All Categories — All Formats  

Although Jerry Butler got his start singing some of Curtis Mayfield's early work, the geniuses at Vee Jay had the sharp idea of shopping for a few songs in New York, and they managed to come up with these two gems, both of which are classics from Jerry's second wave of hits! Believe it or not, "Moon River" was the first pop version ever recorded (according to Mancini himself), and it's delivered here perfectly with fab Riley Hampton arrangements.

A funky funky classic from The Counts – and an album that has the group tightening up their sound from the Westbound years, but still keeping the groove plenty nice! There's a tight, bad-walking feel to most of the cuts on the set – one that almost comes across with a blacksploitation groove – especially as the album's basslines are all laid out in a hard-stepping groove, and topped off by plenty of wicked guitar work. Most cuts have vocals, and the lyrics have a Fatback-like love of the catchy chorus and funk-heavy theme. The album's worth it alone for the excellent cut "Tecalli" – a stretched out mellow instrumental with some great Kool & The Gang-esque floating trumpet over the top – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "At The Fair", "Dedicated Man", "Jazzman", "Magic Ride", "Short Cut", and "Flies Over Watermelon".

What's in the groove is plenty of funk – served up in an overstuffed package that includes all the tracks from The Counts' 2 albums on Aware, plus a few more bonus numbers! The best work here is from the mighty Love Sign album – quite possibly the most righteous work ever from The Counts, a move away from the heavier funk of their Westbound years, and a shift into some great jazz-based material! The vibe here draws heavily on the electric keyboard scene of the early 70s – with echoes of Lonnie Liston Smith's spaciness that trip through some of the album's best longer numbers – mixed with the harder grooves that The Counts first cut on their legendary singles in Detroit! Next up is work from the Funk Pump album – a record that's similar to Love Sign, but a bit more reigned-in, both in style and length of the tunes. There's a tight, bad-walking feel to most of the cuts on the set – one that almost comes across with a blacksploitation groove – especially as the album's basslines are all laid out in a hard-stepping groove, and topped off by plenty of wicked guitar work. Most cuts have vocals, and the lyrics have a Fatback-like love of the catchy chorus and funk-heavy theme! CD features 20 tracks that include the previously unissued "Chicken Pox" and "Counts Say Goodbye" – plus "The Munchies", "Count's Blues", "Jazzman", "Tecalli", "Flies Over Watermelon", "At The Fair", "I'm The Music", "Short Cut", "Sacrifice", "Love Sign", "Just You Just Me", "Funk", "Funk Pump", "Since We Said Goodbye", and "Dedicated Man".

2 tracks from the early days of the Hotlanta sound. "Claim Jumpin'" is a bit more uptempo, and was written by Sam Dees.

A funky funky classic from The Counts – and an album that has the group tightening up their sound from the Westbound years, but still keeping the groove plenty nice! There's a tight, bad-walking feel to most of the cuts on the set – one that almost comes across with a blacksploitation groove – especially as the album's basslines are all laid out in a hard-stepping groove, and topped off by plenty of wicked guitar work. Most cuts have vocals, and the lyrics have a Fatback-like love of the catchy chorus and funk-heavy theme. The album's worth it alone for the excellent cut "Tecalli" – a stretched out mellow instrumental with some great Kool & The Gang-esque floating trumpet over the top – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "At The Fair", "Dedicated Man", "Jazzman", "Magic Ride", "Short Cut", and "Flies Over Watermelon".

A beautiful early album by Loleatta, and one that was recorded shortly before the Hotlanta Sound turned into a stone disco groove. The record's proof that Loleatta was as great a soul singer as she was a disco diva, and the arrangements by Mike Terry do a great job of bringing out all the emotion and sensitivity in her singing. Titles include "We Did It", "Mother Of Shame", "Only A Fool", "So Can I", "Our Love", and "Love Woke Me Up".

