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Tried-and-true underground hip hop mixed with more experimental beathead touches from Blu – with collaborations and production by Exile, Shafiq Husayn, Flying Lotus, Dibia$e, Daedalus and more – plus appearances by U-God, J*Davey, Co$$, Pac-Div and more. Titles include "Doin Nothing" with U-God, "Everything OK" feat Ms Jack Davey, "Everybody Nose" feat Sa-Ra & Nola Darling, "Hours", "Annie Hall" feat Chop, Cherry Pop & Tiombe Lockhart, "Tags" feat Exile, "Spring Summer Winter Fall" feat Jimetta Rose, "Down To Earth" feat Donel Smokes, Definite & Double Oh, "Keep Pushinn", "Doin Something" feat Pac Div, U-N-I, J*Davey, Tiron & Ayomari and more.

A magnificent decade of music from Duke Ellington – the bulk of his fifties recordings for Columbia Records – all albums that really show the Duke stretching forth and greatly developing his style! The scope of performances here is breathtaking – as Ellington works with key sidemen of the postwar years, and moves into much longer-form recordings that before – tracks that help him deeply express his new ideas, and also make way for a few guest performers too. Each album comes in a tiny LP-styled sleeve, replicating the original record – and the box features the albums Masterpieces By Ellington, Ellington Uptown, A Drum Is A Woman, Such Sweet Thunder, Ellington Indigos, The Cosmic Scene, and At The Bal Masque – plus the Black Brown & Beige suite with Mahalia Jackson, and the Blue Rose album with vocals by Rosemary Clooney!

60s Chicago soul doesn't get any better than this – a sublime debut from the legendary Walter Jackson – done in a smoothly sophisticated style that set a whole new standard for the genre! The record steps off nicely from some of the earliest work by Jerry Butler and The Impressions – blending Chicago soul with more adult-styled orchestrations from Riley Hampton – at a level that has Jackson sitting beautifully across a number of different modes at once – still appealing to the kids with the uptown groovers on the set, but also reaching to an older crowd with the beautiful ballads and heartbreaking love songs. The sound is incredible – easily one of the most fully realized full-length soul records on the Okeh label – and titles include "What Would You Do", "There Goes That Song Again", "I Don't Want To Suffer", "That's What Mama Say", and "It's All Over". CD adds in 10 more bonus tracks – most of which are previously unissued – making for an amazing collection that's one of the first time that Jackson's work at Okeh is finally getting its due! Bonus titles include "The Heartbreak Road", "Anything Can Happen", "Blue Rose", "Starting Tomorrow", "Don't Play With Love", "It's Hard To Believe", "You Gotta Give", and "Tell The World".

70s country genius from CW McCall – the man who took the trucker style to a whole new level! Trucker country had been around for at least a decade before CW cracked the charts – mostly tracks about the hard life, lost loves, and weary eyes of the truck driver in the US. But McCall really stepped things up with these tracks recorded for MGM – showcasing not just the core culture that had grown up in the rising world of the interstates, but also the growing politics that came with the job of driving a truck in an era when gas prices rose and speed limits dropped. And sure, some of these tunes might be seen as throwaway novelty/story numbers – but they've got a surprising depth when heard together like this – and you can trust us on that, as McCall's "Convoy" was one of the first 45s we ever bought! The set features 25 tracks in all – including "Black Bear Road", "Old 30", "I've Trucked All Over This Land", "Four Wheel Drive", "Night Rider", "Classified", "Wolf Creek Pass", "Crispy Critters", and the seminal "Convoy".

Quite an unusual album from Helen Merrill – but a set that also shows that quite early on, she was a singer with a keen ear for working on larger concepts too! Merrill first rose to fame as a cool-voiced singer in the 50s, but she does a surprisingly great job here with country tunes as well – sung not exactly in a western mode, but more in a jazz-based style, with arrangements from Chuck Sagle, who really helps find a creative new setting for the songs! Given that most of the themes are pretty universal, they translate well to this new approach – and Merrill really opens up on the record, in ways she'd later do on other creative sessions like this overseas. Tracks include "Maybe Tomorrow", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Heart Full Of Love", "Cold Cold Heart", "Any Time", and "You Win Again".

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".

An incredible document of a key genre in 50s jazz on record – the jam session tradition, recorded beautifully for Verve records by the legendary Norman Granz! The idea of a jam session was nothing new at the time, of course, but it was mostly a live phenomenon – known to players from concerts and club dates, or presented on vinyl by Granz, in his celebrated Jazz At The Philharmonic sessions. These dates mark a move into the studio by Granz – one that captures the same sort of energy and unique pairings of musicians that went down in the live sessions, with the added benefit of studio technology to make the work sound even clearer, and more intimate. The 5CD set brings together all 9 Jam Session albums – packaged beautifully in a slipcase with original album cover art, and a full 72 page booklet on the musicians, sessions, and titles included. Players include nearly everyone who might have worked for Verve in the 50s – Benny Carter, Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Buddy DeFranco, and countless others – and titles include "Jam Blues", "Funky Blues", "Apple Jam", "Blues For The Count", "Jamming For Clef", "Rose Room", "Blue Lou", and "Lullaby In Rhythm" – all in very long versions!

