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A very cool little 45 bag – kind of a combination of canvas record bags and old-school handhelds! The bag is made out of heavy cotton, gusseted to form a box shape, so that the bag can hold about 50 45s when fully expanded – with a zipper on the edge, and a handle on the top – just right for compactly carting around your funky 45s! And not only that, but the handsome diamond PPU logo's on the front – in glorious gold on the bag's cream canvas.

Cream Of The Crop may not have been a huge hit for The Supremes, but the record has them handling a variety of interesting work – mostly done in modes that bring the best Motown styles of the 60s into closer contact with the label's more expansive sound to come in the 70s! There's a really nice balance here, handled by a cream of the crop set of arrangers that includes Wade Marcus, David Van DePitte, and Paul Riser – on titles that include "Someday We'll Be Together", "You Gave Me Love", "Can't You See It's Me", "Young Folks", "The Beginning Of The End", "Till Johnny Comes", and "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever".

Classic! The third LP from the Time, and last before Morris Day went off and started his solo career – though by this point Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had departed the group. Nonetheless, the sound is still tight modern funk, with Jesse Johnson and crew keeping things in the great post-Prince Minneapolis pop-funk sound, including some nice dance numbers like "Jungle Love" and "The Bird" – and Morris just being Morris on cuts like "My Drawers", "Chili Sauce" and "If The Kid Can't Make You Come".

Trumpety magic from Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – a record that's known not only for its classic cover of a model dipped in whipped cream, but also for it's tremendously groovy groove! The Tijuana sound is very firmly in place by the time of this set – Mexican-inspired, but compressed down into a sweet little LA groove in that magical A&M way – never too over the top, done in a way that takes a previously-hokey brassy sound, and smoothes it out for the Now Sound generation! Titles include the hit single "Whipped Cream", plus "Taste Of Honey", "Green Peppers", "Bittersweet Samba", "Lemon Tree", "Ladyfingers", and "Butterball".

The classic – with "Strange Brew", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Tales Of Brave Ulysses", and "Take It Back".

A heavy duty 3LP vinyl box set of Cream's unlikely and incendiary reunion shows at Royal Albert Hall in 2005! Pressed on cream coloured vinyl and includes a book. Titles include "I'm So Glad", "Spoonful", "Politician", "White Room", "Sunshine Of Your Love" and more. 19 tracks on 3LPs.

Deep funk for the hip hop scene – instrumental versions of 2 Wu-Tang classics, both of them great! "CREAM" is done here as a low-down and dirty funk track – hard drums in place of the beats, scratchy guitar to enforce the darkness, and a madly tippling piano part that's pure Wu-Tang all the way! Raekwan's "Glaciers Of Ice" follows in a similar mode – familiar, yet very strange in this new incarnation – equally dark and nicely subdued, another crowning achievement for El Michels Affair!

A tasty double-live set from Al Green – one that has him working through longer versions of tunes than you'd hear on his studio albums, and really doing great in front of an appreciative Japanese crowd! The overall approach here is a bit more modern than on some of his older Hi albums – as the band uses the extra space to make things a bit more uptempo and really push the groove – but Al's vocals still hold the whole set together nicely, especially on the numbers where he lets loose a bit more. Linda Jones is one of the backup singers on the set – and titles include "Belle", "Let's Get Married", "Love & Happiness", "I Feel Good", "Dream", "God Blessed Our Love", "You Ought To Be With Me", and "Tired Of Being Alone".

A great 2CD set that brings together 39 tracks from Syl Johnson's years at Hi Records! Although Syl's probably best known to funk fans for his early recordings in Chicago, his 70s sides for Hi in Memphis are also quite nice – mellower, and perhaps bluesier, than his early funkier singles and LP tracks, but touched by the warmth of the Memphis scene, in a way that mellows Syl's vocals nicely. The package features just about every track you'd want from Syl's years at the label – and tracks include "We Did It", "Back For A Taste Of Your Love", "Bleu Water", "Diamond In The Rough", "Anyway The Wind Blows", "I Let A Good Girl Go", "Keeping Down Confusion", "Music To My Ears", "Please Don't Give Up On Me", "I Hear The Love Chimes", "Feelin Frisky", "Watch What You Do", "Steppin Out", and "Funk You".

Out of the wreckage of Cream came some very hip grooves! Ginger Baker was the hippest of the group's 3 members – and although he's often credited by soul fans for his work with Fela, he should also get a hats off for his work with the group Air Force – essentially a 10-piece (which seems to have been expanded beyond even that number for this set) that came up with some of the most monstrous art funk jamming we've heard! At its base, the group's in the jazz rock mode – with players that include Brit jazz luminaries Phil Seamen, Harold McNair, and Graham Bond, plus rockers like Baker, Steve Winwood, Denny Laine, and Rick Grech. The tracks are all long groovers in a post-beat group mode – and the best tracks have a jamming sound that's pretty over the top! It's full of the propulsive, Afro-influenced bass and percussion, some wild, jazz funk flute and sax, plus amazing work on violin, guitar and occasional, ephemeral vocals. Awesome stuff – one of the best and most innovative live albums of the era! Titles include "Da Da Man", "Aiko Biaye", "Do What You Like", "Doin It", and "Don't Care". It's about time this thing arrived on CD!

A dancefloor classic! The album's the second by Gregg Diamond's Bionic Boogie, and head and shoulders above the rest – a sublime blend of soul and club that's hardly been matched again! Diamond manages to make things groove, but never loses sight of the soulful styles that make the record so great – and works here with key contributions from a young Luther Vandross, who gives the album some of the same strong vocal arrangements he brought to his own first two albums on Atlantic! Luther sings lead on the album's legendary track "Hot Butterfly", and works in a group with Cissy Houston on other tracks – sweetly soaring with vocals that go far beyond most disco efforts of the time. Simply sublime, and with classics that include "Hot Butterfly", "Paradise", "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)", "Chains", and "When The Sh*t Hits The Fan (Rocket Pocket)".

An amazing collection of work from the legendary Graham Bond – a 60s Hammond player who was incredibly important to the London scene during the best mod years of the decade! Bond was way more than just a jazz musician – and like George Fame, Zoot Money, and a few of his other contemporaries – he had a way of mixing together jazz and soul with a strong touch of blues – almost a new British version of soul jazz, similar to the way that some of the bigger English rock groups were drawing from American R&B! Graham sings on most tracks – with these raspy vocals that are incredibly charming, and downright soulful – and in addition to his own work on organ, instrumentation features lots of pre-Cream work from Ginger Baker on drums and Jack Bruce on bass – plus plenty of tenor from Dick Heckstall-Smith too. If you dig the mod work of Georgie Fame, you'll find plenty to love here too – but Bond also really helps point the way towards more progressive jazz-rock experiments of the future – although this set features mostly tracks from 1966 and before, without any of Graham's later trippier music. The 4CD package is the best collection we've ever seen of Bond's music from these years – and includes rare singles, unreleased cuts, and even some side projects with Ernest Ranglin and Duffy Power too. 98 tracks in all, with a great booklet as well – and titles that include "Cabbage Greens", "Harmonica", "Early In The Morning", "Tammy", "Honey Bee", "Long Tall Shorty", "Soul Tango", "Down In The Valley", "Waltz For A Pig", "Like A Baby", "Please Don't Say", "Walking In The Park", "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf", "Dick's Instrumental", and lots lots more.

Sweet Miami funk from the team of George "Chocolate" Perry and Clay Cropper – one of the rarest TK albums from the time, and also one of the funkiest too! The sound here is slightly polished, but never too much – a bit more in the sound of bigger Florida groups, like Miami, with a tight groove overall, but still enough sharper funky bits on the edges! George plays bass and Clay handles guitar and keyboards – and the vocals seem to be sung by both parties, often in that slightly-flanged Miami style of the time. Titles include "My Uncle Funky", "Sweet Mary", "Cream Is Rising To The Top", and "Two Different Worlds" – plus the excellent mellow soul track "Free (I'll Always Be)", which has a nice sweet sound in the same vein as work by Milton Wright.

One of the greatest records ever by this hip jazz ensemble – and one of their most unique! The record has the band grooving hard through two incredible suites of Latin music – Gary McFarland's "Latin Kaleidoscope" and Francy Boland's "Cuban Fever" – each of which takes up a side of the record, both driving the band to new solo heights with a very hip edge! Players include the usual cream of the crop of European jazz residents – like Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, Jimmy Deuchar, Phil Woods, Tony Coe, and Benny Bailey – and the tracks include "Uno Graso De Areia", "A Rosa Negra", "Olhos Negros", "Cara Bruja", and "Fiebre Cuban". Wonderful all the way through – and always a treasure! One of the shining jewels in the crown of MPS – and a Gilles P classic all the way through!

