Jazz-meets-hip hop-meets-new grooves compilation put together by the folks at the Red Hot organization in the mid 90s. Titles include "Time Is Moving On" by Donald Byrd, Guru, and Ronny Jordan; "Stolen Moments" by United Future Organization; "This Is Madness" by The Last Poets & Pharoah Sanders; "The Scream" by US3 & Joshua Redman; "Trouble Don't Last Always" by Incognito, Carleen Anderson, & Ramsey Lewis; "Nocturnal Sunrise" by Me'Shell NdegeOcello & Herbie Hancock; "Proceed II" by The Roots & Roy Ayers, "Un Ange En Danger" by MC Solaar & Ron Carter, and "The Rubbers Song" by Pharcyde – plus a bonus disc with two versions of "A Love Supreme" and remix of Creator Has A Master Plan". CD

It's hard to imagine a more exciting single from the early 80s – as both sides of this one completely changed our way of listening to music, and set the tone for a generation of sounds to come. "Moments In Love" is that breathy slow stepper, presented here in long and short versions – and "Beat Box" is the hip hop inspired groover that helped these guys win Best New Black Artist from Rolling Stone in 1984, in spite of their non-blackness. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Group features Henry Franklin on bass! CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

There may be a mountain of Stan Getz records on the market – but take it from us, this is definitely one that you need in your collection! The set presents material from a never-issued live recording – Stan on sublime, soulful tenor at the Keystone Korner in 1976 – working with a quartet that includes Joanne Brackeen on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all ultra-hip players who set Stan up at a level that rivals the openly creative genius of studio albums like Sweet Rain or Captain Marvel, but with that special sort of snapshot that also marks his rare live material with Gary Burton too! The tracks were cut during the same week that produced the Getz/Gilberto 76 album, but the sound here is very different – not bossa, all jazz, and with that really inspired sense of soloing that Stan hit once he discovered Coltrane and the influence of that generation. Wonderful all the way through – with titles that include "Infant Eyes", "Summer Night", "Peace", "Con Alma", "Morning Star", and "The Cry Of The Wild Goose". CD

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A great collection of Mingus' Impulse sides: "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress, Then Silk Blues", "The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady: Solo Dance/Duet Solo Dancer/Group Dancers", "The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady: Trio & Group Dancers/Single Solos & Group Dance/Group & Solo Dance", "Meditations For Moses", "II BS", "IX Love", "Celia", "Mood Indigo", "Better Get Hit In Yo Soul", "Theme For Lester Young", "Hora Decubitus", "Roland Kirk's Message" and "Memories Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty little session from Cecil – recorded in London, with a swinging soulful sound that's all-American! Part of this has to do with Curtis Fuller, who's joining Payne in the frontline on trombone – giving a nice deep round edge to the whole set. Payne plays flute on a version of Roland Kirk's "Bright Moments", and other tracks include "Equinox", "Solar", and "Speak Low". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual one for George Shearing – in that this Capitol session's a trio date, instead of Shearing's usual quintet mode – working in an Ahmad Jamal-like trio with drums by Vernel Fournier and bass by the late Israel Crosby! There's flowing, subtly soulful sound going on here – one that's almost an homage to Jamal, but which still has some of the more Shearing-like tones to ring out and announce George's influence on the date. The album was sadly Crosby's last recording, but his bass still sounds great – and titles include "Wonder Why", "Blues In 9/4", "Heart Of Winter", "What's New?", and "Symphony". LP, Vinyl record album

Kenny Burrell on guitar, John Heard and Reggie Johnson on bass, Carl Burnett and Roy McCurdy on drums, and Kenneth Nash on percussion. CD

A warmly melodic session from Blue Note's greatest guitarist! The sound of the set's as evocative as the title – an idle moment of space between the notes, explored by Green's tight single-note work on guitar – and wonderfully supported by a lineup that includes Joe Henderson on tenor, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, and Duke Pearson on piano – all working in a surprising blend of modern ideas and warmer lyricism. Hutcherson and Pearson are always a treat together – bringing out the best exotic side of each other, and crafting a set of spiritually soulful grooves that are really great! The album's got four long tracks – exploratory and open, in the best manner of Green's mid 60s work – and titles include "Nomad", "Idle Moments", and "Jean De Fleur". CD also features two alternate takes! CD

