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One of the few albums ever cut by reedman Rudolph Johnson – a hell of a saxophonist, and one with a great ability to combine the spiritual with the searing – a bit like Joe Farrell at his CTI best, but not as freewheeling – nicely focused, and a little bit funky in all the right parts – in ways that make this album one of the real standouts on the legendary Black Jazz label! The groove is nice and hard, and plenty dark – with lots of sharp edges around the offbeat rhythms, and a "bite" that makes the album one of the heaviest titles on the label. Other players include John Barnes on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Ray Pounds on drums – and titles include the great "Diswa", which has sort of of a tight jazzy hip hop sample feel to it, plus "Mr TJ", "Little Daphne", and "Spring Rain".

These guys always get our attention with something cool – and this time around, it's a great tribute to the Nonesuch Explorer Series – finally giving credit to the label's rich contribution to global sounds in the 60s and 70s! On the cover and inside, Loren Connors nods away in blue – as part of a nice long feature – and the issue also looks at the improv scene in Houston and the great Tim Berne! Lots of reviews and news – and plenty of nice ads too.

Nothing ugly about this issue – as the heavy volume celebrates the 30th Anniversary of this wonderful publication – stuffed to the gills with great bits on great sounds from the 60s and 70s! This time around, the big articles are on The Nazz, The Seeds, and Radiators From Space – with smaller bits on Cyril Jordan, Ty Wagner, and New York Dolls. And although the cover bills the magazine as "The fanzine that refuses to die" – the book-heavy contents are way more than any zine might offer – a whopping 175 pages, filled with dense writing and lots of images – and a good number of reviews as well!

One of the dueling cover story ssues of Wax Poetics – headed by great features on classic rap legend Big Daddy Kane, blue-eyed soul hero Daryl Hall, upstart hip hop gamer Joey Badass and progressive jazzy soul singer Jose James! Solid, worthy choices one and all – and pretty much every artist featured in Issue 54 could just as easily be on the cover! Includes interviews with Steely Dan's Donald Fagen, an extremely rare interview with Jimmy Spicer, plus pieces on Laura Nyro, Ghetto Brothers, Bobby Caldwell, Clams Casino, Nosaj Thing and Keyboard Kid. As always, it's got both both classic and comparably rarely seen photos, shots of old school cover and inner label art and more. Another essential issue!

A beautiful follow-up to the Snowing On My Piano album from pianist Bugge Wesseltoft and violinist Henning Kraggerud – and a really unique little album that strongly echoes some of Bugge's own solo work in recent years! Wesseltoft has really developed an even stronger sense of space as he's matured – and has this uncanny ability to use just a few notes, often very gently, and sometimes in halting ways – but all with the punch of a player who'd throw in a few dozen more notes in the same musical space – an incredibly quality that we've really come to admire in his playing, and which almost echoes some of the work of Satie or Gurdjieff – but with a more jazz-based approach. Kraggerud plays violin, viola, and viola concorda on the set – but often seems to move from Bugge's lead inspiration – creating some deeper colors with his own sustained notes. Tunes are all based around traditional themes, but really opened up in different ways – and titles include "Hei Hu", "Last Spring", "Byssan Lull", "Den Fyrste Song", "Blamann", "Om Kvelden", and "Wiegenlied".

A pretty warm and lyrical set by Kenny – accompanied here by a larger group that includes Cecil Payne, David Amram, and Cannonball Adderley on horns, plus a young Cedar Walton on piano. Dorham wrote 4 of the album's tracks, and they provide a perfect showcase for his polished trumpet style. Titles include "Spring Cannon", "Blue Spring", "Poetic", and "Passion Spring".

Flashing back with a flurry of under-discovered work from the late 60s and early 70s – a treasure trove of words and images that well warrants the large size of this book-style magazine! Mighty Baby grace the cover – and the issue also features long pieces on Syd Barrett and the Making Of Madcap Laughs, The Common People, and Tripsichord Music Box – plus a long feature of 50 Singer-Songwriter Classics Everyone Should Hear! There's also a detailed discussion of Mono Vs Stereo – and Richie Unterberger looks at a host of rock autobiographies. Lots of other reviews, features, and more – full color, over 200 pages.

