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One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the mighty Piero Umiliani – sounds initially written for a film that was an international "sexpose" of daily life in Sweden – but which have grown to even greater fame on their own over the years – thanks to the talent of the maestro! The music here is awash in groovy elements – lots of sweet Hammond organ lines, mod basslines, and some especially cool wordless vocals from the choir of Alessandro Alessandroni – scatting away in a great way alongside the instruments, and bringing an added level of breathy eroticism to the whole thing! This special LP version recreates the original Omicron release of the record – with titles that include the two lyrical tracks "You Tried To Warn Me" and "Sleep Now Little One", sung by Lydia McDonald – plus the tracks "Topless Party", "Eva Svedense", "Essere Donna", "La Signora Cameriera", "FotoModelle", and "Le Ragazze Dell'Archipellago". (Note, does not contain the track "Mah Na Mah Na", which is on other versions of the soundtrack – but it appears on the "partner" reissue of Umiliani's Psichedelica from Schema, under the title "Viva La Sauna Svedese".) LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks by The Cookies, Little Eva, Carole King, The Ronettes, The Permanents, The Lullabyes, Patty Livingston, The Spandells, The Jewels, Caroline Day, Idalia Boyd, and The Cinderellas. CD

The title doesn't give you much to go on – but take it from us, this is a great little compilation – one that's filled with rare jazz work from a variety of European soundtracks of the 60s and 70s! The range of tracks here is really great – and wide enough to include a few favorites, plus an even wider range of rare and obscure numbers – most of which are pulled from the catalog of EMI Italy, and include a number of tunes that have never been issued to the public before! And even better, there's a fair bit of work on here that's from soundtracks that aren't normally jazzy overall – but which feature one or two great jazz tracks, pulled out nicely here and intermingled with the rest of the top-shelf set. 18 tracks in all – 5 previously unreleased – with titles that include "Eva" by Michel Legrand, "A Place For Lovers (jazz suite)" by Manuel De Sica, "Spaghetti A Detroit" by Fred Bongusto, "Adulterio All'Italiana" by Armando Trovajoli, "Ballando Con Raquel" by Nino Rota, "This Is Life" by Piero Piccioni, "Sideslip (new edit)" by Berto Pisano, "Jazz Interlude" by Giorgio Gaslini, "That's Show" by Gianni Dell'Orso, "Monitor Jazz" by Carlo Rustichelli, and "Kiss Me Worren Please" by Bruno Nicolai. CD

With selections by Joey Dee & The Starliters, The Shirelles, Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford, The Sensations, Shelley Fabares, Gene Chandler, Barbara Lynn, Dion, James Darren, Brian Hyland, and Little Eva. LP, Vinyl record album

Mad music from the Dutch scene of the 70s – music recorded either in The Netherlands, or the Dutch part of Belgium – pulled together here in a collection that's filled with ear-opening funky gems! The music here isn't straight soul, funk, or jazz – but rather criss-crossing musical styles that often have a little bit of each – often with these qualities that remind us of better-known soundtrack or folk-funk songs from the time – but which take on very different qualities, given the difference in language! There's plenty of great drums throughout, loads of killer keyboards, and basslines that can make just about any sort of song a funky nugget – and as with other titles on the Sdban label, the whole thing's a real revelation – a gateway to music that we never would have discovered otherwise – but now find that we can't live without. Titles include "Eva's Pakje" by Jimmy Frey, "Zomerliefde" by Laurentius, "Onheil" by Lamp & Lazerus, "Gemendg Gevoel" by Herman De Bruycker, "Wie Weet" by Spectrum, "Het Oink Beest" by Elly & Rikkert, "Maan Dag" by Daan Broos & Dapokaster, "Nooit Meer" by Josine Van Dalsum, "Handicap 2000" by Daan Broos, "Het Huis Van Wilde Tederheid" by Luk Bral, and "Hollandse Taal" by Moeder En Haar Jongens. LP, Vinyl record album

