Pure brilliance from the lovely Joyce – an album that sparkles wonderfully throughout – in just the way we love from her older classics! The passage of years hasn't dimmed her beauty at all – and both Joyce's vocals and acoustic guitar work are sublime – lively, but in a really subtle way – with plenty of jazz inflections, and a mix of bossa roots that goes way beyond just about any other artist who tries to work in territory like this! Even after decades of recording, Joyce has this really unique, really sublime approach to her music that makes her records unlike anyone else's – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Puro Ouro", "Estado De Graca", "Aquelas Cancoes Em Mim", "Claude Et Maurice", "Quero Ouvir Joao", and "Tudo". CD

A beautiful collaboration between two of our favorite Brazilian artists ever – the lovely Joyce and bossa piano legend Joao Donato – both of whom have held onto all of their best early charms of their music! The session's definitely got a Joyce flavor upfront, as she's the main vocalist – but Donato's piano is a strong factor too – pulsating wonderfully with those warmly-crafted rhythms he's always done better than anyone else – that unique stop/start groove first forged in the 60s, heard best on his 70s work, and resurrected here to provide a fresh new setting for Joyce! Arrangements are by Donato and Joyce, and by Jesse Sadoc, who plays trumpet in the group – and the production's got a slightly rootsy quality, without any too-slick modes that might hurt the intimacy of a special session like this. Titles include "Amazonas No 2", "Feminina", "Aquarius", "Chama O Donato", "Tardes Caricas", "Caymmi Visita Tom", and "Amor Nas Estrelas". CD

Incredibly lovely work from Joyce – quite possibly her best album in years, and a set that's filled with the same scatting brilliance we loved in her classics from the 70s and 80s! The set's done in collaboration with husband/drummer Tutty Moreno – and the pair lead a small combo with a nicely jazzy feel that further enforces the freely soaring lines in Joyce's vocals! Instrumentation includes a shifting array of saxes, flute, clarinet, and piano – plus plenty of warm guitar from Joyce, played with a crystal clear and sensitive sound. Titles include "Garoto", "Sabe Quem", "Tema Pro Baden", "Bodas De Vinil", "Magica", "Penalty", "April Child", "Shangri-La", and a great cover of Tenorio Jr's classic "Embalo". CD

A sweet bit of funk from Hawaii – and a legendary bit of free soul that's been winning global fame for decades! Lemuria is the brainchild of Kirk Thompson – who plays piano, bass, keyboards, and vibes on this very spiritual set of tracks. Master Henry Gibson was one of the executive producers, and he also plays conga on the set – which recalls some of the more spiritual collective funky projects from the early 70s Chicago scene, given a bit of a tropical twist. Many tracks feature vocals by "The Ladies Of Lemuria" – a lovely trio that's got a bit of an Emotions sort of sound – but the jazziness of the tracks is a lot freer than the backings the Emotions ever got, with more of a west coast Fantasy Records kind of approach, touched with some Stevie Wonder-like warmth. Really great all the way through – and impeccably put together, despite the indie origins of the record. Titles include "Get That Happy Feeling", "Hunk Of Heaven", "Dreams", "Mister U", "The Making Of You", and "Mystery Love". CD

The colors are rich, but gentle too – like a palette of pastels, all sung by the lovely Claudine Longet! The album's got a slightly more mature feel than some of Longet's first for A&M – great Nick DeCaro arrangements that show some of the deeper elements creeping into pop at the end of the 60s – including some surprising use of acoustic guitar, which really helps transform the sound, and brings out an earthy, natural quality that makes Claudine sound sexier than ever! The sessions feature work by Randy Newman, Lyle Ritz, and Ron Elliott – and titles include "Pussywillows Cattails", "Catch The Wind", "Colours", "Bobbie (For Baby)", and "Hurry On Down". CD

Always-lovely work from Sabrina Malheiros – serving up a sublime blend of Brazilian roots and soulful overtones – a style that's easily made her one of the best artists on the Far Out label over the years! Sabrina's got a family lineage that traces back to Azymuth – and the music here has the similar blend of fusion instrumentation, earthy Brazilian percussion, and soaring American soul that you'll find in the best classics by that group – all with the added special spark that comes from her sweet vocals too! Production and arrangements are by Daniel Venom Maunick, who brings in a slight dose of Incognito soul too – really making for a record that's quite possibly the best we've heard from Sabrina so far – and that's saying a heck of a lot. Titles include "Lirio De Venus", "Bobeira", "Opara", "Candeia", "Fragil", "Can't Hide Love", "Primeira", and "Paranoia". CD

A beautiful blend of folksy vocals and light jazz touches – all in a laidback and blue-tinged mode that's not unlike some of the best late 60s Tim Buckley work for Elektra! Like Tim, Gary Marks has a real respect for jazz in the mix – and he allows plenty of space here for vibes from David Samuels, guitar from John Scofield, and piano from Michael Cochrane – all of which serve as a lovely backdrop for Gary's beautifully stretched-out vocals. There's a quality here that's almost a bit like Kenny Rankin at times – but a bit looser, and a bit bluer – and the record's a real under-discovered gem from the prime years of the American singer/songwriter era, only briefly issued on Carla Bley's JCOA label. Titles include "Gathering", "First Snowfall", "Him Sometimes", "A Gina Theme", "Secret She", "Seasons", "We Free", and "Sailing". CD

One of two incredible albums from the lovely Ana Mazzotti – a 70s Brazilian singer who could effortlessly blend fusion and soul, Brazilian rhythms and funk – working here with plenty of help from Jose Roberto Bertrami of Azymuth! In fact, the record has a vibe that's a lot like the best early Azymuth music, although with vocals – hip rhythms, unusual inflections, and a great electrified version of older Brazilian styles – all topped by the warm, wonderful vocals of Mazzotti! The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include an amazing version of "Sou", a vocal take on the Azymuth tune "Agora Ou Nunca Mais", and the cuts "Em Acalanto", "Eta Samba Bom", "Bairro Negro", and the funky classic "Roda Mundo". Great great great! CD

A funky treasure from the 70s – a record that hardly made waves at the time, but which has lived on strongly for years – thanks to a great sample history and key interest from generations of groove diggers! Mighty Ryeders have a sound that's clearly influenced by Earth Wind & Fire – funk with a good dose of jazz, often done with some righteous undercurrents in the lyrics – but their groove is also a bit more rough-edged too, sharing some funky 45-levels of excitement, and showing a great ear for sharply jazzy changes! This last aspect has really helped the group's sound stay fresh over the years – and the album's a treasure trove of killer cuts – from the famous "Evil Vibrations", right on down through other gems like "The Mighty Ryeders", "Let There Be Peace", "Lovely", "Help Us Spread The Message", "Fly Away With Me", "Sar Children", and "I've Really Got The Feeling". CD

