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The album that catapulted Jurassic 5 from the underground! Quality Control is one of the great hip hop albums, a record that's filled with great tracks, yet flows along as the ultimate headphones experience. The rhymes by Zaakir, Chali 2na, Akil, and Marc 7even are top notch in group dynamics and the solo shots, and the record has some of the best production Cut Chemist & Nu-Mark ever put down. Tracks include "How We Get Along", "Contact", "Quality Control", "World Of Entertainment (Woe Is Me)", "The Influence", "Monkey Bars", "Quality Control", "Twelve", "Contribution", "The Game", "Improvise", "Swing Set", "Jurass Finish First", and more.

Japan's Globe Trotter crew hits the Munich scene – and comes back with a tasty little package of tracks from Compost Records! The set's a Japanese-only one, and features some really wonderful tunes from Compost – one of the best underground labels currently in business. Titles include "Snowblind (Zimpala rmx)" by Minus 8, "Different Place (Universal Funk rmx)" by Daniel Magg, "Lady Luck (Misa Negra rmx)" by Victor Davies, "Futuristic (Grand Unified House Not House rmx)" by Joseph Malik, "Light" by Wei Chi, "The Empiricist" by Ben Mono, "Universal Love" by Truby Trio with Marcus Begg, and "Let It Go (Rima house mix)" by Rima with Julie Dexter.

Catchy club pop from the enigmatic Jimmy Ross – a singer with a really unusual voice! Jimmy sounds a bit like Roland Gift on this one – singing in a style that's almost flanged-out before the production hits – and working with a catchy guitar-jiggling groove that has a snapping sort of "Rapture" groove underneath the vocals.

A rare set from pianist Alex Kallao – an obscure player we really only know from a 50s album for RCA – and who sounds equally great here! Kallao was born blind, but has a hell of a fluid touch on the keys – a soulful swing that goes even farther than his RCA session in this rare live date – in a hip trio with Ali Mohammed Jackson on bass and brother Oliver Jackson on drums – both great rhythmic players who really help the overall feel of the performance. Kallao's got this style that's sometimes very full of notes – similar to some of the crossover pianists of the postwar era – but when the rhythm section gets going, he really moves with a much stronger punch – and helps swing some of the numbers here a lot harder than we might expect. Titles include "Lover Man", "Love For Sale", "Tendery", "Lullaby Of Birdland", and "It's Alright With Me".

This former member of the Rena Rama group steps out in a loving tribute to Don Cherry – who was himself an importance force on the Swedish scene at the same time as Aberg's earlier fame! The album's got a slow-building quality that reminds us a fair bit of the Cherry of later years – a great sense of space and sound, and one that really benefits from an expanded lineup of musicians on the set. Some tracks are quite laidback and atmospheric, but the best ones are fuller and more driving – and apart from drummer Peter Erskine, Palle Mikkelborg also plays the role of Cherry on trumpet on a medley of tracks from Don's Relativity Suite! Titles include "Arthur", "Rain", "Amarone", "Kashmir", "Folkvisa", "In Memoriam", and "Tantra/Mali Doussn'Gouni/Desireless".

Almost an underground groove supergroup – given that the set features work from Earl Zinger (Rob Gallagher of Galliano) at the helm, production from 2 Banks Of 4, vocals from Valerie Etienne, and funky rhythms from Shawn Lee! The combination of talents come together here in a very new way – with a style that's much grittier and earlier than before, although still pretty darn groovy overall – almost putting a raspy old school touch on a scene that's definitely matured on its own, and may well be old enough to lay claim to the rootsy sound of this set! Rob's songwriting has definitely matured, and at some of the best moments, there's almost a British Tom Waits-y kind of quality to the set. Titles include "Below Sea Level", "Burial Blues", "Whip Of The Wind", "Laxfield Blasphemy", "Velvets Eleven", "Margaret Catchpole", and "Foggy Dew".

The word from Mose is mighty darn hip – served up here in a sweet Atlantic Records session that seems to really hone into all the mod influences his music would have in the 60s! The rootsy quality of Allison's earlier records is still firmly in place – but the group also has a tighter feel that's almost more soul jazz – thanks, in part, to work from Ben Tucker on bass – in a groove that's similar to some of his own contributions to 60s jazz. Titles include a great version of "Foolkiller" – one of Mose's greatest tracks – plus "One Of These Days", "Days Like These", "Your Red Wagon", "Look Here", "I'm Not Talking", and "New Parchman".

A fantastic collection of unreleased material by mid-to-late 60s psych pop songwriter genius Tandyn Almer – who's probably best know for penning the eternally great "Along Comes Mary" for The Association – but we sure didn't know how great of a performer he was on his own! The 15 track record was cut for his publisher Davon Music, who circulated it to insiders at the time, looking to sell the songs – but what they should have done was found a label and released it. Fuzzy guitars, raw drums and great keyboards, excellent background harmonies – and the good-natured, melodic quality that attracted groups like the Association to Tandyn! Sundazed has long been a favorite source of rewarding 60s and 70s reissues, but they really deserve some bigger love for releases like this one – which is a first-ever commercial release. It feels like a complete, finished production for the most part – and not at all like a bunch of demos. Psych pop greatness! Includes "Find Yourself", You Turn Me Around", "Anything You Want", "About Where Love Is", "Face Down In The Mud", "I Get High", "Bring Your Own Self Down" (by The Purple Gang)", "Where Will They Go", "Sunset Strip Soliloquy" and more.

Warm, mellow, and completely sublime – the mighty America at the height of their powers – working with a quality that nobody else can match! The trio wrap together all the best ideas that were bubbling under in the LA scene of the late 60s – vocal harmonies, studio perfection, and even touches of rootsy instrumentation – yet find a space to work all these elements together in a rich sound that's completely unique – amazingly understated at times, despite a near-perfect level of production! The whole album's great – even their original version of "Muskrat Love" – nestled in here next to "Rainbow Song", "Submarine Ladies", "Molten Love", "Green Monkey", and "Goodbye".

A well-titled album, given that the overall feel here is maybe a bit more stripped-down and almost rootsy at times – even though the trio's still working with producer George Martin! The set was recorded in just a week at Caribou Ranch – and it's almost a return to the core harmonies and acoustic elements of the group's roots – cast out here with perfect compressed sound, yet also hitting harder with a few more punched-up moments at times too. There's a nice "past the hits" quality to the set – and titles include "She's A Liar", "Letter", "Watership Down", "Amber Cascades", "Lovely Night", and "Who Loves You" – plus "Hideaway (parts 1 & 2)", which has this great mellow groove and piano from Martin that could easily be a hip hop sample!

Dang! Poor Gene Ammons kept getting stuck with albums that had titles which referenced his prison time! Fortunately, the quality of this one's good enough to live past the stupid name – and the record has Gene blowing with a larger group of west coast soul jazz players, arranged by Bobby Bryant, in the style of big band funk he was using on his own work. More than a few nice moments arise – especially on the cuts "Crazy Mary", "Fru Fru", and "Jaggin".

One of the greatest albums to come from the New York underground of the early 80s – even if it was a relatively big "hit" on a major label! Laurie Anderson is in perfect form here – drawing on a strong tradition of avant garde performance, but without any of the indulgences that would mire down performance art in years to come. Instead, she's got a clean, clear style that's simply amazing – spoken passages that are poetic and pointed, but which also have a slight undercurrent of wit – a charming quality that never takes itself too seriously, even when the sounds and styles are somewhat dark. Instrumentation includes some great rhythm passages from David Van Tieghem, plus surprising performances from Rufus Harley on bagpipes and George Lewis on trombone. Titles include "From The Air", "Big Science", "O Superman", "Born Never Asked", "Walking & Falling", "Example #22", "Let X = X", and "It Tango".

