A great 2CD package – featuring Greetje's rare original album on one disc, plus some very groovy remixes on the other! The core set is a sweet bit of jazziness from the Netherlands – an obscure mid 70s set by singer Greetje Kauffeld, with some very hip arrangements by Rob Pronk and Jerry Van Rooyen! The album's got some great jazzy backing from players that include MPS-ish musicians like Herb Geller, Ferdinand Povel, Wilton Bogey Gayner, Frans Elsen, Ack Van Rooyen, and Sabu Martinez – and although many of the tracks are show-type ones, they're handled with a breezy big band finish that makes them groove nicely along. Includes a great version of "Tristeza", a funky electric take on "You & I", and the tunes "Day By Day", "By Myself", "Time For Love", "Morenal", and "The Greatest Performance". The remixes follow in a spirit that's very much like the original – taking the core funky, bossa, and mod-styled grooves and letting them spin out in slightly different ways – but all very much in the older-sounding mode of the 1974 LP. Some cuts take the vocals away entirely, making for new instrumental grooves that really unlock the funky elements of the core album – and titles include "Tristeza" and "Day By Day" remixed by Ben Human, "Tristeza" remixed by Mansfield, "Cabaret" and "By Myself" remixed by Cartoonfish, and 2 mixes of "You & I" by Rob Smith. CD

Nothing dusty, and not really any vibes either – but a hell of a great little record, filled with previously unreleased jazz tracks from the 60s! The music's made by the team of trumpeter Hans Kennel and saxman Bruno Spoerri – the latter of whom you might know from sound library recordings, but who's working here with Kennel in a tight, soulful approach to modern jazz – one that recalls the best work by other European teams of their generation – especially the Basso-Valdambrini and Santucci Scoppa groups from the Italian scene! Spoerri and Kennel hail from Switzerland, and the recordings here were produced for radio in Zurich, but with a clean, lean sound that's much more like commercially released jazz albums from the European scene of the 60s – again, particularly some of the rare gems from Italian labels. The rhythm sections are nice and tight on all tracks, and a few numbers feature Spoerri on his own as a leader – with titles that include "Mr Blue Note", "Dusty Vibes", "When Will The Blues Leave", "Septet Piece", "Ballad On A Row", "Eleven Beat Blues", and "Hadaka No Shima". CD

They're not kidding about the big sound here – as tenorist Hans Koller was easily one of the deepest, most soulful talents on his instrument in the European scene of the start of the 60s – as you'll instantly hear on this fantastic live performance! In later years, Koller got a bit avant with his styles – but here, he's got a rock-solid, soul-drenched sound – one that almost seems influenced by the baritone sax, which Hans could also play – but which is delivered here with the deftness of a tenor. The group here is Koller's core quartet with an expanded horn section – a group that features Karlhanns Berger on piano, Ack Van Rooyen and Kurt Sauter on trumpets, and additional deeper sounds on bass trumpets, baritone, and trombone. Although unissued before, the music here stands right up there with Koller's best of this period – including his classic albums for the MPS/Saba label – and titles include "Homer's Concert", "Nippon Kazooki", "Hard Bop For Hartung", "Lonely", "Monkey", "Black Cats", and "Warming The Worm". CD

Sweetly soulful fusion from the Atlanta scene – a wonderfully righteous album, and a pretty darn obscure one as well! Life Force play here in a style that reminds us a lot of the artists on the Black Jazz label in the decade before – particularly the group Awakening, with their great blend of sharp edges and funkier moments – but also a bit like Rudolph Johnson, given the strong reed work in the set. The combo's a sextet – with alto and soprano by Joe Jennings, tenor and soprano by Howard Nicholson, and keyboards by Oliver Wells – and although the set was recorded at the start of the 80s, the overall sound is much more 70s indie soul fusion overall – nicely stripped-down and never too jamming – with just as much focus on the core rhythmic elements and grooves of the tunes as there is the bolder solos of the group members. Titles include "To Pharoah With Love", "Fearless Warriors", "Wow", "I Remember Duke", "Sister Bea", and "Atlanta Anna". CD

