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Eric Alexander in a perfect setting – working here with a rock-solid group of familiar players who are perfect for his soulful tenor sound! The album's got a gentle, ballad-heavy approach – but even so, the groove is superb, and right in the pocket right from the start – with Harold Mabern on piano, John Webber on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums – a trio who've worked often with Alexander over the years, and really know the right sort of modes to bring out the fullest feeling in his horn! Eric himself just gets better and better with age – a player who was already great in the early years, but who seems to get an even deeper sense of feeling as he matures – doing more with less, and shading in some especially great sounds on the ballads in the set. Titles include "Dinner For One Please James", "I'm Glad There Is You", "Oh Girl", "Touching", "Gone Too Soon", and "September Of My Years".

A beautiful, sweetly jazz-based set from LaVerne Butler – and we can't imagine why you'd lose the love for her voice and style, if you've ever found it in the first place – but this is a great place to find it! Bruce Barth is on piano and handles the arrangements, with the great Houston Person on tenor for over half the set – and the group is rounded out by bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Rudy Royston. The intimate, though elegant small combo approach works really well! Includes "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", "Be A Sweet Pumpkin", "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "The Bluest Blues", "Travelin' Light", "In My Own Little Corner", "I'll Never Be Free", "Smile" and more.

Stellar sounds from pianist George Cables – the kind of fluid, soulful set he's been serving up for years – but one with a bittersweet undercurrent too! The "muse" in the title is Cables' late partner – for whom he wrote a few key tracks on the set, showing us that his skills as a composer are richer than ever – and really on a par with his majestic playing on the date as well. There's a lyricism that we haven't heard this strongly from George in a number of years – and the trio's beautifully balanced, with bass from Essiet Essiet and drums from Victor Lewis – both partners sensitive to the needs of the songs. Cables brackets the record with two solo performances – and titles include "My Muse", "Helen's Song", "But He Knows", "You're My Everything", "He It's Me You're Talking To", and "My Old Flame".

One of the most roosty albums on Blue Note – and a fairly straight session of African percussion tracks by Solomon Ilori and his Afro Drum Ensemble! Unlike similar albums by Art Blakey, this one lacks any strong sort of jazz component – and really just features fairly straight African tracks, with heavy percussion, and touches of highlife grooves. The record features guitar by Jay Berliner, bass by Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and flute by Hosea Taylor – plus work by Montego Joe, Garvin Masseux, Chief Bey, and Robert Crowder, who often show up on other 60s sessions of this nature. Titles include "Follow Me To Africa", "Tolani", and "Ise Oluwa". Plus, the CD also features 3 very long bonus tracks – much more stretched out and open-ended, but also with more of a jazz component as well – thanks to trumpet from Donald Byrd, tenor and flute from Hubert Laws, and piano from Coleridge Perkinson – who was the musical director of both sessions! These tracks are all previously unreleased – and all are numbers that run on for more than 11 minutes, with titles that include "Gbogbo Omo Ibile", "Agbamurrero", and "Igbsei Aiye".

Naturally great work from soul jazz legend Houston Person – who's still going strong – and delivers one of the best of his High Note records to date! Person has always had an easygoing approach, which is probably something of a recipe for graceful aging – but whatever his secret may be, Naturally is a remarkably strong record – and he makes it sound easy! It's a timeless quartet jazz set – featuring fellow legend Cedar Walton on piano, Ray "Bulldog" Drummond on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. Includes a nice take on Milt Jackson's classic "Bag's Groove", plus "That's All", "Namely You", "My Foolish Heart"", "Red Sails In The Sunset", "Don' Cha Go 'Way Mad", "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream" and "Sunday".

Wallace Roney is one of those players who never lets us down – and here on this recent set, he's every bit as soaringly soulful as on his early albums from the 80s! The trumpeter's got a fluid groove right from the start – sweeping forward with these notes that have a beautiful balance between sharp punctuation and long runs of sound – that well-crafted approach to his horn that's always made Roney a real standout in his generation. The album's filled with plenty of soul – and the supporting players include Ben Solomon on tenor, Arnold Lee on alto, Victor Gould and Eden Ladin on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, and Kush Abadey on drums. Titles include a great version of the Duke Pearson gem "Is That So" – plus "Kotra", "Red Lantern", "Gaslight", "Search For Peace", and "You Taught My Heart To Sing".

They threw in an extra "wonderful" to describe the sound of Joey DeFrancesco's Hammond on this smoking little set – tighter than ever, with wickedly fluid solos, and set up in a hip trio that includes Larry Coryell on guitar and Jimmy Cobb on drums! The album's got a tight, no-nonsense approach that takes us back to some of the best Don Patterson trio dates of the 60s – with lots of those open, flowing rhythm patterns that really set fire to Don's solos – and which here, Joey uses to show that he's one of the current kings of the Hammond! Even familiar titles come out sounding mighty darn fresh in the setting – with tracks that include "Wagon Wheels", "Solitude", "Wonderful Wonderful", "JLJ Blues", "Old Folks", and "Five Spot After Dark".

A gem of a record from trumpeter Jeremy Pelt – and like some of his other brilliant albums, a set that really has him sparkling alongside some sweet Fender Rhodes! Pelt's trumpet has always been great – but here, in the company of keyboardist David Bryant, it really seems to find some rich new colors – almost as if the keys open up a layer of Pelt that's been hiding for years – set free to really soar and flow here. Bryant also plays some Hammond and clavinet as well, and other Fender Rhodes and keyboard work is by Frank LoCrasto – and the group also features Roxy Cross on soprano and tenor, Burniss Earl Travis on bass, Dana Hawkins on drums, and Jeffrey Haynes on percussion. Both Ra Re Valverde and Angela Roberts each sing on a track – and titles include "Reimagine The World", "Boom Bishop", "Butterfly Dreams", "Pieces Of A Dream", "Meditations On A Conversation We Had", and "Mystique".

A tribute the great Sammy Davis Jr – but a record that stands equally well as a tribute to the rich musical partnership between pianist Harold Mabern and tenorist Eric Alexander! The pair together have this bright, sparkling sound that never fails to please us – and it's one that's just perfect for this set of tunes from the Sammy D songbook – the kind of upbeat, positive numbers that really set him apart from other singers of his generation – handled here by Mabern and Alexander with a definite soulful swing! Of course, the remaining group members also help things move nicely – bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth – both of whom are frequent partners of Mabern and Eric. Titles include "The People Tree", "Hey There", "As Long As She Needs Me", "I've Gotta Be Me", "Mr Lucky", and "Night Song".

Soaring sounds from the late Woody Shaw – a killer collection of his original compositions, all pulled from out-of-print volumes in the Woody Shaw live series! The material here is prime soulful 70s Shaw – with a core group that features Larry Willis on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – a trio who perfectly set up those rolling, modal, soulfully-expansive grooves that really helped Woody open up – finding keen inspiration on tunes that include "Ginseng People", "Little Red's Fantasy", "Rahsaan's Run", "Stepping Stone", "Opec", and "Organ Grinder – all done in versions that are well over ten minutes long! Other players include Carter Jefferson on soprano sax on one track, Steve Turre on trombone on three others – and Mulgrew Miller on piano on one number.

A lost Italian gem from the 60s! Bassist Giorgio Azzolini was one of Italy's best players during the postwar years, and this handsome reissue brings to light one of his rarer sessions from the 60s. The record's a lyrical septet session, with Azzolini's warm round basslines right up front, and beautiful solo work by a young Gato Barbieri on tenor, Franco Ambrosetti on trumpet, and Renato Sellani on piano. The session has the warmth and sensitivity of some of Horace Silver's best early 60's Blue Note work, and the tracks include "Tribute To Someone" by Herbie Hancock, "Sometime Ago" by Sergio Mihanovic, "The Stroller" by Benny Golson, and "Hiroshima" by Gato Barbieri. Very nice stuff – and with the usual high level of Rearward packaging!

A true orgy in rhythm from Art Blakey – a set that not only features his drums next to the kit of Art Taylor, but which also adds in a bevy of other percussionists – including Sabu Martinez, Patato Valdez, and Jose Valentine! Joe Jones and Specs Wright also bring in additional jazz drums – making for more drummers than you might even find in a high school band – all working together with amazing qualities in sound, sometimes even melodic amidst all of the rhythms. Lighter lyrical touches are provided by Herbie Mann's flute, and Ray Bryant throws in some great lines on piano – underscoring the grooves in a nice way. Titles on this first volume include "Buhaina Chant", "Split Skins", and "Toffi".

