During the 60s, the French loved to jazz up the classics – as can be heard often in the famous work of artists like Jacques Loussier or The Swingle Singers, not to mention Bolling himself, who made quite a career out of the form. Normally, we totally groove on these experiments – because they usually mix a boppish approach with the classics, creating some baroque yet jazzy lines that always sound groovy in a 60s kind of way. Unfortunately, Bolling goes more for a trad jazz approach – which sounds a bit cornier than we'd like, although still certainly better than on his later "classical meets jazz" albums for Columbia. Titles include "Mon Coeur Soupire", "Minuetto", "Allegro", and "Andante & Variations". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great American collection of some of the best songs from this sublime French songwriter – packaged with a booklet that offers up some of the few English language translations of his music we've ever seen! Titles include "The Gorilla", "The Umbrella", "I'm A Naughty Boy", "The Cuckhold", "I Have A Date With You", and more. One of the best French artists ever – in a holy trilogy with Jacques Brel and Serge Gainsbourg! LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from one of the greatest French songwriters of the 20th Century! CD

Beautiful US album that features some of Brel's most famous tracks, served up in a lovingly-packaged edition that includes a gatefold cover, and a handsome inner booklet with notes and translations of the songs. The whole thing's a great way to get into Brel's work – and was the record that provided the best introduction of his great talent to the American audiences of the 60s. Titles include "Le Moribond", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "Marieke", "La Tendresse", and "La Valse A Mille Temps". LP, Vinyl record album

3 incredible albums from the British jazz scene at the end of the 60s – all together in one 2CD package! Down Another Road is incredible work from one of England's greatest jazz talents – bassist Graham Collier, a player with an amazing ability to absorb a lot of the modern and progressive influences of his jazz generation – but all without succumbing to the same indulgences as them – a fact which resulted in a razor-sharp style that forged some of the freshest jazz ever to come out of the UK. This 1969 album is a masterpiece – filled with a modal groove and a strident searching theme, yet also as tight and grooving as most of the best Blue Note sessions from the same time. Harry Beckett's on trumpet, Nick Evans is on trombone, John Marshall plays drums, and Stan Sulzmann handles the reeds. Tracks include "Down Another Road", "Danish Blue", "The Barley Mow", and "Aberdeen Angus". Songs For My Father is a masterpiece of modernist soul jazz, with a sound that recalls the best late Blue Note work by Lee Morgan or Hank Mobley. Alan Wakeman's tenor is perfectly pitched, and searingly searching; Harry Beckett's trumpet is round, lyrical, and filled with soul; and the piano of John Taylor comps along in chunky modal grooves that make the whole album fall together brilliantly. Tracks include "Song One", "Song Two", "Song Three", etc – and they're all fantastic! Mosaics is a wonderfully searching session – filled with warm McCoy Tyner-esque modal moments, and searing post-Coltrane solos! The album comprises one long piece – Collier's "Mosaics" – performed live by a group that includes Alan Wakeman on tenor and soprano, Harry Beckett on trumpet, and Geoff Castle on piano. "Mosaics" has that amazing mid 60s Coltrane quality of going out in a spiritual kind of way – yet always returning to the groove, never getting too free, and always remaining firmly focused on the direction ahead. All players are great, and the record crackles with the intensity of a classic session on Impulse! CD

Improvisations on two pianos by Corea and Gulda. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest, most expressive albums ever from the great Gal Costa – a set from her immediate post-Tropicalia years, and one that shows that she's got a lot more to offer than just a wild sense of experimentation! Gilberto Gil is the musical director here – with help from Rogerio Duprat and Arthur Verocai – and the album's got the lofty feel you'd expect from all three talents – a rich blend of all the modern developments in Brazilian music that had taken place in the 60s, but infused with a newly rootsy sense as well – one that takes the whole thing back to a personal, expressive territory that's really wonderful. Instrumentationincludes work on keyboards by Wagner Tiso and Tenorio Jr, plus a bit of guitar from Roberto Menescal – and Gal does a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Relance" – alongside other tracks that include "Passarinho", "Da Maior Imortancia", "India", "Volta", and the funky "Pontos De Luz". The whole thing's incredibly beautiful – and it's got Gal in a wild bikini cover, too! CD

