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A funky funky classic from The Counts – and an album that has the group tightening up their sound from the Westbound years, but still keeping the groove plenty nice! There's a tight, bad-walking feel to most of the cuts on the set – one that almost comes across with a blacksploitation groove – especially as the album's basslines are all laid out in a hard-stepping groove, and topped off by plenty of wicked guitar work. Most cuts have vocals, and the lyrics have a Fatback-like love of the catchy chorus and funk-heavy theme. The album's worth it alone for the excellent cut "Tecalli" – a stretched out mellow instrumental with some great Kool & The Gang-esque floating trumpet over the top – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "At The Fair", "Dedicated Man", "Jazzman", "Magic Ride", "Short Cut", and "Flies Over Watermelon".

Detroit's Dopehead steps out with rhymes on "Airbags" – laid out over these spare funky rhythms that follow in the Funk Night mode. And the flip features Zo adding some great vocals – which really deepen the feel of "Pump Up The Volume"!

4 mixes of this classic bit of Detroit Techno – going over the top, into the mainstream, thanks to the lasting genius of Kevin Saunderson!

What's in the groove is plenty of funk – served up in an overstuffed package that includes all the tracks from The Counts' 2 albums on Aware, plus a few more bonus numbers! The best work here is from the mighty Love Sign album – quite possibly the most righteous work ever from The Counts, a move away from the heavier funk of their Westbound years, and a shift into some great jazz-based material! The vibe here draws heavily on the electric keyboard scene of the early 70s – with echoes of Lonnie Liston Smith's spaciness that trip through some of the album's best longer numbers – mixed with the harder grooves that The Counts first cut on their legendary singles in Detroit! Next up is work from the Funk Pump album – a record that's similar to Love Sign, but a bit more reigned-in, both in style and length of the tunes. There's a tight, bad-walking feel to most of the cuts on the set – one that almost comes across with a blacksploitation groove – especially as the album's basslines are all laid out in a hard-stepping groove, and topped off by plenty of wicked guitar work. Most cuts have vocals, and the lyrics have a Fatback-like love of the catchy chorus and funk-heavy theme! CD features 20 tracks that include the previously unissued "Chicken Pox" and "Counts Say Goodbye" – plus "The Munchies", "Count's Blues", "Jazzman", "Tecalli", "Flies Over Watermelon", "At The Fair", "I'm The Music", "Short Cut", "Sacrifice", "Love Sign", "Just You Just Me", "Funk", "Funk Pump", "Since We Said Goodbye", and "Dedicated Man".

Featuring Matt Warren and Ralphi Rosario.

An offshoot of the 4AD rock scene from the UK, this number sampled Rakim from "Paid In Full" to great effect – and it made quite a bit of sense that the track was issued on 4th & Broadway in the US (probably also a legal move, so that the label wouldn't sue 4AD for copping a sample from one of their artists! The record features a bit of scratching by CJ Mackintosh, with a bubbly beat that made it huge on both sides of the Atlantic.

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 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".

One of the cool early LPs made by this moody European flute player, and a beautiful set of stripped down spare flute tracks with a slow slow groove that edges along in tiny little droplets. Lindh's flute is processed in a cool spacey way, and many of the tracks also have electric piano. Titles include "Abdo", "Booster Pump", "My Machine", and "Bobo".

Funky madness from the mind of Galt MacDermot – the second volume of rare work from his deep deep vaults! Galt's best known to most of the world as the man who wrote the music for Hair, but to us beatheads, the best stuff is his rare work – a wealth of incredible drumbreaks, basslines, piano riffs, and quirky rhythms – recorded for years on his own, finally now getting out to the public! This album's almost better than the first volume – as it's filled with stripped down instrumental cuts that feature plenty of drums (by either Idris Muhammad or Bernard Purdie), electric keyboards, and other instrumentation like flute or guitar. A few cuts have vocals, but even those are nice and funky – and honestly, the album's maybe even better all the way through than most of Galt's classic albums from the old days! Titles include "Ba Ba Black Baby", "Lost Dreams", "Ghetto Suite Medley", "DD 2 03", "Wurly", "Water Fight", and "Cleanly & Pump".

