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The only Atlantic Records session from the Quartette Tres Bien – and a set that's got a bit more punch than some of their records for Decca! The groove here still features the compelling percussion/piano lineup of the combo – with Percy James on bongo and conga, Albert St James on drums, and Jeter Thompson on piano – and the playing has a strong focus on the piano work by Thompson, with a good mix of soul jazz and lyrical styles! Includes the original track "Bully", plus versions of "Work Song", "Caravan", "Three O'Clock In The Morning", and "I Never Knew".

One of the best albums by this groovy piano/percussion combo who played a nice mix of bossa and soul jazz. The set has 2 nice originals with a deep groove – "Watusi Warrior" and "Sheryl Likes Bananas" – plus groovy covers of "Summertime", "Taste Of Honey", and "More". Nice stuff, and very cool mix of piano, bass, drums, and congas.

The third and best album yet from Sao Paulo Underground – formed by Chicago scene veteran and sonic adventurer Rob Mazurek – with a sound that's informed by the rhythms and creatively boundless possibilities of Tropicalia era Brazil and well beyond, along with the cosmic spirit of other Mazurek projects such as the Exploding Star Orchestra. This is hypnotic, attention seizing work that pushes boundaries and challenges tradition while still respecting it – it's never less than fully engrossing and pulls you right in, but it also skirts convention on just about every level. Mazurek's on coronet and electronics that fracture and fuzz out the atmosphere, creating some really dynamic interplay with instrumentation. Mauricio Takara is on cavaquinho, drums and percussion, Guilherme Granado on keys, loops, samples and percussion and Richard Ribeiro on drums. A pair of excellent tracks feature fellow modern greats with roots in the Chicago underground – vibes player Jason Adasiewicz and drummer John Herndon on "Just Lovin'" and "Six Six Eight" – the latter also featuring bass player Matthew Lux. The entire album is no less impressive, though! Titles include "Jagoda's Dream", "Pigeon", "Carambola", "Colibri", "Lado Leste", and "Rio Negro".

A contemporary project from Jeter Thompson – of the legendary Quartette Tres Bien!

Amazing bossa jazz from one of Brazil's best combos! The Bossa Tres were led by dynamic pianist Luis Carlos Vinhas – an incredibly strong talent who was as great an arranger as he was a piano player – and on this early session, he's at his most firey, really flowing out with tremendous creative energy on the keys! This album is one of the group's rarest – as it was recorded in New York for the Audio Fidelity label, and only ever issued briefly in the early 60s. It's a killer batch of lively bossa piano tunes – with crackling drums, tight rhythms, and some firecracker work on the keys by Vinhas. 12 tracks in all – and titles include "Bossa 3 Theme", "So Saudade", "Green Dolphin Street", "Ceu E Mar", "Zelao", and "Nao Faz Assim". Great stuff all the way through – and a real bossa treasure!

That's Tres Hongos, not Tres Hombres – a trio of improvisers who really make some amazing sounds together! Trumpeter Jacob Wick has a way of handling his horn that's unlike anything we've ever heard before – not so much blowing, as coaxing sounds out of the instrument that are light years past conventional jazz trumpeting – almost electronic at points, although there's clearly no processing at all on this all-acoustic set. And pianist Marc Riordan has a great sense of space – really punctuating the record with these well-chosen notes that warm things up in just the right way – almost a thoughtful reflection on the proceedings around him. Frank Rosaly's work on drums is as inventive as ever – a really compelling mix of sounds from all around the kit – played with some great spontaneous energy. Titles include "Game Urge", "God's Girlfriend", "Champagne Bayside", and "Optimist".

Easily one of the best in this excellent series – as the package combines familiar bossa numbers with rarer, more obscure ones – going for a sweet jazzy groove we totally love! Getting past the nudie cover, the set's got a level of quality that's totally high – some killer tunes that bristle with the best of Brazil in the 60s – a whopping 18 tracks that include "La Rana" by Agustin Pereyra Lucena, "What Is This Thing Called Love" by Carlos Piper, "Danielle" by Tamba Trio, "Amor De Nada" by Victor Assis Brasil, "Reza" by Luiz Carlos Vinhas, "Buzios" by Bossa Tres, "Samba Nago" by Dom Um Romao, "Samblues" by Som 3, "Jangal" by Dom Um Romao, and "Senzala (Coisa #8)" by Moacir Sanos – plus "I Remember April" by Johnny Guitar Watson, a surprising early 60s track with a bossa piano groove!

A full length bow for Detroit hip hop veteran House Shoes –a producer and proponent for some of the best hip hop that city has produced from the mid 90s onward – with an album on Tres that lives up to all of it! Let It Go features a mix of accessible single-worthy cuts with A-game rhymes, moody/hypnotic interludes and gritty beats. The head-nodding full length instrumentals on 2LPs: includes "Let It Go (The Beginning)", "Empire", "Dirt", "Crazy", "Sweet", "So Different", "Sunrise", "Cry Now", "Roller Coaster" and more.

Great work by one of the grooviest groups on the LA 60s scene! The Afro Blues Quintet have a blend of soul jazz and Latin styles that's similar to the best 60s work by Cal Tjader, or to records by small combos like the Quartette Tres Bien or The Latin Jazz Quintet. Lots of grooves have a nice modal swing to them – nice and jazzy, with slight touches of soulful instrumentation, all fused into a tight Latin-styled groove. Loads of great original tunes – including "Mystic Mambo", "Freaks", "Incantations", "Victims Of Chance", "Let My People Go", and "Afro Rock".

A relatively mellow recent effort from Bobby Hutcherson – one that has him playing both vibes and marimba, and going for a laidback style that allows plenty of spaces for tonal colors and shades of sound! The group's a quintet, with Kenny Garrett on alto, Geri Allen on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Al Foster on drums – and in a way, the album's kind of a link between Hutcherson's inside work of the Landmark years, and some of his more exploratory work of the late 70s. Titles include "The Coaster", "Candle", "Tres Palabras", "Delilah", "Who's Got You", and "Pomponio".

IThe great early 70s solo album from Ismael Miranda! Ismael fronting his own excellent Orquestra here – singing lead vocals and playing a bit of percussion, with an ensemble that includes Nicky Marrero on timbales, Nelson Gonzalez on tres, Oscar Hernandez on piano, and Carlos De Leon on trumpet. Hip shaking rhythms and danceable numbers of top shelf quality on Fania with arrangements by Louie Ramirez, Marty Sheller, Carlos De Leon, and others! Tracks include "Sonerito", "Ahora Si", "Cuidate Bien", "Asi Se Compone Un Son", "Nicolas", "Salvame", and "Mulence" and more.

Beautiful spare sounds from Noro Morales – and an album that really lets you hear his amazing work on the piano! Most of the album simply features Noro's playing, backed by bass and percussion, and no other orchestration – a really stripped-down setting that's even more spare than the usual Latin album of this nature! The album's very mellow – but has a good late night Latin groove throughout – thanks to this pronounced bassline that really grabs up the bottom end of the sound spectrum – leaving Noro to work on the keys up top. Titles include "Flores Negras", "Tres Palabras", "Tiempos Viejos", "Silencio", "Perfume De Gardenias", and "Palmeras".

A great testament to the depth and versatility of Orquestra Harlow in the 70s – and a record that shift easily between traditional modes and more contemporary styles! Larry Harlow is at the top of his game here – working with careful sensitivity on some of the more fragile numbers, but still letting the group hit with the power that made their fame on others – and in doing so, Harlow continues to move right in pace with the changes on the New York scene at the time, particularly the return to charanga modes and its use of violin and flute. But in addition to that instrumentation, the album also features a wider range of sounds – including bits of moog and celeste from Larry himself, plus tres, guiro, and plenty of percussion. Vocals are by Junior Gonzalez, and titles include "El Negrito Nengere", "El Lugar", "El Dolorcito De Mi China", "Buenavista Guaguan O", "Agonia", and "Latin Roots", which is a fantastic NuYorican groover, with plenty of percussion, touches of funk, and a sweet electric groove!

