Music and themes from King Kong, Now Voyager, The Caine Mutiny, Adventures Of Don Juna, The Searchers, Sergeant York, Gone With The Wind, and Casablanca – performed by the City Of Prague Philharmonic and Westminster Philharmonic Orchesta. CD

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Music from Aliens, Armageddon, Apollo 13, Robocop, Silent Running, Star Trek, Galaxy Quest, Predator, Star Wars, Lost In Space, Mars Attacks, Total Recall, and more. CD

Maybe the coolest collection of work we've ever seen from the legendary Mag Records label from Peru – a really unique imprint that always had a way of serving up a slightly different take on more familiar styles! Here, as you'd guess from the title, the focus is on Latin Soul and boogaloo numbers – but the vibe is a change from the more familiar Fania side of the spectrum – as the arrangements and production change things up, and the instrumentation sometimes offers up some really great surprises! Make no mistake, these cuts resonate every bit as strongly with work by Joe Bataan or Joe Cuba from the late 60s – but there's also plenty of fresh flavors too, as you'll hear on the batch of 22 tracks that includes "Peruvian Guajira" by Melochita Y Karamanduka, "Salchicha Con Huevo" by Nico Estrada, "Bugalu" by Joe Di Roma, "La Batea" by Santiago Silva, "Dejenme Ser Libre" by Beto Villena, "Guajira Cubana" by Luciano Luciani Y Sus Mulatos, "Bahia" by New Juggler Sound, "Soul Limbo" by Otto De Rojas, "No Se No Se" by Sangre Joven, "Guajira De Amor" by Sonora Casino, and "El Boogashake" by Mario Allison. LP, Vinyl record album

A lively collection of classic samba material – featuring some really nice gems from the revivalist era of the early and mid 70s. As with all Luaka Bop compilations, the liner notes are great, and provide a strong introduction to the music. There's a total of 15 cuts in all – including "SPC" by Zeca Pagodinho, "Sufoco" by Alcione, "E Preciso Muito Amor" by Chica Da Silva, "Caxambu" by Almir Guineto, "Claustrofobia" by Marinho Da Vila, "A Deusa Dos Orixa" by Clara Nunes, and "Formosa" by Ciro Monteiro. CD

With selections by The Phaetons, Johnny Gamble, Frankie Rose & The Imperials, Georgie Manis, Mel McGonnigle, Bunky & The Rocktones, Ricky Vance & The Ramrods, Bobby Kent & The Kentones, The Tri-Tones, Artie Holmes, Bob Silva & The Silva-tones, The Vectors, El'Dorados, and The Star-Fires. LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary Azymuth rises from the ashes – on this, their first record after the passing of keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami – with a sound that takes us back to the amazing cosmic funk of their first few albums in the 70s! The new keyboardist, Kiko Continentino, has a sound that's really wonderful – the same sort of spare approach to Fender Rhodes that made Bertrami so great back in the day – but also maybe a bit more edge than Jose had in recent years, which gives the group a really refreshed sound, and a lean groove that's completely sublime! The trio are joined by percussionist Robertinho Silva and keyboardist Daniel Maunick at some points – and Maunick also produced the record. Titles include "Orange Clouds", "Neptunians", "Fenix", "Villa Mariana", "Papa Samba", and "Rio Doce". LP, Vinyl record album

The greatest entertainer ever? We think so – and this 2LP set offers Sammy D in the best possible way to get him: live, and in the very familiar turf of the Sands Hotel. This live album, and it's counterpart (At The Cocoanut Grove, also on Reprise) are, in our opinion, Sammy's best recordings – because they feature him ripping through a bunch of material, doing lots of great impressions and medleys, and really swinging with a tight little combo led by Michael Silva, the drummer. The groove is really jazzy – way jazzier than on some of Sammy's studio LPs from the time – and he runs through a range of material from pop tunes to standards, done in a style that's far different than you'd expect for the titles. The vocals are tight, heartfelt, but also given a professional little finesse that really makes them sparkle. Titles include "Ain't I", "Another Spring", "On A Clear Day", "As Long As She Needs Me", "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", "The Lady Is A Tramp", and 2 fantastic medleys with lots of jazzy songs. Heck, Dean Martin never got a chance to cut a double live album – and Frank really ever did one – so given that Sammy got a chance to do two of them, you've gotta figure the format really worked for him! This is the real Mr. Entertainment, and you owe it to yourself to hear him as he really was. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first great albums by alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons as a leader – a tremendous entry into the BYG/Actuel series of avant jazz recordings at the end of the 60s – and a record that may well be one of the greatest that Lyons ever gave us! The setting here is nice and lean – a piano-less quartet with an all-star lineup – Lester Bowie on trumpet, Alan Silva on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums – the last two of whom provide all sorts of open, post-rhythmic energy that really sets the horns free – and Bowie is a wonderful match for Lyons in the energy of the set! There's a beautiful balance between structure and freedom throughout – and titles include "Other Afternoons", "My You", "Premonitions", and "However". CD

