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Pretty cool early work from Jug! This original 10" LP features one of his first blowing sessions for Prestige – caught in the company of Art Farmer, Lou Donaldson, Freddie Redd, and Kenny Clarke. The album features 2 long tracks – "Woofin & Tweetin" and "Juggernaut" – both of which were later issued on 12" LPs, but which are packaged here in a cool original 10" sleeve!

A pair of great ones from this overlooked soul group from Illinois! Modern Heart is wonderful work from Champaign – a really self-contained group, and one who really rise above the rest of the early 80s soul scene! The album's got a tightness that's hard to beat – yet a sound that's never too slick or commercial either – kind of that best balance you'd find more in late 70s mainstream soul work, save for the fact that any upbeat numbers here have more of an 80s groove style than a disco one. The mellow tracks balance things out nicely, and show a deeper songwriting sound from the group than we might have expected – further testament to the strength of the album, along with the group's own arrangements and production. Titles include "Cool Running", "Party Line", "Try Again", "Let Your Body Rock", "Get It Again", "Love Games", and "Walkin". Woman In Flames is sweet, tight, and right on the money – a stellar bit of soul from Champaign – one of those great 80s groups who never seemed to get their due, but managed to make some really wonderful music right from the start! The album's got a slightly heavier production tip than before – arrangements from James Newton Howard that link Champaign a bit more to the sound of their mid 80s contemporaries – especially some of the other groups on Columbia. Yet there's also a healthy core to the album that comes from the group's own contributions – their continued strong sense of songwriting and performance, which makes their overall sound a lot less reliant on outside help than other groups of the period. Titles include "This Time", "Off & On Love", "Be Mine Tonight", "Mardi Gras", "Capture The Moon", "Woman In Flames", and "Intimate Strangers".

A mighty run of classic fusion from Stanley Clarke – some of his biggest albums for Columbia Records, packaged here in mini LP-styled sleeves in a 6CD slipcase! The package is a great one – especially given that some of these records aren't easy to find on CD – and it traces the evolution from the more experimental Stanley Clarke of his Columbia debut and Journey To Love albums, into mega-hit status on School Days, more soulful modes on Modern Man, and even features some great Live work too – a great document of the unbridled power that Stanley had when away from the studio! Full albums include Stanley Clarke, Journey To Love, School Days, Modern Man, I Wanna Play For You, and Live 1976/1977 – all packaged together in a box with notes!

A bit more high concept than before for Stanley Clarke – almost a suite of sorts, but one that still has some great standout tunes in the mix! Although Clarke used to bring his higher concepts to bear in the space of a single song, this one's more of a full exploration of the character in the title – served up at the best moments with more soul than on previous albums from Stanley, some nicely tuneful tracks that almost get a bit funky at points. There's a bit of vocals on the record – courtesy of Dee Dee Bridgewater and others – and guests include Freddie Hubbard, Stan Getz, Harvey Mason, Tom Scott, and Airto. Titles include "More Hot Fun", "Slow Dance", "He Lives On", "Dayride", "Got To Find My Own Place", "Closing Statement", and "A Serious Occasion".

Light mellow Verve-y instrumental orchestral stuff, featuring Don Costa's versions of contemporary pop stuff, like "Heroes & Villains", "All You Need Is Love", "Ode To Billie Jo". and "Valley of the Dolls". Not totally jazzy, but a nice package of soft groovy grooves, in a cool gatefold cover (with notes), and a great subdued easy feel throughout.

A strange mix of material – but some great work overall! Most of the record features Miles Davis recording with a quintet that includes Thelonious Monk on piano, Milt Jackson on vibes, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – on longer versions of "The Man I Love" (in 2 takes), "Swing Spring", and "Bemsha Swing". These sides have a great bop/modern approach that's a nice extension of the styles that Jackson and Davis were playing on Blue Note in earlier years. Also added to the set is one number from 1956 – a version of "Round Midnight" recorded in early sessions with John Coltrane on tenor, and the Red Garland Trio on rhythm – different than the rest of the tracks, but still quite nice!

Forget Tina Turner – we'll take Ike's backup singers, who sound great all the way through this collection! The Ikettes may never have had the fame of Tina, but back in the early and mid 60s, they were actually scoring a few more hits – and these recordings for the Modern label represent the group at their height – stepping firmly into righteous soul territory, shaking off any girl group cliches, and avoiding any of the stereotypes that could sometimes mar Ike Turner's projects. There's a really special sound here – one that's got bits of Motown, bits of R&B, and bits of Northern Soul – all wrapped together perfectly and delivered with sock-solid vocals from singers Robbie Montgomery, Jessie Smith, and Venetta Fields. The CD features all the material from the girls' full album for Modern – Soul The Hits – plus loads of other singles and even some unissued tracks! Titles include "Fine Fine Fine", "Camel Walk", "Sally Go Round The Roses", "Cheater", "You're Trying To Make Me Lose My Mind", "I'm So Thankful", "Don't Feel Sorry For Me", "Can't Sit Down Cos I Feel So Good", "Lonely For You", "Sha La La", "It's Been So Long", and "Nobody Loves Me".

A stone classic from the Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded back when the group still featured Kenny Clarke in its membership, but already with some of the more serious, somber tones that would mark the combo's more famous years! Tracks here are from a variety of sessions in 1953, 1954, and 1955 – and trace an evolution of the MJQ style from initial more composed renditions of bop and modern jazz, to some of the more ambitious colors and tones of the Lewis-penned songbook. Titles include longish readings of "Django" and "La Ronde Suite", plus "Milano", "But Not For Me", "The Queen's Fancy", and "Delaunay's Dilemma".

A stone classic from the Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded back when the group still featured Kenny Clarke in its membership, but already with some of the more serious, somber tones that would mark the combo's more famous years! Tracks here are from a variety of sessions in 1953, 1954, and 1955 – and trace an evolution of the MJQ style from initial more composed renditions of bop and modern jazz, to some of the more ambitious colors and tones of the Lewis-penned songbook. Titles include longish readings of "Django" and "La Ronde Suite", plus "Milano", "But Not For Me", "The Queen's Fancy", and "Delaunay's Dilemma".

Features a long reading of "Pyramid" – plus "Django", "Romaine", "Vendome", and "It Don't Mean A Thing".

That's the Modern Jazz Sextet – not the Modern Jazz Quartet – although the group definitely borrows a bit of energy from the MJQ, and some personnel too! The group was only put together for this date – and combines the subtle touches of MJQ members John Lewis on piano and Percy Heath on bass, with some harder-edged, hardbop-driven sounds from Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Sonny Stitt on alto, Skeeter Best on guitar, and Charlie Persip on drums! The set's got an open, easygoing feel – that loose Verve studio mode of the time – which stems from their jam session modes, but is a bit tighter overall – in ways that really help the players find their energy together in the tunes. Titles include 2 standards, in the usual Verve style – "Mean To Me" and a ballad medley of "Old Folks", "What's New" and "How Deep Is The Ocean" – plus 3 originals – "Blues For Bird", "Tour De Force", and "Dizzy Meets Sonny".

A great early 60s set from Modern Jazz Quartet! This one marked the then growing sophistication in the sound of the Modern Jazz Quartet – a concept album based on themes and characters from the Italian tradition of commedia dell'arte. The music is served up in gentle sound poems that have a haunting, timeless sort of feel – very spare and melancholy – with lots of tragic overtones, and hardly the comedic sound you'd expect from the title! Diahann Carroll sings on the track "La Cantatrice" – and other numbers include "Spanish Steps", "Columbine", "Piazza Navona", and "Harlequin".

Even at this early point in their career, the Modern Jazz Quartet were plenty proud of their relation to and reception in Paris – almost rubbing their international fame in the faces of other American combos with the title and cover of this record! The set's still got the quartet at their crisp early best – before any of the sometimes too academic or too serious tones of later sides – and tracks are mostly shortish, ringing out with especially nice vibes from Milt Jackson. Titles include an early reading of the title cut "Concorde", plus an extended "Gershwin Medley", and the tracks "All Of You", "I'll Remember April", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Ralph's New Blues".

