All Categories — All Formats  

A nicely intimate session from saxophonist Pat Mallinger – a set of spare duets with pianist Dan Trudell, and a perfect setting for Pat to really stretch out on his solos! Over the years, Mallinger's developed a wonderfully sensitive way with his horns – which in this case include tenor, alto, soprano sax, and flute – handled with a fluid, creative sort of energy – and one that's often soulfully swinging, despite the gentle approach of the session – with echoes of the 70s modal generation that make for some of the album's especially great moments! Titles include "Hills Over Tuscany", "Dragon Fish", "Diffuse", "Adventures", "Pigeon Peas", and "Camp Dan".

Weird and wonderful sounds from Emerald Web – an obscure duo that features a great mix of electronics and flute! The album's already plenty weird – the kind of unusual small label set you might have found at the end of the psych era – but given that it's from 1979, it's even more offbeat – a really compelling mix of space-age analogue sounds, airy woodwind sounds, and some slight vocals which are really there to color the overall sound – and give it almost a folksy touch at points. The whole thing feels like the sounds you might have heard on an overnight shift during the fading days of FM freeform radio – which, to us, is quite a compliment! Titles include "Loosing Of The Shadow", "Dawn", "Chasing The Shadowbeast", "Dragon Rising", and "Firnight".

One of the most sought after Upsetter sides, from the late Black Ark period! Back in the day, this was issued in a small batch and it was almost hopelessly hard to find for years. As for the music: on top of the incredibly fun Kung Fu exploitation vibe that proved to be so hugely influential, it's also a straight up excellent dub LP! Spare, hauntingly funky dubs rolling along on heavy bass, quacking clavinet and earth shaking drums. 12 smoking jams on the vinyl version. Includes "Enter The Dragon", "Hold Them Kung Fu", "Scorching Iron", "Black Belt Jones", "Fungaa", "Flames Of The Dragon", "Skango" and "Iron Fist".

Previously unissued material from the great Harry Arnold – excellent mid 60s big band sessions, as creative as they are hard-swinging! Arnold's group here is at the top of its form – working together with a rich array of tones and colors that show the best legacies of 50s modern jazz in the large ensemble idiom – yet with a lean quality that really allows lots of voice from the soloists, too – a lineup that includes Arne Domnerus, Jan Johansson, Lars Farnlov, Bengt-Arne Wallin, and Georg Riedel! Arrangements are by Wallin, Pete Jacques, and others – but it's Arnold who clearly knows how to make the whole thing hold together this well. Titles include "It's In The Bag", "Margie", "Blues For Nathan", "Cheryl", "Tina", "Per Spelman", "You've Got It", "I Knew It I Knew It", and "King Valiant".

Incredible stuff – and a rare meeting of two giant jazz talents you'd never thought would appear on the same stage! The album features a 1960 concert in Sweden – Miles and Sonny upfront, with backing by the trio of Wyton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. Tracks are long, fiery, and a bit dirty (if we can say that in mixed company!) – and titles include "No Blues", "If I Were A Bell", "Walkin", "All Of You", and "On Green Dolphin Street".

Seminal work from trumpeter Rolf Ericson – a player who also cut some key 50s material in the US, but who's working here in his Swedish homeland! The tracks are a variety of great early 78, EP, and 10" album cuts – most for the small Artist label, all pretty rare, and including some even rarer unreleased material too! Ericson's trumpet is in the lead on most numbers – often with slightly large ensembles, but which are already working in a 50s cool modern mode that's nice and lean – a lesson learned no doubt from Ericson's time in the Woody Herman group in the late 40s. There's a huge amount of material on the CD – 22 tracks in all – and titles include "So What", "Perdido", "Conservation", "Miles Away", "The Daring Young Swedes On The Flying Trapeze", "A Swedish Butterfly", "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise", and "The Cool Pool".

Two wonderful sessions from pianist Nils Lindberg – easily one of the most important Swedish modernists at the start of the 60s! The first half of the CD features a jazz symphony, commissioned by Swedish TV for a European broadcast in 1963 – and penned by Lindberg with a really amazing depth of tone and musical ideas! There's kind of an initial Kenton-esque approach to tone and color, especially in the way the reeds come together – but the whole thing opens up with a spacious swing, and really extensive sort of vision – really going beyond simple 50s modes, and maybe coming closer to some of the best large-form works of the 60s by Americans like Oliver Nelson or Gary McFarland. Key players include Lars Gullin on baritone, Jan Allan on trumpet, Ake Persson on trombone, Rolf Billberg on alto, Harry Backlund on tenor, and of course Lindberg on piano. Next is another unusual TV performance – Jazz From Studio A, a 1961 live date that features a small combo with the mighty Benny Bailey on trumpet, plus Ake Persson on trombone, Rolf Billberg on alto, Bjarne Nerem on tenor, and Georg Ridel on bass. Tunes are mostly familiar, but swung with a nice edge – some of the modern tones you'd expect from the horn players, pushed out strongly through Lindberg's nice arrangements. Titles include "What's New", "Topsy", "I Remember You", and "Straight No Chaser".

