One of Jorge Ben's smooth groovers from the 80s – a set of tunes that's a bit tighter than his work from the previous decade, but still plenty darn soulful! The samba side of Ben's music has ben submerged slightly amidst more electric instrumentation – but the overall sound is quite warm and personal, certainly a fair bit more than mainstream soul coming from most other parts of the globe at the time! And although the cover of the record's got kind of a "soft" look – with a rainbow going out a window – there's nothing too cutesy or kiddie about the album at all, and the record's a fair bit better than most other mainstream work from Brazil at the time! Titles include "My Little Brother", "A Rainha Foi Embora", "Senhora Dona Da Casa", "A Terra Do Filho Do Homem", "Me Chamando De Paixo", and "Obsessao Meu Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

Ray Charles' 3rd foray into straight jazz material – and like the others in this series, an all-instrumental album that focuses on the talents of Charles' group at the time! The tunes are a well-chosen batch of numbers that get past the standard bluesy Ray Charles mode – and take off on freer flights driven by solos of players like Johnny Coles and James Clay – nicely mixing together soul jazz with more modal and angular styles. Titles include versions of Benny Golson's "Ray Minor Ray", Charlie Mariano's "Nothing Wrong", Alf Clausen's "Samba De Elencia", and Jimmy Heath's "Project S". LP, Vinyl record album

That's Dila, not Dilla – a great Brazilian female singer, stepping out here on a very funky album from 1971! The record's got a very cool little groove – that mix of samba, soul, and larger orchestrations that was being explored by bigger artists on the EMI/Odeon label of the time, as you might hear in the work of Marcos Valle – with lots of great bass at the bottom, crackling percussion at the core, and leaping lines on piano that give the record plenty of soulful inflections – ala Dom Salvador and some of his excellent work of the time! Even if you've never heard of Dila before – and we're not sure she made many records after, either – this set ranks right up there with some of the best of the Blue Brazil generation, and every track is a rock-solid winner. Arrangements are by Durval Ferreira, backings are by Os Grilos, and titles include "Saberas", "Fim De Papo", "Adeus Bomfim", "Madalena", "Como E Que E Bicho", "Refem Da Solidao", "Selecao De Mangueira", and "Festa Para Um Rei Negro". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Paulo Diniz – a near-lost samba soul singer from the end of the 60s – working here on an amazing little record for Odeon/EMI! Paulo's work has a very unusual style – in that it's a bit soulful, with some touches of folk, but is also often handled in a baroque mode that's very much in keeping with the sound of the Blue Brazil generation – a sometimes-funky sound that features great orchestrations, odd production touches, and some really great instrumentation to perk up the tunes nicely. There's almost a Wilson Simonal sense of soul to the record – and as things move along, the drums get harder, the basslines get darker, and the whole album starts to feel like some of the better-known Brazilian funk sessions from the 70s! Titles include "Piri Piri", "Ninfa Mulata", "Me Leva", "Sujeito Chato", "Chutando Pedra", "Marginal III", "Felicidade", and "Canseira". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking live set from the great Urszula Dudziak – recorded in the late 80s, but every bit as sharp as her famous vocal sides from the 70s! Duziak an amazing singer with a really unique sound – partly the expressive, experimental jazz modes of European contemporaries like Karin Krog or Monica Zetterlund – partly the breezy, scatting soul of Flora Purim – yet somehow very much her own voice as well, with some particularly sharp bits around the edges! The live setting of this album really lets her shine – with no studio effects, no commercial modes to smooth things out – and instead, the kind of spontaneous energy she first generated with Michal Urbaniak. The group's a quintet with tenor and vibes – really grooving great in all the right places – and titles include "Papaya", "Wake Up Call", "No Else Thank You", "Tico Tico", "Sorrow Is Nor Forever", "Samba Ula", and "Theme From Rosemary's Baby". CD

Ella Fitzgerald recorded famously in Berlin for Verve Records at the start of the 60s – but this set's from later on in the decade, and shows just how much Ella had grown as a singer! There's less of the easygoing good vibes of that previous album, and a much more mature, intimate quality at times – mixed with a few of the groovier styles that Fitzgerald was picking up in the second half of the 60s! Throughout it all, backing is just by a trio, but one who rock things with plenty of soul – Jimmy Jones on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums – on titles that include "So Danca Samba", "Summertime", "You've Changed", "Misty", "Midnight Sun", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Don't Be That Way", "These Boots Are Made For Walking", and "Oh Lady Be Good". Great 2CD package – with 20 tracks in all! CD

One of the best new recordings in years from Brazilian reedman Leo Gandelman – a set that's got a lean, mean groove that's just right for the album's mix of samba, bossa, and jazz! Leo's right out front in the arrangements on saxes – but there's also a really unified groove on the set too – that old school bossa nova way of packing all the instruments together on the rhythms, creating this soaring sound that seems to unlock some of the most expressive solos we've heard from Gandelman in awhile. Some points have a slight dose of soul jazz energy too – as you might guess from the look of the cover – and the set also comes packaged with bonus video footage of most tracks too. Titles include "Luz Azul", "Sinal Vermelho", "Nego Ta Sabendo", "Vip Vop", "Reza" and "Camisa 7". CD

A really sweet set of instrumental grooves – originally issued on the famous Cuban label Areito, but with a sound that's very different than you might expect! The music is funky and soulful, but also has these lush orchestrations too – so that the tunes are partly Latin, but also partly in a mode that echoes both the soulful side of 70s soundtracks, and some of the larger arrangements of American soul maestros like Barry White or Gene Page! The instrumentation shifts nicely throughout the set, and there's lots of surprises along the way – electric sitar on one cut, wordless vocals on another, and all sorts of very cool and groovy touches. Titles include "Dacapo", "Marinero Quiero Ser", "Mi Samba Carnaval", "6 Son", "Poema En La Playa", "Un Paseo A La Playa", and "Tema De La Sierra". CD

A really sweet set of instrumental grooves – originally issued on the famous Cuban label Areito, but with a sound that's very different than you might expect! The music is funky and soulful, but also has these lush orchestrations too – so that the tunes are partly Latin, but also partly in a mode that echoes both the soulful side of 70s soundtracks, and some of the larger arrangements of American soul maestros like Barry White or Gene Page! The instrumentation shifts nicely throughout the set, and there's lots of surprises along the way – electric sitar on one cut, wordless vocals on another, and all sorts of very cool and groovy touches. Titles include "Dacapo", "Marinero Quiero Ser", "Mi Samba Carnaval", "6 Son", "Poema En La Playa", "Un Paseo A La Playa", and "Tema De La Sierra". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from Junie Morrison, plus bonus tracks too – all to document the genius of the guy who really helped the Ohio Players find their groove! First up is When We Do – the solo debut of Junie – a crazy little album recorded for Westbound in the time after he split company with The Ohio Players – and a set that's definitely got the weirdly wonderful mix of music that group was known for in their pre-Mercury years! Junie effortlessly moves between a number of styles, all with a great degree of wit – still keeping things funky in all the best ways, but also really experimenting with larger sounds and unusual arrangements – which come into play here in a really wonderful way! The album's an overlooked funk treasure from the 70s – far too sophisticated for its own time – and titles include "Walt's Third Trip", "Tight Rope", "Johnny Carson Samba", "Anna", "Loving Arms", "Married Him", and "The Place". Freeze is a wonderful set from Junie – a record that has all the offbeat funk he was crafting with the Ohio Players during their Westbound years – and the same sort of heady sound that would make Morrison a perfect match with the P-Funk empire! The record contains the legendary track "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce", which features a meeting between the Funky Granny (a near folklorish character from the early 70s, who'd appeared on records by Kool & The Gang and Ohio Players) and an alien, who tells urges to "buy this record, buy this record, buy this record" in a very silly voice! The funky comedy of this track is nicely matched by a range of other odd numbers and straighter soul cuts – and titles include "Freeze", "Super J", "Musical Son", "Junie II", "World of Woe", and "Cookies Will Get You". Suzie Super Groupie is a funky tribute to all the "Super Groupies" who were helping out the 70s music scene – maybe the closest thing that Junie Morrison every came to a concept album – and a set that's got all the same wonderful complexity of his other solo albums on Westbound! As with those records, there's a pre-Prince approach to funk that draws heavily from Ohio Players and P-Funk elements – but which really gets a sharper, more sinister focus with Junie in the lead – at a level of soulful stardom that could have made him another Bootsy Collins, if folks were ever smart enough to figure out what he was doing at the time! Titles include the funky classic "Suzie Thundertussy" – plus "Super Groupie", "Surrender", "Junie III", "What Am I Gonna Do", "Stone Face Joe", "Suzie", and "If You Love Him". Set also features rare Junie cuts – including "Junie's Ultimate Departure", "Walt's Second Trip", "Tight Rope (single)", "Loving Arms (mono)", "If You Love Him (single)", "Super J (single)", and "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce (mono)". CD

