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A key early classic from Slave – as the set features the group's first work with drummer Steve Arrington, who not only opened up their rhythmic concept, but also gave them a great new sound on lead vocals! Arrington's approach here is very much in the spirit of Slave's first 2 records – a lean, mean approach to funk that never goes too far over the top, but which also has a wide-open sound that's instantly appealing – and which makes Slave as much of a top-shelf soul act as they are a funky combo. Great all the way through – with a tightness and on-the-money sound few others can match – and featuring the cuts "We've Got Your Party", "The Way You Love Is Heaven", "Just Freak", "Coming Soon", "Drac Is Back", and "Stellar Fungk".

An absolute treasure trove of rare soul singles from Pied Piper Productions – a mid 60s Detroit soul operation that features Funk Brothers Jack Ashford, Joe Hunter, and Mike Terry – laying down sounds that rival the best Motown groovers of the period! The work is amazing throughout – soul cuts heavily focused on the groove and amazing lead vocals – recorded in ways that are similar to the best of Detroit at the time, but with some rawer aspects too – which makes for a massive package of Northern Soul gems! The package features both solo singers and great groups too – artists who include Lorraine Chandler, The Hesitations, September Jones, The Cavaliers, Willie Kendrick, Nancy Wilcox, and – heard here on rare singles and LP tracks that were originally released on labels like Karate, Kapp, Ruby and Giant – plus a number of recently unearthed titles that are seeing release for the first time ever! The set features 24 tracks in all, and the usual superb Kent notes and packaging – with titles that include "I Can't Hold On" by Lorraine Chandler, "Stuttering Sam" by September Jones, "Gambler's Blues" by Nancy Wilcox, "This Heart Is Lonely" by Rose Batiste, "Just Can't Leave You" by Tony Hesher, "Could It Be" by Micki Farrow, "I Fell In Love (Can't Help It)" by Freddy Butler, "He'll Be Leaving You" by The Pied Piper Players, "If Only You Knew" by Mike & Ray, "Time Changes Things" by Willie Kendrick, and "Lonely Too Long" by The Sandpipers.

Wonderful funky fuzzy moogy! The cover proclaims that this is the "first album of electronic rock" – and although we don't know how true that is, the record's a nice batch of moogy covers – featuring tracks like "Grazin In the Grass", "Aquarius", "Penny Lane", "Windmills Of Your Mind", and "Both Sides Now". Even odder, though, is the fact that the record features Eddie Higgins, that great white hope of Chicago jazz, playing the moog! The whole thing's got a great sound that's really strange, with lots of fuzzy effects, and other strange production elements thrown into the mix. Always exciting, and a real lost moogy gem!

Braxton and Ellington appear here as composers of the work, not as performers – but the spirit of both is alive and well in this performance, breaking out in complicated waves of sound that recall the earliest moments of the former, but which are also informed by the concepts of freedoms put forth by the latter! The performance features passages from Braxton's "Composition No 257" and Ellington's "Freedoms No 1, 4, & 6 From The Sacred Concert No 2" – performed by a sonically-conscious quartet that includes Roland Dahinden on trombone, Hildegard Kleeb on piano, Dimitris Polisoidis on violin, and Robert Holdrich on electronics – used here in a heavy, textural way that reminds us a bit of Braxton's own recordings in the format during the 70s! There's moments when the deeper electronic tones bubble forth with the trombone that are simply wonderful – creating soundshapes and tones that are worth the price of the record alone, slightly augmented by bits of piano and violin.

This album features Chicago jazz legend Eddie Higgins playing the moog on a number of soundtrack-related cuts, including "Theme from Z", "Mah-Na, Mah-Na", and "Midnight Cowboy". Hip sound, and a great use of the moog. Spooky.

A record from the Three Of Us – but one we remember best for the heavy keyboards of Hilton Felton! The set's even more stripped-down than some of Hilton's other funky classics from the 70s – an instrumental outing that features Felton on organ and Fender Rhodes, Johnathan Settel on drums, and David Mendenhall on guitar – a great player we've never heard before, but one who carves out some mighty sharp lines next to the keyboards! The drums are nice and tight, too – and occasionally augmented by a bit of bass or congas – and Hilton's got that wonderfully fluid groove that makes the tunes bristle with funky, soulful energy – every bit the best sort of groove you'd find in early 70s records by Charles Earland or Johnny Hammond – but even better, as there's a raw indie vibe going on too. Titles include "Here Comes David", "Music Shall Never Die", "Your Analysis", "Dream Come True", and "Maybe You'll Come Back To Me".

A mighty great little record – a mixture of jazz and soul from the heavy talents of Hilton Felton – and a record that not only features some of his own great work on organ and keyboards, but some great contributions from other members of the DC scene of the 70s! In addition to help from The Blackbyrds in the core combo, and guest tenor from Andrew White, the set also features vocals from a young Angela Winbush on one track – singing backup on some others! But the core charm of the record comes from the grooves – the kind of upbeat, righteous sounds that we've always loved in Felton's keyboards – almost an extension of the Prestige Records jazz funk groove from the start of the 70s, with echoes of records by Funk Inc, Melvin Sparks, and Leon Spencer – but given a particularly hip east coast indie sort of spin! Titles include "Family & Friends", "Spreading Fever", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Family Reunion", "Clay's Way", and "The Power Of Love".

A holy grail of funky music – and a rare gem from the DC scene of the 70s! Keyboardist Hilton Felton cut this wicked killer for his own tiny label – Hilton's Concept – and it's a very unique blend of jazz and funk modes, done with help from members of The Blackbyrds and Three Pieces! Felton plays Fender Rhodes, vibes, organ, and even some percussion on the record – grooving in this stretched-out, easygoing way that's unlike anyone else we can think of – often with fuller backings that might be at home on a soundtrack, but which have a much more open flow overall. Most tracks are nice and long, with plenty of sweet electric solo space – and titles include the classic "Bee Bop Boogie", a 9 minute groover with a monster break on the intro – plus "The Light Of Mankind", "Man For All Reasons", "Tell Her Love Has Felt The Need", "Love's Losers", and "Blues For a Weary Man".

A great lost chapter in the Cannonball/David Axelrod story! The record features Cannon's classic quintet performing some longer, more serious works with orchestral backing – and the sound is vaguely similar to some of Axelrod's "high concept" work for Capitol. The record features a recording of Axelrod's "Tensity" and William Fischer's "Experience In E", both conducted by Fischer, a hip modern soul-oriented arranger, with a sound that's not dissimilar to Axelrod. The last piece on the album is a nice long one by Lalo Schifrin, "Dialogues For Jazz Quintet & Orchestra", which is also conducted by him as well.

Prime material from Cannonball and David Axelrod – and despite the biblical leanings of the title, the record is pretty darn funky! As they did for the Zodiac, Cannonball and Axelrod take a trip through a host of cultural milestones – stopping along the way to turn each one into a new pillar of soul, working with Rick Holmes, who narrates the set in the same way he did on the Zodiac albums. Brother Nat Adderley and George Duke are among the players in the album's very funky backing – and tracks include "Make Your Own Temple", "Amani", "Space Spiritual", "Eternal Walk", and "Gone". Oh for the days of the double LP concept jazz record!

A massive look at the mighty pairing of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod – a partnership that's way more than just jazz musician and producer! Axelrod's talents in the studio are many, but his greatest heights were possibly reached in collaboration with Cannonball – a relationship that spawned an amazing run of singles and albums that allowed the saxophonist to expand his music to amazing new levels, and touch audiences that few other jazz musicians could reach! Axelrod's sense of sound and timing are a perfect match for Cannonball's intrinsically funky approach to the saxophone – and no matter what the setting here, from big band to small combo, studio recordings to live date, high concept records to relaxed jazz sessions, there's an undeniable groove in the music that never lets up. The CD pulls together a very wide range of work from key Axelrod/Adderley Capitol recordings – and offers a double-length look at their pairing that's as soulful as it is essential. Titles include "The Black Messiah", "Space Spiritual", "Do Do Do", "Gone", "Ndolima", "Up & At It", "Hummin", "Make Your Own Temple", "Tensity", "Fun In The Church", "Khutsana", "Price You Got To Pay To Be Free", "Walk Tall", "Music You All", and "Dialogues For Jazz Quintet & Orchestra".

A damn legendary record from the last years of Chess Records – and for good reason, too! Archie Whitewater were a group that was years ahead of its time – a rock combo, but one with real genre-crossing sensibilities that made them perfect for the experimental styles at the Cadet/Concept side of Chess – the same slice of the musical universe that gave us Rotary Connection and important productions from Charles Stepney! The sound here has some surprisingly soulful elements at times – especially the instrumentation, which features some great break moments that get nice and funky, and strands of soulful jazz and blues that really make the music way different than most other groups we can think of – or maybe a bit like a rare elite who shared such visionary territory with Archie Whitewater, such as Shades Of Joy on their first Fontana record. The keyboards and sax lines are as great as the drums – and the vocals have a melancholy undercurrent that's a really refreshing change from some of the overly-postured modes you'd get from other groups in 1970. Titles include the sublime sample cut "Cross Country" – but there's loads of other nice ones with the same stripped-down "Dusty Fingers" sort of groove – and other titles include "Life Is A River", "Home Again", "Lament For The Walking Dead", "Seacoast", "Country To the City", "Friends & Neighbors", and "Mist Of The Early Morning".

One of David Axelrod's oddest records, but still a darn great one! The whole album is sort of a concept album about slavery (hence the title "The Auction"), and it has some spiritual political vocals on a number of tracks – but underneath is the usual great funky instrumentation of David Axelrod, with lots of nice deep grooves that kick the otherwise snoozy lyrics into another level. The whole thing's got a feel that's sort of like the 24 Carat Black record, with a deep soulful groove. Titles include "The Auction", "Oh! Freedom", "The Debt", "Freedom", "Sympathy", "Leading Citizen", and "Be Proud, My Race!".