Dynamic early sounds from Lee Scratch Perry – music recorded at the Wirl Studios, during a very formative time in Lee's career! You can really hear a shift of styles going on here – as older rocksteady modes give way to newer reggae ones – all with some nascent studio genius that really helps amplify and abstract some of the hippest musical modes in the backings! Tracks features some great organ lines from Ansel Collins, and guitar from Lynn Taitt – and titles include "Labrish", "Run For Cover", "Django Shoots First", "Night Doctor", "People Sokup Boy", "Set Them Free", "Clint Eastwood Rides Again", "Something You Got", and "Wind Up Doll". CD has 4 bonus tracks: "Rude Walking", "Run For Cover Dub", "Water Pump Dub", "Something You Got Dub" and "Wind Up Doll Dub".

A pair of gems from High Fashion – back to back on a single CD! Feelin Lucky is an 80s groove classic – and a killer bit of Captiol Records soul from High fashion! Of all US major labels, Capitol was probably putting out the best soul in the early 80s – and this is a tight modern batch of up-tempo tracks, right up there with other contemporary classics on the label, like work by BB&Q Band, Taste Of Honey, and TS Monk! The tunes all manage to have a great groove without sounding cheesy – thanks to some nice jazzy touches in the arrangements, good hooks in the songs, and some great soulful vocals. Very, very nice – and nearly every cut's a winner! Tracks include "Feelin Lucky Lately", "Next To You", "Hold On", "When The Lover Strikes", "I Want To Be Your Everything", and "You're the Winner". Make Up Your Mind offers up more sweet modern soul tracks from High Fashion – a short-lived combo who cut a few high quality sides for Capitol at the beginning of the 80s, part of that imprint's strong commitment to R&B at the time. The group here features lead vocals by Alyson Williams, caught at a very young point in her career, plus other leads by Eric McClinton, who's on most of the best tracks on the set. At their best, the group hits a smooth stepping modern sound that's really nice – a toned-down approach for the clubs, infused with a bit of quiet storm soul. Titles include "Show Me", "A Little More Time", "Pump On The Pipe", "Just A Little More Love", "Love", and "Make Up Your Mind".

A partner album of sorts to Jimmy Smith's classic Midnight Special album – recorded during the same sessions as that one, and also featuring Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Kenny Burrell on guitar! The sound here is almost even more open and stretched out – with only 4 long tracks on the album, 2 on each side – all offering up plenty of room for Jimmy to hit the Hammond with that keenly imaginative approach to a solo he was showing at this time – a style that proved that the instrument could do a lot more than just make weird noises or pump up the rhythm. Turrentine's tenor more than matches Jimmy's solos for imagination – and titles include "When I Grow Too Old To Dream", "Messy Bessie", "Minor Chant", and "Back At The Chicken Shack".

A partner album of sorts to Jimmy Smith's classic Midnight Special album – recorded during the same sessions as that one, and also featuring Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Kenny Burrell on guitar! The sound here is almost even more open and stretched out – with only 4 long tracks on the album, 2 on each side – all offering up plenty of room for Jimmy to hit the Hammond with that keenly imaginative approach to a solo he was showing at this time – a style that proved that the instrument could do a lot more than just make weird noises or pump up the rhythm. Turrentine's tenor more than matches Jimmy's solos for imagination – and titles include "When I Grow Too Old To Dream", "Messy Bessie", "Minor Chant", and "Back At The Chicken Shack".

Brilliant stuff – and one of the greatest P&P singles ever! Marta Acuna's "Dance Dance Dance" is one of those tracks that we never tire of – a sublime blend of Latin rhythms, warm disco vocals, and that great spacey P&P approach to production! Sweet female vocals glide in and out of the tune while a pumping bassy rhythm rolls along – gently grooving the track with a jazzy sort of flair, as moogy keyboards bring in a wonderful cosmic vibe!