One of Flora Purim's 70s classics – an album recorded with that soaring breezy vocal style that she virtually invented – heard here before it got too old, and too copied by other singers! The set's a live one, filled with lots of energy – and recorded before a very enthusiastic crowd at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Fest. Players include David Amaro on guitar, Pat Rebillot and Wagner Tiso on electric piano and organ, Ron Carter on bass, Roberta Silva on drums, Airto on a range of percussion – and guest vocals and a bit of guitar from Milton Nascimento on one track! Airto, Nascimento, and Tiso arranged the set – and tracks include "O Cantador", "Bridge", "500 Miles High", "Cravo E Canela", "Baia", "Uri", and "Jive Talk". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic batch of Bay Area Brazilian grooves – recorded in the sweet breezy electric style of the Fantasy studios, and featuring the vocals of the lovely Flora Purim in the lead! The session's got a great mix of Brazilian and American fusion players – including Airto (of course!), Ron Carter, George Duke, Egberto Gismonti, Alphonso Johnson, Robertinho Silva, Hermeto Pascoal, and Ndugu Leon Chancler. Pascoal's reed work is a very nice treat, especially over the warm keyboards of George Duke. Purim's voice is as wonderful as ever, and the album's got lots of nice numbers, like "Ina's Song", "Andei (I Walked)", "Time's Lie", and "Open Your Eyes You Can Fly". CD

Beautiful work from Archie Shepp – a record that's filled with meaning and power, and which really stands out as a freer expression of his ideals while working on the European scene! The players here are an array of other BYG/Actuel luminaries – including Burton Greene on piano, Grachan Moncur on trombone, Malachi Favors and Alan Silva on bass, and Philly Joe Jones and Claude Delcloo on drums. Hank Mobley makes a surprising appearance on a version of "Oleo" – joining Shepp's tenor after the first half of the track, which is titled "Rain Forrest". That side-long track is complemented by another long number on the flip – "Mamarose/Poem For Malcolm" – a very spiritual track with some nice vocalizations too. CD

A beautiful performance from modern piano genius Cecil Taylor – one that was not circulated at the time of its mid-60s recording, but which stands as a crucial document of the shifting sound of Taylor's work at the time! The extended performance might come as some surprise to those who only know Cecil with his completely freewheeling piano work of the 70s – as here, he's sometimes got more space between the notes, and works with qualities that have more of an open ear towards the resonant possibilities of the piano – definitely more improvised than his Cafe Montmartre performance from a few years before, and driven onwards as a full group effort – with participation from Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and Alan Silva on bass – the last of whom is really a key part of the sound. Titles include the two-part "Student Studies" – plus "Niggle Feuigle" and "Amplitude". CD

One of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". CD

Well, in our opinion, Cal went Latin right from the start, practically. Still, this "Goes Latin" LP is one of his best of the genre from the old days, and features a host of great players like Lonnie Hewitt, Chombo Silva, Mongo Santamaria, Paul Horn, and Willie Bobo. The album includes Cal's semi-hit "Black Orchid", plus "Mi China", "Bonita", "Contigo", and "Mambo At The M". Very nice, with a sound that would become Cal's trademark in the years right after this album. Cal Tjader Quintet is a great little Latin session from Cal – recorded with extra percussion from Benny Velarde and Luis Miranda, plus rhythm from the Duran brothers, Manuel (piano) and Carlos (bass). The groove's nice and heavy, pretty driving on most cuts, a perfect foil for Cal's jazzy vibes. Titles include "A Minor Goof", "Laura", "Lullaby In Birdland", "Undecided", and Cal's classic reading of Tito Puente's "Philadelphia Mambo". CD

