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An unusual package of Quincy Jones albums – featuring variations on two American records, presented here in offbeat German versions of the 60s! First up is Songs For Pussycats, kind of a mix of Quincy Jones' Pussycat album for Mercury with some tracks from other records too – all done in that wicked mix of jazz, soundtrack, and popular themes that Quincy virtually helped invent back in the 60s! The album's got plenty of great groovers that take a popular tune and kind of turn it on its ear – takes on tracks like "What's New Pussycat", "Take Five", "Mack The Knife", "Sermonette", "Mr Lucky", and "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" – all of which are souped-up by Quincy, and done in a rhythmic style that takes them past familiar versions you might know. Quincy In Rio is a set that seems to be the famous Big Band Bossa Nova album at the start, but which also features tracks from other 60s albums too – showing a whole new fresh side to Quincy's genius in a jazz bossa mode! Arrangements are very lively, with lots of great percussion underneath the soaring big band charts – and titles include "Bossa Nova USA", "Desafinado", "Jive Samba", "Baia", "The Gentle Rain", "Non-Stop To Brazil", "Samba De Una Nota So", and "I Love You & Don't Forget It".

Two takes on "The Whip" – both pretty darn groovy! The Originals' version begins with this vamping, strutting horn part – then the whole thing hits a "whip" sound effect that really punctuates the whole tune – moving it from "Tequila"-like instrumental territory into something even nastier! And if that's not enough, there's even more whip sound effects on the flipside – snapping The Frantics' version into a real frenzy!

Bluesy piano, but with plenty of jazz roots too – vintage material recorded in Chicago during the early years of Atlantic Records, at a time when the label was almost more dedicated to preserving old styles than pushing new ones! Yancey's piano is sublime – recorded better here than on most of his older dates – and half the tracks feature vocals from Mama Yancey, who definitely brings up the blues quotient in the music. Israel Crosby backs Jimmy on bass – a surprising, yet great choice for the date – given some of his modern inflections – and titles include "How Long Blues", "Make Me A Pallet On the Floor", "Mournful Blues", and "Shave 'Em Dry".

A incredible little set of grooves that lit up early 80s Italian club scene – bubbling electro pop, pulsing post disco, and cosmic soul tunes compiled by DJ Mooner – a batch of nuggets originally spun in the famous Discoteca Cosmic! The tunes were all on the playlists during the heyday of that famous Italian club – a great mix of spacey, uncommonly warm synth grooves and cosmic funk featuring the Rah Band, Chocolate Star, Heaven 17 and more! Some of the most atmospheric club friendly grooves of the time! 11 tracks on the CD: "Electric Fling" by the Rah Band, "Mystery Man Remix" by Clive Stevens & Brainchild, "Dance On The Groove (And Do The Funk)" by Love International, "Crash (Monner's edit)" by Doctor S Cat, "I'm Your Money" by Heaven 17, "Basic" by Memory Control 1, "Oriental" by Peru, "This Is Me" by Chris & Cosey, "The Pop" by Chocolate Star and more.

Cosmic grooves and spacey post disco compiled by Dompteur Mooner – a great third volume of the Elaste series from Compost Records! The soul if disco splintered in the cosmos in the early 80s, soaring strings giving way to funky synths, proto-techno programming and all around galactic feel in the clubs of Europe and pretty much all around the world – and this set pulls together the widest range yet! Definitely not disco in a conventional set, but spacey synth funk and influential club grooves from the early 80s underground that sounds great today! Includes "Take A Chance (Dompteur Mooner Edit)" by Queen Samantha, "Urth" by Mobius, "Beats of Love" by Nacht Und Nebel, "Allein (Original Version)" by Tabu, "Beuys Boys" by Pollyester, "Jamacia Running" by The Pool, "Powerslide" by Mythos, "Africa (Dub Mix)" by Key Of Dreams and more. 14 tracks on the CD version.

The Originals are hitting more of a dance-oriented groove here – a mix of disco, soul, and uptempo funk arrangements, but still maintaining their harmony sound, in the manner of other Detroit groups at the time, like The Fantastic Four or Detroit Emeralds. Titles include "Call On Your Six Million Dollar Man", "Hurry Up & Wait", "Been Decided", and "Down To Love Town".

A long-overdue collection of work from the legendary Jack Arel – one of the lesser-known sound library composers of the late 60s and early 70s – but a true giant in his funky field, as you'll hear by the great music on this set! Arel is French, but he often wrote for British sources – including the Prisoner TV show – so his music has a great blend of Parisian pop modes and chunkier London beats – a style that almost mixes together some of the funkier jazz sensibilities of the sound library generation with the tighter, more romping rhythms that were usually penned for TV and commercial use. The first half of this set features 25 originals by Arel – some in collaboration with Pierre Dutor or Jean-Claude Petit – and often done with trippier touches that include fuzzy guitar or funky flute! The second half features remixes of the originals – tunes that are often a bit longer, and almost restructured as whole new songs. Originals include "Shore Of Sumatra", "Sideral Rhythmic", "De Paris A Liverpool", "Jungle Soul", "Game Trap", "Picture Of Summer", "Train Bleu", "Strange Galaxy", and "Sundown". Remixes include "Drugstore Party" remixed by Le Tone, "Jungle Soul" remixed by Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra, "The Night Squad" by Danny Wild & Goldfinger, "Loco Robo" by Luke Vibert, "Chicago Girl" remixed by Barth, "Electric Railman" remixed Mowo, and "Crystal Abyss" by Telepopmusik.

A compilation of pivotal mid 90s Dilla productions and remixes – classics and rarities from the Pharcyde, N'Dea Davenport, and the Brand New Heavies with guest appearances by Q-Tip and Mos Def – great stuff from the prime Delicious Vinyl years! It's full of bedrock jazzy funk from Jay Dee – a 2CD set with vocal versions on the first disc and a second CD featuring instrumentals. This is a great refresher course on Jay Dee's golden age pedigree – especially if you came on board with Dilla in the later Stones Throw years – featuring his earlier genius productions plus a second disc featuring instrumental versions. Proceeds from the CD are to go to Ma Dukes. Titles include "Runnin'" (plus instrumental), "Somethin' That Means Somethin'" (plus instrumental), "Bullsh*t" (plus instrumental), Y? (remix)" (plus instrumental) by Pharcyde, "Sometimes (remix)" (plus remix instrumental) by Brand New Heavies feat Q-Tip, "Saturday Night (remix)" (plus remix instrumental) by Brand New Heavies feat Mos Def, "Whatever You Want (remix)" by N'Dea Davenport and more.

A split Motown single, featuring an artist on each side, and tracks that are definitely designed to cash in on the dancefloor cash! The Originals step out in a full disco mode with "Downtown To Love Town" – a swirling number that's filled with lots of strings, and which boogies on out here in a special extended disco mix! Jermaine's "Let's Be Young" is mighty nice too!

Two MPS gems from this unusual 70s ensemble – back to back on the same CD! Chasin The Bird features classic bop modes, updated strongly for the 70s – and played by a hip group of older players who really know how to cook! Supersax is led by Med Flory on alto, who also did the arrangements – and works here with great reed help from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Joe Lopes on alto, and Jack Nimitz on baritone – plus soaring sounds from Conte Candoli and Blue Mitchell on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Lou Levy on piano – all of whom really help the reed players find their groove! Charts are large, as is the ensemble, but there's a nice sense of individual personalities too – even when all the saxophonists are taking a solo together at once. Titles include "Shaw Nuff", "Drifting On A Reed", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam", "Now's The Time", and "The Song Is You". Dynamite is a looser, more free-swinging album than usual for Supersax – one that still has the group working with some key contributions from west coast jazz luminaries, but in a vibe that's almost more small combo than larger ensemble! The tracks here include a fair bit of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker numbers, but the arrangements are mighty fresh – open, and swinging with some hipper 70s touches, thanks to rhythms from a trio that features Lou Levy on piano, Fred Atwood on bass, and John Dentz on drums – players that are never locked into a strict bop mode. As with other Supersax albums, there's a brace of reed players working together at the front – Lanny Morgan on alto, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and both Jay Migliori and Don Menza on tenors – coming together as one voice on the solos, and getting some key help from Conte Candoli on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone. Titles include "The Fruit", "Bambu", "Blues For Alice", "Tempus Fugit", "Parker's Mood", and a surprising, but great take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave".

A compilation of pivotal mid 90s Dilla productions and remixes – classics and rarities from the Pharcyde, N'Dea Davenport, and the Brand New Heavies with guest appearances by Q-Tip and Mos Def – great stuff from the prime Delicious Vinyl years! It's full of bedrock jazzy funk from Jay Dee – a 3 LP set with vocal versions on the first 2 LPs and instrumentals on the 3rd. This is a great refresher course on Jay Dee's golden age pedigree – especially if you came on board with Dilla in the later Stones Throw years – featuring his earlier genius productions plus a second disc featuring instrumental versions. Proceeds from the LP are to go to Ma Dukes. Titles include "Runnin'" (plus instrumental), "Somethin' That Means Somethin'" (plus instrumental), "Bullsh*t" (plus instrumental), Y? (remix)" (plus instrumental) by Pharcyde, "Sometimes (remix)" (plus remix instrumental) by Brand New Heavies feat Q-Tip, "Saturday Night (remix)" (plus remix instrumental) by Brand New Heavies feat Mos Def, "Whatever You Want (remix)" by N'Dea Davenport and more.

