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A jazzy dancefloor classic from Pal Joey! During the late 80s, lots of UK producers and groups were working in a nu jazz mode – mixing older jazz styles with newer rhythms and production, in a mode that often was called acid jazz, but which also moved into other camps. In the US, though, few groups were making such a stab at a nu style – save for Soho, whose "Hot Music" was one of the first new American underground cuts to really bring back that classic jazz flavor. The cut's a totally catchy one, worked around riffing hi-hit and snare fills, looped over and over, in a mode that's certainly been copped a lot lately by French producers! "Dance" is another number from the Pal Joey universe – a bit more familiar house overall, but still filled with lots of funky touches the give things a very classic feel!

A jazzy dancefloor classic from Pal Joey! During the late 80s, lots of UK producers and groups were working in a nu jazz mode – mixing older jazz styles with newer rhythms and production, in a mode that often was called acid jazz, but which also moved into other camps. In the US, though, few groups were making such a stab at a nu style – save for Soho, whose "Hot Music" was one of the first new American underground cuts to really bring back that classic jazz flavor. The cut's a totally catchy one, worked around riffing hi-hit and snare fills, looped over and over, in a mode that's certainly been copped a lot lately by French producers! "Dance" is another number from the Pal Joey universe – a bit more familiar house overall, but still filled with lots of funky touches the give things a very classic feel!

A jazzy dancefloor classic from Pal Joey! During the late 80s, lots of UK producers and groups were working in a nu jazz mode – mixing older jazz styles with newer rhythms and production, in a mode that often was called acid jazz, but which also moved into other camps. In the US, though, few groups were making such a stab at a nu style – save for Soho, whose "Hot Music" was one of the first new American underground cuts to really bring back that classic jazz flavor. The cut's a totally catchy one, worked around riffing hi-hit and snare fills, looped over and over, in a mode that's certainly been copped a lot lately by French producers! "Dance" is another number from the Pal Joey universe – a bit more familiar house overall, but still filled with lots of funky touches the give things a very classic feel!

A lost classic in the funky poetry mode of the 70s – and right up there with the best work from the time by the Last Poets, Jim Ingram, or Gil Scott Heron! Bama's got a rough-edged voice that works very well with the funkier backings of the set – handled by a team that includes Bernard Purdie on drums, Richard Tee on keyboards, and Cornell Dupree on guitar – and this rough vocal style also fits the themes of the tunes, which are still as political and righteous as other work in the genre, but a bit more down to earth as well. The music itself was arranged and composed by Jimmy Wizner and Billy Jackson – and titles include "Ghettos Of The Mind", "The Right To Be Wrong", "Nothingness", "Drunken Sister", "I Got Soul", "Welfare Slave", "Social Narcotics, and "Blackman, My Brother".

A double-length set from Mario Biondi – and a record that really shows him growing a lot as a singer! Biondi's still got all the raspy charm we loved in his work for Schema Records, but he also seems to have a deeper sense of soul here too – especially on the ballads and mellower cuts, which really help expand the palette past the snapping jazzy grooves we've always loved in Mario's music – and which could honestly have him hitting the heights of some of the best American singers from years back. The blend of soul and jazz in the vocals is wonderful – and instrumentation is mostly jazzy, with that sense of groove that works perfectly with Biondi's approach. The "due" in the title refers to the fact that Mario's got a key partner on every track – either a special Italian jazz musician, or guest singer – and titles include "Won't You Come Back", "Under That Sky", "Mother Earth", "Where Are You", "Every Time I Think Of You", "Dreaming", "Free", "What's Happening Brother", and "In The Sun".

One of the hippest groups of the Nigerian scene of the 70s – presented here in two classic albums, back to back on a single CD! Chapter One is a landmark set of African grooves – very unusual in both conception and execution – with a feel that's unlike anything we can think of! There's definitely a rock influence in the set, but the music isn't rock at all – it's a very dark, almost dubby groove at points – and a bit more straightforwardly funk at others – almost a post-colonial style that clearly comes from a London influence, given to the group by a previous association with Ginger Baker. Rhythms are quite tight, and the bass is as strong as the drums – mixed up nicely with riffing guitar, and moody vocals that color the whole thing nicely. Titles include "Preacherman", "Time To Face The Sun", "We Are Out Together", "Chant To Mother Earth", "Miss Sagitt", "Beware", and "We Gonna Have A Party". Phase II is a critical next step for the group – music that's even deeper than before, but a bit funkier too! There's clearly some touches here of other African funk of the time – especially in the way the guitar parts groove with the rhythms – although those heavy Blo basslines from before are still nicely in place, as are some of the fuzzier production elements too. Titles include "Whole Lot Of Sh*t", "Atide", "Blo", "It's Gonna Be A Good Day", "Native Doctor", and "Don't Take Her Away From Me".

A killer set from Cashmere – and a batch of music that definitely turns us on! The album's got a lean, mean groove that's mighty nice – a tight, keyboard-driven approach to 80s soul – but one that's also held together beautifully by lead vocals from Dwight Dukes, who was previously a member of Heaven & Earth! Dukes has this sweet falsetto mode that works perfectly with the cuts – and on many numbers, he gets vocal support from Dean Williams, whose deeper style really helps ground the tunes nicely – making for a blend that only gets richer as the album rolls on. Groovers dominate the styles, but there's a few nice laidback numbers too – and the contrast makes for the same energy that always made a record by Heaven & Earth so great. Titles include "Contemplation", "Try Your Lovin", "Inner Feelings", "Let The Music Turn You On", and "Do It Anyway You Wanna". CD features 5 bonus tracks – including "Do It Anyway You Wanna (12" version)", "Let The Music Turn You On (single)", "Try Your Lovin (single)", "Do It Anyway You Wanna (inst)", "Try Your Lovin (12" inst)".

Great lost work from the legendary Phil Cohran and his Artistic Heritage Ensemble – a composition that was recorded during the group's late 60s years on the Chicago scene – but which has never been released until now! The album stands beautifully alongside the group's self-titled classic and their tribute to Malcolm X – and like those amazing records, this one has a feel that's all its own – an exploration of Moorish elements in Spanish culture – which comes off as a Latin-inflected sound with African roots! The lineup here is similar to other Cohran classics – Donald Myrick on baritone sax, Charles James Williams on alto, Eugene Easton on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, Aaron Dodd on tuba, Pete Cosey on guitar, Henry Gibson on congas, and Louis Satterfield on bass – a mix of musicians that includes members with Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire listed in their resumes! Cohran's vision in the suite is wonderful – and the music has all the depth and righteous energy of his self-titled record, but a bit more Latin fire too – a beautiful blend that really makes us appreciate his genius even more than before, and which finally gives us another record of his to love after all these years.

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

Four classic albums by this hip UK group – all with rare bonus tracks too! First up is the wonderful Dad Man Cat – our favorite record by one of the best funk records to ever come out of England! On this great debut album, Corduroy are a tight funky combo, with an organ and clavinet mod sound that still holds up damn well over the years. Their songwriting is great, and the groove on the set push way past the stock acid jazz riffing of the early 90s. Best example of this is "Skirt Alert", a cut that begins with an amazing drum break, then grooves into a Brazilian-inflected funk number, in the manner of Earth Wind & Fire's use of the idiom. Other tracks include "Chowdown", "How To Steal The World", "Electric Soup", "Money Is", and "Six Plus One". CD also features six bonus demo tracks! High Havoc is a real shift for Corduroy, who are opening their sound a lot here from earlier releases – showing that the group was way more than just one of London's many retro funk combos at the beginning of the 90s. The set includes the sublime track "Something In My Eye", a breezy bossa number that would almost put Brasil 66 to shame, and which we can guarantee will have you hitting the repeat button on your CD player again and again! Other tracks include "The Corduroy Orgasm Club", "Breakfast In Love", "Nobody Move", "Very Yeah", "Clearing Up Music", "Lovely Lonely & Loaded", and "The Frighteners". CD features 9 more bonus tracks – some previously unreleased! Next is Out Of Here – a record that's still heavily steeped in the 60s territory of previous releases, but one with a bit more of a mod feel overall! There's lots of heavy Hammond and guitar in the mix, and the vocals have a warm appeal too – kind of a blue-eyed soul take on mod London modes – served up here with a sound that's arguably tighter and more soulful than lots of current work of this nature! Corduroy was always a group that never fully got its due – and with records like this under their belt, they were easily one of the hippest acts on the Acid Jazz imprint at the time. Titles include "Don't Wait For Monday", "Practice What You Preach", "Magic Carpet", "January Woman", "Mini", "Motorhead", "Along The Rooftops", "End Of The Rainbow", and "Red Mercury". CD features 7 more bonus tracks – a number of unissued demos! Last up is Quattro – Live In Japan 1994 – a great little live set from Corduroy – recorded late in their career, but with the stripped down funky feel of their best early work! The album was recorded in Japan – but the groove is pure London jazz funk all the way, with a tight mix of keyboards and riffing guitars, electrically grooving in a very soulful way. Includes versions of "Skirt Alert", "Something In My Eye", "Mini", "Money is", "London, England", "Electric Soup", "E Type", "The Frighteners", and "Chow Down".