A very hip group – handling some very hip material! There's a wonderful blend of instrumentation here – offbeat sax lines over cool vibes – all vamped along nicely by a tight piano-led rhythm section – all wrapped around jazz-based versions of tunes from Brecht & Weil's Mahaganny! The combo's a lesser-known one from the European modern scene of the 60s – and features sound library legend Bruno Spoerri on alto, tenor, and baritone sax – plus Ueli Staub on vibes, Martin Hugelshofer on piano, Felix Rogner on bass, and Rolf Banninger on drums! Spoerri re-arranged most of the tunes in the set – and then contributed his own, as well – and the whole thing's got a wonderfully offbeat feel that's as playful as it is modern – the kind of cool, crisp, creative jazz you'd always imagine from the European scene of the 60s – but hardly ever hear executed this perfectly. Titles include "Grundung Der Stadt Mahagonny", "Alabama Song", "Ach Bedenken Sie Herr Jakob Schmidt", "Metronome", "Lunatic Moon", and "Jaywalker". CD

A wild little record from this little-known American singer – a set recorded in Germany at the end of the 60s, with a compelling mix of jazz, bossa, psychedelic, and funky touches! Don's got this weird sort of raspy vocal approach a times – a rumbling style of putting over a lyric that's a nice contrast to the sweeter blend of jazz and Latin instrumentation used in the backdrop! The set features some wonderful work from key talents on the German groove scene at the time – including guitar from Sigi Schwab, and arrangements from Ingfried Hoffmann – both of whom contributed a number of original tunes to the set! Titles include "Danza", "Titicaca", "Ananas", "Inca Uyu", "Blue Bossa", "Duerme Negrito", "Sugar Cane", and "Charangito". Also features 2 bonus cuts – "On The Road Again" and "In My Fantasy". CD

A haunting little vocal jazz set from 1950s Germany – recorded with some wonderfully moody arrangements that are right up there with the coolest work of the American hi-fi generation! Sauer's sings in English throughout, with this echoey style that's really great – and he's surprisingly soulful at points, almost informed by Billy Eckstine at times, and hardly the sort of material you'd expect to come from a German singer of the postwar years! Backings are by Paul Kuhn and Freidel Berlipp, who both do a good job of mixing in some strings with the jazz, and peppering things with some more unusual instrumental inflections. Titles include "At Sundown", "Stairway To The Stars", "A Little On The Lonely Side", "Stardust", "Serenata", "How Deep Is The Ocean", and "Mean To Me". CD

A cool little album from the Kansas City scene – a mix of jazz, soul, and vocals – played by a mixed group that includes organ, guitar, vibes, and percussion! The sound is swinging soul jazz, but with vocals out front at times – and the sound is nicely rough around the edges, hardly the commercial affair you might guess from a group with "slick" in their name! These guys are clearly well suited to handling a variety of crowds, as you can tell from the shifting moods of the record – but they've also got a good talent for cooking up some good soulful tunes of their own, like the bossa-inspired "People's Choice", the mellow steppin "Voodoo Village", or the soul jazz groover "Crisco" – which begins with a really great break! The whole thing's pretty nice, and there's a few tasty cuts that also feature scatting vocals going together with the guitar. Titles include "Somewhere Along The Way", "Teach Me Tonight", "Gypsy In My Soul", and "Next Time You See Me". CD

Soulful jazz from the German scene of the 60s – a sweet little album that features pianist Walter Strerath in three different settings! Strerath is already great on the trio tracks – mixing 60s soul jazz modes with some of the groovier, more rhythmically open modes of the European scene at the time – and the addition of horn players on some of the quartet and quintet numbers further sparks up his sound – making for a set that really explodes with a great deal of color and feeling! Most of the music here is quite mature – original tunes that get way past familiar expectations of the 60s scene, with a depth of writing that really surprises us, and which almost makes the album feel like one from a decade or so later. Core rhythm is from Andreas Scheel on bass and Gerd Putz on drums – and horns are by Hans Thomas on trumpet and Manfred Linder on alto and soprano sax – the last of which makes for some nicely sharp edges! There's a great blend of modal groovers and more hard-handed soul jazz sides – and all tunes are all original, and include "Watermelon Girl", "Speed Up", "3/4 In Minor", "Rainy Day", "Little Ya Ya", "The Unknown", and "Waltz For Ellen". Great package too – with the die-cut image of the original record cover! CD

