All Categories — All Formats  

One of Doug Clark's bawdy frat rock-soul party LPs on the Gross label – with his trademark "blue" material for adult listeners, backed up by raunchy R&B riffing! The general style's a bit dated, but it's also the kind of album that paved the way for Rudy Ray Moore in the 70s. Titles include "Hot Konomi", "Limericks", "Saga of Rex", and "The Amsterdam Maid".

The first album cut by party favorites Doug Clark & The Hot Nuts – a raw mix of comedy and music, done in the fast-talking style that they served up to countless gatherings in the south! The album's perhaps a bit less blue than some of the later work, but also possibly more compelling – in that it was one of the first of the full-length sets of this nature, and really makes a bold statement overall. Titles include "Let's Have A Party", "The Whole World", "Can't Sit Down", "Old & Feeble", "Gay Caballero", and "Ding A Ling".

A great title for this hip little record – one that definitely has the group coexisting together beautifully in the space of the set – working with well-fused energy that really makes the music shine! The set's got the soulful vibe of some of the best indie sets from the end of the 80s – like some of the overlooked gems on the Muse label – with a deep sense of roots, but a fresh way of presenting them – so that the set's neither the usual bag of jazz, nor some overwrought attempt to recreate history. Instead, it's something fresh and new, and very personal – from drummer Winard Harper (who also plays some balafon too!), along with Bruce Harris on trumpet, Jovan Alexandre on tenor, Michael Dease on trombone, Roy Assaf on piano – and guest work from Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Mark Gross on alto, and Tadataka Unno on piano. Titles include "Helen's Song", "Ummah", "Hard Times", "Get Tough", "A Bientot", "Triumph", and "Coexist".

A full scale joint effort from the always unpredictable Stones Throw label and the cassette-centric Leaving Records – featuring audio adventurers Julia Holter, dak, Cyclist, Trance Farmers, Dem Hunger, Run DMT, Soundwizard BZB & MC Set, Oscar McClure, Odd Nosdam, Sun Araw and more. Cool, creative and diverse stuff – a good deal of it with kind of a darkness-tinged electro atmosphere – and an array of eerie broken beats, abstract instrumentals and vocals. 19 tracks in all: "Visions" by The Cyclist, "Into The Night" by Davis, "Lions Den" by dak, "Labelle Gross" by Oscar McClure, "You & Me Both (Live Arthur Russell Tribute)" by Julia Holter, "Sisters" by Odd Nosdam, "Right Off" by Sun Araw, "Bardo States Dream Walker Version" by Run DMT, "Purple Hay" by Trance Farmers, "Sadnis" by Knx, "Atimo" by Yuk and more.

A great title for this hip little record – one that definitely has the group coexisting together beautifully in the space of the set – working with well-fused energy that really makes the music shine! The set's got the soulful vibe of some of the best indie sets from the end of the 80s – like some of the overlooked gems on the Muse label – with a deep sense of roots, but a fresh way of presenting them – so that the set's neither the usual bag of jazz, nor some overwrought attempt to recreate history. Instead, it's something fresh and new, and very personal – from drummer Winard Harper (who also plays some balafon too!), along with Bruce Harris on trumpet, Jovan Alexandre on tenor, Michael Dease on trombone, Roy Assaf on piano – and guest work from Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Mark Gross on alto, and Tadataka Unno on piano. Titles include "Helen's Song", "Ummah", "Hard Times", "Get Tough", "A Bientot", "Triumph", and "Coexist".

Tremendous material from bassist Putter Smith – a player you may not recognize, but one who's been making some beautiful music on the LA scene for decades! Putter's got a soulful, soaring vision that makes him a perfect choice for Henry Franklin's Skipper label – and like Franklin's recent gems on that imprint, there's a quality here that takes us right back to the best indie soul jazz of the 70s – richly expressive material from a post-Coltrane era – with a vibe that's somewhere between Clifford Jordan on Strata East, and some of the hipper albums on Muse Records from the decade. Putter plays bass, but really manages to get some great horn help here, too – the alto of Jon Whinnery and tenor of John Gross – beautifully intertwined, and stepping along the modally-influenced rhythms of the set – which are played by Smith on bass, Theo Saunders on piano, and Kendall Kay on drums. The album's got an understated cover, but a wonderfully rich sound – and it's one we've been spinning often at the Dusty Groove offices of late! Titles include "Larance", "Home", "Early Morning Mood", "For Us", "Love Song For Kirsi", "Tonggeret", and "The Blessing".

