If you like 80s keyboards, you'll find plenty to love here – as Krzystof Duda works on a whole host of classic keys – Arp Axxe, Micromoog, Korg Polysix, Solina String Ensmeble, Hohner Clavinet, and even a bit of Fender Rhodes – used mostly on tunes that just feature Duda himself, but with occasional guest spots along the way on bass, drums, and guitar! Jolanta Rados sings on three tracks, but most of the record is instrumental – and very much in the best keyboard-driven, catchy side of the 80s sound library world – with titles that include "Mister GD", "Music Market, "Epidemia Nudy", "W Stylu Punk", "Slodycz Nocy", and "Takie Sobie Trzy Po Trzy". CD

A cool collection of vocal songs from the world of soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone – many of which are more unusual than some of his bigger themes, and brought together here as a great addition to the Segreto series! The work runs from the early 60s to the early 70s – and the package mixes together dreamy female vocal numbers, catchy western themes, and plenty more great bits – all at a level that also showcases the way the maestro was working in Italian vocal music during the 60s, before moving more firmly into the world of cinema. The package features 21 rare tracks in all – including one number by a singer who's completely unknown – with titles that include "Splash" by Peter Boom, "Fruscio Di Foglie Verdi" by Trio Junior, "Una Stanza Vuota" by Lisa Gastoni, "Pioggia Sul Tuo Viso" by The Sorrows, "Nuvole" by Jimmy Fontana, "You & I" by King Harvest, "Luce Chiara Per Vergine" by Edda Dell'Orso, "Filastrocca Vietnamita" by Sergio Endrigo, "Metti Una Sera A Cena" by Florinda Bolkan, and "Matto Caldo Soldi Morto Girotondo" by I Cantori Moderni Di Alessandroni. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection – five full albums from keyboard giant Patrice Rushen, plus bonus tracks too! First up is Patrice – her first album for Elektra, and a stunning blend of funky jazz and soul! The record really has Patrice stepping out from her earlier years at Prestige – working in some surprisingly great vocals next to tight lines on Fender Rhodes, synth, and clavinet, handled with a smooth and soulful quality that's wonderful all the way through – a blend of soul and jazz that few other players could do this well – no matter how many others tried to copy her style over the years! Rhythms are as hard and heavy as on the Prestige years, and the keyboards have a great sort of focus too – just the right mix of jazz to offset the vocals – which themselves are a wonderful discovery. The whole album's a gem – and tracks include the great funky classic "Hang It Up", plus "Changes (In Your Life)", "When I Found You", "Play", "Didn't You Know?", and "Music Of The Earth". Pizzazz is one of the records that not only helped break her out of the jazz funk ghetto, and right into the mainstream – but a set that also had a pretty profound influence on the progression of soul in the early 80s! Rushen sings as well as plays keyboards – and really pushes the use of jazzy elements that would take R&B to the next level – almost inventing the 80s groove sound in the process! The whole thing's a totally sweet mix of funk and soul, tightened up to get everything in the door at the same time – and titles include "Givin It Up Is Givin Up", "Call On Me", "Haven't You Heard", and "Let The Music Take Me". Posh is an all-out, all-access affair – a great way for anyone to get into the grooves of the mighty Patrice Rushen! Patrice is at the height of her powers here – equally magic on keyboards and vocals, and coming up with groove after groove in a sublime blend of 70s jazz funk and Minnie Riperton-esque soul! The whole album's a winner – real magic that never gets old, and the kind of LP that makes you understand why you'll find Patrice's records in just about any soul collection from the time! Tracks include "I Need Your Love", "Time Will Tell", "The Dream", "Never Gonna Give You Up", and "Don't Blame Me". Straight From The Heart is one of those albums that completely cemented her standing in the world of jazz, funk, and soul – and a wonderful summation of everything she'd done in the years before! The young Patrice was already a breakout keyboardist on the west coast scene of the mid 70s – turning out great work on her own, and adding her talents to plenty of others – but here, she emerges as a soaring soul star in her own right – a talent who's really worked her way up, with a quality level that's head and shoulders above most of her peers! Rushen produced the set with Charles Mims, and there's a righteous blend of jazz and soul that's at the level of Minnie Riperton, so that even the catchiest cuts come off with a sense of sophistication and warmth that's so different than so much other 80s soul and fusion. Titles include the classic "Forget Me Nots", plus "Number One", "I Was Tired Of Being Alone", "Where There Is Love", "Breakout", "If Only", and "Remind Me". The album Now is a masterpiece of 80s groove with lots of jazzy touches! The keyboard sound has evolved a bit here – compressed with more electronic percussion than on Patrice's earlier records, but still done with a degree of soul that sets it apart from work by most of her contemporaries – and the music has this warm flow that really sets Rushen apart from the rest – a sublime mix of soul, funk, and fusion that holds together perfectly throughout! Titles include "Gotta Find It", "Gone With The Night", "My Love's Not Going Anywhere", "High In Me", "To Each His Own", "Heartache Heartbreak", and "Feels So Real". 5CD set features bonus tracks from original 12" singles – and other remixes too! CD

Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". CD

Probably the most successful album the Mizell Brothers ever produced, and a fine set of uptempo groovers from this female soul duet! There's some nice jazzy moments underneath the catchy lyrics, and in a way, the album's style is sort of a blueprint for the sound that would emerge over the next few at Capitol Records, where some incredible albums of modern soul would be recorded. And sure, at one level the group's hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie" is a bit of oversaturated pop disco – but there's plenty of other great moments that show the group as a more sophisticated soul outfit, including "This Love Of Ours", "Sky High", "Distant", "You're In Good Hands", "Sky High" and "If We Loved". This remastered version from Big Break UK includes bonus mixes: "Boogie Oogie Oogie (Single Mix)", "Boogie Oogie Oogie (12" New Boogie Mix)" and "Disco Dancin' (12" Disco Mix)". CD

An incredible 3CD set from Atomic – the increasingly amazing group of Scandinavian scene firebrands Fredrik Ljungkvist on reeds, Mangus Broo on trumpet, Havard Wiik on piano, Ingegbrigt Haker Flaten on bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion – who separately, and as a unit, must be acknowledged as some of the best modern free jazz players on the planet! If you thought that the title Retrograde might indicate a 3CD retrospective, think again. The set features 2 CDs of material captured over 2 days in July of 2007 – and a bonus third disc with the group doing their inimitable thing live at Tula's Jazz Club in Seattle! The studio work is as masterful as ever, always finding a killer groove and impeccable rhythmic dynamics – ratcheting up the intensity without the blunt force trauma that others in the free jazz underground bring on, balanced by spare moments and strains of the 60s heroes of avant garde jazz lurking in the shadows. Really wonderful stuff from players we love and respect more with each successive project! Titles include "Db Gestalt", "Retrograde", "Invisible Cities", "Correspondence", "Sweet Ebony", "King Kolax", "Invisible Cities II", "Papa", "Don Don", "Swedish Oklahoma" and more. The live disc has us kicking ourselves for not catching one of the group's Chicago shows, and the titles include "Crux", "Db Gestalt", "Painbody", "ABC 101b" and more. CD

France Gall won the Eurovision song contest with the title track of this one – and for good reason too, given that the tune is totally groovy! The rest of the work here really follows suit – romping, jerking, and grooving in that wonderful mix of mod rhythms that made France's 60s material so great – some of the best of the French pop scene at the time, with a sound that's really a cut above on all the numbers here! Backings are by the mighty Alain Gouraguer, who brings in a hip mix of jazz inflections, rocking rhythms, and some of the more sparkling soundtrack elements bubbling in the French 60s scene – all a perfect accompaniment for Gall's catchy girl pop vocals. Titles include "Poupee De Cire Poupee De Son", written by Serge Gainsbourg – plus "Le Coeur Qui Jazze", "Le Premier Chagrin D'Amour", "On T'Avait Prevenue", "Dis A Ton Capitaine", "Nounours", "Laisse Tomber Les Filles", and "Bonne Nuit". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool collection of vocal songs from the world of soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone – many of which are more unusual than some of his bigger themes, and brought together here as a great addition to the Segreto series! The work runs from the early 60s to the early 70s – and the package mixes together dreamy female vocal numbers, catchy western themes, and plenty more great bits – all at a level that also showcases the way the maestro was working in Italian vocal music during the 60s, before moving more firmly into the world of cinema. The package features 21 rare tracks in all – including one number by a singer who's completely unknown – with titles that include "Splash" by Peter Boom, "Fruscio Di Foglie Verdi" by Trio Junior, "Una Stanza Vuota" by Lisa Gastoni, "Pioggia Sul Tuo Viso" by The Sorrows, "Nuvole" by Jimmy Fontana, "You & I" by King Harvest, "Luce Chiara Per Vergine" by Edda Dell'Orso, "Filastrocca Vietnamita" by Sergio Endrigo, "Metti Una Sera A Cena" by Florinda Bolkan, and "Matto Caldo Soldi Morto Girotondo" by I Cantori Moderni Di Alessandroni. CD

Three classic albums from Shoes, plus bonus tracks, and a full CD worth of rare material too! First up is Present Tense – a power-pop classic from Shoes – their first full length for Elektra Records, and a set that stands with all the best end of 70s gems from either coast! The songs are impeccable, and the group do a fantastic job of blending sharper guitars with really great lyricism – a mode that maybe makes the Illinois group a strong precursor for territory that The Replacements wouldn't hit until many years later – and which makes just about every track on the album a precious nugget that just gets better and better with time! Titles include "Now & Then", "Every Girl", "I Don't Wanna Hear It", "Three Times", "In My Arms Again", and "Too Late". On Tongue Twister, Shoes continue the brilliance of their first album for Elektra – serving up the kind of music that was so well-done, so subtle, it was maybe missed by most of the world at the time – even though it's gone onto the status of classic, thanks to legions of fans and critics! Shoes have a way with a tune that's unlike anyone else – maybe that compressed charm of Big Star, but fused into the sharper modes of the power pop years – but without any of the too commercial modes of some of the bigger groups of the time. Instead, the whole thing feels like you've just stumbled upon a brilliant band, playing in a backroom bar – which, unfortunately, is how Shoes spent too much of their career. Titles include "Only In My Sleep", "She Satisfies", "Found A Girl", "Hate To Run", "When It Hits", "Yes Or No", "Your Imagination", and "Girls Of Today". On Boomerang, Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". 4CD set features a huge amount of bonus material – 8 track demo versions of all three albums, added to their discs – and a bonus CD of 18 more rare tracks – all in a box, with a big booklet of notes! CD

