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Forget the "funk" in this album – because the best bits are the mellow ones! Crème D'Cocoa are one of those groups pushing slick bass-heavy funk when they should stick to the mellower cuts – which they do nicely on this album, in a smooth male/female harmony style that has a bit of a quiet storm feel to it. The funkier cuts are really just uptempo club numbers, not really that strong, but pleasant enough in kind of a shouting catchy chorus sort of way. Titles include "Baby, Don't You Know", "Leading Lady", "Mr Me, Mrs You", "Sweet Dream Lady", "I Don't Wanna Be Lonely", and "Do What You Feel".

A sweet and smooth batch of modern soul tracks – arranged and produced by Tony Camillo, and the only album we've ever seen by this obscure east coast group! The set's got a really nice jazzy flourish – part New York club, part mellow studio soul – and the overall presentation of the set is wonderful, with a solid sound that's right up there with the big name groups of the time. Plenty of great instrumental touches in the mix – popping along on an uptempo groove on cuts like "Doin' The Dog", "Nasty Street", and "Gimme Your Love" – and bubbling in a sweet mellow vibe on tracks that include "Mr. Me, Mrs. You", "I Don't Ever Wanna Love Nobody But You", and "I Will Never Stop Lovin' You". Very nice!

A great little record from this little-known singer! The record was recorded in New Jersey with arrangements by Tony Camillo, but the sound often has strong echoes of the south – not in a gritty way, but in the warmer, more sophisticated modes that were creeping into southern soul at the end of the 70s. The blend of Camillo's full east cost leanings and some of these rootsier elements gives the record a nice degree of depth – and titles include "If You Want It You Got It", "Choking Kind", "Need To Be", "Pain In My Heart Medley", "Expressway To Your Heart", "Love To Be Your Woman", and "Love Me For What I Am".

Featuring Karen Braxton.

One of the few albums ever cut as a lead act by Sandra Feva – a wonderful singer who worked behind Aretha Franklin for years, but who's a hell of a standout talent on her own! The set was arranged and produced by Tony Camillo, but it's got a much more laidback feel than some of Tony's other work – less of the club elements, and more of the deeper soul that you'd expect from Sandra's resume – a perfect setting for her to spin out in some southern-styled vocals, but with the maturing quality that was coming into that scene at the end of the 70s. The balance is great, and really makes the album a fresh one – hardly the usual soul set from the time, and a record that really holds up over the years! Titles include "Tell Em That I Heard It", "Leaving This Time", "Just To Be Close To You", "Betcha", "Here Now", "Who's Making Love", and "Let The Roses Die".

A beautiful little soundtrack for this late John Wayne western – scored by Elmer Bernstein in a wonderfully expressive way – with a quality that goes way past the usual entries in the genre! There's almost a slight undercurrent of sentimentality to the music – not in a cloying way, but with a quality that seems to reference the entire history of the western with sensitive ears – in a way that the film almost seems to do with its story, as well – carrying things forward without too much drama, but this subtle depth that really makes the music special! The recording quality is excellent, and Bernstein's scoring shows some instrumental modernity he wouldn't have had a few years before – complex use of subtle elements that really comes through in the production. Titles include "Born To Hang", "Necktie Party", "Smoke", "New Money", "Surrounded", "Thickening Plot", "Billy Joe", "Train", and "Venture".

A cooker of a record from Lester Bowie – one that takes the earlier sound of the Brass Fantasy ensemble, and focuses it into a mode that shows his growing love of soul and funk! The set was issued on the the short-lived Venture imprint of Virgin – a surprisingly strong outlook for creative projects like this – and the vibe's quite different than the Brass Fantasy records cut for ECM – with almost a bit more soul at the bottom, and a compact sort of energy that really sends the ideas home. Players include Bowie, Stanton Davis, Malachi Thompson, and Sasul Siddik on trumpets – plus Steve Turre and Frank Lacy on trombones, Vincent Chancey on French horn, Bob Stewart on tuba, and Phil Wilson on drums. Titles include a surprisingly great remake of "Thriller" – plus "Vibe Waltz", "I Am With You", "Duke's Fantasy", "Personality", and "Twilight Dreams".

One of our favorite Ulmer records, probably because there's a nice groove running underneath most of the numbers, in a sort of post-Prime Time 80s out-funk sort of way. It never drops into a flat out back beat, but there's always some sense of time, while Ulmer's guitar and Charles Burnham's violin venture to and fro. The group is just a trio, and there's not too much of Blood's vocalizing going on on the eight pieces, which include "Little Red House", "Are you Glad To Be In America", "Election" and "Odyssey".

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".

A smoker from this hip Chicago trumpeter – quite possibly his best album to date, and a record that sparkles with original compositions from Whitted! All tracks are by Pharez, and they're warmly presented by a great group that also included Eddie Bayard on tenor and soprano sax, Bobby Broom on guitar, Ron Perrillo on piano and Fender Rhodes, Dennis Carroll on bass, and the kicking Greg Artry on drums – a player whose energy here really snaps into a great groove. The set's a great example of the soulful straighter jazz going on in Chicago – a whole world of music that's often not as exposed to the world as the city's avant scene, but which is equally impressive. Titles include "Sad Eyes", "Freedom Song", "Another Kinda Blues", "Watusi Boogaloo", "If They Could Only See", and "Venture".

A real stroke of genius from pianist Andrew Hill – and a surprising one too! After an initial legacy of groundbreaking experimental sides for Blue Note, Hill returns to his "grass roots" on this excellent session of straight ahead, fairly funky, soul jazz piano tunes! In the notes, Hill claims a desire to get back to the people – and in a really unusual turn, he shakes off his previous modernist trappings and goes for territory that's much more in the mode of Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, or Hank Mobley on Blue Note! Yet despite this turn, and amidst some more conventional arrangements, Andrew's work on piano is still quite dark and moody – filled with beautiful clashing lines and haunting off-beat changes that open up the session way more than you'd expect! Booker Ervin joins in on tenor – on what would become one of his last recordings – and the rest of the group includes Lee Morgan, Ron Carter, and Freddie Waits – all plenty darn hip players who really get the unusual balance of soul jazz and modernism that Hill's going for here! Tracks include "Mira", "Bayou Red", "Venture Inward", "Grass Roots", and "Soul Special".

A smoker from this hip Chicago trumpeter – quite possibly his best album to date, and a record that sparkles with original compositions from Whitted! All tracks are by Pharez, and they're warmly presented by a great group that also included Eddie Bayard on tenor and soprano sax, Bobby Broom on guitar, Ron Perrillo on piano and Fender Rhodes, Dennis Carroll on bass, and the kicking Greg Artry on drums – a player whose energy here really snaps into a great groove. The set's a great example of the soulful straighter jazz going on in Chicago – a whole world of music that's often not as exposed to the world as the city's avant scene, but which is equally impressive. Titles include "Sad Eyes", "Freedom Song", "Another Kinda Blues", "Watusi Boogaloo", "If They Could Only See", and "Venture".

The Ventures were one of the great, mostly instrumental rock combos that paved the way for the surf rock trend to follow – so when it was time to craft an actual surf rock LP, you should well know that they were gonna make a great one! In many cases, groups with the chops of The Ventures would sound overly-mannered when cutting a surf record, but not The Ventures! They play with the energy and youthful abandon necessary to set the tone. Speaking of tone, the overall sound is as fantastic as usual here. Killer! Includes "Pipeline", "Diamonds", "Windy And Warm", "Ten Over", "Changing Tides", "Barefoot Venture", "Cruncher", "The Lonely Sea" and more.