Previously unissued work from Swedish bandleader Harry Arnold – and material that's a lot hipper than any of the sides he released in the US during the 50s and early 60s! There's a distinctly modern feel to these recordings, even though Arnold always manages to keep things swinging – a subtle undercurrent of fresh ideas, a striking sort of edge – often on the piano lines from Jan Johansson, who handled a good deal of the arrangements on the set. Other soloists include Gosta Nilsson and Bengt-Arne Wallin on trumpets, Andreas Skjold on trombone, Arne Domnerus and Bjarne Nerem on saxes, and Rune Gustafson on guitar. The CD features a whopping 20 tracks, all recorded in Arnold's Swedish Radio Studio – with titles that include "Nagot Snabbare Blues", "Ramblin", "Unison Blues", "3 2 1 Go", "Just In Time", "I Sista Minuten", "Hastig Blues For Radiobandet", and "Vad Nu Da".

An amazing set of work from the team of pianist Lasse Werner and tenorist Bernt Rosengren – material that was partially issued on the Jazzland label Bombastica here in the US, presented here with a number of previously unissued titles! There's a special sort of magic here that's hard to describe – like hearing some other greats of the European scene of the time – players like Tubby Hayes, Hans Koller, or Barney Wilen, and the way they bring something to the table that's completely different from American jazz. Rosengren's tenor has a bit of an edge, but also a unique way of hanging in space alongside Werner's piano lines – and the support from bassist Torbjorn Hultcrantz and drummer Sune Spangberg has a subtle sort of brilliance. Titles include "Come", "Dandy", "Bombastica", "See The World", "One Thousand Nights", "Drottingholm Ballad", "Dancing In A Country Summer House", "Living Up To Life", and "Happiness Beans". CD also features 5 tracks by a trio with Werner on piano, Goran Pettersson on bass, and Sune Spangberg on drums – "Waltz For Nannie", "In The Fall", "Carina", "Pastorale", and "The Pleasures Of The Ball".

These guys may not be a household name, but they're a heck of a great group – and one of the best European combos we've heard from the time! Staffan is a pianist, and Lars is a trumpet and cornet player – and it's clear that the group have taken some cues from the classic Cannonball Adderley Sextet of the Riverside years. But even more importantly, they seem to be working here in that "soul jazz into modern" style that showed up on a lot of the Cannonball-produced records from the same period – a mode that's still somewhat grounded in a rootsy, rhythm-based sound – but which also breaks out with some incredible tones, colors, and modes – shading in the set with a depth that we never would have expected! The CD features a range of different recordings by the group – including one with vocals by the lovely Monica Zetterlund – and the overall quality of the work is at or above that of the usual Blue Note or Prestige session from the same period! 11 tracks in all – with titles that include "Paronet I Montecello", "Atarax", "Fin Sikt Over Havet", "Pia", "Juan Les Pins", "Farfars Vals", and "Maybe Tomorrow".

Brian Auger's first album with The Oblivion Express – a harder-rocking ensemble than his initial Trinity trio, but one who also really pushed things with a really jazzy edge! Like many of Auger's contemporaries on the UK scene, Brian was making the shift from Brit beat group jazz and soul, into a style that was more progressive and harder-driving – one that blended together jazz and rock, but which still, in Auger's case, held onto many of the best soulful sounds of earlier years! Tunes are nice and long, and really hard-jamming – with plenty of soaring organ lines throughout – and titles include "Total Eclipse", "The Light", "Oblivion Express", "On the Road", and "The Sword". CD features the bonus track "Dragon Song".

Biz's second LP from 1989 – what can we tell you about the Biz that you don't already know? As far as we're concerned there's a lot of MC's that could learn a lesson or two from the Biz, and producers too. Good time middle school hip hop, with nice sample based production and a great sense of humor, that makes us nostalgic for the late 80s early 90s glory days of hip hop. 13 tracks in all, with the cuts "Spring Again", "Just A Friend", "A Thing Named Kim", "The Dragon", "Things Get A Little Easier", "I Hear Music", "Biz In Harmony", "Check It Out" and more.