Probably the most successful album the Mizell Brothers ever produced, and a fine set of uptempo groovers from this female soul duet! There's some nice jazzy moments underneath the catchy lyrics, and in a way, the album's style is sort of a blueprint for the sound that would emerge over the next few at Capitol Records, where some incredible albums of modern soul would be recorded. And sure, at one level the group's hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie" is a bit of throwaway pop disco – but there's plenty of other great moments that show the group as a more sophisticated soul outfit, including "This Love Of Ours", "Sky High", and "If We Loved". LP, Vinyl record album

Crucial postpunk neo-psyche from Julian Cope and The Teardrop Explodes – a pretty incredible mix of pop eccentricity, with some of catchiest songs of Cope's wild ouvre, but still wholly unique – a creative high point for early 80s rock! Tight, insistent rhythms clearly inform the 80s indie scene to come, particularly with the drenching washes of keyboards and spindly guitar – with Cope's vocals as fun and charismatic as ever. Titles include "Ha Ha I'm Drowning", "Sleeping Gas", "Treason", "Second Hand", "Brave Boys Keep Their Promises", "Bouncing Babies", "Books", "When I Dream" and more. CD

One of the real standouts in the late 70s run of records from The Tubes – a set that's not only got the tunes united by a concept, but which also features some impeccable production from Todd Rundgren! The group's fuzz on the guitars is turned up nice – almost like they're trying to give a nod to the new wave generation, while Rundgren ups the catchiness of their tunes, and finds a way to make the whole thing not get bogged down in the larger concept of the record – which is a commentary about television in the modern age. Titles include "TV Is King", "Prime Time", "Getoverture", "I Want It All Now", "No Way Out", "Only The Strong Survive", and "Telecide". CD

Weezer's second album – nearly ignored by fickle alternative rock radio programmers and Mtv after their debut was such a surprise smash – and now rightly remembered as a classic! Much has been made over the years about the sadder, angrier songs on Pinkerton, as well as the occasional keyboards and fuzzier, less glossy sound. Still, it's Weezer, therefore catchy as hell, and not without a sense of humor, even if it's outwordly sad and a little cynical. Tracks include "Tired Of Sex", "No Other One", "Getchoo", "The Good Life", "El Scorcho", "Falling For You", "Butterfly" and "Why Bother". (PS: If there's a better 90s rock loser anthem than "Why Bother", we haven't heard it.) CD

Weezer's second album – nearly ignored by fickle alternative rock radio programmers and Mtv after their debut was such a surprise smash – and now rightly remembered as a classic! Much has been made over the years about the sadder, angrier songs on Pinkerton, as well as the occasional keyboards and fuzzier, less glossy sound. Still, it's Weezer, therefore catchy as hell, and not without a sense of humor, even if it's outwordly sad and a little cynical. Tracks include "Tired Of Sex", "No Other One", "Getchoo", "The Good Life", "El Scorcho", "Falling For You", "Butterfly" and "Why Bother". (PS: If there's a better 90s rock loser anthem than "Why Bother", we haven't heard it.) LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent CD that brings to light (first light, get it?) a motherlode of previously unreleased demos of Terry Callier's great Cadet recordings from the late 60s and early 70s. You'll recognize a lot of tracks on here – like "Ordinary Joe", "Occasional Rain", "Can't Catch The Trane", and "Alley Wind Song" – but you'll hear them in versions that are totally different than the ones you know, with spare instrumentation that includes just Terry's voice and guitar, plus bass, percussion, and some electric keyboards. The sound is beautiful, and the record stands as one of Terry's best ever. Beautiful haunting tracks, with a mellow soulful vibe with a little jazzy tip, ala Terry's best work from the period. Great stuff, with a number of tracks that were never released before. Other titles include "Lean On Me", "Blues For Marcus", "900 Miles", and "Golden Circle #317". CD

Johnny returns to prison for another incredible set, released in its entirety for the first time with the 9 songs left off of the original LP! Like the Folsom gig, the set was captured by producer Bob Johnston, who also so masterfully recorded Bob Dylan at his most primal. Unlike the Folsom set, in which Johnny was famously accompanied by the Tennessee Three, the San Quentin band was fleshed out to include all of the still performing Carter women, Carl Perkins and the Statler Brothers. Another breathtaking prison recording, featuring the famous version of "A Boy Named Sue" where you hear the crowd going completely nuts. Tracks include "I Walk The Line", "Darlin' Companion", "San Quentin", "Wanted Man", "There'll Be Peace In The Valley", "Ring Of Fire", "He Turned The Water Into Wine", "Daddy Sang Bass", "I Don't Know Where I'm Bound" and more. 18 tracks in all, with lots of previously unreleased photos and essays, including some insight from Merle Haggard – who had, uh, his own little gig at San Quentin if you catch my meaning. CD

