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A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

Before Malcolm would go on to cut the funky Bustin Out Of The Ghetto, he plied the Ska trade, as represented here by these 11 jaunty, skanking numbers, including "Skamania", "Run For Cover", "Hunchback No. 1", "Tiptoe", "Skaramoughe" and "Hopalong Cassidy".

An excellent obscure album of young, undiscovered and lesser-known Chicago jazz players from the early 70s – like Charles Williamson, Sonny Seals, Tyrone Taylor, and Jodie Christian – all of whom play very nicely, and lay down some hard funky big band stuff. There's 4 nice extended tracks, and the record features two great funky numbers – "Hush" and "Music For Gong Gong", plus 2 ballads "Misty" and "Lover Man". Very nice grooves, and the kind of record we love to find!

It's a shame that Paul Winley ended up making some bucks off the late great one – especially as other issues of this famous speech gave royalties to Betty Shabazz. Still, the work's an essential one – and the package is pretty nice looking. The vinyl's also banded, and divided into sections like "Violence & Non Violence", "Human Rights & Civil Rights", and "Black Nationalism".

Probably one of the best Malcolm X releases ever, due in large part to respectful production by Alan Douglas. The record features a number of short excerpts from famous speeches, all identified by the famous quotes that come from them. Words of wisdom include "The House Negro/The Field Negro", "By Any Means Necessary", "Our African Identity", "Guerrilla Warfare", "The American Nightmare", and more.

One of the strongest albums of recordings we've heard by Malcolm X – issued on the Douglas Records label, and featuring shorter snippets of longer speeches. The package is put together with a strong focus on Malcolm's true charisma as a speaker – his incredible ability to deliver righteous messages with a down-home charm and a good degree of wit. Very nice stuff – and although we wish the set had better notes, we're more than happy to listen without them!

One of the earliest issues of the words of Malcolm X – featuring speeches on the topics "The Ballot Or The Bullet", "Black Nationalism", "Birmingham Sunday School Bombing", "Human & Civil Rights", and "Violence & Non Violence".

One of the coolest of the Malcolm X albums we ever get in stock. The set's got 3 records of speeches, plus a great book with photos and wisdom. The record's got bracing live speeches, including "Black United Front", "Unwed Mothers", "Nation Within Nation", "Police Brutality And Mob Violence", "White News Media", and much more.

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

Funky b-boy classic! Sure, Malcolm was a blood-sucking vampire who was hungry enough to exploit any trend he could get his hands on – but in this case, he did all right, and came up with an album that stands the test of time in the breakdance crates. Includes the classics "Buffalo Gals" and "Double Dutch".

A tremendous bit of jazz history – 2 classic Archie Shepp albums on 1 CD! Yasmina features Archie Shepp at his spiritual best – recording in Paris in 1969, and absorbing a heck of a lot of pan-African influences! The centerpiece of the album is the amazing "Yasmina" – a long track that builds with passion and fire, pulsing with an intensity that you'd expect more from Pharoah Sanders than Shepp himself. Next up is "Sonny's Back", a wonderful straight jazz groover with Archie and Hank Mobley on twin tenors upfront – making a rare and memorable recorded appearance together! The set's capped off by a mellow version of "Body & Soul", one that points towards the more soulful side of Shepp's work in the 70s. Poem For Malcolm is one of Shepp's most memorable LPs for BYG. Side one has him playing with Burton Greene, Alan Silva, Philly Joe Jones, and Claude Delcloo on the extended Mamarose/Poem For Malcolm. The track starts out with very free playing, then moves into a more subdued passage, with Shepp's recitation of his "Poem For Malcolm". Side two has a great lineup that includes Grachan Moncour III, Malachi Favors, and Hank Mobley, who gives one of the wildest performances of his life! The group runs through the 20 minute track Rain Forest/Oleo, and begins with a dark, spare performance, then leaps into a reading of "Oleo" that's filled with fire.