One of the greatest records ever by this hip jazz ensemble – and one of their most unique! The record has the band grooving hard through two incredible suites of Latin music – Gary McFarland's "Latin Kaleidoscope" and Francy Boland's "Cuban Fever" – each of which takes up a side of the record, both driving the band to new solo heights with a very hip edge! Players include the usual cream of the crop of European jazz residents – like Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, Jimmy Deuchar, Phil Woods, Tony Coe, and Benny Bailey – and the tracks include "Uno Graso De Areia", "A Rosa Negra", "Olhos Negros", "Cara Bruja", and "Fiebre Cuban". Wonderful all the way through – and always a treasure! One of the shining jewels in the crown of MPS – and a Gilles P classic all the way through!

A range of rare recordings from singer Doris Drew – a vocalist we only know from one full album, but who also made some of these appearances as a guest on other instrumental dates! Doris has a great approach – one that's slightly warmer than the ice blondes of the west coast scene of the 50s, yet which often carries some of the same modern elements too – supported here by work from players who include John Williams on piano, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, and Herb Geller on alto – plus arrangements from Williams, Jack Fascinato, David Caroll, and Lew Raymonde. Titles include "He's My Guy", "Tea For Two", "I Cried For You", "Pennies From Heaven", "Put The Blame On Mame", "You're The Cream In My Coffee", and "Be My Lovin Baby".

NYC features Kool G Rap and Jinx Da Juvenile. The flip features Flipmode Squad and American Cream Team.

A definite killer from the great Gianni Ferrio – one of his grooviest soundtracks ever, and a set that's filled with lots of mod 60s touches! There's a bit of electric sitar, cool bubbling Hammond, and even some jazzy horn parts that make for nice flourishes over the top – all changing up in cool and different ways from track to track – creating the kind of instrumental variety that we love in soundtracks like these! The album features vocals on two tracks – and titles include "Strana Gente", "Mr Ice Cream Again", "Week-End On Ice", "Billy's Ice Cream", "Pedigree", "Semifreddo", "Nuovi Ricchi", and "Fino All'Ultimo Gelato". CD also features 16 more bonus tracks – practically a whole extra album of music!

2 landmark albums from British maestro Michael Gibbs – a key link between the jazz and rock scenes of late 60s London, and one of the few artists of that crowd to really work in a large group mode! Gibbs' albums from the time are a bit like those of Mike Westbrook – in that they take an older big band mode, and infuse it with youthful energy – bringing in modern horn passages, unusual rhythms, and often a rock-based approach to the tunes that makes for some freshly grooving numbers. On both albums, Gibbs is working with the cream of the crop of the Brit crossover scene – and soloists include Chris Spedding on guitar, Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, John Surman on saxes, Frank Ricotti on vibes, and Gordon Beck on electric piano. The tunes are all originals, which adds to the fresh and free-thinking nature of the set – and titles include "Feelings & Things", "Sweet Rain", "Throb", "Nowhere", "Tanglewood 63", "Canticle", "Five For England", and "Sojurn".

Volume 2 of a 2 LP set that brings together nearly all of Wardell Gray's classic LA bop recordings for Prestige – most of which were issued originally only on 45s and 78s. The players include the cream of the LA scene of the time – including Dexter Gordon, Sonny Criss, and Hampton Hawes – and tracks include long takes of "Move" and "Scrapple From The Apple", his famous "chase" with Gordon – plus "April Skies", "Jackie", "Farmer's Market", and "Bright Boy".

Volume 2 of a 2 LP set that brings together nearly all of Wardell Gray's classic LA bop recordings for Prestige – most of which were issued originally only on 45s and 78s. The players include the cream of the LA scene of the time – including Dexter Gordon, Sonny Criss, and Hampton Hawes – and tracks include classic long takes of "Move" and "Scrapple From The Apple", his famous "chase" with Gordon – plus "April Skies", "Jackie", "Farmer's Market", and "Bright Boy".

Back to back jazz soundtracks – the cream of the crop of the early 60s! First up is The Hustler – a killer jazz score from Kenyon Hopkins – a composer we can almost always trust to turn around a killer jass score! The work is mostly in a jazz ensemble mode – and moves between swinging segments, and sadder ones – those beautifully blue passages that Hopkins did so well in the early 60s – full of emotion, but in a really subtle, mature sort of way that also marked a shift in American cinema too – quite a change from the overblown emotion of a decade before, both in the music and on screen. Players include Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, and Phil Bodner on reeds; Joe Wilder on trumpet, Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, Hank Jones on piano, and Barry Galbraith on guitar – and titles include "Derby Time", "Dining Out", "Fast Buck", "Small Time Charlie", "The Loser", and "Minnesota Fats". Paris Blues is a moody introspective score, written for a 1961 film that starred Paul Newman as a frustrated jazz musician living in Paris. The "Paris Blues" theme is a dark, somber composition that is supposedly Newman's masterpiece as a jazz writer – and it works beautifully with the film's themes of frustration and unfulfilled desire. Ellington's at his best here, and apart from the main theme, the score also has great versions of classics like "Mood Indigo" and "Take The A Train", plus originals like "Nite", "Wild Man Moore", "Guitar Amour", and "Paris Stairs". Also features Louis Armstrong on one track! CD also features 7 more tracks from The Long Hot Summer – a more traditional score penned by Alex North, and featuring a title song by Jimmie Rodgers.

Bobby Hutcherson breaks it down in two different ways – solo on the first half of the record, and in a quartet on the rest! The set begins in a very spare way – Bobby playing vibes, marimba, xylophone, and bells – often a bit overdubbed, so that although alone, Hutcherson fills the tracks with a rich palette of sound – glowingly rhythmic lines that ring out with plenty of soul, and showcase a really under-tapped side of Bobby's talents! Remaining tracks are equally great, but in a totally different way – played by a righteous lineup that includes McCoy Tyner on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – really working together beautifully in ways that make the album feel like a lost 70s soul jazz set. Forget Hutcherson's slick look on the cover – because this album's drenched in open, honest, acoustic feeling – a rich tapestry of sound and emotion, on tracks that include "Gotcha", "The Ice Cream Man", "For You Mom & Dad", "Messina", "My Foolish Heart", and "La Alhambra".

Regal King Jammy productions from the late 70s – featuring a stellar roster of vocalists and instrumention laid down by the cream of the group – numbers by Anthony Johnson, Dennis Brown, Sugar Minott, Junior Brown Wayne Smith, Puddy Roots, Junior Reid, Mighty Rudo and more! Soulful voices and steadily rumbling rhythms underneath. Timeless material! 14 tracks in all: "More Love In The City" by Anthony Johnson, "Life Can Be Easy" by King Everald, "No Darkness Tonight" by Junior Reid, "Come Along" by Wayne Smith, "Yah Wi Deh" by Anthony Johnson,"Learn Fi Drive" by Early B, "Just Cool" by Mighty Rudo and more.

A really wonderful record from Yusef Lateef – one that almost sounds like a lost indie spiritual jazz set from the 70s – of the sort that Lateef hardly would have cut at the time! The session is solo, with some overdubs – a really beautiful mix of Lateef's work on tenor, piano, and flute with some spoken/sung passages based around stories he wrote back in the 70s – delivered with a really warm, intimate sort of style – one that reminds that, after all these years, Lateef is still one of the most righteous cats in jazz music! The whole thing's a real revelation – of the sort that's got us going back to track down other indie sides by Lateef in recent years – although we'll bet that none are as great as this one. Title sinclude "Roots Run Deep", "Cream Puff", "Where Is Lester", "Goodbye", "Motherless Child", and "Interior Monologue".

An excellent funk party all the way through! Preston was Johnny Otis' tenor star in the late 60s – and this album has him grooving hard with members of Johnny's band, including a young Shuggie Otis, who's really wailing with some acid licks on guitar! The overall feel is very much in the funky 45 mode – and most cuts are instrumentals, occasionally with a bluesy twist. One number – "Cool Ade" – has a hip call-response vocal, and other tracks include "Hoe Cakes & Sorghum", "Cream Dream", "Neck Bones", "Chili Mac", and "Pot Likker".

An excellent funk party all the way through! Preston was Johnny Otis' tenor star in the late 60s – and this album has him grooving hard with members of Johnny's band, including a young Shuggie Otis, who's really wailing with some acid licks on guitar! The overall feel is very much in the funky 45 mode – and most cuts are instrumentals, occasionally with a bluesy twist. One number – "Cool Ade" – has a hip call-response vocal, and other tracks include "Hoe Cakes & Sorghum", "Cream Dream", "Neck Bones", "Chili Mac", and "Pot Likker".