A full funky set of work from the legendary Janko Nilovic – one of the hippest sound library talents in 70s France, and a composer with a very unique sort of groove! There's a tremendous range of sounds here – all of them groovy – from American-styled soundtrack funk, to spare Latin-sounding rhythms, to weirder more experimental tracks that mix voices up like instruments – and lots more beyond description and simple categorization! The package pulls together the funkiest tracks from Janko's hard-to-find albums – most of which were originally on small French sound library labels, like Montparnasse 2000 or Telemusic. The double-length set features 23 tracks in all – including "Cross Rolls", "Blows & Rhythms", "Improvisation Pour 2 Voix", "Post Scriptum", "Aerospatial", "Weekend A Chelsea", "Funky Village", "Le Vent Dans Les Algues", "To & Fro", "Shadow Of Our Life", and "Golf Open".

Nice and rarely seen trio side from under-recorded Chicago pianist Anderson. He plays here with Bill Lee and either Walter Perkins or Philly Joe Jones on drums, in a trio that made the core of the rhythm section on Frank Strozier's excellent Jazzland date, Long Night. The group is in fine form here, running through both standards and originals, and though Anderson's name isn't as well known as many other pianists, it ought to be, and he was no stranger to other Windy City jazz greats such as Johnny Griffin. Imagine a cross between Bill Evans and Elmo Hope, and you might get a picture of where he's coming from, though Anderson's voice is all his own, weaving some nice sinuous lines on a set that leans heavily on ballads here, including "You'd Be Nice To Come Home To", "My Funny Valentine" and the originals "See You Saturday" & the title track.

An incredibly well-crafted set from bassist Omer Avital – a player who's really got a bold vision for his group here, and manages to lead a host of strong players through a set of very personal material! There's some great righteous energy going on here – making the set easily one of the most soulful in the Smalls Live series – and at times, almost like some lost New York set from the mid 70s – poised equally between spiritual and soul jazz modes! At times, Avital's bass is right up front in the mix, really leading off the tunes with a great sense of boldness – and at others, the trumpet of Avishai Cohen and tenor of Joel Frahm come together with this soaring elegance that really sets the whole thing on fire. Tracks are all originals by Avital, and titles include "Blues For Tardy", "Magic Carpet", "Theme For A Brighter Future", "Anthem To Life", "One", and "Just Some Small Time Sh*t".

Hardbop albums don't get any better than this – and although drummer Dave Bailey only recorded for a brief stretch as a leader, this session's one that shows that he was a heck of a force to contend with! The record's got an intensity that easily rivals the best by Art Blakey over at Blue Note during the early 60s – but Dave's also got a slightly looser groove too – a bit more sense of humanity, and one that allows for really organic interplay between the players. There's a slight soul jazz undercurrent – especially in the piano lines of Billy Gardner – and other players in the quintet include Bill Hardman on trumpet, Frank Haynes on tenor, and Ben Tucker on bass. The group wails on an early version of Tucker's classic "Comin' Home Baby", plus other great originals like "Coffee Walk", "Lady Iris B", and "Two Feet In the Gutter". A old favorite on the south side of Chicago!

Mindblowing work from the early years of Schema Records – a set that really helped set a whole new tone for a generation – and which still sounds wonderful all these many hears later! Balanco work up a perfect blend of bossa rhythms and soulful jazz – all wrapped up with the kind of slinky, sexy vibe the Italian scene first perfected back in the 60s – when they were borrowing lots of Brazilian elements for their best soundtracks! Balanco's sound here really recalls those glory days – mixing together sweet female vocals, lively bossa rhythms, and great work on Fender Rhodes – all under the guidance of Nicola Conte, who manages to make everything sound beautiful together. Highlights include versions of Morricone's "Metti Una Sera A Cena" and the classic "Cinnamon & Clove", but there's loads of other cool originals – like "Butterfly", "Fantasia", "Sister Bossa", "Aguadream", and "Blue Skat Samba".

One of the many fine albums cut by trombonist Betters during the 60s – the kind of homegrown soul jazz that made him a hit with the kids in Pittsburgh! The album's filled with some nice originals and pretty well-chosen covers – in cluding a few cool soundtrack tunes redone to give them the Betters bounce. Titles include "Bossa Nova Marina", "You Know", "Something You've Got", "Watermelon Man", "The In Crowd", "Dirty Red", and "Betters Bluff".

Fleet lines on alto sax from David Binney – a player who's paired here with pianist Craig Taborn, a perfect partner for his sound! The set often has Binney and Taborn stepping around together – piano and alto in this dance that's rich and compelling – with more than enough rhythmic pulse of its own – although the set also features bass from Eivind Opsvik and drums from Tyshawn Sorey. The tunes have these sort of rising and falling passages – and are almost all originals by Binney, save for one by Taborn – and given the complex approach, it's clear that the whole group really has a unified vision for the music. Titles include "Fanfare For Basu", "The Blue Whale", "Curious About Texas", "Lifted Land", "Losing The Central Valley", and "Red Cloud".

A great album of funky dancefloor tunes! Originally issued in 1978, and clearly for the New York dancefloor crowd – the record takes the earlier work of funk group The Blackbyrds, and remixes the tracks slightly to pump up the groove a bit for the dancers. While the approach might not sound good on paper, it actually works wonderfully on the record – as the tunes retain all of the jazz funk feel of the originals, without any of the cheap tricks you might expect. The album's as essential as any of the group's earlier albums – and it's filled with great versions of classics like "Supernatural Feeling", "Gut Level", "Walking In Rhythm", "Do It Fluid", "Rock Creek Park", and "Happy Music".

A great little album from Booker T & The MGs – recorded in the post Green Onions years, at a time when the group was really coming together – with a tightness that perfectly illustrates their sublime Memphis instrumental groove! The album's heavy on guitar and organ, as you'd expect – that great Booker/Steve Cropper sound that can't be denied – and there's a rawness here that you don't get as much in later years – more of a funky 45 vibe that really keeps things fresh! Titles include a few nice originals – like "Soul Jam" and "My Sweet Potato" – but ever the covers sound pretty darn great, with a lot more imagination than the usual instrumental filler. As proof, there's a killer version of "Summertime", with a nice modal groove, plus nice takes on "Think" and "Working In A Coal Mine".

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from trumpeter Till Bronner – a beautiful tribute to the 70s sound of Freddie Hubbard – recorded with instrumentation that's heavy on Fender Rhodes, and these soaring solos that are simply the greatest we've ever heard Bronner play! There's a perfection to the record that may well even go past Freddie's classics for CTI – a sense of solid, soulful sounds throughout – with not a moment of filler, and a great mix of originals from Bronner that really capture the Hubbard vibe – mixed with a few others that further the essence. The whole thing's wonderful – a killer contemporary set, but with a richly vintage feel too – no vocals, no remixes, or any of the other things that you might find on other Bronner albums. Titles include "Will Of Nature", "FFH", "Return To The Fold", "Gibraltar", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Condor", "Pegasus", "Red Street", "Wacky Wes", and "The Gate".

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from trumpeter Till Bronner – a beautiful tribute to the 70s sound of Freddie Hubbard – recorded with instrumentation that's heavy on Fender Rhodes, and these soaring solos that are simply the greatest we've ever heard Bronner play! There's a perfection to the record that may well even go past Freddie's classics for CTI – a sense of solid, soulful sounds throughout – with not a moment of filler, and a great mix of originals from Bronner that really capture the Hubbard vibe – mixed with a few others that further the essence. The whole thing's wonderful – a killer contemporary set, but with a richly vintage feel too – no vocals, no remixes, or any of the other things that you might find on other Bronner albums. Titles include "Will Of Nature", "FFH", "Return To The Fold", "Gibraltar", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Condor", "Pegasus", "Red Street", "Wacky Wes", and "The Gate". Limited deluxe edition features a bonus CD – with the tracks "Till's Blues", "Body & Soul", and "Little Sunflower".

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from trumpeter Till Bronner – a beautiful tribute to the 70s sound of Freddie Hubbard – recorded with instrumentation that's heavy on Fender Rhodes, and these soaring solos that are simply the greatest we've ever heard Bronner play! There's a perfection to the record that may well even go past Freddie's classics for CTI – a sense of solid, soulful sounds throughout – with not a moment of filler, and a great mix of originals from Bronner that really capture the Hubbard vibe – mixed with a few others that further the essence. The whole thing's wonderful – a killer contemporary set, but with a richly vintage feel too – no vocals, no remixes, or any of the other things that you might find on other Bronner albums. Titles include "Will Of Nature", "FFH", "Return To The Fold", "Gibraltar", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Condor", "Pegasus", "Red Street", "Wacky Wes", and "The Gate".