Funky madness – and one of the greatest funky instrumental albums ever! This one's so rare that only a few funk collectors have it in their collection – but it's a totally massive bit of funk that's way more than just plain "rare" (which can sometimes also mean snoozy for collectors!) Malcolm's a funky bandleader from Kingston, Jamaica – and he's got an approach that's solidly rooted in American funk, but which also has slight (very slight) touches of Carribean rhythms. The record's not really reggae or rocksteady, but it's got a messed up groove that works perfectly – as the sharp funky instrumental tunes crack out with these odd jagged edges, or weirdly paced rhythms that make them even more compelling. A wonderful record, and way past the usual funky instrumental album. Just about every cut is excellent – and titles include "Bustin Outta The Ghetto", "Funky Junction", "Move With The Beat", "Track Full Of Soul", "Pound For Pound", and "Rockin In My Pocket".

Features the title track, "D'Ya Like Scratchin'" in a special version, "She's Looking Like A Hobo", "Buffalo Gals (DJ Cut Special Stereo mix)", "World's Famous (Radio ID)" and "Hobo (Scratch)".

Music by Keith LeBlanc and samples from Malcolm X's The Ballot Or The Bullet speech.

A very well-done collection of famous snippets from Malcolm's best speeches – done officially, in collaboration with Betty Shabazz. The record doesn't feature full speeches, but important passages that include "By Any Means Necessary", "We Want Complete Separation", "You Can't Hate The Roots Of A Tree And Not Hate The Tree", "I'm A Field Negro", and "There's No Such Thing As A Non-Violent Revolution".

Great lost work from the legendary Phil Cohran and his Artistic Heritage Ensemble – a composition that was recorded during the group's late 60s years on the Chicago scene – but which has never been released until now! The album stands beautifully alongside the group's self-titled classic and their tribute to Malcolm X – and like those amazing records, this one has a feel that's all its own – an exploration of Moorish elements in Spanish culture – which comes off as a Latin-inflected sound with African roots! The lineup here is similar to other Cohran classics – Donald Myrick on baritone sax, Charles James Williams on alto, Eugene Easton on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, Aaron Dodd on tuba, Pete Cosey on guitar, Henry Gibson on congas, and Louis Satterfield on bass – a mix of musicians that includes members with Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire listed in their resumes! Cohran's vision in the suite is wonderful – and the music has all the depth and righteous energy of his self-titled record, but a bit more Latin fire too – a beautiful blend that really makes us appreciate his genius even more than before, and which finally gives us another record of his to love after all these years.

A brilliant criss-crossing of group from this cool trans-global group – a set recorded in London, but with roots in Venezuela, LA, and Ghana – served up with a sound that's even greater than the sum of its parts! Malcolm Catto recorded the record – and really helps bring a funky energy to the record, by working alongside lead studio help from Jack Yglesias of The Heliocentrics – pushing here into a space that's even more offbeat than the grooves of that group! There's loads of rich acoustic instrumentation – especially percussion – and Mulatu joins the record at one spot, furthering the exotic appeal of the set. Some tracks have an almost ethnographic vibes, while others are a bit more contemporary – although the overall sound is more than worthy of placement on the Soundway label. Titles incude "Arena", "Cumbacutiri", "Fly Through The Lightning To Speak With The Sun", "El Negrero", "Escape To The Palenque", "Manicero", "La Familia", and "Speak To The Spirit Of The Sea".

Ghostface's second full length – maybe the most worthwhile Wu solo project, and the best of all them since the first wave of the Wu. Ghost's flow is raw as hell, furious and re-energized, and so startlingly poetic that we were completely blown away. The guests seem to feed off this huge energy boom, too, with Method Man and Cappadona getting their best verses in a while, and even RZA's misguided Bobby Digital persona kicks some raw dynamite. Also features appearances by Raekwon and Redman, plus a few tracks with beats by the RZA. Tracks include "Nutmeg", "Saturday Nite", "Apollo Kids", "The Grain", "Child's Play", "Malcolm", "Buck 50", and "Cherchez La Ghost".

