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Incredible soundtrack work from one of the coolest composers of the 70s – the groovy Francois De Roubaix, equally at home with electronics and funky orchestrations! We've loved the music of Francois De Roubaix for years – and treasure it for its unique blend of electric and acoustic elements – often coming together in mad juxtaposition, but doing so in a way that always makes for a nice little groove, and often a strong undercurrent of funk! This set brings together a nice collection of rare electronic soundtrack work by De Roubaix – tracks from the films La Scoumoune, L'Antarctique, and RAS, as well as music from the TV series La Mer Est Grande, plus a few bonus tracks from other sources. Together, the tracks paint a rich picture of the electric side of Roubaix work – a side that's shown up a bit on other reissues over the years, but which has never been shown so strongly until now! The whole thing's incredible, and packaged with some great notes and especially cool vintage photos of Francois in action – showing him to be the consummate hipster of the French soundtrack scene in the early 70s! 20 tracks in all – all brilliant!

Sweet fusion from the great Eric Gale – two late 70s albums back to back on a single CD! Part Of You is part of Gale's great run for Columbia Records in the late 70s, and a set that's got a nicely grooving bottom – thanks to production from Ralph MacDonald, and arrangements from William Eaton! The groove's uptempo at times, but always in a jazz-funk mode – and mostly played with smaller group instrumentation at the core – including keyboards from Richard Tee, bass from Anthony Jackson, and drums from either Steve Gadd or Harvey Mason – both cats who can hold up a groove on a date like this. Titles include "Let Me Slip It To You", "Part Of You", "Trio", "Nezumi", and "Holding On To Love". Touch Of Silk is a classic set that has the guitar of Eric Gale produced by the legendary Allen Toussaint! The cross of talents is pretty compelling – and although the album's not a New Orleans funk outing, it definitely shares some of the more creative elements that you'd get from some of Toussaint's other side projects at the end of the 70s. A few numbers definitely have a bit more bump than you'd expect from a fsuion date like this – and Toussaint himself plays piano and moog on the record, and even sings a tiny bit. Robert Dabon plays Fender Rhodes – and titles include "You Got My Life In Your Hands", "War Paint", "Touch Of Silk", "Au Privave", "With You I'm Born Again", and "Once In A Smile".

Smooth 80s soul from Billy Griffin – formerly of The Miracles, but emerging here as a solo artist on his own, with a strong bid for stardom, dressed in a slick narrow-tie linen-jacket-with-collar-turned-up 80s stab at crossover fashion! Billy's voice is a lot better than his choice of outfit, though – and he's got a smooth style that mixes in a bit of falsetto with deeper vocals, keeping things pretty real on top of the synth/bass pedal grooves that make up the backing. Tracks include "Respect", "Serious", "So Many Ways", "Don't Ask Me To Be Friends", and "Dreaming".

The life story of Buddy Guy – one of the the key blues figures to come out of our Windy City home! David Ritz helps shape the story, but the book is definitely in Buddy's own words – which vividly paint a picture of both the Chicago scene, and the growing global world that began to appreciate the talents of Guy and his contemporaries – as well as a myriad of little trials and tribulations that show that the road to fame was never an easy one for Buddy – even after he thought that he'd made it! The book is a very lively read, but also has some heft too – and is 276 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images.

Charlie Haden and Hank Jones reunite as a duo – working through a set of songs with spiritual sources, in ways that really seem to unlock the warmest elements of both players! Jones is no stranger to this sort of mode, especially in later years – and his gentle, spacious touch on the keys of the piano is a real change from some of the heavier modes you might have heard when these tunes were played along with a choir. But the real revelation is possibly Haden – who hits some of his most evocative, sentimental sounds in years – a great reminder of the ways that he could always paint such a pretty picture with his basslines when he wanted. Titles include "Deep River", "The Old Rugged Cross", "Down By The Riverside", "Going Home", "Blessed Assurance", "Come Sunday", and "Nearer My God To Thee".

A killer 70s soundtrack from Herbie Hancock! The record takes the funky style that Herbie was cutting with the Headhunters, and blends it with some more sophisticated scoring that's top in the 70s action and blacksploitation modes – perfect for the dark theme of the movie's story. There's loads of funky bits with strings gliding over the top, and some more open-ended numbers with the sort of odd instrumentation and jazzy riffing that you'd find in Herbie's wilder numbers from the time. Cuts include "Death Wish", "Paint Her Mouth", "Rich Country", "Striking Back", and "Last Stop" – and side two is the full "Suite Revenge".

A lost chapter in the career of cellist Fred Katz – an album recorded after his small combo work with Chico Hamilton, and sort of a larger group take on the whimsical sound of the classic Hamilton Quintet! The tracks are all older folk tunes, adapted by Katz to fit a chamber jazz mode – and featuring shifting instrumentation from track to track, in order to fit the African, American, or Jewish origins of the tunes. Although the concept may sound a bit gimmicky, the record's actually pretty darn great from a jazz perspective – and is one of the few to show the real depth of Katz as a leader! Players include Billy Bean on guitar, Gene Estes on vibes, Jack Costanzo on percussion, Pete Candoli on trumpet, and Paul Horn on flute and alto – all great talents for this sort of work, especially Horn, whose reed lines help keep things lively. Titles include "Mate'ka", "Chili'lo", "Mathni-ki", "Old Paint", "Foggy Foggy Dew", and "Rav's Nigun".

Watch what happens – and what happens is very groovy! Ken plays alto sax, Beverly sings – and the rest of the album features small combo backing that includes Vic Feldman on piano and Joe Pass on guitar. The tunes are an assortment of 60s groovy pop tunes, soundtrack gems, and a few great originals – and Beverly alternates between singing straight lead vocals and scatting in a light, breezy, and rhythmic way – ala Jackie Cain, of Jackie & Roy fame, or Vicki Hamilton, on her great Impulse recordings! Titles include "Nothing Left To Do But Follow You", "The Face I Love", "Theme From Harper", "Man & A Woman", "Captain Jack", and "Watch What Happens".

A really wonderful album from Michel Legrand – one of his few jazz efforts to really capture the same dynamic charm of his soundtracks! The album was recorded live – with a mixed group of electric and acoustic players that includes Joe Beck, Randy Brecker, Ron Carter, Phil Woods, and Ron Carter – and the overall approach is spaciously baroque, setting up the tunes with the same clever care as Legrand's best scores, giving the soloists plenty of room to step out and paint strong colors and tones in sound. Legrand sings a bit on one track, and duets with vocalist Lary Shelly on the track "Pieces Of Dreams" – and other titles include "The Saddest Thing Of All", "Splittons", "One At A Time", and "The Friday Fugue".

A great illustration of the genius of Carmen McRae in the 70s – a record that easily shows why Carmen was hipper than most of her contemporaries from two decades before! The set has the vocalist somehow managing to still stick in a straight jazz style, without going for cheaper soul routines – yet also opening up with more of a sense of mature presence that showed the sophistication of the times – a killer blend that really makes the album a gem from these 70s years! The live setting features Carmen working through a mixture of new and old material in some really unique variations – working with a small group that includes Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and Marshall Otwell on keyboards, carving out some space with a really wonderfully confident feel. Titles include "Paint Your Pretty Picture", "On A Clear Day", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Time After Time", "Miss Otis Regrets", and "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco".

