One of the biggest breakout albums for Shakatak – an album that brought them strongly to US audiences with a sweet British blend of jazzy instrumentation and sultry soul! The album really holds up well over the years, and has a lot more legs than some of the other smooth fusion sets of the time – thanks to well-spaced keyboard lines from Bill Snarpe, and vocals from Jill Saward, which seem even stronger than before. The tunes are catchy, but never too commercial – and titles include "Summer Sky", a sweet jazzy instrumental, and the cuts "Don't Blame It On Love", "Hypnotised", "Photograph", "Lady", "Fire Dance", and "Holding On". CD features bonus tracks – "Down On The Street (dance mix)", "Down On The Street (ext mix)", "Holding On (ext mix)", and "Don't Blame It On Love (ext mix)". CD

... CD

A wonderful album for all those folks who ever crabbed about Shepp going back "inside" during the late 70s! The record is straight jazz – not as righteous as Attica Blues or some of the other Impulse albums, yet done with a wonderfully soulful quality that shows that even without a large group backing him up, Shepp could blow wonderfully on the sax. Most tunes feature him on soprano, and the album also features a bit of tenor – and the group is a quartet with Walter Bishop on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums. Tracks are all long, and Shepp's got this great laidback and mellowly searching tone. Titles include "In A Mellow Blues", "Enough", "The Scene Is Clean", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD

A classic set of early jazz recordings by Nina Simone – one of her first albums ever, but already with an approach that's quite different from other singers of the time! Nina's singing a fair bit of standards here, but she brings a deeply personal approach to the material – inflecting the tunes with gospel-inspired soul, and showing some very slight folksy touches – of the sort that would come in more heavily on later records, but which is already shining pretty strongly here! Nina accompanies herself on some mighty soulful piano – with bass from Jimmy Bond and drums from Al Heath – on titles that include "Plain Gold Ring", "Good Bait", "He Needs Me", "Don't Smoke In Bed", and "I Loves You Porgy". CD

With Bob Mintzer on tenor saxophone. CD

Larry Vuckovich on piano with Larry Grenadier on bass & Akira Tana on bass. CD

... CD

A great quintet date – drummer Tony Williams leads a group with Wallace Roney on trumpet, Billy Pierce on tenor and soprano, Mulgrew Miller on piano, and Charnett Moffet on bass. Titles include "Angel Street", "Touch Me", "Red Mask", "Dreamland", and "Obsession". CD

Recorded live with Alex Acuna, Nathaniel Townsley, and Victor Bailey. Tracks include "Black Market", "Night Passage", "March Of The Lost Children", "In A Silent Way", and "Fast City". CD

24 songs recorded live from New Beginning, Revisions, Risky Business, Just Reminiscing, Cool Change, Blue Angel, the Tribunes, and Cover To Cover. CD

Music from Holly Cole, US3, Everette Harp, Jacky Terrasson & Cassandra Wilson, XXL, Lou Donaldson, Caecilie Norby, Najee, Lee Morgan, Dianne Reeves, and Dave Koz. CD

Includes 24 tracks from the Rodans, Climbers, Avalons, Goldentones, Jesse Belvin, Jimmy Pemberton, the Hi-Lites, Hollywood Flames, Scaletones, Angels, and more! CD

Includes 24 tracks from the Bluejays, Belltones, Original Red Caps, Johnny & Joe, the Quintones, Ann Ford, the Uniques, Starlites, Ascots, Eddie Williams, and the Five Royals. CD

Includes material by The Memphis Jug Band, Jim Jackson, Cannon's Jug Stompers, and Frank Stokes. CD

... CD

Tim Berne on alto saxophone, Hank Roberts on cello, Bill Frisell on electric guitar, and Alex Cline on percussion. CD