Even at this early point in their career, the Modern Jazz Quartet were plenty proud of their relation to and reception in Paris – almost rubbing their international fame in the faces of other American combos with the title and cover of this record! The set's still got the quartet at their crisp early best – before any of the sometimes too academic or too serious tones of later sides – and tracks are mostly shortish, ringing out with especially nice vibes from Milt Jackson. Titles include an early reading of the title cut "Concorde", plus an extended "Gershwin Medley", and the tracks "All Of You", "I'll Remember April", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Ralph's New Blues".

A classic set of high-class jazz from the MJQ – one that shows John Lewis' growing compositional skills, and the band's always tight ability to work in a compressed chamber format. Features the extended "Fontessa" suite, plus the tracks "Versailles", "Angel Eyes", "Bluesology", and "Woodyn You".

An overlooked later gem from the Modern Jazz Quartet on Atlantic – a live set recorded at the Lighthouse, and one with a funkier tone than some of the group's earlier work for the label! Milt Jackson seems to be a bit more in charge of the sound on this set – as the tracks have that earthy quality he was bringing to his own solo albums of the time – yet still ring out with the sense of sound and space that's clearly directed by the John Lewis influence. The whole thing's wonderfully spare – with a sense of timing and grace that's impeccable, yet which also never fails to swing – and titles include "The Spiritual", "Baseball", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Intima", "Novamo", "For Someone I Love" and "What's New".

Truly one of the Modern Jazz Quartet's greatest albums – and a set that has an edge and a darkness that's missing from some of their other Atlantic records! Part of the reason for this may be the group's fantastic reading of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – a killer moody track that sounds great in the group's vibes/piano style – and which leads off the album with a chilling tone that's really unbelievable! The rest of the album's pretty great too – and there's a brooding intensity we don't normally hear in the piano of John Lewis and vibes of Milt Jackson. Other tracks include Gary McFarland's "Why Are You Blue" – plus John Lewi's "Belkis", "Animal Dance", "New York 19", and "Trieste".

One of the first MJQ albums on Atlantic – and a bit fresher than some of their later outings, when it seemed like they were churning records out at the drop of a hat! Titles include an extended medley of standards, all given the MJQ touch – plus the drum-heavy "La Ronde", and the tracks "Baden Baden", "Bag's Groove", and "Night In Tunisia".

One of the groovier albums the Modern Jazz Quartet ever recorded – as you might expect, given the cover and title! In addition to the group's usual cool sound from Milt Jackson's vibes, the set also features John Lewis playing a bit of harpsichord in addition to his usual piano – and the group's also augmented on a few tracks with some great horns from Snookie Young and Joe Newman on trumpets, Garnett Brown on trombone, Jim Buffington on French horn, and Don Butterfield on tuba – a change that really gives the record a nicely different flavor from other MJQ albums. John Lewis composed all of the tracks – and titles include "Walkin Stomp", "Dancing", "Plastic Dreams", "Variations On A Christmas Theme", "Travlin", "Piazza Novona", and "England's Carol".

A nice one! The MJQ record for the Beatles' famous Apple label, and the album's one of their most interesting of the 60s! The production's pretty straight, but the group's playing in a cool open-ended style that still has elements of their earlier work, but which really makes things a lot more interesting than some of the Atlantic recordings. Milt Jackson's vibes have a bit more of a bell-like quality on some parts, and the rhythm team of Percy Heath and Connie Kay kick it with a soul jazz vibe on a few numbers – a nice change from the sleepier rhythms of earlier albums. Titles include "The Blue Necklace", "Exposure", "Jasmine Tree", and "Three Little Feelings".

A great addition to the Modern Jazz Quartet – as the clarinet of Jimmy Giuffre brings a sharp modern edge to the record! The album's similar to the other MJQ Music Inn date with Sonny Rollins – and shows how the addition of a reed player can really unlock new colors, tones, and possibilities in the sounds of the group. And in this case, given the Giuffre's at the height of his early powers – coming off some sublime trio dates for Atlantic – the pairing of players is completely sublime! Titles include "A Fugue At Music Inn", "Serenade", and "Fun".

A great collection of Monk's 10" recordings for Blue Note – seminal not only for the label's commitment to a modernist bop ideal, but also for Monk's integration in the growing collection of top-level jazz players on the New York scene. The work's notable also for the fact that Monk's playing in group settings – not trio ones – and here, his early writing for and interplay with saxes and trumpet would certainly have a strong effect on the development of modern jazz in the 50s. Titles on this second volume include "Four In One", "Ask Me Now", "Criss Cross", "Skippy", "Hornin In", "Sixteen", and "Let's Cool One" – and this new version features a total of 18 tracks with great remastering and some rare alternate takes!

Great early west coast jazz! This album puts together 2 different sessions both recorded by Gene Norman in the early 50s. One features Shorty Rogers heading up a great group with Art Pepper and Jimmy Giuffre – on the tracks "Four Mothers", "Didi", "Sam & The Lady", and "Popo". The other features classic cool Gerry Mulligan material – played by a tentet with Chet Baker, Bud Shank, and Bob Enevoldsen. Titles on that one include "Westwood Walk", "Simbah", "Walking Shoes", and "Rocker".

One of our favorite Latin jazz albums ever – and a truly amazing record! Bobby Pauntteo, aka Bobby Vince Paunetto, is probably best known for his groundbreaking Latin fusion albums of the NuYorican era – but this rare gem from the 60s shows that he was a really forward thinker, even at a younger age! The sound is incredibly hard to define – a blend of modal jazz, Latin rhythms, and a uniquely lyrical approach to the percussion that makes the record take off to places you'd never expect. Bobby's conception is mindblowing from start to finish – and the record's even got some wonderful tracks that feature English vocals on top of the hip vibes-driven sound of the instrumentation. A gem throughout – and the kind of record we'll take to the grave! Titles include "Aguantando", "Why Is Woody Sad?", "Mambo Sevilla", "El Senor Sid", and "Dig It Like It Is". Great stuff!

Excellent work from Oscar Pettiford – his last sessions, in case you couldn't tell by the title, recorded in Copenhagen in 1959 and 1960, with players that include Allan Botchinsky on trumpet, Jan Johansson on piano, Erik Nordstrom on tenor, and Luis Hjulmand on vibes. Despite the introduction of European ringers to the set, and despite the posthumous collection of sessions, the album's actually one of Pettiford's strongest, and certainly one of the best to show his ever-growing commitment as a modernist during the 50s. The album includes loads of original tunes – including "Blue Brothers", "Two Little Pearls", "Laverne Walk", "Why Not? That's What!", and "My Little Cello".

A great little overlooked session of large group work from George Romanis – really noteworthy for some incredible solo work from a variety of top-shelf players! At first glance, the record appears to be nothing fancy – versions of work by Gershwin, Ellington, Cole Porter, and Rodgers & Hart – but Romanis puts the whole thing together with some great Kenton-like touches – really using the whole group to best effect to color in the fullest spectrum of sound on the tunes, yet also allowing a lot of space for players like Eddie Bert, Jerome Richardson, Al Cohn Joe Venuto, and Barry Galbraith the room to solo. The overall ensemble is not that large – about 10 players at most – and the way they work together here is really incredible. Titles include "Too Darn Hot", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Love Walked In", "Bewitched", "Solitude", and "Mood Indigo".