One of the greatest and most historically important compilations ever put together by our friends at Light In The Attic – the first ever (!!!) anthology devoted to Stax sax great Charles "Packy" Axton! Packy was a founding member of the Mar-Keys and a cat who played with the best of them – Steve Cropper, Booker T, Teenie Hodges, Donald "Duck" Dunn and many more – all of whom can be heard on this mindblowing set of benchmark vocal and instrumental singles from the mid 60s – truly the blueprint material for the great Stax and all around Memphis soul to come! It features singles cut for labels such as USA, Bar, Hollywood and Pure Soul – soul/R&B vocal numbers and proto-funky instrumentals. Amazing, amazing stuff recorded at Royal and Ardent Studios with some of the greatest soul music players to ever come together – so highly recommended! Includes "Holiday Cheer", "Bullseye", "Hung Over", "I'll Always Love" and "Late Late Party" by The Martinis, "No Ending" and "No Love Have I" by Stacy Lane, "House Full Of Rooms", "Out Of Control" and "I'm A Fool (In Love)" by LH & The Memphis Sounds, "Stone Fox", "Hip Pocket" and "Greasy Pumpkin" by The Pac-Keys, and "Hole In The Wall" by The Packers. 17 tracks in all – treated beautifully by team LITA – with a thick booklet of notes (by Andria Lisle) and full of vintage photos of the players, shots of the inner labels of the original singles, details for each track and more.

A special single with some great vocals from Mario Biondi – singing here with some especially great backings from the High Five Quintet! "This Is What You Are" is a warm modal groover – one that builds beautifully from the ground up, and which is made especially nice by Mario's warmly raspy vocals! The remix pumps things up a bit more on the rhythms – yet still keeps all the jazzy charm of the tune intact!

Incredible work from Blaze – one of their most soulful records in years! In a way, the album's a return to the group's roots in the New Jersey garage scene of the late 80s – a smooth blend of styles that has the feel of an instant classic club record – pumping forth majestically with very well-conceived songs, steeped in great vocals, impeccable production, and a hook-heavy style that makes nearly every tune feel like an instant hit. We've always loved these guys, especially their early work – and this album is a killer set that we'll treasure for years! Titles include "Melodies Of Love", "I Think Of You", "One World", "World Peace", "Black Byrd", "Where You Are", "Sweeter Than The Day Before", and "Breathe".

A beautiful, sweetly jazz-based set from LaVerne Butler – and we can't imagine why you'd lose the love for her voice and style, if you've ever found it in the first place – but this is a great place to find it! Bruce Barth is on piano and handles the arrangements, with the great Houston Person on tenor for over half the set – and the group is rounded out by bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Rudy Royston. The intimate, though elegant small combo approach works really well! Includes "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", "Be A Sweet Pumpkin", "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "The Bluest Blues", "Travelin' Light", "In My Own Little Corner", "I'll Never Be Free", "Smile" and more.

One of Jean Carn's best tracks for Philly, with the kind of perfectly sensitive backing that Philly International gave her, which mixed jazz and soul, augmented with a nice clubby groove to keep things pumping. The single's a must-have for fans of smooth 70s dancefloor tracks – sophisticated, soulful, and plenty darn great!

One of the lesser-known groups of the early 80s funk scene in Ohio – but a killer combo with a groove that's as good as their contemporaries! The album's got production and arrangements from Ranhi Harris of Dayton, who also plays a bit on the record as well – and the groove is kind of a funkier take on the territory of Dayton – a more pumped-up sound rhythmically, with traces of both older P-Funk modes and some of the newer styles from the Prince empire. The keyboards are one of the tightest aspects of the record, and really hold things together nicely, even when the beats get a bit jaunty – coming across with a warmth and almost a hint of jazz at points – clearly a lesson learned from the Dayton groove. The album's only an EP with 5 tracks that include "Come See The Band", "Crazy", "The Best In Me", "On My Radio", and "Just Like In The Movies".

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island".