A tasty collection of goodies that Donald recorded with the great Larry Mizell during the early 70s. Certainly not his all-inclusive best, but some of our favorite material by this legendary soul jazz trumpeter. The tracks have a sparkling electric jazz funk sound, with amazing production that keeps them drifting along with a very soulful vibe. Titles include "Sky High", "Street Lady", "Change", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Black Byrd", and "Flight Time".

Some incredible early work from John Coltrane – 3 sessions recorded under the leadership of Paul Chambers, and even done before Coltrane's more famous work with Miles Davis! First up is material from the Imperial album Chamber's Music – led by Chambers, and one of the earliest small group sessions with Coltrane – a very spare batch of bass-heavy tracks with an incredibly relaxed groove. Chambers is at the full peak of his youthful talents, and solos quite a bit next to spare piano fills by Drew. Trane's tone is loud and raw, with more bluesiness than you'd expect – and we mean that in a good way! Titles include "Dexterity", "Trane's Blues", and "Eastbound". Added to these are 3 more tracks from a really wonderful Massachusetts session in 1956 – recorded for Transition Records – and featuring Coltrane and Chambers with Pepper Adams, Roland Alexander, and Donald Byrd – playing, long, bluesy, almost-improvised tunes that include "Trane's Strain", "High Step", and "Nixon Dixon & Yates Blues". Last up are more tracks from the album Whims Of Chambers – again recorded under Chambers' leadership, this time for Blue Note in 1956 – with a group that includes Donald Byrd, Kenny Burrell, and Horace Silver. The writing is great, and the group has a nice dark edge that gives the session a slightly different sound than other Blue Note albums from the time. Chambers leads off with the bass on most tracks, kind of putting the work at an off-center pace that really gives it a fresh feel – and which makes it different from the straighter bop sound of his albums as a leader on Vee Jay. Tracks include "We Six", "Dear Ann", "Tale Of The Fingers", and "Omicron". CD features 11 tracks in all – quite possibly not all of the tracks from the albums, but the important Coltrane ones.

A rare early chapter in the career of guitarist Grant Green – local material, cut in his hometown of St Louis – in the years before Lou Donaldson picked him up and delivered him to Blue Note Records! Amazingly, though, the Grant Green heard here is every bit as great as the guitarist who emerged strongly on his early Blue Note dates as a leader – a smoking soloist with a strong talent for single-line grooving – working here in a hip organ combo that features Sam Lazar on Hammond and Bob Graf on tenor sax! Lazar's got a mean bite to his organ, and pairs beautifully with Green – and together, the players hit a groove that's gritty, yet which has surprisingly strong fidelity – more than enough to make the record an essential piece of Grant's catalog. The CD's hardly a muddy live recording, and instead has surprisingly great fidelity – and lots of long tracks with open solos, on titles that include "Deep", "Blue Train", "Holy Barbarian Blues", "Caramu", "Grovvin High", and "Out Of Nowhere".

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

An extremely well-titled set from the legendary Hank Mobley – one of his key Blue Notes of the 60s, and an album that glides along with an undeniable sense of joy, life, and soul! Mobley's really opening up his groove at this point – moving way beyond standard hard bop and soul jazz riffs, into a field of complicated rhythms – and a flurry of sound that features his mighty tenor atop a crack sextet that includes Blue Mitchell and Jackie McLean. John Hicks handles piano on the session – and brings in a beautiful range of colors and tones – and rhythm's handled by the skipping drums of Billy Higgins and the always-solid bass of Bob Cranshaw. Titles include "Two & One", "High Voltage", "No More Goodbyes", "Advance Notion", and "Bossa De Luxe".

An extremely well-titled set from the legendary Hank Mobley – one of his key Blue Notes of the 60s, and an album that glides along with an undeniable sense of joy, life, and soul! Mobley's really opening up his groove at this point – moving way beyond standard hard bop and soul jazz riffs, into a field of complicated rhythms – and a flurry of sound that features his mighty tenor atop a crack sextet that includes Blue Mitchell and Jackie McLean. John Hicks handles piano on the session – and brings in a beautiful range of colors and tones – and rhythm's handled by the skipping drums of Billy Higgins and the always-solid bass of Bob Cranshaw. Titles include "Two & One", "High Voltage", "No More Goodbyes", "Advance Notion", and "Bossa De Luxe".

Drummer Alphonse Mouzon cut some of the hardest, heaviest fusion albums ever to hit the Blue Note label in the 70s – including this legendary powerhouse of a record! The set features Mouzon with one of his longtime partners – guitarist Tommy Bolin – hitting a hard-rocking, heavy fusion sound that really blows off the roof – more than enough influence from the younger generation to showcase the new energy hitting electric jazz – and a bit like some of the work that Alphonse would do with other artists in later years! Mouzon's drums explode like a case of dynamite hitting a nitroglycerine factory – and Bolin wails away on guitar like a buzzsaw out of control. There's some nice little licks on the set – making the record a good one for the sample crowd – and a really high octane album with loads of nice changes! Titles include "Nitroglycerin", "Mind Transplant", "Snow Bound", "Ascorbic Acid", and "Carbon Dioxide".

A record that's way way different than the sound of Jimmy Smith Blue Note work – and a much-loved set by fans of 70s funk! Jimmy's organ is still very strongly out front of the arrangements – but it's soaring over the top of grooves done by Jerry Peters and Michael "Incredible Bongo Band" Viner – tracks that have a harder, hipper style than most of Smith's other recordings from the time – in a groove that often comes close to the best blacksploitation soundtracks of the time! The drums are plenty heavy on many numbers here – kicking in a hard and heavy bottom that gives the record a few key breaks – and other numbers even use a bit of chorus vocals, but in a way that never overwhelms the tracks, just supports them with a nice righteous edge. Titles include the classic break version of "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Babe", plus "Something You Got", "Wildflower", "Hang Em High", "Groovin", "Pipeline", "Why Can't We Live Together", and "Joy".

A stone killer from organist Lonnie Smith – one of his completely cooking early albums for Blue Note, and a hard-burner all the way through! Smith's working here with a really great group that includes Idris Muhammad on drums and Melvin Sparks on guitar – both of whom give the album a really heavy bottom, and almost make the set feel like one of those classic Prestige jammers from the same time. But added to them is a great horn section of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Preister on trombone, and Bennie Maupin on tenor – all of whom give the record a slightly hipper, more modern feel – in keeping with the Blue Note groove of the time. Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include the originals "Turning Point" and "Slow High" – plus versions of "See Saw", "People Sure Act Funny", and "Eleanor Rigby".

Although Howard Tate's work on Verve has gotten a lot of acclaim – thanks to an excellent CD reissue – this later album for Atlantic still remains in the ranks of soul obscurities. The album's perhaps not as great as Tate's Verve work – in that the arrangements don't fit as hand-in-glove as those sides – but the quality's still quite high, with arrangements by David Spinozza and Jerry Ragovoy that work quite well with Tate's soulful vocals. Tracks include "The Bitter End", "Keep Cool", "She's a Burglar", "Strugglin", and "It's Your Move".

The second album from the immortal Tribe Called Quest – one of the absolute essential hip hop LPs, and a record that should be an anyone's shortlist of the best albums in several subsections of hip hop – just a straight up masterpiece anyway you cut it. The album is so high up on the ladder, we're a loss to add any fresh insight o the critical consensus, so just get it. Classics one after another, steeped in bass note snapping, head nodding funk jazz beatcraft of the first order! "Buggin Out", "Excursions", "Rap Promoter", "Verses From The Abstract", "Check The Rhyme", "Everything Is Fair", "Jazz (We've Got)", "What?", "Scenario" and more.