Jesse Boykins on Nina Tune – a surprisingly great combination, and one that seems to give Jesse an even bolder sound than usual! The feel of the record is very much like before – a loose, homegrown set of grooves – sometimes funky, sometimes spacey – definitely aware of hip hop, but not hip hop at all – and instead a very personal blend of lyrics, rhymes, and cosmic jazzy instrumentation! Of course, the contributions of MeLo X are also a key part of the new energy too – but there's also a core vibe to the record that's definitely Boykins continuing on his path from before. The set features guest work by Trae Harris, Mara Hruby, Ango, Christ Turner, Kesed, and Joe Kenneth – and titles include "I'm New Here", "Black Orpheus", "Broken Wings", "Schwaza", "The Perfect Blues", "Searching Her Ways", "Zulu Guru", "Tribe Of Stafa", and "Better For You".

An incredible little record with a sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before – a set that mixes jazzy inflections on vibes, organ, guitar, percussion, and flute – the last of which is played here by a young Hermeto Pascoal! The set was done after Pascoal's work in Quarteto Novo but before some of his more complicated jazz albums of the 70s – and it's got a style that mixes his own love of playful rhythms and complicated shadings with a lighter, freer approach to the music – one that's almost in line with some of the EMI/Odeon work of the time, but which comes off with a slightly different feel. The drums get quite funky at times, and the mix of instruments reminds us a fair bit of the legendary Aquarians album on Uni from the US – but with an influence that's more bossa-driven, in comparison to the Latin modes of that set. At times, there's a lightly dancing beauty to the record that's almost in soundtrack mode – but tunes are more focused overall, and clearly aware of their own instrumental power. Titles include "Gamboa", "Rhodosando", "Cancao Latina", "Summer Hill", "Pavane", "Chaye", "Gosto De Ser Como Sou", "Casa Forte", and "O Passaro".

Finally a strong full-length from Nu-Mark – the myriad strengths of which were amply hinted up via the epic 10" series that led up to it – and an album that packs plenty of diverse, timeless beatcraft and stellar guests on the mic! Nu-Mark's got a sharp, crisp edge with his beats – one that really seems to set a new sort of fire without ever being too overly-aware of its own style – often with these soulful undercurrents that help his music reach way past the usual, too! Vocals and rhymes are by a great batch of A-list talents – including Aloe Blacc, Charles Bradley, Bumpy Knuckles, Ernie Hines, Large Professor, J-Live, and Tiron – and one cut even features some sweet funky touches from Quantic. Titles include "Oya Indebure", "Tropicalifornia", "Tough Break", "Feel The Way About It", "Vengeance Is Mine", "Dumpin Em All", "Our Generation (re-edit)", "When You Sleep", "Never Be Wrong", "Times Is Rough", and "Tonight".

Finally a strong full-length from Nu-Mark – the myriad strengths of which were amply hinted up via the epic 10" series that led up to it – and an album that packs plenty of diverse, timeless beatcraft and stellar guests on the mic! Nu-Mark's got a sharp, crisp edge with his beats – one that really seems to set a new sort of fire without ever being too overly-aware of its own style – often with these soulful undercurrents that help his music reach way past the usual, too! Vocals and rhymes are by a great batch of A-list talents – including Aloe Blacc, Charles Bradley, Bumpy Knuckles, Ernie Hines, Large Professor, J-Live, and Tiron – and one cut even features some sweet funky touches from Quantic. This deluxe CD edition features the album Disc 1. Disc 2 is a CD-ROM – featuring the instrumentals and acapella versions of most tracks, plus some bonus beats – with 32t tracks in all! tour and in-studio photos, the cover images from the Broken Sunlight 10-inch series and more! Disc 3 is a DVD – featuring the mini-film/video Nu-Conduit with live and behind the scenes footage. Amazing! Titles include "Oya Indebure", "Tropicalifornia", "Tough Break", "Feel The Way About It", "Vengeance Is Mine", "Dumpin Em All", "Our Generation (re-edit)", "When You Sleep", "Never Be Wrong", "Times Is Rough", and "Tonight".