One of the richest, most expressive albums ever from the great Gal Costa – a set from her immediate post-Tropicalia years, and one that shows that she's got a lot more to offer than just a wild sense of experimentation! Gilberto Gil is the musical director here – with help from Rogerio Duprat and Arthur Verocai – and the album's got the lofty feel you'd expect from all three talents – a rich blend of all the modern developments in Brazilian music that had taken place in the 60s, but infused with a newly rootsy sense as well – one that takes the whole thing back to a personal, expressive territory that's really wonderful. Instrumentationincludes work on keyboards by Wagner Tiso and Tenorio Jr, plus a bit of guitar from Roberto Menescal – and Gal does a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Relance" – alongside other tracks that include "Passarinho", "Da Maior Imortancia", "India", "Volta", and the funky "Pontos De Luz". The whole thing's incredibly beautiful – and it's got Gal in a wild bikini cover, too! CD

Essential early material by Gal Costa! The record is her first after the immediate Tropicalia years, and it's a stunning blend of styles that seems to draw heavily from changes going on in the American rock scene at the time. The core of the music is still steeped in Brazilian elements – but there's a lot of influences coming into play on the album, like bluesy rock phrasing, showy nostalgia-heavy arrangements, psychedelic production elements, and some of the baroque orchestrations that would show up on Gal's later albums in the 70s. Includes a wonderful version of Caetano's "London London" and "Dixa Sangrar", the moody bossa "Falsa Baiana", Gilberto Gil's "Lingua Do P" and "Mini Misterio", and the tracks "The Archaic Lonely Star Blues", "Love, Try, & Die", and "Hotel Das Estrelas". Great cover, too! CD

Pretty great jazzy work from Johnny Dankworth – one of the hipper Brit bandleaders of the 60s, working here in a sweet 70s mode that reminds us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Side two features the side-long suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – and side one features "Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary Batucada set from the Brazilian scene of the 60s – lots of heavy percussion! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully rich extrapolation of the sound of Paco DeLucia – still served up with all the intensity of his solo guitar work of the 70s, but also with some additional instrumentation that helps bring out a stronger jazz vibe too! The approach is different than Paco's early jazz flamenco albums – in that the presentation is more focused on his guitar first – but the sense of freedom and spontaneous expression is definitely similar – and strongly aided by the work of Jorge Pardo on flute and soprano sax, Rubem Dantas on percussion, Pepe De Lucia on rhythm guitar, and frequent partner Ramon De Algeciras on additional guitar. Titles include "Palenque", "Alta Mar", "Solo Quiero Caminar", "Chiquito", and "Gitanos Andaluces". CD

Great early stuff by this swingin' French vocal group! These guys swung as hard as American groups, like Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross – but they stuck to hipper, jazzier material, and had a driving sound that never let up! The group is led by singer Mimi Perrin, who also handed the arrangements – and it features French jazz greats Ward Swingle and Eddy Louiss. Includes some great jazzy versions of "Naima", "Boplicity", "Westwood Walk", and "Early Autumn". LP, Vinyl record album

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A great, if a bit obscure, mid 60s LP that has the Flamingos doing a fantastic batch of soul tracks, over arrangements by Leroy Glover. Some of the cuts are 60s soul updates of their older vocal pop hits the groove along quite sweetly – like "I Only Have Eyes For You" and "A Kiss From Your Lips" – but there's also some nice pumping northern groovers, like "The Boogaloo Party" and "Brooklyn Boogaloo". The album features a total of 13 tracks, and also includes "I'm Not Tired Yet", "Since My Baby Put Me Down", "I'll Be Home", "Your Other Love", "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" and "Lovers Never Say Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