Features Stanley Joran on electric guitar, Charlie Moffett on bass, and Kenwood Dennard on drums. Tracks include "Stairway To Heaven", "Lady In My Life", "Autumn Leaves", "Impressions", and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". CD

A sweet set that has Jimmy's guitar matched with that of son Doug – both players working rhythm and melody, and skipping around each other in this joyous way that's quite different from some of Jim's earlier work. That sublime Raney tone is still very firmly in place – but it's matched by the youthful energy of Doug, too – and given a gentle swing that's really appreciated, thanks to work from Michael Moore on bass and Billy Hart on drums. Titles include "Jonathan's Waltz", "Stolen Moments", "I Should Care", "Samba Teekens", and "Alone Together". CD

Proof that Max Roach was always experimenting with his music – even in the later years! The album's one of a few 80s efforts to feature Roach's Double Quartet – a group that takes his regular four-piece jazz group and augments it with a string quartet – all in a sound that's almost an extension of modes first begun by Roland Kirk in the 60s! The Kirk reference isn't accidental – as the title track here is a great version of Kirk's "Bright Moments" – one that uses the strings to offset the core jazz work of Roach on drums, Odeon Pope on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Tyrone Brown on electric bass – all in ways that are as creative as they are playful, definitely in a Kirk-styled spirit. Other tunes follow suit – and use the strings to echo Kirk's dream of a black classical music, but also one that's always firmly jazz-based at all times. Titles include "Double Delight", "Hi Fly", "Bright Moments", "Elixir Suite", and "A Tribute To Duke & Mingus". CD

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Finer moments from Frank Zappa, but some lost moments too – given that all the tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and are pulled from both live and studio recordings during Zappa's formative late 60s/early 70s stretch! The package is a real treasure trove – a reward to fans of Frank who've waited so long for music like this – sounds to rival some of the most groundbreaking music from Zappa's years at Verve and Reprise, with incredibly deft instrumental interplay – often a bit more improvised in the live tracks than on the full albums of the time! The sound quality is pretty nice, especially given that a few of these tracks are from near-lost tapes or cassettes. Titles include "Sleazette", "The Walking Zombie Music", "Music From The Big Squeeze", "The Subcutaneous Peril", and "Pumped & Waxed". CD

Mixed and compiled by Pete Moss, and includes tracks by Gamat 3000, Vincenzo, Diadem, Charles Webster, Glowing Glisses and more – 23 tracks over 2 discs! CD

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A really well-done overview of work that Pharoah Sanders did for the Timeless label during the 80s – recordings that are not nearly as widely-circulated as his material for Impulse and Theresa, but which represents a key third slice of his career! The setting here is sometimes more conventional in terms of standard jazz productions – smaller groups who play a bit more inside, yet still are a perfect match for Sanders' spiritual vibe on the tenor – an instrument he often uses to cross bridges of jazz generations in these recordings – linking the 70s spiritualism to some of the energy of the younger 80s musicians who were moving things back to basics. Given that Pharoah never had a "basics" stage of his career, this later life material is a real surprise – a bit like the territory that Archie Shepp was hitting in a similar mode at the time – lessons learned from the fringes, brought back to transform the center. Titles include "Africa", "Times Past", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Soul Eyes", "Moniebah", "Moonchild", "You've Got To Have Freedom", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", and "Origin". Also includes an unreleased version of "Central Park West". LP, Vinyl record album

Yaniv Taubenhouse on piano, Rick Rosato on bass, and Jerad Lippi on drums. CD

Features "Brandy Wine", "Groovy Kind Of Love", "Both Sides Now", "Summer Morning", Be Mine", "Listen To The Words" and more – 24 tracks over 2 discs! CD

Classic duets from the early years of the bossa – plus some other great tracks from later years that still continue the spirit! From the start, the gentle warmth of bossa nova made it a perfect platform for male and female singers to interact – and as you'll hear on this well done collection of 28 tracks, the format continued to grow long after years in which the bossa initially flourished! Titles include "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" by Marcos & Anamaria Valle, "Baiaozinho" by Sylvia Telles & Lucio Alves, "Carta Ao Tom 74" by Vinicius, Toquinho, & Quarteto Em Cy, and "Aguas De Marco" by Elis Regina and Tom Jobim. CD

