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Exciting music from Arabic guitar legend Omar Khorshid – material recorded in Beirut from 1973-1977 – instrumentals filled with impeccable playing by Khrorshid, who also plays Moog and synth, backed by percussion and some accordion for a really full, transcendent sound! Khorshid got little attention outside the Arab world, which is a real injustice if the music here is any indication. It's feverish stuff recorded at Polysound Studios with the latest production innovations of the time at their disposal – electronics are brought into the sound with grace and subtly, and none of the progressive elements compromise the influence of the great Arab composers who influenced Khorshid. Sublime Frequencies never disappoints, but this material is wonderful by any standard. Includes "Guitar El Chalk", "Wadil Muluk", "Sabirine", "Hebbina Hebbina", "Ah Ya Zaman", "Sidi Mansour", "Enta Omri", "Warakat Ya Nassib", "Taksim Sanat Alfeyn" and more.

Amazing stuff – and easily the most amazing record we've heard so far from Omar Souleyman! Unlike some of the other Sublime Frequencies sets, which are more recent, this one hails from the late 90s – and features music originally circulated in the Middle East on cassette – finally brought forward by the label into a much more durable format! The set features one extended performance – the song "Leh Jani", which lasts for over an hour – presented here in a way that really replicates the live energy that Souleyman brought to his work for celebrations and special events – shifting mood, style, and sound slowly over time – while also managing to jam with accompanying keyboards and electric bozouki!

The sun shines brightly on Mario Biondi – really making this record sparkle with a charm that goes way beyond Mario's previous albums – a quality that's less retro than before, and which shows Biondi as a growing soul star with really universal appeal! There's still some of the old school jazz in the mix that we love from Mario's Schema work – but the album's also got a fuller production style at times, one that really expands the palette of Biondi's colors, and which has him working here with help from key guests who include Omar, Leon Ware, Al Jarreau, Incognito, and Chaka Khan – and even a bit of organ from the James Taylor Quartet! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick helped co-write a good number of tracks on the set – and titles include "Shine On", "Come To Me", "Woman Woman", "What Have You Done To Me", "Never Stop", "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Idea", "Girl Blue", "Light To The World", and "Catch The Sunrise".

NuHop? Common newcomers who buy Electric Circus for the single with Mary J Blige are going to be left with some head scratching – but if you like the spiritual/psychedelic Com that was hinted at on Like Water For Chocolate, this may be the follow up you were waiting for! This is still hip hop – with production by the Neptunes, Jay Dee, ?uestlove and others, but it's definitely a boundary stretcher. The mood runs from Roots style soul bumpers to Hendrix and Eugene McDaniels style feedback heavy freakouts. There's a guest on nearly every track, mostly from the Okayplayer camp and NuSoul titans, including Bilal, Omar, Pharrell Williams, Cee-Lo, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab and others. We won't lie to you, we miss the Chicago hip hop Common that kicked insight over raw and soulful productions, but you can't fault the guy for being an artist, and he really has crafted something original here. A great cover – a kind of rainbow drenched cut and paste photo collage of the contributors and inspirations with Com out front, sort of reminding us of Tribe's Midnight Maurauders, and even Sgt. Pepper. Tracks include "Ferris Wheel", "Soul Power", "The Hustle", the first single "Come Close", "New Wave", "Star *69", "Jimi Was A Rock Star" and more.

Freewheeling grooves from the great Fanco De Gemini – a swinging score that nicely hangs onto some of the best 60s styles of the mod years, of the sort you might hear from Piero Piccioni or Armando Trovajoli! Some cuts have vocals – sung by the lovely Melody – and others have romping rhythms with either organ, or what seems to be amplified harmonica by De Gemini – a perfect fit for the playfully swinging sounds of the tunes! Titles include the sublime scatting "Cheops & Nefertiti", plus "Omar Khayyam", "What Is This Love", "Cairo Night", "Sphinx Show", and "Cos E L'Amore".

Really beautiful little songs by Charles Ives – a great illustration of some of the more charming corners of his compositional catalog! The work here is all adapted by Sebastian Gottschinck – who conducts the small chamber ensemble on the session, which also steps out on a few instrumental passages as well. Vocals are by mezzo soprano Jeannine Hirzel and baritone Omar Ebrahim – and titles include "Evening", "Like A Sick Eagle", "The Housatonic At Stockbridge", "The Things Our Fathers Loved", "Grantchester", "Serenity", and "At The River".

A spare and dramatic score for this film that starred Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, and Omar Sharif – penned by Maurice Jarre with some slight Spanish touches, to fit the setting of the narrative! Light guitar is used on many numbers – but with a very high-register sort of sound that almost feels like harpsichord at moments – and other tracks feature an isolated flute snaking along the tunes slowly, carving out some nice moods and colors with a fair bit of subtlety. Orchestrations are relatively subdued throughout – and for the time, the music is wonderfully understated – especially for Jarre! Titles include "Manuel In San Martin", "Paco Leaving Spain", "Spanish Street", "Manuel Studies Map", and "Father Francisco In Hospital".

