One of our favorite recordings ever of George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess – done by Bethlehem Records in the mid 50s, and featuring nearly every one of the label's great talents at the time! The choice of the lead characters is a bit odd – as Mel Torme plays Porgy and Francis Faye plays Bess – but both singers are actually pretty darn great for the set, and really bring a lot out of the tunes. Plus, the other artists on the set really keep things interesting – as the collection features vocal performances by Johnny Hartman, Frank Rosolino, Betty Roche, Bob Dorough, and Sallie Blair. Plus, the whole thing's presented as Gershwin wrote it – complete with narration by Al Jazzbo Collins, and a number of strong instrumental passages. Music is performed by groups led by Russ Garcia, Duke Ellington, Pat Moran, and Stan Levy – and players are an array of the best of both the New York and LA scenes at the time! CD

Orchestra Harlow's answer to the Who's Tommy – Hommy, a Latin Opera, and one of the few concept albums we know from the New York Latin scene of the time! The tracks are fairly short, and they're separated by short "interludes" throughout the album that feature some cool spoken bits that trace the story of the record, but which also have the humorous touches of some of the older Alegre All Stars albums from the 60s. And although Orchestra Harlow borrow the name of the Who's album, the work here is all original – not covers – two long "acts", spread out over the sides of the record with a sophisticated approach that shows the Harlow group moving into much deeper territory at the time. Lead vocals are by Junior Gonzalez, and you'll also hear Adalberto Santiago, Cheo Feliciano, Justo Betancourt, and Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez. Tracks include "Gracia Divina", "Mantecadito", "El Doctor Y La Razon", "Es Un Varon", "El Dia De Navidad", and "Soy Sensacional". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely great work from Slim Gaillard, the self-styled LA hipster who rose to prominence in the wartime blues and jazz scene, and who continued to wow audiences for years with his unique blend of hipster jazz! This CD features some of Slim's best work – recorded for Verve in the 50s, and painfully unavailable for years. Slim sings in a voice that's all his own – mixing bluesy crooning with scatting and plenty of talking in his own language of "vout". Consider him a west coast version of Babs Gonzales, and you've got part of the picture – but you'll need this set to fill in all the spaces. Titles include "You Goofed", "Arabian Boogie", "Tip Light", "Serenade To A Poodle", "Babalu Orooney", "Laughing In Rhythm", "Chicken Rhythm", and the complete "Opera In Vout". CD

A double-length disco fantasy from Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder – both very much at the A double-length, 4 act disco fantasy from Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder – both very much at the height of their powers here – and able to keep up enough energy to make it through what was originally 2LP set! The work's a unified sort of story – kind of a disco opera of sorts – but more than the lyrics or the story, what makes the album great is the rhythms – full-on and non-stop, rolling strongly from tune after tune in a highly energized blend. Titles include "Once Upon A Time", "Fairy Tale High", "Queen For A Day", "Now I Need You", "Dance Into My Life", "A Man Like You", "I Love You", and "Rumor Has It". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare sound library disco record from Piero Piccioni & Luis Bacalov from the end of the 70s – really cool stuff with funky drums, guitars and bass that soars gloriously with strings – anchored by the 18+ minute title track and featuring several other cues! "Fire Stars Dances" is a langorous late period disco, while "Warsaw Concerto" recasts some more operatic sounds in a disco mode. Other tracks include "Prelude To Love" and "You Never Told Me" and this great CD edition includes 2 shorter alternate takes of the title track. CD