An absolute treasure trove of rare soul singles from Pied Piper Productions – a mid 60s Detroit soul operation that features Funk Brothers Jack Ashford, Joe Hunter, and Mike Terry – laying down sounds that rival the best Motown groovers of the period! The work is amazing throughout – soul cuts heavily focused on the groove and amazing lead vocals – recorded in ways that are similar to the best of Detroit at the time, but with some rawer aspects too – which makes for a massive package of Northern Soul gems! The package features both solo singers and great groups too – artists who include Lorraine Chandler, The Hesitations, September Jones, The Cavaliers, Willie Kendrick, Nancy Wilcox, and – heard here on rare singles and LP tracks that were originally released on labels like Karate, Kapp, Ruby and Giant – plus a number of recently unearthed titles that are seeing release for the first time ever! The set features 24 tracks in all, and the usual superb Kent notes and packaging – with titles that include "I Can't Hold On" by Lorraine Chandler, "Stuttering Sam" by September Jones, "Gambler's Blues" by Nancy Wilcox, "This Heart Is Lonely" by Rose Batiste, "Just Can't Leave You" by Tony Hesher, "Could It Be" by Micki Farrow, "I Fell In Love (Can't Help It)" by Freddy Butler, "He'll Be Leaving You" by The Pied Piper Players, "If Only You Knew" by Mike & Ray, "Time Changes Things" by Willie Kendrick, and "Lonely Too Long" by The Sandpipers.

Definitely a well-titled set – given that the early 50s were some real breakout years for jazz in Sweden – a time when the nation's scene rose to become one of the most compelling in Europe – and gained a fair bit of followers from the US, too! The work here is incredible – not just as European jazz, but as modern jazz in general – music that rivals all the best experiments on the American west coast of the early 50s, and which also has some of the more soulful modernism coming out of the New York and Boston scenes too. The 3CD set is filled with some of the finest Swedish jazz recordings of the time – a whopping 55 titles, packaged in a sweet slipcase with two different booklets of notes and photos. Includes work by Charles Norman, Roffe Ericsons, Bengt Hallberg, Arne Domnerus, Carl-Henrik Norins, Bertil Dahlander, Sven Sjoholms, Arne Domnerus, Hep Cats, Lars Gullin, Leif Asp, and many others.

This ain't Chicago, but the sound here owes plenty to the Windy City as well – as the collection documents an amazing criss-crossing of cultural modes that occurred when early UK house musicians took the sound of the underground into the bigger British club scene! In a way, this music's a third chapter in a journey that began when the post-disco American underground were digging the styles of the British electronic generation – then began to craft their own music with early house productions from Chicago and Detroit. These rose in such popularity with UK listeners, that by the end of the 80s, the grooves reversed themselves, and flowed back over the Atlantic – inspiring musicians like these to take the best elements of American house music, particularly Chicago acid, and push it even further into something new! And while the generation yielded plenty of lame tracks and crossover pop, this set shows the real deal – those excellent initial singles that made digging UK singles almost as great as US ones, at least for a brief while. 2CD package features 24 titles that include "Take Me High (mansion mix)" by Colm III, "Show Me What You Got (acid mix part 1)" by SLF, "Jealousy & Lies" by Julian Jonah, "Where's The Love Gone (rmx)" by Julie Stapleton, "Safety Zone" by Exocet, "Pressure Dub" by Ability II, "1666 (pyro-maniac mix)" by MD Emm, "Free To Be" by Window Smashers, "Twin Tub" by Return Of The Living Acid, and "Crashing" by Baby Ford.

Beautiful sounds from the Chicago scene – a set that really showcases the new developments in the avant side of the spectrum in recent years! The group's made up of important players who've really helped push things forward with their own music – James Falzone on clarinet, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Jason Roebke on bass, and Tim Daisy on drums – with key help from Jeb Bishop on trombone, Josh Berman on cornet, Keefe Jackson on tenor and bass clarinet, and Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and electronics! The musicians' resumes should more than speak for themselves – but the difference here is that there's kind of an "historical modern" feel to the sound – a vibe a bit like some of the 482 releases in recent years – reaching back over 50 years of leftfield expression, but finding a new voice for it in the 21st Century. Things are almost always swinging, although never straight ahead – and the interplay of clarinet and vibes is especially nice, even when other horns are present. Titles include "Breakfast Feud", "Memories Of You", "Rose Room", "Other Doors", "Six Appeal", "The Wang Wang Blues", and "AC/DC Current".

A crazy bit of funk from drummer Roy Porter – a player who first rose to fame during the LA bop years of the late 40s, but who sounds even hipper here in the 70s! The album's got a madly skittish approach to funk – one that's highly rhythmic, but often in unconventional ways – somewhat similar to Redd Holt's excellent albums for the Paula label. Roy plays drums, percussion, and sings a bit – and the grooves run from break-heavy instrumentals to even cooler numbers that bring in more of a sense of flow and soul – really opening things up beyond any simple 70s jazz funk cliches, and hitting some really wicked new territory! Instrumentation includes plenty of great horns, electric piano, guitar, and even a bit of Arp – all used in really inventive anc reative ways. Titles include the classic crate-digging favorites "Panama" and "Party Time", plus a vocal version of "Jessica", a cover of Jobim's "Waver-ing", and another nice original called "Funny Feelin'"! Tremendous stuff all the way through!

