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One of the earliest albums on Hi Records – and a full set of heavy instrumentals from the Bill Black Combo! The groove is more R&B than Memphis soul – and is especially heavy on the sorts of rolling rhythms you'd hear from New Orleans – a sound that had obviously filtered north, and which at this time was still helping the Tennessee scene find its groove. Yet there's some definite Memphis touches going in here too – especially in the basslines and guitar, and a bit in the tenor solos – which can be nice and biting, with plenty of soul! Titles include "Smokie (parts 1 & 2)", "Cyclone Boy", "Dee J Special", "Anytime", "Before Dawn", "Special Duty", and "Crankcase". CD features two bonus tracks too – "Smokie (part 2) (stereo)", and "Smokie (part 2) (alternate version)".

A great focus for the Bill Black Combo – an album of bluesy tunes that seem to bring out a bit more soul than usual in their music – at least for this time in the group's history! Many of the numbers are older tracks that fall into the category of crossover blues – tunes played more by jazz artists than gritty bluesmen, which make them a good fit for the instrumental style of the combo – tuned a bit more towards the bluer side of the spectrum by the group's electric guitar and bass, and topped with some especially nice work on horns. Titles include "Basin Street Blues", "I'll Never Be Free", "Birth Of The Blues", "Peter Gunn", "Weary Blues", "St Louis Blues", and "Blues In The Night".

A whole set of rocking instrumentals from the Bill Black Combo – their own Memphis instrumental versions of tunes recorded by Chuck Berry at Chess – served up in the group's trademark blend of guitar, organ, and tenor sax! There's a bit more guitar than usual on some of the cuts – an obvious nod to Berry's prowess on the instrument – yet other tunes have the tenor taking this place, and working some cool groovy sounds with the lead instrument lines. Titles include "Roll Over Beethoven", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "School Days", "Carol", "Maybellene", "Thirty Days", and "Reelin & Rockin".

Bill Black and his classic combo – but with a sound that's a lot more Stax Records than usual! The grooves are gritty right from the get-go – no surprise, given that the back cover notes begin with an anecdotal definition of funk – one that Black and his group clearly seem to have read, given that they start the album with a mighty drumbreak! The set's still got that saxy Bill Black sound, but the organ is a lot more deeply burning, and the drums have a nice sort of punch too – maybe more Mar-Keys than MGs, but still mighty darn nice. Titles include "Turn On Your Love Light", "The Horse", "Philly Dog", "Big Boss Man", "Red Light", "Bright Lights Big City", and "Shoo Bee Doo Be Doo Da Day".

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The quintet forged a sound that made them an immediate hit – and which had their tight, jagged, soul-drenched sound getting copied by everyone. The record features some amazing soul jazz standards – like Nat's original version of "Work Song", the first-ever record of Timmons' amazing "Dat Dere", Cannon's slinky "Them Dirty Blues", and the jaunty groover "Jeannine", a wonderful cut by Duke Pearson that never sounded better! The CD features alternates of "Work Song" and "Dat Dere" – for a total of 9 tracks in all!

Nice and rarely seen trio side from under-recorded Chicago pianist Anderson. He plays here with Bill Lee and either Walter Perkins or Philly Joe Jones on drums, in a trio that made the core of the rhythm section on Frank Strozier's excellent Jazzland date, Long Night. The group is in fine form here, running through both standards and originals, and though Anderson's name isn't as well known as many other pianists, it ought to be, and he was no stranger to other Windy City jazz greats such as Johnny Griffin. Imagine a cross between Bill Evans and Elmo Hope, and you might get a picture of where he's coming from, though Anderson's voice is all his own, weaving some nice sinuous lines on a set that leans heavily on ballads here, including "You'd Be Nice To Come Home To", "My Funny Valentine" and the originals "See You Saturday" & the title track.

The Latin Impressions here are more Brazilian than Cuban – and maybe a bit Spanish, too – given the strong use of acoustic guitar from Charlie Byrd! The set's got a laidback, open feel – and Byrd's guitar work is mighty deft, yet without all the frills and flowers of some of the more dramatic, emotive players of the time – a great illustration of the huge shift that the early bossa guitar recordings had at a global level. Byrd was one of the first big American proponents of bossa, and you can definitely hear that influence at work here – amidst additional guitar from Gene Byrd, bass from Keter Betts, and drums from Bill Reichenbach. A few tunes feature Charlie on solo guitar with no backing – and titles include "O Pato", "Homage A Villa Lobos", "Bogota", "Vals", "Samba De Uma Nota So", "Amor Flamengo", and "Azul Tiple".

Nicely grooving work from organist Bill Doggett – in a stepping R&B mode that's in the style of his more famous work on tracks like "Hold It" or "Honky Tonk" (neither of which are on this album.) The group's a quartet, with Percy France on tenor, Shep Shepherd on drums, and Billy Butler on guitar – and the overall format is rawer than some of Doggett's other sleepier King albums. Titles include "Percy Speaks", "Oof", "Quaker City", "Shove Off", "Who's Who", "Squashy", "Gumbo", and "Wild Oats". Great cover, too – with some cartoony hot dogs on a BBQ!

One of the greatest moments ever from west coast bassman Henry Franklin – a set of soaring, spiritual power – and a key demonstration of his rich energy as a leader! Franklin heads a wicked lineup here – playing both Fender and acoustic bass amidst other players who include Bill Henderson on electric piano, Charles Owens on tenor and soprano sax, Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Kenny Climax on guitar, and Michael Carvin on drums – all coming together with a mix of spiritual vibes and soulful undercurrents, in ways that almost give the record a Strata East sort of vibe! The whole thing is certainly one of the most memorable sessions on the Black Jazz label – and titles include "Outbreak", "Little Miss Laurie", "Theme For Jojo", and "Plastic Creek Stomp".

Over looked genius in American comics from the 40s to the 80s – a wonderful volume that features material we never would have seen otherwise! Some of the names here are legends, represented by obscure slices of their work – and others are talents that never got the respect they deserve – laid out lovingly by Dan Nadel, in a way that's similar to his previous collection, Art Out Of Time. Original comic pages are reproduced in full color, but with a nice yellowing effect to the pages – and black and white underground art comes through very vividly – in this huge volume that features work by Bill Everett, Matt Fox, Jesse Marsh, Mort Meskin, HG Peter, John Stanley, Pat Boyette, and others – plus great text and introductions from Nadel. 301 pages, hardcover, in color and black and white.

One of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". A fantastic record – and one that you can't go wrong with!

A beautiful album of crispy cool jazz from the LA scene of the 50s – one that features the octet of Bill Perkins recorded live in Hollywood, but in a "special hi-fi theater recording" that has sound as sublime as his studio work! The group includes Perkins on tenor, Bud Shank on alto, Jack Nimitz on baritone, Stu Williamson on trumpet, Carl Fontana on trombone, Russ Freeman on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. The live setting takes nothing away from the perfection of the group's conception, as Perkins' leadership is impeccable, bringing together the horns in a beautiful wash of sound. Titles include "Let Me See", "Zing Zang", "For Dancers Only", "One Hundred Years From Today", "Song Of The Islands", and "As They Reveled".

Excellent work from Oscar Pettiford – his last sessions, in case you couldn't tell by the title, recorded in Copenhagen in 1959 and 1960, with players that include Allan Botchinsky on trumpet, Jan Johansson on piano, Erik Nordstrom on tenor, and Luis Hjulmand on vibes. Despite the introduction of European ringers to the set, and despite the posthumous collection of sessions, the album's actually one of Pettiford's strongest, and certainly one of the best to show his ever-growing commitment as a modernist during the 50s. The album includes loads of original tunes – including "Blue Brothers", "Two Little Pearls", "Laverne Walk", "Why Not? That's What!", and "My Little Cello".

Early work by Dave Pike – one of his first albums ever, recorded with an all-star lineup that includes Barry Harris on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Pike's got less of the groovy and fuzzed-out sound of his later work – but even at this young age, he's a heck of a vibes player, and working here with such a great group, he can't help but sparkle. Tracks include "Cheryl", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Forward", "Tendin To Business", "Solar", and "Hot House".

