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Sweet 70s grooving from Brazilian singer Eva – a bit of soul, a bit of easy, all styled together nicely by orchestrations from the magical maestro Gaya! Gaya's work here is similar to his best backings for other artists in the Blue Brazil generation – a mix of American pop, post-bossa instrumentation, and in this case, some very slight electric touches – kind of hipping up the tunes a bit with some nice keyboards! The album's got a really nice version of "Moon River" that skips along at a nice pace – plus some great originals that offer a strong update to the sound of other Brazilian pop/post-bossa singers, like Doris Monteiro or Claudette Soares. Titles include "O Homem Do Tempo", "Vinte Leguas", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Olha Eu Aqui Oh Oh Oh", "Talisma", and Sonho Lindo".

2 funky sample classics - back to back on one 45! "EVA" is one of the greatest tracks ever by Jean Jacques Perry – a mad mix of snapping beats, spacey moog, and these cool bell tones – sampled famously by Gang Starr, but even funkier straight up in this original mix! "Take Yo Praise" is a great bit of work from righteous poetess Camille Yarbrough – starts with a spare vocal bit, then bubbles with a superdope bass part that snaps along with some heavy guitar and conga beats!

Produced by Lil Jon.

The Voice is certainly the most beautiful sound in the world here – thanks to the vocals of the amazing Edda Dell'Orso! Edda's was THE voice heard in virtually all the best Italian soundtracks of the late 60s/early 70s era – that floating, dreamy singer who graced countless Morricone film scores, and also appeared on a fair bit of work by other composers too! And although Edda could also sing with some darker, sharper edges, the work here is all from the more beautiful side of the sound spectrum – and focuses on Dell'Orso's haunting wordless vocals, plus a few lyrical numbers – set amidst a backdrop of bossa rhythms, light instrumentation, and slightly groovy rhythms. The package features a whopping 21 tracks in all – with Edda's vocals on tunes that include "Con O Senzo Sole" and "Scacco All Regina" by Piero Piccioni, "Love Is A Woman" and "Let's Find Out" by Armando Trovajoli, "El Primo Baso" and "Delirio Secondo" by Ennio Morricone, "Eva's Beguine" by Roberto Pregadio, "Messalina Theme" by Giacomo Dell'Orso, and "Angelo E Giuditta" by Armando Trovajoli.

Sax-heavy New Orleans R&B instrumentals from Herb Hardesty – the tenor player and secret weapon in Fats Domino's band – one of those incredible players whose name isn't as well known as the sound of his instrument! His sax sounds really great out front and in the lead – tightly grooving late 50s and early 60s rhythm & blues. This first ever CD retrospective of Herb's relatively few recordings as a leader features sessions recorded in New Orleans in '58, NYC in '59 and Cincinnati in '61 – with stellar players that include Hank Jones, Jimmy Davis, Walter Nelson, Clarence Ford and Roy Montrell. 12 of the tracks from a never-released Mercury LP – and the set has 20 tracks in all! Includes "Sassy", "Goldie", "Herb's Mood", "Nat", "Adam And Eva", "Coach Train", "69's Mother's Place, "The Chicken Twist", "Perdido Street" and more – plus 2 tunes with vocals by group guitarist Walter "Papoose" Nelson – "It Must Be Wonderful" and "Why Did We Have To Part".

Two albums recorded a bit later than the initial 60s hit run for easy maestro Paul Mauriat – both with a more pronounced approach to the groove! Overseas Call was recorded in New York, and has Mauriat bringing in plenty of disco elements throughout – using soaring strings with tighter clubby rhythms, all in a mode that's right up there with some of the best European disco/easy sets done in a similar style! There's a few nice instrumental solos from both Brecker Brothers, and guitarist John Tropea – and titles include "Overseas Call", "Eva", "Come Back", "Power Jam (parts 1 & 2)", "You Can Do It", and "From Jupiter With Love". Brazil Exclusivamente has Mauriat moving down to Rio – working with Brazilian musicians in a local studio – and coming up with a sweet style that mixes late 70s club with some of the warmer samba styles of the time! The approach is a bit like a European 70s soundtrack approach to Brazilian music – and titles include "Suplica", "Mania De Voce", "Gostoso Veneno", "Estrada Do Sol", "Comecar De Novo", and "Na Paz Do Seu Sorriso".

A great return to basics for Pieces Of A Dream – a set that's tightly jazzy, yet still filled with plenty of soul! The style's a great illustration of the smooth jazz roots the group first offered the world – a style that was really coming into its own at the time of this release, but which still sounded better in the hands of Pieces Of A Dream than just about anyone else! Eva Cassidy sings a bit on the record, but there's plenty of instrumentals – many with some very nicely focused tenor lines from Ron Kerber – just joining the group for this release, but already helping them get a new voice. Titles include "Magens Bay", "After Dark", "We're All Alone", "Bassik Instinct", "Lights Out", "Let's Get Smooth", "Club Jazz (Quiet Storm mix)", and "Have A Little Faith".

20 killer funky sample tracks – all pulled from the legendary holdings of ACE/BGP! Some of the tracks on here have appeared on other compilations, but the set's put together extremely well, and has more than enough funk for a whole crate of records! Nearly every cut's been sampled at least more than once – and titles include "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Chick A Boom" by Pazant Brothers, "Eva" by Jean Jacques Perry, "Walk Tall" by Cannonball Adderley, "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms" by Detroit Emeralds, "Bouncy Lady" by Pleasure, "Tramp" by Lowell Fulson, "Take Yo Praise" by Camille Yarbrough, "Thinking Single" by The Counts, "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson, "Ike's Mood" by Isaac Hayes, "What A Man" by Linda Lynell, and "Smokey Joe's La La" by Googie Rene. Funky funky!

The world needs changing – and plenty of these tunes may well do it – thanks to infectious grooves and some very righteous message-oriented lyrics! The set's a great document of the positive, progressive energy going down in soul music during the heady days of the late 60s and early 70s – a time when the country was changing heavily, and the music was as well – moving into new styles, themes, and ideas – expressed here by a hip batch of cats who were working on some of the best indie labels of the underground! This set offers up a great mix of cool cuts from a variety of sources – a few gems from the Flying Dutchman label, some other obscure 45s, and even a few southern soul numbers that fit surprisingly well with the northern vibe of most of these numbers. Titles include "Walk Tall" by Esther Marrow, "Get Ready/Uptight" by Little Eva Harris, "All Power To The People (part 1)" by Joe Savage & The Soul People, "Soul Patrol" by The Original Soul Patrol, "Do It (inst)" by Johnny Griffith, "The World Needs Changin" by Hank Jacobs & Don Malone, "Sea Saw Affair" by Cesar 830, "Love Tones" by Melvin Sparks, "That's The Way It Goes" by Elaine Armstrong, "This Is The Me Me" by Brenda Jones with Groove Holmes, "Sissy Strut N American Woman" by The Willard Posey Reunion, and "Rudypoot" by Huck & The Soul Patrol.

An amazing tribute to one of our favorite soundtrack composers ever – a massive overview of the work of Michel Legrand, one that spans over 70 films, 4 decades, and 5 hours of music! The package looks at Legrand's career on a film-by-film basis – offering up key tracks and themes in a historical progression that begins in late 50s France, runs through key European films of the 60s, and takes off into important global territory in the 70s. Throughout this long span of work, Legrand always has an amazing ear for the sensitive melody – the kind of simple, straightforward tune that often becomes as important to a film as the image itself (and honestly, looking through the films in this collection, it's clear that many of the tunes have had a longer life than the movies they were used in!) The package comes complete with a great booklet on Legrand's career, complete with older photos and images – as well as both English and French versions of an interview with Legrand, and reflections on his work by Sydney Pollack, Agnes Varda, Norman Jewison, and others. Includes music from the films Lola, Cleo De 5 A 7, Le Gentleman D'Epsom, Eva, Love Is A Ball, The Happy Ending, Sweet November, Play Dirty, L'Homme A La Buick, The Go-Between, Le Mans, Portnoy's Complaint, Time For Living, Brian's Song, Peau D'Ane, To Catch A Pebble, Le Gang Des Otages, Castle Keep, The Magic Garden Of Stanley Sweetheart, F For Fake, Un Homme Est Mort, Lady Sings The Blues, Breezy, and many others!