Overlooked modern jazz genius from the Swiss scene of the 60s – a record that's overflowing with great talent, only a small bit of which ever got larger exposure at the time! The big heavyweight here is pianist George Gruntz – leader of the set, and already a hell of a pianist – not as outside as on later records, but a great force to really give the set some direction! Franco Ambrosetti plays trumpet – and most of the others are great, but artists you might only know if you've got the same penchant for rare European jazz that we do – a lineup that also includes Hans Kellen and Raymond Court on trumpets, Raymond Droz on trombone, Heinz Bigler and Peter Candiotto on alto, Bruno Spoerri on tenor and baritone, and Ueli Staub on some mighty nice vibes! Tracks are often long, and have a Verve Records/JATP sort of approach – which means plenty of room for soloists to shine – on titles that include "Perdido", "Dig The Scene/Sax Battle", "There'll Never Be Another You", "Boy Shooting", "Ballad Medley" and "El Sino/Trumpet Battle". CD

Sublime sounds from the legendary Jonny Teupen – the harpist best known for his freaky sides for MPS, heard here in an earlier set of bossa nova tunes! The approach is quite unique, and really warmly wonderful – Jonny's sweetly lyrical lines on harp, mixed with gentle bossa rhythms, and topped with cool vocals that often have a breezy, scatting sort of sound! Rob Pronk plays piano on the set, and also sings a bit too – and the female vocals are handled by Blanche Birdsong, who's got a nicely sweet sound. The great Shake Keane is also on the album, playing a bit of flugelhorn – although the notes credit him as Leonard Blech – and the whole thing was produced by German groovemeister Berry Lipman! Titles include "La Mucura", "Mody", "Jonny & Blanche", "Linda", "Jonny's Harp", "Sambleebloo", "No Name Samba", and "Ding". CD

A rare jazz treasure from the European scene of the early 70s – killer material from a wealth of American artists and local talents – all done as special sessions for Dutch radio, and never issued to the public on record! Despite the radio origins of the music, the sound here is tremendous – easily on a par with the best MPS sessions of the time – which is no surprise, given that many of the artists here worked in similar circles! The first half of the set features the trio of pianist Louis Van Dyke augmented with guests who include Mark Murphy, Helen Merrill, Eddie Jefferson, Toots Thielemans, Herb Geller, and Dave Pike – all stepping out into the spotlight while Van Dyke's combo backs them up with lively grooves that are often heavy on bossa influences! The second half features larger orchestrations from The Metropole Orchestra – a soaring big band who groove wonderfully, often in support of vocals from Murphy or Greetje Kauffeld, but also featuring instrumental solos from European players Ack Van Rooyen, Piet Nordijk, Ferdinand Povel, and others. The whole set is worth it alone for the vocals of Murphy – because the record easily stands as some of his best work ever from this decade – and given how great Mark was at the time, that's really saying a lot! Small group titles include "Children Of The Sun", "So What", "Love Sick", "Sao Paulo", "Con Alma", "Seventh Day", and "Falling In Love With Love" – and bigger group numbers include "Out Of This World", "My Shining Hour", "Let's Fall In Love", "Get Happy", "I'll Wind", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Paper Moon", "One For My Baby", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "That Old Black Magic". 37 tracks in all! CD

Lovely bossa from a lesser-known singer – and a rare little gem that was originally issued on the tiny Farroupilha label in 1964! The album's got a really unique feel – one that's certainly classic bossa at its best, but which also somewhat different than usual too. Vera's vocals are breathy and gentle – and they mix wonderfully with the light backings directed by Luiz De Andrade. But perhaps best of all is the guitar – played by Vera as well, often in a way that has the notes skipping along lightly at the high range of the sound spectrum – trickling beautifully like gentle drops of water, and forming a perfect accompaniment for her vocals! The tracks are all pretty darn fresh too – mostly originals penned by Vera, with titles that include "Samba Bom", "Era Uma Vez", "Rimas De Ninguem", "Minha Fe Meu Amor", "O Menino Desce O Morro", "Nao E Por Falar", and "Tema Para Recordacao". CD

Funky work from a freaky film – the notorious Glenda, a banned movie that featured a famous South African nude dancer who worked with a python! The film's not exactly porno, but the music here has a very similar feel to some of the grooves used in American x-rated films of the 70s – slinky one minute, funky the next – essentially jazz instrumentation on most numbers, but played with a sinister undercurrent, and a style that's quite different than mainstream commercial fusion! Given the story, there's a few tracks that get a bit tribal – but most of the numbers have a funky jazz groove forged from wah wah guitar, echoey piano, and some great basslines – tightly compressed, but never too slick – and produced with a sound that's similar to Euro sound library sets of the time. There's a touch of strings at points, but never too much – and this excellent set marks the first-ever release of the music, apart from an instantly-deleted promo on CBS from South Africa. Titles include "The Hustler", "Get It On With Music", "Glenda", "Brannigans Club", "Opus Africa", "Uka Puma Kwelanga", "Hillbrow By Night", and "Show Me What You Are". Definitely one to file right next to your copy of the Deep Throat soundtrack! CD

