All Categories — CDs  

Here's the real deal – a totally cool collection of all-classic Jamaican ska tracks from the mid 60s – with no revival cuts, no remakes – just the core original grooves! The quality of the work here is tremendous – a rocking, romping approach to soul music that really shows the Jamaican sound starting to fall into place – often handled by singers and musicians who'd break even bigger in the later reggae years, but who have a raw brilliance here that's even more compelling! The track list is wonderful – and the set is a hell of a deal at this price – with tracks that include "One Eyed Jacks" by Jimmy Cliff, "JFK's Memory" by Don Drummond, "The Sun Rises In The East" by Dotty & Bonnie, "Catch A Fire" by Baba Brooks & His Band, "Do You Keep On Dreaming" by The Cherry Pies, "Choo Choo Ska" by Llans Thewell & The Celestials, "Parro Saw The Light" by Lloyd Clarke, "The Jerk" by Derrick Harriott, and "Dragon Weapon" by The Skatalites.

Tropical funk, hazy rhythms, and simmering Afro funk & soul from the Caribbean – a killer collection put together by Hugo Mendez– fantastic stuff from Barbados, St Lucia, Jamaica, Trinidad, St Vincent and beyond! Tropical Funk Experience does a great job of pulling together the a diverse set of funky sounds – with lots of funk that carries both JBs and Afro funk styles, harder grooving and more tripped out sounds, and reggae – with tropical versions of funky standards, and even more numbers that are totally fresh to our ears. Titles include "Spouge Explosion", "Let Me Get Stoned" by Boo & The Tru Tones, "Take The Funky Feeling" by Blue Rhythm Combo, "Cissy Strut" De Boys En Dem, "Fugitive Dub" by Skatalites, "Basa Bongo" by Yoruba Singers, "Smokey Feeling" by The Organization"," New Bag" by The Exciters, "Jive Samba" by Llans Thelwell And The Celestials and more.

Key tracks from a really important time in Jamaican music – the wonderful rocksteady years of the late 60s, when the Kingston crowd were really coming with a unique groove of their own! The music here isn't really reggae, but kind of a rougher precursor – and one that still shows plenty of influence from American soul of the time – albeit the deeper, more laidback styles that were having an undeniable influence on Jamaica. Production is wonderful – often dark and echoey, but not yet dubby – and titles include "Live It Up" by The Natives, "Over & Over Again" by Stranger & Gladdy, "Will You Ever Be Mine" by Delroy Wilson, "On A Saturday Night" by Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, "Lip & Tongue" by The Viceroys, "Somebody's Baby" by Pat Kelly, "Do It Now" by The Consomates, "Leaving On That Train" by Keith & Tex, "Red Bum Ball" by Lloyd & Devon, and "Gypsy Woman" by The Uniques.

A lost treasure! This set features 9 unreleased tracks recorded by Houston Person during the height of his jazz funk years for Prestige – one track with a group that includes Billy Butler on guitar, Ernie Hayes on organ, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet – the other eight tracks with a Latin-tinged group that includes Hank Jones, Jimmy Ponder, Victor Paz, Jerry Gonzalez, and Nicky Marrero. The Latin backings work surprisingly well for Person, whose cutting style on the tenor works against the grooves in a great way – and the use of Latin rhythms makes for a slightly different mode, but one that's every bit as soulful as his other work. Titles include "Theme From Baxter", "St Thomas", "Waking Up Alone", "Montuno Merengue", and "Nemo".

Some of the biggest singles by British reggae giants Aswad! Don't Turn Around his pretty heavy with material from the mid-to-late 80s period – when they were at a commercial peak – blending Lovers Rock and were crossing over in a major way. Breezy, easygoing stuff – plus some great rootsier material, too. Includes "Don't Turn Around", "Back To Africa", "How Long" feat Yazz, "Three Babylon", "Fire" with Shabba Ranks, "Set Them Free", "Rainbow Culture", "Chasing For The Breeze", "Beauty's Only Skin Deep", "Shy Guy" with Easther Bennett and more.

One of our top 10 dub albums of all time! This album bridges the gap between the the low-fi, down and dirty excursions of the 70's dub era, and the later high tech dub revolution brought on by On-U, Mad Professor and Jah Shaka. The rhythms here are all first rate, drawn mostly from their Chill Out LP with a few from Red, fueled by Sly and Robbie and a cast of regulars from the Island/Mango stable. Sly & Robbie also handle the production duties, and there's no shortage of fat grooves and unrelenting rhythms, then taken to the next level with deep space echo drops and 21st century sound effects and tape edits. Includes "Ion Storm", "Big Spliff", "Boof'N'Baff'N'Biff", "Puffed Out" and "Android Rebellion". This CD reissue's been newly remastered, with 3 additional dubs as bonus tracks: "Cool Off", "Destination Unknown" and "Fire & Brimstone".

One of our favorite Black Uhuru albums, when they'd fully matured as a group under the production of Sly & Robbie, with a tight modern reggae sound that few other groups could match from that era. Heavy, heavy grooves saddled with the trios potent lyrics and harmony vocals, including the massive "Youth Of Eglington" and "Sponji Reggae", plus "Puff She Puff", "Rockstone", "Carbine", "Utterance", "Journey" and "Sistren". This CD reissue's been remastered, and adds the discomix version of "Sponji Reggae" and non-album track "Trodding" as bonus tracks.

Nick Drake's second album, and a fantastic batch of jazz-tinged folksy tracks that's virtually unlike anything else ever done on this planet! The compositions are amazing, and Drake's execution of the material is masterfully produced by Joe Boyd, who brings out all the rich tonal qualities of the music. Drake's work is impossible to describe adequately, but if you've ever heard him, you probably stopped dead in your tracks the minute you first caught his voice. We still do the same – and it's a pleasure to have this one in stock! Titles include "Fly", "At The Chime Of A City Clock", "Hazy Jane", "Poor Boy", and "One Of These Things First".

Paid In Full, indeed. Eric B & Rakim's seminal album still pays off in so many ways, and it was such a vital link between the party rockin' style of the old school and the terse, hard-hitting beats and rhymes of what was then the new school, we can't even come up with the words for the praise it's due! If you don't respect this album, you don't know a damn thing. Includes the immortal "I Ain't No Joke", "Eric B Is In The Cut", "I Know You Got Soul", "Move The Crowd", "Paid in Full", "Chinese Arithmetic", and "Eric B. Is President" plus 2 bonus tracks: "As The Rhyme Goes On (radio)" and "Paid In Full (mini madness – Coldcut rmx)".

Classic work from Gwen Guthrie – a tight batch of keyboard-heavy cuts that sparkles with a strong 80s groove! Deodato's at the helm on production, and he clearly helps direct the sound of the set – giving it some of the sharpness and focus of his other 80s soul productions – and a heavy dose of keyboards that gets back to his own work in the 70s. Gwen's vocals are still the main attraction here, though, and they sound especially great on some of the mellower-thumping tunes with a midtempo groove! Titles include "I Gotta Have You", "Love In Moderation", "Just For You", "Thrill Me", "Feel It No More", "Oh Donny No", and "Put Love In Control".

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Padlock (Larry Levan special mix)", "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", and "Peanut Butter (Larry Levan special mix)".

One of the greatest jazz rock albums to come out of the British scene at the end of the 60s – a record that's filled with tight changes, bluesy overtones, and some wonderfully choppy moments – all played by a legendary lineup that includes Terry Smith on guitar, John Healing on organ, and Dick Morrissey and Dave Quincy on saxes and flute! Healing sings on a number of the tracks, but the vocals never dominate too much – and instead often let the instrumentation really take center stage, showing off the group's chops at their progressive best. Titles include some great long groovers like "What Did I Say About The Box, Jack?", "What Can A Friend Say", and "The Promised Land" – as well as shorter numbers that include "I'm Reaching Out On All Sides", "Woman Can You See", and "Raise The Level Of Your Conscious Mind". CD features 2 bonus tracks – 7" versions of tunes on the album!

