A really magical combination of sounds – the tenor of Tony Kofi and the harp of Alina Bzhezhinska – coming together here with a really strong sense of spiritual majesty! There's a sense of grace and pacing to the record that's wonderful – and Alina's approach to her instrument is nicely different from soulful predecessors, like Dorothy Ashby or Alice Coltrane – yet equally captivating as well, especially when grounded by the deep, rich tones that Kofi brings from his horn – blown in modes that take us back to some of the spiritual saxophone giants on Impulse records! And yet the pair aren't out here to just ape older modes – as there's a very thoughtful, very personal approach to the music – meditative, but never too much so to lose its groove – on titles that include "Tu Vides", "Tange", "Alteria Vita", "Anima", and "Tabula Rasa". CD

Gorgeous sounds from Xenia Franca – a Brazilian soul singer with a sound and style that should make her huge, if the world has any justice – but who's also more than great enough as the kind of special discovery that keeps us searching for unusual music from around the globe! Xenia's got a voice that's incredible – every bit as rich and powerful as any American female soul singer in recent years, but set to arrangements and instrumentation that are more inventive than anything in the mainstream – and which seem to get a special sort of crispy crackle from the Portuguese in the lyrics. We loved her first album, but this one is even more amazing – with titles that include "Magica", "From The Heights", "Ancestral Infinito", "Futurivel", "Interstelar", and "Animus X Anima", which features a guest appearance from Arthur Verocai! CD

Features Herbie Mann on flute, Romero Lubambo on guitar, Eduardo Simon and Mark Soskin on piano, Paul Socolow on bass, Ricky Sebastian on drums, and Cafe on percussion. Tracks include "Anima", "Pao E Poesia", "Aparecida", "Gabriela's Song", and "Choro Das Aguas". CD

The 3rd album by The Dining Rooms – and the best so far! These guys have really matured from earlier outings – moving into a sophisticated realm of downtempo soundscapes crafted with a great deal of care, and which are put together with a lot more than simple tricks and gimmicks. There's loads of really solid tunes in here – sly numbers that sneak up on you with a subtle approach to the craft, gently burrowing in and taking root – somehow making the album that much more compelling overall. A number of tracks have some wonderfully languid vocals, some male and some female – and these tunes fall nicely next to instrumental numbers with a very evocative approach. Titles include "Anima Per Amarti", "Tunnel", "La Citta Nuda", "Fluxus", "Flamenco Sketches", "Dreamy Smiles", "You", "African Loungesters", and a nice cover of Sun Ra's "Astro Black"! CD

A landmark album – and one of the best records you'll ever find by Mary Lou Williams! The record's a mixture of jazz and spiritual themes, and it features Mary Lou's piano set in some super-hip jazz arrangements that include players like Grant Green, Budd Johnson, Larry Gales, Melba Liston, Ben Tucker, and Percy Heath. The bass and piano work is amazing, and many tracks have a dark groove that's very subtle, but very compelling. About half the tunes feature hip choral vocalizing – in the mode of some of the Donald Byrd or Max Roach albums from the same time – mostly handled by the group of Howard Roberts. Includes the classic groover "A Grand Nite For Swinging", plus "A Fungus Amongus", "Anima Christi", "Miss DD", "The Devil", "It Ain't Necessarily So", and "My Blue Heaven". Great stuff all around – and even better than we're describing it! This CD issue features the original Mary Records cover art – different than the Saba/MPS or later Smithsonian CD versions. CD

Music from Steve Hackett, Giles, Giles & Fripp, Anthony Phillips, Atomic Rooster, Rick Wakeman, GTR, Dave Greenslade, Stackridge, Robert Wyatt, Gong, Van Der Graaf Generator, Fission Trip, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Audience, David Bedford, Third Ear Band, Ginger Baker, Slapp Happy, Hawkwind, Birth Control, Atlantis, Embryo, Cosmic Jockers, Mogul Thrash, Anima, Blonde On Blonde, and more! CD

The 3rd album by The Dining Rooms (in case you couldn't guess by the title!) – and the best so far! These guys have really matured from earlier outings – moving into a sophisticated realm of downtempo soundscapes crafted with a great deal of care, and which are put together with a lot more than simple tricks and gimmicks. There's loads of really solid tunes in here – sly numbers that sneak up on you with a subtle approach to the craft, gently burrowing in and taking root – somehow making the album that much more compelling overall. A number of tracks have some wonderfully languid vocals, some male and some female – and these tunes fall nicely next to instrumental numbers with a very evocative approach. Titles include "Anima Per Amarti", "Tunnel", "La Citta Nuda", "Fluxus", "Flamenco Sketches", "Dreamy Smiles", "You", "African Loungesters", and a nice cover of Sun Ra's "Astro Black"! CD

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A dozen hits. CD

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Recorded live at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and a special set featuring the acoustic talents of trumpeter Tim Hagan and soprano saxist Bob Belden, mixed with electronics by Scott Kinsey, and turtablism by DJ Kingsize. Most of the material is fairly out – with off-kilter solos draped over loud junglist rhythms – and the album reminds us more of Derek Bailey's drum n bass album of a few years back, than it does some of the more recent new funky work on Blue Note. Titles include "Big Moment", "Dans La Ville Sombre", "Love's Lullaby", "Are You Threatening Me?", and "Trumpet Sandwich". CD

One of our favorite Floyd albums ever – a lot more subtle than The Wall, but with a focus missing from Wish You Were Here, too! Titles include "Dogs", "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", "Sheep", and "Pigs On The Wing". CD

