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Instrumental music for veena, nadaswaram, gottuvadyam, and viola. CD

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Quite possibly the grooviest album ever from Enoch Light – a trippy blend of many 60s styles, all put together with sublime Project 3 Sound! The album's billed as featuring "exploratory trips through the music of Bach, Bacharach, the Beatles – Integrating the Moog, the Guitar Scene, Electronic Harpsichord, Flugelhorns, etc" – and it definitely lives up to that bill, given the range of songs included! Rhythms are strong, and the use of sweetly compressed horn parts is very much in an A&M mode – as is the backing vocals, which are light and wonderful – a bit like Free Design, but more towards the territory of Singers Unlimited, although even groovier. The Beatles and Bacharach material is especially great – but even the Bach tunes come out wonderfully, given that most are re-arranged with a hip 60s soundtrack sort of groove – classical roots, but contemporary execution – especially when there's a bit of moog or electric harpsichord. Titles include "Walk On By", "Norweigan Wood", "What The World Needs Now", "Get Back", "Bond Street", "Petite Paulette", "My Silent Song", and "Lover's Concerto". LP, Vinyl record album

Much cooler than you'd guess from the classical-sounding title – thanks to the fact that Roy Ayers plays vibes and Sonny Sharrock plays guitar – and the whole thing was arranged by William Fischer! LP, Vinyl record album

A wild record! The album features extended works by Salvatore Martirano – tripped out avant classical pieces with a hippy dippy approach! L's Ga takes up all of side one – and it's an extended bit of noise that includes some great tape trickery. Side two features works played by more conventional, yet still avant, chamber ensembles – on tracks that include "Octet" and "Ballad". LP, Vinyl record album

Two classical works for chorus, harp, and cello – composed and arranged by Danish trumpeter and band leader Palle Mikkelborg. CD

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". CD

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". CD

Moody vibes and light guitar – a wonderful meeting of two unique talents – the third stream jazz of the Modern Jazz Quartet, and the introspective guitar of Laurindo Almeida! The session blends together a host of different influences – from classical guitar to bossa nova to modern jazz – all with the light and spacious touches of the MJQ at their best, recorded with some really warm brilliance that makes the whole set sparkle! Titles include "Foi A Saudade", "One Note Samba", "Fugue In A Minor", "Silver", "Trieste", and "Concierto De Arajunez". LP, Vinyl record album

This was the first of Moondog's albums on Columbia – produced in a style that took him a lot more seriously than other albums on labels like Brunswick or Prestige, and handled in a way that slots it nicely between the label's experiments in modern music with artists like Terry Riley or Harry Partch. The tracks still have all the naive charm of Moondog's earlier work, but they're performed by a top-shelf orchestra that includes classical and jazz players, including Ron Carter, Hubert Laws, Buddy Morrow, and Phil Bodner. Moondog himself handles the bass – and tracks include "Minisym #1", "Stamping Ground", "Symphonique #6", and "Witch Of Endor". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge crossover album of the 70s – one that took an east coast disco groove, and introduced influences from a wide variety of classical themes – best summed up in the title hit "A Fifth Of Beethoven", which was a surprisingly successful radio tune at the time! The effort's a strange one, but was part of a larger movement at the time that was introducing many older musical modes – such as standards or showtunes – onto the dancefloor in an effort to give the less underground clubgoers something to sink their teeth into. And while the approach seemed like a bit of a gimmick, it was also probably inspired by Deodato's big hit with "Zarathustra" and a few other classical themes – echoed here by Murphy's great keyboard work on a few other numbers. The album features the classical tracks "Flight 76", "Night Fall", "Fifth Of Beethoven", and "Russian Dressing" – plus the non-classical Murphy originals "California Strut" (with vocals by Angie Bofil), "Be Your Own Best Friend", "Suite Love Symphony", and "Midnight Express". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty cool record – even if it is mostly a "hi fi" sampler from RCA. The record demonstrates the full range of RCA's Living Stereo method – and it's got Ken Nordine narrating his way through a host of tracks from the label. As is typical with this sort of thing, about half of the music is classical – but there's also some nice numbers in the easy mode by Skitch Henderson, Ralph Flanagan, Lena Horne, and Jerome Hines. The best part is still Ken Nordine, though! LP, Vinyl record album

