A sound library album from the end of the 70s, but one that's got a fair bit of funky jazz in the mix, too – thanks to a lifetime dedication to the music by Amleto "Puccio" Roelens! Roelens was a musician with a long lineage on the Italian scene in the postwar years – and here, he's in great form at the helm of a tight electric combo – one that mixes sweet keyboard lines and riffing guitars with some warmer reed solos from time to time – in a way that's maybe a bit more of an abstract take on the CTI sound of the 70s! By that, we mean that there's no standout soloists or egos that get in the mix – but the instrumentation is nice and funky, and impeccably arranged and played throughout – with a great electric vibe that's more 1974 than you'd guess from the date of the record. Titles include "Cobwebs", "Rusty Letters", "Slip Back", "Lipstick", "Make Up", "Effuse", "Bus Stop", and "Leewards". CD

A killer collection of sound library funk from the UK – a scene that served up some of the rarest grooves of the 70s! The music is every bit as funky as American work from the early 70s – like records from CTI, or blacksploitation soundtracks – but most of it was never issued on vinyl at the time, as it was circulated only for use in film and television – recorded by an elite group of players for very limited use. The rarity is only part of the appeal, though – as the overall vibe is great – and the record has the same instantly appealing feel as other jazz, funk, and soul collections from the always-great Soul Jazz label. This time around, they do a great job of turning their ear towards the rich sound libraries of companies like KPM, DeWolfe, and Conroy – and come up with a double-length batch of funky instrumentals that includes "The Hell Raisers" and "Danger Musicians At Work" by Syd Dale, "Fuel Injection" and "Crossflow" by Ernest Copley, "Superformance" and "Men Of Action" by David Lindup, "Cross Talk" and "Funky Chimes" by Francis Coppieters, "Theme From New Scotland Yard" by Norrie Paramour, "Come One Come All" by Brass Incorporated, "Sparks" by Peter Reno & Barry Stoller, "Gotta Getaway" by Dave Richmond, "Transit" by Clive Hicks, "The Ratcatchers" by Tilsley Orchestral, "Grand Prix" by Johnny Pearson, and "Conveyer Belt" and "Workshop" by Johnny Hawksworth. CD

Sophisticated sounds, indeed – pulled from a time when the British sound library scene was really moving to the next level – and finding a strong identity that was all their own! There's plenty of sound library funk in the mix here, but there's also some deeper sophistication too – a shift that's almost like the change that CTI brought to jazz funk in the 70s – collected from some of the best Bruton Music library albums of the late 70s! Keyboard lines abound, and the horn passages are pretty darn great too – often cool and compressed, and soaring out nicely with the music. Composers include Keith Mansfield, Steve Gray, Robert Folk, Johnny Pearson, David Lindup, and others – and titles include "Night Games", "Sunshine Drive", "Hazy Days", "Golden Groove", "Flying Bird", "Vacation", "Honeymoon", "Early Riser", "Billowing Sails", "Chique", and "Voulez Vous". CD

Some of the grooviest work ever cut by Brazilian trombonist Waltel Branco – a set that's very different than just about anything he ever put on record, and which is also material used in an early 70s TV series as well! The sound here is kind of a criss-cross between some of the cool Brazilian arranging styles of the time – the sorts of backings you'd hear on records by folks like Marcos Valle or Edu Lobo – mixed with some of the groovier European soundtrack modes of the period – especially Italy and France, and the great way those scenes really messed with production and instrumental styles. There's more than a few funky cuts here – making the album a real treasure in Branco's catalog – and almost all tracks are instrumental – but the set does feature one vocal number, "Frustracao", sung by Arlete Salles. Other titles include "I Giorni Dell'Ira", "200 MPH", "Bandinha", "Diana", "Tema De Ricardinho", "Tema De Abertura", "Efeito", "Back Ground", and "Zorro". (Brazil, Sound Library) CD

A very cool little soundtrack, and a set that's maybe a bit different than some of the bigger-name Italian film scores from the giants of the golden age! Gino Conte is a much more obscure figure, and he's clearly opening himself up to a range of sounds that really fit the shifting modes of the movie – in a way that maybe makes the whole record feel more like a sound library selection of jazzy instrumentals than a much more unified film score – with a great sense of variety that really keeps things interesting throughout! There's a few familiar names here – as Nora Orlandi and the 4+4 vocal group provide cool scatting vocals on a few tracks – while other moments are more instrumental, and work in a warmly funky take on bossa, Latin, and jazzy modes of the 60s – on titles that include "Nell'Anno Della Luna", "Tema Giochi", "Swing For Six", "Samba Querida", "Beat Mania", "Afro Swing", "Alla Brasiliana", and "Magico 2 E 2 Bis". Features 5 bonus alternate takes in mono, too! (Soundtracks, Sound Library) CD

Really wonderful sounds from an overlooked sound library genius – and an artist who's also a great one to turn to if you want to hear the groovier side of the spectrum too! Rene Costy recorded these tracks on the 70s scene in Belgium – which is why he's probably not as well-exposed as sound library creators from the UK, France, and Italy – but that obscurity is also what makes some of these tracks so great – as the groovier numbers come across with a freshly bubbling feel that's very positive, and has the warmth of some of our favorite French soundtrack tunes from the 70s – and the darker tracks have an unusually sharp approach, but somehow while still sounding tuneful! Keyboards are the dominant instrument – and CD one features "grooves", which make up the biggest part of the collection – followed by a shorter array of darker tracks on the "scapes" of CD two. Titles include "Danger", "Ever Faithfull", "Cue Joe", "Automatisme", "Scrabble", "Longuest Night", "Country Dance", "From Time To Time", "Barbara's Dream", "Machinery", "Anxiety", and "Phantasmes". CD