... CD

A record that moves across the boroughs of New York – and which also managed to have a huge impact on the Windy City as well – given that the music of Down To The Bone was perfect for the groove of the Chicago steppers scene in the 90s! The group are a bit jazz, a bit soul, and have this chunky funky rhythm at the bottom that shows their roots in the British scene – maybe a mix of electric jazz modes with inspirations from artists like Soul II Soul or the James Taylor Quartet – taken to a style that's slightly tighter overall. There's a fair bit of programming in the rhythms, mixed with live instrumentation from group members – and titles include the classic "Staten Island Groove", plus "Muesli Brown", "Savour The Flavour", "Brooklyn Heights", "3 Days In Manhattan", "Carlito's Way", "On The Corner Of Darcy Street", and "17 Mile Drive". CD

Never-heard music from the great Charles Lloyd – two well-recorded live sets from the 60s, both with a very unusual group! The lineup has Lloyd on tenor, soprano, and flute, working with frequent partner Gabor Szabo on guitar – but the rest of the quartet also features Ron Carter on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums – two players who really have an open, laidback way of letting the music flow! All tracks are nice and long, and Lloyd is wonderfully expressive – maybe even more so than on his studio records from the period – with these long, soulful, spiritual solos that almost make us feel like he's picked up the torch from the recently-departed Eric Dolphy – especially in the way that Dolphy would spin things out in a live setting. The set features two versions of "Lady Gabor", both a bit different – plus the titles "How Can I Tell You", "Slug's Blues", "Sweet Georgia Bright", and "Dream Weaver". CD

A surprisingly sensitive soundtrack from Piero Piccioni – especially given that it was done for an early 70s comedy that starred the great Alberto Sordi! The style here is maybe more in that early 60s Italian style of composers like Carlo Rustichelli and Nino Rota – light, lovely melodies that step out from larger but still-light strings – with a gentle sense of whimsy, in a way that never goes too far over the top! Solo instruments include alto sax, accordion, and piano – all used in mighty nice ways – on titles that include "Cocktails From Manhattan", "Roma Amara", "Lunga Storia D'Amore", "Swinging Waltz", "Tango Scopone", and "Gioco Di Carte". CD

Sir Lord Baltimore may have a British-sounding name – but the group are a trio from Brooklyn, and serve up a blistering pre-metal version of hard rock that maybe blows away some of their English contemporaries at the time! There's a tremendous amount of power going on here – heavy bass from Gary Justin, searing guitars from Louis Dampier, and monstrous drums from John Garner, who somehow manages to also give out these raw, eerie vocals while also completely destroying the drum kit – all with energy that really prefaces a metal generation to come – but with a stripped-down vibe that's completely free of hoke. On the second album the group expands to a quartet, which makes for an even heavier sound than their first album – and the whole thing is one of those lost gems from a group who got a great shot in the studio from a big label – who then let the record languish, as they never knew how to promote it! Titles include "Man From Manhattan" plus "Where Are We Going", "Chicago Lives", "Loe And Behold", "Woman Tamer" and "Caesar LXXI". CD

3 tremendous albums from modern trombonist Eddie Bert – all of which stand as some of his greatest work of the 50s! The records were all originally recorded for Savoy, and all within a few months of each other – and there's a crystal-clear focus on all of them that you don't always find in both Savoy sessions, and other trombone outings from the time. The groups here are all small – either quartet or quintet lineups that feature Bert's trombone with Hank Jones on piano, JR Monterose on tenor, Joe Puma on guitar, Clyde Lombardi on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – carving amazing lines out of the ether, and using the instrument with a deftness and sense of imagination that most other 50s players couldn't touch! Titles include "Fragile", "Three Bass Hit", "See You Later", "Bert Tram", "One For Tubby", "It's Only Sunshine", "Crosstown", "Wishbone", "Steady Eddie", "Slow Crosstown", "Conversation", "Bronx Line", and "Manhattan Suite". CD

A rare American session from the Quarteto Em Cy – working here under the name of The Girls From Bahia, and singing in English as well as Portuguese! The album's got a sound that's quite similar to the group's classic 60s Brazilian records on Elenco – thanks to bossa-heavy backings from Oscar Castro Neves – and even when singing in a second language, the girls do a really great job of hitting the sweetest, warmest harmony notes they can – that trademark vocal brilliance that made them such a huge act back in Brazil! Sonny Burke produced, but he clearly gives plenty of space to Oscar – as the album's got little of his usual Warner touches – and instead shows that when you've got the right talent in the studio, you can do a pretty good job of recording bossa in the US. Titles include "Berimbau", "Tem Mais Samba", "Edmundo (In The Mood)", "Lai Ladaia", Morrer De Amor", "Sunny Side Of The Street", "Road To Nowhere", "Old Piano Roll Blues", "The Day It Rained", "E Nada Mais", "Manhattan", "Dindi", and "A Banda (Parade)". CD