A beautiful early soundtrack from Dave Grusin – surprisingly sensitive, and quite different than his later funky work in the 70s! The score is a cool mix of strings and keyboard parts – sometimes played on harpsichord by Grusin, an instrument that we don't always hear him use, and which rings out here with a hip 60s cinematic style – often a bit spacey at points, with a slow-stepping pace that really fits the feel of the orchestrations. The strings are never too full, and they're often cut by some woodwind parts too – and a few tracks feature some more familiar 60s modes, including a few standout vocal tracks – like "The Color Of The Wind", "Elizabeth", "I Can't Afford To Let You Go", and "Beyond The Reach Of Love". Includes the main title theme, plus "Drop Out", "The Last Walk", "Aftermath", "Growing Pains", and "Symphodelic", which is a nice twist on a bit of Mozart! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, grooviest albums that pianist Vince Guaraldi ever recorded – a set that's got the same Peanuts theme as his earlier dates for Fantasy Records, but which also features some sweet electric touches that only make things even better than before! In addition to his warmly vamping piano, with all those lyrical touches we love so much, Vince is playing an electric harpsichord too – which makes for some very groovy moments – in a cool quartet that features guitar from Eddie Duran, bass from Stanley Gilbert, and drums from the great Carl Burnett! All tunes are Peanut-themed – the music that Guaraldi wrote for the TV specials – but they're sometimes taken at a looser style that's even jazzier overall – as you'll hear on the classic "Linus & Lucy", plus "Red Baron", "Peppermint Patty", "Great Pumpkin Waltz", and "Rain Rain Go Away". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant little set from Keef Hartley – a blend of jazz, blues, and rock that's really tremendous – quite different than other efforts of its sort at the time, with a gritty edge that really makes the record stand up strongly over the years! Keef's on drums, and has a great way of rumbling up the bottom of the tunes – a feature that's always made his records a favorite of beatheads – and vocals here are from Miller Anderson, who definitely has a touch of Eric Burdon in his approach. Other instrumentation includes organ, harpsichord, and some wickedly fuzzy guitar – plus occasional brass from a section that includes Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther, the latter of whom did arrangements. Titles include "Born To Die", "Just To Cry", "Think It Over/Too Much To Take", "Just To Cry", "Leavin Trunk", and "Sinnin For You". LP, Vinyl record album

The Incredible String Band are paired down to the core duo of Mike Heron & Robin Williamson for their third and possibly best album – the truly incredible Hangman's Beautiful Daughter – using the studio as a most impressive adjunct member of the group at this point! This is an extremely talented pair – each playing myriad instruments – sitar, organ, guitar, hammer dulcimer, harpsichord, gimbri, whistle, pipe, oud, mandolin, mouth harps and more. Previous vocal collaborator Licorice sings on one song, and Dolly Collins and David Snell contribute flute organ, piano and harp – but the main duos incredible way of layering their magic with multitracking in the studio the real masterstroke of the effort. Titles include "Koeoaddi There", "Witch's Hat", "The Water Song", "Swift As The Wind", "Nightfall", "Waltz Of The New Moon", "Three Is A Green Crown" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record – very different than anything else that Hank Jones ever recorded! The album features arrangements by Oliver Nelson – done in that mod 60s pop-jazz style that he was using on his best work – and about half the record features Jones playing electric harpsichord, one of those groovy instruments that we can never get enough of! Needless to say, the combination of these two factors pushes the record far away from Jones' usual straight jazz piano trio approach – as does some tight added horn work, and an overall feel that's right up there with the grooviest sounds that Impulse or Verve had to offer in the 60s. Titles include "Broadwalk Samba", "Happenings", "Funky But Blues", "Fugue Time", "Jazztime USA", "Mas Que Nada", and "Cul De Sac". LP, Vinyl record album

