Easily one of our favorite of the Jazz Studio series on Decca – and despite the "from Hollywood" in the title, a great set of serious jazz! Geller works with a group that includes Milt Bernhardt on trombone, John Graas on French horn, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Marty Paich on piano, and Howard Roberts on guitar – supported by the team of Curtis Counce on bass and Larry Bunker on drums. The overall approach is tight, but with lean and mean solos – similar to work by these players on labels like Mode or Nocturne at the time. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Do It Again", "Graas Point", "Laura", "Here Come The Lions", and "Paicheck". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Great mid 40s work from Coleman Hawkins – some singles recorded for Capitol, with work from an unusual array of players on the Hollywood scene! Most cuts feature the young Howard McGhee on trumpet – plus Sir Charles Thompson on piano, Allan Reuss on guitar, and either John Simmons or Oscar Pettiford on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Junior Mance albums from the time – mostly because it's got Melba Liston arranging a larger group to back up Junior on the set! As on most albums of this type, Junior's almost better when he doesn't have to lead a trio – because he can concentrate on bouncing around solo-wise, hitting some strident soulful grooves, while not having to worry about leading the bass and drums along. Tracks include "Invitation", "Spellbound", "Never On Sunday", "Tara's Theme", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "One Eyed Jacks". LP, Vinyl record album

The first US collection of albums that were originally issued only overseas – a series of sessions that bring Art Pepper together with some jazz heroes of his early years, plus surprising guests like Sonny Stitt, Bill Watrous, and Lee Konitz! CD

Really great material – two rare sessions originally done for the small Nocturne label as 10" albums! The first six tracks feature Bud Shank in a quintet with Shorty Rogers on trumpet and Jimmy Rowles on piano – and the remaining eight tracks features pianist Lou Levy with Harry Babasin on bass and Larry Bunker on drums! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark set – featuring a wealth of material that's never been released before! If you're a fan of Sinatra – and we certainly are – you'll know that at this point, every single studio recording that Frank ever made has been released. However, there's an equally strong batch of work from Frank's film career that has never been properly documented – largely because of contractual relations between the studios and record labels, and because many of the films never yielded enough material to make a full soundtrack album. Because of these reasons, and more, much of Frank's excellent vocal performances in 50s and 60s films have not been released – including wonderful work from films like Guys & Dolls, A Hole In The Head, Come Blow Your Horn, The Joker Is Wild, Paris When It Sizzles, Young At Heart, Meet Danny Wilson, and a number of other great films. Tracks from these films are combined with others from soundtracks that did come out – like Can Can, High Society, and others – but which haven't had a very good history in the CD era. In all, the set contains 160 tracks from the years 1940 to 1964 – and is completely essential if you're a fan of Sinatra's work. And even for more familiar soundtracks, there's rare material like different versions, promotional spots, interviews, and more – making for a completely wonderful document of Frank's rich career in films! Plus, the 6CD box also comes with a beautiful slipcover, and a hardcover book with images of the films, notes on the music, and more. A bargain at this price – and one that will fill in a heck of a lot of holes in your Sinatra collection! Heck, we'd be willing to buy this one just for the song "Adelaide", which is one of our favorites from Guys & Dolls, but was never issued until now! CD

Killer California sounds from the 60s – all served up by studio wizard Gary Usher – a legendary talent who worked in the same generation as Brian Wilson and Phil Spector, but never got as much time in the spotlight! That was all OK with Gary, though – as he spent endless hours creating wonderfully groovy records – including some key cuts by big names, overlooked gems from the Sunshine generation, and a few that were completely cooked up in the studio by acts who never existed in the real world at all! The sound here is fantastic – really unified, and one of the richest tapestries of SoCal studio genius we've ever heard – all put together with detailed notes that finally tell the whole story behind Usher's work and so many of these tracks. 24 titles in all – with tracks that include "Same Girl" by The Neptunes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Go Go Getter" by Keith Green, "So You Say You Lost Your Baby" by Gene Clark, "School Is A Gas" by The Wheel Men", "Sunstroke" by Chad & Jeremy, "I Don't Wanna Say Goodnight" by The Forte Four, "Happy In Hollywood" by California, "It's A Happening Thing" by The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, "Codine" by Sean & The Brandywines, "You Ain't Going Nowhere" by The Byrds, "Just One More Chance" by The Hondells, "Baby What I Mean" by Spiral Starecase, and "Take My Hand" by Sons Of Adam. CD

Music from Benny Goodman, Lena Horne, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Mel Torme, Dunk Ellington, Gerry Mulligan, Dorothy Dandridge, Louis Armstrong, Pearl Bailey, and more. CD