Madlib invades Blue Note! He gets free reign of the catalog for this mix of sampler genius and live band interpretations, too, as/with Ahmad Miller, Yesterdays New Quintet, Malcolm Catto, Medaphoar, and others from the Stones Throw camp. This one's truly a conceptual triumph, if there ever was such a thing – one of the greatest hip hop producers alive, given carte blanche with the source beats of the century! Madlib's Blue Note crates are heavily weighed in the mid 60s through mid 70s electric beats that often get the shaft in mainstream jazz round-ups, but floor the beathead world into overdrive. Re-interpretations, remixes, and revisions are spliced seamlessly with the source samples, creating a whole new world where hip hop and late model live funk not only co-exists with classic Blue Note jazz, but it actually draws a linear transition between the 2 genius art forms. Beautiful stuff – if the album isn't the most original idea to come along all of these years into the hip hop & jazz underground, it's certainly one of the most perfectly realized projects of its kind, ever! It's one for the time capsule – pure funky sample wizardry by any standard! Includes Monk Higgins' "Slim's Return" interpreted by Ahmad Miller and DJ Lord Such on cuts, "Donald Byrd's "Distant Land", "Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Bounce", Yesterday's New Quintet's adaptation of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints", Madlib Invazion's "Funky Blue Note", the Joe McDuphrey Experience take on Horace Silver's/Herbie Hancock's "Peace/Dolphin Dance" and lots more.

With Les McCann on piano and vocals, Houston Person on tenor, Bobby Bryant on tenor and soprano sax, Lou Volpe on guitar, and Richard Malcolm on percussion. Produced by Creed Taylor – with cuts that include "The Longer You Wait", "Hold My Hand", "Volkswagen Blues", and "Road Warriors".

Switched On funk from Mr Chop! Here's an homage to the innovative Moog-based LPs of the late 60s and early 70s – though the the great UK analog studio wiz Mr Chop is also doing it hard and heavy – it's not a light, airy and bubbly keyboard groove experience – this is spacey, fuzzy avant funk at its modern finest! Produced and engineered by Mr Chop and the players are like-minded geniuses – Malcolm Catto on drums, Coz Litter on bass, guitar, vocoder and more, Glyn Williams on clavinet, Moog, Hammond and Rhodes, Johnny Pop on Hammond organ and Mark Brunley on modular synth. The set includes some covers of funk and avant rock like you've never heard them before, and it's great all the way. Titles include "Hung-Up", "Root Down (And Get It)", "Breakthrough", "Givin Up Food For Funk", "Blow Your Head", "Deep Gully", "Greedy G", "Happy Birthday", "Vitamin C" and "Cortex".

Previously unreleased work from the important British Iskra ensemble of the 70s – and quite possibly some of the most striking we've ever heard from the group! Trombonist Paul Rutherford is at the helm – conducting a large ensemble on two of the long tracks here – and playing solo trombone on a third – in a way that's really wonderful, filled with creative sonic elements which really do a great job of balancing out the larger sonic explorations of the larger group! The full Iskra 1912 ensemble features additional trombone from Malcolm Griffiths, Paul Nieman, and Geoff Perkins – plus trumpet from Kenny Wheeler, reeds from Dave White and Evan Parker, piano from Howard Riley, guitar from Derek Bailey, bass from Barry Guy, and electronics from Tony Oxley. Both Maggie Nicols and Norma Winstone sing – and the two long ensemble tracks are titled "Sequence 72" and "Sequence 73".

An amazing funky record cut by the American tenor player Hal Singer while he was living in exile in Paris! Although the bulk of Singer's other work is more traditional R&B sax material, this LP has a very good raw funky feel, with some nice tight guitar and organ grooves that spur Singer on to new heights. Manu Dibango sits in on the session on organ and tenor, and the set includes a huge number of funky classics like "Saturday Night In Watts, Act One", "Paris Soul Food", "Malcolm X", and more!

