A sweet Italian set from Chet Baker – from a scene that always seemed to bring out his most lyrical side – and a record that's done in that easy, open, understated style that makes us love Baker's last decade so much! Back in the day, folks only zeroed in on classic Chet from the 50s – but they were really missing a lot by not hearing a record like this – as Baker, although aged and world-weary, is also a master of color, tone, and phrasing – really able to bring a lot more emotion into his music, but in very subtle ways – and matched here by a really wonderful lineup – with players who include Nicola Stilo on flute, Diane Varvra on soprano, and Michel Grallier on piano. And as with so much late Baker, although the tunes are familiar, the execution is unique – on titles that include "Dream Drop", "Estate", "Francamente", "Finestra Sul Mare", and "Lament". LP, Vinyl record album

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Fairport Convention are down to a quartet here, but still sounds fantastic – with Simon Nicol on guitar and dulcimer, Dave Pegg on bass and violin, Dave Swarbrick on mandolin and violin, and Dave Mattacks on drums and piano – and vocals from all members of the group. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally cool session of avant Parisian jazz – assembled by the great Andre Hodeir, whose Jazz Et Jazz is one of the best modernist jazz efforts from postwar France. The work attempts to set music to the writings of James Joyce – and it features the voices of Nicole Croisille and Monique Aldebert, plus the musicians Pierre Michelot on bass, Bernard Lubat on vibes, Daniel Humair on drums, Michel Portal and Pierre Gossez on saxes, and Roger Guerin on trumpet. A bit odd – but very nice! LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure little live set – recorded at the end of the 70s, at a time that makes it some of Sonny Stitt's last work on record! The format is straight and boppish – with some lyrical touches, and a strong open solo mode that goes well with the live setting. Stitt seems to dominate a bit more than Jackson, but that's ok with us – as he's in his best "back to basics" format of the 70s. The rest of the group features Gerald Price on piano, Don Moses on bass, and Bobby Durham on drums – and titles include "Loose Walk", "Star Eyes", "SKJ", and "Parking Lot Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks ever – an archetypal album from French composer Francis Lai, and a record that set the tone for countless other imitations to come – yet which is still the best! The groove here is really unique – a spare blend of bossa influences, jazzy organ lines, and wordless vocals that are sung beautifully by French singers Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh – and although a mainstream success, the record was the initial force behind the legendary Saravah imprint that Barouh would form later, to record a wide range of groundbreaking work in a variety of genres. But history aside, the music here is plenty – and from the very first note the whole soundtrack grabs you with a sense of warmth and sentiment that defy description – modes never heard before in the soundtrack world, and which really broke the mold from Hollywood conventions! Titles include the seminal bossa number "Samba Saravah", plus "A Man & A Woman", "Today It's You", "In Our Shadow", "At 200 MPH", and "Stronger Than Us". LP, Vinyl record album

This is the English language version of the Man & A Woman Soundtrack – almost exactly similar to the original one by Francis Lai, but with English lyrics by Jerry Keller, and some revisions by Pierre Barouh. Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh still sing the English lyrics – and titles include "My Heart Loves The Samba", "Love Is Stronger Far Than We", "Shadows Of Our Love", and "All At Once It's Love". LP, Vinyl record album

With Lee Konitz on alto, Mike Wofford on piano, and Chuck Domanico on bass. Titles include "Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise", "Body And Soul", "What Is This Thing Called Love?", "What's New?", "Stella By Starlight", and "Take The Coltrane". LP, Vinyl record album