Includes a few recordings of Ataulfo Alves singing his songs – plus later recordings by Miltinho, Orlando Silva, Carlos Galhardo, Silvio Caldas, and Ataulfo Alves Jr – all packaged with a nice booklet of notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album

Essential stuff! This 2 CD set includes the entirety of Albert Ayler's Live In Greenwich Village album – plus a huge amount of previously unreleased live material, played by the Ayler group in New York, during 1966 and 1967. Ayler's brother Don is on trumpet, and other players include Joel Freedman, George Steele, Bill Fowell, Beaver Harris, Sunny Murray, Alan Silva, and Henry Grimes. The tracks have the same intensity of Ayler's ESP work – and many tunes are quite long, very free and open. Titles include "Light In Darkness", "Divine Peacemaker", "Angels", "Omega Is The Alpha", "Universal Thoughts", "Change Has Come", "Infinite Spirit", and "Spiritual Rebirth". 14 tracks in all – and one of the most important slices of Ayler's career! CD

A landmark recording that is one of Jorge Ben's best albums ever! The album is a perfect realization of the way that Jorge mixes Brazilian rhythms with choppy Afro grooves – and the result is a masterpiece that yielded some of his biggest tracks ever. Included here is the great choppy funk track "Ponta De Lanca", plus loads of other goodies like "O Filosofo", "Xica Da Silva", "A Historia De Jorge", and a great remake of "Taj Mahal" – probably his greatest cut ever. Great all the way through – and is a perfect introduction to Jorge Ben if you don't know his work, and an essential addition to your collection if you do! LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking material from Bill Dixon – some of his best-remembered recordings of the later years, and a seminal set that showed that his talents were every bit as sharp as they were when he first emerged on the scene in the 60s! The work here has a very compositional feel – one that's still never too serious, and which allows more than enough space for jazz-based expression – especially on the trumpet and piano lines that step out with a singular feel amidst some of the darker tones of the ensemble. Players include Dixon on trumpet and piano, Arthur Brooks and Stephen Haynes on trumpet, Stephen Horenstein on tenor and baritone sax, Alan Silva on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums. Titles include "Summer Song/One/Morning", "Summer Song/Two/Evening", "Firenze" and the lengthy "For Cecil Taylor – Almost Anacrusis/Conversation/New Slow Dance". CD

A pretty amazing record – jazz tracks performed by Luiz Eca, pianist and leader of the Tamba Trio, in conjunction with Brazilian trombonist Astor Silva – both of whom co-lead a tight combo that grooves with an edge that's at once jagged, soulful, and swinging! There's a slight bit of bossa in the mix, but the set's also steeped in plenty of other styles borrowed from 50s American jazz – all woven through the sublime arranging talents of Eca, truly one of our favorite talents ever! Titles include "Nova Ilusao", "E Luxo So", "Yesterdays", "Adios", "Always", and "Nova Ilusao". CD

One of the best records in years from the mighty Far Out label – and a set that really takes the imprint back to its roots! The name of the record echoes the first Friends From Rio session that launched Far Out almost two decades ago – and like that classic, this one's a collaborative effort between a range of Brazilian and British talents – served up in a style that bridges the gap between older bossa and more contemporary modes! The music is perfect from the ground up – not a cheesy bossa remix project, but a true blend of all the best elements, served up in a rich new style. The project gets key Incognito-style help from Daniel "Venom" Maunick, and a real Azymuth pedigree from Alex Malheiros – and the whole thing features a great range of different singers, including Hyldon, Robertinho Silva, Aleh Ferreira, Ivan Matheus, Denise Pinaud, Sabrina Malheiros, and Carlos Dafe – each wrapped up in a sweet blend of Fender Rhodes, organ, riffing guitar, and sweet jazzy horns. Titles include "So Resta A Porta Se Abrir", "Mas Que Nada", "Garota", "Aguai", "Casino Bangu", "Batucada Bidu", "Anthemia", "Leita De Pedra", and "Mulher Malagueta". CD

