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Great work from one of the most compelling trombonists of the 50s! Jimmy Knepper is probably best known for his excellent work on some of Charles Mingus' best records – but this set from 1957 shows that Knepper was also an extremely capable (if under-recorded) leader in his own right! The album is one of the rarest Bethlehem sides – and it features Knepper leading a crack group that includes Bill Evans, Gene Quill and drummer Dannie Richmond, making a rare non-Mingus appearance here! The tracks are shortish, and a number of them are standards, but the group swings nicely, and Knepper's tone is nice and edgey on most tracks. Titles include "Avid Admirer", "Close As Pages In A Book", "Ogling Ogre", and "Idol Of The Flies".

A beautiful date from bassist Josh Abrams – a player who's lent his soulful talents to so many great Chicago sessions over the past decade or two – really coming into his own as a leader! Josh has this deeply spiritual approach to his instrument – a style that, back when he first started making waves in Chicago in the 90s, nobody else was really handling that well – a mode that goes back to older players like Malachi Favors, Larry Ridley, or even Bill Lee – all of whose 70s work would be a good comparison for Abrams' energy. Here, he really shows his rich vision, and unfolds some excellent original compositions – tunes that have an airy spirituality, and which are played beautifully with like-minded Chicagoans – a quartet with David Boykin on tenor, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, and Frank Rosaly on drums. The vibes and bass are especially wonderful together – and titles include "Bottom Goes The Moon", "Unknown Known", "Settle Down", "Look Through It", and "Leavening".

A classic from Cannoball and producer-partner David Axelrod – truly great stuff and maybe even better than the Zodiac set Cannonball did for Capitol! The formula is similar to that one – with David Axelrod producing, electric keyboards by Hal Galper and George Duke, spacey solos by Cannonball and Nat Adderley, and some very hip recitations by Rick Holmes on love, sex, and the zodiac! Holmes is best known as the chappie who cut "Remember To Remember" years later with Roy Ayers – but this album's got a similar "wisdom and knowledge" feel that's pretty wonderful. Titles include "Aquarius: Humanity Plus", "Cancer: All Sides", "Leo: Rosebud", "Aries: Damn Right", "Gemini: Ecstasy", and "Virgo: For Pam".

A massive look at the mighty pairing of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod – a partnership that's way more than just jazz musician and producer! Axelrod's talents in the studio are many, but his greatest heights were possibly reached in collaboration with Cannonball – a relationship that spawned an amazing run of singles and albums that allowed the saxophonist to expand his music to amazing new levels, and touch audiences that few other jazz musicians could reach! Axelrod's sense of sound and timing are a perfect match for Cannonball's intrinsically funky approach to the saxophone – and no matter what the setting here, from big band to small combo, studio recordings to live date, high concept records to relaxed jazz sessions, there's an undeniable groove in the music that never lets up. The CD pulls together a very wide range of work from key Axelrod/Adderley Capitol recordings – and offers a double-length look at their pairing that's as soulful as it is essential. Titles include "The Black Messiah", "Space Spiritual", "Do Do Do", "Gone", "Ndolima", "Up & At It", "Hummin", "Make Your Own Temple", "Tensity", "Fun In The Church", "Khutsana", "Price You Got To Pay To Be Free", "Walk Tall", "Music You All", and "Dialogues For Jazz Quintet & Orchestra".

A killer album of Afro Funk – with a very unusual origin! In the wake of Manu Dibango's big hit (and some kind of failure to register the copyright), many many versions of "Soul Makossa" were recorded and released, some good, some bad. This album is a good example of that situation – kind of a quickie project issued by Mainstream Records to cash in on the hit – but it's also an amazing bit of lost funk, and a record that's lasted for years in the hearts of beatheads! The group's a studio combo headed by Richard Fritz – and includes funky drummer Paul Humphrey, organist Charles Kynard, and guitarist David T Walker – all players we can trust to keep things groovy. The record does include a version of "Soul Makossa" that's pretty great – but even better is the breakbeat classic "House Of The Rising Funk", apparently the same version of the track that was issued on a 45 under the name The Chubukos. Other nice ones include "Kissing My Love", "Hot Mud", "Get It", "Hot Doggin", and "Let Me Do My Thing".

One of Airto's greatest records ever – a really hard hitting batch of tracks that mix sharp-edged fusion lines with some earthier Brazilian percussion touches – all in a way that nicely steps off of Airto's first few American releases, and warms the groove up with a nice dose of California soul! Flora Purim joins in here on both vocals and percussion – and the rest of the group features Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorgte Fattoruso on drums, and David Amaro on both electric and acoustic guitars – shifting nicely between both instruments in a way that further underscores the blended vibe of the record! Most of these tracks are Airto classics – like "Tombo in 7/4", "San Francisco River", "Romance Of Death", "Ringers", and "Wind Chant" – and the record has a very sweet CTI production style, but is still rough enough around the edges to keep things nice and real!

The brilliant full exposure of the voice that was always buried in the larger sounds of Pink Floyd – a definite madcap romp from the amazing Syd Barrett – and a record that still sounds as captivatingly chilling all these many decades later! There's a stripping-down here that's really tremendous – no need for all the overblown, long-winded excursions of other forces in the psych generation – as Syd takes the whole thing down to its core, and carries it off with a charm that's almost folksy – yet which, like David Bowie at about this point in his career, manages to manipulate and dismiss the folk generation as much as it does the psych one too! David Gilmour and Roger Waters are on hand to help a bit with production – and titles include "Octopus", "Golden Hair", "Long Gone", "She Took A Long Cool Look", "Late Night", "If It's In You", "Love You", and "Terrapin". CD features 6 more bonus tracks – alternate takes of songs on the album!

Smooth, soulful piano from David Benoit – sounding stronger than ever here in a collection of classics recorded for the GRP label! Although the setting's often a bit electric, David plays acoustic throughout – bringing in a core sense of humanity to the tracks, and often a strong sense of individuality as his leads and solos echo out from the smoother backings. The set list is overflowing with tracks – 18 numbers in all – and titles include "Houston", "I Remember Bill Evans", "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "Saturdays", "Some Other Sunset", "Getting Ready", "Gothic Jazz Dance", "Linus & Lucy", and "Reflections".

A searing debut from Black Heat – one of the best funk acts to record for Atlantic during the 70s, and a tight little group with a sound that's a mixture of New Orleans funk and New York heavy! The album's got a bit of vocals – figuring in on about half the tracks – but the main focus here is definitely instrumental – with a strong emphasis on choppy guitar, sweet organ licks, and cooking horn solos on trumpet, tenor, and flute – the last two of which are played by David Newman – not normally a member of the combo, but a great guest for this session! The sound is very tight, but never slick – and often recorded with an earthiness that recalls some of the best indie label funk of the period – like the kind of grooves you might find over at Perception/Today – with all the trippiness that might imply. Titles include "Chip's Funk", "Wanoah", "Barbara's Mood", "Chicken Heads", "The Jungle", "Send My Lover Back", "Honey Love", and "Time Is Gonna Catch You".

A stone classic from Blood Sweat & Tears – and a record that went onto have a tremendous impact in jazz, rock, funk, and soul! The group's format is plenty darn famous – adding a lot of horns to hip riffing grooves – but despite countless plays on oldies stations over the years, this initial album still has a power that's undeniable – a way of putting the whole thing together that really uses the best elements of the late 60s studio – handled with sweet production from James William Guerico that rivals his best work for Chicago! Even the lead vocals by David Clayton Thomas hold up nicely – and the set includes the classics "Variations On A Theme By Eric Satie", "And When I Die", "Smiling Phases", "More & More", "Spinning Wheel", and "You've Made Me So Very Happy". CD features bonus live tracks – "More & More" and "Smiling Phases".

David Bowie's grabbing the cover of Heroes for this surprisingly great album – using the old cover art, then marking it over – in ways that definitely give a hint at the sound underneath! The style's darker and edgier than we've heard Bowie in years – kind of in "Joe The Lion" territory at times – given the fuzzy use of guitar, and raspy touches on the vocals and other instrumentation – almost as if the whole thing's got the same sort of back to basics approach that David found during his years in Berlin. Yet overall, there's more sweet moments too – some surprisingly warm tunes that, while not like contemporary pop hits, may well help remind the world that the Bowie star can still shine brightly in the right setting. Titles include "Dirty Boys", "The Next Day", "If You Can See Me", "Boss Of Me", "Dancing Out In Space", "Love Is Lost", and "Valentines Day". Deluxe CD version features three bonus tracks – "So She", "Plan", and "I'll Take You There".

Arguably one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time – and the key flowering of the partnership between David Bowie and Mick Ronson! The guitars here are heavy – so much so that the record's always crossed over big with crowds who are always suspicious of Bowie's artier work of the 70s – and represented a crucial moment when his groundbreaking music also found a large mainstream audience as well. And despite the fact that Ziggy's an androgynous space rocker with a spurious pedigree, the manufactured posturing of the album's come to be taken quite literally over the years – a vivid text of alienation, expression, and redemption – served up beautifully over a host of classic tracks that include "Five Years", "Soul Love", "Moonage Daydream", "Suffragette City", and "Ziggy Stardust" – all further proof of Bowie's 70s ability to slide in wherever he wanted with ease!

Spare improvisations from Chicago saxophonist David Boykin – recorded as a duet with butoh artist Nicole Legette, who also seems to be vocalizing a bit on the record! The album's easily one of the most challenging that Boykin's ever given us – quite open, and very expressive – sometimes concerned strongly with low tones on the saxophone, while at others screaming out with almost voice-like qualities. There's a feel here that's almost like some of Roscoe Mitchell's best solo work from years back – and the 27 minute CD features 11 smaller excerpts that are all pretty wonderful!

One of the greatest albums so far from mighty Chicago reedman David Boykin – and easily a set that lives up to the rich legacy of avant jazz in the Windy City! There's a depth to the record that comes through right from the very first note – a sense of history and feeling that shows just how much Boykin's developed as a player over the past decade or so – a tenorist with a done that's right up there with Archie Shepp or David Murray at their creative best – really stretching out on some wonderful solos that never fail to dim in imagination or new ideas. The group's a trio – with Alex Wing on bass and James Woodley on drums – which gives the recording an almost ESP Records sort of vibe – and Boykin's the shining star throughout, really knocking us over with his solos on the well-recorded set! Titles include "Blast Off For Love", "Walk Turn Bat Shimmy", "Try Harder", "Blue Lotus", "Star Book", and "Late Night With The David Boykin Trio Theme".