A massive amount of early work by The Animals – brought together in one overstuffed package with some unreleased tracks as well! The group here have a great rough sound – much more bluesy than in later years, which turns out to be a perfect setting for the young Eric Burdon – whose vocals soar out wonderfully over a mix of original tunes and remakes of American classics by folks like Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Sam Cooke, Bo Diddley, and others! Producer Mickie Most really knows how to keep the right sort of edge on the tunes – lots of raw power in the instrumentation, especially the Hammond and guitar – and a stark, dark quality to Eric's vocals that went onto become the stuff of legend. Package features 40 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Believe To My Soul", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Club A Go Go", "For Miss Caulker", "Feel", "Boom Boom", "Don't Want Much", "It's My Life", "House Of The Rising Sun", "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place", and "I'm Gonna Change The World".

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". CD features a massive 52 page booklet, too!

A great second album from India Arie – sweet, smooth, soulful, and one we like even better than the first! The style is wonderful – a mix of warm vocals, spare production, and acoustic guitar – which gives the set a folksy quality that really offsets the smooth backings nicely. Songs are very well written, and linked together with a sensuous musical approach that makes the whole album drift nicely along – beating with the heart of underground soul set, but handled with a high level of class! Titles include "Beautiful Surprise", "Little Things", "Growth", "Talk To Her", "Headed In The Right Direction", "Good Man", "Complicated Melody", and "The One". Limited CD features the bonus track "Interested".

One of the last live appearances by Louis Armstrong – presented here in a really charming little album, issued in a small pressing by The National Press Club! The album's a great document of all the Armstrong charms in one package – as Louis talks as much as he plays – telling stories and speaking about the music on the first half of the set. The second half then features material recorded after Armstrong's passing – with Tyree Glenn and Tommy Gwaltney keeping up the vibe, especially on some of the spoken passages where Glenn talks about Louis! The sound quality is a bit "broadcast"-styled at the start – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Royal Garden Blues", "Love For Sale", "Crazy Rhythm", and "It's Alright With Me".

Smoking blues from Billy Boy Arnold – an artist who never got the fame as some of the bigger acts on Chess Records in the 60s – but who could certainly cook with the best Chicago electric sound! Arnold sings and plays guitar on the record – with a bold, upfront quality that easily makes the record one of the best in this series on Prestige – thanks in part to backing from a youthful group that includes Mighty Joe Young on guitar and Lafayette Leake on piano! Titles include "School Time", "Evaleena", "I Love Only You", "Two Drinks Of Wine", "Billy Boy's Blues", and "You Better Cut That Out". CD features the bonus track "Playing With The Blues".

Previously unissued material from the great Harry Arnold – excellent mid 60s big band sessions, as creative as they are hard-swinging! Arnold's group here is at the top of its form – working together with a rich array of tones and colors that show the best legacies of 50s modern jazz in the large ensemble idiom – yet with a lean quality that really allows lots of voice from the soloists, too – a lineup that includes Arne Domnerus, Jan Johansson, Lars Farnlov, Bengt-Arne Wallin, and Georg Riedel! Arrangements are by Wallin, Pete Jacques, and others – but it's Arnold who clearly knows how to make the whole thing hold together this well. Titles include "It's In The Bag", "Margie", "Blues For Nathan", "Cheryl", "Tina", "Per Spelman", "You've Got It", "I Knew It I Knew It", and "King Valiant".

This one's got it all – fuzzy instrumentals, sweet harmonies, and some nice trippy parts too – all wrapped up in a set that's easily one of the best Tower Records rock soundtracks of the 60s! Most of the schlocky biker soundtracks from the time are already pretty darn great – but this one's even a cut above – put together with a special quality that's always made us dig this one the most! The album features a great cut called "Hellcats" – a harmony rocker by The Sunrays, and just as great as their own album tracks. The set also features an instrumental "Hellcats" and "The Angry Mob" by The Arrows – plus psych oriented tracks by Davy Jones & The Dolphins, including "The Only Way To Fly", "Mass Confusion", and "Let's Live A Little" – and "I'm Up" and "The Marionettes" by Somebody's Chyldren.

A rare treasure from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – recorded as a supposed third album for Atlantic records in 1974, but unissued for years until the group released it on their own! The session is a live one, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival – and features the unique addition of Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, making for the group's first session ever with the instrument! Muhal's work nicely colors in the spare spaces on the set – giving a soaring, lyrical quality to a few of the numbers – and really standing in stark contrast to the freer solo work of the other players. At times, Abrams is playing these longer lines that almost have a McCoy Tyner sort of energy – directing the set with a tremendous searching vibe – and at other times, he joins the group in their sparer exploration of sound and space – in a mode that's similar to some of their Parisian recordings. Titles include "Sun Precondition One", "Kabalaba", "Kaba Song", "Mal's Delight", and "Improvization A2".

Definitely up there with the best of 1997, this 8 track ep starts off with the amazing "Scapegoat", an interesting look at blaming the world, where Slug runs through a list of things that are causing strife in life. "Primer" has hilarious and insightful verses from the perspective of the dead-end life of a white trash trailer park resident beating up on his wife/baby mother with the chorus "I own the Camaro and the mobile home, so where you gonna go." "Multiples" is another highlight, a dedication to underground MC's, b-boys, graffiti writers, and DJs. Quality mid-west hiphop from the indie heydays.

A Brazilian underground classic from the early 70s – mindblowing work that mixes heavy percussion with lots of guitar – in a style that's samba soul one minute, but heavier rock the next! There's a bit of a Jorge Ben influence going on at times – particularly in the way the record uses quickly-strummed acoustic guitar next to the earthy rhythms – but the overall sound is also a bit more fragile at times, and rougher around the edges, especially at its most expressive moments. But that quality only serves to make the album more striking – an instantly captivating set that needs no previous cultural knowledge at all! Really tremendous stuff – the kind of lost treasure that will have you scratching your head, but loving it at the same time! Titles include "Apelo", "Grinfa Louca", "A Mente", "Tramba", "Madalena", "Mensageiro", "Cristina", "Olhar Animal", and "Microfones Metalicos".

A well-titled album from the legendary Derek Bailey – definitely a set that lives up to his tremendous reputation over the years! Bailey plays solo guitar here – working through a set of short improvised pieces, and coming up with sounds that are simply incredible – especially for an era when highly experimental records like this weren't often issued. Bailey's work on the strings of the guitar is far different than just about anyone before – and most players since – more sounds than notes, and often very abstract – but with a quality that all somehow makes sense – which is a great contrast to so many of the folks who tried to imitate this music in later years. The album's one of the best illustrations both of Bailey's mighty talents, and of the influence he had in following years – and it features 14 tracks, titled simply "M1", "M2", etc – all of them great!

A folk funk classic from the early 70s – and a weird little record that has a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of! The arrangements are quite soulful, almost funky at times – with a righteous undercurrent that reminds us of Richard Evans or Charles Stepney at Cadet Records. But the vocals – by singer Barbara Massey – have a flanged-out quality that's clearly overdubbed, creating a double-voiced sound that's almost a bit like Brasil 66! This mix of modes is really great – completely unique, and sublime throughout – with a vibe that was years ahead of its time, and which is finally beginning to get some recognition these many years later. Arrangements are by the pair, but Deodato also had a hand in the record too – and the core combo of musicians includes Grady Tate on drums, Ralph McDonald on percussion, and Sam Brown on guitar – alongside more guitars from Ernie and keyboards and piano from Barbara. Tracks include "Searching the Circle", "Do You Know", "For You", "Play With Fire", "My Love & I", "Satisfied", and "Prelude" – plus a wild remake of "Somebody to Love"!

A real sleeper – and one of the treasures of the Arista Freedom series! The album's a rare meeting between Argentine tenor player Gato Barbieri and South African pianist Dollar Brand – a true global meeting of the jazz minds, and a recording that's stronger than most of the work either player was recording at the time! The format is incredibly spare – just tenor and piano, plus some occasional cello work by Brand – dark and angular, but also filled with small flowers of hope, flowering in the spontaneous presence of these two great minds. Tracks are long, with a free flowing quality that's infused with soul and spirit – and titles include "Hamba Khale", "Aloe & The Wildrose", and "To Elsa".

