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Nothin like the blues at all – and instead one of the most freeform, outside recordings we've ever heard from tenor player Jon Irabagon – working here in a mighty fierce trio with Mick Barr on guitar and Mike Pride on drums and nose whistle! The album is one long blast of noise – drums, guitar, and tenor all working together at an equal pace, and equal sonic sensibility – so that the whole thing's a lot more powerful than you might guess from the title or the cover. Jon's always grabbed our ears with his music – either solo or in the group Mostly Other People Do The Killing – but this is easily his most intense effort to date!

Jellyfish take off from the Beach Boys' Stack O Tracks concept of an instrumental record – and offer up no-vocal versions of the albums Bellybutton and Spilt Milk! These aren't "stripped off" versions of the records – but complete instrumental readings of the music, recorded at the same time as the original records – issued here for the first time ever! Jellyfish's pair of early 90s albums are almost defiantly in the way they ignore the era's alt-rock boom in favor of classic psych and power pop – which is something they earned our respect for, both then and now – and you get to hear just how intricately-layered their sound is here on the instrumentals. It has the feel of late 60s and 70s rock film scores in a way – and it's really cool stuff – truly worthwhile to have sans vocals! 22 tracks on 2CDs: Bellybutton titles include "The Man I Used To Be", "That Is Why", "I Wanna Stay Home", "She Still Loves Him", "Now She Knows She's Wrong", "Bedspring Kiss", "Calling Sarah" and more – and Spilt Milk titles include "Hush", "Joining A Fan Club", "New Mistake", "The Ghost At Number One", "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", "Brighter Day".

Pure brilliance from the lovely Joyce – an album that sparkles wonderfully throughout – in just the way we love from her older classics! The passage of years hasn't dimmed her beauty at all – and both Joyce's vocals and acoustic guitar work are sublime – lively, but in a really subtle way – with plenty of jazz inflections, and a mix of bossa roots that goes way beyond just about any other artist who tries to work in territory like this! Even after decades of recording, Joyce has this really unique, really sublime approach to her music that makes her records unlike anyone else's – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Puro Ouro", "Estado De Graca", "Aquelas Cancoes Em Mim", "Claude Et Maurice", "Quero Ouvir Joao", and "Tudo".

A standout classic from Kashif – one of those key 80s albums that brought him to light as a tremendous powerhouse in mainstream soul! Thanks to the wonders of recording science, Kashif was able to write, produce, arrange, and perform everything on the album himself – a great trick that probably saved him a lot of studio costs – but which also really helps him bring his music here into tight focus – even more so than on projects he'd been doing for other artists at the time. There's a super-catchy groove to the best numbers, and even the rest have that tight punch that makes Kashif one of the standouts of the time – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Baby Don't Break Your Baby's Heart", "Edgartown Groove", "Call Me Tonight", "Love Has No End", and "Send Me Your Love" – plus the duet with Whitney Houston on "Are You The Woman". CD features bonus tracks too – including "Baby Don't Break Your Baby's Heart (inst)", "Baby Don't Break Your Baby's Heart (single)", "Ooh Love (single)", "Ooh Love (12" edit)", "Ooh Love (inst)", and "Are You The Woman (single)".

Brilliant music from one of our favorite artists ever – a set that features the mighty Michel Legrand in a host of different settings – all of them great! CD 1 features 20 vocal numbers by Legrand – a great reminder that although best know for his soundtracks, Michel is a hell of a singer – one with this warm, raspy voice that's as at home in scatting jazz as it is in a more lyrical interlude – beautifully displayed here on tunes from the 60s through the 21st Century – vocal numbers that include "Attendre", "Quand Ca Balance", "Elle A Elle A Pas", "Rupture", "Le Cinema", "Trombone Guitare Et Compagnie", "Edith", "La Partie De Tennis", "Les Enfants Qui Pleurent", and "Mon Dernier Concert". CD 2 features jazz tunes by Legrand and others – almost all of which are versions of Legrand's great compositions – and a few others based around his sublime arrangements! Titles include "Flight" by Stan Getz, "De Delphine A Lancien" by Bud Shank, "Vida Real" by Arturo Sandoval, "Images" by Phil Woods, "Once You've Been In Love" by Sarah Vaughan, "My Funny Valentine" by Toots Thielmans, and "I Will Wait For You" by Lena Horn. CD 3 features soundtrack material – perhaps Legrand's most famous area of expression, and for good reason too – as you'll hear on titles from films like La Piscine, Le Sauvage, Cinq Jours En Juin, La Buche, Ice Station Zebra, Cleo De 5 A 7, Dingo, The Picasso Summer, Les Demoiselles De Rochefort, and Robin & Marian. CD 4 is a rare treat – music we've never heard before, and a set of recent duets that feature Michel Legrand on piano and Cetherine Michel on harp – running through some wonderful takes on classic Legrand compositions, including "His Eyes Her Eyes", "Orson's Theme", "Au Concert", "Nobody Knows", "How Do You Keep The Music Playing", and "I Will Say Goodbye". Amazing music throughout – and a hell of a great set at this price!

Never-issued material from the legendary Dick Morrissey – recorded for England's 77 Records at a time when Morrissey was at the height of his powers on the tenor! All tracks here are nice and long – really stretching out with an inventiveness that blows away even the level heard on Dick's famous studio albums – the kind of depth of feeling and imagination we're much more likely to hear from his contemporary Tubby Hayes – and proof that there's still plenty we've got to learn about British jazz! The group is great – Harry South on piano, Phil Bates on drums, and Phil Seamen on drums – giving Dick the kind of soulful swing that Tubby might normally get on some of his best records – and although the tracks on the set are listed here as "untitled" numbers – that's further proof that the music is fresh, and being discovered here for the first time!

A double-length set of late genius from the great Art Pepper – a live performance from Tokyo, cut at a time when Pepper was really stretching out on his solos! The tunes are all quite long, with plenty of room for Art's inventive reed work – and the album also features some great spoken bits between a few of the songs – a really great way to hear a Pepper voice that doesn't come from his instrument – which oddly then seems to really illuminate the music to follow. The group's a very familiar one, which means that everyone's in great company – George Cables on piano, Tony Dumas on bass, and Carl Burnett on drums. Titles include "Winter Moon", "Avalon", "YI Blues", "Donna Lee", "Make A List", "Quiet Fire", "Straight Life", and "Landscape".

One of the coolest, grooviest cats who ever cut a record – an an artist with a really unique conception at the time of these recordings! Roy Porter got his start as a drummer during the bebop years, and worked hard on the LA scene of the R&B and soul scenes of the 50s and 60s – but to us, his crowning achievement is these amazing funk sides of the early 70s – amazingly complex, but right on the money too – and a whole new kind of music that's impossible to describe in words! Roy mixes funky drums with lots of cool jazzy changes – keyboard lines, horn parts, and bass bits that have the frenzy you might find in fusion, yet come across with the down-to-earth vibe of a funky 45 – a killer blend that goes way past jazz, and even most straight funk too – as you'll hear in this sweet little set. The package brings together all the best tracks from these key Porter years – and titles include "Jessica" and "Panama" in both vocal and instrumental versions, plus "Wow", "Funny Feelin", "Funky Twitch", "Love You", "Hense Forth", "Out On The Town Tonight", "Givin Me The Blues", "Waver-ing", "Party Time", and "Hip City". CD features the bonus track "Drums For Daryl".

Pure genius from The Revolutionary Ensemble – and one of the records that really helped set the stage for the New York loft jazz sound of the 70s! The lineup is quite unique – percussion from Jerome Cooper, violin from Leroy Jenkins, and bass from Sirone – a much more subtle lineup of instruments than you'd hear on previous avant sides from ESP – with a resultantly different sound as well – one that's got more subtle colors and tones, and a slow-building, organic approach to improvisation that definitely shows an influence from the experiments of the AACM in Chicago. The album features one long track – "Vietnam (parts 1 & 2)" – but it's got a heck of a lot of variety over its nearly 50 minutes of music!

Massive Miami soul from Third Guitar – a short-lived group headed by guitarist Snoopy Dean – and one who've built up a well-deserved legacy over the years! This unusual set is the first time the group's work has ever been brought together – and it's a real revelation if you only know Third Guitar from their rare funky single – a chance to finally hear the combo in all their depth and glory, music at a level to rival bigger giants from the southern scene at the time! In addition to the expected funky groove, the group also have a great way with a ballad too – and there's some wonderful harmony numbers here that are a real treat to our ears – tunes that are almost more east coast indie, or Windy City soul, than we were expecting from the pedigree of the group. Dean's lead vocals are wonderful – raspy, raw, and really heartbreaking on the mellow tunes – and his guitar is mighty darn nice as well! Titles include the classic "Baby Don't Cry", plus "Been So Long", "Sad Girl", "Lovin Lies", "Down To The River", and "Don't Take Your Love From Me" – plus a killer instrumental version of "Baby Don't Cry" – done as a Kenny Dope edit!

The Ike & Tina Turner Revue shakes the foundation at Carnegie Hall on April Fools Day, 1971! There's a good reason for there being so many live albums by Ike & Tina – it's because they're damn great on stage – and this NYC set is a strong showcase for The Ikettes and The Kings Of Rhythm, too! The group was riding a peak wave of popularity around this time, and they cover a wide variety of songs in a set that's masterfully-paced – starting out slow and building up intensity as it goes! Titles include the Ikettes-led "Piece Of My Heart" and "Everyday People", the thunderous Tina intro "Doin' The Tina Turner", "Sweet Soul Music", "Proud Mary", "I Smell Trouble", "Ike's Tune", "I Want To Take You Higher", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "Respect" and more.

