Johnny Benavidez hits it right on the money here – serving up a set of laidback soul that feels like the classic material that would play big on the scene in East LA – music that's heartbreaking, but deep at the same time – graced with these very personal vocals from Johnny, and given just the right sort of backing from Cold Diamond & Mink! The whole thing is nice and easygoing – sweet soul, of the variety that you'd be more likely to hear from a harmony group, but with Benavidez giving a lead presence that's a bit like Joe Bataan in a similar mode – which makes for the kind of record that's perfect to put on late into the night, windows open, breeze blowing in, when you just want to kick back and turn down. Titles include "Playing The Fool", "Dedicated To You", "Somebody Cares", "Your Last Song", "Let's Get Together", "Do What You Wanna Do", "My Echo Shadow & Me", and "Tell Me That You Love Me". CD

Johnny Benavidez hits it right on the money here – serving up a set of laidback soul that feels like the classic material that would play big on the scene in East LA – music that's heartbreaking, but deep at the same time – graced with these very personal vocals from Johnny, and given just the right sort of backing from Cold Diamond & Mink! The whole thing is nice and easygoing – sweet soul, of the variety that you'd be more likely to hear from a harmony group, but with Benavidez giving a lead presence that's a bit like Joe Bataan in a similar mode – which makes for the kind of record that's perfect to put on late into the night, windows open, breeze blowing in, when you just want to kick back and turn down. Titles include "Playing The Fool", "Dedicated To You", "Somebody Cares", "Your Last Song", "Let's Get Together", "Do What You Wanna Do", "My Echo Shadow & Me", and "Tell Me That You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The man with one of the most godlike voices in rock is back in action – heard here in a recent recording, one of the few post-70s sides that really does him justice! Colin's breathiness is a bit faded, but cast in professional arrangements that still have enough space to let him dominate the material – and the set's also got an interesting choice of songs that shows that Colin's not content to just rehash his older hits, as he did on a few other recent projects. Titles include "Levi Stubbs' Tears", "Tearing The Good Things Down", "The Radio Was Playing Johnny Come Lately", "What Is Love", "Oxygen", "If I Said", and "Breakaway". CD

... CD

Anthony Braxton on alto, soprano saxophone, and sopranino saxophone, Carl Testa on contrabass and bass clarinet, Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, bugle and trombone, Jay Rozen on tuba, Mary Halvorson on guitar, Jessica Pavone on viola and violin, and Aaron Siegel on vibraphone and percussion. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A great summation of the first few years of work from Echo & The Bunnymen – songs to definitely learn, but don't try singing unless you've got the same amazing vocal skills as Ian McCullough! All the classic singles are here – and titles include "The Killing Moon", "The Cutter", "The Back Of Love", "Do It Clean", "Rescue", "The Puppet", "A Promise", "Never Stop", "Silver", "Seven Seas", and "Bring ON The Dancing Horses". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album – if only for the cover! The record features a rare cover image that's an obscure painting by Salvador Dali – and the back cover features a photo of Jackie and Dali shaking hands! The music's not as surreal as the image, but it's still got this amazingly baroque mixture of woodwinds and strings, floating in a pillowy sort of dream-like state. Titles include "There Must Be A Way", "Deep Purple", "I Wished On The Moon", and "Speak Low". LP, Vinyl record album

Eddie Harris on tenor saxophone, Cecil McBee on bass, Kenny Barron on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. CD

Art Hirahara is a player who keeps winning us over with each new release – a wonderfully sensitive musician and thoughtful composer, but also one who's got a great way with a soaring, swinging sound as well! Part of that latter quality comes here from the superb accompaniment of Boris Kozlov on bass and Rudy Royston on drums – players who've worked with Hirahara before, and who seem born into his energy with their efforts – rising up as a cohesive whole to bring vision to the album's all original tracks – material penned by Hirahara, with a few by Kozlov as well. Titles include "Ali Blu", "Spider's Dance", "Mia Bella", "Major Waltz", "To The Sky", and "Echo Canyon". CD

