The MC5 move to Atlantic Records after their first album – and find a whole new sort of focus that's pretty great! Their classic debut was a raw live album – designed to capture their intensity on the Detroit scene of the late 60s – but this set has the group stretching out, and really going for something else – working in the studio for the first time, with surprisingly strong production from a young Jon Landau – and a sense of focus in the songs that shows a great degree of maturity, while still keeping all their pre-punk edges! Wayne Kramer and Fred Sonic Smith are plenty darn fierce on guitar – and the titles alone give a good idea of the energy of the record – and include "Tutti Frutti", "Teenage Lust", "High School", "Shakin Street", "The Human Being Lawnmower", and "Back In The USA". CD

Late 30s recordings – including work with Rex Stewart, Benny Carter, Larry Adler, and Eddie South! CD

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Music from Mort Shuman, the Osmond Brothers, Little Glenda, Big Dee Erwin, the Weathermen, the Cullmans, Lonnie & the Milkmaids, the Travelers. The Paretti Sisters, Gene Blankton, the Treasures, and more – 25 songs in all. CD

Late 30s recordings – including work with Rex Stewart, Benny Carter, Larry Adler, and Eddie South! CD

The album where Bruce Springsteen really settles in as The Boss – gritty, chest-pumping anthems all the way here on this one! Born In The USA is so exuberant and full of life, even when Bruce is angry –as he is on the title track – his charisma is so strong that you'd be forgiven for thinking he's cheerleading, when he's really criticizing. Strong stuff, even if you might want to skip over couple of overplayed numbers – with "Cover Me", "Darlington County", "I'm On Fire", "I'm Going Down", "My Hometown", "Glory Days", "Born In The USA", "No Surrender", "Bobby Jean", "Dancing In The Dark", and "Working On The Highway". CD

Includes music by Ted Lewis, Ace Brigode & His Fourteen Virginians, Paul Whiteman, the Ipana Troubadours, Coon Sanders Orchestra, Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians, and more – 16 tracks total. CD

Way more than just the usual punk collection you might expect – not just LA hardcore or New York downtown, and instead a really wide range of work from the American underground of the 70s – including some really key tracks by artists who were working in a punkish mode a few years before the style ever had a name! Soul Jazz have really done an excellent job with this set – scanning a wealth of rare indie singles to come up with a set of tracks that virtually writes the history of the emergence of punk rock on the American shores – work that owes very little to the UK wave, and which instead really reflects the unique hybrid of styles that infected US material from the start. There's loads of cuts on here that we'd totally forgotten about – all brought together with the usual great Soul Jazz sense of history, reflected in the notes – and titles include "Let's Get Rid Of New York" by The Randoms, "I'm A Bug" by The Urinals, "Cakes In The Home" by Crash Course In Science, "Not Now No Way" by The Pagans, "Flash Of The Moment" by Pastiche, "Neutron Bomb" by The Controllers, "Action" by The Knots, "Dog Meat" by Flamin Groovies, "Kill The Hippies" by The Deadbeats, "US Millie" by Theoretical Girls, "Wild Weekend" by The Zeros, "Ice Age" by The Bizarros, and "Hillside Strangler" by Hollywood Squares. CD

A really heady set of tracks from the American scene – music that effortlessly bridges the 60s sounds of garage, blues rock, and psych – and prefaces some of the metal and more guitar-heavy modes to emerge later on in the 70s! The work here definitely shares more with the sounds of the 60s, but also really captures the music at a moment when things were really transforming – groups were getting past a slavish presentation of their influences, finding bold new modes of expression, and really letting their freak flag fly with fuzzy brilliance throughout – all at levels that were also different than some of the longer-spun modes of the European progressive world. As with other Grapefruit packages, the distillation of a sound and scene here is wonderful – and supported with very detailed notes too – in a package that includes 62 tracks in all - with work from Bang, Sudden Death, Dust, Arthur Lee, Boomerang, Cactus, Grand Funk, The Flow, Head Over Heels, Sir Lord Baltimore, ZZ Top, Brigade, Fuse, Conception, Morgen, Coven, Alice Cooper, Nazz, Stack, Spirit, Kim Fowley, SRC, Mass Confusion Rock Band, Society's Children, Omnibus, Wildwood, Human Beinz, The Sound Barrier, Fever Tree, and many others! CD