Glorious girl group pop, solo and group soul singles from the heart of the 60s – beautiful stuff that might have made a splash in their time, but didn't enter the eternal pop culture canon like some of the bigger hits of the day – and we couldn't be happier to have them in our lives all these years later! Where The Girls Are 8 features tunes by The Blossoms, The Orlons, The Sherrys, Dee Dee Sharp, The Four Havens, The Del-Phis, The Bonnetts, The Darlenes, The Pussycats and more – with absolute top shelf craft behind them – but as grand as the productions are and as legendary as the songwriters are – and we're talking about Lou Alder, Ashford & Simpson, Lee Hazlewood, Gamble & Huff and others behind the scenes – nothing outshines the lovely ladies' voices! Includes "Cry Like A Baby" by The Blossoms, "Comin' Home Baby" by Dee Dee Sharp, "Baby It Hurts" by Kelly Garrett, "Stand By Me" by Little Eva, "My Little Baby" by The Witches, "You Don't Have A Heart" by The Bunnies, "I Ain't Comin' Back" by The Orlons, "Come On And Ska" by The Pussycats, "Let's Be Sweethearts" by The Cinnamon Angels and more. 25 tracks in all. CD

Music from Gene Chandler, Little Eva, The Shirelles, The Drifters, Barbara Lynn, The Isley Brothers, Barbara George, Bruce Channel, The Shirelles, Gene Pitney, Clyde McPhatter, and more - 22 songs in all. CD

Music from The Contours, Sam Cooke, The Ikettes, The Miracles, Little Eva, Mary Wells, Gene Pitney, Chuck Jackson, Chris Montez, The Majors, The Duprees, Dion, The Corsairs, and more - 22 songs in all. CD

A really great collection of unusual female soul and pop from the 60s – a package that features rare singles, unreleased tracks, and other gems we never would have heard otherwise! Few folks know 60s music as well as the folks at Ace/Kent Records in the UK – which means that you can really trust them to serve up the best when it comes to a collection of girl group music – the sort of tracks that go way past the obvious, and really get at the fantastic range of sounds that were transforming the female side of the spectrum in the US! The package features 16 tracks in all, and spans a nice mix of artists and styles – with titles that include "Too bad He's Bad" by Beverly Williams, "Cupid's Got A Hold On Me" by The Belles, "Whirlwind" by The Rev-Lons, "First Love Baby" by Lena Calhoun & The Emotions, "So In Luv" by Othello Robertson, "You Are My First Love" by Pat Hunt, "I Need A Guy" by The Lovettes, "He's All Right With Me" by The Mirettes, "Mr Everything" by Little Eva Harris, "Sing Me A Love Song" by Felice Taylor, "Sir Galahad" by The Elites, "I Say Yeah" by The Pets, "Summertime Is Surfin Time" by The Surf Bunnies, and "It's Better To Live Or Die" by Mary Saxton. LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy funk galore – and one of the best recent volumes in the always-great Soul Patrol series! The set's got 10 heavy funk numbers – all pulled from obscure 45s of the late 60s and early 70s, all served up with a rough and ready feel that's enough to make us give up looking for the originals, and only keep buying compilations! Titles include "Looking In The Breeze" by Fifth Unit, "Follow The Wind" by Little Eva, "Bold Soul Sister Bold Soul Brother" by The Black On White Affair, "Nothing Left Is Real" by Pure Funk, "Chain Reaction" by Miss Faye Marshall, "Ooh Baby" by Pamoja, and "Gonna Have Fun Tonight" by The Soul Lovers. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little follow-up to one of our favorite compilations ever from Kent Records – a motherlode of under-discovered soul from 70s powerhouse Spring Records! Spring is best known for its big hits with Joe Simon during the decade – but at the same time, the label also issued countless great singles by lesser-known artists – great little gems that run the gamut from southern soul to heavy funk, harmony soul, and disco – all with a quality level that matches or beats most of the other indies of the time! This wonderful set brings together some of the best from those years – and includes work issued not only on Spring, but also on the related Event and Posse labels – served up here as a whopping 24-track package that's supported by great notes on all the music. Titles include "It's So Good To Know" by Mayberry Movement, "I'm A Lover" by Vernon Brown, "You & I Go Good Together" by Garland Green, "Turn Yourself Around" by Clare Bathe, "Walk All Over God's Heaven" by Jackie Verdell, "Baby There's Nothing You Can Do" by The Joneses, "I'm On My Way" by Winfield Parker, "Ain't It Amazing" by Prince Harold, "Dry Bones In The Valley" by The Internationals, "Mr Everything" by Little Eva Harris, "It Takes Both Of Us" by Act One, "I'll See You In Hell First" by Phillip Mitchell, "Sherry Washington" by Ray Godfrey, and "Just Can't Say Hello" by Ronnie Walker. CD