Some of jazz's most sensitive artists get together in a lyrical set of light-handed ditties. Shearing's piano is a surprisingly nice complement to the vibes/bass/guitar sound of The Montgomery Brothers – and the group is augmented by some nice Latin percussion. Tracks are short, and titles include "Double Deal", "Mambo In Chimes", "Lois Ann", "And Then I Wrote", and "No Hard Feelings".

A great change of pace for Billy Taylor – and one of the most striking sessions he made in the 50s! As you'll guess from the title, the record features Taylor's piano along with four flutes – played by Frank Wess, Herbie Mann, Jerome Richardson, and Phil Bodner – working here both in group formation, and in solo mode – fluttering nicely with a cool jazzy sound that really prefaces lots of use of the instrument in the 60s! Another added bonus on the record is added congas from Chano Pozo on most tracks, making for a groovy Latinesque bounce. Titles include "Blue Shutters", "One For The Woofer", "The Song Is Ended", "Back Home", "No Parking", and "Lady Be Good".

A treasure trove of funk and soul from one heck of a great little label – Columbus, Ohio's short-lived Capsoul imprint – only around for 5 years in the 70s, but home to a great flurry of indie singles! We first caught onto the label's brilliance with their funky classics "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies and "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss – but as this set wonderfully demonstrates, the label's got a heck of a lot more to offer – and all of it great! The label's brilliance has been masterfully unearthed by the crate-digging team at Numero Records – who've brought together 20 of the best Capsoul singles in a beautiful package that really tells the story of the tiny imprint, getting at the details and struggles that faced independent soul in the marketplace of the 70s. Way more than just a set of old singles, the set's a rich document of indie soul in one of the near-forgotten corners of the Midwest – filled with great tunes that may well have you booking the next flight you can find to Columbus! Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "Pure Soul" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Without Love" by Ronnie Taylor, "You're All I Need To Make It" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr, "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Too Far Gone" by Four Mints, "I Want To Be Ready" by Kook Blues, "Go On Fool" by Marion Black, and "Number One" by Bill Moss. Updated version features new mastering and additional notes – plus the bonus track "All I Need To Make It" by The Capsoul Group.

Raw rock from the El Paso scene of the early 60s – most of it material produced by local music hound Calvin Boles – a force as important to that scene as Lee Hazlewood was to Phoenix! Boles has a great ear for a sharp guitar line – and really manages to bring the best out of all the players here, giving the tunes an echoey feel that's mighty nice – and which really serves to fan the sparks of genius into a much longer-burning flame! Norton's done a great job with this volume – and have managed to unearth some rare Bobby Fuller tracks, along with gems from contemporaries on the Yucca and Exeter labels. Titles include "Black Out" and "Tickler" by The Sherwoods, "Hot Rod Ford" by DY & The Motivaters, "Lonely" by David Hayes & The Pawns, "Pawn" by The Pawns, "You Hold My Letters" by Bill Taylor & The Sherwoods, "Judy" by The Chancellers, "Dance To The Palisades" by Frank Gonzales & The Palisades, and "You're In Love" and "Say Honey" by Bobby Fuller.

Raw rock from the El Paso scene of the early 60s – most of it material produced by local music hound Calvin Boles – a force as important to that scene as Lee Hazlewood was to Phoenix! Boles has a great ear for a sharp guitar line – and really manages to bring the best out of all the players here, giving the tunes an echoey feel that's mighty nice – and which really serves to fan the sparks of genius into a much longer-burning flame! Norton's done a great job with this volume – and have managed to unearth some rare Bobby Fuller tracks, along with gems from contemporaries on the Yucca and Exeter labels. Titles include "Black Out" and "Tickler" by The Sherwoods, "Hot Rod Ford" by DY & The Motivaters, "Lonely" by David Hayes & The Pawns, "Pawn" by The Pawns, "You Hold My Letters" by Bill Taylor & The Sherwoods, "Judy" by The Chancellers, "Dance To The Palisades" by Frank Gonzales & The Palisades, and "You're In Love" and "Say Honey" by Bobby Fuller.

An excellent album of vocals that's one of the best vocal jazz sessions ever cut on Bethlehem! It's also one of the rarest, and comes packaged in a cool purple, white, and black cover with Connelly stretched out in a montage of some very Laura Petrie-ish images! The backing's by a hip group led by Russ Garcia, and featuring Jimmy Giuffre, Charlie Mariano, Bill Holman, and Pete Candoli. Tracks include "Gentleman Friend", "Alone Together", "That Old Black Magic", "Why Shouldn't I", and "Trav'lin Light".

Rough and raw work from Big Bill Broonzy – well-done sides that feature Bill on vocals and acoustic guitar, recorded in Paris in the early 50s, and issued here in a US package on the Scepter label! There's a pretty earthy feel to most of the tracks – a real "crossroads" feel that possibly has more to say about postwar European perceptions of the blues than the actual sound of the American scene at the time – but from the perspective of over 50 years later, there's a definite classic feel to the record that really stands the test of time. Titles include "Hey Bud Blues", "Coal Black Curly Hair", "Low Down Blues", "Louise Louise Blues", "Letter To My Baby", and "John Henry".

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

One of the most ambitious recordings ever from Bill Russo – the composer/arranger who first rose to fame with Stan Kenton, and who's working here in an even more modern extension of Kentonite ideals! Side one of the record features Russo's beautiful composition "The World Of Alcina" – a tune originally written as a jazz ballet, but which comes across here with the fluid tones and deep colors of some of the more serious jazz soundtracks from the time. The 18 minute piece features some especially great work on horns – played by a large brace of brass instruments used with the careful, sensitive styles that clearly show an influence from Kenton. Side two features shorter tunes – most composed by Russo too, and played in ways that resonate more strongly with west coast small combo work of the time. There's a nice sense of counterpoint on most numbers, and a few tunes feature great interplay between Russo's valve trombone, Bill Porter's slide trombone, and the twin tenors of Sandy Mosse and Bill Trujillo – while others have a more open soloing style, with just Russo and Trujillo as the main horns. Rhythm is by Eddie Baker on piano, Israel Crosby on bass, and Mickey Simonetta on drums – and tracks include "For My Sister", "Under The Greenwood Tree", "L'Affair Bugs", "Bill's Blues", and "Speculum".

A lost west coast gem from the 50s – a unique quintet session for Atlantic Records, cut by a group co-led by trumpeter Conte Candoli and pianist Lou Levy! There's a bit more fire here than in some of the other sides from the time by the players – especially Levy – and in a way, the record goes a bit farther past the limits of Candoli's Bethlehem sessions, showcasing an especially searing sound in his horn! Other players here include the great Bill Holman on tenor, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Lawrence Marable on drums – and titles are all hard and short, and include "Marcia Lee", "Pete's Alibi", "Jordu", "Cheremoya", and "Comes Love".

Sexy cartoons galore – pulled from the pages of the vintage Humorama publications of the 50s, 60s, and 70s – and featuring work from comic giants Jack Cole, Dan DeCarlo, Basil Wolverton, Dave Berg, Bill Ward, and others! The gimmicks are usually simple – a busty gal in skimpy clothing in a possibly tricky situation – but the execution here is brilliant, especially given the great postwar look of most of the cartoons. The book follows in the individual artist series from Fantagraphics – but is bigger than those volumes, with a great sense of variety – over 200 pages, in black and white and a bit of color too.

A spiritual soul jazz masterpiece by Norman Connors – one of his pre-soul albums recorded in a style that ranks with the best indie work on Strata East and Black Jazz! The album's a monster session filled with heavyweights – produced to perfection by Skip Drinkwater, and featuring an all-star lineup that includes Buster Williams, Eddie Henderson, Bill Summers, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Herbie Hancock, Gary Bartz, and Carlos Garnett. Tracks are all long, and free-flowing – a bit out at times, but always returning to the modal pulse of Connors' soulful rhythms. Titles include "Carolos II", "Kumakucha", "Holy Waters", "Revelation", and "Love From The Sun".