Two rare albums from one of the greatest modern pianists ever! Jaki Byard With Strings is a wonderful album – and nothing like any other "with strings" album you've ever heard! Sure, the set does have some stringed instruments in the group – but it's a small combo session with bass, violin, guitar, and cello, not a large overly-orchestral affair. Byard's mad vision uses these strings wonderfully to carve out some oddly arranged tunes that mix together soul jazz grooving and a haunting spiritual approach to jazz that points at later work on labels like Strata East. Includes a sublime remake of "Music To Watch Girls By", "Falling Rains Of Life", "Cat's Cradle Conference Rag", and a long version of "How High The Moon". Solo Piano is an obscure set from 1969, featuring Byard's lonely musings on the keyboard on shorter tracks that reference a huge history of traditions. Titles include "Seasons", "Spanish Tinge 2", "Hollis Stomp", "Top Of The Gate Rag", and "Ray's Blues".

One of Ornette Coleman's best recordings from the 70s – and like his other album for Columbia, quite a change from the freewheeling sounds he was blowing over at Blue Note! The style here is a bit more high concept, but in a good way – with all the edges that Coleman had developed from the late 50s onward, brought into tighter focus for the Columbia setting – given a bit more complexity, although still with plenty of room for freedom – and played both with a smaller combo, and a slightly larger group. The mix of players is as striking as the sounds on the record – and includes Coleman on alto, trumpet, and violin – plus Dewey Redman on tenor, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Bobby Bradford on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, Cedar Walton on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins and Ed Blackwell on drums. Asha Pulthi sings a bit on the larger ensemble tracks – making a rare appearance here before her 70s soul career in Germany – and titles include "What Reason Could I Give", "Street Woman", "The Jungle Is A Skycraper", and "All My Life".

Some of the most soulful jazz recorded in Europe during the 1960s – and the complete Philips recordings of German saxophonist Klaus Doldinger! Doldinger's probably best remembered for the more dynamic fusion he cut with the Passport group in the 70s, but back in his early years he was full on soul jazz player, steeped in the tradition of Gene Ammons, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt, and others before him – all players that we'd easily rank Doldinger with during these years, given the ultra-high level of his work for Philips! But given his German orientation, Doldinger also picked up on some of the freer influences that were running around the European scene of the 60s – and the tracks here don't just sparkle with American soul jazz sounds, but also show a bit of Brazilian and more progressive jazz influences as well. And alongside Doldinger's tremendous tenor and soprano sax, the recordings here are equally noteworthy for the organ lines of Ingrfried Hoffmann – an ultra-cool player on the Hammond, with the mixture of rhythmic energy and playfulness you might find in the work of Jack McDuff for Prestige at the same time! Doldinger and Hoffmann cook tremendously throughout – so much so, you can easily forget their country of origin, and just put these sides on equally next to your favorites from Prestige or Cadet. 4CD package features material from 4 full albums, plus rare singles – and also includes a full CD of other rare Doldinger recordings from the same time! Tremendous stuff throughout, and easily one of the greatest discoveries in jazz you may make this year. 51 tracks in all – with titles that include "Delilah", "Signal", "Blues For George", "Solar", "Viva Brasilia", "Waltz Of The Jive Cats", "Blue Note Samba", "Negra Sin Sandalia", "Shakin The Blues", "Just A Little Bit Of Soul", "Run Baby Run", "Quartenwalzer", "Praeludium No 3", "That Bluesy Sound", "Watch It", "Pavana The Earl Of Salisbury", "Midnight Session", and "Joe's Blues".

Killer work from Freddie Hubbard – some key transitional sides for Atlantic Records, and easily some of his most soulful work ever! Freddie started out as a bopper on Blue Note, but then made a great shift at Atlantic – exploring space and sound in a really wonderful way, and opening up towards some of the killer modes you'd know from his classics on CTI. There's just a bit of electricity in the mix here, as most cuts are acoustic – but they already stretch out in some hip, spiritual styles that are really great. Titles include "For BP", "Lonely Soul", "High Blues Pressure", "Midnite Soul", "Black Soldier", Interlude I", "Echoes Of Blue", "Threnody For Sharon Tate Comment", "Spacetrack", "Leap Frog", "Up Jumped Spring", "Latina", and "On The Quee Tee".

One of the raunchiest albums ever cut by organist Freddie Roach – not as high-reaching as some of his later work, but with lots of short tracks that groove with a tight jukebox organ/tenor approach! The band is a strong one – with Conrad Lester on tenor, Eddie Wright on guitar (replaced by Kenny Burrell on a few cuts, and Clarence Johnson on drums – a power packed quartet groove that's lean, clean, and simple – giving the record a raw sound that's a bit more Prestige Hammond than the usual Blue Note set! Titles include "Baby Don't You Cry", "I Know", "Googa Mooga", "Mo Greens Please", "Nada Bossa", and "Party Time".

A landmark album – Donald Byrd's first session with producer Larry Mizell, the man who went on to forever change the face of jazz funk! After rumbling around for a few years attempting electric styles that really didn't fit his mode, Donald wisely hooked up with Larry, and hit a groove here that would carry him for many many years. The album's a masterpiece of soul – heavy production with great keyboards, creating a nice set of grooves that let Byrd solo over the top, sounding better than he had in years! Great all the way through, and with tracks that include "Flight Time", "Sky High", "Black Byrd", "Slop Jar Blues", "Mr Thomas", and the prophetically-titled "Where Are We Going?"

Modal brilliance from Gerardo Frisina – possibly his greatest album ever, and a set that really shows his true transformation into a jazzman! The set's got a wide range of acoustic jazz instrumentation played live, and features none of the rhythm programs you might get on earlier Frisina records – a shift that has him moving in the same classic jazz space as labelmate Nicola Conte! As with Conte's recent records, there's a warmth and soul here that's undeniable – a feel that wraps up 50s Blue Note, 60s Italian jazz, and 70s MPS with ease – delivering something new and fresh for a younger generation in the process. Core instrumentation includes vibes, piano, tenor, flute, and trombone – and the set features guest vocals by Norma Winstone on one track, and Francesca Sortino on another. All other titles are instrumental, and tunes include "Titoro", "Joy Shout", "Will You Walk A Little Faster", "Tata Somba", "Mille E Una Notte", "High Hat", "Bubbly", and "Another Waltz".

A pretty obscure album by Grant Green – originally recorded in 1968, issued briefly on a small label, and then finally pressed for the larger masses during the early 70s by the Cobblestone label. Despite this checkered history, though, the album's one of Green's best small group recordings – and features a classic jazz organ trio sound, and features Green's guitar with the organ of John Patton and the drumming of Ben Dixon. We can't imagine a better combo, especially as the three of them were one of the best teams ever to put out soul jazz sessions for Blue Note! The record includes the version of "High Heel Sneakers" that has shown up on a few comps over the years, plus the tracks "Work Song", "Iron City", and "Old Man Moses". The feel is very similar to some of Green's Blue Notes, with a very classic sound.

A repackaged version of the Candy album – originally cut for Blue Note in the late 50s, issued only slightly on vinyl, until this later pressing for Sunset, issued with a different name and cover. Candy was a very different album for Lee Morgan – especially in comparison with his other early sessions. The record is a gentle batch of ballads and standards, played by Morgan with a quartet that includes Sonny Clark on piano. After coming on the scene in the late 50's as a solo stormer, Morgan proves here that he's got a high level of warmth and sensitivity, especially when it comes to interpreting material like this. Titles include "Candy", "Who Do You Love, I Hope", "All The Way", and "Since I Fell For You".

Drummer Alphonse Mouzon cut some of the hardest, heaviest fusion albums ever to hit the Blue Note label in the 70s – including this legendary powerhouse of a record! The set features Mouzon with one of his longtime partners – guitarist Tommy Bolin – hitting a hard-rocking, heavy fusion sound that really blows off the roof – more than enough influence from the younger generation to showcase the new energy hitting electric jazz – and a bit like some of the work that Alphonse would do with other artists in later years! Mouzon's drums explode like a case of dynamite hitting a nitroglycerine factory – and Bolin wails away on guitar like a buzzsaw out of control. There's some nice little licks on the set – making the record a good one for the sample crowd – and a really high octane album with loads of nice changes! Titles include "Nitroglycerin", "Mind Transplant", "Snow Bound", "Ascorbic Acid", and "Carbon Dioxide".