The last and lean effort from the legendary Ash Ra Tempel – a set that relies heavily on vocals from female singer Rosemarie Muller, who's pictured on the cover almost as some Teutonic take on Linda Ronstadt! And oddly, there might be a bit of Cali currents in the mix – as the guitar work of Manuel Gottsching, while as weird and wild as ever, does have these occasional moments of grounding – certainly not standard rock, but these tuneful snippets from time to time that are almost a surprise next to the darker, moodier vocals of Rosi! Dieter Dierks produced, and had a nice hand in the sound – and Rosi also plays a bit of vibes and a concert harp – although the swirling sound is much more electric and spacey than you might guess from those instruments. Titles include "Interplay Of Forces", "Laughter Loving", "Bring Me Up", "Cosmic Tango", "Schizo", and "Day Dream". CD

An overlooked gem from the British free jazz scene of the 70s – a set issued on the Bead Records label, and one that got very little circulation at the time – but which is equally as mindblowing as work from the period on labels like Ictus and Ogun! The duo here features Roy Ashbury on drums and percussion, and Larry Stabbins on soprano and tenor – working in this free, open space, but on tracks that are often shorter than album-length improvisations – which allows the players to stop a minute, take a breath, and move into these nicely varied moments of spontaneous creation! You might know Stabbins from later 80s work on more groove-oriented records – but here, he's a tremendousimproviser, with a sense for creative reedwork that might well rival his contemporary Evan Parker. Titles include "Puff", "Formants Of The Deep", "Wych Elm", "Fire Without Bricks", "Rough Cut", and "Maldoror". CD

Third album from the Brit prog-rockers. This album is a bit funkier than their previous releases, as their Memphis soul influence is quite apparent here. Nice moments throughout, with a monster drumbreak on "The Rock". Other titles include "Breakthrough", "Decision/Indecision", "Devil's Answer", and "Black Snake". LP, Vinyl record album

The second smoking Live Oblivion set from Brian Auger and crew – twice as long, and maybe even twice as funky as the first! The tunes on here all really push the ten minute mark – stretching out the original Auger conception on studio sides, and featuring plenty of room for really wicked solo work on organ and electric piano! The live setting seems to inspire the group to even greater new heights – and there's an intensity here that makes for some really great moments. Titles include the wonderful break-heavy version of "Compared To What" – plus "Second Wind", "Maiden Voyage", "Straight Ahead", "Freedom Jazz Dance", and "Inner City Blues". CD

The second smoking Live Oblivion set from Brian Auger and crew – twice as long, and maybe even twice as funky as the first! The tunes on here all really push the ten minute mark – stretching out the original Auger conception on studio sides, and featuring plenty of room for really wicked solo work on organ and electric piano! The live setting seems to inspire the group to even greater new heights – and there's an intensity here that makes for some really great moments. Titles include the wonderful break-heavy version of "Compared To What" – plus "Second Wind", "Maiden Voyage", "Straight Ahead", "Freedom Jazz Dance", and "Inner City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Joyously romping grooves from Auteur Jazz – a combo who take the modal style of the 60s European scene, and infuse it with a few contemporary touches of their own! The group are a bit more open-ended than some of the other club jazz combos on the Ricky Tick label – willing to stretch out in some occasional exploratory modes or mellower moments, then step back with a hard-hitting groove to round things in place – often getting a surprisingly rich sound from their relatively small lineup, which is mostly based around reeds and piano from Antti Hynninen, but also features occasional other saxes, strings, keyboards, and percussion. Sara Sayaed sings on the tracks "Kill You Alive" and "Tomorrow Knows" – and other instrumental tracks include "Two Jaguars In Warsaw", "Marbles", "Who Struck John", "Gris Gris", "Uruguayo", and "Najgo". Japanese CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Aphorisms" and "Gui-Do". CD

If you need to own one album by Average White Band, this is it! The album features the band at their funky best – playing hard and chopping away with a strong crossover sound that put them firmly on the map during the early 70s. Loads of tight rolling basslines and hard drums – all produced with that polished funky sound that was the band's stock-in-trade during the big chart years! The record includes their funky classic "School Boy Crush", still a sampling favorite – plus loads of other nice moments, like "If I Ever Lose This Heaven", "Cloudy", "High Flyin Woman", and the hit title cut "Cut The Cake". LP, Vinyl record album

