Esbjorn Svensson on piano, Dan Berglund on bass, and Magnus Ostrom on drums. CD

Esbjorn Svensson on on piano and electronics, Dan Berglund on bass and electronics, and Magnus Ostrom on drums. CD

Esbjorn Svensson on on piano and keyboards, Dan Berglund on bass, and Magnus Ostrom on drums. CD

... CD

One of the most consistently creative piano trios in the world today – a group who are always pushing the boundaries of their sound, strongly keeping away from familiar territory and tradition – yet always with a sense of swing and lyricism that continue to appeal to fans of more conventional jazz! EST aren't really ever that "out", but they're always stepping into unexpected space – odd sounds from the piano, noises you can't really place, and ways of blocking out a tune that are quite different than a regular trio session – but which also don't have the tricks or easy gimmicks of some of the jamband-oriented side of the jazz spectrum. Titles include "The Goldhearted Minor", "Beggar's Blanket", "Goldwrap", "Dolores In A Shoestand", "Fading Maid Postludium", and "Slipping On The Solid Ground". CD

One of the most consistently creative piano trios in the world today – a group who are always pushing the boundaries of their sound, strongly keeping away from familiar territory and tradition – yet always with a sense of swing and lyricism that continue to appeal to fans of more conventional jazz! EST aren't really ever that "out", but they're always stepping into unexpected space – odd sounds from the piano, noises you can't really place, and ways of blocking out a tune that are quite different than a regular trio session – but which also don't have the tricks or easy gimmicks of some of the jamband-oriented side of the jazz spectrum. Titles include "The Goldhearted Minor", "Beggar's Blanket", "Goldwrap", "Dolores In A Shoestand", "Fading Maid Postludium", and "Slipping On The Solid Ground". CD

With Esbjorn Svensson on piano and keys, Dan Berglund on bass, Magnus Ostrom on drums and everyone on percussion. CD

Features Esbjorn Svensson on piano and keyboards, Dan Berglund on bass, and Magnus Ostrom on drums and percussion. CD

... CD

A strange mix of sound library electronics and much more experimental work from Philippe Besombes – a set that carries echoes of some of the best Italian soundtrack electronics of the 70s, but which also features much darker, more turgid moments as well! The album collects some of Besombes' performances for ballet and other settings – and stands as an even starker document of his talents than some of the other albums issued under his name in the 70s. The core album is expanded here with 5 more bonus tracks that are almost noisier than the first – tunes that really hit the far reaches of analogue electronics, especially the low range of their sound. Titles include "Pawa 1", "Geant", "Princess Lolita", "Seul", "Ceci Est Cela", "L'Or Des Fous 4", "PJF 159", and "Traversee". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Fantastic French femmes from the 60s – and a great illustration of the way that girl power really took over the sound of the Parisian scene at the time! These tunes have a punch that few American or British tracks of the period could ever hope to match – a way of staying sweet, yet really hitting hard with a groove – sometimes with fuzzy guitars or organ, sometimes with a fuller blast of orchestrations – always completely charming and immediately appealing – even if you can't understand the lyrics! Most numbers feature work by some top-shelf arrangers from the tight Parisian scene – including Alain Goraguer, Jacques Denjean, Michel Colombier, and Ivan Julien – and titles include "Le Coeur Au Bout Des Doights" and "Ce Soir Je M'En Vais" by Jacqueline Taieb, "Laisser Tomber Les Filles" and "Le Temps De La Rentree" by France Gall, "Voila" by Francois Hardy, "Caque Nuit" by Les Surfs, "Donne Moi" by Petula Clark, "Un Chagrin A Oublier" by Alice Dona, "Il Suffit D'Un Jour" by Liz Brady, "L'Adorable Femme Des Neiges" by Christie Laume, "Impatiente" by Les Gams, and "Les Filles C'Est Fait Pour Faire L'Amore" by Charlotte Leslie. CD

