Sweet KPM funk from the 70s – a set that features the legendary "Big City Suite" from David Gold, plus 20 other groovers from rare KPM sound library albums of the time! Gold's suite is really great – a hip mix of keyboards, wah wah guitar, and strings – all wrapped together warmly in a portrait of a city from a variety of angles, in a variety of moods. The work's almost an update of 50s city-symphony albums, but is put together here with a much hipper 70s soundtrack mode – lots of subtle elements that really keep things interesting! Other tracks offer up a mix of jazz, soundtrack, and sound library funk – hand-picked from KPM classics like Jazzrock, Synthesis, Sounds Of The Times, Trendsetters, and other legendary albums – really packed in here with a huge amount of cuts that are totally great! Titles include "Good Vibrations" and "Trial Of Strength" by Keith Mansfield, "Testing Time" by David Lindup, "Four O'Clock Earthquake" and "Smokey Joe's Dilemma" by John Cameron, "Watchful Eye" by James Clarke, "Sunshine Special" and "Get Ready Get Set Fly" by Alan Hawkshaw, "Open Roads" by Nick Ingman, "Go Getter" by John Cameron, "City Airscape" and "City Police" by David Gold, and "Lap Of Honour" by Clive Hicks. CD

A wonderful package – four full albums by one of the most unique groups of their time! First up is These Things Too – the first Reprise album from Pearls Before Swine – a bit more straight ahead and folksy than their work for ESP – but in a really great way, one that lets you hear the best of Tom Rapp's amazing songs and vocals! The album follows in a tradition that includes Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Leonard Cohen, and Fred Neil – but it's also got a really unique style that's the unique province of Tom Rapp – the main force behind the group, and the voice on all of the tunes. Rapp's vision was quite unique for the time – not nearly as revolutionary or personally preoccupied – more sad at the fading world, and granted with a unique ability to paint any subject in shades of blue. Titles include "Wizard Of Is", "Frog In The Window", "Footnote", "Look Into Her Eyes", "These Things Too", and "Mon Amour". Use Of Ashes is an incredibly beautiful album from Pearls Before Swine – one that uses light orchestrations to create a baroquely folksy sort of feel – easily elevating the album past previous efforts, into classic territory we'd rank with the best from Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen! The whole album's great – with fragile and haunting songs from Tom Rapp, all supported by sparsely arranged instrumentation that includes harpsichord, flute, oboe, cello, and dobro. Genius throughout – and a clear inspiration for music still being made 30 years later – with classic tracks that include "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Song About A Rose", "The Old Man", "When The War Began", and "From The Movie Of The Same Name". Next is Beautiful Lies You Could Live In – one of the most perfectly formed albums ever recorded by Tom Rapp's enigmatic group Pearls Before Swine – a record that does an incredible job of skirting between Rapp's earthy sense of the planet's passing, and his ambitions for larger forums of expression. The core group is lightly folksy – with strong use of acoustic guitar that goes far beyond any folk rock cliches – plus some additional arrangements that feature contributions from the team of Bob Dorough and Stu Scharf, who seem to have a habit of appearing on under-discovered gems like this one, and making them sound all that more hip! The whole thing's great – filled with beautiful songs that should have been as over-recorded as the best by Tim Hardin or Leonard Cohen – with titles that are even better, too! Tracks include "Snow Queen", "A Life", "Butterflies", "Simple Things", "Freedom", "She's Gone", and "Island Lady". Last up is City Of Gold – a return to folksier forms for Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine – working here in territory that's very different than some of the baroque light arrangements used on previous records. Rapp's emerging as a more confident singer/songwriter – recording in an almost Dylan-like setting, but with more of the irony of Leonard Cohen, and as always, working in a timeless idiom that's still beginning to be understood more than 30 years after its inception. Beautiful work throughout – as earthy as it is majestic – and with titles that include "My Father", "The Man", "Once Upon A Time", "City Of Gold", "Nancy", and "Wedding". CD

