One of the grooviest spaghetti western scores we've ever heard – penned for an early collaboration between Terence Hill and Bud Spencer! The main theme "Trinity" starts off with some cool vocal backing by Alessandro Alessandroni's I Cantori Moderni, singing underneath the English-language lead vocal – and the group also make an appearance on the film's reprise of this song at the end of the movie. Other tracks mix together guitar, organ, whistling, and some other cool sonic elements that give the soundtrack a cool late 60s feel that reminds us more of some lost French gem than an Italian thriller! Titles include "Lazy Cowboy", "Un Cowboy e Due Ragazze", "Di Fronte Ai Killers", "Trinity: Con La Stella Di Viceseriffo", and "C'e Un Tempo Per Vincere". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky grooves, floating vocals, mellow keyboards, and a whole lot more – easily one of the greatest soundtracks ever from the legendary Armando Trovajoli – and certainly one of the grooviest too! There's a sublime quality to this score that's well made Sessomatto one of the best-remembered albums from the glory years of the Italian soundtracks – a sense of space, pacing, and timing that are simply breathtaking – and which are the perfect summation of Trovajoli's earlier experiments in music. As with his score to La Matriarca, the instrumentation here varies often – sometimes a bit of horns, nicely compressed; sometimes a floating harmonica line; sometimes keyboards; and sometimes a funky rhythm topped with vocals – all woven together in a rich pastiche of styles that makes the album one of the deepest soundtracks you'll hope to own from the time. LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure how much research went into the album – but we can definitely say that's got the sound just right – this sublime variation on Italian studio funk, served up here with all the right elements! The record's got an electric slink that would be right at home on the CTI/Kudo labels – but the groove is also more compact, and understated – as befits the Italian sound library origins of the set – still the right kind of jazzy solos, but with a good sense of economy and strong adherence to rhythm throughout! There's loads of great keyboards on the set – used in many nice flavors – and titles include "Splash Down", "Intimate Conversation", "The Taste Of Repeat", "Smooth & Manly", "Rhythm Phasing Blues", and "Sweet Foolishness". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool record from Luis Bacalov – and one with a sound that's quite different than some of his more familiar, more sentimental soundtrack material! This one's got a wild mix of modes – from moody, atmospheric tracks, to funky bits, to more tripped-out passages – all with instrumentation that feels much more like it's from the Piccioni or Umiliani camp than the usual Bacalov styles! The whole thing's one of the more obscure numbers in Luis' soundtrack catalog – but it may well also be one of the best, thanks to titles that include "Hello Quincey", "Tucumania", "Nago", "Pinha Tamburim", "Lisa G", "Members Only", and "Anagramma". LP, Vinyl record album

A great compilation – despite the title – one that features west coast recordings made by Savoy, showing the less "cool jazz" side of the LA scene in the late 40s and early 50s! There's some excellent material on here not available elsewhere – especially some great bop groovers in the Central Ave kind of mode. The album's got 4 tracks by Slim Gaillard – "The Jam Man", "Slim's Riff", "I'm Confessin'" and "Oxydol Highball" plus "Blow Blow Blow" by the Wardell Gray All-Stars, 3 takes each of "Blues A La Russ" and "Wake Up Old Maid" by Russell Jacquet, 'What Is This Thing Called Love" by Wild Bill Moore and Gene Montgomery, "Strollin'", "Sonor", "Blues Mood", "Skoot" and "I've Lost Your Love" by a KennY Clarke Sextet that features Milty Jackson and Gerald Wiggins and 4 numbers from Helen Humes. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Brazilian soundtrack on Som Livre – one that features work recorded for this story set in the 50s, which gives most of the tracks a rock n roll-ish kind of sound, a bit like the jovem guarda work coming out of Brazil in the 60s. A few titles are covers of American pop or rock tunes – and there's a few bossa ditties thrown on the end to even things out a bit. Titles include "Ela E Carioca" by Os Cariocas, "Bata Baby" by Wilson Miranda, "Tete" by Silvinha Telles, "Sereno" by Paulo Molin, "Banho De Lua" by Celly Campello, "Broto Legal" by Sergio Murilo, "Meu Mundo Caiu" by Maysa, and "Quem E?" by Osmar Navarro. LP, Vinyl record album