The first album by the second group to call themselves the Last Poets – and as fierce a document of their rich talents as you'll ever find – bursting forth with anger and righteousness at a level as tight as Gil Scott-Heron's first album! The group here is the key second lineup of the ensemble of wordsmiths – comprised of Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, and Omar Ben Hassan, plus the percussionist Nilaja – and most cuts feature only spare percussion backing over the spoken protest poetry – delivered with a brutal edge that really sums up the righteous politics of the time. Titles include "Run, N*gger", "On The Subway", "When The Revolution Comes", "Jones Comin' Down", "Black Thighs", "N*ggers Are Scared Of Revolution", and "Wake Up, N*ggers" – all of which should give you a good picture of what's going on with the record!

One of the best new soul records we've heard in years! An independently produced first effort – filled with rich warm jazzy production, and a sweet mellow soul sound that brings to mind some of our favorite records of the old days. N'Dambi has an incredible voice – and although she first came to fame as a backup singer with Erykah Badu, she's well on her way to becoming one of the best soul stars of the next generation. This album's a perfect blend of contemporary production with a classic approach to writing soul songs – and it's a pleasure to be stocking it before the whole thing gets snatched up by a major label (and probably remixed to add a lot of crap that will make this version the preferred one!) This one excites us as much as the first albums by Omar, The Young Disciples, and The Brand New Heavies – and has us having faith in soul music again. Tracks include "Deep", "Picture This", "Soul From The Abyss", "The Sunshine", "The Meeting", and "Lonely Woman".

The Hurst selection here is mighty nice – a wonderful blend of contemporary soul numbers, put together with a great focus on greatness still to be discovered, and served up with some rare mixes too! The quality level of the set is great all the way through – the best in mature, positive soul – with only a few numbers aimed at the club, and the rest just perfect for soulful listening in a very laidback mode. Titles include "Wah" by randy Skinner, "Clementine Sun (Mass Sheen rmx)" by Khari Simmons, "Rubber Soul (Omar S rmx)" by Live Tropical Fish with Omar, "I Got Sunshine (Mass Sheen rmx)" by Avery Sunshine, "Dance To This (unrapped mix)" by Nothende, "So Claudia (2011 rework)" by Claudia Hayden, "In Your Eyes" by William Green, "Feels Like Love" by Kabanya Chemise, "Sunny Day" by Victoria Urusova, and "Hope" by Milton Suggs.

The Hurst selection here is mighty nice – a wonderful blend of contemporary soul numbers, put together with a great focus on greatness still to be discovered, and served up with some rare mixes too! The quality level of the set is great all the way through – the best in mature, positive soul – with only a few numbers aimed at the club, and the rest just perfect for soulful listening in a very laidback mode. Titles include "Wah" by randy Skinner, "Clementine Sun (Mass Sheen rmx)" by Khari Simmons, "Rubber Soul (Omar S rmx)" by Live Tropical Fish with Omar, "I Got Sunshine (Mass Sheen rmx)" by Avery Sunshine, "Dance To This (unrapped mix)" by Nothende, "So Claudia (2011 rework)" by Claudia Hayden, "In Your Eyes" by William Green, "Feels Like Love" by Kabanya Chemise, "Sunny Day" by Victoria Urusova, and "Hope" by Milton Suggs.

There's a heck of a lot of great music here – a whopping 35 tracks of contemporary and vintage soul, all put together for the price of a regular single CD! The package is the latest in the excellent Luxury Soul series – based around artists who have worked the UK series of the same name – and who really come together here in a warm array of the best contemporary soul styles! There's plenty of Neo Soul numbers, a handful of classics, and a few more modern elements too – and titles include "I'm Not That Tough" by Ashford & Simpson, "Rubber Soul" by Live Tropical Fish with Omar, "Things That I Do" by Gianna, "Enough Is Enough" by Dennis Taylor, "Music & Love" by Victor Haynes, "Just A Simple Love" by Sheree Brown, "In The Meantime" by Johnny Britt, "Crystal Clear" by Howard Hewett, "Just Let Me Be Close To You" by Valentine Brothers, "I'll Come Running Back To You" by June Yamagishi with Bobby Womack, "So In Love" by Chapter 8, "Slow Down" by Al Olive, "Priority" by Kloud 9, "It's Just One Of Those Things" by Incognito, "I Want It" by Soul Talk, "Wake Up Everybody" by Eric Benet, and "Anything" by Angela Johnson.

Don't judge a CD by its cover, because this one is incredible – all-solid, filled with rare soul tracks all the way through, with a quality level and depth of material that runs way way past the strange appearance of the cover image! The package was put together by the author of the book The Soul Of New Orleans – and it's a wonderful trip through a sound of that city that's not always featured on reissues: the more upbeat, uptempo soul recordings of the 60s – faster tunes that easily fall within the Northern Soul style. The Crescent City soul scene is usually represented with slower, sleepier tunes that build off the "triplets" heavy sound of 50s New Orleans R&B – and although that stuff is great, and really unique, it's wonderful to hear this different side of the New Orleans scene, especially when it's represented by music this great! 18 tracks in all – packaged with a book that has great notes on the music – and titles include "Please Don't Go" by Willie Tee, "Who Can I Run To" by Gerri Hall, "Being Without You" by Maurice Williams, "Do You Love Me" by Senator Jones, "I Caught You In A Lie" by Robert Parker, "Lucky Fellow" by The Jades, "Take Me Home" by Donna King, "Mean Man" by Betty Harris, "You Don't Mean It" by Curly Moore, "Omar Khayyam" by The Rubaiyats, and "In My Corner" by Ray Algere.