A Syd Barrett treasure trove – and an essential compilation of unreleased work that's a much-needed companion to Barrett's classic albums for EMI! The material here is all from the years 1968 to 1970 – tracks recorded before, during, and around the sessions that later became The Madcap Laughs and Barrett – but which often also show a wider-ranging side of Syd's talents, especially on the few demo recordings – which offer an even more personal glimpse of the artist trying to find his way. Instrumentation is a bit more acoustic than on Barrett's full albums, but even the acoustic guitar is played with these dark tones that have the same sinister quality as the chords he brought to Pink Floyd – maybe even more striking here without any fuzz, as they resonate alongside Syd's offbeat lyrics. Titles include "Rats", "Golden Hair", "Opel", "Clowns & Jugglers", "Birdie Hop", "Let's Spilt", and "Swan Lee". Features a number of bonus alternate takes – added to the original core lineup of 14 tracks from the 1988 release of Opel.

One of our favorite Ray Barretto albums of the 60s – a real gem from the pre-Latin Soul years! The album's a clear attempt to cash in on the cash in on the James Bond craze of the time – issued by United Artists, who were releasing the Bond films, but also had Ray under contract during the period too. But despite that simple gimmick, it's a great little set – with a quality level that goes way beyond Bond soundtracks, or the usual from Barretto at the time! The tracks are all hard and groovy, with an excellent jazz feel – and some killer arranging from Ray that's right up there with the work he did for his legendary Charanga Moderna album! You may recognize the song titles – but their versions here are superb, and the album's filled with many many wonderful moments that step out with mad rhythms and great jazzy touches. Titles include "Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "OO7", "Search For Vulcan", "Thunderball", and "Goldfinger". Nice "spy" shot of Ray on the cover, too!

Sweet electric keys from Kenny Barron – and one of our favorite 70s albums by him! The record has Kenny playing electric on most of the set – working with musicians that include Sonny Fortune, Buster Williams, Jimmy Owens, and Ben Riley to craft long tunes that are warmly spiritual and deeply soulful. At some level, the work on the set surpasses the quality of his sides for Muse – as the tracks have a freer, more open, and almost indie soul jazz sort of approach on some of the best tracks. And as always with the electric piano, Kenny hits some wonderful notes, colors, and tones that make us wish he used the instrument all the time. Titles include "Sunshower", "Innocence", "Bacchanal", and "Nothing To Fear".

2 rare slices of exotica by Les Baxter – back to back on one CD! The first half of the set features material from the album Ports Of Pleasure – a dreamy exploration of south sea ideals that's got a more lightly drifting quality than some of Baxter's more percussive exotica albums, and which is awash in dreamy soundscapes penned by Les himself! The orchestrations are large and bold throughout – mixing strings and woodwinds almost in a soundtrack-y mode – but always with the light sense of interplay that makes Baxter's work so great. Titles include "Monkey Dance Of Bali", "Pearls Of Ceylon", "Tahiti A Summer Night At Sea", "Hong Kong Cable Car", "Tramp Steamer To Singapore", "Harem Silks From Bombay", and "Sidewalk Cafes Of Saigon". The Sacred Idol is a real standout set from the end of Les Baxter's run at Capitol Records – originally scored for a film that was never released, but a great set of tracks that more than stands strongly on its own! The theme here is a Mexican/Latin American one – explored by Baxter with his trademark blend of larger orchestrations and lighter exotica touches – often swirling around in an extremely evocative mode that makes us wish the film had been issued to the public, and at a few key moments even hinting at the funkier modes that would follow on some of Les' later work for other labels. Titles include "Aqueducts", "Gardens Of The Moon", "Pyramid Of The Sun", "Temple Of Gold", and "Procession Of The Princes".

A split set of soundtracks – both penned for films directed by Jean-Louis Bertuccelli! Richard Rodney Bennett really charms us with his score for L'Imprecateur – easily one of his most carefully creative film pieces of the 70s – and really nicely balanced between space and sound, in ways that have the subtle drama of the film welling up beautifully as the music unfolds! The instrumentals from the film are presented in two smaller "suites" – with tracks that include "New York", "Le Bus", "Ecoute", "La Vueve", "Le Cafe", "Retour A La Lumiere", and "L'Accident". Next is Gabriel Yared's music for Interdit Aus Moins De 13 Ans – written five years after Bennett's score, but done with a similarly evocative feel! Instrumentation has a bit of an 80s quality at times – but not in a cheesy way – more in the sonically sensitive qualities that you might find in a Wim Wenders score of the decade. Titles include "L'Autre Rive", "Louis Et Lucie", "La Nuit De Noel", and "Scene D'Amour".

George Benson more than earns the title on this one – given that most of the tracks feature backings from the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster – a great ensemble who really help keep things soulful throughout! Despite the date of the set, the feel here is a bit more classic than most of Benson's work from the time – as the group bring a full acoustic soul to the record – a swelling, swaying brace of horns that seems to push George's vocals a bit more than usual – past that simply sweet style that was the usual Benson bag. There's a range and depth here that's really surprising – a quality that goes past the hokey title, which might make you expect less from the record – and although there's a few brief moments that get slightly contemporary, these pass quickly in favor of a classic groove. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Without A Song", "Ready Now That You Are", "Basie's Bag", "Skylark", and "How Do You Keep The Music Playing".

A beautiful little soundtrack for this late John Wayne western – scored by Elmer Bernstein in a wonderfully expressive way – with a quality that goes way past the usual entries in the genre! There's almost a slight undercurrent of sentimentality to the music – not in a cloying way, but with a quality that seems to reference the entire history of the western with sensitive ears – in a way that the film almost seems to do with its story, as well – carrying things forward without too much drama, but this subtle depth that really makes the music special! The recording quality is excellent, and Bernstein's scoring shows some instrumental modernity he wouldn't have had a few years before – complex use of subtle elements that really comes through in the production. Titles include "Born To Hang", "Necktie Party", "Smoke", "New Money", "Surrounded", "Thickening Plot", "Billy Joe", "Train", and "Venture".

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

The earliest work we've ever heard from tenorist Nat Birchall – a player who's really blown our minds with his recent albums from the UK! This set's from the late 90s, and already has Birchall really finding his voice – a freewheeling approach to tenor that's unlike most of his contemporaries, and definitely steeped in strong influences from the spiritual jazz generation! Yet while recent records have Nat in a more meditative mode, the sound here is almost more explosive – with echoes of 60s avant in the mix, amidst some bold rhythmic impulses from the group – almost with a quality that reminds us of some of those brilliant moments when an American soloist would combine with a European combo in the heady 60s scene. In addition to Birchall's tenor, the group also features John Hulme on trumpet and flugelhorn, Richard Wetherall on piano, Dave Tompkins on bass, and Danny Ward on drums – and titles include "Redemption", "Helix Nebula", "Unity Blues", "Passion Dance", and "Ism Schism".

The deepest album to date from saxophonist Nat Birchall – a set that's steeped in all the spiritual elements of his previous records, yet also stretches forth into rich new dimensions as well! Birchall's reeds have this complexity we've never heard before – soaring, searching in these really bold styles – while also still holding onto the core modal energy we've always liked in his music – a quality we've always liked to the best post-Coltrane sounds on Impulse Records! And indeed, there's a majesty and vision to this album that takes us back to Pharoah Sanders at his greatest – or maybe Joe Henderson blowing with Alice Coltrane – as Birchall soars to the skies on tenor and soprano sax – in a lineup that includes piano, vibes, bass, and lots of great percussion elements too. Tracks include "The Black Ark", "Dream Of Eden", "World Without Form", "Divine Harmony", "Return To Ithaca", and "Principle Of Beauty".

An excellent bit of southern funk – very much in the early mode of Little Beaver, but with a sound that's even harder! James Knight is The Black Knight – leading a tight little combo with a raw funky 45 sound, heavy on the horns for backing, but with James' guitar right up front in the mix, jamming hard in a way that would have made Hendrix proud! The tracks are a mix of heavy funk numbers and more tripped-out jams – and Knight's vocals remind us a bit of Charles Wright in the old days, blaring out of the speakers with a bit of distortion and lots of soul, really driving home the quality of the songs. Titles include "Fantasy World", "Save Me", "Flyin High", "Funky Cat", "Uncle Joe", "Cotton Candy", and "Just My Love For You".

