Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi

by John BushThe D.C. production duo and easygoing lounge mix team Thievery Corporation received the high honor of compiling Sounds From the Verve Hi-Fi, a collection of their favorite cuts originally appearing on the trendsetter jazz label of the '60s. Jazz at the Philharmonic fans read no farther; Thievery Corporation's respect for the label begins in the early '60s -- Jazz Samba Encore! is a major touchstone -- and focuses mostly on breezy Brazilian pop (Jobim, the Gilbertos, Walter Wanderley, Sergio Mendes) as well as acid jazz precursors like Wes Montgomery or Jackie & Roy. Still, this is more than just another new-generation hipster's Talkin' Verve compilation. Thievery Corporation are veteran DJs and obsessive record collectors, so they know how to put together a mix album, balancing a bare few well-known classics with a raft of unreleased gems. And yes, there are a lot of rarities: almost half of the tracks are seeing CD release for the first time (in America, that is), and the track listing includes comparatively obscure names like Kenyon Hopkins, the Jazz Renegades, and Wynton Kelly. One for the collectors and archivists, then; a great mix for laid-back afternoon drinking sessions, definitely not The Greatest Hits of Verve.