Finally – the long overdue release of one of the funkiest soundtracks ever! The music to Black Belt Jones has always been the stuff of legend – mostly only issued as a promo single back in the 70s, but funky enough that it's ranked among the best soundtracks of the decade! The score was composed and performed by Dennis Coffey and Luchi De Jesus – the former a funk star in his own right, the latter the composer of the ultra-hip Friday Foster soundtrack – and together, the pair have crafted some killer grooves that mix guitars, congas, and blasting orchestrations that could plow Enter The Dragon into the dust! Plus, the soundtrack nicely mixes together bits of dialogue and sound effects from the film – making things sound a lot like some of those cool Japanese Bruce Lee soundtracks that were floating around from years back. Titles include "Love Theme", "At The Beach", "Main Theme", "Opening Theme", "Drama", "Mafia Theme", and "Sexy".

Not as much of an all-out funk party as some other kung fu soundtracks of the 70s – but a really great record that's filled with plenty of great spoken bits too! The album's the soundtrack to the Kung Fu TV show, which starred David Carradine – and it's mostly made up of "Eastern" sounding cuts that have a moody soundtrack feel, done in a traditional orchestral mode – spare, brooding numbers that almost feel like they're pulled from 60s Italian westerns and peplum films, but with some exotic twists and turns too! But almost best of all are the spoken bits – dialogue from the show with hokey takes on Eastern philosophy – completely charming from today's perspective, and a great counterpart to the music. Titles include "Sign Of The Dragon", "Dark Angel", "Time Of The Soul", "An Eye For An Eye", "Caine's Theme", "The Ancient Warrior", and of course, "Grasshopper"!

Compelling, tightly moving and straight up exciting progressive jazz from Herculaneum – with driving drums, both heavy and more mood-centric horns, rhythms that range from Afro jazz to freewheeling avant rock inspiration – really riveting stuff and probably their best album yet! The group is no longer completely Chicago based, but they sound as together as ever. The sextet includes drummer/percussionist Dylan Ryan, trombone player Nick Broste, David McConnell and Nate Lepine on saxes, Patrick Newberry on trumpet and Greg Danek on bass. The group's approach of 4 horns and always insistent rhythms is as invigorating as ever here, and the collaborative compositions reach farther than ever. Modern greatness! Includes "The Dragon's Office", "Elmyr", "Chianti", "Fern", "Elizabeth Perkins", "Age Of Iron", "Little Murders" and "Rumors".

If you think you know Jazztronik, think again – because this beautiful set has the group working live in the studio – all spontaneous, without any overdubs or added programming – in a mode that's even more soulful than before, and which really represents a great progression for the Jazztronik style! As you'd guess from the name, there's always been plenty of jazz in their music – but this time around, the liveness really makes things crackle – and brings in an even deeper vibe and sense of humanity to their whole groove – whether the cuts are vocal numbers with a soulful finish, or some of the more cosmic instrumentals. Not really club jazz, but something even greater – and a tremendous achievement for Ryo Nozaki – one that's got us loving his music all over again! Titles include "Love Tribge", "Tiger Eyes", "Mista Swing", "Black Dragon", "Voyage", "Butterfly Dance", "Saumrai", and "Beauty Flow" – all done in new versions here.

Neither pop nor fusion – but a great little record that reminds us why we love William Kurk so much! There's definitely some of the jazzy styles promised by the title, but they're mixed in with Kurk's inventive approach to soul music – warm instrumentation wrapped around compelling lyricism, but in a bouncy, playful way that's light years from the usual! This time around, there's a slight echo of 80s ideals – not so much in the music, which still has lots of 70s warmth – but in the criss-crossing of modes, and in the way that acoustic and electric elements are used together to create a really full sound. Titles include "9 by 3", "Revenge Of Mega Man", "Star Of The Sky", "All Of The Time", "Moonrise", "2012", and "Dragon Force".

Neither pop nor fusion – but a great little record that reminds us why we love William Kurk so much! There's definitely some of the jazzy styles promised by the title, but they're mixed in with Kurk's inventive approach to soul music – warm instrumentation wrapped around compelling lyricism, but in a bouncy, playful way that's light years from the usual! This time around, there's a slight echo of 80s ideals – not so much in the music, which still has lots of 70s warmth – but in the criss-crossing of modes, and in the way that acoustic and electric elements are used together to create a really full sound. Titles include "9 by 3", "Revenge Of Mega Man", "Star Of The Sky", "All Of The Time", "Moonrise", "2012", and "Dragon Force".