Rare funk from the New Orleans scene of the late 70s – work by an obscure combo with a great ear for the dancefloor! The overall sound is much more like music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York at the time – a post-Earth Wind & Fire style of funk that's got lots of tight ensemble grooving and vocals, on rhythms that are equally balanced between boogie and disco! Despite the obscure nature of the record, it's got a wonderfully professional feel – all top-shelf all the way through, like something that could have been issued on Columbia Records during the same stretch – with a warmly jazzy undercurrent that makes for a much greater depth than you might expect! Instrumentation includes great keyboards and bits of horns/ Titles include "I Don't Know Why", "Dr Music", "For The Love Of Disco", "There Must Be An Answer", "We Are Somebody", "Nowhere To Run", and "All We Have Is A Song". This Japanese CD edition also includes 3 more previously unreleased tracks: the 1975 recording of "I Don't Know Why", plus "Make A Change" and a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" from that same year – and "Our Love's Gone By" and the 1975 version of "There Must Be An Answer", both previously released on rare 45s.

A totally great project from Bryan Ferry – completely unlike anything that he or Roxy Music have ever done in the past – even though the whole thing is a tribute to the glory days of the group! The tunes are all famous 70s tracks by the group, but they're redone here as jazz instrumentals – not just jazzy takes on the music of Roxy, but work with a much older vintage – really 20s-styled versions of the tunes – with instrumentation that's completely faithful, as is the production – so that you'd honestly think you're listening more to a collection of older 78s from the days of acoustic recording – even though the songs are oddly familiar. The vintage jazz mode prevails so much that the core melodies of the tunes aren't even apparent at first – they kind of sneak up on you with a nice sense of surprise, and only after a bit do you actually catch the song – but even then, marvel at the way that the older melody has this sinister sound that still comes through amidst the blend of trombone, clarinet, guitar, and skittish rhythms. A brilliant set – far more charming than we would have expected – and titles include "The Bogus Man", "Love Is The Drug", "Do The Strand", "Don't Stop The Dance", "Virginia Plain", "This Island Earth", and "Avalon".

A totally great project from Bryan Ferry – completely unlike anything that he or Roxy Music have ever done in the past – even though the whole thing is a tribute to the glory days of the group! The tunes are all famous 70s tracks by the group, but they're redone here as jazz instrumentals – not just jazzy takes on the music of Roxy, but work with a much older vintage – really 20s-styled versions of the tunes – with instrumentation that's completely faithful, as is the production – so that you'd honestly think you're listening more to a collection of older 78s from the days of acoustic recording – even though the songs are oddly familiar. The vintage jazz mode prevails so much that the core melodies of the tunes aren't even apparent at first – they kind of sneak up on you with a nice sense of surprise, and only after a bit do you actually catch the song – but even then, marvel at the way that the older melody has this sinister sound that still comes through amidst the blend of trombone, clarinet, guitar, and skittish rhythms. A brilliant set – far more charming than we would have expected – and titles include "The Bogus Man", "Love Is The Drug", "Do The Strand", "Don't Stop The Dance", "Virginia Plain", "This Island Earth", and "Avalon".

Seminal work from the great Ivory Joe Hunter – an artist who went onto have a huge impact on the development of music well into the 70s, but who doesn't always get his due! Joe's got a really amazing way of weaving together different strands of music – jazz, blues, and R&B – plus a healthy dose of country – which he uses here years before bigger later names like Ray Charles, Brook Benton, and Joe Tex! Hunter's work is completely sublime, and given a great Atlantic punch throughout – a way of fusing these elements together without making anything sound forced at all – still plenty darn fresh all these many years later. Titles include "Since I Met You Baby", "I Want Somebody", "Heaven Came Down To Earth", "I Need You", "That's Why", "I've Got To Learn To Do The Mambo", "You Can't Stop This Rocking & Rolling", "It May Sound Silly", and "That's Why I Dream".

The group's first full length album – and a classic batch of soulful funky tunes, handled with the charm and care that would make Jamiroquai one of the best new soul acts to come out of the UK during the 90s. Think Brand New Heavies meets Stevie Wonder meets Steely Dan, and you'll get only part of the picture – as Jay and crew work things together perfectly, blending a wide range of influences into a globally conscious cosmic groove that's a perfect soul platform for the 21st century! Titles include "Revolution", "Didgin Out", "When You Gonna Learn", "Too Young To Die", "Music Of The Mind", and "Emergency On Planet Earth". 2CD version features 10 more bonus tracks – including "Revolution 1993 (demo)", "Emergency On Planet Earth (London Rican mix)", "If I Like It I Do It (acoustic)", "Too Young To Die (ext)", "When You Gonna Learn (Cante Hondo mix)", and live versions of "Music Of The Mind", "God Made Me Funky", "Brothers Like You", and "Didgin Out".

A pair of killers – back to back on a single CD! First up is the killer debut from the Dazz Band – issued way back when they were named Kinsman Dazz, and when "dazz" was a reference to the fact that the group could play both dance music and jazz! That jazzy element is definitely in place here – as the set's got lots of hip instrumental touches over the core funky grooves – produced with some great help from Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson, who bring in a bit of Earth Wind & Fire vibe – and set to some larger arrangements from Patrice Rushen, who ups the jazzy quotient too! But the core sound of the group is what really drives the album – a well-crafted batch of Ohio funky numbers that step along with the best of their generation – on titles that include "Makin Music", "Forget About Lovin You", "Get Down With the Feelin", "Stand In Your Way", "And I Mean", and "Dazzberry Jam". On the Dazz album, Kinsman Dazz are even funkier here than before – showing off their Ohio roots, and pointing the way towards the classic Dazz Band sound they'd forge in the 80s! Rhythms are very tight throughout – but still often touched with the jazzy elements that made the group so great in their early years – echoing a bit of an Earth Wind & Fire sound, as Philip Bailey's on board to help a bit with arrangements and background vocals. The whole thing's great – a super-tight record without any filler at all – and titles include "I Searched Around", "Love Design", "Keep On Rockin", "Can't Get Enough", "Dancin Free", and the wonderful "Catchin Up On Love", a spacey harmony track with a really anthemic sound!

A sweet set of Earth Wind & Fire-inspired grooves from Poison – an obscure 70s funk combo that hailed from Richmond, VA! The group's outfits, righteousness, and instrumentation clearly show a strong debt to EWF – but there's also a roughness to some of the tracks that belies their southern funk roots – particularly on the album's break-intro track "Do What You Wanna Do" – a great bit of party funk! Other cuts nicely intercut guitar riffing, soaring vocal harmonies, and some full-on horns and percussion – pushing things to the skies on a great set of tracks that includes a few unreleased numbers alongside tracks from the group's only album on Roulette. Titles include the previously unreleased numbers "Funky Graveyard" and "Long Train Runnin" – plus the cuts "Let Me Lay My Funk On You", "Unity Man", "Music Is Our Destiny", "Cosmic Dancing", "Our Place In Time", and "Do What You Wanna Do". 14 tracks on the CD.

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

An overlooked gem from the killer soul years at Capitol Records – the only record we've ever seen from Pyrymyd, a group with grooves as angular as their name! The tunes have a mix of bassy funk and clubby rhythms – that sweet 80s groove style that nobody seemed to do better than Capitol at the time – as heard to best effect from artists like BB&Q Band or TS Monk, both labelmates who'd make a good comparison to the Pyrymyd sound! There's some tight horns on the top of the arrangements, which warms things up nicely – and lead vocals are by Van Ross "Sonny" Redding – who often gets harmony support in the background, with a bit of an Earth Wind & Fire vibe. Titles include "All I'll Ever Need", "Shake It Down", "Fly To Paradise", "I'm Yours Forever", "We've Got Love Together", and "Mr Music Man".

Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the material featured very misleading notes, but the true details of the session are even more impressive – as Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb – and titles include "Biosphere Blues", "Intergalactic Research", "Earth Primitive Earth", "New Planet", and "Continuation To Jupiter Festival".

Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the material featured very misleading notes, but the true details of the session are even more impressive – as Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb – and titles include "Biosphere Blues", "Intergalactic Research", "Earth Primitive Earth", "New Planet", and "Continuation To Jupiter Festival". Beautiful 2CD reissue features sublime sounds from the original tapes, remastered – plus a full bonus CD of unreleased tracks that include "Blue York", "Conversation Of The Universe", "Red Planet Mars", "Cosmic Rays/Next Stop Mars", "The Myth", "Meteor Shower", "Infinity", "The Beginning Of", and "Endlessness".

A lost Sun Ra classic – from the early days of the Arkestra! This 1966 release on Saturn features music that was recorded by The Arkestra in Chicago in 1957 and 1958. Some of the tracks are from the same session as the Sound Of Joy LP, and a few others were from sessions later in the year. Ra plays piano and "solar piano", and the group's got some added percussion and tympani. Along with the usual suspects, James Spaulding also sits in with the group on a few tracks, playing both alto and flute. Titles include "Eve", "Overtones Of China", "Two Tones", and "El Viktor". Cool cover, too, with a colorful painting of a surrealistic space scene!

