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A beautiful lost bit of Exotica from the early 60's! Michel Magne recorded this "adventure in exotic sounds and percussion" in the Barclay Studios in Paris – as one of the excellent albums he cut in France before moving onto more famous soundtracks – and the set's got a... read more

Beautiful harmony soul! Skip and the Casuals were one of the great lost groups of the 70s – and they had a classic style that was very much in keeping with groups like Soul Generation or The Whatnauts. The band hailed from Washington DC, making them one of the southernmost outposts of the... read more

A great little project that's very much in the same spirit as the Havana Cultura project on Brownswood – a set that features British producer Mala working with a host of contemporary Cuban musicians – all in a groove that takes their roots, and pushes them very firmly towards the future!... read more

Funky, freaky, and freewheeling – a killer 70s set from Baris Manco – and quite possibly the greatest realization of his unique blend of sounds! Some tunes are short, while others are much longer – and Manco seems really set free to experiment here – still using the cool... read more

Although some of the albums that Mandrill made were a bit weak, and had too much hippy-dippy stuff, this one is one of their best albums, and has a nice hard funky sound that they didn't always match. The album includes the funky break classic track "Fencewalk", plus other groovers like... read more

Mandrill's first album of funky Latin jazz and soul – a landmark in crossover styles that still sounds remarkably fresh today! Unlike later records, which feature a tighter funk sound, this one has the band jamming out in a Latin-inflected mode that sounds like some of the best Chicano bands... read more

A tasty set from Mandrill – one of their first records away from the Polydor label, but every bit as great as later efforts for that company, especially Mandrilland. The overall sound is a bit smoother than some of their full-out funky albums – but in a way that really helps blend... read more

Some of the tightest tracks we've ever heard from Chico Mann – and some of his most soulful too – a great set of work that really has him stepping past some of the rougher structures of earlier years, and showing a new love of 80s keys and beats as well! The album's got a skittish... read more

A sweet limited-edition single – one that features four of the best tracks from Chico Mann's second and third volumes of Manifest Tone! Grooves are spare, sharp, and funky – great beats on the bottom, some 80s-styled keys, and lots of other elements that really complicate things... read more

A never-issued session from a young Terry Manning – later a big force on the Memphis scene, thanks to his work for Stax and Ardent – but here heard in one of his first musical outings ever, a small trio with just his own vocals and guitars, plus drums and percussion! The recording... read more

Vital early Prestige work from alto sax great Charlie Mariano – who's fronting a quintet of Boston All Stars! The record includes a couple of his more essential early compositions in "Erosong" and "Barsac" – and Charlie's solos on those are incredible on those. It's... read more

Early 50s greatness from Charlie Mariano for Prestige – sessions that are mostly done in an octet format – wonderful stuff that we'd rank right up there with some of his best work of the decade! This 10-inch LP is subtitled New Sounds From Boston – which is quite appropriate... read more

Sweet grooves from the great Bob Marley – a set cut at a time when Marley was really riding his international fame – and able to create the kind of music that reached out way more than conventional reggae! The Kingston roots of the sound are still very firmly in place – but there'... read more

Rare mid 80s recordings from singer Bunny Marrett – a largely unrheralded hero of the Bristol reggae scene of that decade – and a 6 track set of strong work that's gone unreleased until now! Recorded in '86, Marrett plays rhythm guitar and sings, with a band that includes Glen Crooks,... read more

If you can forgive the title of this one, you'll find it to be a very groovy record! The album's a killer batch of funky instrumentals ("black sound") recorded in Italy in 1972 by Augusto Martelli ("white people") – and it's got the groove and swing of some of the best... read more

The second proper Masta Ace album – dope stuff from the glorious early 90s that lives up to his work with the legendary Juice Crew and his classic debut! At this point Masta Ace into deep into his fairly new approach of creating excellent full length listening experiences – with... read more