Rare 70s work by Bobby Byrd – sides done for the Brownstone and International label, most of which feature work by members of the James Brown universe, and some production by James Brown himself! The best tracks on the set are from the early 70s – and feature Bobby working in that incredibly tight, incredibly fast-grooving mode he first forged with James – heard to best effect on some key live recordings, and served up here in some equally great studio sides that feature help from Fred Wesley and Brown. A few other cuts keep the funky fire burning with some surprisingly nice Miami touches – with Clarence Reid on production, but Bobby more than strongly in the mix on some great vocals. There also appears to be a few tracks from later years – featuring Byrd with singers Vicki Anderson and Martha High, plus a group that also includes Bootsy Collins and Fred Wesley – and 2 more that are later live numbers. The set features 11 tracks in all, and is a great counterpart to Bobby's one and only album for the King label – with tracks that include "Never Get Enough", "Hang It Up", "Back From The Dead", "The Way To Get Down", "Feel Good Friday", "Sayin It & Doin It Are Two Different Things", "Let Me Know", and "Tell Me What's On Your Mind".

A landmark album – Donald Byrd's first session with producer Larry Mizell, the man who went onto forever change the face of jazz funk! After rumbling around for a few years attempting electric styles that really didn't fit his mode, Donald wisely hooked up with Larry, and hit a groove here that would carry him for many many years. The album's a masterpiece of soul – heavy production with great keyboards, creating a nice set of grooves that let Byrd solo over the top, sounding better than he had in years! Great all the way through, and with tracks that include "Flight Time", "Sky High", "Black Byrd", "Slop Jar Blues", "Mr Thomas", and the prophetically-titled "Where Are We Going?"

A landmark album – Donald Byrd's first session with producer Larry Mizell, the man who went onto forever change the face of jazz funk! After rumbling around for a few years attempting electric styles that really didn't fit his mode, Donald wisely hooked up with Larry, and hit a groove here that would carry him for many many years. The album's a masterpiece of soul – heavy production with great keyboards, creating a nice set of grooves that let Byrd solo over the top, sounding better than he had in years! Great all the way through, and with tracks that include "Flight Time", "Sky High", "Black Byrd", "Slop Jar Blues", "Mr Thomas", and the prophetically-titled "Where Are We Going?"

Rare work by Charlie Parker, recorded at Storyville Nightclub in Boston in 1953 – originally broadcast on radio station WHDH, and featuring Bird in a more open, relaxed style than his studio sessions. The recording quality is a bit dated, but the quality of the playing isn't – with extremely fresh solo work by Parker, and great supporting work by players that include Herb Pomeroy, Red Garland, Roy Haynes, Kenny Clarke, and Sir Charles Thompson. Titles include "Cool Blues", "Dancing On The Ceiling", "Groovin High", "Out Of Nowhere", "Moose The Mooche", and "I'll Walk Alone".

This self titled album is fantastic solo work from Smokey – recorded a few years before his monumental Quiet Storm album, but with a very similar high level of quality! Willie Hutch co-produced the album with Smokey, and working with arrangements by Hutch and Gene Page, they transform Smokey's sound into a sophisticated 70s modern one, adding in slight touches of funk, and complicated backings that really let him open up as a singer, both vocally and emotionally. The whole thing's got a wonderful mellow soul groove, and titles include "Wanna Know My Mind", "Baby Come Close", "The Family Song", "Just My Soul Responding", "Holly", "A Silent Partner In A Three-Way Love Affair", and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" Quiet Storm is incredible – a record that should be in every household! Smokey breaks free of the group sound of the Miracles albums – hitting a whole new mode, and inventing the "Quiet Storm" radio format along the way! The title cut – "Quiet Storm" – is a majestic long-building track that's as important to mellow soul as Larry Mizell's work was to jazz funk at the same time, and it's got a similar layering effect that has sounds building and spinning, with a bit of sound effects, great keyboards, and cool moogy touches that recall some of Bobbi Humphrey's best work for Blue Note, but filtered through a mellow ballad style. The whole album's great, and other tracks include "Baby That's Backatcha", "The Agony & The Ecstasy", "Coincidentally", and "Wedding Song". Proof that Motown was still great in the 70s!

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.

A well-titled album from the legendary Derek Bailey – definitely a set that lives up to his tremendous reputation over the years! Bailey plays solo guitar here – working through a set of short improvised pieces, and coming up with sounds that are simply incredible – especially for an era when highly experimental records like this weren't often issued. Bailey's work on the strings of the guitar is far different than just about anyone before – and most players since – more sounds than notes, and often very abstract – but with a quality that all somehow makes sense – which is a great contrast to so many of the folks who tried to imitate this music in later years. The album's one of the best illustrations both of Bailey's mighty talents, and of the influence he had in following years – and it features 14 tracks, titled simply "M1", "M2", etc – all of them great!

One of the hippest records ever to come out of Chicago – the sole recording by Boscoe, a group who was even more obscure and experimental than contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Artistic Heritage Ensemble! Like those groups, Boscoe has a very unique, very visionary approach – one that's not content just to echo the standard post-Coltrane modes that other spiritual jazz groups around the country were hitting – but which instead moves into territory that touches on the darker sides of funk, soul, and spoken word of the time – all with a message that's incredibly powerful, and conception that's wonderfully fresh throughout! The group's lineup features tenor, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, and drums – but they way they're put together is often far different than other funky combos – and it's clear that the group had as much of a sensibility about the overall sound of their record as they did their freer grooves. At times, there's a righteousness here that recalls the best of the early Westbound Records scene from Detroit – but there's an even higher agenda too, which is more in keeping with the spiritual aspriations of their Chicago contemporaries, and which really show up in the lyrics. The whole album's a masterpiece from start to finish – unlike anything that we can think of, still ripe for rediscovery today, and just the kind of set that makes us prouder than ever of our Chicago heritage! Titles include "We Ain't Free", "Money Won't Save You", "Now and Den", "He Keeps You", "I'm What You Need", and "Writin' On The Wall".

Sweet 80s grooves from Cherrelle – a set that really has the singer cooking strongly with the production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – complete with all the heavy beats you might expect! Jam and Lewis borrow plenty of bottom sounds from the styles of hip hop and electro, and do a great job of mixing the rhythmic elements with Cherrelle's catchy vocals – all in a way that really blows away some of their more chart-topping productions, as the tunes have a bit more of an underground appeal! Make no mistake, this is definitely the poppier side of the soul spectrum – but there's also a freshness here that goes way past Janet Jackson – and which retains some of that smoother, more sophisticated sound we always love in the Tabu label. Titles include "You Look Good To Me", "High Priority", "Artificial Heart", "Saturday Love", "Oh No It's U Again", and "New Love". 2CD version features a cool book-style cover, new notes, and 11 bonus tracks that include "Artificial Heart (dance rmx)", "Oh No It's U Again (ext version)", "Saturday Love (ext version)", "Saturday Love (feelin luv ext mix)", "Saturday Love (Steve Anderson rmx)", and "You Look Good To Me (ext rmx)".

Excellent funky work from Lou – and a groundbreaking record that was the first to feature him playing on Blue Note with drummer Idris Muhammad – who is listed on the session under his birth name, Leo Morris! Muhammad gives the album that crackling funky bottom sound that instantly defined Lou's later years at Blue Note – a hard and heavy approach to soul jazz that's had incredible repercussions in the world of hip hop, as well as soul and funk. The rest of the group features soul jazz burners Lonnie Smith on organ, Melvin Lastie on trumpet, and George Benson on guitar – and the album includes the highly successful "Alligator Boogaloo", plus hard groovers "The Thang", "Aw Shucks!", and "One Cylinder".

Excellent funky work from Lou – and a groundbreaking record that was the first to feature him playing on Blue Note with drummer Idris Muhammad – who is listed on the session under his birth name, Leo Morris! Muhammad gives the album that crackling funky bottom sound that instantly defined Lou's later years at Blue Note – a hard and heavy approach to soul jazz that's had incredible repercussions in the world of hip hop, as well as soul and funk. The rest of the group features soul jazz burners Lonnie Smith on organ, Melvin Lastie on trumpet, and George Benson on guitar – and the album includes the highly successful "Alligator Boogaloo", plus hard groovers "The Thang", "Aw Shucks!", and "One Cylinder".