A massive set from the legendary Chic – and a set that has the dancefloor combo coming down perfectly throughout! Riffing Nile Rodgers guitars really make the tunes cook – as does the superb production – and although the record played plenty in discos and radios of the mainstream, it's still got a raw funky power that holds up brilliantly over the years! The set features the legendary "Le Freak" – a classic cutting track from the old school – plus "I Want Your Love", "Sometimes You Win", "Savoir Faire", "Happy Man", and "(Funny) Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Vocal refrain by Jane Chacun. 78 RPM, Vinyl record

An obscure soundtrack from the great Michel Legrand – with some instrumental tracks, and some new vocal numbers co-written with Charles Aznavour – sung by Legrand, Delizia, Francoise Walle, and Aznavour. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Fantastic French femmes from the 60s – and a great illustration of the way that girl power really took over the sound of the Parisian scene at the time! These tunes have a punch that few American or British tracks of the period could ever hope to match – a way of staying sweet, yet really hitting hard with a groove – sometimes with fuzzy guitars or organ, sometimes with a fuller blast of orchestrations – always completely charming and immediately appealing – even if you can't understand the lyrics! Most numbers feature work by some top-shelf arrangers from the tight Parisian scene – including Alain Goraguer, Jacques Denjean, Michel Colombier, and Ivan Julien – and titles include "Le Coeur Au Bout Des Doights" by Jacqueline Taieb, "Laisser Tomber Les Filles" by France Gall, "Voila" by Francois Hardy, "Il Suffit D'Un Jour" by Liz Brady, "L'Adorable Femme Des Neiges" by Christie Laume, "Impatiente" by Les Gams, and "Les Filles C'Est Fait Pour Faire L'Amore" by Charlotte Leslie. LP, Vinyl record album

A hard set of soul jazz grooves – recorded under the leadership of the great trombonist Benny Green, and one of his few albums not for Blue Note or Prestige! The sound is very much in the Prestige hardbop mode of the late 50s – and Green heads up a group that includes Gene Ammons and Frank Foster on tenor, Nat Adderley on cornet, Frank Wess on flute and tenor, and Tommy Flanagan on piano– a similar lineup, with a similar sound, to some of the albums recorded under Ammons' name as "blowing sessions". The cuts are long, with laid back laid out solos – and titles include "Jim Dog", "Going South", and "Little Ditty". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Brigitte Bardot's best known on these shores as an actress, but during the 60s she cut some really fantastic work on the scene in Paris – including a fair bit of groovers that were done with help from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg! Bardot provided a fantastic new voice in the world of pop music – a singer who was unabashedly open about her desires, and very different than the more melancholy stars of a few years before – a quality that's further emphasized by the wonderfully groovy instrumentation used on most of these tracks! Production and arrangements are superb – and put this music in the best territory of the grooviest 60s French pop by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, Jacques Dutronc, and a rare few others. This is the first-ever English-annotated collection of work from the period – and features a whopping 25 tracks from her recordings for Philips and Disc AZ – titles that include "Harley Davidson", "Contact", "Neu Au Soleil", "Je Danse Donc Je Suis", "La Madrague", "Les Hommes Endormis", "Je Voudrais Perdre La Memoire", "Mr Sun", "Le Diable Est Anglais", "Tu Es Venu Mon Amour", "John Et Michel", "Gang Gang", and duets with Serge Gainsbourg on "Bonnie & Clyde" and "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus". CD

A great package – one that features some wildly experimental work from French electronics whiz Philippe Besombes! First up is the album Libra – tripped out electronics meet progressive rock jamming – all in a weird and wonderful film score from the early 70s! The record's one of the best by French experimentalist Philippe Besombes from the time – and it's got a style that sort of starts in the territory of Francois De Roubaix similar electronic work for film – but gets a lot darker and noisier right away! There's a textural depth here that's really great – almost a pre-industrial music exploration of sounds – but the work's also not that over-indulgent, either – and Besombes always has a great way of getting back to a tune, especially on the shorter tracks. Titles include "La Plage", "Rugby", "Ceremonie", "Hache 06", "La Ville", "Les Cosmonautes", "Tis A Song", "Boogimmick", and "PJF 261". Next is the record Esombeso – also release as Ceci Est Cela – a strange mix of sound library electronics and much more experimental work from Philippe Besombes – a set that carries echoes of some of the best Italian soundtrack electronics of the 70s, but which also features much darker, more turgid moments as well! The album collects some of Besombes' performances for ballet and other settings – and stands as an even starker document of his talents than some of the other albums issued under his name in the 70s. Titles include "Pawa"," Geant", "Seul", and "Ceci Est Cela". Next are two more albums done under the name Hydravion – both of which show Besombes turning his electronics into tighter, more song-based territory – although not without some noise from time to time – shorter tracks that sometimes get a bit tuneful, but which are still light years from mainstream music of the period. CD set also features bonus tracks for the first two albums – 8 more numbers that include "L'Or Des Fous", "Traversee", "Trio", "Piano Prepare", "Orgue Hache", and "Chocolate Cream". CD

