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An obscure American film score from the great Michel Colombier – a talent we're used to hearing behind some of the grooviest French singers of the late 60s! Here, Colombier's in a very different vibe – crafting a superb soundtrack with full orchestrations recorded in Hollywood – music that's full of twists, turns, drama, and action – all penned for a well-done sci fi film that never fully got its due! There's some surprising elements in the mix – including saxes from Bud Shank and Anthony Ortega, guitar from Arthur Adams, bass from Carol Kaye, and even a bit of electronics from Paul Beaver – elements used sparingly amidst the larger orchestrations, but in some nice ways. The soundtrack was never issued on record at the time – and the well-done set features a huge amount of notes on the production – and titles that include "Nuclear Blackmail", "All Systems Go", "Dr Frankenstein", "World Control", "The Final Word", "Mistress Arrives", "Forbin's Hi Fi", and "Peeping Tom". CD

A pair of overlooked Jerry Goldsmith soundtracks – back to back on a single CD! First up is The Detective – a soundtrack we've been trying to find for years – given the way the music works perfectly in the surprisingly dark film! Goldsmith uses lots of jazzy tones in his scoring – especially trumpet lines – which works wonderfully not just for the urban location of the narrative, but to underscore the really melancholy mood of the whole movie – one of those Bullitt-era cop stories that shows the overwhelming effect of crime upon the outlook of a detective. There's a few weird touches in the mix – some swirling, almost watery moments – and titles include "A New Love", "A Family Affair", "Beach Scene", "Joe", "Night Talk", "The Safe Cracker", and "The Ball Game". The Flim Flam Man was recorded right around the same time, but is quite different – more rural than urban, with American themes that come through in the use of harmonica, woodwinds, and a bit of banjo and guitar – almost a Copland-esque fantasy of the country, but with warmer touches that both belie the comedic nature of the film, and the sensitivity that Goldsmith can bring to any sort of setting. CD features 16 tracks from the film – including "Stolen Property", "A Little Inspiration", "The Flim Flam Man", "A Good Trick/No Rest For The Wicked", "Curley's Plan", and "The Waiting Game". CD

A motherlode of cop and crime soundtracks from the 70s – none of which have ever been commercially released before! All the music here comes from the mighty holdings of Quinn Martin Productions – the wellspring of so many great hour-long TV detective shows in the 70s – often well-penned dramas that were really a cut above the usual! The company's approach was always pretty top-shelf – and that included the music, too – which was often scored in superb ways, especially considering that in the pre-DVD days, many of these shows would only get seen once or twice. There's a quality level here that matches most widely-circulated 70s cop soundtracks from the cinematic world – and many of the composers are of the same caliber, too – with material that includes 18 tracks for two Dan August episodes by Dave Grusin, 15 more tracks by Lalo Schifrin for an episode of Most Wanted, 15 tracks for Barnaby Jones by Jerry Goldsmith, 20 tracks for two episodes of Cannon by John Parker, and more material by Duane Tatro, Nelson Riddle, Patrick Williams, David Shire, and Bruce Broughton. CD

A really rare soundtrack from Quincy Jones – right up there with his jazziest gems of the 60s, but never issued on record at the time! The music is for an obscure film with Robert Wagner in the lead, and the sounds are a hip blend of the earlier jazz modes of Quincy, with some of the fuller charts that really showed an ever-evolving sense of tone and color! Jones manages to be both sophisticated and organic at the same time – mixing light strings with more down to earth jazz instrumentation – handled by an array of players that includes Dave Grusin and Don Randi on keyboards, Mike Barone on trombone, Jack Nimitz and Bud Shank on reeds, and Herb Ellis on guitar. There's a few nice moments of wordless vocals, and Gil Bernal sings the "Eyes Of Love" leadoff song – next to other cuts that include "Relay Chase", "Mad Pad/A Lack Of Lass", "Poker/Take Tea & Me", "Dental Fleece", "Don't Make Waves", "Fixation", "I Want You", "Trying Tie", and "Sudden Death". CD

A really fantastic score from Ennio Morricone – maybe better this time around than the images on the screen for some of his other westerns of the period – more proof that the maestro was always willing to rise above, and give his best no matter what the setting! The music begins with some already-fantastic elements – mule-like noises that mark the theme and title of the film – carried out with that fantastic sense of western flourish that Morricone could do so well – a use of space in the music that evokes the landscape, even without images to view – as subtle orchestrations mix with occasional guitar, and a fair bit of the sorts of unfamiliar sounds that the maestro was always able to create! Titles include "The Braying Mule", "The Battle", "The Cool Mule", "La Cueva", "Night On The Desert", and "Time For Miracles". This massive 2CD edition features the original 11 track album from 1970 – plus a full bonus CD of songs from the film score, most of which appear here for the first time ever – 21 more tracks, and a bonus hour's worth of music! CD