A swirling blend of soul, funk, and jazzy grooves – and a super-rare album that we've never seen in the original! Supposedly, backing on the record is by the British Afro-Funk group Assagai – which sounds right to us, because there's a nice rolling conga groove on many of the tracks. Lead vocals are by Charles Hilton Brown, in a nicely raw soul style that reminds us a bit of Otis Redding, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland on some of his early 70s material. The record features vocal covers of a number of soul hits – like "Try A Little Tenderness", "Love Train", and "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus some originals that are even better, like the funky instrumental "GRF", and the tunes "Maddox" and "Tell Me Once Again". Nice and raw, and with a sound hip enough to match the record's cover!

Reissue of one of the grooviest of the James Brown instrumental albums recorded for Smash. Unlike some of the other weaker albums on Smash, this one's got a great batch of material, most of which are originals, and not weak covers of pop stuff. Plus, the tracks are longer than usual, which gives the band a lot of time to stretch out and get really groovy. Tracks include: "Grits", "There", "Wee Wee", and "Mister Hip". Very groovy.

A wonderful album by Odell Brown – recorded years after he broke up with his Organizers group, with a sweet electric groove that's very different than his Chess LPs – and also quite a bit different from other records on Paula in the mid 70s! Odell's playing electric piano on the set – grooving in a mellow funky way that reminds us of some of the early 70s Young-Holt albums, no surprise, since Odell and the Young-Holt team came out of the same scene. The tracks are nice and long, and nearly all originals. It kicks off a killer cover, though: an 11 minute jazzy soul take on Stevie Wonder's "I Love Every Little Thing About You" – and it also includes "South of 63rd", "Simizzoke", "Song Theme" and "Tasha".

Great work from Ray – and very much in the formula of his best Cadet records! The formula is simple – stick in 2 great original groovers, and fill the record with a few other covers of pop and jazz standards. Thanks to Richard Evans, who produced the sessions for Cadet, the grooves are great on nearly every track – and Ray sounds better here than on any other sides that we remember! In this case the originals are "Stick With It" and "Sound Ray" – both hard piano jams with a great downbeat and a nice dose of funk. Covers include "Song For My Father", "Con Alma", "Look Of Love", and "Scarborough Fair" – all very very nice!

An album with as much depth and richness as the title might imply – a wonderful record from Chico Buarque's newly sophisticated years at the end of the 70s! The set's got a quality that's almost timeless – an interwoven blend of styles that features some of Chico's modes from earlier years, but also an influence that's almost European at times – an approach that has Buarque rising up with some of the great global singer/songwriters, transcending standard MPB with a sense of confidence and personality that's really amazing. Arrangements are by Francis Hime, Tom Jobim, and Roberto Menescal – and most tracks have some prominent guitar played gently, but effectively next to the vocals – handled by players who include Octavio Burnier, Arthur Verocai, and Geraldo Azevedo. Titles are nearly all originals by Chico – with tracks that include "Vida", "Ja Passou", "Fantasia", "Qualquer Cancao", "Nao Sonho Mais", "Bye Bye Brasil", "Morena De Angola", and "De Todas As Maneiras".

Seminal sounds from Solomon Burke – and a record that already has the young singer hitting the full heights of his greatness! There's a vibe here that's unlike anything else – even any of Burke's heavy-hitting contemporaries on Atlantic Records – and the album's key proof that Solomon's easily one of the greatest soul singers who ever lived! His vocals have roots that go very deep, but the strength of his vocals also help bring a new focus to 60s soul as well – a raw power that so many others would try to emulate, yet maybe never hit as well as Burke. A number of cuts here are great originals penned by Solomon, and every number's a gem – with titles that include "Stupidity", "Words", "If You Need Me", "Home In Your Heart", "Tonight My Heart She Is Crying", "I Really Don't Want To Know", and "Send Me Some Loving".

A collection that Milestone issued in 1973 that includes tracks from three of Byrd's early 60s Bossa Nova records – Latin Impressions, Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros and Once More/Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova. Byrd and his unamplified guitar are joined by Keter Betts on bass and Bill Reichenbach on drums and Latin percussion; other players are also featured. The tracks are mainly composed by the big names of Bossa Nova – Jobim, Powell, Caymmi, Lyra – but there are several Byrd originals as well such as "Socegadamente (Softly)", "Cancao De Nimar Para Carol", "Three Note Samba", and "Ela Me Deixou". Other tracks include "Samba Triste", "Desafinado", "Saudade Da Bahia", "Carnaval" and many others.

A 22 track collection of work by Mike Cambpell – a little-known Bay Area vocalist from the 80s, with a sweetly swinging style that's very much in the tradition of Mark Murphy, another San Francisco contemporary. The CD features 12 tracks from Campell's 1982 album Secret Fantasy, originally issued on the Palo Alto Jazz label – plus another 10 tracks from various sessions throughout the 80s, all with a similar warm small combo feel. The tracks are a mix of originals, standards, and some hipper fare from the left end of the jazz vocal spectrum – and titles include "Dat Dere", "Early", "Another Star", "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco", "Round Midnight", "Soft Strum Blues", "And It All Goes Round & Round", "Mystery", "Alone Again", and "High Wire".

Stunning stuff – and one of the best-ever Latin soul albums of all time! Despite the fact that Eddie Cano's earlier albums are more in a Latin easy mode, this late 60's side for Dunhill is totally smoking – and probably his greatest album ever! Forgive the superlatives, but we're totally serious on this one – as the set's a firey batch of Latin instrumentals, with a slammin' boogaloo groove all the way through – filled with mad percussion, jazzy piano riffs, and a non-stop groove that's totally great. The set was recorded live at PJ's nightclub, and it's a non-stop Latin Soul party that includes massive originals like "Slip Slip", "Brown & Blue", "Miro Como Es", and "Don't Ever Change" – plus smoking covers of "El Pito" and "Louie Louie". The set screams with excitement, and is as great as the album is rare!

Excellent work from Betty Carter – much more sophisticated than some of her 60s work! Betty's captured here in her hip trio format that she developed to fantastic heights during the 70s. Betty sings standards and originals with a warmth an imagination that we can hardly describe accurately – bringing emotion into the songs that we'd hardly heard in earlier recordings, and using a trio in ways that we'd never heard before with a vocalist. Incredible stuff all the way through, very much on a par with any of Betty's later work, with "Do Something", "My Shining Hour", "What's New", "Round Midnight" and "I'm Pulling Through".

Although the cover of the record includes a picture of Eddie's wife, Dinah Washington, and the "Friend" in the title would seem to imply that she's on the album, the set's really just a bunch of hard jazz cuts that showcase Eddie's screaming tenor sax, and which don't include Dinah's vocals. Not that that's a problem, though, because the record's a great one, and it's a good peek at player who was one of the biggest in Chicago during the 50's, and who had a loud hard R&B sound, in a mode that was similar to other Chicago players, such as Gene Ammons and Red Prysock. The record's got a number of originals by Chamblee, plus a few tracks written by Julian Priester and Dinah Washington (but did she really write them?). Titles include "Back Street", "Strollin Sax", "Village Square", and "Swing A Little Taste".

A sweet little session from guitarist Ed Cherry – recorded with great Hammond accompaniment from Pat Bianchi – in that soulful, stripped-down sound we love so much from the Posi-Tone label! There's a quality here that takes us back to the sound of Prestige Records back in the 60s – but with an even more vivid vibe overall – incredible notes that fly with ease from the strings of Cherry's guitar – and these full, rich organ tones from Bianchi that really send the whole thing soaring! The pair are great together, and work here with Byron Landham on drums – playing with this open, skipping sound that further encourages the groove. Titles include the Cherry originals "Mogadishu" and "Something For Charlie" – plus "Christo Redentor", "Deluge", "Maiden Voyage", "Edda", and "Chitlins Con Carne".

Beautiful music from Pietro Ciancaglini – the bassist of the excellent High Five Quintet, stepping out here as a leader on his own, in a very hip tribute to the late, great Charles Mingus! The music here is hardly the standard Mingus mode – even though many tracks were penned by Charles – and instead, Ciancaglini serves up some very cool small group takes on Mingus ideals, really reworking the original genius in a way that's more intimate – still very rich in feeling, but in very different ways than you'd get from the originals. His partners in the program include Daniele Tittarelli on alto, Max Ionata on tenor, Pietro Lussu on piano, and Walter Paoli on drums – and Javier Girotto plays baritone sax on a number of tracks as well. There's a warm, soulful feel to the record we really love – one that Mingus definitely would have approved of – and titles include "Homage", "Freedom", "Balarm", "Canon", "So Long Eric", "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird", "Nostalgia In Times Square", and "Haitian Fight Song".

US issue of one of the best albums from Clark/Boland's big years on MPS – Sax No End! They got the title right on this one – because with Johnny Griffin, Sahib Shihab, Karl Drewo, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis as main soloists on the record, the sax never ends! The album's easily one of the most hard-burning 60s sessions from the legendary Clarke-Boland Big Band – and has that ensemble really cutting changes incredibly – working with a tremendous amount of power that not only comes from the sax soloists, but also from trumpet work by Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Shake Keane – as well as the group's usual hard-slamming rhythm section of Francy Boland on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Jimmy Woode on bass. The tracks are shortish, but get in plenty of great solo space – and are all originals for the session, with titles that include "Peter's Waltz", "Milkshake", "The Turk", "Sax No End", and "New Box".

