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Philly has got to be the center of the Nu Classic Soul universe. This is the latest group to come from the city of Brotherly Love with a rich, soulful approach to contemporary sounds. King Britt steps it up a bit on the flip, for a nice club take on the midtempo album version.

A smoking selection of work from Memphis giant Willie Mitchell – some of the funkiest tracks he ever recorded, stuffed together in one mighty set! Willie's probably best know for his famous studio work for Ann Peebles and Al Green – but on his own, Mitchell can carve out a cooker like nobody's business – in this case with a great ear for the kind of harder instrumental soul sounds you might hear from Stax or Atlantic Records at the start of the 70s! These tunes have a way harder edge than the compressed, smooth sound of Willie's work with singers – and often feature a sharp solo instrument in the lead – such as tenor sax, riffing guitar, or soulful trumpet. Titles include "Breaking Point", "Six To Go", "Poppin", "Pearl Time", "20-75", "Leo's Mood", "The Champion", "Mercy", "That Driving Beat", "30 60 90", "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", and "Big Power House".

One of the more unusual albums we've ever heard from Japanese vocalist Chiemi Eri – a set done in collaboration with the famous Delta Rhythm Boys quintet from the US – pictured here on the cover in unusual Japanese outfits! Backings are by the large group of Nobuo Hara, who really knows how to make the proceedings swing – and the set begins with Chiemi alone, first in a medley of tunes that includes "A Guy Is A Guy" and "C'Est Si Bon", then on a haunting version of "Sanosa" – a Japanese geisha song with a really soulful quality. Then, the Delta Rhythm Boys come in – and do this really cool job of harmonizing along with Chiemi's vocals – on titles that include "Marina", "Soran Bushi", and "It's Only A Paper Moon" – before Eri then cuts them loose, to sing on their own on tracks that include "Mack The Knife", "Historia De Un Amor", and "Alright OK You Win" – all surprisingly swinging, thanks to Hara!

Plenty of crazy rhythms here – as singers Chiemi Eri and Carl Jones are joined by Japanese jazzmen who include Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, saxophonists Sadao Watanabe and Sleepy Matsumoto, guitarist Shungo Sawada, and the Hideo Shiraki Quintet! The backings on all tracks are superb – and elevate the already-great team of Eri and Jones to a wonderful new level – one that easily matches some of the hippest vocal jazz sessions cut in the US during the same period, especially some of the more inventive albums on the soul jazz side of the spectrum. Titles include "The Big Twister", "My Funny Valentine", "Just Squeeze Me", "Love Is Here To Stay", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Midnight Sun Will Never Set".

A long-awaited follow-up to one of our favorite compilations of King Records soul music – a set that does a perfect job of showing the label's strong roots in R&B, and it's important force in 60s soul! The package offers up tracks with a really great sound – definitely the grittier edge than you'd expect from the R&B in the title, yet lots of "new breed" styles as well – a more mature, more soul-based approach to the grooves that offers up a great way to harness the raw energy at the core! The set's filled with rare gems from old King, Federal, and DeLuxe label singles – including some overlooked work by bigger name singers – and titles include "Two Hearts" by The King Pins, "I'm Tore Down" by Freddie King, "Send Me A Picture Baby" by Mel Williams, "Love Man" by Hal Hardy, "Geneva" by Eugene Church, "Wild Child" by Donnie Elbert, "Your Letter" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Say Hey Pretty Baby" by Lula Reed, "Let Me Walk With You" by Eddie Kirk, "Stop Talking To Your Child" by James Duncan, "It Hurts Inside" by The 5 Royales, "Let's Have A Good Time" by The Hi Tones, and "When You Move You Lose" by Lee Shot Williams.

During the 50s, King Records was one of the biggest labels in R&B – and as the soul years of the 60s approached, the company kept the flag flying strong with a host of new artists, underground soul and blues singers who helped define the new sound of the decade with a rich approach to the music. This set features 24 tracks from those years – mostly obscure numbers by artists that have long fallen by the wayside, but who recorded for King next to James Brown, Little Willie John, and other important early soul artists – often matching or beating their intensity with their brief turn in the studio! The set features tracks that were mostly singles on the King and Federal labels – with titles that include "My Kinda Girl" by Hannibal, "You're Welcome To The Club" by Lee Shot Williams, "Just A Little Bit" by Tiny Topsy, "Thanks Mr Postman" by Bobby King, "I'm Shakin" by Little Willie John, "Burnt Toast & Black Coffee" by Mike Pedicin, "I'm Better Off Now" by The Premiers, "She Made My Blood Run Cold" by Ike Turner, "You Won't Want Me Around" by Mike Williams, "You're Using Me" by The King Pins, and "Don't Be So Mean" by William Patton.

A great collection of rare work on the legendary King Records label – filled with treasures from the 50s R&B years – with a bit of soul and jazz as well!

Killer funky James Brown work from Hank! Both cuts were part of his brief comeback period with The Godfather – and they're both nice and funky. "I'm Back" has virtually the same groove as "There Was a Time", but more of a live sound. "Come On" has hard drums, and very punctuated rhythm bits. Very nice!

Wonderful work from Brook Benton – and the kind of record that always gets overlooked in discussions of southern soul, but which is proof that Benton's always been a key force in the genre! Brook virtually invented the style with his earlier country soul recordings – and by the time of this 1970 set, he's in perfect form vocally – and working under some wonderfully sophisticated arrangements by Arif Mardin. The result is the kind of cross-genre record that Brook could do effortlessly – and which should have made him huge, but instead kind of got him left behind by all the other folks who were copping his style. Yet with the strength of a record like this, we'll take that overlooked fame as still OK – because the set's a gem just waiting to be discovered by later generations like us! Rhythm's by the Dixie Flyers – augmented by jazz players that include King Curtis, Pepper Adams, and Joe Newman. Titles include "Aspen Colorado", "For Lee An", "Whoever Finds This, I Love You", "Don't It Make You Wanta Go Home", and "Let Me Fix It".

A great early record from guitarist Lenny Breau – done in a really spacious style that showcases both his subtle talents and his strong inspiration from Bill Evans! The format here is relatively lean – and most numbers have Lenny playing virtually solo, but with a bit of bass on the bottom to come in and give the tunes a bit of a groove – nothing funky or over the top, just a gentle glide that frees up Breau's guitar even more strongly from rhythm work, and lets him concentrate on the warmly chromatic hues that are his greatest strength. Titles include "Cold Cold Heart", "Hard Day's Night", "Monday Monday", "Taranta", "King Of The Road", and "Music To Watch Girls By". CD features the bonus track "Call Me".

Further genius from James Brown at the start of the 70s – a record that's starting to show some of the more open-ended grooves he'd explore with the JBs on their own albums – longer, stretched-out tracks that are way more than simple funk and soul! There's a sense of freewheeling energy here that's totally great – dynamic, powerful calls from James at the top of most tunes – and incredibly sharp work on horns and rhythm from the band – cutting grooves and turning lines like no other combo in the business, all with a great mix of deep soul and hard funk! The album features the 7 minute killer version of "Let a Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", plus "World (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A New Day (parts 1 & 2)", "Give It Up or Turn It Loose", "If I Ruled The World", "The Man In The Glass (part 1)", and "I'm Not Demanding (part 1)". A treasure trove of funk and soul!

A spacey one from The Dynamites for producer Clancy Eccles! "Red Moon" is a great instrumental with an unshakable rhythm and a horn line that's clearly a riff on "Blue Moon" – and some eerie keyboards in the backgroup. The King Tubbys version wisely keeps the otherwordly aspects of the other side – and actually highlights the spacier, eerier vibe in a cool way.