2 obscure albums John Benson Brooks – an overlooked 50s jazz composer who often had a penchant for higher concept recordings! The first half of the CD features Folk Jazz USA – one of Brooks' most stripped down records – done with a core group of Zoot Sims on alto, Al Cohn on baritone, Nick Travis on trumpet, Barry Gailbraith on guitar, Osie Johnson on drums, and Buddy Jones on bass. The style is kind of a chamber jazz reworking of tunes from folk sources – done in a way that hangs modernist clothes on older melodies – really dressing them up with the jazz charms of mid 50s RCA! Travis is especially strong on the set – with boldly-stated lines that preserve the melodies, while other players really take off with their solos on the saxes. Titles include "Darling Corey", "Turtle Dove", "Black Is The Color", "Randall My Son", and "Venezuela". Next up is Alabama Concerto – a record based around the solo talents of Art Farmer on trumpet and Cannonbal Adderley on alto sax! The album's based on a number of historical and mythical southern themes – and although it gets a bit hokey at times, the work of Adderley and Art Farmer on the solo sections really opens up the piece and gives it a deep sense of soul. The setting is a drummer-less small group, with Barry Galbraith on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Brooks on occasional piano – and themes include "The Loop", "Trampin", "Little John Shoes", "Milord's Calling", and "Rufus Playboy". CD

Gonzalo Rubalcaba on piano, Reynaldo Melian on trumpet, Felipe Cabrera on electric bass, Jack DeJohnette & Julio Barreto on drums & Charlie Haden on bass. CD

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Features work with Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford, Art Blakey, Max Roach, and Roy Haynes. CD

Linda Ronstadt on fat-wheel roller skates – showcasing a whole new era in her music, but also giving a nod back to some older songs too – maybe a preface of her big band records to come! Titles include "Just One Look", "Back In The USA", "Ooh Baby Baby", "All That You Dream", "Mohammed's Radio", "Alison", and Love Me Tender". CD

A mixed bag record, but with some really wonderful moments – and essential listening as a lead-up to the Pet Sounds album to follow! There's a mix of styles here – some rough rocking numbers that are a bit stiff, mixed with some really amazing tunes that get at Brian Wilson's new sensitivities – tunes like "Girl Don't Tell Me", "You're So Good To Me", "Summer Means New Love", and "Let Him Run Wild" – all complicated in subtle ways, with a great sense of tension underneath. Other tracks include "Help Me Rhonda (45 single version)", "California Girls", "I'm Bugged At My Old Man", and "Amusement Parks USA". CD

Live In Denver, Colorado, USA, 1974. CD

Fantastic work from one of the most overlooked alto talents of all-time! This beautiful CD features tracks from Sonny's 3 rare albums on Imperial – Jazz USA, Go Man, and Plays Cole Porter. The records were all recorded in 1956 – and they feature some of the strongest bop playing to ever come out of LA, total proof that that city wasn't always noodling around with cool jazz during the 50s! Sonny plays alto so well you want to cry – and every note is perfectly placed, with just the right mix of technical skill and warm soulful humanity. Most of this material has only ever been reissued in Japan – and the CD includes wealth of excellent cuts like "If I Had You", "I Love You", "Wailin With Joe", "West Coast Blues", "Criss Cross", "Ham's Blues", and "Blue Friday" – but the whole thing's great! CD