One of Bill Evans' landmark sessions with the young bassist Scott LaFaro – a player who made key contributions on every record he touched, then left this earth far too soon in his career! The live session's a perfect demonstration of the way that the Evans trio format not only re-worked the use of the piano in jazz, but also the bass and drums as well – as LaFaro's deeply evocative playing is paired with the equally fresh drum work of Paul Motian – heard here at his youthful early best, before some of his contributions to jazz had become cliche in the hands of other players. The session was caught live at the Village Vanguard on the night of June 25, 1961 – and titles include longish takes on "Solar", "Jade Visions", "Gloria's Step", and "Alice In Wonderland".

Wonderful work from a player who never ceases to please us! Even at this early point in his career, Jimmy Heath had a soulful hipness that you'd be hard pressed to find in another musician – working with a vision of soul jazz that most other players wouldn't hip to until the 70s. Jimmy wrote most of the tracks on the set, and arranged the album with a style that's as strikingly modern as it is in the pocket and grooving – played superbly by a combo that include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French Horn, Cedar Walton on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert Heath on drums. Tracks include "Funny Time", "Down Shift", "The Quota", and "Bells & Horns".

Not Joe's most cutting-edge album, but a sweet warm batch of tracks with a good California/Fantasy records feel! The group includes Dawilli Gonga (aka George Duke) on electric piano, Harvey Mason on drums, and Bill Summers on conga – so the group has a nice groove to them. Henderson's joined by Hadley Caliman, Oscar Brashear, George Bohannon, and Snooky Young on horns – and the tracks include "Immaculate Deception", "Black Miracle", "Gazelle", and "Solution".

Groundbreaking work from the legendary Ahmad Jamal – not just in his own career, but in live jazz in general! The album's a classic recording of Jamal's trio with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums – captured at the Pershing Lounge on the south side of Chicago, where Jamal was clearly wowing the crowd with his amazing talents on the piano. The groove here is sublimely fluid and soulful – clearly the next wave of expression on the piano in the 50s, and as important to the Chicago scene as Bill Evans was to that of New York at the time. The recording quality is wonderful – clear enough to capture the subtleties of Crosby's amazing bass, and the lightly tippling sound of Fournier's drums – and titles include a classic extended reading of "Poinciana", plus "What's New", "But Not For Me", and "No Greater Love".

One of the leading lights of the ECM Records scene in the early 80s – bassist Marc Johnson, working here with his successful Bass Desires group! The lineup features some wonderful interplay on stringed instruments – Johnson's bass, and guitars from both John Scofield and Bill Frisell, the later of whom also plays a bit of guitar synthesizer, in very ECM-shaped lines. Drums are from Peter Erskine, who's well-heard when the moment allows – and titles include "Samurai Hee Haw", "Mojo Highway", "Thanks Again", "Bass Desires", and "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair".

A great little session from Wynton Kelly – one that has him breaking out of the lyrical roots of his trio work, and hitting some harder notes as a leader of a larger hardbop group! The album features Kelly working in both trio and sextet format – the latter with players who include Nat Adderley, Bobby Jaspar, and Benny Golson; and the former with Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb (who also play with the sextet). The sextet tracks are the ones that we really love here – as they tend to feature 2 long original numbers by Kelly – much more open than usual, and in a mode that was rarely captured as well on Wynton's albums as a leader. The trio sides are still nice too, though – although a bit more like some of his other sides – and the album features 6 tracks in all, titles that include "Kelly Blue", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Green Dollphin Street", "Keep It Moving", and "Old Clothes".

Pat Martino tells his story – a wonderfully long run of jazz experience that starts in the heady days of the 60s soul jazz scene, moves into key psychedelic modes, suffers a bit of tragedy in later years, then springs wonderfully back more recently! Pat's got help from a co-writer on the book, who helps take his deeply personal musings, and give them some key narrative focus – laid out in a way that also introduces comments on Martino from some of his contemporaries and fellow guitarists – all of whom further illuminate the musical changes over Pat's years in jazz. The book is hardcover, 192 pages, and features some black and white photos.

One of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – and a key session in the best "new thing" mode of the 60s! The New York Art Quartet were a short live collaboration between trombonist Roswell Rudd, saxophonist John Tchicai, bassist Lewis Worrell, and percussionist Milford Graves – but their legacy in this one album is almost greater than that of other combos who recorded more frequently at the time. The sound is similar to the best "spacious" groups of the new thing years – such as the Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon work, or some of the looser sides by the New York Contemporary Five – a group that featured Shepp and Tchicai. Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) makes a key guest appearance on the title "Black Dada Nihilismus" – reciting his writings alongside the group's somber instrumental musings – and other titles include "Short", "Rosmosis", and "No 6".

A treasure trove of funk and soul from one heck of a great little label – Columbus, Ohio's short-lived Capsoul imprint – only around for 5 years in the 70s, but home to a great flurry of indie singles! We first caught onto the label's brilliance with their funky classics "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies and "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss – but as this set wonderfully demonstrates, the label's got a heck of a lot more to offer – and all of it great! The label's brilliance has been masterfully unearthed by the crate-digging team at Numero Records – who've brought together 19 of the best Capsoul singles in a beautiful package that really tells the story of the tiny imprint, getting at the details and struggles that faced independent soul in the marketplace of the 70s. Way more than just a set of old singles, the set's a rich document of indie soul in one of the near-forgotten corners of the Midwest – filled with great tunes that may well have you booking the next flight you can find to Columbus! Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "Pure Soul" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Without Love" by Ronnie Taylor, "You're All I Need To Make It" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr, "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Too Far Gone" by Four Mints, "I Want To Be Ready" by Kook Blues, "Go On Fool" by Marion Black, and "Number One" by Bill Moss. Updated version features new mastering and additional notes – plus the bonus track "All I Need To Make It" by The Capsoul Group.

A double-length collection of work from two obscure Atlanta soul labels – the Tragar and Note imprints, both run by local producer Jesse Jones! Back in the day, Atlanta wasn't nearly as big of an outlet for soul records as it's become in recent years – so Jones' labels were key in showcasing under-exposed local talent in the city, a range of soul groups, solo singers, and funk combos – all produced here with a really fresh sound! Nearly every track here is super-obscure – and there's few southern soul cliches to get in the way of the music – no overdone blues, no Hotlanta disco, no Muscle Shoals copies – just honest-to-goodness indie soul at its best – full of life, vitality, and personality – all presented with the usual deep-digging Numero look at the artists in the notes. The package features a whopping 50 tracks in all – one of the biggest Numero collections so far – and together, they really tell the tale of this crucially overlooked scene – a key link between more familiar southern styles and rising Northern modes, all with a personality of its own. Titles include "All Because of You" and "Down In The Country" by Tee Fletcher, "The Hump" and "Tipping Strings" by The Knights, "Somebody Got A Help Me" and "Love is So Mean" by Richard Cook, "I'll Show You With Love" by Young Divines, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Messing Around" by Bobby Owens & The Diplomats, "I Think It's Time" by Alice Swoboda, "Black Midnight" by JJ Jones, "That's How Much I Love You" by Eula Cooper, "Let's Get Funky" by Langston & French, "You Got A Spell On Me" by Bill Wright, "Strange Feeling" by Nathan Wilkes, "Shake Daddy Shake" by Eula Cooper, and "Nitecap" by L Daniels.

Everybody Digs Bill Evans – or at least it certainly seems that way from the cover endorsements by Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, and Ahmad Jamal – but the real proof is in the record, and the set is a great one from Bill's classic years on Riverside! Evans is at the peak of his early powers here – working with a straightforward rhythm combo that features Sam Jones on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums – but still hitting those beautifully fluid, beautifully spacious lines that set his playing apart from most who'd come before him. Tracks include 3 solo numbers – "Lucky To Be Me", "Peace Piece", and the very short "Epilogue" – plus trio tracks "Night & Day", "Minority", "Tenderly", and "Oleo".