A wealth of wonderful jazz tunes – all of them unreleased, and all of them pulled from the sound library of German producer Hans Wewerka – the man who's given us some other great collections of grooves over the years! Although Hans didn't produce commercially-available recordings, he did have as great of an ear as any other jazz producers of his time – on either side of the Atlantic – and the cuts here are a unique blend of American modes from labels like Prestige or Verve, with some of the hippest styles showing up on the European scene of the 60s – particularly those that would show up on unique crossbreeding recordings between local musicians and American players working overseas. Some of the cuts are quite short, but all are plenty groove-heavy – some in a funky way, others in more of a mod 60s sort of style. Titles include "Soul Ong" by Rolf Wilhelm, "Blow In" by Joe Haider, "Jupiter Beat" by Bill Grah, "Beat Power" by Joe Haider, "Soulin" by Olaf Kuebler, "Hard Work" by Wolfgang Thoma, "Smeralda" by Eugen Thomass, "In The Very Last Moment" by Olaf Kuebler, "Black Widow" by Ted Evans, and "Madison Square 2" by Eugen Illin. CD

Big deal, indeed – as this excellent set looks at a really under-tapped source of sound library funk from the 70s – a small British company who was turning out glorious grooves in the same classic years as KPM or DeWolfe! The players here are mostly British, and many are more obscure than the other UK sound library musicians who worked for the bigger labels – and often had soundtrack and jazz studio recordings as well. These guys are fresh names, with fresh sounds, and some heavy grooves that have hardly seen the light of day after their limited 70s circulation on non-commercial albums. You've got a taste of a few Weinberger tracks on the Bosworth Library Sessions from Strut many years back – but these are all different grooves, chosen with the great ear for jazzy funk we expect from the Sonorama label. Titles include "Integration" by Trevor Bastow, "Rhythm Rhythm Rhythm" by Reginald Wale, "Over & Out" by Toni Campo, "Big Deal" by Midals Touch, "Santaren" by Vick Flick, "Focus On The Middle East" by Ishfahan Farid, "Knock On Wood" by Sid Dale, "Make No Bones" by Midals Touch, "Centrefold" by Toni Campo, "Soul Punch" by Piet Van Meren, and "Gone Gone Gone" by Reginale Wale. CD

A rare bit of funky fusion – with some really great guitars and keyboards! The original album is quite rare – recorded in Switzerland, and only issued in a handful of copies back in the mid 70s – but the groove here is tight enough to rival that of bigger fusion heavyweights on MPS and some of the other European labels – with a depth in quality that really makes the record worth rediscovering all these many years later! The keyboards are especially great – electric piano and other bits, played with a style that's nicely frenetic, but never in a way that's too rock-jamming – thanks to the strong sense of space the rhythm section brings to their grooves. Titles include versions of "Vera Cruz" and "Too High" – plus originals "Very Lights", "Rocking Bird", "Rainmaker", "Dr Bonnie Mr Clyde", "Leave Me Alone", and "Gargantua". CD

Fantastic French grooves from the end of the 60s – a killer set of jazz-based tracks recorded by trumpeter Ivan Jullien, with help from funky arranger Michel Colombier! Jullien recorded a fair bit of jazz and studio work around the time, and his playing here is razor-sharp – and supported by Colombier grooves that rival his best soundtrack material, his experiments with Pierre Henry, or his backings for singers like Serge Gainsbourg or Brigitte Bardot! Colombier also plays keyboards on the record, as does the great Maurice Vander – amidst a host of other great French jazzmen who include Pierre Gossez on sax, Roger Guerin on additional trumpet, and Eddie Louiss on organ. Drums are nice and funky on most cuts – and the whole thing kicks even more than most funky big band records on MPS! Includes the great break cut "I Remember Otis" – plus "Sonoro", "The Looser", "Talk", "An Oscar For Eddy", "Wake The Monster", "Edith", and "Crescendo". CD

