... LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful batch of driving samba and other Brazilian grooves! The record was packaged in a weird way – with samba musicians on the front, and pictures of Brazilian factories on the back – and the record itself contains an overview of tracks from a variety of sources, all of which are linked by a lively groove, and a strong emphasis on percussion. Features a great batucada track "Tem Berimbau No Samba", plus "Voy Andar Por Ai" by Neyde Fraga, "Batucada Sergiu" by Walter Wanderley, "Praca Onze" by Paulo Roberto, "Tamanco No Samba" by Alberto Mota, "Felicidade" by Lyra Do Xopoto, "Maracangalha" by Metais No Samba, and a few more batucada tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

Features work by Maria Bethania, Chico Buarque, Marku, Emilio Santiago, and Gal Costa! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest Brigitte Bardot albums ever recorded – a stellar set of tracks with some ultra-chic arrangements from the great Alain Gouraguer! The album swings like the best of Paris pop in the 60s – tight and outta site, with loads of jaunty pop tunes that bring out the best in Brigitte's vocals, and show her to be a great singer when she gets the right material! Tracks include "Ca Pourrait Changer", "Une Histoire De Plage", "Ne Me Laisse Pas L'aimer", "Jamais Trois Sans Quatre", "Maria Ninguem", "Moi Je Joue", "Je Danse Donc Je Suis", "Melanie", "Ciel De Lit" and "C'est Un Jour Comme Un Autre". Bonus tracks include "Les Omnibus", "Les Hommes Endormis", and "Je Manque D'Adjectifs". CD

Classic 60s work from Brigitte Bardot – the roots of French female pop, with a set of tracks that mix together bits of rock, pop, and lively jazz-based arrangements – all in a unique blend that's totally great, and every bit as wonderful as you might expect! We might go so far as to argue that Brigitte Bardot on record is almost sexier than on the screen – and thanks to backing from the likes of Claude Bolling, Francois Rauber, and Pedro Serrano – the grooves are as great as the lovely lady's vocals! The set includes a great track written by Serge Gainsbourg, and titles include "L'Appareil A Sous", "Invitango", "Les Amis De La Musique", "Pas Davantage", "La Madrague", "El Cuchipe", "Everybody Loves My Baby", and "C'Est Rigolo". CD features bonus tracks "La Belle Et Le Blues", "Lecon De Guitare", and "Tiens C'Est Toi". CD

... CD

... CD

A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the post-bossa years – but this album has Jorge really emerging as the global soul star he was destined to be – from his powerful stare on the cover, right down to the grit in the grooves! The sound here is a refinement of the samba soul mode that Ben had been brewing up from the late 60s onward – a skittish mix of older samba elements, American soul, and some slight fuller production that really comes into its own here – mixing all the acoustic elements at the core with just a slight electric flourish, but never losing its edge in the process – all to provide Jorge with a sublime backdrop for his really amazing vocals. The set's a monument in funky Brazilian soul – and it includes the huge hit "Taj Mahal", which still sounds great, even after all these years – plus loads of other gems that include "O Circo Chegou", "Domingo 23", "Fio Maravilha", "Paz E Arroz", "Morre O Burro Fico O Homem", and "Que Nega E Essa". A gem all the way through – and a record we'd never part with! LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the post-bossa years – but this album has Jorge really emerging as the global soul star he was destined to be – from his powerful stare on the cover, right down to the grit in the grooves! The sound here is a refinement of the samba soul mode that Ben had been brewing up from the late 60s onward – a skittish mix of older samba elements, American soul, and some slight fuller production that really comes into its own here – mixing all the acoustic elements at the core with just a slight electric flourish, but never losing its edge in the process – all to provide Jorge with a sublime backdrop for his really amazing vocals. The set's a monument in funky Brazilian soul – and it includes the huge hit "Taj Mahal", which still sounds great, even after all these years – plus loads of other gems that include "O Circo Chegou", "Domingo 23", "Fio Maravilha", "Paz E Arroz", "Morre O Burro Fico O Homem", and "Que Nega E Essa". A gem all the way through – and a record we'd never part with! CD

Brilliant early work from Jorge Ben – a set that shouldn't be confused with the US album of the same name, and which is one of Jorge's first few gems of the 60s! The album's got Ben stepping out with a slightly jazzier feel than on his debut – a style that's still heavily steeped in the guitar-driven samba that first won him fame, but which also features a fair bit of bossa-influenced instrumentation too – bits of piano, flute, and horns that echo with some darker colors and tones that really add a lot to the tunes! The backings are never too full – nor too full of themselves – but this added level of sophistication really helps push Jorge into a range of fresh new sounds – and that's saying a lot, given how fresh his music from the time already was. Titles include "Agora Ninguem Chora Mais", "Telefone De Brotinho", "Patapatapata", "Na Bahia Tem", "Jorge Well", "Deixa O Menino Brincar", "Bom Mesmo E Amar", and "O Homem Que Matou O Homem Que Matou O Homem Mau". LP, Vinyl record album

A samba soul masterpiece from Jorge Ben – one of the most brilliant records to come out the fertile late 60s Brazilian scene – and an incredible album that works with the psychedelic flourishes of Ben's contemporaries and a deeper undercurrent of soul & funk! This is one of the most amazing early Jorge Ben LPs, recorded at the end of the 60s, when Jorge was singing with a stone-cold soul sound. The sharp, tight arrangements by Rogerio Duprat & Jose Briamonte made tracks like "Pais Tropical", "Take It Easy My Brother Charles", and "Que Pena" immediate classics – while the percussion and rhythms of Trio Mocoto provide a good part of the unique backdrop. The album is a mix of funky samba, soaring Brazilian soul, and sweeping orchestrations that give the whole thing a jazzy finish – and it's some of the best work that Jorge Ben ever recorded! Other tracks include "Criola", Cade Tereza", "Domingas", "Barbarella", "Quem Foi Que Roubou A Sopeira" and more. CD

