Late 50s Exotica jazz gems from Les Baxter for Capitol – Africa Jazz and Jungle Jazz in a single set! Africa Jazz is one of his greatest records, and one that's got just about everything you'd ever want! Plas Johnson plays tenor, and his solos are right out front, and recorded beautifully. There's a number of other great LA session players on percussion and vibes, and the arrangements have a definite jazz bent to them. Tracks include "Congo Train", "Walkin Watusi", "Ostrich Hunt", "Balinese Bongos", and "Mombasa After Midnight". Jungle Jazz is also fantastic stuff, and recorded with beautiful sound! It's right on a par with African Jazz, which uses a similar formula: Plas Johnson's up front playing gutsy tenor, and Les is behind, working a large group of exotica players into a tribal frenzy of mellow grooves. Titles include "Amazon Falls", "Coco", "Isle Of Cuba", "Jungla Brava", "Go Chango", and "Blue Jungle". CD

One of the first moments of grooviness from Michel Legrand in the 60s – a set that takes his older orchestral style and fits it to a really mod set of rhythms! The album's filled with jaunty grooves – leaping sort of numbers that almost have a "yeh yeh" French pop approach, but which are instrumental throughout – topped with these swirling strings that step along at a clip to match the rhythms, and backed with lots of groovy organ from Legrand, and guitar from the legendary Elek Bacsik! There's even some wordless vocals scatting through the mix – and the sound's unlike anything else that Legrand ever did – a great precursor to his famous soundtracks, but a real standout record as well. Titles include the famous "Di Gue Ding Ding" – a cut you'll recognize right away – plus "Motor City", "Bandol", "Alcatraz", "Da We Da", "Monkey Business", "Manhattan Stroll", "Hi Girls", "Come Ray & Come Charles", and "Noix De Coco". (French, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

Robert Mitchum singing calypso? Stranger things have happened, sure – and it's not so surprising when you read that Mitchum was actually a huge devotee of the music, and took his work in the genre very seriously. This great set was first issued by Capitol in the late 50s – and it's got Bob singing over some 50s calypso tunes that recall Harry Belafonte's work for RCA, made all the stranger by Mitchum's deep raspy vocals. Titles include "What Is This Generation Coming To", "From A Logical Point Of View", "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep", "Mama Looka Boo Boo", "They Dance All Night", and "Coconut Water". CD also includes 2 bonus cuts – "Ballad Of Thunder Road", lifted from the great film of the same name, and "My Honey's Lovin Arms". (Vocalists, Now Sound) CD

Beautiful stuff! This is a sparkling collection of modern lounge material – compiled by the folks at Stereo Deluxe from a host of different labels, all put together with a perfect vibe that's sure to satisfy fans of the old stuff as much as the new. Although most of this music was created in the past few years, it's filled with oodles of older elements – like bubbling Hammond organ, sweet Fender Rhodes piano, washes of soulful strings, and touches of bossa beats. More than just a slap-dash licensing effort, this is a wickedly conceived set with a strong feel throughout. Includes "Return Of The Coconut Groove" by Trio Eletrico, "Dis Poem" by Mutabaruka, "2ter Tag" by Siedg Der Liebe, "Reincarnation" by Pablo, "Elevator" by Jaffa, "Papdam" by Yonderboi, "Stories" by Airfix, "Ambrosia" by A Reminiscent Drive, and "Maria Quiet" by Astrud Gilberto. 15 tracks in all! (New Grooves, Now Sound) CD