An incredibly beautiful set of work from Arthur Russell – one of the few records to be issued under his own name during his tragically short life – and a hauntingly spare blend of vocals, hand percussion, and solo cello – recorded with more than enough echo to live up to the title! The style is incredibly hard to peg – at times delivered with an almost Nick Drake-like approach that's extremely personal, but also sharing some styles with the mellower work of Suicide and other New York art rock groups from Russell's generation. Russell's voice billows out in a field of echo, directed almost imperceptibly by resonant notes on an electrified cello, and bumped along by muted rhythms that have almost no "attack" but lots of delay. One thing is extremely clear: that the album, which virtually died upon release back in the 80s, was years ahead of its time – and has a quality that easily ranks it as one of the most inventive recordings of its decade. The whole thing's as surprisingly appealing as it is experimental, and this extra-deluxe package features a number of additional tracks. Titles include "Wax The Van", "Tone Bone Kone", "Answers Me", "Being It", "She's The Star/I Take This Time", "Tree House", "See Through", "Lucky Cloud", "Happy Ending", "Tower Of Meaning/Rabbit's Ear/Home Away From Home", and "Our Last Night Together". CD

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There's nothing orthodox about this 70s dub gem from Erroll Brown – as the album's an unusual set from start to finish – even in an era when so many dub records were being produced! There's an extra-raw sound to the whole thing – which might be hinted at by its cover image – and the sounds are very far from any sort of referent in vocal work in Jamaican music – with tracks that seem to exist entirely on their own, in a wave of echo, bubbling basslines, and slow-riffing guitars! Titles include "Gold Toot Style", "Black Forest Rock", "Roots Rockas", "Macka Dub", "First World Dub", "African Roots Style", and "Cold Sweat". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning double-length collection of work from dub producer Errol Brown – a massive 42 tracks in all, each of which definitely live up to the "tip top" promised in the title! The work here is from the years 1977 and 1978 – all originally issued on the High Note or Sky Note labels, at a time when Brown's talents in the studio were able to completely transform elements from contemporary tunes, and take them into all sorts of wonderful new directions with instrumentation help from The Revolutionaries! There's plenty of echo throughout, but most tunes also have a very straightforward vibe too – lean and forward-moving, without getting too bogged down in the production – just using the right elements to make everything sound super-cool throughout. The set features 25 tracks that have never been on CD amidst the total of 42 – and tracks include "Phase One Special", "Roots Man Dub", "Dancing Dub", "Wooga Man", "King Ruler", "Ital Dub", "Dub Walla", "Chapter 15", "Know Your Friend Version", "Strictly Roots"- "Lizard Version", and "Dub In Dreamland". CD

Amazing small group work from Ralph Burns – a real standout, given the amount of his larger ensemble sessions in the 50s! The album features Burns on piano – overdubbed on some tracks – working with a combo that includes Jimmy Raney on guitar, Clyde Lombardi on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums – all gently modern players who fit perfectly with Ralph's vision for the record. Things aren't as dark or as arch as on some of Burns' bigger dates of the decade – almost a bit warm at times, especially thanks to Ralph's piano lines. Titles include "Autobahn Blues", "Echo Of Spring", "Spring Sequence", "Sprang", "Spring Is Here", and "Gina". CD

A hip live date from Kenny Burrell – recorded with a trio that includes Richard Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – both of whom help Kenny find a groove that's a bit lighter and more fluid than usual! The rhythms here are quite gentle, almost spare at times – and always touched with Haynes' great sense of lyricism. Kenny's guitar lines are right out front, freely flowing with plenty of warm chromatic hues, and styles that echo a bit more modernism than we've heard in other work of his from the late 50s. Titles include "Well You Needn't", "Trio", "All Night Long", and "Soft Winds". CD

A hip live date from Kenny Burrell – recorded with a trio that includes Richard Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – both of whom help Kenny find a groove that's a bit lighter and more fluid than usual! The rhythms here are quite gentle, almost spare at times – and always touched with Haynes' great sense of lyricism. Kenny's guitar lines are right out front, freely flowing with plenty of warm chromatic hues, and styles that echo a bit more modernism than we've heard in other work of his from the late 50s. Titles include "Well You Needn't", "Trio", "All Night Long", and "Soft Winds". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little record from Joe Byrd – an artist with roots in serious music, but who's serving things up here with a wild hippie aesthetic that makes the whole thing come across more like a "happening" than the usual sort of studio album – but in ways that also echo an earlier generation of Americanist composition too. The process of the record mimics some of Byrd's famous work in New York – and has a very collaborative feel overall, with elements of electronics, acoustics, and vocals coming together beautifully! There's some great tabla, harpsichord, moog, and organ on the record – plus more serious woodwinds and brass – and vocals from Victoria Bond, Susan De Lange, Christie Thompson, and Ernie Anderson – plus Joe himself. Titles include "Kalyani", "Moonsong Pelog", "You Can't Ever Come Down", "Gospel Music", "Nightmare Train", "Leisure World", and "The Elephant At The Door". CD