Rare treats from the late 70s Black Ark archive – the Lee Scratch Perry-produced recordings of soulful singer Candy McKenzie! These numbers were recorded in 1977 when Scratch and Black Ark studios were in peak form – and sure enough, the production and musicianship is top notch and infused with some great oddball creative flourishes – but it's Candy's sweet, sweet vocals that push this over the top. Her voice is so lovely and so soulful, it's a shame that this material has been so tough if not impossible to find for so many years! Includes "Disco Fits", "Someone To Love Me", "Breakfast In Bed", "Walking In The Sun", "Jah Knows", "Ice Cream", "Sky At Night", "Keep Him Strong", "Tell Me A Lie" and "When The Big Day".

Early, early Blue Note sides, from the dawn of the label, a transitional period in jazz. These sessions, led by Benny Morton and Jimmy Hamilton are truly hard-to-get in their original format, not to mention in any pressing, and these recordings reflect a side of the Blue Note catalog that's rarely considered any more. These swingtet sides feature the cream of the crop of the big band era, performing in smaller tighter groups that let them move around New York's urban jazz scene more easily. Some of the finest soloists of the era are caught here in a unique setting, including Barney Bigard, Ben Webster, Ray Nance and Harry Carney. As you'd expect from the performance standards of the day, the performance are short, tight and sweet, and include "MY Old Flame, "Conversing In Blue", two takes of "The Sheik Of Araby" and "Limehouse Blues" by Benny Morton's All Stars, "Cherry", "Rosetta", "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise" and "Wiliphant Winnie" by the Sammy Benskin Trio and "Old Uncle Bud", "Blues For Clarinets", "Slapstick" and "Blues In My Music Room" by Jimmy Hamilton & The Duke's Men.

A bit dated at this point, but it still has it's moments. With "Singers", "Ice Cream Man/Shoe Throwin' Mothers", "Modern Women", "The Barbecue", "The Fart Game", "Politics/Racism", "Languages" and "TV".

One of Eddie Palmieri's greatest albums – and certainly one of the most mindblowingly creative! The album encompasses all the grooves stated in the title, and then some – as Eddie works with a mix of acoustic and electric instruments, crafting tunes that are long and exploratory, tightly jazzy but also free, and with more than a bit of funk in the mix on the best numbers. And far from confusing, the whole thing comes together with a really cohesive sound – the kind of broad vision in one fell stroke that only Palmieri could pull off! Titles include "Cobarde", "Chocolate Ice Cream", "The Mod Scene", "Random Thoughts", "Resemblance", and "Condiciones Que Existen".

A real scorcher from Eddie Palmieri – as much a transition as a superimposition – and the kind of record that would have a huge impact on Latin jazz in the 70s! Eddie's got one foot in the small group styles of his 60s work, but he's also reaching forward in a mode that's rootsy and modern at the same time – a back-to-basics approach that's tremendously focused on the rhythm, and which mostly uses heavy percussion and piano to lay out the grooves – then tops them off with some jazzier riffing on brassy horns. Eddie's piano is sublime throughout – crackling with life and energy that barely made it onto record before, and hitting notes that are modern, yet which sit comfortably next to the earthier grooves of the rest of the band. Ismael Quintana's on lead vocals, and tracks include "Bilongo", "Pa'Huele", "La Malanga", "Chocolate Ice Cream", "17.1", and "Isn't It Pretty".

Massive! An incredibly sweet, funky batch Black Ark reggae – killer cuts by Leo Graham, The Imposters, Dillinger, The Gladiators and more, most especially, the mighty Upsetters! A number of the vocal tracks have a sweet harmony sound, and while other compilations often pair dubs and vocal versions, this one skims the cream instead, only pairing up a few cuts that way, but don't worry, there's no shortage of Upsetters jammies here. Scratch drops just the right amount of murky sauce on these numbers recorded between '73 and '75. Titles include Leo Graham's "Jump It", Sam Carty's "Life Is A Flower", Dillinger "Cane River Rock", The Imposters "Have Some Fun" and "Nature Man", The Gladiators "Time" and The Upsetters' "Vampire (horns)", "Jamaican Theme" and 'Perceptive Dub".

Two different slices of this powerful group from reedman Dave Rempis – one live performance from Milwaukee, the other from Antwerp – each taking up a CD each! The group gets their percussive name from the dual drums of Tim Daisy and Frank Rosaly – players who bring a real intensity to the music at some moments, yet lie back and have very individual, subtle spirits at other points – often to let Rempis express some amazing tones and textures on alto, tenor, or baritone sax – given great shape and inspiration by Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass. All the tracks are long, and very improvised – and titles include "Algonquins", "Cream City Stomp", "Anti Goons", and "Croatalus Adamantooths".

Easy instrumentals and jazzy genius from the early 70s Brit scene – groovy, moddish jazz takes on pop and soundtrack hits of the time from the Harry Roche Constellation – with a vibe that betters the grooviest of sound library discoveries! There's a loungey charm to many of the tunes, but trombonist Roche and his Constellation get down and dirty in spots, too – such as on the priceless, tripped out fuzzy funk version of "Pinball Wizard" – and that's just one highlight of this should-be classic! Blasting horns, easy keys, chiming strings, jazz funk bass and grooves galore! Players include the cream of the crop of period British session players. Tracks include "Superwoman", "Tangerine", "That's Living", "Rhapsody In Blue", "Good Morning Heartache", "Pinball Wizard", "Lay Lady Lay", "Ludmilla's Theme", "Spiral" and more. Tracks from Sometimes include "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Watch What Happens", "Moonlight Serenade", "You've Got Possibilities", "Sometimes", "The Prowler", "Marmalade Molasses And Honey", "Carnaby Chick", "My Romance" and more. 21 tracks in all!

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! Other tracks include "If I Sing My Song", "Hey, Love", "Love Has Fallen On Me", and a cover of Terry Callier's "Song For Everyman".

The Rubber Band turn their talents towards The Beatles – after successful earlier albums based around the work of Cream and Jimi Hendrix! The sound here is a bit more playful than the funkier sets from before – almost whimsical at times, with instrumentation that does odd things with woodwinds, strings, and other instrumental bits. Most of the tunes are from the later Beatles years – post-Revolver material arranged nicely by John Bahler – with titles that include "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", "She's Leaving Home", "Here Comes The Sun", "Blackbird", "Getting Better", and "Got To Get You Into My Life".

One of the many Philly-based, club-oriented projects that centered around Butch Ingram and the Ingram family during the late 70s – Slick have an approach that takes long grooves, builds them out instrumentally, adding in a fair bit of keyboards and moog, like some of the Canadian groups of the same time. Tracks include "Space Bass", "Sexy Cream", "The Whole World's Dancin", and "Put Your Pants On".

A near-perfect album from the great John Surman – recorded at the crossroads of the British jazz scene as it stepped into the 70s, and done with a fullness and focus that Surman hardly matched again! As with some of the other Deram sessions of the time, the album's overflowing with great players from the cream of the British new wave of jazz – including Barre Phillips on bass, Tony Oxley on drums, Alan Skidmore on tenor, Harry Beckett on trumpet, and John Taylor on piano – but despite strong work from the entire ensemble, Surman's work on baritone, soprano, and bass clarinet are a tremendous highlight here – poised between some of Eric Dolphy's most inventive modes on the instruments, and some of the greater changes to come in the European free scene of the 70s! There's a cohesiveness here that's really wonderful – a sound that's never too free, nor too overindulgent – but also not as tightly arranged as on work by some of Surman's contemporaries. Titles include "Caractacus", "Galata Bridge", "Premonition", and the long suite "Event".

Great Blue Note two-fer which compiles tracks from Randy Weston's fantastic albums recorded for United Aritsts – rare gems at the forefront of late 50s modern jazz, and records that hardly ever see the light of day! The albums are filled with seminal versions of Randy's famous compositions – played by sextet and septet lineups with players that include the cream of New York modern – Ray Copeland, Melba Liston, Johnny Griffin, Kenny Dorham, and Slide Hampton. Great work all around – and material that's really not properly been reissued over the years – making this well-annotated 70s collection as essential as an original copy, and almost as rare! Titles include "Little Niles", "High Fly", "Little Susan", "Babe's Blues", "Nice Ice", "Earth Birth", "Pam's Waltz", and "Spot Five Blues".

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".