The sun shines brightly on Mario Biondi – really making this record sparkle with a charm that goes way beyond Mario's previous albums – a quality that's less retro than before, and which shows Biondi as a growing soul star with really universal appeal! There's still some of the old school jazz in the mix that we love from Mario's Schema work – but the album's also got a fuller production style at times, one that really expands the palette of Biondi's colors, and which has him working here with help from key guests who include Omar, Leon Ware, Al Jarreau, Incognito, and Chaka Khan – and even a bit of organ from the James Taylor Quartet! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick helped co-write a good number of tracks on the set – and titles include "Shine On", "Come To Me", "Woman Woman", "What Have You Done To Me", "Never Stop", "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Idea", "Girl Blue", "Light To The World", and "Catch The Sunrise". CD has a great package – hardcover book-style, with pages inside!

A later percussion ensemble album by Max Roach – one done in the style of some of his earlier 60s percussion experiments, but with a fuller scope, and a more serious feel overall. The ensemble was first formed in 1970, but recorded here with a very ambitious tone as part of Columbia's classical/jazz crossover experiments of the late 70s – with percussionists that include Omar Clay, Roy Brooks, Fred King, Ray Mantilla, Warren Smith, Freddie Waits, and Joe Chambers. Titles have a variety of styles – some more tribal, some more jazz-based, and others with almost a 20th century avant feel. Tunes include "Onomatopoeia", "Glorious Monster", "January V", "Caravanserai", "Rumble In The Jungle", and "Epistrophy".

Incredible work from the amazing Dorothy Ashby – a brilliant set of funky and spiritual tunes, set to full backings from Chicago soul arranger Richard Evans! This album is easily one of Ashby's greatest, and it's dedicated to the writings of Omar Khayyam – one of the forces guiding Dorothy's more spiritual sound at the end of the 60s, clearly opened up in a way that's not unlike the direction of Alice Coltrane's work, but a lot more focused and a lot more funky! Ashby not only plays her usual jazz harp, but also koto as well, and even sings a bit too – and the larger group directed by Evans features work by Stu Katz on vibes and kalimba, Lenny Druss on flutes, and Cash McCall on guitar – all in a groove that's really a precursor to the Earth Wind & Fire generation of the Chicago scene! Titles include the amazing break "The Moving Finger" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Dust", "Joyful Grass & Grape", "Heaven & Hell", "Wax & Wane", "Shadow Shapes", "For Some When Young", "Myself When Young", and "Drink".

One of Miles' last great albums – a soundtrack composed in conjunction with Marcus Miller, and recorded with a mix of atmospheric electronics and trumpet solos, coming off in a way that sounds far better than most of his other attempts at this style fro the time. Miller plays all the other instruments in the set, apart from some occasional guest work by players that include John Scofield, Earl Klugh, Omar Hakim, and Jason Miles. Titles include "Conchita", "Lament", "Los Feliz", "Lost In Madrid", "Siesta", "Kitt's Kiss", and "Wind".

A pair of killers from keyboardist Gene Harris – both recorded for Blue Note, and back to back on a single CD! First up is Gene Harris/The 3 Sounds – the last Three Sounds album for Blue Note – and the funkiest too – thanks to lots more electrification than usual, and some killer arrangements from the mighty Monk Higgins! Monk's really at the top of his game here – going past even his great previous work for the group, and working with a tight, sharp edge that recalls his funky 45 brilliance of the 60s – yet tuned a bit more towards the electric Cali jazz of early 70s Blue Note! Gene Harris plays loads of funky piano lines – and in addition to the trio's core electric bass and drums, the set also features some added work on percussion from Paul Humphrey – who really brings in a kick – plus added guitar, congas, and even a bit of Hammond from Higgins too! Some cuts even have a bit of vocals too – sung in this offbeat way that's a wild approach to soul. There's some killer breaks on the set – including the massive "Put On Train" and "What's The Answer" – but the whole set smokes, and other cuts include "I'm Leaving", "You Got To Play The Game", "Your Love Is Just Too Much", "Did You Think", "Hey Girl", and a mad version of "Eleanor Rigby". On the second album – Gene Harris Of The Three Sounds – Gene really steps into the solo spotlight – moving away from his work with the Three Sounds trio, and headed into even more righteous territory – as you might guess from the trippy image on the cover! The set features Harris mostly on acoustic piano, but amidst larger arrangements from Wade Marcus that really round things out with a warm, soulful edge – mixing guitar from Sam Brown and Cornell Dupree with Gene's lines on piano – and giving things an extra kick at the bottom with drums from Freddie Waits, and percussion from Johnny Rodriguez and Omar Clay. The record echoes Harris' older roots at some points, yet comes across with a richer 70s vibe too – a hip 70s style that's strongly due to the contributions of Marcus' arrangements. Tracks include a great remake of "Listen Here", which begins with a great funky break; a sweet steppers version of "Killer Joe"; and the tracks "Lean On Me", "Day In The Life Of A Fool", "Django", "Emily", and "C Jam Blues".