A pretty darn great record from Brazilian singer and guitarist Nelson Angelo – an artist we haven't heard from since his early 70s album with Joyce! Angelo clearly hasn't missed a beat in the time that's gone by – and he's working here in a compelling mode that blends small combo instrumentation with adventurous songwriting – but which also has lots of jazzy touches in the phrasing of the vocals and instruments. There's a lightly breezy feel to some of the best tracks – reminding us almost of early Ivan Lins at his best – but the album also has a more personal approach that comes through in most of Angelo's original compositions. Titles include "Lingerinho", "Caterete", "Delirios Do Mar", "Radio Universe Pedal", "Vera's Frevo", and "Trombone".

A mid 60s spy soundtrack by Luis Bacalov – and a mighty one it is! OSS-77 Operazione Fior Di Loto has sequences ranging from a heavy, dramatic sweep, to strings & keys-spun tension, loungey jazz, eerie organ, bits of bossa and beyond – in other words, a pitch perfect and full scale Euro espionage adventure soundtrack! Fine, fine work from soundtrack master Bacalov! Include the opening and closing themes, with 20 sequences on the title "Oss-77 Operazione Fior Di Loto" in between.

A wild debut from Blood Sweat & Tears – one of those records that forever changed the face of popular music! The set's noteworthy not just for early vocals from Al Kooper – who was a key part of the group at their start – but also for key production work from a young John Simon – who helped arrange a bit, threw in a few musical touches, and really gave the group some focus on record – of the sort that would continue over the course of man albums. The set's got some added strings at points, and there's even some backup vocals from the duo of Valerie Simpson and Melba Moore. Titles include "Overture", "I Can't Quit Her", "Just One Smile", "Without Her", "My Days Are Numbered", "Morning Glory", and "So Much Love/Underture". CD features bonus tracks – "Refugee From Yuhupitz", plus demo versions of "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and "The Modern Adventures Of Plato Diogenes & Freud".

A Christmas jazz album – even though you might not guess it from the title and cover – and one that really takes a fresh approach to a wide range of Holiday classics! Guitarist Craig Brann isn't content to simply rehash old melodies – and instead really steps out with creative jazz reworkings of these classic tunes – re-arranging almost all of them with a fresh sense of rhythms, and some angular energy that makes them all a lot more striking than most familiar versions! Tunes are short, but get in plenty of creative changes – and in addition to Brann's guitar, the set also features tenor and alto from Gregory Tardy, piano from Joel Weiskopf, and alto from Nicholas Kozak. Maybe the most openly creative Christmas jazz album since God Rest Ye Merry Jazzmen – with titles that include "We Three Kings", "Angels We Have Heard On High", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", "Hark The Herald", "Little Drummer Boy", and "Joy To The World".

An excellent session for BYG! Anthony Braxton is recorded here with a number of other Chicago AACM players, including Steve McCall, Leroy Jenkins, and Leo Smith. The instrumentation includes an amazing range of oddball sound sources, including Hohner Organ, sirens, logs, mouth organ, sound machine, and chimes, and the set's played with all the sense of humor and adventure you'd expect from some of the young AACM players. The record begins with the extended "Composition No 1", which is a fairly free piece; then it moves into a nice solo by Braxton, and then a set of "small compositions", which have some excellent horn interplay between Braxton and Smith. The LP ends with a cool spoken piece by Braxton called "This Time...". Wild stuff, and a great record from his early period.

Titles include "All Messed Up", "Jenning's Alley", "I Thought It Was Over"," Don't Bother Me", and "Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained".

A mixture of folksy and jazzy vocals from singer Susan Carter – part of the Laurel Canyon scene of the late 60s! Although Susan was one of the "Ladies Of The Canyon", she's got a sound here that's much more wider-ranging than that of Joni Mitchell – a unique mixture of jazz and rock influences that come across with a different sound on nearly every track on the set. The arranger for the album is Dick Halligan, who we've never heard of before – but who should get a lot of credit for the way that he mixes together odd phrasings and timings to match the shifting styles of Susan's vocals. Titles include "I'm So Tired", "I Need A Good Man Bad", "Medley For Billie Holiday", "Bluebird", and "Jam Session".

Phase 4 ventures into nautically themed territory, and then casts the limelight on theater tunes on this two-fer reissue from Frank Chacksfield. The orchestra lays out smooth, string and brass laden arrangements of popular numbers with water themes, then reprises famous show tunes with a similar approach. 33 numbers in all, including "Ebb Tide", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "Stranger On The Shore", "Moon River", "Limelight", "In The Still Of The Night", "Smile", "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and "Here I Am".

One of the first great adventure strips of the 30s – presented here in a beautiful oversize volume! Roy Crane's artwork on Captain Easy is tremendous – a magnificently thin line at times, yet full of rich feeling that's augmented by the coloring of the strip – often almost water-color like, with echoes of Frank King's Sunday strips – and set up in these really inventive panel breakdowns that really shift from the usual grid style of the time! The blend almost makes the whole thing feel like an action-based take on the Sunday page style of Gasoline Alley or Polly & Her Pals from the 20s – with all the wonderful images and over-the-top graphic quality that might imply. 128 pages, full color, and in these cool heavy cardboard covers!

One of the first great adventure strips of the 30s – presented here in a beautiful oversize volume! Roy Crane's artwork on Captain Easy is tremendous – a magnificently thin line at times, yet full of rich feeling that's augmented by the coloring of the strip – often almost water-color like, with echoes of Frank King's Sunday strips – and set up in these really inventive panel breakdowns that really shift from the usual grid style of the time! The blend almost makes the whole thing feel like an action-based take on the Sunday page style of Gasoline Alley or Polly & Her Pals from the 20s – with all the wonderful images and over-the-top graphic quality that might imply. 140 pages, full color, and in these cool heavy cardboard covers!

An obscure but excellent session – recorded at the end of the 70s with some of the best players in the New York salsa underground! The music is extremely vibrant – and the styles of the tracks range from hard Afro-Cuban percussion grooving to tight Latin jazz in a classic mode – with instrumentation that ranges from pachanga-styled flute and violin, to some harder-jamming grooves with a lot more piano in the lead. Production has that raw, but clear sound that we love so much in the Latin Percussion albums of the time – a groove that's very different than that of Fania or Tico – and Sonny Bravo plays piano, Rene Lopez is on trumpet, Nicky Marrera is on timbales, Dick Meza plays flute, Eddie Montalvo plays conga, and Mario Rivera is on saxes. Includes great Latin Jazz versions of "Tune Up", "Manteca", and "April In Paris" – plus "Jo Ca Nic", "Son De La Loma", and "Konkoina".

Groovy stuff! The album features Johnny Dankworth's fab score for Modesty Blaise – the sexy slinky British queen of international adventure, played by Monica Vitti in the 1966 film. The soundtrack's got some great jazzy numbers, a few variations on the theme, and some weird groovy tracks that feature some odd instrumental turns. Titles include "Modesty Blaise", "Moods Of Modesty", "More Moods Of Modesty", "Modesty & Willie Escape", "Canal Trip", "At The Doll's House", "The Shiek To The Rescue", and "Ice Is Nice", with vocals by Bob Breen!