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band – proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years – stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and soulful solos that made the ensemble unlike any other group in the 60s – a really groundbreaking approach to their music, delivered by a range of top-shelf players! Arrangements are by Boland, who also plays piano – and other group members include Benny Bailey and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpets, Derek Humble on alto sax, Carl Drewo and Zoot Sims on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax and flute, and Ake Persson on trombone – plus rhythm from the rock-solid duo of Jimmy Woode on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the Latin-tinged "Los Bravos", and more great originals by Boland – including "Volutes", "The Styx", "Charon's Ferry", and "Box 703 Washington DC" – plus versions of "Gloria" and "Last Train From Overbrook".

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band – proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years – stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and soulful solos that made the ensemble unlike any other group in the 60s – a really groundbreaking approach to their music, delivered by a range of top-shelf players! Arrangements are by Boland, who also plays piano – and other group members include Benny Bailey and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpets, Derek Humble on alto sax, Carl Drewo and Zoot Sims on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax and flute, and Ake Persson on trombone – plus rhythm from the rock-solid duo of Jimmy Woode on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the Latin-tinged "Los Bravos", and more great originals by Boland – including "Volutes", "The Styx", "Charon's Ferry", and "Box 703 Washington DC" – plus versions of "Gloria" and "Last Train From Overbrook".

A rare gem from the Clarke Boland Big Band – and one of the group's few vocal sessions ever! The album's a really unique one – recorded in the UK in 1970, and featuring singer Carmen McCrae joining the group for a fresh and unusual batch of tracks – most of them originals written for the session! The CBBB is in fine fine form throughout – hard-swinging with an impossibly tight sound, and featuring solo work by Tony Coe, Sahib Shihab, and Billy Mitchell. But even more surprising is Carmen – really opening up on the record, thanks to the fresh, new material – and hitting dark moods that perfectly fit the November Girl title of the session! Titles include "Just Give Me Time", "A Handful Of Soul", "Dear Death", "My Kinda World", and "November Girl".

Great work from Johnny Coppola – a member of America's famous first family of film, and a hell of a crooner in his own right! Johnny lives in a world where the Rat Pack never ended – and he sings here with a style we haven't heard this well since the days of Frank Sinatra at Reprise – a tremendous old school approach to masculine jazz singing – served up with a hell of a lot more personality than just about any other Sinatra copycat in recent years! Johnny's definitely his own man on the set – partly because the tunes are almost all originals, with very cool lyrics by Coppola – and music penned by Bill Cunliffe, who handled all the instrumentation for the record – at a level that really keeps things top-shelf. Make no mistake, Johnny's vocals don't have the purity of Sinatra – but he does really evoke this world of second-string male singers of the 60s – guys like Bobby Cole, Frankie Randall, David Allen, and others – all equally swinging, and able to put a sense of male personality into a tune that other singers of the type could never touch. Titles include "Night Of Our Dreams", "A Long Love Affair", "Sandra", "Time To Run Son", "I'm Through With All Of These Dreams", "I'll Sleep Alone", and "Somebody's Got To Be That Guy".

An incredible debut as a leader for Chick Corea – quite different than his 70s work, and a set that's filled with heavy soul jazz and Latin influences! Chick's coming off of years of work in Latin bands, and in smaller soul jazz combos, and his writing here is a mix of the freer style that would later become too free, with the rootsier elements of his background. The players on the record include Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, Steve Swallow on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and all tracks are long, with a sweeping, searching, soulful sound. Titles include a beautiful rendition of Chick's "Litha", which he also recorded with Stan Getz on Sweet Rain, plus two other nice originals – "Tones For Joan's Bones" and "Straight Up And Down".

A spare and sweet little set from the team of Eddie Costa and Vinnie Burke – one of the best of the east coast chamber jazz groups of the mid 50s! The pair's trio has Eddie on piano and vibes, Vinnie on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – all working together to craft light, rhythmic versions of tunes that really change them up rhythmically – working in the most playful mode of the time to freely create over the top of familiar numbers that include "Fascinating Rhythm", "It Could Happen To You", "Sweet & Lovely", "Yesterdays", and "Let's Do It". The set also features two nice originals – "Unison Blues" and "Pile Driver".

One of the most highly-regarded albums of Hank Crawford's 60s run on Atlantic Records – a set when everything seems to come together just right – and provide an even better showcase than usual for Hank's soulful lines on alto sax! The set also features tenor from David Newman – easily a perfect companion to Crawford for the record – and the rhythms have a nicely laidback, easygoing vibe – almost more Prestige Records soul jazz than the usual Atlantic style of the time. The set's got some warm mellow instrumental versions of blues classics, plus a few originals like "Lorelei's Lament", "Blue Stone", and "Playmates".

One of the greatest grooves from the legendary Desco Records years – a brilliant album of modern Afro Funk done by The Daktaris – in a groove that's just as hard-hitting as any of Fela's work from the 70s! The album was one of the first to bring back an older African style to current funk – and even years later, it's still one of the best examples of the sound – a razor-sharp session that helped set the stage for better-known Antibalas work to come! Percussion and guitar is super-heavy throughout – produced with that bare-bones Desco style, and handled in a way that makes you think the record might be some treasure from mid 70s Nigeria – a trick the label tried to pull when it was released! Cuts include a cover of Fela's "Upside Down", James Brown's "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose", and the originals "Super Afro-Beat", "Daktari Walk", "Voodoo Soul Stew", and "Quiet Man Is A Dead Man".

One of the greatest grooves from the legendary Desco Records years – a brilliant album of modern Afro Funk done by The Daktaris – in a groove that's just as hard-hitting as any of Fela's work from the 70s! The album was one of the first to bring back an older African style to current funk – and even years later, it's still one of the best examples of the sound – a razor-sharp session that helped set the stage for better-known Antibalas work to come! Percussion and guitar is super-heavy throughout – produced with that bare-bones Desco style, and handled in a way that makes you think the record might be some treasure from mid 70s Nigeria – a trick the label tried to pull when it was released! Cuts include a cover of Fela's "Upside Down", James Brown's "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose", and the originals "Super Afro-Beat", "Daktari Walk", "Voodoo Soul Stew", and "Quiet Man Is A Dead Man".

The first-ever release of this lost soul treasure – a rare session from a late 70s group from Tulsa, recording in LA at the studio of Sly Stone! The set's got a groove that's way more than you'd expect from any Oklahoma combo – a mature, modern soul sparkle that's totally great – almost the sort of vibe you'd find from some of the best groups of the time on labels like Elektra or Capitol, but handled here with a bit more indie charm overall! The tracks are all originals, and they balance out mellow steppers and tighter groovers nicely – which makes for an album that's amazingly deep in conception, and way more than just a slap-dash batch of tracks from the studio. We're sure that Sly would have been proud of the work here – and our hat's off to the folks at Lotus Land for finally getting this one released! Titles include "Funky Sounds", "Accept The Truth", "Keep On Smiling", "If You Dance Tonight", "I Love Everything About You", "On A Lovely Night Like This", "I Hope You'll Be", and an untitled track.

Mellow and magical guitar work from Czech player Rudolph Dasek – an artist who's steeped in the clean, clear sound of players like Tal Farlow and Wes Montgomery, but who also clearly picked up some of the trippier influences of the time – particularly the sound of Gabor Szabo. This obscure set's a nice example of those two modes coming together – as Dasek plays mostly with acoustic bass and drums, plus a bit of electric bass on two of the tripper modal numbers on the set. About half the tunes are originals, and titles include "One Two Free", "Blow!", "Fashank II", "Fairy Tale For Beritka", and "Blue Note".

One of the most obscure 60s jazz sessions on ESP – a really free outing from pianist Lowell Davidson, working here in a trio that includes Gary Peacock on bass and Milford Graves on drums! Davidson's approach to the keys is quite far out, especially for the time – very much in the mode of Cecil Taylor, but possibly even more open-ended than Taylor's work up to this point. He doesn't get lost in the open spaces, though, thanks in no small part to the intuitiveness of his players. Really wonderful stuff that's loose, angular and engrossing all the way! Tracks are all longish originals – and titles include "L", "Ad Hoc", "Strong Tears", "Stately 1", and "Dunce".

Don't pass this one up! Although lots of other albums by Eddie Lockjaw Davis are laidback quartet and quintet sessions, done in a soul jazz organ/tenor mode – this session features Eddie working with stunning bigger band backings, in a searingly soulful sound that's simply incredible! The leadoff track, "Trane Whistle", has Lockjaw really working new waves of sound into his tenor sax – screaming the horn in a way that you thought you'd never hear, and playing with tones that are a lot darker than usual! The set moves on from there in a nice batch of material that includes "Whole Nelson" and "Stolen Moments", two fantastic originals by Oliver Nelson, who also arranged the album – and takes a great deal of responsibility for the strength of the set. The record shows a whole new side of Davis' talents – one that was barely if ever recorded like this again – and which is made even better by the presence of freshly modern players that include Eric Dolphy, Richard Williams, Melba Liston, and Roy Haynes. Great stuff!