A highly percussive little album – and the first-ever appearance of the M'Boom ensemble on record! You might know the group from their later fame under the guidance of Max Roach, but here the combo is a much more equally-assembled cast of players – featuring not just Roach, but percussionists Roy Brooks, Joe Chambers, Omar Clay, Freddie Waits, Richard Pablo Landrum, and Warren Smith! Given that lineup, you've got a group that represents the forefront of jazz and creative percussion work at the start of the 70s – and added to the mix is the ultimate freedom allowed by the Strata East label – which has the group really stretching out in these amazing ways! Things are never too free or outside, and there's always a nicely spiritual core to the record – but there is an incredible shift between percussive rhythms and melody – on instrumentation that includes vibes, tympani, xylophone, marimba, drums, and plenty of percussion – plus even and Indian flute too. And maybe coolest of all, there's even some saw, played by Omar Clay and Roy Brooks – used n a weird way that almost sounds electronic! Titles include "Heaven Sent", "Inner Passion", "Elements Of A Storm/Thunder & Wind", "Jihad Est Mort", and "Morning Noon Midday".

The first two Last Poets albums back to back in one great 2CD set! The Last Poets is the first album by the second group to call themselves the Last Poets – and as fierce a document of their rich talents as you'll ever find – bursting forth with anger and righteousness at a level as tight as Gil Scott-Heron's first album! The group here is the key second lineup of the ensemble of wordsmiths – comprised of Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, and Omar Ben Hassan, plus the percussionist Nilaja – and most cuts feature only spare percussion backing over the spoken protest poetry – delivered with a brutal edge that really sums up the righteous politics of the time. Titles include "Run, N*gger", "On The Subway", "When The Revolution Comes", "Jones Comin' Down", "Black Thighs", "N*ggers Are Scared Of Revolution", and "Wake Up, N*ggers" – all of which should give you a good picture of what's going on with the record! This Is Madness is one of the Last Poets' greatest albums – and one of their most sophisticated as well! Gone are the rough-hewn rhymes of the group's first album, and in their place are better arranged, more thought-out tracks that mix in a wealth of musical influences – and which expand the group's verbal expression past simple protests, and into the realm of Jazzoetry that became their trademark during the mid 70s. Tracks include "Related to What", "Black Is", "White Man's Got a God Complex", "Black People What Y'All Gonna Do", and "This is Madness" – and a number of tracks are preceded by strong and forceful chants before the lyrics kick in! Deluxe package comes with 2 CDs – and bonus tracks that include "Sport" and "Spoon" by Lightnin Rod – plus "Doriella Du Fontaine", which features Lightnin Rod and Jimi Hendrix!

Spacey club soul from The Layabouts – who lay down a nicely cosmic sound that's still rooted in soul – and with a great roster of guest vocalists including Terri Walker, Omar, Portia Monique, Tony Momrelle, Imaani and more! The record's called Future Retro, but it feels pretty comfortable in the here-and-now to us – with percolating beats and compelling groove of timeless house, but taking to deeper soul realm thanks to such an impressive roster of singers and solid songs for them to work with. Nice stuff! Includes "1 Step To Love" feat Tony Momrelle, "As Long As You Believe" with Omar, "Fearless" and "Too Late" with Imaani, "Do Better" and "Tell Me Now" with Portia Monique, "Perfectly" with Shea Soul, "Here With You" with Terri Walker and more.

Warm instrumentation blended nicely with electronics and soulful vocals – and the first we've heard from Positive Flow in a little while – sounding as fresh as ever here on the first PF full length for the Tokyo Dawn label! Keys and beats flow nicely under live strings, flute, sax and other elements on a set that plays like an all stars project – with a roster that includes Omar, Heidi Vogel, Vanessa Freeman, Stacy Epps, Colonel Red and others. Includes "Children Of The Sun" and "Stronger Than A Mountain" feat Heidi Vogel, "My Prediction" and "Do What I Do" feat Omar, "Hold On" feat Colonel Red, "Orange & Brown", "Capoeira", "The Quest – Parts I & II" feat Tesia Rolle, "In The Garden Of Your Life" with Vanessa Freeman, "Axis", "Push" with Stacy Epps and more.

A soaring set from Weather Report – captured here in an early 80s lineup that features great keyboards from Joe Zawinul and sublime saxophone from Wayne Shorter! The tunes are nice and long, and bristle with that power the quintet had at this point – a well-earned tightness that really made concerts some of their best moments – propelled by rhythms that really let the main solos fly free, especially in a live setting like this. Victor Bailey is on bass, Omar Hakim on drums, and Jose Rossy on percussion – and the set features loads of long tracks – including "Where The Moon Goes", "Fast City", "D Flat Waltz", "Two Lines", "Plaza Real", "Procession", and a great long medley of classics.