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A now-legendary set from the Philadelphia underground at the start of the century – a package that reminds us just how much great music has always been going on in the city, often far from the mainstream! This set corrected that fact, by bringing together a trio of three genre-stepping musicians – drummer Questlove, jazz bassist Christian McBride, and keyboardist Uri Caine, who plays some great Fender Rhodes and Hammond B-3 on the set! The core grooves are by the trio, working together in a way that's not that different from the freestyle funk of Medeski, Martin, & Wood back when they used to care a bit more about the groove – and the group's joined on a few tracks by guests, including Pat Martino on guitar, Jon Swana on trumpet, and Larry Gold on cello. The best cuts on the set have a hard beat underneath, warm rolling basslines, and washes of keyboards over the top to keep things nice and sweet. Titles include "The Miles Hit", "Call For All Demons", "Grover", "Ain't It The Truth", "Mister Magic", "Philadelphia Freedom", and "Lesson #4". CD

One of the best Stevie Wonder albums ever! Stevie's moving into god-like territory here – handling a multitude of styles, all well, and crafting some of the most sophisticated soul of his generation. The album's got the same jazzy references you'll find on the best work by Donny Hathaway – best heard on the sublime track "Golden Lady", which gets our clear vote for one of the best songs ever! Just about every track is great, though – and the album features the big hits "Living For The City", "All In Love Is Fair", "Higher Ground", and "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" – plus "He's Misstra Know It All", "Jesus Children Of America", and "Too High". CD

Rollicking country-tinged blues from Jimmy Reed and an incredible group of backing musicians – actually not captured in the opulent grandeur of Carnegie Hall – and probably all the better for it! Prior to the original double LP release of Jimmy Reed At Carnegie Hall, Reed headlined a Blues At Carnegie Hall event, and though the performance was not recorded for a live album release he went on the cut a similar set list with varying players that included Lonnie Brooks, Phil Upchurch and Eddie Tayor on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, Earl Phillips and Albert King on tracks. It's really wonderful stuff, obvious epiphany material for loads of rockers and young players on both the US and British blues scenes to come! 23 tracks in all: "Bright Lights Big City", "I'm Mr Luck", "Found Joy", "Kind Of Lonesome", "Tell Me You Love Me", "Hold Me Close", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Blue Blue Water", "Hush Hush", "Found Love", "Honest I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Boogie In The Dark", "Take Out Some Insurance", "The Sun Is Shining" and lots more! CD

A long-overdue package – one that finally brings together all the many strands of music from underground Cali rock legend Merrell Fankhauser! CD1 features some of Merrell's earliest music – a host of early singles by Merrell & The Exiles, some of which were issued on the Glenn and Golden Crown labels – mixed here with rare unissued titles too – for a whopping 19 tracks that offer up a rare look at Fankhauser's earliest years! CD2 features the classic Fapardokly record – a lost bit of legend from the west coast scene of the 60s – and a record that's maybe best-known as a showcase for the early genius of Merrell Fankhauser – who wrote most of the songs on the set, a good number of which were actually recorded for the record by his previous group, The Exiles! Yet despite that little bit of trivia, there's a great vibe going on here – a seminal shift in the Cali scene from garagey work to trippier modes – served up beautifully on titles that include "Glass Chandelier", "Suzie Cryin", "Tomorrow's Girl", "Lila", "Mr Clock", "No Retreat", "Gone To Pot", "When I Get Home", "Supermarket", and "The Music Scene". CD3 features the album Things, recorded by Merrell Fankhauser & HMS Bounty – a perfect blend of Fankhauser's earlier garage rock modes and latter trippier styles! The tunes are short and wonderfully tuneful – produced at Gold Star studios, with a simple, straightforward style that makes all the deftness of the songwriting come through even more – an approach that, although supposedly steeped in Pacific Ocean inspiration, almost feels more like that great moment when some UK groups of the mid 60s were tripping out, but not too much. Titles include "Lost In The City", "Your Painted Lives", "In A Minute Not Too Soon", "A Visit With Ashiya", "The Big Gray Sky", and "Rich Man's Fable". CD4 features MU – an incredible record, and one that really lives up to all its well-deserved legend over the years – one of those sets that's not just rare, but which has all the chops to really deliver the goods! A few short years before, Merrell Fankhauser was recording garage and psych on the LA scene – but here, he steps off the latter with a bit of post-60s hangover – working with a current of darkness that really changes things up, while still providing a great outlet for his legendary work on guitar – and his mindblowing sense of a lyric! Titles include "Ballad Of Brother Lew", "Eternal Thirst", "Too Naked For Demetrius", "Mumbella Baye Tu La", "The Clouds Went That Way", and "Nobody Wants To Shine". CD5 features MU's The Last Album – 20 more tracks recorded in 1974, but unissued for many years – and CD6 features the legendary Maui album from the enigmatic Merrell Fankhauser – a self-released set that drew inspiration from his time in Hawaii – even though the set was mostly recorded in LA and San Francisco! The tunes are beautiful – nicely evolved from Merrell's psych of earlier years, with a much more personal vibe – yet all without some of those west coast cliches that were creeping into more mainstream music of the period. You might get the vibe partly right if you could maybe imagine a more personal singer/songwriter take on the AOR vibe of the period – with leaner, better instrumentation and unslick production – but that's also only part of the picture too! Titles include "On Our Way To Hana", "Make A Joyful Noise", "Garden In The Rain", "Waterfall", "The Source", "Sail It Over The Ocean", and "We Were All Free". Box set features a very detailed book of notes – bonus tracks added to most of the albums, and a massive 95 tracks in all! CD