Very cool work from Henson Cargill – a lesser-known talent from the Nashville scene at the start of the 70s! The set revolves kind of loosely around the Great Depression, but goes further back and forward in time for other tunes that echo the sentiments, and the sound rolls from dusty country ballads to sweeter 60s style grooves with female backup singers, to country rock and folk. He tackles some famous tunes like Merle Haggard's "Daddy Frank" and The Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" with a surprising stylistic twists (the latter is done in a blue eyed country soul style), and all of it's pretty great! LP, Vinyl record album

Two rare instrumental albums from Lloyd Charmers – both from that early moment when he was moving from work as a singer, to a strong role as a producer and keyboardist! Reggae Is Tight is a set that seems to answer both the Tennessee instrumental sounds of Booker T & The MGs in Memphis, and Floyd Cramer in Nashville – as the rhythms have all the soulful romp that might be inspired by late 60s soul, while Lloyd plays both organ and piano, the latter often in a way that has all this cool echo! Titles include "5 to 5", "Summer Face", "Crimson & Clover", "Rat Trap", "Safari", "Reggae Is Tight", "Psychedelic Reggae", and "Golden Moon". Reggae Charm is a really great record from Lloyd Charmers – one of his instrumental sets, and an album that has Byron Lee & The Dragonaires providing some mighty nice rhythms behind his keyboards! The vibe is plenty soulful – almost a Kingston take on Stax Records instrumental modes – with organ vamping alongside piano, in a great mix of cuts that includes "Dr No Go", "Tribute To The Dragon", "Mama Look", "If I Only Had Time"- "Honey", "Last Date", and "Israelite". 2CD set features 31 more bonus tracks – for a total of 55 titles in all, including 23 that appear here on CD for the first time ever! CD

Amazing lost sounds from Detroit – a previously unissued album from pianist Kenny Cox – best known for his late 60s albums on Blue Note, but working here in a really righteous style, and using a fair bit of Fender Rhodes as well! The album's a lost gem from the Strata label – home to Lyman Woodard's Saturday Night Special album – and there's definitely a side to this record that's shared with that one – a bit more laidback, definitely, but equally soulful, and mixed with spiritual jazz elements that echo the style of Kenny's Tribe Records contemporaries on the Detroit scene. Other players include Charles Moore on flugelhorn, Buzz Jones on soprano sax and flute, Ron English on bass, and Skeets Curry on electric guitar – and in addition to Fender Rhodes, Cox also plays clavinet, mellotron, and Arp as well! The set's got a bit of vocals – from Fito Foster and Nengue Hernandez – but the main focus is instrumental, and the long tracks really have the group spinning out beautifully. Titles include "Clap Clap The Joyful Noise", "Samba De Romance", "Island Song", "Lost My Love", and "Beyond The Dream". CD

A rare set with a very unusual vibe – as the group features vocal harmonies that seem to echo Cuban and Mexican modes of the 60s, but set to grooves that are much more in keeping with their Peruvian roots! There's some especially great electric guitar in the mix – of the sort you'd hear on chicha cuts, but used with a stronger vibe overall – especially when some solos soar out as the vocal step aside – and the rhythms of the record are raw and rootsy, with an edge that's very different than Latin vocal groups were using anywhere up north at the start of the 70s! The whole thing is filled with plenty of fresh sounds and unusual groovers – and titles include "Me Voy A Monsefu", "Sandungueate", "Oye Mi Son", "El Tic Tac", "Flaca Y Despeinada", "Compay Gallo", and "Yo Me Voy De Aqui". LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy little soundtrack from the team of Guido and Maurizio De Angelis – one that was penned to accompany an offbeat Bud Spencer film of the late 70s, and which offers up plenty of variations on the catchy theme! Bud plays Bulldozer – an ex-US football player, holed up in Italy – where he cobbles together a team of locals to take down the team of the US Army stationed nearby – a goofy plot, but one that's made that much better by the work of the De Angelis brothers! The core theme is initially sung by Oliver Onions, in English – then taken through a range of great instrumental readings that echo some of the styles used by Guido and Maurizio on their straighter crime and action scores, but with lots of sweet twists and turns along the way. LP, Vinyl record album

Dramatic Italian action – scored to perfection by Franceso De Masi! The soundtrack's got all the best elements of the blood n sandals generation – rich orchestrations that echo the most dramatic Hollywood modes of the 40s and 50s, driving moments that almost have a fast-paced action sort of feel, and a few exotic touches that reflect the ancient setting of the story – although in ways that still echo more strongly with contemporary instrumentation. Tracks are short, but pack plenty of punch. CD