Beautiful early work from vocalist Carol Sloane – material recorded with a very groovy guitar-based group, in the years before her better-known sides on Columbia Records! The style here is quite intimate – as Sloane's mostly singing in a small combo with guitar from either Chuck Wayne or Bucky Pizzarelli, both players with an open-toned sort of sound that really helps color in the vocals nicely. Marky Markowitz plays a bit of trumpet, but usually in a laidback way – and as on the album Hush-A-Bye, these sides were originally recorded by Larry Elgart, but never issued at the time! The material's making a first appearance here on the CD, augmented with one track that features Elgart's full orchestra – and titles include "Bewitched", "I've Got The World On A String", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Mood Indigo", "Walkin", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "Danny Boy", and "What's New".

The birth of Miami soul, and a beautifully done document of the rare Deep City label – home to Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Betty Wright in the years before Alston and TK Records! Way before Miami soul started cracking the charts at the start of the 70s, Deep City was already putting the best parts in place – working with a tight roster of artists and an equally tight in-house band that rose from the ranks of Florida A&M's Marching 100 band – razor-sharp instrumentalists who helped forge a groove worthy to rival the sounds of Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and even the best of Detroit at the time – given that some of the work here has a much sweeter soul sound than other 60s southern soul. As usual, the Numero team have done an incredible job with the package – pulling out rare photos, personal stories, and just the right amount of information to breathe new life into the Deep City label and help it live anew. CD features 17 tracks in all – including "Paralyzed" and "Good Lovin" by Betty Wright, "Am I A Good Man" by Them Two, "Someone To Fulfill My Needs" and "I Love You Baby" by The Moovers, "I Am Controlled By Your Love" and "Willing & Able" by Helene Smith, "Good Thing (part 1)" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "It's My Baby" and "The Upset" by Paul Kelly, and "Stay Away From My Johnny" by Freda Gray & The Rocketeers.

The follow up to the burning Showcase set and second LP finding the harmony trio of Michael Rose, Puma Jones and Duckie Simpson under the heavy guidance of Sly & Robbie. While it didn't produce as many singular hits as the preceding set or the following Red LP, this album's still solid from top to bottom, with mighty, might Taxi productions grooves throughout. 10 tracks in all: "Happiness", 'World Is Africa", "Push Push", "There Is Fire", "No Loafing (Sit & Wonder)", "Sinsemilla", "Endurance" and "Vampire", plus the added bonus tracks "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (discomix)" and "Sinsemilla (discomix)", and newly remastered too!

A gracious and soulful gospel jazz effort from Don Byron – a set inspired by Thomas Dorsey and Sister Rosetta Tharpe – and he serves both proudly! The set includes a number of Dorsey compositions, plus some nice takes on traditional "Didn't It Rain", Eddie Harris's "Sham Time" and a few other solid interpretions. Also includes the standout Don Byron original "Himmm". Byron plays clarinets on a few numbers, on top of always warm and inventive saxes, with DK Dyson singing, Xavier Davis on piano and backing vocals, Brad Jones on bass and backing vocals and Pheeroan Aklaff on drums – with guests Brandon Ross, Vernon Reid, Dean Bowman, Ralph Alessi & JD Parran. Includes "Highway To Heaven", "When I've Sung My Last Song", "It's My Desire", "Take My Hand, Precious Lord", "Hide Me In Thy Bosom", "I've Got To Live The Life I Sing About In My Song", "When I've Done My Best" and more.

A pair of dramatic action soundtracks, both for Don Siegel films – each with a slightly different feel! The CD begins with ten tracks from the 1962 military thriller Hell Is For Heroes – scored by Leonard Rosenman with a subtle sense of drama at points – the kind of different gentle instrumental passages needed to support the diverse personality in the cast – which includes Bobby Darin, Bob Newhart, Fess Parker, and Steve McQueen! Things are pretty restrained, but in a good way – mostly that sort of tense holding back you'd get in a 60s thriller, than any over the top military moments. Titles include "The Mine Field", "Back To The Line", "Off Limits Bar", "Reese", and "Homers Disappointment". Escape From Alcatraz is a great Jerry Fielding score for a late 70s Clint Eastwood film – almost a reverse heist, given the subject matter – with the sort of brooding, tense moments, followed by bursts of action – as you'd get in a heist score. Fielding's music has a great way of conveying the literal darkness and shadows in many of the scenes on the screen – and there's a few moments that have a weird crackle, almost an instrumental sound effect of sorts. Titles include "To The Finish Line", "Trial Run", "Nosey Cop", "The Pipe", "Carpenter Shop", "Cockroach", and "Welcome To Alcatraz".

An excellent record from Hiss Golden Messenger – who blend rootsy, but freewheeling instrumentation with artful, ambitious songwriting – and they're one of the most creative groups around making brilliantly original music that still hold true to southern folk and roots history The anchors are singer/guitarist/mandolin player MC Taylor and guitar and bass player Scott Hirsch – but the music is fleshed out by a large group of great musicians on a diverse list of instruments – piano, Rhodes and Hammond on the keyboards spectrum, banjo, fiddle, pedal steel and and array of acoustic and electric strings, sax and more. In a way, it's the mix of traditional reverence and straight up newness is reminiscent of The Band in the late 60s and early 70s – but they ultimately have a vibe all their own. Includes "Red Rose Nantahala", "Sufferer (Love My Conqueror)", "I've Got A Name For The Newborn Child", "Devotion", "Hat Of Rain", "The Serpent Is Kind (Compared To Man)", "Cheerwine Easter", "Busted Note", "What Shall Be (Shall Be Enough)".

