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Enigmatic sounds from UK reedman Lol Coxhill – a really cool collaboration with Morgan Fisher – who adds in his own tape manipulation, guitar, and piano next to Coxhill's work on soprano sax – plus a bit of carillion too! The style's even more spacey and laidback than Lol's 70s duets with Steven Miller – but has a similarly hypnotic quality – proof that Coxhill was always trying to go way beyond jazz, and way beyond some of the standard free modes of his contemporaries – always interested in shaping sounds to new ends – with fascinating results that make the album a corker! Titles include "Slow Music", "Matt Finish", "Jetsam", "Flotsam", "Vase", and "Que En Paz Descanse". CD features a bonus sound collage titled "Play Quiet" – with work by Gavin Bryars!

Madly tripped out guitar funk – and a real turning point in the career of guitarist Eddie Fisher! Eddie began his career as a straighter guitarist on the St Louis scene – and although his first album for Cadet was a relatively traditional soul-jazz outing, this one's a wild batch of tripped-out guitar licks! The band's a fuzzy psychedelic one – not in a rock-styled way, but more in an early George Clinton kind of mode, with plenty of rumbling bass at the bottom, warm electric piano lines, nicely placed drum beats, and Eddie's fuzzbox guitar snaking and wah wah-ing over the top! Eddie arranged and produced, and the record's a perfect batch of kicked-back stoner funk numbers that go on and on and on and on! Titles include "Land Of Our Father", "Beautiful Things", "East St Louis Blues", "Another Episode", "Either Or", and "Jeremiah Pucket".

An amazing album by the great guitarist Eddie Fisher – and completely unlike his later funk records! Eddie plays stripped down jazz with a small combo that includes organ by Robert Selby, bass by Paul Jackson, and some rhythm guitar by Phil Westmoreland – and the twin-guitar approach creates this super-dope style that's light years ahead of its time, with a sophistication that points the way to later mid 70s work on labels like CTI and Kudu! Eddie's guitar work is an incredible exercise in spareness and soulfulness – best heard on the fantastic "Third Cup", a long drawn-out jazz stepper that's got to be heard to be believed. The cut's been a favorite on the Chicago jazz stepper's scene for years – and it alone is worth the price of the album. However, the record features some other wonderful stuff – like a sublime version of "Shadow Of Your Smile" that runs for a bubbling 12 minutes – plus the originals "Shut Up", "Scorched Earth", and "Two By Two".

An amazing album by the great guitarist Eddie Fisher – and completely unlike his later funk records! Eddie plays stripped down jazz with a small combo that includes organ by Robert Selby, bass by Paul Jackson, and some rhythm guitar by Phil Westmoreland – and the twin-guitar approach creates this super-dope style that's light years ahead of its time, with a sophistication that points the way to later mid 70s work on labels like CTI and Kudu! Eddie's guitar work is an incredible exercise in spareness and soulfulness – best heard on the fantastic "Third Cup", a long drawn-out jazz stepper that's got to be heard to be believed. The cut's been a favorite on the Chicago jazz stepper's scene for years – and it alone is worth the price of the album. However, the record features some other wonderful stuff – like a sublime version of "Shadow Of Your Smile" that runs for a bubbling 12 minutes – plus the originals "Shut Up", "Scorched Earth", and "Two By Two".

A great single by this lost St. Louis guitar player! "The Third Cup" is a legendary classic in Chicago – and it's got this amazingly slow, amazingly dope groove that's always been a favorite with the jazz steppers. The flipside is great, too – and features Eddie going crazy in a much more uptempo funky way, playing hard over some tight loping arrangements. Paul Jackson's on bass, too!

A really amazing little soundtrack – darkly subtle, and better almost than the Derek Jarman film for which it was penned! Simon Fischer Turner's been many things over the years – a boy pop idol in 70s England, the King Of Luxembourg in the 80s El Records roster – but he's never sounded more beautiful than here – working in a blend of sound snippets, colors, and tones to illustrate Jarman's moody portrait of the painter Michelangelo Caravaggio. The overall sound of the set is relatively spare – often with just a cello, a piano line, a guitar strum, or some other bit – mixed alongside the chirp of a cricket, the slam of a door, or some other incidental noise – an approach that's wonderfully evocative in its use of space and silence, and which is almost even a further extension of some of the more minimal modes put forward by the Italian scene in the 70s. Titles include "The Hills Of Abruzzi", "Umber Wastes", "In The Still Of The Night", "Michele Of The Shadows", "The Hourglass", and "I Love You More Than My Eyes". CD also features bonus "Easter Week" tracks too!

