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Groundbreaking sounds from the Norwegian scene of the late 60s – an album that's got George Russell's name on the cover, but which actually features brilliant performances from a quartet who'd go onto become huge names in the ECM scene of the 70s! Yet the sound here is quite different than ECM, too – very full and free – with vibrant work that really illuminates the younger years of these musicians – a sublime quartet that includes Jan Garbarek on tenor and soprano sax, Terje Rypdal on guitar, Arild Anderson on bass, and Jon Cristensen on drums! Some tunes are quite free, while others have a spiritual sense of soul that's equally grat – and throughout the record, all players express themselves in an unfettered way – with visionary performances on tracks that include "Nefertiti", "Traneflight", "Esoteric Circle", "SAS 644", "Karin's Mode", and "Breeze Ending".

Tight hip hop from the superhero team of Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric – mostly produced by 7L, with a most welcome guest producer in the legendary DJ Premier – and it's a strong statement from the underappreciated Wu Tang gamer and the ever-creative DJ 7L! On the production tip, 7L pays homage to classic Wu without copying it – and utilizing both classic and completely leftfield samples in a fresh, funky way. The rhymes by Deck and Eso are top shelf, too – with a guest list that includes Roc Marciano, Oh No, Ghostface and others. Includes "Air 'Em Out", "Cement 3's" feat Roc Marciano, "Czar Refaeli" feat Oh No, "Rock Beat", "Savagely Attacked" feat Ghostface Killah, "Marvel Team-Up", "It's Raw" feat Action Bronson, "Let It Off", "Word War 4", "Poisonous Thoughts" feat Mr. Mfn Exquire, "Shoguns" feat Cappadonna & Vinnie Paz, "Hazmat Rap" and the DJ Premier-produced "Let It Off".

The sound of spiritual jazz from the European underground of the 60s and 70s – a really rich music-making scene that's every bit as impressive as the one going on in the US – as you'll hear from this amazing set of tracks! As with the first volume in the series, the collection is filled with modal jazz and other groovers – mostly long tracks that really stretch out, yet still always have a tight sense of rhythm – one that makes the music completely infectious right from the start! It might be tempting to think of European jazz of this sort as kind of a copy of a US mode – but instead, it really happened simultaneously – as younger players were really pushing past the styles of previous years – and drawing not only on American jazz for inspiration, but also a range of different post-colonial modes particular to the European scene – bits of African, Latin, Brazilian, and other styles that really helped influence their approach. And in a way, it might even be said that the Europeans of the 60s had a much looser approach to rhythm, one that really allowed for experiments like these – and which, in turn, went back to have an influence on the American side as well. Titles include "Temple Dancer" by Michael Garrick, "Communion" by Erich Kleinschuster, "Archangelo" by Raphael, "Africa Freakout" by Barney Wilen, "Corrida" by Nicolai Gromin, "Duke & Trane" by Hiekki Sarmanto, "Nana Imboro" by Wroblewski Jazz Quintet, "Las Morillas De Jaen" by Pedro Iturralde, "Bosnia Calling" by Dusko Goykovich, and "Candy Clouds (part 2)" by Hans Dulfer & Ritmo Natural.

The sound of spiritual jazz from the European underground of the 60s and 70s – a really rich music-making scene that's every bit as impressive as the one going on in the US – as you'll hear from this amazing set of tracks! As with the first volume in the series, the collection is filled with modal jazz and other groovers – mostly long tracks that really stretch out, yet still always have a tight sense of rhythm – one that makes the music completely infectious right from the start! It might be tempting to think of European jazz of this sort as kind of a copy of a US mode – but instead, it really happened simultaneously – as younger players were really pushing past the styles of previous years – and drawing not only on American jazz for inspiration, but also a range of different post-colonial modes particular to the European scene – bits of African, Latin, Brazilian, and other styles that really helped influence their approach. And in a way, it might even be said that the Europeans of the 60s had a much looser approach to rhythm, one that really allowed for experiments like these – and which, in turn, went back to have an influence on the American side as well. Titles include "Temple Dancer" by Michael Garrick, "Communion" by Erich Kleinschuster, "Archangelo" by Raphael, "Africa Freakout" by Barney Wilen, "Corrida" by Nicolai Gromin, "Duke & Trane" by Hiekki Sarmanto, "Nana Imboro" by Wroblewski Jazz Quintet, "Las Morillas De Jaen" by Pedro Iturralde, "Bosnia Calling" by Dusko Goykovich, and "Candy Clouds (part 2)" by Hans Dulfer & Ritmo Natural.