David Axelrod takes on Handel's Messiah – and the result is an amazingly complex set of music – very similar to his earlier albums on Capitol Records, and his Warner work with the Electric Prunes! If you love the Axe, you'll find plenty to love here – spare, dark orchestrations, often with a subtle hint of funk in the rhythms, some jazzy flourishes, and this bold sense of studio majesty that marks Axelrod as one of the most inventive producers of his time! The sound's one that gave birth to a whole generation of hip hoppers and beatheads – and the proceedings are conducted by Cannonball Adderley, with a feel that's similar to other Adderley/Axelrod high-concept sets – like Soul Of The Bible or Soul Zodiac. Titles include "Overture", "Worthy Is the Lamb", "Behold Recitative", "Comfort Ye My People", and "And The Angel Said Unto Them".

One of the last sessions ever recorded by the legendary Billy Bang – but a set that still bristles with all the intensity that first made us fall in love with his music! If anything, the album's almost a back-to-basics effort for Billy – served up with the kind of soulful, searching sounds he first brought to his seminal albums on the Black Saint/Soul Note label – and quite different than some of his higher concept sessions in more recent years. The group's a great one, full of pulsating improvisational energy – as Billy's violin is joined by the trombone of Dick Griffin, piano of Andrew Bemkey, bass of Hilliar Greene, and drums of Newman Taylor Baker. Griffin's presence is especially great, and really helps deepen the sound – and titles include "All Blues", "Day Dreams", "Guinea", "Da Bang", and "Law Years".

A pair of mid 70s album by Bobby Bare – the ambitious, concept-driven Hard Time Hungrys – and the easygoing The Winners & Other Losers – two worthy efforts from one the most unique voices and personalities of his era! Both albums are heavy with songs written by Bare family friend and frequent songwriting partner Shel Silverstein. Johnny Cash gets all the mainstream attention for collaborating with Shel on "A Boy Named Sue", but Shel and Bare have a far richer collaborative history together. Home For The Hungrys tells the story of the impoverished, with the title track, "Back Home In Huntsville Again", "Bottles And Boxes", "Truck Driver, Truck Driver", "The Unemployment Line" and more. The Winners And Other Losers is simply a great batch of tunes, sans concept, with the enduring "Drop Kick Me Jesus", "My Better Half", "Keeping Rosie Proud Of Me" and more. 24 tracks in all.

A mid 70s album by Bobby Bare – the easygoing The Winners & Other Losers – a worthy effort from one the most unique voices and personalities of his era! This album is heavy with songs written by the Bare family friend and frequent songwriting partner Shel Silverstein. Johnny Cash gets all the mainstream attention for collaborating with Shel on "A Boy Named Sue", but Shel and Bare have a far richer collaborative history together. The Winners And Other Losers is simply a great batch of tunes, sans concept, with the enduring "Drop Kick Me Jesus", "My Better Half", "Keeping Rosie Proud Of Me" and more.

A wonderful gem from the glory days of Capitol Records west coast rock and roll – and one of those cool little records in which the label moved past the concept of a lead artist, in order to showcase a great range of songs in a particular style! As you'd guess from the title and cover, the theme here is cars – particularly the hot rod craze of the early 60s – and the label brings together some great singles and lesser-known gems to support the style – plus two numbers by the Beach Boys too! The Wilson lads sparkle on "Shut Down" and "409" – and other great tracks include "Brontosaurus Stomp" by The Piltdown Men, "Chicken" by The Cheers, "Wide Track" by The Super Stocks, "Car Trouble" by The Eligibles, "Hot Rod Race" by Jimmy Dolan, and the great Robert Mitchum song "Ballad Of Thunder Road".

A compelling concept for a record – and a set that's also one of the best albums we've heard from Jerry Bergonzi in years! The tunes here are all based on other jazz standards, but really turned inside-out – so that the melodies are mixed up, the changes are changed up, and the overall sound is definitely something unique – a stunning showcase for that wonderful sense of tone that's always made Jerry so great, but which hasn't sounded this powerful for awhile! There's almost an echo of Joe Henderson in the 60s – in the way that Bergonzi plays straight, but always hinting at the edges – and these fresh tunes are often served up as blocks of tone and color, in a way that really sounds amazing. The group's trumpet work from Phil Grenadier provides a nice match for Jerry's horn in the frontline. Bergonzi plays a bit of piano too, and the group also features Will Slater on bass and Karen Kocharyan on drums. Titles include "First Lady", "Sprung", "Deek", "Wilbur", "A Granny Winner", and "PG 2013".

One of our favorite-ever albums on Prestige Records from the 60s – and a set that's a fair bit different than most of the other work on the label! The set's an unusual outing for saxophonist George Braith – cut after his famous albums for Blue Note, and in a mode that's quite different – very far-reaching, and almost spiritual at points – with the blend of jazz and other modes that you might find on the Cadet/Concept sessions in late 60s Chicago! Braith plays a wide assortment of saxes – c-melody, alto and soprano – but his playing here is a bit different than the Roland Kirk-like vibe of before – sometimes more stretched-out and exploratory, in a Nathan Davis sort of vibe – sometimes wrapped up in some larger explorations from the whole group. There's moments of raw percussion with echoey production, others with wordless vocals floating alongside the lead soloist, and still others that have that catchy blend of soul jazz and exoticism you'd find in the music of Eddie Harris or Yusef Lateef – even though Braith here is completely his own artist too! The set features Jane Getz on piano, Jay Carter and Eddie Diehl on guitar, and Ben Dixon on drums – but there's also a lot of percussion, both Latin and otherwise, from a shifting lineup of players. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Del's Theme", "Musart", "Evelyn Anita", "Our Blessing", "Laura", and "Splashes Of Love".

Like Dave Brubeck's legendary Time Out set? Try this one – a great record that takes off from the concept of the first, but which goes in some very fresh new directions – using the same great group with Paul Desmond on alto, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! Dave's still working out some nutty time signatures here – but apart from the science, the thing that really makes the record cook is Desmond's alto – icy, edgey, floating, and always a treat – almost even more amazing in the space of some of these offbeat numbers. Titles include "Maori Blues", "Far More Drums", "Bluetee", "Far More Blue", and "It's A Raggy Waltz".

Easily one of our favorite albums by Tim Buckley – and a record that really opens up with some key jazzy touches! Buckley's still got his roots in folk here, and his vocals are yet to hit the extremes of Starsailor or Lorca – but there's also a new sense of inflection to the way he puts over the lyrics, shaded in by use of vibes, kalimba, harmonium, and harpsichord – the latter two of which are played on the session by Don Randi! Tracks are relatively short, but high in concept – and include the protest song "No Man Can Find The War", plus "Hallucinations", "Phantasmagoria In Two", "Carnival Song", "Pleasant Street", "Morning Glory", and "Goodbye & Hello".

A pair of overlooked 70s gems from Jerry Butler – back to back on a single CD! Love's On The Menu is understated genius from Jerry – the kind of record that follows nicely off of his best strengths for Mercury in the early 70s – and which has him furthering the level of mature soul that was his greatest contribution to music in the decade! As before, the best tunes here are often the mellower ones – sung in a mode that's warmly soulful, and which often raises the bar for mainstream soul – to a level that would allow a lot more work to come from other singers a few years later. The title cut – "Love's On The Menu Tonight" – is a perfect illustration of this style – and other cuts include "The Devil In Mrs Jones", "Thank You Early Bird", "I'm Goin Left", "Don't Let This Smile Fool You", "I Don't Want Nobody To Know", and "This Is Your Life". Suite For The Single Girl is a great little concept album – and one that really shows the continuing sophistication and growth of Jerry Butler's music in the 70s! The record is dedicated to the "single girl" of the 70s (portrayed with the sad little photo of a brown bag lunch and a Gucci purse on the cover) – the new professional woman in the workplace – a surprisingly popular theme for many other singers of the period, but handled here by Butler with way more poise and class than any of his contemporaries! Arrangements are by James Mack and Paul Wilson, who often bring a great mellow mode to the best cuts – almost a Leon Ware style of laidback sensuality. A few other tunes are groovers, but still fit in just right – and titles include "Suite For The Single Girl", "I Wanna Do It To You", "Music In Her Dreams", "Only Pretty Girls", "Let's Go Get Out Of Town", "Chalk It Up", and "Ms Fine".

Majestic Motown from the 70s – an almost-overlooked record, but a surprisingly sophisticated gem that's well worth discovering again! The album's definitely soul at the core, but embraces so many other rich styles too – and at points, almost feels like some of the most ambitious material of the Cadet/Concept scene in Chicago – especially given the full orchestrations on the tracks, handled by Jimmy Haskell and Jerry Long! Leonard Caston's the real genius behind the record, though – and works here to provide great support for co-vocalist Carolyn Majors – who trades leads back and forth with him, and is sometimes showcased on tracks that really let her heavenly vocals take off! The whole thing's great – and titles include an early version of the cut "I'll Keep A Light In My Window", which was later recorded by other groups – plus "Child Of Love", "There's Fear", "Satisfied Mind", "Let There Be Love", "No One Will Know", and "Say You Love Me True". CD features loads of bonus tracks too – 9 more numbers that act as a great second chapter to the album – titles that include "Mother's Son", "What About The Price", "If I Can", "We're Together", "I've Got To Fly", "Don't Let", and "I'm Flying Your Sky".

