One of the coolest record books we've ever seen – a smaller take on the album art format, but one that focuses exclusively on flexi discs – those thin little records which were usually given away free, and which are usually pretty hard-pressed to survive the passage of time! Yet author Jonny Trunk is one of the few folks who really know how to take care of ephemera like this – as you might know from his longstanding work on the Trunk Records label – and his presentation of fab flexis from the UK scene is nothing short of mindblowing! These aren't the boring plain black flexis that were often included in magazines – but instead, full color discs that are every bit as great to look at as they are to hear – a wealth of rare records from the 50s onward, all presented here in vivid color, on pages that are about to open a whole new avenue in our record collecting lives. The range of records is great – some feature celebrities, some music stars, others have ads, or spoken words – and many are marketing vehicles, especially from the 60s and 70s, which was a time when the format really took off. The softcover book is full color throughout, features over 150 records, and also includes an essay on the format by Jonny! Book

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A really great electronic soundtrack – contemporary, but served up with a very spare, electronic feel that takes us back to some of the best horror gems of the 80s! If you're a fan of the music for Stranger Things or Good Time, you'll find plenty to love here – as Alec Cheer works in a keyboard-heavy style that's awash with waves of synth and spare layers of sound – maybe sometimes slightly warmer than the music of either of those references, but with an equally compelling sound! Titles include "Evil Ways", "The Night Belongs To Us", "Protective Spell", "Morning", "Hunters", "Kickstart", and "Confusion". LP, Vinyl record album

A unique, rare, and wonderful album from reedman Buddy Collette – very different than any of his better-known work of the 50s – and a complex little set that really shows off a whole new side of his talents! The album was issued by a tiny label away from the LA scene – and has Buddy blending jazz and exotica, but at a level that's way hipper than any of the more mainstream bachelor pad records of the period – maybe even pointing the way towards the very cool records that Buddy would cut overseas. The group is great – very hip – with Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Gene Cipriano on reeds, Justin DiTullo on cello, Red Callender on bass and tuba, Earl Palmer on drums, and either Al Viola or Billy Bean on guitar – very versatile jazz musicians who really follow Buddy's lead on the unusual tunes. Colette himself plays flute and a bit of clarinet – and the set also features some cool vocals from singer Marni Nixon. The "Polynesian Suite" features a bit of narration – and other tunes include "Flight", "Gaugin", "Singapore Sling", and "Japanese Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest keyboard records you'll ever hope to own – as this unusual little album features not the musical tones of the keyboards, or the results of computer-programmed music – but instead just features the sound of the keys themselves! That is, each different track features the sounds of keys of a certain computer or keyboard in action – often with surprising intensity, as the recordings are part of an unusual underground of keyboard fanatics, with a love of the machine that takes us back to a time when we can remember typing pools in a corporate office, or a 100 word a minute assistant typing at blinding speed while listening to dictation on a set of headphones. The album's certainly one of the most unusual Trunk Records have ever issued – although then again, they've given us plenty of unusual records over the years – and once you get into the sound, the motion of the keystrokes has its own sort of magic, and can feel as if you're hearing some strange mix of organic percussion and future expression. Each track is titled after a specific keyboard – and selections include "Apple M0116", "Makanisk Fjell", "HHKB Pro 2", "IBM 5140", and "Keycult No 1/65". LP, Vinyl record album

The long-overdue issue of material that was originally recorded for the film Kes back in 1969 – short and lovely numbers arranged and composed by Brit easy talent John Cameron! Cameron's best known for his work in more groove-oriented formats – but this soundtrack is something completely different, and equally great – a set of spare and compelling tunes played by a small combo that includes British jazz players Harold McNair, Ronnie Ross, David Snell, Tony Carr, and Danny Moss. The overall album is quite short, but it features a stunning range of sounds, tones, and colors – with a strong focus especially on the flute work of McNair, easily one of the greatest London players of his generation, and sort of England's answer to Roland Kirk. Titles include "Billy's Paper Round", "Billy Sees Kes In The Tower", "Kes First Flight", "Training Kes", "Billy Asleep In The Boiler Room", "Burying Kes", and "Foreboding". LP, Vinyl record album

