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A totally wild little record – and one of the most unique jazz collections we've ever heard – or seen! The original package of the record is a 5LP presentation of music that brings together four of the most important French piano talents of the postwar years – Georges Arvanitas, Michel Graillier, Maurice Vander, and Rene Urtreger – interlocking together to provide a "puzzle" of sound that really encompasses all that's great about the French jazz scene! Each player gets one full record to themselves, then on the fifth album, they come together on one recording – working with larger arrangements by Ivan Julien, and a sound that's really mindblowing. Individual highlights include Georges Arvanitas playing a bit of organ on his record, Rene Urtreger getting a bit of guitar help from Marius Lorenzini on his, and Maurice Vander playing both electric and acoustic, with vibes from Bernard Lubat. The whole thing's great – and a treasure from the amazing Saravah label! Amazing package, too – with the 5-fold design of the original, housing three full CDs!

A killer album of jazzy bossa grooves – originally recorded in France in the early 70s, and darn hard to find in any format! The record was cut for the tiny Saravah label – home to groovy French acts like Brigitte Fontaine and Areski, as well as an elite group of jazz and world musicians. The overall style is similar to bossa nova piano sessions coming out of Brazil in the 60s, but the groove is a lot freer, and the band has a nice rolling sound that might be compared to some of the MPS jazz/Brazilian crossover sessions. Fernando Martins is the pianist, and Edson Lobo is on bass. Titles include "Upa Neguinho", "Nascente", "Bia", "Noa Noa", "Samba Novo", "Berimbau", "Nao Tem Solucao", and "Muito A Vontade". Very nicely repackaged, too!

An incredible package – and one that features three of the most important records ever cut by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago! All three albums were recorded at the Saravah Studios in the summer of 1969 – during a time when the Art Ensemble of Chicago were making big waves on the Parisian scene (including their work in the film Les Stances A Sophie) – and finding a way to refine their new Chicago sound in the world away from the Windy City! These were the albums that really put the Art Ensemble on the map – letting them find new freedoms, and reach new heights in expression – in a mode that even surpassed previous recordings by individual members back home. The lineup is very heavy on reeds – with a variety played by Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman – and features bold trumpet from Lester Bowie, warm basslines from Malachi Favors, and a range of percussion and other instruments by all members of the group! The set comes in a nice book-like cover, with a booklet inside – and titles include "Reese & The Smooth Ones (parts 1 & 2)", "Rock Out", "Brain For The Seine", "Dexterity", "Jackson In Your House", "The Waltz", and "Song For Charles".

Great work by the team of Brigitte Fontaine and Areski Belcam – two of the most enigmatic talents you'll ever hear on record! The album's the only one they ever recorded that wasn't issued by the Saravah label – and it's a fantastic blend of otherworldly vocals with spare instrumentation that includes electric piano, flute, bandoneon, and percussion – wrapped together wonderfully with a haunting sound that's just amazing. Even if you don't understand French, the sound and style of the voices are more than enough to keep you captivated – and the album is some of the most indescribably beautiful music we can think of! Titles include "Le Borgais", "L'Abeille", "Les Petites Madones", "Le 6 Septembre", and "Ragilia".

A great setting for Stacey Kent – one of the most lovely vocalists to emerge in recent years – heard here in a live performance that's almost got more charm than her previous studio albums for Blue Note! The space is large, but the group is nice and small – an intimate lineup that features guitar from Kent alongside the vocals, tenor and soprano sax from Jim Tomlinson, Fender Rhodes and piano from Graham Harvey, bass from Jeremy Brown, and drums from Matt Skelton – a lineup that provides perfect gentle backings for Stacey's unique way of singing – a light-voiced mode that almost feels like Blossom Dearie at times! Titles include "Waters Of March", "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars", "Breakfast On The Morning Tram", "O Comboio", "Dreamer", "Jardin D'Hiver", "Samba Saravah", and "Ces Petits Riens". CD features the bonus track "They Say It's Wonderful".