A jangle-pop spectacular from The Five Man Electrical Band – an incredibly groovy outfit from late 60s Canada! Although issued at the end of the 60s, the album's got a sweetly-crafted feel that sounds a lot like some of the best mid 60s pop – particularly that coming from overseas – almost a lost Brit Invasion sort of sound, but one that's tuned with a few odder touches that show the group's ear for some of the west coast musical changes of the time. All tunes are incredibly catchy, and recorded with great focus on the jangly lead guitar – so much so that the vocals are almost buried down a bit more in the mix, which makes for a kind of cooly tripped-out sound. Titles include "Maple Lane", "Fancy Dancin Man", "Black Sheep Of The Family", "Running Back", "Didn't Know The Time", "Five Man Electrical Band", and "Private Train". CD also features a whopping 9 tracks added to the original album – some by the group as The Staccatos – with titles that include "Half Past Midnight", "Weather Man", "Super Girl", "Let's Run Away", "Catch The Love Parade", and "Whisper Words". LP, Vinyl record album

2 excellent early albums from overlooked saxophone genius Eric Kloss! Grits & Gravy is a really incredible little set – with a varied approach that we love! About half the record has Kloss blowing with a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums – going for a style that's more towards the soulful end of Byard's modern approach – and featuring some incredibly well-crafted alto solos for his young age. The other half of the album features a strange but cool larger group – one with Teddy Charles on vibes, Billy Butler on guitar, and even some female backing vocals! The approach on these sides is like that on some of the George Braith and Freddie McCoy sides for Prestige – a great blend of groovy and funky, with a soulful undercurrent that's really sent home by Kloss' solos! A stunning album with a really unique blend of sounds – and titles that include "Repeat", "Grits & Gravy", "Gentle One", "Slow Hot Wind", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". First Class Kloss catches the young saxophone genius at a perfect point in his career, right when he was stretching out from the organ jazz roots of his first few records, but in a way that's not as noodly as in some of his later recordings. The group's incredibly hip – with Jimmy Owens, Cedar Walton, Leroy Vinnegar, and Alan Dawson – and the record bounces with that soulful pre-funk mode that crept into only the best of the Prestige sides of the late 60s. Titles include "African Cookbook", "Chittlins Con Carne", "Comin Home Baby", and "The Chasin Game". 16 tracks in all, including one previously unissued track – "Psychedelicatessen Rag". CD

Crucial postpunk neo-psyche from Julian Cope and The Teardrop Explodes – a pretty incredible mix of pop eccentricity, with some of catchiest songs of Cope's wild ouvre, but still wholly unique – a creative high point for early 80s rock! Tight, insistent rhythms clearly inform the 80s indie scene to come, particularly with the drenching washes of keyboards and spindly guitar – with Cope's vocals as fun and charismatic as ever. Titles include "Ha Ha I'm Drowning", "Sleeping Gas", "Treason", "Second Hand", "Brave Boys Keep Their Promises", "Bouncing Babies", "Books", "When I Dream" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Trussel may have cut this one and only album at the end of the 70s – but they've got a strength that's kept them going for years – despite a lack of success at the time! The record's a sweet modern soul stunner – a record that picks up a sweet jazzy groove that's augmented with lots of great funky touches from Fred Wesley – all in ways that are a real precursor to the 80s groove generation! The album's not really disco, but more in the clubby funk territory of The Horny Horns – a mode that's got the ensemble coming down tight on the groove, and layering the sharp instrumentation with catchy vocal refrains that give the whole album a really infectious vibe. Titles include the classic "Gone For The Weekend" – plus "Love Injection", "Sweet Love", "I Love It", "Big City Rocker", and "If You Can't See It". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty lush John Williams score to this period piece based on William Faulkner's The Reivers – in a version that starred Steve McQueen. The overall feel is actually in keeping with Williams' more successful later work – and the tunes here have all the drive, emotion, and catchy themes of Star Wars or Superman. Titles include "The Winton Flyer", "Carrie's Entrance", "The Picture", "Finale", "The People Protest", and "Memphis". CD

Beautiful recent work from one of our favorite pianists ever – the lovely, lyrical Jack Wilson – an artist we first came to love for his classic 60s work with Roy Ayers on the LA scene, and a player who's continued to grow tremendously over the years! The setting here is a relatively traditional one – in the mode of some of the other DIW trio albums from the time – but Jack's free and open approach to the keys makes for an inventive approach to even familiar numbers – touched with that classic Wilson style that's openly emotive, yet never overdone or saccharine. There's a sense of years passed here that gives the record a wonderful depth – like catching up with Wilson in the time since we'd last heard him record (was it for Discovery Records, at the start of the 80s?) – and letting him tell us the story of those intervening years through his magic at the keys. The group's a quartet with Leon Maleson on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and James Chirillo on guitar – but the production by Mickey Bass makes sure that Wilson's work on the keys is very much at the forefront of the set! Titles include "Sandie My Love", "This Heart Of Mine", "That Sunday That Summer", "How Soon", "Long Ago & Far Away", "Moon Mist", and "If She Walked Into My Life". CD