Warm bossa grooves – and the second album by Orlandivo, billed here on the cover as Orlann Divo! The album's a great batch of instrumentals – jazzy, with a mix of percussion, bass, and organ that's quite different from the usual bossa album of its type – much more expansive, and much more chance-taking. The use of organ is incredible – really weird at times, pushing the sonic qualities of the instrument in ways that you'd never hear on a Walter Wanderley album from the same time – and the nature of the tunes is great too, and really pushes past the usual batch of bossa covers and standards to come up with some great off-kilter styles. Features work by Ed Lincoln, Rubens Bassini, and Waltel Branco – and titles include "Samba No Japao", "Zezinho", "Amor Quadradinho", "Afim De Voce", "Vira Lata", "Somos Tres", "Saudade Em Seu Lugar", "Faz De Conta", and "Brincando De Samba".

Vintage live work from this legendary Brazilian rocker – a series of different concerts, all brought together in a very cool 2CD package! The set features material from the shows Atlantida (1973), Um Dia Antes Da Vida (1976), Tres Aboios Diferentes (1974), and Coletiva De Musica Paraibana (1976) – plus one more track from a 1977 show – all with Ze Ramalho on vocals and guitar, working in relatively stripped-down settings with deeply personal inflections! The collection's a great contrast to some of his more produced studio albums – and titles include "O Monte Olimpia", "Avohai", "A Arvore", "Puxa Puxa", "Brejo Do Cruz", "Jacarepagua Blues", "Taxi Lunar", and "Aboio Eletronico".

An incredible record and very unique – cut around the same time as Arsenio's rare boogaloo album for Tico Records! Like that session, this one has a style in which Arsenio is featured in a larger group – playing with a raspy edge that really steps out in front of the fuller instruments and voices! The group's a great one – playing here with a few early Latin Soul touches, and in a way that mixes together different modes in a really unusual approach to the grooves. Arsenio's sound is still quite rootsy, but the larger backings are quite tight – and often done with a nod to more popular soul modes of the time. The whole thing was put together by producer Bert Berns, with arrangements by the great Artie Butler – and it's got a freewheeling New York groove that's as close to Latin Soul as Arsenio ever came! Includes Latin Soul versions of "Hang On Sloopy" and "La Bamba", plus the tracks "La Yuca", "Tres Marias", "Randy", "Vaya P'al Monte", and "El Elemento Del Bronx", a groovy guaguanco track!

70s grooves from the New York scene – but played by a group with a strong ear for Cuban roots! Armando Sanchez's combo here really focuses on older Cuban tipico sounds – using instrumentation that's heavy on percussion, guitar, tres, and trumpet – often woven together in ways that are a lot more spare than other New York work of the time. Rhythms are right out front in the mix, blending beautifully with the vocals – and even the mellower tunes have the kind of punch you'd expect to hear on a classic Latin date from Havana. Titles include "Guajira En Nueva York", "Manene", "Negro Mambi", "Y Yo Ganga", "Monte Tiene Garabato", "Yo Vengo De Oriente", and "Songo Y Guantanamo".

A legendary album from saxophonist Sahib Shihab – a record that's gone onto become the birth of all things modal and club jazz in the current scene! Shihab always sounded great, no matter what the setting, but there was definitely something magical going on with this session – a one-of-a-kind energy that made his baritone and flute work sound incredibly soulful, searching, and searing – set up with a tight small combo that includes Francy Boland on piano, Fats Sadi on vibes, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – a hip slice of the Clarke Boland Big Band that works beautifully together! Every tune here is wonderful, and you're bound to recognized a few covered or sampled classics over the years – on cuts that include "Seeds", "Peter's Waltz", "Who'll Buy My Dream", "Another Samba", "Jay Jay", "Uma Fita De Tres Cores", and "Mauve".

A stunner of an album – and a really unique Latin percussion jam from the 70s! The session's headed by the legendary Carlos Patato Valdez – who arguably sounds better here than on any of his earlier albums – as he's working with a really fluid, open groove – achieved in the unique setting for the album created by producer Martin Cohen! There's a really traditional feel to some of the tunes – as the music really reaches back to older Afro-Cuban modes – but the sound is also quite 70s too, thanks to occasional warm jazzy touches, and crystal-clear production that still keeps everything nice and crisp. Patato plays quintet and sings – and other players include Steve Berrios on cascara, Nelson Gonzalez on tres and congas, Mario Papaito Munoz on congas, and Virgilo Marti on tumbadora. Many tunes are nice and long – really letting the musicians stretch out and jam, but in a relaxed way that's totally different than older descarga modes. Titles include "LP Theme", "LP Inspiration", "Chevere", and "Alma Mia".

Forget the silly cover on this one – and go straight for the grooves! The album's a wonderful bossa session from the 70s – recorded live by pianist Luiz Carlos Vinhas, best known for his groundbreaking work with the group Bossa Tres! Vinhas plays acoustic piano in trio format – in a mode that's similar to his classic work of the 60s, but with a style that's more complicated, more far-reaching, and which shows that his lyrical powers had only increased with time. The tunes flow along very nicely in combinations of bossa and American tunes – wrapped together with pianistic magic by Vinhas, and recorded with a very lively feel! Titles include "Minha/Fotografia/Waves", "Zazueria/Asa Branca", "Festa/O Barquinho/Surfboard", and "What's New/This Guy's In Love/Que Maravilha/Nao Tem Solucao".

Way more than just an introduction – and instead, an amazing collection of bossa nova gems – 48 tracks pulled from the vaults of the legendary EMI/Odeon label – home to some of the best bossa work ever recorded in Brazil! The package is a treasure through and through – filled with key classics, overlooked gems, and the kind of weird and wonderful bossa numbers that never made it here to the US – but which have made digging for Brazilian records a favorite pastime of ours for decades. Most tracks here are from the 60s, and the set runs from straight bossa numbers to others that use bossa as a starting point, then take off into great new territory. Titles include "Ao Amigo Tom" by Doris Monteiro, "A Resposta" by Marcos Valle, "Voce" by Milton Banana Trio, "Deixa Eu Dizer" by Claudia, "A Ra" by Joao Donato, "Eh Mundo Bom Tai" by Johnny Alf, "Agua De Beber" by Neco, "Onde Anda O Meu Amor" by Bossa Tres, "Fotografia" by Sylvia Telles, "Por Causa De Voce" by Marisa, "Outra Vez" by Elizeth Cardoso, "Inutil Paisagem" by Dick Farney, "Ho Ba La La" by Norma Benguell, "Estamos Ai" by Leny Andrade, "So Tinha De Ser Com Voce" by Eumir Deodato, and "Misturada" by Quarteto Novo.

A very cool batch of tracks that mixes together a wide range of bossa groovers from the 60s! The set features Brazilian-based classics, plus other groovy tunes from American albums that fit in just as well with the dreamy mix of tunes. Titles include "Baia" by Bill Perkins, "Jive Samba" by Jon Hendricks, "Amazonas" by Som Tres, "E Bom Assim" by Os Cobras, "The Man From THRUSH" by Lalo Schifrin, "Mestico" by Wilson Simonal, "Vou Te Contar" by Quarteto 004, "O Pato" by Lennie Dale, "Sambo Do Carioca" by Silvio Cezar et Meirelles, "Boranda" by Edu Lobo, and "Samba De Verao" by Sergio Mendes & Wanda De Sah.

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.