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Titles include "Face On The Factory Floor", "Animal Man", "California Hayride", "Trip", and "Nam Lamina". 7-inch, Vinyl record

Nancy Wilson turns her wonderfully sophisticated vocal style towards a batch of hits from Hollywood films of the 40s, 50s, and 60s – arranged and conducted by Jimmy Jones, in that classy blend of jazz and soul that suited Wilson so well in the 60s! The style is really a cut above the usual – handled with great poise by Nancy throughout, but also done in a mode that's relaxed enough to get past some of the stodgier sounds of records like this. The mellower tunes are actually some of the best here – personal, reflective, and echoing the "Guess Who I Saw Today" sound of Wilson in the 60s. Titles include "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Almost In Your Arms", "When Did You Leave Heaven?", "My Shining Hour", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "Wild Is The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

A great example of the Muse Records charm of altoist Richie Cole – bop-fired creativity at its peak, mixed with some added contemporary elements to keep things fresh! In this case, Richie's horn takes on some key bop classics, but also opens up a bit with vocalsits too – Eddie Jefferson on versions of "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", and "Waiting For Waits" – the latter of which also features Tom Waits as well! The Manhattan Transfer make some subtle guest appearances too – but in ways that are much more restrained than their own albums, really leaving most room for Richie's horn. Bruce Forman plays guitar and Dick Hindman piano – and titles include "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", "Hooray For Hollywood", "I Love Lucy", "Malibu Breeze", "Waiting For Waits", and "Tokyo Rose Sings The Hollywood Blues". CD

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This 2CD set brings together all 3 volumes of the original album – for a total of 13 long long tracks that include "Blues Force", "Rock Steady", "Grits Bowl", "California Dreaming", "Inner City Blues/What's Going On", "People Make The World Go Round", "Cherry Red", and "Funkfathers". CD

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This second volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "Blues Force", "Rock Steady", "People Make The World Go Round" and a medley of "Ithe From Love Story", "Pavane" and "Fire & Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Mancini's Hollywood material, admittedly with a couple of snoozers, but also it's share of timeless classics, like "Dreamsville" and "Days of Wine & Roses", plus some great versions of other film stuff like "Walk On The Wild Side" and Nino Rota's "Drink More Milk". CD

70s issue of a great little live set – recorded in LA in 1951, one of those private recordings from the time that saw brief release on the Xanadu label. Tracks are long, and Warne's playing in a much more open-ended mode with a quartet that features Hampton Hawes, Joe Mondragon, and Shelly Manne. Tracks include "Fine & Dandy", "You Go To My Head", "Buzzy", and "I Got Rhythm". LP, Vinyl record album

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Catchy dawn of the 70s rock that's rooted in hooks and grooves, but taken to the next level with some killer piano and keys, and production touches! The group's best known for the sublime track that kicks this record off, "Something In The Air", which was covered pretty faithfully by the Flaming Lips – but Thunderclap Newman's original is more timelessly wonderful. The vocals remind us of Pete Townsend at his best, and the whole thing's pretty wonderful. Titles include "Hollywood", (#s 1 & 2) "The Reason", "Open The Door, Homer", "Acidents", "Wild Country", and "The Old Cornmill". This CD version includes 6 bonus tracks of singles. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra with Richard Mills conducting. CD

A killer collection of 50s R&B from LA's mighty Crown label – home to some of the hardest-hitting work on the west coast at the time! The set's a great overview of the best of Crown at the time – and despite the fact that the title says "rock n roll", the work's almost all in an R&B and vocal group mode – very hard-edged material that's hardly the stuff of high school dances in the gym! Titles include "Stranded In The Jungle" and "I Want You" by The Cadets, "Why Don't You Write Me" by The Jacks, "Good Rockin Daddy" by Etta James, "The Girl In My Dreams" by The Cliques, "Kansas City Blues" by Joe Turner, "Blow Joe Blow" by Joe Houston, and "Oop Shoop" by Shirley Gunter. LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the rarest in this West Coast Live series on Savoy – long jam session tracks, ala JATP – featuring Sonny Criss on alto, Wardelly Gray and Wild Bill Moore on tenor, Al Killian on trumpet, Barney Kessel on guitar, and Russ Freeman on piano! CD

A great example of the Muse Records charm of altoist Richie Cole – bop-fired creativity at its peak, mixed with some added contemporary elements to keep things fresh! In this case, Richie's horn takes on some key bop classics, but also opens up a bit with vocalsits too – Eddie Jefferson on versions of "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", and "Waiting For Waits" – the latter of which also features Tom Waits as well! The Manhattan Transfer make some subtle guest appearances too – but in ways that are much more restrained than their own albums, really leaving most room for Richie's horn. Bruce Forman plays guitar and Dick Hindman piano – and titles include "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", "Hooray For Hollywood", "I Love Lucy", "Malibu Breeze", "Waiting For Waits", and "Tokyo Rose Sings The Hollywood Blues". CD