A true pleasure indeed – easily one of the greatest records ever by the Ohio Players, and a perfect summation of all things great in their groove! The album's a landmark effort – even for the heady days of the early 70s – as the Players manage to bring together a fair bit of jazz with their famous guitar-driven funk – all in a blend that's a lot more sophisticated than most other funk combos of the time, from the rhythms at the bottom to the instrumentation on the top! There's a darkness here that's undeniable – but the album's also not just a head trip into the fuzziest reaches of the studio – as the jazzier inflections help illuminate the farthest corners, and really bring the whole album back to focus with a wonderfully redemptive groove! Psychedelic elements are still all over the place, but also used sparingly enough to be most effective – a brilliant balance that few groups of this type were ever able to muster. Titles include the classic "Funky Worm", with the wild moogy bit that's been sampled loads of times over the years by a gazillion hip hoppers – plus loads of other nice ones, like the slow bonking funker "Pride & Vanity", the wild "Walt's First Trip", and the groovy "Laid It" – as well as "Pleasure", "Paint Me", "Our Love Has Died", and "Walked Away From You". CD features amazing sound and a whopping 7 bonus tracks – including "Ruffell Foot", "What It Is", "Rooster Poot", "Gone Forever", "Dimensions In Time", and "Introducing The Players".

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.

An early one from Waits – his second album – and a great one! Like the rest of his first few records, this is a kind of like a street-savvy, hipster cabaret affair, with less of the eccentricity that would reveal itself later in his career. Still a great record though, rendered with a Bukowski-esque salt of the earth palette. Includes "Fumblin' With The Blues", "Please Call Me, Baby", "Diamonds On My Windshield", "New Coat Of Paint", "The Heart Of Saturday Night", "Drunk On The Moon", "Shiver Me Timbers", "San Diego Serenade", "Semi Suite", "Depot, Depot", and "The Ghosts Of Saturday Night (After Hours At Napoleone's Pizza House)".

James' second set of tracks recorded live at the famous Apollo Theatre! We like this one way better than volume one, and find it to be a much heftier set of tracks – with a stunning array of sheer raw showmanship. This one's in a 2 LP format, with lots more room for The Godfather and his band to stretch out and groove in the great way that they do when they play live. Tracks include "Bring It Up", "Let Yourself Go", "Think" (in duet form), a great version of "There Was a Time", "It May Be The Last Time", "I Feel Good (I Got You)", "Prisoner Of Love", "Out Of Sight", "Try Me", "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World", "Lost Someone","Thanks", "Let Yourself Go", "Cold Sweat", "I Feel Alright", and "Please, Please, Please". Very nice stuff!

"Prisoner Of Love" is a version of the 50s pop hit – done by James in a style that's still pretty raw, despite the string-heavy backings! "Choo Choo" is a honking instrumental, with a tight R&B groove!

One of the wildest records of the early 70s – and it's still pretty darn hard to argue with the power of this one – even if the meddling of the producers is nearly as legendary as the album itself! There's still such a manic energy to the original release mix – one that clearly inspired, if not altogether gave birth to the punk scene – and makes the album one of those quintessential examples of great art being made under compromising circumstances. Fierceness personified! Includes classics like "Search & Destroy", "Death Trip", "Gimme Danger", "Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell (aka Hard To Beat)", "Raw Power", "Shake Appeal", and "Death Trip". We're in that rare camp that finds both Bowie's original mix AND Iggy's noisy-as-hell, paint-peeler of a mix from the late 90s entirely essential – and the latter appears here on vinyl for the first time! This completely incredible 2012 vinyl edition includes both mixes in a 2LP set with 16 page booklet.

A beautiful 2CD set of long buried Townes Van Zandt recordings from the early 70s – a period that you can easily argue was his peak – even though few people were buying his records at the time! You get a pretty solid representation of 2 sides of the Townes sound on this great compilation from Omnivore. Disc One features alternate studio versions of some of our favorite songs – a good deal of which were produced by Cowboy Jack Clement at his Nashville studio in 1972 – plus a handful that Townes recorded in LA a year earlier. These have a sound that are fleshed out enough instrumentally, but without the horns, strings and some of the other grander aspects of the officially released album versions in hopes of breaking Townes through to a larger audience at the time. Ironically, it's the rawness and intimacy that Townes fans are drawn to – and that's what you get here! The second disc features demos that mostly feature just Townes's voice and acoustic guitar – and it's achingly beautiful! Despite the familiar track list, every song on this 2CD set is previously unreleased – and essential for longtime Townes fans and newbies alike! Includes "T For Texas", "Who Do You Love", "Sunshine Boy", "Pancho & Lefty" (an alternate 1972 mix without strings and horns), "Sad Cinderella", "Lungs", "Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold", "White Freight Liner Blues", "Two Hands" and more on the studio sessions disc – and the titles on the disc of demos includes "Heavenly Houseboat Blues", "Diamond Heel Blues", "Tower Song", "Hightway Kind", "Old Paint", "Standin'" and more. 28 tracks in all – and it features some excellent notes by Colin Escott.

An early one from Waits – his second album – and a great one! Like the rest of his first few records, this is a kind of like a street-savvy, hipster cabaret affair, with less of the eccentricity that would reveal itself later in his career. Still a great record though, rendered with a Bukowski-esque salt of the earth palette. Includes "Fumblin' With The Blues", "Please Call Me, Baby", "Diamonds On My Windshield", "New Coat Of Paint", "The Heart Of Saturday Night", "Drunk On The Moon", "Shiver Me Timbers", "San Diego Serenade", "Semi Suite", "Depot, Depot", and "The Ghosts Of Saturday Night (After Hours At Napoleone's Pizza House)".

An overlooked gem from Blue Note – a special live performance that brings together some of the label's funkiest and most soulful artists of the 70s! The set's somewhat unusual for Blue Note at the time – especially given the label's increasingly studio-driven approach to jazz, with projects by the Mizell Brothers and others – yet given that bent, the whole thing's a great illustration of the vibrancy of all these artists always from the studio – playing live and extremely funky! As the title implies, the set was recorded live at the Roxy in LA – with players who include Donald Byrd, Ronnie Laws, Gene Harris, Bobby Hutcherson, and Alphonse Mouzon – all coming together in warm unity to show that the spacious sounds of Blue Note could also be crafted in a live setting, and not just under closely-watched studio help arrangers and producers. Carmen McRae sings on a number of tracks, and the album overall does a good job of presenting the material in concert-like setting – and some of the longer tracks feature some mighty nice jamming solos. Titles on this second volume include "Music", "Them There Eyes", "You're Everything", and "Paint Your Pretty Picture" by Carmen McRae; a medley of Brazilian tracks by Earl Klugh – including "Like A Lover", "A Felicidade", "Manha De Carnaval", and "Samba De Orfeu"; and a long track that involves all the artists as the Blue Note All Stars, on "Blue Note 76".

A killer set of Danish modern jazz – recorded at the start of the 60s with a really searing lineup! The set's go-led by pianist Bent Axen and tenorist Bent Jaedig – two guys with a very hip approach to their music, an a keen ear for the sharper sides of jazz at the time – a blend of hardbop rhythms with more complicated tones, served up by a lineup that also includes Allan Botschinsky on trumpet and Frank Jensen on second tenor – both horn players who add a lot to the date. The lineup shifts a bit as the set moves on – Jenson's only on three tracks, leaving Jaedig with more room on the rest – but there's still a really unified feel to the record, almost as if the co-leaders are choosing the lineup carefully with each fresh track, in order to paint slightly different pictures in sound. If you dig the work of the Jazz Quintet 60 – a contemporary Danish group that features two of the players here – you'll definitely dig this set too. Titles include "Let's Keep The Message", "To Iskol's Hof", "Star Eyes", "Elansky", "Siyle", and "Lady Bird".

