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A sweet self-contained turntable – just plug in, and start spinning records! The unit features its own speakers, mounted right on the side of the table – and plays at three speeds, which also means you can play 78s, if you want – which makes for a nice, versatile little unit you can place anywhere in the house, without the limitations of hooking it up to a bigger stereo! As an added bonus, the unit also comes with its own mini audio line in – which lets you hook up to an MP3 player, portable CD player, or any other sort of external device of that nature – and it also features an AM/FM radio, so that you can grab more music from the airwaves. And as if that's not enough, there's even a mini headphone jack – so that you can privately listen on your own!

Features solos from Moe Koffman on soprano sax and flute, Guido Basso on trumpet, Rob McConnell on trombone, Peter Appleyard on vibes, and Phil Nimmons on clarinet.

One of the most soul jazz-styled sets ever cut by German clarinetist Rolf Kuhn – a very groovy record that features work from tenorist Klaus Doldinger and organist Ingfried Hoffmann! On their own albums of the 60s, Doldinger and Hoffmann are quite a pair – swinging almost as perfectly as Willis Jackson and Jack McDuff on Prestige, in the US at the same time. So you can imagine the effect they have on Kuhn – a player who can sometimes be a lot more modern, but who here really takes off in an easygoing groove – swinging soulfully on a set of short and groovy tracks, with great rhythm work from Hermann Schoonderwalt on bass and Cees See on drums. Titles include "Rainbow In My Tears", "Opus 90", "Combo Swing", "Scottish", "Swing For Sale", "The Snake", and "L'Amour Sans Espoir".

A nicely done compilation of pivotal work from the great Ramsey Lewis – focusing on his work for Columbia/CBS Records from the 70s and early 80s – and very well chosen at that! Of course the title comes from Ramsey's iconic album of the same name, and this 2CD set features a few tracks from that one, but it's also got numbers from Tequila Mockingbird, Ramsey, Three Piece Suite, Love Notes and other great records, plus choice live work, his album with Nancy Wilson and other standouts. It kind of focuses on the sunny electric jazz and fusiony soul groovers, and Jazz FM does a great job with the selections! 32 tracks on 2CDs: "Spring High", "Caring For You", "Tambura, "So Much More", "Lynn (Live)", "Hot Dawgit", "Paradise", "Expansions", "Sun Goddess", "Sassy Stew (Live)", "Whisper Zone", "Camino El Bueno", "All The Way Live", "Intimacy", "I'll Always Dream About You" and more.

This issue features a fantastic interview with the Dirty Wurds, one of Chicago's greatest blues-based 60s garage bands! Also featuring interviews with peter Bagge, Al Aronowitz, and Unknown Hinson, plus features on Andy Kaufman, Chicago Stoner rock, comic book history and much more. Plus numerous comix and detailed, insightful remembrances of Richard Tepp, Ray Charles, Arthur Kane, Richie Cordell, Johnny Ramone, Russ Meyer, Greg Shaw and more. Also includes bonus CD!

Articles, reviews, interviews and comics covering the history of Rock, punk, soul and hip hop on television. The main feature is an exhaustive, critical episode guide to every episode of Behind The Music. Also features interviews with 60s garage band Daughters Of Eve, Snoop Dogg, King Diamond, Eddie Shaw of The Monks, Cannibal Corpse, Art Fein, Jim Peterik of The Ides of March and Marv Wolfman of Marvel Comics. Plus Hanna-Barbera, The Goodies, The Beatles, Jerry Lee Lewis and much more.

An amazing second chapter from this extremely inventive trio – a marvelous matching of the talents of Paul Rutherford on trombone, Barry Guy on bass, and Phil Wachsmann on violin! All three players use a fair bit of electronics, too – very much in the best FMP mode of mixing live acoustic improvisation with additional improvised electronics – creating this electro-acoustic mode that goes way past any staid academic form of the genre! Most tracks here are long live improvisations – brought together in a massive three CD set that really documents the uniqueness of the group – with tracks that include "Dieptaur", "Veprol", "Eiverl", "Stoleri", "Vendia", "Epis", "Panshanton", and "Phelgstar".

