... LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool look at a label that was maybe one of the hippest things the Beatles ever did – the short-lived Zapple imprint – which was part of their main Apple label, but dedicated to more experimental work from a variety of musicians and writers! The imprint is perhaps best remembered as the home of more avant recordings by John & Yoko, and by George Harrison – but it also presented material by Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, Charles Olson, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and other key underground figures – a legacy that would have been enormous, had it continued. The book is put together by Zapple label manager Barry Miles – and includes loads of photos and images too – studio shots, ads, and a lot more elements that help bring this lost label to life once again! 272 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book

... CD

Arranged and conducted by Sid Brass. LP, Vinyl record album

Recordings from 1947 by Barry Ulanov & His All Star Metronome Jazzmen, with Fats Navarro on trumpet, John LaPorta on clarinet, Charlie Parker on alto, Allen Eager on tenor, Lennie Tristano on piano, Billy Bauer on guitar, Tommy Potter on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums, with Sarah Vaughan on vocals; plus three tunes recorded in 1948 at the Royal Roost by Tadd Dameron & His Orchestra with Allen Eager and Wardell Gray on tenor, Curley Russel on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Can't get enough of Barry White at this key point in his career – a time when he was stepping from the shadows as one of the most sensuous soul stars of the 70s! The album's a near-perfect effort throughout – a great blend of the soaring strings and funkier rhythms that always made Barry's work so great – topped with vocals that are both sung and spoken, all in a voice that's deeper than deep! Tracks intertwine nicely – almost sharing similar themes at points – and although not penned as a "soul symphony", the album certainly comes across like one. Titles include "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", "Oh Love Well We Finally Made It", "Mellow Mood (parts 1 & 2)", "You're The First The Las, My Everything", and "I Can't Believe You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Kind of a confrontational title, but still an excellent batch of grooves from The Maestro, with heavenly production, and lots of long drawn-out sexy grooves. Cuts include "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long", "I'm Qualified To Satisfy You", "Your Love – So Good I Can't Take It", and "I Wanna Lay Down With You Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a soundtrack from the maestro Barry White – his only entry into the blacksploitation film genre of the 70s, and a complete doozy throughout! For the album, Barry's stripped down the bigger space of his own records, and his Love Unlimited productions – into some shorter tracks that really focus on that blend of funk and strings that he could do so well – making for a batch of killer instrumentals that really offer up a special Barry White take on the funky film sound of the 70s! Love Unlimited also sing on two tracks – "Somebody Is Gonna Off The Man" and "People Of Tomorrow Are The Children Of Today _- but most of the record is instrumental, played by the Orchestra – and tracks include "Killer's Lullaby", "So Nice To Hear", "Killer Don't Do It", "Can't Seem To Find Him", "Alive & Well", "Theme From Together Brothers", "Do Drop In", and "Here Comes The Man". CD

... CD

A fairly straight orchestral score by John Barry – written for this early 60s film that starred George Segal, Tom Courneay, and Denholm Elliott. The film's a war one, and the themes are pretty typical for that sort of thing – but they do have some nice instrumental touches that push them past the usual bag, and which show that Barry's younger writing was always a treat, no matter what the setting. Titles include "There Is A Radio In This Hut", "Just As You Were", "Grey's Day", "The Recovery Of Marlowe", "Touch & Go", and "King Rat March". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little James Bond soundtrack – written for one of the lesser-remembered Bond films, but filled with nice moments! There's a darker, moodier feel here than on some of Barry's other Bond scores – lots of stretched out tracks that have a bit more space than usual, and odd instruments punctuating the themes with an eerie, other-worldly edge that almost reminds us of some of the best Italian thriller work from the time. Nancy Sinatra sings a very moody title track – and other tunes include "Takana's World", "The Wedding", "Mountains & Sunsets", "A Drop In The Ocean", "Bond Averts World War Three", and "The Death Of Aki". LP, Vinyl record album