A very groovy take on the work of Jimmy Webb – a sweet instrumental set from German maestro Kurt Edelhagen – featuring a host of hip jazz players from around the European scene, and some great arrangements by Quincy Jones! The tunes are all hits by Jimmy – but they're redone wonderfully by Quincy – who brings in a slightly more soulful approach overall – one that finds all the best spaces between the notes in Webb's originals, and uses them to create a wonderfully subtle sense of groove. Instrumentation includes trumpets from Jimmy Deuchar and Shake Keane, trombone from Jiggs Whigham, saxes from Karl Drewo and Wilton Gaynair, organ and celeste from Bora Rokovic, and bass from Peter Trunk – plus some added strings – and Quincy gets some help on the arrangements from Tom Scott and JJ Johnson, in ways that aren't entirely clear from the notes. Titles include "Sunshower", "Galveston", "Didn't We", "Up Up & Away", "Where's The Playground Susie", "Wichita Lineman", and "Honey Come Back".

Fantastic stuff – and a record that may well be the greatest ever from the mighty Serge Gainsbourg – high praise indeed, considering the greatness of Gainsbourg's other music! The album is one long suite built around a spare, electric bass-driven theme – a slow funk riff that's been sampled countless times over the years, and which has gotten the album continuous play on both sides of the Atlantic for many many years. The mighty Jean-Claude Vannier handles the arrangements, and Serge mutters the lyrics over the top, in a raspy loud whisper – while the funky rhythms dart in and out of odd washes of sound, and unusual eerie sounds. There's a very strong soundtrack feel to the album, as waves of music envelop the lyrics – tripped out in funky beats that have become legendary over the years, thanks to some very famous samples! Titles include "En Melody", "Cargo Culte", "Ballade De Melody Nelson", "Valse De Melody", "Ah! Melody", and "L'Hotel Particulier". Wonderful US version too – with a 40 page deluxe booklet that features extensive notes on the album – and a 1971 interview with Gainsbourg!

One of the instant classic Wu Tang solo projects – Ghostface Killah's essential, early peak Ironman – and a a record that stands strongly among the best hip hop albums of the its era! Produced by The RZA at a point in which it seemed there was little he could do wrong. An absolute high water mark for Ghostface and the entire Wu Tang empire. This incredible limited edition version from Get On Down really raises the bar for audiophile CD reissues – it's unbelievable! The CD is a 24K gold disc – encased in a heavy duty box – pretty much a full sized cigar box, actually – with a full color 48 page hardcover book inside, with extended artwork, lyrics and additional liner notes. Titles include "Winter Warz", "Daytona 500", "Motherless Child", "Soul Controller", "Wildflower", "Poisonous Darts", "Fish", "Camay", "Black Jesus", "The Faster Blade", "260", "Assassination Day", "Box In Hand", "After The Smoke Is Clear" and "All That I Got Is You".

Rare work from British easy maestro Ron Goodwin – one of England's most important orchestral talents of the 50s and 60s! Disc one of the set features Goodwin's instrumental singles of the 50s – many of which were done in a style that's similar to some of Les Baxter's pre-exotica work for Capitol. Like Baxter, Goodwin came from a more traditional style of mood music, but was also willing to work in farther-reaching modes – and would pick up traces of some of the more ambitious easy styles of his time. The second disc features Goodwin's soundtrack work of later years – much of which was done in highly dramatic styles that often supported historical narratives, war stories, and other films of an epic nature. Together, the 2CD set makes for a great look at Goodwin's oft-neglected work – and is packaged with a great set of notes and a huge amount of tracks! Titles include "Concetta", "Red Cloak", "The Melba Waltz", "Messenger Boy", "Jet Journey", "Tropical Mirage", "Josita", "Wagon Train", "Aces High", "Departure", "Frenzy", "Decline & Fall", "Cafe Royal Waltz", "Return My Love", and "When Eagles Dare". 53 tracks in all!

Rare TV footage from the legendary Al Green – a full live performance photographed in very vivid color! There's no dates or notes at all on the set (damn!), but given the look of Al's plaid leisure suit in the performance, we're guessing the show's right from somewhere in his mid-70s high point – a speculation that's also supported by the great choice of songs in the set! The whole show features nine songs in all, plus some nice spoken bits by Green – and titles include "I'm So Tired Of Being Alone", "Love & Happiness", "Let's Stay Together", "Still In Love With You", "Look What You Done For Me", and "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart".

Funky, soulful, and completely sublime work from keyboardist Gene Harris – working here with some great help from Jerry Peters on arrangement and production – in a style that makes the album one of Harris' most compelling sets of the 70s! The backings are full, but tight too – and in addition to Gene's own sweet work on keyboards, the set's also got some massive drums from Harvey Mason and James Gadson – both of whom really help things crackle at the bottom! Other instrumental highlights include more keyboards from Jerry Peters, tenor from Azar Lawrence, and trombone from George Bohannon – plus guitar from Lee Ritenour too. There's a bit of vocals on the set – mostly a soul chorus sort of mode that works perfect with Peters' groovy arrangements – and titles include "Love For Sale", "Theme For Relana", "Rebop", "Zulu", and "Soft Cycles".

A cool sci-fi story from two of the three brothers who created Love & Rockets – a tight little tale about robot culture, with a vibe that's like some of the best work from the early years of the magazine! The drawings here are most strongly in the famous style of Gilbert Hernadez, but you can also feel the influence of Mario as well – and the high-quality printing has the black and white images really popping off the page, wrapped up in a nice color hardcover! 126 pages, with bonus notes as well.

A beautiful later Blue Note album from vibist Bobby Hutcherson – a set recorded after his famous association with Harold Land, but with a groove that's wonderfully soulful in a whole different way! Bobby plays marimbas instead of vibes this time around, and he's working with his own arrangements for a slightly larger group – one that has some sweet fusion overtones, and these wonderful mellow funk inflections – so that even the mellow cuts have this warmly glowing, ultra-soulful sound that's mighty nice – a bit like some of the work from Gene Harris around the same time. Other players include Jerry Peters on Fender Rhodes, who also helped out with the arrangements – plus Harvey Mason on drums and Ernie Watts on reeds – and a few tracks feature sweet backing vocals from The Waters. The highlight here is a nice moody extended version of "People Make The World Go Round", but all cuts are great, and titles include "Silver Rondo", "Manzanita", "NTU", and his dark cover of "Theme From MASH".

A dream come true for all of us who ever loved the incredible songs of Kris Kristofferson at the peak of his craft – his late 60s and early 70s publishing demos – never before released versions of some of his best songs ever in the raw, unvarnished mode we always longed for! It's amazing stuff, including many tracks that would go on to be Kristofferson standards – numbers that got a little too clean and glossy on some of his own LPs and as recorded by others, which is what makes this compilation such a revelation. A genuine coup for our friends at Light In The Attic and a presentation of some of our favorite songs of the era by anyone – done raw and real, the way we always wanted to hear them! The set's produced by Mark Linn, who is responsible for the excellent Karen Dalton archival releases on the Delmore label, and he does similarly great work for Kris. It includes an excellent booklet with reminiscences by Dennis Hopper and Merle Haggard, full lyrics and notes from Kristofferson – plus rare photos and liner notes by Michael Simmons. Includes "Me And Bobby McGee", "Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends", "Smile At Me Again", "Border Lord", "Just The Other Side Of Nowhere", "Slow Down", "If You Don't Like Hank Williams", "When I Loved Her", "Billy Dee", "Getting By, High And Strange" and more. 16 tracks in all.

The first album by the second group to call themselves the Last Poets – and as fierce a document of their rich talents as you'll ever find – bursting forth with anger and righteousness at a level as tight as Gil Scott-Heron's first album! The group here is the key second lineup of the ensemble of wordsmiths – comprised of Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, and Omar Ben Hassan, plus the percussionist Nilaja – and most cuts feature only spare percussion backing over the spoken protest poetry – delivered with a brutal edge that really sums up the righteous politics of the time. Titles include "Run, N*gger", "On The Subway", "When The Revolution Comes", "Jones Comin' Down", "Black Thighs", "N*ggers Are Scared Of Revolution", and "Wake Up, N*ggers" – all of which should give you a good picture of what's going on with the record!

