One of the grooviest spaghetti western scores we've ever heard – penned for an early collaboration between Terence Hill and Bud Spencer! The main theme "Trinity" starts off with some cool vocal backing by Alessandro Alessandroni's I Cantori Moderni, singing underneath the English-language lead vocal – and the group also make an appearance on the film's reprise of this song at the end of the movie. Other tracks mix together guitar, organ, whistling, and some other cool sonic elements that give the soundtrack a cool late 60s feel that reminds us more of some lost French gem than an Italian thriller! Titles include "Lazy Cowboy", "Un Cowboy e Due Ragazze", "Di Fronte Ai Killers", "Trinity: Con La Stella Di Viceseriffo", and "C'e Un Tempo Per Vincere". LP, Vinyl record album

Contemporary sounds from the legendary Parchman Prison farm in Mississippi – once home to musical blues and jazz legends in the 20th Century, and open to visits from creative talents and photographers – but which has been much more closed off in recent years, which maybe makes this collection even more important than some of the classic efforts to showcase the talents at Parchman in the postwar years! The music is spiritual, but with a feel that's very different than more mainstream gospel – very intimate and personal, as the voices of these young men rise up together in a beautifully unified spirit – almost acapella, but with some occasional piano or organ. Titles include "Break Every Chain", "Open The Eyes Of My Heart", "I Give Myself Away", "Step Into The Water", "Lay My Burden Down", and "Solve My Need". LP, Vinyl record album

Slammin Hammond from Trio Valore – a really old school combo with a sweet mix of mod and funky rhythms! The group features heavy drums from Steve White – with a groove that stretches back to his many years on the hip side of the UK scene – and remaining trio members include Damon Minchella on guitar and Seamus Beaghen on Hammond – both players who more than keep up with White's hard-hitting approach, and really make the set cook up strongly throughout! A number of cuts are covers, but there's also some great originals too – and the whole thing has the feel of a hip 60s set in a small Soho club – but filtered through a generation that also understands funk as well. Titles include "Rehab", "Hola Muneca", "Fuoco", "Hip Hug Her", "Anxious Mo Fo", "All About My Girl", "Return Of The Iron Monkey", "Dam Square", and "Miracolo". LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan's looking pretty groovy on the cover of this album, and she's sounding pretty groovy too – thanks to some sweet 70s backings from Ernie Wilkins! The style isn't exactly funky, but it's got some fully soulful sounds, and some great electric moments too – modes that almost feel more like some of the best Kudu Records vocal sets from the time, instead of the usual Mainstream Records groove. Sarah really fits well in this sort of setting – stretching out into groovier territory than before with the same sense of change that Ella Fitzgerald or Marlena Shaw were bringing to their music at the time. Players include Jerome Richardson on saxes, Buddy Childers on trumpet, Benny Powell on trombone, Jimmy Cobb on percussion, and Earl Palmer on drums – and titles include "Inner City Blues", "Magical Connection", "Universal Prisoner", "Tomorrow City", "That's The Way I've Always Heard It", "Imagine", "On Thinking It Over", and "If Not For You". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice selection of classic 60s soul numbers, focusing on women who like to exercise their pipes, and while we had remembered this set hewed close to the mainstream, there's a few nice little nuggets on here that they dug a little deeper for. 14 tracks in all: "The Nitty Gritty" by Shirley Ellis, "Tell Mama" by Etta James, "Hard To Handle" by Patti Drew, "Bold Soul Sister" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Lee Cross" and "You Send Me" by Aretha Franklin, "Heartbeat" by Gloria Jones, "Stay With Me" by Lorraine Ellison, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor, "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)" by Barbara George, "Rescue Me" by Fontella Bass, "Hypnotized" by Linda Jones, "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" by the Sweet Inspirations, and "Ask Me" by Maxine Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary compilation – and one that marked the start of the huge On-U Sound legacy to follow throughout the 90s! The work here is maybe even more messed-up than some of the later productions by Adrian Sherwood – as there's maybe a bit more post-punk influence in the blend, alongside plenty of that Jamaican groove that was so important to both Sherwood and the UK scene at the time, already getting manipulated here in the way that made the producer and label such an important aesthetic force in years to come! Titles include "Bed Bound Saga" by Machine Gun Hogg & Co, "Woodpecker Sound" by Jah Woosh, "Quit The Body" by The Chicken Granny, "Dreams Are Better" by London Underground, "Demonic Forces" by Alan Pellay, "Afghani Dub" by The Mothmen, "The Dice" by Judy Nylon, "Yipee I Aah" by New Age Steppers, "Quante Jubila" by Prince Far I & Creation Rebel, and "Asian Rebel" by Suns Of Arqua. LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut from Bow Wow Wow, and a mighty second act from Maclolm McLaren – whose work with the young group was one of his main projects after getting rejected by the Sex Pistols! This group's got a very different vibe, and an equally longstanding appeal – as playfully new wave as the Pistols were punk – with all sorts of romping rhythms that are heavy on drums, played by ex-members of The Ants – and fronted with lead vocals from the teenaged Annabella Lwin – a singer who really knows how to step out front with a lot of brash, young energy! There's a tribal groove to most tracks that really fits the title of the album – and tracks include "Jungle Boy", "King Kong", "Chihuahua", "Go Wild In The Country", "Why Are Babies So Wise", "Orang-Outang", and "Hello Hello Daddy (I'll Sacrifice You)". LP, Vinyl record album