Really lovely work from Pat Moran – leader of one of the grooviest groups of the 50s! The Pat Moran Quartet were unique in that they were both a jazz combo and a harmony vocal group – one that mixed two male voices and two female voices in a nicely swinging way that has plenty of echoes of the Hi Los or Four Freshmen from the time! Pat plays piano and Bev Kelly's the other female voice in the group – blended nicely with the voice and bass of John Doling and vocals and drums of Johnny Whited. Tracks are often familiar Bethlehem jazz numbers, but they're given a really groovy twist in this setting – and although the group only recorded 2 albums, we love them both to death! Titles include "Somebody Loves Me", "Sunday Kind Of Love", "Gone With The Wind", and "Have You Met Miss Jones". CD

Lovely work from Clara Moreno – a set that's much more laidback than some of her earlier dancefloor work, and one that's filled with bossa instrumentation throughout! Joyce co-produced the set, and you can really hear some of her acoustic soul in the music – a warm blend of snapping percussion, skipping guitar lines, and occasional bits of keyboards and horns – used in ways that still really let Moreno stay in the lead, captivating our ears with her wonderful vocals! Clara's style has a breathy undercurrent, which is a nice change from some of the too-polished contemporary bossa sets – and guests on the record include Orlandivo on vocals and Joao Donato on piano – both folks we'd welcome on any album. Titles include "Mestico", "Bebete", "Balanco Zona Sul", "Bruxaria", "Brincando De Samba", "Jeito Bom De Sofrer", "Samba De Negro", and "Uala Ualala". CD

Incredibly lovely piano and vocals from Thandi Ntuli – served up here with lots of special touches from spiritual master Carlos Nino – who helped create the proceedings as a very organic meeting of minds and hearts on the shores of sunny California! Thandi's got a soulful way of both playing and singing – the latter often in a non-lyrical way, so that the vocals are more these chants that flow out with a very spiritual vibe – often cyclical, and elliptical, and mixed with these warm piano lines and a bit of keyboards. Carlos adds in percussion and cymbals (plus "plants" – we're not sure how he did that) – and also recorded the album and shaped the sound in a very lovely way. The music is mostly improvised, but very melodic, and extremely personal – one of the most soulful projects we've heard from Nino in years. Titles include "The One", "Voice & Tongo Experiment", "Sunset In California", "Rainbow Revisited", "Breath & Synth Experiment", "Sunrise In California", and "Piano Edit (orig mix)". CD

A very cool group, and one who are every bit as groovy as they look on the cover – a hip early 70s Indonesian quartet, and one who mix together equal parts rock and funk – but all with a very trippy sound throughout! These guys are incredible – an under-discovered group who've clearly drunk deep of some of the best Anglo influences of the time, but also then come up with a unique hybrid of their own – singing English at times, Indonesian at others – and mixing up fuzzy guitars with freaky rhythms in styles that are often a few years behind the rest of the world – more late 60s funky than you might expect from the date of the tracks, but in a way that's A-OK with us! The groove and the group are plenty playful throughout – and titles include "Come On You dance", "Rock & The Sea", "Jakarta City Sound", "Haai", "Let Us Dance Together", "Indonesia My Lovely Country", "Bye Bye", "Mengapa Begini", and "Kampung Halaman". CD

A lovely little record, and one that's got a vibe that's very different than you might guess from the creepy image on the cover! Pidgeon are a post-folk group who mix the wonderful vocals of Cheri Gage with some nicely dreamy, sometimes psychedelic arrangements – all of which give the whole thing a wonderfully swirling, soaring sort of vibe! In addition to Gage, who also plays autoharp, the set features early work from Jobraith – who'd later go on to fame in a very different mode, but who harmonizes wonderfully here next to Cheri on many numbers. Titles include "Of The Time When I Was Young", "Springtime Girl", "The Dancer", "House On A Hill Among Trees", "The Wind Blows Cold", and "Dark Bird". CD

One of the most mysterious, elusive Sun Ra albums in the legendary Saturn Records catalog – a set that was only ever pressed in small quantities back in the 80s, and often with different tracks for different pressings too! The material here is from a range of different performances, and really showcase the continued sense of majesty the Arkestra carried forth from the 70s, even when they were working farther from the limelight – often with the lovely June Tyson in the lead on vocals, and a bit of vocalizations from Ra as well – and different lineups depending on the tracks – but with mindblowing material from John Gilmore on tenor and Marshall Allen on alto throughout the recordings. Ra plays a bit of electronics, but most of the sounds here are acoustic – although still as other-worldly as ever – and this package finally brings together all the tracks that have appeared on variations – with one unissued number too. Titles include "When Spaceships Appear/Ra To The Rescue Ch 1", "Back Alley Blues", "Drummerlistics", "Children Of The Sun", "Mystery Mr Ra", "Space Shuttle/Ra To The Rescue Ch 2", and "Cosmo Party Blues". CD

An incredible late 50s set for King by singer Lula Reed – and a pretty unique blend of R&B and bluer and moodier material – but a lot more upbeat than you'd expect from the title! Lula's voice is a genuine vessel for the bluesy material, but it's also light and lovely, and works even better on more upbeat sounding tunes – and she does both here beautifully. It's almost unbelievable that this is her lone solo album, and it's even harder to belive that it's been so hard to find over the years, given how strong it is! Includes "Watch Dog", "I'll Drown My Tears", "Going Back To Mexico". "Three Men", "Sample Man", "Last Night", "Rock Love", "Bump On A Log", "My Poor Heart", "Every Second" and "Jealous Love". CD

A killer session from Horace Silver – a record that has the legendary Blue Note pianist working with his famous quintet that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The album's one of the group's first, and really showcases their sublime blend of rootsy soul jazz rhythms and more exotic, sophisticated approaches to arranging – playing in a style that mixes harder grooves with more meditative compositions with incredible lyrical beauty! The album includes tracks that mix both of these styles – and titles include the classic "Sister Sadie", plus "Baghdad Blues", "Melancholy Mood", "Break City", "St Vitus Dance", and the lovely "Peace". CD

