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A great little live set from Sergio Mendes and his Brasil 65 group – a pre-Brasil 66 combo that features Wanda De Sah on vocals and Rosinha De Valenca on guitar! The style here is more traditionally Brazilian bossa than Sergio's later work on A&M – a fluidly jazzy groove captured... read more

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Weird and wild sounds from contemporary Bogota – music that's got a very old school quality at its core, yet which also mixes in plenty of experimentation with the rhythms! Think of this as an old Colombian record with analogue electronics and sound samples – or some other-worldly... read more

A brilliant meeting of talents – legendary Ethiopian saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria, and the ever-amazing Ex – paired together in a set of work that's even better than their previous collaboration! This time around, it The Ex feel even more like an Ethio-inspired group – often... read more

A killer combination of sounds – the searing tenor sax of Getatchew Mekuria and the raspy guitars of The Ex – brought together here in really unique cross-cultural formation! Mekuria's influence really transforms the sound of The Ex – bringing their anarchic spirit into a... read more

Quite an unusual album from Helen Merrill – but a set that also shows that quite early on, she was a singer with a keen ear for working on larger concepts too! Merrill first rose to fame as a cool-voiced singer in the 50s, but she does a surprisingly great job here with country tunes as well... read more

A wonderfully moody session from Helen Merrill – and an obscure one too! The album was recorded in New York in 1965 – with pianist Dick Katz leading an off-beat group that featured Thad Jones on cornet, Jim Hall on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – a combo... read more

A rare Japanese session from vocalist Helen Merrill – one of a few key 60s recordings she cut on the Tokyo scene, after initial fame in the US! The album features a great small group arranged by drummer Takeshi Inomata, played by a combo that includes alto, baritone, and trumpet – all... read more

A strange and obscure session that has the cool jazz vocals of American Helen Merrill backed by a small Italian combo led by soundtrack composer Piero Umiliani. The work was originally recorded for a TV program in Italy, and each track is preceded by an Italian voice, reciting Italian versions of... read more

Solid contemporary reggae from Senegalese singer Meta Dia and his Cornerstones Group – and a genuine effort, to boot – recorded at Tuff Gong! Meta Dia has long done well with 70s reggae influences, but he takes them deeper and truer here – with appearances by Capleton, U-Roy and... read more

The complete Josie work from the mighty Meters in a 2CD set – including the self-titled '69 album, Look-Ka Py Py and Struttin' from 1970, plus a bunch of great singles and numbers with Art Neville and Cyril Neville! Disc 1 features Meters & Look-Ka Py Py – the former simply one of... read more

One of the greatest albums ever in the history of funk – the first album by The Meters, and virtually the blueprint for countless funk records to come! The album's bubbling over with classics – all hard-hitting instrumentals played by the group in an effortlessly tight style, produced... 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

A pretty wonderful little concept – Pat Metheny plays music composed by John Zorn – all at a level that resonates both with the wonderful modes we've been hearing from Zorn of late, and with the most adventurous modes of Metheny's early years! Pat's virtually solo on the set –... read more

Killer heavy soul! The Metro-Tones were one of those great 70s groups with a gospel background, but who also picked up a lot of the stylistic elements of their secular contemporaries, and managed to craft a very nice, very tight, often-funky sound that can't be beat! This rare album features the... read more

A sweet disco circus from Metropolis – one of the many studio groovers from 70s disco maestro Thor Baldursson – who handles all the arrangements on the set! The great Tom Moulton produced with Thor – and gives the record a rich, clubby, disco feel that's mighty nice – and... read more

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever – completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible – soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy – and... read more

Amazing sounds from an artist who will have you completely revising your conception of the banjo! Paul Metzger plays the instrument unlike anyone else in this groundbreaking set – using the banjo more as a source to generate sounds than just particular notes – still musical in his... read more

A key moment for the Philly soul scene of the 70s – and the first album to feature the MFSB backing group as a solo act on their own! The ensemble were responsible for key sounds on countless soul singles of the time – yet also find a way to soar beautifully on their own – in a... read more

A seminal album by this legendary Philly instrumental group – essentially the house band at Sigma Studios, and an incredible ensemble filled with top-shelf musicians! The sound here is virtually the blueprint for Philly soul of the 70s – a blend of wickedly tight rhythms and fuller... read more

