A great counterpart to the rare Stanton Davis Ghetto Mysticism album – and a set that was recorded right around the same time, with a number of previously unreleased tracks! The spiritual energy of that group has been well-loved by collectors for years – and enjoyed by others thanks to a recent reissue – and this sweet batch of rare cuts really augments that rare musical moment, by offering up a further set of completely cosmic grooves! The style is spacey jazz funk with some deeper elements in the mix – all recorded and arranged with an indie vibe that reminds us a lot of the classic Oneness Of Juju albums on Black Fire, but without as much vocals – just a strong focus on the sweet keyboard lines and soaring horn passages. Some tracks are brand new, others are different versions of themes from the Brighter Days album – and titles include "Delta Six/Brighter Days", "Isis Voyage", "Odwalla", "Things Can Not Stop Forever (Al Kent version)", "High Jazz (reprise – alt mix)", "Things Cannot Stop Forever (inst mix)", and "Funky Fried Tofu (alt inst version)". CD

A pretty fantastic selection of rare disco tracks from the American underground – all of them infused with a spiritual message, but served up with grooves that go head to head with some of the best underground club of the time! The mix of positive energy and upbeat grooves is wonderful – and if you've ever heard the Clark Sisters club classic "You Brought The Sunshine", then you'll definitely know the spirit of these tunes! If you're worried about the message being one that you're not into, don't – because there's sort of a universal spirit going on here – one that gets past conventions of the church, and which really goes for a general uplifting message that's totally great – almost a precursor to some of the positive house in more recent decades. And speaking of house, there's less of that here than you'd expect – as most of the instrumentation and production are strongly in the best New York underground modes from the disco years – with less of any 80s or electro soul elements. Titles include "I Believe" by Calvin B Rhone, "Imitations" by Johnson Family Gospel Singers, "Change" by Wisdom, "On That Other Shore" by Harrison Jones & The Voices Of Harmony, "I've Been Converted" by The Converters, "Ain't No Way To Do Wrong" by New Creation, "Take It To The Streets" by Prophecy, "Let The Lord Come In Your Life" by Wisdom, "Keep The Fire" by Paradise, and "Jesus Is On The Mainline" by Mr Jesse R McGuire. CD

A really fantastic look at a scene we might never heard otherwise – served up here in a selection of cuts that have a really surprising vibe! Forget everything you know about Indonesian music, as the work here seems to draw most heavily from the European scene at the time – particularly some of the cooler grooves that were coming out of French clubs as things got a bit more playful and catchy after the disco years – and maybe with a dose of UK electro pop elements too! The work has a strong 80s vibe overall – and is different than you might expect from all three of the styles referenced in the title – maybe more of a hinterland past the bigger names on Virgin Records during the decade – catchy, well-produced, but a lot more interesting than chartbound material too. Titles include "Musik Kami" by Gito Rollies, "Waktu Kian Berarti" by Chaseiro, "Langkah Kemuka" by Andi MM, "Kenangan Asmara" by Grace Simon, "Denny" by Lidya Kandou, "Catatan Kisah" by Rafika Duri, "PHK" by Iwan Fals, and "Jakarta Kasmaran" by Denny Malik. CD