Groundbreaking work from one of the most unsung heroes of British jazz – tenorist Alan Skidmore, a player with a tone and a talent that took him through many settings in his day! This 1970 album is one of Skidmore's greatest moments in the studio – a blend of jazz styles that includes some of the freer-thinking ideas that were coming out of England at the end of the 60s – styles influenced by European modal jazz, American avant garde, and some of the jazz/rock crossover that many of Skidmore's contemporaries were helping to forge at the time. The group's a quintet with John Taylor on piano and electric piano, Chris Lawrence on bass, Malcolm Griffiths on trombone, and Tony Levin on drums – and on about half the tracks, they're joined by Mike Osborne and John Surman, who expand the group's power for a few full-on "out there" numbers. Titles include "Jack Knife", "Lantern Wood", "TCB", "One On One Off", and "Walk In & Dance Out".

Bedrock beatcraft and DJ mix mastery from Steve Stein – including the hugely important Double Dee & Steinski mixes of the early 80s – paired up with solid later work for this excellent 2CD compilation! The Double Dee & Steinski stuff really couldn't be more important to the turntablist scene of the mid 80s, and its influence stretches up to and beyond the mash up DJs of the 00s. Monumental DJ funk and deftly blended samples. Astounding! Disc 1 is the retrospective material – featuring benchmark Double Dee & Steinski mixes: "The Payoff Mix", "Lesson 2 (James Brown Mix)", "Lesson 3 (History Of Hip Hop)", "Jazz" and "Voice Mail (Sugarhill Mix)" – plus the Steinski tracks "The Motorcade Sped On", "I'm Wild About That Thing", "Ain't No Thing", "Number Three On Flight Eleven" and more. Disc 2 is Nothing To Fear – A Rough Mix By Steinski – done for Solid Steel Productions and BBC London – 28 continuous cuts including "Swingset (10 beautiful girls mix)", "The Id (small world mix)", "By All Means Necessary (Malcolm & Bobby mix)", "I Like It Like That (Scratch It One Time mix)" "Country Grammar (hydro mix)", "Funk Construction (Prodigal Son mix)" and lots more. It's all in the title – it's a rougher set with the scratch & cut effects, bit not as dance club bubbly as other Steinski work.

Snapping rhythms with plenty of jazz – a great collaboration between musicians who've worked together with Gregory Porter, Jose James, and Ty – stepping out here on a unique project of their own! The core energy of the set comes from the live drums of Richard Spaven and keyboards of Grant Windsor – who uses a fair bit of Fender Rhodes on the record, often with the best cosmic touches of the London scene, but a bit more classic focus overall – which really gives the set a sparkling, soulful energy that you'll love right from the start. Most tracks also features these wonderfully round acoustic basslines from Neville Malcolm – and although one track features some vocals from Nailah Porter, the main vibe overall is instrumental – with a quality that's quite similar to Kaidi Tatham's entry in the 5ive series. Titles include "Perseophone", "Koln", "The Sure Chimes", "Sort Of Things", and "Loose Shots".

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and a set that was recorded at the same time he was working with Pharoah Sanders! Thomas really rose to fame on Sanders' classic "The Creator Has A Master Plan" – and this set really takes off from that moment – letting Leon spin out some spiritual vibes of his own, and step into a few fresh new styles as well! The album's plenty righteous right from the start – partly because the lineup includes James Spaulding on alto and flute, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and the enigmatic "Little Rock" on tenor – who is actually Pharoah Sanders – but also because Leon serves up a shorter take on "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – done in a great style! The album also features a classic vocal take on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father", with lyrics that we totally love – plus the frenetic "Malcolm's Gone" – and the tracks "One", "Echoes", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", and "Damn Nam". CD features three bonus tracks – a live recording of "Um Um Um" and "Damn Nam" – plus a take on "Night In Tunisia".