A raw, live set from Chicago saxophonist David Boykin – but a great little record that really reminds us of a classic 60s session on ESP! Boykin's reeds are wonderful throughout – filled with the depth of soul we might expect from Kalaparusha or Albert Ayler – and set up here in an open-ended trio with Josh Abrams on bass and Andre Beasley on drums. The tracks are all quite longish and free – but never sloppy or overindulgent – held together with a tremendous focus and presence in Boykin's horn! Titles include "Victory Honor & Glory", "Conundrum", "Big & Fine", "The King", and "Meditation For Momma Long".

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".

A great lost performance from David Boykin's Expanse group – one of the boldest forces in Chicago underground jazz a few years back! The lineup here is great – with Boykin on tenor, Nicole Mitchell on flute, Josh Abrams on bass, James Baker on piano, and Myron Cherry on drums – working together beautifully in a tribute to the late Hazel Boykin – at a level that arguably has more structure and force than even other great Boykin recordings of the time! The interplay between tenor and flute is wonderful – very complex, but also deeply soulful, and quite organic – and David's especially great, blowing with that spiritual power that really made us sit up and take notice when he first came onto the scene. Titles include "His & Hers", "1/20/03", "Eli Whitney", "Gates", and "Big & Fine".

"Expanse" is a mighty big name for the group that David Boykin uses on this record – especially given that the combo's only a quintet – but that's ok with us, because the sound here is more than large enough to warrant the name! Boykin's working with a great batch of players from the Chicago scene here – including frequent musical partner Nicole Mitchell on flute, sliding wonderfully alongside David's saxophones – plus Jim Baker on piano, Josh Abrams on bass, and Mike Reed on drums. The album features two longish tracks, both composed by Boykin with a vision that's freely expressive, yet never too free – a perfect balance that reigns things in wonderfully, and which shows him to be one of the key current heirs to a Chicago tradition that runs back to the early AACM and Sun Ra! Titles include "Nuance" and "47th Street Ghost".

Soulful fusion from The Brecker Brothers – a set that's one of their standout efforts from the 70s – and a record that went onto influence a whole generation of jazz musicians too! The album features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn, keyboards by Don Grolnick, and guitar by Steve Khan – but one of the things that really makes the album great is the vocal arrangements, which were handled by Luther Vandross, who also sings on the album along with Patti Austin! The set's got a great soulful feel – with some wonderful mellow groovers that have a sweet 70s sound – titles that include "Lovely Lady", "Night Flight", "Slick Stuff", "What A Miracle Can Do", "I Love Wastin Time With You", "Keep It Steady", "Grease Piece", and "Dig A Little Deeper". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "If You Wanna Boogie (single version)", and "Slick Stuff (single version)".

Seminal work from The Brecker Brothers – 6 of the group's best albums, plus the two Blue Montreux live albums – packaged together in one very cool set, in tiny LP-like sleeves! The self-titled Brecker Brothers album is the first super effort from the team of Randy & Michael Brecker, whose twin-horn frontline forged a very popular sound in the mid 70s – some really well-crafted numbers, done with a strong smooth approach that still sits well after all these years! Back To Back features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn, keyboards by Don Grolnick, and guitar by Steve Khan – but one of the things that really makes the album great is the vocal arrangements, which were handled by Luther Vandross, who also sung on the album along with Patti Austin. The set's got a great soulful feel – with some wonderful mellow groovers that have a sweet 70s sound! Don't Stop The Music is a stone classic from The Brecker Brothers – working with touches of club and disco grooves to give an even smoother edge to the jazz funk of the pair. And thanks to some solid soloing that's not afraid to go for the easy spots, the album's a lot more solid than an number of sound-a-like copycat LPs to come out at the time! Heavy Metal Be Bop is tight and funky jamming, with a bit more guitar here than on some of their other records – hence, possibly, the title! Keyboards and guitar jam strongly, but Randy and Michael still get in plenty of space for their solos – pushing their jazz licks with the jamming intensity that might normally be relegated to guitar heroes in the rock world. On Detente, the Brecker's are still rooted in jazz, but definitely step out with plenty of soul in the mix too – vocals from DJ Rogers, Carl Carlwell, Luther Vandross, and others – all of whom really add a lot to the set! On Straphangin, the BBs manage to groove with a sharpness and depth that most of their smoother fusion contemporaries just weren't hitting – an edge that reminds us of the deeper roots these guys had before they started hitting the mainstream! Last up are the live fusion classics Blue Montreux Vols 1 & 2 – both recorded as a unique live all-star outing by a group of Arista's best jazz players at the time! The group's an octet, but plays together in differing formations throughout the record – with Warren Bernhardt on keyboards, Michael Brecker on saxes, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Steve Jordan on drums, Steve Khan and Larry Coryell on guitars, Tony Levin on bass, and Mike Maineri on vibes – the last of which really make for some of the best numbers on the album!

The first great, label-spanning compilation of great 50s & 60s tracks by a variety of artists with some little in common in some cases, but share at least one unbreakable bond – they recorded these tracks with the incredible James Burton on guitar! It's got fiery, pivotal rockabilly Dale Hawkins and Bob Luman, pop takeover numbers by Ricky Nelson, rustic charisma from Lee Hazlewood, benchmark honky tonk from Merle Haggard, harmony country rock from Buffalo Springfield and much more – including numbers credited to James Burton himself and with Ralph Mooney. Includes "Susie-Q" by Dale Hawkins, "Red Hot" by Bob Luman, "Cannonball Rag" by James Burton, "Blood From A Stone" by Ricky Nelson, "A Child's Claim To Fame" by Buffalo Springfield, "Swamp Surfer" by Jimmy Dobro, "Someday, Someday" by The Shindogs, "Just For A While" by Carol Williams, "Tryin' To Be Someone" by David & Lee and more.

Righteous and rocking soul from Merry Clayton! The set was done in LA with arrangements by insiders that include Jerry Peters, Carole King, and Billy Preston – and features some tight and sometimes funky backing from players that include David T Walker, Wilton Felder, Paul Humphrey, and Curtis Amy. Some of the tunes are a bit too rock-soul for our taste, but there are a few tasty bits on here that we really like – including a hip Leon Ware tune called "Whatever", a nice cover of Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands", and Jerry Peters "Love Me Or Let Me Be Lonely". Other tracks include "Southern Man", "Same Old Story", "Walk On In", and "A Song For You".

One of Ornette Coleman's most groundbreaking albums – a set that takes his best free jazz energy of the 60s, and expands it out into the space of a longer suite – all originally designed as a film soundtrack, then never used in the movie at all! Yet even without the film placement, the album's one of Coleman's greatest – a unique blend of his best small combo 60s energy with some larger orchestrations that really go way out – mixing tones and modes from the soloists against a larger backdrop of woodwinds and strings. The result is mindblowing – very open-ended and freewheeling, yet filled with soul too – thanks to great alto and trumpet from Ornette, and raw tenor from Pharoah Sanders – working in the core quartet with David Izenzon on bass and Charles Moffett on drums. The set features one long double-length piece – four sides' worth of amazing music!

A great couple of harder-to-find Ornette Coleman records – nicely paired up in a 2CD set! First up is The Music Of Ornette Coleman, from 1967 – which is beautiful record that serves as both a showcase for Ornette's "serious" writing efforts – and his ability to play with a larger ensemble! It kicks off with Ornette playing trumpet solos with The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet as they perform his "Forms & Sounds" live. That's followed by recordings of Ornette's "Space Flight" and "Saints & Soldiers" performed by The Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia Quartet, a string ensemble that brings a new light to Ornette's compositions! Skies Of America is an ambitious record with full orchestra, in a haunting sound that's light years from any of his smaller group recordings of the 60s and 70s! There's an incredible feel to the strings used here – played by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Measham – all tied up and dark, with swirling sounds that run up beautifully from the bottom, then take off to the skies promised in the title – opening the door for Ornette to come in and solo freely over the top – in a magical mix that easily makes the record a standout in his long and mighty career! Harmolodic theory is definitely a part of Coleman's conception here – but in very different ways than his quartet or quintet recordings. Lots of tracks on this one, including "Skies Of America", "The Men Who Live In The White House", "Sunday In America", "Dreams", "Native Americans", "Silver Screen", "The Artist In America" and more.

A hip little album from Buddy Collette – one that's ostensibly based around the then-popular idea of a set of Paris-inspired tunes – but which comes off with a sound that's a lot deeper than you might expect! David Axelrod produced the set – it was one of his early projects for Specialty Records – and Buddy Collette plays alto, tenor, and flute – in a group with Frank Rosolino on trombone, Howard Roberts on guitar, Red Mitchell on bass, and Bill Richmond or Bill Douglass on drums. Red Callender joins in on some tracks, and his deep tones mixed with Rosolino's trombone, really help offset the lighter sounds of Collette's reeds in a nice way. Titles include "Domino", "Mam'Selle", "Pigalle", "I Love Paris", "La Vie En Rose", and "Under Paris Skies". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes, too!

One of those great examples of a wildly successful songwriter recording a terrific album of his own, but not connecting with the pop consciousness – which is shame, because Roger James Cooke's Study is, well, a study in wonderful late 60s songcraft! Cook was actually no stranger to performing, having scored a hit with Roger Greenaway as David & Jonathan – but this solid Columbia album really deserves a bigger audience. Titles include "Primrose Jill", "Black Paper Roses", "Teresa", "Something", "Ellie", "Today I Killed A Man I Didn't Know", "My Home City", "Stop" and more. This great CD version from RPM has 11 bonus tracks: late 60s and early 70s singles and B-Sides including "I'm Burning", "Paper Chase", "Someday", "Anticipation Grow", "People I've Gotta Dream" and more.

A great one from this all-star group – an incredibly righteous combo that's given Billy Harper one of his best chances to play in years! As with the previous album by The Cookers, the Harper influence really runs strong – not just in the use of some of his great tracks in the performance, but also in the way the tunes build and work together – that bold, powerful energy that Billy first unleashed on the world in the 70s – driven to new heights here by a lineup that also includes Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Craig Handy on alto sax, George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Hart on drums! But key thanks should also go to trumpeter David Weiss – also in the group, and producer for the record – a great talent for getting these guys to work together so well. Titles include tunes by McBee, Cables, and Hart as well – with tracks that include "Ebony Moonbeams", "Believe For It Is True", "Free For All", "Quest", "But He Knows", "Tight Squeeze", and "Naaj".

