All Categories — All Formats  

A great step forward for the Afro Latin Vintage Orchestra – even better than their previous album, and a set that beautifully mixes together jazz, Latin, and African elements into one seamless groove! Percussionist Masta Conga is at the head of the group – leading the ensemble with a unique vision that's less of the overdone Afro Funk you might know from other contemporary combos – and more of a classic 60s blend of elements – especially that unique hybrid of Latin modes you'd get from west coast groups – like the Afro Latin Soultet or Afro Blues Quintet – both clear choices of inspiration, given this group's name! Yet there's also some 70s elements moving through the grooves too – thanks to great Fender Rhodes lines, and bits of other keyboards too – often used in these cool spare ways that work perfectly with the mix of funk and Latin in the rhythms, and occasional bits of strings as well. Most tracks are instrumental, although there are a bit of vocals on the set – and titles include "Requiem Pour Un Grooveur", "Petrof Sublimination", "Onze De France", "Gibbon's Dub", and "Dimension 7".

A crossover classic from the late 70s – a record that was born in the clubs, but bred in the mainstream – and the start of a very good relationship between Odyssey and RCA! The album will forever be known for its classic cut "Native New Yorker" – a seminal groover that balances disco rhythms with mainstream 70s soul – but overall, the record's got even more to offer than that gem – including some surprisingly well-done mellower cuts that really make great use of the vocals of Lillian and Louise Lopez. Production is by Sandy Linzer and Charles Calello – the latter of whom is clearly right at home with the groovers – and in addition to "Native New Yorker", other cuts include "Ever Lovin Sam", "You Keep Me Dancin", "Thank You God For One More Day", "Weekend Lover", "Easy Come Easy Go", and "Golden Hands". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Weekend Lover (single rmx)" and "Native New Yorker (12" disco version)".

Two albums from guitarist Terje Rypdal – packaged together in a single set! The first 2CDs comprise the landmark Odyssey album – a great setting for the spacey tones of Terje Rypdal's guitar – a double-length set for ECM that lets Terje stretch out in very spacious splendor! The album features a fair bit of very long tracks, plus a few shorter ones – and Rypdal's working here on string ensemble and soprano sax, plus his usual guitar – with a quintet that includes trombone, organ, bass, and drums. As with many ECM albums of the time, the actual roles of the instruments shift up nicely from traditional modes – especially on the longer, more exploratory tracks. Titles include "Midnite", "Darkness Falls", "Adagio", "Better Off Without You", "Fare Well", and "Over Birkerot". The third CD is maybe even more unique – titled Unfinished Highballs, and featuring previously unreleased live material – recorded in 1976 by Swedish Radio – and featuring a group with Terje on guitars and Brynjulf Blix on keyboards – working with larger backings conducted by Rypdal and George Riedel! There's a sense of power here that you don't always here on other Terje albums of the time – and the punch of the sound hardly feels "unfinished" at all. Titles include "Dawn", "The Golden Eye", "Bright Lights Big City", "Talking Back", and "Dine & Dance To The Music Of The Waves".

Norwegian metal.

One of our favorite Ulmer records, probably because there's a nice groove running underneath most of the numbers, in a sort of post-Prime Time 80s out-funk sort of way. It never drops into a flat out back beat, but there's always some sense of time, while Ulmer's guitar and Charles Burnham's violin venture to and fro. The group is just a trio, and there's not too much of Blood's vocalizing going on on the eight pieces, which include "Little Red House", "Are you Glad To Be In America", "Election" and "Odyssey".