There's lots of wild electronics here, and plenty of other great sounds too – served up in a host of very cool tracks from a range of short animated features from Poland – not kiddie cartoon music, but work that's often got a very spare and spacey sort of vibe! The set's awash in keyboard sounds and other electronic modes – sometimes playful, but often times a bit more open, and almost experimental – lots of moogy touches on the 70s work, and some more digital-styled keyboards as the 80s move in – presented at a level that's right up there with some of the best East European sound library material we love from the Gad label! The set features work from "Defekt" by Marek Wilczynski, "Knock Down" and "Studium" by Zenono Kowalowski, "Ptak" and "Palacz Guzla" by Zbigniew Lampart, "Idylla" by Tadeusz Kocyba, and "Zielony Dywersant" by Boguslaw Pasternak. CD

Amazing soundshapes from guitarist John Abercrombie – a set that strongly follows in the tradition of his ECM work of the 70s, but also pushes at the edges a bit, too! Abercrombie plays electric, in that haunting, ethereal style of his – and also uses a guitar synthesizer too, but in relatively subtle ways that spin out in space nicely – setup in a trio with drummer/percussionist Jon Cristensen, with additional keyboards from Vince Mendoza – who composed a number of tracks in just the right mood for Abercrombie. As usual, the best moments on the record are those when John focuses strongly on tone – and there's plenty of those throughout – on titles that include "Agitato", "First Light", "Single Moon", "Right Now", "Last Light", and "Bright Reign". CD

With 20 tracks. CD

Great later work from The Animals – a set that's not as tripped-out as some of their other late 60s work, and which almost starts to show Eric Burdon's rising love of soul and funk! The sound is still pretty rockish overall – but there's some great use of bass rumbling at the bottom – bringing up a rumbling quality that fits nicely with Burdon's somewhat bleak presentation of the lyrics at various points. Production by Tom Wilson almost has a raspy, lo-fi sort of feel – different than the bluesier roots of the group, and almost a precursor of indie work in decades to come! Titles include the classic "Sky Pilot", plus "Monterey", "Just The Thought", "Closer To The Truth", "No Self Pity", "Orange & Red Beams", and "We Love You Lil". CD

A trio of classics from this groundbreaking group! First up is Living With The Animals – fantastic early work from Mother Earth – one of those special late 60s groups who emerged out of the rock, folk, and blues scenes – but who somehow managed to make a very special sound of their own! Part of the group's strength is the lovely Tracey Nelson – a singer who could have been a soul artist if she wanted – but who works here with a looser approach to generic conventions as she moves through a number of different modes – sometimes stepping aside for the group's lead singer, R Powell St John Jr, who also plays a bit of harmonica. Instrumentation is given some stronger currents from a combo that features Mike Bloomfield on guitar, Barry Goldberg on organ, and Luis Gasca on trumpet – and titles include "Marvel Group", "Mother Earth", "It Won't Be Long", "Down So Low", "The Kingdom Of Heaven", and "My Love Will Never Die". Make A Joyful Noise is an album that has slightly fuller backings than their debut, but in a way that only seems to bring out more of the soulful currents of their sound! The mix of rural inspiration and tighter presentation is a great illustration of the changing North Cali style of the period – and no surprise, a young Boz Scaggs is in the group, providing rhythm guitar next to the vocals of Tracy Nelson and R Powell St John. A few country legends provide extra support on fiddle, dobro, and steel – balanced nicely by a strong horn section too – on titles that include "Stop The Train", "Soul Of The Man", "Blues For The Road", "Come On & See", "I The Fly", "Wait Wait Wait", "I Wanna Be Your Mama Again", and "Then I'll Be Moving On". Last up is Satisfied – countrified rock from Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth – done in a warm and sincere style that goes way beyond any of the cliches of the genre! There's something about the way the group put together the tunes that really makes us like this one – an honesty that's not bogged down in any hippy dippy expectations, and which never tries to be anything other that what it is. And yes, that's not much of a good description of the set – but it's also our way of identifying the uniqueness that set Mother Earth apart from a lot of their contemporaries. Titles include "Satisfied", "Groovy Way", "Andy's Song", "Ruler Of My Heart", "This Feeling", and "You Won't Be Passing Here No More". CD

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Titles include "Animal", "I Adore You", "Leaving You", "Get Your Fingers Wet", and "Stop Look What You're Missing". CD

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Kassa Overall continues to be one of those artists who's not only impossible to peg, but who's also maybe a genre unto himself – a jazz drummer at the core, but one who's not afraid to throw in vocals, bits of funk, hip hop lyrics, and other styles as well! With each new record, Overall seems to really be evolving his style – and here, he delivers music that's even more personal than before at a lyrical level, while opening the door for a range of guests who help flesh out the sound – a lineup that includes Danny Brown, Anthony Ware, J Hoard, Lil B, and Nick Hakim – plus jazz musicians Vijay Iyer and Theo Croker. Titles include "The Lava Is Calm", "No It Ain't", "Make My Way Back", "Clock Ticking", "So Happy", "It's Animals", "Maybe We Can Stay", and "The Score Was Made". CD

Three film soundtracks from Morio Agata, including the animated film Red Elegy. CD

Includes all the songs from the film, a 24 page illustrated book, and bonus interviews with Walt Disney and animator Ward Kimball! CD

A rare soundtrack for a very offbeat 70s documentary – one that more than lived up to its title by showing footage of sexual acts of a wide variety of different creatures – including frogs, kangaroos, rhinos, monkeys, and others – each of whom was given some very special scoring attention by composer Gerald Fried! Each track has a slightly different feel – as Fried is clearly watching the documentary footage, then composing the music – with all sorts of instrumental flourishes and odd effects that must have been a wonder next to the animal porn onscreen! The CD features 25 tracks in all – and titles include "Aphids", "Snails", "Buffalo Birth", "Rattlesnake", "Chimp Lullaby", "Trout Eggs", "Cheetah Chase", and "Primal Ooze". CD