Steely Dan really hitting the heights – moving into hipper, more sophisticated territory than before – pushing the envelope with both their music and lyrics, which are completely sublime! It's hard to put our finger on the magic of this one, but it's the perfect summation of everything that's come before, with a bit of a nod towards the future – yet all with a simple, song-based charm that we really love. The Becker and Fagan team get some key studio help here – showing a move away from previous group-based recordings – and Phil Woods turns in some especially nice work on his sublime solo for "Doctor Wu". Other tracks include "Black Friday", "Bad Sneakers", "Any World That I'm Welcome To", "Your Gold Teeth II", "Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More", "Throw Back The Little Ones", and "Everyone's Gone To The Movies". CD

Soulful sounds from Black Pumas – a collaboration between singer Eric Burton and the great Adrian Quesada – the latter an instrumentalist and producer that you'll know from a variety of different funky projects over the years! This set might well be Adrian's ticket to the big time – as Burton's a singer with a very strong range, and great crossover potential – echoing Al Green one minute, hitting deeper vibes the next – and working alongside small combo backing that has plenty of laidback guitar lines and warm keyboards, all produced with the usual Quesada touch! Titles include "Oct 33", "Fire", "Colors", "Know You Better", "Stay Gold", "Old Man", "Confines", and "Touch The Sky". Expanded version features lots of bonus material – including "Eleanor Rigby", "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City", "Fast Car", "Black Cat", and "I Am Ready" – plus "live in studio" versions of "Confines", "Colors", and "Oct 33". CD

A brilliant debut for singer Andra Day! Ms. Day, as you're surely aware if you've read any of her press, is profoundly influenced by classic soul, but believe us, she's got style, confidence and a voice – wow, that voice – that truly transcends retro revivalism. This is truly one of the finer major label soul/ R&B records we've heard in a while! Andra has a way of owning the material without over-singing, and paying homage to divas past without carbon copying soul history – working with producers and studio players – from Raphael Saadiq to members of the Daptone crew – all of whom are well-suited to accompany her. We snoozed on Andra Day for months...our bad! She's the real deal. Titles include "Forever Mine", "Only Love", "Gold", "Not Today", "Mistakes", "Rearview", "Red Flags", "Honey Or Fire", "Gin & Juice (Let Go My Hand)", "Rise Up", "City Burns" and "Cheers To The Fall". CD

A west coast psychedelic classic from the legendary Merrell Fankhauser – one of his earliest moments on record, and a perfect blend of his earlier garage rock modes and latter trippier styles! The tunes are short and wonderfully tuneful – produced at Gold Star studios, with a simple, straightforward style that makes all the deftness of the songwriting come through even more – an approach that, although supposedly steeped in Pacific Ocean inspiration, almost feels more like that great moment when some UK groups of the mid 60s were tripping out, but not too much. Titles include "Lost In The City", "Your Painted Lives", "In A Minute Not Too Soon", "A Visit With Ashiya", "The Big Gray Sky", and "Rich Man's Fable". CD

