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Bebel Gilberto eat your heart out – Antena explored the same electric-bossa territory you did, nearly 20 years before your first big record! The group were a short-lived French outfit who were one of the shining jewels in the crown of the lovely label Les Disques Du Crepuscule during the early 80s – and were a real breath of fresh air in the post-punk years with their light and jazzy approach to the groove. As you'll hear in this set, Antena's style borrows a lot from the bossa, but also throws in some wonderful poppish touches – including jangly guitars recorded in a similar mode to some of the other French/European indie groups of the time, and a slight darkness in production that almost gives a Martin Hannett-like undercurrent to the whole set. The group's album Camino Del Sol has been lovingly reissued with a great set of notes, as well as a series of bonus tracks from an additional ep – making for a beautiful 14 track package that will really help you rediscover this nearly-lost group! Titles include "Sissexa", "To Climb The Cliff", "Camino Del Sol", "Bye Bye Papaye", "Noelle A Hawaii", "The Boy From Ipanema", "Seaside Weekend", "Frantz", and "Ingenuous".

A hip little set from The Beat Boys – an Argetine group working in late 60s Brazil, supposedly with a bit of an influence on the sound of Tropicalia! The sound here is a bit straighter than the work of Caetano Veloso or Os Mutantes – a bit in the Jovem Guarda sound of more mainstream Brazilian rock, but with some hipper influences too – including a strong Beatles influence that makes for some great harmonies on the vocals, and instrumentation that really pushes beyond the standard straight Anglo rock modes of the time. Instrumentation features some fuzzy guitars, which are occasionally a bit tripped-out – plus organ, bass, and drums – all topped by echoey vocals from the group. Titles include "O Meu Tamborim", "A Time For Remembrance", "A Felicidade", "Wake Me Shake Me", "Sempre Esperando", "Aria Para A Corda Sol", and "Era Uma Menina". CD reissue features some great notes on the band, plus some vintage photos – and also includes the bonus track "Canudinho".

A really bold step forward for this cool Chilean combo of the late 60s – a set that still has all the raw garagey energy of their previous work, yet which also has them taking a lot more chances in the studio too! The album has this great core sound that's heavy in twang and fuzz – yet also frequently couches the music in larger ideas around the frame of the songs – not exactly Sgt Peppers material, but with a trippy aesthetic that really echoes the generation! At their core, these guys are still Anglo-inspired rockers, but it's great to hear what they're percolating on their own as well. Titles include "Civilizacion", "Obertura En Sol Mayor", "A Margarita", "La Tierra De Las Noches Largas", "Rodolfo Valentino", and "Postal No 56".

Lo Borges looks surprisingly youthful in the artwork for this CD – and his music sounds the same – every bit as fresh and personal as when he first sprang onto the scene with Milton Nascimento at the start of the 70s! As with other recent efforts, the songwriting is superb – as thoughtful as ever, and put together with a gentle sort of cohesion that really makes the whole thing shine – amazingly subtle, and still some of the most naturalistic material you'll ever hear from Brazil! Production is very much up to the task, with a timeless quality that makes the record feel like some of Borges' best material from decades past. Titles include "Antes Do Sol", "On Venus", "De Mais Ninguem", "Xanana", "Da Nossa Criacao", "Quem Me Chama", and "Cancao Mais Alem".

Brilliant work from Adriana Evans – quite possibly her greatest record so far, and that's saying a lot, given how much we've loved everything she's done! There's a perfect, professional vibe to the whole set that's really amazing – soul music like soul music's supposed to be done – tight, yet never commercial – and peppered with these very slight, subtle 60s influences on some of the horn parts and other instrumentation, while still getting bumped along by some modern rhythms at the bottom. The depth to this record is astounding – and we're even more in love with Adriana's music than ever, and bet you'll be too, after hearing this wonderful album. Titles include "Waiting", "Suddenly", "Midnight", "Let You Get Away", "Weatherman", "El Sol", "Sooner Or Later", "Never Thought", and "Set In Stone".

The first album in years from this favorite Brazilian funk combo – and less of a straight album than a collection of different recordings from all the time we haven't heard from them! Funk Como Le Gusta are tighter than ever – still strongly inspired by American funk and soul, and able to fuse it into a groove that's slightly contemporary – but way better than the usual mainstream R&B from Brazil! There's a lean quality here on most of the tracks – instrumentation that's still mostly live, and definitely linked to the contemporary deep funk underground at points – while getting even bolder production at others. Titles include "Balacobaco", "Sweet Ronie Song", "Putz", "Muchacha Fantastica", "Ire", and "Preludio Do Sol".

Two albums recorded a bit later than the initial 60s hit run for easy maestro Paul Mauriat – both with a more pronounced approach to the groove! Overseas Call was recorded in New York, and has Mauriat bringing in plenty of disco elements throughout – using soaring strings with tighter clubby rhythms, all in a mode that's right up there with some of the best European disco/easy sets done in a similar style! There's a few nice instrumental solos from both Brecker Brothers, and guitarist John Tropea – and titles include "Overseas Call", "Eva", "Come Back", "Power Jam (parts 1 & 2)", "You Can Do It", and "From Jupiter With Love". Brazil Exclusivamente has Mauriat moving down to Rio – working with Brazilian musicians in a local studio – and coming up with a sweet style that mixes late 70s club with some of the warmer samba styles of the time! The approach is a bit like a European 70s soundtrack approach to Brazilian music – and titles include "Suplica", "Mania De Voce", "Gostoso Veneno", "Estrada Do Sol", "Comecar De Novo", and "Na Paz Do Seu Sorriso".

Beastly salsa from Orquesta El Macabeo – a record that bursts out with power right from the start – soaring forth at a level that almost knocks out most classic salsa records we can think of! This youthful group just keeps getting better and better with each new release – and this set is definitely the greatest they've given us to date – a non-stop burst of musical creativity all the way through – put together with all the raw energy and jazzy spontaneity that so few groups can get this right these days. The vocals carry a lot of punch, too – and really send the whole thing home nicely – on titles that include "El Sueno", "La Dieta", "Swing", "Alacran", "La Noche", "La Conga", and "Lluvia Con Sol".

One of Marcos Valle's most strangely beautiful albums – a set that really his him stepping off strongly from his bossa nova years – really moving into mindblowing music with a range of styles that's simply incredible! There's definitely a bit of bossa at the core, but the larger orchestrations are much more complex, and plenty darn groovy – bringing in some complicated jazz changes, a bit of soul, and even a touch of funk – making the first time that Valle ever worked in such a mode. The overall sound's nearly impossible to describe, but that's what makes the record so great – possibly the best place to start if you've ever wondered why Valle's gotten so much attention from the worldwide groove scene over the years! Titles include "Ao Amigo Tom", "O Cafona", "Minha Voz Vira Do Sol Da America", "Paz E Futebol", "Com Mais De 30", "Garra", "Wanda Vidal", and "Black is Beautiful". New reissue features in-depth liner notes, song notes from Valle, and lyrics in English too!

70s psychedelia from the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Brazil – incredible stuff that combines rawly percussive tropical sounds with a world of psychedelic creativity and possibilities – one of the best compilations ever put together by Mr Bongo! Lula Cortes was a pivotal figure in the scene and he's pretty well represented here, including his influential recordings with Ze Remalho. Even more exciting, though, is the stuff we've never been fortunate enough to hear before now – and there's a pretty good deal of it! The fusion of global psych and folk sounds into a distinctly Brazilian sound is nothing short of amazing – regional and traditional percussion underneath sitars, lutes, keyboards and more. It features songs by the great Lula Cortes & Ze Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo & Alceu Valenca, Marconi Notaro, Flaviola E O Bando Do Sol and The Gentleman. 19 tracks in all: "Sorriso Delvagem" by The Gentlemen, "O Tempo" and "Desespero" by Flaviola E O Bando Do Sol, "Antropologica", "Maracatu" and "Fidelidade" by Marconi Notaro, "Mister Misterio", "Virgem Virginia" and more by Geraldo Azevedo & Alceu Valenca, "Bailado Das Muscarias" and "Maracas De Fogo" by Lula Cortes & Ze Ramalho, "Noite Preta" by Lula Cortes and more.

Tripped-out sounds from the 60s and 70s, plus a few key contemporary cuts too – all a great way of serving up the sound of Latin music at its trippiest! New York Latin acts borrowed plenty from psychedelia early on – and the groove kept growing and changing as it made its way down the South American scene – then back up to the US in recent years, where crate diggers and record collectors have come up with a whole new variant on the sound! This smoking selection of tracks is put together by Pablo Yglesias – who's given us some great sets in recent years – and titles include "Pastel En Descarga" by Juan Pablo Torres, "Piratas En El Titicaca" by Conjunto El Opio, "Drink Or Two" by Wild Wind, "Olivdalo" by Brownout, "Cloud Nine" by Johnny Rivera, "Tomalo O Dejalo" by Los Pakines, and "Psychedelic Baby" by Joe Cuba. Also features a bonus CD – rare work from Peruvian combo Los Destellos from the late 60s and early 70s – 13 more tracks that include "El Electrico", "El Campesino", "Noche De Garua", "Tu Jugaste", "La Cumbia Del Sol", and "Volando Alto".