We love Kim Fowley, and can never get enough of his genius – and no matter what the setting, Fowley always seems to move around the maddest corners of rock and pop music! This raw batch of gems is all pulled from the Fowley vaults – and features a host of indie singles recorded in LA between his bigger bursts of fame – some with Kim in the lead, lots more with lesser-known talents all given Fowley's forceful treatment in the studio – a push forward that makes just about every track here sparkle like some long-lost garage rocker or weird novelty number. Norton provides very detailed notes that are as much a musical journey as the cuts themselves – and titles include "The Knight In Shining Armor" by Knights Of The Round Table, "Kalani Honey" by John Paul Jones, "Young & Wild" by Renegade Five, "Big Bad Wolf" by Kim Garry & The Rhythm Kings, "Watch Your Step" by Larry Green & The Rhythmaires, "Goin Away Baby" and "Golden Apples Of The Sun" by Grains Of Sand, "Wanted Dead Or Alive" by The Rogues, "Moses" by Navarros, and "The Trip", "Astrology", and a rare radio spot all by Kim Fowley.

Great long piano grooves from the trio of Masaru Imada – augmented here with additional instrumentation as well! Masaru alone is already great – a Japanese pianist with a strong sense of rhythm – those rolling lines we love in his trio dates from the 70s, usually with a nice dose of modal energy and an undercurrent of soul. Yet here, his sound goes even farther – as the album adds in some work by Fushimi Tetsuo on trumpet, Mitsumori Ichiroh on tenor and soprano sax, and Nakajima Osamu on percussion – coming in on the latter half of the record to push things along nicely. Tracks are all very long – and titles include "Glitter", "Blackdog", "Bell Flower", "Quarter", "World Line", and "Little Step".

Twin pianos here – the acoustic of Masaru Imada, and the mixed acoustic and electric of Kenji Kohsei – working here together to co-lead a quartet in a sublime session from the 70s! Imadu's a really great player, with a wonderful sense of blocking out a tune – moving slowly at times, boldly at others – yet always holding us rapt with his inherent mix of lyricism and rhythm. Adding in Kohsei makes things even better – especially when he's using a Fender Rhodes – as that added warmth and color really heps shape things with a soulful edge – making the album feel like some lost American soul jazz date from a few years before. The rest of the group features Nobuyoshi Ino on bass and Hiroshi Murakami on drums – and titles include "Change Of Mind", "A Meadow", "The Concluding Chapter", "Planetary Hour", and "The Logbook".

Killer funky organ – and 100% Dynamite! Jackie Mittoo is one of the all-time great organists – as essential to Jamaica as Booker T was to Memphis, or Jimmy McGriff was to New York. He's legendary these days as the player who completely transformed the Hammond sound with his unique Jamaican instrumental style during his early years with the Skatalites, and on his later solo recordings for Studio One. This set's probably the first time Mittoo's work has been properly packaged and remastered – and the folks at Soul Jazz have done an amazing job of selecting just the right tracks for such a project. The whole thing wails along with a stone rocksteady groove – with plenty of nice drum parts and funky rhythm bits underneath Jackie's soulful organ. If you dug the label's 100% Dynamite series, you'll really dig this one – and the whole thing's very much in the same vein. Tracks include "Drum Song", "Reggae Rock", "Hot Tamale", "Killer Diller", "Black Organ", "Stereo Freeze", "Wall Street", "Darker Shade Of Black", "Juice Box", and "Killer Diller".

Killer funky organ – and 100% Dynamite! Jackie Mittoo is one of the all-time great organists – as essential to Jamaica as Booker T was to Memphis, or Jimmy McGriff was to New York. He's legendary these days as the player who completely transformed the Hammond sound with his unique Jamaican instrumental style during his early years with the Skatalites, and on his later solo recordings for Studio One. This set's probably the first time Mittoo's work has been properly packaged and remastered – and the folks at Soul Jazz have done an amazing job of selecting just the right tracks for such a project. The whole thing wails along with a stone rocksteady groove – with plenty of nice drum parts and funky rhythm bits underneath Jackie's soulful organ. If you dug the label's 100% Dynamite series, you'll really dig this one – and the whole thing's very much in the same vein. Tracks include "Drum Song", "Reggae Rock", "Hot Tamale", "Killer Diller", "Black Organ", "Stereo Freeze", "Wall Street", "Darker Shade Of Black", "Juice Box", and "Killer Diller".

Truly, truly one of the most essential reggae albums of all time, and without a doubt one of our top dub albums. While we may be known for our hyperbolic comments on LPs here at Dusty, this album is very much deserving of the praise, and if you don't own it, you need to. Basically a collection of dubs of rhythms for some of Pablo's most popular productions as vocal cuts on 45s that had rocked the sound systems, this set features a mighty rockers rhythm team and mixing courtesy Errol Thompson and King Tubby. Includes "Keep On Dubbing", "Stop Them Jah", "Young Generation Dub", "Each One Dub", "555 Dub Street", "Braces Tower Dub", "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown", "Corner Crew Dub", "Say So", "Skanking Dub" "Satta Dub" and "Frozen Dub". This Get On Down vinyl version is a box set of 3 X 10-inches with a 16-page booklet of notes and photos.

Three dub classics, two of them impossible to get for years, except for the occasional "unofficial" LP repressing. On the first LP of the set, Scratch teams up with the great Tommy McCook for one of his hardest to find gems, recorded in the late 70s, when his wigged out follies at the Black Ark had reached their peak, and though there's a bit of debate over whether these tracks were actually recorded at the Black Ark, this was originally one of the first LPs issued after the studio burned to the ground. In any case, you can't argue with the tracks on this one: spare instrumentals with jaunty guitar, loping syncopated drums and bouncing bass, a baker's dozen tracks, including "Cloak & Dagger", "Musical Transplant", "Liquid Serenade", "Iron Claw", "Rude Walking", "Caveman Skank" and "Pee-Wee Special". Blackboard Jungle Dub, the second album of the triptych, is widely cited as the first full length dub LP, though we'd rather not get too academic about it. Besides, this is one mighty set of Perryisms, wrought in the pre-Black Ark era, with a dozen of the Upsetter's finest rhythms rendered in dub versions here, and with King Tubby reportedly responsible for the wonderful reverb and mixing console action taking these tracks to the next level. An essential dub masterpiece, with 14 tracks on this version of the LP, including "Black Panta", "Khasha Macka", "African Skank", "Dreamland Skank", "Jungle Jim", "Dub Organizer", "Apeman Skank" and "Jungle Fever". The third album included is another tough one to get, originally issued in a tiny, tiny batch, though it's been bootlegged more than a few times over the years. 10 tracks in all, a tasty stew with that Black Ark groove running through it pretty heavily, with some nice guitar and a really spare approach to the often murky Perry tone poetry. Includes "Dub Revelations", "Womans Dub", "Kojak", "Doctor On The Go", "Bush Weed", "Dreadlock Talking", "Own Man", "Dub The Rhythm", "Black Hand" and "Rain Drops".

A late 50s stormer from Japanese drummer Hideo Shiraki – caught here at a great point in his early career! The album's got a bit more of a swing-based feel than some of Shiraki's later sides – a bit more Verve-like energy than Blue Note style – which is a-ok with us, because the sound of the set is so great! But even more than Hideo's work on drums, the real star of the album is almost saxophonist Akira Miyazawa – who gets in some great solo moments on nearly every track, blowing tenor with a great sense of soul that really lights up the record and makes things shine. Titles include "The Man I Love", "Moritat", "Night In Tunisia", "Drum Boogie", "Around The World", and "I Got Rhythm".

Inventive percussion and amazing bass work – plus a host of other interesting elements as well – all wrapped up beautifully in this unique collaboration between Isao Suzuki and Masahiko Togashi! Both players were some of the most creative of the mainstream Japanese scene of the 70s – Togashi a drummer who'd often go out, but still maintain a sense of soul – and Suzuki a bassist who often used varations of his instrument that were a bit unusual, and which did way more than simple rhythm work! Here, Isao's working with cello, piccolo bass, and regular bass – in addition to piano and percussion – and Togashi plyas lots more percussion, and a bit of keyboards too – as both players mix up instrumentation in these sensitive shadings of sound and color that are almost a Japanese equivalent of the best ECM experiments of the 70s. Tunes are all as poetic as they sound from the titles – and titles include "A Day Of The Sun", "Birth Of Yellow Eggs", "Silvery Flash", and "Awakening Of The Fresh Green".