One of the weirdest, wildest moog albums you'll ever hear – an amazing collaboration between moogy maestro Mort Garson and "word man" Jacques Wilson! The album's an electronic fairy tale for the late 60s scene – a pretty scary little set at the heart, given all the analogue electronics and strange sounds from Garson – as well as Wilson's oddly-penned lyrics. The whole thing's almost an audio equivalent of the psychedelic Yellow Submarine animated feature – but without the Beatles' songs, of course – although some of Mort's tunes are still pretty darn catchy! Titles include "Leave the Driving to Us", "Blue Poppy", "They're Off to Find the Wozard", "Killing Of The Witch", "Never Follow The Yellow Green Road", and "Upset Strip"

After his run of funky organ records for Prestige in the early 70s, Charles took a similar route to Herbie and others, and picked up a host of electric keyboards for his spacey fusion records on Mercury. The core of Earland's groove here is the Arp, which he plays masterfully – running from tight funky melodies to wilder outer spacier sounds. The groups that back him up include many crack 70s fusion players – and the record has a style that's overall more slick and sophisticated than his Prestige sessions. Titles include "Journey Of The Soul", "Phire", "We All Live In The Jungle", and "Cosmic Fever".

A very unusual album for Shorter – recorded right around that 1970 point when Duke Pearson was exploring formats for Blue Note artists that included larger, often electric arrangements, pointing the way towards some of the later 70s soul jazz work on labels like Kudu or CTI. This set, produced by Pearson, features Shorter as the main soloist on tenor and soprano sax, in a group that includes Dave Friedman on vibes, Gene Bertoncini on guitar, Ron Carter and Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Hart and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks are long and complicated, with searching soulful arrangements that are part post-Miles fusion, part early 70s indie soul jazz. Shorter's soprano work is very nice, and much more angular than his playing on tenor – and titles include "Wind", "Joy", "Storm", and "Calm".

A great step forward for the Afro Latin Vintage Orchestra – even better than their previous album, and a set that beautifully mixes together jazz, Latin, and African elements into one seamless groove! Percussionist Masta Conga is at the head of the group – leading the ensemble with a unique vision that's less of the overdone Afro Funk you might know from other contemporary combos – and more of a classic 60s blend of elements – especially that unique hybrid of Latin modes you'd get from west coast groups – like the Afro Latin Soultet or Afro Blues Quintet – both clear choices of inspiration, given this group's name! Yet there's also some 70s elements moving through the grooves too – thanks to great Fender Rhodes lines, and bits of other keyboards too – often used in these cool spare ways that work perfectly with the mix of funk and Latin in the rhythms, and occasional bits of strings as well. Most tracks are instrumental, although there are a bit of vocals on the set – and titles include "Requiem Pour Un Grooveur", "Petrof Sublimination", "Onze De France", "Gibbon's Dub", and "Dimension 7".

Chicago jazz gems from the 78rpm era!

A bold odyssey from Steve Reid – his Odyssey Of The Oblong Square – a jawdropping session recorded in 1977 for a NYC radio show that's as rhythmically feverish and avant garde funky as the legendary drummer's other underground soul jazz classics of the 70s! If anything, the percussion is even more outstanding on Odyssey as it is on the great Nova and Rhythmatism sets for Mustevic – with Reid leading the charge on drums, and most of the other players contributing percussion on one way or another, for an all around frenetic sound, that's still unwaveringly in a groove. Mohammad Abdullah is on congas, ballophone and African percussion, with Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Arthur Blythe and Charles Tyler on alto sax – the horns all really kill on this set – and David Wertman keeping an unpredicable acoustic bass groove. Includes 4 long pieces, including the 3 part "Odyssey Sweet", "Odyssey Theme", "Deacon's Son" and "Ginsamseng" – all Reid originals. Amazing!

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

Wonderful work from Idris Ackamoor – a great indie set that we'd rank right up there with some of his best recordings of the 70s! The group here is only a quartet, but there's a richness to the sound that's really amazing – a soaringly soulful style that often feels like Idris is working with a larger group – especially given the bold, righteous sound of the music! The rhythm trio is wonderful – Fred Harris on piano, Mark Anthony Williams on bass, and Al Marshall on drums – and Idris plays alto sax throughout, with a sharp edge and fluid tone that shows lots of growth since the 70s. Daria Nile and Rhodessa Jones sing on a few tracks – bringing a nice sort of Strata East vibe to the record – and titles include "Idrissa's Dream", "Topanga", "You", "A Child's Lament", "Spiritual Rebirth", and "A Prayer For Changing Times".