A tremendous set of music – the deepest so far in this amazing series – filled with rare tracks that we've never been able to track down in the original! The grooves here are totally great – lots of modal rhythms and exotic instrumentation – pulled from a time when the European jazz scene was really coming into its own – a key 60s moment when overseas artists were really breaking free from a straight American influence in jazz – and stretching out in unique ways of their own! There's lots of influence from Eastern and other global sources – mixed with beautifully-crafted solos that really further the level of expression of the tunes. The set list is wonderful – way past the European classics of vol 2 – and titles include "Pro Forma 1" by Babs Robert, "Mongolia" by Palle Mikkelborg, "Unknown" by Jeff Gilson, "Vasvirag" by Binder Quintet, "Macedonian Fertility Dance" by Dusko Goykovich, "Samba Miaou" by Full Moon Ensemble, "Barrio Chino" by Dennis Wiley, "Haze's Dance" by Antithesis, "Suite" by Louis Xavier, "Odins Oga" by Jan Allan Quintet, "Aisha" by Yoki Freund, and "Variations On The Azerbajian Mugam Chargiakh" by Crescendo Quintet.

A crucially important slice of work – and maybe one of the most striking sets in this all-great Spiritual Jazz series! The focus here is on some of the great American players working in Europe during the late 60s and early 70s – often in collaboration with equally forward-thinking Europeans, and with results that are still musically amazing all these many years later! The collection has American flautist Sahib Shihab working with Swiss guitarist Pierre Cavalli, sound library maestro Johnny Hawksworth with west coast giant Hampton Hawes, Don Cherry working with Krzysztof Penderecki, a rare version of "Enlightenment" by Sun Ra in France and other legendary European recordings by Albert Ayler, Billy Gault, and Lee Konitz – a wonderfully rich blend of players. The tracks are pulled from records we almost never see – especially on vinyl – titles include "Studie Nr 1 Fur 12 Saitige Gitarre" by Pierre Cavalli & Sahib Shihab, "Jazz Rule" by Johnny Hawksworth & Hampton Hawes, "Born & Shake" by Clarence Peters, "Enlightenment by Sun Ra, "Summertime" by Albert Ayler, "T & W" by Frank Wright Sextet, "Humus The Life Exploring Force" by Don Cherry & The New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra, "Five, Four, & Three" by Lee Konitz, "The Creators" by Bobby Hutcherson with Harold Land, and the masterful, nearly 20-minute "Springtime" by Eric Dolphy. Includes a great essay on the scene by Francis Gooding, plus extensive info for each track!

A crucially important slice of work – and maybe one of the most striking sets in this all-great Spiritual Jazz series! The focus here is on some of the great American players working in Europe during the late 60s and early 70s – often in collaboration with equally forward-thinking Europeans, and with results that are still musically amazing all these many years later! The collection has American flautist Sahib Shihab working with Swiss guitarist Pierre Cavalli, sound library maestro Johnny Hawksworth with west coast giant Hampton Hawes, Don Cherry working with Krzysztof Penderecki, a rare version of "Enlightenment" by Sun Ra in France and other legendary European recordings by Albert Ayler, Billy Gault, and Lee Konitz – a wonderfully rich blend of players. The tracks are pulled from records we almost never see – especially on vinyl – titles include "Studie Nr 1 Fur 12 Saitige Gitarre" by Pierre Cavalli & Sahib Shihab, "Jazz Rule" by Johnny Hawksworth & Hampton Hawes, "Born & Shake" by Clarence Peters, "Enlightenment by Sun Ra, "Summertime" by Albert Ayler, "T & W" by Frank Wright Sextet, "Humus The Life Exploring Force" by Don Cherry & The New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra, "Five, Four, & Three" by Lee Konitz, "The Creators" by Bobby Hutcherson with Harold Land, and the masterful, nearly 20-minute "Springtime" by Eric Dolphy. Includes a great essay on the scene by Francis Gooding, plus extensive info for each track!