One of John Barry's first true moments of genius – recorded back when he was the leader of a fab little instrumental combo called the John Barry 7, and was tagged to do some soundtrack work that would forever change the rest of his career! The album's got some incredible instrumental tunes that mix electric guitar and beatnik jazz in a mode that's keeping with the juvenile delinquent theme of the film – with some strings sneaking in to cheese things up a bit, but in a great way that only makes the tunes sound even better! Adam Faith sings vocals on "The Beat Girl Song", "Made You", and "I Did What You Told Me" – and other tunes include "Blues For Beatnicks", "Blondie's Strip", "Beat Girl", "Time Out", "The Sharks", and "The City 2000 AD". This El UK edition includes bonus tracks by Gillian Hills, The John Barry Sound and Adam Faith. CD

A thoughtful set of duets – just Robert Barry on drums and Fred Anderson on tenor! CD

We can remember when this movie spooked the heck out of us – and now it remains as a charming period piece from the days when New York was overrun by gangsters dressed up in baseball uniforms or overalls – representing a version of the Big Apple during the bankrupt 70s that's turned out to have more longstanding charm than the gang in Clockwork Orange! The music's very well-suited in a period style – a sweet mix of Latin, funk, rock, and soundtrack spookiness – with titles that include "Echoes In My Mind" by Mandrill, "Baseball Furies Chase" by Barry De Vorzon, "In Havana" by Kenny Vance & Ismael Miranda, "Nowhere To Run" by Arnold McCuller, and of course the classic "In The City" by Joe Walsh. CD

... CD

Barry Harris on piano, Mathias Allamane on bass, and Philippe Soirat on drums. CD

Subtle genius from pianist Barry Harris – an overlooked 60s set that showcases both Barry's tighter bop leanings and his even more wonderful lyrical side! The session's recorded with a relaxed energy that points the way towards freer Harris sides in years to come – but also still has the focus of his other best trio work from the early years – and rhythm support here is by Ron Carter on bass and Leroy Williams on drums. Titles include "Ah Leu Cha", "Bean & The Boys", "Dexterity", "Sun Dance", and "Rouge". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A never-issued live performance from a really incredible trio – and a set that has reedman Perry Robinson coming across with some of the bold energy he brought to his important avant recordings on the New York scene of the 60s! The pairing of Barry Altschul's drums and David Izenson's bass is wonderful – as they work with that freewheeling sense of rhythm learned from their earliest experiences with important avant players a decade before, and Izenson's especially great here, as he moves between plucked and bowed passages that remind us just how great he can be in the right setting! Robinson is a delight throughout, and his use of clarinet continues to be a next step past the work of Jimmy Giuffre in terms of free, avant expression on the instrument – much sharper here than on some of his more common European recordings from the period. The set features four long improvisations – and is a revelation throughout! CD

One of John Barry's earliest scores for Bond – when his style was nice and raw, and when the Bond theme couldn't be heard enough throughout the course of the movie! Matt Munro sings the lyrics to the forgotten title hit – and other tracks include "James Bond Theme", "Tania Meets Klebb", "Guitar Lament", "Spectre Island", "Stalking", "Death Of Kerin", and "007 Takes The Lektor". Plus, the CD contains bonus cuts – for a total of 25 tracks in all! CD

One of John Barry's earliest scores for Bond – when his style was nice and raw, and when the Bond theme couldn't be heard enough throughout the course of the movie! Matt Munro sings the lyrics to the forgotten title hit – and other tracks include "James Bond Theme", "Tania Meets Klebb", "Guitar Lament", "Spectre Island", "Stalking", "Death Of Kerin", and "007 Takes The Lektor". Plus, the CD contains bonus cuts – for a total of 18 tracks in all! CD