Simple and soulful elegance from the great Red Garland – prime mid-50s material for Prestige, recorded here with incredible backing from Paul Chambers and Art Taylor! The tightness of the trio is amazing – but never so much so that it gets in the way of Red's warmly introspective modes on the keys – a sound that's never overindulgent, nor as flowery as some of his mainstream contemporaries – and which really paves the way towards a rhythmic sensitivity that influenced generations of later players on the instrument. The tracks are a bit shorter than on some later Garland dates, but that shortness only further illustrates the sublime economy of the group. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "September In The Rain", "Constellation", "My Romance", "Blue Red", "A Foggy Day", and "Makin Whoopee". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice 2LP set that brings together some of his most striking sessions of the early 60s recorded for Emarcy. This set includes pieces composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Conquerors", "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". The set also features Diz playing tracks from Tom McIntosh, one of the scene's brightest arrangers at the time, and a talent who was looming large, thanks to support from folks like Diz and James Moody. Moody's in the group – blowing tenor with a quintet that includes Kenny Barron on piano, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums – and his tone is incredible, with a darkness that he'd rarely had before, and the whole group has a mixture of modern tones and soulful grooves that's beyond compare! Titles include "November Afternoon", "The Cup Bearers", "The Day After". Also included are songs from the soundtrack for the lost Shirley Clarke verite drama The Cool World. Mal Waldron wrote the material for the score, and Diz plays the music with a moody emotionality that you don't often hear in his other 60's work. The recording was made by his great group that included Kenny Barron and James Moody, and the titles include "The Pushers", "Duke's Fantasy", "Coney Island", and "Street Music". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant bit of psychedelia – still as fresh today as it was many decades back – and the crowning achievement of Pink Floyd during the early Syd Barrett years! The album's got all the best elements of the group firmly in place – the penchant for long-jamming tracks that still manage to always maintain a sharp edge – mixed with some of the wittier, more playful lyrics that Barrett brought to the group – all wrapped up with a sense of depth and darkness that goes way beyond most of their contemporaries. The record's a masterpiece through and through – from its first guitar-heavy jam on "Astronomy Domine", through the strutting, vamping madness of "Bike" – all up and down other gems that include "Lucifer Sam", "The Gnome", "Take Up Thy Stethoscope & Walk", "Interstellar Overdrive", "Chapter 24", and "The Scarecrow". LP, Vinyl record album

There's been plenty of great reggae collections issued over the years, but this excellent series seems to do a better job than most – in part because it bypasses the hits, and ends up pulling together some wonderful work from the wider world of the Jamaican 7" single! The tracks on here were originally issued on a variety of labels that now live under the Trojan umbrella – imprints that include Randy's, Amalgamated, Grape, Treasure Isle, and Duke – and with that variety of sources, there's also a great variety of sounds too – nicely gritty work that booms out of the speakers nice and loud – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Soup (version)" by JJ All Stars, "La La" by The Inspirations, "Arabian Dub" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "Red Ash" by Carl Bryan, "Lottery Spin" by Zap Pow, "Warricka Hill" by The Love Generation, "Reggae Dance" by Owen Gray, "Feel All Right" by The Cables, and "A Testimony" by Upsetter Pilgrims. LP, Vinyl record album

