An incredible collection of work from Bob Brookmeyer – tracing the development of his sound in the 50s through a variety of different settings! The package begins with material from an original 10" LP session in 1954 – featuring Brookmeyer on trombone with backing by the John Williams trio. The set then expands to feature tracks recorded by Brookmeyer, Jim Hall, and Jimmy Giuffre as material that was originally issued on the album Traditionalism Revisited, but which also features tracks from that session that came out on other more obscure sources, including a Playboy jazz album and a Brookmeyer LP on Crown. The set then follows with a beautiful guitar/trombone session that features Jim Hall, Jimy Raney, and Brookmeyer – originally issued as The Street Swingers. Next up is material from a bluesy 1958 set, recorded with vocalist Big Miller, as well as Paul Quinichette, Al Cohn, and Jim Hall – for the album Kansas City Revisited. The set's completed by material from the beautiful UA album Stretching Out – which featured Zoot Sims, Harry Edison, and Al Cohn – and the whole thing's packaged with a great booklet that gives notes on the material. 37 tracks in all – in a limited, numbered set! CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Maybe not the hypest record of the 80s, but a set that's pretty darn great overall – and which really helped find a way to reintroduce the vibe of the early street party scene back into the feel of hip hop on wax! Kid and Play aren't out to change the world with their politics or set a new agenda for the music – but working with great Herby Luv Bug production, they keep things nice and lively throughout – at a level that really fits with some of the best Select Records releases that made the world of hip hop pretty darn fresh at the time! The whole thing's an instant party throughout – with cuts that include "Brother Man Get Hip", "Soul Man", "Damn That DJ", "2Hype", "Can You Dig That", "Last Night", "Do The Kid N Play Kick Step", and the classic "Do This My Way" – a mini-production masterpiece on its own! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from pianist Tete Montoliu – three full albums served up in a single package! First up is Man From Barcelona – a set cut late in Tete's career, but one that has this beautiful way of building up a tune – maybe even more lyrical and sincere than some of Montoliu's earlier music! The trio features nicely understated work from George Mraz on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – both players who often step aside and let Tete pace the tune, find his groove, and bring in all sorts of really lovely colors even before things start swinging – served up on tunes that include "Tune Up", "Stella By Starlight", "Autumn Leaves", "Django", and "Concierto De Aranjuez". On Secret Love, pianist Tete Montoliu gets some Cedar Walton backing – in a trio with Sam Jones on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – both musicians who really make the record stand out from the pack! Tete himself is at the peak of his powers – able to play with this commanding sense of majesty from the very first note – but with a style that also has plenty of room for more lyrical flourishes, too – although often with these soulful strides that we don't seem to hear that well in other trio sessions of this vintage! We're not going to credit Jones and Higgins with bringing this on – but heck, they sound wonderful here, and really make the whole thing crackle with warm imagination throughout. Titles include "Four", "Stella By Starlight", "Secret Love", and "Confirmation". The title's correct on the third album – as that's yellow dolphin street, not "Green Dolphin Street" – a very special place where Tete Montoliu unfurls a beautiful selection of solo piano numbers! Tete's really at the height of his powers here – and spins out wonderfully without any bass or drums, yet with all the complex, fluid feel that you might expect from a trio. The range of tonal colors is wonderful – and always delivered with a rhythmic impulse, even when Montoliu is flying free – on titles that include "Yellow Dolphin Street", "Napoleon", "Where Are You", "Waltz For Nicolien", and "I Hate You". CD

An expanded, remastered version of this legendary live performance from British tenor giant Tubby Hayes – a 1965 session recorded at the famous Hopbine club, owned by saxophonist Tommy Whittle, who also makes an appearance on two numbers in the set! The recording quality of the CD is quite strong – and Hayes is caught in strong Sonny Rollins-like territory – improvising strongly and creatively over longer selections, never failing to delight with his rich command of the tenor. Most tracks are in the 10 minute and more range – and the group features Tubby as the main soloist with a rhythm section that includes Kenny Powell on piano, Ron Mathewson on bass, and Dick Brennan on drums. Titles include "Night & Day", "It Never Entered My Mind", "I Remember You", "No Blues", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "What's New". CD

