If the 60's ever had a "hit" jazz record, it was probably this one! The album's a sparkling live session featuring the trademark soul jazz sounds of the Cannonball Adderley group with Joe Zawinul on acoustic and electric piano, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The tracks have a long soulful groove, with gutbucket solos from the 3 above-mentioned players, and tight live production by a young David Axelrod. Titles include "Sticks", "Hippodelphia", "Sack O Woe", and the classic "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" – a jazz theme that you'll recognize instantly! LP, Vinyl record album

The deepest record we've heard so far from London's Sean Khan – and that's saying a lot, as we really loved his previous albums! Sean got his start on the broken beat scene a number of years back, and has slowly been evolving into more of a jazz-based artist – which he hits fantastically here in the company of the legendary Hermeto Pascoal, who plays Fender Rhodes and melodica on the record too! But honestly, even without Hermeto, Sean's pretty fantastic on his own – as his alto sax lines have this beautifully sharp edge, as does his work on flute and soprano – these soulful currents that almost rival recent work by Nat Birchall and some of his contemporaries. Other players include Ivan Conti on drums and Jim Mullin on electric guitar – and Heidi Vogel sings on two tracks, and Sabrina Mahleiros on one more. Titles include "Moment Of Collapse", "Waltz For Hermeto", "Palmares Fantasy", "Montreux", "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser", "The Blonde", and "The Conversation". CD

A classic bit of 70s salsa gold from vocalist Hector Lavoe – a record done in close collaboration with Willie Colon, with whom Lavoe had worked on a great run of albums during the late 60s and early 70s! The set's got a slightly warmer and more straightforward feel than some of Willie's records – but still features arrangements and production by Colon, as well as a two-trombone, two-trumpet section that brightens up the tunes with a proud brassy finish! Piano is by Mark Dimond – nice and bold, with those dark edges of his we really like – and titles include "El Todopoderoso", "Emborrachame De Amor", "Rompe Saraguey", "Mucho Amor", "Tus Ojos", and "Mi Gente". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from Milton Nascimento – not only a set that really marked his growth as a singer, songwriter, and overall musical visionary – but also a record that really showcased the collaborative spirit that would be a part of his music for years to come! The album features Milton with his "corner club" – an elite group of musicians and songwriters from the early days of his career – including greats like Lo Borges and Wagner Tiso – who'd already contributed to his music, but really get a chance to stand in the spotlight here. Borges is particularly fantastic, and shines on the massively beautiful cut "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser", which begins the album – and which is still one of the best Nascimento cuts all these many years later! The sound of the record is impossible to describe adequately – but it's got a fantastically soulful vibe, soaring and joyous, and really expanded through the participation of the other rich talents. The vocals are mixed perfectly, and the songwriting's brilliant all the way through – and titles include "San Vincete", "Lila", "Paisagem Da Janela", "Cravo E Canela", "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser", "Os Povos", "Nada Sera Como Antes", "Um Gosto De Sol", and "O Trem Azul". CD

A nicely done compilation that couldn't have been easy to put together – probably as solid of an anthology of the long-running, legendary anti-establishment Czech underground rock collective Plastic People Of The Universe – with material from as early as 1969 up to 1985! A lot bands from a lot of places can be described as "underground", but few as aptly as Plastic People. The group was once jailed by the Czechoslovak communist regime and part of the movement leading up the Velvet Revolution. Astounding stuff in a social/cultural/political frame, but the music is incredible! Influences of benchmark western style underground heavies of their time, from Beefheart to Zappa and well beyond, but Plastic People Of The Universe evolved into an amazing entity all their own! 31 tracks on 2CDs: "MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer)", "Magicke Noci (On Magical Night)", "Apokalyptickej Ptak (Apocalyptic Bird)", "Francovka", "Okolo Okna (Along The Window)", "Pf (Happy New Year)", "Podel Zdi A Doleva (Along The Wall And To The Left)", "Jednou Nohou (With One Leg)" and many more. CD

Some of the earliest work ever recorded by Elis Regina – issued here on a set that brings together her first two albums in one package! The sound here is quite different than the Elis Regina sound of the 70s – a lot brighter and more youthful, without as many of the somber overtones – yet still with an undeniable charm and a sense of joy that's really amazing! Even at this young age, Elis is a tremendous interpreter of tunes – and the titles mix together bossa and pop arrangements, hitting a style that's far lighter than some of the mainstream Brazilian divas of the period. Backings are by the orchestras of Severino Filho, Renato De Oliveira, Severino Araujo, and Guerra Peixe – and the CD features 22 titles that include "Tu Seras", "Da Sorte", "Dor De Cotovelo", "Amor Amor", "Poema", "Pororo-Popo", "Confissao", "Podes Voltar", "Vou Comprar Um Coracao", and "Las Secretarias". CD