A landmark in the European avant scene of the 60s – the first self-released album by pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach – an all star session that features work by Peter Brotzmann, Manfred Schoof, Paul Rutherford, Han Bennink, and others! The work here is very free and a spacious – with slow-building, tentative rumblings from all players involved, gently feeling out the space between them as the set goes on – energy levels increasing with confidence as tighter and stronger movements emerge. Titles include "The Living Music", "Into The Staggerin", "Tower", "Wave", "Past Time", and "Lollopalooza". Greatness!

A really great quartet that works together beautifully here – bass from Joelle Leandre, trombone from Sebi Tramontana, violin from Carlos Zingaro, and drums from Paul Lovens – all well-trained players for open improvisations like this – coming together in ways that recall some of the best FMP live work from the 70s! The music is free, but never without consideration – sounds that come out of nowhere, yet somehow fit perfectly together – although in ways that go far beyond conventional jazz, even that of the avant variety. The set features five tracks – titled "Sudo 1", "Sudo 2", and so on!

A pair of very different albums from John Tchicai – both hard to find, and brought together here on a nicely priced package! Strange Brothers is overlooked brilliance from reedman John Tchicai – a late 70s session recorded for the FMP label, and easily one of the most soulful sets on the imprint at the time! The album's a tremendous showcase not only for Tchicai's work on soprano, alto, and bamboo flute – but also for the hard-edged tenor of Simon Spang-Hanssen – a player we don't know well, but who really unfurls with a nice sense of force on the set – pushing John even more than usual! Rhythms are great too – very bold, but focused enough to provide a strong pulse on the record – almost a modal groove at times – thanks to work from Peter Danstrup on bass and Ole Romer on drums. Titles include "KW", "I En Kaelder", "Darktown Highlights", "Mao", "Increasing Cosmopo", and "Cloak N Dagger". Put Up The Fight is one of the most electric records we've ever heard from reedman John Tchicai – not on his own instrument, but in the use of guitar and keyboards in the set – sometimes in modes that are nicely rhythmic, other times quite abstract! Tchicai's tenor, soprano sax, and bass clarinet are definitely the main focus of the record – but the settings change nicely throughout, thanks to work from Bent Clausen on vibes, guitar, and keyboards; Peter Danstrup on electric bass and keyboards; and Ole Romer on drums, percussion, and more guitar! At some moments, there's almost a New York 80s avant vibe to the record – but at other times, things have the more soulful feel of Tchicai's older work. Titles include "Put Up The Fight", "Adieu Tristesse", "Mai Mai", "Yoke Them Johnny", "Colomentality", and "Barbe Better".

Top notch instrumentals from the loose collective dubbed Third World All Stars – recorded in the mid 70s at London's Chalk Farm and EFM studios – and featuring both London-based and visiting Jamaican legends in the mix! The production is billed to Count Shelly, and it features some base rhythms cut for Errol Dunkley's Sit And Cry Over You Record – released on Shelley's label. The rhythms are indeed impeccable, and there are all these unique soulful layers added to them that really give it a worthwhile life of their own as a soulful reggae instrumentals set. Players include Michael Bammy Rose on sax, Lester Sterling on trumpet and sax, Tyrone Downie, Gladdy Anderson and Winston Wright on keys, Jackie Jackson on bass and Winston Grennan on drums. Beautiful, timeless and soulful rhythms that are on par with the finest Carribbean music of the period – whether it was recorded in Kingston, London, or anywhere else. Essential! Includes "Rebel Rock", "Repatriation Remedy", "Our Dream World", "Patricia's Love", "Soothing In The Mind", "Black Moon", "For All Ways", "Just For You", "Train To Skaville" and "Moog In Blues".

Top notch instrumentals from the loose collective dubbed Third World All Stars – recorded in the mid 70s at London's Chalk Farm and EFM studios – and featuring both London-based and visiting Jamaican legends in the mix! The production is billed to Count Shelly, and it features some base rhythms cut for Errol Dunkley's Sit And Cry Over You Record – released on Shelley's label. The rhythms are indeed impeccable, and there are all these unique soulful layers added to them that really give it a worthwhile life of their own as a soulful reggae instrumentals set. Players include Michael Bammy Rose on sax, Lester Sterling on trumpet and sax, Tyrone Downie, Gladdy Anderson and Winston Wright on keys, Jackie Jackson on bass and Winston Grennan on drums. Beautiful, timeless and soulful rhythms that are on par with the finest Carribbean music of the period – whether it was recorded in Kingston, London, or anywhere else. Essential! Includes "Rebel Rock", "Repatriation Remedy", "Our Dream World", "Patricia's Love", "Soothing In The Mind", "Black Moon", "For All Ways", "Just For You", "Train To Skaville" and "Moog In Blues".