A great return to basics for Pieces Of A Dream – a set that's tightly jazzy, yet still filled with plenty of soul! The style's a great illustration of the smooth jazz roots the group first offered the world – a style that was really coming into its own at the time of this release, but which still sounded better in the hands of Pieces Of A Dream than just about anyone else! Eva Cassidy sings a bit on the record, but there's plenty of instrumentals – many with some very nicely focused tenor lines from Ron Kerber – just joining the group for this release, but already helping them get a new voice. Titles include "Magens Bay", "After Dark", "We're All Alone", "Bassik Instinct", "Lights Out", "Let's Get Smooth", and "Have A Little Faith".

A loving look at the Adventure Music label – served up in a 3CD set that offers a heck of a lot of great music for a very low price, all hand-picked by the lovely Monday Michiru! Adventure's been one of the best sources for Brazilian music and acoustic sounds for the past decade – a label with a really strong dedication to a few sorts of styles – like some of the best mixes of jazz, bossa, and choro modes recorded in Brazil – or the wonderful post-folk acoustic underground that's risen up in the US. The package really spans the full scope of the label's music – and offers up a whopping 44 tracks in all – all to introduce you to their efforts. Our hat's off to Monday for the track selection – and the package features work by Hamilton De Holanda, Ricardo Silveira, Daniel Santiago, Muiza Adnet, Mike Marshall, Jovino Santos Neto, Moacir Santos, Antonio Arnedo, Maria Marquez, Clarice Assad, Tom Lellis, Eva Scow, Gui Mallon, Toninho Horta, Florencia Ruiz, Alex Hargreaves, Philippe Baden Powell, and others!

An interesting early side by Cannonball that captures him before he'd really found his voice – and when the folks at Mercury still didn't really know what to do with him. The record's a tightly arranged set of tracks from Duke Ellington's musical "Jump For Joy" – with arrangements by Bill Russo, and small group playing that includes Emmett Berry, Bill Evans, Barry Gabraith, Jimmy Cobb, and a small string section. The sound's actually quite haunting – and Cannon's alto solos remind us more of some of the best "with strings" soloing heard on Verve in the early 50s than they do his later soul jazz classics on Riverside or Capitol. That's ok with us, though – because the session's still got a lot to offer in that respect, and Cannonball handles the solos wonderfully! Titles include "Bli Blip", "Just Squeeze Me", "Nothin", and "The Tune Of The Hickory Stick".

A jazzy portrait of Cannonball Adderley in his early soul jazz prime – oddly one that doesn't feature his regular quintet lineup, but which more than makes up for that lack with a batch of players that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Bill Evans on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums! Given the personnel, the record's almost kind of a transition from Cannon's brief time with Miles Davis into his tighter more soul-inflected group to come – and Evans' piano provides an especially spacious sensibility here, one that marks the time spent with Miles nicely. Titles include "Nardis", "A Little Taste", "Minority", and "Blue Funk". CD features 3 bonus tracks!

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The quintet forged a sound that made them an immediate hit – and which had their tight, jagged, soul-drenched sound getting copied by everyone. The record features some amazing soul jazz standards – like Nat's original version of "Work Song", the first-ever record of Timmons' amazing "Dat Dere", Cannon's slinky "Them Dirty Blues", and the jaunty groover "Jeannine", a wonderful cut by Duke Pearson that never sounded better! The CD features alternates of "Work Song" and "Dat Dere" – for a total of 9 tracks in all!

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The quintet forged a sound that made them an immediate hit – and which had their tight, jagged, soul-drenched sound getting copied by everyone. The record features some amazing soul jazz standards – like Nat's original version of "Work Song", the first-ever record of Timmons' amazing "Dat Dere", Cannon's slinky "Them Dirty Blues", and the jaunty groover "Jeannine", a wonderful cut by Duke Pearson that never sounded better! The CD features alternates of "Work Song" and "Dat Dere" – for a total of 9 tracks in all!

The cover of this one makes it look like a no-name leaderless session, but this one actually features some great work by some very hip players! Half the album features vibist Teddy Charles leading a group of modernists that includes Hal McKusick, Frank Socolow, Bill Russon, Bob Brookmeyer, Mal Waldron, and Donald Byrd – on tracks that have a bluesy base, but a bit of an edge to them. The other half features Manny Albam leading a combo with Al Cohn, Teo Macero, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, and Eddie Costa. The session was done to showcase the talents of 4 of the best modern arrangers of the late 50s – Manny Albam, Bill Russon, Teo Macero, and Teddy Charles – all of whom contribute some great charts to a set of tracks that includes "Swinging Goatsherd Blues", "East Hampton Blues", "Blues In The Night", "Night Crawlers", and "Blues For Amy".

Nice and rarely seen trio side from under-recorded Chicago pianist Anderson. He plays here with Bill Lee and either Walter Perkins or Philly Joe Jones on drums, in a trio that made the core of the rhythm section on Frank Strozier's excellent Jazzland date, Long Night. The group is in fine form here, running through both standards and originals, and though Anderson's name isn't as well known as many other pianists, it ought to be, and he was no stranger to other Windy City jazz greats such as Johnny Griffin. Imagine a cross between Bill Evans and Elmo Hope, and you might get a picture of where he's coming from, though Anderson's voice is all his own, weaving some nice sinuous lines on a set that leans heavily on ballads here, including "You'd Be Nice To Come Home To", "My Funny Valentine" and the originals "See You Saturday" & the title track.

One of the most creative albums ever from UK composer Neil Ardley – and that's saying a lot, given the complexity of his other work! The set's got a wonderful blend of jazz arrangements and some freer passages – scored by Ardley with some of his most sensitive, most beautiful music ever – almost as if the whole thing's an extended soundtrack for a passage in time – or at least a sonic journey that's filled with some wonderful twists and turns! There's definitely some jazz/rock elements in the music, but the main focus is jazz – and Ardley has that same strong sense of large charts and forward-moving rhythms that you'd find in the best early work of Mike Westbrook, particularly his albums for Deram. Players are a very familiar, and very top-shelf batch of British musicians – including Barbara Thompson, Dick Heckstall-Smith, and Don Rendell on reeds; Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther on trumpets; Derek Wadsworth on trombone, Frank Rocotti on vibes, and Stan Tracey on both piano and celeste. Ardley plays prepared piano, and Ivor Cutler makes a great guest appearance on one track – reciting "The Dong With A Luminous Nose" – and Norma Winstone sings on "Will You Walk A Little Faster". The title track – "A Symphony Of Amaranths" – is dedicated to Duke Ellington and Gil Evans – with a feel that more than lives up to both! LP features a bonus "outro" track too.

Groundbreaking Italian prog from Area – the Arbeit Macht Frei, Cautio Radiation Area, Crac!, Area(A)zione, Maledetti and Event '76 albums – all from the crucial early-to-mid 70s years – in a 6CD box set on Cramps! The debut Arbeit Macht Frei features a tripped out blend of lingering 60s psychedelia with jazzier prog and folkish melodies, all done as uniquely as any combo of the time. Includes "Luglio, Agosto Stettembre (Nero)", "Consapevolezza", "240 Chilometri" and more. Cautio Radiation Area is even more impressive – a mad mix of out jazz, hard jamming, and even more experimental touches that include quite a bit of noise. Titles include "Cometa Rossa", "Lobotomia", "Brujo", and "ZYG". Crac! continues on this path, with even more far out vocals and a strangely joyous take on far-reaching 70s prog. Tracks include "Magalopoli", "Nervi Scoperti", "Area 5", "Implosion" and more. Are(A)azone is the group's 4th album – a collection of alternate versions of songs from previous records plus a 15 minute hard jamming tune called "Are(A)zione", and a free jazz interpretation of "The International". Maledetti goes further with the out jazz – and features guest soprano sax work from Steve Lacy. Includes "Evaporazione", "Gerontocrazia", "Scum", "Caos (Parte Seconda)" and more. Event '76 closes with "Caos II Parte (1)", "Caos II Parte (2)" and "Event '76". Comes in a great oversized package with a nice booklet – notes in Italian.