One of countless late 50s albums cut in the "Jazz meets Broadway" trend (Jimmy and group play tunes from Meredith Wilson's score to The Music Man) – many of which are better than you might think! This one features Giuffre working in slightly larger groups than usual for the time – mostly horns with rhythm, and with players that include Al Cohn, Joe Wilder, Sol Schlinger, and Art Farmer. And while we'd rather hear Jimmy working through these numbers in trio format, the angularity of the arrangements makes for a nice take on the tunes (and we'll admit that we actually do like the musical!) Titles include "Marian The Librarian", "The Wells Fargo Wagon", "Iowa Stubborn", "Gary Indiana", and "It's You".

Afro grooves galore – all taken to rich new territory in the hands of a few contemporary mixers! The set's based around a core track – "Prudence", sung and played by Cheick Hamala Diabate – with great work on ngoni in the lead – a hip stringed instrument that dances around with tremendous energy over raw percussion! The remixes augment the approach in a number of different styles – and often find ways to unlock a different sort of charm in the tune – sometimes by amplifying rhythms, sometimes through more subtle means. The set features the main version of "Prudence" by Diabate, plus mixes by Whiskey Barons, Jon Kennedy, Daytoner, and E's E NYC Trust – as well as the track "Fatou Kounkoun Sissoko (Sol Power All-Stars mix)".

A great follow-up to the first Jobim Jazz set from guitarist Mario Adnet – and in many ways, an even better-conceived version of the project! The difference this time around is that Adnet's been working through the concept in a live setting for a few years – and has come up with wonderfully rich arrangements that really push beyond any simple bossa remake sort of vibe – and instead show up the rich, complicated qualities that we've always loved in the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim – especially in the 70s years of his career! Adnet mostly plays acoustic guitar, but other instrumentation is full with horns – usually flutes and saxes that are intertwined beautifully, with a dipping, soaring sort of energy – not unlike some of the best arrangements by Moacir Santos. Titles include "Takatanga", "Mojave", "Boto", "Bonita", "O Homem", "O Barbinha Branca", "Samba De Maria Luiza", and "Deus E O Diablo Na Terra Do Sol".

A cool early 70s psych folk set from Peruvian combo El Polen – the group's second album – and it's a great one! For a group that's utilizing acoustic instrumentation so heavily, this is really atmospheric stuff – lots of buzzing guitars, earthy percussion, violin, harp and flute. There's a bit of a nature vibe at play, too – and it's really evocative stuff! There's some strong group vocals, but also some long instrumental passages. This CD edition from Lion and Repsychled includes a bonus track with vocals by Susana Baca – "Ahijada De la Luna" – plus "Concordancia", "Mi Cueva", "A Las Orillas Del Vilcanota", "El Hijo Del Sol", "La Puna" and a live version of "Valicha".

Organist Rhoda Scott takes on the Bach jazz groove of the French jazz scene – using her Hammond with just a bit of drums in the background, all in a style that's pretty darn spacious, and which shows a tremendous command of the instrument! Given the setting, there's certainly some echoes of pipe organ work in Scott's tones – but as on her other albums of the time, she still manages to swing at the right moments, which usually kick in as the tunes roll on! Most numbers mix up an initial theme from Bach with a groovier contemporary song – in ways that make for a pop/classical medley mode that's quite unique. Titles include "Symphonie Du Noveau Monde/Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay", "Prelude En Sol Mineur/Moanin", "Toccata En Re Mineur/Les Feuilles Mortes", and "Prelude En Si Bemol Majeur/The Preacher".

George Wallington's New York Scene is a very sharp one – touched by the fire of George's earliest bop influences, but expanded out here with a nice degree of late 50s modernism! The group has a drum-tight performance throughout – with Phil Woods on alto and Donald Byrd on trumpet providing an especially strong frontline – every bit as sharp as the best heard on Woods' seminal records from the same generation, but touched a bit more by some of Wallington's more introspective modes of later years. Rhythm is by Teddy Kotick on bass and Nick Stabulas on drums – and the album strikes a perfect balance between modern expression and personal interpretation – on titles that include "In Salah", "Up Tochickon Creek", "Dis Mornin", "Indian Summer", and "Sol's Ollie".

A sweet little album from Jorge Ben – an 80s groover with a sound that's a bit of a change from his 70s classics! The backings show Ben picking up some modern soul elements from the US scene of the time – but these are also mixed with some rougher, rhythmic styles that are definitely Brazilian – which makes for a really compelling blend – quite similar to the samba and soul mix of Jorge's 70s records, but tuned towards the ears of a different generation overall. Bits of boogie mix in to the groove nicely – and titles include "Katarina Katarina", "Para Que Digladiar", "Santa Clara Clareou", "O Diam Em Que O Sol Declarou O Seu Amor Pela Terra", "Lorraine", and "Luiz Wagner Guitarreiro".

Two Amphonic sound library sets – back to back on a single CD! Shades Of Grey is a great set from Steve Gray – with some killer smooth jazz funk numbers! The feel's like a hip late 70s soundtrack, surprisingly wonderful overall – nice and tight, but never too uptight – that wonderful balance you'd find on some of the best sound library sets of the time! Steve Gray's at his best throughout – leading a large ensemble with the deftness of some of the best soundtrack maestros of the time – and titles include "El Sol", "Finely Fluted", "Simply Sophisticated", "Bill's Basement", "Only A Dream Away", and "Powerdrive". Brit Easy genius Syd Dale takes the helm on It's A Colourful World – a warm set of instrumental tunes dedicated to the west coast – topped with a San Francisco cover image, but with more than enough modes to stretch down highway 101 to Los Angeles! The sound is almost more early 70s than you'd guess from the date – not entirely funky, but quite picturesque – mixing some warm TV-styled soundtrack styles with evocative horns and woodwinds. Titles include "San Francisco Bay", "Redwood Valley", "Flamingo Parade", "The Puppet Factory", "Pink Bacardi", "Dancing At The Palace", and "French Lace".

Mid 80s soul from Detroit's Colonel Abrams – One of the first artists to take the then burgeoning house sound into the mainstream – paired up with nicely grooving modern soul vibe! Includes the his "Trapped" and "I'm Not Gonna Let", with those bright and bumping synth melodies and relentless house influenced beats underneath vocals and songwriting that helped get it over with the chart ready contemporary soul scene – plus the solid ballad "Never Change", "Over & Over", "Speculation", "The Truth", "Table For Two" and more. This CD version includes 4 bonus tracks: 12" mixes of "Trapped", "I'm Not Gonna Let You", "The Truth" and "Over And Over" – plus the non album track "Music Is The Answer".

One of the most beautiful albums ever recorded by this legendary AACM pianist! The album was a rare Japanese-only session from 1975, but recorded in Chicago – and it features Muhal playing solo – in beautifully warm spiritual tones that are very different from his playing on many other albums from the time. The work is wonderfully introspective, showing a whole new side to Abrams' genius – the sensitive, contemplative keyboardist who occasionally emerges during some of Abrams' larger group sessions, but who usually gets pushed back in the fray of larger instrumental interplay. The whole album's extremely beautiful, and it's darn near impossible to find in the original! Tracks include "Afrisong", "The Infinitive Flow", "Hymn To The East", "Roots", and "The New People".

A classic from Cannoball and producer-partner David Axelrod – truly great stuff and maybe even better than the Zodiac set Cannonball did for Capitol! The formula is similar to that one – with David Axelrod producing, electric keyboards by Hal Galper and George Duke, spacey solos by Cannonball and Nat Adderley, and some very hip recitations by Rick Holmes on love, sex, and the zodiac! Holmes is best known as the chappie who cut "Remember To Remember" years later with Roy Ayers – but this album's got a similar "wisdom and knowledge" feel that's pretty wonderful. Titles include "Aquarius: Humanity Plus", "Cancer: All Sides", "Leo: Rosebud", "Aries: Damn Right", "Gemini: Ecstasy", and "Virgo: For Pam".

One of the best-ever Nat Adderley albums, and a damn funky set of tracks that has a tight soulful feel! The session's got a similar feel to some of the other rare late 60s Milestone albums (like the 2 killers by Bobby Timmons!) – especially in that it's got a group that plays with the fullness of a larger ensemble, and who race in and out nicely, to support the funky solos of the leader. Of course, some of the other players are pretty darn nice in the solo department too – like Joe Henderson on tenor, Jeremy Steig on fluge, and Joe Zawinu on piano – and they also manage to keep a tight rhythmic groove throughout. Titles include "The Scavenger", "Sweet Emma", "Rise Sally Rise", and "Menlat".

A sweet Japanese set from Toshiko Akioshi – recorded at the Blue Note in Tokyo, with a group that really replicates the sound of her big band from the 70s! Key partner from those years – Lew Tabackin – is in the group playing loads of great tenor and flute solos – and other players include a range of younger Americans, including Jim Rotondi on trumpet and Jim Snidero on alto and flute – all working in that great Akioshi/Tabackin formation – tight head arrangements, but lots of room to soar out on solos on the longer tracks! Terumasa Hino also guests a bit on trumpet – and titles include "Hirohiko's Delight", "The Village", "Lady Liberty", "Unrequited Love", and "Hope".