A percussion record, but one with a very different twist – as the set was done both in collaboration with dancer Tonny Kennybrew, and based on his sense of motion – and it was done at the end of the 80s, and features a very cool mix of both acoustic and electric instrumentation! Percussionist Jean-Pierre Boistel handles a nice array of instruments at the core – kalimba, quinto, congas, bass tambours, bells, berimbau, shakers, and many other percussion elements – and at times, he uses computer-assisted programs to help line up the acoustic sounds, but in ways that hardly make them sound like some lame drum machine beats at all. Instead, there's a richly organic quality to the record – spare and lean, but nicely focused too. Titles include "Vas Y Peter", "C'Est A Sete", "A Capucine", "Des Perce Boys", and "Dans Le Secret & Clepsydre". LP, Vinyl record album

A great overview of the early soundtrack work of Georges Delerue – one of the first great composers to emerge from the French new wave/nouvelle vague generation – and an artist whose music was often a key part of those films! Some of the new wave cinema used music by jazz artists and combos – and while Delerue often worked in larger instrumental settings, he certainly borrowed plenty from that spirit – as there's often some nice touches of jazz here, amidst fuller orchestrations – a contrast between a single lead instrument and the rest of the group – in ways that also hint towards greater cinematic changes to come. The set features work from films directed by Francois Truffaut, Alain Resnais, Edouard Molinaro, Pierre Kast, Georges Lautner, Claoude Boissol, and Philippe De Broca – music from the movies Hiroshima Mon Amour, Marche Ou Creve, Le Bel Age, Les Jeux De L'Amour, Tirez Sur Le Pianiste, Jules Et Jim, Jusqu'Au Bout Du Monde, Les 3 Etc Du Colonel, Le Bonheur Est Pour Demain, and Une Aussie Longue Absence. CD

A late 60s soundtrack by Serge Gainsbourg – but a record that's easily as great as any of his studio albums from the same time! The bulk of the album has a spare, punctuated groove that's somewhat funky – quite a bit like Melody Nelson in its sense of space and timing – and its sex-heavy groove that bubbles up nicely from the bottom of bassy backings and mod orchestrations. Serge sings a bit – as does Anna Karina and Jean-Claude Brialy, Gainsbourg's co-stars in the film – and the orchestrations on the record were handled by Michel Colombier, and easily rank as some of his greatest work ever! Titles include both vocal and instrumental versions of "Sous Le Soleil Exactement", "Pas Mal Pas Mal Du Tout", "Boomerang", "Un Jour Comme Un Autre", "Ne Dis Rien", "Roller Girl", "GI Jo", "Pistolet Jo", "Photographes Et Religieuses", "Rien Rien J'Disais Ca Comme Ca", and "Un Poison Violet C'Est CA L'Amour". CD