An irresistible classic from Miles Jaye – possibly his best-known album, bouncing along with plenty of beats at the end of the 80s! The rhythms are plenty programmed, but Miles' vocals provide a great warm sense of contrast – soaring out with fluid, mature tones that are mighty nice, especially on some of the mellower cuts! Miles produced and arranged himself – and titles include the classic "Heaven", plus "Slo Dance", "Message", "Neither One Of Us", "Objective", "Next Time", "I'll Be There", and "Love In The Night". CD features bonus tracks – "Heaven (celestial club mix)", "Heaven (highway to heaven mix)", "Objective (club mix)", and "Objective (sax mix)".

A great collection of work from Bob Marley – put together as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, but a set that works equally well as a rich introduction to his music! There's a handful of classics here, but also some nice lesser-remembered tunes too – and the package includes a fair bit of live recordings, which make up almost a third of the 2CD collection! Titles include "Small Axe", "Concrete Jungle", "Work", "Crazy Baldhead", "Corner Stone", "Judge Not", "Stir It Up", "Simmer Down", "Natty Dread", "Trenchtown Rock (live)", "One Love", "Could You Be Loved", "High Tide Or Low Tide", "Redemption Song", "I Shot The Sheriff (live)", "War (live)", "No Woman No Cry (live)", "Exodus Dub (Kindred Spirit dub)", 'Three Little Birds", and "Real Situation".

One of Nico's darkest albums – and the kind of record we always suggest to those who doubt her genius! The incredibly spare set has Nico playing harmonium, which makes for a spooky off-kilter sound that really gives the record a somber approach – especially as the instrument sounds a heck of a lot like her voice – very dark and moody, with lots of offbeat tones! Nico also gets some hip help, too – as the set features Brian Eno on keyboards, and production by John Cale – who also plays a huge variety of odd instruments too. Titles include a sublime 9 minute reading of The Doors' "The End", one that makes the original seem like candy floss – plus the tracks "Secret Side", "Innocent & Vain", "Valley Of The Kings", "We've Got The Gold", and "It Has Not Taken Long". Great 2CD version features a bonus disc of rare live material from radio and TV performances – including "Das Lied Der Deutschen", a previously unreleased cut from the June 1st 1974 sessions – plus "Janitor Of Lunacy", "Secret Side", "We've Got The Gold", "The End", and "You Forgot To Answer" from unreleased Peel Sessions – and "Valley Of The Kings" and "Secret Side" from unreleased Old Grey Whistle Test performances!

One of the greatest steel band records ever – and a hip hop sample classic from way back! Sure, there were other hip steel bands back in the 70s – but nobody else ever got as far as 20th Century – ending up on a major label, cutting some key funky covers, and crossing over with their massive "Heaven & Hell" – a cut that was DJ Red Alert's theme song in the old days! The group have a wonderful sound – mixing familiar steel band modes with bits of American funk – and creating a unique hybrid that's way more than just reworked covers, or simple copycat styles. In addition to the classic "Heaven & Hell", the set also features versions of "Love's Theme", "Shaft", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", and "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" – plus the cuts "Lazy Days", "Endless Vibrations", "No 1", "Never Keep Secrets", "We've Got To Work Together", and "Dance Away". CD also features a bonus 7" edit of "Heaven & Hell".

Sweet grooves from the great Bob Marley – a set cut at a time when Marley was really riding his international fame – and able to create the kind of music that reached out way more than conventional reggae! The Kingston roots of the sound are still very firmly in place – but there's also a more globally-expansive vision here too – partly the tight production on the music, partly the warm feelings that ebb and flow throughout the entire set – a vibe that's very different than American soul, and which has turned out to be surprisingly encompassing over the years. Titles include "Is This Love", "Running Away", "Kaya", "Satisfy My Soul", "Easy Skanking", "Sun Is Shining", "She's Gone", "Misty Morning", "Crisis", and "Time Will Tell". 2CD version features the bonus track "Smile Jamaica (version)" – plus 13 more tracks recorded live in Rotterdam in 1978 – "Jamming", "No Woman No Cry", "I Shot The Sheriff", "The Heathen", "Positive Vibration", and "Exodus".

One of our favorite albums ever from Grace Jones – a record that has her shedding some of the disco excesses of earlier years, and moving into a great blend of sounds that really showcases the energy of the New York scene from which she sprang! The album was recorded in Nassau, with help from Sly Dunbar on drums, Robbie Shakespeare on bass, and Wally Badarou on keyboards – and most tunes have an edgier feel that makes Jones sound even darker than before. There's loads of great disco-not-disco moments – from the straight funk of "Pull Up To The Bumper" to the insane post-punk grooving of "Demolition Man" – to other tracks that include "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)", "Art Groupie", "Walking In The Rain", "Nightclubbing", and "Use Me".

A classic disco stormer from Grace Jones – recorded at Sigma Sound with a real Philly groove, thanks to arrangements from John Monster Davis – and produced with a full, soaring sound from the legendary Tom Moulton! The set may well be Grace's true club classic from the late 70s – a record that works both on the quirky levels of her early rise to fame, and on the more soulful expectations mainstream clubgoers had at the time – a beautiful balance that owes plenty to the input from Davis and Moulton! Titles include "Do Or Die", "Pride", "Fame", "Below The Belt", and "Am I Ever Gonna Fall In Love In New York City".

Great work from Grace Jones – still riding high on a disco wave here, but also finding her own space and sound too! The mighty Tom Moulton produced, ensuring some great sound for the set – and arrangements are by Thor Baldursson and John Davis, both of whom bring in nice sense of fullness, but never smother Grace too much – a key factor, given that her vocal approach is often a bit more restrained than some of the other disco divas of the time. There's less covers here than before, and Grace herself even penned some of the tunes. Titles include "Suffer", "Sinning", "Saved", "Atlantic City Gambler", "On Your Knees", and "Don't Mess With The Messer".

The great first album by Traffic – one of the best debuts by a British group in the late 60s! Better remembered as Mr. Fantasy, the album has a bit of a confusing release history. This excellent CD version features the album as it first appeared in the US – including the brilliant singles and in the rare mono mix. The punchy, direct vibe of the mono version is wonderful, but however you may prefer to hear it, the artistry is indisputable! There's still plenty of psych pop in the mix, colorful songcraft with a bluesy rock undercurrent. Capaldi, Winwood and Wood are most prominently credited, as Dave Mason hit the road after the singles, but since those are included on this early US version, let's show him some love, too! The organ and a driving rhythm are prominent, with flute and trippy atmosphere throughout. Later on, the group would work with jazzier and bluesier styles, traces of which are here. They would evolve pretty quickly, actually, both stylistically and via lineup shifts. Here's a most vital first stage! Includes "Paper Sun", "Dealer", "Coloured Rain", "No Face, No Name And No Number", "House For Everyone", "Dear Mr. Fantasy", "Smiling Phases", "Heaven Is In Your Mind", the weird closing fade "Were A Fade, You Missed This" and more.

One of the weird Meters-related New Orleans parade bands from the 70s – similar to the group The Wild Magnolias, but with a sound that's more in a New Orleans mode than a 70s funk one. The Meters play on the record, and the group sings most of the vocals as well – and production is by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, with that 70s New Orleans choppy style that was making them both buckets of money at the time! Tracks include "Brother John", "Indian Red", "Hey Hey", "Hey Mama", "Meet De Boys On The Battlefront", and a version of "Hey Pocky Way".

