A stylistic triumph for southern hip hop soul hero Sleepy Brown – a late 90s throwback to smoky, sultry late 70s funk & soul in style and approach, but with the bright and thumping sound of the finest, most soul-steeped Organized Noize/dirty south hip hop of the time, a la peers and frequent collaborators lik Outkast & Goodie Mob. Sleepy's Theme sounds especially good in hindsight, as it was really ahead of it's time circa 1998 in the way blends classic funky soul influences with a contemporary vibe, prefiguring what would be a huge hitmaking formula for Cee-Lo and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below-era Outkast come the early 00s! Includes "Can't Let Go", "Court Room", "Choked Out Saturday Night", "Still Smokin'", "Simply Beautiful", "Fallin' In Love Again", "Curse On You", "Black Cherry", "Grind On", "The Ride (Private Party)", "Conversation", "Menage A Trois" and more. CD

A whole new genre of disco – served up by one of the biggest club collectors in the world! Dimitri's the man who's guided us through so many other great sets of rare disco tracks over the years – and this time around, he's launching new look at the form! Cocktail Disco is a unique variation that's often heavy on orchestrations, and which sometimes has echoes of older jazz, vocal, or Latin recordings – classic influences that simmer nicely through the mix – and help deepen the sound of the already-soulful late 70s style! And although "cocktail" normally means laidback or sleepy, these tunes definitely aren't – because all tracks here are in a soaring midtempo mode or better – cuts you'd be happy to play with some of the funkier numbers on the dancefloor, and which should stand out nicely, given their unique twist. 2CD set features 21 titles that include "Summertime" by Blue Velvets, "What You Need Is My Love" by Cindy Rodriguez, "It's Got To Be Love" by Darcus, "Ocean's Apart" by Vast Majority, "Show You The Way To Go" by Charlie's Roots, "Again" by Night People, "Lady Of The Night" by Ray Martinez, "Disco Village" by J Elliot Group, "Something About You" by Moses, "Baby I Just Wanna Love You" by Jonell Allen", "Canteen" by Serenade, "Starflight" by The Band Who Fell To Earth, "Take Me With You" by Ralfi Pagan, "Never Too Late" by Ms Victoria Barnes, and "Girl From Ipanema (disco version)" by Astrud Gilberto. CD

Louis Armstrong's opening night set at the first ever Monterey Jazz Festival – recordings now released for the first time ever – a walloping batch of trad jazz perfection from the inimitable Satchmo! The sound quality here is impeccable, and so are the players – including Trummy Young on trombone and vocals, Peanuts Hucko on clarinet, Mort Herbert on bass, Danny Barcelona on drums and occasion vocals from Velma Middleton. Loads of great tunes – with Louis rolling back and forth from avuncular vocals to his heavy trumpet. 18 tracks in all: Includes in intro by the Dizzy Gillespie, plus "When It's Sleepy Down South", "Blueberry Hill", "Tiger Rag", "Now You Has Jazz", "High Society Calypso", "Bucket's Got A Hole In It", "Autumn Leaves", "After You've Gone", "Stompin' At The Savoy", "Undecided", "When The Saints Go Marching In" and more. CD