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Pretty great work for the short-lived Planet Of The Apes TV show in the 70s – a brief spinoff of the films, done with a surprisingly similar style – and with some excellent soundtrack music that's really a cut above the usual for the time! The bulk of the music here is by Lalo Schifrin – although some episodes are scored by Richard LaSalle, Earl Hagen, and Lionel Newman – the the vibe is similar to the film, with an orchestral approach at the core, mixed with exotic touches, spooky elements, and some darker dramatic passages! The 2CD set features a huge amount of music from the show – over 2 hours of listening, with very detailed notes – and the set features music from the episodes "Escape From Tomorrow", "The Good Seeds", "The Gladiators", "The Trap", "The Legacy", "The Deception", "The Surgeon", "The Interrogation", and "Tomorrow's Tide" – plus extra songs from the credits. CD

A huge amount of soundtrack material that gets its first-ever commercial release – work done for the very cool Time Tunny sci fi TV show in the late 60s – penned by a great assortment of top-shelf talents! The music is in a nice blend of styles – some tracks have the energy that you'd expect in a sci fi setting, with familiar instruments used in unusual ways – others follow the moody tones of a TV drama at the time – lots of dark passages that really come off well – and given that each episode follows a different story, in a different setting, there's some variety between the material as well. The 3CD set features tracks from nine different episodes – much of which is scored by John Williams (as Johnny Williams), with other work by Lyn Murray, Paul Sawtell, and Robert Drasnin – the last of whom you might know from some exotica records. CD

A really cool collection of sci-fi soundtrack work – a massive 79 tracks pulled from the short-lived but excellent TV show The Invaders – a striking visual experience that was presented with some equally great music! The whole thing is a great reminder of a time when the TV studios would really go all-out with a program – allowing a top-shelf composer to write a whole new score every week – often with a great sense of variety to fit the changing narrative on a week to week basis, which is definitely the case here! The package features great material from a host of west coast composers, some of them from the jazz world too – and CD1 features three full scores by Dominic Frontiere, who also wrote the main theme – for the episodes "The Mutation", "The Experiment", and "The Leeches" – plus the groovy "The Go Go A Go Go" by Don Ralke. CD2 features lots more music, and a really good sense of variety – work by modern jazzman Duane Tatro, for episodes that include "Counter Attack", "The Prophet", "Valley Of The Shadow", "The Spores", and "The Saucer" – plus music from more episodes "The Enemy" by Irving Gertz, "Quantity Unknown" by Richard Markowitz, and the episodes "The Condemned", "The Watchers", and "Condition Red" by Sidney Cutner. There's also a few standalone groovy tunes – "Broodin Mood" by Willard Jones, and "Sunset Strip Watusi" and "Cool Fool" by Don Ralke. CD

A really great soundtrack from Jack Marshall – the groovy arranger you might know from a host of Capitol Records albums in the early 60s – stepping out here on a film that marked the movie debut of Herman Munster! The music echoes some of the themes you'd hear on the Munsters TV show – but also opens up with all these other scene-setting and comedy action modes that vary nicely – handled by a great group that includes plenty of guitar work from Bob Bain and Howard Roberts! The electric guitar often gets some great space in the charts – either to pace out the slower action, or step up more with the groovier moments – and Chuck Berghofer also gets plenty of space to shine on electric bass. It's Marshall's use of the electric instruments that really make the whole thing great – on a set of 23 titles that include "Ridin & Racin", "Cash Dash Hash", "Off To The Races", "Gate Crashers", "Racy Romance", "Grandpa's Goof", and "Heroic Herman". CD

Beautifully chilling music to the second and third Friday The 13th films – all masterfully scored by Harry Manfredini! The sounds here aren't as electric or rockish as some of the other slasher work from the time – and in fact, most of the instrumentation is from acoustic sources, but used with the spareness and sharpness that was opened up in the generation of John Carpenter and Goblin – which makes Manfredini's use of strings a remarkable evolution in soundtrack styles! Familiar elements are often given a rasp or atonal edge – and the production sometimes emphasizes a bit of echo, too – so there's a sonic intensity to the music that comes as a very nice surprise. 2CD set features 17 tracks from Part 2, and 26 more tracks from Part 3 – the latter of which includes some re-used material from the first two films. A great package – and the first time these sounds have finally gotten their due in the CD generation. CD