An album that's every bit as hip as you'd expect from its Sam Rivers-inspired cover image – a beautiful tribute to the modal jazz scene of the 60s, particularly the work of John Coltrane and some of his followers on Impulse Records! Apart from a cover of "Naima", though, the set's hardly a simple rehash of Coltrane modes – as all other tunes are originals, and the band delivers them with a core piano trio groove, then adds in flute, tenor, and soprano sax on different tracks! Rhythm is at the heart of the record, and bassist/leader Jerker Kluge really moves the group with a pulsating sound on his instrument – a deep, soulful tone that's matched beautifully by the brightly soaring piano lines of Jo Junghanss. A few cuts feature vocals by Julia Fehenberger, who further deepens the soul of the record – and the whole thing's a massive killer – like finding some lost Saba/MPS gem from the late 60s, with all the European jazz genius you'd expect from such a reference. Titles include "Heaven & Earth", "Naima", "Orange Flower", "Red Smoke", "Starlings Talk", and "Black Tiger".

The amazing second album from Deep Jazz – and every bit as spiritual and soulful as the first! These guys really blew us away with their debut, and we're loving them even more this time around – and can honestly say that they're one of the few contemporary combos to ever get our favorite sounds of the 70s just right – that magical music that came out on labels like Strata East and other small indies of the time – that post-Coltrane generation when musicians really stretched their skills to the heavens in search of new sounds! The arrangements, production, and execution here are wonderful – with no modern tricks or gimmicks to get in the way at all – and in addition to great warm acoustic bass from group leader Jerker Kluge, the set also features alto, tenor, flute, bass clarinet, and piano – plus some great Alice Coltrane-like harp, sweet percussion, and even female vocals on a few cuts. Titles include the great originals "The Meeting", "Movement", and "Don't Get Drowned" – plus great versions of "Little Sunflower" and "Spirits Up Above".

The heavy groove of Deep Purple continues – in a style that's a bit more song-focused and guitar-led than the group's debut – but still pretty darn great nonetheless! Some of the rumbling bass of before has been toned down a bit, but that leaves plenty of space for more jamming guitar work from Ritchie Blackmore – as well as more soaring Hammond lines, and vocals that almost hint at soulful influences from time to time. The record's got a slightly heartfelt quality that's almost a surprise – and titles include covers of "Kentucky Woman", "We Can Work It Out", and "River Deep Mountain High" – plus the originals "Wring That Neck", "Listen Learn Read On", and "The Shield".

Incredible soul music from one of the unsung greats of the 70s! Sam Dees' only album for Atlantic, The Show Must Go On, is one of our best-selling rare originals, when we manage to get it! If you're one of the lucky few who've got a copy, you'll know that he's got an excellent style of soul that mixes a deep soul style with sort of a Chicago style, for a very unique sound. This CD from Kent is comprised completely of unreleased material, with 23 cuts that weren't on the Atlantic album. Some of these are demos, but they have a very professional feel, and are so great that we wonder why another album wasn't put together out of them. The great folks at Kent have done just that, and this CD's an immense treat for fans of Sam, and of classic 70s deep soul vocals. Great stuff – and one of our favorite titles on their label!

An album that signifies its style right from the first track – which echoes Martin Denny's classic "Quiet Village", but which then rolls into a set of sprightly arrangements from Julius Wechter – who almost brings an A&M Records vibe to the album! Tunes are mostly Denny remakes of 60s instrumental themes, plus a few originals co-penned with Wechter – and there's some nice percussion bits that lurk in the background next to Denny's piano – which mostly rings out in the lead. Titles include "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Lara's Theme", "Strangers In The Night", "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", "Patch Of Blue", "Promises", and "Snowflakes In Summer".

A cool jazz classic from altoist Paul Desmond and guitarist Jim Hall! The album was recorded under Desmond's name, but Hall's the guitarist throughout, and his playing lends an indescribably wonderful edge to the set, making the album a real team effort! Unlike other RCA sides by Hall and Desmond, this one features the pair with larger string backings by Bob Prince, which create a dreamy pillow for alto and guitar to solo across. Titles include the Desmond originals "Late Lament" and "Desmond Blue" – plus "Ill Wind", "My Funny Valentine", and "Like Someone In Love".

Forget the silly cowboy costume on the front cover – because this is a heck of a great album! Bo might have gotten saddled (no pun intended!) with a silly gimmick for the title and image of the set – but the album's one of his best from the early Chess years, and features a rip-roaring batch of tracks that really cut it up in his classic scratchy guitar mode of the time! Lyrics are great – nearly all originals by Bo himself, with that hip swinging, and hard-wailing approach that was always a lot of fun – and cuts include "Gunslinger", "Diddling", "Cheyenne", "Cadillac", and "Doing The Craw-Daddy".

Forget the silly cowboy costume on the front cover – because this is a heck of a great album! Bo might have gotten saddled (no pun intended!) with a silly gimmick for the title and image of the set – but the album's one of his best from the early Chess years, and features a rip-roaring batch of tracks that really cut it up in his classic scratchy guitar mode of the time! Lyrics are great – nearly all originals by Bo himself, with that hip swinging, and hard-wailing approach that was always a lot of fun – and cuts include "Gunslinger", "Diddling", "Cheyenne", "Cadillac", and "Doing The Craw-Daddy". CD also features 5 bonus cuts – 3 previously unissued – with titles that include "Working Man", "Do What I Say", "Prisoner Of Love", "Googlia Moo", and "Better Watch Yourself".

From the title, to the cover, to the gritty grooves way down in the wax – this has got to be one of the funkiest Blue Note albums ever – a real landmark from the legendary Lou Donaldson! The set kicks off with a hard and heavy groove from the very first note – thanks to some super-tight drumming by a young Idris Muhammad – still billed under his birth name of Leo Morris on the sleeve, but already hitting the kit with that snapping post-Popcorn style that would revolutionize funky jazz in years to come! Donaldson's plenty smoking himself on electrified alto sax – played with that great mix of flatness and echo that you'd hear in Eddie Harris' albums of the same time – and the rest of the lineup is equally cooking, with Melvin Sparks on guitar, Charles Earland on organ, and Ed Williams blasting away on funky trumpet! Titles include killer remakes of "It's Your Thing" and "Who's Making Love" – plus Donaldson originals "Hot Dog" and "Turtle Walk" – all nice and long, and with a really raw sound!

An excellent groover from Kenny Dorham – possibly one of his best ever albums for Blue Note – a record that shows how much he was pushing past his bop roots in his later years! The tracks are extremely long, and with a Latiny feel that's surprising when you look at Dorham's earlier material. He's helped along in his endeavors here by a fresh group of modernist geniuses that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Butch Warren on bass and Tony Williams drums – and the album's got 3 long, incredible Dorham originals: "Una Mas" fills up side one, and "Straight Ahead", and "Sao Paulo" cover the flip.

A pair of Patty Duke albums from the late 60s – one of them previously unreleased! First up is Patty Duke Sings Songs From Valley Of The Dolls – a record that definitely draws on the drama of her Neely O'Hara role in the film of the same name – with tunes that have a bit more of an emotive punch than Duke used in previous years. These emotions are sometimes a bit overblown, but that's part of the appeal – as with her work in the film – and arrangements are by Arnold Goland and Hutch Davie – on titles that include "Come Live With Me", "Give A Little More", "Valley Of The Dolls", "I'll Plant My Own Tree", and "Learn To Live With Your Heartache". The second half of the album features the previously unreleased Patty Duke Sings Folk Songs/Time To Move On – an unusual record that has Duke taking on some of the crossover folk sounds of the 60s – but still in a way that's very much in her usual poppy bag. Ernie Sheldon produced, and also wrote a good number of tracks too – originals mixed in with more familiar and traditional titles that come off surprisingly well – thanks partly to the gentler folksy format, which never strains Patty's vocals too much. Titles include "The Housewife's Lament", "Colors", "The Cruel War", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "Time To Move On", and "And We Were Strangers". Also features the unreleased single "I Want Your Love".

A heavy record with a heavy pedigree – a smoking set of funky instrumentals, all recorded directly to tape! The trio has a hard-burning sound that takes us back to the Prestige records jazz funk sound of the early 70s – the sort of groove you might have heard from Leon Spencer or Melvin Sparks – with Mike Flanigin on sweet Hammond, Jake Langley on smoking guitar, and Kyle Thompson driving the whole thing with some mighty fierce drums! The CD version has a few great cover versions on top of the solid Dupree originals – and the titles include "The Turtle", "Malibu Classic", "KC", "Moto Guzzi", "Leon's Thing", a great take on the Bacharach/David classic "Close To You", Tina Brooks' "David The King", Horace Silver's "Cookin' At The Continental" and more, 10 tracks on the CD.