A landmark record from the Dutch jazz scene – one that takes all the strong 70s years of free improvisation in that world, and helps it find a new sort of focus! As fans of the scene know, ICP stands for Instant Composers Pool – writing while improvising on the spot – a notion that's applied here to a completely amazing tentet, with a lineup that moves even beyond the core scene – to include Misha Mengelberg on piano, John Tchicai on alto and soprano, Gilius Bergeyk on alto, Peter Bennink on alto and sopranino, Peter Brotzmann on alto and tenor, Bert Koppelaar on trombone, Tristan Honsinger on cello, Alan Silva on bass, Han Bennink on drums and bass clarinet, and Michel Waisisz on the very cool "crackle box". The force of the individual players is already amazing – but the way they come together here is breathtaking – sometimes with a full blast that should be chaos, but which finds an amazing sense of song, thanks in part to the strength of Mengelberg on piano. Titles include "Valse Trovee", "Ludvig's Blue Note", "Dank", "Alexander's Marschbefehl", "Rumboon", and five "Tetterettet" selections. CD

A seminal album – a late 60s classic meeting of the brain trust of the avant garde jazz scene in New York, recorded for the young JCOA label – and put forth as one of their early attempts to prove that musicians could be in charge of the means of production! Michael Mantler provided the core composition, and directs the group – but the lineup is a who's who of forces who'd record for ESP, Impulse, and other labels – with bold solos from Don Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Larry Coryell on guitar, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Cecil Taylor on piano, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor – in a larger lineup of players who also include Steve Marcus, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Alan Silva, Carla Bley, Beaver Harris, Charles Davis, Robert Northern, Kent Carter, and many other key avant musicians! Titles include "Communications 8", "Communications 9", "Communications 10", and "Communications 11".' CD

One of Flora Purim's 70s classics – an album recorded with that soaring breezy vocal style that she virtually invented – heard here before it got too old, and too copied by other singers! The set's a live one, filled with lots of energy – and recorded before a very enthusiastic crowd at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Fest. Players include David Amaro on guitar, Pat Rebillot and Wagner Tiso on electric piano and organ, Ron Carter on bass, Roberta Silva on drums, Airto on a range of percussion – and guest vocals and a bit of guitar from Milton Nascimento on one track! Airto, Nascimento, and Tiso arranged the set – and tracks include "O Cantador", "Bridge", "500 Miles High", "Cravo E Canela", "Baia", "Uri", and "Jive Talk". CD

A long-lost performance by Sun Ra and the Arkestra – recorded in Amsterdam at the start of the 70s, when the group were brought in by avant saxophonist Hans Dulfer for a special performance! This album marks the first-ever issue of the material, from rediscovered tapes that finally present the group on that night in all of their glory – a horn-heavy version of the Arkestra with Danny Davis, Danny Ray Thompson, Marshall Allen, Pat Patrick, and John Gilmore on reeds – as well as Kwame Hadi and Akh Tal Ebah on trumpets, June Tyson on vocals, and a surprise appearance from Alan Silva on cello, bass, viola, and violin! Ra himself plays moog, rocksichord, piano, and the Spacemaster organ – and the group has plenty of percussion, and a rich sound that really resonates strongly in the legendary venue. Titles include an early reading of "Space Is The Place" – plus "Watusa", "Walking On The Moon", "Paradiso Improviso #1", "We Travel The Spaceways", "Theme From The Stargazers", "The Solar Moog Approach", and "Second Stop Is Jupiter". CD

Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall – and marks a great large venue performance by the Arkestra on the New York scene. Ra and the group recorded the set on New Year's Eve, 1964 – at a time when John Gilmore had left the Arkestra to work with Art Blakey – leaving Pharoah Sanders to come and take his place on tenor. Also noteworthy is the presence of Black Harold (Harold Murray) on flute – blowing with a dark edge alongside other group members who include Al Evans on trumpet, Teddy Nance on trombone, Marshal Allen on alto sax, Pat Patrick on baritone sax, and both Alan Silva and Ronnie Boykins on bass. The performance starts with a relatively fierce sound, but then moves into some beautifully lyrical moments – and titles include "Gods On A Safari", "The World Shadow", "Rocket Number Nine", "The Voice Of Pan", "Dawn Over Israel", and "Space Mates". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little album, very different than Wayne Shorter's other work, and sort of a "return of the favor" to the nation of Brazil for the country's rich musical influence on his music! Milton Nascimento sings vocals on most cuts, and if anything, the album resembles Nascimento's work of the mid 70s quite strongly – with similar airy arrangements and a very full, polished sound. Brazilian jazz musicians Airto, Roberto Silva, and Wagner Tiso play on the record – which also features work by Herbie Hancock. Titles include "Ponta De Areia", "Tarde", "Miracle Of The Fishes", "From The Lonely Afternoon", and "Ana Maria". CD