A near-lost session from west coast tenorist Harold Land – recorded in the 60s, not issued at the time, and easily one of his greatest albums ever! The set is one of the few from the period that really has Harold biting hard on the tenor – grooving with a soulful edge that shows the other, under-recorded side of the LA scene of the late 50s and early 60s – the one that was too often eclipsed by bigger names on bigger labels. Land's set up here with a very unusual group (especially for Blue Note) – nearly all lesser-known players that include Martin Banks on trumpet, Amos Trice on piano, Clarence Jones on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all of whom work with styles that really help contribute to the freshness of the set. Land's tone is wonderful – slightly more open and personal than on some of his more tightly-crafted sets, and sparkling with some modern edges that we really like a lot! Titles are mostly originals too, and include "Blue Nellie", "Land Of Peace", "Take Aim", "Reflections", and "As You Like It". CD also includes the bonus track "Straight No Chaser". CD

A lost session of spiritual jazz – recorded in LA in the latter half of the 80s, but with a soaring, righteous vibe that's right up there with the 70s scene! The group here is incredible – an all-star array of the best talents working for Nimbus Records – Nate Morgan on piano, Rickey Kelly on vibes, Jesse Sharps on reeds, Danny Cortez on trumpet, Joel Ector on bass, and Derek Roberts on drums – all moving with the cohesiveness of a well-honed small combo, in territory that's right in line with some of Morgan's most glorious recordings for the label! The use of Kelly on vibes is especially nice – as he's a player we've always loved, but hardly ever get to hear in a setting this ambitious – and his presence on the record makes the whole thing sound even more magical and majestic. Tracks are quite long, with a soaring, searching feel – driven on strongly by Morgan's piano, and topped by some great explorations by Sharps. Titles include "Retribution Reparation", "Big Spliff", "A Bientot", "The Goat & The Ram Jam", "Mfaconi", "Mrafu", "Distant Vibes", and "Journey Into Nigritia". CD

A fantastic addition to the too-small catalog of work from the wonderful Harold Land – the west coast tenorist whose sound was maybe more of a bridge to the New York scene in the 50s and 60s – as you'll hear in this collection of well-recorded and unreleased material from his key years on the scene! All the cuts were recorded in Seattle, not LA – and Land is in top formation throughout – working in a few different groups with excellent players – including the mighty trumpeter Carmell Jones on two of the album's tracks, maybe worth the price of the record alone – plus Hampton Hawes and Buddy Montgomery on piano, Monk Montgomery on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Titles include "Triplin The Groove", "Vendetta", "Beepdurple", "Beauty", "Blue N Boogie", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Happily Dancing/Deep Harmonies Falling". CD

A fantastic addition to the too-small catalog of work from the wonderful Harold Land – the west coast tenorist whose sound was maybe more of a bridge to the New York scene in the 50s and 60s – as you'll hear in this collection of well-recorded and unreleased material from his key years on the scene! All the cuts were recorded in Seattle, not LA – and Land is in top formation throughout – working in a few different groups with excellent players – including the mighty trumpeter Carmell Jones on two of the album's tracks, maybe worth the price of the record alone – plus Hampton Hawes and Buddy Montgomery on piano, Monk Montgomery on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Titles include "Triplin The Groove", "Vendetta", "Beepdurple", "Beauty", "Blue N Boogie", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Happily Dancing/Deep Harmonies Falling". LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy look at a very groovy record label – LA powerhouse White Whale Records, home to some mighty fine sounds in the second half of the 60s! As you'd guess from the title, there's a slight current of trippiness running through this material, but it's often blended with a really strong sense of production and a nice ear for a hook – maybe a bit like A&M Records, who might be a comparison to some of the work here – as White Whale always had a careful ear for the up-and-coming, and gave them great freedom to do their thing, and the right sort of production and presentation to make everything come out groovy! And although White Whale had some hits back in the day, this material is definitely from the farther reaches of the label's singles – as you can tell from the set list, which includes "Vegetables" by The Laughing Gravy, "You Got The Love" by Professor Morrison's Lollipop, "My Door Is Always Open" by Rainy Daze, "Love Story" by The Brothers, "Superman" by The Clique, "Look At You Now" by Bazooka, "Won't You Say You'll Stay" by The Rockets, "The Proud One" by Buster Brown, "Goin It Alone" by The Bears, "Song #7" by Lyme & Cybelle, "Darlin You Can Count On Me" by The Everpresent Fullness, "Little Girl Little Boy" by The Odyssey, "I'll Be In" by The Answer, and "We Must Find A Way" by The XLs. CD