Not sure what they mean by "Ameriachi" in the title – but from the sound of the music, there's definitely a great A&M Records-styled mix of jazz, Latin, and South American modes! The set begins with a set of cookers from drummer Hideo Shiraki – working with an excellent group that features tenorist Hidehiko Matsumoto handling arrangements – often in ways that have this upbeat, swinging, and pretty darn groovy way of moving along – sometimes with a bold Herb Alpert-styled trumpet in the lead – other times with a bit of marimba vibes. Titles include "Ashita Ni Nareba", "Akasaka After Dark", "You & Me", and "Ginza Wa Koi No Jujiro". The second half is handled by Takeshi Inomata & His West Liners Plus All-Stars – a group that has an equally great A&M approach to the groove – thanks to arrangements from pianist Masao Yagi! The whole thing's a great illustration of the way that 60s Japanese jazzmen could also work in some groovy instrumental styles in the right setting – and titles include "One Rainy Night In Tokyo", "Omoide", "Goodbye Mr Tears", "Koi Wa Akaibara", and "Aitakute Aitakute".

Some of Lucky Thompson's rarest work from the 50s – and some of his best! The American tenorist is working here in two different French groups – one a quintet with Henri Renaud on piano, the other a tentet with the core quartet of Renaud, plus some additional local horn players. Unlike some of Thompson's other albums from the time, which can frequently be dominated by standards, this set's got some great original material – mostly written by Renaud, and infused with a sharp modernist swing. Tiltes include "Souscription", "Marcel Le Fourreur", "G&B", "Tight Squeeze", "Meet Quincy Jones", and "Influence". Lucky's tone is rich and soulful – and the session's gone to the top of our list of his work!

We're not usually fans of books on a single album – but in this case, we gladly make an exception – as the creation and circulation of Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue is definitely powerful enough to fill volumes of writing! Author Richard Williams does a great job of exploring this crucial piece of jazz – not only detailing the important session and musical moment that led to the record's creation, but also looking it its influence for decades after its release – not just in jazz, but in American popular culture as well! Hardcover book is 309 pages.

Groovy tunes with a heavy soundtrack bounce – all great numbers lifted from older Italian scores, plus a few other tunes by recent Italian groups who have a definite retro groove! The feel is great – with lots of organ, bouncy drums, and weird little sounds, all humming some hip grooves that sound very very fresh to our ears. Beat, shake, and jerk tunes abound – and many of these numbers are making their first appearance ever on CD, too! Titles include "Laila Laila" by Ennio Morricone, "Gimme Time" by Sante Maria Romitelli, "Psycho Sitar" by Magnetic 4, "I Was A Yeh Yeh Girl" by Doing Time, "I Giovani Tigri" by Piero Piccioni, "Roma Bene" by Luis Bacalov, "Quand Ero Un Bebe" by Vip 2000, "Il Tallone Di Achille" by Franco De Masi, and "Il Divorzio" by Fred Buongusto.

Includes tracks by Hugh Masekela, Oliver Mtukudzi, Louis Mhlanga, the Society Vibes, Pahul Hanmer, Lakim, Ernie Smith, Zim Ngqawana, and more.

The best in modern jazz in Japan in the mid 50s – a smoking little record that features two different groups! Side one really cooks – thanks to work from Akira Miyazawa on tenor, Sadao Watanabe on alto, and Masao Yagi on piano – all great players who are really at the top of their game here – crackling with tight rhythms in energy that rivals the best Prestige or Blue Note hardbop of the time! The combo play versions of "Confirmation", "I'll Remember April", "East Of The Sun", and "Memories Of You". Side two features a different, larger group – an ensemble that's almost got a west coast feel at times, or maybe a groove that's like some of the best RCA ensemble sessions of the mid 50s. Players include Konosuke Saijo, Takeyasu Mori, Tadayuki Harada, and Tatsuro Watanabe – and titles include "Don't Be That Way", "Snafu", "Strictly Bass", and "The Things We Did Last Summer".

A wonderful collection from the soul treasure hunters at Outta Sight – essential grooves from a pivotal period – late 60s and early 70s soul singles that bridge the raw, driving vibe of the previous era to the more sophisticated arrangements of dancefloor soul to come! It's got some legendary names and comparably obscure ones alike – a great, stylistically varied set of soul tunes by Bobby Womack, The Electrifying Cashmeres, The Carlettes, Philharmonics, Three Shades Of Soul, Johnny Adams, Deniece Chandler, The Identities and more. Superb soul singles all the way – a bunch of which we've never heard before now! 24 tracks in all: "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" by The Electrifying Cashmeres, "Lost Without Your Love" by The Carlettes, "Tried And Convicted" by Bobby Womack, "Mama, I Wish I Stayed Home" by Deniece Chandler, "I Can't Get Along Without You" by Judy Green, "When Love Slips Away" by The Identities, "Crying Time Is Over" by Tony Love, "You're A Bad Habit, Baby" by Johnny Adams, "Patience" by Rokk and more.

A compilation of Ghana music like we've never seen before – and straight up beautifully put together by Soundway – 70s sounds that fused regional traditions with boundary free soul, rhythm & blues, and rock! Ghana in the 1970s was in a transition from a more prosperous, and less militarily tenuous culture, and the music at the time is really wonderful. This collection of obscure album tracks and singles from the time feature many smaller combo groups, rather than large scale dance bands, with highlife jazz & soul, guitar and percussion based Afrobeat, and Ghana traditions fused with international styles wonderfully. Fantastic stuff that sits proudly up there with the great Nigeria Special sister series from Soundway! The vinyl box set version has 2 tracks on on the CD version or digital download, and 2 more tracks previously only available on the CD version of the Ghana Soundz compilation: 37 tracks on 5 LPs, plus a 12 page booklet with rare photos and history: "Kai Wawa" by The Mercury Dance Band, "Din Ya Sugri" by Cristy Azuma & Upper International, "Nya Asem Hwe" by City Boys Band, "Edinya Benya" by Hedzoleh Soundz, "Odo Mmera" by Pa Steele's African Brothers, "Wompe Masem" by African Brothers International Band, "Akampanye" by The Sweet Talks, "You Can Go" by Bokoor Band, "Owuo" by Sawaaba Soundz, "Sisi Mbon" by Honny & The Bees Band and more.

Features work by Coleman Hawkins, Nat King Cole, Stan Kenton, Jay McShann, and Benny Carter!

Amazing work from the contemporary African underground – put together by the same folks who produced the Congotronics package! The focus this time around is the style dubbed Karindula – music based around an instrument that's essentially a giant banjo made out of an oil barrel, a goat skin, four strings, and an empty bag of powdered milk – often used in this sharp, staccato style that's very rhythmic, and which feels electric, even when acoustic – giving some of this music the same bold drive as Congotronics! The set is a great document of this up and coming style – and comes with a DVD of performances, and a CD of great music that includes "Beggars Banquet" by Bana Simba, "Kiyongo" by Bana Lupemba, "Mado Mado" by BBK, and "Banani Batawina Bena Ngoma" by Bena Ngoma.

The start of a legendary label – laid out here in chronological order! The Modern label was a key force in R&B, blues, and jazz in the postwar years – an important indie with an ear for the best underground styles, and an uncanny talent for not only picking some of the best artists of the time – but also finding a way to let their best music come through on record! This wonderful collection brings together all the early Modern Records 78rpm recordings from 1945 – all with brilliant remastering, and the usual Ace Records high level of notes that offers up way more information than you'd find on the original copies. There's strongly jazzy vibe running through the mix here – and titles include "Swinging The Boogie", "Rocking The Boogie", "The Man I Love", "Rehearsin The Boogie", and "Blue Mood" by Hadda Brooks; "Deep Meditation" and "11:45 Swing" by Howard McGhee, "Lovin Lover" and "Jesse Boogie" by Jesse Perry, "Daddy Somebody's Got To Go" by Pearl Taylor, "Air Mail Special" and "B Splat" by Happy Johnson Sextette, and "That's The Boogie" by Three Bits Of Rhythm.