Standouts from Glenn Underground's peak-level Forgotton Art (Music)! "Shiloh (A King's Return)" pretty well encapsulates what we love most about Glenn's work from this period. It's got an unshakable dancefloor rhythm and a heavy bass groove – and kicked to a higher level with a beautiful jazzy horn passage. "We, The Party (Let’s Get Down)" is the equally hypnotic cut on the flip.

Includes tracks by King Oliver & His Dixie Syncopators and Orchestra, Junie C Cobb & His Grains Of Corn, Duke Ellington & His Cotton Club Orchestra, Red Nichols & His Five Pennies, Fletcher Henderson, Lee Wiley, Adelaide Hall, Frankie 'Half Pint' Jaxon, and the Washboard Rhythm Band.

A wonderful follow up to one of our favorite compilations in recent years! London Is The Place For Me 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 Tridad 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!

A wonderful follow up to one of our favorite compilations in recent years! London Is The Place For Me 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, 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 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!

A Japanese jazz jam session from the late 50s – offered up in this really cool format that has the record starting out with Tokyo street sounds, and an announcer speaking in Japanese! The notes are all in Japanese (dammit!), but from what we can tell, the set features great early reed work from Sadao Watanabe and Akira Miyazawa – plus other musicians on vibes, trumpet, and guitar – and some mighty tight rhythm section work too! Tracks swing with a nice boppish vibe overall, definitely showing the spontaneous energy of the performance – and titles include "Goose Neck", "Strike Up The Band", "I'll Remember May", "Plug & Connector", and "The Blues".

Smoking soul from 60s Texas – a tremendous amount of rare tunes from obscure little singles – pulled together to showcase the Lonestar State as a musical powerhouse to rival Motown, Philly, or the Windy City! The tracks here are all from various labels headed by the legendary Huey P Meux – and unlike other Texas work you may know from the time, lots of these numbers are bubbling over with the kind of soul elements you'd normally hear from east coast indie work of the time – and in that way, are almost like some of the other 60s material cut by southern transplants on the LA scene of the time – familiar, but a little offbeat too – with odd little twists and turns that really keep things interesting, and which make the package a really fresh musical discovery. There's some nice deep soul elements at times, particularly on the mellower cuts – and titles include "Go Go Train" by Jackie Paine, "That Is Why The End Must Begin" by Joe Masters, "Irene" by Rockin Dave Allen, "Time" by Charles Barry, "Get To Gitten" by Big Walter, "Doggin Around" by Jean Knight, "Friends In Show Business" by Joe Melvin, "Neighbor Neighbor" by Alton Valier, "You'll Lose A Good Thing (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, "Let Them Talk" by Johnny Adams, "If You're Looking For A Fool" by David King Thomas, and "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" by Margo White.

A killer batch of rare funky tunes – pulled from a host of tiny labels, and put together with a quality level that would blow away a crate full of of funky 45s! This 3rd volume in the Super Funk series seems to dig even deeper than the first 2 – and it also includes few incredible little nuggets that were never officially released in any format! Includes "The Tramp (From Funky Broadway)" by The Showmen Inc, "Put It In" by Johnny King And The Fatback Band, "Cissy Popcorn" and "Funky Chicken" by Preston Love, "Soul Livin" by Everyday People Unlimited, "Brother Brown" by Camille Bob, "At The Soul In" by Count Yates And The Rhythm Crusaders, "Cat Scream" by Li'l Buck, "Bending Soul" by the Soul Blenders", "Ain't It A Groove" by Chico & Buddy, "Soul Brothers Testify" by Soul Senders, "Fat Man" by TKOs, "Sweet Potato Gravy" by Maurice Simon And The Pie Men, and lots more! 20 tracks in all.

A killer batch of rare funky tunes – pulled from a host of tiny labels, and put together with a quality level that would blow away a crate full of of funky 45s! This 3rd volume in the Super Funk series seems to dig even deeper than the first 2 – and it also includes few incredible little nuggets that were never officially released in any format! Includes "The Tramp (From Funky Broadway)" by The Showmen Inc, "Put It In" by Johnny King And The Fatback Band, "Cissy Popcorn" and "Funky Chicken" by Preston Love, "Soul Livin" by Everyday People Unlimited, "Brother Brown" by Camille Bob, "At The Soul In" by Count Yates And The Rhythm Crusaders, "Cat Scream" by Li'l Buck, "Bending Soul" by the Soul Blenders", "Ain't It A Groove" by Chico & Buddy, "Soul Brothers Testify" by Soul Senders, "Fat Man" by TKOs, "Sweet Potato Gravy" by Maurice Simon And The Pie Men, and lots more! 20 tracks in all.

They're not kidding about the title on this one – although they might have added "weirdest" to the name, too! The songs here are all familiar ones, especially if you dig rare grooves from the 60s and 70s – but the versions you'll hear are definitely unusual – often some pretty obscure takes on funk and soul numbers, plus a few bits from other styles too – done up in even funkier versions than before, partly because the production is even rawer, but also because the overall execution is too! Latin vibes mix up with soulful rhythms, deep funk solos, and even some freaky fuzzy psyche-inspired moments – and titles include "Purple Haze" by Johnny Jones & The King Casuals, "Jungle Fever" by Afrosound, "Bang Bang" by Fruko & Sus Tesos, "Pastime Paradise" by Ray Barretto, "Cloud Nine" by Mongo Santamaria, "I Turn My Camera On" by Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, "Light My Fire" by Ebony Rhythm Band, "Scorpio" by Johnny Frigo, "Rat Race" by Antibalas, and "The Next Message" by The Mighty Mo & Winchester Seven.

They're not kidding about the title on this one – although they might have added "weirdest" to the name, too! The songs here are all familiar ones, especially if you dig rare grooves from the 60s and 70s – but the versions you'll hear are definitely unusual – often some pretty obscure takes on funk and soul numbers, plus a few bits from other styles too – done up in even funkier versions than before, partly because the production is even rawer, but also because the overall execution is too! Latin vibes mix up with soulful rhythms, deep funk solos, and even some freaky fuzzy psyche-inspired moments – and titles include "Purple Haze" by Johnny Jones & The King Casuals, "Jungle Fever" by Afrosound, "Bang Bang" by Fruko & Sus Tesos, "Pastime Paradise" by Ray Barretto, "Cloud Nine" by Mongo Santamaria, "I Turn My Camera On" by Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, "Light My Fire" by Ebony Rhythm Band, and "The Next Message" by The Mighty Mo & Winchester Seven.

Sublime mid-period work from The Drifters – a record cut when the group was working with the team of Lieber & Stoller, who revamped their sound into a sweetly soulful groove that really set the scene for the New York uptown sound of the 60s! The tracks here often have a lilting little rhythm at the bottom – just enough to get thing stepping along in a mode that's sweeter, and arguably more sophisticated than the group's earlier R&B work. And the overall sound is so great, we hardly miss Clyde McPhatter or Ben E King – because the rest of the group has a nicely unified sound. Tracks include "Nobody But Me", "Room Full Of Tears", "No Sweet Lovin", "Jackpot", "Sweets For My Sweet", and more! Also includes the great early Bacharach track "Mexican Divorce"!

A extremely rare album that Eric Dolphy recorded with the Latin Jazz Quintet – a rare Latin-based side of Dolphy's career, and a set that's a bit different than the Prestige album by the same pairing! This set features a slightly different lineup of the LJQ – one that includes Louie Ramirez on timbales, Felipe Diaz on vibes, and Art Jenkins on piano – all grooving very hard, and very tight next to Dolphy's work on alto, flute, and bass clarinet! His work here still has a bit of a modern edge, but not nearly as much so as on his work as a leader – mostly content to settle into the groove with the rest of the group, but then bursting out boldly with some really inventive solo moments! Titles include "Mangolina", "Cha Cha King", "Speak Low", "Night In Tunisia", and "I Got Rhythm".