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring". CD

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring". CD

The first album ever from The Chambers Brother – a much rootsier set than the psychedelic soul that later earned them fame in the 60s! The set's heavy on influences from folk, blues, and gospel – and pitches the group more towards the crossover college scene than the mainstream soul crowd – thanks to an appreciatively rootsy style of production that really has the vocals and acoustic instrumentation presented without any other augmentation. Tracks were recorded live at The Unicorn in Boston and the Ash Grove in LA – and most numbers are covers, with versions of "Summertime", "Your Old Land", "It's All Over Now", "Reconsider Baby", "People Get Ready", "Tore Up", and "Money". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album that's every bit as wonderful as you might expect from its cover – one of the key late 50s sides as a leader from bassist Curtis Counce – cut with a killer lineup that includes Harold Land on tenor sax, Rolf Ericson on trumpet, and Elmo Hope on piano! The set's got the mix of modernism and soul bop leanings you might expect from the players – a really fresh approach that comes off especially well in the non-iconic production style of the Dootone label – a mode that really let the players do their own thing, and break out from some of the tighter restrictions of other LA labels on the scene. Frank Butler completes the quintet on drums – and titles include "The Countdown", "Into The Orbit", "Race For Space", "Move", "Angel Eyes", and "So Nice". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – "Foreplay", "Chasin The Bird", "Move (unedited version)", and "Head Gear (Countdown) (unedited version)". CD

Remarkable Carmell Jones, indeed – and one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this up-and-coming force on the LA scene at the start of the 60s! Jones was a player who really showcased something new on the west at the time – a move away from cool jazz, and the start of a deeper, headier generation of musicians – the bold power that would come from cats like Lou Blackburn, Horace Tapscott, and Jimmy Woods. This date's an early entry into that legacy – and has a tight approach to hardbop with plenty of modern elements – a bit like the shift that Curtis Amy was making at the time. In addition to Jones on trumpet, the album also features Harold Land on tenor, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all working with a careful blend of soul jazz and modern influences, on a wonderful batch of well-written tunes. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Night Tide", "Sad March", and "Stellisa". CD

The greatest album to date from Sugarman 3 – one of the funkiest combos of the past 50 years! The group's organ/sax sound has never sounded so great – and it's pumped up even further here from some added guest instrumentation, including drums from Bernard Purdie, plus vocals on a number of cuts from deep funk legends Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, and Naomi Davis. The whole thing's as funky as funky can be – the kind of a record that would be selling for $300 if it came out in the 70s, and which is even nicer to have at a low everyday price! Titles include "Shot Down", "Modern Jive", "Funky So & So", "Take It As It Come", "Pure Cane", "Promised Land", "Country Girl", "La Culebra", "Down To It", "Honey Wagon", and "Bosco's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album from Gerald Wilson – one that features some of his most inventive writing and arranging to date! The album's a perfect balance between the two sides of LA jazz in the 60s – the soul jazz groove, and the growing modern scene – which often didn't get the larger exposure it needed, but would sometimes peek forth under the guidance of mainstream figures like Wilson. The set features very strong solo work by hip LA players like Jimmy Woods on alto, Jack Wilson on piano, Harold Land on tenor, and Joe Pass on guitar – and the tracks are all tributes to some of Wilson's biggest influences – so "Eric" is dedicated to Eric Dolphy, "Ravi" to Ravi Shankar, "Paco" to the great Spanish matador, and so on. The whole thing's quite hip, and another example of how Wilson could perfectly balance the modernist impulses of the LA underground with a tight sense of arrangement and presentation that helped him reach a very wide audience at the time. CD

