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One of the greatest records ever by this hip jazz ensemble – and one of their most unique! The record has the band grooving hard through two incredible suites of Latin music – Gary McFarland's "Latin Kaleidoscope" and Francy Boland's "Cuban Fever" – each of which takes up a side of the record, both driving the band to new solo heights with a very hip edge! Players include the usual cream of the crop of European jazz residents – like Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, Jimmy Deuchar, Phil Woods, Tony Coe, and Benny Bailey – and the tracks include "Uno Graso De Areia", "A Rosa Negra", "Olhos Negros", "Cara Bruja", and "Fiebre Cuban". Wonderful all the way through – and always a treasure! One of the shining jewels in the crown of MPS – and a Gilles P classic all the way through!

One of the greatest records ever by this hip jazz ensemble – and one of their most unique! The record has the band grooving hard through two incredible suites of Latin music – Gary McFarland's "Latin Kaleidoscope" and Francy Boland's "Cuban Fever" – each of which takes up a side of the record, both driving the band to new solo heights with a very hip edge! Players include the usual cream of the crop of European jazz residents – like Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, Jimmy Deuchar, Phil Woods, Tony Coe, and Benny Bailey – and the tracks include "Uno Graso De Areia", "A Rosa Negra", "Olhos Negros", "Cara Bruja", and "Fiebre Cuban". Wonderful all the way through – and always a treasure! One of the shining jewels in the crown of MPS – and a Gilles P classic all the way through!

A very cool version of "Purple Haze" – and one that sounds nothing like the original! The tune's handled here with some weird bubbling beats that kind of sway back and forth, and instead of guitar, the tune uses a very thin keyboards – while a female voice sings the lyrics in Spanish – all with a recording quality that makes it feel like a tune by The Residents!

A brilliant portrait of the mid 70s NYC improvisation scene by the Music Ensemble – a collective featuring Billy Bang on violin, William Parker on bass, Roger Baird on drums, percussion and flute, Malik Baraka on trumpet and Daniel Carter tenor, alto, flute and percussion! The pieces generally start with a roomy, measured dynamic and grow in intensity, never really getting too intense, and showcasing the intuitive interplay with the players. As Chicago residents, we can really feel the genesis of the later sounds of this city's improv scene, but the style casts a pretty wide net of influence. Baird's archival tapes supplied the material for this CD, and the tracks includes 2 long pieces – the 31+ minute "Stance Dance (Courage)" recorded in April of 1974 at Kingsborough College in Brooklyn with bass by Herb Kahn, and the 18+ minute "Arithmetical Mystic" from a February 1975 date at NYC's Holy Name School Auditorium. The other pieces, "Echoes Wind Transpire" and "Radiatory Fineness", a from the February '75 date.

Even thought it may well be the last issue to see print, Signal To Noise does it again – digging deeper than the rest, and really blowing our minds with the range of sounds they find in the left end of the spectrum! This issue's got a great feature on the pre-history of The Residents – a long piece that really fills in a lot of gaps – and also includes articles on Fluxus legend Ben Patterson and guitarist Sam Shalabai – plus shorter bits on Vanessa Rossetto and Rodrigo Amado. There's also loads of great reviews and concert bits too – which we'll really miss if this is actually the end!

An excellent set that has the vocal talents of the Swingle Singers backed by the sweet and mellow instrumentation of the Modern Jazz Quartet! Given that John Lewis & Co were essentially local residents in Paris for so many years, it's amazing it took them until 1966 to hook up with Ward Swingle's hip vocal group – but the album's more than worth the wait, as the MJQ really help open things up, and take the Swingles into more complicated territory than before. Milt Jackson's vibes are especially great alongside the groovy vocals – and titles include "Little David's Fugue", "Vendome", "When I Am Laid In Earth", "Air For G String", and "Three Windows".

Instrumental guitar great William Tyler's second album under his own name, and his first for indie powerhouse Merge Records – and it's an exceptionally beautiful piece of work from a player who's really just getting started! Tyler strikes a youthful presense, but he's actually been playing around a lot behind the scenes – as a studio and/or touring guitarist for Lambchop, Candi Staton, Charlie Louvin and others wise enough to record with producer Mark Nevers – who's works on this record, too. Tyler is definitely inspired by finger style folk guitarists from the mid 20th Century onward, but he's also got a hypnotic style that feels like it's inspired by more atmospheric country rock and rustic 70s soundtracks. Here he's mixing it all it into a brilliant style all his own, and it's SO good. Guest musicians include fellow youthful Nashville string genius Chris Scruggs, drummer Scott Martin, steel player Luke Schneider and Roy Agee on trombone. Includes "Country Of Illusion", "The Geography Of Nowhere", "Cadillac Desert", "We Can't Go Home Again", "A Portrait Of Sarah", "Hotel Catatonia", "The Last Residents Of Westfall" and "The World Set Free".