Four classic albums from Jackie DeShannon – all in a single set! First up is Me About You – sophisticated Jackie at her best – working with great arrangements from Jack Nitzsche and Nick DeCaro – both cats from the California scene we can really trust for "cut-above" pop work like this – music that goes way past the simple sounds of DeShannon's start – into cool adult territory that really makes the album great. Jackie's vocals are surprisingly soulful in the setting – even more so than before – and the tunes include lots of gems, including versions of Van Dyke Parks' "High Coin", John Sebastian's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It", and Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes". Also includes "I Keep Wanting You", "Me About You", and "Nicole". Next is Laurel Canyon – heady work from Jackie DeShannon's later years in 60s pop – an album with themes and styles that go way beyond her earlier recordings – as you might guess from the hip Laurel Canyon reference in the title! Jackie's working here in a mode that's much more strongly in a singer-songwriter style than before – with arrangements and backings that are a lot more organic, and less pop-tuned than ever – almost in a Laura Nyro approach on some numbers. As usual, a good portion of the tracks were written by Jackie herself – including "Holly Would", "Come & Stay With Me", "LA", "Too Close", and "Laurel Canyon" – and the album also features a few well chosen tracks by other writers too, like "Bitter Honey" by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols, "I Got My Reason" by Barry White, and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. Put A Little Love In Your Heart is quite possibly the last great hit from singer Jackie DeShannon – an album built around the righteous spirit of the title track – filled with really wonderful original tunes penned by Jackie and soul singer Jimmy Holiday! The album may well be the best to explore the space between pop and soul that often characterized Jackie's work – and the overall sound is somewhat similar to some of Dusty Springfield's best pop/soul work from the same stretch. 10 of the album's 12 tracks are originals by Holiday and DeShannon – all set to soaring orchestrations by James Langeford, which often have a pronounced influence from the sound of Atlantic Records in the late 60s! Titles include "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "You Are The Real Thing", "River Of Love", "Movin", "You Can Come To Me", "You Have A Way With Me", and "I Let Go Completely". To Be Free is an interesting little record – with kind of a crossover California soul feel overall – recorded with Rene Hall arrangements that echo a few rootsy modes at times, mixed in with fuller orchestrations that step a bit back towards Jackie's earlier years on Imperial – a surprisingly nice blend, with a fresh sound for the 70s. The album features a number of great tracks co-written with Jimmy Holiday – a fellow Imperial talent – and titles include "Mediterranean Sky", "Sooner Or Later", "What Was Your Day Like", "Livin On The Easy Side", "Brighton Hill", and "When Morning Comes Again". CD

A set from the late 90s, but one that's got a very timeless vibe – as it features spare duets on kora between these two legendary players – coming together in a way that's completely magical, and fresh enough to earn the "new ancient" in the title! There's a sense of warmth to the proceedings right from the start – an improvising sympathy that seems borrowed from jazz, although there's nothing jazz-like at all in this music – and the production uses just the right touch of echo to bring out the resonant qualities of the instruments, but never seeks to commercialize the proceedings at all. Titles include "Salaman", "Bi Lamban", "Kita Kaira", "Korobali", "Yamfa", "Cheikhna Demba", and "Bafoulabe". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's almost a back to basics effort for DJ Shadow, yet one that's also a strong step forward too – basic in that it's a record that's almost all instrumental, with no guests at all – but forward because it's got a leaner groove, and a style that shows just how far Shadow has moved past the more hip hop/turntablist style of his roots! There's almost a cinematic vibe to the music at times – a mode that fits the action adventure of the title, with plenty of cuts that would be right at home on classic soundtracks, especially of the 80s crime/cop/action style – served up with just the right sorts of beats, basslines, and keyboards to echo that era! Titles include "A Narrow Escape", "You Played Me", "Time & Space", "Forever Changed", "She's Evolving", "Reflecting Pool", "Free For All", "Ozone Scraper", and "Witches Vs Warlocks". CD

A completely unique little session – and a record that's every bit as musically striking as you might guess from its title and cover! The date's a rare Latin-tinged one for trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a record that takes his usually smooth sound and sets it up against octet backings with horns from JJ Johnson on trombone, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, and Hank Mobley on tenor – plus piano from Horace Silver, bass from Oscar Pettiford, and drums from Art Blakey – plus added congas from Patato Valdes! The expanded group plays with a great sense of power – really pushing Kenny's sound tremendously – and although the album also features a few tracks by a smaller group with less percussion, these also have a bit of a Latin/exotic tinge too. Titles include "Basheer's Dream", "Lotus Flower", "KD's Motion", "Venita's Dance", "Minor's Holiday", "La Villa", and "Afrodisia". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – "Echo Of Spring (aka KD's Cab Ride)" and "Minor's Holiday (alt take)". CD

Maybe one of the greatest albums ever from trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a set that has him really stretching out as a musician – not just showing off that impeccable sense of tone that marked his important records of the 50s, but also coming up with new ways of phrasing, and a sometimes-unique approach to rhythm as well! The set's about as all-star as you can get for a Blue Note date of the time – and that's really saying a lot – with the mighty Hank Mobley on tenor, whose work here is as important as Dorham's – and the rock-solid rhythm trio of Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – who perfectly echo Kenny's new sense of changes in his music. Titles include the great "Sunrise In Mexico" – a very unique tune – plus "Buffalo", "Sunset", "Windmill", "Philly Twist", and "Dorham's Epitaph". CD

A real charmer from The Duncan Sisters – a set that's got a cool, classy vibe right from the start – and this great mode that mixes some older female harmony styles with more contemporary grooves – creating a nice sense of balance throughout! Our favorite cuts are the mellow numbers – which have the duo hit this kind of glow as they come together over gentle grooves – but their style seems equally well suited to the album's more upbeat cuts, too – which still echo some of the best female disco styles of the 70s. Production is tight, but never in a commercial way – and the album's a bit different than the usual Malaco outing of the time – but in a good way. Titles include "Gonna Stay In Love", "Let Me Be", "Communication", "Take The Heat", "If This Ain't Love", and "Lovin You Baby". CD

