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The Rittor Music Japan Bible Of Extreme Metal – a discography book that covers brutal music in a beautiful way! The cover art is extremely metal – but the book actually covers more than just "extreme metal" – it spans the metal genre from it's origins to today – and in exhaustive detail! The text is mostly in Japanese, with the exception of the chapter titles, band names and album titles – but the appeal of the book is largely visual! It assembles the album cover art of key titles in a bunch of categories – including the precedent-setting early legends, the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Thrash, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Grindcore, Gothic Metal, Hardcore and more. Paperback, 252 pages.

A sweet one from The Pointer Sisters – with an opening track that's permanently tattooed to the memory of just about anyone who lived through the era, but better than that, a bunch of great songs that are comparably slept on all these years later! So Excited is a great example of a very solid set of period soulful grooves that you might be tempted to pass on due to extreme exhaustion from the biggest hit – don't do that! There's some great stuff here! The single "I'm So Excited" lit up the early 80s, but this album actually isn't the biggest Pointer Sisters hit of the era, and it's worthy stuff to say the least! Dancefloor ready midtempo groovers with big choruses and insistent grooves galore. Titles include "I'm So Excited", "See How The Love Goes", "Heart Beat", "All Of You", "If You Wanna Get Back Your Lady", "Heart To Heart" and "American Music". This Big Break UK remastered edtion includes 2 bonus tracks: "I'm So Excited (12" Remix)" and "If You Wanna Get Back Your Lady" (12" Remix)".

One of the most beautiful albums ever recorded by this legendary AACM pianist! The album was a rare Japanese-only session from 1975, but recorded in Chicago – and it features Muhal playing solo – in beautifully warm spiritual tones that are very different from his playing on many other albums from the time. The work is wonderfully introspective, showing a whole new side to Abrams' genius – the sensitive, contemplative keyboardist who occasionally emerges during some of Abrams' larger group sessions, but who usually gets pushed back in the fray of larger instrumental interplay. The whole album's extremely beautiful, and it's darn near impossible to find in the original! Tracks include "Afrisong", "The Infinitive Flow", "Hymn To The East", "Roots", and "The New People".

A lost treasure from Antiono Adolfo – keyboard player, arranger, and one of the greatest Brazilian talents of his generation! Adolfo's sound and style is contemporaneous with the best work of Marcos Valle, Edu Lobo, and others – and like them, he has an approach that mixes together jazz, MPB, baroque orchestrations, easy scoring, and a bit of funk – similar to the best work of the Blue Brazil generation on EMI/Odeon Records. The approach is one that's rarely been matched by any other artist – and it's a strong reason why Adolfo's records from this period are extremely sought after in the world of collectors. This beautiful album from 1970 has Adolfo working with the group A Brazuca – who bring some wonderful vocal harmonies to the set, mixing with strings, guitars, and some great electric piano work from Adolfo. Includes the breezy classic "Transamazonica", plus the cuts "Que Se Dane", "Atencao Atencao", "Claudia", "Panorama", "Tributo A Victor Manga", "Caminhada", "Grilopus No 1", and "Cotidiano".

A wonderful little session from Manny Albam – one that continues the strong tradition of larger group jazz arranging he began in the 60s, but which takes it to an even deeper level! Manny composed the entire set as kind of a "city suite" in jazz – one that paints the picture of many different shades of city life through jazzy solos and a range of deeper tones and colors from the larger ensemble. Players include Frank Wess, Phil Woods, JJ Johnson, Jerome Richardson, and Mike Manieri – all extremely well-suited to an outing like this – and titles include "The Game Of The Year", "Born On Arrival", "The View From The Inside", "El Barrio Latino", "Ground Floor Rear", and "Riverview".

Incredible early work from Lorez Alexandria – the kind of albums that instantly set her apart from other singers of the 50s, reissued here properly for the first time in years! On This Is Lorez, the singer is working with sublime small combo backings from the group of pianist King Fleming – an unusual Chicago ensemble that includes Wilber Wynn on guitar, Ronald Wilson on flute and oboe, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Audrey Jones on bongos – a musical lineup that brings in a different sort of sophistication to the record, shading tunes with moody colors on flute and oboe that perfectly support Alexandria's soulful and sensitive interpretations of the tunes. The whole thing is pure genius, and a key look at the new levels of sophistication that were bubbling everywhere on the Chicago scene during the years of Jamal and Sun Ra. Lorez Sings Pres follows in a very similar mode – with backing by a Chicago group that again includes King Fleming piano, plus Charles Stepney on vibes, Paul Serrano on trumpet, and Vernel Fournier on drums – an extremely hip lineup that makes the record far more than just the Lester Young tribute promised in the title! But despite the instrumentalists, the real star on all sides is Alexandria – who sings with dark tones and deep colors that go far beyond conventional jazz vocals – all carried off with that slightly breathy mode that was one more unique aspect of her work! CD features all tracks from both albums – a total of 22 titles that include "Snowstorm", "I'm Glad There Is You", "The Sky Is Crying", "I'm Making Believe", "Necessity", "Penthouse Serenade", "DB Blues", "This Year's Kisses", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "Jumping With Symphony Sid", and a key early reading of "Baltimore Oriole".

Amazing sounds from one of the best funky combos anywhere – ever! Antibalas have certainly risen to fame in the years since we first heard their Afro-styled grooves – working famously in the Fela musical, and reaching generations of ears with their own brilliant records. Yet throughout it all, they've always stayed true to their sound – and, if anything, are even sharper, tighter, and funkier than before – all extremely adept not only at playing their instruments, but at hitting the right sort of sound to cut through all the BS that was holding back funky Afro grooves for years! Part of that sound comes from superb Daptone production by Gabriel Roth – who really knows how to keep things lean and mean and full of energy. But the core credit really goes to the group – who never cease to amaze us here – and continually come up with fresh sounds on their keyboards and horns – and inventive rhythms to match! Titles include "Dirty Money", "The Rat Catcher", "Ari Degbe", "Ibeji", "Sare Kon Kon", and "Him Belly No Go Sweet".

Amazing sounds from one of the best funky combos anywhere – ever! Antibalas have certainly risen to fame in the years since we first heard their Afro-styled grooves – working famously in the Fela musical, and reaching generations of ears with their own brilliant records. Yet throughout it all, they've always stayed true to their sound – and, if anything, are even sharper, tighter, and funkier than before – all extremely adept not only at playing their instruments, but at hitting the right sort of sound to cut through all the BS that was holding back funky Afro grooves for years! Part of that sound comes from superb Daptone production by Gabriel Roth – who really knows how to keep things lean and mean and full of energy. But the core credit really goes to the group – who never cease to amaze us here – and continually come up with fresh sounds on their keyboards and horns – and inventive rhythms to match! Titles include "Dirty Money", "The Rat Catcher", "Ari Degbe", "Ibeji", "Sare Kon Kon", and "Him Belly No Go Sweet".

One of the funkiest records ever from Charly Antolini – the drummer who cut some mighty groovy records for MPS! This album features Charly's drums really kicking hard – actually hitting some moments that make for some tight breaks in the set, supported by instrumentation that's very much in the best MPS big band mode of the time! The mixture of heavy drums and tight horns reminds us a lot of some of the best funk from Buddy Rich – although the MPS setting here is a lot groovier – and players include Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Armin Rusch on organ, Sigi Schwab on guitar, and Ack Van Rooyen on trumpet and flugelhorn. The whole thing's jumping – an extremely propulsive little set – and titles include "Handicraft", "Punching Ball", "Gemma Ham", "Skinny", and "Scratches".

The title's certainly right on this one – because Atlantic Starr serve up a really brilliant blend of electro funk and mainstream soul – balanced with that near-perfect sound that made them one of the best groups of their generation! Despite the size of the combo, the sound is relatively lean – a very focused balance of basslines, keyboards, and some tightly snapping 80s groove rhythms – served up with vocals that warmly cascade over the tops of the tunes, but usually take a second seat to the extremely compelling instrumentation. The sound is polished, but never too slick – and the group are a great example of how well soul from this time could sound when done just the right way! Titles include "Love Me Down", "Sexy Dancer", "Circles", "Love Moves", "Your Love Finally Ran Out", and "You're The One".

A great little album by Roy Ayers – one that features none of his hits, but which has great examples of both sides of Roy's talents at the time. The dancefloor side of Roy kicks in with "Love Will Bring Us Back Together", an extremely catchy groover that's very much in the mode of "Running Away", with plenty of choppy funky riffs, and a good soul base at the core. Even better, though, is the mellow spacey side of Roy – which shows up wonderfully in the cuts "Is It Too Late To Try" and "If You Love Me" – two overlooked gems that float along in a perfect blend of jazz and modern soul, with great breathy vocals and vibes, very much in the spirit of stuff on the You Send Me album.