Dynamic jazz rock from the French scene of the 70s – combo with a strong penchant for stretching out strongly on organ and guitar – but one that also has a few more sensitive, folksy moments as well! The tracks shift nicely between longer numbers and shorter ones – the shorter tracks usually a bit more up-close and personal, with gentle vocals from Rose Podwojny – and the longer numbers usually hit more of a progressive feel, with some especially nice mellotron work at a few points. Titles include "Vision", "Never Good At Sayin Goodbye", "Underground Session", "Old Dom Is Dead", "To Take Him Away", and "Metakara". CD

Heavy funk from around the globe – and a volume of this series that seems even more focused on classic cuts than contemporary ones – all pulled together in a wicked blend of sounds from Africa, South America, Australia, and even American scenes in Texas and Florida too! There's a solidly 70s vibe throughout – and even the few newer numbers have a sound that stands strongly alongside the older numbers – a vibe so rich we'll forgive the cover (and the series) for its slightly pandering title – and just get on with the work of digging the music in the grooves! Highlights include some great covers – Cymande's "Brothers On The Slide" by Sonny Benton & The Typhoons, Dexter Wansel's "Life On Mars" by Antipodelica, and Donny Hathaway's classic "Valdez In The Country" by The Cuba Libre All-Stars – and other titles include "Black Rite" by Mkali Bahari Orchesra, "Razor Blade" by The Sentinels, "Rotation" by Toshio Asukataei, "The Gold Coast" by Coconut 74, "Buckingham Palace" by Glenn Eden Set, and "Sao Paulo" by Nova Catalina Octet. LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly strong collection of country cuts from a very unusual scene – material recorded for the tiny Cuca Records label in Wisconsin – a company who was more likely to open their doors to just about anyone, than they were to carefully pick who got to record in their studio! Yet because of that approach, Cuca was able to capture some fantastic sounds that would have otherwise been lost to more commercial concerns – music that here represents an underground of country singers and late rockabilly acts from the scene in southern Wisconsin – all artists with the kind of twang and subject matter you'd be much more likely to discover down in Tennessee! As usual with Numero Group, the record is as musically great as it is culturally compelling – put together with plenty of care, and a stunning set list that includes "Happy Don't Last Forever" by Nancy Lee Jordan, "Little Hero" by Dixie Drifter, "Cardinal" by John D Curnow, "Six Foot Down" by Gene Ski & The Troubadours, "There's A River" by Sam Podnay, "Hello Houston" by Johnny Madrid, "Wanderer" by The Lavenders, "Challenge" by Larry Phillipson, "Run Little Girl" by Harrison Two, "Heaven Help The Working Girl" by Janet Kaye, "Trouble Sweet Trouble" by Curley Fields & The Kentuckians, and "When I See You" by Rog Winters & The Plainsmen. LP, Vinyl record album

16 tracks. CD

Luques Curtis, Mark Przybylowski, and Mike Boone on bass, Mark Allen and Todd Marcus on bass clarinet, Anwar Marshall, Donald Edwards, and Gene Jackson on drums, Jim Holton, Neil Podgurski, and Orrin Evans on piano, Chelsea Baratz, Darryl Yokley, Doug DeHays, Jaleel Shaw, Mark Allen, Ralph Bowen, Rob Landham, Tia Fuller, Tim Warfield, Todd Bashore, Victor North, Wade Dean and Wayne Escoffery on saxophone, Brent White, Ernest Stuart, Frank Lacy, Joe McDonough, and Stafford Hunter on trombone, and Brian Kilpatrick, Curtis Taylor, Daud El-Bakara, Josh Evans, Leon Jordan Jr, Luke Brandon, Tatum Greenblatt, Tim Thompson, and Walter White on trumpet. CD

Did Ellington ever record in concert and it not be great? This wonderful double-length set from the 60s is key proof of his genius in an unfettered live setting – recorded in Paris in 1963 with plenty of dark edges! The tracks are short overall, but Duke's really at the head of the group on piano – playing with those angular, modern tones he picked up in the post Money Jungle years – and clearly in charge of the group from the keyboard, not the podium. Horn players include Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Lawrence Brown, Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges, and Paul Gonsalves – all bringing in some special tones and unique performances to an extended set list that includes both Ellington standards and a few lesser-known numbers. Titles include "Rockin In Rhythm", "Concerto For Cootie", "Suite Thursday", "Tone Parallel To Harlem", "Bula", "Cop Out", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "Theme From Asphalt Jungle", and "Star-Crossed Lovers". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set that really lives up to the Samba Soul promised in the title – recorded recently by Marcio Local, but done with a solid 70s groove that takes us back to the Jorge Ben generation! The production here is perfect – never too polished, and always with a bit of grit in the grooves – so that the record feels more old-school funky than a current album trying to be retro – lots of great drums underneath keyboards, riffing guitar, and Local's raspily soulful vocals! The whole thing's pretty darn great – easily the best Luaka Bop album we've heard in ages – and it's a modern bit of samba soul we'd rank right up there with Seu Jorge's Carolina album. Titles include "Samba Sem Nenhum Problema", "Preta Luxo", "Minha Rosa", "Resgate", "Quem Pode Pode", "Sentimento Rei", "Happy Endings" by Soul Do Samba, and "Represento". CD