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s – a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records – a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard music from early 70s Nigeria, all of it beyond simple stylistic definitions and overplayed world music cliches! Many of the grooves here are wonderfully unique – odd fusions of styles that include highlife, jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and other regional influences – sifted and shaken together, and spilled out in the studio with a really fresh sort of feel. Rhythms are at the core of most numbers here, but even those are often unfamiliar – skittish, soulful, and often somewhat playful – and the other instrumentation on the tracks is great too, and often resonates with some of the odd sounds and tunings we love in work on the Ethiopiques series. 2CD set features 26 tracks that include "Okwuke Na Nchekwube" by Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National, "Nekwaha Semi Colon" by The Semi Colon, "Osalobua Rekpama" by Sir Victor Owaifo & His Melody Maestros, "Onwu Ama Dike" by St Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band, "Feso Jaiye" by The Sahara All Stars Of Jos, "To Whom It May Concern" by Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, "Akula Owu Onyeara" by The Funkees, "Koma Mosi" by The Harbours Band, "Belema" by Opotopo, "Asiko Mi Ni" by Nigerian Police Force Band, "Alabeke" by Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band, "Blak Sound" by Leo Fadaka & The Heroes, "Arraino" by Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band, "Ugali" by Tony Benson Sextet, "Akpaisong" by Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Allstars, "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7, "Torri Wowo" by Godwin Ezike & The Ambassadors, "Buroda Mase" by Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7.

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s – a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records – a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard music from early 70s Nigeria, all of it beyond simple stylistic definitions and overplayed world music cliches! Many of the grooves here are wonderfully unique – odd fusions of styles that include highlife, jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and other regional influences – sifted and shaken together, and spilled out in the studio with a really fresh sort of feel. Rhythms are at the core of most numbers here, but even those are often unfamiliar – skittish, soulful, and often somewhat playful – and the other instrumentation on the tracks is great too, and often resonates with some of the odd sounds and tunings we love in work on the Ethiopiques series. Vinyl part 1 features 12 tracks that include "Okwuke Na Nchekwube" by Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National, "Nekwaha Semi Colon" by The Semi Colon, "Osalobua Rekpama" by Sir Victor Owaifo & His Melody Maestros, "Onwu Ama Dike" by St Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band, "Feso Jaiye" by The Sahara All Stars Of Jos, "To Whom It May Concern" by Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, "Akula Owu Onyeara" by The Funkees, and "Koma Mosi" by The Harbours Band.

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s – a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records – a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard music from early 70s Nigeria, all of it beyond simple stylistic definitions and overplayed world music cliches! Many of the grooves here are wonderfully unique – odd fusions of styles that include highlife, jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and other regional influences – sifted and shaken together, and spilled out in the studio with a really fresh sort of feel. Rhythms are at the core of most numbers here, but even those are often unfamiliar – skittish, soulful, and often somewhat playful – and the other instrumentation on the tracks is great too, and often resonates with some of the odd sounds and tunings we love in work on the Ethiopiques series. Vinyl part 2 features 14 tracks that include "Belema" by Opotopo, "Asiko Mi Ni" by Nigerian Police Force Band, "Alabeke" by Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band, "Blak Sound" by Leo Fadaka & The Heroes, "Arraino" by Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band, "Ugali" by Tony Benson Sextet, "Akpaisong" by Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Allstars, "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7, "Torri Wowo" by Godwin Ezike & The Ambassadors, "Buroda Mase" by Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7.

Heavy sounds from Melbourne, Australia – a really unlikely source for soul music a few decades back, but quite a hotbed of activity in recent years! The set's put together by Lance Ferguson of The Bamboos – whose funky work you'll know from a variety of different projects – and the artists here not only represent a few of his other projects, but also some of his best contemporaries on the funk scene down under – including a few that we'd never heard before! The collection's like finding a pile of deep funk 45s all stacked tight together – and this CD version also features four titles exclusive to this set – tracks that include "Waz That" by The Putbacks, "Baby Your Lovin" by The Electric Empire, "Love & Feeling" by Chet Faker, "Debris" by Axolotl, "Nakamurra" by Hiatus Kaiyote, "Is It Because I'm Black" by Syl Johnson with The Bamboos, "Skeletor" by Cookin On 3 Burners, "Stepping Stones" by Gypsy Brown, "Love Letter" by Clairy Brown & The Bangin Rackettes, and "Hippy Skippy Moonstrut" by The Mighty Show Stoppers.

Heavy sounds from Melbourne, Australia – a really unlikely source for soul music a few decades back, but quite a hotbed of activity in recent years! The set's put together by Lance Ferguson of The Bamboos – whose funky work you'll know from a variety of different projects – and the artists here not only represent a few of his other projects, but also some of his best contemporaries on the funk scene down under – including a few that we'd never heard before! The collection's like finding a pile of deep funk 45s all stacked tight together – and titles include "Waz That" by The Putbacks, "Baby Your Lovin" by The Electric Empire, "Love & Feeling" by Chet Faker, "Debris" by Axolotl, "Nakamurra" by Hiatus Kaiyote, "Is It Because I'm Black" by Syl Johnson with The Bamboos, "Skeletor" by Cookin On 3 Burners, "Stepping Stones" by Gypsy Brown, "Love Letter" by Clairy Brown & The Bangin Rackettes, and "Hippy Skippy Moonstrut" by The Mighty Show Stoppers.

If there's one label we'd trust with our taste in soul, it's the mighty Grapevine label – home to some killer reissues of obscure 60s and 70s work – including a huge amount of excellent tracks that never properly saw the light of day at the time they were recorded! The vibe on this collection is quite unique – a blend of southern and modern styles, in a way that draws a line from Jackson, through Memphis, on up to Chicago and Detroit – mixing modes along the way, and offering up a rich array of tracks that blend the rough and the smooth nicely. There's a deeply personal quality to many of the tunes that we really love – and many of them groove along at a nice mellow midtempo clip – just right for the deeper end of the modern soul dancefloor! The set's overflowing with great work – and features 24 titles that include "I'll Be Around" by Choice Of Colors, "I Wish Our Love Would Last Forever" by Swiss Movement, "Love Is Trying To Get A Hold On Me" by Tavasco, "A Man Can't Be A Man" by Sandra Wright, "Chained" by Percy Stone & The Explosions, "I Need A Man" by The Precious Three, "Is This Really Love" by Don Gardner, "I Need I Need Your Love" by Tony Owens, "I'm Leaving You In Jody's Hands" by Tyree Davis, and "I'm Not Over You" by True Image.

A cheesy cover, but a really wonderful little compilation – a set that's filled with obscure righteous soul tunes from the 70s, including some lesser-known cuts by bigger name acts of the time! The vibe here is really wonderful – definitely the kind of kicked-back soul you might listen to on a Sunday afternoon – not as uptight as tracks for the clubs the night before, and rolling out with a sound that's warm and mellow, but still with a bit of groove at the bottom. Most numbers are of mid 70s vintage – sparkling with a good deal of class and sophistication – and titles include "Sunshine" by Pulse, "Ain't No Need" by Ralph Graham, "You Put A Hurting On Me" by Mary Mundy, "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics, "I Just Want To Love You" by Toby Kang, "Don't Trick Me Treat Me" by The Dells, "Sorry" by Grace Jones, "Yes You Need Love" by Anthony White, "Don't You Know I Love You" by Major Lance, "It's All Over" by The Presidents, "A Nice Feeling" by Caroline Crawford, and "Pour Your Little Heart Out" by The Drifters.

Although Belgian in origin, tenorist Bobby Jaspar was a key part of the French jazz scene of the postwar years – and his playing on records like this also made him one of the standout jazz talents in Europe in the 50s! The set features extremely rare material by Jaspar – cut for Barclay Records in 1955, and featuring a quintet with Rene Utreger on piano and Sacha Distel on guitar. Distel is especially wonderful, and even though he later went on to become a teen heartthrob pop singer in France, he's an excellent guitarist with an edgey string-heavy tone that really makes the recording stand out from some of Jaspar's other sides. That, and the fact that Jaspar's playing tenor on all tracks but one (he often plays mostly flute on some albums), makes the record one of his best from the time – and titles include "Minor Drops", "Bag's Groove", "Memory Of Dick", "Night In Tunisia", and "I'll Remember April".