2 rare slices of exotica by Les Baxter – back to back on one CD! The first half of the set features material from the album Ports Of Pleasure – a dreamy exploration of south sea ideals that's got a more lightly drifting quality than some of Baxter's more percussive exotica albums, and which is awash in dreamy soundscapes penned by Les himself! The orchestrations are large and bold throughout – mixing strings and woodwinds almost in a soundtrack-y mode – but always with the light sense of interplay that makes Baxter's work so great. Titles include "Monkey Dance Of Bali", "Pearls Of Ceylon", "Tahiti A Summer Night At Sea", "Hong Kong Cable Car", "Tramp Steamer To Singapore", "Harem Silks From Bombay", and "Sidewalk Cafes Of Saigon". The Sacred Idol is a real standout set from the end of Les Baxter's run at Capitol Records – originally scored for a film that was never released, but a great set of tracks that more than stands strongly on its own! The theme here is a Mexican/Latin American one – explored by Baxter with his trademark blend of larger orchestrations and lighter exotica touches – often swirling around in an extremely evocative mode that makes us wish the film had been issued to the public, and at a few key moments even hinting at the funkier modes that would follow on some of Les' later work for other labels. Titles include "Aqueducts", "Gardens Of The Moon", "Pyramid Of The Sun", "Temple Of Gold", and "Procession Of The Princes".

An excellent upbeat club number – sung in Japanese by the lovely Bird, and produced by Shinichi Osawa of Mondo Grosso. The track's probably one of our favorites from Bird's latest LP – and it's got these kick-start beats at the beginning that are mixed with burst of strings that sound totally great. The vocals are extremely soulful, and mix in with these keyboard lines that percolate the track – swirling together in a way that makes the cut instantly compelling!

A legendary album of Memphis soul – and a full length set that helped redefine the sound of instrumental music in the 60s! The record's a monumental follow-up to Booker T & The MGs' huge hit single "Green Onions" – an extremely seductive organ-based instrumental that the band cooked up while just messing around in the studio – and it's filled with other organ-heavy grooves played by this tight Memphis quartet – a group who were just starting out at this point, but already had a sound that's unlike anyone else! The work of Booker T is especially nice – Hammond with a bit more punch than other combos of this nature – backed by some wicked guitar from Steve Cropper, bass from Lewis Steinberg, and drums from Al Jackson. The set features a nice mix of covers and original tunes – with titles that include "Green Onions", "I Got A Woman", "Twist & Shout", "Lonely Avenue", "Comin Home Baby", "Mo Onions", "Behave Yourself", and "Rinky Dink". CD features two bonus live tracks from 1965 – versions of "Green Onions" and "Can't Sit Down".

2 beautiful tracks of group soul by this lost Chicago group. "I Owe You Love" is a smooth ballad cut, with a very nice descending chorus that's extremely catchy. "Summer Ride" is a remake of a track done by the Sandpebbles, and is a very nice groover!

A killer set that's extremely well-titled – as BT Express were one of the hottest ensemble funk acts of their time! The groove here is definitely aimed at a more disco-oriented dancefloor than before – but the overall sound is plenty funky enough for our ears – thanks to some amazing horn passages arranged by Carlos Ward, whose own work on sax and flute really add an edgey quality to the set. Ward's horns are really fantastic – cutting and turning with a sharply-honed tone that keeps things fresh throughout – even when the rhythms are hitting more of a mainstream dancefloor sound. Titles include the group's mellow soul version of "Now That We've Found Love", plus "Herbs", "Time Tunnel", "Energy To Burn", and "Make Your Body Move".

As great as he is in the studio, Chico Buarque's almost even better live – especially in a setting like this, where all his personality and charm can really shine through! The set's an extremely well done recording – one that features Chico working with backings that are full, but never clunky, nor competing with his vocals in the space of the arena. And if anything, the overall sound is an extension of the warm modes that Chico laid down on his great studio album Carioca – but made even more personal through the live performance here. The double-length set is overflowing with great tunes – and is another great illustration of the increasing depth of Buarque's music in his later years. Titles include "Renata Maria", "Outros Sonhos", "Imagina", "O Futebol", "A Historia De Lily Braun", "Ela Faz Cinema", "Eu Te Amo", "Bolero Blues", "Leve", "Futuros Amantes", "Joao E Maria", and "Quem Te Viu Quem Te Ve".

Easily one of our favorite albums by Tim Buckley – and a record that really opens up with some key jazzy touches! Buckley's still got his roots in folk here, and his vocals are yet to hit the extremes of Starsailor or Lorca – but there's also a new sense of inflection to the way he puts over the lyrics, shaded in by use of vibes, kalimba, harmonium, and harpsichord – the latter two of which are played on the session by Don Randi! Tracks are relatively short, but high in concept – and include the protest song "No Man Can Find The War", plus "Hallucinations", "Phantasmagoria In Two", "Carnival Song", "Pleasant Street", "Morning Glory", and "Goodbye & Hello".

Easily our favorite record by singer Merry Clayton – and oddly, because it's a record that actually smoothes out a bit of the emotion referenced in the title, and goes for a welcome mellow groove overall! The Merry heard here is quite different than the belting songstress who first rose to fame in the early 70s for her crossover work – and she's working here in a warm and jazzy set of backings that really help her move onto a strong new sound. Our favorite track on the set is Merry's great reading of Webster Lewis' excellent "Emotion" – done at a level that easily matches Webster's own version – and the set also features a great new take on "Armed & Extremely Dangerous", and a medley of Sly & The Family Stone tunes, titled "Sly Suite"! Other tracks include "Cryin For Love", "Let Me Make You Cry A Little Longer", and "Wasted Time".

A landmark LP of guitar-based funk! Dennis Coffey had been playing, arranging, and producing all over the Detroit soul scene by the time this album came out – so it wasn't like he really needed a hit to get paid or anything – but the record forever marked him as a guitar player to be reckoned with, and it was a perfect showcase for Coffey's fuzzed-out funky style, instantly recognizable and still extremely popular today! The album contains the monster breakbeat cut "Scorpio" – kind of a seminal text of hip hop – plus plenty of other groovers like "Getting It On", "Garden Of The Moon", "Big City Funk", and "Sad Angel".

A reading of Duke Ellington's famous suite of tracks, in a performance that features Norma Winstone on the vocal tunes – and which has some extremely strong solo work from Richard Sudhalter, John Davies, Keith Nichols, and Paul Nossiter. Titles include "West Indian Dance", "Come Sunday", "Work Song", "The Blues", and "In One Movement".

An album that certainly lives up to the promise of its title – as it's filled with amazing instrumentation, groundbreaking compositions, and a sound in jazz that few ears could imagine at the time! The groove here is extremely modal – all instruments rolling along on the same rhythmic pulse, with drums, bass, trumpet, and alto sax incredibly intertwined! Ornette's really got an edge on his instrument – cutting even more deeply here than the clipped, punctuated cornet work of Don Cherry – and the rhythm team of Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins are simply amazing – not just keeping up with the energy of Ornette, but also really helping facilitate it as well! Titles include the haunting "Lonely Woman", plus "Peace", "Chronology", and "Focus on Sanity".

The mellower of Lyn Collins' two albums for the People label – but still pretty darn fantastic! At some level, it seems like Lyn's taking on the rest of the soul industry – showing them that she can kick some major booty on her interpretations of hits like "Backstabbers", "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "Mr Big Stuff", which is one of her best funky tracks ever, and better than Jean Knight's original! She also shines extremely well on the original cuts, though – especially the funky classic "Rock Me Again & Again & Again", plus the often-overlooked mellow soul groovers "To Each His Own", "Put It On The Line", and "How Long Can I Keep It Up". Production by James Brown, of course!

A landmark album of vocal jazz – and one of the few sessions that John Coltrane ever cut with a singer! In a way, the album's more Hartman's than it is Coltrane's – given that Johnny's warm, mellow style of singing isn't as free and open as Trane at his most adventurous – but at another level, the album's got a great approach to Coltrane's gentler side, one that wasn't showing up on a lot of his Impulse albums of the time. Overall, the album's got an extremely haunting quality, and McCoy Tyner's piano adds as much to Hartman's hip voice as Coltrane's mellow tenor. Titles include some well-chosen moody standards – including "Lush Life", "Dedicated To You", and "Autumn Serenade".

A great Crusaders album – and one that's a perfect bridge between their earlier soul jazz styles, and their tighter funkier electric one. The record was recorded live at the Roxy, and the group is augmented by Larry Carlton on guitar, who gives the tracks a nice razor edge at his best moments. All songs are pretty long – and the band is in extremely good form, jamming away with lots of funky vamping, and breaking out with some very soulful solos. Titles include "Scratch", "Hard Times", "So Far Away", and "Way Back Home".

An obscure but excellent session – recorded at the end of the 70s with some of the best players in the New York salsa underground! The music is extremely vibrant – and the styles of the tracks range from hard Afro-Cuban percussion grooving to tight Latin jazz in a classic mode – with instrumentation that ranges from pachanga-styled flute and violin, to some harder-jamming grooves with a lot more piano in the lead. Production has that raw, but clear sound that we love so much in the Latin Percussion albums of the time – a groove that's very different than that of Fania or Tico – and Sonny Bravo plays piano, Rene Lopez is on trumpet, Nicky Marrera is on timbales, Dick Meza plays flute, Eddie Montalvo plays conga, and Mario Rivera is on saxes. Includes great Latin Jazz versions of "Tune Up", "Manteca", and "April In Paris" – plus "Jo Ca Nic", "Son De La Loma", and "Konkoina".