Classic schooled superhero team Czarface – with Wu Tang veteran Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric – and they get even heavier with a guest appearance Action Bronson! Includes the standout "Czardi Gras (It's Raw Again)" plus the instrumental and "Wake Up Show" promo spot of the B-Side.

Tight hip hop from the superhero team of Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric – mostly produced by 7L, with a most welcome guest producer in the legendary DJ Premier – and it's a strong statement from the underappreciated Wu Tang gamer and the ever-creative DJ 7L! On the production tip, 7L pays homage to classic Wu without copying it – and utilizing both classic and completely leftfield samples in a fresh, funky way. The rhymes by Deck and Eso are top shelf, too – with a guest list that includes Roc Marciano, Oh No, Ghostface and others. Includes "Air 'Em Out", "Cement 3's" feat Roc Marciano, "Czar Refaeli" feat Oh No, "Rock Beat", "Savagely Attacked" feat Ghostface Killah, "Marvel Team-Up", "It's Raw" feat Action Bronson, "Let It Off", "Word War 4", "Poisonous Thoughts" feat Mr. Mfn Exquire, "Shoguns" feat Cappadonna & Vinnie Paz, "Hazmat Rap" and the DJ Premier-produced "Let It Off".

Groundbreaking sounds from the Norwegian scene of the late 60s – an album that's got George Russell's name on the cover, but which actually features brilliant performances from a quartet who'd go onto become huge names in the ECM scene of the 70s! Yet the sound here is quite different than ECM, too – very full and free – with vibrant work that really illuminates the younger years of these musicians – a sublime quartet that includes Jan Garbarek on tenor and soprano sax, Terje Rypdal on guitar, Arild Anderson on bass, and Jon Cristensen on drums! Some tunes are quite free, while others have a spiritual sense of soul that's equally grat – and throughout the record, all players express themselves in an unfettered way – with visionary performances on tracks that include "Nefertiti", "Traneflight", "Esoteric Circle", "SAS 644", "Karin's Mode", and "Breeze Ending".

A tremendous set of music – the deepest so far in this amazing series – filled with rare tracks that we've never been able to track down in the original! The grooves here are totally great – lots of modal rhythms and exotic instrumentation – pulled from a time when the European jazz scene was really coming into its own – a key 60s moment when overseas artists were really breaking free from a straight American influence in jazz – and stretching out in unique ways of their own! There's lots of influence from Eastern and other global sources – mixed with beautifully-crafted solos that really further the level of expression of the tunes. The set list is wonderful – way past the European classics of vol 2 – and titles include "Pro Forma 1" by Babs Robert, "Mongolia" by Palle Mikkelborg, "Unknown" by Jeff Gilson, "Vasvirag" by Binder Quintet, "Macedonian Fertility Dance" by Dusko Goykovich, "Samba Miaou" by Full Moon Ensemble, "Barrio Chino" by Dennis Wiley, "Haze's Dance" by Antithesis, "Suite" by Louis Xavier, "Odins Oga" by Jan Allan Quintet, "Aisha" by Yoki Freund, and "Variations On The Azerbajian Mugam Chargiakh" by Crescendo Quintet.

