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An incredible album from Dinosaur L – the legendary New York dancefloor project of Arthur Russell! – fleshed out and expanded more than ever before by Sleeping Bag and Get On Down Records! The group's core sound is a punky, funky, chunky amalgam of bass thumping, guitar riffing, keyboard filling, and sax honking – all very much in the spirit of Russell's best quirky club work of the time, but with the added sound here of a more expanded approach – one that takes the tunes in a whole new territory than the more famous 12" singles! The tracks on the original set were simply numbered – "1", "2", "3", and so on – and come across almost as free-jamming instrumentals – but this reissue appends the songs with their 12" titles, so "#1" gets parenthetically entitled "You're Gonna Be Clean On Your Bean" and "#5" as "Go Bang!", plus this disc adds several 12" versions that were not on the original LP release, like Francois K's mix of 'Go Bang!" and Larry Levan's mix of "In The Corn Belt". Totally great stuff – as experimental as it is funky! This 4LP box set edition is amazing – coming in a beautiful hand-pulled silkscreen box – and it includes more Arthur Russell collaborative and/or pseudonymous material for Sleeping Bag with or as Bonzo Goes To Washington, Felix, Sounds Of JHS Brooklyn and Indian Ocean. Other tracks include "School Bell/Treehouse" (Indian Ocean), "You Can't Hold Me Down (Extended Version)" (Felix), "5 Minutes (R-r-r Radio Mix)" (Bonzo Goes To Washington) and more. Also includes an oversized booklet of photos, artwork and artist testimonials – plus notes by Russell biographer Tim Lawrence.

A brilliant portrait of the mid 70s NYC improvisation scene by the Music Ensemble – a collective featuring Billy Bang on violin, William Parker on bass, Roger Baird on drums, percussion and flute, Malik Baraka on trumpet and Daniel Carter tenor, alto, flute and percussion! The pieces generally start with a roomy, measured dynamic and grow in intensity, never really getting too intense, and showcasing the intuitive interplay with the players. As Chicago residents, we can really feel the genesis of the later sounds of this city's improv scene, but the style casts a pretty wide net of influence. Baird's archival tapes supplied the material for this CD, and the tracks includes 2 long pieces – the 31+ minute "Stance Dance (Courage)" recorded in April of 1974 at Kingsborough College in Brooklyn with bass by Herb Kahn, and the 18+ minute "Arithmetical Mystic" from a February 1975 date at NYC's Holy Name School Auditorium. The other pieces, "Echoes Wind Transpire" and "Radiatory Fineness", a from the February '75 date.

Massive music from the Northern Soul years of the 60s – American tunes that played heavily on British dancefloors – and went on to fuel the all-night energy of the scene! The sound is upbeat soul throughout – killer tracks from Detroit, Chicago, New York, and other US locales – most of which were overlooked at the time by most US audiences, but discovered and brought to life overseas. This massive 2CD package brings together two classic Charly Records compilations dedicated to the glory days of the scene – put together by collectors who really know their grooves, and expanded here with lots of bonus tracks that weren't on the original versions! There's a whopping 56 tracks in the set, packaged in a hardcover book-style cover, with great color notes and images in the middle – and titles that include "Sweet & Easy" by Van McCoy, "You're Gonna Need Me" by Ted Ford, "Why Don't You Write" by Lee Bates, "But I Couldn't" by Willie Harper, "Touch Me Hold Me Kiss Me" by The Inspirations, "That Other Place" by Wade Flemons, "Come On Train" by Don Thomas, "Lonely For You Baby" by Sam Dees, "Omar Khayyam" by The Rubaiyats, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, "So Blue" by Joe Murphy, "Gonna Take A Journey" by Barrett Strong, "Shake Off That Dream" by Eddie Billups, "Just Like The Weather" by Nolan Chance, "Mr Bang Bang Man" by Little Hank, "Young Man Old Man" by The Stokes, "Halos For The Angels" by Blanch Carter, and "Momma's Gone" by Little Johnny Blair.

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 our favorite Ray Barretto albums of the 60s – a real gem from the pre-Latin Soul years! The album's a clear attempt to cash in on the cash in on the James Bond craze of the time – issued by United Artists, who were releasing the Bond films, but also had Ray under contract during the period too. But despite that simple gimmick, it's a great little set – with a quality level that goes way beyond Bond soundtracks, or the usual from Barretto at the time! The tracks are all hard and groovy, with an excellent jazz feel – and some killer arranging from Ray that's right up there with the work he did for his legendary Charanga Moderna album! You may recognize the song titles – but their versions here are superb, and the album's filled with many many wonderful moments that step out with mad rhythms and great jazzy touches. Titles include "Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "OO7", "Search For Vulcan", "Thunderball", and "Goldfinger". Nice "spy" shot of Ray on the cover, too!

