A fantastic package of work – material that not only helped kick off the career of the legendary Howlin Wolf, but also the Memphis powerhouse Sun Records too! The material here was all cut in the Sun Studios right at the start of its famous run – material recorded by Sam Phillips long before Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis – at a time when he was deeply interested in the shifts taking place in southern blues at the time, and was willing to take a chance on the mighty talents of Howlin Wolf! Wolf was no newcomer to the scene, but hadn't gotten recorded much before – especially not at this level, which brings out qualities that really ignited a long stretch of important 50s sessions after Sun licensed a few key tracks to other labels before they got their own imprint up and running. This very cool 10" package features titles not issued at the time – ten great tracks that were in the Sun Records vaults for years – presented here in a very cool vintage-styled LP. Titles on this second volume include "Color & Kind", "My Baby Walked Off", "Baby Ride With Me", "Smile At Me", "California Blues", "Well That's All Right", "Mr Highway Man/Cadillac Daddy", "Decoration Day Blues", "Dorothy Mae #2", and "CV Wine Blues/Drinkin CV Wine". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful work from the young Michael Hurley – one of his first records to get somewhat wide exposure, thanks to the help of Jesse Colin Young, who signed Hurley up to his Raccoon label at Warner Brothers! The vibe here is right up there with some of the best offbeat acoustic work cut during that stretch at the label – not the same in sound, but not far in spirit from unique records by Steve Young, John Hartford, and others – not to mention the cooler currents from Jesse's scene too! Hurley's vocal style changes nicely to fit the mood of each tune, really bringing the most out of the sorts of lyrics that were his special stock in trade – while the guitar playing is nicely unified, and although spare, really does a great job of holding the album together. Titles include "Blue Driver", "Water Train", "The Sun Is Slowly Sinking", "I'm Worried I'm Worried", "In Florida", "Lilly Pads Upon The Pond", and "Trinidad". LP, Vinyl record album

You may not recognize the name of Deniece Chandler in soul music, but you'll definitely know her by her later name of Deniece Williams and her many hits of the 70s and 80s for Columbia Records! Yet here, while still Chandler, the young singer comes across in a very different way – serving up some excellent early material from the Chicago scene – perfect for the higher-voiced style she used at the start – really wonderful tunes that also echo some of the more sophisticated ways that Chicago cooking up at the time. The set features a host of early singles that Chandler recorded for the Toddlin Town label, plus some unreleased material, and even some bonus tracks too – including two duets with Lee Sain. Titles include "Yes I'm Ready", "Love Is Tears", "I'm Walking Away", "Come On Home To Me Baby", "Goodbye Cruel World", "Mama I Wish I Stayed At Home", "Just One Time", "Glorious Feeling", "Hey Baby", "Shy Boy", and "I'm Not Like The Others". LP, Vinyl record album