A pair of action soundtracks from Georges Delerue – both mighty darn nice! Cent Mille Dollars Au Soleil is from a cool early 60s thriller with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Lino Ventura – done by Delerue with music as bold as the action in the story, but balanced out nicely with some leaner, more evocative passages that hint at the direction Georges would take in years to come. The main theme recurs often, creating a nice sense of elliptical energy in the music – and tracks include "Quartier Arabe", "Mitch Mitch", "L'Enlisement", "Une Nuit Marocaine", and "L'Appel Du Desert". Next is a film from 20 years later – Les Morfalous – but also starring Belmondo, and scored by Delerue with surprisingly subtle touches – far less of the schlocky electronic music that was often used in other 80s thrillers. A few tunes are a somewhat bold, but mostly the style is spare and tense – orchestrations held back to a minimum, and some nice accordion lines that step out gingerly to feel the space of the music. Titles include "Objectif GMC", "C'Est L'Aventure", "Helene", "Piege Au Cimetiere", and "Les Morfalous".

Two great soundtracks by Georges Delerue – both penned for Jean-Paul Belmondo films of the mid 60s! Les Tribulations D'Un Chinois En Chine has a really great style that mixes fake "Chinese" themes with more playful orchestrations – all in a mood that really fits that lightly comedic action of the movie, and which has an extremely evocative feel, even away from the screen! Strings are often arranged in playful ways, and mixed with odd woodwinds – not really authentically Chinese, but that's the appeal! L'Homme De Rio has a stronger Brazilian feel, as you might expect – one that's got bits of batucada, elements of bossa orchestrations, and some of the bolder, more dramatic moments we've come to expect from Delerue! The whole package is great, with lots of images from the films, and notes in both English and French – and a total of 24 tracks that include "Bowling Bresilien", "Batucada/Rapt Au Trocadero", "A La Poursuite De Catalan", "Quelle Adventure", "Mister Goh", "Hong Kong", "Poursuite En Ballon", "Suzy Et Cornelius", and "Choinoiseries" – plus 2 bonus tracks, "Alexandrine Pour Alexandra" and "Amazone".

The third and perhaps best album yet for Swiss beatcrafter and all around soundscape adventurer Dimlite! To date, Dimlite has colored from as broad of a sonic palette as just about anyone in the contemporary electronic scene – taking cues from classic art rock and experimental pop, psych and jazz, the sound that's not easy to pin down or predict where it will go next. It's also insistently engaging at all times, and feels purposefully hypnotic from for first second of each track. The beats are pretty heavy for the most part, too, often surround by bubbling synth and thick bass for a something of a future funk vibe. Includes "You Very Rich Believer", "Pour Some Blood, We Got This", "Blur, Blur, Blur, Blur, Blur", "Healing A Random Tyrant", "New, Better Pain", "Yes, Welcome", "Than Them", "Fridge Note", "One Of Uh Infinity's Countless Uh Tiny Cycles", "Heroine Roof" and more.

One of the nicest albums that Ferrante & Teicher cut for United Artists! The record has bits of prepared piano over exotic backings – perhaps not as crazy as some of their albums for Westminster, but still with some good off-beat touches that make the album one of the few that's really worth seeking out by them. Plus, the Exotica arrangements give the piano pair a different sound than usual – a bit less staid, with a pretty nice batch pad groove. Titles include "Taboo", "Shangri La", "Moon Of Manakoora", "Negligee", "Jungle Drums", and "Adventures In Paradise".

A crazy exploitation genre fusion in the Emanuelle series – in which the globe trotting erotic adventurer winds up in situations with the world's last Amazonian cannibals – an anything goes entry in 70s sleazy cinema scored with some of the funkiest music we've ever heard from Italian film composer Nico Fidenco! The movie's settings range from mid-to-late 70s NYC to the Amazon, and the music is tailored to suit – with sultry disco funk theme with female English vocals with hand percussion hinting at the, uh, action to come – to airier, earthier numbers with acoustic instrumentation and flute. Wild, sensual stuff with surprisingly funky touches! Variations on that funky number "Make Love On The Wing" evolve throughout the 30 track set, with other titles including "The Dark Side Of The Soul", Cannibals In Pursuit", "Cannibals At Work", "Cannithrill", "Wild Nightmare", "Technocannibal", "The Meal Is Over" and more.

A cool 60s Capitol psych album – with organ from Tony Scott and flute from Paris Sheppard – and nice long tracks that include "I Just Thought Of The Moon", "The House Of Saturn", and "The Happening".

A long spoken set, produced by Pepsi, with a style that's kind of like a radio show – narration, plus sound effects, and some dramatized passages as well. The whole thing's a bit hokey and dated – but that's also part of its charm.

A beautiful collection of early 30s newspaper strips penned by Floyd Gottfredson – early daily comics starring Mickey Mouse, but offering up a very different version of the character than on the screen! The format does a great job of tying Mickey to some of the other comic stars of the time – and as many of these strips are in a longer-form narrative mode, with as much adventure as humor, there's more parallels here to strips like The Gumps, Gasoline Alley, and Thimble Theater than you might expect. Gottfredson's line work is wonderful – clean and lean, with that edgey early version of Mickey that disappeared later on – presented here in sparkling black and white, in a hardcover volume that's almost 300 pages in length!

A beautiful collection of early 30s newspaper strips penned by Floyd Gottfredson – early daily comics starring Mickey Mouse, but offering up a very different version of the character than on the screen! The format does a great job of tying Mickey to some of the other comic stars of the time – and as many of these strips are in a longer-form narrative mode, with as much adventure as humor, there's more parallels here to strips like The Gumps, Gasoline Alley, and Thimble Theater than you might expect. Gottfredson's line work is wonderful – clean and lean, with that edgey early version of Mickey that disappeared later on – presented here in sparkling black and white, in a hardcover volume that's almost 300 pages in length! Also features bonus essays – and some color material too.

A Sugar Hill party in one sweet little package – 2CDs worth of music that features some of the biggest hits from the Grandmaster Flash generation, plus a few surprising bits from later years too! The package features a whopping 23 tracks in all – one disc that mostly hovers around the early Sugar Hill years, and another that takes off a bit in different directions. Cuts include "Freedom", "New York New York", "Scorpio", "The Message", "It's Nasty", and "Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five; "Internationally Known", "We Don't Work For Free", and "Beat Street" by Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five; "Showdown" by Furious Five Meets Sugarhill Gang, "Flash To The Beat" by Grandmaster Flash, "Message II" by Melle Mel & Duke Bootee, "White Lines" by Grandmaster & Melle Mel, "World War III" by Melle Mel, "Step Off" by The Furious Five, "Sign Of The Times" and "Vice" by Grandmaster Flash.

A soaring set of solo piano from Weber Iago – music that bubbles and flows with a beautifully spontaneous quality – almost in the mode of a lost ECM session from the 70, but with all the warmth we've come to love from the Adventure Music label! The set may well be the best so far in the label's piano masters series – and presents Weber Iago at a level that's wonderfully compelling – spinning out these original tunes that are filled with deft changes and surprising angles, yet which always have a sense of soulful color and personal timing that really keeps things from getting overindulgent. Titles include "Stairway To Us", "It Dawned On Me", "Mirrors", "From I To Z", "Carmela", and "Happiness Is A Choice".

A soaring set of solo piano from Weber Iago – music that bubbles and flows with a beautifully spontaneous quality – almost in the mode of a lost ECM session from the 70, but with all the warmth we've come to love from the Adventure Music label! The set may well be the best so far in the label's piano masters series – and presents Weber Iago at a level that's wonderfully compelling – spinning out these original tunes that are filled with deft changes and surprising angles, yet which always have a sense of soulful color and personal timing that really keeps things from getting overindulgent. Titles include "Stairway To Us", "It Dawned On Me", "Mirrors", "From I To Z", "Carmela", and "Happiness Is A Choice".