A timeless take on Cali psych from Maston! It's a pretty sweet take on classic styles – rolling from rawer, eerier takes on the melancholy sunshine of Pet Sounds to even moodier songcraft – with tripped out, though melodic vocal material and some cool instrumentals alike. While the... read more

A really messed-up blend of soul, rock, and blues – done in a style that's very much in keeping with the genre-busting Fillmore scene of the late 60s! Maximillian are a trio who run through Hendrix-like guitars, deep soul styled vocals, and bluesy riffing – often in the course of the... read more

Pure genius from Curtis Mayfield – and a record that's got all the righteousness and political power you might guess from the cover! The album burns with a sense of empowerment that's every bit the best strength of Curtom in the 70s – a sublime blend of heavy soul, funky undercurrents,... read more

Nicely priced US reissue of this classic! This was Curtis Mayfield's first solo album after leaving the Impressions, and it's a firey album of political soul that shows just how much he was holding back when he was with the group. The tracks are longer, angrier, more experimental, and a lot more... read more

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that... read more

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that... read more

A wonderfully wicked album from Curtis Mayfield – one that's not nearly as famous as his Superfly set, but which is every bit as great! The groove here is lean, mean, and totally righteous – a bit more stripped-down than some of the rumbling funk of other Curtom efforts, and served up... read more

A great album by Curtis Mayfield – filled with some excellent lesser-known gems! There's No Place Like America was Curtis' scathing testament to the State Of The Union – and it's got a hip political tone that's right up there with the best of his early 70s songwriting – perhaps... read more

One of the most outside sets we've heard from Rob Mazurek in years – a combination of his own cornet and work on ring modulator – creating a blend of jazz and electronics that's really mindblowing! Mazurek's not alone in his creative expressions – as he's joined here by a group... read more

One of the most striking records so far from the mighty Rob Mazurek – a set that makes us more than glad we've been following his musical journey for the past two decades! The set's got a nicely compressed feel – one that takes some of the looser energy that's been bubbling up in... read more

A killer little set from Les McCann – one of his greatest records of the 60s, thanks to a fair bit of Latin Soul influences! The album's got a groove that's much grittier than Les' other work – a solid, soulful emphasis on bottom rhythms – which are mostly in a boogaloo and shing-... read more

A full blown duets album by Bonnie Prince Billy and Dawn McCarthy of Faun Fables – co-headlining a straight-up beautiful set of tunes once sung by The Everly Brothers! They're not going for the hits here, rather taking on some of the more unusual Everly originals and covers – which... read more

A classic set of soul jazz from Chicago – a rare indie date recorded in the early 80s, but with a tight and swinging feel that's more 70s jazz funk than you might think! Corky's on Yamaha keyboards, and he's backed by a hip group of Chicago players that includes Curtis Prince on drums, Artee... read more

A landmark album from the Miami soul scene of the 70s – the record that put Gwen McCrae on the map, and showed to the world that the TK sound was about to dominate the charts! There's a really unique groove to the set – part older southern soul, part percolated electric modes –... read more

Sexy soul from the great Gwen McCrae – a key follow-up to her massive Rockin Chair, and an album that showed that she could go a lot deeper than just pop soul! Given Gwen's contribution to the early disco years, the record's got a surprisingly laidback feel – classic female southern... read more

An obscure second soundtrack for The Mack – one that's not nearly as well known as the classic Motown score by Willie Hutch, but which features some great work from Eugene McDaniels – and funky backings from Alan Silvestri! Eugene sings sweetly on the title theme "In The... read more

The raw and riveting mid 60s recordings of singer and guitarist Mississippi Fred McDowell with blues harpist Johnny Woods! It was recorded by George Mitchell with a relaxed, press record and stay out of their way approach – and man is this some exhilarating stuff! McDowell brings a lot of... read more

A really unusual album for Jack McDuff – one that was recorded in Memphis, with a lineup and a feel that's quite different from other Blue Note sessions of the time! There's a lot of electricity bubbling in the record – and although McDuff normally never worked with a bassist on... read more