Fantastic! You've heard us rave here before about how much we love Gil Melle, and this CD contains one of his best-ever albums! Primitive Modern is an incredible record that features the arrangements and playing of Gil's great quartet (with Joe Cinderella on guitar, and Ed Thigpen on drums), plus a number of strange and unusual instruments created by Melle himself. The resultant sound is a strange blend of tightly arranged jazz and free flowing Moondog-ish material, and tracks like "Ironworks", "Dominica", "Mark One", and "Dedicatory Piece To The Geophysical Year Of 1957" are out of this world! Coupled with this album is another great quartet album, Quadrama – one that has more of a straight jazz feel, but which is also great. Titles on that one include "Full House", "Quadrama", "Rush Hour In Hong Kong", and "Walter Ego". Great stuff all round!

The MJQ always manage to sound especially great when working on music for film – and this album's a great illustration of that fact! The work here is written by John Lewis, for a movie that never lasted the test of time as much as the record – and it's some of John's most evocative writing of the time – almost imagistic enough without the film! Selections are played by the core quartet of Milt Jackson on vibes, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – and titles include "The Golden Striker", "One Never Knows", "The Rose Truc", "Venice", "Cortege", and "Three Windows".

An early Atlantic set from the Modern Jazz Quartet – and a bit of an odd one, in which the crack MJQ crew recruit a rich slate guests! The first two numbers, "Da Capo" and "Fine" bring in Jimmy Giuffre's trio, nicely stretching out the vibe with expected, but no less sweet results! The remaining tunes, "Exposure", "Sketch", and "Conversation" bring in a crew of classical musicians in an effort bridge the world's of small combo jazz and chamber music! An amibitious set – from much different creative viewpoint than later, staid MJQ work!

The second of two early LPs that the Byrd and Gryce team cut for Columbia – and the more obscure of the two by far! This one features the group's groundbreaking format – a mixture of hardbop and modern jazz, always swinging, but angularly carved, with striking tones and colors that recall the best mid 50s Mingus. The difference, though, is that 4 tracks also feature some vocals by Jackie Paris, a hip singer who's at his best here – vocalizing with way better material than he often got on his own albums, singing on the tracks "Now Don't You Know", "Elgy", "Early Byrd", and "Early Morning Blues". The rest of the group features Wynton Kelly, Art Taylor, and Wendell Marshall – but more than anything else, it's Gryce's unbelievable tone on alto that really makes the record cook. Why couldn't he have played like this forever? We love it to death! Other tracks include "Satellite", "Social Call", and "Steppin Out".

A slightly different issue of these great bop sides, originally issued on 10" and packaged under this title in a coupls of different LP formats, with Miles working with a quintet that includes Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke – on longer versions of "The Man I Love" and "Bag's Groove", both of which are presented in 2 takes here, and "Swing Spring", and "Bemsha Swing". These sides have a great bop/modern approach that's a nice extension of the styles that Jackson and Davis were playing on Blue Note in earlier years.

Some of the earliest material ever recorded by the Modern Jazz Quartet – early 50s sides that were originally issued as 78rpm singles, then brought together in this self-titled LP! Some of the material was first released under the name of the Milt Jackson Quartet – but featured the lineup of Jackson on vibes, John Lewis piano, Percy Heath bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. Yet other tracks on the set have bassist Ray Brown in for Heath and drummer Al Jones in for Clarke – both players who make for a slightly different groove in the company of Jackson and Lewis. Tunes are short, but already show that Lewis love of chromatic tones – and titles include "Yesterdays", "Love Me Pretty Baby", "Milt Meets Sid", "Moving Nicely", "D&E", "True Blues", and "Autumn Breeze".

A double-length live set from the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded in Scandinavia in 1960, almost as a summation of the group's growing genius in the 50s! The tunes are a mix of John Lewis and Milt Jackson originals, plus other songs all given the wonderful MJQ twist – distilled into a sublime blend of piano, vibes, bass, and drums – all delivered with a sense of class, but never too much polish. The album is live, but still has that sophisticated composure that made the group so unique at the time – and the whole thing's a perfect complement to their famous studio albums on Atlantic! Titles include "Django", "Bluesology", "La Ronde", "Festival Sketch", "Vendome", "Odds Against Tomorrow", "I Should Care", and "I Remember Clifford".

A double-length live set from the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded in Scandinavia in 1960, almost as a summation of the group's growing genius in the 50s! The tunes are a mix of John Lewis and Milt Jackson originals, plus other songs all given the wonderful MJQ twist – distilled into a sublime blend of piano, vibes, bass, and drums – all delivered with a sense of class, but never too much polish. The album is live, but still has that sophisticated composure that made the group so unique at the time – and the whole thing's a perfect complement to their famous studio albums on Atlantic! Titles include "Pyramid", "It Don't Mean A Thing", "The Cylinder", "Round Midnight", "Bag's Groove", and "Skating In Central Park".

Truly one of the Modern Jazz Quartet's greatest albums – and a set that has an edge and a darkness that's missing from some of their other Atlantic records! Part of the reason for this may be the group's fantastic reading of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – a killer moody track that sounds great in the group's vibes/piano style – and which leads off the album with a chilling tone that's really unbelievable! The rest of the album's pretty great too – and there's a brooding intensity we don't normally hear in the piano of John Lewis and vibes of Milt Jackson. Other tracks include Gary McFarland's "Why Are You Blue" – plus John Lewi's "Belkis", "Animal Dance", "New York 19", and "Trieste".

The MJQ always manage to sound especially great when working on music for film – and this album's a great illustration of that fact! The work here is written by John Lewis, for a movie that never lasted the test of time as much as the record – and it's some of John's most evocative writing of the time – almost imagistic enough without the film! Selections are played by the core quartet of Milt Jackson on vibes, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – and titles include "The Golden Striker", "One Never Knows", "The Rose Truc", "Venice", "Cortege", and "Three Windows".

The MJQ always manage to sound especially great when working on music for film – and this album's a great illustration of that fact! The work here is written by John Lewis, for a movie that never lasted the test of time as much as the record – and it's some of John's most evocative writing of the time – almost imagistic enough without the film! Selections are played by the core quartet of Milt Jackson on vibes, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – and titles include "The Golden Striker", "One Never Knows", "The Rose Truc", "Venice", "Cortege", and "Three Windows".

Hip vocal tracks from Dutch singer Rita Reyes – recorded with backing by the Pim Jacobs Trio, a lively combo that features Pim's piano, plus bass and guitar – a nicely light rhythmic style that really works well for the vocals! The format is simple, but compelling – and the record's a great chance to hear Rita at her best – singing in a style that made her one of the best European female jazz singers of her day – right up there next to Monica Zetterlund, Karin Krog, and a rare few others to come to prominence at the start of the 60s. Titles include "Summertime", "I've Got The World On A String", "Too Close For Comfort", "But Not For Me", "Thou Swell", "Like Someone In Love", and "No Moon At All".

Excellent early work from trumpeter Red Rodney – one of the most compelling, and often overlooked talents of the 1950s, and a firey player with a tone unlike anyone else. This 19 track CD features tunes from his classic Modern Music From Chicago set for Fantasy, plus titles from the album Broadway, recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Brew Moore, and Kai Winding. Other players include Norman Simmons, Roy Haynes, Ira Sullivan, and Victor Sproles – and titles include "Dig This", "Red Is Blue", "Hail To Dale", "Coogan's Bluff", "Mark", and "The Baron".

Late 80s boogie funk from Cameo guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Singleton & Modern Man, though Charlie himself may very well be this Modern Man, as he also wrote and produced the record – with allstar assistance from his Cameo partners, Peabo Bryson and others! Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is his first for Epic, in a similar pop funk mode as Cameo's work of the time, though a bit leane and with Charlie's personal touches right out front. Thumping programming, some electro touches and some some blazing guitar by Charlie when the mood strikes! Includes "I Wanna Be With You", and 80s groove cover of "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)", "Spending Money", "Over My Head" with Peabo and a nice bit of sax, "Love Machine", "Vain", "Almost Over You" and more.