Lenny Breau on guitar with Dave Young on bass. CD

A deep, rootsy record for Bluesville by Blind Gary Davis – who sings and plays guitar on 12 spare songs with grit, soul and charm – on a mixture of traditional blues tunes and originals. Gary also recorded and performed as Reverend Gary Davis on stirring gospel blues records over the years, and while Harlem Street Singer has a strong spiritual side, it's got a downhome blues feel, too. Raw, wonderful recordings by a legend. Titles include "Tryin To Get Home", "Samson & Delilah", "Death Don't Have No Mercy", "I Belong To The Band", "Pure Religion", "I Am The Light Of This World", and "Twelve Gates To The City". CD

... CD

The Rolling Stones at their rawest, most shambling, sleazy and brilliant – the epic, unimpeachable Exile On Main Street! What can we say about one of the most iconic LPs of all time other than chime in with our agreement that it's one of the greatest rock albums ever! Big choruses come and go, but the easy hooks of earlier and later Stones hits are buried in mud, grit and a sleazy bluesy groove. Titles include "Rocks Off", "Rip This Joint", "Tumbling Dice", "Sweet Virginia", "Loving Cub", "Torn And Frayed", "Let It Loose", "All Down The Line", "Shine A Light", "Soul Survivor" and more. CD

Music from Kati Elimnyama, Kid Malume, Philip Encobo, Amentkentshane, Umazambane, Zuleliphezulu, the Special Five, Abafana Besishingishane, the Editions, Super Tens, and Uthawolfu Amentkentshane. CD

Very fluid later work from Count Basie – a set that has that nice open-ended Pablo Records approach, but which still comes across with that brilliant Basie groove that first emerged most strongly in the 50s! Players are a mix of young and old, and the group includes Grover Mitchell and Booty Wood on trombones, Sonny Cohn and Jim Crawford on trumpets, John Williams on baritone, Eric Dixon on tenor and flute, Kenny Hing on tenor, Chris Woods on alto and flute, Joe Pass on guitar, and Cleveland Eaton on bass. Tracks are on the long side, and titles include "88 Basie Street", "Bluesville", "The Blues Machine", "Contractor's Blues", "Katy", and "Sunday At The Savoy". CD

Great live work from the Clifford Brown/Max Roach group of the 50s – including material recorded at Basin Street in 1956, but different than the classic Emarcy album of the same name! These Basin Street sides are from April and May of 1956 – and feature a group with Sonny Rollins on tenor sax, alongside Brown's trumpet and Roach's drums, plus bass from George Morrow and piano from the great Richie Powell. Tunes are live broadcasts from the club, complete with an announcer calling the tunes – but are nicely tight, and very much in the spirit of the group's official albums from the time – even though Roach is replaced by drummer Willie Jones on a few of the tracks. Titles include "Valse Hot", "I Feel A Song Comin On", "What's New", and "Sweet Clifford". Added to these are 2 tracks from a Carnegie Hall performance in 1955 – featuring the same group, but with Harold Land in place of Rollins – on titles that include "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and "The Blues Walk". CD

About as classic as you can get for the Brown/Roach group – recorded at Basin Street with a group that includes Richie Powell on piano, Sonny Rollins on tenor, and George Morrow on bass. Tracks are tight and in that firey hardbop mode the pair pioneered – and titles include "Gertrude's Bounce", "Powell's Prances", "Time", "The Scene Is Clean", and "I'll Remember April". Most notable is the work by Powell on the record – as Bud's brother really shines here, turning out some great original compositions, and arranging the group with tight precision! Plus, the CD reissue features 4 bonus tracks – including alternates of some tunes on the record, and a few breakdowns. CD

A live classic from CSNY – with long versions of "Southern Man", "Long Time Gone", "Ohio", "Carry On", "Triad", "Chicago", and "Love The One You're With". CD

... CD

... CD

One of the earliest albums as a leader from guitar genius Grant Green – and a set that shows off a different side of his talents than some of his other records of the time! The date has Grant working in a trio – with Ben Tucker on bass and Dave Bailey on drums – a super rhythm duo who are both soulful and modern, and who really have a great sense of matching the right modes of Green's guitar – which includes a number of those strong, long runs that always leave us breathless in these early years. The album has no Hammond or tenor – more frequent pairings with Green's instrument – and the open space really gives you the chance to hear what a completely inventive player Grant was, right from the start. The whole thing's great – and the album's got some great original titles that include "No 1 Green Street", "Grant's Dimensions", and "Green With Envy" – all of which sound a lot better than their gimmicky titles! Also includes two alternate takes. CD