Two great soundtracks by Georges Delerue – both penned for Jean-Paul Belmondo films of the mid 60s! Les Tribulations D'Un Chinois En Chine has a really great style that mixes fake "Chinese" themes with more playful orchestrations – all in a mood that really fits that lightly comedic action of the movie, and which has an extremely evocative feel, even away from the screen! Strings are often arranged in playful ways, and mixed with odd woodwinds – not really authentically Chinese, but that's the appeal! L'Homme De Rio has a stronger Brazilian feel, as you might expect – one that's got bits of batucada, elements of bossa orchestrations, and some of the bolder, more dramatic moments we've come to expect from Delerue! The whole package is great, with lots of images from the films, and notes in both English and French – and a total of 24 tracks that include "Bowling Bresilien", "Batucada/Rapt Au Trocadero", "A La Poursuite De Catalan", "Quelle Adventure", "Mister Goh", "Hong Kong", "Poursuite En Ballon", "Suzy Et Cornelius", and "Choinoiseries" – plus 2 bonus tracks, "Alexandrine Pour Alexandra" and "Amazone".

This is the kind of CD that makes us love reissues! Why? Well, because it features 2 incredibly rare jazz albums – both of which never turn up on vinyl, and are lovingly packaged here on 1 CD filled with a dozen hard bop grooves. The album Matador was originally issued under Kenny Dorham's name, and Inta Somethin' was issued under Jackie McLean's name – but both players are sort of co-leaders on both albums, and it's fitting to pair the records together here because they represent the unique union of these two different players. Dorham's lyrical trumpet is an unlikely match for McLean's edgey alto, but the records work well, and with a modernist groove that's extremely compelling. Titles include "El Matador", "San Francisco Beat", "Prelude", and versions of "Una Mas" and "Melanie" – both of which were recorded later by the artists on Blue Note.

An extremely righteous bit of soul jazz – originally issued in a very small pressing by Folkway Records, at a time when the label was doing some great underground recordings! The sound is loose and free – spiritually building in a manner that recalls the work of Ahmed Abdul Malik, Phil Cohran, and some of the AACM – and the album has a style that's exploratory, but never goes too far out, or loses its sense of rhythm and swing. Tracks are longish, and the core group features soprano sax and Korean reeds by Bilal Abdurahman and vibes by Ameen Nuraldeen – plus guest work on bass by James Smith, and appearances by a lot of different world percussion players. There's a nice Eastern feel to some of the tracks, and titles include "Mevlana", "Ti Ti", "Sun Flower", and "Bent El Jerusalem".

2 early 70s sessions from Billy Eckstine – both recorded for Stax Records! First up is Senior Soul – a well-titled set not only given Billy's age, but also because of the surprisingly soulful undercurrent to the record – an extension into the genre even greater than Eckstine's previous recordings for Motown – and proof that he was really trying to stretch out towards new audiences at the time! Artie Butler handled the backings, and he uses a groove that's pretty full, but never overwhelming – more ebullient soul than some of Eckstine's more familiar jazz – with backing vocals and bright horns, yet still plenty of space for Billy to do his thing. The best numbers have Eckstine coming across with the 70s cool of Grady Tate on his vocal sides – and titles include "Thank You For The Moment", "A Song For You", "A Man Who Sings", "Today Was Tomorrow Yesterday", "I Believe In Music", and "Living Like A Gypsy". If She Walked Into My Life is extremely compelling stuff – and you've really got to give Billy credit for reinventing himself like this! The album features Billy's deep deep voice amidst arrangements by Artie Butler, Jimmy Jones, Mike Melvoin, and Billy Byers – sort of a blend of Grady Tate sophisti-jazz, and Scott Walker baroque, with a moody mellow sound that would make either of them proud. Titles include "The Taste Of My Tears", "I Am Yours", "Maybe This Time", "The Very Thought Of You", and "All In Love Is Fair".

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

Extremely heady work from the French scene of the early 70s – and hardly the Latin Rock album you might guess from the title! Ergo Sum have a sound that's as contemplative as their name – a slow-building, almost brooding blend of jamming, jazzy work on flute, Fender Rhodes, organ, guitar, violin, bass, and drums – all topped by the distinctive vocals of Lionel Ledissez, who's got a raspy, rough-edged appeal that almost sounds like Cat Stevens gone to seed! The lyrics are all in English, which adds to the appeal of the record – and the flute and keyboard parts are handled by Jean Guerin. Titles include "Night Road", "John's Nightmare", "Faces", "Second Rebirth", and "Albdion Impressions". As with all Lion reissues, the production is wonderful – lots of notes and photos on the music, plus bonus tracks that include "Mexico (inst)", "It's Me", "Tijuana", and "All's So Comic".

The one and only album by Exit 9 – an obscure funk combo who recorded this rare set for Brunswick in 1975! The group is extremely tight instrumentally – working at a very fast funky clip that's kind of similar to work by Bohannon or Sound Experience – both of whom shared Exit 9's pre-disco approach to dancefloor grooves – more fast-funk than the tighter club sound of later years, and proof that a funky combo could hit the dancefloor if it had the right groove! Most numbers have vocals, and instrumentation includes lots of nice guitar work that keeps a rawer edge on the tracks – choppy and gritty in a really great way. Tracks include "MFB", "Miss Funky Fox", "Fly", "Julie I Love You", "Jive Man", and "Rhapsody in Funk".

An early record by Experience Unlimited – better known to most of the world as EU, the DC funk outfit that went onto become pretty big in the GoGo scene, and who scored big with the 80s party cut "Da Butt". This one's nothing like that stuff – and instead catches the group when they were part of a more spiritual scene, the same DC one that gave the world Oneness Of Juju. This album has the group very much in a mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire mode – jamming hard and free, with plenty of electric guitar riffing, funky keyboards, horns, and lots of percussion. Some tracks have vocals, and some are instrumentals – but the whole thing's an extremely unified album with a great overall vibe. Titles include "Functus", "Free Yourself", "Hey You", "It's All Imagination", and "Funk Consciousness".

Wonderful stuff – and one of our favorite-ever Marvin Gaye albums! This is the legendary two-record set that Marvin wrote and recorded as an alimony payment to his ex-wife Anna Gordy (the story's pretty long, and we won't get into it here – suffice it to say that when stars get a divorce, watch out!) Although the album was thought of as a no-brainer quickie at the time – and predicted to fail so that Anna wouldn't get any cash from it – the record is an extremely well-crafted one, filled with extremely personal songs that also have a warm soulful finish, in the style of Marvin's work on the LP I Want You (which is kind of a nice bookend to this one – as it was an extended love poem to the young girlfriend that caused him to split up with Anna!) Hard and soulful, the record's a searing testimony to the relationship between Marvin and Anna, and a painful document of the troubles between them – set to some mellow grooves that are easily some of Marvin's greatest of the 70s! The set's filled with great "lost" Marvin Gay songs, too – like "Sparrow", "When Did You Stop Loving Me", "Anger", "You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You", and "Time to Get it Together".

Wonderful stuff – and one of our favorite-ever Marvin Gaye albums! This is the legendary two-record set that Marvin wrote and recorded as an alimony payment to his ex-wife Anna Gordy (the story's pretty long, and we won't get into it here – suffice it to say that when stars get a divorce, watch out!) Although the album was thought of as a no-brainer quickie at the time – and predicted to fail so that Anna wouldn't get any cash from it – the record is an extremely well-crafted one, filled with extremely personal songs that also have a warm soulful finish, in the style of Marvin's work on the LP I Want You (which is kind of a nice bookend to this one – as it was an extended love poem to the young girlfriend that caused him to split up with Anna!) Hard and soulful, the record's a searing testimony to the relationship between Marvin and Anna, and a painful document of the troubles between them – set to some mellow grooves that are easily some of Marvin's greatest of the 70s! The set's filled with great "lost" Marvin Gay songs, too – like "Sparrow", "When Did You Stop Loving Me", "Anger", "You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You", and "Time to Get it Together".

A legendary record from one of the most unique Latin groups of their time! In an early 70s world where many Latin combos were going for class and poise, the Ghetto Brothers moved in another direction entirely – working here with a fair bit of electric guitar alongside more familiar Latin rhythms – all to push along some wonderfully soulful vocals! The record's got a very different feel than most east coast Latin work of the time – one that's a bit like some of the Chicano soul of the west coast, but not nearly as smooth, and with a definite nod towards both funk and singer/songwriter work of the mainstream! The guitar's really upfront in the mix – riffing off at the start of most tracks – and the vocals have a slightly sweet quality, supported by harmonies from the rest of the group at times – making for a wicked blend of modes that's extremely compelling. A record that's as filled with soul and feeling as it is with hard-edge groovers – featuring titles that include "You Say You Are My Friend", "Ghetto Brothers Power", "I Saw A Tear", "Girl From The Mountain", "There Is Something In My Hearth", "Got This Happy Feeling", and "Viva Puerto Rico Libre". This great deluxe edition from Truth & Soul comes inside a beautifully done, 80-page booklet – full of rare photos of the band in action and behind-the-scenes – plus richly detailed notes.