If you need to own one album by Average White Band, this is it! The album features the band at their funky best – playing hard and chopping away with a strong crossover sound that put them firmly on the map during the early 70s. Loads of tight rolling basslines and hard drums – all produced with that polished funky sound that was the band's stock-in-trade during the big chart years! The record includes their funky classic "School Boy Crush", still a sampling favorite – plus loads of other nice moments, like "If I Ever Lose This Heaven", "Cloudy", "High Flyin Woman", and the hit title cut "Cut The Cake". CD features bonus single mixes of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" and "How Sweet Can You Get". CD

An archetypal album by Roy Ayers – and one that really shows him at the turning point of his sound! Gone are the trippier jazz funk moments of earlier albums – and in their place are some tight grooves and wonderfully spacey soul. Roy hits the dancefloor with one of his first up-tempo funk numbers "Brother Green", a catchy groover with lots of clavinet, and the massive "Life Is Just A Moment", a storming 2-part number that rolls along with a pounding almost house-like groove. "Mystic Voyage" shows the sweet jazzy side of Roy – as it's a vibes-heavy instrumental with a light stepping groove, perfect for the mellow direction he'd take on other records. The album also features some great off-beat funk numbers that recall earlier albums – including the break-heavy "Spirit Of Doo Doo", plus "Funky Motion" and "The Black Five". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from Luiz Bacalov – a set that's filled with sex and slink, but which also has a great sense of groove as well – blending bossa jazz, mod moments, and all the best styles of the late 60s Italian scene! The music is mostly acoustic, but has a really great way of using sustained notes on flute – which creates this dreamy vibe that's almost electric, especially when offset by acoustic basslines, percussion, and piano – all used at a level that's right up there with the best from Morricone or Trovajoli at the time! There's also wonderful drifting vocals in the mix – courtesy of Nora Orlandi – and titles include "Round Nassau", "Swingin Easy In Tanganika", "Rio Zona Sul", "L'Amica", and "Taxi Cab 67". Features two bonus tracks – "L'Amica (ripresa)" and "The Bitter Truth (inst)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Burt Bacharach's finest moments, and a soundtrack that we never tire of hearing! Burt wrote all the tunes – and the album's a wonderful romp, with lots of odd twists and turns that are quite different from Burt's usual bag (baby!), but which still have all of the charm of his best work. A few performances on the set are by Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass, who do the completely chaotic "Casino Royale Theme" – and the lovely Dusty Springfield sings a versions of "Look Of Love" that has to be the best ever recorded! Other tracks include "Home James, Don't Spare The Horses", "Money Penny Goes For Broke", "The Venerable Sir James Bond", and "Hi There Miss Goodthighs". This expanded 50th anniversary edition is different than any of the other bonus versions on the market – as it first features the full album in stereo, then includes another 22 mono tracks, many never heard before – tunes from the film and a few singles – with titles that include "Sitar Background", "The Black Rose", "James Bond In Scotland", "Gymnasium Training", "Le Chiffre's Magic Act", "Bond Arrival In France", and "Have No Fear Bond Is Here", with vocals by Mike Redway. CD

Badbadnotgood have always been pretty damn great, actually – and never better than on album IV – a remarkable step forward for the group! As ever, they take inspiration from some of the best prog, jazz, funk (and proggy jazz funk...they blend) of the 70s and beyond, but weave it into fairly distinctive and genuinely fun modern sound. It's built to last, too –we're sure be able to come back to their work in a couple decades and it'll still work! IV finds them with the confidence to trade in some fairly subtle, smoothed out moments between to more boisterous ones, and they're more dexterous in the instrumentation – especially in the horns, keys and percussion – but some great vibes, strings, flute and more when the mood calls. Includes the great vocal track "Time Moves Slow" with Sam Herring of Future Islands, "And That, Too", "Lavender", "IV", "Chompy's Paradise", "Structure No. 3", "Cashmere", "Hyssops Of Love" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Completely evocative late life work from Chet Baker – one of the last albums he ever recorded, and a set that shows just how much Baker kept evolving in the later years of his career! Given some of the personal troubles that plagued Chet over the decades, there's sometimes a thought out there that he was a weaker version of himself at this time – but that's definitely not the case, as Baker really shifted his sound and style to accommodate some of his challenges, at a level that maybe made the music even more powerful than some of his music from years before! Some of the best moments here feature contributions from key musical partner of the 80s Nicola Stilo, who uses flute, guitar, and piano in these light ways while Chet's soloing with this strong, fluid vibe that's a real surprise – gentle, but extremely powerful. A few cuts bring in a bit of keyboards, and Chet sings a bit – but his best "singing" here is through his trumpet, which is still a hell of a voice in jazz. Titles include "Chet's Blues", "Waiting For Chet", "The Party Is Over", "With Sadness", "Deep Arabesques", and "Like The Precedent" – plus a lovely reading of the Elvis Costello tune "Almost Blue". CD