One of the most obscure salsa albums to come out of the Colombian scene in the 70s – a set that features top-shelf instrumentation from members of Fruko's combo, and vocals from singer Jacky Carazo! Jacky's got a great approach that almost seems to echo the Latin soul generation at times, but with vocals that are all in Spanish – and which are really well-suited to the soaring grooves of the group – who deliver some especially tight horns over the well-crafted piano, bass, and percussion at the core! The record's got all the charms of the best Fania work of the time, but a nicely different vibe too – in part because of the wider sense of rhythm on the Colombian scene. Titles include "El Despertar", "Alma", "Mi Canto", "El Negro Bembon", "Donde Sta Donde Sta", "Mi Cumbia", and "El Baile Del Raton". LP, Vinyl record album

Really inventive sounds from this hip Italian trio – a combo who have a way of mixing acoustic and electric elements in ways that echo recent experiments on both the Chicago and London scenes! The music is jazz, but with a strong reliance on larger soundscapes – a quality that's echoed here by the appearance of Rob Mazurek on one track, who seems to be a great inspiration for the way the group approaches their music! The core trio features Gabriele Mitelli on trumpets and electronics, Cristiano Calcagnile on drums and percussion, and Pasquale Mirra on vibes and korg minilogue – all of which makes for a great layering of creative sounds. The set also features guest work from Damon Locks and Cristina Dona – and titles include "The Black Shining Of The Sea", "Hey Mary", "The Elephant", "Fata Morgana", "Cherry Juice In A Box", and "Awakening". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the earliest work ever issued by the great Georgie Fame – a 4-track EP that features all instrumental tracks with Georgie on the Hammond – serving up a unique groove that really spoke to the changing London scene of the time! The rhythms here are part of the package, and definitely echo some of the new immigrants and their styles arriving in West London – while Fame's solos on organ also show plenty of influence from American players too, both in the jazz and soul instrumental modes! Titles include "Rik's Tune", "JA Blues", "Orange Street", and "Stop Right Here". 7-inch, Vinyl record

A trio of funky classics from Faze-O – collected here with bonus tracks too! First up is their debut, Riding High – a spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh from the moment it was first set to wax back in 1977! This album's the group's first, and best – and it's a really wonderful record that blends together funky fusion and heavy soul – filled with killer cuts arranged by the Ohio Players, and with lots of great keyboards by the group! Includes, of course, the massive cut "Riding High" – plus "Toe Jam" and "Funky Reputation"! The second album is a definite Good Thang from Faze-O – easily the masters of snakey funk at the end of the 70s! The set's got loads of great elements that echo the group's Riding High debut – a groove that never goes too far over the top, and which kicks back at a pace that so many others would copy a few years later – a vibe that's a bit Ohio, a bit Cali, yet crafted here with a vision that's totally unique to the band! Horns are a bit heavier than before, but there's still plenty of great keyboards too – and the vocals definitely recognize that they're the second star of the record, and usually defer to the rhythms on most numbers. Tracks include "Good Thang", "Party Time", "Space People", "Who Loves You", and "Funky Lady". Breakin The Funk is wicked funk from Faze-O – a group who seem even tighter than before on this smoking album – yet still hold onto all the laidback modes that made them so great in the first place! There's a lean quality here that really prefaces the direction so many funk acts would take a few years later – a way of compressing everything down on the rhythm, to get past some of the excesses of too-large funk groups, or some of the overblown qualities of the disco generation! Faze-O were definitely out front with this approach, and continue to craft it strongly here – and the album's got a few great mellow tracks too – a great illustration of the claim made in the liner notes – that "Faze-O music is carefully built in panels of melodic phases, to sensuously put you in a funky but heavenly mood of time and rhythm." Titles include "See You Through The Night", "I'm Thankful", "I Still Love You", "Let's Rock", and "Ya Ba Da Ba Duzie". Features bonus tracks – 7" single mixes of "Riding High", "Breakin The Funk", "Good Thang", and "Who Loves You". CD

Really heady sounds from Frightnrs – a group who've changed up their sound slightly since their last full length release – at a level that makes them even more interesting than ever before! The group still draw heavily from older rocksteady and soulful reggae modes – but it also feels as if they're leaning a bit more heavily on sweet soul modes from the early 70s too – coming across with the warmth of a harmony vocal record on the lyrics, while still also reveling in the best sort of slow-stepping, dub heavy rhythms in the music! Dan Klein handles the vocals, always with a great sense of echo – and Chuck Patel adds lots of great organ and keyboards to the music – including some great spacey effects. Victor Axelrod did a superb job with production – and titles include "30 56", "You Still", "Profilin", "Expectations", "Tuesday", "Always", "Maybe Isle", and "Why Does It Feel Like A Curse". LP, Vinyl record album