Keith Murray's finest moment, introducing the word to his mic skills, the most complex of the Def Squad MC's. Erick Sermon provides the bottom heavy east coast funk style on the beat side. Includes the single that got everyone open on Keith "The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World", plus "Get Lifted", "Dip Dip Di", "Take It To the Streetz", "Herb Is Pumpin'", "Sychosymatic", "How's That", "Escapism", "Bom Bom Zee", "Danger", "Straight Loonie" and more.

Early material from Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins.

A funky treasure! The single features alternate versions of two funky funky tunes by the great Galt MacDermot – recorded in the late 60s with Idris Muhammad on drums! Side one features the sublime "Ripped Open By Metal Explosions", one of Galt's most sampled funky tracks – presented here in an edited version which really pumps up the drums! "Let the Sunshine In" is done here in one of the funkiest versions you'll ever hear – drums and bass vamping along with a tight little groove, as horns come in over the top and give the track a weird little edge!

The start of a legendary run for vocalist Alexander O'Neal – and a set that really helped redefine the sound of male soul in the 80s! O'Neal got his start in an early version of The Time, and he's working here with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – but the sound of the record is way deeper than all of those references put together – a careful, classy set that definitely lives up to the vintage look of Alexander on the cover! Jam and Lewis play tightly in the group, handling most of the key instrumentation – often with a restrained style that's quite different than their pumping hits, which lets O'Neal's great vocals flow out with an undeniably soulful power. Rhythms often hit the best sort of groove for Alexander's style – which sounds best in a mellow or midtempo mode – and the set's filled with classics, including "A Broken Heart Can Mend", "If You Were Here Tonight", "Innocent", "What's Missing", "You Were Meant To Be My Lady", and "Look At Us Now".

The start of a legendary run for vocalist Alexander O'Neal – and a set that really helped redefine the sound of male soul in the 80s! O'Neal got his start in an early version of The Time, and he's working here with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – but the sound of the record is way deeper than all of those references put together – a careful, classy set that definitely lives up to the vintage look of Alexander on the cover! Jam and Lewis play tightly in the group, handling most of the key instrumentation – often with a restrained style that's quite different than their pumping hits, which lets O'Neal's great vocals flow out with an undeniably soulful power. Rhythms often hit the best sort of groove for Alexander's style – which sounds best in a mellow or midtempo mode – and the set's filled with classics, including "A Broken Heart Can Mend", "If You Were Here Tonight", "Innocent", "What's Missing", "You Were Meant To Be My Lady", and "Look At Us Now". 2CD version features a cool book-like cover, new notes, and lots of bonus tracks – including "Are You The One", "Innocent (dance rmx)", "If You Were Here Tonight (soft version)", "You Were Meant To Be My Lady (ext dance rmx)", and "What's Missing (dance rmx)".

A slow burning monster of a late night jam from Al Hudson & One Way! The cut pumps along in a mellow mode, with a completely infectious synth line floating underneath the haunting vocals – no syrupy ballad here!

Funky big band work from Bill Pursell – a set that's got some of the disco charm you'd expect from the image on the cover – but one that also has some other jazzy elements too! There's not really a Nashville sound to the record – at least not in country music terms – and if anything, the record really reminds us of the way that some older New York big bands shifted up their groove during the disco generation – blending older jazz and Latin modes with elements more aimed at a contemporary dancefloor – including groovier rhythms, added strings, and female chorus vocals! Titles include "Sandwich Spread" – a nice original worth the price of the record alone – plus "Peter Piper Pumped His Pecks", "Deja Vu", "Now", "Every Day Of The Week", "Bump Me Baby", and "Hold My Hand When We're Going Home".

Heavy rock with a killer groove and a mighty thing to behold – and from Brooklyn! Sir Lord Baltimore aren't mentioned enough among the first wave of groups that would seen be defined as heavy metal, but they absolutely deserve to be. Pure bombast and thunderous rock that's of the same school of brawn as Sabbath. Titles include "Master Headache", "Pumped Up", "Kingdom Come", "Hell Hound", "I Got A Woman" and more.