The jury is sometimes out on the Mick Jagger on-screen performance in the Nicolas Roeg film Performance – but the soundtrack is something pretty separate entirely, and really says a lot more about the spirit of late 60s Warner Brothers Records in LA than it does the arthouse cinema scene in England! The great Jack Nitzsche composed a number of instrumental tracks for the score – maybe his first time in this mode, and prefacing some later 70s successes to come – with titles that include "Rolls Royce & Acid", "Harry Flowers", and "Natural Magic". Other Warner talents get a hand in the music too – as Randy Newman conducted all of Nitzsche's charts, and also sings "Gone Dead Train" – while Ry Cooder delivers bottleneck solos on "Get Away" and "Powis Square". There's also some nice soul-based moments – the cut "Wake Up N*ggers" by The Last Poets, and "Poor White Hound Dog" and "Performance" by Merry Clayton. And yes, Mick does get to sing on one tune – the album's "Memo From Turner" – and the set is completed by Buffy St Marie work on "The Hashishin" and "Dead Dead Red". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's way more than the classic rock outing of some of the group's Bay Area contemporaries – as the young Carlos Santana finds a way to mix inspirations from blues and Latin music into this fierce fusion of so many different elements at once – stretching out, jamming, and touching decades of listeners in the process! The whole thing's a perfect sonic blend – guitar, keyboards, and plenty of percussion – on the group's stunning remake of "Oye Como Va", their fusion of "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen", and the cuts "Se A Cabo", "Samba Pa Ti", "El Nicoya", and "Singing Winds Crying Beasts". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice one! Clint Eastwood will forever be remembered for his groundbreaking tough guy work in the Dirty Harry films – but equally famous are Lalo Schifrin's funky soundtracks for the movies! The work is some of Schifrin's best – a mix of the jazzy style he created in the late 60s, and a funkier 70s cop theme edge that was sort of the white answer to blaxploitation scoring that was happening at the same time. Titles include "Dirty Harry's Creed", "Scorpio", "This Side Of Forever", "Unicorn's Head", "Alcatraz Encounter" and "Rooftop Chase". LP, Vinyl record album

A rich new chapter in the career of Moreno Veloso – a set that steps off strongly from his work with the +2 trio, but in ways that are even more personal and poetic than before! The shift is a bit like that time when Caetano Veloso took all his previous experiments and found a more intimate style in his music during the 70s – although Moreno is always very much his own man here, and manages to work with a range of elements, yet still never lose a focus in his musical vision. Domenico and Kassin are still along for some tracks, but the record also brings in diverse production help from Daniel Jobim, Melvin Gibbs, and even Gal Costa – who are among the many partners working here with Moreno and core producer Pedro Sa to shape the rich sound of the record. Instrumentation is a warm mix of acoustic with electric undertones – and titles include "La E Ca", "Um Passo A Frente", "Coisa Boa", "Jacare Coruja", "Hoje", "Nao Acorde O Nenem", "De Tentar Voltar", and "Num Galho De Acaias". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Phil Woods on alto, Dave Grusin on keyboards, Grady Tate on drums, and Chuck Domanico on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by King Oliver's Dixie Syncopators, New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers, Red Nicols & His Five Pennies, Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, Jelly Roll Mortion, Pine Top Smith, James P Johnson, Elmer Schoebel's Friar Society Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Eddie Lang & Joe Venuti, and Duke Ellington. LP, Vinyl record album

Modal jazz galore – a collection of rare Italian tunes that move with a loping, soaring sense of energy – often very classic in their sound and style, but mostly pulled from a range of more obscure recent sources! Most of the tracks here were never issued outside of Italy – and even then, only on small labels that never achieved wider distribution – making almost the whole collection a new discovery in jazz to our ears, and one that's filled with countless delights throughout! As you'd guess from the title, the rhythms here are well-paced and lively – soaking up a lot of influences from the Coltrane generation, but also coming across with the tightness of a classic Blue Note or Prestige session. Most groups here are quartets, quintets, or sextets – and the longer than usual tracks offer plenty of room for solos on tenor, trumpet, trombone, and piano. Titles include "Spagna" by Piana Valdambrini Sextet, "Babir" by Alliance, "Proof Of The Pudding" by Michael Cochrane, "Calypso" by Dino & Franco Piana, "Naima" by Antonio Farao, "Tutankhamon Dance" by Nuevo Sestetto Italiano, "Woody" by Flavio Boltro, "Spring" by Antonio Farao, "La Stalla Di Pegaso" by Abbate Nicola Fontana Albano, and "New Born" by Idea 6. LP, Vinyl record album