One of our favorite albums ever from guitarist Grant Green – an amazingly stretched-out session that's served up with a good deal of modal jazz in the rhythms – and a date that features killer work from Larry Young on organ and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes! The pair join Green in a quartet that also includes Elvin Jones on drums – who provides a loose, fluid approach to rhythm that really sets the tone for the date – a flowing vibe that folds together the organ, guitar, and vibes beautifully – with an incomparable floating vibe that's pure magic! All tracks are long and very open – and titles include "Street Of Dreams", "Somewhere In The Night", and "Lazy Afternoon". CD

Recordings from 1946 through 1950 – with sidemen that include Charles Brown, Johnny Moore, Eddie Williams, Ernie Royal, Pee Wee Crayton, Tyree Glenn, Russell Procope, Oscar Pettiford, Wendell Marshall, and others! CD

One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of all that made Motown great at the time, and the special sort of energy that made Rick one of the freshest mainstream talents at the end of the 70s! The record put a lot of money in Barry Gordy's pockets, and for good reason too – given that the set includes the classic hit "Super Freak" – plus "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Make Love To Me", "Below The Funk (Pass The J)", and "Fire & Desire" – all done in that compressed pop-funky style that James kind of took from Bootsy Collins and manage to successfully soup up for the masses! CD also features the bonus tracks "Give It To Me Baby (12" mix)" and "Super Freak (12" mix)". CD

A fantastic soul jazz set from the 60s – one of the few ever cut by pianist Harold Johnson, and a record that brims over with youthful power and new ideas! The Harold Johnson Sextet were an incredible little LA soul jazz combo during the late 60s. Johnson was a very soulful pianist, and he had a heavy soul style that was similar to Ramsey Lewis' Cadet work – but which was also tinged with the lyricism of Horace Silver, and the emerging modal sound of Stanley Cowell. This first session by the group was originally issued on a small label, became a local hit, and was picked up by the Revue label for national distribution. It's got an incredible sound, and is very very catchy. The band features Johnson's piano in a very strong lead – plus flute, alto, and tenor. Billy Jackson plays a hard rolling conga behind the whole thing – and tracks include "House On Elm Street", "Watts '67", "Something Mellow", and "Yeah Uh Huh". CD

... CD

... CD

The Rolling Stones at their rawest, most shambling, sleazy and brilliant – the epic, unimpeachable Exile On Main Street! What can we say about one of the most iconic LPs of all time other than chime in with our agreement that it's one of the greatest rock albums ever! Big choruses come and go, but the easy hooks of earlier and later Stones hits are buried in mud, grit and a sleazy bluesy groove. Titles include "Rocks Off", "Rip This Joint", "Tumbling Dice", "Sweet Virginia", "Loving Cub", "Torn And Frayed", "Let It Loose", "All Down The Line", "Shine A Light", "Soul Survivor" and more. CD

The Rolling Stones at their rawest, most shambling, sleazy and brilliant – the epic, unimpeachable Exile On Main Street! What can we say about one of the most iconic LPs of all time other than chime in with our agreement that it's one of the greatest rock albums ever! Big choruses come and go, but the easy hooks of earlier and later Stones hits are buried in mud, grit and a sleazy bluesy groove. Titles include "Rocks Off", "Rip This Joint", "Tumbling Dice", "Sweet Virginia", "Loving Cub", "Torn And Frayed", "Let It Loose", "All Down The Line", "Shine A Light", "Soul Survivor" and more. 2CD deluxe remastered edition includes a bonus disc with 10 previously unreleased tracks that were recorded in the Exile era, some finished up specifically for this release. Bonus tracks include "Pass The Wine", "Plundered My Soul", "Dancing In The Light", "Following The River", "So Divine (Aladdin Story)", alternate takes of "Loving Cup" and "Soul Survivor" and more! CD