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". LP, Vinyl record album

An imagined soundtrack to a journey through London in the generation of Get Carter and Carnaby Street – and one that showcases not just the rich array of sounds and styles that were taking place in the city at the time, and in a way that highlights all sorts of different locations around town! This isn't a package of well-worn British rock classics – and as with other Bob Stanley sets on Ace Records, the music comes from a deep dig and decades-long understanding of records in many modes – which makes for a track selection that's as sublime as it is surprising, and another revelatory collection from Mr Stanley! There's two dozen gems on the collection – some we've never heard, some we'd forgotten about – all of which sound great in the company of each other – with titles that include "Hampstead Way" by Linda Lewis, "Cutty Sark" by John Barry, "Sunny Goodge Street" by Marianne Faithfull, "Marcel's" by Herman's Hermits, "London Bridge" by Cilla Black, "Mayfair" by Nick Drake, "Vauxhall To Lambeth Bridge" by Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll, "City Road" by Dave Evans, "Beckton Dumps" by Humble Pie, "Notting Hill Gate" by Quintessence, "Friday Hill" by Bulldog Breed, "Goodbye Post Office Tower" by Cressida, "Kew Gardens" by Ralph McTell, and "Euston Station" by Barbara Ruskin. CD

A pretty fantastic selection of rare disco tracks from the American underground – all of them infused with a spiritual message, but served up with grooves that go head to head with some of the best underground club of the time! The mix of positive energy and upbeat grooves is wonderful – and if you've ever heard the Clark Sisters club classic "You Brought The Sunshine", then you'll definitely know the spirit of these tunes! If you're worried about the message being one that you're not into, don't – because there's sort of a universal spirit going on here – one that gets past conventions of the church, and which really goes for a general uplifting message that's totally great – almost a precursor to some of the positive house in more recent decades. And speaking of house, there's less of that here than you'd expect – as most of the instrumentation and production are strongly in the best New York underground modes from the disco years – with less of any 80s or electro soul elements. Titles include "I Believe" by Calvin B Rhone, "Imitations" by Johnson Family Gospel Singers, "Change" by Wisdom, "On That Other Shore" by Harrison Jones & The Voices Of Harmony, "I've Been Converted" by The Converters, "Ain't No Way To Do Wrong" by New Creation, "Take It To The Streets" by Prophecy, "Let The Lord Come In Your Life" by Wisdom, "Keep The Fire" by Paradise, and "Jesus Is On The Mainline" by Mr Jesse R McGuire. CD

Deep, deep disco selected by Johnny "D" DeMairo – one of the more pivotal underground club music figures of the past couple decades, via his role in setting up the Henry Street imprint – here putting together an incredible set of the rare disco greatness! This the the expansive, floor-shaking, genre-straddling stuff that inspired the house and clubby soul scenes to come – and it's one of the best compilations of harder-to-find disco that's we've gotten our hands in years. The setlist features a divers mix of famous and lesser-remembered names – with styles ranging from straight forward disco stormers to strains of earlyish electro and 80s grooves – benchmark singles and inventive productions that bridge the eras! Tracks by Cerrone, Kasso, Skyy, The System, The O'Jays and more! Disc One of the 2CD edition feature 19 tracks mixed masterfully: "Ride On The Rhythm" by Mahogany feat Bernice Watkins, "Time For Live" by The Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band, "It's Passion" by The System, "Spank" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Call Me" by Skyy, "Dance For Every" by Gaucho, "We're On The Right Track" by Ultra High Frequency and more. CD Two features 13 unmixed disco jams: "This Time Baby" by The O'Jays, "How To Win Your Love" by Spencer Jones, "Dub Till We Drop" by La Fluer, "I've Got To Find A Way" by Zena Djonay, "Think Fast" by Pamela Joy and more. CD

A massive selection of songs from the same period as Ellington's album of the same name. With a whole bunch of his classic players, including Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Al Hibbler, Oscar Pettiford, and many more. Tracks include "Work Song", "Come Sundday", "The Blues", "Three Dancers", "I Ain't Got Nothin But The Blues", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "I Didn't Know About You", "Mood To Be Woo'd", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Caravan", "Everything But You", "Mood Indigo", "Sophisticated Lady", "Solitude", "Black Beauty", "Balcony Serenade", "Tell Ya What I'm Gonna Do", "Come To Baby, Do!", "I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So", "Suddenly It Jumped", "A Gathering In A Clearing", "You Don't Love Me No More", "Back Home Again In Indiana", "Just You, Just Me", "Beale Street blues", "Transblucency", "My Honey's Lovin Arms", "Memphis Blues", "St Louis Blues", "Midriff", and "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You". CD