A beautiful album from Miucha – the lovely bossa singer who recorded a few albums with Tom Jobim at the end of the 70s! The album's a much more mature effort than those records – with Miucha in the lead as a sophisticated, mature singer – working through a set of tracks that features tunes by some of Brazil's greatest composers – Edu Lobo, Carlos Lyra, Joao Donato, and others. Titles include "Voce Voce", "A Dor A Mais", "Vento Levou", "Refem Da Solidao", "Tempo De Amar", "Solidao", "Cor De Cinza", "Pode Ir", "Fox E Trote", and "Cancao Inedita". CD

A fantastic 70s album from this legendary harmony quartet – a female group that first emerged during the bossa generation in 60s Brazil, but who seem to hit an even more sublime sound with this rare gem from 1972! The setting is kind of post-bossa – maybe in the territory that Marcos Valle and some of his contemporaries were hitting – as the quartet work with fantastic arrangements from Edu Lobo and Luiz Eca of the Tamba Trio – in modes that are complicated and sophisticated, yet also straightforward and groovy – a perfect blend for the vocal harmonies! The album features the girls' incredible take on the Milton Nascimento song "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" – and other great tracks include "Quando O Carnaval Chegar", "Inclensa", "Cantoria", "Canto De Oba", and "Zanga Zangada". CD

Fairly mainstream disco influenced grooves from poducer/session musician Gino Soccio. This album's got his big hit "Try It Out", plus five other stretched out grooves, in the same vein: "Street Talk", "(It's Been) Too Long", "Hold Tight", "Love Is" and "Closer". LP, Vinyl record album

There's been plenty happening in Pernambuco in recent years – a rich blending of styles that's made the region of Brazil a more important musical hot spot than Rio or San Paulo! The sounds of Pernambuco have been simmering under for years – and you may well have caught an earful or two from recent releases on the Trama label. But until this set, most of the region's brilliance has never been fully presented properly to a non-Brazilian audience – and as the label did two decades back with their initial Brazilian compilations, Luaka Bop does a wonderful job of opening up the Pernambuco groove to a much wider audience! Most of the work here mixes older roots with newer touches – often a bit of electronics next to acoustic percussion, or raspily soulful vocals next to tighter instrumentation – that unique sort of balance that's always been present in Brazilian music from the 60s onward, but which is currently done better in Pernambuco more than anywhere else. Titles include "Poesia Da Barro" by Alex Sant Anna, "Amigos Bons" by Junio Barreto, "Cobrinha" by Tine, "Vale Do Juca" by Siba, "Pode Me Chamar" by Eddie, "Maroca" by Mundo Livre, "Carimbaeo" by Nacao Zumbi, "Instante Feliz" by Vates E Violas, "Erectuos Cactus" by Cabruera, "O Pobre Dos Dentes De Ouro" by Cidadao Instigad, and "Cabidela" by Mombojo. CD

Not a live recording from the mighty Animals, but a set that was issued during a year when the group were taking the American stages by storm – put together from extra material that was only issued on their UK debut album, plus UK Animal Tracks material, and a few singles too! The set's hardly a hodge podge, though – as it was a crucial second full length for the US, and a collection of cuts that really cemented the group's reputation at the time – thanks to the strength of cuts that include "Mess Around", "I Believe To My Soul", "Ain't Got You", "Dimples", "She Said Yeah", "I'm Crying", "Boom Boom", "How You've Changed", and "Let The Good Times Roll". LP, Vinyl record album

Did Ellington ever record in concert and it not be great? This wonderful double-length set from the 60s is key proof of his genius in an unfettered live setting – recorded in Paris in 1963 with plenty of dark edges! The tracks are short overall, but Duke's really at the head of the group on piano – playing with those angular, modern tones he picked up in the post Money Jungle years – and clearly in charge of the group from the keyboard, not the podium. Horn players include Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Lwarence Brown, Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges, and Paul Gonsalves – all bringing in some special tones and unique performances to an extended set list that includes both Ellington standards and a few lesser-known numbers. Titles include "Rockin In Rhythm", "Concerto For Cootie", "Suite Thursday", "Tone Parallel To Harlem", "Bula", "Cop Out", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "Theme From Asphalt Jungle", and "Star-Crossed Lovers". CD