A great 2-fer set – one that brings together albums that feature MSFB at the height of their mid 70s powers! Philadelphia Freedom is a very big crossover moment for the Philly sound, and one of the biggest hits by the studio combo that drove the big Gamble/Huff hits of the 70s! The record's... read more

The setting is the Golden Gate, but the sound is pure Philly International – a rare early live performance from the label, featuring some of its key vocal heavyweights working here with live accompaniment from MFSB! Although the instrumental group backed Philly artists often in the studio,... read more

Heady funk from the glory days of the Miami soul scene in the 70s – the second smoking album by the group named after the city! The sound here is a bit tighter than before, but in a good way – a style that has the group's core funk energy mixed with some added strings and horns from... read more

Excellent work by this sweeeeeet Miami funk ensemble – one of the tightest combos to ever grace the Sunshine State! This is the first of the group's two albums for the Drive/TK label – and it's got a great sound that mixes rougher funky 45 type playing, with some of the smoother... read more

One of the more laidback western soundtracks we've ever heard – and we mean that in a great way! Franco Micalizzi seems to work here in a way that's more focused on the overall music than the genre of the film – and turns in some really beautiful slow-stepping numbers – some with... read more

A gothic horror soundtrack with a nice undercurrent of adventure – scored by Franco Micalizzi with some surprisingly warm touches at times – that mode of starting out sweet, then going dark – a bit like Ennio Morricone on some of his best similar scores from the time! Woodwinds... read more

One of the grooviest spaghetti western scores we've ever heard – penned for an early collaboration between Terence Hill and Bud Spencer! The main theme "Trinity" starts off with some cool vocal backing by Alessandro Alessandroni's I Cantori Moderni, singing underneath the English-la... read more

A bouncy little soundtrack – with a feel that's just what you'd expect from the cover – plenty of playful 80s grooves with a good mix of sex and schlock – all pretty heavy on keyboards, basslines, and beats! The film's an erotic romp, in the best style of the decade – and... read more

A soundtrack steeped in Euro funk and disco from Franco Micalizzi – his work for Stridulum, also known as The Visitor – a wild film starring John Huston as Jerzy – as a being from outerspace with telekinetic earthling offspring and a crazy cast that includes Glenn Ford, Shelly... read more

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this excellent French bassist – the legendary Pierre Michelo, a player whose name graced countless others as a sideman, but only a few as a leader! The album's an enigmatic batch of tracks that has Michelot working with a very hip set of French... read more

Fantastic sounds from Monday Michiru – quite possibly her greatest album in years, and one that really draws together all the best elements of her style! The vocals are wonderful – soaring, fluid, and filled with soul – almost more confident than ever – and set to these... read more

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Sweet fusion from the end of the 70s – two great Harvest Records albums, packaged together in a single set! Another Sleeper is a killer from keyboardist Max Middleton and guitarist Robert Ahwai – a set that has a tight funky feel on most numbers – very much in the most soulful... read more

Heavy heavy funk from this hard-rocking group! The Midnight Movers were a tripped out combo who used a heck of a lot of guitar work in their grooves – and who also had a 4-part sax section that riffed heavily over the beats, creating a mad wailing approach that was as hard and full-on as any... read more

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A mighty cool little package – one that features both the full Planet Earth album, and the Planet Mars Dub version of the record – presented in a great style that features the albums intertwined, so that each regular track followed by the dub version! The Mighty Diamonds' vocals are... read more

An excellent collection of work by Mighty Hannibal – aka King Hannibal, aka Hannibal – a great soul singer from the sock-boogaloo late 60s years! At his prime, Hannibal recorded some excellent singles that have a finger-popping funky feel – very tight combo instrumentation mixed... 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

Miguel Migs has often skewed more towards the soulful side of the house and otherwise club groove sound, and he does so on an even deeper level with Outside The Skylike! This one features a diverse roster of guests – and an impressive one, too – Meshell Ndegeocello, Bebel Gilberto,... read more

A wonderful little record – one that's much richer and more compelling than you might expect from ESP Record's billing of Mij as a "Yodeling Astrologer"! The album's very heavy on reverb – used to really wonderful effect to expand and abstract the sounds created by Mij on... read more

