One of the coolest 70s albums we've ever heard from the always-cool Jorge Lopez Ruiz – a set that expands out from his earlier jazz work with a flurry of wonderful sounds and styles, set up in a much more ambitious vibe overall! Yet despite the sophistication of the setting, the work is also pretty darn groovy too – lots of funky jazz touches next to more modern inflections – with a larger lineup that includes later ECM great Dino Saluzzi on bandoneon, Donna Caroll on cool wordless vocals, and other musicians on electric piano, percussion, guitar, trumpet, soprano sax, and violin! With the latter instrument and the bandoneon, Ruiz is giving a nod to the modern tango world of Astor Piazzolla, yet coming across with some European cinematic modes as well – all in a well-done set that's completely compelling all the way through. Titles include "El Grito Del Hombre", "La Alegria Del Hombre", "El Ruego Del Hombre", "La Nostalgia Del Hombre", and "El Adios Del Hombre". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally wonderful early project from trumpeter Enrico Rava – very different than just about anything we've ever heard from him, as the record's bubbling over with joy and life, and seems to encompass a globe's worth of influences! Rava's trumpet gets plenty of showcase in the set, amidst instrumentation that changes up wonderfully throughout the course of the album – an ever-shifting array of electric and acoustic instruments, with plenty of added percussion at the bottom, and nice use of bandoneon on a few tracks too! Yet that's only the tip of the iceberg – as the record has so much going on, it's a bit hard to put in words – yet all of it makes wonderful sense, too – on titles that include "CT's Dance", "Lingua Franca", "Giromondo", "El Samba Graciela", "Pupa O Crisalide", and "Tsakwe". CD

A totally wonderful early project from trumpeter Enrico Rava – very different than just about anything we've ever heard from him, as the record's bubbling over with joy and life, and seems to encompass a globe's worth of influences! Rava's trumpet gets plenty of showcase in the set, amidst instrumentation that changes up wonderfully throughout the course of the album – an ever-shifting array of electric and acoustic instruments, with plenty of added percussion at the bottom, and nice use of bandoneon on a few tracks too! Yet that's only the tip of the iceberg – as the record has so much going on, it's a bit hard to put in words – yet all of it makes wonderful sense, too – on titles that include "CT's Dance", "Lingua Franca", "Giromondo", "El Samba Graciela", "Pupa O Crisalide", and "Tsakwe". LP, Vinyl record album

Don Cherry gave many wonderful musical performances on the European scene in the 70s, including this one – a gem of a record that was thought to be lost for years, and finally gets released to the world at large! The set's a live collaboration with electronic musician Jean Schwarz – whose contributions here are nicely subtle, and never challenge the acoustic energy of the session, but instead augment it in all these really cool, unique ways – very different than most improvised music with electronics at the time. Cherry plays pocket trumpet and some great doussn gouni – in the company of an equally fantastic lineup that features JF Jenny Clark on bass, Nana Vasconcelos on percussion, and Michel Portal on saxes, bass clarinet, and bandoneon. Given all the elements, there's some very unique sounds going on here – a really amazing record that includes the tracks "Bells One", "Doussn Gouni", "Tribute To Ornette", "Bando", and "Berimbau". CD

Paolo Fresu on trumpet and flugelhorn, Richard Galliano on accordion and bandoneon, and Jan Lundgren on piano. CD

The lofty trumpet of Enrico Rava is a perfect match for Dino Saluzzi's wonderfully airy performances on bandoneon – and this record is one of the lost gems of late 80s ECM. The sound definitely has that "bordering on wallpaper" feel fo a lot of the ECM work from the time, but Saluzzi's bandoneon has a breathy emotive quality that works against the usual formula, and Rava's solos help the entire project along tremendously. Titles include "Le But De Souffle", "Minguito", "Luna Volver", and "Tiempos De Ausencias". CD