Quite possibly the most beautiful record we've ever seen from the folks at The Numero Group – and that's saying a lot, given the quality of all their top-shelf releases! This beautiful edition features a hardcover book of vintage black and white photographs taken on Chicago's south side in the mid 70s – images of patrons and proprietors from long-lost nite spots that include Perv's House, Pepper's Hideout, The High Chaparral, and The Showcase Lounge – all the kind of clubs that were likely to feature the sort of Chicago funk and soul that Numero's been reissuing for the past few years! The images are amazing – a really rare look into the community that supported this sort of music – caught far far from the mainstream, in placed that were almost even private, compared to more well-travelled entertainment outlets. Photographs come from the collection of Michael Abramson – and are beautifully reproduced on LP-sized pages, in a book that also features some vintage flyers, posters, and business cards from the clubs! And if that's not enough, Numero also throws in some great notes of their own, and a bonus 2LP set with music that includes "I'm A Streaker Baby" by Arelean Brown, "No Better Time Than Now" by Ricky Allen, "The Same One" by Malcolm Simmons, "You Made Me Suffer" by Andrew Brown, "This Is My Prayer" by Lady Margo, "It's A Dream" by Little Ed & The Soundmasters Band, "I Sayed That" by Slim Willis Band, "Bring It Down Front" by Hugh Hawkins, "Womans Lib" by Lucille Spann, "Gimmie Some Of Yours" by Artie White, "Baby" by Walter Butterball Davis, "Is It Because I'm Black (inst)" by Syl Johnson, "Goose Walk" by Little Mack, "Young Blood" by Detroit Jr, "California Lady" by James Kinds & Stack, and "I Learned My Lesson" by Willie Davis. The albums are packaged in their own Numero-like cover – then nestled in a slipcover with the book – a hell of a sweet set at this price, and it also comes with an introduction by Nick Hornby!

Oooooooh-weeee! Is this a funky monster, or what? The set's easily the best in this great series – a really hard and heavy batch of rare funk tunes that pushes past the cliches of the title to come up with an all-solid batch of tracks that's sure to please any fan of deep funk. Loads of great little groovers from a range of different labels – organ jazz meets heavy soul vocals meets dancing bassline funk, hard drums, heavy riffing, and beyond – all wrapped up together with a sound that never lets up. Tracks include "Mary Jane" by Bobby Rush, "Bustin Outta The Ghetto" by Carlos Malcolm, "I'm A Good Woman" by The Generation, "Dance Girl" by The Mighty Tom Cats, "Peace Love Not War" by Johnny King with The Fatback Band, "The Truth Shall Make You Free" by King Hannibal, "I'm Wishin" by Lorez Alexandria, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, "Viva" by Jade, "Seeds Of Life" by East LA Car Pool, "Starvin" by Winfield Parker, and "He Called Me Baby" by Spanky Wilson.

A brilliant criss-crossing of group from this cool trans-global group – a set recorded in London, but with roots in Venezuela, LA, and Ghana – served up with a sound that's even greater than the sum of its parts! Malcolm Catto recorded the record – and really helps bring a funky energy to the record, by working alongside lead studio help from Jack Yglesias of The Heliocentrics – pushing here into a space that's even more offbeat than the grooves of that group! There's loads of rich acoustic instrumentation – especially percussion – and Mulatu joins the record at one spot, furthering the exotic appeal of the set. Some tracks have an almost ethnographic vibes, while others are a bit more contemporary – although the overall sound is more than worthy of placement on the Soundway label. Titles incude "Arena", "Cumbacutiri", "Fly Through The Lightning To Speak With The Sun", "El Negrero", "Escape To The Palenque", "Manicero", "La Familia", and "Speak To The Spirit Of The Sea".

