With suites from the Night Visitor. CD

One of the greatest jazz soundtracks of all time! Elmer Bernstein wrote the score to Otto Preminger's chilling film version of Nelson Algren's book The Man With The Golden Arm – a sad tale of jazz, gambling, and heroin addiction on the streets of Chicago (not far from Dusty Groove, in fact!) – and in doing so, he came up with one of the first jazz soundtracks to really work strongly with a dramatic narrative. The film's striking theme is played in a number of variations, either with orchestral backing, or in small combo format by Shorty Rogers & His Giants, a crack west coast group that features work by Bud Shank, Shelly Manne, Bob Cooper, and Pete Candoli. The tracks work perfectly together as a suite of tracks, even without the images of the film – telling a tale of temptation, sadness, tragedy, and rebirth. Titles include "Clark Street", "Breakup", "The Fix", "Zosh", "Frankie Machine", and "Audition". Worth the price for the Saul Bass cover alone! LP, Vinyl record album

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Music from the Spike Lee film – composed and conducted by Terence Blanchard. CD

The rare instrumental score to Clockers – very mature work from Terence Blanchard! CD

One of the superest of the late 60s supergroups – with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech! Titles include "Had To Cry Today", "Presence Of The Lord", "Do What You Like", "Sea Of Joy", and "Well All Right". LP, Vinyl record album

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The original version of Brel's music, presented to American audiences – with translations by Mort Shuman and Eric Blau – and performances by Shuman, Elly Stone, Shawn Elliott, and Alice Whitfield. CD

The film soundtrack version of this famous 60s musical, which was based around the sounds of Belgian singer Jacques Brel. The film version shares many similarities to the broadway one – translations by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, vocals by Shuman and Elly Stone – but the overall sound is quite different, as the versions presented here are more subtle, less campy, possibly due to the freer range of expression allowed to the actors on a film soundstage. Plus, this version also includes a few of Brel's best songs that were left out of the original show – making for a total of 26 titles that include "The Bulls", "Sons Of", "The Desperate Ones", "Amsterdam", "The Statue", "Brussels", "Funeral Tango", "Bachelors Dance", "Carousel", and "Next". If you want Brel in English, this may well be the best way to get it – as nearly all other English language versions of his work (by Scott Walker, Marc Almond, and others) came from these translations. LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the greatest albums ever from James Brown – even if it wasn't issued during his classic run of funk records in the early 70s! Yet the material here is all from that time – recorded by Polydor when James and the JBs were completely kicking ass in the studio – turning out these monstrous longform funk jams that often gave up too much material to fit on all of his albums – which makes this package an overdue dip into the vaults to rescue some of those treasures! The package first saw the light of day in 1988 – at a time when the genius of James was being rediscovered by younger hip hoppers and DJs – and the set is a love letter to all that James had to offer that scene – with gems that include the lost soul classic "She's The One", a duet with Bobby Byrd called "Since You Been Gone", a live version of "There It Is", an untitled instrumental and another instrumental one called "Funk Bomb" – plus a huge long 9 minute version of the great "People Get Up & Drive Your Funky Soul" from Slaughter's Big Ripoff, and the cuts "Say It Loud & Live", and "Baby Here I Come". CD

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The US release of 3 soundtracks to films produced by Dino De Laurentis – the best of which is Roy Budd's Stone Killer. The soundtrack is one of the darkest Budd scores ever, designed to accompany a brutal police film starring Charles Bronson. The main theme has a nice electronic sound that's kind of like the "Mystery Movie" theme from the 70s, then the score moves into some nicely turgid regions that feature spare Fender Rhodes riffs underpinned by dark orchestral scoring. Occasional beats and jazzy rhythms move into the picture from time to time, and the overall sound is excellent! The other two soundtracks aren't as great, but they're both combined on one side of the record, and don't take up as much space as Stone Killers, which gest all of side two! LP, Vinyl record album