Tenor's high concept record for Warp, where he recruits an orchestra to help flesh out the grooves and provide some depth to his typically spare compositions. Complex and soundtracky at moments, but more like a tightly arranged soul record on others. Nice. 10 nubers in all: "Out Of Nowhere", "Hypnotic Drugstore", "Paint The Stars", "Pylon", "Blood On Borscht", "Backbone Of The Night", "Spell", "Better than Ever", "Night In Loimaa" and "Call Of The Wild".

Beautifully personal music from the team of Anna Christoffersson and Steve Dobrogosz – music penned and played on piano by Steve, interpreted vocally by Anna with a lightly crackling quality that's really wonderful! The sound is spare and very intimate – mostly just Steve's piano with a bit of extra cello or bass on some of the tunes – a setting that allows plenty of space for Anna's wonderful vocals to dominate the session, and paint magical pictures in sound with Steve's English language lyrics. The style is somewhere between jazz and more contemporary singer/songwriter work – but is also handled in a carefully individual mode that eschews any easy comparisons. Titles include "Through The Rain", "Remember Me", "Better", "Higher", "That Other Land", "I'm Falling", "Life With You", "Let Me In", "Hold Me Tight", and "Looking Like That".

A really great number from this lesser-known singer! "It's Rough Out There" has these cool strings that step in and start the tune in a rhythmic way – giving the track a bit of an uptown soul flair that's perfect for Jerry's uniquely expressive vocals – as they unfurl with almost a narrative sense of energy. "I'm Gonna Paint" is groovy too – nice horns that give the track a majestic feel, which is then matched by Jackson's vocals!

A tiny label, but one with some really great sounds – a great slice of the late 60s Philly scene, and a pretty darn soulful one at that! The label started as Kayden in Philly, then moved across the river to New Jersey and switched to Merben – but had a really unified sound throughout their short run, so much so that even the few pop recordings here come across with a pretty soulful feel! Most numbers are upbeat, and move in a Northern-ish soul mode – and the male singers here are especially great, almost a bit more deep soul than usual for the Philly scene, especially some of the groups. CD features 24 cuts from both labels, including some unreleased material – and titles include "You're Gonna Miss A Good Thing Baby", "Help Me Pretty Baby", and "At The End Of The Day" by John Bowie, who's pictured on the front cover – plus "Stop Think It Over" and "A Place For Me" by Leverett Sisters, "I Wanna Know" by Bill Horton, "Seven Days Fifty Two Weeks" by Cody Michaels, "Ask Any Girl" and "What Am I Gonna Do" by Matt Sound, "Where Did You Leave Your Heart" by Sharon Marshall, "Shake Me Wake Me" by Natural Facts, "I Can Only Give You Everything" by Bram Rigg Set, "Why Did God Make Girls" by JD Rogues, "Tell Me" by Shags, "How Could You Have Known" by Bats, and "Paint It Black" by Jimmy Roma.

A really wonderful album from Michel Legrand – one of his few jazz efforts to really capture the same dynamic charm of his soundtracks! The album was recorded live – with a mixed group of electric and acoustic players that includes Joe Beck, Randy Brecker, Ron Carter, Phil Woods, and Ron Carter – and the overall approach is spaciously baroque, setting up the tunes with the same clever care as Legrand's best scores, giving the soloists plenty of room to step out and paint strong colors and tones in sound. Legrand sings a bit on one track, and duets with vocalist Lary Shelly on the track "Pieces Of Dreams" – and other titles include "The Saddest Thing Of All", "Splittons", "One At A Time", and "The Friday Fugue".

A wonderful album from George Russell – and a refreshing change from his overly-academic modernist work! The session's an unusual one – a musical portrait of New York City, performed with an all-star cast that includes John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, Benny Golson, Max Roach, and Hal McKusick – all working together to paint tones on the tunes that George has crafted to set up his scene of New York in the 50s. Most importantly, though, Jon Hendricks acts as the narrator of the album – talking and scatting in hipster mode, laying out a bit of beat rapportage about the Big Apple, all done in a very cool 50s style that's a bit different from his own vocal work. Titles include "Manhattan", "Big City Blues", "Manhattan-Rico", and "A Helluva Town".

A modern take on the traditional border badge name tag! These premium labels feature a vibrant screen printed surface, permanent adhesive backing, and great little details. Perfect for every labeling job, arts and crafts, and any other use you can think of putting them up to!

A modern take on the traditional border badge name tag! These premium labels feature a vibrant screen printed surface, permanent adhesive backing, and great little details. Perfect for every labeling job, arts and crafts, and any other use you can think of putting them up to!

A modern take on the traditional border badge name tag! These premium labels feature a vibrant screen printed surface, permanent adhesive backing, and great little details. Perfect for every labeling job, arts and crafts, and any other use you can think of putting them up to!

Featuring cover art by Andy Warhol.

A beautifully packaged reissue of this rare set from 1964 – an early example of the genius of Albert Ayler, recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great – and the quartet features Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – the latter of whom is almost completely freed up from rhythm at some points. Titles include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", and "No Name". Also includes a bonus fold-out poster with a painting of Ayler!

The cover says it all: a painting of James, kicking back on a couch with a disco Godfather outfit on, while two topless girls dance in front of him – clearly, the old days are past! Still, despite this trashy effort to be a clubtime player, James still manages to funk things up a bit – even if the songs go on a bit too long, with less of the improvised instrumentation of the old days. Titles include "For Goodness Sakes, Take A Looke At Those Cakes", "Someone To Talk To", "A Man Understands", and "As Long As I Love You".

A dream of a record from Chad & Jeremy – a fantastic bit of psychedelic pop produced by Gary Usher! The album's got quite a different feel than the rest of the duo's work – as their standard Brit pop style is augmented by lots of extra strings and woodwinds, super-baroque in a beautiful post-Pet Sounds sort of way. The songs are wonderful, too – with themes on the rise and fall of modern life, very much in a Kinks sort of style – with titles like "Busman's Holiday", "Rest In Peace", "Family Way", "Can I See You", and the extended "Progress Suite". Plus, the CD features 6 bonus tracks, a few previously unissued – including "Manners Maketh Man", "Cautionary Tale", "Sister Marie", and "Painted Dayglow Smile".

Amazing images from the universe of Sun Ra – a mixture of rare photographs and mural images painted by Aye Aton – sometime percussionist with the Arkestra, and a heck of a great painter too! The book begins with these stunning full color photographs of Ra on the set of Space Is The Place – images from 1972 that echo the cover of the album of the same name, but which feature a costumed Ra in a number of different settings – including a few parking lot shots that make him look like a true visitor from the cosmos, briefly walking on our planet! The bigger second half of the book features photographs of murals painted by Aton (who's also known as Robert Underwood) – all of them spacey and trippy, and in a similar spirit to the Saturn Records album covers – except these were all painted on walls and ceilings, in very vivid colors. Aye painted many images in the Arkestra commune in Philly – and other paintings appear to be from the south side of Chicago – and all work here is seen by the wider public for the first time ever. Archivist John Corbett provides an essay with the book to situate the work – and the whole thing's a vivid visual treat for any fan of Sun Ra!