Disco sounds from the Caribbean scene of the 70s – a really unique mix of regional styles with the kind of rhythms that were coming from New York and Philly at the time! The groove here is really unique – even different than some of the reggae or African disco numbers of the time – as the sunny style of Trinidad & Tobago and other islands turns out to be a perfect fit for clubby elements – mixing riffing instrumentation with playful lyrics that would have been right at home in older musical modes, but which are tuned just right here to match the energy of the disco generation. And these cuts have an appeal that goes way beyond any sense of novelty or gimmick – often served up with a soulfulness that meets or beats mainstream US disco of the period. Hats off to Cultures of Soul for bringing all these great grooves together – on a set that includes "Dance With Me" by Odessey One, "Feel Like Dancing" by Levi John, "Instant Funk" by Merchant, Be Yourself" by Mighty Duke, "The Rebels" and "Living On A String" by Wild Fire, "Peace Without Love" by Ronnie Butler And The Ramblers, "Rockers Delight" by Prince Blackman (a nicely simmering Jamaican funk take on "Rappers Delight"), "Got To Have You" by Joanne Wilson, "Disco Music" by Trinadad Troubadours – plus the bonus tracks "Got To Have You (Whiskey Barons Rework)" and "Dance With Me (Al Kent Version)" by Odessey One. LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a random jazz compilation – and instead a set that comes with a hefty book about the Boston jazz underground in the 70s – almost 80 pages in length, complete with images of records, vintage photos, and lots of notes on this under-documented scene! And while Boston's always been something of a hotbed of jazz activity – thanks to the younger students who hit the city to study at Berklee and other schools – this material represents a much deeper, more spiritual current of jazz – work that's in the same territory of the AACM or loft jazz scenes of the period, but also with a current of freewheeling electric material too! At this price, the whole thing would already be great as a collection of rare spiritual jazz, but with the book and overall package it's a hell of a deal – packed with musical goodness on cuts that include "Sketch (parts 1 & 2)" and "Road Through The Wall (parts 2 & 3)" by Thing, "For Margot" and "Tarot The Moon" by Mark Harvey Group, "The Creator Is So Far Out" and "Egypt" by Phil Musra Group, "9 Degrees Black Women Liberation" by Worlds, "Year Of The Ear Herds & Hoards" by Baird Hersey with Dave Liebman, and "Play Sleep" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto Mysticism. CD

A heavenly set of funky tracks from the indie scene of the 70s – titles that were all recorded as singles for the gospel market, but which have a fair bit of funk in the rhythms! These tunes all have massive appeal well beyond their spiritual message – heavy drums, amazing basslines, and nicely gritty instrumentation that sets these cuts up right next to funky 45 treasures from the mid 70s – but which also gives them a slightly different feel, too – thanks to some uplifting messages in the lyrics, which also means that the vocal styles are nicely changed up from more standard funk-based lyrics! The blend is wonderful, and completely captivating – and we'd not heard most of these cuts before digging into the collection – which goes every bit as deep as the Good God gospel/funk collections on Numero. Titles include "If You See Me Doing Wrong" by Wearyland Singers, "I Don't Want To Be Alone" by Allen Gauff Jr, "Troubles Of The World" by The Christian Harmonizers, "Save A Seat For Me" by Vocal Aires, "Blackman Keep On Doing Your Thing" by The Original Christian Harmonizers, "Days Are Just Like People" by Zella Jackson, "I've Got Power In My Mind" by Preacherman Isidore Womack, and "Who's Your Boss" by Pearl Farano & The High Lites Of Joy. CD

A cool club track from the Caribbean scene – but one that's delivered here with lots of cosmic, electronic touches! The core version of "Let's Get Together" is reworked by Whiskey Barons – and the vocals by Winston Bailey bubble in and out of the pulsating blend of dark rhythms and original elements served up in the remix! The flipside features a nicely dubby version – plus the straight tune "Keep On Wailing", which bubbles with a great funky soca groove! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A rare disco groover with lots of wicked percussion underneath the bassline – and a cool mish-mash of influences that seems to bring together Miami and Munich disco in one sweet groover! Joanne's vocals give the tune a nice soulful grounding – while guitars, percussion, and spaced-out keyboards do lots of weird things – even more in the dub mix, and tweaked nicely on the Whiskey Barons version! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great look at the bright world of female soul in Japan during the 80s – a time when the nation was hitting some of its greatest heights of the postwar years – and was coming up with a magical musical groove to follow! While disco reigned in American clubs in the late 70s, the style really took off in Tokyo during the following decade – maybe mixed a bit with European and 80s club styles, but still unabashedly as upbeat and bubbling as American work of previous years – all to showcase a range of female singers whose style really matches the groove! The music takes off a bit from that shift into soul by Japanese jazz singers in the 70s – but is much farther than that mode overall, especially once the beats and keyboards get going. The package does a great job of being faithful to this legacy – and includes notes on each song and artist, along with album covers too. Titles include "Wanna Kiss" by Hitomi Tohyama, "Dancin" by Junko Ohashi, "Dress Down" by Kaoru Akimoto, "I'm In Love" by Aru Takamura, "Broken Eyes" by Mariko Tone, "TNT" by Rie Murakami, "Love Is A Work Of Mind" by Ra Mu, "Mystical Composer" by Kikuchi Momoko, and "Sky Restaurant" by Yumi Seino. CD