Gentle genius from the legendary Moondog – a rare album recorded right around the same time as his mindblowing work for Prestige! The style here is very similar to those Prestige albums – very spare and rhythmic – often just using simple acoustic percussion alongside an instrument or two, such as flute, bass, or one of Moondog's own unusual creations! The sound is really otherworldly – at once both cosmic and earthy, with sounds that are light years ahead of most of Moondog's contemporaries. Titles include "Tree Frog", "Oasis", "Suite No 1", "Suite No 2", "Dragon's Teeth", "Rim Shot", and "Why Spend The Dark Night With You?"

An excellent lost session from the Black Ark! Tracked by Perry with Upsetters in 1975, these stripped down dubs feature some of the dopest, funky rhythms Scratch ever cut, while others have a super spare, loping Jamaican groove. The sound is crisp and tight, without the giant thunderclaps and echo drops you'd here in a Tubby mix, but chirping guitars and sublimely funky bass ducking in and out of the mix. From the same sessions that gave us the Kung Fu Meets The Dragon set, you know it's right with titles like "Last Blood", "Deathly Hands", "Dragon Slayer", "One Armed Boxer", "Fists Of Vengeance", "Samurai Swordsman" and "Final Weapon", plus the CD includes 2 bonus tracks, "Experience" with Delroy Butler and the extended mix of "Living My Life".

One of Lalo Schifrin's greatest soundtracks ever – a gem of a TV score that's been lost for years – and not nearly as famous or well-reissued as Mission Impossible, Bullitt, or Enter The Dragon! The tunes are pure Schifrin all the way through – a mix of jazz, bossa, and funk – served up with a style that's always tight, and which makes for plenty of great groovers all the way through. Instrumentation includes vibes, flutes, guitar, and plenty of great horns – but the rhythms at the bottom are what really hold the whole thing together – romping along with lots of great 70s touches, in a groove that's much hipper than even most of the other cop show soundtracks of the time! Titles include "The Shadow", "Hunt Down", "The Edge Of Night", "Mannix", "Turn Every Stone", and "Fear".

Not singles as in the world of "hits" – but a really cool collection of rare work from Sun City Girls – mostly tracks issued on 7" singles for the Majora label, plus a few bits from other sources too! Together, the tracks provide a perfect illustration of the wide-ranging aesthetic of the group – some of the exotic tones that would be explored much more fully in their Sublime Frequencies label – mixed with some raspy, trippy elements that marked these guys as some of the few psych experimentalists of their generation! And honestly, this stuff sounds way better than we remember it – really compelling after all these years, especially in light of the later accomplishments of the Bishop brothers. Titles include "Soar/The Flower", "Esoterica Of Abyssynia", "Eye Mohini", "Sun Damaged My Ass", "Borungku Si Derita", "It's Ours", "Abydos", "Kickin The Dragon", and "Kal El Lazi Kad Ham".

Here's the real deal – a totally cool collection of all-classic Jamaican ska tracks from the mid 60s – with no revival cuts, no remakes – just the core original grooves! The quality of the work here is tremendous – a rocking, romping approach to soul music that really shows the Jamaican sound starting to fall into place – often handled by singers and musicians who'd break even bigger in the later reggae years, but who have a raw brilliance here that's even more compelling! The track list is wonderful – and the set is a hell of a deal at this price – with tracks that include "One Eyed Jacks" by Jimmy Cliff, "JFK's Memory" by Don Drummond, "The Sun Rises In The East" by Dotty & Bonnie, "Catch A Fire" by Baba Brooks & His Band, "Do You Keep On Dreaming" by The Cherry Pies, "Choo Choo Ska" by Llans Thewell & The Celestials, "Parro Saw The Light" by Lloyd Clarke, "The Jerk" by Derrick Harriott, and "Dragon Weapon" by The Skatalites.

The second in the Make Do & Mend compilation series from B-Music & Finders Keepers – part handpicked sampler of the expansive grooves found by the deep-digging geniuses at Finders Keepers and their their affiliated B-Music, Twisted Nerve and other imprints – and part fundraiser to support those affected by the PIAS warehouse fire in August 2011! 02 was compiled by Manchester's Demdike Stare – whose Sean Canty is a Finders Keepers alum, and tracks include "Toadstrip (Demdike Stare's Double Drop Crash Edit)" by Billy Green, "The Dragon" by Vangelis, "Contraste" by Fusioon, "Utan Utan" by Selda, "Visitors" by Visitors:, "Main Theme From Sitting Target" by Stanley Meyers, "Disco Title Music From Dahshat" by Bappi Lahiri and more. Includes the bonus "Des Ecuries" by Philippe D'Aram, from a forthcoming Finders Keepers release.

