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Surprisingly fantastic bit of funky sitar tracks! The project's a recent one, but it's got a classic 70s global crossover funk sound that's very much in the vein of the weird Indian-funk work of Ananda Shankar or The Dave Pike set. The record's got a raw Meters-esque groove at the base – which makes for a very tight funky sound – and Ravi plays these cool sitar licks over the top, in some very tasty riffs! Includes a bunch of great originals, like "Funky Sitar Man", "Path of the Blazing Sarong", and "Ravi's Thing" – plus great covers like "Look A Py Py", "Same Beat", and "Pass the Peas". Really good stuff, and way better than we expected it to sound!

A glorious send off from J Dilla – with some of the most soulful productions Dilla's ever laid down – and appearances by Common, D'Angelo, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib, MED, Black Thought and others! It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production – and passionate rhymes from the honored guests. A lot of the more leftfield, abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP are really on the outskirts of the sound here – a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds. We're speechless. There's one more official posthumous LP in the can, and thank goodness for that. Tracks include in-your-f**kin' face intro "Geek Down" with Busta Rhymes, "E=MC2" feat Common, "Love Jones", "Love" feat Pharoahe Monch, "Baby" feat Madlib & Guilty Simpson, "So Far To Go" feat Common & D'Angelo (come back D', the world needs you), "Jungle Love" feat MED & Guilty Simpson, "Dime Piece (Remix)" feat Dwele, "Love Movin'" feat Black Thought and "Won't Do".

An excellent collection of funky tracks – with a groove that's slightly different than the usual comp! This set focuses on funky rock tracks that have been sampled over the past decade – moving past the soul and jazz racks to find some tasty grooves that you might have missed had you not been willing to expand your horizons further! And if the sound of the package might be enough to put you off if you're a funk fan, don't worry – because this one's filled with heavy beats, riffing guitars, and more funky grooves that you could hope to find in a van full of dodgy wax! There's a few soul tracks thrown in to open up the groove, but even those are far in the leftfield style. Titles include "Elegy" by Colosseum, "Down By The River" by Buddy Miles, "Tiger" by Brian Auger, "Vitamin C" by Can, "Aquarius" by Headhunters, "Life is Just A Passing Paradise" by Santana, "Indian Ropeman" by Julie Driscoll, "The Mexican" by Babe Ruth, "Yellow Sunshine" by Yellow Sunshine, "If You Lose Your Woman" by Zoo, and "Your Love Been So Good To Me" by Ruth Copeland.

A decade's worth of groundbreaking funk and African rhythms – all of it recorded by Hugh Masekela for his legendary Chisa label! Back in the 60s, Hugh cracked the American charts with a playful version of South African jazz – but he was also an even hipper cat than you'd guess from his hits, and worked with a variety of incredible acts to expand his sound – a good number of whom ended up recording for Hugh on the Chisa label, in a unique blend of American soul and African inspiration that was years ahead of its time! The Chisa sound was one of the first true forays into pan-global grooving – and it brought the sounds of Africa to the American mainstream at a level that few had managed before. Some groups were unique projects done for record – like the Johannesburg Street Band, which featured members of The Crusaders alongside Masekela – but others featured a variety of ex-patriots living in the US, with key singers and players who shine brightly under Hugh's guidance. This set really digs deep, and offers up some of the most heavily African-tuned tracks from Chisa's catalog – 14 titles that include "Witch Doctor" and "Ahvuomo" by Baranta with Miatta Fahinbulleh, "Joala" and "Za Labalaba" by The Zulus, "Awe Mfana" by Johannesburg Street Band, "Macongo" and "U Se Mcani" by Letta Mbulu, "Tepo" by Baranta, "Aredze" by The Zulus, "Mahlalela" by Letta Mbulu, and "Afro Beat Blues" by Ojah with Hugh Masekela.