A very cool live set from the great tenorist Stan Getz, and one that really echoes some of the best styles of his Getz Au Go Go album – as it not only features guest vocals on a number of tracks from the lovely Astrud Gilberto, but also includes work from vibist Gary Burton throughout the entire performance! The combination of Burton and Getz is tremendous – one that wasn't captured nearly enough by Verve in the 60s, which makes these live recordings so essential – as Gary's modern chromatic elements really seem to unlock a fresh spirit in Stan's horn – all the fluidity of the bossa years, but with these unusual inflections that are completely mindblowing! The rest of the core group is equally hip – Chuck Israels on bass and the great Roy Haynes on drums – and Astrud Gilberto sings on seven of the album's nineteen selections. Titles include instrumental cuts "The Singing Song", "Blues Walk", "O Grande Amor", "Edelweiss", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Jive Hoot", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "On Green Dolphin Street" – and the vocal numbers "Voce E Eu", "Corcovado", "Telephone Song", "Girl From Ipanema", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Samba De Uma Nota So". CD

A long-overdue tribute to the legendary Moondog – one of the true visionaries of American music in the 20th Century! Moondog got his starts as a blind musician working the streets of New York at the end of the 40s, but he did so (as you'll note on the cover photo) with a range of unusual instruments of his own invention, and in a minimal, rhythmic style that linked together primitivism with higher musical ideals. Moondog's often been called "the father of minimalism" – and while his experiments of the 50s prefaced the work of Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and others, his work was also much more personal, and had an earthy intensity that's still tremendously powerful even decades later! This collection is one of the first to dip into the earliest of Moondog's recordings – his recordings for the Mars, SRC, Brunswick, and Moondog labels – which are presented here alongside selected tracks from his albums for Epic and Prestige, also of similar vintage. Nearly all the tracks here offer a very primitive blend of percussion that's sometimes mixed with unusual woodwind or stringed instruments – nearly all of Moondog's own invention – and the package also features some great notes on his long career, plus some photos that are as gripping as the music itself! Titles include "Down Is Up", "Big Cat", "Bumbo", "Rimshot", "Rabbit Hop", "Instrumental Round", "Be A Hobo", "Dog Trot", "Oasis", "2 W 46th Street", and "Why Spend The Dark Night With You". CD

That's "bards" of prey, not birds of pray – a great selection of country singers, really doing their best on a well-chosen batch of unusual material! There's some of the slight doom/gloom themes going on here that you'll find in other material from the Hillbillies In Hell series – but there's also maybe a more expansive ear for the music too, maybe more thoughtfulness for the quality of the vocals instead of the oddness of the tune – an effort that we can wholeheartedly endorse! Titles include "Afraid To Rock The Boat" by Roy Clark, "The Little Bird" by John D Loudermilk, "Hell Walks The Street" by Shirl Milete, "Ballad Of Black Mountain" by Mac Curtis, "These Boots Are Made For Walkin" by Hayden Thompson, "Sing & Shout" by T Tommy & The Chanters, "Hell Bound Train" by David Rodgers, "Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down" by Slim & Zella Mae Cox, and "Listen To The Devil Laugh" by Dave Baker. And oddly, a few tracks here are repeated in other versions, by other singers too! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent compilation of rare southern soul tracks, put together by Peter Guaralnick to accompany his book of the same name. The selection's great, and the album features many many tracks from small labels from Memphis and other points south. Titles include "True Love Travels On A Gravel Road" by Percy Sledge, "Rainbow Road" by Arthur Alexander, "Crying In the Streets" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, "I Paid For The Party" by The Enchanters, "Losing Boy" by Eddie Giles, "Hold On" by James Carr, and lots more that you'll only ever find on original 45s! CD