A key late 60s country crossover set, but one that also inspired a fair bit of funk as well! The title cut's a well-known gem – one that's been covered instrumentally in some break-heavy versions, but which sounds even more amazing here in Bobbie's original version – one of the moodiest pop tunes we've ever heard, with lyrics, and a way of presenting them, that still leaves us breathless all these many years later. There's also some other funky bits here too – Gentry's raspy "Mississippi Delta" – an original number that almost seems to unseat Tina Turner for down-home soul – and the groovy "Sunday Best", "Niki Hoeky", "Papa Won't You Let Me Go To Town With You", and "Chickasaw Country Child", all numbers that echo the same lilting acoustic guitar grooves of "Billie Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more string-heavy sessions in RCA's Stereo Action series, but still worthy of the dynamic style that made the Stereo Action titles some of RCA's best easy recordings from the 60s! Marty's got orchestrations here that are a bit quirkier than usual – making good use of the stereo effects to shift things back and forth, picking out some odd instruments from the rest of the pack, and even throwing in the odd chorus vocal – which comes off nicely in such a setting. Titles include "High On A Windy Hill", "Out Of Nowhere", "It's Magic", "That Old Black Magic", "I've Got The World On A String", and "Little Sir Echo" – a great number with dreamy voices! LP, Vinyl record album

An overdue look at the 50s work of Charlie Gracie – a singer who could rock when he wanted, but also step back into a mellower pop ballad too – both of which are featured strongly on this set! Charlie cut a lot of material in Philly, at a time when the city was a real laboratory for new styles of music in the postwar years – and the production on most of these cuts is nice and lean, with great use of echo and other early pop styles to bring the most out of Gracie's surprisingly strong vocal style. There's occasional echoes of hillbilly and rockabilly modes at times – and the CD features material from the Cameo, Cadillac, and 20th Century labels – with 32 tracks in all, including the titles "Cool Baby", "Ninety Nine Ways", "Say What You Mean", "Wandering Eyes", "Crazy Girl", "Rock The Joint", "Butterfly", "Guitar Boogie", "Fabulous", "I Love You So Much It Hurts", and "A Heart Like A Rock". CD

Incredible pop psych sounds from Grapefruit – a group who might be best known for their early inclusion in the Beatles' Apple Corps – but who can easily stand on their own with the strength of material like this! The production is superb, and the overall vision in the music is sublime – trippy touches, but never too many – and vocals that echo out with both a sense of harmony in the group, and some beautiful larger touches in the studio! The whole thing's got a subtle power that we'd rank right up there with The Zombies, just as they were starting to get great! (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest projects so far from Grey October Sounds – a set that has all the crispy beats and laidback vibe of previous records, but which also focuses on themes from anime as well! There's plenty of tunes from the world of anime, but they're nicely changed up with the instrumentation and production of Grey October Sounds – done as hip hop-styled instrumentals, but still with the gentler currents that echo the originals – including plenty of piano lines that float with a very dreamy vibe over the beats of the tracks! The record has all the charms you could hope for – covering songs Bleach, Saint Seiya,, K-ON! Dragon Ball and more. LP, Vinyl record album

NSI stands for "new sounds from the islands" – and that's definitely what you'll get here from this combo who serve up a fantastic blend of Antilles rhythms and contemporary club funk – all very much in the best spirit of the early zouk movement at the time! There's lots of great bass on the record – often used as the key core element of the tunes, with keyboards, guitar lines, and vocals layered alongside – almost with a quality that seems to echo the way that American groups were borrowing bits from the Caribbean and using it to inflect funk and soul up in the New York scene of the early 80s. The music is plenty playful, and very groovy – and titles include "Turn Your Face On Me", "Steel Ka Dance", "Oui Ce Yes Roger A Ti Wawa", and "Moin Epi Vou". LP, Vinyl record album

A really burning record from the Venezuelan scene at the height of its musical growth – and an album that seems to echo the blend of Latin and rock styles that were happening on the American west coast at the time – but with a nicely different vibe! Guitars and keyboards come into play with plenty of percussion and jazzy instrumentation – and the result is a sound that's wonderfully funky at times, and also compressed in a way that's different from the longer jams of some of US groups. Yet there's also all these weird little twists and turns – that almost-experimental vibe that you'll hear in Venezuelan groovers from the period – great surprises along the way, on titles that include "Caliente", "Amor Y Felicidad", "Escandalo", "Semilla", "Vete", "Sinfonia Numero 20", and "No Te Olvides Del Senor". LP, Vinyl record album

Folk legend Woody Guthrie was no stranger to struggle – which is the subject highlighted in most of these tunes – pulled together in the shape of this album, which offered a great counterpoint to the Bicentennial madness in America when it was released in 1976! The titles of the songs give plenty of an idea of the nature of the music – with classic Guthrie recordings done for Folkways in the 40s, including "The Dying Miner", "Waiting At The Gate", "A Dollar Down & A Dollar A Week", "Lost John", "Union Burying Ground", and "Ludlow Massacre" – many of which echo the continuing struggle of the working man, even as America was shining forth as an industrial giant. The recordings mostly feature Woody on vocals and guitar, but there's also some guest contributions from Cisco Houston and Sonny Terry – both key contemporaries of Guthrie. LP, Vinyl record album