A bit more high concept than before for Stanley Clarke – almost a suite of sorts, but one that still has some great standout tunes in the mix! Although Clarke used to bring his higher concepts to bear in the space of a single song, this one's more of a full exploration of the character in the title – served up at the best moments with more soul than on previous albums from Stanley, some nicely tuneful tracks that almost get a bit funky at points. There's a bit of vocals on the record – courtesy of Dee Dee Bridgewater and others – and guests include Freddie Hubbard, Stan Getz, Harvey Mason, Tom Scott, and Airto. Titles include "More Hot Fun", "Slow Dance", "He Lives On", "Dayride", "Got To Find My Own Place", "Closing Statement", and "A Serious Occasion".

One of the last classic efforts from the team of Willie Colon and Ruben Blades – a subtle but effective set of tracks that showcases both Blades' increasingly political concerns and the growing pan-Latin sound of Colon! The core approach is still mostly salsa, but you can hear plenty of other influences in the mix as well – all carried out with a sound that's simpler, and almost rootsier than some of Colon or Blades' more high-concept records at the end of the 70s. Tracks are all longish, with some good instrumental moments, and titles include "Tiburon", "Te Estan Buscando", "El Telefonito", "Y Deja", "Ligia Elena", "De Que", and "Madame Kalalu".

A various artist compilation Prestige put together to capitalize on the popularity of the Oscar-winning Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra with music that features Eastern and Egyptian themes. In spite of how you may feel about the concept, the set features some tracks that have become harder to come by on vinyl, and plays nicely whether you're considering the theme. . .or not. 5 tracks in all: "La Ibkey" by Ahmed Abdul Malik, "Taboo" by Yusef Lateef, "Anadolu Oyuni" by Oudi Hrant, "Ackmet" by dizzy Reece, and "Bakai" by John Coltrane.

Two 60s gems from Brit leader John Dankworth – both pretty unique! What The Dickens is a record that's way better than you might guess – and a key document of the creative orchestrations of the great John Dankworth! The set features tunes inspired by the writings of Charles Dickens – but the writing and interpretation is 60s modern all the way through – thanks to a crack lineup that includes Tubby Hayes and Dick Morriseey on tenors, Ronnie Ross on baritone, Tony Coe on clarinet, Kenny Wheeler and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpets, and Dankworth himself on some mighty nice alto! The session swings strongly – and surprisingly nice solos dart out amidst the otherwise goofy concept of the record – thanks to Dankworth's hand for a good arrangement and a nice sense of swing! Titles include "Weller Never Did", "The Prologue", "Ghosts", "The Artful Dodger", and "Dodson & Fogg". "Off Duty" has Dankworth's classic jazz charts getting a new sort of zing – thanks to electric bass from Herbie Flowers and Brian Odgers, which really helps give most of the tracks a great little groove! The record's got a soulful undercurrent we're not used to hearing from Dankworth – and the production is nice and tight, with a sound library sense of compression that really works wonders with the playful instrumentation. Titles include "African Waltz", "To Emma", "Off Duty", "Little Brown Jig", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", and "Song Of India".

Charles Earland – really stretching things out, and sounding great in the process! The album's an important one, as it shows that Earland wasn't just a funky Hammond player leading a small group – but a visionary player who could put together a session with a larger, cosmic concept. The album features an expanded horn section on most cuts, save for the smaller group "Speedball", which features excellent blowing by Lee Morgan and Billy Harper. Other players are all funky favorites from the Prestige years, and even the familiar numbers take on a whole new sound in this setting! Titles include "Charles III", "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind", "Auburn Delight", and "My Favorite Things".

A nicely complicated little record – and one of the funkiest albums on the legendary Invictus label! The 8th Day group was a loosely-conceived batch of Detroit soul talents designed to cash in on a concept of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team – and they weren't just a studio project, as they included some wonderful talents that could make some great music when they wanted to! One of these was the amazing Detroit organist Lyman Woodard – who contributed the fantastic track "Cheba" to the album, an incredible organ groover that's unlike anything you've ever heard, rolling on with this pinched Hammond sound over congas, all-instrumental, and completely seductive! Another was Melvin Davis, who had recorded the song "Good Book" as a solo artist – but which was released here as if it was by the group. There's also a great guitarist in the group – unnamed due to the lack of liner notes – but who really shines on the funky tracks "Anythang", "Rocks In My Head", and "Heaven Is There To Guide Us", all with a fuzzed-out Detroit 70s groove! CD features the bonus tracks "Just As Long (single)", "I'm Worried (single)", "It's Instrumental To Be Free", and "You Made Me Over".

A great high-concept composition from Duke Ellington – one that rivals the earlier brilliance of his Liberian Suite! Like that one, vocals are a key part of this long-form work – a special performance done for the Century Of Negro Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1963 – with an all-star cast that includes Jimmy Jones both at the piano and conductor's stand; Joya Sherrill on vocals with the Irving Bunton Singers, Jimmy Grissom, Jimmy McPhail, and Lil Greenwood; Billy Strayhorn on celeste, Juan Amalbert on conga, and other familiar Ellingtonians in the larger group! The tunes have a mix of gospel and folk roots, turned towards more modern Ellington compositional modes – and almost all numbers feature vocals, including one with narration by Ellington himself. Titles include "Will You Be There", "Come Sunday", "David Danced", "Montage", "My Mother My Father", "My People", "The Blues Ain't", and "What Color Is Virtue". CD features 25 tracks in all – the first-ever appearance on CD of the entire performance!

An incredible concept album from the end of the 60s – the only set we've ever seen by The Family Tree, but a record of baroque brilliance that sits beautifully with some of the best of its generation! The session was recorded at the same time as Nilsson's classic Aerial Ballet – with the same arranger, producer, studio, and session musicians – and it's got a similarly spacious feel that goes way beyond conventional pop. George Tipton's backings are simply breathtaking – a majestic filling out of the group's initial ideas for the record, blending core Sunshine Pop tunes with strings, horns, piano lines, and more – all produced to perfection. Titles include "Birthday/Dirgeday", "Sideshow", "Any Other Baby", "Simple Life", "Slippin Thru My Fingers", "Lesson Book Life", "Nine To Three", "Miss Butters", and "The Underture". CD also features the bonus tracks "Keepin A Secret", "Do You Have The Time", "She Had To Fly", and "He Spins Around".

A wonderful larger-concept piece from reedman Mats Gustafsson – and an important recording that really stands to only complement some of his freer, looser work of the time! The set's got a vibe that's similar to some of the best mixed composition/improvisation works of the 90s – put together with Gustafsson at the helm, conducting the actions of a nonet that also includes Barry Guy on bass, Sten Sandell on piano and prepared piano, Gunter Christmann on trombone and cello, Per-Ake Holmlander on tuba and aluminum tube, Axel Dorner on trumpet, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, Fredrik Ljungkivst on tenor and baritone, Raymond Strid on drums, and Mats himself on soprano, tenor, baritone, fluteophone, and French flageolet! The tape elements are relatively minor, and most sounds really come from the improvisations directed by Gustafsson – often in the farther reaches of sound that he was exploring strongly at the time – and surprisingly subtle, especially given the size of the group. Titles include "ABC", "ABCDEFG", "ABC", "ABCDE Coda", and "Intro AB".

The classic debut from one of the weirdest concept groups of the 60s – a mime rock band brought together by producer Lew Futterman – who'd also worked on some killer funky jazzy sessions with Brother Jack McDuff! The style here is psychedelic pop through and through – and although the group didn't speak, they do sing (is that really mime?) – and work in a groovy sing-song blend of reeds and rockish rhythms, one that definitely has some of the same sharp changes and funky undercurrents you'd find in Futterman's jazz projects – although honed down here into much shorter Sunshine tunes! The album's a very unique little record – and oddly the group flourished for years. But somehow this first record has a charm that's really undeniable – and is maybe still their best effort ever. Titles include "White Winged Doves","Dream Of Tomorrow", "Pray For Rain", "How Does It Feel To Be Free", "I Ride To Nowhere", "Come & See Me", and "Jelly Jam".

A silly name and a very silly concept – but not a bad record over all! The set was recorded in Munich during the time of that city's heavy disco wave – and it features some pretty nice keyboard work, set to strings by the Munich Philharmonic. Most of the songs have some sort of Dracula theme – but in a way that's more about seduction than anything else, giving the record a slinky sexy Euro 70s groove – and in most cases, the vocals are nothing more than a chorus repetition of the title. Includes the funky "Soul Dracula", the silly "Dracula Goes Dreamy", and the cuts "Baby Frankie Stein", "Sex Me", and "Terror On The Dance Floor".

Well, it's HIS story, actually – a bit overblown in concept, and probably execution – but a record that's got some nice nuggets underneath, if you know where to look. The first half is the backstory – gems from Michael's earlier years on Epic – including "Remember The Time", "The Girl Is Mine", "Bad", "Rock With You", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "She's Out Of My Life", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", and "Wanna Be Startin Something". The second half is "HIStory Continues" – newer material that might have made a decent album on its own, but which probably pales slightly in comparison with the classics. Tracks include the "Scream" duet with Janet – plus "You Are Not Alone", "Childhood", "2 Bad", "Tabloid Junkie", "This Time Around", "Come Together", and "They Don't Care About Us".

The groovy combo The Jazz Modes were one of the 50's strangest groups – but their work is always entertaining, and a lot more filled with soul than you'd expect! The band is fronted by French horn player Julius Watkins and saxophonist Charlie Rouse – and Rouse's pre-Monk tenor is nice and gutsy, even at moments when it seems like the group's getting a little too "high concept"! Add to the mix the earthy piano of Gildo Mahones, and the combo's definitely got a groove – even on a set like this, which is comprised of tracks from Frank Loesser's musical A Most Happy Fella – all transformed by the group's approach, and taken as mostly instrumental numbers, save for one that features wordless voice by Eileen Gilber. Titles include "Joey Joey Joey", "Dont' Cry", "Happy To Make Your Acquaintance", "Warm All Over", and the obligatory "Standing On The Corner".