... CD

A mighty pairing of talents – indie legends Men I Trust and funk monsters Khruangbin – united here on one record, recorded on a very strong tour date from 2022! All material was recorded at RBC Echo Beach – with Men I Trust on side one, Khruangbin on side two – sadly not playing together on the same stage, but maybe something you could create if you played two copies of the record at the same time, one side each! Titles include "Sugar", "All Night", "Seven", "Show Me How", "Dern Kala", "Lady & Man", and "White Gloves". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

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

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Really great stuff from bassist Matt Ulery – a player with an imagination as rich as his sound, and an artist who's really becoming a force on the scene here in Chicago! Matt works here in that mix of arrangements and freedom used by some of his contemporaries on the left side of the scene – but he's also got a wider vision, too – one that has the longer pieces stretching out with a compositional vision that goes way beyond just small combo jazz – a really wonderful sense of tones, timings, and layers – served up by a quintet that includes Geoff Bradfield on bass clarinet, Marquis Hill on trumpet, Rob Clearfield on piano and accordion, and Jon Dellemyer on drums. The mix of bass clarinet and trumpet is wonderful – all fluttery and shimmery over the blocky rhythms of the group – and the record has a bold sense of energy that never lets up. Titles include "In Every Lonely Chamber", "Coriander", "Over Under Other", "My Favorite Stranger", "Carefree", and "All The Riven". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A group that's as lovely and lively as their name! "Sim Ou Nao" is a sweet Brazilian groover – very jazzy, with a warm and sunny finish, great percussion from Chris Franck, and breezy vocals from Guida De Palma! "Constelacao" follows along similar lines – a bit more mellow, almost modern bossa, but with some very slight electric touches. Remixes take the tracks to the dancefloor a bit more, but still keep all the best bits! CD

A really cool little record – one that takes an older Italian sound library mode and reworks it with some of the contemporary flavor of the Schema label – but all with live instrumentation that's mighty nice all the way through! Lorenzo Morressi handles bass, guitar, and plenty of vintage keyboards – while Luicano Cantone plays live drums throughout, which gives the record a crisp crackle that might be missing if the pair worked with too many programmed rhythms, samples, or overdubs! There's also plenty of live instrumentation on the set too – including sublime flute lines from Tenderlonious, and electric piano from Giovanni Guerretti – on titles that include "Allegro Funerario", "Slalom", "Odeon", "Savana Urban", "Beta Erotica", "Sulla Strada Della Luna", and "Poste Presente". CD

A really cool little record – one that takes an older Italian sound library mode and reworks it with some of the contemporary flavor of the Schema label – but all with live instrumentation that's mighty nice all the way through! Lorenzo Morressi handles bass, guitar, and plenty of vintage keyboards – while Luicano Cantone plays live drums throughout, which gives the record a crisp crackle that might be missing if the pair worked with too many programmed rhythms, samples, or overdubs! There's also plenty of live instrumentation on the set too – including sublime flute lines from Tenderlonious, and electric piano from Giovanni Guerretti – on titles that include "Allegro Funerario", "Slalom", "Odeon", "Savana Urban", "Beta Erotica", "Sulla Strada Della Luna", and "Poste Presente". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Massively heavy sounds from A Bolha – a Brazilian group who were previously known as The Bubbles, and backed up Gal Costa during the Tropicalia years – but who work here in a fuzzy, bassy groove that's totally great – definitely an heir to the headier sounds of the UK scene at the start of the 70s! The guitars are definitely in full force here, but the basslines drive things along strongly too – echoing some of the Peruvian sounds of the time, but with a bit more Brazilian sophistication – and definitely a musical echo of lessons learned during Tropicalia, even though the set's a fully instrumental one. Organ also figures in the mix too – and titles include "Bye My Friend", "Razao De Existir", "Um Passo A Frente", "A Esfera", and "Neste Rock Forever". CD is beautifully done – with full notes in the great Lion tradition – and bonus tracks that include "Sem Nada" and "18.30 Parte 1". CD