Great groovy pop from the Italian scene of the 60s – a wealth of rare singles from female singers, almost all of whom we've never heard before! We'll confess to a long love and deep knowledge of female French singers from the time – but also admit a strong ignorance about most Italian pop, which always seems a bit harder to find – especially collected together in sets like this for the English-speaking world. And while we totally love the French sets from Ace Records, we almost dig this one even more – as the whole thing's so fresh, so groovy that each new tune is a real delight – as bold orchestrations mix with mod rhythms, rockish instrumentation, and some totally cool Italian lyrics sung by a batch of female singers who've definitely got us already digging for more. Titles include "Baluba Shake" by Brunetta E I Suoi Balubas, "Il Mio Posto Quale" by Ornella Vanoni, "Sono Qui Con Voi by Caterina Caselli, "Un Amore Inutile" by Isabella Ianetti, "La Notte E Fatta Per Rubare" by Catherine Spaak, "Il Geghege" by Rita Pavone, "Ragazzo Triste" by Patty Pravo, "Se Telefonando" by Mina, and "Questa Sinfona" by Carmen Villani. LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album of The Fallen Angels – one of those great late 60s psych groups who were signed up in a big mid-decade frenzy, got a chance to record some superb work, then were almost completely ignored by their record label! The group have a vibe that's right on the same cusp that the LA scene was hitting at the time – clearly band members with earlier garage, blues, and maybe even a bit of folk experience – coming together in headier territory with plenty of fuzz on the guitar, mixed with all sorts of other weird touches along the way – including sitar, vibes, celeste, kazoo, and even a bit of soft shoe! There's clearly a nice sense of wit in the proceedings – and even though mostly-pop Roulette Records didn't do a thing with the record, it's gone on to become a well-deserved underground treasure over the years. Titles include "Painted Bird", "Introspective Looking Glass", "Your Mother's Homesick Too", "You Have Changed", "No Way Out", "Room At The top", and "Your Friends Here In Dunderville". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic album from Prince – recorded in 2010, and unreleased at the time – but clearly one of the greatest things he gave us in the final decade of his life! This isn't uncooked demo material, or under-thought studio tracks – and instead, the whole thing is a fully-formed record with a message that really comes through in the title – more political Prince than usual, with an eye for our nation that rivals Sign O The Times! It may be that back when Prince recorded the set, the time wasn't right for the message – but these tracks definitely hit home now – and are often delivered in this sinister slow funk mode that really fits the lyrics – almost as if Prince were trying to give the world his version of a righteous 70s album on Curtom Records. Titles include "Running Game", "Born 2 Die", "Welcome 2 America", "Check The Record", "Hot Summer", "Stand Up & B Strong", "Same Page Different Book", and "One Day We Will All B Free". LP, Vinyl record album

Really cool cuts from the second generation of Bollywood funk – that 80s moment when things were still ever bit as groovy as during the heyday of 70s soundtracks, but served up with some slightly different instrumentation in the mix! There's maybe a bit more keyboards here at times – but not the cold kind that were dominating European films, especially horror – as they're mixed with plenty of percussion, basslines, and other elements – then topped with vocals by some of the greats who made the music so wonderful back in the previous decade! As you'll guess from the title, all the cuts here are from the vaults of CBS – beautifully remastered, and with great notes and design – in a set of tracks that include "Prem Ashram" by Asha Bhosle, "Aage Bhi Dushman" by Suresh Wadkar & Sadhana Sargam, "Baahon Me Leke Mujhe" by Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle, "Mere Jaisi Mehbooba" by Sharon Prabhakar & Bappi Lahiri, "Hero" by Amit Kumar, "Meri Akhon Mein Zara Jhanto To" by Asha Bhosle, and "Becho Becho" by Amit Kumar & Mahendra Kapoor – plus some cool instrumental tracks too! LP, Vinyl record album

A lost side of work from 70s funk powerhouse Mainstream Records – a company best known for its jazz albums of the early 70s, but one that also cut some great soul and club material too! Most of the work here came out only as singles, and wasn't nearly as well-circulated as the albums on Mainstream – and much of it was much more underground too, from a time when funk groups were picking up the pace a bit for the new styles of dance on the scene – yet still nicely far from the more slickly produced disco that would top the charts at the end of the 70s! Most tracks appear here on vinyl for the first time since the 70s – and titles include the unissued "Disco Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Three Ounces Of Love – plus "Get Down Get Down" by South Side Coalition, "Music Is Fun To Me" by The Grand Jury, "We've Got To Get Together" by Chocolate Syrup, "Gonna Have A Good Time" by Crystal Image, "Nothing Between Us" by Electric Ladies, "Whatever's Your Sign You've Got To Be Mine" by Prophecy, "Hundred Pounds Of Pain" by Lenny Welch, and "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of work from De-Lite Records – one that goes way way past the bigger hits on the label from Kool & The Gang and the Kay-Gees! Instead, this one really digs deep – and comes up with rare 45s for a host of artists that we didn't even know recorded for De-Lite – obscure but great material that shows just how tied to the east coast scene the label was before it starting hitting the charts and the clubs! There's lots here you'll be hard-pressed to track down otherwise – and titles include "The Story Of Our Love" and "It Really Hurts Me Girl" by The Carstairs, "Super Soul Music" and "I Got To Get Close To You" by Yvonne Daniels, "Darling Baby" and "I Wish It Would Rain" by Beverly Hammonds, "I Need You" and "I'll Always Love You" by Felton Burks, "I Smell Trouble" by Johnny De'Vigne, "Love Making" and "When A Woman Loves A Man" by Jean Battle, and "I Saw You There" and "Keep Away" by The Appointments. LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite records of all time from trumpeter Donald Byrd – a sometimes-overlooked gem from the late 60s, and one that has Byrd really playing with a slightly different edge than before! The set's recorded with a group that Byrd maintained for two years – a stunning lineup that features Sonny Red on alto sax, Cedar Walton on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all of whom come together magnificently in a razor-sharp formation, mixing hardbop and soul jazz with an edge that you'll hardly find on any of Byrd's other albums from the time. A lot of the credit is due to Sonny Red – who plays with a raspy tone that's odd for the alto, and which really draws out Byrd's solo skills. Walton's got a heavy left-handed approach that really hits some great grooves – and the team of Booker and Higgins leap lyrically, yet also throw just the right amount of funk into the rhythms. Includes the Blue Break classic "Jelly Roll", the amazing jazz dancer "Book's Bossa", and the sublime "Slow Drag", one of the strangest groovers you'll ever hear! LP, Vinyl record album

