Flautist James Newton dips into the Ellington-Strayhorn songbook – with Arthur Blythe on alto sax, Roland Hanna on piano, Jay Hoggard on vibes, and Billy Hart and Pheeroan akLaff on drums. (Jazz) CD
Laura Nyro's second album in her legendary early run for Columbia Records – and an effort that's a bit more dramatic than the first! Laura's handling all arrangements herself this time, and they're conducted by Jimmy Haskell – but the overall sound is almost as spare as if Nyro were ... (Rock) read moreCD
A classic set from all-true Alexander O'Neal – and maybe one of his last great records for the Tabu label! The set's got a nice balance of groovers and mellower moments – really showing the growing diversity of O'Neal as an artist, as he tries to move away from some of his bigger ... (Soul) read moreCD
(Out of print original pressing, booklet has some light wear.)
Billy Ocean —
Suddenly ... CD Jive/Arista, 1984. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
The album that made Billy Ocean a superstar for a little while, one that had a HUGE couple of years on the charts, even longer service as a snapshot of its era, and is now one that we can look at freshly and appreciate for all of the unstoppably catchy pop soul craft that made it so massive in the ... (Soul) read moreCD
A Cuban classic from Orquesta Aragon – recorded back in the days when US labels like RCA still had access to music being recorded in Havana! The style here is very much in keeping with the cha cha cha in the title – but it's also very much the Cuban variation, with a slightly more ... (Latin) read moreCD
A stone classic from Jeffrey Osborne – and a real standout in mainstream soul at the start of the 90s! Osborne's legendary vocals have never sounded better – as there's a warmth in the production that returns him to the grace and power he had when first going solo – a style that ... (Soul) read moreCD
Recorded live at the Royal Roost with Miles Davis or Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Al Haig on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Max Roach on drums. (Jazz) CD
Charlie Parker on alto sax – joined here by Fats Navarro on tumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Curley Russell on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – plus a bonus set featuring JJ Johnson, Red Rodney, and Roy Haynes! (Jazz) CD
A batch of Parliament and Parliament related funk nuggets get a nice CD presentation of the original, rare, and or extended takes that were previously only available on the original vinyl! All told, more than an hour's worth of prime and/or rare P Funk! Tracks include "Aqua Boogie" ... (Soul) read moreCD
Proof that Hermeto Pascoal never stopped making dynamically creative music! The great Brazilian reed player was still going strong in the early 80s, a period when a lot of his other contemporaries were flagging a bit in their creativity – and as this great album from 1982 will show, Hermeto ... (Brazil) read moreCD
(Out of print, booklet has a cut corner.)
Joe Pass —
Joy Spring ... CD Blue Note/Pacific Jazz, 1964. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
A gem by Joe Pass – recorded "live" in the studio a few months before his legendary For Django album, but never issued until the 70s! The set's got a freeness that you don't always hear in some of Pass' other more restrained work – and working with a quartet that includes ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Live recording with Joe Pass on electric guitar, playing "Old Folks", "Django", "Lush Life", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and the medley "It's All In The Game/Yesterdays". (Jazz) CD
(Out of print, punch through barcode and promotional stamp on CD.)
Surprisingly nice recent work from Blue Note organ jazz legend Big John Patton! The album was recorded in New York in 1993 – at a time when Patton was being rediscovered, and brought back into the light as an excellent player with a hell of a lot to offer, one who'd just been slowly ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A much better record than you'd expect from the somewhat cheesy cover – one of Duke Pearson's funkiest sessions ever, and a hard swinging big band set with a great late 60s feel! The group is all-class all the way – with players that include Pearson, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Marvin ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print 2010 Japanese pressing, includes obi.)
Oscar Peterson on piano – playing solo, or in a trio with bassists Ray Brown or Sam Jones, and Bobby Durham, Ed Thigpen, or Louis Hayes on drums. (Jazz) CD
The classic tunes of Duke Ellington are turned towards the soulful style of the Oscar Peterson Trio – in a setting that makes these familiar numbers come alive again with a whole new quality! The Peterson touch is quite different than the Ellington one – a bit less modern, especially ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print Verve Master Edition in the tri-fold digipak.)
Great early work from Oscar Peterson – recorded during his first few years with Norman Granz, and in an extremely spare style that only features added bass accompaniment on most tracks! The record's virtually a solo session – cut with a style that's got the energy of Bud Powell, mixed ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Oscar Peterson pays tribute to the late Nat King Cole – not only on piano, but also with a bit of vocals as well! Given how rarely Oscar sings on record, the album's a real treat – especially as his vocals capture the spirit of Cole surprisingly well – not exactly like Nat, but ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(1998 Japanese jewel case pressing. Includes obi!)