An excellent bit of 80s groove! Unlimited Touch have a cool 2-female lead vocal style – and they keep it tight and soulful on grooves that have a nice tight club sound, in a style that often reminds us of Roy Ayers produced albums, like Ladies Of The 80s, or some of the more uptempo tracks on the Ramp album. The record's one of the more soulful efforts to come out on the Prelude label at the time – and it's got lots of nice tracks like "Private Party", "In The Middle", "Happy Ever After", and "I Hear Music In The Streets".

One of the most fantastic soundtracks of the 70's – and of all time! For this, his masterpiece film, Melvin Van Peebles composed a non-stop collage of crazy sounds and funky jams, played by him and a very young Earth, Wind, & Fire, and pasted together in a pastiche of music, dialogue, and sound effects that serve as an audio document of the film. If you've ever seen the movie – and even if you haven't – you'll find that the soundtrack works as a 40 minute version of the film, shifting back and forth with a loose narrative progression. Of course, the real appeal is the funky music – and you'll hear more than enough of that on tracks like "Sweetback's Theme", "Hoppin John", "Come On Fee", and "Sweetback Getting it Uptight".

A really sweet side of Weather Report – a rare live performance from 1978, featuring a tight quartet version of the group! Peter Erskine's drums do a great job of propelling the music from Joe Zawinul's keyboards, Jaco Pastorius' bass, and Wayne Shorter's tenor and soprano sax – and the rhythms almost feel like they dominate more than usual for a Weather Report album – giving an especially great chance to hear the magic of Jaco at work! As with other live performances by the group in the 70s, there's some nice free play at points that really pushes things past the studio albums – and this double-length set features titles that include "Black Market", "Scarlet Woman", "Young & Fine", "River People", "A Remark You Made", "In A Silent Way", "Waterfall", "Fred & Jack", "Badia", "Elegant People", "Birdland", and a few medley tracks!

The one and only album ever cut by The Winstons – an obscure mixed-race soul combo who had roots in Otis Redding's touring band, and who hit big with a soul Grammy in 1969 for the title track to this one, "Color Him Father". The cut's an amazing document of its time, a sweet little story-song about a boy who's lost his dad in the war (Vietnam?), and who grows to love the new guy that his mom is dating. Sounds sappy, but it's one of the most compelling soul singles of the 60s – and is always a treat to hear. The other big cut on the record is the classic breakbeat track "Amen Brother", which is an instrumental reading of the gospel standard, done in a fast-funk style that's been sampled for years – both by hip hoppers and by drum n bass producers! Other tracks include "The Chokin Kind", "The Greatest Love", "Everyday People", and "Only The Strong Survive". This LP has 2 bonus tracks – "Love Of The Common People" and "Say Goodbye To Daddy".

One of the greatest soul groups from the UK in the 80s – a real bright spot in the years before Soul II Soul and the rise of acid jazz – and a set we'd rank right up there with Sade's best work of the time! Working Week have a very jazzy sound at their core – acoustic rhythms, and a strong commitment to jazz at the core – no surprise, given that two of the group's three members were previously involved with Weekend! The third member is the lovely Juliette Roberts – easily one of the best Brit soul singers of the time – and an artist who really helps push some of the more American influences in the group's music – while still giving the whole thing a bit of a London sparkle, too. The mix is sublime, and the whole album's great – full of classic cuts that include "Autumn Boy", "No Cure No Pay", "Sweet Nothing", "Who's Fooling Who", "Thought I'd Never See You Again", and "Venceremos". Amazing reissue – with a full bonus CD, and a whopping 15 extra tracks! Working Week were early proponents of really reworking tunes for singles, especially with jazzy elements – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Veceremos (jazz dance special 12")", "Afoche", "Storm Of Light (inst)", "Bottom End", "Stella Marina (main mix)", "Inner City Blues (urbane guerilla mix)", "Who's Fooling Who (dance version)", "Venceremos (7" bossa version)", "Stella Marina (full rap)", "Pepe's Samba (live)", and "Murphy's Law (live)".

Kick ass early work from the great Tom Ze – recorded in the beginning of the Tropicalia years, but with a style that shows Ze sitting on the fence between rock/pop and some of his madder later work! The style's still pretty hard to describe, and listening to the music, you can hear how much of an influence Ze must have had on the styles of Caetano Veloso and Os Mutantes – whose work from 1969 is echoed in many of the songs on the album. There's lots of weird organ, arranged in kind of a swirling psychedelic way that reminds us of songs from the early Mutantes album, or from the Tropicalia Ou Panis et Circensis album from 1968. Ze wrote all the tracks, and titles include "Sabor De Burrice", "Camelo", "Gloria", "Curso Intesivo De Boas Maneiras", "Parque Industrial", and "Profissao De Ladrao". A great cover, and a rare rare relic!

Kick ass early work from the great Tom Ze – recorded in the beginning of the Tropicalia years, but with a style that shows Ze sitting on the fence between rock/pop and some of his madder later work! The style's still pretty hard to describe, and listening to the music, you can hear how much of an influence Ze must have had on the styles of Caetano Veloso and Os Mutantes – whose work from 1969 is echoed in many of the songs on the album. There's lots of weird organ, arranged in kind of a swirling psychedelic way that reminds us of songs from the early Mutantes album, or from the Tropicalia Ou Panis et Circensis album from 1968. Ze wrote all the tracks, and titles include "Sabor De Burrice", "Camelo", "Gloria", "Curso Intesivo De Boas Maneiras", "Parque Industrial", and "Profissao De Ladrao". A great cover, and a rare rare relic!

Gilles Peterson does it again – and proves that he's still got one of the best ears around for choosing new music! Even after seven previous volumes, the Bubblers series is still plenty darn incredible – a great place for getting a taste of the best of the contemporary underground – those amazing artists that Gilles always features on his BBC show – always hand-picked, and chosen without any consideration for commercial directions – as you'll hear on the really revolutionary music in the package. There's a nicely laidback vibe this time around – a reminder of Peterson's tastes for more acoustic and jazz-based modes – and some of the tunes almost echo some of the rootsier music that Brownswood has recorded in recent years, too. Titles include "Volver" by Ana Tijoux, "She Was Out In The Water" by One Little Plane, "Crush" by Hello Skinny, "Linha De Frente" by Criolo, "Again" by Def Sound, "Manchild" by Haydn, and "Bout You" by Rainy Milo.

Cooking Kingston sounds from the 60s – a heady helping of work from the under-documented Caltone label – an early imprint whose quality level was right up there with Studio One! Caltone was a smaller operation, but managed to issue sides by some of the best on the scene at the time – and did so in a way that often created a nice sense of variety, given the looser setup of the company. Most of the grooves here are in a rock-solid rocksteady mode – with plenty of echoes of American 60s soul – and although the instrumentation is great throughout, the sublime vocals on some cuts are really what make the package crackle! Titles include "Killer Joe" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "Making Love" by Devon & The Tartans, "Hold Your Love" by The Cool Cats, "Hear Them Say" by Eric Monty Morris, "Gypsy" by The Emotions with Lynn Taitt Band, "The Journey" by The Uniques, "Return Home" by Alva Lewis, "I'll Never Try" by The Clarendonians, "Why Wipe The Smile From Your Face" by The Kingstonians, "Listen To The Music" by Lloyd & The Groovers, and "You Are The One" by King Rocky & The Willos.

A low price, but a really great package – one that's overflowing with some of the best recent work from the mighty Schema Records! If you read these pages at all, you'll know we think that Schema's one of the greatest things going these days – a modern label, but one that's committed to the real jazz grooves of earlier years – the bossa, modal, and soul jazz styles of the 60s and 70s – played in a mixture of real instrumentation and just a bit of dancefloor production, with a sound that's instant classic on nearly every release! This package is a great introduction to the Schema label's genius, and even if you've got some of the tracks here on other releases, the set is a really great way to hear all this music in one place – kind of a "best of the best" that's totally great! Titles include "Bluesanova" by Gerardo Frisina, "Moon Vision" by Soulstance, "I knew The Way" by Invisible Session, "On A Clear Day" by Was A Bee, "Emotional Dancing" by S-Tone, "Stay (In Mood)" by Paolo Fedreghini & Marco Bianchi, "Afrolicious" by Dining Rooms, "Esquema Da Bossa" by Quintetto X, "Today's Sound" by Intensive Jazz Sextet, and "Dreaming Of The Past" by Rosario Giuliani Quartetto.

A treasure trove of Tennessee soul – a package that brings together two classic compilations on Charly Records, along with a host of rare bonus tracks too! The original release of Music City Soul and SSS Soul Survey were not only the kind of sets that first got Charly recognition as a key label for reissuing soul – but they also drew much-needed focus to the efforts of the Nashville labels working at the end of the 60s – surprising powerhouses for soul music, even though much of their efforts failed to chart at the time! As you'll hear in this set, labels like SSS International, Silver Fox, and Minaret were filled with deep soul gems – the kind of music you'd normally expect to hear from Memphis or Muscle Shoals – but which was coming out in droves from Music City during a brief musical moment at the end of the 60s. The 2CD set features a whopping 50 tracks in all – with titles that include "Baby You Got It" by Clarence Murray, "The Game Of Love" by Willie Hobbs, "I Have No One" by Big John Hamilton, "Action Speaks Louder Than Words" by Reuben Bell, "Soul Ranger" by Clifford Curry, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "Natural Soul Brother" by Danny White, "Shell Of A Woman" by Doris Allen, "Sundy Morning Coming Down" by Hank Ballard, "I Almost Called Your Name" by Johnny Soul, "Soulshake" by Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, "Medley Of Soul" by Big Al Downing, "My Train's Coming In" by Betty Lavette, "All Night Long" by T Bone Walker, "My Ancestors" by Willie Charles Gray, and "The Pleasure Of My Woman" by Georgie Boy.

