A classic set of French disco tunes – one that blends electric and acoustic, in a style that really foreshadowed the current sound of the Paris scene! The singles on the set were a cover of "In A Gadda Da Vida" – almost unrecognizable compared to the heavy original, and Giorgio Moroder-esque "Over & Over" with the bubbly sequencer underpinning the thumping disco beat. But the real gems here are the nice uptempo groover "Soul Sister" with a nice chirping guitar line and a disco remake of Babe Ruth's "The Mexican", that even has a quoted riff from "Apache" in it! CD

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Bill Bruford on drums and percussion. CD

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". CD

Common newcomers who buy Electric Circus for the single with Mary J Blige are going to be left with some head scratching – but if you like the spiritual/psychedelic Com that was hinted at on Like Water For Chocolate, this may be the follow up you were waiting for! This is still hip hop – with production by the Neptunes, Jay Dee, ?uestlove and others, but it's definitely a boundary stretcher. The mood runs from Roots style soul bumpers to Hendrix and Eugene McDaniels style feedback heavy freakouts. There's a guest on nearly every track, mostly from the Okayplayer camp and NuSoul titans, including Bilal, Omar, Pharrell Williams, Cee-Lo, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab and others. We won't lie to you, we miss the Chicago hip hop Common that kicked insight over raw and soulful productions, but you can't fault the guy for being an artist, and he really has crafted something original here. A great cover – a kind of rainbow drenched cut and paste photo collage of the contributors and inspirations with Com out front, sort of reminding us of Tribe's Midnight Maurauders, and even Sgt. Pepper. Tracks include "Ferris Wheel", "Soul Power", "The Hustle", the first single "Come Close", "New Wave", "Star *69", "Jimi Was A Rock Star" and more. CD

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A great audio documentary of a really mindblowing film – one that captures the Rolling Stones at that key late 60s point when they were stepping into really sinister territory – playing in a very vivid setting, along with some of their key up-and-coming contemporaries on the scene! The whole thing builds up with the energy of a circus – the Stones are last, and there's a growing mix of performers introduced by various members of the band – really presented in a carnivalesque array, before the lead act comes in and knocks it out of the park. The set features a killer early version of "A Quick One While He's Away" by The Who – maybe one of the high points of the set – plus "Song For Jeffrey" by Jethro Tull, Whole Lotta Yoko" by Yoko Ono & The Dirty Mac (John Lennon), "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" by Taj Mahal, and "Something Better" by Marianne Faithfull. The Rolling Stones round things out with performances of "Sympathy For The Devil", "Parachute Woman", "Jumpin Jack Flash", "Salt Of The Earth", "No Expectations", and "You Can't Always Get What You Want". CD

Henry Threadgill on alto saxophone, flute, and bass flute, Mark Taylor on French horn, Edwin Rodriguez and Marcus Rojas on tuba, Brandon Ross and Masujaa on electric and acoustic guitar, and Larry Bright on drums and percussion. CD

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Although most of Chris Connor's best recordings for Atlantic have always been darn tough to find, and rarely reissued, this excellent 2-fer makes these classic albums of icy vocals available once again! Chris sings in her best cool voice, with backing by a number of different groups made up of jazz players like Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford – plus some larger orchestral arrangements by Ralph Burns. Cuts include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "Circus", "Something To Live For", "High On A Windy Hill", "Thursday's Child", "About The Blues", and "Round About". We should also let you know that two tracks have been switched from the Chris Connor album for some reason – possibly because of trouble with the original masters. CD

A pretty amazing 70s moment from Bob Dylan – a legendary tour that was a bit of a rock and roll circus on wheels – hence, perhaps, the unique name of the tour! Bob's in a very collaborative spirit here – working with famous guests who include Mick Ronson, Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, Joni Mitchell, Ronee Blakely and Ramblin' Jack Elliott – all in an upbeat mode that surfaced most strongly on some of Dylan's tracks on the Desire album, which was issued during the two legs of the tour. CD