Jellyfish take off from the Beach Boys' Stack O Tracks concept of an instrumental record – and offer up no-vocal versions of the albums Bellybutton and Spilt Milk! These aren't "stripped off" versions of the records – but complete instrumental readings of the music, recorded at the same time as the original records – issued here for the first time ever! Jellyfish's pair of early 90s albums are almost defiantly in the way they ignore the era's alt-rock boom in favor of classic psych and power pop – which is something they earned our respect for, both then and now – and you get to hear just how intricately-layered their sound is here on the instrumentals. It has the feel of late 60s and 70s rock film scores in a way – and it's really cool stuff – truly worthwhile to have sans vocals! 22 tracks on 2CDs: Bellybutton titles include "The Man I Used To Be", "That Is Why", "I Wanna Stay Home", "She Still Loves Him", "Now She Knows She's Wrong", "Bedspring Kiss", "Calling Sarah" and more – and Spilt Milk titles include "Hush", "Joining A Fan Club", "New Mistake", "The Ghost At Number One", "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", "Brighter Day".

A lost chapter in the career of cellist Fred Katz – an album recorded after his small combo work with Chico Hamilton, and sort of a larger group take on the whimsical sound of the classic Hamilton Quintet! The tracks are all older folk tunes, adapted by Katz to fit a chamber jazz mode – and featuring shifting instrumentation from track to track, in order to fit the African, American, or Jewish origins of the tunes. Although the concept may sound a bit gimmicky, the record's actually pretty darn great from a jazz perspective – and is one of the few to show the real depth of Katz as a leader! Players include Billy Bean on guitar, Gene Estes on vibes, Jack Costanzo on percussion, Pete Candoli on trumpet, and Paul Horn on flute and alto – all great talents for this sort of work, especially Horn, whose reed lines help keep things lively. Titles include "Mate'ka", "Chili'lo", "Mathni-ki", "Old Paint", "Foggy Foggy Dew", and "Rav's Nigun".

Just the kind of cool high-concept work we love from A&M Records – an all-star project with performances by Jessi Colter, Eric Clapton, Bernie Leadon, Waylon Jennings, and others!

A major extension of the concept albums first begun by The Kinks with Village Green and Arthur – taken fully to the next level, and conceived as a theatrical work with a strong message-oriented base of songs! The vibe here is kind of an exaggeration of the "preservation" feeling of the "Village Green Preservation Society" single – carried out in a variety of dramatic rock styles that shift with the mood of the scenes, and which show Ray and the group working in Tommy-like spectacle , with a subsequent range of musical modes on the set. Titles include "Morning Song", "Demotion", "Sitting In The Midday Sun", "There's A Change In The Weather", "Where Are They Now", and "Cricket".

One of the greatest Yusef Lateef albums on Atlantic Records – and that's saying a lot, given the high level of quality he was hitting at the label! The album's a perfect blend of the newly-funky Lateef style with some hipper, more sophisticated touches – a mode that hints at his bigger-concept recordings to come, but which is still pretty lean and clean overall – and damn funky on most of the best tracks! Yusef plays a host of hip flutes here, plus tenor and oboe – and an almost equal star on the record is Kenny Barron, whose electric piano lines really make the album something special. The album begins with a long take on Barron's "Nubian Lady" which begins the record – and Kenny also contributed the tighter grooving "Jungle Plum". Other tracks include "African Song", "Queen Of The Night", "Poor Fishermen", "Below Yellow Bell", and a strange version of "Hey Jude" that goes on for a long time, and really messes with the volume – listed on the cover with the note "Do not adjust the playback level on your audio equipment – readjust your mind!"

Wonderful sounds from Hubert Laws – and like some of his best CTI work of a few years before, a set that really goes way beyond any easy expectations! There's moments of ambition here that really link the record to Laws' CTI sides – that mix of fuller arrangements and higher-concept sounds that are a perfect fit for his careful tone on flute – sitting nicely alongside more easygoing fusion number that really flesh out the sound – some of those sparkling Columbia Records grooves from the start of the 80s that mix together acoustic and electric instrumentation! The album features Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano from Bobby Lyle, drums from Leon Ndugu Chancler, and bass from Nathan East – plus a bit of acoustic piano from Chick Corea, and guest vocals on one cut from Deborah Laws! Tracks include "What A Night", "Family", "Memory of Minnie (Riperton)", and "Say You're Mine".

One of Julie London's wildest albums – and one of her sexiest too! The record has Julie running through the calender – singing a song a month, dedicated to January, February, March, and so on – a really great concept for a record like this, in ways that set the album apart from some of London's other classics of the time! The record's certainly one of her campier efforts – but in a great way – and it's further agumented by a great cover that has pinup images of Julie in a setting specific to each month – a cheesecake spectacular that's almost worth the price of admission alone. Titles include "June In January", "February Brings The Rain", "Melancholy March", "Memphis In June", and "Time For August".

One of the most influential musical moments of the 60s – Hair! Hair not only forever changed the concept of musical theater on Broadway, but it also gave the world an incredible array of groovy tunes with odd rhythms – and made a place for composer Galt MacDermot to continue his musical experiments for years to come – eventually influencing a generation of beatheads and hip hoppers as a result! This package features the official Broadway recording of the score – with singers who include Ronnie Dyson, Diane Keaton, and Melba Moore! Titles include "Aquarius", "Where Do I Go", "My Conviction", "Frank Mills", "Be In", "Abie Baby", "Colored Spade", and "Air".

Interesting concept recording featuring a small group of players related to the ECM scene palying Michael Mantler compositions with vocals based on the poems and stories of Edward Gorey. The music has that atmospheric quality of ECM recordings of the time, as you might expect, featuring as it does Carla Bley, Steve Swalow, Jack DeJohnette & Terje Rypdal, plus vocals by Robert Wyatt as well as some spoken bits. 6 numbers in all "The Sinking Spell", "The Object-Lesson", "The Insect God", "The Doubtful Guest", "The Remembered Visit" & "The Hapless Child", in a gatefold sleeve with Gorey's poems inside and a nice Gorey illustration on the front.

Strange and incredible mid 70s atmospherics from Jean-Pierre Massiera – dark atmospherics that roll from heady psych rock to cerebral funk and proggy dynamics – taken to a far deeper dimension thanks to Massiera's hypnotic use of tape samples and layered vocal errata! It's amazing how much is going on here, especially given that the feverish hypnotic effects never lag – as wild and tripped out as it gets, the hold it has on your sensory processors never lags! Billed as a Gallic concept album, it may very well be that, but we can only speak for the visceral thrills – which it has, and many to spare! Includes 3 long pieces, "Frayeur", "Angiosse", and the 16 +minute "HIA".

A weird concept for a record, but a nice record too – one that features one side of solo piano from Dave McKenna, but an especially nice second side – with searing quartet work from Wilbur Little, featuring Frank Foster on tenor and soprano sax! This side is especially soulful – with the great cuts "Little People" and "Whew". McKenna plays solo on "Cherokee", "A Fine Romance", and "Cape Cod Caper".

A pretty wonderful little concept – Pat Metheny plays music composed by John Zorn – all at a level that resonates both with the wonderful modes we've been hearing from Zorn of late, and with the most adventurous modes of Metheny's early years! Pat's virtually solo on the set – save for some help from Antonio Sanchez on drums – and plays a range of different electric and acoustic guitars, plus sitar, piano, keyboards, bandoneon, percussion, and even a bit of flugelhorn too – instruments that create a rich tapestry of sounds and textures, often with these exotic musical moments that are a real change for Metheny! The album's a delightful surprise all the way through – and titles include "Albim", "Phanuel", "Hurmiz", and "Sariel".

A great early 60s set from Modern Jazz Quartet! This one marked the then growing sophistication in the sound of the Modern Jazz Quartet – a concept album based on themes and characters from the Italian tradition of commedia dell'arte. The music is served up in gentle sound poems that have a haunting, timeless sort of feel – very spare and melancholy – with lots of tragic overtones, and hardly the comedic sound you'd expect from the title! Diahann Carroll sings on the track "La Cantatrice" – and other numbers include "Spanish Steps", "Columbine", "Piazza Navona", and "Harlequin".

Nice work from digital funk beatcrafter Ben Mono – effortlessly blending chilly, laser guided beats with heavier hip hop-modeled beats and wordplay – with guests including Jemeni, Capitol A, Main Flow, Yo Majesty and others! Hit The Bit is a bit of a concept album, but it never gets bogged down or over steeped in thematic theatrics. Ultimately, it's a pretty straightforward batch of Kraftwerk & Bambaata inspired grooves filtered through later broken beats and space synths. Titles include "Beatbox" feat Capitol A, "Hit The Bit" feat Yo Majesty, "Pull Em' Down" feat Shane Fontane, "Midnight Sun" feat Jason Todd, "Don't Stop" feat Bliss & Main Flow, "Blind Sweep" feat Killa Kella, "Phoenix" feat Kerry L Dooley, "Transmission" feat Capitol A and "Binary Poetry" feat Kerry L Dooley.

Easily one of the most successful albums of the British jazz rock years – but still a longtime favorite of ours as well! Mike Oldfield sets a whole new standard here for concept rock – not only by working on a single album-length composition that spans all of sides one and two, but also by playing all instruments himself – in a one man symphony of sound that's pretty darn great! The main theme of the piece will be recognizable from it's stripped-down use in The Exorcist – but we really love Oldfield's expansion on it here in a range of different overdubbed instruments, which are also sometimes processed – and then introduced by Mike in a spoken part that's one of the highlights of the album.

Easily one of the most successful albums of the British jazz rock years – but still a longtime favorite of ours as well! Mike Oldfield sets a whole new standard here for concept rock – not only by working on a single album-length composition that spans all of sides one and two, but also by playing all instruments himself – in a one man symphony of sound that's pretty darn great! The main theme of the piece will be recognizable from it's stripped-down use in The Exorcist – but we really love Oldfield's expansion on it here in a range of different overdubbed instruments, which are also sometimes processed – and then introduced by Mike in a spoken part that's one of the highlights of the album.