An unusual collection of work from Cecil Taylor – a set that mixes together two different key strands of sound from the mid 60s! The first selection on the album is "With (Exit)" – a 19 minute long track taken from the Conquistador sessions – which formed one of Cecil Taylor's most striking albums of the 60s, and one of the few in which he works with a larger than usual group – not a trio or quartet, but an ultra-hip sextet! The lineup is incredible – the cream of the arch-modern players of the avant era, including Bill Dixon on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on bass – a double-use of the instrument that's really tremendous. Cecil himself plays with a firey style that's got the best energy of some of his earlier European recordings, but a tighter approach that's even more compelling. Student Studies is next – a beautiful performance from modern piano genius Cecil Taylor – one that was not circulated at the time of its mid-60s recording, but which stands as a crucial document of the shifting sound of Taylor's work at the time! The extended performance might come as some surprise to those who only know Cecil with his completely freewheeling piano work of the 70s – as here, he's sometimes got more space between the notes, and works with qualities that have more of an open ear towards the resonant possibilities of the piano – definitely more improvised than his Cafe Montmartre performance from a few years before, and driven onwards as a full group effort – with participation from Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and Alan Silva on bass – the last of whom is really a key part of the sound. Titles include the two-part "Student Studies" – plus "Niggle Feuigle" and "Amplitude". CD

2 live cookers from Cal Tajder – back to back on a single CD! The set begins with Night At The Blackhawk – one of Cal's best late 50s dates for Fantasy Records – thanks to some smoking tenor sax from Jose "Chombo" Silva! The album has Cal working in the very comfortable territory of San Francisco's Blackhawk Nightclub – in a combo that also features familiar players Vince Guaraldi on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Willie Boby on drums, and Mongo Santamaria on congas – all musicians who'd previously helped Tjader hit some of his best Latin grooves! But the addition of Silva on a few tracks here really makes the set crackle – giving it a gutsy, soulful fee that you don't always get on some of Tjader's other records. Tracks are longish – and titles include the nice original "Bill B", plus jazzy versions of "I Love Paris", "Blue & Sentimental", and "Night In Tunisia". Live & Direct is great live work from Cal Tjader – one of a number of sets but at his home turf of the Blackhawk Nightclub in San Francisco! The album's nicely laidback, with tracks that stretch out a bit more than Tjader's studio work for Fantasy Records – often hitting a slight Latin groove at times, but with a bit more of a straight jazz vibes feel overall! The great Lonnie Hewitt's on the group on piano, coloring in the tunes with some very soulful notes – and in addition to Cal's vibes, the rest of the lineup includes Victor Venegas on bass, and Willie Bobo on drums. Mongo Santamaria on congas and Rolando Lozano on flute join in on the track "Mambo Terrifico" – and other titles include "Racoon Straits", "Bad & The Beautiful", and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream". Note that the CD omits the track "The Continental" from Live & Direct – due to space restrictions. CD

