A repackaged version of the album Que Mango – a later album, but one that still features Les doing some great Latiny bits – heading up the 101 Strings ensemble, for a sweeping and groovy kind of sound! The whole album's very similar to some of Les' Capitol work from the early 60s, but has a slightly more modern twist – including the use of electric bass underneath the arrangements, which creates a really nice gently loping groove! One of Les' best – despite the late date – and with tracks that include "Jungle Montuno", "Que Mango", "Bocha Chica", "Affair In Aruba", and "Tropicando". Very groovy, baby! LP, Vinyl record album

A later album, but one that still features Les doing some great Latiny bits – heading up the 101 Strings ensemble, for a sweeping and groovy kind of sound! The whole album's very similar to some of Les' Capitol work from the early 60s, but has a slightly more modern twist – including the use of electric bass underneath the arrangements, which creates a really nice gently loping groove! One of Les' best – despite the late date – and with tracks that include "Jungle Montuno", "Que Mango", "Bocha Chica", "Affair In Aruba", and "Tropicando". Very groovy, baby! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one! Although the 101 Strings did some lousy work in their time, this album is a groovy package of tracks with a late 60s swing – all wrapped up in a very strange cover emblazoned with the words "Adults Only"! Bebe Barron contributes "exotic" lovemaking sounds to the breathy "I Remember", there's some nice sitar funk on the track "Karma Sitar, there's a good organ on the cut "Don't Leave Me Like This", some more Bebe Barron vocals on the funky cut "Instant Nirvana", and a nice choppy guitar on the easy-funk track "Besame Mas". Great stuff, and an excellent package! LP, Vinyl record album

A really great genre-hopping Christmas collection – one that features jazzy tunes, vocal numbers, and a few rock and country tracks as well – all of which really live up to the vintage spirit of the image on the cover! The set follows nicely in the style of the similarly-titled predecessor – and features an array of 29 postwar tracks that come from that moment when the marketing of Holiday spirit was a very big part of the music business! There's plenty of familiar tunes here, done in unusual versions – and some more obscure Christmas cuts that definitely make the set worthwhile – on titles that include "Mrs Santa Claus" by Nat King Cole, "Peace On Earth" by Peggy Lee, "Hello Mr New Year" by The Coolbreezers, "Merry Christmas To You All" by Elton Britt, "Christmas Candy" by Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely, "It's A Marshmallow World" by Vic Damone, "Snowbound For Christmas" by The DeCastro Sisters, "Be A Santa" by McGuire Sisters, "When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter" by Gene Autry, "Sleigh Ride" by Johnny Desmond, "Here Comes Santa Claus" by Sammy Kaye with Don Cornell, "Christmas Is A Feeling In Your Heart" by Andy Williams, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by 101 Strings, "Jingle Bell Rock" by Eddy Arnold, and "Snowy White Snow & Jingle Bells" by Vaughn Monroe. CD

The tenor of Melissa Aldana fits right in here with the contemporary sound of Blue Note – especially given that labelmate Lage Lund is on guitar, and has a way of folding together all the tones from his strings very nicely next to the sharper edges of Aldana's tenor! The set begins with a dedication to Wayne Shorter – and that number maybe really sets the spirit of the album – as Melissa has a way of phrasing that's equally distinct, and very much her own – soulful and modern at the same time, set up in a quintet that also includes Fabian Almazan on piano, Pablo Menares on bass, and Kush Abadey on drums. Titles include "Echoes Of The Inner Prophet", "A Purpose", "I Know You Know", "The Solitary Seeker", "Unconscious Whispers", and "A Story". CD

The tenor of Melissa Aldana fits right in here with the contemporary sound of Blue Note – especially given that labelmate Lage Lund is on guitar, and has a way of folding together all the tones from his strings very nicely next to the sharper edges of Aldana's tenor! The set begins with a dedication to Wayne Shorter – and that number maybe really sets the spirit of the album – as Melissa has a way of phrasing that's equally distinct, and very much her own – soulful and modern at the same time, set up in a quintet that also includes Fabian Almazan on piano, Pablo Menares on bass, and Kush Abadey on drums. Titles include "Echoes Of The Inner Prophet", "A Purpose", "I Know You Know", "The Solitary Seeker", "Unconscious Whispers", and "A Story". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy record from the International Pop All Stars for Decca's Phase 4 label of percussion & strings oriented LPs! Vibrations Around The World has a groovy, moddish, cheeky charm with an international focus, picking themes to represent countries as if this were some kind of easy listening Olympics! "Aquarius" reps the USA, "Greensleeves" is for the UK, "Tulips From Amsterdam" represents Holland, "One One Samba" stands for Brazil, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Charles McPherson on alto saxophone, Randy Porter on piano, Jeff Littleton on bass, and Charles McPherson Jr. on drums. CD