A much needed look at one of the most enigmatic figures in 70s funk – an offbeat character who was always up to something different and unique! Walter "Junie" Morrison had the great honor of being a member of both of Westbound's biggest collectives (although not necessarily at the same time) – the hard funky Ohio Players, and the cosmic brotherhood of Funkadelic/Parliament! During the mid-70s, though, Junie embarked upon a solo career, and cut a few wild LPs for the label which mixed funk, soul, and even some strange rock-oriented leanings. The resulting recordings were some of the more messed-up that Westbound ever issued, with moments that are delightfully funky, and others that are downright silly. This sweet 20 track compilation brings together most of the best moments of Junie's Westbound Years, and includes cuts like "Johnny Carson Samba", "Walt's Third Trip", "Tight Rope", "Cookies Will Get You", "Super J", "Super Groupie", and the great "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce", featuring the Funky Granny from "Funky Worm"! CD

An insanely wonderful set from Sean Khan – maybe the greatest music he's done since his early classics with the SK Radicals! This album really takes us back to a time when music from London was completely fresh and exciting, and cosmically soulful, too – and Sean's got help from some great singers on the record who also date from that era – including the mighty Omar, plus Sabrina Malheiros, and vocalist Heidi Vogel of Cinematic Orchestra! All three of these artists really flesh out the sound of the record – and make it every bit as much of a soul record as a set that's awash in all the great reed touches and jazzy bits we'd expect from Sean. Andy Noble's also on the record, playing some wonderfully warm piano lines – and the overall instrumentation has more acoustic elements than before, which makes for a very righteous vibe throughout! Titles include "Dance For Little Emily", "Muriel", "Samba Para Florence", "Sister Soul", "What Has Jazz Become", "Trane's Shadow", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down", and "Fire Within" – plus bonus remix tracks "Don't Let The Sun Go Down (4Hero rmx)", "Samba Para Florence (Henry Wu rmx)", and "Things To Say (Ben Hauke rmx)". CD

The rare second volume of Tim Maia's Racional album series from the 70s – even funkier and more harder-edged than the first! The record really follows the heavy soul influence that Tim had been hitting on his early 70s albums for Polydor – a strong dose of American funk and R&B, especially from the east coast indie scene – filtered down beautifully by Maia, one of the few cats in Brazil at the time who really knew how to get the sound right – and how to mix it with the best of his local influences! There's some wonderful grooves here – definitely of the funky Brazilian type you'd know from the Samba Soul generation, but also much more solidly soul, too – given Tim's fantastic vocals, and strong ear for putting over a tune! Titles include "Paz Interior", "O Caminho Do Bem", "Energia Racional", "Que Legal", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", and "Imunizacao Racional". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of Latin material from Herbie Mann – and proof that he's equally great in just about any setting! The album's a rare Columbia Records outing from Herbie – but it's easily one of his greatest of the 60s, thanks to some really smoking arrangements from Oliver Nelson – plus an all-star cast of players that includes Carmell Jones, Dave Pike, Jimmy Heath, Patato Valdez, Willie Bobo, Charlie Palmieri, and a young Chick Corea on piano! Tracks are short, tight, and very rhythmic – grooving in a snapping approach to Latin that's filled with plenty of soul, but which also features plenty of jazzy touches as well. A few tunes here are familiar, but they're given wonderful new treatment by Herbie and Nelson – and the record easily beats most Verve or Impulse sessions of this type at their own game! Tracks include "Bijou", "Ave Maria Morena", "Watermelon Man", "Interlude", "Let's Boom Chitty Boom", "Senor Blues", "Jungle Fantasy", and "Jive Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

One of two incredible albums from the lovely Ana Mazzotti – a 70s Brazilian singer who could effortlessly blend fusion and soul, Brazilian rhythms and funk – working here with plenty of help from Jose Roberto Bertrami of Azymuth! In fact, the record has a vibe that's a lot like the best early Azymuth music, although with vocals – hip rhythms, unusual inflections, and a great electrified version of older Brazilian styles – all topped by the warm, wonderful vocals of Mazzotti! The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include an amazing version of "Sou", a vocal take on the Azymuth tune "Agora Ou Nunca Mais", and the cuts "Em Acalanto", "Eta Samba Bom", "Bairro Negro", and the funky classic "Roda Mundo". Great great great! CD

Lovely work from Clara Moreno – a set that's much more laidback than some of her earlier dancefloor work, and one that's filled with bossa instrumentation throughout! Joyce co-produced the set, and you can really hear some of her acoustic soul in the music – a warm blend of snapping percussion, skipping guitar lines, and occasional bits of keyboards and horns – used in ways that still really let Moreno stay in the lead, captivating our ears with her wonderful vocals! Clara's style has a breathy undercurrent, which is a nice change from some of the too-polished contemporary bossa sets – and guests on the record include Orlandivo on vocals and Joao Donato on piano – both folks we'd welcome on any album. Titles include "Mestico", "Bebete", "Balanco Zona Sul", "Bruxaria", "Brincando De Samba", "Jeito Bom De Sofrer", "Samba De Negro", and "Uala Ualala". CD

Steve Nelson's been one of the hippest talents on vibes for many years now – and an album like this is a great reminder of why we love his music so much! Nelson's never content to just echo the sound of previous masters of his instrument – and instead, like a rare few, he finds a way to integrate the instrument into a familiar jazz combo, but all without ever making the vibes stand in second place – really soaring out and ringing forth with a commanding power that really leaves us breathless! Here, Nelson's in some very well-matched, deeply soulful company – a killer quartet with Danny Grissett on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums – superb rhythm players whose own fires rise and burn with the energy of the leader. The ballads on the record are as great as the burners – and it's the burners we love most of all – on titles that include "Eastern Joy Dance", "Soul-Leo", "Grew's Tune", "Samba D'Blue", "New Wheels", "Brothers Under The Sun", and "Melody For Mulgrew". CD