There's definitely lots of brass here – as you might guess from the title – but never so much so that it gets in the way of individual soloing by Maynard Ferguson! The date features Maynard working with arrangements by Willie Maiden, Al Cohn, Ernie Wilkins, and Bill Holman – all for a largeish group that's wonderfully hip – Bobby Timmons on piano, Anthony Ortega on alto, Jimmy Ford on alto and tenor, Willie Maiden on tenor, Tate Houston on baritone, Richard Evans on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums – plus some added trumpets and trombones! Maynard himself plays both instruments on the date, and the album also feature some surprising guest vocals by Irene Kral on 4 tracks – spicing up the instrumental blend with lyrics on "Moonlight In Vermont", "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", "Imagination", and "The Song Is You". Instrumental tracks include "Jeepers Creepers", "I Never Knew", "A Foggy Day", "Love Me Or Leave Me", and "The Lamp Is Low".

Classy supperclub vocals, with arrangements by Jimmy Jones, and some sweet polished singing from Bill Henderson. Most of the tracks are standards or pop – like "Am I Blue", "The More I See You", and "Twelfth Of Never – but there's a few nice lesser-known ones, like "My How The Time Goes By" that Thad Jones arranged and conducted and "Never Kiss & Run".

A later album from Joe Henderson's ultra-hip 70s period for Milestone – a sweetly electric session with the mighty Patrick Gleeson on keyboards! Gleeson is as strong of a force here as he is on other essential albums from the time – including some of Herbie Hancock's work – and the keyboardist handles E Mu Polyphonic synth, which really fits the flowing style of the music! Henderson's great, as always, on tenor – blowing the instrument with a searching quality that's a fair bit different than some of his contemporaries, a unique space that further pushed the instrument in the years after the passing of John Coltrane. The rhythm section holds its end up nicely too – bringing in some key modal moments with players who include Joachim Kuhn on piano, JF Jenny-Clark on bass, and Bill Summers on drums. Tracks are a bit more open than some of Joe's early 70s work – but still done with a hip Bay Area groove – and titles include "Black Narcissus", "Hindsight & Forethought", "Amoeba", and a studio version of "Power to the People", which Henderson had done earlier on a live set.

A beautiful combination we'd like to hear more of – one that comes from the meeting of Milt Jackson's vibes and the guitar of Wes Montgomery – both recorded here in easygoing brilliance! The session's a nice break from the usual sound of both players at the time – and although Wes played a bit with vibes when working in The Montgomery Brothers, the Jackson approach here is a bit different – more soulful, and a bit more driven on by the rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Philly Joe Jones. Titles include the originals "SKJ", "Blue Roz", "Jingles", and "Sam Sack" – plus versions of "Stairway To The Stars" and "Delilah".

A sharp early 60s session from the Duke Ellington group – one that seems to draw strongly on the best late 50s work for Columbia Records, but which also seems to add in an extra crackle too! The tunes are relatively short, but the group pack plenty of punch in the small space – especially on the more rhythmic numbers, which almost seem to borrow a bit from Basie's bag – yet with more of the sophistication you'd expect on the Ellington horns. The work of Aaron Bell on bass and Sam Woodyard on drums is especially strong on this session – but there's loads of great interplay from reedmen who include Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Russel Procope, Harry Carney, and Paul Gonsalves – plus trumpet from Bill Berry, Cat Anderson, Roy Burrowes, and Harold Baker. Titles include "Taffy Twist", "Flirtbird", "Smada", "What Am I Here For", "Boo Dah", "Black & Tan Fantasy", and "I'm Gonna Go Fishin".

A tiny label, but one with some really great sounds – a great slice of the late 60s Philly scene, and a pretty darn soulful one at that! The label started as Kayden in Philly, then moved across the river to New Jersey and switched to Merben – but had a really unified sound throughout their short run, so much so that even the few pop recordings here come across with a pretty soulful feel! Most numbers are upbeat, and move in a Northern-ish soul mode – and the male singers here are especially great, almost a bit more deep soul than usual for the Philly scene, especially some of the groups. CD features 24 cuts from both labels, including some unreleased material – and titles include "You're Gonna Miss A Good Thing Baby", "Help Me Pretty Baby", and "At The End Of The Day" by John Bowie, who's pictured on the front cover – plus "Stop Think It Over" and "A Place For Me" by Leverett Sisters, "I Wanna Know" by Bill Horton, "Seven Days Fifty Two Weeks" by Cody Michaels, "Ask Any Girl" and "What Am I Gonna Do" by Matt Sound, "Where Did You Leave Your Heart" by Sharon Marshall, "Shake Me Wake Me" by Natural Facts, "I Can Only Give You Everything" by Bram Rigg Set, "Why Did God Make Girls" by JD Rogues, "Tell Me" by Shags, "How Could You Have Known" by Bats, and "Paint It Black" by Jimmy Roma.

A wealth of wonderful jazz tunes – all of them unreleased, and all of them pulled from the sound library of German producer Hans Wewerka – the man who's given us some other great collections of grooves over the years! Although Hans didn't produce commercially-available recordings, he did have as great of an ear as any other jazz producers of his time – on either side of the Atlantic – and the cuts here are a unique blend of American modes from labels like Prestige or Verve, with some of the hippest styles showing up on the European scene of the 60s – particularly those that would show up on unique crossbreeding recordings between local musicians and American players working overseas. Some of the cuts are quite short, but all are plenty groove-heavy – some in a funky way, others in more of a mod 60s sort of style. Titles include "Soul Ong" by Rolf Wilhelm, "Blow In" by Joe Haider, "Jupiter Beat" by Bill Grah, "Beat Power" by Joe Haider, "Soulin" by Olaf Kuebler, "Hard Work" by Wolfgang Thoma, "Smeralda" by Eugen Thomass, "In The Very Last Moment" by Olaf Kuebler, "Black Widow" by Ted Evans, and "Madison Square 2" by Eugen Illin.

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "Joann's Green Satin Dress" and "Amanpondo".

A blend of jazz funk and rawer informed grooves from Harold Alexander – and actually a step into more polished vibes thanks to some Arif Mardin arrangements and a new home at Atlantic Records! Although some of the earlier records cut by reed player Harold Alexander may have been more accurately described with the title Raw Root, this one stands up a lot better today than we remembered it! It has a pretty tight electric sound, and good Atlantic soul grooves running through it – with Alexander on flutes & saxes, Joe Boner in on keyboards, Ricard Davis on bass and Brian Beaks on drums on the bulk of it, with altered personnel on "De Black Musician" and "Lady Euphoria" (which also include vocals by Tequila). Soulful backing vocals credited to Something Different and some guitar by Junior Hanson and some spacey synth by Billy Allessi. Other tracks include "Country Soul", "Raw Root", "New York Sister", and "Street Life".

A key album in the career of Louis Armstrong – one that helped him forge the fourth or fifth great comeback in his career! As you'd guess by the title, the album's built around Louis' hit version of "Hello Dolly" – sung in a mode that at one level stretches back to his roots in trad jazz, but at another kind of peps the whole thing up with a mod 60s/20s retro sort of swing – more syncopated than before, with a choppy little groove that pushed Louis right back onto the charts. Backing is by a small group that includes Billy Kyle on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass, and Joe Darensbourg on clarinet – and the album's filled with other great numbers that include "A Kiss To Build A Dream On", "Moon River", "You Are Woman I Am Man", "Blueberry Hill", and "Be My Life's Companion".

A rare and great one from Luis Bacalov – his soundtrack for Una Questione D'Onore – fleshed out with bonus tracks for a first-time complete release! It's a mid 60s effort that pairs lush strings and grittier, oddball touches – soaring arrangements and stripped town pulpy movements alike. We know little about the film, but it's billed as a period set black comedy, which gives Bacalov plenty of motivation to pull together many of the aspects we love best about his 60s work, all into one soundtrack. Really wonderful stuff. Includes 43 tracks and nearly 80 minutes of music: Variations on the title theme as well as the tracks "Domenica Angela", "West Sardinia", "Modi Loro", "Valzer Per Una Pecora", "La Festa" and many more.