A superstar performance from the Antibes jazz festival at Cote D'Azur – one that features Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington sharing the stage, in a concert that was also recorded for a film! Most numbers here feature the full Ellington orchestra backing Ella up – but a few other numbers feature just backings from a trio with Jimmy Jones on piano and Grady Tate on drums. Duke and Ella trade the spotlight nicely – and Fitzgerald only sings on about half of the set, numbers that include "Mack The Knife", "The More I See You", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jazz Samba", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "Going Out Of My Head". Ellington's heard on other instrumental performances – some of which are a bit more upbeat and unbridled than usual – almost in a Basie mode. These tunes include "Trombonio Bustosolssimo", "Diminuendo In Blue & Blow By Blow", "The Old Circus Train Turn Around Blues", and "The Matador". CD

Two never-used scores from the great Georges Delerue – a rare slice of work from one of the greatest French masters of cinema scoring! First up is Delerue's music for Regarding Henry – 10 tracks that really draw strongly on Georges' great talent for deeply expressive melody – that way of putting a lot into a little, coming up with sounds that have a really rich sense of feeling, but without any sort of overdone emotion – a really careful balance that Delerue hit best in these later years of his life, and which sound superb here – leaving us to wonder why the music was never used! Titles include "Back To Life", "Amnesia", "Finding Love", "Erased Memory", "Henry's New Personality", "Speech Therapy", and "Sentimental Calliope". Next are 8 tracks written for Something Wicked This Way Comes – many of which have a circus or carnival sort of quality – but one that's nicely spooky too – a mix of creepy edges that we don't always find in Delerue's music, but still handled with a top-shelf approach to orchestrations as well. Titles include "Mirror Maze", "Mr Dark's Carnival", "Time Carousel", "Black Lullaby", and "The Edge Of Death". CD

The material that made Lars Gullin a legend – important early 50s sessions for the Metronome label in Sweden, also issued over here in the US by Emarcy – as records that really helped Gullin's fame spread quickly! The tracks really have Lars finding his own voice strongly – using the baritone sax with tenor-like dexterity, in small combo lineups that often use the guitar of Rolf Berg in place of piano – which makes for a really unusual sort of tonal approach! The guitar rings out wonderfully next to the baritone – creating a great interplay of sonic textures – save for a few tracks that feature Lars playing a bit of piano, which he'd take up more strongly in later years. Titles include "Circus", "Manchester Fog", "Jump For Fan", "Bugs", "Stocks & Bonds", "Danny's Dream", "Lars Meets Jeff", and "Igloo" – and CD features a few alternate takes too – plus great notes! CD

The final album from the Talking Heads, and a set that returns them to some of the global elements of their mid-period records, but with a vibe that shows lots of the shifting studio technology of the time! The set's almost a precursor of some of the remix modes that would show up on the world music market during the 90s – as David Byrne and crew effortlessly borrow beats and instrumentation from Latin, Brazilian, and other cultures – while still weaving those elements into tunes that resonate with the work the group had been doing on more recent records. Byrne's vocals have that maturing quality that echoes with more soulful currents than at the start – and the set features a fair bit of guest instrumentation, from rock, jazz, and world music musicians. Titles include "Flowers", "The Democratic Circus", "Cool Water", "Mommy Daddy You & I", "The Facts Of Life", "Blind", "Totally Nude", and "Mr Jones". CD

Way more than just the usual collection of famous British TV themes from the 60s – as this set offers up some great rare nuggets, unusual versions, and some obscure tracks that are all pretty darn fresh to our American years! As you well know if you're a fan of anything pop culture from this generation, British TV was way hipper than most of the American small screen in the 60s – from the stories, to the settings, to the wonderfully cool themes and backing music that supported the show – often a cool hybrid of postwar Soho jazz modes and lots of the best soundtrack/sound library styles that were evolving in the hands of an elite few on the London scene. Some of the best and grooviest of that generation are presented here – in an overstuffed collection that includes "Gurney Slade" by Max Harris, "Danger Man" by Red Price Combo, "The Avenger" by Johnny Dankworth, "Tuesday Rendezvous" by Bert Weedon, "Face To Face" by Frank Chacksfield, "Comedy Playhouse" by Ron Grainer, "What The Papers Say" by London Philharmonic, "Monty Python's Flying Circus" by Eastman Wind Ensemble, "The Saint" by Les Reed, "Fireball" by Don Spencer, "Z Cars" by Johnny Keating, and a number of tracks from The Prisoner too! CD

