A lost 70s score from Ennio Morricone – penned for a period piece set in 19th Century Italy, and done with a driving, dramatic sort of feel! Some of the numbers here have that subdued orchestral mode that Morricone used at his most subtle moments – a style that's not as crazy as some of his other work from earlier years, but which still comes across with some nice dark edges – especially in the mellower moments. Other numbers feature violin solo work, or chorus vocals from I Cantori Moderni – not used that often, but enough to provide some nice variety in the album. (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful and overlooked soundtrack by Morricone – done for a western, but with a tone that's very different than most of his other spaghetti work! The main theme to the film has a very cool and groovy approach – almost in the gentle bossa mode at times, with a slightly jangly theme that reminds us a bit of moments from La Donna Invisible, juxtaposed with some other starker tunes that use mouth-organ, piano, or banjo to create some slight whimsicality. The whole thing's great – with some really cool lost mellow tunes that rank with some of our favorite in this mode by him! There's a total of 18 tracks in all on this version, including a stereo mix of "Rivoluzione??", plus "Chje C'Entriamo Noi?", "Rivoluzione??" and evolving varitions of the title theme. CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Nice to know that we've lived past the year 2000 – and have managed to miss the holocaust that Kirk Douglas fought in this late 70s film! The movie's just the kind of overdone thriller that Kirk handled late in his career – but thankfully, the music from Ennio Morricone is much deeper overall – done in that brilliant blend of creepy styles that could make anything come together on the screen, even without any good special effects or dialogue! Some numbers have spooky, spare passages with earthy percussion and woodwinds, others have offbeat strings, some have some light electric elements – and overall, the music is nicely understated, always classy, and years ahead of some of the cheaper horror scoring of the time. CD features a whopping 33 tracks in all – the fullest version of the soundtrack we've ever seen – with titles that include "Holocaust", "Computer", "Slogan", "Jesus", "Il Bene Cattivo", "Serie Di Tre", "Strofa Monodica", and "Telefonata Interrotta". CD

A lost treasure from the legendary Ennio Morricone – a soundtrack written for a crime film starring Charles Bronson & Telly Savalas, and handled with all the spare subtlety of his best work! Bruno Nicolai's directing the orchestra on this one – and isolated instruments include electric harpsichord and woodwinds that drift along nicely in the tunes – mixed with some harder arrangements on a few of the album's more driving cuts. Morricone strikes a great balance here – occasionally hitting sweet notes, but then often falling into these dark depths that perfectly fit the bleak world of the film. Tracks include the lovely slow groover "Riassunto", plus the tracks "Rito Finale", "Svolta Definitiva", "Dolcemente Acre", "Norme Con Ironie", "Citta Violenta", "Mille Volte Un Grido" and more. 2LP pressing, with 21 tracks in all. The complete soundtrack on vinyl for the first time! LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous score from Ennio Morricone – one that has a number of links to earlier Italian soundtrack modes, but which still has some undeniable touches of the maestro! There's passages here that evoke the warmer, sometimes more romantic styles used in Italian films in the earlier part of the 60s – but these are offset by mellower passages with a really subdued sense of darkness – which are then again mixed with a few tunes that get bolder and more mod-sounding – a really complicated array of themes that may lack the subtlety of other Morricone work, but which more than makes up for that lack with a really dynamic energy! (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully experimental music from Ennio Morricone – even darker at times than some of his famous horror soundtracks – and a record that was only pressed up in an initial small sound library run! The music has an offbeat blend of string elements, percussion, and other darker tones – recorded with some processing and unusual production touches – at a level that's very similar to Morricone's music with Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, who also make an appearance on the set! Most tracks have this sort of progression of elements – a quality that's not directly rhythmic, but which creates a core energy that holds the more obtuse elements together – and titles include "Controfase", "Tempo", "Con Ferma Ostinazione", "Follia", and "Degenerazione". LP, Vinyl record album

Ennio Morricone's beautiful score to one of the beautifully shot films of the 70s, or all time, really – Terrence Malick's legendary Days Of Heaven! It's gorgeous stuff, from Morricone's haunting main theme and his more classically enthralling sounds, as well as the rootsy folk guitar by Leo Kottke and and equally swampy fiddle dance number by Doug Kershaw. LP, Vinyl record album