Steely Dan really hitting the heights – moving into hipper, more sophisticated territory than before – pushing the envelope with both their music and lyrics, which are completely sublime! It's hard to put our finger on the magic of this one, but it's the perfect summation of everything that's come before, with a bit of a nod towards the future – yet all with a simple, song-based charm that we really love. The Becker and Fagan team get some key studio help here – showing a move away from previous group-based recordings – and Phil Woods turns in some especially nice work on his sublime solo for "Doctor Wu". Other tracks include "Black Friday", "Bad Sneakers", "Any World That I'm Welcome To", "Your Gold Teeth II", "Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More", "Throw Back The Little Ones", and "Everyone's Gone To The Movies". CD

One of the hippest sets ever in the Pulp Fusion series – an amazing collection of rare funky tracks that goes past the obvious 70s classics on other volumes! This double-length volume is the work of Monk-One – who's clearly willing to dig a bit deeper than most, and come up with fresh tunes that really re-ignite the series, and show us why it's been one of the most trusted funky collections around for years. There's loads of rare nuggets here – and cuts include "Shack Up" by Banbarra, "Keep On Dancing" by Alvin Cash, "Up Above The Rock" by Ray Bryant, "El Jardia" by Johnny Pate, "Hercules" by Aaron Neville, "Inner City Blues" by Sarah Vaughan, "Take Me With You" by Lyn Christopher, "Keep It Up" by Milton Wright, "Gengis" by Chico Hamilton, "Fried Chicken" by Rufus Thomas, "Submission" by Tyrone Washington, "Through It All There's You" by Robert Palmer, "Senga" by Manu Dibango, "Black Water Gold" by African Music Machine, "Reach Out" by Lee Moses, and "Happy Man" by Latin Blues Band. CD

Heavy heavy funk from the Louisiana scene of the late 60s and 1970s – and a great collection that really gets past the dominance of the New Orleans sound! The set moves way past the Crescent City to uncover a wealth of great bits recorded in smaller studios located in Shreveport, Lake Charles, and a variety of tiny scenes in the southwest side of Louisiana – and the result is a great batch of tunes with a really gritty, down-n-dirty sound! There's a wealth of great funky styles in the set – including James Brown-inspired jammers, southern soul burners, and some other great modes that show that Louisiana's got a heck of a lot more to offer than just New Orleans funk. Titles include work from the Anla, Murco, Soul International, Goldband, and Tic Toc labels – a total of 22 cuts that include "Soul Time" by Ernest Thomas, "Soul Feeling (parts 1 & 2)" by Eddy G Giles, "Soul Brothers Testify (part 1)" by Chester Randles Soul Senders, "Soul Power" by Abraham & The Casanovas, "Put It On" by Count Rockin Sidney with The Dukes, "Fix It" by Clifton White & His Royal Knights, "Miss Hard To Get" by Dennis Landry, "No Sad Times" by Johnny Truit, "Black Water Gold" by African Music Machine, and "I Got A Groove" by JJ Callier. CD

A long awaited reunion of west coast indie psych pop masterminds Ty Segall & Tim Presley aka White Fence! It's a gem, and best of all, not a sequel or rehash of thier beloved earlier collaboratorative LP Hair, this one's got it's own vibe! Most of the songs are really short, given it a restless energy that's really great – still a masterclass in neo-classic garage psych, a la Hair, but bursting from one tune to the next at an exciting pace. Includes "Beginning", "Please Don't Leave", "Room Connection", "Body Behavior", "Good Boy", "Hey Joel, Where You Going With That", "Rock Flute", "A Nod", "Other Way", "Prettiest Dog", "She Is Gold", "Tommy's Place", "My Friend" and more. CD

With John Clark on French horn, John Patitucci on bass, Lenny White on drums, Don Alias on percussion, and guest percussion from Bruce Martin. CD