Classic bit of 70's fusion, played by Ronnie on tenor and flute, and with a group that includes some excellent keyboard work by Joe Sample. The highlight of the record is the big sample cut "Tidal Wave", but it also includes the great groover "Always There", which was covered a million times over by other bands during the 70's. Wayne Henderson produced, and the record is an archetypal example of his "At Home Productions" sound.

One of the weirdest records ever on ESP – a dreamy mix of vocals from this family-based group – set to jazz-based instrumentation, over rhythms that range from funky to bossa! The singing's a bit rough at times, but that's part of the charm – as The Leavitts have an earnest, honest approach to their music – a bit of a message in some of the lyrics, and a fair bit of poetic imagery too – done with an approach that's somewhere in the territory of The Free Design, but not nearly as polished! Music is handled by a very hip batch of players – including Chick Corea on piano, Pete Yellin on flute, and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax – all musicians who add great sounds to the group's own work on guitar, and give the record a solid instrumental grounding. Pretty amazing stuff, and a lot more charming than you might expect – with tracks that include "The Saints Of My City Are Children", "Fun City", "Notes So High", "Candy", "Once I Had A Little Duck", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and "O Amor Em Paz".

A nicely done compilation of pivotal work from the great Ramsey Lewis – focusing on his work for Columbia/CBS Records from the 70s and early 80s – and very well chosen at that! Of course the title comes from Ramsey's iconic album of the same name, and this 2CD set features a few tracks from that one, but it's also got numbers from Tequila Mockingbird, Ramsey, Three Piece Suite, Love Notes and other great records, plus choice live work, his album with Nancy Wilson and other standouts. It kind of focuses on the sunny electric jazz and fusiony soul groovers, and Jazz FM does a great job with the selections! 32 tracks on 2CDs: "Spring High", "Caring For You", "Tambura, "So Much More", "Lynn (Live)", "Hot Dawgit", "Paradise", "Expansions", "Sun Goddess", "Sassy Stew (Live)", "Whisper Zone", "Camino El Bueno", "All The Way Live", "Intimacy", "I'll Always Dream About You" and more.

A never-issued session from a young Terry Manning – later a big force on the Memphis scene, thanks to his work for Stax and Ardent – but here heard in one of his first musical outings ever, a small trio with just his own vocals and guitars, plus drums and percussion! The recording quality is nice and raw, and the lack of bass or any other instrumentation really makes the sound of the group very gritty – just shakey guitar over rattling percussion – with Terry's vocals captured in this echoey brilliance that really lives up to the Wild Ones promise of the group's name! Hats off to Norton for digging up this gem, dusting it off, and providing us with notes that even tell the tale of Manning bringing Stevie Nicks to a high school dance. Titles include "Just This Once", "You're In Love", "Mathilda", "Forever Christine", "Patty Baby", "Sorry", "The Dog", and "Nervous Breakdown".

A never-issued session from a young Terry Manning – later a big force on the Memphis scene, thanks to his work for Stax and Ardent – but here heard in one of his first musical outings ever, a small trio with just his own vocals and guitars, plus drums and percussion! The recording quality is nice and raw, and the lack of bass or any other instrumentation really makes the sound of the group very gritty – just shakey guitar over rattling percussion – with Terry's vocals captured in this echoey brilliance that really lives up to the Wild Ones promise of the group's name! Hats off to Norton for digging up this gem, dusting it off, and providing us with notes that even tell the tale of Manning bringing Stevie Nicks to a high school dance. Titles include "Just This Once", "You're In Love", "Mathilda", "Forever Christine", "Patty Baby", "Sorry", "The Dog", and "Nervous Breakdown".

Incredible work from neo soul maestro Frank McComb – the kind of a record that will have you saying "dang, what's that classic jam" – and then being amazed that it's a brand new set from Frank! The record surpasses even the quality of Frank's amazing album The Truth – and sparkles with a deeply soulful approach that we'd rank right up there with the best work by Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway! (And mind you, we're not making that comparison lightly – as we know the risks of ranking Frank so highly!) The keyboards on the set are every bit as great as the vocals, too – and dip, turn, and sneak around with all these seductive little touches – like bending notes that seem to "sing" of their own accord next to the vocals. We've got Frank to thank for finally letting this record free – and these copies come from the maestro himself, sent to the world on a pillow of soulful love. Titles include "I'd Be A Fool", "To The Left", "The Thing I Failed To Do", "Each Day", "King Of The Open Road", "Morning Glory", and "The Things That You Do".

Our favorite side of the genius of Ennio Morricone – and a really wonderful collection that completely illustrates why we love Morricone so much! In the mainstream world, Morricone's best known for his famous scores for spaghetti westerns and horror films – both of which have a trademark sound that's pretty well known to audiences at large. But during the same period he was penning soundtracks for those genres, Morricone was also working in a style that was even more completely his own – a gentle, mellow, easy-grooving mode that was inspired by jazz, bossa nova, and easy instrumentation – yet which emerged with qualities that were completely unique, and which still stand today as some of the most inventive work of its generation! There's a simple, economical approach here that's really mindblowing – rhythms that flow slowly like fog escaping from a riverbank, notes that fall in slight spare patterns like drops of rain from a leaf after a storm, and gently cascading waves of sound that float and shimmer in the mix – rising as carefully as the sun to give the music a wonderfully redemptive spirit. The tracks on the set are carefully chosen from films that include Scusi Faciamo L'Amore, Verushka, La Donna Invisible, Le Foto Proibite, and Il Gatto A Nove Code – and we can honestly say that the set is a perfect introduction to the Morricone that we love more than anyone else!

Amazing sounds from this really unique ensemble – a group with a feel that's much looser than you might expect from the orchestra in their name – and a wonderful blend of electric and acoustic instruments, all with a feel that's as exotic and evocative as some of the best Ethiopian sounds from the same time! The tunes have some really wonderful flute and trumpet lines, which often snake around the vocals by taking a different path themselves – but which are also layered with spare guitar lines that often have a cool watery sort of texture – not nearly as tight as in highlife, and used more to fill in little sonic corners between the rhythms. The approach is hard to describe in words, but is wonderful on record – and especially great when mixed with the soulful lead vocals of the tunes too. The package features a booklet of notes in English – and titles include "Souga Sosso", "Chabab El Bilad", "Mauritanie Mon Pays", "Senam Mosso", "Kamlat", and "La Femme Mauritanienne".

Posthumously released live material from rare jam session recordings from the 40s – issued here to cash in on the huge amount of Birdophiles that were cropping up after Parker's early death. The album gives no real notes on personnel or location, except to say that the tracks were recorded in 40s New York. And although the recording quality isn't excellent, Bird's solos do come through with a ferocity that greatly captures his sheer raw power in any setting. Titles include "Hot House", "Cool Blues", "Orinthology", "Groovin High", and "Round Midnight".

A box set edition of the 90s classic by The Pharcyde – the group's high water mark – and one of the greatest hip hop albums of the era! Along with Del and the Souls Of Mischief, Pharcyde were one of the few west coast units to achieve any kind of widespread popularity using the uniquely loopy, funhouse vibe of De La Soul, Black Sheep and Tribe Called Quest in their lighter moments. The original album tracks include the classics "Passing Me By", "Soul Flower", "Ya Mama", "I'm That Type Of Ni@*a", "Officer", "4 Better Or 4 Worse", "Return Of The B-Boys", and lots more. This box set edition featuring the original album, full instrumentals, remixes & more on 3CDs – plus detailed liner notes & vintage photos – in a great-looking little box! Disc 2 features the full instrumentals. Disc 3 – Remixes/B-Cydes – includes "Pork", "Soul Flower (Remix) (Brand New Heavies Version)", "Ya Mama (Matt Dike Remix)", "Ya Mama (Kenny Dope Remix)", "Other Fish (LA Jay Remix)", "Passin' Me By (Fly As A Pie Mix)" and more.