Insanely wonderful early work from Charlie Mariano – some of the freshest, cleanest alto sax work of its time! The album's one of Charlie's strongest early efforts – a no-nonsense quartet session that features rhythm by the trio of John Williams, Max Bennett, and Mel Lewis. Charlie's tone is impeccable – somewhere between Lee Konitz and Charlie Parker, with that back bay Boston blend of soul and modernism, making the city one of the best scenes for alto players in the 50s. Titles include "Blues", "Floormat", "I Heard You Cried Last Night", "Johnny One Note", and "King For A Day".

Really beautiful work from the team of Red Rodney and Ira Sullivan – hardly the sort of stuff we might have heard from the players a decade or two before – and a sophisticated batch of tunes that has them stretching out in rich musical directions! There's little of the boppish roots of either player here – and instead, the album mostly features inspiring jazz compositions from Garry Dial – the pianist in the group, and a real genius with color, tone, and timing. Dial's tunes dominate most of the record, and they really set the group on a great footing – horn trading between Rodney's trumpet and Sullivan's soprano, flute, and flugelhorn – supported with complicated changes from the core rhythm trio. Titles include "Spirit Within", "King Of France", "Sophisticated Yenta", "Crescent City", and "Monday's Dance".

Seminal work from the post-Clyde McPhatter version of The Drifters – a sublime batch of singles that really showcase all that's great from the second chapter of the group! The set's way more than a "best of" – as it was the only full album to feature most of these cuts – and together, they really illustrate the excellent changes the group had made – including their alliance with the Leiber & Stoller team, and their great use of exotic rhythms and instrumentation! Some cuts still echo earlier R&B, while others have plenty of cool Latin elements in the mix too – a rhythm that really works well for the vocals of Ben E King's lead with the group. Titles include "Sweets For My Sweet", "There Goes My Baby", "Stranger On The Shore", "Save The Last Dance For Me", "When My Little Girl Is Smiling", "Ruby Baby", "True Love True Love","Another Night With The Boys", "What To Do", "Mexican Divorce", and "Room Full Of Tears".

Sweet 70s funk from George Benson – an album that's a bit smoother than some of his earlier work, but still free from the commercial polish of his later hits! Maestro David Matthews is at the helm for this session – and most numbers have a full backing from players who include some of the best of the CTI/Kudu generation – including Ronnie Foster and Bobby Lyle on keyboards, Joe Farrell on flute, Fred Wesley on trombone, Eric Gale on rhythm guitar, Dave Friedman on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – who manages to kick in a nicely funky undercurrent, even on some of the mellower numbers. George's guitar is filled with warmly chromatic hues – gliding away nicely on titles that include the slow funky "Em", plus "Siberian Workout", "Shell Of A Man", "Hold On I'm Coming", "One Rock Don't Make No Boulder", and "Theme From Good King Bad".

A brilliant mix of Afro and deep funk styles – the kind of grooves you'd get if Fela Kuti hung out with The Meters in the late 60s! Budos Band recall the genius of 90s deep funk combo The Daktaris – and have a similar love of older African rhythms touched by a newer indie funk sound – a complexity in the group's well-arranged horn parts, but a simplicity to their rhythms that makes the album cook like some of our favorite classics from years back. Sax and trumpet lines are mixed nicely with heavy percussion and a fair bit of organ at the bottom – creating a murky groove that has a bit of New Orleans in the mix, but also has most of the instruments stepping along with the rhythm – in a very cool take on the Africa 70 sound. Tracks are all instrumental, and all incredible – and the record's one of the freshest we've heard from the deep funk underground in years – a second-generation set that gets way past simple copycat funk and into its own unique groove! Titles include "Budos Theme", "Ghost Walk", "King Charles", "Eastbound", "Across The Atlantic", "Up From The South", "TIBWF", and "Monkey See Monkey Do".

Plenty of blues power here – a searing live set recorded by Albert King before a very enthusiastic crowd at the Fillmore in the late 60s! The album's filled with lots of King's sharp-edged guitar lines – searing with a bit more soul than your usual bluesman, possibly in part because the backing group's so tight! At times, there's almost a bit of funk in the mix – given that the rhythm section romps it up pretty strongly – and the record stands nicely apart from some of the blues cliches that were creeping into the mix at the time. Titles include the 10 minute workout "Blues Power" – plus "Watermelon Man", "Night Stomp", "Blues At Sunrise", "Please Love Me", and "Look Out".

Sly soul from the great King Curtis – one of his last albums ever, and one of his best as well! There's a hip sort of edge to the record that's different from the Curtis groove of the mid 60s – less standard soul instrumental covers, and a much more righteous feel overall – part of the vibe that King had been crafting for others in the late 60s Atlantic studios, and partly the funky undercurrents that would often only show up on some of his 45 releases for the label! The backing group here is really great – with rhythm work from Eddie Hinton on guitar, Barry Beckett on keyboards, David Hood on bass, and Roger Hawkins on drums – and solo moments from Cornell Dupree on lead guitar, and both Joe Newman and Ernie Royal on trumpets. King produced the record himself, and one cut features slightly different instrumentation – with organ by Jimmy Smith and piano by Richard Tee. Titles include "Floatin", "Sugar Foot", "Soulin", "Teasin", "Let It Be", "Someday We'll Be Together", "Something", and "Promenade".

Benchmark Scientist dub – great stuff recorded and mixed at King Tubby's near the end of the 70s – and it's some of tightest, heaviest dubs of the period! Scientist works over some of the heftiest Aggrovator sides on this legendary set – one of favorite dub records, period! One particular standout is a great take on the "Drum Song" rhythm – but the whole set is inmpeccable! Other titles include "Taxi To Baltimore Dub", "Satta Dread Dub", "Every Dub Shall Scrub", "Blacka Shade Of Dub" and "Just Say Dub. . .Who". 10 tracks in all. This 3 X 10" box set version is very nicely done – with to 2 dubs per side – closing out with 2 bonus tracks: "Queen Of The Icotion" and "Party Time On The Enterprise".

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! 28 tracks in all, including "I Cried A Tear" by LaVern Baker, "What'd I Say (parts 1 & 2)", 'Let The Good Times Roll" and "Just For A Thrill" by Ray Charles, "There Goes My Baby" and "This Magic Moment" by the Drifters, "Charlie Brown" and "Poison Ivy" by the Coasters, "Spanish Harlem", "Stand By Me" and "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" by Ben E King, "Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas, "Just Out Of Reach" by Solomon Burke, "Last Night" by the Mar-Keys, "I'm Blue (The Gong Gong Song)" by the Ikettes, "You Don't miss Your Water" by William Bell, "I Found A Love" by the Falcons, and "Green Onions" by Booker T & The MG's.

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! 28 tracks in all, including "Knock On Wood" by Eddie Floyd, "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding, "Mustang Sally" and"Funky Broadway" by Wilson Pickett, "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" and "Soul Man" by Sam & Dave, "Sweet Soul Music" by Arthur Conley, "I've Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You", "Do Right Woman – Do Right Man",'Respect", "Baby I Love You", "Natural Woman" and "Think" by Aretha Franklin, "Show Me" and "Skinny Legs & All" by Joe Tex, "Tramp" by Otis & Carla, "Soul Finger" by the Bar Kays, "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis and "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell & The Drells.

Culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! 18 tracks inall, including "The Ghetto" by Donny Hathaway, "Turn Back The Hands Of Time" by Tyrone Davis, "Compared To What" by Les McCann & Eddie Harris, "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" and "Rock Steady" by Aretha Franklin, "Groove Me" by King Floyd, "Patches" by Clarence Carter, "Funky Nassau (parts 1 & 2)" by the Beginning Of The End, "Thin Line Between Love & Hate" by the Persuaders, "You've Got A Friend" and "Where Is The Love?" by Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, "Clean Up Woman" by Betty Wright, "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "Mighty Love" and "I'll Be Around" by the Spinners, "Killing Me Softly" and "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Roberta Flack and "Lo9ve Won't Let Me Wait" by Major Harris.