One of the best debuts in the history of hip hop – and one of the most important albums the genre ever produced! Criminal Minded is landmark for a number of reasons. Among the biggest is, of course, that it was recorded with the late great DJ Scott La Rock – and he was soon to fall prey to the very street violence that BDP documented with such raw brilliance, courtesy the lyricism and delivery of KRS-One. Importance aside, though, Criminal Minded is simply a great, timeless record that no true fan of gritty classic hip hop should be without. The track list alone is a full chapter in the hip hop book of legends – with tunes like "Poetry", "Elementary", "South Bronx", "Super-Hoe", "Bridge is Over", and the "P is Free" remix. Also includes "Criminal Minded", "Dope Beat", and "9mm Goes Bang".

Reputedly, this is an African funk band recorded recently by the folks at Desco Records – but as with a lot of their projects, we're not entirely sure whether or not to believe them, since they're always a bit too mysterious about the origins of their material, and this may just be some new grooves, cut by a funk band of non-African origin. Whatever the case, though, the record kicks butt, and is a very tight batch of funky instrumentals that have a classic sound that hints at Fela, Manu Dibango, and other Afro Funk artists of the 70's. There's lots of choppy guitar grooves, heavy percussion, and raw blaring sax solos. Very nice stuff, and every bit as great as the other stuff on Desco! Cuts include a cover of Fela's "Upside Down", James Brown's "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose", and the originals "Super Afro-Beat", "Daktari Walk", "Voodoo Soul Stew", and "Quiet Man Is A Dead Man".

While we have more or less dismissed a lot of the Celluloid world music productions from the 80s in the past, we look back now and realize that was pretty much just purist snobbery. This Laswell produced album of funky afro grooves doesn't have the same hard African funk that we dig so much about Dibango's early work, but it's more than just a respectable outing, and the 80s electro feel that's creeping in on a number of tracks sounds even better today. Most of the cuts are mid to down tempo, with playing that's a bit more smooth from Dibango's sax, and when you look at the crew Laswell assembled, it's quite the all star cast: Herbie Hancock, Bernie Worrell, Wally Badaru and Aiyb Deng alongside Dibango's Soul Makossa Gang. Four lengthy tracks: "Pata Piya", "Electric Africa", "Echoes Beti" and "L'Arbre A Palabres".

A great little album of short groovy cuts from Dizzy – and actually quite hard to find on vinyl! Despite a title that sounds a bit flowery, the grooves are nice and hard – and Dizzy's playing here with a combo that includes James Moody, Kenny Barron, Billy Butler, and Candido. The sound isn't as funky as the records that Dizzy would later cut for Perception, but it's getting pretty close at times – especially on the tunes that have a nice Latin soul feel. Titles include "Summer Samba", "Bang Bang", "Mas Que Nada", "Tequila", "Winter Samba", and "Get That Money Blues".

A brilliant return from the Hot 8 Brass Band – a New Orleans combo who take tradition into some great funky new territory! As you'd guess from their name, the instrumentation is heavy on brass – played with a gritty, soulful edge – in the way you'd find during some street performance in a corner far from the mainstream Quarter – sometimes accompanied by ensemble vocals, and almost always driven by these great rhythms at the bottom – more than funky enough to set even the heaviest horns on fire with their energy. Titles include "Bingo Bango", "Fine Tuner", "Steamin Blues", "Can't Hide From The Truth", "New Orleans (After The City)", and a nice remake of The Specials' "Ghost Town".

One of the most compelling later albums on Philly International – a killer mix of jazzy numbers that have a very different style than most of the other Philly work at the time! Even though Leon Huff had been banging around in soul music for about 15 years – most famously as half of the Philly soul superteam Gamble & Huff – this 1980 LP was his first effort as an artist, instead of producer. In Chicago, the big highlight is the jazzy stepping track "I Ain't Jivin, I'm Jammin" – which grooves along with a sweet two-step piano sound that's still quite popular on the dancefloor – but the record is filled with nice tracks including "Tight Money", which was done earlier by Reuben Wilson, the funky "Your Body Won't Move If You Can't Feel The Groove", the breezy instrumental "No Greater Love", "Tasty", "This One's For Us" and "Latin Spirit".