With Dino and Celso Saluzzi on bandoneon, percussion, and voice; Felix "Cuchara" Saluzzi on saxophones and clarinet, Armando Alonso on guitar, Guillermo Vadala on bass, Jose Maria Saluzzi on drums and percussion, and Arto Tuncboyaci on percussion. LP, Vinyl record album

Don Cherry gave many wonderful musical performances on the European scene in the 70s, including this one – a gem of a record that was thought to be lost for years, and finally gets released to the world at large! The set's a live collaboration with electronic musician Jean Schwarz – whose contributions here are nicely subtle, and never challenge the acoustic energy of the session, but instead augment it in all these really cool, unique ways – very different than most improvised music with electronics at the time. Cherry plays pocket trumpet and some great doussn gouni – in the company of an equally fantastic lineup that features JF Jenny Clark on bass, Nana Vasconcelos on percussion, and Michel Portal on saxes, bass clarinet, and bandoneon. Given all the elements, there's some very unique sounds going on here – a really amazing record that includes the tracks "Bells One", "Doussn Gouni", "Tribute To Ornette", "Bando", and "Berimbau". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album from Paquito D'Rivera – not nearly as gimmicky as you might expect from the title, and a soulful set that's right in line with some of his first few gems as a leader in the US many years back! There's definitely some tango quality to some of the tunes – but it's mostly just a bit of bandoneon used lightly in the instrumentation – leaving most of the work here to sparkle in that Havana-influenced blend of jazz and Latin roots that's always made D'Rivera's music so great. Paquito plays alto and clarinet, alongside trumpet and valve trombone from Diego Urcola, piano from Ed Simon and Alon Yavanai, bass from Oscar Stagnaro, and drums from Mark Walker. Hector Del Curto plays bandoneon on the record – and tracks include "Milonga 10", "What About That", "Pere", "Revirado", "Funk Tango", "Mariela's Dream", "Como Un Bolero", and "Giant Steps". CD

One of the greatest moments ever from saxophonist Gato Barbieri – and that's saying a lot, given that by the time of this recording, he'd already had a great 60s run as an avant jazz musician, and started the 70s with a string of albums that criss-crossed jazz and South American musical styles! Yet Last Tango In Paris may well be Barbieri's crowning achievement – a sublime record that draws on all the richer, more emotive themes of his Latin America projects, but gives them new focus in the arrangements of Oliver Nelson – who ensures that the music is never too cheesy or overdone – quite a feat, given the sexy setting of the film! Gato draws a lot from Argentine tango, but often uses his own sax solos in place of a more familiar bandoneon – in a way that pushes the "new tango" mode of the time even farther – especially when set amidst Nelson's wonderful orchestrations. Titles include many versions of the "Last Tango" theme, plus the tracks "Girl In Black", "Jeanne", "Why Did She Choose You?", "It's Over", and "Fake Ophelia". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most lovely albums ever recorded by Pauline Oliveros – the kind of standard-setting set that immediately helped distinguish her as one of the most inventive voices of all time on her instrument! And yes, that instrument is the accordion – but in the hands of Oliveros, it's more of a tool for sonic exploration and tonal surprise – very different than just about any of her predecessors, even the modern ones! The set features two beautiful pieces – the long "Wanderer", which has Oliveros on solo accordion out front of the Springfield Accordion Orchestra – and the moodier "Horse Sings From Cloud", with slow-building passages that mix her own bandoneon with a concertina, harmonium, and accordion. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic late life album by the Argentine musical genius Astor Piazzolla – and a set that shows just how far he'd transformed the format of the tango along his musical path of the previous decades! The sound here is completely unique – with some elements of modern string quartet modes, avant jazz, and other styles – blended together with guitar, violin, piano, and bass next to Astor's completely sublime lines on bandoneon! The whole thing's a treasure, and if there's one record to hear by Piazzolla, this is it! Titles include "Tanguedia III", "Milonga Del Angel", "Concierto Para Quinteto", "Milonga Loca", and "Contrabajissimo". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic late life album by the Argentine musical genius Astor Piazzolla – and a set that shows just how far he'd transformed the format of the tango along his musical path of the previous decades! The sound here is completely unique – with some elements of modern string quartet modes, avant jazz, and other styles – blended together with guitar, violin, piano, and bass next to Astor's completely sublime lines on bandoneon! The whole thing's a treasure, and if there's one record to hear by Piazzolla, this is it! Titles include "Tanguedia III", "Milonga Del Angel", "Concierto Para Quinteto", "Milonga Loca", and "Contrabajissimo". CD