A rare groover from the team of Ray Brown and Quincy Jones – a smoking little set that completely revises the music for The Adventurers! The original score for the film featured tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, played by Deodato – a great combination at the time, but completely different than the heavy funk laid out here by Ray and Quincy! The pair really cook things up strongly here – hitting some of the best funky vibes you'd hear on Quincy Jones scores from the late 60s and early 70s – or some of Ray Brown's funkiest jazz sessions of the time. Brown leads the band, and the set's produced by Quincy – who also arranged some tracks – with help from JJ Johnson, Tom Scott, and Jimmy Jones too. Titles include "Fat Cat Strut", "Polo Pony", "El Lobo's Marc", "Wishful Thinking", "Love Theme From The Adventurers", and "Go Down Dying".

A killer set of percussion-heavy Latin jazz tracks – one that brings together two different generations of Latin Jazz, working here in a stripped-down groove that's totally wonderful! The album's a real stunner from the legendary late 70s run of the Latin Percussion label – the imprint started to showcase the kinds of music that best fit its wide line of instruments – played here by an amazing lineup that includes Tito Puente on timbales and vibes, Patato Valdez on congas and shekere, Eddie Martinez on piano and Fender Rhodes, Johnny Rodriguez Jr on bongo and guiro, Steve Berrios on drums, and Rene Lopez on trumpet. Rhythms are at the core of each tune – and many numbers start out in the spare style of the label's drum solo records, then warm things up with a bit of added instrumentation. There's just a bit of vocals at a few points – sung by Nancy O'Neill & Jeanette Rodriguez – and titles include "Bernie's Tune", "Latin Funk", "Tito & Patato", "The Opener", "Afro Mood", "Talking Skins", and "Martinez Blues".

A rare document of a short-lived slice of the King Kong myth – a Saturday morning cartoon in which Kong was the friend of some little kids in the jungle, and a much less threatening force than when climbing the Empire State Building! The soundtrack offers capsulized episodes of the show – with music by Jules Bass & Maury Laws, plus narrated adventures by Bob McFadden, voices from the show, and even a bit of sound effects! Adventures include "Under The Volcano", "Dr Who", "The Treasure Trap", and "The African Bees" – as well as nice versions of the cool theme song!

The richest album we've heard so far from vocalist Tom Lellis – a well-done set that has the overlooked singer backed strongly by the Metropole Orchestra! Given the setting, the album reminds us a bit of recent Verve dates from Mark Murphy – a sound that's timeless, yet not in any sort of easy too-standard way – very fresh charts for the orchestral backings, and heartfelt lyrics from Lellis that are never lost in the larger setting. Some tunes sparkle with creative changes in the vocals, while others are delivered in straighter ballad modes – both forms that Tom handles perfectly – and titles include "Mountain Flight", "Milton's Moment", "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", "Love Is", "Straight Up & Down", and "Taken To Heart".

A wonderful collaboration between vocalist Tom Lellis and guitarist Toninho Horta – a set that's easily one of the best that Lellis has ever recorded! We've always been big fans of Tom's work, and even though he's never fully gotten his due, he's a singer who's been working for decades – with a rich-toned, openly fluid style that's a lot like Mark Murphy at his best – but guided nicely by Lellis with some deeply personal expressions of his own. Horta's guitar really opens up his music a lot – and Toninho sings a bit on the record too – usually just a bit of backing vocals, but in the lead on a few numbers, with that sweetly cracking style he first brought to records in the 70s. The album's a real treasure from the Adventure Music label, and a set that really brings together some of the best aspects of the label's work. Titles include "Maybe September", "Dreamwalking", "Summertime", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music & Dance", and "Fly Me To The Moon".

A great follow-up to some of the Latin Percussion jam sessions of the late 70s – a recent recording, but one that really retains a classic vibe! The session takes the same approach as the older ones – pulling together a core batch of well-matched musicians, and letting them jam in the studio – often in ways that have more traditional elements than straight salsa, but which also have an open flow that's very contemporary, too. Most tracks are nice and long – building up from spare rhythmic elements, then filling in the groove – and although there's some chorus vocals on the record, most of the energy comes from the small group of percussionists, which includes Luisito Quintero, Roman Diaz, Pedro Martinez, and Little Johnny Rivero. Titles include "Yambu Rengue", "La Loma De Belen", "Skin Columbia", "Mamita", "Antillana", "Something Crazy", "Remember This", and "Gerigonza".

Sweet exotic sounds from the Arthur Lyman group – heavy on vibes and lots of hip percussion – recorded with a gently swaying feel that recalls the best energy of the Hawaiian scene in the postwar years! The set's one of Lyman's early solo dates – recorded Henry Kaiser Aluminum Dome in Hawaii – which you can almost hear in the way the sounds here resonate, and hang sweetly in air. The tunes are pretty mellow, but in a good way – more sonically sensitive than some more gimmicky, sound effect-heavy exotica – and titles include "Adventures in Paradise", "Andalusia", "Yellow Bird", "Arrivederci Roma", "Sweet & Lovely", "Bamboo Taboo", "Granada", and "Ravel's Bolero". Fire up that console stereo and break out the Tiki glasses!

A beautiful lost bit of Exotica from the early 60's! Michel Magne recorded this "adventure in exotic sounds and percussion" in the Barclay Studios in Paris – as one of the excellent albums he cut in France before moving onto more famous soundtracks – and the set's got a wonderful mix of percussion, woodwinds, vibes, and piano – but also features tiny bit of tape manipulation, which gives the whole thing an even groovier sound! The feel is way cooler than the usual exotica groove – key proof of Magne's early musical vision – and titles include "Congo", "Tabu", "Sahara", "Two Silhouettes", and "Tropical".

Imagine if the Ventures were actually aliens – and you've only got part of the picture on this one! Mad studio genius Joe Meek composed and conceived this incredible 60s session of strange space-age instrumentals – one that mixes instrumental surf-flavored guitars with crazy sound effects and production techniques, for an out-of-this-world batch of tracks that's like nothing else we can think of (except for a few modern retro poseur types!) Tracks include "Glob Waterfall", "I Hear A New World", "Orbit Around The Moon", "March Of The Dribcots", and "Valley Of The Saroos". Insanely weird and wild – we promise! Plus, this "enhanced edition" features "A Day In The Life Monologue – Joe Meek 1962" – as well as a bonus interview that plays on your computer!

A gothic horror soundtrack with a nice undercurrent of adventure – scored by Franco Micalizzi with some surprisingly warm touches at times – that mode of starting out sweet, then going dark – a bit like Ennio Morricone on some of his best similar scores from the time! Woodwinds and strings are often used to lure you in with a sense of warmth, which then gets a bit colder and sharper as the score moves on – especially when some more offbeat notes pop out from around the corner, and really create a nice sense of tension. One of the more obscure Micalizzi moments from the time – and indeed, a film that's hardly ever been seen in later years too – brought back to CD with great sound throughout! Titles include "The Rising Truth", "The Church Choir", "Helpful Buffoon", "One Following", "Tyranny & Fury", "Tema Di Francoise", "Deadly Pool", and "Mamuia".

Over looked genius in American comics from the 40s to the 80s – a wonderful volume that features material we never would have seen otherwise! Some of the names here are legends, represented by obscure slices of their work – and others are talents that never got the respect they deserve – laid out lovingly by Dan Nadel, in a way that's similar to his previous collection, Art Out Of Time. Original comic pages are reproduced in full color, but with a nice yellowing effect to the pages – and black and white underground art comes through very vividly – in this huge volume that features work by Bill Everett, Matt Fox, Jesse Marsh, Mort Meskin, HG Peter, John Stanley, Pat Boyette, and others – plus great text and introductions from Nadel. 301 pages, hardcover, in color and black and white.