Some of the most godlike soul music to be recorded on this planet, and two of the best-ever albums by this amazing Chicago collective that included the late Minnie Riperton, and who were arranged and produced by the great Charles Stepney! Both albums feature swirling complex arrangements, filled with strange time changes, chord passages, and nice jazzy bits. Inside it all, the group's cool male/female vocal sound rings out – with Minnie singing on some cuts along, and in duet on others. Includes the band's classic "I Am The Blackgold Of The Sun" (covered recently by NuYorican Soul), plus "The Sea & She", "Hey Love", "Song For Everyman", "The Weight", "Respect", "Salt Of The Earth", and "Vine Of Happiness". Imagine if Scott Walker met The Dramatics, and you've only got part of the picture!

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

The last album in the classic run of Steely Dan – the final taste we'd have of the group until their surprising revival in the 90s! Gaucho picks up beautifully where Aja left off – warmly produced with a deep undercurrent of jazz, but perhaps a bit more down to earth feel at times too – not in the music, which is still up there in the heavens, but in some of the subject matter of the tunes, which almost takes us back to Royal Scam territory. Donald Fagan's vocals are wonderful throughout – a sound for which there's no referent or real description – and the balance in the instrumentation is near perfect on tunes that include "Babylon Sisters", "Hey Nineteen", "Time Out Of Mind", "My Rival", "Glamour Profession", and "Gaucho".

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme".

The soulful side of London – and a really great compilation that's even better than the first volume in the series! The 2000 Black posse present a warm and wonderful batch of tunes – numbers that have their roots in the current broken beat underground, yet which also have a bit more warmth, and more of a focus on classic soulful roots. Titles include "Relax Unwind" by Mark De Clive Lowe, "Smile" by Assassino Daninha, "Music Of The Earth" by Domu, "Let Your Feelings Show" by Restless Soul, "Run (Seiji rmx)" by Micatone, and "Ice" by Opaque.

A sweet 10 year anniversary round-up of some of the best timelessly soulful releases from he Melting Pot Music team to date – and it's the best kind of "best of" compilation – one that's carefully curated and released as a limited 5 X 7" box set! It's a pretty solid representation of the MPM stylistic reach – with crackling underground soul and modern takes on classic era hip hop – with strong vocals, smart rhymes and jazzy soul beatcraft – and some tunes that blend a bit of all the above. Great stuff from Miles Bonny, Suff Daddy, DJ Day, Twit One, Eric Lau and others. Includes "Four Hills" by DJ Day, "Gnac" by Suff Daddy, "Ausdruck" by Fleur Earth, "Gil Scott-Heron Lament" by Miles Bonny, "Soul 69" by A-Ko, "Hornoxn" by Twit One, "Planet Rock (Jazz)" by Breakout, "Moog Boy 4 Life" by Dexter, "The Light (Eric Lau Remix)" by Funkommunity and "Droptop (Hade Remix)" by TBRCK.

Possibly the best-ever collection of blacksploitation grooves we've ever seen – a really comprehensive package that not only manages to cover the classics, but which also digs deep enough to come up with lots of fresh bits too! The set really sets a new level for the Soul Jazz label – and is carried off with enough authority towards Black Action films as the label's legendary efforts towards a host of less mainstream genres – truly an achievement for the label's crew, not to mention a heavier bonus for our funky listening pleasure! There's way more here than just a slapped-together batch of tunes from the early 70s – as the set's very carefully put together to showcase a wide range of sounds, along with notes that really get at the social and political power of both the music and the films. 2CD package features a massive color booklet inside the slipcase – and features 34 tracks that include "Shaft In Africa" by Johnny Pate, "Down & Out In New York City" by James Brown, "Wilford's Gone" by The Blackbyrds, "Run Fay Run" by Isaac Hayes, "Theme From Black Belt Jones" by Dennis Coffey, "Willie Chase" by JJ Johnson, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Charley" by Don Costa, "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" by Willie Hutch, "Blacula" by Gene Page, "Theme From Cleopatra Jones" by Joe Simon, "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile" by Isaac Hayes, "Sweetback's Theme" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Aragon" by Roy Ayers, "Strung Out" by Gordon Staples, "Easin In" by Edwin Starr, "The Bus" by Solomon Burke & Gene Page, "Make A Resolution" by The Impressions, "Ed & Digger" by Cotton Comes To Harlem, "Las Vegas Strut" by Jack Ashford, "Lay It On Your Head" by Don Julian, and "Zombie March" by Nat Dove & The Devils.

Easy to groove on down with music this great – a totally sweeeeet collection of rare club tracks, with a range of styles that runs from underground disco to obscure 80s boogie! The package is possibly the best-collected in this all-great series – and does a great job of mixing up rare mixes from bigger names with hard-to-find singles by more obscure artists – all in one massive batch of groovers that never lets up for a minute! Titles include "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend" by Cuba Gooding, "Dreamin" by Greg Henderson, "Come Down To Earth (David Todd rmx)" by Choice Four, "Do Your Dance (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Rhyze, "Giving It Back (12" disco mix)" by Phil Hurtt, "Use Me Lose Me" by Paul Simpson Connection, "So You Wanna Be A Star (12" ext mix)" by Mtume, "Since I Found You" by Candy Bowman, "Stars In Your Eyes (special disco rmx)" by Herbie Hancock, and "Doin't Leave Me This Way (Tom Moulton mix)" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.

A damn classic entry in the Super Breaks series from BGP – one that's filled with crucial sample cuts from the old school – some really wonderful funky nuggets, brought together here as a great reminder of the tracks that first got us digging back in the day! There's less of the totally obscure numbers here than you might find on other Super Breaks volumes, but things aren't totally mainstream either – and the compilers have not only done a great job of pulling together tracks that were really important for hip hop, but have also managed to put a really fresh spin on the music altogether – reminding us once again that even in the age of digital music, nothing beats a well-done compilation! Titles include "Shifting Gears" by Johnny Hammond, "Mary Mary" by The Monkees, "Scratchin" by Magic Disco Machine, "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor, "Africano" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band, "Got To Get A Knutt" by New Birth, "Get Up & Dance" by Freedom, "Super Sporm" by Captain Sky, "Who Is He & What Is He To You" by Creative Source, "Funky President" by James Brown, "Blow Your Head" by The JBs, "Johnny The Fox" by Thin Lizzy, "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man" by Dyke & The Blazers, "The Clapping Song" by Shirley Ellis, and "Get Ya Some" by Melvin Sparks.

A damn classic entry in the Super Breaks series from BGP – one that's filled with crucial sample cuts from the old school – some really wonderful funky nuggets, brought together here as a great reminder of the tracks that first got us digging back in the day! There's less of the totally obscure numbers here than you might find on other Super Breaks volumes, but things aren't totally mainstream either – and the compilers have not only done a great job of pulling together tracks that were really important for hip hop, but have also managed to put a really fresh spin on the music altogether – reminding us once again that even in the age of digital music, nothing beats a well-done compilation! Titles include "Shifting Gears" by Johnny Hammond, "Mary Mary" by The Monkees, "Scratchin" by Magic Disco Machine, "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor, "Africano" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band, "Got To Get A Knutt" by New Birth, "Get Up & Dance" by Freedom, "Super Sporm" by Captain Sky, "Who Is He & What Is He To You" by Creative Source, "Funky President" by James Brown, "Blow Your Head" by The JBs, "Johnny The Fox" by Thin Lizzy, "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man" by Dyke & The Blazers, "The Clapping Song" by Shirley Ellis, and "Get Ya Some" by Melvin Sparks.

Spacey, funky, and wonderful! During the 60s and 70s, the Iron Curtain prevented most of us from hearing some of the fantastic sounds that were cooking in Eastern Europe – where obscure jazz funk combos were grooving away in styles that were very different than those heard in the US and Western Europe. There's no easy way to describe the music, because it was so varied and inventive – but this excellent set of 10 rare Czechoslovakian tracks should go a long way to filling in some of the gaps in this lost history! Many of the tracks on the set have a fantastically baroque sound – sort of a mix of MPS crossover styles, and David Axelrod-type "big picture" production ventures – and they begin with wild washes of sound that soon settle into a harder funky groove. Keyboards collide with voices mix with guitars punctuated by drums sealed with basslines – and the whole thing's chopped apart by some funky frenetic sax work. That's only part of the picture, though – and although we can't come up with the words to describe the set adequately, it's one of the freshest compilations we've heard in years, filled with excellent grooves to take our listening to a whole new level! Titles include "The Lost Sheep" by SHQ, "Proklamation" by Milan Svoboda, "The Third Eye" by The Keyboard Conclave, "The Earth" by Jiri Stivin, "Nijana" by Jana Koubkova, and "Life's Little Games" by Karel Ruzicka.