A sweetly dreamy little album recorded by Daevid Allen away from Gong – working here with his drum-less group Euterpe, described in the notes as "an amazing bunch of catalunatics"! The record was recorded in a home studio in Majorca, and has a really relaxed feel – one that's somewhat spare and intimate, but with a lyrically sing-song sort of approach – one that only further pulls out the more playful side of Allen's vocals. Instrumentation includes mandolin, moog, bass, and guitar – and the approach is almost a prog folk move into the territory of Syd Barrett. Titles include "Children Of The New World", "Spirit", "Song Of Satisfaction", "Have You Seen My Friend", "French Garden", and "Wise Man In Your Heart". CD also features the bonus track "Euterpe Gratitude Piece".

A massive collection of work from Beggars Opera – Vertigo Records giants who work here with a heck of a lot of great work on organ! The set features a fair bit of music from each of the group's four albums – Act One, Waters Of Change, Pathfinder, and Get Your Dog Off Me – plus some single tracks too – all wrapped together as a 2CD set that really shows a great progression in the group's style – from tripped-out and jamming, to tighter and more song-based – yet always with a soaring sort of energy in the end. The keyboards alone have a strength to rival Rick Wakeman's best work for Yes – and titles include "Passacaglia", "Memory", "Raymond's Road", "Festival", "Impromptu", "Fox", "The Witch", "Pathfinder", "Sarabande", "Think", "Time Machine", "Lament", and "Working Man".

A tremendous debut from this overlooked late 60s group from the UK – a powerhouse that would later go onto fuel bigger groups like Jethro Tull, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and Uriah Heep! This initial outing has a surprisingly soulful feel at times – still very rockish in the presentation, but with a style that's still tipping out of the Brit beat group years too – so that even when things are freewheeling and almost progressive, you can still feel some bluesy undercurrents in the vocals and keyboards! John Glascock handles bass, Ken Kensley keyboards – and both sing as well, along with guitarist Joe Konas. Drummer Lee Kerslake completes the group – and titles include "Radio Show", "Farthing Man", "I Never Knew", "Towards The Skies", "Looking Glass", and "Candles Getting Shorter". 2CD set features the full original mono and stereo mixes of the album – plus bonus tracks that include "Somewhere In The Stree", "Baby's Rich", "Real Love Guaranteed", and a great cover of The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog".

A smoking second set from The Gods – and a record that captures the British scene at a perfect point when new ideas were definitely coming into play, but could still be served up in a style that was pretty lean and mean overall! All the cuts on the set have the potential of being much longer overblown numbers – yet The Gods really keep their focus wonderfully, and hone the tunes down to their best elements – with tight guitar work here, some compelling lyrical twists there, and bigger ideas that seem to inform the whole thing, yet never push anything towards pretension. Titles include "Lady Lady", "Penny Dear", "Long Time Sad Time Bad Time", "Five To Three", "Autumn", "To Samuel A Son", and "Sticking Wings On Flies". CD also features two bonus tracks – "Maria" and "Long Time Sad Time Bad Time (mono version)".

A record of pure genius and one of the greatest albums ever to come out of the British jazz rock scene – in an expanded 2CD package – with BBC and Peel Sessions, plus previously unreleased studio material! Matching Mole was a bit of a supergroup at the time – one that featured the piano, drums, and voice of Robert Wyatt next to the guitar of Phil Miller – topped off by additional piano, organ, and electric piano – in a wonderfully spacey, wonderfully mellow style that's never been matched again! If you dig the quieter, gentler side of Wyatt's work – or some of Miller's most intimate recordings on Virgin – you'll totally flip over the album – but even that's not giving it it's full due, because the sound is totally unique. Wyatt's vocals are wonderfully personal, and almost heartbreaking at times – handled with a fragility that few others of his generation had the courage to match! Titles include "Part Of The Dance", "Signed Curtain", "O Caroline", "Instant Kitten", "Beer As In Braindeer", and "Dedicated To Hugh But You Weren't Listening". Bonus material includes "O Caroline (Single Version)", "Signed Curtain (Single Edit)", the previously unreleased "Part Of The Dance Jam" (21+ minutes!) , plus "Horse", and "Memories Membrane", "Immediate Kitten" and "Marchides/Instant Pussy/Smoke Signal" from early '72 BBC sessions for John Peel and more!

