All Categories  

An obscure record with a silly title – but a seminal batch of southern soul instrumentals, recorded at the height of the Muscle Shoals scene! The record's a really odd one in the Chess catalog – because it's got the feel of a record that should have come out on Atlantic or Capitol, or more appropriately Fame – as Rick Hall arranged and produced the record, and it features instrumentation by all his best Fame Studios session players, including Charlie Chalmers and Andrew Love on tenor, Gene Miller and Wayne Jackson on trumpet, Jimmy Johnson guitar, Spooner Oldham on piano, Carl Banks on organ, and Roger Hawkins on drums. Chalmers handles the main solo lines on tenor – cutting nice King Curtis-y lines over some well crafted southern soul grooves with a strong funky 45 feel. There's some particularly great cuts on the album – and titles include "Night Rumble", "Velvet Soul", "Groovin", "Soulin", "Two In The Morning", and "Poppin".

One of Cy Coleman's best records from the 60s – a swinging little soundtrack that's awash in all his best jazzy tendencies – the modes first honed up at the Playboy Penthouse, and expanded even more on a range of 60s scores! The film's a bit forgotten – a goofy 60s comedy starring Dick Van Dyke, James Garner, Elke Sommer, and Angie Dickenson – but the music lives on wonderfully, and has a jazzy flourish with a bit of kitsch – somewhere in the Mancini style of the 60s, but with some wonderful floating piano lines by Cy himself! Orchestrations are by Bob Bain and Russ Garcia – both very groovy talents – and titles include "Nikki", "Parisian Women", "So Long Baby", "Kick Off Your Shoes", and "Inspector Revisited".

One of the most haunting albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a session recorded in Italy during the mid 60s – featuring arrangements by Nick Perito, and backing vocals by the Alessandro Alessandroni Singers! The tunes include a fair bit of older Italian numbers – some sung in the language of their origin, some in English translations that we've come to know on this side of the Atlantic – and Como takes them all with a sad-tinged style that makes the album one of his moodiest ever – a record that oozes melancholy with every song, and which has a late nite, heartbreaking appeal that goes beyond even the understanding of language. The set's a great one to convey the popularity of Italian work on the American market in the 60s – and Como carries off the session even better than some of the more likely singers on the scene during the period. Titles include "Souvenir D'Italie", "Forget Domani", "Anema E Core", "One Day Is Like Another", "Arrivederci Roma", "Oh Marie", and "E Lei".

One of the groovier soundtracks that Mike Curb ever recorded – a light batch of easy numbers with some electric bass and/or guitar at the bottom – tripping with a bit more punch than you might expect, and floating with some really wonderful instrumental touches at times! In a way, this is almost an easy version of Curb's biker/soundtrack albums – a bit cheesy, a bit hip, and featuring a few vocal numbers. Titles include "His Name", "The Big Bounce", "Once In A Lifetime", "The Boss Man", "Little Pickle", and "Throwing Rocks".

One of the more obscure chapters in David Axelrod's years at Capitol – a record featuring comeback vocals from singer Ann Dee – a talent from earlier years, getting a bit of an update here from Ernie Freeman on arrangements and Axelrod on production. There's no standout funky numbers, but Axe's production gives the record a nice degree of space that pushes it pas the usual pop styles of the time – kind of in the realm of some of Nancy Wilson's more sophisticated sides. Titles include "Woman In A Man's World", "Free Again", "The Look Of Love", "The Sun In My Life", and "Your Zowie Face".

Sweet Chicago soul from this ex-lead singer of the Drew-Vels! The tracks are arranged and conducted by Phil Wright, and they have a pretty nice groovy soul feel – in the Capitol mode of the late 60s. The record's got a fair number of covers, like "I, Who Have Nothing", "What the World Needs Now", and "Midnight Confessions" – but there's also a lot of good soul cuts, too, like the title cut "I've Been Here All The Time", "Just Can't Forget About You", and Patti's great version of "Hard to Handle"!

