... CD

A stunning mix of talents that brings the heavenly piano and guitar of Antonio Carlos Jobim into play with the lush, but light arrangements of Claus Ogerman – a swirling mix of post-bossa loveliness that redefines Jobim's sound, and opens up new avenues for exploration in sound! The production is amazing – pillowy-soft, but with a complex depth that's hardly been matched again – and although Jobim's the main player, other great musicians include Dom Um Romao, Claudio Slon, Jerome Richardson, Ron Carter, and others. Tracks include "Wave", "Mojave", "Lamento", "Batidinha", "The Red Blouse", "Antiguq", and the groovy "Captain Bacardi". Beautiful all the way through! CD

Titles include "Stonebury", "Monks At Casamari", "They Haven't Got The Girls In The USA", and "The Cardinal In Vienna". CD

Includes a disc of songs from Chuck Willis and a disc of songs written by him from Lula Reed, Ruth Brown, The Cardinals, The Admirals, LaVern Baker & The Gliders, The Five Keys, Patti Page, Eydie Gorme & Steve Lawrence, The Clovers, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Ernest Tubb, and more. CD

Some of the grooviest work ever cut by Brazilian trombonist Waltel Branco – a set that's very different than just about anything he ever put on record, and which is also material used in an early 70s TV series as well! The sound here is kind of a criss-cross between some of the cool Brazilian arranging styles of the time – the sorts of backings you'd hear on records by folks like Marcos Valle or Edu Lobo – mixed with some of the groovier European soundtrack modes of the period – especially Italy and France, and the great way those scenes really messed with production and instrumental styles. There's more than a few funky cuts here – making the album a real treasure in Branco's catalog – and almost all tracks are instrumental – but the set does feature one vocal number, "Frustracao", sung by Arlete Salles. Other titles include "I Giorni Dell'Ira", "200 MPH", "Bandinha", "Diana", "Tema De Ricardinho", "Tema De Abertura", "Efeito", "Back Ground", and "Zorro". CD

A stunning mix of talents that brings the heavenly piano and guitar of Antonio Carlos Jobim into play with the lush, but light arrangements of Claus Ogerman – a swirling mix of post-bossa loveliness that redefines Jobim's sound, and opens up new avenues for exploration in sound! The production is amazing – pillowy-soft, but with a complex depth that's hardly been matched again – and although Jobim's the main player, other great musicians include Dom Um Romao, Claudio Slon, Jerome Richardson, Ron Carter, and others. Tracks include "Wave", "Mojave", "Lamento", "Batidinha", "The Red Blouse", "Antiguq", and the groovy "Captain Bacardi". Beautiful all the way through! CD

Jean-Michel Pilc on piano – with Sam Newsome on soprano sax, James Genus and Francois Moutin on bass, Ari Hoenig on drums, and Abdou M'Boup on percussion. CD

Three groovy 70s albums from Buddy Rich! Roar Of 74 is one of the funkiest Buddy Rich albums of the 70s – a mad screaming affair that's overflowing with great tunes! The band on the set is very full – with a heck of a lot of trumpets in the brass section, set next to searing sax work by the great Pat LaBarbera. But even better is the rhythm section – which grooves in a hard electric funk mode, thanks to guitar from Joe Beck, bass from Tony Levin, and some surprisingly smoking drums from Buddy himself! Tracks are all very nicely grooving – and titles include "Kilimanjaro Cookout", "Nuttville", "Senator Sam", "Waltz Of The Mushroom Hunters", and "Big Mac". Last Blues Album has a misleading title, as there's nothing "blues" about this set – as Buddy Rich is working with some of the best soul jazz players of the Groove Merchant label – on a set that's one of his few small combo albums from the 70s! The vibe is very relaxed and laidback, and even Buddy's tight drumming can't over-hype the sound. Tracks are longish and open – more in the Prestige jazz mode of the 60s than the usual funkier style of the Groove Merchant label – and the sextet features Jimmy McGriff on organ, George Freeman on guitar, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Illinois Jacquet on tenor, and Bob Cranshaw on bass. Titles include "Soft Winds", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "How Long", "Courage", and "Alright". Very Live At Buddy's Place is hard-swinging Buddy Rich from the prime early 70s years – not exactly an all-out funk affair, but still a great groover, with plenty of hip little big band numbers! The groove here is nice and lean – and Buddy and the group are working at Buddy's own club – hitting that trademark all-out Rich sound, but still leaving plenty of room for the soloists. The group's got some great soul jazz players – including Sonny Fortune on alto, Jack Wilkins on guitar, and Kenny Barron on piano – as well as some really smoking tenor work from Sal Nistico, who's always adaptable to a setting like this. The album's got a tasty version of Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon", plus other nice tracks that include "Sierra Lonely", "Nica's Dream", "Billy's Bounce", "Cardin Blue" and "Jumpin At The Woodside". CD