A rare later album from 50s guitar giant Mickey Baker – recorded overseas, and with a different vibe than his legendary R&B work – including some nice funky moments too! The album's not really jazz, and it's hardly rock at all – and instead is more of a bluesy effort with slight undercurrents of funk – some modern touches provided by the tight rhythms of bassist Alex Sanders and his combo – who provide a nice backdrop for Baker's sharp lines on guitar! Mickey's picked up a few modern tones over the years, but still has plenty of grit in his grooves – and titles include "Pop Off", "Prelude", "Ouagadougou", "Sophie", "Wag Your Tail", "Shadadabah", and "Alexander's Funk Time".

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

Author Mick Brown chronicles the fascinating, tragic world of the Phil Spector – the most fascinating figure in American pop music history – thanks to both his unrivaled genius and artistry, his fabled reclusiveness and ultimately, real life crime noir tragedy. From his epic work with the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers, The Beatles, The Ramones and the many less iconic artists, to the recluse years and the bizarre shooting in his home, this is richly researched, very well done bio by Brown. Engrossing and briskly readable, even as a fairly hefty girth, Hardcover, more than 500 pages.

An absorbing biography of one legendary French singer Edith Piaf – one of the most alluring voices of the past century – and superbly written by Carolyn Burke! Edith Piaf lived as fascinating of a life as any international icon we can think of – musical or otherwise – and Burke does a terrific job of of telling her story in a way that chronicles her artisty on a deeper level. There's no way to tell the Piaf story without covering the more sensational aspects of it – but we're just as enthusiastic to read about her vocal and lyrical craft. Burke manages to make the story of Piaf the artist and it's a very, very engrossing one at that!

One of the most obscure 60s jazz sessions on ESP – a really free outing from pianist Lowell Davidson, working here in a trio that includes Gary Peacock on bass and Milford Graves on drums! Davidson's approach to the keys is quite far out, especially for the time – very much in the mode of Cecil Taylor, but possibly even more open-ended than Taylor's work up to this point. He doesn't get lost in the open spaces, though, thanks in no small part to the intuitiveness of his players. Really wonderful stuff that's loose, angular and engrossing all the way! Tracks are all longish originals – and titles include "L", "Ad Hoc", "Strong Tears", "Stately 1", and "Dunce".

Four sides of long improvised grooves from Miles Davis – a set that's quite similar to the classic studio album Bitches Brew, but which captures the sound in more open live setting! Each track on each side is named "Wednesday Miles", "Thursday Miles", and so on – after the night it was recorded – and is one of the few documents of the Miles electric group that features Chick Corea on keyboards, Steve Grossman on saxes, Dave Holland on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Airto on percussion. The work is more inside than some of the Davis Japanese sessions of the time, but no less revolutionary – really opening up in some wonderful ways – with lots of spacious modal riffing over some heavy vamps. Groovy and quite free at the same time, but not nearly as out as the later electric recordings!

Damn great work from the Greyboy Allstars – a record that's deeper, hipper, and more rewarding than we ever remember from the group – a rich blend of jazz and funk, without any tricks or gimmicks at all! The playing of the members has really deepened a lot since the last album – and there's a soulful sensibility here that may finally rank them right up there with the 70s legends who inspired their sound – especially in the case of Karl Denson's work on sax and flute, and Robert Walter's keyboards! There's also some occasional vocals on the record, but often pressed down into the grooves, in this cool electric way – and which also still leaves most of the focus on the instrumentation. Surprisingly great – with titles that include "Profundo Grosso", "Old Crow", "Bomb Pop", "Inland Emperor", "Diminishing Blackness", "Trashtruck", "Better Get A Jump On It", and "Bitch Inside Me".