Four classic albums from one of the early masters of exotica! First up is Ritual Of The Savage – one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the time! Before this record, most attempts at exotica were simple instrumental pop, colored with slight worldly instrumentation – or too-dreamy recordings, putting over a sleepy version of life on the islands. Enter Les Baxter, who had an amazing ear for sounds, rhythms, and arrangements – one that was the first to record this sort of music in a way that was sonically evocative, and could stand on its own without other referents. Instrumentation is often conventional, but used oddly here – and Baxter's original compositions are all pretty darn great – playful without being goofy, and nicely mixing Latin and Pacific rhythms at the bottom. Titles include "Busy Port", "The Ritual", "Coronation", "Jungle Jalopy", and Les' original version of "Quiet Village". Next up is The Passions – a really obscure box set recording – done as Les Baxter's classic exploitation of "a woman's passions", using vocalist Bas Sheva in the role of the tormented female! Sheva's got a bold, evocative style that's not unlike Yma Sumac – and she sings here wordlessly, as an added instrument on top of Baxter's orchestrations – playing the role of the inner psyche of woman, on titles that include "Lust", "Terror", "Joy", "Hate", "Ecstasy", and "Despair"! The whole thing's a mini docu-drama in sound – beautifully recorded in a flurry of red, blue, and other chromatic hues – not as exotic as Baxter's other work from the 50s, but equally great as a modern sonic psychoanalytic text! Tamboo was cut with Les Baxter's orchestra and chorus – and it's a swirling mass of tribal drums, singing strings, and moody voices that would forever change the face of easy listening. Les' compositions are astounding – filled with all the sophistication of a great soundtrack, but simple enough to evoke the fake primitive charm of the album's cover. Every cut is great – and tracks include "Simba", "Oasis of Dakhla", "Mozambique", and "Zambezi". The cover's got a gorgeous blue painting of natives dancing in the background, while a drummer drums in front. Caribbean Moonlight is not as all-out exotic as some of Les' earlier Capitol albums, but still pretty darn great! The theme here is Caribbean exotic, and the rhythms have a little bit more of Cuba and Haiti than they do of primitive Borneo. Les handles them nicely, as always, and contributes some wonderful arrangements to the album. Titles include "Deep Night", "Green Eyes", "Sway", "Out Of This World", and "Adios". CD

A lot more brash and bold than you might guess from the title – not just sleepy seduction music, but a batch of really dynamic tunes that will really push the limits of your hi-fi! Most numbers here are instrumental, although some of them have some occasional vocal refrains in the mix – and most have rhythms that are slinky and seductive – never too over the top, but filled with jazzy flourishes and some compelling instrumental moments – so much so that you'll be fine in your pad on your own, even without a girl! Titles include "Like Young" by Dave Pell, "Playboy's Penthouse" by Cy Coleman, "Shangri La" by Spike Jones, "A Shot In The Dark" by Jimmie Haskell, "Melancholy Sounds" by King Curtis, "Night Train" by Alvin Rey, "The Beast" by Milt Buckner, "Cool" by Lou Busch, "Sexe" by Line Renaud, "Caravan" by John Buzon Trio, "Spring Sprang Sprung" by Jack Fascinato, and "Theme From Our Man Flint" by Elliot Fischer. CD

A wonderful compilation the late 40s Modern recordings of piano player, singer and all around musical pioneer Hadda Brooks – with all the tracks from the original Queen Of The Boogie 78s package – and 18 additional tracks from the period! Hadda is a lovely singer, and the set has a number of sweet vocal numbers, but her most lasting impact is no doubt her easygoing, but masterful boogie piano playing. Fittingly, there's a huge number of instrumental treasures here, and it's really tough to imagine a lot of the great R&B and 50s rock and roll piano taking hold if trailblazers like Hadda Brooks didn't get the ball rolling! Includes "Juke Box Boogie", "Bully Wully Boogie", "Boogie At The Bandstand", "Night Life", "Sleepy Time Gal", "Humoresque Boogie", "Strollin' 'N' Rollin'", "Basin Street Blue", "Moonglow", "743 Blues", "Hungara (Gypsy)", "Greig's Concerto Boogie In A Minor", "Stardust" and more. 24 tracks in all – a solid dozen of which were recorded for Modern in the late 40s, but were never before released! CD

Michael Chapman's incredible first album for Harvest – one of the best British folk rock albums of the era! At this point, Chapman was working with unique mix of acoustic folk genius and electric experimentation – and this record features some of best songs in his canon. Guests include bassist Danny Thompson of Pentangle, plus Rick Kemp, Barry Morgan and Clem Clempson. Includes "It Didn't Work", "Rainmaker", "You Say", "No One Left To Care", "Small Stones", "No Song To Sing", "One Time Thing", "Sunday Morning", "Goodbye To Monday Night", "Not So Much A Garden-More Like A Maze" and more. This CD version on Light In The Attic has 6 bonus tracks: mono versions of "Anniversary", "Among The Trees", "Sleepy", "Mozart Lives Upstairs" and "Bert Jansch Meets Frankenstein", plus "On My Way Again". CD