Spacey, funky, and wonderful! During the 60s and 70s, the Iron Curtain prevented most of us from hearing some of the fantastic sounds that were cooking in Eastern Europe – where obscure jazz funk combos were grooving away in styles that were very different than those heard in the US and Western Europe. There's no easy way to describe the music, because it was so varied and inventive – but this excellent set of 10 rare Czechoslovakian tracks should go a long way to filling in some of the gaps in this lost history! Many of the tracks on the set have a fantastically baroque sound – sort of a mix of MPS crossover styles, and David Axelrod-type "big picture" production ventures – and they begin with wild washes of sound that soon settle into a harder funky groove. Keyboards collide with voices mix with guitars punctuated by drums sealed with basslines – and the whole thing's chopped apart by some funky frenetic sax work. That's only part of the picture, though – and although we can't come up with the words to describe the set adequately, it's one of the freshest compilations we've heard in years, filled with excellent grooves to take our listening to a whole new level! Titles include "The Lost Sheep" by SHQ, "Proklamation" by Milan Svoboda, "The Third Eye" by The Keyboard Conclave, "The Earth" by Jiri Stivin, "Nijana" by Jana Koubkova, and "Life's Little Games" by Karel Ruzicka.

An amazing document of the wide wide reach of Earth Wind & Fire at the end of the 70s – that joyous, righteous spirit that not only flowed through their own music, but seemed to touch most of the soul and jazz world as well! The set's a much-needed look at the way that energy from EWF flowed out to so many other folks too – as the group's tunes were frequently covered, its members frequently worked with other artists, and Maurice White frequently lent his production talents to others in the studio! The package is overflowing with greatness from the great ones – a killers set of tracks that include "Got To Find My Way" by Pockets, "Tequila Mockingbird" by Dee Dee Bridgewater, "Let's Get Together" by Paulinho DaCosta, "City Lights" by Valerie Carter, "Ancient Source" by Caldera, "Answer To My Prayer" by Alton McClain & Destiny, "Let Love Groove Me" by Syliva St James, "The Boy I Left Behind" by Deniece Williams, "Glow Love" by Mighty Clouds Of Joy, "And I Do" by Abraham Laboriel, "I Waited" by Blue Magic, "Dream Come True" by Stargard, and "Theme For Relana" by Gene Harris.

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

Mindblowing – and a landmark recording that crosses all boundaries in the Chicago music scene of the late 60s! Philip Cohran was a visionary musician who'd played with Sun Ra during the 60s, but who left Ra to forge his own musical vision by the middle part of the decade. The Artistic Heritage ensemble was a crucially important group in Chicago – one that drew players from both the soul and jazz scenes, with a wealth of talents that later went onto work with groups like Earth Wind & Fire, The Pharoahs, Ra's Arkestra, and other ensembles. Talents on this set alone include players like Charles Handy, Don Myrick, Aaron Dodd, Henry Gibson, and Louis Satterfield – not to mention Cohran, who plays cornet (as he did with Sun Ra), plus two groovy instruments of his own invention: the violin uke and the great Frankiphone, a sort of electric thumb piano whose use on these recordings pre-dated the very famous Kalimba sound that Earth Wind & Fire would use to great success during the 70s. The album includes the driving conga funk track "Unity", the singing soulful track "The Minstrel", the incredibly haunting "On The Beach", and the track "Motherhood", which has a strong Abbey Lincoln type of feel. The whole thing's a beautiful batch of spiritual jazzy tracks with a good groove – and a perfect blend of soul and spirit, jazz and righteousness! Beautifully packaged, too!

A sweeeeeet groover by Patrice Rushen – her first album for Elektra, and a stunning blend of funky jazz and soul! The record really has Patrice stepping out from her earlier years at Prestige – working in some surprisingly great vocals next to tight lines on Fender Rhodes, synth, and clavinet, handled with a smooth and soulful quality that's wonderful all the way through – a blend of soul and jazz that few other players could do this well – no matter how many others tried to copy her style over the years! Rhythms are as hard and heavy as on the Prestige years, and the keyboards have a great sort of focus too – just the right mix of jazz to offset the vocals – which themselves are a wonderful discovery. The whole album's a gem – and tracks include the great funky classic "Hang It Up", plus "Changes (In Your Life)", "When I Found You", "Play", "Didn't You Know?", and "Music Of The Earth".

Timeless Damu The Fudgemunk instrumentals – recorded from 2004 to 2007 for the most part – and they sound as fresh as ever! Volumes 1 and 2 together in a single set. 26 tracks in all: "Start Here", "Another Introduction", "Clap & Form Your Soul", "Figment", "Home Seek Home", "Judgement Day", "Dream Catcher", "Boomerang Luck", "Fabrega's Discotecas", "It Wasn't On Earth", "Movin' On" and more.

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and Afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth, Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid-70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin".

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid 70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD also features 5 bonus tracks – "Shining Star (future star)", "All About Love (first impressions)", "Happy Feelin (anatomy of a groove)", "Caribou Chaser (jazzy jam)", and "That's The Way Of The World (Latin expedition)".

And who says Scientology isn't about good music? Ron serves up a set of original space jazz compositions on this one, with backing by brainwashed followers like Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Nicky Hopkins. Tracks are short, and titles include "The Banker", "Alien Visitors Attack", "Earth, My Beautiful Home", "The Drone", and "Funeral For A Planet".

A killer debut from the Dazz Band – issued way back when they were named Kinsman Dazz, and when "dazz" was a reference to the fact that the group could play both dance music and jazz! That jazzy element is definitely in place here – as the set's got lots of hip instrumental touches over the core funky grooves – produced with some great help from Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson, who bring in a bit of Earth Wind & Fire vibe – and set to some larger arrangements from Patrice Rushen, who ups the jazzy quotient too! But the core sound of the group is what really drives the album – a well-crafted batch of Ohio funky numbers that step along with the best of their generation – on titles that include "Makin Music", "Forget About Lovin You", "Get Down With the Feelin", "Stand In Your Way", "And I Mean", and "Dazzberry Jam".

A decade's worth of magic from the mighty Hugh Masekela – a sweet little set that brings together some of his most groovy tracks of the late 60s and early 70s – in a collection that's overflowing with goodness! Hugh's got a style here that's unlike anyone else – an approach that's rooted in South African jazz, which is definitely shown in his rhythmic progression – but taken to new heights in the Californian scene, where Hugh's music came into contact with folks like The Crusaders and some of the other cooler cats on the coast at the time. The result is a sublime blend of jazz, soul, and African rhythms – with tracks that include "Sipho", "The Boy's Doin It", "Ha Lese Le Di Khanna", "Kwa Blaney", "Stimela", "Maesha", "Phatsha Phatsha", "Child Of The Earth", and "U Dwi".

One of the coolest, grooviest cats who ever cut a record – an an artist with a really unique conception at the time of these recordings! Roy Porter got his start as a drummer during the bebop years, and worked hard on the LA scene of the R&B and soul scenes of the 50s and 60s – but to us, his crowning achievement is these amazing funk sides of the early 70s – amazingly complex, but right on the money too – and a whole new kind of music that's impossible to describe in words! Roy mixes funky drums with lots of cool jazzy changes – keyboard lines, horn parts, and bass bits that have the frenzy you might find in fusion, yet come across with the down-to-earth vibe of a funky 45 – a killer blend that goes way past jazz, and even most straight funk too – as you'll hear in this sweet little set. The package brings together all the best tracks from these key Porter years – and titles include "Jessica" and "Panama" in both vocal and instrumental versions, plus "Wow", "Funny Feelin", "Funky Twitch", "Love You", "Hense Forth", "Out On The Town Tonight", "Givin Me The Blues", "Waver-ing", "Party Time", and "Hip City". CD features the bonus track "Drums For Daryl".

One of the coolest, grooviest cats who ever cut a record – an an artist with a really unique conception at the time of these recordings! Roy Porter got his start as a drummer during the bebop years, and worked hard on the LA scene of the R&B and soul scenes of the 50s and 60s – but to us, his crowning achievement is these amazing funk sides of the early 70s – amazingly complex, but right on the money too – and a whole new kind of music that's impossible to describe in words! Roy mixes funky drums with lots of cool jazzy changes – keyboard lines, horn parts, and bass bits that have the frenzy you might find in fusion, yet come across with the down-to-earth vibe of a funky 45 – a killer blend that goes way past jazz, and even most straight funk too – as you'll hear in this sweet little set. The package brings together all the best tracks from these key Porter years – and titles include "Jessica" and "Panama" in both vocal and instrumental versions, plus "Wow", "Funny Feelin", "Funky Twitch", "Love You", "Hense Forth", "Out On The Town Tonight", "Givin Me The Blues", "Waver-ing", "Party Time", and "Hip City".

Incredible work from one of Sun Ra's most enigmatic periods! The album was recorded in Italy in 1978, right around the same time as "Disco 2000" (and not too far off from Languidity) – and it features Ra playing around with lots of cool spacey keyboards, in a spare cosmic style that's really out of this world! The overall sound is incredible – with an incredible sense of otherness that has Ra pushing the limits of the moog and organ to a level never heard before on record – and in a way, the set is everything you might have imagined when you first heard of Sun Ra as some strange jazz musician who claimed to be from outer space! The group is a quartet, with Michael Ray on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor, and Luqman Ali on drums – and titles include "Saturn Research", "Media Dreams", "Year Of The Sun", "Constellation", and the haunting straight jazz piece "Twigs At Twilight". Expanded 2CD version features a huge amount of unheard music – a full disc of bonus tracks that includes "Friendly Galaxy", "An Unbeknown Love", "Of Other Tomorrows Never Know", "Images", "The Truth About Planet Earth", "The Shadow World", and even a version of "Space Is The Place"!