A full three albums by the legendary Pyramids – all packaged together in one complete set, with a bonus video too! The Pyramids recorded three key records during the 70s – each of them an underground classic, all served up in a wonderful bit of spiritual soul jazz with a really cosmic feel! The group are heavy on percussion and reeds – blending congas and assorted other percussion instruments with soprano sax, alto, and flute – all in a captivating sound that builds up nicely over the course of the album's two long tracks! The music is very organic – never too forced, nor never too far out – and there's a majestic quality to the whole thing, one that really lives up to the group's name and image on the cover. And although the ensemble hail from Ohio – hardly a spot you'd peg for spiritual jazz in the 70s – they're a key link between the early 70s avant movements in Chicago and St Louis, some of the hip grooves in Detroit's Tribe Records scene, and the growing loft jazz movement in New York. The reeds are especially nice – alto sax from Idris Ackamoor and flute from Margo Ackamoor – and all other group members play percussion, and vocalize too – singing along with some of the tunes in chanting, chorus formation, which adds an even further element of soul to the mix. Includes the full albums Lalibela, King Of Kings, and Birth Speed Merging – with bonus video content of The Pyramids Live On KQED in 1975.

Way more than just a tribute to Cuba – and instead, a set of work that's just about as spiritual and soulful as any of Idris Ackamoor's other recordings! The great Chico Freeman's on board this time around – blowing tenor and soprano sax with Ackamoor's ensemble for the record – a group that features percussion from Baba Duru, piano from Frederick Harris, and vocals from Daria Nile. There's a touch of Cuba in the rhythms, but most of the tunes follow in the same warmly righteous mode as other work by Idris – a groove first forged back in the 70s during his time with The Pyramids, evolved wonderfully by the time of this recording, but still delivered with all the right sort of classic elements. Instrumentation is all acoustic, and production is perfect for the album's warmly-flowing vibe – on titles that include "Guanabo", "Cubana", "Angels Of Cuba", "Santeria", "Ode To The Orishas", "Santiago De Cuba", and "Old Havana".

The long-awaited return of The Pyramids – easily one of the hippest spiritual jazz ensembles of the 70s! This new recording has all the earthy brilliance of the group's classics – with leadership from reedman Idris Ackamoor, who's continued a dedication to righteous sounds on his own during the past few decades – which means he's hardly coming out of retirement here, just re-focusing his ongoing energy towards the classic Pyramids sound! Instrumentation is heavy on percussion and organic elements – and the tunes do a great job of blending freewheeling performance with more focused grooves – an Afro-avant mode that really lives up to the group's legacy, carried off here by players who include Kenneth Nash on drums and percussion, Kimathi Asante on bass, Kash Killion on bass and cello, Bradie Speller on congas and electronics. Titles include "Memory Ritual", "Time Capsule", "What The World Needs Now", "Nebulosity", "Otherworldly", "Boundless Eternities", "Cloud Rider", "Uttering Sacred Words", and "They Came From Chicago".

The long-awaited return of The Pyramids – easily one of the hippest spiritual jazz ensembles of the 70s! This new recording has all the earthy brilliance of the group's classics – with leadership from reedman Idris Ackamoor, who's continued a dedication to righteous sounds on his own during the past few decades – which means he's hardly coming out of retirement here, just re-focusing his ongoing energy towards the classic Pyramids sound! Instrumentation is heavy on percussion and organic elements – and the tunes do a great job of blending freewheeling performance with more focused grooves – an Afro-avant mode that really lives up to the group's legacy, carried off here by players who include Kenneth Nash on drums and percussion, Kimathi Asante on bass, Kash Killion on bass and cello, Bradie Speller on congas and electronics. Titles include "Memory Ritual", "Time Capsule", "What The World Needs Now", "Nebulosity", "Otherworldly", "Boundless Eternities", "Cloud Rider", "Uttering Sacred Words", and "They Came From Chicago".