3 lost vocal gems from 50s Paris! The set pulls together some rare eps on the Barclay and Fontana labels – all the picture of Left Bank hip! The first 8 tracks are by Harold Nicholas – singing in French and English with a swinging combo on tunes that include "Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours?", "That Old Black Magic", "Teach Me Tonight", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" – in a style that's similar to early work by Claude Nougaro, but perhaps a bit more mellow. The next 4 tracks feature June Richmond singing with a hip group arranged by Quincy Jones – and featuring work by Billy Byers, Roger Guerin, Kenny Clarke, and Henri Renaud. Tracks on that set include "Sleep", "Everybody's Doing It", and "I've Gotta Right To Sing The Blues". The last two tracks are rare gems by Andy Bey and his sisters Salome and Geraldine – performing in the style of their classic Andy & The Bey Sisters albums in the US, and recorded in 1959, quite early in their career! Their two tracks are wonderful – and feature the trio grooving soulfully on the tunes "Smooth Sailin" and "Scoubidou".

An ambition Black Opera – Libretto from Black Opera and producer Astronote – featuring guests Melody Betts, Mayer Hawthorne, Boog Brown,Lalibella, Rasheeda Ali and 14KT. Includes "End Of The Beginning", "Grand Endtrance", "Rich Blood", "Kings Ramsom", "Queen Of Hearts" with Mayer Hawthorne, "Peace And War" with flute by Rasheeda Ali and trumpet by 14KT, "Thorns", "Red Bills", "Shadows" with Boog Brown, "Black Lair" with Melody Betts and more.

The life of Billie Holliday! Billie is one of the most fascinating singers in American musical history, both for her beautiful, amazing voice and for the life she led. Even the story behind this book about her life is fascinating! In the 70s, Billie Holliday was interviewed extensively for an intended biography by Linda Keuel, but she passed away in 1978 before her book about Billie could come out. Author Jula Blackburn mined the audio recordings of those interviews for this one – a biography that highlights Billie's strength and encourage. Paperback, 354 pages

Funky trumpet galore – and a lost break classic! At the time of this 1974 LP, Billy Brooks was an obscure LA trumpeter working in the Ray Charles band – and although this record didn't bring him instant fame when it was released, it's grown to become a groove classic over time – and always in demand these days! The standout cut is the sample track "Forty Days" – a masterpiece of jagged drums and floating horn work, sampled to great fame by Tribe Called Quest, and instantly famous for years after. The whole album's great, though – a funky big band mix of electronic and acoustic playing, with some really mad numbers! Tracks include "Shetter Cheeze", "Good News Blues", "Cooling It", "Black Flag", "Shetter Cheeze", and "CP Time".

A range of essays on the music, influence, and cultural significance of the late John Coltrane – easily one of the key forces to have shaped our taste here at Dusty Groove! The book offers a number of differing perspectives, some with an academic tone, some a bit more political – and overall, the writings definitely live up to the spirit promised in the title! Articles include "A Look At Late John Coltrane" by Salim Washington, "When Bar Walkers Preach" by Tommy Lott, "Freedom Is A Constant Struggle" by Tammy Kernodle, "John Coltrane As The Personification Of Spirituality In Black Music" by Anthony Brown, "In His Own Words – Coltrane's Responses To Critics" by Leonard L Brown, "John Coltrane & The Practice Of Freedom" by Herman Gray, and a few interviews with Billy Taylor, Yusef Lateef, and Olly Wilson – and a special coda, "George Russell on John Coltrane". 235 pages, paperback.

An incredible album from Donald Byrd – hard, funky, and with more of an edge than most of his other Blue Note work! The sound on the album's incredibly sinister – really concerned with downward chord turns in moody rhythms – played with a real sense of soul by a frontline that features Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Sonny Red. Cedar Walton drives most of the tunes with hypnotic lines on piano – and the rest of the rhythm's cooked up by Walter Booker on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Includes the massively hard funky title cut, "Blackjack", plus "Beale Street", "Loki", and some other nice groovers. Red and Mobley are amazing, and Byrd's solos are some of his cleanest and leanest of the 60s!

A classic album that mixes trumpet and voices in a swirling soulful sound that worked very well for Byrd's career! Byrd's sparkling trumpet fronts a tight septet that includes Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock, and Kenny Burrell – and which is backed by arrangements by Coleridge Perkinson and Duke Pearson. The sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Includes the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah".

The last album in a legendary run of music from keyboardist Doug Carn – his final album for the Black Jazz label, and a set that pushes even farther than his previous efforts! Jean Carn isn't in the group this time around, but the set does feature a totally great twin-vocal approach – with singing by Joyce Green and John Conner, blending their voices together in a style that's right up there with the most righteous 70s jazz experiments by Horace Silver or Billy Gault! This vocal balance really brings a new sort of power to Carn's music – furthering the righteous spirit of earlier years with a hell of a lot of energy – also aided by great instrumental work from Ronnie Laws on tenor and soprano sax, Thurman Green on trombone, Calvin Keys and Nathan Page on guitars, and Big Black on percussion. Titles include the classic "Higher Ground" – plus "Adam's Apple", "Western Sunrise", "Chant", "Sanctuary", "The Messenger", and "Mighty Mighty".

The title gets it right – as the album's easily the closest thing to free jazz that Ornette Coleman ever recorded – an album-length improvisation played by a "double quartet" that's overflowing with classic players! The style here is a fair bit like John Coltrane's Ascension album for Impulse – and like that one, the session features Ornette and his contemporaries really stretching out – blowing like never heard before on record, and working in a highly unstructured setting! Other players include Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Scott LaFaro on bass – alongside regular group members Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and both Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins on drums. One long track – just titled "Free Jazz"!

Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – sometimes billed as a "memorial", even though he was still alive when it was done – and titles on this volume include "Aggression" and "Like Someone In Love".

Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – sometimes billed as a "memorial", even though he was still alive when it was done – and titles on this volume include "Aggression" and "Like Someone In Love".

Gil Evans plays an electric grand piano and is joined by a rather large set of musicians who include Masabumi Kikuchi on a variety of synthesizers, Billy Cobham on drums, Lou Soloff on trumpet, George Lewis on trombone and many others. Tracks include some Evans originals – "Anita's Dance", "Jelly Rolls", "Alyrio", and "Variations On The Misery" plus others like Gershwin's "Gone, Gone, Gone" and Jimi Hendrix's "Up From The Skies".

A sublime set of soul instrumentals – very funky work, and sort of a 70s follow-up to the Soulful Strings albums on Cadet Records from the 60s! Maestro Richard Evans is at the top of his game here – stepping out with that hip Chisoul mode he first forged at Chess, tuned here towards some even more sophisticated modes for Atlantic Records! Many of Evan's previous players are on board to make the record great – including Lennie Druss on flute, Paul Serrano on trumpet, Odell Brown on organ, and Phil Upchurch on guitar. Evans himself plays bass for the record – using a very funky bottom sound – and the set also features some wicked vibes from the legendary Billy Wooten, working away from his Nineteenth Hole group on a rare major label date! The sound is blacksploitation soundtrack, part Curtom funk – and titles include the great originals "Pie Daddy's Dream", "Wado City", "Angela My Sister", and the great "Patutu" – which was done by the Soulful Strings – plus a few nice covers like "Mercy Mercy Me" and "Ellie's Love Theme", by Isaac Hayes.

A real gem from the height of Dizzy's big band years at Verve – a stunning little set that features a hip larger group that includes Joe Gordon, Melba Liston, Rod Leavitt, Phil Woods, Ernie Wilkins, and Billy Mitchell. The groove here is well-orchestrated, well-placed soul – with less of the playful bop touches of earlier sides, and more of a hiply modern style that shows Dizzy stretching out in larger shades of color and tone. And while the "World Statesmen" cover and image might make you wary of some gimmick on the set, the album's key Gillespie through and through – a deft turn away from the styles of the bop years, into a world of sound that would support his career strongly for years to come! Titles include "Tour De Force", "Doodlin", "Night In Tunisia", "The Champ", "My Reverie", and "Dizzy's Blues".