One of Jimmy's funkiest albums ever – a sweeeeet batch of short, hard, and funky cuts – and a record that ranks right up there with the mighty Soul Sugar for sheer funkiness! Jimmy takes an upbeat and easygoing approach to the late 60s funk sound, with a nice, rubbery bass and the... read more

A nice bit of funky organ work from Jimmy McGriff! The record's recorded with a slightly larger than usual band – but that's a good thing here, as players like Horace Ott, Cliff Davis, Richard Evans, and Everett Barksdale provide a strong bouncy groove, which Jimmy uses to solo over the top... read more

Funky early 70s work by Jimmy McGriff – a mix of tight groovers and more open soul jazz numbers – all of which represent some of his best moments for the Groove Merchant label! Jimmy's got a lean, mean sound on these tracks – and even when the backings are full, they've got the... read more

A fantastic album, and one of Jimmy's hardest to find! The set is quite different than most of Jimmy's other work – and it features short, hard, funky tracks that feel more like obscure 7" singles than any of Jimmy's straighter soul jazz work. It almost sounds like The JBs are backing... read more

Sweet funky blues from the team of Junior Parker and Jimmy McGriff – coming together here in a way that's even groovier than some of their previous work! Junior's got a sweet approach to the lyrics that grooves nicely with Jimmy's Hammond – and the set's got some full and soulful... read more

Forget the "honky tonk" in the title – because this girl knows how to groove! Ellen McIlwaine's got to be one of the most unique talents of the past 50 years – a skilled guitarist, and great singer – working in a blend of folk, jazz, and soul that lies somewhere between... read more

Stunning! This is one of Jackie McLean's best-ever albums, and it's a haunting mix of hard bop and some of the more modernist tendencies that would inform his "new thing" period. Butch Warren plays bass, and he drives the set with an intensity that reminds us of Mingus – and which... read more

Fantastic lost material from Jackie McLean! The set was recorded right before his "new thing" era – in the same period as the amazing Fickle Sonance album. And like that one, this features Jackie edging out towards modernist ideas, yet still swinging hard and fierce, with a firey... read more

A real mind-trip – and an incredible document of the times – not just ideas floating around in the late 60s, but also new ways of making records too! The album is loosely based around ideas and writings from The Medium Is The Massage – McLuhan's important 1967 book, co-written... read more

Amazing work from Joe McPhee – heard here in an unbridled setting that features only the drums of Chris Corsano for accompaniment! The set was recorded in the tiny Sugar Maple club in Milwaukee – and has Joe and Chris paying tribute to some of their big inspirations, both musically and... read more

Pivotal work from one of the first bluesmen to ever use "blind" in his name – sides recorded by the legendary Willie McTell when he was at the height of his powers! Most tracks here feature well-recorded vocals from Willie – especially for the time – a haunting... read more

Brilliant early recordings from Blind Willie McTell – easily one of the most distinctive bluesmen of his generation! McTell's guitar is subtle, but effective – often used in these strummed passages that seem to let his vocals do most of the work on the tunes – save for some key... read more

A built-to-last effort from MED, hence the title – a classic hip hop styled set with sharp rhymes and great production – straight up hip hop on Stones Throw that's straight up solid! As long as we've welcomed verses from the rhymer formerly known as Medaphoar, it's actually kind of a... read more

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Chicago scene of the 70s – an unreleased gem from Medusa – a group who really know how to go head to head with some of the most frenetic acts of their generation! The set's got a blistering array of guitars right up front in the mix... read more

A pretty killer slab of heavily-thumping early 70s rock from Megaton – a group with a Sabbath-like and a sound that definitely matches it – plus a surprising bit of bluesy heat in the mix! The album's got an impressive sound, somewhat in the vein of Free – and like Free, the... read more

Funky sitar work – but recorded in pre-revolution Iran – a really amazing blends of scenes and sounds from the legendary Abbas Mehrpouya! Abbas' music has hardly been heard outside of his own nation – especially given the cultural crackdown of the past 30 years – and this... read more