Rare work from Weldon Irvine – a selection of tracks recorded as private studio outings, reissued briefly by Luv N Haight in the early 90s, and then only on vinyl! The style here is much more jazz-based than some of Irvine's soul recordings – a mode that's often all instrumental, and which features Weldon playing more acoustic piano than on his 70s fusion classics – but usually mixed in with sweet electric elements, too – which creates this wonderfully righteous balance in the music! The whole thing's very soulful, with plenty of undercurrents of the RCA years – and guest players include Steve Grossman on tenor, Marcus Miller on bass, Tom Browne on trumpet, and Bobby Broom on guitar – the latter 3 of which all worked with Weldon at GRP, making us guess that some of these 80s sides were intended for release on that label. Titles include "Kundabuffer", "Music Is The Key", "Mr PC", "We Can Try Again", and "Blues For Spike". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – including "Blue In Green", "Heard It All Before", "It's Funky", "Shopping", "The Sisters", "Think I'll Stay A While", and "Misty Dawn" – all only ever on the Sisters album, making their first appearance here on vinyl.

Easily the most hard-hitting of Blue Note's 2LP Lighthouse Live series from the early 70s – and a record that really lets Elvin Jones and his group stretch out and play! The setting is a perfect one for Jones – given the boundless energy already present on his studio sessions for Blue Note at the time – really fierce work that goes beyond even his classic Coltrane performances – pushing the limits in a sweet blend of rhythm and reeds! The group here is Elvin's razor-edge combo from the early 70s – the one that features Gene Perla on fat funky bass, and both Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman playing choppy reeds along with the grooves – really amazing hornmen at this point in their career, blowing here with interplay that's simply fantastic! Jones' leadership both draws from his years with Coltrane, yet also takes the music to key new levels – increasing the energy without blowing the top off, and creating a vivid new groove that so many others would try to cop later in the 70s – but never do this well. Titles on this first volume include "Fancy Free", "Sambra", and "The Children Save The Children".

Easily the most hard-hitting of Blue Note's 2LP Lighthouse Live series from the early 70s – and a record that really lets Elvin Jones and his group stretch out and play! The setting is a perfect one for Jones – given the boundless energy already present on his studio sessions for Blue Note at the time – really fierce work that goes beyond even his classic Coltrane performances – pushing the limits in a sweet blend of rhythm and reeds! The group here is Elvin's razor-edge combo from the early 70s – the one that features Gene Perla on fat funky bass, and both Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman playing choppy reeds along with the grooves – really amazing hornmen at this point in their career, blowing here with interplay that's simply fantastic! Jones' leadership both draws from his years with Coltrane, yet also takes the music to key new levels – increasing the energy without blowing the top off, and creating a vivid new groove that so many others would try to cop later in the 70s – but never do this well. Titles on this second volume include "New Breed", "My Ship", and "Sweet Mama".

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

Much cooler than you'd guess from the classical-sounding title – thanks to the fact that Roy Ayers plays vibes and Sonny Sharrock plays guitar – and the whole thing was arranged by William Fischer!

Wonderfully groovy! This is the first-ever album by the legendary Marc 4 studio group – a funky Italian combo that featured Armando Trovajoli on keyboards, plus backing by guitar, drums, and bass. The keyboards vary from funky organ to jangly electric harpsichord to sharp-edged piano – and the group's sound is often augmented by some extra horn work. Things are nicely funk and nicely groovy throughout – and although you may have a few tracks by Marc 4 on other comps, this is a great complete release of their work, with plenty of tracks that we've never heard before. Titles include "Silouette", "Jockey", "To Pedal", "Trafalgar Square", "Soho", "Love Theme", "Mato Grosso", "Lua Linda", and "Gare". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – new versions of "Alex" and "Mato Grosso", and the track "Just Simple".

Visionary stuff from Harry Partch – the kind of record that's a great introduction to his music – and a relic from an era when mindbending, rule breaking sound art could come out on a label like Columbia! There's lots of Partch's weird invented instruments – like chromelodeon, diamond marimba, mazda marimba, cloud-chamber bowls, gourd tree, and the crazy "spoils of war – but it's engrossing, and confluently rhythmic material that really pulls you in. Conducted by Danlee Mitchell under the supervision of Partch. The titles are long, and include "Castor & Pollux", "Daphne Of the Dunes", and "Barstow", which is "eight hitchiker inscriptions from a railway railing at Barstow, CA".