An excellent set that has the vocal talents of the Swingle Singers backed by the sweet and mellow instrumentation of the Modern Jazz Quartet! Given that John Lewis & Co were essentially local residents in Paris for so many years, it's amazing it took them until 1966 to hook up with Ward Swingle's hip vocal group – but the album's more than worth the wait, as the MJQ really help open things up, and take the Swingles into more complicated territory than before. Milt Jackson's vibes are especially great alongside the groovy vocals – and titles include "Little David's Fugue", "Vendome", "When I Am Laid In Earth", "Air For G String", and "Three Windows".

A heavy helping of Ethiopian grooves – pulled from the later volumes of the legendary Ethiopiques series, and served up here on a unique vinyl collection! The tunes are a nice mix of some of the best Ethio styles of the early 70s – and include a few standout funky numbers, plus some equally great tunes that mix jazzy styles with lots of exotic twists and turns! And there's something about the vinyl presentation that makes the music feel a bit different than on CD – a bit more urgent, perhaps – and with a crispness to the sound that's mighty nice. Titles include "Bey Lesenabetesh" by Getatchew Kassa, "Wefe Yelala" by Damtew Ayele, "Ber Anbar Seberelewo" by Tamrat Molla & Venus Band, "Lebene Sheweshew" by Samuel Beley, "Assiyo Belleme" by Mulatu, and "Yekermo Sew" by Sefou Yohannes.

Warm groovers galore – an incredible package of uptempo soul tracks from the 70s – cuts that are deeper than disco, but every bit as tight – all brought together to showcase a tremendous generation in music! There's a great mix of classics and underground numbers here – and the package is overflowing with greatness, especially at this price – a whopping 23 tracks in all, including a fair bit we haven't turned up in years – some really rare singles that are great to finally have on CD! The set's easily one of our favorites in this excellent Backbeats series – and titles include "Talkin Bout Poor Folks" by Lou Edwards & Today's People, "Make Me Believe In You" by Patti Jo, "I'm In Need Of Love" by Lou Courtney, "Love Don't Come No Stronger" by Jeff Perry, "Am I Cold Am I Hot" by Bill Harris, "Keep On Trying" by LTG Exchange, "I Couldn't Believe It" by David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks, "Are You Ready For This" by The Brothers, "Can We Share It" by Rick Shephard, "Lady In Red" by Ronnie Dyson, "Once I've Been There" by Norman Connors, "You Made A Believer Out Of Me" by Betty Lavette, "What About My Love" by Damaris, and "Get Out Of My Life" by Sharon McMahan.

No need to be a connoisseur to enjoy this set – because the tunes here are all plenty darn groovy – rare soul numbers with an instant appeal to our ears, thanks to their freshness and the quality of the work! The package features rare singles and a bunch of previously unissued tracks from the vaults of the Kent/Modern labels – most recorded at the end of the 60s, in a range of soulful styles! Some numbers have a sweeter feel, but many echo the headier sounds of the times – bringing in some funkier or psychedelic soul influences, even when the themes might be a bit more conventional, or the grooves a bit more mellow. As always with Kent, the package features loads of notes on the music – enough to help even a novice become a connoisseur after a few listenings – and the CD features 24 titles that include "Cut Me Loose" by Gene Taylor, "Beverly" by Billy Watkins, "If I'd Lose You" by Jackie Day, "That Righteous Feeling" by Marvin Phillips & The Spinners, "My Name Is Misery" by Al King, "I've Gotta Get You Back" by Mary Love, "I'm Guilty" by Vernon Garrett, "Can't Count The Days" by Jeb Stuart, "Baby Baby Baby" by Leon Peterson, "The Ta Ta Song" by Little Henry & The Shamrocks, and "It's OK" by Esther Williams.

But this album, if only for one track! The album's a collection of tunes by jazz guitarists – put together by Guitar Player magazine, and featuring rare tunes by a variety of different players. Our standout favorite is Lee Ritenour's version of "Valdez In The Country" – the great Donny Hathaway funk instrumental, handled here with a very different approach than the original! Other tracks range from straight jazz to swing to bossa – and titles include "Contrary-ness" and "Two For The Blues" by Barney Kessel & Herb Ellis, "Allison II" and "Django" by Joe Pass, "Guitar Player" and "Counting My Tears" by BB King, "Spain" and "Toronto Under the Sign Of Capricorn" by Larry Coryell, and "Lament In Tremolo Form" and "Feelings" by Laurindo Almeida.

Incredible work from drummer Rashied Ali – a set that really delivers on the promise of the music he first crafted with John Coltrane! The vision here is wide and expansive, yet still has a soulful, spiritual heart – a great balance of the free impulses of all players with the core unity of the group – a righteous energy that holds up strongly, even over the course of the album's two long tracks. The set's a great contrast to the work going on in the European scene at the time – and really shows how the American indie recording scene was able to capture performances in a more solid, focused sort of way. In addition to Ali's work on drums, the quartet also features excellent alto and flute from Carlos Ward, piano from Fred Simmons, and bass from Stafford James – the last of whom really ties the whole thing together with his sense of soul. Titles include "Akela" and "As Salaam Alikum".

Well, we don't know if Mr B could ever be considered "modern", but this is a pretty groovy batch of 60s pop tunes – like "Mister Kicks", "People", "Wanted", "Wives & Lovers", and "A Beautiful Friendship" – all done to arrangements by Billy Byers, Benny Carter, and Bobby Tucker, with that great mid 60s Mercury pop feel to them. There's some nice jazz elements in the mix, and Billy's always a treat for us!

Incredible stuff! The CD features work from four seminal modern mid 50s groups – all recorded at the Blackhawk nightclub in San Francisco at the height of their powers. About half the CD features work by a young Charlie Mariano – playing here with a sextet that includes Dick Collins on trumpet and Richard Wyands on piano, both perfectly matched players for Charlie's young, icy, modern tone. Remaining tracks feature the Vince Guaraldi quartet with Jerry Dodgion on alto, the Dodgion Quartet with Sonny Clark on piano, and the Ron Crotty trio with Vince on piano and celeste. The collection of tracks is extremely well put together – as all tunes are united by a post-bop approach that looks strongly towards modern jazz, yet which never fails to swing. Great stuff – and an essential chapter of the emerging 50s underground. Titles include "After Coffee", "Ginza", "Calling Dr Funk", "My Friend Ethel", "The Nymph", "The Groove", and "Between 8th & 10th on Mission Street".

An excellent compilation in the "funky jazz meets easy" vein – similar to some of the Brit easy ones we've stocked, like the Dimensions In Sound series. The groove runs from obscure European jazz to funky Brazilian to soulful easy tunes – and nearly all of the cuts aren't available elsewhere. Tracks include "Comin Home Baby" by Bob Bernard, "Chewing Gum Delerium" by Free Pop Electronic Experiment, "Blues For Hari" by Emil Richards, "Sunny" by Anita O'Day, "Beginnings" by Astrud Gilberto, "Lady Montego" by Ayers Rock, "My Love Is A Monster" by Clea Bradford, "Sambleebloo" by Johnny Teupen, "Berimbau" by Stanley Black, "Mambo Del Norte" by San Francisco Ltd, "Pobodizna" by Prazky Big Band, and "Little Green Apples" by Fats Sadi.

Sweet sounds from the soulful 70s – a massive batch of music that definitely earns the "masterpiece" in the title! The collection focuses on one of our favorite styles of the 70s – that warmly grooving mode that came to be known as "modern soul" – partly in contrast to the faster styles of Northern, and partly because there was a tightness of production and sophistication of arrangements that really pushed the whole groove forward! Work here is from a range of different scenes, and it's all pretty darn great – and all pretty darn obscure, too – no too-familiar tracks to clog up your listening, and instead a real discovery of gems that need to be rediscovered. Titles include "Go Away" by The Hesitations, "Pity A Fool" by Barbara Brown, "Sugar Love" by Pat Livingston, "Didn't I" by Darondo, "A State Of Mind" by James Carpenter, "This Man's Arms" by Loleatta Holloway, "So Much Love To This" by The Sweetens, "I Never Could Have Made It" by Jesse Davis, "What More Can I Ask For" by Betty Gouche, "Shake Off That Dream" by Eddie Billups & The CCs, "The Feeling Is Gone" by Rose Batiste, and "You Won't Be True" by Gloria Lucas.