One of the most awe-inspiring Nuggets sets yet – a massive ode to the late 60s San Francisco scene – a wide, wide breadth of amazing singles from a disparate selection of acts – bound by a 120-page hardcover, richly illustrated book! Love Is The Song We Sing isn't at all the lumbering box of hippie nostalgia you might be expecting – it's weighted very heavily in leftfield obscurities, out numbering the big hits by at least 10-to-1 – with harshly buzzing tunes, groovy psychedelia, and topical folk tunes alike. The book is full of great photos, in buoyant color and stately black & white, with notes on each individual track, an essay & track commentary by Alec Palao, a piece by early Rolling Stone figurehead Ben Fong Torres, and an additional piece by Gene Sculatti. This is one of the best Rhino boxes we've ever seen, and that's saying something, isn't it – with amazing songs by Dino Valente, Country Joe & The Fish, Blue Cheer, Sly Stone, Ace Of Cups, Count Five, Moby Grape, Beau Brummels, Flamin' Groovies and many more! Disc one "Seismic Rumbles" includes "Let's Get Together" by Dino Valente, "You Were On My Mind" by We Five, "Number One" by Charlatans, "Can't Come Down" by Warlocks, "She's My Baby" by Mojo Men, "Human Monkey" by Frantics and loads more. Disc 2 "Suburbia" includes "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Rubiyat" by Immediate Family, "Hearts To Cry" by Frumious Bandersnatch and more. Disc 3 "Summer Of Love" includes "Carl Street" by Mystery Trend, "Superbird" by Country Joe & The Fish, "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, "Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer, "Underdog" by Sly & The Family Stone, "Loading Zone" by Bells and lots more. Disc 4 "The Man Can't Bust Our Music" includes "Evil Ways" by Santana, "Revolution" by Mother Earth, "I'm Drowning" by Flamin' Groovies, "Dark Star" (single version) by Grateful Dead, "Get Together" by The Youngbloods and more. 77 tracks on 4CDs! CD

The mood here is pretty darn groovy – so much so, it will help you get past the gratuitous image of naked women on the cover! Just keep your clothes on, and enjoy the wonderful selection of cuts within – funky numbers from a variety of genres – jazz, soul, easy listening, and other odd sources – brought together in a collection of cuts that more than lives up to the genius of this long-running series! As with previous volumes, there's no set style, just a batch of cool cuts in pursuit of all things groovy – as you'll hear on titles that include "Cool Echo" by Piet Van Meren, "Pink Movement" by Experience, "Disco Tek" by Syd Dale, "Stepping Stones" by Johnny Harris, "Chica Boom" by Jimmie & Vella, "All I Dream" by Estelle Leavitt, "Use Me" by Kimiko Kasai, "Get Off The Streets Y'All" by Eric & The Vikings, "Damn Somebody Stole My Pants" by Leroy Vinnegar, "Tuane" by Hammer, "Romantic Attitude" by John Fitch, and "Land Of 1000 Dances" by Nino & April. CD

The mood here is pretty darn groovy – so much so, it will help you get past the gratuitous image of naked women on the cover! Just keep your clothes on, and enjoy the wonderful selection of cuts within – funky numbers from a variety of genres – jazz, soul, easy listening, and other odd sources – brought together in a collection of cuts that more than lives up to the genius of this long-running series! As with previous volumes, there's no set style, just a batch of cool cuts in pursuit of all things groovy – as you'll hear on titles that include "Cool Echo" by Piet Van Meren, "Pink Movement" by Experience, "Disco Tek" by Syd Dale, "Stepping Stones" by Johnny Harris, "Chica Boom" by Jimmie & Vella, "All I Dream" by Estelle Leavitt, "Use Me" by Kimiko Kasai, "Get Off The Streets Y'All" by Eric & The Vikings, "Damn Somebody Stole My Pants" by Leroy Vinnegar, "Tuane" by Hammer, "Romantic Attitude" by John Fitch, and "Land Of 1000 Dances" by Nino & April. LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning solo piano work from legendary Philly musician Hasaan – best known for his one Atlantic session with Max Roach, but sounding completely different here on his own! From the very first note of the set, you know that you're in the company of a committed modernist, of the same generation as Herbie Nichols and Elmo Hope – a player with an equally unique, individual conception, and an ability to work a very familiar instrument in all these really unusual ways – often with a quality that makes you feel as if Hasaan is about to step outside and improvise more freely, but always swinging back with an inherent sense of rhythm that's wonderful. The set features both original tunes and reworked standards, pulled from a variety of different tapes recorded in both Philly and New York in the mid 60s – superbly brought back to life here, with a double-length set of selections that include "Off My Back Jack", "Off Minor", "Atlantic Ones", "Mean To Me", "True Train", "Untitled Ballad", "Extemporaneous Prose Poem", "Besame Mucho", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Arabic Song". CD