Massive music from the Congotronics series – most of it making an initial vinyl appearance here in this luxurious box set! There's way more here than you'd expect – six full records of music, a bonus single, and a beautiful book too – plus digital information for all the music too, so you can download everything to your favorite portable device! The set's overflowing with some of the most killing contemporary sounds from Africa – including the albums Congotronics 1 by Konono No 1, the compilation Congotronics 2 – Buzz'n'Rumble From The Urb'n'Jungle, the album In The 7th Moon by Kasai All-Stars, the album Tres Tres Fort by Staff Benda Bilili, and the brand-new Konono No 1 album Assume Crash Position! The box also has a specially designed book with loads of photographs from the contemporary scene in Kinshasa, plus a 7" single with two exclusive tracks – "Coupe-Jarret" by Kasai Allstars & Akron/Family, and "Bana Mbende" by Kasai Allstars. And if that's not enough, the bonus USB drive includes 9 more videos, in addition to all the music from the albums above!

Legendary work from a crucial component of Brazilian culture in the late 60s and early 70s – the International Song Festivals of the time – a very important way of presenting both new talent and new compositions as well! The events were really unique, and often quite striking – from both a cultural and political perspective – as artists used the festivals as a key platform for taking steps forward in their words and music – sometimes steps that were even bolder than their studio work on record! Performances are unique to the records, and usually represent some key non-album tracks from the artists involved. This second volume brings together work from the 1969 to 1972 versions of the Festivals – a really crucial time in Brazilian music, represented here by performances from Clara Nunes, Marcos Valle, Quarteto Forma, Beth Carvalho, Golden Boys, Tiaguara, Evinha, Antonio Adolfo & Brazuca, Maria Odette, Oz Brazoes, Hermes Aquinho, Alceu Valenca, O Grupo, Vox Populi, Martinho Da Vila, Luiza, Som Okey 5, Jards Macale, Os Tres Morais, Tribo, Toni Tornado, Agostinho Dos Santos, Trio Esperanca, Wilson Simonal, O Terco, Som Imaginario, Wanderlea, Silvo Cesar, Osmar Milito, Ze Rodrix, Claudia, Alaide Costa, and many others! Box features the full albums IV Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular Vols 1, 2, & 3 (1969), V Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular Vols 1 & 2 (1970), VI Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular (1971), and VII Festival Internacional Da Cancao Popular (1972) – and most albums have bonus tracks too!

Street and clean versions of four tracks from Guru's independent label, Ill Kid – including "Total Wreck" by Bahamadiah, "Tres Pound God" by Operation Radification, "Beware" by Stikken Moov, and "Put You On Lockdown" by HL Rock (The Sly Fox), all with production by Guru.

Synthetic symphonics from electronic experimental ground breakers – with ground shaking rhythms, spacey soundscapes, fuzz, hums, echoes, loopy tape effects and more! Features Herbert Eimert, Bruno Maderna, Karel Goeyvaerts, Pierre Boulez and Eimert-Beyer. Titles include "Klangstudie I" by Herbert Eimert, and "Klangstudie II" by Eimert-Beyer, "Musica Su Due Dimensioni" by Bruno Maderna, "Poesie Pour Pouvir (Tres Orqestra E Tape)" by Pierre Boulez and more.

Synthetic symphonics from electronic experimental ground breakers – with ground shaking rhythms, spacey soundscapes, fuzz, hums, echoes, loopy tape effects and more! Features Herbert Eimert, Bruno Maderna, Karel Goeyvaerts, Pierre Boulez and Eimert-Beyer. Titles include "Klangstudie I" by Herbert Eimert, and "Klangstudie II" by Eimert-Beyer, "Musica Su Due Dimensioni" by Bruno Maderna, "Poesie Pour Pouvir (Tres Orqestra E Tape)" by Pierre Boulez and more.

A landmark album – not just in Brazilian music, but in all modern music in general! The set's a legendary manifesto for the Tropicalia movement in Brazil – and features key works by all the leading musical luminaries in the movement – including a few later stars who are heard here at their most edgey! The work is as groundbreaking today as it was at the end of the 60s – a brilliant testament to the power of artists to really break down boundaries in art and music, and find a way to mix the political with the popular at the same time. Titles include a fantastic version of Gal Costa and Caetano Veloso singing "Baby", the "Tres Caravelas" duet between Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, Gil's great reading of "Bat Macumba" with Costa and Veloso, Nara Leao singing "Lindoneia", Os Mutantes performing "Panis Et Circenses", Gilberto on "Geleia Geral, Caetano doing "Coracao Materno, and Rita Lee, Gal Costa, and Caetano Veloso singing "Enquanto Seu Lobo Nao Vem". Brand new remastering – approved by Caetano Veloso himself!

A really unique little album from Cannonball's all-great late years at Capitol – a session that features some strong influences from Brazilian music – "The Happy People"! Airto plays on the set, and contributed the great groover "The Happy People" – a long bit of funky samba that features George Duke on electric piano, and percussion and vocals by Airto himself! The rest of the album's pretty darn great too – with some long tracks that have a more open-ended groove than the usual Cannon funk – featuring more piano by Duke, percussion by Airto and King Errison, cornet by Nat Adderley, and guitar by David T Walker. Produced by David Axelrod, with arrangements by Axe, George Duke, and Nat – and tracks that include "Ela", "Maria Tres Filhos", and "Savior". How can you miss?

Unlike a lot of late 90s major label hip hop, Loud seems to have found the perfect mix of commericial success and straight dope hip hop... From the movie dialogue intro to "Twins". Guest appearances by Black Thought of The Roots, Raekwon, Fat Joe and more. Includes "Dream Shatterer", "I'm Not A Player", "You Came Up", "Fast Money", "Tres Leches", "Glamour Life" and "Super Lyrical".

Classic descarga from the inventor of the genre – a host of Cuban recordings from the legendary Cachao! And sure, we love Cachao's revival in later years – but it's this material that still gets us moving the most – his rich blend of Cuban rhythms and jazz instrumentation that was easily one of the greatest things going in Havana since the rise of Castro! As with other Cachao albums from the time, there's a paucity of notes, and some sounds that seem to come from other sessions too – but we can more than forgive that aspect, given that the music's so great all the way through – plenty of percussion with a rich, echoing sound, key basslines from the master, and even some hip tres to give some tunes a nice edge. Titles include "A La Loma De Belen", "Tres Lindas Cubanas", "Oguere Mi China", "Bailando Entre Espuma", "Criolla Carabali", "Tunas Se Quemo", "La Bayamesa", "Mambo", and "El Bombin De Perucho".

Classic descarga from the inventor of the genre – a host of Cuban recordings from the legendary Cachao! And sure, we love Cachao's revival in later years – but it's this material that still gets us moving the most – his rich blend of Cuban rhythms and jazz instrumentation that was easily one of the greatest things going in Havana since the rise of Castro! As with other Cachao albums from the time, there's a paucity of notes, and some sounds that seem to come from other sessions too – but we can more than forgive that aspect, given that the music's so great all the way through – plenty of percussion with a rich, echoing sound, key basslines from the master, and even some hip tres to give some tunes a nice edge. Titles include "A La Loma De Belen", "Tres Lindas Cubanas", "Tunas Se Quemo", "La Bayamesa", "Mambo", "El Bombin De Perucho" and more.

Killer Cuban sounds from Cachao – a set that's definitely done with the "feeling" promised in the title! Jazz is at the core of the set – lots of great instrumental interplay between piano and percussion, tres and trumpet, and bass, of course – guiding the whole thing along strongly from the bottom, and really ensuring that the instrumental modes of the set keep on cooking throughout! There's really very little vocals, and the recording quality has a great sharp edge – way better than some of Cachao's bigger recordings from later years. Titles include "Marta", "La Floresta", "Juan Pescao", "Descarga General", "Y Tu Que Has Hecho", "El Nino Toca El Tres", "La Bayamesa", "A Buscar Camarones", and "Rendencion".