A stunning revival for the great Brian Jackson – an artist who's best known as the keyboardist with Gil Scott-Heron in the 70s, but a hell of a singer on his own – as you'll hear in this really wonderful set! The album's not Jackson's first solo effort – but it may well be the first to really put him in the spotlight so strongly – a record that's completely wonderful from start to finish – with elements that will definitely resonate strongly with Brian's classic recordings with Gil, but also really show him as his own artist too! The tracks are a mix of vocal numbers and a few other instrumentals – with Jackson on Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, plus some great flute too – set up in small combo backings on titles that include "Mami Wata", "Path To Macondo/Those Kind Of Blues", "Hold On", "Force Of Will", "All Talk", "Nomad", and "C'Est Cette Comete". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful group, and one with a very unique sound – a style that draws from the early 50s experiments in Brazilian jazz by Bud Shank and Laurindo Almeida – but which also moves the approach into even more sophisticated 70s territory! The quartet features Almeida on acoustic guitar and Bud Shank on some wonderful reeds – plus bass from Ray Brown and drums from Shelly Manne, but players who are open to all the new ideas of Bud and Laurindo, but who can also throw in a stronger groove when needed. The album's a wonderful experiment in really pushing the envelope of jazz expression further – but never in any sort of outside ways – and titles include a reading of Ravel's "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte", plus "C'Est What", "Corcovado", "Autumn Leaves", "Samba De Orfeu", and "Reveil". CD

Excellent underground disco with a groovy French touch! The cover's a bit campy, but the record's got plenty of nice keyboard work, and offsets the coldness of the keys with some soaring strings and warm basslines. The standout cut is "Disco Circus", a 14 minute romp that's pretty darn great, and which has electronics that are a lot weirder than you'd expect. The other two tracks are "Ite Missa Est" and "Before It Gets Dark", both pretty nice too. LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a very plain cover, but one that contains some of the most searing guitar work of the early 70s – the one and only album by a short-lived group from Brazil – one who mix Sabbath-style hard rock with some more experimental modes – all at a level that's completely unlike anything we can think of from the time! There's some really offbeat production twists that almost seem to be learned from the Tropicalia generation – although the music here is much more straightforward, and delivered with familiar guitar, organ, bass, and drums – familiar instruments that, as in the hands of some of the giants of the time, take on raw power and sounds of their own when pushed to their limits! Lyrics are all in Portuguese, but that hardly matters, given the instrumental intensity of the set – which includes the titles "Turpe Est Sine Crine Caput", "Nao Fale Com Paredes", "Metro Mental", "Animaia", and "Espelho". The CD version is loaded with bonus tracks, too – including rare singles released under the name Modulo 1000 and the pseudonymous Love Machine – with titles include including "Ferrugem E Fuligem", "The Cancer Stick", "Waiting For Tomorrow", "Gloriosa", "Cafusa" and more. 17 tracks in all! CD

Morricone fans – this one's got it all! The music is completely wonderful throughout, and a great mix of everything that makes Ennio Morricone so tremendous – a bit of bossa here, some funky bits there, and even some spookier slow passages with a nice atonal feel! The main theme of the record is more than enough to get us going – a wonderful tune with wordless female vocals in the best Mondo Morricone mode – but other instrumental tracks follow with some very cool, slow moments – including some great love themes which then lead to some beefier, bouncier numbers that are really great too. This limited 2CD version is great – with a total of 24 tracks that include "La Lucertola", "Magia Nera", "Giorno Di Notte", "Spiriti", "Ancora Ad Est", "Sfinge", "Spostato Ad Est", and "A Lucio Fulci". CD

Really beautiful work from Stackridge – an early set, and one that's got the group working in more prog-oriented territory overall – yet still with a tightness to the tunes that avoids any side-long jams or solos that overwhelm the vocals and melody! Instrumentation includes bits of violin and flute next to more conventional guitar – and the tunes have that very special Stackridge blend, a bit hard to describe, but very different than so many American groups of the period. Titles include "Keep On Clucking", "Teatime", "Anyone For Tennis", "Syracuse The Elephant", "Father Frankenstein Is Behind Your Pillow", and "Lummy Days". 2CD version features the singles-only tracks "Slark", "Purple Spaceships Over Yatton", "C'Est La Vie", and "Do The Stanley" – plus 8 more tracks from a BBC concert in 1972! CD

A great album on Mercury – one with a gentle groove, but at a level that really lets Sarah Vaughan expand to the full subtle power of her voice! Titles include "It Happened Again", "You Ought To Have A Wife", "Never", "Edge Of The Sea", "C'Est La Vie", "Don't Let Me Love You", "The Second Time", and "Fabulous Character". LP, Vinyl record album