45 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

Music from The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, The Mission, A Fistful Of Dollars, Hamlet, The Thing, The Untouchables, Once Upon A Time In America, and more performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Crouch End Festival Chorus, Mark Ayres and Gareth Williams. CD

A classic 60s soundtrack from maestro Ennio Morricone – and a set of music that's lasted a lot longer than the film – which starred John Cassavettes in the role of Machine Gun McCain! Morricone's really coming into his own here – and uses some of the drama of his western work, blended with his growing ability to craft a simple, haunting melody – often the kind of dreamy tune you'd hardly expect to find in a movie like this! A few tense moments move into a slight atonal range – but most numbers have that cool, compressed style that made Morricone so great in the late 60s – with bits of Hammond, guitar, strings, and even some slight horns. The set's got two vocal numbers sung by Jackie Lynton – titles include "La Ballata Di Hank McCain", "Come Quando Fuori Piove", "Irene", "Defilee", "Gli Intoccabili", "Rosemary", "Come Lei", and "Sogno Dopo Sogno". Also includes a number of bonus tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

A very spooky score for this film that's also known in America as "The Cat With Nine Tails" – the second collaboration between Ennio Morricone and noted horror director Dario Argento! The album's a bit different than some of Morricone's other work on horror films – and at times, it almost has qualities that sound more like a western – a spacious mix of light strings and more sparely focused instrumentation – sometimes a bassline, sometimes a bit of flute. Other numbers get a bit more dark and jagged – slightly atonal, with shimmering, shifting styles that create a tremendous amount of tension! Titles include "Paranoia Prima", "1970", "Sottintesi", "Ninna Nanna In Blu", "Placcaggio", and "Metafora Finale". This special version of the score features a 12 minute version of "Il Gatto A Nove Code", some other alternate takes, and a bonus interview with Dario Argento! CD

One of the more unusual Morricone scores of the 70s – penned as part of a collaboration with director Maximilian Schell, and done in ways that are a bit different than some of the maestro's Italian work! There's plenty of voices at play here – the lead of Edda Dell'Orso, and harmonies from Il Cantori Moderni – used in ways that are sometimes a bit sweeter than usual, with a level of warmth that might not be what you'd expect from the movie! Morricone also throws in a few waltz-like melodies, too – almost the sort of numbers you'd find in a Nino Rota score – but as the soundtrack moves on, things get noticeably darker, too – and move into a rich array of odd sounds and weird tones. CD features a huge amount of tracks issued for the first time ever – a total of 31 tracks that includes "Fox Astratto", "Caduta E Ripresa", "Shake Del Giudice", "Balletto Col Morto", "Meditazione Melodica", and "Fuga In Svizzera". CD

A really moody little record from Ennio Morricone – spare, subtle, and extremely beautiful – touched with notes of sadness and remorse, but also handled with a strong spirit of redemption! The sound here isn't as cold or atonal as that on some of Morricone's horror work – but it's also not sweet and dreamy either. Instead, there's kind of an economic use of piano, light strings, and odd sonic textures – woven into a tapestry of shorter tunes that convey a real sense of loss, but also a quietly growing beauty. There's a few wordless vocals on the set, but things are mostly instrumental overall – and titles include "La Califfa", "La Pace Interiore", "Fari Nella Notte", "La Cena", "Notturno", "Sotto La Pioggia", and "Sangue Sull'Asfalto". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite all-time soundtracks from the legendary Ennio Morricone – and a record that really clued us in to that subtle sort of genius that sets him apart from the rest! Maestro Morricone is working in a number of different modes here – really making this one of the more richly textured soundtracks. His notes just inch by, one after one, in short, spare passages – and they build up into a tapestry of sweet, yet off-kilter sounds – which are then balanced with some warmer moments too – with occasional bossa moments to relieve the tension, and a few groovy cuts too! The whole thing is incredible – a masterpiece of sound and subtle instrumentation – on titles that include "In Un Sogno Il Sogno", which features a stunning solo vocal performance by the great Edda Dell'Orso – plus "La Donna Invisible", "Un Bacio", "Alla Serenita", "Silenziosamente", "Incontro Travsversale", and "La Moda". CD