An obscure trio from the early 60s, but one who play with plenty of soul jazz in their sound – thanks to some mighty heavy work on the keys of the piano from leader Red Bahnik! Red's got this sharp attack and inherently rhythmic sound that would have been right at home on early 60s Prestige Records – alongside piano gems from artists like Bobby Timmons or John Wright – yet the groove also isn't just copping American styles of the time, as they've got an unusual inflection to their rhythms – maybe some blocker styles that carve things out with a unique spirit, especially given the spacious echo used in the recording. Titles include the long originals "Fata Morgana Altamira" and "Santander" – plus "Fish This Week", "The Uptown", "Sister Sadie", and "Vacushna". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from The Diamond Five – a legendary Dutch combo, and one of the tightest groups on the European scene in the early 60s! Diamond Five have a really great approach here – one that clearly starts from West Coast cool of the mid 50s, but also embraces a whole host of modern touches too – particularly the transformation of California arrangements that took place on the Scandinavian and French scenes of the late 50s – especially in groups that mixed up American players with Europeans. The lineup here, though, is all-Dutch – with pianist Cees Slinger at the lead, and work from Harry Verbeke on tenor, Cees Small on trumpet and trombone, Jacques Schols on bass, and John Engels on drums. All tracks here are previously unreleased – brought together here in a set that adds a much-needed entry to the group's all too small discography! Titles include "Fair Weather", "The Beauty Of The Ball", "Monmartre Blues", "Jubilation", "Sister Sadie", and "Bobby Tale". CD

A record that really lives up to its title, given the sweet Philly grooves of the set – a real surprise, given that the album was recorded in Germany! The session's a rare studio project in the early years of the German disco scene – and comes off with the best soulful styles that were bubbling up in the US at the time – clubby instrumental grooves that are filled with soaring strings and tight rhythms – yet served up in ways that are never too overdone! In fact, if you slapped some obscure US label on this one, folks would be more than willing to believe that the set's some underground corner from the New York scene – quite a surprise for a record that was initially cut just for sound library usage. Titles include "City Train", "Alaska Flight", "Skyline", "Night Shift", "Full House", "Star Shot", "Rush Hour", "Sun Ship", and "Flash Point". CD

Sweet sound library funk from Joy Unlimited – an early 70s German combo heard here on their rarest record ever! As with the group's commercial releases, there's a wicked blend of funky jazz and hard-riffing instrumentation – and unlike other records, this one's got an even leaner, meaner groove – all instrumental, and with a great focus on key elements of the sound – funky flute here, sweet keyboards there, and lots of tightly-played guitar lines – which really help give the music a nice edge! The set's got a sound that's a lot like some of the best MPS funk of the time – no surprise, given that it comes from the same scene – and instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, flute, guitar, saxes, marimba, trumpet, and lots of sweet drums. Titles include "Jamara", "Soul Gravy", "Homunkulus", "Breeding Ground", "Jigsaw Man", "Blue Box", "Parabolica", "Spectrum", "Herbie", and "Laguna Seca". CD

Sweet sound library funk from Joy Unlimited – an early 70s German combo heard here on their rarest record ever! As with the group's commercial releases, there's a wicked blend of funky jazz and hard-riffing instrumentation – and unlike other records, this one's got an even leaner, meaner groove – all instrumental, and with a great focus on key elements of the sound – funky flute here, sweet keyboards there, and lots of tightly-played guitar lines – which really help give the music a nice edge! The set's got a sound that's a lot like some of the best MPS funk of the time – no surprise, given that it comes from the same scene – and instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, flute, guitar, saxes, marimba, trumpet, and lots of sweet drums. Titles include "Jamara", "Soul Gravy", "Homunkulus", "Breeding Ground", "Jigsaw Man", "Blue Box", "Parabolica", "Spectrum", "Herbie", and "Laguna Seca". LP, Vinyl record album

A range of wonderful work from this excellent European singer – mostly pulled from obscure archives belonging to jazz musicians and frequent musical partners in the 60s – brought together here to make a full length that's every bit as great as her other albums! Almost all the cuts have tight, sharp-edged small combo backing – with players who include Tony Vos on alto, Rolf Kuhn on clarinet, Wolfgang Schluter on vibes, Ingfried Hoffman on Hammond, and Jan Huydts on piano – all top-shelf European players of the time, who really hit the hip, surprisingly soulful vocal sound that Greetje's going for on these tracks! Many tunes are familiar, but the arrangements are mighty fresh – in the best sort of 60s-styled way – and titles include "Who Knows Why", "You & I", "My Kinda World", "Deed I Do", "Orange Coloured Sky", "Saturday Night", "Fever", "Almost Like Being In Love", and a great version of the Dusko Goykovich tune "Handful Of Soul". CD