Killer set of modern house tracks – put together by Stuart Patterson, the driving force behind Soulsonic, one of London's best house music nights of the past 10 years! Patterson's got a keen devotion to classic house grooves and modern tracks that draw deeply from the history of disco and boogie – and the package is a stunningly produced set of tasty club tracks that you'll be hard pressed to find on the original 12" singles. Includes Frankie Knuckles' classic "Only The Strong Survive", plus "The Path" by Sandy Riviera, "Lost In the Loft" by Weekender, "Felony Funk" by Swag, "Spread Love" by Black Sun, "Don't Go Lose It Baby" by Hugh Masekela, "Dis Poem" by Mutaburuka, "Your Love" by Terence Parker, "Grey" by Circulation, and "The Voice" by ATFC. Plus, the CD set features one CD of unmixed tracks, plus one bonus CD of mixed tracks!

A mammoth set by Jazzy Jeff – a tough mix of some of the biggest and some of the deepest true hip hop tracks from the early 90s through '03! Jazz does a terrific job of pickin' the tightest cuts, period – whether they were huge hits that reputations were built on like Cypress Hill's "How I Could Just Kill A Man", Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation", Beatnuts "Watch Out Now" or Pharcyde's "Drop", underground phenomena like I.N.I.'s "Square One", Wildchild's "Party Up" or Jaylib's "Official", or simply tried-and-true one shot classics like Blackmoon's "How Many Mcee's" or O.C.'s "Time's Up". Other tracks include Nas's incredible return-to-form triumph "Made You Look", Asheru's "Mood Swing", J-Live's "Braggin' Writes", Raekwon's "Ice Cream", Main Source's "Live At The Bar-B-Q" and more – all scratched up, beaten down, extended, edited or simply perfectly placed by the Jazzy Jeff!

A later date from altoist Richie Cole – the player who first grabbed our attention during his Muse Records years of the 70s! The set features Vic Juris playing guitar – an old labelmate from the Muse years – and the mix of guitar and alto in the frontline makes for some unusual grooves that open up a whole new side of Cole's sound – one that's still plenty sharp on the edges when it wants to be, but which also has almost more of a rhythmic pulse than before! Other instrumentation includes Lou Forestieri on piano, Ed Howard on bass, Tommy Campbell on drums, and Ray Mantilla on percussion – and titles include great versions of West Side Story tunes like "Cool & Jet Song", "Maria", "Something's Coming", "I Feel Pretty", and "Somewhere".

A later album from the Last Poets – recorded after their classic run in the 70s, but still pretty nice overall! The record's a bit of an unusual one, in that it shows a bit of the creeping "street" element that the Poets would absorb into their work after being dubbed as the "Godfathers Of Rap" during the early years of hip hop. The record's not really a hip hop set, but it's definitely got a bit more of a street soul vibe, thanks to Celluloid production from Bill Laswell – who certainly shows some of his association here with the hip hop related projects on the label. Laswell mixes in bits of street funk and electro with the Poets' older style of jazzoetry – and the lyrics are sometimes a bit more song-structured than before, with a few more choruses than in the earlier days of free-flowing lines. Titles include "Hold Fast", "What Will You Do", "Parting Company", and "This Is Your Life".

A great criss-crossing of grooves from the early 80s – a set that bubbles with a mixture of Latin rhythms, African inspiration, and some great jazzy Fender Rhodes! Pierre's style almost has a mixed-up, cross-Caribbean sort of vibe – that wonderful mode when things get extrapolated from their roots, and taken into new territory to find their own sort of space! Some of the best numbers here have a jaunty, playful approach to rhythm – one that's kind of pre-world music, with a more earnest sense of exploration. Titles include "Week End", "Pa Oublier Parapluie", "A Bientot", "Reveil Sonne", and "La Tendresse" – and CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Lady Californie" and "Juste Un Moment".

