Cool LP that brings together Duke singles by Bobby Blue Bland and Junior Parker, in a "double feature" set that devotes a side apiece to material by each of them. The sound is hard bluesy soul, with tracks like "Next Time You See Me", "Wondering", "It's My Life, Baby", "I Smell Trouble", and "Farther Up The Road". LP, Vinyl record album

Only an EP, but one that packs plenty of punch – thanks to strong production from Blockhead on most of the tracks, with help from El-P and Aesop Rock himself! The set begins with the iconic "Daylight", followed by the counterpart "Night Light" – then runs through a no-skit, all-tight set of tracks that more than makes up for the shortness of the set. Vast Aire guest on "Nickel Plated Pockets" – and other cuts include "Bracket Basher", "Forest Crunk", "Alchemy", and "Maintenance". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of Afro funky soul – one of a few albums recorded by the legendary Lafayette Afro Rock Band! The set has an incredible blend of American funk, African rhythms, and European production – recorded in the heady cross-cultural scene of early 70s Paris – with a sound that's often imitated, but never duplicated! Funky guitar snakes through electric piano riffing, rolling basslines, and some really heavy percussion – occasionally supporting a bit of chorus vocals, but mostly going for a hard-grooving instrumental sound overall! The set includes the massive break track "Darkest Light", sampled by PE and others – plus the tracks "Baba Hya", "Djungi", "Raff", "Conga", "Avi-Vo", and "Malik". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing Afro Funk from one of the greatest groups of the genre – The Lafayette Afro Rock Band, a funky ensemble recording in Paris in the early 70s! The group were working in a hotbed of cross-cultural styles – and brought American funk rhythms firmly into play with African influences – creating grooves that were even heavier and harder than the work at the time by Fela Kuti, and which have stood for years as some of our favorite funk records! This album's one of their best – named after the title cut, their great take on Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa" (done here even funkier than the original!), and featuring other great tracks, like "Voodounon", "Azeta", and "Hihache" – all of them filled with heavy bass, tight drums, and fuzzy guitar – plus the cuts "Nicky" and "Oglenon". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet set of vintage American blue eyed soul from the 70s & early 80s – a diverse and deep set of it, too – featuring sunny and soulful numbers by Breakaway, 1619 Bad Ass Band, Society Of Seven, Lil' Albert, Jay P Morgan, Life Force and more! There's a pretty broad range styles, but the set flows consistently – with numbers that for the most part share a penchant for laidback, simmering grooves and excellently layered productions. But from there, the styles roll from soft rock arrangements with soul-based vocals, to some sly bits of funk, groovy strings and other sweeter touches. We're hoping to see a Vol 2 after this one! 16 tracks in all: "I Love Music" by Babadu, "Lving Off The Love" by Eric Tagg, "Just For You" by 1619 Bad Ass Band, "SLow Dancer" by Life Force, "Never Gonna Leave You" by Evans Pyramid, "Who Was It This Time", "Coast To Coast" by Tender Leaf, "My Girl Friday" by Lil'Albert, "Thought You Ought To Know" by Jesse McFall & The Funk Elegant Orchestra and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from early sessions in Nashville and Hollywood! LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Junior Parker – an artist who was already great in his early Duke Records years – but one who really seemed to take off even more as the 60s moved on! On records like this, Parker picks up a strong undercurrent of funky soul – a groove that's a perfect fit for Mercury's Blue Rock label – which often did a great job of merging the worlds of blues and soul – especially in the music of Junior Wells. Production has lots of nice Chicago soul touches, and at times Junior's vocals move into a territory that's almost a bit like the groove of Tyrone Davis at the time. Great stuff throughout – and titles include "I Got Money", "Lovin Man On Your Hands", "Easy Lovin", and "I'm So Satisfied". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from one of the heaviest hard rock bands of the 60s – presented here on a set of demo tracks that were originally broadcast on San Francisco radio, and helped the group earn their recording contract with Philips Records! Blue Cheer were maybe the first group to think of turning their amps up to 11 – and there's a rawness to this work that may even top the fire of their classic debut, with really mindblowing guitar from Leigh Stephens all the way through! Titles include the 10 minute jammer "Doctor Please", a killer take of "Summertime Blues", and the mighty fierce "Second Time Around". LP, Vinyl record album