Rare lost work from funky drummer Les DeMerle – a set of tracks that were recorded for Atlantic Records in 1967, two years before DeMerle's classic Spectrum album – yet which finally appear here for the first time ever! Les is rock-solid, right from the start – definitely one of those younger players really helping to shift the sound of the larger jazz group at the end of the 60s – with fresh arrangements that bring in plenty of currents from soul, and a tight approach to the groove that makes the best of the excellent lineup! The set features work from some younger names who would break big later – including Randy Brecker on trumpet, Terry Plumeri on bass, and Lanny Morgan on alto and flute – as well as a touch of vocals from future rocker Genya Ravan. Titles include "Sticks", "Raunchy Rita", "Feelin Good", "Come Back To Me", "On A Clear Day", "That's Life", and "Signifyin". LP, Vinyl record album

The "man" is at the top of his powers here – as the set pulls together an insanely great run of music from Isaac Hayes' first years as a solo act – coming on strong with a new sort of sophisticated soul sound that would transform a generation! Hayes had already hit big in the 60s working with writer David Porter – as the force behind some of Stax Records' fiercest, funkiest acts of the time – but as the 70s approached, he broke off as a magnificent artist on his own – full of righteous power, pride, and new ideas for soul music. This collection brings together some of Isaac Hayes' best work for the Stax/Enterprise label – with an especially strong focus on the kind of jams that have held up well for a 21st Century audience – including titles that have either been sampled by hip hoppers, or which represent some of Ike's strongest funkier tunes from the time. Titles include "Part Time Love", "Theme From The Men", "Ike's Rap 2", "Joy", "I Can't Turn Around", "Chocolate Chip", "Feel Like Makin Love", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Walk On By", "Ike's Rap 1", "Good Love", "Rolling Down A Mountainside", and "Theme From Shaft". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album of laidback psych from early 70s Brazil – the sort of more personal, more introspective work that some of the artists on the scene were cutting after the more experimental modes of the Tropicalia years! Guilherme Lamounier has a gentle sort of majesty in his music – very much in keeping with his image on the cover – stepping out in a trippier take on singer/songwriter modes, with his own vocals, guitar, and piano as the main focus on the tunes – touched nicely with keyboard work from Wagner Tiso, flute from Oberdan Magalhaes, and guitar from Lanny Gordin – artists used in these very sparing ways to spice up the sound, and give the record a loftier vibe than if Guilherme were just recording on his own. Lyrics are all in Portuguese, but the songs have a very universal appeal – a great sense of structure and building up energy – on titles that include "Freedom", "Mini Neila", "Patricia", "Passam Anos Passam Anas", "Amanha Nao Sei", "Capitao De Papel", and "Ols Telhados Do Mundo". LP, Vinyl record album