A great example of the Muse Records charm of altoist Richie Cole – bop-fired creativity at its peak, mixed with some added contemporary elements to keep things fresh! In this case, Richie's horn takes on some key bop classics, but also opens up a bit with vocalsits too – Eddie Jefferson on versions of "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", and "Waiting For Waits" – the latter of which also features Tom Waits as well! The Manhattan Transfer make some subtle guest appearances too – but in ways that are much more restrained than their own albums, really leaving most room for Richie's horn. Bruce Forman plays guitar and Dick Hindman piano – and titles include "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", "Hooray For Hollywood", "I Love Lucy", "Malibu Breeze", "Waiting For Waits", and "Tokyo Rose Sings The Hollywood Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This first volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "First Light", "California Dreaming" and a medley of "Inner City Blues" and "What's Going On". LP, Vinyl record album

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This third volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "Funkfathers", "Cherry", "Bowl Full Of Blues", "Cherry Red" and "God Bless The Child". LP, Vinyl record album

Bass-heavy funk material by this obscure west coast group, and a record that features songwriting and production by Bob Crewe. The tracks have kind of a pop funk sort of sound, with lots of ensemble vocals, and tight compressed rhythm tracks behind the main instrumentation. Not that noteworthy – but also not a bad batch of stock funk tracks with a smooth production sound. Includes a cover of "Lady Marmalade", plus "Get On Or Get Off", "Sock It To Me/It's Your Thing", "Hollywood Hot", and "Bumper To Bumper". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice one! Dizzy did the soundtrack for the lost Shirley Clarke verite drama The Cool World – a beautiful black and white film shot mostly on location in the Harlem of the early 60s. Mal Wladron wrote the material for the score, and Diz plays the music with a moody emotionality that you don't often hear in his other 60's work. The recording was made by his great group that included Kenny Barron and James Moody, and the titles include "The Pusher", "Duke's Fantasy", "Coney Island", and "Enter Priest". The CD also features the groovier Dizzy Goes Hollywood, which features the same group doing jazz readings of 60's soundtrack themes like "Carioca", "Never On Sunday", "More", and "Walk On The Wild Side". The whole thing's got 22 tracks in all, and is a very cool slice of Dizzy's career that you'll be hard pressed to find on vinyl! CD

Ok, so this isn't funky Eddie Harris – but this is one of Eddie Harris' more unique albums from the 60s – and not just for the Tomi Ungerer cover! The record features Eddie blowing in that lean and soulful mode that he used on his best Vee Jay albums – a bit exotic, but never meandering, with impeccable placement in all his solos, and a tone that's probably one of the most revolutionary he ever used. Features "Little Lo Lo", "Groovy Moovies", "Sarah's Theme", and "Brother Ed" – and some familiar tunes like "Topkapi", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Malamondo", and "From Russia With Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A lavish look at movie advertising from the 20th Century – not the oft-tread territory of film posters, but instead all sorts of industry-based publications and promotions for a wide variety of films – from a cat-shaped theater entrance for the movie Cat People, to the weird style of ads used for the film Psycho! And those two examples are only the tip of the iceberg – as the oversized art book is overflowing with material we'd never see otherwise – along with detailed writings on all the subjects – in chapters that look at Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, Bonnie & Clyde, Sunset Boulevard, and King Kong – plus a wealth of other Hollywood classics too. The book is hardcover, almost 300 pages, and overflowing with rare images in color and black and white. Book

An nice set from Sa-Ra Creative Partners – emerging from a couple years of major label stepchild status with a set that's as densely rumbling with unclassifiable synth soul & pulsing future hip hop as their earlier singles and EPs! Sa-Ra's reputation has been building beyond control, but there's a lot to love about thier unique approach to left field groove – and they get plenty great support from a wide variety vocalists – Talib Kweli, Capone-N-Noreaga, Kurupt, Pharoahe Monch and more from the hip hop realm, plus Bilal, Erykah Badu, Georgia Anne Muldrow & others from the boundless soul spectrum. Hollywood Recordings show that Sa-Ra can spin a digital p-funk in space vibe like no others – and still rock a hit-worthy hook when they feel like it. 19 tracks in all: "Hey Love", "Glorious", "So Special" feat Rozzi Daime, "Feel The Bass" feat Talib Kweli, "Fly Away" with Erykah Badu & Georgia Anne Muldrow, "Fish Fellet" feat Pharaohe Monch, "Thrilla" feat J Dilla, "Ladies Sing:, "Sweet Sour You" feat Bilal and more. CD