The cover's a bit cheesy, but the record's a great one – stunningly spiritual jazz from saxophonist Idris Ackamoor, and a set that really lives up to his soulful fame from the 70s! The record has a similar vibe to some of Ackamoor's recordings with The Pyramids – very well-crafted work that's filled with a rich spirit and lots of freely creative energy – often moved by rhythms that are warm and flowing, and recorded with a sound that's much more 70s than you'd guess from the date of the recording. Idris plays alto sax, and other group members include Art Hirahara on electric piano, Baba Duru on percussion, Destiny Muhammad on harp, and Fred Harris on drums. Some tracks have vocals – sung beautifully, in a really Strata East sort of way – and titles include "Our Voices", "Beckoning", "Libation Song", "Island Dance", "Move Towards The Light", and "Centurian".

A groovy little classic from Atlantic Starr – and a great example of the group's wonderfully catchy way of hitting a groove! The music's never pop, but has some captivating hooks all the way through – sweet little bits mixed in with the funky soul approach of the ensemble – made even better by the great way the vocals get traded back and forth! There's a careful approach to the whole set – a way of putting things together with a good degree of class – and definitely avoiding most of the cliches that would make a similar project sound a lot more clunky. Great stuff throughout – and titles include "Who Could Love You Better", "Second To None", "Touch A Four Leaf Clover", "Tryin", and "Island Dream".

A killer debut from Black Slate – one of the leading lights in British reggae at the start of the 80s – and a group with a warmly soulful sound! Black Slate have a great way of sounding smooth, but never too slick – a balance between their laidback energy and the mellow production modes of the set – all of which give them a vibe that's a bit like the best of Third World in the late 70s, although less commercial overall. The album's got a wonderfully warm appeal – and were it on Island Records, would have undoubtedly cracked the charts on this side of the Atlantic too. But it's also that overseas obscurity that makes it a bit more of a gem overall. Titles include "Amigo", "Sticks Man 80", "Boom Boom", "Romans", "Thin Line Between Love & Hate", and "Freedom Time". CD also features bonus tracks – "Black Slate Rock (12" version)", "Amigo (single)", and "Boom Boom (single)".

A rare early album by the legend Brazilian guitar genius – still bossa, but also recorded in the US – which gives the album a stronger jazz feel at times! The core focus here is still on Bonfa's lively guitar solos – but the presence of added jazz musicians make for a set that's a bit fuller and richer than some of the more solo-styled album from Luiz – not exactly Verve bossa, but somewhere close – and a wonderful record that manages to capture the best side of Bonfa's lyrical genius – thanks to a mix of original sambas and bossa tunes, plus Bonfa-ized versions of some American standards. Titles include "Brasilia", "Island Of Trinidade", "Blue Madrid", "Old Times", "Indian Dance", "Marajo", and "Arabesque".

The rare self-titled set from the Bobby Boyd Congress – a killer combo with roots in early 70s Long Island, but relocated to France to make this killer set! The group is lead by tenor sax player and lead vocalist Boyd – although this set is heavy with instrumental passages. We're loving the way they mix brass heavy funk with lumbering psych steeped organ and fuzzed out guitar grooves. They even sneak in a laidback or jam, too – bringing a pretty versatile approach to this album! Titles include "Straight Ahead", "In A Toy Garden", "I'm Undecided", "Train", "It's Good To See Your Face Again", "Dig Deep In Your Soul" and "Bright Flowers".

A great third album from Staten Island instrumental funk titans The Budos Band – who've brought eclectic inspiration all along and have always colored from a much broader palette of styles than most of their peers – going even further this time out and delivering their best yet! The Daptone House Of Soul blueprint is a big part of the recipe, as it should be. Classic funky soul grit holds it all together and each cut has an unshakable groove, but with that in full effect, the group is free to explore. The Budos horns are as impeccable and communicative as ever, with brass that ranges from classic stateside funk and Afro influences. The percussion (bongos, clave, cowbell and more) is just as broadly thought out and tightly delivered, snakey bass lines, flute and the sometimes secret weapon on Budos Band III, the electric organ – which brings a bit of a garage psych/funk rock vibe. Truly exceptional work from the one of the best bands of their generation! Includes "Rite Of The Ancients", "Black Venom", "River Serpentine", "Unbroken, Unshaven", "Nature's Wrath", "Golden Dune's", "Budo's Dirge", "Raja Haje", "Crimson Skies", "Mark Of The Unnamed" and "Reppirt Yad" (a funked up Lennon/McCartney cover...read it backwards, kids).

Hell, Boots, it's not a bother – we actually dig Sorry To Bother You as much as any Coup music since Steal This Album! There's a great vibe on Sorry To Bother you – with rebellious, progressive lyricism, of course – but musically, this one surpasses the preceding Coup album, in our opinion. It's got an organic feel – lots of live drums and funky handclaps, bass, guitars and keys – and kind of a party funk vibe overall – which pairs very nicely with the strident Coup lyricism. Includes "The Magic Clap", "Your Parents' Cocaine", "The Gods Of Science", "My Murder, My Love", "You Are Not A Riot (An RSVP From David Siqueiros To Andy Warhol)", "Land Of 7 Billion Dances", "Violet", "This Year", "Long Island Iced Tea, Neat", "Wavip" and more.

A great illustration of the way that Martin Denny expanded his groove in the 60s – on some sweetly inventive records like this! On Latin Village, Martin Denny changes the rhythms from tropical to Latin – but the overall groove is still highly in his best exotica mode, and nicely augmented by some additional instrumentation! There's some traces here of the shift in production for instrumental music from the time – a bit of electric bass echoing out at the bottom of some cuts, more echo than usual on the piano lines, and a floating quality that's almost even more sublime than the original Liberty sessions. But the core Denny elements are also still in place – tinkling piano, island percussion, and a playful approach to familiar rhythms that never fails to please. The Latin is more of a nod to harder Latin modes than anything else, but it does make for a nice, if subtle change – one that works especially well when Denny's piano is out front, but compressed a bit in the mix. Titles include "Flying Down To Rio", "Ho Ba La La", "Something Latin", "Girl From Ipanema", and "Latin Village". The Versatile Martin Denny definitely lives up to the versatile in the title – working through a whole host of different 50s and 60s easy tunes – played in ways that are much wider-ranging than usual! Some are percussive and slightly exotic, some have more strings and tinkling piano, and some get slightly playful instrumentation – in a very nice way. Titles include "Little Bird", "Theme From Mondo Cane", "Exotique Bossa Nova", "Quiet Village Bossa Nova", and "Strawberry Tree".

The amazing debut of RB Greaves – a soul singer with a difference! RB struck big with this album on late 60s Atlantic Records – yet despite production at Muscle Shoals, and arrangements from Arif Mardin, the sound here is quite different than most of his contemporaries – and certainly not the southern soul you'd expect! Instead, Greaves goes for a crackling quality that really showcases his trans-American roots – a vibe that's almost like Johnny Nash at points, and has a similar way of embracing a whole host of different sounds at one time – not just late 60s soul, but some other undercurrents of pop, and even some occasional folksy or island flavors as well. The album's standout hit is the legendary "Take A Letter Maria" – a cut that broke big on both sides of the tracks, and which is one of the most compelling story songs of the time. Other tunes include "This is Soul", "Ballad Of Leroy", "Ain't That Good News", "Home To Stay", and "Birmingham Alabama".

