... Cassette

A fantastic bit of late 60's funk, and a surprisingly slammin' record from Dizzy! The album's got tight, hard, choppy funk arrangements from Ed Bland – who went onto to do some great work at the Perception label – and the group features James Moody blowing hard lean funky solos right next to Diz, in the way that he'd do on some of his own funk work from the same time. The record is wonderful all the way through – killer heavy drums, heavy electric bass, searing sax solos from Diz and Moody – all produced with a mad mad full-on funk sound that will make your jaw drop! Titles include "Blue Chuchifrito", "Chicken Giblets", "Rutabega Pie", "The Fly Fox", "Pot Licka" "Stomped & Wasted" and "Casbah Melon". CD

A fantastic bit of late 60's funk, and a surprisingly slammin' record from Dizzy! The album's got tight, hard, choppy funk arrangements from Ed Bland – who went onto to do some great work at the Perception label – and the group features James Moody blowing hard lean funky solos right next to Diz, in the way that he'd do on some of his own funk work from the same time. The record is wonderful all the way through – killer heavy drums, heavy electric bass, searing sax solos from Diz and Moody – all produced with a mad mad full-on funk sound that will make your jaw drop! Titles include "Blue Chuchifrito", "Chicken Giblets", "Rutabega Pie", "The Fly Fox", "Pot Licka" "Stomped & Wasted" and "Casbah Melon". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Slide Hampton's first albums – and a massively hard-wailing set that will make any doubters sit up and take notice! The set really packs a punch – as Slide leads a hip group that features Freddie Hubbard, Richard Williams, Bernard McKinney, and George Coleman through some tightly woven arrangements that manage to swing with the grace of small combo work, yet wail with the intensity of a big band. Great solos pop out all over the set – and there's a soul jazz groove that makes the album sound like a classic Prestige session. Titles include "Asseveration", "Hi Fly", "Sister Salvation", and "A Little Night Music". CD

With selections by New Order, Cabaret Voltaire, Arthur Baker, The Hood, Dominique, and Jumpin' Jesus. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A fantastic bit of late 60's funk, and a surprisingly slammin' record from Dizzy! The album's got tight, hard, choppy funk arrangements from Ed Bland – who went onto to do some great work at the Perception label – and the group features James Moody blowing hard lean funky solos right next to Diz, in the way that he'd do on some of his own funk work from the same time. The record is wonderful all the way through – killer heavy drums, heavy electric bass, searing sax solos from Diz and Moody – all produced with a mad mad full-on funk sound that will make your jaw drop! Titles include "Blue Chuchifrito", "Chicken Giblets", "Rutabega Pie", "The Fly Fox", "Stomped & Wasted" and "Casbah Melon". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Slide Hampton's first albums – and a massively hard-wailing set that will make any doubters sit up and take notice! The set really packs a punch – as Slide leads a hip group that features Freddie Hubbard, Richard Williams, Bernard McKinney, and George Coleman through some tightly woven arrangements that manage to swing with the grace of small combo work, yet wail with the intensity of a big band. Great solos pop out all over the set – and there's a soul jazz groove that makes the album sound like a classic Prestige session. Titles include "Asseveration", "Hi Fly", "Sister Salvation", and "A Little Night Music". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Jumpin' Jesus, New Order, Dominique, The Hood, Arthur Baker, and Cabaret Voltaire. CD

... CD

An amazing bit of jazz funk from Johnny Hammond – and one of his greatest LPs! This is the first album that Johnny recorded with Larry Mizell, cut right before the pair of them went onto do the landmark Gears album. While this one never became as famous as Gears, it's got some fantastic moments that are every bit as great – a perfect blend of Mizell's spacey fusion and Hammond's fiercely soulful soloing, with lots of great jazzy changes to keep the pace fresh throughout. Includes the great spacey jazz cuts "Star Borne" and "Yesterday Was Cool", the latter of which is an excellent piece of work by Larry Mizell – plus the cuts "Back To The Projects", "Gambler's Life", "Rhodesian Thoroughfare", and "Virgo Lady". Plus, the CD features 4 bonus tracks that represent some of Johnny's best work for the Kudu label – including "Rock Steady", "Higher Ground", "Breakout", and "Who Is Sylvia". CD