Features the theme song by Duran Duran – plus other John Barry instrumentals! LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Well, it's not Jaws – but it's still pretty darn groovy – a very cool set of tracks that features some long, lush orchestrations from the great John Barry – plus some sublime disco sounds from Donna Summer! The first half of the record features Barry's extended "Return To The Sea – 2033 AD" – a side-long track that really builds nicely, and has John finding some even more expressive modes than in other mid 70s soundtracks. Then side two really lets loose with the great "Theme From The Deep (Down Deep Inside)" by Donna Summer – a tune that's got this beautifully building groove that's almost like her best early cuts, ala "I Feel Love" – a great use of Summer's vocals on a nicely funky groove. The set also features a slower Donna Summer vocal take on the cut – billed as "A Love Song" – with these cool keyboard lines that feel like they're lifted from an Italian 70s soundtrack – and Barry also turns in his own instrumental version as well. Beckett sings the funky "Disco Calypso" tune too! LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime soundtrack from John Barry – common, to be sure, but also a wonderfully-crafted set that goes way beyond the stereotypes of his work for the James Bond films! The record is probably best known for Nilsson's famous version of the Fred Neil tune "Everybody's Talkin" – which is great in itself – but it's Barry's own work on the title theme that we totally love. "Midnight Cowboy" is a darkly turning slowly pondering tune that will haunt us until the day we die – performed here on the original number with a sad-tinged harmonica that unites both the country of Joe Buck's roots and the sleaze of the love generation. The tune's great – and is matched here by the whimsy of "Florida Fantasy", and the Barry tracks "Fun City" and "Science Fiction". But also, Barry acted as the overall music director for the film – and used some tracks from the hip group Elephant's Memory, plus others by The Groop – but offbeat acts who really fit the spirit of the film. The record's almost worth it just for the cut "Old Man Willow", a really tripped-out longer track from Elephant's Memory – swirling around in organ and hippie vocals, and oddly echoing the main Barry theme of the set at times! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little James Bond soundtrack – written for one of the lesser-remembered Bond films, but filled with nice moments! There's a darker, moodier feel here than on some of Barry's other Bond scores – lots of stretched out tracks that have a bit more space than usual, and odd instruments punctuating the themes with an eerie, other-worldly edge that almost reminds us of some of the best Italian thriller work from the time. Nancy Sinatra sings a very moody title track – and other tunes include "Takana's World", "The Wedding", "Mountains & Sunsets", "A Drop In The Ocean", "Bond Averts World War Three", and "The Death Of Aki". CD also features 7 bonus tracks too! CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Rock and roll poster art from the late 50s onward – a lavish book that starts with early images of R&B revue posters, moves through the 60s underground through the big years of rock festivals and Fillmore shows – into the ever-evolving 70s landscape, right up through the revival of classic rock acts in the 80s! The author has a great eye for more stunning imagery that moves way past the obvious – the kind of special styles served up by key figures who helped shape visual representation of live music – presented here in a lineup that includes work from Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso, Hapshash, and others – figures who also helped move some of the aesthetics of the comix world into the service of music. There's lots more images along the way – plenty of surprises that go way past rock posters – and the softcover edition features over 700 images over the course of 224 oversized pages, most in full and striking color! Book

... LP, Vinyl record album

As the title implies, Harris plays his own compositions – in an intimate setting with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Leroy Williams. The tracks show a good range of Harris' styles – from straight bop, to gentle lyricism, to down and dirty soul jazz. Titles include "Inca", dedicated to the famous Nica De Koenigswarter (of "Nica's Tempo" fame), "Father Flanagan", "Apache", and "Even Tempered". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A hard to find early album by the great Detroit pianist Barry Harris! Barry's playing here in a trio with William Austin on bass and Frank Gant on drums, and the tracks have a definite boppish quality to them – more straight ahead than some of the flowing lines he brought to later work in the 70s and 80s – but still uniquely soulful, with a really strong sound for such a young player. Titles include bop standards like "Ornithology", "Passport", and "Allen's Alley" – plus Harris originals like "SRO" and "Bluesy" – and the album's got a nice, tight, soul jazz feel overall! LP, Vinyl record album

Late 60s recordings from the Chicago scene – with nicely raw work from these up and coming giants! LP, Vinyl record album

Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet and Barry Schrader on electronics CD