Produced by Wilie Lindo, but rather than taking a soulful approach to his reggae, or infusing some soul numbers with an island vibe, this set is split between straight soul numbers and a handful of roots material – and it works well on both fronts! Surprisingly, the soul tracks come off quite well, but with a bit of a slickness that makes for an interesting counter approach to the rootsier numbers. This CD version issued as Soul Reggae (& More) has 16 tracks in all: includes "My Whole World", "Don't Wait Too Long", "I'll Never Change", "Your Love Won't Shine", "I'm In Live With You", "Got To Get Away", "Is This The Right Way", "Oh Take Me Girl", "Smile", "You Don't Have To Lie", "If Only I Knew" and more.

The soundtrack to A House Safe For Tigers – which is one of the movies Lee made with director Torbjörn Axelman for Swedish television in the 70s – and it's a great one, right up there with Cowboy In Sweden! Honestly, this might even top the better-known Cowboy In Sweden – which is all the more stunning, given that this one's been nearly impossible to find since 1975. We're Lee devotees, to say the least, and we wouldn't say that if we didn't mean it! The sounds range from laidback, hipster cowboy funk – of the kind that Lee himself pioneered and personified – to some fairly sweeping orchestrations and more specifically soundtrack-y bits, with narration and a choir. Best of all, Lee is singing as well as he ever did during this decade. An obscure masterpiece from one of our favorite figures! Titles include "Soul's Island", "A House Safe For Tigers", "Our Little Boy Blue", "Sand Hill Anna And The Russian", The Nights" and more. This great Light In The Attic version is remastered from the original tapes, has new liner notes and previously unseen photos.

Classic 70s work from KC & The Sunshine Band – a record that's not as hit-heavy as previous efforts, but still a plenty great set that's filled with catchy dancefloor funk! KC's clearly feeling the heat of the disco fire he helped to ignite a few years before – and there's definitely an ear hear towards tracks that would boom out nicely on a heavier sound system – kind of a deepening of the sometimes bargain basement production the group got on earlier TK records. That approach doesn't dampen the groove, though, and there's still a nice mix here of soul, funk, club, and tropical modes – sometimes a bit off the mark, but still a heck of a lot better than most of the group's contemporaries! Titles include a remake of "It's The Same Old Song", plus "Who Do Ya Love", "How About A Little Love", "Sho-Nuff'" and "Come To My Island".

A more elegantly-composed soundtrack than you might expect from a film titled Nude Odyssey – and one that's actually quite dramatic to start – and gets more playful as it goes along! We know nothing of the film, but Angelo Lavagnino's music for 1961's Odissea Nuda begins with lush, subtle strings, and progresses with with kind of a tropical island-inspired style. Really solid work from maestro Lavagnino! This great GDM CD edition includes the 7 tracks from the original 45 RPM EP – plus a wealth of alternate sequences from the film – with more than 70 minutes of music! 29 tracks in all.

2 Columbia killers from Charles Lloyd – back to back in a single set! Discovery is a wonderful bit of soul jazz – much less trippy than some of Lloyd's later work, and handled with a soulful flair that's a mix of Coltrane spiritualism, with an even larger dose of the sort of post-Trane experimentations in jazz that would crop up during the early 70s on smaller independent labels. The record's quite advanced for its time – and features Lloyd's tenor and flute next to piano by Don Friedman, bass by either Richard Davis or Eddie Khan, and drums by Roy Haynes or JC Moses. Includes Lloyd's classic "Forest Flower", plus "Little Peace", "Love Song to A Baby", "Sweet Georgia Bright", and "Bizarre". Nirvana is lovely work from Charles Lloyd – recorded at the point when he was just pushing off from Chico Hamilton's group, and before he got too noodly for his own good! Side one of the record features Lloyd with his own group – jazzing it up in a mix of flute, guitar, and percussion on a number of short tracks that have a light and breezy feel. There's a nice dose of bossa in the set, plus some of the other freer rhythmic styles that Lloyd and Hamilton experimented with together at the time – but all of the tracks have a strong rhythmic pulse, and never lose their groove for too much experimentation. Side two features two wonderful tracks with Hamilton's group at a point when Lloyd was still working with the ensemble – both long tracks with a modal pulse and a great deal of spirituality – again free, but never too much so! A nice little album – with tracks that include "Island Blues", "Carcara", "Long Time Baby", "One For Joan", and "Freedom Traveler".

A great title for this one – as the set really features reedman Charles Lloyd flowering strongly – blooming into a richer expression of his talents than any one might have expected a few short years before! The album features Lloyd working with his groundbreaking quartet of Keith Jarrett on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – players who have a perfect rhythmic conception to take Charles to the place he wants to go with his reeds! Titles include "Speak Low", "Goin' To Memphis/Island Blues", "Gypsy 66", "Wilpan's", and "Love-In/Island Blues".

Great tones here from guitarist Lage Lund – a player who works in these rich, chromatic modes that are really beautiful – and strung together here with a nicely gentle swing! The rhythms of the tunes are quite fresh – not what you'd expect for a conventional jazz guitar record – yet also not the obtuse kinds than can sometimes hold back a tone-obsessed album either. All of which means that Lund's found a way to swing these tunes, yet still explore his sound as well – ringing out these beautiful notes amidst the company of Pete Rende on piano, Ben Street on bass, and Marcus Gilmore on drums. Titles include "Strangely", "Circus Island", "Soliloquy", "Party Of One", and "All Across The City".

This is definitely not your father's calypso – no living room limbo or Harry Belafonte cliches – and instead, a smoking batch of Caribbean grooves from The Mighty Sparrow! Sparrow was very much on the edge of the best styles in the 60s and early 70s – and although his basic groove might be termed calypso, he also brought in plenty of Cuban, Haitian, and Jamaican rhythms to his music too – as well as an occasional does of American soul! Like some of the best early sounds from Kingston, the grooves here often echo a deeper R&B sensibility, turned towards island rhythms – and really hit home strongly by Sparrow's wonderful vocals – as catchy, compelling, and charming as some of the best US singers of the time – with touches of the wit of Oscar Brown Jr, the warmth of Lou Rawls, the swing of a young Marvin Gaye, and the spookiness of Screamin Jay Hawkins! This massive collection is the first to really dig through his older records to pull out the best tunes – just the kind of special focus we'd expect from the Strut label, with a wicked track selection and great notes too! Titles include "Bongo", "Calypso Boogaloo", "Zinah", "Fool Fool Fool", "Ah Diggin Horrors", "Jook For Jook", "Sparrow Come Back Home", "Slave", "She's Been Gone Too Long", "Congo Man", "Ten To One Is Murder", and "Kennedy & Kruschev".

These guys keep getting better and better – and this album may well be their best set to date! The album's a massive double-length set – broken down into 2 different discs, one titled London, the other titled Oakland – both of them each with their own theme. The London set has a more laidback psychedelic approach – hearkening towards the heady days of the late 60s, with some slight folksy touches and a nice trippy sound overall. The Oakland disc is darker and heavier – with traces of funk, electric Miles-type jazz, and other elements that recall the best years of the back bay scene. 17 titles in all – with tracks that include "Blackwaterside", "Pink Island", "Bert Jansch", "A Stone's Throw From Coe Fen", "Glazed Popems", "Blues For Bobby Seale", and "Tin Foil Hat".

A great later journey in music from Milton Nascimento – a set that has him faltering a bit in the 90s, then really finding his sound! The first three albums in the set – Angelus, Amigo, and Nascimento – each have a slightly ambitious feel, but are often a bit more restrained than some of the work from Milton's classic years – still filled with the sense of soul and majesty that really set him apart from his contemporaries – but sometimes not finding their mark as much in terms of the production and overall arrangements. Yet Tambores De Minas helps correct that – but putting Milton in a live setting, and really re-exposing his core charm – energy that shines out no matter what the material, in a way that seems to re-seat him on the throne of Brazilian popular music. The set then ends with the majestic Pieta – a record that's warmer and richer than some of Nascimento's other recent albums – and a compelling batch of tunes that shows he's as strong as ever! The album's awash in a soaring, almost spiritual sound – as befits the title – but it's also got some interesting jazzy moments, and a breezy, honest presentation that pushes past the pretension that could mar the record. A surprisingly highlight is a remake of "Cantaloupe Island", done scatting Nascimento-style – with guest piano by composer Herbie Hancock, and guitar by Pat Metheny.