A strange little film from the late 60s – a brit comedy starring Deborah Kerr and David Niven, in kind of a tender and silly comedy about the early years of birth control. About half the soundtrack's kind of orchestral and romantic (surprisingly), but the other half is nice and groovy – with a strong jazz approach handled by a number of British players, like baritone saxophonist Ronnie Ross, organist Roger Coulam, and tenor player Danny Moss. The Mike Sammes Singers sing "Too Soon To Tell", and they're probably also the wordless vocal chorus on the nice jaunty number "The Pill", a groovy little tune that also has some electric harpischord! Other groovy tracks include "Walk With Grace", "For Geraldine", "The Hired Help", "Indoor Outdoor Girl", and "The Morning After".

A nice early set from jazz guitar greats Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd – who would work together much more frequently in the years to come – but sharing a rare early 60s joint set on 1964's Guitar/Guitar! This is one of the earliest, if not the earliest pairings on record for these guys as a joint effort – and it's a really warm, engaging blend of Byrd's finger style acoustic playing and Ellis's clean electric eclecticism. The run through some nice jazzy blues and west coast breezy modes, a little bit of bossa, a touch of Chet Atkins style twang, and more – all of it pretty laidback and charming! Titles include "Se Todos Fossem Iquais A Voce", "Chung King", "Carolina In The Morning", "Three Quarter Blues", "Take Care Of Yourself", "Jazz 'N' Samba", "Oh, Lady Be Good", "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", "A Hundred Years From Today", "and "Bluesette".

A classic vocal set from Ella – filled with standards from the Rodgers & Hart songbook – including "My Romance", "Spring Is Here", "Thou Swell", "A Ship Without A Sail", and "Have You Met Miss Jones".

Quite an unusual little album from Connie Francis – her attempt to join in on the Bonnie & Clyde album craze of the late 60s – but a set that's got a different feel than most! While others were steeped in country and bluegrass sounds, the approach here is mostly in a 30s pop vocal mode – playful arrangements from Don Costa, occasionally augmented to give them an "old time" feel in the studio – and vocals from Connie that are quite different than her usual pop modes – really changed up nicely to fit the different spirit of the tunes. Titles include "Ace In The Hole", "Gold Diggers Medley", "Connie & Clyde", "Maybe", "Button Up Your Overcoat", and "Am I Blue".

Great work from this cool European sextet – a vocal group that features three gals and three guys – or pals, as their name might indicate! Their style's a bit like the Double Six, in that it's rooted in harmony jazz – but given the choice of material here, and the overall execution, there's more of a Sunshine Pop feel in place on most numbers – which is plenty darn great for us! The tunes are all Burt Bacharach numbers, but they're done here in really fresh ways – not simple copycats of familiar Brill Building hits, but often arranged with unusual twists that make the most of the group's multi-voiced style, and which throw in a few unique instrumental touches as well. Titles include "Walk On By", "Wishin & Hopin", "Blue On Blue", "Close", "Cross Town Bus", "My Little Red Book", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", and "Here I Am".

Quite similar to the great Beatles Jazz sets of the 60s – some jazz takes of familiar tunes by Bob Dylan! Features core sounds by some wrecking crew members – in a mix of players that includes Jim Horn on saxes and flute, Glenn Campbell on guitar, Al DeLory on piano, Lyle Ritz on bass, and Hal Blaine on drums!

A beautiful bit of lost Getz from the 60s – a record of incredible depth that's somehow gotten lost in the shuffle of time! The album has Stan playing at Tanglewood with a core group that includes Gary Burton, Jim Hall, Steve Swallow, and Roy Haynes, plus musical backings by the Boston Pops – conducted by Arthur Fiedler in a style that's somehow without any of the hoke of his other recordings of the time, and which manages to give Stan some of the best "with orchestra" backings he's ever gotten! There's none of the overwrought modernism of some of the other Getz/orchestra collaborations that we never seem to like as much – and Stan's in incredible Spring Rain-like tone on the whole thing – blowing magically through both the lush and grooving numbers alike! Titles include "Tanglewood Concerto", "Where Do You Go", "Three Ballads For Stan", "A Song After Sundown", and a great orchestral take on "Girl From Ipanema".

A very groovy vocal set – produced by Teo Macero with a nicely modern edge!