Fred Lonberg-Holm at his collaborative best – working with a great group of Chicago citizens, each of whom shape the others' sound in the set! Parts of the record have Lonberg-Holm's older style of arch avant energy – an almost academic mode that comes across with thoughtfully expressive passages. Yet other sides of the music are much more freewheeling – and almost swinging, which is quite a change for Fred – but a welcome one too! Things never get too conventional, as the older modes grab back the newer ones from time to time – making for a rich set of sounds that come from Lonberg-Holm on cello and guitar, Aram Shelton on alto and clarinet, Keefe Jackson on tenor and bass clarinet, Josh Berman on cornet, Anton Hatwich on bass, and Frank Rosaly on drums – and, oddly, at some point nearly every band member plays some form of trumpet, too. Titles include "Infra Pass", "It's A Tough Grid", "Later News", "Lazy Day", "Roses", and "Simpler Days".

Mos Def's first for Downtown after a weird few years on Geffen that saw many a bumped street date, the hit & miss New Danger, and finally, the semi aborted release of the controversial True Magic – back with a top shelf, excellent album in 2009's The Ecstatic! It may not be Black Star or Black On Both Sides, but The Ecstatic is absolutely strong stuff, and to be honest, much better than we would have expected – even if we knew he had great hip hop left in him! The beats are compelling, unpredictable, and steeped in abstract global funk that would sound at home on Stones Throw – some of the beats are literally Stones Throw, given Madlib's Beat Konducta and Oh No's Oxperimental sounds to be found. If we weren't already loving it, Slick Rick drops an unforgettable guest appearance on the the moody "Auditorium", Georgia Anne Muldrow does her inimitable thing on "Roses", and Talib Kweli rhymes on "History". Mos rhymes skillfully throughout, and with an infectious immediacy, as if he dropped records this tight all the time. Sadly, he doesn't, so this one's all the more rewarding! Other tracks include "Twilite Speedball", "Revelations", "Pretty Danger", "Quiet Dog", "The Embassy", "Wahid", "Priority" and more.

One of those great overlooked dates from Gerry Mulligan's sometimes-ignored stretch of the mid 70s – a time when he was really trying out some excellent new musical experiments! This cooking set features his baritone in a group that really cooks nicely – and in ways that are quite different than you'd ever expect from the Mulligan of the 50s – and maybe even the Gerry of the 60s too! There's a bit of electricity in the group – thanks to Fender Rhodes from Tom Fay and guitar from Mike Santiago – and that element is a surprisingly wonderful complement to Gerry's baritone – which only seems to have a deeper sense of soul in comparison. Dave Samuels adds in some excellent vibes – and the other players include George Duvivier on bass and Bobby Rosengarden on drums – on titles that include "Strayhorn 2", "Idol Gossip", "Taurus Moon", "Waltzing Mathilda", and "Walk On Water". Also features a bonus "Jazzspeak" track – a 16 minute interview!

Jazz in romantic places, but some pretty groovy ones too – a host of global destinations all referenced in the track selection for the set! Dave Pell's tenor is at the lead on most numbers, but the octet's in fine formation too – arranged by Jack Montrose, Marty Paich, Johnny Mandel, and Shorty Rogers – the last of whom also produced the album, and manages to give it the same sort of feel as his own great sets for Atlantic at the time! The style is prime west coast 50s – with a classic cover to match – and players include Bob Gordon on baritone sax, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Ray Sims on trombone, and Donn Trenner on piano and celeste. Titles include "New Orleans", "Flying Down To Rio", "Paris In The Spring", "Memphis In June", "Isle Of Capri", "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "On A Slow Boat To China", and "London In July".

Rare work from British singer Rosemary Squires – a vocalist we hardly know at all, but one who really stands out strongly in these excellent 60s recordings! Rosemary's got a mature, sophisticated style that's very much the best female mode of the time – that all-adult style of singing that was emerging in the 60s – kind of post-pop, post-torch – not afraid to show off its charms when needed, but very self-possessed of its other strengths as well. The arrangements often help Squires hit this mature mode quite well – handled by UK talents Wally Stott, Ken Thorne, John Gregory, and Robert Mandell – and the choice of material is mostly older numbers, but taken into very fresh territory by these talents – hardly just a batch of musty evergreens, and instead remade into vehicles for a new sort of expression. Titles include "I've Got You Under My Skin", "The Shining Sea", "Do It Again", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Just In Time", "But Not For Me", "Whatever Lola Wants", and "Till There Was You".