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Very weird soundtrack to this spooky 70s film starring Peter Boyle! Bobby Scott did the score, and it's hipper than most of his other stuff – with a mixture of jazz, groovy, and straight orchestral scoring. Jerry Butler sings vocals on the tracks "Where Are You Going?" and "You Can Fly", which is a killer 11 minute workout with hard soulful drums, a tight driving groove, and lots of funky changes! Exuma sings on the cut "You Don't Know What's Going On", and other tunes include "Compton's Hangout", "The Expiration Of Frank", and "Send The Hippies To Hell". LP, Vinyl record album

Yes indeed – a mighty early classic from the great Ray Charles – one of his first full length albums, and a set that brings together the searing sort of work he was doing for Atlantic Records in the 50s! Ray's completely confident and at the top of his game here – and a lot more raw than if you only know him from his later country-tinged material. Tracks include "What Would I Do Without You", "It's All Right", "Get On The Right Track", "Blackjack", "I Want A Little Girl", and "Heartbreaker". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes all the songs from the film, a 24 page illustrated book, and bonus interviews with Walt Disney and animator Ward Kimball! CD

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Long before Hunchback achieved broadway musical status, disco orchestrator Alec R Costandinos recorded this trashed-up soundtrack for Casablanca, part of their weak and short-lived attempt to break in on film work. Titles include "You Are Accused Before Us", "The Pope Of Fools", "The Attack", "Hanging Of The Sorceress", and "The Inconveniences Of Following A Pretty Girl In The Streets At Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of Cugat's early work for Columbia – presented here with great sound, good notes, and some of the best packaging we've seen for his work in years! The set's got a total of 26 titles in all – with vocals by Miguelito Valdes, Abbe Lane, Tito Rodriguez, and Pepita Arvelo. Titles include "Coco Seco", "Ritmo Tropical", "Mambo Jambo", "The Brand New Cha Cha", "Jamay", "Tumbao", "Besame Mucho", "Mambo Gordo", "Mondonguero", "Mondongo", and "Who Me?" CD

Composed and arranged by trumpeter Orbert Davis and performed by the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic featuring Nicole Mitchell, Ari Brown, and special guest Willie Pickens. CD

A nice bit of funky crime work from Italy – a soundtrack to an obscure payback film from the 70s, done here with a nice mix of heavy beats, tight guitar, and some cool keyboards! The groove here is very much in the style of some of the best compilations of Italian cop soundtrack work we've stocked – and unlike some other thrillers of the time, the set's overflowing with funky tracks, so that you get way more than just a few funky numbers for your money! The blazing image on the cover is a great idea of what you'll hear inside – and titles include "Drivin All Around", "Goodbye My Friend", and "Il Cittadino Si Rebella". CD

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Really important early live work from The Doors – a performance at the legendary Matrix club in San Francisco – and one of the first concert recordings ever done of the group! The set wasn't originally part of their legacy with Elektra Records, but has become rehoused as a key part of their catalog at the label – a really burning performance that effortlessly mixes blues inspirations, psych inclinations, and that very special quality that the band was forging right from the start! As with other unearthed Matrix recordings – which seem to show up more and more as the years go on – the whole thing is a key window into not just a moment in the group, but a moment in the scene as well – even though, reportedly, the concerts were very under-attended at the time. This triple-length package brings together the entire five nights of recording, with lots of unissued material – including surprising versions of jazz tunes "Bag's Groove" and "All Blues" – plus never-heard versions of "Summer's Almost Gone", "When The Music's Over", "My Eyes Have Seen You", "Alabama Song", "Break On Through", and "Moonlight Drive". CD

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Titles include "Meet Me In The Morning", "Shelter From The Storm", "Idiot Wind", "You're A Big Girl Now", "If You See Her, Say Hello", "Buckets Of Rain", and "Tangled Up In Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