A lesser-known soundtrack from Ennio Morricone – but one of his grooviest moments of the late 60s! The score is a great blend of heavy and light – and blends together that wonderful floating Morricone style with some heavier, fuzzier tunes that show the late 60s period of the film – all making for a really fleshed-out sound, of the sort that you're usually likely to hear in some of Morricone's classics! The album includes one great number that's got an extended sitar solo, and a few more with hard-edged male vocals by Patrick Samson that almost feel like late 60s French pop! Titles include "Gloria", "Sytar", "Una Voce Allo Specchio", "Tell Me Tell Me", "Sospendi Il Tempo", "In Tre Quarti", "Laila Laila", and "Dinamica Per 5 + 1". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite soundtracks ever from the legendary Ennio Morricone – a sublime set that's a perfect summation of all his best jazz, bossa, and mod elements – served up in one sparkling set that's gotten countless play on our turntable over the years! The main theme is a classic – a haunting, drifting track that really illustrates Morricone's capacity for warmer elements – something that some folks forget, if they only know his horror music and more ambitious work. Other tunes follow with a similar vibe – each a fresh change, but still awash in sweet and dreamy sounds, but with this great undercurrent of groove as well. Titles include "Metti, Una Sera A Cena", "Sauna", "Nina", "Ric Happening", "Croce D'Amore", and "Terrazza Vuota". Also features the bonus track "Hurry To Me"! LP, Vinyl record album

A cool collection of vocal songs from the world of soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone – many of which are more unusual than some of his bigger themes, and brought together here as a great addition to the Segreto series! The work runs from the early 60s to the early 70s – and the package mixes together dreamy female vocal numbers, catchy western themes, and plenty more great bits – all at a level that also showcases the way the maestro was working in Italian vocal music during the 60s, before moving more firmly into the world of cinema. The package features 21 rare tracks in all – including one number by a singer who's completely unknown – with titles that include "Splash" by Peter Boom, "Fruscio Di Foglie Verdi" by Trio Junior, "Una Stanza Vuota" by Lisa Gastoni, "Pioggia Sul Tuo Viso" by The Sorrows, "Nuvole" by Jimmy Fontana, "You & I" by King Harvest, "Luce Chiara Per Vergine" by Edda Dell'Orso, "Filastrocca Vietnamita" by Sergio Endrigo, "Metti Una Sera A Cena" by Florinda Bolkan, and "Matto Caldo Soldi Morto Girotondo" by I Cantori Moderni Di Alessandroni. LP, Vinyl record album

A Morricone score penned for a comedic western – but music that's really on a par with any of his more familiar classics of the genre! The styles here run from dark to bright – with some numbers that feature trademark Morricone styles like isolated harmonica or chanting vocals, to others that cascade with slightly more contemporary instrumental modes – including just a bit of subdued electricity amidst the larger orchestrations. But in any setting, the Morricone genius shines through beautifully – and there's a sense of depth to even the simplest tunes here that's really great – and the balance here is what really makes the album strong. CD features a whopping 29 tracks in all – way more than any other issue of music from the film – with titles that include "Non Fare L'Indiano", "Sfida All'Ultima Forchetta", "L'Ultima Tromba", "Tanti Pugni", "Occhio Alla Pena", "Passagio Dal Male Al Bene", and "Dal Sarto". CD

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool album from the Italian branch of RCA Records – and a set that features a host of artists from other nations who briefly stopped over in Italy, and recorded some of these gems for the label! There's a core energy to the set, which balances contributions from a few key artists, mostly from America – and for jazz fans alone, the set is noteworthy for two tracks that have trumpeter Chet Baker blowing with orchestrations from a young Ennio Morricone – "So Che Ti Perdero" and "Il Mio Domani"! And there's plenty of other great bits too – singer Helen Merrill working with maestro Armando Trovajoli on "Nessuno Al Mondo" and "Estate" – plus Perez Prado on "Guaglione" and "Arrivederci Roma", Antonio Prieto on "Papa" and "Baciami", and even some very cool cuts from young poppers Paul Anka and Neil Sedaka. LP, Vinyl record album

