Totally excellent soundtrack to this late 70s horror film filled with spooky arpeggios, ominous drones and loads of atmospheric tones. Like many outher soundtracks of the time, this consists of a main theme that keeps cropping up in different formats. Fortunately, it's a great one! Tracks include "Intro & Main Title", "Welcome To Morningside/Hand IN Box", "Mineshaft Chase", "Phantasmagoria/Silver Sphere Disco", "Hearse Inferno", "Spacegate To Infinity", "Cemetery Spectres", "Phantasm Atmosphere", "Jody At Morningside/Just A Dream?", "Overturned Ice Cream Truck" and "End Of The Game". LP, Vinyl record album

Two of the best Nelson Riddle instrumental albums for Capitol Records – both of them nice and jazzy! Let Yourself Go is totally great – a set that soars out with the fire and energy of some of the best jazz-based big band albums of the 50s – with plenty of room for strong solos from the individual players (who sadly aren't named in the notes, but who are most likely the cream of the crop of the west coast!) In keeping with the Riddle vibe, there's some great twists and turns in the music – but hardly ever in a way that's just gimmick for gimmick's sake. Titles include "You're An Old Smoothie", "Let's Face The Music & Dance", "You Are My Lucky Star", "Let Yourself Go", "Darn That Dream", and "I Can't Escape From You". C'Mon Get Happy is a wonderful album too – a set that's almost like soundtrack jazz at its best – well conceived, and tightly arranged – but with some strong moments of individual instrumentation! There's a slight touch of sweetness at times, but never in a way that's too string-heavy – and instead, the emphasis here is mostly on the horns, which burst out with a great sense of power and sound. Titles include "Rain", "Diga Diga Doo", "Get Happy", "Time Was", "Without A Song", "Jeannine", and "September In The Rain". CD

3 killer CTI classics from Joe Farrell in a 2CD set! Penny Arcade has grooves so sharp you could cut your trousers on them! Farrell's angular reed style is in perfect form here – grooving with a small group that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Steve Gadd on drums, and Don Alias on percussion – a combo that's got a harder, tighter feel than most CTI groups – a key reason why Joe's records of this time are so legendary! Includes a version of Stevie Wonder's "Too High" – one that breaks all over the beginning with these riffs by Farrell, then grooves into a CTI electric funk mode for about 13 minutes. All tracks are long – and other tracks include "Hurricane Jane", "Geo Blue", "Penny Arcade", and "Cloud Cream". Upon This Rock is another massive set from the funky reedman – with a lean, edgy groove to the set that's totally great. One cut features a guest group – with Herbie Hancock on piano, Steve Gadd on drums, and Don Alias on percussion – and the album includes the massively break-heavy title cut "Upon This Rock", plus "Seven Seas", "I Won't Be Back", and "Weathervane". There's nothing canned on Canned Funk – as the sound, style, and groove of the record is as fresh and freaky as the classic image on the cover! The sax lines are as angular as the rhythms – tight, choppy, and completely funky – no wonder the record's a CTI classic that folks have dug for years! Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include "Canned Funk", "Animal", and "Spoken Silence". CD

We love this Jazz Liisa series from Finland – as it features unreleased work from the 70s, but which matches the quality of some of our favorite German and Japanese jazz records of the time! The first half of the set was recorded for Finnish radio, and features a group that really shows the power of that scene at the time! The lineup features trumpeter Mike Koskinen at the helm – blowing in a much more outside way than some of his later studio albums, with a cascading array of tones and soundshapes that recall some of the hipper British work of the end of the 60s – such as records like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs – both of whom would be good comparisons here, especially in the tension between the idea of the group, and the strong solos of the individual members. Other players include Juhani Aaltonen on tenor and flute, Mircea Stan on trombone, Kaj Backlund on trumpet, Pekka Poyry on flute and soprano sax, Olli Ahvenlahti on piano and Fender Rhodes, and Edward Vesala on drums – and titles include "PS DC", "Murusia 2", "Numero Puolitoista", "Song For Sally", and "Peretelmia". On the second half, Otto Dorner's just the conductor on the set – but it's also clear that he's a very musically-minded fellow, as the action he gets from the group on the session is really wonderful! The players are all sharp-edged instrumentalists who represent the cream of the Finnish jazz scene of the time – Juhani Aaltonen on tenor and flute, Markku Johansson on trumpet, Seppo Paakkunainen on baritone, and Christer Boustedt on alto – all musicians who really bring a lot of their individual voices to the performance, and are given great space to solo by Donner – in a way that reminds us of some of the more open-ended bigger band performances from the MPS Records releases of the early 70s. Titles include "Och Tusen Tusen Strala Ock", "For Her", and "Saxballad". CD

A 2CD tribute to the mighty Eddie Palmieri – one that's filled with some of his best work from the 60s and 70s! The 30 track collection features work from Eddie's key early years at the Alegre and his amazing mid period years on Tico – plus a few standout tracks from other labels like Coco and Barbaro, which stand as proof that Palmieri was always improving his groove as the years went on. The musical portrait here is a really amazing one – an evolution of sound that few other Latin musicians can match, served up with a great package that includes writings on Eddie's career and music. Titles include "Chocolate Ice Cream", "Ay Que Rico", "Palo De Mango", "Justicia", "Tema La Perfecta", "We've Loved Before", "Resemblance", "Cuidate Compay", "Azucar", "Cafe", "Si Echo Palante", "Lazaro Y Su Microfono", "Nada De Ti", "Una Rosa Espanola", "La Verdad", and "La Malanga". CD

