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A pair of soulful gems from tenorist Gene Ammons – back to back on a single CD! The Soulful Moods is beautiful beautiful work from tenorist Gene Ammons – and an album that really demonstrates that during the 60s, one of Ammons' strongest suits was his work with a mellow tune or ballad!... read more

Very groovy stuff – two unlikely gems from mid 70s MPS! First up is Amazing Strings from Svend Asmussen – a set that features his famous jazz violin in the lead, but amidst larger arrangements that feature MPS players like Dieter Reith on keyboards, Sigi Schwab on guitar, and Gunter... read more

Mariana Aydar's really blowing our mind since the last time we heard her on record – stepping forth here with her deepest, most complex material ever – an album as rich in sounds and styles as some of our favorite Brazilian material from the 70s! There's this confidence to the... read more

One of the rarest and greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – the sly, funky and spiritual masterpiece He's Coming from 1971 – really the beginning of the funk years from Roy Ayers Ubiquity! This one's a totally solid mix of soulful jazz, jazzy soul and righteous funk – and it's... read more

A strange title for a first record – but quite fitting, given the impact that Erykah Badu has had on soul music! The record defines a whole new style of expression – "Baduizm", if you will – one in which Erykah sings with a depth that stretches back through a century's... read more

Pretty hip stuff – recorded in Paris, but featuring some leading lights of American bohemia! The first half of the CD features work by a quartet led by bassist Buddy Banks, and featuring work by American players Bob Dorough on piano and Roy Haynes on drums, as well as the French musician... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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The Paris scene of the postwar years had a real love affair with Sidney Bechet – and it was in Paris that Bechet cut some of his finest recordings of later years! This set brings together material from Bechet's first 2 sessions in France – a 1948 date that features a small orchestra of... read more

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One of the coolest albums we've ever heard from trumpeter Stephane Belmondo – a mighty tribute to the great Donny Hathaway – based around a mix of Hathaway's famous tunes and Belmondo's original tracks – and featuring a bit of guest work on vocals from Gregory Porter and Sandra... read more

An amazing collection – every single Jorge Ben album recorded for Philips – one hell of a massive legacy in music, packaged here with a bonus CD of rare material too! The albums in the collection are the stuff of legend – amazing discs that forever changed the face of Brazilian... read more

Less a real album of French pop vocals than it is a sexy bit of cheesecake desgined to play with the American market. Vicki sings in English and French, but she's a lot better in French, which is the lesser-used language on the album. Most songs alternate between the two – and titles... read more

3 lost vocal gems from 50s Paris! The set pulls together some rare eps on the Barclay and Fontana labels – all the picture of Left Bank hip! The first 8 tracks are by Harold Nicholas – singing in French and English with a swinging combo on tunes that include "Que Reste-t-il De... read more

Very groovy solo work by the lovely Jane B – working here with a set of songs by Serge Gainsbourg, and sublime arrangements by Brit Easy/KPM maestro Alan Hawkshaw. The record's got a super-sexy sound, with a lot of whispered Frenchy tracks in a style that's similar to Serge's best work... read more

Sultry vocals from Sallie Blair – one of the hipper singers of her generation, and an artist with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of! Blair's a bit bluesy, a bit soulful, but ultimately a jazz singer at heart – and her already-cool style gets some sweet extra help on... read more

An excellent live set by the Jazz Messengers – recorded in Paris in 1958, but with a hard heavy groove that's right up there with their best Blue Note work. The group at this time – Blakey, Bobby Timmons, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, and Jymie Merritt – plays hard, heavy, and... read more

A fantastic live set from Art Blakey – recorded in Paris in 1960, with a version of the Jazz Messengers that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Walter Davis Jr on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass! Best of all, though, is that the group is joined by two Paris jazz giants... read more

Excellent vocal jazz from postwar Paris! The Blue Stars were a legendary combo that were led by Blossom Dearie, and which featured a host of great vocal talents that would later go onto form groups like Les Double Six or The Swingle Singers, including Mimi Perrin and Christine Legrand, as well as... read more

Although he's mostly known for his "jazz meets classical" recordings, and to a lesser extent for his soundtrack work, Claude Bolling could also be a pretty great straight jazz pianist when he wanted to. This album has him working in a solo mode, recalling the work of piano greats that... read more

A long-overdue debut from Onita Boone – a singer who's worked in the background with many others, but who finally gets her time in the limelight! Onita's got a great way with a lyric – and most of the tunes on the set feature original words by the lady herself – deep and mature,... read more