Another chapter in the Studio One story, as told by the top notch selectors at Soul Jazz, and as with the earlier editions in their Studio One series, this one's another mighty batch of Jamaican rhythm and blues. Like so many other Coxsone Dodd productions, you can hear the foundations of many future generations of Jamaican music running through these titles, 17 jaunty ska numbers laced with jazz inflected solos laid down by Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, Jackie Mittoo and the Skatalites, or harmonized vocals courtesy the Ethiopians, Maytals and others. As you've come to expect, this is an ace package with excellent notes and archival photos, loaded down with classic performances and hard to get nuggets, too! With Jackie Mittoo's "El Bang Bang", Ken Boothe & Stranger Cole "Arte Bella", The Wailers "Put It On", The Skatalites "Addis Ababa" and "Exodus", Joe Higgs "I'm The Song My Enemies Sing", Delroy Wilson "I Want Justice", Tommy McCook "Sampson" and "Freedom Sounds", The Maytals "Marching On", Don Drummond "Don Cosmic", Andy & Joey "You're Wondering Now" and more!

They're not kidding with the name of this group – because the set's a masterpiece of 70s Afro Funk – totally great all the way through! The combo has African origins, but they're recording here in London – which makes for a really wonderful criss-crossing of cultural modes – the same sort of heavy, dark-tinged groups you'd hear from Cymande or Demon Fuzz – both of whom are a great comparison to the sound of this group! Bass is very heavy in the mix – not dubby, but really rumbling right from the start of each tune – and helping to set up the complicated percussion patterns, fuzzy guitar bits, and nicely trippy vocals – all of which are recorded in just the right way to make the sum of the elements sound like way more than the parts. Titles include "Afro Funk", "Tei Egwu", "Hot Love", "Farewell To Ibusa", and "Try & Try".

A double treasure from Billy Bang – two late 70s vintage performances in a single package! First up is Black Man's Blues – a really amazing performance from Bang, cut during some of his most creative years on the New York loft jazz scene, at a time when Billy was carving out a rich new space for his instrument in jazz – and helping move forward a very creative generation of musicians as well! The lineup here includes Bilal Abdur Rahman on tenor and soprano sax, William Parker on bass, Rashid Bakr on drums – along with Bang's violin, bells, shaker, and percussion. But almost even more compelling are a few spoken passages from Billy – extremely proud, righteous words, spoken with assurance that really sends them home – and which helps the album stand out strongly in the genre of jazz and spoken word. Not all tracks feature spoken bits, but when they appear, they're great – and titles include "Ganges/Enchantment/Tapestry", "Albert Ayler/Know Your Enemy", and "Black Man's Blues". New York Collage is a radio performance from 1978 – one that has a beautifully focused feel, even on some very long tracks – thanks to a bold musical vision from Bang, who's at his lean best here – able to reach for high concepts, without ever getting bogged down in them. Players include Bilal Abdur Rahaman and Henry Warner on saxes, William Parker on bass, Khuwana Fuller on congas, and Rashid Bakr on drums – and titles include "Subhanallah", "Illustration", "For Josie", and "Nobody Hear The Music The Same Way".

The Biz never looked so great – huffing on a test tube on the front of this special limited picture disc – featuring a remastered version of Biz's second LP from 1989 – packaged with a flexi-disc postcard too, with a turntable-playable version of "Just A Friend"! As far as we're concerned there are a lot of MCs that could still learn a lesson or two from the Biz, and producers too! Good time mid school hip hop, with nice sample based production and a great sense of humor, that makes us nostalgic for the late 80s early 90s glory days. 13 tracks in all, with the cuts "Spring Again", "Just A Friend", "A Thing Named Kim", "The Dragon", "Things Get A Little Easier", "I Hear Music", "Biz In Harmony", "Check It Out" and more.

One of the coolest portable turntables you'll ever find – based on a sweet 70s design, but nicely updated for the 21st Century! The unique unit features kind of a sandwich design – grabbing the record on the spindle, with a tonearm that comes from the side, and moves towards the middle – which is where it ends up when you pack the whole thing up for easy carrying! Speeds are 45 and 33rpm – and, oddly, the turntable can also broadcast wirelessly to two different FM frequencies – so that you can spin records on the player, then hear the music back over a radio! And if that's not enough, there's also a vinyl digitizer – which lets you digitize your records, putting them on your hard drive, and creating MP3 files with the software included in the package. Comes with an AC adapter – so you can plug it in anywhere – but you can also run the unit with 6AA batteries, too (sold separately, natch!)

Proof that the US Army had plenty going on during the 70s – as you'll hear from this killer set of military-produced grooves from East Of Underground! The set goes way past the previous East Of Underground reissue – to feature work by the groups Soap, Black Seeds, and Sound Trek – all wrapped up in a beautiful package that's as visually pleasing as the music is funky! The cuts here were all recorded by US Army servicemen during the height of the Vietnam war – as Army-issued albums designed to encourage recruitment (as if a few funky grooves could help offset the bad press the war was getting on TV!) But despite that odd origin, the music here is all pretty great – mostly covers of familiar tunes from the time, but recorded with a nicely gritty quality that's mighty nice – and which makes the overall feel of the records like digging into some lost small studio tapes – ala Numero! Now Again have done a great job of putting together the whole package, too – contributing a wealth of notes and photos, and really digging deep into the scene in which these unique records were created. Not only that, but the packaging also replicates the style of the original odd releases too! The set features a CD each of music by East Of Underground and Soap – plus another CD that brings together an unusual double LP by the groups Black Seeds and Sound Trek. Titles include "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Kool & The Gang", "Walking In The Rain", "Backstabbers", "I Love Everything About You", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Go Outside In The Rain", "Black Magic Woman", "Hell Below", "Higher", "Popcorn/Santana", "Walk On By", "Java Girl", and "Get Together".

The complete recordings of Every Mothers' Son – two full albums, and a bonus single too! First up is the self-titled Every Mothers' Son album – filled with cool, catchy numbers that have a wonderfully sunny feel overall – and a spare approach that's a bit different than most of the group's contemporaries! The drums seem much more up in the mix than usual for this sort of work – snapping with a jaunty quality amidst guitar that's a bit more laidback, and harmonized vocals that have that perfect folk-into-pop mode that other Sunshine Pop groups were using at the time. There's a few blue notes here and there, which give the music some of the darker undercurrents you might hear in The Left Banke – and titles include "Come On Down To My Boat", "For Brandy", "I Won't", "Allison Dozer", "Sittin Here", "Come On Queenie", and "Didn't She Lie". The second album is a great step forward for Every Mothers' Son – a set that's got all the catchy charm of their debut, yet a deeper sound overall! There's a great maturation in the music going on here – as some cuts show a love of pop-psych elements, which comes off in fuller backings that swirl strongly around the lyrics – while other tracks have a leaner quality and more acoustic elements, almost into the territory of Beau Brummels on Reprise, especially given the way the vocals come across. The whole thing's a 60s pop treasure – filled with great original tunes that include "Rainflowers", "Dolls In The Clock", "Only Child", "Sally (Life Story #3)", "Put Your Mind At Ease", and "Larry's Birthday Party". CD also features a bonus mono single mix of "No One Knows".

Two really wild records from underground singer/songwriter Arthur Lee Harper – an artist who might have been a folk singer a few years before, but who sounds a lot trippier on this pair of late 60s recordings! Dreams & Images boasts production from Lee Hazlewood and arrangements by Don Randi – both bigger names who work here in really subtle ways – especially Lee, given how different most of Harper's music is from his own recordings. There's a great undercurrent of sadness – those gentle strings and blue notes that Hazlewood might cut through with his own wry wit – but which Arthur takes as a cue to open up with some of the most heartbreaking sides of his vocals. Titles include "Sunshine Soldier", "Children Once Were You", "Blue Museum", "Living Circa 1920", "Valentine Gray", "Dreams & Images", and "Pandora". Love Is The Revolution is a bit more upbeat at times – with some expanded instrumentation that really helps flesh out the more psychedelic corners of Lee's songwriting – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Flowers After Childhood", "Light Up Your Man", "New Day", "Annie Moore", "I/Soldier/Time Love", and "My Woman".

A beautiful pairing of mature Brazilian talents – working here in a setting that makes both of them shine even brighter than usual! The set features just piano from Francis Hime and guitar from Guinga – and vocals from both – often trading back and forth alongside their instruments, in a stripped-down setting that's wonderfully moody, and really opens up some darker corners in their music! The change is especially great for Guinga – maybe one of the most personal records he's ever cut – and is also a real difference from some of the fuller arrangements you might hear on Hime's larger-format records. Titles include "A Ver Navios", "Mar De Macarana", "Doentia", "Saci/Parintintin", "Cambono/Anoiteceu", and "Saudade De Amar".

Khan Jamal takes on the music of John Coltrane – in a wonderful session that returns the vibist to the glory days of his 70s work! There's a soulful swing to most of the numbers here – thanks to rhythm from a trio that features Curtis Lundy on bass, Farid Barron on piano, and Edgar Bateman on drums – and on one track, the great Odean Pope joins in on tenor, bringing a very strong Coltrane-esque vibe to the group's reading of "Blues For PC". Alto saxophonist Byard Lancaster plays on a version of "Mr PC" – but honestly, our favorite tracks here are the quartet ones – as it's great to hear Jamal's vibes stretch out in some cool Coltrane modes – ringing out with rich sound that's completely sublime. Other titles include "One Down One Up", "Naima", "Impressions", "Afro Blue", "Central Park West", and "Cousin Mary".

Brilliant work from a guy who gets our vote as one of the best young saxophone talents working today! Jonas Kullhammar's a hell of a great player – one who can be free one minute, focused the next – always working with a long-range creative vision in his solos – of the sort we might expect to hear from Sonny Rollins or Tubby Hayes in their best years! This album shows us a newly sensitive side of Kullhammar's talents – a slightly warmer feel in his music, although never one that's commercial or "easy" in any sort of way – because the overall construction of the songs is really complex and varied, in ways that have Jonas reaching for new territory, yet all without trying to blow his head off just to impress. That balance is key to the success of the record – as is the group that works with him on the album, the great Torbjorn Gulz on piano, Torbjorn Zetterberg on bass, and Jonas Holgersson on drums. Titles include "October Is A Long Time Too", "Rat Beat", "Morsan A Farsan", "Bristol Scream", and "Blau".