Two groovy sets from Paul Mauriat – both recorded in the magic year of 1966! More Mauriat really has Paul opening up with some hipper 60s sounds than usual – taking on a whole bunch of American pop tunes of the time, and retuning a French orchestral approach towards leaner, meaner modes – almost a soulful strings sort of vibe at times – although at others, definitely scored by Mauriat with the kind of French soundtrack styles we love in his music – especially in his great use of electric harpsichord on many of the tunes! Titles include "Bang Bang", "Black Is Black", "Sunny", "Guantanamera", "Lara's Theme", and "Reach Out I'll Be There". Prestige De Paris returns Mauriat to the songs of his homeland – classic French tunes from the more romantic previous generation – often done here with full strings and a relatively florid approach that's a bit different than some or Paul's worldwide hits. Titles include "Sous Le Ponts De Paris", "La Mer", "Moulin Rouge", "Les Feuilles Mortes", "La Seine", and "Fascination".

A killer little set from Les McCann – one of his greatest records of the 60s, thanks to a fair bit of Latin Soul influences! The album's got a groove that's much grittier than Les' other work – a solid, soulful emphasis on bottom rhythms – which are mostly in a boogaloo and shing-a-ling mode – clearly McCann's nod to the Spanish Harlem scene at the time! The backings here are a bit fuller than usual for Les too – and his trio with Leroy Vinnegar is augmented with lots of added percussion, plus vibes from Lynn Blessing, sax and flute from Plas Johnson, and trumpet from Lee Katzman. The whole thing's wonderful – a non-stop party that rivals similar boogaloo jazz sets of the time – and titles include "Fakeout", "Boo Go Loo", "Hey Leroy", "Bang Bang", "La Brea", and "Music To Watch Girls By".

A killer little set from Les McCann – one of his greatest records of the 60s, thanks to a fair bit of Latin Soul influences! The album's got a groove that's much grittier than Les' other work – a solid, soulful emphasis on bottom rhythms – which are mostly in a boogaloo and shing-a-ling mode – clearly McCann's nod to the Spanish Harlem scene at the time! The backings here are a bit fuller than usual for Les too – and his trio with Leroy Vinnegar is augmented with lots of added percussion, plus vibes from Lynn Blessing, sax and flute from Plas Johnson, and trumpet from Lee Katzman. The whole thing's wonderful – a non-stop party that rivals similar boogaloo jazz sets of the time – and titles include "Fakeout", "Boo Go Loo", "Hey Leroy", "Bang Bang", "La Brea", and "Music To Watch Girls By".

A poppy record, but a great one too – and a surprisingly enduring pleasure from the Streetwise scene of the 80s! This is the album that started it all – the wave of younger groups that would come into play in 80s soul strongly by the latter half of the decade – New Edition with its now-classic lineup that includes a young Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown, and the Bell, Biv, Devoe trio! The album's really the brainchild of producer Maurice Starr, who's also working here with a fair bit of help from Michael Jonzun and a bit of guidance from Arthur Baker – all of whom serve up tunes that are sweet and catchy, and which are almost an 80s update of the sound of the Jackson 5 or Five Stairsteps from a decade before – given a hipper, more streetsoul undercurrent. Titles include "She Gives Me A Bang", "Pass The Beat", "Ooh Baby", "Popcorn Love", "Candy Girl", "Should Never Have Told Me", and "Gimme Your Love".

A hip Finnish take on soul jazz – headed up by drummer Matti Oiling! The groove here is tight and very straightforward – almost an amped-up European groove based on American soul jazz of the 60s – similar to some of Charly Antolini's excellent work for Saba/MPS! Instrumentation includes some nice trumpet and sax passages – often tightly arranged, but in ways that work with the drums in a cool sort of soundtrack funk feel – usually leaving Matti plenty of room to open up on the kit. Titles do a good job of summing up the energy of the record – with cuts that include "Boom Bang Basch", "Soul Rock", "Chicken Nerve", "Road Runner's Waltz", and "Steam Train".

An amazing funky record cut by the American tenor player Hal Singer while he was living in exile in Paris! Although the bulk of Singer's other work is more traditional R&B sax material, this LP has a very good raw funky feel, with some nice tight guitar and organ grooves that spur Singer on to new heights. Manu Dibango sits in on the session on organ and tenor, and the set includes a huge number of funky classics like "Saturday Night In Watts, Act One", "Paris Soul Food", "Malcolm X", and more!