The boldest set so far from Mikrokolektyw – and a record that really has the Polish duo coming into their own! As before, the record's got an electro-acoustic blend of trumpet, drums, and lots of electronics – used in ways that take us back to 70s experiments of this nature from the... read more

Sweet jazzy grooves from this hip Italian duo – Enzo & Gianni Lo Greco, who've also recorded as Quintetto Lo Greco for Schema Records! The sound here is definitely in a Schema groove – lots of jazzy instrumentation on piano, sax, trumpet, and trombone – very much in the best... read more

An overlooked gem from keyboardist Barry Miles – and one of the most compelling early 70s sides on the Mainstream Records label! Barry's got a way of really making his keys sing out nicely – playing both acoustic and electric piano with plenty of warm tones and gently flowing modes... read more

A well-pointed trio really makes this set great – equal efforts from trumpeter Ron Miles, guitarist Bill Frisell, and drummer Brian Blade – all players who are more than comfortable with moving beyond the ordinary! The music is hardly just trumpet with rhythm – as each player... read more

Great vibes from Jerzy Milian – a player who was easily one of the hippest cats to handle a vibraphone on the European continent in the 70s – heard here in a host of rare recordings from Berlin! Jerzy's Polish, and most of his work was done for the Polskie Nagrania label – but... read more

A great combination of Eastern European jazz talents of the 60s – the vibes of Jerzy Milian and the bigger band of Gustav Brom – both coming together here in a very unique recording! Milian's vibes are not only some of the best of his scene at the time – but some of the best of... read more

An amazing tribute to the genius of Curt Boettcher and Millenium – a set that not only features the group's classic Columbia album, but also a host of rarities and solo projects as well! The beautiful package features all albums in paper sleeve LP-styled covers, packaged in a big box with... read more

Excellent work from Marcus Miller – the kind of soul-drenched, bass-led set that's made him a favorite for years! There's a tightness here that almost takes us back to the feel of a Stanley Clarke set from the 70s – a right on the money groove you'll hear right from the start –... read more

Mulgrew Miller's one of those pianists who can always make a simple session sparkle with magic – and this early 90s album is no exception! The vibe here is laidback and open – done in that ever-searching style that makes Miller such a rich talent on the keyboard – never content... read more

Mulgrew Miller in a really fresh setting – working here as a key soloist in a European big band – one that seems especially tuned to the lyrical beauty of Miller's music! All tunes are originals by Mulgrew, re-arranged by various group members – turned into these full-on flights... read more

Number five, and the Steve Miller Band is still going strong – working here with some great help from Area Code 615, who bring a slightly rootsy vibe to the set! That core Miller brilliance is still very firmly in place – and Steve's got an even sharper ear for writing songs this time... read more

Bubbling 80s soul from Stephanie Mills – a set that has the singer's vocals really working strongly with some catchy rhythms that nicely balance between the clubs and the charts! Stephanie's almost in Deniece Williams territory here – working with a groove that's got plenty of... read more

An early 80s cooker from Stephanie Mills – not exactly "without mercy", as you might guess from the title – but instead a great slow burner that really does a great job of opening up her voice! Mills moves here in a perfect space between the late disco years and commercial... read more

Stephanie Mills in fine formation here – working with the team of James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, who helped the lady reach the heights of her career in the early 80s! The sound here is catchy and contemporary, but hardly ever too commercial – just relaxed and grooving, in a mode that... read more

Soaring soul from Stephanie Mills – one of the lady's all-time hits, and for good reason too! The album really gives Stephanie's great voice a lot of focus – an upbeat, uptempo groove that sets her firmly on the dancefloor, but always with a touch of class – and a lot more depth... read more

A rich collection of work from Brazilian singer Miltinho – an older-styled vocalist who made a great transition here in the 60s – picking up bits of samba and some stronger jazz influences – all of which really helped to open up his sound! Some tracks here are quite driving and... read more

A great package of work from this big Brazilian singer of the postwar years – six classic RGE albums by Miltinho, all presented with original artwork and a few bonus tracks as well! Miltinho's really growing here as an artist – using his already-great vocal approach to open up into... read more

Dreamy pop from Italian diva Mina – sweetly soaring strings and groovy 60s pop touches – horns, galloping percussion and other upbeat touches on a few tracks, though a few more are piano and voice centered numbers with a touch of melancholy! The album features great arrangements by... read more