The Rolling Stones at their rawest, most shambling, sleazy and brilliant – the epic, unimpeachable Exile On Main Street! What can we say about one of the most iconic LPs of all time other than chime in with our agreement that it's one of the greatest rock albums ever! Big choruses come and go, but the easy hooks of earlier and later Stones hits are buried in mud, grit and a sleazy bluesy groove. Titles include "Rocks Off", "Rip This Joint", "Tumbling Dice", "Sweet Virginia", "Loving Cub", "Torn And Frayed", "Let It Loose", "All Down The Line", "Shine A Light", "Soul Survivor" and more. CD

Titles include "Rosalita", "New York City Serenade", "The E Street Shuffle", "Kitty's Back", and "Wild Billy's Circus Story". CD

... CD

With John Stephens & Randall Willis on alto saxophone, Jack Nimitz on barritone saxophone, Trey Henry on bass, Maurice Spears on bass trombone, Mel Lee on drums, Anthony Wilson on guitar, and Brian O'Rourke on piano. CD

A very tight early session by the great organist Larry Young! The album's quite different than Young's later Blue Note work – more in-the-pocket soul jazz, but filled with the expansive sensibility that would later have him take off for the heavens. The biggest example of this tendency is the track "Talking Bout JC" – a cut dedicated to John Coltrane (who Young used to jam with, although sadly never on record!), recorded more famously later on Blue Note, but still sounding pretty hip here in an early take. The group on the set is a quartet that includes guitarist Thornel Schwartz and tenorist Bill Leslie (with whom he cut an album for Argo, under the name of Lawrence Olds) – and other tracks include "Gettin' Into It" (which is 15 minutes long) and "Groove Street". CD

Music from Stefano Torossi, Alberto Balden Bembo, Romano Mussolini, Lesiman, Lee Selmoco Orchestra, Francesco De Masi, Piero Piccioni, Armando Trovajoli, Giancarlo Barigozzi, and Piero Umiliani – 16 tracks in all. CD

... CD

A fantastic look at the righteous current of energy that swept through American music at the end of the 60s – that huge wave of knowledge and political inspiration that still stands as one of our favorite moments in jazz and soul! The Civil Rights generation had gotten some things accomplished, but not everything – and a new wave of action arose in various scenes of the underground – not just pushing the musical formats past anything that had happened before, but also doing so with a strong message of pride and empowerment! This collection surveys some of the best tracks of that moment – and also provides a great batch of historical notes to put the whole thing in context – done in collaboration with the book of the same name, but equally great as a soundtrack and document on its own. The package is overflowing with Dusty Groove classics – and titles include "Sweet Songs" by Sarah Webster Fabio, "Surtal Ihklas" by Doug Carn, "Vibes From The Tribe" by Phil Ranelin, "Desert Fairy Princess" by Horace Tapscott & The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Sounds From The Bush" by The Mandingo Griot Society with Don Cherry, "Is It Too Late" by Duke Edwards & The Young Ones, "Strong Men" by David McKnight, "Black Narcissus" by Joe Henderson, "Malcolm X" by Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble, "Mother Of The Future" by Carlos Garnett, "Red Black & Green" by Roy Ayers, "African Rhythms" by Oneness Of Juju, and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron. CD

Music from Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew, Howie Tee with the Real Roxanne, the Furious Five, Whodini, the Fat Boys, the Boogie Boys, UTFO, Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, Roxanne Shante, Marley Marl & the Bad Boys. CD

US 2-fer CD that brings together two of Gary Bartz's harder to find LPs on one CD – Juju Street Songs and Follow The Medicine Man. Both LPs feature a lineup that includes Hubert Eaves on electric piano, Stafford James on bass, and Andy Bey on vocals; and the material is pivotal stuff for Gary as he moves from his straight jazz spiritual stuff into a vein that is slightly more electric – but not too electric. Lots of nice funky moments with a righteous vibe, and the track list includes "Dr. Follow's Dance", "Standin' On The Corner", "Sing Me A Song Today", "Black Maybe", "Sifa Zote", and "Africans Unite". CD