Sharp sounds from guitarist Jim Hall – a record that's filled with all the cool, complicated lines the musician could muster on his instrument – yet a record that also manages to swing a bit too! The sound here is a great evolution from the sound of Hall's music in the 50s – even more modern at most moments, with unique phrasing that shows just how much Jim continued to grow over the decades – delivered at a level that's very fresh, and without a debt to any other guitarist on the planet! Part of the album's unique feel comes from the large amount of original Hall compositions – interpreted by Jim with a trio that also features Don Thompson on piano and bass and Terry Clarke on drums – on titles that include "Kyoto Bells", "Echo", "Without Words", "Light", "Something For Now", and "Two Special People". LP, Vinyl record album

A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to come out in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that includes "Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower". CD

A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to come out in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that includes "Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare rock from the Japanese scene of the postwar years – but sounds that definitely have a universal appeal overall! Masaaki Hirao is way more than just a novelty remake of American rockers of the time – as he's got a sharp-edged sound that easily rivals the best we had to offer here in the US – the charm of Elvis, the propulsion of Johnny Burnette, and the offbeat appeal of Buddy Holly! Yet the sounds here are often quite their own thing, too – especially on the Japanese language numbers which make up most of the set, and which have Masaaki stepping away from straight American cover versions, and really doing some great things on his own. The guitar lines are especially great – recorded with brilliant twang and echo that really matches the power of the vocals – and the set features some mighty nice live tracks that are even more biting than the studio material! 10 cuts in all – including "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Hoshi Wa Nandemo Shitteiru", "Isuki No Komoriuta Rock", "Crazy Love", "Ooh My Soul", "Jenny Jenny", "Miyo Chan", and "Blue De Memphis". LP, Vinyl record album

Lightnin Hopkins at his best – a set that rings out with all his bold electric tones on the guitar, yet which also has the moody, stripped-down feel of a blues recording from a few decades before! The electricity really does a lot to deepen the tone – both in the echo from Hopkins' guitar, and in the way his vocals stretch out in the same space! There's no other backing at all – which makes for a moody feel, and a quality that lives up to the "folk" in the title – yet Lightnin also gives the whole thing a crackling sort of energy that's also very much in the best postwar blues mode. Titles include "Sick Feelin Blues", "Blues For My Cookie", "My Baby's Gone", "Lightnin's Special", "Nothin But The Blues", and "Don't Think Cause You're Pretty". CD features loads of bonus tracks – and has a total of 26 titles in all, which includes material from other Herald Records singles! CD

Adam Rudolph works here with a whole host of instruments of his own, then opens the door for a huge amount of guests – all of whom help the proceedings come across with an organic, earthy blend of both acoustic and electric instrumental elements! Rudolph himself handles kalimba, keyboards, and a global mix of reeds and percussion instruments – and the set features guitar from Eivin Aarset, Fender Rhodes and organ from Alexis Marcelo, and drums from Hamid Drake – plus more contributions on sitar, tablas, wood flute, and other instruments that really echo the post-jazz, pan-global approach that Rudolph has brought to his work, both as Hu Vibrational and in other settings too. Titles include "Psychic", "Hittin", "Space", "Timeless", "Honey Honey", and "Proto Zoa Gogo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best recordings from Freddie Hubbard's "back to basics" stretch in the early 80s – a time when Freddie returned to a strongly acoustic jazz mode after a mostly electric 70s! The record still has Freddie stretching out on the longer tracks he got used to during the CTI years – but he's working here in tight quartet formation with Kenny Barron on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and the always-great Al Foster on drums – carving out long lines on extended, but well-conceived numbers that echo with a tremendous amount of force. Freddie's lost none of his edge by this point, and the record shows a new sense of energy and focus that are extremely impressive – and also pretty darn soulful! Titles include "Santa Anna Winds", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "The Outpost Blues", "Dual Force", and "Loss". CD

Jimmy Hyacinthe is posed on the cover like some 70s bluesman, but his music here is much more global overall – plenty of grooves that echo his origins in the Ivory Coast, but handled with qualities that are electric and a bit funky too! The rhythms almost feel Caribbean at times, especially on the uptempo cuts and the way they let the guitars, basslines, and horn parts intertwine – yet the record's also got some laidback moments that almost feel like they carry a bit of influence from southern soul! The whole thing is instrumental, with plenty of Jimmy's guitar in the mix – and titles include the long tracks "Maquis Lo", "Like Fe", "Yatchiminou", "Bla M'Be Oule Oule", and "Alie Soutchin". LP, Vinyl record album

A great later effort from the 5 Stairsteps family – a later offshoot of the initial enterprise, still working here under the production helm of father Clarence Burke! Keni Burke's a member of the group, and the work here has a very similar groove to his own RCA material of the time – offset with some warmer elements that also echo the previous Stairsteps records on Warner, especially given that a number of the cuts have group vocals. Keni's bass does a nice job of kicking in the grooves, and the album's got a nicely warm sound for the time – almost more late 70s group funk than early 80s boogie. Titles include the sweet harmony track called "Along The Way" – plus "Party Time", "Circles", "Rated X", "Really Wanna See You", and "Same Thing". CD