A killer package – two full albums, plus bonus tracks too! First up is Maybe – amazing early work from the Three Degrees – tracks cut before their more famous disco years in the 70s – but already showing a whole new approach to girl group soul! At some level, the trio take off strongly from the best late 60s styles of The Supremes – taking the most righteous elements, and working them into a hip new take on female soul – often using slight undercurrents of funk, in ways that are a bit like Honeycone, but even groovier! Arrangements are by Sammy Lowe and Steve Swanson – who bring in a nice east coast bite – and titles include "Sugar On Sunday", "Rosegarden", "You're The One", "The Magic Door", "Collage", "Maybe", and "You're The Fool". Next is So Much Love – a great illustration of the way the female trio could really take off – even without the disco grooves that would later bring them fame! There's a bouncy sound to most numbers here – a bit of Northern Soul here, some 60s mod there – and the girls' vocals are even more amazing than we remember them in later years – really at the top of the girl group pack for the time. Arrangements are by Hutch Davie, Tony Camillo, and Bert DeCoteaux – and titles include "Maybe", "Trade Winds", "I Do Take You", "Who Is She (And What Is She To You)", and "Magic Mirror". 2CD set features a whopping 23 bonus tracks – including "Handle With Care", "Shades Of Green", "Requiem", "Isn't It A Pity", "Yours (long single version)", "There's So Much Love All Around Me (mono)", "Through Misty Eyes (mono)", and mono takes of many album tracks!

A German disco extravaganza – and a much-needed look at one of the strongest 70s club outlets next to the US! At first glance, the mix of Germany and disco might seem like an unlikely fit – but the German scene gave the world some key disco hits back in the 70s, as well as a huge variety of underground and lesser-known gems! The German approach was often a bit heavier on electronics than the American one – modes that were slightly pulled from prog and fusion that was bubbling around earlier in the decade, then fused into a cleaner, leaner, more rhythmic groove – and often topped with vocals in English, sometimes by American vocalists living overseas. Even the older German instrumentalists got in on the act – and the 70s saw both jazz and easy players hitting a disco groove with a new approach to their music! This great collection – put together by the folks who gave us The In Kraut – showcases all these aspects of the scene, and brings together a few hits with a lot more obscure gems – many of which we've never seen on this side of the Atlantic before. Titles include "Opium" by Peter Thomas, "Philodendron" by Veronika Fischer, "Illegal Toys" by Alfie Khan Sound Orchestra, "Lovemachine" by Supermax, "You've Got The Power (parts 1 & 2)" by Su Kramer, "Fashion Pack" by Amanda Lear, "Weider Zusammen" by Marianne Rosenberg, "Sex World" by Berry Lipman, "Get On The Funk Train (part 1)" by Munich Machine, "I Can't Move No Mountains" by James Last, "Treat Me Like A Woman" by Jackie Carter, "Feedback Brother" by Peter Herbholzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass, "Disco Cisco" by Carsten Bohn's Bandstand, and "Love In A Sleeper" by Silver Convention.

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind.

An amazing look at the psychedelic scene in late 60s Memphis – music that's really mindblowing for the time, yet which often never got its due – given the stronger mainstream focus on Memphis as a hub for blues and soul! (In other words, had any of these cats hit the Sunset Strip in the late 60s, they would have been huge!) Given that Memphis already had a strong studio scene in place – where some of these musicians worked on other sessions – the recordings here are incredibly advanced – often full of cool production techniques and other little twists and turns – all elements that take already-great fuzzy, freaky, hairy rock and roll – and turn it into something even more incredible by the time it's caught on tape! Most of these names are new to our ears, and the package is definitely a historical treasure trove – as pleasing to our record collectors' sensibilities as the music is to our ears. Sound quality is excellent, and many numbers have not been issued before – titles that include "Eat Me Alive" and "We're In Town" by The Goatdancers, "Crazy Man's Woman" and "Shoo Shoo Shoo Fly" by Greg McCarley, "Blue Music Box" by Changin Tymes, "For Your Love" by the Honey Jug, "Rockin In The Same Old Boat" by Triple X, "Deja Vu" by Judy Bramlett, "Come On Along & Dream" by The Poor Little Rich Kids, "Flying Horse Of Louisiana" by Knowbody Else, "Dancing Girl" by The 1st Century, and "Ticket To Ride" by Mother Roses – plus an advertisement for The Goatdancers too!

The first two volumes in this legendary series – back to back in one set! Volume 1 is an amazing collection – and one that really helped completely revise our understanding of Caribbean music! The collection features a fair bit of artists with roots in the West Indies, but who made a huge impact on London's postwar immigrant population – the new rise of non-native residents who were swelling the ranks of the city in the years after the way – bringing with them new cultures, new sounds, and new traditions – with all the requisite ideas and politics that might imply! The work here often has a subtle social agenda – working through themes important to these new Londoners, yet still echoing modes of the homeland as well – often with great musical backings that's heavy on percussion, jazzy instrumentation, and very upbeat rhythms. Titles include "London Is The Place For Me" by Lord Kitchener, "I Was There" by Young Tiger, "Some Girl Something" by The Lion, "No Carnival In Britain" by Mighty Terror, "Jamaica Hurricane" by Lord Beginner, "Birth Of Ghana" by Lord Kitchener, "Victory Test Match" by Lord Beginner, "Spanish Calypso" by The Lion, "Bulldog Don't Bite Me" by Timothy, "My Landlady" by Lord Kitchener, "If You're Not White You're Black" by Lord Kitchener, and "Aguiti" by Lord Invader. Volume 2 compiles the stylistically varied music coming from the emergent West Indian and African communities of 50s and 60s London – far more than just the topical, and often quite whimsical calypso tunes of the era! Calypso is well represented, but the set includes strains of jazz, percussive instrumentals that veer towards native Trinidad and Nigeria, and loads of Caribbean grooves! It's all exceptionally bright – with some lovingly, and knowingly, naive vocals that are as sweet as they are wise. A truly wonderful compilation. Essential! 20 tracks in all: "Calypso Be" by Young Tiger, "Yolanda" by Ambrose Campbell, "Calypso Blues" by Mona Baptiste, "My Wife's Nightie" by Lord Kitchener, "Ominara" by West African Rhythm Brothers, "Gerrard Street" by King Timothy, "ET Mensah's Rolling Ball" by West African Swing Stars, "West Indian Drums" by Russ Henderson, "Gbonimawo" by Rans Boi's Ghana Highlife Band and more!