A previously unissued performance by the Brotherhood Of Breath – recorded at a time when the group was at the height of their early powers! Some of the styles here are in the straighter, South African-inspired jazz of pianist Chris McGregor's roots – but other tracks get far more experimental, and show the new ideas and levels of expression that some of the players were adopting at the time – a great criss-crossing of cultural modes as the London jazz scene absorbed ex-colonial artists from South Africa and the West Indies. The lineup here includes Dudu Puckwana and Mike Osborne on altos, Alan Skidmore and Gary Windo on tenor, Harry Beckett and Marc Charig on trumpet, Nick Evans and Malcolm Griffiths on trombone, Harry Miller on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all coming together with a sense of magical creativity that we'd reserve for a rare few groups – like the Sun Ra Arkestra! Titles include "Nick Tete", "Restless", "Do It", "Eclipse At Dawn", "The Bride", and "Funky Boots March".

Nothing fancy, but a great back to basics session from Byrd – very solidly played, with a tight group, in a style that recalls his best mid 60s work for Blue Note! Players include Kenny Garrett, Joe Henderson, Donald Brown, Peter Washington, and the great Al Foster on drums – and the strength of Garrett and Henderson makes for some excellent tracks that rank with Byrd's best work of his late career. Titles include "Around The Corner", "Theme For Malcolm", "Popmponio", "A Certain Attitude", and "The Onliest".

A nice one from soul poet Anthony Joseph and his expansively stylistic, yet tightly grooving Spasm Band – bits of calypso and otherwise tropically toasted funk and Afro Soul – produced by the great Malcolm Catto! We've never seen the band in action, but this album has a very live feel – and it's a great approach. Joseph's storytelling style is great, too – the lyricism is impressive, but so is his charismatic delivery. Includes "Griot", "Started Off As A Dancer", "She Is The Sea", "Cobra", "Tanty Lynn", "Speak The Name", "Bullet In The Rocks", "Generations" and more.

Very soulful work from singer Ismael Rivera – working here with some sharp arrangements by Javier Vazquez, in a groove that's totally great! As with other Vaya sessions of the time, there's a strong undercurrent of tradition in the rhythms – a return to Latin roots at the height of the 70s salsa years, in a way that gives the record a really timeless feel overall – right in keeping with Rivera's approach to the vocals. Players in the group include Carlos Malcolm on timbales and Chocolate Armenteros on trumpet – and titles include "El Nazarena", "Que Te Pasa A Ti", "Witinila", "Orgullosa", "Traigo De Todo", "El Niche", and "Satelite".

The deepest jazz funk material Madlib has ever laid down – possibly the best album yet from Yesterday's New Quintet – featuring turns at freewheeling avant funk, electro jazz groove, furious sound library styles, a few chill moments, and a boundless sound overall! Yesterday's Universe features 15 unique tracks – purportedly played by 10 acts (The Last Electro, The Jahari Massamba Unit, The Eddie Prince Fusion Band, Young Jazz Rebels, etc), but in truth it's all from the feverishly talented mind of Madlib – with special guests including drummer Karriem Riggins and Azymuth precussionist Mamao! It's heavily steeped in fusion funk, but we're equally impressed by the cooler, slightly straighter moments – which display just how wide of a grasp Madlib has on the deepest, darkest corners of the spectrum. The wide range of influences flows naturally – amazing work from one of the most talented wizards in the game! Titles include a heady adaptation of "Bitches Brew", "Umoja (Unity)", "Slave Riot", "One For The Monica Lingas Band", "Street Talkin'", "Marcus, Martin & Malcolm", "Two For Strata East", "Cold Nights And Rainy Days", "Mtume's Song", "Vibes From The Tribes Suite (For Phil)", "Upa Neguinho" and more.