An amazing lost recording from Kahil El'Zabar – and a Ritual Trio record to rival the great sessions cut for the Sound Aspects label in the 80s! As on some of those records, this one features Kahil's beautiful percussion blended with the bass work of Malachi Favors and trumpet of Lester Bowie – both players who step out here in ways that are even more soulful and spiritual than their performances with the Art Ensemble of Chicago! The tracks are very lean, organic, and build beautifully during the course of the recording – these thoughtfully-flowing numbers that are a perfect summation of the essence that Kahil was trying to get at with the Ritual Trio – almost a more spiritual, righteous take on the Great Black Music ideas forged by the AACM – taken to territory that was even more naturalistic than before. Favors' playing is amazing – and the recording is a perfect example of why his work on bass has always been so revolutionary – and Bowie is really at his best too, with none of the hoke that he could sometimes pick up in his later years. Titles include "Inner Sanctum", "Ju Ju Call", "In The Belly Of Now", "Dawning Of The Aware Ones", "The Ancestors Are Among Us", and "Celestial Dance".

Not the power pop phenom Knack of "My Sharona" fame – and not the mid 60s UK Knack. This is the mid 60s Sunset Strip Knack – and one of at least 3 great band to have that name that we've been hipped to so far! This particular Knack was fairly short-lived. They signed with Capitol and released 4 strong singles back in the day – and all 8 of those sides are on this CD from Now Sounds UK – along with 5 previously unreleased tunes. It's strong, hooky Cali-bred take on post Brit Invasion grooves – well worth the discovery! Titles include "Time Waits For No One", "I'm Aware", "Pretty Daisy", "Softly, Softly", "The Spell", "Freedom Now", "The Girl With The Dark Brown Eyes", "Once Upon A Cheek", "No Show Today", "Merry Go Round" and more.

Maybe the greatest record so far from this ultra-hip Brazilian group – a set that has the range of singers and musicians coming together wonderfully – in a really rich sound that's way more than the sum of its already-great parts! The album features vocals by Moreno Veloso, Nina Becker, Thalma De Freitas, and others – and features lots of hip instrumentation from Kassin, Domenico, Wilson Das Neves, and many others – a list of players large enough to be the orchestra promised in the title – but moving with a groove that's tight enough to match the work of Kassin or Moreno on other records! Many tunes echo older bossa, samba, and MPB elements, yet the style is pretty fresh as well – aware of the past, but not just rehashing it – thanks to a very inventive presentation overall. Titles include "Cair Na Folia", "Fala Chorando", "Moleculas", "Tamancas Do Caterete", "A Saudade E Que Me Consola", "Mocoto Em Tijuana", and "Apaixonado".

A real finger-popper from Japanese pianist Kunihiko Sugano – a sweet 60s album that has him playing like the best American players of the soul jazz generation! There's a boldness to the left hand that echoes bits of Ray Bryant or Junior Mance – yet Sugano can also tipple the keys with a lyrical sensitivity that's got a bit of Barry Harris or maybe even Ahmad Jamal – often complex, yet still swinging beautifully – always aware of the groove, yet never totally subsumed by it! The trio features Yoshio Ikeda on bass and Hiroshi Yamazaki on drums – and the album feels like some lost treasure on Argo or Prestige Records. Titles include "For Karl", "Finger Popping", "I Can't Get Started", "Barbados", and "Blues For Jiro".

Chicago deep house player & producer Glenn Underground's deepest and most soul jazz-steeped effort to date! We really thought Glenn stepped up his game pretty decisively on the previous full length for his Strictly Jaz Unit label – and Forgotten Art is another major leap forward. This is modern instrumental club music at it's most soulful, jazz aware and able – the beats and rhythms drive the sound, but there's so much vibrant, live energy here – keys, horns and eclectic percussion in particular. Classic dance music from 70s jazz & disco to benchmark house influences flow in and out, but it's also profoundly contemporary without copping to current trends – in other words, it's straight up built to last. Nah, Glenn. . .we won't forget this one! Titles include "Strumming & Thinking", "Forgotten Art (Music)", "Safe At Home", "Robots & Bumblebees (A Tribute To Patrick Adams)", "Shiloh (A King's Return)", "Silent Pimp (Peace In My Place)", "Tabernacle", "What's Next" and "Peace For Nippon (Japan)",