The third and best album yet from Sao Paulo Underground – formed by Chicago scene veteran and sonic adventurer Rob Mazurek – with a sound that's informed by the rhythms and creatively boundless possibilities of Tropicalia era Brazil and well beyond, along with the cosmic spirit of other Mazurek projects such as the Exploding Star Orchestra. This is hypnotic, attention seizing work that pushes boundaries and challenges tradition while still respecting it – it's never less than fully engrossing and pulls you right in, but it also skirts convention on just about every level. Mazurek's on coronet and electronics that fracture and fuzz out the atmosphere, creating some really dynamic interplay with instrumentation. Mauricio Takara is on cavaquinho, drums and percussion, Guilherme Granado on keys, loops, samples and percussion and Richard Ribeiro on drums. A pair of excellent tracks feature fellow modern greats with roots in the Chicago underground – vibes player Jason Adasiewicz and drummer John Herndon on "Just Lovin'" and "Six Six Eight" – the latter also featuring bass player Matthew Lux. The entire album is no less impressive, though! Titles include "Jagoda's Dream", "Pigeon", "Carambola", "Colibri", "Lado Leste", and "Rio Negro".

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

A perfect illustration of the rich new directions Wayne Shorter was taking at the start of the 70s – an amazing flurry of sounds and styles that's light years ahead of where he began in the 60s! Shorter's one of those players who was already great at the start – an amazing tenorist, both on his own and with the groups of Art Blakey and Miles Davis – yet by the time of this record, he'd absorbed a huge amount of influences from Brazilian music, modal jazz, the spiritual underground, and even the free European scene – all of which come to play on the long, complex tunes on the set! The record has Shorter working with some other key contemporaries of this new moment in jazz – John McLaughlin on 12 string guitar, Chick Corea on marimba and percussion, Dave Holland and Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Ron Carter on cello – all players who have the same open, exploratory vibe as Wayne's own lines on tenor and soprano sax. Titles include an excellent cover of Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz", plus the tracks "Antiqua", "Iska", and "Montezuma".

An amazing collection of electronic music from the German scene of the 70s – easily one of the most exciting, innovative musical worlds of the past century! There was really something special going on in Germany at the time – a confluence of hippie rockers, serious proggers, urban punks, and academic electronicians – all coming together to completely destroy previous (or current) generic conceptions – and make mindblowing music that's still more revolutionary than most sounds from decades to come! This fab second collection of German electronic rock from Soul Jazz digs even deeper than the first – and features a few famous names mixes with some even more important talents from the underground – all packaged together with the rich notes and historical detail that make their compilations so great. Titles include "Le Jardin" by Rodelius, "A Morning Excuse" by Amon Duul II, "Base & Apex" by Eno, Moebius & Rodelius, "In A Sacred Manner"by Gila, "Himmelblau" by Wolfgang Reichmann, "Co Co Pino" by DAF, "Sun & Moon" by Michael Hoenig, "Emphasis" by Harald Grosskopf, "China" by Electric Sandwich, "Zeebrugge" by Asmus Tietchens, "Krautrock" by Faust, "Gibli" by Niagara, "Electric Day" by You, "Die Weisse Aim" by Sergius Golowin, "Danger Cruising" by Pyrolator, "Sundance Chant" by Gila, and "Als Hatt Ich Das Alles Schon Mal Gesehen" by AR & Machines.

An amazing collection of electronic music from the German scene of the 70s – easily one of the most exciting, innovative musical worlds of the past century! There was really something special going on in Germany at the time – a confluence of hippie rockers, serious proggers, urban punks, and academic electronicians – all coming together to completely destroy previous (or current) generic conceptions – and make mindblowing music that's still more revolutionary than most sounds from decades to come! This fab second collection of German electronic rock from Soul Jazz digs even deeper than the first – and features a few famous names mixes with some even more important talents from the underground – all packaged together with the rich notes and historical detail that make their compilations so great. Part 1 of the vinyl set features titles that include "Le Jardin" by Rodelius, "A Morning Excuse" by Amon Duul II, "Base & Apex" by Eno, Moebius & Rodelius, "In A Sacred Manner"by Gila, "Himmelblau" by Wolfgang Reichmann, "Co Co Pino" by DAF, "Sun & Moon" by Michael Hoenig, and "Emphasis" by Harald Grosskopf.

