The legendary alto saxophonist Paul Desmond serves up his own versions of key tunes by Simon & Garfunkel – with results that are simply amazing, and very different than the originals! The style here takes all the airy brilliance of the original S&G tunes, and turns it towards a more jazz-based mode – one that has some of the slight Brazilian undercurrents in the rhythms that you'll find on Desmond's previous two albums for CTI! The full arrangements are by Don Sebesky, who brings a great sense of balance to the set – and Herbie Hancock plays some great electric piano, in a group that also features Airto on percussion and Gene Bertoncini on guitar. But the real star of the set is Paul Desmond – blowing with that amazing tone of his – and sliding from tune to tune with effortless ease, in a way that really transforms these tunes in their instrumental readings. Titles include "Cecilia", "Mrs. Robinson", "America", "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright", and "Scarborough Fair" – all done with a sweet jazzy A&M approach! (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

Classic first by the enigmatic Dimitri – one of the first modern artists to take the bachelor pad sound of the 50s, and transform it into funky grooves for the 90s. The whole thing's got a wonderfully loungey sound – with nice bits of Frenchiness and downtempo beats, plus other jazzy moments. Titles include "Un World Mysteriouse", "Par Un Chemin Different", "Sacre Francais", "Nothing To Lose", "Un Termede", "Attente Musicale", and "Dirty Larry". The CD includes two tracks on the vinyl. (New Grooves, Now Sound) CD

Very groovy stuff! Although the bulk of the material on this album is "pops meet jazz", in the hands of Oliver Nelson, it's transformed into something wonderful – with just the right blend of jazz to keep things lively. The arrangements have a nice off-kilter sound that works well with Nelson's strong reed performances – and tunes include "Jazz Bug", "Yesterday", "Flowers On The Wall", "Boots Are Made For Walkin", and "Beautiful Music". (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent gimmick from the United Artists label – a way of mixing their strong run of 60s soundtrack hits with the world of jazz – thanks to Count Basie and his group taking on a whole host of themes from the successful James Bond films! Count Basie brings a soulful swing to the work of John Barry, who scored most of these cuts – hitting hard on the tracks with his own smoking piano, and an orchestra filled with some of his best players – including Al Grey on trombone, Eric Dixon on saxes, and Freddie Greene on guitar – plus guest tenor work from Eddie Lockjaw Davis, an artist who wasn't credited on the session at he time. Arrangements are by Chico O'Farrill and George Williams – and titles include "Thunderball", "From Russia With Love", "007", "Girl Trouble", and "Goldfinger". (Jazz, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet follow up to Martin Denny's Taste Of Honey album – one that's got a great blend of piano, vibes, and percussion – all used in a way that's almost more jazz-like than some of Denny's earlier work! The formula works great to transform a host of 50s and 60s tunes – and titles include "Volare", "Cool", "Bijou", "Harlem Nocturne", "Satin Doll", "Anniversary Song", "Like Young", "Blue Carousel", and "Theme From The Manchurian Candidate". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy mambos from the king – and easily the most successful of Perez Prado's albums for RCA in the 50s! The album showcases the Latin mode that Prado crossed over big with on his hit "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White" – a tune that almost single-handedly grabbed the energy and audiences of the late swing years, and grafted them onto the growing New York Latin scene of the time! Prado's got that great growl in his chants, as usual – pushing the band to even more rhythmic heights and brassy horn flourishes with his trademark calls – and titles include the classic "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White", as well as tracks like "Tomcat Mambo", "Mambo Ala Kenton", "The High & The Mighty", "Marilyn Monroe Mambo", and "Skokiaan". (Latin, Now Sound) LP, Vinyl record album