Fantastic work from this legendary British prog/jazz/rock group that featured Robert Wyatt and Phil Miller – with a full CD of bonus material! Little Red Record was originally one of the only two they ever cut, and it sounds like a mix between Wyatt-era Soft Machine material, and some of the later jazz-oriented stuff that Miller recorded with others on Virgin. Mole's style is a perfect blend of all the disparate elements that were swirling around the London scene at the time – and they carry off their work without falling into the traps of self-indulgence that hurt so many other British groups at the time. Robert Fripp produced, and titles include "Starting In The Middle Of The Day We Can Drink Our Politics Away", "Flora Fidgit", "Smoke Signal", and "Gloria Gloom". Great stuff – and the kind of prog even a punk could be proud to love! Disc Two features tracks from a BBC Radio One "In Concert" session: "Instant Pussy/Lithing And Gracing", "Marchides" and "Part Of The Dance/Brandy As In Benji" – plus 4 previously unreleased 1972 sessions: "Starting In The Middle Of The Day We Can Drink Our Politics Away (Take One)", "Smoke Signal (Take Four)", "Flora Fidget (Take Eight)" and "Mutter".

A really nice set from Ian Matthews – who cut his teeth a few years earlier with Fairport Convention – and gets a little help here from fellow Fairporters Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson. Ian's warmth in the vocal department really glows here – and the sound overall brings in some sweet country rock and west coast folk rock as well as any Brit effort we can think of. Very good stuff! Tracks include "Desert Inn", "Hearts", "Never Ending", "Reno Nevada", "Hinge I", "Hinge II", "Southern Wind", Morgan The Pirate", "If You Saw Thro’ My Eyes" and more.

One of the 2 terrific records ex-Fairport Convention singer-songwriter Ian Matthews cut for the Vertigo label in the early 70s – built around Matthews wonderful vocals and acoustic guitars, but with a tighter rhythmic backdrop the the typical post folk trope! The key here is warmth – particularly in Ian's vocals, which carries over on some great little tunes! Tracks include "Tigers Will Survive", "Midnight On The Water", "Right Before My Eye", "Hope You Know ", "Please Be My Friend ", "House Of Unamerican Blues Activity Dream", and "The Only Dancer". Also includes the bonus track "Devil In Disguise".

A great title for this second set from Solution – one that diverges a bit from their debut album – but in ways that are mighty darn nice! The group still have a strong ear for a jazz-informed groove – lots of excellent saxophones and organ lines wrapped together, on long tracks that know how to stretch out, but without ever getting too indulgent. Yet this time around, they've also got a bit more confidence on the vocals – and use them at points to really give their music an added punch – a surprisingly soulful approach to the lyrics that only serves to deepen their sound and given them a really positive direction overall. Titles include "Concentration", "Fever", "Divergence", "Second Line", and "New Dimension".

A sweet debut set from Solution – a Dutch group who work here in a seriously jazzy blend of keyboards and reeds – almost with a vibe that's like Brian Auger in his post-Trinity years, but sometimes a bit more freewheeling too! The group's got great instrumentation from Tom Barlage on flute, alto, and soprano sax – and Willem Ennes on piano, Fender Rhodes, and organ – both players who soar out beautifully together, and have a way of dancing around each others' instruments as they take off to the skies! Bass is from Peter Van Der Sande, who also sings a bit – although the album's mostly instrumental – and drums are by Hans Waterman. Tracks are nice and long – and include "Koan", "Preview", "Phases", "Trane Steps", and "Circus Circumstances".