A sprawling compilation of the folk rock, Brit blues, jazzy songcraft, oddball comedic and otherwise boundlessly fresh music from the roster of Transatlantic Records in the 60s & 70s! It's a mix of the still revered and largely forgotten – and the quality is high on both sides of that spectrum! Includes numbers by Bert Jansch, The Dubliners, Ralph McTell, Gerry Rafferty, Pentangle, Gryphon, The Purple Gang, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, Stefen Grossman and many more. 42 tracks on 2CDs: "Ye Jacobites By Name" by The Johnstons, "Wild Rover" by The Dubliners, "Streets Of London" by Ralph McTell, "Come Sing Me A Happy Song. . ." by Bert Jansch, "The Handsome Meadow Boy" by Dransfield, "Mother Nature's Son" by Gryphon, "Sign On The Dotted Line" by Gerry Rafferty, "Summertime Blues" by Mick Farren, "In Time" by Pentangle and many more.

Beautifully choppy jazz from Steve Grossman and his legendary 70s comrades Gene Perla and Don Alias – one of the heaviest hitting American combos of the time! The trio have a tight fusion sound that's as full-on as it is funky – and Grossman blows some amazing work on tenor and soprano sax that cut into the tunes with a really fierce bite! For this session, the group's joined by Jan Hammer on electric piano and moog, playing in a nicely restrained fashion that's not nearly as overblown as his later work, and which jams into the groove just perfectly. The set includes the breakbeat track "Zulu Stomp", plus "Alodian Mode", "Haresah", and "Extemporaneous Combustion".

A stone slammer from saxophonist Steve Grossman – a record that's essentially a Stone Alliance album with added keyboards from Jan Hammer! Steve's blowing hard, free, and soulfully with his regular bandmates Gene Perla on bass and Don Alias on drums – and Hammer's nicely restrained here, never jamming too much but really bringing a heck of a lot of force to the record with his work on electric piano and moog! Tracks are mostly in the hard choppy funk of the Stone Alliance mode, but have a few freer jazz touches at times – and titles include "This Way Out", "Inmate Man", "Katonah", "Enya", and "In It".

One of the warmer Steve Grossman albums of the 70s – a set that moves away from some of the sharper fusion of his indie label sets, but which still has plenty of fire in Steve's horn! Grossman plays tenor and soprano, and the styles range from soul-fusion groovers, to propulsive jazz jammers, to some mellower moments that are surprisingly nice! Other players include Howard Bugzy Feiten on guitars, Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano and keyboards, Mark Egan on bass, and either Lenny White and Steve Jordan on drums. Things are usually a bit more stripped down than most mainstream fusion albums of the time – with lots of acoustic elements in the forefront, which makes for a setting that never dampens Grossman's power at all. Titles include "Olha Graciela", "King Tut", "Katonah", "The Crunchies", "Creepin", "Arfonk", and "Pastel".

A overlooked gem in Elvin Jones' Blue Note career – and an album that's virtually the blueprint for the Stone Alliance sound forged later in the decade by bassist Gene Perla and reedman Steve Grossman! Both players are working to full effect on this smoking little set – mixing some of the more spiritual modes of other group members with their own sharper-edged, funky-leaning styles – all held together perfectly by both Jones' tight work on drums, and his expansive musical vision! Other players are great too – and include Pepper Adams on baritone sax, David Liebman on flute and tenor, and Jan Hammer on acoustic piano – an instrument he handles with surprising subtlety and soul. Many cuts have a hard, choppy groove – and titles include a remake of "Gee Gee", plus "One's Native Place", "Mr Jones", and "What's Up – That's It".

A beautiful live representation of the energy of the Bitches Brew years – one that has Miles Davis and the group really letting loose with free-flowing, modally-inspired lines – cooking up an incredible blend of acoustic and electric sounds at once! There's a bit of funk here, but not much – and although guitar is sometimes used strongly, it's often not as noisy as in later live sides. Instead, the whole group gels together beautifully – an unlikely assortment of players that includes Gary Bartz and Steve Grossman on reeds, John McLaughlin on guitar, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Hermeto Pascoal on percussion, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all given new focus, direction, and inspiration by Miles! Titles include "What I Say", "Sivad", "Selim", "Funky Tonk", and a great medley of "Gemini/Double Image".