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.

We love Kim Fowley, and can never get enough of his genius – and no matter what the setting, Fowley always seems to move around the maddest corners of rock and pop music! This raw batch of gems is all pulled from the Fowley vaults – and features a host of indie singles recorded in LA between his bigger bursts of fame – some with Kim in the lead, lots more with lesser-known talents all given Fowley's forceful treatment in the studio – a push forward that makes just about every track here sparkle like some long-lost garage rocker or weird novelty number. Norton provides very detailed notes that are as much a musical journey as the cuts themselves – and titles include "The Knight In Shining Armor" by Knights Of The Round Table, "Kalani Honey" by John Paul Jones, "Young & Wild" by Renegade Five, "Big Bad Wolf" by Kim Garry & The Rhythm Kings, "Watch Your Step" by Larry Green & The Rhythmaires, "Goin Away Baby" and "Golden Apples Of The Sun" by Grains Of Sand, "Wanted Dead Or Alive" by The Rogues, "Moses" by Navarros, and "The Trip", "Astrology", and a rare radio spot all by Kim Fowley.

Truly, truly one of the most essential reggae albums of all time, and without a doubt one of our top dub albums. While we may be known for our hyperbolic comments on LPs here at Dusty, this album is very much deserving of the praise, and if you don't own it, you need to. Basically a collection of dubs of rhythms for some of Pablo's most popular productions as vocal cuts on 45s that had rocked the sound systems, this set features a mighty rockers rhythm team and mixing courtesy Errol Thompson and King Tubby. All solid tracks. Includes "Keep On Dubbing", "Stop Them Jah", "Young Generation Dub", "Each One Dub", "555 Dub Street", "Braces Tower Dub", "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown", "Corner Crew Dub", "Say So", "Skanking Dub" "Satta Dub" and "Frozen Dub".

Benchmark Scientist dub – great stuff recorded and mixed at King Tubby's near the end of the 70s – and it's some of tightest, heaviest dubs of the period! Scientist works over some of the heftiest Aggrovator sides on this legendary set – one of favorite dub records, period! One particular standout is a great take on the "Drum Song" rhythm – but the whole set is inmpeccable! Other titles include "Taxi To Baltimore Dub", "Satta Dread Dub", "Every Dub Shall Scrub", "Blacka Shade Of Dub" and "Just Say Dub. . .Who". 10 tracks in all.

Super-dope, super-slow funk from The Expressions – a really great change from the usual deep funk groove! "These Moments" slinks along like some 70s mellow soul instrumental b-side – still plenty funky, but moving at a pace that's never too over the top, with instrumentation that slowly grooves instead of rips along in quick riffs. There's a nicely breaking guitar over the track's stepping bass – and rhythm that hangs there perfectly in mid-air! "Money Is King" is slightly faster, but still quite laidback – guitar strutting out wonderfully next to a bit of strings – almost making the whole thing sound like some badass soundtrack theme!

Stellar work from trumpeter Dusko Goykovich – an artist we first grew to love from his 60s recordings, but one who's still sounding great year after year! The classic title and cover image for this one are very well fitting – as the sound of the record reminds us of some of Dusko's playing with larger ensembles in earlier years – particularly his work on the Eastern European scene in the early 70s. Dusko handled most of the arrangements for the set, and he's blowing here with a larger group that steps out in very tight formation – but which also has a Clark-Boland appreciation of solo space, and of the way that a well-done rhythm can really move along a larger ensemble of horns. The legendary Peter King plays alto on the set – and gets in a few nice solos – and as you might imagine, our favorite tunes are the originals by Dusko – well-written numbers that groove like some of his classics, and which include "Yugo Blues", "Balkan Blue", and "Handful Of Soul".

One of the last albums that King Curtis ever recorded – and an unusual session of mostly blues-based material, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Fest with Champion Jack Dupree! In a way, the setting really unlocks some of Dupree's more jazz-oriented modes – in a group that features Curtis on tenor and alto, Jack on piano and vocals, and rhythm from Cornell Dupree on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass, and Oliver Jackson on drums! Things start out rootsy, but really take off as the record moves on – and the setting actually gives Curtis a chance to stretch out a lot more than most of his previous recordings for Atlantic. Titles include "Get With It", "Sneaky Pete", "Junker's Blues", "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", and "I'm Having Fun".

A stone smoker from tenorist Seiichi Nakamura – thanks partly to some great trombone from Shigeharu Mukai! Shige's one of our favorite Japanese trombonists from the 70s, and he really gives this session a deep degree of soul – working strongly in the frontline with Seiichi, and getting tight rhythm support from Hiroshi Tamura on piano, Isoo Fukui on bass, and Takuji Kusumoto on drums! Most of the record is in a straight hardbop mode – which really lets the tenor and trombone shine – and titles include "Frank N Earnest", "Closing Theme For Quintet", "Judy's Samba", and "Melba's Blues".

Uber-classic dub from Augustus Pablo! Dubbing In A Africa was produced by Pablo and features a rhythm section of Bingy Bunny, Sly & Robbie and Gladdy. Here they deliver a nice, tight set of tunes which like many of Pablo's other classics, veer closer to rhythm workouts than deep space dub excursions – and we ain't complaining about that! Tremendous stuff from one the greats! Titles include "King Of Kings Dub", "Herbal Weed Dub", "Dub In Ethiopia", "Dubbing In A Africa", "Nigerian Love Dub", and "Mount Of Olives Dub".

The soundtrack to the excellent Dub Echoes documentary and a wild trip across the landscape of dub, both new and old! Syncopated rhythms, deep, dark bass, and cosmic reverb and echo abound on this fine set that connects the modern dubstep scene with heavyweight Jamaican originators of the sound. While it would take a massive box set to cover even a portion of the music featured in the film, the selector's at Soul Jazz of kept this set nicely concise, tight and right all the way through! 17 numbers in all, including "Witness (One Hope) (Walworth road rockers dub)" by Root sManuva, "Sega Beats" by Disrupt, "Forever More" by Dub Syndicate, "Psalms Of Drums" and "Ruffer Version" by King Tubby, "Sine Of The Dub" by Kode9 & The Space Ape, "Rootsman" by U Roy & Francois Kevorkian, "King In My Empire" by Rhythm & Sound with Cornell Campbell, "Deb Dub" by Digital Dubs Vs Dubiterian, "Congo Man Chant" by the Congos and "Rejoicing Skank" by the Upsetters.

Great mid 80s set from the legendary Sugar Minott, Studio One mainstay Willie Williams and others – recordings split between Bullwackies in The Bronx and Music Mountain in Stony Hill, Kingston – featuring 8 riffs on King Tubby's "Tempo" rhythm! Dubwise and digital aware material that stands the test of time! Includes "Devil Is At Large" by Sugar Minott, "Don't Worry Yourself" by Chris Wayne, "Solid Rock I Stand" by Willie Williams, "Free South Africa" by Ras Menelik Dacosta, "Tribute To Prince Knight by Jerry Johnson, and a trio of "Tempos" by Black Roots Players.

Wonderful work from Idris Ackamoor – a great indie set that we'd rank right up there with some of his best recordings of the 70s! The group here is only a quartet, but there's a richness to the sound that's really amazing – a soaringly soulful style that often feels like Idris is working with a larger group – especially given the bold, righteous sound of the music! The rhythm trio is wonderful – Fred Harris on piano, Mark Anthony Williams on bass, and Al Marshall on drums – and Idris plays alto sax throughout, with a sharp edge and fluid tone that shows lots of growth since the 70s. Daria Nile and Rhodessa Jones sing on a few tracks – bringing a nice sort of Strata East vibe to the record – and titles include "Idrissa's Dream", "Topanga", "You", "A Child's Lament", "Spiritual Rebirth", and "A Prayer For Changing Times".