An incredible bit of soundtrack work by Gilberto Gil – and one of his best albums! The record was originally recorded to accompany the work of director Rogerio Szanzerla, and it's a wonderful mix of samba, jazz, and post-Tropicalia psychedelia – all recorded in a warm intimate style that's similar to Gil's legendary London recording from 1971! The tracks are some of the most pioneering that Gil ever recorded – and they break free of the time and space constraints of some of his studio albums, stretching songs out into long open-ended explorations, 4 of which are over seven minutes long. Gil's vocals are extremely soulful, and his guitar playing is free and jazzy, often interspersed with some nice funky flute and percussion work. Titles include "Diga A Ela" in two versions – plus "Mr. Sganzeria", "Blind Faith", "Yeh Yeh Yah Yah", and "Tomorrow Vai Ser Bacana".

Gilberto Gil's first album after a few years exile in England – and a really explosive record that recalls the brilliance of his Tropicalia years! The record's an incredible blend of rootsy percussion, raspy guitar, and tripped-out production – all delivered with an instrumental sensibility that's even more sophisticated than before, and a lyrical interplay that's really amazing – extremely poetic at points, even if you can't understand the language! As with Gal Costa in the early 70s, Gilberto Gil manages to keep some of the best experimental elements of his music burning bright, even after the collapse of the Tropicalia movement – and as with some earlier Tropicalia gems, this album features some great work on bass and guitar from Lanny Gordin, not to mention drums and percussion from Tutty Moreno, who's better known for his later work with Joyce. Tracks include "Back In Bahia", "Expresso 2222", "Oriente", "Chiclete Com Banana", "Pipoca Moderna", and "O Sonho Acabou".

An amazing run of Italian soundtracks from Goblin – six different albums, each packaged in tiny LP-styled sleeves, with lots of bonus tracks too! The work here is wonderful – really genre-defining grooves that moved horror soundtracks into the realm of rock in the 70s – using wicked guitar lines, sinister keyboards, and brooding bass to really set this spare and extremely effective groove – an approach that John Carpenter used to greater fame here in the US – but which was virtually invented by Goblin! Each album comes in a Cinevox label record sleeve – and the box features Profondo Rosso (with 27 bonus tracks!), Roller (with 2 bonus tracks), Suspiria (with 5 bonus tracks), Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarosso Mark (with 1 bonus track), Zombi (with 7 bonus tracks), and Tenebre (with 11 bonus tracks). Box is nice and sturdy, and comes with a booklet of notes too!

Soulful, spiritual work from guitarist Grant Green – an exploration of older tunes with a hip Blue Note 60s soul jazz approach! The album features Grant working in a quartet with Herbie Hancock, Billy Higgins, and Butch Warren – plus some added tambourine on a number of tracks – and the overall approach is extremely laidback and open, with Green soloing in a personal style that's a bit less frenetic than some of his other work of the period. Tracks include "Go Down Moses", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen".

Soulful, spiritual work from guitarist Grant Green – an exploration of older tunes with a hip Blue Note 60s soul jazz approach! The album features Grant working in a quartet with Herbie Hancock, Billy Higgins, and Butch Warren – plus some added tambourine on a number of tracks – and the overall approach is extremely laidback and open, with Green soloing in a personal style that's a bit less frenetic than some of his other work of the period. Tracks include "Go Down Moses", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen". CD features the bonus track "Deep River".

One of the most obscure chapters in the career of Ennio Morricone – important avant garde work recorded in the mid 60s, just at a point when he was beginning to rise in soundtrack fame! The ensemble is a key Italian modernist group featuring Morricone, Giovanni Piazza, Mario Bertoncini, Egisto Macchi, Gualtiero Branch, Jesus Villa Rojo, and Francesco Evangelisti – mostly classically-trained musicians, but working here in a set of improvisations that are extremely spare, and which are very much at the lower end of the sound spectrum. Many of the sounds on the set are right at the frontiers of hearing – and others, while more present, disappear as quickly as they emerge – further enforcing the mystery and mood of the record. And while the overall style is quite different than Morricone's soundtrack work, the group was clearly a key testing ground for his ideas of sound and space that emerged later. Titles include "Soup", "Scratch", "Settimino", and "Eflot".

An amazing moment from the Brazilian music scene of the 70s – an album that's both extremely personal for each of the artists involved, yet also a wonderful collaboration between a host of up-and-coming talents! There's a relaxed, intimate feel to the whole thing that's mighty nice – almost an echo of the album's back cover photo, which shows the four key players posed inside a tiny water closet – and the overall approach is quite similar to the best Milton Nascimento/Minas Geraes work of the time – no surprise, as there's a fair bit of ties here to that scene too! Each of the four artists gets to sing lead at some point – stepping out on songs that are their own, yet which are also unified in sound, given shared musicians and spirit, too. Guests include Lo Borges, Nelson Angelo, Wagner Tiso, Tenorio Jr, and Nana Caymmi – who each leave their musical mark – and title sinclude "Caso Voce Queira Saber", "Belo Horror", "Manuel O Audaz", "Viva Eu", "Ponta Negra", and "Luiza".

A gem of an album from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – his third on the Gondawa label, and like all the others, a set that we'd easily rank right up there with the best 70s spiritual jazz on labels like Strata East or Black Jazz! The set's got a fluid sound that's extremely compelling – kind of a post-Coltrane vibe that has all the players stretching out nicely, but always in a soulful way – never too overdone, or too avant – always staying in the right sort of expressive modes to keep their energy focused. And in the group with Halsall's trumpet is the tenor of Nat Birchall – labelmate on Gondawa, and a player we totally love too – with rhythm support from Adam Fairhall on piano, Gavin Barras on bass, and Gaz Hughes on drums – plus a bit of harp from Rachael Gladwin on one track. Titles include "Samatha", "The End Of Dukkha", "Song For Charlie", and "Music For A Dancing Mind".

Killer work from Chico Hamilton – and a key batch of sides recorded between his 50s quintet sessions for Pacific Jazz and his later modal magic at Impulse! The work here was originally done for the Navy Swings series of radio shows – and features a Chico with the group that included Charles Lloyd on flute, tenor, and alto sax, Gabor Szabo on guitar, George Bohannon on trombone, and Albert Stinson on bass. The lack of piano and presence of trombone makes for a really unique feel to the group – one that's almost got extra bass at moments, thanks to the work of Bohannon – and which allows for some especially creative flourishes from Lloyd on sax – clearly opening up here, even at an early date. Tracks are short, but extremely creative throughout – and the 16 track set is filled with great originals by Lloyd that include "Vulture", "A Rose For Booker", "Transfusion", "Tales", "CL Blues", "One For Joan", "Homeward", and "Sun Yen Sen".

An amazing record from the young Lee Hazlewood – recorded in the years before working with Nancy Sinatra, and done with a very hip edge that stretches way past its date of origin – to a time ten years later, when the LA scene would be in the midst of a fascination with country and roots music! Hazlewood is the lost link in that tradition, and this album is key proof of that fact – served up with a mixture of warmth, cynicism, and just plain wit that was extremely unusual for the early 60s. Lee uses the fictional town of Trouble as the setting for the 10 little story tracks in the album – which are great little songs about love, life, not loving, and not living. The music is deceptively simple, and Hazlewood weaves the songs together with narration that brings the whole thing alive nicely – really showcasing the warmth and wit that makes his music so special. Titles include "We All Make The Flowers Grow", "Six Feet Of Chain", "Trouble Is A Lonesome Town", "The Railroad", "Run Boy Run", "Son Of A Gun", and "Look At That Woman". Rare mono mix, beautifully presented with great sound and loads of notes – and also features a huge amount of bonus tracks too! Bonus tracks include "It's An Actuality", "Forth Worth", "I Guess It's Love", and the incredible promo-only "Lee Hazlewood Autobiography" – which features Hazlewood telling his life story set to his own acoustic guitar playing, with even more wit than on the album – plus two vocal tunes with Duane Eddy – "The Girl On Death Row" and "Words Mean Nothing" – and four more recorded under the name of Mark Robinson – "Pretty Jane", "Want Me", "Can't Let Her See Me Cry", and "I've Made Enough Mistakes Today".

