One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria -- an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title -- a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's ... (Vocalists)

Amazing work from guitarist Baden Powell -- 4 incredible albums for the MPS label, each of which set a new standard for his music! The albums include Tristeza On Guitar, Poema On Guitar, Canto On Guitar, and Images On Guitar -- each unique in their own way, and together an incredible portrait of ... (Brazil)

Funky magic from maestro Johnny Pate -- a record that's very much in the same spirit as his blacksploitation soundtracks for Shaft In Africa or Brother On The Run! The style here is quite similar -- full orchestrations, scored by Johnny with an all-soul feel -- and played by a crack lineup of jazz ... (Jazz)

A killer collection of jazzy grooves -- quite unique in the way the tracks were selected and put together -- all with a great ear for unusual rhythms and timings! The work here is from a variety of different sources -- a few previously unreleased -- and it spans scenes and decades in search of a ... (Funky Compilations)

An amazing package of work from George Duke -- 6 of his legendary fusion albums for MPS Records, including the never-reissued double-length set Solus/The Inner Source! That incredible album is worth the price of the package alone -- as it begins with some sublime trio work from Duke, rooted in ... (Jazz)

A trio of amazing records from the legendary Francy Boland -- sessions done away from his big band work with Kenny Clarke, and in a groove that breaks nicely from that group's more famous style! The sessions here are still very much in Clarke/Boland Big Band territory -- as Francy's working with a ... (Jazz)

A wonderful collection of work from Balla Et Ses Balladins -- one of the leading group on the Guinean scene during its "authenticite" years of the 60s and 70s -- presented here in a massive 2CD package of their work for the Syliphone label! The group have a really wide-ranging approach ... (Global Grooves)

Interstellar funk from Malcolm Catto & the Heliocentrics -- the space thumping "Distant Star" featuring MF Doom and Percee P -- plus the non-album instrumental "Space Time Girl"! "Distant Star" is a perfect example of just how adaptable the spacey jazz & funk ... (Deep Funk)

One of the grooviest cats of the 60s -- heard here in an amazing array of jazz, bossa, and soundtrack recordings! Lalo Schifrin first rose to fame working in the group of Dizzy Gillespie, but by the time of these sides he was already stepping out strongly on his own -- as one of the freshest ... (Soundtracks)

A great Italian spy soundtrack -- and one with a cool English-language theme from Ennio Morricone! Morricone's "Bloody Mary" leads off the score -- a driving groovy number with rattling drums, spy sounds, and great lyrics sung by Maurizio Graf. Other titles on the soundtrack are quite ... (Soundtracks)

Forget the "rock" in the title, and just focus on the "funk" -- because this set of tracks is a massively heavy batch of Nigerian numbers from the 70s -- all with the same solidly soulful feel as more familiar Afro Funk work of the time! There's a definite emphasis on guitars -- ... (Global Grooves)

A great comeback for The Emotions -- a post-Columbia album issued after a few years away from the business -- but one that still has the girls' very much at the top of their game! The record's got a wonderful feel that's quite different from other directions the group might have pursued at the ... (Soul)

An evocative live performance from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith -- etherel one minute, bombastic the next -- and put together with as much sense of freedom and imagination as Smith's music from earlier years! The group is his Golden Quartet -- a combo that features great drums from Shannon Jackson, ... (Jazz)

One of the most sophisticated albums that Bobby Hutcherson recorded with reedman Harold Land -- a very hip session that features the arrangements of piano player Todd Cochran -- also known as Bayete for a pair of early 70s albums on Prestige! The sound here is more farther-reaching than before for ... (Jazz)

Tremendous solo work as a leader from Kai Winding -- tracks recorded in that sans-JJ period of the mid 60s, when Winding was working for Verve with some really wonderful results! Some of the cuts here are straighter jazz from Kai's past, but others feature even groovier large arrangements -- music ... (Jazz)

An early 80s gem from Aretha Franklin -- one of the best of her years at Arista Records, thanks to solid help in the studio from the mighty Arif Mardin! Mardin's in perfect form here -- the same blend of older soul and jazzier, more sophisticated styles that he was also bringing to Chaka Khan at ... (Soul)

One of the grooviest records ever from Brit Easy maestro Brian Bennett -- a late 60s set that definitely lives up to its London Noise promise! Instrumentation here includes organ and piano from Alan Hawkshaw and Jim Sullivan -- plus some great guitar from Richie Tattersall, whose chromatic lines ... (Now Sound)

A definite trip to Pleasureville with Lizz Fields -- an artist who's really grown tremendously since we last heard from her! Lizz has a much more mature look on the cover of the record, and her music definitely shows that change -- a shift into tighter songwriting than before, and a really solid ... (Neo Soul)