Smoking grooves from an incredible group – the amazing Afro Blues Quintet, a combo with a sound like no other! These guys were never one for stardom, but during the mid and late 60s, they burned up the west coast scene with an incredible blend of vibes, piano, and reeds – often kicked up nicely with some hard-rolling rhythm work that gave their tracks a similar mod groove to classics by Johnny Lytle, Ramsey Lewis, or Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers! But the real difference with the ABQ (if we can call them that!) is that they had a really spacious approach to their sound – never putting too much into the mix, and instead using the space between the notes every bit as much as the notes themselves. The grooves are great, and since most of this work has never been reissued, the set's totally fresh to the ears of most listeners! As usual, the folks at BGP have done a great job with the notes – and the set features 22 tracks from the group's Mira, Surrey, and Crestview recordings – titles that include "Monkey Time", "Freaks", "La La La", "Southside Habit", "Mirror Image", "Afro Rock", "Evening Of The Beast", "Spartacus", "Candie Luv", and "Our Mambo".

Wonderful work from Johnnie Allan – and tracks that definitely live up to the "swamp" promise in the title! The vibe here starts with 50s southern rock – a bit of twang from rockabilly and country – but there's also a heavy New Orleans influence in the rhythms that makes things really unique – a rolling way of hitting the groove that changes up the music from styles you might normally know! And at points, some other Louisiana elements creep into the mix, and really come out sounding great – a very cool blend of styles that only gets stronger in the later years. The set features a wealth of recordings for the Jin and Viking labels, plus detailed notes as well – and titles include "Little Fat Man", "South To Lousiana", "The Promised Land", "Let's Do It", "Your Picture", "What'Cha Do", "Cajun Man", "Nights Of Misery", "Secret Of Love", "Graduation Night", "I Cried", and "Somewhere On Skid Row".

Carl Craig meets Tony Allen – in a wonderfully warm remix of Allen's "Kilode"! Craig really helps add a lot to the tune here – taking the strong vocals and forceful rhythms of the original, and inflecting them with a slight bit of spacier soul – not nearly as cold or abstract as some of Carl's other work at first, but then really running away with some heavier bass near the end!

A real turning point in the career of Gene Ammons – a record that almost returns Ammons to his earthier roots, and in the process helps build up a whole new sound in soul jazz for the 60s! The "Jug" nickname in the title is kind of a joking way to help Ammons stand alongside "Miles", "Trane", "Diz", and other one-name monikered stars in jazz – but even without that gimmick (which somehow lasted for years), the album's got a depth that more than gets Gene back on top, thanks to a gritty soulfulness and good sense of feeling in the grooves! Players here include Richard Wyands on piano on most numbers – plus a rare appearance by Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson on 2 numbers – one on organ, one on piano. Rhythm is by Doug Watkins on bass and JC Heard on drums – and Ray Barretto makes one of his great soul jazz appearances on drums – rolling the groove along with a nice bit of bounce throughout! Titles include "Tangerine", "Ol Man River", "Easy To Love", "Seed Shack", "Miss Lucy", and "Namely You".

A pair of hard-wailing tenor albums on Verve – both of them great! Boss Tenors In Orbit is a studio album, but one that really has Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt recreating some of the bold energy of their live shows – coming across with a vibe that's much more Prestige Records than Verve, thanks to the presence of the Don Patterson trio on the set! Backing is by Don on Hammond, Paul Weeden on guitar, and Billy James on drums – a nicely loose combo that really lets the tenorists stretch out and show their stuff. The cuts are mostly standard material – "John Brown's Body", "Walkin", "Long Ago And Far Away" – but the twin-tenor sound is great, and Patterson's free organ lines riff away nicely! On Boss Tenors, Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt go head to head in this classic album of tracks that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut in Chicago with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love".

A nice little 2-fer collecting two great meetings of two greats! Jug and Stitt go head to head on Boss Tenors, a classic album of tracks that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut in Chicago with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love". Boss Tenors In Orbit was a follow up one year later, an obscure little session with the pair once again recreating the energy of their live shows – as they stretch out nicely on very long tracks that have spare backing by the Don Patterson trio! The cuts are mostly standard stuff – "John Brown's Body", "Walkin", "Long Ago And Far Away" – but the twin-tenor sound is great, and Patterson's free organ lines riff away nicely!

Amazing sounds from one of the best funky combos anywhere – ever! Antibalas have certainly risen to fame in the years since we first heard their Afro-styled grooves – working famously in the Fela musical, and reaching generations of ears with their own brilliant records. Yet throughout it all, they've always stayed true to their sound – and, if anything, are even sharper, tighter, and funkier than before – all extremely adept not only at playing their instruments, but at hitting the right sort of sound to cut through all the BS that was holding back funky Afro grooves for years! Part of that sound comes from superb Daptone production by Gabriel Roth – who really knows how to keep things lean and mean and full of energy. But the core credit really goes to the group – who never cease to amaze us here – and continually come up with fresh sounds on their keyboards and horns – and inventive rhythms to match! Titles include "Dirty Money", "The Rat Catcher", "Ari Degbe", "Ibeji", "Sare Kon Kon", and "Him Belly No Go Sweet".

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".

A spare and folksy set on ESP – the only record for the label by Ed Askew, an extremely poetic singer with an approach that's somewhat in the mode of labelmates Pears Before Swine! Ed's work is more stripped-down, though – as the record only features his vocals with accompaniment on "tiple", a stringed instrument that's somewhere between a guitar and mandolin, but played with a strongly rhythmic style. Given a fuller backing, perhaps a bit of shading by strings, these tunes could easily stand with the best of the late 60s acid folk generation from the UK – but we also love Ed's simple charms on the album, and perhaps these songs are better left untouched. Titles include "Fancy That", "Peter & David", "Marigolds", "Ask The Unicorn", "Red Woman Letter To England", "The Garden", and "Mr Dream".

A beautifully packaged reissue of this rare set from 1964 – an early example of the genius of Albert Ayler, recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great – and the quartet features Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – the latter of whom is almost completely freed up from rhythm at some points. Titles include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", and "No Name". Also includes a bonus fold-out poster with a painting of Ayler!

A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits".

A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits".

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 really wonderful take on Porgy & Bess and other Gershwin standards by Pearl Bailey – there's just something about her naturally rich, bluesy, husky tone on these tunes that's simply wonderful! The backing is often well measured, but, occasionally a bigger sound and chorus vocals kick in. For the most part Pearl owns this stuff, giving warmth and resonance lost on more showbizzy takes on the style and compositions. Titles include "I Got Plenty Of Nothin". "I Got Rhythm", "Summertime", "Lady Be Good", "A Foggy Day", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Bess You Is My Woman", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "Clap Yo Hands" and more.

Ginger Baker recorded late in the 80s – but still keeping up the Afro-styled grooves he forged with Fela during the decade before! The set's got Baker very much upfront on drums – but he's also working with a range of African percussionists who really help shape the rhythms – plus great work on guitar, trombone, and a range of saxes as well! Many tunes are very heavy on the groove – building things up before adding in more from the horns, or the occasional vocals – and the set features material recorded with two different groups, but both around the same stretch in 1987, with relatively similar lineups. Titles include "Brain Damage", "Sokoto", "Go Do", "Adoa", "Abyssinia", "Want Come Go", and "Ginger's Solo".

A rare later album from 50s guitar giant Mickey Baker – recorded overseas, and with a different vibe than his legendary R&B work – including some nice funky moments too! The album's not really jazz, and it's hardly rock at all – and instead is more of a bluesy effort with slight undercurrents of funk – some modern touches provided by the tight rhythms of bassist Alex Sanders and his combo – who provide a nice backdrop for Baker's sharp lines on guitar! Mickey's picked up a few modern tones over the years, but still has plenty of grit in his grooves – and titles include "Pop Off", "Prelude", "Ouagadougou", "Sophie", "Wag Your Tail", "Shadadabah", and "Alexander's Funk Time".

