A killer groove – and a legendary jazzy single from the Chicago scene! The cut was licensed from Disco Magic in Italy, and it's presented here in the US Hillbilly House pressing, which includes the monster "piano groove" mix, the kind of jazzy instrumental that's pure Chicago steppers music, with a groove that meshes nicely with other reggae inspired stepper's cuts, like "Chief Inspector". . . 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the rare few albums recorded by Sambalanco Trio in the 60s – a brilliant mix of piano, bass, and drums – and still the blueprint for the bossa combo sound! The group featured a young Airto on drums, Cesar Camargo Mariano on piano, and Humberto Clayber on bass – and the sound here is a bit more complicated than usual for a bossa group, with lots of flowing lines on piano, and a complicated approach to the music that often has the group running through a lot of time changes in a very short span. Includes the tracks "Improviso Negro", "Deus Brasileiro", "Estamos Ai", "Nana", "Reza", "Samba De Verao", and "Voce". (Also issued as a self-titled album, on the Som/Maior label.) CD

Wonderful early work from Ray Barretto – proof that he was one heck of a hip cat, even at the start! The album's got an approach to Latin jazz that's certainly informed by the charanga sound of the New York scene in the early 60s – but one that's also opened up a bit more to new ideas – bits of bossa nova, heavy percussion, and some odd instrumental twists that really make the album sparkle! There's some haunting violin work on one track, a bit of odd organ on another, and a very playful mix of flute, piano, and percussion throughout. The great Jose Combo Silva plays tenor on the date – and other players include Jose Canoura on flute, Alfredito Valdez on piano, and El Negro Vivar on trumpet. Ray's on congas, bongos, and timbales – and titles include "Sugar's Delight", "Carnaval", "Descarga La Moderna", "El Negro Y Ray", and "Cocinando Suave". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of amazing records from percussionist Dom Um Romao – back to back in a single set! The self-titled Dom Um Romao is an unbelievably fantastic album, and perhaps the greatest one that Dom Um Romao ever cut! Dom recorded this set in America with a blend of Brazilian and New York musicians – creating an incredible sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – a rich harmony of Brazilian roots and more creative 70s electric instrumentation – filled with complicated shades, tones, and colors! We'd place this record next to the best electric work by David Axelrod, the dopest funk on CTI, and a rare few other jazz funk albums from the 70s – and the whole thing's completely sublime all the way through! Players include Joao Donato on piano, Dom Salvador on Fender Rhodes, Lloyd McNeil on flute, Mauricio Smith on tenor and soprano sax, Sivuca on organ and guitar, and Joe Beck on electric guitar – and titles include the spare spacey groover "Dom's Tune", the lively dancer "Cinnamon Flower", the jazzy "Family Talk", a great version of "Ponteio", and a take on Sivuca's "Adeus Maria Fulo". Spirit Of The Times is an incredible set of Brazilian jazz – one of the few albums that percussionist Dom Um Romao recorded as a leader, and sublime all the way through! The record's got a wonderful blend of funky fusion and Brazilian percussion – and features a group from two continents that includes Sivuca on organ, Dom Salvador on electric piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Jerry Dodgion on alto sax, Lloyd McNeill on flute, and Mauricio Smith on tenor, soprano, and flute. Includes the percussion jammer "Shake (Ginga Gingou)", the modal groover "Wait on the Corner", and the lively scatting tune "The Angels" – but the whole album's great, and other tracks include "The Salvation Army", "Kitchen", and "Lamento Negro". CD