A wild set of duets, with a really unique feel – a rare date that brings the drums and percussion of Gunter Sommer into play with these massive musings on pipe organ from Hans Gunthe Wauer! There's only one other record we can think of like this – an FMP set that had Fred Van Hove taking similar liberties with the enormous instrument – and Wauer's range of sounds here is breathtaking – from mad runs that must have rumbled the entire studio, to moody atmospheric passages that are punctuated beautifully by Sommer's percussion! We always love Gunter in a spare setting like this, and his work on the record really adds a lot – sometimes just by adding a little. Titles include "Lydische Toccata", "Ech Meissen Crash", "Verschrantke Konstruktion", "Entlang Am Rohrenklang", and "Gesorte Klangflache".

A pretty silly little album, cut by border radio DJ Wolfman Jack, with funky soul and rock backing from southern California! Wolfman talks his way through most cuts – even when he's doing a cover of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" – but the instrumentation is pretty nice on some tracks, especially "Hey Wolfman", which is an excellent little funky number with kind of a "c'mon join in" party feel. Other tracks include "Spinning Ball", "Diggin On Mrs Jones", "I Ain't Never Seen A White Man", and "Evil Woman".

A massive record from the days when the Chicago scene was dominated by some important mainstream forces – The Chicago Fest summer music blast at Navy Pier, and The Loop, a major player in FM album rock at the time! This special album for the event features work by Bohemia, The Rage, Champion, Take Me, The Roadside Band, Spit Balls, The Pawnz, and other local groups.

A warm, easygoing and sprawling 2CD set from the Expansion and Jazz FM team – the third and best yet in their Funky Sensation series – with both hits and relatively underappreciated numbers! It's wonderful stuff all the way – and well chosen by Mike Vitti & Ralph Tee – with full-length treasures by Roy Ayers, Rick James, Cameo, Rene & Angela, Willie Hutch, Dazz Band, Charles Earland, Teen Marie and The Gap Band to name but a few. What we love about the Funky Sensation series is the sort of informal, unfussy vibe. It's not so much about shining a lot on particular labels, producers or well-defined scene – and very much about simply putting together some sensationally funky, jazzy and soulful music, nearly all of it from the mid 70s to early 80s, together in a generous double-sized set! 26 tracks on 2CDs – and over 150 minutes of music. Includes "Running Away" by Roy Ayers, "Circles" by Atlantic Starr, "Now That We Found Love" by Third World, "So Fine" by Howard Johnson, "Man Power" by Lalomie Washburn, "I Believe In Miracles" by The Jackson Sisters, "I Need Your Lovin'" by Teena Marie, "I'l Be Good" by Rene & Angela, "Get It Up For Love" by Tata Vega, "Outstanding" by The Gap Band, "Let The Music Play" by Charles Earland and many more.

A classic compilation of material from the hip later years of Impulse – put together with a title that's a bit misleading, given that some of this stuff was clearly getting some play on underground FM radio! There's some key righteous classics here – like "Attica Blues" and "Money Blues" by Archie Shepp, "Astral Traveling" by Pharoah Sanders, "Galaxy In Turiya" and "Blue Nile" by Alice Coltrane, and "Worry Bout It Later" by Cliff Coulter – alongside other tracks that include "Larry Of Arabia" by Chico Hamilton, "Wave" by Ahmad Jamal, and "Crystalized Tears" by John Klemmer.