Smoking blues from Billy Boy Arnold – an artist who never got the fame as some of the bigger acts on Chess Records in the 60s – but who could certainly cook with the best Chicago electric sound! Arnold sings and plays guitar on the record – with a bold, upfront quality that easily makes the record one of the best in this series on Prestige – thanks in part to backing from a youthful group that includes Mighty Joe Young on guitar and Lafayette Leake on piano! Titles include "School Time", "Evaleena", "I Love Only You", "Two Drinks Of Wine", "Billy Boy's Blues", and "You Better Cut That Out". CD features the bonus track "Playing With The Blues".

The first Salsoul album from Aurra – and the start of a great run that would make the group one of the label's strongest acts in the early 80s! Things are nicely funky throughout – more 80s groove than the disco that first brought Salsoul success – and right from the start, Aurra have a well-conceived approach that uses both male and female vocals to flesh out the rhythms with plenty of soul! Instrumentation is as tight as older funk, but served up more at an 80s club clip – yet all still with a very live feel, and none of the too-stiff modes that were hurting other groups at the time. The album has 6 long tracks – and titles include "In The Mood To Groove", "Too Much", "Who Are You", "When I Come Home", and "You're the Only One". CD features the bonus tracks "When I Come Home (Larry Levan 12" mix)", "In The Mood To Groove (orig 12" mix)", "When I Come Home (ext album mix)", and "In The Mood To Groove (orig single)".

Heavy duty hardbop – and one of three amazing Epic sessions cut by drummer Dave Bailey! The set grooves as massively as his One and Two Feet In The Gutter albums – and is recorded with a similar lineup that includes Horace Parlan on piano, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Charlie Rouse on tenor, and Clark Terry on trumpet. Dave's drumming is mighty and soulful, and the set smokes with a lively rolling groove that mixes hardbop and soul jazz into a raw early 60s sound! Includes the 17 minute long jam "Blues For JP", plus "Slop Jah", "Little Old Mongoose", and "Evad Smurd".

A folk funk classic from the early 70s – and a weird little record that has a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of! The arrangements are quite soulful, almost funky at times – with a righteous undercurrent that reminds us of Richard Evans or Charles Stepney at Cadet Records. But the vocals – by singer Barbara Massey – have a flanged-out quality that's clearly overdubbed, creating a double-voiced sound that's almost a bit like Brasil 66! This mix of modes is really great – completely unique, and sublime throughout – with a vibe that was years ahead of its time, and which is finally beginning to get some recognition these many years later. Arrangements are by the pair, but Deodato also had a hand in the record too – and the core combo of musicians includes Grady Tate on drums, Ralph McDonald on percussion, and Sam Brown on guitar – alongside more guitars from Ernie and keyboards and piano from Barbara. Tracks include "Searching the Circle", "Do You Know", "For You", "Play With Fire", "My Love & I", "Satisfied", and "Prelude" – plus a wild remake of "Somebody to Love"!

A record that has a Motown hit for its title, but the album's got a depth that marks Bennett as one of the most complex singers of his generation – way past the broad belter of ballads from the 50s, and an all-adult male vocalist whose sound was essential to the sophistication of the mainstream in the late 60s. Many tunes are standards, given lush arrangements by Torrie Zito and Marion Evans – sung by Tony with that deep voice that nobody else could ever hope to match! Titles include "Out Of This World", "For Once In My Life", "How Do You Say Auf Wiedersehen", "Keep Smiling At Trouble", "Baby Dream Your Dream", "Days Of Love", and "Something In Your Smile".

Smooth, soulful piano from David Benoit – sounding stronger than ever here in a collection of classics recorded for the GRP label! Although the setting's often a bit electric, David plays acoustic throughout – bringing in a core sense of humanity to the tracks, and often a strong sense of individuality as his leads and solos echo out from the smoother backings. The set list is overflowing with tracks – 18 numbers in all – and titles include "Houston", "I Remember Bill Evans", "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "Saturdays", "Some Other Sunset", "Getting Ready", "Gothic Jazz Dance", "Linus & Lucy", and "Reflections".

Yipes! This one made everyone a bucket of money – especially Quincy Jones, whose new Qwest imprint the record was one of the first to grace. George has come a long way from his roots with Jack McDuff here – but in a way that kind of has us impressed, as he's grooving away slickly on guitar, laying down some smooth vocals that we never would have imagined from his mid 60s recordings. Includes the massive hit "Give Me The Night", a cover of "Moody's Mood", and the tracks "Star Of A Story (X)", "Midnight Love Affair", "What's On Your Mind", and "Dinorah, Dinorah". The sound of a million supermarkets and elevators during the 80s!

The most fully-formed album from Nat Birchall so far – and one that has him definitely going into another dimension in jazz, thanks to a slightly expanded lineup! The shift here is almost that betweeen the 60s spiritual sounds on Impulse Records, and the label's groundbreaking material in the post-Coltrane years of the early 70s – a time when folks like Pharoah Sanders, Marion Brown, Alice Coltrane, and others were really helping to redefine a sense of spiritualism in jazz – yet always at the best moments still hanging onto the core sense of individualism that first got the movement started in the 60s! Nat Birchall is at the head of the group – blowing fantastic lines on tenor and soprano sax – searching and righteous, but always with a sense of gentleness too – a really special blend that makes the album sparkle. Other players include Adam Fairhall on piano, Corcy Mwamba on vibes, and Rachael Gladwin on harp – and there's lots of nice percussion touches that are nestled in on the bottom. Birchall wrote all tracks – and titles include "Ancient World", "Dance Of The Mystic", "Radiant Will", "Peace In Ninevah", and "Sacred Dimension".

A reissue of one of Blakey's best non-Blue Note sides from the late 50s, a killer album that sports a great lineup of the Jazz Messengers that included Jackie McLean, Johnny Griffin, Bill Hardman, Sam Dockery and Spanky DeBrest. The three of them sparkle and shine with the sort of brilliance that Blakey's leadership brings to the group, and they wail their way through a 13 minute long reading of "Night In Tunisia", with excellent solos all around, and the other cuts "Theory Of Art", "Couldn't It Be You?", "Evans", and "Off The Wall". This reissue adds the bonus number "Social Call" recorded for RCA at very nearly the same time, but with a larger group that features Wynton Kelly in place of Sam Dockery, plus the addition of Lee Morgan, Sahib Shihab, Melba Liston and Cecil Payne in the horn section.

Wonderful grooves from trombonist Jeff Bradshaw – arguably one of the only artists to keep the Hidden Beach sound going this strongly over the years! The album's a double-length set – which means even more magic than usual from Jeff – still plenty of those sweet instrumental numbers, with lots of funky undercurrents, and great trombone solos in the lead – and also some great vocals on a few numbers – thanks to contributions from Raheem DeVaughn, Kindred The Family Soul, Maysa, PJ Morton, and others! Titles include "Til Tomorrow", "All Day Lovin", "Looking For Love", "Wait Around Love", "Searching", "So Thankful", "I Don't Know How", "He Is", "So Rare", and "Steppin Out".

A brilliant reworking of older gospel themes – beautifully recast here through the cosmic talents of King Britt, in an album that's quite possibly his most interesting work to date! For the session, Britt's taking older acapella vocals and tambourine rhythms from New Orleans evangelist Sister Gertrude Morgan – originally recorded in 1969, but expanded tremendously here through use of additional keyboards, percussion, and a surprising amount of acoustic instrumentation! Britt's got his usual drum patterns and electronics in the mix, but there's also a fair bit of slide guitar, harmonica, acoustic guitar, and even a bit of lap steel on the set – all of which makes for a sound that's as folksy as it is modern – really opening up a whole new chapter in Britt's career! Titles include "Let's Make A Record", "Living Bread", "Devil's Music", "Power", "New World In My View", "Unceremonious", and "I Was Healed By The Wounds".