That's Miles Davis and Jeanne Moreau on the cover – and image is a perfect summation of what makes this period in film music so unique! The set brings together music from the French new wave of the late 50s and early 60s – a time when revolutionary directors were putting fresh new images on screen, and also turning to lots of new ideas for their music, too – using jazz musicians like Miles to create some of their soundtracks, and also moving past some of the more overblown orchestral styles that had dominated most of the world of film scores during the postwar years. Much of the work used by these directors was in a style that was closer to the people, and more fitting for the sorts of themes in the films – and this 3CD collection features a wonderful array of different modes from the period. Many films are included here with a few selections from their famous soundtracks – and the 3CD package includes work from Tires Sur Le Pianiste (Shoot The Piano Player) by Georges Delerue, A Bout De Souffle (Breathless) by Marial Solal, L'Eau A La Bouche by Serge Gainsbourg, A Double Tour by Paul Misraki, Les Liaisons Dangereuxes by Art Blakey with Barney Wilen, La Tete Contre Les Murs by Maurice Jarre, Le Bel Age by Georges Delerue, Les Bonnes Femmes by Paul Misraki, Jules Et Jim by Georges Delerue, Lola by Michel Legrand, Les 400 Coups (400 Blows) by Jean Constantin, Une Femme Est Une Femme by Michel Legrand, Zazi Dans Le Metro by Fiorenzo Carpi, Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud by Miles Davis, and Cleo De 5 A 7 by Michel Legrand. CD

A tight collection of gems from Ghana and Cape Verde – pulled together by Arp Frique, as an illustration of the sounds that have inspired him greatly over the years! The package features four cuts that move with mighty tight grooves – very upbeat, but in ways that are different than American or European club of the time – with instrumentation that's mostly live, but plenty electronic too – live drums mixed with keyboards, skittish guitars, horns, and other elements that percolate a really great groove for the vocals! Titles include "C'Est Dudu" by Americo Brito, "Yolanda" by Imilux Star, "Fa Wokoma Mame" by Elvis Kwasi Anokmah, and "Obra Twa Owuo" by Nana Adomako Nyamekye. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic Serge Gainsbourg album – and the BB initials in the title belong to Brigitte Bardot! This rare gem from 1968 is a second set of tracks that Serge cut with Brigitte Bardot – and it's a doozy! The record repeats a few tracks from their other effort (Bonnie & Clyde) – but it's also got some incredible cuts that are exclusive to this album, and which have that stone funky groove that makes the best late 60s work of Serge so in-demand these days! The best tracks include "Mustang", "Initials BB", and "Black And White" – all of which have incredible funky intros that are totally sampleable – and the set also includes "Bonnie & Clyde", "Qui Est In Qui Est Out", "Marilu", "Shu Ba Du Ba La Loo Ba", "Hold Up", "Torrey Canyon", "Dr Jeckyll et Monsieur Hyde", "Comic Strip", and "Bloody Jack". LP, Vinyl record album