A heavy record with a heavy pedigree – a smoking set of funky instrumentals, all recorded directly to tape, then pressed directly on heavy colored wax! The trio has a hard-burning sound that takes us back to the Prestige records jazz funk sound of the early 70s – the sort of groove you might have heard from Leon Spencer or Melvin Sparks – with Mike Flanigin on sweet Hammond, Jake Langley on smoking guitar, and Kyle Thompson driving the whole thing with some mighty fierce drums! Titles are mostly originals – and include "The Turtle", "Malibu Classic", "KC", "Moto Guzzi", and "Leon's Thing". 6 killer tracks on the vinyl version.

An overlooked treasure from the Atlantic vaults – the first album by The Dynamics, and arguably a much greater record than the group's better-known set from the 70s! The Dynamics were a Detroit group from the late 60s, with that heavy harmony sound that was becoming a standard for the city's soul scene – and they were managed by Aretha Franklin's husband Ted White, who was probably responsible for getting them to record at Atlantic. Oddly, this session was recorded in Memphis, not Detroit – with production by Tommy Cogbill and Chips Moman – who give the group a deep soul bottom that adds a lot to their still-rough vocal style. There's a great mix of deep and smooth going on here – a style that reminds us a bit of the few great Memphis vocal groups of the period, but which also has a Detroit tightness at times too. The tracks are a great mix of originals by Don Mancha, Fred Baker, Ronnie Shannon, and others – and titles include "Ain't No Love At All", "I Don't Want Nobody To Lead Me On", "What Would I Do", "Fair Love", and "Murder In the First Degree". A killer, and the kind of record you started collecting soul for!

Sublime spiritual soul from Dyson's Faces – a mid 70s east coast group headed by singer/songwriter Clifton Dyson, an ensemble that was equally well suited to uptempo groovers and mellow harmony soul! The vocals here are especially great – handled beautifully by the group with an earnest, honest quality that reminds us a lot of the harmony soul coming out of the Philly and New Jersey scenes a few years before, but which is presented here with a professional approach that only adds to the sweetness of the lyrics. Most numbers step along in a mellow or midtempo mode – with the vocals lifting beautifully up alongside full arrangements – and the more uptempo tracks hit kind of an ensemble funk style that still also works great with the group's approach. Tracks are all originals, and include the spacey "Wait A Minute Girl", which also has a great monologue – plus "We're Two Fools In Love", "Ole Jose What You Gonna Say Today", "Happy Days Again", "Welcome To All This Love Again", and "Don't Worry About The Joneses".

A very groovy take on the work of Jimmy Webb – a sweet instrumental set from German maestro Kurt Edelhagen – featuring a host of hip jazz players from around the European scene, and some great arrangements by Quincy Jones! The tunes are all hits by Jimmy – but they're redone wonderfully by Quincy – who brings in a slightly more soulful approach overall – one that finds all the best spaces between the notes in Webb's originals, and uses them to create a wonderfully subtle sense of groove. Instrumentation includes trumpets from Jimmy Deuchar and Shake Keane, trombone from Jiggs Whigham, saxes from Karl Drewo and Wilton Gaynair, organ and celeste from Bora Rokovic, and bass from Peter Trunk – plus some added strings – and Quincy gets some help on the arrangements from Tom Scott and JJ Johnson, in ways that aren't entirely clear from the notes. Titles include "Sunshower", "Galveston", "Didn't We", "Up Up & Away", "Where's The Playground Susie", "Wichita Lineman", and "Honey Come Back".

Duke Ellington and Mary Poppins? Sounds like a terrible combination – but it's actually pretty darn great! You see, the key words in the title are "plays with" – as Duke takes the core score of the film and, working with Billy Strayhorn, comes up with some groovy little tunes that really depart from the originals – and become perfect backdrops for the modern Ellington genius of the 60s. Solo work on the set is by Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cootie Williams, and Harry Carney – and overall, the album's got that nice punchy feel of Ellington's other Reprise sides – and makes especially nice use of the modal quality of some of the tunes from the film. Titles include "Jolly Holiday", "The Life I Lead", "I Love To Laugh", "Stay Awake", "Chim Chim Cheree", and "Feed The Birds".

Duke Ellington and Mary Poppins? Sounds like a terrible combination – but it's actually pretty darn great! You see, the key words in the title are "plays with" – as Duke takes the core score of the film and, working with Billy Strayhorn, comes up with some groovy little tunes that really depart from the originals – and become perfect backdrops for the modern Ellington genius of the 60s. Solo work on the set is by Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cootie Williams, and Harry Carney – and overall, the album's got that nice punchy feel of Ellington's other Reprise sides – and makes especially nice use of the modal quality of some of the tunes from the film. Titles include "Jolly Holiday", "The Life I Lead", "I Love To Laugh", "Stay Awake", "Chim Chim Cheree", and "Feed The Birds".

Sweet 70s grooving from Brazilian singer Eva – a bit of soul, a bit of easy, all styled together nicely by orchestrations from the magical maestro Gaya! Gaya's work here is similar to his best backings for other artists in the Blue Brazil generation – a mix of American pop, post-bossa instrumentation, and in this case, some very slight electric touches – kind of hipping up the tunes a bit with some nice keyboards! The album's got a really nice version of "Moon River" that skips along at a nice pace – plus some great originals that offer a strong update to the sound of other Brazilian pop/post-bossa singers, like Doris Monteiro or Claudette Soares. Titles include "O Homem Do Tempo", "Vinte Leguas", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Olha Eu Aqui Oh Oh Oh", "Talisma", and Sonho Lindo".

Gil Evans plays an electric grand piano and is joined by a rather large set of musicians who include Masabumi Kikuchi on a variety of synthesizers, Billy Cobham on drums, Lou Soloff on trumpet, George Lewis on trombone and many others. Tracks include some Evans originals – "Anita's Dance", "Jelly Rolls", "Alyrio", and "Variations On The Misery" plus others like Gershwin's "Gone, Gone, Gone" and Jimi Hendrix's "Up From The Skies".

A sublime set of soul instrumentals – very funky work, and sort of a 70s follow-up to the Soulful Strings albums on Cadet Records from the 60s! Maestro Richard Evans is at the top of his game here – stepping out with that hip Chisoul mode he first forged at Chess, tuned here towards some even more sophisticated modes for Atlantic Records! Many of Evan's previous players are on board to make the record great – including Lennie Druss on flute, Paul Serrano on trumpet, Odell Brown on organ, and Phil Upchurch on guitar. Evans himself plays bass for the record – using a very funky bottom sound – and the set also features some wicked vibes from the legendary Billy Wooten, working away from his Nineteenth Hole group on a rare major label date! The sound is blacksploitation soundtrack, part Curtom funk – and titles include the great originals "Pie Daddy's Dream", "Wado City", "Angela My Sister", and the great "Patutu" – which was done by the Soulful Strings – plus a few nice covers like "Mercy Mercy Me" and "Ellie's Love Theme", by Isaac Hayes.

Oh, the feeling here is more than good – as the album's a stunner from the legendary Jose Feliciano, the kind of set that never fails to make us smile when we hear it! Jose's really evolved here from his earliest days – going even farther past the genius of his late 60s work for RCA, and picking up a host of more righteous soul influences in the process – really coming up with a great sound for the 70s! The record is filled with surprising gems – the kind of cuts that will make you go "damn!", and have you digging for other Feliciano records from the same time. Highlights include an excellent remake of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady", with loads of jazzy changes – plus the originals "Virgo", "Hard Times In El Barrio", and his classic theme to "Chico and the Man" – a cut that sounds especially great on this album, in ways we never appreciated when watching the show. Other numbers include "Essence Of Love", "Stay With Me", "You're No Good", and "I've Got To Convince Myself".

Two great albums from a time when Maynard Ferguson was really hitting his stride – back to back on one CD! New Sounds is a really nice set, and very much in the best spirit of the excellent early 60s albums that Maynard cut for Roulette! As with those, there's some great players working in the group – a lineup that includes Willie Maiden on tenor sax, Dusko Goykovich (horribly misspelled in the notes) on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on Baritone, and Lanny Morgan on alto – all of whom get to step out in short but soulful solos that make the tracks bristle with more excitement than you'd think. And as with other Cameo jazz sides from the time, Rufus Jones is on drums – bringing in a nice little punch to the tracks that kicks them up in just the right sort of way. Titles include the originals "Bossa Nova De Funk", "Maine Bone", and "At The Sound Of The Trumpet" – plus a version of "Watermelon Man", and the bonus track "The Song Is You". Come Blow Your Horn is a surprisingly nice album of big band material from Maynard – recorded at a time when he was just getting his start as a big name, and still handling some hip enough players to make the groove swing! One track claims to have a "Dusan Goykovich" as a soloist – who we can only imagine to be our man Dusko Goykovich – and the record has plenty other nice solos by Lanny Morgan. Arrangements are by Don Sebesky, Al Cohn, Willie Maiden, and Oliver Nelson – and tracks include "Groove", "Whisper Not", "Blues For A Four String Guitar", "New Hope", and "Naked City Theme".