The great keyboardist Mike Melvoin is at the top of his game here – getting a rare session as a leader, and working on Hammond, electric harpsichord, electric piano, and even ondoline! The small combo features Emil Richards on percussion, Don Peake on guitar, and Hal Blaine on drums – and the set features groovy versions of "Summer in the City" and "For No One", plus some originals, all played on a number of different keyboards. LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing! This is when Wes Montgomery really starts to get interesting to us – when he's working with a top-line arranger like Don Sebesky, crafting some incredibly compelling chords over lightly jazzy arrangements and soaring strings, in a whole new mode of expression that would go onto transform a generation of guitar players! And sure, this album sold a gazillion copies – but we'll be honest in saying that we think it's loads more complex and mature than some of Wes' straight jazz sides from earlier years – light years away from the small combo dates of the early years, both in conception and sound. Titles include "Day In The Life", "Watch What Happens", "California Nights", "Windy", "Trust In Me", and "The Joker". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album ever from this trippy little combo from the 60s Berkeley scene! Notes From The Underground were contemporaries of Country Joe & The Fish, and share a similar mix of folk and country-styled roots mixed with a bit of pre-hippie rock – but their overall sound is a bit more focused, and gets some nice jazzy inflections here from keyboardist Skip Rose – who plays piano, organ, and even a bit of harpsichord on the set! Rose's lines really help spin the album in a different path from some of its contemporaries – not just on the set's unusual instrumental take on Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island", but also on the vocal numbers as well – where rolling piano lines offset the guitar nicely. Titles include "Who Needs Me", "Tristesse", "Where I'm At", "Follow Me Down", "I Wish I Was A Punk", and "Down In The Basement". LP, Vinyl record album

God, we love this record – and we're not ashamed to admit it! Sure, it sold a gazillion copies – and sure, for some folks it showed the true demise of the Crusaders ensemble. But for us, it's a masterpiece of smooth fusion, and a landmark album of easy jazz that spawned countless imitators that could never hope to match Sample's simple and elegant use of funky riffing and lyrical chords – coming in with just the right dash of darkness when the record's in danger of sounding too light. Most of the rest of the Crusaders had a hand in the record, and the set's got the smooth west coast sound you'd expect from the title. Tracks include "Carmel", "Cannery Row", "Sunrise", and "More Beautiful Each Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Dreamy dreamy pop psych from Strawberry Alarm Clock – a great late 60s group who skirted the worlds of Sunshine Pop and more jamming garage rock! This album's got a lot more to offer than you might guess from just the title hit – as the instrumentation sometimes gets nicely tripped out – with cool use of organ, harpsichord, and guitar – plus plenty of special effects in production – and even some of the song styles and lengths are unusual too, making the album way more than just a batch of cute little tunes. Titles include the classic "Incense & Peppermints", the 8 minute jammer "The World's On Fire", the instrumental "Pass Time With SAC", and the cuts "Paxton's Back Street Carnival", "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow", "Strawberries Mean Love", and "Unwind the Clock". LP, Vinyl record album

Stanley Turrentine meets Bob James – on a record that's one of the 70s classics on CTI! Bob James handles the arrangements – with that laidback, mellowfunky approach to jazz that he helped pioneer at the time – lots of modal chords in the rhythms, and these wonderfully soulful solos by the great Stan himself! James plays keyboards on the set – and Harold Mabern adds some piano too – and the lineup also includes the mighty Eric Gale on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums. Titles include the great title cut – a remake of Marvin Gaye's "Don't Mess With Mister T", plus "Too Blue", "Two For T", and "I Could Never Repay Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The Ventures were furiously productive in the early 60s – delivering gem after gem – and this is among the best! Telstar is somewhere near the ninth record by the group, offering a dizzying mix of covers of some of the most popular songs of the day. The guitar still leads as the main sound on these tracks but they do expand the instrumentation to include organ, trumpet, mandolins and harpsichord as well. They sing a little on some of the tracks but they mainly stay in the instrumental realm. Greatness! Tracks include "Telstar", "The Lonely Bull", "Mexico", "Calcutta", "Apache", "Never On A Sunday", "Tequila", "Green Onions", "Let There Be Drums", and "Red River Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