Killer soul from the 60s – a wonderfully rich array of hard soul grooves – all with a superb pedigree! The "At" here is short for "Atlantic" – as in Atlantic Records, the source of all the very groovy cuts on this set – as well as some from the early years of Stax Records too! But if you're thinking the collection's just another batch of overplayed Atlantic soul hits from the 60s, then think again – because the track selection is wonderful, and the compilation goes out of its way to pick lesser-known gems and rare singles – including some by artists we didn't even realize recorded for Atlantic! There's definitely a few familiar cuts on here, but there's lots more that were only briefly issued as 45s – as you'll hear on titles that include "Holding On With Both Hands" by Eddie Floyd, "Able Mable" by Mable John, "Walking Up A One Way Street" by Willie Tee, "At The Club" by The Drifters, "It Ain't What You Got" by Jimmy Hughes, "Help Me Get The Feeling" by Ray Sharpe, "Some Other Guy" by Richie Barrett, "I'm Gonna Run Away From You" by Tami Lynn, "Que Sera Sera" by The High Keys, "Keep Lookin" by Solomon Burke, and the amazing "Some Kind Of Wonderful" by Soul Brothers Six, a monster track that is worth the price of the CD alone! CD

An excellent primer for fans of blacksploitation soundtracks! The set was put together by Ice T as an homage to all the great black action films of the 70s – and it's a good selection of vocal hits from scores that may well be known more for their instrumental funk. And sure, the selection's a bit basic – but it's also a good place to start, and hearing the vocal numbers is kind of a different hook into the films than the usual instrumental riffs. Titles include "Love Doctor" by Millie Jackson, "I Choose You" by Willie Hutch, "Blowin Your Mind" by OC Smith, "Are You Man Enough" by The Four Tops, "Make A Resolution" by The Impressions, "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack, "Theme Of Foxy Brown" by Willie Hutch, "Trouble Man" by Marvin Gaye, "Theme From Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, and "Pusherman" by Curtis Mayfield. CD

The Jazzman label hits a whole new level of brilliance – as they turn their funk-trained crate digging skills to the world of spiritual jazz! The collection's an amazing batch of ultra-rare tunes – tracks that take inspiration from the John Coltrane/Archie Shepp work on Impulse Records in the 60s, then run with those roots in bold new directions – soaring, spiritual aims in jazz that reach for new freedoms, but never lapse into the totally-outside modes of free jazz! Instead, there's a really great balance here between structure and struggle – as many tunes often have a good rhythmic pulse, usually modal and soulful, then let the horn solos stretch out more in their own sounds and directions. The mix is amazing, as is the selection of tunes – rare numbers pulled mostly from American independent jazz releases of the 60s and 70s – most of which are as obscure as the funky 45s we normally get from Jazzman. As with the label's US funk compilations, there's full notes on all the music – a heck of a lot of detail on these artists – and tracks on the set include "Paul's Ark" by Morris Wilson Beau Bailey Quintet, "Ayo Ayo Nene" by Mor Thiam, "Nomusa" by Ndikho Xaba & The Natives, "The Afrikan In Winter" by The Positive Force, "Neveen" by Salah Ragab, "Ja Mil" by Hastings Street Jazz Experience, "Be There" by Leon Gardner, "Psych City" by Ohio Penitentiary 511 Jazz Ensemble, "Introduction" by James Tatum Trio Plus, and "No Jive" by Frank Derrick Total Experience. US pressing has 2 bonus tracks – "All Prasies To Allah (parts 1 & 2 edit)" by Lightmen Plus One, and "Bada Que Bash" by PE Hewitt Jazz Ensemble. CD

Lots of rare gems from the headiest days of the Texas scene – with selections by Blox, Murphy & Mob, Ninth Street Bridge, Brothers & Sisters, The Chants, Continental V, Barons, The Undertakers, The Visions, The Mods, The Shades Of Night, Circus, Shivas Head Band, Sweet Smoke, Minds Eye, and The Stereo Shoestring. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful selection of work by the team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson – a batch of tunes that focuses on their tight 80s work for Capitol Records! The pair may be best known from this era for their mega hit "Solid" – but Nick and Valerie changed the face of duet soul forever long before that sweet, if ubiqitous number– the boy/girl soul sound into a strident, mature, tightly-grooving mode! This set splits the difference between uptempo, sophisticated soul and a more delicate, ballad mode. Titles include "It Seems To Hang On", "Found A Cure", "Street Corner", "Love It Away", "I'll Take The Whole World On", "High-Rise", "Solid", "Outta The World", "Count Your Blessings", "Nobody Walks In LA", "Cookies And Cake", "I'll Be There For You" and more. CD