Tosca have grown up a bit since we last heard them – getting a bit more subtle, and maybe even more soulful with their sound – maturing into a mellow groove that's a bit more textured than downtempo – peppered with vocals from a shifting array of singers who help further the sound. There's still plenty of the darkness you'd love from the group's previous records, and certainly none of the cheesiness you'd guess from the hat image on the cover – and titles include "Zur Gueten Ambiance", "Stuttgart", "Cavallo", "Bonjour", "In My Brain Prinn Eugen", and "Soda". (Includes bonus CD of entire album!) ~ Dusty Groove
Tom Browne's getting a bit more of an electro funk feel on this one – making a move shared by some of his GRP contemporaries, and including lots of electric bass and drum work! These elements are handled by Maurice Starr – who gives the record a nicely unified feel that's still in line with Browne's blend of funky jazz and smoother soul – and Tom himself does a great job of keeping things interesting with the solos, augmenting the electrics with some good acoustic playing. Titles include "Rockin Radio", "Angeline", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Never My Love", "Mr Business", "Cruisin", and "Feel Like Makin Love". ~ Dusty Groove
PEGGY LEE - LET'S LOVEAn incredibly lovely later album from Peggy Lee – her first album for Atlantic, and proof that she was still growing tremendously as an artist, well into the 70s! The record's title track was a tune written for Peggy by Paul McCartney, who also produced the number for the record – and it's got a wonderful "adult" feel – one that steps off even more from Peggy's last Capitol recordings. But in some way, the real star of the album is Dave Grusin – who co-produced the rest of the record along with Peggy, and who gives the session a warmly laidback jazz-based approach – one that's miles away from Peggy's 60s work, and handled in a maturely mellow groove that's totally great. The sound is tight, but never too slick – and Peggy's aging vocals sparkle beautifully amidst a host of modern tunes that include "He Is The One", "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", "Sweet Lov'liness", "Sweet Talk", "Always", and the funky classic "Easy Evil". ~ Dusty Groove