Great work from Johnny Coppola – a member of America's famous first family of film, and a hell of a crooner in his own right! Johnny lives in a world where the Rat Pack never ended – and he sings here with a style we haven't heard this well since the days of Frank Sinatra at Reprise – a tremendous old school approach to masculine jazz singing – served up with a hell of a lot more personality than just about any other Sinatra copycat in recent years! Johnny's definitely his own man on the set – partly because the tunes are almost all originals, with very cool lyrics by Coppola – and music penned by Bill Cunliffe, who handled all the instrumentation for the record – at a level that really keeps things top-shelf. Make no mistake, Johnny's vocals don't have the purity of Sinatra – but he does really evoke this world of second-string male singers of the 60s – guys like Bobby Cole, Frankie Randall, David Allen, and others – all equally swinging, and able to put a sense of male personality into a tune that other singers of the type could never touch. Titles include "Night Of Our Dreams", "A Long Love Affair", "Sandra", "Time To Run Son", "I'm Through With All Of These Dreams", "I'll Sleep Alone", and "Somebody's Got To Be That Guy".

Hell, Boots, it's not a bother – we actually dig Sorry To Bother You as much as any Coup music since Steal This Album! There's a great vibe on Sorry To Bother you – with rebellious, progressive lyricism, of course – but musically, this one surpasses the preceding Coup album, in our opinion. It's got an organic feel – lots of live drums and funky handclaps, bass, guitars and keys – and kind of a party funk vibe overall – which pairs very nicely with the strident Coup lyricism. Includes "The Magic Clap", "Your Parents' Cocaine", "The Gods Of Science", "My Murder, My Love", "You Are Not A Riot (An RSVP From David Siqueiros To Andy Warhol)", "Land Of 7 Billion Dances", "Violet", "This Year", "Long Island Iced Tea, Neat", "Wavip" and more.

A crossover classic from Deborah Cox – a record that's filled with plenty of tuneful tracks, yet sung with a surprising depth of soul! Production is top-shelf on most numbers – and is often in that great 90s mode that's reintroducing warmer sounds that had slipped out of soul music the decade before – yet still working with just the right sort of bottom beats to keep the music contemporary. Cox really shines in this setting – free to really stretch out her vocals, even on grooves so great she could have gotten away with a lot less. Titles include "I'm Your Natural Woman", "My Radio", "Never Gonna Break My Heart Again", "My First Night With You", "Just Be Good To Me", "The Sound Of My Tears", "Who Do You Love", and "Sentimental". This version features a massive amount of bonus tracks – not just the few on the original CD release, but 15 more tracks brought into this package – featuring loads of remixes and other mixes of album tracks – including work by David Morales, Driza Bone, Mass Ave, Chucky Thompson, and others!

Warm and laidback soul jazz from the great Hank Crawford – cut in a relaxed mode that makes the set feel like some of the late nite smokers on the Prestige label at the time! Hank's alto work is perfectly placed on the set, and he's working with fellow Ray Charles bandmember David Fathead Newman on tenor – plus John Hunt and Phil Guilbeau on trumpets, and Leroy Cooper on baritone sax – plus guitar from Sonny Forrest on two tracks. Titles include "The Peeper", "Sherri", "Sweet Cakes", "Don't Cry Baby", "What Will I Tell My Heart", and "But On The Other Hand".

One of the most highly-regarded albums of Hank Crawford's 60s run on Atlantic Records – a set when everything seems to come together just right – and provide an even better showcase than usual for Hank's soulful lines on alto sax! The set also features tenor from David Newman – easily a perfect companion to Crawford for the record – and the rhythms have a nicely laidback, easygoing vibe – almost more Prestige Records soul jazz than the usual Atlantic style of the time. The set's got some warm mellow instrumental versions of blues classics, plus a few originals like "Lorelei's Lament", "Blue Stone", and "Playmates".

A record that acts just like its title – as the set really helps focus the brilliance of Paulinho Da Viola into bright rays of color – showing different tones and feelings with each new tune on the set! By that, we don't mean that the album's schizophrenic – just that it's got a range that goes beyond the more familiar samba of Paulinho's roots – into territory that reaches right up there with the best of the MPB generation – and almost makes Paulinho into a genre unto himself! The arrangements have a nice sense of variety, but are never too commercial – and the samba roots are always firmly intact – on titles that include "Cisma", "Quem Sabe", "Mais Que A Lei Da Gravidade", "Cade A Razao", "Retiro", and "O Tempo Nao Apagou".

Anthony David's one of those cats that just keeps getting better and better – taking an already-great sound, and finding a way to dig deeper to the core with each new record – and serve things up with a freshness that always keeps us wanting more! This time around, Anthony's working with a core combo called The Do Gooders – a lineup that almost brings more of an old school soul feel than before – one that has David's vocals coming across with a proud, vibrant feel that only gets stronger as the album moves on – as if he knows he's coming up with a contemporary classic in the process! Titles include "Love Out Loud", "Can't Look Down", "So Jaded", "Livin It Up", "Official", "Sweet Pain", and "A Way For Me".

One of the most obscure 60s jazz sessions on ESP – a really free outing from pianist Lowell Davidson, working here in a trio that includes Gary Peacock on bass and Milford Graves on drums! Davidson's approach to the keys is quite far out, especially for the time – very much in the mode of Cecil Taylor, but possibly even more open-ended than Taylor's work up to this point. He doesn't get lost in the open spaces, though, thanks in no small part to the intuitiveness of his players. Really wonderful stuff that's loose, angular and engrossing all the way! Tracks are all longish originals – and titles include "L", "Ad Hoc", "Strong Tears", "Stately 1", and "Dunce".

A quadruple-header of a set – four great albums together in one cool box! First up is the first album from the great Special Edition group of drummer Jack DeJohnette – a wickedly sharp record that's as equally tight on the reeds as it is on the drums! The album features brilliant work on tenor and bass clarinet from David Murray, and equally nice alto from Arthur Blythe – both criss-crossing and soaring out effortlessly in each others' company – amidst complex rhythmic impulses from DeJohnette on drums, and both bass and cello from Peter Warren. Jack also plays a bit of piano and melodica as well – and titles include "One For Eric", "Zoot Suite", "Central Park West", "India", and "Journey To The Twin Planet". On Tin Can Alley, the great Chico Freeman really shines with drummer Jack DeJohnette – lending his tenor, flute, and bass clarinet to the album – and helping make it a really reed-heavy affair! John Purcell's also in the frontline with Chico – playing alto, baritone, and flute – and in addition to Peter Warren's bass and cello, the album Jack DeJohnette also plays drums, congas, piano, and organ too! The range of instrumentation almost echoes some Chicago AACM roots at times – but with that tighter focus that musicians like Jack were bringing to their work at ECM – and titles include "Riff Raff", "The Gri Gri Man", "I Know", and "Pastel Rhapsody". Inflation Blues is a record that bristles with energy right from the start – spurred on by the creative rhythms that have always made Jack DeJohnette one of the most inventive drummers of his time! The group features a triple-threat lineup with Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Chico Freeman on tenor and soprano sax, and John Purcell on alto, baritone, flute, and clarinet – especially nice at points when the reedmen shift and turn with sharp edges learned from the earlier avant years, yet given a nice focus here under DeJohnette's leadership. Jack penned all original tunes for the set, and there's a depth to his writing that really marks a move forward – possibly some of his richest musical statements on record ever! Titles include "Ebony", "Inflation Blues", "Slowdown", and "The Islands". Album Album is a record that really dives deep with a rich mix of creative rhythms and inventive horn lines! The album still has Jack staying true to his more avant roots – working with tenor from David Murray, alto and soprano sax from John Purcell, baritone and tuba from Howard Johnson, and bass from Rufus Reid – a lineup that's a bit bigger than on other Special Edition albums, and which is used to fill in even more colors and deeper elements than before. Some of the tunes are wonderfully vivid in approach – and titles include "Festival", "Third World Anthem", "Zoot Suite", "Ahmad The Terrible", and "New Orleans Strut".

An album led by pianist Aaron Diehl – but a set that also features some especially great vibes from Warren Wolf – one of our favorite players on the instrument in the past decade or so! Wolf's tones ring out beautifully – with that richness he really brings to his own albums, and hasn't spared a bit with Diehl – a style that really has great ways of expanding out Aaron's initial impulses on piano, and giving the record a lyrical quality that almost takes us back to 60s collaborations between Jack Wilson and Roy Ayers! Other quartet members include David Wong on bass and Rodney Green on drums – and titles include "Generation Y", "The Cylinder", "Stop & Go", "Single Petal Of A Rose", and "Blue Nude".

Bassist Dezron Douglas can be one hell of a leader – especially when he's working with a group and setting as great as this! The album's got that solid punch we love in the Smalls Live series – a way of allowing players to really open up and be themselves, yet also find a cohesiveness as a group that you don't often get in studio sessions – that brilliant magic that can make live jazz performance so wonderful, when it's captured this well – a great document of a musical moment and local expression that might have been missed otherwise. Dezron's bass is very upfront in the performance – and the quintet also features tight trumpet from Josh Evans, bold tenor from Stacy Dillard, sharp piano from David Bryant, and smoking drums from Willie Jones III. Titles include "Nita", "Let's Ride", "The Puppet", "Bish Bash Bop", and "Power Of One".

A range of rare recordings from singer Doris Drew – a vocalist we only know from one full album, but who also made some of these appearances as a guest on other instrumental dates! Doris has a great approach – one that's slightly warmer than the ice blondes of the west coast scene of the 50s, yet which often carries some of the same modern elements too – supported here by work from players who include John Williams on piano, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, and Herb Geller on alto – plus arrangements from Williams, Jack Fascinato, David Caroll, and Lew Raymonde. Titles include "He's My Guy", "Tea For Two", "I Cried For You", "Pennies From Heaven", "Put The Blame On Mame", "You're The Cream In My Coffee", and "Be My Lovin Baby".