A really rare slice of work from the funky genius Janko Nilovic – not the sound library grooves which have gained him fame over the decades – but instead a batch of rare cuts from his own short-lived record label, which he formed in 1968 with soul singer Davy Jones! Nilovic and Jones wrote all the tunes on the set, and they're presented by a variety of different artists – but have a unified feel that certainly comes from the strong instrumentation provided by Janko! The tunes are in a mix of mod 60s styles – some soul, some Hammond-heavy groovers, and some with a more expansive vibe that's almost a psychedelic take on the spirit of French pop during the period. The set features every a and b-side of the six singles issued by the label – plus four more bonus remixes – and titles include "Voodoo Juju Obsession (parts 1 & 2)" by K Ptyacunthapuserectus, "Lover's Summer Song" and "Moon Man" by Bobby Cannon, "Restless Gringo" and "The Lost & The Lonely" by Spiritus M, "Groovy Kinda Samba" and "The Juju Is The Thing" by Abra K Dabra, "Treasure Lee" and "Voodoo Juju" by Killer Steen, and "Tinka Bell" and "There's A Little Old Lady" by Tinka Bell. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully airy work from Roge – music that scans some of the same samba soul territory as Seu Jorge, but with a more complex approach to production and the overall sound – in ways that almost echo the spirit of early work from Marcos Valle! Yet as with both of those great artists, Roge's in a space that's very much his own – using familiar elements of Brazilian music, but in ways that are wrapped up in a fresh new vision! The set's very worthy of inclusion in a much longer legacy of MPB from decades past – and we're also hoping we hear plenty more from Roge in years to come. Titles include "A Lenda Do Abaete", "O Topo Do Coqueiro", "Curyman", "Vida Voa", "100% Samba", "Old Diamond West", and a nice take on Joao Donato's classic "A Ra". CD

Beautifully airy work from Roge – music that scans some of the same samba soul territory as Seu Jorge, but with a more complex approach to production and the overall sound – in ways that almost echo the spirit of early work from Marcos Valle! Yet as with both of those great artists, Roge's in a space that's very much his own – using familiar elements of Brazilian music, but in ways that are wrapped up in a fresh new vision! The set's very worthy of inclusion in a much longer legacy of MPB from decades past – and we're also hoping we hear plenty more from Roge in years to come. Titles include "A Lenda Do Abaete", "O Topo Do Coqueiro", "Curyman", "Vida Voa", "100% Samba", "Old Diamond West", and a nice take on Joao Donato's classic "A Ra". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE Brazilian funk classics of the 70s – the debut album of soulful singer Emilio Santiago! The sound is a wonderful blend of samba, soul, and some of the electric jazzy riffing that was big in Brazil at the time, and which showed up in the styles of groups like Banda Black Rio or Unaio Black – and Santiago's vocals are tremendous, equally at home with a hip grooving soul tune as they are with some of the album's mellower, jazzier tracks. Guest artists on the set include Brazilian jazz luminaries Joao Donato, Victor Assis Brasil, Ivan Lins, and Aecio Flavio – and the album includes the funky breaking classic "Bananeira", an amazing version of a song written by Donato and Gilberto Gil, served up by Santiago in a version that's easily the best ever! Other tracks include a great version of Jorge Ben's "Brother", plus "Quero Alegria", "Depois", "Doa A Quem Doer", and "La Mulata", a Latin groover by Marcos Valle! LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Blue Note work by Horace Silver – the stuff that soul jazz legends are made of, and an album that showed he was destined to be a huge force away from the Jazz Messengers! Blue Mitchell and Junior Cook hold down the frontline with Horace – playing in a mellifluous style that links the tenor and trumpet magically, dancing in sweetly lyrical lines over the impeccable rhythm team of Gene Taylor on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. Tracks are short, tight, and grooving with a sound that's virtually the blueprint for early soul jazz – and the album includes classic Silver tunes like "Come On Home", "Mellow D", "Finger Poppin", and "Swingin The Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

A bossa-styled set from singer Pat Thomas – one that boasts some especially nice backings from the great Lalo Schifrin! Lalo's using a fair bit of strings on the set, but he also keeps things lean too – a bit in the mode of his own bossa work for Verve during the time, although with Pat's vocals in the lead this time around! Thomas has a strong undercurrent of soul in her work – a much deeper vocal approach than you might hear from a more familiar bossa singer of the period, which is one of the things that really sets this album apart. Schifrin really seems to get this quality of Pat's, and he brings in a good sense of timing in rhythms to present Thomas at her best. Titles include "Recardo Bossa Nova", "Carnival", "To Welcome The Day", "Could Be", "Samba De Orfeu", and "Once Again". CD

Japanese Brazilian work from Toyono – a record that's filled with lots of sunny touches, and a mixed sense of sadness and joy that we find really compelling! There's a much more driving force here than on the first Toyono album – a sound that's more organic and natural, and which shifts easily from bossa, to samba, to jazz – and occasionally a bit of soul as well! The record's got a nice smooth funky remake of "Berimbau", as well as a moody version of Pixinquinha's "Mundo Melhor" – and also includes some nice tracks by Toyono as well! Other titles include "A Outra O Samba Sem Fronteira Me Espera", "Dream'n", "Aquarela Brasileira", "Ginga Mais", and "Ilusao Towa", a great groover with snapping beats underneath Toyono's warm vocals and sweet jazzy trumpet riffs! CD

Trio Mocoto first rose to fame as the funky band behind Jorge Ben on his early 70s classics – the combo that gave him such a soulful sound – and here on their own, they sound pretty darn great – with a style that follows the same evolution as Jorge's own sound at the time! The core elements are still a mix of funk, samba, and soul – but there's also a slightly warmer sound to the production – one that really ties the whole thing together, and maybe gives the group even more force than before! Riffing guitars snap alongside the lively percussion – and the trio trade voices in a mighty nice way – sometimes with a bit of backup from other singers too. Titles include "Nao Adianta", "Toda Tarde", "Rosa", "Onde Anda Voce", "O Meu Violao", and "Xuxu Melao". LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased tracks from the fantastic Jazz Is Dead project from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – never-issued material from the excellent run over the course of the past 20 volumes, presented as a stand-alone set that's every bit as great as any of the previous releases! There's a strong Brazilian-oriented vibe to this collection – elements of samba soul and MPB, served up with guest work from Dom Salvador, Joyce, Carlos Da Fe, Antonio Carlos E Jocafi, and Hyldon – all giants in their own right, who work here next to other guests who include Ebo Taylor and The Midnight Hour! Younge and Muhammad do a fantastic job of bringing the whole thing together with all the right sort of jazzy touches and warm production – on titles that include "Os Ancestras", "Uana Ete", "Atlas", "Obi Do Woa", Amor Enfeiticado", and "Menina Do Torroro". CD

