Jazzy keyboards from the great Rob Franken – maybe one of the hippest cats on the Dutch scene of the 70s when it came to the Fender Rhodes! Rob's a master of the instrument here – playing it jazzily, but also with this open flow that's really wonderful – and which really makes the best use of the instrument's potential, and doesn't drown it in too much jamming, which could sometimes be the case with other European musicians who handled the instrument! Instead, Franken lets the space between the notes do as much as the notes themselves – which really keeps things soulful throughout – as he works with musicians who include Ferdinand Povel on flute and tenor, Jiggs Whigham on trombone, Joop Scholten on guitar, Jan Huydts on keyboards – plus the great team of John Lee and Gerry Brown on rhythm on one cut – a fantastic remake of their "Her Celestial Body", which they did on one of their 70s albums for Blue Note. Titles include "Por Hermeto", "How'd You Do It Stanley", "Images", "November", "Up The Street Round the Corner Down The Block", "Afro Blue", and "Colours". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing package of rare work on Fender Rhodes – a 3CD set that brings together six full albums that were recorded in the 70s, but never saw the light of day until vinyl issued in recent years! Pianist Rob Franken is totally great – maybe one of the hippest cats on the Dutch scene of the 70s when it came to the Fender Rhodes! Rob's a master of the instrument here – playing it jazzily, but also with this open flow that's really wonderful – and which really makes the best use of the instrument's potential, and doesn't drown it in too much jamming, which could sometimes be the case with other European musicians who handled the instrument! Instead, Franken lets the space between the notes do as much as the notes themselves – which really keeps things soulful throughout – and although most of the cuts feature an augmented trio, sometimes with added percussion or keyboards – a few of the tracks feature Ferdinand Povel on flute and tenor, and Jiggs Whigham on trombone. But even without the horns, the keys are more than enough – as they step out and soar on a whopping 70 tracks in all – including a few bonus tracks too! CD

A legendary sound library set from the 70s Italian scene – exactly the kind of record that got so many folks digging for sound library funk so many years ago! The record's a masterpiece of funky rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, and warmer touches – served up with plenty of Fender Rhodes in the mix, plus sweet flute lines, wah wah guitar, and just the right use of strings to give the whole thing almost a blacksploitation vibe at times! The set was billed to the team of Jay Richford and Gary Stevan – but it's actually the product of better-known sound library maestros Sandro Brugnolini and Stefano Torossi, who work here at a level that's at the top of their powers. There's almost a cop/crime vibe to the record at times – and although some instruments solo at points, the real groove lies in the tight vamping of the orchestra – which hits all the right notes to really send the whole thing soaring – often with a nice use of tone and color too! Titles include "Flying High", "Fearing Much", "Going Home", "Running Fast", "Walking In The Dark", and "Feeling Tense". LP, Vinyl record album