A landmark collection of southern soul from the 60s and 70s – all of it pulled from the vaults of Excello Records, a label that didn't always circulate strongly at the time! The work here is buried in the depths below Stax and Atlantic, but echoes many similar themes – influences from blues, R&B, and country – and a presentation of the themes that's always in a newly proud, newly sophisticated mode for the era. There's some grittier funk in the mix too, and the set features a whopping 24 tracks in all – including "Letter From My Darling" by Kip Anderson, "My Love Grows Stronger" by The Kelly Brothers, "Look What I've Done" by Percy Wiggins, "Funky Little Train" by Stacy Lane, "Let's Try To Build A Love Affair" by The Exotics, "Seventh Son" by Lee Webber, "I Will" by Latimore Brown, "Don't Let Me Be A Cryin Man" by Johnny Truitt, "Way Cross Town" by Tiny Watkins, "No Brags Just Facts" by Stacy Lane, and "No Pity In The City" by Eugene Kemp.

The Hurst selection here is mighty nice – a wonderful blend of contemporary soul numbers, put together with a great focus on greatness still to be discovered, and served up with some rare mixes too! The quality level of the set is great all the way through – the best in mature, positive soul – with only a few numbers aimed at the club, and the rest just perfect for soulful listening in a very laidback mode. Titles include "Wah" by randy Skinner, "Clementine Sun (Mass Sheen rmx)" by Khari Simmons, "Rubber Soul (Omar S rmx)" by Live Tropical Fish with Omar, "I Got Sunshine (Mass Sheen rmx)" by Avery Sunshine, "Dance To This (unrapped mix)" by Nothende, "So Claudia (2011 rework)" by Claudia Hayden, "In Your Eyes" by William Green, "Feels Like Love" by Kabanya Chemise, "Sunny Day" by Victoria Urusova, and "Hope" by Milton Suggs.

Tracks from the Devotions, the Coasters, the Edsels, the Marcels & others,

A triple-header of hardbop albums – a great package that features 3 Savoy Records classics from 1955, with bonus tracks and great notes too! First up is Bohemia After Dark – an excellent hardbop session from the glory days of the Savoy label – easily one of the label's key 50s classics! Drummer Kenny Clarke's at the front of the group – but all players are great, and the set features work by Cannonball Adderley on alto, Jerome Richardson on tenor, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Nat Adderley on cornet, Hank Jones or Horace Silver on piano, and Paul Chambers on bass. The Adderley brothers sound especially great – and the young Cannonball has a quality here that's more soulful and sharp-edged than his work on Mercury – much more in a Prestige blowing session style! Titles include "Late Entry", "Chasm", "Bohemia After Dark", and "Hear Me Talkin To Ya". Next is more material from the same stretch, originally issued under the title Spontaneous Combustion under Cannonball's name. Adderley and his alto sax are joined by Donald Byrd on trumpet, Nat Adderley on cornet, Jerome Richardson on tenor sax and flute, Horace Silver on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. The tracks include "Spontaneous Combustion", "Caribbean Cutie", "A Little Taste", "We'll Be Together Again", "Still Talkin To Ya", and "Flamingo". Last up is the album That's Nat – a real smoker from a young Nat Adderley – a session that has the leader on cornet, working in a tight hardbop combo with Jerome Richardson on tenor and flute, Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! The tracks are all nicely sharp-edge – that soulful Savoy sound of the mid 50s – and Richardson is especially nice, really getting a great sound from both his tenor and flute. Tracks are somewhat long, with good room for solos – and titles include "Porky", "I Married An Angel", "Kuzzin's Buzzin's", and "You Better Go Now".

The second album from Foreign Exchange – the formerally bi-continental project of North Carolina MC, and nascent soul singer Phonte of Little Brother, and transplanted Dutch producer Nicolay – who take an even deeper turn into spacey soul on Leave It All Behind! Given that Phonte is singing rather than rapping, you'd be tempted to say that Foreign Exchange has left hip hop behind, but hip hop is in the heart and soul – and the group was born of the idea of hip hop as an evolving art form – so rhymes or not, it's hip hop to us. The spacey, jazzy melodic groove here finds producer Nicolay in peak form – a nice balance between thumping bass, beats and mellow atmospherics, and the mood is impeccable. We're pretty much stunned at how well Phonte is developing as a vocalist, with laidback lead and overdubbed backing vocals that go back the heart & soul comment above. A left turn for a duo that was adventurous to begin, with an excellent move to the next level! Titles include "Daykeeper", "Take Off The Blues", "All Or Nothing/Coming Home For You", "I Wanna Know", "House Of Cards", "Sweeter Than You", "Valediction", "If She Breaks Your Heart", "If This Is Love", "Something To Behold" and "Leave It All Behind".