Another dose of ridiculous bluesy heaviness from Blue Cheer, without as much bluster as their first couple of albums, but the same bloated appeal. 10 numbers in all, including "Fool", "You're Gonna Need Someone", 'Hello LA, Bye Bye Birmingham", "Saturday Freedom", "Ain't That The Way Love's Supposed To Be", "Rock & Roll Queens", "Better When We Try", "Natural Man", "Lovin' You's Easy" and "The Same Old Story". LP, Vinyl record album

This Blue Cheer record, their first of two in 1969, has a different lineup on each side–with Bruce Stephens on guitar, tortoise shell, & sandblocks, and Burns Kellogg on piano & organ on the somewhat more bluesy & song-oriented Side 1, while Randy Holden takes over guitar & vocals for the much heavier psych-rock approach on Side 2. Titles include "When It All Gets Old", "I Want My Baby Back", "Aces'N'Eights", "Peace Of Mind", "Honey Buter Lover", and the mind-melting "Fruit & Iceburgs". LP, Vinyl record album

It's been quite a few years since Bombino's previous record – and in that time, it almost feels as if he's locked himself up somewhere and learned how to be even more amazing on guitar! His sense of sound, tone, and timing is incredible – and the record's one of those Tuareg sets that can easily stand next to Anglo greats from the years of psych and hard rock – but with that special sub-Saharan quality that also makes a player like Bombino so unique – as he spins out long lines of freedom and fuzz over plenty of driving rhythms! Titles include "Darfuq", "Alwane", "Tazidert", "Aitma", Si Chilan", "Mes Amis", "Ayes Sachen", and "Nik Sant Awanha". LP, Vinyl record album

Clifford Brown only recorded a handful of sides for Blue Note – but all of the best ones are included in this excellent album – a full length set that culls together Brown's material from the 10" years, issued as a memorial to his early death in 1956! Side one features Brown with the modernist Gigi Gryce on flute and alto sax – plus Charlie Rouse on tenor, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – a lineup that has a strong sense of soul, balanced with a dose of modernism – on titles that include the classic "Hymn to the Orient" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Easy Living", "Cherokee", "Wail Bait", and "Minor Mood". Side two features an equally sharp group – with Lou Donaldson on some excellent alto, and the great Elmo Hope on piano – on titles that include "Brownie Speaks", "De Dah", "Cookin", "You Go To My Head", and "Carving The Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

Clifford Brown only recorded a handful of sides for Blue Note – but all of the best ones are included in this excellent album – a full length set that culls together Brown's material from the 10" years, issued as a memorial to his early death in 1956! Side one features Brown with the modernist Gigi Gryce on flute and alto sax – plus Charlie Rouse on tenor, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – a lineup that has a strong sense of soul, balanced with a dose of modernism – on titles that include the classic "Hymn to the Orient" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Easy Living", "Cherokee", "Wail Bait", and "Minor Mood". Side two features an equally sharp group – with Lou Donaldson on some excellent alto, and the great Elmo Hope on piano – on titles that include "Brownie Speaks", "De Dah", "Cookin", "You Go To My Head", and "Carving The Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare rock from the Japanese scene of the postwar years – but sounds that definitely have a universal appeal overall! Masaaki Hirao is way more than just a novelty remake of American rockers of the time – as he's got a sharp-edged sound that easily rivals the best we had to offer here in the US – the charm of Elvis, the propulsion of Johnny Burnette, and the offbeat appeal of Buddy Holly! Yet the sounds here are often quite their own thing, too – especially on the Japanese language numbers which make up most of the set, and which have Masaaki stepping away from straight American cover versions, and really doing some great things on his own. The guitar lines are especially great – recorded with brilliant twang and echo that really matches the power of the vocals – and the set features some mighty nice live tracks that are even more biting than the studio material! 10 cuts in all – including "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Hoshi Wa Nandemo Shitteiru", "Isuki No Komoriuta Rock", "Crazy Love", "Ooh My Soul", "Jenny Jenny", "Miyo Chan", and "Blue De Memphis". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest records ever from Akira Ishikawa and his Count Buffalos band – a hip little groover that stands head to head with some of the best funky jazz from the US and Europe of the time! Despite Akira's earthy look on the cover, the record's got a relatively electric feel overall – thanks to some sweet electric piano from Hiromasa Suzuki and organ from Norio Maeda – both of whom work together on most numbers, with a great sense of flow between the keyboards! The rhythms have some Latin and African percussion added on the bottom, which gives the grooves a nicely chunky feel – and some cuts have some sharp-edged tenor solos from Takeru Muraoka, who further deepens the soul of the set. The album's a really tremendous one through and through – as righteous as a lost American funky fusion set from the early 70s – and titles include "African Deer", "Sunrise", "Sandstorm", "Blue Soul", "Bakishinba", and "Mirage". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Finnish hard rock powerhouse Kalavala – renamed here as an Orchestra, but still working with the lean, sharp sound of their previous two albums! There's a nice evolution here from the earlier sound of the Scandia scene – maybe a bit of northern inspiration thrown into the music, which seems to elevate things to a new level – as does the subtle but sophisticated production! Titles include "Panamanian Red", "Playground", "Highland Temple", "Brown'll Suit You", "Forever Train", "Silver Fish", and "Lighthouse". LP, Vinyl record album