An obscure west coast soul set from Quinn Harris – a well-titled "mastermind" with a great ear for a gritty groove! The set's got a really unique sort of feel – not just straight funk, but not straight soul either – kind of a hip blend of modes that often includes some warmly jazzy touches next to deeper soul vocals from soul sister Lady Bianca! Harris directs the group, and plays sax, flute, piano, and organ – all of which are used to nice effect in an array of different modes – especially the flute, which is often mixed with a stepping bassline to create a blackspolitation sort of groove. There's a small horn section in the combo, and they play without cliche – just the right sort of coloring to shade in the tunes without overpowering them in the usual horn section way. Billy Street handles male vocals on a few other tracks in the set, and titles include "Stop Telling Me Lies", "All In The Soul", "We Got To Get Together", "Never Too Hard To Bear", "Doctor Of Love", and "This Summer". CD also features bonus 7" versions of "Stop Telling Me Lies" and "We Got To Get Together".

A wonderful session by Andrew Hill – recorded in 1968, but issued only briefly in 1981 – and out of print for years! The session is a key one in understanding Hill's work – as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass Roots album. The group features Joe Farrell and Charles Tolliver on horns – both of whom open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a nice bottom – and the rest of the combo includes Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The album's an enchanting one – lighter than earlier years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own. Titles include "Dance With Death", "Love Nocturne", "Black Sabbath", "Partitions", and "Fish N Rice". CD features a bonus alternate take of the title cut.

A full LP issue of singles that Billie Holiday recorded for Decca during the mid and late 40s – all small group sessions, with occasional added instrumentation on small string sections, or vocals. The sides are a nice counterpoint to Billie's work for Verve and Columbia – as the players differ nicely on many of the numbers, and a few tracks even feature a backing vocal group! Titles include "Lover Man", "Old Devil Called Love", "Porgy", "Girls Were Meant To Take Care Of Boys", "This Is Heaven To Me", "There Is No Greater Love", and "Solitude".

A cover record – but a great one! Unlike some of the Pickwick knock-off albums from the time, this blacksploitation effort by Cecil Holmes is top-shelf all the way – as Cecil's one of the best funky bandleaders of the early 70s. The large group on the album features funky keyboards by Pat Rebillot, plus plenty of wah wah guitar, and enough strings to make the album rank up there with the soundtrack feel of the day. Includes versions of "Superfly", "Slaughter", "Freddie's Dead", "Across 110th Street", "2001", and "Trouble Man". Some nice grooves, and a few nice samples, too!

Two excellent early albums from Shirley Horn – back to back on a single CD! Travelin Light is one of the greatest jazz vocal albums of the 60s, and probably the greatest album ever by Shirley Horn! The session's got a beautiful lively sound, with extremely interesting arrangements by Johnny Pate, and a flute/piano/guitar sound that works perfectly with Shirley's lovely voice. The material is a great mix of lesser-known songs, sung with a maturity and honesty that will make your heart break. We love this one way better than any of Shirley's recent albums, and we can't recommend it highly enough! Titles include "Sunday In New York", "Yes, I Know When I've Had It", "Someone You've Loved", "I Could Have Told You", "Travelin Light", and "Don't Be On The Outside". Horn Of Plenty is hip stuff from Shirley Horn – very mature and swinging jazz! The set features the sharp early vocals of Shirley Horn nicely set up with some larger backings – hip arrangements handled by Quincy Jones, Thad Jones, and Billy Byers – with all the groovy 60s punch you can imagine from a lineup like that! And although Horn later became well known for some gentler, mellower cuts, we're huge fans of her singing like this – which has a righteous power that really tops some of the vocalists from the previous generation. Titles include "Wee Small Hours", "That Old Black Magic", "The Great City", "On The Street Where You Live", and "Let Me Love You".

The sticks are up, and Bobby Hutcherson is at the top of his game – hitting a whole new groove here in this sublime session of modal numbers for Blue Note – a slightly warmer set than his more modern albums of the "new thing" years, and a great indication of the directions he'd take in the 70s! Bobby's vibes are set up wonderfully here in a quintet that includes Joe Henderson on tenor sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all players who bring key elements to the groove. Tyner's got an obvious ear for the modal rhythms that Hutcherson's heading for; Higgins' drum work is freely lyrical in all the best ways; and Henderson's horn sharpens the edges of the tunes a bit, bringing in some nice darker sounds. The kickoff track is an amazing modal reading of Ornette's "Una Muy Bonita", and the rest tracks are all Hutcherson originals, including "Summer Nights", "8/4 Beat", "Black Circle", "Verse", and "Blues Mind Matter".

A great bit of 70s electric work from Quincy – and probably his funkiest album ever! Quincy's really stepping out here from the straighter and spacier styles of earlier records – going for more of the dirty grooves he was cutting up for soundtrack albums, and hitting notes that were a lot more fitting for the blacksploitation era. The record includes the massive funky track cut "Hikky-Burr", which was the theme to the first Bill Cosby Show, and which has a sinister groove, and some wild shouted lyrics! Also features two more great themes – "Ironside" and "The Anderson Tapes" – both of which have a cool electric sound to them, and the nice title cut, which actually features Quincy on vocals! Other tracks include "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "What's Going On", "Brown Ballad" and more.

Roland plays moody jazz versions of some of the biggest soul hits of the early 70's – including tracks like "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me", and "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus some other nice originals which sum up his take on "blacknuss". Titles include "Blacknuss", "Which Way Is It Going", and "One Nation". Billy Butler is on guitar, and the great Sonelius Smith is on piano on a number of tracks. Roland even sings a bit, too!

Andrew Lamb is billed as "The Black Lamb" here – a nice nickname, given the earthy quality of the set! The group's got two percussionists at its core – Michael Wimberly and Guillermo E Brown – both players with different energies that help expand the roots of the record – while Tom Abbs builds up its trunk with his organic lines on bass, plus a bit of tuba and didjeridoo too. Lamb unfolds these evocative lines on saxes and flute – and even a bit of conch shell too, handled with a wonderfully exotic tone that's not gimmicky at all. Tracks are quite long, and build with a rich feel that makes the album one of the most soulful we've ever heard on the No Business label – and titles include "Initiation", "Song Of The Miracle Lives", "To Love In The Rain", and "Rhapsody In Black".

A stone laidback set from O'Donel Levy – one of the greatest soul jazz guitarists of the 70s, and a player who sounds fresher and fresher to us over the years! This album's a bit more laidback than some of Levy's other sets for Groove Merchant – with larger arrangements that feature Charles Covington on electric piano and organ, Fats Theus on tenor and flute, and Billy Skinner on trumpet – but the approach actually works well, as the slow-moving tracks trip out over a lot of space, giving O'Donel plenty of room to craft his uniquely spacious and chromatic solos. Titles include versions of "Watch What Happens", "Love Story", "Call Me", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", plus the originals "Granny" and "Nature's Child", both of which have a nice little groove!

Funky breaking piano! Although Junior Mance has made some pretty mellow albums in his time, this is a great record of funky piano tracks – with a nice groove that puts it in a Three Sounds/Young Holt camp! The highlight of the record is the great "Well, I'll Be White Black", which starts with a great breakbeat – but there's a number of other great tracks, like "Thank You Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again", "Spinning Wheel", and "Home Groovin". Players include Eric Gale, Chuck Rainey, and Billy Cobham – but Junior's piano is the hard, heavy star of the record!