An amazing record from the young Lee Hazlewood – recorded in the years before working with Nancy Sinatra, and done with a very hip edge that stretches way past its date of origin – to a time ten years later, when the LA scene would be in the midst of a fascination with country and roots music! Hazlewood is the lost link in that tradition, and this album is key proof of that fact – served up with a mixture of warmth, cynicism, and just plain wit that was extremely unusual for the early 60s. Lee uses the fictional town of Trouble as the setting for the 10 little story tracks in the album – which are great little songs about love, life, not loving, and not living. The music is deceptively simple, and Hazlewood weaves the songs together with narration that brings the whole thing alive nicely – really showcasing the warmth and wit that makes his music so special. Titles include "We All Make The Flowers Grow", "Six Feet Of Chain", "Trouble Is A Lonesome Town", "The Railroad", "Run Boy Run", "Son Of A Gun", and "Look At That Woman". Rare mono mix, beautifully presented with great sound and loads of notes – and also features a huge amount of bonus tracks too! Bonus tracks include "It's An Actuality", "Forth Worth", "I Guess It's Love", and the incredible promo-only "Lee Hazlewood Autobiography" – which features Hazlewood telling his life story set to his own acoustic guitar playing, with even more wit than on the album – plus two vocal tunes with Duane Eddy – "The Girl On Death Row" and "Words Mean Nothing" – and four more recorded under the name of Mark Robinson – "Pretty Jane", "Want Me", "Can't Let Her See Me Cry", and "I've Made Enough Mistakes Today".

An unearthed session from the 70s – a great live date from the prime loft jazz years in New York, and one that features spare duets between Julius Hemphill on alto sax and Abdul Wadud on cello! Wadud's one of these players that we always find fascinating, especially in a spare setting like this – where you can really hear his unusual approach to the cello, handling the instrument almost more like a bass, and really getting some great sounds out of the strings! Hemphill's tone is sharp and clear – extremely expressive in this setting – and titles include "In Space", "Pensive", "Echo 1", and "Echo 2".

Seminal southern soul from the great Willie Hightower – a singer we'd rank right up there with Otis Redding, Al Green, and James Carr! Willie's got an incredible voice that grabs you right away – earthy and honest, yet also extremely well controlled – almost a down home take on the sound of some of the smoother soul singers of the 60s – in a manner that reminds us a bit of Garnett Mimms, and which really stands apart from other vocalists of the time. The 18 tracks on this set represent Willie at his best – and the collection features material recorded for producer Bobby Robinson (issued on both the Capitol and Enjoy labels), and Muscle Shoals maestro Rick Hall – brought together with beautiful fidelity, in a package that finally gives Willie his due, and which will hopefully get his name out there with the rest of his lendary contemporaries! Titles include "Walk A Mile In My Shoes", "You Used Me", "Back Road Into Town", "Nobody But You", "I Love You", "Poor Man", "Let's Walk Together", "Somebody Have Mercy", "You Are Mine", "It's A Miracle", and "Ooh Baby How I Love You".

A great trio date that has Takehiro Honda working with Reggie Workman on bass and Motohiko Hino on drums – an extremely great group that really takes off in this setting! The record is one of the freer sides from Honda at the time – done in the more open, lyrical modes that were coming into prominence in Japan at the time – although still with a strong sense of rhythm, as was common in all of his work. One track features Honda on electric piano – but we're actually more partial to the acoustic numbers, as they burst out with a proud, righteous energy that's really great! Titles include "Jodo", "Lazy Dream", "The Way To Brooklyn", and "Second Country".

Two excellent early albums from Shirley Horn – back to back on a single CD! Travelin Light is one of the greatest jazz vocal albums of the 60s, and probably the greatest album ever by Shirley Horn! The session's got a beautiful lively sound, with extremely interesting arrangements by Johnny Pate, and a flute/piano/guitar sound that works perfectly with Shirley's lovely voice. The material is a great mix of lesser-known songs, sung with a maturity and honesty that will make your heart break. We love this one way better than any of Shirley's recent albums, and we can't recommend it highly enough! Titles include "Sunday In New York", "Yes, I Know When I've Had It", "Someone You've Loved", "I Could Have Told You", "Travelin Light", and "Don't Be On The Outside". Horn Of Plenty is hip stuff from Shirley Horn – very mature and swinging jazz! The set features the sharp early vocals of Shirley Horn nicely set up with some larger backings – hip arrangements handled by Quincy Jones, Thad Jones, and Billy Byers – with all the groovy 60s punch you can imagine from a lineup like that! And although Horn later became well known for some gentler, mellower cuts, we're huge fans of her singing like this – which has a righteous power that really tops some of the vocalists from the previous generation. Titles include "Wee Small Hours", "That Old Black Magic", "The Great City", "On The Street Where You Live", and "Let Me Love You".

Killer early soul by Leroy Hutson – and a record that really shows him opening up as a vocalist and songwriter! Leroy's style is not as smooth and polished as on later albums, and the record's got a bit of a rougher soul edge and a strong early 70s radio sound. Includes the wonderful soul classic "So In Love With You", a sweet mellow ballad that's extremely catchy, plus the moog-based funky instrumental "Gettin It On", a totally great number that often gets overlooked – and the cuts "Love Oh Love", "As Long As There's Love Around", and "Time Brings On A Change". Solid, mellow soul from Chicago in the seventies, with a sweet soul vibe, and great Curtom production.

Killer early soul by Leroy Hutson – and a record that really shows him opening up as a vocalist and songwriter! Leroy's style is not as smooth and polished as on later albums, and the record's got a bit of a rougher soul edge and a strong early 70s radio sound. Includes the wonderful soul classic "So In Love With You", a sweet mellow ballad that's extremely catchy, plus the moog-based funky instrumental "Gettin It On", a totally great number that often gets overlooked – and the cuts "Love Oh Love", "As Long As There's Love Around", and "Time Brings On A Change". Solid, mellow soul from Chicago in the seventies, with a sweet soul vibe, and great Curtom production. This is the second pressing – on Warner/Curtom, from the mid 70s.

A beautiful little record – one of those really unique, really sensitively soulful sessions of jazz that were coming out of the Japanese scene in the 70s – quite different than work you'd hear from any other point of the globe! The group's led by bassist Yoshio Ikeda – who has a way of carefully setting things up from the bottom – rolling out these warm acoustic lines that set the scene for the album's work on piano from Aki Takase, flute from Masami Nakagwa and Tamami Koyake, trombones from Shigeharu Mukai and Tadanori Knakawa, trumpet from Hitoshi Okano, and soprano and tenor from Suetoshi Shimizu – instruments that are spun out in these long, lyrical lines that are extremely beautiful – and as evocative as the title fo the record! Titles include "Down To The Sea", "After Image", "Anemophilous Flower", and "Rising Into The Sky".

The Incredible String Band are paired down to the core duo of Mike Heron & Robin Williamson for their third and possibly best album – the truly incredible Hangman's Beautiful Daughter – using the studio as a most impressive adjunct member of the group at this point! This is an extremely talented pair – each playing myriad instruments – sitar, organ, guitar, hammer dulcimer, harpsichord, gimbri, whistle, pipe, oud, mandolin, mouth harps and more. Previous vocal collaborator Licorice sings on one song, and Dolly Collins and David Snell contribute flute organ, piano and harp – but the main duos incredible way of layering their magic with multitracking in the studio the real masterstroke of the effort. Titles include "Koeoaddi There", "Witch's Hat", "The Water Song", "Swift As The Wind", "Nightfall", "Waltz Of The New Moon", "Three Is A Green Crown" and more.

Great stuff! We love Deon Jackson – we love his voice, we love his songs, and we love the great production he gets from the legendary Ollie McLaughlin! This set features 12 of Deon's great soul work recorded with Ollie for the Detroit-based Carla label from the 60s – and they're picture-perfect tunes, with vocal phrasing that's right up there with the best male singers of the 60s, and a fresh approach to instrumentation that mixes Motown grooving with uptown soul arrangements. Deon's unique style works extremely well on all the tracks, from the super-hit "Love Makes The World Go Round", to other material like "Come Back Home", "You Said You Love Me", "I Need A Love Like Yours", "Ooh Baby", "Nursery Rhymes", "Love Takes A Long Time Growing" and "Hush Little Baby".

A landmark album – not only for Bob James, but for CTI and the Fender Rhodes as well! This is the album where all the magic starts – the first of many extremely successful albums that Bob recorded during the 70s under his own name, and almost the birthplace of the modern hip hop keyboard sample line! The album's stuffed with great numbers – including a sublime reading of "Feel Like Making Love", and the classic "Nautilus" – a slow, dark, funky tune that's worth the price of the album alone! Other tracks include "Valley Of The Shadows", "Night On Bald Mountain", and "Soulero".

Classic trumpet-heavy jive from Jonah Jones! The focus is on Jonah's gutbucket swinging style, with his trumpet up front in the mix in post-KC swing-type tunes. Things get a bit campy at times, but this pop-jazz-swing style worked extremely well for Jones and Capitol. Titles include "Moten Swing", "Lots Of Luck Charley", "Ballin The Jack", "Slowly But Surely", "Night Train", "The Blues Don't Care", and "Just A Gigolo". Sure to be a big hit with the modern swingers!