Not the Golden Girls of senior TV fame – but a trio of lovely ladies operating under the Silver Convention banner – really soaring here alongside warm disco arrangements from maestro Silvester Levay! There's maybe a bit more warmth here than some of the previous Silver Convention records – more New York vibe in the mix, which is a good thing – as Levay gets away from some of the stiffer European modes, and finds just the right setting for the trio of Penny McLean, Ramona Wolf, and Rhonda Heath. Backings include keyboards from Levay, guitar from Sigi Schawb, and "The Fantastic Strings Of Fritz Sonnleitner" – and titles include "Save Me 77", "Wolfchild", "Telegram", "Summer Nights", "Voodoo Woman", "Ain't It Like A Hollowood Movie", and "Hotshot". CD

A really unique take on the music of jazz legend Tadd Dameron – a set that focuses entirely on vocal versions of his compositions – a side of Dameron's legacy that's sometimes overlooked! Tadd wasn't that much of a lyricist himself – although he did do two of the songs here – while others are written by Irving Reid, Bernie Hanighen, and Jack Reynolds – all with a mix of lyrics that really fit the famous modern idiom in Dameron's music – delivered instrumentally by a core combo that features Gary Smulyan on plenty of strong baritone sax solos, with Pete Malinverni on piano, David Wong on bass, and Matt Wilson on drums. Anais Reno handles all the vocals – and titles include "Sweet Life", "Never Been In Love", "Whatever Possessed Med", "Weekend", "Lovely One In The Window", and "You're A Joy". CD

Groovy 60s pop from the sunny brother & sister duo of Nino Tempo & April Stevens – wonderful stuff that's crafted as sweetly as can be, encapsulating influences from a wide range of pop styles of the time – and it still sounds great! This anthology features a bunch of the their best duo numbers, as well as some earlier and later separate projects we'd never heard before. 24 tracks in all: "Deep Purple", "All Strung Out", "Sweet And Lovely", "Follow Me", "Hey Baby", "Out Of Nowhere", "Wings Of Love", "Lovin' Valentine" (April Stevens), "Sister James" (Nino Tempo & 5th Ave Sax), "Hey Baby", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Whispering", "Amazon River" and many more. CD

Rare material from the great Lennie Tristano – a host of tracks that sit perfectly with his two landmark albums for Atlantic Records – and which maybe even push the envelope a bit more as well! The material is all from the 50s and early 60s – and is pulled together here in an excellent album that originally appeared on the Japanese market, then got wider circulation – really helping fill in the picture of Tristano's talents, which were often sadly under-represented on record. Highlights include a beautiful solo piece based on an Edgar Allen Poe story – "Descent Into The Maelstrom" – plus the lovely "Dram Paris 1965" and "Image Paris 1965" – plus three more tracks from a 1961 rehearsal, and trio titles with either Sonny Dallas or Peter Ind on bass, and Roy Haynes or Nick Stabulas on drums. CD

A pair of late Ike & Tina albums in a single package! Workin' Together is a pivotal album – one that has them still retaining some of the earthiness of earlier years, yet also honing their groove for the crossover audience that was digging them big at the end of the 60s! The best results of this shift is the increasing funk component in their music – a move away from R&B into a tighter 60s groove, one that often featured very strong guitar parts in its best incarnation. The set includes the classic "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter", plus "Ooh Poo Pah Doo", "Let It Be", "Goodbye So Long", "You Can Have It", "The Way You Love Me", "Get Back", and "Workin Together". Let Me Touch Your Mind is a fairly loose set of diverse material from the tumultuous duo, from the tender, lovely chorus backed and string accented grit of the title track to more stripped down, kinda country funk accented number. Includes "Annie Had A Baby", "Don't Believe Her", "Early One Morning", "Up On The Roof", "Heaven Help Us All" and more. CD

A stunning solo project from drummer Daniel Villarreal – a musician you might know in the group Dos Santos, yet one who's in very unique territory here on his own! The album was recorded in both Chicago and Los Angeles – and it's got a vibe that really reflects that process – some of the older Latin currents of Villarreal's other group, taken down to their core, and rebuilt in a much looser, airier style – sometimes very laidback, even when rhythmic – as Daniel's drums and percussion move amidst some fantastic instrumental contributions that shift throughout the set – great guitar from Jeff Parker, plus organ and farfisa from Cole DeGenova, baritone from Elliot Bergman, Fender Rhodes from Kyle Davis, and violin from Marta Sofia Honer. The sound of the album's impossible to describe in words – but it's completely lovely throughout, and has this spacey, summery vibe that's completely wonderful – on titles that include "Ofelia", "Uncanny", "I Didn't Expect That", "Sombras", "Activo", "Cali Colors", "18th & Morgan", and "Messenger". CD

A lovely little record – every bit as wonderful as you might expect from the cover, with an evocative sound that fits right in with the concept of a rainy day raga! Peter Walker plays acoustic guitar, but he does so in these long, winding ways that are clearly inspired by Indian music – yet which come across with much more of an Americanist vibe – supported with some additional guitar from Monte Dunn, a 12 string "drone" from Alex Lukeman, and even some flute from Jeremy Steig – plus a bit of tamboura and bells too! The album's one of the most haunting we've ever heard on Vanguard – way more than familiar folk – and titles include "Morning Joy", "River", "April In Cambridge", "Sunshine", "Rainy Day Raga", "White Wind", and "Bianca". CD

A seminal bit of work from Mike Westbrook – recorded back in the early years of his career, when he still had a pretty sharp edge! Like Westbrook's first few albums on Decca, this set features the British avant jazz maestro playing piano with a large ensemble of some of England's finest jazzmen – including Ray Warleigh, Alan Skidmore, Harry Beckett, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Rutehrford, and Harry Miller. Norma Winstone sings on a few tracks, bringing in her lovely voice in the way that she does on Westbrook's best albums – but overall, the set's a bit more out there and more avant than some of his earlier work, but still has the majestic cohesiveness that makes his work of the time so great. The work is one long piece, split into 9 segments. CD

Think The Beatles only had an impact on rock and pop fans in the America of the 60s? Think again – because their music had an undeniable impact on soul as well – as you'll here from this wonderful range of remakes of classic cuts from the Fab Four! The work here is a real surprise if you don't know the legacy – but it also really makes sense once you're reminded of the mind-expanding, ear-opening territory the group hit in the latter half of the 60s – and working with themes of social change, alienation, and personal longing – of the sort that turn out to be perfect for new interpretations in soul! Most of these cuts are way more than standard cover versions, too – as the arrangements are really inventive, and take off in bold new directions that make the songs very much new properties overall. Most of the work here is from the late 60s and early 70s – and as always with Ace Records, the notes and presentation really put the music in context! Titles include "The Fool On The Hill" by The Four Tops, "Dear Prudence" by The Five Stairsteps, "For No One" by Maceo & The King's Men, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Tomorrow Never Knows" by Junior Parker, "Got To Get You Into My Life" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Do You Want To Know A Secret" by Mary Wells, "Lovely Rita" by Fats Domino, "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Undisputed Truth, "Savoy Truffle" by Ella Fitzgerald, and "Let It Be" by Bill Withers. CD