Exactly the kind of record to show why we love Japanese piano trio sessions so much – a sweet 80s date from lyrical genius Iwasaki Daisuke! The album's got a relatively understated feel at first, but really grabs us once it gets going – with a mix of complicated solo lines and subtle, soulful warmth – a gentle balance that's clearly inherited from the legacy of Bill Evans – yet pushed into richly expressive directions here of its own! Daisuke's a hell of a painter on the keys – poetic, yet never with too many flourishes – and working with a subtle sense of darkness that's echoed by the bass of Hideo Kanazawa and drums of Hideaki Sekine. Titles include "Mass Ave 5am", "Tiny Souvenir", "Never Say Goodbye", "Star Crossed Lovers", and "Surf Mail".

Vintage images from Japanese movie posters – almost all of them hand-painted for the local market, and quite different than more famous images that circulated worldwide! The work here often has a warm, painterly quality – which really personalizes the presentation of the films, especially given the lack of English language on the posters. Films featured are both American and Japanese movies – and while the book is especially heavy on work from the 50s and 60s, there's a few images from other years as well. Full color, paperback, and 96 pages in all.

Droning soundscapes with dreamy atmosphere and ominous twists and turns from Ensemble Pearl! The ensemble is an international one – featuring Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley, plus Atsuo from Boris, Boris-affiliate Michio Kurihara, William Herzog and guests – and their eponymous record for Drag City is one of cooler avant instrumental projects on DC in recent memory. It apparently came together from material recorded for a theater project a couple years earlier – and it has a bit of tripped out, spooky soundtrack-y feel to show for it – but it stands really strongly as a headphones experience all its own! Includes "Ghost Parade", "Painting On A Corpse", "Wray", "Island Epiphany", "Giant" and "Sexy Angle".

Droning soundscapes with dreamy atmosphere and ominous twists and turns from Ensemble Pearl! The ensemble is an international one – featuring Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley, plus Atsuo from Boris, Boris-affiliate Michio Kurihara, William Herzog and guests – and their eponymous record for Drag City is one of cooler avant instrumental projects on DC in recent memory. It apparently came together from material recorded for a theater project a couple years earlier – and it has a bit of tripped out, spooky soundtrack-y feel to show for it – but it stands really strongly as a headphones experience all its own! Includes "Ghost Parade", "Painting On A Corpse", "Wray", "Island Epiphany", "Giant" and "Sexy Angle".

The first new music by Bill Fay in decades – and it's wonderful stuff – just a beautiful set of songs that balance hauntingly subtle sounds with more enigmatic touches! Bill's voice and piano are front and center for the most part here. The lyrics are poetic, but unpretentious – covering life, love, loss and the big issues we deal with – in a really artful way. Producer Joshua Henry does a great job of creating a stirring sound, without layering anything on too thickly, so not to bury the intimate charm of the songs – and using a subtle backing vocal choir, some lovely strings and additional keys at times. Includes "There Is A Valley", "Big Painter", "The Never Ending Happening", ", "The Healing Day", "City Of Dreams", a wonderfully spare cover of Wilco's "Jesus, Etc.", "This World" featuring Jeff Tweedy (speaking of Wilco), "Empires", "The Coast Man Can Tell" and more.

The first new music by Bill Fay in decades – and it's wonderful stuff – just a beautiful set of songs that balance hauntingly subtle sounds with more enigmatic touches! Bill's voice and piano are front and center for the most part here. The lyrics are poetic, but unpretentious – covering life, love, loss and the big issues we deal with – in a really artful way. Producer Joshua Henry does a great job of creating a stirring sound, without layering anything on too thickly, so not to bury the intimate charm of the songs – and using a subtle backing vocal choir, some lovely strings and additional keys at times. Includes "There Is A Valley", "Big Painter", "The Never Ending Happening", ", "The Healing Day", "City Of Dreams", a wonderfully spare cover of Wilco's "Jesus, Etc.", "This World" featuring Jeff Tweedy (speaking of Wilco), "Empires", "The Coast Man Can Tell" and more.

A very unusual album from Russ Garcia – one recorded with a vocal choir singing (mostly) wordlessly on the tunes! The style isn't scatting so much as it is a precursor to modes that would be used more heavily on later soundtracks – an approach that's jazz-based, and often colored with some great blue tones – really hitting some especially eerie notes on the best numbers. There's a sad, almost spooky feel to the record that's really great – with some of the female voices hitting theremin-like passages – and although most tunes are familiar, the arrangements are plenty inventive. Titles include "Wow", "Ill Wind", "Blue Blue Blue", "Painting The Town Blue", "Music City", and "Sounds In The Night".

Not his most striking album, but a great example of the kind of sad mournful stuff that Jackie Gleason could produce. Great cover with an abstract painting of a crying eye. Music for the bachelor pad that's not swinging too much these days. 15 tracks in all, "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me", "Satin Doll", "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Nevertheless", "Long Before I Knew You", "I'm Making Believe", "Without Love", "Close Your Eyes", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "More Than You Know" and "I Just Couldn't Take It Baby".

A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh new ideas in improvisatory jazz with players who went onto have an undeniable impact on the global scene as well. This album's one of the standout recordings of the Black Artists era at its best – a record produced by Hemphill, but equally balanced between his own alto and flute, the trumpet of Baikida Carroll, cello of Abdul Wadud, and drums of Phillip Wilson – plus a bit of added baritone from Haimet Bluiett. The rhythms are quite open, but there's also a nice sense of structure to the record too – a bridge between spiritual and free jazz that prefaces the impact that both Hemphill and Bluiett would have on the New York loft jazz generation. Titles include "Dogon AD", "Rites", and "The Painter". Great reissue too – in a gatefold LP-styled cover, with bonus insert notes, including the artwork from the original 1972 pressing on Hemphill's Mbari label! CD also features a bonus track – "Hard Blues" from Hemphill's Coon Business album!

The Byrds went through many many changes during their legendary run in the late 60s – some of which are documented on their rich body of recorded work, lots more of which you'll find in this thick volume of historical detail! The book offers a day by day, year by year existence of the group – from the key years 1965 to 1973, with details on when they were recording, playing live, or just hanging out – but all in very surprising detail that goes way beyond any simple sort of "diary". We're not sure how Christopher Hjort got his hands on all this information, but he really paints a vivid picture of the lives of these rock and roll stars at the time – in ways that really help illuminate their musical changes too! 336 pages, softcover, oversize, with lots of photos and images!

A richly expanded version of this classic soundtrack – done from original mono tapes, and featuring a huge amount of previously undiscovered music! At the core is a compelling score from Angelo Lavagnino – one that features all the lush, romantic touches you'd know from his Italian work – but which also has plenty of Spanish inflections, too – all in support of the film's story of the painter Goya! There's definitely a sense of Hollywood romanticism to the music – but the Spanish elements also come off well, too – and help undercut the obvious with maybe more of a sense of European timelessness. Carlos Savina conducted – and in addition to 23 songs from a previous CD issue, presented here on new mastered versions, the set also features 32 more film versions and alternate takes – all previously unissued!

A vivid early score from Mario Nascimbene – exactly the kind of music that made him a key bridge between two generations of Italian soundtrack composers! Orchestrations are relatively lush, yet full of feeling – lots of these deep blue passages that are really wonderful – and some occasional lighter instrumental elements that include some excellent harmonica from Franco De Gemini! The 2CD set is overflowing with music – more than we might have ever expected – rich in tones and colors throughout, and as vivid a painting in sound as the image on the front!