Bebel Gilberto's really grown a lot over the years – and here, she emerges strongly as a fully-formed artist with a voice that's all her own – and a style that doesn't need to rest on the laurels of her famous family legacy! The album's easily one of the most interesting we've ever heard from Bebel – and it's got this slight spiritual undercurrent that's a real change from just bossa modes – a richer, deeper sound that almost shows echoes of some of the more compelling jazz talents in recent years, yet while still balancing out just the right sort of lovely sound for the vocals! Bass is more pronounced than before – often acoustic, but with a rollingly deep quality – on performances by both Kassin and Liminha – and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson brings in some sweet strings at points, but in a very gentle, subtle way. Seu Jorge joins Bebel on the track "Novas Ideais" – and other titles include "Tout Est Bleu", "Tom De Voz", "Nada Nao", "Somwhere Else", "Lonely In My Heart", "Areia", and "Saudade Vem Correndo". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully sweet and jazzy from the lovely Isabelle Antena – recording here under her own name, but still very much in the mode of the French trio from which she emerged! The record actually came about during the later years of Antena – at a time when the group was still recording sporadically, and still working very much in the spirit of the bossa and jazz styles of their debut. On this set, Isabelle steps forward a bit more as a lead singer, and the overall groove shows a bit more of a love of soul – blended together here with the jazz influences in a way that's very similar to the best side of Sade in her early years, but also handled here with a leaner, more personal indie style. There's a great 80s pop vibe running through the set – one that makes for some nicely catchy numbers, as well as a few dancefloor tracks. Titles include "Seaside Week Enhd", "Ten Minutes", "How Can They Tell", "Magic Words", "Sois Pop", "La Vie Est Trop Courte", and "Easy Street". Expanded package features rare b-sides, demos for Island Records, and more – titles that include "Blow The World Away", "Don't Think About It", "Mummy's Not A Home Tonight", "Behind The Door", "Time To Work", "Be Pop (12" mix)", "Life Is Too Short (new dance 12" mix)", and demos of "Be Pop", "Achilles", and "Mummy's Not At Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Sexy stuff from one of the most famous French stars of the 60s – a record that has Brigitte Bardot working in the same sort of slinky territory as Serge Gainsbourg, but with a slightly different feel overall! The album's a bit jazzier than some of Bardot's later work – with great backings from Claude Bolling and Francois Rauber – served up with some occasional Latin touches, of the type you might find in some of Gainsbourg's music of the time. Backings are somewhat large, but never sleepy – and titles include originals by Bolling and Serge Gainsbourg – titles that include "C'est Rigolo", "Pas D'Advantage", "Noir Et Blanc", "Rose D'Eau", "Invitango", "El Cuchipe", and "Les Amis De La Musique". LP, Vinyl record album

Searing samba soul from Jorge Ben – one of his best-remembered albums of the 70s, and for good reason too! The album's got a slightly fuller feel than some of Ben's other work of the time – never slick, but with backings balanced nicely against his own raspy vocals and acoustic guitar – sweetening things up with a bit of the strings you'd find on Forca Bruta, but with a hint of the soul to come on Africa Brasil! The balance is great – thanks to arrangers Osmar Milito, Darcy De Paulo, and Hugo Bellard – and as usual, Jorge's vocals are the main attraction – dipping, turning, and rising with this really unique, personal feel – Ben-like brilliance at its brightest. The whole thing's wonderful – a key gem from the Philips years – and titles include "Cinco Minutos", "Zumbi", "Brother", "Os Alquimistas Estao Chegando Os Alquimistas", "Errare Humanum Est", "Menina Muler Da Pele Preta", "Hermes Tri", and "O Namorado Da Viuva". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman", "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Where Are You", "Down The Aisle", "Tear After Tear", "Danny Boy", "Have I Sinned", "C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)", "One Phone Call", and "I Believe". LP, Vinyl record album

Trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah has made some great music of his own, but over the years he was also a key player in the legendary Arkestra of Sun Ra – and this unique volume is maybe one of the first books ever to really get at what life was like as a member of that legendary ensemble! The book is incredible – very open and honest about many issues, not just music – and it's also huge, too – over 500 pages, originally written by Abdullah in the 90s, with help from poet Louis Reyes Rivera, and finally published after all these many years! The book is very narrative, and gets at some of the lifestyles and theories behind the Arkestra – which have never been recounted in such great detail, and with such a focus on the way their fame and music intersected with everyday life. The book also features a huge section of photos and images – over 50 pages in all – and the whole thing is a long-overdue, much-needed look at Sun Ra, his legacy, and the career of Ahmed Abdullah too! Book

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great lost chapter in the Cannonball/David Axelrod story! The record features Cannon's classic quintet performing some longer, more serious works with orchestral backing – and the sound is vaguely similar to some of Axelrod's "high concept" work for Capitol. The record features a recording of Axelrod's "Tensity" and William Fischer's "Experience In E", both conducted by Fischer, a hip modern soul-oriented arranger, with a sound that's not dissimilar to Axelrod. The last piece on the album is a nice long one by Lalo Schifrin, "Dialogues For Jazz Quintet & Orchestra", which is also conducted by him as well. LP, Vinyl record album