German jazz gems from the 60s – an amazing collection of rare work from the Rhineland scene – non of which we've ever heard before! The package is even sharper than the first volume in the series – and features some of the best German jazzmen of the time, working in styles that draw heavily from hardbop and modal jazz, but which are already beginning to take off strongly in the unique modes that would flourish strongly in the MPS/Saba years to come! Things are soulful, but swinging – modern, but pretty darn groovy too – a wonderful balance that makes these years a perfect time in German jazz – a moment when the scene was really finding its own groove, yet not getting too full of themselves either. Titles include "Many's Waltz" by Manfred Welsandt Trio, "Beat Bop" by Ingfried Hoffmann Big Band, "Nica's Dream" by Albert Mangelsdorff, "St Tropez Waltz" by Modern Jazz Crew Stuttgart, "Minor Conversation" by Hans Koller Septett, "Summertime" by Fritz Harschuh, "That Double Thing" by Harald Eckstein Sextett, and "Din A Bop" by Albert Mangelsdorff Jazztett.

Gentle grooves from the KPM sound library – two great albums back to back on a single CD! First up is Girl On The Beach – soft, seductive grooves from James Clarke – delivered with a nicely mature feel, and one that really takes Easy up a few notches from conventional 60s forms! There's a subtle Brit feel here that's miles beyond American work of this nature – a way of giving things a gentle sort of funk, even when mellow – thanks to stepping electric bass in the background, really making magic behind some vibes, guitar, and jazzy horns. There's almost a Euro erotic feel to some numbers – and titles include "Little Racer", "Girl On The Beach", "Edge Of The World", "Running Away", "Feet In The Sea", and "Nocturne". Gentle Sounds is a set that definitely lives up to its title – and a record that features great KPM work from Johnny Pearson, Keith Mansfield, and Steve Gray! There's some subtle rhythms on most tracks – grooves, but gentle ones – often with some Latin or bossa percussion elements in the mix, blended with other instrumentation that includes acoustic guitar, flute, trumpet, and marimbas – all delivered with a beautifully mature style. This is grown-up late 60s Easy at its best – the kind that hit the best acoustics of the FM dial, for adults who really knew how to choose their sounds wisely. Titles include "The End Of The Day", "Please Mr Pearson", "Quiet Interlude", "Soft Sell", "Floating Bossa", and "Quiet Waltz".

Some of the most soulful jazz recorded in Europe during the 1960s – and the complete Philips recordings of German saxophonist Klaus Doldinger! Doldinger's probably best remembered for the more dynamic fusion he cut with the Passport group in the 70s, but back in his early years he was full on soul jazz player, steeped in the tradition of Gene Ammons, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt, and others before him – all players that we'd easily rank Doldinger with during these years, given the ultra-high level of his work for Philips! But given his German orientation, Doldinger also picked up on some of the freer influences that were running around the European scene of the 60s – and the tracks here don't just sparkle with American soul jazz sounds, but also show a bit of Brazilian and more progressive jazz influences as well. And alongside Doldinger's tremendous tenor and soprano sax, the recordings here are equally noteworthy for the organ lines of Ingrfried Hoffmann – an ultra-cool player on the Hammond, with the mixture of rhythmic energy and playfulness you might find in the work of Jack McDuff for Prestige at the same time! Doldinger and Hoffmann cook tremendously throughout – so much so, you can easily forget their country of origin, and just put these sides on equally next to your favorites from Prestige or Cadet. 4CD package features material from 4 full albums, plus rare singles – and also includes a full CD of other rare Doldinger recordings from the same time! Tremendous stuff throughout, and easily one of the greatest discoveries in jazz you may make this year. 51 tracks in all – with titles that include "Delilah", "Signal", "Blues For George", "Solar", "Viva Brasilia", "Waltz Of The Jive Cats", "Blue Note Samba", "Negra Sin Sandalia", "Shakin The Blues", "Just A Little Bit Of Soul", "Run Baby Run", "Quartenwalzer", "Praeludium No 3", "That Bluesy Sound", "Watch It", "Pavana The Earl Of Salisbury", "Midnight Session", and "Joe's Blues".