Massive music from the Northern Soul years of the 60s – American tunes that played heavily on British dancefloors – and went on to fuel the all-night energy of the scene! The sound is upbeat soul throughout – killer tracks from Detroit, Chicago, New York, and other US locales – most of which were overlooked at the time by most US audiences, but discovered and brought to life overseas. This massive 2CD package brings together two classic Charly Records compilations dedicated to the glory days of the scene – put together by collectors who really know their grooves, and expanded here with lots of bonus tracks that weren't on the original versions! There's a whopping 56 tracks in the set, packaged in a hardcover book-style cover, with great color notes and images in the middle – and titles that include "Sweet & Easy" by Van McCoy, "You're Gonna Need Me" by Ted Ford, "Why Don't You Write" by Lee Bates, "But I Couldn't" by Willie Harper, "Touch Me Hold Me Kiss Me" by The Inspirations, "That Other Place" by Wade Flemons, "Come On Train" by Don Thomas, "Lonely For You Baby" by Sam Dees, "Omar Khayyam" by The Rubaiyats, "I Can't See Your Love" by The Ballads, "So Blue" by Joe Murphy, "Gonna Take A Journey" by Barrett Strong, "Shake Off That Dream" by Eddie Billups, "Just Like The Weather" by Nolan Chance, "Mr Bang Bang Man" by Little Hank, "Young Man Old Man" by The Stokes, "Halos For The Angels" by Blanch Carter, and "Momma's Gone" by Little Johnny Blair.

Ahh, we'd so love to see a bunch of killer Morricone numbers on funky 45s – but if that doesn't happen, we've got a really great one here!!! "Le Casse" is a moody bit of crime score funk, a killer beat under some harpsichord, strings and somewhat soaring atmospherics that pair so nicely with the rawer undercurrent. "Rodeo" has a more measured approach with a groovy payoff, and some sweet horns in the mix. Great stuff pulled from an early 70s film with Jean-Paul Belmondo & Omar Sharif!

The sun shines brightly on Mario Biondi – really making this record sparkle with a charm that goes way beyond Mario's previous albums – a quality that's less retro than before, and which shows Biondi as a growing soul star with really universal appeal! There's still some of the old school jazz in the mix that we love from Mario's Schema work – but the album's also got a fuller production style at times, one that really expands the palette of Biondi's colors, and which has him working here with help from key guests who include Omar, Leon Ware, Al Jarreau, Incognito, and Chaka Khan – and even a bit of organ from the James Taylor Quartet! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick helped co-write a good number of tracks on the set – and titles include "Shine On", "Come To Me", "Woman Woman", "What Have You Done To Me", "Never Stop", "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Idea", "Girl Blue", "Light To The World", and "Catch The Sunrise". CD has a great package – hardcover book-style, with pages inside!

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 famous performance from the 80s – but one that's done in a really rootsy mode – just vocals and guitar from the four artists in the title – presented as an exploration of folksy styles from the northeast of Brazil! Yet given the setting, and the relatively creative style of all the singers, the overall presentation is way more than just simple rehashing of folkloric modes – and instead often comes across with dark overtones, and some surprisingly modern inflections – a bit like the way that Geraldo Vandre was adapting his style in the late 60s. Titles include "Violeiro", "Matanca", "Cantiga De Amigo", "Ai Deu Saudade", "Desafio Do Auto Da Catingueira", "Ai Que Saudade De Oce", and "Kukuaya".

A famous performance from the 80s – but one that's done in a really rootsy mode – just vocals and guitar from the four artists in the title – presented as an exploration of folksy styles from the northeast of Brazil! Yet given the setting, and the relatively creative style of all the singers, the overall presentation is way more than just simple rehashing of folkloric modes – and instead often comes across with dark overtones, and some surprisingly modern inflections – a bit like the way that Geraldo Vandre was adapting his style in the late 60s. Titles include "Era Casa Era Jardim/Veja Margarida", "Sabor Colorido/Moca Bonita", "Estampas Eucalol", "Cantiga De Amigo", "Saga De Sivirinin", and "Arrumacao".

A cinematic effort from Gilbert Hernandez – a standalone graphic novel that expands on the story of one of the characters from his Palomar epic – but with a gritty sort of vibe that really matches the cover! The shift is a nice one – as Hernandez works in an even more visually-focused style here – without dialogue in a number of scenes, and often hitting the pacing of a b-movie thriller! 120 pages, black and white, and with a nice sort of oversized crime novel feel.

Bold 80s soul from Jermaine Jackson – a set that's heavy on beats and keyboards, but which still leaves enough space for his gentler-toned vocals! The upbeat tracks here sometimes get a bit dramatic, which makes us like the ballads more – sweeter-styled numbers that are much better suited to Jermaine's singing approach – but even those upbeat numbers show the Jackson family ear for crossover soul! Titles include "Give A Little Love", "Precious Moments", "Our Love Story", "I Think It's Love", "Voices In The Dark", "Words Into Action", and "Do You Remember Me". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Do You Remember Me (Bruce Forest rmx)", "Closest Thing To Perfect (ext)", "I Think It's Love (ext rmx)", "Do You Remember Me (Michael Omartin rmx)", and "Do You Remember Me (Jellybean rmx)".

Killer work from a very unique little group – the short-lived union of bassist Red Mitchell and saxophonist Harold Land – heard here in one of the hippest dates from the LA scene of the early 60s! Mitchell's a well-known name from more straight ahead sides of the 50s, but working here with Land he really hits a great groove – that harder sort of soulbop sound that was coming out of LA for a few brief years in the 60s – played with a sense of tightness and fire that matched the best work of the time in New York! The whole group here is great – and the amazing Carmell Jones is in the group on trumpet, alongside Frank Strazzeri on piano and Leon Pettis on drums. The solos are great, and the writing is too – with some lively lyrical original compositions that include "Comara", "Pari Passu", "Catacomb", and "Triplin Awhile". A great bridge between Land's earlier sessions under his own name, and his later partnership with Bobby Hutcherson!