The greatest album to date from Sugarman 3 – one of the funkiest combos of the past 50 years! The group's organ/sax sound has never sounded so great – and it's pumped up even further here from some added guest instrumentation, including drums from Bernard Purdie, plus vocals on a number of cuts from deep funk legends Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, and Naomi Davis. The whole thing's as funky as funky can be – the kind of a record that would be selling for $300 if it came out in the 70s, and which is even nicer to have at a low everyday price! Titles include "Shot Down", "Modern Jive", "Funky So & So", "Take It As It Come", "Pure Cane", "Promised Land", "Country Girl", "La Culebra", "Down To It", "Honey Wagon", and "Bosco's Blues".

An important early record from Yello – only a 4 track ep, but one that had a huge influence on modern dance! The standout cut here is "Bostich" – a great little track that's spare, electronic, and has snapping beats, catchy vocals, and this dark sound that fit perfectly with the crossover Danceteria scene! Other tracks are equally nice, though – and the album sounds pretty darn great after all these years!

The first rumblings of the pop genius in Yello's music – a record that still has all the best quirky electronics of their first two sets, but which also focuses that energy into a sound that's often more direct and oddly hook-oriented on the best numbers! There's a really percussive vibe going on here – a quality that makes the album almost more darkly rhythmic than other efforts, but which also pushes some tunes ahead with quite a sense of drive – mixing early samples, analogue electronics, and Dieter Meier's always-great vocals into a sound that's still better than many of the countless groups who sprung up in Yello's wake. Titles include "I Love You", "Swing", "Heavy Whispers", "Crash Dance", "Lost Again", "Smile On You", "Pumping Velvet", and "Salut Mayoumba".

A burnt weeny sandwich from Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention – and a record that shows just how far they'd come in just a few short years! In a way, the record feels almost like a summation of all the best ideas that Frank had come up with in the studio – some serious musical compositions, mixed with pop music parody, and still a touch of that sharper wit from the initial records – yet all delivered with a dexterity that nobody would have expected from The Mothers at the start! And if anything, there's almost more care and sensitivity here at times – especially on some of the piano parts – showing that Zappa's way more than just a freak letting his flag fly – and has plenty of ears for sounds that go way beyond his scene. Titles include "WPLJ", "Igor's Boogie", "Aybe Sea", "Holiday In Berlin Full Blown", "Valarie", and "The Little House I Used To Live In".

The sound of Chicago pumps again, in this great collection of tracks from the glory days of the Trax Record label! Trax was instrumental in the Chicago scene – often releasing a record a week, cooked up in the label's southside studios, quickly pressed up on dodgy vinyl, and booted round to the clubs for testing in front of a live crowd. Unfortunately, the quality of the vinyl and finances of the label meant that much of the musical history of this scene is out of the reach of collectors – which is why this 12 track package is such a nice treat, bringing together a few of the labels hits, plus some other almost-forgotten gems. Titles include "7 Ways To Jack" by Hercules, "Phuture Jacks" by Phuture, "Dum Dum" by Fresh, "The Jungle" by Jungle Wonz, "Farley Knows House" by Farley Jackmaster Funk, "Houst Beat Box" by Sampson Butch Moore, "Do You Know Who You Are" by Virgo, "Ride The Rhythm" by On The House with Marshall Jefferson, and "Beat The Knuckles" by Santos.

Another astounding set of heavy vibrations from Soul Jazz in there ongoing series of collections focusing on great Jamaican music! This bouncing set takes a long, deep look at Dancehall culture, and accompanies a great book by Beth Lesser! While dance halls have existed in Jamaican music for years, the focus here is Dancehall with a capital D, from the early 80s on, when Jamaican music took a turn away from the heavier, sufferer's themes of the Roots era and became more interested in rocking good times! This set is filled with certified classics, guaranteed to ram the dance and capture the heavyweight title in any soundclash, all bouncing numbers from the pre-digital era through more stripped down Casio-driven treasures. 17 tracks in all, including "Bam Bam" by Yellowman, "Pumpkin Belly" by Tenor Saw, "Cu-Oonuh" by Reggie Stepper, "Agony" by Pinchers, "Diseases" by Michigan & Smiley, "Cool Out Son" by Junior Murvin, "Entertainment" by Triston Palma, "Arleen" by General Echo, "Here I Come" by Barrington Levy, "Chop Chop" by Cutty Ranks, "M16" by Lone Ranger, "Trash & Ready" by Super Cat, and "Soon Forward" by Gregory Isaacs.