Features tracks by Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwoods, Ramones, Ralph Burns, Nicolette Larson, Vanity 6, and June Pointer. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most ambitious albums ever from Rob Mazurek – and a set that really continues the legacy of community building and world healing that's become such an important part of his music! Rob's a player who was great at the start – a hell of a trumpeter, and a great experimentalist with electronics – but in recent years, he's matured to become a real messenger for the farther, future reaches of jazz – with an energy that makes a collaborative project like this come off in a way that might never have occurred in the hands of any other musician! Mazurek is at the head – director, composer, arranger, and instrumentalist too – and the large lineup is filled with heavyweights from the Chicago scene that Rob helped shape over the past few decades – plus others as well – players who include Damon Locks on voice and electronics, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Tomeka Reid on cello, Joel Ross on vibes, Jaimi Branch on trumpet, Jeff Parker on guitar, Ingebrigit Haker Flate on bass, and Chad Taylor, John Herndon, and Mikel Patrick Avery on a variety of drums and percussion. There's a richness here that tops other Exploding Star Orchestra performances – and more of a focus, too – so that the whole thing comes together as even more than the sum of its mighty parts, as one of the best International Anthem releases to date. Titles include "Galaxy 1000", "Parable Of Inclusion", "Autumn Pleiades", "Minerals Bionic Stereo", "Dimensional Stardust", "Abstract Dark Energy", and "The Careening Prism Within". LP, Vinyl record album

A Latin Battle Of The Bands – as Cortijo's combo and Sonora Matancera go head to head! The album alternates between tracks by each of the groups – so that there's 6 of each, and the listener comes out the winner! (Of course, a real "duelo" would feature one band in the left channel, and one in the right channel – and let them work it out at the same time!) Cortijo plays "Las Ingratitudes", "Palo Que Le Das", "Dejalo Que Suba", "Juan Jose", and "Lo Tuyo Es Cronico". Sonora Matancera perform "Ave Maria Lola", "Oye Mima", "Toitico Tuyo", and "Micaela". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an obscure later session from Chet Baker – with Dennis Luxion on piano, Nicola Stilo on flute, and Ricardo Del Fra on bass! LP, Vinyl record album

Donald Byrd in a sweet electric mode – as you'd guess from the title! The set was recorded right before Byrd's legendary run with Larry Mizell in the early 70s – and the electric approach is a bit different here – a style that blends Byrd's wonderful trumpet lines with the larger ensemble mode Blue Note sometimes used in the late 60s, but with a spacey, stretched-out feel that's mighty nice! The album's somewhat similar to Byrd's Kofi set – but possibly a bit more open overall – and players here include Duke Pearson on electric piano, Jerry Dodgion on alto and sopranos ax, Frank Foster on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, Hermeto Pascoal on flute, Wally Richardson on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Airto on percussion. Pearson produced, and probably arranged too – given a slight Brazilian undercurrent to the grooves – and titles include "Estavanico", "Essence", "The Dude", and "Xibaba". LP, Vinyl record album

The group's led by percussionist Nicolas Vivas, and features three trumpets, piano, tres, bass, and more percussion – plus vocals from Willie Gonzalez and Eddie Santiago! Titles include "Detalles", "Tu", "Que Maravilla Fue Sntirte", and "Paso La Vida Pensando". LP, Vinyl record album

Koop are back after a long time away from the record racks – and apart from makeup on the cover, it's been well worth the wait for the music! The sound here is a great extension of the grooves the pair laid down on their first album – a soaring blend of jazz and dancefloor rhythms that's still head and shoulders above most of the other work it's inspired in recent years. Back again are tight rhythms, lots of warm acoustic instrumentation, and a blend of classic styles with 21st Century leanness – all in a way that few others can match, save for perhaps the mighty Nicola Conte. Instrumentation features plenty of vibes and warm acoustic basslines – and most tracks have vocals, by a variety of singers who include Earl Zinger, Ane Brun, Yukimi Nagano, and Mikael Sundin. Titles include "Koop Island Blues", "Come To Me", "Forces Darling", "Let's Elope", "Beyond The Son", "Whenever There Is You", "Drum Rhythm A", and "I See A Different You". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's way more than the classic rock outing of some of the group's Bay Area contemporaries – as the young Carlos Santana finds a way to mix inspirations from blues and Latin music into this fierce fusion of so many different elements at once – stretching out, jamming, and touching decades of listeners in the process! The whole thing's a perfect sonic blend – guitar, keyboards, and plenty of percussion – on the group's stunning remake of "Oye Como Va", their fusion of "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen", and the cuts "Se A Cabo", "Samba Pa Ti", "El Nicoya", and "Singing Winds Crying Beasts". LP, Vinyl record album

