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Previously-unreleased recordings from a brilliant British trio of the 70s – and easily some of the most striking work we've ever heard from pianist Howard Riley! Riley's already one of the freest, most adventurous piano players of the 70s British scene – but here he stretches out even more, especially from a sonic perspective – in the company of Barry Guy on bass and Tony Oxley on percussion and electronics – both players who have this amazing ear for tones and textures that go way past the ordinary, and which seem to inspire Howard to brilliant new ends on the piano! The core of the set features trio material – on "Loops", "Spliced", and "Overground" – then Riley plays a cool overdubbed set of two piano lines on "Recognition" – and Oxley and Riley duet on "Pages".

Way more than a trio recording – as the piano's just one of the key elements in this sound – as bold and free as anything else we've ever heard from Howard Riley, but matched equally by sounds from Barry Guy on bass and Tony Oxley on drums! Both Guy and Oxley are using a bit of electric elements too – Guy some electric bass in addition to his acoustic one – and Oxley some improvised electronics, which add a further crackle to the set – and the free play between all three players is massive – almost a further setting fire to the ideas the Riley was already exploring in his own music. Titles include "Mandrel", "Sirens", "Quantum", and "Ingot". CD also features the bonus track "Runes".

A unique record for Riley, where he collaborates with and writes expressly for the Kronos Quartet, composing several string quartets with his signature minimalist approach incorporating jazz and exotic melodies and large improvised passages. The first album is made up of 3 shorter pieces "Sunrise Of The Planetary Dream Collector", "G Song" and "Mythic Birds Waltz", while "Cadenza On The Night Plain" encompasses both sides of record 2, and goes through quite a few different movements, including "Where Was Wisdom When We Went West?", "March Of The Old Timers Reefer Division", "Tuning To Rolling Thunder", "The Night Cry Of Black Buffalo Woman", "Gathering Of The Spiral Clan" and "Captain Jack Has The Last Word".

Terry Riley's masterpiece, and an enduring classic that never grows old – and which never lapses into the hippy dippyness of some of his other work! The piece features 53 short musical passages, played in an order defined by the players, in minimal repetition, moving in and out of phase synchronicity – ever shifting, turning, and drifting – all to create a remarkable tapestry of sound, texture, and melody. This recording of the work is still the best, and it was produced with excellent care by David Behrman, as part of Columbia's great "music of our time" series. Wonderful throughout – and always a treat!

Incredible acoustic folk guitar and vocals from Chicago's Riley Walker – which actually sounds like comes from the late 60s/early 70s British scene! Riley sings and is accompanied on double bass and drums on "Clear The Sky" and the flipside "Joni's Tune" is a solo instrumental. Both are timeless, but definitely feel like they were influenced by some of our favorite Brits, including Nick Drake and Bert Jansch. Honestly, it's truly good enough bring up names that legendary for comparsion. Beautiful stuff!

A rare session on BYG/Actuel – not jazz, but avant classical work, featuring two striking modern pieces! Side one features Terry Riley's "Keyboard Study 2" – performed by pianists Gerard Fremy and Martine Joste. Side two features Pierre Marietan's "Initiative 1" – performed by GERM, the Groupe D'Etude et Realisation Musicale, featuring a lineup that includes piano, cello, trumpet, violin, bass, and voice.

Great trio sounds from tenorist Stephen Riley – working here in a loose setting that features the bass of Neal Caine and drums of Billy Hart! The title of the set is certainly apt, as Hart's spacious approach to the drums really structures the music here – often leaving some wide open spaces for Riley to step in and blow with a sweet raspy sort of tone – a style that's got a nice edge on the harder numbers, and a really compelling sort of warmth on the gentler ones! The track selection really keeps things interesting too – and titles include "Black Narcissus", "Mr Sandman", "Just You Just Me", "Isotope", "Lonnie's Lament", "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", and "Ba Lue Bolivar Ba Lues Are".

A beautiful later set from Lorez Alexandria – produced by Houston Person, and put together with a sensitivity that really stands out! Although Lorez always sparkles on tunes that swing, she really rises to the occasion even more here on the ballads – really gentle tunes that are taken in a laidback, personal sort of way – sometimes stretching out to the 10 minute mark, and presented by Lorez in a way that's open, unhurried, and a far cry from the usual quick take on an evergreen standard. The group features the great Gildo Mahones on piano – plus Herman Riley on tenor, Grant Geissman on guitar, Andy Simpkins on bass, and Sherman Ferguson on drums. Mahones handled the arrangements – always a plus – and titles include "I Should Care", "Love Walked In", "I'll Never Stop Loving You", "No Moon At All", "All My Life", "For All We Know", and "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning".

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

A classic live cooker from Ray Bryant – one of his few concert recordings from the earlier years, and a nicely jamming album that keeps up with the vibe of his studio work for Sue Records! The set's recorded with a really strong emphasis on the keys – so that Ray's heavy left hand lines ring out especially loudly, almost completely dominating the bass of Jimmy Rowser and drums of Ben Riley. Titles include versions of Ray's own tracks "All The Young Ladies" and "Sister Suzie", plus "C Jam Blues", "Blue Azurte", and "What Is This Thing Called Love".