A great little record of groovy groovy tracks – and the one that will make you surprised you're buying an Eydie Gorme album! Lots of light organy bossa ditties, including the great title cut, versions of Jobim stuff, and "The Coffee Song", a hit on the London club scene in the Jazz Juice era. With Dick Hyman, Mundell Lowe, and Pacheco! Other cuts include "The Message", "One Note Samba", "The Gift", and her classic "Blame It On The Bossa Nova".

A very groovy set of pop-jazz guitar tunes – originally recorded by Metronome Records in Sweden, but issued here by Atlantic. The core of the recording is Gustafsson's guitar trio, but the record also features some larger backing by Georg Riedel that have a nice airy feel to them. While the record isn't totally funky, it's got a nice slightly funky easy sound that's very nice. Includes a good version of "California Soul", plus "Waltz A Nova", "The Look Of Love", "Witchita Lineman", and "Me On The See Saw".

Bizarre is right – and incredibly hip too! This was the group's second album – and while it has a lot of similarities with the first, it's also a lot deeper of an expression of their strange blend of harmony vocals, sweet 60s pop, and the nostalgia for the early 20th century that was running through the Burbank Warner scene that included a young Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Lenny Waronker, and other LA underground of the mid 60s. The whole record fits together beautifully – beginning with an old-timey radio kind of announcer, then sliding into sublimely crafted harmony tunes that include originals from the LA luminaries and the group, plus a few other surprising covers. Titles include the hit version of "Anything Goes", plus "The Biggest Night Of Her Life", "Milord", "Virginia City", "High Coin", "Jessie", "This Is Only The Beginning", and "You Need A Change".

What a movie! Bob Hope, Frankie Avalon, and Tuesday Weld on the same screen! But even better, the great Jimmie Haskell handled the music – and he comes up with some excellent touches that make the record groove a bit more than many of its contemporaries. Jimmy contributes some cool instrumental tunes that pop organ, guitars, and drums around other instrumentation – and also brings a nicely syncopated approach to vocal numbers by members of the cast, giving them the punch of some of his work for Reprise at the time. Frankie sings "I'll Take Sweden", "Would Ya Like My Last Name", and "The Bells Keep Ringin"; Tuesday sings "Give It To Me"; and Bob does "Nothing Can Compare With You" over instrumentations that sound a lot like Dean Martin's at the time. Instrumental titles include "Watusi Jo", "Kissin Polka", "I'll Take Sweden", and "The Bells Keep Ringin".

Fantastic stuff – and a beautiful album of modal grooves that really deserves wider recognition! Horn plays alto and flute in a groovy west coast quintet with Emil Richards on vibes and Paul Moer on piano – and the overall feel is very similar to his stellar Something Blue album on the HiFi label. Tracks begin with some tight bass and drum workouts, then the piano of Moers sets down lines that let horn and Richards groove over the top. Wonderful stuff – with only a hint of Horn's later hippy-dippy work, and some great tight jazz soloing. Titles include "Fun Time", "Now Hear This", "Abstraction", and "Straight Ahead".

Nice one! This is the obscure first album by Rhetta Hughes – who's probably better known to the world for her later album on Tetragrammon. The tracks are a mix of pop and soul titles, but they're given some nice arrangements by Chicago soul great Tennyson Stephens, who also sings on the album a bit. Ralph Bass produced the whole session, and it's got a beautiful sort of jazz/soul vocal style that brings to mind the great Lorez Alexandria albums on Argo. The whole thing's very different than Rhetta's later deeper soul releases – and is a beautiful vocal album in the polished Chicago jazz vocal tradition. Titles include "Come On Home", "Back Street", "Music Makes Me Dance", "Lost & Lookin'", and "When Sunny Gets Blue".

A playfully swinging little set from Morgana King – given the groovy, latenight lounge Reprise sound by producer Jimmy Bowen! This second album for Reprise is a much more extroverted than the quite strong It's A Quiet Thing LP from a year before – with arranger Torrie Zito grooving out into a lightly swinging sound, in place of his chillier, almost noir approach on the previous LP! Morgana's vocals are tastefully grand – doing more with a hushed tone and an unrivaled vibrato than many more famous peers can do with a showier style! Titles include "Anything Goes", "Nobody Else But Me", "I Thought Of You Last Night", "You Fascinate Me So", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "Wild Is Love" and more.