An insanely wonderful album that will always remain one of the all-time favorites of the Dusty Groove staff! This beautiful batch of tracks by Brazilian singer/songwriter Marcos Valle has him pushing waaaay past his bossa work of the 60s -- into a cool 70s mix of electronics and sexy scoring, for ... (Brazil)

A great funky 45 from El Michels Affair -- featuring one alternate mix of an album track, and another previously unreleased tune! "Musings To Myself" is a sublime slow funk groover -- one that has bass stepping gingerly around snapping drums -- almost a separate rhythm in itself, while ... (Funky 45's)

A deep look at New York's Derby label -- a short-lived imprint from the early 50s, but one that recorded some really great R&B at the time! The company was owned by Larry Newton, who later went onto make bigger waves over at ABC Records -- and like other indies of the time, Derby did a great ... (Soul)

Hip hardbop from this current Japanese combo -- one with a great ear for the sorts of 60s jazz we love on labels like Blue Note or Prestige! The group's less club jazz oriented than some of their contemporaries, and have an ear more for straighter jazz with a soulful feel -- played perfectly by a ... (Jazz)

One of the best albums ever from Beaver Harris -- a spare and unadorned session that mostly features Harris on solo drums, plus a bit of guest tenor sax from David S Ware! The album has Harris alternating between mallets, sticks, and brushes -- mostly working on a straight drum kit, but getting a ... (Jazz)

The second album from Jack Splash, Panda One and the Plantlife crew -- 70s & 80s style spacey soundscapes, electro fused funk & hip hop soul -- unpredictable, unclassifiable and a great time from front to back! Plantlife brings an exuburent, eclectic groove to the leftfield soul & hip ... (Hip Hop)

A cooking little single from the Five Aces -- a bit different than the usual funky 45! "Kick The Bucket" has a gritty soul sort of sound -- almost that popcorn groove that's been revived recently by European soul collectors, with a nice undercurrent of R&B in the tune's vocals and ... (Funky 45's)

A wild cover and a wild batch of grooves -- easily some of the hippest tracks so far in the amazing Absolute Funk series! As with previous volumes, the focus here is on the hard and heavy soul from the late 60s and early 70s we love so much -- that perfect era for the funky 45, and a time when ... (Funky Compilations)

The first release in a very cool little series -- one that focuses on up-and-coming indie soul acts -- none of which have a record deal yet! The 4-track EP features 4 really great tunes -- all numbers by artists we'd never heard before, and all done with a smoothly shimmering approach to ... (Neo Soul)

One of the grooviest compilations we've ever seen -- a collection of work by American ex-patriots living in Israel at the end of the 70s -- a hip blend of US funk and Hebrew spirituality! Most of the work here sounds like the best spiritual funk of the 70s -- very much in an Earth Wind & Fire ... (Global Grooves)

A nice collection of some of the best material from Philly group hip hop pioneers the Tuff Crew -- a well chosen set of tracks that first appeared on the Crew's records for Warlock towards the end of the 80s and the dawn of the 90s! Like so much of the better hip hop acts from the 80s and on ... (Hip Hop)

A beautiful 70s session from Italian jazz legends Dino Piana and Oscar Valdambrini -- the latter of whom is best known for his cooking 60s sets in the Basso-Valdambrini combo, but who sounds quite different here! Given that Piana plays trombone and Valdambrini plays trumpet, there's a nicely ... (Jazz)

Les Amazones De Guinee are something of an institution in African music -- a decades-old group who've spanned the continent with their progressively political message -- yet this album's only the combo's second, and should give them much-needed exposure to a larger audience! The rhythms here are ... (Global Grooves)

A history and biography of the AACM by George E Lewis -- the jazz and cultural institution that includes legends and modern masters such as the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richard Abrams, Henry Threadgill, Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Nicole Mitchell and many more -- including the ... (Books & Magazines)

A hip little western score from Mario Migliardi -- an Italian composer we'd never heard before, but who we're really digging for this set! The soundtrack has a really nice mix of modes -- one that includes a fair bit of dark, moody numbers -- tunes that are on the lower end of the sonic spectrum ... (Soundtracks)

A great look at one of the grooviest players on the German jazz scene of the 60s -- the mighty Klaus Doldinger, a saxophonist with as much soul as Willis Jackson or Gene Ammons at the time! Klaus plays tenor sax on most of the numbers here, and he's often working with the amazing Ingfried Hoffmann ... (Jazz)

A killer set from keyboardist Jeff Lorber -- an artist who really had a lot to offer back here in his early years! Unlike some of Lorber's later albums, which could always be a bit too smooth, this one's got a sharp-edged groove and a stripped-down quartet lineup -- a group that mixes Jeff's great ... (Jazz)

