A wonderful follow-up to the first Montreux Summit album – and like that classic, a groundbreaking assemblage of some of the best jazz musicians of the 70s! The format here is slightly different – with more of a focus on smaller groupings of musicians, but still with a really fresh ear for unusual combinations – especially with players you're not always likely to hear together – all stretching out on some sweet longer tracks. Tunes include a version of "Moontrane" with Woody Shaw on trumpet, Dexter Gordon on tenor, Slide Hampton on trombone, and George Duke on Fender Rhodes; "Two Part Invention" with Bob James on piano and Hubert Laws on flute; "Kanon For Flutes", with work by Bob Militello and Thijs Van Leer on flutes, alongside Bob James on Fender Rhodes, Eric Gale on guitar, and Peter Erskine on drums; "Red Top" with Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz on tenor, and Maynard Ferguson and Woody Shaw on trumpet; "Rites Of Darkness" with George Duke on Fender Rhodes, Bob James on keyboards, and Steve Kahn on guitar; "Be Cool" with James on Fender Rhodes, Duke on keyboards, Bobbi Humphrey and Hubert Laws on flute, and Eric Gale and Steve Kahn on guitar; and a sweet take on James' "Night Crawler" – with Stan Getz on tenor, Bobbi Humphrey and Hubert Laws on flute, Eric Gale and Steve Kahn on guitars, and Bob James himself on Fender Rhodes! CD

A really amazing little record – way more than usual for this sort of live recording – given that it features some very unique performances together by artists we've never heard on the same stage otherwise! The premise is simple, but wonderfully effective – in that the album brings together some of the leading lights of the Columbia/CBS jazz stable at the time – a massive lineup of talent from a few key generations in jazz, sounding surprisingly great hear together! All tracks are nice and long – and titles include a brilliant version of "Infant Eyes" by a quartet with Stan Getz on tenor and Bob James on piano; "Fried Bananas" with Dexter Gordon on tenor, Slide Hampton on trombone, Woody Shaw on trumpet, and George Duke on piano; "Bahama Mama" with Bob James on keyboards, Bobbi Humphrey on flute, Eric Gale and Steve Kahn on guitars, and Billy Cobham on drums – and the long jam session tracks "Montreux Summit", "Blues March", and "Andromeda" – which feature work from most of the players above, all working in one large group – plus added flute from Hubert Laws and Thijs Van Leer, percussion from Ralph Maconald, and bass from Alphonso Johnson. LP, Vinyl record album

Four classic albums from UK singer Tina Charles – an artist who mixes older vocal touches with the swirling sounds of the legendary Biddu – in a groove that's got a heck of a lot to offer! Tina never was one of the most underground singers of her generation – but it's her confidence in that fact that makes this music so great – an unabashed love of the poppier sounds of the dancefloor, in a way that beautifully mixes together 70s AM sensibilities with the growing sounds of the disco movement. Biddu's a great choice for the project – as the use of light strings and disco grooves resonates with his own solo work, but also maybe has more of a crossover focus, thanks to Tina's poppy vocals in the lead! The 2CD set features the full albums I Love To Love, Dance Little Lady, Heart N Soul, and Just One Smile – with a total of 40 tracks in all. CD

True masterpieces from Duke Ellington – some of his greatest compositions, presented here in an early Columbia LP that offers up "uncut concert arrangements" – clearly grooming a new side of Duke for the long-playing audience! The recordings were made in 1950, with players who include Johnny Hodges and Paul Gonzalves on saxes, Ray Nance and Cat Anderson on trumpets, and Tyree Glenn and Quentin Jackson on trombones. The tracks include "Mood Indigo", "Sophisticated Lady", "The Tattooed Bride" and "Solitude". LP, Vinyl record album

Really cool cuts from the second generation of Bollywood funk – that 80s moment when things were still ever bit as groovy as during the heyday of 70s soundtracks, but served up with some slightly different instrumentation in the mix! There's maybe a bit more keyboards here at times – but not the cold kind that were dominating European films, especially horror – as they're mixed with plenty of percussion, basslines, and other elements – then topped with vocals by some of the greats who made the music so wonderful back in the previous decade! As you'll guess from the title, all the cuts here are from the vaults of CBS – beautifully remastered, and with great notes and design – in a set of tracks that include "Prem Ashram" by Asha Bhosle, "Aage Bhi Dushman" by Suresh Wadkar & Sadhana Sargam, "Baahon Me Leke Mujhe" by Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle, "Mere Jaisi Mehbooba" by Sharon Prabhakar & Bappi Lahiri, "Hero" by Amit Kumar, "Meri Akhon Mein Zara Jhanto To" by Asha Bhosle, and "Becho Becho" by Amit Kumar & Mahendra Kapoor – plus some cool instrumental tracks too! LP, Vinyl record album