The first recordings ever from Orchestra USA – the landmark third stream jazz group co-led by John Lewis and Gunther Schuller! The group sprang out of Schuller and Lewis' preoccupations with bringing jazz to a more serious environment – merging traits of 20th century classical with jazz-based improvisation – in a format that included standout solo players, as well as larger backings from strings and woodwinds. And while some of that group's recordings were a bit dull, this one's totally great – not nearly as stiff and academic as you'd think – with some really strong solo work on saxes, and a soulful approach that gets past any formalism that could mar the proceedings. Players include Eric Dolphy, Phil Woods, Leo Wright, Nick Travis, and Jim Hall – and titles include "Three Little Feelings (parts 1, 2, & 3)", "Milesign", "Milano", "Natural Affection", and "Donnie's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that really lives up to its title – as it comes on with a sound so strong, so fierce, it can certainly be called an "attack"! The dub here isn't just the lazy-stepping, head-nodding variety – but very much on point and on the money – with the studio used almost as an additional instrument alongside the core rhythmic elements – which themselves have the best Channel 1 power of the studio's glory days in the 70s! And the lack of any vocals somehow makes the whole thing even more powerful – giving the spare instrumentation a hell of a lot of focus, in ways that so many later dub-imitators always tried to reach, but never did this well. Titles include "Semi Classical Natty Dub", "Skyjuice & Festival Dub", "Everybody Dubbin", "Dub For Marcus Garvey", "Is Dub I Deal With", "Dub Development", and "Musical Dub Attack". CD

Maybe one of the most unique albums ever cut by tenorist Heinz Sauer, and one that definitely lives up to its title – as the session features plenty of blues harmonica and vocals from the great Carey Bell! The format is very unique – partly jazz, partly blues – with Bob Degen playing piano in a way that bridges both modes, while Sauer is more soulful than usual, yet still never really handling his horn in any way that's more familiar blues material either! Carey's right at home in the setting – really rising to the occasion on titles that include "Degen Blues", "I Want You To Love Me", "One Day I Get Lucky", "A Classical Preacher", and "Hollerin The Blues". CD

The birth of a legend – a set that brings together all the important early recordings that made Ravi Shankar such a key ambassador for Indian music in the 60s – long tracks that mix his sitar with really incredible percussion, all spun out with pulsating modal energy that went on to have a huge impact on jazz, rock, and even more serious classical music too! Given that Shankar's cited as an influence by folks from Philip Glass to George Harrison to countless others, this package is really the place to start if you want to understand his music – and as with other titles from the Fremeaux label, the presentation is great, with lots of music in the set, and notes in French and English. Titles include "Raga Ramkali", "Raga Jog", "Raga Simhendra-Madhyamam", "Raga Ahir-Bhairav", "Dhun Kafi", "Raga Hamsadhwani", "Raga Rageshri", "Fire Night", and "Improvisation On The Theme Music From Panther Panchali". CD

The early 70s glam masterpiece from T Rex – setting the standard for the sounds to come – and pop landmark status aside, it's probably the best album Bolan, Mickey Finn and the group ever cut! On Electric Warrior, T Rex resurrects the primitive spirit of the seediest rock of their predecessors, with a sound that's loud and anthemic. They hide sax, fluegelhorn and classical-styled strings under loud guitars, making this some of prettiest sleaze of the 70s! Classic! Includes the classics "Jeepster", "Bang A Gong (Get It On)", "Life's A Gas", "Monolith", "Planet Queen, "Girl" and more. CD