Mid 80s, and while never that bad (nothing Stevie does is ever terrible – well, except for "Don't Drive Drunk"!), the record lacks that certain greatness that you'll find on even the lesser Stevie Wonder albums. Titles include "Stranger On The Shore Of Love", "Spiritual Walkers", "Land Of La La", "Overjoyed", and "Part-Time Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of messed-up LA funk – and one of the crowning moments in the career of Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band! Charles and crew do an excellent job with all the tracks – most of which are more open ended than some of their earlier ones, and run on for longer than usual with some good trippy instrumental moments that really stretch out the groove from their funky 45 days. The album includes the stoner funk classic "High As Apple Pie", done here in two "slices", plus the classic "Express Yourself", a monster number that still sounds great every time we hear it – even though it's been used on commercials and sampled plenty of times over the years! Other tracks include "I'm Aware", "Love Land", and "I Got Love" LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal session of LA hardbop – featuring a great group that includes Gerald Wilson, Jack Sheldon, Harold Land, Frank Butler, and pianist Carl Perkins, the unique talent who had a strange way of playing the keys (sideways!), and who died shortly after the recording of this set. As the title might imply, the album's dedicated to Perkins – and titles include "Nica's Dream", "Pink Lady","Carl's Blues", and "Larue". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful beautiful record, and still one of the greatest jazz vocal albums ever made! The great King Pleasure sings in a raspy vocalese style similar to Jon Hendricks or Eddie Jefferson, but with a sense of warmth and delivery that the two of them never seem to reach. The set list here features a stellar batch of tracks with lyrics by Pleasure, including "The New Symphony Sid", "No, Not Much", "Parker's Mood", and "Golden Days". There's some great accompaniment by LA hard bop players like Teddy Edwards, Gerald Wiggins, and Harold Land, and the whole set sparkles with imagination and warmth. CD

It's hard to overstate the influence of Max Roach and Clifford Brown on the west coast scene of the 50s – as the two players helped draw out the bop sound of LA that was quickly getting lost in the cool jazz shuffle of the time, and gave it a strength and focus that not only made the group one of the strongest of the time, but which also sparked new life and a hardbop generation on the LA scene! This classic set of live recordings was one of the first great Brown/Roach moments – recorded during 2 different concerts by Gene Norman Presents, and featuring some great tenor work by LA giants Teddy Edwards and Harold Land, plus some piano by the amazing "sideways" player Carl Perkins, as well as Bud Powell's brother Richie – a key factor of the group's studio recordings on Mercury, and a player who would perish in the same accident that took the life of Clifford Brown. Titles include "Parisian Thoroughfare", "I Can't Get Started", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Jordu". LP, Vinyl record album

Mid 80s, and while never that bad (nothing Stevie does is ever terrible – well, except for "Don't Drive Drunk"!), the record lacks that certain greatness that you'll find on even the lesser Stevie Wonder albums. Still, there's some decent enough numbers that keep the album fresh – and even at this point, Stevie's vocals are still sublime! Titles include "Stranger On The Shore Of Love", "Spiritual Walkers", "Land Of La La", "Overjoyed", and "Part-Time Lover". CD

A pair of 80s pop classics from The Motels – back to back in a single set, and with bonus tracks too! First up is All Four One – a super-huge set from The Motels – and a record that still has the group holding onto a lot of credibility at a time when so much mainstream pop was really skewing towards the thin side of the spectrum! The vocals of Martha Davis are a big part of the album's success – as they've got this subtle sense of drama learned from the new role of female singers in the wake of punk rock, but tuned towards material that was maybe a bit more able to cross over on the charts – thanks to well-crafted guitar licks that underscore the best part of the lyrics. The approach is a nice balance – definitely less dated and a lot less cloying than some of Davis' contemporaries – on titles that include the hit "Only The Lonely", plus "Mission Of Mercy", "Take The L", "Change My Mind", "Art Fails", "So LA", "Apocalypso", "Forever Mine", and a remake of "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)". On Little Robbers, The Motels are strongly in hit territory – the vocals of Martha Davis providing a nice blend of the rough and the smooth – in style that made the singer one of the real standouts in pop at the time! The group have a great way of brewing up the tunes – familiar elements that hint at drama, but never go too far – just the right balance to make the lyrics land perfectly, but never come off as overdone or insincere. Titles include the hit "Suddenly Last Summer" – plus "Where Do We Go From Here", "Monday Shutdown", "Isle Of You", "Footsteps", "Tables Turned", and "Remember The Nights". Bonus tracks include "Mission Of Mercy (apocalypso version", "Schneekin (apocalypso version)", "So LA (acpocalypso version)", "Who Could Resist That Face", and "Only The Lonely (live)". CD