The complete Okeh label recordings of Billy Butler – Jerry Butler's lesser-known brother, but an even more grooving artist on the Chicago soul scene of the 60s! Billy's work at Okeh is easily some of the best of the all-great imprint – tracks that step, slide, and groove along in a flurry of tight-edged Chi-soul rhythms – nearly all of which are produced by the legendary Carl Davis, with arrangements from Johnny Pate and Riley Hampton! Billy's in the lead on vocals, but nearly all numbers have a strong harmony soul component too – support from The Four Enchanters or Chanters – in a mode that echoes The Impressions' style of the time somewhat, but which also carries more of the Butler-family emotive quality, thanks to the stronger lead. This is the first time all this material has ever been brought together so well – and the package features great notes and a number of previously unissued titles as well – including some rare versions and instrumentals that are sure to get some play from Northern Soul listeners. Titles include "Found True Love", "Lady Love", "Gotta Get Away", "Can't Live Without Her", "Right Track", "Boston Monkey", "Does It Matter", "Fighting A Losing Battle", "To Be Or Not To Be", "Singing The Blues", and "You're Gonna Be Sorry".

Sublime minimal sounds from Italian composer Robert Cacciapaglia – a record we'd rank right up there with the 70s best from Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass! Cacciapaglia follows in a tradition begun by other Italian modernists – like Giusto Pio and Franco Battiatto – but he also adds in phase-oriented playing that really opens things up – a beautifully lyrical vibe that's probably most close to Terry Riley in its hypnotic swell, but which is carried off here through complicated variations of strings, woodwinds, electronics, marimba, and some especially great vocal passages! The cover's as wonderful as the music – and the whole thing's a set we've treasured for years.

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

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

A mighty helping of music from the overlooked Mitty Collier – a 60s soul singer on Chess Records, and one who was every bit as great as bigger label stars like Etta James or Fontella Bass! Like both of those singers, Mitty's got a voice that grabs you right from the get-go – a deeply soulful approach to her music that's really fresh and without cliche – especially considering she got her start belting out tunes years before some of the bigger names in 60s female soul, and managed to keep things mighty real all the years she was working at Chess. Production and arrangements here are all top shelf – handled by Phil Wright, Riley Hampton, and others – and the CD offers up 24 gems from Mitty's years at Chess – the a-sides of all 15 singles cut for the label, plus 9 more great tunes from the flips! Titles include "Everybody Makes A Mistake Sometimes", "Gotta Get Away From It All", "I've Got Love", "I Had A Talk With My Man", "Walk Away", "My Party", "Sharing You", "That'll Be Good Enough For Me", "Git Out", "Watching & Waiting", "Like Only Yesterday", "No Faith No Love", "I'm Your Part Time Love", and "Miss Loneliness".

A soul jazz Latin classic – one that matches the searing tenor work of Eddie Lockjaw Davis with the hard-hitting conga of a young Ray Barretto! The core group of the set is a soul jazz one – with Lockjaw blowing over rhythm by Lloyd Mayers on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – plus a small added trumpet section on a few tracks. Ray comes into the mix with some really tight percussion on the bottom, aided by a few other players at times – kicking up the tunes and giving them a lot of fire – something that Davis seems to really respond to in his horn. Thanks should also be given to arranger Gil Lopez, who put together the overall sound of the set – and the album's a hard groover all the way through, filled with Latin jammers like "Wild Rice", "Jazz-a-Samba", "Guanco Lament", "Afro Jaws", and "Tin Tin Deo".

Classic tenors head-to-head – as Griff & Lock lay out one of their excellent 2 tenor classics from the early 60s! The rhythm section's deeply soulful – with Junior Mance on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – and the album grooves through some long blowers, a mellow number, and a few choppy modern ones. Titles include "Last Train From Overbrook", "Second Balcony Jump", "Midnight At Mintons", "Hey Lock", and "Good Bait".

Righteous late 60s soul from The Impressions – the group's last album with Curtis Mayfield in the lineup! The sound here follows heavily from the Young Mods and This Is My Country years – a heavier take on the trio's soul stylings than their work over at ABC in the mid 60s – pushed into more heady political territory, yet still informed with an unmatched approach to harmony soul. Arrangements are by Riley Hampton and Gary Slabo, and they've got some great psychedelic soul touches that are a perfect precursor to Curtis Mayfield's solo work to follow on Curtom – a great groove that steps out wonderfully with an undercurrent of funk in the mix. Henry Gibson plays some great congas on the set – again hinting at the Mayfield sound to come – and titles include "Check Out Your Mind", "Madam Mary", "We Must Be In Love", "Only You", "Say You Love Me", "Turn On To Me", "Do You Wanna Win", and "You're Really Something Sadie".

60s Chicago soul doesn't get any better than this – a sublime debut from the legendary Walter Jackson – done in a smoothly sophisticated style that set a whole new standard for the genre! The record steps off nicely from some of the earliest work by Jerry Butler and The Impressions – blending Chicago soul with more adult-styled orchestrations from Riley Hampton – at a level that has Jackson sitting beautifully across a number of different modes at once – still appealing to the kids with the uptown groovers on the set, but also reaching to an older crowd with the beautiful ballads and heartbreaking love songs. The sound is incredible – easily one of the most fully realized full-length soul records on the Okeh label – and titles include "What Would You Do", "There Goes That Song Again", "I Don't Want To Suffer", "That's What Mama Say", and "It's All Over". CD adds in 10 more bonus tracks – most of which are previously unissued – making for an amazing collection that's one of the first time that Jackson's work at Okeh is finally getting its due! Bonus titles include "The Heartbreak Road", "Anything Can Happen", "Blue Rose", "Starting Tomorrow", "Don't Play With Love", "It's Hard To Believe", "You Gotta Give", and "Tell The World".