A great blend of choppy reeds, soaring keys, and romping rhythms – handled here by an extremely inventive 70s group! Listen is the brainchild of reedman Mel Martin – who plays soprano sax, tenor, flute, and piccolo on the record – but it also features some wicked keyboards and steel drums from Andy Narrell, who sounds way better here than in his later new age years. Martin's got a really sharp-edged sort of sound – almost in the 70s Steve Grossman mode, especially on soprano, or maybe a bit like early Dave Liebman – nicely cutting alongside rhythms from bassist Dave Dunaway and drummer George Marsh, both of whom bring their own creative touches to play, while still making things groove nicely. Titles include "A Tribute To Clark Kent", "Aural Hallucination", "The Mosquito Steps Out", "Gazpacho Sabroso", "Jesse's Theme", and "Dance For Denica".

A rare session from Herbie Mann – hardly the sort of operatic fare you might guess from the title, and instead one of Herbie's most enigmatic albums of the time, thanks to a nicely dark-edged quality to the sound! Herbie's flute is crisp and clean, but also extremely soulful – and the set features Mann in a variety of settings. 4 titles feature backing by a trio with Jimmy Rowles on piano, Buddy Clark on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums – all playing with moodier tones than you might expect from some of their other work of the time. 3 more tunes feature a more Latin vein – with great arrangements from Laurindo Almeida, and guitar from Tony Rizzi. And a few more tracks feature a bit of strings, and some added rhythm by a group with Jimmy Rowles on piano and Howard Roberts on guitar. Titles include "Let's Dance", "Tenderly", "Strike Up The Band", "Frenesi", "Oddles Of Noodles", "Evolution Of Mann", "Baia", and "St Louis Blues".

A great album by Curtis Mayfield – filled with some excellent lesser-known gems! There's No Place Like America was Curtis' scathing testament to the State Of The Union – and it's got a hip political tone that's right up there with the best of his early 70s songwriting – perhaps even more so, as the message is a bit subtler than on other albums, and laid out in this stoner mellow funk vein that's very tasty throughout, and which makes for an extremely unified album! The album includes a version of the cut "Hard Times", which was done earlier by Baby Huey, plus "Blue Monday People", "Love To The People", and "When Seasons Change". Also includes the great sweet love song, "So In Love"!

A great album by Curtis Mayfield – filled with some excellent lesser-known gems! There's No Place Like America was Curtis' scathing testament to the State Of The Union – and it's got a hip political tone that's right up there with the best of his early 70s songwriting – perhaps even more so, as the message is a bit subtler than on other albums, and laid out in this stoner mellow funk vein that's very tasty throughout, and which makes for an extremely unified album! The album includes a version of the cut "Hard Times", which was done earlier by Baby Huey, plus "Blue Monday People", "Love To The People", and "When Seasons Change". Also includes the great sweet love song, "So In Love"!

Of all the MCs to emerge from the extremely rich French hip hop scene of the 90s, MC Solaar has certainly been the biggest – and this is the album that broke him out of the box worldwide. Titles include "Nouveau Western", "Prose Combat", "Relations Humains", "La Fin Justifie Les Moyens", "Sequelles", "Devotion", "Temps Mort", and "Superstarr".

An extremely well-titled set from the legendary Hank Mobley – one of his key Blue Notes of the 60s, and an album that glides along with an undeniable sense of joy, life, and soul! Mobley's really opening up his groove at this point – moving way beyond standard hard bop and soul jazz riffs, into a field of complicated rhythms – and a flurry of sound that features his mighty tenor atop a crack sextet that includes Blue Mitchell and Jackie McLean. John Hicks handles piano on the session – and brings in a beautiful range of colors and tones – and rhythm's handled by the skipping drums of Billy Higgins and the always-solid bass of Bob Cranshaw. Titles include "Two & One", "High Voltage", "No More Goodbyes", "Advance Notion", and "Bossa De Luxe".

A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful "new thing" jazz session from Blue Note – and proof that the avant garde in the 60s didn't necessarily have to resort to blowing their heads off to make fantastic music! Trombonist Grachan Moncur III organized the session – but like other key Blue Note dates of this type, including work from Tony Williams and Jackie McLean, the album's a very evenly-weighted date that features equal contributions from all members involved! The lineup's a dream – and features Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – and the set's very much in the vein of Williams' Life Time album for Blue Note – with lots of dark, moody, and extremely complex compositions – and beautifully restrained modern solos. Moncur wrote all the tracks, and titles include "The Twins", "Nomadic", "Gnostic", and "Thandiwa".

A real lost gem from Motown – and a whole lot more! Greetings! We're The Monitors is the only full album ever cut by The Monitors – a 3-man, 1-woman vocal group who were in a popular Motown mixed harmonies mode. The quartet had a wonderfully strong vocal presence – blasting away at most tracks with a strength that groups like The Miracles or Gladys Knight & The Pips could never match – and like those groups, they bridge that key period between late doo wop-oriented harmonies, and tighter 60s group soul. The LP brings together singles the Monitors cut for Motown during the previous few years, but it also works extremely well as a unified album – and it's a refreshing change from some of the oft-heard Motown material. Titles include "Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)", "Number One In Your Heart", "Bring Back The Love", "Step By Step (Hand In Hand)", and "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music". This incredible anthologogy from Kent starts off with that album and includes 12 unissued tracks – a whole album's worth – plus 2 B-Sides. Unissued tracks include "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" , "The Letter", "Poor Side Of Town", "Anything", "Guilty" and more. 26 tracks in all!

An excellent early Rudy Ray Moore album – with tasty musical backing on just about every number, and some great routines that are extremely tight. The backing's not totally funky, but it does give Rudy's party humor a really strong approach – especially on his classic presentation of "Petey Wheatstraw – The Devil's Son-In-Law", which is done here in a nice extended version. Other tracks include "Have You Seen My Mule", "The Big Shipwreck", "Mop Bucket", and "Pool Shooting Monkey".

A really moody little record from Ennio Morricone – spare, subtle, and extremely beautiful – touched with notes of sadness and remorse, but also handled with a strong spirit of redemption! The sound here isn't as cold or atonal as that on some of Morricone's horror work – but it's also not sweet and dreamy either. Instead, there's kind of an economic use of piano, light strings, and odd sonic textures – woven into a tapestry of shorter tunes that convey a real sense of loss, but also a quietly growing beauty. There's a few wordless vocals on the set, but things are mostly instrumental overall – and titles include "La Califfa", "La Pace Interiore", "Fari Nella Notte", "La Cena", "Notturno", "Sotto La Pioggia", and "Sangue Sull'Asfalto".

A dark and extremely avant garde soundtrack from Morricone! The score is performed by the Gruppo Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza – and it's a mix of free improve-type playing with other styles that are a bit more straight ahead jazz – a really compelling mix that's plenty darn striking right from the start! Musical elements include electric guitar, percussion, trumpet, violin, and lots of weird effects and electronic bits. The whole thing's incredibly spooky – one of the most turgid scores we've ever heard from the pen of Morricone – and it's packaged with a passle of unreleased bonus tracks, for a total of 21 cuts in all – way more than the any previous versions of the score! Titles include "Sequita", "Evaporazione", "Dal Sogno E Ritorno", "Folle Folle", and "Notte E Misteri".

One of the more electric projects we've heard from reedman David Murray in recent years – a collaboration with bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, who's still got the same righteous sound he had back in the 80s! The bass shades in the songs right from the start – as does the guitar of Mingus Murray too – but Murray's rock-solid and extremely soulful once he opens up, with tenor lines that are especially wonderful, plus a bit of bass clarinet – all heard here in a style that really takes us back to some of Tacuma's better moments of a few decades before. Other group members include Paul Urbanek on "recomposing keyboards" and Ranzell Merrit on drums – and titles include "How Sensitive", "Rendezvous", "Hotel Le Prince", "Theme On A Dream", "Bring It On", and "Yes We Can".

A stormer of a set from Nacao Zumbi – really stepping out here with a bold sound that's miles away from the group's run with Chico Science, and which marks them as a strong force to be reckoned with on their own! The production here is really ramped up – not exactly funky, but really heavy on the drums, in a way that makes the whole album bristle with energy throughout – thumping, bumping, and rumbling with an earthy brilliance that's extremely captivating – transcendent of language and cultural affiliation, and punching out with a power to firmly mark a space for Nacao Zumbi on the growing map of global grooves! Guitars and cool electronic touches color the rhythms nicely – and titles include "Pode Acreditar", "Futura", "Vai Buscar", "Na Hora De Ir", "Hoje Amanha E Depois", "Expresso Da Eletrica Avenida", and "Nebulosa".

A single extended piece from this four extremely creative musicians – spun out over an hour of live performance with a range of tones and sounds that's simply breathtaking! Evan Parker's reeds really stretch out – both soprano and tenor, which seem restlessly in search of new notes and pathways – as Paul Rutherford muses on those rumbling tones he could do so well at this point. Hans Schneider hangs back a bit on bass, but wells up at just the right spots – and Paul Lytton really intensifies certain passages with both acoustic percussion and electronics!