An incredible set of Brazilian jazz – one of the few albums that percussionist Dom Um Romao recorded as a leader, and sublime all the way through! The record's got a wonderful blend of funky fusion and Brazilian percussion – and features a group from two continents that includes Sivuca on organ, Dom Salvador on electric piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Jerry Dodgion on alto sax, Lloyd McNeill on flute, and Mauricio Smith on tenor, soprano, and flute. Includes the percussion jammer "Shake (Ginga Gingou)", the modal groover "Wait on the Corner", and the lively scatting tune "The Angels" – but the whole album's great, and other tracks include "The Salvation Army", "Kitchen", and "Lamento Negro". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful collection of unreleased jazz recordings from the overseas scene – the kind of open-ended, freewheeling work that brings together American and European musicians in a style that's similar to some of the best albums on the MPS/Saba label! The first CD in the collection is especially great – as it features a much-needed performance as a leader by the great alto saxophonist Pony Poindexter – a great artist who contributed much to the Count Basie band in the 50s and 60s, but hardly ever got to work on his own! Here, Pony blows beautifully on a set of very long tracks – getting help from the mighty Benny Bailey on trumpet (another player we love in a small group setting!), plus a young Jan Hammer on organ and piano, George Mraz on bass, and Michael Dennert on drums. The set list is nicely different from another live Poindexter album of the time – and titles include "Orfeu Negro Samba", "Moonrider", "How Long", "Jive Samba", and "Bigfoot". Next is the famous west coast team of Frank Rosolino on trombone and Conte Candoli on trumpet – really soaring here in a German live date from 1975, a few short years before Frank's death. The tracks are long, and both players have really opened up their sound – and seem to get extra inspiration from a very cool rhythm trio that features Rob Pronk on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Todd Canedy on drums – on the tracks "Conversation", "Nica's Dream", "All The Things You Are", and "Waltz For Diane". Next up is a more homegrown talent – the great Fritz Pauer, working on both acoustic and electric piano, and getting some great help on bass from Jimmy Woode – who you might know best for his work in the Clarke Boland Big Band. The group here is just a quartet – and also includes Joe Harris on percussion and Erich Bachtraegl on drums – a very rhythmic combo that may well make the 1972 performance one of Pauer's funkiest moments! Titles include "A Walk In The English Garden", "Blues For DS", "Ham Hocks", "Blues For Mr Jones", "Ridin Home", "Now Hear My Meaning", and "Gentle Eyes". Last up is Art Farmer – really soaring on a set of long live tracks recorded in 1978 – with a quartet that features Gerd Francesconi on piano, Gunter Lenz on bass, and Billie Brooks on drums! Art's in great shape here – really opening up with imaginative solos that never lose their energy – on titles that include "Some Time Ago", "Namely You", "Blue Bossa", "Some Other Time", and "I Remember Clifford". CD

Two fantastic albums from Hugo Montenegro – back to back on a single CD! Hugo In Wonder-Land is one of Hugo Montenegro's best moog albums – and a killer batch of tracks written by Stevie Wonder – hence the title! Hugo and crew go to town with a host of electric keyboards – including moogs and Arps, backed up by some straight electric piano – and they lay down 10 smooth funky renditions of Stevie Wonder hits from the late 60s and early 70s. The approach is a great one, and it really gives substance to Montenegro's moogy musings – which sometimes can lack direction. Includes great versions of "Living For The City", "Too High", "Superstition", "Higher Ground", "You've Got It Bad, Girl", and "All In Love Is Fair". Niel's Diamonds is a weird and wonderful record – the early hits of Neil Diamond, played on the moog and ARP by the mighty Hugo Montenegro! The approach to the set is pretty darn cool – as it takes 10 of Neil's best early tunes, and runs them through arrangements by Montenegro that run from funky to groovy to dreamy – and which feature some very strange use of electronics! Sparkling and weird all the way through – with versions of "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon", "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show", "Sweet Caroline", "Two-Bit Man Child", "Porcupine Pie", and more! CD

A wonderful collection of Latin recordings from postwar France – all recorded by Cuban native Filiberto Rico, an artist who moved between Havana and Paris in the early part of his life – and seemed to leave quite a musical legacy in the process! Rico was part of seminal Cuban recordings of the 30s, and definitely has the chops to make his French recordings come across at a level that rivals the music taking place in his homeland at the end of the 40s – but there's also a nice current of American jump blues on some of these numbers too – which almost creates a jukebox mambo sort of vibe – as Latin percussion, rolling piano lines, and well-blown saxophone solos take off alongside the vocals! Singers here include Fermin Lorenzo Jova, Antonio Picallo, Emilio Aarmengol, Doris Marnier, and Carlos Petrel – and titles include "Somos Differentes", "Angelitos Negros", "Se Acabo", "Pajarito", "Tumba", "Tu Felicidad", "Dinorah", "Colibri", "Sabrosura", "La Ola Marina", and "La Television" 36 tracks in all! CD

Lester Bowie's no pretender here – as he really sounds great as a leader on his own, away from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – really finding his voice in music, and dipping into a full range of styles and expressions! Bowie's keen wit and sensitivity both come into play here – and the album's a bit more open and free than his Brass Fantasy years – almost hearkening back to elements of his St Louis scene, but with a bit more dynamism overall. Other players include Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Donald Smith on piano and organ, Fred Williams on bass, and Phillip Wilson on drums – and both David Peatson and Fontella Bass sing on the extended track "The Great Pretender", which spans a good chunk of the album's first half. Other titles include "It's Howdy Doody Time", "Rose Drop", "Rios Negros", and "Oh How The Ghost Sings". CD

Groovy stuff! After paying tribute to Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan on other LPs, Hugo Montenegro turns his talents to the groovy compositions of Elton John in this nice album of moogy instrumentals. There's lots of nice electric keyboards, Arp, synth, and electric piano, and the rest of the backing's nice and jazzy. Titles include "Rocket Man", "Bitch Is Back", and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" – plus the originals "Splashdown" and "Blastoff". LP, Vinyl record album