Tremendous work from Joshua Abrams – a set that's very different than some of his other work in recent years, but every bit as great! The set's got a lean group – Abrams on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar, Gerald Cleaver on drums, and the great Ari Brown on tenor – of Awakening fame – a group that delivers a more stripped-down version of some of Josh's more spiritual ideals – but in ways that also touch base with more conventional jazz expression! Make no mistake, there's nothing conventional about this set – the approach is very unique, and very striking – and the presence of the younger musicians really sets Ari Brown on fire, and reminds us of what a great soloist he can be when he's pushed to his limits. Titles include "Collapsing Novelty", "Duke Hill", "Echo Tracer", "In Place Of Memory", and "Coniunctio". LP, Vinyl record album

A crucial record in the early days of the global scene in the 80s – a set that lifts the music of King Sunny Ade from its roots in Nigeria, and mixes it up with some fresh elements that really open things up for a world's worth of ears! The approach isn't commercial – at least not in the modes of the later world music years – but there's occasional elements that echo the beat culture rising up in New York and London, mixed with the warmer sounds that were always at Sunny's music – especially that way of making the acoustic percussion and basslines come together in flowing waves of completely sublime sound! All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Gboromiro", "Oremi", "Ire", "Iro", "Ogunja", and "Ase". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of groundbreaking records from King Sunny Ade – both of which represent a new wave of interest in African music after the initial burst of the Fela Kuti generation! First up is Synchro System – fantastic work from King Sunny Ade – one of his first truly global releases, and an album that marked a whole new sound in his music! Sunny had been issuing lots of his own records back home in Nigeria – but this set has the juju master working in London, with really fantastic production that pushes his sound in really great ways – echoey waves of basslines and percussion, subtle but powerful vocals, and percolating guitar that takes on a whole new sonic sensibility in the setting! There's a richness to the texture that's amazing – almost as if Brian Eno produced – and titles include "Synchro Feelings Ilako", "Mo Ti Mo", "Penkele", "Maajo", "Synchro System", "E Saiye Re", "Tolongo", "E Wele", and "Synchro Reprise". Next up is Aura – a crucial record in the early days of the global scene in the 80s – a set that lifts the music of King Sunny Ade from its roots in Nigeria, and mixes it up with some fresh elements that really open things up for a world's worth of ears! The approach isn't commercial – at least not in the modes of the later world music years – but there's occasional elements that echo the beat culture rising up in New York and London, mixed with the warmer sounds that were always at Sunny's music – especially that way of making the acoustic percussion and basslines come together in flowing waves of completely sublime sound! All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Gboromiro", "Oremi", "Ire", "Iro", "Ogunja", and "Ase". CD

Maybe one of the warmest recordings we've ever heard from pianist Vijay Iyer – but that's maybe no surprise, as the session is graced with these sublime vocals from singer Arooj Aftab – and delivered in a style that's much more than standard jazz! Iyer plays Fender Rhodes and piano, and adds in a bit of electronics – while Shahzad Ismaily uses moog and a vintage Fender bass – all flowing effortlessly, while Aftab brings in these vocal moments that feel both ancient and yet have a sense of new global horizons too – recorded with just a touch of echo that might evoke vintage 4AD. Titles include "Sharabi", "Eyes Of The Endless", "Shadow Forces", "To Remain/To Return", and "Haseen Thi". CD