A fully and funky spider from the De Wolfe sound library of the 70s – one that's got all sorts of heavy horns and tight drums, and packs a punch that would be sure to tear open a spiderweb in seconds! That same approach is used on the flipside – a hot-moving cut that's definitely not a cool character – as the whole thing moves along at the pace of some cop/crime chase cut, complete with driving drums and funky horns! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A great mid period sleeper from Barry White – and an album that's not as hit-heavy as his other work from the time, but still equally nice! The album's got a mellower groove than some of Barry's albums of the time – a laidback approach that's going more for an overall sound, and which tones down the beats and the hooks in favor of a more love-heavy sort of style! Barry's warmly seductive genius is beautifully cast in the album's sublime late nite mode – and comes out especially nicely on the classic 2-part "Love Serenade" – one of the moodiest, mellowest Barry White tunes ever! Other tracks include "Let Me Live My Life Lovin You Babe", "I'll Do For You Anything You Want Me To", "Heavenly, That's What You Are To Me" and "What Am I Gonna Do With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Very nice 3 CD box set that includes just about every one of Barry's big hits, plus some nice extra bonus – like his duet with Lista Stansfield on "All Around The World", the "Sweet Seduction Suite" with Quincy Jones, the 12" single version of "My Sweet Summer Suite", and even a newly-recorded introduction. There's also a 32 page booklet, with full discography, rare photos, musician credits, and lots more! 40 cuts in all – with titles like "Never Never Gonna Give You Up", "Sho' You Right", "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me", "Love's Theme", "Playing Your Game, Baby", and lots lots more! CD

One of the maestro's biggest selling albums of the 70s, and for good reason – as the whole thing's a sexy symphony all the way through, filled with as many stepping rhythms as it is soaring strings! The album features some key extended classic – including the sublime "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" – the tune that gave the world a line that would forever be used in pickup bars. Other tracks are equally great – and include "You Turned My Whole World Around", "You're So Good You're Bad", "Oh What A Night For Dancing", and "Playing Your Game Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Cool Barry score for this spacey 70s film – Disney's attempt to cash in on the Star Wars action, but not nearly as successful as some of the other hits at the time. Titles include "Laser", "Into The Hole", "Zero Gravity", "Six Robots", and "The Door Opens". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the great John Barry – a set of tracks that echoes some of his famous modes from James Bond films, yet also has a unique quality all its own! Barry's got a strongly jazzy sensibility here – and spaces out some great instrumentation with the same sensibilities used in the equally great music for The Knack! Staff aren't listed, but there's clearly some great Brit jazz players in the lineup – given the record's key use of vibes and tenor solos – as well as this very cool slow-plucked guitar with a noisy, echoey quality. The sound is brilliant – everything you'd hope for in the best 60s soundtracks – and titles include "The Ipcress File", "Alone In Three Quarter Time", "A Man Alone", "If You're Not Clean I'll Kill You", "Goodbye Harry", and "Alone Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes themes by John Barry, plus selections by Buddy Holly, Dion & The Belmonts, Nicolas Cage with Pride & Joy (!), and Marshall Crenshaw Band. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual soundtrack from the great John Barry – maybe not what you'd expect for a British film set in the 19th Century! A large part of the soundtrack have these great brooding orchestrations – the kinds of passages that Barry would often unfurl in a James Bond film when the big evil devices were being put into place, or when the lair of a villain was first exposed – all these wonderfully well-crafted tones in the orchestrations with an especially strong ear for the lower end of the spectrum. And then, the second half of the set moves into even ore unusual territory – songs that have maybe a touch of South African swing, but with a mod 60s style, and lots of electric guitar – a very startling change, but a groovy one too, and making for some wonderfully swinging numbers! Titles include "Wagons Over", "Big Shield", "High Grass", "Monkey Feathers", "Zulu Maid", and "Stamp and Shake". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual soundtrack from the great John Barry – maybe not what you'd expect for a British film set in the 19th Century! A large part of the soundtrack have these great brooding orchestrations – the kinds of passages that Barry would often unfurl in a James Bond film when the big evil devices were being put into place, or when the lair of a villain was first exposed – all these wonderfully well-crafted tones in the orchestrations with an especially strong ear for the lower end of the spectrum. And then, the second half of the set moves into even ore unusual territory – songs that have maybe a touch of South African swing, but with a mod 60s style, and lots of electric guitar – a very startling change, but a groovy one too, and making for some wonderfully swinging numbers! Titles include "Wagons Over", "Big Shield", "High Grass", "Monkey Feathers", "Zulu Maid", and "Stamp and Shake". CD