A heavy record with a heavy pedigree – a smoking set of funky instrumentals, all recorded directly to tape! The trio has a hard-burning sound that takes us back to the Prestige records jazz funk sound of the early 70s – the sort of groove you might have heard from Leon Spencer or Melvin Sparks – with Mike Flanigin on sweet Hammond, Jake Langley on smoking guitar, and Kyle Thompson driving the whole thing with some mighty fierce drums! The CD version has a few great cover versions on top of the solid Dupree originals – and the titles include "The Turtle", "Malibu Classic", "KC", "Moto Guzzi", "Leon's Thing", a great take on the Bacharach/David classic "Close To You", Tina Brooks' "David The King", Horace Silver's "Cookin' At The Continental" and more, 10 tracks on the CD.

Bob Dylan and his great band whip up a moody, yet darkly humorous Tempest – and while the overall greatness of his records came down just notch or two after Love And Theft – this one goes the other way and comes pretty damn close to his late-era peaks! Lyrically, it's definitely better than the past couple records – with verse after verse of poetic storytelling – which is carried all the more effectively by his weathered rasp. Sound-wise, Dylan is as indebted as ever to pre-rock rhythm & blues, but there's some nice fuzzy electrified arrangements, too – and it's all played by a stellar band that's been with him for a long time now, one perfectly-suited for the style: guitarists Charlie Sexton & Stu Kimball, BR5-49 fiddler and steel guitarist Donnie Herron, bassist Tony Garnier, drummer George Receli, and a most noteworthy guest in Los Lobos' David Hidalgo on accordion. Includes "Duquesne Whistle", "Soon After Midnight", "Narrow Way", "Long And Wasted Years", "Pay In Blood", "Scarlet Town", "Early Roman Kings", "Tin Angel", "Tempest" and "Roll On John". This deluxe limited CD edition includes a 60-page bound notebook with dozens of rare vintage magazine covers – produced exclusively for this edition.

A stellar solo set from John Edwards – one of the tightest talents of the southern scene in the mid 70s, and a singer who would later break big with The Spinners! This album's got a really unique vibe – with some slight tropical touches hinted at by the cover image – and some deeper production from David Porter down at the Malaco and Ardent Studios – which ensures that the deep soul component of the music still stays strong! The whole thing's unlike anything else we can think of – and is a definite bridge between 70s soul scenes at the time – echoes of folks like Al Green or Sam Dees, but a tighter approach at points too. Titles include "You, Trouble, & Me", "That's That", "The Key To My Life", and "Baby, Hold On To Me".

A great high-concept composition from Duke Ellington – one that rivals the earlier brilliance of his Liberian Suite! Like that one, vocals are a key part of this long-form work – a special performance done for the Century Of Negro Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1963 – with an all-star cast that includes Jimmy Jones both at the piano and conductor's stand; Joya Sherrill on vocals with the Irving Bunton Singers, Jimmy Grissom, Jimmy McPhail, and Lil Greenwood; Billy Strayhorn on celeste, Juan Amalbert on conga, and other familiar Ellingtonians in the larger group! The tunes have a mix of gospel and folk roots, turned towards more modern Ellington compositional modes – and almost all numbers feature vocals, including one with narration by Ellington himself. Titles include "Will You Be There", "Come Sunday", "David Danced", "Montage", "My Mother My Father", "My People", "The Blues Ain't", and "What Color Is Virtue". CD features 25 tracks in all – the first-ever appearance on CD of the entire performance!

A hip little rock group from the upstate NY scene – and heck, they had to be hip, to record on the Just Sunshine label! The sound here has a bit of a funky rock approach, colored by a Band-like hominess – but thanks to some strong famous guests on the session, the instrumentation steps out way past the vocals on the best numbers – with help from a crack lineup that includes Toots Thielemans, Tito Puente, David Sanborn, and the Brecker Brothers! The core group are great, too – with the same sort of tight rhythms and soulful vocals we loved from their previous release – and titles include "Vicious Circle", "Freewheelin", "Down To The City", "What Becomes Of Your Life", "Do It Like Ya Mean It", and "Whitecaps".

A record from the Three Of Us – but one we remember best for the heavy keyboards of Hilton Felton! The set's even more stripped-down than some of Hilton's other funky classics from the 70s – an instrumental outing that features Felton on organ and Fender Rhodes, Johnathan Settel on drums, and David Mendenhall on guitar – a great player we've never heard before, but one who carves out some mighty sharp lines next to the keyboards! The drums are nice and tight, too – and occasionally augmented by a bit of bass or congas – and Hilton's got that wonderfully fluid groove that makes the tunes bristle with funky, soulful energy – every bit the best sort of groove you'd find in early 70s records by Charles Earland or Johnny Hammond – but even better, as there's a raw indie vibe going on too. Titles include "Here Comes David", "Music Shall Never Die", "Your Analysis", "Dream Come True", and "Maybe You'll Come Back To Me".

Brilliant basswork from Henry Franklin – one of the hippest cats handling his instrument on the west coast in the 70s – working here with a wicked ensemble of soulful, righteous players! Franlin's bass sets the tone of the record right from the very first note – but the album's a very collaborative effort, too – and features Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Charles Owens on tenor, Bill Henderson on soprano sax, Ndugu Chancler on drums, and Kirk Lightsey on both piano and flute! The legendary David Durrah plays piano on two tracks – his own "Waltz for "Boobuss" and "Venus Fly Trap" – and the Sisters Happiness sing vocals on the latter cut, too. Other titles include "Blue Lights", "Soft Spirit", and a version of Chick Corea's "What Was".

Soaring soul from The Futures – a Philly group who'd already worked for years in the underground before cracking the racks with this debut LP in 1975 – schooled strongly in their best vocal modes from previous singles, and ready to unleash the best side of their sound on the world! The set's got a perfectly put-together style that's much more like some of the Philly vocal work on Atlantic of Philadelphia International at the time – although also not as commercial, thanks to a righteous undercurrent in the group's presentation and overall aesthetic – hinted at by their image on the cover! Arrangements are by David Van DePitte and Wade Marcus, who also echo a bit of Detroit styles too – particularly the righteous blend of The Temptations towards the end of their Motown years. The Futures are equally great on mellow cuts and stormers – and titles include Castles", "Do Unto Others", "Ninety Days (In The House Of Love Correction)", "I Had A Dream", "Love Will Be Around Forever", and "Super Love". Plus, the CD features 7 bonus tracks – duets with Barbara Mason on "We Got Each Other" and "Make It Last" – plus "No One Could Compare", "Grade A Woman", "The Way Of A Woman In Love", "Castles (single version)", and "You Better Be Certain".

A record as revolutionary as the French year in which it was recorded – an amazing batch of late 60s grooves from Parisian pop madame France Gall! The set's upbeat and jaunty, with plenty of fuzz – almost a psyche pop sound, with lots of groovy guitars that make the album sparkle with plenty of razor-sharp notes! Gall's vocals are as wonderful as ever, and almost sound a bit more sinister in this setting – thanks to arrangements by Alain Gouraguer and the great David Whitaker. There's plenty of France Gall classics here – including versions of the Serge Gainsbourg tunes "Nefertiti" and "Teenie Weenie Boppie" – plus "Toi Que Je Veux", "Made In France", "Bebe Requin", and "Avant La Bagarre".

Cali mic veteran Planet Asia – paired up producer Gensu Dean! A tight, purposefully trend-skirting collaborative effort from a duo concerned with making high quality music that'll stand the test of time. Tracks include "Thoroughest", "Bar Mitzvah", "Chochise", "Faces O The Dollar", "Chuck Berry" feat Shawn Pen, "Listen", "Reflections", "Thyself" with David Banner & Tragedy Khadafi, "Do What I Want" with Larina & Washey Choir and more.

Sweet KPM funk from the 70s – a set that features the legendary "Big City Suite" from David Gold, plus 20 other groovers from rare KPM sound library albums of the time! Gold's suite is really great – a hip mix of keyboards, wah wah guitar, and strings – all wrapped together warmly in a portrait of a city from a variety of angles, in a variety of moods. The work's almost an update of 50s city-symphony albums, but is put together here with a much hipper 70s soundtrack mode – lots of subtle elements that really keep things interesting! Other tracks offer up a mix of jazz, soundtrack, and sound library funk – hand-picked from KPM classics like Jazzrock, Synthesis, Sounds Of The Times, Trendsetters, and other legendary albums – really packed in here with a huge amount of cuts that are totally great! Titles include "Good Vibrations" and "Trial Of Strength" by Keith Mansfield, "Testing Time" by David Lindup, "Four O'Clock Earthquake" and "Smokey Joe's Dilemma" by John Cameron, "Watchful Eye" by James Clarke, "Sunshine Special" and "Get Ready Get Set Fly" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Open Roads" by Nick Ingman, "Go Getter" by John Cameron, "City Airscape" and "City Police" by David Gold, and "Lap Of Honour" by Clive Hicks.

A pair of late 70s Motown gems from Cuba Gooding – back to back on a single CD! The well-titled 1st Cuba Gooding Album is his first project on his own, done after a classic stretch in the Main Ingredient! Gooding's working here with help from Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter – the hit 70s soul team who really help him find a great new groove on his own – a sound that's rooted in the sweeter vocal modes of The Main Ingredient, but which has a sparklingly sophisticated quality of its own! The music is mature and upbeat – a bit like some of David Ruffin or Eddie Kendricks' solo work of the 70s – and nearly all tunes here are originals by Potter and Lambert. Titles include "Fool Of The Year", "Mind Pleaser", "Hold On To What You Got", "All I Can Give You Is Love", and "As Long As There's You". Love Dancer is a tremendous solo outing from Cuba Gooding – a record that not only shows his strength as a lead singer away from The Main Ingredient – but one that also shows that he really knows how to groove as well! The album's produced by Michael Smith, and has a vibe that's a bit different than Gooding's previous Motown record – with some tunes that have a wonderfully rich clubby sort of sparkle – and some even nicer mellow moments that really unlock that mature potential Gooding always had in his vocals – that smooth-stepping sound he'd really bring to the forefront when returning to The Main Ingredient in the 80s. Titles include the great mellow groover "I'm Yours Now" – plus "Hey The Party's In Here", "Disco Royale", "Trust Me", "Tell Me How Long It's Been", and "Running Man".