A tremendous second step for Chicago soul legend Walter Jackson – packaged here with a huge amount of bonus tracks as well! The core album is a sublime mix of new tunes and re-imagined standards – and a set that takes Walter Jackson into even more sophisticated soul territory than before! The record is proof that the up and coming soul artists of the 60s had a key place alongside the more established mainstream acts on the other side of the fence – as Walter's working here with arranger Riley Hampton to re-cast a number of familiar tunes in his cool Iceman soul mode – changing the themes, rhythms, and inflections of the tracks for a more contemporary soul market – and also interspersing them with a few great new songs of his own! The approach is amazing – far better than even Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson's work in a similar idiom – and the album features the sublime hit "Welcome Home", plus the Van McCoy tunes "Suddenly I'm All Alone", "Still At The Mercy Of Your Love", and "The Magic's Gone" – alongside versions of "Moon River", "Let It Be Me", "Imagination", and "My Funny Valentine". Added to the original album are 7 more rare tracks pulled from singles – some of the true gems in Jackson's 60s career for Okeh – with titles that include "Deep In The Heart Of Harlem", "Cold Cold Winter", "That's When I Come To You", "Special Love", "One Heart Lonely", "I Think It's Going To Rain Today", and "The Folks Who Live On The Hill".

Unbelievably beautiful work – and possibly the greatest album ever from the mighty Walter Jackson! Jackson was one of the best singers to come out of the Chicago soul scene of the 60s, and his Okeh recordings are a perfect example of the city's sophisticated approach to Iceman soul – as perfected by Walter, Jerry Butler, and (later) Garland Green. The arrangements are by Riley Hampton, and they have a cold fragile beauty that lingers somewhere between a Scott Walker album and Riley's earlier work with Lorez Alexandria – and the no-filler selection of songs is one of Jackson's best ever– a range of work that really show his deep talents, and his maturing approach to a tune – proud, powerful, and a new level of adult sophistication in soul. Titles include the amazing title cut "Speak Her Name" – plus "Corner In The Sun", "My One Chance To Make It", "It's An Uphill Climb To The Bottom", and "Not You". This expanded CD makes the original album ever better – and adds in a full batch of 10 bonus tracks – some of which are unissued, others of which are rare singles from Jackson's later Okeh years, plus rare Epic sides. Bonus titles include "No Butterflies", "Ad Lib", "The Look Of Love", "The Bed", "Forget The Girl", "My Ship Is Coming In", "Road To Ruin", and "Just One Smile".

Wonderfully sophisticated soul from Etta James – a real departure from the raw shouting R&B of earlier years, and perfectly set to sparkling arrangements by the great Riley Hampton (who'd had similar success with Walter Jackson, Lorez Alexandria, and other Chicago soul stars.) Hampton's dark use of strings brings out a whole new side of James' brilliance – a quality that raised Etta James up out of the R&B ghetto, and forever put her into the legions of legendary 60s soul stars! Titles include the perennial classic "At Last", plus "All I Could Do Was Cry", "Tough Mary", "Sunday Kind Of Love", "Anything To Say You're Mine", and "Trust In Me".

Queen of Soul is right! Heck, on these early albums, Etta practically invented soul – or at least invented a deep soul style of singing that would be taken up by countless other female singers during the 60s, but rarely matched with this kind of brilliance. Straight up beatiful stuff! The arrangements are uncredited, but we think they're probably by Riley Hampton – who did so much of Etta's other wonderful work in the early 60s. The recordings for sure took place at points between '62 and '64, mostly in Chicago, with couple in New York and one in Nashville. One other thing that is crystal clear about the sessions is that she had access to the very best musicians and the best sound possible – all you need is a listen to know that! The album's an all-solid, all-soul record with loads of obscure tunes and not a bit of filler! Titles include "Flight 101", "Bobby Is His Name", "Breaking Point", "Mello Fellow", "Do Right", and "Somewhere Out There". This first ever proper CD release is loaded with excellent bonus material – recordings from the same early-to-mid 60s period – 13 of them "You Got Me Where You Want Me", "Only Time Will Tell", "Pushover". "You Can't Talk To A Fool", "Would It Make Any Difference To You", "Pay Back", "Tomorrow Night", "I Can't Hold It Any More" and more. 23 tracks in all!

A nice little take on the "city symphony" mode that was big in American music a few decades back – served up by the Wynton Marsalis Septet of the early 90s, with decidedly modern touches! The double-length album's a three-tiered affair – with part one standing out as Wynton's extended "Cityscape" – a tribute to New York, done in styles that range from mellow and contemplative, to more hustling and bustling, in true speed of the city. Next up is another suite of tracks titled "Transatlantic Echoes" – work that's still jazz-based, but with a nod to African roots in some of the percussion and phrasing. Last up is "Some Present Moments Of The Future" – the final suite of the album, and one that almost echoes some of the rootsier modes explored by Wynton in his southern trilogy of a few years before. Players include Wynton on trumpet, Todd Williams on tenor and soprano sax, Wes Anderson on alto, Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, Reginald Veal on bass, Herlin Riley on drums, and Eric Reed on piano – and the album also features some guest tenor from Herb Harris and a bit of piano by Marthaniel Roberts.

One of our favorite Thelonious Monk albums ever – a bare bones, no nonsense session that's filled with great work from tenorist Charlie Rouse! The record's filled with everything that's great about the Monk/Rouse team in these years – an incredible interplay between sax and piano, served up over the sorts of angular tunes that Monk had been putting forth for years, but somehow at a level that's even more perfect, more "Monkish" than before! Other members of the group are Butch Warren on bass and Ben Riley on drums – and titles include "Lulu's Back In Town", "Memories Of You", "Brake's Sake", "Stuffy Turkey", and "Shuffle Boil".