Very fluid later work from Count Basie – a set that has that nice open-ended Pablo Records approach, but which still comes across with that brilliant Basie groove that first emerged most strongly in the 50s! Players are a mix of young and old, and the group includes Grover Mitchell and Booty Wood on trombones, Sonny Cohn and Jim Crawford on trumpets, John Williams on baritone, Eric Dixon on tenor and flute, Kenny Hing on tenor, Chris Woods on alto and flute, Joe Pass on guitar, and Cleveland Eaton on bass. Tracks are on the long side, and titles include "88 Basie Street", "Bluesville", "The Blues Machine", "Contractor's Blues", "Katy", and "Sunday At The Savoy". CD

... CD

Excellent work from Chicago reed player David Boykin – a much more straight ahead album than some of his earlier work, but done with an edge that keeps it in the ranks of the AACM tradition that has informed much of Boykin's music from the start. Boykin is on sax and clarinet – and the rest of the group includes Josh Abrams on bass, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Jim Baker on piano, and Isaiah Spencer on drums – grooving together in an angular modern bop approach that recalls some of Roland Kirk's most adventurous work of the 60s, touched with traces of the more soulful side of the Chicago avant scene. Titles include "Niki's Bounce", "Jacuzzi", "Virgo", "Sunset", "Stalking The Cat", "Sunrise", "Antimatter", and "Jiffy Pop". CD

Smoking work from Donald Byrd – post-Blue Note, post-Larry Mizell, and with a modern funk groove that's still pretty darn tasty! Not one to rest on his laurels – which he could have easily done with endless Mizell-based recordings – Donald shifts his groove here towards more of a boogie-styled 80s approach – one that's got the same sort of loping funk that was showing up in the work of Tom Browne and some of the younger players on the scene at the time. There's a fuller, richer, more soul-based approach to the set – but still some strands of the Mizell years – especially in the album's great keyboard work by Clare Fischer, and its use of chorus vocals on a number of tracks. Wade Marcus and George Bohannon helped with arrangements – and titles include a great funky remake of Fischer's "Morning" – plus "Veronica", "Gold The Moon, White The Sun", "Marilyn", "Pretty Baby", and "People Suppose To Be Free". CD

... CD

Extended remix of the title track, plus four live tracks. CD

... CD

One of the earliest albums as a leader from guitar genius Grant Green – and a set that shows off a different side of his talents than some of his other records of the time! The date has Grant working in a trio – with Ben Tucker on bass and Dave Bailey on drums – a super rhythm duo who are both soulful and modern, and who really have a great sense of matching the right modes of Green's guitar – which includes a number of those strong, long runs that always leave us breathless in these early years. The album has no Hammond or tenor – more frequent pairings with Green's instrument – and the open space really gives you the chance to hear what a completely inventive player Grant was, right from the start. The whole thing's great – and the album's got some great original titles that include "No 1 Green Street", "Grant's Dimensions", and "Green With Envy" – all of which sound a lot better than their gimmicky titles! CD

One of the earliest albums as a leader from guitar genius Grant Green – and a set that shows off a different side of his talents than some of his other records of the time! The date has Grant working in a trio – with Ben Tucker on bass and Dave Bailey on drums – a super rhythm duo who are both soulful and modern, and who really have a great sense of matching the right modes of Green's guitar – which includes a number of those strong, long runs that always leave us breathless in these early years. The album has no Hammond or tenor – more frequent pairings with Green's instrument – and the open space really gives you the chance to hear what a completely inventive player Grant was, right from the start. The whole thing's great – and the album's got some great original titles that include "No 1 Green Street", "Grant's Dimensions", and "Green With Envy" – all of which sound a lot better than their gimmicky titles! CD features 2 bonus alternate takes! CD