Dionne Warwick now – a surprisingly great set of contemporary recordings, done without any schlock or gimmick at all – and instead a really back to basics approach that really works well! Instrumentation on most cuts is relatively stripped-down, almost jazzy – which makes the set's revisited Bacharach & David classics come off in ways that are quite different than the originals, yet still retain all their charm. The album's also got a handful of new tracks too – titles written by one or the other of the team – and cuts include "Don't Make Me Over", "Always Something There To Remind Me", "Be Aware", "99 Miles From LA", "Reach Out", "I Just Have To Breathe", and "It Was Almost Like A Song".

A masterpiece of messed-up LA funk – and one of the crowning moments in the career of Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band! Charles and crew do an excellent job with all the tracks – most of which are more open ended than some of their earlier ones, and run on for longer than usual with some good trippy instrumental moments that really stretch out the groove from their funky 45 days. The album includes the stoner funk classic "High As Apple Pie", done here in two "slices", plus the classic "Express Yourself", a monster number that still sounds great every time we hear it – even though it's been used on commercials and sampled plenty of times over the years! Other tracks include "I'm Aware", "Love Land", and "I Got Love"

The funky foundations of rap – and one of the best, most focused compilations of its kind we've ever stocked! You can truthfully call the treasure trove of funk singles here "pre-rap". Every track is a direct precursor. We mean that on the vocal tip – and also for the heavy funk bass and drums on the bottom end. We've seen some similar sets that go back to the 50s and even earlier – with jump jivin' R&B that originally planted the seeds – but this one focuses squarely on the late 60s and 70s material that most directly fertilized all rap to come! It also largely eschews the righteous and political precursors of the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron school, for party funk proto rappers such as Pigmeat Markam, Bill "Butter Ball" Crane, Blowfly and others – but there's some socially aware cuts here, too. Great stuff with a just a couple of well-known numbers and many more funky rarities! 16 in all: "We Got The Number" by Pigmeat Markham, "Butterballs" by Butterball, "Get On The Good Foot" by James Brown, "Sesame Street" by Blowfly, "Smoke My Pipe" by AJ Rowe, "Snake Hips" by Timmy Rogers, "Everybody Says" by Billy Dee & Sugar Bear, "Do You Have A Good Woman" by Rufus Beacham and more.

The funky foundations of rap – and one of the best, most focused compilations of its kind we've ever stocked! You can truthfully call the treasure trove of funk singles here "pre-rap". Every track is a direct precursor. We mean that on the vocal tip – and also for the heavy funk bass and drums on the bottom end. We've seen some similar sets that go back to the 50s and even earlier – with jump jivin' R&B that originally planted the seeds – but this one focuses squarely on the late 60s and 70s material that most directly fertilized all rap to come! It also largely eschews the righteous and political precursors of the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron school, for party funk proto rappers such as Pigmeat Markam, Bill "Butter Ball" Crane, Blowfly and others – but there's some socially aware cuts here, too. Great stuff with a just a couple of well-known numbers and many more funky rarities! 16 in all: "We Got The Number" by Pigmeat Markham, "Butterballs" by Butterball, "Get On The Good Foot" by James Brown, "Sesame Street" by Blowfly, "Smoke My Pipe" by AJ Rowe, "Snake Hips" by Timmy Rogers, "Everybody Says" by Billy Dee & Sugar Bear, "Do You Have A Good Woman" by Rufus Beacham and more.