The return of a legend – and a tremendously groovy little record! Brazilian keyboardist/composer Antonio Adolfo's been making records for years – but easily his greatest albums were those cut at the end of the 60s with his Brazuka group – a cool combination of funky rhythms, electric keyboards, spacious production, and female vocals – all wrapped up with that glorious Blue Brazil sound of the EMI/Odeon label. Here, Adolfo recaptures that sound beautifully – returning to modes he hasn't touched in decades – and getting tremendous treatment from the Far Out label, who really help him hit that classic sound right. The record's an instantly timeless set that rivals all of Antonio's wonderful work from many years back – recorded with Adolfo on keyboards, live jazzy rhythms, a bit of strings, and twin harmony vocals from daughters Carol Saboya and Luisa Saboia – soaring out beautifully with a really groovy sound. The whole thing's wonderful – even better than you might expect – and titles include "Bola Da Vez", "Papo Furado", "Luizao", "Eu E Voce", "Tudo E Brasil", "Domingo Azul", "Tao Iguais", "SOS Amazonas", "Sonho Estelar", and "Dono Do Mundo". CD

A really fantastic little record – and one that's even better than you might expect from the title – which itself is already pretty darn fantastic! The set is upbeat and funky, but not entirely disco – more this very groovy blend of Mid-East elements and more familiar keyboards – all moving and grooving in ways that are a lot hipper than any other belly dance music we've heard! Music features piano and organ, plus a very cool "string synthesizer" by played by the leader – and there's also plenty of percussion at the core of the set, making for a nice juxtaposition with the electric elements. Titles include "Night Entertainer", "Dance Of Tenderness", "Joy Of Lina", "A Flower Of My Imagination", "Love Of Laura", "Girls Of Iskandariah", and "Once A Year". LP, Vinyl record album

Alexander's second outing for the Milestone label (hence the title), and a wonderful album of soulful tenor tracks that has him working in a quintet with Harold Mabern on piano and Jim Rotondi on trumpet. Mabern and Alexander have, by this time, forged quite a sympathetic relationship – and, dare we say it, their pairing here reminds us a lot of the warmly soulful styles forged by Mabern and Frank Strozier in years past. The set's sparkling with original tunes that include "The Man From Hyde Park", "Luna Naranja", and "The Second Milestone" – plus Mabern's classic "John Neely Beautiful People", and great versions of "Estate" and "Matchmaker Matchmaker". CD

A classic album from one of our favorite jazz singers ever – a set that really set a whole new standard for a generation! Even at this early stage, Lorez Alexandria was an amazingly accomplished vocalist – as you'll hear on this excellent selection of tunes from the Lester Young songbook – laidback and soulful tunes that really let her open up and do her thing! The backing on the album's nice and earthy – provided by a Chicago group that includes King Fleming piano, Charles Stepney vibes, Paul Serrano trumpet, and Vernel Fournier drums – and the overall style is perfect for Lorez' deep soulful vocals. Titles include "DB Blues", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "This Year's Kisses", and "Jumpin With Symphony Sid". CD

Tasty R&B material, recorded on Prestige's short-lived Tru-Sound subsidiary. Ernestine had some earlier fame under the name Anisteen Allen, and this record's got a similar sound to her late 40s work – with lots of smoky vocals, touched by a warm jazz sensibility that gives the material a bit more sophistication than your average R&B shouter. King Curtis leads the group, and titles include "Let It Roll", "Lullaby Of Broadway", "Love For Sale", and "Miss Allen's Blues". CD

With sidemen that include Buster Bailey, Hilton Jefferson, Pee Wee Irwin, Chu Berry, JC Higginbotham, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Great early classics – including "Seventh Son", "Eyesight To The Blind", "Parchman Farm", and lots more! CD