Beautiful work from Arsenio Rodriguez – recorded in New York in the early 60s, with a sound and style that's a bit more subtle than some of his other albums – but a sound that's totally great! Singers include Raffi Martinez, Israel Castro, and Chewi Rivera – and the arrangements are sometimes earthy, and sometimes a bit more brassy – but always faithful to an older Afro-Cuban mode, and deeply respectful of Arsenio's musical contributions. His notes on tres echo out strongly on all the best numbers, and titles include "Yambu En Serenata", "No Importa La Distancia", "Pucho Marquez", "Sabor De Pachanga", "Errante Y Bohemio", "Hachero Pa Un Palo", "Linda Cubana", and "Comprendo Que Sufres".

A treasure trove of 60s Bossa Nova – beautiful recordings, many from the heart of the 60s, all of which capture the sounds and styles of the era and rank among the most massively influential Brazilian music of the period – featuring Elis Regina, Jorge Ben, Tamba Trio, Edu Lobo, Baden Powell & Vinicius De Moraes, Elizete Cardoso and many more! Soul Jazz Records and compiler Stuart Baker set out to make this a definitive bossa compilation and they pretty much nail it! Made as the listening counterpart to the stellar book of album cover art, compiled by Baker and Gilles Peterson. As essential of a compilation as ever released by our friends at Soul Jazz, which is really saying something, because they always raise the bar! Disc one includes "Roda" by Elis Regina, "Inverno" by Roberto Menescal, "Berimbau" by Drival Caymmi, "Mas, Que Nada!" by Tamba Trio, "Viramundo" by Gilberto Gil, "Adriana" by Edu Lobo, "Lalari-Olala" by Jorge Ben and more. Disc two includes "E De Lei" by Elizete Cardoso, "O Morro Nao Tem Vez" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, "Samba Blim" by Tamba 4, "Tres Pontas" by Milton Nasciemento, "Canto De Xango" by Baden Powell & Vinicius De Moraes, "Carcara" by Zelia Barbosa, "Maria Moita" by Marilia Medalha and more. 34 tracks on 2CDs and includes a great 70+ page booklet of notes & photos.

Johnny Pacheco's working here with vocalist Luis Angel Silva Nava – also known as "Melon", hence the title and cover! The album's a crackling batch of straight samba from the 70s – played by a sharp little group with Sonny Bravo on piano, Luiz Perico Ortiz on trumpet, Luis Mangual on bongos, Charlie Rodriguez on tres, and Pacheco himself on both flute and percussion – both of which are handled with a slightly classic vibe. Production is nice and clean – like the best Vaya dates from the time – and the album does a great job of balancing Latin roots with the more youthful energy of the 70s New York scene. Titles include "Don Toribio Carambola", "Compay Anton", "Solo Estoy", "Vera Cruz", "Jicamo y Salsa", and "Nuestra Cita".

Two great slices of work from Johnny Ray – one a salsa set from the 70s, the other a batch of boogaloo tunes from the 60s! The first 5 tracks here are from a studio set directed by Charlie Palmieri, and done in the best New York salsa mode of the time – with vocals from Yayo El Indio and Adalberto Santiago, and other players who include Barry Rogers on trombone, Ray Maldonado on trumpet, and Manny Corchado on timbales – all grooving tightly in soaring, soulful formation on tracks that include "La Guerra", "Oye Nicola", "Que Risa Me Da", "Descarga No 2", and "Descarga El Tres". The second half of the CD features some real killers from Johnny's boogaloo years as Johnny Zamot – tracks from his Decca albums and other indie sides that bristle with tight, jazzy energy! Tracks include 3 great Pat Patrick compositions – "Catfish Bag", "Gaboom", and "Mambo Village" – plus "Descarga Zamot", "Guadajaljara", "Alma Llanera", and "Kool & The Gang".

A legendary album from saxophonist Sahib Shihab – a record that's gone onto become the birth of all things modal and club jazz in the current scene! Shihab always sounded great, no matter what the setting, but there was definitely something magical going on with this session – a one-of-a-kind energy that made his baritone and flute work sound incredibly soulful, searching, and searing – set up with a tight small combo that includes Francy Boland on piano, Fats Sadi on vibes, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – a hip slice of the Clarke Boland Big Band that works beautifully together! Every tune here is wonderful, and you're bound to recognized a few covered or sampled classics over the years – on cuts that include "Seeds", "Peter's Waltz", "Who'll Buy My Dream", "Another Samba", "Jay Jay", "Uma Fita De Tres Cores", and "Mauve".

A treasure trove of 60s Bossa Nova – beautiful recordings, many from the heart of the 60s, all of which capture the sounds and styles of the era and rank among the most massively influential Brazilian music of the period – featuring Elis Regina, Jorge Ben, Tamba Trio, Edu Lobo, Baden Powell & Vinicius De Moraes, Elizete Cardoso and many more! Soul Jazz Records and compiler Stuart Baker set out to make this a definitive bossa compilation and they pretty much nail it! Made as the listening counterpart to the stellar book of album cover art, compiled by Baker and Gilles Peterson. As essential of a compilation as ever released by our friends at Soul Jazz, which is really saying something, because they always raise the bar! Volume Two vinyl includes 17 tracks on 2LPs, with notes and photos on the gatefold interior. Titles include "E De Lei" by Elizete Cardoso, "O Morro Nao Tem Vez" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, "Samba Blim" by Tamba 4, "Tres Pontas" by Milton Nasciemento, "Canto De Xango" by Baden Powell & Vinicius De Moraes, "Carcara" by Zelia Barbosa, "Maria Moita" by Marilia Medalha and more.

A simply groooooovy collection of rare bossa tunes! The set goes farther than the first volume in the series – dipping into a wide range of material that includes Brazilian albums from the 60s, but also some more obscure American and European sources, which gives the set a slightly expanded groove that's very fresh! Titles include "A Child Runs Free" by Fred Johnson, "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" by Quarteto Em Cy, "Ye Me Le" by The Gimmicks, "Tudo De Voce" by Wilson Simonal, "Fio Maravilha" by Tania Maria, "Mad About The Boy" by Cybil Shepard, "Zozoi" by France Gall & Cesar Camargo Mariano, "A Vontade Mesmo" by Raulzinho, "Freio Aerodinamico" by Os Tres Morais, "Mar Azul" by Som Imaginario, "Bahia Bossa Nova" by Bernard Lubat, "Vai Vai" by Jean Pierre Sabar, "Spooky" by Som Tes, and "Chove Chuva" by Nelsinho.

A landmark album – not just in Brazilian music, but in all modern music in general! The set's a legendary manifesto for the Tropicalia movement in Brazil – and features key works by all the leading musical luminaries in the movement – including a few later stars who are heard here at their most edgey! The work is as groundbreaking today as it was at the end of the 60s – a brilliant testament to the power of artists to really break down boundaries in art and music, and find a way to mix the political with the popular at the same time. Titles include a fantastic version of Gal Costa and Caetano Veloso singing "Baby", the "Tres Caravelas" duet between Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, Gil's great reading of "Bat Macumba" with Costa and Veloso, Nara Leao singing "Lindoneia", Os Mutantes performing "Panis Et Circenses", Gilberto on "Geleia Geral, Caetano doing "Coracao Materno, and Rita Lee, Gal Costa, and Caetano Veloso singing "Enquanto Seu Lobo Nao Vem".

Maybe the best work we've heard from Gilberto Gil in years – a really beautiful live performance that mixes his acoustic guitar and vocals with a special string section and some tight live rhythm work as well! The blend of simple and majestic is really wonderful – a performance that's got all the earnest, honest qualities of some of Gilberto's solo sets – yet one that also has an added dimension that really enriches the sound, too – a blend that's quite different than an "with strings" session, and which is more like having someone underscore all the best elements in Gil's core performance upfront – in this case the great Jacques Morelenbaum, a master of subtle feeling and understatement. The set includes some great classics from Gilberto's late 60s/early 70s years – and titles include "Quatra Coisas", "Quanta", "Futurivel", "Eu Descobri", "Saudade Da Bahia", "Domingo No Parque", "Eu Vim Da Bahia", "Panis Et Circensis", "Oriente", "Um Abraco No Joao", and "Tres Palabras".