The MC5 move to Atlantic Records after their first album – and find a whole new sort of focus that's pretty great! Their classic debut was a raw live album – designed to capture their intensity on the Detroit scene of the late 60s – but this set has the group stretching out, and really going for something else – working in the studio for the first time, with surprisingly strong production from a young Jon Landau – and a sense of focus in the songs that shows a great degree of maturity, while still keeping all their pre-punk edges! Wayne Kramer and Fred Sonic Smith are plenty darn fierce on guitar – and the titles alone give a good idea of the energy of the record – and include "Tutti Frutti", "Teenage Lust", "High School", "Shakin Street", "The Human Being Lawnmower", and "Back In The USA". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost classic from one of the greatest Brazilian sax players ever! This obscure session originally came out on the Equipe label, and was even briefly issued in the US on the Tangerine imprint – and the record stands as one of the greatest sides of jazz that Moura ever cut! Paulo handled all the arrangements himself, and the group's an all star one that features Pascoal Meirelles on drums, Wagner Tiso on piano, Luiz Carlos on bass, plus additional tenor sax, trumpet, and trombone next to Moura's alto sax. The set's a beautiful batch of warmly painted tunes – awash with color and life, showing both Moura's talent for lyrical interplay, and his tendency to blow in edgier styles. Titles include "Travessia", "No Brilho Da Faca", "General Da Banda", "Outubro", "Nem Precisou Mais Um Sol", and "Das Tardes Mais Sos". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully weird and wild funk from Natural Yogurt Band – a UK group who've given us some mighty nice records in years past, and who also really push the envelop with this little gem! There's a strange mix of sci-fi currents running through the grooves – either in the instrumentation, which can be cool and spacey – or in the production, which can do all sorts of odd things with familiar instruments – not in a way that's too gimmicky, but which just makes the instruments sound even groovier than before! Instrumentation includes some mighty nice flute work next to electronics, organs, piano, and guitar – often peppered with these cool bird calls or other exotica elements – which are just one more unique aspect of the album. Titles include "Obscure Jungle", "Followers Of A New Moon", "Gas Narcosis", "Strange Life On A Distant Planet", "Vital Signs", "We Are Alone", and "Possible Danger". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant late Impulse Records album from Archie Shepp – material recorded on a variety of dates at the end of the 60s, but packaged together as an extremely soulful set in the mid 70s! There's a feel here that rivals some of the best moments of the Attica Blues years – a mix of spiritual soul jazz and bolder modern moments – reigned in nicely from the freer Shepp sound of a few years before, and given a really righteous focus by the addition of vocals on some tracks. Archie sings a bit himself, and one number features Leon Thomas singing with Tasha Thomas and Doris Troy – a very odd meeting in the studio! Players include Woody Shaw, Jimmy Owens, Dave Burrell, Grachan Moncur III, and Wally Richardson – and the tracks even get a bit funky at times! Titles include an excellent version of "New Africa", which was recorded later in Paris by Grachan Moncur III – plus "Back Back", "Spoo Pee Doo", "Slow Drag", and Cal Massey's "Bakai". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's gotta be one of the most righteous school band records ever – way more than just a bunch of students doing big band numbers, and instead a killer batch of spiritual jazz numbers, directed by the legendary Alvin Batiste! The record's one of a rare few 70s sets of this nature – one that shows a group of younger musicians really reaching out for bold new sounds – every bit as complex and soulful as work on labels like Strata East or Black Jazz, with a fiery power that signals a new generation of the jazz underground! And while Batiste is at the head of the group, there's plenty of other great younger players too – including Henry Butler on piano, Henry Scott on flute, Kirk Ford on tenor, Reginald Houston on baritone, Raymond Deggs on trumpet, Julius Farmer on bass, and Herman Jackson on drums! Side one features burning ensemble numbers that include "Music Came", "Tunjii", "Straight Life", and "North American Idiosyncrasy" – and side two features early material by the Henry Butler Trio, on titles that include "So What", "In My Solitude", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