A really wonderful later score from John Barry – and key proof of the maturity he really hit in his music during the 80s! There's a style here that goes way beyond most of his soundtracks of the 60s – and even of the 70s – a depth of feeling and jazzy approach that's almost like some of the best vintage work by Johnny Mandel! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest of Barry's scores for the James Bond films – early enough to be raw, but confident enough to change up the mood nicely! The theme song features vocals by Tom Jones – and the rest of the tunes almost reads as a who's who of hipster influences, as so many of them have been taken up by other artists as band or album names. Titles include "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "Thunderball", "The Bomb", "Chateau Flight", "Bond Below Disco Volante", "Death Of Fiona", and "Switching The Body". LP, Vinyl record album

Len Barry's classic "1-2-3" is one of the alltime great pop crossover tracks of the 60s. It's issued here in an album with similar peppy poppy tracks like "Lip Sync", "You Baby", "Bullseye", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", and "I.O.U." LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most cooking work of the 70s from Dexter Gordon – and that's saying a lot, given all his overseas sessions and late-life work for Columbia Records! The format here is different than both of those, though – in that it's both a sharp hardbop set, with a real back-to-basics vibe – but also one that has much more of an overall group feel, instead of some of the longer-form solo vehicles that Gordon recorded for Steeplechase Records. There's definitely a blowing session vibe – tracks are long, and there's multiple soloists who each get extended time in the spotlight – but there's also a careful sense of structure, brought to the record no doubt by producer Don Schlitten – who'd handled classic dates in the past for Prestige. The group features both Gordon and Al Cohn on tenors, Blue Mitchell and Sam Noto on trumpets, Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – a hell of a lineup that really makes magic on "On The Trail", "Allen's Alley", and "Silver Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

With vocal appearances by Melanie and a nice long B-Boy break on "The Riot"! LP, Vinyl record album

We can remember when this movie spooked the heck out of us – and now it remains as a charming period piece from the days when New York was overrun by gangsters dressed up in baseball uniforms or overalls – representing a version of the Big Apple during the bankrupt 70s that's turned out to have more longstanding charm than the gang in Clockwork Orange! The music's very well-suited in a period style – a sweet mix of Latin, funk, rock, and soundtrack spookiness – with titles that include "Echoes In My Mind" by Mandrill, "Baseball Furies Chase" by Barry De Vorzon, "In Havana" by Kenny Vance & Ismael Miranda, "Nowhere To Run" by Arnold McCuller, and of course the classic "In The City" by Joe Walsh. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare and long unavailable performance of the Kenny Dorham-Barry Harris Quartet captured in action in NYC in 1964! Dorham's trumpet is full and very strongly in the lead in this set – with Barry Harris's piano work provide a loose swagger underneath – reminding us quite a bit of Bud Powell! Julian Ewell is on bass with Albert "Tootie" Heath at the kit. Titles include "Confirmation", "Ma, He's Makin' Eyes At Me", Monk's "Around Midnight", "The Theme", "Tin Tin Deo" plus the bonus tracks "Scandia Skies", and "Manha De Carnaval" – featuring Dorham's quartet recorded live in Copenhagen in December of '63 with Tete Montoliu on piano, Neils-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Alex Riel on drums. CD

A quintet session. Tracks include "Count Up", "Sheer Lunacy", "Inner Urge", "Bells", and "Elvinesque". CD