Cannonball Adderley with David Axelrod production – a combination that couldn't miss back in the 60s! In keeping with the success of the Mercy Mercy Mercy album done with Axelrod, Capitol did everything they could to catch Cannonball in a live setting – a great move, given the open, soulful energy his group had in the format – crowd-pleasing, but always plenty darn creative too! Added to the mix here is some nice production by David Axelrod, capturing all the right moments in all the right ways – especially when Joe Zawinul steps up to take some sweet solos on the keys – and the great Charles Lloyd serves up some mighty nice work on flute and tenor sax. Other players include Nat Adderley on cornet, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and titles include "The Song My Lady Sings", "Little Boy With The Sad Eyes", "Work Song", and "Sweet Georgia Bright". LP, Vinyl record album

Chris Connor is easily one of the best song stylists of her generation – and although most of her better-known work was cut for American labels in the 50s and 60s, she kept on making really great records and developing her sound overseas – as on this gem of a date for the Japanese market in the late 70s! The vibe is great – a bit more contemporary in approach than the 60s, including the choice of material – delivered with a slinky soulful vibe by a trio that features Harold Danko on piano, Ronnie McClure on bass, and Ed Soph on drums – all players who are a really great match for Connor's sound. The arrangements are great, very inventive – and tracks include "Come In From The Rain", "Baltimore Oriole", "A Baby's Born", "I'll Catch The Sun", "Blue, Green Grey & Gone", "Fly Me To The Moon", "More Today Than Yesterday", and "All Or Nothing At All". CD

A near-lost set from the 80s, but one that we'd almost put right up there next to some of our favorite work by artists like Sade or Working Week – as the record shares a similar blend of jazz, soul, and catchy pop! Linda Di Franco sings in English, but with a nicely accented style – in a way that's a bit like Anne Pigalle over at ZTT Records – and the album's got these gentle-flowing grooves that are mighty nice – catchy, but just the right side of the spectrum to never sound too commercial at all – and instead maybe come across like some of the hipper British work of the time. Titles include a great take on "The Look Of Love", plus "My Boss", "Bless My Soul", "TV Scene", "Fran", and "The Rise Of The Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

Although they didn't have as big of chart success as in earlier years, the O'Jays managed to do alright as the 80s moved in on them. Their sweet vocal style was a perfect match for Philly International's move to more modern soul production, and this album has them nicely set up by McFadden & Whitehead, still recording at Sigma Sound. The record includes the classic "My Favorite Person", one of the group's best later cuts, and a really catchy number – plus "Out In the Real World", "Don't Walk Away Mad", and "One On One". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Syn – a British group who are maybe best-remembered for giving the world future prog giants Chris Squire and Peter Banks – but who are already pretty darn great even without that later legacy of sound! The vibe here is a bit like Tomorrow – the early home of Steve Howe – in that the songs are mostly short, focused, and tuneful, but have all sorts of wonderfully new ideas and trippy touches around the edges – deeper than pop psych material coming out of the US at the time, but equally catchy in its own sort of way! Titles include "Created By Clive", "Flowerman", "14 Hour Technicolour Dream", "Merry Go Round", "The Gangster Opera", "Cadillac Dreams", "The Last Performance of The Royal Regimental Very Victorious and Valiant Band", "Mister White's White Flying Machine", "Love You", and "Sunset Boulevard Lament". LP, Vinyl record album

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A very earthy setting for the legendary reedwork of Peter Brotzmann – a killer live performance that has him working in a trio with the great Hamid Drake on drums, and Moroccan musician Majid Bekkas on the spare-stringed guembri! Drake really adapts himself to the guembri, and opens up with that way he can have of making the drum kit seem like a more varied set of percussion instruments – and the setting is maybe almost one that would be more typical of Don Cherry than you'd usual expect from Brotzmann – an even further surprise, given that the material was recorded at Jazzfest Berlin in 2022, and marks one of the last recordings that Brotzmann would give us before departing the planet! Titles include "Hamdouchia", "Balini", "Chalaba", and "Mawama". CD

Prime Elvis Costello work from his early run with The Attractions – a set that's overflowing with tunes that are catchy yet biting, and which get superb production from Nick Lowe! Titles include "Oliver's Army", "Green Shirt", "Party Girl", "Good Squad", "Moods For Moderns", "Two Little Hitlers", "Accidents Will Happen", "Senior Service", and "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love & Understanding". LP, Vinyl record album

The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too far over the top – catchy, compelling numbers that played well all over the world of pop – but which still hang onto just a little part of his soul roots too! That balance is a key factor to the success of this set – a record that helped re-ignite interest in Jackson's music, and introduce him to a whole new generation – while still keeping most of the older fans plenty pleased too. Titles include "Just Good Friends", "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "Another Part Of Me", "Man In The Mirror", and "Speed Demon". LP, Vinyl record album

If you've only heard George Jones in later years, when he was the king of the heartbreaking ballad, you'll find plenty here to discover – as his early recordings for Starday Records are something else entirely – and almost have George hitting a rockabilly mode at times! This set's got some of Jones' best early singles for the Texas label, plus some overlooked gems – wrapped together to offer a wonderfully vibrant picture of a superstar in the making – already a singer with a voice that few folks could match, equally well-suited to catchy upbeat numbers and some of the more heartfelt tracks that offset things nicely. Titles include "Accidentally On Purpose", "Tall Tall Trees", "No Money In This Deal", "Too Much Water", "If I Don't Love You", "Why Baby Why", "Eskimo Pie", "How Come It", "Accidentally On Purpose", "Hold Everything", "Maybe Little Baby", "Rock It", "Mexican Boogie", "Gonna Come Get You", "Taggin Along", "That's The Way I Feel", and "You Gotta Be My Baby". CD