Eric Alexander in a perfect setting – working here with a rock-solid group of familiar players who are perfect for his soulful tenor sound! The album's got a gentle, ballad-heavy approach – but even so, the groove is superb, and right in the pocket right from the start – with Harold Mabern on piano, John Webber on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums – a trio who've worked often with Alexander over the years, and really know the right sort of modes to bring out the fullest feeling in his horn! Eric himself just gets better and better with age – a player who was already great in the early years, but who seems to get an even deeper sense of feeling as he matures – doing more with less, and shading in some especially great sounds on the ballads in the set. Titles include "Dinner For One Please James", "I'm Glad There Is You", "Oh Girl", "Touching", "Gone Too Soon", and "September Of My Years".

Very nice album by Jug that often gets overlooked because it's comprised of 2 different sessions, and can't get the "historical" writeup of being a single significant moment in the studio. Some tracks – including "Lascivious" and "Soft Winds" – are with a tight quartet that features the very soulful piano of Patti Brown. The others are with a larger group that has a whole horn section backing Jug up. The sound's a bit unusual for his records of the time, but it also gives him a great platform to work from, and he wails out of the group on his solos. Other titles include "Lullaby Of The Leaves" and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

A pair of soulful gems from tenorist Gene Ammons – back to back on a single CD! The Soulful Moods is beautiful beautiful work from tenorist Gene Ammons – and an album that really demonstrates that during the 60s, one of Ammons' strongest suits was his work with a mellow tune or ballad! The tracks here are wonderfully laidback, but never sleepy – very soulful, and solidly put together in that Ammons-made gentle-blown way – using just a few notes to send the message out with a powerful punch, without ever overdoing things the way that a few of his tenor contemporaries might be tempted to do! The group's a great fit too – with the lovely Patti Brown on piano, plus bass from George Duvivier and bass from Ed Shaughnessy – and titles include "Two Different Worlds", "Skylark", "Three Little Words", "Street Of Dreams", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". The second album is Nice & Cool, but not in a west coast way – and instead a set that's got Gene Ammons working some wonderfully soulful magic on a set of gentle ballads! The set's got a brilliant late nite sort of feel – one of those tenor albums that seems to sound even better in the space past midnight – as the warm glow from Ammons' horn seems to sparkle even more strongly in the dark – standing out with that stark, spare approach that always makes his ballad work so special – and unlike just about anyone else. The group here is nice and cool too – with Richard Wyands on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and JC Heard on drums – and titles include "Someone To Watch Over Me", "I Remember You", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Till There Was You".

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

A classic live date from Satchmo – and expanded to include the complete performances on that legendary night at Boston's Symphony Hall – for the first time ever! Recorded in November of 1947 and originally released in '51, it's never before been issued with both the first and second sets that night. There's also a number of great tunes here that were released before in edited versions, but fully presented here. It's such wonderful stuff – both as a top-shelf document of this period of American jazz – and as a brilliant example of Satcho's charming stage presence. His trumpet and solo vocals are well captured, and you can here up humming along on the instrumentals, too. The players at this point who are All Stars, indeed, include Jack Teagarden on vocals and trombone, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Dick Cary on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass, and Sid Catlett on drums – plus some great vocals by Velma Middleton. 29 songs on 2CDs – in a hardback package with a great booklet – and featuring "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", "Stars Fell On Alabama", "Body And Soul", "Steak Face", "Back O'Town Blues", "St James Infirmary", "Mop Mop", "Jack Armstrong Blues", "That's My Desire", "C Jam Blues", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Mahogany Hall Stomp" and more – many previously unreleased!

Previously unissued material from the great Harry Arnold – excellent mid 60s big band sessions, as creative as they are hard-swinging! Arnold's group here is at the top of its form – working together with a rich array of tones and colors that show the best legacies of 50s modern jazz in the large ensemble idiom – yet with a lean quality that really allows lots of voice from the soloists, too – a lineup that includes Arne Domnerus, Jan Johansson, Lars Farnlov, Bengt-Arne Wallin, and Georg Riedel! Arrangements are by Wallin, Pete Jacques, and others – but it's Arnold who clearly knows how to make the whole thing hold together this well. Titles include "It's In The Bag", "Margie", "Blues For Nathan", "Cheryl", "Tina", "Per Spelman", "You've Got It", "I Knew It I Knew It", and "King Valiant".

A rare treasure from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – recorded as a supposed third album for Atlantic records in 1974, but unissued for years until the group released it on their own! The session is a live one, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival – and features the unique addition of Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, making for the group's first session ever with the instrument! Muhal's work nicely colors in the spare spaces on the set – giving a soaring, lyrical quality to a few of the numbers – and really standing in stark contrast to the freer solo work of the other players. At times, Abrams is playing these longer lines that almost have a McCoy Tyner sort of energy – directing the set with a tremendous searching vibe – and at other times, he joins the group in their sparer exploration of sound and space – in a mode that's similar to some of their Parisian recordings. Titles include "Sun Precondition One", "Kabalaba", "Kaba Song", "Mal's Delight", and "Improvization A2".

A mid 70s winner from Ashford & Simpson – one of their earlier efforts, and a record that finds them fleshed out as a top notch act of their end – even if it'd be yeas before they'd net the kind of huge chart success that they deserved! Come As You Are is filled with solid soul with a sophisticated, expertly spun approach to production and arranging around the duo vocals – and the first rate songwriting that they'd provided for huge Motown stars like Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye. A couple tracks move more towards a dancefloor soul vibe that's pretty wonderful, and doesn't compromise the intimate soul vocals at the center. Titles include "It'll Come, It'll Come, It'll Come", "One More Try", "Believe In Me", "Caretaker", "Somebody Told A Lie", "Tell It All", "Sell The House" and "It Came To Me". This CD edition includes a couple remixes of the most club soul styled tune "One More Try" – the 12" disco mix plus a longer Dimitri re-edit!

An excellent funky fusion group from Chicago – and one of the best ensembles to record for the Black Jazz label! The group's made up of hip Chicago underground players – and includes Ken Chaney on electric piano, Ari Brown on saxes, and Frank Gordon on trumpet – a lineup that comes together with the same sort of righteous energy and soulful power as Windy City contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Earth Wind & Fire! On this first LP, they jam with a mix of righteous funk and spiritual soul jazz, mixing electric piano, choppy reeds, and tight horns with a powerful rhythm backing that never goes too over the top, and which stays in a good modal mode that works great for the soloists – soaringly expressive at a personal level, yet coming together with a really righteous group feel in the end. Tracks include "Jupiter", "Brand New Feeling", "Convulsions", and "Kera's Dance".

No Mirage here – as the album's got a presence that's impossible to deny – a solid, soulful uttering from this key Chicago combo of the 70s! The group's led by reedman Ari Brown – better known for his later avant work – and they've got a wicked blend of keyboards and horns with lots of complicated touches, played out over funky rhythms that are completely mindblowing! The great Ken Chaney plays keyboards, and in addition to Brown's reeds, the set also features trumpet from Frank Gordon, trombone from Steve Galloway, and bass from Rufus Reid – plus cool percussion from Arlington Davis and Drasheer Khalid. Most cuts are instrumental, and recorded beautifully – but one number, "The Ultimate Frontier", also features vocals from Anita Jefferies. Other cuts include "Slinky", "Mirage", "Just a Little Peace", and "March On".

One of the rarest and greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – the sly, funky and spiritual masterpiece He's Coming from 1971 – really the beginning of the funk years from Roy Ayers Ubiquity! This one's a totally solid mix of soulful jazz, jazzy soul and righteous funk – and it's straight up wonderful all the way through – with a groove that's hugely influential to say the least! Includes the amazing track "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", which has a slow sample bassline in the intro that's just incredible – plus groovy cuts like the spiritual funk classic "He's a Superstar", "He's Coming", and "Sweet Tears". The lineup includes Sonny Fortune on soprano sax and flute and Billy Cobham drums and percussion, and the record's co-arranged by Harry Whitaker, who's also on keys and vocals – with other tracks include "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Ain't Got Time", "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Sweet Butterfly Of Love" and "Fire Weaver". Amazing stuff, really a beautiful encapsulation of Roy Ayers in peak form!

A classic session of Italian modernist jazz – led by bassist Giorgio Azzolini, and featuring searing trumpet work by Enrico Rava! Pianist Franco D'Andrea and drummer Aldo Romano complete the group – and the tracks show a definite influence of the free jazz stylings that were sweeping Europe during the late 60s, but still keep one foot firmly planted in a swinging jazz tradition – which means that the solos have plenty of sharp edges, while the band still manages to groove nicely!. Lovingly repackaged by the Rearward label – and including the tracks "Israel", "Beyond The Corner", "Crucial Moment", and "Free Duet".