Glorious girl group pop, solo and group soul singles from the heart of the 60s – beautiful stuff that might have made a splash in their time, but didn't enter the eternal pop culture canon like some of the bigger hits of the day – and we couldn't be happier to have them in our lives all these years later! Where The Girls Are 8 features tunes by The Blossoms, The Orlons, The Sherrys, Dee Dee Sharp, The Four Havens, The Del-Phis, The Bonnetts, The Darlenes, The Pussycats and more – with absolute top shelf craft behind them – but as grand as the productions are and as legendary as the songwriters are – and we're talking about Lou Alder, Ashford & Simpson, Lee Hazlewood, Gamble & Huff and others behind the scenes – nothing outshines the lovely ladies' voices! Includes "Cry Like A Baby" by The Blossoms, "Comin' Home Baby" by Dee Dee Sharp, "Baby It Hurts" by Kelly Garrett, "Stand By Me" by Little Eva, "My Little Baby" by The Witches, "You Don't Have A Heart" by The Bunnies, "I Ain't Comin' Back" by The Orlons, "Come On And Ska" by The Pussycats, "Let's Be Sweethearts" by The Cinnamon Angels and more. 25 tracks in all. CD

Seminal work from the lovely Basia – and an album that's a wonderful hybrid of jazz, soul, and pop – all put together at a level that really goes beyond most of her contemporaries! There's a vibe here that's almost like Swing Out Sister at their best – catchy, but never cloying – and done in an 80s style that refers strongly back to 60s and 70s styles, yet still keeps things quite contemporary overall. And although most of the tunes are pretty poppy, they're also pretty great, and really hold up over the years – thanks to slight undercurrents of jazzy instrumentation, of the sort you'd get from Brit artists like Working Week or Sade. Titles include "Promises", "From Now On", "Freeze Thaw", "How Dare You", "Astrud", and "Miles Away". 2CD version is amazing – and features 5 bonus instrumental tracks, plus 8 more remix tracks, and 5 more single versions, and the non-album track "Give Me That". 30 titles in all! CD

The lovely Emanuelle takes a trip around the world – and the result is a soundtrack that's as sexy as the images on the screen! Nico Fidenco moves through territory here that's every bit as great as his previous scores for this slinky series – a mix of Euro erotic sounds, light funk rhythms, and some sweet exotic touches that really open up some of the more worldly locations – all a musical backdrop for Emanuelle's actions that help set the series apart from cheesier softcore films of the 70s! The music is 70s sexploitation at its finest – with swirling strings, floating flute, and sweet keyboards – all wrapped up tightly on a total of 33 tracks that includes "Where To Begin", "Picture Of Love", "Where Is Your Guru", "Beautiful Terrace", "Three Girls In Rome", "Kamasutra In Love", "Bastards At Work", "A Picture Of Love", "My Boundless", and "Eternal Anguish". Limited numbered package – with loads of previously unissued tracks! CD

A very cool live set from the great tenorist Stan Getz, and one that really echoes some of the best styles of his Getz Au Go Go album – as it not only features guest vocals on a number of tracks from the lovely Astrud Gilberto, but also includes work from vibist Gary Burton throughout the entire performance! The combination of Burton and Getz is tremendous – one that wasn't captured nearly enough by Verve in the 60s, which makes these live recordings so essential – as Gary's modern chromatic elements really seem to unlock a fresh spirit in Stan's horn – all the fluidity of the bossa years, but with these unusual inflections that are completely mindblowing! The rest of the core group is equally hip – Chuck Israels on bass and the great Roy Haynes on drums – and Astrud Gilberto sings on seven of the album's nineteen selections. Titles include instrumental cuts "The Singing Song", "Blues Walk", "O Grande Amor", "Edelweiss", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Jive Hoot", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "On Green Dolphin Street" – and the vocal numbers "Voce E Eu", "Corcovado", "Telephone Song", "Girl From Ipanema", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Samba De Uma Nota So". CD

One of the grooviest records ever from the lovely Astrud Gilberto – a session that beautifully mixes her usual bossa nova with bits of Sunshine Pop and other hip late 60s grooves – all in a mode that really takes off a lot more than other Gilberto albums on Verve! The style here is really wonderful – upbeat, soaring, and joyous on most of the best numbers – a real transformation of Astrud's usual groove, and a great departure from too familiar bossa nova material. The record's been a little bit lost to the shifting sands of time – possibly because it's not as iconic as it might be – but we totally love it, and really consider it one of Gilberto's best moments ever in the studio. Arrangements are by Albert Gorgoni – and titles include a fantastic long jamming version of the track "Beginnings" that sounds completely different from the Chicago hit, and which is a stunning dancefloor groover! The album also includes an English version of "Canto De Osshana" called "Let's Go", plus a groovy uptempo version of the Bee Gee's "Holiday", and the great cut "Love Is Stronger Than We" from the soundtrack to A Man & A Woman. Other tracks include "Think Of Rain", "A Million Miles Away Behind The Door", "Don't Leave Me Baby", and "Summer Sweet (part 1, part 2 to be continued)". CD

A funky treasure from the 70s – a record that hardly made waves at the time, but which has lived on strongly for years – thanks to a great sample history and key interest from generations of groove diggers! Mighty Ryeders have a sound that's clearly influenced by Earth Wind & Fire – funk with a good dose of jazz, often done with some righteous undercurrents in the lyrics – but their groove is also a bit more rough-edged too, sharing some funky 45-levels of excitement, and showing a great ear for sharply jazzy changes! This last aspect has really helped the group's sound stay fresh over the years – and the album's a treasure trove of killer cuts – from the famous "Evil Vibrations", right on down through other gems like "The Mighty Ryeders", "Let There Be Peace", "Lovely", "Help Us Spread The Message", "Fly Away With Me", "Sar Children", and "I've Really Got The Feeling". CD

A surprisingly sensitive soundtrack from Piero Piccioni – especially given that it was done for an early 70s comedy that starred the great Alberto Sordi! The style here is maybe more in that early 60s Italian style of composers like Carlo Rustichelli and Nino Rota – light, lovely melodies that step out from larger but still-light strings – with a gentle sense of whimsy, in a way that never goes too far over the top! Solo instruments include alto sax, accordion, and piano – all used in mighty nice ways – on titles that include "Cocktails From Manhattan", "Roma Amara", "Lunga Storia D'Amore", "Swinging Waltz", "Tango Scopone", and "Gioco Di Carte". CD