Amazing sounds from Witch – a Zambian group of the 70s, and easily one of the heaviest things happening in Africa at the time! Witch stands for "we intend to create havoc" – and the group's style here definitely gets that vibe right – serving up a heady brew of fuzzy guitars, rumbling bass, and dark rhythms – all very much in the best mix of psych and funk you'd find in the Zamrock scene of the time – but with an even prouder, louder feel overall – as if the group were poised to dominate the global market of the 70s – even though it's taken them decades longer to finally get the attention of ears in the Northern Hemisphere! The mix of sharp rhythms and deep bottoms puts the group somewhere in the territory of Cream or T Rex at their best – but they've also got a looser, freer, and more honest vibe that almost pre-figures 80s indie rock in the US – a vibe that's almost Homestead moving into Sub Pop, yet with a rougher production style that really keeps things interesting. A few of the group's albums have been reissued over the years, but this full-length package is simply mindblowing – a box set, with detailed notes, featuring their complete mid 70s recordings – including the albums Lukombo Vibes, Introduction, In The Past, Lazy Bones, and Including Janet – plus a whole bonus set of rare 7" single material too. Now again have really raised the bar with this sweet package – and trust us, the whole thing's an amazing discovering in 70s rock – a real special event of Mojo-like proportions!

Later work from trombonist Albert Wynn – sides cut after a 33 year absence from the recording studio – as part of the excellent Chicago Living Legends series on Riverside! The work has a tight trad jazz feel – but with a bit more space than you might find for solo expression in some of Wynn's earlier, shorter sides – and players include Bill Martin on trumpet (and a bit of vocals), Darnell Howard on clarinet, and either Blind John Davis or Bus Moten on piano. Titles include "Bourbon Street", "How Long Blues", "Ice Cream", "Nobody's Sweetheart", and "In The Evening".

Later work from trombonist Albert Wynn – sides cut after a 33 year absence from the recording studio – as part of the excellent Chicago Living Legends series on Riverside! The work has a tight trad jazz feel – but with a bit more space than you might find for solo expression in some of Wynn's earlier, shorter sides – and players include Bill Martin on trumpet (and a bit of vocals), Darnell Howard on clarinet, and either Blind John Davis or Bus Moten on piano. Titles include "Bourbon Street", "How Long Blues", "Ice Cream", "Nobody's Sweetheart", and "In The Evening". CD also features 2 bonus tracks "How Long Blues (alt)" and "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody Non O This Jelly Roll".

Incredible stuff from the jazz underground of Newark! This is one of the rarest albums ever recorded by jazz organist Larry Young – cut for the tiny Perception label during the early 70s, and featuring some of the cream of the New Jersey jazz underground. The album's got playing that bridges a number of Young's different styles – from his straighter soul jazz work at Blue Note, to his harder jamming with Santana and John McLaughlin, to his more fusion oriented albums for Arista. James Blood Ulmer's on guitar, but there's also a large ensemble of excellent players, and lots of other percussion and cool instrumentation that really gives the album an "out there" sound! Titles include "Sunshine Fly Away", "Saudia", "Hello Your Quietness", and "Khalid Of Space".

A blistering set of bossa-tinged jazz – truly the cream of the crop of the Brazilian scene from the 60s and early 70s! The package is great both as an introduction to bossa jazz, and as a capper if you've ever heard any of the genre – an essential collection that not only features key tracks, but some rare gems as well – beautifully packaged, and remastered with sound that's way better than any of your old scratchy records! The approach here is wonderful – quick-stepping rhythms, soaring instrumentation, and a way of putting together a groove that's quite different than American or European jazz at the time – even during those eras when bossa was having a strong influence upon those scenes. And sure, in later years, some Brazilian-inspired projects from other territories could sometimes be a bit weak – but these cuts are the originals, and are filled with life, imagination, and originality that oozes forth from the very first note! 2CD package is beautifully put together, with a nice booklet too – and titles include "Birimbau" by Dom Um Romaeo, "Xibaba" by Airto, "San Salvador" by Tamba 4, "A3" by Som Imaginario, "Solo" by Meirelles E Os Copa 5, "Improviso Negro" by Sambalanco Trio, "Vento Bravo" by Edu Lobo, "Batucada" by Luis Carlos Vinhas, "Consolacao" by Tenorio Jr, "Like A Rainy Night" by Salinas, "Zazueira" by Balanco Trio, "Das Tardes Mas Sos" by Paulo Moura, "Bebe" by Eumir Deodato, and "Patumbalacunde" by Joao Donato.

They're not lying about the title on this one – as the package definitely overflows with deep disco and boogie! But even more importantly, the whole thing's plenty darn rare, too – really killer tracks that we haven't seen compiled elsewhere – and which really represent the cream of the crop of the underground 12" scene in the late 70s and early 80s. Most numbers are nice and long, and veer towards the warmer sounds of the late disco era, rather than the harder sounds in the decade to come – a great reminder that there's still plenty of soulful club gems out there if you know where to look – and in that respect, this compilation's a great place to do so. Titles include "You Don't Care" by China Burton, "Live For Love (12" Extended Mix)" by GC Cameron, "Hot Thang" by Cash, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Savares Mix)" by TJ James & The Fist-O-Funk Orchestra, "I Need You" by Ricky Womack, "Don't Fight The Feeling (12" Mix)" by Master Force, "Closer" by Chemistry, and "Brotherson" by Ojeda Penn.

80s grooves galore – and a sublime collection of rare and underground boogie tunes from a few decades back! The package was put together by rabid collectors Joey Negro and Sean P – and is a welcome contrast to some of the dodgier 80s sets on the market – because Joey and Sean have gone out of their way to present each track with the best sound possible, in a way that lets the keyboards and electro rhythms sparkle with the same energy they had back in the 12" years! But even more than that, the pair have gone out of their way to annotate each track – so that you know that the excellent track list wasn't just a happy accident, and really represents the cream of the crop of the underground 80s scene! 2CD set features 20 tracks in all – including "Love Treatment" by Brenda Watts, "Am I Gonna Be The One" by Colours, "Ease Out" by Mid Air, "Livin Too Fast" by Vera Brown, "I Can Feel Your Love" by Samson & Delilah, "To Please You" by UDM, "Super Super Lovin" by Masurrati, "Happy Music" by Mastermind, "Think Fast" by Pamela Joy, "Deetour" by Karen Young, "Back At Ya" by Kerr, "I'm On The Real Side" by Lisa Hill, "Down For Double" by Cubie Burke, "I Am Going To Love Him" by Sanctuary, and "Love Massage" by Lowrell Simon.

An incredibly diverse array of sounds from Southern China – material culled to form the cream of the crop of an amazing 55 CDs' worth of recording from this massive project by Sublime Frequencies – and definitely a rare look at a side of contemporary China that most of us will never get to see – or hear! Some of the tracks feature this amazing female vocal interplay – choral work that is somewhat like some of the Eastern European or Georgian styles that are better known, but much rougher overall. Some tracks feature spare stringed instrumentation or percussion – and still others mix voice and instrument, but in a very ancient sort of mode. Although recorded recently, these are hardly the sounds of the 21st Century – and are great document of China well past the cities – with very detailed notes and photos too.

Seminal club tracks from the start of the 80s – a dozen great boogie numbers pulled together for the second installment in this excellent series! The package is really the cream of the crop from the era, and the set mixes together a few minor hits with other lesser-known numbers for a really fresh array of music – the kind of collection that goes way past the obvious, and which is bound to re-illuminate your understanding of dancefloor grooves from the time. Titles include "Share The Night" by World Premier, "Our Hearts Will Aways Shine" by Ozone, "Bizzaare" by Rhyze, "You Need A Change Of Mind" by Brooklyn Express, "Can't Get Away" by Carol Williams, "Seventh Heaven (Larry Levan rmx)" by Gwen Guthrie, "Still In Love" by Rose Royce, "Help Is On The Way" by The Whatnauts, "Got To Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn, "This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore, and "Stay Tonite" by Mandrill.

An astounding collection of Japanese jazz from the end of the 60s – some of the hippest, most vibrant music in the Tokyo scene – and some of the most far-reaching too! The tracks here rival the best Impulse or ESP Records work of the time – really stretching out to find a new voice in jazz – using all the new freedoms of the time to craft tremendously creative solos – yet often still finding a way to make things swing, too! Each track is very long – and the players represent the cream of the crop of the Japanese underground at the time – including some players caught right at the start of very rich careers. Titles include "Mijimasu" by the trio of pianist Masahiko Sato with tenorist Akira Miyazawa, "Mina's Second Theme" by the trio of pianist Yosuke Yamashita, "My Favorite Things" by the quartet of tenorist Akira Nishimura, "On Green Dolphin Street" by tenorist Hidehiko Matsumoto, "Hey Jude" by pianist Takehiro Honda, "Passion Dance" by altoist Kosuke Mine, "Memphis Underground" by drummer Takeshi Inmata, and a long jam session track with Fumio Nanri on trumpet, Junko Mizuno on clarinet, Yuzuru Sera on piano, and George Kawaguchi on drums.