Here's a record we wish they would have used for the soundtrack to Happy Days – Blowfly cashing in on the 50s craze in the 70s, and offering up his own off-color version of a number of classic oldies! The sound is pretty darn goofy, but also has links to Blow's roots as singer Clarence Reid – as his vocals are really out front in the mix, and belting things out with a surprisingly soulful quality – even while cracking wise about sex and related topics! Titles include "My Sex Life Was Through", "In The Still", "Get A Blow Job", "Silly Bitch", "Suck Around The Clock", and "So Funky".

Blowfly changes up his groove nicely for the 80s – taking on a tightly-stepping approach to funk that's clearly inspired by some of the changes on the west coast scene – using Zapp-ish rhythms in a mode that ends up working pretty darn well for his off-color spoken lyrics! There's almost a P-Funk quality to the record – especially as the themes get a bit more political and current events-ish than usual – trading the easy sex jokes for some other comic fare on tunes that include "Convoy", "Blowfly Vs. Darth Vadar", "The Incredible Fulk", and "The Insects Theme".

Blowfly changes up his groove nicely for the 80s – taking on a tightly-stepping approach to funk that's clearly inspired by some of the changes on the west coast scene – using Zapp-ish rhythms in a mode that ends up working pretty darn well for his off-color spoken lyrics! There's almost a P-Funk quality to the record – especially as the themes get a bit more political and current events-ish than usual – trading the easy sex jokes for some other comic fare on tunes that include "Convoy", "Blowfly Vs. Darth Vadar", "The Incredible Fulk", and "The Insects Theme".

Quite an unusual little album from Graham Bond – quite spiritual, almost supernatural at times – very much what you'd expect from the cover and title! The record's light years away from Bond's British beat group work of a few years before – and has a quality that almost mixes headier rock influences with the spiritualism of the post-Coltrane generation – as the record almost goes farther in a direction that was somewhat initiated by Albert Ayler's more rock-like leanings at the end of his life. Many numbers have chorus vocals rising up behind Bond's lead – and while his own work on alto sax is somewhat displaced by strong use of guitar on many tracks, there's still a fair bit of jazzy elements going on in the mix – particularly on side two, which features Graham laying down some strong lines on the Hammond. Titles include "Aquarius Mantra", "Praise City Of Light", "12 GatesTo The City", "Invocation To The Light", "The Qabalistic Cross", "The Pentagram Ritual", "The Holy Words", "The Judgement", and "The Magician". CD also features bonus tracks – "12 Gates To The City (single b-side)", and "Water Water (single a-side)".

One of the better early bossa albums by Bonfa, and one that doesn't have the sleepy quality that you find on some of his other records. Luiz' guitar is backed by a nice little combo, and the tracks have a lively rhythm, with occasional vocals, and some nice flute solos from time to time. The whole thing sounds a bit like an early Baden Powell session – and includes the tracks "Amor Em Brasilia", "Amor De Solidao", "Murmurio", "Inquietacao", "Voce Chegou Sorrindo", and "Saudade De Bahia". Also issued in Brazil under the title O Violao E O Samba.

A deeply effective set from Bonobo! North Borders has beats that are as compelling as any in Bonobo's canon – often thumping pretty hard – paired with gorgeous electronic sound washes and really deft use of vocal samples and guest singers. The mix of compelling beats and lighter, more ethereal atmosphere is a nice touch – and the use of voices, whether sampled or sung by a guest, really brings in an uncommon emotional depth. Includes "First Fires" with Grey Reverend, "Emkay", "Don't Wait", "Cirrus", "Heaven For The Sinner" with Erykah Badu, Towers" with Sjerdene, "Jets", "Antenna", "Know You", "Ten Tigers", "Sapphire", "Transits" and "Pieces" feat Cornella.

A surprisingly great album by Booker T – recorded after his Memphis years with The MGs, and his duets with Priscilla – and done in a sweetly mellow style that has Booker emerging as a whole new style of songwriter! As with all the post-MG albums, Booker sings lead vocals on all tracks – in a gently, almost folksy mode that fits beautifully with the compressed production of the set. There's almost a Terry Callier-ish quality to a few of the cuts, and on others, Booker's hitting a cool LA style that's kind of a west coast take on the Memphis vibe – but with a few more rock-based touches. Book plays a bit of organ and some keyboards on the set, and titles include "Jamaica Song", "Mama Stewart", "Flamingo", "Tennessee Voodoo", "Lie To Me", and "Evergreen".

Lo Borges looks surprisingly youthful in the artwork for this CD – and his music sounds the same – every bit as fresh and personal as when he first sprang onto the scene with Milton Nascimento at the start of the 70s! As with other recent efforts, the songwriting is superb – as thoughtful as ever, and put together with a gentle sort of cohesion that really makes the whole thing shine – amazingly subtle, and still some of the most naturalistic material you'll ever hear from Brazil! Production is very much up to the task, with a timeless quality that makes the record feel like some of Borges' best material from decades past. Titles include "Antes Do Sol", "On Venus", "De Mais Ninguem", "Xanana", "Da Nossa Criacao", "Quem Me Chama", and "Cancao Mais Alem".

One of the headiest albums from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – as you might guess from the image on the cover! The album continues the playful quality of previous A&M sets, but also has a deeper feel too – a bit more soul on the vocals, which really comes through on the album's few covers – and a slightly more socially-conscious approach to the lyrics too – supported by backings by a core group that features John Gallie on some especially great organ and keyboards, and great arrangements from Jimmie Haskell! The shift is great proof that these two were way more than just songwriters – and titles include "Change", "Maybe Somebody Heart", "Abracadabra", "My Baby Loves Sad Songs", "Thanks For Sunday", and "Strawberry Girl". CD features bonus mono tracks – "Six & Six", "LUV – Let Us Vote", "We're All Going To The Same Place", "PO Box 9487", and "Alice Long".

Six albums in, and these guys still aren't losing their groove – and if anything, they seem to be getting even tighter and funkier with the 80s groove generation! Randy Muller's still the main man making things happen here – giving the group their trademark horn sound, and that fantastically tight approach to rhythm – one that's very much inherited from the early BT Express groove, but which is almost sharper and more mature. There's a lean quality to these tracks that's quite surprising, given the nine piece lineup of the group – but that's very much the Muller touch, and its in full force here. Titles include "Do Ya", "Working Harder Every Day", "We Can Do It", "I'm Not Gonna Stop", "Don't Try To Change Me", and "We Are Brass".

Some of the earliest work of Jacques Brel – and some of the best as well! The collection is a massive overview of Brel's first recordings in the mid 50s – all original compositions that marked not only a new generation for songwriting in France, but a revision of the role of the male singer as well! Brel is at once sardonic and emotive – carefully balanced between up-close observation and a slight sense of distance that shows in the wit he brings to the topics of his tunes. Arrangements are often simple and stylish – shifting strongly to fit the spirit of the songs, making for a slightly un-definable quality to the overall album – but in a way that also keeps things interesting. The work was recorded between 1953 and 1956, with backings by Andre Grassi, Michel Legrand, and Andre Popp – and the CD features a whopping 34 tracks that include "La Bastille", "La Haine", "Grand Jacques", "Il Pleut", "S'Il Te Faut", "A Deux", "Les Gens", "Saint Pierre", "Quand On N'A Que L'Amour", "La Foire", "Le Troubadour", "C'Est Comme Ca", "L'Accordeon De La Vie", and "L'Ange Dechu".

A tremendous bit of harmony soul from Chicago – one of the few cases where the Windy City really gave the east coast a run for its money – and the landmark album from teen soul quartet Brighter Side Of Darkness! Although young, Brighter Side managed to bring a depth to their work that was way more than kiddie soul – a heartfelt, heartbreaking quality that was all adult, no matter how youthful the themes – and their vocals are a perfect contrast to the fuller arrangements from producers Clarence Johnson and Johnny Cameron. The set contains the group's classic "Love Jones", still one of the best fragile harmony tracks of the early 70s – plus loads of other great numbers like "I Owe You Love", "I'm A Loser", "Just A Little Bit", and a superb remake of "Summer Ride".