One of the all-time great 60s albums from Blue Note – a seminal session from tenor legend Ike Quebec, cut in a warm, mellow style that's simply wonderful! Ike's working here with a quartet that includes organist Freddie Roach – a perfect match for the Quebec tone of the time – with a lean and soulful bottom sound on the Hammond that lets Ike soar on his solos over the top! The group plays a set of mellow standards, plus a few originals – all in the warm soulful vein that was Quebec's virtual domain at the time. Titles include "Lover Man", "A Light Reprieve", and "Easy – Don't Hurt". An incredible Blue Note release, and rare, too (we almost never see a vinyl copy) – reissued here with beautiful remastering!

One of the dueling cover story ssues of Wax Poetics – headed by great features on classic rap legend Big Daddy Kane, blue-eyed soul hero Daryl Hall, upstart hip hop gamer Joey Badass and progressive jazzy soul singer Jose James! Solid, worthy choices one and all – and pretty much every artist featured in Issue 54 could just as easily be on the cover! Includes interviews with Steely Dan's Donald Fagen, an extremely rare interview with Jimmy Spicer, plus pieces on Laura Nyro, Ghetto Brothers, Bobby Caldwell, Clams Casino, Nosaj Thing and Keyboard Kid. As always, it's got both both classic and comparably rarely seen photos, shots of old school cover and inner label art and more. Another essential issue!

Startling! This album is one of two that a young Tony Williams cut for Blue Note, back when he was just hitting the age of 20, and when he was already blowing the minds of masters like Jackie McLean (who first hired him) and Miles Davis (who stole him from Jackie for his own group!) with an approach to drumming that was freed from usual time constraints. Williams conception was so unique, other young modernists – like the album's Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Sam Rivers – quickly benefited from his presence, as you'll hear in this amazing session that sounds very little like any other Blue Note release. Williams wrote all of the tracks, but the style is much freer than any sense of composition might imply – and the group is shaken up differently from track to track. Titles include "From Before", "Echo", and "Extras".

Even thought it may well be the last issue to see print, Signal To Noise does it again – digging deeper than the rest, and really blowing our minds with the range of sounds they find in the left end of the spectrum! This issue's got a great feature on the pre-history of The Residents – a long piece that really fills in a lot of gaps – and also includes articles on Fluxus legend Ben Patterson and guitarist Sam Shalabai – plus shorter bits on Vanessa Rossetto and Rodrigo Amado. There's also loads of great reviews and concert bits too – which we'll really miss if this is actually the end!

This is the kind of Italian disco we can get our ears around! Bebu Silvetti is on keyboards, and at the helm of the orchestra – working here like an Italian Barry White, on a groove that's very similar to the best work of the Love Unlimited Orchestra. The tracks have a harder focus on the drums and beats than you'd expect – which punches things up nicely, and is a perfect complement to the breathy vocals and smooth Euro grooving over the top of the mix. Great stuff – a real treasure, and with a lot more soul than you'd expect! Titles include "Primitive Man", "Spring Rain", "Two Cups Of Coffee", "Voyage Of No Return", "Coconut Rain", and "Contigo". CD also features a bonus track – a Joe Cain edit of "Spring Rain".

The blues, as seen through the filter of Classic Rock magazine – which means that in addition to a story on the 20 Greatest Chicago Blues Records, you've also got articles on Stevie Ray Vaughan, Wilko Johnson, Robin Trower, Joe Bonamassa, and Family! The issue comes in a heavy envelope – and is packaged with a bonus CD, including 15 acoustic tracks!

Wow! Here's some never before released early 70s recordings by strange folk legend Michael Hurley – playing with a group of Franklin Co., VT players in the early-to-mid 70s! The group was dubbed The Fatboys at first and went on to go by Sheriff Mocus & The Deranged Cowboys a bit later in the decade – and this set features early versions of songs that'd appear on later Hurley records – and it's really strong stuff! It's kind of in a loose, ramshackle country rock vibe that serves the material really well – without obscuring the patented Hurley uniqueness. A heck of a release on Mississippi – and real eye-opener to a Hurley era we just weren't previously hipped to! Includes "Automatic Slim & The Fatboys", "Drivin' Wheel", "Ghost Woman Blues", "Long Legs", "Long John", "Watchin' The Show", "The Portland Water", "Singing Waterfall" and more.