A sweet little album of funky instrumental guitar! The record's one of the most obscure on the Westbound label – and it features guitar player Donald Austin going to town on 13 short little cuts with a tripped-out funky groove – sometimes fuzzy, usually funky, and always with that heavier kind of sound you'd expect from Westbound in the early 70s! Austin's guitar is very much in the mode of Eddie Fisher, Eddie Senay, or other kicked-back jazz funk players from his generation – an approach that's probably got a bit of Hendrix somewhere back in the mix, but which is more focused on the tighter side of the funk and soul instrumental spectrum! The album's like finding a stash of rare funky 45s – loads of great short tracks with titles that include "Sex Plot", "Crazy Legs", "You Want It, You Got It", "Side Saddle", "Nanzee", "Pea Shooter", "Do Me Right", and "Shake Your Head".

Two rare gems from this legendary Latin group – both on CD for the first time ever! Big Stick is quite possibly the rarest album from Pucho & The Latin Soul brothers – and also one of the greatest, too – thanks to a wonderfully soulful vibe overall, and some wicked vocals from the great Jackie Soul! Arrangements are a bit bigger than some of their previous dates, but nicely offbeat too – put together by Bill Fisher, and featuring loads of great keyboards and organ from Neal Creque! The sound's got less horns than beofre, but the heavy percussion, keyboards, and vocals more than offset that loss – and make for one of the most unique Pucho albums ever! Titles include "Swamp People", "Left In the Cold", "Big Stick", "Cold Shoulder", and a very groovy version of "Sunny"! Dateline is a rare gem from Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – and an album that has them really hitting strong on all instrumental fronts! The group sports wonderful piano and organ lines from Neal Creque – a player who helps Pucho hit a more expansive, jazzy vibe – mixed with horns from the always-great Pazant brothers – Eddie on saxes and Al on trumpet – plus some trombone from Barry Rogers too! These players all really help add some great jazzy inflections to the whole set – important, too, because the album's all instrumental – with no vocals to get in the way of the solos. Willie Bivens also plays vibes on the record – and titles include "Listen to Louie", "Dateline", "Yambo", "Bim", and "Ain't Nothin Can Happen".

One of the fantastic electric Cal Tjader sessions from the 70s – with that mixture of vibes and electric piano that made his work of the time take on an even funkier sound than before! Lonnie Hewitt's at the keyboards here – and he's got a sly, slinky groove that's totally great – a sound that's even more spacious than Tjaders' vibes, and which seems to push Cal into a whole new space in sound. The rest of the group includes Rob Fisher on acoustic bass, Pete Riso on drums, and the great Pancho Sanchez on congas – who further helps hold down the Latin side of the sound. Titles include a stellar 12 minute reading of Cal's "I Showed Them", which is pure funk all the way through – plus "Bluesology", "Body & Soul", and the extended "Black Orpheus Medley".

One of the best Luv N Haight compilations, probably our favorite in their eclectic series that set a benchmark for so many funky compilations to follow! There's 8 tracks in all, covering lots of ground, all of it groovy, including the hard to get Sun Ra cut "Where Pathways Meet" from his Lanquidity album on Philly Jazz, Bobby Forrester's "Uncle Funky", "Hector" by the Village Callers, "Brotherhood" by Kamal & the Brothers, "Salsa De Santa Rosa" by Quintessence, "Too Soon Your Old" by Penny Goodwin, "Ronco Da Cuica" by Viva Brazil, and "For The Love Of Money" by Elliot Fisher.

Excellent moody work from one of the 70s most groundbreaking flute players! Laws was not only richly talented, but he was also capable of a large number of styles – and this double-length set for CTI has him moving past the electric funky jazz that was the usual manner of the label. The set features backing by a range of different keyboardists – from Bob James, to Clare Fisher, to Richard Tee – plus tenor by Ronnie Laws, percussion by Airto, drums by Steve Gadd, and guitar by Gene Bertonicini. All tracks are long, and the material spans funk, jazz, and even a bit of classically influenced playing. Titles include "Mean Lene", "Restoration", "Moment's Notice", and "Reconciliation" and the great title track.

A wicked groove from the Pacific Northwest underground of the early 70s – a collaboration between vocalist Shirley Nanette and the wild guitarist Hanc Swarn! "All Of Your Life" has these monstrous funky drums on the bottom – then mixes Shirley's righteous vocals with Hanc's cool guitar solo lines – really tripped-out, almost in an Eddie Fisher way, and merged beautifully alongside the lyrics! "People Are Thinking" is even more mysterious – with an exotic, almost Eastern groove – thanks to angular reed work next to the vocals!