A fab collection that's casting light on one of the neglected eras in soul reissues, the cusp of the 80s, with an emphasis on great, soulful disco numbers. All the tracks here have a nice pumping 4/4 beat underneath, but the tempos on most numbers sit nicely in the middle, building a set of great 80s boogie numbers, roller skating soul and sophisticated club tracks that fill in some gaps in your 12" collection! There's a number of styles represented, with some nice moogy bits on a few tracks and soaring strings on others, but every cut's a gem, 12 of them in all, with Charme "Georgy Porgy", Harvey Mason "Groovin You", Melba Moore "Standing Right Here", Vaughn Mason "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll", Young & co "I Like What You're Doing to Me", Dunn Pearson "Groove On Down", "New Jersey Connection "Love Don't Come Easy", James Perry "April Lady", Garfield Fleming "Don't Send Me Away", Goldie Alexander "Show You My Love", Hipnotic "Are You Lonely" and the Circle City Band "Magic".

Finer moments from Frank Zappa, but some lost moments too – given that all the tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and are pulled from both live and studio recordings during Zappa's formative late 60s/early 70s stretch! The package is a real treasure trove – a reward to fans of Frank who've waited so long for music like this – sounds to rival some of the most groundbreaking music from Zappa's years at Verve and Reprise, with incredibly deft instrumental interplay – often a bit more improvised in the live tracks than on the full albums of the time! The sound quality is pretty nice, especially given that a few of these tracks are from near-lost tapes or cassettes – and the package is very well-done – with super-heavy vinyl, and notes on all the tracks. Titles include "Sleazette", "The Walking Zombie Music", "Music From The Big Squeeze", "The Subcutaneous Peril", and "Pumped & Waxed".

A beautiful, sweetly jazz-based set from LaVerne Butler – and we can't imagine why you'd lose the love for her voice and style, if you've ever found it in the first place – but this is a great place to find it! Bruce Barth is on piano and handles the arrangements, with the great Houston Person on tenor for over half the set – and the group is rounded out by bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Rudy Royston. The intimate, though elegant small combo approach works really well! Includes "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", "Be A Sweet Pumpkin", "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "The Bluest Blues", "Travelin' Light", "In My Own Little Corner", "I'll Never Be Free", "Smile" and more.

Very groovy stuff! This is the music that was used in the 60s Peanuts cartoons – made famous during the same stretch through its use in goofy Dolly Madison commercials! The album's way better than any of the Peanuts stuff that was on Fantasy, as Vince plays electric harpsichord on a number of cuts, and gets some electric guitar backing by Eddie Duran – for a very groovy sound! Tracks include the classic "Linus & Lucy", plus "Red Baron", "Peppermint Patty", "Great Pumpkin Waltz", and "Rain Rain Go Away".

An early session as a leader from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – recorded during his glory years with Horace Silver! Unlike his other records, which usually have him in the company of another horn player, this set's got him carrying the full horn solo load by himself – working in a quartet, and playing in a vein that reminds us of similar Art Farmer quartet sessions from the time. Wynton Kelly's backing him up on piano – in a group that also includes Sam Jones on bass and Roy Brooks on drums. Some of the titles are quite unique too – and include "Avars", "Kinda Vague", "Sir John", and "Sweet Pumpkin".

It's pretty easy to dismiss Billy Ocean after he unleashed pop trash like "Carribbean Queen" and "Suddenly" on the world, but this single from relatively early on in his career is a sublime 80s club groover that pumps along at a nice mid tempo clip, and is still a favorite around these parts.

Includes "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar", "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More", and "Return Of The Son Of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar".