The first two volumes in this legendary series – back to back in one set! Volume 1 is an amazing collection – and one that really helped completely revise our understanding of Caribbean music! The collection features a fair bit of artists with roots in the West Indies, but who made a huge impact on London's postwar immigrant population – the new rise of non-native residents who were swelling the ranks of the city in the years after the way – bringing with them new cultures, new sounds, and new traditions – with all the requisite ideas and politics that might imply! The work here often has a subtle social agenda – working through themes important to these new Londoners, yet still echoing modes of the homeland as well – often with great musical backings that's heavy on percussion, jazzy instrumentation, and very upbeat rhythms. Titles include "London Is The Place For Me" by Lord Kitchener, "I Was There" by Young Tiger, "Some Girl Something" by The Lion, "No Carnival In Britain" by Mighty Terror, "Jamaica Hurricane" by Lord Beginner, "Birth Of Ghana" by Lord Kitchener, "Victory Test Match" by Lord Beginner, "Spanish Calypso" by The Lion, "Bulldog Don't Bite Me" by Timothy, "My Landlady" by Lord Kitchener, "If You're Not White You're Black" by Lord Kitchener, and "Aguiti" by Lord Invader. Volume 2 compiles the stylistically varied music coming from the emergent West Indian and African communities of 50s and 60s London – far more than just the topical, and often quite whimsical calypso tunes of the era! Calypso is well represented, but the set includes strains of jazz, percussive instrumentals that veer towards native Trinidad and Nigeria, and loads of Caribbean grooves! It's all exceptionally bright – with some lovingly, and knowingly, naive vocals that are as sweet as they are wise. A truly wonderful compilation. Essential! 20 tracks in all: "Calypso Be" by Young Tiger, "Yolanda" by Ambrose Campbell, "Calypso Blues" by Mona Baptiste, "My Wife's Nightie" by Lord Kitchener, "Ominara" by West African Rhythm Brothers, "Gerrard Street" by King Timothy, "ET Mensah's Rolling Ball" by West African Swing Stars, "West Indian Drums" by Russ Henderson, "Gbonimawo" by Rans Boi's Ghana Highlife Band and more!

London's always been one of the hippest cities in the world – but back during the postwar years, there was an especially wonderful outpouring of music on the scene – a rich array of new sounds and styles pulled from around the globe – as so many residents from crumbling British empire came to live in the UK! Musicians and listeners arrived in London with plenty of cultural baggage on hand – influences from the Caribbean, West Africa, and India too – plus other smaller scenes that once fell under the British banner, all now the fuel for the cultural fire that was happening in England! The title here tells plenty about the music being made in this newly-formed scene – bits of African highlife, Jamaican calypso, American jazz, Cuban Latin, and more – all filtered into the modernism of the 50s, and given a new twist that was decidedly urban as well. The package may well be the most impressive so far in this legendary series – and is certainly the one that moves the farthest past any sort of easy expectations or cultural conventions. Titles include "Women Police In England" by Mighty Terror, "My Sorrow" by West African Swing Stars, "Cricket Umpires" by Lord Kitchener, "Jordhu" by Caribbean Swing Band, "Trumpet Highlife" by Shake Keane, "Calypso Mambo" by George Browne, "Cuban Nightingale" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Kitch" by The Quavers, "Tabu" by Mona Baptiste, "King Jimmy Foo Foo" by Tejan Sie with The West African Rhythm Brothers, "The Escape" by Dizzy Reece, "Mambo Contempo" by Ginger Johnson, "Life In Britain" by Mighty Terror, "Sway" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Song Of Joy" by Rupert Nurse's Calypso Band, "Joe Louis Calypso" by Lord Beginner, "Uncle Joe" by Fitzroy Coleman Quintet, "Me Donkey Want Water" by Tony Johnson, "Belly Lick" by Eric Hayden, "Nigeria Odowoyin" by West African Rhythm Brothers, and "Football Calypso" by King Timothy.