Extremely compelling work by the team of Toquinho & Vinicius! The album's a soundtrack to the Globo TV show O Bem Amado – and it's one of a number of albums that were recorded for Brazilian soap operas during the early 70s, most of which (including this one!) feature rare work that didn't appear on other LPs. The arrangements are great – handled on one track by Rogerio Duprat – and the record's got a baroque feel that reminds us of the best work on EMI/Odeon from the same time. A few tracks feature vocals by Maria Creusa, some by Toquinho, either solo or with Vinicius, and one by the Coral Som Livre. Includes the great groovy "Paiol De Polvora", plus "Meu Pai Oxala", "Cotidiano No 2", "Veja Voce", "Patota De Ipanema", and "No Colo Da Serra". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer Brazilian soundtrack! The record is a mix of funky easy tracks – in a Blue Brazil kind of mode – with other titles played by trumpeter Marcio Montarroyos that have a jazzier edge to them. The whole thing's kind of a mad mix of old and new Brazilian styles of music, touched by just a bit of 70s sleaze to give it a cool edge. Titles include "As Moca" by Osmar Milito e Trama, "Mentira" by Marcos Valle, "Amar Sofrer E Sonhar" by Nuvens, "Posso Ver O Mundo Pela Janela" by Trama, "Manha De Sol" by Piry, and "Maria", "Mulher", "Carinhoso", and "No Ranco Fundo" by Marcio Montarroyos. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastically funky tunes from Italy! This set's one of the funkiest batches of sound library tunes we've heard in ages – pulled together by producer Aldo Sinesio, who recorded the material back in the 70s for his obscure Fly Records label. Sinesio's got a great ear for the funky bassline – and these tracks are rippingly great instrumentals with a heavy groove on nearly every cut. Keyboards are the main solo instrument – as Hammond and piano wail away on the melody, while bass and drums roll away underneath, punching out a very funky sound! Titles include "Ramsey", "Wave", "Halloo", "Lapedusa", "Crossway", "La Gang", "Week End", "Senza Propsettive", and "Trice". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from the glory days of the Brazilian TV soundtrack – with cuts from Agepe, Vanusa, Jards Macale, Bandits Of Love, Guilherme Arantes, Martinho Da Vila, Paulinho Da Viola, Beth Carvalo, and Mario Gomes! LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by some of the greatest Brazilian singers and songwriters of the 70s! The material was recorded exclusively for this TV soundtrack in 1976 – and although the scope of the story stretches back to the early 20th century, the feel of most of the material is prime mid 70s MPB. Overall, this is one of the more introspective titles in this series of classic Som Livre soundtracks – as you might guess from the range of material and performers. Titles include "So Louco" by Gal Costa, "Latin Lover" by Joao Bosco, "O Casarao" by Dori Caymmi, "Coisas Da Vida" by Rita Lee, "Tangara" by Coral Som Livre, "A Dor A Mais" by Francis Hime, "Retrato" by Sueli Costa, and "Carolina" by Aquarius. LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great little album – recorded on the occasion of the Ensemble's third decade in music, and a record that sounds a lot better than we remember! At the time of release, we kind of "pooh poohed" this one because of its divergence from some of the group's other styles – some tracks are straighter, more composed, and less improvised; others use a larger sound palette, and go for themes that are almost sentimental and nostalgic at times. Yet somehow, going back to this one, we're stunned at how interesting we find the whole thing – as each track seems to offer up a new surprise, and the series of musical visions expressed shows how much the group had grown during their time together. Includes the wonderful "Prayer For Jimbo Kwesi", the percussive jammer "Third Decade", the sonorously-wonderful "Bell Piece", and the tracks "Walking In The Moonlight", "Zero", and "Funky AECO". LP, Vinyl record album