A sweet little set of 70s dubs – recorded at Channel 1, Harry J's, Randy's and King Tubbys in the heart of the dub era – with dubby takes on classic cuts by Barry Brown, Horace Andy, Don Carlos and others. The rhythms were laid down by the cream of the crop, too – Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Robby Shakespeare, Chinna Smith, Tommy McCook, Deadley Headley, Bobby Ellis, Sculla Sims and others. Includes "Why Fight The Dub", "Conversation Dub", "A Better Version", "Care Free Dub", "Step Inna Dub Style", "Creation Of Dub", "My Brethren In Dub", "A Wicked Dub", "Rub This Dub", "The Jehovah Version" and more. 2 CD bonus tracks: "Invasion Dub" and "A Lonely Dub".

A sound library and a dancefloor? Sounds like an unlikely combination – but it results in a killer collection that's still one of the greatest sets of sound library funk we've ever heard! This massive batch of music is a great illustration of the special sound of the KPM library – a really unique outlet for British musicians in the 60s and 70s to craft records that were even more amazing than their studio sides – vintage jazz, soul, and electronic grooves – served up by a lineup that represents the cream of the crop of the UK scene of the time – plus a few surprising outside contributions as well! Titles include "That's What Friends Are For" by Alan Parker & Madeline Bell, "Second Cut" by James Clarke, "Swamp Fever" by John Cameron, "Incidental Backcloth No 3" by Keith Mansfield, "Cross Talk" by Francis Coppieters, "Jungle Baby" by Juan Erlando & His Latin Band, "Freeway To Rio" by Les Baxter, "In Advance" by Pierre Lavin, "Senior Thump" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Expo In Tokyo" by Alan Moorehouse, "Funky Express" by Duncan Lamont, "Morning 1/Morning 2" by Klaus Weiss, "Assault Course" by Johnny Pearson, and "Samba Street" by Barry Morgan. The package is a great reworking of the original KPM collection from Strut – and not only features the original funky set, but also features a bonus CD that includes a rare live performance by the KPM All-Stars in 2000 – a wicked reunion with work by James Clarke, Duncan Lamont, Alan Hawkshaw, Keith Mansfield, and other giants from the heyday of KPM.

A sound library and a dancefloor? Sounds like an unlikely combination – but it results in a killer collection that's still one of the greatest sets of sound library funk we've ever heard! This massive batch of music is a great illustration of the special sound of the KPM library – a really unique outlet for British musicians in the 60s and 70s to craft records that were even more amazing than their studio sides – vintage jazz, soul, and electronic grooves – served up by a lineup that represents the cream of the crop of the UK scene of the time – plus a few surprising outside contributions as well! Titles include "That's What Friends Are For" by Alan Parker & Madeline Bell, "Second Cut" by James Clarke, "Swamp Fever" by John Cameron, "Incidental Backcloth No 3" by Keith Mansfield, "Cross Talk" by Francis Coppieters, "Jungle Baby" by Juan Erlando & His Latin Band, "Freeway To Rio" by Les Baxter, "In Advance" by Pierre Lavin, "Senior Thump" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Expo In Tokyo" by Alan Moorehouse, "Funky Express" by Duncan Lamont, "Morning 1/Morning 2" by Klaus Weiss, "Assault Course" by Johnny Pearson, and "Samba Street" by Barry Morgan. The package is a great reworking of the original KPM collection from Strut – and not only features the original funky set, but also features a bonus CD that includes a rare live performance by the KPM All-Stars in 2000 – a wicked reunion with work by James Clarke, Duncan Lamont, Alan Hawkshaw, Keith Mansfield, and other giants from the heyday of KPM.

The cream of modern jazz in Germany during the postwar years – the kind of amazing music that never made it over to our side of the Atlantic, but which was really marking some great jazz development on the European scene of the time! As Germany picked itself up from the ashes of the war, it also experienced an amazing cultural rebirth – in film, literature, and especially music – music like this, which bursts forth with a freshness and urgency that still sounds as creatively compelling here in the 21st Century as it did back at the end of the 50s! The vibe is very much a precursor to better-known sounds from the Saba/MPS scene, and many of these artists later recorded for that label too – but here, the work is nicely early, and pretty darn great – a selection of titles that includes "Domicile" by Joki Freund & Albert Mangelsdorff, "Minority" by Michael Naura, "Lover Man" by Inge Brandenberg, "Night Bounce" by Attila Zoller, "Ease It" by Albert Mangelsdorff, "Madam B" by Die Deutschen All Stars, "Mike's Blues" by Michael Naura, and "Meeting At The Barberina" by Horst Jankowski & Rolf Kuhn.

England was a surprisingly funky place in the 60s and 70s – home to a rich array of great grooves created by the scene's important sound library labels – staffed by the cream of the crop of the British jazz musicians and soundtrack composers of the time! The work of these cats often backed bigger names in film and TV – James Bond, The Avengers, Dave Allen, and others – but this set digs even deeper, to uncover a host of great instrumental moments that go way beyond famous movie themes – a wealth of excellent cuts from the late 50s through the late 70s – starting with exotic jazz modes, moving into 60s mod swingers, and including a fair bit of 70s electric funk as well! This scene's been reissued a bit before, but never this well – as Soul Jazz do their usual top-shelf job of bringing the music together – and offering up detailed notes and a great package that really sends the whole thing home. 2CD version features 36 tracks that include "Condition Red" by Barry Stoller, "Light Flight" by Pentangle, "Man Alive" by Tony Hatch, "The Contract Man" by Bullet, "Echo Four Two" by Laurie Johnson, "Man Friday" by Syd Dale, "Hard Hitter" by Keith Papworth, "Fragment Of Fear" by Johnny Harris, "Sort Of Soul" by Birds & Brass, "Fiesta Numero Uno" by The Marleybone Orchestra, "The Persuaders" by John Barry, "Getting Nowhere In A Hurry" by Roy Budd, "Canvas" by Brian Bennett, "Death Line" by Will Malone, "Folk Song" by James Clarke, "Steam Heat" by Barbara Moore, "Artful Dodger" by Syd Dale, "Jaguar" by John Gregory, "Whole Lotta Love" by CCS, "Face Up" by Alan Moorehouse, "Angels" by Alan Parker, and "Soul Thing" by Keith Mansfield.

England was a surprisingly funky place in the 60s and 70s – home to a rich array of great grooves created by the scene's important sound library labels – staffed by the cream of the crop of the British jazz musicians and soundtrack composers of the time! The work of these cats often backed bigger names in film and TV – James Bond, The Avengers, Dave Allen, and others – but this set digs even deeper, to uncover a host of great instrumental moments that go way beyond famous movie themes – a wealth of excellent cuts from the late 50s through the late 70s – starting with exotic jazz modes, moving into 60s mod swingers, and including a fair bit of 70s electric funk as well! This scene's been reissued a bit before, but never this well – as Soul Jazz do their usual top-shelf job of bringing the music together – and offering up detailed notes and a great package that really sends the whole thing home. Part 1 – 2LP version features 19 tracks that include "Condition Red" by Barry Stoller, "Light Flight" by Pentangle, "Man Alive" by Tony Hatch, "The Contract Man" by Bullet, "Echo Four Two" by Laurie Johnson, "Man Friday" by Syd Dale, "Hard Hitter" by Keith Papworth, "Fragment Of Fear" by Johnny Harris, "Sort Of Soul" by Birds & Brass, "Fiesta Numero Uno" by The Marleybone Orchestra, "The Persuaders" by John Barry, and "Getting Nowhere In A Hurry" by Roy Budd.

England was a surprisingly funky place in the 60s and 70s – home to a rich array of great grooves created by the scene's important sound library labels – staffed by the cream of the crop of the British jazz musicians and soundtrack composers of the time! The work of these cats often backed bigger names in film and TV – James Bond, The Avengers, Dave Allen, and others – but this set digs even deeper, to uncover a host of great instrumental moments that go way beyond famous movie themes – a wealth of excellent cuts from the late 50s through the late 70s – starting with exotic jazz modes, moving into 60s mod swingers, and including a fair bit of 70s electric funk as well! This scene's been reissued a bit before, but never this well – as Soul Jazz do their usual top-shelf job of bringing the music together – and offering up detailed notes and a great package that really sends the whole thing home. Part 2 – 2LP version features 17 tracks that include "Canvas" by Brian Bennett, "Death Line" by Will Malone, "Folk Song" by James Clarke, "Steam Heat" by Barbara Moore, "Artful Dodger" by Syd Dale, "Jaguar" by John Gregory, "Whole Lotta Love" by CCS, "Face Up" by Alan Moorehouse, "Angels" by Alan Parker, and "Soul Thing" by Keith Mansfield.