A legendary moment in European free jazz – performances all recorded on a single Sunday in 1969 – but which stand as some of the most powerful music of the time! The vibe here is often in the best spirit of early FMP, or maybe the most outside work of MPS – and the recording quality equals the best avant jazz on both labels – with very long performances on each track that represent the pinnacle of all players involved! One side alone is worth the price of admission – a searing track titled "Finally", performed by an octet with Peter Brotzmann at the helm, alongside Evan Parker on tenor and soprano sax, Fred Van Hove on piano, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Peter Kowald on bass, and Pierre Favre on drums. Favre returns on "Let's Talk About The Weather" – played by a trio with Kowad on bass and Irene Schweizer on piano. Other tracks include "Five To Five" and "Gluga Gluga Blues" by the Joki Freund Quintet, "In Memory Of John Coltrane" by Marion Brown, "Vibration" by the group of saxophonist Joe Fiera and trombonist Ed Kroger, and "Circus Live" by a quartet led by Rolf Kuhn on electric clarinet, with Joachim Kuhn on piano and Stu Martin on drums. CD

A pretty amazing 70s moment from Bob Dylan – a legendary tour that was a bit of a rock and roll circus on wheels – hence, perhaps, the unique name of the tour! Bob's in a very collaborative spirit here – working with famous guests who include Mick Ronson, Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, Joni Mitchell, Ronee Blakely and Ramblin' Jack Elliott – all in an upbeat mode that surfaced most strongly on some of Dylan's tracks on the Desire album, which was issued during the two legs of the tour. This massive package features 14 CDs – New York city rehearsals, plus live shows in Boston, Cambridge, Montreal, and Worcester – as well as a bonus CD of rare performances. CD

Mos Def brings a veering diversity to New Danger – his first album in five years – a record that hits on tried-and-true Rawkus flavored beats and rhyme schemes, slow-rolling, smoked out soul & blues, and Quickness era Bad Brains-esque arena rock! Of course our favorite cuts are the straight up hip hop tracks, produced by Minnesota with a percolating, synth-layered sound that works really well – giving the backdrop kind of a pulpy, cinematic sweep. Other tracks feature Mos and his soul/rock/blues outfit Black Jack Johnson. Mos clearly refuses to be roped in by anyone's expectations at this point – a quality that reminds us of Common's Electric Circus – in spirit, if not in the actual sound. Tracks include "Boogie Man Song", "Ghetto Rock", "Zimzallabim", "The Rape Over", "Blue Black Jack" featuring some straight electric blues guitar work by the one-and-only Shuggie Otis, "Bedstuy Parade & Funeral March", "Sex, Love & Money", "Sunshine", "Grown Man Business", "Modern Marvel", "Life Is Real", "War" (produced by Beatnut Psycho Les) and more. CD

Not Lalo's greatest soundtrack of the 70s, but with a few nice moments! The music was written for a strange action film that starred George Segal, Henry Fonda, and Richard Widmark, set in an amusement park – and, not surprisingly, about half the tunes have a carnival or circus type theme to them, with lots of instrumentation that's played in the mode of a calliope. The best cuts, though, have a tight Schifrin action groove to them – done in the manner of some of his slicker late 70s work, with plenty of uptempo rhythms and driving themes. Tracks include "Rollercoaster", "Apple Turnover", "One Track Mind", "Portrait Of Harry", "Magic Carousel", "Children's Ride", and "Another Side Of Harry". CD

Titles include "Rosalita", "New York City Serenade", "The E Street Shuffle", "Kitty's Back", and "Wild Billy's Circus Story". CD

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". Beautifully expanded version of the album – with 10 bonus tracks, most previously unissued – titles that include "Tailor Man", "Osamu's Birthday", "No Love To Give", "I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You Sugar", and "Mouse (The Garden Of Earthly Delights)". CD

A totally hip instrumental album from Peter Walker – a Vanguard Records treasure that we'd rank right up there with the label's classics from Sandy Bull! Like Bull, Walker has a way of taking older folk instrumentation into richly psychedelic territory – working here on both the Indian sarod, and on acoustic guitar – both played in these long, modal styles – and mixed with light instrumentation from Jim Pepper on flute, John Blair on violin, and Jim Hotep on tabla. The songs are very spare, and very freewheeling – still with a rhythmic core, but also floating free to find their own energy too – but at a level that's not nearly as hippy-dippy as we make that sound! Walker's got these amazing sonic sensibilities – just like Bull – and titles include "Second Song", "Tear", "Southwind", "Barefoot", "Mixture", "Socco Chico", and "Circus Day". CD