An insanely wonderful album! Shuggie Otis is the son of Johnny Otis – the LA R&B maestro who was moving heavily into funk at the end of the 60s – and he has this tripped out, super-dope guitar style that he played to strong effect on Johnny's albums of the late 60s and early 70s, and on his first two solo albums, which were kind of bluesy in tone. For this album, though, he shocked the world by moving into a stripped-down mode that pairs his guitar with spare drum machine rhythms, flanged-out deeply soulful vocals, and one of the most laidback conceptions of funk you'll ever hear. The album's a landmark – one of those gems that's unlike anything else you can think of, but which will redefine your concept of what you want in a record for years to come. Every track's a winner – and the whole thing's a perfectly unified batch of tunes that includes instant classics like "Inspiration Information", "Island Letter", "Aht Uh Mi Hed", "XL 30", and "Rainy Day".

A treasure trove of rare funk – a massive package that not only includes the legendary Inspiration Information album by Shuggie Otis, but which also adds in four bonus tracks to that classic – plus a full other album of unreleased vintage work! Shuggie Otis is the son of Johnny Otis – the LA R&B maestro who was moving heavily into funk at the end of the 60s – and he has this tripped out, super-dope guitar style that he played to strong effect on Johnny's albums of the late 60s and early 70s, and on his first two solo albums, which were kind of bluesy in tone. But for Inspiration Information, he shocked the world by moving into a stripped-down mode that pairs his guitar with spare drum machine rhythms, flanged-out deeply soulful vocals, and one of the most laidback conceptions of funk you'll ever hear. The album's a landmark – one of those gems that's unlike anything else you can think of, but which will redefine your concept of what you want in a record for years to come. Every track's a winner – and the whole thing's a perfectly unified batch of tunes that includes instant classics like "Inspiration Information", "Island Letter", "Aht Uh Mi Hed", "XL 30", and "Rainy Day" – plus unreleased bonus tracks "Miss Pretty", "Magic", "Things We Like To Do", and "Castle Top Jam". Then – as if that's not enough – the set features incredible rare material from Shuggie – 14 more tracks as the Wings Of Love album, mostly recorded in the late 70s post-Inspiration years, plus a few tracks from later vintage too! The sound is great – the kind of extra bits we've been wanting to hear from Otis for many many years – finally unleashed from the vaults, and showing a style that really echoes the groove that others had copied from him – like The Brothers Johnson and some later contemporaries. There's plenty of great lost nuggets on Wings – and titles include "Trying To Get Close To You", "Give Me Something Good", "Wings Of Love", "Give Me A Chance", "Fireball Of Love", "Fawn", "If You'd Be Mine", "Black Belt Sheriff", and "Destination You".

A weird and wild concept album – a 70s recasting of Bizet's Carmen, with some cool moogy touches, and vocals from Melba Moore!

A stone treasure from one of the greatest soul singers of the 70s – and a set you'll regularly find in the coolest of record collections from back in the day! Billy Paul was always one of the hippest talents on Philly International – mixing together soul and jazz influences with a deeper sense of spirituality, and long experience as a sophisticated vocalist. This album's one of his most sublime efforts – kind of a quasi-spiritual record with a similar high-concept approach to some of Marvin Gaye's work from the same time – really righteous, in ways that the Philly label didn't always hit – and which really goes past even most of Billy's already hip previous efforts. Gamble and Huff produced and wrote most of the record – including the two long tracks that make up side one, "I See The Light" and "War Of The Gods", the latter of which starts out slow and moody, then breaks out into a club groove. Other titles include the more standard soul tune "The Whole Town's Talking", plus "Thanks For Saving My Life" and "Peace Holy Peace". CD features bonus tracks – "War Of The Gods (part 1)", "The Whole Town's Talking (single)", and "I Was Married (single)".

A pretty strange concept for an album – a bunch of LA jazz players get together and do versions of songs usually associated with the south! This penchant for swinging tunes from unusual sources was one of Pell's strongest 50s tricks, though, and he makes it come off pretty well with a group that includes Tommy Tedesco on guitar, Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Marty Paich on piano, and Med Flory on baritone sax. Arrangements are by Flory, Paich, Bob Florence, Bill Holman, and Johnny Williams – and titles include "Shi Me Sha Wabble", "Sugar Foot Strut", "Jazz Me Blues", "Blues", "Paper Doll", and "Ballin The Jack".

A late 60s masterpiece from The Pretty Things – beautifully baroque west coast psych pop, done in a style that links together the headier LA sound of Love with some of the more concept-driven work of the UK scene at the time! There's an undeniable power in the record – an energy that was years ahead of its time, and which has led to the album's rediscovery by a host of new generations. At some points, the instrumentation is simple guitar-based rock – but at others, it's topped off by just the right use of strings, larger orchestrations, and bits borrowed from Indian music! Vocals are bitingly delivered, but never cliched – and titles include "Old Man Going", "Loneliest Person", "SF Sorrow Is Born", "She Says Good Morning", "Death", and "Baron Saturday".

Prince Paul's first solo set – with the same dope production and sense of humor that have made all his other projects classics – even if this one's way overlooked in his canon! It's a bit of a concept album – with tracks that play out as chapters in the state of a messed-up hip hop mind state – over timeless beats with that slightly off kilter Prince Paul approach. 18 tracks in all, counting the interludes, including "Drinks (Escapism)", "Psycho Linguistics (Convergent Thought)", "Vexual Healing (Vacillation)" "Introduction To Psychoanalysis (Schizophrenia), "Beautiful Night (Manic Psychopath), "Open Your Mouth (Hypothalamus)", "That's Entertainment!? (Aversive Conditioning)", "In Your Mind (Altered States)" and "Booty Clap".

An amazing set of music – two rare albums from Ohio funk legend Lou Ragland, plus bonus tracks, and a whole set of unreleased sessions too – a huge amount of new music, even if you've got some of the previous reissues! First up is the legendary Hot Chocolate album – one of the greatest lost funk records of all time! The group is not the British pop band, but an Ohio funk group led by the great guitarist Lou Ragland. The album's originally from Canada, which makes it super rare – and these guys are funky funky funky, and kick some major booty with a heavy guitar sound that's just great! Some of the cuts are instrumental, and some of them have some excellent soul vocals that are produced with a nice deep sound that's brought out nicely by the excellent quality of the reissue. The record's got a bit of Sly Stone, a bit of Grant Green, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland – with a tasty raw indie soul vibe – and the original album was only pressed up at 500 copies. Titles include "So Dam Funky", "Ain't That A Groove", "Sexy Moods Of Your Mind", "Messin With Sly", and "What You Want To Do" – plus 8 more tracks from the same vintage – "Good For The Gander" by Hot Chocolate, "I Travel Alone" and Big Wheel" by Lou Ragland, "Red Robin" and "I've Got Something Going On" by Volcanic Eruption, and "I Can't Take It" and "What The Doctor Prescribed" by Lou Ragland & Hot Chocolate. Next is The Conveyor – the second album from Lou Ragland, stepping out here in a great set of mellow soul tracks! The album's quite different from the heavy funk of the Hot Chocolate album – more of a message-oriented approach to soul, in the vein of similar 70s indie work by Mike James Kirkland. The arrangements are also bigger – not smooth, but ambitious, in a style that perfectly matches the higher vision Lou's going for in tracks like "Understand Each Other", "What Should I Do?", "The Next World", and "It's Got To Change". Conveyor also comes with bonus tracks too – "Tend To Your Business" by Wildfire, plus "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" and "I Didn't Mean To Leave You" by Lou Ragland. And last up is an incredible batch of unreleased material – maybe the biggest and best so far from Ragland – tracks that have this really ambitious quality that mixes soul, funk, and larger orchestrations – especially some light strings, which really expand the sound, and push the music into this righteous territory that reminds us a lot of the creative experiments in Chicago during the Cadet/Concept years! Lou's vocals are great, and the message is totally righteous – and even though the tape quality is slightly aged, the soulful vibe really comes through – on cuts that include "Understand Each Other", "It Ain't My Fault", "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "Spend My Life Loving You", "Until I Met You", and "Brother Louie". Lovingly packaged by Numero – with a huge booklet of photos and history – and cool mini-LP sleeves too!

A very cool idea – and a set that works together almost as a "lost" Otis Redding album – from the cover art right down to the grooves on the disc! The package focuses on the deepest, bluest side of Otis Redding – his amazing talent for a heartbreaking song and a sad-tinged ballad – of the sort that it seemed like Otis sang better than anyone else! This well-done collection brings together a few well-known numbers and other overlooked gems – all in a package that has a really unified theme and sound, and which almost feels like some concept album that Stax developed back in the 60s, but never released. Titles include "Gone Again", "A Waste Of Time", "These Arms Of Mine", "I've Got Some Dreams To Remember (rougher dreams)", "Open The Door (skeleton key version)", "Everybody Makes A Mistake", "Free Me", and "Little Ol Me".

A weird mix of folksy roots and more ambitious sounds – put together by Sergio Ricardo in the 70s, in one of his most compelling projects ever! Sergio handles lead vocals and instrumentation – but the set also features other vocal work from Alceu Valenca, Geraldo Azevedo, and others – who come into the mix with personalities all their own – and in ways that are very different than some of the more warmly collaborative vocal work of this nature at the time. The notes are in Portuguese, but from what we can tell the album is a soundtrack – ostensibly for a higher-concept sort of movie! Titles include "Noite De Maria", "Mutirao", "Festa Do Mutirao", "Meu Nome E Ze Do Cao", "Historia Que Se Conta", and "Pe Na Estrada".