Guess who's back, and just in time for the much-needed seasonal funk fix? It's that most appealing tome of all things funky, the one-and-only funk bible! Need we tell you that the Wax Poets have once again outdone themselves? The centerpiece of this issue an ever so timely look at the legendary Wattstax show, a perfect piece for a politically charged season, featuring some of the best photos of the event we've ever seen. Other features include one on the increasingly prominent Antibalas, lost Floridian funk merchants Montgomery Express, Melvin Van Peebles, Eddie Fisher, Part 2 of the Texas Stage Bands piece, a refreshing look at the Beastie Boys (sans mass media hype) and lots more. Another indispensible issue!

Although late in the Prestige jazz funk years, and not in the small combo mode of some of Ammons' best early 70s sides, this is still an excellent batch of tracks – thanks to hip arrangements from Bill (William S?) Fisher! The format's almost in a Kudu/CTI mode, as larger arrangements envelope Jug's soulful tenor – funking away with a blacksploitation on tracks like "Chicago Breakdown", "Back In Merida", and a great cover of "What's Going On", all done with tight horns, compressed guitar, and even a bit of strings. There's a few mellower numbers that aren't as great – but these tracks more than make the album worth having!

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".

A rare Spanish session from trumpeter Dusko Goykovich – and easily one of the most soulful albums he ever recorded! The set's got a warm, laidback vibe – very much in keeping with the title and cover image – as Dusko blows some great open-ended solos with rhythm from the trio of pianist Tete Montoliu – working here as a great accompanist to the leader, with flowing lines that perfectly match Dusko's energy! Tracks are longish, with a very relaxed vibe – and the rest of the group features Robert Langereis on bass and Joe Nay on drums – helping Gokovich hit a very different sound than on some of his more exotic albums of the time. Titles include "Blues To Line", "I Remember OP", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", and "The Child Is Born".

A rare Spanish session from trumpeter Dusko Goykovich – and easily one of the most soulful albums he ever recorded! The set's got a warm, laidback vibe – very much in keeping with the title and cover image – as Dusko blows some great open-ended solos with rhythm from the trio of pianist Tete Montoliu – working here as a great accompanist to the leader, with flowing lines that perfectly match Dusko's energy! Tracks are longish, with a very relaxed vibe – and the rest of the group features Robert Langereis on bass and Joe Nay on drums – helping Gokovich hit a very different sound than on some of his more exotic albums of the time. Titles include "Blues To Line", "I Remember OP", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", and "The Child Is Born".

One of the greatest Yusef Lateef albums on Atlantic Records – and that's saying a lot, given the high level of quality he was hitting at the label! The album's a perfect blend of the newly-funky Lateef style with some hipper, more sophisticated touches – a mode that hints at his bigger-concept recordings to come, but which is still pretty lean and clean overall – and damn funky on most of the best tracks! Yusef plays a host of hip flutes here, plus tenor and oboe – and an almost equal star on the record is Kenny Barron, whose electric piano lines really make the album something special. The album begins with a long take on Barron's "Nubian Lady" which begins the record – and Kenny also contributed the tighter grooving "Jungle Plum". Other tracks include "African Song", "Queen Of The Night", "Poor Fishermen", "Below Yellow Bell", and a strange version of "Hey Jude" that goes on for a long time, and really messes with the volume – listed on the cover with the note "Do not adjust the playback level on your audio equipment – readjust your mind!"

Afro-psychedelia from Chrissy Zebby Tembo – a set recorded in the Zambian scene of the early 70s, and served up in a blend of fuzzy guitar, funky drums, and some really unusual vocals! At times, Chrissy's voice almost sounds like it's being processed – filtered down nicely amidst the fuzzy guitar and bass, which themselves are kicked along by some especially great drums – not conventionally funky in the familiar Afro 70s mode, but really finding a heavy groove that's totally great! Some numbers get mighty dark, given the heavy use of fuzz – and titles include "Fisherman", "I've Been Losing", "Gone Forever", "Feeling Good", "My Ancestors", and "Trouble Maker".

A rich array of underground sounds from late 60s London – most of which appear here for the first time ever! The set follows on the previous 94 Baker Street collection – and like that one, features obscure English singer/songwriters under contract to Apple – fresh talents signed up in the hopes that they'd later break big – lost to the shuffle of years amidst the misworkings of the company. Now, though, the folks at Cherry Red have done a great job of reconstructing this lost history – and have come up with a really great assortment of tracks pulled from rare demos – but mostly done at a level that's right up there with all the commercially-released British rock of the time. Most of these tracks have never been issued before – and titles include "Hold On" and "Sailing" by Joker, "You've Got A Hold On Someone" and "This Little Man Mk 1" by George Alexander, "Windy Love Affair" by Robert & Miles Priestley, "It's You" by Buddy Britten, "Any Day Now" by Coconut Mushroom, "Who Needs A King" and "Something New Every Day" by Timon, "How Does It Feel" by The Perishers, and "Kingfisher" by Barry Alexander.