Music from Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Freddie Bell & The Bell Boys, Big Dee Irwin With Little Eva, Bobby Darin, The Crickets, Jim Reeves, Mitchell Torok, Eddie Cochran, Brenda Lee, and more. CD

The world needs changing – and plenty of these tunes may well do it – thanks to infectious grooves and some very righteous message-oriented lyrics! The set's a great document of the positive, progressive energy going down in soul music during the heady days of the late 60s and early 70s – a time when the country was changing heavily, and the music was as well – moving into new styles, themes, and ideas – expressed here by a hip batch of cats who were working on some of the best indie labels of the underground! This set offers up a great mix of cool cuts from a variety of sources – a few gems from the Flying Dutchman label, some other obscure 45s, and even a few southern soul numbers that fit surprisingly well with the northern vibe of most of these numbers. Titles include "Walk Tall" by Esther Marrow, "Get Ready/Uptight" by Little Eva Harris, "All Power To The People (part 1)" by Joe Savage & The Soul People, "Soul Patrol" by The Original Soul Patrol, "Do It (inst)" by Johnny Griffith, "The World Needs Changin" by Hank Jacobs & Don Malone, "Sea Saw Affair" by Cesar 830, "Love Tones" by Melvin Sparks, "That's The Way It Goes" by Elaine Armstrong, "This Is The Me Me" by Brenda Jones with Groove Holmes, "Sissy Strut N American Woman" by The Willard Posey Reunion, and "Rudypoot" by Huck & The Soul Patrol. CD

More classic blues than you could hope to shake a stick at – a 2CD set that features 50 tunes from Muddy's famous years at Chess Records! The set's brimming over with good stuff – classic and obscure numbers alike, going way past a simple "greatest hits" set. Titles include "Long Distance Call", "Evan's Shuffle", "Appealing Blues", "Rollin Stone", "Sad Letter Blues", "Kind Hearted Woman", "I Can't Be Satisfied", "Mean Disposition", "Good Lookin Woman", "Little Geneva", "Canary Bird", "Rollin & Tumblin (parts 1 & 2)", "Lonesome Day", "Stuff You Gotta Watch", and "All Night Long". CD

Superb work from pianist Richie Beirach – a set that's dedicated to Bill Evans, and which certainly embraces some of the key numbers in his songbook – but which also has that even more spacious sound that Beirach was bringing to his trio dates in the 70s! Richie's sense of timing and tone are fantastic – doing so much with so little, that Evans would have been pleased – although again, Beirach is hardly borrowing straight from Bill's style. Also fantastic is bassist George Mraz, whose way of inflecting notes and measuring color and mood almost rival the role of Eddie Gomez when playing with Evans – all balanced nicely by the work of Al Foster on drums, who's at his most subtle here. Titles include "Blue In Green", "Nardis", "Peace Pipe", "Spring Is Here", "Solar", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Gil Evans plays some sweet electric piano – and leads a group with Terumasa Hino on trumpet, Lew Soloff on trumpet and piccolo trumpet, George Adams on tenor and flute, and Gerry Niewood on soprano sax and flute! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles – a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument – and he blows with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – and certainly far from the mellower tones of his previous leader set for Columbia. This album's got a great mix of hardbop and modern ideas – right up there with the best Blue Note had to offer at the time – and the group's filled with equally hip players who include Joe Henderson on tenor, Leo Wright on alto and flute, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and either Pete LaRoca or Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Heavy Legs", "Hobo Joe", "Jano", and "Little Johnny C". Very hip, very hard, and very swingin! CD

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles – a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument – and he blows with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – and certainly far from the mellower tones of his previous leader set for Columbia. This album's got a great mix of hardbop and modern ideas – right up there with the best Blue Note had to offer at the time – and the group's filled with equally hip players who include Joe Henderson on tenor, Leo Wright on alto and flute, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and either Pete LaRoca or Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Heavy Legs", "Hobo Joe", "Jano", and "Little Johnny C". Very hip, very hard, and very swingin! CD