An American psychedelic classic from mid 70s Baltimore – awash in heavy fuzz and lots of electric effects! Jungle Rot has a raw, earnest quality that few other records can match – perhaps the first albums by MC5 or The Stooges – or the very first EP by Pussy Galore – but it's also very much its own animal, as is most music that's come out of Baltimore over the years! Brigman's guitar is recorded here with lots of pedals, effects, and echo – all very spaced out and trippy, and sounding a lot more late 60s than you'd guess from the date of the record. The tunes are often simple and straightforward – and sometimes slightly bluesy underneath all the fuzz – and the vocals are wonderfully abstracted in all that echo, coming out almost like Alan Vega on the first Suicide album. Titles include "Jungle Rot", "DMT"," Don't Bother Me", "Schoolgirl", "I Feel Alright", "Worrying", and "It's Misery".

Ahhh. . . Nice! Wonderful intelligent, spiritual rhymes, full of Islamic prayer references, blunt antagonist rhymes, a battle with the ugliest of inner demons and broken artist poverty all hugged by catchy bouncing hook filled choruses. And all the production is handled by Ant, a true autuer akin to Pete Rock, now becoming more comfortable with his art with each release: tight organ loops, snapping drums, bright horns and nice upright basslines. "Soulful" is the key adjective here. Tracks include "Star Quality", "Pay Them Back", "Shadows On The Sun", "Forest Whitiker", "Room With A View", "Back Stage Pacin", "Missing Teeth", "Dorian", "Soul Whisper", "Champion", "Prince Charming", and more! Side F to this triple vinyl set has 4 added instrumental versions!

Quite obscure later work from Maxine – done in a style that's partly like her classic uptown soul work for Wand, but which also has some more down-home and rootsy moments – in an approach that was clearly intended to make her come across as more of a hard soul singer! Arrangements are by Bert De Coteaux, and all very strong throughout – with a level of quality that matches the Atlantic sort of session of this type, which was probably what Bert was aiming for! Titles include the single "We'll Cry Together", plus "Piece Of My Heart", "See & Don't See", "Reason To Believe", "You're The Reason I'm Leaving", and "Didn't You Know".

After starting his career out with his funky group The Organizers, Odell Brown moved into a phase where he would act as the lead soloist in front of larger funky groups – like the one that appears on this record. The band was put together by Gene Barge, and they have a great soulful Cadet records sound – perfect for Brown's searing organ style. The solos are very lean, and have a nice nice strong quality to them. The band features Chisoul players like Morris Jennings, Henry Gibson, Louis Satterfield, Phil Upchurch, and Donald Myrick. A few tracks have ensemble vocals – and titles include "Nitty Gritty", "Free Delivery", "Come Together", "Free & Easy", and "Sign Of The Ram". Funky and hip!

Oscar Brown's score for a hip play that he wrote (one of his many plays!) – performed by him, Sivuca, and Jean Pace. Despite the "show" quality of the material, this actually stands simply as a great Oscar Brown Jr. LP, and the production is nice and intimate, and sounds just like an ordinary studio album. Sivuca's great, and his breathy voice and playing really open up Oscar Brown with some great Brazilian touches. And as usual, the writing's great, especially on tracks like "Brown Baby", "Mother Africa's Day", "Funky World", and the great version of "Afro Blue", featuring Oscar's classic lyrics. Also features a wonderful version of Johnny Alf's "Sky & Sea" – done by Sivuca with an incredible lilting groove!

Easily one of the top 5 female southern soul albums of the 70s – a landmark record that Shirley Brown never matched again! The record's got an open, honest quality that's far deeper than even other work from the time on Stax Records – a style that's partly Memphis, but which also has some of the rougher edges of other southern indies – not just in the way the songs are put together, but also in the open-handed emotion that Shirley brings to her work. The standout track is the classic "Woman To Woman", which begins with a great monologue that started off a whole slew of answer songs at the time! (In case you don't remember it, it's the one that goes "Girl, I was diggin' through my old man's pockets last night, and I came across your number...") Other tracks include "Stay With Me Baby", "Long As You Love Me", "Between You And Me", "So Glad To Have You", and "Passion".

A really cool live set from Mari Kvien Brunvoll – live concert solo work, but with lots of on-the-spot sampling – which allows Mari to loop her vocals and other instrumentation as well! Mari's voice has this really wonderful sound – airy, but very melodic too – a quality that's especially instrument-like when she samples it – but very personal when she's singing core lyrics upfront. And in addition to electronics, the set also features warmer acoustic sounds on zither, kalimba, and percussion – a very odd mix that works surprisingly well together. Titles include "

A killer set that's extremely well-titled – as BT Express were one of the hottest ensemble funk acts of their time! The groove here is definitely aimed at a more disco-oriented dancefloor than before – but the overall sound is plenty funky enough for our ears – thanks to some amazing horn passages arranged by Carlos Ward, whose own work on sax and flute really add an edgey quality to the set. Ward's horns are really fantastic – cutting and turning with a sharply-honed tone that keeps things fresh throughout – even when the rhythms are hitting more of a mainstream dancefloor sound. Titles include the group's mellow soul version of "Now That We've Found Love", plus "Herbs", "Time Tunnel", "Energy To Burn", and "Make Your Body Move".

An overlooked gem from Chico's mid 80s period – a record filled with strong and subtle songs, often backed by some nicely jazz-tinged arrangements from Cristovao Bastos! The album's not as revolutionary as some of Chico's earlier records, but it more than makes up for that with an incredibly solid quality overall – and a mature, sophisticated approach to songwriting that easily matches some of Caetano Veloso's best work of the same time. Titles include "Pleas Tabelas", "Samba Do Grande Amor", "Mil Perdoes", "Vai Passar", "As Cartas", and "Suburbano Coracao".

One of our favorite albums ever from Solomon Burke – a great little set that draws on all of his deep soul roots for Atlantic, but also gets a little bit funky too! There's a growing maturity in Solomon's music here that we really love – a quality that gets past the churchy cliches, and starts to explore some of the new territory opening up to soul artists at the end of the 60s – influences from all points south, wrapped up in a slightly tighter New York presentation. Titles include Solomon's great version of the hard break classic "Get Out Of My Life, Woman", an amazing remake of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", and the tracks "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free", "Meet Me In Church", "Since I Met You Baby", "Shame On Me", "Why Why Why", and "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye".

If you're like us, you've probably been frustrated over the years at trying to find nicely remastered copies of many Studio One classics, which have been kicking around in one form or another for years and years, often seemingly out of print or available only on poor quality pressings. So we barely need to mention how satisfying it is that Heartbeat has issued this sweet and long awaited set of seminal Studio One sides from Burning Spear. These early recordings stand out as some of the finest primal work from Winston Rodney, soulful seeds of the heavy roots rock he'd later become known for, wrapped up in a nicely annotated package with numerous hard-to-get mixes, many of which were previously unreleased on CD! 20 tracks in all, including "Foggy Road", "Rocking Time (rare stereo mix)", "Down By The River", "New Civilization (rare stereo mix)", "Door Peeper (original single mix)", "This Race (rare stereo mix)", "This Population", "Bad To Worst (rare stereo mix)", "Pick Up The Pieces", "Zion Higher (rare stereo mix)", "Swell Headed", "Creation Rebel", "Ethiopians Live It Out", "Get Ready", "Weeping And Waiting (rare stereo mix)" and loads more!

Gary Burton hits a sweet electric funky sound here – a great groove that really makes the album stand out from most of his other work! The support Burton gets is a big reason for the greatness of the date – as he's working in a group that includes Eric Gale on guitar, Richard Tee on piano and organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Bernard Purdie on drums. The album's got a bit of trippiness to it – kind of in the style of some of Herbie Mann's funky production work for the Vortex label – and a few cuts have producer Joel Dorn working with Arif Mardin on the cuts, giving them a more expansive sound that pushes Burton's playing nicely. The vibes have a dark chromatic quality to them that sounds great next to the sweeter playing of the funky player – and the record's filled with nice numbers like "Vibrafinger", "Las Vegas Tango", "Boston Marathon", and "Leroy The Magician".