A great later date from CTI – proof that the label still had its magic going on well into the 80s! The session's a larger group effort headed up by Don Sebesky, and featuring key solos by Chet Baker, Jim Hall, and Hubert Laws – all of whom get plenty of room to do their thing on the album's longer tracks! Other players include Kenny Barron, Jack Wilkins, Jorge Dalto, George Mraz, and Steve Gadd – plus bit of added percussion – and although the group is large, the overall sound is relatively lean – spacious and airy, in keeping with Baker's best moments on records like these, and always sensitive enough to let Hall's gentle work on the strings of his guitar shine through nicely! Titles include "Malaguena", "Django", "Swan Lake", and "All Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful record, and one that's very different than any sort of piano trio album we've ever heard – as there's this richly textural quality to the album that has all the elements resonating in a very special way, with an overall sonic palette that's beautiful! Sure, there's piano on the set, but the bass is often almost higher in the mix, and more melodic too – while the drums move between soft fills and gentle rhythms – with occasional moments that are more powerful, and kick up the bass too – but again with this production approach that has these really amazing sound patterns between all the instruments. Titles include "Bird Flew By", "Drizzling Rain", "Siciliano", "Stefano", "Doppio Movement", "Abacus", and "Wonderful One". CD

A really wonderful record, and one that's very different than any sort of piano trio album we've ever heard – as there's this richly textural quality to the album that has all the elements resonating in a very special way, with an overall sonic palette that's beautiful! Sure, there's piano on the set, but the bass is often almost higher in the mix, and more melodic too – while the drums move between soft fills and gentle rhythms – with occasional moments that are more powerful, and kick up the bass too – but again with this production approach that has these really amazing sound patterns between all the instruments. Titles include "Bird Flew By", "Drizzling Rain", "Siciliano", "Stefano", "Doppio Movement", "Abacus", and "Wonderful One". LP, Vinyl record album

The even more obscure second volume to the great soul/gospel classic Do Not Pass Me By – and like the first, the product of a wonderfully spiritual setting on Chicago's south side – music created in the church, but with all the same vibe as the hippest secular soul coming from the Windy City in the early 70s! The set does a great job of alternating strong lead singers with the rest of the group – a bit like Voices Of East Harlem, but with more of a larger ensemble feel – and there's some really wonderful moments on the record throughout – even a bit of funk amidst the more righteous soul-styled tunes. Tracks include "I Shall Wear A Crown", "O Sinner", "I Want To Be In Love With You", "Do Not Pass Me By", "O What A Day", "Here I Am", and "There Is Only One". CD

The even more obscure second volume to the great soul/gospel classic Do Not Pass Me By – and like the first, the product of a wonderfully spiritual setting on Chicago's south side – music created in the church, but with all the same vibe as the hippest secular soul coming from the Windy City in the early 70s! The set does a great job of alternating strong lead singers with the rest of the group – a bit like Voices Of East Harlem, but with more of a larger ensemble feel – and there's some really wonderful moments on the record throughout – even a bit of funk amidst the more righteous soul-styled tunes. Tracks include "I Shall Wear A Crown", "O Sinner", "I Want To Be In Love With You", "Do Not Pass Me By", "O What A Day", "Here I Am", and "There Is Only One". CD