A great post-Scepter album by Dionne Warwick – one that still has her working with Burt Bacharach, but at a level that's somehow more mature, more adult than even before! There's a gentle quality here that gets beyond the straighter pop of Warwick's 60s hits, and moves into the realm inhabited by Bacharach's sublime solo sets for A&M – a style that still has the singer at the forefront, but which is equally concerned with the full spectrum of sound on the set, and which has the whole album flowing together beautifully. Burt and Hal David produced, and arrangements are by Bacharach, Don Sebesky, and Bob James. Titles include a great reading of "Hasbrook Heights", plus "I Just Have To Breathe", "The Balance Of Nature", "If You Never Say Goodbye", "Be Aware", "If We Only Have Love", and "Love Song".

Jesse Boykins on Nina Tune – a surprisingly great combination, and one that seems to give Jesse an even bolder sound than usual! The feel of the record is very much like before – a loose, homegrown set of grooves – sometimes funky, sometimes spacey – definitely aware of hip hop, but not hip hop at all – and instead a very personal blend of lyrics, rhymes, and cosmic jazzy instrumentation! Of course, the contributions of MeLo X are also a key part of the new energy too – but there's also a core vibe to the record that's definitely Boykins continuing on his path from before. The set features guest work by Trae Harris, Mara Hruby, Ango, Christ Turner, Kesed, and Joe Kenneth – and titles include "I'm New Here", "Black Orpheus", "Broken Wings", "Schwaza", "The Perfect Blues", "Searching Her Ways", "Zulu Guru", "Tribe Of Stafa", and "Better For You".

A monster album of 70s salsa – and one that has bad boy Willie Colon taking the Latin world by storm – forging the new sound that would push him and the New York scene into the frontline of 70s Latin! Willie's got a strength on the set that's very much in keeping with his machine gun pose on the cover – a no-nonsense salsa groove that's overflowing with righteous pride and youthful energy – consciously aware of its new direction, and not afraid to show it! The album features the classic dancefloor groover "Che Che Cole", plus the tracks "Lo Me Llores Mas", "Sonero Mayor", "Sangrigorda", "Ausencia", and "Te Conozco".

An amazing lost recording from Kahil El'Zabar – and a Ritual Trio record to rival the great sessions cut for the Sound Aspects label in the 80s! As on some of those records, this one features Kahil's beautiful percussion blended with the bass work of Malachi Favors and trumpet of Lester Bowie – both players who step out here in ways that are even more soulful and spiritual than their performances with the Art Ensemble of Chicago! The tracks are very lean, organic, and build beautifully during the course of the recording – these thoughtfully-flowing numbers that are a perfect summation of the essence that Kahil was trying to get at with the Ritual Trio – almost a more spiritual, righteous take on the Great Black Music ideas forged by the AACM – taken to territory that was even more naturalistic than before. Favors' playing is amazing – and the recording is a perfect example of why his work on bass has always been so revolutionary – and Bowie is really at his best too, with none of the hoke that he could sometimes pick up in his later years. Titles include "Inner Sanctum", "Ju Ju Call", "In The Belly Of Now", "Dawning Of The Aware Ones", "The Ancestors Are Among Us", and "Celestial Dance".

Fabulous is right – as this one features a great set of original Curtis Mayfield compositions, sung by the group in great form, with arrangements by the total genius Johnny Pate! The record is filled with haunting soul tracks like "Isle Of Sirens", "Aware Of Love", "It's All Over", "Love's A Comin", "You Ought To Be In Heaven", and "She Don't Love Me" – all written by Curtis, and all proof that he's always been one of the best soul songwriters! A nice little gem that often gets lost in the band's catalog – but one to seek out, even if you're a bit nervous about a record with "fabulous" in the title!

The earliest days of cartoon advertising – loads of rare work from a time before the medium had been reduced to Big Boy hawking pancakes, and Batman selling Twinkies! The book offers up some incredible stuff we weren't aware of – images that go as far back as the 1870s, and up to the years of WWII – showing a rich array of cartoon and comic advertisments for a huge variety of products – all presented in beautiful full color images! The book provides a written history of the medium, supported by a few hundred examples – and with an oversized presentation, the whole thing's got the appeal of flipping through a pile of old copies of Life Magazine and Saturday Evening Post, looking for rare ads.

