A long-overdue collection of the brilliant work of German easy composer Berry Lipman! Lipman was the hipster monniker of bandleader Friedel Berlipp – a pseudonymn that Berlipp used for a series of dreamy and groovy easy listening albums in the late 60s and 1970s, records that were a blend of European tropical fantasies with some of the easy grooves that were coming out of American labels like A&M. Lipman's style is heavy on the horns – in a manner that's a bit like Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, but with a smoother 70s sound. Imagine the Love Boat soaring through some easy bossa island – trumpet in the lead, groovy TV singers in the background, with soaring strings and the slightest touch of funk from time to time – and you've only got part of the picture! The set's put together with a lot of care – and it includes some English notes and photos of Lipman looking very groovy in the 70s. Titles include "Concerto For Young Lovers", "Night Fever", "Wives & Lovers", "Bonita Carmencita", "Beach Party In Santa Cruz", "Hey Du", "I Like It", "Easy Drummin", "Helicopter Power", "Girl Talk", "The Girl From Ipanema", and "Saludos Amigos". CD

A great bit of jungle exotica from funky sitar player Ananda Shankar – composed as a full piece with an "atmosphere of twilight and the feeling of watching animals at a water hole", but with a sweeping soundtracky feel that makes it more like some lost 70s film gem in the best places! There's some nicely subdued funk in the mix – as Ananda's sitar grooves over guitars, keyboards, and compressed bass and drum parts, occasionally touched with modern exotica styles, as in the work of Mandingo. Titles include "Night In The Forest", "Jungle King", "Jungle Symphony", "Sa Ra Ga Machan", "Romantic Rhino", "Charging Tiger", and "Monkey's Tea Party". (Global Grooves, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic little record – and one that's even better than you might expect from the title – which itself is already pretty darn fantastic! The set is upbeat and funky, but not entirely disco – more this very groovy blend of Mid-East elements and more familiar keyboards – all moving and grooving in ways that are a lot hipper than any other belly dance music we've heard! Music features piano and organ, plus a very cool "string synthesizer" by played by the leader – and there's also plenty of percussion at the core of the set, making for a nice juxtaposition with the electric elements. Titles include "Night Entertainer", "Dance Of Tenderness", "Joy Of Lina", "A Flower Of My Imagination", "Love Of Laura", "Girls Of Iskandariah", and "Once A Year". (Global Grooves, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool early set from CTI Records – one that has funky arranger Artie Butler playing piano and ondioline with a host of great jazz players – including Herbie Hancock on piano, David Carey on vibes, Jerome Richardson on flute, Romeo Penque on flute and soprano, Vince Bell on guitar, and Eddie Bert on trombone! The whole thing has that perfect blend of easy scoring and funky jazz that you find on the best early A&M/CTI albums – and it includes lots of nice cuts like "The Loop", "Max's Brazilian What", "In The Heat Of The Night", and "Music for Night People". (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest albums ever from exotica maestro Martin Denny – and one of the coolest as well! The strength of the album is already broadcast by the title – as Denny plays plenty of moog in the record, mixed with his own usual flair for exotic rhythms – expanded slightly by arrangements from Clark Gassman, who really knows how to keep up the pace in a great way. The keyboards have lots of wild sounds, with chirps and flutters that would make Perry & Kingsley proud – and the backing's a bit funkier than usual, with some nice electric basslines to keep the groove coming. Includes a great version of Baden Powell's "Canto De Ossanha", a remake of "Quiet Village", a moody take on "Midnight Cowboy", and a jazzy moogy version of "Cast Your Fate To The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of work from this legendary group – one who blended jungle percussion with very cool electronics – all in a funky 70s mode! The set includes three tracks from the verrrrry hard to find fourth album – "Jungle Juice", "Man from Takoradi", and "Manhunter" – as well as cuts from all three of the other albums. (Global Grooves, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

Debut release from the Mystic Moods Orchestra, with more of a late 60's easy feel than their 70's funk LPs, but still a nice easy sound by the group that pioneered the genre. Titles include "Shane", "Theme From A Summer Place", "Nevada Smith", and "Invitation". LP, Vinyl record album