A beautifully personal album from Ralph Towner – a set that's maybe got more going on than just a diary – as the whole thing has a very poetic approach to the sound, one that's really in keeping with the new modes of expression that Towner helped bring to ECM! There's a bit of overdub at times – so that Ralph also adds in a bit of piano and gong next to his more familiar work on 12-string and classical guitar – both instruments used in ways that are very different than the new acoustic underground that emerged in the 60s, and than most other jazz uses of the instruments too. It's almost as if Towner were learning lessons from Derek Bailey about unusual ways to approach the instrument – but then went off in more tuneful, melodic pursuits – on titles that include "Icarus", "Mon Enfant", "Dark Spirit", "Entry In A Diary", "Erg", and "The Silence Of A Candle". CD

Moody musings from guitarist Ralph Towner – recorded here on 12-string and classical guitar, plus a bit of piano – and working with a quartet that includes Jan Garbarek on sax and flute, Eberhard Weber on bass and cello, and Jon Christensen on drums and percussion. The group do a nice job of mixing up sweeter Towner moments with numbers that have a darker, almost noisier edge at times – and Garbarek's work on soprano sax gives the record some of its best moments. Early genius on ECM! Titles include the slightly funky "Piscean Dance", plus "Sand", "Red & Black", "Oceanus", "Visitation", and "Drifting Petals". LP, Vinyl record album

Is that barock or baroque? Whatever the case, the album's a pretty darn groovy affair – twin flutes from Sadao Watanabe and Akira Miyazawa – two of Japan's best reedmen at the end of the 60s – working here with some sweet arrangements that mix classical roots with mod instrumental modes! The approach is a bit like some of the best groovy European sessions of this type – and the production and instrumentation also carry occasional soundtrack echoes too – especially in the album's use of bossa rhythms, vibes, and wordless vocals at points – which make the whole thing feel like some lost Italian or French session from the time. Titles include "Orchestral Suite No 2", "Flute Sonata No 1", "Musical Offering", "Toccata & Fugue In D Minor", and "Invention In 6 Parts No 9". CD

Beautifully crazy moog material from Ruth White – an artist who could sit on both sides of the moogy fence – approaching the instrument with a bit less of the pop styles of her contemporaries, but in ways that are still plenty darn compelling over the years! Most of the work here is of classical origin, but Ruth also adds in some additional electronics that further abstracts the tunes – and titles include "The Ball" by Bizet, "The Snow Is Dancing" by Debussy, "Gymnopedie No 1" by Satie, "The Flight Of The Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov, and "Anvil Chorus" by Verdi. Most tracks are in shorter, groovier versions! CD

Tripped-out larger orchestrations that feature classical guitar by Williams, set alongside groovier 60s touches from arranger Stanley Myers! The sound is sometimes spare and spacey, sometimes full on and soaring – but at all points surprisingly revolutionary for the time, with a sound that points the way to countless instrumental sessions of the late 70s and early 80s – but which is here carried off with a simpler, more elegant style, and a less cluttered approach to production that makes for a very good feel overall. The album's got a great take on "Good Morning Freedom" – one that steps along with a good soundtrack groove – plus a fully orchestrated and very spooky "suite" take on "House Of The Rising Sun". Other tracks include "Theme From Z", "Cavatina", "Spanish Trip", "Raga Vilasakhani Todi", and "Because". LP, Vinyl record album

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! CD

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful collection of rare work pulled from a variety of different 78rpm singles – Indian classical music from the generation before Ravi Shankar and a few other artists gave it global exposure – with an especially strong focus on the use of the violin next to sitars and tablas! The violin is amazing – very stretched out and snakey – used maybe with some techniques of European heritage, but with a sonic result that's very very different – and a perfect fit for the rhythms and other instrumentation in the tracks! The collection is very well-done – similar to such projects on labels like Dust-To-Digital or Honest Jons – and titles include "Raga Thodi" by Gajanan Madhav Karnad, "Nagumomu Ganale (parts 1 & 2)" by Muthi & Masni, "Ragamalika Ragam Thanam (parts 1 & 2)" by Dwaram Venkatswamny Naidu, "Ikanaiana Raga Manirang" by Mysor Chowdiah, and the tracks "Raga Adana", "Thumri", "Raga Bageshree", "Raga Ahir Bhairi", and "Raga Sur Malha" by Paritosh Seal – clearly the star of the set! Also features two earlier, pre-classical tracks – "Thodi" and "Ragam Alapana" by Cunniah Naidu. CD

