal Galper's piano, Herbie Lewis' bass, and Steve Ellington's drums. Titles include "When I Fall In Love", "That's All", "Detour Ahead", "Temptation", and "Secret Love".

Smoking work on Hammond from Freddie Roach – a key player in the Blue Note lineup of the 60s, and a strong link between the label's soul jazz and modern sides! The sound here is a really beautiful one – partly in the organ/tenor mode forged by Baby Face Willette and John Patton in their early recordings for Blue Note, but also stretching out in that way that started to show up in Patton's later work, and in the seminal work from the time by Larry Young. Freddie's touch on the keys is really opening up here – clearly driven by some more original ideas that help push the album past the more R&B influenced sound of some of his earlier work. Players on the set include Joe Henderson on tenor, Eddie Wright on guitar, and Clarence Johnston on drums – and title cuts include "Brown Sugar", plus "All Night Long", "Have You Ever Had The Blues", and "The Right Time".

Freddie Roach always makes a good move on his Blue Note sessions – going for a lean and tight style on the organ that never fails to please! On this set, he's working with a mixed group of hardbop and soul jazz players that include Blue Mitchell, Hank Mobley, Eddie Wright, and Clarence Johnston – all of whom groove with Freddie on a set of short tracks that really go for the punch! Titles include "Wine Wine Wine", "I.Q. Blues", "On Our Way Up", and "Pastel". Classic Blue Note cover, too, with Roach playing chess in a blue-tinted image!

A bold step forward for drummer Kendrick Scott – a set that bristles with way more sharp changes and soulful undercurrents than any of his previous work – and which almost feels nicely in the same vein as some of the best recent artists to step forth on Blue Note! The record is definitely jazz, but has a lot more going on, too – similar to recent records from Robert Glasper – and in addition to work on drums, Scott also sings a bit, and plays some keyboards – alongside main lines on Fender Rhodes from Taylor Eigisti, whose shimmering style really adds a lot to the set! The group also features tenor and bass clarinet from John Ellis, guitar from Mike Moreno, and bass from Joe Sanders – and Alan Hampton sings lead vocals on a few tracks too. Titles include "Cycling Through Reality", "Be Water", "Apollo", "Serenity", "Memory Of Enchantment", "We Shall By Any Means", and "Liberty Or Death".

The quintessential sound of late 60s Horace Silver – on one hand still very much in the Blue Note soul jazz groove that earned him plenty of jukebox single play, but on the other hand really stretching out with a style that's a bit more righteous than before! Horace shows that he can still pen a hit when he wants – and gave the world the tune "Psychedelic Sally" with this set – but he also displays a penchant for more complicated rhythms and freer horn expressions on beautiful tunes like "Kindred Spirits", "Rain Dance", and "Jungle Juice". The group's filled with great players – from tenor work by Stanley Turrentine and Bennie Maupin, trumpet by Charles Tolliver, and drums by a young Billy Cobham!

A great late 60s gem from pianist Horace Silver – and a great bridge between his earlier soul jazz for Blue Note, and some of his more righteous work to come in the 70s! At one level, the sound here steps off from classics like Serenade To A Soul Sister or The Jody Grind – but at another level, there's a more open approach to the music – one that has Horace sliding into new tones and colors, with a slightly lyrical undercurrent as well. As on some of his later dates, the mellower moments are often the most compelling – showing a newly mature side of Silver's talents, and a new love of space between the notes that really helps to break the mode of previous recordings! The group here features the great Bennie Maupin on tenor and flute, Randy Brecker on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Williams on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – and titles include "Lovely's Daughter", "Risin Sun", "You Gotta Take A Little Love", "Down & Out", and "Brain Wave".

A surprisingly nice little album – a Jimmy Smith Blue Note session dedicated to Fats Waller, one of the first jazz musicians to work out his skills on the organ! Jimmy's working with a tight trio that includes Quentin Warren on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums – and although Waller never wowed anybody on the instrument in the same way that Smith did, he did come up with a nice way of getting a good sound out of the instrument – one that Jimmy rightly acknowledges here, then takes to the next level! The album features familiar tunes from the Waller songbook, but the performance is definitely prime Jimmy Smith on Blue Note – a set with titles that include "Lulu's Back In Town", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehavin", "I've Found A New Baby", "Ain't She Sweet", and "Squeeze Me".

A very nice groover from Jimmy – and a session that was recorded earlier, but not issued by Blue Note until the end of the 60s. The format is hard-wailing sextet – with Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ike Quebec on tenor, and Jackie McLean on alto. Jimmy's usual trio at the time holds the fort on the rhythm department, and all players groove very nicely on a set of 4 long tracks that includes "Big Fat Mama", "Plain Talk", and "Time After Time". Weird cover, too – with a lady's face in a cup of coffee!