A pair of very cool soundtracks from the 70s – both penned by Carlo Savina, one of the lesser-known maestros of the Italian scene! Ragazza Tuta Nuda Assassinata Nel Parco has a surprisingly beautiful quality – especially for a film about a nude girl killed in the park – slow, sensuous music that's often touched by these really lovely melodies played on piano, warmly swelling up from the bottom, with a quality that's like some of Morricone's best from the time! There's some surprisingly redemptive moments, especially given the murderous theme – and the CD features 23 great tracks from the score. The second half of the collection features music from L'Occhio Del Ragno – overall, a bit darker than the first soundtrack – with some stark instrumental moments, and great brooding elements on basslines, keyboards, and horns – intercut with a few occasional sweeter bits. CD features 12 more tracks from the score – making for a total of 25 cuts in all! CD

A very cool late 60s spy soundtrack from Italian maestro Armando Trovajoli – possibly one of his most dynamic scores of the time, filled with a range of modes – from jazzy, to moody, to mellow! The main theme of the film has a leaping, soaring piano/horn line that's totally great – quite driving and catchy, with enough of a groove to make it alone worth seeking out – but other tracks are plenty wonderful too, and feature a nice array of jazzy passages mixed with sweeter strings, plus a few sparer, more contemplative moments that echo the theme in very subtle ways. The lovely Lara Saint Paul sings the theme song "The Touch Of A Kiss" – and other titles include "The Report Is Completed", "Just Pull The Trigger", "The Last Gift", "A Bank In Zurich", "The Cottage Over The River", "Unexpected Note", "A Forced Meeting", "Suddenly An Old Friend", "Tears & Spies", and "She Dangerous Stuff". CD

A really special sort of record from the Bastards Of Soul – a Texas group, but one who work in this great mix of deep soul and slight southern rock touches – at a level that almost makes this album feel like some lost nugget from the vaults of Capricorn Records! Vocals are by male singer Chadwick Murray – not the lovely lady on the cover – and there's a cool crossover vibe here that takes us back to work by 70s genius talents like Eddie Hinton or Dan Penn, with guitar lines that are strong, but balanced by these warmer organ currents that really underscore the more soulful elements in the music – as do the laidback rhythms on the tunes. Titles include "I've Got The Key", "Funky Ham & Eggs", "Back To The City", "Spinning Out Of Control", "The Way It Should Be", "The Waiting Time", and "Your Love Has Turned My Heart To Bitterness". CD features bonus tracks – "While It's Hot" and "Lizzy Louise". CD

An amazing legacy in music from Mike Cooper – a British musician who started out in the world of folk blues, but never ended up moving towards some of the rockish modes of his contemporaries – instead finding his very own sort of special space in the freedom allowed by the Dawn Records label! The set begins with the very spare Oh Really – a set that has Mike Cooper mostly on guitar and vocals, in a style that's part Piedmont, part Delta blues – but also given a more folksy spin, and graced with Cooper's unusual vocals – almost making the whole thing feel like a spare acoustic version of Canned Heat territory – with titles that include "Maggie Campbell", "Saturday Blues", "Electric Chair", "Crow Jane", and "You're Gonna Be Sorry". Do I Know you is a record that follows up with a sound that's maybe a bit fuller than Mike Cooper's debut, but still relatively spare – with Mike on acoustic guitar and slide guitar, Harry Miller on bass (really great bass, by the way!), and Poor Little Anne on a bit of vocals. Miller brings these deep tones to the record that really transform things – and titles include "Do I Know You", "Start Of A Journey", "First Song", "Theme In C", and "The Link". Trout Steel is a beautiful set from the British scene at the start of the 70s – a record that's got a fairly folksy tone, but lots of jazzy currents as well! The set was issued on the seminal Dawn Records label – and really shows that imprint's commitment to the left side of the spectrum – as Mike Cooper's vocals and acoustic guitar come into play with more guitar from Stefan Grossman – plus alto sax from Mike Osborne, tenor and soprano from Alan Skidmore, piano from John Taylor, and bass from the late Harry Miller – all key players on the UK avant jazz scene of the time! The mix of these players with Cooper's core inspiration is not unlike some of the most progressive material coming from Island Records – or, even better, the special jazzy moments on records by Tim Buckley or Tim Hardin – company that Cooper could very easily keep, given the strength of his songwriting. Titles include "Don't Talk Too Fast", "On My Way", "Hope You See", "Weeping Rose", "Trout Steel", "I've Got Mine", "That's How", and "Pharoah's March". Places I Know blends Cooper's acoustic guitar and rootsy vocals with some very compelling arrangements from Mike Gibbs – the British jazz talent who was already known for his larger ensemble creations at the time, but who works here in these really subtle ways – to inflect Cooper's core inspirations with just some slight instrumental colors, tones, and phrases on most numbers – while Cooper brings in the core Machine Gun Co group on a few more. The result is a record that's way more than familiar folk – and arguably a lot hipper than most of the British acid folk of the time, too – on titles that include "Night Journey", "Paper & Smoke", "Country Water", "Time To Time", "Goodbye Blues Goodbye", and "Places I Know". The Machine Gun Co album is a partner record to Places I Know – recorded in the same sessions, but with tracks that are longer, and even more openly expressive – all with backings from the sweet Machine Gun Co quartet, a group with some especially nice electric piano from Alan Cook! Heavy use of that instrument really works against some of the folksier elements in Cooper's music – with these blocks of warm sound and color that really illuminate the tunes, and almost unlock a new level in the vocals. Cooper plays a bit of electric guitar at times – and titles include "So Glad That I Found You", "Lady Anne", "Midnight Words", and "Song For Abigail". CD also features songs from singles – "Your Lovely Ways (parts 1 & 2)", "Time In Hand", and "Schaabisch Hall". CD