Unreleased tracks from the fantastic Jazz Is Dead project from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – never-issued material from the excellent run over the course of the past 20 volumes, presented as a stand-alone set that's every bit as great as any of the previous releases! There's a strong Brazilian-oriented vibe to this collection – elements of samba soul and MPB, served up with guest work from Dom Salvador, Joyce, Carlos Da Fe, Antonio Carlos E Jocafi, and Hyldon – all giants in their own right, who work here next to other guests who include Ebo Taylor and The Midnight Hour! Younge and Muhammad do a fantastic job of bringing the whole thing together with all the right sort of jazzy touches and warm production – on titles that include "Os Ancestras", "Uana Ete", "Atlas", "Obi Do Woa", Amor Enfeiticado", and "Menina Do Torroro". LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased tracks from the fantastic Jazz Is Dead project from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – never-issued material from the excellent run over the course of the past 20 volumes, presented as a stand-alone set that's every bit as great as any of the previous releases! There's a strong Brazilian-oriented vibe to this collection – elements of samba soul and MPB, served up with guest work from Dom Salvador, Joyce, Carlos Da Fe, Antonio Carlos E Jocafi, and Hyldon – all giants in their own right, who work here next to other guests who include Ebo Taylor and The Midnight Hour! Younge and Muhammad do a fantastic job of bringing the whole thing together with all the right sort of jazzy touches and warm production – on titles that include "Os Ancestras", "Uana Ete", "Atlas", "Obi Do Woa", Amor Enfeiticado", and "Menina Do Torroro". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever record in the Luaka Bop legacy – a massive collection of Brazilian grooves that still serves as one of the best introductions to the music we can think of! Most of the artists here are the bigger names of the MPB generation of the 70s – but many are still very under-represented in the US market – which makes the collection of work here completely essential. The styles range from samba soul of Jorge Ben to the lyrical poetry of Caetano Veloso to the soulful drama of Milton Nascimento – and titles include "Ponta De Lanca Africano" and "Fio Varavilha" by Jorge Ben, "Cacada" by Chico Buarque, "Quilombo O El Dorado Negro" and "So Quero Um Xodo" by Gilberto Gil, "Quiexa" and "O Leaozinho" by Caetano Veloso, "Sonho Meu" by Maria Bethania & Gal Costa, "Caixa De Sol" by Nazare Pereira, and "Anima" by Milton Nascimento. CD

The first-ever record in the Luaka Bop legacy – a massive collection of Brazilian grooves that still serves as one of the best introductions to the music we can think of! Most of the artists here are the bigger names of the MPB generation of the 70s – but many are still very under-represented in the US market – which makes the collection of work here completely essential. The styles range from samba soul of Jorge Ben to the lyrical poetry of Caetano Veloso to the soulful drama of Milton Nascimento – and titles include "Ponta De Lanca Africano" and "Fio Varavilha" by Jorge Ben, "Cacada" by Chico Buarque, "Quilombo O El Dorado Negro" and "So Quero Um Xodo" by Gilberto Gil, "Quiexa" and "O Leaozinho" by Caetano Veloso, "Sonho Meu" by Maria Bethania & Gal Costa, "Caixa De Sol" by Nazare Pereira, and "Anima" by Milton Nascimento. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic grooves from the 70s – tracks that are part of a great second wave of Brazilian music to hit our shores, then take off in a whole new direction! The US was no stranger to Brazilian sounds in the 60s – given the popularity of bossa nova and a few other styles – but as the 70s approached, a new generation of artists started to hit the American scene – often with richer, more sophisticated ideas that built on older bossa and samba modes, then combined them with new approaches to jazz, funk, and soul! This killer set presents a perfect portrait of that time – mixing familiar names with newcomers, or Brazilian recording artists with American studio talents – all in a batch of cuts that still stand as some of our favorite Brazilian grooves of all time – even if they didn't come from Rio or Sao Paulo. Titles include "Bahia Soul" by Luiz Bonfa, "Catavento" by Milton Nascimento, "Ain't No Sunshine" by Sivuca, "Braun Blek Blu" by Dom Um Romao, "Skyscrapers" by Deodato, "Sandalia Delia" by Duke Pearson with Flora Purim, "Samba De Flora" by Airto, "Consolacao" by Tamba 4, "Moon Dreams" by Flor Purim, "Andei" by Airto, "Almas Irmas" by Joao Donato, "Kathy" by Moacir Santos, "Tombo In 7/4" by Airto, "Rio Vermelho" by Milton Nascimento, and "Escravos De Jo" by Dom Um Romao. CD

Fantastic grooves from the 70s – tracks that are part of a great second wave of Brazilian music to hit our shores, then take off in a whole new direction! The US was no stranger to Brazilian sounds in the 60s – given the popularity of bossa nova and a few other styles – but as the 70s approached, a new generation of artists started to hit the American scene – often with richer, more sophisticated ideas that built on older bossa and samba modes, then combined them with new approaches to jazz, funk, and soul! This killer set presents a perfect portrait of that time – mixing familiar names with newcomers, or Brazilian recording artists with American studio talents – all in a batch of cuts that still stand as some of our favorite Brazilian grooves of all time – even if they didn't come from Rio or Sao Paulo. Titles include "Bahia Soul" by Luiz Bonfa, "Catavento" by Milton Nascimento, "Ain't No Sunshine" by Sivuca, "Braun Blek Blu" by Dom Um Romao, "Skyscrapers" by Deodato, "Sandalia Delia" by Duke Pearson with Flora Purim, "Samba De Flora" by Airto, "Consolacao" by Tamba 4, "Moon Dreams" by Flor Purim, "Andei" by Airto, "Almas Irmas" by Joao Donato, "Kathy" by Moacir Santos, "Tombo In 7/4" by Airto, "Rio Vermelho" by Milton Nascimento, and "Escravos De Jo" by Dom Um Romao. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic funk from Brazil – a totally killer collection that focuses in on those years when things were really taking off on the samba soul scene! The work here is from the second wave of Brazilian funk – music that has some of the warmer and more boogie-oriented qualities in the rhythms – the tightness of instrumentation that you might know from Banda Black Rio, and that new sense of modern soul that Marcos Valle learned from Leon Ware – all wrapped up here in a set list that goes a heck of a lot deeper than those already-deep references! Titles include "Apenas Uma Vez" by Tony Bizarro, "Fugitivos De Azul" by Viva Voz, "Sao Paulo" by Almir Ricardi, "Fio Da Navalha" by Guilerme Arantes, "Arue Pam" by Inema Trio, "Figa De Guine" by Anamaria E Mauricio, "Manifesto" by Marilia Barbosa, "Deixa Rodar" by Hanna, "A Vida E Um Buraco" by Jeremias, and the 7" single-only cut "Bicicleta" by Marcos Valle. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little set – far greater even than the already-excellent first volume, and a treasure trove of modern dancefloor jazz that includes a fair bit of previously unissued numbers! The vibe here is very firmly in the Schema records old/new blend of jazz and grooves – but it's also expanded nicely to include work from key combos on the current global club jazz underground – that spreading scene that's finally getting around to playing real jazz with real soul, instead of just noodling around with samples of saxophones! The feel throughout is tremendous – a near-classic blend of acoustic instrumental approaches to jazz, with just the right electric augmentation to kick things up a notch or two without dampening the soul. Titles include "Lead The Way" by Soulstance, "1974" by Jukka Eskola, "My Love Samba" by Luis Ferri, "Solifer Lento" by Dalindeo, "Some Kind Of Blues (jazz mood inst)" by S-Tone Inc, "Heroes of The Conquest" by The Invisible Session, "Stars" by Paolo Fedreghini & Marco Bianchi, "Mr Bond" by Quartetto Moderno, and "Yes & No" by Quintetto Lo Greco. 9 tracks on 2LPs. LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring collection of rare jazz from the Tokyo scene – all music originally recorded by the Japanese branch of Columbia Records – the same imprint that put out some exclusive and very hip Japanese-only albums from Miles Davis, Roy Ayers, and Herbie Hancock! The musicians here are all Japanese, and play with a vibe that definitely lives up to the label's legacy with American artists – mixing spiritual jazz, funky styles, and other soulful modes in a really great way – with a sense of variety that not only makes the collection a stellar listen throughout, but also really opens up your ears to the wealth of excellent Japanese jazz recordings that were never issued in the US! Titles include "Trial Road" by Tomoki Takahashi, "A Muddy Muffin" by Masahiko Sato, "Toppu" by Shigeharu Mukai, "Scramble" by Hiromasa Suzuki, "Samba De Negrito" by Takashi Mizuhashi & Herbie Hancock, "Ogi Denju Shiki" by Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd, "The Ground For Peace" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Chakkiri Bushi" by Nobuo Hara with Hozan Yamamoto, "Mickey's Samba" by Mikio Masuda, and "Jones Street" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto. CD