A lost Italian gem from the 60s! Bassist Giorgio Azzolini was one of Italy's best players during the postwar years, and this handsome reissue brings to light one of his rarer sessions from the 60s. The record's a lyrical septet session, with Azzolini's warm round basslines right up front, and beautiful solo work by a young Gato Barbieri on tenor, Franco Ambrosetti on trumpet, and Renato Sellani on piano. The session has the warmth and sensitivity of some of Horace Silver's best early 60's Blue Note work, and the tracks include "Tribute To Someone" by Herbie Hancock, "Sometime Ago" by Sergio Mihanovic, "The Stroller" by Benny Golson, and "Hiroshima" by Gato Barbieri. Very nice stuff – and with the usual high level of Rearward packaging!

A stunner of a solo acoustic folk guitar record from Daniel Bachman – one that rivals some of the great archival releases on Tompkins Square – though this one was recorded in 2012, and Bachman is a young player just a couple years into his twenties! Raw, string-buzzing immediacy and dexterous playing from young Bachman – and it's incredibly engaging stuff, too! He's also one of the relatively few contemporary folk instrumentalists – along with with Nashville's William Tyler – who truly evoke the spirit of trailblazers like Fahey and Basho for us. Includes "Copperhead", "Seven Pines", "Sun Over Old Rag", "Long Nights I", "Mount Olive Chohoke", "With Signs Following" and '218 To Caledon".

Badu is back with some of the deepest, funkiest and best music of her career – a mindblowing treatise for a New Amerykah – and what we'll consider an instant classic whether the world at large catches on or not! Erykah steps up this time with a set that balances the wilder impulses of her criminally underappreciated Worldwide Underground and more of a hip hop based, righteously grooving style – but still bursts with a freshness that's unrivaled to say the least. From free spirited soul, to sparse hip hop funk this record is both blunt and beautiful – with a slow-building emotional resonance that'll reach the most jaded souls. Modern soul music of the first order that gives us goosebumps from the first spin to the last beat! The album kicks off with Erykah riffing on and remixing Ramp's "American Promise" as an intro – and it just gets deeper from there. Producers/collaborators include Madlib, Sa-Ra, Karriem Riggins, James Poyser and ?uestlove. Amazing!!! Titles include "The Healer", "Me", "My People", "Soldier", "The Cell", "Twinkle", "Master Teacher", "The Hump" and "Telephone". The 9th Wonder produced single "Honey" is an unlisted bonus track.

Possibly the best document you could ever hope to find of the inventive guitar skills of Derek Bailey – a CD that brings together his seminal In Whose Tradition album with rare bonus tracks and unreleased numbers too! The core of the record features Bailey playing solo – both acoustic and electric – using the guitar less like an instrument than as a tool for exploring sound – both those coming from his own hands, and those which echo forth in the space around him! Two more tracks feature Anthony Braxton on flute and sopranino sax, and two others have Bailey in a trio with Kent Carter on bass and John Stevens on drums – and the long CD features tracks that include "Tunnel Hearing", "Rehearsal Extract (area 7)", "Six Fairly Early Pieces", "In Whose Tradition", "Postscript", "A Bit Of The Crust", and "The Last Post (morning)".

Derek Bailey in all of his unfettered glory – working here solo, on some very extended passages – on a great recording that offers up the entirety of a full concert from the end of the 80s! Bailey's guitar work here seems to be even more inventive than his famous experiments of the 70s – amazing work on the strings that still seem to have a sense of musicality, even when reaching for strange sounds and timings – that sense of soul that always comes through in his music, and which makes all the other folks who try to copy his mode just fall flat in their attempts! The performance features two long passages – "Let's Hope We're All In The Right Place" and "We Could Be Here For A Few Hours" – and the shorter "Which Bit Would You Like Again" – titles that all show the wit that Bailey brings to his playing too.

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

A lost album of raw twangy guitar from Mickey Baker – best known as the noisier half of the Mickey & Sylvia team – and even more let loose here on his own! The record is pretty rocking all around – with lots of loud, complex guitar soloing from Mickey – in a manner that would later emerge more in surf recordings, but which is here set in nice jazz-based studio arrangements – of the sort that really lets Baker step out as a bold solo talent on his own, instead of lurking in the background of the countless other sides he cut with other artists. Mickey really wails, and the album's a great lost treasure in the Atlantic catalog – with grooves that include "Midnight Midnight", "Gloomy Sunday", "Baia", "Whistle Stop", "Milk Train", "Baker's Dozen", and "Chloe".

The only album ever by The Barrino Brothers – a stellar early 70s harmony group, and one who could sing with the best of the east coast scene of the time! The whole set's got a feel that's very much in the best mode of groups like The Modulations, Soul Generation, and even The O'Jays – as the group's got a deeper, more solid sound than some of the more fragile outfits of their era. Production is very strong – thanks to the Holland-Dozier-Holland powerhouse sound of the time – and the group's vocals are supported on a full groove that really helps send the whole thing over the top! The title cut "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love" is a stone classic – and other nice tracks include "Rain", "I Had it All", and "It Doesn't Have to Be That Way". Loads of bonus tracks too – including "Trapped In A Love", "I Had It All (single)", "I Shall Not Be Moved", "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love (inst)", "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love (single)", "Born On The Wild (voc)", and "Born On The Wild (inst)".

A really wonderful later score from John Barry – and key proof of the maturity he really hit in his music during the 80s! There's a style here that goes way beyond most of his soundtracks of the 60s – and even of the 70s – a depth of feeling and jazzy approach that's almost like some of the best vintage work by Johnny Mandel! The orchestrations are sublime – handled by Al Woodbury with a really careful balance of strings and solo instrumentation – the greatest of which is the alto sax of Ronny Lang, which blows out wonderfully on most of the score's best numbers. Titles include "Main Title", "I'm Weak", "Chapeau Grits", "Busted", "Surprise", and "Oscar". This beautiful 2CD package is filled with a huge amount of tracks – not just the 13 numbers of the original album, but an additional 47 numbers – including tracks from the film, demos, and other great bits!

Really wonderful stuff – and one of Gary Bartz's greatest albums ever! This double-length live set was recorded around the time of his NTU Troup albums for Milestone – but it's a bit more straightforward than those sides, going back towards a searching soul jazz sound, with some slight touches of electric funk. The group features Hubert Eaves on electric and acoustic keyboards, Stafford James on acoustic and electric bass, and Howard King on drums – and the wonderful bass work of James really creates some great platforms for Bartz and Eaves to stretch out on long long solos. Gary vocalizes a bit on a few tracks – almost in the style of Andy Bey on his NTU albums – and the set list includes "Uhuru Sasa", "Jujuman", "Bertha Baptist", "The Warrior's Song", "Mama's Soul", "Sifa Zote", "I've Known Rivers", "Don't Fight That Feeling", and "Peace & Love".

Count Basie goes pop, and the results are mighty nice – a hard-swinging take on familiar tunes from the 60s, but all re-tooled the jazzy Basie way! The vibe here is right up there with the best Neal Hefti moments with the group – and although the arrangements are by Billy Byers, they've got that sense of tightness that Hefti first help bring to the band – a great setting for the inventive solos, and all the cool little twists and turns that make a record like this so great. And while you might think of the setting, or the title, as some sort of sell-out on the Count's part – the album's instead a perfect way to hear what made the Basie band so great – how they could completely transform tunes like "Pretty Woman", "Bye Bye Love", "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy", "At Long Last Love", and "Go Away Little Girl".

Joe Bataan working in a pronounced dancefloor soul mode! While the legendary Bataan was no stranger to the fusion of Latin, soul and funk, this some of the most club soul oriented sounds from Joe we've ever heard – and the sessions are seeing official release for the first time ever! The recording feature players who worked on Joe's stellar Afrofilipino and features a backdrop of wonderful Afro and Latin percussion and rhythms with the best sounds of the NYC dancefloor soul in the mix – with uptempo and midtempo vocal numbers flirting with disco and modern soul very nicely – with solid lead vocals and groovy female backup! Most tunes bring a bit of harp into the mix for a little more of a soar that plays off the percussion in really cool way. Titles include "Sadie", "When We Get Married", "My Cloud", "I Need Love", a take on the Isaac Hayes "Theme From The Men", "Let Me Kove You", "My Opera" and "I Do Love You".

Hip hop lifers and genre-defiant pop art blenders The Beastie Boys deliver the Hot Sauce – either their 8th or 9th album in 25 years, depending on how you count the Mix Up instrumentals set – and it sounds to us like a return to the good times hip hop funk style-hopping that the Boys flaunted so brilliantly in the period from Check Your Head to Hello Nasty! Hot Sauce was initially solicited as Part 1 to be followed by a Part 2, but the album was put on hold while Yauch battled cancer, which gave the Beasties plenty of time to finess the material and release it as the definitive project we have here. It's solid stuff and a Beastie Boys album through-and-through – and they're as immune to trends as ever. Guests include Nas, Santigold and Switch. Tracks include "Make Some Noise", "Nonstop Disco Powerpack", "Too Many Rappers (New Reactionaries Version)" with Nas, "Lee Majors Comes Again", "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" feat Santigold, "Tadlock's Glasses", "The Lisa Lisa/Full Force Routine", "Here's A Little Something For Ya" and more.