The third in a really great run from Rhythm Heritage – a group who continued to hold up a strong level of instrumental quality, despite the fact that they'd topped the charts, and were smack right in the middle of the LA studio scene at the time! Part of the credit goes to producer/arranger Michael Omartin – who also plays keyboards on the album, giving it one of its best characteristics – but the whole assortment of talents is pretty darn great too, and includes work by Victor Feldman, Ray Parker, and The Waters – who bring in some nice soulful vocals on a few cuts. Keeping their success with TV themes, the group do a great job with "Theme From Starsky & Hutch" on this one – taking the tune in a nice moogy sort of way – and other cuts include "Float On By", "Hedge Hog", "Skippin", "Language Of Love", "Holdin Out", and "Sail Away With Me".

The coolest music we've heard so far from this fantastic funky talent – served up here in an ultra-cool package that also offers up four different cover images over two separate pieces of music! Sammi's got a name that's a bit unwieldy, but he serves up the groove with a sound so tight, we almost feel like we're back in the glory days of a good Quincy Jones funky soundtrack – thanks to a tight punch that Samuelsson brings to his large lead ensemble, which often moves here with the sharper sound of a much smaller funky combo! The arrangements are amazing – and the grooves run between styles that include touches of 70s Afro Funk, European-styled MPS jazz funk, and the promised blacksploitation modes mentioned above. Instrumentation is wonderful throughout – and honestly, there's nobody out there making music like this at the moment – and certainly nobody who gets the sound so right, tight, and on the money as Sammi! Titles include "Afromars", "1st Man From Iceland", "Ethiopian", "Afrobit", "Fola", "Peace", "Dubnotic", and "Ekki Stela Afrika Folkinu".

A beauty from trumpeter Tomasz Stanko and his intuitive quintet – a roomy and wonderful session for ECM – featuring some excellent Stanko compositions and a pair of numbers penned by Krzysztof Komeda! There's an efficiency at work in Stanko's material that's effective and moving, with sacrificing any dynamism or sharpness of mood. The arrangements leave plenty of shadowy space, a very effective approach. The group includes Alex Tuomarila on piano, Jakob Bro on guitar, Anders Christensen on bass and Olavi Louhivuori on drums. Titles include "So Nice", "Terminal 7", "The Dark Eyes Of Martha Hirsch", "Grand Central", 'Amsterdam Avenue", "Samba Nova", "Dirge For Europe", "May Sun", "Last Song" and "Etiuda Baletowa No 3".

A cool tribute to the music and lyrics of Bob Dylan – served up by a host of hip Brazilian performers, all of whom come across with a very different feel than you might expect! The lyrics are mostly in English, and the inflections are definitely Dylan-esque – but the range of artists and style of performance really make the tunes way more than simple cover versions – and instead show just how deep the spirit of Robert Zimmerman has penetrated Brazilian culture! Titles include "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" by Gal Costa, "Jokerman" by Caetano Veloso, "Man Gave Name To All The Animals" by Ruy Maurity, "Mr Tambourine Man" by Daniel Lopes, "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" by Jomar Schrank, "If Not For You" by Luen, "It Ain't Me Babe" by Mallu Magalhaes, and "If You See Him Say Hello" by Renato Russo.

A killer batch of boogaloo material – but not from the usual sources! Although boogaloo is a genre normally associated with the New York scene at the end of the 60s, the music here all hails from Peru and represents a great new sound – music inspired by the Nuyorican originals, but which often take things into whole new directions! The Peruvian approach to boogaloo is a bit looser than the New York one – a bit more open and free, and often heavily touched by jazz music as well, resulting in a sound that's also got plenty of hard-jamming descarga elements too! Given the racial makeup of the Peruvian scene, there's a bit less soul influence going on too – lyrics are more often in Spanish, and less inspired by the Harlem sound – but the overall rhythms still share plenty with the Latin soul styles of New York, and provide a great foil for some of the jazzy instrumentation. This package is a massive discovery in music – one that goes way beyond some of the few Peruvian Latin titles from the time that have been reissued – and it's overflowing with amazing work that's totally new to our ears! 2LP set features a whopping 26 tracks that include "Vives Boogaloo" by Charlie Palomares, "Baby Boogaloo" by Nilo Espinosa, "Hilton's Descarga" by Los Hilton's, "El Pito" by Alfredo Linares, "Guayaba" by La Sonora De Lucho Macedo, "Que Rico Sabor" by Al Valdes, "Ensueno" by Mario Allison Y Su Combo, "You Traigo Boogaloo" by Alfredo Linares, "Juan Jose" by Nico Estrada, "Do The Boogaloo" by Nilo Espinosa, "Guajira" by Al Valdes, "El Diablo" by S Montez Y Sus Guantanameros, and "Clap Your Hands" by Tito Chicoma.