A great mix of heavy rock and jazzy changes from Spontaneous Combustion – a trio who really live up to their name with a burning way of putting over a tune! The group loves the sudden changes in groove – a shared characteristic with the prog scene of the time, yet delivered here with a tight, no-nonsense quality that makes the tunes might more rocking overall – almost a funky undercurrent at times, thanks to tight interplay between the drums and bass in the trio! Lead vocals from Gary Margetts have a way of being a bit more heartfelt than usual for this sort of set – yet never in a way that's overindulgent or trite – just right on the money when they need to be. Titles include "Speed Of Light", "Listen To The Wind", "Leaving", "200 Lives", "Down With The Wind", and "Reminder". CD features the bonus track "Lonely Singer".

Spontaneous Combustion blast it out of the park with this early 70s gem – a record that has all the complicated changes of a long-winded prog session, yet packs the punch of a tighter trio outfit in the end! There's a focus here that goes way beyond most of their contemporaries – hard rock edges borrowed from Deep Purple, yet served up with a jazzier undercurrent, and a clear knowledge of some of the headier groups of the time – almost touches of King Crimson at points, or other Harvest label contemporaries. The core energy between the guitar, bass, and drums is mighty nice – and titles include "Spaceship", "Brainstorm", "Child Life", "Love And Laughter", "Pan", "Rainy Day", and "Monolith". CD features bonus tracks – "Sabre Dance", "And Now For Something Completely Different Sabre Dance", and "Gay Time Night".

Amazing sounds from British pianist Keith Tippett – a startling crossroads of musical scenes that beautifully brings together the best jazz, rock, and jazz rock impulses on the UK scene at the time – still with a freshness and clarity that the work would never reach a few years later! The sound here is brilliant – often a bit funky at the bottom, and definitely stretching out to freer jazz ideas on the solos, yet always managing a sense of soul and swing that really gives the record a rock solid core – so that even loopy lines seem to land back on the ground, and set the group on fire with a whole new energy. In addition to Tippett's work on electric and acoustic piano, the set also features Elton Dean on alto and saxello, Marc Charig on cornet, Nick Evans on trombone, and Robert Wyatt on drums – on titles that include "Gridal Suite", "Five After Dawn", "This Is What Happens", "Thoughts To Geoff", and "Black Horse".

An early stunner from keyboardist Keith Tippett – served up with a punch and power that's missing from a lot of his later work! The music's a perfect blend of free-thinking jazz and some of the more progressive rock ideas of the time – not exactly jazz rock, not exactly avant jazz – but a really unique blend that flourished briefly in the UK for a handful years, under the guidance of Tippett and some of his key contemporaries! Deeper ideas are given a great sense of shape on the set – as Keith plays both acoustic and electric piano – in a cool combo that also includes Elton Dean on alto, Nick Evans on trombone, Mark Charig on cornet, and Alan Jackson on drums. The tracks have a nice little groove at the best moments – not really funky, but not that far off too – almost an echo of some of the MPS or other European styles. Titles include "This Evening Was Like Last Year", "I Wish There Was A Nowhere", "Violence", "Three Minutes From An Afternoon In July", and "Stately Dance For Miss Primm".

Early jazz rock from Trifle – released on Pye/Dawn at the dawn of the 70s – great stuff that should of made these bigger! This is the only record by the group we've ever seen, and it's a shame, because is a worthy discover. The group lays horns over groove rock as well as others that became superstars, and once they hit the groove it's impeccable! Sweet stuff with great drums & percussion and keyboards, too. Titles include "Alibi Annie", "Home Again", "One Way Glass", "Is It Loud?", "Candle Light", "Devil Comin'" and more. 2 bonus tracks: "Dirty Old Town" and a single version of the album track "Old Fashioned Prayer Meeting".

Early jazz rock from Bob Downes Open Music – composed and arranged by Downes and not a far cry stylistically as the Electric City LP that came out just a bit earlier – a mix of charged, drum heavy movements and airier flute led tapestries! The mood shifting dynamic makes the record pretty exciting, as does the stellar musicianship and imaginative compositions that fearlessly resist categorization. Downes plays different flutes plus sax, bels and tam tam, with Dennis Smith and John Stevens on drums, Harry Miller on bass and Chris Spedding on guitar. Titles include "Dream Journey: "A Score For Blind Sight By The Ballet Rambert", "Integration", "Contact", "Ghosts In Space", "Sesert Haze" and "Electric City".