An amazing collection – every single Jorge Ben album recorded for Philips – one hell of a massive legacy in music, packaged here with a bonus CD of rare material too! The albums in the collection are the stuff of legend – amazing discs that forever changed the face of Brazilian music with Jorge's unique blend of samba and soul, plus a touch of funk as the 70s came on – and together, the music is a mindblowingly heavy batch of work that few other artists could ever match! Titles include Samba Esquema Novo, Sacudin Ben Samba, Ben E Samba Bon, Big Ben, Jorge Ben (1969), Forca Bruta, Negro E Lindo, Ben, 10 Anos Depois, A Tabua De Esmeralda, Solta O Pavao, Gil E Jorge, and Africa Brasil. Rarities disc is unique to this set, from what we can tell – and is filled with goodies too!

A much more solidly American album than some of Vicki Benet's other efforts of the time – which were usually more French-styled than this one! This time around, Vicki's got a great breathy style that's right up there with Julie London on Liberty – a late 50s sexiness that perfectly matches her ice blond look on the cover, and her slinky slinky dress! Arrangements are relatively gentle – strings, but never too lush – and Vicki hangs mostly in a ballad mode that's perfect for the breathiness of the recording. Titles include "Our Very Own", "The Boy Next Door", "Love Me", "There's A Small Hotel", "A Shade Of Blue", and "Heartstring Melody".

Smooth, soulful piano from David Benoit – sounding stronger than ever here in a collection of classics recorded for the GRP label! Although the setting's often a bit electric, David plays acoustic throughout – bringing in a core sense of humanity to the tracks, and often a strong sense of individuality as his leads and solos echo out from the smoother backings. The set list is overflowing with tracks – 18 numbers in all – and titles include "Houston", "I Remember Bill Evans", "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "Saturdays", "Some Other Sunset", "Getting Ready", "Gothic Jazz Dance", "Linus & Lucy", and "Reflections".

Peter Bernstein really makes things kick here – thanks to a hip quartet that features Richard Wyands on piano, John Webber on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums! With a rhythm section like that, the session better cook – and it does so nicely, in the open freedom of the Smalls Live setting – with some long tracks that are awash in extended, exploratory solos from Bernstein – really showing off his skills on the guitar in a way you don't always get on some of his solo sessions, often with a nice raspy edge that reminds us of Kenny Burrell at his best from years back. Titles include the originals "Vida Blue" and "Sideburns" – plus "Say Little Mama Say", "Love Walked In", and "Stairway To The Stars".

Surprisingly great later work from Salome Bey – a singer you might know as one third of the sublime Andy & The Bey Sisters from the 60s – stepping out here on a solo set of her own! Salome's voice hasn't changed a bit – and it's got all those soulfully expressive tones that made her so great back in the day – a mode of singing that really transforms the older standards on the set, and which sounds especially nice on the album's few original numbers too! Instrumentation is often quite spare – which gives us even more chance to focus on the vocals – and titles include "Untitled Love Song", "Don't Explain", "Washed Away", "I Like Your Company", "Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me", and "As Time Goes By".

The earliest work we've ever heard from tenorist Nat Birchall – a player who's really blown our minds with his recent albums from the UK! This set's from the late 90s, and already has Birchall really finding his voice – a freewheeling approach to tenor that's unlike most of his contemporaries, and definitely steeped in strong influences from the spiritual jazz generation! Yet while recent records have Nat in a more meditative mode, the sound here is almost more explosive – with echoes of 60s avant in the mix, amidst some bold rhythmic impulses from the group – almost with a quality that reminds us of some of those brilliant moments when an American soloist would combine with a European combo in the heady 60s scene. In addition to Birchall's tenor, the group also features John Hulme on trumpet and flugelhorn, Richard Wetherall on piano, Dave Tompkins on bass, and Danny Ward on drums – and titles include "Redemption", "Helix Nebula", "Unity Blues", "Passion Dance", and "Ism Schism".

A pair of Italian comedy soundtracks – both put together with a very unique feel! The scores on both sets is by the trio of Franco Bixio, Fabio Frizzi, and Vince Tempera – well known from edgier work on other soundtracks – but coming across here with some really unusual elements – including some plunky rhythms on main themes, mixed with melancholy melodies – plus isolated instrumental passages that really run the gamut – clearly changing to fit the whimsy of different scenes. There's a huge amount of material in the set – 62 tracks between both soundtracks, most of them relatively short and playful – and the set also comes with a DVD that features interviews with the composers.

One of the earliest albums on Hi Records – and a full set of heavy instrumentals from the Bill Black Combo! The groove is more R&B than Memphis soul – and is especially heavy on the sorts of rolling rhythms you'd hear from New Orleans – a sound that had obviously filtered north, and which at this time was still helping the Tennessee scene find its groove. Yet there's some definite Memphis touches going in here too – especially in the basslines and guitar, and a bit in the tenor solos – which can be nice and biting, with plenty of soul! Titles include "Smokie (parts 1 & 2)", "Cyclone Boy", "Dee J Special", "Anytime", "Before Dawn", "Special Duty", and "Crankcase". CD features two bonus tracks too – "Smokie (part 2) (stereo)", and "Smokie (part 2) (alternate version)".

A searing debut from Black Heat – one of the best funk acts to record for Atlantic during the 70s, and a tight little group with a sound that's a mixture of New Orleans funk and New York heavy! The album's got a bit of vocals – figuring in on about half the tracks – but the main focus here is definitely instrumental – with a strong emphasis on choppy guitar, sweet organ licks, and cooking horn solos on trumpet, tenor, and flute – the last two of which are played by David Newman – not normally a member of the combo, but a great guest for this session! The sound is very tight, but never slick – and often recorded with an earthiness that recalls some of the best indie label funk of the period – like the kind of grooves you might find over at Perception/Today – with all the trippiness that might imply. Titles include "Chip's Funk", "Wanoah", "Barbara's Mood", "Chicken Heads", "The Jungle", "Send My Lover Back", "Honey Love", and "Time Is Gonna Catch You".

A solid duo instrumentals project from Georgia Anne Muldow and DJ Romes – working together as Blackhouse – and delivering one of the best records yet on the prolific Mello Music Group label! Georgia's a restless creative spirit, and true to form, the beats and production she delivers for Blackhouse are quite inspired. In some ways, it's a bit of a departure from her unique twist on dusty funk and soul beats that we've come to expect – and the crisp cuts of Lootpack DJ/producer Romes have a lot to do with that! Overall, the record is a trippy mix of leftfield hip hop and fonkie/spacey soul beatcraft – and a largely instrumental one – albeit with some hypnotically looped bits of vocals from Georgia and others. Titles include "Fonkie Journey", "Blackhouse", "Soundoff", "Somali", "Rap Hit", "G.R.O.O.V.E. Me", "Lectrivunkin", "Shana's Beat" and more.

Cindy Blackman's looking a bit foxy on the cover, but her sound here is solidly soulful – a forceful batch of tunes that really match the best energy of the Muse Records soulbop scene of the early 90s! There's a nice blend of modern ideas and straight jazz energy here – sounds that grow strongly from the contributions of quintet members Steve Coleman on alto, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Kenny Barron on piano, and Lonnie Plaxico on drums – almost all Muse Records labelmates of Blackman, working here with energy that reminds us a lot of Roney's excellent sides for the company at the time. Blackman's the real boss, though – guiding things forcefully with her work on drums, and contributing a wealth of original numbers to the set – tunes that include "Code Red", "Anxiety", "Green", "Face In The Dark", and "Circles".

Quite an unusual record from Art Blakey – a rare big band session, recorded with a lineup that's quite different than the usual Jazz Messengers! Turns out, Blakey's quite good in this setting – and has the same firey energy to direct a larger ensemble that he has when working with a smaller quintet. The added players here really help him express some new musical ideas with greater depth – almost like the added percussionists on some of his drum-heavy Blue Note dates of the late 50s. Members of the group include John Coltrane and Al Cohn on tenor, Sahib Shihab on alto, Donald Byrd and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Melba Liston on trombone, and Walter Bishop on piano – and titles include "Last Date", "The Outer World", "Midriff", "Tippin", and "Pristine".

Pounding! This is the long-awaited re-release of a lost session that Blakey recorded in 1958, with a triple-drum rhythm group that included himself, Philly Joe Jones, and Roy Haynes – plus some additional conga work by Ray Barretto. Unlike other Blakey "drum orgy" sessions, though, this one's got a much straighter jazz feel – with plenty of solo space for trumpeter Lee Morgan and pianist Bobby Timmons. The drums work together in fantastic interplay – with Haynes' lyricism, Blakey's crackle, and Jones' raw power all providing perfect complement to each other while Morgan solos freely out front as the only horn (a role that he rarely ever got to take!) The set also includes 2 amazing other tracks that feature only bass and drum (not drum n bass!) interplay between Blakey and the late Paul Chambers – making for a total of 8 incredible tracks in all, with titles that include "Lee's Tune", "Blakey's Blues", "Lover", and "Drums In the Rain". Great stuff, and with notes by Kenny Washington, too!