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Not the Prince music from the first Batman film – but all those other sounds that were used in the movie, penned and produced at a surprisingly strong level by Danny Elfman – who shows the world that he's got a lot more to offer than just his previous work in the group Oingo Boingo! This isn't a rock soundtrack by a fading talent from the mainstream – and instead, it's one of Elfman's first full forays into scoring – performed by the Sinfonia of London with a richness that's given the music maybe a more enduring quality than the film! Titles include "Birth Of A Penguin", "The Lair", "Selena Transforms", "Cat Suite", "Rise And Fall From Grace", "The Children's Hour", and "Final Confrontation". CD

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A stunning start to the 80s from Fela Kuti – and a record that has the Egypt 80 band cooking every bit as strongly as Africa 70! The album's got this massively cooking vibe right from the start – fast-running, fast-riffing rhythms that are peppered with horns at the beginning of "Original Sufferhead", which then lay back for a nicely weird tenor solo, and some great keyboards too! "Power Show" is great too – with more other-worldly energy, and a vibe that almost makes it feel like Sun Ra has joined the band – and decided to deliver a solo on one of those weird keyboards of his! The arrangements are amazingly tight, and a bit more sophisticated than usual – and the whole thing grooves wonderfully. LP, Vinyl record album

Maynard Ferguson cut an undue number of excellent records in his early years – and this smoking set is definitely part of that group! At the time, Maynard was one of the few cats trying to find a way to move the larger band forward in jazz – finding ways to groove like Basie, but also add in some higher ideals, too – all with a surprisingly soulful current that definitely earns the title, and hints at his funky work to come in the 70s! Here, things are more shaded in blue tones and given a nice rhythmic kick – and as always with Maynard, the choice of band members is great – as the lineup features Charlie Mariano on alto, Don Rader on trumpet, Phil Bodner on reeds, Richard Davis on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums – working with strong creative energy on titles that include "What'd I Say", "Baltimore Oriole", "I Believe To My Soul", "I've Got A Woman", and "Alright OK You Win". CD

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A classic 70s soul soundtrack – and a dream of a combination! Curtis Mayfield wrote the soundtrack and produced the album – and the result is a killer batch of 70s soul tracks that matches Aretha's strong vocals with the hip Curtom sound of Chicago! Aretha was still doing pretty well at this point, but the album really gave her a push – and the super-hip setting let her record some of her best work of the 70s. If you own only one Aretha Franklin album from the 70s, it should probably be this one – as the mixture of soul, funk, and soundtrack grooves is great, and a refreshing change from some of the cliches that could show up on other records. Features the sublime "Something He Can Feel", plus "Loving You Baby", "Look Into Your Heart", "Sparkle", and Jump". CD

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An expanded version of Hugo Friedhofer's score for One Eyed Jacks – a compelling soundtrack for one of the more ill-fated westerns of the 50s! Friedhofer really moves beyond familiar stereotypes here – using offbeat orchestrations, often heavy on woodwinds and solo instrumentation, to create a nice sense of place and space – almost exotic at points, then underscored by bolder dramatic themes that build as the soundtrack unfolds. There's almost as much drama in the music as you'll find on the screen – and titles include "Seduction", "Contrition", "Toast To Friendship", "Kiss Of A Scoundrel/Pursued By Rurales", and "Finale". CD features a full bonus disc – a second CD with 27 more tracks from the original score, as well as alternates of the main themes on the first disc! CD

A sexy soundtrack to a mid-70s film written and directed by Serge Gainsbourg – and starring Jane Birkin and a young Gerard Depardieu! The feel here is very much in the spirit of Serge's work of the time – especially that recorded with Birkin – but in a way, it's almost even better, because the soundtrack setting has most of the tunes stripped down to their barest elements – with a simplicity not heard in Gainsbourg's music since Melody Nelson! Instrumentation includes some great "watery" piano bits that kind of float over the main rhythmic theme – but other tracks get a bit more rockish, with heavy bunker rock-styled guitar, and a few more use a bit of banjo – but in a weirdly syncopated way. The score features a few great variations on the classic "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" – and the "Ballade De Johnny-Jane" is a great instrumental that stands as one of Serge's most compelling themes from the 70s! Other tracks include "Banjo Au Bord Du Styx", "Joe Banjo", "Le Camion Jaune", and "L'Abominale Strip-Tease". CD