Incredible sounds from Burma – a really under-tapped musical legacy, finally brought forth by the always-great efforts of Sublime Frequencies! The sound here is unlike anything else we've ever heard – a very weird mish-mash of Southeast Asian elements, but always moving away from our expectations just when we think we've got a handle on it! There's some soulful vocals that remind us a bit of recordings from the subcontinent – but at other times, there's some very noisy, very percussive passages that remind us of the intense side of Indonesian gamelon – and at still other points, there's the weird sort of cultural crossroads that you'd get in frequently passed-through territories like Vietnam or Cambodia. But this hardly even gets at the surface of the whole thing – and as usual, you're best just putting your ears in the hands of Sublime Frequencies – as they blow your mind with cuts that include "Burmese Golden Drum" by Bo Hein, "Really Strange & Weird Things" by Sein Sah Thin, "Beautiful Town" by Mar Mar Aye, "Elephant Dragon" by Luan Moe, "Good Time" by Yi Yi Thant/Aung Heina, and "The Tune Of The Second Entertainment" by Yangon Sein Kyi Moe.

A bit less well-known than some of the real Horace Silver classics on Blue Note – but an incredible record that shows the Silver Quintet at all its lyrical best! The record is a masterpiece of original voicings from Horace – not just in the unique tunes he penned for the set, but also in the strong direction he gives the group – a well-knit lineup that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums – all coming together with some of the most fluid, most intuitive energy of any combo of the time! The melodic themes are structured loosely, so that Mitchell, Cook, and Silver can extrapolate on beautifully-spun solos – and titles include "Sweet Sweetie Dee", "Nineteen Bars", "The Dragon Lady", "Silver's Serenade", and "Let's Get To The Nitty Gritty".

Brian Auger's first album with The Oblivion Express – a harder-rocking ensemble than his initial Trinity trio, but one who also really pushed things with a really jazzy edge! Like many of Auger's contemporaries on the UK scene, Brian was making the shift from Brit beat group jazz and soul, into a style that was more progressive and harder-driving – one that blended together jazz and rock, but which still, in Auger's case, held onto many of the best soulful sounds of earlier years! Tunes are nice and long, and really hard-jamming – with plenty of soaring organ lines throughout – and titles include "Total Eclipse", "The Light", "Oblivion Express", "On the Road", and "The Sword". CD features the bonus track "Dragon Song".

Biz's second LP from 1989 – what can we tell you about the Biz that you don't already know? As far as we're concerned there are a lot of MCs that could still learn a lesson or two from the Biz, and producers too! Good time mid school hip hop, with nice sample based production and a great sense of humor, that makes us nostalgic for the late 80s early 90s glory days. 13 tracks in all, with the cuts "Spring Again", "Just A Friend", "A Thing Named Kim", "The Dragon", "Things Get A Little Easier", "I Hear Music", "Biz In Harmony", "Check It Out" and more.

A pretty strong set of some of the more essential DJ Shadow – and one that smartly digs past the more obvious selections to include some great single edits, deeper mid- and later-era Shadow gems, one of the stronger Shadow-era UNKLE cuts and other leftfield choices! That said, there's some straight up essential DJ Shadow classics here, too – and it's well paced, to boot. If you don't already own most of Shadow's catalogue, you probably need this! Includes "Midnight In A Perfect World", "High Noon", "I've Been Trying", "This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way", "You Can't Go Home Again (Radio Edit)", "Scale It Back (Radio Edit)" feat Little Dragon, "Listen" feat Terry Reid, "Stem (Single Edit)", "Six Days", "Won't You Be", "Lonely Soul (7" Version)" with Richard Ashcroft, "Blood On The Motorway", "You Made It" with Chris James and "Redeemed".

Beautiful work from Rob Mazurek – a player we respect more and more with each new release! The title here is especially well chosen – as "Sound Is" definitely what the record is about – a set that follows in the same legacy of sonic exploration first begun on seminal Delmark Records sides cut by the AACM in the 60s – recast here by a new Chicago generation that features Mazurek on cornet and piano, John Herndon on drums and percussion, Matt Lux on electric bass, Josh Abrams on acoustic bass and piano, and Jason Adasiewicz on some especially nice vibes! The vibes often have this chromatic quality that's starkly metallic – ringing out strongly next to Abrams' warmer bass, and Mazurek's palette of colors on his horn – driven by a brooding sense of rhythm from Herndon, playing here away from his more familiar Tortoise setting, and reminding us that he's always had a great ear for jazz. Titles include "The Earthquake Tree", "The Star Splitter", "The Dream Rocker", "Microrapagonafly", "Aphrodite Rising", "The Field", "Nora Grace", "Le Baiser", and "Dragon Kites".