A heavy dose of grooves from Lack Of Afro – not only work recorded under his own name, but remixes and productions he's done for other artists as well! There's a solid commitment to funk on just about every record to bear the Lack Of Afro name – and you'll hear plenty of that in the grooves here – lots of old school 70s funk and soul elements, mixed in nicely to augment the core sounds – and pushed to the forefront on some of the best tracks too! Most of the music isn't played live, but there's definitely a live feel at points – given the choices of samples used – and the 2CD set features Lack Of Afro mixes of tunes that include "Si Si Puede" by Ray Camacho, "It's Real" by Hot 8 Brass Band, "Hurt Me So" by Diplomats Of Solid Sound, "Giorgio's Brother" by Eddie Roberts, "I Can't Dance With You" by The Fantastics, "Greenbacks" by Deep Street Soul, and "Freedom" by Ray Harris & The Fusion Experience – plus Lack Of Afro tracks "Broken Samba", "On My Way", "First Break", "Spooky", and "Numero Seenko".

The title's almost a bit of a mystery here – as the music is so right on the money, so sense-making, that we can hardly hear a non-sequitur in the set – just these well-hewn, thoughtfully-played lines of sound coming from the twin tenors of David Liebman and Ellery Eskelin! The record's a mix of modern swingers and more abstract numbers – but throughout, the reedmen prove that they're very well matched – players who clearly think alike when it comes to spinning a line – very able to find the right sort of sonic space in which to work together. The group's completed by Tony Marino on bass and Jim Black on drums – and the centerpiece of the set is Eskelin's "Non Sequiturs" suite – plus the tracks "New Breed", "In The Mean Time", and a version of Albert Ayler's "Ghosts".

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever".

An overlooked set from Melba Moore – an Epic session from the start of the 80s, and one that's served up with a nicely understated groove! There's a bit of disco in the mix, but the sound's never too far over the top – and in a way, Melba's working in the same sophisticated territory as some of the Philly International singers of the same generation – moving past easy club or chart soul, into a well-rounded, fully mature mix of music. Given the great vocals that Moore's always brought to her music, the format is a great way for her to keep on growing – as you'll hear on titles that include "Closer", "Something On Your Mind", "Shame", "Next To You", "Rest Inside My Love", and "Never Gonna Let You Get Away".

A pair of groovers from this legendary Caribbean ensemble – packaged together in one sweet set! On the cover of Message, the group is wearing some pretty sweet leisure suits – and the album's got some equally sweet grooves to match – the bouncy blend of horns, percussion, and guitars we've come to expect from Skah Shak #1! The group's got Haitian origins, but there's a fair bit of Latin in the mix as well – especially in the way the horns come together over the top of the arrangements, often with jazzy flourishes that really help add a new level of melody to the tunes. Most numbers build in long, hypnotic grooves – and titles include "Message", "Aide M Rele", "Pour Demain", "Manman", "Yaveh", and "Zanmi". Doing It features a great batch of funky Haitian tunes from Skah Shah – a group who seem to weave together many strands of music into one unified groove! The rhythms have this really bouncy sort of quality – almost an echo of cumbia, but with stronger African roots – and some of the percussion you'd expect to hear from Cuban music as well – a strong indication of the Caribbean crossroads that spawned the group and their style. Horn parts are especially nice – alto and tenor coming together in these lines that are sharp, yet gliding – and which really help give shape to the tunes. Titles include "Do It", "Racine Core", "A Sandy", "Zoute", "Vie Neg", and "Bon Tan".

Very groovy work from Jennie Smith – a singer known for her work on the Tonight Show, but who sounds even hipper here! Mort Garson handled the backings, and they've got lots of the playful touches that you'd hear on his groovier 60s instrumental work – mixed with some of the watery strings used on mellower dates – both a perfect match for Smith's vocals, in ways that help take her out of the straighter style she was using in the late 50s. There's kind of a hip 60s "adult" feel to the record – quite different than the more sentimental modes of RCA a few years before – and Smith turns out to be a wonderful singer in such a setting. Titles include "Gravy Waltz", "Fly Me To The Moon", "This Could Be The Start Of Something", "Let's Face The Music & Dance", "My Man", and "Nice & Easy". CD features the bonus track "As I Love You".

Very very cool! If you've never seen this baby before – either as the Soundwagon from the 70s, or as the Vinyl Killer from the 90s – here's the scoop: It's a cool little Hot Wheels-type van that actually drives around your record and plays music out of a self-contained speaker! It's got big rubber wheels, an internal motor, and a stylus on the bottom that holds the van in the groove and which tracks the music. Watch the van drive to the middle of the record in slowly descending curves, and hear it play the record while it makes the trip! Honestly the coolest thing we've ever seen, and it comes in a few different colors. (And just so you know, this isn't a hi-tech item that's going to replace your stereo. It's got a tiny little toy speaker on the top – and it sounds like a toy speaker – but it's plenty cool!)

Very very cool! If you've never seen this baby before – either as the Soundwagon from the 70s, or as the Vinyl Killer from the 90s – here's the scoop: It's a cool little Hot Wheels-type van that actually drives around your record and plays music out of a self-contained speaker! It's got big rubber wheels, an internal motor, and a stylus on the bottom that holds the van in the groove and which tracks the music. Watch the van drive to the middle of the record in slowly descending curves, and hear it play the record while it makes the trip! Honestly the coolest thing we've ever seen, and it comes in a few different colors. (And just so you know, this isn't a hi-tech item that's going to replace your stereo. It's got a tiny little toy speaker on the top – and it sounds like a toy speaker – but it's plenty cool!)

Magical music from the team of Donald Fagan and Walter Becker – one of those records that seems to state its existence in simple, straightforward terms – but which is also filled with undeniably complex moments! There's a definite echo of older jazz here – heard famously in the Horace Silver riff stolen for "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", or the Duke Ellington cover of "East St Louis Toodle-oo" – as well as in the group's own "Parker's Band" – one of the strangest songs you'll ever hear about Bird! Yet there's also a lot more going on too – complicated changes and timings, oblique lyrics, and a warmly produced sound that really sparkles on tracks like "Any Major Dude Will Tell You", "Monkey In Your Soul", "With A Gun", "Pretzel Logic", "Night By Night", and "Charlie Freak".

An excellent bit of 80s groove! Unlimited Touch have a cool 2-female lead vocal style – and they keep it tight and soulful on grooves that have a nice tight club sound, in a style that often reminds us of Roy Ayers produced albums, like Ladies Of The 80s, or some of the more uptempo tracks on the Ramp album. Their music is some of the most soulful to come out on the Prelude label at the time – and this CD collects titles from the years 1980 to 1984. Titles include "Searching To Find The One", "Love Explosion", "Your Love Is Serious", "Private Party", "In The Middle", "Happy Ever After", and "I Hear Music In The Streets".

Mindblowing music from the legendary Scott Walker – a set that's even darker and more powerful than Drift – but which also shows a new sort of sensitivity as well! Walker's musical journey has been amazing – from teen idol to crooning poet to country singer, new wave experimentalist, and the incredibly artistic and reclusive talent of recent decades. Yet Bish Bosch is something completely new entirely – a record that bursts out with noise one minute, then shifts to sparely expressive passages the next – all in ways that kind of recapture the poetic charm of the initial Walker solo records, while wrapping it up with all the fiercely artistic energy of the later ones. There's a very abstract vibe to the record at points – not rock, never pop, and not even anything close to the vocalizations you'd hear from anyone except the most experimental or avant artists – yet somehow still in that amazingly deep tone that Walker could craft when singing for a mainstream audience. These contradictions, and many others, are what really make the record sparkle – and tracks include "See You Don't Bump His Head", "Corps De Blah", "Phrasing", "The Day The Conducator Died", "Tar", "Dimple", and "Epizootics".

There's a massive amount of keyboards pictured on the inside cover of the album – which you can hear to great effect in the music of Zoltan! The group's clearly inspired by the sound of 70s soundtracks – and maybe a bit of 80s, too – especially the John Carpenter-type of film score that was often heavy on keyboards, used in really spare and spooky ways! Moogy moments mix with Yamaha, Juno, Jupiter, and other electrified lines – held fast by some firm funky beats and raw guitar riffs – and recorded beautifully with just the right sort of vintage sound! You could easily play the whole album as the score for one of your favorite slasher films from back in the day – and our hat's off to Zoltan for getting the sound so right. Titles include "Canali Replica", "Windowless Monad", "Pilman Radiant", "Krollspell"," The Tall Man", and "Black Iron Prison".

Looking for funky Brazilian grooves? You'd have a hard time doing better than this tasty little set – 20 slices of rare soul, funk, and jazzy tunes from the Brazilian scene of the 70s – all hand-picked by Patrick "Da Lata" Forge! The set's a tremendous introduction to the wealth of great music from this time – and brings together a number of cuts that have crossed over big on the global groove scene inspired by Forge and Gilles Peterson, plus a number of other tracks that are lesser-known but equally great as the rest! Grooves often mix together electric and acoustic sounds, traditional and modern instrumentation, and feature arrangements that offer a whole new approach to rhythm than you'd hear in American work from the same stretch – a really amazing sound that's presented perfectly here! Titles include "Garra" by Marcos Valle, "Bola De Meia Bola De Gude" by 14 Bis, "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" by Simone, "Maita" by Doris Monteiro, "Baoba" by Claudia, "Nereci" by Djavan, "No Baixo Do Sepateiro" by Meirelles, "Embalo Diferente" by Os Devaneios, "Que Bandeira" by Evinha, "Aquelas Coisas Todas" by Toninho Horta, "Algo No Ar" by Marcelo, "Banana" by Joyce, and "Trem Da Central" by Claudio Jorge.