Wonderfully raspy grooves from Arsenio Rodriguez and group – a rough mixture of tres, percussion, and vocals! The arrangements are fairly traditional, but Arsenio's playing shines out nicely, with the raw sound that he practically invented – and the rest of the rhythms really fit the spirit of the music too – and make for one of those rare 60s sessions where Arsenio's sound is actually nicely in step with the rest of the group, and not an isolated element.. Titles include "Balanca Paloma", "Recuerdo Bien", "Mami Me Gusto", "Que Feliz Yo Fuero", "Carraguao Alante", and "Devuleveme La Ilusion". Great cartoony cover too!

The third volume in this very groovy series takes a distinct Brazilian turn – and opens up into a sparkling set of bossa jammers and hard jazzy numbers that are extremely well-selected for the set! Not all the tracks are Brazilian in origin, but they are all hard to find – and the groove's extremely solid throughout! Tracks include "Quo Vadis Samba" by Goykovic-Novacek, "Carcara" by Tempo Trio, "Tim Dom Dom" by Joao Donato, "Jangal" by Dom Um Romao, "Batucada Sergiu" by Luis Carlos Vinhas, "Grand Nite For Swinging" by Mary Lou Williams, "Consolacao" by Larry Willis, "Influencia Do Jazz" by Bossa Tres, "Mudei De Idea" by Osmar Milito, "Un Sabor Latino" by Ricardo Marrero, "Cobranca" by Carlos Penha, and "Tema Pro Lins" by Rosinha De Valencia. Lots more, too!

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.

Not straight soundtrack work, but a wealth of groovy jazz and vocal cover versions – almost all of them from hip 60s movies, presented here in a really wonderful package! The tunes often have the sort of exotic tinges you might guess from the title and cover – an approach that's somewhat loungey, but never in a sleepy or gimmicky way – thanks to an excellent choice of artists for the set! Instrumentation includes vibes, flute, Hammond, and plenty of percussion – and the balance here has a lot more on the instrumental side than the vocal one – although the tracks with singers are still pretty great too. Titles include "Our Mann Flint" by Herbie Mann, "Moon River Cha Cha" by Barney Kessel, "Exodus" by Quartette Tres Bien, "Kookie's Mad Pad" by Ed Byrnes, "Daktari" by Shelly Manne, "Theme From Lawrence Of Arabia" by Les Baxter, "Never On Sunday" by Calvin Jackson, "Batman Theme" by The Marketts, "It's Not Unusual" by Marty Paich, "Latin Golightly" by Barney Kessel, "A Mann & A Woman" by Herbie Mann & Tamiko Jones, "Alfie" by Dionne Warwick, "Theme From MASH" by Jimmy Smith, "Sunday In New York" by Mel Torme, "Theme From Midnight Cowboy" by Young-Holt Unlimited, and "The Shadow Of Your Smile" by Esther Phillips.

A great little album from Kenny Burrell – one that has Ray Barretto's congas on most cuts, giving the album a similar Latiny feel to Kenny's classic Midnight Blue album on Blue Note! The Latin undercurrent hits both New York and bossa-styled modes – a great setting for Burrell's thin, snakey lines on guitar – and also a surprisingly great showcase for the tenor of Coleman Hawkins, which really opens up nicely in this setting – in ways that are a bit like his own bossa date for Impulse, or the sound of Ike Quebec's Soul Samba album! Rhythm is by Tommy Flanagan on piano, Major Holley on bass, and Eddie Locke on drums – and titles include "Tres Talbras", "Montono Blues", "Guilty", "No More", and "It's Getting Dark".

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.

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

Beautiful work from Benjamin Biolay – easily one of our favorite French artists of the 21st Century – even though we've been following his work since the previous one! Benjamin's got a sound that's just perfect if you, like us, dig an older generation of French work by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Dutronc, Michel Polnareff, and others from that magical late 60s moment when French pop really found its own sound. Biolay's got a way of sliding in the sinister next to the groovy – often with vocals that are spoken as much as sung – and produced to perfection by his own strong ear for unusual combinations of sounds. Benjamin helped launch the career of many other great French acts in the past decade or two – but we still love his own work the best – and an album like this definitely lives up to that faith. Titles include "Venganza", "Marlene Deconne", "Personne Dans Mon Lit", "Confettis", "La Fin De La Fin", "L'Insigne Honneur", and "Tresor Tresor".

Beautiful work from Benjamin Biolay – easily one of our favorite French artists of the 21st Century – even though we've been following his work since the previous one! Benjamin's got a sound that's just perfect if you, like us, dig an older generation of French work by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Dutronc, Michel Polnareff, and others from that magical late 60s moment when French pop really found its own sound. Biolay's got a way of sliding in the sinister next to the groovy – often with vocals that are spoken as much as sung – and produced to perfection by his own strong ear for unusual combinations of sounds. Benjamin helped launch the career of many other great French acts in the past decade or two – but we still love his own work the best – and an album like this definitely lives up to that faith. Titles include "Venganza", "Marlene Deconne", "Personne Dans Mon Lit", "Confettis", "La Fin De La Fin", "L'Insigne Honneur", and "Tresor Tresor".

A pair of soundtracks from Claude Bolling – both pretty darn great! La Gitane is a really fresh one from Claude – a score that echoes both his ear for acoustic swing of the 30s, and his blend of mixing jazz and classical modes – yet all the tracks somehow come across with a feel that's different than Bolling's usual bag – surprisingly spontaneous at times, especially on the numbers that feature acoustic guitar in the lead – and often filled with little twists and turns that you'd never find in Claude's non-soundtrack work. Titles include "Hubert Florence Et Elsa", "Hubert Et Mona", "Hold Up", "Poursuite", "Caramba", "Theme De Mona", and "Les Gitans". Le Leopard is of similar vintage, and shows a lot more of an 80s approach to instrumentation overall – bits of keyboards mixed in with evocative orchestrations – a blend of strings, horns, and electric modes – all done with a great deal of warmth and feeling. A few moments even veer a bit towards funk – or at least as close as you might come in a Bolling soundtrack – and titles include "Les Camions Moustiques", "Les Camions Monstres", "Le Lac De Feu", "Generique Fin", and "Pauline Et Nick Denver".

A tightly punctuated groover from the Philly scene of the 60s – a cut that bounces along with these hard-ringing piano notes underneath Christine's sweeter vocals – making for a mighty nice combination in the groove! "SOS" is hardly the sound of distress – and instead soars along nicely on this rumbling rhythm that really pushes Cooper's vocals forward boldly!

A landmark collaboration between Serge Gainsbourg and actress Jane Birkin – his paramour at the time, and a much younger woman! The pair come together beautifully here in a set of sensuous duets – tunes that have an open, honest approach to the relations between the sexes – yet never in any sort of cliched late 60s hippie-esque ways. This album is perhaps the archetypal Gainsbourg erotic effort – and it's filled with wonderful duets set to breathy, bouncy orchestrations – tunes that forged a whole new "adult" level in pop music – not just in France, but around the globe! The arrangements are amazing, and feature some of the weirdest instrumentation ever heard on a pop record – especially one that was as successful as this. Backings are by Athur Greenslade – and titles include the classic "69 Annee Erotique" and "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus", plus "Jane B", "Elisa", "Orang Outan", "Les Sucettes", and "Manon".

A great mix of glam grooves and electronics – served up with almost the same sort of gothy undercurrent you see in the title! Gina X is probably a singer more rooted in the disco/downtown modes of artists like Christina or The Waitresses – and this record definitely would have been right at home on Z Records. But some tracks also percolate with more of a Euro/electro vibe that seems to skirt punk attitude without ever picking up its aesthetics – that cool late 70s German way of dabbling in so many genres at once, yet never pledging full allegiance to any! Titles include "No GDM", "Nice Mover", "Be A Boy", "Exhibitionism", "Tropical Comic Strip", and "Black Sheep".