Three groovy 70s albums from Buddy Rich! Roar Of 74 is one of the funkiest Buddy Rich albums of the 70s – a mad screaming affair that's overflowing with great tunes! The band on the set is very full – with a heck of a lot of trumpets in the brass section, set next to searing sax work by the great Pat LaBarbera. But even better is the rhythm section – which grooves in a hard electric funk mode, thanks to guitar from Joe Beck, bass from Tony Levin, and some surprisingly smoking drums from Buddy himself! Tracks are all very nicely grooving – and titles include "Kilimanjaro Cookout", "Nuttville", "Senator Sam", "Waltz Of The Mushroom Hunters", and "Big Mac". Last Blues Album has a misleading title, as there's nothing "blues" about this set – as Buddy Rich is working with some of the best soul jazz players of the Groove Merchant label – on a set that's one of his few small combo albums from the 70s! The vibe is very relaxed and laidback, and even Buddy's tight drumming can't over-hype the sound. Tracks are longish and open – more in the Prestige jazz mode of the 60s than the usual funkier style of the Groove Merchant label – and the sextet features Jimmy McGriff on organ, George Freeman on guitar, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Illinois Jacquet on tenor, and Bob Cranshaw on bass. Titles include "Soft Winds", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "How Long", "Courage", and "Alright". Very Live At Buddy's Place is hard-swinging Buddy Rich from the prime early 70s years – not exactly an all-out funk affair, but still a great groover, with plenty of hip little big band numbers! The groove here is nice and lean – and Buddy and the group are working at Buddy's own club – hitting that trademark all-out Rich sound, but still leaving plenty of room for the soloists. The group's got some great soul jazz players – including Sonny Fortune on alto, Jack Wilkins on guitar, and Kenny Barron on piano – as well as some really smoking tenor work from Sal Nistico, who's always adaptable to a setting like this. The album's got a tasty version of Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon", plus other nice tracks that include "Sierra Lonely", "Nica's Dream", "Billy's Bounce", "Cardin Blue" and "Jumpin At The Woodside". CD

A massive Muddy Waters double-header – filled with vintage recordings for Chess! First up is The Real Folk Blues – a classic packaging of Muddy Waters' famous early work for Chess Records – brought together with a cover and title that pitch him strongly towards the growing folk movement of the time! And, although most of these tracks were recorded in Chicago, with some electric guitar in the mix, there's a definitely folksy quality to most of the numbers – a down-home feel that's nice and gritty, stepping along with spare instrumentation alongside the vocals. Titles include "Mannish Boy", "Screamin & Cryin", "Just To Be With You", "Walkin Blues", "Walkin Through The Park", "Same Thing", and "Canary Bird". More Real Folk Blues is a 60s album, but one that's filled with some of the earliest recordings Muddy Waters made for Chess Records – all wrapped up in a title that proclaims his music as the real deal! The instrumentation here is all quite spare – varying combinations of electric guitar, harmonica, piano, and bass – all topped by Waters' wonderfully twanging vocals, heard here at a level that's still extremely fresh and without cliche! The tunes are the sort that bar bands have been ruining for decades, but they still sound great in the originals – and titles include "Sad Letter", "Gonna Need My Help", "Train Fare Blues", "Too Young To Know", "Honey Bee", "My Life Is Ruined", and "She's All Right". CD

The incredible lost album from the group Sisters Love – material slated for release in the early 70s, but never saw the light of day, save for a handful of singles – a mix of rootsier southern soul and impeccable west coast funk styles, finally brought to light and with bonus tracks, to boot! Sisters Love came to Motown/MoWest at a transitional time for the label(s), who sent the group on tour, released a rare few singles in the US & UK, but didn't get the group over into the public consciousness the way it deserved. Great songs that were written, produced & arranged by the cream of the crop of soulful talents – Willie Hutch, Hal Davis, Gene Page, Gloria Jones & Pamela Sawyer – but this is the Sisters Love show, and they shine brilliantly! Titles include the amazing "Fast Mack" (purportedly submitted for the soundtrack to The Mack – and it's funky enough!), "Communication", "Mr Fix-It Man", "You've Got My Mind", "Just A Little Understanding", "I'm Learning To Trust My Man", "Giving Up", "Do What You Gotta Do","You've Got To Make Your Choice", "Sweet Inspiration", "Give Me Your Love" and "Turn On Your Love Light". CD

The incredible lost album from the group Sisters Love – material slated for release in the early 70s, but never saw the light of day, save for a handful of singles – a mix of rootsier southern soul and impeccable west coast funk styles, finally brought to light! Sisters Love came to Motown/MoWest at a transitional time for the label(s), who sent the group on tour, released a rare few singles in the US & UK, but didn't get the group over into the public consciousness the way it deserved. Great songs that were written, produced & arranged by the cream of the crop of soulful talents – Willie Hutch, Hal Davis, Gene Page, Gloria Jones & Pamela Sawyer – but this is the Sisters Love show, and they shine brilliantly! Titles include the amazing "Fast Mack" (purportedly submitted for the soundtrack to The Mack – and it's funky enough!), "Communication", "Mr Fix-It Man", "You've Got My Mind", "Just A Little Understanding", "I'm Learning To Trust My Man", "Giving Up", "Do What You Gotta Do","You've Got To Make Your Choice", "Sweet Inspiration", "Give Me Your Love" and "Turn On Your Love Light". CD

It's been many years since Ural Thomas recorded his first soul single – and if anything, the passage of time has only made his voice sound even more wonderful – with a contemporary richness that we never would have heard back at the start! The set's not the first "comeback" album that Ural has cut with his younger group, The Pain – but it may well be the one that pushes him over the top, and gets the singer the sort of newfound global attention he finally deserves after all these years! Titles include "Heaven", "Gimme Some Ice Cream", "Second Dimension", "Apple Pie", "Ol Safiya", "El Ey Em Eh", "Do You Remember The Times", "Hung Up On My Dream", and "My Favorite Song". LP, Vinyl record album