Massive funk from CTI – some of the label's grooviest, jazziest, most soulful gems from the 70s – all hand-picked by the folks at Wax Poetics Japan! There's some familiar tracks here, and some lesser-known nuggets too – and the set is one of the grooviest CTI collections we've ever heard – filled with just the right sort of sounds to show the label's genius in its best light – including some tracks from related imprints Kudu and Salvation, too! Don't let the "dance" in the title put you off – because this isn't dance music, just tight funky jazz of the best 70s variety – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Baretta's Theme" by Ron Carter, "Macumba" by Lalo Schifrin, "Stanley's Tune" by Airto, "Star Borne" by Johnny Hammond, "Nights In White Satin" by Deodato, "Hard To Face The Music" by Idris Muhammad, "Corazon" by Hank Crawford, "You Keep Me Hanging On" by David Matthews, "Boy I Really Tied One On" by Esther Phillips, and "Sugar Free" by Hank Crawford.

Postwar blues from Chicago – a great double-length collection of rare material from JOB Records – a Windy City imprint that was much smaller than Vee Jay, Chess, and Mercury – and who only ever issued most of this material as 78 rpm singles! The JOB sound is definitely rough and raw – still showing the strong influence of electric guitar's introduction to northern blues, yet putting the music forward with a stripped-down sound that's really timeless – and which often emphasizes piano as much as guitar. No surprise, there's some great keyboardists on the set – working in a really dark-edged style – as you'll hear on the 36 track set of tunes that includes "Evening Sun" by Johnny Shines, "Drinking Woman" by John Brim & His Trio, "My Head Can't Rest Anymore" by Baby Face Leroy Foster, "Down Home Child" by Sunnyland Slim, "Boogy Fool" by Snooky Pryor, "Dark Road" by Floyd Jones, "Five Long Years" by Eddie Boyd, "How Much More" by JB Lenoir, and "Rough Treatment" by Little Hudson & His Red Devil Trio.

A treasure trove of raw soul and rough-edged R&B – a killer collection of material that originally appeared on the ultra-limited series of Juke Box Jam singles from Jazzman – sweetly collected into one nicely-priced package! The grooves here are totally great – and represent a step backwards in the funk scene – a move back to the 50s and early 60s from the previous focus on later years' soulful sounds – a much-needed dig back into the R&B that first inspired all the soul and funk of the 60s and 70s – but with a very fresh ear, so that the collection's way different than any set of music like this you would have heard a decade ago! The sounds are plenty gritty, and a great illustration that there's still loads to be discovered in these crucial years of music – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Lula" by Mike Robinson, "Country Boy" by Big Tiny Kennedy, "Mr Hound Dog's In Town" by Roy Brown, "I Can't Takit No Longer" by Ben Harper, "Shorty" by Vernon Dilworth, "Geechie Goomie" by Marga Benitez, "Crazy Do" by Jack Tucker, "I Say No No More" by Frances Burr, "Baby You Were Meant For Me" by Ervin Rucker, and "Hot Weather Blues" by Mr Sad Head.

Cooking Kingston sounds from the 60s – a heady helping of work from the under-documented Caltone label – an early imprint whose quality level was right up there with Studio One! Caltone was a smaller operation, but managed to issue sides by some of the best on the scene at the time – and did so in a way that often created a nice sense of variety, given the looser setup of the company. Most of the grooves here are in a rock-solid rocksteady mode – with plenty of echoes of American 60s soul – and although the instrumentation is great throughout, the sublime vocals on some cuts are really what make the package crackle! Titles include "Killer Joe" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "Making Love" by Devon & The Tartans, "Hold Your Love" by The Cool Cats, "Hear Them Say" by Eric Monty Morris, "Gypsy" by The Emotions with Lynn Taitt Band, "The Journey" by The Uniques, "Return Home" by Alva Lewis, "I'll Never Try" by The Clarendonians, "Why Wipe The Smile From Your Face" by The Kingstonians, "Listen To The Music" by Lloyd & The Groovers, and "You Are The One" by King Rocky & The Willos.

Massive music at a marvelous price – 40 soulful grooves in one sweet little set, all part of this amazing series of Neo Soul! The package is put together by Dome Records, and the collection features tracks from that label, plus a few other key indies too – all with a great focus on the kind of groundbreaking American and British soul that has formed the core of the Neo Soul groove for years! There's plenty here you'll never hear on the radio – and titles include "I've Been Waiting" by Incognito, "Love You Yes" by Beverlei Brown, "Home" by Carmen Rogers, "Dealing" by Eric Roberson, "In My Fantasy (Jasks Thaisoul temptation mix)" by Tortured Soul, "Back For More" by Cool Million, "Can't Stop" by Reel People, "I Want You Back" by Sinclair, "Distant Lover" by Heston, "You Are" by Full Flava with Carleen Anderson, "Real Love" by Drizabone Soul Family, "Lover's Theme" by Avani, "Sometimes" by Rahsaan Patterson, and "Open Heart Open Mind" by Brenda Russell.

One of countless late 50s albums cut in the "Jazz meets Broadway" trend (Jimmy and group play tunes from Meredith Wilson's score to The Music Man) – many of which are better than you might think! This one features Giuffre working in slightly larger groups than usual for the time – mostly horns with rhythm, and with players that include Al Cohn, Joe Wilder, Sol Schlinger, and Art Farmer. And while we'd rather hear Jimmy working through these numbers in trio format, the angularity of the arrangements makes for a nice take on the tunes (and we'll admit that we actually do like the musical!) Titles include "Marian The Librarian", "The Wells Fargo Wagon", "Iowa Stubborn", "Gary Indiana", and "It's You".

We have to admit, we had a lot of misgivings about this project before we gave it a chance and listened to it all the way through – but after all was said and done, we were quite impressed! While Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove and Michael Brecker all have the chops, recognition and reputations to make as many new recordings as they'd like, without resorting to pandering tributes, this project actually works beautifully and makes great sense. The group is rounded out by the elastic rhythms provided by John Patitucci (who seems to have graduated well beyond the sort of 6 string noodling he usually purveys) and Brian Blade. In most cases, we'd rather hear Miles doing Miles and Trane doing Trane, but this group manages to capture both the dark, brooding beauty of Miles' music and the deeper, soulful vein that Coltrane mined. Herbie sounds the best we've heard in ages and the highlight of this live set is a medley of Miles' "So What" and Coltrane's "Impressions", while the rest of the set is made up mostly of originals (2 more Coltrane pieces, "Naima" and "Tansition" are included) composed by members of the group like Hancock's "The Sorcerer" and Hargrove's "The Poet".

Excellent work from this jazzy Indian combo! Mukta mix together Indian rhythms and funky jazz – in a way that's unlike anything we've ever heard, but which draws a bit of an influence from the 60s funk of Ananda Shankar and the 70s Bollywood funky era. The focus on this album, though, is pretty darn jazzy – and the record's a wonderful east-meets-west recording, right up there with the classic MPS "Jazz Meets the World" sessions, or the legendary 60s recordings of Ahmed Abdul-Malik. The whole thing's fantastic – one of the freshest things you'll hear in a long time – and the jazz component of the music is as high as the Indian grooves. Titles include "Jade (parts 1 & 2)", "Slava", "Lyra", "Song For Yewa", "Lullaby For Nathan", "Crescent Moon", and "Elephant Dance".

If anybody could take a great tune and make it better, it was The Ventures – as you'll hear on this album's killer version of "Hawaii Five O" – as well as a host of other groovy goodies too! The set's still got the core sound of the quartet – loads of fuzzy guitars riffing away over heavy drums – but there's also some fuller arrangements too, but handled by groovy guys Mike Melvoin and George Tipton – both of whom keep things swinging in a west coast 60s style that's very much like the best modes over at Capitol Records! In addition to "Hawaii Five O", other titles include "The Letter", "Don't Give In To Him", "A Summer Place", "Lovin Things", "Stormy", and "I Can Hear Music".

Raw rock & soul from Saigon – from raw & garagey to more soulful, psychedelic and funky – an impressive collection of late 60s & early 70s recordings put together by the ever amazing Sublime Frequencies label! We've been lucky enough to hear a pretty incredible and diverse wealth of music made in Southeast Asia during this period – but even so, this set is still a total knockout! The sound is pretty wonderful – and even though most of the recordings were made in makeshift studios in a very tumultuous time (to say the least), they still come across with a strong sense of joyful exuberance. There are songs of war here – anti-Viet Cong songs, songs from the point of view of jealous girlfriends of soldiers, and more (thanks to the sharp, to the point notes for clueing us in on the subject matter) – all done with raucous psychedelic rock or funk rock instrumentation, and often quite lovely female vocals. Essential! 17 tracks in all – including "Tin Yey Tuyet Voi" by CBC Band, "Cai Tram Em Cai" and "Noi Buon Con Gai" by Carol Kim, "Mat Troi Den" by Minh Xuan & Phuong Hoang, "Kho Tang Cua Chung Ta" by Elvis Phuong, "Do Ai" by Phuong Dung, and "Duyen Phan Con Gai" by Mai Le Huyen.

A beautiful second record from Abiah – warmly wonderful material that's as sensitive as a singer/songwriter set, yet also has a deep sense of soul as well! Vocals and piano are wonderfully intertwined – in a mode that has the depth of jazz, yet the focus of soul music as well – often handled at a gentle pace, but with a flow that really holds us rapt throughout – with an acoustic vibe that's somewhere in a space between Bill Withers and Joan Armatrading. Abiah is an artist who previously recorded for Universal under his first name, Jeremiah – but he sounds even more wonderful here, and the shift to using his last name is definitely a good choice for this next chapter in his music. Titles include "This Time", "Goodbye", "Foolish Heart", "September", "Turn The Light On", and "Life As A Ballad".