The modern sound of the Miami scene – a wealth of contemporary club cuts from Hot Records – one of the city's biggest indies from a few decades back! The work here follows strongly in a post-disco, post-house mode – some influences from the boogie indie scene of the 80s, but also a fair bit of modern dancefloor elements too – mixed with just a touch of hip hop on a few tracks. There's plenty of beats at the bottom of most tracks, and the set brings together a wealth of older singles – including "Bang It" by Go Bang, "Gonna Find A Way" by Direct Impact, "So Sexual" by Thrill Factor, "976" by Club D Two, "Swing To The Beat" by 3YL, "T-Dance" by Soho People, "Hey Everybody" by Joe Tempo, "Funky Sensation" by Vera, "Won't You Listen" by Rhythmicon, "Come Here You Freaky Chick" by Toxic Shock, and "Scandal" by Davis & Davis.

Wild sounds from Indonesia – music that definitely lives up to the "pop" promised in the title – even though most of the tracks here are light years from chart music here in the US! The tunes are pulled from cassette recordings of the 70s and 80s – and often have a tight, focused energy that shows a desire to go pop by the artists – even though the overall execution, production, and instrumentation can get mighty wild at times! Most impressive are the electronic touches – often used in these higher-end levels that may well be further increased by the qualities of the cassette – really hoping to make some of the best cuts here sound nice and offbeat. Titles include "Bangla Desh" by Orkes Melayu Purnama, "Kawnku" by Ira Maya Sopha, "Endar Lela" by Kamar Ruddin Z, "Hidupku Untuk Tijinta" by Akenka Ragam, "Borondong Garing" by Bimbo, and "Dikijoknyo" by Kim.

A pretty good overview of the work that Celluloid Records was doing on the African front – featuring tracks from a variety of the label's best releases of the early 80s! The set list includes 4 tunes by Toure Kunda – "Emma", "Ne Nam 2", "Salya", and "Baounane" – an excellent group who've kind of gotten lost in time, plus others that include "Government Chicken Boy" by Fela, "Abele Dance" by Manu Dibango, and "Harima" by Mandingo with Herbie Hancock.

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s – a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records – a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard music from early 70s Nigeria, all of it beyond simple stylistic definitions and overplayed world music cliches! Many of the grooves here are wonderfully unique – odd fusions of styles that include highlife, jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and other regional influences – sifted and shaken together, and spilled out in the studio with a really fresh sort of feel. Rhythms are at the core of most numbers here, but even those are often unfamiliar – skittish, soulful, and often somewhat playful – and the other instrumentation on the tracks is great too, and often resonates with some of the odd sounds and tunings we love in work on the Ethiopiques series. 2CD set features 26 tracks that include "Okwuke Na Nchekwube" by Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National, "Nekwaha Semi Colon" by The Semi Colon, "Osalobua Rekpama" by Sir Victor Owaifo & His Melody Maestros, "Onwu Ama Dike" by St Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band, "Feso Jaiye" by The Sahara All Stars Of Jos, "To Whom It May Concern" by Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, "Akula Owu Onyeara" by The Funkees, "Koma Mosi" by The Harbours Band, "Belema" by Opotopo, "Asiko Mi Ni" by Nigerian Police Force Band, "Alabeke" by Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band, "Blak Sound" by Leo Fadaka & The Heroes, "Arraino" by Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band, "Ugali" by Tony Benson Sextet, "Akpaisong" by Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Allstars, "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7, "Torri Wowo" by Godwin Ezike & The Ambassadors, "Buroda Mase" by Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7.

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s – a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records – a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard music from early 70s Nigeria, all of it beyond simple stylistic definitions and overplayed world music cliches! Many of the grooves here are wonderfully unique – odd fusions of styles that include highlife, jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and other regional influences – sifted and shaken together, and spilled out in the studio with a really fresh sort of feel. Rhythms are at the core of most numbers here, but even those are often unfamiliar – skittish, soulful, and often somewhat playful – and the other instrumentation on the tracks is great too, and often resonates with some of the odd sounds and tunings we love in work on the Ethiopiques series. Vinyl part 1 features 12 tracks that include "Okwuke Na Nchekwube" by Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National, "Nekwaha Semi Colon" by The Semi Colon, "Osalobua Rekpama" by Sir Victor Owaifo & His Melody Maestros, "Onwu Ama Dike" by St Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band, "Feso Jaiye" by The Sahara All Stars Of Jos, "To Whom It May Concern" by Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, "Akula Owu Onyeara" by The Funkees, and "Koma Mosi" by The Harbours Band.