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A treasure – some of the first and best bossa nova work ever recorded! This completely essential set compiles most of Joao Gilberto's early recordings for the EMI/Odeon label in Brazil – remarkably influential tracks recorded from the years 1958 to 1961, featuring a young Joao on guitar and vocals, warmly carving out the bossa nova sound that would go on to influence generations of musicians, and which still remains some of his greatest recorded work ever! 38 tracks in all – with titles that include "Chega De Saudade", "O Pato", "E Luxo So", "Brigas Nunca Mais", "Saudade Fez Um Samba", "Trenzinho", "Este Seu Olhar", "Lobo Bobo", "O Barquinho", "Trevo De 4 Folhas", and "Aos Pes Da Cruz". CD

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The first album attempt to recreate the live Dead experience! Long jams as only Jerry and crew could play them – with cuts that include "Dark Star", "The Eleven", "Feedback", "Turn On Your Love Light", and "We Bid You Goodnight". LP, Vinyl record album

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A rare set of work by Chico Hamilton's original quintet – the groundbreaking lineup that features Buddy Collette on flute and saxes, Fred Katz on cello, Jim Hall on guitar, and Carson Smith on drums – all working together in a really unique blend of rhythm and melody! The sound here is a bit looser than the group's studio albums for Pacific Jazz – given the live setting of the album, at the Strollers club in Long Beach. Yet despite that locale, the sound is quite clear and clean – just right for bringing out the subtle nuances in the string work by Katz and Hall, and some of the lighter notes laid out by Collette's reeds. But there's also a firmer, bolder sound here too – a bit more of a groove than you might expect at times. Titles include "Fast Flute", "Cute Little Deal", "Crazy Rhythm", "Caravan", "Change It", "Free Form", and "A Mood". CD

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A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to come out in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that includes "Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower". LP, Vinyl record album

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Late work from the great Billie Holiday – the kind of mature set that made Verve Records such a perfect home for the singer in the 50s! Where other labels might have pushed too much to try to get Billie into more commercial, or more straightforward modes – Verve just relaxes into the kind of small combo sound that usually had the singer at her best – pairing Holiday with a great lineup that includes Harry Edison on trumpet, Ben Webster on tenor, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Barney Kessel on guitar. The songs are short and focused – with Billie at the top of her form on familiar standards like "Comes Love", "Darn That Dream", "Body & Soul", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", and "Embraceable You". LP, Vinyl record album

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Jefferson Airplane flying high in the late 60s – and Crown Of Creation was both a creative and commercial triumph for the band – balancing the tripped out adventurousness of their earlier work, with a more focused approach! Front loaded with moodier, acoustic-based songs that build into heavier rock as the record plays on – with some really great use of sound effects for added drama here and there! Titles include "Lather", "In Time", "Star Track", "Chushingura", "If You Feel", "Ice Cream Phoenix", "The House At Pooniel Corners" and more. CD

There's some pretty great moments in Quincy Jones' original score to the film version of Truman Capote's chilling book – most of them in a darkly tinged crime jazz mode, with flowing, complicated orchestrations that are mixed with breakout solos, and some very strangely arranged instrumental elements – almost more in some of the territory of Kenyon Hopkins, and some of his more dramatic jazz scores of the 60s! Titles include "In Cold Blood", "Seduction", "Down Clutter's Lane", "Murder Scene", "The Corner", "Lonely Bottles", and "No Witnesses". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked, but very groovy soundtrack by Quincy Jones! The record has a mix of easy jazz and a few harder-edged themes – dramatic throughout, but with washes of crime jazz, bossa, and some floating easy scoring. Players aren't listed, but you can bet they're the usual high-level crop of jazzmen that Quincy would get for his mid 60s Mercury sides. Titles include "Dead Duck", "Purple Prose", "Boobie Baby", "Shoot To Kill", "A Shot In The Park", and "Turtles Last Lap". LP, Vinyl record album