A great mix of glam grooves and electronics – served up with almost the same sort of gothy undercurrent you see in the title! Gina X is probably a singer more rooted in the disco/downtown modes of artists like Christina or The Waitresses – and this record definitely would have been right at home on Z Records. But some tracks also percolate with more of a Euro/electro vibe that seems to skirt punk attitude without ever picking up its aesthetics – that cool late 70s German way of dabbling in so many genres at once, yet never pledging full allegiance to any! Titles include "No GDM", "Nice Mover", "Be A Boy", "Exhibitionism", "Tropical Comic Strip", and "Black Sheep".

Fantastic electric work from the great Joe Henderson – one of his most free-wheeling sets for Milestone, and one of his best as well! The album's got a much more open, fluid groove than some of Joe's earlier electric sets – one that has Henderson working through longer tunes that almost have a Gary Bartz-ish sense of soul. Joe plays flute, soprano, tenor sax, and percussion – and also manages to do a bit of vocalizing on the record too – singing in a cool, angular mode that almost has traces of Andy Bey. Other players include Larry Willis on electric piano, echoplex, and ring modulator – plus James Ulmer and John Thomas on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Art Jenkins on percussion. There's even a slight touch of funk on a few of the tracks – but not in a way that's overdone – again in keeping with the gentler soulful mode you'd expect from Bartz. Titles include "Tress Cun Deo La", "Me Among Others", "Song for Sinners", "Bwaata", and "Turned Around".

The female member of the X Clan posse weighs in with the title track, "Face The Bass", "Great Pimpstress", "Wizard of Optics", "State of Mind" and 6 others.

Great stuff! This is the "alternate" version of Michel Legrand's great score to Les Demoiselles De Rochefort – and it's totally great all the way through! The whole thing's nice and jazzy, totally swinging, and has a groove that you don't get in some of Legrand's other work. We've been listening to this for years, and it's never dulled on us. Very groovy, very Frenchy, and very tough to find. Titles include "Chanson De Simon", "Les Rencontres", "Toujours Jamais", "De Dephine A Lancien", "Nous Voyageons De Ville en Ville", and "Marins, Amis, Amants, Ou Maris".

A great step forward for Gianmarco Liguori – an album that's got a much deeper, more texture-based sound than some of his previous work – almost an experimental ECM mode for the 21st Century! Gianmarco's sound really lives up to the "musical directions" promised on the cover – served up in a heady brew of his own guitars and electronics – with added piano and Fender Rhodes from Murray McNabb, and trumpet and percussion from Kim Paterson – all elements that are used softly, and layered heavily – so that the sounds are often abstracted far from their source – yet still retain all their musicality, and still have a bit of swing as well! Titles include "Indian Milk", "Primitive Nightmare", "Cosmic Protrusion", "Energy Wind", "Path To The Fortress", and "Duga 3".

A funky classic from Galt MacDermot! The record is Galt's score for the blacksploitation film that starred Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St Jacques – and it's a mix of vocal and instrumental tunes that takes off from the sound of his late 60s work. Melba Moore sings on a few cuts – and others have lyrics sung by George Tipton, Sakinah, Leta Galloway, and Denise Dillpena, mostly in a early 70s pop soul sort of mode. The instrumentals are actually the best bits, though – with those odd little rhythms that Galt could hit when he really wanted to! Titles include "Man In Distress", "Harlem Medley", "Black Enough", "Stockyard", "Deke", "Ed & Digger", "Coffin Ed & Gravedigger", and "Harlem By Day".

A funky classic from Galt MacDermot! The record is Galt's score for the blacksploitation film that starred Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St Jacques – and it's a mix of vocal and instrumental tunes that takes off from the sound of his late 60s work. Melba Moore sings on a few cuts – and others have lyrics sung by George Tipton, Sakinah, Leta Galloway, and Denise Dillpena, mostly in a early 70s pop soul sort of mode. The instrumentals are actually the best bits, though – with those odd little rhythms that Galt could hit when he really wanted to! Titles include "Man In Distress", "Harlem Medley", "Black Enough", "Stockyard", "Deke", "Ed & Digger", "Coffin Ed & Gravedigger", and "Harlem By Day".

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Chicago scene of the 70s – an unreleased gem from Medusa – a group who really know how to go head to head with some of the most frenetic acts of their generation! The set's got a blistering array of guitars right up front in the mix – brilliant solos that are very much in the metal mode, yet without all the posturing that usually comes along with such dexterity – a style that's often more content to hide behind the larger, darker trappings of the entire group! There's plenty of cuts on the set that would have set late night FM radio on fire at the time – plus a few more than would definitely have been too dangerous for the airwaves too – and Numero's done a wonderful job of resurrecting this lost nugget – giving it a lavish velvet-covered jacket, with the kind of presentation that no big record labels would have paid for at the time! Titles include "Strangulation", "Temptress", "Feelings Of Indifference", "Black Wizard", "Frustration's Fool", and "Unknown Fear".

A really playful little western soundtrack from Bruno Nicolai – lots of short tunes that often have isolated instrumental sounds – a bit of keyboards here, banjo there, and even some harmonica from Franco De Gemini! The tunes are usually a bit slower, and more quietly melodic than other scores of this nature – but in a way that really makes for a standout soundtrack – one that does a very careful job of creating little scenes that are almost as vivid from the instrumentation as they would be with images on the screen. CD features 26 tracks in all, all remastered – for a pretty creative soundtrack overall!

Loose, soulful and swaggering tenor sax from a pair of legends – Hal Singer and David Murray – fellows who busted boundaries for decades! On Challenge, recorded in Paris in Spring, 2010, they play great, mostly original material with passionate conviction and a a boundless sense of intutitive interplay. Singer and Murray communicate masterfully, and their excellent group includes Rasul Siddik on trumpet, Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Jaribu Shahid and the always great Hamid Drake on drums. Includes Singer's "Challenge", "Hamid's Time" and "Dreams Of Dreams", Murray's "Hong Kong Nights", "Long March To Freedom", "Stressology" and more.

A strong set from MC Substantial and fellow DMV hip hop heavy Oddisee on mixing and executive production duties – with production by Eric Lau, M-Phazes, Slopfunkdust, Street Orchestra and others. Includes "Spilled Milk", "See Her" and "The Verge" with Steph, The Sapphic Songstress, "Mr. Consistent", "Resilient", "Check My Resume" feat DJ Jav, "Make Up Sex" with Olivier Daysoul & Deacon The Villian of Cunninlynguists, "Umoja" and "Grateful" with Kenn Starr & Kokayi.

Swinging British pop tracks by two of England's loveliest ladies of the 60s – neither of which is well known as a singer, but both of whom sound pretty darn groovy here! The first 4 tracks on the CD are from a 1966 EP by Twiggy – recorded early in her fame as a model, and with some especially nice backings from Johnny Hawksworth! Twiggy's vocals are surprisingly nice – kind of sweet and light, but also with a sense of darkness that we like a lot – but the Hawksworth arrangements are what really make the album groove, as they're filled with the weird touches we've come to love over the years in Johnny's own instrumental work. Twiggy tracks include "When I Think Of You", "Beautiful Dreams", "Over & Over", and "I Need Your Hand In Mine". Linda Thorson's probably best known as the actress who followed Diana Rigg's run on The Avengers, but here she emerges as a groovy little singer in her own right – working in late 60s Brit female modes that clearly borrow from Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, and others – and which actually have some surprising soul-based touches as the set rolls on. And while we're not about to say that Linda's vocals are as strong as Dusty or Sandie's, we can say that the album's thoughtful arrangements from Kenny Lynch keeps things on very solid footing – pushing the tunes forward with a mixture of baroque, mod, and swinging styles that should have gotten Thorson another date or two in the studio. Titles include "Here I Am", "Better Than Losing You", "Wishful Thinking", "Pick Up My Heart", "You Will Want Me", and "Bad Time To Stop Loving Me".