A selection of late 50s and 60s hits featured in the iconic movie, including the name-sake tune by Ben E King, "Everyday" by Buddy Holly, "Come Go With Me" by The Del Vikings, "Lollipop" by The Chordettes, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Milestone 2-fer combining two of our favorite late 60s soul jazz LPs, that practically defined the genre – Work Song and That's Right! "Work Song" was a whopping hit for Nat, plus Cannonball's killer "Sack O Woe", played here by a firey group that includes the great Bobby Timmons on piano, and Wes Montgomery on guitar, making a rare non-leader group appearance. On the second set Nat's trumpet is backed up by a "big sax section" – a trio of reed players that includes Yusef Lateef, Jimmy Heath, and Charlie Rouse, plus some additional baritone work by Tate Houston. The groove's pretty swinging – kind of in the mode of early work with Cannonball Adderley in that it's not as "in the pocket" soul jazz wise, but still quite strong overall. Heath and Jimmy Jones did the arrangements, and the rhythm section features Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Jimmy Cobb. 17 tracks in all, including "Tadd", "The Old Country", "Chordnation", "ESP", "Scrambled Eggs", "Pretty Memory", and "Fallout". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from the glory days of the LA soul jazz bop scene of the early 60s! Alto player Earl Anderza has this crazy tone that's unlike anything we've ever heard – and he plays with a calculated approach to atonality that hints at later work by Ayler and others – but which comes across here a lot more straight ahead. Unlike Ayler, Anderza is backed by a tight soul jazz combo that includes stunning work by pianist Jack Wilson, one of our all-time favorite players – working here on both straight piano and electric harpsichord – which has a very crazy sound! Other players include George Morrow and Jimmy Bond on bass, plus Donald Dean on drums – and titles include "Blues Baroque", "Freeway", "Benign", and a great version of Wilson's modal classic "Outa Sight"! LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy stuff – with Joanne Grauer on organ, Victor Feldman on percussion, Plas Johnson on saxes, and Mayorga on piano and harpsichord! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime early work from Robert Wyatt and crew – a psychedelic accented jazz rock classic that never gets old – and a visionary set that inspired a generation! The heavily fuzzy guitar sound is transcendent on Volume Two – with sudden jazzy changes, augmented by horns, and all done with a sly sense of humour for which the group doesn't get enough credit. The set's broken up into two different "concept" halves – and side one is "Rivmic Melodies" – and includes "Pataphysical Introduction", "A Concise British Alphabet", "Dada Was Here", and "Out Of Tunes". Side two is "Esther's Nose Job" – with the parts "Pig", "Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging", "Orange Skin Food", and "A Door Opens & Closes". Wyatt's on vocals and drums; Hugh Hopper is on bass, guitar, and alto; and Mike Ratledge plays some great Lowry and Hammond organ, plus a bit of harpsichord and flute! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from Timmy Thomas – one that mixes together electronics and soul in this wonderfully unique mellow groove – a style that's hardly ever been matched again, and which may well put this album at the same level as Shuggie Otis' classic Inspiration Information set! Timmy's working here in a very unusual format – one that takes spare drum-machine beats, adds in warm keyboard chords, and graces the whole thing with smooth vocals to give it a real dose of soul! The contrast between the colder beats and Timmy's sweetly crackling voice is amazing – and creates a sound that echoes with love, loss, and loneliness – making the album one of the finest to come from the growing Miami scene of the 70s. Includes the landmark title cut "Why Can't We Live Together", plus "Dizzy Dizzy World", "The Coldest Days Of My Life", "Funky Me", "Take Care Of Home", "In The Beginning", and "Cold Cold People". LP, Vinyl record album

The first in a legendary run of Collectors Showcase records on the Constellation label – mid 60s efforts that pull together hard to find work from earlier years, all in a package that's almost as collectable as the originals! The set's presented by the Magnificent Montague in the liner notes, and it features work from a variety of artists, most on the Fire/Fury labels. Titles include "Do Re Mi" and "Ya Ya" by Lee Dorsey, "Wiggle Wobble" by Les Cooper, "Soul Twist" by King Curtis, "There's Something On Your Mind (parts 1 & 2)" by Bobby Marchan, "Fanny Mae" by Buster Brown, "I'm So Happy" by Teen Chords, and "Every Beat Of My Heart" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. LP, Vinyl record album

A period score, but one with plenty of groovy touches – a masterpiece of 60s film scoring from the great John Addison! Addison's music for the famous Tony Richardson version of Tom Jones is every bit as playful as the images on the screen – with only marginal aesthetics of the period of the story, and instead lots of romping melodies, carried out on horn parts, percussive passages, and even some cool harpsichord bits. Most of the tunes move quite quickly – as does the action on screen – and titles include "Sylvan Misadventures", "Ladies Are Irresistible", "Love Theme From Tom Jones", "Wine & Women", "If He Swing By The String", and "The Squire Steps In". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little record from Joe Byrd – an artist with roots in serious music, but who's serving things up here with a wild hippie aesthetic that makes the whole thing come across more like a "happening" than the usual sort of studio album – but in ways that also echo an earlier generation of Americanist composition too. The process of the record mimics some of Byrd's famous work in New York – and has a very collaborative feel overall, with elements of electronics, acoustics, and vocals coming together beautifully! There's some great tabla, harpsichord, moog, and organ on the record – plus more serious woodwinds and brass – and vocals from Victoria Bond, Susan De Lange, Christie Thompson, and Ernie Anderson – plus Joe himself. Titles include "Kalyani", "Moonsong Pelog", "You Can't Ever Come Down", "Gospel Music", "Nightmare Train", "Leisure World", and "The Elephant At The Door". LP, Vinyl record album