A trio of later comedy soundtracks – all served up by Italian maestro Detto Mariano! W La Foca has a really playful main theme – one that romps around in a very catchy theme, nicely lilting and served up here in ten different variations – including a very cool moog reading at the end! Cornetti Alla Crema has a wider variety of modes – including some more moogy keyboards, and a few clubbier moments as well – plus occasional sing-song female vocals that have a groovy wordless approach. Last up is the longest soundtrack in the set – La Moglie In Vacanza L'Amante In Citta – music that still has some of the keyboards and the theme-cycles of the other two, but which fleshes things out a bit more, shifting through different instruments that make the whole thing almost feel like a longer suite, based on the same melody. CD features 32 tracks in all! CD

A supergroup of sorts, with members from bigger earlier British groups – working here with the great Felix Pappalardi at the production helm for their one and only release! The album mixes upbeat romping tunes that have that catchy UK pop mode of the period with a few mellower moments – all the kind of cuts that almost could have made this one a crossover success, but which likely fell between the cracks as one of the many overlooked projects on the Private Stock label. Titles include "The Right Time", "Miracle Mile", "Dark Cloud", "You can Do It", "Little Darlin", and "Once Again A Love Song". CD

A groovy set from singer & songwriter Peter Gallway and his group Ohio Knox – with sort of oddball, yet totally catchy post psychedelic folk rock tunes taken to a deeper level thanks to impeccable musicianship! Guest players contribute vibes, congas, horns and chorus vocals on some tunes, one of whom is John Sebastian – whom Gallway feels like a kindred spirit to. Includes "Taking It Easy", "Land Of Music", "That Lady", "Calamity Jane", "There Comes A Time", "Baby Sox Knox", "No Sleep For The Wicked", "Abigail Archer", "North Country Laura" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Bring on the sun if it burns this strongly – as we're more than happy to get extra toasty in the light of such wonderful tracks as these! The set's a stunning look at the massive musical shift on the UK scene in the year of 1967 – a time when psych was certainly making its influence felt, but groups were also opening up in all these other sorts of ways too – really getting past the jaunty rhythms and catchy lyrics of a few years before – and instead somehow managing to make all these amazing things happen in just the space of a short 7" single! Some of the artists here are artists who were making more mainstream music a few years earlier, others are new acts that would soon become superstars, and a few more are genius groups who burst out strongly, then disappeared from view – all brought together in a great 3CD package, with 79 tracks in all, and very detailed notes. Artists include The Herd, Idle Race, Dave Davies, John Williams, Svensk, Universals, Australian Playboys, Tony Rivers, Great Uncle Fred, Artwoods, 23rd Turnoff, Vocal Point, Zombies, Nirvana UK, Lisa & Francesca, The Mirage, Virgin Sleep, Accent, Our Plastic Dream, David Bowie, Living Daylights, John's Children, Episode Six, Orange Bicycle, The Poets, Genesis, Crocheted Doughnut Ring, Piccadilly Line, Scott Henderson, Made In Sheffield, Caleb, and many others! CD

A new record by the legendary Sergio Mendes – bursting into the 21st century on a catchy wave of Will I Am production – reworking gems from the Brazilian songbook and more with guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, India Arie, Black Thought, Chali 2Na, Marcelo D2, John Legend and others! Will I Am has been annoying hip hop purists for years thanks to the relentless candy-coated pop gloss of recent Black Eyed Peas records – but he brings an intelligent, reverent and educated approach to the Brazilian keys legend Sergio Mendes – whose familiar grooves are a lovely accomplice to the sparkling hip hop/pop background. The guest stars seem to be here out of genuine love of the music – and provide far more graceful appearances than we would have expected! A very sweet surprise with bright, warm, and lovely moments – almost good enough for us to forgive Will I Am for "My Humps"! Tracks include "Mas Que Nada" feat Black Eyed Peas, "Berimbau/Consolacao" feat Stevie Wonder & Gracinha Leporace, "That Heat" feat Erykah Badu & Will I Am, "Let Me" feat Jill Scott & Will I Am, "Please Baby Don't" feat John Legend, "Samba Da Bencao" feat Marcelo D2, "Yes, Yes, Y'All" feat Black Thought, Chali 2Na & others and much more! CD

A really deep dive into the lost legacy of Franklin Boukaka – a singer who really helped revolutionize music in the Congo during the 60s, recording a heck of a lot of great tracks before a brutal murder took him from the planet in the early 70s! At some level, the work here is to Congolese music what some of the more playful township songs were to the South African scene – a new style, but one that also had a really universal sort of appeal – contemporary and catchy, yet still nice and lean, and never overproduced in any sort of European way! There's plenty of numbers here that show that strong 60s Congo love of Afro-Cuban elements – and the 3CD package also features work done with Manu Dibango, and the group Cercul Jazz. Titles include "Pasi Na Komona", "Succes Cercul", "Na Welate", "Dia Bikola", "Honole", "O Nongone Mba Mulema", "Na Ye Na Lisano", "Yanga", "Longwa Na Nzela", "Nitouani Yam Bi", "Awana Divorce Na Bana", and "Les Ecoliers". CD