A legendary album! This previously unreleased album by Os Mutantes was supposed to be their breakthrough album to an English speaking market – but for years it's only been talked about in hushed whispers, and has only been heard by a lucky few! The record was recorded in Paris in 1970 – and it's ALL IN ENGLISH! (Not that we're biased against Portuguese, mind you – but since we're English speakers, it's kind of a nice thing to have a record that we can understand!) The record features a number of tunes from the Mutantes first two albums – redone here with translated lyrics, and in a compressed pop style that's a bit smoother than the original albums, but still very nice! In fact, the record's a sophisticated pop statement that would have stood well in the company of many of the best of 1970s rock elite – had the boneheads at Philips actually decided to release the record! No use crying over spilled milk, though – because the album's out now, and it's filled with loads of nice tracks like "Panis Et Circensis", "Batmacumba", "Tecnicolor", "El Justiciero", "I'm Sorry Baby", "Saravah", and a sublime reading of "Baby", a track that was virtually the manifesto for Tropicalia!

Not the most authentic Brazilian album you'll ever find – but a great batch of bossa jazz tracks! The set was put together in New York by pianist Bill Potts, and it features some great work by Zoot Sims on tenor, Louie Ramirez on percussion, Chano Pozo on conga, and a special unnamed guest artist on vibes! We're guessing that this artist can't be listed because of contractual reasons, but his playing is great, and the vibes give the record a great added touch. Includes a version of "Samba Saravah/My Heart Loves The Samba" from A Man & A Woman – plus "Brasilville", "Teach Me Tonight", "Que Se Vaya", and "Forgetting You".

Amazing music from the legendary Barney Wilen – previously unreleased African recordings, done around the same time as his classic Moshi album! Although Wilen was best known as a hardbop giant in both his later and early years, the late 60s also marked a period of really rich experimentation – when Barney, like some of his other contemporaries, was really trying to break out of any traditional formats for jazz – and really take chances with new musical hybrids! In this case, Wilen's blowing with a whole host of different musicians from various African scenes – especially Zanzibar – mixing his own incredible tenor and other reeds with regional percussion, unusual instrumentation, vocals, and even some trippier electric touches too – all served up in a blend of music and sounds that's as much an ethnographic project as it is a conventional jazz album. This special set features 80 minutes of previously-unreleased tracks that never made it onto the first Moshi album – which was issued by Saravah Records in the early 70s – rare tracks that have come from Wilen's private archives, and which are every bit as amazing as the music on the original album. Titles include "Black Locomotive", "Moshi Too","Fullys In The Bush", "Serenade For Africa", "Barka De Sala", "Fete A Tam II", "Leave Before The Gospel", "Zombizar Reloaded", "Bumba Ciagalo", and "Kira Burundi".

Amazing music from the legendary Barney Wilen – previously unreleased African recordings, done around the same time as his classic Moshi album! Although Wilen was best known as a hardbop giant in both his later and early years, the late 60s also marked a period of really rich experimentation – when Barney, like some of his other contemporaries, was really trying to break out of any traditional formats for jazz – and really take chances with new musical hybrids! In this case, Wilen's blowing with a whole host of different musicians from various African scenes – especially Zanzibar – mixing his own incredible tenor and other reeds with regional percussion, unusual instrumentation, vocals, and even some trippier electric touches too – all served up in a blend of music and sounds that's as much an ethnographic project as it is a conventional jazz album. This special set features 80 minutes of previously-unreleased tracks that never made it onto the first Moshi album – which was issued by Saravah Records in the early 70s – rare tracks that have come from Wilen's private archives, and which are every bit as amazing as the music on the original album. Titles include "Black Locomotive", "Moshi Too","Fullys In The Bush", "Serenade For Africa", "Barka De Sala", "Fete A Tam II", "Leave Before The Gospel", "Zombizar Reloaded", "Bumba Ciagalo", and "Kira Burundi".

Sharp sounds from the French scene at the start of the 70s – played by a group that mixes some of the free energy of the BYG/Actuel crowd with the more playful styles of the other side of the post-68 underground! The group's a quartet – with Partrick Vian on guitar, Jean Claude Cenci on sax and flute, Daniel Geoffroy on bass, and Philip Barry on drums and guitar – and all players vocalize a bit on the record, mixing sensitive lyrics in with more adventurous music – in a style that reminds us of the brilliant energy heard on some of the best Saravah Records sessions of the time. Cenci's reeds are a real delight – and the guitar lines shift from jazzy to more rockish, depending on the tune. Titles include "Cosmic Toilet Ditty", "Caka Slow", "Vertebrate Twist", "Red Noise Live Au Cafe Des Sports", "Obsession Sexuelle No 2", "20 Miror Mozarts Composing ON Tea Bag & 1/2 Cup Bra", and "Sarcelles C'Est L'Avenir".

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".