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles – a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument – and he blows with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – and certainly far from the mellower tones of his previous leader set for Columbia. This album's got a great mix of hardbop and modern ideas – right up there with the best Blue Note had to offer at the time – and the group's filled with equally hip players who include Joe Henderson on tenor, Leo Wright on alto and flute, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and either Pete LaRoca or Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Heavy Legs", "Hobo Joe", "Jano", and "Little Johnny C". Very hip, very hard, and very swingin! CD

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles – a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument – and he blows with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – and certainly far from the mellower tones of his previous leader set for Columbia. This album's got a great mix of hardbop and modern ideas – right up there with the best Blue Note had to offer at the time – and the group's filled with equally hip players who include Joe Henderson on tenor, Leo Wright on alto and flute, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and either Pete LaRoca or Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Heavy Legs", "Hobo Joe", "Jano", and "Little Johnny C". Very hip, very hard, and very swingin! CD

A sweet set of tracks that goes way beyond the usual Herbie Mann album! Herbie's playing with Bill Evans' trio that included Chuck Israels on bass and Paul Motian on drums – and the group's got a nice groove that, while not exactly modal, still hits a nice open-ended stretch that works well with Mann's flute – and creates some great exotic-tinged sounds! In a way, the whole album sounds a bit like some sort of 70's soul jazz flute album – nice and airy, a little bit righteous, and very different for both Evans and Mann – and tracks include "Nirvana", "Cashmere", "Gymnopedie", and "I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Two great lost titles from the Atlantic jazz catalog of the 60s! Horizons is a beautiful and oft-overlooked album of modal jazz tracks performed by Chicago jazz musician Ira Sullivan – who normally plays trumpet and tenor, but who also here shows his amazing talent on soprano sax. Sullivan plays in a great style that's almost a pop version of Coltrane's spiralling style on "My Favorite Things" – rolling the notes over and over in a beautiful exploratory style. This format works especially well on the set's longer tracks – like "Ninevah", "Horizons", and "Norwegian Wood" – but the whole thing's pretty great! Little Giant is a rare album by the great west coast Latin trumpeter Luis Gasca, and argubly the best album he ever recorded! The set was recorded in New York during the late 60's, and features a great lineup of musicians that includes Paul Griffin on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Mongo santamaria on conga, and Bernard Purdie on drums. The style's a mix of soul jazz, Latin, and bits of modal riffing – and the record features some beautiful large arrangements by Gasca and Mark Levine, in a style that's a bit like some of Duke Pearson's work from the late 60s, but handled with a bit more of an edge. Tracks include "Coisa No. 2", "Afro Blue", "Joy Ride", and "Sweet Pea". 2CDs at a nice nice price! CD

Why thank you – we will! Kenny does too, as he grooves nicely and gently over arrangements by Richard Evans, perfectly crafted in that soul jazz mode of his 60s work for Chess – not Kenny's most challenging format, to be sure, but proof that he often works better in a more structured environment than a freer one. Titles include "Away In A Manger", "My Favorite Things", "Little Drummer Boy", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Merry Christmas Baby", and "Go Where I Send Thee". CD