Ah for the day of the hometown radio station – those halcyon 70s years when local rock powerhouses really reigned the airwaves, and could shape the listening tastes of an entire region of listeners! And back in the day, some of the stations were so strong, they acted as key forces in the record business too – putting out compilations that drew attention to up-and-coming artists from their local scene – often featuring a fair bit of great work that never got exposure otherwise! With this sweet little set, Numero Group pay tribute to this overlooked genre of album – the kind that we bought years ago from Chicago stations like WLUP or WKQX – but presented here by the imaginary WTNG (The Numero Group – get it?) As with any other Numero collection, the set's overflowing with rare material – but the vibe is different than most of what they've featured so far – lots of cool, mellow, underground 70s rock – well-produced, but locally issued – with a flavor that's quite different than the bigger work coming from the coasts at the time. The whole thing's a wonderful musical discovery – the kind we've really come to expect from Numero over the years – with tracks that include "Aladdin" by Roach Band, "Try To Be True" by Caroline Peyton, "Your Love Rolled Over Me" by Timoth, "I'd Like To Touch A Star" by Lester Brothers, "Between Us" by Cream & Sugar, "Fantasy Woman" by Lorren Cornelius, "Heaven's Child" by Dwain Virgil, and "I Got Cha" by Green flow.

Bold sounds from this German quartet – a group who certainly deliver one of the most striking avant jazz sessions on the legendary Amiga label! The set's got a free frenzy that's right up there with the 70s best from FMP – played by musicians who often made key appearances on that label too – including Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky on saxes and flute, Conrad Bauer on trombone, Ulrich Gumpert on piano, and Gunter Sommer on drums and percussion! The album takes off with a machine gun-like energy at the start – a real blast of sound that shows all the revolutionary power of this generation of German jazz – but then as things progress, the players explore some wonderful tones and textures that reflect a more contemplative mode as well – still very groundbreaking, but in a more subtle way. Titles include "Traumtanzer", "Quartett Diskurs", "Holzland", "Kommit Ihr G'Spielen", and "Post Aus Vogelsang".

One of Elvin Jones' greatest records – a set that's quite different from both his work in the John Coltrane Quartet, and some of the powerhouse jazz sides he'd cut later as a solo act! The vibe here is a bit hard to describe, but it somehow comes together in the "midnight walk" of the title – as there's a pulsating rhythm to many of the numbers – one that comes partly from the record's great use of Dollar Brand on piano on some cuts. But other players are great, too – and there's some wicked electric piano work from Steve James – who really gives a few tracks a sinister edge – plus tenor from Hank Mobley, trumpet from Thad Jones, and added percussion from George Abend. Titles include "Midnight Walk", "HM On FM", "The Juggler", "All Of Us", and "Cross Purpose". A great album, and a real lost treasure from the Atlantic back catalog!

One of Elvin Jones' greatest records – a set that's quite different from both his work in the John Coltrane Quartet, and some of the powerhouse jazz sides he'd cut later as a solo act! The vibe here is a bit hard to describe, but it somehow comes together in the "midnight walk" of the title – as there's a pulsating rhythm to many of the numbers – one that comes partly from the record's great use of Dollar Brand on piano on some cuts. But other players are great, too – and there's some wicked electric piano work from Steve James – who really gives a few tracks a sinister edge – plus tenor from Hank Mobley, trumpet from Thad Jones, and added percussion from George Abend. Titles include "Midnight Walk", "HM On FM", "The Juggler", "All Of Us", and "Cross Purpose". A great album, and a real lost treasure from the Atlantic back catalog!

German jazz gems from the 60s – an amazing collection of rare work from the Rhineland scene – non of which we've ever heard before! The package is even sharper than the first volume in the series – and features some of the best German jazzmen of the time, working in styles that draw heavily from hardbop and modal jazz, but which are already beginning to take off strongly in the unique modes that would flourish strongly in the MPS/Saba years to come! Things are soulful, but swinging – modern, but pretty darn groovy too – a wonderful balance that makes these years a perfect time in German jazz – a moment when the scene was really finding its own groove, yet not getting too full of themselves either. Titles include "Many's Waltz" by Manfred Welsandt Trio, "Beat Bop" by Ingfried Hoffmann Big Band, "Nica's Dream" by Albert Mangelsdorff, "St Tropez Waltz" by Modern Jazz Crew Stuttgart, "Minor Conversation" by Hans Koller Septett, "Summertime" by Fritz Harschuh, "That Double Thing" by Harald Eckstein Sextett, and "Din A Bop" by Albert Mangelsdorff Jazztett.