A quadruple-header from Ramsey Lewis – four albums from his great 70s electric period on Columbia Records! First up is Funky Serenity – sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams". Golden Hits isn't a "best of", but instead has Ramsey and his funky mid 70s trio with Morris Jennings and Cleveland Eaton revisiting some of his best loved material from the Cadet years, but with the groovy Rhodes and wah wah sound that we dig so much about his CBS recordings. Unlike some of the other records from this period, the group's nice and stripped down, just the electric piano, bass and drums, so the groove's nice and wide open, Ramsey and company popping along with the sanctified soulful vibe of his 60s work, but updating their sound with some nice electric touches. 9 numbers in all: "Hang On Sloopy", "Blues For The Night Owl", "Hi-Heel Sneakers", "Carmen", "Delilah", "Wade In The Water", "Slippin' Into Darkness", "Somethin' You Got", and "The In Crowd". Solar Wind was cut smack dab in the middle of Ramsey's glory days at Columbia Records – with great production help and work on bass from the mighty Cleveland Eaton! The style is nice and lean, with just some occasional fuller touches – and Ramsey plays plenty of Fender Rhodes, in addition to bits of Arp and moog too – in a setting that's mostly trio, with a few guest players stepping into the mix from track to track! There's a nice degree of fuzz at points, thanks to added help from Steve Cropper – and titles include a great funky version of "Summer Breeze", plus "Solar Wind", "Come Down In Time", "Love for A Day", "Hummingbird", "Jamaican Marketplace", and "Sweet & Tender You". Sun Goddess is one of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the drummer in Ramsey's trio before starting his own group – and the shared relationship both artists had with producer Charles Stepney! The three were all key parts of the late 60s sound at Chess Records – but here, they've brought the same soulful energy to Columbia – working in a wider, more mature groove for the 70s – one that has Lewis' wicked Fender Rhodes lines stretching out strongly over tight, compressed, funky lines from EWF! The centerpiece of the set is the massive 7 minute "Sun Goddess", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Living For The City", "Gemini Rising", and "Jungle Strut". Funky, electric, and sublimely wonderful all the way through! CD

Excellent! An astounding 4CD set covering 15 years worth of fine Jamaican music, stopping at all the relevant points for novices, but digging deeply enough to unearth some nice hard to get bits for the initiated. The first disc in the set, Train To Skaville, represents an 8 year block during the formative years of the 60s, starting out with some Mento cuts, then a couple of nice Jamaican R& B numbers on through a nice batch of Ska. Disc 2, Do The Reggay, focus on the transition to Rocksteady and early reggae from 1968 to 1970, as the tempos started to get a little more laidback, and the dawn of the 70s gets highlighted with disc 3, Black & White: Reggae Rising. Disc 4, The Time Has Come, brings it all together collecting a tremendous batch of roots rock. 90 tracks in all, the set includes Derrick Morgan "Fat Man", Stranger Cole "Rough & Tough", Don Drummond & Tommy McCook "Music Is My Occupation", Roland Alphonso & The Soul Brothers "Phoenix City", Desmond Dekker & The Aces "Rudy Got Soul", Keith & Tex "Stop That Train", Toots & The Maytals "Do The Reggay", Lee Perry People Funny Boy", the Untouchables "Tighten Up", the Pioneers "Longshot Kick The Bucket", Gregory Isaacs "Don't Let Me Suffer", Harry J Allstars "The Liquidator", Niney "Blood & Fire", Ken Parker "Groovin Out On Life", Bob Marley & The Wailers "Small Axe", Horace Andy "I Fell Good All Over", Junior Byles "A Place Called Africa", Zap Pow "This Is Reggae Music", Slim Smith "The Time Has Come", Big Youth "S90 Skank", Burning Spear "Marcus Garvey", and way too many more to list here! CD

A pair of great Jerry Goldsmith soundtracks – back to back on a single CD! Shock Treatment is a soundtrack that's as great as you might guess from the title – penned for a psycho-thriller, and done with a slight bit of "shock" in the music – not really electricity, but these odd tones that have a cool spacey feel at the best moments – similar to some of the ways that Goldsmith could work real magic with acoustic instrumentation on some of his sci fi scores. Even the more standard passages are pretty great – tense, and a real cut above the usual of the time. CD features bonus tracks added to the soundtrack – with titles that include "Broken Glass", "Home Work", "Night Scene", "Nelson's Seduction", "Another Treatment", "Hot Money", and "Nelson's Escape". Fate Is The Hunter has a decidedly different feel – kind of cool and gentle, almost watery at times – with an undercurrent of jazz that almost reminds us of some of Johnny Mandel's best soundtracks of the time! Titles include "Forest Scene", "Night Scene", "Moon Fish", "The Room", and "Fate Is The Hunter". CD