One of those bright, charismatic Billy Ocean records from a couple years before his massive pop soul crossover – just a sublime 80s club groover that pumps along at a nice mid tempo clip – a real favorite around these parts! This was Billy's debut for Epic and there's plenty of signposts here of his potential to bust out in a big way commercially – it's hooky and insistent, but still plenty soulful, less steeped in pop gloss and with fewer ballads – lean, danceable soul that holds up very, very well. Also includes "Stay The Night", "Whatever Turns You On", "Don't Say Stop", "Another Day Won't Matter", and "Taking Chances". This Big Break UK remastered edition has 4 bonus tracks: 12 inch versions of "Are You Ready" and "Stay The Night" and single versions of the title track and "Another Day Won't Matter".

2 great numbers aimed straight at the dance floor from Teddy! "Only You" has a full-on groove that's really great – a bit more pumping than usual, but with some great sax touches that keeps things soulful! "Get Up" is more classic Philly – a stepping bassline that really helps the tune groove nicely – complicated, but never too much so!

A mighty strong late effort from U-Roy – a record that features a solid roster of legendary and contemporary guests – and one that shows that The Originator can still deliver a fresh, timeless original record even this late in the game! U-Roy is classic-era toaster who sounds perfectly at home in a contemporary setting, so it stands to reason that the mode here would be mix of classic and new rhythms. It works really, really well and The Originator is fine and fresh form! Includes "Love Questions" with Marcia Griffiths, "Pray For Di People", "Border Line" feat Chezidek, "Call On Jah" feat Harrison Stafford, "Cheating Girl" feat Ernest Wilson, "Ebony Eyes" feat Winsome Benjamin, "Pumps And Pride" with Tarrus Riley, "Reason With Jah" feat Horace Andy, "Ungrateful Girl" with Richard Robinson and more.

The eerie synth-stoked score for Halloween 3 – featuring tripped out, cosmic horror keyboard compositions for a flick that cast off the lurking "shape" for cyborgs, witchery and masked faces that melt into piles of insects! Whatever you might think of the movie – or even if you don't want to see damn thing – the soundtrack is completely excellent! The sound is great – and nearly, if not wholly analog synth-based, and recorded to 24-track tape – therefore perfectly suited to vinyl listening! Titles include "Chariots Of Pumpkins", "Starker And Marge", "Robots At The Factory", "The Rock", "Challis Escapes", "South Corridor", "Goodbye Ellie" and more.

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – alternate takes of 2 tracks on the album.

Hard-blown brilliance from Jonas Kullhammar – quite possibly our favorite tenor talent of the 21st Century, and a heck of a great leader on this session! Kullhammar's quartet have a raw power that grabs from the very first note – yet they're never abusive of their strength, never over-indulge, and instead have a sharp focus that stands out to us as one of the clearest, freshest new visions in jazz we've heard in a long time. The group features angular piano lines from Torbjorn Gulz, rhythmic bass work from Torbjorn Zetterberg, and tightly snapping drums from Jonas Holgersson – and titles include "Pumpernickel", "Salut", "Super G", "I Sheriffens Klor", and "Frippes Blues".

A solid Jamaican music compilation hand-picked by the folks at Miss Lily's in NYC – with Sizzla, Busy Signal, Vybz Kartel, Tanya Stevens, Buju Banton & Wayne Wonder, Mr Vegas, Gappy Ranks and more! Includes "Just One Of Those Days" by Sizzla, "Mus Come A Road" by Mr Vegas, "Pumpkin Belly" by Gappy Ranks, "Original Dancehall" by Tarrus Riley, "Bonafide Love" by Buju Banton & Wayne Wonder, "Hold You (Hold Yuh)" by Gyptain, "A So Mi Tan" by Konshens, "Guh Down" by Lil Rick, "It's A Pity" by Tanya Stephens, "One More Night" by Busy Signal and more.

Classic early 90s charity compilation with now hard-to-find tracks by Uncle Tupelo, Beastie Boys, American Music Club, Pavement, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Uncle Tupelo, Smashing Pumpkins, Patti Smith and more.