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2 jazzy French soundtracks – both written for films directed by Bertrand Blier. First up is Les Valseuses, a 1973 score written by Stephane Grappelli, played by a small group featuring Grappelli, plus Maurice Vander on piano and organ, Philippe Catherine on guitar, Guy Pedersen on bass, and... read more

A rare European gem from Johnny Griffin – recorded in quartet formation with backing from the rhythm trio of the Clarke Boland Big Band! Johnny was working with the trio in the bigger group at the time, but he gets plenty of space to state his case here – stretching out on hard-bitten,... read more

A pair of 60s gems – together on a single CD! First up is the original Jazz Goes Baroque from George Gruntz – one of the best blends of jazz and classical music we can think of! Sure, the tunes are from Corelli, Handel, Pachelbel, and other baroque composers – but they're taken... read more

Paris was always a great city for Lionel Hampton – but it seemed like in the mid 50s, it was also a place where he cut some of his best work, too! The French New Sound pair of albums are both classics in Hamp's book – records that take off from the looser, longer-form style that he'd... read more

Excellent Parisian work by Lionel Hampton – recorded during a very fruitful year in France, featuring material that was originally issued on a full LP, and a 10" ep. Most of the tracks feature a group that includes Eddie Chamblee on tenor, Ed Mullens on trumpet, Billy Mackel on guitar,... read more

A fantastic album by Slide Hampton – one of his best, and one of his rarest! Like a number of other important players of his generation, Slide got his start on the American scene, but moved to Europe during the 1960s – where he really began to open up. This excellent session was... read more

A really well-titled collection – given that it features the most important steps in the long musical journey of Pierre Henry – easily one of the most important electronic musicians of the 20th Century! The package offers a heck of a lot of amazing music for the price – and is... read more

One of the few albums ever cut by Claire Hogan – an overlooked 50s singer with a wonderfully lush sort of style! Claire's never soppy or poppy, but has a way of sliding into the tunes with this easygoing approach that's mighty nice – definitely informed by jazz, but not really jazz... read more

Beautiful trio work by Elmo Hope – one of his first sessions as a leader, and while still quite modern, also a record that's done with a warmer, mellower feel than some of his other work – as you might guess from the cover image and the Meditations title! The group on the set features... read more

Two excellent early albums from Shirley Horn – back to back on a single CD! Travelin Light is one of the greatest jazz vocal albums of the 60s, and probably the greatest album ever by Shirley Horn! The session's got a beautiful lively sound, with extremely interesting arrangements by Johnny... read more

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Wonderful work from Incognito – perhaps their greatest album ever! By the time of this 1993 release, this Brit funky soul combo was in perfect form – blending together classic modes of jazz funk into a tight modern blend that's lasted a lot longer than anyone might have thought at the... read more

Really dark work from composer Pierre Jansen – a CD that collects tracks written for the films of Claude Chabrol, a range of 60s and early 70s French thrillers with a moody, pessimistic feel. Most tracks have off-kilter orchestrations with occasional evocative solo instrument passages –... read more

A sprawling collection of the film music of Muarice Jarre – from the stunning, epic scale sounds of Lawrence Of Arabia and Dr Zhivago to far more delicate material for smaller scale classics and lesser remembered work – score work from more 5 decades on an impeccably curated 4CD... read more

Maurice Jarre's wonderfuls core for Topaz – one of the last great films from Alfred Hitchcock! The music is quite a change from some of the more bracing sounds you'd normally associate with classic Hitchcock – as Jarre comes up with this light and lovely theme that's interwoven through... read more

An unusual package of Quincy Jones albums – featuring variations on two American records, presented here in offbeat German versions of the 60s! First up is Songs For Pussycats, kind of a mix of Quincy Jones' Pussycat album for Mercury with some tracks from other records too – all done... read more

Killer live work from Seu Jorge – one of his boldest, proudest records to date – and that's saying a lot, given the soulful promise of all his other work! We've always loved Jorge, but we first really fell in love with his music in a live setting – where he's got an undeniable... read more

Killer live work from Seu Jorge – one of his boldest, proudest records to date – and that's saying a lot, given the soulful promise of all his other work! We've always loved Jorge, but we first really fell in love with his music in a live setting – where he's got an undeniable... read more

BB King in London – not playing live, but working in the studio with a host of British musicians he'd inspired over the years! The lineup varies from track to track, giving a nice sort of variety to the album – and the overall feel is a bit like some of the Chess London sessions of the... read more

BB King hips up his groove a bit here – picking up some of the crossover soul and rock touches used by contemporaries over at Chess/Cadet, and expanding his sound with a range of guests that include Leon Russell, Joe Walsh, and Carole King! Despite the presence of these bigger names, the set'... read more