Two groundbreaking collections in one cool package! Volume 3 is one of our favorite volumes in the London Is The Place For Me collection – and a brilliant batch of work that criss-crosses West African, West Indian, and postwar jazz styles! Most of the recordings here were done under the leadership of Ambrose Adekoya Campbell – a transplant to London from Lagos in the postwar year, and an artist who had a huge influence on the changing rhythms of his scene. Campbell mixed styles of his roots with those of the larger London community around him – in a way that let in more Latin and Caribbean influences to more traditional African styles – often using guitar in a high-life styled way, but also bringing in some key jazz phrasings as well. Titles include "We Have It In Africa", "Iku Koni Payin", "I Am A Stranger", "Lagos Mambo", "Ela Da Awa", "and "Calabar-O" by West African Rhythm Brothers; "The Wind In A Frolic" and "Unity" by Nigerian Union Rhythm Group; "Ibikunle Alakija" by Ayinde Bakare & His Meranda Orchestra; and "Late Ojo Davies" and "Geneva Conference" by West African Rhythm Stars. Volume 4 features a collection of incredible work from the postwar, post-colonial years in the UK! As with other volumes, there's an array of Carribean and African influences at work here – often highly rhythmic and performed with lots of percussion, but also served up in ways that has the original modes coming into contact with more contemporary UK styles! Most of the work here was recorded in London, but overflowing with global styles that include mentos, high life, calypso, Latin, and even a bit of jazz – played by an array of artists who all found new means of expression in the capital. Titles include "Mambo Indio" by Shake Keane, "Alphonso In Town" by Lord Kitchener, "Give Her The No 1" by Eric Hayden, "Khauleza" by Dorothy Masuka, "Chicken & Rice" by Young Tiger, "Egyptian Bint Al Cha Cha" by Ginger Johnson, "Don't You Go Away" by Cab Kaye, "Highlife Piccadilly" by The African Messengers, "Darling Don't Say No" by Nat Akins, "African Jazz Cha Cha" by Ginger Johnson, "Piccadilly Folk" by Lord Kitchener, and "Ilu Oyinbo Dara" by Victor Coker.

Brand new, indeed – music from a time when the Swedish jazz scene was really overflowing with fresh ideas – many of them home grown, and some of them a local answer to modern trends from the US and other parts of Europe at the time! The scope of music here is really wonderful – as some musicians really stretch out, and start to carve the kind of modern edge that's made Scandinavian jazz some of the freshest of the 60s – while others refine some older Swedish ideas in jazz, but inflect them with groovier 60s touches that are definitely appreciated by our ears! As with other sets in this series, the track list is wonderful – a whopping 4CDs, with 67 titles in all – many of which we haven't seen on other reissues at all – in a handsome slipcase with a big booklet of notes and photos too. Includes work by Monica Zetterlund, Bernt Rosengren, Staffan Abeleen, Gals & Pals, Bengt Frippe Nordstrom, Eje Thelin, Thomas Fehling, Jazz Doctors, Jan Johansson, Knud Jorgensen, Lars Sjosten, Nils Lindberg, Lars Lystedt, Arne Domnerus, Swedish Modern Jazz Group, Kurt Lindgren, and many others!

An amazing record – quite possibly one of the greatest jazz albums of all time, and a session that has Charles Mingus stepping boldly forward in a whole new direction! The album shakes loose the sometimes too-academic modern tones of Mingus albums from the previous year or two – and unleashes the bold, raw emotion that would drive him firmly into the 60s – a new sense of freedom in music, filled with poetry, anger, joy, and life! The tracks are all quite long – and played by a sharp quintet with Mingus on bass, Jackie McLean on alto sax, JR Monterose on tenor, Mal Waldron on piano, and Willie Jones on drums. Titles include "Pithecantrhopus Erectus", "A Foggy Day", "Love Chant", and "Profile of Jackie". The whole thing bubbles over with an anger and intensity that you hardly find in other Mingus albums, and if you've ever heard a weak Mingus album, and wondered what all the fuss was about, you owe it to yourself to own this one! We promise that it will never ever let you down.

The only Blue Note album ever recorded by JR Monterose – one of the more enigmatic figures of the 50s scene! Montrose was a brilliant player, with a tone and a solo conception that were very unique – but he lapsed in relative obscurity, due to the fact that he had a penchant for retreating to far-off locales, like upstate New York or western Iowa, where he would woodshed and get his bag back together after the stresses of big city life. Fortunately, he left behind a few excellent recordings – including this rare one for Blue Note. The record features Monterose in the company of Horace Silver on piano, Ira Sullivan on trumpet, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – and the tracks are a heavy-hitting showcase that's perfect for his great tenor work. Titles include "Marc V", "Ka-Link", "Wee-Jay", and "Bobbie Pin".