Two deeply resonant players, working here without any other accompaniment at all – just the vibes of Joe Locke and piano of the wonderful Kenny Barron – coming together with a sense of interplay that's really wonderful! The titles are mostly standards, but get pulled out in long renditions that revel in the way the vibes and piano come together – a mode that's especially nice given the sharpness of Locke's sense of attack on his instrument, as the record might be a bit too sleepy with a softer sort of player. Titles include a very nice remake of "Stolen Moments" – plus "But Beautiful", "On A Misty Night", "You Don't Know What Love Is", and "Nancy". LP, Vinyl record album

The Maybeck solo series produced plenty of greatness when it was going on – and one of the greatest moments was this sweet solo set from Kenny Barron! Barron's one of those players we never get tired of – and while we love him in group and trio settings, he's equally magical here working by himself – opening up on these long, lyrical numbers that have a really evocative feel – beautiful runs up and down the keyboard, but in ways that are extremely thoughtful and well-paced – and not just an unbridled display of his talents. There's a sense of soul to the set that never lets up – and titles include "Bud Like", "Witchcraft", "Sunshower", "And Then Again", "Skylark", and "Spring Is Here". CD

This isn't the first time that pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Dave Holland have played together – but there's definitely something special about the record that really grabs our ears – and it's not just the excellent work on drums by Johnathan Blake! Barron's at his roundest, most soulful sort of tone – really grabbing the notes out of the air in this wonderful way – and Holland really follows suit too, with this very personal, organic approach that's such a change from some of his more experimental work of years back – and which makes him a stunning part of the group, especially at all those many moments when he and Barron dance around each other's sound with this beautifully resonant vibe. Titles include "Until Then", "Porto Alegre", "Without Deception", "Speed Trap", "Secret Places", "Worry Later", and "Pass It On". CD

One of the few albums ever issued by Ronnie Barron – an artist with a long range of work on the New Orleans scene, ties to Dr John, and even a role in the Woodstock scene of the early 70s – all of which really come through on this well-done set! Barron's got all the roots in his music that you'd guess from that legacy – some Nola moments in the rhythms, and a great ability to add a lot of character to his lyrics – sometimes shifting nicely from track to track, and bringing a lot of funky charm to the whole thing! Titles include "Duke Of Crenshaw", "Happy Happy Happy", "Let It Shine", "Freeway Mama", "Louisiana Flood", and "Don't Let My Husband Catch You". LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked little James Bond soundtrack – one of the lesser-known ones, which is why it's all that more great! The title theme is a totally catchy number, sung by Shirley Bassey with all the dark energy of her best pop work – and Barry's score has some really surprising moments, including some nicely restrained tracks that are a good blend of spareness and moody instrumentation. Titles include "Bond Smells A Rat", "Bond Meets Bambi & Thumper", "Diamonds Are Forever", "Circus Circus", "007 & Counting", and "Q's Trick". LP, Vinyl record album

Count Basie goes pop, and the results are mighty nice – a hard-swinging take on familiar tunes from the 60s, but all re-tooled the jazzy Basie way! The vibe here is right up there with the best Neal Hefti moments with the group – and although the arrangements are by Billy Byers, they've got that sense of tightness that Hefti first help bring to the band – a great setting for the inventive solos, and all the cool little twists and turns that make a record like this so great. And while you might think of the setting, or the title, as some sort of sell-out on the Count's part – the album's instead a perfect way to hear what made the Basie band so great – how they could completely transform tunes like "Pretty Woman", "Bye Bye Love", "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy", "At Long Last Love", and "Go Away Little Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

A real standout set from the end of Les Baxter's run at Capitol Records – originally scored for a film that was never released, but a great set of tracks that more than stands strongly on its own! The theme here is a Mexican/Latin American one – explored by Baxter with his trademark blend of larger orchestrations and lighter exotica touches – often swirling around in an extremely evocative mode that makes us wish the film had been issued to the public, and at a few key moments even hinting at the funkier modes that would follow on some of Les' later work for other labels. Titles include "Aqueducts", "Gardens Of The Moon", "Pyramid Of The Sun", "Temple Of Gold", and "Procession Of The Princes". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning moments of Bill Nelson and Be Bop Deluxe – a set in which it seemed that everything the group was trying for really came together – in a mode that's both tuneful and timeless, and which – a bit like Sparks or 10CC – was slightly out of time with the rest of the rock scene in the 70s! There's a few surprisingly catchy numbers – of the sort that should have made the group even bigger on the international scene – but Nelson also manages to work in lots of keyboard magic, too – in that compressed approach to his prog inclinations, which was always the appeal of the group. The set's neither glam nor punk, nor prog or classic rock – very much its own sort of thing – with titles include "Fair Exchange", "Life In The Air Age", "Ships In The Night", "Crystal Gazing", "Blazing Apostles", and "Beauty Secrets". LP, Vinyl record album