A low price, but a really great package – one that's overflowing with some of the best recent work from the mighty Schema Records! If you read these pages at all, you'll know we think that Schema's one of the greatest things going these days – a modern label, but one that's committed to the real jazz grooves of earlier years – the bossa, modal, and soul jazz styles of the 60s and 70s – played in a mixture of real instrumentation and just a bit of dancefloor production, with a sound that's instant classic on nearly every release! This package is a great introduction to the Schema label's genius, and even if you've got some of the tracks here on other releases, the set is a really great way to hear all this music in one place – kind of a "best of the best" that's totally great! Titles include "Bluesanova" by Gerardo Frisina, "Moon Vision" by Soulstance, "I knew The Way" by Invisible Session, "On A Clear Day" by Was A Bee, "Emotional Dancing" by S-Tone, "Stay (In Mood)" by Paolo Fedreghini & Marco Bianchi, "Afrolicious" by Dining Rooms, "Esquema Da Bossa" by Quintetto X, "Today's Sound" by Intensive Jazz Sextet, and "Dreaming Of The Past" by Rosario Giuliani Quartetto.

A rich document of the growth in the Italian jazz scene in recent years – a great leap forward not just for individual musicians, but also for the Schema label as well! Schema first began in the 90s with a relatively programmed approach to jazz – a style that loved the classics, but often reworked them in modern production modes. Yet over the years, the company's really come to be a key home for real jazz and soulful sounds – moving past their original remix identity, to a point where they're arguably one of the most important jazz labels on the European scene! This nicely-priced batch of tracks is a great illustration of that growth – and features a few old Schema faves, mixed with newer artists who've flocked to the label in recent years – presented here in some unique remixes and other nice versions we haven't heard before. Titles include "Beyond The Days" by Gaetano Partiplio, "But Not For You" by Alessandro Maganini, "Hurt Me Bad" by Andrea Balducci, "Waltz For Emily" by Gerardo Frisina, "Banzo" by Rosalia De Souza, "Some Kind Of Blues (Grooveman Spot rmx)" by S-Tone Inc, "Welcome To My World (acoustic)" by Joyce Elaine Yuille, "Hear Us Now" by Christian Prommer's Drumlesson, "Alta Tensione 3am" by Alex Puddu, and "Good Life" by Timo Lassy.

Soul sounds that work perfectly together – on a set that's maybe the most compelling of the Soul Togetherness series so far! There's loads of great contemporary numbers here – some nuggets from the underground, a few more mainstream tracks, and even a few mixes that really transform the tunes – making their key appearance here in CD format. The vibe is deeply soulful throughout – as the set's put together by folks who also have a strong ear for classic soul and funk – and titles include "Turn It Up" by Kenny Thomas, "Don't Give Up" by Aaries, "Taking It Too Far" by Big Brooklyn Red, "Don't Wanna Wait" by Lew Kirton, "Save Our Freedom" by Bah Samba, "Running Around" by Cool Million, "1960 What (Opolopo kick & bass rerub)" by Gregory Porter, "Woo" by Anthony Hamilton, "Let It Go" by Jazzanova, "Thinking About You" by Maurissa Rose, "Share My Love" by R Kelly, and "You Did It Again" by Soulpersona & Princess Freesia.

A fantastic funky follow-up to the first Mr Thing compilation from BBE – and a set that's equally filled with rare and soulful grooves! If we didn't know better, we'd swear he went into our crates and pilfered our own record collections – because the package contains plenty of overlooked cuts that we've loved for years, but which have never gotten their due – and not even all of them are from totally obscure pressings or small indie labels – just the kind of records that people pass over sometimes, because they don't know how great they sound! There's lots and lots and lots of deeply funky numbers on the collection – and the package really takes us back to the glory days when BBE compilations were always turning us onto something new – especially during the Keb Darge glory days. 2CD set features one mixed disc, one unmixed – with titles that include "Back Ground Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Searching For Soul" by Jake Wade & The Soul Searchers, "ABC" by Hot Butter & Soul, "Spooky Do" by Dick Walter, "The Horse" by Val Merral's Orchestra, "It's Just Begun" by Hot City Bump Band, "Sally" by Frank Pleyer Big Band, "Love Is Just A Word" by Johnny Griffith Inc, "Can't Stop Talkin" by Art & Ron, "Family Affair" by The Generation Gap, "Gacek" by Jerzy Milian, "Rockin Chair" by John L Watson with White Mouse, "Pink Panther" by Alan Tew, "Twinkle Stars Boo Galoo (live)" by Oscar Harris & The Twinkle Stars, "The Message" by Tinga Stewart, and "Pru Urebu" by The Rias Orchestra.

A long-overdue collection of all the mixes, side-projects, and rare "Nicola Conte version" tracks that have cropped up in the past decade or so – work that's every bit as great as the material Conte includes on his own albums and singles! Nicola Conte's not a remixer – he's a re-imaginer – and when he sets out to serve up his own version of a track, he often starts from scratch – using his own band, his own arrangements, and his own key elements – all of which turn any projects for other artists into grooves that are very Conte-directed – the kind of classic jazz-infused gems that Nicola's been laying down on his own Schema Records label for over a decade! This double-disc set is filled with amazing work that Conte's done for other folks – and it also include a few rare and unreleased tracks under his own name as well – a massive helping of music that's really mindblowing throughout – sure to please any fan of Nicola, as well as anyone who digs the artists included in the package. Nicola Conte tracks include "Castles In The Rain", "Charade", "New Blues", "When I Wish Upon A Star", "Solo", "Black Is The Graceful Veil (acoustic version)", "Groovy Samba", and "All Or Nothing At All", which features vocals by Jose James! Other cuts include Conte mixes and reworks of "Stolen Moments (Midnight Mood rework)" by Mark Murphy, "Yellow Daisies" by Fertile Ground, "So Danco Samba (Nicola Conte rework)" by Til Bronner, "Terra De Ninguem" by Sabrina Malheiros, "Take Off (Campi's Idea version)" by Marco Di Marco, "3 Corners (For Friends & Relatives version)" by Five Corners Quintet, "You Are" by Povo, "Our Love" by Luisito Quintero, "Healing Blue (shape of jazz to come version)" by Sunaga T Experience, "Lotus Sun" by Maki Mannami, "Heaven (west coast vibes rmx)" by Bitter:Sweet, "Quiet Nights (out of the cool version)" by Re:Jazz, "Elevated States" by Thunderball, "Mood Indigo" by Akiko, "Take Five (Nicola Conte rmx)" by Roberto Roena, and "Kerma Elastica (Nicola Conte rmx)" by Bobby Hughes Combination.

An unusual record that's had folks puzzling for decades – but one that's also kept their interest too, thanks to the quality of the music on the set! The record's got an unusual gimmick – in that it promises to feature all-star players encumbered by record contracts with other labels – listed as possibilities on the back that include Howrad McGhee, Wardell Gray, Teddy Edwards, Charlie Parker, and others. Yet it's our guess that this might be a pretty obscure lineup, but a great one too – and most numbers are live recordings, done with a hell of a lot of bop fire – quite possibly pulled from that late 40s stretch when Crown/Modern Records was doing a great job of capturing some of the early bop in LA! There's more than a few trumpets at times – and we're guessing one might be McGhee – and given their penchant for recording Vido Musso and Wardell Gray, it's quite possible both of these players are in the mix too. Yet despite the lack of real data on the players, the whole thing's a musical treasure with plenty of soulful bop on offer. Titles include "Ben's Mood", "Steady Teddy", "Deep Purple", "Big Boy (parts 1 & 2)", "Why Not", and "Stompin".