A really bold step forward for David Murray – a seminal live recording that features one of the hippest big bands you'll ever hope to find! Murray really uses the date as a chance to express the full range of his musical talents – and often shows modes that are more traditional than you might expect, yet which are always touched with an undercurrent of modernism! The musical palette here is quite different than either the outside or inside sessions recorded by Murray with a small group at the time – and he really reaches back through a rich history of jazz in the performance, and updates it wonderfully with help from players who include Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Olu Dara on cornet, Craig Harris on trombone, Vincent Chaney on French horn, Steve Coleman on alto and soprano sax, Rod Williams on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Butch Morris conducts – and titles on this second volume include "Dewey's Circle", "Roses", "David Tune", "Four Minute Marvin", and "Great Peace".

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters.

One of Sonny Rollins' best albums ever, and a totally inspired, totally non-stop freewheeling live set, recorded with Don Cherry, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins! Working on long tracks in an unfettered setting, Rollins' hits one of those rare moments of genius where he can turn his solo over and over again – never losing interest, and always opening up new territory – at a level that easily matches the oft-made claim that he's one of the greatest tenor talents ever on the tenor sax! The album features only 3 long tracks, all dominated by masterful work by Rollins – and titles include "Oleo", "Dearly Beloved", and "Doxy".

Gil Scott-Heron at his early best and most revolutionary – circa Small Talk At 125th And Lenox, Pieces Of Man and Free Will, plus a host of rare and unreleased material – the complete Flying Dutchman Masters in a masterfully compiled anthology! Rather than simply collecting the original Flying Dutchman albums into a box set, BGP does a terrific job here of organizing it by style. Disc One (Songs) focuses on the soul-based songcraft – while Disc Two (Poetry, Jazz & Blues) features the strident jazzy poetry that inspired most hip hop and spoken word to come. Disc Three features alternate takes and rarities – all of which have never been officially released before now! The set includes every recording that Gil made for Flying Dutchman that's known to exist – and if you're keeping tally, that's all of the tracks from the above-named classic albums – plus the great "Artificialness" from Pretty Purdie's Stand By Me record with Gil on vocals – and the surviving alternate takes. Even if you have all of the original albums, the set is worth picking up for the bonus material and the thick, nicely done booklet of notes and photo – which really adds some top notch historical perspective. 51 tracks on 3CDs: "Lady Day And John Coltrane", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "Whitey On The Moon", "Free Will", "Pieces Of Man", "Brother", "Ain't No New Thing", "The Needle's Eye", "The Get Out OF The Ghetto Blues", "Evolution (And Flashback)", "Billy Green Is Dead", "The Middle Of Your Day", "Save The Children", "Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?" and many more.

A beautiful set of 70s soul jazz flute tracks – featuring work by flautist Adele Sebastian, with backing by a hip group that includes Billy Higgins, Ricky Kelly, and Roberto Miranda. The tracks have a nice mellow Strata East/Black Jazz kind of sound to them – and the production is equally hip and mellow, with a soulful approach that's righteous and gentle at the same time. Includes a version of McCoy Tyner's "Man From Tanganyika", plus "Belize", "Prayer For The People", and "Day Dreamer".

Back to back killers from the legendary Billy Stewart – two great albums for Chess in one sweet set! First up is Unbelievable – a truly unbelievable album from Billy – maybe his standout moment of the 60s, and a record that set him apart from every other singer of his time! Stewart's famous vocals break out instantly on the huge hit "Summertime" – a leadoff number that really sets the record on fire – and sets the scene for an amazing batch of tunes that follow a similar format – familiar tracks that are completely recast in a new mode by Billy – pyrotechnic soul vocals that are as filled with feeling as they are shaped by technique! Backings are great, too – full and a bit jazzy at points – and with just the right sort of energy to keep things bouncing along all the way through. Titles include "Summertime", "A Foggy Day", "Canadian Sunset", "Time After Time", "Misty", "Moon River", "My Funny Valentine", and "That Old Black Magic". Cross My Heart is a collection of killer singles from the legendary Billy Stewart – put together by Chess after his too-early passing – but an amazing document of his completely unique talents as a soul singer! The work here is brilliant – vocals that soar and take off on the upbeat numbers, and reach deep deep levels on the mellower ones – and the set's a great one to take you past some of Billy's familiar hits, into territory of the great singles he issued with Chess in the 60s. Titles include the sublime "Cross My Heart", plus "Tell Me the Truth", "I'm In Love", "Fat Boy's Boogaloo", "Crazy 'Bout You Baby", "Why Am I Lonely", "How Nice It Is", "I'm In Love (Oh Yes I Am)", "What Have I Done" and "Why Do I Love You So".

An early classic from pianist Billy Taylor featuring his classic 50s trio with bassist Earl May and drummer Percy Brice! The tracks are mostly short and simple, and done in Taylor's warmly rhythmical approach to the keys – a groove that was clearly informed by the hardbop of the time, but which laid back in a much more soulful formation. The set features dozen tracks in all, including "Blue Cloud", "It's A Grand Night For Swinging", "Purple Mood", "A Bientot", "Early Bird", "Day Dreaming", "Radioactivity", "Long Tom", and "Daddy O".

Top notch instrumentals from the loose collective dubbed Third World All Stars – recorded in the mid 70s at London's Chalk Farm and EFM studios – and featuring both London-based and visiting Jamaican legends in the mix! The production is billed to Count Shelly, and it features some base rhythms cut for Errol Dunkley's Sit And Cry Over You Record – released on Shelley's label. The rhythms are indeed impeccable, and there are all these unique soulful layers added to them that really give it a worthwhile life of their own as a soulful reggae instrumentals set. Players include Michael Bammy Rose on sax, Lester Sterling on trumpet and sax, Tyrone Downie, Gladdy Anderson and Winston Wright on keys, Jackie Jackson on bass and Winston Grennan on drums. Beautiful, timeless and soulful rhythms that are on par with the finest Carribbean music of the period – whether it was recorded in Kingston, London, or anywhere else. Essential! Includes "Rebel Rock", "Repatriation Remedy", "Our Dream World", "Patricia's Love", "Soothing In The Mind", "Black Moon", "For All Ways", "Just For You", "Train To Skaville" and "Moog In Blues".

Top notch instrumentals from the loose collective dubbed Third World All Stars – recorded in the mid 70s at London's Chalk Farm and EFM studios – and featuring both London-based and visiting Jamaican legends in the mix! The production is billed to Count Shelly, and it features some base rhythms cut for Errol Dunkley's Sit And Cry Over You Record – released on Shelley's label. The rhythms are indeed impeccable, and there are all these unique soulful layers added to them that really give it a worthwhile life of their own as a soulful reggae instrumentals set. Players include Michael Bammy Rose on sax, Lester Sterling on trumpet and sax, Tyrone Downie, Gladdy Anderson and Winston Wright on keys, Jackie Jackson on bass and Winston Grennan on drums. Beautiful, timeless and soulful rhythms that are on par with the finest Carribbean music of the period – whether it was recorded in Kingston, London, or anywhere else. Essential! Includes "Rebel Rock", "Repatriation Remedy", "Our Dream World", "Patricia's Love", "Soothing In The Mind", "Black Moon", "For All Ways", "Just For You", "Train To Skaville" and "Moog In Blues".

Tracks by Billy Paul, the Isley Brothers, MFSB & the O Jays.

A compilation of sorts, but one with a really unified groove – thanks to the fact that most tracks here feature work by all the same players! The album's a project headed up by Lance Ferguson of the Bamboos – and it's a collection of funky 45-styled tunes with a definite old school feel – all billed to different artists, in a mode that's similar to some of the "fake" compilations done by Poets Of Rhythm years back! Like those records, the grooves here are all played by the same batch of musicians, named differently on each track – a combo that features Lance on some super-sharp guitar, and which sounds a lot like the best funky 45 work of The Bamboos. Even cooler, though, is the fact that all the cuts here are older funk classics from the late 60s and early 70s – killer originals that are redone here in versions that are as good, if not better than, the originals. CD features 12 titles that include "Whatcha Feel Is Whatcha Get" by Prince Nafa & His Polynesians, "Yo Yo" by Alvarado Rodriguez Trio + 4, "Honky Tonk Popcorn" by Pacific Rhythm Combo, "Black Feeling" by Luther Harris, "Executive Party" by Zoltar, "Licking Stick Licking Stick" by Rusty Garnett, and "Ghetto Funk" by Queens Community Show Band.