David Shire's wonderful score to The Conversation – a subtle mix of jazz and darker sounds that's one of the best things about this incredible film! Shire's definitely one of the cooler cats of American film scoring of the 70s – and with a groundbreaking project like this, he really shows his stuff – especially given that he plays these haunting piano solos himself throughout most of the score – really beautiful elliptical lines that are a great revelation, and make us like Shire even more! There's also a jazz combo in the film – a group that includes Pete Jolly on piano, Don Menza on tenor, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – and titles include "Theme From The Conversation", "Dream Sequence", "Plumbing Problem", "Finale & End Credits", "The End Of The Day", and "Harry Carried". LP, Vinyl record album

The Britixotica crew are down to their skivvies this time around – clearly shaken into clothes-less frenzy by the wild rhythms in the set! The album definitely takes the "wild" in the title seriously, and may well be the best record in the series so far – certainly the most dynamic, as the Latin rhythms are really ramped up – and moved quite far from quieter cocktail modes! As before, all the cuts here are of UK origin – and represent this great, and oft-overlooked, moment in British recordings – when postwar jazz talents and arrangers were really picking up on the more percussive-heavy styles coming from the other side of the Atlantic. Titles include "Baia" by Tony Scott, "Vamos A Baila" by Chico Arnez, "The High Life" by Marion Ryan, "Wimoweh" by Eve Boswell, "Vava Ba Boom" by Edmundo Ros, "Don's Mambo" by Don Carlos, "The High Life" by Basil & Ivor Kirchin with Tony Sharpe, "Taboo" by Charles Blackwell, and "Mambo For Latin Lovers" by Ido Martin. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album – possibly the best by German saxophonist Klaus Doldinger! The album's got a wonderful Latiny groove – played by a group that includes Attila Zoller on guitar and Ingfried Hoffman on organ and piano. Hoffman's sound is wonderful – very groovy, and a perfect match for the edgey reeds of Doldinger – and all three players are extremely well situated amongst tight rhythms by Cees Sees (drums and percussion) and Peter Trunk (bass), one of the tightest European rhythm sections of the 60s! The overall sound isn't nearly as bossa as you might think – because Doldinger tempers his horn with a lot of soulful fire, and almost brings a modal sense of exploration to a lot of the tunes. Tracks include some nice originals – "Fiesta", "Viva Brazilia", and "Subo" – plus well arranged versions of "Argentina", "Guachi Guaro", and "Negra Sin Sandalia". LP, Vinyl record album

Densely atmospheric and hypnotically beat-driven grooves from Mad Zach on Alpha Pup! There's a bit more of intense electronic vibe here than the some of the more abstract jazzy soul soundscapes of a lot what we've heard on the label to date, which is gratifying honestly – and is compelling as can be and with a human soul behind it, nothing too clinical or sterile in the way a lot of modern day techno can come off as. Solid stuff! Includes "Dark Street", "Drawing Blood", "Shadow Figure and "Trunk Funk". LP, Vinyl record album

A great audio documentary of a really mindblowing film – one that captures the Rolling Stones at that key late 60s point when they were stepping into really sinister territory – playing in a very vivid setting, along with some of their key up-and-coming contemporaries on the scene! The whole thing builds up with the energy of a circus – the Stones are last, and there's a growing mix of performers introduced by various members of the band – really presented in a carnivalesque array, before the lead act comes in and knocks it out of the park. The set features a killer early version of "A Quick One While He's Away" by The Who – maybe one of the high points of the set – plus "Song For Jeffrey" by Jethro Tull, "Whole Lotta Yoko" by Yoko Ono & The Dirty Mac (John Lennon), "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" by Taj Mahal, and "Something Better" by Marianne Faithfull. The Rolling Stones round things out with performances of "Sympathy For The Devil", "Parachute Woman", "Jumpin Jack Flash", "Salt Of The Earth", "No Expectations", and "You Can't Always Get What You Want". Plus, this double-length version has unreleased tracks "Warmup Jam" and "Revolution (rehearsal)" by The Dirty Mac, "Leaving Trunk" and "Corinna" by Taj Mahal, and the odd symphonic works "Ritual Fire Dance" and Mozart's "Sonata In C Major" by Julius Katchen. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare French material from Lucky Thompson – and a set of tracks that really shows a lot of artistic growth overseas since his better-known Paris dates of the mid 50s! The setting is relatively spare – a quartet with Martial Solal on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – and in addition to his famous tenor, Thompson also plays some soprano sax too – an instrument he'd really develop on the European scene during the 60s, already blown with a really unique tone here. Solal's piano keeps things offbeat throughout – creating the sort of subtle edge that Thompson was bringing into his own music too – and even when gentle, there's a burning intensity to the record that we really love, and which marks a key moment when Lucky's music really started getting interesting. Titles include "Lord Lord Am I Ever Gonna Know", "Love & Respect", "Say That To Say This", "Choose Your Own", "Warm Inside", and "Scratching The Surface". CD