Nickodemus logically follows up his warm and breezy Sun People album with the more cosmically-lit follow up Moon People – once again bringing a wealth of global influences and instrumentation to his unique style of spacey dancefloor soul! He's joined by the legendary Afrika Bambaata and other great vocal guests – including Sammy Ayala, Kissey Asplund and Kathrin DeBoer of Belleruche – which elevates the creative mix of beats and eclectic instrumentation quite nicely! That said, the instrumental backdrops are quite hypnotic on their own – cosmic soul beats and atmosherics flavored by flutes, Eastern string accents, horns, steel drums and much more – depending on the needs of the particular track. Includes "Under The Volcano" with Navegante, "Moon People" feat The Real Live Show, "Nights Of Balaur", "Alkebulan" feat Afrika Bambaata, "Peaceful Island Earth" feat Kathrin DeBoer, "The Nuyorican Express" feat Candela Allstars, "Mirage" with Kissey Asplund, "Conmigo (Hallex Remix)" feat Sammy Ayala, "Vino People" and more.

Long tracks, lots of open energy, and plenty of freewheeling solos too – just the sort of Japanese jazz album from the 70s we treasure so much! The group here is led by drummer George Ohtsuka – sometimes spelled Otsuka – and features Fumio Karashima on piano and Fender Rhodes – a great player who has a way of rolling things out with a hell of a lot of feeling – a mix of modal and lyrical energy that sets fire to each tune in a different way – and provides just the right colors of inspiration for Shoszu Sasaki to soar on soprano and tenor sax! The group also features Mitsuaki Furuno on bass and Norio Ohno on additional percussion – and titles include a take on Steve Kuhn's "Something Everywhere", Coltrane's "Miles Mode", Minnie Riperton's "Loving You", and the Karashima original "Little Island".

A treasure trove of rare funk – a massive package that not only includes the legendary Inspiration Information album by Shuggie Otis, but which also adds in four bonus tracks to that classic – plus a full other album of unreleased vintage work! Shuggie Otis is the son of Johnny Otis – the LA R&B maestro who was moving heavily into funk at the end of the 60s – and he has this tripped out, super-dope guitar style that he played to strong effect on Johnny's albums of the late 60s and early 70s, and on his first two solo albums, which were kind of bluesy in tone. But for Inspiration Information, he shocked the world by moving into a stripped-down mode that pairs his guitar with spare drum machine rhythms, flanged-out deeply soulful vocals, and one of the most laidback conceptions of funk you'll ever hear. The album's a landmark – one of those gems that's unlike anything else you can think of, but which will redefine your concept of what you want in a record for years to come. Every track's a winner – and the whole thing's a perfectly unified batch of tunes that includes instant classics like "Inspiration Information", "Island Letter", "Aht Uh Mi Hed", "XL 30", and "Rainy Day" – plus unreleased bonus tracks "Miss Pretty", "Magic", "Things We Like To Do", and "Castle Top Jam". Then – as if that's not enough – the set features incredible rare material from Shuggie – 14 more tracks as the Wings Of Love album, mostly recorded in the late 70s post-Inspiration years, plus a few tracks from later vintage too! The sound is great – the kind of extra bits we've been wanting to hear from Otis for many many years – finally unleashed from the vaults, and showing a style that really echoes the groove that others had copied from him – like The Brothers Johnson and some later contemporaries. There's plenty of great lost nuggets on Wings – and titles include "Trying To Get Close To You", "Give Me Something Good", "Wings Of Love", "Give Me A Chance", "Fireball Of Love", "Fawn", "If You'd Be Mine", "Black Belt Sheriff", and "Destination You".

A wicked fusion set from saxophonist Michael Paulo – noteworthy not just for the efforts of the leader, but for the album's sweet keyboards from Herbie Hancock too! The style's relatively stripped-down – electric, but never too polished, nor too jamming – often with the kind of gentle groove we love in the best late 70s Japanese fusion sessions. Paulo plays alto, tenor, soprano sax, and flute – and Herbie Hancock plays piano and prophet, alongside additional keyboards from Kimo Cornwell, guitar from Ray Obiedo and Ron Yuen, and drums from Alvin Fejarang. Titles include "Mr Spock's Revenge", "My Favorite Cousins", "Merry Go Round", "Eclipse Of The Full Moon", and "Rainbow Island".

Classic Black Ark soul sides served up here with their funky Upsetters versions! Scratch is fully in his element here, a showcase of jaunty rolling island grooves. It's perhaps not his best known work, but like so much of what he cooked up at the Black Ark, totally essential, from the organ driven rhythm of Juks Dread & Big Youth's "23rd Psalm", to the murky, soulful "Ethiopian Land", to the Upsetter's chugging groove under "Well Judged Dub", voiced as "Judgement Day" by Clive Hilton. Also includes Mystic's "Forward With Jah Orthodox", The Bluebells "Come Along", Watty & Tony's "Rise & Shine" and more. 17 tracks on this CD edition.

Funky grooves from Jiro Inagaki and his Soul Media combo – and some cool vocals from 70s Japanese singer Sammy – a pretty enigmatic talent who really makes her mark with this record! The album's less island-styled than you might guess from the title or cover – and instead, it mixes these spacious vocal passages with more forceful backings from Soul Media – a groove that's got the same blend of female lead and funkier elements that you might find in a Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin project – although the lyrics here are mostly in Japanese! The set features a killer version of Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady", with really wild vocals and drums – plus the cuts "Memories Of That Guy", "So High", "Wanderer's Lullaby", "The In & Outer Stomp & Shouter", "Nobody Loves Me", and "My Sweet Dolls".

A funky funky big band – and one that blasts away with a power that's just incredible – almost the force of some small combo from the funky 45 universe, stretched out over a wide range of heavy horns! The album's light years past the previous album from Samuel Jon Samuelsson – and we like that one a lot, so that will tell you what we think of this one – a record that's unlike anything else we can think of, almost a distillation of 70s funky big band modes, run through a razor-sharp sense of rhythm – and topped with a few slight keyboard touches amidst the full-on brace of horns, guitar, and percussion! The sound is mindblowing – "fokking" amazing, if we can pun off the title – and tracks include "Ahoba Rodney", "International Monetary Funk", "God Blessi Island", "Chicken Street", and "Phobos & Deimos".

A groovy erotic film score by Piero Umiliani – his soundtrack for 1970's Le Isole Dell'Amore – and it's a wonderfully arranged one by the maestro! The film is apparently Island-set, so you can expect some raw percussion and a sunny vibe overall – but it's actually got a lot more going on! The strings are lovely, there's a lot of groovy chorus vocals and layers of nstrumentation. Simply put, this is Piero Umiliani here – he's a composer who goes well beyond cliched exotica! This Quartet Records edition is jam packed with bonus tracks, too – with the complete original album and many alternate versions and extended bits – with 41 tracks in all! Includes "Le Isolle Dell'Amore", "Tamoure Titoli", "Papete Aru", "Vele Al Vento", "Comunita' Hippy", "La Danza Del Turista", "Corale Isole Dal Tema", "Palme E Cocchi", "Nuku" and more – plus nearly 2 dozen bonus tracks.