Repackaging of the Beach Boys' installment in Capitol's hot rod-themed Shut Down series – the first edition of which was devoted to a host of different artists! It's clear that even in this setting, The Beach Boys have way more to offer than just a few gimmicky car songs – as the record offers some of the early group's most tender, personal moments – real early gems like "The Warmth Of The Sun" and "Don't Worry Baby" - mixed in with more playful numbers like "Fun Fun Fun", "This Car Of Mine", "In The Parkin Lot", "Shut Down Part 2", and "Keep An Eye On Summer". It's this mix that really gets at the group's genius at the time – maturity creeping out amidst the youthful themes, in ways that few other 60s acts could ever hope to match. LP, Vinyl record album

A mixed bag record, but with some really wonderful moments – and essential listening as a lead-up to the Pet Sounds album to follow! There's a mix of styles here – some rough rocking numbers that are a bit stiff, mixed with some really amazing tunes that get at Brian Wilson's new sensitivities – tunes like "Girl Don't Tell Me", "You're So Good To Me", "Summer Means New Love", and "Let Him Run Wild" – all complicated in subtle ways, with a great sense of tension underneath. Other tracks include "Help Me Rhonda (45 single version)", "California Girls", "I'm Bugged At My Old Man", and "Amusement Parks USA". CD

Pure brilliance from start to finish – especially the second side of the record, which has a continuous run of tunes that's very unique – and still completely sublime all these many years later! The album shows the fracturing ideas of the group, but crafted together with a unity you won't find on The White Album or Let It Be – still a way of making it all gel together beautifully, as the fab four stretch their wings to find new ways of being. Added instrumentation is used wonderfully – never overdone, but with orchestral passages that can really hammer home the best musical moments – and titles include "I Want You", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "The End", "Her Majesty", "Polythene Pam", and "Sun King". LP, Vinyl record album

A bittersweet farewell from The Beatles – a record that definitely shows the fracturing unity of the group, with lots of near-solo moments – but a set that also makes us really wonder what they'd have done with all this genius, had they managed to hold it together! There's great hints here of the solo work to come – especially from George Harrison and John Lennon – and the Phil Spector production really helps open up a new sound for the group. Includes the genius cuts "I Dig A Pony", "Two Of Us", "Across The Universe", "I Me Mine", "One After 909", "For You Blue", and "Let It Be". LP, Vinyl record album

A bittersweet farewell from The Beatles – a record that definitely shows the fracturing unity of the group, with lots of near-solo moments – but a set that also makes us really wonder what they'd have done with all this genius, had they managed to hold it together! There's great hints here of the solo work to come – especially from George Harrison and John Lennon – and the Phil Spector production really helps open up a new sound for the group. Includes the genius cuts "I Dig A Pony", "Two Of Us", "Across The Universe", "I Me Mine", "One After 909", "For You Blue", and "Let It Be". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had an undeniable impact on modern music for the past few decades! Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "She's Leaving Home", "Lovely Rita", "When I'm Sixty Four", "A Day In The Life", and "Fixing A Hole". CD

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". CD

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". CD

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". LP, Vinyl record album

Cool Cotillion work from Brook Benton – southern soul mixed with smoother, sophisticated moments – and a perfect realization of the sound that Benton was going for in the 60s! There's a bit less country here than before – although Brook also still has one foot in his roots, too – and the overall approach has mellower soul touches that are great – keyboards, guitar, and electric bass that roll along gently next to Benton's wonderful vocals. The album was recorded at Criteria Studios, and up north in New York – and titles include "Movin Day", "Sidewalks Of Chicago", "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye", "Poor Make Believer", and "Shoes". LP, Vinyl record album