An incredible companion to the book Enjoy The Experience – and like that volume, a set that's filled with gems from the obscure sides of the American recording industry – vanity and privately pressed records that are plenty darn groovy, and pretty darn funky in all the right spots! The book is a painstakingly researched collection – and this soundtrack is just as carefully put together – with a great range of styles – heavily steeped in freaky funk, upbeat boogie, acid folk, offbeat psych, and trippy jazz! The range of sounds is really wonderful – with a feel that's somewhere between a Trunk Records or Finders Keepers compilation – and titles include "Intro (Excerpt)" by The Muzzy Band, "Spacing Out" by The Invaders, Diska Limba Man" by Medico Doktor Vibes, "Music Slave" by Jade, "White Panther" by Arcesia, "Never Come Back" by Boa, "ESP Switch" by Michael Farneti, "6.4 = Makeout" by Gary Wilson, "Just To Say Goodbye" by Russ Saul, "Cadillac Woman" by Stephen David Heitkotter, "Piledriver" by Dennis The Fox, "Old Time Feeling" by Circuit Rider, and "666" by Ray Torske. CD

Incredible sounds from the German Jazz Festival of 1964 – a wonderful meeting of modern talents from all over the European continent at the time – including some great work from behind the Iron Curtain too! The album features a few tracks each by a number of different groups – all of them excellent, and the sorts of players who are really under-represented in terms of available recordings – which makes this selection of tracks completely essential! The set begins with "Sopranitis" and "Birmingham Post" – played by a very cool combo with Heinz Sauer on tenor and soprano sax, Joki Freund on the same two instruments, Emil Mangelsdorff on alto, and Gunther Kornberg on alto and baritone – a four-sax group that works with just bass and drums to give them a groove, with strong solos from all players. Next up is the fantastic Zagreb Jazz Quartet – with Bosko Petrovic on vibes – playing "In Walked Bud" and "Degressia" – plus a version of "Bluesette" with a guest appearance by Sven Asmussen. Tenor player Karl Drevo (Drewo) leads a quintet with trumpeter Maffy Falay and pianist Bora Rokovic – on a long reading of "Save Your Love For Me". The legendary quartet of saxophonist Klaus Doldinger is next – his great group with Ingfried Hoffmann on Hammond, Peter Trunk on bass, and Klaus Weiss on drums – with guest work by Rolf Kuhn on tenor and Inge Brandenberg on vocals – on the titles "Waltz Of The Jive Cats", "What's The Matter Daddy", and "Groovin In Berlin". Last up is one of our favorite groups of the time – the quintet of pianist Michael Naura, which also features Wolfgang Schluter on vibes and Peter Reinke on alto – on "Rainy Clouds" and "Rhythm A Ning". CD

Fantastic work from two different years of this important German Jazz Festival – material that provides a great live complement to some of the best studio jazz recordings of the late 60s European scene – such as those coming from the MPS label, and some of the record companies in Paris and London! The vibe here is mostly straight, but there are plenty of currents of modern, and maybe just a bit of free – and the set's especially great in illustrating the sort of unique groupings and musical moments that can make the jazz festival scene so rewarding! Material from 1967 includes three long tracks by the group of saxophonist Klaus Doldinger with organist Ingfried Hoffmann; a long performance from a big band led by Kurt Edelhagen, with work from trumpeters Shake Keane and Jimmy Deuchar, tenorists Wilton Gaynair and Karl Drewo, and altoist Derek Humble; four tracks by a quartet led by trumpeter Dusko Goykovich, with Bent Jaedig on tenor; two long improvisations from a group that features Manfred Schoof on trumpet, Gerd Dudek on tenor, Alexander Von Schlippenbach on piano, and Jaki Liebezeit on drums; one track by a quartet with Ted Curson on trumpet and Nick Bridnola on soprano sax; four long cuts by the Clarke Boland Sextet, with Sahib Shihab on flute and baritone, Ake Persson on trombone, and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet; a sweet large group led by organist Ingfried Hoffmann, and a few other hip cuts too. 1968 features work by a sextet led by bassist Peter Trunk, with Shake Keane on flugelhorn, Jiggs Whigham on trombone, and Rob Pronk on piano; four tracks by the Clarke Boland Big Band, with Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, and Sahib Shihab on baritone; two cuts by the twin tenor group of Hank Mobley and Johnny Griffin; a vocal performance by Jon Hendricks with a Clarke Boland group with Johnny Griffin in the lead; twin trombones from the Slide Hampton and Ake Persson Quintet; hip work from the trio of pianist George Gruntz, bassist Henri Texier, and drummer Daniel Humair; a number of tight tracks from the Maynard Ferguson big band, with Pete King on tenor; and two shorter trio tracks from Joachim Kuhn. Like other Be Music titles, the presentation is great – a really well-done box, and big booklet of notes and images. CD