A beautiful tribute to the legendary Joao Bosco – a celebration of his forty years in Brazilian music – put together with help from a host of guests who include Joao Donato, Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta, and Chico Buarque! The presence of these equal legends is a great reminder of... read more

A beautiful tribute to the legendary Joao Bosco – a celebration of his forty years in Brazilian music – put together with help from a host of guests who include Joao Donato, Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta, and Chico Buarque! The presence of these equal legends is a great reminder of... read more

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One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by pianist Ronnell Bright – a player best known for his accompaniment behind famous vocalists, like Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson! This rare date was cut in Paris – at a time when Bright was visiting the city with Vaughan – and it's a... read more

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold... read more

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DJ Muro's digging James Brown – and we're digging the massive way he mixes together the music! The set's way more than another James Brown compilation – and instead, it feels more like a love letter to The Godfather – served up in music made by James himself, and some of his key... read more

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s – a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos – but which... read more

James Brown, proud and loud – a smoking 60s album that provides a great link between his earlier styles and his freer roots – with a brilliant blend of funk, soul, and a touch of raw R&B! Given the power of The Godfather at this point, there's no denying that even the older cuts... read more

Here's where things really started getting interesting for James Brown! The album was issued right around the same time as James' single "Out Of Sight" on Smash – and like that track, "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" was one of the first to use that "instruments on the... read more

A really sweet little album from guitarist Kenny Burrell – one in which he takes older tunes ("a generation ago"), and updates them with a sweetly compressed Verve 60s groove ("today"!) The record features 2 small groups – one with Ron Carter, Grady Tate, and Phil... read more

Kenny Burrell joins the quartet of Hammond hero Brother Jack McDuff – in a session that's not only a classic Prestige cooker from the 60s, but also one of Kenny's most hard grooving albums of the decade! Jack's tight group really seem to push Burrell into some great new territory – a... read more

Tenorist Don Byas is one of those players who always seemed to get more recognition in Europe than the US – or if that's not entirely the case, he at least got more chances to record properly than he ever did over here! This excellent 18 track CD features tunes from 3 early 50s sessions that... read more

Some of the first bop sides cut by Americans in Paris – a quartet of material from four different sessions, issued properly for the first time on CD, with great mastering, and a good set of notes in French and English! Don Byas is at the forefront of two sessions here – one with the... read more

Some of the first bop sides cut by Americans in Paris – a quartet of material from four different sessions, issued properly for the first time on CD, with great mastering, and a good set of notes in French and English! Don Byas is at the forefront of two sessions here – one with the... read more

A pair of classics from guitarist Charlie Byrd – back to back on a single CD! First up is Latin Impressions, a set that's more Brazilian than Cuban – and maybe a bit Spanish, too – given the strong use of acoustic guitar from Charlie Byrd! The set's got a laidback, open feel... read more

The second volume of work that Donald Byrd recorded live at the Olympia in Paris in 1958 – even harder-hitting in tone than the first! The set features Byrd playing some tight hardbop lines – working in a cool group that also features Bobby Jaspar on tenor, Walter Davis Jr on piano,... read more

The second volume of work that Donald Byrd recorded live at the Olympia in Paris in 1958 – even harder-hitting in tone than the first! The set features Byrd playing some tight hardbop lines – working in a cool group that also features Bobby Jaspar on tenor, Walter Davis Jr on piano,... read more

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Some of the grooviest classical piano work you'll ever hope to hear, thanks to the keyboard talents of the amazing Eugen Cicero – heard here on a two rare albums of material recorded for the MPS label! Back in the 60s, a number of European artists were experimenting with a blend of classics... read more

French journalist/composer Andre Hodier was one of the leading voices of European jazz in the postwar years – a committed modernist, but with a strong understanding of all the traditions of jazz. This classic set features American drummer Kenny Clarke working with a group of French musicians... read more

A great overseas meeting of two American traditionalists – a mid 60s date that has trumpeter Buck Clayton working in a relaxed studio setting with tenorist Hal Singer! Buck and Hal both come from an earlier period in jazz, but find some great appreciation for their enduring talents in Paris... read more

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One of the best albums that Al Cohn and Zoot Sims ever cut together – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of their collaborations during the 50s and 60s! The set's got a nice small group feeling, and is a bit more open and relaxed than some of their RCA material – still in the... read more