An amazing collection – and one that really helped completely revise our understanding of Caribbean music! The collection features a fair bit of artists with roots in the West Indies, but who made a huge impact on London's postwar immigrant population – the new rise of non-native residents who were swelling the ranks of the city in the years after the way – bringing with them new cultures, new sounds, and new traditions – with all the requisite ideas and politics that might imply! The work here often has a subtle social agenda – working through themes important to these new Londoners, yet still echoing modes of the homeland as well – often with great musical backings that's heavy on percussion, jazzy instrumentation, and very upbeat rhythms. Titles include "London Is The Place For Me" by Lord Kitchener, "I Was There" by Young Tiger, "Some Girl Something" by The Lion, "No Carnival In Britain" by Mighty Terror, "Jamaica Hurricane" by Lord Beginner, "Birth Of Ghana" by Lord Kitchener, "Victory Test Match" by Lord Beginner, "Spanish Calypso" by The Lion, "Bulldog Don't Bite Me" by Timothy, "My Landlady" by Lord Kitchener, "If You're Not White You're Black" by Lord Kitchener, and "Aguiti" by Lord Invader.

London's always been one of the hippest cities in the world – but back during the postwar years, there was an especially wonderful outpouring of music on the scene – a rich array of new sounds and styles pulled from around the globe – as so many residents from crumbling British empire came to live in the UK! Musicians and listeners arrived in London with plenty of cultural baggage on hand – influences from the Caribbean, West Africa, and India too – plus other smaller scenes that once fell under the British banner, all now the fuel for the cultural fire that was happening in England! The title here tells plenty about the music being made in this newly-formed scene – bits of African highlife, Jamaican calypso, American jazz, Cuban Latin, and more – all filtered into the modernism of the 50s, and given a new twist that was decidedly urban as well. The package may well be the most impressive so far in this legendary series – and is certainly the one that moves the farthest past any sort of easy expectations or cultural conventions. Titles include "Women Police In England" by Mighty Terror, "My Sorrow" by West African Swing Stars, "Cricket Umpires" by Lord Kitchener, "Jordhu" by Caribbean Swing Band, "Trumpet Highlife" by Shake Keane, "Calypso Mambo" by George Browne, "Cuban Nightingale" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Kitch" by The Quavers, "Tabu" by Mona Baptiste, and "King Jimmy Foo Foo" by Tejan Sie with The West African Rhythm Brothers.

London's always been one of the hippest cities in the world – but back during the postwar years, there was an especially wonderful outpouring of music on the scene – a rich array of new sounds and styles pulled from around the globe – as so many residents from crumbling British empire came to live in the UK! Musicians and listeners arrived in London with plenty of cultural baggage on hand – influences from the Caribbean, West Africa, and India too – plus other smaller scenes that once fell under the British banner, all now the fuel for the cultural fire that was happening in England! The title here tells plenty about the music being made in this newly-formed scene – bits of African highlife, Jamaican calypso, American jazz, Cuban Latin, and more – all filtered into the modernism of the 50s, and given a new twist that was decidedly urban as well. The package may well be the most impressive so far in this legendary series – and is certainly the one that moves the farthest past any sort of easy expectations or cultural conventions. Titles include "The Escape" by Dizzy Reece, "Mambo Contempo" by Ginger Johnson, "Life In Britain" by Mighty Terror, "Sway" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Song Of Joy" by Rupert Nurse's Calypso Band, "Joe Louis Calypso" by Lord Beginner, "Uncle Joe" by Fitzroy Coleman Quintet, "Me Donkey Want Water" by Tony Johnson, "Belly Lick" by Eric Hayden, "Nigeria Odowoyin" by West African Rhythm Brothers, and "Football Calypso" by King Timothy.

The early 70s sweet soul masterpiece by The Presidents – a great album that kicks off with a title track of that was a huuuuuuuge hit back in the day, but the full length album by the group just about never shows up! It's just beautiful stuff, with lots of tasty harmony soul tracks with production by Van McCoy, who also wrote and arranged the bulk of the material. The vocals are great and the strings soar pretty grandly, without compromising the group soul backdrop. Includes the big title hit, of course, plus "Gotta Keep Movin", "For You", "Sweet Magic", "This Is My Dream World", and "How Can You Say You're Leavin". This Fuel CD is subtitled Their Greatest Hits – which it essentially is, but it's the complete original album, plus one more, "The Sweetest Thing This Side Of Heaven". We're just thrilled to see this worthy material finally get a real reissue!

Rare dancefloor soul on King Records – and another crucial look at a side of the label that's beloved by the most devoted of 60s & 70s soul seekers – but it's deeply overlooked by the mainstream! Volume 3 is the best yet in the series – partly because they're found some stellar proto-funk treasures that work just as strongly with the Northern Soul community – and also because there's some really great stuff here that paves the way for some of our favorite 70s soul! It's heavy with singles released from 1968 to 1971 – by Marva Whitney, Mill Evans, Charles Spurling, Mary Johnson, Royal Flush, The Presidents, Willie Hatcher, The Brownettes and many more! 24 tracks in all: "Unwind Yourself" by Marva Whitney, "Right Now" by Mill Evans, "Popcorn Charlie" by Charles Spurling, "Thunder" by Lord Thunder, "Name In Lights" by Freddie Williams, "You Have My Blessings" by Mary Johnson, "Mama's Baby" by Royal Flush, "Something You Didn't Done" by Mike Williams, "When We Get Together" by Otis Williams & His Charms and many more.