Cool quirky post-punk work from The Waitresses – a group who maybe were never as big as Blondie or Romeo Void, but shared a very similar space at the time! This album's best known for the classic "I Know What Boys Want" – a naughty little number that got plenty of dancefloor and radio play back in the day – but the whole album's an equally enjoyable romp, with lots of jagged guitars, sharp-edged rhythms, and cool snot-nosed vocals from Patty Donahue! Mars Williams blows some mighty reeds in the group – and titles include "I Know What Boys Want", "Wise Up", "It's My Car", "No Guilt", "Heat Night", and "Go On".

A brilliant batch of NuSoul tracks from Jimi Tenor's very talented wife! Jimi's been trying to hit a soulful note for years – but he never really got it right until he hooked up with Nicole Willis, a sweet voiced soulstress with a classic approach to a lyric, crafted here alongside some very compelling arrangements produced with Jimi and Maurice Fulton. The album's got all the icy soul of Jimi's own work, but opens up wonderfully thanks to Nicole's wonderfully warm vocals – creating a mix of styles that pushes past expectations you'd have from any new work, either electronica or NuSoul. Titles include "Siesta", "Curiosity", "Bliss Of Life", "Heed The Sign", "I'm Not Going", "All The Time", "Dinosauri", and "Xibeca".

Deep soul from deep in Louisiana – a killer collection of work from the great and overlooked Tommie Young! Tommie only cut a handful of singles and one full album for the small Soul Power offshoot of Jewel Records – but those tracks have earned her a place in our hearts for years – work to rival the indie greatness of contemporaries like Betty Lavette, Betty Harris, or Ann Sexton, with a similar strength of quality that always has us wondering why Young never struck it bigger at the time! The set's a perfect collection of female soul numbers – some of them funky, some of them more laidback and with a really heartbreaking sound – a perfect introduction to Tommie's genius, with cuts that include "Everybody's Got A Little Devil In Their Soul", "That's How Strong My Love Is", "Midsummer Dream", "You Brought It All On Yourself", "That's All A Part Of Loving Him", "She Don't Have To See You", "Get Out Of My Life", and "You Can't Have Your Cake & Eat It Too".

15 years of music from the Syliphone label – a key factor in the musical shift during Guinea's first few decades of independence – and home to the new "authenticite" policy of merging older roots and modern musical touches! The styles here are a great overview of the best sounds in Guinea during this period – played by a host of national orchestras on the scene – some well-known from other reissue collections, some reaching our ears for the first time here. There's a nicely complicated style to some of the music here, especially as the tracks move into the 70s – with horn passages that are particularly great, often with odd notes and a very other-worldy sound – cast out alongside more straightforward rhythms on percussion and guitar. Many numbers have vocals, but the instrumental passages get almost equal prominence even in these tunes – and the 2CD set features a beautiful 44 page booklet with wonderful notes on the music! 28 tracks in all – including "Soumba" by Kebendo Jazz, "Diaraby" by Balla Et Ses Balladins, "Soundiata" by Keletigui Et Ses Tambourinis, "Koukou Befo" by Orchestre De Beyla, "PDG" by Orchestre Du Jardin De Guinee, "Nana" by Soumbory Jazz, "Were Were" by Horoya Band, "Zimai" by Palm Jazz, "Fabara" by Syli Authentic, "Ziko" by Nimba Jazz, and "Festival" by Le Simandou De Beyla.

A different groove than usual from Keb Darge – not the deep funk we're used to seeing associated with his name, but a killer selection of rare R&B and rockabilly work – co-compiled here with Cut Chemist! Turns out both Keb and Chemist are longtime fans and collectors of the genres, and they really know their stuff – digging here as deep into 50s material as they might usually do with 60s and 70s soul and funk. But even without the high-end collector pedigree, the set's a great one – way more than just obvious older numbers – and filled with ultra-rare tracks that are as hard-grooving and gritty as they are obscure! As with other BBE compilations, the sound here is great – a very welcome antidote to all the dodgy rockabilly sets on the market – and Keb also includes some great liner notes too, offering up a unique London perspective on these older American sounds. 2LP set features a whopping 37 tracks in all – including "All I Can Do Is Cry" by Wayne Walker, "Chick Chick" by Junior Dean & The Avalons, "Cottonpickin" by Mickey Hawks & The Night Raiders, "Stressed Up" by Kick Em Jenny, "Juicy Fruit" by Rudy Greene, "Sadie Green" by Big T Tyler, "Stampede" by The Scarlets, "Fever" by Carlos & The Bandidos, "Shorty The Barber" by Lou Millet, "That'll Get It" by The Imps, "Long Time Dead" by Jack Rabbit Slim, "Don't Have A Heart Left To Break" by High Noon, and "Hot Dog" by Corky Jones.

Ho! This one takes us back! We're not as old as you might think here at Dusty Groove, but we're old enough to remember that wonderful period in the early 80s when somewhere on the lower east side, the energy and rawness of punk and post punk were meeting up with the glamour of the glitzed up disco club scene. ZE records was all over the scene, releasing the finest mutated disco from arch scenesters like August Darnell and the not-yet-heavyweight producer Don Was to other greats who might sadly have become sidebars in the history of modern music if not for this compilation, like Lizzy Mercer Descloux and Cristina. Each and every track grooves along with an unstoppable energy, whether it's Kid Creole's sophisticated Latin-esque numbers, Garcons' bubbling synths or Was (Not Was)'s faux R&B. 25 tracks in all, spread out over 2 CDs, with excellent retrospective notes and a nice fold out digipack! Includes: Was(Not Was) "Wheel Me Out" & "Tell Me That I'm Dreaming", Material with Nona Hendryx "Bustin' Out", Kid Creole & The Coconuts "Annie I'm Not Your Daddy" & "I'm A Wonderful Thing Baby", Coati Mundi "Que Pasa/Me No Pop I", James White & The Blacks "Contort Yourself", The Aural Exciters "Emile" & "Spooks In Space", Gichy Dan "Cowboys & Gangsters", Don Armando's 2nd Ave Rhumba Band "Deputy Of Love" plus loads more from Garcons, The Waitresses, Lizzy Mercer Descloux and others!

A great funky 45 collection! The set's a brilliant package from the crate-digging funk-searching team at Now Again – and features repressings of 7 rare funk singles, all with the original label, packaged into a cool box that comes with an oversized booklet that contains information on all the artists, and some very cool vintage photos! The whole thing's tremendous – a funk compilation to beat Funky 16 Corners set from Stones Thrown, and packaged in a way that vinyl-digging funk hounds can really appreciate it! Titles include "Dap Walk" and "Things Are Better" by Ernie & The Top Notes, "Popcorn 69" and "Sissy Walk" by Billy Ball & The Upsetters, "Mr Chicken" and "The Cissy's Thang" by Soul Seven, "Heart N Soul" and "Maxi Midi" by Booker T Averheart, "Trespasser (parts 1 & 2)" by Bad Medicine, "Funky Soul Music (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul Commanders, and "I've Got To Find A Way" and "The Dump" by Soul Vibrations.