A wonderful collection of obscure solo acoustic guitar tunes from the mid 60s up to the dawn of the 80s – beautiful work from a slew of players we've never heard of – but we'd put right up there with Fahey and Basho in the way they reach from the back porch to the cosmos with just their fingers and some strings! One thing we love about this set, and the Numero Group releases to date, is how deep they dig and what beauty they unearth, somehow with impeccable sound quality. Some tunes are starkly beautiful, some chime on fairly intently, some do both those things and more – and it's very heartening and instantly appealing stuff – wordless tunes that carry a lot of sensitivity and emotion! The 40 page booklet features detailed notes and bio material for each track, plus an introduction by Numero's Rob Sevier and essays by Dan Lambert and Jim Ohlschmidt. Titles include "Beginning" by Dana Westover", "Raga In D" by Ted Lucas, "Sailor's Dream" by Scotte Witte, "Flight" by George Cromarty, "Diagonal" by Richard Crandell, "Baha Dream Songs" by Daniel Hecht, "Delta Freeze" by Jim Ohlschmidt, "No More School" by Stephen Cohen, "Strawberry Man" by Mark Lang, "Warm River" by Bread Chequer, "One Forty Eight" by Swayne Canna and more.

Troubadour folk from the 70s and into the early 80s – collected from rare privately issued records – the third set in the Wayfaring Strangers series from Numero! Lonesome Heroes is the male companion set to the equally excellent Ladies Of The Canyon compilation – and it features a haunting mix of spare, kind of eerily melodic vocal & guitar tunes, almost all of them by singer/songwriters who have remained largely unknown to this day. The melodies and chords are mostly on the tender, delicate side, and the voices range from gruff storytelling to sweeter singing. It really stands on its own really well in the Wayfaring Strangers series, too – the guitar playing is in service of the songs here, unlike the accomplished pickers & strummers on the Guitar Soli set, and the tunes aren't as airy as the Ladies From The Canyon material. Wonderful stuff, beatifully packages with great notes on the songs and artists, which should could go without saying, since this comes from the Numero Group! Titles include "Before" by Jim Schoenfeld, "It's So Profound" by Jim Ransom, "As I Walk" by Richard Smyrnios, "No Love Lost" by Tucker Zimmerman, "Hummingbird" by Kieran White, "The Tailor" by Jack Hardy, "Little Children" by George Cromarty, "Deep Night" by Tony Trosley, "Good Morning" by Tim Ward, "I Am The Moonlight" by John Villemonte, "O'Light" by Robb Kunkel and more. 17 tracks in all.

A seminal set from Jorge Ben – one that mixes samba soul with more baroque arrangements from the legendary Arthur Verocai! The record's got a different feel than some of Jorge's other work – almost a wider vision of music that ties his usual funky style to some of the more ambitious modes being explored by Marcos Valle and Edu Lobo at the time – expressed here in some larger instrumental passages that shade the tunes lightly, while still letting Jorge step out strongly on vocals and the usual mix of tight percussion and raspy guitar. Titles include "Que Maravilha", "Rita Jeep", "Comanche", "Porque E Proibido Pisa Na Grama", "Cassius Marcelo Clay", "Palomaris", "Maria Domingas", and "Negro E Lindo".

The final Warner Brothers album from Dionne Warwick – and a smooth, sophisticated affair done with full arrangements from Michael Omartian! The sound's still not as pop disco as you might expect from the time, and Dionne's gentle vocals are often cast in backings that step along nicely with a mellow, midtempo groove – one that's a bit like some of the best Philly soul of the period, yet still with a bit more California polish overall. The album works surprisingly well as a soul record – and really puts Warwick in the company of a whole generation of younger singers who'd risen above her by this point in the 70s. Titles include "One Thing On My Mind", "Don't Ever Take Your Love Away", "Livin It Up Is Startin To Get Me Down", "Since You Stayed Here", "A Long Way To Go", and "Keepin My Head Above Water".

Art Blakey at the Keystone Korner – really rattling the rafters with a great lineup that includes Bobby Watson on alto sax, David Schnitter on tenor, and Valery Ponomarev on trumpet! Although the Shorter/Morgan lineup is always hailed as one of Blakey's best, we're also pretty partial to this great late 70s stretch of The Jazz Messengers – as it shows some wonderful early flowering of Watson's alto, and his songwriting abilities; Ponomarev's well-blown trumpet lines; and Schnitter's crisp, sharp lines on tenor – always carved out with a great depth of feeling. Add to the mix some great piano from James Williams, and bass from Dennis Irwin, and you've got a great lineup next to Blakey's drums – all working together in a rough-edged, hard soul space on tracks that include "Pamela", "Unlimited", "Dark Side Light Side", "Blues For Two", and "In This Korner".

An excellent album of 70s work by this legendary musician from Tipica 73! The record is the debut of Alfredo De La Fe – a great percussionist and string player with a keen ear for a salsa groove that's steeped in tradition, yet has a forward thinking approach to rhythm. Alfredo's style is a great example of the way the older charanga format was taken up by 70s salseros – used to move back towards a purer Latin sound, but also to form a platform for new forms of expression. The group features Jorge Dalto on Fender Rhodes, Nestor Torres on flute, Nicky Marrero on timbales, and Alfredo himself on violin and percussion. There's a lot more percussion players on the album, too – and vocalists include Adrienne Alberto, Hector Alomar, and Felo Barrio. Includes the batucada groover "Hot To Trot", the slightly funky "Que Rico Bailo Yo", and the tracks "Canto Del Corazon", "Charangueando", and "Toca Alfredo Toca".