A trio of albums from one of the most unique groups on the west coast scene! First up is Where's The Money – a classic live album from Dan Hicks and this mighty cool west coast combo – a set that's all stripped-down, and provides a great showcase for their amazing vocal and acoustic instrumental interplay! Dan's got two two female singers along for the performance – Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – both of whom do way more than provide backup, as they work with plenty of percussion, and harmonize along with Dan's lead on most tracks – in that cool blend of acoustic roots and jazzy inflections that made the group so unique. The lineup also includes violin, mandolin, and bass – plus guitar from Dan – on titles that include "News From Up The Street", "Shorty Falls In Love", "The Buzzard Was Their Friend", "Is This My Happy Home", "Dig A Little Deeper", "Reelin Down", and "Caught In The Rain". Striking It Rich features the great Dan Hicks at the height of his powers – working in a sublime acoustic mode that weaves together strands of gypsy swing, American roots, harmony vocals, and plenty more too – all in a mode that's lean and timeless, and which was one of the hipper new sounds on the west coast scene of his generation! Dan works with great support from vocalists Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – alongside instrumentation that includes guitar, bass, violin, mandolin, and plenty of percussion – all wrapped up with a sublime sound that has all the elements resonating together wonderfully! Titles include a great remake of his earlier gem "I Scare Myself" – plus "You Got To Believe", "O'Reilly At The Bar", "Moody Richard", "The Laughing Song", "Canned Music", "Skippy's Farewell", "Fujiyama", "Woe The Luck", and "I'm An Old Cowhand". Last Train To Hicksville is completely charming work from the great Dan Hicks – one of the few cats who could make us like music like this so much! Dan sings and plays rhythm guitar – and the group also features vocals from Maryann Price and Naomi Eisenberg – that lovely pair whose harmonies with Hicks really helped the group find their sound! As before, instrumentation is all acoustic, but used in these jazzy ways that are very unique – not folk, not string band, nor swing – but something very unique, and a real breath of fresh air in the 70s scene! Titles include "Long Come A Viper", "It's Not My Time To Go", "My Old Timey Baby", "Lonely Madman", "Cowboy's Dream No 19", and "Payday Blues". CD

Mellow vocals from the lovely Ayako Hosokawa – one of Japan's greatest jazz vocalists of the 70s, singing here in a warm and intimate setting. Ayako sings in English, mostly American standards plus a few pop numbers – and the backing for the set includes keyboards, tenor, guitar, and strings – flowing out in the best mellow style of the Three Blind Mice label of the time. The real standout cut is Ayako's great reading of "Feel Like Making Love" – worth the price of the album alone for its dope 70s groove – and other cuts include "When You Smile", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Misty", "Mr Wonderful", and "The Lady Is A Tramp". CD

A gem of a record from the lovely Joyce – a set recorded during the same key stretch as her early 80s albums for EMI – yet much more obscure! The album's got the same brilliant blend of jazz and bossa phrasing as her classics Agua E Luz and Feminina – and really brings Joyce's beautiful vocals to the forefront, with a strong focus on that fluid, jazzy style we totally love! Acoustic guitar is key to the instrumentation, yet there's also a few electric touches on keyboards – yet used quite softly, so that the presence of Joyce really dominates the record – but with a power that's greater than some of her more solo sets. Wonderful throughout –a nd with cuts that include "Nacional Kid", "Curioso", "Baracumbarra", "Tardes Cariocas", "Luz Do Chao", and "Ela". CD

Sweet sweet Joyce, one of our favorite Brazilian singers ever – sounding better than ever too! The album has Joyce working with Banda Maluca – a group that features husband Tutty Moreno on drums, plus keyboards by new groove sensation Bugge Wesseltoft! The style of the music retains all the light and breezy touches of Joyce's best older work, but also has some jazzy flourishes that really sound great – like Fender Rhodes and other keyboards by Bugge, flute and sax work by Teca Cardoso, and even a bit of clarinet on a few tracks – snaking between the lovely vocals with a sad and blue tone. The record's really wonderful, and shows Joyce still growing tremendously as an artist – loosening up her vocals in a host of great new compositions, and showing that she's every bit as important a force as she was when she grooved the world with her first few solo albums. Titles include "Os Medos", "For Hall", "Cartomante", "Samba Do Joyce", "Chuvisco", "Mal Em Paris", "A Banda Maluca", and "Pause, Bite". CD

Really lovely piano work from the great Fumio Karashima – an artist who sounds very different here than when working with a trio or quartet – looser, with less structure, but also never too outside – just completely in command of the piano, and working with a confidence that lets him take all these chances while also delivering the tune! The record may be one of the strongest demonstrations of Karashima's sometimes-overlooked genius – very different than his classic albums, and really showing a lot of growth and maturity since those years – with a vibe that almost makes you feel like the piano is an extension of his soul. Titles include "Late Autumn", "Brilliant Darkness", "Recorda Me", "Toys", "Malaika", and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life". CD

Tenorist James Brandon Lewis has really been on fire in recent years – always opening up new doors in his music, and surprising us with each new record, which seems to have a slightly different flavor that further expands his palette of sound! Here, Lewis presents some beautiful original compositions with a group that has amazingly fluid drum work from the great Chad Taylor, lovely colors on piano from Aruan Ortiz, and these rollingly soulful basslines from Brad Jones – all players who are seamlessly tied to Lewis tenor, as the four paint these really wonderful pictures in sound. The approach is more structured than some of Lewis' other recordings, but at a level that's still filled with bursts of personal expression throughout – on titles that include "Every Atom Glows", "Archimedean", "Resonance", "Per 5", "Tessera", and "Code Of Being". CD

A really lovely later score from Ennio Morricone – done for the final film of Marcello Mastroianni, and with a subtle sense of grace that echoes some of his best from earlier years! Much of the music has a lean focus that's different than some of the larger, lusher scores that Morricone was giving bigger pictures on the global scene – and there's a nice balance of isolated instrumentation, occasional atonal moments, and even great use of female vocals in an old school way – sung here by Dulce Pontes on two tracks. Most of the selections are much longer songs than standard film cues – and titles include "Assassinato", "Chitarre", "Il Simbolo", "A Brisa Do Coracao", "Rotativa", and "Manifestazioni". CD

A treasure trove of lost work from Sandy Salisbury – all recorded during the same time he was working with Curt Boettcher in the legendary group The Millennium! The songs are all as lovely as the image on the cover – and on his own, often overdubbing his vocals to create his own harmonies, Sandy's got this quality that's maybe even sweeter and more sophisticated than you'd know from his other records – almost Beatles-esque, especially of the more melodic tunes that Paul McCartney would front during the later years of that group. All work is from Sandy's own archives, appearing here for the first time ever – and titles include "Silent Lonely Night", "Do I Miss You", "Tomorrow", "Six O'Clock", "Once I Knew A Little Dog", "Butter Me Over", "The Sun Always Shines On Suzanna", and "Everyone Should Be In Love". CD features seven more bonus tracks too – including "Tale Of A Timeless Love", "Some Other Place", "I Can't Stop The Hurting", and "She's Got The Power". CD