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... LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album from Serge – possibly his last truly genius record, and one with a very unusual twist! The album was recorded in Jamaica with production from Sly & Robbie – very much in the late 70s, big-business reggae mode – but done with Serge's usual flair for the lyric. The album's not really a reggae album – more a set of dubby tracks that have a similar feel to some of Serge's other backings during the 70s, with whispered sexy lyrics over the top. The record shouldn't work, but it does – and picks up a sound that's similar to Serge's work on the excellent album L'Homme A Tete Chou! Titles include "Relax Baby Be Cool", "Daisy Temple", "Javanaise Remake", "Pas Long Feu", and "Marilou Reggae Dub". CD

A fantastic live set from Serge Gainsbourg – and a record that stands as a concert accompaniment to his famous albums Aux Armes Et Cetera and Mauvaises Nouvelles Des Etoiles – both done in a reggae mode with work from Sly & Robbie! The famous Jamaican duo are part of the group here – with Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespeare on bass – working with Ansel Collins on Hammond on Fender Rhodes and Mao Chung on guitar – which makes for a great little combo that really gets the sound right! If you haven't heard Gainsbourg in this mode, you're in for a treat – as the slow-stepping Jamaican rhythms provide a really fresh foil for his spoken, slinky vocals – transformed especially here on the remakes of the older tracks. Titles include "Brigade Des Stups", "Les Locataires", "Elle Est Si", "Pas Long Feu", "Lola Rastaquouere", "Javanaise Remake", "Bonnie & Clyde", "Relaxe Baby Be Cool", "Marilou Reggae Dub", and "Des Laids Des Laids". New version features unissued bonus tracks – "Daisy Temple" and "Docteur Jekyll Et Monsieur Hyde". CD

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A strange late soundtrack for this film that starred Serge, Catherine Deneuve, and Gerard Depardieu! The score features the main theme "La Fautive" – in both a vocal version by Serge, plus two instrumental readings that have a mellower tone. Other tracks include the duet with Deneuve on "Dieu Fumeur De Havanes", also done later as an instrumental – plus 2 vocal numbers, "Papa Nono" and "La P'Tite Agathe", written by Serge, but sung by Depardieu with the band Bijou! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of Serge Gainsbourg's biggest international albums – and kind of an 80s update of his earlier erotic sound! There's something of a clubby vibe to the record – and most of the album was recorded in the US, with a fair bit of synthesizer and guitar, in kind of a colder post-new wave groove. Titles include a few great later classics – his remake of "Harley David, Son Of A Bitch", which really broke Serge to a whole new generation of listeners – plus his classic duet with daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg on the great "Lemon Incest" – one of the best songs ever about the virtues of father/daughter love! Other titles include "Sorry Angel", "I'm The Boy", "Kiss Me Hardy", "No Comment", and "Hmm Hmm Hmm". CD

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... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

France Gall won the Eurovision song contest with the title track of this one – and for good reason too, given that the tune is totally groovy! The rest of the work here really follows suit – romping, jerking, and grooving in that wonderful mix of mod rhythms that made France's 60s material so great – some of the best of the French pop scene at the time, with a sound that's really a cut above on all the numbers here! Backings are by the mighty Alain Gouraguer, who brings in a hip mix of jazz inflections, rocking rhythms, and some of the more sparkling soundtrack elements bubbling in the French 60s scene – all a perfect accompaniment for Gall's catchy girl pop vocals. Titles include "Poupee De Cire Poupee De Son", written by Serge Gainsbourg – plus "Le Coeur Qui Jazze", "Le Premier Chagrin D'Amour", "On T'Avait Prevenue", "Dis A Ton Capitaine", "Nounours", "Laisse Tomber Les Filles", and "Bonne Nuit". LP, Vinyl record album