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Unreleased live work from spiritual jazz legend Horace Tapscott – a record that's every bit as soulful as some of his classics, but nicely different too – in a way that really demonstrates the overlooked legacy that has finally been getting his music the attention it deserves in recent years! Tapscott works here with a very rhythmic quintet that includes Michael Session on soprano, alto, and tenor – plus Thurman Green on trombone, Fritz Wise on drums, and the great Roberto Miranda on bass – a player whose energy really seems to touch every single track, with a pulsating sense of life that really makes the record sparkle! There's a bit less out and a bit more modal vibe to the music – and the record also features some early work by singer Dwight Trible, whose magnificent voice is a very welcome addition – on titles that include "Motherless Child", "Ballad For Deadwood Dick", "Breakfast At Bongos", "Close To Freedom", and "Little Africa". CD

Nancy Wilson turns her wonderfully sophisticated vocal style towards a batch of hits from Hollywood films of the 40s, 50s, and 60s – arranged and conducted by Jimmy Jones, in that classy blend of jazz and soul that suited Wilson so well in the 60s! The style is really a cut above the usual – handled with great poise by Nancy throughout, but also done in a mode that's relaxed enough to get past some of the stodgier sounds of records like this. The mellower tunes are actually some of the best here – personal, reflective, and echoing the "Guess Who I Saw Today" sound of Wilson in the 60s. Titles include "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Almost In Your Arms", "When Did You Leave Heaven?", "My Shining Hour", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "Wild Is The Wind". CD features 5 bonus tracks too – "Watch What Happens", "Look Of Love", "Alfie", "More", and "Shadow Of Your Smile". CD

Includes tracks by Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, Les Elgart, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich – 24 tracks total. CD

Great work from the Challenge Records label – an important indie on the early days of the west coast rock years, represented here in a flurry of mighty nice singles and rare sides! Challenge was partly owned by screen cowboy Gene Autry – and perhaps that lineage is what gives the label a bit more twang than some of the other west coast labels of the time – a vibe that's maybe a lot more like some of the Tennessee, Arkansas, or Texas indies – especially in the way that Challenge seems equally well-suited to rockabilly stompers, country twangers, and some raw rockers that really make the set take off! The collection features a whopping 28 titles from the legendary label – along with full notes on their music and impact – alongside tracks that include "So Tough" by The Kuf Linx, "She Just Tears Me Up" by Wynn Stewart, "Down On The Farm" by Big Al Downing, "Bad Dad" by Gene Davis, "You Can Say That Again" by The Four Teens, "Double Talkin Baby" by Bobby Milano, "Machine Gun" by The Rip Tides, "Hey Little Car Hop" by George Weston, "Annie's Not An Orphan Anymore" by Rochell & The Candles, and "Gotta Lotta Rhythm In My Soul" by Patsy Cline. CD

Ray Bryant's turning his soul jazz piano to a set of film themes here – grooving familiar numbers with a nice little groove – but still also keeping a bit of a soundtrack feel! Richard Wess scored some larger arrangements for the record – providing a sweeping backdrop that's a nice foil for Ray's piano – and titles include "Exodus", "Laura", "Affair To Remember", "True Love", "Three Coins In A Fountain", "The High & The Mighty" and "On Green Dolphin Street". LP, Vinyl record album

A great record from The Crusaders – and an album that's really the start of the group's strong run of smooth funky jazz for the 70s – a very vibrant little set, even though the black and white cover makes the whole thing look a bit understated! The album's got the group dropping the "jazz" from their name, but it's still a great bit of LA funky soul jazz – with electric keyboards from Joe Sample that are very much in a late 60s mode, plus guitar from David T Walker and Arthur Adams, and bass from Chuck Rainey, in addition to fine work by regulars like Stix Hooper, Wayne Henderson, and Wilton Felder. Tracks have a tight and uncomplicated funky approach, with a slightly smooth edge – and titles include "Do Yourself A Favor", "Try A Little Harder", "Cold Duck Eddie", "Way Back Home", and the Afro-funky groover "Alekesam"! CD

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A nice little Verve session that breaks from the usual format – especially the "Songbooks" one – and features Ella in LA with small group backing by Jim Hall, Lou Levy, Wilfred Middlebrooks, and Gus Johnson. The set was recorded live at the Crescendo – in a jazzily swinging mode that's a bit looser than some of Ella's other Verve sessions, but which still demonstrates some nice control on the vocals. Titles include "Mr Paganini", "Stairway To The Stars", "Air Mail Special", "Blue Moon", "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big", and "Just In Time". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Titles include "Mambo Jump", "Los Angeles", "Zangandonga", "La Cosquillita", "Colando Siempre Colando", "Bon Sueno", and "Una Nota Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record