The packaging and presentation almost set a new low for the Chicago Stepper's scene – but the DVD is pretty interesting – almost like being a fly on the wall, looking at this scene from a priviledged position! The whole thing starts with a group discussion – talking about older dances among some junior and senior steppers – then moves into some dance demonstrations of the slides "Double D", "El Stop", "Chuck Baby", "Odyssey" and "Freaky in the Club".

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

One of greatest moments of genius by pop vocals eccentric Harry Nilsson – the classic early 70s "story" album The Point – perhaps is most imaginative work! The Point is a weird tale of a kid whose head was differently shaped than the rest of his townsfolk (hey, we're not making this up!), which leads him to go on a Yellow Submarine-esque psychedelic odyssey to sort out his identity and feelings! In the end, everything ends up all happy and sweet, but not before Nilsson lays down some very cool, very groovy tracks over nice off-beat instrumentation arranged and conducted by George Tipton. Titles include "Everything's Got 'Em", "Me And My Arrow", "Poli High", "Think About Your Troubles", "Life Life", "Are You Sleeping?", "POV Waltz" and more. This reverent 2012 vinyl reissue from Get On Down includes a reproduction of the original 11.5" X 11.5" full color comic storyboard by Gary Lund – with the lyrics printed in the gatefold. Beautiful!

A fantastic session that's also one of Houston Person's rarest! The set is a bit more complicated than some of his earlier work – moving away from the hard and funky organ lineup, into a more lyrically swinging quintet mode, with Cedar Walton on piano, Alan Dawson on vibes, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Frankie Jones on drums. The presence of Walton really opens up the set, as his majestic soul jazz approach during this time gives the whole album a stridently sophisticated groove – hammered down by Dawson's highly rhythmic approach to playing the vibes (he was mostly a drummer, remember?) Houston's in fine form sax-wise, blowing relaxed and meaningful solos in the mode that he used on the Blue Odyssey album – or kind of in a mode like Sonny Criss on his late 60s Prestige sides. Titles include "More", "Girl Talk", "Close Quarters", and "Chocomotive".

Haunting work from the duo of Sandhy & Mandhy – a pair from the Buenos Aires scene at the end of the 60s, working in a weird mix of beat group styles and hipper rock rhythms! There's a slightly ethereal quality to the work – partly because of the way the pair trade back vocals, partly because of the light organ lines used to support the groove – which brings a haunting Zombies-like quality to the record at times – although produced with a bit simpler sound than Odyssey & Oracle! Most tunes are original, and showcase a surprising depth in songwriting – and some numbers feature some really cool percussion that complicates the sound nicely – pushing the duo past simple pop lines, into some of the headier territory of the late 60s South American scene. Titles include "Yo Te Buscare", "Hasta El Manana", "Lluvia", "La Chica Sola Y Triste", "Quisiera Olvidarte", "Esta Noche No Debes Llorar", and "Recuardo Hoy". Amazing vinyl reissue – very heavy cover and vinyl, and beautifully done overall!

Haunting work from the duo of Sandhy & Mandhy – a pair from the Buenos Aires scene at the end of the 60s, working in a weird mix of beat group styles and hipper rock rhythms! There's a slightly ethereal quality to the work – partly because of the way the pair trade back vocals, partly because of the light organ lines used to support the groove – which brings a haunting Zombies-like quality to the record at times – although produced with a bit simpler sound than Odyssey & Oracle! Most tunes are original, and showcase a surprising depth in songwriting – and some numbers feature some really cool percussion that complicates the sound nicely – pushing the duo past simple pop lines, into some of the headier territory of the late 60s South American scene. Titles include "Yo Te Buscare", "Hasta El Manana", "Lluvia", "La Chica Sola Y Triste", "Quisiera Olvidarte", "Esta Noche No Debes Llorar", and "Recuardo Hoy". 5 bonus tracks, including some cool covers: "Prende Mi Fuego (Light My Fire)", "Barco De Cristal (Crystal Ship)", "Mientras Caen Las Lagrimas (As Tears Go By)" plus "Quisiera Olvidarte" and "Me Colgaron La Galleta".