Funky female soul from the African scene of the 70s – much of it with a good deal of club music influence in the mix! The work here is from a time when music on the continent was absorbing a lot of modes from soul, funk, and club styles in the US and Europe – mixing older Afro Funk styles with modern soul arrangements and production – in an approach that creates a really compelling post-colonial sound! The tracks here are the sort that would pave the way for a later explosion of world music – and are still a lot hipper than most of that later scene, with a groove that would have played well on dancefloors in Paris or London. Titles include "Time Waits For No One" by Christy, "Tala Tala" by Carmen Ezumah, "Danger" by The Lijadu Sisters, "Kilimanjaro" by Bakambi N'Kela, "Xica Da Silva" by Miriam Makeba, "Tango" by Akofa Akoussah, "Nou Ke Sa Inmew" by Cida Desvarieux, and "Enyin" by Uta Bella. LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking descarga work from this legendary group – a fantastic mix of Latin rhythms and jazz – with players who include Charlie Palmieri on piano, Kako and Orlando Marin on timbales, Barry Rogers on trombone, and Jose Chombo Silva on tenor sax! Vocals are by an equally all-star group – Willie Torres, Yayo El Indio, and Dioris Vallardes – and titles include their massive version of "Manteca", plus another hard jazz mambo cut, "Ensayo Pa'la Luna", and some hard gurachas too! Also has a great goofy cover, a cartoon like the other volumes, which shows the boys floating around out in space, orbiting a space capsule above "Cape Alegre". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first big moments of Albert Ayler's work in the jazz mainstream – and a record that doesn't dim his greatness at all from the earlier sides recorded for ESP! The album's got a sharply angular sound that more than lives up to its vibrant cover image – a well-honed approach to improvisation, showcased by Ayler in a set of recordings done upon his return from work on the European scene. The material was recorded on two different dates – featuring two different groups: one with Alan Silva, Beaver Harris, and Joel Friedman; the other with Donald Ayler, Henry Grimes, and Michel Sampson. Titles are long, with the searing emotional sound that Ayler was peaking at during this time – and titles include "For John Coltrane", "Change Has Come", and "Truth is Marching In". CD

Brilliant late work from spiritual saxophone genius Albert Ayler – one of his last truly great albums! The session has none of the jazz-meets-other music feel of some of the other Impulse albums – and is more in the straight expressive style of the ESP recordings. Tracks are more reined in here – with some short themes that are almost a distillation of the freedom Ayler had been expressing for a few years, summed up beautifully in tunes that have a plaintive cry, filled with as much soul and love as Ayler could muster into his horn! Players include Donald Ayler on trumpet, Cal Cobbs on harpsichord, Alan Silva on bass, and Milford Graves on drums – and titles include "Zion Hill", "Love Flower", "Love Cry", "Ghosts", "Omega", and "Dancing Flowers". CD also includes some extra bonus material! CD

Original recordings by Wilson Batista, plus later interpretations by Roberto Silva, Jorge Goulart, Vassourinha, Ciro Monteiro, Silvio Caldas, Paulinho Da Viola, Noite Ilustrada, and others – presented here with a nice booklet of notes and photos, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark recording that is one of Jorge Ben's best albums ever! The album is a perfect realization of the way that Jorge mixes Brazilian rhythms with choppy Afro grooves – and the result is a masterpiece that yielded some of his biggest tracks ever. Included here is the great choppy funk track "Ponta De Lanca", plus loads of other goodies like "O Filosofo", "Xica Da Silva", "A Historia De Jorge", and a great remake of "Taj Mahal" – probably his greatest cut ever. Great all the way through – and is a perfect introduction to Jorge Ben if you don't know his work, and an essential addition to your collection if you do! LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of killers from this jazzy Latin combo of the 70s! First up is the self-title Caldera album – a jazzy Latin fusion classic – and the first album by the border-crossing combo! The group features both North and South American players – coming together in a hard-riffing approach to fusion that rivals the best fusion combos of both the California and Brazilian scenes at the time. There's a few nice moments that really belie their more southern roots – and recall the choppy fusion of Airto, or the vocal scatting of Flora – but the set's also got a sunny west coast finish, thanks to some wonderful production from Wayne Henderson – who kicks things up in a way that the group hardly matched on later albums! Guest stars include Raul De Souza and Roberto Da Silva – and titles include the funk classic "Coastin", plus "Guanacaste", "Out Of The Blue", "El Juguete", and "Synesthesia". Nest is Sky Islands – a set that's recorded with a smooth soulful style that's right up there with the best of the Capitol Rare generation! Caldera mixes together nice jazzy saxes with guitars, percussion, and some great keyboard work by Eduardo Del Barrio – all produced by the group with a sweet arching style that's very much in the Brazilian fusion style of the time – a wonderful blend that also gets a dose of California warmth, which is just the right element to send the whole thing home nicely! Tracks include the classic "Sky Islands", plus "Pegasus", "Carnavalito", "Triste", and "Ancient Source". CD