A very sweet little album by this great Motown group! The record was produced by Norman Whitfield, and it's a perfect example of the rumbling funky soul sound that he was developing at the time – a mixture of heavy bass, rumbling percussion, fuzzy guitars, and a stone righteous sound that pushed soul music firmly into the 70s! The songs are mostly all originals written by him and Barrett Strong – and the band is filled with great players like Dennis Coffey, Earl Van Dyke, Johnny Griffith, and the great Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin. Titles include "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World) Friendship Train", "What It Is?", "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me", "What's Going On", and "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell Right Here On Earth".

A very sweet little album by this great Motown group! The record was produced by Norman Whitfield, and it's a perfect example of the rumbling funky soul sound that he was developing at the time – a mixture of heavy bass, rumbling percussion, fuzzy guitars, and a stone righteous sound that pushed soul music firmly into the 70s! The songs are mostly all originals written by him and Barrett Strong – and the band is filled with great players like Dennis Coffey, Earl Van Dyke, Johnny Griffith, and the great Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin. Titles include "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World) Friendship Train", "What It Is?", "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me", "What's Going On", and "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell Right Here On Earth".

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

One of the crunchiest efforts we've heard from IG Culture in awhile – a record that's filled with the cosmic beats we've always loved in his music, yet firmly grounded on earth overall! The set mixes heavy rhythms with lots of vocals and rhymes – efforts from ID 4 Windz, Mr Mensah, Julie Dexter, K Banger, Bilal Salaam, and John Robinson – all wrapped and layered together in ways that are quite different from conventional hip hop, and which really resonate with the kind of collective, collaborative spirit we love in IG's music! There's an even darker feel here than usual – which we really appreciate – and titles include "Catalog Pieces", "Futures Back", "Black Renaissance", "Core Exit", "Truth", "Tangile Dream", "Outsider", "What's Happening", "The Sankofaz Peace Ark-Extra", and "Do The Math".

A wonderful overview of soundtrack work from some of Francois Truffaut's greatest films – all scored by Georges Delerue, a composer who Truffaut felt was his greatest collaborator! Delerue's genius with Truffaut is a little hard to sum up in words – because, like the films, the music has a kind of subtle magic that isn't exactly earth-shattering – but which somehow manages to find a space quietly close to the heart, and then work in beautiful and gentle ways. The recordings begin with early Truffaut classics like Tirez Sur Le Pianiste and Jules Et Jim, and work their way through 60s and 70s gems that include La Peau Douce, L'Amour A Vingt Ans, Un Belle Fille Comme Moi, and Les Deux Anglaises Et Le Continent. The set's capped off by music from some of Truffaut's early 80s standout films – including Le Dernier Metro and Vivement Dimanche – and as usual for this series, there's a great set of notes to accompany the huge amount of music on the disc!

Despite the innocence of the title and cover image, the grooves here are pretty darn mature – really hard-jamming fusion tracks served up with Jerry Goodman on electric guitars and violin, and Jan Hammer on a wealth of groovy keyboards! Hammer's still a bit restrained at this point – not nearly a schlocky as in later years, and with a good ear for unusual sounds from the Moog, Oberheim, and electric piano – all used nicely here with plenty of cool effects. Goodman himself sings a bit on the record, but not much – and the whole thing has a fusion feel that's very much like other releases at the time on the Nemperor label. Titles include "Steppings Tones", "Night", "Full Moon Boogie", "No Fear", "I Remember Me", "Country & Eastern Music", "Topeka", and "Earth (Still Our Only Home)".

Landmark stuff, and a beautiful album that mixes soulful tracks with Donny's nascent jazz sensibility! The set's a key chapter in the history of soul music – a record that has Donny emerging from shadows of the Chicago studio scene to become one of the most promising soul artists of the 70s. The album was recorded in Chicago, with a host of great players that had been gigging for years in the Chess studios – and the record is the rich culmination of talents that had been brewing in the Windy City for years. Includes the monster hit "The Ghetto" – one of Donny's best-known tracks and a rollicking funky number – in a full extended version with a good instrumental breakdown. Also features a remake of "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)", which shows Donny's strong ties to the Earth, Wind, & Fire organization – plus moody spiritual numbers like "I Believe To My Soul", "Thank You Master", and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black".

A gem of a record from Clifford Jordan – proof that the 70s were possibly the greatest decade for his music! Although most of Jordan's contemporaries from the big tenor days of the 50s really didn't grow much during the 70s, Clifford always continued to develop his style – adding in modes and tones that he'd never played before, working in an ever rich tapestry of jazz that makes just about any of his albums from the time a delight. Even this session – a simple quartet date recorded with Tommy Flanagan, Bill Lee, and Grady Tate – offers lots of wonderful moments, and is kind of a post-righteous 70s soul jazz album, filled with lots of warm tones and straight soulful playing that are almost a back to earth moment after his Strata East years – but still equally expressive. Titles include "He's A Hero", "No More", "Quasimodo", and "Adventurer".

One of the crunchiest efforts we've heard from IG Culture in awhile – a record that's filled with the cosmic beats we've always loved in his music, yet firmly grounded on earth overall! The set mixes heavy rhythms with lots of vocals and rhymes – efforts from ID 4 Windz, Mr Mensah, Julie Dexter, K Banger, Bilal Salaam, and John Robinson – all wrapped and layered together in ways that are quite different from conventional hip hop, and which really resonate with the kind of collective, collaborative spirit we love in IG's music! There's an even darker feel here than usual – which we really appreciate – and titles include "Catalog Pieces", "Futures Back", "Black Renaissance", "Core Exit", "Truth", "Tangile Dream", "Outsider", "What's Happening", "The Sankofaz Peace Ark-Extra", and "Do The Math".

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid 70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD also features 5 bonus tracks – "Shining Star (future star)", "All About Love (first impressions)", "Happy Feelin (anatomy of a groove)", "Caribou Chaser (jazzy jam)", and "That's The Way Of The World (Latin expedition)".

The future is now! Or at least it seemed to be back in 1983 when Herbie teamed up with Bill Laswell to record this classic album of computer-driven keyboard grooves! Whatever you might think of the music, the record was a genius move for Herbie – who was kind of flopping around in a number of different styles on previous albums, most of which we like, but none of which seemed to earn him the same cred as his albums in the 70s. Well this one not only earned him plenty of cred, but also a lot of cash, and continued assurance to Columbia that their contract with Herbie was well-placed – and it certainly cast Bill Laswell into the spotlight as well, given that his efforts really provided the core of the album. Tracks include "Rockit", "Earth Beat", "Future Shock", "Autodrive", and "Rough". CD also features the bonus track "Rockit (megamix)".

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".

A great idea for a compilation – a really cool set that focuses on the best days when jazz and rock were really combined together – that stretch in the late 60s and early 70s when horns were equally blended with guitars, in a groove that was plenty powerful overall! Some of the numbers here are familiar giants of the genres, and others are a bit surprising – and together, the music really does a great job tracing this evolving trend through its growth in the 70s! Titles include "Killing Floor" by Electric Flag, "Get It On" by Chase, "What Is Hip" by Tower Of Power, "Hold On" by Memphis Horns, "Mercy Mercy Mercy" by The Buckinghams, "Gonna Fly Now" by Maynard Ferguson, "Some Skunk Funk" by Brecker Brothers, "Vehicle" by Ides Of March, "In The Stone" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Non Pacem" by Azteca, "Goldmine" by Sons Of Champlin, and "New York" by Dreams.

Oud with a touch of jazz – a record that almost takes us back to the early experiments of Ahmed Abdul Malik, but which has a bit more world music feel overall! Rabih Abou Kahlil plays oud throughout – and he's joined by snakey woodwind instruments duduk and serpent – supported by some warm-toned, organic percussion on frame drums and conventional drum kit. The album's got some thoughtful production that creates a great mellowing of tones – using the earthiness of the drums to bubble up alongside the oud, making a sonic play space that ties all instruments together nicely. As on Abou-Kahlil's other work for Enja, there's a definite sense of jazz that informs the music – even if the results aren't as "jazz meets world" as other albums of this nature. Titles include "Mourir Pour Ton Decollete", "How Can We Dance If I Cannot Waltz", "The Sad Women Of Qana", "Le Train Bleu", "A Chocolate Love Affair", and "Para O Teu Bumbum".

Very righteous work from percussionist Pheeroan Ak Laff – even more hard-edged than some of his other important recordings of the late 70s – and that's saying a lot! Allthough Pheeroan lent his talents to many other musicians, this is one of the few albums he cut under his own name – and it's a blazing hot batch of percussion – monstrous work on the drum kit, with other percussion instruments as well – all recorded with a spare, earthy sound that's really amazing! The feel is partly loft jazz, partly ethnographic percussion – the latter of which is augmented more when the album features a few spoken spiritual passages – and the tones that Ak Laff gets out of his percussion are amazing – surprisingly melodic moments, mixed with others of bombastic intensity. Titles include "Ayin Of Love", "Tzaddi Vau", "Michelle Del America De Sud", "Jarawa", "Freedom" and "3 In 1".