Classic 60s work from Thelonious Monk – featuring his incredible quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor, certainly Monk's best-ever musical soulmate! The album features some newer versions of older tunes, and a few written just for the album – but the source of the material is not important, as the Monk/Rouse treatment always transforms whatever is handled, and recreates the work as an an angular sculpture of modernist beauty. Other players include Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums – and titles include "Locomotive", "Blue Sea", "We See", "Japanese Folk Song", and "Straight No Chaser". Features previously unreleased versions of "Green Chimneys" and "I Didn't Know About You".

With Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Roland Hanna on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Ben Riley on drums.

Chicago Soul/New York Underground issue. Songwriter/manager Bernice Williams recalls the early days of Gene Chandler/The Du-Kays, and the true story of "Duke of Earl"; Northern Soul legends the Conquistadors tell tales of 1960s West Side Chicago teenage R&B (plus the first soul Jesus concept album); Do "The Chimp" with Chicago 60s garage rocker/R&B singer Jerry Mundo; H. Dwight Thompson tells tales of 70s NYC punk with the Heat and Klaus Nomi's first band! Relive the early Hip Hop parties of the Disco Fever nightclub; Nardwuar meets Jay-Z and N*E*R*D*; plus great interviews with Chris Montez and Doug Randle, and amazing tributes (by those who knew them) to Lux Interior, Michael Jackson, Billy Lee Riley, Sid Lavarents, Sky Saxon and (sadly) more. And amazing comix about Lennon, Danzig, Hagar, record store clerks, hot dogs, riots, and much more by the best underground cartoonists on earth! 120 pages.

Previously unreleased work from the important British Iskra ensemble of the 70s – and quite possibly some of the most striking we've ever heard from the group! Trombonist Paul Rutherford is at the helm – conducting a large ensemble on two of the long tracks here – and playing solo trombone on a third – in a way that's really wonderful, filled with creative sonic elements which really do a great job of balancing out the larger sonic explorations of the larger group! The full Iskra 1912 ensemble features additional trombone from Malcolm Griffiths, Paul Nieman, and Geoff Perkins – plus trumpet from Kenny Wheeler, reeds from Dave White and Evan Parker, piano from Howard Riley, guitar from Derek Bailey, bass from Barry Guy, and electronics from Tony Oxley. Both Maggie Nicols and Norma Winstone sing – and the two long ensemble tracks are titled "Sequence 72" and "Sequence 73".

Excellent work by Lonnie Smith – a free-flowing album of long jazzy grooves that's kind of an extension of his Blue Note albums, touched with more of the electricity of his 70s playing! There's some killer rhythms on the album – courtesy of drummers Jamey Hudad and Ben Riley, and electric bassists Ron Carter and Ralphe Armstrong – and Lonnie's on organ grooving alongside a young Joe Lovano, who plays some killer tenor and soprano sax. Includes the 15 minute jammer "Spirits Free", plus "Afrodesia", "Favors", "Straight To The Point", and "The Awakening".

The title here is an apt one – as the SME is a trio on most of these recordings, but augmented by a nice range of players on two of the album's five tracks! The core group features John Stevens on cornet and percussion, Nigel Coombes on violin, and Roger Smith on guitar – working in some relatively subtle sonic space together on their own tracks – but really hitting their stride as the group expands! Added players include Jon Corbett on trumpet, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Trevor Watts and Lol Coxhill on soprano saxes, Howard Riley on piano, and Maggie Nicols on voice – and titles include "Triangle", "Reciprocal", "A Fragment Of Static", and "Newcastle 78A".

One of the best trio sessions we've ever heard from Horace Tapscott – warmer and a bit more soulful than some of his other sides of this nature, and played with a well-rounded style that really hits home! The group features great drum work from Ben Riley, and bass by Fred Hopkins – and the set list includes some of Tapscott's excellent original compositions, the kind of blocky, searching tunes that have always made his writing a favorite of ours. Titles include "Sandy & Niles", "As A Child", "To The Great House", and "Chico's Back In Town".

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

A pair of lost classics – back to back in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Mary Wells album – non-Motown magic from Wells – a killer 60s album that really lives up to her previous promise! The scope is a bit wider here than before – and Mary's wonderful throughout, sticking closely in that classic blend of class and soul that made her one of the first standout stars of Motown – moving in equally great company here with studio help from Carl Davis, Riley Hampton, and Andre Williams! The tunes have a sweet midtempo groove – almost a bit of early Detroit into Chicago mid 60s soul – and titles include "Never Never Leave Me", "Use Your Head", "My Mind's Made Up", "Why Don't You Let Yourself Go", and "We're Just Two Of A Kind". Love Songs To The Beatles is even more compelling – the best of the 60s genre! Sure, Esther Phillips and a few other 60s soul singers were recording Beatles tracks – but Mary Wells was the real deal, as she even had the support of the group itself, who made it known that she was one of their favorite American soul artists. This nice album on 20th Century features an all-Beatles set of tracks – with titles like "I Should Have Known Better", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "Yesterday", "And I Love Him", and "Ticket To Ride". The arrangements are all uptown soul, and give the songs a more sophisticated sound than the original recordings. A record we don't see that often, and a nice lost gem! Bonus tracks include "Jive Guy", "I'm Learnin", "I'm Sorry", "Say What You Gotta Say", and "Memories Are Creepin Up On Me".