Their first one, now a classic in the once-burgeoning "post rock" genre (much as we hate using that term) – and it's hands down one of best and most influential albums to come out of Chicago in the early 90s! A spare, rhythmic blend of moody grooves laid down by 2 basses, 2 drummers, and a host of other instruments. This is the one that still featured Bundy Brown, and overall, it feels more like the work of a core band effort than some of the more atmospheric and thickly-layered Tortoise records to come. Includes "Magnet Pulls Through", "Night Air", "Ry Cooder". "Tin Cans & Twine", "Flyrod", "On Noble", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Their first one, now a classic in the once-burgeoning "post rock" genre (much as we hate using that term) – and it's hands down one of best and most influential albums to come out of Chicago in the early 90s! A spare, rhythmic blend of moody grooves laid down by 2 basses, 2 drummers, and a host of other instruments. This is the one that still featured Bundy Brown, and overall, it feels more like the work of a core band effort than some of the more atmospheric and thickly-layered Tortoise records to come. Includes "Magnet Pulls Through", "Night Air", "Ry Cooder". "Tin Cans & Twine", "Flyrod", "On Noble", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A set recorded in both Jamaica and Trinidad, and one that shows a great combination of both locations – with straighter reggae cuts at some points, and some more Caribbean flavored club at others! The music has some of the message that you'd guess from the cover and title, but the overall vibe is lighter and more aimed at the dancefloor – with some especially great cuts that almost lean more towards a jazz/funk sort of vibe than some of the other island disco records of the time! One of these gems is the wicked "Let's Party", which has a massive bassline and some cool keyboard bubbles – and other cuts include "Foreign Journalists", "Burning Eyes & Hungry Bellies", "Dancing", "Music Is Music", "Song Of Love", and "Power Struggle". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last couple of great records Waits made for Island, and a defining moment in his career! Leave it to Waits to cut a bunch of songs that wrestle with mortality and the fleeting nature of life head on, but have as much fun with it as he does worry or mourn. It's got some rumbling raw material as gritty as anything he'd recorded before or since, beautifully sung ballads and cool, creaky speak-singing tunes. Truly a signature effort and one for both the casual fans and Waits diehards. Includes the classic "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", "Earth Died Screaming" "Dirt In The Ground", "Such A Scream", "All Stripped Down", "Let Me Get Up On It", "Whistle Down The The Wind", "That Feel" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite South American rock records of all time – and maybe even one of our favorite rock albums too – a magnificent set by this sublime Peruvian group – done with a sound that's somewhere between late Beatles, early Bee Gees, and ELO in their prime! Yet the production style here is also a lot more primitive than that used by any of those bigger groups – which puts a lot more emphasis on the song structures and vocal phrasing of the tunes – a beautiful balance between harmony vocals, simple guitar lines, and these subtle rhythms that slide in with a seductive feel, and really send the whole thing home! Vocals are all in English, with these soulful undercurrents that are quite unexpected – and the overall sound is way more sophisticated than even their hippest SA contemporaries! Titles include "Children", "Carry On Till Tomorrow", "Walking In The Rain", "The City Will Be A Country", "It's A Sin To Go Away", and "Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible debut from Public Image Limited – one of the most striking records of its generation, and a huge surprise – given that the Sex Pistols had broken up just a few months before! The record is the key transition of Johnny Rotten into John Lydon – and the whole thing is light years ahead of the Pistols in terms of boundless creativity and originality – different from Lydon's own earlier revolutionary punk act and different from pretty much everything else on the late 70s landscape – even darker than punk, if you can imagine that! The dissonant, driving post punk guitars and sneering vocals are recognizable, sure – but the dubby textures and more angular touches are so far outside the box and so hugely influential that it's hard to fathom myriad underground rock acts existing without it. Of course, part of the credit also goes to the amazing band that John Lydon assembled to put the whole thing together – a quartet that includes incredible guitar from Keith Levene, and heady bass from Jah Wobble – both key parts of the sound. Titles include "Theme", "Religion", "Religion II", "Annalisa", "Public Image", "Low Life", "Attack" and "Fodderstompf". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest records to ever feature the work of groundbreaking writer and language experimentalist William S Burroughs – an album that originally came out on the Industrial Music label, home to the early work of Throbbing Gristle! Peter Cristopherson and Genesis P-Orridge worked with Burroughs associate James Grauerholz, and dug through countless ours of tapes, to bring together some of his most experimental recordings – work that really shows just how much the writer's fascination with the properties of magnetic tape had an influence on his writing, and his legendary cutup technique! Some tracks are straight readings – of the more familiar sort that feature Burroughs' incredible voice – but many others have sound experiments on tape, transforming language in a really great way – with contributions from Brion Gysin and Ian Sommerville too. Wonderful all the way through – and one of the few recordings to really plumb the depths of the sonic genius of William S Burroughs! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a groundbreaking soundtrack that forever changed the way that jazz music was used in film! According to legend, the sounds here were recorded by Miles on a hot Paris night – late in the studio, after a live performance – in a very intimate setting that had he and the combo creating these little poetic passages along with the action in the film! In addition to sublime and moody muted trumpet from Miles – the small group also features tremendous tenor work from the great Barney Wilen – a French modernist who's at the height of his powers – and beautiful bass from Pierre Michelot, whose rich tones really frame the whole proceedings. The rest of the group features bop pianist Rene Urtreger and American drummer Kenny Clarke – but the real charm comes from the interplay between Wilen, Davis, and Michelo. Titles include "Florence Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "L'Assassinat De Carla", "Diner Au Motel", "Evasion De Julien", "Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "Le Petit Bal", "Au Bar Du Petit Bac" and "Sur L'Autoroute". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! LP, Vinyl record album