A stunning blend of soul, Latin, jazz, and Brazilian numbers – and a set that may well be our favorite entry in the Mr Bongo Record Club so far! If you know the Mr Bongo label, you'll know that for decades, they've turned us on to the sort of rare gems we might not have heard otherwise – especially Brazilian, Global, and Latin bits – and the way they intersect with American grooves of the 60s and 70s – an intersection that's explored heavily here in a really fantastic assortment of tunes! Titles include "Talkin" by Vee Gees, "Africa Bossa" by The Drive, "Okosa Bushi" by Chiemi Eri, "Japao" by Dora Morelenbaum, "Bakom Glaset" by Dina Ogon, "Copa Sete No Samba" by Copa 7, "Estrada" by Hareton Salvanini, "Ye Me Le" by Hazel Scott, "I Do Love You" by Ash Soul Inc, "Eternal Life" by Shira Small, "A Volta" by Mirna, "I'll Keep My Light In My Window" by New York Community Choir, and "Um Amor Para Toda A Vida" by Ines Soares, and "Easy Going" by Sven Wunder. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning tribute to the music of Jorge Ben – a host of classic covers from the 60s and 70s, all of which share Jorge's love for an upbeat, soulful groove! The set's exploding with life and energy – that new sort of groove that Ben first unleashed on Brazilian music in the 60s, which was quickly taken up by most of his contemporaries – as you'll hear on the wonderful tunes in this set! There's a ridiculous amount of music on the collection – over two dozen tunes, a number of which we'd never heard before – and although Jorge doesn't sing on any of them, the vocalists are all clearly inspired by his sense of warmth and soul. Every cut's a groover – and titles include "Quem Mandou" by Osmar Milito, "Zazueira" by Wilson Simonal, "Pulo Pulo" by Elza Soares, "Se Voce Quiser Mas Sem Bronquear" by Doris Monteiro, "Tenha Fe Pois Amanha Um Lindo Dia Vai Nascer" and "La Vem Salgueiro" by Os Originais Do Samba, "Carolina Carol Bela" by Os Brazoes, "Speed" by Sonia Santos, "Rei Do Maracatu" by Cyro Aguiar, "Cosa Nostra" by Os Mutreteiros Grilados, "Fio Maravilha" by Marijo, "Pais Tropical" by Wilson Simonal, and "Mas Que Nada" by Elza Soares. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic document of the lost funk legacy of 70s Japan – music that's often different than the jazz and pop work of the decade that sees greater reissue, and which shows a very strong influence from the American scene! The rhythms here are wonderful – sometimes in the best funky soundtrack mode, other times with maybe even a bit of psych added in – and some of the cuts feature lyrics, either in English or Japanese, also with a very soulful vibe – but much more of an edge than the polished sound of the city pop generation! Titles include "Yumura No Obaba" by Akira Yasuda & Beat Folk, "Jikokeno No Samba" by Kan Mikami, "Singer Lady" by Hatsumi Shibata, "Devil Woman" by Bread & Butter, "I Hope It's Fine" by School Band, "Watashi No Beatles" by Fujio Tokita, "Bad Junky Blues" by Hiroshi Sato, "Theme Of Doberman Cop" by Mieko Hirota, and "The In & Outer Stomp & Shouter" by Sammy with Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media. LP, Vinyl record album

Japanese club music from the disco years onward – but a set that's got a very universal appeal in the rhythms! The vocals are mostly in Japanese, but the arrangements, production, and instrumentation here resonate strongly with the best that New York or Philly had to offer during the disco generation – a well-done blend of funky grooves with some slightly larger instrumentation, all of which sends home the soulful vocals in a way that hardly makes you notice they're not singing in English! All of the tracks here are from rare albums – similar to the Wamono Jazz compilations – and titles include "Birth Of The Odyssey" by Godiego, "This Is Hot" by Ikue Sakakibsara, "I Will Give You Samba" by Soul Media, "Woman In A Man's World" by Hatsumi Shibata, "Disco Great Tokyo" by Pink Parachute, "Krishna" by Yumi Murata, "Ame Wa Knife No Ya Sa" by Yoshito Machida & Godiego, and "Purple Shadow" by Hatsumi Shibata. LP, Vinyl record album

A great mix of funky jazz, jazzy funk, and funky soul – all pulled from the Atlantic catalog of the 60s, and including some very tasty numbers that were only ever issued as funky 45s! The set's one of the nicest in the great Mod Jazz series on Ace, and it's the only one to feature Atlantic material, which rarely ever gets the same funky treatment as other labels from the 60s. Titles include "The Sidewinder" by Tamiko Jones & Herbie Mann, "Do It To Death" by Jackie Ivory, "Jet Set" by Dave Pike, "Fever" by Esther Phillips, "Jam Up Twist" by Tommy Ridgely, "Sticks & Stones (part 1)" by Gene Ludwig, "Bloodshot" by Hubert Laws, "Sombrero Sam" by Charles Lloyd, "The Foolkiller" by Mose Allison, "One Note Samba" by MJQ & Laurindo Almeida, "It's A Funky Thing – Right On (part 1)" by Herbie Mann, "Watermelon Man Ska" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "Trese Lobos" by Mark III Trio, "You're The Boss" by LaVern Baker & Jimmy Ricks, "Burnin Coal" by Les McCann, and "Twist City" by Matthew Gee & Johnny Griffin. 26 cuts in all – and like finding a jukebox that's lain dormant in a jazz lounge for 30 years! CD

A classic batch of funky samba tracks by this sublime 70s duo! Antonio Carlos and Jocafi transformed the sound of Brazilian music during the 70s – singing together on most recordings to create a spacious counterpoint style of vocals, which was often produced with slight electricity in the mix, flanging out the vocals to meet the funkiness of the rhythms, in a tightly dancing mode that quickly made them one of the best groups of the Samba Soul era! This 1978 set has a sweetly soulful edge that shows them growing a bit from earlier albums – and titles include "Cordel", "Homem e Homem", "Opus 2", "Rey Oxossi", and "Sossega Leao". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album by one of the greatest Brazilian funk bands ever – a wonderful blend of funk, jazz, and soul – and a set that rivals any of the best work coming from the US at the time! These guys are right on the money right from the start – moving through sharp changes with effortless ease, yet never in a way that's too slick or commercial – kind of like that perfect balance that Kool & The Gang hit for just a few records in the mid 70s – but with more of a Brazilian feel overall. Jazzy licks abound – and the keyboards, guitar, and horns are just great – but the set's also got some more regional percussion, too – which really rounds out the record wonderfully. The grooves all have a really universal appeal – essential for any fan of funky sounds – and titles include "Mr Funky Samba", "Junia", "Casa Forte", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Lelbon Via Vaz Lobo", "Baia", "Maria Fumaca", and "Metalurgia". CD