A smoking set of work from Tito Puente – four classic albums, wrapped together in a single package – with a bonus album of rare material too! First up is Cuban Carnival – one of Tito Puente's finest albums for RCA, with a tight hard bunch of cuts that have a Cuban big band sound, and a lot more drive to them than some of Tito's other work for the label. Ray Bryant wrote the great track "Cuban Fantasy", and Tito contributed most of the other tunes on the set – a really unique batch of material that includes "Yambeque", "Elegua Chango", "Que Sera", and "Cha Cha De Pollos". The percussion is nice and hard, and the band grooves in tight ensemble playing throughout! Night Beat is a really jazzy effort that was cut with a top-shelf list of players! The groove's a bit different than some of Tito's other work – but in a good way, and one that has him stretching past straight Latin to mix in a heavy dose of jazz – really getting the most of players who include Eddie Bert on trombone, Gene Quill on saxes, Bernie Glow on trumpet, and Barry Galbraith on guitar. The rhythms are key – and in addition to drums from Jimmy Cobb, the album also features Mongo Santamaria on congas and Willy Correa on bongos – not to mention more percussion from Tito himself! Dance Mania is a burner of a set from Tito Puente – very well titled to suit the energy of the session! The tracks are all highly rhythmic numbers – short, but filled with jazzy horn flourishes and the kind of snapping rhythms that made the Puente group one of the biggest crossover favorites of the 50s. Tunes nicely mix up vocals with some more pronounced jazz soloing – getting a heck of a lot into a relatively small space, and really keeping up the energy of the record overall. Revolving Bandstand is a joint project from Tito Puente and Buddy Morrow – both leaders who recorded some great work for the label in the 50s, sounding great here in a unique variation on their classic sounds! The album has both Morrow and Puente playing back to back – creating a "revolving bandstand" that has both groups playing the same tunes at the same time – a very odd approach, but one that comes off well here – mixing Tito's Latin and Buddy's swing nicely, without too much confusion in the instrumentation. There's some great vibes on a few tracks! Last up is Tito Puente Quatro Bonus Edition – a set that features 13 rare tracks, with singles, outtakes, and more – including "La Virgen De La Macarena", "Moonlight In Vermont", "The Continental (alt take)", "Blue Moon (alt)", "Ran Kan Kan", "Timbal Y Bongo", and many outtakes of "Pa Los Rumberos"! All LPs on 180 gram vinyl – with liner notes too!

A weird mix of folksy roots and more ambitious sounds – put together by Sergio Ricardo in the 70s, in one of his most compelling projects ever! Sergio handles lead vocals and instrumentation – but the set also features other vocal work from Alceu Valenca, Geraldo Azevedo, and others – who come into the mix with personalities all their own – and in ways that are very different than some of the more warmly collaborative vocal work of this nature at the time. The notes are in Portuguese, but from what we can tell the album is a soundtrack – ostensibly for a higher-concept sort of movie! Titles include "Noite De Maria", "Mutirao", "Festa Do Mutirao", "Meu Nome E Ze Do Cao", "Historia Que Se Conta", and "Pe Na Estrada".

A sweet groover from the Italian scene of the 70s – music that's got a lush feel, but a funky one too – a great mix of strings and electric instrumentation that rivals the best cop/crime work of the time – yet also has a nice sexy feel too! There's almost a blacksploitation vibe to the record at times – and although some instruments solo at points, the real groove lies in the tight vamping of the orchestra – which hits all the right notes to really send the whole thing soaring – often with a nice use of tone and color too! Titles include "Flying High", "Fearing Much", "Going Home", "Running Fast", "Walking In The Dark", and "Feeling Tense".

Fantastic harmony soul from Philly! This set features work by two lost Philadelphia groups – The Royal Five and The Informers – both 60s ensembles with a tight harmony approach that's in the best style of the city's rich soul heritage – staying strong on the uptempo cuts, and hitting some heavenly highs on the sweeter and ballad tracks. The package is wonderful – with great notes, excellent sound, and an overall approach that shows a real love for the music, and that the producer has been in contact with the artists in recent years. Both groups never issued any full LPs – and the CD brings together rare singles and unreleased tracks that will hopefully make both of them bigger names in the annals of soul music! The set features 9 tracks by The Royal Five – including "Gonna Keep Loving You", "Don't Stop", "Nobody Else", "Five Miles", "Ain't No Big Thing", and "Peace of Mind" – plus 12 more by The Informers – including "Think About It", "Lady of The Night", "Love You", "I'd Rather Do It Myself", "If You Love Me", and "Baby Set Me Free".

A wonderful set of unreleased Arthur Russell songs – great tunes that he cut in more of an eclectic singer-songwriter approach than some of his other work – emotionally upfront, understated material that is simply beautiful! The songs range from very stripped down and folksy on the earlier recordings – kind of like an East Village Townes Van Zandt (we s**t you not) with Arthur singing and playing acoustic guitar and occasionally his cello – with an intuitive, true understanding of folk and Americana at its most honest and direct, while still working in some avant flourishes. As the set and the years of recording progress, the accompaniment gets busier and more pop, soul and experimental sounds are filtered in – but the song-based approach carries all the way through. For a noted perfectionist and experimentalist, it's a really unfussy batch of material, and very rewarding. Highly recommended! Tracks include "Close My Eyes", "Goodbye Old Paint", "Maybe She", "Oh Fernanda Why", "Eli", "Habit Of You", "Janine", "Big Moon", "The Letter", "Your Motion Says", "Love Is Overtaking Me", "Planted A Thought", "Love Comes Back" and more.

A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw – and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip – a mixture of jazz and soul, much more open-ended than some of Marlena's other albums, and with a more sophisticated feeling that was probably part of the way that she was presented to the crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The highlight of the set is a 10 minute long re-working of her classic "Woman Of The Ghetto" – done in an incredible way, with lots of extra lyrics, and a great jazzy groove that's been sampled more than once over the years. Also features an excellent reading of Marvin Gaye's "Save The Children", plus the cuts "Twisted", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "The Show Has Begun", and "But For Now".

A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw – and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip – a mixture of jazz and soul, much more open-ended than some of Marlena's other albums, and with a more sophisticated feeling that was probably part of the way that she was presented to the crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The highlight of the set is a 10 minute long re-working of her classic "Woman Of The Ghetto" – done in an incredible way, with lots of extra lyrics, and a great jazzy groove that's been sampled more than once over the years. Also features an excellent reading of Marvin Gaye's "Save The Children", plus the cuts "Twisted", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "The Show Has Begun", and "But For Now".

An excellent 70s album from Horace Silver – one that's often overlooked, but which yields of listening joy, once you open it up! The set's got some wonderful modal/spiritual numbers – in a mode that would make the record highly prized if it were issued on Strata East, and which is pretty darn great for Blue Note at the time – easily one of Silver's most righteous moments of the late 70s! The percussion promised in the title really stands out – and helps shape the rhythms with an even more exotic feel than usual – but the set also cooks with some great horn solos too – trumpet by Tom Harrell and tenor by Larry Schneider – both players whose arcing lines really help add a lot of color to the grooves. The whole thing's great – proof that Silver never stopped growing as an artist – and titles include "The Aztec Sun God", "The Mohican & The Great Spirit", "The Gods Of The Yoruba", and "The Spirit Of The Zulu".

An amazing collaboration between musicians from three different nations – recorded high in the mountains in Northern Italy – with an equally majestic sound to match! The album's especially noteworthy for being a great space for vocalist Cleveland Watkiss to really rediscover the jazz-based side of his talents – using his voice like an instrument, in ways we haven't always heard since his initial years of promise – and really impressing us with a new sort of righteous range and spiritual depth! Most of Watkiss' vocals are wordless, and flow beautifully amongst the piano from Antonio Figura, bass from Milko Ambrogini, drums from Ettore Fioravanti, and guitars from William Lenihan. The overall sound is mostly acoustic, without any of the processing from other recent Watkiss projects – and the tunes are all originals by the group, with a mix of slow modal grooves and open searching styles. Titles include "Synastry", "Modus", "Dear Mr Kuhn", "Innocenza Ritrovata", "Fiume Di Gennaio", "When The Dust Settles", and "My Little Effe".

Ever wonder how we get our records so clean at Dusty Groove? Well, it's because we've been using this amazing machine for years, and we'll swear by it always as the best way to clean up those old albums you find while diggin' through the crates. The long-tested VPI system is in place with record dealers, collectors, and audiophiles everywhere – and it's even used by the Smithsonian Institute for the albums they have in their archive! The process is simple, but extremely effective: the record is bathed in a special fluid, scrubbed by a special brush to loosen all dirt and debris, and then the whole thing's vacuumed up to remove the fluid dirt and all! We know the machine's a bit pricey, and we balked a bit when we bought our first one. Now, though, we own 3 of them, and we think every penny was very well spent. We can't recommend the machine highly enough, and if you ever need a demonstration, just look at one of the very clean records you've bought from us! (The shipping price will be a bit more than usual, and we'll give you a quote when you order, but at least you won't have to pay sales tax on the whole thing.)