The fourth fantastic chapter in this wonderful trip through the 60s – headed up by author Jon Savage, as a great soundtrack to his documents of the time! If you know Savage at all, you'll know to expect something different and fresh – an unusual take on the period, and one that goes way past the chart hits and overplayed oldies – to instead uncover currents of cultural activity at a much deeper level! And sure, there's a number of familiar songs here – but they're mixed with lesser-known gems, and presented in this great double-length package that features 48 tracks in all – all with notes from Savage himself. Titles include "Talkin About The Good Times" by Pretty Things, "Eastern Organ" by Brother Dan All Stars, "Hard To Handle" by Otis Redding, "Freedom Train" by James Carr, "Say It Loud (part 1)" by James Brown, "Omnibus" by The Move, "Sunshine Help Me" by Spooky Tooth, "Everydays" by Buffalo Springfield", "How Does It Feel To Feel" by The Creation, "Dear Delilah" by Grapefruit, "Machines" by Lothar & The Hand People, "Tomorrow Street Puzzle" by Fairport Convention, "I Got A Line On You" by Spirit, "Kick Out The Jams (preview pressing)" by MC5, "World In A Jug" by Canned Heat, "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams, "Honey Chile" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Danse A La Musique" by The French Fries, "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker, and "Why Does It Feel So Right" by The Shades Of Jade. CD

Sublime soul from the great Thom Bell – one of our favorite arranger, producer, songwriters of all time – and a talent who really helped push the Philly soul scene much farther than most during the 70s! Bell was trained as a classical pianist as a kid – which might explain part of his ear for a special sort of tune – but by the time of this work, he was neck-deep in the soul scene – and working with a fantastic track record for bringing the best out of a very wide variety of artists! Bell was especially great with groups – he helped more than a few really stretch out their wings and grow – but as you'll hear here, Thom also handled a fantastic range of music in Philly studios – all with magnificent touches that really set the tunes apart from the rest – French horns, harpsichord, and especially that twangy sitar sound that worked so well with a harmony ballad. The set's got 23 tracks in all, and a massive set of notes on the man and his music – with titles that include "What I See" by Three Degrees, "Here I Go Again" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "You've Been Untrue" by The Delfonics, "Moody Woman" by Jerry Butler, "Something For Nothing" by MFSB, "One Man Band" by Ronnie Dyson, "Close The Door" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Life Is A Song Worth Singing" by Johnny Mathis, "Look The Other Way" by Lesley Gore, "What Kind Of Lady" by Dee Dee Sharp, "It's The Same Old Love" by The Courtship, "Do You Remember Yesterday" by The Intruders, "Track Of The Cat" by Dionne Warwick, and "I Wanna Be A Free Girl" by Dusty Springfield. CD

A really great idea for a collection – one that brings together postwar modern music in all of its many formats – from avant jazz, to early electronics, to Indian music, 20th Century classical, and even a bit of straighter jazz moments too! The package is very ear-opening – as it offers the chance to hear instrumentalists next to compositional talents that had inspired them – and the collection provides a way to hear different strains of sonic experimentation that were sometimes running parallel to each other, sometimes criss-crossing in strange ways. There's a wealth of musical discoveries throughout – and the 4CD set is overflowing with key cuts from Ornette Coleman, Bela Bartok, Edgard Varese, Daphne Oram, Jean Sibelius, Eric Dolphy, Ravi Shankar, Pierre Henry, John Cate, John Coltrane, Humphrey Searle, Arnold Schoenberg, Bill Evans, Olivier Messiaen, Luigi Nono, Charles Ives, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Bruno Maderna, Julian Bream, and many others. CD

One of the most successful jazz-meets-modern classical albums we've ever heard – thanks largely to the supreme talents of Don Cherry! Cherry leads the large New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra – which includes a large lineup of European free jazz musicians, with Peter Brotzmann, Tomasz Stanko, Manfred Schoof, Kenny Wheeler, Gunter Hampel, Willem Breuker, and Albert Manglesdorf – all conducted by Polish modern composer Krzystof Penderecki. Cherry plays mostly solo on his own composition "Humus", and other tracks include "Sita Rama Encores" (also by Cherry), and Penderecki's "Actions For Free Jazz Orchestra". CD

