A lost treasure from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – material recorded as the soundtrack for the Canadian film Le Chat Danse Le Sac – which features new recordings of material that Coltrane had done in previous years, but really updated by the fresh version of this group! Although the music was used in the film, which was an art house hit at best, it's never been issued on record before – and in fact, its existence was something of a mystery until not that long ago – quite a surprise, given that the sessions were done at Rudy Van Gelder's studio, and have a quality level that really matches the Impulse Records best by these musicians! The tunes are almost like this amazing bridge between the mid 60s Impulse years and the Coltrane sound at the start of the decade on Atlantic – as the grooves are modal, and most music is more inside than the group was hitting by 1965 – yet still burning with that searching spirit that made them so great. The lineup, of course, features John Coltrane on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the whole thing is an instant key addition to the catalog of this tremendous quartet. Titles include two takes on "Naima", three takes on "Village Blues", and the tracks "Like Sonny", "Traneing In", and "Blue World". (Jazz, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

That's a cheesy 80s action shot on the cover, and the music within really carries through on that promise – from the starting cut "Black Inferno", which is a very groovy clubby sort of cut – to the more stark, keyboard-driven grooves from the brothers DeAngelis! The duo did plenty of great cop/crime work in the 70s – and hear they follow the more lean styles of their contemporaries in the early 80s – using lots of keyboards, basslines, and drum machine bits to make most of the music – kind of a John Carpenter mode, but a bit fuller and more groovy – definitely in keeping with the duo's legacy! There's two versions of "Black Inferno", one nice and long – plus 24 more instrumentals from the film. LP, Vinyl record album

A lesser-known moment of genius from John Barry – quite different than his work for the James Bond films of the time! Barry's working here in a mix of more ambitious orchestral themes – dark, brooding, and moody – but also interspersed with some lighter jazzier numbers that are really great too! The film had a short life as a blockbuster – surprising, given that it was directed by Arthur Penn, written by Lillian Hellman, and starring Marlon Brando, Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, and Angie Dickinson amidst a host of other well-known talents – but the real charm is almost Barry's music, which olds up really well over the years! Our favorite titles include "Saturday Night Philosopher", "Look Around", "The Beating", "Blues For Bubber", and the sweetly jazzy "I'll Drink To That". And oddly, there doesn't seem to be a single traditional "chase" number in the whole film! LP, Vinyl record album

Disco 9000 is Johnnie Taylor's 3rd release for Columbia – a great batch of smooth soul tracks with a lot less of the "disco" that you'd expect from the title! Johnnie produced the session himself – and the album was recorded as a soundtrack (to a film that was later retitled Fass Black), but works well on its own as a straight soul release. Most tracks are relatively long, in that smooth midtempo groove that Johnnie was using at the time – and the combination of his bluesy vocals and modern soul production really makes the set sparkle! Titles include "I Love You Woman", "Right Now", and "I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You". (Soul, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

Nice 60s crime jazz from Mancini! Although Mancini's fame was made in the late 50s for his work on the classic Peter Gunn TV show, it's less known that he also did the score for the less-than-successful Peter Gunn film. Directed in 1967 by Blake Edwards, the film was a weak attempt to transfer the Gunn image to the big screen – but Mancini remained above the fray, as his solid scoring is just about the only thing we remember about the film today. The tracks include 60's remakes of some nice themes from the original show, plus a few other nice numbers thrown in for good measure. Recorded (as usual) in LA, with players like Bud Shank, Ray Brown, Plas Johnson, and Shelly Mann – and a set list that includes "Dreamsville", "Sky Watch", "A Bluish Bag", and "The Monkey Farm". LP, Vinyl record album