Cuba descarga – played American style! The set's a killer bit of Latin jazz from the New York scene of the 60s – a really brilliant effort headed up by Osvaldo Chihuahua Martinez – who plays both timbale and guiro – in a crack lineup that also features Chocolate Armenteros on trumpet, Chombo Silva on tenor sax, Manfredo Lee on guiro, and Dick Meldonial on flute – all players that get plenty of space to show off their talents here – especially on the solo moments, which really take off from the straighter vocal passages. Percussion is tremendous too – thanks to congas from Enrique Navarro – and titles include "Oye Lo Pollo", "Chihuahua En Timbales", "Cosquilla", "El Cavallo", "Cuban Night", and "Coco De Agua". LP, Vinyl record album

With Milt Buckner, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, and Michael Silva. CD

Possibly the best album ever by this excellent Brazilian percussive combo! The record begins the groove where the group's other albums started – by taking hard batucada rhythms, and tight samba grooves – but it also adds in a bit tighter production, and shows a marked commitment to hitting the same sort of dancefloor groove that you'd expect from other work on Far Out. Wilson Das Neves and Robertinho Silva are at the head of the percussion team – and tracks include "Roda Baiana", "Bo", "Batucumba", "Taruma", "Berimbal Capoeira", and "Read Between The Lines". CD

Hearth is Susana Santos Silva, Mette Rasmussen, Ada Rave, and Kaja Draksler. CD

Killer live work from Mongo Santamaria – two sets recorded at the Black Hawk club in San Francisco during the early 60s! First up is Mighty Mongo – an excellent obscure Mongo Santamaria album – and one that features a nice jazzy groove played by one of Mongo's best groups ever! The band features Joao Donato, the famous Brazilian pianist, doubling up on trombone on a number of tracks – something you never hear on his Brazilian albums! Other players include Pupi Legaretta on violin, Jose Chombo Silva on tenor, and Rolando Lozano on flute – plus percussion from Willie Bobo on timbales. The album's a live one – with some great Latin jazz energy – and titles include the tasty "Descarga At The Blackhawk", plus "Bluchanga", 'Sabor", and "Bacoso". Viva Mongo is a hard burner from Mongo Santamaria's San Francisco years – a live date cooked up in close company at the legendary Black Hawk club! The group's a very jazzy one – but with a bit of a pachanga feel at times too – thanks to instrumentation from Jose Chombo Silva and Pupi Legaretta on violins, and Rolando Lozano on flute – whose interplay makes for some great melodies on the set. Rudy Calzado sings vocals on a few numbers – and Pat Patrick plays baritone on one tune too. Willie Bobo plays timbales – and titles include "Pachanga Twist", "Para-Ti", "Mambo Terrifico", and nice covers of "Close Your Eyes" and "Body & Soul". CD

Beautiful work from Archie Shepp – a record that's filled with meaning and power, and which really stands out as a freer expression of his ideals while working on the European scene! The players here are an array of other BYG/Actuel luminaries – including Burton Green on piano, Grachan Moncur on trombone, Malachi Favors and Alan Silva on bass, and Philly Joe Jones and Claude Delcloo on drums. Hank Mobley makes a surprising appearance on a version of "Oleo" – joining Shepp's tenor after the first half of the track, which is titled "Rain Forrest". That side-long track is complemented by another long number on the flip – "Mamarose/Poem For Malcolm" – a very spiritual track with some nice vocalizations too. CD

A beautiful little album, very different than Wayne Shorter's other work, and sort of a "return of the favor" to the nation of Brazil for the country's rich musical influence on his music! Milton Nascimento sings vocals on most cuts, and if anything, the album resembles Nascimento's work of the mid 70s quite strongly – with similar airy arrangements and a very full, polished sound. Brazilian jazz musicians Airto, Roberto Silva, and Wagner Tiso play on the record – which also features work by Herbie Hancock. Titles include "Ponta De Areia", "Tarde", "Miracle Of The Fishes", "From The Lonely Afternoon", and "Ana Maria". CD

These early Wilson Simonal albums are all great – and even though this one's the third in his Alegria Alegria series, it's actually the best! The album's bubbling over with lively groovers – arrangements handled by Erlon Chaves and Cesar Mariano, perfect for Wilson's soulful vocals, and the unique mix of soul, samba, and groovy he was working in at the time. The record features a killer take on Marcos Valle's "Mustang Cor De Sangue", the classic "Silva Lenheira", and the cuts "Meninha Do Portao", "Silencio", "What You Say", "Moca", and "Mulher De Malandro". Som Tres also provide some of the instrumentation on the set! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Cecil Taylor's most striking albums of the 60s – and one of the few in which he works with a larger than usual group – not a trio or quartet, but an ultra-hip sextet! The lineup is incredible – the cream of the arch-modern players of the avant era, including Bill Dixon on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on bass – a double-use of the instrument that's really tremendous. Cecil himself plays with a firey style that's got the best energy of some of his earlier European recordings, but a tighter approach that's even more compelling. The album features 2 long tracks: "Conquistador", which is very free and wild; and "With (Exit)", which is a bit more subdued, but not too much! LP, Vinyl record album