Breezy Brazilian tunes – sung by Italian singer Mina, in a way that recalls some of the best of Elis Regina's work from the late 60s! The track selection is great – and the album features many popular groovers like "Canto De Osshana", "Upa Neguinho", "Que... read more

Sweet guitar lines from Dom Minasi – a player who knows how to hit just the right sort of fluid vibe for this session! The album's got Dom soloing strongly over arrangements from Roger Kellaway, Byron Olson, and Bernard Ighner – all of whom bring some strong charts to the session, and... read more

A compelling little record from guitarist Dom Minasi – a player we only know from these few Blue Note albums cut right toward's the label's initial run – sweet albums that might have pushed Dom further, had they gotten better exposure! Minasi's a pretty talented guitarist – with... read more

A great little 70s session from Mingus – the first in the 2-part Changes set – and whether you collect those jointly or separately, they contain some of his best work from the period The sessions were recorded with a small group that includes George Adams, Don Pullen, and Jack Walrath.... read more

A great little 70s session from Mingus – the second part of the Changes set, some of his best work from the time, and recorded with a small group that includes George Adams, Don Pullen, and Jack Walrath. Tracks are long, with that late love of Ellington that Mingus was developing – and... read more

Incredible music from Charles Mingus – a set that's pulled from a few different periods, yet features some of his greatest recordings ever! The package begins with a stunning 2CD version of Tijuana Moods – a true Mingus masterpiece, filled with amazing rhythms and mindblowing solos... read more

Key moments in the career of Charles Mingus – all recorded during the crucial years of 1964 and 1965, and featuring the first-time release of a fair bit of live material too! The set represents the first full presentation of recordings that have appeared piecemeal on a handful of obscure... read more

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... read more

A classic trio session from Charles Mingus – one of the few he ever recorded! The set's got Mingus working with regular drummer Danny Richmond and pianist Hampton Hawes – an odd choice, but that's what makes the recording so unique. The album's sort of an east meets west session, with... read more

Quite a crazy little record from Charles Mingus! Mingus plays piano and sings (yes, you read that right!) in a tight sextet with Booker Ervin and Roland Kirk on reeds, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. Mingus is trying out a kind of messed-up, blues-inspired sound here – but for some reason... read more

An amazing record – quite possibly one of the greatest jazz albums of all time, and a session that has Charles Mingus stepping boldly forward in a whole new direction! The album shakes loose the sometimes too-academic modern tones of Mingus albums from the previous year or two – and... read more

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... read more

A real musical discovery – not just for the fact that the CD represents a previously-unreleased concert by Charlies Mingus – but also because the sounds and styles here offer up a version of Mingus that's almost more adventurous than some of his other albums of the time! The sextet... read more

One of the few albums ever issued by vocalist Frank Minion – an ultra-hip singer that we'd rank right up there as one of our favorites ever! Although the cover bears a 1970 date, the album was recorded in the late 50s – and date reference is a great indication of the forward-thinking... read more

One of the coolest jazz vocal albums you'll ever find! Frank Minion sings this suite of tracks billed as an "Introduction To Black Opium Street", and he puts the music together with little recitations in between the tracks, so that the whole thing sounds like one of the great Langston... read more

Another blast from Kingston's past, adding another piece to the Coxsone Dodd puzzle in Soul Jazz's ongoing Studio One series! This set collects Sugar Minott's formative days at Studio One, with his sweet soulful singing fully formed, but showcasing the dawn of the dancehall style, with Minott... read more

Sweet, smooth, and soulful sounds from Mint Condition – still very much at the top of their game, and running strong with that tight harmony style that's always made them a favorite 'round these parts! The album's got a great balance between mainstream tightness and indie soul looseness... read more

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The Miracles move to Columbia Records – and pick up a whole new groove in the process – a much richer sound than previous records on Motown, with a soaring style that really works great for the harmonies! Billy Griffin's vocals are really coming into their own – as is his... read more

An overlooked groover from The Miracles – a late 70s set for Columbia Records, and one that's got a sparkling sound throughout! The album really has the group hitting some great modern soul modes for the set – arrangements by David Foster that push them forward even more, and which... read more

Incredible early-to-mid 70s albums from The Miracles – Renaissance and Do It Baby – plus a bonus Tom Moulton remix! First up, Renaissance truly is one, and proof that the the group could do amazing things away from Smokey Robinson! Of course, they've got a heck of a lot of great help... read more