Beautiful later work from XTC – a record that has the group really reveling in that new pastoral sensibility they unlocked with Mummer – on songs that are more slowed down than at their start, with great use of acoustic instrumentation too – all with this well-crafted sense of songwriting that almost seems to preface some of the work to come by groups like High Llamas or Cardinal! There's so many folks who are slavish to the early years of XTC that they often miss the beauty of a record like this – a really cohesive whole that's given some superb production by Todd Rundgren in one of his best 80s moments. Titles include "Dear God", "Dying", "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul", "Big Day", "Another Satellite", "That's Really Super Supergirl", "The Meeting Place", "Summer's Cauldron", and "1000 Umbrellas". CD

Music from Tiny Grimes, Joe Morris, Frank Culley, Ruth Brown, Professor Longhair, Harry Van Walls, the Clovers, Joe Turner, the Cardinals, Ray Charles and Willis Jackson. CD

Wilco continuing the looser, less self-consciously experimental, more straightforward songcraft road they'd been traveling on since Sky Blue Sky, after the art rock leaning previous few LPs – including the classic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – but Wilco being Wilco, their version of straight forward songcraft has more depth and diverse instrumentation than just about any other contemporary rock peers! And after some years of feeling underserved by the "alt country" tag and steering clear of anything too twangy, it's kinda nice to hear the more lap steal and Byrds-y harmonies back in the fold without discarding the art rock textures. Good stuff from a great band in it for the long haul! Includes "Wilco (The Song)", "Deeper Down", "One Wing", "Bull Black Nova", "You And I", "You Never Know", "Country Disappeared", "Solitaire", "I'll Fight", "Sonny Feeling" and "Everlasting Everything". CD

A wonderful compilation of classic bossa tunes – packaged in a lovely way, and selected by Ruy Castro, who (literally) wrote the book on bossa nova! Castro's the author of a great book on bossa nova – the first of its type in English (and incidentally, often for sale at Dusty Groove!) – and here, he's selected 2CDs worth of tracks to fit the mood and spirit of the book, a perfect soundtrack for a sunny summery afternoon on the beach in Rio! Titles include "Que Besteira" by Joao Donato, "Pois E" by Nara Leao, "Captain Bacardi" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, "Tem Do" by Rio 65 Trio, "Two Kites" by Mario Adnet, "Jangal" by Dom Um, "Domingo Azul" by Billy Balanco, "E Nada Mais" by Os Gatos, "Surfboard" by Roberto Menescal, "Coisa No 8" by Moacir Santos, "Samba De Verao (live)" by Marcos Valle & Patricia Marx, "Ledusha Com Diamantes" by Celso Fonseca, "Tim Dom Dom" by Jorge Ben, and "Voce" by Dick Farney & Norma Benguell. CD