An excellent live set by the Jazz Messengers – recorded in Paris in 1958, but with a hard heavy groove that's right up there with their best Blue Note work. The group at this time – Blakey, Bobby Timmons, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, and Jymie Merritt – plays hard, heavy, and straight ahead, with no other interference from outside players – and the track list is a batch of classic Jazz Messenger standards, stretched out a bit longer than usual, with plenty of solo space! Titles include "Moanin", "Justice", "Whisper Not", "Blues March", and "I Remember Clifford".

A fantastic live set from Art Blakey – recorded in Paris in 1960, with a version of the Jazz Messengers that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Walter Davis Jr on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass! Best of all, though, is that the group is joined by two Paris jazz giants on two tracks – the great saxophonist Barney Wilen on tenor, and American ex-patriot Bud Powell – who was doing some of his best work in Paris at the time, and sits in on the keys instead of Davis. Wilen's incredible tone sounds great next to Shorter's horn – and all the tracks are long enough to give all soloists plenty of room to move around. Titles include "The Midget", "Bouncing With Bud", and "Dance of The Infidels".

A sweet sweet selection of work from Blood Sweat & Tears – and one we love especially because it features their incredible instrumental work for the film The Owl & The Pussycat! The CD offers up a whopping 15 tracks from the film, all instrumentals that have this totally great sound that's unlike anything the group ever did vocally – much more laidback, jazzy, and with lots of sweet Hammond in the mix – often bubbling next to some funky backings, and topped with some great solos on trumpet or tenor too! These cuts are really wonderful – often hidden in the scenes in the film, and later buried next to dialogue bits on the soundtrack album – but presented here for the first time in all their instrumental glory – and showing a real blacksploitation funk side of the group. CD also features some rare mono singles – "Blues Part 2", "More & More", "And When I Die", and "Spinning Wheel" – plus the unreleased track "M", and the very cool "Krakbergravningen".

Excellent work from this fab French vocal group – their second LP, and infinitely harder to find than the first! The group was led by Blossom Dearie – the American singer, living in Paris at the time, and in the vein of groups they inspired (Les Double Six, The Swingle Singers) The Blue Stars sing vocalese versions of jazz standards, done in a romping groovy style that's a bit like Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross, but perhaps less solo-oriented. Titles include "Move", 'I'll Remember April", "Please Be Kind", "Promises & Lies", "Don't Be That Way", and "Bernie's Tune". CD also features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 8 more cuts that include "Lola", "Lettre A Virgine", "Embrasse Moi Bien", "C'Est La Vie", and "Grapevine".

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

A rare early album by the legend Brazilian guitar genius – still bossa, but also recorded in the US – which gives the album a stronger jazz feel at times! The core focus here is still on Bonfa's lively guitar solos – but the presence of added jazz musicians make for a set that's a bit fuller and richer than some of the more solo-styled album from Luiz – not exactly Verve bossa, but somewhere close – and a wonderful record that manages to capture the best side of Bonfa's lyrical genius – thanks to a mix of original sambas and bossa tunes, plus Bonfa-ized versions of some American standards. Titles include "Brasilia", "Island Of Trinidade", "Blue Madrid", "Old Times", "Indian Dance", "Marajo", and "Arabesque".

Spare improvisations from Chicago saxophonist David Boykin – recorded as a duet with butoh artist Nicole Legette, who also seems to be vocalizing a bit on the record! The album's easily one of the most challenging that Boykin's ever given us – quite open, and very expressive – sometimes concerned strongly with low tones on the saxophone, while at others screaming out with almost voice-like qualities. There's a feel here that's almost like some of Roscoe Mitchell's best solo work from years back – and the 27 minute CD features 11 smaller excerpts that are all pretty wonderful!

One of the greatest albums so far from mighty Chicago reedman David Boykin – and easily a set that lives up to the rich legacy of avant jazz in the Windy City! There's a depth to the record that comes through right from the very first note – a sense of history and feeling that shows just how much Boykin's developed as a player over the past decade or so – a tenorist with a done that's right up there with Archie Shepp or David Murray at their creative best – really stretching out on some wonderful solos that never fail to dim in imagination or new ideas. The group's a trio – with Alex Wing on bass and James Woodley on drums – which gives the recording an almost ESP Records sort of vibe – and Boykin's the shining star throughout, really knocking us over with his solos on the well-recorded set! Titles include "Blast Off For Love", "Walk Turn Bat Shimmy", "Try Harder", "Blue Lotus", "Star Book", and "Late Night With The David Boykin Trio Theme".

Wonderful grooves from trombonist Jeff Bradshaw – arguably one of the only artists to keep the Hidden Beach sound going this strongly over the years! The album's a double-length set – which means even more magic than usual from Jeff – still plenty of those sweet instrumental numbers, with lots of funky undercurrents, and great trombone solos in the lead – and also some great vocals on a few numbers – thanks to contributions from Raheem DeVaughn, Kindred The Family Soul, Maysa, PJ Morton, and others! Titles include "Til Tomorrow", "All Day Lovin", "Looking For Love", "Wait Around Love", "Searching", "So Thankful", "I Don't Know How", "He Is", "So Rare", and "Steppin Out".

Bold bass saxophone sounds from the overlooked Helmut Brand – a German player of the postwar years, and one with a sense of tone and texture to rival that of Gerry Mulligan at his west coast best! The work here is all previously unreleased, but shows Brand as one of the key reed innovators of the German scene at the time – right up there with the experiments of Hans Koller, especially in the way that Helmut can work fresh tones in with a strong sense of soul and swing! Many of these cuts feature trumpeter Conny Jackel joining in the frontline – folding his horn in with Brand's to create a cool wash of color – and a few other numbers feature Helmut alone as the lead soloist in a quartet, one with Roland Kovac on piano and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include "Bami", "Nordlicht", "Yesterdays", "Salute To Lars Gullin", "Love For Sale", "Berlin Calling", and "Sum".

An amazing moment in 70s jazz – the real rise of reedman Anthony Braxton, yet on a label that was also known mostly for pop, rock, and soul recordings! Braxton on Arista should have been a disaster – but instead, the label gave Anthony a huge amount of freedom – and, if anything, really allowed him to stretch out and explore all the rich range of ideas that were percolating in his genius – not just important small group recordings, solo sounds, and especially creative pairings – but also some large ensemble material that no tiny jazz label would have ever been able to support. Braxton really breaks out of the box on these sides – moving through an insane amount of new ideas and fresh sounds in the short space of five years – working with players that include Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, George Lewis on trombone, Henry Threadgill and Roscoe Mitchell on reeds, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Richard Teitelbaum on moog, Julius Hemphill on alto, Oliver Lake on tenor, and many other key 70s avant figures throughout these recordings. This limited package features a full book of notes – and includes the albums New York Fall 1974, Five Pieces 1975, Creative Orchestra Music 1976, Duets 1976, For Trio, Montreux/Berlin Concerts, Alto Saxophone Improvisations 1979, For Four Orchestras, and For Two Pianos. Most albums on CD for the first time ever!

An excellent session for BYG! Anthony Braxton is recorded here with a number of other Chicago AACM players, including Steve McCall, Leroy Jenkins, and Leo Smith. The instrumentation includes an amazing range of oddball sound sources, including Hohner Organ, sirens, logs, mouth organ, sound machine, and chimes, and the set's played with all the sense of humor and adventure you'd expect from some of the young AACM players. The record begins with the extended "Composition No 1", which is a fairly free piece; then it moves into a nice solo by Braxton, and then a set of "small compositions", which have some excellent horn interplay between Braxton and Smith. The LP ends with a cool spoken piece by Braxton called "This Time...". Wild stuff, and a great record from his early period.

A great blend of Brazilian roots and piano jazz – played here by a trio that's all-solid, all the way through – serving up some really wonderful music that never relies on bossa cliches, or any sort of tricks and gimmicks! Instead, there's a really rich mixing of modes – one that's so deep down, it comes through with its own fresh flavor out on the top – thanks to magically fluid work from the trio of Helio Alves on piano, Nilson Matta on bass, and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums! There's plenty of sets out there that boast titles and concepts like this one – but trust us when we say that this trio's really head and shoulders above most of the rest. Titles include "Embalo", "O Cantador", "Cosntelacao", "O Boto", "Luiza", "Bolivia", "Isabella", and "Quebra Pedra".