Always-great work from singer Lorez Alexandria – still sounding wonderful, even at this late date! Her presentation's a bit earthier than before, but no less poised than on earlier sessions – with the same sense of space and timing that's always made her one of our favorite jazz singers! And as always, there's a soulfulness to the music that really makes the whole thing sparkle – a sound that goes way past overdone torchy vocals, or hackney sets of standards – in that unique space that Lorez seems to inhabit nearly on her own. Backing is by a group that includes Houston Person on tenor, Bruce Forman on guitar, and Michael Carvin on drums – and titles include "Star Eyes", "Make Someone Happy", "My One & Only Love", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream".

Lovely vocals from Mayra Andrade – a singer who's been bubbling under for the past few years, and emerges here with a really strong debut for the US market! Mayra's got a very transatlantic pedigree – with roots both in Brazil and Cuba, as well as Cape Verde – and a fair bit of time spent in Europe as well – a rich legacy of cultural experience that leads up strongly to this release! The music's mostly got some of the personal, earthy qualities of more familiar Cape Verdean artists, but also carries echoes of samba as well – and some of the sensitivities of mid-century French chanteuses too – a captivating blend that's handled surprisingly strongly here, with none of the too-commercial tendencies that might get in the way for such a record. Backings are relatively lean, and often percussive with a bit of guitar – and titles include "Nha Sibitchi", "Navega", "Lua", "Mana", "Comme S'Il En Pleuvait", "Dimokransa", and "Lapidu Na Bo".

A contemporary set, but one that sparkles with all the best brilliance of the 70s scene in Brazil – and that includes such heady company as Marcos Valle, Azymuth, and Joao Donato! As with all those artists at the time, Lucas Arruda has a groove that's strongly based on Fender Rhodes – warm keys that are underscored with some great acoustic percussion that gives the whole thing an earthy core at the bottom, and a vibe that's quite different than any American fusion of the time! The music is completely sublime throughout – very jazzy in its inflections, but also with a more freewheeling approach – as you'd hear on classic keys from Jose Roberto Bertrami. The set's got a bit of vocals, but really focuses on the keyboards – and titles include "Physis", "Rio Afternoon", "Batuque", "Alma Nova", "Sambadi", "Carnival", and a sweet cover of "Who's That Lady".

A contemporary set, but one that sparkles with all the best brilliance of the 70s scene in Brazil – and that includes such heady company as Marcos Valle, Azymuth, and Joao Donato! As with all those artists at the time, Lucas Arruda has a groove that's strongly based on Fender Rhodes – warm keys that are underscored with some great acoustic percussion that gives the whole thing an earthy core at the bottom, and a vibe that's quite different than any American fusion of the time! The music is completely sublime throughout – very jazzy in its inflections, but also with a more freewheeling approach – as you'd hear on classic keys from Jose Roberto Bertrami. The set's got a bit of vocals, but really focuses on the keyboards – and titles include "Physis", "Rio Afternoon", "Batuque", "Alma Nova", "Sambadi", "Carnival", and a sweet cover of "Who's That Lady".

Stunning! This is David Axelrod's rare suite of tracks dedicated to saving the enviroment with a set of jazzy funky grooves! The record's probably his most baroque album ever, with a big group of jazz players that mixes vibes, guitars, and off-kilter reeds – plus a group of singers who perform some of the lyrics of the set, most of which are adapted from the Old Testament and from Navajo legends. The record's broken into two long suites – "The Warnings" and "The Signs" – and the whole thing blends together in a spacey, other-worldly mix of heavy arrangements and trippy grooves!

A record with a really timeless feel, and a great mix of classic and contemporary – rootsy Ghanaian instrumentation, modern production, and just a touch of electronics – all wrapped up in a mix that's mighty nice – and one that's a lot more earthy than you might expect! Bola's not exactly in Konono territory, but his approach isn't that far off, either – as there's a core element to the music that relies strongly on older traditions – and an execution that just makes slight use of contemporary electronics – often used very sparely, just to underscore the key aspects of the music – in ways that almost make the acoustic elements sound even more fragile and crisp! The set's hardly a remix-type project, and has a gritty appeal that goes way beyond any of the too-sweetly recorded sessions of recent years – almost more in an Analogue Africa mode overall. Titles include "Yine Mmema", "Abayetidu Ma", "Hoyenbesa Nini", "Makamiba", and "Burilbunbol Suma".

Previously unreleased material from the duo of Bobby Bradford and John Carter – two players who created ferocious energy together in their famous LA quartet of the late 60s and early 70s, but who here get at a completely different sound of their talents! In a way, the record really represents the growth that Carter had as a musician by this time – his wonderfully lyrical, evocative work on clarinet – which carries some echoes of Jimmy Giuffre's freeness on the instrument, but a more deeply personal quality as well – quite earthy and organic at times, with these really beautiful tones! Bradford's cornet really seems to follow suit strongly – beautifully blown, but at a level that's more intimate than we've heard from Bobby before – really wonderful phrasing that's free, but still always quite tuneful too. The set features a few tracks with solo clarinet, and one solo cornet – and titles on this second volume include "Woman", "Woodman's Hall Blues", "Sweet Sunset", "Swiss Account", "Les Masses Jigaboo", and "And She Speaks".

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

Beautiful stuff from singer Diana Darby – one of our favorite voices in the indie folk landscape! There's a hushed tone to Diana's voice that softens some fairly heavy lyricism – on personal songs that manage to speak the plain, sometimes harsh truths of love and spirituality with a fragile, hypnotic beauty. She accompanies herself on guitar, and the other instrumentation is as subtle and strong as her singing and songcraft – with light percussion, cello, bass, pedal steel, banjo and sax. Diana has been with Delmore Recordings for over a decade now – the label that's doing the world such a service by unearthing archival Karen Dalton – and it's great to hear new music on Delmore that'll truly stand the test of time just as strongly! Includes "Looking For Trouble", "Snow Cover Me", "If Love", "Spinning", "Buttercup", "Oh Butterfly", "Ugly Little Toad", "Heaven", "The Alphabet", "Elena", "Little One" and "Talking To God".

Beautiful stuff from singer Diana Darby – one of our favorite voices in the indie folk landscape! There's a hushed tone to Diana's voice that softens some fairly heavy lyricism – on personal songs that manage to speak the plain, sometimes harsh truths of love and spirituality with a fragile, hypnotic beauty. She accompanies herself on guitar, and the other instrumentation is as subtle and strong as her singing and songcraft – with light percussion, cello, bass, pedal steel, banjo and sax. Diana has been with Delmore Recordings for over a decade now – the label that's doing the world such a service by unearthing archival Karen Dalton – and it's great to hear new music on Delmore that'll truly stand the test of time just as strongly! Includes "Looking For Trouble", "Snow Cover Me", "If Love", "Spinning", "Buttercup", "Oh Butterfly", "Ugly Little Toad", "Heaven", "The Alphabet", "Elena", "Little One" and "Talking To God".

A sweet blend of west coast jazz and Brazilian rhythms – and one of our favorite records ever from trombonist Raul De Souza! The session's got a more soulful, jazzy feel than some of Raul's other dates from the 70s – not nearly as tight as his sets for Capitol, with an earthy undercurrent in the music, thanks to the production efforts of Airto, who spearheads the session. Horns are by JJ Johnson, with some slight echoes of his soul soundtrack work of the period – and other players include Ted Lo on keyboards, Richard Davis on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus a bit of guest alto sax from Cannonball Adderley on a few tunes. Titles include "Water Buffalo", "Dr Honoris Causa", "Canto De Ossahna", "Nana", "Festival", and "Chants To Burn".

Quite a compelling project from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a record that has him working strongly with singer/guitarist Aoife O'Donovan, whose presence really helps transform the sound of the set! Aoife's got a folksy touch on her vocals, and colors things in with some great earthy tones that are a surprisingly good fit for Douglas' lines on trumpet – sometimes jazzy, sometimes sparkling with a rich sense of American history – yet delivered in a subtle, linear way. The blend works a lot better than it sounds on paper – thanks to help from other musicians who include Jon Irabagon on tenor, Matt Mitchell on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Titles include "Barbara Allen", "Living Streams", "Be Still My Soul", "High On A Mountain", "God Be With You", and "This Is My Father's World".

Includes the tracks "1st Transmission (original mix)", "Because The Night", "Invinite M", and "Soup Or No Soup".