Funky club from the always-great T-Connection – all extended numbers, served up in one dancefloor-packing set! T-Connection are easily one of our favorite groups from the late 70s club years – and although they played big in discos, the combo also had a core instrumental sound that was steeped in funk – with lots of raw acoustic percussion, tight guitar and bass riffing, and a razor-sharp groove that was always at the top of its game! The package brings together some of T-Connection's best dancefloor tracks from their great run at TK Records – mostly numbers from the late 70s and early 80s, all presented in full or extended versions. Titles include "Disco Magic", "At Midnight", "Do What You Wanna Do", "Saturday Night", "Let Yourself Go", "On Fire", "Everything Is Cool", "Love Odyssey", "Totally Connected", and "Do What You Wanna Do (94 remix)".

A standout classic of the French disco scene of the 70s – and a record that found a perfect way to bridge the gap between spacier grooves and tighter rhythms for the mainstream! The 70s French scene was often known for plenty of great keyboards – kind of an offshoot of earlier prog, focused towards the dancefloor in the disco generation – and Voyage were one of the greatest groups to put this whole groove together – working here on some nice long tracks that build in a really organic way – often from fast-running drums and basslines, peppered with riffing guitars and keyboards – and often touched with some cool exotic elements as well! There's just a bit of vocals on the set, but most of the focus is instrumental – rolling out beautifully on cuts that include "Latin Odyssey", "Bayou Village", "Scotch Machine", "Orient Express", "Lady America", "Point Zero", and "From East To West".

A standout classic of the French disco scene of the 70s – and a record that found a perfect way to bridge the gap between spacier grooves and tighter rhythms for the mainstream! The 70s French scene was often known for plenty of great keyboards – kind of an offshoot of earlier prog, focused towards the dancefloor in the disco generation – and Voyage were one of the greatest groups to put this whole groove together – working here on some nice long tracks that build in a really organic way – often from fast-running drums and basslines, peppered with riffing guitars and keyboards – and often touched with some cool exotic elements as well! There's just a bit of vocals on the set, but most of the focus is instrumental – rolling out beautifully on cuts that include "Latin Odyssey", "Bayou Village", "Scotch Machine", "Orient Express", "Lady America", "Point Zero", and "From East To West". This amazing 2CD version of the album features an insane 24 bonus tracks – including 12" mixes, club mixes, instrumental, and other mixes of album tracks – and a few numbers by the related group VIP Connection – both 12" and 7" mixes of the tracks "Please Love Me Again" and "West Coast Drive".

Excellent lost modern soul from Philly – most of it recorded during the early 80s, when the bigger labels were losing their groove, and the torch was passed onto some of the city's smaller imprints. The set's got a nice mix of mellow modern soul and 80s dancefloor groovers – and all titles were produced by Butch Ingram. Titles include "Lost In Love" by Michelle Gold, "(Joy) I Know It" by Odyssey, "Tell Me Tell Me Tell Me" by Marki, "You Broke Your Promise" by Edmond Daniels, "Still Loving You" by Brandi Wells, "Never Too Late" by Julius Brown, "You Wear Me Out" by The Sigma Sweethearts, "Since You've Gone" by Booker Newberry, "Say That You Will" by Butch Sam, "Mr Man" by Alectra, "My Magic Is Real" by Blue Magic, "I Believe In Love" by Major Harris, and Barbara Mason's bizarre "Another Man", the nail in the coffin to the Barbara/Shirley song cycle!