Although you may recognize Paul Serrano's name from the production credits on countless Chicago soul LPs (on just about every label), this LP's one of the few albums that the trumpeter ever cut in the straight jazz vein. It was put together as part of the "Cannonball Adderley Presents" series for Riverside, in which Cannonball dug up obscure artists from local scenes around the US – and it was recorded in Chicago, with Bunky Green on alto, Jodie Christian on piano, Don Garrett on bass, and Pete La Roca on drums. The set grooves with a classic Chicago hard bop sound, and is a brilliant example of the kind of crossover in styles and groupings that was happening in the city around the time. Titles include Muhal Richard Abrams' "Dream Of Igor", plus "Blues Holiday", "Me Too", and "Little Niles". Next up is one of the rarest albums of Chicago jazz from the 50s – and one of the greatest, too! Although Walter Perkins' MJT+3 went onto cut a number of records on Vee Jay with a different lineup, this early session features an all-Chicago lineup that differs from the later one, which was augmented by later visitors from Memphis, like Frank Strozier and Harold Mabern. In their place are prime Chicago talents, like altoist Nicky Hill, trumpeter Paul Serrano, and the great AACM composer/pianist Richard Muhal Abrams (playing here without the Muhal in his name!) The album's a complete delight, and is filled with loads of original compositions by Abrams that mix hard bop lines with more exotic lyrical conceptions – a true meeting of all the sides of jazz bubbling under in Chicago during the 50s, and a delight to listen to over and over again through the years! Titles include "No Man's Land", "Little Brother", "Egypic", "End Of The Line", and "Temporarily Out Of Order". CD

A real 70s standout from guitarist Al Di Meola – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of most of his albums from the decade! The record's one that broke Al's talents out to so many different groups – yet never in a way that waters down his sound, nor dims his genius for a solo. Al plays a host of guitars – electric, and both six and 12 string acoustic – the latter of which are especially beautiful, and handled in a balance between European virtuoso modes, and some of the more rhythmic elements of the American fusion scene. Speaking of fusion, the other players on the date really help set the tone – Chick Corea on keyboards and piano, Barry Miles on Fender Rhodes and mini-moog, Stanley Clarke on bass, and both Steve Gadd and Lenny White on drums – each setting a different pace when they appear. Titles include "The Wizard", "Suite Golden Dawn", "Short Tales Of The Black Forest", and "Land Of The Midnight Sun". CD

A real 70s standout from guitarist Al Di Meola – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of most of his albums from the decade! The record's one that broke Al's talents out to so many different groups – yet never in a way that waters down his sound, nor dims his genius for a solo. Al plays a host of guitars – electric, and both six and 12 string acoustic – the latter of which are especially beautiful, and handled in a balance between European virtuoso modes, and some of the more rhythmic elements of the American fusion scene. Speaking of fusion, the other players on the date really help set the tone – Chick Corea on keyboards and piano, Barry Miles on Fender Rhodes and mini-moog, Stanley Clarke on bass, and both Steve Gadd and Lenny White on drums – each setting a different pace when they appear. Titles include "The Wizard", "Suite Golden Dawn", "Short Tales Of The Black Forest", and "Land Of The Midnight Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A full LP that combines early work by Dave Brubeck – pulled together from a few 10" LPs, and packaged in a nice cartoony cover. The record features the work of his octet – a group that gives a rare opportunity to hear Brubeck in a large group setting, and one that also features work by Cal Tjader on drums (!), plus Dick Collins and Paul Desmond on their usual instruments. Titles include "The Prisoner's Song", "Prelude", "IPCA", "Fugue On Bop Themes", "Schizophrenic Scherzo", "Playland At The Beach", and "Serenade Suite". CD

A classic set from one of the best groups of the downtempo generation – and one of the few whose work we still turn to all these years later! The Dining Rooms move in the same space as early Kruder & Dorfmeister or Mo Wax, but also bring in some jazzier elements at times too – just the smallest kernels of the sorts of sounds that would later land them on Schema Records – but used in really nice ways, to give their music a lot more depth than most of their contemporaries. Titles include "Chorus Of Flames", "Sei Tu", "Pure & Easy", "Invocation", "Cosi Ti Amo", "Luzy", "Maria", and "False Start". CD

Tracks include "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Blee Blop Blues", "Hours Alone", "Basie Blues", "Paradise Squats", and "Basie English". CD

An amazing (and often forgotten!) quartet session that brings together the enigmatic pianist Jaki Byard and the mind-blowing multi-reed player Roland Kirk! Kirk and Byard had played together previously – most notably on some of Kirk's Mercury recordings – and they fit together perfectly in this mad session of off-kilter jazz that takes off beautifully from the very first note! Rhythm is by the crack team of Alan Dawson on drums and Richard Davis on bass – a pair who can open up creatively when needed, but also return the record to a soulful swing when it's getting too far out. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Evidence", "Memories Of You", and "Hazy Eve". CD