A slinky set of organ jazz & soul by The Filthy Six for Acid Jazz – modern combo with a profound love for and mastery of mid-to-late 60s funky organ combos – as sly as can be The Fox! This is a group that knows what they want and what they can do – delivering vintage style, though modern relevance. The originals are great for showing the group's skill at a number of classic Hammond organ styles, be it jazzy or funky – and there's a couple of cool covers, including adaptations of Off The Wall and J5 era Michael Jackson – Girlfriend" featuring guest vocalist Brendan Reilly plus "Never Can Say Goodbye". Other tracks Include "Midnight Boogaloo", "Down Frenchmen Street", "Prattle In Seattle", "The Rum Diary", "Getting Better", "The Fox", "Jukebox" and "Get Down". 12 tracks on the CD version.

An amazing debut from pianist Clare Fischer – an artist who went onto have a subtle, but immediate influence upon both the American and Brazilian jazz scenes of the time! Fischer's got a lyrical approach to rhythm that's simply amazing – modern, but never cold and academic – and instead always freely dancing around, in a way that gives equal melodic roles to the bass and drums in his trio. There's a clear bossa nova inspiration here, but keep in mind that Fischer's sensibility was also a big influence on the bossa players of the time. The whole session sparkles with a fresh genius that still beats the work of most players still recording today – and Fischer's piano is accompanied by equally free-thinking work on bass by Gary Peacock and drums by Gene Stone. Most titles are originals, and tunes include "Toddler", "Stranger", "Nigerian Walk", "Afterfact", "Free Too Long", "Piece For Scotty", and "Blues For Home".

An amazing album by the great guitarist Eddie Fisher – and completely unlike his later funk records! Eddie plays stripped down jazz with a small combo that includes organ by Robert Selby, bass by Paul Jackson, and some rhythm guitar by Phil Westmoreland – and the twin-guitar approach creates this super-dope style that's light years ahead of its time, with a sophistication that points the way to later mid 70s work on labels like CTI and Kudu! Eddie's guitar work is an incredible exercise in spareness and soulfulness – best heard on the fantastic "Third Cup", a long drawn-out jazz stepper that's got to be heard to be believed. The cut's been a favorite on the Chicago jazz stepper's scene for years – and it alone is worth the price of the album. However, the record features some other wonderful stuff – like a sublime version of "Shadow Of Your Smile" that runs for a bubbling 12 minutes – plus the originals "Shut Up", "Scorched Earth", and "Two By Two".

An amazing album by the great guitarist Eddie Fisher – and completely unlike his later funk records! Eddie plays stripped down jazz with a small combo that includes organ by Robert Selby, bass by Paul Jackson, and some rhythm guitar by Phil Westmoreland – and the twin-guitar approach creates this super-dope style that's light years ahead of its time, with a sophistication that points the way to later mid 70s work on labels like CTI and Kudu! Eddie's guitar work is an incredible exercise in spareness and soulfulness – best heard on the fantastic "Third Cup", a long drawn-out jazz stepper that's got to be heard to be believed. The cut's been a favorite on the Chicago jazz stepper's scene for years – and it alone is worth the price of the album. However, the record features some other wonderful stuff – like a sublime version of "Shadow Of Your Smile" that runs for a bubbling 12 minutes – plus the originals "Shut Up", "Scorched Earth", and "Two By Two".

One of the finest moments ever from The Flamin Groovies – a set that's awash in 50s rock and roll influences, yet filtered through the heady late 60s San Francisco scene – making for a mix that's completely compelling throughout, and unlike anything else we can think of! The Groovies might initially seem like retro-rockers, yet they've got this sharp edge that makes their music more of a commentary on rock and roll, and its roots as well – uttered beautifully at a time when so many others were falling into excess, but also done without any of the "roots" cliches that others were embracing in a much clunkier way! It's hard to sum up adequately, but the record's almost a leap forward from Gene Vincent over 60s psyche – but on its way to the rough edges embraced by the UK punk scene in years to come – kind of that odd space that the Modern Lovers hit with their Kim Fowley recordings, but much more rocking overall. Most numbers are originals from vocalist Roy Loney – and titles include "Comin After Me", "Headin For The Texas Border", "Second Cousin", "Childhood's End", "Jailbait", and "She's Falling Apart".

A wonderful little tribute to the late, great John Coltrane – served up as a piano trio session led by Tommy Flanagan, but done with a sense of power and imagination that rivals the strength of Trane's classics! All tracks here are originals by Coltrane, performed by Flanagan with a forceful approach to the piano that shows a bit more McCoy Tyner than usual – and which is propelled strongly on most numbers by bold rhythm work from the team of George Mraz on bass and Al Foster on drums. Foster's work on the kit is especially nice – quite bold, and really soaring forward with a sense of righteous energy – inspiring Flanagan to heights we've never heard before on a session like this. Titles include "Naima", "Giant Steps", "Syeeda's Song Flute", "Central Park West", "Mr PC", and "Cousin Mary".

A beautifully trippy album from the Danish scene of the late 60s – one that's as playful and psychedelic as you might guess from the cover! The tunes are all originals, and all sung in English – and have this great mix of jangle-pop and pop-psych elements that's totally great – clearly inspired by The Beatles in the post-Rubber Soul years, but also coming across with a more personal sort of charm as well – with styles that echo some of the best Hollies material of the period. Some tunes have great baroque backings, others are nice and stripped-down – and the whole thing's the sort of heavy winner that would have made much bigger waves had it gotten issued here in the US. Titles include "Hey Mr Flowerman", "Trusting Mr Jones", "In Every Hand", "Mrs O'Grady", "Nevertheless", "Little Mr So & So", and 'Hush". CD features two bonus tracks from singles – "You Ain't Going Nowhere" and "Open The Door Homer".

A great addendum to Greg Foat's excellent Girl & Robots album – a set that's billed as a remix album, but which actually offers up much much more! The set's got less the feel of reworked material from another record, then a vibe that feels like a continuation of the great trippy jazz that Greg cooked up in the studio – almost as if the label uncovered more tapes that have the group jamming on alternate versions that sound even sweeter than the originals! Loads of keyboards, vibes, and spacey drums – and titles include "Girl & Robot With Flowers Part 5 (with Lumiarja)", "Have Spacesuit Will Travel Part 2 (Linkwood rmx)", "Clear Skies Select Stick (Vakula rmx)", "For A Breath I Tarry (Francis Dosoo's borrowed breath)", and "Girl & Robot With Flowers Part 4 (Cherrystones rmx)".

A funky keyboard treasure – a smoking organ and Fender Rhodes session that is one of the greatest Blue Note albums by Ronnie Foster! Foster plays organ on the set, next to electric piano by Ernie Hayes – and the pair stir up the sound wonderfully as they glide over grooves, soaring on twin keyboard lines that really make for a magical sound! A few tracks get hard and funky, and others have that superdope laidback feel that made all of Foster's early work so great – especially for the Quest-era sample crowd. The album's got some really great 70s soul covers, mixed with a few tasty originals – and titles include "Backstabbers", "Lisa's Love", "Superwoman", "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Sweet Revival", "Some Neck", "Inot", and "It's Just Gotta Be That Way".

There's lots of great guitar/tenor interplay in this live set from Joel Frahm – a date that's recorded with a wonderfully warm feel that almost makes it top any of Frahm's studio sessions! Tracks are nice and long, and really balance a lot of Frahm's snaking tenor lines with the guitar of Kurt Rosenwinkel – in a quartet that also features Otis Brown III on piano, and Joe Martin on bass. The set features many originals by Frahm – including "Alert", "Song For Mom", "A Little Extra", and "Short Rack" – plus versions of "Chelsea Bridge" and "Steeplechase".

An early 80s gem from Aretha Franklin – one of the best of her years at Arista Records, thanks to solid help in the studio from the mighty Arif Mardin! Mardin's in perfect form here – the same blend of older soul and jazzier, more sophisticated styles that he was also bringing to Chaka Khan at the time – although Franklin's arguably more deserving of his talents, given her long relationship with the producer! There's a full, mature feel here – one that really gets Aretha back in gear as a singer, and shows off her talents to a new generation in new ways – yet all without trying too hard for a crossover hit. Tunes include a few originals by Franklin, and titles include "Kind Of Man", "Whole Lot Of Me", "Love All The Hurt Away", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "It's My Turn", "There's A Star For Everyone", and "Hold On I'm Coming".

If you liked the first volume of this essential book, you'll love this revised edition – because it's almost 3 times bigger, and stuffed with great new features! The book's a lifetime labor of love for Freddy Fresh – an extensive discography that's got to be the most definitive book on early hip hop we've ever seen! The vintage of the titles listed in the book is 1979 to 1994 – and as Freddy says in the preface, there's a few records listed that may fall outside the rap genre or that time span, including some disco and electro numbers – but that's okay by us! The book's got tons of label scans – plus entries listed alphabetically by label and then in order by catalog number – and this exhaustive project reads like your dream want-list for years and years to come. Plus, in addition to the label and record listings, there's appendices with old school flyer scans, top picks from DJs and producers all over the globe, lists of resources for finding records and Freddy's own personal lists for records, including his "5 star" rated records, and songs and singles arranged by topic. An absolute must-have for any die hard fan of hip hop! Revised edition is 3 times bigger than the first one – 740 pages, with over 1500 new photos, and also features an updated section on bootlegs vs originals, New York City record store photos, info on overseas labels, an Ebay auction guide, a comprehensive cross-index, and lots more great bits.