Four Christmas classics in one package – two from Verve, two from Chess Records! First up is the album Ella Fitzgerald Wishes You A Swinging Christmas – a wonderful Holiday album that's stayed fresh for years! Ella's got a perfect style to interpret these numbers – working with Frank DeVol and Russ Garcia in a set of lightly jazzy versions of Christmas favorites like "Sleigh Ride", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "White Christmas", "Frosty The Snowman", and one of the best versions of "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" ever recorded! The Sound Of Christmas album by Ramsey Lewis is a classic – and probably one of the best-selling Christmas jazz albums of all time! Ramsey and his classic trio with Redd Holt and Eldee Young serve up a tight set of grooves based around Holiday favorites like "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Winter Wonderland", "Here Comes Santa Claus", "The Christmas Song", and "Sleigh Ride" – and also carve out a few nice originals like "Christmas Blues" and "The Sound Of Christmas". Side one features the trio on its own, and side two features added arrangements by Riley Hampton – swirling around to expand the groove even more! Christmas 64 – also issued as Christmas Cookin – is as cookin a Christmas album as you'll ever find! Jazz organ giant Jimmy Smith works with Billy Byers to craft some sublime instrumentals that have his Hammond interpreting Christmas classics like "We Three Kings", "White Christmas", "Silent Night", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". If you know Jimmy from the time, you know that he can really make tracks like these groove nicely – and take them to places you never expected! Last up is the album Have Yourself A Soulful Little Christmas, from guitarist Kenny Burrell – on which he grooves nicely and gently over arrangements by Richard Evans, perfectly crafted in that soul jazz mode of his 60s work for Chess – not Kenny's most challenging format, to be sure, but proof that he often works better in a more structured environment than a freer one. Titles include "Away In A Manger", "My Favorite Things", "Little Drummer Boy", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Merry Christmas Baby", and "Go Where I Send Thee". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles – a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument – and he blows with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – and certainly far from the mellower tones of his previous leader set for Columbia. This album's got a great mix of hardbop and modern ideas – right up there with the best Blue Note had to offer at the time – and the group's filled with equally hip players who include Joe Henderson on tenor, Leo Wright on alto and flute, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and either Pete LaRoca or Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Heavy Legs", "Hobo Joe", "Jano", and "Little Johnny C". Very hip, very hard, and very swingin! LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the most creative albums ever from UK composer Neil Ardley – and that's saying a lot, given the complexity of his other work! The set's got a wonderful blend of jazz arrangements and some freer passages – scored by Ardley with some of his most sensitive, most beautiful music ever – almost as if the whole thing's an extended soundtrack for a passage in time – or at least a sonic journey that's filled with some wonderful twists and turns! There's definitely some jazz/rock elements in the music, but the main focus is jazz – and Ardley has that same strong sense of large charts and forward-moving rhythms that you'd find in the best early work of Mike Westbrook, particularly his albums for Deram. Players are a very familiar, and very top-shelf batch of British musicians – including Barbara Thompson, Dick Heckstall-Smith, and Don Rendell on reeds; Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther on trumpets; Derek Wadsworth on trombone, Frank Rocotti on vibes, and Stan Tracey on both piano and celeste. Ardley plays prepared piano, and Ivor Cutler makes a great guest appearance on one track – reciting "The Dong With A Luminous Nose" – and Norma Winstone sings on "Will You Walk A Little Faster". The title track – "A Symphony Of Amaranths" – is dedicated to Duke Ellington and Gil Evans – with a feel that more than lives up to both! CD features the bonus track "National Anthem & Tango". CD

An overlooked gem from the British free jazz scene of the 70s – a set issued on the Bead Records label, and one that got very little circulation at the time – but which is equally as mindblowing as work from the period on labels like Ictus and Ogun! The duo here features Roy Ashbury on drums and percussion, and Larry Stabbins on soprano and tenor – working in this free, open space, but on tracks that are often shorter than album-length improvisations – which allows the players to stop a minute, take a breath, and move into these nicely varied moments of spontaneous creation! You might know Stabbins from later 80s work on more groove-oriented records – but here, he's a tremendousimproviser, with a sense for creative reedwork that might well rival his contemporary Evan Parker. Titles include "Puff", "Formants Of The Deep", "Wych Elm", "Fire Without Bricks", "Rough Cut", and "Maldoror". CD