Prime Elvis Costello work from his early run with The Attractions – a set that's overflowing with tunes that are catchy yet biting, and which get superb production from Nick Lowe! Titles include "Oliver's Army", "Green Shirt", "Party Girl", "Good Squad", "Moods For Moderns", "Two Little Hitlers", "Accidents Will Happen", "Senior Service", and "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love & Understanding". LP, Vinyl record album

Milt Jackson sings, in addition to his familiar vibes on this set – an unusual date done during his Pablo Records run of the late 70s – and a surprisingly great little album overall! As you might guess, Jackson's not the greatest singer in jazz – but it's this quality that also makes the record really great – kind of an honest approach to the tunes that reminds us of the sort of singers we used to catch at south side jam sessions here in Chicago – vocalists whose love of a tune was so great, they were willing to get out and take whatever chances they may – showing a care for the lyrics that's almost greater than a more proficient singer. Electric piano backs up Jackson on most of the vocal numbers – creating a cool, soulful glow – and other players on the record include Cedar Walton on keyboards, Dennis Budimir and John Collins on guitar, Billy Higgins on drums, and Ray Brown on bass – who also produced the session. Titles include "Heartstrings", "Don't Worry Bout Me", "Yes Sir That's My Baby", "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", "Someone I Love", and "Parking Lot Blues". CD

A really beautiful record from the Japanese electro scene at the start of the 80s – a record that's got some of the catchy synth modes of the period, but which also has a fair bit of other elements going on too! Logic System features keyboards from Hideki Matsutake – best known for his keyboard programming with YMO – and here, his style expands into some wider modes that almost remind us of our favorite French soundtrack styles of the period – slight currents of sentiment, and a richness of expression that goes way past the more familiar simpler forms of the keyboards. There's definitely some catchier tunes too, and the balance is very nice – on a set that's mostly instrumental, save for some occasional vocoded bits. Titles inlcude "Metamorphism", "Equivalent", "Be Yourself", "Prophet", "Morpheus", and "Venus". LP, Vinyl record album

Prime Elvis Costello work from his early run with The Attractions – a set that's overflowing with tunes that are catchy yet biting, and which get superb production from Nick Lowe! Titles include "Oliver's Army", "Green Shirt", "Party Girl", "Good Squad", "Moods For Moderns", "Two Little Hitlers", "Accidents Will Happen", "Senior Service", and "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love & Understanding". Lots of bonus tracks too! CD

A fantastic array of really cool songs – all written and recorded by Tom Dawes of The Cyrkle – as part of a big career as a jingle writer after his group cut a famous theme song for 7 Up! The music here is great – work from a time when jingles for TV and radio ads were like mini songs in and of themselves – often as catchy as anything on the charts, if not more so – so that the tunes you'd hear for a few short seconds would stick in your head all day long! If you dig sunshine pop, there's plenty to love here – and remember that the great Roger Nichols also gave the world a wonderful tune that was originally designed as a jingle. Some of the tracks here never made it to the TV screen, others are classics – and the set includes songs written for Windex, GI Joe, Alka Seltzer, Calgon, Stridex, Murine, Hartford Insurance, Thom McCann, Life Savers, Timex, Ford, and many others. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Makin Whoopee!", "My Buddy", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin", and "Accentuate The Positive". CD

One of the finer Dead studio albums of the mid 70s for sure – managing to catch a bit of the spontaneous energy that made them such a vaunted live band on some tunes, really delivering on the wry yet easygoing songcraft they don't really get enough credit for, and even some cool facets of their far-reaching sound they captured better in the studio than they ever did on stage. Those include the lightly lush ballad-y "China Doll" and the eccentric sounds that weave in and out of the standout "Unbroken Chain", but the whole thing is solid! Other cuts include "US Blues", "Loose Lucy", "Scarlet Begonias", "Pride Of Cucamonga", "Money Money" & "Ship Of Fools". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic dancefloor electronics from Giorgio Moroder – and the "first electronic live to digital album", which must have cost a bundle to make! Giorgio is in prime electro disco mode here – spinning out long lines of catchy synthesizer tunes – in a way that takes Kraftwerk aesthetic and turns it towards the dancefloor, and also tops it off with some nice pop-styled vocals too! According to the notes, Giorgio's working with "music programmed as bursts of energy" – but to us, it's just plain groovy disco! Tracks are long, and titles include "I Wanna Rock You", "Baby Blue", "What A Night", "If You Weren't Afraid", and "In My Wildest Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the very catchy title cut – with great vocals from Amina, accompanied by Reggie Nicholson on percussion and Thomas Palmer on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic level psych pop pastiche from The Paperhead – a young Nashville core trio (and just a little over a handful of studio collaborators) with an incredible ability to channel the coolest sounds of the late 60s-late 70s into a transcendently catchy sound of their own! We don't even know where to start in trying to describe the stylistic range – maybe we'd just start by saying the songs, one after another, are as solidly tuneful and accessible as their influences are far out and diverse – incredibly so on both front! They've got strains of both obscure and uberclassic psychedelia from early/Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, to late 60s psychedelic soul, to Byrds-y psych country, and well beyond. Arrangements-wise the songs all have tight core groove, and additional horns and strings when duty calls. Another proud Dusty Groove salute to Chicago's Trouble In Mind label for discovering and releasing such great stuff! Includes "The True Poet", "Pig", "Love You To Death", "Fairy Tales", "Porter's Fiddle", "Reincarnated", "Over And Over", "Little Lou", "Duly Noted", "Dama De Lavanda" and "Chew". LP, Vinyl record album