Solo bass from the great Barry Guy – titled after the painting Comet, by Albert Irving – an image which graces the cover of the record – but served up here in a style of sound that's completely Barry's own! The music has that mindblowing quality that Guy can hit when he's really at his best – that way of opening up the instrument to new sonic possibilities that first made him such an exciting improviser at the start of his career, and which is still best heard in a solo setting like this – one that shows that Barry has lost none of his fire, nor is ever willing to just hang around in territory that's too familiar from earlier periods in his career. The painting in the title is apt – as at times, Guy has a very painterly style in sound – really making all the right choices all feel so right – on titles that include "Comet", "Oscillating", "Old Earth Home", "Barehead", and "Closed Space". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant testament not just to the bass work of Barry Guy, but to so many other factors as well – the open spirit of the contemporary Polish avant scene, the strength of key improvisers in each others' company, and even the much-lauded efforts of the Not Two label to present material of this nature in the sort of richness it deserves! The first four of the CDs in the package document different performances done over the space of two nights at the Alchemia Club in Krakow – a performance space you'll recognize from other important recordings, and a perfect showcase here for al the greatness that unfolds over the course of the CDs. Guy initially steps in as the bassist in the Aurora Trio, with Agusti Fernandez on piano and Ramon Lopez on drums and percussion – but the performances soon open up into a range of other pairings and groupings that really stretch out. The set has two tracks with Guy in duos with Ken Vandermark on tenor; two more with Guy and Vandermark joined by Paul Lytton on percussion, and Percy Pursglove on trumpet; three trio tracks with Guy on bass, Lopez on drums, and Rafal Mazur on electric bass; three more with Vandermark next to Torben Snekkstad on saxes and reed trumpet, and Mette Rasmussen on saxes; two trio tracks with Lopez, Mazur, and Pursglove; and other pairings that include the above players in different groups! CD5 features a full 57 minute performance recorded for Polish Radio, with Guy leading a large improvising group made up of the other players through a reading of the composition "For To End Yet Again" – in a style that's very similar to his material with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra. CD

With Howard Riley on piano and Derek Bailey on guitar. CD

With guests Marilyn Crispell and Maggie Nichols. CD

Early genius from Barry Harris – a live date recorded at San Francisco's Jazz Workshop, and one that has him gently grooving in a mix of sharp edges and lyricism! In a world where many up and comers were tempted by the fruits of the soul jazz sound, Harris remains nicely true to himself – and plays here with a style that's almost introspective at times, certainly filled with the flowing modes of pianistic expression that would emerge in other players more strongly in years to come. The trio features Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums – and titles include "Curtain Call", "Lolita", and "Morning Coffee", plus jazz standards like "Woody N You", "Star Eyes", and "Moose The Mooche". CD

A nicely laidback quartet session from Cohn – one that features the tenorman leading a quartet that includes Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums. There's nothing fancy here, but Cohn's tone is straight and true – and the band holds it down well on tracks that include "Night & Day", "Skylark", "Bright", "Comin In Home", and "Woody N You" – plus five bonus tracks recorded one year earlier with a different rhythm section. CD

One of Barry Harris' rarest albums – an early trio date with Bob Cranshaw on bass and Clifford Jarvis on drums! Includes the original compositions "Around The Corner", "Stay Right With It", and "Bish Bash Bosh". CD

A great live set from pianist Barry Harris – material recorded on the same date that gave us the excellent Live In Tokyo album from reedman Charles McPherson – but done in a very different way that shows that Barry's clearly the leader on these tracks! The rhythm duo is wonderful – the mighty Sam Jones on bass and Leroy Williams on drums – players who can crackle when Harris wants them to, yet also lay back and give Barry lots of spacious territory to work some incredibly deft, personal magic on the keys. The sound almost takes us back to the initial Harris recordings of the early 60s, but also has some of those colors that would flow even more freely in some of his sessions for the Japanese market – on titles that include "I'll Remember April", "Fukai Aijo", "A Soft Spot", "Round Midnight", and "Un Poco Loco". CD features four bonus tracks too – two versions of "Ornithology", plus "Like Someone In Love" and "Night In Tunisia", both nice and long! CD

An extremely striking sextet session from pianist Barry Harris – quite unlike most of his other work from the time! The group on the album features Pepper Adams on baritone, Junior Cook on tenor, and Slide Hampton on trombone – and that brace of three horns gives a really solid feel to the album – working with the rhythm trio of Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Lenny McBrowne on tunes that swing with a jagged, almost modern style – but which have a lot of the soulfully arranged undertones of Slide Hampton's own work. Arrangements are by Harris, and they're great – really leading us to wonder why he didn't work more in this mode. Titles include "Luminescence", "Webb City", "Even Steven", and "Dance Of The Infidels". LP, Vinyl record album