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s – a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records – a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard music from early 70s Nigeria, all of it beyond simple stylistic definitions and overplayed world music cliches! Many of the grooves here are wonderfully unique – odd fusions of styles that include highlife, jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and other regional influences – sifted and shaken together, and spilled out in the studio with a really fresh sort of feel. Rhythms are at the core of most numbers here, but even those are often unfamiliar – skittish, soulful, and often somewhat playful – and the other instrumentation on the tracks is great too, and often resonates with some of the odd sounds and tunings we love in work on the Ethiopiques series. Vinyl part 2 features 14 tracks that include "Belema" by Opotopo, "Asiko Mi Ni" by Nigerian Police Force Band, "Alabeke" by Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band, "Blak Sound" by Leo Fadaka & The Heroes, "Arraino" by Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band, "Ugali" by Tony Benson Sextet, "Akpaisong" by Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Allstars, "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7, "Torri Wowo" by Godwin Ezike & The Ambassadors, "Buroda Mase" by Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7.

One of the heaviest volumes ever of the legendary Pulp Fusion series – a double-length set that has them copping a lot of grooves from the Africa Funk collections! The 2CD package is overflowing with great Afro Funk bits from the 70s onwards – not just key numbers from the African scene, but also titles recorded farther afield – in the US, UK, and beyond, as sounds and styles really started to open up a lot more! Most of these numbers are heavy on percussion and bass, and feature a good bit of heavy horns as well – and the 2CD set features 20 tracks that include "Time Will Tell" by Ice, "Ajo" by Pete King, "African Rhythms" by Oneness Of Juju, "Malik" by Lafayette Afro Rock Band, "Fire" by Osibisa, "Bla" by Massak, "African Boogie" by Manu Dibango, "El Safari" by Javi P3Z Orchestra, "Ole" by The Funkees, "Precious Mother" by Bukkky Leo, "Karam Bani" by Buari, "Uprising Uprising (parts 1 & 2)" by Antibalas, "Road Cose (dance dub)" by Tony Allen, "Africa" by Steele Beautah, "Na Waya" by Ghetto Blaster, and "I Feel Funky" by Matata.

Funky Latin breaks and very groovy grooves – the kind of record that you hear for only a second, and say "oh yeah, this is the stuff!" Coke were an obscure Florida combo who mixed together Latin, funk, and soul – served up in a crossover style that's halfway between the sound of the NuYorican generation and the heavier hitters of LA's Chicano funk scene! Instrumentation includes organ, guitar, and trumpets – and vocals are delivered in a brown eyed soul style that burns nicely with the heavier grooves of the group. But best of all is the drummer, who really kicks it large on the kit – and creates some really nice funky numbers on the set! Includes the break classic "Na Na", plus the tunes "Got To Touch Your Face", "Te Amo Mas", "Quiero Decirte", "Bang Bang", "Bun Bun Bun", "You Turn Me On", and "Que Seria De Mi". A really great album – with a totally unique sound!

The final LP of the first round of EPMD, and the hardest to get on vinyl since it's not been made available in multiple pressings or reissues. 11 tracks of the LI hardcore boom bap with Eric and Parrish reppin' the East coast in fine style over their patented bass heavy trunk rattling beats. Non stop head nodders from start to finish including "Boon Dox", "Nobody's Safe Chump", "Can't Hear Nothing But The Music", "Chill", "Headbanger", "Scratch Bring It Back (Part 2 - Mic Doc)", "Cummin' At Cha", "It's Going Down", "Who Killed Jane", "Play The Next Man" and "Crossover".

A pretty darn important album for Wes – as it was his first session with the sort of larger arrangements that would later make him huge! Although Montgomery was mostly recording for Riverside in small combos, this session has him playing in front of larger backings by Jimmy Jones – not as sublime as later work by Don Sebesky or Gil Evans, but done in a way that definitely shows that Wes can do a lot with the guitar when freed from the need to stick with the rhythm strongly. Titles include "All The Way", "Pretty Blue", "Somewhere", "God Bless The Child", "Tune Up", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads".