A blistering album of Latin funk – a set that's got a lean vibe but a very classic sound – one that's put together in the same mode as the excellent run of funky 45s from the long-running Original Gravity label! Nestor Alvarez is Neil Anderson – who handles drums, guitars, keyboards, percussion, and plenty more too – layered in with contributions from funky horn combo The O'Gees, and added keyboards, trumpet, trombone, and flute – depending on the cuts. And despite the one man activity at the core, the sound is very live, and very real – especially as the presence of the others really expand out the groove – and make the whole thing feel like a fresh take on the late 60s world of Latin soul and Latin jazz! Titles include "Joanna", "Un Bucanero Mas", "Original Gravity (parts 1 & 2)", "Melting Pot", "En Candela", and "El Ladron En La Noche". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A group who really live up to their name, as they have a way of reaching back in time and space with this very righteous vibe – blending the sorts of horns you might hear in Sun Ra's Arkestra with more majestic strings that might come from a Carlos Nino/Miguel Atwood Ferguson project – but all with a style that's got a lighter, more cosmic approach! There's strong use of harp on the albums at times, echoing a bit of Alice Coltrane – but the group definitely take off in all their own directions too, especially as they shift the focus on key instruments from track to track – in a lineup that includes flute, alto, oboe, tenor, bass clarinet, and baritone – next to light strings, piano, percussion, and bass. All the music was composed by Ozzy Moysey, and a few tracks feature a vocal group to help lift up the spirits of the tunes – equally cosmic and righteous, and a great addition to the sound of the set. If you've dug the Matthew Halsall recordings on the Gondwana label, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "Rejoicing", "Niyama", "Equanimity", "Arc Of The Sun", "River Of Light", and "Pharoah Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

Accompanied by Ray Brown on bass, Benny Carter on alto, Ron Eschete on guitar, Marshall Otwell on piano, and Jimmie Smith on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Ernestine Anderson at the height of her powers – caught during a very successful run at Concord Records, where she was easily one of the hippest things going down at the time! The group here is a trio, and very tight – Hank Jones on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Jeff Hamilton on drums – all shifting easily to fit the mood and personal demeanor of Anderson's performance, which is a fair bit more dynamic than other jazz singers of the period. In a way, the record's got a similar feel to Lorez Alexandria's albums from the time – hip soul jazz vocals at its best, with just the right twists, turns, and rhythmic impulses to keep things interesting – but not enough to goof things up too much! Titles include "Big City", "Welcome To The Club", "All Blues", "All I Need Is You", "Spring Is Here", and "I'll Never Pass This Way Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A great slice of work from the early years of Ernestine Anderson – one of her key swingers for Mercury, and the kind of record that should have made her huge at the time! There's a hip-stepping quality here that points nicely towards the 60s – a bit more of a bounce in the backings, almost a Basie-esque quality at times – thanks to arrangements from Ernie Wilkins and Gigi Gryce, both of whom bring a great ear for horn charts to the date. Anderson's inherent sense of soul really opens up strongly with both arrangers – swinging with poise one minute, but bluesy undercurrents the next – in ways that really mark the record as coming from the more jazz-based side of late 50s Mercury spectrum. Titles include "Harlem Nocturne", "A New Town Is A Blue Town", "Nobody's Heart", "I Got Rhythm", "Beale Street Blues", "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", and "I Wish I Was Back In My Baby's Arms" LP, Vinyl record album

A great cooker from the glory days of Ernestine Anderson on Concord Records – a time when the singer was rediscovered, and revamped in a bit of a bluesy mode – reaching a wide new audience at the time! Her vocals really shine at this point in her career, as she lets loose with a bit more personality too – as you'll hear on this swinging set of down home numbers, cut with a combo that includes Red Holloway on tenor, Ray Brown on bass, and Gene Harris on piano! Titles include "Someone Else Is Steppin", "Goin To Chicago Blues", "Alone On My Own", "Mercy Mercy Mercy", and "I Love Being Here With You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great cooker from the glory days of Ernestine Anderson on Concord Records – a time when the singer was rediscovered, and revamped in a bit of a bluesy mode – reaching a wide new audience at the time! Her vocals really shine at this point in her career, as she lets loose with a bit more personality too – as you'll hear on this swinging set of down home numbers, cut with a combo that includes Red Holloway on tenor, Ray Brown on bass, and Gene Harris on piano! Titles include "Someone Else Is Steppin", "Goin To Chicago Blues", "Alone On My Own", "Mercy Mercy Mercy", and "I Love Being Here With You". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record