Kentucky-born guitarist ‘Mickey’ Baker (1925-2012) saw himself originally as a jazz musician, touring with the likes of Lester Young and Paul Quinichette, before turning to the blues and settling for life as an R&B session player in New York. Tom Lord's discography lists him on no fewer than 214 sessions. It was as a blues musician that Baker became even more widely known once he had moved permanently to France in 1962, although he also occasionally appeared on record with visiting US mainstream stars like Buck Clayton and Arnett Cobb.

Hoodoo's shiny, well-presented reissue covers two of his commercial Versailles albums But Wild (which also appeared in the US on the King label) and Bossa Nova, with tagged-on bonus tracks from Baker's New York days. Ever the eclectic, Baker sticks to the rock and roll route in But Wild, his lead guitar in Duane Eddy mode, just right for the twist, the varied electronic sounds of the quaintly-named ondes Martenot dominant, over added echo and crunching rhythm. Oh well. The various distinguished French jazzmen listed are largely lost in the ensemble mix only emerging for occasional solo passages, most notably Arvanitas on the swingy ‘Baker's Other Dozen’ and trombonist Peck on 'Mister Blue', and like their equivalents in New York or London, doubtless took the money and ran.

Much the same goes for the bossa album, all 12 tunes given suitably soft-touch treatments, flutes and Latin percussion uppermost, Baker's guitar prowess never in doubt. The bonus tracks are strictly romping R&B, with Rostaing's lively French orchestra including some nifty clarinet from the leader. All good fun, great for your next 1960s-style dance party.