That's a sexy-looking lady on the cover – sliding on her cutoffs after a rendezvous in the dark – and the sound of the album definitely fits the image, at least at the start! Stelvio Cipriani begins the music like the story – a bit light and romantic at first, then sliding into tension as the album goes on – marking a point in the narrative where sex turns to suspense, which Stelvio follows by picking up the action on some of the tunes, and dropping into darker moments at others! Edda Dell'Orso delivers a fair bit of wordless vocals on the album, next to keyboard lines from Cipriani – and the whole thing almost feels like a late 70s update of the modes she might have crafted with Ennio Morricone a decade before. CD features 17 tracks in all – and wonderful sound! CD

A naked woman in a giant hand? They've already got our attention – and we haven't even heard the music! Fortunately, the music is every bit as great as you'd guess from the cover – the best sort of slinky Italian soundtrack, served up in a mix of haunting melodies and really offbeat sounds that never fail to delight! Keyboards and woodwinds find a similar sense of space as in the music of Ennio Morricone – and despite the nudity on the cover, the overall sound is never too cheesy or too oversexed – just perfectly balanced between lightness and dark, in a sublime blend of instrumentation and production! CD features 23 tracks in all – nearly 75 minutes of music! CD

Life! Liberty! Vengeance! A wild and very cool soundtrack for Tarantino's dual Blacksploitation/Spaghetti Western homage Django Unchained – featuring bits from some of our favorite Italian western composers mixed up with classic and contemporary funky soul and hip hop! It's the kind of soundtrack that could only happen for Quentin Tarantino – with rare and hard-to-find compositions by Luis Bacalov, Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani and Jerry Goldsmith on one hand – along with a few seemingly antithetical new compositions on the other – including a track penned by star Jamie Foxx for Rick Ross, a James Brown "Payback" remix with a vocal from the 2Pac archive, plus ones by Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and others! Last but not least, it's got some great bits of film dialogue by Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Titles include "Django" by Luis Bacalov, "The Braying Mule" by Ennio Morricone, "Nicaragua" by Jerry Goldsmith with Pat Metheny, "Day Of Anger" by Riz Ortolani, "Unchained (The Payback/Untouchable)" by James Brown with 2Pac, "Who Did That To You?" by John Legend, "100 Black Coffins" by Rick Ross, "Trinity (Titoli)" by Annibale E I Cantori Moderni and many more. CD

Music composed and conducted by Ennio Morricone, Calo Savina, Luis Bacalov, Riz Ortolani, Francesco De Masi and others. CD

Fantastic work from one of the grooviest singers of the 60s – the amazing Mina, a vocalist who hardly made waves on this side of the Atlantic, but who served up a wealth of wonderful material from the Italian scene at the time! You might know Mina from a few key soundtrack contributions she made over the years – her vocal range is stunning – and arrangements here are often by important forces from the Italian cinema scene – like Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Augusto Martelli, and Bruno Canforna – all of whom give Mina these full, rich backings that really match the vivid quality of her voice! But there's also groovy elements at the core, too – styles that are similar to French or British female pop of the period – especially with some of the soul currents of the latter – but shaped differently, given both Mina's style, and the Italian language and the way it comes across in song. The package is long overdue – maybe the first-ever done for the international market on Mina's music – and as with all work on Ace, the presentation is great, with very detailed notes that will teach you plenty while you enjoy the songs – a lineup that includes "Se Telefonando", "E L'Umo Per Me", "Io Sono Quel Che Sono", "No", "Citta Vuota", "Tu Farai", "Beve Amore", "Addio", "Insensatez", "Se C'E Una Cosa Che Mi Fa Impazzire", "TA Ra Ta Ta", and "La Banda". CD

Fantastic work from one of the grooviest singers of the 60s – the amazing Mina, a vocalist who hardly made waves on this side of the Atlantic, but who served up a wealth of wonderful material from the Italian scene at the time! You might know Mina from a few key soundtrack contributions she made over the years – her vocal range is stunning – and arrangements here are often by important forces from the Italian cinema scene – like Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Augusto Martelli, and Bruno Canforna – all of whom give Mina these full, rich backings that really match the vivid quality of her voice! But there's also groovy elements at the core, too – styles that are similar to French or British female pop of the period – especially with some of the soul currents of the latter – but shaped differently, given both Mina's style, and the Italian language and the way it comes across in song. The package is long overdue – maybe the first-ever done for the international market on Mina's music – and as with all work on Ace, the presentation is great, with very detailed notes that will teach you plenty while you enjoy the songs – a lineup that includes "Se Telefonando", "E L'Umo Per Me", "Io Sono Quel Che Sono", "No", "Citta Vuota", "Tu Farai", "Beve Amore", "Addio", "Insensatez", "Se C'E Una Cosa Che Mi Fa Impazzire", "TA Ra Ta Ta", and "La Banda". CD