A great assemblage of Billy Joe Shaver's excellent, overlooked 80s records for Columbia – from a time when most mainstream country was getting glossier and more cliched – and Billy was sticking to hardscrabble yet soulful outlaw roots! This 2CD set includes the complete I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be A Diamond Someday) and Billy Joe Shaver albums from '81 and '82 – which are among his best ever – plus the nearly as strong Salt Of The Earth from a few years later, and a non-LP bonus track. Titles include "Fit To Kill And Going Out In Style", "Blue Texas Waltz", "Ragged Old Truck", "I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal", "Bottom Dollar", "Old Five And Dimers Like Me", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Swwet Mama", Hardworkin' Man", "Devil Made Me Do It The First Time" (a newer and more electric version of his classic "Black Rose"), "Fun While It Lasted", "I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train", "Blue Texas Waltz", the B-side "Love You 'Till The Cows Come Home" and more. 31 tracks in all!

A key turning point for Johnny Hammond Smith – 2 hip albums from the latter half of the 60s, a time when he was really changing up his groove! First up is Soul Flowers, one of Johnny's most obscure records – and a great little album that's filled with short tracks played by a largeish group – all in a groove that's almost got a cop show feel! The album's got a gritty, dirty feel that's totally great – a nice change from Johnny's early 60s soul jazz, and a definite nod at the funk that would come in the 70s. There's twin tenors on the date from Houston Person and Earl Edwards – who often blow together on the heads, creating a mini-horn section sort of feel that then breaks up into more of a small combo mode as the set rolls on. Guitar is by the wonderful Wally Richardson, who works alongside electric bass from Jimmy Lewis – rumbling nicely next to Hammond's newly-lean sound on the organ. Added congas from Richard Landrum round out the set – and titles include the wonderful "NYPD", plus "Dirty Apple", "Ode To Billie Joe", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Tara's Theme", and "I Got A Woman". Dirty Grape is excellent work from Johnny Hammond Smith – a record that really lives up to the "dirty" in the title! The approach here is a bit like some of Jimmy McGriff's recordings at the end of the 60s – organ soloist riffing around on some short hard tracks, with a bit of electric bass in the mix to soup things up a bit, rhythm-wise! The players include Wally Richardson on guitar – whose solos and sound are almost as important to the date as Johnny Hammond's – plus the twin team of Houston Person and Earl Edwards on tenor, Fender bass by Jimmy Lewis, drums by John Harris, and added conga by Richard Landrum. Tracks include some very groovy numbers – like "Dirty Grape", "Animal Farm", and "Black Strap Molasses" – plus covers of "To Sir With Love", and "Love Is A Hurtin Thing".

Beautiful set of some of the gems to come out of the New York uptown soul sessions from the mid and late 60's – including "My Neighborhood" by Billy Byers, "Sugar" by The Jive Five, "The Hurt" by Freddie North", "Welcome to Dreamsville" by Sammy Ambrose, "In My Tenement" by Roosevelt Grier, and loads of other great tracks by Jimmy Radcliffe, Brooks O'Dell, Lonnie Satin, and other artists slaving away in the uptown studios to create these little gems of lost soul! The sound is crystal-perfect – and the interplay between vocals and arrangements show the counterpoint of the uptown genre working 100%!

A wonderfully groovy album from Swedish reedman Bernt Rosengren – and a set that features key solo work from American players Horace Parlan on piano and Doug Raney on guitar! We'll admit that these players were what first drew us to the record – but we're honestly most impressed with Rosengren's work here – especially his amazing arrangements for the larger ensemble, which come across with the soulful styles and great mix of tones and colors you'd get in some of Quincy Jones' best big band work of the early 60s – maybe updated a bit more here with some of the modern elements that Bernt and his contemporaries are able to add. Parlan, Raney, and Rosengren all get plenty of room to solo – and one track features a nice trumpet solo from Lars Farnlof too – on titles that include "Hip Walk", "New Life", "Joe & Eye", "Naima", "The Humming Bees", "Blues Nerves", and "Sad Waltz".

Pretty great stuff – two groovy albums from German maestro Kai Warner, back to back on a single CD! Warner Plays Wagner is exactly what it sounds like – Kai takes on a host of compositions from Richard Wagner – but the results sound even better on record than they do on paper – thanks to Warner's groovy way of mixing strings together with early 70s production modes – all in ways that are far less classical than kind of a hip sort of soundtrack or sound library sort of vibe! Strings are heavy, but the grooves are too – and there's often a nice little bounce on the bottom, which cuts through the orchestrations in a great way, with lots of nice moments you wouldn't expect. Titles include "Tannhauser", "Am Stillen Herd In Winterszeit", "Lohengrin", "Dir Ton Lob", and "Lied An Den Abensternd". Swingin Johann is a whole new take on the music of Strauss – big band versions of older waltz numbers from the 19th century, but pepped up with plenty of that economic miracle German mode of the 70s! Instrumentation is jazz-based, but gets some sound library touches too – a bit of electrification in the bass, and some smoothing in the production – and even a bit of keyboards too. The end result isn't far from Berry Lipmann at the time – and titles include "Wiener Bonbons", "Annen Polka", "Wer Uns Getraut", "Rosen Aus Dem Suden", "Schatz Walzer", "Thema Aus Die Fledermaus", and "Kunstlerleben".