Way more than an "encore" of the legendary Clarke Boland album Golden Eight – and instead a whole different set of recordings, done way back in 1961, but unissued until now! The album's a killer through and through – every bit the same sort of gem you'd get with the early Clarke Boland albums of the pre-MPS years – extremely tight large ensemble jazz, driven with plenty of soul in the rhythm section, and swinging with some incredible solos that further deepen the sound! Right from the start, the pair were totally on the money – and work here with a lineup that's filled with key European soloists, including Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Derek Humble on alto sax, Karl Drewo on tenor, and Fats Sadi on percussion – not to mention the core crack rhythm trio of Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the great Boland originals "A Ball For Othello", "La Campimania", "You Dig It", "Pape Satan Aleppe", and "Free Wheel" – plus a great version of "Invitation". LP, Vinyl record album

A large group in a small club – the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band, playing at the home turf of one of their key members – tenorist Ronnie Scott! The set features a very legendary performance by the ensemble – a crack lineup that's easily one of the best ever sported by the CBBB – perfectly mixing American rhythms, and a trans-Atlantic lineup of soloists – all tied together with just the sort of rich arrangements that make the group so great! Things groove right from the get-go – thanks to a rhythm lineup that features Kenny Clarke on drums, and Francy Boland on piano – plus bassist Ron Matthewson, sitting in for the usual Jimmy Woode. The horn players really send things off, though – tight trumpets from Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Dusko Goykovich; bold trombones from Ake Persson and Nat Peck; and some searing reed lines from Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Derek Humble on alto, Sahib Shihab on baritone, and Tony Coe on both tenor and clarinet. This CD features both the first and second sets at Scotts by the group – albums titled Volcano and Rue Chaptal – with titles that include "Volcano", "Griff's Groove", "Now Hear My Meanin", "Box 703 Washington DC", "Thence We Issued Out Again to See the Stars", "Rue Chaptal", "I Don't Want Nothin From Nobody & I Ain't Giving Nothin Away", "Sax No End", "Minor Blues", and "The Girl & The Turk". CD

Great work by this legendary hard swinging band – an early 60s American album issued on Atlantic Records, in the years before the Clark Boland Band's legendary run on MPS! Despite the early date, the album's got all the core elements of the band's sound in place – soaring rhythms, sharp-edged frontlines, and some great solo work by players who include Benny Bailey, Derek Humble, Jimmy Woode, Shahib Shihab, Idrees Sulieman, and Fats Sadi – coming together in a brilliant trans-Atlantic meeting of jazz talents! Tracks include "Long Note Blues", "Speedy Reeds", "Sonor", and "Om Mani Padme Hum". CD

Baroquely beautiful work from the Alan Copeland Singers – a super-groovy session of vocal ensemble tracks, all produced and put together with some sunshiney A&M touches! There's a sound here that's complex, but also wonderfully grooving – one that takes a mixture of male and female voices, and wraps them around some leaner arrangements done in the best blend of easy and sunshine modes found at A&M or Warner at the time. Copeland himself handled most of the arrangements, and also contributed some wonderful tunes to the set – and the whole album's a lost A&M treasure that we'd never part with in a million zillion years! Titles include "Yellow Ribbons", "You're More Fun", "Friday Ferris Wheel", "If Love Comes With It", "Baroque A Nova", and "Morgan Sebastian". CD

One of the coolest projects ever to come from the Clarke Boland Big Band scene of the 60s – an album done under the leadership of Austrian tenor player Carl Drewo, but one that features all of his bandmates from the better-known big band! The set's wonderfully swinging throughout – done in a jazz waltz style with plenty of modal inflections – hardly the overdone Strauss modes you might expect from Drewo's roots, and more of the groovy 60s European rhythm modes that would show up often in sessions on Saba & MPS! Most tracks dance along beautifully – using instrumentation that includes Benny Bailey and Dusko Goykovich on trumpets, Sal Nistico on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone and flute, and Derek Humble on alto – all supported by the CBBB rhythm team of Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – plus the amazing Fats Sadi on percussion, really grooving along nicely at the bottom. Drewo's the lead soloist in most numbers, but he allows plenty of space for his bandmates too – and the session's got a sound we'd rank right up there with some of the best Clarke Boland projects of the 60s. Titles include "Wives & Lovers", "Fruhlingsstimmen", "My Favorite Things", "Claudia", "Schon Ist Die Welt", "Just Give Me Time", and "Keep On Keeping On". LP, Vinyl record album