Overlooked later gems from Elis Regina – some of her late-life albums recorded for Warner Brothers! Essa Mulher is a killer – recorded in the company of arranger Cesar Mariano, whose masterful touch made for some of Elis' best albums of the 70s! Cesar arranged and conducted here, and although the production is perhaps a bit more contemporary than Elis' work for Philips, the vocals are sublime – much more driving and jazzy than a few years before, really working hard to dig deep and get the best sound out of each of the tunes! Saudade Do Brasil is a double-length set – very much in the spirit of Regina's classic work for Philips in the 70s! Like so many of those records, this one features arrangements and keyboards by Cesar Camargo Mariano – and the list of tracks is a stellar blend of work by some of Brazil's finest writers. Elis Por Ela features Regina taking on the music of Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Joao Bosco – really showing her range of vocal strengths, set to backings that are a bit different than she would have received on such tunes a few years before when recording for Philips. Elis Vive is excellent live work – an extremely lively performance that brings out the best of her talents at the time – especially in the vocal department, as her singing comes through in a beautifully raw, vibrant way that differs greatly from her studio recordings of the time.

One of the funkiest tunes ever from Clarence Reid – served up here with a Kenny Dope edit that kicks up the beats even more! The track does a great job of mixing southern soul with a harder, heavier groove – one that's got a famous vamp on the break – which is taken to extremes on the bonus beats on side two!

A batch of long, extremely inventive tracks from the quintet of reedman Tim Ries – a group that features just the right sort of heavyweight talents to make the whole thing work! The lineup features Chris Potter on tenor, alongside Ries' tenor and soprano sax – plus John Patitucci on bass, Kalman Olah on piano, and Billy Drummond on drums – players that have some wonderful interplay together – enough to really open up some new spaces for themselves, but manage to keep things swinging as well. Titles include the Ries originals "New View", "The Last Kabbalist Of Lisbon", and "A Summer To Remember" – plus a great jazz reworking of "Death & The Maiden".

A wonderfully groovy score from Carlo Rustichelli – best known to the world for his famous score for Divorce Italian Style, and working here in a style that mixes tight jazzy numbers with sparer themes in kind of a Nino Rota mode! There's some nice organ in the background on some of the best tracks, and the sophisticated writing is extremely compelling – at a level that should have put this one right up there with 8 1/2 or La Dolce Vita – especially in its ability to mix together playful themes and more serious orchestrations. Most tracks are pretty short, and titles include "Distant City", "Steps", "Dusk", "Faded Longings", "Freedom", "Bebo, Goodbye", and "Fog On The River".

An amazing second chapter from this extremely inventive trio – a marvelous matching of the talents of Paul Rutherford on trombone, Barry Guy on bass, and Phil Wachsmann on violin! All three players use a fair bit of electronics, too – very much in the best FMP mode of mixing live acoustic improvisation with additional improvised electronics – creating this electro-acoustic mode that goes way past any staid academic form of the genre! Most tracks here are long live improvisations – brought together in a massive three CD set that really documents the uniqueness of the group – with tracks that include "Dieptaur", "Veprol", "Eiverl", "Stoleri", "Vendia", "Epis", "Panshanton", and "Phelgstar".

Amazing sounds from this Japanese duo – raw, raspy, and vibrant work on reeds – with a rich quality that really grabs us right from the start! Akira Sakata plays alto and clarinet, and Nobuyasu Furuya plays tenor, alto, clarinet, and flute – a real flurry of reeds that are handled by both players with a feel that's frenetic, yet also extremely thoughtful – a great ear for tone and timing, even when things are very free – one that makes the 80 minute performance and delight throughout!

An early album by this groovy Brazilian rock group that featured Ney Matogrosso on vocals! The record has a haunting sound that mixes nice vocal production with spare arrangements supported by guitar, piano, and bass. The sound is difficult to describe – but the record has some extremely compelling songwriting, and great vocal work that carries the strength of the tracks, whether or not you understand Portuguese. Titles include "Flores Astrais", "Nao Nao Digas Nada", "Tercer Mundo", "Angustia", "O Doce E O Amargo", and "Delirio".

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, you'll find an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw's voice is generally sweet, but she's set up in some extremely powerful arrangements by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney that recast even the simplest phrase into a whole new setting of strength and pride – and Bobby Miller of Dells fame also helped make the record what it is, and helped write some of the best songs on the record. The set includes Marlena's classic original reading of "Woman Of The Ghetto", which has been sampled by just about everyone, plus "California Soul", which has a nice hard break, and the tunes "Liberation Conversation", "Where Can I Go?", and the original version of "Go Away Little Boy" – as sweet a statement of womanhood if there ever was one!

An incredible record from Labi Siffre – spare, simple, and totally beautiful – in a space beyond category! The album is the sort that should have been a real standout in the 70s – early work by one of the freshest songwriters to hit the British scene, sung in a style that's a bit jazzy, a bit soulful – with playful inflections that never get in the way of the beautiful lyrics at all. Labi's got a unique blend of modes here that ranks with a rare few in music – Terry Callier, Joni Mitchell, and a few other beyond-category artists from the same generation. The whole thing's extremely beautiful – and Labi's voice and guitar are backed by some subtle arrangements that shade in the bottom with electric keys, a bit of bass, spare strings – and sometimes nothing at all! Titles include "Thank You Lucky Star", "Bless The Telephone", "There's Nothing In The World Like Love", "You're Lovely", "A Number Of Words", "Who Do You See", "Not So Long Ago", "Relax", and "Interlude". CD also features 6 bonus tracks that include "Oh What A Day", "Seasons Come Seasons Go", "Get To The Country", and "Fallin For You".

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by Les Spann – an extremely talented jazz player who worked a lot with Dizzy Gillespie in the 50s, and Quincy Jones in the 60s! Les plays both guitar and flute on the set – grooving soulfully in a mode that recalls the stylings of Frank Wess or Kenny Burrell (depending on the instrument), but which is handled here in an easily soulful mode that recalls the sound of Les Jazz Modes at times. Players include Julius Watkins, Tommy Flanagan, Sam Jones, and Louis Hayes.

An incredible relic of the righteous underground of the late 60s from the Spirit House Movers – and one of the few classic albums on the Jihad label! The group was a vocal group of sorts – sometimes singing, sometimes rapping in a Last Poets-styled way – often doing both at the same time, in a mode that was really compelling and extremely powerful! Fronted by Leroi Jones, actually Amiri Baraka, on the first word music record he ever did that was completely devoted to the style. His spoken words are the lead instrument, and he's accompanied by a great group of singers – including Freedy Johnson, Leonard Cathcart, Aireen Eternal, Gilbert Monk and Yusef Iman – and some spare percussion. Titles include "Mishap", "Beautiful Black Women", "Miss Natural Soul", "Form Is Emptiness", "Nineteen Sixty Something", and "Unity".

An excellent double-length set from Horace Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra – an extremely righteous ensemble that was one of the hippest things going on the LA jazz scene of the 70s! The vibe is free and spiritual, but it also has a wonderful groove pulsating underneath many of the tracks – that heir to the Impulse Records style that Tapscott and other Nimbus Records artists carried on well into the early 80s. The group here features some of Tapscott's Nimbus labelmates – including Sabir Matteen and Billy Harris on tenor saxes, Linda Hill on piano, Adele Sebastian on flute, Roberto Miranda on bass, and Jesse Sharps on soprano sax – and in a way, the album's almost a live summation of all the mighty talents brewing on the Nimbus label at the time! Tracks are all quite long, and titles include a great version of Sebastian's "Desert Fairy Princess", plus "Macrame", "Future Sally's Time", "Noissessprahs", "Village Dance", "LTT", and "Lift Every Voice".

A set that's maybe a bit more subtle than you'd expect from the "vortex" in the title – but one that definitely has a compelling quality that really draws us in! The set features piano from Benjamin Taubkin and gentle percussion from Adriano Adewale – spun out over these long tracks that build slowly, almost with a sense of improvisation – save for the fact that Taubkin remains extremely melodic throughout, and really paints these lovely little pictures in sound – of the sort we've really come to appreciate in his playing over the years. Adewale's nicely restrained, too – and even drops out on one number – shading things in with deft touches that are almost more melodic than rhythmic too. Titles include "Blue In Green In Yellow", "Samba", "Berimbau", and "Landscapes Impressions of Ireland".

A late 60s Motown classic – with a deep heavy soul sound that mixed psychedelic elements into a rolling righteous groove – with a style that was perfect for the political tenor of the times! The formula worked extremely well for The Temps, and shifted them from being just a regular Motown vocal group into a super soul power that shaped soul music heavily in the next few years. Of course, a good deal of the credit goes to producer Norman Whitfield – who's really in his element on the set, and gives the group a sublime blend of heavy bass, fuzzy guitar, and tripped-out production on the vocals. Includes the classic "Psychedelic Shack", plus "Friendship Train", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Hum Along And Dance", and "It's Summer".

