... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest records ever cut by studio jazz genius Janko Nilovic! This set definitely earns the "soul" in the title – as Janko blends his usual mad mix of studio sounds with some heavier 70s elements – including a fair bit of fuzzy guitar, funky beats, and some nice horn fills. About half the tracks on the album benefit from this sort of approach – kind of a cross between blacksploitation soundtrack scoring and the tighter instrumental moods of work by The Duke of Burlington. The other half is more in Janko's usual bag – nicely groovy jazz numbers, some with a slinky 70s edge! Titles include "Hippocampus", "Open Country", "Crazy Enterprise", "Drug Song", "Soul Impressions", "Man Of Genius", "Push Push", and "Family Tree". LP, Vinyl record album

Joao Selva has a great way of bridging classic Brazilian modes and contemporary sounds – a quality we loved on his debut, and which seems to be even more fully-formed here on his second release! Maybe that past/present quality is no surprise, though, when you consider that the record's a collaboration with Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart – a man who's given us so much great music over the years, often in ways that move between decades and global scenes – borrowing just the right bits, and making something really new and fresh in the process! Selva almost acts like a lyrical focus for the grooves of Patchworks – who's equally at home in a Brazilian setting as he is in other tropical modes – on titles that include "Meu Mano", "Cade Voce", "Navegar", "Se Voce", "Tudo Vai Dar Pe", and "Devagar". LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary record, but one with a really vintage Brazilian vibe – thanks to superb vocals and guitar from Joao Selva, and just the right sort of additional instrumentation and production from Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart! If you know other Patchworks productions, you'll know that Bruno's got a hell of an ear for sounds that are warm and soulful – and while other projects of his might have been more club-oriented, the feel here is in the mode of Brazilian soul from years back – touches of the AOR style of early 80s Marcos Valle, mixed with some of the leaner styles from the 70s as well – all topped with really nice songwriting and vocals from Joao. Titles include "Cirandinha", "Sete Ventos", "Mar De Estrelas", "Por Um Amor", "Vai Te Curar", "Seu Carnaval", "Cantar Cantar", and "Menina Me Encanta". LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of 70s hardbop from MPS – a set that has both Al Cohn and James Moody on tenors, set up in a wonderful combo that features Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Roy Jones on drums! The recording quality is at the usual high standard for MPS – although the set was actually produced by Don Schlitten, presumably in New York. All the tracks are long, with lots of warmly crafted solos – and titles include "Mr. George", "The Underdog", "Vezzioso", and "Good Bait". LP, Vinyl record album

2nd volume in this classic series – with a cool mix of TV themes to cartoons, sitcoms, and spy/crime shows! The 65 song set includes such favorites as The Three Stoges, Johnny Quest, Spiderman, Underdog, Route 66, I Spy, The Saint, Outer Limits, NBC Mystery Movie, Rawhide, Brady Bunch, Patridge Family, Car 54 Where Are You, The Odd Couple, Mary Tyler Moore, and lots lots more! LP, Vinyl record album

Gentle Rain, and a very gentle sound from Irene Kral – a wonderfully intimate album that has the vocalist working with only the piano of Alan Broadbent for accompaniment! Kral's always a pretty expressive singer, but she sounds especially so here – really getting a lot of space to stretch out, and inflect the tunes her own way – bringing a richly personal approach to the record, almost as if we're capturing the lyrics as snippets of overheard conversation at the end of a bar, instead of in standard vocal modes. The tracks are very well chosen too – and include versions of Dave Frishberg's "The Underdog" and "You Are There" – plus "If You Could See Me Now", "The Gentle Rain", "Blue Gardenia", and "What's New". LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of 70s hardbop from MPS – a set that has both Al Cohn and James Moody on tenors, set up in a wonderful combo that features Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Roy Jones on drums! The recording quality is at the usual high standard for MPS – although the set was actually produced by Don Schlitten, presumably in New York. All the tracks are long, with lots of warmly crafted solos – and titles include "Mr. George", "The Underdog", "Vezzioso", and "Good Bait". LP, Vinyl record album

With Xzibit, Big Gip and Pharoahe Monch on "Connect" and Baron Ricks, Heather B, and The Underdogs on "How We Doin' It". 12-inch, Vinyl record