A great little session of chamber-type jazz – and the only record we've ever seen by drummer Freddy Merkle. The set is very much in the manner of some of the other tightly-arranged RCA sessions from the mid 50s – with a style that's kind of "New York modern", in a similar mode to the work of Hal McKusick. Pianist Bill Potts wrote and arranged the sessions, and most tracks are relatively short, but still have strong breakaway solos. Half the material's played by a 10-tet, and the rest are played by Merkle's core quintet, with Potts on piano and Earl Swope on trombone. Titles include "Proto Cool", "Shhhh!", "DC Current", "Lunch Box", "Pernod 806", and "Pottsville, USA". CD

Key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. CD

Titles include "Stonebury", "Monks At Casamari", "They Haven't Got The Girls In The USA", and "The Cardinal In Vienna". CD

19 tracks from ther Cryers, the Rubinoos, Gary Valentine, Prix, 20/20, Shoes, the Beat, the Pop, Pearl Harbor & the Explosions, Off Broadway USA, the Know & more. CD

A great collection of 60s work by James – one that goes way past the hits, to show the birth of the funky style that would forever be James' calling card in the 70s! The package starts in the earlier King R&B years – with tracks that are hard and soulful, yet which also have a unique approach to rhythm that was the beginning of Brown's experiments in funk. As the set moves on, it runs through an assortment of 60s hard soul styles – with touches of soul jazz, sock-boogaloo, and more – all coming together to serve up a great portrait of James' early genius! The package has a number of wonderful vocal cuts, some instrumental bits, and even some rare studio dialogue – and it features tracks pulled from a number of rare singles and long out of print LPs, complete with a killer booklet too! Titles include "Baby You're Right", "Doodle Bee", "This Old Heart", "I'll Never Never Let You Go", "I Cried", "I Don't Care", "Shout & Shimmy", "Mashed Potatoes USA", "Maybe The Last Time", "Oh Baby Don't You Weep (parts 1 & 2)", "Just You & Me Darling", "And I Do Just What I Want", "Hold It", "Begging Begging", "That Dood It", and "Chonnie On Chon". 43 tracks in all! CD

Fantastic sounds from Terry Allen – one of the key underground Texas talents who were helping transform the style of country music in the 70s – and one of the few who maybe never fully got his due! Terry's from the same scene as David Allen Coe, Billy Joe Shaver, and Guy Clark, but his music is much more underground than theirs – maybe only ever designed to be put forth in an intimate club setting, late in the night – where the very conversational style of Allen's songs almost make them feel like barroom musings of a cat who's seen a heck of a lot of life on this planet, but still very able to peer into the souls of those he comes across. This double-length set is Allen's masterpiece – originally issued on a small pressing back in the 70s, and very much an alt-country relic – but from a time when such a thing didn't even exist. Titles include "Cocktails For Three", "High Plains Jamboree", "Amarillo Highway", "Lubbock Woman", "Rendezvous USA", "The Girl Who Danced Oklahoma", "Truckload Of Art", and "The Pink & Black Song". Great reissue – with corrected sound, and a huge booklet of notes on Allen – with essays by David Byrne and others. CD

A solo piano album – tracks include "Breakthru", "Impresario of Death", "Field Cry", "Birmingham, USA", and "Epilogue". CD

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

Two different concert recordings from the great Charles Mingus – recorded with the space of more than a decade between them, and showing the continual evolution of his genius! The first 2CDs bring together a sublime recording by German Radio in Bremen from 1964 – work that's from that important European tour that included the soon-to-be late Eric Dolphy on alto, flute, and bass clarinet – as part of a fiery sextet that also includes Johnny Coles on trumpet, Clifford Jordan on tenor, and Jaki Byard on piano. All players are fantastic – getting that push with Mingus that could often make soloists even more dynamic with the leader at the helm than on their own recordings – as you'll hear on the extended concert readings of "Hope So Eric", "Fables Of Faubus", "Parkeriania", and "Meditations On Integration" – plus a shorter solo by Byard. Mingus is at the helm of a different, but equally great group on the 1975 concert – with Jack Walrath on trumpet, George Adams on tenor, Don Pullen on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums (as on just about every Mingus recording!) The politics of the 64 performance are still in place, with a slight shift – and they're mixed with some of the late Mingus' love of Duke Ellington, who gets a tribute here in a few spots, but with some great touches by Charles. Most tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Devil Blues", "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love", "Black Bat & Poles", "For Harry Carney", "Sue's Changes", and "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA". CD