Funky keyboards galore – and one of the greatest records ever from this legendary Brazilian jazz talent! The album follows nicely off Deodato's Prelude classic for CTI – and like that one, this set's built on long-flowing tunes that rise and fall with a wonderful sense of rhythm – a sublime electric piano groove that's quite different than anything Deodato recorded before – and possibly never realized this perfectly again after his CTI years. Other players include Stanley Clarke on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Hubert Laws on flute – and titles include the massive Latin funk track "Super Strut", plus the tunes "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Skyscrapers", and a great version of "Nights In White Satin". Plus, this CD reissue features 3 bonus tracks – "Venus", "Do It Again", and "Latin Flute"! CD

Some of the hippest jazz recorded for a major label in the 70s – sublime spiritual jazz sides from the great Woody Shaw! Features the full albums Rosewood, Woody III, For Sure, and United. CD

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A much-needed and insanely overstuffed look at the Tremeloes – one of those groups from the 60s who are known for an odd single or two – but who have a tremendous recorded legacy that finally gets its due in this mighty box set! The Tremeloes were perfect at turning out the right sort of pop psych tunes that made the British charts sparkle in the late 60s – numbers that were catchy, but inventive too – never too indulgent, but really well-crafted with just the right attention to guitar work next to the vocals. Their singles did well, but the group recorded a huge amount of material for CBS during their time as a group – all of which is included here, a total of 165 tracks, plus a big booklet of notes. In addition to singles and b-sides, the set features the albums Here Come The Tremeloes and Alan Dave Rick & Chip – both in mono and stereo – the albums World Explosion, Suddenly You Love, Live In Cabaret, and Master – plus a rare unissued soundtrack for the film May Morning! There's lots of bonus material, unreleased tracks, and rare European singles too – which makes for a wonderfully groovy collection overall. CD

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A really strong late 80s set from Regina – bringing in more smooth soul touches than the more dancefloor ready predecessor – which make for an even finer showcase for Regina's beautiful voice. Titles include "Baby Come To Me", "When Will You Be Mine", "What Goes Around", "It Doesn't Hurt Anymore", "This Is Love" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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Really heady work from Black Widow – the legendary UK prog group, and not the countless other artists who've also recorded under the same name! Black Widow were one of a handful of groups who took the horror rock modes of the early 60s and pushed them into territory that was much more terrifying – using hard rock impulses and wiggier instrumental modes to underscore the satanic and supernatural themes in their music! It's maybe no surprised that the group were managed by the same team who handled Black Sabbath – but you'll find music here that's much more sonically complex, especially over the huge range of records included in the package – a box that features their initial incarnation as Pesky Gee on the album Exclamation Mark, an early demo album, and the studio records Sacrifice, Black Widow, and Black Widow III – plus the Black Widow IV album, which was never issued back in the 70s. There's also rare tracks, demos, and even live material – making for a 68 track set that's also got a 40 page booklet of notes. CD

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... LP, Vinyl record album

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A sweet electric rendezvous from guitarist Al Di Meola – and a record that stands in sharp contrast to some of the mellower acoustic sessions he was cutting at the time! The album's got a mix of fuzz and funk that's a bit like some of Stanley Clarke's albums for Columbia in the same stretch – never too rocking, and always with a sense of jazz firmly in place – but definitely tuned towards a new electric generation for the 80s! The other players really support that energy – and include Jan Hammer and Philippe Saisse on keyboards, Anthony Jackson on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums – and although Al plays acoustic guitar at a number of points, the overall setting is highly electric. Titles include "Cruisin", "Black Cat Shuffle", "Somalia", "Jewel Inside A Dream", "God Bird Change", "Passion Grace & Fire", and "Ritmo De La Noche". CD

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Spiritual, soulful, and oh, so beautiful! This record captures Earth Wind & Fire at a perfect transition moment – when they've still got some of their avant jazz roots, but are leaning towards the smooth soulful funk sound that put them on the charts a few years later. The whole thing's a wonderful mix of spiritualism and funky jazz – and it includes their massive cover of "Mighty Mighty", plus a lot of tracks with cool instrumentation, like "Kalimba Story", "Drum Song", and "Caribou". Great jazzy groovers, all of them! CD