A massive fourth volume to this totally great series – and quite honestly, maybe the funkiest so far! Compiler Tobias Kirmayer really knows his stuff – after years of recording and reissuing great music on his own Tramp label – and if anything, his time in the funky underground has only given him a sharper ear for rare singles and lost soulful nuggets – as you'll hear in this wonderful compilation! The set's overflowing with killers from the late 60s and early 70s – and most of them are numbers we've never seen reissued before – quite a feat, given how many funk collections have shown up over the years. Snowboy bills the set as a "high-quality collection of obscenely rare" funk and soul 45s – and he's totally right about all of that – although we'll also add that musically, it's pretty darn great too! Titles include "Sticks & Stones" by Dino & The Dell-Tones, "Shakers & Movers (parts 1 & 2)" by Carl Westmoreland, "Talk About Soul" by Rudy Tee & The Reno-Bops, "Discotheque Soul (edit)" by Ricky Williams, "Hey Rugh Nut" by Zodiacs, "Hipster" by C Forture & J Brinson, "I Don't Think We Are Going Back Again" by Soul Brothers Inc, "Machine Gun" by Odyssey Group, "Night Club" by The Dave Harris Trio, "Honky Games" by Iris Bell with the Jive-Ettes, and "Booty Whip (unreleased acetate version)" by Bro Byron.

Beautifully effective British baroque pop from the late 60s – Duncan Brown's Give Me Take You from '68 – and a great record that's centered around sweet vocals and lilting acoustic instrumentation! The record garners comparisons to classics like Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left and the Zombies' Odyssey & Oracle, but to us it has a bit more in common with some of the acoustic based psychedelic folk of the era, albeit with some more insistent hooks and melodies. Titles include "Give Me Take You", "Ninepence Worth Of Walking", "The Ghost Walks", "Chloe In The Garden", "On The Bombsite", "Gabilan", "Alfred Bell", "The Death Of Neil" and more, plus bonus tracks that feature rehearsal takes, alternate version and more! 12 tracks proper, plus 10 bonus tracks.

8 Bold Souls have been one of the most consistent (and compelling!) jazz units working in Chicago over the past 20 years – and thanks to the notable leadership of reed player Ed Wilkerson, the group has continued to grow and flourish, bridging a gap between an older AACM south side tradition, and the younger underground players on the north side. No surprise, then, that this album came out on the indie/post-rock stronghold Thrill Jockey – but don't let that put you off if you're a real jazz fan, because Wilkerson's vision is clearer and purer than ever, and the set bristles with excitement through a batch of sparkling original compositions written in a vaguely Mingus-y style. Titles include "Pachinko", "Gang Of Four", "Brown Town", and "Odyssey".

A trio of amazing albums – all of which really live up to the legend of Kim Fowley! First up is the well-titled Outrageous – one of the wildest albums ever from LA scenester Fowley – done in a very weird, very messed-up style that sort of sounds like The Stooges meet The Modern Lovers meet Alice Cooper! Fowley's fantastic on vocals – which are sort of of screeched and screamed, with revolutionary Riot On Sunset Strip-type lyrics, fused with a bit of Jim Morrison stoner spiritualism – a lot more compelling than you'd expect, and really mindblowing all the way through! The album's a perfect illustration of the genius that made Kim legendary, even when he wasn't having much of an impact on the mainstream – and titles include the incredible "Animal Man", plus "Hide & Seek", "Chinese Water Torture", "Bubble Gum", "Inner Space Discovery", and "Caught In The Middle". Next is Born To Be Wild – mindblowing organ work from the mighty Kim Fowley – a rare instrumental set that has Kim carving out amazing sounds on the organ that really match is vocal force on other records of the time! The set's a bit more soulful than usual for Fowley – a record that almost pushes a soul instrumental sound more strongly than Kim's usual Sunset Strip sleaze – although there is a nice fuzzy undercurrent to the record at times too! The set burns like some lost Tower Records soundtrack – and titles include "Born To Be Wild", "Soul Limbo", "Space Odyssey", "I Can't Stop Dancing", "Savage In The Sun", "Fresno1963", and "Pictures of Matchstick Men". Good Clean Fun is filled with awesome work from madman Kim Fowley – an album that offers hard rockers, some nice groovers, and even some trippier tracks that feature spoken or performed bits! The record's got a really wonderful approach that's a look at the lost genius of the LA scene of the late 60s – emphasized by an appearance on the record by Rodney Bingeheimer, the mayor of Sunset Strip, plus work by Motorcycle John and the Frog Prince! If you've ever heard about Fowley, but never found the record to truly convey his insanity on record, this is the one to check out – as it's as brilliant as it is insane! Titles include "Energy", "Baby Rocked Her Dolly", "Motorcycle", "One Man Band", "Good Clean Fun", "Search For A Teenage Woman", "I'm Not Young Anymore", "Lights The Blind & Lame Can See", and "Kangaroo".