A fantastic disco album from the late 70s – obscure, but with a very funky pedigree, and one that includes musical ties to earlier groups The Skullsnaps and Wood Brass & Steel! The instrumentation here is a bit like the latter – well-crafted ensemble funk with a deeper, more jazzy sophistication than you might expect – topped with very soulful vocals from the Sparkle trio, who have a depth that's way stronger than most other female club acts of the time – the sort of range that could have also been singing deep soul a decade before. The instrumentation is wonderfully sharp, and way more than the usual disco or club – and titles include "Let Yourself Go", "You", "Disco Madness", "Dabooza", "The Rock", and "Down The Way" – plus the cool cosmic instrumental "Six Million Steps" by Rahni Harris! CD

There's no breakdown to the boogie here – as the album's overflowing with stunning sounds that are right up there with better-known club music from the early 80s – every bit as full of basslines, beats, and keyboards as the best tracks from the American scene of the period, but maybe even more stripped-down and biting overall! As the title announces, the music here is all from South Africa of the late Apartheid years – a time that's usually summed up by music of protest, but which also required some moments of letting off steam – the kind of grooves that are featured in this set! The sound is warmer than you'd expect from the "synth" in the title, too – more like electro funk overall, with a great sense of sharp rhythms and nicely focused vocals – some of which echo older South African modes, but which still often nod more strongly to US dancefloor soul. Titles include "Party" and "Good Vies" by Harari, "Hey Tonight" and "We Keep On Keeping On" by Cannibals, "I Wanna Be Myself" and "Let's Groove Tonight" by Don Laka, "Perfect Love" and "Breakdown" by Neville Nash, "Flash A Flashlight" and "I Just Keep Dancing" by Benjamin Ball, and "You've Got Love" and "Hold Onto Love" by Al Etto. CD

Excellent work from the South African scene of the 80s – music that maybe provides a pathway to the new freedom to come, thanks to a joyous, upbeat sense of spirit – one that's equally wonderful all these many years later! The cuts here are all clubby, but less in the disco mode that you'd guess from the title – as styles include a fair bit of influences from both the New York and European scenes, especially some of those cross-cultural elements that might have been coming out of places like Paris, or the downtown clubs in New York! Vocals are mostly in English, and the tunes are heavy on basslines, beats, and keyboards – but often have a much warmer, more soulful vibe than some of the tinnier South African synth cuts of the period – in a mode that makes the whole thing equally appealing to any fan of 80s soul from around the globe. Titles include "You & Me" by Margino, "Good Vibes" by Hot Soul Singers, "No No Senor" by Brenda & The Big Dudes, "Let's Get It On" by Supa Frika, "Ea Kgiba Ngoale" by Black Fire, "Ambiguously The Same" by Soundburger, "Saturday Night Special" by Varikweru, "Love Satisfaction" by Supa Frika, and "Holiday" by Margino. CD

Images of the Caribbean in many styles – from the striking color image on the front, to vintage black and white shots throughout the book – all at a level that really illuminates the criss-crossing cultures of the island scene! The book's got a wonderfully sharp sensibility – as it mixes images of vacation paradise with rural poverty, American tourists with ongoing slavery, local ritual with political overthrow – all in a series of wonderfully well-chosen photographs! The book was put together by Stuart Baker – who's done so many other great books and records for Soul Jazz – and text is by Paul Gilroy, author of There Ain't No Black In The Union Jack. Book is hardcover, super-heavy, LP-sized, and full of glossy pages! Book