Some of the hippest American work of the 70s by vocalist Johnny Hartman – smooth, sophisticated, and with a groove that's almost somewhat different than his more famous records of the decade before! Hartman's captured here in a live setting that's intimate, but never too sleepy or standard – warmly relaxed with backing from a trio that includes Reggie Moore on piano and Bill English on bass – and recorded with some great between-songs patter from Johnny, showing a charm that goes even beyond his studio sides. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Didn't We", "Watch What Happens", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", "Bidin My Time", "If", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "I've Got To Be Me", "Blues", and "Lush Life". CD also features 8 bonus tracks – recorded live in Tokyo in 1977 with Roland Hanna on piano and George Mraz on bass – on titles that include "Send In The Clowns", "My Foolish Heart", "On A Clear Day", "Summertime", and "The Way We Were". CD

Acoustic sounds from two players who made their mark during the fusion generation – and a wonderful illustration that at their core, both Bob James and David Sanborn are pretty darn great jazz musicians! The album's got a laidback vibe that's wonderful – these flowing lines on acoustic piano from James, mixed with Sanborn's well-blown alto and soprano sax solos – moving with this mellow groove that's never sleepy, and certainly never cheesy in a commercial way – just a great late night sort of mode with a surprisingly classic feel. The quartet also features Steve Gadd on drums and James Genus on bass – both working at a well-matched pace with the leaders – and titles include "Geste Humain", "You Better Not Go To College", "Maputo", "Deep In The Weeds", and "Genevieve". CD

A rare holiday album from string maestro Felix Slatkin – one of the more dynamic orchestra leaders to record for Liberty Records during the glory days of bachelor pad music! Felix is usually in a style that's got more zing in the strings – but here, he steps things down a bit for a set of Holiday goodies – turning his orchestra arrangements to Christmas tunes, with a slight flair from time to time that keeps the record from sounding as sleepy as it might if it were on a label like Columbia or Decca. Titles include "Deck The Halls", "White Christmas", "Adeste Fideles", "O Holy Night", "Joy To The World", and "Away In A Manger". CD

Plenty of crazy rhythms here – as singers Chiemi Eri and Carl Jones are joined by Japanese jazzmen who include Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, saxophonists Sadao Watanabe and Sleepy Matsumoto, guitarist Shungo Sawada, and the Hideo Shiraki Quintet! The backings on all tracks are superb – and elevate the already-great team of Eri and Jones to a wonderful new level – one that easily matches some of the hippest vocal jazz sessions cut in the US during the same period, especially some of the more inventive albums on the soul jazz side of the spectrum. Titles include "The Big Twister", "My Funny Valentine", "Just Squeeze Me", "Love Is Here To Stay", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Midnight Sun Will Never Set". CD

A beautiful tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim – one recorded especially for the Japanese market, and featuring original recordings by some of our favorite Japanese artists – including Monday Michiru, Bird, Tica, Orange Pekoe, Akiko, Noa Noa, and Ino Hidefumi! The lyrics here are often in English, and the overall style's a bit like some of the American bossa sessions of the 60s – warm and jazzy, with backings that are full, but never too lush to be sleepy – cast in just the right blend of influences to make the package a really fresh take on the sound of Jobim – one that honestly sparkles a lot more than most recent efforts of this type from Brazil. French bossa maestro Pierre Barouh also works on the record – and titles include "Double Rainbow", "Samba De Maria Luiza", "Two Kites", "Quiet Nights", "One Note Samba", "Ela E Carioca", "Someone To Light Up My Life", "No More Blues", and "Wave". CD