Incredibly beautiful work from Willie Wright – an album of folksy soul with a slight island spirit – one that nicely nestles Willie's music in a space somewhere between the best 70s work of Terry Callier and Jon Lucien! The sound is wonderful – lean, stripped-down, and wonderfully personal – just the right fit for the sensitive lyrics in Wright's tunes! Instrumentation is mostly bass and guitar, plus some great flute and light percussion – produced with a sound that's just right, too – hardly what you'd expect for the time, without any too-slick modes at all. This beautiful reissue may well set a whole new standard for the Numero label, too – as it comes with the usual great sound and rich notes, plus a great package that also features a really unique 5" vinyl single! There's also 3 bonus tracks added to the record – and titles include "Nantucket Island", "Lady Of The Year", "Love Is Expensive", "Dressing For The Occasion", "Indian Reservation", "Right On For The Darkness", and "Africa".

A monster bit of funk that's unlike anything else we can think of! Beginning Of The End hailed from The Bahamas, but don't hold that against them – because instead of being a Caribbean cliche, they took the best part of the island rhythms, and used them to forge an incredible approach to funk! They've got a choppy sound that's the result of some incredibly dexterous guitar, bass, and drums – and which you'll recognize instantly from their one-time hit "Funky Nassau", a killer funk track that never gets old, no matter how many bands cover it over the years! That gem kicks off the album, which then rolls into the monster funky "part 2", which is even better! Other titles are equally wonderful – and include "Come Down", "Surrey Ride", "Monkey Tamarind", and "In The Deep". Essential – and one that you'll be spinning for years!

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".

Amazing lost sounds from Detroit – a previously unissued album from pianist Kenny Cox – best known for his late 60s albums on Blue Note, but working here in a really righteous style, and using a fair bit of Fender Rhodes as well! The album's a lost gem from the Strata label – home to Lyman Woodard's Saturday Night Special album – and there's definitely a side to this record that's shared with that one – a bit more laidback, definitely, but equally soulful, and mixed with spiritual jazz elements that echo the style of Kenny's Tribe Records contemporaries on the Detroit scene. Other players include Charles Moore on flugelhorn, Buzz Jones on soprano sax and flute, Ron English on bass, and Skeets Curry on electric guitar – and in addition to Fender Rhodes, Cox also plays clavinet, mellotron, and Arp as well! The set's got a bit of vocals – from Fito Foster and Nengue Hernandez – but the main focus is instrumental, and the long tracks really have the group spinning out beautifully. Titles include "Clap Clap The Joyful Noise", "Samba De Romance", "Island Song", "Lost My Love", and "Beyond The Dream".

One of the great entries in Duke Ellington's "exotic" albums of the 60s – records that aren't exactly exotica by any stretch of the imagination, but which have musical themes that were inspired by the international travels of the Ellington band at the time! In this case, the locale is the Virgin Islands – where Ellington performed in 1965, and returned home to record this set as a memory of tunes played by the band in St Croix and St Thomas. The core of the set is the initial Virgin Islands suite – made up of four new tunes that include "Island Virgin", "Virgin Jungle", "Fiddler On The Diddle", and "Jungle Kitty" – all nicely rhythmic numbers that explore some fresh themes with especially nice horn solos from the members of the group. Other tracks are older numbers performed on the tour, given a bit of a new twist here – on titles that include "Fade Up", "Mysterious Chick", "The Opener", and "Big Fat Alice's Blues".

A lyrical masterpiece from the mid-60's. Freddie Hubbard and Herbie trade lines on extended compositions, as Herbie shows the world that he's more than just a soul jazz player by coming up with some of the most spiritual work of his career. Of course, that doesn't displace the treasure that is the original version of "Cantaloupe Island", the one that's been sampled by US3, but the album also includes lots of other nice moody tracks like "Oliloqui Valley" and "The Egg". Also includes 2 CD bonus cuts!

The 2 rare early 70s records from Lagger Blues Machine – Tanit and earlier Tanit Live together on CD! The group is a Belgian combo with some hazy, psychedelic blues in the guitars – but they're actually more of a psych-prog machine! There's a heavy atmosphere on par with some of the much more internationally-revered groups of the era – from Soft Machine to King Crimson – but Lagger Blues Machine stands up pretty strongly with the best of them! They deal in both fuzzed-out riffs and nimble guitar solos, some eerily melodic flute, organ and lumbering rhythms – with slow-building grooves and unpredictable changes. Great stuff! Includes "Symphonie 1 Ere Partie", "Darknessly", "Tanit", "Symphonie 2 Eme Partie" and "Born To Be Alone On A White Desert Island". The live album was actually recorded a couple years before the release of their studio album Tanit – and they're all the more raucous in a concert setting! There's a raw intensity and some fast playing here that's invigorating – the frenetic drums and manic guitars are incredible – but it doesn't overshadow the creative spirit or musical dexterity of the later studio album. 4 long-ish songs that show a heavier side of the group in a formative period! "Test About A Rehabilitating Personality", "Ode", "Mistake" and "Firedance".

A sweet two-fer from guitarist Wilbert Longmire – two Tappan Zee albums back to back on a single CD! First up is a deep glass of Champagne from Wilbert – classy, sophisticated jazz from the end of the 70s – but still served up with plenty of soul, too! Bob James and Jay Chattaway produced – and James plays Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on the set – helping carve out some mighty sweet lines next to Longmire's lead guitar – which often sounds best at some of the record's mellowest moments! Wilbert sings just a bit, too – underscoring some of the soul influences on the set – and titles include "Pleasure Island", "Ragtown", "Funshine", "Diane's Dilemma", and "Love's Holiday". With All My Love is sweet later work from guitarist Wilbert Longmire – a warm mixture of soul and funky jazz – and easily one of the better records to come from the Tappan Zee label at the time! Production is by Bob James and Jay Chattaway – with an R&B-inflected vibe that's a bit like some of the best late 70s work on Kudo or CTI. Longmire's still got that wonderfully chromatic style on guitar – which works well in this setting – and even though he sings a bit on the record, it's the instrumentals that keep us listening. Titles include "Take Your Time", "Music Speaks Louder Than Words", "Strawberry Sunset", "Hawkeye", and "But I Love You".

A stone killer from Cannonball Adderley's funky brother – one of the best soul jazz sets ever cut by Nat Adderley, and one done with a smoking 60s Atlantic Records groove! Nat's blowing trumpet throughout – and working in 2 different groups – one a larger ensemble with a tight soulful swing, arranged by Jimmy Wisner – the other a smaller combo with tenor from Joe Henderson and piano from Herbie Hancock! The whole thing grooves beautifully – and titles include "Gospelette", "Call Me", "Cantaloupe Island", "Hippodelphia", "The Other Side", and "Manchild".

Texas Latin from Beto & The Fairlaines – a key genre-crossing group who really made the Austin scene sparkle back in the day – represented here by some of their best early recordings! The music's heavy on jazz, and the instrumentation is razor-sharp – not just the tight horns, but also the keyboards too – handled by Beto with loads of funky touches that would be right at home in a 70s fusion session! The album mixes together live and studio tracks, with a progressively more modern feel as things move on – but never a sound that's too slick or commercial at all. Titles include "Playa Gloria", "Stomp Stomp", "Chalupa Supreme", "Mongoose Island", "Salsafied", "Dolores Dulces", "Kinshasa Kinshasa", and "Conga Dog".

Sexy sounds from the Italian scene of the 70s – music that's every bit as warmly erotic as you'd imagine from the cover! But as you might guess from Stelvio Cipriani, there's also a nice undercurrent of funk, too – kind of a gentle groove that's almost like some Euro sound library cuts at times – warmed up with some keyboard bits and tripping basslines that percolate nicely throughout the grooves – mixed up with some surprisingly great acoustic instrumentation, too! The score's one we never would have heard otherwise, but it's presented brilliantly here – with excellent sound, and full notes in English – in an all-over wonderful looking package! Titles include "Papaya Bossa", "Dancing Papaya", "Papaya Island", "Papaya Base", "Papaya Run", "Jazzy Papaya", and "Papaya Piano" – plus 4 bonus tracks not used in the movie.