Hard to go wrong with Rene & Angela at this point in their career – as they're super tight, always upbeat, and plenty darn soulful – no matter what the groove! The album's a perfect example of 80s groove at its best – a reworking of mainstream soul modes with a slight modern dancefloor touch – still never disco cliches, nor some of the too-poppy modes used by some of their contemporaries – and a blend that's always right on the money for the vocals of Angela Winbush to shine! Titles include the groover "Can't Give You Up", the mellow number "My First Love", and the cuts "Take Me To The Limit", "When It Comes To Love", "Bangin The Boogie", "Rise", and "Keep Runnin". CD features 6 bonus tracks too – "Bangin The Boogie (single)", "Keep Runnin (single)", "My First Love (single)", "Bangin The Boogie (inst)", "Keep Runnin (12" version)", and "Keep Runnin (dub)".

A great collection of classic genre-straddling material from the 80s glory days of Celluloid Records – those pioneering singles that melded old school rap, electro, punk and world beat into club grooves like no others! Bass heavy funk, world weary caustic post punk, crisp electro, and extended 12" grooves all in the same package – it's an era that can never be replicated, but, thankfully can be anthologized! 21 tracks on 2CDs: "Escapades Of Futura 2000" (original 12" version), "Wild Style Extended" by Time Zone (original 12" version), "Get Movin" by Last Poets, "Why Is It Fresh?" by D ST (original 12" megamix 2 version), "Zulu Groove" (original 12" version) by Shango, "Change The Beat" by Fab Five Freddy (original 12" version), "What I Like" (original 12" French rap version), "Pata Piya" (original 12" version) by Manu Dibango, "World Destruction" (original 12" version – Bill Laswell rmx) by Time Zone feat Afraka Bambaataa & John Lydon, "Crazy Cuts" (original 12" long version and original 12" dubversion) by D ST and more!

Funky Latin breaks and very groovy grooves – the kind of record that you hear for only a second, and say "oh yeah, this is the stuff!" Coke were an obscure Florida combo who mixed together Latin, funk, and soul – served up in a crossover style that's halfway between the sound of the NuYorican generation and the heavier hitters of LA's Chicano funk scene! Instrumentation includes organ, guitar, and trumpets – and vocals are delivered in a brown eyed soul style that burns nicely with the heavier grooves of the group. But best of all is the drummer, who really kicks it large on the kit – and creates some really nice funky numbers on the set! Includes the break classic "Na Na", plus the tunes "Got To Touch Your Face", "Te Amo Mas", "Quiero Decirte", "Bang Bang", "Bun Bun Bun", "You Turn Me On", and "Que Seria De Mi". A really great album – with a totally unique sound!

A really surprising turn for reedman Manu Dibango – a shift away from his familiar Afro Funk mode, into the realm of trad jazz for this loving tribute to American saxophonist Sidney Bechet! Given that both Bechet and Dibango reached some of their heights on the Parisian scene, the tribute really makes some great sense at the core – and it's wonderful to hear Manu's sharp-edged alto sax in such a setting – as it creates a very different feel than some of the sweeter tones of Bechet, in styles that still echo some of Manu's earlier styles too. Instrumentation includes vibes, banjo, and piano – and titles include "In A Georgia Cabin", "Dans Les Rues D'Antibes", "Petite Fleur", "Strutting With Some Barbecue", "Careless Love", "Royal Garden Blues", and "Cousin Bechet Blues". Also comes with a bonus DVD of performance too!

One of the grooviest albums ever recorded – a set that's funky, offbeat, and has way more to offer than most American album of the time! Swedish singer Doris really knocked it out of the park with this one – working with arranger Bert Egerbladh, who gives the set some nicely unusual grooves, often augmented by his own work on organ! The album is famous amongst the break crowd for the track "You Never Come Closer", which has a deep groove and weird fuzzy piano that's been sampled by more than a few folks over the years – but over and above that, the record's an excellent batch of off-beat pop tunes – and it feels like some of the nuttier work that came out on Capitol Records during the late 70s, as evidenced by the Blue Juice/Blue Breaks love of the record in the past decade or two. Tracks include "Did You Give The World Some Love Today Baby", "I'm Pushing You Out", "Beatmaker", "Don't", "Waiting At The Station", "Bath", "You Never Come Closer", and "I Wish I Knew". 2CD version features an insane amount of extra material – 20 more tracks recorded with The Plums and The Dandys in 1969, plus the full bonus album Svenssons Doris – all equally groovy stuff! Bonus tracks include "Benny Law", "Why Did You Go", "Let The Sunshine In", "Wouldn't That Be Groovy", "Don't Let It Rain", "What A Lovely Way", "Boom Bang A Bang", and "Karlekens ABC".