Sweetly grooving early 80s UK soul from David Grant – his first solo album after the breakup of Linx – and it's a nice one! There's a leaner pop soul sound at play here, one that would have sounded right at home on the US charts of the time – but it's never too poppy – and always with David's genuinely soulful voice out front. The songs are of pretty solid, with some uptempo numbers and some more ballad-y tunes – the latter of which are really nice! Includes "Rock The Midnight", "Love Will Find A Way", "Stop And Go", "Organize", "Watching You, Watching Me", Holding On", "In The Flow Of Love", "Wrap Yourself Around Me" and more. This Big Break CD edition has a healthy batch of bonus tracks and alternate versions – 9 in all: "Stop And Go (12" Master Mix)", "Love Will Find A Way (Single Version)", "Kiss Away The Blues", "Klik Trax", :Rick The Midnight (Single Version)" and more.

Paris was always a great city for Lionel Hampton – but it seemed like in the mid 50s, it was also a place where he cut some of his best work, too! The French New Sound pair of albums are both classics in Hamp's book – records that take off from the looser, longer-form style that he'd been hitting with his Verve recordings of the early 50s – yet which also retain some of the tighter, fuller elements of his famous large ensembles. Players on the records are great – a lineup that includes travelling American jazz greats like Benny Bailey and Nat Adderley on trumpets, and a young David Amram on French Horn – plus crack Parisian players who include Sacha Distel on guitar, Rene Urtreger on piano, and Guy Pederson on bass. The tracks are simple jamming numbers – long and open-ended, in the mode of some of Hamp's very popular live work at the time, and the vibes are right out front – hard-edged, with that soulful sound that Hamp pioneered on the instrument – and the other players are given very ample room to solo. Titles include "Voice Of The North", "A La French", and "Zebu".

A pair of classics from John Hartford – with bonus tracks too! First up is Aereo Plain – a groundbreaking album from the young John Hartford – not really folk, not really country – but a unique hybrid of both, and done with a good ear for unique sounds as well! Hartford's a really unique artist, especially at this key point in his career – and he's working here with producer David Bromberg, who himself was also helping to reinvent acoustic music at the time. The Warner Brothers placement of the record is key – as Hartford's got this sense of the past, mixed with the irony of the present – one which strongly echoes some of the hip rock contemporaries on the label, particularly the up and coming brand of post-Sunset LA talents. Titles include "Turn Your Radio On", "Up On The Hill Where They Do The Boogie", "First Girl I Loved", "With A Vamp In The Middle", and "Tear Down The Grand Ole Opry". Next is Morning Bugle – a record that's even rootsier than John's first for Warner – with just a bit of bass backing from Dave Holland, and excellent guitar from Norman Blake next to Hartford's own banjo. As before, the lyrics have this really unusual bent – steeped in images of the past, but with the sensibilities of the present – particularly the left-leaning politics of the early 70s time in which the album was recorded. Titles include "Streetcar", "My Rag", "Old Joe Clark", "On The Road", "Howard Hughes Blues", and "Got No Place To Go". 2CD set features 8 bonus tracks too – including "Airport Floor", "Back Up & Push", "Flower Power Died", and "Weave & Way".

One of the rarest Lee Hazlewood albums ever – a mid 70s set recorded for Polydor in Sweden, and one that represents a really unique chapter in Lee's career overseas! At times, the album's got a very strong country feel – more so than even other Hazlewood records, which always had a bit of twang – yet at other points, the record moves into more familiar vocal work – recalling some of the modes that Lee had laid down on his best work of the late 60s. Not all songs are originals, but Lee definitely makes all the music his own – and the arrangements by David Whitaker and Lars Samuelson move around in good ways to match the spirit of Hazlewood's mood on each tune. This reissue features some really great notes – filled with the kind of personal recollections that make Lee's life seem like it was always a blast to live – and titles include "The Rising Star", "Come On Home To Me", "It's For My Dad", "Paris Bells", "Hello Saturday Morning", "Wait Till Next Year", "LA Lady", "I've Got To Be Moving", "Mother Country Music", and a great version of "It Was A Very Good Year".

A bundle of soul from Freddie Hubbard – one that has him blowing beautifully over full arrangements from Bert DeCoteux – the 70s super-soul maestro who really brings a new sound to Hubbard's music! The style's a bit smoother than other Freddie albums of the time, but still really great – a wonderful plenty of his well-timed, well-punctuated work on trumpet with warm grooves supplied by Bert – filled with instrumentation that includes David T Walker on guitar, Ernie Watts on sax and flute, Azar Lawrence on tenor, David Garfield on keyboards, and even Dorothy Ashby on flute. Titles include "Portrait Of Jenny", "Rainy Day Song", "Bundle Of Joy", "From Now On", "From Behind", and "Rahsaan".

A smoking second album from Rebbie Jackson – a set that has Rebbie working with strong production help from two of the bigger aspects of the Columbia Records soul family in the 80s – Tito Jackson and Reggie Lucas, who each handle a handful of songs along with David Conley and Howie Rice. The album's got a bubbly, perky approach to soul – almost more catchy and beat-heavy than Jackson's debut for the label, with cuts that include "Reaction", "Ticket To Love", "Ain't No Way To Love", "Lessons In The Fine Art Of Love", "Always Wanting Something", "You Send The Rain Away", and "If You Don't Call". CD features loads of bonus tracks – including "You Send The Rain Away (single)", "Reaction (single)", "Reaction (ext dance)", "Reaction (dub)", "Reaction (inst)", "Ticket To Love (7" mix)", and "Ticket To Love (12" mix)".

A killer of an album from Jamiroquai – the first time we really sat up and took notice, and said "hey, these guys are onto something good!" The record's pretty darn great all the way through – a warm batch of tunes that starts with a classic 70s mode that's part Stevie Wonder, part Steely Dan – and which runs through some of the more modern London percussion/production techniques to freshen things up! Titles include "Mr Moon", "Kids", "Manifest Destiny", "Light Years", "Stillness In Time", "Morning Glory", and "Space Cowboy". 2CD version features loads of bonus tracks too – including "Space Clav", "Stillness In Time (edit)", "Space Cowboy (David Morales mix)", "Light Years (4 to da floor mix)", "Space Cowboy (demo)", and liver versions of "Scam", "Journey To Arnhemland", "We Getting Down", and "Light Years".

Lots of long tracks played with plenty of fire – just the kind of record to remind us again that David Kikoski's a hell of a pianist, especially in a setting like this! The album follows the format of the other excellent live dates on the Smalls label – lots of room for the artist to really express themselves in a setting that's quite well-recorded, yet without any frills at all – meaning that Kikoski's talents come through immediately, and are held with such focus that his invention and energy are even more breathtaking than usual. The trio also features Hans Glawischnig on bass and Obed Calvaire on drums – and titles include a great version of Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge", which really sums up the energy of the record – plus "Dirty Dogs", "Grey Areas", "7/4 Ballad", and "Billie's Bounce".

A key moment in the west coast harbop scene – and one of the greatest early records from saxophonist Harold Land! The group's a really striking one – with the unique Dupree Bolton on trumpet, a great player that we really only know from this set – plus Herbie Lewis on bass, Frank Butler on drums, and the great Elmo Hope on piano! Hope's piano really gives the set an edgey finish that seems to bring out even more dark tones in Land's horn than usual – and another aspect of the session that's worth noting is its early production by David Axelrod – who really seems to have an ear for making all the elements gell together perfectly. There's a really free-thinking sound here that makes the album stand out from other LA work of the time – and titles include "The Fox", "Sims-A-Plenty", "One Down", and "One Second, Please".

A sweet trio album from pianist Mathias Landaeus – based around classic Swedish Holiday tunes, but handled instrumentally – which means that you can enjoy the album all year long! The record's way different than an American jazz Christmas album – partly because of the relatively unfamiliar tunes, but also because of the gently expressive style that Landaeus brings to his readings – piano lines that are pointed, yet somewhat softly sensitive too – and guided nicely by the bass of Kristian Lind and drums of Jonas Holgersson. There's almost a Brubeck vibe in the album at times – and titles include "Ja Se Det Snoar", "Hej Tomtegtubbar", "Staffan Var En Stalledrang", "Hosianna Davids Son", and "Nu Ar Det Jul Igen".

Tremendous work from the legendary Prince Lasha – a rare UK-only date from 1966 – and one that has the reedman working away from more familiar contemporaries like Sonny Simmons and Eric Dolphy! The approach on this session is very unique – as Lasha includes harp with the instrumentation, played by David Snell in a style that's right up there with Dorothy Ashby's best jazz work. Pianist Stan Tracey is also on board – playing beautiful notes that have a sharp modern edge, while still falling on the inside of the spectrum – and Lasha himself is especially great – blowing plastic alto sax and wooden flute, both of which have a slightly offbeat sound – but one that's surprisingly warm, which makes the album one of his most sensitive and soulful sessions ever! The tunes are a mix of standards and originals – and there's a wonderful sense of balance here – sounds that are sometimes more inside than other records from Lasha, but which have a really Dolphy-like sense of expression – right at home amidst a wider history of jazz, yet also reaching for new ideas at the same time. Pure genius throughout, and a record that was never made available to audiences in the US. Titles include "Nuttin Out Jones", "Impressions Of Eric Dolphy", "Out Of Nowhere", "Just Friends", "Body & Soul", and "Everything Happens To Me".

The sound of Ricky Tick hits Schema Records – with a whole new groove in the process! Tenorist Timo Lassy has won our ears strongly with his previous records for Finnish label Ricky Tick – hardbop groovers that are filled with soul and life, and lots of spontaneous live jazz playing. This smoking Schema records set has all that same sort of energy – but shifts the groove slightly from hardbop to more of a mod sort of style – thanks to use of Wurlitzer electric piano in the combo, which helps bring along a jaunty approach to the rhythms! The vibe's a bit like an Atlantic Records soul jazz set from the late 60s – like work by David Newman or Hank Crawford – and Timo's tenor is in great company alongside the electric keys, acoustic bass, drums, and percussion. Titles include "Touch Red", "Teddy The Sweeper", "Creole Stew", "It Could Be Better", "Uncle Harry Came To Town", and "Shootin Dice".