An amazing package – filled with loads of rare gems – all vintage vinyl nuggets from the enormous collection of The Cramps! Lux Interior and Poison Ivy are legendary record collectors – and have been digging in thrift stores, warehouses, and basements for many decades – filling a love of music that even predates the formation of their famous group – and which went onto inform the sounds they made on their own! Given that the duo were out there digging for many years before the rest of us, they've definitely gotten their hands on some amazing gems over the years – a good number of which are presented here in an ultra-cool 10" vinyl package – subtitled in ways that really give you an idea of the sounds – "ghoulish exotica", "lip-curling rock n roll", "crazy mixed up sounds", and "instrumental madness". Titles include "The Cave" by Gary Spider Webb, "Wild Man Walk" by The Ebonettes, "Mashed Potatoes" by Noble Watts, "Unitar Rock" by Willie Joe & His Unitar, "Jibba Jab" by Tic & Toc, "From The Top Of Your Guggle" by The Five Blobs, "Gang War" by Gene Maltais, "Sugar Doll" by Johnny Jay, "Bongo Beatin Beatnik" by Joe Hall & The Corvettes, and "Dragon Walk" by The Noblemen.

An amazing double-header – and a set that really adds a lot more music than we might have expected! First up is a richly expanded version of Cleopatra Jones – one of the best of the blacksploitation scores of the early 70s – a masterpiece of music that we rate every bit as high as Shaft or Superfly – maybe even higher! The music here is incredible – a surprising funky turn for JJ Johnson, who most folks know for his straighter jazz work – and like Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and others who were surprising the world with their ability to score music for a full film during the early 70s, JJ really knocks it out of the park with this one – coming up with a batch of tunes that are a wonderful mix of sophisticated scoring, creative instrumentation, and some damn funky grooves! The title cut features Joe Simon on vocals, and Millie Jackson sings on the cuts "Love Doctor" and "It Hurts So Good". The rest of the set is instrumental, and other cuts include an instrumental take on "Cleopatra Jones", plus "Go Chase Cleo", "Goin To The Chase", "Wrap Up", and "Airport Fight". This new version features 17 bonus tracks from the original film score, not the record – amazing extra music by Carl Brandt, with titles that include "Emdee", "Elevator/Cleo & Captain", "Pot Burn/Mommy/Police Raid", "Ambush", "Doodle Apartment", "Before Crash", and "Snake Crib". CD 2 features some long-lost music from the film Cleopatra Jones & The Casino Of Gold – a well-known follow-up to the original movie, but one that was never properly represented on record – making this CD set a long-awaited premiere of the original music for the film! The set features music by Dominic Frontiere – penned in a mix of funky action modes, with some slight exotic touches too, due to the location of the story. Frontiere's in his best soul/funk mode – a side that few folks realize he can do this well – and the music has a slightly different feel than JJ Johnson's Cleo Jones work, but is equally nice. Titles include "Casino Source", "Chopped Meat", "Oymia", "Les Orgie", "Fatman Stomp", "Dead Dragon Lady", and "Pool Hall Rock" – plus the vocal number "Playing With Fire". CD also features 4 more bonus tracks from Cleopatra Jones – including extended versions of the theme, and Pattie Brooks singing "Swing Down Chariot" and "Am I Blue". Great notes too – very full, with lots of photos, in the best Film Score tradition!

The uber-classic Observer Book Of I-Roy – the masterful collection of mid 70s material, which collected, add up to some of the very finest recordings that great Jamaican deejay I-Roy recorded with writer, arranger, producer Niney The Observer! The album is essential a top notch round-up of singles that I Roy voiced for Niney in '76 and '77 – unbeatable versions of roots reggae classics! Includes "Jah Come Here", "Step On The Dragon", "Cam Road Skanking", "Sister Maggie Breast", "Water Rate", "Jamaican Girl", "Wicked Eat Dirt", "Roots Man" and more.