Why the heck don't they make records like this anymore? The whole thing's incredibly groovy – a blend of Sunshine Pop and vocal harmonies – put together with a high-art theory, but grooving with some really cool late 60s backings! There's a great drummer in the group who really makes the tunes kick – taking the mixed male and female vocals of the group and working them into tunes that sound way better than the Paul Klee inspiration might make you think. Things actually get a bit funky at times, and even when they don't, the whole album sparkles with the best Sunshine work from the time! Music is by Chuck Mangione and Roger Karshner – who also brings in some sweet electronic touches too! Titles include "Barbaric Classical Solemn", "Fear Of Becoming Double", "Self Portrait", "Long Hair Soulful", and "Pond With Swans". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – "Long Hair Soulful", in both vocal and instrumental versions!

One of Oscar Peterson's most sophisticated albums of the 60s – an extended suite of tracks dedicated to the soul and spirit of Canada! The tunes are all originals, and have a really lush, vivid sort of feel – one that still has undercurrents of Peterson's usual soulful style, but which also has Oscar painting these very vivid images in sound! The material is performed by a trio with Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – and although the tunes aren't familiar, we'd rank this one right up there with Peterson's most inventive material of the time. Titles include "Laurentide Waltz", "Ballad To The East", "Blues Of The Praries", and "Wheatland".

A lost Sun Ra classic – from the early days of the Arkestra! This 1966 release on Saturn features music that was recorded by The Arkestra in Chicago in 1957 and 1958. Some of the tracks are from the same session as the Sound Of Joy LP, and a few others were from sessions later in the year. Ra plays piano and "solar piano", and the group's got some added percussion and tympani. Along with the usual suspects, James Spaulding also sits in with the group on a few tracks, playing both alto and flute. Titles include "Eve", "Overtones Of China", "Two Tones", and "El Viktor". Cool cover, too, with a colorful painting of a surrealistic space scene!

Chicago rock & soul tour. Lengthy interview with the Treniers, the first rock n roll group (think Louis Jordan meets Jerry Lewis meets David Lee Roth). Milt Trenier...lounge revival? Amazing Baby Huey cover painting. The final Tiny Tim interview. Plus: Alice Cooper, eight great Jews, more.

Plenty of drama here – in a vintage Italian peplum soundtrack from the great Carlo Rustichelli! Carlo's a composer who really knows how to bring a lot of feeling into his music – and here, he's definitely at the height of that power – scoring things with colors and tones so vivid, you almost don't need the images on the screen to tell what's going on! Some tunes have this dramatic progression that's almost narrative in scope – others move slower, as if Rustichelli's painting a musical picture of the backdrop for the movie. Reissue includes a whopping 28 tracks in all – all beautifully remastered!

A pretty darn rare Lalo Schifrin soundtrack – to a lost crime thriller that starred David McCallum, Stella Stevens, and Telly Savalas – all of whom are pictured in a nice collage-type movie painting on the front cover! The tracks run from mellow bossa to fast and jazzy, and the album also includes a few mellower Latin-tinged numbers to set the scene of the action. There's not as much funk as in Schifrin's other scores from the time – but it makes up for it with groovy passages and many great moments that make the album worth seeking out! Titles include "Charanga", "The Golden Trip", "Sol Madrid", "Fiesta", "Adagietto", and "Villanova's Chase".

An amazing discovery in music – rare work from an artist who's already pretty darn rare to American ears – even though he recorded some of these spacey gems in Virginia during the mid 70s! Sensation's Fix is the brainchild of musician/electronician Franco Falsini – an Italian artist with strong influence from, and experience with, the early German prog scene – but one who also stretches out here in ways that are a lot more personal and poetic! The music is heavy on keyboards and electronics – often in a minimally-produced way, save for studio effects that really help flesh out the sound without commercializing it – and Franco has a thoughtful approach that's never too jamming, even though mostly instrumental – almost that space as prog was turning towards soundtrack ends – especially in German and France. Yet the feel is also quite different than that, too – as you'll hear on this double-length set of rare mixes, alternate takes and unreased tracks from the records that yielded the short output of Sensation's Fix in the mid 70s. Titles include "Barnhause Effect", "Overflowing Ashtrays", "Cold Nose Part 3 Movement 3", "Left Side Of Green", "Chelsea Hotel Room 625", "Crossing Berlin", "Darkside 2", "Fragments Of Light", "Warped Notions Of A Practical Joke", and "Leave My Chemistry".

Tracks includes "Chaos (7" Mix)", "Alcohol", "Charlton Heston", and "Living It Down".

A really amazing little soundtrack – darkly subtle, and better almost than the Derek Jarman film for which it was penned! Simon Fischer Turner's been many things over the years – a boy pop idol in 70s England, the King Of Luxembourg in the 80s El Records roster – but he's never sounded more beautiful than here – working in a blend of sound snippets, colors, and tones to illustrate Jarman's moody portrait of the painter Michelangelo Caravaggio. The overall sound of the set is relatively spare – often with just a cello, a piano line, a guitar strum, or some other bit – mixed alongside the chirp of a cricket, the slam of a door, or some other incidental noise – an approach that's wonderfully evocative in its use of space and silence, and which is almost even a further extension of some of the more minimal modes put forward by the Italian scene in the 70s. Titles include "The Hills Of Abruzzi", "Umber Wastes", "In The Still Of The Night", "Michele Of The Shadows", "The Hourglass", and "I Love You More Than My Eyes". CD also features bonus "Easter Week" tracks too!

Digital music in a physical realm – a great little project that collects together a range of groundbreaking sounds from the online music scene – then puts them together in a well-presented compilation! The music here is all pretty darn fresh – a wicked batch of 21st Century soul, hip hop, nujazz, and more – all the sort that might have been issued on labels like Compost or Sonar Kollektiv a decade ago, but which hardly makes it on record these days! Yet thanks to the great efforts of Heavenly Sweetness, these grooves are getting some great exposure – almost like catching a great slice of Gilles Peterson's radio show. 2CD package features both volumes 1 & 2 – 29 titles that include "Drum Talking" by Mo Kolours, "Grandma" by Bobby Blunt, "Fall In Love" by Badbadnotgood, "Hold On" by KRTS, "Una Peripecia" by Buddy Sativa, "Journey Through My Mind" by Bug, "Conflict Of A Man" by Erimaj, "Kalimba Song" by Abjo, "Controlled Feelings" by Opolopo Voltage, "Where You Gone" by INT, "Journey To The Shore" by Dopegems, "Muscles" by Bonnie Banane, "Freak Out" by Natronix, "YBMJ" by Monkeyrobot, "Dealing" by Up High Collective, "Paintball" by Monster Sneaker, and "All Matter" by Modlee & Vlooper.

Here's some chillout music we can really get behind – mellow soul tracks with a beautifully gentle groove – all cut back in the days when an artist could relax a bit without ever losing their cool! The set's heavy on mellow modern soul numbers – all hand-picked by Expansion Records frontman Ralph Tee – who's shown us for decades that he's really got a golden ear when it comes to music like this! There's loads of great gentle steppers on the package, sung by some of the best voices of the mainstream soul scene at the end of the 70s – cuts that include "We Need Love" by Chapter 8, "Be My Girl" by Michael Henderson, "We Found Love" by The Dynamics, "Gonna Make Changes" by Phyllis Hyman, "No Love Nowhere Without You" by Linda Williams, "Ain't That Love Baby" by Lou Rawls, "Brother Brother" by Esther Phillips, "What Do You Want Me To Do" by Lou Courtney, "Stay" by Glenn Jones, "We Never Said Goodbye" by Dionne Warwick, and "Paintings Of Love" by Keni Burke.