A record that was initially thought by some as a cheap cash-in on the Sgt Peppers concept – but an album that, to us, really helped set The Rolling Stones free to express themselves in so many new and amazing ways! There's definitely a bit of the hippie vibe to the set at times – such as sitar that might have been unimaginable on a Stones track a few years before – but there's also an explosively creative approach to the album's arrangements and production, creating a kaleidoscope of sounds that only further seems to illuminate the Jagger and Richards genius! Titles include the classic "She's A Rainbow" – plus "Citadel", "2000 Man", "On With The Show", "Sing All This Together", "In Another Land", "The Lantern", and "Gomper". CD

Incredible work from Spencer Wiggins – a late 60s Memphis singer who travelled in the same circles as James Carr, Percy Sledge, and Otis Redding, but who hardly ever got his due – despite talents that were clearly equal to his contemporaries! This beautifully-done set brings together 22 tracks that Wiggins recorded for Goldwax Records in the late 60s – a label that was also home to Carr's best work, and who does an equally great job with Spencer's deep-burning vocals on these sides. Many of the tracks on the set were written by the cream of the crop of southern soul writers at the time – George Jackson, Quinton Claunch, Isaac Hayes, and others – and backings are often spare and subtle, really letting Wiggins' vocals take center stage! CD features 20 tracks in all, plus some incredible notes – and titles include "The Kind Of Woman That's Got No Heart", "Old Friend", "Once In A While Is Better Than Never At All", "He's Too Old", "Soul City USA", "Walking Out On You", "Who's Been Warming My Oven", "I'll Be True To You", and "Anything You Do Is All Right". CD

The colors here are plenty darn funky – a rich array of amazing sounds from the archives of Golden Ring and Happy Records – two rare German sound library labels! The records may be rare, but they've got an instant appeal – especially if you're a fan of funky soundtrack work from the late 60s and early 70s – sounds and styles from folks like Lalo Schifrin or Quincy Jones, who both would be a good starting point in comparison to these grooves! There's a few key tracks here from Peter Thomas – one of our favorite German composers of the time – and other numbers are by funky drummer Klaus Weiss, plus some lesser-known cats who groove equally well. Titles include "Flash Point" and "Power Boost" by Peter Thomas, "Porto Allegre" and "Beach Bunny" by Juan Demonio, "Bubble & Squeak" by Elmar Steingarden, "Explorer" and "Space Drums" by Klaus Weiss, "Satin Eyes" by Mladen Franco, "Again Please" by Al Tacoma, "Get Across" by Ken Aldin, "Rock City" by Harry Winkler, "Blue Riff" by Peter Mellini, "Night Clipper" by Peter Look, and "Easy Action" by Peter Thomas. CD

Includes the songs "Come Sunday", "Don't You Know I Care", "I Didn't Know About You", "Mood To Be Woo'd", "Everything But You", "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", "I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So", "Memphis Blues", "Royal Garden Blues", "Golden Cress", "Stomp, Look And Listen", "On A Turquoise Cloud", "New York City Blues", "Fancy Dan", "The Hawk Talks", "V.I.P.'s Boogie", "Jam With Sam", "Perdido", "Skin Deep", and "Satin Doll". CD

Previously-unissued live work from Sun Ra – a very hip set recorded in Cleveland during the mid 70s, and a performance that features some especially nice organ work from Ra himself! The set begins with an extended number titled "Astro Nation" – a slightly funky cut that has some great chanting from the group, almost the same level of politics you might find in Parliament's "Chocolate City" – matched with some bold keyboards and horns. Group chants continue on "Enlightenment", which is taken in a short version – then Ra's organ takes over on "Love In Outer Space", which is performed in a long take, with a romping rhythm that's mighty nice. Organ continues on "Theme Of The Stargazers" and "Friendly Galaxy 2" – then Ra hits a very noisy stretch on the moog during "Synthesizer Solo". The group rounds things up with a version of "Sophisticated Lady" – and other players include Akh Tal Ebah and Kwame Hadi on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, and Damon Choice on vibes. June Tyson and Eddie Thomas are also part of the group on vocals! CD