Oscar Brown moves into a funky 70s mode – working here with some great soul-based arrangements by Chicago soul legend Richard Evans! There's lots of funky clavinet grooving on the record by Tennyson Stephens and Marvin Yancy – and other players include Chess/Cadet session groovers, like Henry Gibson, Phil Upchurch, and Art Hoyle. The record was recorded in Chicago and produced by Jerry Butler – and it's clearly one of his efforts from the days when Jerry was dipping into the hip Chicago underground of the early 70s. Oscar reprises a number of classics – like "Hazel's Hips" and "But I Was Cool" – and the album includes some newer tunes like "Rilly?", "Ghetto Scene", and "Bull 'Bleep'", all a bit more righteous than before.

Easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty of waves with their creative yet swinging approaches to modern jazz – heard on a number of successful albums for Fantasy and Columbia in the 50s. But with this record, they really knocked one out of the park – blending Desmond's cool alto, Brubeck's unusual piano phrasing, Joe Morello's melodic drum work, and Eugene Wright's pulsating bass into a waltzing, almost modal groove that crossed over to many camps at the time! The classics "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" were both hits on their own – but all titles are great, and include "Kathy's Waltz", "Strange Medow Lark", "Everybody's Jumpin", and "Pick Up Sticks".

Great work from Ray – and very much in the formula of his best Cadet records! The formula is simple – stick in 2 great original groovers, and fill the record with a few other covers of pop and jazz standards. Thanks to Richard Evans, who produced the sessions for Cadet, the grooves are great on nearly every track – and Ray sounds better here than on any other sides that we remember! In this case the originals are "Stick With It" and "Sound Ray" – both hard piano jams with a great downbeat and a nice dose of funk. Covers include "Song For My Father", "Con Alma", "Look Of Love", and "Scarborough Fair" – all very very nice!

The lone album from the Bubble Puppy – a monumental effort of late 60s hard grooving psychedelia – and one of very best albums to come out of the original Texas psych scene! A couple of the Pup's labelmates at United Artists get a lot of revelry all these years later, and rightfully so – who would argue the importance of The Red Krayola and 13th Floor Elevators – but Bubbly Puppy deserve to be on that top shelf, too. The sound is tight and hard hitting, with trippy lyricism and groovy group harmonies, while the guitars range from cathartic fuzz to some surprisingly pretty melodicism. Not as far out as some of their peers, but the groove is absolutely killer. Titles include the benchmark single "Hot Smoke And Sasafrass", plus "Todd's Tune", "I've Got To Reach You", "Lonely", "Hurry Sundown", "Elizabeth", "It's Safe To Say", "Beginning" and much more.

Vintage bumper sticker – still attached to backing! Made by "Hip Products" in Chicago in 1964!

Stunning! Although many know Bobby Byrd as the longtime associate of James Brown, and although his singles do turn up from time to time on compilations, this one and only album by him is super-rare. The album's a live recording (although we've never been sure if it's not one of James Brown's "fake" live projects, with studio tracks and applause added in) – and it contains a killer batch of funky tracks like "I Need Help (I Can't Do It Alone)" (parts 1 & 2), "Funky Soul", "My Concerto", "You Got To Have A Job (If You Don't Work, You Can't Eat)", and "Hang Ups We Don't Need (The Hungry We've Got To Feed)". Loads of breakbeats, and a killer funky groove with Bobby singing in a style that's as great as James Brown's best funky stuff from the time, but with a darker edge to it. Classic stuff, and an unbelievable one to have on low-priced reissue!

The CSUF combo gets help from Chicago arranger Burgess Gardner – on a set of tracks that includes "Foxy", "Blusef", "How Are You", and "Evanstune".

It took far too long for Cappadonna's Pillage LP to drop – finally hitting the streets in the late 90s – and it serves as one of the best Wu related efforts of the last couple years of the decade! The hazy, ominous and pulp cinema Wu sound is trotted out with continued relevance and strong rhymes from Cappa – with the title track, "Slang Editorial", "Run", "Blood On Blood War", "Supa Ninjaz", "Dart Throwing", "Young Hearts", MCF, "South Of The Border", "Everything Is Everything", "Black Boy" and more. 16 tracks in all, with a majority of the production handled by RZA with his Wu Elements.

Sublime southern soul from one of the greats! James Carr is right up there with the best of the 60s – Otis Redding, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, and others – but he never made it as big as them because of personal troubles and bad planning on the part of his label and management. Fortunately, his genius has been kept alive by record collectors everywhere – for whom this rare gem is a holy grail! The album features 11 tunes that sum up the best of the south in the 60s – all sung by James with his unbelievably heartbreaking voice. Titles include "The Dark End Of The Street", "You've Got My Mind Messed Up", "A Woman Is A Man's Best Friend", "I'm A Fool For You", "Stronger Than Love", "More Love", and "Sowed Love & Reaped A Heartache".

A landmark session that gathered together just about every hip British jazz and jazz/rock musician of the time – and brought them together into one super-cool orchestra of sound! Robert Fripp produced the record, and Keith Tippett is the overall music director – but the album's got a feel that's much more in the avant side of the UK jazz spectrum – particularly the trippier side of the Deram/Decca label of the late 60s – like work by Mike Westbrook or Mike Gibbs! The lineup is huge – with Elton Dean and Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Alan Skidmore and Gary Windo on tenor, Ian Carr and Mongesi Fesa on trumpets, Mark Charig on cornet, Nick Evans and Paul Rutherford on trombone, Keith Tippett on piano, Brian Godding on guitar, Robert Wyatt and John Marshall on drums, and Maggie Nicholls, Julie Tippett, Mike Patto, and Zoot Money on vocals – plus lots of strings as well!

A landmark session that gathered together just about every hip British jazz and jazz/rock musician of the time – and brought them together into one super-cool orchestra of sound! Robert Fripp produced the record, and Keith Tippett is the overall music director – but the album's got a feel that's much more in the avant side of the UK jazz spectrum – particularly the trippier side of the Deram/Decca label of the late 60s – like work by Mike Westbrook or Mike Gibbs! The lineup is huge – with Elton Dean and Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Alan Skidmore and Gary Windo on tenor, Ian Carr and Mongesi Fesa on trumpets, Mark Charig on cornet, Nick Evans and Paul Rutherford on trombone, Keith Tippett on piano, Brian Godding on guitar, Robert Wyatt and John Marshall on drums, and Maggie Nicholls, Julie Tippett, Mike Patto, and Zoot Money on vocals – plus lots of strings as well!

A triple pack of early magic from Natalie Cole! Inseparable is Natalie's stunning debut for Capitol Records in the mid 70s – a real surprise, and a set that should have had the singer blossoming even more than she did at the time! As with some of the other Capitol soul sessions of the time, the album's done very firmly under the guidance of Charles Jackson and Marvin Yancey – a pair who give Natalie just the right sort of backing to launch her career – a sound that's full and rich, deeply sophisticated – but also still plenty soulful, almost in the mode of some of Minnie Riperton's work at the time. Given the pair's Chicago roots – and the arrangement help from Richard Evans – that comparison is no surprise, and Natalie rises to the occasion nicely. Titles are all originals too – and include "Needing You", "Joey", "I Can't Say No", "Something For Nothing", "I Love Him So Much", "You", "Your Face Stays On My Mind", and the huge hit "This Will Be". Next up is Natalie – a record that really has Natalie Cole finding her groove – not needing any help from her famous familial legacy, thank you – and instead stepping out with a tight, proud mode that really helped refine the sound of female soul in the 70s! The album's got plenty of influences from the Chicago soul scene – including songwriting and production from the team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy – and work from key session players like Richard Evans and Gene Barge, who worked in the Curtom Studios to craft the grooves on the set! Titles include "Keep Smiling", "Mr. Melody", "Heaven Is With You", "Can We Get Together", "Touch Me", "Hard To Get Along", and "Good Morning Heartache". Unpredictable is an album that reunites Natalie Cole with the smooth soul team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancey – the team who did such a great job with Natalie's Capitol debut, and who really continue the groove here too! The album's got a rock-solid approach through and through – a quality that has Natalie really standing out on her own as a positive young artist in soul – without any need to nod towards her father, as in later years. And Jackson and Yancey bring a nice dose of Chicago soul class to the affair – which turns out to be a perfect match for Natalie's vocals! Titles include "Be Mine Tonight", "Party Lights", "This Heart", "I've Got Love On My Mind", and "Still In Love".