Maybe one of the warmest recordings we've ever heard from pianist Vijay Iyer – but that's maybe no surprise, as the session is graced with these sublime vocals from singer Arooj Aftab – and delivered in a style that's much more than standard jazz! Iyer plays Fender Rhodes and piano, and adds in a bit of electronics – while Shahzad Ismaily uses moog and a vintage Fender bass – all flowing effortlessly, while Aftab brings in these vocal moments that feel both ancient and yet have a sense of new global horizons too – recorded with just a touch of echo that might evoke vintage 4AD. Titles include "Sharabi", "Eyes Of The Endless", "Shadow Forces", "To Remain/To Return", and "Haseen Thi". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic live performance from this legendary ensemble – and a record that brings a nice sort of edge to the group's already great sound! It's a bit hard to describe – but somehow the live recording quality seems to create more intensity, maybe more urgency to the way the group emotionally communicates – maybe partly just the echo and open space of the recording, but also maybe the way the group seems to open up with a fresh on-the-spot energy. In addition to Toshiko Akiyoshi on piano and Lew Tabackin on reeds, the lineup features saxes from Beverly Darke, Dick Spencer, Gary Foster, and Gary Herbig; trombones from Bill Reichenbach, Charlie Loper, Phil Teele, and Rick Culver; and trumpets from Bobby Shew, Mike Price, Richard Cooper, and Steven Huffstetter. Titles include the always-great "Warning Success May Be Hazardous To Your Health" – plus "Road Time Shuffle", "March Of The Tadpoles", and "Strive For Jive". CD

An interesting turning point for this funky Nigerian group of the 70s – as the set's still got the chunky rhythms of previous efforts, but also shows a touch of influence from reggae on some of the grooves – as well as some very cool use of keyboard touches that give the whole thing some nice electric currents! The sound is still nice and raw overall, and some of the best cuts have a straight funk approach that's really universal – grooves of the sort that you'd hear on an American funky 45, but maybe produced with that compelling sense of echo that makes so many west African records from the time sound a bit trippy. Vocals are in English throughout, and titles include "Everybody's Getting On", "Give Me Some Funk", "Jam All Night", "Make Your Self", "We Believe In Peace", and "No One Else". CD

A beautiful tribute to the strengths of these players working together in a trio – the sense of respect and patience they each have for each other – letting the sound come at just the right moment in just the right way, as things build together in this amazing way – then leap forth with a power that's even more incredible when all three musicians fall into step! Anderson's tenor gets lots of rich open space to roam around – with these deep tones that strongly echo a Coltrane legacy, almost more soulfully than other albums of this vintage – and Parker's bass is wonderful, as always, in a setting like this – and Drake's drums are a masterpiece of understatement. The set features four long improvisations – recorded live in a very warm space. CD

Horace Andy is one of the all-time greats in Jamaican music – a singer with a style that can be light yet deeply soulful at the same time – a great mixture of sweet and dark that's captured perfectly on this late 70s set! Brad Osborne cut the set with King Tubby – and the latter provided some great echo to flesh out the spare instrumental sound of the record – which is mostly just bass, drums, guitar, and organ – bubbling along in a midtempo groove that lets Andy's vocals really shine in the lead! Titles include "Pure Ranking", "I've Been Around", "What Eyes Don't See", "African Liberation", "Jah Gift To Man", "Totally Free", "Change Your Ways", "Jah Is The One", "Natural Mystic", and "Strictly Ranking". LP, Vinyl record album

The amazing second album from Annexus Quam – a record that's almost as much of a jazz session as it is a Krautrock classic – given that the record is full of really long tunes that spin out plenty of solos, some of which almost verge on free improvisation in their approach! The group features wonderful work on reeds from Ove Volquartz – who blows tenor, soprano sax, and flute – and there's also this amazing trombone work from Hans Kamper, a player who seems to resonate with the music of Albert Mangelsdorff at the time – mixed with all sorts of cool contributions from Harald Klem, who plays tablas, electric zither, echo guitar, and a whole host of other unusual instruments too. Titles include "Leyenburg 1", "Dreh Dich Nicht Um", "Leyenburg 2", and "Trobluhs El E Isch". CD