The title's exploding with Mingus, and the album is too – a completely classic effort for Impulse Records that's easily one of Charles' best of the 60s! Things are reigned in somewhat from the Mingus years at Atlantic or Candid, but the sound is still great – almost more focused than before – with a sense of all the best qualities that Charles was finding in his music, laid out back to back in near-perfect formation! The group's full of great players – with reeds from Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, and Jerome Richardson – all of whom really contribute some deep tones to the album – and Jaki Byard's on piano, making one of his key Mingus appearances of the 60s. Titles include the massive "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" (the virtual Mingus "trademark" tune), plus the tracks "Celia", "Hora Decubitus", and "II B.S.". LP, Vinyl record album

We're already huge fans of Jamila Woods – partly because she reps our hometown of Chicago, but mostly because her previous records have been so great – yet right from the very first note of this set, we're falling in love all over again, and at a much deeper level than before – recognizing a new sort of depth in Jamila's music, and maybe an ability to be more personal and more open – at a level that's no doubt going to push her into superstardom if she keeps on this strongly! Jamila's been one of the freshest voices in soul music in the past five years – but here, she's also one of the best overall voices as well, really bridging scenes and styles with these songs, and leaving us even more impressed than we expected to be. Titles include "Backburner", "Boomerang", "Good News", "Send A Dove", "Wreckage Room", "Thermostat", "Wolfsheep", "I Miss All My Eyes", "Bugs", "Practice", and "Tiny Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

A great vintage-styled record – but one that features a host of contemporary artists, all working in the best spirit of 70s funky reggae! The set features tunes by Herbie Hancock, The Commodores, The Sugarhill Gang, and others – but all served up as dubby numbers with lots of funky elements – in the same style as the recent run of excellent 45s from the Stix Records label. A few of these cuts originally appeared as those singles, and they're mixed here with other tracks showing up for the first time ever – a great run of grooves that includes "Chameleon (Taggy Matcher disco mix)", "Money (7 Samurai disco 12" version)", "Music (The Dynamics disco 7" version)", "Brick House (Taggy Matcher disco mix)", "Suit & Tie (John Milk reggae version)", "Everybody's Talkin (Blundetto & Granmagneto orig 7" version)", "Rapper's Delight (Taggy Matcher dub)", and "Saturday Night Fever (Grandmagneto orig 7" version)". LP, Vinyl record album