An amazing record – one we'd easily rank right up there with some of our favorite 60s albums from Brazil – including work by Baden Powell or Elis Regina! This session has echoes of the best of both of those artists, but also predates their key moments too – a groundbreaking record that combines older folkloric themes and groovier rhythms of the post-bossa generation – all with an echoey brilliance that reminds us a lot of Powell's classic Afro Sambas record, but sung with the fierce emotion we've always loved in Elis. We've never seen another record from Zelia Barbosa, but this one moment of genius is more than enough to make us love her – a bold, righteous album that no doubt languished in the 60s in the world/folk underground of the Monitor label, but which would have exploded in Brazil had it been issued on Philips or Forma! Just about every cut's a winner, and titles include "Pedro Pedreiro", "Cheganca", "Nega Dina", "Zelao", "Cancao Da Terra", "Sina De Caboclo", "Feio Nao E Bonita", and "Opiniao".

A cool cooker from Dean Barlow – one of those mambo-styled R&B tunes that has some cool percussion underneath the vamping rhythms – all topped by this sinister vocal from Dean that's mighty nice! "He's Coming Home" features lead singer Carole Bennett with great backings from The Sapphires – whose harmonies really make for a smooth groove next to the twangy vamp in the rhythms!

Stunning soul from the great Joe Bataan – a really groundbreaking mix of modes that's right up there with the best of the Spanish Harlem scene of the late 60s! The album is Joe Bataan's debut for the Fania Records label – and the start of an incendiary run of Latin classics that forever changed the face of the New York scene – a mindblowing mix of Latin rhythms and soul-based inspiration, served up in a mix of English and Spanish language lyrics! The title track is a sublime cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman" – one that's even more heartbreaking than the original – and other titles include "Ordinary Guy", Sugar Guaguanco", "So Fine", "Fuego", and the groovy "Chickie's Trombone" – a tight little jammer that shows that Joe's group also drew plenty of inspiration from the descarga scene too.

Stunning soul from the great Joe Bataan – a really groundbreaking mix of modes that's right up there with the best of the Spanish Harlem scene of the late 60s! The album is Joe Bataan's debut for the Fania Records label – and the start of an incendiary run of Latin classics that forever changed the face of the New York scene – a mindblowing mix of Latin rhythms and soul-based inspiration, served up in a mix of English and Spanish language lyrics! The title track is a sublime cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman" – one that's even more heartbreaking than the original – and other titles include "Ordinary Guy", Sugar Guaguanco", "So Fine", "Fuego", and the groovy "Chickie's Trombone" – a tight little jammer that shows that Joe's group also drew plenty of inspiration from the descarga scene too.

A real turning point for Joe Bataan – and the beginning of his funky Latin sound of the 70s! The album was one of the first in Joe's "Salsoul" style – a sweet blend of Latin rhythms, late 60s Latin soul influences, and some of the hipper styles bubbling through the NuYorican scene. A few cuts are in the sweet soul ballad mode of Joe's earlier years – but there's others that pick up the groove nicely, and add in some guitar and vibes for a sweet electrified groove. Includes a great remake of "Theme From Shaft", plus the two-part "I Wish You Love", "If I Were A King", "Coco E", "El Regreso", and "Charangaringa".

A rare bit of Florida funk from the 70s – an album recorded by TK during the height of its soulful run at the time, but never issued until now! The group's headed by vocalist Becen Padron – who also plays keyboards, guitar, and drums – and the rhythms have a snapping, funky, clubby sort of groove – quite similar to some of the more famous rhythms coming from TK powerhouse KC & The Sunshine Band! As with KC's work, the groove here is a bit funk, a bit disco, and plenty darn catchy – and Padron's rough-edged vocals bring a nice sort of unpolished feel to the record, making it come across a lot more indie than most sounds on TK. Titles include "The Thange", "Surrender Your Love", "Florida Fantasy", "Girls", "Gotta Have The Funk Funk", and "You Do Me Good".

Groovy boogaloo from late 60s Mexico – an album that's quite different than US sets of this nature! The rhythms definitely show a Latin Soul influence, but the overall execution is in a wider 60s groovy mode overall – with bits of mod jazz, soul piano, and more – all filtered beautifully into some very dynamic grooves! Bert's music has a style that's almost like some of the best Verve sides of the 60s – particularly those with a Latin and jazz crossover blend – and although there's some vocals on the record, the main focus is clearly the instrumental groovings of the group. Piano is especially nice, and comes across with some Ramsey Lewis-ish elements that really keeps things rolling and rollicking – and titles include "Zulianita", "Rosa Rosita", "Do The Boogaloo", "Oh Yeah", "Pete's Boogaloo", and "Manana Sera".

It's been a few years since we last heard from Big Boss Man – but it's been well worth the wait, as these guys know how to cook up a mod groove better than just about anyone else! Winner's got a sound that takes us back to the swinginest days of London in the 60s – Hammond wailing over some snapping mod rhythms – sometimes instrumental, sometimes topped off by slightly psychedelic vocals that expand the sound even more. In the past few years, these guys have really grown a heck of a lot – and have managed to pick up some Latin influences that sit nicely alongside their straighter inspirations from jazz, soul, R&B, and 60s mod rock – making for an album of many surprises, and an expansive sound that's way more than just a quick retro-styled groove! Titles include "Kelvin Stardust", "Fall In Fall Out", "Complicated Lady", "Reach Out", "Oh My Gawd", "Boogaloo", "Fever Special", "Everybody Boogaloo", "The Hawk", and "Got It So Bad".

An incredible full length debut from vocalist Mario Biondi – a jazz singer we'd rank right up there with the legendary Mark Murphy – supported here with great backings from the High Five Quintet! The grooves here are in a soaring, tightly-stepping style – very much the best club jazz mode of the contemporary European scene – with all-acoustic instrumentation, and rhythms that move along at a really great dancefloor pace! Mario's vocals are really unique too – with a little rasp that catches slightly, and really brings a timeless quality to his voice – mixing personal feeling into the lively numbers on the album, with an unexpected depth that really makes the album stand out from similar sessions of this type! There's echoes of hip vocal jazz work from years past by artists like The Peddlers, Bobby Cole, or Mark Murphy – and titles include "A Child Runs Free", "No Mercy For Me", "This Is What You Are", "I Can't Keep From Cryin Sometimes", "Rio De Janeiro Blue", "Handful Of Soul", "On A Clear Day", "Never Die", "No Trouble On The Mountain", "Slow Hot Wind", and "Gig".

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

Classic work by one of our favorite pop singers ever – the full-voiced Cilla Black, a vocalist we'd trade for Petula Clark or Dusty Springfield in a minute! During the 60s, Cilla was working in a strongly Bacharach-influenced mode – a style that picked up a lot of uptown touches from the New York scene, but which infused them with the more belting mode of Brit female singers of the time. The result is an incredibly powerful approach to pop – one that showcases Cilla's incredible voice, but which also has her wrapped up in beautifully full arrangements, and rhythms that often have that slightly syncopated gentle groove that we love from Bacharach's work with pop singers. CD features 25 tracks in all – including 6 making their CD debut – titles that include "Yo Yo", "A Man & A Woman", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", "You're My World", "Love Letters", "One Little Voice", "Alfie", "Baby I'm Yours", "A Lover's Concerto", "Step Inside Love", "Liverpool Lullaby", "Forget Him", "Little Pleasure Acre", and "Rule Britannia".

The grandest scale and most elaborately furnished Black Sabbath album to this point – but they still bring the heavy! The title track is one of the most influential metal songs ever, with the foreboding lyrics, trudging stomp of a rhythmic pace and those bridges that are almost pretty – and the most of the rest of the album is great, too – more carefully produced than the previous few without compromising the menace. Titles include "A National Acrobat", "Fluff", "Sabbra Cadabra", "Spiral Architect", "Looking For Today", and "Who Are You".