One of the more obscure albums that Eugen Cicero cut for the MPS label – still in the jazz-meets-classical vein of the rest, but featuring work by Franz Liszt, which maybe gives the whole thing a more fluid groove! The trio is Cicero's fantastic group with Charly Antolini on drums and Peter Witte on bass! LP, Vinyl record album

Ah for the days when Holland seemed to be filled with hard-jamming fusion combos! Ekseption were one of the country's best – and crossed over big to the rock crowd during the prog years. Here, on their 5th album, the group's actually pretty jazzy overall – taking a few tips from classical influences, but also doing many tunes on their own, and really working out some nice heavy riffing solos. Loads of great organ solos – and titles include "My Son", "Pie", "Midbar Session", "A La Turka", "Siciliano", "For Example/For Sure", and "Virginal". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice assortment of some of Roland Kirk's greatest recordings – his amazing sides for Atlantic Records, where he really developed his sense of "Black Classical Music" – and expanded his jazz leanings into a whole new realm of expression! The work on the set is beyond compare – as steeped in soul and goodwill as it is in creativity and modernism. Titles include "Here Comes The Whistleman", "Volunteered Slavery", "A Laugh For Rory", "Dance Of The Lobes", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Black Classical Rap", "The Inflated Tear", and "Afro Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection that features Morris working with a breathtaking range of musicians from across the jazz, free impov, and avant classical scenes! CD

Mike Richmond is plucking the cello on the front of the cover – and within, he uses the instrument in a wonderfully fluid, jazzy style – really living up to the legacy of earlier work on the cello in jazz by artists like Ron Carter, Sam Jones, or Eldee Young! The group is nice and lean, with Andy Laverne on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Anthony Pinciotti on drums – and the cello is recorded very high up in the mix, with a lot more texture on the strings than you might expect – and certainly a very different sound than the use of the instrument in classical music or string quartet settings! Titles include a fair bit of Bill Evans numbers – versions of "Bill's Hit Tune", "Orbit", "Turn Out The Star", "B Minor Waltz", and "Waltz For Debbie" – and a nice take on "You Must Believe In Spring". CD

A pivotal record for Wayne Shorter – as the set opens up with a hint of the direction he'd take in the 70s, especially some of the music he'd create with Weather Report! The album's not a straight fusion outing, though, and it does have a fuller group than a fusion combo – yet there is an electric current as well, as the group features striking guitar work from both John McLaughlin and Sonny Sharrock, plus some classical guitar from Walter Booker, bass from Miroslav Vitous, and drums from Jack DeJohnette – all of whom should give you an idea of the album's vibe. Airto plays percussion, and Maria Booker sings vocals on a rendition of "Dindi" – and this complicated larger group gives Shorter a quite different sound than some of his earlier Blue Note quartet and quintet sides. The session's got a great spiritual soul jazz undercurrent – pointing the way towards aspects of jazz in the 70s – and titles include "Super Nova", "Swee Pea", "Water Babies", and "Capricorn". CD

The big second album from Sky – a record that's twice as long as the first, and which gives the group even more room for instrumental explorations! As before, the guitar sounds here are both acoustic and electric – played by both John Williams, the virtuoso musician with classical roots, and Kevin Peek, who's got more rock experience – and the group also features really strong keyboards from Francis Monkman, plus bass from the great Herbie Flowers, and thundering drums from Tristan Fry! The sound is a balance of fullness and space – much more so than other fusion records of this nature – and while Williams' solos sometimes have older elements in their phrasing, the overall sound is pretty progressive – in the best 70s mainstream way. Titles include "Fifo", "Sahara", "Dance Of The Little Fairies", "Ballet Volta", "Gavotte & Variations", "El Cielo", and "Tristan's Magic Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