Few people could make a session cook like Johnny Griffin in his early years – and this late 50s sextet date is great proof of that fact! The album's a relaxed, open, almost unstructured set that might be dubbed a "blowing session", were it not for the tightness of the players and the relatively unified feel of the date. Griffin's tenor is very firmly in the lead, and he's very clearly the leader here – helping shape the sound of the group that includes Donald Byrd on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Kenny Drew on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's some really hard-wailing extended numbers that come across as full-on hardbop workouts – really driving things along as you might guess with a rhythm section like that in action – but other tunes show some more fully-fleshed sounds from the group – that slight undercurrent of modern expression that was always present in Griff's music. Titles include "Johnny GG", "Catharsis", "Stix Trix", and "What's New" – plus a take on "Woody N You" that just has Griffin wailing along with the rhythm section!

One of Jeff Lorber's mid 80s amalgams of tight fusiony keyboard grooves and r&b – probably his most r&b oriented albums ever – with soulful vocals on most tracks and a tight focus on a crisp groove! Lorber's synths and programming provide the fusiony foil for the soulful vocals of Karyn White and Michael Jefferies on a number of tracks, but there are some sweet instrumental groovers, too – such as the Caribbean inflected "Jamaica", and "Kristen" with more extroverted soloing from Lorber and a nice turn on fluegelhorn from Freddie Hubbard. Other titles include "Facts Of Love", "True Confessions", "Back In Love", "Private Passion", "Sand Castles", "Keep On Lovin' Her" and "Midnight Snack".

Really lovely work from Nicole Mitchell – an artist who's really been blowing our minds in recent years – working in a wide variety of styles, all of them great! This set has Nicole blowing solo flute, but in a setting that appears to have her on two different versions of the instrument, overdubbed – which creates this incredible sound that's airy, yet lyrical – and filled with a deep soul, even amidst some of the gentler tones! The music is pretty free, but pretty tuneful too – and it's a beautifully personal side of Nicole's music, yet one that's also put together with a bit more straightforward energy than some of her other albums like this. Titles include "Beehive", "Six Wings", "Song Of Suchness", "Desert Choir", "Blue Mountain", "Dadwee", "Forest Family", and "Cave Of Forgotten Spring".

Stunning! This is a beautiful album that's one of Max Roach's most powerful recordings, and a record that's been the inspiration for countless other imitations over the years. Roach leads a group with Richard Williams, Clifford Jordan, and Mal Waldron – and they're matched with a vocal chorus led by Coleridge Perkinson, who also did the arrangements for Donald Byrd's classic "with voices" albums. Unlike those, though, this set's a damn angry bunch of compositions, and the chorus wails away in a loud screaming powerful mode that will blow away any of your preconceptions about the "with voices" mode. The group sings wordless vocals (except for one cut, which has Abbey Lincoln singing in the lead), and provides a searing backdrop of sound for the band's razor sharp playing. Every cut's a winner, and the whole thing's a masterpiece! Titles include "The Profit", "It's Time", and "Another Valley".

One of Sonny Rollins' sweetest electric sessions from the 70s – a date that features Patrice Rushen handling some keyboards, and Lee Ritenour on guitar – but Sonny blowing solid, soulful tenor all the way through! The setting is the sort that might initially turn off fans of Rollins' classic era, but it's great to hear him change things up here – picking up some rhythms that you might not normally expect, and really doing some great things with them – as on his Caribbean-inflected RCA album from the 60s. Other players include Alex Blake on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Bill Summers on congas – and there's a horn section on some numbers too. Rollins composed most of the tracks and they include "Island Lady", "Asfrantation Woogie", "Happy Feel", and "Charm Baby". Other titles includes the George Duke numbers "Love Reborn" and "The Way I Feel About You" – plus Rushen's "Shout It Out".