Excellent stuff – and a rare US issue of Live Ankara, an album that Cherry cut for Sonet during the mid 70s. The set is a super-hip concert performance recorded at the US Embassy in Turkey, featuring a band of eastern-flavored players that includes Okay Temiz on percussion, Selcuk Sun on bass, and Irfan Sumer on tenor. Tracks are shorter and a bit tighter than some of Cherry's other work from the early 70s – but they also have a strong amount of world influences, and the record is perhaps one of his greatest achievements at cross-breeding musical cultures. Tunes include "Gandalf's Travels", "St John & The Dragon", "Water Boy", "Kara Deniz", "Man On The Moon", and "Two Flutes".

Blue Magic getting a bit bolder than before – adding in some heavier funk that takes them past the mellow moments of their earliest years – yet still serving up some great harmonies in the process! The change is a subtle one – heard on some of the album's more hard-grooving tracks, which also bring in some full arrangements that echo the trippy feel of the cover – yet which still always respect that slight heartbreaking undercurrent of the group's great vocals, thanks to arrangements from Bobby Eli! Just about every moment from Blue Magic is totally great, and this album is no exception – with titles that include "Freak N Stein", "Mother Funk", "To Get Love", "See The Bedroom", "Summer Snow", "Making Love To A Memory", and "Spark Of Love".

70s issue of a great little live set – recorded in LA in 1951, one of those private recordings from the time that saw brief release on the Xanadu label. Tracks are long, and Warne's playing in a much more open-ended mode with a quartet that features Hampton Hawes, Joe Mondragon, and Shelly Manne. Tracks include "Fine & Dandy", "You Go To My Head", "Buzzy", and "I Got Rhythm".

A dramatic disco classic from Detroit legend Mike Theodore – stepping out here with all the force you'd expect from the title! "High On Mad Mountain" is a symphonic disco classic – using strings, congas, and lots of percussion to set up the groove – as guitar and keyboards come into the mix to bring out a nice degree of funk. The rest of the album follows in a similar feel – with a bit of moogy solo work, and some female vocals on the choruses – and titles include "Disco People", "Dragons Of Midnight", "High On Mad Mountain", and "Wonder Man".

Sublime early work from Bud Shank – one of our favorite west coast players ever – captured here away from some of his better-known work on Pacific Jazz! There's a nicely rough edge to some of the material – with Bud really blowing alto strongly on some of the leadoff tracks – which feature a trio of trombones from Bob Enevoldsen, Maynard Ferguson, and Stu Williamson! These players get in a few solo licks – and rhythm is by Claude Williamson on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – all working with Bob Cooper arrangements, on titles that include "Valve In Head", "Cool Fool", and "Mobile". A few more tracks feature the more playful side of Shank's horns – both alto and flute – in a cool quartet with Williamson on both piano and celeste, Don Prell on bass, and Chuck Flores on drums – on the titles "Tertia", "Theme", and "Have Blues Will Travel". One last track is especially great – "Blues In The Surf", which features a group with Billy Bean on guitar and Gary Peacock on bass – really opening up into some of the most creative modes Shank would showcase in the early 60s, before hiding out in larger arrangements.

A sprawling set that commemorates the Reggae Golden Jubilee– one that's beautifully put together by VP – and featuring 100 pivotal tracks from the early 60s to the late 00s! Selector Mr. Seaga does a pretty terrific job on the tracklist – which focuses as much on tracks that proved to be among the most trailblazing as it does on big hits. It touches on the styles and subgenres from throughout reggae's history – from ska, to rocksteady, reggae, dub, deejay, dancehall and beyond – with bellwether material by Theophilus Beckford, Higgs & Wilson, Skatalites, U-Roy, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Yellowman, Third World, Dennis Brown, Maxi Priest, Sugar Minott, Beres Hammond, Sizzla, Shaggy and many, many more. "Dumplins" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "They Got To Go" by Prince Buster, "Bring Home" by Justin Hines & The Dominoes, "Rough And Tough" by Stranger Cole, "Hypocrite" by The Heptones, "Occupation" by Don Drummond & The Skatalites, "Wear You To The Ball" by U-Roy & The Paragons, "The A Fi Get A Beatin'" by Peter Tosh, "Police And Thieves" by Junior Murvin, "Right Time" by Mighty Diamonds, "Uptown Ranking" by Althea & Donna, "Over Me" by Yellowman, "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth, "Try Jah Love" by Third World, "Wild World" by Maxie Priest, "One Blood" by Junior Reid, "Murder She Wrote" by Chaka Demus & Pliers, "Putting Up Resistance", by Beres Hammond, "You Don't Love Me (No No No)" by Dawn Penn, "Untold Stories" by Buju Banton, "Black Woman And Child" by Sizzla, "Gimme The Light" by Sean Paul, "Pon De River, Pon De Bank" by Elephant Man, "Welcome To Jamrock" by Damian "Jr Gong" Marley, "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff and more.

