Sweet folk rock from the Bay Area scene of the early 70s – a record that's very much in keeping with some of the criss-crossing of styles going on at the time – mostly rock, but with touches of folk, a consciousness of rootsier blues, and an overall laidback and hippie-warm style! The record features some great vocals from Toni Brown and Terry Garthwaite – often singing together in a sweetly melodic style with some nice harmonies. Titles include "Brownsville/Mockingbird", "Hush", "Too Late But Not Forgotten", "Dancing Couple", and "Did You Go Downtown". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great little set from Joy Of Cooking – one of the best Bay Area groups to mix together rock, folk, and bits of country! Somehow, the group have a way of doing their thing without sounding hokey or "fake" – taking their groove way past simple references too roots they never really had, and into a nicely hippie-ish territory that's made even better by the lead vocals of Terry Garthwaite and Toni Brown. Titles include "Castles", "Don't The Moon Look Fat & Lonesome", "Lady Called Love", "Three Day Loser", "All Around The Sun & The Moon", and "Beginning Tomorrow". CD

An album that really lives up to its title – as the set bristles with upbeat, joyous energy throughout – in a fantastic criss-crossing of players from different global scenes, all cooking together in the cultural hotbed of 70s London! The record's got some echoes of the Brotherhood Of Breath work by Chris McGregor also issued by the Cadillac label – and also features ties to some of the musicians from the South African scene – but the group's also got a youthful energy that really makes the whole thing soar – fantastic bass from Ernest Mothle, killer piano from Frank Roberts, and tight drums from Keith Bailey – topped with trumpet from Jim Dvorak and alto from Chris Francis – both mighty nice players! Some tracks have a great pulsating groove – and titles include "PM", "Tribute", "Hidden Spirits", "Martini Suite", and "Spirals". CD

An album that really lives up to its title – as the set bristles with upbeat, joyous energy throughout – in a fantastic criss-crossing of players from different global scenes, all cooking together in the cultural hotbed of 70s London! The record's got some echoes of the Brotherhood Of Breath work by Chris McGregor also issued by the Cadillac label – and also features ties to some of the musicians from the South African scene – but the group's also got a youthful energy that really makes the whole thing soar – fantastic bass from Ernest Mothle, killer piano from Frank Roberts, and tight drums from Keith Bailey – topped with trumpet from Jim Dvorak and alto from Chris Francis – both mighty nice players! Some tracks have a great pulsating groove – and titles include "PM", "Tribute", "Hidden Spirits", "Martini Suite", and "Spirals". LP, Vinyl record album

A new star is right – because with the strength of this set, Jimmy Smith set a whole new tone for the way that the organ was used in jazz! The album's got a raw, earthy power that grabs us right away – and even though the tunes themselves are mostly familiar numbers, Jimmy's early Hammond work is simply amazing – cooking the grooves up in a way that differs a lot from the way other players, like Wild Bill Davis, were using the instrument at the time. The vibrato's still on at a relatively high level, but Jimmy's own lines are lean and clean – and made even more so by accompaniment from Thornel Schwartz on guitar and Bay Perry on drums. Titles include "The Way You Look Tonight", "Joy", "The Preacher", "High & The Mighty", "Midnight Sun", and "You Get 'Cha". CD

A wonderfully genre-hopping collection – put together by Toru Hashimoto, the man behind such incredible Japanese series as the Free Soul, Cafe Apres Midi, and Suburbia compilations for many different labels! Toru really lives up to his legend here, and mixes music from different scenes and styles, but in a way that not only makes total sense – but also seems to have the tracks resonate even more strongly in the company of each other – moving from soul to bossa, jazz, vocal, and even hip hop cuts! Titles include "It's You" by Joyce Cooking, "I've Got You Under My Skin" by G9 Group, "Persian Love" by Holger Czukay, "Never Did I Stop Loving You" by Alice Clark, "What Else Can I Say" by Ingram, "Another Day" by Precise Hero, "NYC Tonight (version voc Shintaro Sakamoto)" by Dump, "Beautiful Love" by Myron & the Works with Meshell Ndegeocello and Robert Glasper, "Just The Way You Are" by Meta Roos & Nippe Sylwens Band, "Little Girl Lost" by Penny Goodwin, "Hunk Of Heaven" by Lemuria, "Why Don't We Fall In Love" by John Valenti, "Love Oh Love" by Vince Andrews, "You've Got To Have Freedom" by Pharoah Sanders, and "In All The Wrong Places" by Kero One. CD