A really wonderful little record – one headed up by John Zorn, but actually featuring instrumentation from the trio of Bill Frisell on guitar, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, and Carol Emanuel on harp! The mix of instruments is wonderful – and rings out here with gentle progressions that almost remind us of some Terry Riley projects in the 70s, but a bit more intimate and less minimal too – lots of gentle colors from the vibes and guitar ringing next to some more subtle progressions from the harp – all at a level that's way beyond jazz or familiar compositional music! Zorn composed, arranged, and produced – and titles include "The Nymphs", "Sacred Oracle", "Dance Of Sappho", "The Bacchanalia", "Ode To The Cathars", and "Apollo".

Soul Jazz Records takes on country music – and the result is one of their most compelling collections in years! As you'd guess from the title, there's a definite focus on females here – country singers from the 60s and 70s especially, often presented in unusual tunes that work together perfectly – showing a strong sense of power as the set rolls on, a surprisingly strong feminist bent that most folks might miss in the music! That special focus is what really makes the collection shine – a great ear for tunes we might have missed otherwise, pulled together from the farther reaches of the artists' careers, and given the special Soul Jazz spin in the notes – just to let you know that none of these great qualities were accidental. Titles include "Mr Walker It's All Over" by Billie Jo Spears, "Two Whoops & A Holler" by Jean Shepard, "Tonight My Baby's Coming Home" by Tammy Wynette, "Reunion" by Bobby Gentry, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" by Kitty Wells, "I'll Never Do You Wrong" by Diana Trask, "I've Done A Lot Of Living Since Then" by Jeannie C Riley, "Fancy" by Lynn Anderson, "Saunders Ferry Lane" by Sammi Smith, "A Woman Left Lonely" by Jody Miller, and "He's All I Got" by Norma Jean.

A sweet and long overdue second set of Mo' Jazz from the Acid Jazz label – who made us wait just about 20 years for it – and much like the early 90s collection, it's a fresh take on timeless jazzy sounds that'll stand the test of time! It puts together nice contemporary numbers by Laurent Doumont, Filthy Six, Derek and Jodi Chai, The Cavemen, Max Middleton, G's Way and others – with riffs on classic post bebop jazz, organ funk, boozy jazzy soul ballads and more – with nicely cooking instros and vocal numbers alike. Classic-schooled, fresh sounds from artists we hope to hear much more from in the future. Bring on Vol 3! Includes "Everything I Do's Gonna Be Funky" by Laurent Doumont, "Live Again" by Derek Chai feat Jodi Chai, "Pedalo" by Riley Stone-Lonergan, "Wine Cups" by Richard Bundy, "Get Down" by Filthy Six, "Booze Blues" by Nigel Price Trio, "Return Of The Prodigal Son" by The Cavemen, "Treehouse" by Sam Q's Night Patrol, "Catch Me If You Can" by G's Way and more, 12 in all.

A sweet and long overdue second set of Mo' Jazz from the Acid Jazz label – who made us wait just about 20 years for it – and much like the early 90s collection, it's a fresh take on timeless jazzy sounds that'll stand the test of time! It puts together nice contemporary numbers by Laurent Doumont, Filthy Six, Derek and Jodi Chai, The Cavemen, Max Middleton, G's Way and others – with riffs on classic post bebop jazz, organ funk, boozy jazzy soul ballads and more – with nicely cooking instros and vocal numbers alike. Classic-schooled, fresh sounds from artists we hope to hear much more from in the future. Bring on Vol 3! Includes "Everything I Do's Gonna Be Funky" by Laurent Doumont, "Live Again" by Derek Chai feat Jodi Chai, "Pedalo" by Riley Stone-Lonergan, "Wine Cups" by Richard Bundy, "Get Down" by Filthy Six, "Booze Blues" by Nigel Price Trio, "Return Of The Prodigal Son" by The Cavemen, "Treehouse" by Sam Q's Night Patrol, "Catch Me If You Can" by G's Way and more, 12 in all.

One of Jeremy Steig's earliest albums – less funky than some of his later work, but still a darn great album, with a much more soulful sound than you'd expect. Part of this has to do with the rhythm section of Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Riley on drums – both of whom put a nice kick in the proceedings, and substantially ground and groove the solo work of Steig's flute and Denny Zeitlin's piano. Titles include "So What", "Well You Needn't", "Blue Seven", "Oleo", and "Lover Man".

A post-Curtis Mayfield album by The Impressions – but one that crackles with the raw righteousness of Curtis' first few solo albums on Curtom! Mayfield's place here is held by the amazing Leroy Hutson – one of our favorite soul talents of the 70s, really sparkling here in the trio before moving onto his own run of classics for Curtom – with a vocal quality that's solidly soulful, and possibly even more progressively pointed than Curtis. Hutson helped co-arrange the album with Riley Hampton – and production is by Curtis Mayfield, who brings in all the right elements of fuzz and funk to really keep the group sounding hip. Titles include the classic peace song "Stop the War", plus "I Need To Belong To Someone", "Love Me", "Our Love Goes On & On", "This Love's for Real", and a cool cover of "Inner City Blues".

One of those records that we remember dismissing at the time – but honestly, it really lives up to repeated listenings in later years! Sure, Michael Jackson's no longer working with Quincy Jones – and instead goes for Teddy Riley and some other (then) contemporary producers – but that all makes for a very solid 90s crossover vibe – perfect for radio play a the time, not to mention heavy video rotation too – and definitely still another jewel in the crown of the King of Pop! Titles include "Remember The Time", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", "In The Closet", "Jam", "Dangerous", "Gone Too Soon", "Will You Be There", "Black Or White", "She Drives Me Wild", and "Can't Let Her Get Away".