A very rare slice of work from one of the hippest Italian soundtrack composers of his time – presented here with a huge amount of tracks that have never been released! Piero Piccioni scored the musico for the TV show L'Alba Dell'Uomo in 1975, and the work was hardly released outside of Italy – making the sounds within a very obscure chapter in the very storied career of the composer. Tunes are mostly short, and have a blend of light woodwinds, slight electric instrumentation, and some nice exotic touches – mixed with a few more offbeat moments that you'd be more likely to find in the work of Ennio Morricone, and just a few of the groovier cuts you'd expect from Piccioni's earlier work! CD features 34 tracks in all – half of which are previously unreleased – over 70 minutes of music. CD

A rare Italian-only album from Chet Baker – wonderfully cooking small group work that's a far bit greater than his more familiar "with strings" session recorded in Italy during the same period! The album's got Chet working with an array of great players from the local scene – including Gianni Basso on tenor sax, Renato Sellani on drums, and Glauco Masetti on alto sax – all in a groove that shows plenty of traces of that opened-up sound that Baker was exploring in the very late 50s – the modes he was crafting in his group with Phil Urso on tenor, as he started to get a bit more bit in his style! Yet there's also a nicely compressed approach going on here too – that west coast sound that was a strong influence on the Italian players of the postwar years, but which was unfolded to new ends in their hands. Titles include "Lady Bird", "Line For Lyons", "Tune Up", "Cheryl Blues", "Indian Summer", and "Pent Up House". CD includes four bonus tracks recorded in 1962 with an orchestra led by Ennio Morricone! CD

Soundtrack funk doesn't get any better than this – thanks to a head-expanding of tracks from the Italian scene of the 60s and 70s – served up with the usual ear for a great cut by the folks at Easy Tempo! The groove here is far from the "easy" you might expect – and most numbers have tight drums, funky basslines, and other heavy elements – all put together with an approach to the music that's far different than anything happening in the US at the time, especially in the way the instruments sound in the end – and in the way that the production techniques make them do really crazy things! Titles include "Parangua" by Luiz Bacalov, "Flirt a Rio" by Piero Umiliani, "Side Sleep" by Berto Pisano, "Little Shakie Girl" by Armando Trovajoli, "Tremendous Stars" by Piero Piccioni, "Under Drama" by Giancarlo Gazzani, "Realta No 5" by Stelvio Cipriani, "So" by Lara Saint Paul, "Israelites" by Capuano, and "Citta Viva" by Ennio Morricone. CD

A groovy little Italian soundtrack – straight in some parts, but very nice in others! There's some sweet tunes that features wordless female vocals – in the mode of work by Armando Trovajoli or Ennio Morricone from the time – and there's other tunes that have a dancing groovy style that are right in the Easy Tempo mode. The tracks are very short, but groove around nicely – and really fit the feel you might expect from a title like The Wild Eye! Titles include "Bali Street", "The Sultan", "Don't Go Away", "The Kiss", "Two Lovers", "Love Comes Back", "Goodbye", and "Golden Age". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful package – one that brings together four killer horror soundtracks from Italian maestro Bruno Nicolai! First up is La Coda Dello Scorpione – a dark dark masterpiece from the legendary Bruno Nicolai – written for an equally dark thriller with a wonderful edge! The work here is on a par with that of Nicolai's frequent partner, Ennio Morricone – often using full orchestrations to score a deeper theme in the film – but also often moving to lighter, leaner moments based around a simpler instrumental mode. There's a staccato feel to some of the best moments on the set – spare and edgey, with a sense of dread that's almost palpable! Next is Il Tuo Vizio E Una Stanza Chiusa E Solo Io Ne Ho La Chiave – a wonderful score by Bruno Nicolai – one that follows strongly in the mode of work from the time by frequent collaborator, Ennio Morricone! The approach on most tracks is spare and moody – using a lot of harpsichord over light orchestrations – and going for a tense feel that matches the spirit of the horror film, but which also has some surprisingly sweet and sexy moments from time to time. On Tutti I Colori De Buio, Bruno Nicolai's at his most Morricone-esque – and has crafted a dreamy set of tunes that hardly matches the dark Satanist thriller they were recorded for! The melodies are light, and spare, with isolated and drawn-out piano and string passages – plus some wonderful wordless vocals from the great Edda Dell'Orso – floating along in magical Morricone territory. Apart from a few tense moments, the whole thing has this moodier, mellow feel – with some lighter lovely tunes that would be right at home in a Mondo Morricone type set. Last up is one of our all-time Nicolai favorites, Perche Quelle Strane Gocce Di Sangue Sul Corpo Di Jennifer – one of the greatest soundtracks we've ever heard from Bruno Nicolai – a wonderful array of lightly groovy tunes that's as fantastic as any of the Mondo Morricone work from the same time! The main theme of the film has a catchy La Donna Invisible sort of feel – building on waves of sound with piano over orchestrations, skipping along to an altered bossa beat – showing up in a number of different variants throughout the score. Other tracks are darker and moodier, but really vary things up to fit the moods of the scene – using Morricone-styled bits of harpsichord, violin, or strings to come up with some incredible sounds. This 4CD set comes with a great slipcover, and a big booklet of notes! CD