A mindblower from Menagerie – yet another deep musical chapter in the rich career of Lance Ferguson – an artist we loved for his early club work, then dug as a funk maestro with The Bamboos, now able to hit spiritual jazz sounds with this wonderful new group! The set's got a feel that's... read more

Sublime work from one of the coolest funky combos around – a group who aren't content to just hit the same funky styles as other outfits – and one who really stretch strongly in their pursuit of new sounds! The set's definitely funky – especially on the drums – but there's... read more

A bold slice of work from the Daptone musical universe – a hip project that features work from members of The Dap Kings, El Michels Affair, Budos Band, and Antibalas – all put together with a range of sounds that really show the full spectrum of their styles! The groove's quite unique... read more

A very unique album by Sergio Mendes – recorded in LA in the years before his Brasil 66 albums for A&M – but with a sound that clearly shows him going for the new bossa approach! The album's got some lovely vocals by Wanda De Sah, plus occasional guitar work by Rosinha De Valenca... read more

A killer tribute to the music of Herbie Nichols – played by a committed batch of modernists who are clearly inspired by his genius! Misha Mengelberg's in the group on piano – and his angular lines on the keys have plenty of Nichols and then some – lots of Misha's own inventive... read more

A collection of outtakes from the Deserter’s Songs sessions! Includes home demos and otherwise rougher, early versions and otherwise alternate mixes – pretty wonderfully fleshed out, though, even in blueprint form. A very worthy batch of rare versions of songs from their one-time... read more

Perhaps the most beloved of albums by Mercury Rev – and also their most unique! This is a band that was just about the least predictable group to appear on a major label during the early 90s "alternative" feeding frenzy – certainly one of those great bands whose influence and... read more

Nice! US reissue of one of the better post-Josie albums by the Meters, with a groove that's a little New Orleans, and a little 70's funky soul. Not all cuts are great, but there's some nice funky tracks on here that make this one worth having, and which keep it from being a disappointment, like... read more

Seminal work from The Meters – and an album that's essential for just about any collection of old school funk! The record's a blueprint for grooves that have been copied for generations to come – yet nobody does it better than these Crescent City kings – working here with a sound... read more

Brilliantly funky! This is the greatest album they cut for Warner Brothers – and it's one of the few that ever really approaches the genius of their early work for Josie. The record features the incredible breakbeat cut "Just Kissed My Baby" – worth the price of the album... read more

The rarest Meters record ever! This is one of the 3 classic funky albums they cut for the Josie label in their early years – and it's about as hard and heavy and funky as you could get! The group's trademark scratchy guitar funk sound is firmly in place, and the rhythm section is nice,... read more

A seminal bit of funk rock from this well-connected group who bubbled under considerably during the late 60s and early 70s, but never seemed to cross over big. The best cuts on the album have a heavy funk sound, similar to the group's funky 45s – with the sax of leader George Patterson Jr... read more

One of THE psychedelic funk masterpieces of the early 70s – a guitar-heavy set with a very fuzzed up feel – one that's halfway between the work of Fugi and some of the best early sides on Westbound Records! But more than just guitar-heavy funk, Midnight Movers also have a fair bit of a... read more

This is definitely not your father's calypso – no living room limbo or Harry Belafonte cliches – and instead, a smoking batch of Caribbean grooves from The Mighty Sparrow! Sparrow was very much on the edge of the best styles in the 60s and early 70s – and although his basic... read more

The great Joe Henderson joins pianist Mulgrew Miller for this wonderful album – lending his sharp-edged tenor tone to really make the session stand out from Miller's more common trio dates! Henderson and Miller both have a great ear for the darker side of the spectrum – hitting notes... read more

A beautiful set from Mulgrew Miller – one of his greatest albums as a leader, and exemplary of the kind of underground jazz that was still bubbling strong in the 80s! The set features Miller's quintet with Kenny Garrett on alto and flute, Steve Nelson on vibes, Charnett Moffett on bass, and... read more

