One of the most striking, most unusual settings for the voice of Leon Thomas we've ever heard – a rare 1970 performance with the Brit group Nucleus – done right at the same time that Thomas was recording his classics with Pharoah Sanders! The initial approach is similar, and the songs are familiar – but the overall execution is quite different given the change in instrumentation – as the Nucleus lineup includes Ian Carr on trumpet, Chris Spedding on guitar, Karl Jenkins on piano and oboe, and Brian Smith on tenor, saxophone, and flute! Tracks are all nice and long, and rhythms begin with a slightly similar mode to Thomas' other records – but the use of Spedding's guitar is especially striking, as is Carr's trumpet – which has a very different quality than any American player that Thomas ever worked with. The sax and oboe lines are especially nice – often exotic, but in more of a European spiritual way than an American one – and throughout it all, Thomas really holds the course with some wonderful vocals – on long tracks that include "One", "Chains Of Love", "The Journey", "Echoes", "Damn Nam", and "The Creator Has A Master Plan". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible full length debut from vocalist Mario Biondi – a jazz singer we'd rank right up there with the legendary Mark Murphy – supported here with great backings from the High Five Quintet! The grooves here are in a soaring, tightly-stepping style – very much the best club jazz mode of the contemporary European scene – with all-acoustic instrumentation, and rhythms that move along at a really great dancefloor pace! Mario's vocals are really unique too – with a little rasp that catches slightly, and really brings a timeless quality to his voice – mixing personal feeling into the lively numbers on the album, with an unexpected depth that really makes the album stand out from similar sessions of this type! There's echoes of hip vocal jazz work from years past by artists like The Peddlers, Bobby Cole, or Mark Murphy – and titles include "A Child Runs Free", "No Mercy For Me", "This Is What You Are", "I Can't Keep From Cryin Sometimes", "Rio De Janeiro Blue", "Handful Of Soul", "On A Clear Day", "Never Die", "No Trouble On The Mountain", "Slow Hot Wind", and "Gig". (New Grooves, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful vocal work from Guy Cabay – put together with a strong touch of jazz, a bit of bossa, and a swirling vibe that's mighty nice! Guy's got a breathy style of singing that works perfect with the backings – and its bits of guitar, organ, and other elements – often used as gently as Cabay's vocals, but in a style that's warm and sophisticated – like some of the hippest material on Saravah Records in the 70s, particularly work by Pierre Barouh! These tunes also often have a breezy rhythm that borrows from bossa nova, and which really suits the style of Guy's vocals – on titles that include "Julia Deus", "Pove Tiesse", "Tot Reguede", "Camamele Et Cataplame", "A M'Vwezene", "Li Robaleu", "Pax Pollinibus Bonae Voluntatis", and "Li Sabat D'Sinte Mere L'Oto". (French, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album