There's plenty of funky steps here, thanks to a lean 70s fusion groove – served up by a Japanese combo who are heavy on keyboards and guitar! There's almost a CTI-like vibe to the record at times, especially as the rhythms are nice and spacious, and avoid any of the full-on fusion modes that can come from a record that's too jamming – and instead really lets the elements of the instrumentation really find their best place in the groove! There's a horn section on the record, but used in ways that are nicely punctuated – just to augment the sound at all the right moments, yet never overwhelm. Titles include "Morning", "Moderato", "Largo", "Dream Of Love", and "Dance Ritual Of Fire" – all themes from classical, but really transformed via funky jazz – again another influence from CTI! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic acoustic set on ECM – a pairing of guitarists John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner, working here together in a beautifully spare sound! The album predates the bigger wave of work like this that would soon become cliched by the start of the 80s – and both players stretch out with sensitivity not always found on some of their other albums. Abercrombie plays mostly acoustic, but also some slight electric guitar – mostly in the background – and Towner plays 12-string and classical guitars, and a bit of piano as well. Titles include "Sargasso Sea", "Fable", "Avenue", "Elbow Room", "Parasol", "Romantic Descension", and "Staircase". CD

A nice overview of the Concord Records work of guitarist Laurindo Almeida – a player who'd floundered a bit before coming to the label, but then hit a very welcome return to small combo jazz! The material here is quite different from some of the easy listening or bigger ensemble albums that Almeida cut in the 60s – and instead, most of the music here is in a small combo setting – played by Laurindo on acoustic guitar, in a mix of modes from bop, to bossa, plus a slight touch of classical too. Other players on the dates include Charlie Byrd on second guitar, Milt Holland on percussion, and Bob Magnusson on bass – and titles include "Invitation To Shango", "Danza Five", "You & I", "Dingue Le Bangue", "Liza", "Carioca", "Chopin A La Breve", "Jalousie", and "Adios". CD

A real treat for the 2001 generation! Apollo 100 takes Bach's "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring", and gives is a jazzy electric keyboard reading – kind of a perfect bit of fluffy pop for a generation that was already digging the classical/easy experiments of the Swingle Singers and Walter Carlos. Not all the material is classically oriented, but most of the tracks have some very nice keyboard work. Titles include "Jazz Pizzicato", "Evil Midnight", and "Reach for the Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

A half-dozen sonatas by Bach – played with beautiful sensitivity here by Michelle Makarski on violin and Keith Jarrett on piano! We love Jarrett in jazz, but sometimes find his classical recordings to be a bit stiff – yet that's definitely not the case here, as his pairing with Makarski seems to bring out a sensitivity that Keith doesn't always have in his solo keyboard recordings of classical compositions – especially those for EMI. Both players do a great job of respecting the measured energy of Bach's compositions, while still adding some gentle inflections of their own – and the 2CD package features "Sonata No 1 in B Minor", "Sonata No 2 in A Major", "Sonata No 3 in E Major", "Sonata No 4 in C Minor", "Sonata No 5 in F Minor", and "Sonata No 6 in G Major". CD

Never-heard music from the mighty Keith Jarrett – performances recorded in the mid 80s, and featuring Jarrett working in a mix of jazz and classical styles that's pretty darn great! The first piece is Samuel Barber's "Piano Concerto Op 38", performed with the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies – but Jarrett's performance brings an edge and sense of air that recalls some of his own compositions for larger groups from the 70s, especially with Davie at the helm. Next is Bela Bartok's "Piano Concerto No 3", recorded in Japan with the New Japan Philharmonic, Kazuyoshi Akiyama conducting – a piece that's full of tremendous color and light in Jarrett's hands, maybe more so than we remember from other recordings of the work. Last up is a solo Jarrett improvisation from the same performance – a really lovely, lyrical tune titled "Nothing But A Dream". CD