The one and only album we've ever seen from The 13th Floor – a hip little combo from St Louis, produced here by Oliver Sain in a great blend of jazz, soul, and funk! There's a depth here that goes way beyond the average outing of this type – as the group clearly have some sort of an ear for more spiritual jazz, yet are also comfortable working in a more focused, groove-based mode too! Saxophonist Lionel Greene is at the head of the group, and also sings a bit – but our favorite tracks are the instrumental ones, played by the combo in a sweet, tight blend of guitar, bass, drums, and sax. There's a nicely compressed groove here that almost hits some spacious Roy Ayers styles at times – but the overall sound is much more varied, and even hits some harder funk moments from time to time too, letting the guitar and bass step out more than the sax. Titles include "Rise", "Get Up", "Sweet Lovely Girl", "Time & Place", "Sweet Thang", "Hang Loose", "Steppin Out", and "Teffany". CD

One of the most seductive sound library albums ever recorded by Piero Umiliani – a set that was originally issued under his Zalla pseudonym, but which has all the best jazzy grooves of some of his famous soundtrack material from the end of the 60s! As on those records, Umiliani plays a host of great keyboards, especially organ – over rhythms that are mellow-stepping and slightly funky – often updated with modes borrowed from bossa nova, but brought into a more sensuous Italian soundtrack setting – balanced with nice touches on flute, guitar, and other instrumentation as well. The whole thing's wonderful – as lovely as your favorite soundtrack work by Umiliani, Piero Piccioni, or Armando Trovajoli – with titles that include "Porta D'Oriented", "Tanto Lontano", "Pianure D'Asia", "Oriente Rosso", "Prime Nebbie", "Nel Parco", "Vecchie Strade", and "Laguna Tropicale". CD

Sunshine Pop is a style that's usually associated with the American west coast scene of the 60s – music that sprung up in the wake of The Beach Boys and some of the other upbeat, harmony-heavy groups of the time – yet as you'll see in this set, there was also plenty of sunshine pop coming from the UK too – some by older artists influenced by musical changes, some by very cool English groups, and some by artists who were really taking the sound and spirit in their own direction! The box tracks a great stretch in the UK scene when things were sweet and well-produced, with a really great focus on well-crafted vocals amidst lovely arrangements – never too slick or sleepy in a soft rock way – and often presented with some unique British twists that make the tunes a great change from Sunshine Pop in the US! We love it when the Grapefruit label digs into a genre we never would have explored this deeply – and the 3CD package is a wonder throughout – with 87 tracks in all, alongside a big booklet of notes – presented by a huge array of artists who include Butterscotch, Dawn Chorus, The Mirage, Design, The Zombies, Paul Ryan, Roger Webb Sound, Agincourt, The Flies, Jason Cord, Symbols, Pinkerton's Colours, Tony Rivers & The Castaways, West Coast Consortium, The Seekers, Wilson Malone Voiceband, Orange Bicycle, Ken Smart, Harmony Grass, Episode Six, and many many others! CD

A wonderful compilation the late 40s Modern recordings of piano player, singer and all around musical pioneer Hadda Brooks – with all the tracks from the original Queen Of The Boogie 78s package – and 18 additional tracks from the period! Hadda is a lovely singer, and the set has a number of sweet vocal numbers, but her most lasting impact is no doubt her easygoing, but masterful boogie piano playing. Fittingly, there's a huge number of instrumental treasures here, and it's really tough to imagine a lot of the great R&B and 50s rock and roll piano taking hold if trailblazers like Hadda Brooks didn't get the ball rolling! Includes "Juke Box Boogie", "Bully Wully Boogie", "Boogie At The Bandstand", "Night Life", "Sleepy Time Gal", "Humoresque Boogie", "Strollin' 'N' Rollin'", "Basin Street Blue", "Moonglow", "743 Blues", "Hungara (Gypsy)", "Greig's Concerto Boogie In A Minor", "Stardust" and more. 24 tracks in all – a solid dozen of which were recorded for Modern in the late 40s, but were never before released! CD

A slightly bittersweet Christmas album from The Carpenters – given that the set was issued after the too-early death of the lovely Karen Carpenter, and stands as both a Holiday record and a farewell to the charms of this legendary pop duo! The music is a nicely evolved version of their classic A&M pop from the early years – nicely free of any too cluttered 80s arrangements, and done with just the right sort of warmth to fit the sound of the season – with some instrumental tunes thrown in to space things out between the vocal cuts. Titles include "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear", "Little Alter Boy", "Do You Hear What I Hear", "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve", "My Favorite Things", "He Came Here For Me", and "Home For The Holidays". CD

The final chapter of Lula Cortes amazing run of music in 70s Brazil – a small label release that brilliantly blends together a range of psychedelic influences – all with a gritty edge that's quite different than what you might expect from the date of the album! Things here are every bit as tripped out as on some of Lula's other albums from years before – trippily poetic, occasionally folksy, and sometimes touched with heavier electric moments that really offset the gentler, more organic moments. The reissue features full notes on the music by Cortes himself – and the package offers a rare chance to hear an album whose original pressing was supposedly destroyed before it was ever released! Really great sound, and a lovely package that more than lives up to Lula's amazing music. CD

An amazing chapter in the career of British saxophonist Lol Coxhill – two completely wonderful albums recorded for the Ogun label in the mid 70s! The feel here is similar to Coxhill's seminal albums for Virgin a few years before – jazz that's free, but never too "out" – working in a lovely way to explore sound and tone with a sense of joy and whimsy – often making a brief nod to more traditional modes, but very much in its own spirit. There's a sense of wonder here that we'd almost compare to the best Rahsaan Roland Kirk work for Atlantic – and Coxhill plays soprano sax throughout, joined by players that include Michael Garrick on electric piano, Ken Shaw on guitar, John Mitchell on percussion, Veryan Weston on piano, and Colin Wood on cello. The CD features the full tracks from 2 albums – Joy Of Paranoia and Diverse – and titles include "Joy Of Paranoia Waltz", "The Wakefield Capers", "The Cluck Variations", "Loverman", "Perdido", "Diver", and "Divers". CD