A jazzy soul masterpiece from Webster Lewis – light years away from the rougher funk he cut at the start of the 70s! The album's beautifully put together – almost perfect at all points, at a level that we'd rank right up there with the best work by Leroy Hutson, Roy Ayers, or other contemporary maestros in the studio. Unlike some of the more commercial artists of his generation – who also came to soul through jazz – Webster doesn't push the hooks too hard, nor try too much for a hit. And instead, he's more than happy to stay in his own righteous space – with a sound that's smooth, but never slick – tight, but not uptight. He's got some great help on the record – including keyboards from Herbie Hancock and Skip Scarborough, guitar from David T Walker, and percussion from Willie Bobo – all of whom keep things cool. Vocals are handled by a number of singers, including Webster himself – and titles include "Bout The Love", "Let Me Be The One", "Love Won't Harm No One", "El Bobo", "Kemo Kemo", "A Quiet Thing", and "Flying High". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Reach Out" and "Boston".

One of the most beautiful albums we've ever heard from saxophonist David Liebman – a set of solo numbers that build slowly, with this haunting, soulful sound that we've almost never heard from Liebman this well before! David uses soprano, tenor sax, and wooden flute on the date – and both of the saxes definitely seem to echo the "wood" in the flute – as they have this organic tone that's amazing – quite warm at times, yet sharp enough to display the edges that Liebman still brings to his creative solos. Titles include "The Loneliness Of A Long Distance Runner", "Colors Red Gray Yellow", "Petite Fleur", "Mother Father", "Peace On Earth", and "Time Immemorial Before Then Now After".

Two lost smokers from vibes legend Johnny Lytle – back to back on a single CD! The Soulful Rebel is lost early 70s set from Lytle – totally funky, but in a way that's very different than his famous 60s work! The album's got a sweet electric groove that comes not only from Johnny's vibes, but also from the sweet Hammond and Fender Rhodes of Billy Nunn, and the smoking guitar of David Spinozza – who really wails away here, and brings in a cutting edge to the tunes that's a lot sharper than some of his later work! Lytle's vibes are wonderful throughout – filled with that sense of space, soul, and timing that's always made him one of the grooviest players ever on the instrument – and this time around, he seems to have an even greater ear for unusual tones – in a way that makes the album sparkle strongly throughout! The rhythms are smoking, too – with Ron Carter on electric bass, Jozell Carter on funky drums, and Ray Barretto on congas – cooking things up righteously on the album's funky tunes. Highlights include the stone smoker "Gunky", a great remake of "The New Village Caller", and a reworking of "Lela" – plus the extended "Soulful Rebel Suite" – mighty nice! People & Love is one of Johnny Lytle's most righteous albums ever – a soaring, spacious set that's almost to Lytle's career what Gears was to Johnny Hammond's! Of course, Lytle's groove here is different – no Mizell production, and a mellower feel overall – but the unbridled space of 70s Milestone is definitely a key influence here – and Johnny stretches out here like never before! The players are all pretty hip – and include Daahoud Hadi (aka Butch Cornell) on electric piano and organ, Marvin Cabell on flute and tenor, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Betty Glamann on harp, and Jozell Carter on drums – all perfect mates here for Johnny's spiritual exploration of sound with his vibes – in ways that are almost more amazing than work from Bobby Hutcherson or Roy Ayers at the time! Titles include an amazing original called "Libra", plus "Tawhid", "Where Is The Love", "Family", and a version of "People Make the World Go Round".

Two sweet 80s scores from Michel Magne – still very much at the top of his game here! First up is the sexy soundtrack for Emmanuelle 4 – done in a style that's very similar to some of the 70s films in the series, but with some slight 80s twists in the instrumentation and overall execution. Instrumentation includes the requisite sweet keyboards needed to convey Euro sexiness – but there's also a few nice Brazilian touches which open up some of the more tropical scenes in the films. A few numbers feature vocals – by David Rose and Christiane Legrand – and titles include "La Pampa", "La Bergerie", "Bach Anal", "Prisoner Of Love", "Fuite D'Emmanuelle", and "Bresil My Love". Next up is SAS A San Salvador – obviously a more serious film at some level, yet handled by Magne with some 80s "action" modes that are heavy on processed keyboards and electric touches – very much what you'd expect for a film like this at the time. David Rose again sings two numbers – and titles include "Sex Love & Money", "Theme Cubain", "Theme Malko", "To Be My Love", and "SAS A San Salvador".

Great early 70s work from Herbie Mann! By this point in his career, Herbie must have had a fleet of cars, a harem of ladies, and a golden flute. You can hear his success in the live material that makes up the album – recorded before very enthusiastic audiences at the New York and Montreux festivals in 1972. Who'd have thought jazz flute could go so far? All tracks are long and pretty darn lively – and Herbie's group still includes Sonny Sharrock on guitar, plus the groovy Pat Rebillot on piano, and David Newman on tenor and 2nd flute. Titles include "Soul Beat Momma", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Respect Yourself", "Memphis Underground", and "Hold On, I'm Coming".

A seminal electric session from Charlie Mariano – one recorded after his shift from bop-based work into trippier, more psychedelic influences – and one of his few American dates from the time! The record has Charlie working on soprano and alto sax, with a group that includes Pat Rebillot on electric piano and organ, Tony Levine on bass, and David Spinozza on guitar – all grooving along with the reeds in a stretched-out, tripped-out kind of way – a mixture of jazz and some Eastern influences, but always held together nicely – without some of the overindulgence of some other Mariano records from the period. Charlie's solos are still icy as ever, but much freer than on his classic work, and with definite post-Coltrane influences – and titles include "Madras", "Himalaya", "Vasi Bindu", and "Mirror", which has vocals by Asha Pulthi!

A late 70s dancefloor soul set from Mascara – an album and group that's notable for a number of reasons – most importantly for being a pre-solo star showcase for the great Luther Vandross! Mascara is an interesting international joint effort – with instrumental tracks recorded in Munich and the vocals in Englewood, NJ – co-produced by UK DJ Chris Hill. Luther is one of 3 lead singers along with Ula Hedwig and David Lasley. It's got an all purpose dancefloor groove to it that's hard to resist – and the singing by all three is really strong! Luther was on the verge of a massive breakthrough at this point, which was between his legendarily crucial work with Young Americans-era Bowie and the start of his great solo career. Speaking of Young Americans, Mascara's take on "Golden Years" is early in this set, which also includes the medleys "See You In LA" and "Jet Plane Ride", plus "If You Don't Want To Be In My Life", "I Feel So At Home Here" and "Comin' Home Baby". This first ever CD release includes 3 bonus tracks: "See You In LA (Radio Version)", "Jet Plane Ride (Radio Version)" and "It's Cool (Radio Version)".

One of the best solo records from Harvey Mason – best known as the drummer on some really monster 70s funky fusion sessions (such as Johnny Hammond's Gears album) – but a surprisingly well-rounded R&B artist overall! As with Norman Connors, another fusion drummer gone soul star, Harvey's working here in a style that mixes jazz influences with modern soul – grooving things for a more mainstream audience, but still keeping things real underneath. The record's filled with guest appearances by fusion greats – like Bob James, David Spinozza, Richard Tee, Lee Ritenour, and others – and Jim Gilstrap sings vocals on a cut or two. Titles include "The Race", "Groovin' You", "Wave", "We Can", and "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow". This Soulmusic.com edition has 2 bonus versions of "Groovin' You": the 6+ minute 12" version and the shorter-grooving 7" single version.

One of the hippest albums ever cut by Letta Mbulu – a perfect mix of her Soweto roots and the funky styles of her adopted California home! The album's the only one that Mbulu ever recorded for Fantasy Records – and the style brings together those great sing-song vocal modes perfected on her 60s records, with some of the funky jazz elements that were bubbling in the Fantasy scene during the years of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod! No surprise, both Cannonball and Nat Adderley appear on the record, and the set's produced by their own company – with lots of great early arrangements from the great Wayne Henderson. Some of the best tracks have a spacious groove that leaves plenty of room for funky basslines – and titles include "Afro Texas", "Learn To Love", "Never Leave You", "Zimkile", "Setho", and "Saddest Day".

An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality that isn't quite soul, but isn't rock or anything else either – and instead, the kind of progressive, "years ahead of its time" sort of set that guys like David Axelrod were cutting in the same stretch. Apart from the title, the whole record's got a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statement on the back – "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not – the good guys vs the bad guys". With words like that, you can definitely bet that Eugene is on the side of the good guys – really pushing a social agenda with some wonderfully-penned tunes on the album – set to cool musical backdrops from the equally-righteous William S Fischer. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red".

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 80s pop – a groove that's warm and mature, and just right for pushing Mills past some of the styles of earlier years – but also without falling into any sort of "adult contemporary" cliches! Stephanie's sound is wonderful – that crisp, distinct style that is already great on a bold number, but somehow takes on even more personality on understated tracks like these – probably thanks in part to the careful instrumental balance served up by David Wolfert's arrangements. Titles include "My Body", "Pilot Error", "Do You Love Him", "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore", "Never Get Enough Of You", and "Eternal Love". CD features two bonus tracks – "Pilot Error (club mix)" and "Hold Me Close To You".

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 work equally well on the uptempo tunes as they do on the few mellower numbers too. The style is lush, but never overdone – just right for the vocal interplay of the group, with a quality that's a bit like late 70s Jacksons – but better. Titles include "Love Doctor", "I Can't Stand It", "Hot Dance", "Mean Machine", "Sad Rain", "Reach For The Sky", and "The Magic Of Your Eyes".

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 and bass clarinet, David Boykin on tenor, and Renee Baker on violin – all set against the larger backdrop of Arche – which features eleven musicians led by Rafal Zapala on electronics and percussion, on piano, trumpet, cello, viola, clarinet, trombone, oboe, and more! Mitchell's still at the heart of the performance – as the tracks are all her own compositions, and she conducts the proceedings as well – with this wonderful mode that's almost a blend of AACM energy with some of the more orchestrated improvisations of the European scene. The bulk of the record features the long "Arc Of O" piece – followed by a smoking rendition of Mitchell's great "Afrika Rising", a much more freewheeling and spiritual number!

A brilliant pairing of two generations of the AACM – as Roscoe Mitchell writes and conducts, and the group's led by Nicole Mitchell – and features a great assortment of very creative musicians! The blend of talents is key to the strength of the set – as the record avoids some of the coldness that you might find in some of Mitchell's other recent compositions – and really brings in the kind of warmth and humanity we've always loved in Nicole's recordings! In addition to Nicole Mitchell on flute, the set also features work by David Boykin on tenor, Josh Abrams on bass, Maia on harp, Tomeka Reid on cello, Greg Ward on alto, Robert Griffin on trumpet, Myra Melford on piano, and Mankwe Ndosi on voice – on titles that include "Quintet 1 For Eleven", "Cards For Orchestra", and "Quintet 9 For Eleven".