One of our favorite albums ever from guitarist Grant Green – an amazingly stretched-out session that's served up with a good deal of modal jazz in the rhythms – and a date that features killer work from Larry Young on organ and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes! The pair join Green in a quartet that also includes Elvin Jones on drums – who provides a loose, fluid approach to rhythm that really sets the tone for the date – a flowing vibe that folds together the organ, guitar, and vibes beautifully – with an incomparable floating vibe that's pure magic! All tracks are long and very open – and titles include "Street Of Dreams", "Somewhere In The Night", and "Lazy Afternoon". CD

With Charles Ables on bass and Steve Williams on drums. Titles include "Something Happens To Me", "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good", "Nice 'N' Easy", "The Great City", "I Thought About You", and "Our Love Is Here To Stay". CD includes two bonus tracks – "I Wish I Didn't Love You So", and "Quiet Nights (Instrumental)". CD

... CD

Titles include "Big Shot", "Zanzibar", "Rosalinda's Eyes", "Half A Mile Away", "Until The Night", "Honesty", and the huge hit "My Life". CD

Titles include "Send In The Clowns", "Street Of Dreams", "Body And Soul", "My Funny Valentine", and "Rhapsody In Blue". CD

Peggy Lee's at Basin Street, but the set's an upbeat, swinging date that's right up there with her studio work for Capitol in the 60s! The album's billed as an "after hours" performance – and it's definitely got the relaxed feel to live up to that promise – a feel that's more small combo jazzy than other Lee work of the period, although it's still got that upbeat punch we love from the Capitol years. The group is directed by Joe Harnell, who also plays piano – and other members include Bob Donovan on flute, Willie Thomas and Phil Sunkel on trumpets, Dennis Budimir on guitar, and Chino Pozo on congas and bongos. Titles inlcude "I Got A Man", "The Second Time Around", "Fever", "Moments Like This", "Day In Day Out", and "Them There Eyes". CD also features a bonus track – "Call Me Darling". CD

... CD

One of the great albums from Van Morrison during that incredible peak period – and a record that stands out as a less emotionally fraught effort after the heavy mood of Astral Weeks and the super far-reaching Moondance albums. Here Van concentrates a bit more on his love of R&B, but still with some soaring touches. Titles include the unshakable classic "Domino", plus "Crazy Face", "I've Been Working", "Blue Money", "Virgo Clowns", "Gypsy Queen", "Street Choir" and more. CD

Janusz Wojtarowicz, Marcin Galazyn, and Pawel Baranek on accordion. CD

Beats by LES, Chucky Thompson and Salaam Remi, with guests Olu Dara, Kelis, Ludacris, Doug E Fresh, Busta Rhymes, Maxwell, and others. Titles include "Nazareth Savage", "American Way", "These Are Out Heroes", "Disciple", 'Rest OF My Life", "Suicide bounce", "Streets Disciple", "Unauthorized Biography Of Rakim", "Remember The Times", "The Makings Of A Perfect B****", "Bridging The Gap" and 'War". CD

... CD

A cool 80s set from Nina Simone – recorded live in spare trio formation, with a sound that's a lot more old school than you might guess from the date! Nina's piano has this nicely broken-down quality – almost a raspy edge that complements her unique vocals nicely, and quite different than some of the keyboards that might have been used on such a set at the time. The rhythms are often a bit laidback too – played by Arthur Adams on guitar and electric bass, and Cornell McFadden on drums – usually in ways that let Simone's piano take the lead strongly. Nina really seems to find a new sort of life in the setting – getting past some of the more comfortable styles she'd found by this point, and rediscovering the edge that first made her so great back in the 60s. Titles include "Just Like A Woman", "Be My Husband", "Balm In Gilead", "Stars", "Baltimore", "If You Knew/Let It Be Me", "Fodder On My Wings", and "Sugar In My Bowl". CD

Two CDs of live street recordings from Mike Shea's 1964 documentary And This Is Free – plus a 44 minute CD Bloomfield Interviews Night Hawk. CD

Music from The Earls, The Jive Five & Eugene Pitt, The Contours, The Shirelles, The Miracles, The Majors, The Volumes, The Marvelettes, The Duprees, The Four Seasons, The Excellents, and more - 34 tracks in all. CD