A wickedly great album from Dizzy Gillespie – one of his most striking sessions of the early 60s, and a perfect blend of his Latin and modern modes! The album features an extended suite – composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin, who'd just begun working with Dizzy at the time, and who was inflecting his sound with a lot of South American grooves. The work's played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". LP, Vinyl record album

We love Oscar Peterson with strings – a setting he never got to use that often, given the popularity of his famous trio recordings! When Oscar gets set up with strings, he seems to play even more freely than with a combo – let loose from rhythm a bit more than before, and instead focusing strongly on melody – which often comes off with a warmly lyrical feel. This album's a rare entry into the Peterson strings category – a great 50s date with Russ Garcia backing Oscar up – giving the album just the right mix of mellow and modern to match Peterson's magical work on the keys! In a way, the album's a link between two different styles of 50s jazz – some of the warmer string-laden work of the piano mainstream, and some of the sharper sounds of the Verve modern approach to the style – served up here by Oscar in ways that bring both modes together perfectly, with just the right dash of both. Titles include "Laura" and "Tenderly" – both tracks you'd have to have on an album like this – plus "Black Coffee", "Ruby", "Stella By Starlight", "A Sunday Kind Of Love", and "I Thought About You". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius work from one of the most solid groups in 60s jazz – the quintet co-led by trumpeter Clark Terry and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer – a legendary ensemble that drew on the best talents of both players, but grew into something greater! Brookmeyer's playing valve trombone throughout on the tunes – played in a fluid, trumpety way that matches perfectly with Terry's own phrasing – and which almost creates a sense of counterpoint on the head arrangements, yet which never falls into styles that are too academic or modern. There's a fluid easy grace here that's really surprising – with none of Terry's gutbuckety tricks or Brookmeyer's too experimental moments – and overall, the group have a solid, soulful quality that almost reminds us of the Art Farmer-Benny Golson Jazztet, or of some of Farmer's other key recordings of the 60s. Rhythm is by the trio of Roger Kellaway on piano, Bill Crow on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums – and the album features 10 numbers in all, including "Tete A Tete", "Pretty Girl", "Blue China", "Blindman, Blindman", "Sometime Ago", "Hymn", "Step right Up", "Weep" and "Straight No Chaser". LP, Vinyl record album

Twin piano magic from Kenny Barron and Tommy Flanagan – two players working here without any other accompaniment at all, sounding really great in the process! The set has Barron and Flanagan coming together beautifully with just the right sense of space – handling both rhythm and melody as they trade lines back and forth, wrapped up in their own inherent sense of warmth – and showing that there'd hardly be two other players as well suited to a session like this. The amazing thing is the fluid groove that's maintained throughout the set – neither player gets in the way of the other, and things always manage to swing, even without any bass or drums. Titles include "Dig", "Stella By Starlight", "Darn That Dream", "The Way You Look Tonight", and "I Can't Get Started". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant bit of psychedelia – still as fresh today as it was many decades back – and the crowning achievement of Pink Floyd during the early Syd Barrett years! The album's got all the best elements of the group firmly in place – the penchant for long-jamming tracks that still manage to always maintain a sharp edge – mixed with some of the wittier, more playful lyrics that Barrett brought to the group – all wrapped up with a sense of depth and darkness that goes way beyond most of their contemporaries. The record's a masterpiece through and through – from its first guitar-heavy jam on "Astronomy Domine", through the strutting, vamping madness of "Bike" – all up and down other gems that include "Lucifer Sam", "The Gnome", "Take Up Thy Stethoscope & Walk", "Interstellar Overdrive", "Chapter 24", and "The Scarecrow". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice fifteen track double LP set that has flugelhorn and trumpet player Clark Terry and his quintet – co-lead by trombonist Bobby Brookmeyer tackling pieces by Herbie Hancock, Thelonius Monk, Count Basie and others, as well as several originals. Bill Crow, Dave Bailey, and Roger Kellaway round out the group – and tracks include "Dancing On The Grave", "The Simple Waltz", "Ode To A Flugelhorn", "Hawg Jawz", "A Gal In Calico", "Green Stamps", "Straight No Chaser", "The King", and "Blindman, Blindman". LP, Vinyl record album