One of the most adventurous records we've heard from Wayne Shorter in years – a collection of live recordings made in Europe in the summer of 2001, featuring a free-thinking group that includes Danilo Perez on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. The sound here is almost end-of-the-60s Shorter – as the tracks have an incredible amount of space, and might at times almost be dubbed "out". Shorter returns to his angular genius on tenor and soprano sax – crafting long, complicated lines that have a lot more edginess than we've heard from him in years! Titles include "Go", "Valse Triste", "Sanctuary", "Masquelero", "Footprints", and "Atlantis".

2 albums in the kind of "between the hits" years for The Spinners – one featuring lead vocalist Phillipe Wynne, the other featuring new arrival John Edwards. The sound here isn't as right-on or soaringly confident as in earlier years – but there are some nice moments that make the 2-in-1 CD a good way to sample these albums. There's a total of 17 tracks in all, many written by producer Thom Bell – and titles include "You're All I Need In Life", "Tony My Love", "The Clown", "The Rubberband Man", "If You Can't Be In Love", "Easy Come Easy Go", "Heaven On Earth", "Painted Magic", and "I'm Gonna Getcha".

Heavy funk from the Bahamas – a whole bunch of groups that will show you that Nassau had a lot more to offer than The Beginning Of The End! The groove here is totally wonderful – somewhat like American funk of the late 60s and early 70s, but served up with some very unusual rhythmic patterns too – a bit Jamaican at times, but certainly not reggae – and somewhat sunny and Caribbean styled, but not in a way that's cheesy or filled with any hokey island-styled stereotypes. Instead, the tunes are deeply funk and soulful – grooving with plenty of dark edges and gritty instrumentation that's often heavy on the guitar. Many numbers have vocals, and those are great too – and as usual with the Numero label, the whole thing's put together with amazing notes and packaging, so that you get a full history lesson and a heck of a lot of photos to support the music too! Titles include "Gonna Build A Nation" by Cyril Ferguson, "Mustang Sally", "I Am The Man For You Baby", and "Funky Fever" by Jay Mitchell, "Theme From Shaft" by Esquires LTD, "Gimme Some Skin (inst)" by Frank Penn, "Words To My Song" by Dry Bread, "People Won't Change" by Willpower, "Take Five" by Ozzie Hall, "Watcha Gonna Do Bout It" and "The Time For Loving Is Now" by Mustangs, "Honesty Is The Best Policy" by Gospel Chandeliers, and "Don't Touch That Thing" by Sylvia Hall.

Includes tracks by Jimmie Johnson & His Orcchestra, Eubie Blake & His Orchestra, Dave's Harlem Highlighters, Bubber Miley & His Mileage Makers, Cecil Scott & His Bright Boys, Wooding's Grand Central Red Caps, and Dave Nelson & The King's Men.

A rich laidback set from one of Chicago's resident legends – tenor Von Freeman! Freeman was in his early 80s by the time this set was recorded, and his warm tone sounds as good to our ears as it did on recordings from decades ago. Von really lets loose in spots, too, such as on the fiery "Never Fear Jazz Is Here". Supporting players Jimmy Cobb (drums), John Webber (bass), and especially pianist Richard Wyands are given plenty of room to shine. Tracks include "Be My Love", "Never Fear Jazz Is Here", "This Is Always", "Chant Time", "Blue Pres", "Disorder At The Border", "Hard Hittin'", "Violets For Your Furs" and more.

The long-awaited second album from LaSonya Gunter – an artist who first grabbed our attention at the start of the century! The space of Neo Soul's changed a lot since LaSonya's first album, but she's definitely still strongly on top – with a great ear for a tightly funky groove, and a way of putting over a tune that avoids any excesses or crossover temptations. Her music's always right on the money, and there's a simple, elegant approach to the record that's a very nice change from some of the too-forced soul sets floating around these days. And yes, the cover image is a bit tortured, but don't let that put you off! Titles include "Go", "Sittin Here", "Sweet Surrender", "Mmm Hmm", "Doubt Of Love", "Sometimes", and "Here In NYC".