A massive fourth volume to this totally great series – and quite honestly, maybe the funkiest so far! Compiler Tobias Kirmayer really knows his stuff – after years of recording and reissuing great music on his own Tramp label – and if anything, his time in the funky underground has only given him a sharper ear for rare singles and lost soulful nuggets – as you'll hear in this wonderful compilation! The set's overflowing with killers from the late 60s and early 70s – and most of them are numbers we've never seen reissued before – quite a feat, given how many funk collections have shown up over the years. Snowboy bills the set as a "high-quality collection of obscenely rare" funk and soul 45s – and he's totally right about all of that – although we'll also add that musically, it's pretty darn great too! Titles include "Sticks & Stones" by Dino & The Dell-Tones, "Shakers & Movers (parts 1 & 2)" by Carl Westmoreland, "Talk About Soul" by Rudy Tee & The Reno-Bops, "Discotheque Soul (edit)" by Ricky Williams, "Hey Rugh Nut" by Zodiacs, "Hipster" by C Forture & J Brinson, "I Don't Think We Are Going Back Again" by Soul Brothers Inc, "Machine Gun" by Odyssey Group, "Night Club" by The Dave Harris Trio, "Honky Games" by Iris Bell with the Jive-Ettes, and "Booty Whip (unreleased acetate version)" by Bro Byron.

Rare grooves galore – served up by Chicago DJ Sadar Bahar, with just the right kind of depth we'd expect! The set's one of the funkiest in years from the BBE label – and bristles with great energy ritht from the start – loads of obscure uptempo funky cuts that almost hit a disco mode, but not entirely – laying back instead in that more spontaneous, more live approach to funky music – with a few nice touches of jazz as well! The package includes some real gems from the 70s, plus a few more bits from later years – and titles include "Comin On Strong" by Calender, "Odyssey (part 1)" by Johnny Harris, "Bail Out" by Maxayn, "French Fried Boogie" by Puzzle People, "Striving For Tomorrow" by Moses, "Free" by Seawind, "Scorcher" by Carl Grubbs, "Trying To Get Over" by Sparkles, "Funkyfied" by Chuck Higgins & The Wild Bunch, "Spirit" by Frederic Mercier, and "Mystery Of Ages" by Carlos Garnett.

One of greatest moments of genius by pop vocals eccentric Harry Nilsson – the classic early 70s "story" album The Point – perhaps is most imaginative work! The Point is a weird tale of a kid whose head was differently shaped than the rest of his townsfolk (hey, we're not making this up!), which leads him to go on a Yellow Submarine-esque psychedelic odyssey to sort out his identity and feelings! In the end, everything ends up all happy and sweet, but not before Nilsson lays down some very cool, very groovy tracks over nice off-beat instrumentation arranged and conducted by George Tipton. Titles include "Everything's Got 'Em", "Me And My Arrow", "Poli High", "Think About Your Troubles", "Life Life", "Are You Sleeping?", "POV Waltz" and more.