Cecil Taylor on piano, Jimmy Lyons on alto saxophone, Alain Silva on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. CD

A lesser-known live set by Cecil from the 60s – recorded by Alan Bates in 1966, and featuring a quartet with Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and Alan Silva on bass. The set's pretty free overall, and features 4 long tracks – "Studen Studies (parts 1 & 2)", "Amplitude", and "Niggle Feuigle". CD

A pair of crucial Cecil Taylor sessions from the 60s – both of which show the free-thinking pianist working amidst some larger arrangements! First up are three tracks from the Gil Evans album Into The Hot – all tunes written by Cecil Taylor – a very bold move for Evans, given Taylor's strongly out reputation even at this point in his career – and possibly even more bold, given that Taylor's on the tracks playing piano, alongside players who include Archie Shepp on tenor, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – plus work on one track from Ted Curson on trumpet and Roswell Rudd on trombone. The material's fantastic, and is a key part of Taylor's work at the time, and shows a very different setting for his piano – a bit of tension with the larger Evans group, in a way that's almost more compelling than his own early dates as a leader – on the titles "Pots", "Bulbs", and "Mixed". Next is the Unit Structures album – one of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". CD

You can't get mas ritmo than this – given that Cal Tjader's working in a smoking Latin vibe throughout – and has managed to get some great extra help in his efforts! The album was mostly recorded in Chicago and New York, and these different locals seem to give the record a slightly different flavor than some of Tjader's other west coast dates from the 50s – a slightly harder Latin groove, thanks to the presence of players like Jose Chombo Silva on tenor sax, Gerald Sanfino on flute and alto, Bobby Rodriguez on bass, Mongo Santamaria on congas, Willie Bobo on timbales, and Luis Kant on percussion. Vince Guaraldi's on piano on all tracks – bringing in a nice dose of warmth next to Cal's vibes – and titles include "Mongorama", "Ritmo Africano", "Ritmo Rumba", "Tumbao", "Perdido", and "Cuco On Timbales". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece from the second chapter of FMP – that moment when the label and the European free jazz scene seemed to ruminate with some more intimate, sometimes contemplative modes – which only seemed to further allow the players to express themselves in an even greater range of talents! That's definitely the case here, on the two side-long tracks on the record – work that's free, but also feels more organically grown out of the fertile mental soil of the quartet, rather than sprung up instantly – served up with great care by a lineup that features Schlippenbach on piano, Evan Parker on reeds, Alan Silva on bass, and Paul Lovens on drums. Each track is a side long, and live – and titles include "Ore" and "Anticlockwise". LP, Vinyl record album

The title gets it right – as the set's a very tasty batch of soulful house tunes, with a deep feel that keeps the quality high throughout, and the silly nonsense to a minimum! The set's brimming over with soul, and is one of the best in the Hed Kandi series so far – with a track list that includes "Always (12" mix)" by Lisa Shaw, "Elevator (MAW mix)" by Jaffa, "Makes Me Feel (Fac 15 Black Sky rmx)" by Afterlife, "Loverman (Sector 7G's Stalker mix)" by Urban Dwellers, "Fired Up (Club 69's Future mix)" by Funky Green Dogs, "Only (Aquanote original)" by Aquanote, "So Alive" by The Rurals, "Reality (Ra-Souls classic vocal)" by Star, "Always Remember To Respect & Honor Your Mother (deep dish loves their motha rmx)" by Dusted, "Touch Me" by Rui Da Silva feat Cassandra, "Love Affair" by Love feat Emma, "Sincere (Naked Music mig's Petalpusher voc)" by MJ Cole, "The Night Goes On (dawn to dusk rmx)" by Limos, and "Quiet Nights" by Andy Caldwell feat Gina Rene. 22 tracks on 2CDs! CD