Mighty recordings from the funk years of King Records – amazing grooves that follow the initial inspiration that James Brown gave to the label – but take things into wild new territory too! The late 60s & early 70s were kind of a strange and tumultuous time at the longtime Cincinnati operation – which was adapting to the changes in funk, soul and R&B music that James Brown almost single-handedly ushered in – at King and throughout the entire culture! What's most impressive here, beyond the exceptional quality of each song and performer, is the diversity – as the set's not all front-to-back JB-style funk – and also features some funked up bluesy soul, strains of gospel, the convincing move towards funk from veterans such as Hank Ballard & Bill Doggett – all topped off with righteous storytelling, sweet female soul leads, and some amazing grooves down at the bottom! Titles include "Getting Down (With Hoss)" by Kastle, "Love's Sweet Water" by Barbara Burton And The Messengers, "Baby Don't You Know" by The Brownettes, "Clay Tyson (Man On The Moon)" by Clay Tyson, "Cool Jerk" by The Coasters, "The Boo Boo Song" by King Coleman, "Unwind Yourself" by Hank Ballard, "Steal Away" by Leon Austin, "Peter Rabbit" by The Presidents, "Lookin For A Woman" by Robert Moore, "Push & Shove" by Willy Wiley, "Ball Of Fire" by Connie Austin, "Sad But True" by Elaine Armstrong, and "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Bonnie & Sheila.

A cheesy cover, but a really wonderful little compilation – a set that's filled with obscure righteous soul tunes from the 70s, including some lesser-known cuts by bigger name acts of the time! The vibe here is really wonderful – definitely the kind of kicked-back soul you might listen to on a Sunday afternoon – not as uptight as tracks for the clubs the night before, and rolling out with a sound that's warm and mellow, but still with a bit of groove at the bottom. Most numbers are of mid 70s vintage – sparkling with a good deal of class and sophistication – and titles include "Sunshine" by Pulse, "Ain't No Need" by Ralph Graham, "You Put A Hurting On Me" by Mary Mundy, "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics, "I Just Want To Love You" by Toby Kang, "Don't Trick Me Treat Me" by The Dells, "Sorry" by Grace Jones, "Yes You Need Love" by Anthony White, "Don't You Know I Love You" by Major Lance, "It's All Over" by The Presidents, "A Nice Feeling" by Caroline Crawford, and "Pour Your Little Heart Out" by The Drifters.

Way more than a set of cover versions – a well-chosen batch of 24 rare soul singles that embrace the sweet group soul style used by The Impressions! Some of the artists on the set share some alliance with The Impressions – either because they're from Chicago, or because they've got help from Chicago talents – but the bulk of the material is from non-midwestern sources, and shows the long reach of the sweet harmony style pushed by Curtis Mayfield, Fred Cash, and Sam Gooden on their legendary 60s sides for ABC. Titles include "In Love In Vain" by The Voice Masters, "Come Home Baby" by The Sonics, "I'm Gonna Tell The World" by The Dontells, "Especially For You Baby" by The Four Puzzles, "I've Been Taken For A Ride" by The Saints, "Out Of My Life" by The Expressions, "I Want My Baby" by The Presidents, "What You Gonna Do" by The Brilliants, "In The Sunshine" by The Marvellos, and "Bout My Baby" by The Enjoyables.

Rare funk from one of the greatest labels in the business! King Records is known to many for its classic work with singers like James Brown, Hank Ballard, and Wynonie Harris – but during the later years of the label, they also pressed up a great amount of excellent funky 45s, including many that are some of the rarest you'll ever try to find. This 24 track set is the first to really try to document King's rich funk legacy – and it's got some amazing tracks that blend together raw southern soul, hard northern rhythms, and sweet James Brown-produced grooves. Any one of these tunes would set you back at least $50 on a single – not just because they're rare, but because they're some of the best funk cuts ever recorded. Titles include "Mr Tuff Stuff" by Toby King, "Gold Walk" by The Presidents, "Butter Your Popcorn" by Hank Ballard, "Your Thing Ain't No Good Without My Thing" by Marie Queenie Lyons, "Down Home Girl" by The Coasters, "Don't Get Funky" by Gloria Walker, "Funky Lady (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul East, "From The Back Side (parts 1 & 2)" by The Sons Of Funk, "Camelot Time" by J Hines & The Fellows, and "Papa's Got The Wagon" by Gloria Walker.