The amazing second album from Annexus Quam – a record that's almost as much of a jazz session as it is a Krautrock classic – given that the record is full of really long tunes that spin out plenty of solos, some of which almost verge on free improvisation in their approach! The group features wonderful work on reeds from Ove Volquartz – who blows tenor, soprano sax, and flute – and there's also this amazing trombone work from Hans Kamper, a player who seems to resonate with the music of Albert Mangelsdorff at the time – mixed with all sorts of cool contributions from Harald Klem, who plays tablas, electric zither, echo guitar, and a whole host of other unusual instruments too. Titles include "Leyenburg 1", "Dreh Dich Nicht Um", "Leyenburg 2", and "Trobluhs El E Isch". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's as groovy as the group looks on the cover – and one that comes across with just the blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation the image might imply! Ansambl Mileta Petrovica are a Serbian group from the 80s who took older songs and reworked them with a cool style that's almost garagey in approach – save for the fact that the keyboards are much more fitting to the decade in which the music was recorded! The use of bongos is great, as it keeps things nice and rootsy at the core – while the guitar has plenty of surf-styled echo, and resonates really strongly through the music. Tracks are all instrumental, and titles include "Robot", "Zov Gitare", "Japanka", "Miletova Gadje", "Cocek Ajd'Mo U Planine", "Niski Disko", and "Zoranov Cicek". LP, Vinyl record album

A really striking album in the career of Atomic Rooster – one that's a little bit groovier than most, and maybe a bit funky as well! The drums are great, and have plenty of soulful currents – and the Hammond, piano, and electric piano work of Vincent Crane almost seem to echo earlier UK beat group currents, but turned towards a much hipper 70s vibe – one that's followed by an equally extended range from vocalist Chris Farlowe, who seems to fold together both his mod and prog experience in the vocals! Steve Bolton brings in some tight, riffing guitar – and titles include "Time Take My Life", "Never To Lose", "Breathless", "People You Can't Trust", "All In Satan's Name", "Close Your Eyes", "Little Bit Of Inner Air", and "Stand By Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The third and fourth albums from Atomic Rooster – back to back in a single set! First up is Made In England – a really striking album in the career of Atomic Rooster – one that's a little bit groovier than most, and maybe a bit funky as well! The drums are great, and have plenty of soulful currents – and the Hammond, piano, and electric piano work of Vincent Crane almost seem to echo earlier UK beat group currents, but turned towards a much hipper 70s vibe – one that's followed by an equally extended range from vocalist Chris Farlowe, who seems to fold together both his mod and prog experience in the vocals! Steve Bolton brings in some tight, riffing guitar – and titles include "Time Take My Life", "Never To Lose", "Breathless", "People You Can't Trust", "All In Satan's Name", "Close Your Eyes", "Little Bit Of Inner Air", and "Stand By Me". On Nice N Greasy, Atomic Rooster definitely get a bit greasy – using some funkier elements at times, and bluesier currents at others – all at a level that really lets singer Chris Farlowe hit some of his most expressive modes! The group's got a fresh guitarist this time around, Johnny Mandala on lead – and his presence gives some of the cuts a harder rock edge than before, often taking the lead more than the keyboards of longtime member Vincent Crane, which helps shape the sound of the set. Titles include "Voodoo In You", "Save Me", "Satan's Wheel", "Can't Find A Reason", "Take One Toke", and "All Across The Country". CD set features the bonus tracks "Moods" and "What You Gonna Do". CD

A seminal Albert Ayler session from the 60s – recorded at the legendary Judson Hall with an incredible sound! There's a bold, righteous feel to this record that possibly even tops other Ayler classics for ESP – and the spacious setting makes the notes echo, rebound, and come back together with searing intensity throughout. The group features Ayler on tenor, brother Don on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto, Sunny Murray on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Gary Peacock on basses – using a unique two-bass approach that only further emphasizes the unique qualities of the record. Call Cobbs plays a bit of harpsichord too – and tracks include "Sprits Rejoice", "Holy Family", "Angels", and "Prophet". CD