Hip hop, street soul, and lots lots more – a really revolutionary selection of music from the legendary Celluloid Records – a label that was virtually a genre unto itself! Celluloid was a key force tying together the New York downtown scene at the start of the 80s, and the postcolonial music world of Paris – and as a result, they always operated with a culture-crossing style that few other companies of the time managed to hit – merging together sounds in really unlikely ways, and often coming up with fresh new styles in the process! The label's known for crate-diggers for its hip hop releases – and to world music fans for its electric Africa work – but they also were on the forefront of New York No Wave, avant jazz, and post-punk – and somehow found a way to integrate both young new talents, and older experimentalists who still had plenty to offer. This package finally does Celluloid justice – and goes way past the few simplistic comps of the label's work over the years – training the skilled Strut ear to the whole thing, and also serving up the full story of the label in the process. Titles include "I'm The One" by Material, "Day Tripper" by Shockabilly, "Tele Apres La Meteo" by Fredinand, "Disco Rough (long version)" by Mathematiques Modernes, "Electrique Sylvie (full length version)" by Modern Guy, "Mean Machine Chant/Mean Machine" by Last Poets, "Abele Dance ('85 rmx)" by Manu Dibango, "Change The Beat (French & English)" by Fab 5 Freddy, "The Escapades Of Futura 2000" by Futura 2000 with The Clash, and "Downing Street Rock" by Winston Edwards & Blackbeard. 26 tracks in all!

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones.

Rough and raw grooves – way more than you might guess from the "twist" reference in the title! The sound here is more R&B than anything else – lots of heavy drums, honking sax, burning organ, and riffing guitar – but there's also some echoes of Latin rhythms, rockabilly raunch, and some 60s soul elements too – all percolating together wonderfully in a way that sounds like somebody blew the dust off a gritty pile of 45s, then filled them up to blast away in a decades-old jukebox in a tavern on the other side of the tracks! The CD version of Twistin Rumble Vol 2 collects many of the tracks from Twistin Rumble Volumes 3 & 4 vinyl – with plenty of rare gems – including "Switch Me" by Hector & The Frogmen, "The Frog" by Lonnie Brooks, "Georgia Slop" by Big Al Downing, "Who's Number One" by Ambrose Donald, "Beyond The Shadow Of A Doubt" by Sonny Day, "I'm Gonna Spend My Money" by Poor Boys, "Aunt Molly" by Billy Emerson, "Make Love To Me" by The Royal Premiers, "Do The Whip" by Skip Cole, "Can Your Monkey To The Dog" by The Golden Catalinas, "Stronger Than Dirt" by The Ardels, "Wah Wabble" by The Debelaires, "Madame Bootie Green" by Sonny Forrest, "Black Crack" by The Shardells, "The Ostrich" by The Primitives, "Shake Your Body Girl" by Larry Williams, "Slauson Shuffletime" by Round Robin and "Soul Finger" by Oscar & The Majestics. 29 tracks in all.

The title gets it right – as the album's easily the closest thing to free jazz that Ornette Coleman ever recorded – an album-length improvisation played by a "double quartet" that's overflowing with classic players! The style here is a fair bit like John Coltrane's Ascension album for Impulse – and like that one, the session features Ornette and his contemporaries really stretching out – blowing like never heard before on record, and working in a highly unstructured setting! Other players include Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Scott LaFaro on bass – alongside regular group members Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and both Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins on drums. One long track – just titled "Free Jazz"!

One of the most righteous albums of jazz ever recorded – a brilliant blend of soulful and avant garde styles, backed up by a chorus of voices that have a really soulful sound! The album's the second recorded for Blue Note by the Ghetto Music ensemble of trumpeter Eddie Gale – a lesser-known talent who recorded previously with Cecil Taylor, but who made a turn away from modernism at the end of the 60s, in order to express himself at a level that he felt was more clearly grounded in the people. The result of that effort is sheer brilliance – an album that sounds like nothing else you can imagine. Part of the style shares the energy of similar vocal/jazz projects by Max Roach and Billy Harper, but Gale's conception of the music is much more dynamic, and very carefully rooted in song structures – with a sound that's as powerful today as it was when it was recorded! Titles include "Ghetto Love Night", "Song Of Will", "Ghetto Summertime", "Black Rhythm Happening", and "Look At Teyonda".

One of our favorite all-time records, and a real lost album on Blue Note! Eddie Gale leads this group of righteous singers and musicians through five fantastic tracks of soulful chanting and hard jazz playing that never goes too far out, but always threatens to break free of its own chains – soaring to the skies on wings of freedom and spirituality! Gale's trumpet rings hard and loud, and the vocal arrangements never verge on sentimentality, but manage to convey a ton of soul with an incredibly righteous approach that's never been duplicated again! Imagine Donald Byrd's vocal group albums recorded for Strata East – or a hipper version of Billy Harper's Capra Black – and you've only got part of the picture! Titles include "The Rain", "Fulton Street", "The Comign Of Gwilu", and "A Walk With Thee".

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones.

A funky psychedelic kaliedoscope of grooves from India – killer numbers from the 70s and into the early 80s – Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga, from the folks who put together the equally heavy Psych-Funk 101 and Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas compilations! Most of cuts here have a raw, fuzzed out undercurrent of psychedelia – guitars that buzz or lead searingly, depending on the needs of the number – with heavy, funk-based drums and/or hand percussion with rumbling bass rhythms. From that core, they bust out mightily with more furious percussion, rhythms, mad horn arrangements, and vocals that work as either a sweetener or for even more wild-eyed excitement! In short, global psychedelic funk rhythms with regional Indian folk and classical flourishes, blended with mod, soul, garage and soundtrack influences from around the globe. It's a funky, psychedelic fusion of east and west that's billed as a seminar, but this is no academic endeavor – it's a psych funk party all the way! Includes "The Mod Trade" by The Black Beats, "Psychedelia" by X'Lents, "Somebody To Love – Edit" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Dance Music From Hare Rama Hare Krishna" by RD Burman, "Mary Long" by Atomic Forest, "Dharmatma Theme Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Phir Teri Yaad" by Hemant Bhosle feat Asha Bhosle, and more. 20 tracks in all – with a booklet of notes on each track plus loads of photos.

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "La Placita", "Shift Below", "Joann's Green Satin Dress", and "Amanpondo". Great booklet too – with loads of notes and historical information!

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters.

Hip hop, street soul, and lots lots more – a really revolutionary selection of music from the legendary Celluloid Records – a label that was virtually a genre unto itself! Celluloid was a key force tying together the New York downtown scene at the start of the 80s, and the postcolonial music world of Paris – and as a result, they always operated with a culture-crossing style that few other companies of the time managed to hit – merging together sounds in really unlikely ways, and often coming up with fresh new styles in the process! The label's known for crate-diggers for its hip hop releases – and to world music fans for its electric Africa work – but they also were on the forefront of New York No Wave, avant jazz, and post-punk – and somehow found a way to integrate both young new talents, and older experimentalists who still had plenty to offer. This package finally does Celluloid justice – and goes way past the few simplistic comps of the label's work over the years – training the skilled Strut ear to the whole thing, and also serving up the full story of the label in the process. Titles include "I'm The One" by Material, "Day Tripper" by Shockabilly, "Tele Apres La Meteo" by Fredinand, "Disco Rough (long version)" by Mathematiques Modernes, "Electrique Sylvie (full length version)" by Modern Guy, "Mean Machine Chant/Mean Machine" by Last Poets, "Abele Dance ('85 rmx)" by Manu Dibango, "Change The Beat (French & English)" by Fab 5 Freddy, "The Escapades Of Futura 2000" by Futura 2000 with The Clash, and "Downing Street Rock" by Winston Edwards & Blackbeard.