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"Dance To The Drummer's Beat" was real stormer in the South Bronx back in the day, and a great bit of uptempo funk with congas – the break and chorus are both great, and the single's like finding a page in the history of hip hop book! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A real breakout album for Earl Klugh – the kind of record that got him on the a-list of fusion players for the rest of the 70s! The title here is especially well-chosen – as the tunes have a gently colorful feel that's never too slick, despite the tighter setting of the album – with light arrangements by Dave Grusin that still leave Earl plenty of space to work his subtle magic on the strings of the guitar. Titles include "Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow", "Summer Song", "Dance With Me", "Dr Macumba", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "Cabo Frio". CD

A western soundtrack, but one that's a bit different than usual – thanks to lots of groovy touches from Angelo Lavagnino! Right from the start, the music steps out with a fresh flavor – a cool instrumental theme that has a nicely heavy bottom that grooves things along – followed by a blend of tunes that range from dramatic to playful, often using some standout instrumentation that changes the flavors up nicely – a bit of ragtime piano here, some malleted percussion there, and even some echoey, abstracted sounds that are especially nice! There's way more to offer here than just the usual spaghetti sounds from the time – and the reissue package has great sound, and a total of 21 tracks that include "Allegro Saloon", "Oggi A Me Domani A Te", "Inseguimento A Cavallo", "Valzer Saloon", "La Furia Di Elfego", "Caccia Spietata", "Scoperta", and "Tensione Mortale". CD

Symphonic ballet produced by John Lewis, following up his work on The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra album. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most influential musical moments of the 60s – Hair! Hair not only forever changed the concept of musical theater on Broadway, but it also gave the world an incredible array of groovy tunes with odd rhythms – and made a place for composer Galt MacDermot to continue his musical experiments for years to come – eventually influencing a generation of beatheads and hip hoppers as a result! This package features the official Broadway recording of the score – with singers who include Ronnie Dyson, Diane Keaton, and Melba Moore! Titles include "Aquarius", "Where Do I Go", "My Conviction", "Frank Mills", "Be In", "Abie Baby", "Colored Spade", and "Air". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album, put together to accompany one of Muhammad Ali's finest moments on the big screen – in a blend of music that's way deeper than the usual sounds you'd hear ringside! Michael Masser helmed the set – produced and wrote most of the material – but also with key contributions from George Benson, whose vocals grace some of the sweeter songs on the album – plus Mandrill, who help with some of the more hard-driving funky cuts! The set features the extended clubby groover "Ali Bombaye" – an almost Afro Funk-ish tune, performed by Mandrill – and other cuts include the mellower "I Always Knew I Had It In Me" and "The Greatest Love Of All", both sung by George Benson, plus "Ali's Theme", which is pretty nice. LP, Vinyl record album

The "voice" here is great – a strong assemblage of the trumpet of Lew Soloff, tenor of George Young, piano of David Matthews, bass of Charnett Moffett, and drums of Victor Lewis! Lewis is an especially nice addition to the mix – a fresh Manhattan Jazz Quintet drummer for the 90s, and one who really finds a great way to open up Matthews' arrangements – bringing new energy to the group as both Soloff and Young spin out these really magical solos! Titles are all Matthews originals – and include "Kickin", "Freeway", "Stair Steps", "Dorian Mood", and "Something Cubano". CD

Dave Mason's first solo album – and a pretty a great one! Alone Together wasn't a huge hit back in the day, but man is a ever a pleasing set. It's rich with blues & soul steeped lead vocals and sweet backing harmonies and bed of acoustic guitars at the core of most of the tunes – sometimes with a driving intensity, others with a lightly gliding pace. The production is a nice mix of blue-eyed blues and southern skewing wah wah rock – with great musicians in the mix, from Leon Russell to Eric Clapton. Tracks include "Only You Know And I Know", "Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving", "Waitin' On You", "Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave", "World In Changes", "Sand And Deep As You", "Just A Song" and "Look At You, Look At Me". CD

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