Beautiful solo piano from Jovino Santos Neto – an artist we've loved on other releases from Adventure music, but one who really shines here in the spare space of their Piano Masters series! The isolation of Neto's instrument allows for even greater fascination with his subtle tones and textures than before – and honestly, the way the notes flow and ebb, we'd almost think that some passages featured more than one player, or overdubs – but are, as described in the notes, just the product of Jovino's open-ended freedom at the keyboard of a top-shelf piano. Tracks are a great mix of originals and surprising standards – and titles include "Bebe", "Amanha", "Descanso", "Na Batucada Da Vida", "Muito", "Nem Um Talvez", "Do Solo", "Choro Bandido", and "All The Things You Are".

A hell of a trumpeter – making his debut here on one of the grooviest albums on the legendary Latin Percussion label! The session's a bit fuller than some of the other LP albums – a crackling blend of jazz, funk, and Latin rhythms – warm, but with some pretty complicated moments, very much in the best spirit of the second wave of NuYorica grooves! There's still lots of the tight percussion that makes Latin Percussion sessions so great – but the record also features fuller instrumentation too – in ways that really make things soar. Players include Eddie Martinez on Fender Rhodes, Jon Faddis and Randy Brecker on additional trumpets, Steve Khan on guitar, and Carlos Patato Valdez on congas – and Ruben Blades even plays a bit of acoustic guitar on the record. The overall feel's a bit like some of the great Fania/Columbia co-productions – but a bit rawer at points – and titles include "Diana", "Genesis", "Nice & Warm", "Viva Martinez", "I Know", "Hot Blood", and "Perico" – most of which are separated by short percussion interludes!

A really striking little cover – one based on the front image of Minnie Riperton's classic Perfect Angel album from the 70s – and a batch of music that really opens up whole new territory in Riperton's rich musical legacy! The set's way more than you might expect – hardly just a straight or smooth jazz take on classics by Minnie – and instead an openly creative project that takes the core structure of the songs, then pulls them apart – especially when it comes to the rhythms – so that the players continually revisit the lovely melodies created by Riperton, yet also fly free in musical moments inspired by her energy. Palmer's trumpet is great – pointed, yet soulful throughout – and other instrumentation by the quintet includes Fender Rhodes from Jake Sherman, guitar from Greg Duncan, bass from Edward Perez, and drums from Lee Fish. Titles include "Memory Lane", "Inside My Love", "I'm In Love Again", "Lovin You", "Adventures In Paradise", and "I'm A Woman".

Ultra-cool guitar work from 60s Brazil – a stone classic by a combo who get better and better with each new release! This gem from 1967 really has The Pops hitting their stride on guitar – opening up with lines as deft as The Ventures or Surfaris, but often tuned towards a different sort of aesthetic overall – one that's sometimes dark and moody, thanks to the organ burning away in the background – and which is more concerned with the overall feel of the tunes, rather than blowing anyone away with a solo. Yet that doesn't mean that the guitar's not mighty darn fine, because it is – and really rivals the best group of this sort from the west coast – especially on some of the unique medley tracks. Titles include "As 7 Maravilhas No 3", "Driving Guitars", "Noturno De Chopin", "Andalucia", "Caravan", "Recordando Boleros", "Munsters Theme", and "Meu Coracao A Ti Pertence".

A striking solo set from Phillipe Baden Powell – much bolder and more expressive than his previous album – even though the overall feel is a lot more stripped-down too! Baden's got a very sharp approach to the keys of the piano – working here in a range of tones that's really breathtaking – a stark palette of sounds that's recorded with just the right sort of depth to let all of his most subtle touches come through. As befits his roots, the tunes are a mix of Brazilian numbers and jazz standards – plus a few original compositions as well – and titles include "Canto Triste", "Consolacao", "Prologue", "The Meantime", "Loro", "Choro Para Metronomo", "Ending", "Giant Steps", and "Vista Chinesa".

A mad bit of soul psychedelia from Prince – a record that sounds better and better over the years, and which stands out from most of his 80s work thanks to some really unique production and songwriting! After Purple Rain, Prince did anything but wince in the face of living up to such a massive crossover smash – and if Around The World didn't move nearly as many units, it stands pretty tall these days. A mix of Revolution pop funk & soul, with a more swirling, self consciously psychedelic pop. Titles include the hit "Raspberry Beret", "Paisley Park" (with melody so strong, no wonder Prince held onto the name for other ventures) plus "Around The World In A Day", "America", "Temptation", "Pop Life", and "Condition Of The Heart".

After Minnie Riperton's heavenly first LP on Cadet – the sublime Come To My Garden – this one's got to be her most perfectly realized full LP. The album's sparkling work of jazzy soul, with touches of the heavenly production that Minnie got in years past, and lots of smooth mellow songs that are perfectly suited to her other-wordly voice. Includes the massive track "Baby, This Love I Have" – a slow funk number that's be sampled many times over the years – plus the spacey tunes "Minnie's Lament", "Inside My Love", and "Alone In Brewster Bay", remade from Minnie's first LP.

Nice 17 track compilation of Minnie's classic work for Capitol! The selection is excellent, and the CD features most of the stuff you'd ever want to have by her, including "Perfect Angel", "Memory Lane", "Lovin You", "Stick Together", "Inside My Love", "Here We Go", and "Adventures In Paradise".

A dream come true – Minnie's first two solo albums for Epic, back to back on one CD! Perfect Angel was one of THE albums that helped define the sound of female soul in the 70s – a record that moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons". Adventures In Paradise is even better – and may well be Minnie's greatest album ever! The album's a sparkling work of jazzy soul, with touches of the heavenly production that Minnie got in years past, and lots of smooth mellow songs that are perfectly suited to her other-worldly voice. Includes the massive track "Baby, This Love I Have" – a slow funk number that's be sampled many times over the years – plus the spacey tunes "Minnie's Lament", "Inside My Love", and "Alone In Brewster Bay", remade from Minnie's first LP! 19 tracks in all – and an essential CD for any fan of 70s soul!

Along with Perfect Angel and Adventures In Paradise, this is one of the key albums of Minnie's career – recorded when she was at the height of her power, forging a whole new soul sound that mixed her incredible voice with jazzy modern arrangements that were a few years ahead of most of the other singers at her level. The album's subtitled "A Romantic Fantasy Set To Music", and it features a swirling mix of ballads and uptempo tunes – all with a sexy sound, and some of the most seductive vocals that Minnie ever recorded. Includes the club groover "Young Willing & Able", plus "Can You Feel What I'm Saying?", "Gettin' Ready for Your Love", "Could It Be I'm In Love", and the great "Stick Together", written with Stevie Wonder.

A dual milestone issue for Roctober – the 50th issue and 20th anniversary – a 140-page extraganza which both reminisces on the past 2 decades of Roctober coverage and looks to the future! Includes items on 60s, 70s & 80s Chi vocal combo The Green Berets, Lou Christie, Don Cornelius, Klaus Nomi. Tommie Wix & Them Good Biscuits, Breakfast With Boone, Nardwuar Vs Odd Future, one man's adventure as one of the little remembered New Monkees and much, much more.

Nile Rodgers is working here away from Chic – but his sound here is definitely in that classic lean, mean mode – lots of compressed guitar bits riffing over the rhythms, every bit as catchy and captivating as ever! The grooves break out nicely from the standard Chic mode – almost as if Nile is set free to explore new territory on his own – and although the lyrics on the set aren't the greatest you might find in soul music from the time, they're more than made up for by the album's catchy beats and guitar! Titles include "Beet", "Get Her Crazy", "Yum Yum", "Rock Bottom", and "Most Down".