A great issue of Oxford American – truly "The Southern Magazine Of Good Writing" – with thoughtful and personal Points South pieces on Kris Kristofferson, Alan Lomax's Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass documentary, Tenessee Williams and the art of screaming, "Stella!" – plus great features on the what prison life does to a man, what remains of past hopes for a black utopia on Warren County, North Carolina, hunting "Hogzilla", some beautiful Texas Gulf Coast photographs by J Henry Fair, an short story by Jamie Quatro and more.

Millie Jackson's feelin bitchy – and letting a whole new side of her talents show! After the sweet southern soul sound of her early recordings, the Jackson style takes a sharp shift here – letting a bitchier side show up more strongly, and really setting the tone for the next great chapter of her music! Some of the set still features the older style production work by Brad Shapiro – but that's also pushed out by a smoother more modern soul feel on most of the record – one that has Millie emerging with a lot more pride, presence, and power than ever – all-woman, and all in control! Titles include the 10 minute Latimore cut "All The Way Lover", which has a great monologue that would even make Latimore blush – plus the tracks "A Little Taste Of Outside Love", "Feelin Like A Woman", "Angel In Your Arms", and the great "If You're Not Back In Love By Monday". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Lovin Your Good Thing Away (alt vocal)", "Angel In Your Arms (alt vocal)", and "If You're Not Back In Love By Monday (alt vocal)".

Ahhh . . . Great stuff! This Millie Jackson's tremendous debut album – and the work here is completely different from later records that have her more in a bitchy mode! Here, Millie's a heartbroken southern diva – right in the vein of Ann Sexton, Doris Duke, or Shirley Brown – and even though the arrangements are done north of the Mason/Dixon line (in New York by Bert DeCoteaux, and in DC by Tony Camillo), the record feels like it was lifted off the pressing plant in Muscle Shoals or Jackson! Titles include "I Ain't Giving Up", "I Miss You Baby", "Ask Me What You Want", "My Man, A Sweet Man", "I Just Can't Stand It", and "Strange Things". CD version features a whopping 11 bonus tracks – many of which were never issued before – and titles include the MGM numbers "My Heart Took A Licking" and "A Little Bit Of Something", plus "Ask Me What You Want (unedited master)", "Untrue Men", "I Don't Wanna Talk About It", "Strange Things (alt mix)", "My Man A Sweet Man (unedited master)", and "You're The Joy Of My Life (alt take)".

An oft-quoted, classic old school track from one of rap's pioneering MC's, essential to any hip hop collection, that ought to need no introduction from us. Gets a place in the history books too for the early appearance of Russell Simmons as producer.

Fatback are going full steam here – working in a wicked style of dancefloor funk that never goes for cheap disco tricks, yet manages to update their older sound for the late 70s scene! The tracks are all long, and filled with lots of tight bass and percussion – setting a tightly snapping groove that's followed up by some catchy vocals, and an overall sound that's a lot more soulful than most of their contemporaries in the ensemble funk mode. Titles include "Freak The Freak The Funk", "Let Me Do It To You", "Big City", "Boogie Woogie", and "Hesitation".

A key transitional record from Fatback – one that sits nicely between their earlier funk and later club years! The record clearly knows this aspect about itself – as side one is titled "Vintage – House Party", and features more longer-jamming takes on the grooves that group was beginning during their Event years – a tightening up of the rougher initial Fatback groove, with plenty of bass driving the bottom of the tracks and lots more guitar work over the top. Side two shifts the focus to the "Tasty – Disco Party" mode – a style that's not that different from the first, but which has some smoother touches overall. Great Fatback all around, and titles include "Funk Backin", "Master Booty", "The Man With The Band", "Mile High", "I Gotta Thing For You", "Midnight Freak", and "Zodiac Man".