BB King live at the Cook County Jail in Chicago – and given the amount of great live shows going on in the institution during the early 70s, the jail must have been one hell of a place to be incarcerated! This classic features BB King entertaining the prisoners with a wickedly sharp blues... read more

BB King live in Japan – really cooking here on a concert performance that's quite different from his other live records of the time! The set's a double-length one – originally a 2LP set – and most tracks are nice and long, with lots more room for solos from BB – stretching... read more

One of the most tightly-produced of BB King's albums for MCA, but a set that's still filled with undeniable charm – and which really shows King more than able to step up to some well-deserved superstardom! There's a bit of an LA finish to the backings, but things are never too smooth –... read more

A mid 70s meeting of two seminal blues talents from the Memphis scene – singer Bobby Blue Bland, and legendary guitarist BB King! The pair were both working for ABC at the time – major label fame after years woodshedding in the indies – and hitting well-deserved fame for their... read more

Funky singles so great, you'd almost think the 12" format was invented for them! This essential package pulls together a wealth of rare singles from the legendary Kool & The Gang – a group who already sounded great on their shorter album and 45 tracks, but who used the 12"... read more

One of the most soul jazz-styled sets ever cut by German clarinetist Rolf Kuhn – a very groovy record that features work from tenorist Klaus Doldinger and organist Ingfried Hoffmann! On their own albums of the 60s, Doldinger and Hoffmann are quite a pair – swinging almost as perfectly... read more

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One of the greatest tenor stars in postwar Europe was Guy Lafitte – a magnificent player whose genius rivalled Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster, but also one who's been sadly underrecognized outside the French scene of which he was a part. Most of Lafitte's best work from the old days is... read more

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Amazing music from Nara Leao – all of her classic albums for Philips from the 60s, packaged together in one sweet set – along with a bonus 2CD set of rare material, a booklet, and lots of bonus tracks as well! Nara during this time was a completely unique singer – an artist with... read more

An incredible treasure trove of music – the complete film scores that Michel Legrand penned for his films with director Jacques Demy – plus rare bonus tracks, alternate versions, vocal takes, and even a bit of working sessions and studio work as well! We've always been huge fans of... read more

Some of the greatest jazz work ever recorded by Michel Legrand! Although Legrand's always been known for his sweet soundtrack work and his famous easy listening sides – he's also a heck of a jazz pianist, and here in this rare 1959 session, he works in a trio format that puts him right up... read more

Brilliant music from one of our favorite artists ever – a set that features the mighty Michel Legrand in a host of different settings – all of them great! CD 1 features 20 vocal numbers by Legrand – a great reminder that although best know for his soundtracks, Michel is a hell of... read more

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... read more

Some of the most whimsical music ever penned by Michel Legrand – music for two animated films from the late 70s! First up is Legrand's excellent score for a Baron Munchausen film – handled with these surprisingly deep tones at times, yet still mixed with a sense of fable-like wonder,... read more

An amazing tribute to one of our favorite soundtrack composers ever – a massive overview of the work of Michel Legrand, one that spans over 70 films, 4 decades, and 5 hours of music! The package looks at Legrand's career on a film-by-film basis – offering up key tracks and themes in a... read more

Steve McQueen and Michel Legrand – a wonderful combination, represented here in two great soundtracks! First up is Le Mans, from 1971 – a soundtrack that's quite different than most of Legrand's work from the time – in that it's kind of a collage of music, sounds from the film,... read more

70s soundtrack work from the mighty Michel Legrand – his score for the famous Three Musketeers film directed by Richard Lester, and unissued music for the film Robin & Marian! The Musketeers music is quite dramatic – often filled with action, but with a few tender spots as well... read more

A whole host of previously-unissued recordings from Michel Legrand – longer-form suites designed for various cinematic projects – most of them quite long, and with a lot more variety than the original soundtracks! The setting is mostly orchestral – with Legrand directing a very... read more

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A huge amount of work from funky flute man Bjorn Jason Lindh – material recorded after his initial early 70s fame, and a package that includes 6 albums that hardly got any circulation in the US at the time! The groove here is partially the funky fusion that you'd know from Bjorn's few... read more

An amazing organist – probably the best in Europe! Eddy Louiss is a genius – a massive player who should have been huge, but who's barely been recognized over on this side of the Atlantic, save for a bit of recording with Stan Getz. This 1972 session is a gem – one of his best... read more

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Incredibly groovy work from French film composer Michel Magne – all of it for the films of Roger Vadim, including some music for Barbarella that wasn't part of the regular US soundtrack for the movie! The music represents some of the more involved soundtracks for Vadim films – but also... read more