Teena Marie steps out strongly on her own – really knocking it out of the park on this initial album for CBS – entirely written, arranged, and produced by Lady T! The grooves are as funky as before, but possibly have a leaner quality overall – a tighter 80s groove approach to the music, yet always with the fully fleshed-out soul that we love in Teena's handling of the vocals. Basslines are mighty nice –more than enough to hook us in on just about every tune – but the ballads are pretty sweet, too! Titles include "Robbery", "Playboy", "Ask Your Momma", "Dear Lover", "Stop The World", "Midnight Magnet", and "Cassanova Brown".

Charming early recordings from Alick Nkhata, one of Zambia's most influential and popular musicians! His fascinating career included stints making field recordings with the legendary Hugh Tracey throughout the continent, as well as serving as a long-time director of the Zambia Broadcast Service –where he was key force in recording and disseminating traditional African music. Considering those credentials it's interesting that his own music was so heavily influenced by American jazz and hep harmony – at times, this stuff sounds like Africa's answer to the Mills Brothers or Three Cats and a Fiddle. Some of the songs are delightfully spare, his piquant acoustic guitar lines accompanied only by elaborate vocal harmonies, while the full band tracks reveal a strong swing feel. There's also a discernable influence of calypso and other Caribbean styles here. Tracks include his biggest hit "Shalapo", "Maliya", "Chisoni", "Ifilamba", and "Abalumendo Bamo"

A double-length set of work from one of the greatest pianists of the 50s – both of his Atlantic albums together on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Lennie Tristano, from 1955 – darkly imaginative work from the great Tristano – and one of the few full albums he ever cut as a leader! The record features the incredible track "Turkish Mambo" – which has Tristano overdubbed 3 times in this dark modal way that's totally amazing, and which will hook you into his playing immediately! A number of other tracks feature a quartet with Lee Konitz – always a good match for Tristano – and a few others have a great trio that's completed by Peter Ind and Jeff Morton. Tracks include "Requiem", "East 32nd", "You Go To My Head", and "Line Up". New Tristano is an incredible record by Lenny – one that features him playing solo piano, but in a way that's so inventive, so creative, so pyrotechnic, that Atlantic Records had to include text on the back cover saying "No use is made of multi-tracking, over-dubbing, or tape-speeding." The album's also one of the last (the last?) that Lennie ever cut – and although many other players are kind of faltering in last sessions like this, Lennie's sounding better than ever – ready to take on a realm of new challenges in the 60s. Titles include "Love Lines", "G Minor Complex", "Becoming", and "Deliberation".

Another blistering treasure trove of Canadian reggae! You heard us right, this batch of deep and heavy roots comes all the way from Toronto, and though it may be geographically isolated from the Caribbean, the vibes are deeply rooted foundation rock, not unlike some of the other astoundingly great material the folks at Light In The Attic have reissued. Jerry Brown's Summer Records imprint churned out no small number of tremendous reggae cuts, as this excellent compilation documents, working with West Indian ex-pats, visiting luminaries and local talent, too! The tracks run the gamut from bright and crisp to murky smoked out but it's all unbelievably great and will open your eyes to a whole new scene in the same way that the refreshing Jamaica Toronto set did! 15 tracks in all, including "Love Makes The World Go Round", "Warrior" and "Jah Jah Live Forever" by Johnny Osbourne, "Sufferer" and "Awakening" by Earth, Roots & Water, "Run Them A Run" by Willi Williams, "Reach My Destiny" by Noel Ellis, "Dreadlock Lady" by Jerry Brown, "Come Together" by Bobby Gaynair and Earth, Roots & Water, and "Mankind" by Adrian Homer Miller and Earth, Roots & Water. Plus as a bonus, there's a DVD layer on the CD, with 20 minutes of excellent archival footage of Jerry Brown and his artists in the studio and at the dance!