A key turn in the groove for The Fatback Band – one that has the group getting a good dose of "night fever", and smoothing out their funk for the 70s disco crowd! Yet although clubby, the record's still plenty funky – a refinement of the groove first started on Yum Yum, streamlined into a sweet blend of bass, drums, guitar, and plenty of horns – but all still with a sense of liveness and jamming that plenty shows the roots of the combo from the old days. A few tracks here have a nicely sweet soul sound – sometimes with backing vocals from Donna McGhee and Phyllis Hyman – and titles include "Night Fever", "A Little Funky Dance", "The Joint", "Disco Crazy", and "The Booty".

A well-titled album from one of the funkiest New York groups of the 70s – and proof that Fatback could still hit a heavy groove, even when tightening things up a bit! The style here is still firmly in the live jamming mode of their roots – captured well in the studio, in a style that's never too slick, nor too "easy" in the choices of rhythms or arrangements. Titles like "Double Dutch", "Spank The Baby", "Duke Walk", "Cosmic Woman", and "Love Street" hint at the street funk style that first got the group going – and although the sound's a bit more professional than before, all the best elements are still very much in place! Other titles include "NYCNYUSA", "A Changed Man", and "Soul Finger".

Seminal 70s southern soul from Millie Jackson – a record that's head and shoulders above most of what she recorded in later years! Before she got all naughty and raunchy, Millie Jackson was one of the best female soul singers to come out of the south – and this album's a work of understated brilliance that brings a new level of emotion and feeling to the music. The whole thing's conceived as a bit of a concept album – one in which Millie's a bit fragile at the start, due to unfulfilled love – then regains her confidence by confronting those around her, and eventually steps forth boldly as a proud, new woman. Jackson put together the record with producer Brad Shapiro – and the overall style is Muscle Shoals, but with a more sophisticated twist – thanks to inventive use of strings alongside the more standard soul rhythms. Highlights include a great remake of "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right" (complete with a nice bit of spoken dialogue!) – plus "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "It's Easy Going", "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "Summer (The First Time)", and the great "It's All Over But The Shouting". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – including alternate "live vocal" versions of "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", and "Feel Like Making Love" – and an instrumental called "A House For Sale" by The Muscle Shoals Swampers!

A key album in the evolution of the Millie Jackson sound and style – as she leaves behind the weepy soul of earlier albums, and moves into the fierce, proud-stepping mode that would define the "bad girl" of later, raunchier years! In case you can't figure out where Millie's going with her bag, the title is emphasized by a photo of a toilet seat on the back cover – and Millie literally takes the sh*t out on the record – in a series of tunes that have a real bad-rapping approach. Production is by longtime associate Brad Shapiro, but the overall sound is sweetened nicely by David Van De Pitte – who adds in full strings and voices to emphasize the attitude behind the songs. Titles include "Go Out & Get Some", "Put Something Down On It", "He Wants To Hear The Words", "Here You Come Again", and a great version of Latimore's "Keep The Home Fire Burnin", complete with an additional rap on the subject, entitle "Logs & Thangs".

An excellent early album from Millie Jackson – recorded in a southern soul style in New York and Muscle Shoals, but a lot hipper than most of the rest of the female soul that was coming out of the south at the time. For one thing, Millie was a bad mamma singer – rapping hard and frankly about the way things is (or were). For another, Millie's not necessarily as great in the sweet department as some of her contemporaries – so she sticks to the harder material, except for a few tear jerking ballads, and adds in a lot of humor and touches of the fierce sarcasm that would soon become her calling card in the soul business. Gary Byrd penned the leadoff cut "I Cry", and the other tracks include "Two Faced World", "Hypocrisy", "Good To The Very Last Drop", "Help Yourself", and "Now That You Got It". CD features a whopping amount of bonus tracks too – previously unissued versions of "It Hurts So Good", "Help Yourself", "Here Comes Love", "That's My Style", "Hypocrisy", and "Breakaway" – all sounding much more different than the master takes!