A dramatic score by Jerry Goldsmith – written for the film Papillon, a dark prison film that starred Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffmann. The manner of the work is similar to other Goldsmith scores of this nature – with many tense horn and string passages that underlie the mood of the film. Titles include "Gift From The Sea", "Cruel Sea", "Survival", "Hospital", "Reunion", and "The Camp".

The biggest moment ever for saxophonist John Handy – an album that crossed over big, thanks to a tremendously funky title cut! Handy first rose to fame back in the 60s – playing modernist jazz with Charlies Mingus, and opening up on his own in a stretch of great albums that evolved from hardbop, to modal jazz, to some even freer world jazz experiments in the 70s. Here, though, he's back in very soulful territory – working in a combo that has keyboards and guitar, and plenty of grooves that are somewhere in a space between early 70s CTI/Kudu and similar dates on Cadet or Prestige Records! The style's a great balance of modes – and although electric, the album's never too smooth – thanks to relatively small instrumentation on most numbers, and an approach that still lets most of the energy come from the interaction of the core group members. Players include Hotep Cecil Barnard on keyboards, Mike Hoffman on guitar, Chuck Rainey on bass, and James Gadson on drums – and Handy plays both alto and tenor, and even sings a bit on a few cuts. Titles include the JBs-styled "Hard Work", plus "Afro Wiggle", "Didn't I Tell You", "Love For Brother Jack", "You Don't Know", and "Young Enough To Dream".

A less tense and caustic Roots than the crew that hit us on the majority of Rising Down a couple years earlier – and this one's as strong of an album as they've delivered since moving over to Def Jam. In truth, we were a little scared when we saw some of the guests credited – Monsters Of Folk, John Legend, Joanna Newsom and other headscratchers on top of more likely collaborators such as Phonte, Blu, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw – it gets over very, very well here! How I Got Over is a Roots effort through and through, with contemplative and soulful tracks that simmer and stew in tried and true fashion. The tracks with those indie rock guests turn out to be among the Roots-iest tracks on the record. Believe that! So you can rest easy, the Roots are The Roots here, just what we wanted and just what we get! Includes "A Peace Of Light" feat Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle, "Walk Alone" feat Truck North, PORN & Dice Raw, "Now Or Never" with Phonte & Dice Raw, "Dear God 2.0" with Monsters Of Folk, "The Day" feat Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash, "Doin It Again", "Tunnel Vision" and more.

Drummer Lenny White live – stepping out here in a sweet funky set that also features some great keyboards from Patrice Rushen and Don Blackman! The date was recorded in the late 90s, and has a back-to-basics quality that reflects the renewed love of older funk styles that players like White were picking up at the time – a quality that shakes off some of the excesses of fusion, and glitz of smooth jazz – and really lets the players stretch out in a no-nonsense setting! The whole group's pretty great – and fetaures Bennie Maupin on saxes, Victor Bailey and Foley on basses, Mark Ledford on trumpet, and the aforementioned Rushen and Blackman on keyboards – on titles that include "Whew What A Dream", "East St Louis", "Pic Pocket", "Dark", and "Wolfbane".

Afro-centric jazz from the 70s through the 90s – a real spiritual journey in music, compiled from a host of hard to find records, most of which are long out of print! The music on the collection is from three different decades, but the set's got a wonderfully unified feel – thanks to a strong spiritual current that runs through all the tunes, and a linked heritage of performance that was shared by many of the players over the years. Tracks are from a very diverse set of sources – including many American and European indie labels of the 60s and 70s – and all tunes are long, soulful, and plenty darn righteous! Titles include "Song For Mozambique" by Archie Shepp, "Africa" by Sathima B Benjamin, "The Almoravid" by Joe Chambers, "Our Roots Began In Africa" by Pharoah Sanders, "Days Gone By" by Moe Koffman, "Children" by Nation/African Liberation Arts Ensemble, "Mrafu" by Nate Morgan, "Afro Blue" by J Life, "Desert Fairy Princess" by Adele Sebastian, and "Banks Of The Nile" by Carlos Garnett.