A really great funky moment from guitarist John Scofield – kind of a bridge between the chromatic hues of his music from the 80s, and the tighter, sharper direction he'd take in years to come! The set has some classic-styled soul jazz elements at the core, really living up to the cover image – including Hammond from Larry Goldings and tenor from Eddie Harris – both of whom really deepen the sound of the record, especially when Scofield is still sliding out into some of the fuzzier tones in his bag. Rhythms are nice and tight too – with Dennis Irwin on bass, Bill Stewart on drums, and Don Alias on percussion – and tracks include "Don't Shoot The Messenger", "She's So Lucky", "Do Like Eddie", "Dark Blue", "I'll Take Les", and "Out Of The City". CD

A great collection of rare and unreleased New Orleans funk – from the golden days of the genre – and with work by some of the best producers in the Crescent City! Very hard and heavy funk, with choppy riffs and hard drums – plus, there's even a few cuts with nice electronics. Legendary cuts by Eddie Bo, The Gaturs, Louisiana Homegrown, Chuck Cornish, Sonny James and more. Includes the tracks "Chiller" by Louisian Homegrown, "Soul Power" by Walter Washington and the Soul Powers, "Ali, Funky Thing" by Chuck Cornish, "Lighten Up" by Sonny Jones, and "I'm Mr. Big Stuff" by Jimmy Hicks. Plus, the LP also features two different mixes of Eddie Bo classics "Hook & Sling" (a much longer version) and "If It's Good To Ya, It's Good For Ya" (done here in a 5 minute version.) 13 cuts on the CD. CD

The debut of father/daughter soul duo Dorian Holley and Nayanna Holley – stepping out here on a set of classic tunes that are mostly remade with their unique approach to the music! Instrumentation is lean and laidback – graced with lots of great organ and Fender Rhodes from jazz great Larry Goldings – plus gentle bass, guitar, and drums – as Dorian and Nayanna trade vocals back and forth on most cuts in an unusual way – then take a few solo moments as well. Tracks include versions of "People Make The World Go Round", "Can't Find My Way Home", "Don't Give Up", "Blackbird", "Somewhere", "People Get Ready", "Harvest For The World", and "Inner City Blues". CD

Their runaway hit – with titles that include "King Of Pain", "Every Breath You Take", "Wrapped Around Your Finger", "Tea In The Sahara", and "Synchronicity". CD

Jim Hall on guitar, Gil Goldstein on keyboards, Steve La Spina on bass, and Terry Clarke on drums. CD

Sweet sounds from a real golden age in Japanese music – a time when the scene had picked up plenty of influences from the US scene, but was carefully crafting some great styles of their own! The music here has touches of jazz, fusion, soul, and AOR – but there's a special balance that's a bit different than American chartbound material of the time – tight, but never too slick – and with a great ear for allowing the more interesting sides of the music to come forth in all the best ways – so that although catchy, the tunes aren't just going slavishly for a hook or a hit! There's a lot of resonance in the instrumentation with some of the scene that had Japanese jazz musicians working with American fusion players – but the overall approach is maybe more soul-based overall. An even deeper set than the first volume – with titles that include "Kanpoo" by Yumi Murata, "Hidari Mune No Seiza" by Tetsuji Hayashi, "Yubikiri" by Eiichi Ohtaki, "Vibration" by Kimiko Kasai, "Pink Shadow" by Bread & Butter, "The Tokyo Taste" by The Sadistics, "Blind Curve" by Momoko Kikuchi, "Skyfire" by Eri Ohno, and "Rainy Saturday & Coffee Break" by Junko Ohashi & Minoya Central Station. CD