Although composed by 70s sex-soundtrack genius Pierre Bachelet, this one's mostly a batch of jaunty, jagged little themes, a bit like Nino Rota's work for Fellini, with lots of similar touches. There's one striking number, though – "Ivory Coast Drums" – which has a weird back/forth rhythm approach, a bit of echo on the drums, and a melodic progression that makes the track a nice dark little number. Bachelet sings vocals on the French version of the "Black & White" theme – and other tracks include "The Letter", "The Battle", "Crossing The Rhine", "Fresnoy's Theme", and "La Chanson Des Souliers". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from this ultra-hip trio – an amazing combination of keyboards, bass, and drums – served up in styles that are rooted in funk and jazz, but go to so many other places as well! The drums crackle with a quality schooled in 70s breaks and beats, stripped down to their core – and the mix of keyboards echo a range of innovators from CTI to Money Mark, with a spacious flow that leaves plenty of room for the basslines to drive the tunes! Other instrumentation includes bits of guitar and percussion from the group, plus some guest tenor and strings as well. Titles include "Hedron", "Differently Still", "Confessions", "Triangle", "Can't Leave The Night", "CS60", and "Since You Asked So Kindly". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure trio from the early 60s, but one who play with plenty of soul jazz in their sound – thanks to some mighty heavy work on the keys of the piano from leader Red Bahnik! Red's got this sharp attack and inherently rhythmic sound that would have been right at home on early 60s Prestige Records – alongside piano gems from artists like Bobby Timmons or John Wright – yet the groove also isn't just copping American styles of the time, as they've got an unusual inflection to their rhythms – maybe some blocker styles that carve things out with a unique spirit, especially given the spacious echo used in the recording. Titles include the long originals "Fata Morgana Altamira" and "Santander" – plus "Fish This Week", "The Uptown", "Sister Sadie", and "Vacushna". CD

A trio of solo albums from Phillip Bailey – presented here with bonus material too! First up is Continuation – an 80s soul classic from Philip Bailey – stepping out here from Earth Wind & Fire in a set that has him sparkling strongly as a solo act! The vocals still have that trademark Bailey sound – a wonderful range that's never overdone, and which seems to shine especially well on the mellow and midtempo tunes in the set! Production is by George Duke, who does a lot to preserve the jazzier warmth of Bailey's previous settings – and although there's a bit more crossover potential here, the sound is still never too commercial or aimed at the charts. Titles include "It's Our Time", "Trapped", "I Know", "I'm Waitin For Your Love", "Desire", "The Good Guy's Supposed To Get The Girls", and "Your Boyfriend's Back". Next is Chinese Wall – a big breakthrough for Philip Bailey – and a record that was kind of a second-level explosion for the Earth Wind & Fire sound in the 80s! There's a definite crossover feel to the record – a style that takes Bailey's soulful vocals, and mixes them with lots of catchy hooks – in ways that push the Kalimba aesthetic even more into mainstream modes. Yet the album's still got some solid soul grounding, too – thanks to arrangements by Tom Tom and Arif Mardin – which is a nice contrast to the production by Phil Collins, who also guests on the hit "Easy Lover". Other cuts include "Time Is A Woman", "Go", "Walking On The Chinese Wall", "Photogenic Memory", "I Go Crazy", and "Children Of The Ghetto". Last is Inside Out – a set that has Philip Bailey working with Nile Rodgers, who gives him a lean, clean sound that works perfectly with his vocals! The sound is a nice change from the direction Bailey was heading in previously – a return to the focused soul of the later Earth Wind & Fire years, with his amazing lead opening up in ways that few other singers can match. Tunes are pretty well-penned too – catchy, but never cloyingly commercial – and titles include "State Of The Heart", "Welcome To The Club", "Special Effect", "Because Of You", "Take This With You", "The Day Will Come", "Back It Up", and "Echo My Heart". 3CD set features nice bonus material – "I Know (ext dance mix)", "Love Is Alive", "Easy Lover (with Phil Collins)", "Walking On The Chinese Wall (single)", "State Of The Heart (dub mix)", "Twins (with Little Richard)", "Twins (club mix)", and "Easy Lover (ext dance mix)". CD