You might know Cochemea Gastelum from his work in The Dap-Kings over the years – but this time around, the saxophonist is very much his own man – blowing a version of his instruments that often seems electrified, ala classic Varitone from the late 60s – used in these really new and compelling ways! Cochemea has occasional tribal impulses that belie his look on the cover – but all in this very focused way that never sounds too indulgent, and which instead always steps back to the soulful territory we love from Daptone Records! And yet the record's also maybe something new for the label too – looser, never straight funk or soul – as Cochemea heads up this fantastic ensemble that's very heavy on percussion, which drives the sound with a raw, rootsy vibe – while Victor Axelrod plays keyboards, and the man himself blows on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. A real killer – with titles that include "Maso Ye'Eme", "All My Relations", "Sonora", "Los Muertos", "Mescalero", "Song Of Happiness", and "Mitote". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare German session by Hampton Hawes – recorded in trio format with backing by two of Europe's best rhythm players, bassist Eberhard Weber and drummer Klaus Weiss – and in a groove that's really wonderful! There's a great tone to the record that's evident from the very first note – a warmth, and almost bell-like quality that we don't always remember from other Hawes albums, and which makes this one really special. Backing is by Eberhard Weber on bass and Klaus Weiss on drums – and both players are heard here in rapt reverence to Hampton's work on the keys, but still with enough of a force to color in the record with their presence, especially in the case of Weber's bass. Titles include some tasty originals – like "Hamp's Blues", "Rhythm", "Sonora", and "Black Forest Blues" – plus versions of "Autumn Leaves" and "I'm All Smiles" LP, Vinyl record album

A very open, spacious sort of set from the German jazz scene of the 70s – one that's very different than both the hard-driving fusion of the time, and some of the more free jazz-styled work from the avant garde! There's a lean lineup here – a group that features a variety of flutes from leader Dieter Bihlmaier, mixed with the bass of Jan Jankeje and drums and percussion of Gerhard Ziegler – plus added vibes from Gerhard Dietz on the second half of the record, which really helps the sound take off. Overall, there's almost a style that's in the more experimental, spiritual side of the MPS/Saba world, with a similar care for the overall sound and conception of the set – on titles that include "Arco Oriental", "Roulette", "Ovation", "Maskerade", "Polyp's Lullaby", and "Echoes". LP, Vinyl record album

Overlooked genius from Hampton Hawes – one of a number of excellent albums made during a late 60s stint on the European scene – and a set that really has Hamp pushing forward from his previous albums in the US! The tracks are wonderfully fluid – set fire with that Hawes style that was already magical at the start, but which really seemed to find a new sort of energy overseas – possibly here because of the excellent rhythms from Jimmy Woode on bass and Art Taylor on drums – also two players who were really coming into their own at the time. Hampton's got this great blend of lyricism and soulful swing – one that feels a bit like some of the MPS projects that Woode was recording at the time with other players, and which makes the album a real treasure in Hawes' catalog. Every cut save one is an original – and titles include "Sonora", "Blues Enough", "Black Forest", "Spanish Steps", and "Dangerous". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary Japanese series of compilations, featuring some killer Latin groovers selected by the DJ team of Raphael Sebbag (UFO) and Izuru Utsumi! This set's got a very cool blend of 60s and 70s material, with a nice groovy edge that adds a bit of Latin soul to the mix. Titles include "There You Go" by Fania All Stars, "Shade Of Time" by Roberto Roena, "Cobarde" by Ricardo Marrero, "Sha-La Means I Love You" by Louie Ramirez, "Oh Calcutta" by Tony Pabon, "Boranda" by Sonora Poncena, and "Mrs. Robinson" by Ricardo Ray. Lots more nice ones, and limited on vinyl! LP, Vinyl record album