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A rare British recording from Gilberto Gil – sung completely in English, and recorded while living in London, in political exile along with Caetano Veloso! The album's somewhat similar to Veloso's famous London album from 1971 – certainly in structure, as the backings are relatively stripped-down, and mostly feature acoustic guitar, bass, and percussion, alongside Gil's English lyrics. But the record's somewhat different too – in that it's got a brighter, more redemptive feel – almost an indication that Gilberto's time abroad hadn't been such a terrible thing – especially given that the record is a new creative departure in his music! The English lyrics are really a treat – and are sometimes sung as a broken strand of familiar words, trying to work themselves together into a fragile tapestry of emotion – sometimes succeeding, sometimes not – but always beautiful, and always filled with the emotion of his experiences in exile! Titles include "Volkswagen Blues", "The Three Mushrooms", "Babylon", "Nega (Photograph Blues)", and "Mamma" – plus 3 bonus cuts: "Can't Find My Way Home", "Up From The Skies", and a great version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". US version also features great sound and new liner notes by Peter Margasak! CD

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... LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little set from Screamin Jay Hawkins – done during his surprising revival years at the end of the 60s – and with a nice new soulful twist, thanks to production from the excellent Huey P Meaux! The vibe is definitely different than the Screamin Jay work of the 78rpm years – but the vocals are excellent, and the shift to soul music really suits his unique style – and maybe even gives him a whole new way to express himself! Titles include "Please Don't Leave Me", "I Wanta Know", "I Need You", "My Marion", "Bite It", "Move Me", "Good Night My Love", "Our Love Is Not For 3", "Ain't Nobody's Business", "Take Me Back", "Trying To Reach My Goal", and "So Long". Features great cover art by Karl Wirsum too! LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant British set from Ram John Holder – not really blues at all, but a cool kind of crossbreeding of styles in the 60s London scene – almost the same mad mix of modes you might hear in The Equals! There's plenty of funk on the record – some great drums, bouncing basslines, and an overall tightness that's more gritty soul than blues – although there's definitely a bluesy bent at times too! Titles include "Brixton Blues", "Too Much Blues", "Pub Crawling Blues", "Wimpy Bar Blues", and "Hampstead To Lose The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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An album that has Brian Hyland singing with some wonderfully full backings, and shifting between catchy teen numbers and more serious older ballads! Arrangements are by Allen Lorber and Bill McElhiney, and are well-suited to the more spacious modes of Hyland's vocals – that spread-out quality that starts to emerge in his work, and which is a great precursor to the later sunshine sound. As with most of his best work, there's a nice undercurrent of darkness throughout – an edge that's almost inexplicable, but which is really what keeps his albums exciting. Titles include "Two Kinds Of Girls", "Her's To Our Love", "Now I Belong To You", "Graduation Day", "The Nearness Of You", "Moments To Remember", "Young Years", and "That's The Way Our Love Goes" – a number of which are original compositions by producers Gary Geld and Peter Udell. LP, Vinyl record album

An important early export from the Dutch jazz scene of the postwar years – a volume of Jazz Behind The Dikes, a series that focused on the best up-and-comers of the Netherlands scene! The album goes a bit farther than some of the piano trio sessions issued under the series, and includes some larger groups that show what strong horn players there were in the country at the time. Includes two quintet tracks from drummer Wessel Ilcken, with Toon Van Vliet on tenor, Dick Bezemer on trombone, and Gerard Van Rooyen on trumpet – plus two tracks from alto saxophonist Tony Voss and pianist Henk Vos, two more by the trio of pianist Rob Madna, two more by the trio of pianist Stido Alstrom, and one more with vocalist Rita Reys singing with the same quintet led by Wessel Ilcken. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky funky Thailand – just about the only 70s funk group we've ever seen from that part of the globe, and a great one at that! The Impossibles work in a tightly-crafted ensemble funk style that's clearly influenced by Kool & The Gang – but which also has the group hitting some well-polished notes on a few of the album's vocal numbers – in a totally cool groove that's got plenty of hard funky riffs at the bottom, sweet horns in the middle, and some great compressed pop vocals on the top! The album's a real lost treasure – one that we've never seen on this side of the Atlantic – and was oddly recorded and issued in Sweden in the mid 70s! But this album is way more than just a musical oddity – as it's super-funky all the way through, with a level of quality that will have it at the top of your crates for a long, long time! Titles include "Hotpepper", "Give It Up", "California", "C'mon Baby", "Easy To Be Hard", "Pretty Thing", "Love Will Keep Us Together", and "Love The Life You Live". CD