Hardly a set of minor meetings at all – given that tenorist Hans Koller works here in the company of a host of great musicians from the late 50s German scene, in a set of tracks that ranks with the best of his long career as a leader! By the time of these sides, Koller was already one of the best and boldest saxophonists in postwar Europe – a player with a wonderful sense of tone and timing, and some occasional exotic tones that were influenced by his work on other reed instruments as well. And although Koller later went onto record a series of classic albums for the MPS label, these tracks predate those gems – and feature Hans in some unique live and studio settings. Two tracks feature a small combo with Zoot Sims on tenor and Hans Hammerschmid on piano – and Hammerschmid fitures on all other tracks as both pianist and arranger. Other musicians include Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone, Peter Trunk on bass, Kurt Sauer on trumpet, and Helmut Reinhardt on baritone sax. Titles include "Hard Blues", "Hi Fi", "Lippi's Tune", "Minor Meeting", "Saba", "Blues Around Joe", and "Sperie's Drums". CD

The funky fusion classic from guitarist Volker Krieger – finally issued in a great CD edition! Easily one of Krieger's best albums, Spectrum was remarkably cut in just two days at MPS Studios in 1971 – with a group that includes Peter Baumeister on drums, Cees See on bongos and percussion, Peter Trunk on bass and cello, and John Taylor on Hohner electric piano. It kicks of with the amazing track "Zoom", a seriously funky maelstrom of groovy funky guitar and percussion that mixes in washes of sitar and Eastern effects here and there for a really trippy effect! The album doesn't try to duplicate the frenzy whipped up by the opener right away, and finds a much more relaxed groove in tracks like "So Long, For Now", "More About D", "Ach Kina", and "Instant Judgement" before flailing away in the exciting closer "Strings Revisited". One of the great ones from MPS – and a hugely influential one to the progression of 70s jazz funk. A really groovy record! CD

Andrew Lamb is billed as "The Black Lamb" here – a nice nickname, given the earthy quality of the set! The group's got two percussionists at its core – Michael Wimberly and Guillermo E Brown – both players with different energies that help expand the roots of the record – while Tom Abbs builds up its trunk with his organic lines on bass, plus a bit of tuba and didjeridoo too. Lamb unfolds these evocative lines on saxes and flute – and even a bit of conch shell too, handled with a wonderfully exotic tone that's not gimmicky at all. Tracks are quite long, and build with a rich feel that makes the album one of the most soulful we've ever heard on the No Business label – and titles include "Initiation", "Song Of The Miracle Lives", "To Love In The Rain", and "Rhapsody In Black". CD

Fantastic soul from Lucid Paradise – a group who work here with a soaring, joyous vibe that takes us back to the best underground club of the early 80s! The beats are contemporary, but the keyboards and group vocals are very old school – and the whole thing sounds like it came from lost tapes discovered in a trunk on the outskirts of LA! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A fantastic vintage set from the great trumpeter Dusko Goykovich – and a record that's very much in the best tradition of his groundbreaking early work! Goykovich emerged from the Yugoslavian scene during the key years of communist rule – and his bold, bright horn work was a shining light of freedom in the 60s and 70s – and was also often used as a way of illuminating the richer cultural corners of the Balkans, at a time when interaction with the area was more restricted. As with some of his famous MPS/Saba work, Dusko here creates an extended jazz suite, almost as a sonic poem to his homeland – performed with a core quartet that has Gokyovich on flugelhorn, Fritz Pauer on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Tony Inzalaco on drums – all with added horns from the NDR Radio Orchestra, who work beautifully to flesh out the vision of the leader, yet still really let Dusko stand as the main solo voice in the set. The whole thing's wonderful – proud and passionate throughout – with titles that include "Haze On The Danube", "Balkan Dance", "Bosna Calling", "East Of Montenegro", and "Shumadaya". CD