Buddy DeFranco plays tunes associated with Artie Shaw – but in a completely different way than before – with a wider-open swing for the 50s! The work here is all small combo, not big band – and there's a free-flowing groove that's totally great – a sound that carries echoes of the earlier years, but which comes across with that modern inflection to swing that made Buddy's years at Verve so great. Few players could come up with a balance of modes as great as this – and DeFranco's clarinet is caught alongside trumpet from Ray Linn, guitar from Barney Kessel, and piano and harpsichord from Jimmy Rowles! LP, Vinyl record album

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A wicked album that's one of Stan Getz's best from the 70s! The record features Stan reunited with Chick Corea, whose warm lyricism was the lynchpin in Getz's landmark Sweet Rain – the stunning session from 1968 that is perhaps our favorite-ever Getz album. Corea plays electric piano here, but with none of the indulgence that he was lapsing into at the time. His blocky chords stake out a stark new territory, into which Getz solos beautifully, into a range yet untapped at that time in his career. Tony Williams augments the group on drums, giving the whole thing a sense of freedom, but also a nice tight swing. Tracks include "La Fiesta", "Five Hundred Miles High", "Times Lie", and "Day Waves". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent soundtrack to this early 70s thriller that starred George C Scott! Jerry Goldsmith has come up with some strong action themes that are very much in a Lalo Schifrin mode – mixing guitar, electric harpsichord, and strings with a harder-edged groove so that there's a lot of space in the overall blend of elements – allowing each one to step out nicely, identified on its own! Even the mellower tracks are great – with an airy feel that recalls some of Michel Legrand's best action scores at the end of the 60s – with colors that flow out and really give the record a sense of soul! Steve Lawrence sings "The Last Run" in a mode that recalls Matt Munro's performances on other thriller soundtracks – and other titles include "Claudie's Stockings", "The Trap", "Border Crossing", "Rickard Escapes", and "Double Cross". LP, Vinyl record album

Beatles Back & Bacharach presents the Ted Heath group in some very groovy territory – playing a fair bit of the first and third "B" in the title, plus a little bit of the second! Heath's instrumentation is quite far from the brassier horns used on his earlier records – and Johnny Keating's sensitive arrangements for the date bring in a fair bit of groovier elements – electric bass, guitar, flute, and even some electric harpsichord! In a way, the record's much more of a Keating album than a Heath one – right down to the subtle dose of funk that Johnny was bringing to his music at this time – and titles include "This Guy's In Love With You", "Norwegian Wood", "B B & B", "Air On The G String", "Let It Be", "You'll Never Get To Heaven", and "I'll Never Fall In Love Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A real moment of genius for Joe Henderson from the 80s – a spare trio session, recorded live at the Village Vanguard, in a mode that recalls Sonny Rollins classic sets there for Blue Note! And while Sonny often performed heavily in a trio setting, unfettered by chords in the rhythm section – this is a unique date for Joe, and he sounds brilliant throughout! Ron Carter and Al Foster provide a crisp but elastic foundation for Henderson's burnished melodies and solos in a very spacious setting – and this first volume features the tracks "Beatrice", "Friday The Thirteenth", "Happy Reunion", "Loose Change", "Ask Me Now", and "Isotope". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly beautiful album from Pearls Before Swine – one that uses light orchestrations to create a baroquely folksy sort of feel – easily elevating the album past previous efforts, into classic territory we'd rank with the best from Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen! The whole album's great – with fragile and haunting songs from Tom Rapp, all supported by sparsely arranged instrumentation that includes harpsichord, flute, oboe, cello, and dobro. Genius throughout – and a clear inspiration for music still being made 30 years later – with classic tracks that include "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Song About A Rose", "The Old Man", "When The War Began", and "From The Movie Of The Same Name". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite 60s surf soundtracks ever – an amazing blend of Stu Phillips orchestrations with some key vocal moments from the trio of Dino Desi & Billy! The album's got a wonderful theme – "Thru Spray Colored Glasses" – sung initially by the trio, then served up by Stu in a number of variations that change with the different exotic locales of the film – India, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and Morocco – all referenced slightly in the instrumentation, but in ways that always retain Phillips' grooviest inspirations! Strings blend with bits of harpsichord, vibes, voices, Spanish guitar, and these "watery" woodwinds that almost remind us of Australian jazz in the same period – and titles include "Thru Spray Colored Glasses", "Big Wave Bay", "Incinerator", "Ranee Express", "Nazare", and "Cascis". LP, Vinyl record album