A samba soul masterpiece from Jorge Ben – one of the most brilliant records to come out the fertile late 60s Brazilian scene – and an incredible album that works with the psychedelic flourishes of Ben's contemporaries and a deeper undercurrent of soul & funk! This is one of the most amazing early Jorge Ben LPs, recorded at the end of the 60s, when Jorge was singing with a stone-cold soul sound. The sharp, tight arrangements by Rogerio Duprat & Jose Briamonte made tracks like "Pais Tropical", "Take It Easy My Brother Charles", and "Que Pena" immediate classics – while the percussion and rhythms of Trio Mocoto provide a good part of the unique backdrop. The album is a mix of funky samba, soaring Brazilian soul, and sweeping orchestrations that give the whole thing a jazzy finish – and it's some of the best work that Jorge Ben ever recorded! Other tracks include "Criola", Cade Tereza", "Domingas", "Barbarella", "Quem Foi Que Roubou A Sopeira" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Searing samba soul from Jorge Ben – one of his best-remembered albums of the 70s, and for good reason too! The album's got a slightly fuller feel than some of Ben's other work of the time – never slick, but with backings balanced nicely against his own raspy vocals and acoustic guitar – sweetening things up with a bit of the strings you'd find on Forca Bruta, but with a hint of the soul to come on Africa Brasil! The balance is great – thanks to arrangers Osmar Milito, Darcy De Paulo, and Hugo Bellard – and as usual, Jorge's vocals are the main attraction – dipping, turning, and rising with this really unique, personal feel – Ben-like brilliance at its brightest. The whole thing's wonderful – a key gem from the Philips years – and titles include "Cinco Minutos", "Zumbi", "Brother", "Os Alquimistas Estao Chegando Os Alquimistas", "Errare Humanum Est", "Menina Muler Da Pele Preta", "Hermes Tri", and "O Namorado Da Viuva". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Archetypal heavy rock from Blue Cheer – one of THE underground classics of the late 60s! Guitars are firmly, very jammingly in force – and the set's produced to perfection by the legendary Abe "Voco" Kesh. Powerful, fuzzed out, blues based fire at it's most forceful and exhilarating – ultimately setting the bar too high for the group, or altered versions of it, to ever again approach! Titles include their great cover of "Summertime Blues", plus "Doctor Please", "Out Of Focus", "Parchment Farm", "Second Time Around", and "All Night Long". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little session from Luiz Bonfa – one that features a hip core combo mixed with slightly larger backings – all in a groove that really stands out from other mainstream bossa albums of the 60s! Bonfa's acoustic guitar is set up here with Jerome Richardson on flute, Don Payne on bass, and Helcio Milito on drums – all working in a sound that's lightly touched with occasional bits of strings or woodwinds from Hal Mooney – never too much to over-sweeten the music, and often in ways that underscore the bluer, sadder tones in the music. Bonfa contributed to me great original tunes to the record that really stand out – numbers that include "Avocado", "Moonlight In Rio", "Embolada", "Her Face", "Dream Girl", "Sambalero", and "Zomba" – all of which make the record stand out from other familiar bossa tunes of the time. CD

Features work from Bobby Watson on alto, Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Steve Turre on trombone, and Jeff Hamilton on tenor! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

If you've ever been wondering which album to get by Chico Buarque – this is it! The record's a stunning batch of sophisticated sides, done in collaboration with Roberto Menescal, and with help from Jobim and MPB4! The album builds on the style of Buarque's excellent late 60s songwriting, and adds in some of the more complicated approaches to arrangement that were being developed in Brazil at the end of the 60s – in a way that pushes Chico's work to the next level, and which makes this record sit right up there with work at the time by Jobim or Edu Lobo. Titles include "Samba De Orly", "Valsinha", "Acalanto", "Deus Ilhe Pague", and "Construcao". Really beautiful – with a lot of soul, and a great sound! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic illustration of the live music tradition on Brazil – one that really arose on records during the 60s, and blossomed strongly on 70s records like this – which feel almost more like an event than a recorded document! The concert features a magnificent meeting of Chico Buarque and Maria Bethania – both very strong talents on their own, balanced in this really great way amidst larger backings from Maestro Gaya – duetting on tunes that really turn into something special from their performance – never a challenge of egos, but instead a wonderful folding of strong ideals. Terra Trio provide the rhythms – and most numbers are Buarque originals – with titles that include "Flor Da Idade", "Vai Levando", "Bem Querer", "Noite Dos Mascarados", "Tanto Mar", "Gota D'Agua", "Com Acucar E Com Afeto", and "Sem Fantasia". CD

A fantastic soundtrack recorded in the immediate post-Tropicalia years – featuring some of the best early 70s work by Chico Buarque, Nara Leao, Maria Bethania, and others! The cover has a mad image with Buarque, Leao, and Bethania in top hats and shiny uniforms – and the music follows up with a similarly lively spirit – samba-esque, with other touches of rock and jazz production that give the work an expansive and trippy feel. Roberto Menescal handled the arrangements – and titles include "Cacada" by Chico Buarque, "Mais Uma Estrela" by Nara Leao, "Soneto" by Orquesta De Cordas, "Soneto" by Nara Leao, "Partido Alto" by MPB-4, "Formosa" by Nara Leao & Maria Bethania, "Baioque" by Maria Bethania, and "Cantores De Radio" by Chico, Naria, and Maria together! 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