Some of our favorite albums ever from pianist Muhal Richard Abrams – an amazing run of eight records for the Black Saint/Soul Note label – rich in fresh colors, tones, and new musical ideas! There's a sensitivity to some of these records that you don't always get with Abrams – a personal feeling that brings in a much-needed warmth to his complex compositional forms – often in collaboration with other players on the Chicago scene, but also with a wider range of avant players, especially from New York – where Abrams would have a great influence in the 80s. The lineup of musicians here is wonderful – a virtual who's-who of the jazz left at the time, at least from an American perspective – with performances from George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell, Amina Myers, Thurman Barker, Baikida Carroll, Andrew Cyrille, Craig Harris, Stanton Davis, Marty Erlich, Dick Griffin, Cecil Bridgewater, Fred Hopkins, Dierdre Murray, and so many others. The set features 8 full albums, each in a tiny LP-styled sleeve – and titles include Siphumonesty, Mama & Daddy, Blues Forever, Rejoicing With The Light, View From Within, Hearinga Suite, Blu Blu Blu, and Think All Focus One.

Great rootsy Cajun accordion – a version of the genre that's much grittier than any of the later versions that were spread more strongly through the mainstream – and definitely light years from the touristy sounds heard in more recent years! This set offers up a host of rare small label recordings from Nathan Abshire – a player who really handles his instrument with a personal touch – almost as raw and soulful as a harmonica in the hands of a blues musician, and often supported by rhythms that are pretty darn blue as well – although also with a definite Louisiana sound! The package features material with the Pine Grove Boys and Balfa Brothers group, plus others by Nathan on his own – and the set features 25 titles that include "Pine Grove Blues", "Offshore Blues", "Shamrock", "J'Etais Au Bal", "Choupique Two Step", "Partie A Grand Basile", and "Dying In Misery".

One of the funkiest soundtracks we've ever heard from Alessandro Alessandroni – a set that clearly shows he'd been listening to the score for Shaft, as well as a host of 70s sound library music too! There's lots of great Italian cop/crime grooves on the set – done at an understated level that's almost better than more familiar work of the genre – often strongly focused on the core rhythms, which are lean and plenty darn funky – bad-stepping with instrumentation that's often small combo funky jazz more than it is the bigger orchestrations of American cop scores. Titles include "Cop's Blood", "Amusement", "Duke Soul Jazz", "Tema Di Susie", "Club Jazz", "Palance", "Knell", "Sbirro In Fuga", and "Luxury".

A pretty darn great record from Brazilian singer and guitarist Nelson Angelo – an artist we haven't heard from since his early 70s album with Joyce! Angelo clearly hasn't missed a beat in the time that's gone by – and he's working here in a compelling mode that blends small combo instrumentation with adventurous songwriting – but which also has lots of jazzy touches in the phrasing of the vocals and instruments. There's a lightly breezy feel to some of the best tracks – reminding us almost of early Ivan Lins at his best – but the album also has a more personal approach that comes through in most of Angelo's original compositions. Titles include "Lingerinho", "Caterete", "Delirios Do Mar", "Radio Universe Pedal", "Vera's Frevo", and "Trombone".

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

A great second album from India Arie – sweet, smooth, soulful, and one we like even better than the first! The style is wonderful – a mix of warm vocals, spare production, and acoustic guitar – which gives the set a folksy quality that really offsets the smooth backings nicely. Songs are very well written, and linked together with a sensuous musical approach that makes the whole album drift nicely along – beating with the heart of underground soul set, but handled with a high level of class! Titles include "Beautiful Surprise", "Little Things", "Growth", "Talk To Her", "Headed In The Right Direction", "Good Man", "Complicated Melody", and "The One". Limited CD features the bonus track "Interested".

Soprano voice and four different saxophones – a really unusual combination, with sparkling musical results! The title's a bit hokey, but the record's got a wonderfully fresh feel – angular lines from this Dutch sax quartet – very much in the best spirit of 80s experiments in the style – but mixed with wonderful lead vocals from Claron McFadden – a singer with an amazing range, and one who sings both lyrics and wordless passages on the record! The voice is often used as a fifth instrument on the record – combining beautifully with the sounds of the reed players, in a mode that works especially well without any piano, bass, or drums. The record's unlike anything we've heard before – and titles include "Aux Anges", "Burns Blues", "Beyonzz", "Breathe In Breathe Out", "Ode To A Mouse", "Karpuz", and "Claron's Song".

Great stuff! From Motown songwriters to world-class superstars, the trip was a well-deserved one for Valerie Simpson and Nick Ashford – and this album's perhaps their crowning achievement in sophisticated club soul! The record's got a great groove that offers a more soulful version of disco than most of the competing albums on major labels at the time – a perfect summation of the care and craft that Ashford & Simpson had always put into their music right from the start! The pair handle all production on the record, and also contributed all the songs too – and the whole thing's so wonderfully tight, right, and on the money, the album soars to the top even before the vocals come into the mix. Titles include more than a few club classics, like "Found A Cure", "Stay Free", and "Nobody Knows" – plus the cuts "Dance Forever", "Crazy", "Follow Your Heart", and "Finally Got To Me".

One of the greatest and most historically important compilations ever put together by our friends at Light In The Attic – the first ever (!!!) anthology devoted to Stax sax great Charles "Packy" Axton! Packy was a founding member of the Mar-Keys and a cat who played with the best of them – Steve Cropper, Booker T, Teenie Hodges, Donald "Duck" Dunn and many more – all of whom can be heard on this mindblowing set of benchmark vocal and instrumental singles from the mid 60s – truly the blueprint material for the great Stax and all around Memphis soul to come! It features singles cut for labels such as USA, Bar, Hollywood and Pure Soul – soul/R&B vocal numbers and proto-funky instrumentals. Amazing, amazing stuff recorded at Royal and Ardent Studios with some of the greatest soul music players to ever come together – so highly recommended! Includes "Holiday Cheer", "Bullseye", "Hung Over", "I'll Always Love" and "Late Late Party" by The Martinis, "No Ending" and "No Love Have I" by Stacy Lane, "House Full Of Rooms", "Out Of Control" and "I'm A Fool (In Love)" by LH & The Memphis Sounds, "Stone Fox", "Hip Pocket" and "Greasy Pumpkin" by The Pac-Keys, and "Hole In The Wall" by The Packers. 17 tracks in all – treated beautifully by team LITA – with a thick booklet of notes (by Andria Lisle) and full of vintage photos of the players, shots of the inner labels of the original singles, details for each track and more.

The Beach Boys – day by day, year by year, presented in a very compelling diary format that really gets past some of the overblown mythos about the group! Author Badman goes for a "just the facts" sort of approach – and lists key days in the group's career from the 60s onward – with most of the details given to important stretches before 1970, but some key information from later decades too. Each entry is dated, with specific information on what the Beach Boys were involved in on that day – recording, rehearsing, touring, etc – with a surprising amount of vintage photos and other bits to support the text. Perhaps most compelling is the book's frequent use of Musicians Union sheets for recording sessions – listing session players and their details (including, oddly, social security numbers!) – which really helps illuminate the way that the records were being made. 399 pages, softcover, with black and white images.

Maybe the best record we've ever heard from Cosmic mainman Daniele Baldelli – and definitely a set that really lives up to the funky side promised in the title! Baldelli's got a much deeper groove here than ever before – a great ear for tight elements on the basslines, mixed with jazzy work on keyboards and guitar – all woven into a groove that's every bit as club-worth as his other music, yet a lot more warm and soulful overall! It's almost like Daniele's going back to discover a disco generation he might have missed the first time around – with a retro style that's hard to distinguish from the original, a lot like Joey Negro and some of his Sunshine Band work. Titles include "Mellow Game", "Good Day", "What Da Funk", "Voltage Groove", "Synthesized Honey", "Break Loose", "Drive Me Crazy", and "Fontainebleau".

Amazing – simply amazing – and one of the best LPs of 60s soul you could ever buy! Darrell Banks was one of the many lost talents laboring in Detroit during the 60s – and he was part of the city's hip underground soul scene that included monster talents like Steve Mancha and JJ Barnes, all of whom fall into the "should have been famous" category, but who have fortunately been honored for years by soul fans worldwide. This album's one of two that Banks ever issued under his own name – and it's a collection of singles that were put together by Revilot, but issued in full LP format by Atlantic. Banks mixes together raw deep soul vocals with some hipper uptown production – and the result is soul that's about as classic as "classic" could be! Every single cut's a winner, written by some of the finest talents in soul music at the time – and tracks include "Here Come The Tears", "Our Love (Is In The Pocket)", "I'm Gonna Hang My Head & Cry", "Baby What'cha Got For Me", and Banks' semi-hit, "Open The Door To Your Heart".

Beautifully percolated grooves from Basic Soul Unit – spare and electronic, yet still surprisingly soulful too – almost like some of the gentler sounds that came around in the second generation of Chicago house, but informed by a 21st Century soul vibe as well! Most numbers have keyboards moving around beats in a really great way – and there's some acid electric touches that are subtle, but which bring a nice sort of retro energy to the set – some moogy brilliance that only gets better and better as the record moves on – almost with a Larry Heard feel in some of the best moments! Titles include "Let Go", "Backseat Lover", "Mind Forest", "Intersection", "All Over Me", "This", "Across The Room", and "Clouds".