An amazing 2-in-1 CD -- filled with sublime work from the mighty Art Farmer! First up is Brass Shout -- a great little album by this wonderful trumpeter -- and one that we passed up for years because we were afraid of the words "brass" and "shout" in the title! If you're a ... (Jazz)

A fierce 10th album from the Roots -- hard hitting and straight up angry, without sacrificing the musicality that makes them the most unique crew in hip hop of the past 15 years! We'll do our best to recommend this vital LP without tagging it with the dreaded "concept album" tag (wish us ... (Hip Hop)

Western magic from maestro Riz Ortolani -- a soundtrack that's not nearly as well known as his hits of the 60s, but which is still pretty darn great overall! Ortolani brings in some rich orchestrations on some numbers here -- full passages of horns that set a dark mood, but which are then offset ... (Soundtracks)

Latin jazz, but with a really unusual twist -- in that most of the artists here aren't always associated with Latin music, but pick up some very groovy rhythms for the tunes on this set! Most of the music here is from the 60s, recorded for labels that include Verve, Impulse, and Mercury -- all of ... (Funky Compilations)

Very hip large group from Stanley Turrentine -- obscure 60s sessions that are very much in the vein of material on the Blueish Bag CD! The work here dates from that same late 60s stretch when Blue Note was experimenting with Turrentine in some slightly larger groups than before -- ensembles that ... (Jazz)

A weird batch of tracks from Twiggy -- the ultra-skinny late 60s model who set the tone for countless others to come! Twiggy displays a rare vocal side of her talents here -- singing on 4 of the album's 12 tracks with a cool London female pop style -- one that's perhaps a bit more subdued than ... (Rock)

A very unusual live performance from Sonny Rollins -- not just because it was recorded in Tokyo, but also because the lineup is quite unique! The set's unlike some of Sonny's others from the time -- in that it features a core quintet combo -- with Paul Bley on piano, Reshid Kmal Ali on trumpet, ... (Jazz)

A great idea for a birthday celebration for Luaka Bop Records -- a vinyl release that pays tribute to the original Brazil Classics compilation that first got the label started! At the time of that record's late 80s release, American connection to Brazilian music had waned heavily since the bossa ... (Brazil)

A cooker of a single from Sharon Jones -- one that features her title track for the 100 Days album, plus the non-LP "Settling In"! "100 Days 100 Nights" is a modern funk classic -- a hip anthem that's been getting Jones plenty of coverage in recent months -- and "Settling ... (Funky 45's)

An avant pop/offbeat classic from John Cale and Terry Riley! We'll be fast to admit that Cale's solo stuff don't always float our boat -- but this collaboration with minimalist composer Terry Riley is nothing short of an amazing. It's an album of mostly long modal instrumental tracks (with one ... (Rock)

2 ABC classics from Jackie & Roy -- back to back on a single CD! Bits & Pieces is incredible early work from the duo -- one of their sublime 50s classics on ABC, done in a style that's even groovier than their sessions for Storyville! The whole thing's upbeat, lively, and extremely cheery ... (Vocalists)

Nothing too soft here -- as this classic from the Jeff Lorber group of the late 70s is a sweet fusion set with lots of soulful edges, but never a watered-down approach! The groove's much different than you'd expect from Lorber's later work -- and the album's got lots of nice edges in the mix, even ... (Jazz)

Between or Beyond -- a perfect title for the kind of grooves coming from pianist Mike Nock on this set -- the New Zealand player's rare outing for MPS! The album's got Mike playing as much electric piano as acoustic -- all in a style that's between straight and out, and far beyond some of his ... (Jazz)

One of the greatest Chicago soul albums of the 80s -- a rare indie effort from Magnum Force -- a group who managed to make some fairly big waves on the scene, even though they never got major label placement! The set's a wonderful blend of mellower ballads and upbeat groovers -- the former ... (Soul)

Amazing work from arranger Gil Fuller -- usually a "background" talent, but one who really gets to shine in the spotlight on these two albums! First up is Gil Fuller & The Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra Featuring Dizzy Gillespie -- one of Dizzy's hippest big band sessions ever -- ... (Jazz)

Funky Latin psychedelic soul from Perez Prado from the dawn of the 70s -- a totally killer batch that we love from the opening note the last second -- and a rare one, to boot! 70 has loads of walloping Latin funk instrumentals, incredibly groovy bits and strains of the psychedelia of the time in ... (Latin)

A heavy-duty look at The Nutmegs and The Turbans -- 2 of the biggest vocal groups on Herald Records in the 50s! The Turbans have a sound that's sweet one minute, rocking the next -- especially on some of their more frenetic numbers, which attempt to match the energy of groups like The Cadillacs or ... (Soul)

Modern southern soul from CL Blast -- a singer who took his music into great new territory during the time covered on this set! CL was a vocalist with roots in much bluesier modes, but at the end of the 70s, working with producer Frederick Knight, he really hit his stride in hipper, more ... (Soul)