A rare early session from vibist Khan Jamal – recorded with his Philly-based Creative Arts Ensemble collective! The group follows strongly in the spirit of similar combos from Chicago and St Louis – particularly the latter – and Jamal's group is working here in a mode that's initiated by the original sonic experiments of the AACM, but taken to deeper, more organic levels. Given Khan's later work, the thing that's most surprising here is the sound texture of the record – because although seemingly improvised, there's also a greater feel towards a whole here – a spacey, ethereal quality that reminds us of some of Sun Ra's most creative moments. Jamal plays vibes, marimba, and clarinet – and the rest of the group includes Monette Sudler on guitar and percussion, Alex Ellison on drums, Dwight James on drums and clarinet, and Billy Mills on both electric and acoustic bass. Although not overly electric, there's a shimmering quality to the music here – as if the production abstracted the original acoustic sound with weird echo and other techniques! Titles include "Inner Peace", "Drum Dance", "Cosmic Echoes", and "Breath Of Life". LP, Vinyl record album

The lost legacy of a Twin Cities group who gave the world two great singles back in the day – but also left behind a lot of other excellent material that never saw the light of day! Joker's Wild sound a lot like you might guess from their look on the cover – psychedelic, but down to earth too – that smaller city vibe from a point when garage rock groups were learning how to really play their instruments, write great songs, and expand their sound with a better understanding of the studio – all of which really marks the work on this set! The lineup is lean, and the sound is nice and raw throughout, but surprisingly tuneful too, thanks to strong production – and titles include rare singles "All I See Is You" and "Echo" – plus "Copper Penny", "Good Time", "Hard Road", "I See You", "Stranger", "Witch", "That Man's Not You", "River", "Dissatisfied", "American Dream", "Peace Man", "Park Music", and "Have You Ever Loved Somebody". CD

The lost legacy of a Twin Cities group who gave the world two great singles back in the day – but also left behind a lot of other excellent material that never saw the light of day! Joker's Wild sound a lot like you might guess from their look on the cover – psychedelic, but down to earth too – that smaller city vibe from a point when garage rock groups were learning how to really play their instruments, write great songs, and expand their sound with a better understanding of the studio – all of which really marks the work on this set! The lineup is lean, and the sound is nice and raw throughout, but surprisingly tuneful too, thanks to strong production – and titles include rare singles "All I See Is You" and "Echo" – plus "Copper Penny", "Good Time", "Hard Road", "I See You", "Stranger", "Witch", "That Man's Not You", "River", "Dissatisfied", "American Dream", "Peace Man", "Park Music", and "Have You Ever Loved Somebody". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 70s genius from Leon Keita, a Mandingue musician who only recorded a few albums on the scene in Mali, but really helped transform the music at the time! There's an evolution of older modes here that's great – never forced, but this kind of gentle nudge into more complexity in both the rhythms and the guitar lines – sometimes with these uplifting qualities that almost seem to echo South African jazz, but with more of the cyclical progressions that you'd expect from Keita's scene. The organ and keyboard lines are especially great, sometimes almost otherworldly – and titles include "Dalaka"," Gnanassouma", "Daka Sate Korotoumi", "Diarabi Mana", and "Ifarana". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky combo, but one with a real difference – as they seem to find whole new corners of the globe in which to work their magic – almost an imagined space of cultural criss-crossing, all set to some mighty funky bass and drums! The core element here is the guitar – which echoes exotic modes that seem to move from Mexican folk, to contemporary Tuareg sounds, and even a bit of southwest guitar instrumental echo – but all in ways that are very fresh and different, and which also sound quite unusual compared to the usual use of guitar in a funky combo! There's a bit of vocals on the album, but really the guitar is the main "voice" – and one that speaks volumes – on titles that include "Lady & Man", "Como Te Quiero", "Shades Of Man", "Maria Tambien", "Como Me Quieres", "A Hymn", and "Rules". LP, Vinyl record album

If you're looking for a definition of dub, this album may well be it – and it's clear proof why Tubby could proudly wear the crown of a King! The set's beautifully bassy and muddy all the way through – a heady brew of bottom-level sounds – all layered wonderfully with lots and lots of echo – light guitar, bass, and drums tripping along with a sound that's as powerful today as it was back in the 70s! All tracks are instrumentals, and this LP version features 15 tracks in all – with cuts that include "Babylon Dub", "Send Me Dub", "In Love Dub", "Perfidia Dub", and "Soundtrack Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful large concept work from UK saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi – one that features a rich array of players, all folded together in a warmly spiritual sound! There's echoes of some of the other mellow work on the International Anthem label here, but also more of the righteous currents of artists on the Gondwana label – all pushed even farther into more sophisticated territory with the larger arrangements in the music – which echo a Charles Stepney sort of majesty! Kinoshi leads the group on alto sax, and the lineup features trumpets, tenor, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, and drums – mixed with light strings, and even some flute and turntables too. The album's one long work that progressed beautifully in six parts – and is completed by another live recording from Total Refreshment Centre, "Smoke In The Sun". CD