The groovy groovy music of Free Design – taken to places we never would have expected! Like the first volume in this series, this one features older sunshine pop tunes by the group, remixed in styles that really expand past the originals – often at a level that completely abstracts the work, and creates a fresh new flurry of beats, keys, sounds, and vocals! The highlight here may well be Stereolab & The High Llamas' version of "Harve Daley Hix", but Caribou also turn in a great spacey jazz reading of "Dorian Benediction" – and the 3 other tracks are pretty great too! Titles include "Girls Alone (Nobody Muzak mix)" by Nobody with Ikey Owens, "To A Black Boy" by Danger Mouse & Murs, and "The Proper Ornaments" by Super Furry Animals.

A landmark in British jazz – one of the first albums of the 60s to really break from an older English jazz style, and set the stage for countless experiments to come! Pianist Michael Garrick leads a tremendous group that includes Joe Harriott on alto sax, Ian Carr on trumpet, Tony Coe on tenor, and Coleridge Goode on bass – and the album blends together lyrical originals by Garrick with a darker, edgier, almost unsettled approach that provides tremendous contrast on a few of the tunes. There's a wealth of color, tone, and emotion in this album just waiting to be discovered – and for all players involved, it's a rare moment of genius that should be treasured forever! Titles include "Parting Is Such", "Merlin The Wizard", "Thing Of Beauty", "Second Coming", "Requiem", and "Song By The Sea".

An overlooked gem from the Verve bossa years – a session that features the sweet tenor sax work of Stan Getz, alongside some swinging bossa arrangements from the great Gary McFarland! Given the strength of Gary's own work for Verve at the time, it's no surprise that he's a perfect accompanist for Getz on the session – working with just the right amount of space to let Stan stand out from the pack, and really creating a great blend of Brazilian rhythms and some of the modder 60s styles at Verve. Gary contributed a number of originals to the session too – and titles include "Bim Bom", "Manlancolico", "Balanco No Samba", "Noite Triste", "Chega De Saudade", and "Manha De Carnival".

One of the last albums that Stan ever cut with larger arrangements – a surprisingly nice late 70s session that features backings from Lalo Schifrin! Most of the tunes on the set are Schifrin originals (save for one dodgy number from Evita!) – done in a sweetly flowing soundtracky style that works perfectly with Stan's breezy horn. Instrumentation's got some light Latin touches – but mostly in a fuller orchestral mode, with percussion sneaking out of the strings – and titles include "Children Of The World", "Livin It Up", "Street Tatoo", "Around The Day In Eighty Worlds", and "You Me & The Spring".

2 landmark albums from British maestro Michael Gibbs – a key link between the jazz and rock scenes of late 60s London, and one of the few artists of that crowd to really work in a large group mode! Gibbs' albums from the time are a bit like those of Mike Westbrook – in that they take an older big band mode, and infuse it with youthful energy – bringing in modern horn passages, unusual rhythms, and often a rock-based approach to the tunes that makes for some freshly grooving numbers. On both albums, Gibbs is working with the cream of the crop of the Brit crossover scene – and soloists include Chris Spedding on guitar, Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, John Surman on saxes, Frank Ricotti on vibes, and Gordon Beck on electric piano. The tunes are all originals, which adds to the fresh and free-thinking nature of the set – and titles include "Feelings & Things", "Sweet Rain", "Throb", "Nowhere", "Tanglewood 63", "Canticle", "Five For England", and "Sojurn".

An ebullient groover from British arranger Mike Gibbs – quite possibly his funkiest album ever, and a great little session recorded live at Ronnie Scotts during a week's residency in 1972! As with other albums from the time, Gibbs is working here with a brilliant array of players who include some of the leading lights of the British jazz rock scene of the period – a lineup that includes Chris Spedding on guitar, Frank Ricotti on vibes, Chris Pyne on trombone, Kenny Wheeler and Harry Becket on trumpets, Ray Warleigh on sax and flute, and Alan Skidmore on soprano and tenor sax – all coming together in a blend of acoustic and electric elements that bristles with fresh imagination, free-thinking solos, and some nicely grooving rhythms. Tracks are all long, and titles include the Gibbs originals "So Long Gone", "Three", "Nowhere", and "Just A Head" – plus versions of "Sing Me Softly Of The Blues", "Grow Your Own", "Country Roads", and "Mother Of The Dead Man".

One of the most sublime Jimmy Giuffre albums of all time – and a perfect realization of his piano-less/bass-less trio style! The approach here is really revolutionary, especially for the time – as the group simply features Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Jim Hall on guitar, and Giuffre on reeds – working with no other rhythm at all, and coming up with this incredible approach to music that's as breathtaking as it is groundbreaking! Notes hang in mid-air, slowly sliding around one another, flying freely from the players, yet still managing to swing in a beautiful way. The titles are a mix of standards and originals – but all tracks sound completely unique, with a sound unlike anything else we can describe – and titles include "Swamp People", "Lonely Time", "Green Country", and "Travelin Light".

Sweet remixes from Robert Glasper's Black Radio album – all of them tunes that sound even more soulful than the originals! Given that the core record itself was a bit of a "remix" – Glasper's keyboards, funky beats, and hip contributions from a range of soul singers – the expansion of those sounds works perfectly here – stretching out the wonderful mix of modes through some sweet tracks that still leave plenty of room for Robert's keyboards. The set includes a totally great 9 minute "Dillalude #2", plus "Twice (?uestlove's Twice Baked rmx)", "Afro Blue (9th Wonder's blue light basement rmx with Phonte)", "Black Radio (Pete Rock rmx)", "Consequences Of Jealousy (Georgia Anne Muldrow's sassy geemix)", and "Letter To Hermione (Robert Glasper & Jewels rmx)".

Sweet remixes from Robert Glasper's Black Radio album – all of them tunes that sound even more soulful than the originals! Given that the core record itself was a bit of a "remix" – Glasper's keyboards, funky beats, and hip contributions from a range of soul singers – the expansion of those sounds works perfectly here – stretching out the wonderful mix of modes through some sweet tracks that still leave plenty of room for Robert's keyboards. The set includes a totally great 9 minute "Dillalude #2", plus "Twice (?uestlove's Twice Baked rmx)", "Afro Blue (9th Wonder's blue light basement rmx with Phonte)", "Black Radio (Pete Rock rmx)", "Consequences Of Jealousy (Georgia Anne Muldrow's sassy geemix)", and "Letter To Hermione (Robert Glasper & Jewels rmx)".

Don't take the cover the wrong way – because this isn't one of those "phoned in" sessions that seem to turn up way too much in contemporary jazz! The album's a real classic from Dexter's first big "comeback" period – and represents the strength of his Blue Note years at their best! Gordon's rich, full tone isn't diminished a bit here – and his inventive blowing is given free reign on a set of quartet numbers recorded with Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. The album's got a few strong originals from Gordon – "Soul Sister", "Ernie's Tune", and "I Want More – plus the very sweet Kenny Drew tracks "Modal Mood" and "Clear The Dex"! Includes the previously unreleased track "Landslide"!

A cooking group effort from the Chris Greene Quartet – a great Chicago combo we've watched grow tremendously with each previous release – stepping out here in their first-ever live recording! Greene's got a soulfully sophisticated approach to his saxes that really belies his Windy City roots – with this great way of stretching out on the solos, yet still keeping things real – a bit like Eddie Harris at his best, with the depth of Eric Alexander on tenor,but with some deeper sounds too – which come through especially strong on the album's extended tracks. The rest of the group features electric piano, bass, and drums – and titles include the originals "Shore Up", "Future Emperor Of Evanston", "State", and "Three & Six" – plus a nice cover of "Blue Bossa".

A beautiful solo record from pianist Ulrich Gumpert – quite different than some of the more offbeat or avant sounds he recorded with other players – and instead, a great illustration of his more personal, poetic style on piano! Parts of the record resonate strongly with Gumpert's recordings of Erik Satie material for Nato Records – very spare and careful, with notes that come slowly, yet fit perfectly next to each other. Yet different points of the record show a more freewheeling style – echoes of Monk or other modernists, yet still with a great sense of space and sound. Tracks are all originals, and titles include "Iphigenie", "N Tango Fur Gutti", "Hier Und Anderswo", "Dave", and "Corinth Ritzen Roller".

A really great change for saxophonist Nathan Haines – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given how much we already liked him before! The set's a straight jazz outing – of the kind that really lets Haines' strengths on reeds shine forth beautifully – soaring out soulfully in ways that are quite different than his more groove-oriented recordings – yet still equally soulful! Nathan's tenor is wonderful – as deep in tone and rich in feeling as some of the greats of the 60s generation – yet informed with a slight spiritual sense of phrasing as well, even though the overall production and setting is downright classic. The group's a quartet – with Kevin Field on piano, Alain Koetsier on drums, and Thomas Botting on bass – and titles include the Haines' originals "Realisation", "Universal Man", "Ancestral Dance", "The Poet's Embrace", and "Consequence" – plus a version of Roy Brooks' "Eboness".