A seminal set from 70s Pink Floyd – a set that took all the energy of Dark Side Of The Moon, and refined it into an even more complex sonic setting! The songs here move out spaciously – still very unified as an overall album, but often with all of these longer-form musical ideas, and ... (Rock) read moreCD
Titles include "Driven To Tears", "Man In A Suitcase", "Shadows In The Rain", "Voices Inside My Head", "Bombs Away", and "Don't Stand So Close To Me". (Rock) CD
(Early pressing – disc made in Japan by Nippon Columbia.)
Odean Pope —
Ponderer ... CD Black Saint (Italy), 1990. Used ...
$9.99
One of the few Bud Powell sessions cut for RCA, but a brilliantly swinging date that has the pianist working at the height of his powers! There's an edge here that comes through right from the start – an off kilter vibe in both Bud's tone, and even in the way he's vocalizing joyously in the ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Tracks include "Tiger Rag", "Mood Indigo", "St. Louis Blues", "Careless Love", "Joe Avery", "George On My Mind", and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee". (Jazz) CD
A mad bit of psychedelic soul from Prince – a record that sounds better and better over the years, and which stands out from most of his 80s work thanks to some really unique production and songwriting! After Purple Rain, Prince did anything but freeze up in the face of living up to such a ... (Soul) read moreCD
The more stylistically sprawling of the 2 albums Prince released upon returning to Warner Brothers in 2014 – nicely recalling some of his better later 80s and early 90s material, post-Sign O The Times craft – but still moving forward, as opposed to reliving past glories! Art Official ... (Soul) read moreCD
Early work from Prince – really his first full fledged masterpiece! Prince ushered the 80s in with a mix of recognizable influences, but filtered through his unique sensibility – taking a new approach to funky soul – by using his own sinister blend of layered vocals, crisp ... (Soul) read moreCD
Ike Quebec —
Soul Samba ... CD Blue Note (Japan), 1962. Used ...
$9.99
One of the few Blue Note albums with a bossa groove – and a great one too! The record features soulful tenor star Ike Quebec blowing in front of Brazilian-styled rhythms laid out by a combo that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, and a duo of Latin percussionists! Willie Bobo plays drums on ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print 2004 Japanese pressing, includes obi.)
Sun Ra —
Nuclear War ... CD Unheard Music Series/Atavistic, 1982. Used ...
$28.99
Long-overdue reissue of one of Ra's greatest moments! The song "Nuclear War" is to Ra's 80s career what "Space Is The Place" was to his 70s one – a bona-fide hit, played with a catchy groove, and a chorus that was a great hook into new audiences at the time. It's got a ... (Jazz) read moreCD
An unreleased live set from Rare Earth – done on stage in the Windy City in the mid 70s, and with a raw vibe that's maybe even more funky than some of their studio albums from the time! Instrumentation is nice and lean – with heavy drums and bass, and some great fuzz on the guitar that ... (Rock) read moreCD
A real breakout set from the young Joshua Redman – the kind of record that made some mighty big ripples in the jazz world at the time – and which ended up in more record collections than we can count – and for good reason, too! The group's a rock-solid quartet – with Redman ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print, promotional stamp on booklet cover.)
Lou Reed —
Berlin ... CD RCA, 1973. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
The "biggest" album of Lou Reed's career – in the grand sense – with epic production and a small army of superstar session players and production by spectacle specialist Bob Ezrin – but that's paired with arguably the darkest, gloomiest songcycle ever composed by Lou ... (Rock) read moreCD
Martha Reeves' first solo album for MCA – an all-out studio affair that's quite different from her classic 60s work for Motown! The album's done in a way that really focuses on the deepest side of Martha's vocals – in a way that goes for the sort of "rootsy" soul that was ... (Soul) read moreCD
(Out of print and limited to 5000 non-numbered copies. Small bump on the bottom edge of the digipak, otherwise in great shape!)
Lionel's first solo album after leaving the Commodores – and a solid bit of mellow soul that forever merged the genres of soul music and adult contemporary! Titles include "Serves You Right", "My Love", "Tell Me", "You Are", "Truly", "Jus ... (Soul) read moreCD
A great little album from Max Roach – one that has him finding a whole new voice in jazz! The set was recorded on the heels of Max's time with Clifford Brown – and it's a great little album that has him bouncing back nicely from the loss by moving into a new realm that shows off his ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print 2005 digipak pressing with some wear and a peeled spot on the cover.)
Max Roach's masterpiece! This album is one of his most perfectly realized visions – and it's a marvelous album that combines politics and modern jazz, yet still manages to swing! The players are some of the hippest that Roach ever worked with – and include Eric Dolphy, Booker Little, ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A sometimes-overlooked classic from the Rolling Stones – but that's maybe just because it's sometimes obscured in the shadow of Exile On Main Street, the record that immediately preceded it! And while it might be a stretch to some, we like to think of Goat's head as kind of a capper to that ... (Rock) read moreCD
Way more than the disco cash-in some folks thought at the time – and a surprisingly classic set that perfectly sums up the late 70s Stones ethos – and, in a way, the vibe of a changing New York! Titles include "Miss You", "Beast Of Burden", "Shattered", ... (Rock) read moreCD
Titles include "Sad Sad Sad", "Terrifying", "Mixed Emotions", "Slipping Away", "Break The Spell", "Blinded By Love", "Can't Be Seen", "Hold On To Your Hat", and "Rock & A Hard Place". (Rock) CD
Sonny Rollins —
Easy Living ... CD Milestone (Japan), 1977. Used ...