Warm wonderful whitebread work from the King Family! A great example of the way the large King ensemble really shone in the space of a concert performance – filling up the space well with all the different voices in the extended family, and shifting into different groupings that keep things interesting throughout! Titles include "The Men In My Little Girl's Life", "What The World Needs Now", "On A Clear Day", "I Said No", "Why Did I Choose You", "Guadalajara", and "Baby Sitter's Blues".

A sweet and slightly Latinized album from Peggy – one that features backings based around a variety of acoustic and electric guitars, with arrangements by Dave Grusin, Dick Hazard, Bob Bain, and Billy May. The album's got more varied moods than you'd expect for such a project – and overall, there's some really wonderful songs that show Peggy at her maturing best! Titles include "Goodbye My Love", "Think Beautiful", "An Empty Glass", "Good Times", "Touch The Earth", and "Beautiful Beautiful World".

Definitely somethin groovy from Peggy Lee – thanks to backings from Ralph Carmichael, and instrumental solos from Toots Thielemans!

Titles include "The Whisperers", "It May Sound Silly", "I Understand", "After All I've Been To You", "I Love You Yes I Do", and "It Seems To Me I'm Just A Woman In Love". Arrangements by Hal Mooney.

Straight live funky piano by Mance, recorded here bith bassist George Tucker and drummer Bobby Thomas in a live "after hours" setting. Tracks include "In The Dark", "The Host", "Caribe Blues", and "That's Where It Is!".

A great little live set from Sergio Mendes and his Brasil 65 group – a pre-Brasil 66 combo that features Wanda De Sah on vocals and Rosinha De Valenca on guitar! The style here is more traditionally Brazilian bossa than Sergio's later work on A&M – a fluidly jazzy groove captured with a good sense of intimacy despite the live setting – and issued by Atlantic as a nice antidote to some of the more watered-down bossa work on the US market! The vocals are wonderful – often spare and a bit more fragile than the two-voiced sound of A&M – and titles include "Tem Do De Mim", "Noa Noa", "Caminho De Casa", and "Arrastao".

A very nice soundtrack for this obscure film loosely based on the novel by Joyce – clearly a tough task, given the scope of the original book! Myers' score is suitably crazy – with a strange array of orchestral pieces, moving in and out in a "suite" format, and sounding a lot like a Nino Rota soundtrack overall – with plenty of playfully instrumental moments. Titles include "Proteus", "Nestor", "Circe", and "Ithaca".

A rare "with orchestra" outing from pianist Phineas Newborn – one that has his gentle keys out front of larger backings by Dennis Farnon – all cast in the kind of dreamy mode you might expect from the title! Yet while the whole thing's certainly got a late night feel, Newborn's piano work is still quite strongly up in the mix – never smothered in strings, and instead often stepping along with the same force as some of his trio outings – but often set free from more rhythmic modes, in a way that makes for some of Phineas' most sophisticated stylings on RCA. Titles include "Lazy Mood", "Bali Hai", "If I Should Lose You", "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair", and "While My Lady Sleeps".

A lovely lost gem! The tenor sax of Bill Perkins graced a rare few jazz sides of the 50s, and it sounds equally great on this mid 60s bossa session – one that features Bill soloing over the top of arrangements by Bob Florence that mix together small combo grooving and some larger string backings. The set's not the hardest hitting in the world, but Bill's tone is wonderfully honest – right up there with Getz's best interpretation of similar material, and a refreshing delight in a world of soundalike bossa pop albums. Titles include "Tres Palabras", "Joao", "Little Boat", "Baia", "Pensativa", "Summer Festival", and "Obscurity".

Great work from pianist Don Randi – and a lost David Axelrod gem! The album features Randi playing over Axelrod arrangements – and as a whole, it's really more of an Axelrod album than anything else – especially considering the fact that Randi was the player on some of Axe's own albums, and that the orchestrations are more the star here than the piano. The tunes groove along in that wonderful Axelrod way – lots of space, a nice bounce, and just the right mix of big and little, loud and soft, to create a very nice sound! There's some very nice soundtracky bits on the set – and titles include "Che", "Across The River", "Goodbye Columbus", "The Fox", "Mrs Robinson", "Boogaloosa", and "Both Sides Now".