The songs of Freddie Redd – re-arranged wonderfully by tenorist Chris Byars – and played by an octet who really make some new magic with the music! Redd's one of our favorite talents from the late 50s/early 60s scene – a budding modernist who also never failed to swing – a quality that Byars clearly admires too, and shows strongly in the way he opens up and grooves these great tunes! Even the larger lineup of trumpet, trombone, alto, and baritone can't hold things back – and instead, give the tunes more punch than we remember – strong leads that explode into tight solos – driven on nicely by the comping piano work of Sacha Perry. Titles include "The Thespian", "Old Spice", "Emily Reno","Just A Ballad For My Baby", "Minor Interlude", and "Somewhere/Music Forever".

Tenorist Don Byas is one of those players who always seemed to get more recognition in Europe than the US – or if that's not entirely the case, he at least got more chances to record properly than he ever did over here! This excellent 18 track CD features tunes from 3 early 50s sessions that Byas recorded in Paris – all of them in a small group setting that really let him open up on tenor in a mellow soulful way. Most tracks are relatively short, but the quality of Byas' solos is wonderful – and the CD represents some of the finest work you could ever hope to find by him from the postwar years. Titles include "Summertime", "The Man I Love", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Riviera Blues", "Somebody Loves Me", and a sublime version of "Laura".

Charlie Byrd gets some top-shelf treatment here – in a wonderful album of tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, all recorded with full backing arrangements, and sound quality that's a lot better than some of Byrd's previous albums! The setting has Charlie's acoustic guitar right up front in the mix – mic'ed so close you can really hear his work on the strings – while light brass, woodwind, and string backings dance nicely, and more quietly, behind him. There's a very Verve-like approach to the whole record – obviously a market that Columbia were trying to reach with this one – and the album's easily one of Charlie's strongest for the label from the 60s. Arrangements are both by Byrd and Tom Newsom – and titles include "Dindi", "Jazz N Samba", "The Girl From Ipanema", "Corcovado", "Amor E Paz", "Samba Do Aviao" and "Amor E Paz".

Beautiful work from the legendary Hoagy Carmichael – and one of the few albums to feature him singing his own work! Hoagy's name is one that you're more likely to see in the songwriting credits than in the artist slot for a record – but he's actually got a wonderful voice, one that's filled with honest, personal charms – and which has a sometimes broken-down quality that's perfect for the gentle words of his tunes. This wonderful set features Carmichael working with sublime small combo backing – players who include Harry Edison, Jimmy Rowles, and Art Pepper – working with arrangements penned by Johnny Mandel. Titles include "Rocking Chair", "Georgia On My Mind", "Skylark", "Two Sleepy People", and "Baltimore Oriole".

A key later album from alto saxophonist Benny Carter – one that has him at the helm of a largeish group, but playing with a nicely focused sort of groove! In addition to Benny's alto, the record also features tenor sax from Charlie Rouse and Coleman Hawkins, plus one more alto from Phil Woods – supported by rhythm from John Collins on guitar, Dick Katz on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. The tunes are traditional, but have some sharper-edged modern ideas on some of the solos – and there's a nicely echoey feel to the production, which further adds to the quality of the record. The album's a bit like a Swingville session for Prestige, but has a bit more going on – and titles include "Doozy", "Blue Star", "Midnight Sun Will Never Set", and "Crazy Rhythm".

Previously unreleased material from the duo of Bobby Bradford and John Carter – two players who created ferocious energy together in their famous LA quartet of the late 60s and early 70s, but who here get at a completely different sound of their talents! In a way, the record really represents the growth that Carter had as a musician by this time – his wonderfully lyrical, evocative work on clarinet – which carries some echoes of Jimmy Giuffre's freeness on the instrument, but a more deeply personal quality as well – quite earthy and organic at times, with these really beautiful tones! Bradford's cornet really seems to follow suit strongly – beautifully blown, but at a level that's more intimate than we've heard from Bobby before – really wonderful phrasing that's free, but still always quite tuneful too. The set features a few tracks with solo clarinet, and one solo cornet – and titles on this second volume include "Woman", "Woodman's Hall Blues", "Sweet Sunset", "Swiss Account", "Les Masses Jigaboo", and "And She Speaks".

Very high quality resealable plastic sleeves for your jewel case CDs! The sleeves are very well made, and crystal-clear – just as nice as some of those fancy LP sleeves you'll find for vinyl from Japan. We use these ourselves in the Dusty Groove store – and they're a lot more attractive than other bags we've seen on the market.

At last – a plastic sleeve to help protect your LP-style CDs – such as those cool Japanese Paper Sleeve reissues we've stocked over the years! The sleeve is super high quality – with very clear, tough construction – and a resealable flap, so you can protect your paper sleeve CDs when storing them – yet slide them out easily for listening!

A nice step forward for Ceu – and a record with a bit more of an edge than we might have expected! The set's still heavy on those sweet Brazilian vocals with an old school vibe – but the production, although often spare, has this nice raspy quality we really love – subtle elements that underscore the lyrics with a gently creative mode – a bit like the sounds you'd hear from other releases from the Kassim/Moreno Veloso camp – although perhaps not as edgey as those. Still, we've gotta give producer Gui Amabis credit for keeping things interesting on Ceu's behalf – on tracks that include "Amor De Antigos", "Falta Dear", "Contravento", "Palhaco", "You Won't Regret It", "Sereia", and "Fffree".

Classic Chappottin tracks from the 60s – material done in a host of key Cuban modes – all with tight trumpet on the top, and great vocals from singers who include Miguelito Cuni, Cheo Marquetti, Rene Alvarez, and Gina Martin! The change in vocalists really keeps things fresh – especially as the album moves between upbeat groovers and mellower tracks with a more melancholy quality. Titles include "Oriente", "No Vengas Por Mi", "Amor Verdadero", "No Puedes Dejarme", "Transnochando", and "Cienfuegos".

The first album from Chapter 8 – a set that's probably best remembered for introducing the world to Anita Baker, but one that's also pretty darn great on its own! Chapter 8 have a sharply soulful focus, one that takes them a bit above some of the other mainstream ensembles of the time – a balance of grooving rhythms and deeper feelings that's just about perfect – about at the level you might get from Maze or LTD, two other groups who both sported equally soulful lead singers! Gerald Lyles sings the male parts alongside Anita, and the blend is perfect – one that should have made the record even bigger than it was at the time, but maybe all that much better, since the lack of hit quality really keeps things fresh. Titles include the singles "Ready For Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl", plus "Don't You Like It", "Let's Get Together", "Come & Boogie", "I Go Disco", and "We Need Love".

Really beautiful vocal work from Corinne Chatel – spare tunes that mostly feature overdubbed vocal passages, sung wordlessly, often with a very musical feel – yet one that's quite offbeat too! There's a quality here that really reminds us of some of our favorite Meredith Monk work from years back – really imaginative, and never gimmicky at all – with an approach that's very abstract, yet somehow all makes complete sense too – logic that's all its own, yet really beautiful overall! Titles include "Call", "Les Sirenes", "Heartbeats", "Berceuse", "Angels Vocalizing", "Awakening The Goddess", and "South India".

A trio of cool cop soundtracks from Stelvio Cipriani – all brought together in a beautiful package with a really unified feel! Cipriani's easily one of our favorite Italian composers for the cop/crime genre – as he's got a way of bringing sensitive sounds into play with driving action – in ways that are different from Morricone, Piccioni, or any of his other contemporaries! These tunes have a great balance between careful strings, warm themes, and more pointed action – often hanging their sound on a key element, such as a keyboard line, or off-tuned piano – and moving carefully forward with a really great ear for space and timing. Things are never sleepy, even when spacious – and the tunes ring out with a heavenly quality that could almost sanctify the acts of crime for which they were initially scored. CD features 3 tracks from La Polizia Sta A Guardare, 3 from La Polizia Chiede Auto, 9 from La Polizia Ha Le Mani Legate, and 9 more bonus tracks from the films – including some previously unreleased numbers. A really wonderful package too – with great graphics, notes in English, and a really beautiful look overall!