Four sides of Barry Harris, from four different sides! This album's a nice 70s compilation showcasing the piano player at his lyrical best, in a couple of different trio settings, as well as several somewhat uncommon solo numbers and a great quintet featuring then young and relatively unknown players Charles McPherson and Lonnie Hillyer on horns. The trio sides feature Joe Benjamin and Bob Cranshaw on bass and Elvin Jones and Clifford Jarvis on Drums. 17 tracks in all, including "Preminado", "One Down", "It's The Talk Of The Town", "My Heart Stood Still", "The Londonderry Air", "Mutattra", "Body & Soul", "Sphere", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "Anthropology", "Burgundy", "Mucho Dinero", "Easy To Love", "Chasin' The Bird", "The Breeze & I", "'Round Midnight" and "Stay Right With It". LP, Vinyl record album

The LP that followed up Barry's classic pop folk track "Eve Of Destruction". The track still sends a shiver up our spines – probably more because we've seen it used in a million documentaries, than because of any actual power in the song. Still, it's a darn groovy track, and the LP has a number of other nice ones written by P.F. Sloan, including "Mr. Man On The Street (act 1)", "What's Exactly the Matter With Me", and "The Sins Of A Family". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant little record, and one that really lives up to the heady claim of its title! The lineup here is spare, but the sound is really full – swelling with complicated colors, images, and tones that delight us with each new track – a masterpiece in understatement, and one of the most perfectly realized blends of acoustic and electric jazz instrumentation from the late 70s! The sound is really a perfect "fusion" of modes – with guitar from Vic Juris and keyboards from Barry Miles dancing alongside the bass of John Burr and drums of Terry Silverlight – never too jamming or too rock-influenced, but always filled with energy and a sense of imagination. Titles include the beautiful "Tandoori" – a stone jazz dance groover with some great scatted vocals alongside the guitar – and other tracks include "Sunrise", "Streams", "Routes", "Follow Me", and "Country Miles". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer keyboards from the amazing Barry Miles – one of the lesser-known talents of the 70s jazz funk generation, but a heck of a great little player – especially on this album! The set has Barry playing both acoustic and electric keys – sometimes in a soaring, full-on mode that reminds us of bigger fusion stars from the time – sometimes in a warmer, more spacious approach – one that has a fair bit of spiritual soul in the mix! The rest of the group's a quartet – with John Abercrombie on guitar, Frank Tusa on bass, and Terry Silverlight on drums – and some of the best tracks on the record echo the "scatbird" title – and feature Miles vocalizing wordlessly along with his keys! This approach is heard on the cuts "Scatbird" and "Latina" – and other tracks include "Skeleton Dance", "Arrows & Eagles", "Life-Cycle", "Suburban Shuffle", and "First Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Evan Parker on tenor and soprano saxophone, Cecil Taylor on piano, Barry Guy on bass, and Tony Oxley on drums. CD

This longstanding trio of musical partners really sounds wonderful here – attuned to the strengths and subtleties of each member – and able to open up with a beautiful sense of flow on the extended live improvisation on the set! All three musicians have always had as much of an ear for sound as they have for music – and that really comes through here with a stunning array of soundshapes and textures – which are also balanced by some surprisingly tuneful moments too. Evan Parker blows soprano and tenor, Barry Guy is on bass, and Paul Lytton is on drums – and the set features a full improvised performance, divided up into sections. CD

With Billy Drummond and Yoron Israel on drums. CD

A searing live performance from Sam Rivers – never issued before, and recorded as one non-stop improvisation with a really amazing trio! Rivers plays tenor, soprano, flute, and piano – and the record is a great example of the constantly creative energy that he can bring to the fold – especially when working with Dave Holland on bass and Barry Altschul on drums – two players we've always loved, but who we're still blown away with in the company of the leader! The energy here matches classic 70s Rivers records on Impulse and Horo – and the single long improvisation, titled "Ricochet", runs for 52 minutes in length. CD