Tony Allen never lets us down – and even though he recorded this set well into the first decade of his "comeback" years, an album like this still has the same sort of fresh, urgent feel that got him noticed again by a whole new generation of fans! There's definitely lots of Allen's roots with Fela in the music – the kind of Afrobeat grooves that Tony first helped invent back in the 70s – but as with some of his other recent records, there's also a strong willingness to play with tradition, too – mixing in unusual sounds and patterns that really keep things interesting, and which show why Allen's probably been the best ambassador of Afrobeat styles in the 21st Century! Vocals are by Allen and a few other singers over the course of the set – and the band's a super-tight combo with some especially great keyboards from Claude Dibongue. Titles include "Secret Agent", "Ijo", "Switch", "Celebrate", "Ayenlo", "Pariwo", "Nina Lowo", "Atuwaba", and "Alutere". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little album from Jorge Ben – an 80s groover with a sound that's a bit of a change from his 70s classics! The backings show Ben picking up some modern soul elements from the US scene of the time – but these are also mixed with some rougher, rhythmic styles that are definitely Brazilian – which makes for a really compelling blend – quite similar to the samba and soul mix of Jorge's 70s records, but tuned towards the ears of a different generation overall. Bits of boogie mix in to the groove nicely – and titles include "Katarina Katarina", "Para Que Digladiar", "Santa Clara Clareou", "O Diam Em Que O Sol Declarou O Seu Amor Pela Terra", "Lorraine", and "Luiz Wagner Guitarreiro". LP, Vinyl record album

A live album from the mighty Frankie Beverly and Maze – and a set that's every bit as important as their studio classics for Capitol Records! It's always a sign of how huge Frankie Beverly was during the 80s that Capitol let him cut not one, but two double live albums during the early part of the decade – and this one, his first, has the band grooving wonderfully before a crowd going mad in the Crescent City – while the group keep all the perfection, sharp grooves, and sophisticated soul that they had on record! The songs retain all the charm of the studio renditions – and are stretched out a bit more in the live setting, with some really nice interplay with the crowd – who are clearly going nuts in the presence of the group. Titles include the famous live version of "Joy & Pain" – sampled heavily back in the day – plus other classics that include live takes on "Happy Feelins", "Southern Girl", "Look At California", "Before I Let Go", "We Need Love To Love", "The Look In Your Eyes", "Running Away", "Reason", "Feel That You're Fallin", "You", and "Changing Times". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's exploding with Mingus, and the album is too – a completely classic effort for Impulse Records that's easily one of Charles' best of the 60s! Things are reigned in somewhat from the Mingus years at Atlantic or Candid, but the sound is still great – almost more focused than before – with a sense of all the best qualities that Charles was finding in his music, laid out back to back in near-perfect formation! The group's full of great players – with reeds from Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, and Jerome Richardson – all of whom really contribute some deep tones to the album – and Jaki Byard's on piano, making one of his key Mingus appearances of the 60s. Titles include the massive "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" (the virtual Mingus "trademark" tune), plus the tracks "Celia", "Hora Decubitus", and "II B.S.". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Thelonious Monk – a superbly-recorded live set from early 60s Paris – done with his legendary quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor! The music here is wonderful – tracks that are often quite long, and stretched out nicely from the Columbia Records material by the group – with especially long improvisations by Monk that really reignite our respect for his genius – and the kind of soulful solos from Rouse that are always a perfect match! The bass of John Ore is beautifully recorded too – maybe even more powerful here than usual – and Frankie Dunlop completes the group with wonderfully deft work on drums. Titles include "Well You Needn't", "Jackie-ing", "Hackensack", and "Rhythm A Ning". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual albums issued by Impulse Records in the early 70s – one that's partly funky jazz, partly Chicano soul – and very much in that nice mixing of modes that the label was cooking up in the years after John Coltrane's passing! Gary Saracho leads the group on acoustic and electric piano – and the rest of the ensemble includes soprano sax, electric guitar, timbales, bass, and an assortment of other odd instrumentation, including some woodwinds – all served up in a style that's very hard to label easily – one of the reasons why the record was a bit ignored in the 70s, and is now seen as one that was years ahead of its time! Titles include "Happy, Sad", "Sunday's Church", "Senor Baker", and "Conquest De Mejico". LP, Vinyl record album