Volume 1 of a 2 LP set that brings together nearly all of Wardell Gray's classic LA bop recordings for Prestige – most of which were issued originally only on 45s and 78s! The players include the cream of bebop at the time – both from LA and from New York – and artists here include Sonny Clark, Al Haig, Roy Haynes, Teddy Charles, and Lawrence Marable. The set's got a lot of shorter tracks – like his classic "Twisted" (covered vocally by Annie Ross and Joni Mitchell in later years), "Southside", "Treadin", and "Paul's Cause".

Volume 2 of a 2 LP set that brings together nearly all of Wardell Gray's classic LA bop recordings for Prestige – most of which were issued originally only on 45s and 78s. The players include the cream of the LA scene of the time – including Dexter Gordon, Sonny Criss, and Hampton Hawes – and tracks include classic long takes of "Move" and "Scrapple From The Apple", his famous "chase" with Gordon – plus "April Skies", "Jackie", "Farmer's Market", and "Bright Boy".

One of THE key records in the Konitz school – a full length Prestige album that brings together important material from sessions originally issued on 10" LPs! The lineup here is virtually the Konitz school – with shifting lineups that include Billy Bauer on guitar, Lenny Tristano or Sal Mosca on piano, and Warne Marsh on tenor – all working as airily and fluidly as Konitz himself! How Lee managed to achieve such unity with his groups here will forever be a mystery to us – as will the freshness of the work at the end of the 40s, especially given that it's still arguably more "modern" than much of the jazz it inspired in years to come! Titles include "Progression", "Subconscious-Lee", "Rebecca", "Sound-Lee", "Fishin Around", "Palo Alto", "Ice Cream Konitz", "You Go To My Head", and "Tautology".

An excellent groover from the legendary Vince Montana! Vince arranged, produced, conducted, and wrote just about all of this second album by hard-grooving Salsoul Orchestra – and the album's a no-nonsense batch of disco instrumentals that's way better than many of the fake albums of the type that sprung up in the group's wake. The players include the cream of the Sigma Studios team – including the Baker/Harris/Young triad – and the tracks have a wonderfully soulful sound, with loads of great instrumentation on guitar, bass, percussion, and Montana's jazzy vibes! Titles include "It's Good For The Soul", "Nightcrawler", "Nice N Naasty", "Salsoul 3001", "Ritzy Mambo", and "It Don't Have To Be Funky (To Be A Groove)".

80s grooves galore – and a sublime collection of rare and underground boogie tunes from a few decades back! The package was put together by rabid collectors Joey Negro and Sean P – and is a welcome contrast to some of the dodgier 80s sets on the market – because Joey and Sean have gone out of their way to present each track with the best sound possible, in a way that lets the keyboards and electro rhythms sparkle with the same energy they had back in the 12" years! But even more than that, the pair have gone out of their way to annotate each track – so that you know that the excellent track list wasn't just a happy accident, and really represents the cream of the crop of the underground 80s scene! 2CD set features 20 tracks in all – including "Love Treatment" by Brenda Watts, "Am I Gonna Be The One" by Colours, "Ease Out" by Mid Air, "Livin Too Fast" by Vera Brown, "I Can Feel Your Love" by Samson & Delilah, "To Please You" by UDM, "Super Super Lovin" by Masurrati, "Happy Music" by Mastermind, "Think Fast" by Pamela Joy, "Deetour" by Karen Young, "Back At Ya" by Kerr, "I'm On The Real Side" by Lisa Hill, "Down For Double" by Cubie Burke, "I Am Going To Love Him" by Sanctuary, and "Love Massage" by Lowrell Simon.

The classic first LP with Method Man, Ghost Face Killer, Raekwon, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and The Genius. The start of a generation, and of the hip hop enterprise that overshadowed a lot of the mid 90s! 12 tracks, including "Can It All Be So Simple", "Method Man", "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin", "CREAM", "Tearz", "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin Ta F' Wit", "Protect Ya Neck", "Shame On A Nigga" and "Bring Da Ruckus".

Captain Sky is sort of a bargain-basement version of Bootsy Collins. He plays lots of heavy bass riffs, lays down long funk tracks with wicked vocals and trippy space funk lyrics – but somehow he's never worthy of a ride on the mothership. The record's not a bad one, and it's an interesting example of the huge space-funk influence the work of George Clinton had on the soul underground during the late 70s. Not that anyone did it nearly as good as the P-Funk crew, but there were always a host of folks like Captain trying their best. Tracks include "Moonchild", "Fearless", "Cream & Sugar", "Rebirth", "Hero", and "Ker-Runch".

Sweet Miami funk from the team of George "Chocolate" Perry and Clay Cropper – one of the rarest TK albums from the time, and also one of the funkiest too! The sound here is slightly polished, but never too much – a bit more in the sound of bigger Florida groups, like Miami, with a tight groove overall, but still enough sharper funky bits on the edges! George plays bass and Clay handles guitar and keyboards – and the vocals seem to be sung by both parties, often in that slightly-flanged Miami style of the time. Titles include "My Uncle Funky", "Sweet Mary", "Cream Is Rising To The Top", and "Two Different Worlds" – plus the excellent mellow soul track "Free (I'll Always Be)", which has a nice sweet sound in the same vein as work by Milton Wright.

Albert King and his bluesy soul Stax Records classic Born Under A Bad Sign get a retrospective look from this issue The Blues – and other features include a roundup of 20 Female Pioneers Of The Blues, plus Eric Burdon, Gary Clark Jr, Magic Slim, Wilson T King, Danny Bryand and more. Also includes a free CD: The Cat's Whiskers – Lap Up The Cream Of Contemporary Blues – with tracks by Lucy Zirins, Dave Arcari, The Hellsinki Hellraisers, King King, Albany Down and more.

A classic bit of Afro Funk – one that paired the growing groove of Fela with the focused sound of Ginger Baker – the ex-Cream drummer who'd been championing Fela's cause on the UK scene! The sound of the set is great – well on a par with Fela's best work of the time, and perhaps even a bit better – given the extra drive that Baker brings to the session. Tracks are all long, yet a bit more focused than usual – and titles include "Ye Ye De Smell", "Black Man's Cry", and "Let's Start".

Mojo scores an exclusive interview with Eric Clapton – which takes a look at his time in The Yardbirds, Cream and beyond – plus features on agit rock icon Yoko Ono at 80-years-old, the enduring Depeche Mode, Eric Burdon, Alvin Lee, Sandie Shaw, Deerhunter, Stephen Stills, Time Machine, Jake Bugg, a look back at Red Wedge '86 with Paul Weller, Billy Bragg and The Smiths, and much more! Includes, as ever, the depth and insight of the Mojo new releaase and reissue reviews – and a free CD! Blues Breakers – 15 Classic Tracks features classic blues that Clapton favored and covered – with cuts by Freddy King, Big Bill Broonzy, Skip James, T-Bone Walker, Howlin Wolf, Otis Rush, Robert Johnson and more.

Double vinyl collection with 14 tracks of the best of the RZA productions from 1993-95, reminding us just how dope RZA and the rest of the Wu-Tang were back then. Each side starts out with spoken Wu-history lesson from RZA. Includes RZA "Wu-Wear" (non-lp track), GZA "Liquid Swords", Method Man "Method Man", "Bring The Pain", "All I Need", Raekwon "Incarcerated Scarfaces", "Ice Cream", Ghostface "Winter Warz", "All I Got Is You", Ol Dirty Bastard "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", "Brooklyn Zoo", Wu-Tang Clan "Ain't Nuthing Ta F' With", "Protect Ya Neck", "C.R.E.A.M."

10 tracks from Thurston & Co (in the Jim O'Rourke augmented lineup . . .), including "Pattern Recogniton", "Unmade Bed", "Dripping Dream", "Kim Gordon & The Arthur Doyle Hand Cream", "Stones", 'Dude Ranch Nurse", "New Hampshire", "Paper Cup Exit", "I Love You Golden Blue" and "Peace Attack".

An odd pairing of musicians – but a classic album of piano jazz from the 50s, and some of the more obscure sides by both players! Barbara Carroll works here in a really lovely way that retains the fluidity of her 50s work on RCA, but which also has a slightly rougher edge – a mode that's got some nicely boozy undercurrents, yet still the sort of poise and grace that made Carroll one of the best female pianists of the time. Joe Shulman is on bass and Herb Wasserman is on drums – and titles include "Taking A Chance On Love", "Love Of My Life", "Autumn In New York", "Tis Autumn", and "The Lady's In Love With You". Mary Lou Williams works here in a bit of a comeback mode – some of her first American recordings in a number of years, with Carl Pruitt on bass and Bill Clark on drums. Titles inlcude "Opus Z", "S' Wonderful", "In The Purple Grotto", "From This Moment On", and "You're The Cream In My Coffee".