A great overview of the prog rock explosion in early 70s Italy – a scene that was really brimming over with top-shelf music – most of which never made it to our shores at the time! The Italian prog artists had a tightness that was different than some of their contemporaries on the European scene – and at some levels, they were probably closest to the best and biggest of the Brit prog groups – given the inherent tunefulness of most of these tracks, and the impeccable musicianship – played here in ways that are full and filled with flourishes, but which also have a good sense of economy too. The set's overflowing with key cuts, and comes with a booklet with notes in Italian – and a CD that features 18 tracks that include "Generale" by PFM, "Via Beato Angelico" by Perigeo, "Culto Disarmonico" by Delirium, "Orizzonti Iontani" by Gli Alluminogeni, "Fiori E Colori" by Le Orme, "Lucifero" by Metamorfosi, "Degli Uomini" by Museo Rosenbach, "Nu Gatto Come Nu Lione" by Canzoniere Del Lazio, and "I Cavalieri Del Lago Dell'Ontario" by New Trolls.

An incredible follow up to the first New Orleans Funk compilation on Soul Jazz – even harder-hitting than the first, and filled with funky rare gems! This set took nearly a decade to follow the first, but it's been well worth the wait – and the crew at Soul Jazz have clearly used all that time to dig way past the obvious on the New Orleans scene, and come up with a really incredible batch of all-funky cuts all the way through! Even if you've got a dozen other New Orleans funk collections in your collection, you'll find plenty here to win you over – as the package goes out of its way to pull cuts from rare singles and under-reissued material – then wraps the whole thing up with the usual extra-thorough Soul Jazz approach to liner notes and details. And while some of the names are familiar here, they're nicely interspersed with lesser-known folks who keep things fresh – making for a winning lineup that really sets a new standard for this sort of set. Titles include "The Twitch" by Danny White, "Street Parade" by Earl King, "Four Corners" by Lee Dorsey, "Hot Tamales" by The Prime Mates, "Tequila" by Allen Toussaint, "Right Place Wrong Time" by Ray J, "Gossip" by Cyril Neville, "Hold On Help Is On The Way" by G Davis & R Tyler, "Funky Belly" by Warren Lee, "I'm Mr Big Stuff" by Jimmy Hicks, "The Rubber Band" by Eddie Bo, "12 Red Roses" by Betty Harris, "What Do You See In Her" by Inell Young, "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Bonnie & Sheila, "Yeah You're Right You Know You're Right" by The Gaturs, "The Tap" by Porgy Jones, and "Bo Diddley" by Art Neville.

One of Don Cherry's most hypnotic albums ever – a full album-length performance that features one of his first experiments with mixing jazz and global elements! The set was captured at the 1968 Berlin Jazz Festival – and mixes Cherry's amazing work on cornet, flute, and a myriad of world instruments with key contributions from European improvisers who include Eje Thelin on trombone, Bernt Rosengren on tenor and oboe, Karl Berger on vibes, Joachim Kuhn on piano and prepared piano, and Albert Mangelsdorf on trombone! There's even a bit of gamelon elements in some of the music, and Sonny Sharrock plays guitar too – and although free at times, the music comes together with an amazing sense of cohesion by the end – a vision that would inspire others to move into new territory in the decade to come.

Woody Shaw's debut for Columbia Records – and easily one of the most soulful major label jazz sessions of the 70s! The album's a beautiful summation of all that Shaw had done in the years before – his soaring, searing lines that first came to play as a sidemen for others, then took new shape on the Muse label as a leader – all really hitting home here in an immaculately put-together set! The album's still got all the best soul jazz elements of Shaw's work from a few years before, but it's even more powerful in its presentation – with none of the mis-steps that could sometimes mar Woody's albums when he wasn't hitting on all burners. Shaw plays both trumpet and flugelhorn, and the rest of the lineup includes Carter Jefferson on tenor and soprano sax, Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. Joe Henderson blows on three number – and titles include "Rosewood", "Every Time I See You", "The Legend Of Cheops", "Rahsaan's Run", "Sunshowers" and "Theme For Maxine". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Isabel The Liberator", "Joshua C", and "Why".

Hard Philly soul from the hands of Wally O – aka Wally Osborne, one of the the best independent producers working in Philly during the late 60s. This set of 22 tracks digs through some of Wally's best work – mostly male group sides, done in a mixture of styles that includes uptempo groovers and sweet harmony ballads – and all either issued as rare singles on labels like Toxsan or Womar, or never issued at all, and appearing for the first time on this CD. The harmony tracks are incredible – the kind of late night slow tracks that always send us scrambling for the liner notes to see who's blowing our mind – and overall, the quality of work on this CD matches the best of any of our other sweet soul or harmony classic titles. Tracks include "Dear One", "A Nicer Girl", and "Tears Tell The Story" by The Topics; "I'm So Glad", "Tell Me So", and "I Found True Love" by Herb Johnson & The Impacts; "Kisses & Roses" and "When I'm With You" by The Four Thoughts; "You Can't Have Your Cake" and "I Wish I Knew" by Bobby Holland; "Without You Babe" and "Cold Cold Love" by Jeri & Joe; "Cement Plaster & Gold" by The Natural Soul Brothers; "It Wasn't A Lie" by Topaz; and "My Life Depends On You" by The Passionettes.