The "perfect match" here is the accordion of Art Van Damme and the guitar of Johnny Smith, who's sitting in with the usual group to add a bit of a groove. In the right setting, Van Damme's accordion is sublime – and working here with guitar, vibes, bass, and drums, his sound is great – swinging groovily along with a very clean edge. Titles include "Valse Hot", "Satan's Doll", "Bluesey", "Tangee", "Nicollet Avenue Breakdown", and "Tickle Toe". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of vocals by the great Joe Williams! Joe's always been a fine singer, but with Basie, he really gets the backing he needs to do his work the best. And although this album isn't as authenico as it might be, it still comes from a time when Verve really knew how to handle singers well. Titles include "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "A Fine Romance", "This Can't Be Love", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "There Will Never Be Another You". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty nice album from this legendary soulful samba duo! The record has them working in a warm 70s mode – with ensemble vocals helping out on a number of tracks, and some electric instrumentation under the acoustic cuica, cacaquinho, guitar, and percussion of the samba arrangements. Luiz Eca handled the strings on the album –a nd tracks include "Contra Veneno", "Cada Um Sabe Onde Doi", "Baiada", "Perspectiva", "E De Nicoco", "Que Me Importa", and "Indagorinha". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set from the great Gato Barbieri – one of the gems from his earlier years on record, and an album that's very much in the best spirit of his sides for Impulse in the early 70s! There' definitely some Latin currents in the rhythm – not as strongly stated as on his Latin America series for that other label, but still there in the conception – and Gato blows with that sharp, soulful, spiritual tone that we love so much from this period – so different than the later sound of his smoother records. Lonnie Liston Smith is on piano in the group – getting pretty outside at times, as on his work with Pharoah Sanders – and the combo also features lots of great percussion from Airto and Mtume, too. All tracks are nice and long, and very searching – and titles include "El Parana", "Antonico", "El Sertao", and "Maria Domingas". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set from the great Gato Barbieri – one of the gems from his earlier years on record, and an album that's very much in the best spirit of his sides for Impulse in the early 70s! There' definitely some Latin currents in the rhythm – not as strongly stated as on his Latin America series for that other label, but still there in the conception – and Gato blows with that sharp, soulful, spiritual tone that we love so much from this period – so different than the later sound of his smoother records. Lonnie Liston Smith is on piano in the group – getting pretty outside at times, as on his work with Pharoah Sanders – and the combo also features lots of great percussion from Airto and Mtume, too. All tracks are nice and long, and very searching – and titles include "El Parana", "Antonico", "El Sertao", and "Maria Domingas". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes themes by John Barry, plus selections by Buddy Holly, Dion & The Belmonts, Nicolas Cage with Pride & Joy (!), and Marshall Crenshaw Band. LP, Vinyl record album

An unmitigated blast of punk, worthy of setting the stage for the American hard core movement! While punk rock had been firmly established by the time this album came out, no one was prepared for the next level that Black Flag would take things to with this brutal, nihilistic, stripped down assault on the status quo! A classic that will stand up for ages, wit fist in the air anthems like "Rise Above", "Six Pack", "What I See", "TV Party", "Police Story", "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie", "Thirsty & Miserable", "Depression", "Padded Cell", "Damaged I", "Damaged II", "Life Of Pain", "Room 103" and "No More". LP, Vinyl record album