The second album from Mombasa – and possibly even better than the first! The group have really come into their own by the time of this date – mixing together jazz and African roots with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of – quite unique in its approach to rhythms, sounds, and solos! The grooves aren't really the Afro Funk you might expect – and instead, they're based on a headier brew of basslines and percussion, one that's somewhere in a space between Boscoe, The Pharoahs, and Demon Fuzz – but with a sound that's ultimately different than both. The trombone of Lou Blackburn carries the lead on most tracks – snaking out wonderfully over the grooves, with a quality that's amazingly soulful, and which almost has him standing head to head with Fred Wesley as a 70s innovator on his instrument. Other members of the group include Doug Lucas on trumpet, Bob Reed on percussion, Alan Tatham on drums, and Don Ridgeway on electric bass – the last of whom really does a great job shaping the sound of the tunes. Titles include "Yenyeri", "Holz II", "Nomoli", "African Hustle", and "Al Rahman". CD

One of the all-too-few recordings of the great Brew Moore on tenor as a leader – a rare date recorded during the year of Moore's first appearance on the European scene – the start of a great 60s run that really had the saxophonist taking off overseas! Brew was already great on his handful of 50s releases in the US, but when he hit the European scene he seemed to change into an even more amazing player, almost overnight – one with a boundless sense of imagination that comes through in well-crafted, extended solos – and a sense of depth and soul that should have gotten Moore much greater recognition on these shores at the time! This set features really striking material from a few different settings – maybe the best of which is material recorded in Stockholm with a Swedish trio – on long tracks that include "Five Planets In Leo", "Buzzy", and "Apple Core". The set also features some tighter Parisian recordings – done at the Blue Note with a sweet quartet that features Lou Bennett on organ, Jimmy Gourley on guitar, and Kenny Clarke on drums – on the titles "Zonky", "Broadway", and "Satin Doll". Last up is one more track recorded for Danish TV with Paul Godske on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums – a nice reading of Brew's own tune "Ergo". CD

An ultra-hip live set from bassist Oscar Pettiford – recorded in Germany during the late 50s stretch when he'd taken up residency overseas, and was making some great connections on the scene! This set definitely reflects Pettiford's reach at the time – as it's got an excellent group that includes Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Michel Hausser on vibes, Hans Koller on tenor, Roger Guerin on trumpet, and Attila Zoller on guitar – all top-shelf talents of the time who really make the record shine! Tracks have that tightly arranged quality that Pettiford brought to his 50s American recordings – but also have a looser, more open vibe that allows the solos to really stretch out – especially on some of the album's longer numbers. The full concert is presented here for the first time ever – and titles include "Are You Real", "HEC Blues", "Happy Afternoon", "Rue Dauphine", "Blues Around Joe", "Autumn Leaves", and "Minor Meeting". CD

Never-heard work from the legendary bassist Oscar Pettiford – recorded at a time when he was making some very big waves on the European scene! During the 50s, Pettiford not only helped revolutionize the role of the bass in jazz, but also helped bring that instrument to new possibilities in the role of a leader – working in groups that were usually as great as this one – a smoking lineup that features Hans Koller on tenor and alto, Attila Zoller on guitar, and Kenny Clarke on drums – all playing with energy that's about as tight, sharp, and soulful as you could hope for the German scene of the postwar years! Like Clarke, Pettiford's presence on the scene really helped lay the groundwork for a big explosion of talent in the MPS/Saba years – and the sound of that later label is definitely heard here in gestation – especially on some of the tunes that add in additional players who include Gerd Dudek on tenor and Willia Sanner on baritone. Titles include "Cohn's Lament", "Stalag 414", "Willi Der Bar", "Dark Glow", and "Gertberg Walk". CD

A haunting little vocal jazz set from 1950s Germany – recorded with some wonderfully moody arrangements that are right up there with the coolest work of the American hi-fi generation! Sauer's sings in English throughout, with this echoey style that's really great – and he's surprisingly soulful at points, almost informed by Billy Eckstine at times, and hardly the sort of material you'd expect to come from a German singer of the postwar years! Backings are by Paul Kuhn and Freidel Berlipp, who both do a good job of mixing in some strings with the jazz, and peppering things with some more unusual instrumental inflections. Titles include "At Sundown", "Stairway To The Stars", "A Little On The Lonely Side", "Stardust", "Serenata", "How Deep Is The Ocean", and "Mean To Me". CD