Beautifully percolated grooves from Basic Soul Unit – spare and electronic, yet still surprisingly soulful too – almost like some of the gentler sounds that came around in the second generation of Chicago house, but informed by a 21st Century soul vibe as well! Most numbers have keyboards moving around beats in a really great way – and there's some acid electric touches that are subtle, but which bring a nice sort of retro energy to the set – some moogy brilliance that only gets better and better as the record moves on – almost with a Larry Heard feel in some of the best moments! Titles include "Let Go", "Backseat Lover", "Mind Forest", "Intersection", "All Over Me", "This", "Across The Room", and "Clouds".

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a heck of a lot over the years! Brian Wilson busted his ass making this little gem – and the rest of the world, and the band, were never the same again – awash in harmonies that most other groups tried to match, set to themes of young loss, longing, and frustration that really mark an emotional development – not just in the Beach Boys, but in pop music in general. And although some of the tracks are ones you've heard a million times on oldies stations, they somehow resonate together much more strongly here – taking on new meaning as the smaller elements of each song come into constellation with each other – creating a complicated tapestry of feelings set to near-godlike orchestrations. Titles include "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", "Pet Sounds", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "You Still Believe In Me". Includes mono and stereo mixes of the whole album!

A record with "surf" in the title, but one that's light years from the earlier Beach Boys albums of the 60s! This set is a wonderfully mature effort – hardly surf music at all, and one that moves nicely in the same territory as Sunflower and 20/20! Some of the tunes are wonderfully gentle and heartfelt, and others try for some new subject matter for the group – sometimes missing the mark a bit, but still holding our interest strongly in the way they try. Genius work include "Disney Girls" and "Til I Die" – both instant classics – and other titles include "Don't Go Near The Water", "Long Promised Road", "A Day In The Life Of A Tree", and "Surf's Up". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had an undeniable impact on modern music for the past few decades! Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "She's Leaving Home", "Lovely Rita", "When I'm Sixty Four", "A Day In The Life", and "Fixing A Hole".

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had an undeniable impact on modern music for the past few decades! Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "She's Leaving Home", "Lovely Rita", "When I'm Sixty Four", "A Day In The Life", and "Fixing A Hole".

An iconic early cover image from The Beatles – with iconic early music to match! The tunes are short, tuneful, and undeniably great – that sound that instantly set the group apart from just about all of their contemporaries. Titles include "It Won't Be Long", "All My Loving", "Hold Me Tight", "Roll Over Beethoven", "You Really Got A Hold On Me", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Money", "Little Child", and "Devil In Her Heart".

Maybe the greatest record we've ever heard from Beggar & Co – a set that sparkles strongly from a host of excellent guest work – not just from Incognito, but also from some key American musicians as well! The groove is tighter than ever – and very much in the 70s-inspired style that's always made us love the group – a wonderfully warm blend of jazz, funk, and soul that comes off with the feel of a lost treasure from way back! The set's got a positive, upbeat sound throughout – and titles include "If You Really Love Me", "Victoria Park", "Summer Is Here At Last", "While The City Sleeps", "New Beginnings", "Rise", "Yesterday's Gone", and "Changes".

Wild! Another beautiful release in the Easy Tempo series of lost Italian music from the late 60's and early 70's. This one's a haunting moody set of tracks that mix percussion, electric bass, organ, and a wordless female voice in a haunting soundscape of sexy tracks with a totally unique feel. The stuff is spooky, sexy, tinged with a 60's soundtrack groove, but imbued with all the erotics of the best 70's stuff. We can only compare this one to some of the best moody tracks on Camille 2000, but it's also got a feel that's totally unique. The tracks are all numbered, and titled "Ore 18", "Ore 20", etc – and the CD works beautifully as an extended sexy soundscape. More great stuff that we'd never have heard otherwise, put together in a stunning package by Easy Tempo!

Tremendous work from Bilal – and further proof that his life on the indie side of the soul spectrum has been a very good thing! There's a crispness to the record that crackles right from the start – slight cosmic touches in the beats, but never too over the top – just enough to electrify the vocals and push Bilal past any sort of mainstream soul – and help him deliver the rich promise we first heard in his music so many years ago – but never found this fully formed during his major label stretch! There's some nice electric bits that percolate forth – moogy keys or sparkling samples – yet the vocals still have all the core warmth that's kept us coming back. Titles include "Astray", "Lost For Now", "West Side Girl", "Back To Love", "Longing & Waiting", and "Butterfly", which features a guest appearance from Robert Glasper!

The deepest album to date from saxophonist Nat Birchall – a set that's steeped in all the spiritual elements of his previous records, yet also stretches forth into rich new dimensions as well! Birchall's reeds have this complexity we've never heard before – soaring, searching in these really bold styles – while also still holding onto the core modal energy we've always liked in his music – a quality we've always liked to the best post-Coltrane sounds on Impulse Records! And indeed, there's a majesty and vision to this album that takes us back to Pharoah Sanders at his greatest – or maybe Joe Henderson blowing with Alice Coltrane – as Birchall soars to the skies on tenor and soprano sax – in a lineup that includes piano, vibes, bass, and lots of great percussion elements too. Tracks include "The Black Ark", "Dream Of Eden", "World Without Form", "Divine Harmony", "Return To Ithaca", and "Principle Of Beauty".

One of the rarer Ethiopian recordings we've heard from the 70s – and one of the most compelling, too! The sounds here are just as haunting as more familiar Ethiopian music, but also have a nicely unbridled feel too – almost a bit rough at times, especially in the way the rhythms unfurl – followed by snakey guitar lines, and these vocals that are richly expressive, but in a way that's quite different from the emotion of Anglo pop! The set's a great discovery of these rare sides from 1976 – and titles include "Siin Baarbaada", "Ishururuu", "Silaa Murtii Beeke", "Kophaa Koo", and "Ammalele".

An ambition Black Opera – Libretto from Black Opera and producer Astronote – featuring guests Melody Betts, Mayer Hawthorne, Boog Brown,Lalibella, Rasheeda Ali and 14KT. Includes "End Of The Beginning", "Grand Endtrance", "Rich Blood", "Kings Ramsom", "Queen Of Hearts" with Mayer Hawthorne, "Peace And War" with flute by Rasheeda Ali and trumpet by 14KT, "Thorns", "Red Bills", "Shadows" with Boog Brown, "Black Lair" with Melody Betts and more.

Surprisingly groovy work from Tony Blackburn – a guy most folks know for his famous DJ work in the UK, from the pirate radio years onwards – but also a singer who cut a fair number of cool singles – most of which are packaged here in this overstuffed set! Blackburn's got a voice that was great for speaking on radio – and his approach to pop is often touched with that same sort of depth – perfect for subtle drama on more driving numbers, or a simple sort of charm that works very well with the more laidback tunes too! Musical styles run a gamut of pop psych, mod, and cool compressed 70s Brit pop modes – all of the sort you're likely to hear from some of the bigger acts that Tony might have been spinning on the air. Titles include "It's Only Love", "Open Your Eyes", "Janie", "Chop Chop", "Happy", "If You Were A Dream", "Fairy Tales", "Dusty", "Cindy", "House Of Cards", "Don't Get Off That Train", "Green Light", "Winter Is Through", and "In The Night".

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long".

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long".

An obscure Jazz Messengers session – but a great one! The album is ostensibly a set of jazz versions of tunes from the musical Golden Boy, and the group this time is a larger one than usual – a total of 10 players, led by Blakey – and playing beautifully over arrangements from Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller, and Cedar Walton! The style's not any sort of clunky "jazz meets Broadway" mode, though – as the care taken by the artists involved help elevate the tunes, and the performance, to a whole new soulful level – hardly what you'd expect! The group features trumpet work from Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, tenor from Wayne Shorter, alto from James Spaulding, trombone from Curtis Fuller, baritone from Charles Davis, piano from Cedar Walton, and bass from Reggie Workman – all very hip cats, working here with the same sort of large group textures you might hear on Freddie Hubbard's Body & Soul album from the same time, mixed with some more traditionally Blakey-led moments. Titles include "Yes I Can", "Theme From Golden Boy", "Lorna's Here", "This is The Life", and "There's A Party".

A wonderfully edgey album – and a lost classic of South American jazz! The album's a rare 1966 set cut by Argentinian tenorist Chivo Borraro and his quartet – done in a style that uses some fantastic influences from American modal and soul jazz of the 60s, filtered through some of the freer rhythms of the European scene of the same time. There's a number of cuts on here that remind us of the best expatriot work of American player Nathan Davis – raw and emotive playing, yet always swinging as much as possible – as you'll hear on the album's killer cut "Half and Half", it's great take on "Summertime", and the standout "Charlie's Blues".

An incredible little record with a sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before – a set that mixes jazzy inflections on vibes, organ, guitar, percussion, and flute – the last of which is played here by a young Hermeto Pascoal! The set was done after Pascoal's work in Quarteto Novo but before some of his more complicated jazz albums of the 70s – and it's got a style that mixes his own love of playful rhythms and complicated shadings with a lighter, freer approach to the music – one that's almost in line with some of the EMI/Odeon work of the time, but which comes off with a slightly different feel. The drums get quite funky at times, and the mix of instruments reminds us a fair bit of the legendary Aquarians album on Uni from the US – but with an influence that's more bossa-driven, in comparison to the Latin modes of that set. At times, there's a lightly dancing beauty to the record that's almost in soundtrack mode – but tunes are more focused overall, and clearly aware of their own instrumental power. Titles include "Gamboa", "Rhodosando", "Cancao Latina", "Summer Hill", "Pavane", "Chaye", "Gosto De Ser Como Sou", "Casa Forte", and "O Passaro".