An amazing bit of jazz funk from Johnny Hammond – and one of his greatest LPs! This is the first album that Johnny recorded with Larry Mizell, cut right before the pair of them went onto do the landmark Gears album. While this one never became as famous as Gears, it's got some fantastic moments that are every bit as great – a perfect blend of Mizell's spacey fusion and Hammond's fiercely soulful soloing, with lots of great jazzy changes to keep the pace fresh throughout. Includes the great spacey jazz cuts "Star Borne" and "Yesterday Was Cool", the latter of which is an excellent piece of work by Larry Mizell – plus the cuts "Back To The Projects", "Gambler's Life", "Rhodesian Thoroughfare", and "Virgo Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice session by one of the most unique guitarists in jazz – all done up in a CTI style, with production and arrangements by Bob James that give the record a nice little electric finish! We always loved Gabor's guitar on his 60s recordings, and this set is one of the first to really strongly push him into the sound of the 70s – working with James, Eric Gale, and Jon Faddis to craft some soulful grooves that show that Szabo's style would keep on evolving! Includes the nice groover "Ziggidy Zag", a mellow electric jazzy with a back/forth stepping groove – plus the cuts "Macho", "Poetry Man", "Time", and "Transylvanian Boogie". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice session by one of the most unique guitarists in jazz – all done up in a CTI style, with production and arrangements by Bob James that give the record a nice little electric finish! We always loved Gabor's guitar on his 60s recordings, and this set is one of the first to really strongly push him into the sound of the 70s – working with James, Eric Gale, and Jon Faddis to craft some soulful grooves that show that Szabo's style would keep on evolving! Includes the nice groover "Ziggidy Zag", a mellow electric jazzy with a back/forth stepping groove – plus the cuts "Macho", "Poetry Man", "Time", and "Transylvanian Boogie". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Evening In The Country" and an alternate of "Macho". CD

A great set by one of the more obscure groups to record for the CTI/Motown subsidiary Salvation – a great quartet that features Frank Wess on soprano sax and flute, Roland Hanna on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. The group play in a mode that really pushes past that of Hanna and Wess' regular work – with Frank blowing in a more soulful, open style than usual; and Roland playing in a more rhythmic, slowly swinging kind of style. Tracks are long and open – with lots of space – but they manage to groove with a really subtle approach, thanks to some excellent bass work from Carter. Titles include "Little Waltz", "Well You Needn't", "Introspection", and "Mediterranean Seascape". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little collection of tunes on the CTI, Kudu, and Salvation labels – all owned by Creed Taylor during the height of his powers during the mid 70. There's a range of soulful and funky tunes on the album – and titles include "First Light" by Freddie Hubbard, "Supership" by George Benson, "Chicago Theme" by Hubert Laws, "Such A Night" by Esther Philips, "Mister Magic" by Grover Washington, "I Told Jesus" by Stanley Turrentine, and "Feel Like Making Love" by Bob James, LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy soul from the Bay Area scene – a fantastic set of tracks from the enigmatic Goapele! Goapele's an underground singer with a really righteous feel – and she's not afraid to use some heavy beats and funk to send her message home. The set's got a really well integrated instrumental feel – shifting slightly in style from track to track, but always with a positive and progressive approach only serves to push Goapele's lyrics all that much deeper. No softness here – just a mad kicking approach that's made us give the Bay Area another listen these days! Features guest work by Soulive, Pep Love, Zion I, and Casual – and titles include "It Takes More", "Closer", "Ease Your Mind", "Got It", "Romantic", "Too Much The Same", "Catch 22", "Salvation", and "Back To You". CD

The second act of The Kinks' entry into the rock opera mode of the early 70s – and in some ways, a much more confident effort than the first! The second act of Preservation is much bleaker than the first in a number of ways – quite possibly the strongest because it seems that Ray Davies has really begun to inhabit the roles of the tunes – stretching out here in high drama on a double-length set that certainly matches Tommy for its sense of scope and ambition – even if it was less likely to generate a catchy single! Titles include "Oh Where Oh Where Is Love", "Flash's Confession", "Introduction To Solution", "Shepherds Of The Nation", "Scum Of The Earth", "Mirror Of Love", and "Salvation Road". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous document of work by Jake Thackray – one of the most unique talents on the British music scene of the 60s, but an artist who's sadly been un-remembered over the years! At first glance, Jake's definitely a folkie, but he's also one with a strong influence from French singer/songwriters like Jacques Brel or George Brassens – and takes key inspiration from them in the depth and darkness of his work. Like both Brel and Brassens, Thackray's got a style that's almost out of time – one that's ageless at some points, but with a very contemporary way of viewing the world – personal, pointed, and penned with an incredible sense of wit. In an era when most folkies were attacking the political or pushing into the fantastic, Jake spent careful time looking at human foibles and the complexities of interpersonal relationships – always from a distance, but close enough to note the odd humor in even the most banal situations. This wonderful set brings together 4 of Thackray's albums for EMI – Bantam Cock, Last Will & Testament, Jake's Progress, and On Again On Again – all of which feature Jake's slightly jazz-inflected vocals alongside acoustic guitar and very spare, but well-chosen additional instrumentation. Package also features a full disc of unreleased material – including different versions of other tunes on the albums. 97 tracks in all, and a wonderful musical discovery throughout! Titles include "The Cactus", "Country Bus", "Brother Gorilla", "The Girl In The Window", "Ulysses", "Scallywag", "Salvation Army Girl", "On The Shelf", "Go Little Swale", "Isabel Makes Love On National Monuments", "Joseph", "Famous People", "The Gravedigger", and "Leopold Alcocks". CD