A great little record, and one that definitely hangs strongly on the "and more" promised in the title – as alto sax genius Phil Woods moves very far from the familiar "Charlie Parker With Strings" format you might expect – almost as a statement that shows how much both the setting and Woods have evolved over the decade! There's definitely strings on the set – a full backing that's really seems to inspire Woods towards some of his best work of the period – as does the core rhythm contributions from Ben Arnov on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Douglas Sides on drums – all players who seem to be higher in the mix than the strings, which really emphasizes their presence. The tracks include some long takes on classic Bird/strings songbook material, plus some great surprises – all in nicely different versions. Titles include "April In Paris", "All The Things You Are", "I'll Remember April", "Easy To Love", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Repetition", "The Best Thing For You Is Me/How Deep Is The Ocean", "Solitude", "Willow Weep For Me", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". CD

A real sound library treasure from the UK scene of the 70s – a set that features two of that genre's heaviest talents – back to back on a single record! You probably know Alan Hawkshaw for his famous work on keyboards – including his classic organ riff on "The Champ" by The Mohawks – but here, he combines his keys with larger orchestrations on side one – making a bunch of short, groovy tunes that have the feel of a hip 70s soundtrack – stepping strings at some points, gently funky basslines at others, and just the right use of soaring woodwinds. Alan Parker takes over on side two, which is even groovier – as it features Parker in a small combo – serving up tunes that mix funky, slinky, and more lyrical modes – often with a light woodwind current over the top. Titles include "Monochrome", "Blue Shadow", "No Return", "Choctaw", and "Black Pearl" by Parker – and "Sunny Monday", "Tryst", "Next Stop LA", "Oh Militia", "The Vamp", "Collect", and "Miraculous Dream" by Hawkshaw. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most striking set in this ever-shifting series of releases from Matana Roberts – and one that shows his more advanced sonic sensibilities, in a mix of improvised jazz and more compositional settings! There's a vibe here that's almost like the more "serious" work of Roscoe Mitchell – at least in the way that reeds and strings interweave – yet Roberts, as always, brings a deeply personal approach to the music, with lots of shorter songs that weave more soulful elements amidst the avant expressions – which are served up by a lineup that includes Mike Pride on drums, Cory Smythe on piano, Darius Jones on alto, Mazz Swift on violin, and Mat Lavelle on alto clarinet and pocket trumpet. Kyp Malone brings in a bit of electronics, and there are vocalizations at points – on titles that include "A Caged Dance", "No Way Chastened", "Away Is Not An Option", "Shake My Bones", "Enthralled Not By Her Curious Blend", "Different Rings", "Predestined Confessions", and "We Said". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful collection of obscure solo acoustic guitar tunes from the mid 60s up to the dawn of the 80s – beautiful work from a slew of players we've never heard of – but we'd put right up there with Fahey and Basho in the way they reach from the back porch to the cosmos with just their fingers and some strings! One thing we love about this set, and the Numero Group releases to date, is how deep they dig and what beauty they unearth, somehow with impeccable sound quality. Some tunes are starkly beautiful, some chime on fairly intently, some do both those things and more – and it's very heartening and instantly appealing stuff – wordless tunes that carry a lot of sensitivity and emotion! The 40 page booklet features detailed notes and bio material for each track, plus an introduction by Numero's Rob Sevier and essays by Dan Lambert and Jim Ohlschmidt. Titles include "Beginning" by Dana Westover", "Raga In D" by Ted Lucas, "Sailor's Dream" by Scotte Witte, "Flight" by George Cromarty, "Diagonal" by Richard Crandell, "Baha Dream Songs" by Daniel Hecht, "Delta Freeze" by Jim Ohlschmidt, "No More School" by Stephen Cohen, "Strawberry Man" by Mark Lang, "Warm River" by Bread Chequer, "One Forty Eight" by Swayne Canna and more. CD

Quite possibly David Bowie's first complete moment of genius – an incredibly-formed album that's filled with tunes beyond definition and description! There's still some traces of the earlier madman in the mix, but the overall sound is much more rock-heavy – although not without the fuzzed-up and full-on guitars of Space Oddity or Man Who Sold the World – and often augmented with a bit of strings and softer touches that really bring out the humanity in the songs. The balance here is amazing – as is the fact that a few short years before, Bowie was singing "The Laughing Gnome", but is here one of the most sensitive songwriters of his generation. Tunes are quirky and personal, and titles include "Changes", "Oh You Pretty Things", "Andy Warhol", "Life On Mars", "Kooks", and "Queen Bitch". Features bonus tracks – "Bombers", "Quicksand (demo)", "Supermen (alt version)", and "Bewlay Brothers (alt version)". CD