Sample funk spun from records rescued by The Numero Group – edited by white label production crew Shoes without Numero's consent – which was then seized by Numero at the pressing plant, they bootlegged the bootleg, and release it here legitimately as Eccentric Breaks & Beats! The breakbeat funk aware will recognize the packaging for its parody of the Ultimate Breaks & Beats series – and however you feel about the politics of grey market music – creatively, this thing is a total win! Numero takes such impeccable care with their reissues, from the masters to the notes and packaging, we actually never really thought of the music as sample material – funky as the funkiest of their ouvre is! That's a testament to the curators of Numero, as the singers, players and producers of the original material are of paramount importance and we think of them individually when we listen to those compilations. Shoes, on the other hand (. . .or foot), heard potential for hypnotic, swirling psych funk blends and spins an undeniably creative set to suit. Titles include "Give Me Another Day", "Not Ready For School", "John Goodman Is Too Cool To Cry", "Peopleibrium", "Feel What Lies Behind You", "Saving Mr Billy's Soul", "Cosmic Clock", "Which Jesus Am I", "Everything" and more.

Sublime solo piano from Chris McGregor – a wonderful late 80s recording that shows the pianist really working at the top of his game! The music is free and open, but also a bit more lyrical than some of McGregor's work of the 70s – still aware of the farther-reaches of jazz, but really hanging in a more melodic space – yet one that's also carved out of some modern, angular lines! The mixture of freedom and focus is really wonderful – and McGregor's got this quality that's right up there with the best solo work by Randy Weston or Abdullah Ibrahim – a quality that may well make this Chris' best album from these later years. Titles include "Two Ladies", "Big G", "Sonia", "Maxine", "Sweet As Honey", "Bakwetha", and "Sea Breeze".

A real finger-popper from Japanese pianist Kunihiko Sugano – a sweet 60s album that has him playing like the best American players of the soul jazz generation! There's a boldness to the left hand that echoes bits of Ray Bryant or Junior Mance – yet Sugano can also tipple the keys with a lyrical sensitivity that's got a bit of Barry Harris or maybe even Ahmad Jamal – often complex, yet still swinging beautifully – always aware of the groove, yet never totally subsumed by it! The trio features Yoshio Ikeda on bass and Hiroshi Yamazaki on drums – and the album feels like some lost treasure on Argo or Prestige Records. Titles include "For Karl", "Finger Popping", "I Can't Get Started", "Barbados", and "Blues For Jiro".

Great mid 80s set from the legendary Sugar Minott, Studio One mainstay Willie Williams and others – recordings split between Bullwackies in The Bronx and Music Mountain in Stony Hill, Kingston – featuring 8 riffs on King Tubby's "Tempo" rhythm! Dubwise and digital aware material that stands the test of time! Includes "Devil Is At Large" by Sugar Minott, "Don't Worry Yourself" by Chris Wayne, "Solid Rock I Stand" by Willie Williams, "Free South Africa" by Ras Menelik Dacosta, "Tribute To Prince Knight by Jerry Johnson, and a trio of "Tempos" by Black Roots Players.

One of the greatest albums ever by studio genius David Axelrod! The album's one of Axelrod's first on his own – cut for Capitol Records at a time when he was working with some of the label's biggest selling soul acts – like Cannonball Adderley and Lou Rawls – turning their already-successful sounds into super-hit material by adding some nice funky touches, and excellent baroque production. This album lets Axelrod fully explore his talents for larger studio arrangements, and complex yet soulful instrumentation. The record is subtitled "an anthology of awareness after birth, based on the 18th century poems of William Blake" – and it features incredible arrangements conducted by Don Randi, played by a host of excellent LA jazz and studio players. The overall sound is spacey and dark, with nice touches of funk, and plenty of cool instrumental passages that have been sampled over the years by hip hoppers and other producers. Titles include "London", "The Fly", "The Human Abstract", "A Divine Image", and "The Sick Rose". Reissued with the original gatefold cover, and everything!