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior". CD

An overlooked treasure from the great Jorge Ben – an album recorded between the fame of his "Taj Mahal" hit and Africa Brasil classic – and a set that's every bit as wonderful as those two records! There's a tight, choppy groove to most of the set – that mix of samba, soul, and currents of American funk that Jorge created in his music – turned here towards some of the unusual themes that showed up on his Tabua De Esmeralda album, but maybe given a bit more punch, too – so that even without the benefit of language, the vocals and grooves on the set are completely captivating to a global audience! There's loads of fresh sounds here – some real under-discovered gems from Jorge's key 70s years – and titles include "Cuidado Com O Bulldog", "Zagueiro", "Para Ouvir No Radio (Luciana)", "Jorge De Capadocia", "Dumingaz", "Se Segura Malandro", and "Jesualda". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer of a mid 70s album from Hector Lavoe – recording here as a solo act after his split from the Willie Colon group, but still with strong backings and musical supervision from Willie himself! The style here is very similar to the last few albums Lavoe recorded with Colon – a brilliantly bouyant mix of samba and soul, carried off with increasing sophistication few might have expected from the pair's early years, and a depth of feeling that clearly made Hector one of the most important Latin singers of the 70s. Titles include "Tanto Como Ayer", "Vamos A Reir Un Poco", "Consejo De Oro", "De Ti Depende", and "Mentira". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest records ever from Brazilian soul legend Tim Maia – and a set that also has him singing a bit of English language lyrics too! The groove here is that classic Maia blend of Brazilian roots with American funk and soul – echoes of forro or samba in some of the rhythms, mixed with psychedelic touches, and some harder-hitting funky lines too – all in a mindblowing blend that's perfectly topped with Maia's vocals – which are every bit as large and powerful as the man on the cover himself! Tim shifts effortlessly between Portuguese lyrics and American English – the latter of which really showcases his love of American soul on the titles"I Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "Broken Heart", and "I Don't Care". The album also features a version of Marcos Valle's "Preciso Aprender A Ser So", plus the cuts "Meu Pais", "A Festa Do Santo Reis", "Nao Vou Ficar", and "Salve Nossa Senhora" – all wonderful, all the way through! CD features the bonus track "Chocolate". CD

A superb record from the great Lloyd McNeil – one of the more obscure players of the spiritual jazz generation of the 70s, but an artist who always gave us his best whenever he walked into the studio! Here, the mood is a mix of modal and Latin elements, with a definite current of influence from Brazil – thanks in part to the presence of Dom Salvador on piano and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion – in a lineup that also features Cecil McBee on bass, and Claudio Celso on guitar. The real star, though, is clearly Lloyd – whose flute solos are some of his most complex, expressive on record – very soulful, but at a level that hardly recalls any other player we can think of – very fitting for the personal themes of the tunes. Titles include "Samba For The Animals", "Asha II", "Memory Cycle", and "Elegiac Suite For Elizabeth". CD

Killer work from Marku Ribas – the funky Brazilian singer we loved back in the 70s, still sounding pretty darn great all these many years later! The set's got Marku's vocals right up top in the mix – that raspy, deep-toned mode that always made his older records sound so soulful – all set to a mix of small combo instrumentation that's mostly funk, but which also includes a few jazz inflections too – especially on guitar, which really plays a strong part in the grooves! For a modern update of older Samba Soul modes, it's hard to get better than this – and the album's a great reminder of Marku's overlooked talents. Titles include "Altas Horas", "Aristoporinde", "Doce Vida", "Bervely Help", "Ce Pas Pour Ca", "A Embaixatriz", and "Aurora Da Revolucao". CD

An excellent electric set from trombonist Frode Thingaes – working here in a style that's got a lot more 70s funky fusion elements than you might guess from the date – served up with a nice sense of space and soul that really makes the whole thing mighty groovy! A lot of the charms of the set come from keyboardist Henryk Lysiak, whose changed up his style a lot from his Hammond organ days – more spacious, and with a great ear for just the right tones and sound to make the guitar work of Pete Knutsen in the group. The rest of the combo features Jan Erik Konghaug on bass and Thor Andreassen on drums – and titles include "Cruising", "Whatever You Say", "Queen Python", and "No Name Samba" – all nice long tracks! CD

Brazilian funk, Brooklyn style – and one of the hippest collections of Brazilian grooves we've ever heard! The collection was put together by New York DJs Sean Marquand and Greg Caz – and it's got a wickedly funky vibe that comes from plenty of 70s samba soul! The style here is really different than other Brazilian Beats titles from Mr Bongo – as the work here is all classic, and chosen from a really fresh perspective – the new wave of interest in this music that's been bubbling up from the American underground, with a completely different perspective on the grooves from older scenes in Rio, Tokyo, or London! Most tracks here should be new to your ears – and although some of the tracks here have been reissued before, but they really come alive in different ways, thanks to the depth and careful pacing of the set. 22 tracks in all – with titles that include "Cafua" by Nonato, "Taieiras" by Ely Camargo, "Jeep" by Erasmo Carlos, "Cobra Criada" by Joao Bosco, "E Necessario" by Tim Maia, "Marcas" by Quarteto Uai, "Skim Dum Dum Dum" by Ana Rosely, "Black Soul Brothers" by Miguel De Deus, "Mais Kriola" by Helio Matheus, "A Festa" by Silvio Cesar, "Tava Mas Nao Tava" by Edson Frederico, "Uma Rosa Pra Dita" by Os Increveis, "Aleluia" by Robson Jorge & Licoln Olivetti, and "Beija-Flor Suite" by Chalo Eduardo. LP, Vinyl record album

The mighty DJ Spinna has a way of making already-great music sound even greater – by using just the right sort of soulful touch to augment subtle elements in the original tunes that might have otherwise gone overlooked – to unlock a richer, more righteous energy that really serves the tunes well! And while we've loved Spinna's remix work on countless singles over the years, we're even happier to hear it all in one place like this – in a nicely overstuffed collection that has so many great Spinna touches, it could well be a Spinna album on its own – especially since the DJ always has such a warmly collaborative relationship with so many different artists. Tracks include "Days Like This (Spinna & Ticklah club)" by Shaun Escoffery, "Live In The Light (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Fertile Ground, "Moonlight (DJ Spinna Galacti Soul voc)" by Bah Samba, "Dirty Mind (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Animal House, "Dear Friend (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Loftsoul with Lisa Millet, "Crossroads (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Alison Crockett, "Closer (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Goapele, "A Better Day (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Louie Vega with Raul Midon, "Why (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Tortured Soul, "I Remember Love (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Yvett Rovira, and "Rideaway Getaway (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Agent K with Carleen Anderson. CD

A stunning tribute to the music of Jorge Ben – a host of classic covers from the 60s and 70s, all of which share Jorge's love for an upbeat, soulful groove! The set's exploding with life and energy – that new sort of groove that Ben first unleashed on Brazilian music in the 60s, which was quickly taken up by most of his contemporaries – as you'll hear on the wonderful tunes in this set! There's a ridiculous amount of music on the collection – over two dozen tunes, a number of which we'd never heard before – and although Jorge doesn't sing on any of them, the vocalists are all clearly inspired by his sense of warmth and soul. Every cut's a groover – and titles include "Quem Mandou" by Osmar Milito, "Zazueira" by Wilson Simonal, "Pulo Pulo" by Elza Soares, "Se Voce Quiser Mas Sem Bronquear" by Doris Monteiro, "Tenha Fe Pois Amanha Um Lindo Dia Vai Nascer" and "La Vem Salgueiro" by Os Originais Do Samba, "Carolina Carol Bela" by Os Brazoes, "Speed" by Sonia Santos, "Rei Do Maracatu" by Cyro Aguiar, "Cosa Nostra" by Os Mutreteiros Grilados, "Fio Maravilha" by Marijo, "Pais Tropical" by Wilson Simonal, and "Mas Que Nada" by Elza Soares. CD