One of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's last truly fantastic albums – a set that still has all the amazingly messed-up qualities of his best late 60s work – delivered with the honest heart and sense of soul that always make us love his music! The set was recorded for Atlantic in the early 70s, and it's got a wonderful mix of inside and outside playing – a bit more Kirk-unleased overall than some of the more focused experiments of previous records – filled with lots of personality, incredible reed work, and a sound that's spiritual, yet also deeply individual too! Rahsaan plays flute, notes flute, black mystery pipes, E flat sax, and clarinet – and other musicians include Charles McGhee on trumpet, Dick Griffin on trombone, Ron Burton on piano, and Sonny Brown and Ralph MacDonald on percussion – plus a hip string ensemble on some cuts – definitely giving the album a touch of the "Black Classical Music" style that Kirk always claimed was at the root of his work. Side two features the extended "Saxophone Concerto", which has some cool breathing tricks that really let Roland wail – and other tracks include "Celestial Bliss", "One Mind Winter/Summer", and "Ninth Ghost", all of which have a nice dose of spirituality. CD

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". Quite hard to find on the original vinyl, too – which is why we're extra-excited to have it on CD! CD

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". LP, Vinyl record album

A better-than-usual set of third stream jazz by John Lewis – quite possibly because it was recorded a bit earlier than the rest! As with similar sessions on Columbia and Atlantic, this one has Lewis working with Gunther Schuller on tracks for a larger group that seek to bridge the gap between jazz and more "serious" music – almost an experiment in modern classical music, but a bit less constricted, and with plenty of room for the soloists to liven up the material. Players include JJ Johnson, Stan Getz, Tony Scott, and Lucky Thompson – who all get in some nice moments on the record – and titles include "Sun Dance", "Midsommer", "The Queen's Fancy", "Little David's Fugue", and "Django". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Ralph Towner on twelve sting guitar, classical guitar, French horn, piano, and percussion, Glen Moore on double bass, electric bass, violin, flute, and piano, and Paul McCandless on oboe, English horn, and bass clarinet. LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal record for Wayne Shorter – as the set opens up with a hint of the direction he'd take in the 70s, especially some of the music he'd create with Weather Report! The album's not a straight fusion outing, though, and it does have a fuller group than a fusion combo – yet there is an electric current as well, as the group features striking guitar work from both John McLaughlin and Sonny Sharrock, plus some classical guitar from Walter Booker, bass from Miroslav Vitous, and drums from Jack DeJohnette – all of whom should give you an idea of the album's vibe. Airto plays percussion, and Maria Booker sings vocals on a rendition of "Dindi" – and this complicated larger group gives Shorter a quite different sound than some of his earlier Blue Note quartet and quintet sides. The session's got a great spiritual soul jazz undercurrent – pointing the way towards aspects of jazz in the 70s – and titles include "Super Nova", "Swee Pea", "Water Babies", and "Capricorn". LP, Vinyl record album

The early 70s glam masterpiece from T Rex – setting the standard for the sounds to come – and pop landmark status aside, it's probably the best album Bolan, Mickey Finn and the group ever cut! On Electric Warrior, T Rex resurrects the primitive spirit of the seediest rock of their predecessors, with a sound that's loud and anthemic. They hide sax, fluegelhorn and classical-styled strings under loud guitars, making this some of prettiest sleaze of the 70s! Classic! Includes the classics "Jeepster", "Bang A Gong (Get It On)", "Life's A Gas", "Monolith", "Planet Queen, "Girl" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Heady instrumental work from Tetragon – a German group who can really play their instruments with great virtuoso tendencies, but who work here in a more home-grown setting that's quite different from overblown classic rock of the time! The record features loads of great keyboards – including organ and clavinet – clearly trained in jazz and classical music, but turned towards a much more rock-based style of jamming – layered in with guitar, bass, and drums – and all delivered with an edge that's much rougher than you might expect – kind of the small label production you'd find for a psych record, which really keeps this one away from the ELP side of the spectrum. Titles include "Irgendwas", "A Short Story", "Nature", "Fugue", and "Jokus". CD features full notes, and the bonus track "Doors In Between". CD