A chronicle of African American Singing & Praying Bands in Maryland and Delaware – stirring spiritual music with roots in the Chesapeak Bay of the nineteenth century – and still thrives! It includes the first-person histories of the singers, players and prayers, musical annotion and photos. Text by Jonathan C David and some great b&w photography by Richard Holloway. Paperback, 231 pages. Comes with a CD of field recordings, too – audio snapshots of hymns, prayers, praise and services.

Genius from the mind of Kool Keith aka Big Willie Smith aka Poppa Large aka Dr. Octagon. Since his days with Ultramagnetics, no one has mastered the abstract lyrical style like Kool Keith, self-proclaimed inventor of all rhyme styles. 20 tracks, with dope atmospheric features by the Automator and scratches by the legendary Q-Bert, including "Earth People", "No Awareness", "Technical Difficulties", "Blue Flowers", "A Visit To The Gynecologist" and "Bear Witness".

If Terry Melcher hadn't given Charles Manson the brush off, this album may well have come out on Columbia in the late 60s, and made Manson the rock and roll star he wanted to be! And while we're as disturbed as everyone else by the history of Charlie's violence, we also have to admit that we're kind of taken by this album – and find it a surprisingly good little record in a 60s folksy mode. There's really none of the creepiness that you might expect, and Manson's got a naivete that kind of transforms a Dylan-esque style into one that's overflowing with the raw emotion and personality of Jonathan Richman (but none of the silliness, of course.) CD features 26 tracks in all – the most expansive version we've seen – and also includes a few alternate takes. Most of the music is recorded in a spare style, with acoustic guitar backing and a bit of additional vocals – and titles include "Ego", "Look At Your Game Girl", "I'll Never Say Never To Always", "Home Is Where You're Happy", "Big Iron Door", "I Once Knew A Man", "Garbage Dump", "True Love You Will Find", "Who To Blame", "Don't Do Anything Illegal", and "Sick City".

Seminal Afro Funk from Monomono – a killer combo from singer/percussionist Joni Haastrup, with a groove that's right up there with the best acts on the Lagos scene of the 70s! There's a nice degree of warmth in the music – thanks to some complicated guitar and basslines, which don't just have the usual highly-rhythmic groove, but inflect things with a melodic energy that's mighty nice! The blend is instantly entrancing – tight, but never overly polished – with a quality that really sets the record apart from other Afro Funk you might own. Tracks include "Plain Fighting", "Get Yourself Together", "Awareness Is Wot You Need", "Tire Loma Da Nigbehin", and "Ipade Aladun".

The legendary Bobby Womack embraces 80s grooves fully on Last Soul Man – his gritty vocals bringing real, gritty soul to backdrops centered by keyboards, synth and programmed beats – and live instrumentation from some exceptional players. Womack brings more depth to the proceedings with some social awareness and an all around realness to the song choices. Tracks include "Living In A Box", "When The Weekend Comes" (featuring Sly Stone) "I Still Love You", "Gina", "A World Where No One Cries", "The Things We Do (When We're Lonely)", "Outside Myself" and more.

An amazing follow-up to the original Book Of Am project from the 70s acid folk underground – a recording that brings back lost material from the original, and mixes it with new recordings that have a surprisingly vintage feel! The package continues the "progress through a day" trajectory of the first two parts – and although most of the material was not recorded in the 70s, it's presented here with a very faithful feel that's every bit as creepy and compelling as the first half – almost like some of the acoustic folksy work of Current 93 – with a definite Wicker Man sensibility in the percussion, guitar, and eerie vocals! Song titles offer up plenty of hint at this – with tunes that include "Awareness Of Voidness", "What Is The Mind", "Bowl Woman Song", "Sleep Sleepless Sleep", "Nightfall", and "The Swing Of The Ocean Of Joy".

