The title should be "Brazilian Guitar" instead of Latin Guitar – as Laurindo Almeida plays here in a cool trio with keyboards from Mike Lang and percussion from Chuck Flores – in a groove that's got lots of influences from Brazil! LP, Vinyl record album

With Joe DiOrio on guitar, Lou Levy on piano, John Dentz on drums, and Fred Atwood on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of funky drumbreaks – cut by a drummer who's a legend among funk fans, but who hardly ever gets mentioned in history books of jazz! Les DeMerle was a lesser-known LA player, and he had a monster approach to the kit – which is why most of the few albums he cut are very in demand for fans of a good funky drum break, as well as the longer grooves! This one's a stellar session that mixes together straight funk with some strong choppy fusion numbers – and it was issued on the tiny Dobre label, which came out with some excellent obscure sides during the 70s. Raul De Souza's on trombone, Milcho Leview plays piano, and Robby Robinson plays plenty of nice electric keyboards. Includes the break-heavy tracks "Moondial" and "Funk It!", the jazz dance cut "Canned Heat Suite", the choppy funky "Bacchanal", and the great groover "Kaballa". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums of Hammond jazz ever recorded – and a darn funky one at that! Bobby Forrester may not look like a hipster on the cover, but this set grooves like some of the best early 70s work by Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, and Groove Holmes – hitting hard with some really funky tracks that have made the album a must-have with collectors for years. The sound here a lean, mean revision of the Prestige Hammond jazz groove of the 60s – Bobby grooving on organ with just drums by Johnny Kirkwood and guitar by Elijah Williams Jr – all coming together in a totally solid sound that has plenty of funky riffs, nice drums, and soaring organ lines! Given the lean, compact approach to the groove, we might compare Forrester most with Charles Earland at his best – although the album's got a voice and depth that's certainly all its own. Titles include the classic groover "Uncle Funky", a great cover of "Sanford & Son Theme", and the cuts "Blues For Razz", "Don't Misunderstand", and "Funky Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

With Bob Magnusson on bass and Nick Ceroli on drums. CD

One of those great obscure Anita O'Day sessions from the 70s – the sort that we've almost come to love even more than her classic albums on Verve! There's a relaxed, mature approach here that's really great – a toning down of the sometimes too-vibrant energy that Anita hit in her youth – and a way of schooling the tunes with lessons learned from life – so that her readings of the lyrics, and her inflections in a jazz-based way, really show the care that goes into the music. The group features guitar from Billy Webb and Al Bruno, and titles include "Old Folks", "I Cried For You", "Chicago", "It Don't Mean A Thing", and "Ace In The Hole". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album