The group's led by Nicolas Vivas on bongoes, features Jose Cheo Andujar and Tony Rivas on vocals, and titles include "Esto Es Amor", "Que Ganas Tengo", "Amigos", "Ella Y Yo", "Recorriendo Tu Cuerpo", and "Atrevete A Ser Mujer". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet trio and solo set – with help from Chuck Domanico on bass and Cloni Bailey on drums. Titles include "The Blues Reclaimed", "Soon", "Pensativa", and "WPA Work Chant". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning soundtrack from the legendary Francis Lai – a record that got a fair bit of circulation at the time, as it was a follow up to his huge global hit, A Man & A Woman (aka Un Homme Et Une Femme)! The style here is equally great – a groovy sound that completely changed the way soundtrack music was used in the 60s – airy, jazzy, and with the same mix of bossa and mod styles that you might find in some of your favorite Italian soundtracks of the time – although at a global scale, we always think that Francis really set the tune for others to follow! There's some nice organ, great use of trumpet, and the record even has some groovy vocals at points from the wonderful Nicole Croisille – who'd sung on the Man & A Woman soundtrack, and also worked with Lai on other Saravah Records albums too. And in a way, since Pierre Barouh had a hand in some of these tunes, the whole thing is almost a precursor to Saravah – certainly, like A Man & A Woman, where Barouh had some help in raising the funds for that project. Titles include "Theme To Candice", "Theme To Catherine", "Theme To Robert", "All At Once It's Love", "Zoom", and a few versions of the title cut! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic set from vocalist Mark Murphy – easily one of his greatest albums ever! The session was recorded for the MPS label in Germany during the late 60s – at a time when Murphy was recording some excellent work overseas – and the album features backings by a small combo peeled off of the legendary Clark-Boland Big Band, who were also working for MPS at the time! Murphy's vocals get some tremendous backing on the set from a combo that includes Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet, Sahib Shihab on baritone and flute, Derek Humble on alto, and Ronnie Scott on tenor – and the grooves are a mix of modal numbers and straight jazz tunes – almost always dancing together in a lovely way that unlocks a side of Murphy's talents that hadn't been recorded this way before. And in fact, the album's gone onto have a huge influence on the current sound of club jazz – and is a key inspiration for the work of Nicola Conte, Koop, Five Corners Quintet, and others! The vocals are perfect, too – with nary a hint of overindulgence, and always a sweet measured groove that works perfectly with the material – and titles include "My Ship", "I Don't Want Nothin", "Hopeless", "Sconsolato", "Why & How", and "Just Give Me Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Stark, simple early work from Siouxsie & The Banshees – a set recorded when the punk scene that birthed them was only a few years old – but which already has them seeking out a great new sound of their own! Some of the songs here have a short, sharp approach – but others have a slower, spookier vibe – a bit like the same shift that John Lydon took when he formed Pil after the Sex Pistols – but with an obviously different pitch! Production is relatively simple and straightforward – leaving most of the energy to come from the fantastic guitars and Siouxsie's lead – on titles that include "Jigsaw Feeling", "Pure", "Carcass", "Helter Skelter", "Mirage", "Nicotine Stain", "Metal Postcard", and "Suburban Relapse". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Walker Brothers, Glass Candy, Pet Shop Boys, Giuseppe Verdi, New Order, Ray Martin, Peter Radcliff & Eva Abraham, Richard Wagner, and Anton Bruckner. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections by Mick Jagger, Luther Vandross, Billy Joel, Paul Young, Machinations, Dan Hartman, Kool & The Gang, Michel Colombier, Bruce Springsteen, and Nicole. LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from Greyboy – his first album in years, and well worth the wait! The set shows considerable growth in his style – yet should still also be extremely pleasing to fans of his older work, as he's kept the commitment to mixing heavy hip hop beats with tight funky jazz, and only expanded the mood to incorporate a lot of new influences. The mood of the album is nice and dark – and although a few tracks feature hip hop lyrics from Main Flow, the real strength of the set is in the instrumental grooves – augmented here by guest appearances by Dave Pike and Elgin Park. Titles include "Ghetto Boogie", "Mastered The Art", "Hold It Down", "Marrakesh", "Dealin With The Archives", "Bath Music", "Logan's Run", "Smokescreen", and "Mastered The Art (Nicola Conte Jet Sounds rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album