Seminal work from The Brecker Brothers – 6 of the group's best albums, plus the two Blue Montreux live albums – packaged together in one very cool set, in tiny LP-like sleeves! The self-titled Brecker Brothers album is the first super effort from the team of Randy & Michael Brecker, whose twin-horn frontline forged a very popular sound in the mid 70s – some really well-crafted numbers, done with a strong smooth approach that still sits well after all these years! Back To Back features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn, keyboards by Don Grolnick, and guitar by Steve Khan – but one of the things that really makes the album great is the vocal arrangements, which were handled by Luther Vandross, who also sung on the album along with Patti Austin. The set's got a great soulful feel – with some wonderful mellow groovers that have a sweet 70s sound! Don't Stop The Music is a stone classic from The Brecker Brothers – working with touches of club and disco grooves to give an even smoother edge to the jazz funk of the pair. And thanks to some solid soloing that's not afraid to go for the easy spots, the album's a lot more solid than an number of sound-a-like copycat LPs to come out at the time! Heavy Metal Be Bop is tight and funky jamming, with a bit more guitar here than on some of their other records – hence, possibly, the title! Keyboards and guitar jam strongly, but Randy and Michael still get in plenty of space for their solos – pushing their jazz licks with the jamming intensity that might normally be relegated to guitar heroes in the rock world. On Detente, the Brecker's are still rooted in jazz, but definitely step out with plenty of soul in the mix too – vocals from DJ Rogers, Carl Carlwell, Luther Vandross, and others – all of whom really add a lot to the set! On Straphangin, the BBs manage to groove with a sharpness and depth that most of their smoother fusion contemporaries just weren't hitting – an edge that reminds us of the deeper roots these guys had before they started hitting the mainstream! Last up are the live fusion classics Blue Montreux Vols 1 & 2 – both recorded as a unique live all-star outing by a group of Arista's best jazz players at the time! The group's an octet, but plays together in differing formations throughout the record – with Warren Bernhardt on keyboards, Michael Brecker on saxes, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Steve Jordan on drums, Steve Khan and Larry Coryell on guitars, Tony Levin on bass, and Mike Maineri on vibes – the last of which really make for some of the best numbers on the album!

Classic work from Brick – a group who went onto become surprisingly successful during the 70s with a hot Atlanta blend of funky soul and uptempo club grooves. The group has a feel that would be taken up heavily a few years later by LA funk combos – particularly those on the Solar label – and their style of slicking up funky licks into a tightly compressed sound was obviously a bit hit with the kids of their generation, and hip hop sample heads in years to come. This 12 track greatest hits set includes the classic g-funk number "Dusic", plus "Music Magic", "Dazz", "Good High", "Free Happy", "We Don't Wanna Sit Down, We Wanna Get Down", and "Living From The Mind".

The only full album ever cut by Tina Britt – a great female soul singer who really should have scored big with work like this! Tina was a discovery of Juggy Murray – the Sue Records soul powerhouse who'd helped set fire in the careers of Inez Foxx, Baby Washington, and Tina Turner – and who seemed about to do the same thing with his great work producing this excellent little set. For the record, Juggy combines some of the grittier sounds of his work on Sue with the deeper soul touches that were coming from the southern scene of the time – and he sets Tina up with a great batch of material heavy on influences from Memphis and Muscle Shoals. One of the tracks are originals, but Tina sings them as if they were her own – and titles include "Key To the Highway", "Hawg For You", "My Lover's Prayer", "Who Was That", and "You Ain't Nothing But In The Way". CD adds in 8 more bonus tracks – 3 previously unreleased – with titles that include "It's My Thing", "He Put The Hurt On Me", "Look", "You're Absolutely Right", "Teardrops Fell Every Step Of The Way", "I Found A New Love", and "The Real Thing".

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from trumpeter Till Bronner – a beautiful tribute to the 70s sound of Freddie Hubbard – recorded with instrumentation that's heavy on Fender Rhodes, and these soaring solos that are simply the greatest we've ever heard Bronner play! There's a perfection to the record that may well even go past Freddie's classics for CTI – a sense of solid, soulful sounds throughout – with not a moment of filler, and a great mix of originals from Bronner that really capture the Hubbard vibe – mixed with a few others that further the essence. The whole thing's wonderful – a killer contemporary set, but with a richly vintage feel too – no vocals, no remixes, or any of the other things that you might find on other Bronner albums. Titles include "Will Of Nature", "FFH", "Return To The Fold", "Gibraltar", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Condor", "Pegasus", "Red Street", "Wacky Wes", and "The Gate".

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from trumpeter Till Bronner – a beautiful tribute to the 70s sound of Freddie Hubbard – recorded with instrumentation that's heavy on Fender Rhodes, and these soaring solos that are simply the greatest we've ever heard Bronner play! There's a perfection to the record that may well even go past Freddie's classics for CTI – a sense of solid, soulful sounds throughout – with not a moment of filler, and a great mix of originals from Bronner that really capture the Hubbard vibe – mixed with a few others that further the essence. The whole thing's wonderful – a killer contemporary set, but with a richly vintage feel too – no vocals, no remixes, or any of the other things that you might find on other Bronner albums. Titles include "Will Of Nature", "FFH", "Return To The Fold", "Gibraltar", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Condor", "Pegasus", "Red Street", "Wacky Wes", and "The Gate". Limited deluxe edition features a bonus CD – with the tracks "Till's Blues", "Body & Soul", and "Little Sunflower".

Deep southern soul from vocalists Chuck Brooks, Joe Wilson and George Soule – a both gritty and and some sweeter material cut at Malaco Studios, mostly in the early-to-mid 70s – with some rare 45 numbers, and others that were never issued at all! The Chuck Brooks tracks are wonderful and show a real range, from funky, stripped down numbers to bigger productions that still have plenty soulful grit to them! The Joe Wilson tunes are just as strong – with a heavy bottom end to the rhythms, organ and vamping soul guitar in the mix, and uniquely emotive vocals from Chuck. The set's closed out by a trio of tunes by George Soule, solid, moody, a mix of soul, a bit of southern rock & pop, and Motown ballad influences. Really incredible stuff! Includes "Loneliness (Is A Friend Of Mine)", "Baby Please Don't Set Me Free", "You Can't Be In Two Places At The Same Time", "Once Up A Love Affair" and more by Chuck Brooks, "(Don't Let Them) Blow Your Mind", "Sweetness", "When A Man Cries", "Our Love Is Strong", "Don't Look Back", "Go On And Live", "Walking Away From True Love" and more by Joe Wilson, "Talking About Love", "The Easiest Think I've Ever Done" and "That's Why I'm A Man" by George Soule. 25 tracks in all!

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s – a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos – but which never sounds better than here, on James' original version – one of those cuts that never gets old! The hit's also nicely offset by a number of other more obscure numbers that make the album really worth tracking down – titles that include "I Can't Help It (I Just Do Do Do)", "Good Good Lovin", "I've Got Money", "Three Hearts In A Tangle", "You've Got The Power", and "Love Don't Love Nobody" – all on the rougher side of the JB spectrum.

A masterpiece of funky soul – and one of the greatest albums of the early 70s! It all comes together on this one – funk, soul, politics, and production – and the record is still one of the clearest examples of James Brown's genius that you'll ever find! Recorded during the same sessions as the JBs album Damn Right I Am Somebody – Payback has the group backing James with amazing intensity, playing on and on for very long stretches, improvising jams that perfectly match the vocals, which are often as improvised as the music. The most famous example of this style at work is "The Payback", which begins with a simple head arrangement, then has James riffing off on politics and power, letting the band come in at just the right moment, dropping solos that are still some of the best ever recorded on a funk album. The rest of the album's equally great, and even though most tracks run close to 10 minutes, and the album's a 2LP set, most of the material stays fresher than any 3 minute funk record we've ever heard. Some tracks are separated by these cool voices that rise up as seques – and titles include "Stone To The Bone", "Mind Power", "Take Some Leave Some", and "Shoot Your Shot".

Subtitled "Live At the Apollo Vol 3", but waaay better than any of the earlier volumes, this monster 2LP live set has James and the JB's wailing away in a freewheeling live set of hard hard hard funky grooves. Excellent work by the band, and a great way to see how sharp they were out of the studio, and proof that their funkiness was not the product of any clever editing tricks. Stone cold all the way through, with lots of great funky solos, cool rapping by James, and long versions of tracks like "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose".

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic". CD features nice bonus tracks too – "Magic (12" UK version)", "Thighs High (single version)", and "Let's Dance (single version)".

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly Bobby Broom and Bernard Wright – and offers up a great mix of jazzy roots and some of the newer sounds hitting the streets in the early 80s – a vibe that's maybe one of the first moments when older genres of music were beginning to show an influence from hip hop! Maurice Starr handles most of the production, and really makes things tight throughout – but Tom himself does a great job of keeping things interesting with the solos, augmenting the electric vibe with some rock-solid acoustic playing. Titles include "Rockin Radio", "Angeline", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Never My Love", "Mr Business", "Cruisin", and "Feel Like Makin Love". CD features bonus tracks – "Bye Gones (12" version)", "Rockin Radio (special 12" mix)", and "Cruisin (dub)".