The excellent solo debut from lumbering rock guitar virtuoso Joe Walsh – buzzing, melodic and extremely tuneful early 70s rock that's refreshingly free of the processed cheese that characterized much of his later material, both solo and as an Eagle – and possibly the best work he's ever done! Barnstorm has some of the whispery rural rock sounds, fat and nearly funk keyboard grooves, and crunching chords that make Joe (in)famous – but what really stretches this record out and pushes it to a lofty pillar are the post psychedelic touches. Bits of flute, echoey guitar and keys, and trippy lyricism elevate the tracks on the first half of the album into terrain we forgot Joe ever treaded. It really makes the heavier, funky rock & roll bits that much more rewarding. It's almost like a blue collar Astral Weeks in spots! Tracks include "Here We Go", "Midnight Mover", "One And One", "Giant Bohemoth", "Mother Says", "Home", "I'll Tell The World", "Turn To Stone" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing leap forward for the incredible Walter Wanderley – a record that has him mixing his earlier bossa groove with the wider vision of late 60s A&M/CTI – supported by an amazing cast of American and Brazilian artists! The vibe is wonderful from the very first note – a refinement of bossa with the more sophisticated scoring touches of CTI – arrangements from both Deodato and Don Sebesky, working wonderfully to support Wanderley's lead keyboard lines on organ and electric harpsichord! The record's arguably more sophisticated than most work of this nature coming from Brazil at the same time – and with classic production by Creed Taylor, the sound is sublime through and through! A few tracks feature a slight bit of vocals – from Milton Nascimento, Anamaria Valle, and others – and instrumentalists helping on the session include Hubert Laws on flute and Marvin Stamm on flugelhorn. Titles include great versions of "Open Your Arms", "When It Was Done", "Reach Out For Me", "Ponteio", "Surfboard", "Baiao Da Garoa", "Capoeira", and "Ole Ole Ola". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully groovy European soundtrack work – a "triple feature" that contains tunes from the films Casanova 70, Darling, and Marriage Italian Style! The music for Casanova 70 is oddly not credited on the album – but features some excellent jazzy tunes, really swinging with lots of nice horn parts – and a few especially nice numbers that use electric harpsichord and have a very mod 60s feel! Darling is a British film with mellower work – larger orchestrations by John Dankworth – and Marriage Italian Style moves back into the realm of the groovy with a few nice numbers by Armando Trovajoli. Titles include "C'E Un Non So Che", "My Baby's Rockin", "Swinging Lonely", "Running Slow", "Sempre Cosi", "See What's Happening", and "Is That You Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just soul, but lots of R&B too – work by Betty Wright, Joe Turner, Joe Tex, Sam & Dave, Stick McGhee, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Aretha Franklin, Ruth Brown, The Chords, Solomon Burke, and lots of others! LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy soundtrack to this cool British film – starring a young Jack Wild in his pre-HR Puffenstuff days! The film's kind of a mod kids film – with a number of bright and peppy tunes mixed with others that are either more serious or more jazzy – a blend of rock and more familiar soundtrack instrumentation that really keeps things interesting! The Bee Gees contribute a number of great tracks – like "Melody Fair", "In The Morning", "First Of May", and "To Love Somebody". Even better, though, are the instrumental bits by the Richard Hewson Orchestra – which include "Teacher's Chase", a killer groover with some sweet electric harpsichord and strings, plus the cuts "Working On It Night & Day", "Spicks & Spacks", and "Melody Fair". Peter Knight put the whole thing together, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully moody piano work from Joe Bonner – working here in spare solo space on one of his most evocative albums of the 70s! The album's filled with swirling piano lines, played in the usual sensitive Bonner style – stark single-note melodies standing out, couched by fuller chords that are dripping with color. The piano's acoustic throughout, but as with Kenny Barron at this time, there's a slight hint of electricity in the phrasing – and titles include "Tattoo", "Little Chocolate Boy", "Native Son", "The Lifesaver", and "The Observer". LP, Vinyl record album

