The first American recording of Swedish reed genius Mats Gustafsson – done at a time when he was first reaching out to the Chicago jazz scene, the start of a legacy that would continue for decades! Mats is already an amazing force on his horns here – which include soprano, baritone, and fluteophone – flowing out with unusual textures and shapes that quickly mark him as one of the most unique and spontaneously creative players to emerge from the European scene in years. The first half of the set has Gustafsson working with percussionist Michael Zerang – whose sense of soundshape really matches Mats on reeds. The second is maybe a more unusual pairing, as both forces were an important part of Chicago at the time – Gene Coleman on clarinet, and Jim O'Rourke on guitar, accordion, and percussion – working strongly as an improviser, before he left the city for Sonic Youth and a host of other great endeavors. Titles include "Parrot Fish Eye", "I'll Give You This", "Knotted Canvas", "Even The Rain", "Dolphin Nap Music", "Where's The End", and "Tied Door". CD

One of the greatest Halloween tunes of all time – and a single that still gets plenty of play in all the many decades since its release! Bobby Boris Pickett was a broadcast personality, but does a great job here with all the voices on the original tune – which is also backed by a great follow-up too! 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Compilation with guests Vincius De Mraes and Toquinho – tracks include "Voce Abusou", "Eu E A Brisa", "Canto De Ossanha", "Que Mara Vilha" and "Mas Que Nada". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic classic from Savoy Brown – one of those records that shows just why these guys were so great during their short early run! The approach is maybe familiar blues rock, but the sound is also very special – with a great sense of fusion of all the elements, so that vocals, guitar, and rhythms all seem tightly tied together – still with the kind of bravado you might expect, and plenty of strong guitar from Kim Simmonds – but also given this focus that's really wonderful, especially when heavy piano lines come into the mix to almost give things a Mose Allison vibe, and added horns open up some currents of soul. A strong cut above the competition – with titles that include "Master Hare", "Needle & Spoon", "A Hard Way To Go", "That Same Feelin", "A Little More Wine", "I'm Crying", "Is That So", and "Stay While The Night Is Young". LP, Vinyl record album

A fitting tribute to the Paramount Theater – the "Temple Of Bossa" in Sao Paulo during the 60s, home to some of the greatest bossa nova concerts of the 60s! The package was compiled during the 60s, and features a number of artists from the RGE Records catalog, many of whom played the Paramount in its classic years. The tunes weren't recorded live – but the material is certainly of vintage from the time, making for a wonderful collection of 60s bossa numbers. Titles include "Maria Moita" by Bossa Jazz Trio, "Vivo Sonhando" by Toquinho, "Preconceito" by Yvette, "Sonho De Um Carnaval" by Chico Buarque, "Onde Esta Voce" by Paulinho Noguiera & Toquinho, "Aleluia" by Edu Lobo & Yvette, and "Ze Do Trem" by Cesar Roladao Vieira. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic early work from Rene Hall – a talent you've probably heard on record before in a variety of different formats – as Hall was a key arranger, producer, and session musician on the LA scene of the 50s and 60s! Yet here, Rene's also the leader – stepping out in small combo modes on a host of rare singles, both 78s and 45s – starting out in a mode that echoes some of the best jump blues/instrumental R&B styles coming out of LA in the postwar years – then moving into styles that are more rocking and early soul as the 50s move on! Hall plays guitar throughout, and other musicians include Plas Johnson and Buddy Tate on tenors, Ernie Freeman on piano, and Earl Palmer on drums – and the set features a whopping 29 tracks in all, including "My Uncle", "Bitter Winds", "Voodoo Moon", "Blue Creek Hop", "Chitling Switch", "The Parrot & The Rooster", "Southgate", "Cleo", "Thunderbird", "That's It", "The Untouchables", "Night Fright", and the fuzz guitar monster "Twitchy" – worth the price of the CD alone! CD

There's a parrot on the cover, and the album's got a slightly more Brazilian feel than some of Sergio Mendes' other albums of the 80s – almost a return to the mix of soul and bossa grooves that Mendes was cutting back in the early part of the 70s! Brazilian influences abound here – not just in the rhythms and instrumentation, but also in the songwriting – which is done by Jorge Ben, Ivan Lins, Gilberto Gil, and Dori Caymmi. Vocals are also in an older Mendes mode too – not entirely the style of the Brasil 66 years, but often compressed together sweetly in a really great way. Singers include Siedah Garrett, Anna Della Espriella, Maxie Anderson, Gracinha Leporace, Angie Jaree, and others – and titles include "Surrender", "Balafon", "Cinnamon & Clove", "Nightlife", "Some Morning", "Mas Que Nada", "Sarara", "Toucan's Dance", and "The Island". CD

Tracks include "La Vie En Rose", "For All We Know", "Bei Mir Bist De Schoen", "Waltzing Matilda", "Do It Again", and "Charade". CD