The full range of Mina's pop genius of the 60s – some upbeat groovers, some offbeat swingers, and some mellower cuts that glide forth with her wonderful vocals in Italian! Although she never cracked the charts here, Mina was easily one of the best female singers on the European scene of the... read more

Echoey pop from the Italian scene of the early 60s – a record that already sparkles with dynamic vocals from the legendary Mina – but which also has some great studio touches too! There's a lively, optimistic mix of modes going on here – electric guitar that rings out boldly next... read more

Beautiful stuff – and a record that shows a real maturation in Mina's vocals – a move away from some of the simple pop of the early years (even though that was pretty darn great), and into the territory of an all-adult vocalist with a really wide range! Backings are by Augusto Martelli... read more

Early in the career of Italian singer Mina – but a record that's filled with the sort of well-sung pop numbers that made her huge on the European scene of the 60s! The style here is a bit fuller than some of Mina's later work – arrangements that sometimes echo American pop modes of the... read more

Great pop sounds from the lovely Mina – an Italian singer of the 60s whose powers easily rival those of French chanteuses like Francoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot, or France Gall! The tunes here have a nice undercurrent of rock and pop elements under larger arrangements that often allow Mina to... read more

One of the grooviest European singers of the 60s – the lovely Mina, who could swing with the best of the British and French scene of the time – yet who also had a wide vocal range that was also used in famous soundtracks, too! This cracker of an album really displays the full range of... read more

Playful pop from Mina – a great Italian singer who made some really wonderful records from the late 50s onward! This early set is a real gem – a sprightly mix of larger arrangements with rock and pop inflections – all served up in this optimistic blend that really fits the mood... read more

Wonderful sounds from space – put together in a rare album that was initially issued in a small batch, to coincide with the Seattle Worlds Fair in the early 60! For the set, Art Mineo comes up with an amazing batch of spacey sounds that were played at the fair in conjunction with a machine... read more

Oh how we love this album – and we think it may well be the best album ever from Charles Mingus! The set was recorded in that magical Mingus year of 1957, but oddly not released until 1962 – missing some of the initial frenzy of his discovery during the Atlantic and Columbia years. ... read more

One of the great Mingus albums for Atlantic – and a record that brings together material from 2 different sessions: one from 1957, with Shafi Hadi on alto; and another from 1961, with Roland Kirk and Booker Ervin on saxes. The '57 session has a raw quintet sound, and features some haunting... read more

A great, rare early album by The Miracles! The album features the group back when they still had a female member, who gives the band a beautiful high harmony sound in tandem with Smokey Robinson's falsetto vocals. The reissue includes the great original cover – and loads of nice original... read more

An excellent pairing of funk talents – the tight trumpet of Blue Mitchell, and the super-soulful backings of Monk Higgins! Higgins has a groove that was schooled in the funky 45 underground of Chicago – and here, he really finds a great way to pick things up for Mitchell –... read more

One of the most obscure records from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – a great session recorded in the 60s, during Blue's classic stretch with Blue Note – but not issued until 1980, and even then, only briefly! The record's a great example of Mitchell's strong capacity to play well in a larger... read more

The thing to do – is jam! Blue's sounding wonderful in this classic set for Blue Note – one of his best small group albums – recorded with a sound that's solidly in keeping with his lyrically melodic work in the Horace Silver group! The quintet features Chick Corea on piano... read more

One of the greatest Blue Note albums of all time! Hank Mobley leads an incredibly soulful group that includes Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, McCoy Tyner, and Billy Higgins – and the group plays this amazing mix of soul jazz and modal grooves that is hardly matched by anything else in the Blue... read more

An extremely well-titled set from the legendary Hank Mobley – one of his key Blue Notes of the 60s, and an album that glides along with an undeniable sense of joy, life, and soul! Mobley's really opening up his groove at this point – moving way beyond standard hard bop and soul jazz... read more

Simply astounding! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums– a spare and simple group, but one with a direct energy that's really amazing... read more

