Breezy bossa nova – Hollywood 60s style! The album's one of the best cut for Capitol by guitarist Laurindo Almeida – and has a sweet groovy little style that features Laurindo's lovely guitar work over some lightly dancing small combo backings that include flute, harmonica, organ, percussion, and even a bit of whistling on a few tracks! The vibe's very much in the best Verve/Impulse takes on the bossa – done with a clear California influence, which keeps things cool and breezy – and which also pushes Almeida past his sometimes-staid style on guitar. Two cuts also feature some great vocals by Irene Kral – and titles include "Twilight In Rio", "Old Guitaron", "Sarah's Samba", "Izabella", "Winter Moon", "Girl From Ipanema", and "Choro For People In Love". CD

One of the most obscure albums ever issued by exotica king Chaino – a set that was originally only released as a reel to reel tape, and which maybe shows an even wider sonic palette that was designed for that format! All the percussion we love on other Chaino records is firmly in place, but the orchestrations and arrangements are also richer and jazzier – almost more in an RCA Living Stereo mode, and we mean that in the best way possible – as the whole thing is really a top-shelf instrumental exotica album from the bachelor pad generation! There's a few Martin Denny elements here and there, but again the sound is wider and fuller overall – on titles that include "Mambo Italiano", "Mambo Inn", "Cuban Caper", "Caravan", "Cool Mambo", "Temptation", "Eso Es El Amor", and "An Occasional Man". CD

Rare late 60s work from guitar genius Jerry Cole – and even more compelling than his famous records from earlier in the decade! This collection unearths a lost side of Jerry's career – tripped-out psych instrumentals from 1967 and 1968, recorded under a variety of different aliases – like The Generation Gap, Projection Company, Stone Canyon Rock Group, and T-Swift & The Electric Bag – all groups that didn't exist in real life, but were album-based studio projects by Cole! Jerry's brought a lot more fuzz to the sessions than on his surf and hot rod instrumental tracks – but the groove is mighty tight throughout, with almost a funky undercurrent to some of the best tracks – kind of an American equivalent to the UK freakbeat modes of the period, served up by Cole and a host of tight LA studio musicians. Great stuff throughout – all pulled from the Custom Records catalog – and titles include "Tune Out Of Place", "Fool's Luck", "Wild Times", "Hard Times", "What's Your Bag", "Our Man Hendrix", "Red Eyes", "I Love You I Do", "Expo In Sound", and "The Stinger". (Rock, Now Sound) CD