Chicago Soul/New York Underground issue. Songwriter/manager Bernice Williams recalls the early days of Gene Chandler/The Du-Kays, and the true story of "Duke of Earl"; Northern Soul legends the Conquistadors tell tales of 1960s West Side Chicago teenage R&B (plus the first soul Jesus concept album); Do "The Chimp" with Chicago 60s garage rocker/R&B singer Jerry Mundo; H. Dwight Thompson tells tales of 70s NYC punk with the Heat and Klaus Nomi's first band! Relive the early Hip Hop parties of the Disco Fever nightclub; Nardwuar meets Jay-Z and N*E*R*D*; plus great interviews with Chris Montez and Doug Randle, and amazing tributes (by those who knew them) to Lux Interior, Michael Jackson, Billy Lee Riley, Sid Lavarents, Sky Saxon and (sadly) more. And amazing comix about Lennon, Danzig, Hagar, record store clerks, hot dogs, riots, and much more by the best underground cartoonists on earth! 120 pages.

A great little album from Shorty – and not that easy to find, either! The title gives away the concept – as all tracks are in a jazz waltz format, which means that they swing very nicely, often with a groove that hints at big band modal work that would show up on labels like MPS. The instrumentation includes interweaving lines on flute, tenor, and some cool vibes by Emil Richards – and the approach throughout is tightly swinging, and never hokey! Titles include "Be As Children", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Jazz Waltz", "Terrence's Farewell", and "A Taste Of Honey".

A massively beautiful piece of work by "the new Rotary Connection" – a version of this groundbreaking Chicago soul ensemble which featured Phil Upchurch, Henry Gibson, and Charles Stepney – the cream of the Chicago production scene! Minnie Riperton's still in the band on vocals, and her work on the LP is similar to that on the legendary Come To My Garden LP. The album features the incredible track "I Am the Blackgold of the Sun" – a haunting soul anthem that has been a favorite of groovers for years, and which was later made into a house track by NuYorican Soul. A great album all the way through, and filled with loads of excellent cuts!

A killer concept album from Demis Roussos – his first solo project, but recorded while still working with Aphrodite's Child – and with some of the same dark elements as their legendary 666 album! The songs here are shorter, and sometimes more tuneful – but the overall presentation is very odd – sometimes echoing ancient Greek roots, sometimes a bit more progressive – and often using cool psych production on Demis' vocals – in that way that gives them the same sinister feel as with Aphrodite's Child! The sound is amazing – much more sinister than any of Roussos' later pop work – and titles include "We Shall Dance", "End Of The Line", "Mountains Beyond", "Lord Of The Flies", "Without You", "She Came Up From The North", and "Good Days Have Gone".

Classic Sam & Dave work for Stax – a searing batch of hard soul tracks that forever redefined the concept of a male soul duet! This was the sound that put Sam & Dave over the top hard – and which left a generation of similar acts trying to catch up. The album sports a sublime track list of Stax originals – mostly by the Isaac Hayes/David Porter team, plus a few others by Steve Cropper and other writers – all top-shelf work that really helps the pair do their best! Titles include "Hold On, I'm Comin", "You Don't Know Like I Know", "You Got It Made", "It's A Wonder", "Blame Me", "Don't Make It So Hard On Me", "I Take What I Want", "I Got Everything I Need", and "If You Got The Loving".

Spacey and funky hip hop from 7even Thirty for Mello Music Group – with some heaving, block-rockin' beatcraft, some great sci fi samples and fairly boisterous rhymes! Heaven's Computer is described as concept album with alien-themed story line – but on a simpler level, it's a straight-up good time, seizing you with insistent rhymes and beats from the get-go – and it doesn't let up! Mello continues to deliver fresh, high quality hip hop. Includes "Fireball", "Twenty-Twelve", "Earth Gurl", "Space Gangsta"f eat Coke Bumaye & Ivisuai, "Nightmare" and more – plus the bonus "Where It's At (Tragedy)".

A definite set of bare essentials from the Spontaneous Music Ensemble – especially given that at this point, the group was stripped down to just the duo of John Stevens on percussion and cornet, and Trevor Watts on soprano sax! The material was all recorded live, and the double-length set is an amazing illustration of the genius that Stevens brought to the group – a way of working and reworking a very simple concept – such that the freedom of improvisation was also given a structure, yet one with a logic that would often defy more simplistic conceptions of jazz! The package features a massive 16 previously unissued tracks – a great look at this unique chapter of the group – with titles that include "In The Midlands", "For Phil", "Three Extracts", "Newcastle 72", "Open Flower", and "Opening The Set".

The Supersax ensemble takes on the classic concept of Charlie Parker with strings – really sticking true to the groundbreaking spirit of the original experiments, while also bringing things forward a bit with their wonderful multi-horn approach! The group features lead alto from Med Flory, plus tenor from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori, additional alto from Joe Lopes, trumpet from Conte Candoli, and trombone from Frank Rosolino – the latter two of whom really get in some nice solos of their own! Strings are well-scored – with the kind of subtle swing of the old days, and an occasional solo from Bobby Bruce on violin – and titles include "April In Paris", "All The Things You Are", "Cool Blues", "Kim", "Ornithology", "If I Should Lose You", and "Sign Off".

The funk-tinged, pyschedelic soul album from Muddy Waters – one that irritated many a blues purist in its day – but it's finally reaching its earned status as a leftfield gem! You know, in the immediate years after this one (and similar funky blues albums on Chess/Cadet) was released, it was downplayed as a cheap attempt to sell out Muddy's classic blues sound. These days, it's treasured by many of us as a unique funky session that merged the best of Chicago's funk, soul, and blues worlds – taking Muddy's sound way past earlier records and into uncharted waters. It's similar to some of the work on Chess at the time by Bo Diddley and Etta James – and it includes lots of nice updated groovers like "I'm A Man", "I Just Want To Make Love to You", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Same Thing", "She's All Right", and "Tom Cat". Arrangements are by Charles Stepney, too!

An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!" Brilliant all the way through, and with tracks that include "Armenia City In The Sky", "Heinz Baked Beans", "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand", "I Can See For Miles", "I Can't Reach You", "Rale", "Sunrise", and "Silas Stingy".

A beautiful little concept for a beautiful little album – a "duologue" in which Lee Wiley sings one track, then Ellis Larkins plays the next, and so on – making for a split LP, but one with a lot of variety along the way! Wiley sings on about two thirds of the tracks on the set – working with a small combo that features Jimmy Jones on piano, Ruby Braff on trumpet, Jo Jones on drums, and Bill Pemberton on bass – all of whom provide gentle accompaniment to Lee's traditionally styled vocals. Ellis Larkins plays piano on the rest of the tracks – solo, with that wonderful late nite style of his – an approach that's more complicated than cocktail piano, but a bit more laidback than straighter jazz. Wiley numbers include "My Heart Stood Still", "Give It Back To The Indians", "My Romance", "You Took Advantage Of Me", and "My Funny Valentine". Larkins numbers include "Perfume & Rain", "By Myself", "Looking At You", and "Then I'll Be Tired Of You".

The 5th volume in this great series is bigger than ever! Back when volume 1 first came out, the idea of modern bossa dancefloor tunes was a strange concept – now, thanks to the work of the Schema crew, in releases like this one, the groove is here to stay – and strongly! The set offers a 13 track overview of the best of recent years – mostly groups from Europe, and all firmly in the Schema Records style. Most tunes are remixed versions, and titles include "Mastered The Art (Jet Sounds rmx)" by Greyboy, "On Line" by Marcos Valle, "O Preguicoso" by Intuit, "Salsin" by Amalgamation Of Soundz, "Penso Ascoltando" by Mondomo, "Meu Samba (Nicola Conte's bossa ahead rmx)" by Eli Goulart & Banda Do Mato, "Puutarhassa (Milk Snickars ext version)" by Pekka Streng, "Good Morning As Usual (Senor Coconut rmx)" by Snooze, "Existentialism (Milano bossa mix)" by The Dining Rooms, "In The Mood For Bossa (alt)" by S-Tone Inc, "Dance Naked Under Palmtrees" by Mo Horizons, and "Honesty" by Soulstance. Plus, the CD version also features a bonus disc – with all 13 tunes mixed live by Luciano Cantone!

The 5th volume in this great series is bigger than ever! Back when volume 1 first came out, the idea of modern bossa dancefloor tunes was a strange concept – now, thanks to the work of the Schema crew, in releases like this one, the groove is here to stay – and strongly! The set offers a 13 track overview of the best of recent years – mostly groups from Europe, and all firmly in the Schema Records style. Most tunes are remixed versions, and titles include "Mastered The Art (Jet Sounds rmx)" by Greyboy, "On Line" by Marcos Valle, "O Preguicoso" by Intuit, "Salsin" by Amalgamation Of Soundz, "Penso Ascoltando" by Mondomo, "Meu Samba (Nicola Conte's bossa ahead rmx)" by Eli Goulart & Banda Do Mato, "Puutarhassa (Milk Snickars ext version)" by Pekka Streng, "Good Morning As Usual (Senor Coconut rmx)" by Snooze, "Existentialism (Milano bossa mix)" by The Dining Rooms, "In The Mood For Bossa (alt)" by S-Tone Inc, "Dance Naked Under Palmtrees" by Mo Horizons, and "Honesty" by Soulstance. 3LPs strong!