Great earlier stuff from Natalie Cole – actually her third great album in a row – a tremendous early creative and commerical winning streak for Natalie! Thankful has her sweet, soulful voice out from of prodcution by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy of the Independents, and they give her a nice jazzy sound that made the record one of her best of the 70s. Richard Evans and Gene Barge arranged, which probably had something to do with that, too – but Natalie truly deserves most of the credit of the strength of this set. It includes the standout groovers "La Costa" and"Annie Mae", but the whole record is really sweet – with "Lovers", "Our Love", "Be Thankful", "Just Can't Stay Away" and "Keeping A Light".

A rare session as a leader from trumpeter Johnny Coles – a player who cut some great work in the groups of James Moody and Gil Evans, but who shines even more brightly on this classic Blue Note album! Coles really has an ear for finding the hippest side of his instrument – and he blows with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – and certainly far from the mellower tones of his previous leader set for Columbia. This album's got a great mix of hardbop and modern ideas – right up there with the best Blue Note had to offer at the time – and the group's filled with equally hip players who include Joe Henderson on tenor, Leo Wright on alto and flute, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and either Pete LaRoca or Walter Perkins on drums. Titles include "Heavy Legs", "Hobo Joe", "Jano", and "Little Johnny C". Very hip, very hard, and very swingin!

An amazing little record from Willie Colon – one that has him stepping forth into the limelight as both singer and leader – after years of working with better-known vocalists like Hector LaVoe and Ruben Blades! But even more than the vocals the thing we really love here are the arrangements – bold, soaring, and really complex – often mixing larger string passages with some incredible work on sax and flute from players who include Mauricio Smith, Ronnie Cuber, and Bobby Porcelli – all coming together here with a sense of dynamism that reminds us of some of our favorite work at the time from Bobby Vince Paunetto. The scope of the record is really amazing and very powerful, and titles include "Nueva York", "Chinacubana", "Juancito", "Urubatan", "Julia", "Tu Eres Tu", and "Sin Poderte Habiar".

A collection of rare projects from southern club artist Cyril Walker – a great batch of early 80s groovers with a decidedly indie feel! The tracks are heavy on beats and keys – and the rhythms are on the more electro side of boogie – still nice and bouncy, with a definite ear for the dancefloor – but with a lean quality that strongly recalls some of the New York street soul sounds of the time – even though Cyril recorded the set in North Carolina! Some of the tracks feature female lead vocals – depending on the project – and titles include "Won't You Serve Him" by The Project, "Saturday Night" and "Will You Show Up" by Marcel Evans, and "You're A Star", "Let's Partay", "So Proud", and "Too Quick" by Mile High Pie.

Exactly the kind of record to show why we love Japanese piano trio sessions so much – a sweet 80s date from lyrical genius Iwasaki Daisuke! The album's got a relatively understated feel at first, but really grabs us once it gets going – with a mix of complicated solo lines and subtle, soulful warmth – a gentle balance that's clearly inherited from the legacy of Bill Evans – yet pushed into richly expressive directions here of its own! Daisuke's a hell of a painter on the keys – poetic, yet never with too many flourishes – and working with a subtle sense of darkness that's echoed by the bass of Hideo Kanazawa and drums of Hideaki Sekine. Titles include "Mass Ave 5am", "Tiny Souvenir", "Never Say Goodbye", "Star Crossed Lovers", and "Surf Mail".

One of Tadd Dameron's last true jazz sides – featuring the bop maestro composing, arranging, and conducting for a large group that includes Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin, Joe Wilder, Clark Terry, and Philly Joe Jones. There's a bit of Ellington in the album – with somber washes of mood and color, in a manner that was always one of Dameron's strongest suits – and the quality of the players, especially Evans, really adds a lot to the album. Titles include "On A Misty Night", "Just Plain Talkin", "You're A Joy", "Swift As The Wind", and "Dial B For Beauty".

One of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a stunning soundtrack that began a rich legacy of jazz scores in France! Miles recorded this material during late-night post-gig sessions with a great group that includes French players Barney Wilen, Rene Urtreger, and Pierre Michelot, plus American ex-patriot Kenny Clarke. Wilen's playing is fantastic, and it's great to hear him and Miles together on the score's spooky meandering passages. Titles include "Florence Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "L'Assassinat De Carla", "Diner Au Motel", "Evasion De Julien", "Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "Le Petit Bal", "Au Bar Du Petit Bac" and "Sur L'Autoroute".

What can we say? This is the ultimate Miles Davis album – the one that includes so many songs that we've heard way too much in Starbucks, in retail stores, or at a friend's house who claims to be a "jazz expert", but is really a yuppie dilettante. Yet somehow, over all the years, and all those playings, the record manages to still sound fantastic – a truly inspirational piece of music that's long deserved all the attention it gets! The legendary group on the album includes John Coltrane on tenor, Cannonball Adderley on alto, Bill Evans on piano, and Paul Chambers on bass – working with Miles in a relatively modal style, with brilliant rhythm changes and a wonderful sense of space. The whole thing's sublime – and titles include "Blue In Green", "All Blues", "So What", and "Freddie Freeloader".

Late work from Miles Davis – his last-ever appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival – but a set that still has him sounding great! The performance is a special tribute to Quincy Jones, so instead of playing material from the Doo Bop generation, Miles is going more for a late 50s mode – blowing over backings put together by Quincy Jones and Claude Nobs, intended to recreate the sound of the Gil Evans/Miles collaborations. Titles include "The Duke", "Miles Ahead", "Blues For Pablo", "Summertime", "The Pan Piper", "Maids Of Cadiz", and "Gone Gone Gone". DVD features inerviews with Betty Carter, Helen Merrill, Charlie Haden, Monty Alexander, Stanley Clarke, and others.

A masterful meeting of 2 50s modern jazz talents – the trumpet of Miles Davis balanced with the arrangements of Gil Evans – with results that have made the album one of Miles' greatest ever! The sound here is completely sublime – as Davis gets all chromatic and spooky over Evans' edgey arrangements – shimmering nicely in a perfect blend of modernism and lighter, more lyrical touches. Titles include "Springsville", "Blues For Pablo", "New Rhumba", "Lament", and "Miles Ahead". This is the record that your dad bought to prove that he was cool, buy it from us and keep up the family tradition!

A masterful meeting of 2 50s modern jazz talents – the trumpet of Miles Davis balanced with the arrangements of Gil Evans – with results that have made the album one of Miles' greatest ever! The sound here is completely sublime – as Davis gets all chromatic and spooky over Evans' edgey arrangements – shimmering nicely in a perfect blend of modernism and lighter, more lyrical touches. Titles include "Springsville", "Blues For Pablo", "New Rhumba", "Lament", and "Miles Ahead". This is the record that your dad bought to prove that he was cool, buy it from us and keep up the family tradition!

Way more than just a simple version of work from Porgy & Bess – and instead, a key collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans – done with a sound that really transforms the tunes! True, the work here is all based on George Gershwin's original compositions – but through his inventively modern arrangements, Gil Evans really pushes the familiar numbers to a whole new place – and Miles glides over the top with some especially shimmering solos! Titles include "Summertime", "The Buzzard Song", "I Loves You, Porgy", and "Fishermen, Strawberry, & Devil Crab".

Moody magic from Miles Davis and Gil Evans – one of the pair's most perfectly poised albums together, and a set with a slight bossa nova undercurrent! Evans' shimmering horn patterns are in fine form here – complicated, but never in cold and too-modern ways – just the right sort of backdrop for Miles' muted solo work – blow with a great sense of space and care throughout! There's almost a soundtrack sort of depth to the record, but the solos still keep the jazz element nicely in focus – and titles include "Summer Night", "Wait Till You See Her", "Aos Pes Da Cruz", "Song #1", "Song #2", "Corcovado", and "Once Upon A Summertime".