The amazing full length debut of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a cool combo from the Chicago scene who've been making some big waves around the world over the past few years! The brass-heavy group have a family legacy that links them to the Artistic Heritage Ensemble of Phil Cohran – and an approach to their music that mixes spiritual jazz, deep funk, and elements of New Orleans music too – a really unique style that has earned the group's rare singles some tremendous praise – and which is finally ready to step out fully in this wonderful album! The horns are even harder and heavier than before – honed through some touring around the globe, and brought into focus here beautifully – bristling with energy from the very first note. The set features guest appearances from Malcolm Catto, Tony Allen, Flea, and Damon Albarn – but the real strength of the record lies in the group's amazing horns and rhythms – on titles that include "War", "Gibbous", "Alyo", "Ballicki Bone", "Jupiter", "Marcus Garvey", "Party Started", "Sankofa", "Satin Sheets", "Hypnotic", and 2 versions of "Rabbit Hop".

Madlib invades Blue Note! He gets free reign of the catalog for this mix of sampler genius and live band interpretations, too, as/with Ahmad Miller, Yesterdays New Quintet, Malcolm Catto, Medaphoar, and others from the Stones Throw camp. This one's truly a conceptual triumph, if there ever was such a thing – one of the greatest hip hop producers alive, given carte blanche with the source beats of the century! Madlib's Blue Note crates are heavily weighed in the mid 60s through mid 70s electric beats that often get the shaft in mainstream jazz round-ups, but floor the beathead world into overdrive. Re-interpretations, remixes, and revisions are spliced seamlessly with the source samples, creating a whole new world where hip hop and late model live funk not only co-exists with classic Blue Note jazz, but it actually draws a linear transition between the 2 genius art forms. Beautiful stuff – if the album isn't the most original idea to come along all of these years into the hip hop & jazz underground, it's certainly one of the most perfectly realized projects of its kind, ever! It's one for the time capsule – easily Madlib's masterpiece, and pure funky sample wizardry by any standard! Includes Monk Higgins' "Slim's Return" interpreted by Ahmad Miller and DJ Lord Such on cuts, "Donald Byrd's "Distant Land", "Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Bounce", Yesterday's New Quintet's adaptation of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints", Madlib Invazion's "Funky Blue Note", the Joe McDuphrey Experience take on Horace Silver's/Herbie Hancock's "Peace/Dolphin Dance" and lots more.

The other great Hal Singer album from his years on the French scene – and a record that we'd say is even better than his legendary Paris Soul Food set! Although Singer is often most associated with an older style of swing-based jazz, he's working here in a loose, free mode that's got plenty of 70s soulful touches – often funky at the best moments, but even more importantly openly rhythmic – with a progressively soulful style that's really outta site! The group features Art Taylor on drums, plus an assortment of European players led by Siegried Kessler – who plays some great piano and flute on the album, and also handled the arrangements. The album features Singer's wonderful tune "Malcolm X" – the kind of a track that we'd rank right up there with some of the most righteous soul jazz groovers of the time. Other highlights include the modal "Pour Stephanie", the jagged "Blues For Hal", and the groovy "It's My Thing". CD also includes the bonus track "Lina".

The amazing full length debut of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a cool combo from the Chicago scene who've been making some big waves around the world over the past few years! The brass-heavy group have a family legacy that links them to the Artistic Heritage Ensemble of Phil Cohran – and an approach to their music that mixes spiritual jazz, deep funk, and elements of New Orleans music too – a really unique style that has earned the group's rare singles some tremendous praise – and which is finally ready to step out fully in this wonderful album! The horns are even harder and heavier than before – honed through some touring around the globe, and brought into focus here beautifully – bristling with energy from the very first note. The set features guest appearances from Malcolm Catto, Tony Allen, Flea, and Damon Albarn – but the real strength of the record lies in the group's amazing horns and rhythms – on titles that include "War", "Gibbous", "Alyo", "Ballicki Bone", "Jupiter", "Marcus Garvey", "Party Started", "Sankofa", "Satin Sheets", "Hypnotic", and 2 versions of "Rabbit Hop".