A work of true genius – and one of Hefti's most amazing soundtracks ever! Barefoot In The Park was written shortly before The Odd Couple – also for a Neal Simon film – and it's got a similar style of grooving to that more famous soundtrack, with two melodies working their way in together rhythmically, dancing around almost in counterpoint, but instead opening up the tunes in a really wild way. The main theme is tremendous – played in a number of versions, including one with some super-cool electric harpsichord – and even one number with vocals is pretty darn incredible. We love this one – and although short, it's a treasure throughout! Titles include "Barefoot In The Park", "Blues For Paul", "New Home Up A Stairs", "Nut On The Roof", and "Six Flights Up". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn groovy soundtrack – one of Neal Hefti's best of the 60s, and the score to a silly sex comedy that starred Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis! Fran Jeffries sings vocals on a few cuts – like "Sex & The Single Girl" and "Anniversary Song" – but the best tunes are the instrumentals, which mix together a lot of electric harpsichord (ala Odd Couple), a bit of flute, and which have a style that's in the mode of the best Quincy Jones or Henry Mancini scoring from the time! Titles include "Legs", "The Game", "Midnight Swim", "City Style", "I Must Know", and "I've Got Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A great batch of moogy grooves from the In Search Of Orchestra – really the team of Laurin Rinder & Michael Lewis, working here on a slightly wider variation of the styles used in their dancefloor work for AVI! The album's somewhat of a soundtrack for the In Search Of TV show hosted by Leonard Nimoy – and it's a wonderful blend of keyboards and subtle funky rhythms – often at a pace that's a lot more laidback and spacious than some of the more familiar disco from Rinder & Lewis. Lewis plays a host of great keys – including Fender Rhodes, clavinet, harpsichord, and synth – and the tracks range from long to short, with plenty of great funky bits and samples in the mix. Titles include "A Taste Of Ghosts", "Time Traveler", "The Rise & Fall Of Vlad Dracula", "In Search Of", "Nazca Lines", "Easter Island Suite", and "Afterthought". LP, Vinyl record album