A stone slammer from saxophonist Steve Grossman – a record that's essentially a Stone Alliance album with added keyboards from Jan Hammer! Steve's blowing hard, free, and soulfully with his regular bandmates Gene Perla on bass and Don Alias on drums – and Hammer's nicely restrained here, never jamming too much but really bringing a heck of a lot of force to the record with his work on electric piano and moog! Tracks are mostly in the hard choppy funk of the Stone Alliance mode, but have a few freer jazz touches at times – and titles include "This Way Out", "Inmate Man", "Katonah", "Enya", and "In It".

A perfect illustration of the rich new directions Wayne Shorter was taking at the start of the 70s – an amazing flurry of sounds and styles that's light years ahead of where he began in the 60s! Shorter's one of those players who was already great at the start – an amazing tenorist, both on his own and with the groups of Art Blakey and Miles Davis – yet by the time of this record, he'd absorbed a huge amount of influences from Brazilian music, modal jazz, the spiritual underground, and even the free European scene – all of which come to play on the long, complex tunes on the set! The record has Shorter working with some other key contemporaries of this new moment in jazz – John McLaughlin on 12 string guitar, Chick Corea on marimba and percussion, Dave Holland and Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Ron Carter on cello – all players who have the same open, exploratory vibe as Wayne's own lines on tenor and soprano sax. Titles include an excellent cover of Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz", plus the tracks "Antiqua", "Iska", and "Montezuma".

Another nice set of wholly unique avant grooves from Dani Sicilano – with sweet vocals and a completely engrossing leftfield vibe from Dani – and production by Matthew Herbert and arrangements by Max De Wardener. The bubbling, thumping off kilter touches are wonderful – and done a really tuneful way! Many of the tracks were done with fairly standard instrumentation, but processed in a way to bring in a wonderful otherworldly vibe. Nice! Tracks include "Slappers", "Didn't Anybody Tell You", "They Can Wait", "Why Can't I Make You High", "Frozen", "Too Young", "Think Twice", "Big Time", "Repeats", "Wifey" and "Be My Producer".

An early US session from trumpeter Terumasa Hino – working here in a very long and stretched-out style – very much the most edgy modes of his earliest years! Tracks are all quite long, and really open up with fierce horn work – both from Hino on trumpet and flugelhorn, and from the great Steve Grossman on tenor and soprano sax – blowing boldly to match Terumasa's youthful energy on the record. The set also gets plenty of propulsion from Motohiko Hino on drums – who plays like a mofo on the album's opener – and get some especially soulful focus from Harold Mabern on electric piano and Richard Davis on bass – both great players who complete this unique lineup. The centerpiece of the album is the 18 minute title cut – "Introduction/Alone Together" – and the other two tracks are originals by Hino – "Satsuki" and "Make Left".

Really lovely work from Hamilton De Hollanda – the third entry in his Brasilianos series, and possibly the most compelling so far! Hamilton plays a 10 string mandolin with effortless ease – spinning out rich tones and colors that go far beyond traditional Brazilian use of a bandolim – and working in spacious territory that also includes harmonica from Gabriel Grossi, guitar from Daniel Santiago, bass from Andre Vasconcellos, and drums from Marcio Bahia. There's plenty of jazz inflections – and in ways, the album's almost like some of the best ECM sessions of this time from the late 70s – those few that really got the mix of modes right. Titles include "JK Proibido", "Prece Ao Santo Ceu", "Primeiras Ideias", "Saudades De Brasilia", "Saudades Do Rio", "Guerra E Paz", "Caos E Harmonia", and 'A Marcha Dos Candangos".

A gem of an Elvin Jones session – quite different than most of his other work from the time! The album's got Elvin working with a larger group of mixed electric and acoustic players – with Chick Corea on piano and electric piano, Yoshiaki Masuo on guitar, Gene Perla on electric and acoustic bass, Dave Liebman and Joe Farrell on saxes, Steve Grossman on tenor, Don Alias on conga, and Pepper Adams on baritone sax. The tracks are shorter and gentler than some of Jones' other full-on work from the time – with some great light rhythms, sweet melodies, and a slight bit of funk mixed into the grooves. All in all, the album's a wonderful batch of tunes – really memorable, with plenty of great moments that we might have missed otherwise! Titles include "Who's Afraid", "La Fiesta", "A Time For Love", "Lungs", and "Brite Piece".