One of the coolest, grooviest Christmas records we've heard in years – a set that's the first-ever effort from Roman Coppola's Molto Groovy Productions – and which has a mod 60s vibe all the way through! The styles here are steeped in the best Italian soundtrack modes from years back – cool keyboards, fuzzy organ, funky basslines, and lots of offbeat instrumentation that really transforms the tunes – almost as if someone like Piero Umiliani or Ennio Morricone recorded a whole album of Christmas instrumentals! The sound is perfect – even better than you might suspect from the cover – and you can take it from us, as we're not easily fooled by "fake" retro projects – and really tip our hat to these guys for getting the instrumentation, arrangements, and production just right. Most titles are familiar songs, but done in very unusual styles – and tracks include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Joy To The World", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Feliz Navidad", "Little Drummer Boy", "Silver Bells", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". CD

One of the coolest, grooviest Christmas records we've heard in years – a set that's the first-ever effort from Roman Coppola's Molto Groovy Productions – and which has a mod 60s vibe all the way through! The styles here are steeped in the best Italian soundtrack modes from years back – cool keyboards, fuzzy organ, funky basslines, and lots of offbeat instrumentation that really transforms the tunes – almost as if someone like Piero Umiliani or Ennio Morricone recorded a whole album of Christmas instrumentals! The sound is perfect – even better than you might suspect from the cover – and you can take it from us, as we're not easily fooled by "fake" retro projects – and really tip our hat to these guys for getting the instrumentation, arrangements, and production just right. Most titles are familiar songs, but done in very unusual styles – and tracks include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Joy To The World", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Feliz Navidad", "Little Drummer Boy", "Silver Bells", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from Max Richter – a record that does plenty to evoke the quality of its title, but all without ever sounding sleepy at all! Instead, Richter works here with that careful blend of subtle sounds he's brought to other projects – mixing his own work on piano, organ, and keyboards with contributions from a string quartet and wordless soprano – as the blend of instruments and voice unfold at a level that almost reminds us of the pairing of Ennio Morricone and Edda Dell'Orso! Yet Richter's approach is less dramatic – and each new passage builds slowly, subtly – sometimes with these older echoes that almost take us back to Albioni or Pachelbel, yet without any hoke at all. Titles include "Dream 3", "Space 11", "Dream 13", "Path 19", "Path 5", and "Space 21". LP, Vinyl record album

A later soundtrack in the legendary pairing of composer Nino Rota and director Federico Fellini – and a set that almost seems to have Rota picking up a few tips from his 70s contemporaries on the Italian scene! The music here is often more spare than before, and sometimes uses a key instrumental element – like a keyboard or guitar part, delivered with a languid energy that recalls work by Ennio Morricone or Stelvio Cipriani, mixed with a few other passages that have some more Rota-like melody emerging into the mix. There's an almost dream-like quality to the whole record, making it one of Nino's most striking from the 70s – and titles include "L'Uccello Magico", "Canto Della Buranella", "The Great Mouna", "Ricordo Di Henriette", "O Venezia Venaga Venusia", and "La Poupee Automate". LP, Vinyl record album