Wonderful solo work from Billy Griffin -- the man who headed The Miracles after Smokey Robinson left the group -- heard here on a string of classic 80s sides for Columbia Records! Billy's got a sound that's almost as sweet as Smokey at his best -- but a groove that's a bit deeper overall, and ... (Soul)

A trio of albums from Chase -- one of the hippest jazz rock combos of the 70s! The self-titled Chase album first burned onto the market in 1971 -- and it's a great distillation of a groove that was bubbling around in various other segments at the time -- some of the tighter big band rhythms of the ... (Rock)

Long buried gems from The Supremes -- incredible Motown soul from Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Cindy Birdsong from all through the 60s -- an amazing set swept out from the deepest corners of the Motown vaults by Hip-O Select! Supreme Rarities was put together for the Motown Lost ... (Soul)

The mighty second issue of one of the funkiest magazines around -- great reading that falls somewhere in a space between Straight No Chaser and Wax Poetics! This issue's got a special focus on international beats -- with features on the scenes in Glasgow, London, LA, and Amsterdam -- plus articles ... (Books & Magazines)

A heady brew of contemporary Brazilian funk -- the booty-shaking, favela-founded sort that's lately been cooking up dancefloors around the globe! The cuts here are all a bit more hard-edged than mainstream examples of the genre -- mixed up and mashed up heavily in a blazing blend of beats, ... (Brazil)

The long-awaited 3rd album in the trilogy of modern Brazilian grooves from the trio that's recorded under the names of Moreno Veloso and Domencio -- and the first one to be issued under the name of Kassin! Following the format of the other variations in the series, Kassin takes the lead here -- ... (Brazil)

There's a suitcase on the cover, and that's a good tipoff to the sound of this one -- a globe's worth of funky grooves -- all courtesy of maestro Shawn Lee! The album really takes off from Lee's previous projects -- and the tunes here borrow heavily from a world of different music -- bits of Afro ... (Deep Funk)

Great jazzy soul from Niteflyte -- their second album, and even harder to find than the first! The album's got a lean, groovy feel that's totally great -- a bit like some of the mainstream work of the time, but a bit hipper overall in the rhythms, with a quality that's often a fair bit more jazz-in ... (Soul)

Heady heady work from the legendary Gal Costa -- caught here right at her early best, smack dab in the middle of the Tropicalia years! The album's one of Gal's legendary collaborations with arranger Rogerio Duprat -- and it's very much in the spirit of her other incredible session from 1969, but ... (Brazil)

Definitely a Fantastic Party here -- one that's made up of some really freaky grooves -- all with a sound that's a lot hipper than you might guess from the cover! The album's kind of a cross between Vampyros Lesbos soundtrack grooving, MPS madness, and some of the jazzier prog of the German scene ... (Rock)

A very spiritual jazz session -- recorded by a hip group that includes Byard Lancaster on sax and Khan Jamal on vibes! The group's kind of a mixed vocal/instrumental one -- an ensemble that features equal emphasis on vocal harmonies and instrumental musings -- all with a sound that's quite unique! ... (Jazz)

A weird mix of rock and soul -- and the only album that we've ever seen from Big Mouth, a group that boasts Stu Gardner in its lineup! The music's got a slightly righteous sound that's almost post-Hair at times -- that "coming together" of left-field elements from the rock and soul sides ... (Soul)

Amazing work from Os Ipanemas -- a group who just keep sounding better and better with each new recording! The set's easily the most mature of their recent comeback stretch -- and has these magnificent arrangements that almost remind us of Moacir Santos at points -- a gentle balance between bossa, ... (Brazil)

If you only thought Rufus Thomas made funky Stax singles in the 70s, then guess again -- because the man already had a mighty long Memphis history in the years before Stax first got its start -- a good deal of which is documented on this well-done CD! The collection features all of Thomas' sides ... (Soul)

A brilliant little set from Keef Hartley -- a blend of jazz, blues, and rock that's really tremendous -- quite different than other efforts of its sort at the time, with a gritty edge that really makes the record stand up strongly over the years! Keef's on drums, and has a great way of rumbling up ... (Rock)

Mad musings from the legendary Bruce Haack -- some of his rarest work ever, recorded in the late 70s during a 5 year hiatus between formal LPs! The style here is still as jagged and quirky as some of Haack's earlier classics -- like his Electric Lucifer album for Columbia -- and like those records ... (Now Sound)

Funky Latin rock & soul from the early 70s Mexican combo La Sangre Caliente -- the La Sangre Caliente LP and La Sangre Caliente Vol 2 -- long buried and finally available on CD! The group's sound is front loaded with hard driving rhythms -- heavy bass, funky drums & percussion, trumpet, ... (Rock)