Spectacular work from one of the most groundbreaking groups of its time – the legendary John Carter/Bobby Bradford Quartet – simply the hippest thing going in the LA scene of the late 60s! The group includes Carter on alto and tenor, Bradford on trumpet, Tom Williamson on bass, and Bruzz Freeman (brother of Von and George!) on drums! Tracks are long and free, yet also fragile and intimate – with an almost painterly sense of beauty and emotion that stands in stark contrast to much of the avant work of the time coming out of the east coast. Titles include "Domino", "Abstractions For Three Lovers", "Woman", and "The Second Set".

Proof that the Kenton sound could work in just about any format – as Stan transforms a host of older tunes from his book into a bossa nova groove! The approach is simple, but great – as the rich Kenton tones and colors are infused with some added rhythms laid down by Milt Holland, Larry Bunker, and Frank Guerrero on Latin percussion. Horn players Steve Marcus, Jack Nimitz, Dalton Smith, Conte Candoli, and Gabe Baltazar carve out some great lines in the set – cascading waves of sound that are a wonderful counterpoint to the driving rhythms of the set – almost in a way that recalls the Kenton Latin sides of the 50s, but a bit more subtle. Titles include "Kentonova", "Opus In Chartreuse", "Artistry In Rhythm", "Concerto To End All Concertos", "Loco Nova", "Artistry In Bossa Nova", "Eager Beaver", and "Painted Rhythm".

A beautiful book that documents the overlooked legacy of Brion Gysin – contemporary and collaborator of William S Burroughs and other important beat figures – but also an artist with a vision that goes way beyond that initial moment! The book brings together a wealth of images of Gysin's creations – his paintings, photos, printed work, and even instructions for building your own version of his legendary dream machine – alongside historical details on Brion and key moments of his life, plus reflections on his importance by John Giorno, Genesis P Orridge, and others. A hefty museum book – 196 pages, full color, and hardcover!

A wonderful tribute to Dizzy Gillespie – put together by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval – who can not only claim a big influence from Diz, but a number of past musical partnerships as well! The setting is great – not the simple bop mode that you'd usually get from other Diz tributes – and instead, a rich, vivid painting in jazz – full of thoughtful tones and colors that echo the Gillespie tradition, yet flesh things out into a much more vivid portrait of his spirit and soul! There's definitely a few Latin touches in the rhythms at times, mixed with some great larger horn passages that recall some of Dizzy's work with larger orchestras – yet handled here with a complexity that's more in a 21st Century mode. Gary Burton adds some nice vibes to the record – and other players include Bob Mintzer on tenor, Joe DeFrancesco on Hammond, and Shelly Berg on piano. Titles include "And Then She Stopped", "Birk's Works Ala Mancini", "Things To Come", "Con Alma With Soul", "Fiesta Mojo", and "Algu Bueno".

A beautifully soulful set from Horace Silver – hardly the "with brass" session you might guess from the title, and instead a well-integrated album that really showcases a new level of arranging genius from Horace! The set is heavy on hip horns – with work from Oscar Brashear, Bobby Bryant, and Tom Harrell on trumpets – plus Frank Rosolinon on trombone, Jerome Richardson on alto and soprano sax, Buddy Collette on flute, and Bob Berg on tenor – but these instruments are often wrapped up in this warmly rolling groove driven by the bass of Ron Carter and drums of Al Foster – inherently funky, but much more complicated from a rhythmic perspective – and rolling out beautifully with a really imaginative vibe! Tunes are all originals by Silver – wonderful little numbers filled with passion and life – almost painting in sound, with really rich tones and colors throughout. Titles include "The Sophisticated Hippie", "Dameron's Dance", "Barbara", "Adjustment", "Mysticism", and "Kissin Cousins".

A beautiful love letter to contemporary Brooklyn – originally commissioned by BAM, as part of a longer piece that included narration, animation, and paintings – but a work that stands more than strongly here on its own! The music has a wonderful mix of themes – sometimes straight, sometimes a bit more abstract, to the point of illustration – played by a shifting lineup of younger musicians who really deliver on the promise of Darcy James Argue's compositions – a group that includes John Ellis on tenor sax, Rob Wilkerson on alto, Ryan Keberle on trombone, Matt Holman on trumpet, Nadje Noordhuis on flugelhorn, and Sebatian Noelle on guitar. Titles include "The Neighborhood", "Builders", "Grand Opening", "Coney Island", "Construction/Destruction", "The Tallest Tower In The World", and "Missing Parts".

One of the greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – and one of the rarest! The record is right in the same vein as Roy's groundbreaking He's Coming LP – a righteous mix of soul jazz, subtle funk, and some of the cosmic wisdom that Roy was spreading among the jazz funk underground – all wrapped up beautifully, but never in a way that's like commercial soul of the time. There's a few instrumental tracks on the album, plus some vocal ones that show that off-beat male/female style that Roy would use more famously in later tracks like "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" or his work with Ramp. Players include Harry Whitaker on electric piano, Edwin Birdsong on organ, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, Jumma Santos on congas – and titles include a version of Nat Adderley's "Hummin", done as "Hummin In The Sun", and very much in the Ramp vein. Also features instrumental cuts "The Fuzz", which has Roy's vibes toned way up, and the cool mellow "The Painted Desert", a really offbeat slow jazz number. The group also does a great job with Edwin Birdsong's "Pretty Brown Skin", picking up the song as a really anthemic groover that gives the record a nice kick!

Surprisingly wonderful work from Kenny! The album has Kenny's guitar set to arrangements by Gil Evans – who gives the session a modern edge that really sets it apart from other Burrell albums of the time. Kenny's freed to do his thing – wonderfully, we might add – and Gil paints these washes of sound, color, and tone with the help of hip players like Johnny Coles, Louis Mucci, Julius Watkins, Steve Lacy, Richie Kamuca, Elvin Jones, and Lee Konitz. Tracks include "Lotus Land", "Downstairs", "Moon & Sand", "Terrace Theme", "Greensleeves", and "Loie".

Not everyone digs the later Captain and crew, but the early 80s efforts have finally gotten their just props after all these years – and we'll we'll come right out and say that this second to last album before Don Van Vliet hung up the music for painting has always sounded great to us! The Magic Band is incredible as always – with Jeff Morris Tepper, Drumbo French and Eric Drew Feldman's antics under the Captain's idiosyncratic vocalese. With "Hot Head", "Ashtray Heart", "A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond", "Run Paint Run Run", "Sue Egypt", "Brickbats", "Dirty Blue Gene", "Best Batch Yet", "Telephone", "Flavor Bud Living", "Sherriff Of Hong Kong" and "Making Love To A Vampire With A Monkey On My Knee".

Another wonderful album from this groundbreaking Chicago combo! The group's now a permanent quartet, with the extremely great addition of Jeff Parker on guitar and electronics – and the album continues to push the boundaries of Rob Mazurek's unique sound. The liner notes on the back refer to a NY Times article that described the group's sound as "painterly", and to us, that's a pretty fair estimation of their sound. The group work in wide washes of sound – structured around conventional jazz traditions, but touched with a more abstract approach derived from their connection to the Chicago rock and experimental scene. Titles include "Warm Marsh", "Elroy", "504", "The World Has Changed", "Woman In Motion", and "Antiquity".