An excellent compilation of raw Memphis soul – from one of the rarest singers on the famous Hi Records label! In the years before Hi Records had big hits with singers like Al Green and Ann Peebles, and when they were still mostly messing around with pop instrumental tunes, the label was fortunate enough to have the talents of the great singer Don Bryant – a rich-voiced southern singer with a mix of styles who could easily slip into the styles of singers like Tyrone Davis, Otis Redding, Johnny Taylor, and Wilson Pickett. Bryant cut a number of singles for Hi, plus one album entitled Precious Soul – and all his released work is contained here, as well as a number of rare demos, unissued tracks, and titles cut as duets with singer Marion Brittnam. The massive 52 track set is a key glimpse at the career of this underrecognized talent – and the 2CDs worth of material span nearly 10 years of Bryant's work. Titles include "It's So Hard To Put You Down", "Slip Away", "She's Lookin Good", "You're A Wonderful One", "Did You Ever Have The Blues", "The Call Of Distress", "My Baby", "Star Of Love", "You Cause Me To Wonder", "It's So Lonely Being Me", and "What Are You Doing To My World?".

Marianne Faithfull was a key link between the older 60s British female singers – like Petula Clark, Cilla Black, and Sandy Shaw – and some of the hipper 70s songstresses to come – and that link was never more apparent than on this album, a sweet batch of 60s pop covers, done by Marianne in her unique vocal style! Backings are by Mike Leander, who makes the tunes groove with a mixture of pop, rock, and folksy touches – and titles include "Our Love Has Gone", "Don't Make Promises You Can't Keep", "This Little Bird", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "Counting", "Coquillage", and "Reason To Believe".

A landmark collaboration between Serge Gainsbourg and actress Jane Birkin – his paramour at the time, and a much younger woman! This album is perhaps the archetypal Gainsbourg erotic effort – and it's filled with wonderful duets set to breathy, bouncy orchestrations – tunes that forged a whole new "adult" level in pop music – not just in France, but around the globe! The arrangements are amazing, and feature some of the weirdest instrumentation ever heard on a pop record – especially one that was as successful as this – and titles include the classic "69 Annee Erotique", plus"Jane B", "Elisa", "Orang Outan", "Les Sucettes", and "Manon".

Jerry Goldsmith serves up some great bold sounds for this dramatic western with Charles Bronson – music that uses a striking horn passage in the lead and some deft rhythms at the bottom – really pushing the action forward with a nice degree of intensity! Yet the approach is also never too overdone or prone to cheesy drama – as Goldsmith hits a perfect balance that keeps things compelling throughout – sometimes through the use of odd tones and sounds that add a nicely unsettling feel. Titles include "Here They Come", "A New Friend", "Free Ride/Hot Stove", "The Trestle", "Who Are You", "No Word Yet", and "Last Battle". CD adds in a film version of "Here They Come", an alternate mix of the "End Credits", and the track "Four Styles".

A Shirley Booth double-header – two obscure films that star the mostly-TV actress, both with mighty nice soundtracks! First up is Hot Spell, a great soundtrack from Alex North – done with all the subtle drama and spare intensity he brought to his more famous work at the time – surprisingly wonderful music that's as vivid sonically as the performances from Booth and Shirley MacLaine in the film! There's almost an Elmer Bernstein sensibility to the music at times – a "hot" heat that you can really feel, especially on some of the more urban jazzy passages. Titles include "The Lonely Woman", "We Never Close", "News About Jack", "Jack Leaves", "The Truth Hurts", and "Memories Fade". The Matchmaker is a bit more whimsical overall – scored by Adolph Deutsch in the manner of some of his famous comedy soundtracks of the early 60s – with lots of nice twists and turns in the melodies, and playful instrumentation within the larger orchestra that really helps the more humorous screen moments stand out. Titles include "Something Rotten In Yonkers", "The Matchmaker Polka", "Flirtation", "Bad Weather/Run For Cover", and "Discord In Harmonia Gardens".

One of the many obscure albums of material by The Ohio Players – material that was recorded in the late 60's by Capitol, but frequently repackaged and retitled in the early 70's to cash in on the big hit status of the band. The band has elements of their funky 70s style on Westbound – but also sounds a bit rougher, with arrangements and playing that have a hard edge, and a slight southern touch. There's a lot of originals, like "A Thing Called Love", "Tell Me Why", "It's A Cryin Shame", and "Trespassin". Also includes the weird version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" that was played at Judy Garland's funeral!

Tracks include "Check The Rhime", "Bonita Applebum", "Award Tour", "Can I Kick It?", "Scenario", "Buggin' Out", "If The Papes Come", "Electric Relaxation", "Jazz (We've Got)", "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo", "Hot Sex", "Oh My God", "Stressed Out", "Luck Of Lucien", "Description Of A Fool", "Keeping It Moving", "Find A Way", "Sucka Ni**a", and "Vivrant Thing".

Tracks include "Check The Rhime", "Bonita Applebum", "Award Tour", "Can I Kick It?", "Scenario", "Buggin' Out", "If The Papes Come", "Electric Relaxation", "Jazz (We've Got)", "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo", "Hot Sex", "Oh My God", "Stressed Out", "Luck Of Lucien", "Description Of A Fool", "Keeping It Moving", "Find A Way", "Sucka Ni**a", and "Vivrant Thing".

Beats, Rhymes & Life – crucial aspects of Tribe Called Quest and hip hop in general – and the fourth album by the inimitable Tribe! After a couple or three years of down time following Midnight Marauders, the Tribe returned with this extra stripped down sound, collaborating with Jay Dee and the Ummah. Titles include "Jam", the r&b crossover ready "Stressed Out" feat Faith Evans, "Motivators", the great "Phony Rappers", and "Keep It Moving", "Word Play", "The Pressure", "Word Play" and much more.

Beautifully spiritual jazz from the post-Coltrane generation – a wealth of righteous grooves from the early 70s – brought together in one mighty collection! If you dig the work of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and other giants on Impulse Records, this is a great way to dig even deeper – and hear the way their late 60s legacy inspired other musicians to new heights in their own music – sounds that hit a new level of freedom in jazz, yet which are still filled with enough swing and soul to avoid some of the more avant modes of the free jazz scene! If that description sounds a bit obtuse, then just plug into the collection, and let the music do its thing – as it's got a very powerful vibe throughout – the kind of inspirational, socially conscious work that flourished best during the 70s – and which is finally getting its due all these many years later. The package is new territory for Ace/BGP, but they've done a great job as usual – picking key tracks from the era, and coming up with detailed notes on each of the long tracks. Titles include "Free Angela" by Bayete, "Bridge Into The New Age" by Azar Lawrence, "Tress Cun De O La" by Joe Henderson, "Ebony Queen" by McCoy Tyner, "Peace" by Idris Muhammad, "Mother Of The Future" by Norman Connors, "Brown Warm & Wintry" by Jack DeJohnette, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, and "Fire" by Joe Henderson & Alice Coltrane.

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

The groundbreaking hip hop culture magazine may be long gone, but the endearingly cynical, satirical, bitter yet undeniably realistic voice of Sacha Jenkins and Ego Trip contributers and collaborators is alive and well in their Big Book Of Racism! Chapters include "Disgracism", "Get Ur Race On", "Embracism", "Da Yellow Pages", "Lights, Camera, Affirmative Action", and many, many more. Some of the stories, photos, and articles here were pulled from the defunct mag, but the majority are brand spankin' new for this volume – a great sign that Jenkins and co. will be around for a long, long time! You pretty much know what you are in for with the intro, "Due to our strong personal convictions, we wish to stress that this book in no way endorses a belief in racism. We just hate everybody." Great, biting stuff. Paperback, 304 pages. Highly recommended!

A rare one from singer Maria Monti – a cool little batch of Italian avant folk from the singer and actress – with spacious, kind of eerily pastoral arrangements (if that's even possible. . .this comes close if not) by Alvin Curran and the players include soprano sax great Steve Lacy! The songs alternate between spare post-psych weirdness and some leftfield jazzier ones – and that's where Lacy comes in. Monti's vocals actually banter with Lacy's sax on some passages, which is pretty amazing! Titles include "Il Pavone", "Dove", "No No No No", "Lo Zoo", "Il Letargo", "I Camaleonti", "Aria, Terra, Acqua E Fuoco" and more.