Miroslav Vitous on bass – with Bob Malach on tenor sax, Bob Mintzer on tenor sax and bass clarinet, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Gerald Cleaver on drums, and Daniele Di Bonaventura on bandoneon! CD

Gidon Kremer on violin, Friedrich Lips on accordion, Per Arne Glorvigen on bandoneon, Vladimir Tonkha on cello, Michel Portal on clarinet, Alois Posch on double bass, Elisabeth Chojnacka on harpischord, Mark Pekarsky on percussion, and Vadim Sakharov on piano. CD

A magical meeting of two tremendous talents – saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla – heard here in a rare Italian recording from the 70s! The album's a really unique effort for both musicians – a bit more pensive and thoughtful than some of Piazzolla's usual work from the 70s, and much less jazz-based than Mulligan's other records – more in a soundtrack mode, and one that seems to have echoes of Gato Barbieri's score to Last Tango In Paris! Like that great record, this one mixes Argentine styles with freer, more fluid ones – updating roots with a 70s sense of sophistication, and really letting Gerry Mulligan take off in long, open-ended solos that are among some of his best work of the decade. Other instrumentation includes marimba, guitar, keyboards, and percussion from Tullio De Piscopo – plus a bit of strings as well – and titles include "20 Years Ago", "Close Your Eyes & Listen", "Deus Xango", "Aire De Buenos Aires", "Summit", and "Years Of Solitude". CD

A magical meeting of two tremendous talents – saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla – heard here in a rare Italian recording from the 70s! The album's a really unique effort for both musicians – a bit more pensive and thoughtful than some of Piazzolla's usual work from the 70s, and much less jazz-based than Mulligan's other records – more in a soundtrack mode, and one that seems to have echoes of Gato Barbieri's score to Last Tango In Paris! Like that great record, this one mixes Argentine styles with freer, more fluid ones – updating roots with a 70s sense of sophistication, and really letting Gerry Mulligan take off in long, open-ended solos that are among some of his best work of the decade. Other instrumentation includes marimba, guitar, keyboards, and percussion from Tullio De Piscopo – plus a bit of strings as well – and titles include "Hace Viente Anos", "Deux Xango", "Viente Anos Despues", "Reunion Cumbre", "Reminiscencia", and "Anos De Soledad". CD

Features Dino Saluzzi on bandoneon and Anja Lechner on violoncello. CD

A magical meeting of two tremendous talents – saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla – heard here in a rare Italian recording from the 70s! The album's a really unique effort for both musicians – a bit more pensive and thoughtful than some of Piazzolla's usual work from the 70s, and much less jazz-based than Mulligan's other records – more in a soundtrack mode, and one that seems to have echoes of Gato Barbieri's score to Last Tango In Paris! Like that great record, this one mixes Argentine styles with freer, more fluid ones – updating roots with a 70s sense of sophistication, and really letting Gerry Mulligan take off in long, open-ended solos that are among some of his best work of the decade. Other instrumentation includes marimba, guitar, keyboards, and percussion from Tullio De Piscopo – plus a bit of strings as well – and titles include "Hace Viente Anos", "Deux Xango", "Viente Anos Despues", "Reunion Cumbre", "Reminiscencia", and "Anos De Soledad". LP, Vinyl record album