A second great set of tunes from the Chicago scene of the early soul years – one that features a number of alternate takes and previously unissued tunes, including a few great numbers by unknown groups! The set was put together by Chicago soul expert Bob Miner – and has a real focus on group obscurities from the end of the doo wop era to the earliest years of Chicago soul. Miner's got a keen eye for the uncommon, and has pulled together a number of tracks from rare singles, acetates, and audition discs. The fidelity is surprisingly good, given the source of many of the materials – and the package is a refreshing change from the oft-compiled bigger hits of the Chicago scene. Titles include "No Greater Thing" and "My Love" by Twilites, "Wait A Minute" by The Kittens, "Honey Hush" and "Money Honey" by The Eagleaires, "Our Love" and "Stormy Weather" by Four Gents, "We Belong Together" by Upsetters, "Chaney" by The Cardinals, "Moments Of Infatuation" by Jackie Bee, "African Twist" by Harold Curington, "This Angel Of Mine" by The Amps, "In The Still Of The Night" by Larry & DuDrops, "Do Do De Dop" and "Can You Explain It" by The Devotions, and "Makin Eyes" by Cookie & The Dedications. 29 tracks in all! CD

A stunning set of live improvisations, and a record that will really open up your ears to the music of Trevor Watts – a great player on the British scene, but one who's sometimes overlooked next to other improvising musicians with a bit more fame! The setting here is very unique – as Watts blows alto and soprano next to some really cool percussion from Kofi Adu and Nana Tsiboe, the latter of whom plays mbira too – in a group that also features Earnest Mothle on bass, Liam Genockey on drums, and Peter Knight on violin. The sounds are very organic, and make great use of the percussion – in ways that maybe remind us more of some of the Afro jazz experiments from the Parisian scene of the 70s than more familiar British avant work. The set features seven tracks in all – five recorded in Cardiff, and two more in Southampton – both during a tour in 1989. CD

One of the greatest albums ever from pianist Duke Pearson – recorded at a time when the musician was taking a bigger role at the Blue Note label, and started exploring some great musical territory in the process! The tracks here were all recorded in the late 60s – but not issued by the label until decades later, when they were pulled together in this fantastic double-length set – a record that comes as a real revelation. The work's quite different than Pearson's big band recordings, or his earlier soul jazz ones – and is a brilliant mix of Brazilian styles, electric instrumentation, complicated arrangements, and some of the more head-oriented jazz that was cropping up on Blue Note at the time – particularly some of the United States Of The Mind albums by Horace Silver! Silver's musical partner Andy Bey sings on the album's title cut – and other musicians include Frank Foster on tenor, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Wally Richardson on guitar, Jerry Dodgion on flute, Ralph Towner on acoustic guitar, and a young Airto on percussion. Titles include the fantastic "I Don't Care Who Knows It", a great version of "Canto De Ossanha", and the tracks "Bloos", "I Don't Know", "Captain Bacardi", "Rosemary's Baby", "Dialogo", "Upa Neguinho", and "Xibaba". CD

There's way more than sufficient grace going on here – and a strongly soulful swing that really has the whole album coming together, right on the money! Maybe that's no surprise, though, given that the set's issued on the excellent WJ3 label from Willie Jones III, who plays drums at the core of the record, next to the bass of Sean Conly – while Tardy carves out all these wonderfully fluid, feeling lines next to the trumpet of Marcus Printup – who himself sounds better than usual, and makes for a perfect fit for Tardy. Keith Brown handles piano on the quintet session, all tunes are Tardy originals, and titles include "Tree & Its Fruit", "I Choose You", "For Deacon Rock", "The Omnipresent Cardiologist", "Janel's Love Song", and "Nick Hoot". CD

Beautiful later work from XTC – a record that has the group really reveling in that new pastoral sensibility they unlocked with Mummer – on songs that are more slowed down than at their start, with great use of acoustic instrumentation too – all with this well-crafted sense of songwriting that almost seems to preface some of the work to come by groups like High Llamas or Cardinal! There's so many folks who are slavish to the early years of XTC that they often miss the beauty of a record like this – a really cohesive whole that's given some superb production by Todd Rundgren in one of his best 80s moments. Titles include "Dear God", "Dying", "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul", "Big Day", "Another Satellite", "That's Really Super Supergirl", "The Meeting Place", "Summer's Cauldron", and "1000 Umbrellas". CD