A massive overview of the genius Chicago scene of the late 60s – and a set that's overflowing with some of the heaviest music ever recorded! The collection focuses on the most groundbreaking work from the later Chess years – particularly the funky blues, psychedelic soul, and tripped out jazz that was coming out of the Cadet Concept studios in the hands of producers like Charles Stepney, Richard Evans, and Marshall Chess! The Chess groups were ahead of their time by decades – blending together styles without a thought of simple genre restrictions, often forsaking chart fame and record sales in pursuit of an adventurous groove. And while some of the artists on the set may be familiar names, we can promise that most of them are presented in styles that you may not have heard before – as the collection features many unreissued numbers that are making their first reappearance here! CD set comes with a 40 page set of notes – and features 20 tracks in all, including "Please Newsboy" by Eve Barnum, "Burning Spear" by Soulful Strings, "More & More" by Little Milton, "Baltimore Oriole" by Lorez Alexandria, "Soul Vibrations" by Dorothy Ashby, "Evil" by Howlin Wolf, "Stereo Freeze" by The Stereos, "The Way I Feel" by Phil Upchurch, "Mama's Got A Good Thing" by Laura Lee, "The Wailer" by Sonny Cox, "Leave It In The Hands Of Love" by Fontella Bass, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by The Majestic Choir & The Soul Stirrers, "She Suits Me To A Tee" by Buddy Guy, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, and "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler.

A massive overview of the genius Chicago scene of the late 60s – and a set that's overflowing with some of the heaviest music ever recorded! The collection focuses on the most groundbreaking work from the later Chess years – particularly the funky blues, psychedelic soul, and tripped out jazz that was coming out of the Cadet Concept studios in the hands of producers like Charles Stepney, Richard Evans, and Marshall Chess! The Chess groups were ahead of their time by decades – blending together styles without a thought of simple genre restrictions, often forsaking chart fame and record sales in pursuit of an adventurous groove. And while some of the artists on the set may be familiar names, we can promise that most of them are presented in styles that you may not have heard before – as the collection features many unreissued numbers that are making their first reappearance here! 2LP set comes with a great set of notes on the inner sleeve – and features 20 tracks in all, including "Please Newsboy" by Eve Barnum, "Burning Spear" by Soulful Strings, "More & More" by Little Milton, "Baltimore Oriole" by Lorez Alexandria, "Soul Vibrations" by Dorothy Ashby, "Evil" by Howlin Wolf, "Stereo Freeze" by The Stereos, "The Way I Feel" by Phil Upchurch, "Mama's Got A Good Thing" by Laura Lee, "The Wailer" by Sonny Cox, "Leave It In The Hands Of Love" by Fontella Bass, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by The Majestic Choir & The Soul Stirrers, "She Suits Me To A Tee" by Buddy Guy, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, and "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler.

A very cool relic from the post-punk scene of the early 80s – the first-ever album on Les Disques Du Crepuscule, originally issued as a cassette, and featuring a really wide range of wonderful music! The collection features some key bits by British artists – including some Factory Records stalwarts – plus other more arty and experimental songs thrown in as well, all wrapped up with a booklet of artwork that further underscores the higher concept leaning of the project. Some of the best tracks are atmospheric instrumentals, and titles include "Stranger" by Repetition, "Children On The Hill" by Harold Budd, "Sleep Will Come" by Durutti Column, "The Music Room" by Martin Hannett, "Cat" by The Names, "Airwaves" by Thomas Dolby, "The Shadow Garden" by Bill Nelson, "Armoury Show" by Richard Jobson, "A Walk Through H" by Michael Nyman, "White's SS" by Gavin Bryars, "Meine Freunde" by Der Plan, "Twist Up" by Gilbert & Lewis, and "Haystack" by Kevin Hewick & New Order.

Church rock from 60s Quebec – a surprisingly great set of work that's way better than you might think from the concept! French Canada has always been strongly Catholic place – but it's also one that's pretty creatively inspired, too – so it's no surprise that in the wake of Vatican 2, lots of younger musicians were trying to find a way to get the message across – but in cool, groovy styles that really show the changes in sounds at the time! Some of these cuts are as freaky and fantastic as those heard on psych compilations from the Mucho Gusto label – and others have a cool funky approach – with lots of weird rhythms and offbeat instrumentation that's hardly what you'd expect to hear when walking into a church – and more in line with some of the more experimental rock-mass work from the US. Titles include "Raconte Moi" by Les Nocturnes, "Pierre" by Michel Conte, "Dieu Ne Se Mange Plus" by Jacques Michel, "Rappelle Toi Seigneur" by Steve Fiset, "Si Tous Les Hommes Voulaint" by Touladi & Gilles Jerome, "Ma Petite Esperance" by Les Messageres De Joi, "J'Ai Grand Desire De Votre Amour" by Les Allegros, "Gloire A Toi Tu Viens Nous Sauver" by Operation Jeunesse, and "Alleluia" by Pierre Labelle & Rene Angelil.

Church rock from 60s Quebec – a surprisingly great set of work that's way better than you might think from the concept! French Canada has always been strongly Catholic place – but it's also one that's pretty creatively inspired, too – so it's no surprise that in the wake of Vatican 2, lots of younger musicians were trying to find a way to get the message across – but in cool, groovy styles that really show the changes in sounds at the time! Some of these cuts are as freaky and fantastic as those heard on psych compilations from the Mucho Gusto label – and others have a cool funky approach – with lots of weird rhythms and offbeat instrumentation that's hardly what you'd expect to hear when walking into a church – and more in line with some of the more experimental rock-mass work from the US. Titles include "Raconte Moi" by Les Nocturnes, "Pierre" by Michel Conte, "Dieu Ne Se Mange Plus" by Jacques Michel, "Rappelle Toi Seigneur" by Steve Fiset, "Si Tous Les Hommes Voulaint" by Touladi & Gilles Jerome, "Ma Petite Esperance" by Les Messageres De Joi, "J'Ai Grand Desire De Votre Amour" by Les Allegros, "Gloire A Toi Tu Viens Nous Sauver" by Operation Jeunesse, and "Alleluia" by Pierre Labelle & Rene Angelil.

No soundclash here – as the grooves are all right on the money, and fit perfectly together throughout – a blinding blend of tropical-styled sounds that really lives up to the promise of the package! Sofrito have outdone themselves here – and come up with the kinds of tracks we'd never have found in a million years of digging – mostly vintage numbers from the late 70s and early 80s tropical scene – mixed with a few contemporary numbers that seem to have an equally classic sort of vibe! The package is an instant global grooves party right from the start – and titles include "O Ti Yo" by Midnight Groovers, "Cumbia Y Tambo" by La Pesada, "Ebolo" by Bell'A Njoh, "Vibrations Groove" by Lord Shorty & Vibrations International, ""Mwekuru Muthao" by Melodica Teens Band, "La Zorra Y El Perol" by Grupo Canalon De Tinbiqui, and "The Path (Sofrito edit)" by Concept Neuf.

No soundclash here – as the grooves are all right on the money, and fit perfectly together throughout – a blinding blend of tropical-styled sounds that really lives up to the promise of the package! Sofrito have outdone themselves here – and come up with the kinds of tracks we'd never have found in a million years of digging – mostly vintage numbers from the late 70s and early 80s tropical scene – mixed with a few contemporary numbers that seem to have an equally classic sort of vibe! The package is an instant global grooves party right from the start – and titles include "O Ti Yo" by Midnight Groovers, "Cumbia Y Tambo" by La Pesada, "Ebolo" by Bell'A Njoh, "Vibrations Groove" by Lord Shorty & Vibrations International, ""Mwekuru Muthao" by Melodica Teens Band, "La Zorra Y El Perol" by Grupo Canalon De Tinbiqui, and "The Path (Sofrito edit)" by Concept Neuf.

A great tribute to the concept of the "wants list" – that crumpled piece of paper that nearly every record collector carries around with them, a listing of hard to find recordings that they're always trying to track down! The set is a great mix of obscure 60s and 70s soul, with a real focus on the kinds of cuts that are all pretty darn important – but also equally hard to track down on their own. Mellow soul is the dominant groove here, making the package a winning set of some killer tunes that are equally appealing now as they were back in the day! Titles include "Touch Me Take Me" by Rita Wright, "Light My Fire" by Erma Franklin, "This Feeling's Rated X-Tra" by Carl Carlton, "One Girl Too Late" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "Let Me Be" by The Duncans, "Mon Belle Amour" by Ann Pebbles, "I Think I'm Falling In Love With You" by Natural High, "I Just Got To Know" by Bennie Johnson, "City Of Brotherly Love" by Soul Survivors, "I'm Always Dancing To The Music" by Benny Golson, "Making Love" by Lou Ragland & GLO, "Hearts & Flowers" by GC Cameron, and "Beware" by Lou Courtney.

Like Dave Brubeck's legendary Time Out set? Try this one – a great record that takes off from the concept of the first, but which goes in some very fresh new directions – using the same great group with Paul Desmond on alto, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! Dave's still working out some nutty time signatures here – but apart from the science, the thing that really makes the record cook is Desmond's alto – icy, edgey, floating, and always a treat – almost even more amazing in the space of some of these offbeat numbers. Titles include "Maori Blues", "Far More Drums", "Bluetee", "Far More Blue", and "It's A Raggy Waltz". CD features 2 bonus tracks "Slow & Easy" and "It's A Raggy Waltz (live at Carnegie Hall)".

One of the first albums ever recorded by soulful avant legend Byard Lancaster! Lancaster hailed from Philadelphia, and played flute and alto in a style that was clearly informed by the freer spiritual players that dominated one branch of the avant garde tree at the time, like 'Trane and Pharoah. He's joined here by a young Sonny Sharrock, whose "John's Children" they do a wonderful reading of, plus Eric Gravatt, Keno Speller and Jerome Hunter. The tunes are all still tied to a primarily swing based concept of time, and the solos never reach too far, on this side that nods towards the new thing without diving in too deeply. Includes the title track, "Last Summer", Garner's "Misty", "Mr AA", "Dogtown", the standard "Over The Rainbow" and "Satan".