Soulful hip hop from the duo of Blu & Exile – and one of the tightest releases yet on the Sound In Color label! Exile's production brings a heavy mood while still rolling out catchy and funky beats – while Blu's busy, reflective rhymes flow with the best of them. Solid stuff! Titles include "My World Is", "The Narrow Path", "So(ul) Amazin' (Steel Blazin')", "Juicen' Dranks" feat Ta'Raach, "In Remembernce Of Me", "Blu Colla Workers", "Dancin In The Rain", "First Things First" feat Miguel Jontel, "No Great Lvove", "Show Me The Good Life" feat Aloe Blacc & Joseph, "Simply Amazin'", "You Are Now In The Clouds With (The Koochie Monstas)" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet AOR set from Mark Pearson and Reed Nielsen – a duo who come together with vocal styles that are maybe a bit like the shift that Hall & Oates were taking at the end of the 70s – and we mean that in the best way possible! Pearson and Nielsen have a great ear for a catchy tune, and trade lead vocals from track to track – always using nicely soulful backings that are in the much better side of the AOR spectrum of the time – that special magic from a pair who were never commercially successful, but managed to make music with the best of their scene! Titles include "Don't Let Me Go", "Annie", "Hurt No More", "Don't Forget", "Givin Your Love To Me", "If You Should Sail", and "Two Lonely Nights". CD

The long awaited return of Brazilian iconoclasts Os Mutantes – featuring original Mutante Sergio Dias and a great new band – plus songwriting contributions from Tom Ze and Jorge Ben – a forward looking endeavor, not at all a nostalgia trip! It's been around 30 years since the previous Os Mutantes album, and the never predictable Dias sounds as fresh and energized as we hoped he'd be – with bright, catchy-as-hell melodies, wildly playful carnivalesque sounds as well as more rootsy acoustic bits, on songs that fearlessly blend genres and influences. It's hard to imagine that we'll ever love records from Mutantes, or anyone else in any genre, as much as we love the late 60s stuff – but this is excellent, and among the better Mutantes records since the Rita Lee era. Dias sings and plays electric & acoustic guitars, Egyptian oud, organ, percussion, harmonica and handles the string arrangements, and fellow Mutantes this time out include percussion, drums & vocals by Dinho Leme and Bia Mendes, vocals, piano & keys by Henrique Peters and Fabio Recco, percussion & sound design by Simone Sou, bass, flute, strings and string arrangements and more by Citor Trida. Titles include "Hymns Of The World (Intro)", "Querida Qierida", "Teclar", "2000 E Agarrum", "Baghdad Blues", "O Careca", "O Mensageiro", "Anagrama" featuring Tom Ze, "Aamba Do Fidel", "Nada Mudou", "Gopala Krishna Om", "Hymns Of The World (Final)" and more. CD

The brilliant debut as a leader from a young pianist we hope we'll be hearing plenty from in years to come – a great soloist in his own right, and a musician who's also got experience in the worlds of soul and hip hop as well! Yet don't let those ties make you think that Julius Rodriguez is one to hide behind remix gimmicks or catchy vocals – as he's first and foremost a great pianist, as you'll hear on the leadoff track, which is a straight trio number – a cut that gets things right, and sets the stage for all the wonderful musical changes that flow across the album – still mostly with work by a core trio, with Julius on both piano and Fender Rhodes – but also featuring guest stops from musicians Giveton Gelin on trumpet and Morgan Guerin on soprano sax – and occasional vocals from singers Samara Joy, Nick Hakim, and Mariah Cameron. Given Rodriguez's range at such a young age, and his skill at both composing and performing, he's off to a hell of a start – on titles that include "Where Grace Abounds", "Blues At The Barn", "Elegy", "Gift Of The Moon", "Two Way Street", "All I Do", and "In Heaven". CD

It's hard to imagine the scene at Studio 54 in the Soviet scene of the late 70s – but, as with most of the world at the time, the USSR managed to pick up more than a few influences from the disco years in America – a range of sounds that it held on to for longer than the bit club years back home! At some level, the music here is maybe more electro pop, of the sort that other European nations were starting to cut in the mid 70s – playful tunes that have lots of keyboards and other electric elements, used in ways that make the catchy Russian lyrics even more groovy than they might sound otherwise! The package brings together tracks from Belarus, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and other Soviet republics – on titles that include "Hatawka" by Pervouraslk, "Vienmer But" by Mirdza Zivere, "Noktirne" by Eolika, "Penka" by Formula Dreyka, "Polet" by Verasy, "Azinas Sokis" by Janina Misciukaite, and "Paccbetaet" by Raduga. LP, Vinyl record album