One of those records that we remember dismissing at the time – but honestly, it really lives up to repeated listenings in later years! Sure, Michael Jackson's no longer working with Quincy Jones – and instead goes for Teddy Riley and some other (then) contemporary producers – but that all makes for a very solid 90s crossover vibe – perfect for radio play a the time, not to mention heavy video rotation too – and definitely still another jewel in the crown of the King of Pop! Titles include "Remember The Time", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", "In The Closet", "Jam", "Dangerous", "Gone Too Soon", "Will You Be There", "Black Or White", "She Drives Me Wild", and "Can't Let Her Get Away".

Wonderfully sophisticated soul from Etta James – a real departure from the raw shouting R&B of earlier years, and perfectly set to sparkling arrangements by the great Riley Hampton (who'd had similar success with Walter Jackson, Lorez Alexandria, and other Chicago soul stars.) Hampton's dark use of strings brings out a whole new side of James' brilliance – a quality that raised Etta James up out of the R&B ghetto, and forever put her into the legions of legendary 60s soul stars! Titles include the perennial classic "At Last", plus "All I Could Do Was Cry", "Tough Mary", "Sunday Kind Of Love", "Anything To Say You're Mine", and "Trust In Me". CD features 4 bonus tracks – "My Heart Cries", "Spoonful", "It's A Crying Shame", and "If I Can't Have You".

Sweet electric funk from Blue – recorded in a warm, largely arranged style that's reminiscent of the best Freddie Hubbard fusion work from the 70s – but which has an even tighter sound overall! The groove is great – kind of a Kudu Records vibe, and Blue's actually quite good in this format – stepping off with a bit more confidence than on his electric sides from Mainstream, and getting the benefit of some great tenor sax work from Harold Land on a few numbers! Mitchell's always one of those players who actually seems to stretch out more in a set where he's not the leader of a small combo – and his solos here are surprisingly strong, and filled with soul – as are those of Land and tenorist Herman Riley. Titles include "Sand Castles", "Ojos De Rojo", "Mississippi Jump", "As", "Square Business", and "Forget".

Monk doing his thing at the '64 Monterey Jazz Festival – backed by his core group of Charlie Rouse on tenor, Steve Swallow on bass and Ben Riley on drums – plus additional backing by the Monterey Workshop crew on a couple – a recording released now for the first time ever! Monk's playing here with space and nuance, but still kicks up the energy in spots – incorporating the accompanying players on the closing 2 tracks – which included Buddy Collette on sax & flute, Lou Blackburn on trombone, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Bobby Bryant & Melvin more on trumpets. The takes all run north of 8 minutes, and titles include "Blue Monk", "Evidence", "Bright Mississippi", "Rhythm-A-Ning", plus "Think Of One" and the immortal "Straight No Chaser" – fleshed out with the bigger band!

Nice 2LP set released in the 80s of some wonderful live sides recorded in San Francisco at the Jazz Workshop in 1964. Longtime Monk sideman Charlie Rouse is on tenor with Larry Gales and Ben Riley in the rhythm section, performing classic Monk material, 13 tracks in all: "Don't Blame Me", "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are", "Well You Needn't", "Evidence (Justice)/Rhythm-a-ning", "Round About Midnight", "I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You", "Bemsha Swing", "Memories Of You (Just You Just Me)", "Blue Monk", "Misterioso", "Hackensack", "Bright Mississippi" and "Epistrophy".

Thelonious Monk meets the mighty Oliver Nelson – the hip bigger band arranger who was helping so many other artists find their groove back in the 60s! The result is less Nelson-led than some of Oliver's other albums of the time – and instead, the arranger is nicely respectful of Monk's core sound – and still manages to led Thelonious keep the frontline strong on piano, and work with familiar players are the core who include Charlie Rouse on tenor, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. Nelson's touch seeks mostly to augment the Monkish lines with some larger horn shadings – sometimes a bit upbeat, but never more swinging than Monk might want. There's enough of a blue tone here to keep this one nicely in line with the rest of the 60s Columbia catalog for Thelonious – and titles include "Monk's Point", "Consecutive Seconds", "Let's Cool One", and "Rootie Tootie".

The last French album from Igor Wakevitch – recorded before eventually settling in India – and a very meditative set that possibly marks the trajectory of that move! The songs are longer than before, and filled with very hypnotic lines – somewhere in a space that echoes La Monte Young or Terry Riley, but still touched with all the darker corners and textures we live in Igor's earlier music! Voices intertwine with keyboards in a very weird way – almost whispers in the dark when they do appear, but with an elliptical sense of repetition that makes them more musical too – especially alongside Wakevitch's strong tendencies to really abstract the his keyboard sounds way past their roots. Titles include "Monks In the Snow", "Ramallah's Road", "Eriador", and "Taddy's Fruit Garden".

Soul Jazz Records takes on country music – and the result is one of their most compelling collections in years! As you'd guess from the title, there's a definite focus on females here – country singers from the 60s and 70s especially, often presented in unusual tunes that work together perfectly – showing a strong sense of power as the set rolls on, a surprisingly strong feminist bent that most folks might miss in the music! That special focus is what really makes the collection shine – a great ear for tunes we might have missed otherwise, pulled together from the farther reaches of the artists' careers, and given the special Soul Jazz spin in the notes – just to let you know that none of these great qualities were accidental. Titles include "Mr Walker It's All Over" by Billie Jo Spears, "Two Whoops & A Holler" by Jean Shepard, "Tonight My Baby's Coming Home" by Tammy Wynette, "Reunion" by Bobby Gentry, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" by Kitty Wells, "I'll Never Do You Wrong" by Diana Trask, "I've Done A Lot Of Living Since Then" by Jeannie C Riley, "Fancy" by Lynn Anderson, "Saunders Ferry Lane" by Sammi Smith, "A Woman Left Lonely" by Jody Miller, and "He's All I Got" by Norma Jean.