One of Michel Legrand's greatest moments of the late 60s – a sweetly romantic score that lasted a lot longer than the film it was written to accompany! The soundtrack features the haunting "Summer Of 42 Theme", also known as "The Summer Knows" – a drifting sad melody, done up here in a number of versions, and combined with some other orchestral themes written for various emotional passages in the film. Titles include "High IQ", "The Picasso Suite", "Summer Song", "Montage – But Not Full Picasso", "The Danger", and "Awakening Awareness".

Genius from the mind of Kool Keith aka Big Willie Smith aka Poppa Large aka Dr. Octagon. Since his days with Ultramagnetics, no one has mastered the abstract lyrical style like Kool Keith, self-proclaimed inventor of all rhyme styles. 20 tracks, with dope atmospheric features by the Automator and scratches by the legendary Q-Bert, including "Earth People", "No Awareness", "Technical Difficulties", "Blue Flowers", "A Visit To The Gynecologist" and "Bear Witness".

A 7 track EP of contemporary Arab hip hop from the Middle East – with timeless, funk-steeped beats, evocative regional samples and atmosphere – and clearly passionate rhymes, whether you speak the language or not! A remarkable testament to the global reach of strong, conciousness raising hip hop – but also a straight up solid head-nodding listening experience! Includes "Ya Deeb (Oh Wolf)" by Al Sayyed Darwish & El Rass, "Boov" by LaTlateh, "That El Soor (Under The Rampart)" by Armada Bizerte, "Janna Janna (Heaven Heaven) by El Far3i & El Rass, "Soura (Picture)" by Rami GB, "Rad Al Sha'b (The People's Response)" by Al Haqq and "foosh (Float)" by El Rass. Side B includes instrumentals for each track.

Lost later work from this important Swedish jazz combo – and material that definitely stands strongly alongside their classics from the 70s! The session here is an important one – as it features key guest work from Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Billy Hart on drums – working alongside the core trio of Lennart Aberg on saxes, Bobo Stenson on piano, and Anders Jormin on bass. Aberg's reeds are a delight – full of searching soulfulness that really helps the album find its path – and Stenson's piano lines have these evocative, gently poetic qualities that bring a strong spirit to the gentler numbers. The whole thing's got a feel that's almost post-ECM – an awareness of that generation, but more of a return to jazz – as you'll hear on titles that include "Lisas Piano", "Green Piece", "Gentle Piece", "Dr Time", and "Blue For Lou".

Wax Poetics is closing in on 10 years in its unrivaled coverage of classic and rare soul, jazz, hip hop and all things funky – delivering big once again with Issue #48! Nina Simone is on the front cover – with a really great feature that focuses on the unfiltered realness, honesty and blunt social awareness at the core of her life and so many of her best recordings – with artful newcomer Theophilus London on the backover. Issue #48 also has pieces on Count C, Neu!, Dom Salvador, Shock G, Yabby You, Billy Cox, Gil-Scott Heron In Memorium, Re:Discovery of treasured records by Swamp Dogg, Sarah Vaughn and Odyssey, and much more!

Raphael Saadiq takes throwback soul and r&b to the next level on The Way I See It – rolling in a groove that recalls 60s Motown, grittier group soul, the sophisticated strings of the 70s scene, and subtle contemporary touches that keep it in the here and now! An awareness of the past and the ability to replicate the sounds would be useless without great songs and vocals – and Raphael brings it in both realms – his voice has never sounded better and there's a catchiness to each of these tunes that betters the best pop soul of the past couple years. If that's not enough, Raphael handles most of the instrumentation himself, too! Niceness from one of the pivotal singers/songwriters/producers of the past couple decades. Titles include "Sure Hope You Mean It", "100 Yard Dash", "Keep Marchin", "Big Easy", "Just One Kiss" featuring a fine background turn by Joss Stone, "Love That Girl", "Calling", "Staying In Love", "Never Give You Up" featuring Stevie Wonder's inimitable harmonica & CJ Hilton on vocals, "Sometimes". and the bonus track "Oh Girl" featuring Jay Z.