LTD "Love To The World", Hollywood Disco Jazz Band "Don's Place", Original Tropicana Steel Band "Calypso Rock", Manu Dibango "Senga", Soulwanco" Candido, Please "Ego Trippin'", Johnny Taylor "Ever Ready" and more.

A classic from the more spiritual side of the Swedish scene in the 70s – and a record that's been a favorite of ours for many years! Rena Rama have a really unique feel here – an approach that initiates in some of the more freewheeling European work of the period, but which also has a lot stronger spiritual elements too – none of the rockish fusion that you'd hear from some of their contemporaries, and instead some of the warmer undercurrents that you'd get in some of Don Cherry's experiments on the Scandinavian scene. The group's an all-star quartet – with Bobo Stenson on piano and Fender Rhodes, Lennar Aberg on soprano sax and tenor, Palle Danielsson on bass, and Bengt Berger on drums – and the album's lot more soulful than you'd expect, and with some beautiful lyrical moments. Tracks include "Test", "Just In Case", "Pow Wow", "De Fem Arstiderna", and "Batiali". CD features lots of bonus tracks from a 1979 album – "Banguana Song", "Inside Outside", "Silhuett", "Pa Hal Is", and "Lisa's Piano".

A long-overdue collection of work – one that really gets at the unusual appearance of Latin rhythms on the African scene of the postwar years! Latin sounds from Africa are nothing new, but they're one of those things that's always taken for granted, too – kind of assumed in most discussions of the rhythms from the 60s onward, but never explained as fully as might be needed! Given the already-great grooves going down on the continent for generations, it's surprising that African musicians might pick up styles from Cuba and the Caribbean – yet due to the vagaries of global cultural circulation, that's exactly what happened – and the music has never been the same ever since. This really well-done package offers up a range of tracks from the 50s through the 70s – showing some of the earliest African extrapolations of Latin styles – clearly enforcing the "Afro" in Afro-Cuban rhythms – then moving onto some later grooves that offer up some funkier styles too. The work's a bridge between the ethnographic sets on Honest Jons, and some of the tighter grooves you might find on a Soul Jazz collection – a wonderful blend of music, packaged beautifully too. Titles include "A Moins Que Namikosa" by Orchestra OK Jazz, "Rampa Rampa" by Orchestre Yaya Mas, "Quiero Wapacha" by Charles Lembe, "Ven Y Ven Y Ven" by Orchestre OK Jazz, "Vamos A Bailar" by Rio Band, "Guantanamo" by Laba Sosseh, "On Verra Ca" by Orchestre Baobab, "Mi Guajeo" by Orchestre N'Guewel, "N'Niyo" by Amara Toure, "Il N'Est Jamais Trop Tard" by Pierre Tchana & Orchestre Poly Rhythmo, "Africa Boogaloo" by Le Grande Kalle with Don Gonzalo & Manu Dibango, and "Adigbedoto" by Gnonnas Pedro.

A really cool collection that's got way more to offer than you might guess from the Italo in the title – as the set's filled with obscure funk, jazz, and sound library gems from the 70s! Usually, we associate Italo with Italo Disco – that 80s version of club music that broke big around the world in many scenes. But the tracks here are sort of the "roots" of that version of Italo – the funky experiments of a generation before – which were often inspired by American jazz and soul of the time, but took things into a whole new dimension – thanks to the wide range of creative instrumentalists and unusual studios in Italy during the 70s! A few names are familiar here, and others are composers you might know from soundtracks – but together, the vibe is something else entirely – and something entirely great, thanks to wicked work from Big Bang/Arision Records, who put together the whole thing. Titles include "Aflogelia" by Narassa, "Open Space" by Piero Umiliani, "L'Eroe Di Plastica" by Tony Esposito, "Ore 24" by Alberto Baldan Bembo, "Pearls" by Piero Piccioni, "Five, Four, & Three" by Lee Konitz, "Lavoro Veloce" by Farlocco, "Louisville" by Made In USA, "Depressione" by Jazz Video, "Tip Cat" by Santucci Scoppa, and "Greenleaf Street" by Max Rocci & His Friends.