We're already huge fans of Jamila Woods – partly because she reps our hometown of Chicago, but mostly because her previous records have been so great – yet right from the very first note of this set, we're falling in love all over again, and at a much deeper level than before – recognizing a new sort of depth in Jamila's music, and maybe an ability to be more personal and more open – at a level that's no doubt going to push her into superstardom if she keeps on this strongly! Jamila's been one of the freshest voices in soul music in the past five years – but here, she's also one of the best overall voices as well, really bridging scenes and styles with these songs, and leaving us even more impressed than we expected to be. Titles include "Backburner", "Boomerang", "Good News", "Send A Dove", "Wreckage Room", "Thermostat", "Wolfsheep", "I Miss All My Eyes", "Bugs", "Practice", and "Tiny Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

A really really beautiful little compilation – one with a sound that's every bit as powerful as the image on its cover! The music here all comes from the Gospel Roots label of Miami soul powerhouse TK Records – a key force in mainstream soul in the 70s, but also a company who issued some excellent spiritual material at the time! The work here isn't rootsy gospel – and instead reflects all the hip, righteous changes that were coming into the music during the 70s – bits of blacksploitation funk in the rhythms, powerful lead singers upfront, and an impeccable production style that often mixed deep soul vocals with modern soul presentation. This side of the TK legacy has been crucially ignored over the years – but this wonderful package more than corrects that fault – by offering up some of the key tracks from the Gospel Roots label, alongside a lavish booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and record images – all recounting the overdue tale of this great music. Not all artists are southern – there's a number from up north, and even a few from Chicago – and titles include "Tell Me" by The Fantastic Family Aires, "After The Rain" by Pastor TL Barrett, "Will You Save Me" by The Jordan Singers, "Never Say What You Want" by The Phillipians, "Help Me To Carry On" by The Fabulous Luckett Brothers, "I've Got To Make A Change" by Bright Clouds, "Wake Up Everybody" by The O'Neal Twins, "On Jesus Program" by The Original Sunset Travelers, "Blessed Be The Name Of God" by The Brooklyn All Stars, and "Christians Catch Hell" by Reverend Edna Isaac & The Greene Sisters. LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a typical collection of rare funk and soul – as the selections here not only meet the stunningly high standards of the BGP label – but they've also been sampled in more recent years for hip hop records and other contemporary recordings! Essentially, you've got the best of both worlds – vintage funk from the late 60s and early 70s – brought together in a great collection – and work that's gone onto form the blueprint for contemporary urban sounds as well – which means you'll probably recognize some or part of most of these songs from their use in more contemporary recordings. Nearly every cut's been sampled at least more than once – and titles include "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Chick A Boom" by Pazant Brothers, "Eva" by Jean Jacques Perry, "Walk Tall" by Cannonball Adderley, "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms" by Detroit Emeralds, "Bouncy Lady" by Pleasure, "Tramp" by Lowell Fulson, "Take Yo Praise" by Camille Yarbrough, "Thinking Single" by The Counts, "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson, "Ike's Mood" by Isaac Hayes, "What A Man" by Linda Lynell, and "Smokey Joe's La La" by Googie Rene. Funky funky! LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's nicely lean and focused compared to some of the darker, moodier records from this Polish group – almost as if they've shaken out a few layers in the mix, and focused a bit more on some of the acoustic elements in their lineup! There's still plenty of the deep bass guitar lines that made previous records so bold – handled here by Wuja HZG – and Latarnik plays a range of keyboards that are both acoustic and electric – yet these are often offset by saxophone contributions from OlafSaxx, who himself brings in some keyboards too – almost using them with an understanding of how they balance his instrument. The group's completed by percussion from Cancer G, who brings in some beats as well – on titles that include "Ignorancja", "Umiar", "Chryja", "Hipokryzja", "Farmazon", and "Mitomania". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare later set on the Italian Flipper sound library label – much later than most of the 70s funk classics we know from Flipper, and a record that's equally groovy in its own sort of way! There's definitely plenty of the sax promised in the title – blown with a sharper edge than most other 80s fusion-inspired records, which is a nice balance to the more electric rhythms that make up most of the tracks – and the more digital-styled sound that can come from other instruments, like the piano! We're not sure who the saxophonist is, but they do a great job in the lead – on cuts that include "Lunch & Dinner", "First Class", "Walking On Air", "Night With Champagne", "Dance Power", "Dawning", and "Flowers". LP, Vinyl record album