$19.99
With Tony Williams on drums, George Duke on keyboards, Charles Icarus Johnson on guitar, and Paul Jackson and Byron Miller on bass. (Jazz) CD
(1998 20 bit remaster/Japanese pressing. Includes obi!)
Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Jack DeJohnett and Al Foster on drums. (Jazz) CD
(Still sealed. Cutout hole through case and tray card.)
Sonny Rollins —
Way I Feel ... CD Milestone/OJC, 1976. Used ...
$7.99
One of Sonny Rollins' sweetest electric sessions from the 70s – a date that features Patrice Rushen handling some keyboards, and Lee Ritenour on guitar – but Sonny blowing solid, soulful tenor all the way through! The setting is the sort that might initially turn off fans of Rollins' ... (Jazz) read moreCD
10 tracks lifted from the Car Wash soundtrack – all the ones sung by Rose Royce, the vocal numbers that are best remembered from the score! Includes their super-huge hit "Car Wash", plus "I Wanna Get Next To You", "I'm Going Down", "Put Your Money Where ... (Soul) read moreCD
Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar and vocals, Joshua Redman on tenor saxophone, Brad Mehldau on piano, Larry Grenadier on drums, and Jeff Ballard and Ali Jackson on drums. (Jazz) CD
Pianist Renee Rosnes joins The Drummonds group of drummer Billy Drummond and bassist Ray – bringing her sweetly swinging style on the keys into play with the pair's spacious approach to rhythm! There's an open, contemplative quality to this record that we really like a lot – one that ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print, includes obi.)
Jim Rotondi —
Reverence ... CD Criss Cross (Holland), 2000. Used ...
$7.99
Includes the songs "Change Of Season", "Sassy & Dolphy", "Almost Blue", "Stokey", "Coming On The Hudson", "God Had A Girlfriend", "All Too Soon / Way Low", "Theme From Babe", "The Light", and "Change ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Tracks include "Tillie", "Black And Blue", "Bye And Bye", "Ole Miss Blues", "In The Bag", and "Meet Me At The Second Line". (Jazz) CD
(Barcode has a cutout hole.)
Kermit Ruffins with The Rebirth Brass Band —
Throwback ... CD Basin Street, 2005. Used ...
$4.99
Kermit Ruffins and Derrick Shezbie on trumpet and vocals, Vincent Broussard on tenor saxophone, Corey Henry, Glen Andrews, Trombone Shorty and Stafford Agee on trombone, Philip Frazier on tuba, David Torkanowsky on Wurlitzer, Reed Watson on cowbell, Keith Frazier on bass drum, Derrick Tabb on snare ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A really wonderful little record – and some of our favorite work ever from Japanese pop maestro Ryuichi Sakamoto! Sakamoto really surprised folks with this set – not just because it accompanied his strong performance (with David Bowie) in the film, but also because it opened up the way ... (Soundtracks) read moreCD
Joe Sample —
Carmel ... CD ABC/Blue Thumb, 1979. Used ...
$4.99
God, we love this record – and we're not ashamed to admit it! Sure, it sold a gazillion copies – and sure, for some folks it showed the true demise of the Crusaders ensemble. But for us, it's a masterpiece of smooth fusion, and a landmark album of easy jazz that spawned countless ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A set that's way more than the classic rock outing of some of the group's Bay Area contemporaries – as the young Carlos Santana finds a way to mix inspirations from blues and Latin music into this fierce fusion of so many different elements at once – stretching out, jamming, and ... (Rock) read moreCD
Michael Schenker Group —
Assault Attack ... CD Chrysalis (Japan), 1982. Used ...
$6.99
Mindblowing work from Jill Scott – possibly the best thing we've heard from her since her classic debut – and a record that reminds us that she's still one of the greatest soul singers around! Jill's a bit more grown up here than before – shaking off some of the more passive ... (Neo Soul) read moreCD
Includes the songs "Roll Me Away", "Night Moves", "Turn The Page", "You'll Accomp'ny Me", "Hollywood Nights", "Still The Same", "Old Time Rock & Roll", "We've Got Tonight", "Against The Wind", "Mainstr ... (Rock) read moreCD
A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw – and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip – a mixture of ... (Soul) read moreCD
An unusual one for George Shearing – in that this Capitol session's a trio date, instead of Shearing's usual quintet mode – working in an Ahmad Jamal-like trio with drums by Vernel Fournier and bass by the late Israel Crosby! There's flowing, subtly soulful sound going on here – ... (Jazz) read moreCD