A beautiful collaboration between Miles Davis and the great Gil Evans – and perhaps the most perfectly realized of all their projects! The album's got a wonderfully unified feel – as it begins with long compositions that have a distinct Spanish-tinge (and not a Latin-tinge, which is an important distinction to the way the album progresses.) Evans' arrangements have a majesty that takes the songs to the next level – working them as lush, lively backings for Davis' equally majestic trumpet solos, some of the finest he ever recorded with large group backing. Wonderful all the way through – and with the tracks "Concierto De Aranjuez", "Saeta", "The Pan Piper", and "Solea".

A beautiful collaboration between Miles Davis and the great Gil Evans – and perhaps the most perfectly realized of all their projects! The album's got a wonderfully unified feel – as it begins with long compositions that have a distinct Spanish-tinge (and not a Latin-tinge, which is an important distinction to the way the album progresses.) Evans' arrangements have a majesty that takes the songs to the next level – working them as lush, lively backings for Davis' equally majestic trumpet solos, some of the finest he ever recorded with large group backing. Wonderful all the way through – and with the tracks "Concierto De Aranjuez", "Saeta", "The Pan Piper", and "Solea". In a special box, with the full CD – and a limited edition t-shirt by The Thread Shop!

A surprisingly great album from DeBarge – proof that the group really had something great at the start! Much as we'd like to dismiss DeBarge for their dated costumes and silly covers, the group still stands as one of the strongest pop acts from early 80s Motown – and have an undeniably catchy groove that still has appeal after all these years! Of course, part of the strength of this one is actually the mellower numbers – sung in a wonderfully sweet harmony mode that was instantly timeless. The best of these is "Stay With Me", sampled to great effect, and a tune elevates this album above all the rest – but there's plenty of other tasty numbers too, including "Time Will Reveal", "Need Somebody", "Be My Lady", "Love Me In A Special Way" and "Queen Of My Heart".

A great later score from Georges Delerue – wonderfully dark, with a sense of tension that comes through right from the very first note! Delerue's sometimes got a great way with beauty – but this time around, he really shows his darker side – working slow strings with very sharp edges, sounds that are never too atonal, but really have an offbeat feel! Although the instrumentation is overall in the more traditional Delerue orchestral mode, there's almost a 70s Italian feel at times – thanks to Georges' great use of space between the notes. Titles include "Elevators", "21 Club", "Piano Practise", "Break In", "The Bath", "Hide & Seek", "The Bookstore", and "The Cemetary".

Damn great work from Raheem DeVaughn – the full promise of his soulful sojourn in the underground mixtape scene! Raheem first got his start laying down vocals over beats and other folks' tracks on self-crafted CDs that changed hands covertly in the east coast scene – and that experience gave him plenty of time to grow and mature, quietly developing his sound to a point where he can really burst forth with power on a record like this! There's still a bit of the old mixtape feel going on here – a range of older musical influences that inform Raheem's tunes – and a personal, almost casual approach that has DeVaughn speaking intros to some tracks, almost as if he's spinning them out with a personal, conversational style. Yet the production is also much better than before too – quite warm, with some great beats and keys in the mix – proof that stepping out of the underground can often be a good thing for a soul artist. Titles include "Customer", "Hello Love", "Woman", "Love Drug", "Friday", "Can We Try Again", "Empty", "Four Letter Word", and "Woman I Desire". Includes guest appearances from Floetry, Big Boi, and Malik Yusef.

An infectious batch of soul tunes from Raheem DeVaughn – his long overdue debut for Jive Records! Raheem stands apart from many in the mainstream soul and neo soul, not because he wears his influences so proudly on his sleeve, but in the way he wears them. Raheem's soul style is born of love for singers from Marvin Gaye, to Prince, to D'Angelo, to the Isleys and beyond – but his approach to songcraft and recording is born of hip hop and mixtapes – in which he can appropriate a given groove into his own tunes. The album's full of peaks and valleys, and the peaks are worth the the climb! Tracks include "The Love Experience", the Kenny Dope-produced "Guess Who Loves You More", "Who", "Where I Stand", "Breathe", "You", "Sweet Tooth", "Ask Yourself", "Believe", "Is It Possible", "Catch 22", "You", "Cadillac", "Green Leaves" and more!

One of the undisputed masterpieces LPs of 70s soul! William De Vaughn may never be remembered for anything else – and the poor guy will always be mistaken for Curtis Mayfield by record shoppers everywhere – but he really out-Curtised Curtis on the super-dope original version of "Be Thankful For What You Got", one of those righteous soul tunes that everybody knows, everybody loves, but which was recorded by an artist that nobody can remember. Get this one, and you'll remember William De Vaughn as a genius for the rest of your life – not only for the full 7-minute version of "Be Thankful", which has a great conga breakdown in the middle, but also for other original tunes like "Blood is Thicker than Water", "You Can Do It", and "Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand". Very righteous, and with a deep soul groove that was hardly matched by other albums of the era!

Genius work from William De Vaughn – recorded years after his classic "Be Thankful" album, and with a different, modern soul feel – but equally great in its own sort of way! The album came 6 years after De Vaughn's classic crossover hit of the mid 70s – and it's got the singer working in smoother, more sophisticated territory – hitting a key mellow groove with a great late Philly feel, and showing that he still had plenty to offer even years after his hit! The title cut – "Figures Can't Calculate" – is worth the price of the album alone – as it's a great mellow groover, with a catchy, stepping sort of feel. De Vaughn also remakes his classic "Be Thankful For What You've Got" – doing the tune with a bit of a kick in the groove, but overall still in the same style as the original. Other tracks include "You Send Me" and "Hold On To Love".

Unbelievable – and a record that's one of our favorites by the fantastic Italian jazz pianist! Marco Di Marco is a richly talented player with a keen ear for lyrical beauty and a strong sense of the groove – and here, he's working in quartet formation, in New York, with a group that includes Jack Six on bass, Ronnie Bedford on drums, and Dave Tofani on tenor, soprano sax, and flute. Six's work on bass is really stunning – round, full, soulful, and funky – and Tofani's reed work is equally compelling, with an angular and soulful quality that pushes all the tracks quite strongly. The album's got a killer jazz dance groover called "Camparenda", with some great flute by Tofani, plus a nice bass-heavy groover called "Lazer's Theme" – but the whole album's great, and other tracks include "Theme For Ginerva", "Drops", and "You Caught Me".

An incredible full album from Dinosaur L – the legendary New York dancefloor project of Arthur Russell! The group's a punky, funky, chunky amalgam of bass thumping, guitar riffing, keyboard filling, and sax honking – all very much in the spirit of Russell's best quirky club work of the time, but with the added sound here of a more expanded approach – one that takes the tunes in a whole new territory than the more famous 12" singles! The tracks on the original set were simply numbered – "1", "2", "3", and so on – and come across almost as free-jamming instrumentals – but this reissue appends the songs with their 12" titles, so "#1" gets parenthetically entitled "You're Gonna Be Clean On Your Bean" and "#5" as "Go Bang!", plus this disc adds several 12" versions that were not on the original LP release, like Francois K's mix of 'Go Bang!" and Larry Levan's mix of "In The Corn Belt". Totally great stuff – as experimental as it is funky!