A madly grooving late 60s French soundtrack by Jean-Pierre Mirouze – and a masterful one at that – with sounds that range from a moody, dramatic vocal tune to some killer instrumental funk! The haunting "Together" opens the record in a great way – with a mystical mellow... read more

A pretty great record from one of the coolest school teachers you could ever hope to have – the lovely Miss Rita Abrams, a hippie who was teaching in Marin County at the start of the 70s! The set's a project done by Abrams with her fourth grade class – a set that mostly features... read more

One of the funkiest albums ever on Blue Note – a set that mixes the trumpet talents of Blue Mitchell with some killer backings from Monk Higgins – all in a groove that more gritty edges than the best funky soundtracks of the time! Higgins keeps the backings full, but always quite lean... read more

Sweet electric 70s funk from Blue Mitchell – blowing here in some of the hippest arrangements of his career! Blue's trumpet alone is always pretty darn great, but for this album he's working with arranger Dave Matthews – who gives the tunes fierce groove that mixes vamping guitars with... 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

A beautiful way to dive right into the some of best work ever by Joni Mitchell – a 10CD set that brings together her first 10 albums in a single set – including her great couple of early efforts for Reprise and her incredible Asylum work from throughout the 70s! These albums travel... read more

One of the most ambitious sets we've heard from Nicole Mitchell – a really unique mixing of modes that features a core Chicago group coming into play with the Arche New Music Ensemble! The initial group features Nicole on flute, vocals, and electronics – with Mwata Boden on baritone... read more

Damn great work from Chicago flautist Nicole Mitchell – and another new chapter of her mighty talents! The album's a quartet session that beautifully swings between straight jazz modes and some more creative sounds – never as far out as some of Mitchell's more avant work, but always... read more

One of the tightest, most soulful performances we've ever heard from Nicole Mitchell – a set that has her really hitting with an even more righteous sound than before! The session's a live one, recorded at Chicago's Velvet Lounge – and Nicole's in wonderful territory that's somewhere... read more

Really lovely work from Nicole Mitchell – an artist who's really been blowing our minds in recent years – working in a wide variety of styles, all of them great! This set has Nicole blowing solo flute, but in a setting that appears to have her on two different versions of the... read more

An amazing new setting for the flute of Nicole Mitchell – the ultra-cool Ice Crystal quartet, which features sublime interplay between Mitchell and vibist Jason Adasiewicz! The blend of vibes and flute is mindblowing – and used here with the sense of space, soul, and sound that you'd... read more

A lost soul treasure – never-issued recordings from the legendary Phillip Mitchell – one of the greatest songwriters of the 70s southern soul scene! Mitchell only ever issued a rare few albums under his own name – which makes this collection of early 70s work even more valuable,... read more

The long-overdue full length debut from Phillip Mitchell – an artist who cut some great singles over the course of the 70s, and also wrote a fair bit of classics for other, bigger name acts! Phillip did some of his earlier work of the decade in both Memphis and Muscle Shoals – but he... read more

A classic set of smooth 70s soul from an under-recognized genius! Phillip Mitchell is a bit like his Atlantic Records contemporary Sam Dees – in that he wrote a lot of material for other singers, recorded a handful of singles, and worked mostly in the southern scene – but he also had a... read more

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One of the most beautiful albums we've ever heard from bassist Red Mitchell – and a set that really shows the huge amount of growth he underwent after leaving the west coast scene and moving onto rich musical years in Sweden! The album features Mitchell completely solo – not just on... read more

A tight little quintet session from bassist Red Mitchell – working here with a group of LA players that includes Hampton Hawes and Conte Candoli. The real star, though, is Joe Maini – a vastly underrated sax player who carves some very nice lines into the session, adding in some nice... read more

Very spare sounds from Roscoe Mitchell and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, but still very sharp-edged too – and in a way, a mix of deeper thoughts and spontaneous energy that reminds us a lot of some of the more "out there" moments of the Art Ensemble back in the 70s! Roscoe's reeds have... read more

A great one from Roscoe Mitchell – one of his excellent solo sets from that great 70s stretch when he was really opening up his sound – trying out all sorts of new tones, textures, and elements in a very unfettered space! The feel here is similar to Mitchell's Sackville solo album... read more