A sweetly soulful soundtrack from Cagnet – music for the extremely popular Long Vacation series in the 90s, done in that Japanese style from the time that was very heavy on influences from American soul! There's English language lyrics on most tracks – sung by Natalie and Anna, with a bit of work from male singer David too – and the music has that groove from this key moment in Japanese club, when it seemed as if productions like this could easily cross the boundaries of cultures, as ears in both the US and UK scenes were really opening up to the groove. Titles include "Here We Are Again", "Long Vacation", "Into You", "Under The Moonlight", "What Will I Do", "Deeper & Deeper", and "Our Romance". LP, Vinyl record album

A really back to basics album from trumpeter Don Cherry – or maybe a set that goes back to basics that Don didn't even have, given that most folks initially heard him in the freewheeling group of Ornette Coleman! The album's straighter than his work with Ornette, and also different than his 70s experiments with world cultures and fusion – as the record has a tight, acoustic vibe – Cherry blowing these great solos on pocket trumpet, in the company of a swinging lineup that also features James Clay on tenor, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! The lack of piano is definitely a nod to Don's roots, and there's certainly an open vibe to the record at times – but things are mostly straight and swinging, in a way that opens up another level in Cherry's long and varied career. Titles include "Art Deco", 'When Will The Blues Leave", "Body & Soul", "Bemsha Swing", "Maffy", "Folk Medley", "The Blessing", "Passing", "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face", and "Compute". CD

A really back to basics album from trumpeter Don Cherry – or maybe a set that goes back to basics that Don didn't even have, given that most folks initially heard him in the freewheeling group of Ornette Coleman! The album's straighter than his work with Ornette, and also different than his 70s experiments with world cultures and fusion – as the record has a tight, acoustic vibe – Cherry blowing these great solos on pocket trumpet, in the company of a swinging lineup that also features James Clay on tenor, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! The lack of piano is definitely a nod to Don's roots, and there's certainly an open vibe to the record at times – but things are mostly straight and swinging, in a way that opens up another level in Cherry's long and varied career. Titles include "Art Deco", 'When Will The Blues Leave", "Body & Soul", "Bemsha Swing", "Maffy", "Folk Medley", "The Blessing", "Passing", "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face", and "Compute". LP, Vinyl record album

A really back to basics album from trumpeter Don Cherry – or maybe a set that goes back to basics that Don didn't even have, given that most folks initially heard him in the freewheeling group of Ornette Coleman! The album's straighter than his work with Ornette, and also different than his 70s experiments with world cultures and fusion – as the record has a tight, acoustic vibe – Cherry blowing these great solos on pocket trumpet, in the company of a swinging lineup that also features James Clay on tenor, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! The lack of piano is definitely a nod to Don's roots, and there's certainly an open vibe to the record at times – but things are mostly straight and swinging, in a way that opens up another level in Cherry's long and varied career. Titles include "Art Deco", 'When Will The Blues Leave", "Body & Soul", "Bemsha Swing", "Maffy", "Folk Medley", "The Blessing", "Passing", "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face", and "Compute". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the hippest sounds we've ever heard from Guadeloupe – served up by Erick Cosaque – a singer, percussionist, and key figure in the gwo-ka genre – yet an artist who works in a special space that's all his own! The tunes here definitely have the heavy percussion of gwo-ka, but they also bring in plenty of elements of funk and soul – the latter from Erick's amazing vocal style, which has this really deep flow that's wrapped around a set of French and Creole lyrics, but which has amazing power even if you can't understand the language! There's lots of great elements on keyboards and electric bass, which further helps underscore the funkier part of the music – and the whole thing is the kind of wonderful blend we've always loved from the criss-crossing of cultures in Guadeloupe, but also in a mode that's head and shoulders above most of the rest. Titles include "Joue Zizipan", "Donatien", "Embawgo", "De Chate Cole", "De Ti Mo Pawol Cweol", "L'Heureux Noir", "Jean La Line La Clere", and "Desere Nou De May". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just a book on Motown – despite the image of The Supremes on the cover – but a story of Detroit itself – told as a series of intersecting paths that include the famous soul music label, as well as all the manufacturers, cultures, communities, and political forces that were shaping the city in the early 60s. The decline of Detroit has been a story for decades now – but David Maraniss looks at the city in the years before the fall – focusing on 1963, where he shows that tensions were already strong in some sectors, and the ground upon which so much was being built could easily shift and allow the whole thing to topple. The book is one of the most fascinating city portraits we've ever read – with lessons that are still completely essential to the 21st Century urban environment – and the whole thing is 441 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book