Great live work from the Clifford Brown/Max Roach group of the 50s – including material recorded at Basin Street in 1956, but different than the classic Emarcy album of the same name! These Basin Street sides are from April and May of 1956 – and feature a group with Sonny Rollins on tenor sax, alongside Brown's trumpet and Roach's drums, plus bass from George Morrow and piano from the great Richie Powell. Tunes are live broadcasts from the club, complete with an announcer calling the tunes – but are nicely tight, and very much in the spirit of the group's official albums from the time – even though Roach is replaced by drummer Willie Jones on a few of the tracks. Titles include "Valse Hot", "I Feel A Song Comin On", "What's New", and "Sweet Clifford". Added to these are 2 tracks from a Carnegie Hall performance in 1955 – featuring the same group, but with Harold Land in place of Rollins – on titles that include "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and "The Blues Walk". CD

About as classic as you can get for the Brown/Roach group – recorded at Basin Street with a group that includes Richie Powell on piano, Sonny Rollins on tenor, and George Morrow on bass. Tracks are tight and in that firey hardbop mode the pair pioneered – and titles include "Gertrude's Bounce", "Powell's Prances", "Time", "The Scene Is Clean", and "I'll Remember April". Most notable is the work by Powell on the record – as Bud's brother really shines here, turning out some great original compositions, and arranging the group with tight precision! Plus, the CD reissue features 7 bonus tracks – including alternates of some tunes on the record, and a few breakdowns. CD

Lost Bill Evans material from his tremendous early run on Riverside Records – sessions recorded in 1959, but unreleased to the public for many years! The core of the record features Evans working with Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones both rhythm players that Bill interacted with while working in the Miles Davis group, and a strongly-voiced team to echo the sense of space and timing that was the particular Evans touch in the early days. Why these tracks never came out is a real mystery to us – because Bill's still very much at the top of his game, despite having not liked the material at the time of recording – and the Chambers/Jones rhythm section give the tunes a very solid focus throughout. Titles include "You & The Night & The Music", "My Heart Stood Still", "On Green Dolphin Street", "How Am I To Know", and 2 takes of "Woody N You". Added to that number is a really surprising bonus – a 1962 recording of "Loose Bloose", done with Jim Hall on guitar and Zoot Soms on alto – making for one of those rare non-trio dates by Evans! CD

One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of all that made Motown great at the time, and the special sort of energy that made Rick one of the freshest mainstream talents at the end of the 70s! The record put a lot of money in Barry Gordy's pockets, and for good reason too – given that the set includes the classic hit "Super Freak" – plus "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Make Love To Me", "Below The Funk (Pass The J)", and "Fire & Desire" – all done in that compressed pop-funky style that James kind of took from Bootsy Collins and manage to successfully soup up for the masses! CD also features the bonus tracks "Give It To Me Baby (12" mix)" and "Super Freak (12" mix)". CD

A straight street, but a great street – as Harold Mabern returns to full force in this lovely set of trio tracks! The set's one of the best of any of Mabern's early 90s sessions for DIW Records – a very strong outing with Ron Carter on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums – served up with a no-nonsense approach to the music that has Harold spinning off lyrical lines at his soulful best. The recording quality brings out some nice round tones in Mabern's piano – and titles include "Seminole", "To Wane", "Mr Stitt", "Straight Street", "It's You Or No One", and "Crescent". CD

... CD

The Rolling Stones at their rawest, most shambling, sleazy and brilliant – the epic, unimpeachable Exile On Main Street! What can we say about one of the most iconic LPs of all time other than chime in with our agreement that it's one of the greatest rock albums ever! Big choruses come and go, but the easy hooks of earlier and later Stones hits are buried in mud, grit and a sleazy bluesy groove. Titles include "Rocks Off", "Rip This Joint", "Tumbling Dice", "Sweet Virginia", "Loving Cub", "Torn And Frayed", "Let It Loose", "All Down The Line", "Shine A Light", "Soul Survivor" and more. CD