A cornucopia of wigged out grooves from the Pye & Dawn vaults – late 60s & early 70s psych, panoramic pop, and trippy prog from Donovan, The Bystanders, Blonde On Blonde, Status Quo, Atomic Rooster, Jonesy and many more on 3CDs! All of the tunes were released from 1967 to 1975, so you get a pretty heady mix of prime psychedelic pop era and later numbers that took that sense of adventure to harder grooving, or more complicated realms. Comes with a cool little booklet of notes, too. Nearly 50 tracks on 4CDs: "Season Of The Witch" and more by Donovan, "Paradise Flat" and "Someone's Learning" by Status Quo, "Ride With Captain Max" by Blonde On Blonde, "It Is As It Must Be" by Man, "I Put A Spell On You" by Demon Fuzz, "Decision" by Fruup, "No Alternative" by Jonesy, "Hard Labour" by Noir and many more.

Nice one! 14 tight independent hip hop joints all with the crisp, soulful vibe that's Spinna's hallmark, even if he didn't produce all of them, though he was responsible for many. As with some other popular compilation/mix series you get one disc of the tracks in their full versions, unmixed, and another with Spinna getting to work on the 1's and 2's for a continuous set that flows like hot butter over popcorn. Spinna's deep hip hop roots show through nicely with tracks by the Jigmastas and 7L & Esoteric saddling up next to nice instrumentals by Spinna himself as well as 88 Keys and Kingsize. With "Lyrical Fluctuation 2000 (Spinna mix)" by the Jigmastas, "3ree6ix5ive" by Old World Disorder, "Take A Look" by the Domecrackers, "Across The Globe" by the Jay I Geez, "Precision" by Kingsize and 9 more slices of underground niceness to keep your head boppin', packaged beautifully in a really nice foldout cardboard sleeve in a slipcase!

Spiritual soul and spoken word with instrumental inflections – a perfect illustration of the righteous sound of the Flying Dutchman label at the start of the 70s! The imprint was famously home to Gil Scott Heron, Lonnie Liston Smith, Leon Thomas, and other hip cats at the time – but also recorded a fair bit of work that was even more progressive and political – including key records from forces helping to carry the legacy of Civil Rights well into the 70s! This package offers up a perfect blend of those modes – great jazz tracks that carry the legacy of John Coltrane forth even further, and political records that were often more powerful than anything in the press at the time. Titles include "Sais" by Lonnie Liston Smith", "Nevertite" by The Esoteric Circle, "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Louis Armstrong and Leon Thomas, "Lament For John Coltrane" by Bob Thiele Emergency, "Friends & Neighbors" by Ornette Coleman, "Sit Down" by Carl B Stokes with Oliver Nelson, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, "The Giant Is Awakened"b y Horace Tapscot, "Gonna Get Some Right Now" by Chico Hamilton", and "We're Threatening The Oppressors" by Angela Davis.

Peter Gruzien's legendary underground loner psych country record The Unicorn from 1974 – reissued here with a bonus second LP Garden Of Love – which features odds and ends written and recorded from the late 50s through the 70s! The Unicorn is a cool and strange mix of spare honky tonk musical backdrops, oddball keyboards and trippy effects, plaintive, charismatic drawl vocals and lyrics that are in turns staight up and wildly surrealistic. Titles include "Innocents", "The Unicorn", "White Trash Hillbilly Trick", "Satan's Horn", "The Lost World", "Redemtion And Prayer", "Return Of The Unicorn" and more. Garden Of Love features songs that are for the most part less trippy lyrically, but it's ultimately just as otherworldly thanks to the lo fi vibe! Titles include "The Garden Of Love", "Alone Amongst The Crowd", "Kiss Me Another", "The Bills", "Echoing Footsteps", "Stonewall" and more. 2LPs of crucial esoteric Americana!

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