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".

Soulful 70s work from Herbie Hancock – a record that tightens things up from the Headhunters and Sextant sessions, but which still retains a lot of their depth and charm! Players here including some previous partners – like Bennie Maupin on reeds and Paul Jackson on bass – plus the mighty Wah Wah Watson on guitars, James Levi on drums, Kenneth Nash on percussion, and Ray Parker on additional guitar. Tracks are tightly electric fusion, but still have some of the sharper tones of Herbie's electric work – weird moogy moments mixed into more straight ahead funk – all with a sound that's not unlike some of Ramsey Lewis' best Columbia work of the period. Herbie plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, clavinet, mini-moog, and more – and titles include "Doin' It", "Spider", "Swamp Rat", "People Music", and a remake of "Cantelope Island" that's pretty darn tasty!

The first-ever album from the legendary Hi-Lo's – a landmark indie debut that went onto transform the sound of vocal harmony in the 20th century! The record's got a subtle brilliance that's hard to catch at first – a way of putting together the tunes that's often only slightly different than some of the group's contemporaries, but which already shows the rich talents that leader Gene Puerling would bring to later vocal experiments with Singers Unlimited in the 70s. As with most of the group's famous records, backings here are by Frank Comstock – perfectly poised on the gentle tunes, and nicely jazzy on the more swinging ones! Titles include "June in January", "Little White Lies", "I Don't Want to Cry Anymore", "She's Funny that Way", "Whatever Lola Wants", "Island of Desire", "You Brought a New Kind Of Love", "Fools Rush In", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Where Are You", and "You Can't Hardly Get Them No More".

The last album ever from the amazing Minnie Riperton – and one of her greatest records as well! The album was sadly issued after Minnie's untimely early passing from this planet – but it's a heavenly batch of tunes that definitely shows that her love of music lives forever – thanks not only to a strong talent for songwriting and sublime production from husband Richard Rudolph – but also some important help from a variety of all-star guests who are all brought together out of deep affection for Minnie. George Benson, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Roberta Flack, Patrice Rushen, Peabo Bryson and others all make key appearances here – working with arrangements from Johnny Pate, and vocals the Minnie recorded for the record before its completion. Titles include the perennial favorite "Here We Go" – easily one of Minnie's greatest tunes ever – plus "I'm In Love Again", "You Take My Breath Away", "Strange Affair", "Island In The Sun", and " The Song Of Life (La-La-La)".

A gem of a record from Nat Adderley – filled with short soulful groovers, and done with an upbeat vibe that rivals some of Cannonball's best of the 60s! Joe Zawinul handled the arrangements, so there's definitely a strong influence here from the Cannon group – and although the players shift a bit throughout the course of the set, there's a really unified feel – thanks to a top-shelf lineup that includes Seldon Powell on tenor and flute, Ernie Royal on trumpet, Benny Powell on bass trombone, and Willie Bobo on percussion! The set features all original material by Nat – with older gems and new favorites that include "Little Boy With The Sad Eyes", "Never Say Yes, "Jive Samba", "Stony Island", "Junkanoo", and "Work Song".

A totally great project from Bryan Ferry – completely unlike anything that he or Roxy Music have ever done in the past – even though the whole thing is a tribute to the glory days of the group! The tunes are all famous 70s tracks by the group, but they're redone here as jazz instrumentals – not just jazzy takes on the music of Roxy, but work with a much older vintage – really 20s-styled versions of the tunes – with instrumentation that's completely faithful, as is the production – so that you'd honestly think you're listening more to a collection of older 78s from the days of acoustic recording – even though the songs are oddly familiar. The vintage jazz mode prevails so much that the core melodies of the tunes aren't even apparent at first – they kind of sneak up on you with a nice sense of surprise, and only after a bit do you actually catch the song – but even then, marvel at the way that the older melody has this sinister sound that still comes through amidst the blend of trombone, clarinet, guitar, and skittish rhythms. A brilliant set – far more charming than we would have expected – and titles include "The Bogus Man", "Love Is The Drug", "Do The Strand", "Don't Stop The Dance", "Virginia Plain", "This Island Earth", and "Avalon".

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – alternate takes of 2 tracks on the album.

Late 50s jazzy recordings from Kenyon Hopkins – best known as a soundtrack composer, working some magic on the Rooms and Sound Of New York LPs – on a single CD! Rooms is one of those groovy late 50s pre-concept albums, with 10 pieces put together to portray moods via jazzy backing of trumpet, clarinet, tenor sax, bass, piano and percussion, conducted by Hopkins. Titles include "Alone", "Dreams", Escape", "Going", "Panic", "Daydream" and "The End". The Sound Of New York (A Music-Sound Portrait) is a whimsical kind of day-in-the-life, idealized and totally fun musical portrait of the Big Apple, with originals "The Sound Of New York", "East Side, West Side", "Coney Island Visit" and more with adaptations of New York themed material by Rodgers & Hart ("Manhattan"), Billy Strayhorn ("Take The 'A' Train)" and more, with groovy vocal sound bites. 22 tracks in all!

John Zorn, inspired by the work of William Blake – on an album that's one of his most beautiful in years! There's a really lovely sound going on here – bright, and filled with hope – in ways we never thought we'd be hearing from Zorn many years back – music that's made not by John's own instrumentation, but by a group that features John Medeski on piano and organ, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, Carol Emanuel on harp, Trevor Dunn on bass, Joey Baron on drums, and Cyro Baptista on percussion! The sound is warm and very organic – a shade towards a Terry Riley minimal mode, but more lyrical overall – with an open, flowering quality that's wonderful right from the start. Zorn arranges and conducts – and titles include "An Island In The Moon", "The Hammer Of Los", "The Prophecy", "Marriage Of Heaven & Hell", "Night Thoughts", and "When The Morning Stars Sang Together".

More burning instrumentals from Coxsone Dodd and his mighty crew at Studio One! Soul Jazz has already established Dodd and Studio One as a near household name in bad, bold island grooves, and this set of fiery instrumentals keeps up the pressure, with 16 burning numbers! All flavors of Jamaican soul get represented here, from spacey, mellow grooves at the hands of Jackie Mittoo, to mellow snapping clavinet numbers from Pablove Black, deep roots from Cedric Brooks or jaunty ska numbers from the Soul Vendors and the Skatalites. As usual, the packaging is in the deluxe vein that has graced previous chapters in the series, and this set includes "Gumbay Jump" by the Dub Specialist, "A Big Car" by Jackie Mittoo, "Joe Grazer" and "Sidewalk Doctor" by VinGordon, "Sound Almighty" by the Soul Defenders, "Black Wax" by Pablove Black, Dick Tracy" by the Skatalites, "Cousin Joe Pt 1" by Sugar Belly, and "Black Is Black" by Im & David, plus many more!