Some of the most heavenly pop ever recorded – and a wonderful 2LP collection of work from the later years of The Zombies! A big chunk of the set features work from the group's landmark Odyssey & Oracle – a tremendous album that we'd rank right up there with Pet Sounds for sheer 60s brilliance – plus some other earlier singles, as well as some gems from Colin Blunstone's solo recordings for Epic in the post-Zombies years! Titles include "Care Of Cell 44", "A Rose For Emily", "Maybe After He's Gone", "Beechwood Park", "Brief Candles", "Friends Of Mine", "Butcher's Tale", "Walking In The Sun", "Smokey Day", "She Loves The Way They Love Her", "Imagine The Swan", "If It Don't Work Out", "She's Coming Home", "Tell Her No", "Don't Cry For Me", "I'll Call You Mine", and "You Make Me Feel Good".

The first ever compilation of the best music made for MoWest – the eclectic, but still soulful cuts made when Berry Gordy Jr. relocated from Motown to the west coast in the early 70s – releasing cool and sometimes strange music with a soul background, yet toasted by LA sunshine! The MoWest subsidiary lasted just a few years, and gets overlooked in the canonization of Motown at it's most classic and revolutionary – but the legacy is pretty incredible. Funk, sunshine rock and soul fused adventurously by a stunningly diverse roster – late period Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons (who's comp-opening track is a slept on sunshine pop-soul classic), breezy-jazzy-soul from Odyssey, the sister funk of Sisters Love, a stunning solo left turn from Spinners singer GC Cameron and more great stuff from Syreeta, The Commodores, Suzee Ikeda, Thelma Houston and others. We've been dying for a well selected MoWest comp like this for years, and Light In The Attic stepped to the plate and knock it right out of the park. The songs choices are great, the notes are great. . .everything about it is a win. Essential! Includes "You're A Song (That I Can't Sing)" and "The Night" by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, "Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love" and "Broken Road" by Odyssey, "Don't You Be Worried" by The Commodores, "A Heart Is A House" Nu Page, "I Ain't Going Nowhere" by Thelma Houston, "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" by Suzee Ikeda, "You've Got To Make The Choice" and "Give Me Your Love" by The Sisters Love and more.

The first ever compilation of the best music made for MoWest – the eclectic, but still soulful cuts made when Berry Gordy Jr. relocated from Motown to the west coast in the early 70s – releasing cool and sometimes strange music with a soul background, yet toasted by LA sunshine! The MoWest subsidiary lasted just a few years, and gets overlooked in the canonization of Motown at it's most classic and revolutionary – but the legacy is pretty incredible. Funk, sunshine rock and soul fused adventurously by a stunningly diverse roster – late period Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (who's comp-opening track is a slept on sunshine pop-soul classic), breezy-jazzy-soul from Odyssey, the sister funk of Sisters Love, a stunning solo left turn from Spinners singer GC Cameron and more great stuff from Syreeta, The Commodores, Suzee Ikeda, Thelma Houston and others. We've been dying for a well selected MoWest comp like this for years, and Light In The Attic stepped to the plate and knock it right out of the park. The songs choices are great, the notes are great. . .everything about it is a win. Essential! Includes "You're A Song (That I Can't Sing)" and "The Night" by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, "Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love" and "Broken Road" by Odyssey, "Don't You Be Worried" by The Commodores, "A Heart Is A House" Nu Page, "I Ain't Going Nowhere" by Thelma Houston, "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" by Suzee Ikeda, "You've Got To Make The Choice" and "Give Me Your Love" by The Sisters Love and more.

Wax Poetics is closing in on 10 years in its unrivaled coverage of classic and rare soul, jazz, hip hop and all things funky – delivering big once again with Issue #48! Nina Simone is on the front cover – with a really great feature that focuses on the unfiltered realness, honesty and blunt social awareness at the core of her life and so many of her best recordings – with artful newcomer Theophilus London on the backover. Issue #48 also has pieces on Count C, Neu!, Dom Salvador, Shock G, Yabby You, Billy Cox, Gil-Scott Heron In Memorium, Re:Discovery of treasured records by Swamp Dogg, Sarah Vaughn and Odyssey, and much more!