Amazing sounds from Witch – a Zambian group of the 70s, and easily one of the heaviest things happening in Africa at the time! Witch stands for "we intend to create havoc" – and the group's style here definitely gets that vibe right – serving up a heady brew of fuzzy guitars, rumbling bass, and dark rhythms – all very much in the best mix of psych and funk you'd find in the Zamrock scene of the time – but with an even prouder, louder feel overall – as if the group were poised to dominate the global market of the 70s – even though it's taken them decades longer to finally get the attention of ears in the Northern Hemisphere! The mix of sharp rhythms and deep bottoms puts the group somewhere in the territory of Cream or T Rex at their best – but they've also got a looser, freer, and more honest vibe that almost pre-figures 80s indie rock in the US – a vibe that's almost Homestead moving into Sub Pop, yet with a rougher production style that really keeps things interesting. A few of the group's albums have been reissued over the years, but this full-length package is simply mindblowing – a box set, with detailed notes, featuring their complete mid 70s recordings – including the albums Lukombo Vibes, Introduction, In The Past, Lazy Bones, and Including Janet – plus a whole bonus set of rare 7" single material too. Now again have really raised the bar with this sweet package – and trust us, the whole thing's an amazing discovering in 70s rock – a real special event of Mojo-like proportions!

An explosion of music from the legendary ESP Records label – a 50th Anniversary tribute to all the genius that made the imprint so wonderful back in the day – and easily one of the most important jazz labels in America! The set here focuses heavily on ESP's contribution to avant jazz – and the tracks feature the cream of the crop of the east coast scene at the time – particularly the groundbreaking New York players who were running forward with the experiments of the "new thing" generation, and starting to forge the first space for free jazz in the US! Titles include "Burn Baby Burn" by Norman Howard, "No 6" by New York Art Quartet, "The Lady" by Frank Wright, "Cocktail Piece" by Don Cherry, "Metamorphosis" by Sonny Simmons, "Other Worlds" by Sun Ra, and "Batterie" by Paul Bley.

An incredible compilation of dancefloor soul & disco from the early 80s – rare, extended and previously unreleased mixes by NYC legend John Morales – featuring essential material from Logg, Universal Robot Band, Tony Adderly, Class Action, Inner Life and more! Morales was a part of the DJ remix scene that made club ready soul gems out of a bunch of the pop and soul hits of the day, but this compilation on BBE goes deeper than that for the cream of the crop of the post disco grooves of the day, most running on the long side for that unstoppable dancefloor approach, while keeping the song based soul sound fully in place. Essential! CD version has 19 tracks on 2CDs: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough Part I" (JM 4AM mix), "Breaking Down (Sugar Samba)" (JM After-Session M&M mix) by Julia & Company, "Barely Breaking Even" (club version) by Universal Robot Band, "I Ain't Mad At You" (JM extended M&M mix) by Tony Adderly, "Never Can Say Goodbye" (demo version) by La-Rita Gaskin, "All Over Your Face" (JM After-Session M&M mix) by Ronnie Dyson, "(Knock Out) Let's Go Another Round" (JM After-Session M&M mix) by Inner Life, "You Got (That Something)" by Logg and more, "Down For Double" (JM After-Session M&M mix) by Cubie Burke and more.

Ah for the day of the hometown radio station – those halcyon 70s years when local rock powerhouses really reigned the airwaves, and could shape the listening tastes of an entire region of listeners! And back in the day, some of the stations were so strong, they acted as key forces in the record business too – putting out compilations that drew attention to up-and-coming artists from their local scene – often featuring a fair bit of great work that never got exposure otherwise! With this sweet little set, Numero Group pay tribute to this overlooked genre of album – the kind that we bought years ago from Chicago stations like WLUP or WKQX – but presented here by the imaginary WTNG (The Numero Group – get it?) As with any other Numero collection, the set's overflowing with rare material – but the vibe is different than most of what they've featured so far – lots of cool, mellow, underground 70s rock – well-produced, but locally issued – with a flavor that's quite different than the bigger work coming from the coasts at the time. The whole thing's a wonderful musical discovery – the kind we've really come to expect from Numero over the years – with tracks that include "Aladdin" by Roach Band, "Try To Be True" by Caroline Peyton, "Your Love Rolled Over Me" by Timoth, "I'd Like To Touch A Star" by Lester Brothers, "Between Us" by Cream & Sugar, "Fantasy Woman" by Lorren Cornelius, "Heaven's Child" by Dwain Virgil, and "I Got Cha" by Green flow.

An overlooked jazz rock combo from the late 60s US scene – a group with echoes of Cream and Soft Machine, but who also have a bit rootsier feel overall! The core instrumentation of the trio is organ, drums, and guitar – used in ways that stretch out and soar with jazzy inflections at times, but an overall groove that's much more in a progressive rock vein. All tracks have vocals from singers David Wolinski and Alan DeCarlo, often brought together in a slightly harmonized mode that reminds us a bit of some of the Chicano rock from the time, in a way that gives the album a bit more of a soulful undercurrent than you'd expect. Titles include "In The Woods", "Violent Man", "Come On People", "Ode To Sadness", "Concerto For Clouds", "A Change In Our Lives", "Mama Don't You Know", and a totally great instrumental jam on "Norwegian Wood" – done with scatting vocals over the organ, guitar, and heavy drums – and really worth the price of the record alone!

A seminal set from Eric Dolphy – one of his most perfectly realized moments at the head of a larger ensemble – and a record that definitely set the tone for countless spiritual jazz sessions of the 70s! Dolphy recorded this session for Alan Douglas in 1962, and it features a larger array of players than you'll find on most of his records for other labels – the cream of the "new thing" players that were around New York at the time, including Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Prince Lasha on flute, Sonny Simmons on alto, and even Clifford Jordan on soprano sax – making a rare appearance on record on that instrument! Together, the players create a set of soundscapes that lies somewhere between Dolphy's Out To Lunch album, and some of the more modernist work by Mingus – a stunning batch of tracks that go out, but never too far. Titles include "Ode to CP", "Burning Spear", "Iron Man", and "Mandrake".

Two different Jimmy Stewart comedy soundtracks from the 60s – both of them nice! First up is Dear Brigitte – an overlooked 1965 score by George Duning – done with a mix of the playful modes you'd expect from the story, and some of those great deeper dramatic touches that Duning used in more serious soundtracks – a really rich mixing of modes with a sound that's much stronger than we expected! Titles include "On To BBs", "The Captain", "Magical Moment", "Puzzled Cap'n", "Hey Dad", "Is It A Trick", and "She Sank". Next is an even groovier record – a rare non RCA Henry Mancini soundtrack from the early 60s – the score to Mr Hobbs Takes A Vacation, done with all the best mix of jazz and groovy elements we love in classic Mancini! Instrumentation mixes a key electric guitar melody with some lighter touches on woodwinds – really getting the most out of the melody with some shifts in timing and tone, juxtaposed with a few numbers that are even more playful! Titles include "Barn Swallow", "Something For Lauri", "Cream Puff", "Up His Nose", "A Month Off", and "Rudders & Sails". CD features 39 tracks in all – including 7 bonus tracks from the Mancini score!

Killer CTI work from Joe Farrell – with grooves so sharp you could cut your trousers on them! Farrell's angular reed style is in perfect form here – grooving with a small group that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Steve Gadd on drums, and Don Alias on percussion – a combo that's got a harder, tighter feel than most CTI groups – a key reason why Joe's records of this time are so legendary! The album features a fantastic version of Stevie Wonder's "Too High" – one that breaks all over the beginning with these riffs by Farrell, then grooves into a CTI electric funk mode for about 13 minutes. All tracks are long – and other tracks include "Hurricane Jane", "Geo Blue", "Penny Arcade", and "Cloud Cream".

Very cool, very groovy, and one of Ella Fitzgerald's hippest albums of the 60s! The set was recorded in San Francisco in the late 60s, but was issued by MPS in Germany as proof that the label always had an ear for bringing something different out of a mainstream artist. And although live, the album's got a romping, hard grooving style that's filled with plenty of soul – arranged surprisingly by Tommy Flanagan, with a bouncing, bottom-end groove that even gets a bit funky at times! The centerpiece of the album is Ella's funky cover of the title cut – Cream's big hit "Sunshine Of Your Love" – proof that even an old gal can get funky with the right material! Other tracks include "This Girl's In Love With You", "Watch What Happens", "House Is Not A Home", and "Hey Jude".