The second of Jerry Goldsmith's wonderful soundtracks for the James Coburn Flint spy spoof films of the mid 60s! The album's packaged in a nice sleeve with images of the movie, and a cool painting of James Coburn on the front – looking as hip as he possibly can – and the music is as groovy as groovy can be, with lots of light goofy "spy" themes, and other tunes that are either bossa or jazz inflected. Arrangements are by Marty Paich and Warren Barker – and titles include the vocal number "Your Zowie Face", plus "Ahh, Yer Father's Bob-Lip", "Mince & Cook Until Tender", and "Lost In Space".

An excellent album from Eddie Harris – whose love of the Varitone sax is pushed to the max here, as he gets funky and wild on a great batch of tracks! The record features some great bass work from Melvin Jackson, plus keyboards from Joe Zawinul and Eddie. Titles include "Silver Cycles", "Electric Ballad", "Little Bit", "Free At Last", "Coltrane's View", "Electric Salad", "1974 Blues", and "Smoke Signals".

A killer collection of work from one of the funkiest Japanese groups of the early 70s – billed as jazz rock in the title, but with a much deeper sound overall! Reedman Jiro Inagaki definitely comes from jazz roots, but has also picked up plenty of trippy touches from the late 60s too – fuzzy guitar, sweet keyboards, and an especially strong ear for the kind of heavy drums that folks like Lou Donaldson were using to push their instrumental work into a whole new dimension! The group here is often largeish, but still has the punch of a smaller funky combo – and the set brings together some of the most soulful albums from Jiro's rare Japanese-only albums – titles that include "The Ground For Peace", "Snap Shot", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "Twenty One", "Breeze", "Painted Paradise", "Sniper's Snooze", and "Express".

A magic carpet ride of funky soul from Kool & The Gang – classic Open Sesame from '76 – one that took the group to a higher level! It's not as rawly funky as some of the group's earlier albums, but they do still bring it, just with a cooler spirtual vibe that we never expected – one that opens up their sound even further! The best example of this is the great cut "Little Children", a very righteous jazzy soul number that's been sampled to great use, and one that introduced a great mellow sound for the group. Other cuts include the dancefloor classic "Open Sesame", "Whisper Softly", "L-O-V-E", and "Sunshine".

A wonderfully moody album from Abbey Lincoln – one that's a bit more laidback than some of her other efforts, but no less soulful! There's kind of a broken, jagged sound to the record – a late nite vibe that's blue and melancholy, and which gets some great support from the tenor sax of Archie Shepp – which often gets a chance to solo on most tracks! The rhythms are gentle, often a bit spare – and handled by Hilton Ruiz on piano, Jack Gregg on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums – and the set also features work from trumpeter Roy Burroughs. Tracks include three original compositions, "Painted Lady", "Throw It Away", and "Caged Bird", plus a sublime version of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady". Also includes Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady", and Michel Legrand's "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life".

Wonderful work from Gregory Porter – easily one of the best new jazz singers to emerge in the past decade or so, and one whose approach is soulful enough to rival the greats of the 70s! There's echoes here of Bill Withers, Gil Scott-Heron, and Al Jarreau – and like all those artists, Gregory's a singer who really moves past simple styles and generic conventions – into a mode that's vivid and rich right from the start, and defiitely his own territory – a world of sound that's a delight to experience! Most backings are straight jazzy, but inflected with some soul modes – and the album's even better and more incredible than Porter's debut for Motema. Titles include "On My Way To Harlem", "When Did You Learn", "Mother's Song", "Imitation Of Life", "Our Love", "Be Good", and "Painted On Canvas".

Titles include "Paint It Black", "Stupid Girl", "Lady Jane", "Under My Thumb", "Flight 505", "High & Dry", and "Going Home".

An amazing discovery in music – rare work from an artist who's already pretty darn rare to American ears – even though he recorded some of these spacey gems in Virginia during the mid 70s! Sensation's Fix is the brainchild of musician/electronician Franco Falsini – an Italian artist with strong influence from, and experience with, the early German prog scene – but one who also stretches out here in ways that are a lot more personal and poetic! The music is heavy on keyboards and electronics – often in a minimally-produced way, save for studio effects that really help flesh out the sound without commercializing it – and Franco has a thoughtful approach that's never too jamming, even though mostly instrumental – almost that space as prog was turning towards soundtrack ends – especially in German and France. Yet the feel is also quite different than that, too – as you'll hear on this double-length set of rare mixes, alternate takes and unreased tracks from the records that yielded the short output of Sensation's Fix in the mid 70s. Titles include "Barnhause Effect", "Overflowing Ashtrays", "Cold Nose Part 3 Movement 3", "Left Side Of Green", "Chelsea Hotel Room 625", "Crossing Berlin", "Darkside 2", "Fragments Of Light", "Warped Notions Of A Practical Joke", and "Leave My Chemistry".

A beautifully soulful set from Horace Silver – hardly the "with brass" session you might guess from the title, and instead a well-integrated album that really showcases a new level of arranging genius from Horace! The set is heavy on hip horns – with work from Oscar Brashear, Bobby Bryant, and Tom Harrell on trumpets – plus Frank Rosolinon on trombone, Jerome Richardson on alto and soprano sax, Buddy Collette on flute, and Bob Berg on tenor – but these instruments are often wrapped up in this warmly rolling groove driven by the bass of Ron Carter and drums of Al Foster – inherently funky, but much more complicated from a rhythmic perspective – and rolling out beautifully with a really imaginative vibe! Tunes are all originals by Silver – wonderful little numbers filled with passion and life – almost painting in sound, with really rich tones and colors throughout. Titles include "The Sophisticated Hippie", "Dameron's Dance", "Barbara", "Adjustment", "Mysticism", and "Kissin Cousins".

2 albums in the kind of "between the hits" years for The Spinners – one featuring lead vocalist Phillipe Wynne, the other featuring new arrival John Edwards. The sound here isn't as right-on or soaringly confident as in earlier years – but there are some nice moments that make the 2-in-1 CD a good way to sample these albums. There's a total of 17 tracks in all, many written by producer Thom Bell – and titles include "You're All I Need In Life", "Tony My Love", "The Clown", "The Rubberband Man", "If You Can't Be In Love", "Easy Come Easy Go", "Heaven On Earth", "Painted Magic", and "I'm Gonna Getcha".

Some of the most compelling music we've heard in years from trumpeter Jack Walrath – and a stunning set of original compositions dedicated to the music and people of Greece! The style's not exactly the Hellenic outing you might guess from the title – as the music is definitely American jazz throughout – but there's a richness, an illustrative power that has Walrath working at his best depth – a strong storyteller, and vivid painter of sound – really unleashing that special quality that made him one of Charles Mingus' favorite trumpeters in later years. The group's a quintet, with excellent tenor from Abraham Burton – and fluid, yet complex rhythms from the trio of George Burton on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums – on titles that include "Leaving Santorini Blues", "Grace", "Panopticon", "Enter Boris", "Via Ia", "Norris Junction", and "O'Mangas".