An incredible album from Dinosaur L – the legendary New York dancefloor project of Arthur Russell! – fleshed out and expanded more than ever before by Sleeping Bag and Get On Down Records! The group's core sound is a punky, funky, chunky amalgam of bass thumping, guitar riffing, keyboard filling, and sax honking – all very much in the spirit of Russell's best quirky club work of the time, but with the added sound here of a more expanded approach – one that takes the tunes in a whole new territory than the more famous 12" singles! The tracks on the original set were simply numbered – "1", "2", "3", and so on – and come across almost as free-jamming instrumentals – but this reissue appends the songs with their 12" titles, so "#1" gets parenthetically entitled "You're Gonna Be Clean On Your Bean" and "#5" as "Go Bang!", plus this disc adds several 12" versions that were not on the original LP release, like Francois K's mix of 'Go Bang!" and Larry Levan's mix of "In The Corn Belt". Totally great stuff – as experimental as it is funky! This 4LP box set edition is amazing – coming in a beautiful hand-pulled silkscreen box – and it includes more Arthur Russell collaborative and/or pseudonymous material for Sleeping Bag with or as Bonzo Goes To Washington, Felix, Sounds Of JHS Brooklyn and Indian Ocean. Other tracks include "School Bell/Treehouse" (Indian Ocean), "You Can't Hold Me Down (Extended Version)" (Felix), "5 Minutes (R-r-r Radio Mix)" (Bonzo Goes To Washington) and more. Also includes an oversized booklet of photos, artwork and artist testimonials – plus notes by Russell biographer Tim Lawrence.

Bassist Dezron Douglas can be one hell of a leader – especially when he's working with a group and setting as great as this! The album's got that solid punch we love in the Smalls Live series – a way of allowing players to really open up and be themselves, yet also find a cohesiveness as a group that you don't often get in studio sessions – that brilliant magic that can make live jazz performance so wonderful, when it's captured this well – a great document of a musical moment and local expression that might have been missed otherwise. Dezron's bass is very upfront in the performance – and the quintet also features tight trumpet from Josh Evans, bold tenor from Stacy Dillard, sharp piano from David Bryant, and smoking drums from Willie Jones III. Titles include "Nita", "Let's Ride", "The Puppet", "Bish Bash Bop", and "Power Of One".

The best in years from Dwele – who honestly has yet to really make any kind of a creative misstep – and Greater Than One is one of his greatest records to date! Detroit singer and producer Dwele has long balanced a love for classic soul of the Donny Hathaway school with contemporary, though wisely trend-skirting production – and he does that once again here. There's a more focused feel, and really strong, insistent songs this time out, too. Of course Dwele's voice is the greatest selling point, and it's layered beautifully throughout! Includes "Greater Than One Less Than Three", "Going Leaving", "Takes22Tango", "What You Gotta Do" with Raheem DeVaughn, "What Profit", "Obey", "Must Be" feat J Tait, L'Renee & Black Milk, "Swank" and "Patrick Ronald" feat Monica Blaire, "Frankly My Dear (I'm Bennett I Ain't Innit)" and more.

A pair of overlooked gems from Ronnie Dyson – both of which show there's way more to love than just his early hits! On Love In All Flavors, Ronnie's older than during his falsetto soul early years – and he's working here with some impeccably mature Chicago soul arrangements by Gene Barge, Gene Page, and Richard Evans. The album's produced by the always-great modern soul dynamic duo of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancey (ex-Independents), and it's got an approach that mixes deeply soulful vocals with smoother backings, kind of in the same mode that The Manhattans were using, but with a bit more of a modern tip that points towards the Capitol work by the Jackson/Yancey team. Tracks include "I Want To Be Where You Are", "Sara Smile", "Don't Be Afraid", "I Just Want To Be There", and "Ain't Nothing Wrong". On More You Do It, Dyson works with the 70s hit soul team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy – the pair who brought great sound to Natalie Cole, and who work some similar magic with Ronnie! The album was recorded in Chicago – partially at Curtom – and has arrangements from Gene Barge, Gene Page, and Richard Evans – all of whom bring a fullness to the record that's a nice change from Dyson's more fragile work of earlier years. Some of the best cuts have a gentle midtempo groove that's almost like Leroy Hutson – warm, and never slick – very personal, and stepping along nicely. Titles include "The More You Do It", "You & Me", "Jive Talkin", "Close To You", "Love Won't Let Me Wait", and "Lovin Feelin".

Plenty of crazy rhythms here – as singers Chiemi Eri and Carl Jones are joined by Japanese jazzmen who include Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, saxophonists Sadao Watanabe and Sleepy Matsumoto, guitarist Shungo Sawada, and the Hideo Shiraki Quintet! The backings on all tracks are superb – and elevate the already-great team of Eri and Jones to a wonderful new level – one that easily matches some of the hippest vocal jazz sessions cut in the US during the same period, especially some of the more inventive albums on the soul jazz side of the spectrum. Titles include "The Big Twister", "My Funny Valentine", "Just Squeeze Me", "Love Is Here To Stay", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Midnight Sun Will Never Set".

Great tenor sounds from Wayne Escoffery – set to an excellent groove that mixes Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano! The album's one of the best we've heard from Escoffery in years – a date that really sets his horn free, yet also has a soulful focus, too – one that definitely comes from the Rhodes, handled by Orrin Evans, plus more keyboards from Adam Holzman. Basslines – from Hans Glawischnig and Ricky Rodrigues – are nice and warm, and often quite mellow – and Jason Brown's drums have this subtle approach that really lets the tenor and keyboards take the lead. Titles include "World Of The Bardo", "Banishment Of The Lost Spirit", "If I Am Who You Are", "Selena's Song", and "Presumed Innocence" – plus "Two Souls", which features Escoffery on soprano, blowing spontaneously alongside acoustic piano from Evans.

Brilliant work from Adriana Evans – quite possibly her greatest record so far, and that's saying a lot, given how much we've loved everything she's done! There's a perfect, professional vibe to the whole set that's really amazing – soul music like soul music's supposed to be done – tight, yet never commercial – and peppered with these very slight, subtle 60s influences on some of the horn parts and other instrumentation, while still getting bumped along by some modern rhythms at the bottom. The depth to this record is astounding – and we're even more in love with Adriana's music than ever, and bet you'll be too, after hearing this wonderful album. Titles include "Waiting", "Suddenly", "Midnight", "Let You Get Away", "Weatherman", "El Sol", "Sooner Or Later", "Never Thought", and "Set In Stone".

A great little set from Alan Evans – better known as the drummer in Soulive, but equally smoking out here on his own! Alan doesn't always record on his own, but when he does, it's usually a great thing – and this cooking little album definitely lives up to the funky tightness we'd expect! In addition to drums, Evans also plays guitar and bass on the record – and other instrumentation includes more guitar and lots of Hammond too – but used in a style that's very different than Soulive – still funky, but a bit spacey and cosmic too – a bit in keeping with the image on the cover! Evans also sings a bit, with this great raspy style buried down amidst the groove – and titles include "Hotcakes Meltdown", "Thor", "Cosmic Hazel Dust", "Who Dare Knock", "They Call Me Velvet", "Have You Seen Him", and "Biscuits".

A great little set from Alan Evans – better known as the drummer in Soulive, but equally smoking out here on his own! Alan doesn't always record on his own, but when he does, it's usually a great thing – and this cooking little album definitely lives up to the funky tightness we'd expect! In addition to drums, Evans also plays guitar and bass on the record – and other instrumentation includes more guitar and lots of Hammond too – but used in a style that's very different than Soulive – still funky, but a bit spacey and cosmic too – a bit in keeping with the image on the cover! Evans also sings a bit, with this great raspy style buried down amidst the groove – and titles include "Hotcakes Meltdown", "Thor", "Cosmic Hazel Dust", "Who Dare Knock", "They Call Me Velvet", "Have You Seen Him", and "Biscuits".

A pretty sublime album from Bill Evans – one that has him playing both Fender Rhodes and Steinway, overdubbed together, for an effect that's laidback and completely wonderful! The Fender Rhodes was a natural choice for Evans – given his fluid lyrical style, and on this set (and on his equally great record for MGM) Bill opens up with an approach that really suits him well. Each track features him shifting back and forth between electric and acoustic modes, dancing from one to the other in a way that makes the instruments come together beautifully – supported by some incredibly soulful bass work by Eddie Gomez, and drums by Marty Morrell. Titles include "Sugar Plum", "Funkallero", "Waltz for Debby", "TTT", "Re: Person I Knew", and "Comrade Conrad".