A very weird little album from John Sangster – the Australian musician who's best known for his jazzy vibes of the 60s and 70s, working here in a strange pastiche of sound for a rare Ubu film score! The music is very layered – bits of jazz mixed with found recordings, field recordings, sound effects, and spoken dialogue – structured into three long pieces on the record – all put together with a very trippy, very late 60s sort of feel! The whole thing's quite experimental – a sonic adventure from the Sydney underground of the time – and the album's lack of any real structure is also its greatest charm!

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".

Sweet guitar and smooth grooves – a remastered version of this mellow jam from Ricardo Silveira from the mid 90s – brought out with rich new fidelity here in an Adventure Music pressing! There seems to be less of the slickness of the previous issue, and a lot more warmth – that love of acoustic sounds that the label's used often with Silveira – and which really helps rework the flavor of this older session. Ricardo's acoustic and electric guitar lines sparkle alongside accompaniment from Just Almario on saxes, Mitchel Forman on keyboards, Jeff Beal on flugelhorn, and Luis Conte on percussion. Titles include "Francesca", "Fountains", "That Day In Tahiti", "Upon A Time", "Storyteller", and "The Puzzle".

The second great session from two of Verve's biggest jazz stars of the 60s – organist Jimmy Smith and guitarist Wes Montgomery – an unlikely pair, to be sure, but one who work great together on the set! The real change here is in Wes' playing – as it's shifted from the mellower style used over larger backings on most of his Verve sets, back to the rootsier soul jazz tone of his earliest recordings from his days on the Indianapolis scene. Jimmy and Wes are working with a core combo that includes Grady Tate on drums and Ray Barretto on conga – making for a lean organ/guitar groove that's only got percussion to kick it along. Titles include "Call Me", "OGD", "King Of The Road", "Mellow Mood", and "Maybe September" – plus a great version of "Milestones" that features some hard swinging larger backings from Oliver Nelson!

The second great session from two of Verve's biggest jazz stars of the 60s – organist Jimmy Smith and guitarist Wes Montgomery – an unlikely pair, to be sure, but one who work great together on the set! The real change here is in Wes' playing – as it's shifted from the mellower style used over larger backings on most of his Verve sets, back to the rootsier soul jazz tone of his earliest recordings from his days on the Indianapolis scene. Jimmy and Wes are working with a core combo that includes Grady Tate on drums and Ray Barretto on conga – making for a lean organ/guitar groove that's only got percussion to kick it along. Titles include "Call Me", "OGD", "King Of The Road", "Mellow Mood", and "Maybe September" – plus a great version of "Milestones" that features some hard swinging larger backings from Oliver Nelson!

An amazing collection of experimental sounds from the European scene of the postwar years – key electronic and musique concrete recordings from some of the most important composers of the 20th Century! The package is a great introduction to this important stretch in music – and features recordings that are every bit as mindblowing now as they were over 50 years ago – really revolutionary sounds and tones that went onto have an undeniable impact on modern music, yet which still sound even more amazing here in the original source recordings. Includes "Poeme Electronique" by Edgard Varese, "Voile D'Orphee" by Pierre Henre, "Diamorphoses" and "Concret PH" by Iannis Xenakis, "Studie Nr 1" and "Gesang Der Junglinge" by Karlheinz Stockhausen, and "Cinq Etudes De Bruits" by Pierre Schaeffer.

A great full-length set from Dandy Teru – a producer who's been making a fair bit of waves in the underground in recent years – finally stepping into the limelight here himself! Teru's got a great ear for a crispy beat and cosmic keyboard line – often fusing the two together in a trans-spatial way that creates a nice undercurrent of older soul and funk, yet which still retains a really contemporary vibe! This approach works really well for the range of talents helping Dandy out on the set – including Ty, Moka Only, Rita J, Quiet Dawn, Count Bass D, Tchad Unpoe, and Sarah Gessler – all different voices that help shape the sound of the record, and really unleash the variety in Teru's approach. Titles include "Fragile Things", "Below", "Wake Up Now", "Burned", "Waters", "Clouds Catcher", and "Rwvnll" – plus a few remix tracks too.

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".

One of the excellent albums cut by conga player Patato Valdez for the Latin Percussion label – and a tight stripped-down jam session with a very traditional Afro-Cuban feel! The groove is pure New York Latin – with the wonderful "return to basics" sound that LPV was pioneering at the time. Valdez is in great form on the conga – and other players include Virgilo Marti, Nelson Gonzalez, Bobby Rodriguez, and Alfredito Rodriguez. Titles include "La Ambulancia", "Canto A Chango", "To Y Van Hecho", and "Como Suena Mi Son". Tracks are very long, spare, and with a heavy conga groove!

The Ventures are always pretty darn fabulous, but they somehow sound especially nice on this tight little 60s set – a great batch of tunes that really catches them at the crossroads! The guitars here are still mostly in that super-clean style the group pioneered in their earlier years, but they're also playing with the sound a bit more – using some fuzzier touches and some odder echoey bits to abstract the strings even further – showing the tremendous power that could be unlocked on the electric guitar if you only used a bit of simple imagination! Titles include a few well-chosen covers next to some great original numbers – a set list that includes "Tall Cool One", "Scratchin", "The Cruel Sea", "Runnin Wild", "Only The Young", "Journey To The Stars", "Fugitive", and "Walkin With Pluto".

The Ventures were furiously productive in the early 60s – delivering gem after gem – and this is among the best! Telstar is somewhere near the ninth record by the group, offering a dizzying mix of covers of some of the most popular songs of the day. The guitar still leads as the main sound on these tracks but they do expand the instrumentation to include organ, trumpet, mandolins and harpsichord as well. They sing a little on some of the tracks but they mainly stay in the instrumental realm. Greatness! Tracks include "Telstar", "The Lonely Bull", "Mexico", "Calcutta", "Apache", "Never On A Sunday", "Tequila", "Green Onions", "Let There Be Drums", and "Red River Rock".

Heady sounds from the late 60s Ventures – as the group take on some of the fuzzed-up rock sounds of the time – most of which was arguably influenced by their own experiments earlier in the decade! There's actually a fair bit of original numbers on the set – some killer tracks that are heavy on guitar fuzz, and which would be right at home on the best biker soundtracks – stripped down here to the core sort of elements that really make them cook! Heavy drums, rumbling bass, and two sweet guitars over the top – on cuts that include "How Now Wild Cow", "Wildcat", "Wild Trip", "Fuzzy & Wild", "Wild & Wolly", and "Wild Child".

A great summation of the Afro-Portuguese sound – with work from Lisbon, Angola, Sao Tome, and Cape Verde too! The grooves are a mix of sambas, rumbas, and more rootsy modes – and titles include "Tulipa Negra" by Tulipa Negra, "Luis Kandihnha" by Pedro Ramos, "Mama Africa" by Dany Silva, "N Gana" by Waldemar Bastos, and "Sodade" by Cesaria Evora. First time on vinyl!

We can't think of a better title for this excellent compilation from Peanut Butter Wolf. The Badmeaningood series is a personal hip hop chronicle from the compiler, and as you'd expect from PBW, the definition here is taking somewhat less than literally, though there's no shortage of back in the day old school classics, mixed side by side with some unlikely candidates, but in a way that makes more than perfect sense. Mixed continuously front to back like your favorite mix tape this set takes you from Grandmaster Flash's "New Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash" to Keni Burke's "Risin' To The top (Snowboy's acoustic mix)" and stopping at all points in between, whether it's Iron Butterfly's "Soul Experience", Johnny Hammond's "Fantasy", The Cold Crush Brothers "Punk Rock Rap", Prince Far I's "Black Man Land", the Jungle Brother's "I'm Gonna Do You", the 45 King's "Funk Box (We Want To Hear The Beat box)", Roy Ayer's "Can't You See Me", The Human League's "Hard Times" and Alicia Myers "Don't Stop What You're Doin" and many more!