The voice of Audrey Morris is a great one – sweet, but also sad too – but never in a too-sentimental way, and perfect for the gentler touch of the Bethlehem label! Audrey's working here with backings penned by Marty Paich – who also plays celeste on the album, with a group that features Stu Williamson on trumpet, Bill Pitman on guitar, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Irv Cottler or Alvin Stoller on drums. Paich uses a bit of strings on the date – never too much, but just enough to underscore the sadness of the bluer tunes, and create a bit of softness on a few of the ballads – all in a way that's never too dramatic, and which always gives way to Audrey's vocals when they slide into the mix – preserving the intimate quality that always makes for her best sort of setting. The track selection is great – far more unusual than the typical Bethlehem vocal date, with some great late nite numbers that include "If Love Were All", "I Never Mention Your Name", "It's Always You", "What More Can A Woman Do", "Blue Turning Gray Over You", "I Go For That", and "I Wonder What Became Of Me".

Funky 70s work from Lalo – with a bit of a disco twist, and plenty of the electric jazz funk elements that were showing up in his soundtracks at the time. Lalo's on keyboards, playing a cool host of electric ones that give the record a nice spacey sound over the top of the funky arrangements. There's plenty of nice guitar work – either by Eric Gale or John Tropea – which gives the cuts some nice choppy funky bits that drive them a bit harder than you might expect. Includes an amazing funk remake of "Quiet Village", plus "Dragonfly", "Black Widow", "Baia", "Turning Point", and a version of the "Jaws" theme!

They're not kidding about "The Photo Issue" tag on the cover – because this issue of Wax Poetics is filled with a wealth of amazing music photos – so much so, it almost feels like one of those high-end art books, but at a fraction of the price! The issue seems much larger than before – almost 200 pages overall – and it's filled with current and classic photos of New Orleans musicians, Brazilian artists, and a fair bit of hip hoppers from back in the day! But even with all those pics, the Wax Poetics crew have still given us plenty to read here – as at least a quarter of the magazine still features text – with articles on funky Miles Davis, Max Roach, Sharon Jones, Numero Group Records, East Bay Funk, The Dragons, Beastie Boys, and others!

Easy-going Verve swing at its best – the kind of small group session that let a player like Harry "Sweets" Edison shine in a way that he didn't always get to do in a larger group! For this set, Edison's joined by Ben Webster on tenor sax, Barney Kessel on guitar, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Alvin Stoller on drums and Joe Mondragon on bass – in a format that features tunes that are a bit shorter than on some of the other Verve swing sides of the time, but still very much with a relaxed and open-ended feel. Titles include several Edison originals – including "Hollering At The Watkins", "Used To Be Basie", "Studio Call", "Opus 711", "K.M. Blues", and "Walkin With Sweets".

All 4 US singles from Paul Weller's Sonic Kicks – plus a bonus single – in a great 5 X 7" box set! Sonik Kicks is Weller's eleventh solo album – one that shows him in vital form late in the game! Includes "That Dangerous Age" w/ "The Piper", "Dragonfly" w/ "Portal To The Past", "When Your Garden's Overgrown" w/ "Lay Down Your Weary Burdon", "The Attic" w/ "We Got A Lot" and the bonus "That Dangerous Age (Live Acoustic)" w/ "Be Happy Children (Live Acoustic)". Also includes a signed poster!

Steven Wilson scores the cover of Prog – for a features that a deep look at his The Raven record – and this issue also has features on prog legends Caravan on their 40 years milestone, Scott Walker, John McLaughlin, Neal Morse, Pendragon, Katatonia, Touchstone, Heather Findlay, Voivod, Riverside, The Beach Boys, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Menomena, Kosmoratik, Moon Duo and more! Also includes a free CD featuring some artist covered in this issue, and more! It includes Steven Wilson, Heather Findlay, Super Best Friends Club, KingBathmat, Lifesigns, Godsticks, Splashgirl and more.

More of a book than a magazine – given how heavy this mofo is, and the high-quality, full-color production throughout! This issue of Flashback weighs in at over 200 pages – and is filled with long pieces on some of the giants of psychedelia – including Morgen, Tomorrow, and 13th Floor Elevators! The issue also has a great look at rock papers of yore – penned by researcher Richie Unterberger – plus a look at Fairport Convention singer Judy Dyble, the Dragonfly album, and lots lots more – including a great feature titled "100 Early Hard Rock Albums Everyone Should Hear" – more than enough to have us re-checking our record collections!