A righteous group soul classic from the 70s – the one and only album from The Modulations, and a lasting classic that almost beats the multiple album runs of some of their contemporaries! The group's a southern harmony quartet at their core, but they also get some really great backings on... read more

A legendary bit of psychedelia from the Mexican scene of the 60s – the only album ever cut by Bodo Molitor, a singer with a range of American influences! Part of the record is definitely as wild as you might expect from the cover, but other parts are more focused and groovy – almost a... read more

Sweet sweet sweet soul from The Moments, and one of their rare early albums for the Stang label! The tracks are all beautiful New Jersey harmony soul, of the sort that The Moments and others put on the charts in a large way during the early 70s – and the band's smoothing their act up a bit,... read more

One of our favorite Thelonious Monk albums ever – a bare bones, no nonsense session that's filled with great work from tenorist Charlie Rouse! The record's filled with everything that's great about the Monk/Rouse team in these years – an incredible interplay between sax and piano,... read more

A key classic from Thelonious Monk's years at Riverside – and an album that's as compelling as its haunting title! The session features Thelonious working with a great quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, playing these wonderfully angular lines; Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, working... read more

The one astounding studio album of proto punk/abrasive psych genius from the Monks – a true masterpiece if their ever was one, a record that's been ripped off by myriad more famous groups in both the mainstream and rock underground of the past 40 years! The group's status as discharged G.I.'... read more

Massive music from Monomono – and a set of Afro Funk put together with a wonderful criss-crossing of sounds! The style here isn't just the familiar grooves you might expect – and instead, there's almost a post-colonial vibe going on – an ear towards London, and another towards... read more

The Monophonics definitely have a way of getting inside your brain – using a cosmic slop of fuzzy guitars and funky basslines to eat away your grey matter more than a maggot inside your cranium! Yet even past that heavy Funkadelic reference, they've also got a richer vibe too –... read more

Presented like a test pressing – and with a wonderfully spare sound to match the packaging – the set brings together a range of sweet 80s-styled keyboard grooves from Moon B cassettes – all of them with a wicked sort of old school sound! The style is very open and fluid –... read more

Gentle genius from the legendary Moondog – a rare album recorded right around the same time as his mindblowing work for Prestige! The style here is very similar to those Prestige albums – very spare and rhythmic – often just using simple acoustic percussion alongside an... read more

Classic stuff – Rudy's first album, and a fitting launch to his famous career of party records and live club performances! The cover's got Rudy in front of a nude black model, laying back on the couch, and encouraging him to do the thing that's implied by the title – but the record... read more

Quite possibly THE mother of all funky soundtracks – the legendary score to Rudy Ray Moore's classic first Dolemite film! The record's been referenced for years, and all the hype is totally right – because the whole thing's overflowing with funky tracks both vocal and instrumental... read more

A sock-solid sextet session from the mighty Lee Morgan – recorded for Blue Note at the height of his mid 60s powers, and carried off in a beautiful blend of soul jazz and some slight modern touches! The group here is top-shelf all the way through – Jackie McLean on alto, Hank Mobley on... read more

An excellent early session from a young Lee Morgan – a set that we'd rank right up there with his best Blue Note material of the time! The set's from a time when Lee's trumpet was a key force in the Jazz Messengers – and there's definitely a Messengers vibe going on here, thanks to... read more

A brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note – always coming up with fresh ideas that continued to grow his talents! The first cut on the album is keep roof of that fact – the title track "Search For... read more

One of our top 5 favorite Blue Note records of all time – a bold and powerful session from trumpeter Lee Morgan, but one that sat in the vaults for 15 years before release! The session was recorded around the same time as Morgan's hit The Sidewinder (which eclipsed its release at the time)... read more

Early work from Topeka, KS psychedelia and garage-tinged rockers Morning Dew – mixing hooky guitar rocker with a fuzzy sound and charisma to spare – a collection their mid-to-late 60s singles and unreleased material! We were hipped to the group via their fantastic At Last LP cut for... read more