Anita Kerr and her singers take on the baroque pop sound of the late 60s – working here in a way that mixes their smoother vocals with more complicated arrangements and some nice use of electric harpsichord! The approach isn't as over the top baroque as other albums like this – thanks to a key core of Kerr vocals from the quartet – but the harpsichord's used on nearly every track, and it really helps to bring a nice new flavor to the record – a sound that's quite different than the bag Kerr was hitting a few years before! Plus, there's some great jazzy moments from conductor Dick Marx – never too over the top, but nicely sunny at all the best points. Tracks are pretty hip too – and include "Love At Last You Found Me", "Love Lies", "It's Not Unusual", "One Note Samba", "How Insensitive", "Cast Your Fate To the Wind", and "My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work by one of our favorite 60s groups! If you don't know The Left Banke, their unique style of "baroque rock" is a wonderful mix of groovy organ, electric harpsichord, and swirling strings – all set as instrumentation for some of the tightest, grooviest little songs you'll ever hear. Nearly every track on here is a toe-tapping hummer, and even if you know their big hits like "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina", you'll still find lots of other goodies like "Barterers & Their Wives", "Evening Gown", "Lazy Day", and "What Do You Know". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the groovier albums the Modern Jazz Quartet ever recorded – as you might expect, given the cover and title! In addition to the group's usual cool sound from Milt Jackson's vibes, the set also features John Lewis playing a bit of harpsichord in addition to his usual piano – and the group's also augmented on a few tracks with some great horns from Snookie Young and Joe Newman on trumpets, Garnett Brown on trombone, Jim Buffington on French horn, and Don Butterfield on tuba – a change that really gives the record a nicely different flavor from other MJQ albums. John Lewis composed all of the tracks – and titles include "Walkin Stomp", "Dancing", "Plastic Dreams", "Variations On A Christmas Theme", "Travlin", "Piazza Novona", and "England's Carol". LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy soundtrack from the great Stanley Myers! The setting of the film is mod London – and Stan's come up with some very cool tunes that mix together 60s easy, trippy instrumentation, and a bit of that go-go groove. Instrumentation includes a bit of sitar and tabla – mixed with electric guitar, organ, electric harpsichord, a bit of vocals, and orchestral flourishes – changing mood from track to track, but always staying on the straight and groovy! Titles include "Barney", "Angel's Theme", "Shazam", "Kinky Dolly", "Kings Full", and "A Present for Daddy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest albums ever from Chicago reedman/trumpeter Ira Sullivan – a set that takes on a really different feel than his previous bop-styled records – and which shows a whole new side of the musician! Ira's clearly inspired here by the changes in jazz in the 60s – particularly the work of John Coltrane – and he reaches forward in a wonderfully expressive way that's filled with joy, life, and a spiritual sensibility we never heard this strongly again in Sullivan's music. There's a definite modal jazz vibe to most of the record – played beautifully by an obscure rhythm section that features Dolphe Castellano on piano and electric harpsichord, William Fry on bass, and Jose Cigno on drums – players with a wonderfully refreshing conception that really makes the album sparkle. Yet Sullivan's the clear star of the show, too – really shining on a range of horns that includes trumpet, tenor, and soprano sax – sometimes played together on the same tune. Lon Norman plays a bit of trombone on the record – and the set's got some great eastern numbers like "Ninevah", "Horizons", and "Adah" – plus the tracks "Oh G", "Norwegian Wood", and "E Flat Tuba G". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great debut from Sweetwater – described on the cover as "Eight high-octane musicians who met and jammed in the great peanut butter octopus that is Los Angeles!" The record's got a really trippy approach that's partially folk rock, partially psychedelic soul, and which also has some great touches of groovy harmony pop and Latinized LA rhythms – all wrapped up in some totally great production overall! The whole thing skims and sings around like some of our favorite sunshiney pop from the time – almost a meeting of Triste Janeiro and Mamas & The Papas – with some great instrumental touches that include cello and electric harpsichord! Female lead vocals on most tracks, but the album also spins out nicely, so that you get plenty of instrumental passages too! Titles include "Why Oh Why", "Motherless Child", "Here We Go Again", "For Pete's Sake", "What's Wrong", "Come Take A Walk", and "In A Rainbow". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic score from the great Armando Trovajoli – one of his few 60s classics to get any sort of circulation in the US – and one of the best! The album's got loads of scatting vocals by his great group I Cantori Modern – alongside upbeat chase tracks, crime jazz, and even a bit of electric harpsichord too! The music mixes together bubbling organ with swinging vocal riffs by I Cantori Moderni – an excellent little combo directed by Alessandro Alessandroni with a cool breezy vocal style that works perfectly with the other instrumentation. Tracks include "Ping Pong", "Thunder Bolt", "Walk On Home", and "Golden Bricks". LP, Vinyl record album

A strong live set from the end of the 70s – one that shows the culmination of McCoy Tyner's work within larger concept settings, a format that he'd been exploring thoroughly since the passing of his old leader, John Coltrane. The ensemble here is quite strong – with George Adams and Joe Ford on flute and saxes, Woody Theus on drums and bells, Guilherme Franco on percussion, and Charles Fambrough on bass – and with Tyner, they work out some majestic tracks that soar with a spirituality supported by strong, blocky, piano chords. The highlight of the set is a 15 minute reading of Tyner's "Fly With The Wind", and other tracks include "Hand In Hand", "The Greeting", "Pictures", and a version of Coltrane's "Naima", done as a solo piano work. LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE greatest experimental rock albums of the 60s – a landmark effort from a short-lived group that included avant musicians Joe Byrd and Gordon Marron! The group's got a really tremendous sound – part psyche, part electronic, and part folk rock – all put together in a freewheeling style that cares little for genre or convention – and which must have really shook the roots of Columbia Records when they submitted the tape for this set! The instrumentation on the set should be enough to pop your cork – as the group uses ring modulator, electric drums, electric harpsichord, organ, calliope, and other early electronic instruments – but their sound is topped off with some really beautiful vocals from singer Dorothy Moskowitz, adding a light touch that really makes for a strange juxtaposition! The lyrics are a bit poetic and trippy – in a good way – and titles include "The American Metaphysical Circus", "Garden Of Earthly Delights", and "Cloud Song". LP, Vinyl record album

