Paul Hugo Little

The Best Sixties Album contains the defining tracks of the decade and features some of the biggest hits from artists including Scott McKenzie, The Byrds, The Moody Blues, Del Shannon, Andy Williams, Sly & The Family Stone, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette and many more.

We got to know music composer Vic Van De Reijt on his previous compilations (with his hundred favorite French, German and 'Suri-Vlame' hits) as a man with an omnivorous taste in music, who managed to forge well-known and obscure hits together into a beautiful whole. The fifties are central to this compilation album. An exciting job, because there are quite a few fifties collectors in circulation. In the accompanying booklet, Van de Reijt defends his choices, especially to opt for the original versions and why he did not choose a Dutch repertoire ('they simply couldn't compete with other countries'). The five CDs are divided into one with instrumental songs, one with male and one with female soloists, one rock and roll CD and, the best, a CD with novelty hits.

The Bossa Nova: Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms is a six-volume series of music highlighting some of the beautiful music of Brazil, shown by the artists of the country along with outsiders who too have fallen in love with the bossa nova. The first five volumes were released by Rare Groove Recordings in 2000 and due to its success, a sixth and final version was released two years later, highlighting some of the bossa nova music used in motion pictures. Some of the material are sourced from vinyl.

Using the same exacting criteria, this concept has now been logically extended into the mid to late-60s in the form of an exciting new series titled Chartbusters USA. Unlike the majority of 60s hits compilations that have usually been thrown together randomly by some marketing department, Chartbusters USA functions both on a historical level and as a superlative listening experience. It is a proud thoroughbred in a market teeming with mongrel product. One glance at the track listing will tell you all you need to know.

Blues, Rock‘n’Roll and all that Jazz: a musical autobiography that represents a fascinating cross-section from the glittering career and from the passionate life of producer Siggi Loch - for his 75th birthday. Right at the start of his career, he had the dream of running his own jazz label, and he has now fulfilled that dream. ACT has been voted label of the year four times in a row at the German ECHO awards, and in 2015 alone, its artists and releases garnered eight ECHOs: the label has achieved international renown. However this CD collection is a snapshot of where things are, a provisional taking of stock to mark and to celebrate Siggi Loch's 75th birthday.