A beautiful later session from Bill Barron – one that has him playing both tenor and soprano sax, in a group with brother Kenny on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. The feel here is quite different than Barron's earlier groundbreaking work – but equally wonderful in its own sort of way. Bill keeps things sweet and soulful – bringing in some slight modern touches, but also opening up in a style that's got more of the soul jazz inflections that were showing up on the best Muse sides of the time. Titles include "Yes No Maybe So", "This One's for Monk", "Easy Does It", and "Travelin' On the Freeway".

Although Jerry Butler got his start singing some of Curtis Mayfield's early work, the geniuses at Vee Jay had the sharp idea of shopping for a few songs in New York, and they managed to come up with these two gems, both of which are classics from Jerry's second wave of hits! Believe it or not, "Moon River" was the first pop version ever recorded (according to Mancini himself), and it's delivered here perfectly with fab Riley Hampton arrangements.

Moody, moody stuff from Ron – who's really opening up his scope on this album, one cut during his strong emergence as an arranger/composer with a bent for pushing the bass way past its traditional jazz role. The record features Carter on a variety of basses, and features different groupings of players that include Billy Cobham, Ben Riley, Kenny Barron, Don Grolnick, and Dom Um Romao. Titles include "Epsistrophy", "Yellow & Green", "Tenaj", and "Receipt, Please".

Beautifully high concept work from Alice Coltrane – the kind of record you'd use to announce the arrival of a new king – or lord, for that matter! The record features Coltrane at the head of a large group of string players – creating a full, rich sound that serves as the backdrop for the core group of musicians – a trio that features Alice on piano, organ, and harp, plus Charlie Haden on bass and Ben Riley on drums and percussion. The tracks are long, and at times very dark – extremely powerful in their sound, and with a sense of hope, life, and majesty that's extremely inspiring! Titles include "Sri Rama Ohnedaruth", "The Firebird", "Lord of Lords", and "Going Home".

A great little session – ostensibly a tribute to Clifford Brown, but way more than that! The set's actually an excellent soul bop session – recorded with a sextet that features Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Barron, Cecil McBee, and Ben Riley, working together in that soulful spiritual mode that Golson was exploring wonderfully at the time, and which is a good extension of Shaw's work of the late 70s. Tracks include "No Dancin", "Time Speaks", "Blues For Duanae", "Theme For Maxine", and "Jordu".

A strong soul jazz session – one in which South African pianist Ibrahim meets up with some New York players like Carlos Ward, Ricky Ford, Charles Davis, Cecil McBee, and Ben Riley. The result is a warm batch of melodic tunes that have the strong spiritual sound of some of the best work on labels like India Navigation or Strata East from the late 70s. Titles include "Sotho Blue", "Ekaya", "Bra Timing From Phomolong", and "Cape Town".

The third set of hip hop jazz instrumentals from J Rawls & The Liquid Crystal Project – blending breezy 70s soul jazz inspired keys and horns with the head-nodding beat aesthetic of the most timeless hip hop – working as strongly on the jazzy side here, if not more so! Producer & DJ J Rawls once again works with fellow producer and keys player B Jazz along with drummer Rob Riley, Charles Cooper and Eddie Bayard on sax, plus guest trumpeter Pharez Whitted (the horns really bring some incredible depth). It's wonderful stuff! The electric keys lend a smoothed out finish, though still with a jazz funk vibe, while the bass, drums and beats carry a hip hop-reared insistence. Get it! Includes "Nematic Surprise", "A Tribute To De La", "Stand Up", "A Tribute To JC", "Friedrich And Otto", "Ghetto", "195", "A Tribute To Tribe", "The Equinox", "The Maier-Saupe Story", "Jazzy Bobby", "Where Is The Love", "Work" and more.

A killer second set from Johnny Kemp – and a great showcase for the talents of a young Teddy Riley too! Teddy helped out with the album's leadoff track – the excellent "Just Got Paid", one of those 80s soul numbers that broke big right of the box – and which has gone onto be one of the best illustrations of mainstream soul at its best from the time! And while that track's got an infectious energy that's undeniable, the record also shows Johnny Kemp in a lot more flavors – including some great ballad modes that really let his unique vocals sparkle and glisten. Titles include the great "Urban Times Medley" of "Inner City Blues/Mercy Mercy Me" – plus "Dancin With Myself", "My Only Want Is You", "One Thing Led To Another", "Feeling Without Touching", "Just Like Flying", and "Just Got Paid".

A pair of overlooked trio dates from the 70s – packaged together here as a great little set! First up is the Prime Time album from Hugh Lawson – a killer date as a leader for this Detroit pianist we first came to love through his recordings with Yusef Lateef – an artist who possibly never got his due as strongly as so many others to come up in the late 50s/early 60s scene – but who sparkles here with a maturity that really comes through in his music! There's a deep feel to the record that really comes through in the choice of tunes – work by Charles Mingus, Clifford Jordan, and Sonelius Smith – not to mention a few of Lawson's own great tunes – and Lawson often has a Cedar Walton-like ability to play lyrically, yet still with a soaring sort of force. The trio features great rhythm from the team of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Ben Riley on drums – and titles include "Rip Off", "The Duke Ellington Sound Of Love", "The Highest Mountain", "Blue Bones", and "The Need To Smile" – plus some bonus alternate takes. Then Here & Now is a sparkling set from pianist Richard Wyands – and a great demonstration of that soulful flow he's really unfurled strongly in later years – captured here in an obscure trio outing from the late 70s! Wyands' is part of a small number of players who can be lyrical, yet forceful at the same time – a mode that we might link to the Cedar Walton school of piano – but which is voiced here with an individual approach that's definitely Richard's own – and swung with the perfect sort of groove by bassist Lisle Atkinson and drummer David Lee. Titles include the originals "Lenora" and "Yes It Is" – plus "Lament", "Never Let Me Go", and "Yesterdays" – plus some bonus alternate takes.