There's kind of a Blue Lagoon story going on here – as if you couldn't guess from the cover – and who better to score such a film than the Italian maestro of love, Stelvio Cipriani! The soundtrack has a slinky, sexy quality that's way more urban than the setting of the movie – lots of sweet keyboards over basslines, usually moving slow, and sometimes augmented by bits of guitar or vocals – all with this great languid late afternoon afterglow sort of vibe! Edda Dell'Orso adds her lovely voice to a handful of numbers – and the CD features 19 tracks from the film, all nicely remastered!

Dark and moody folk-psych from the American underground – a record once included on a list of "Top Ten Records Most Likely To Be Owned By A Serial Killer"! We're not sure if the set's as nasty as that might imply – as there's actually a heartfelt, almost earnest quality to the vocals – a slightly bluesy undercurrent, mixed with acoustic and electric guitar riffs – and almost spoken at times – or maybe not spoken, kind of "exclaimed" – as if the lyrics were coming to singer Thorn Oehrig right at the time he was recording them! All this makes for a great sense of reflection on the record – quite different than the posturing you might normally get on such a record – especially given that some of the tunes get really tripped out, with some really weird guitar parts. The set was recorded in 1980, but really feels like some lost biker psyche outsider set from the late 60s or early 70s – with heavy themes of drugs, death, and loneliness – all recorded with a rough-edged quality that further underscores the feelings in the music. Titles include "Limousine Ride", "Billy Bad Billy", "Red Dog", "Old Charlie Polecat", "Old Time Feeling", "How Long", and "Just For Today".

One of the first great moments from this legendary 60s ensemble – a brilliant pairing of American and European players – heard here in one of their pre-MPS sessions! Group founder Gigi Campi is well-placed at the helm – as both producer and supervisor – giving the ensemble the vital energy that made them different from so many other groups of previous years – a quality that almost has them hitting like a small combo, especially on the breakout solo moments on the set. Players include Benny Bailey and Idrees Sulieman on trumpets, Sahib Shihab and Derek Humble on reeds, and Fats Sadi on vibes – not to mention core rhythms from Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. The group's inventive style of writing and arranging is already in place – and titles include "Long Note Blues", "Speedy Reeds", "Sonor", and "Om Mani Padme Hum".

A triple pack of early magic from Natalie Cole! Inseparable is Natalie's stunning debut for Capitol Records in the mid 70s – a real surprise, and a set that should have had the singer blossoming even more than she did at the time! As with some of the other Capitol soul sessions of the time, the album's done very firmly under the guidance of Charles Jackson and Marvin Yancey – a pair who give Natalie just the right sort of backing to launch her career – a sound that's full and rich, deeply sophisticated – but also still plenty soulful, almost in the mode of some of Minnie Riperton's work at the time. Given the pair's Chicago roots – and the arrangement help from Richard Evans – that comparison is no surprise, and Natalie rises to the occasion nicely. Titles are all originals too – and include "Needing You", "Joey", "I Can't Say No", "Something For Nothing", "I Love Him So Much", "You", "Your Face Stays On My Mind", and the huge hit "This Will Be". Next up is Natalie – a record that really has Natalie Cole finding her groove – not needing any help from her famous familial legacy, thank you – and instead stepping out with a tight, proud mode that really helped refine the sound of female soul in the 70s! The album's got plenty of influences from the Chicago soul scene – including songwriting and production from the team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy – and work from key session players like Richard Evans and Gene Barge, who worked in the Curtom Studios to craft the grooves on the set! Titles include "Keep Smiling", "Mr. Melody", "Heaven Is With You", "Can We Get Together", "Touch Me", "Hard To Get Along", and "Good Morning Heartache". Unpredictable is an album that reunites Natalie Cole with the smooth soul team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancey – the team who did such a great job with Natalie's Capitol debut, and who really continue the groove here too! The album's got a rock-solid approach through and through – a quality that has Natalie really standing out on her own as a positive young artist in soul – without any need to nod towards her father, as in later years. And Jackson and Yancey bring a nice dose of Chicago soul class to the affair – which turns out to be a perfect match for Natalie's vocals! Titles include "Be Mine Tonight", "Party Lights", "This Heart", "I've Got Love On My Mind", and "Still In Love".

Rare stuff from John Coltrane! The album features Trane playing tenor on only 4 of the album's 8 tracks – making it kind of surprising that they used his name in the title – but the album is a lesser-known batch of large group recordings that offer an interesting early chapter in his career! The main force behind the album is arranger Harry Tubbs – possibly not a name that's as sexy as John Coltrane, hence the billing – but a worthy leader for the date, given the quality of the music. Many of the other players here are small combo heroes who can also shine brightly in bigger groups – such as Donald Byrd and Art Farmer on trumpets, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – plus Rolf Kuhn, making an early American appearance on clarinet. Coltrane gets in some nice, but short moments on the date – but the bigger charm is the full ensemble work – on titles that include "She Didn't Say Yes", "Turtle Walk", "At Home With The Blues", "Seabreeze", and "Love & The Weather".

A landmark album of vocal jazz – and one of the few sessions that John Coltrane ever cut with a singer! In a way, the album's more Hartman's than it is Coltrane's – given that Johnny's warm, mellow style of singing isn't as free and open as Trane at his most adventurous – but at another level, the album's got a great approach to Coltrane's gentler side, one that wasn't showing up on a lot of his Impulse albums of the time. Overall, the album's got an extremely haunting quality, and McCoy Tyner's piano adds as much to Hartman's hip voice as Coltrane's mellow tenor. Titles include some well-chosen moody standards – including "Lush Life", "Dedicated To You", and "Autumn Serenade".

An album that definitely lives up to the title promised by The Commodores – a record that takes all their raw funky energy of the early years, and fuses it into a new groove that would catapult the sextet to superstardom! The sound is commercial, but still has a pretty fresh sort of feel too – that quality the group brought to their work when breaking down so many boundaries in mainstream music – and finding fans in corners that few other funk groups might have touched! There's plenty of upbeat funk tracks in the mix, and even the mellower moments are still balanced nicely enough to avoid any of the cliches that Lionel Richie might have had during his solo years. Titles include "Why You Wanna Try Me", "This Love", "Been Loving You", "Lucy", "Saturday Night", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and "Oh No".

By this point in their career, The Commodores have lost Lionel Richie and any sort of funk credibility they had from their early years – but they also somehow manage to reemerge with a great new talent for a sweet mellow groove! The title tune "Nightshift" was one of those tracks that crossed over massively at the time – but to our ears, it also kind of redeemed the group too – as it's got a surprisingly soulful quality that really got the group past the soppiness of their ballads and love songs – gliding along with an almost-righteous quality that makes it a nice later cap to an earlier Motown 70s groove. Other tunes on the album don't always fare as well, but there's still some nice moments here – tunes that benefit from some Dennis Lambert production and hit just the right kind of mellow groove to follow up on the spirit of the single. Tracks include "Nightshift", "Slip Of The Tongue", "Lay Back", "Lightin Up The Night", and "The Woman In My Life".

Damn hard to go wrong with Cortijo at this point in his career – as records like this are razor-sharp, all the way through! The cooker features excellent vocals from a young Ismael Rivera – who's already got this transcendent quality that points towards larger Latin dimensions to come – and the group have a core energy that really gets back to basics – shaking off the larger trappings of Latin orchestras of a few years before, and really focusing in on the rhythms! Titles include "Chachaguere", "Manana Es Domingo", "Tuntuneco" , "Ramona", "Perfume De Rosas", "Un Telegrama", and "Pa'Tumbar La Cana".

A cool step sideways for the great Don Covay – a set that still holds onto all the soul of his earlier work for Atlantic – but one that also has Don hitting a rootsier, bluesier mode too! The combo's definitely a blues group at their core, but apart from some harmonica and a bit more twang in the guitar, they come across more like a rough soul combo behind Covay's lead – a quality that comes through especially strong on some of the points where the drums step out a bit more than usual. Our hat's off to Don for making this move – as the record really shows a whole new side of his vocal talents, and has a deeper vibe than he'd go for in his later crossover soul of the 70s. Titles include "Homemade Love", "Steady Roller", "Four Women", "Mad Dog Blues", and "Shut Your Mouth".