One of the best of Elton's early years – with cuts that include "Hercules", "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters", "Salvation", "Slave", "Rocket Man", "Honkey Cat", "Mellow", and "I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself". CD

One of the best of Elton's early years – with cuts that include "Hercules", "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters", "Salvation", "Slave", "Rocket Man", "Honkey Cat", "Mellow", and "I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of Elton's early years – with cuts that include "Hercules", "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters", "Salvation", "Slave", "Rocket Man", "Honkey Cat", "Mellow", and "I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself". CD

Very righteous work from this obscure 70s poet – a contemporary to Nikki Giovanni, Camille Yarbrough, and others – but not nearly as widely recorded! The album features no instrumentation, just Sonia reading her poems – and the work itself is pretty progressive, very much in the spirit of other hip female poets of the time, although perhaps a bit more personal in some of the subject matter – especially given that the album is introduced by Sanchez as "talking about love – a black woman's love for her man, children, nation." Titles include "A Black Woman Speaks", "Listen To Big Black", "Liberation Poem", "A Needed Poem For My Salvation", "When We Come", "It's A New Day", and "To Anita". 24 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully sensitive work from Jimmy Campbell – a record with a lot more depth than you might guess from the gimmicky image on the cover! Campbell returns here to spare, fragile territory throughout – working with instrumentation that's mostly just acoustic guitar and a bit of rhythm, plus occasional piano and organ – all in a style that reminds us of Biff Rose at some of his best late 60s moments, which is a pretty good comparison – considering Jimmy's uniquely personal style of singing, and his personally poetic choice of lyrical topics! The album's a real overlooked gem – the kind of singer-songwriter treasure that's arguably more suited to a hip audience these days than it might have been when first released back in the early 70s. Titles include "April Morning", "Paris You're In Paris", "Salvation Army Citadel", "By The Light Of A Lamp", "Maudie", "Baby Walk Out With Your Darling Man", "It Never Rains But It Pours", and "When You're Coming Home". CD

The third album from The English Beat and another step further away from their rougher roots – which may not have sat well with strident fans of their earlier, punchier ska revival sounds – but it stands up today as one of the most timeless leftfield pop albums of the early 80s! The Beat never discarded their calypso, ska, rocksteady inspirations, they simply expanded upon them – and there's plenty of hooky, catchy songcraft on Special Beat Service – as well as the uncommonly soulful pop of songs like "Save It For Later"! Other tracks include "I Confess", "Jeanette", "Sorry", "Sole Salvation", "She's Going", "End OF The Party", "Ackee 1 2 3" and more. CD

Ouch, what a terrible title – and for such a nice album! The record brings together sides recorded by Frank Wess and Frank Foster for the Savoy label in 1956 and 1957 – laidback hardbop tunes that have both players working in easy-going company, with the feel of a late 50s Prestige Records blowing session. Neither player is at the top of their form here, but overall, the material is still pretty darn great – and other players include Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Henry Coker, Kenny Clarke, and Benny Powell. Tracks include "Stop Gap", "MC", "La Jolie", "Lazy Sal", "Casa De Marcel", "Hard Sock Dance", "South Side", and "Salvation" – and the album features a few previously unissued tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning funk from the great Dizzy Gillespie – light years away from his early bop recordings! The album's a slammin batch of 70s instrumentals – Dizzy's trumpet firmly in the lead over electric backings that have more than a bit of funk in them – a bit like his Soul Salvation record, and but slightly more open overall – with a groovy vibe throughout! The bass is the main driving factor of the tunes – played either by Phil Upchurch or Chuck Rainey – and the tracks bounce along with a fierce and righteous groove that also includes hard riffing on guitar and some sweet piano lines. Players include Mike Longo, James Moody, and Bernard Purdie – and tracks include "N'Bani", "Matrix", "Soul Kiss", "Ding A Ling", and "Alligator". Great stuff, and a crucial album in Dizzy's lost career! Damn funky, too. LP, Vinyl record album

A weird and wonderful record – the early hits of Neil Diamond, played on the moog and ARP by the mighty Hugo Montenegro! The approach to the set is pretty darn cool – as it takes 10 of Neil's best early tunes, and runs them through arrangements by Montenegro that run from funky to groovy to dreamy – and which feature some very strange use of electronics! Sparkling and weird all the way through – with versions of "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon", "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show", "Sweet Caroline", "Two-Bit Man Child", "Porcupine Pie", and more! LP, Vinyl record album