Ahh, the moody, trippy, edgy Eurofunk 70s genius of Michel Colombier! This package features 23 tracks of the groovy brilliance Colombier recorded for 3 Belmondo films by Phillipe Labro. Many of the cuts were recorded with a fairly stripped down line up that included Claude Engel on guitar and... read more

A rare score from French arranger Michel Colombier – penned for an equally-obscure film directed by the great Jacques Demy! The album follows the same musical style as some of Demy's better-known work from the 60s – like Umbrellas Of Cherbourg or Young Girls Of Rochefort –... read more

A classic live album – one of the first in soul music, and a beautiful set of smooth soul tunes from Sam Cooke! Sam's singing at the high-end nitespot The Copacabana – and like many live sets performed there, this one's tailored a bit to the classy crowd at the show – but that... read more

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Amazing sounds from Gal Costa – a brilliant live album that follows strongly in the mode of her Recanto studio album! Like that set, this one features Gal in the most experimental style she's used in years – bits of electronics and contemporary underground modes layered in with her... read more

Amazing sounds from Gal Costa – a brilliant live album that follows strongly in the mode of her Recanto studio album! Like that set, this one features Gal in the most experimental style she's used in years – bits of electronics and contemporary underground modes layered in with her... read more

Rare soundtrack work from Parisian guitarist Henri Crolla – best known as a straight jazz artist, but sounding plenty darn great here in a cinematic setting! The CD brings together 3 soundtrack sessions from Crolla – two shorter dates that feature orchestrations by Hubert Rostaing, and... read more

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Beautiful work from Wilson Das Neves – as mature and poised as his image on the cover, but still filled with the depth and soul we remember from years back! The vocals have this raspy charm that definitely underscores Wilson's years on this planet – and the backings have this warmth... read more

A contemporary album, but one that really recalls the great sound of the samba explosion of the 70s – that moment when the genre really took off in a powerful new approach to the style! The arrangements are superb – core percussion mixed with larger orchestrations and a bit of backing... read more

Beautiful – and some of the best soundtrack work ever recorded by this mad French genius! Francois De Roubaix is one of our favorite soundtrack composers ever – and if you've never heard his work, this is a great place to start. The 3 films included in the package all feature amazing... read more

One of the greatest soundtracks ever written by one of the maddest composers we've ever heard! Although Francois DeRoubaix never gets as much fame as some of the other big French composers, his work from the late 60s and early 70s is completely insane – as you'll hear on this groovy gem from... read more

Incredible soundtrack work from one of the coolest composers of the 70s – the groovy Francois De Roubaix, equally at home with electronics and funky orchestrations! We've loved the music of Francois De Roubaix for years – and treasure it for its unique blend of electric and acoustic... read more

Amazing electronics from the mad Francois De Roubaix – one of the hippest soundtrack composers of the 70s, heard here in a wealth of his most groundbreaking tracks! Francois often uses electronics quite sparingly and spaciously – as sonic elements that drop out of nowhere and color in... read more

2 of the greatest soundtracks ever from Francois De Roubaix – both recorded in that magical year of 1967! First up on the set is Les Adventuriers – a mindblowingly wonderful score for a Robert Enrico film, and one that offers a unique blend of jazzy rhythms, western themes, and more... read more

Another incredible set of mad, moody film music from Francois de Roubaix – some featuring vocals by Serge Reggiani. Roubaix is a pretty obscure name when you consider the hallowed halls of worshipped composers – but trust us, it's as likely due to his unique vision and lack of a huge... read more

Mindblowing work from French film composer Francois De Roubaix – an artist who's perhaps gotten more credit in recent years for his electronic sounds, but who's featured here in a fantastic batch of vocal numbers too! Many of these tracks have that great messed-up funky style of the era of... read more

There's few singers we like better than Blossom Dearie – and this great little record captures Blossom at her unfettered best, working live before an intimate crowd at London's Ronnie Scott's nightclub in the 60s! The performance is in the same small combo mode as some of Dearie's Verve... read more

2 lesser-known sides of Blossom Dearie – both recorded in Paris in the 50s! The first 8 tracks on the set are from a rare 10" session recorded in 1955 – one that features Blossom only at the piano, not singing, but swinging in a solid trio format. Tracks on that session include... read more

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,... read more

2 classic Truffaut soundtracks – both penned by Georges Delerue, and presented here on a single CD! First up is Delerue's beautiful score for Jules Et Jim – music that's probably best known for the vocal tune "Le Tourbillon", sung by Jeanne Moreau – but which also... read more