Some of the darkest work we've ever seen from Gilbert Hernandez – his third standalone graphic novel in this cool crime/b-movie-styled series! The work has a feel that's a bit like his Palomar stories, but packs a bit more punch, too – somewhat raunchier in themes, with the kind of crime thriller feel you'd guess from the cover! Done in a very nice format – 120 pages, black and white, and hardcover.

The coolest music we've heard so far from this fantastic funky talent – served up here in an ultra-cool package that also offers up four different cover images over two separate pieces of music! Sammi's got a name that's a bit unwieldy, but he serves up the groove with a sound so tight, we almost feel like we're back in the glory days of a good Quincy Jones funky soundtrack – thanks to a tight punch that Samuelsson brings to his large lead ensemble, which often moves here with the sharper sound of a much smaller funky combo! The arrangements are amazing – and the grooves run between styles that include touches of 70s Afro Funk, European-styled MPS jazz funk, and the promised blacksploitation modes mentioned above. Instrumentation is wonderful throughout – and honestly, there's nobody out there making music like this at the moment – and certainly nobody who gets the sound so right, tight, and on the money as Sammi! Titles include "Afromars", "1st Man From Iceland", "Ethiopian", "Afrobit", "Fola", "Peace", "Dubnotic", and "Ekki Stela Afrika Folkinu".

A treasure trove of lesser-known work by the Hernandez Brothers – shorter stories that were mostly one-offs from Love & Rockets – and which feature different themes and characters than the long-running Locas and Palomar epics! The book features lots of wonderful stuff from the early years which we'd totally forgotten about – some cute, some creepy, all of it handled with that amazing maturity that the Hernadez pair brought to their comics right from the start. There's some especially great material from Gilbert – done with the depth of some of his Palomar characters, but more pointed – and some of the Jamie stories showcase his earlier love of sci-fi, which dropped out a bit as the years went on. 283 pages, black and white, and packed with greatness!

A killer batch of boogaloo material – but not from the usual sources! Although boogaloo is a genre normally associated with the New York scene at the end of the 60s, the music here all hails from Peru and represents a great new sound – music inspired by the Nuyorican originals, but which often take things into whole new directions! The Peruvian approach to boogaloo is a bit looser than the New York one – a bit more open and free, and often heavily touched by jazz music as well, resulting in a sound that's also got plenty of hard-jamming descarga elements too! Given the racial makeup of the Peruvian scene, there's a bit less soul influence going on too – lyrics are more often in Spanish, and less inspired by the Harlem sound – but the overall rhythms still share plenty with the Latin soul styles of New York, and provide a great foil for some of the jazzy instrumentation. This package is a massive discovery in music – one that goes way beyond some of the few Peruvian Latin titles from the time that have been reissued – and it's overflowing with amazing work that's totally new to our ears! Titles include "Vives Boogaloo" by Charlie Palomares, "Baby Boogaloo" by Nilo Espinosa, "Hilton's Descarga" by Los Hilton's, "El Pito" by Alfredo Linares, "Guayaba" by La Sonora De Lucho Macedo, "Que Rico Sabor" by Al Valdes, "Ensueno" by Mario Allison Y Su Combo, "Yo Traigo Boogaloo" by Alfredo Linares, "Juan Jose" by Nico Estrada, "Do The Boogaloo" by Nilo Espinosa, "Guajira" by Al Valdes, "El Diablo" by S Montez Y Sus Guantanameros, and "Clap Your Hands" by Tito Chicoma.

Sub Pop celebrates 25 years not with a rearward gazing retrospective, but with a selection of exclusive, unreleased tracks by underground players circa 2013 – including His Electro Blue Voice, Chancha Via Circuito, Lori Goldston, My Disco, Iron Lung and more! 10 tracks in all: "Kidult" by His Electro Blue Voice, "Lacandona" by Chancha Via Circuito, "French Poet" by Protomartyr, "Tangled North" by Lori Goldston, "A Victory For Polio" by Iron Lung, "Money" by Soldiers Of Fortune, "Subterranean Brainblow" by Peaking Lights, "Radio Eyes" by Ed Schrader's Music Beat, "Guided" by My Disco and "Doomed" by Starred.

A seminal set from Jorge Ben – one that mixes samba soul with more baroque arrangements from the legendary Arthur Verocai! The record's got a different feel than some of Jorge's other work – almost a wider vision of music that ties his usual funky style to some of the more ambitious modes being explored by Marcos Valle and Edu Lobo at the time – expressed here in some larger instrumental passages that shade the tunes lightly, while still letting Jorge step out strongly on vocals and the usual mix of tight percussion and raspy guitar. Titles include "Que Maravilha", "Rita Jeep", "Comanche", "Porque E Proibido Pisa Na Grama", "Cassius Marcelo Clay", "Palomaris", "Maria Domingas", and "Negro E Lindo".

The second in DJ Nu-Mark's Broken Sunlight series of 10 iinch singles – joined by Tiron & Ayomari on "Feel The Way About It" – plus J-Live & Luscious Beats on "Tonight"! "Feel The Way" starts on a laidback funky tip, with a loosely thumping beat under keys and a guitar line. Soulful rhymes by the guests and heavier bass groove is the track progresses. "Tonight' is timeless hip hop win with J-Live & Lucious Beats.