Incredible tunes from the second generation of the surf music scene – a time when the sweeter sounds of Southern California were shed for the heavier, headier modes of the late 60s! The package is a wonderful look at this under-exposed genre – and features rare work recorded for surf films from both the US and Australia – the latter of whom would carry the genre forward more strongly than even her American counterparts. Most tracks here are instrumental, but they're a far cry from The Surfaris or Ventures – as the guitars are often fuzzy and jamming, over rhythms built from rumbling bass and heavy drums. Titles include "Crumple Car" and "Innerspace" by Farm, "Junkyard" and "Hollywood" by G Wayne Thomas, "Big Green" and "Sitar Track" by Music Convention, "Dream Chant" by Ticket, "Transparent Dream" and "Animal Kingdowm" by Smoghorn, "Drainpipe" by The Protein Brothers, "Evolution" by Tamun Shud, and "Gypsy Shoes" by G Wayne Thomas.

A full scale joint effort from the always unpredictable Stones Throw label and the cassette-centric Leaving Records – featuring audio adventurers Julia Holter, dak, Cyclist, Trance Farmers, Dem Hunger, Run DMT, Soundwizard BZB & MC Set, Oscar McClure, Odd Nosdam, Sun Araw and more. Cool, creative and diverse stuff – a good deal of it with kind of a darkness-tinged electro atmosphere – and an array of eerie broken beats, abstract instrumentals and vocals. 19 tracks in all: "Visions" by The Cyclist, "Into The Night" by Davis, "Lions Den" by dak, "Labelle Gross" by Oscar McClure, "You & Me Both (Live Arthur Russell Tribute)" by Julia Holter, "Sisters" by Odd Nosdam, "Right Off" by Sun Araw, "Bardo States Dream Walker Version" by Run DMT, "Purple Hay" by Trance Farmers, "Sadnis" by Knx, "Atimo" by Yuk and more.

Possibly the greatest installment so far in this wonderfully groovy series – a set of hard-swinging soul jazz tracks from the 60s – most of them the sort you might find blasting out of a jukebox in the backroom of some southside bar! Heavy Hammond, tremendous tenor, and gritty guitar lines abound – all upbeat and groovy, almost funky at times – served up in 2 or 3 minute installments from a batch of rare 45s! There's echoes here of the instrumental grooves that play big on the popcorn soul scene, but other work is more jazz-based overall – and although a few tunes have vocals, the biggest focus here is on instrumental numbers. Wonderful stuff throughout – and a collection we'll be playing for years! Titles include "Bash Dance" by Bobby Donaldson, "Arabian Jerk" by The Merits, "La La La La La" by Afro Blues Quintet, "Take Off Your Shoes (part 1)" by Booker T Averhart & The Mustangs, "Hung Over" by The Martinis, "Senor Blues" by Dee Clarke, "Sweet Bread" by Miles Grayson Trio, "All Around The World" by Chuck Higgins, "COD" by Albert King, "Fredrick's Dream" by Kenny Rice & Leo's Five, and "Tam-A-Rind" by Hank Jacobs & The TKOs.

With "Monster Jam" by Spoonie G & Sequence, "Freedom" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, "That's the Joint" by Funky 4 + One, "Birthday Party" by Grandmaster Flash, "8th Wonder" by Sugarhill Gang, and the amazing "Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel". This is the original version, with the picture sleeve cover.

Spacey, funky, and wonderful! During the 60s and 70s, the Iron Curtain prevented most of us from hearing some of the fantastic sounds that were cooking in Eastern Europe – where obscure jazz funk combos were grooving away in styles that were very different than those heard in the US and Western Europe. There's no easy way to describe the music, because it was so varied and inventive – but this excellent set of 10 rare Czechoslovakian tracks should go a long way to filling in some of the gaps in this lost history! Many of the tracks on the set have a fantastically baroque sound – sort of a mix of MPS crossover styles, and David Axelrod-type "big picture" production ventures – and they begin with wild washes of sound that soon settle into a harder funky groove. Keyboards collide with voices mix with guitars punctuated by drums sealed with basslines – and the whole thing's chopped apart by some funky frenetic sax work. That's only part of the picture, though – and although we can't come up with the words to describe the set adequately, it's one of the freshest compilations we've heard in years, filled with excellent grooves to take our listening to a whole new level! Titles include "The Lost Sheep" by SHQ, "Proklamation" by Milan Svoboda, "The Third Eye" by The Keyboard Conclave, "The Earth" by Jiri Stivin, "Nijana" by Jana Koubkova, and "Life's Little Games" by Karel Ruzicka.

Spacey, funky, and wonderful! During the 60s and 70s, the Iron Curtain prevented most of us from hearing some of the fantastic sounds that were cooking in Eastern Europe – where obscure jazz funk combos were grooving away in styles that were very different than those heard in the US and Western Europe. There's no easy way to describe the music, because it was so varied and inventive – but this excellent set of 10 rare Czechoslovakian tracks should go a long way to filling in some of the gaps in this lost history! Many of the tracks on the set have a fantastically baroque sound – sort of a mix of MPS crossover styles, and David Axelrod-type "big picture" production ventures – and they begin with wild washes of sound that soon settle into a harder funky groove. Keyboards collide with voices mix with guitars punctuated by drums sealed with basslines – and the whole thing's chopped apart by some funky frenetic sax work. That's only part of the picture, though – and although we can't come up with the words to describe the set adequately, it's one of the freshest compilations we've heard in years, filled with excellent grooves to take our listening to a whole new level! Titles include "The Lost Sheep" by SHQ, "Proklamation" by Milan Svoboda, "The Third Eye" by The Keyboard Conclave, "The Earth" by Jiri Stivin, "Nijana" by Jana Koubkova, and "Life's Little Games" by Karel Ruzicka.

Heavy Prince influenced 80s grove tracks issued on the Sugar Hill subsidiary Sweet Mountain, with a very rock feel over electronic percussion and synth grooves.

Although Captain Sky was pretty much just a proto-P-Funk wannabe on most of his records, this one's actually a pretty decent batch of grooves – and it includes the excellent "Super Sporm", a killer extended track with a great conga break, and a tight old school sample sound! Also features "Saturday Night Move-Ease", 'Dr Rock", "Wonder Worm" and "Can't Stop Now".

An excellent album of 70s work by this legendary musician from Tipica 73! The record is the debut of Alfredo De La Fe – a great percussionist and string player with a keen ear for a salsa groove that's steeped in tradition, yet has a forward thinking approach to rhythm. Alfredo's style is a great example of the way the older charanga format was taken up by 70s salseros – used to move back towards a purer Latin sound, but also to form a platform for new forms of expression. The group features Jorge Dalto on Fender Rhodes, Nestor Torres on flute, Nicky Marrero on timbales, and Alfredo himself on violin and percussion. There's a lot more percussion players on the album, too – and vocalists include Adrienne Alberto, Hector Alomar, and Felo Barrio. Includes the batucada groover "Hot To Trot", the slightly funky "Que Rico Bailo Yo", and the tracks "Canto Del Corazon", "Charangueando", and "Toca Alfredo Toca".