Four lost albums from David Blue – a really compelling singer/songwriter, ripe for rediscovery! First up is These 23 Days In September, recorded for Reprise – a really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". Stories is an overlooked early set on Asylum – the kind of really special singer/songwriter material that really set the label apart at the start of the 70s! David Blue has this compelling vocal style that's moody, but down to earth – inflected here and there with guitar contributions from Ry Cooder, who's understated, but really brings out some special qualities in the tunes. Jack Nitzsche adds in some light strings at points – but overall, things are pretty spare and personal – and titles include "Looking For A Friend", "Another One Like Me", "Sister Rose", "The Blues", "Come On John", "Marianne", and "Fire In The Morning". Nice Baby & The Angel shows David Blue really starting to get some star power in his mix – a fuller set, produced by Graham Nash – with work from Nash on guitar, plus more guitar from Dave Mason and David Lindley – in a nice mix of roots elements, but which never overwhelm that unique sense of songwriting and vocals that set David Blue apart from the rest. Titles include "Darlin Jenny", "Troubadour Song", "Train To Anaheim", "True To You", "On Sunday Any Sunday", and "Outlaw Man". On the cover of Cupid's Arrow, David Blue might look a bit cheesy, what with his open shirt and all – but he's definitely the real deal, and very down to earth in his singer/songwriter approach – with a quality that's only underscored by the lineup on the set – a group that features Levon Helm on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, David Lindley on mandolin and slide, and Barry Goldberg on piano and organ, and also handling production of the album too. The shift from David's roots is a bit like that taken by other contemporaries who once started in more folksy territory, then found a new way to grow in the west coast singer/songwriter scene – and that means that things are more electrified, but still quite far from mainstream music – with original tunes from Blue throughout, and titles that include "I Feel Bad", "Maria Maria", "Primeval Tune", She's Got You", "Tom's Song", and "Run Run Run". CD

One of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a groundbreaking soundtrack that forever changed the way that jazz music was used in film! According to legend, the sounds here were recorded by Miles on a hot Paris night – late in the studio, after a live performance – in a very intimate setting that had he and the combo creating these little poetic passages along with the action in the film! In addition to sublime and moody muted trumpet from Miles – the small group also features tremendous tenor work from the great Barney Wilen – a French modernist who's at the height of his powers – and beautiful bass from Pierre Michelot, whose rich tones really frame the whole proceedings. The rest of the group features bop pianist Rene Urtreger and American drummer Kenny Clarke – but the real charm comes from the interplay between Wilen, Davis, and Michelo. Titles include "Florence Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "L'Assassinat De Carla", "Diner Au Motel", "Evasion De Julien", "Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "Le Petit Bal", "Au Bar Du Petit Bac" and "Sur L'Autoroute". LP, Vinyl record album

70s soul from Brazil – and a tremendously strong effort from the legendary Tim Maia! This record was Tim's first after an initial run on Polydor – and it shows Maia tightening up his groove even more, but still avoiding the slicker sounds of later years. There's a really focused sound here that's totally great – one that shows that Maia's work was hardly just some happy cross-cultural accident, and instead the careful work of an artist who was out to challenge the best American soul acts of the time! There's a warm little groove to most of the tracks – tripping along lightly in the vein of some of our favorite US mellow soul from the mid 70s – an approach that's mostly soul, but with some funky undercurrents – and often smooth, but never cloying or overly commercial. Titles include "Ride Twist & Roll", "Flores Belas", "Let It All Hang Out", "Sem Voce", "E Necessario", "Leva O Meu Blue", "Pense Menos", and "Musica Para Betinha". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark record – not only in the history of the western, but in that of Ennio Morricone! The soundtrack, written for this hit Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, is everything you'd want in a 60s western – driving orchestral passages, twanging guitar parts, and spooky little bits that isolate the mood of a scene nicely. The work's an instant classic, and is still one of Morricone's strongest western soundtracks – even if it is one of the most familiar. This expanded Italian version features 17 tracks in all – including some rare mono and stereo mixes – and titles include "Quasi Morto", "Musica Sospesa", "Senza Pieta", "Tortura", "Alla Ricerca Dell'Evaso", "Consuelo Baxter", and "Ramon". CD

Gerry Mulligan's still far from the mainstream of jazz on this sweet little set – a great date that expands nicely from the mellower styles of the Pacific Jazz years – expanding the group a bit, with some really great results! In addition to Mulligan's usual baritone sax, Gerry also plays a bit of piano on one track – reconciling himself with the instrument, and using it in surprisingly soulful ways. Other players include Zoot Sims on tenor, Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, either Don Ferrara or Jon Eardley on trumpet, and Dave Bailey on drums. Tracks are long and nicely open – a bit less tightly arranged than some of Mulligan's work on Pacific Jazz – and titles include "Lollypop", "Igloo", "Blue At The Roots", "Elevation", and "Mainstream". LP, Vinyl record album