Incredible work from Nico – easily one of her most haunting albums ever, and a huge step forward even from the sublime Chelsea Girl record! John Cale produced and arranged the album, and plays some extra-spooky harmonium throughout – an instrument that's got the same low, dead tones as Nico's vocals – which makes for a wonderfully haunting blend! Parts of the record echo the minimal explorations that Cale did with Terry Riley, but in a different way – with heroin definitely playing strongly as part of the aesthetic. The album's a gem through and through – definitely one of the few crucial solo works from Nico – and titles include "My Only Child", "All That Is My Own", "Afraid", "Janitor Of Lunacy", and "Abschied".

Amazing sounds from Niger – some really hypnotic lines on electric organ – played in a way that's unlike any other use of the instrument we've ever heard! There's a flowing, water-like quality to the music that's almost in the territory of Terry Riley's work on organ – yet the overall approach is a bit more varied, too, with more shifts throughout the course of each song – creating these melodic pulses that are extremely beautiful, and a bit more tune-like than Riley. The album's hardly what you'd expect from an African album of the 70s – and is one of those completely unique, completely transcendent records that keeps on rewarding the listener for many years. Titles include "Lamru", "Lidda", "Bodo", "Tunan", and "Salamatu".

The 6th in the great Imaginational Anthem series from Tompkins Square – which explores the great solo American folk guitar traditions of the past century to today – and this one goes back the furthest yet! Features beautiful surviving recordings from as far back as the 1920s and 1930s by Sylvester Weaver, Riley Puckett, Davy Miller, Sam McGee, Lemuel Turner, Bayless Rose and more. 14 in all: "Guitar Rag" by Sylverster Weaver, "Darkey's Wail" by Riley Puckett, "Frisco Blues" by Bayless Rose, "Jailhouse Rag" by Davy Miller, "Tramp Waltz" by Lemuel Turner, "Jamestown Exhibition" by Bayless Rose and more.

Completely enigmatic songs from Lonnie Holley – and completely wonderful music too! Lonnie's got a style that we guess we might call jazz vocal – but it's also got these long, drawn-out aspects of the phrasing that's very unique – maybe pulled a bit from ethnographic sources, or maybe even southern blues – yet the approach isn't blues at all – and instead is a really other-worldly sound! The instrumentation is often quite spare – a spacey organ line here, or haunting keyboard element there – used with a Terry Riley-like minimalism, but very slowly – so that the music moves at the same unfolding pace as the vocals. Titles include "Looking For All", "Earthly Things", "Fifth Child Burning", "The End Of The Film Era", and "Here I Stand Knocking At Your Door".

Hardly the kind of record you'd expect with the words "castle" and "country" in the title – a madly tripped-out sound library session that's equal parts psych funk and experimental sounds! Some of the shorter tunes are nice and funky – with raw, minimal drums and guitar that almost seem like they're going to veer off the track – a bit like the John Cale/Terry Riley experiments on Columbia. But other tunes are weirder and spacier – some with fuzzy electronics, others with a weirdly spacious, open use of guitar or piano – not really dreamy, but more tripped-out and long-form – almost a precursor to Spacemen 3. Titles include "City Sound Perspective", "Old Colours", "White Gladiator", "Green Water", and "Vision Of Shore".

John Zorn, inspired by the work of William Blake – on an album that's one of his most beautiful in years! There's a really lovely sound going on here – bright, and filled with hope – in ways we never thought we'd be hearing from Zorn many years back – music that's made not by John's own instrumentation, but by a group that features John Medeski on piano and organ, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, Carol Emanuel on harp, Trevor Dunn on bass, Joey Baron on drums, and Cyro Baptista on percussion! The sound is warm and very organic – a shade towards a Terry Riley minimal mode, but more lyrical overall – with an open, flowering quality that's wonderful right from the start. Zorn arranges and conducts – and titles include "An Island In The Moon", "The Hammer Of Los", "The Prophecy", "Marriage Of Heaven & Hell", "Night Thoughts", and "When The Morning Stars Sang Together".

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

A sweet trio set – with Rufus Reid on bass and Ben Riley on drums – on cuts that include "Listen To The Dawn", "Yours Is My Heart Alone", "Papajoe", and "It Amazes Me".

Very different work than usual for superdrummer Paul Humphrey – a warm, acoustic set of soul jazz – with a very different approach than his 70s albums! Humphrey's really stepping out here as a strong straight jazz leader – working with a group that includes west coast hornmen Buster Cooper, Oscar Brashear, and Herman Riley – arranged by the pianist in the group, Llew Mathews. The tunes are nearly all originals – done with a post-Horace Silver style that mixes the soulful and the introspective, and which slides into lots of warm tones and colors, all while still keeping its groove. Titles include "My Mind Is Free", "Thiago", "Snap", "Roundabout", and "Return To The Nightsong".