The great city of Boston lost Babe Ruth in 1920, and it was pretty much all downhill until the Modern Lovers showed up at the end of the 60s. The two chord proto-punk, pomposity-busting brilliance of Jonathan Richman and his organ-heavy (courtesy of pre-Talking Head Jerry Harrison) Modern Lovers sounds better and better every time we hear it! This is the classic first album – with "Roadrunner", "Hospital", "She Cracked", "Modern World" and the rest, the one that they recorded around 1970 and which languished as a heavily bootlegged cult classic until it's first official release in the mid 70s!

Beautiful stuff – and a totally sweet mix of Japanese wood flute and sweet 60s sounds – a blend that we've come to love in these older albums from shakuhachi player Minoru Muraoka! The style is totally great – the lead wood sound blended with tight arrangements that run the gamut from swinging jazz to more soundtrack-styled numbers – all set to tunes familiar from Western sources, but coming across with a really different vibe! Imagine Herbie Mann's 60s albums for Atlantic, retuned for the Japanese market – and you'll get part of the sound of this set. Titles include "Mas Que Nada", "Girl From Ipanema", "Right Now", "The In Crowd", "Chanson D'Orphee", "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars", and "Caravan".

2 rare albums by this obscure soul jazz combo! The Modern Jazz Disciples are one of those groups that will make you scratch your head and say "who the heck were they?" Unfortunately, we can't answer that question with much information, except to tell you that they were part of the underground of tight local soul jazz acts that peppered America in the 60's, but hardly ever got recorded. Fortunately, these two sessions brought the group out of their native Cincinnatti for a session on New Jazz that ranks right up there with the best soul jazz sides on Prestige. Curtis Peagler (just about the only name in the group that we do recognize) plays alto and tenor, and William Kelly plays this crazy instrument called the Normaphone, which is a valve trombone in the shape of a saxophone, and which has a deep brass sound to it. William Brown plays piano, and the set rolls along with a gutbuckety soul jazz groove on cuts like "Disciples Blues", "Slippin & Slidin", "A Little Taste", "Kelley's Line", "Hapnin's", "Right Down Front", "Ros-Al", and "Along Came Cheryl".

The third volume in this very groovy series takes a distinct Brazilian turn – and opens up into a sparkling set of bossa jammers and hard jazzy numbers that are extremely well-selected for the set! Not all the tracks are Brazilian in origin, but they are all hard to find – and the groove's extremely solid throughout! Tracks include "Quo Vadis Samba" by Goykovic-Novacek, "Carcara" by Tempo Trio, "Tim Dom Dom" by Joao Donato, "Jangal" by Dom Um Romao, "Batucada Sergiu" by Luis Carlos Vinhas, "Grand Nite For Swinging" by Mary Lou Williams, "Consolacao" by Larry Willis, "Influencia Do Jazz" by Bossa Tres, "Mudei De Idea" by Osmar Milito, "Un Sabor Latino" by Ricardo Marrero, "Cobranca" by Carlos Penha, and "Tema Pro Lins" by Rosinha De Valencia. Lots more, too!

An amazing compilation – a decade in the making, and filled with wonderful grooves – most of which have never appeared on CD or LP reissues! And while the music itself is already wonderful, the package also includes an amazing 80 page book, too – a rich research project that digs deep into the American underground of the 70s – and features a wealth of photos, images, and historical details on music that never got it's due back in the day! The set's based around the groundbreaking series of Soul Cal 12" reissues put together by Stones Throw about a decade ago – wonderful records that unearthed rare grooves that fall beautifully in a space between funk and club – almost all originally issued on tiny little labels from all over the US, but working together to create a rich vibe in the set. Given the book, there's a Numero-like heft to the whole thing – although the range of grooves is even greater than one of their collections – and titles include "Ecology" by Anubis, "You Can Be A Star" by Luther Davis, "Don't Get Discouraged" by UPC All Stars, "Things Cannot Stop Forever" by Stanton Davis, "Free Your Mind" by Record Player, "Get Down" by Freedom Express, "Keep Running Away" by Clifford Nyren, "Love Is" by Leon Mitchison & The Eastex Freeway Band, "What It Takes To Live" by Key & Cleary, "I'm Gonna Miss You Girl" by Ellis & Cephas, "It's A Bad Feeling" by Mixed Sugar, and "Put A Smile On Time" by Rhythm Machine.

Soul sounds that work perfectly together – on a set that's maybe the most compelling of the Soul Togetherness series so far! There's loads of great contemporary numbers here – some nuggets from the underground, a few more mainstream tracks, and even a few mixes that really transform the tunes – making their key appearance here in CD format. The vibe is deeply soulful throughout – as the set's put together by folks who also have a strong ear for classic soul and funk – and titles include "Turn It Up" by Kenny Thomas, "Don't Give Up" by Aaries, "Taking It Too Far" by Big Brooklyn Red, "Don't Wanna Wait" by Lew Kirton, "Save Our Freedom" by Bah Samba, "Running Around" by Cool Million, "1960 What (Opolopo kick & bass rerub)" by Gregory Porter, "Woo" by Anthony Hamilton, "Let It Go" by Jazzanova, "Thinking About You" by Maurissa Rose, "Share My Love" by R Kelly, and "You Did It Again" by Soulpersona & Princess Freesia.

One of the hippest Milt Jackson albums of the 60s – a set that definitely lives up to its Museum Of Modern Art setting! The performance is one of the most famous from that museum's well-remembered series of 60s jazz concerts – and it features Milt Jackson's quintet really stretching out nicely – hitting sharper tones and bolder notes than in some of their other sessions of the decade, and possibly picking up a freer feel overall in the live setting. Milt's vibes are wonderfully accompanied by the reeds of Jimmy Heath and piano of Cedar Walton – both players who mix soul and modern elements in the same sort of perfect blend that Jackson hits. And the rhythm section is tightly snapping and soulful – never too groove-oriented, but always conscious of a sense of a swing – thanks to bass from Ron Carter and drums from Candy Finch. Tunes include "The Quota", "Novamo", "Enigma", "Turquoise", "Chyrise", "Montelei", "Simplicity & Beauty", "Flying Saucer", and "Namesake".

A double-length live set from the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded in Scandinavia in 1960, almost as a summation of the group's growing genius in the 50s! The tunes are a mix of John Lewis and Milt Jackson originals, plus other songs all given the wonderful MJQ twist – distilled into a sublime blend of piano, vibes, bass, and drums – all delivered with a sense of class, but never too much polish. The album is live, but still has that sophisticated composure that made the group so unique at the time – and the whole thing's a perfect complement to their famous studio albums on Atlantic! Set features 15 tracks in all – including "Django", "Bluesology", "La Ronde", "Festival Sketch", "Vendome", "Odds Against Tomorrow", "Skating In Central Park", "The Cylinder", "Bags' Groove", "I Should Care", "Round Midnight", and "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)".

The title's a bit clunky, but the grooves are wonderfully smooth – a great assortment of hard to find tracks from recent years, all brought together in one totally wicked set! The cuts here are pulled from a variety of sources – Japanese-only CDs, previously unreleased sessions, and now out of print albums – all with a warmly contemporary vibe, but one that's steeped in older soul modes from the 70s and early 80s. Many of the artists here are familiar, but they're represented by tracks you probably don't have in your collection – tunes that are definitely "desirables", both for their quality and rarity! Titles include "Bad Company" by Luther Vandross, "Dance" by Sara Devine, "Tell Me" by Tiffany, "For You" by Jack Herrera, "It's Good To Be Loved" by Ronee Martin, "For Goodness Sake" by K Fox, "Cloud 9 (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Donnie, "Dreamin Of One" by Trina Broussard, "Where Did We Go Wrong (so right mix)" by Incognito, "Days Like This (black sand mix)" by Kenny Lattimore, "No Matter What I'll Do" by Donald McCollum, and "Can't Get Over You" by Brigette McWilliams.