Jason Crest only ever issued six singles back in the 60s, but they've gone on to be the stuff of legend for collectors of UK psych from the time – a group who finally get their full-length due with this 2CD set! The Jason Crest charm is a bit hard to describe – not mindblowing psych of the totally trippy type, but a bit weirder and wilder than pop psych too – often with cool organ parts that sound slightly offbeat, simple but effective production touches, and these really nice, very British lyrics that really send the whole thing home – kind of the spirit of psych that so many later groups tried to capture, but never get quite right. There's a quality here that sits right up there with offbeat work by The Who on Happy Jack and Sell Out, or maybe even the shorter catchy tunes from Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. 2CD set features all their singles, plus unreleased tracks, and even some rare live material too – along with the complete long story of the short-lived group. Titles include "Teagarden Lane", "Patricia's Dream", "King Of The Castle", "My House Is Burning", "Black Mass", "The Collected Works Of Jason Crest", "Two By The Sea", "Juliano The Bull", "Waterloo Road", "Fresh Garbage", "Better By You Better Than Me", and "Tuquoise Tandem Cycle". CD

The first album by Joyce – one of our favorite Brazilian singers ever! The album's a wonderfully lyrical batch of tracks – many written by Joyce herself, plus a few by Brazilian songwriters Jards Macale, Toninho Horta, and Marcos Valle – and the orchestrations are by Gaya, and played on a number of tracks by Dori Caymmi and his group. The style shows many elements of Joyce's later unique style, filtered through a more standard late bossa sound – light and breezy, but with a bit of a dark edge that's in a classic Jobim mode. Includes the track "Superego", which feels a lot like Joyce from the 70s – plus the lovely "Litoral", and the tracks "Me Disseram", "Nao Muda, Nao", "Cantiga De Procura", "Choro Chorado", "Bloco Do Eu Sozinho", and "Improvisado". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The music may be Gershwin, but Karin Krog gives it a twist that's all her own – working here with wonderful small combo backing, and putting the tunes over in a style that's spare and personal – yet never sleepy or cloying! The approach is really fresh, yet never also overly modern or gimmicky – and Krog shows once again that she's one of the best interpreters of song on either side of the Atlantic – hitting a space here that's just perfect, and which makes us love the record a heck of a lot more than we ever would have expected for a Gershwin-titled set! The group's a quartet, with some excellent tenor from Bjarne Nerem – who sounds especially great on an instrumental reading of "That Certain Feeling" – and titles include "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "Who Cares?", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", and "They All Laughed". CD

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... LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius – a lost Nara Leao album from the late 60s, and a key piece in the puzzle of late 60s Tropicalia – a set we'd place right next to equally important records by Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, and Os Mutantes! Although Leao always gets cited as one of the more revolutionary Brazilian artists, her best work is usually incredibly elusive – often obscured by some of her more traditional, or more bossa-oriented records. This one features the lady at her most experimental – singing in this dark mode with great arrangements from Rogerio Duprat – the backstage architect of so many other important Tropicalia albums of the time. The arrangements are wonderful – with a spooky baroque quality that will haunt you long after the Mutantes crazy guitars have died down – the more subtle side of the Brazilian palette during this revolutionary period, and work that arguably had a much longer-lasting effect. Titles include "Mulher", "Infelizmente", "Tema De Os Inconfidentes", "Anoiteceus", and "Quem E". CD