A funky psychedelic kaliedoscope of grooves from India – killer numbers from the 70s and into the early 80s – Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga, from the folks who put together the equally heavy Psych-Funk 101 and Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas compilations! Most of cuts here have a raw, fuzzed out undercurrent of psychedelia – guitars that buzz or lead searingly, depending on the needs of the number – with heavy, funk-based drums and/or hand percussion with rumbling bass rhythms. From that core, they bust out mightily with more furious percussion, rhythms, mad horn arrangements, and vocals that work as either a sweetener or for even more wild-eyed excitement! In short, global psychedelic funk rhythms with regional Indian folk and classical flourishes, blended with mod, soul, garage and soundtrack influences from around the globe. It's a funky, psychedelic fusion of east and west that's billed as a seminar, but this is no academic endeavor – it's a psych funk party all the way! Includes "The Mod Trade" by The Black Beats, "Psychedelia" by X'Lents, "Somebody To Love – Edit" and "Gairaag Dance Music – Edit" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Dance Music From Hare Rama Hare Krishna" by RD Burman, "Lekar Ham Diwana Dil" by RD Burman feat Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar, "Mary Long" by Atomic Forest, "Dharmatma Theme Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Phir Teri Yaad" by Hemant Bhosle feat Asha Bhosle, "Thanimayil" by Ilaiyaraaja fet Vani Jairam & Chorus and more. 20 tracks in all – with a thick booklet of notes on each track, plus loads of photos, original album & poster art, and more. CD

An excellent session of bossa groovers with a slightly classical tinge, played by Ray Brown on bass and Laurindo Almeida on guitar. The set's got a similar feel to some of Ray's other groovy work from the time – like his remake of Jobim's score to the Adventurers. Includes the great groover "Brazilian Greens", plus "Fughetta IV", "Mo Greens", and "Just A Bossa Nova, Not A Symphony". LP, Vinyl record album

An early moment of genius from composer Gavin Bryars – and a set that was issued on Brian Eno's Obscure Records label in the mid 70s, which ensured that Bryars' music found a larger audience outside the realm of avant classical! That turns out to be a good thing here, as the music here is almost of its own genre – warmer and more personal than some of the arch modes of the CRI generation – as Bryars mixes a small string group with his own piano, a bit of spoken word, and tapes of additional strings – which add in this eerie sort of ghost vibe to the piece – a slight current of sentiment, but not in a romantic way. The second piece is equally important to Bryars' career – the wonderful "Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet" – which uses a found recording of the older song by an elderly singer, then echoed and augmented by work from Michael Nyman on organ and Derek Bailey on guitar, plus a bit of strings. LP, Vinyl record album

This isn't the official soundtrack for the film, but a separate recording of Walter Carlos' score that was released apart from the original soundtrack album. The LP includes electronic renditions of a few classical pieces – like the "William Tell Overture" and Beethoven's 9th – plus a lot of spooky stuff written by Carlos himself – including "Timesteps", "Country Lane", and "March From A Clockwork Orange". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that certainly lives up to the promise of its title – as the set features sublime solo cello from David Darling – who plays both the standard acoustic version of the instrument, and an unusual 8 string electric hybrid! Both instruments are used in ways that resonate strongly with the ECM style of the time – music that's in a space both beyond jazz and classical solo cello modes – very poetic at times, with an overall sense of sound that's really wonderful – subtle at points, more strongly melodic at others – and never gimmicky at all. Titles include "No Place Nowhere", "In November", "Darkwood II", "Lament", "Two Or Three Things", "Psalm", "Totem", and "Fables". CD

"Cosmoramic Rock" from East Of Eden – one of the trippiest British groups of the late 60s! The group works here in a self-professed blend of rock, free jazz, noise, world music, and avant garde classical influences – and somehow manages to make the whole thing come out with a sound that's amazingly straightforward, given the project – a cool blend of psychedelic influences and mind-expanding consciousness! There's a bit of art rock in the lyrics, but the instrumentation itself is more than straight ahead enough to cut through the clutter – making for an album that's got the expansiveness of a concept album, but the tighter song structure of a regular psyche album! Titles include "In The Stable Of Sphinx", "Moth", "Isadora", and "Bathers". LP, Vinyl record album