A wonderful soundtrack from Georges Delerue – and proof that, no matter what the setting, his musical work is always top-shelf! The film's a less-remembered Catherine Deneuve vehicle from the early 80s, but Delerue handles the music with a really timeless feel – a beautifully balanced... read more

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... read more

A wonderful overview of soundtrack work from some of Francois Truffaut's greatest films – all scored by Georges Delerue, a composer who Truffaut felt was his greatest collaborator! Delerue's genius with Truffaut is a little hard to sum up in words – because, like the films, the music... read more

A great collection of soundtrack work by Georges Delerue – featuring 6 tracks from Jean-Luc Godard's famous film Le Mepris (aka Contempt), plus tracks from the films Compte A Rebours, Heureux Qui Comme Ulysse, Cartouche, L'Insoumis, La Peau Douce, and L'Aine Des Ferchaux. Most of the work is... read more

A pair of soundtracks for films by Jean-Pierre Melville – back to back on a single CD! First up is L'Aine Des Ferchaux – scored by Georges Delerue with a strong sense of drama, maybe even more than you're used to expecting from a Melville film – although given the need for "A... read more

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Some of the most soulful jazz recorded in Europe during the 1960s – and the complete Philips recordings of German saxophonist Klaus Doldinger! Doldinger's probably best remembered for the more dynamic fusion he cut with the Passport group in the 70s, but back in his early years he was full... read more

Beautifully mature work from Brazilian piano legend Joao Donato – an album that draws on his rich legacy of musical expression from the bossa years onward, presented here with a few surprising twists and turns! The core format is piano trio – Joao on the acoustic keys, with Luiz Alves... read more

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The soundtracks to 2 of Jean Luc-Godard's greatest films – back to back on one CD! The score to Pierrot Le Feu features 9 tracks in all – 3 of which are vocal numbers by Anna Karina, who starred in the film, and who delivers the vocals with a decadently deadpan style that fits... read more

Music for the last feature film of Jacques Tati – the mad mad Trafic, matched here by a wonderful soundtrack by Charles Dumont! After the dark modernism of Playtime, Tati let loose a bit more for Trafic – and the score matches the film's sometimes silly approach with some very groovy... read more

A pair of records from the legendary Art Farmer & Benny Golson Jazztet! Here & Now is one of the most magical records ever from this legendary group – a set that swings as hard and soulfully as some of their previous sessions, yet also has a sharper, more modern vibe as well! Of... read more

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Beautiful solo piano work from Raymond Fol – a player we mostly know from his famous 60s big band recording of The Four Seasons – but who almost sounds better here completely on his own! Fol's got a command of the keyboard that's really amazing – a style that takes us back to key... read more

This is a fantastic album! French pianist Raymond Fol leads a group that includes American and European players of the Clarke-Boland Big Band mode, like Johnny Griffin, Jimmy Woode, and Fats Sadi, plus American Art Taylor on drums – and he's come up with a swinging take on Vivaldi's Four... read more

An incredible album from tenor giant Frank Foster – one of his best records ever, with an impeccable soul jazz groove that's light years beyond his earlier work! The record has a bit of the feel of Frank's album with Richard Davis for Impulse, but takes off in a slightly different direction... read more

Amazing music – at an equally amazing price! The set features every studio album ever recorded by Serge Gainsbourg – monumental sounds that completely transformed the world of French music in the 60s and 70s, and have gone on to have a global impact well into the 21st Century! The... read more

2 incredible soundtracks from Serge Gainsbourg – both of them from his best period of work! Cannabis is a tremendously funky set of tunes – and some real standout soundtrack material from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg! Serge is working here with some great help from Jean-Claude... read more

2 incredible soundtracks from Serge Gainsbourg – both of them from his best period of work! Cannabis is a tremendously funky set of tunes – and some real standout soundtrack material from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg! Serge is working here with some great help from Jean-Claude... read more

Stunning sounds from the team of Serge Gainsbourg and Michel Colombier – and maybe the most perfect example of why Gainsbourg soundtracks can be so great! First up is the duo's fab music for the film Le Pacha – a wonderful blend of trippy touches and more subtle jazzy moments, plus... read more

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell – definitely all you need, if you're looking for Motown duet work of the 60s! The album's possibly the best-remembered from the pair – filled with classics that really define the Marvin duo mode – sublime little tunes that have Gaye and Terrell... read more