A seminal album by El Kinto – a short-lived but crucially important group in the Uruguay rock scene of the late 60s! El Kinto were a seminal link between the beat group sounds of the earlier South American scene, and some of the headier, tripper work to come in the psychedelic years – and their music was an unusual blend of local roots and more ambitious rock – served up in styles that were somewhat different than the candombe music of other artists on the scene. Core rock instrumentation was often augmented by a bit of Latin percussion – used in a way that created a nicely earthy feel at the bottom of most of the tunes, which was in contrast to the cleaner, but also somewhat spare use of guitars on the top. There's a criss-crossing sensibility here that's not unlike Brazilian Tropicalia at times – although clearly not as politically motivated, nor as culturally radical – and what really blows us away about these tunes is the overall sense of sound – a simple, but extremely effective placement of all the simplest elements, to create music without easy comparison (even though we've been trying for the last few lines!) Group members include percussionist Ruben Rada and South American rock legend Eduardo Mateo – and the album features 14 tracks that include "Jose", "Mejor Me Voy", "Don Pascual"," Voy Pensando", "Esa Tristeza", "Yo Volvere Por Ti", "Estoy Sin Ti", and "Pippo". Great reissue – very heavy vinyl and cover, and with an insert with notes!

Beautiful sounds from the Entourage ensemble – a record that's got a really meditative blend of acoustic elements with a few electric touches – used in ways that start in jazz, then move way beyond! Instrumentation includes guitar, flute, keyboards, violin, and mbira – coming together with really unusual inflections that are partly borrowed from Eastern sources – like Noh theater, or Balinese music – but which unfurl with a more freewheeling, American underground vibe as well! No sounds are ever too sharp, and there's almost a hint of the instrumental experiments in the 80s underground – such as work by Penguin Cafe Orchestra or Soft Verdict – but with an earthier feel overall. Titles include "Jattle Boxes", "Giraffes", "Solo For Electric Viola", "Michael's Song", "Silver Drum", and "Percussion Dance".

Beautiful sounds from the Entourage ensemble – a record that's got a really meditative blend of acoustic elements with a few electric touches – used in ways that start in jazz, then move way beyond! Instrumentation includes guitar, flute, keyboards, violin, and mbira – coming together with really unusual inflections that are partly borrowed from Eastern sources – like Noh theater, or Balinese music – but which unfurl with a more freewheeling, American underground vibe as well! No sounds are ever too sharp, and there's almost a hint of the instrumental experiments in the 80s underground – such as work by Penguin Cafe Orchestra or Soft Verdict – but with an earthier feel overall. Titles include "Jattle Boxes", "Giraffes", "Solo For Electric Viola", "Michael's Song", "Silver Drum", and "Percussion Dance".

A perfect follow-up to Exuma's first album on Mercury – and like that one, a really rootsy blend of soul, funk, and other global sounds! Percussion and acoustic guitar dominate most of the instrumentation – just right for the rough-edged vocals on the set – in ways that help underscore some of the more righteous themes in the lyrics! The whole sound is a great summation of the musical journey that Exuma's taken from his Bahamian roots – and titles include "Damn Fool","Paul Simon Nontooth", "Fire In The Hole", and "A Place Called Earth".

Che Guevara never sounded so groovy – thanks to some sublime soundtrack scoring from the great Nico Fidenco! The music is a bit more exotic than usual for Nico – some touches of pan pipes and acoustic guitar to signify the South American scene, but mixed with other elements that are pure Fidenco all the way – including little swells of sound that slink along slowly, rootsy percussion that gives a few moments a nice earthy touch, and other elements that are sometimes more sensual than dramatic – and we mean that in a good way! Most tracks are short, and trade a few themes back and forth throughout – and titles include "La Boliviana", "Los Federales", "I Regolari", "I Compagni Morti", "Los Federales", "La Ballata Del Che", and "La Leggenda Del Che". CD also features 5 bonus tracks too!

A never-heard soundtrack for a never-seen film – and a record that's every bit as funky as better-known sets from the blacksploitation era! Final Solution were a small time group from Chicago's west side in the 70s, but on this wicked little soundtrack they sparkle just as brightly as Isaac Hayes, Willie Hutch, Curtis Mayfield, or any of our favorite soundtrack soul artists from the time – working in a really righteous approach to soul with lots of heavy rhythms on the bottom and rumbling bass in the mix – so that even when the tunes are mellow, there's still a bold, brash sort of power to the set! The vocals are mostly delivered in harmony style, again with a nice edge – a bit like The Impressions work on Three The Hard Way, but with more of an indie soul feel overall, given the production circumstances. Once again, our hats are off to Numero for unearthing this gem – and as usual, the full tale of the group, the movie, and the music is told at length in the accompanying 16 page booklet! Titles include "Brotherman", "Never Coming Back Again", "I Don't Care", "Girl In My Life", "Gotta Get Through To You", "One Day", "I'm Ready For Love", "Theme From Brotherman", "No Place To Run", and "We Can Work It Out".

Some of the earliest work ever recorded by Gilberto Gil – served up here in a really great 2CD set! The first CD in the set a beautiful album of rough-hewn samba tracks, done in a really lively style! Gil's great vocals are very firmly in the lead of the album's arrangements – and some tracks use a full samba percussion and instrumental style, while others feature Gil singing in a spare setting, with mostly light percussion and acoustic guitar behind his voice. The sound is really tremendous, and although the album is a short one overall, it's still an essential treasure from some lost years of Gil's career! Titles include "Povo Petroleiro", "Vem Colombina", "Vontade De Amar", "Maria Tereza", and "Meu Luar, Minhas Cancoes". Most of the material on that disc was previously issued on the CD title Salvador 1962-1963 – but there's also a bonus cut here titled "Felicidade Vem Depois". CD 2 is even cooler – 18 early demo cuts recorded in 1966 – very stripped down and earthy, showing Gil in this beautiful space between bossa nova and some of his more personal and experimental moments to come! At points, there's a Joao Gilberto-like charm to the music – and the recording style is almost more like some of the earliest late 50s sides to come from Rio – with all the charm that might imply! Titles include "Beira Mar", "Zabele", "A Ultima Coisa Bonita", "Cantiga", "Retirante", "Lemanja", "Vento De Maio", "Rancho Da Boa Vinda", and "Minha Senhora".

Really lovely sounds from Jana Herzen – a set that features her own vocals and guitar, with just the bass of Charnett Moffett for accompaniment! The spare setting is beautiful – and Jana sparkles here in ways that few other singers could hope to match – bringing out a key musicality both on guitar and vocals, with all the right jazzy inflections to enrich the sound – as Moffett's spare but soulful basslines serve as key directive points for the process. Titles include the original tunes "Secrets Are Safe With Me", "Night Blooming Jasmine", "Bali Holiday", "Passion Of A Lonely Heart", "My Latin Love", and "Earth's Heart Beats" – plus "Spain", and "Sodade", "Tis Autumn".

A pretty darn amazing album from Thelma Houston – recorded during the zenith of Jimmy Webb's career, when Jimmy was not only one of the hippest songwriters in pop, but also kind of a mini-Burt Bacharach, writing, arranging, and conducting albums for a variety of stars. This little gem features Thelma fronting a set of 11 original tunes by Jimmy – arranged with a hip pop sophistication that few other talents of his time could match – soul and strings coming together in a wonderful swirl that makes for one of Thelma's most compelling records. Titles include "Crazy Mixed Up Girl", "This Is Where I Came In", "Pocketful Of Keys", "Cheap Lovin", "This Is Your Life", "If This Was The Last Song", and "Sunshower". This version includes a handful of bonus tracks released as singles for ABC Dunhill in 1970 including a sweet version of Laura Nyro's "Save The Country", plus "I Just Can't Stay Away", "I Just Gotta Be Me", "Crying In The Sunshine", "(The) Good Earth" and "Ride, Louis, Ride".

The first record we've heard from this Japanese collective in many years – and a set that definitely marks a real maturation in their music! The album was inspired by the tragic events of the 2011 nuclear catastrophe in Japan – and shows a decidedly deeper side of J's Bee's music – one that has a lot more jazz than before, and a strong ear for earthy soundscapes – almost an ECM-like quality that's mixed with a few of their more conventional groove! These guys aren't aiming for the dancefloor this time around – and instead, the whole album is woven together as a rich tapestry – with strong thought for the way the sounds and songs emerge, letting all the messages resonate strongly. The set features some especially great sax solos and Fender Rhodes – plus soulful vocals from Yuko Kawasaki – on titles that include "Lights", "Strange Supper", "Blind In The Rye", "Chuck It All", "Laika Blanca Music", "Angel Puke", and "Under The Sun".

They're not kidding about the title of this one – because the group are definitely a bunch of hotheads on the bongos – playing percussion at a pace that's pretty darn quick, while also throwing in some cool Casio keyboard lines too – all to create a groove that's earthy, rootsy, and pretty darn compelling! Vocals often move at an equally fast clip – and there's a great home-made feel to the whole thing – not exactly Congotronics, but that same really creative, individual approach to music. Titles include "Dunia Watu", "Jumba Bovu", "Zubeida", "Mpango Mzima", "Hesima", and "Cha Upele". Also features two bonus videos!