A really cool live set from Mari Kvien Brunvoll – live concert solo work, but with lots of on-the-spot sampling – which allows Mari to loop her vocals and other instrumentation as well! Mari's voice has this really wonderful sound – airy, but very melodic too – a quality that's especially instrument-like when she samples it – but very personal when she's singing core lyrics upfront. And in addition to electronics, the set also features warmer acoustic sounds on zither, kalimba, and percussion – a very odd mix that works surprisingly well together. Titles include "

One of our favorite albums ever from Solomon Burke – a great little set that draws on all of his deep soul roots for Atlantic, but also gets a little bit funky too! There's a growing maturity in Solomon's music here that we really love – a quality that gets past the churchy cliches, and starts to explore some of the new territory opening up to soul artists at the end of the 60s – influences from all points south, wrapped up in a slightly tighter New York presentation. Titles include Solomon's great version of the hard break classic "Get Out Of My Life, Woman", an amazing remake of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", and the tracks "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free", "Meet Me In Church", "Since I Met You Baby", "Shame On Me", "Why Why Why", and "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye".

Seminal sounds from Solomon Burke – and a record that already has the young singer hitting the full heights of his greatness! There's a vibe here that's unlike anything else – even any of Burke's heavy-hitting contemporaries on Atlantic Records – and the album's key proof that Solomon's easily one of the greatest soul singers who ever lived! His vocals have roots that go very deep, but the strength of his vocals also help bring a new focus to 60s soul as well – a raw power that so many others would try to emulate, yet maybe never hit as well as Burke. A number of cuts here are great originals penned by Solomon, and every number's a gem – with titles that include "Stupidity", "Words", "If You Need Me", "Home In Your Heart", "Tonight My Heart She Is Crying", "I Really Don't Want To Know", and "Send Me Some Loving".

Solomon Burke's years at Atlantic just kept getting better and better! He started out very strong at the beginning of the 60s – and by the time of a record like this, he was in strong command of his vocal talents and emotion, such that he could do a fantastic job with just about any song. Proof is in the set here – as Solomon works with a host of New York and southern soul arrangements, on tracks that include versions of "Detroit City", "Presents For Christmas", "Party People", "Woman, How Do You Make Me Love You Like I Do", "It's Just A Matter Of Time", "Time Is A Thief", and "It's Been A Change". Great stuff all around!

Genius work from Solomon Burke – the kind of all-out, no-nonsense soul album that made Atlantic Records one of the strongest forces in the genre during the 60s! If you've ever bought one of Solomon's weaker recent albums, you owe it to yourself to check this one out – as it's a brilliant batch of tunes, 12 in all, with not a dud in the lot! The vocals are incredible, production is sublime, and the style is a teetering blend of country, gospel, R&B, and soul – never duplicated so well again on wax. Titles include "Can't Nobody Love You", "Goodbye Baby", "Cry To Me", "If You Need Me", "Just Out Of Reach", "You're Good For Me", "Someone To Love Me", and the incredible "He'll Have To Go".

Way more than just a greatest hits album from Solomon Burke – as the set's the only album appearance of most of his key early singles – making the whole thing pack the same punch as his other full-length records for Atlantic! Plus, given that although Burke's music was great, it never got the same radio play as some of his bigger contemporaries – these aren't really hits, so much as seminal 60s soul tunes that went onto form the blueprint for countless other acts to come – both in the north and the south! Burke really draws on his deep gospel roots here – and knocks it out of the park with every number – killer material that we'd take any day against even a pile of his albums from later years. Every track's a winner – and titles include "Down In The Valley", "Cry To Me", "Just Out Of Reach", "Keep The Magic Working", "Looking For My Baby", "How Many Times", "Baby", and "Be Bop Grandma".

The songs of Freddie Redd – re-arranged wonderfully by tenorist Chris Byars – and played by an octet who really make some new magic with the music! Redd's one of our favorite talents from the late 50s/early 60s scene – a budding modernist who also never failed to swing – a quality that Byars clearly admires too, and shows strongly in the way he opens up and grooves these great tunes! Even the larger lineup of trumpet, trombone, alto, and baritone can't hold things back – and instead, give the tunes more punch than we remember – strong leads that explode into tight solos – driven on nicely by the comping piano work of Sacha Perry. Titles include "The Thespian", "Old Spice", "Emily Reno","Just A Ballad For My Baby", "Minor Interlude", and "Somewhere/Music Forever".

Tenorist Don Byas is one of those players who always seemed to get more recognition in Europe than the US – or if that's not entirely the case, he at least got more chances to record properly than he ever did over here! This excellent 18 track CD features tunes from 3 early 50s sessions that Byas recorded in Paris – all of them in a small group setting that really let him open up on tenor in a mellow soulful way. Most tracks are relatively short, but the quality of Byas' solos is wonderful – and the CD represents some of the finest work you could ever hope to find by him from the postwar years. Titles include "Summertime", "The Man I Love", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Riviera Blues", "Somebody Loves Me", and a sublime version of "Laura".

A pair of classics from guitarist Charlie Byrd – back to back on a single CD! First up is Latin Impressions, a set that's more Brazilian than Cuban – and maybe a bit Spanish, too – given the strong use of acoustic guitar from Charlie Byrd! The set's got a laidback, open feel – and Byrd's guitar work is mighty deft, yet without all the frills and flowers of some of the more dramatic, emotive players of the time – a great illustration of the huge shift that the early bossa guitar recordings had at a global level. Byrd was one of the first big American proponents of bossa, and you can definitely hear that influence at work here – amidst additional guitar from Gene Byrd, bass from Keter Betts, and drums from Bill Reichenbach. A few tunes feature Charlie on solo guitar with no backing – and titles include "O Pato", "Homage A Villa Lobos", "Bogota", "Vals", "Samba De Uma Nota So", "Amor Flamengo", and "Azul Tiple". Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros is a landmark, as guitarist Charlie Byrd was one of the first American players to record bossa nova tunes – but although his work with Stan Getz has always been well-documented, some of the titles under his own name can be quite hard to come by. This is one of the best ones that Charlie cut on his own – and it features tight guitar work in a mode that's similar to that used by Baden Powell on his early bossa recordings, augmented by trio rhythms – plus some occasional larger backings by Walter Raim, and some extended group settings that feature Charlie Hampton on alto, Earl Swope on trombone, and Willie Rodriguez on percussion. Tracks include "Ho Ba La La", "Samba Triste", "Yvone", "O Barquinho", "Un Abraco Do Bonfa", and "O Passaro".

A landmark album by Donald Byrd – the first one where he really started to click with jazz-funk producer Larry Mizell! Mizell and Byrd had worked together previously on the Black Byrd album – a soaring bit of futuristic jazz funk that took Byrd's career to a whole new level – but this album's the one where they really began to make the formula cook, blending together tight funky rhythms, spacey keyboards, soulful vocals, and some of Donald's best solo work of the 70s! The whole thing's a masterpiece, and all tracks sparkle – including "Lansana's Priestess", "Witch Hunt", and "Street Lady", one of the funkiest tracks ever on Blue Note. A haunting record with a beautiful spacey groove, and one of the best-ever albums on Blue Note!

A gracious and soulful gospel jazz effort from Don Byron – a set inspired by Thomas Dorsey and Sister Rosetta Tharpe – and he serves both proudly! The set includes a number of Dorsey compositions, plus some nice takes on traditional "Didn't It Rain", Eddie Harris's "Sham Time" and a few other solid interpretions. Also includes the standout Don Byron original "Himmm". Byron plays clarinets on a few numbers, on top of always warm and inventive saxes, with DK Dyson singing, Xavier Davis on piano and backing vocals, Brad Jones on bass and backing vocals and Pheeroan Aklaff on drums – with guests Brandon Ross, Vernon Reid, Dean Bowman, Ralph Alessi & JD Parran. Includes "Highway To Heaven", "When I've Sung My Last Song", "It's My Desire", "Take My Hand, Precious Lord", "Hide Me In Thy Bosom", "I've Got To Live The Life I Sing About In My Song", "When I've Done My Best" and more.

Stellar sounds from pianist George Cables – the kind of fluid, soulful set he's been serving up for years – but one with a bittersweet undercurrent too! The "muse" in the title is Cables' late partner – for whom he wrote a few key tracks on the set, showing us that his skills as a composer are richer than ever – and really on a par with his majestic playing on the date as well. There's a lyricism that we haven't heard this strongly from George in a number of years – and the trio's beautifully balanced, with bass from Essiet Essiet and drums from Victor Lewis – both partners sensitive to the needs of the songs. Cables brackets the record with two solo performances – and titles include "My Muse", "Helen's Song", "But He Knows", "You're My Everything", "He It's Me You're Talking To", and "My Old Flame".

Raw, original instrumental funk from The Cactus Channel – who are coming straight outta Melbourne – and they're barely outta high school! It's kind of stunning that a group as youthful as this one is delivering such a finely-honed set of rave-up funk! It's largely done in the 70s action soundtrack and psych funk modes – recorded to analog for an authentic feel – with heavy drums, solid guitar and bass, a five piece horn section and lots of organ. There's some slower-cooking groovers, too, leaving space for some sharp solos. We really need to visit Australia and study whatever it is down there that's inspiring such a wealth of modern funk! Includes "Emanuel Ciccolini", "The Colour Of Don Don", "Budokan", "Tom Has Ideas", "Level Up", "Boss Cat", "Jungle Run", "Under The Birdcage" and "Hot Teeth".