Two killer cuts from one of the unsung talents of the De Wolfe sound library of the 70s! "Design" has this really cool bongo line that kicks hard throughout the cut – while riffing guitar and just the right touch of some other electric string instrument create a mighty nice groove! "Long Weekend" is even fuller and funkier – and has this offbeat electric keyboard line that's all cool and sprightly next to the heavier groove! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A fully and funky spider from the De Wolfe sound library of the 70s – one that's got all sorts of heavy horns and tight drums, and packs a punch that would be sure to tear open a spiderweb in seconds! That same approach is used on the flipside – a hot-moving cut that's definitely not a cool character – as the whole thing moves along at the pace of some cop/crime chase cut, complete with driving drums and funky horns! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A group with a nice balance of structure and freedom – an unissued recording by a very hip quintet that features Steve Swell on trombone, Gebhard Ullmann on tenor and bass clarinet, Hilliard Greene on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums! At some level, the vibe here is a bit like some of Altschul's classic albums from the early days – as there's a sense of rhythm that pulsates through the record, although in ways that are nicely loose – yet still given some cohesion to the proceedings when the horn solos get very free! The approach has been used before by Swell, too – and his horn sounds wonderful next to the work of Ullmann – on titles that include "Planet Hopping On A Thursday Afternoon", "Sketch #4", "We're Playing In Here", and "La Mariposa". LP, Vinyl record album

Loads of classic singles – 20 in all – with cuts that include "I've Got So Much To Give", "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me", "You're The First The Last My Everything", "Honey Please Can't Ya See", "Never Never Gonna Give You Up", "Love's Theme", "Satin Soul", "Oh What A Night For Dancing", "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long", "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", and "Playing Your Game Baby". CD

Kind of a "greatest hit" of greatest hits compilations – a set that's probably sold more copies than any of Barry White's full length albums – thanks to a monstrous run of hits in the 70s! The package is overflowing with greatness – amazing tunes that balance funky rhythms with soaring strings – all topped with the legendary vocals of The Man himself! Many titles are in shorter single mixes than their album versions, but still pack plenty of punch – and titles include "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", "I'm Gonna Love You A Little More, Babe", "I've Got So Much Love To Give", "Honey Please, Can't You See", "You're The First The Last My Everything", and "Love Serenade". CD

Kind of a "greatest hit" of greatest hits compilations – a set that's probably sold more copies than any of Barry White's full length albums – thanks to a monstrous run of hits in the 70s! The package is overflowing with greatness – amazing tunes that balance funky rhythms with soaring strings – all topped with the legendary vocals of The Man himself! Many titles are in shorter single mixes than their album versions, but still pack plenty of punch – and titles include "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", "I'm Gonna Love You A Little More, Babe", "I've Got So Much Love To Give", "Honey Please, Can't You See", "You're The First The Last My Everything", and "Love Serenade". LP, Vinyl record album

Can't get enough of Barry White at this key point in his career – a time when he was stepping from the shadows as one of the most sensuous soul stars of the 70s! The album's a near-perfect effort throughout – a great blend of the soaring strings and funkier rhythms that always made Barry's work so great – topped with vocals that are both sung and spoken, all in a voice that's deeper than deep! Tracks intertwine nicely – almost sharing similar themes at points – and although not penned as a "soul symphony", the album certainly comes across like one. Titles include "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", "Oh Love Well We Finally Made It", "Mellow Mood (parts 1 & 2)", "You're The First The Las, My Everything", and "I Can't Believe You Love Me". CD

The title's got it right – because the Man is definitely back, although in a completely different way than before! Barry White works here in a setting that's nice and lean – those soul changes that came about during them more electric 80s years, but also given that start-of-90s spin that had a deeper sense of soul returning to the music – thanks to innovations by Soul II Soul, Terry Riley, and other groundbreaking talents! There's a vibe that definitely resonates with the younger R&B generation of the time – funky, but in a completely different way than 70s Barry White – and the singer's vocals fit tremendously well amidst the very catchy grooves. Tracks include "Super Lover", "Don't Let Go", "Love's Interlude/Good Night My Love", "I Wanna Do It Good To Ya", "It's Getting Harder All The Time", and "Responsible". LP, Vinyl record album