A funky fusion classic! Second Direction are certainly not a household name – and the record has even more obscure origins than most, given that it was originally done as a small sound library project. Yet the quality of the set has given it a surprisingly wide reach with collectors and groove hounds over the years – thanks to the sharp rhythms and sweet blend of electric elements in the music! The combo mixes Latin rhythms with modal electric playing – very much in the mode of some of the best MPS work of the time, or the hipper corners of the Euro fusion scene – never too rockish and jamming, and with a great blend of the sax and flute of leader Fritz Munzer – plus the keyboards of Karl Heinz Merkel – both working with tight rhythms that often include lots of great congas. Titles include "Steamer", "Flying Carpet Ride", "Blue Dilemma", "Peace", "Storm Flute", and "Freeland". This great version also includes bonus tracks from the group's unreleased second album – Steps Ahead – seven more titles that include "Keep Going", "Tony's Choice", "Last Minute", "Steps Ahead", "Feeling Free", and "Moving Fantasy". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky fusion classic! Second Direction are certainly not a household name – and the record has even more obscure origins than most, given that it was originally done as a small sound library project. Yet the quality of the set has given it a surprisingly wide reach with collectors and groove hounds over the years – thanks to the sharp rhythms and sweet blend of electric elements in the music! The combo mixes Latin rhythms with modal electric playing – very much in the mode of some of the best MPS work of the time, or the hipper corners of the Euro fusion scene – never too rockish and jamming, and with a great blend of the sax and flute of leader Fritz Munzer – plus the keyboards of Karl Heinz Merkel – both working with tight rhythms that often include lots of great congas. Titles include "Steamer", "Flying Carpet Ride", "Blue Dilemma", "Peace", "Storm Flute", and "Freeland". This great version also includes bonus tracks from the group's unreleased second album – Steps Ahead – seven more titles that include "Keep Going", "Tony's Choice", "Last Minute", "Steps Ahead", "Feeling Free", and "Moving Fantasy". CD

Freaky keyboards and fuzzy saxophone – played by the team of Dieter Seelow and Peter Mayer, working here in a rare bit of funk from the early 70s German scene! The record's got a sound that's very much in the madder side of the MPS spectrum at the time – jazz influenced by a bit of fuzzier rock elements – heard to good effect on Seelow's amplified, processed saxophone lines – and on some of the heavier organ moments from Mayer. The sound is wide-open, but never too free or jamming – clearly inspired by the hipper American soul jazz of the late 60s – the side of the scene that started with electric Eddie Harris, and moved into weirder Melvin Jackson moments – both players who are a good comparison here, as the groove definitely shows a love of the electrified music that Harris and Jackson made together. Remaining instrumentation includes electric bass and drums – so the overall sound is quite spare – and titles include the massive three-part "Mr Dynamite", plus "Masquerade","Danny's Walk", "The Swinger From Rio", and "With A Little Help From My Friends". CD

Wonderfully wild funky jazz from the 70s – played by an obscure group in Germany, and originally only issued as a small-pressing sound library set! The music's way more than you might expect – a tremendous mix of electric and acoustic reeds with some sweet Fender Rhodes lines – all spun out in a style that's hipper than CTI at its best, and maybe even hipper than most 70s electric work on European labels too! The style is never too jamming at all – and instead has this great sense of space that really makes the grooves great, especially the Fender Rhodes lines from keyboardist Rob Van Den Broeck – which are balanced nicely with reed solos from the legendary Wilton Bogey Gaynair and fusion whiz Gerd Dudek. The music is quite far from the usual fusion style, and has this openness that's really wonderful – not what you'd expect from a sound library label, given that the tracks all push near the ten minute mark, with lots of room for solos. The group also features Frank Kollges on drums, Ali Haurand on bass, and Steve Boston on congas – and titles include "The Healer", "Maroon Dance", "Landings", and "Ogetnom". CD

Bop, ballads, and lots more too – played by reedman Lucky Thompson at a time when he was really picking up some new ideas on the European scene! As with contemporaries like Sonny Criss or Benny Bailey, Thompson was great before he hit the continent – but then came back from Europe a completely changed man – a musician whose sense of expression had evolved strongly in a very short time – to a point where the music on these recordings from 1959 and 1960 is quite different than his American records from a few short years before! Part of the change might come from pianist Michael Naura – who's on all these sides, and is one of the hippest cats working in Germany at the time – but you can already hear Lucky opening up his tone and his inflections, especially on the numbers that feature soprano sax. Other players include Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Hans Koller on tenor, and the great Wolfgang Schulter on vibes – on titles that include "The World Awakes", "Brother Bob", "Yesterdays", "Deep Passion", "Thin Ice", and "Summertime". CD