This is the heavy-duty version of the other record cleaning machine that we carry. The process is the same as the other one: the record is bathed in a special fluid, scrubbed by a special brush to loosen all dirt and debris, and then the whole thing's vacuumed up to remove the fluid dirt and all! The difference, though, is that this one's got a more powerful motor, a special cooling fan, and it applies fluid and scrubs the records automatically, and in 2 directions. (These differences don't make much difference if you're just doing records on an irregular basis, but if you clean a lot every day, like us, they're very important.) We can't recommend the machine highly enough, and if you ever need a demonstration, just look at one of the very clean records you've bought from us! (The shipping price will be a bit more than usual, and we'll give you a quote when you order, but at least you won't have to pay sales tax on the whole thing.)

Whoa! Here's a motherlode of pop psych grooves from Mainstream – the jazz-centric label who were famously making a play for the freaky rock scene in the latter half of the 60s – releasing astounding material by The Amboy Dukes, Stone Circus, Fever Tree, Ellie Pop, Bohemian Vendetta and many more! Mainstream didn't hit paydirt with the mainstream rock consumers, for the most part, and many of the rock releases of the late 60s are pretty obscure these days – but it's wild, groovy stuff – with fuzzy guitars, primal rhythms, trippy lyrics and catchy melodies. This massive 2CD collection puts togther standout album tracks and singles – 52 tracks on 2CDs with a nice booklet of notes! Includes "Journey To The Center Of The Mind" by Amboy Dukes, "For A Moment" by Orient Express, "Can't You See" by The Tangerine Zoo, "200 Years" by Maxx, "I Can Beat Your Drum" by Fever Tree, "You'll Walk Away" by The Art Of Lovin, "An Older Man" by The Tiffany Shade, "Can't Be Love" by Ellie Pop, "Tinkle Talk" by The Sixpentz, "Sara Wells" by The Stone Circus, "Mary Maiden" by The Scarlet Letter and many more.

A second great look at Italy's legendary Baia Degli Angeli disco – presented in a package that's possibly even better than the first! As with that volume, this one's delivered in a book-style format – hardcover, and filled with color pages that contain images of the club in the 70s, a recent revival series, and a host of wonderful artifacts used for promotion – flyers, t-shirts, and other giveaways that are all pretty darn cool! Plus, there's notes on the club, scene, and music in both Italian and English – making for a whopping 60 pages that offer us a look at a key musical force from many years back. But the CD alone is pretty great too – filled with 16 great club classics that played well at the Baia Degli Angeli – including "You Are The Star" by Jakki, "Shu Dig Dancin" by Inner City Express, "Sing Sing" by Gaz, "Dr Doo Dah" by Kongas, "Funky Road" by The Invitations, "Crocos Dance" by Revelation, "Everybody Dance" by Bumblebee Unlimited, "I Think I'm Gonna Fall In Love" by Skyline, "Block Party" by Anthony White, "Rock Spank Freak" by High Voltage, and "Mary Hartman Mary Hartman" by The Sound Of Inner City.

A reimagined version of the legendary Yellow Pills compilation on Numero – 20 songs from the original compilation, plus two bonus tracks, new liner notes, and lots of cool sleeve scans, photos, and more! Forget everything you know about rock music in the late 70s – all the punk rock and new wave that's been immortalized over the years – and get ready to discover a whole new world of power pop! At the time, the power pop underground was as important to some ears as the artier and angrier work coming out of the east coast and UK – and the power pop world was one that could co-exist a bit more peacefully with mainstream rock, while still offering a great opportunity for bands on various local scenes. The work here has echoes of more famous acts of the time – like The Cars, The Kings, or The Knack – but it's also got a bit more of a home-grown, punk rock edge – one that comes through beautifully in the guitar parts, vocals, and unabashed hooks of the tunes. The set's a follow-up to the original Yellow Pills set by zine publisher Jordan Oakes – and it delves deeper than even that one, with a real focus on work from the end of the 70s, and acts that never had great chart success overall. Titles include "High School" by Tommy Rock, "She's Hi Fi" by The Trend, "There Goes My Heart Again" by The Kids, "Not My Girl Anymore" by The Bats, "All I Want" by The Colors, "Domestic/Imported" by The Toms, "Sunshine USA" by Randy Winburn, "One In A Million" by Luxury, "She's The Girl" by The Tweeds, "Rave It Up" by Colors, and "Hey Little Girl" by The Kids.

A much-needed look at the incredible German music scene of the 70s – a sprawling landscape of prog, fusion, electronics, and more – all put together beautifully here with the usual completeness we've come to expect from Soul Jazz! Many of the names are familiar – the sorts you've either passed by in the record racks, or seen priced up high in the collectible imports up on display – and if you've never dipped into these grooves, this set is a perfect way to start – as the folks at Soul Jazz have really tuned their ears well, to pick out key tracks that really resonate strongly with music of the 21st Century – a good deal of which was influenced by these groundbreaking acts. Some cuts are long, but never too overindulgent – and the instrumentation and production techniques are really mindblowing – extremely creative, and often presented here in their most open, honest form. As usual with Soul Jazz, the notes are wonderful – and titles include "Devotion" by Between, "Dino" by Harmonia, "This Morning" by Gila, "Rambo Zambo" by Kollektiv, "La Chasse Aux Microbes" by Michael Bundt, "It's A Rainy Day Sunshine Girl" by Faust, "Hallo Gallo" by Neu, "Rheinita" by La Dusseldorf, "Morgengruss" by Popul Vuh, "Fly United" by Amon Duul II, "Soham" by Deuter, "I Want More" by Can, "Geradewohl" by Roedelius, "No Man's Land" by Tangerine Dream, "Daydream" by Ash Ra Tempel, "High Life" by Ibliss, and "Heisse Lippen" by Cluster.

A much-needed look at the incredible German music scene of the 70s – a sprawling landscape of prog, fusion, electronics, and more – all put together beautifully here with the usual completeness we've come to expect from Soul Jazz! Many of the names are familiar – the sorts you've either passed by in the record racks, or seen priced up high in the collectible imports up on display – and if you've never dipped into these grooves, this set is a perfect way to start – as the folks at Soul Jazz have really tuned their ears well, to pick out key tracks that really resonate strongly with music of the 21st Century – a good deal of which was influenced by these groundbreaking acts. Some cuts are long, but never too overindulgent – and the instrumentation and production techniques are really mindblowing – extremely creative, and often presented here in their most open, honest form. As usual with Soul Jazz, the notes are wonderful – and titles on this first volume of the vinyl include "Devotion" by Between, "Dino" by Harmonia, "This Morning" by Gila, "Rambo Zambo" by Kollektiv, "La Chasse Aux Microbes" by Michael Bundt, "It's A Rainy Day Sunshine Girl" by Faust, "Hallo Gallo" by Neu, "Rheinita" by La Dusseldorf, and "Morgengruss" by Popul Vuh.

A much-needed look at the incredible German music scene of the 70s – a sprawling landscape of prog, fusion, electronics, and more – all put together beautifully here with the usual completeness we've come to expect from Soul Jazz! Many of the names are familiar – the sorts you've either passed by in the record racks, or seen priced up high in the collectible imports up on display – and if you've never dipped into these grooves, this set is a perfect way to start – as the folks at Soul Jazz have really tuned their ears well, to pick out key tracks that really resonate strongly with music of the 21st Century – a good deal of which was influenced by these groundbreaking acts. Some cuts are long, but never too overindulgent – and the instrumentation and production techniques are really mindblowing – extremely creative, and often presented here in their most open, honest form. As usual with Soul Jazz, the notes are wonderful – and titles on this second volume of the vinyl include "Fly United" by Amon Duul II, "Soham" by Deuter, "I Want More" by Can, "Geradewohl" by Roedelius, "No Man's Land" by Tangerine Dream, "Daydream" by Ash Ra Tempel, "High Life" by Ibliss, and "Heisse Lippen" by Cluster.