A later live recording by Charles Mingus at the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival, with guests that include Gerry Mulligan and Benny Bailey! The group on the set are mostly those who worked with Mingus on his Changes One and Changes Two albums – and the set features 5 long tracks that include "Sue's Changes", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Devil Blues", "Take The A Train", and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat". CD

Comprehensive set that covers the full range of Mingus' great recordings for Atlantic, including stuff from many hard to find albums that you won't find easily on LP. The track list is virtually a catalog of his greatest recordings, 6CDs worth of tracks including: "Pithecanthropus Erectus", "Profile Of Jackie", "Haitian Fight Song", "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird", 'Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", "Cryin' Blues", "Devil Woman", "Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am", "Passions Of A Woman Loved", "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love", "Better Git Hit In Your Sould", "Tonight At Noon", "Sue's Changes", "Canon", "Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi USA", "Goodbye, Porkpie Hat", "Passions Of A Man" and the spoken word number "Mingus On Mingus" which is Mingus himself looking back on his career. Well done liner notes, too, in a nice tri-fold gatefold package. CD

Here's where things really started getting interesting for James Brown! The album was issued right around the same time as James' single "Out Of Sight" on Smash – and like that track, "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" was one of the first to use that "instruments on the beat" style of funk that would dominate all of James' work in years to come – that amazing groove that completely turned soul music on its ear – and paved the way for generations to come! The result is a startling sound that forever changed the face of groove – and you'll hear it nicely placed on this album, along with great cuts like "Cross Firing", "Mashed Potatoes USA", "Doin The Limbo", and "Love Don't Love Nobody". CD

A bossa jazz session, but one with a different twist than usual! Franco Cerri plays acoustic guitar here, but his sound is a fair bit different than that of contemporaneous guitarists from Brazil – almost a bit earthier, with the rasp you might have heard from earlier European guitarists, particularly those of the Django generation. Yet despite that sound, Cerri's music here is very much in a 60s mode – sweetly grooving with great bossa rhythms from drummer Franco Tonani and bassist Giorgio Azzolini – in a combo that also features work from Nando Nebuloni on flute and Dino Piana on trombone. There's a breezy, jazzy feel to the whole set – with plenty of room for Cerri's solos – and titles include "Bossa Nova USA", "Desafinado", "Chega De Saudade", "Stringmi Forte I Polsi", "Sambalanco", "Perche Perche", "Samba Di Una Sola Nota", "Blues Bossa Nova", and "Voce E Eu". CD

One of the most stunning debut albums of the 70s – and a set that burst on the scene with a sound that summed up a generation, but which had never been heard this clearly before! This self-titled Clash album was different from other landmarks of the time – work by the Sex Pistols, Ramones, and others – as the group had a sense of raw power, but also a tunefulness too – a way of pushing their message into territory that others wouldn't have reached – with tunes that were as surprisingly hummable as they were politically correct! There's a bit less Jamaican influence here than in later Clash years, but that quality is still present somewhat – and over the years, this is definitely a set we can return to again and again – with no sense of apology or outdated ideals at all. Nearly every cut's a classic – and the original UK tracklist includes "Janie Jones", "Career Opportunities", "Police & Thieves", "Garageland", "White Riot", "London's Burning", "Deny", "I'm So Bored With The USA". CD

From live FM broadcasts recorded at De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 30th October 1967, Paul's Mall, Boston, USA, 14th September 1972, Shinjuku Kohseinenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan, 22nd January 1975, and The Sunplace, Fukuoka, Japan, 11th October 1981. CD