Some of the greatest jazz work ever recorded by Michel Legrand! Although Legrand's always been known for his sweet soundtrack work and his famous easy listening sides – he's also a heck of a jazz pianist, and here in this rare 1959 session, he works in a trio format that puts him right up there with the best of the French piano-technics of his generation, like Maurice Vander or Rene Utreger. The arrangements are wonderfully off-beat – and Legrand dances around the piano with a versatility that we didn't know he had. The group features Guy Pedersen on bass and Gus Wallez on drums – and titles include "Paris In The Spring", "Sous Les Ponts De Paris", "Paris Canaille", "Moulin Rouge", and "La Vie En Rose". CD

One of our favorite soundtracks ever – a jazzy swinging ode to love found and love lost – all penned by the legendary Michel Legrand! The work was composed in collaboration with director Jacques Demy for his 1966 film of the same name – and, like the previous Demy/Legrand collaboration, Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, the movie's a story in song – one that has much of the dialogue presented as sung lyrics to the tunes. The mode takes off from a Hollywood musical style, and pushes the genre into territory that's much hipper, very French, and with a soaring approach that's filled with plenty of mod 60s jazz grooves. Legrand's genius has never sparkled so brightly – and his ability to interweave different themes, stories, and grooves is simply amazing! This US package is even better than the original French one – with a nice colored book inside the gatefold cover that has some great photos and lyrics (translated) for the songs. Titles include "Nous Voyagons De Ville En Ville", "Depart De Camionners", "Arivee Des Camionneurs", "Chanson De Maxence", "Marins, Amins, Amants Ou Maris", and "Chanson De Jumelles". LP, Vinyl record album

John Lewis on piano, Joel Lester on violin, Louis Martin on viola, Howard Collins on guitar & Marc Johnson on bass. CD

One of Ivan Lins' first albums – and a landmark set of MPB! The record shows a lot of strands of influence from the Milton Nascimento, Lo Borges, and Minhas Geraes camp – and it shares much of the same sense of jazzy scoring with the work of those artists. But most important is Lins' ability to write a song – a talent that was present strongly even at this early stage, and which added an incredible amount of sophistication to Brazilian popular music. His voice is fantastic, too – with a raspy edge that gives it a great deal of honesty, and which makes you really feel the lyrics, even if you don't understand his language. Titles include "Voce Amiga", "SQDQ", "Quarto Escuro", "Ratos Baratos e Cupins", "Pra Voce Ver", and "Sai De Baixo". CD

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One of the best early albums from the Mystic Moods – largely because it really ups the use of sound effects that was begun on the group's first album. The record is a smooth blend of train sounds, beach sounds, night sounds, and a million other weird noises – all filtered through late 60s pop hits like "Sound of Silence", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", "Listen To The Warm", "Homeward Bound", "Cloudy", and "Trains, Boats, & Planes", played by a tight swinging group that even features some moog by Paul Beaver! LP, Vinyl record album

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... LP, Vinyl record album

The second set of madness from the legendary Os Mutantes – and like the first, an album done in close collaboration with arranger/producer Rogerio Duprat, whose talents add a new level of genius to the record! The album's got a compelling mix of styles that strikes out on the very first tune – a playful pastiche that's partly postmodern, partly psychedelic, and still tremendously powerful decades later – even if you can't understand most of the lyrics! Styles are just about impossible to pin down, but that's what makes the record so unique and essential – and if you ever needed one album to convince you of the mindblowing energy taking place during the Tropicalia years, this one may well be it! A few tracks are written by Tom Ze, and titles include "Dom Quixote", "Dia 36", "Magica", "Rita Lee", "Algo Mais", "Qualquer Bobagem", and "Fuga No II". CD