Music that really made the career of drummer Paul Motian – work that firmly established his power as a leader in the 70s, and showed the world that he had a huge range of music to offer beyond his initial fame with Bill Evans! Motian works here both on percussion and a standard drum kit – often in ways that intertwine rhythmic and melodic elements, in the freer structures that ECM helped unleash in the 70s – modes that often show a spiritual side to Paul's music that would have been unexpected a decade before – wrapped up in the company of some fresh young talents from the underground! Players on the dates include Keith Jarrett on piano, Leroy Jenkins on violin, Becky Friend on flute, Charles Brackeen on tenor and soprano sax, Joe Lovano on tenor, Bill Frisell on guitar, Billy Drewes on alto and tenor, David Izenzon and Charlie Haden on bass, and Sam Brown on guitar – and the 6 CD set features the full albums Conception Vessel, Tribute, Dance, Le Voyage, Psalm, and It Should've Happened A Long Time Ago.

A key recording from the early years of David Murray – a sharp-edged trio recording that instantly placed him in a strong lineage of tenor improvisers that includes Sonny Rollins and Albert Ayler! The record's a live date – recorded at the Wilisau Jazz Festival in 1978 with a trio that features Johnny Dyani on bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums – both well-chosen players to assist Murray on his long, exploratory tracks for the record – tunes that somewhat break open his loft jazz styles of the period, and push things slightly more into a European improvisatory mode. Titles include "3D Family", "Patricia", "In Memory Of Yomo Kenyatta", and "Shout Song".

Two reed giants get some great vocal help here – singer Ozay, who works here with some really great inflections on an unusual choice of tunes! The record's less a heavy workout from Murray or Freeman – and in fact, the players split the record – so that neither is together on one track. Yet they also both really help give the record some shape – adding some depth alongside Ozay's great vocals – which are sometimes wordless, in a really cool way. Other players include Kirk Lightsey and DD Jackson on piano, Calvin Jones on bass, Billy Bang on violin, and Pheeroan Aklaff on drums – a very hip lineup that lives up to its promise. And titles include "Ancient Dancer", "Antiquated Love", "Instanblue", "En Guzel Deniz", "Peaceful Heart/Gentle Spirit", and "Intuitively".

One of the more electric projects we've heard from reedman David Murray in recent years – a collaboration with bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, who's still got the same righteous sound he had back in the 80s! The bass shades in the songs right from the start – as does the guitar of Mingus Murray too – but Murray's rock-solid and extremely soulful once he opens up, with tenor lines that are especially wonderful, plus a bit of bass clarinet – all heard here in a style that really takes us back to some of Tacuma's better moments of a few decades before. Other group members include Paul Urbanek on "recomposing keyboards" and Ranzell Merrit on drums – and titles include "How Sensitive", "Rendezvous", "Hotel Le Prince", "Theme On A Dream", "Bring It On", and "Yes We Can".

The long-overdue release of an album that should have been a Neo Soul classic! The team of Otis Cooper and Shugg David recorded this gem of a set back in the mid 90s along with help from longtime friend and producer Raphael Saadiq – but due to shifting priorities at the major label, the set was shelved and is only now finally seeing the light of day! Despite the wait, though, the album bristles with electricity and has a totally fresh sound – bubbling over with the warmth and soul of the best Saadiq production work of the time, and hitting a vibe that's almost in the same mode as his own recent Ray Ray recordings. But even more charming are the talents of Otis & Shugg – two down-to-earth vocalists who work in a style that's nicely free of cliché, and which really shows them setting a tone that would be followed by many other make singers in the Neo Soul years to come. Titles include "Right On Track", "Fantasy", "If You Want It", "My First Mistake", "Round & Round", "Indiana", "This Is My Phone Call", and "Something Inside Of Me".

A pair of great albums from one of the coolest soul arrangers of the 70s – back to back on a single CD! Close Encounters is a cool collection of space-themed club tracks from Gene Page – and possibly one of his greatest albums of the 70s – dispite a gimmicky approach! There's a tightly soaring feel to most of the cuts that's Page at his best – arranging fully with styles borrowed from Barry White, but also hitting with a bit of Philly inspiration too – never too over the top, and never too commercially driven as you might expect from the concept. There's some great moogy bits on the record – and plenty of great session players who include David T Walker and Wah Wah Watson on guitars, Jack Ashford on percussion, and Ernie Watts on alto sax. Great Phillinganes sings a bit on the record – and titles include "Star Trek", "Close Encounters", "Saturn", "Dancin In The Sky", "I Feel Like I've Been Livin", "Beyond The Hole Space", and "I Sho Like To Ride On Your Star". Love Starts After Dark is a wonderfully well-rounded set from superstar arranger Gene Page – quite possibly his most fully-formed album as a lead act on his own! The set's got some great standout groovers – the kind of club cuts that have the vibe that Gene was doing well for so many others – and it's also got some mellow moments served up with a depth that's almost unexpected – thanks partly to some great vocals from Merry Clayton, Phyllis St James, and Charmaine Sylvers – all of whom help the album shine. Tracks are penned by Leon Ware, Leon Sylvers, Ray Parker Jr, and Joe Sample – and titles include "With You In The Night", "Second Time Around", "Put A Little Love In Your Lovin", "Love Starts After Dark", "You Are The Meaning Of This Song", and "I Wanna Dance".

An amazing collection of music from legendary bassist William Parker – 6 CDs' worth of performances, all of them unreleased, packaged together in a limited edition box set with a detailed booklet as well! The scope of the sounds is amazing – almost like finding the full career of a jazz musician in one space – even though it's only a slice of the rich contributions that Parker has made to music over his decades in jazz! A number of the tracks features important large ensembles that push forward ideas from the loft jazz generation – with players who include Daniel Carter on saxes, David S Ware on tenor, Jemeel Moondoc on alto, Charles Tyler on baritone, Roy Campbell and Raphe Malik on trumpets, Billy Bang on violin, and Rashid Bakr and Dennis Charles on drums. Other tracks feature sparer pairings that are especially haunting – duets between Parker's bass and the alto and trumpet of Daniel Carter, a trio with David S Ware on tenor and Dennis Charles on drums, and two long duo tracks with tenorist Charles Gayle! The whole thing's amazing – worth far more in music than its hefty price tag – and a huge discovery throughout!

A wonderful chapter in the career of Freda Payne – a gem of a set recorded for Capitol – and put together a sweet modern soul groove, thanks to tight production work from the legendary Skip Skarborough! Skip's getting a bit of help here from David Crawford on arrangements, who brings in some of the styles he was using on Candi Staton's clubbier work of the time – including an undercurrent of deep soul that really respects the lead vocals – but the overall style is more in the sophisticated midtempo mode that made so much of Scarborough's work so great – an approach that really works well for Freda's vocals in the years after her earlier pop hits, and helps give her sort of a newfound majesty. Titles include "Pullin Back", "Tell Me Please", "Just The Thought Of You", "Storybook Romance", "Livin For The Beat", and "Falling In Love". CD features a bonus single mix of "Happy Days Are Here Again/Happy Music".

Probably one of the most controversial records to be issued on Elektra at the end of the 60s – a rough-edged batch of hippie dippy tracks that shares a fair bit of energy and humor with The Fugs! The tunes here are perhaps a bit more focused than the work of The Fugs, but the group explore similar territory too – not just the drug references in the title, but also the kind of offbeat word play and double-entendres that were common at the time. The set was recorded "live on the streets of New York" – and Peel sings, and plays harmonica and guitar – with other instrumentation that includes two 12-string guitars, bass, and tambourine. Titles include "Mother Where Is My Father", "Here Comes A Cop", "Up Against The Wall", "I've Got Some Grass", "I Do My Bawling In The Bathroom", and "Show Me The Way To Get Stoned".

Vital late work from the amazing Sam Rivers – masterful, energetic jazz orchestra pieces recorded live and in the studio with players culled from Orlando and the Central Florida areas around Rivers' adopted home – a treasure that finds Sam sounding as spry and fiercely creative in his 80s has he was half a lifetime ago! Trilogy features 3 unreleased sets – 2 live and one with studio recordings – and it's remarkably vibrant throughout. Sam started dabbling with orchestra jazz in the 70s, bring muscularity and dissonance to big band music in a wholly unique way, and he's been doing it as brilliantly as ever in recent years. 14 horns bring complex, but melodic sweep to the sound, with a 2 piece rhythm. We've been blown away by most of Sam's late period efforts and this exceptional 3CD set from Mosaic is as great as any of it. Players include Jeff Rupert, Chris Charles, David Pate and others on saxes, Tom Parmenter, Brian Scanlon and more trumpet players, Keith Oshiro and David Sheffield on trombone, Doug Mathews on bass and Rion Smith on drums. The first disc (Offering) was recorded at the Plaza Theater in Orlando in November of '08. Includes "Spice", "Ganymede", "Crux", "Aura", "Perkin" and "Pulsar". Disc two (Progeny) was recorded at Sonic Cauldron Studios in Casselberry, FL earlier in '08, and it includes "Robyn", "Cindy", "Monique", "Traci", Iisha", "Destiny" and more. Disc Three (Edge) is a return to the Plaza Theatre in April of '09, and it includes "Ridge", "Brink", "Precipice", "Verge", "Visions", "Point" and more.

A fantastic group of well-matched players – one we've heard together often on albums for other labels, but who really find a new sort of energy here in the Smalls Live series! Trumpeter Jim Rotondi's joined here by equal frontmen Eric Alexander on tenor, David Hazeltine on piano and Fender Rhodes, John Webber on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums – a quintet that's easily a five-pointed star, given all the sharp talents on deck! We're not sure if we've ever heard Hazeltine play Fender Rhodes before, and his use of the instrument on a few tracks is mighty nice – and as you might guess, Rotondi and Alexander really make some great use of the extended live tracks here to really open up on solos. Webber and Farnsworth are as swinging as we could have hoped for – and titles include "Twilight In Seville", "A Higher Calling", "You Know I Care", "Blues For All", and "Sunday In New York".