One of the best ESP sessions from the mid 60s – and a startling album of avant tracks from Charles Tyler and his group that included Henry Grimes, Charles Moffet, Joe Friedman, and a young Ronald Jackson. Moffet plays vibes on the session, and combined with Friedman's cello and Grimes' bass, the overall sound is extremely dark and compelling – made even more so by Tyler's edgey work on alto sax. All told, the album's probably the greatest that Tyler ever recorded, and features a soulfulness that didn't always emerge on ESP sessions. Titles include "Lacy's Out East", "Three Spirits", "Black Mysticism", and "Strange Uhuru".

Darkly-tinged piano work from McCoy Tyner – recorded live, in extended takes, with long-spiralling lines that soar in his best post-Coltrane approach to the piano! The album's got a depth and passion that's missing from some of Tyner's other trio sessions of the time – and features extremely strong accompaniment from Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums – both of whom are probably a good part of the passion on the set! Tyner's working with a noticeably hard left hand on the keys – driving the tunes with a bassy energy that's totally great – and titles include "Moment's Notice", "Passion Dance", "Search For Peace", "The Promise", and "Song Of The New World".

Brilliant work by McCoy Tyner – an album that has him firmly stepping out of the shadow of Coltrane with a sound influenced by the rising Afro-centric style of soul jazz to emerge in the 70s! The group on the set is a quartet with Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – and the mixture of Hutcherson's vibes and Tyner's piano is extremely compelling – stretching out in long, rhythmic, modal lines that dance and light the groove no matter what the tune. The rest of the group features Herbie Lewis on bass and Freddie Waits on drums – and titles include the great original compositions "African Village", "May Street", and "Little Madimba".

Ever wonder how we get our records so clean at Dusty Groove? Well, it's because we've been using this amazing machine for years, and we'll swear by it always as the best way to clean up those old albums you find while diggin' through the crates. The long-tested VPI system is in place with record dealers, collectors, and audiophiles everywhere – and it's even used by the Smithsonian Institute for the albums they have in their archive! The process is simple, but extremely effective: the record is bathed in a special fluid, scrubbed by a special brush to loosen all dirt and debris, and then the whole thing's vacuumed up to remove the fluid dirt and all! We know the machine's a bit pricey, and we balked a bit when we bought our first one. Now, though, we own 3 of them, and we think every penny was very well spent. We can't recommend the machine highly enough, and if you ever need a demonstration, just look at one of the very clean records you've bought from us! (The shipping price will be a bit more than usual, and we'll give you a quote when you order, but at least you won't have to pay sales tax on the whole thing.)

A beautiful little solo session from the late Mal Waldron – recorded in Paris in 1972, and featuring (as you'd guess from the title) Mal stretching out wonderfully on a well-tuned Steinway! The mood of the set is softer and more introspective than some of Waldron's other work from the time – no less inventive, but with a quality that's warmly lyrical and extremely tuneful throughout – a great demonstration of Waldron's growing confidence as a solo artist at the time – yet expressed with a thoughtfulness that makes the album one of his real standouts in this mode. Tracks are all originals – and titles include "Paris Reunited", "For Eric Satie", "One For Bud", and "Portrait Of A Bullfighter".

One of the dueling cover story ssues of Wax Poetics – headed by great features on classic rap legend Big Daddy Kane, blue-eyed soul hero Daryl Hall, upstart hip hop gamer Joey Badass and progressive jazzy soul singer Jose James! Solid, worthy choices one and all – and pretty much every artist featured in Issue 54 could just as easily be on the cover! Includes interviews with Steely Dan's Donald Fagen, an extremely rare interview with Jimmy Spicer, plus pieces on Laura Nyro, Ghetto Brothers, Bobby Caldwell, Clams Casino, Nosaj Thing and Keyboard Kid. As always, it's got both both classic and comparably rarely seen photos, shots of old school cover and inner label art and more. Another essential issue!

A great one from Franz Waxman – a score penned for a lesser-known movie, but done with all the vibrant colors we've always loved in his work! There's a definite jazz current to the music, but there's also some sentimentality mixed in as well – the same sort of balance that you'd find in an Elmer Bernstein score of the time – with a very evocative, very seductive mix of modes that lives extremely well away from the images on the screen! Titles include "Detroit Theater", "Two Up On Me", "Sharon/Sharon Proposes", "The Surprise", "Man & Wife", and "Korea War" – and the CD also features some rare bonus tracks, including the great Sammy Cahn number "Love Is A Career".

Two older players, cooking together beautifully on this early 80s session – and both hitting a vibe that almost makes the set smoke like some rare 60s gem on Blue Note! Frank Wess plays both tenor and alto sax – both of them extremely deep and soulful – with these open, thoughtful solos that almost show more imagination and maturity than in the early days – and also a swinging vibe that's undeniably great. Trumpeter Johnny Coles turns out to be a perfect partner for the session – and manages to mix his sweeter tones with some of his more modern phrasing too – in ways that make the album a treasure trove of unexpectedly great surprises – loads of illuminated passages that keep us coming back again and again over the years. The rhythm section is a good reason for the strength of the set too – and features Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Celia", "Minority", "An Oscar For Oscar", "Ill Wind", "Morning Star", and "Whistle Stop".

A rare soul jazz session from alto saxophonist Leo Wright – a player that we mostly know from his bossa work of the early 60s! The session's extremely noteworthy as being one of the few to feature female organist Gloria Coleman – a player with whom Wright worked on her classic 1963 date Soul Sisters, and who returns here in a very similar hard-wailing sax-and-organ mode! Wright's work on alto is incredibly deep – with a sharper bite than much of his other 60s sessions, and a gutsy down-n-dirty quality that makes the record feel like one of the best organ jazz albums at the time from Prestige. Coleman's approach to the Hammond is great too – freely skipping around with a liberated sense of rhythm, in a way that matches Wright's every twist and turn with ease – and throws a few of its own into the mix as well! The group's completed by Kenny Burrell on guitar (also sounding harder here than usual!) and Frankie Dunlop on drums – and titles include some fresh originals "Poopsie's Minor", "State Trooper", "Blue Leo", "Blues Fanfare", and "Soul Talk".

An overlooked gem from Blue Note – a special live performance that brings together some of the label's funkiest and most soulful artists of the 70s! The set's somewhat unusual for Blue Note at the time – especially given the label's increasingly studio-driven approach to jazz, with projects by the Mizell Brothers and others – yet given that bent, the whole thing's a great illustration of the vibrancy of all these artists always from the studio – playing live and extremely funky! As the title implies, the set was recorded live at the Roxy in LA – with players who include Donald Byrd, Ronnie Laws, Gene Harris, Bobby Hutcherson, and Alphonse Mouzon – all coming together in warm unity to show that the spacious sounds of Blue Note could also be crafted in a live setting, and not just under closely-watched studio help arrangers and producers. Carmen McRae sings on a number of tracks, and the album overall does a good job of presenting the material in concert-like setting – and some of the longer tracks feature some mighty nice jamming solos. Titles on this first volume include "New York City", "Just Like The Sun", and "Without A Reason" by Alphonse Mouzon; "Captain Midnight", "Night Breeze", and "Always There" by Ronnie Laws, and "Places & Spaces" and "Dominoes" by Donald Byrd – both of which were actually recorded in Central Park.

An overlooked gem from Blue Note – a special live performance that brings together some of the label's funkiest and most soulful artists of the 70s! The set's somewhat unusual for Blue Note at the time – especially given the label's increasingly studio-driven approach to jazz, with projects by the Mizell Brothers and others – yet given that bent, the whole thing's a great illustration of the vibrancy of all these artists always from the studio – playing live and extremely funky! As the title implies, the set was recorded live at the Roxy in LA – with players who include Donald Byrd, Ronnie Laws, Gene Harris, Bobby Hutcherson, and Alphonse Mouzon – all coming together in warm unity to show that the spacious sounds of Blue Note could also be crafted in a live setting, and not just under closely-watched studio help arrangers and producers. Carmen McRae sings on a number of tracks, and the album overall does a good job of presenting the material in concert-like setting – and some of the longer tracks feature some mighty nice jamming solos. Titles on this second volume include "Music", "Them There Eyes", "You're Everything", and "Paint Your Pretty Picture" by Carmen McRae; a medley of Brazilian tracks by Earl Klugh – including "Like A Lover", "A Felicidade", "Manha De Carnaval", and "Samba De Orfeu"; and a long track that involves all the artists as the Blue Note All Stars, on "Blue Note 76".

Goldmine's second great volume of rare Detroit soul, featuring extremely hard to find tracks like "Yes I Love You Baby" by The Dynamics, "We Still Have Time" by The Metros, "Candle" by Doni Burdick, "Looking For A Woman" by Brooks Bros, "Go Down" by Highlights, "Arabia" by Royal Playboys (vocal version), "Soul Food" by Johnny Rogers, and "We Go To Pieces" by Forest Hairston. Lots lots more, with 22 cuts in all!