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A great set that showcases one of the strongest sides of Alantic Records at the start of the 60s – their great ear for soul groups! Collection features material by The Diamonds, The Penguins, The Clovers, The Drifters, The Cookies, and The Chordcats! LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual album from 1973 – one that has Italian guitarist Franco Cerri working with larger backings, in a style that's almost a bit like soundtrack work of the time! Franco's guitar lines are clean and clear – right up front in the mix, over a range of strings, plus bits of organ, harpsichord, and flutes too – all directed by the great Nando De Luca, with a feel that's warm and sweet, but never too mellow! The guitar glides nicely over the top – making for a really light sort of groove, and a change from Cerri's straighter work of previous years – on titles that include "Miss Iva", "Bostrizione", "Toilette", "Lady Stinta", "Penelope Jane", and "Vado E Tornio". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking early work from Stan Getz – a 12" LP that compiles earlier recordings made for Prestige at the end of the 40s – all of which are a perfect exercise in tone, timing, and balance! The setting is simple – quartets with either Al Haig or Tony Aless on piano – but Getz makes magic from the start, flowering the tunes with inventive twists and turns in his horn – not in a simple boppish copycat mode, but in a style that's dripping with soul and feeling all the way through! The record won't hit you over the head as much as some of Stan's later Verve work, but it's almost even better because of that – as even in the simplest of settings, Getz really manages to grab our ear right away, and amaze us with his deft command and personal direction of his instrument! Titles include "Long Island Sound", "Mar-Cia", "Indian Summer", "Crazy Chords", "There's A Small Hotel", "The Lady In Red", "My Old Flame", "What's New", and "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the grooviest album ever from Enoch Light – a trippy blend of many 60s styles, all put together with sublime Project 3 Sound! The album's billed as featuring "exploratory trips through the music of Bach, Bacharach, the Beatles – Integrating the Moog, the Guitar Scene, Electronic Harpsichord, Flugelhorns, etc" – and it definitely lives up to that bill, given the range of songs included! Rhythms are strong, and the use of sweetly compressed horn parts is very much in an A&M mode – as is the backing vocals, which are light and wonderful – a bit like Free Design, but more towards the territory of Singers Unlimited, although even groovier. The Beatles and Bacharach material is especially great – but even the Bach tunes come out wonderfully, given that most are re-arranged with a hip 60s soundtrack sort of groove – classical roots, but contemporary execution – especially when there's a bit of moog or electric harpsichord. Titles include "Walk On By", "Norweigan Wood", "What The World Needs Now", "Get Back", "Bond Street", "Petite Paulette", "My Silent Song", and "Lover's Concerto". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful record that's every bit as great as you might expect from the title – a baroque take on the music of Burt Bacharach, and one that's served up with some groovy scatting vocals too! The approach is a bit like that of the Swingle Singers, but a bit more American too – mixed male and female vocals scatting wordlessly to some of Burt Bacharach's greatest tunes – always with a jazzy feel, and usually backed with some cool electric harpsichord, which totally sounds great! The mighty Al Capps handled arrangements – and it's clearly his genius that got this whole thing sounding so wonderful – but the mighty Snuff Garrett produced, and deserves a tip of the hat too. Titles include "The Look Of Love", "What The World Needs Now", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", and "Close To You". LP, Vinyl record album

The Marquis De Sade never sounded so sweet! For some strange reason, Schifrin decided to pay a musical hommage to De Sade with this one – but fortunately, he's not punishing himself with the subject matter at all, and is sticking to his jazzy bossa guns. The arrangements have a tight Verve mid 60s groove to them – with breakout solos on piano and flute, slightly baroque scoring that mixes strings, harpsichord, and some straighter jazz playing, and a good focus on strong rhythm playing throught. A breezy treat that would make any of us drop a paddle and kick back for a cocktail – if we had the chance! Titles include "Bossa Antique", "The Wig", "Old Laces", "Beneath A Weeping Willow Shade", "Renaissance", and "Troubadour". LP, Vinyl record album

Some interesting moments here – including harpsichord by Johnny Guarnieri, trumpet from Roy Eldridge, guitar from Barney Kessel, and piano from Dodo Marmarosoa! LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by numerous groups including The Students, Rainbows, Collegians, Charts, Love Notes, Kodaks, Lewis Lymon & The Teenchords, Silhouettes, Perfections, El Dorados, Dells, Little Bobby Rivera & The Hemlocks, and many more. LP, Vinyl record album