A great overview of the prog rock explosion in early 70s Italy – a scene that was really brimming over with top-shelf music – most of which never made it to our shores at the time! The Italian prog artists had a tightness that was different than some of their contemporaries on the European scene – and at some levels, they were probably closest to the best and biggest of the Brit prog groups – given the inherent tunefulness of most of these tracks, and the impeccable musicianship – played here in ways that are full and filled with flourishes, but which also have a good sense of economy too. The set's overflowing with key cuts, and comes with a booklet with notes in Italian – and a CD that features 18 tracks that include "Generale" by PFM, "Via Beato Angelico" by Perigeo, "Culto Disarmonico" by Delirium, "Orizzonti Iontani" by Gli Alluminogeni, "Fiori E Colori" by Le Orme, "Lucifero" by Metamorfosi, "Degli Uomini" by Museo Rosenbach, "Nu Gatto Come Nu Lione" by Canzoniere Del Lazio, and "I Cavalieri Del Lago Dell'Ontario" by New Trolls.

A really cool compilation of late 50s outer space obsessive pop, rockabilly boogie, and groovy space age jazz numbers – wild numbers from the decade before we set down on the moon! The numbers are mostly from the end of the 50s – age of black & white flying saucer attack movies and cold war hysteria – and it's filled with seedy and spacey little numbers that clearly influenced a generation of cheeky rockers to come. Martian honky tonk numbers, theremin enhanced instros, early Sun Ra cosmic jazz, echoey surf rock, and so much more! 27 tracks in all: "Blast Off" by The Jimmie Haskell Orchestra, "Saturn" by Sun Ra, "In The Bible" by Flying Saucers, "Martian Band" by Wildtones, "Moon Moods" by Samuel J Hoffman, "Space Storm" by Col Frank Erhardt and more.

A rare chapter in the career of Peter Brotzmann – and a very smoking set cut on the Finnish scene of the early 70s! The quartet features Brotzmann on tenor and alto – playing alongside the tenor and flute of Juhani Alaltonen – both of them completely all-out and unbridled, working with the same sort of ferocious free jazz style Peter used on his initial FMP recordings! Other players include Peter Kowald on bass and Edward Vesala on percussion – the last of whom can really shift between full-on intensity and quieter, more sensitive sounds. Titles include "Hot Lotta", "After Pam Pam", "For Dee Deep Finnish Forest Cymbal Governor", and "Kippis".

The grooviest organ working the other side of the Atlantic in the 60s – as mighty a talent on the Hammond as Jimmy Smith or Jack McDuff back in the US at the time, and equally groovy too! Ingfried Hoffmann's work on the keys is probably best known from his searing soul jazz sides with Klaus Doldinger in the pre-Passport years – but this package focuses even more strongly on Hoffmann's sides as a leader – all of which are tightly snapping, quickly vamping, and filled with loads of lively organ and guitar! The core part of the set is Ingfried's lost album From Twen With Love – a 1966 spy-jazz styled album, with both original numbers, and a few James Bond covers – all played by a quintet that features guitars from Volker Kriegel and Pierre Cavalli, bass by Peter Trunk, and funky drums from Rafi Luderitz. Titles include "Yeah Dr No", "Thunderball", "007 Bond Street", "Sharp Sharks", "Phantom's Walk", "Let Live & Die", "Vabanque At Casino Royale", and "James Only Lives Twice". Added to that core album are 4 more bonus tracks – 3 recorded in 1963 with Rene Thomas on guitar and Klaus Weiss on drums, including "Midnight Bossa Nova", "TV Swing", and "Soul Twist" – plus the great "Playgirl", recorded with Peter Thomas in 1966.

Early work by Bob James – recorded way before he became one of the funky talents of the 70s, when he was a budding young modernist on the New York scene, with clear influences from the work of Paul Bley. This set is a trio recording – and it features James playing with Barre Phillips on bass and Robert Pozar on drums. Phillips' work is especially amazing, as he gets sounds out of the bass that are just incredible – working the whole instrument into wild tones and sounds that far surpass conventional work on the strings. The whole session's amazingly dark – and it makes us love James' funky work even more to know that he started out this way! Titles include "Explosions", "An On", "Wolfman", and "Peasant Boy".