A great early trio session from Ray Bryant – the kind of record that instantly shows why he caught such fire on the scene! There's a simplicity here that's almost invisible – a command of the keys that's strong, but not nearly as show-offy as some of Bryant's contemporaries. And given that Ray always managed to kick up a groove on the left side of the keyboard with his firm approach to rhythm, he's definitely a group player in the trio on the set – an excellent combo that features the wonderful Ike Issacs on bass and Specs Wright on drums. Titles include "Splittin", "Golden Earrings", "Sonar", "Blues Changes", and "Daahoud". CD

A post-ECM set from drummer Jack DeJohnette – one that's got a bit more electricity in the mix than before, yet which still has that great sense of energy that Jack gave us with his Special Edition group! The lineup here is youthful – Greg Osby on alto and soprano sax, Gary Thomas on tenor and flute, Michael Cain on acoustic and electric piano, and Lonnie Plaxico on acoustic and electric bass – and while the keyboards and bass definitely inform the rhythm at points, Jack's own bold command of the drums still holds the session tight – and moves things forward with a boundless sense of energy that really sets the horns on fire. Titles include "Blue", "Where Or When", "Earth Walk", "On Golden Beams", "Monk's Plumb", "Lydia", and "It's Time To Wake Up & Dream". CD

Wicked funky fusion from Opa – a Brazilian-inspired set, and one with loads of great electric moments! Although originally from Uruguay, Opa are best known for their Brazilian-tinged albums on the soul/jazz Fantasy records label in Cali during the mid 70s – great placement, given that their sound is a bit like Azymuth – with a similar mix of South American roots and contemporary electric grooves! This album is actually their first – captured in America before their two classics on Fantasy – and featuring a sharp quartet that includes legendary pianist Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards – a great talent who'd already made jazz and bossa records in the 60s – working here with George Osvaldo Fattoruso on drums, percussion, and flute – plus Ringo Thielmann on bass. The core trio is also joined for this record by percussionist Pappo Atiles – and although there's some light vocal touches, they've got that breezy style that was often used in Brazilian jazz at the time – almost more instrumental than vocal. Titles include a great take on Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte" – plus "Back Home (The Inner City)", "Brother Rada", "African Bird", "Goldenwings", "Brooklynville", and "One & One & One Is Two". CD

Wicked funky fusion from Opa – a Brazilian-inspired set, and one with loads of great electric moments! Although originally from Uruguay, Opa are best known for their Brazilian-tinged albums on the soul/jazz Fantasy records label in Cali during the mid 70s – great placement, given that their sound is a bit like Azymuth – with a similar mix of South American roots and contemporary electric grooves! This album is actually their first – captured in America before their two classics on Fantasy – and featuring a sharp quartet that includes legendary pianist Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards – a great talent who'd already made jazz and bossa records in the 60s – working here with George Osvaldo Fattoruso on drums, percussion, and flute – plus Ringo Thielmann on bass. The core trio is also joined for this record by percussionist Pappo Atiles – and although there's some light vocal touches, they've got that breezy style that was often used in Brazilian jazz at the time – almost more instrumental than vocal. Titles include a great take on Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte" – plus "Back Home (The Inner City)", "Brother Rada", "African Bird", "Goldenwings", "Brooklynville", and "One & One & One Is Two". CD also features the bonus track "I Came To This Country". CD

Arguably one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time – and the key flowering of the partnership between David Bowie and Mick Ronson! The guitars here are heavy – so much so that the record's always crossed over big with crowds who are always suspicious of Bowie's artier work of the 70s – and represented a crucial moment when his groundbreaking music also found a large mainstream audience as well. And despite the fact that Ziggy's an androgynous space rocker with a spurious pedigree, the manufactured posturing of the album's come to be taken quite literally over the years – a vivid text of alienation, expression, and redemption – served up beautifully over a host of classic tracks that include "Five Years", "Soul Love", "Moonage Daydream", "Suffragette City", and "Ziggy Stardust" – all further proof of Bowie's 70s ability to slide in wherever he wanted with ease! Features great bonus tracks – unreleased demos of "Ziggy Stardust" and "Lady Stardust" – plus the unreleased "Sweet Head", the b-side "Velvet Goldmine", and an unreleased mix of "John I'm Only Dancing". CD