Wow! The one-and-only album by Trinidadian combo Black Truth Rhythm Band – a completely incredible one at that – hypnotic Caribbean funky soul, jazz and wildly impressive musicianship all around by this group led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Oluko Imo. The record was made in the mid 70s era in which the Afro Funk sound was hitting it's peak – when African rhythms and James Brown style funk were being fused so furiously – but Black Truth Rhythm Band take a different approach, working more with sounds from African spectrum and the West Indies. It's really amazing stuff that takes unpredictable twists from stripped down rhythms, to jazzy guitars and cosmic synths – always with straight up brilliant playing by the group. A fusion of African rhythms, strains of Calypso and boundary free jazzy grooves that balance and exploratory sensibility with tight, irresistible rhythms. Soundway raises the bar once again! Titles include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", and "Umbala" – plus a bonus 7" single with the track "Imo".

Wow! The one-and-only album by Trinidadian combo Black Truth Rhythm Band – a completely incredible one at that – hypnotic Caribbean funky soul, jazz and wildly impressive musicianship all around by this group led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Oluko Imo. The record was made in the mid 70s era in which the Afro Funk sound was hitting it's peak – when African rhythms and James Brown style funk were being fused so furiously – but Black Truth Rhythm Band take a different approach, working more with sounds from African spectrum and the West Indies. It's really amazing stuff that takes unpredictable twists from stripped down rhythms, to jazzy guitars and cosmic synths – always with straight up brilliant playing by the group. A fusion of African rhythms, strains of Calypso and boundary free jazzy grooves that balance and exploratory sensibility with tight, irresistible rhythms. Soundway raises the bar once again! Titles include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", "Umbala" and the bonus track "Imo".

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

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".

A lost treasure – never-issued material from the legendary Blue Notes combo – and a set that really helps fill some space in their all-too-small recorded catalog! The set captures the group at the end of the 70s, working in their most openly-creative mode – a style that partly shows their strong roots in the South African jazz scene of the 60s, but which also really opens up with some of the freer modes of the following decade – hitting a mix of modes that's not unlike some of the AACM at their best, although often with a lot more intensity, too! The group at this point is a quartet – with Chris McGregor on piano, Johnny Dyani on bass, Louis Moholo on drums, and Dudu Pukwana on some especially amazing alto sax – blown with such righteous force, we might well say that his instrument is center stage on the record – were it not for the wonderfully complex rhythms from the other three group members too! Tracks are long, and filled with righteous soul – and titles inlcude "Ithi Gui", "Mange", "Lonta Uyagula", "Lakutshonga Ilanga", "The Bride", and "Funk Dem Dudu".

A rare rare jam from Willie Bobo – a lively little set with a really mod groove! This pre-Verve album has Willie working in a variety of styles – from straight Latin jazz to a mode that's got some groovier 60s touches – emphasized by a bit of electric guitar on a few numbers, and by snapping dancefloor rhythms on a few of the others. Tracks are all short and hard, with a groove that's quite different than the Latin soul styles of Willie's more famous work for Verve. The group's not named in the notes, but there's some pretty nice sax work on a few of the cuts – as well as plenty of that great guitar! Titles include "Twist The Monkey's Tail", "Get Crackin", "The Hip Monkey", "Timbale Groove", "Go Go Go", "Be's The Other Way", and "Ala Bobo".

Way more than just a James Bond cash-in record – and instead an ultra-hip jazz session from the west coast scene of the 60s! The James Bond at the helm of the record is actually Jimmy Bond – the great bassist who worked on some key sessions of the late 50s and early 60s as a sideman, and who turns out to be a surprisingly great leader on this rare mid 60s date! The record is more jazz than anything else – played with a crime/spy bent, to be sure – but also flowing with really great solos and a fair bit of a bossa influence in the rhythms! The group here is more than hip enough to make the record work – with Harold Land on tenor sax, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, and Buddy Colette on flute and tenor – all working in a sextet led by Bond, with plenty of round, warm, almost modal lines on his bass – punctuated nicely by piano from Joe Parnello and drums by Joh Guarin. Arrangements are by Dick Groove – who keeps things very groovy – and many of the tracks here are actually original numbers written by Bond and Warren Baker, titled after Ian Fleming books that had not yet been made into movies at the time of this album! Titles include "Casino Royale", "Moonraker", "For Your Eyes Only", "007 Theme From Dr No", "Man With The Golden Gun", "Diamonds Are Forever", and "Live & Let Die".

Smoking tenor and organ work here from the team of Ralph Bowen and Jared Gold – two players who find a wonderful space together right from the start! Bowen's tenor has just the sort of sharp tone to match the energy of Gold's Hammond – able to take off right away, yet also stop on a dime – and still manage to keep things swinging in the process – a rare blend of modernism and soul, and one that takes us back to some of the most inventive sessions like this from the 60s! The group also features Mike Moreno on guitar and Rudy Royston on drums – both players who, like Bowen and Gold, seem to have rhythm on their minds at all times. Titles include "On Green", "Hip Check", "Exosphere", "Arrows Of Light", and "Into The City".

One of the strongest recorded performances we've heard to date from saxophonist David Boykin – a leading light in the current underground scene of Chicago, and a player who recalls the promise of the early days of the AACM, particularly the spiritualist work of Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre. Boykin plays tenor here – with an exploratory tone that's deeply soulful, in the mode of some of David Murray's more spiritual work from the late 70s/early 80s, layered over percussive backings by Bakari Davis. The spareness of the set reminds us slightly of some of the great recordings made by Murray and Kahil El'Zabar – with a freeness that's still quite rhythmic, always searching within its own boundaries of expression. Titles include "Despair", "Ananas", "Ajaramutations", and "Black Magic".

A beautiful tribute to the genius of trombonist/arranger Melba Liston – and a set that doesn't just copy her music, but really opens up a whole new spirit from its inspiration! Reedman Geof Bradfield composed all the tracks in the set, and puts things together with a spirit that's not unlike some of Melba's best arrangements for middle-sized groups – that way she had of making things tight, and rhythmically soulful – yet still allowing plenty of room for improvisation and individuality amidst the fuller picture of the tunes. Bradfield gets in plenty of great moments on tenor, soprano sax, and bass clarinet – and the rest of the group features Victor Garcia on trumpet and flugelhorn, Joel Adams on trombone, Jeff Parker on guitar, Ryan Cohan on piano, Clark Sommers on bass, and George Fludas on drums. Titles include "Central Avenue", "Dizzy Gillespie", "Detroit/Kingston", "Randy Weston", and "Homecoming" – and the set ends with vocals by Maggie Burrell on the tune "Let Me Not Lose My Dream".

A great remake of "I'll Slip Away" – done by Charles Bradley in a style that's even more soulful than the Rodriguez original! The Menahan Street Band provide backings – and are funky, but laidback too – with this nice echoey guitar underneath Bradley's vocals, and a snapping rhythm part that grooves along, yet lets Charles firmly take the lead! The flipside features the original by Rodriguez – a bit moodier, and with a really dark and echoey quality!

A landmark New York session from Dollar Brand – recorded in the late 70s, with a larger group than usual! Brand spins out some really magical African-tinged jazz grooves – stretching forth in his usual modal mode, but augmented by a great set of horn parts that includes work by Don Cherry, Carlos Ward, and Hamiett Bluiett. Rhythmically, the album is incredibly strong as well – as it features bass work by Johnny Dyani, percussion by Claude Jones and John Betsch, and drums by Roy Brooks – working here at the height of his spiritual powers. One track on the album gets quite free, and titles include "Sister Rosie", "Jabulani" and "Hajj".

A Christmas jazz album – even though you might not guess it from the title and cover – and one that really takes a fresh approach to a wide range of Holiday classics! Guitarist Craig Brann isn't content to simply rehash old melodies – and instead really steps out with creative jazz reworkings of these classic tunes – re-arranging almost all of them with a fresh sense of rhythms, and some angular energy that makes them all a lot more striking than most familiar versions! Tunes are short, but get in plenty of creative changes – and in addition to Brann's guitar, the set also features tenor and alto from Gregory Tardy, piano from Joel Weiskopf, and alto from Nicholas Kozak. Maybe the most openly creative Christmas jazz album since God Rest Ye Merry Jazzmen – with titles that include "We Three Kings", "Angels We Have Heard On High", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", "Hark The Herald", "Little Drummer Boy", and "Joy To The World".