Sublime baroque soul from David Ruffin – material recorded for his 3rd solo album, but never released until now! The quality of the work is incredible – done in a soaring style that's a perfect summation of the genius of Motown at the end of the 60s. Ruffin really steps away from his work with the Temptations here, and moves masterfully into the role of a solo star – working with such strength that we're puzzled as to why Motown never issued the set – but even more delighted to finally have it back out in such a great package! The original album was supposed to feature 12 tracks, but the CD adds in an additional 11 numbers that were recorded during the same time, including a few rare mono mixes. The whole thing's great – and includes the incredible track "Each Day Is A Lifetime", plus "Out In The Country", "I Want You Back", "Let Somebody Love Me", "It's Gonna Take A Whole Lot Of Doin", "Heaven Help Us All", "Mountain Of Memories", "You Make Me Do Things I Don't Want To Do", and "Don't Stop Lovin Me".

Music beyond description – a unique blend of disco, funk, avant garde, and dub – the wonderful world of the late Arthur Russell! Russell was a bass player by trade, but he was schooled in both classical and Eastern music forms – and brought an incredibly fresh vision to his work in New York in the late 70s and early 80s. To some, Russell was a groundbreaking disco pioneer – with an offbeat production style and unique conception of rhythm. To others, Russell was a performance artist and avant garde musician – working in circles that included Phillip Glass, David Byrne, and Robert Wilson. This mix of modes was very much a part of the post-disco, post-punk sound of New York at the time – and nobody summarized it (or allowed it!) better than Russell himself. This excellent set from Soul Jazz is one of the first to truly give him his due – and it brings together a large amount of his disco-related projects, plus a few more introspective numbers cut under his own name. The sound is incredible – unlike anything you could categorize – especially on the Russell-titled numbers – and as always with Soul Jazz, the whole thing's beautifully packaged, with rich notes on the music and the person behind it! Titles include "Go Bang (Francois K mix)" by Dinosaur L, "Wax The Van" by Lola, "Is It All Over My Face (Larry Levan mix)" by Loose Joints, "In The Cornbelt (Larry Levan mix)" by Dinosaur L, "Pop Your Funk" by Loose Joints, "Schoolbell/Treehouse (Walter Gibbons mix)" by Indian Ocean, and "Let's Go Swimming (Walter Gibbons mix)", "A Little Lost", "In The Light Of The Miracle", and "Keeping Up" by Arthur Russell himself!

A pair of modern moments from George Russell – back to back on a single CD! Stratusphunk is not "phunk", in the way you might think of "funk" – but an album that sets a whole new standard for modern jazz in the 60s – thanks to the fresh ideas of George Russell! Russell's in his best modal mode here – and there's a highly rhythmic construction to most tunes – layers that build beautifully, and which have a sharper edge than some of George's earlier work in the 50s – a balance that's better heard than described by our words, and which is completely compelling right from the start. The vibe is modern, but things still swing beautifully – and players are mostly younger musicians eager to follow Russell's leadership on piano – Dave Young on tenor, David Baker on trombone, Alan Kiger on trumpet, and Chuck Israels on bass. Titles include "Lambskins", "Stratusphunk", "New Donna", "Kentucky Oysters", and "Bent Eagle". Stratus Seekers is key work from the guy who put the "modern" in modern jazz – the great George Russell, heard here in the company of some younger players who definitely help him seek out some new territory in music! The record's got a wonderful balance between sharp edges and swing – a sound that few others could handle so well as Russell – and which bears some links to George's bigger concept albums in the 50s, but comes across with a sound that's much leaner, and which easily makes this record one of the most striking modern sides on the Riverside label at the time! Players are all great – and include Don Ellis on trumpet, Paul Plummer on tenor, John Pierce on alto, and Steve Swallow on bass – plus Russell on piano and Joe Hunt on drums. Titles include "Stereophrenic", "Pan Daddy", "Kige's Tune", and "Blues In Orbit".

Two classics from this legendary team – packaged here with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Sam & Dave album – one of the best ever albums by this incredible soul duo! Sam & Dave may have been one of the bigger names on the 60s scene, but they also had a sheer raw soul approach that blew away most of their contemporaries – a way of trading vocal lines then combining them that infused their songs with a tremendous amount of power – and which gets past any easy cliches you may have about Atlantic or Stax soul of the time! The album's virtually a blueprint for countless other acts that cropped up to steal the duo's style in years to come – but it's still one of the best of the bunch, and almost without equal. Titles include "Soul Man", "May I Baby", "Hold It Baby", "I'm With You", and "Rich Kind Of Poverty". I Thank You is a killer by Sam & Dave – recorded in Memphis with crack work by the team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, and unfortunately a record that was recorded by Stax, but stolen by Atlantic in their 1968 takeover of the label! Sam & Dave are at the height of their powers here – hitting on all burners with that tight funked-up southern soul style that made them one of the most popular acts of their generation – and although the pair may be familiar, they've got an energy that never fails to amaze us on a record like this! Titles include "I Thank You", "Don't Turn Your Heater On", "Love Is After Me", "Talk To The Man", "Don't Waste That Love", "Wrap It Up", and "You Don't Know What You Mean To Me". 2CD package features 9 bonus tracks – including "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down", "Soothe Me (live)", "This Is Your World", "Can't You Find Another Way Of Doing It", "Still Is The Night", "Soul Sister Brown Sugar", "Come On In", "Born Again", and "Get It".

Classic Sam & Dave work for Stax – a searing batch of hard soul tracks that forever redefined the concept of a male soul duet! This was the sound that put Sam & Dave over the top hard – and which left a generation of similar acts trying to catch up. The album sports a sublime track list of Stax originals – mostly by the Isaac Hayes/David Porter team, plus a few others by Steve Cropper and other writers – all top-shelf work that really helps the pair do their best! Titles include "Hold On, I'm Comin", "You Don't Know Like I Know", "You Got It Made", "It's A Wonder", "Blame Me", "Don't Make It So Hard On Me", "I Take What I Want", "I Got Everything I Need", and "If You Got The Loving".

A brilliant set from tenorist David Schnitter – maybe the best we've heard from him in years – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of his work! The album's got that special spark and crackle we love in the Live At Smalls series – a magic way of really letting the leader open up and fly, but also giving him plenty of great group support too – in this case a rock-solid rhythm section of Spile Wilner on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass, and Anthony Pinciotti on drums – able to soar when Schnitter wants to, and hang back with darker notes on some of the more contemplative numbers. Many numbers are great originals from David – including "Squeamish", "Drone Tone", "Freeway", and "Portrait" – and Marti Mabin provides some great guest vocals on versions of "Soul Eyes" and "Peace".

Hip soulful work from organist Shirley Scott – one of the first records that has her breaking out of the straighter soul jazz sound of her work on Prestige and Impulse – and a gem of a set that features some great funky arrangements from the great Marty Sheller! The group's all-Atlantic all the way through – with players that include King Curtis, Hank Crawford, and David Newman on "soul" saxophones – backing Shirley up on a batch of tunes are mostly takes on 60s pop and soul hits – given a larger band groove, and a sweet Atlantic swing! The album's got a great funky version of "It's Your Thing", plus "I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel To Be Free", "Get Back", and "Natural Woman".

David Shire's wonderful score to The Conversation – a subtle mix of jazz and darker sounds that's one of the best things about this incredible film! Shire's definitely one of the cooler cats of American film scoring of the 70s – and with a groundbreaking project like this, he really shows his stuff – especially given that he plays these haunting piano solos himself throughout most of the score – really beautiful elliptical lines that are a great revelation, and make us like Shire even more! There's also a jazz combo in the film – a group that includes Pete Jolly on piano, Don Menza on tenor, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – and titles include "Theme From The Conversation", "Dream Sequence", "Plumbing Problem", "Finale & End Credits", "The End Of The Day", and "Harry Carried".

A real watershed album from Horace Silver – a record that has him stepping strongly into the 70s – but with a rich new groove that's different both from his 60s work, and from the heavy politics of his United States series too! The album has Horace picking up a slightly electric sound, changing his groove from 60s soul jazz into more of a 70s modal approach – working here with David Friedman on vibes, Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, and Mickey Roker on drums, plus additional horn work by the Brecker Brothers – a really great combination of musicians that help Silver realize some really unique rhythms, and lots of moments that have a subtle yet righteous sense of soul! The selection of material is fantastic – hipper than usual for Horace – and titles include Weldon Irvine's "Liberated Brother", Moacir Santos' "Kathy", and Horace's own "Strange Vibes", which has some great vibes dancing around Horace's piano! A very nice album, and one of our favorites by Horace!

Brilliant work – and one of the rare few albums to feature the genius alto of Sonny Simmons from the 60s! The session has the fierceness of other ESP sessions from the time, but it's also tempered with a bit of spiritualism, too – somewhat more introspective in the heavy moments than other albums on the label, due in part to Simmons' personal style of playing, and the presence of John Hicks on piano and Barbara Donald on trumpet – put together in a way that's almost a bridge between the ESP and Impulse Records scenes of the 60s, with perhaps a nod towards the direction the jazz underground would take in the 70s! Other players include Teddy Smith on bass and Marvin Pattillo on drums – and tracks include "City of David", "Metamorphosis", and "Interplanetary Travelers".

A real standout 70s set from Nina Simone – a one-off date for CTI Records, done with a sound that's different than her earlier work for RCA, Philips, and Colpix! The groove here is often as soul-based as it is vocal jazz – thanks to arrangements from David Matthews, who brings a similar sound here to his other work with Esther Phillips in the decade – another older singer who'd hit some very hip territory at the time. The groove here is very much like Phillips' best for Kudu – smooth and soulful, but in ways that still retain all the rasp and character of the lead vocals. Titles include a sublime reading of Randy Newman's excellent "Baltimore", plus "The Family", "My Father", "Music For Lovers", "Rich Girl", and "Balm In Gilead".

Loose, soulful and swaggering tenor sax from a pair of legends – Hal Singer and David Murray – fellows who busted boundaries for decades! On Challenge, recorded in Paris in Spring, 2010, they play great, mostly original material with passionate conviction and a a boundless sense of intutitive interplay. Singer and Murray communicate masterfully, and their excellent group includes Rasul Siddik on trumpet, Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Jaribu Shahid and the always great Hamid Drake on drums. Includes Singer's "Challenge", "Hamid's Time" and "Dreams Of Dreams", Murray's "Hong Kong Nights", "Long March To Freedom", "Stressology" and more.