Lots of musical adventures here – most of them in that tightly-romping style that made Dynasty so great back in the day – almost a fusion of older sweet group soul with some of the more bottom-driven modes forged by the Solar label! The title cut here is our favorite – a sweet stepper that bursts out with this blast of sound that's totally great – completely captivating, and filled with cascading sounds that really grab us. Other tracks include "Ice Breaker", "Something To Remember", "Day & Night", "Do Me Right", and "I've Just Begun To Love You".

A beautiful set of symphonic tracks based around the work of Antonio Carlos Jobim – work that stretches back to the 50s, up through 60s bossa nova, and even includes some of Jobim's more complicated orchestrations from the 70s! The music is done in the arch-baroque style of other titles on the Biscoito Fino label – with a full symphony orchestra, smaller instrumental groupings, and even some strong vocal performances that drift in and out of the music. The set features re-interpretations of original arrangements by Jobim, Nelson Riddle, Deodato, Claus Ogerman, and others – and was put together by Paulo Jobim. Titles include "Lenda", "Macumba", "O Homem", "Saudade Do Brasil", "Matita Pere", "Chora Coracao", "Bangzalia", "Garota De Ipanema", and "Gabriela". Very nicely done 2CD set!

A gem of a record from Clifford Jordan – proof that the 70s were possibly the greatest decade for his music! Although most of Jordan's contemporaries from the big tenor days of the 50s really didn't grow much during the 70s, Clifford always continued to develop his style – adding in modes and tones that he'd never played before, working in an ever rich tapestry of jazz that makes just about any of his albums from the time a delight. Even this session – a simple quartet date recorded with Tommy Flanagan, Bill Lee, and Grady Tate – offers lots of wonderful moments, and is kind of a post-righteous 70s soul jazz album, filled with lots of warm tones and straight soulful playing that are almost a back to earth moment after his Strata East years – but still equally expressive. Titles include "He's A Hero", "No More", "Quasimodo", and "Adventurer".

A smooth, clean-toned example of early 80s fusion from John Klemmer! Klemmer is backed by Dean Parks, John Tropea, Don Grusin, Victor Feldman, Abe Laboriel, and Harvey Mason, with some spacial synths here and there and even some vocalising by John! Tracks include "Magnificent Madness", "Don't Take Your Love Away", "Deja Vu", "Lifesong", "Adventures In Paradise", "I Can't Help It", "Don't Take Your Love Away", and more.

A killer set of percussion-heavy Latin jazz tracks – one that brings together two different generations of Latin Jazz, working here in a stripped-down groove that's totally wonderful! The album's a real stunner from the legendary late 70s run of the Latin Percussion label – the imprint started to showcase the kinds of music that best fit its wide line of instruments – played here by an amazing lineup that includes Tito Puente on timbales and vibes, Patato Valdez on congas and shekere, Eddie Martinez on piano and Fender Rhodes, Johnny Rodriguez Jr on bongo and guiro, Steve Berrios on drums, and Rene Lopez on trumpet. Rhythms are at the core of each tune – and many numbers start out in the spare style of the label's drum solo records, then warm things up with a bit of added instrumentation. There's just a bit of vocals at a few points – sung by Nancy O'Neill & Jeanette Rodriguez – and titles include "Bernie's Tune", "Latin Funk", "Tito & Patato", "The Opener", "Afro Mood", "Talking Skins", and "Martinez Blues".

An incredibly groovy late 60s soundtrack from Michel Legrand – presented here with 2 other lesser-known gems as well! La Piscine may well be one of the last under-reissued scores from Legrand's genius period – that time when he was hitting heavily on soundtracks for The Thomas Crown Affair, Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, and other classics. This one's got a feel that's right up there with those – a mix of jazzy styles, mod themes, and cool vocal touches – sometimes scatted a bit, with that raspy style we love in Legrand's singing. A few other tunes are a bit mellow, but in a great way that really fits the watery title of the set – cool and shimmering, and with a great sense of sound that really shows Legrand's talents. Titles include "La Piscine", "Chasse Croise", "Blues Pour Romy", "Suspicion", "Une Enquete", "Dans La Soiree", and "De Souvenirs En Regrets" – plus "Run Brother Rabbit" sung by Delaney Bramlett and "Ask Yourself Why" sung by Sally Stevens. CD also features 3 great tracks from the film Un Homme Est Mort – "Une Homme Est Morte", "Onyx Bar", and "American Funeral" – all organ-heavy numbers, two of them jazzy, one ethereal! The remaining 7 tracks on the set are from the film Un Peu De Soleil Dans L'Eau Froide – some of which are a bit softer and mellower, although a few are upbeat and plenty groovy! These titles include "Dis-Moi", which is sung by Legrand – plus "Vivons L'Aventure", "Nathalie A Paris", "Seule Dans Paris", "Gilles Et Nathalie", and "Main Dans La Main".

One of our favorite records of all time – an incredible soundtrack from the legendary Sven Libaek, served up in a swirling blend of vibes, flute, guitar, and organ – all with a bubbly, watery feel that's totally amazing! The album's easily one of the greatest from the Australian scene of the 70s – originally penned for a film of underwater adventure, but a treasure trove of groove that easily stands next to any of the best American or Italian soundtracks of the time. Libaek's approach is really unique – almost soft on the attack, which creates a really strong flow in the music – always warm, always rhythmic, and plenty darn groovy – thanks to the incredible instrumentation on the set! Players include Don Burrows and Errol Buddle on flutes, Col Nolan on organ, John Sangster on vibes, George Golla on guitar, and Sven himself on piano – and titles include "Inner Space", "Music For Eels", "Sounds Of The Deep", "Nocturnal Lullaby", "Danger Reef", "Seasnakes", "Midget Monsters", "Beche De Mer", "Attacking Sharks", "Inner Space", and "Turtlemusic". LP features a whopping 16 tracks in all newly remastered from the original master tapes!

Groovy 60s spy soundtrack work – with a mod French twist! The CD documents a series of excellent scores by French composer Michel Magne – written for a run of mid 60s films based around the character of OSS 117 – a James Bond-like secret agent known to the French public through a series of 242 successful novels! The scope of OSS 117's adventures was large – as globe-spanning as that of James Bond, a fact that gave Magne plenty of room to throw in cool exotic, groovy, and jazzy elements to the soundtracks – in a style that was ultimately a heck of a lot more lively than that of John Barry, and which easily matches the best 60s soundtrack work of Lalo Schifrin, Jerry Goldsmith, or Hugo Montenegro! We'd honestly never heard any of these tracks before – but our love of Magne led us to the set, and we were certainly rewarded – as the 23 track package is overflowing with incredibly groovy tunes, and has the feel of some of the best Crippled Dick collections from years past! The four films on the set include OSS 117 Se Dechaine, Banco A Bangkok Pour OSS 117, Furia A Bahia Pour OSS 117, and Atout Coeur A Tokyo Pour OSS 117 – and titles include "OSS 117 Hully Gully", "Banco A Bangkok", "Poursuite Thailandaise", "Hubert Rit Jaune", "Samba Furiosa", and "Slow Du Soleil Levant" – as well as a bonus remix track by Roudoudou!

A nicely intimate session from saxophonist Pat Mallinger – a set of spare duets with pianist Dan Trudell, and a perfect setting for Pat to really stretch out on his solos! Over the years, Mallinger's developed a wonderfully sensitive way with his horns – which in this case include tenor, alto, soprano sax, and flute – handled with a fluid, creative sort of energy – and one that's often soulfully swinging, despite the gentle approach of the session – with echoes of the 70s modal generation that make for some of the album's especially great moments! Titles include "Hills Over Tuscany", "Dragon Fish", "Diffuse", "Adventures", "Pigeon Peas", and "Camp Dan".