A wonderful collection of obscure solo acoustic guitar tunes from the mid 60s up to the dawn of the 80s – beautiful work from a slew of players we've never heard of – but we'd put right up there with Fahey and Basho in the way they reach from the back porch to the cosmos with just their fingers and some strings! One thing we love about this set, and the Numero Group releases to date, is how deep they dig and what beauty they unearth, somehow with impeccable sound quality. Some tunes are starkly beautiful, some chime on fairly intently, some do both those things and more – and it's very heartening and instantly appealing stuff – wordless tunes that carry a lot of sensitivity and emotion! The 40 page booklet features detailed notes and bio material for each track, plus an introduction by Numero's Rob Sevier and essays by Dan Lambert and Jim Ohlschmidt. Titles include "Beginning" by Dana Westover", "Raga In D" by Ted Lucas, "Sailor's Dream" by Scotte Witte, "Flight" by George Cromarty, "Diagonal" by Richard Crandell, "Baha Dream Songs" by Daniel Hecht, "Delta Freeze" by Jim Ohlschmidt, "No More School" by Stephen Cohen, "Strawberry Man" by Mark Lang, "Warm River" by Bread Chequer, "One Forty Eight" by Swayne Canna and more. CD

An excellent follow up to Roberto Gatto's first Remembering Shelly date – a sublime reworking of older west coast jazz modes, handled by a hip batch of contemporary Italian players! The groove here is less the whimsical Shelly Manne of the early 50s, than it is the hardbopper of the early 60s – heard most famously on his live Blackhawk and Manne Hole dates! The tracks here are nice and long – really approximating the feel of those great records – and Gatto's drums are topped with some great horn work from Marco Tamburini on trumpet and Max Ionata on tenor – both players who really know how to spin out some imaginative solos on the long tracks! Other players include Luca Mannutza on piano and Giuseppe Bassi on bass – and titles include "Pullin Strings", "Speak Low", "Seite X Seite", "Blue Daniel", and "Eclipse Of Spain". CD

Overlooked work by one of the true guitar geniuses of the 70s – an artist who should be right up there with Derek Bailey and Fred Frith – especially with groundbreaking work of this nature! Hans Reichel has a very unique approach to the electric – one that's both very deft on the strings, but also has a sonic sensibility that almost seems to use the instrument to trigger sounds as much as to create notes – moments that are often quite melodic, even when free – shifting between the infinite tonal possibilities of the guitar and some of its textural elements too. Some of Reichel's later work wasn't as great as his 70s output – but this album's a tremendous and well-lauded classic! Titles include "Lupi", "Shaved Guitar", "Krampfhandlugen", and "Alfons Al Piepenbrink & His Lonely Wah Wah Pedal". CD

Maybe the most striking set in this ever-shifting series of releases from Matana Roberts – and one that shows his more advanced sonic sensibilities, in a mix of improvised jazz and more compositional settings! There's a vibe here that's almost like the more "serious" work of Roscoe Mitchell – at least in the way that reeds and strings interweave – yet Roberts, as always, brings a deeply personal approach to the music, with lots of shorter songs that weave more soulful elements amidst the avant expressions – which are served up by a lineup that includes Mike Pride on drums, Cory Smythe on piano, Darius Jones on alto, Mazz Swift on violin, and Mat Lavelle on alto clarinet and pocket trumpet. Kyp Malone brings in a bit of electronics, and there are vocalizations at points – on titles that include "A Caged Dance", "No Way Chastened", "Away Is Not An Option", "Shake My Bones", "Enthralled Not By Her Curious Blend", "Different Rings", "Predestined Confessions", and "We Said". CD

More of a journey than just a straight record – as this incredible 3CD set brings together all the recordings that went into Big Star's amazing Third (or 3rd if you please) – one of the best one-time lost rock albums of the 70s! How this could have ever been thought of as anything less than essential is a mystery – and the 3 discs here really show the amazing work that went into recording the whole thing There's this weary quality to the vocals and songwriting of Alex Chilton that's sublime – paired with a raw, rocking underbelly – and finished with strings, horns and other Memphis-y accents. You could think that it all sounds like an ill fit – but no, it's glorious! Titles on the core album include "Stroke It Noel", their great cover of the Velvets "Femme Fatale", "Thank You Friends", "Jesus Christ", "Holocaust", "Blue Moon", and "Take Care". But the package goes way past that – to feature the core album in 20 master tracks (more than the original) – plus 24 more tracks that are "demos to sessions to roughs" – and 25 more tracks that are "roughs to mixes". You'll hear lots of songs change along the way – and the whole thing comes in a book-style package, with detailed notes from both the original session participants, and artists influenced by the group! CD

Bebel's second album for Six Degrees – and quite possibly an even better album than the first! Not one to rest on the laurels of her success of recent years, Bebel seems to diverge a bit from the sound of her initial hit – going for a deeper approach to songwriting, and a musical style that shows she's got a lot more to offer than just bossa remix-styled vocals! The album kicks off with a wonderful take on Os Mutantes' English reading of the Tropicalia classic "Baby" – then rolls into a sweetly laidback set of tracks that borrow a lot from the bossa, but which also have some extremely personal songwriting touches. Overall, there's less beats and more natural instrumentation than before – and the album feautres guest work by Joao Donato and Carlinhos Brown, as well as some great use of strings! Titles include "Winter", "O Caminho", "Ceu Distante", "Next To You", "All Around", "River Song", "Every Day You've Been Away", and "Simplesmente". CD