A very cool look at the UK Ember label – with a special focus on their contribution to female pop in the 60s! This package is a lot more focused than other Brit girl pop collections on the market, and has a slightly different vibe as well – given that each of the three singers included had a style that was very much their own! The set features a handful of tracks from Twiggy, the famous model – maybe not the strongest singer, but a surprising presence with the right production – on titles that include "Over & Over", "Beautiful Dreams", and "I Need Your Hand In Mine". Next, there's a good batch of material from Linda Thorson – best known for her role in The Avengers on TV, but a decent singer who can capture some of the slight soul currents of the time – on tunes that include "Wishful Thinking", "Here I Am", "I'll Just Pick Up My Heart", "A Bad Time To Stop Loving Me", and "You Will Want Me". Last up is a good batch of work from the really great Julie Rogers, including most of her album Once More With Feeling – on titles that include "Baby Don't You Leave Me", "Come Tomorrow", "Children Of My Mind", "This Is Me", "But You Know I Love You", and "You Better Sit Down Kids". (Rock, Vocalists) CD

A fantastic album that brings together all of the European winners of the recent Downbeat polls – like Karin Krog, John Surman, Albert Mangelsdorff, Francy Boland, Daniel Humair, and Niels Henning Orsted-Pedersen. The sextet is a lively batch of free-swinging European jazz stylists, with touches of modernism that keep the whole session on edge throughout – in a way that's right up there with the best of the classic MPS sessions! The highlight of the set is Karin Krog's beautiful vocal version of "Maiden Voyage", but there's loads of other nice bits – like "Winter Song", "Ryoan-Ji", "Open Space", and "Hello Thursday". A great one, and darn tough to find! (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album