The ghost of Christmas past comes back to haunt us – but in the grooviest way possible, thanks to a fab selection of old school Holiday tunes from the folks at Bear Family! The music here is mostly from the 40s and 50s – and is mostly vocal overall, sung by artists who move through jazz, R&B, and pop vocal styles – often putting an extra sort of punch in a Christmas tune, with the kind of upbeat, optimistic quality that was often the best part of mainstream postwar music! There's few folks we'd trust more than Bear Family for a collection like this – and they do a great job – with titles that include "Here Comes Santa Claus" by The Mills Brothers, "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" by Lionel Hampton with Sonny Parker, "Dig That Crazy Santa Claus" by Ralph Martierie, "The Christmas Spell" by Peggy Lee, "Santa Claus Got Stuck In My Chimney" by Ella Fitzgerald, "I Need A Man For Xmas" by Thelma Cooper, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Johnny Mercer, "The Man With The Bag" by Kay Starr, and "Cool Yule" by Louis Armstrong. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't let the title or the bunny on the cover put you off, because there's nothing toy-like about these tunes – and the package is an excellent batch of rare German grooves put together with the same high level as other collections on the Perfect Toy label! Ex-Spinning Wheel mainman Marcus Hacker put together this one – and the grooves remind us a lot of some of the older SW sound library compilations – all awash in flavors borrowed from Brazilian bossa, American funk, Brit easy, and other genres – remodeled into a German economic miracle mode by a variety of jazz and studio players! The sound here is really really fresh – funky, but with lots of odd little touches and unusual instrumentation – a bit in the In Kraut mode, but more direct overall, and slightly less kitschy (although the set does have a few charming moments in that respect.) A number of tracks have vocals – some sung, some scatted – and titles include "Photographs" by Swegas, "Cameleon" by Kaate Frits Quartet, "Drift" by Orchester Heinz Kiessling, "Soul Samba" by The Earthquakers, "Guarana Guaranar" by Grupo Veneno, "Sara" by The Voices, "I Mimi" by Idili Tsaliki, "Memories Of Yesterday" by Othella Dallas, and "Salsamba" by Chet Baker & The Boto Brasilian Quartet. LP, Vinyl record album

Forget everything you know about ska music from recent years – no Mighty Mighty cliches, no retro-styled clunkers, no two-toned sounds at all – just the real deal, the roots of the style, served up here in classic recordings that go right to the source! These are the cuts that started it all – and which still sound way better to our ears than any of the countless imitations that have been crafted over the years – played with a freshness and a sharp edge that recent recordings can never hope to touch! The music here is the roots of reggae crafted in the soil of Kingston – recorded by the legendary Studio One Records, with all the soulful undercurrents you'd find in the rocksteady generation as well. It's been a few years since Soul Jazz have served up a set of Jamaican grooves this tight – but it's been well worth the wait, given the track selection and always-stellar level of presentation from the label. Titles include "Live Good" by The Ethiopians, "Mr Talkative" by The Wailers, "There's A Reward" by Joe Higgs & Roy Wilson, "Ska La Parisienne" by The Skatalites, "Don't Try To Reach Me" by The Gaylads, "Gumma" by Lee Perry, "Freedom Sounds" by Soul Brothers, "You Won't See Me" by The Clarendonians, and "Old Rocking Chair" by Jakie Opel. LP, Vinyl record album

DMZ's badass self-titled set for Sire from '78 – buzzsaw guitars, driving rhythms, manic vocals and eerie organs – an incredible combination of 60s garage inspiration and ferocious punk-era urgency! DMZ migh have been weird fit at a Sire label that at the time was struggling to get The Ramones and Richard Hell into the mainstream – but boy, is it ever worthy stuff! Includes "Mighty Idy", "Bad Attitude", "Watch For Me Girl", "Cinderella", "Don't Jump Me Mother", "Destroyer", "Out Of Our Tree", "Border Line", "Do Not Enter" and "From Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant bit of psychedelia – still as fresh today as it was many decades back – and the crowning achievement of Pink Floyd during the early Syd Barrett years! The album's got all the best elements of the group firmly in place – the penchant for long-jamming tracks that still manage to always maintain a sharp edge – mixed with some of the wittier, more playful lyrics that Barrett brought to the group – all wrapped up with a sense of depth and darkness that goes way beyond most of their contemporaries. The record's a masterpiece through and through – from its first guitar-heavy jam on "Astronomy Domine", through the strutting, vamping madness of "Bike" – all up and down other gems that include "Lucifer Sam", "The Gnome", "Take Up Thy Stethoscope & Walk", "Interstellar Overdrive", "Chapter 24", and "The Scarecrow". LP, Vinyl record album