Two Amphonic sound library sets – back to back on a single CD! Shades Of Grey is a great set from Steve Gray – with some killer smooth jazz funk numbers! The feel's like a hip late 70s soundtrack, surprisingly wonderful overall – nice and tight, but never too uptight – that wonderful balance you'd find on some of the best sound library sets of the time! Steve Gray's at his best throughout – leading a large ensemble with the deftness of some of the best soundtrack maestros of the time – and titles include "El Sol", "Finely Fluted", "Simply Sophisticated", "Bill's Basement", "Only A Dream Away", and "Powerdrive". Brit Easy genius Syd Dale takes the helm on It's A Colourful World – a warm set of instrumental tunes dedicated to the west coast – topped with a San Francisco cover image, but with more than enough modes to stretch down highway 101 to Los Angeles! The sound is almost more early 70s than you'd guess from the date – not entirely funky, but quite picturesque – mixing some warm TV-styled soundtrack styles with evocative horns and woodwinds. Titles include "San Francisco Bay", "Redwood Valley", "Flamingo Parade", "The Puppet Factory", "Pink Bacardi", "Dancing At The Palace", and "French Lace". CD

Way more than just the Doo Wop promised in the title – as the set starts with raw harmony work of the 50s, then moves up to include a whole bunch of 60s soul too! The set's a great overview of the evolution of vocal group modes during these crucial years in American music – and some familiar hits are mixed up nicely with lesser-known gems – showing that the compilers really used their heads to put the package together. There's a total of 60 tracks in all, plus a nice booklet too – and titles include "I Believe" by The Earls, "For Sentimental Reasons" by The Cleftones, "The Girl I Love" by The Cadillacs, "I Count The Tears" by The Drifters, "A Casual Look" by The Six Teens, "Down On My Knees" by The Heartbeats, "Out Of Sight" by The Five Keys, "Come Back My Love" by The Cardinals, "Bad Boy" by The Jive Bombers, "Sixty Minute Man" by The Dominoes, "Little Darlin" by The Diamonds, "Lonely Way" by The Skyliners, "The Angels Listened In" by The Crests, "A Wonderful Dream" by The Majors, "Let Me In" by The Sensations, "Smoky Places" by The Corsairs, and "Wish You Were Mine" by The Fireflies. CD

Music from Vinnie Monte, Nicardi Brothers, Judd Hamilton, Jerry Mason, The Temptations, Johnny Vanelli, Danny Leslie, Steve Fallon, Tony Cosmo, Ben Higgins, and more - 34 tracks in all. CD

A set that definitely lives up to the intrigue promised in the title – an alternative look at British music in the 80s, served up with some more experimental, unusual tracks that go way past the pop hits of the time! There's still some names here you might know, but there's also work from plenty of the hipper indie labels who kept things interesting – especially in the territory of companies like Factory, Rough Trade, and 4AD – who each get some space within! As with other sets done by Steven Wilson, there's some detailed notes that make the overall package a delight throughout – a cool book-styled cover with 80 pages of notes within – and a total of 58 tracks in all, work by Dif Juz, Cardiacs, A Certain Ratio, Perennial Divide, Cocteau Twins, Twelfth Night, This Heat, Ultravox, Durutti Column, Punishment Of Luxury, The Stranglers, Magazine, Bill Nelson's Red Noise, No Man, Slab, In Camera, Swell Maps, Gary Numan, The Sound, Crispy Ambulance, Dali's Car, Scott Walker, David Sylvian, The Shamen, This Mortal Coil, Associates, Section 25, Gang Of Four, PIL, Robert Fripp & The League Of Gentlemen, and Dead Can Dance. CD