A really standout set from Brazilian rocker Ronnie Von – easily one of his greatest records ever, and a set that shows some wonderful steps forward in production and arrangements! Ronnie's still got a rock approach at his core, but he's often working here with fuller backings that include strings and large orchestrations – all blended with key psychedelic elements of the time, in ways that are a fair bit like some of the best productions from the Cadet Concept series – especially the work of Rotary Connection! Like that group, Ronnie's music here draws from the familiar, then pushes its boundaries – taking the music into unexpectedly majestic territory, but still making it groove in the end. Great credit should certainly go to arrangers Francisco De Moraes and Djama Mellin – and titles include "Enseada", "Imagem", "Seu Olhar No Meu", "Verao Nos Chama", "A Maquina Voadora", "Cidade", and "Voce De Azul".

Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge team up for this most intriguing artist and producer/composer collaboration – one with a promising concept and they deliver in full – shadowboxing their way to a knockout! On the mic tip, Ghostface is in his comfort zone – spitting lyrics laced with martial arts, mafia and supernatural imagery – and doing so with a furious flow and peak precision. Adrian Younge and his Venice Dawn group lay down the sounds – with dusty soul and funk, naturally – but what really pushes this one to a superior level are the unpredictable and ingenious nods to 70s Italian film scores, particularly in the giallo genre. Spooky, echoey keyboards and occasional angelic female backing vocals elevate the vibe and balance the grit. 12 tracks and no filler: "Beware The Stare", "Rise Of The Black Suits", "I Declare War" with Masta Killa, "Blood On The Cobblestones" with U-God & Inspectah Deck, "Rise Of The Ghostface Killah", "Murder Spree" with U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck and Killa Sin, "Enemies Around Me" with William Hart of the Delfonics, "The Sure Shot (Parts 1 And 2)", "Twelve Reasons To Die" and more.

Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge team up for this most intriguing artist and producer/composer collaboration – one with a promising concept and they deliver in full – shadowboxing their way to a knockout! Adrian Younge and his Venice Dawn group lay down the sounds – with dusty soul and funk, naturally – but what really pushes this one to a superior level are the unpredictable and ingenious nods to 70s Italian film scores, particularly in the giallo genre. Spooky, echoey keyboards and occasional angelic female backing vocals elevate the vibe and balance the grit. The instrumentals version is even more explicit in it's debt to giallo – with all titles translated to Italian: "Attenzione Al Stare", "L'Aumento Dell'Abito Nero", "Dichiaro Guerra", "Sangue Sull'Acciottolato", "Una Chiamata Inattesa", "Il Corpo Sicuro", "Dodici Ragioni Per Morire" and more.

A very cool idea – and a set that works together almost as a "lost" Otis Redding album – from the cover art right down to the grooves on the disc! The package focuses on the deepest, bluest side of Otis Redding – his amazing talent for a heartbreaking song and a sad-tinged ballad – of the sort that it seemed like Otis sang better than anyone else! This well-done collection brings together a few well-known numbers and other overlooked gems – all in a package that has a really unified theme and sound, and which almost feels like some concept album that Stax developed back in the 60s, but never released. Titles include "Gone Again", "A Waste Of Time", "These Arms Of Mine", "I've Got Some Dreams To Remember (rougher dreams)", "Open The Door (skeleton key version)", "Everybody Makes A Mistake", "Free Me", and "Little Ol Me".

One of the weirdest Beatle-related projects of the 60s – and one of the most abstract, as well! The album's got kind of an odd concept – in that it purports to be a rediscovery of rare baroque music roots of famous Beatle tunes by Lennon & McCartney – recorded with offbeat arrangements done by Joshua Rifkin. Unlike other simple cover albums of the time, Rifkin's music here really changes up the tunes strongly – moving the rockers into complicated orchestral territory with lots of flourishes on the woodwinds and strings – played here by the "Baroque Ensemble Of The Merseyside Kammermusikgesellschaft" – clearly a studio group with a good sense of humor! The album includes versions of "Eight Days A Week", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "Ticket To Ride", "Hold Me Tight", "Things We Said Today", and "Help".

Sublime early work from Robert Wyatt and crew – a psychedelic accented jazz rock classic that never gets old – and a visionary set that inspired a generation! The heavily fuzzy guitar sound is transcendent on Volume Two – with sudden jazzy changes, augmented by horns, and all done with a sly sense of humour for which the group doesn't get enough credit. The set's broken up into two different "concept" halves – and side one is "Rivmic Melodies" – and includes "Pataphysical Introduction", "A Concise British Alphabet", "Dada Was Here", and "Out Of Tunes". Side two is "Esther's Nose Job" – with the parts "Pig", "Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging", "Orange Skin Food", and "A Door Opens & Closes". Wyatt's on vocals and drums; Hugh Hopper is on bass, guitar, and alto; and Mike Ratledge plays some great Lowry and Hammond organ, plus a bit of harpsichord and flute!

A great follow-up to the first Jobim Jazz set from guitarist Mario Adnet – and in many ways, an even better-conceived version of the project! The difference this time around is that Adnet's been working through the concept in a live setting for a few years – and has come up with wonderfully rich arrangements that really push beyond any simple bossa remake sort of vibe – and instead show up the rich, complicated qualities that we've always loved in the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim – especially in the 70s years of his career! Adnet mostly plays acoustic guitar, but other instrumentation is full with horns – usually flutes and saxes that are intertwined beautifully, with a dipping, soaring sort of energy – not unlike some of the best arrangements by Moacir Santos. Titles include "Takatanga", "Mojave", "Boto", "Bonita", "O Homem", "O Barbinha Branca", "Samba De Maria Luiza", and "Deus E O Diablo Na Terra Do Sol".

An amazing achievement for Ruben Blades – a full suite of tracks conceived and composed by Ruben as a "disco drama" on wax! The work isn't the disco-styled album you might think from this description – and is more of a mini-opera or concept album by Blades, one that features ambitious arrangements from Louie Cruz, Marty Sheller, and Carlos Franzetti – using strings and more standard Latin backings to expand the tunes tremendously, and make the whole album work with the full drama it requires. There's a few spoken bits on the set, which give way to some great songs – and the album also has a few instrumental passages. Willie Colon produced and supervised the whole effort – and tracks on this second part include "Epilogo", "El Velorio", "Manuela Despues", "El Entierro", "Hay Que Viver", and "Maestra Vida".

A sublime blend of soul, folk, jazz, and funk – the rare third album from Bobby Callender, one of those artists who never fully gets his due because he's always sliding around between different genres! Although we like Callender's other work, this album is especially tremendous – a baroque blend of instruments, rolling rhythms, and Callender's raspily soulful voice – all coming off like some genius later production from the Cadet Concept years! As you might guess from the title, the record's kind of a tribute to impressionism – with bits on Monet, Degas, Van Gough, and others – but there's hardly an art history feel to the record, as it's easily the most soulful one that Callender ever cut, and has plenty of tunes that you can love as righteous soul music, and forget about the paintings that inspired them. Plenty of Terry Callier/Charles Stepney in the mix here – and the whole album is an extended suite of tracks that fits perfectly together!

Not just the Cinematic Orchestra – but a set that features work from other artists too – all in a beautifully evocative set of soundscapes that draws heavily from the collaboration, and which goes way beyond other previous work from the group! The sounds here are really united in a commitment to richly expressive modes – often working in a soundtracky style that lives up to the Cinematic promise – using strings on just about every track, but in these cool spare, stark ways that mix with the other instrumentation – and almost recall the glory of the first 4AD experiments in these modes from decades back. In addition to "Manhatta", "Entr'Acte", and "Necrology" by Cinematic Orchestra – the set also features "Lapis" by Austin Peralta, "Dream Work" and "Outer Space" by Dorian Concept & Tom Chant, and "Regen" by Gary Reverend.

The best yet from Flying Lotus – who we keep allowing ourselves to believe has hit an insurmountable peak with each new record – but he just keeps getting better! Where the preceding Cosmogramma upped the stranger, spacier and more abstract textures, Until The Quiet Comes is a bit more inviting – and to his credit, Flying Lotus keeps things as innovative as ever, while still giving this one just a bit more immediately appealing atmosphere. There's nearly always a compelling beat, whether it's abstract boom bap or bubbly and synthy, with heavy bass and thick waves of sound floating over. An incredible roster of guests contribute, too – including string-arranger Miguel Atwood Ferguson, vocalists Erykah Badu, Laura Darlington and Radiohead's Thom Yorke, keyboardist Dorian Concept, and others – but there's little doubt that this is purely the Flying Lotus show. Greatness! Titles include "All In", "Sultan's Request", "See Thru To U" with Erykah Badu, "DMT Song" with Thundercat, "The Nightcaller", "Only If You Wanna", "Electric Candyman" with Thom Yorke, "Hunger" with Niki Randa, "Phantasm" with Laura Darlington, "Dream To Me" and more.

The best yet from Flying Lotus – who we keep allowing ourselves to believe has hit an insurmountable peak with each new record – but he just keeps getting better! Where the preceding Cosmogramma upped the stranger, spacier and more abstract textures, Until The Quiet Comes is a bit more inviting – and to his credit, Flying Lotus keeps things as innovative as ever, while still giving this one just a bit more immediately appealing atmosphere. There's nearly always a compelling beat, whether it's abstract boom bap or bubbly and synthy, with heavy bass and thick waves of sound floating over. An incredible roster of guests contribute, too – including string-arranger Miguel Atwood Ferguson, vocalists Erykah Badu, Laura Darlington and Radiohead's Thom Yorke, keyboardist Dorian Concept, and others – but there's little doubt that this is purely the Flying Lotus show. Greatness! Titles include "All In", "Sultan's Request", "See Thru To U" with Erykah Badu, "DMT Song" with Thundercat, "The Nightcaller", "Only If You Wanna", "Electric Candyman" with Thom Yorke, "Hunger" with Niki Randa, "Phantasm" with Laura Darlington, "Dream To Me" and more.