Genius work from Les Baxter – two of his best albums for Capitol, back to back on one CD! Ritual Of The Savage is one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the time! Before this record, most attempts at exotica were simple instrumental pop, colored with slight worldly instrumentation – or too-dreamy recordings, putting over a sleepy version of life on the islands. Enter Les Baxter, who had an amazing ear for sounds, rhythms, and arrangements – one that was the first to record this sort of music in a way that was sonically evocative, and could stand on its own without other referents. Instrumentation is often conventional, but used oddly here – and Baxter's original compositions are all pretty darn great – playful without being goofy, and nicely mixing Latin and Pacific rhythms at the bottom. Titles include "Busy Port", "The Ritual", "Coronation", "Jungle Jalopy", and Les' original version of "Quiet Village". Heck, even the cover is gorgeous – with a brilliant blue illustration of some guy putting the moves on a woman amidst spooky tribal relics! The Passions is a really obscure box set recording – done as Les Baxter's classic exploitation of "a woman's passions", using vocalist Bas Sheva in the role of the tormented female! Shiva's got a bold, evocative style that's not unlike Yma Sumac – and she sings here wordlessly, as an added instrument on top of Baxter's orchestrations – playing the role of the inner psyche of woman, on titles that include "Lust", "Terror", "Joy", "Hate", "Ecstasy", and "Despair"! The whole thing's a mini docu-drama in sound – beautifully recorded in a flurry of red, blue, and other chromatic hues – not as exotic as Baxter's other work from the 50s, but equally great as a modern sonic psychoanalytic text!

A quadruple-header of a set – four great albums together in one cool box! First up is the first album from the great Special Edition group of drummer Jack DeJohnette – a wickedly sharp record that's as equally tight on the reeds as it is on the drums! The album features brilliant work on tenor and bass clarinet from David Murray, and equally nice alto from Arthur Blythe – both criss-crossing and soaring out effortlessly in each others' company – amidst complex rhythmic impulses from DeJohnette on drums, and both bass and cello from Peter Warren. Jack also plays a bit of piano and melodica as well – and titles include "One For Eric", "Zoot Suite", "Central Park West", "India", and "Journey To The Twin Planet". On Tin Can Alley, the great Chico Freeman really shines with drummer Jack DeJohnette – lending his tenor, flute, and bass clarinet to the album – and helping make it a really reed-heavy affair! John Purcell's also in the frontline with Chico – playing alto, baritone, and flute – and in addition to Peter Warren's bass and cello, the album Jack DeJohnette also plays drums, congas, piano, and organ too! The range of instrumentation almost echoes some Chicago AACM roots at times – but with that tighter focus that musicians like Jack were bringing to their work at ECM – and titles include "Riff Raff", "The Gri Gri Man", "I Know", and "Pastel Rhapsody". Inflation Blues is a record that bristles with energy right from the start – spurred on by the creative rhythms that have always made Jack DeJohnette one of the most inventive drummers of his time! The group features a triple-threat lineup with Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Chico Freeman on tenor and soprano sax, and John Purcell on alto, baritone, flute, and clarinet – especially nice at points when the reedmen shift and turn with sharp edges learned from the earlier avant years, yet given a nice focus here under DeJohnette's leadership. Jack penned all original tunes for the set, and there's a depth to his writing that really marks a move forward – possibly some of his richest musical statements on record ever! Titles include "Ebony", "Inflation Blues", "Slowdown", and "The Islands". Album Album is a record that really dives deep with a rich mix of creative rhythms and inventive horn lines! The album still has Jack staying true to his more avant roots – working with tenor from David Murray, alto and soprano sax from John Purcell, baritone and tuba from Howard Johnson, and bass from Rufus Reid – a lineup that's a bit bigger than on other Special Edition albums, and which is used to fill in even more colors and deeper elements than before. Some of the tunes are wonderfully vivid in approach – and titles include "Festival", "Third World Anthem", "Zoot Suite", "Ahmad The Terrible", and "New Orleans Strut".

A great set of singles and rarities from 70s sunshine pop group Design! It's a UK combo whose boy/girl vocal harmonies and super sunny sound carried on the tradition of some of our favorite Cali group of the late 60s – and they're so good at hitting that vibe, it's hard to believe they don't hail from the west coast! This excellent compilation from RPM UK puts together the group's singles from the late 60s onward into the 70s – with both the A- and B-sides, plus some sweet rarities and demos that are hardly less lovely than the fully-realized album and 45 sessions! Wonderful stuff from a group that outta be better remembered! Includes "Colour All The World", "Mayday", "One Sunny Day", "Day By Day", Children Of The Mist", "Sunny", "Insurance", "Islands Of Love", "As It Was", "Calais", "Never Been A Love Like This", "Flown Away" and more. 20 in all.

They might well call this a Beginners Guide To Blue Note Jazz Funk – given that most of the tracks here are from the hip 70s run at Blue Note Records! The vibe is wonderful – funky and soulful, but definitely with jazz at the forefront – as older soloists were finding new ways to reach their audiences through electric grooves – and younger players were making a huge name for themselves through a very inventive approach to their work! The 3CD set is a hell of a deal for the money – with 33 tracks that include loads of Blue Note gems, plus some 70s Capitol funk and soul tracks too – titles that include "As" by Gene Harris, "Dominoes" by Donald Byrd, "The Genie" by Bobby Lyle, "Down The Way" by John Lee & Gerry Brown, "Chicago Damn" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Sassy Soul Strut" by Lou Donaldson, "Think Twice" by Donald Byrd, "Tidal Wave" by Ronnie Laws, "London Town" by Light Of The World, "Windy C" by 100% Pure Poison, "Daisy Mae" by Raul De Souza, "Movin" by Brass Construction, "Prance On" by Eddie Henderson, "Music Is My Sanctuary" by Gary Bartz, "Abdullah & Abraham" by Chico Hamilton, "Cheshire Cat" by Ronnie Foster, "Funky Sneakers" by Willie Bobo, "Sunshine" by Nancy Wilson, "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, and "Sky Islands" by Caldera.

A wonderfully offbeat strain of European pop from the 60s – rare recordings from the Catalonian area, that weird space in Spain that's also linked to southern France and the Mediterranean islands as well! There's a really playful feel to most of these numbers – and although many cuts are remakes of big Anglo hits, they've been re-fitted with new language, and some plenty cool arrangements that often make the music sound even groovier than in the original versions! In terms of spirit, we'd definitely compare a lot of this work to the best mid 60s pop coming from Paris – the groovy goodies of the "yeh yeh" generation – although in the end, the music's also very much it's own thing as well. Titles include "Cap A Futbol" by Guillermina Motta, "Yeh Yeh" by Tony, "Es Una Dona" by Nuri, "Febre" by Guillem D'Efak, "El Meu Trastet" by Santi Sans, "Soc Molt Poca Cosa" by Jacinta, "Amor" by Jordi Teijon, "Desafinat" by Grau Carol, and "El Cinemascop" by Llorenc Torres.

A cool collection of funky grooves from the Caribbean – tracks that take a strong influence from American soul and funk, then blend it heavily with hip rhythms from the islands! A few of the names here are familiar, but most are relatively obscure – and put together, the tunes on the set illustrate a hugely under-tapped scene that's filled with wonderful tunes – tracks awash in jazzy rhythms, skittish percussion, and a range of styles that move past much more familiar Jamaican sounds from down south. Drums here are often quite heavy, and matched by other percussion as well – not to mention jagged guitar lines and bass bits that really send the whole thing home! As with other Strut compilations, the overall package and liner notes are as great as the music on the disc – and the set features a total of 20 tracks that include "Of My Hands" by The Goretti Group, "Calypsoul" by Clarence Curvan & His Mod Sounds, "You Tink It Sorf" by Lancelot Layne, "Magic Fever" by Magic Circle Express, "Independent Bahamas" by Biosis Now, "Move Up Blackman" by Tyrone Taylor, "Guanavaco" by Marius Cultier, "Raycan" by The Hondells, "You Don't Love Me" by Gemini Brass, "Woman" by Sambo, "We See Jah" by Wadadli Experience, "Freedom In Africa" by Duke, "Red Light Lady" by Ophelia, and "It's A Feeling" by St Maartens The Rolling Tones.