One of the funkiest blacksploitation soundtracks of the 70s – a rare indie gem from Nat Dove & The Devils! Dove's got a style that's a lot rougher and rootsier than other soundtrack artists of the 70s – an approach that's more based in the modes of the indie funk underground of the time, and less in the more polished studio funk you'd find on bigger film releases. The grit in the grooves is wonderfully welcome here – and it's a quality that really sets this one apart from the pack, and keeps it in heavy rotation over the years! Most of the tracks on here are instrumentals, and a few of the cuts have vocals by Mary Love – and titles include "Joy", "Petey Wheatstraw", "Steve's Den", Junkie Chase", "Zombie March", "Ghetto Street USA", and "Loving You". CD

Includes the songs "Song With Orange", "MDM", "Chill Of Death", "Paris In Blue", "Tensions", "Orange Is The Color Of Her Dress", "Cell Block F 'Tis Nazi USA", "Todo Modo", "Wednesday Prayer Meeting", and "Pedal Point Blues". CD

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Dave Douglas on trumpet, Mark Feldman on violin, Guy Klucevsek on accordion, and Greg Cohen on bass. CD

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With Dave Douglas on trumpet. CD

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Killer Jazz Crusaders material – exactly the kind of record that really had the group coming into their own in the second half of the 60s – finding a rich new groove that few other combos could match! The record captures the group at a perfect time – a point when they were breaking past the tighter shorter formula of earlier material, and moving into a slightly more spiritual conception – yet one that still had a hard swing and a deeply soulful vibe! The record's a prime example of the never-ending energy held by the band – near-perfect on every track, and played with a sense of creative expression that easily puts them at the top of the soul jazz scene in the late 60s! Titles include "Night Theme", "Air Waves", "Uh Huh", "Watts Happening", and "Ice Water". CD

Features Allen Farnham on piano, Howard Alden on guitar, Dick Oatts on alto sax and flute, and Ken Peplowski on tenor sax and clarinet. CD

Features Bill Laswell, Philip Glass, Pharoah Sanders, Mandingo, and others. CD

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Cory Smythe on piana, autoharp, and electronics; Daniel Lippel on guitar and electronics; Sofia Jernberg on vocals. CD

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A pair of Thollem collaborations – back to back on a single CD! First up is a beautiful duet with Susan Alcorn – with a fantastic sound that has Alcorn's groundbreaking work on pedal steel mixing with the well-crafted electronics of Thollem – lines that really seem to find the right resonance with the steel strings, then expand the sound out in ways that are completely unexpected! Alcorn's become one of the most compelling improvisers in recent years – and this set is a good illustration of her growing talents. The other half features Thollem working with drummer Alex Cline – on a set that mostly seems to have Thollem using acoustic piano, but in ways that are very unusual – at times almost with a Charlemagne Palestine sense of minimalism! CD

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Composed and arranged by trumpeter Orbert Davis and performed by the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic featuring Nicole Mitchell, Ari Brown, and special guest Willie Pickens. CD

Always the master storyteller, Kip Hanrahan turns his unique musical vision to source material from 1001 Arabian Nights – interweaving stories from the text with jazz-based expression, augmented by spoken and vocal passages. Carmen Lundy sings quite a bit on the record – which is a real treat to our ears, as its great to hear her in such a left-field project – and other artists on the set include Don Pullen, Milton Cardona, Mike Cain, Jack Bruce, JT Lewis, and Henry Threadgill. Tracks include "Diente De Oro", "Aziz & Azizah", "Dunya's Nocturnal Realization", "The Hasheater's Tale", "The Angel Charles & The Caravans Of Jinns & Dreams", and "The Jewish Doctor's Tale". CD

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Features Susan Alcorn on pedal steel – plus Mary Halvorson on guitar, Mark Feldman on violin, Michael Formanek on bass, and Ryan Sawyer on drums. CD