Sublime sounds from the later years of Bill Evans – and a recording that shows just how perfectly his piano talents were finding new heights of timing and tone! Many of the tracks here are relatively mellow, and often somewhat dark as well – moody, but not in a way that's negative at all – and instead a real showcase for the darker tones and deeper feelings that Evans continued to evolve into his music in these final stretches – carried off with superb sensitivity by Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums. The recording quality is wonderful – just perfect to capture the special quality of the performance – and titles on this first volume include "Stella By Starlight", "Gary's Theme", "MASH", "We Will Meet Again", "Letter To Evan", and "Noelle's Theme".

Tremendous work from Bill Evans – one of his rare non-trio sides of the 60s – and a stunning batch of tunes with backings from the mighty Claus Ogerman! Most of the tunes here are of classical origin, but they're recast by Evans and Ogerman with almost a soundtrack sensitivity – Bill's piano up front, moving spaciously at very much its own pace – none of the too-virtuoso styles of other 60s jazz-meets-classical players. And Ogerman's backings are also great too – hardly ever strong, and more just light shading amidst the notes of Bill's piano – beautifully sliding in to bring a nice level of warm to the tunes. Titles include a sublime reading of "Pavane", plus the tracks "Granadas", "Time Remembered", "Blue Interlude", "Elegy", and "My Bells".

Magical music from the very first note – the kind of record you need to hear if you've ever doubted the genius of Bill Evans! The sound here is subtle, and supple – but still often more revolutionary than that of the countless albums it inspired in years to come – and Evans is completely at home on the record, working with bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Paul Motian – both players who helped to re-invent the role of rhythm in the piano combo of the time! Titles include a sublime reading of "How My Heart Sings", plus "Walking Up", "Show Type Tune", "Summertime", "34 Skidoo", and "In Your Own Sweet Way".

Beautiful live recordings from Bill Evans – recorded with his late 60s trio that included the incredible Eddie Gomez on bass, plus Marty Morell on drums – a lineup that was really taking off with Bill at the time, and learning how to make some wonderful music together! The setting is the Jazzhus Monmartre in Copenhagen, in November of 1969 – and the tracks have a nice compact feel, not as drawn out as other recordings from the venue at the time – still showing Evans to be a master of economy, even when opening up and exploring new ideas. Bill's also got a bit more punch on the piano than a few years later, which mixes the soulful and lyrical sides of his talents nicely – on titles that include "How My Heart Sings", "Autumn Leaves", "Five", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Sleepin Bee", and "Stella By Starlight".

A double-sized set of live Bill Evans material from the early 70s – a great amount of material that showcases a time when Evans had an especially fluid, open touch on the keys of the piano! The group here features the great trio with Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums – and unlike some other live Evans albums of this nature, which tend to mike the piano more than the rhythm, this one really has all three points of the trio coming out strongly together – especially Gomez' wonderfully rich, round tones on the bass. Titles include "Two Lonely People", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Re Person I Knew", "Elsa", "Emily", "Turn Out The Stars", and "Quiet Now".

A very hip set from Bill Evans' second trio – the legendary lineup that featured Chuck Israels on bass and Paul Motian on drums! Both players bring Evans' sound to an even greater level of spaciousness – allowing for lyrical interplay that's completely amazing, and even furthers the promise of genius made by Bill on his first few albums – a bold step forward that really makes this album one of Evans' standout sets of the early 60s! Titles include an early reading of Evans' wonderful tune "Re: Person I Knew", plus "Very Early", "In Love In Vain", "Stairway To The Stars", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "If You Could See Me Now", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams".

A very hip set from Bill Evans' second trio – the legendary lineup that featured Chuck Israels on bass and Paul Motian on drums! Both players bring Evans' sound to an even greater level of spaciousness – allowing for lyrical interplay that's completely amazing, and even furthers the promise of genius made by Bill on his first few albums – a bold step forward that really makes this album one of Evans' standout sets of the early 60s! Titles include an early reading of Evans' wonderful tune "Re: Person I Knew", plus "Very Early", "In Love In Vain", "Stairway To The Stars", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "If You Could See Me Now", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams".

A pair of great Bill Evans albums for Verve – both a very good fit together! The cover of Empathy co-credits Bill Evans and Shelly Manne as the leader of the set – and that distinction's an important one – as the record has a slightly different feel than some of Bill's other 60s work for Verve! The sound is often a bit stronger, somewhat bolder – and although Manne's not a monster on the drums, he does have a way of directing the tunes that's a bit different than some of Evans' other piano-led albums. Bass is by Monty Budwig, who's nicely sensitive to the talents of both players – and there's almost an equally-weighted melodic feel to all three elements of the trio – which really rounds out the record nicely. Titles include "The Washington Twist", "Danny Boy", "Let's Go Back To The Waltz", "With A Song In My Heart", "Goodbye", and "I Believe In You". Simple Matter Of Conviction is a move into a more sophisticated vein than his earlier recordings! The album has him working with bassist Eddie Gomez, a hugely talented bassist that would be one of Bill's best partners during this period, and a player who added a nice dose of soul to the proceedings. The drummer is Shelly Manne, who's pretty nice, too – and really shows off some of his more sophisticated shadings here in the presence of Evans and Gomez – similar to his work on the great Empathy album. Tracks are shortish, but filled with imagination – and titles include "Unless It's You", "These Things Called Changes", "Stella By Starlight", and "A Simple Matter Of Conviction".

Gil plays Jimi? Sounds like a gimmick, but it comes off pretty darn great – and it helps you forgive him for trying to convince the kids that he's not as old as his grey hair might make you think! As always with Evans, the key to the album is a beautiful balance between the strength of the players and vision of the arrangements – a hip mix of musicians who include Billy Harper on tenor and flute, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, and both Ryo Kawasaki and John Abercrombie on guitars! Arrangements are great too – handled by Tom Malone, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – all of whom make the album way more than just an instrumental reading of Jimi Hendrix tunes – and instead a great platform for improvisation that uses tunes that include "Up From The Skies", "Foxy Lady", "Gypsy Eyes", "Voodoo Chile", "Angel", "Crosstown Traffic", and "Castles Made of Sand".

Gil Evans plays an electric grand piano and is joined by a rather large set of musicians who include Masabumi Kikuchi on a variety of synthesizers, Billy Cobham on drums, Lou Soloff on trumpet, George Lewis on trombone and many others. Tracks include some Evans originals – "Anita's Dance", "Jelly Rolls", "Alyrio", and "Variations On The Misery" plus others like Gershwin's "Gone, Gone, Gone" and Jimi Hendrix's "Up From The Skies".

Gil Evans plays an electric grand piano and is joined by a rather large set of musicians who include Masabumi Kikuchi on a variety of synthesizers, Billy Cobham on drums, Lou Soloff on trumpet, George Lewis on trombone and many others. Tracks include some Evans originals – "Anita's Dance", "Jelly Rolls", "Alyrio", and "Variations On The Misery" plus others like Gershwin's "Gone, Gone, Gone" and Jimi Hendrix's "Up From The Skies".

Gil Evans plays an electric grand piano and is joined by a rather large set of musicians who include Masabumi Kikuchi on a variety of synthesizers, Billy Cobham on drums, Lou Soloff on trumpet, George Lewis on trombone and many others. Tracks include two Evans originals – "Copenhagen Sight" and "Zee Zee" plus others like "Sirhan's Blues", a Jimi Hendrix song "Stone Free", and Mingus' "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress".

A pretty great 70s album from Gil – with some nice electric playing, and a good groove on the best cuts! The overall approach is still very striking – a 70s equivalent to Gil's famous 60s work – and as always with Evans, the players in the ensemble are impeccably well-chosen, with giants like Hannibal Marvin Peterson, Billy Harper, Ryo Kawasaki, Joe Gallivan, and a young Dave Sanborn handling the solos. Includes the odd spacey Tony Williams number "There Comes A Time", plus a cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing" – both of which have vocals by Peterson. Other tracks include "Aftermath Of The Fourth Movement Children Of The Fire", "Anita's Dance", and "Makes Her Move".

Titles include "West Side Story Medley", "Funky Night", "Without You I'm Nothing", "Teacher's Blues", and "Taunting Scene".