An unusual Japanese-only release – one that features 1963 Tokyo live work by Cannonball Adderley! The famous group features Nat Adderley on cornet, Yusef Lateef on flute and tenor, Joe Zawinul on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and titles include "Jive Samba", "Autumn Leaves, "Work Song", "Dizzy's Business", and "Primitivo". Material was recorded at the same time as the Nippon Soul album – but unreleased in the 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

A great lost slice of Cannonball Adderley from the 60s – material recorded live in Chicago in 1966, but never issued at the time! The performance on the set is a real corker – right up there with any of Cannonball's other live albums for Capitol at the time, and featuring a similar group that includes Nat Adderley on cornet and Joe Zawinul on piano – grooving along with Cannon in a set of long, loping numbers that mix together equal parts modal and soul jazz! A few of the tunes were briefly issued as 45s in the 60s – chopped down to very edited versions – but these takes are all nice and long, with many tracks that run close to ten minutes! Titles include "Money In The Pocket", "Introduction To A Samba", "Hear Me Talkin To Ya", "Requiem For A Jazz Musician", "Fiddler On The Roof", "The Sticks", and "Cannon's Theme". CD

A massive set of work from Affinity – a group who only gave the world one classic album, but have a heck of a lot more to offer too! The set begins with the self-titled album from Affinity – a British rock combo, but one with a distinctly jazzy feel – one that's often quite funky at times too! The core instrumentation is heavy on keyboards and guitar, set over some tightly rhythm bass and drums – often moving with some hip jazzy changes in the mix, and a nice sense of space between the notes that really helps things groove. Vocals are by Linda Hoyle, who again has a bit of a jazz-based approach – almost like Norma Winstone or Julie Driscoll at times in the way she soars out majestically over the rhythms, but somewhat more lyrically oriented overall. Titles include "I Am & So Are You", "Night Flight", "Three Sisters", "Mr Joy", and "I Wonder If I Care As Much". CD2 continues the jazzy spirit, with a whole host of instrumentals showing some soul jazz roots of the group – as they take on "Jive Samba", "All Blues", "Fever", "Out Of The Storm", "Comin Home Baby", and "Mercy Mercy Mercy". CD3 features origins of the group, with 17 more tracks from 1965 to 1967 – including more jazz work too – and CD4 features 9 more tracks recorded after the classic album – including "Rio", "Sunshower", "Grey Skies", "Mora's Hand", "Sarah's Wardrobe", and "Highgate". CD

An incredible little record – and the set where it really all comes together for this legendary funky jazz group! Azymuth were already great on their debut, although maybe a little experimental at times – but here, they really find the soulful groove that later got them big fame on the US scene – effortlessly blending their tight jazz skills with a dose of samba soul, and turning out some wonderfully groovy music in the process! There's clearly an influence here from the best years of Earth Wind & Fire – but also more of the edge that you'd expect from the young trio – as the amazing Jose Roberto Bertrami blows us away with his wickedly sharp keyboard solos, as Alexandre Malheiros and Mamao create these beautiful rhythms that go way past anything you might have expected from a trio. The whole thing's wonderful – one of the most soulful Brazilian records of the 70s – and titles include the great cuts "Tarde", "Tamborim Cuica Ganza Berimbau", "Falcon Love Call", and "Aguia Nao Come Mosca". CD

An overlooked treasure from the great Jorge Ben – an album recorded between the fame of his "Taj Mahal" hit and Africa Brasil classic – and a set that's every bit as wonderful as those two records! There's a tight, choppy groove to most of the set – that mix of samba, soul, and currents of American funk that Jorge created in his music – turned here towards some of the unusual themes that showed up on his Tabua De Esmeralda album, but maybe given a bit more punch, too – so that even without the benefit of language, the vocals and grooves on the set are completely captivating to a global audience! There's loads of fresh sounds here – some real under-discovered gems from Jorge's key 70s years – and titles include "Cuidado Com O Bulldog", "Zagueiro", "Para Ouvir No Radio (Luciana)", "Jorge De Capadocia", "Dumingaz", "Se Segura Malandro", and "Jesualda". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album from Kenny Burrell – one that has Ray Barretto's congas on most cuts, giving the album a similar Latiny feel to Kenny's classic Midnight Blue album on Blue Note! The Latin undercurrent hits both New York and bossa-styled modes – a great setting for Burrell's thin, snakey lines on guitar – and also a surprisingly great showcase for the tenor of Coleman Hawkins, which really opens up nicely in this setting – in ways that are a bit like his own bossa date for Impulse, or the sound of Ike Quebec's Soul Samba album! Rhythm is by Tommy Flanagan on piano, Major Holley on bass, and Eddie Locke on drums – and titles include "Tres Talbras", "Montono Blues", "Guilty", "No More", and "It's Getting Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

In the 1960's, Xavier Cugat, like so many other Latin bandleaders, tried to catch onto the groovy sound of many of the younger Latin groups who were bringing in a lot of different elements, like pop, jazz, and especially soul. While Cugie never exactly hit the heights of the Latin soul sound, the 16 tracks on this CD give a good idea of how much he was trying to hit a modern Latin pop groove. Hear him as he runs through a set of material that's as groovy as it is goofy, with titles like "Goldfinger", "Music To Watch Girls By", "Samba Saravah", "Charade", and "Bang Bang" (the Cher song, not the Joe Cuba one!) CD

A clubby classic from Jorge Dalto – a set that starts out in jazz, but moves into plenty of soul, too – a sweet blend of fusion and R&B rhythms, with plenty of appeal for the dancefloor! Jorge's keyboards are great, and they slide out beautifully from the full, swelling backdrops – in ways that remind us a lot of Rodney Franklin's great work for Columbia Records – especially in the way that acoustic keys are balanced with electric elements. Titles include "Samba All Day Long", "Listen Up", "Sky", "Spanish Harlem", "La Costa", and "Girl In Blue". CD

Three great later albums from mod jazz legend Georgie Fame – all brought together in a single set! Right Now is a bit later than classic vintage for Georgie Fame, but still plenty darn great – and proof that Fame was always one of the most inventive singers of his generation! The album's got a fair bit of jazz players in the lineup, but the style's a bit more polished overall – almost an extension of the tighter groove that Georgie got on his Goin Home album for Columbia – with a bit of electricity in the backings, and a blend of styles that mixes soul, singer/songwriter, and Fame's jazzier roots. Backings are conducted by Karl Jenkins, and titles include "A Different Dream", "Little Samba", "Ollie's Party", "Eros Hotel", "Cross A Lazy Afternoon", "Last Song", "Too Shy To Say", and "Zulu". On That's What Friends Are For, the greatness of Georgie Fame never dims – and this late 70s album has him wrapping his wonderful vocals around a set of tightly-done done numbers that mix together bits of soul and more contemporary pop! Fame's got a way of making any tune his own, no matter what the setting – and even working here with fuller backings, he's got a sense of person and presence that's simply amazing – a quality that still hangs on to the rough rasp of his early R&B years, yet which comes across with a maturity that's really great. Material like this might sound schlocky in the hands of anyone else, but Georgie really makes the record great – getting past the hoke and really keeping us interested throughout. Titles include "That's What Friends Are For", "Lovely Day", "You", "L In LA", "Maybe Tomorrow", "Cat's Eyes", and "If I Didn't Mean You Well". Closing The Gap is a very unusual later album from Georgie Fame – one that has him working with the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, in a set of Jamaican-themed tunes! The album was produced and arranged by Lloyd Charmers, who also wrote a fair number of tracks in the set – and it's got a slow-stepping quality that nicely fits Fame's aging vocals – a bit in the way that Serge Gainsbourg's experiments with Sly & Robbie at the same time turned out to work equally well. The sound here's a bit smoother, but still plenty darn great – and the little kick in most numbers helps bring out the most personal qualities in Georgie's vocals. Titles include "Give A Little More", "I Love Jamaica", "Run Away With Me", "Eros Hotel", "Everything I Own", and "Up Tight". CD