A pair of Colpix classics from Nina Simone – back to back on a single CD! First up is Nina Sings Ellington – but as always, she makes whatever she sings all her own! The album's a bit straighter than later efforts – with large backings by Stu Phillips that also feature vocals by the Malcolm Dodds Singers – but Nina also conceived the whole thing herself, as an effort to bring a new level of spiritualism to Ellington's work. The result is a masterpiece – proof that even in her early years, Nina could completely transform anything she laid her hands on – and unlock a soulful depth that even the original recordings might have missed. Titles include "I Got It Bad", "Solitude", "The Gal From Joe's", "It Don't Mean A Thing", and "I Like The Sunrise". Nina At Carnegie Hall is a hip set of live tracks from Nina Simone – very dark and moody, with backing by only a small combo that includes two guitars, bass, and drums by Montego Joe. The songs are incredibly spare, with an approach that's intimate and emotional – almost stunningly so, considering the size and scope of the venue that Nina was performing in. Features a 7 minute reading of "The Other Woman" and "Cotton Eyed Joe" – plus "Black Swan", "If You Knew", "Theme From Sayonara", and "Will I Find My Love Today".

A musical document of an amazing moment in the New York scene – the late 80s/early 90s wave of vogue balls – which were almost a collision of club culture with high fashion! There was a particularly rich gender-bending element to the vogue scene – and the music that accompanied it was a key part of that activity – tracks that had already risen to fame in crossover clubs from previous years, taken to new heights by DJs who provided music along with the voguing activity – in a great array of grooves from the disco years through early house music, brought together in ways that made 80s musical evolution make a heck of a lot of sense! The compilation album is a companion to the excellent book of the same name – also by Soul Jazz – and this 3CD version features tracks that include "Moment Of My Life" by Inner Life, "The Ha Dance (Ken/Lou mixx)" by Masters At Work, "Just Like A Queen (share the throne mix)" by Ellis D, "Is It All Over My Face" by Loose Joints, "Body Drill" by 2 Body's, "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross, "The Witch Doctor (dark ages mix)" by Armand Van Helden, "Break 4 Love (Spanish fly mix)" by Raze, "Din Daa Daa" by George Kranz, "X (Sound Factory mix)" by Junior Vazquez, "Love Is The Message (Tom Moulton mix)" by MFSB, "Cunty (party mix)" by Rageous Projecting Keven Aviance, "Love Thang" by First Choice, "This Brutal House" by Nitro Deluxe, "Ooh I Love It (Love Break)" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "Deep In Vogue (Banjie Realness mix)" by Malcolm McLaren. Also includes a limited bonus mix CD by Junior Vazquez – and a booklet and cool set of postcards!

Do these guys ever lose their touch? We think not – as this album, the group's umpteenth, is pretty darn great! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick pulled out all the stops on this set – working with a range of vocalists that includes Joy Rose, Kelli Sae, Tony Momrelle, Joy Malcolm, and Brazilian soul legend Ed Motta! The range of voices on the set really gives it a lot of depth – moving past the easy jazz funk moments of earlier sets, and going for an all-solid, all-soulful approach that really blows our mind! Great stuff all the way through – maybe their best album in years – and a record you'll be playing into the next decade. Titles include "Morning Sun", "Who Needs Love", "Stone Cold Heart", "Where Love Shines", "Blue", "Fly", "If You Want My Love", and "Cada Dia".

A wonderfully striking soundtrack for a very offbeat film – an early 60s tale about a woman who gets trapped in her home elevator, and harassed by a band of intruders! The score by Paul Glass has all the right elements to live up to the tension in the story – beginning with those arch woodwind passages you might hear on some of the best 60s dramatic scoring, especially on TV – intercut with some more vibrant percussion passages, and building strongly as the soundtrack moves on – indicating the psychological trauma of the main character. Titles include "We're Gonna Kill Ya", "Wino Cuts Hand/The Wine Rack", "Pozeganie Malcolma", "Crawl To Freedom", "The Landing", and "Fall From The Cage".