One of the bigger efforts from Material – featuring the core trio of Bill Laswell, Martin Bisi, and Michael Beinhorn – plus guest work by Nona Hendryx, Nile Rodgers, Whitney Houston, Archie Shepp, Oliver Lake, and Fred Frith. The mix of jazz and soul talents comes together more nicely than you might think, thanks to Laswell's talents for crossing cultures – and although a few numbers here sound quite dated, overall the album's worth digging out at least for a document of a unique moment. Titles include "Take A Chance", "Memories", "Don't Lose Control", "Let Me Have It All", "Time Out", "Come Down", and "I'm The One'. LP, Vinyl record album

The final album from the Talking Heads, and a set that returns them to some of the global elements of their mid-period records, but with a vibe that shows lots of the shifting studio technology of the time! The set's almost a precursor of some of the remix modes that would show up on the world music market during the 90s – as David Byrne and crew effortlessly borrow beats and instrumentation from Latin, Brazilian, and other cultures – while still weaving those elements into tunes that resonate with the work the group had been doing on more recent records. Byrne's vocals have that maturing quality that echoes with more soulful currents than at the start – and the set features a fair bit of guest instrumentation, from rock, jazz, and world music musicians. Titles include "Flowers", "The Democratic Circus", "Cool Water", "Mommy Daddy You & I", "The Facts Of Life", "Blind", "Totally Nude", and "Mr Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

The final album from the Talking Heads, and a set that returns them to some of the global elements of their mid-period records, but with a vibe that shows lots of the shifting studio technology of the time! The set's almost a precursor of some of the remix modes that would show up on the world music market during the 90s – as David Byrne and crew effortlessly borrow beats and instrumentation from Latin, Brazilian, and other cultures – while still weaving those elements into tunes that resonate with the work the group had been doing on more recent records. Byrne's vocals have that maturing quality that echoes with more soulful currents than at the start – and the set features a fair bit of guest instrumentation, from rock, jazz, and world music musicians. Titles include "Flowers", "The Democratic Circus", "Cool Water", "Mommy Daddy You & I", "The Facts Of Life", "Blind", "Totally Nude", and "Mr Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful work from Sun Ra – a host of recordings cut at the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Fest in the early 70s – always a very welcoming audience for the Arkestra at the time! We're not sure what was in the water, but it always seems like the group really hit their stride at the festival – opening up with a force and intensity that really goes past some of their other recordings! It's almost as if the enthusiastic mix of ages and cultures present really ignited the best energies in the Arkestra – having them hit the kind of righteous crescendo of their best Space Is The Place identity – and even some of the more avant, outside moments have a focus that the group hardly seems to reach this well! The material is from the John Sinclair archives – originally issued on the CDs Life Is Splendid, Outer Space Employment Agency, and It Is Forbidden – but somehow sounding even more amazing in a tight package like this – with loads of amazing keyboards from Ra, soulful vocals from June Tyson, Cheryl Banks, and Judith Holton, and wonderful supporting reeds from the Arkestra. Titles include "Space Is The Place", "Enlightenment", "What Planet Is This", "Immeasurable", "Love In Outer Space", "Watusi", "Images", and some great untitled improvisations. CD

The final album from the Talking Heads, and a set that returns them to some of the global elements of their mid-period records, but with a vibe that shows lots of the shifting studio technology of the time! The set's almost a precursor of some of the remix modes that would show up on the world music market during the 90s – as David Byrne and crew effortlessly borrow beats and instrumentation from Latin, Brazilian, and other cultures – while still weaving those elements into tunes that resonate with the work the group had been doing on more recent records. Byrne's vocals have that maturing quality that echoes with more soulful currents than at the start – and the set features a fair bit of guest instrumentation, from rock, jazz, and world music musicians. Titles include "Flowers", "The Democratic Circus", "Cool Water", "Mommy Daddy You & I", "The Facts Of Life", "Blind", "Totally Nude", and "Mr Jones". CD