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... read more

Amazing work from French film composer Michel Magne – a set of more serious compositions, but all of which still have the great ear for odd sounds and subtle humor we love in his soundtracks! The centerpiece of the set is his "Musique Tachiste" suite from 1959 – an extended... read more

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Wonderful sounds from Teena Marie – the last album she ever recorded before she left us way too soon – and a beautiful set that has us missing her more than ever! The vibe is even tighter than the Congo Square album, but there's also a classic sensibility and depth that takes us back... read more

A smashing 2CD set – one that features two very compelling albums from the lovely Maysa! First up is a self-titled album from 1964 – one of Maysa's first efforts ever, and done in the sweet style of the legendary Elenco label! The set's a live one, and features light bossa... read more

A striking little set from vibesman Freddie McCoy – not just for the cool superhero image on the front cover, but also for the tight grooves underneath! The album's one of McCoy's most unified for Prestige – as all tracks feature a core quartet with Freddie on vibes, Charlie Wilson on... read more

Early work by Brazilian singer Luiz Meldoia – recorded in 1973 with a rootsy style that combines samba styles with some of the more sophisticated arrangements creeping into MPB at the time – making for a deeply soulful approach that works wonders with Luiz's unique vocals! The album... read more

A tremendous collection of French film soundtracks – all penned to accompany the famous work of Jean-Pierre Melville, and all nearly as integral to the movies as the image itself! Melville is a very sound-conscious director, and the music for his films is a key force in guiding the actions... read more

Rootsy blues from the team of Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon – recorded in Paris in the early 60s at the Trois Mailletz nightclub! The style here is much earthier than you'd guess from the date – the return to tradition mode that some players often experienced while working in the... read more

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this excellent French bassist – the legendary Pierre Michelo, a player whose name graced countless others as a sideman, but only a few as a leader! The album's an enigmatic batch of tracks that has Michelot working with a very hip set of French... read more

Soaring soul from Stephanie Mills – one of the lady's all-time hits, and for good reason too! The album really gives Stephanie's great voice a lot of focus – an upbeat, uptempo groove that sets her firmly on the dancefloor, but always with a touch of class – and a lot more depth... read more

Genius work from Moody – and a larger session than usual – one that shows his strong talents with an expanded lineup! Moody's working here with players that have a definite Dizzy Gillespie Big Band bent – including trumpeter Dave Burns, trombonist William Shepherd, baritonist Pee... read more

A perfect session of Kapp Records vocals from Jane Morgan – a record that veers towards more conventional singing styles of the late 50s, but always manages to keep things interesting! The backings are somewhat full, and often have a bit of strings – used in ways that match the... read more

Nothing too slow and easy about this 50s set from Jaye P Morgan – as the album's got a gentle groove on most of the numbers – just the right amount of jazzy swing to open up Jaye's vocals just right! Ray Ellis handles the backings – and during this best stretch in his career, he's... read more

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A rare British session from vocalist Mark Murphy – and one of his grooviest albums of the 60s! Mark's working here with great backings from the orchestras of Tubby Hayes, John Dankworth, and Les Reed – all of whom give Murphy some of his hippest grooves to date, very much in the mode... read more

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Soaring, spacious work from Milton Nascimento – an album done with musical backings from frequent partner Wagner Tiso, and songwriting help from Fernando Brant – all in the best sophisticated mode of their Minas Geraes generation! The sound is occasionally a bit more mellow than some... read more

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2 rare 50s sessions from Paris – both of them featuring work by famous American trumpet players! The first 3 tracks on the set are from a rare 10" LP recorded in 1956 – featuring some surprisingly long tracks played by a group that includes Joe Newman on trumpet, Frank Wess on... read more

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Sexy grooves from 70s France – exactly the kind of record that we'd never find coming out in the US! Philippe Nicaud has this whispering, talking sort of style – kind of a cross between Serge Gainsbourg and Rod McKuen, set to music that's much more in the spirit of the former –... read more

Incredible work from the songwriting team of Roger Nichols & Paul Williams – sublime greatness from the end of the 60s era at A&M! At the time of these recordings, Nichols had just finished cutting his landmark Small Circle of Friends album for A&M – and Paul Williams was... read more

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A dancefloor soul classic – one of the strongest albums ever by Al Hudson, Alicia Meyers, and the whole One Way crew! The record's got a sweet soulful feel that provides a nice counterpoint to its bass-heavy grooves – popping along at that midtempo pace that was Al's popular remedy for... read more

Maybe the greatest record so far from this ultra-hip Brazilian group – a set that has the range of singers and musicians coming together wonderfully – in a really rich sound that's way more than the sum of its already-great parts! The album features vocals by Moreno Veloso, Nina Becker... read more