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

Cool compressed grooves from Raoul K – music that's offers up a really unique blend of African roots and contemporary club – but in ways that are a lot more abstract than others working in the genre! Raoul really abstracts the instruments in his music – so that the core elements fuse together as the set rolls on – with a sound that's contemporary, yet has an earthiness too – kind of timeless roots buried somewhere in the background – not in ways that hit you over the head, yet which really inform the music! Titles include "Somassi", "Bardot", "Sierra Leone (Deetron mixdown)", "Belebeleba", "Rainforest (Chicagomix)", and "Mande (Griotmix)".

Cool compressed grooves from Raoul K – music that's offers up a really unique blend of African roots and contemporary club – but in ways that are a lot more abstract than others working in the genre! Raoul really abstracts the instruments in his music – so that the core elements fuse together as the set rolls on – with a sound that's contemporary, yet has an earthiness too – kind of timeless roots buried somewhere in the background – not in ways that hit you over the head, yet which really inform the music! Titles include "Somassi", "Bardot", "Sierra Leone (Deetron mixdown)", "Belebeleba", "Rainforest (Chicagomix)", and "Mande (Griotmix)". Features a bonus DVD – "Still Music Presents Mr Raoul K" – a film about Raoul in the Ivory Coast!

An amazing little book, and one hell of a lifelong research project – a huge volume that documents deep details about the American underground of vanity, or "private" press records – obscure pieces of wax that were usually just pressed up by an artist for their own pleasure – but which have gone onto reach the status of legend over time! The format is a genre unto itself – even though the music style can vary widely – and the lavish book brings together a huge amount of rare covers and images, along with notes on the recordings – plus hundreds of reviews, an essay on the format, and even biographies of collectors and enthusiasts who've helped unearth this lost American treasure! Also comes with a download for dozens of tracks – and book is over 500 pages, in color, with a very heavy cover!

A wonderful full album from keyboardist Jessica Lauren – a London talent we've loved for years, and have watched mature deeply over the past few decades! Jessica's keyboards have graced a number of key recordings from the past 20 years or so on the British scene – but she's issued woefully few albums under her own name, which makes this jazzy session an even greater treat! Jessica plays acoustic piano and organ on the record – the latter of which still brings in some of the more electric modes we know from her roots – while the piano tones ring out with a beautifully earthy feel – alongside bass, drums, and a heck of a lot of percussion – more than enough to bring in plenty of Latin and other global elements to the music! Most tunes are instrumentals, but the set does feature guest vocals from Jocelyn Brown on the tracks "Happiness Train" and "I Believe". Instrumental cuts include "The Name Of Fela Will Always Stand For Freedom", "White Mountain", "Vaya Con Dios", "Dogtown", "Gangaman", and "Mel Benson".

A beautiful batch of gospel work from Shirley Ann Lee – a vocalist who originally worked the spiritual circuit in a trio with Candi Staton! The album's an unusual one – put together partly as a way of promoting Shirley's music to a larger audience – which means it's got a few spoken bits that kind of introduce her with cool musical backings, then roll into the songs themselves – which are often a very bluesy version of gospel – recorded with earthy instrumentation that really brings out the deep soul in her vocals! There's a nicely offbeat quality to the record – and in addition to 6 rare singles, the set also features 10 more that have never been issued before. Titles include "All I Have To Depend On", "There's A Light", "How Can I Lose", "Someday", "Stay On Your Knees", "Get Back", "I've Got To Make It", and "Blessed Quietness".

An amazing version of this one – the core soundtrack really expanded with a lot of extra from the film, not just the record – and presented here as a 2CD set with loads of extra source music, alternate takes, and cues as well! The core version of Happy Ending is a real slice of genius from Michel Legrand – one of his brilliant late 60s soundtracks, not as well remembered as, but cut during the same period as The Thomas Crown Affair. The soundtrack is probably best remembered for the incredible theme "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life" – sung here in 2 versions by Michael Dees, and also served up in a nice instrumental take as well. But overall, the whole record is pretty darn great – not as out and out groovy as some of Legrand's other work, but with a great mix of moody, jazzy, and atmospheric – handled with some really great instrumental touches that are all Legrand, all the way! Titles include "Smooth Sailing", "Collage", "Diamonds Are Forever", "Floating Time", "Hurry Up N Hurry Down", and "Whistle While You Swing". 2CD version features all the material unearthed for that very limited MGM box set a few years ago, a total of 48 tracks in all – with other gems that include "Soft Sell", "Till Death Do Us Part/That Trapped Feeling", "Bahama Blues", "The Stripper", "Reconciliation", and "It Ought To Be Forever".

Always-lovely work from Sabrina Malheiros – serving up a sublime blend of Brazilian roots and soulful overtones – a style that's easily made her one of the best artists on the Far Out label over the years! Sabrina's got a family lineage that traces back to Azymuth – and the music here has the similar blend of fusion instrumentation, earthy Brazilian percussion, and soaring American soul that you'll find in the best classics by that group – all with the added special spark that comes from her sweet vocals too! Production and arrangements are by Daniel Venom Maunick, who brings in a slight dose of Incognito soul too – really making for a record that's quite possibly the best we've heard from Sabrina so far – and that's saying a heck of a lot. Titles include "Lirio De Venus", "Bobeira", "Opara", "Candeia", "Fragil", "Can't Hide Love", "Primeira", and "Paranoia".

Deep grooves from Marc Mac – a set that's way earthier than any of his 4 Hero projects – and which is almost a tribute to the soulful sounds that have shaped his music over the years! The package is a bit similar to Mac's previous Right To Be Civil collection – and definitely has a similar aesthetic in the cover art – and the grooves here are forged from older samples, but reworked completely – way way different than any of the base elements that make them up, and abstracted with the kind of cosmic twists and turns we've always loved from Marc. There's also some great snippets of found spoken bits – showing especially the role of African American soldiers in the Vietnam era – and these give an added political bent to the whole project, albeit in a less direct way. Titles include "Afro Pride Soldier", "Feelin Like Clay", "Saigon Say No", "Brand New Thinkin", "Reflection Time", "War Baby Bloods", "Keep Your Word", and "Fort Bragg Revolution".

Legendary drummer Harvey Mason in sweet jazz funk groove at Arista – a way stronger record than we remembered! Harvey played on some of our favorite jazz funk records of all time – including the massive Gears LP by Johnny Hammond among so many other great albums – and on his on 70s work for Arista, he explored jazz funk and soul instrumentals, with an expansive approach. He was an integral piece of the pie on so many completely essential records by other artists, that it's far too easy to overlook the considerable strengths of the records he headlined, and this is surely of on one of those! Players include Lee Ritenour & Ray Parker on guitars, the Sea Wind Horns of Bruce Fowler, Sally and Kenny Mason, Greg Pillinganes and Paul Smith on pianos and organs, Jan Hammer on Mini Moog and others. Cuts include "Sweet Mercy", "Bertha Baptist", "First Summer" (with Harvey Mason on vibes, bells and chimes), "No Lands Man", "Sho Nuff Groove", "The Mase", "When I'm With You (Live Version)" and "KY And The Curb". This expanded edition from Soulmusic.com includes 2 bonus tracks: "KY And The Curb (US Single)" and "The Mase (UK Single)".

One of the most electric albums we've heard from Rob Mazurek in years – no surprise, given that the set's billed to an Electro Acoustic version of his Exploding Star group! The music here was done in collaboration with videomaker Marianne Kim – whose video is included with the package as a separate DVD, and also features some work from visual work from Mazurek as well. But our main focus here is the music, which is great – all the earthy, exploratory tones that Rob's been unleashing in recent years – clearly inspired by some of the best Miles or Don Cherry moments of the 70s, but very different too – as handled by this range of key contemporary players from Chicago. Rob speaks a bit on a few tracks, and the set also features work from Damon Locks on voice and electronics, Nicole Mitchell on flute, Matt Bauder on electronics, Guilherme Granado on sampler, Carrie Biolo on percussion, Jeff Kowalkowski on keyboards, and John Herndon on drums. Titles include "We Are All One With The Moon & Planets", "Only", "The Shifting Sequence", "Indra's Net", and "Seven Blues".

A gorgeously and lush batch of material cut with the Peter Matz Orchestra – with a surprisingly intimate feel! The strings soar, but the percussion is fairly spare and often a little bit off kilter – while Carmen emphasizes her phrasing and more earthy tendencies with any empty histrionics! Titles include "In The Love Vain", "The Music Makes Me Dance", "Too Good", "Once Upon A Summertime", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", "Cloudy Morning" and more.

A brilliant pairing of two generations of the AACM – as Roscoe Mitchell writes and conducts, and the group's led by Nicole Mitchell – and features a great assortment of very creative musicians! The blend of talents is key to the strength of the set – as the record avoids some of the coldness that you might find in some of Mitchell's other recent compositions – and really brings in the kind of warmth and humanity we've always loved in Nicole's recordings! In addition to Nicole Mitchell on flute, the set also features work by David Boykin on tenor, Josh Abrams on bass, Maia on harp, Tomeka Reid on cello, Greg Ward on alto, Robert Griffin on trumpet, Myra Melford on piano, and Mankwe Ndosi on voice – on titles that include "Quintet 1 For Eleven", "Cards For Orchestra", and "Quintet 9 For Eleven".