Mary Ehrlich on reeds, Michael Formanek on bass, and Peter Erskine on drums. CD

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Titles include "The Wait", "Reincarnation", "Gotta Dance", "The Wall Will Fall", and "20th Century Ltd". CD

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The fantastic third album from Common – the record that really catapulted him on his way to stardom, yet a set that still retains all the best aspects of his early days in Chicago! Part of that quality comes from the superb production of No ID, who gets a bit of local help from Dug Infinite and Twilite Tone – all talents who have that special, sophisticated vibe that was really starting to flow from Chicago out to the rest of the world – and which here is perfect for the well-crafted lyrics from Common! The balance is great – never too hard or heavy, yet also not trying to ape either a west coast quirky or New York native tongues approach. This time around, there's also plenty of guests on board, of the sort that Common would soon be rubbing shoulders with on a regular basis – a lineup that includes The Roots, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Canibus, Black Thought, Lauryn Hill, and De La Soul. Yet throughout, the vibe is Common's and Chicago's – something that's always made us very proud to be from the same scene at the same time. Titles include "1 2 Many", "Reminding Me Of Sef", "Invocation", "Stolen Moments", "My City", "Real Nigga Quotes", and "Retrospect For Life". CD

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Adrian Legg playing acoustic guitar. CD

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Pure genius from Tangerine Dream – a record that came out right at the start of the 70s, and immediately cemented the group's reputation as one of the most inventive electronic acts of the decade! The tracks are long and spacious here – very much in the territory of some of the group's Krautrock contemporaries, but with more of a sense of openness, and patience – as they never rush things at all, while layering together their unique blends of guitar, organ, percussion, flute, and anything else they can think of – even a coffee machine! Chris Franke handles the electronics, but Steve Schroyder abstracts them with "several echo machines" – while Edgar Froese helps them all remember to keep things tuneful at times. Tracks include "Sunrise In The Third System", "Fly & Collision Off Comas Sola", and the side-long "Alpha Centauri". CD

One of Andrew Hill's best records of the 70s – a soulful trio recording performed with Richard Davis on bass and Roger Blank on drums – and a real return to the glory of his 60s material! Hill's piano still has that fresh angular modern approach of his Blue Note sides – but the bass and drum work on the album ground it a bit more – adding in some additional rhythmic components, and giving the session the spiraling searching mode of some of the other Japanese trio sessions from the time, in the spirit of the best recordings on the East Wind label for which this gem was recorded! Hill wasn't always at his best in the decade, but he definitely shines here on some long, very expressive tracks – with titles that include "Mudflower", "Nefertiti", "Blue Black", and "Relativity". CD

Early 70s greatness from Don Cherry – a double album's worth of profoundly spiritual soundscapes paired with lots of weird effects – and a very laidback groove overall! Tracks are written by Cherry, Terry Riley, Pharoah Sanders, and Nana Vasconcelos – and include performances by Don on trumpet, voice, and harmonium. Lots of cool percussion elements by the group, with some tabla and other Indian instrumentation. Titles include "Elixir", "Relativity Suite (Parts 1 & 2)", "Terry's Tune", "Hope", "The Creator Has a Master Plan", and "Resa". CD