A masterpiece of funky soul – and one of the greatest albums of the early 70s! It all comes together on this one – funk, soul, politics, and production – and the record is still one of the clearest examples of James Brown's genius that you'll ever find! Recorded during the same sessions as the JBs album Damn Right I Am Somebody – Payback has the group backing James with amazing intensity, playing on and on for very long stretches, improvising jams that perfectly match the vocals, which are often as improvised as the music. The most famous example of this style at work is "The Payback", which begins with a simple head arrangement, then has James riffing off on politics and power, letting the band come in at just the right moment, dropping solos that are still some of the best ever recorded on a funk album. The rest of the album's equally great, and even though most tracks run close to 10 minutes, and the album's a 2LP set, most of the material stays fresher than any 3 minute funk record we've ever heard. Some tracks are separated by these cool voices that rise up as seques – and titles include "Stone To The Bone", "Mind Power", "Take Some Leave Some", and "Shoot Your Shot".

A masterpiece of funky soul – and one of the greatest albums of the early 70s! It all comes together on this one – funk, soul, politics, and production – and the record is still one of the clearest examples of James Brown's genius that you'll ever find! Recorded during the same sessions as the JBs album Damn Right I Am Somebody – Payback has the group backing James with amazing intensity, playing on and on for very long stretches, improvising jams that perfectly match the vocals, which are often as improvised as the music. The most famous example of this style at work is "The Payback", which begins with a simple head arrangement, then has James riffing off on politics and power, letting the band come in at just the right moment, dropping solos that are still some of the best ever recorded on a funk album. The rest of the album's equally great, and even though most tracks run close to 10 minutes, and the album's a 2LP set, most of the material stays fresher than any 3 minute funk record we've ever heard. Some tracks are separated by these cool voices that rise up as seques – and titles include "Stone To The Bone", "Mind Power", "Take Some Leave Some", and "Shoot Your Shot".

Classic soul jazz material from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one of his most sinister (and most rare) albums for Blue Note! The group's a quintet, with frequent bandmate Pepper Adams on baritone, Duke Pearson on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all grooving with some of the tightness heard on other Adams/Byrd dates, but also a warmer, more open-ended approach to the music, especially on the solos! The tracks slink along with a dark little groove – and although Pearson's piano is often sweetly lyrical, it also has a nice hard sound that works well with the sharp-edged horn lines of Byrd and Adams. The album's very much in the vein of the pair's work on the Warwick label during the same time – and with excellent compositions that include "Say You're Mine", "Duke's Mixture", "The Cat Walk", and "Hello Bright Sunflower".

Classic soul jazz material from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one of his most sinister (and most rare) albums for Blue Note! The group's a quintet, with frequent bandmate Pepper Adams on baritone, Duke Pearson on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all grooving with some of the tightness heard on other Adams/Byrd dates, but also a warmer, more open-ended approach to the music, especially on the solos! The tracks slink along with a dark little groove – and although Pearson's piano is often sweetly lyrical, it also has a nice hard sound that works well with the sharp-edged horn lines of Byrd and Adams. The album's very much in the vein of the pair's work on the Warwick label during the same time – and with excellent compositions that include "Say You're Mine", "Duke's Mixture", "The Cat Walk", and "Hello Bright Sunflower".

Mindblowing music from The Byrds – and one of the greatest evolutions in pop music from the 60s! The Byrds were always at the forefront of their generation – starting out as a folksy act mixing in early psychedelia, then reaching for deeper roots with a love of country, yet also really keeping their own unique identity – and finding a way for most group members to grow their own interests and help shape the sound of the band! This balance is unique, as is the mighty range of records that encompassed it – their legendary sounds for Columbia Records, which are presented here in a beautiful box of 13 CDs, featuring 11 full albums, all with their original artwork in LP-styled sleeves! Titles include Mr Tambourine Man, Turn Turn Turn, Fifth Dimension, Younger Than Yesterday, Notorious Byrd Brothers, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, Dr Byrds & Mr Hyde, Ballad Of Easy Rider, Untitled Unissued, Byrdmaniax, and Farther Along.

Seminal sounds from John Cage – his groundbreaking Sonatas & Interludes of the late 40s – performed here with a rich sense of tone and timing by James Tenney! The performance is easily the most striking we've ever heard of these short pieces – and really bring out the magical sounds that Cage composed when conceiving of his "prepared piano" approach to music – interpreted wonderfully by Tenney, with a great ear for the sounds inside the instrument! Given that the compositions were initially what had inspired a young Tenney to take up music in his teens, this performance has a deeply personal undercurrent – and it's perhaps that which makes the music here sound so great.

Early genius from The Carpenters – a really tremendous little album, and one that's quite different than their soft rock hits of the 70s! There's a plenty playful feel to the set – energy that comes right off the best Sunshine Pop of late 60s A&M Records – to which this album is a perfect link – a mode in which the studio's as much a part of the sound as Richard and Karen's own contributions – wrapped up with a heavenly approach by producer Jack Daugherty. Tunes are simpler, sometimes more personal – and there's lots of nice basic music touches along the way – a piano here, sweet keyboard there, some gentle drums, and more – all to make the music sound totally groovy! If you've ever heard the Roger Nichols music for A&M, and wondered how he could have such a later link to this pair, this is the album to show you the way. Titles include "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing", "Your Wonderful Parade", "Turn Away", "All Of My Life", "Ticket To Ride", "Don't Be Afraid", "What's The Use", and "Someday".

Previously unreleased material from the duo of Bobby Bradford and John Carter – two players who created ferocious energy together in their famous LA quartet of the late 60s and early 70s, but who here get at a completely different sound of their talents! In a way, the record really represents the growth that Carter had as a musician by this time – his wonderfully lyrical, evocative work on clarinet – which carries some echoes of Jimmy Giuffre's freeness on the instrument, but a more deeply personal quality as well – quite earthy and organic at times, with these really beautiful tones! Bradford's cornet really seems to follow suit strongly – beautifully blown, but at a level that's more intimate than we've heard from Bobby before – really wonderful phrasing that's free, but still always quite tuneful too. The set features a few tracks with solo clarinet, and one solo cornet – and titles on this second volume include "Woman", "Woodman's Hall Blues", "Sweet Sunset", "Swiss Account", "Les Masses Jigaboo", and "And She Speaks".

A wonderful follow-up to the first Montreux Summit album – and like that classic, a groundbreaking assemblage of some of the best jazz musicians of the 70s! The format here is slightly different – with more of a focus on smaller groupings of musicians, but still with a really fresh ear for unusual combinations – especially with players you're not always likely to hear together – all stretching out on some sweet longer tracks. Tunes include a version of "Moontrane" with Woody Shaw on trumpet, Dexter Gordon on tenor, Slide Hampton on trombone, and George Duke on Fender Rhodes; "Two Part Invention" with Bob James on piano and Hubert Laws on flute; "Kanon For Flutes", with work by Bob Militello and Thijs Van Leer on flutes, alongside Bob James on Fender Rhodes, Eric Gale on guitar, and Peter Erskine on drums; "Red Top" with Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz on tenor, and Maynard Ferguson and Woody Shaw on trumpet; "Rites Of Darkness" with George Duke on Fender Rhodes, Bob James on keyboards, and Steve Kahn on guitar; "Be Cool" with James on Fender Rhodes, Duke on keyboards, Bobbi Humphrey and Hubert Laws on flute, and Eric Gale and Steve Kahn on guitar; and a sweet take on James' "Night Crawler" – with Stan Getz on tenor, Bobbi Humphrey and Hubert Laws on flute, Eric Gale and Steve Kahn on guitars, and Bob James himself on Fender Rhodes!

A pair of great ones from this overlooked soul group from Illinois! Modern Heart is wonderful work from Champaign – a really self-contained group, and one who really rise above the rest of the early 80s soul scene! The album's got a tightness that's hard to beat – yet a sound that's never too slick or commercial either – kind of that best balance you'd find more in late 70s mainstream soul work, save for the fact that any upbeat numbers here have more of an 80s groove style than a disco one. The mellow tracks balance things out nicely, and show a deeper songwriting sound from the group than we might have expected – further testament to the strength of the album, along with the group's own arrangements and production. Titles include "Cool Running", "Party Line", "Try Again", "Let Your Body Rock", "Get It Again", "Love Games", and "Walkin". Woman In Flames is sweet, tight, and right on the money – a stellar bit of soul from Champaign – one of those great 80s groups who never seemed to get their due, but managed to make some really wonderful music right from the start! The album's got a slightly heavier production tip than before – arrangements from James Newton Howard that link Champaign a bit more to the sound of their mid 80s contemporaries – especially some of the other groups on Columbia. Yet there's also a healthy core to the album that comes from the group's own contributions – their continued strong sense of songwriting and performance, which makes their overall sound a lot less reliant on outside help than other groups of the period. Titles include "This Time", "Off & On Love", "Be Mine Tonight", "Mardi Gras", "Capture The Moon", "Woman In Flames", and "Intimate Strangers".

Rondi Charleston's a heck of a great jazz singer – but also turns out to be a strong songwriter as well – with a depth that makes the record way more than just another collection of standards! Even better, Rondi's got a strong respect for an older jazz vocal tradition – which you can really hear in the inflections of her lyrics – in modes that echo singers like Annie Ross or Jackie Cain, with a similar blend of swing, sweet, and smartness! Dave Stryker plays guitar, and gives the album musical direction – and co-wrote a number of songs with Charlestone – including "DNA", "How The River Flows", and "The Wind Speaks". The set also features a great vocal take on Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" – and Jon Hendricks lyrics to Monk's "Reflections" and Randy Weston's "Babe's Blues".

Really beautiful vocal work from Corinne Chatel – spare tunes that mostly feature overdubbed vocal passages, sung wordlessly, often with a very musical feel – yet one that's quite offbeat too! There's a quality here that really reminds us of some of our favorite Meredith Monk work from years back – really imaginative, and never gimmicky at all – with an approach that's very abstract, yet somehow all makes complete sense too – logic that's all its own, yet really beautiful overall! Titles include "Call", "Les Sirenes", "Heartbeats", "Berceuse", "Angels Vocalizing", "Awakening The Goddess", and "South India".