Enigmatic sounds from UK reedman Lol Coxhill – a really cool collaboration with Morgan Fisher – who adds in his own tape manipulation, guitar, and piano next to Coxhill's work on soprano sax – plus a bit of carillion too! The style's even more spacey and laidback than Lol's 70s duets with Steven Miller – but has a similarly hypnotic quality – proof that Coxhill was always trying to go way beyond jazz, and way beyond some of the standard free modes of his contemporaries – always interested in shaping sounds to new ends – with fascinating results that make the album a corker! Titles include "Slow Music", "Matt Finish", "Jetsam", "Flotsam", "Vase", and "Que En Paz Descanse". CD features a bonus sound collage titled "Play Quiet" – with work by Gavin Bryars!

One of the first great adventure strips of the 30s – presented here in a beautiful oversize volume! Roy Crane's artwork on Captain Easy is tremendous – a magnificently thin line at times, yet full of rich feeling that's augmented by the coloring of the strip – often almost water-color like, with echoes of Frank King's Sunday strips – and set up in these really inventive panel breakdowns that really shift from the usual grid style of the time! The blend almost makes the whole thing feel like an action-based take on the Sunday page style of Gasoline Alley or Polly & Her Pals from the 20s – with all the wonderful images and over-the-top graphic quality that might imply. 128 pages, full color, and in these cool heavy cardboard covers!

One of the first great adventure strips of the 30s – presented here in a beautiful oversize volume! Roy Crane's artwork on Captain Easy is tremendous – a magnificently thin line at times, yet full of rich feeling that's augmented by the coloring of the strip – often almost water-color like, with echoes of Frank King's Sunday strips – and set up in these really inventive panel breakdowns that really shift from the usual grid style of the time! The blend almost makes the whole thing feel like an action-based take on the Sunday page style of Gasoline Alley or Polly & Her Pals from the 20s – with all the wonderful images and over-the-top graphic quality that might imply. 140 pages, full color, and in these cool heavy cardboard covers!

A great later set from Arthur Crudup – and one that's still got the powerful vibe of his "That's All Right" classic! Those Crudup vocals come through with an incredible punch – a built-in vibrato that really matches his guitar work on the record (amplified through the same Leslie speaker used by Buddy Guy on another Delmark record from the same time! The Leslie creates a cool Hammond-like quality to the guitar, which really sounds great with Arthur's vocals – and although the recording style is rootsy, the speaker still brings a pretty full feel to the set. Other players include Mark Thompson on bass and Willie Big Eye Smith on drums – and the set also features some guest guitar from Jimmy Dawkins and Mike Thompson. Titles include "All I Got Is Gone", "Trying To Take Me For A Ride", "Sunny Road", and "Please Don't Leave Me With The Blues" – and the CD also features some bonus studio chatter too!

It's easy to survive the 80s when you've got an army of future-suit cats behind you – and given the groove here, it's clear that Andre Cymone was doing way more than just surviving back in the day! The set's a super-tight batch of 80s grooves – with a sharp sound that comes from lots of keyboards, drum programs, and bass bits – performed almost entirely by Cymone himself, but with a fullness that rivals some of the bigger electro funk acts of the time! Vocals have the right sort of flash to match the rhythms – almost a Prince quality at times – and titles include "MOTF", "Make Me Wanna Dance", "Lovedog", "Body Thang", "Survivin In The 80s", and "What Are We Doing Here".

A collection of rare projects from southern club artist Cyril Walker – a great batch of early 80s groovers with a decidedly indie feel! The tracks are heavy on beats and keys – and the rhythms are on the more electro side of boogie – still nice and bouncy, with a definite ear for the dancefloor – but with a lean quality that strongly recalls some of the New York street soul sounds of the time – even though Cyril recorded the set in North Carolina! Some of the tracks feature female lead vocals – depending on the project – and titles include "Won't You Serve Him" by The Project, "Saturday Night" and "Will You Show Up" by Marcel Evans, and "You're A Star", "Let's Partay", "So Proud", and "Too Quick" by Mile High Pie.

An amazing step sideways for London's Zoot Money – a move from mod to psych, with a trippy quality that's quite different from his jazzy sound a few years before! The group's got legendary fame – not just for the shift in styles by Zoot, but also for the fact that it features key work from a young Andy Summers – later of The Police – who works here with some great tones on guitar, and plenty of fresh ideas in all the songs he penned on the record! Money's vocals are wonderful – almost as if Georgie Fame were singing on a psych album – which is as unusual and compelling as you might think. These sessions were recorded in the late 60s, but mostly unissued at the time – but really rank with the best of the early Syd Barrett or Kevin Ayers generation – with titles that include "Coffee Song", "Madman Running Through The Fields", "This Island", "High Flying Bird", "Four Firemen", "Soma (parts 1 & 2)".

Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a perfect setting for Betty's incredible vocals – which themselves have a smokey, raspy quality that's completely unique! At times, Davis is almost speaking, but at others she's practically screaming – belting out the lyrics in a way that makes you feel like you're sharing some space with her at the end of the bar as she gets more and more wound up about issues and people who are on her mind. And as if the vocals weren't enough, the backings are incredible too – filled with drum breaks and basslines that few other albums can match – all wrapped around badass tunes that include "Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him", "He Was A Big Freak", "70's Blues", "Git In There", "Special People", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", and "Your Mama Wants Ya Back".

Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a perfect setting for Betty's incredible vocals – which themselves have a smokey, raspy quality that's completely unique! At times, Davis is almost speaking, but at others she's practically screaming – belting out the lyrics in a way that makes you feel like you're sharing some space with her at the end of the bar as she gets more and more wound up about issues and people who are on her mind. And as if the vocals weren't enough, the backings are incredible too – filled with drum breaks and basslines that few other albums can match – all wrapped around badass tunes that include "Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him", "He Was A Big Freak", "70's Blues", "Git In There", "Special People", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", and "Your Mama Wants Ya Back". Expanded CD features new remastering, a deluxe 32 page booklet, and 4 previously unreleased bonus tracks that include Record Plant rough mixes of "70s Blues", "Git In There", "He Was A Big Freak", and "Don't Call Her No Tramp".

Forget blues, because Geater Davis is a soul singer through and through – a really incredible southern talent with a deep soul sound that few others can match! Although Davis didn't record nearly as much as his contemporaries, he's got a sound that matches or beats them – a raw, raspy quality that's a bit like Bobby Blue Bland, touched with the depth of feeling we love in James Carr, peppered with elements of other Memphis singers – all produced to perfection with a sound that's as classic as anything on Stax or Goldwax. This excellent collection features all tracks from Geater's rare album Sweet Woman's Love, plus additional singles from the time – all produced by Allen Orange, an overlooked genius in the southern studio scene of the 70s. Titles include "Don't Marry A Fool", "Cry Cry Cry", "I Love You", "I Know My Baby Loves Me", "I Can Hold My Own", "Cold Love (long version)", "I'll Get By", "I'll Play The Blues For You", "Breath Taking Girl", and a killer long take on "For Your Precious Love".

An incredible collection of work from the vastly-overlooked Geater Davis – and a set that definitely lives up to its title! Geater Davis is a tremendous singer from the south – but one who barely ever got his due back in the 70s – even though these recordings for the tiny House Of Orange label are every bit as amazing as work coming out for bigger labels like Stax or Hi Records! Although Davis didn't record nearly as much as his contemporaries, he's got a sound that matches or beats them – a raw, raspy quality that's a bit like Bobby Blue Bland, touched with the depth of feeling we love in James Carr, peppered with elements of other Memphis singers – all produced to perfection with a sound that's got a deep-burning soul that never lets up. This excellent collection features all tracks from Geater's rare album Sweet Woman's Love, plus additional singles from the time – all produced by Allen Orange, an overlooked genius in the southern studio scene of the 70s. Titles include "Don't Marry A Fool", "Cry Cry Cry", "I Love You", "I Know My Baby Loves Me", "I Can Hold My Own", "Cold Love (long version)", "I'll Get By", "I'll Play The Blues For You", "Breath Taking Girl", and a killer long take on "For Your Precious Love".