Kid Ory gets plenty of room to do his thing here – caught with a great degree of warmth and expression on this key Paris live date from the mid 50s! The record's got a fluid, easy-going swing that's echoes some of the best trad sides cut by American players in Paris during the postwar years... read more

Patti Page at her grown up best – sounding wonderful on this 50s album that shows that she was way more than just a pop singer – and instead a rich-toned vocalist capable of surprisingly great delivery! The backings have a slightly modern edge – not June Christy at Capitol, but... read more

Two sets of French modern jazz from the postwar years! First up is pianist Bernard Peiffer, leading a hip sextet that includes horn players Roger Guerin, and Bobby Jaspar – through a set of tightly arranged tracks that are sort of a mix of west coast cool jazz and Swedish postwar modern. ... read more

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An overlooked 60s gem from Oscar Peterson – one of his great sides for Limelight Records, and possibly the most soulful of the bunch! The group's a trio – with either Sam Jones or Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and they've got a really great feel, one that's a bit... read more

One of Oscar Peterson's most sophisticated albums of the 60s – an extended suite of tracks dedicated to the soul and spirit of Canada! The tunes are all originals, and have a really lush, vivid sort of feel – one that still has undercurrents of Peterson's usual soulful style, but which... read more

A sprightly mid 60s session from the Oscar Peterson Trio – one of the last live recordings from the famous lineup that featured Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums! The performance was captured at the Tivoli Gardens, in Copenhagen – and recorded in an open style that really gets... read more

A near-lost gem in Oscar Peterson's mid-50s catalog for Verve – and a sparkling set of trio numbers recorded at the Shakespeare Festival in Ontario! Despite the literate setting of the recording, the work's never stuffy or academic – and Peterson swings things mightily with his trio... read more

A rich selection of sounds from maestro Jean Claude Petit – easily one of the most important French soundtrack composers of the past few decades, and one of the few who can really turn out a classic-styled sort of orchestration! The package is overflowing with great themes and scenes set by... read more

Mindblowing work from a young Michel Polnareff – spacey pop from late 60s France, with a sound that's completely sublime! Polnareff's never been taken up as strongly as Serge Gainsbourg or Jane Birkin by English-speaking audiences, but we think his music is equally great – a baroquely... read more

Think what you want about Jean-Luc Ponty – this early session is pretty darn hip! Ponty's not nearly as overblown as he is on other records – and he falls nicely into both a tradition of French modernism and hip European jazz violinists, recording here in the company of other French... read more

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Deeply textural jazz work from saxophonist Chris Potter – working here in a group with Wayne Krantz on guitar, Craig Taborn on Fender Rhodes, and Nate Smith on drums! The sound's a bit similar to some of the recent Blue Note generation – soulful one minute, modern the next – with... read more

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A hardbound book of photo documentation of the band's tour, with two live CDs and two DVDs of live footage and interviews.... read more

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Samba, jazz, and bossa – the three best aspects of Elis Regina's classic work – all pulled together in one lovely package that's very heavy on the grooves! If you've ever dipped into some of Regina's mellower or more emotive work and wondered where the grooves were, this is the set to... read more

Late recordings by the legendary Hot Club Of Paris – a selection of 15 titles that were all originally recorded as 78rpm singles, all remastered and wonderfully packaged in keeping with the Jazz In Paris standards! The recordings boast some especially great clarinet work by Hubert Rostaing... read more

Late work by Django – one 10" LP session coupled with 4 sides that were originally issued as 78rpm singles! The first 8 tracks have Django working with a trio led by pianist Maurice Vander – a slight trace of bop in the style, making for a slightly different feel than earlier... read more

Some of the last material ever recorded by Django Reinhardt – tracks from the last few months of his too-short life, a few of which feature some really wonderful surprises! The set begins with a handful of titles that feature Django both on guitar and violin – the latter of which is a... read more

Classic work by Django Reinhardt – and a CD that reissues material that originally appeared on Decca 78s from the early 40s. All the work was recorded in 1939, by Django and the Hot Club Of France (which included Stephane Grappelli, Joseph Reinhardt, and Pierre Barro Ferret). Titles include... read more

Sweet grooves from Lee Ritenour – a collection of the guitarist's classic recordings for the GRP label! Lee was one of the key talents who helped forge the GRP sound right from the start – that great blend of soulful and smooth that went onto have an impact on jazz for generations to... read more

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A rare French soundtrack by Nino Rota, done for this 1960 film by Rene Clement – but filled with all the bold themes and whimsical moments of Rota's best work for Fellini! Clement's film has some beautifully spare moments that Rota scores perfectly here – letting the music drift along... read more

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