Live and studio rarities The Grateful Dead – early stuff, too – all recorded from the first few months of 1966! Includes the only known recording of Jerry Garcia singing "Promised Land", an alternate version of "Cream Puff War" and other choice nuggets. 18 in all. 2 X 180 gram vinyl!

Live and studio rarities The Grateful Dead – early stuff, too – all recorded from the first few months of 1966! Includes the only known recording of Jerry Garcia singing "Promised Land", an alternate version of "Cream Puff War" and other choice nuggets. 18 in all.

One of The Maestro's true materpieces! Fragile, sexy, sinful soul, held together by interwoven strings and keyboard lines, with Barry's voice over the top like rich cream on a sweet piece of cake. Includes the long versions of "Honey Please, Can't Ya See" and "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up", plus "Hard To Believe That I Found You".

One of The Maestro's true materpieces! Fragile, sexy, sinful soul, held together by interwoven strings and keyboard lines, with Barry's voice over the top like rich cream on a sweet piece of cake. Includes the long versions of "Honey Please, Can't Ya See" and "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up", plus "Hard To Believe That I Found You".

They're not lying about the title on this one – as the package definitely overflows with deep disco and boogie! But even more importantly, the whole thing's plenty darn rare, too – really killer tracks that we haven't seen compiled elsewhere – and which really represent the cream of the crop of the underground 12" scene in the late 70s and early 80s. Most numbers are nice and long, and veer towards the warmer sounds of the late disco era, rather than the harder sounds in the decade to come – a great reminder that there's still plenty of soulful club gems out there if you know where to look – and in that respect, this compilation's a great place to do so. Titles include "You Don't Care (Long Version)" by China Burton, "Live For Love (12" Extended Mix)" by GC Cameron, "Hot Thang" by Cash, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Savares Mix)" by TJ James & The Fist-O-Funk Orchestra, "I Need You" by Ricky Womack, "Don't Fight The Feeling (12" Mix)" by Master Force, "Closer" by Chemistry, and "Brotherson" by Ojeda Penn.

If the supermarket still sounded this funky, they'd never have any trouble getting us to do the shopping – thanks to the wonderfully groovy sound library tunes served up on this CD! The collection's a great reminder of the days when Muzak could still sound plenty darn wonderful – an instrumental soundtrack to shopping that was very much in line with the best film and TV themes of the period – fuzzy guitar, burning Hammond, and more – all set to subtly funky rhythms that were more than enough to help keep the mood bright as the shoppers moved down the aisles with their carts! All tracks here are from the UK Rediffusion sound library – an under-tapped source of great bits that's similar to DeWolfe or KPM, but much less familiar. Most numbers are by the cream of the crop of the Brit Easy scene – and although most tracks are originals, there's also a few surprising covers too. Titles include "Take Eight" by Pete Moore, "The Cutter" by Vic Flick Sound, "Some Other Time" by Alan Moorehouse, "Hold Tight" by Howard Blaikley Orchestra, "Flash" by Val Merrall, "Next Of Kingsleigh" by Harry Stoneham, "Cat Walk" by Pete Moore, "Spoofin" by Tony Evans, "John & Paul" by Tony Osborne, "Cubanana" by Vic Flick Sound, "Friendship Train" by Rosetta Hightower, "Solar Wind" by Pete Moore, and "Soul In Space" by Harry Stoneham. 25 tracks in all – and great notes too!

A mammoth set by Jazzy Jeff – a tough mix of some of the biggest and some of the deepest true hip hop tracks from the early 90s through '03! Jazz does a terrific job of pickin' the tightest cuts, period – whether they were huge hits that reputations were built on like Cypress Hill's "How I Could Just Kill A Man", Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation", Beatnuts "Watch Out Now" or Pharcyde's "Drop", underground phenomena like I.N.I.'s "Square One", Wildchild's "Party Up" or Jaylib's "Official", or simply tried-and-true one shot classics like Blackmoon's "How Many Mcee's" or O.C.'s "Time's Up". Other tracks include Nas's incredible return-to-form triumph "Made You Look", Asheru's "Mood Swing", J-Live's "Braggin' Writes", Raekwon's "Ice Cream", Main Source's "Live At The Bar-B-Q" and more – all scratched up, beaten down, extended, edited or simply perfectly placed by the Jazzy Jeff!

An amazing look at the music of Leon Ware – one of our favorite soul artists of the 70s! Leon's got a warmly mellow style that's totally great – heard most famously in collaboration with Marvin Gaye on the classic I Want You album, but equally noteworthy on Leon's own records – and on a host of other projects he's done with top-shelf soul artists over the years! A good number of those projects are collected here – the cream of the crop of Ware-associated cuts from the 70s and early 80s – tunes penned, produced, arranged, or even featuring Leon himself – all brought together here in a really wonderful little collection. Each track is a treasure, and the whole thing is a sublime mellow soul masterpiece – filled with musical moments that sound even better in the company of each other – pulled from other records, and rewoven here in a new tapestry that stands as a rich tribute to Ware's mighty talents. Titles include "Everywhere Inside Me" by Norman Connors, "I Don't Know" by Syreeta, "You Do The Right Things" by Al Wilson, "Point Of View" by Rockie Robbins, "No Tricks" by Chuck Jackson, "I Can't Keep Holding Back" by Shadow, "Trust Your Heart (ext 12" mix)" by Bobby Womack, "Just Don't Make It Hurt" by Krystol, "I Came To Love You" by Booker T, "I Can Dream" by Themal Jones, "You Make Me Wanna Love Again" by Vesta Williams, "I Know It's You" by Donny Hathaway, "Can You Feel What I'm Saying" by Minnie Riperton, "Looking Up To You" by Michael Wycoff, "Thank You Early Bird" by Jerry Butler, and the tracks "What's Your World" and "Girl Girl Girl" by Leon Ware himself!

A sweet little set of 70s dubs – recorded at Channel 1, Harry J's, Randy's and King Tubbys in the heart of the dub era – with dubby takes on classic cuts by Barry Brown, Horace Andy, Don Carlos and others. The rhythms were laid down by the cream of the crop, too – Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Robby Shakespeare, Chinna Smith, Tommy McCook, Deadley Headley, Bobby Ellis, Sculla Sims and others. Includes "Why Fight The Dub", "Conversation Dub", "A Better Version", "Care Free Dub", "Step Inna Dub Style", "Creation Of Dub", "My Brethren In Dub", "A Wicked Dub", "Rub This Dub", "The Jehovah Version" and more.

Very cool, very groovy, and one of Ella Fitzgerald's hippest albums of the 60s! The set was recorded in San Francisco in the late 60s, but was issued by MPS in Germany as proof that the label always had an ear for bringing something different out of a mainstream artist. And although live, the album's got a romping, hard grooving style that's filled with plenty of soul – arranged surprisingly by Tommy Flanagan, with a bouncing, bottom-end groove that even gets a bit funky at times! The centerpiece of the album is Ella's funky cover of the title cut – Cream's big hit "Sunshine Of Your Love" – proof that even an old gal can get funky with the right material! Other tracks include "This Girl's In Love With You", "Watch What Happens", "House Is Not A Home", and "Hey Jude".

Vintage dubs from Scientist and King Tubby's – mostly produced by Jah Thomas, mixed by Scientist and with instrumentation laid down by The Roots Radics Band! On side one, the odd numbered tracks belong to King Tubby's and Scientist gets the evens – and the opposite is the case on side two – and with Tubby's tracks often herbal themed, and Scientists named for liquid remedies. Strong stuff on both fronts! Includes "Ke-Ke Dub", "Collie Weed Dub", "Sensie Dub", "Hi-Grade Dub", "Ganja Dub", "Lambs Bread Dub" and "Tombana Dub" credited to King Tubby's, plus "White Rum Dub", "White Wine Dub", "Red Wine Dub", "Champagne Dub", "Vodka Dub", "Rum Cream Dub" and "Martini Dub" credited to the mighty Scientist.

Deep, deep, turntable wizardry from one of the most respect cats on the wheels these days – D-Styles of the Invisibl Skratch Picklz! The records 5 years in the making – and features collaborations with like minded travelers Q-Bert, Melo-D, Babu and others. It's one for the purists, too – made with only wax, a mixer, two turntables, and a Roland RE-201 Space Echo. We'll have to stew on it a while, but our first reaction was stunned bliss – this could end up a classic. Hard, supremely funky and catchy, but with enough crazed outer space synth psychedelia to freak Devo out! "Beautiful Ugly Sound", the great "John Wayne On Acid", "Hamburgers And Chocolate Ice Cream", "The Murder Faktory", "Charlie's An Angel", "Portal Stalker", "Clifford's Mustache", "Mr. Arrogant" lots more.