One of the greatest European jazz guitarists – heard here in some of his grooviest work of the 60s – an amazing batch of material recorded for the art house films of director Hansjurgen Pohland! Zoller already had a modern tone by the time of these recordings – a sublime sound on the guitar that rivaled that of Billy Bauer with the Lee Konitz group of the 50s, but which was also freer, and open to rich new ideas too – especially from a rhythmic and tonal standpoint, which always keeps Zoller's work compelling! Attila's way more than just another jazzy player on the instrument – and film material like this really lets him stretch his imagination – and unlock a whole whose of tones and colors that are quite imagistic in nature. Most tracks are played by a small combo led by Zoller – often working in front of the screen as images passed by – scenes from films that include Katz Und Maus, Tamara, and The Bread Of Our Early Years. This set marks the first release of the material actually recorded for those films on record – and titles include "Family Bricks", "Pilenz", "Road Song", "Minesweeper", "Cold Fusion", "Adam's Apple", "Hedwig's Departure", "Mousetip Strut", and "Mahlke". CD

The colors here are plenty darn funky – a rich array of amazing sounds from the archives of Golden Ring and Happy Records – two rare German sound library labels! The records may be rare, but they've got an instant appeal – especially if you're a fan of funky soundtrack work from the late 60s and early 70s – sounds and styles from folks like Lalo Schifrin or Quincy Jones, who both would be a good starting point in comparison to these grooves! There's a few key tracks here from Peter Thomas – one of our favorite German composers of the time – and other numbers are by funky drummer Klaus Weiss, plus some lesser-known cats who groove equally well. Titles include "Flash Point" and "Power Boost" by Peter Thomas, "Porto Allegre" and "Beach Bunny" by Juan Demonio, "Bubble & Squeak" by Elmar Steingarden, "Explorer" and "Space Drums" by Klaus Weiss, "Satin Eyes" by Mladen Franco, "Again Please" by Al Tacoma, "Get Across" by Ken Aldin, "Rock City" by Harry Winkler, "Blue Riff" by Peter Mellini, "Night Clipper" by Peter Look, and "Easy Action" by Peter Thomas. CD

A fantastic celebration of the 100th release by the Sonorama label – and one that offers up what the label does best – a collection of never-heard jazz recordings from the European scene! The work here isn't collected from other Sonorama reissues, but instead is comprised from tracks that never added up to a full reissue project – but which easily rival all the better-known sounds you'll hear from the French scene of the new wave years, the hip Scandinavian modern scene, or the German scene of 60s MPS/Saba fame! Most numbers are hardbop or modal jazz, and the leaders alone are some of our favorite talents of this generation – players who never fully got their due in the US, but whose music continues to excite us over the decades. Titles include "Blues For Koebes" by Francy Boland, "Gigi's Pad" by Fast Sadi, "Straight No Chaser" by Rolf Ericson, "Tempus Fugit" by Barney Wilen, "Ginger" by Jack Sels, "Psychophysis" by Roland Kovac, "Ole Coltren" by Joki Freund, "Warm Up" by Helmut Brandt, "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" by Attila Zoller, "Inspiration In 6/8" by Hermann Mutschler, "Futurity" by Michael Naura, and "Bag's Groove" by Rolf Kuhn. CD

German jazz gems from the 60s – an amazing collection of rare work from the Rhineland scene – non of which we've ever heard before! The package is even sharper than the first volume in the series – and features some of the best German jazzmen of the time, working in styles that draw heavily from hardbop and modal jazz, but which are already beginning to take off strongly in the unique modes that would flourish strongly in the MPS/Saba years to come! Things are soulful, but swinging – modern, but pretty darn groovy too – a wonderful balance that makes these years a perfect time in German jazz – a moment when the scene was really finding its own groove, yet not getting too full of themselves either. Titles include "Many's Waltz" by Manfred Welsandt Trio, "Beat Bop" by Ingfried Hoffmann Big Band, "Nica's Dream" by Albert Mangelsdorff, "St Tropez Waltz" by Modern Jazz Crew Stuttgart, "Minor Conversation" by Hans Koller Septett, "Summertime" by Fritz Harschuh, "That Double Thing" by Harald Eckstein Sextett, and "Din A Bop" by Albert Mangelsdorff Jazztett. CD