Quite possibly our favorite album ever from Chico Freeman – a beautiful set that was originally issued only in Japan, and which has Chico hitting some of his strongest, most spiritual modes on record! The album features Freeman's reeds in the company of other Chicagoans – AACM players who include Henry Threadgill on saxes, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, and Steve McCall on percussion – plus added work from Cecil McBee on bass and Ben Montgomery on drums – both players who round out the group with a very solid rhythmic focus. There's a bold sense of direction to this record that you don't always get in other work from Chico – a sound that's almost more Strata East at points, and which serves to bring the AACM players into sharp formation, and a strongly rhythmic orientation at times. The whole thing's wonderful – very well-crafted, and filled with spirit and soul – and titles include "The In Between", "Like The Kind Of Peace It Is", "Morning Prayer", "Pepe's Samba", and "Conversations". CD also features a bonus 19 minute version of "Pepe's Samba". CD

One of the grooviest albums ever from the pair of Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete – a set of longer-than-usual tunes that really lets both players open up nicely! The setting is quite spare – just bass and drums behind Bola's guitar and Vince's piano – although there's a bossa/samba vibe to the work, there's also a more fluid sort of groove too – that lightly lyrical soul that always showed up in Guaraldi's own work of the 60s. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Mambossa", "Moon Rays", and "Casaba". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of Gears, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the say we he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do". The second half of this CD is Forever Taurus, which Johnny recorded right after his legendary Gears album, and it features production by Wade Marcus that's very much in the Larry Mizell mode that made Johnny huge in the 70s! As with the Gears record, Johnny's backed by a large ensemble of players – and the overall sound has lots of nice touches, extra percussion, and a good electric groove. Tracks include "Cosmic Voyager", "Walk In Sunshine", "Ghetto Samba", and the title cut. CD

Very cool – a Japanese-only collection that features some of the grooviest work from Quincy Jones' years on Mercury Records – titles that include "Peter Gunn", "Desafinado", "Watermelon Man", "Soul Bossa Nova", "Satisfaction", "Jive Samba", "Walk In The Black Forest", "Manha Do Carnival", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Mack The Knife", and "Whisper Not". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums in a long line of successes from the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra – recorded live in their home turf at the Village Vanguard! The group at this point was a freshly-created outfit filled with some of the best large group jazz soloists of the time – players that included Jerome Richardson, Joe Farrell, Eddie Daniels, Pepper Adams, Richard Williams, and Bob Brookmeyer – not to mention Jones and Lewis themselves! The style here is very much in the mode that the Clarke Boland Band was crafting in Europe during the same period – a redefinition of the larger jazz group, in a way that allowed it to swing with the dynamic energy and soul of some of the smaller combos of the 60s. And while the Jones/Lewis group had many years over which to hone their craft, they've never sounded better than on these initial recordings – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Samba Con Getchu", "A That's Freedom", "Bachafillen", and "Little Pixie". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Lover Man", "The Second Race", and "Quietude". CD

One of the funkiest records ever from Brazilian soul legend Tim Maia – and a set that also has him singing a bit of English language lyrics too! The groove here is that classic Maia blend of Brazilian roots with American funk and soul – echoes of forro or samba in some of the rhythms, mixed with psychedelic touches, and some harder-hitting funky lines too – all in a mindblowing blend that's perfectly topped with Maia's vocals – which are every bit as large and powerful as the man on the cover himself! Tim shifts effortlessly between Portuguese lyrics and American English – the latter of which really showcases his love of American soul on the titles"I Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "Broken Heart", and "I Don't Care". The album also features a version of Marcos Valle's "Preciso Aprender A Ser So", plus the cuts "Meu Pais", "A Festa Do Santo Reis", "Nao Vou Ficar", and "Salve Nossa Senhora" – all wonderful, all the way through! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest 60s live albums from Herbie Mann – done in a style that's a bit different from the rest! Herbie cut many successful live albums for Atlantic, most of them with a hard wailing soul jazz groove – but this one's a nice batch of mellower bossa tunes, played at the Newport festival in Herbie's early love affair with the music, by a group that includes Dave Pike on vibes and Atilla Zoller on guitar. All tracks are long, and the groove is much more open-handed than on Herbie's studio bossa albums. Titles include "Garota De Ipanema", "Desafinado", "Samba De Orfeu", and the more soul jazz oriented tune "Don't You Know", written by bassist Ben Tucker. LP, Vinyl record album

A great follow-up to Miller's Wingspan album – recorded back in the 80s, and one of his strongest albums ever! The original album had an angular and soaring quality that's different from some of Miller's other records, and slightly more adventurous – and this session really keeps the mood of that one with some extremely well-written and well-played compositions. Players include Steve Nelson on vibes, Steve Wilson on alto and soprano sax, Karriem Riggins on drums, and Richie Goods on bass – and the whole thing feels like some of the best albums on Muse or Landmark during their indie soul jazz days of the 80s. Titles include "Spectrum", "Samba D Blue", "Just A Notion", "Go East Young Man", "Holding Hands", and "Elation". CD

A bold move forward for Ed Motta – an artist who's already been making plenty of bold moves in the past few years! Aystelum further expands on the musical journey begun by Ed on Dwitza and Poptical – but it really pushes the envelope even more, and brings a lot more cosmic jazz and soul influences into the mix. Ed's clearly inspired here by the sound of Strata East and Black Jazz in the 70s – but he's also moving way past simple imitation and homage – into a realm that can only be described as "Motta-esque" for its unique fusion of jazz, soul, Brazilian rhythms, and, well, fusion! Some tracks on the set have a soaring spiritual feel that takes us back to the early days of Norman Connors or Carlos Garnett – but others hit a quieter, more introspective style that's more focused on Motta's work on Fender Rhodes, or his warmly soulful vocals – and it's this contrast of moods that only serves to further deepen the spirit of the set, and make us marvel at the complexity of Ed's musical vision – especially when we remember that a few short years ago he was making simple R&B! Jota Moraes helps Motta out a fair bit in the arrangements, and a few of the tracks even have a large backing chorus too. Titles inlcude "A Charada", "Patidid", "Guezagui", "Awunism", "Pharmacias", "Aystelum", and "Samba Azul". CD

A set recorded in the 90s, but one that brings together a host of players who recorded for Riverside Records in the late 50s and early 60s! The core sound is right in keeping with the label's best mix of hardbop, modern, and soul jazz at the time – and the ensemble is mighty tight, and hardly the "jam session" group you might expect! Instead, the record features a sextet with Nat Adderley on cornet, Jimmy Heath on tenor, Buddy Montgomery on vibes, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums – all coming together with the solid sock you might expect from some of Nat's classic Riverside dates with brother Cannonball Adderley! Tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Hi Fly", "Jive Samba", "Big P", "Back To Back", "You've Changed", and "Pannonica". CD