PC here refers to Paul Chambers – who's touted in the liner notes as if he was the leader of the set, although it's just a regular Red Garland trio set from the late 50s! Chambers had died the year before, so it made sense that the session was packaged as sort of a tribute to him for this 1970 release – especially because it includes the nice long groover "PC Blues". Art Taylor's on drums for most of the tracks, but Philly Joe Jones sits in on one tune – and Red Garland, of course, is magnificent on piano. Titles include "Ahmad's Blues", "Lost April", "Tweedle Dee Dee", and "Why Was I Born?". CD

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Reinier Baas on guitar, Ben Van Gelder and Maarten Hogenhuis on alto saxophone, Sean Fasciani on bass, and Mark Schilders on drums. CD

An excellent collection of work from Pia Beck – a Dutch pianist who first burned things up with some stunning instrumental tracks in the postwar years, then developed into a great singer too! As you might guess from the title, Pia began with a boogie woogie approach – blinding work on the piano that rivaled some of the American greats of the time – and as the years went on, she moved into jump blues and bebop too – handled with a great sense of charm, and chops that make her way more than a European player just dabbling in styles. There's never been a good collection of Beck's work from the time before – and this CD brings together 27 singles recorded for Philips, including work with Cor Steyn – a mixture of vocal and instrumental tunes, with cuts that include "I Didn't Slip I Wasn't Pushed I Fell", "Beck's Boogie", "Bop Kiss", "Botch A Me", "Haven't Got A Worry", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "I'm Feeling Blue At The Blue Note", and "Chickery Chick". CD

Jasper Blom on tenor saxophone, Jesse Van Ruller on guitar, Frans Jan-Van Der Hoeven on bass, and Martijn Vink on drums. CD

A smoking twin-tenor session for MPS – one that reunites the mighty talents of Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis! The album was done as an offshoot of both players' work for the Clarke Boland Big Band at the time – and the set was not only produced by CBBB impresario Gigi Campi, but also features a core rhythm trio from that ensemble – Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! Tracks are nice and long, and have a sound that really shows the evolution of both players since their famous recordings of the early 60s – tones that are even more modern and edgey at points, served up with a fire that hasn't died at all – and set loose on rhythms that move past the usual grooves you might have expected from their American sessions together. Titles include "Tin Tin Deo", "Jim Dawg", "Gigi", "When We Were One", and "Again N Again". CD

Essential early work by Stan – a 3 CD collection of his early 50s recordings for the Roost label, either under his own name and group, or with guitarist Johnny Smith. The Smith sides only make up a very small portion of the package – as most of the work are by Getz's quartet or quintet, the groundbreaking assemblage that featured Jimmy Raney on guitar, whose icy clear tone was a perfect counterpart for Getz's sweet breathy work on the tenor. The quality of the material is really great – and the package does a great job of presenting the work freshly, without an overload of alternate takes or tunes you don't want to hear. There's a total of 59 tracks in all – and titles include "Potter's Luck", "Tenderly", "Budo", "Signal", "Fools Rush In", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Yvette", "Melody Express", "Split Kick", "Hershey Bar", and "Penny". CD

A whole new kind of trio session for the 70s – one that has the airy, open lines of guitarist John Abercrombie stretching out nicely in the company of drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Dave Holland! The music is archetypal ECM work of the time – a complete contrast to a guitar trio session from a decade before, or even a few years before on any different sort of label. Abercrombie's got a bit of bite at a few moments, but mostly keeps things spare and spacious – and Holland and DeJohnette are more than happy to follow suit. Titles include "Backwoods Song", "May Dance", "Waiting", "Jamala", and "Sorcery 1". CD

A hardbop classic from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his harder to find albums from the Riverside days! The set has Cannon playing without his usual group, in the context of an all-star batch of players that includes Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – who he worked with in his time with Miles Davis – plus occasional guest rhythm work by Albert and Percy Heath. The set's strong and straight ahead – a good bridge between Cannon's early Mercury recordings, and his later albums for Riverside and Capitol – tightly crafted solos with a good deal of soul, Adderley holding down all the horn work on the record. Titles include "If This Isn't Love", "Serenata", "Poor Butterfly", "I Remember You", and "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star". CD also features 2 bonus alternate tracks! CD