A pair of really unusual albums from Mike Cooper – presented here in a single package, one record on vinyl, one on CD! The core set, Life & Death In Paradise, is one of the last in a run of classics that Cooper gave the world at the start of his career – and has really unusual collaborations with members of the London jazz scene – including bassist Harry Miller, saxophonist Mike Osborne, and drummer Louis Moholo! The jazz component of the record is small – this is definitely acoustic singer/songwriter material, not the work the musicians might have issued on the Ogun label – but the set does represent a really nice shift for Cooper, and a great setting for the kind of offbeat songs he does so well. Titles include "Critical Incidents", "OMM Coda", "Suicide De Luxe", "Black Night Crash", "Rocket Summer", and the long "Life & Death In Paradise" suite. The LP package also features a bonus CD with material from many years later – a live acoustic set recorded in Milan in 2018, showing Cooper still as a hell of a talent, with an even more complex understanding of the acoustic guitar – matched by his own unique vocalizations on some of the best tracks. Titles include "Peach Trees", "In Moments Of Reverie", "Lord Franklin", "Sage & Thyme", and "Industrial Hazard". LP, Vinyl record album

A Serbian combo, and one whose name might better be Vouse Etes Soul – as they have a style that evokes some of the best soulful piano trios of the 60s – especially the Three Sounds and the group of Les McCann! Veljko Vujcic handles piano, and he's got a great way of balancing lyricism with groove – the latter of which is helped along strongly by the work of bassist Milan Nikolic and drums of Urus Stamenkovic – both artists who have an approach that's very much in the pocket! Guitarist Radomir Milojkovic joins the trio on two tracks – and titles include "Nightcap", "A Wrong One", "Spicy Crispy Pepper Wings", "Almost AM", "Vinegar", and "Gene's Genes". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those really great Italian sessions recorded by Chet Baker at a time when he was working away from the west coast scene – music that really helped the trumpeter find a new sort of magic in his approach, and really shift his phrasing from before! The set was recorded in Milan with Len Mercer and his orchestra – with a lineup of all-stars that includes Glauco Masetti on alto, Fausto Papetti and Gianni Basso on tenor, Mario Pezzotta on trombone, Franco Cerri on bass, and Gene Victory on drums. Titles include many standards, but handled with a fragile care by Chet – on tracks that include "I Should Care", "This Song Is For You", "When I Fall In Love", "Angel Eyes", "Street Of Dreams", "Goodbye", "Forgetful", and "Deep In A Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual albums ever cut by the legendary Latin jazz trombonist Juan Pablo Torres – and one of the grooviest, too – a special set that was recorded in Milan in the mid 80s, with backings by a sweet group who do a great job of blending Latin rhythms, clubby grooves, and just the right touch of jazz! Juan's on trombone in the lead – working with the Algo Nuevo group, which features the mighty Gonzalo Rubalcaba on piano, Fender Rhodes, and other keyboards – plus trumpet work from Adalberto Lore, who balances out Torres' sound in a really great way! There's both a mix of electric and acoustic percussion on the set, and the groove is more 80s club than 70s disco – and also comes across with the style of some of the more unusual hybrids that you'd be likely to find on the Areito label during Juan's generation in Cuba. Titles include "Alone", "Que Melcocha", "Y Caramba Que Son", "Oblivion", "Rialto", "Bermuda Triangle", and "Cubadisco". LP, Vinyl record album

A really new adventure from the funky combo Calibro 35 – a set that's a step away from some of their more cinematic-inspired projects, and one that has the group really honing their skills as a tight funky group! The drums are heavier, guitars are fuzzier, and the whole thing really grooves with an even faster pace than before – still with the majesty they always brought to their work, but maybe more intimate as well. The drums alone are worth the price of admission – and titles include "Gunpowder", "Extraorinaire", "Bolero", "Novecento E Mille", "Milan Au 30eme Siecle", and "Dinamometro". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little record from Bobby Watson – one of the brightest young artists in jazz back in the 80s! The album features Watson grooving with the Italian Open Form Trio for the session – but all players come together with the cohesiveness of some of Watson's best work with Curtis Lundy – in that highly rhythmic, often soaring style that seemed to set Watson's alto free on magnificent solos – blown beautifully and expressively without any of the overly complicated modes that would trip him up in later years. The group features Piero Bassino on piano, Attilio Zanchio on bass, and Giampiero Prina on drums – and titles include "Appointment In Milano", "Ballando", "Watson's Blues", "Funcalypso", and "I'm Always Missing You". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully sensitive Italian police soundtrack from the 70s – one scored by Ennio Morricone with a bit less of the funky bits of other cop scores of the time, and a nice mix of sad-tinged, personal styles! There's a fair bit of key Morricone touches here that resonate with his best other work of the time – spacious, almost stepping rhythms; dramatic isolated instrumentation, including a bit of off-key piano; and some warmer tones that soften some of the best moments, and keep them from being too cold or dark. The drama here is subtle, but effective – and the score's a real lost gem in the catalog of the maestro deserving wider attention! Titles include "Rapimento", "Raptus Omicida", "Milano Odia La Polizi Non Puo Sparare", and "I Conti Ora Tornano". First-ever full issue of the score – as only a few cuts were only ever issued before on a single! LP, Vinyl record album

We've gotta hand it to pianist Roberto Olzer – a player who can combine references from classical music and more straightforward jazz trio modes – all at a level that's very different than earlier work from players like Jacques Loussier and Eugen Cicero, who worked in similar territory! Olzer is clearly a jazz musician first, and the tunes here are often his own, and have a great sense of open, fluid energy – but he's also clearly a master of the keyboard, and can manage to swing the odd tune from Chopin, Purcell, and Mendelssohn – which are included here nexst to the original material! The trio features stunning work on bass from Yuri Goloubev and drums from Mauro Beggio – and titles include "Milano Rain", "Notturno", "Andante Con Moto", "Images", "Touchdown", "Dido's Lament", and "Eveline". LP, Vinyl record album

British reedman Ed "Tenderlonious" Cawthorne is a player who always seems to give us something fresh and different with each new release – and this time around, he's teamed up with Lorenzo Morresi for a great take on the territory of Italian sound library grooves of years past! The record is plenty darn funk, and has as much sweet keyboard work as it does flute and sax work from Tenderlonious – who himself handles some of the keys, alongside Morressi, who also handles bass and guitar as well! The group's a quartet, with some additional keyboards from Emilio Merone – which will give you an idea of how many keys are at play on the album – on titles that include "Movimento Astratto", "Estate", "Doppio Sogno", "Tema Cinque", "Bazar Milano", "Cosmica Italiana", and "Classico". LP, Vinyl record album