Three overseas sessions from American tenor great Eddie Lockjaw Davis! Jaws Strikes Again is a slightly different setting than some of the other 70s albums from Eddie Lockjaw Davis – in that the set was recorded for the Black & Blue label, who always liked to get a nice gritty punch out of the players they recorded! Given Eddie's legendary tone, the approach works perfectly here – on tracks that are short and focused – and which feature some mighty nice work on Hammond from Wild Bill Davis, plus guitar from the great Billy Butler, and drums from Oliver Jackson! Titles include "Jumpin With Symphony Sid", "The Man I Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Candy", "After You're Gone", and "Light & Lovely". Nice Jazz 1978 is a great example of Eddie in collaboration – as Eddie Lockjaw Davis is a hell of a player on his own – but he's maybe even more amazing when he works alongside other horn soloists – who always seem to inspire Davis to bring out the boldest, mouthiest side of his horn! That tenor is alive and well, and wonderfully set up here – in five different live performances from the Nice Jazz Festival in 1978 – two with Illinois Jacquet on tenor, six with Harry Edison on trumpet, and one more with Paul Bascomb on tenor and Eddie Vinson on alto. Tracks are nice and long – that back/forth jam session style that Eddie does so well – and titles include "Rompin With JC", "Brazil", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Just Friends", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Misty". Jaw's Blues is a nice one from the start of the 80s! Tenorist Eddie Lockjaw Davis always had a hell of a tone – and although his best-remembered dates are maybe from the 50s and 60s, the saxophonist still kept on making great records for many years to come! This album's definitely one of those – a European live recording, done in Munich, with Eddie stretching out with the sort of raspy tone that always made his early duets with Johnny Griffin such a delight – getting the sort of sensitive accompaniment here that Griff had on some of his later European dates too. The wonderful Horace Parlan is on piano, with Reggie Johnson on bass, and Alvin Queen on drums – and although it's clear that the Davis tenor solos are the main attraction, the album's a very sold group effort too. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Jaw's Blues", "I'll Remember April", "Young Man With A Horn", and "But Beautiful". CD

That's Brasil 65, not Brasil 66 – a distinction that marks a key early stage for the great Sergio Mendes – heard here on one of his first albums to mix together bossa jazz and vocals! The approach here is a bit more like vintage bossa dates from Brazil – or a bit like some of the Verve bossa records too – as Sergio's core trio is at the heart of every tune, playing with a great jazzy approach – then augmented in different ways by alto and flute from Bud Shank, guitar from Rosinha De Valenca, and vocals from the lovely Wanda De Sah! Production is perfect – really in a classic Elenco Records mode – and titles include "Let Me", "Consolacao", "Tristeza Em Mim", "Muito A Vontade", "Reza", "Berimbau", and "Aquarius". CD

Beautiful work from pianist Tete Montoliu – three full albums served up in a single package! First up is Man From Barcelona – a set cut late in Tete's career, but one that has this beautiful way of building up a tune – maybe even more lyrical and sincere than some of Montoliu's earlier music! The trio features nicely understated work from George Mraz on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – both players who often step aside and let Tete pace the tune, find his groove, and bring in all sorts of really lovely colors even before things start swinging – served up on tunes that include "Tune Up", "Stella By Starlight", "Autumn Leaves", "Django", and "Concierto De Aranjuez". On Secret Love, pianist Tete Montoliu gets some Cedar Walton backing – in a trio with Sam Jones on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – both musicians who really make the record stand out from the pack! Tete himself is at the peak of his powers – able to play with this commanding sense of majesty from the very first note – but with a style that also has plenty of room for more lyrical flourishes, too – although often with these soulful strides that we don't seem to hear that well in other trio sessions of this vintage! We're not going to credit Jones and Higgins with bringing this on – but heck, they sound wonderful here, and really make the whole thing crackle with warm imagination throughout. Titles include "Four", "Stella By Starlight", "Secret Love", and "Confirmation". The title's correct on the third album – as that's yellow dolphin street, not "Green Dolphin Street" – a very special place where Tete Montoliu unfurls a beautiful selection of solo piano numbers! Tete's really at the height of his powers here – and spins out wonderfully without any bass or drums, yet with all the complex, fluid feel that you might expect from a trio. The range of tonal colors is wonderful – and always delivered with a rhythmic impulse, even when Montoliu is flying free – on titles that include "Yellow Dolphin Street", "Napoleon", "Where Are You", "Waltz For Nicolien", and "I Hate You". CD

A trio of classics from this groundbreaking group! First up is Living With The Animals – fantastic early work from Mother Earth – one of those special late 60s groups who emerged out of the rock, folk, and blues scenes – but who somehow managed to make a very special sound of their own! Part of the group's strength is the lovely Tracey Nelson – a singer who could have been a soul artist if she wanted – but who works here with a looser approach to generic conventions as she moves through a number of different modes – sometimes stepping aside for the group's lead singer, R Powell St John Jr, who also plays a bit of harmonica. Instrumentation is given some stronger currents from a combo that features Mike Bloomfield on guitar, Barry Goldberg on organ, and Luis Gasca on trumpet – and titles include "Marvel Group", "Mother Earth", "It Won't Be Long", "Down So Low", "The Kingdom Of Heaven", and "My Love Will Never Die". Make A Joyful Noise is an album that has slightly fuller backings than their debut, but in a way that only seems to bring out more of the soulful currents of their sound! The mix of rural inspiration and tighter presentation is a great illustration of the changing North Cali style of the period – and no surprise, a young Boz Scaggs is in the group, providing rhythm guitar next to the vocals of Tracy Nelson and R Powell St John. A few country legends provide extra support on fiddle, dobro, and steel – balanced nicely by a strong horn section too – on titles that include "Stop The Train", "Soul Of The Man", "Blues For The Road", "Come On & See", "I The Fly", "Wait Wait Wait", "I Wanna Be Your Mama Again", and "Then I'll Be Moving On". Last up is Satisfied – countrified rock from Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth – done in a warm and sincere style that goes way beyond any of the cliches of the genre! There's something about the way the group put together the tunes that really makes us like this one – an honesty that's not bogged down in any hippy dippy expectations, and which never tries to be anything other that what it is. And yes, that's not much of a good description of the set – but it's also our way of identifying the uniqueness that set Mother Earth apart from a lot of their contemporaries. Titles include "Satisfied", "Groovy Way", "Andy's Song", "Ruler Of My Heart", "This Feeling", and "You Won't Be Passing Here No More". CD

One of the grooviest 60s soundtracks from Riz Ortolani – done for an Italian spy film, and very different than some of his bigger-name scores for global cinematic hits! The music here is very much in the best jazzy style you'd expect from a spy thriller, but also has some groovy mod numbers too – romping tunes that are an Italian take on UK beat modes, with really cool rhythms that are upbeat and very soulful – cuts that are then interspersed with slinkier numbers that fit the mode of the spy in the company of a lovely lady! This expanded CD is the first time this much music has ever been released from the film – a whopping 22 titles in all, in comparison to the previous release of only 9 tracks! CD