Wonderfully groovy! This is the first-ever album by the legendary Marc 4 studio group – a funky Italian combo that featured Armando Trovajoli on keyboards, plus backing by guitar, drums, and bass. The keyboards vary from funky organ to jangly electric harpsichord to sharp-edged piano – and the group's sound is often augmented by some extra horn work. Things are nicely funk and nicely groovy throughout – and although you may have a few tracks by Marc 4 on other comps, this is a great complete release of their work, with plenty of tracks that we've never heard before. Titles include "Silouette", "Jockey", "To Pedal", "Trafalgar Square", "Soho", "Love Theme", "Mato Grosso", "Lua Linda", and "Gare". Great cover, too!

A perfect illustration of the rich new directions Wayne Shorter was taking at the start of the 70s – an amazing flurry of sounds and styles that's light years ahead of where he began in the 60s! Shorter's one of those players who was already great at the start – an amazing tenorist, both on his own and with the groups of Art Blakey and Miles Davis – yet by the time of this record, he'd absorbed a huge amount of influences from Brazilian music, modal jazz, the spiritual underground, and even the free European scene – all of which come to play on the long, complex tunes on the set! The record has Shorter working with some other key contemporaries of this new moment in jazz – John McLaughlin on 12 string guitar, Chick Corea on marimba and percussion, Dave Holland and Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Ron Carter on cello – all players who have the same open, exploratory vibe as Wayne's own lines on tenor and soprano sax. Titles include an excellent cover of Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz", plus the tracks "Antiqua", "Iska", and "Montezuma".

A lost treasure from the post-Krautrock years of the German scene – a lesser-known album on the Sky Records label – more famously home to Moebius and Rodelius – both of whom would be a good comparison for this album as well! Dorothea Raukes handles all the music on waves of keyboards and synth – great layers of spare, rhythmic lines that interweave in nice minimalist ways – yet often have a bit more bite than the usual sounds on Sky. In fact, there's a quality here that almost echoes some of our favorite electronic European soundtracks of the period – but which is maybe even better, as the tracks are longer, and offer up plenty of room for exploration! Titles include "Der Grosse Atem", "Intercity Rheingold", "Auf Engelsflugeln", "Unter Tage", and "Deutscher Wald".

A wicked mix of proggish rocking and funky jazz – totally great, thanks to some added orchestrations from soundtrack maestro Luis Bacalov! The record is easily one of the most interesting from New Trolls – kind of a blend of jazz-influenced rock with some higher-concept ideas – yet saved by the leaner needs of a soundtrack setting – so that nothing ever gets too overdone or overindulgent! There's some wonderful strings which really set the record apart from others of this nature – and there's definitely some Bacalov touches on the keyboards, too. Side one features the full "Concerto Grosso Pour Les New Trolls" – and side two features shorter tracks that are equally nice, one with some great funky flute!

Two different sides of Louie Vega – served up to show his rich work for the King Street Records label over the years! CD one features a continuous mix by Louie – one that brings his talents for a dancefloor vibe to the works of other contemporaries – as Vega mixes together their grooves with some of his own – in an extended mix that includes "Vega 1" by Louie Vega, "Gypsyman" by Dazzle Drums, "Seasons Of Love (Blaze club mix)" by Blaze, "Goodbye Love (Alix Alvarez SC fly dub)" by DJ Roland Clark presents Urban Soul, "Found Him (Kerri Chandler Koaz dub)" by Studio Apartment, "Stargazer" by K-Scope, "Inhale" by Mood II Swing, "Where The Music Takes You (Teddy Douglas re-edit)" by Ananda Project, "Transitions" by Dennis Ferrer, and lots lots more – 25 tracks in all. CD two features work of Louie's own – or key mixes for other artists, in which Vega really transforms their sound with the same sort of warmth and soul he brough to his Masters At Work productions! These cuts include "Give It Up (MAW club)" by Rain/A Lil Louis Painting, "Cassio's Theme" by Groove Box, "Vega 3" by Louie Vega, "Hold On (Louie's MAW club)" by 95 North, "Lovery (Louie Vega dance ritual remix)" by Tuccillo & Kiko Navarro, "Souffles H (King Street club mix)" by Mondo Grosso, and "Here With My Best Friend (dance ritual mix)" by Stephanie Cooke.