One of the grooviest albums of the 60s – and the first album in Donovan's legendary run with producer Mickie Most! The sound here is light years away from the heavy Dylan of Donovan's first recordings – and is steeped in eastern influences that sparkle in both the songwriting and arrangements – and which can be most strongly heard in the album's trademark use of tablas and electric sitar! Donovan's vocals are completely sublime, too – done in that raspy, almost lispy style that brings out all the best edges in his songwriting – and the lyrics of the tunes are a mind-expanding array of themes that really pushed the boundaries of 60s pop. Titles include the sublime classic "Sunshine Superman", plus "Bert's Blues", "The Fat Angel", "The Trip", "Celeste", "Three Kingfishers", and the funky funky "Season Of The Witch"!

80's reissue that brings together tracks from two different Mingus Columbia sessions – one from 1959, and one from 1971. The '71 material is the extended "Shoes of The Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers", which is one of Mingus' best works from the decade. The other tracks are shorter, and were originally presented in edited form on the Mingus Dynasty album – but they're offered here in longer versions that include the previously-edited material. Titles include "Song With Orange", "Slop", and "Gunslinging Bird".

VP reissue of this classic slice of Jamaican roots music. No collection of Lee Perry's work is complete without this chapter, which was hard to get for many years, but reissued here in it's original format, with the origial cover art. Recorded at the Black Ark in 1976, Cedric Mytton teams up with Roy Johnson on harmony vocals and Lee Perry steering the Ark with a heavyweight supporting crew, for a true milestone in Jamaican music, and a classic of universal proportions. 10 tracks, just like the original version: "Fisherman", "Congoman", "Open Up The Gate", "Children Crying", "La La Bam-Bam", "Can't Come In", "Sodom & Gomorrow", "The Wrong Thing", "ArkOf Covenant" and 'Solid Foundation".

A classic slice of Jamaican roots! No collection of Lee Perry's work is complete without this chapter, which has been hard to get in spite of being reissued in a number of different formats. This version features a slight twist on the original cover art, but is an expanded double LP set with a bonus disc of later self-produced material. On the original album, recorded at the Black Ark in 1976, Cedric Mytton teams up with Roy Johnson on harmony vocals, with Lee Perry steering the Ark with a heavyweight supporting crew, for a true milestone in Jamaican music, and a classic of universal proportions. The second LP features material from 4 different sessions, all great, with tracks from the 1979 LPs Cvongo Ashanti and Image of Africa, the 1981 LP Face The Music and a couple of tracks from 1999. 22 tracks in all, including "Fisherman", "Congoman", "Open Up The Gate", "Children Crying", "La La Bam-Bam", "Can't Come In", "Sodom & Gomorrow", "The Wrong Thing", "ArkOf Covenant", "Don't Blame On I", "Solid Foundation", "Days Chasing Days", "Youth Man", "Only Jah Know", "Music Maker", "Stay Alive (ext)", "Problems", "Face The Music", "Enemy & Spy (ext)" and "Aaron & Moses (ext)".

A legendary German session from the 60s – and a record that really showcases the unusual criss-crossing of modes that was going on in the European scene at the time! There's a very strong MPS vibe here – as trumpeter Dusko Goykovich leads a swinging sextet that includes Nathan Davis on flute, soprano, and tenor – blowing some tremendously soulful reed lines – plus incredible rhythms from Mal Waldron on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Cees See on drums. The record's an attempt to bring traditional Macedonian rhythms into a jazz perspective – but with players like these, it swings in a way any Macedonian album never could – damn soulful, and with a great exotic vibe. Davis is especially great, and plays in a soaring modal vein that's similar to his work on his classic MPS sides, and on the records he cut in America in the early 70s. The album's a beautiful session that often get's overlooked because it blends it with the Enja catalog – but it's really more of a record that belongs in an MPS reissue series, and is a great lost groover that's waiting to be rediscovered by the Dusty Groove crowd. Titles include "Macedonia", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", "Jumbo Uganda", "Bem Basha", "Saga Se karame", and "The Nights Of Skopje".

Late live material from the great Art Pepper – working here with Milcho Leviev, Tony Dumas and Carl Burnett – caught at Ronnie Scott's in June of 1980! Blues For The Fisherman features motherlode of material, with both energetic, roof shaking numbers and more delicate, subtle ones. The 4CD set is especially cool in it's inclusion of Art's avuncular stage banter, really making us feel like we're there in the audience and making us wish we were! It's Vol 6 in the Unreleased Art Pepper series, and it's a heck of a lot of music from a legendary session in one package. Includes "Blues For Blanche", "Ophelia", "Make A List", "Anthropology", "Rhythm-A-Ning", "Rita San", "I'll Remember April", "True Blues", "Red Car", "Un A Mellow Tone", "Blues For The Fisherman" and much, much more.