With Georges Luca on bass and Charles Saudrais on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic final album from The Peddlers – the UK trio who effortlessly mixed jazz and soul in the 60s, but who work here in a more expanded format! All the best elements of the group's sound are still nicely in place – those raspy vocals, strong use of keyboards, and especially their great sense of a groove – one that's made them a favorite for samples for more sophisticated DJs and producers over the years! But here, the sound is maybe even cooler – thanks to work from the London Philharmonic. Group leader/singer/keyboardist Roy Phillips composed the whole thing, and the Peddlers are at the core – but they're also helped out by percussionist John Punter and guitarist Toney Walmsley, and Peter Robinson – who did the larger orchestrations. Titles include "This Strange Affair", "Raining In London", "Sequence Of Thought", "Did She", "Sequence Of Thought", "In Juxtaposition", "Under London Nights", "River Lives", "I Have Seen", "Impressions", and "A Year And A Day Metamorphosis". CD includes 6 bonus rarities – equally strong singles the trio cut between 1971 and 1973 – compiled by St Eteinne! Titles include "Manah", "Have You Ever Been To Georgia", "Nothing Sacred", "Sing Me An Old Song" and "It's So Easy". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Great work by Elis Regina presented here in a Mexican only compilation, including "Roda" from 1966 and the Jobim tribute portion from "Elis Especial", a late-60s effort that seems to mix her bossa leanings with a slight nod to some of the Tropicalia changes that were going on around her! There's lots of cool Brazilian pop instrumentation, jazzy bossa grooves, and weirdly-arranged organs and guitars, plus some wild arrangements that have a nice off-kilter sound. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent early gem by one of Brazil's greatest singers! The record captures Elis Regina at a prime early stage – when her voice was raw and filled with emotion, and when she was backed by some excellent arrangements that blended jazz, bossa, and more complicated vocal settings. The material is handled extremely well – and the set list includes many early versions of songs by some of Brazil's best writers, like "Cancao Do Sal" by Milton Nascimento, "Sonho De Maria" by Marcos Valle, "Tem Mais Samba" by Chico Buarque, "Lunik 9" and "Roda" by Gilberto Gil, "Pra Dizer Adeus" by Edu Lobo, and "Boa Palavra" by Caetano Veloso. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning step forward for the great Elis Regina – and a landmark record that would set the stage for most of her final work to come in the 70s! The album's got less of the jazz or bossa inflections of her music from the 60s – and instead moves into this richly sophisticated style that seems to unlock endless new corners in her vocals – that emotive, expressive depth that instantly made Elis one of the most powerful forces of her time – an artist revered by both hipsters and the mainstream. Partner Cesar Camargo Mariano handles all the backings – again moving past his own bossa roots too – and titles include "Bala Com Bala", "Mucuripe", "Vida De Bailarina", "Atras Da Porta", "Cais", "20 Anos Blue", and a nice spare version of "Aquas De Marco". CD

Elis Regina hits the London scene of the late 60s – with amazing results that make the album one of her best from the early years! The style here is still quite bossa-oriented, but backings are done by Peter Knight – who'd worked with Scott Walker and some of the other hip British singers at the time – so the sound's a bit different than Elis' Brazilian records, too. Knight's quite sensitive to Regina's way of interpreting a tune – and he nicely follows the soaring, jazzy vibe that Roberto Menescal had given her at home. But the groove's also a bit more open and fluid too – with some slight Brit Easy touches that Really send the whole album home! Titles include a great version of "Upa Neguinho", plus "O Barquinho", "Zazueira", "Giro", "A Volta", "Corrida De Jangada", "Watch What Happens", and "Wave". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Aguas De Marco", "Upa Neguinho", "Canto De Ossanha", "Reza", "Suenos Dorados", and "O Barquinho". LP, Vinyl record album

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... LP, Vinyl record album

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... LP, Vinyl record album

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... LP, Vinyl record album