A beautiful large concept work from UK saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi – one that features a rich array of players, all folded together in a warmly spiritual sound! There's echoes of some of the other mellow work on the International Anthem label here, but also more of the righteous currents of artists on the Gondwana label – all pushed even farther into more sophisticated territory with the larger arrangements in the music – which echo a Charles Stepney sort of majesty! Kinoshi leads the group on alto sax, and the lineup features trumpets, tenor, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, and drums – mixed with light strings, and even some flute and turntables too. The album's one long work that progressed beautifully in six parts – and is completed by another live recording from Total Refreshment Centre, "Smoke In The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful large concept work from UK saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi – one that features a rich array of players, all folded together in a warmly spiritual sound! There's echoes of some of the other mellow work on the International Anthem label here, but also more of the righteous currents of artists on the Gondwana label – all pushed even farther into more sophisticated territory with the larger arrangements in the music – which echo a Charles Stepney sort of majesty! Kinoshi leads the group on alto sax, and the lineup features trumpets, tenor, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, and drums – mixed with light strings, and even some flute and turntables too. The album's one long work that progressed beautifully in six parts – and is completed by another live recording from Total Refreshment Centre, "Smoke In The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

An early 70s soundtrack from the great Andrzej Korzynski – and one that's as devilish as you might expect from the title! The music is much heavier than any of Korzynski's later work – psychedelic, but bordering on industrial – as there's lots of fuzzy guitar, but often distorted with effects and echo – at a level that, were it recorded more poorly, would be right at home on some early Throbbing Gristle album! There's lots of other cool percussion and effects too – noisy, dark, and completely horrific – at a level that makes so many other horror soundtracks sound like childhood melodies. Titles include "Broken Boudoir", "Theador & The Rifles", "Mother", "Daughter Of The Sin", "Understand Nothing", "The Duel", "Mother Snake", "Cancel The Evil Gently", "The Black Dog", and "War Torn Wasteland". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of new sounds on the New York scene of the 60s – an important early recording that features the team of Prince Lasha on flute and Sonny Simmons on alto – with great contributions from Don Cherry on trumpet and Clifford Jordan on tenor! The work is some of Jordan's most spiritual for the time – and the long tracks on the album spin out with a vibe that's looser and freer than some of the other Lasha/Simmons material of the period – almost with an echo of the loft jazz generation to come, but with more of the rhythmic focus of the work in Jordan's Dolphy Series recordings. Other musicians include Fred Lyman on flugelhorn, Charles Moffett on drums, and both Orville Harrison and Bill Wood on bass – and titles include "Lost Generation", "The Trane", and "Prelude To Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

A dark title, but some light music overall – a sweetly dreamy score from Angelo Lavagnino, and one that's filled with sweet strings and some weirdly watery sounds! The album starts out with a lovely little melody, but then soon moves into territory that's even more gentle – sometimes sounds right at the range of hearing, which shimmer and twist beautifully as they come into sharper focus. Instrumentation includes bits of piano – recorded with some nice echo – soft strings, and a few other elements that are hard to place exactly, but which come together with almost a feel that's more sonic than melodic. A few tunes get somewhat tense, but the score's relatively sweet overall – and the CD reissue features a total of 20 numbers from the film, 2 of which feature vocals from I Cantori Moderni. CD

Fantastic fuzz from a French Canadian combo of the 60s – one of the coolest garage bands we've ever heard from up north at the time, romping here with a style that's equal parts Sunset Strip and some of the hipper Parisian groups of the time! Lyrics are all in French, and the production has this nice sense of darkness that makes echo out of the organ lines, jangly guitar, and nice touches of fuzz – all flowing together with a style that sounds plenty magic all the way through, even if you can't always understand the lyrics. Some of the guys in the group were still teens at the time of recording, which you can hear in the youthful energy of the songs – and titles include "Je T'Aime", "Abandonne", "La Solitude", "Seul Sur Terre", "Je Ne Veux Plus", "Aimes Proudemment", and "Soyons Differents". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent Machito album – with a hard straight ahead sound that's way better than a lot of his other albums from the time! There's loads of great percussion on the record, and plenty of strong Afro-Cuban grooves, recorded in spare arrangements with a bit of echo on the mix to give the set a nice spacious sound. Titles include "Bongo Fiesta", "Mambo A La Savoy", "Ay Que Mate", "Carambola", "Sambia", and "Adios". LP, Vinyl record album

Soulful sounds from 70s Chile – and a record that easily rivals some of the best acoustic work from the post-Tropicalia generation in Brazil! Manduka's got a heady sound that's very much in keeping with his image on the cover – a freer sort of approach to the music than the decade before – with these long-flowing tracks that intertwine folksy elements and regional touches, but always with some slight undercurrent of jazz – almost at a level that rivals the acid folk of the UK scene of the same time, but with a definite deeper South American vibe. The vocals are sublime – extremely haunting, even beyong the boundary of language – and often recorded with some echo around them and the guitar, in a manner that recalls some of the best Geraldo Vandre material. Instrumentation includes some light backing on flute, bongos, acoustic guitar, and harmonica – often used in a gentle, watery sort of way. Completely sublime – one of those lost global gems you'll treasure for years – with titles that include "Entra Y Sale", "Naranjita", "Oiticumana", "De Un Extranjero", "Brasil 1500", and "Patria Amada Idolarada Salve Salve". LP, Vinyl record album