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Pure 70s genius from Lalo Schifrin – and the lost soundtrack to the second Dirty Harry film! Magnum Force never received a proper soundtrack album at the time – and although we've waited over 30 years, this overstuffed package finally gives the Schifrin score it's due – serving up a great variety of short tunes that fully illustrated the musical genius that made the Dirty Harry films so great. The set's got a total of 22 tracks in all – and goes way beyond the Dirty Harry Anthology sets to include some of the darker, moodier numbers from Magnum Force – some great shorter tunes that sit nicely next to the more famous funky themes! Titles include "Warm Enough", "Last Dance In Sausalito", "Early Is Late", "Briggs", "Magnum Force", "Stakeout", "Execution Squad", "The Bullet", "Potrero Hill", "The Faceless Assassin", "The Crooks", and "Harry's Ostinato". CD

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McCoy Tyner on solo piano. CD

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A live quartet date – tracks include "Bag's Groove", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Avalon", "Stritch In Time", and "Reeling & Rhyming". CD

A live set by Roy – and pretty darn nice! The album was recorded live at London's Ronnie Scotts in 1990 – but given that Roy was playing for a British crowd that was keen on his classic work of the 70s, the set's got a very 70s-styled feel – and really takes us back to the glory days of Roy's recordings for Polydor! The live setting really lets Roy and the group open up on the tunes – taking some of them into very long versions that feature some great keyboards, vibes, and vocals. Highlights include a 12 minute take on "Searchin", a 9 minute jam on "Spirit Of The Do Do", and a 10 minute reading of the sublime "Mystic Voyage"! Other tracks include "You Send Me", "Yes", "Can You See Me", and "Love Will Bring Us Back Together". CD

Double length live set with Benson on guitar and vocals, Mickey Tucker on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Al Harewood on drums. Tracks include "Oleo", "Love For Sale", "Witchcraft", "Blue Bossa", "Lil Darlin", and "Dahlin's Delight". CD

Some of the best recordings that Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams ever did together! The material here was recorded for the short-lived Warwick label in the early 60s – with a tight tight rhythm section that includes Jimmy Cobb on drums, Laymon Jackson on bass, and a very young Herbie Hancock on piano. Herbie kicks ass on his solos – and Byrd and Adams are very tight, with none of the clunkiness that sometimes mars their other work. The set includes a killer version of "Mr LuckyTheme", plus the tracks "Out Of This World", "Bird House", "It's A Beautiful Evening", and "Curro's". CD

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One of the most obscure Trojan Records collections of the 70s – maybe in part because it looks more like an airline promotional album than it does a collection of rare reggae nuggets! Yet the set is definitely the latter – a Trojan LP that brings together earlier singles recorded by Alvin GG Ranglin at a time when he was a key tastemaker on the Kingston scene – work that's right in the cusp of rocksteady/early reggae work, from a time when Ranglin was really at the top of his game! Tracks include a mix of vocal and instrumentals, solo singers and groups – with titles that include "Joan" by The Tidals, "Marie Song" by Fitz Major, "Sitting On The Sidewalk" by Ansil Linkers, "I Need Your Love" by Gregory Isaacs, "The Same Folks" by Rainy Davis, "Atlantic One" by Ansel Collins, "Hurricane Fifi" by GG Allstars, "Musical Coma" by Ranking Magnum, "Sensuous Woman" by The Maytones, and "Open Up Your Door" by Freddie McKay. This great 2CD set adds in 32 bonus tracks, most on CD for the first time ever – with work from The Starlites, GG Allstars, Keith & Dennis, Meditations, U Roy, Maytones, Vince Powell, Glen Washington, Elpedo & The Marveltones, Austin Campbell, and others – all served up with the usual high quality Doctor Bird notes and production! CD

Herrmann's original score to the film is pretty compelling – almost in the mode of some of his work for Hitchcock – and it's conducted here by Herrmann himself and by Dave Blume. The CD's got 2 especially noteworthy tracks – "Diary Of A Taxi Driver", which features a cool monologue by Robert DeNiro, and "Theme From Taxi Driver", which features alto sax work by Tom Scott. Other titles include "Betsy In A White Dress", "Sport & Iris", "The .44 Magnum Is A Monster", and "God's Lonely Man". CD

Slammin's a definite good choice for the title of this one – as this 5th entry in the Easy Tempo series seems even funkier than the other volumes – a set that's got plenty of full-on grooves, hand-picked from the genius Italian soundtrack years of the 60s and 70s! If you're looking for a place to start digging the full range of talents of the maestros of this time, you'd be hard pressed to find a better collection – as the Easy Tempo name always means the best bits from this scene, served up in a package that packs a lot more punch than any single individual soundtrack! Titles include "Loco Love Motor" and "The Frog" by Augusto Martelli, "Montreal Non Stop" and "Anice Nuraghi" by Luiz Bacalov, "L'Arcangelo" by Piero Umiliani, "Running Fast" by Stefano Torossi, "Blazing Magnum" by Armando Trovajoli, "Trop's" by Alberto Baldan Bembo, "Vuca" by Tony Mimms, and "The Chicken" by Dick Oliver. CD

Missy and Timbaland (and the usual cast of guest stars) are back and hotter than ever before on Missy's fourth full length, much more of a hip hop record this time, with tons of old school party shouts and new school neo-electro production! Under Construction is kind of a concept album (don't worry, not in the Jethro Tull kind of way) with a theme that celebrates the hip hop golden age of the mid-to-late 80s but with a modern, probably timeless flavor. The status quo R&B that Missy can't seem to get out of her system is here only at a minimum – this is a hip hop record! Past guests like Method Man (turning in a great remake of "Bring The Pain"), Ludacris, and Jay Z show up as well as 50 Cent, Ms. Jade, Beyonce Knowles, and TLC – but as usual, no one steals the show from Mis and Tim. No one would claim Missy is the most scholarly of lyricists, but as a conduit for attitude and a spicy groove she can't be beat, plus her topical and scatological rhymes and choruses fit these hip hop party bumpers like a Kangol & a gold chain. Tons of shout outs to and samples of the old schoolers that are just way too true to be nostalgic, plus strong production from Timbaland that isn't afraid to risk his reputation as an innovator by referencing his influences. The duo may have produced more astoundingly great singles in the recent past, but this is Missy and Timbaland's magnum opus, as far as full lengths go. 13 tracks including "Work It", "Go To The Floor", "Bring The Pain" featuring Method Man, "Funky Fresh Dressed" featuring Ms Jade, "Slide", "Play That Beat", "Ain't That Funny", and more. CD

One of the more twisted Luv n Haight compilations, with funky bagpipes by Rufus Harley, steppin' jazzy vibes by Johnny Lytle, and some stone cold funk by Carl Holmes. Nice breakbeats, too, and other tracks by The Fabulous Counts, Warm Excursion, Magnum, and BW Souls. Out of print on vinyl, supposedly. CD

Music from Ensemble Nemours Jean-Baptiste, Magnum Band, Sakad, the Neville Brothers & Les Freres Parents, Manno Charlemagne, Sanba Yo, Mini All Stars & Nemours Jean-Baptiste. CD