Music found online, then collected here in one sweet little set – a great illustration of the way that in the 21st Century, internet sound files have come to represent a whole new level of digging! All the cuts here were issued digitally first, and are making a wax debut here – as a brilliant testament to the rich new sounds bubbling out there online – from fresh Neo Soul to warm jazzy grooves to some sweet cosmic beats! There's a vibe here that's every bit as great as the first volume – and the track selection is sublime – like having one of the world's few tastemakers hip you to the coming sounds of the next generation. Titles include "Where You Gone" by INT, "Journey To The Shore" by Dopegems, "Muscles" by Bonnie Banane, "Freak Out" by Natronix, "YBMJ" by Monkeyrobot, "Dealing" by Up High Collective, "Boomboxin" by Moodprint, "7th Week" by Roux Spanna, "Paintball" by Monster Sneaker, and "All Matter" by Modlee & Vlooper.

Spectacular work from one of the most groundbreaking groups of its time – the legendary John Carter/Bobby Bradford Quartet – simply the hippest thing going in the LA scene of the late 60s! The group includes Carter on alto and tenor, Bradford on trumpet, Tom Williamson on bass, and Bruzz Freeman (brother of Von and George!) on drums! Tracks are long and free, yet also fragile and intimate – with an almost painterly sense of beauty and emotion that stands in stark contrast to much of the avant work of the time coming out of the east coast. Titles include "Domino", "Abstractions For Three Lovers", "Woman", and "The Second Set".

Incredible work from Nicola Conte – Schema records maestro making his Blue Note debut with this set – and giving the label one of their best new albums of the 21st Century! The record's quite different than Nicola's programmed dancefloor work for Schema – and is much more of an organic jazz-based session – with instrumentation by a wide arrangement of hip European jazzers (including Till Bronner and Rosario Giuliani!), plus sweet vocals from a variety of different singers! The groove is still very much in the Conte/Schema spirit – often in a loping modal approach to jazz, with a strong inspiration from the best European scenes of the late 60s and early 70s. The sound is wonderful – with players from the larger lineup playing in differing groups from track to track – showcasing instrumentation that includes vibes, flute, trombone, tenor, alto, and even a bit of guitar from Nicola himself. Vocalists include Bembe Segue, Lucia Minetti, Cristina Zavalloni, and Till Bronner – and titles include "Sea & Sand", "Nefertiti", "Wanin Moon", "A Time For Spring", "Kind Of Sunshine", "Aphrodite's Dream", "The Dharma Bums", "All Gone", "Le Depart", "The In Between", and "Several Shades Of Dawn". Imagine the best work of Schema or Compost done in an all-organic, all-natural mode – and you've got the beautiful sound of this set! This 2010 Schema special edition features the original album remastered, plus a bonus CD featuring the previously vinyl only "Bohemian's Dilemma" and "Waltz Of The Sirens", an alternate version of "Nefertiti", an extended version of "Kind Of Sunshine" and other great tracks – including the previously unreleased "Danubian", "Teardrop Painted Blue" and "Quiet Stars". An hour of bonus material in all!

Time is definitely at the core of this set from Marc Copland – a wonderful batch of solo piano numbers that ring out with the spare sensitivity of Bill Evans on his Alone recordings! The album's informed by the Bernstein tune "Some Other Time" – offered here in four variations that almost recur as a theme – to bracket originals by Copland and a few well-chosen jazz numbers – all hanging beautifully in space, with a touch on the piano that's full of painterly color and tone! Titles include "Some Other Time", "River's Run", "Pirouette", "All Blues", "Time Was", "Round She Goes", and "Footprints".

They're billed as an "orchestra", and have a sound to match – but the group's mostly a quartet on this sweet little outing – with added help from guest players on different tracks! The sound here is every bit as great as the previous Hidden Orchestra outing – an evocative blend of acoustic instruments and sound slices that seem to have a very organic nature – billed in the notes as "field recordings" by leader Joe Acheson, and used here in these really painterly ways, very much in keeping with the cover! Things are never too processed – and really the music seems to originate from the group's strings, piano, percussion, and horns – then get filled in and expanded by these field recordings, and by other cool acoustic instruments that bubble forth in the mix. There's a majesty to the music that's right up there with Nostalgia 77 or Cinematic Orchestra – and titles include "Vorka", "Flight", "Spoken", "Disquiet", "Seven Hunters", and "Reminder".

Titles include "Paint It Black", "Stupid Girl", "Lady Jane", "Under My Thumb", "Flight 505", "High & Dry", and "Going Home".

Think that funk, rock, and soul are the only styles of music that get groovy record covers? Think again – as this book from Horst Scherg definitely sets the record straight – by culling forth a cornucopia of covers from the late 40s onwards, all filled with some really cool images! Some are arty, some are trippy, lots are painterly – and the range of covers is pretty impressive – laid out in different sections that trace both historical and stylistic developments, with important text on certain labels and their preference for covers. The book also features a totally great history of classical music labels – very helpful for the budding classical collector – and the 216 page, hardcover volume features full color images, with over 777 covers in all!

A great trio, and a really great live performance – one that's right up there with work you'd expect from the players involved a few decades before – showing all of them to still be very much at the height of their creative powers! Oliver Lake's alto sax is especially great here – blowing with a bold force and sharp edge that bursts out strongly from the start, almost taking us back to loft jazz years in the open, spontaneous setting of this performance. Reggie Workman's bass gives us plenty to love too – painting a variety of tones throughout the set – strong one minute, soft the next, and both plucked and bowed. Cyrille's drums round things up with the right degree of sensitivity for the other two musicians – and titles include "Wha's Nine", "Hasan", "Striation", "Willow Song", "ZC", "Come On Home Baby", and "Gazzelloni".

One of the greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – and one of the rarest! The record is right in the same vein as Roy's groundbreaking He's Coming LP – a righteous mix of soul jazz, subtle funk, and some of the cosmic wisdom that Roy was spreading among the jazz funk underground – all wrapped up beautifully, but never in a way that's like commercial soul of the time. There's a few instrumental tracks on the album, plus some vocal ones that show that off-beat male/female style that Roy would use more famously in later tracks like "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" or his work with Ramp. Players include Harry Whitaker on electric piano, Edwin Birdsong on organ, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, Jumma Santos on congas – and titles include a version of Nat Adderley's "Hummin", done as "Hummin In The Sun", and very much in the Ramp vein. Also features instrumental cuts "The Fuzz", which has Roy's vibes toned way up, and the cool mellow "The Painted Desert", a really offbeat slow jazz number. The group also does a great job with Edwin Birdsong's "Pretty Brown Skin", picking up the song as a really anthemic groover that gives the record a nice kick! CD also includes the rare 45-only track "He Gives Us All His Love" – originally done for the movie Cold Turkey.

Beautiful painterly images from Brecht Evans – a graphic novel done in water color, but often with the detail of a pen and ink cartoonist! The images range from simple to bold, and really fit the "Wrong Place" of the title – as does Evans' subtle dialogue from the characters. The story's not as linear as you might expect, but the interwoven themes and lives come together nicely as things progress – but with a sense of softness that also matches the images. Full color, and nicely printed in the best Drawn & Quarterly style!

A Gary Panter extravaganza – an incredibly huge, two-volume set, packaged in a heavy slipcover! The first book features over 1000 different images from Panter – paintings, posters, comics, and more – all from the guy who's become a legend through his underground comix work, and his famous set design for Pee Wee's Playhouse. This book features commentary on Panter's work by Byron Coley, Mike Kelley, Richard Klein, and other – and a very long interview with Gary himself. Then, the second heavy book features a huge amount of rare images from Panter's sketchbooks – early ideas, plans for projects, and lots lots more – presented here for the first time ever! The whole thing weighs a ton, and has over 686 pages, hardcover, with loads of color images.

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