60s issue of obscure 1953 recordings made by Joe Sullivan in San Francisco – mostly solo, but with some occasional drums and bass. LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from the early Thin Lizzy trio lineup – a record that has all the power of their later records, but which also mixes in some airier moments that really help shape the sound! These guys are already setting themselves apart from their psych or blues rock predecessors – thanks to Phil Lynott's wonderful vocals and unique approach to a tune – which gives the record loads of great moments that don't always get their due! Titles include "The Rise And Dear Demise Of The Funky Nomadic Tribes", "Sarah", "Brought Down", "Chatting Today", and "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage". LP, Vinyl record album

Mad sounds from the late 60s world of Japanese pop – a mindblowing, ear-opening batch of singles we never would have gotten our hands on otherwise! The music here feels like sounds coming out of some backroom jukebox in a Nikkatsu "new action" film – or maybe the kind of offbeat pop that Quentin Tarantino might throw into a soundtrack – but there's also a much deeper range of sounds going on than you might expect, with wonderfully clever instrumentation, and lots of surprisingly heartfelt passages in the vocals! And sure, the language might be a barrier – but there's a really universal sense of appeal to this music – a variant of 60s soul and pop, focused through a different sort of lense – and the instrumentation alone is great – with wicked guitars, Hammond, and other garagey touches! As usual with Ace, the whole thing's supported with nicely detailed notes that tell the whole story behind these wonderful lost gems (we like this one even better than the fab first volume) – and titles include "Namida No Go Go" by Emy Jackson & Blue Comets, "Koi Gurui" by Chiyo Okumura, "Tokyo No Hito" by The Peanuts, "Warui Kuse" by Kazumi Yasui, "Boy & Girl" by Akiko Wada, "Namida No Mori No Monogatari" by Akiko Nakamura, "Saike Na Machi" by Reiko Mari, "Bazazz No 1" by Kayoko Ishuu, and "Furi Furi 5" by Linda Yamamoto. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing second foray into the world of punk rock 45s – and the British chapter to the previous American volume from Soul Jazz! Like the first set, the track selection here is superb – no overdone punk "oldies" or overplayed classics – and instead a great range of work from the lower levels of the late 70s British underground – including a fair bit of tracks from artists who never got to cut a full length album! There's also a great ear for music that goes past any simple punk cliches – songs that are smarter than the usual lot, have a good sense of perspective, and often offer up a sort of commentary on the quickly-evolving music in some way or another. The notes are great – super-thorough and filled with cover images for each single, plus other info too – and titles include "Wot's For Lunch Mum" by The Shapes, "I Wanna Be Free" by The Rings, "Neutron Bomb" by Art Attacks, "Sick Of You" by The Users, "Mucky Pup" by Puncture", "White Night" by The Lines, "You're Driving Me" by The Cravats, "Real Shocks" by Swell Maps, "Johnny Doesn't Want To Go To Heaven" by The Killjoys, "Power Cut" by The Jermz, and "East Sheen" by O Level. LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible later masterpiece from Lou Reed – still one of the great rock records of the early 80s and a real late peak for Lou! It's an electric guitars and straight forward songcraft focused set, with Lou in an accessible, but still edgy mode. The intense commitment to his vocals are as chilling as they'd been in years, too. Titles include "My House", "Underneath The Bottle", "Average Guy", "The Heroine", "Heavenly Arms", "The Day John Kennedy Died", and "The Blue Mask". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of Kenny Burrell's best early work! The album catches Kenny in the perfect Blue Note jam session mode of the late 50s – one used also with Jimmy Smith, and which features a number of the label's star players hitting hard with the main soloist. Players on the two volume set include Duke Jordan or Bobby Timmons piano, Junior Cook and Tina Brooks tenor, Louis Smith trumpet, and Art Blakey on Drums. The cuts have a very open-ended blowing session feel, and Kenny comes through surprisingly well, really picking up steam on a way you don't always hear in more restrained recordings. Titles on this volume include "Rock Salt", "Chuckin", and "Phinupi". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work as a leader from baritone saxophonist Harry Carney – working here in a swinging smaller group of players from the larger Ellington ensemble – including Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Willie Cook and Ray Nance on trumpets, Booty Wood on trombone, and Rollins Griffith on piano. The set's got a very different feel than the usual Ellingtonian outing like this – as it features songs and arrangements from Kenny Graham – the inventive British leader of the 50s who really knew how to work some fresh sounds from players like these. There's definitely a London modern vibe going on – and tracks include "Mabulala", "Five O'Clock Drag", "Tree Of Hope", "Blues For Blokes", "Baby Blue", and "Rock Me Gently". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album from Memphis Slim – recorded with a few rock luminaries (John Paul Jones, Chris Spedding, Peter Winfield, Peter Green), in a sweetly electric mode that has Slim singing some excellent laidback lyrics. There's a bit of jazz to the backings, which gives the album a slick sparkle without dampening its spirit – and tracks include "Youth Wants To Know", "Mason Dixon Line", "Chicago Seven", "Otis Spann & Earl Hooker", and the extended "Blue Memphis Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record from Bobby Blue Bland – and quite possibly the greatest one he ever made! The set's got an amazing something special that's unlike most other material of the time – a bit blues, but a lot of soul too – still with some echoes of R&B in the jazzier charts used for the backdrop, but presented with a rock-solid style that definitely points the way towards many sounds and styles to come in the 60s. And although Bland recorded many of these tracks as separate singles, there's a way they're put together here that makes the whole thing sound completely marvelous together – a really well-conceived track list that shows that Bobby's an even greater artist in the space of a full record. The arrangements are perfect, and Bobby's rough soulful voice is blended in this amazing way with killer horn arrangements that are far more sophisticated than most stuff that ever came after this, and which never get in the way, but only back up his deep emotion. The album's a motherlode of classics by the man, with gems that include "Two Steps From The Blues", "Cry Cry Cry", "I Don't Want No Woman", "I'm Not Ashamed", "Don't Cry No More", "Lead Me On", and "I Pity The Fool". And hell, even his version of "St James Infirmary" is pretty wonderful – something we never thought we'd say about that song. LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal criss-crossing of styles from the late 60s Cali scene – served up by a group who were steeped in blues, but a big part of the psychedelic scene at the time – and somehow managed to merge both of their worlds effortlessly, at a level that was even more powerful and effective than most of their contemporaries! Leigh Stephen is a monster on guitar – already using lots more freak and fuzz than the earlier generations who inspired him – and bassist Dick Peterson also sings, almost as if he's channeling his instrument to give him the same soulful depth that would later come from Phil Lynott – all supported by the driving drums of Paul Whaley. The whole thing's got a nice freaky sound, thanks to production from Abe Voco Kesh – and titles include the great long original "Doctor Please", plus takes on "Summertime Blues" and "Parchment Farm" – and the titles "Out Of Focus", "Rock Me Baby", and "Second Time Around". LP, Vinyl record album

Very hip early stuff from Lou – playing here in a bop-heavy mode with Clifford Brown, Elmo Hope, Percy Heath, and Philly Joe Jones! The set will open up a whole new side of Donaldson's playing if you only know his funky Blue Note sides of the late 60s – and in the company of players like this, he keeps his bop chops up nice and sharp! Tracks include "Carving The Rock", "De Dah", "Brownie Speaks", and "Bellarosa". LP, Vinyl record album