A side of Millie Jackson that we really really love – her ballads and mellow tracks – a style that Millie did unlike anyone else back in the day! Jackson's sometimes best remembered for her sassier side, but we love it when she kicks back and moves slowly into a groove – drawing on her southern deep soul roots, but giving things a warm modern twist too – that perfect balance of modes that made Millie a key force in changing the sound of soul back in the 70s! The track selection here is sublime – and pulls together some real gems from Jackson's famous Spring LPs – including some tracks that begin with these really cool monologues, and others that have kind of a midtempo groove that nicely changes up the pace. The whole thing's tremendous – the kind of Millie Jackson collection we made for ourselves decades ago on cassette – and titles include "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "There You Are", "A Love Of Your Own", "I'll Be Rolling", "From Her Arms To Mine", "Angel In Your Arms", "I Still Love You", and "Making The Best Of A Bad Situation".

Great little compilation that mixes together a non-stop run of funk and soul singles from various Polygram labels of the early 70s – including People, Spring, and others! The record's got some excellent bits – like "Jungle Fever" by Chakachas, "Fencewalk" by Mandrill, "From The Love Side" by Hank Ballard, "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More" by Barry White, "Think" by Lyn Collins, "Doing It To Death" by The JBs, "It's My Life" by The Mainstreeters, and "Parrrty" by Maceo. Plus, the whole thing feels like a live party, with a funky 45 DJ putting all the tracks together!

A sweet little set from Candian guitarist Ed Bickert – a record that's filled with amazing tones and colors, and which sparkles brightly from the very first note! The date's a trio outing – with Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums – but Bickert's playing gives the whole thing a quality that's very different than any sort of traditional jazz guitar set like this – thanks to a style that shows a knowledge of 70s innovators like Pat Martino and John Abercrombie, but a sense of soul that keeps the whole thing nice and solid – in a very classic way. The set's got an airy feel, but is deeply grounded too – and at times, Bickert almost seems to echo the unique phrasing of his Canadian contemporary Sonny Greenwich. Titles include "Where Are You", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Manha De Carnaval".

Biz's second LP from 1989 – what can we tell you about the Biz that you don't already know? As far as we're concerned there's a lot of MC's that could learn a lesson or two from the Biz, and producers too. Good time middle school hip hop, with nice sample based production and a great sense of humor, that makes us nostalgic for the late 80s early 90s glory days of hip hop. 13 tracks in all, with the cuts "Spring Again", "Just A Friend", "A Thing Named Kim", "The Dragon", "Things Get A Little Easier", "I Hear Music", "Biz In Harmony", "Check It Out" and more.

A well-titled set from Art Blakey – considering the hard-driving sound of the group! The album's one of the best from that unusual year of 1957 – almost a "lost" year for Art, when he was working away from Blue Note with a very different lineup of the Jazz Messengers than on his famous sessions for that label! The players here are all great – and include Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Junior Mance on piano, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – all working with a style that's a bit loose and open, allowing plenty of space for solos! Griffin's horn has all the sharp edges you'd expect, and Hardman's great too – and Blakey himself seems to sit back a bit more than usual in his chair, letting the soloists lead the tracks, instead of kicking things into gear from the drums. Titles include "Deo X", "Sweet Sakeena", "Late Spring", "Krafty", and "For Miles & Miles".

Tried-and-true underground hip hop mixed with more experimental beathead touches from Blu – with collaborations and production by Exile, Shafiq Husayn, Flying Lotus, Dibia$e, Daedalus and more – plus appearances by U-God, J*Davey, Co$$, Pac-Div and more. Titles include "Doin Nothing" with U-God, "Everything OK" feat Ms Jack Davey, "Everybody Nose" feat Sa-Ra & Nola Darling, "Hours", "Annie Hall" feat Chop, Cherry Pop & Tiombe Lockhart, "Tags" feat Exile, "Spring Summer Winter Fall" feat Jimetta Rose, "Down To Earth" feat Donel Smokes, Definite & Double Oh, "Keep Pushinn", "Doin Something" feat Pac Div, U-N-I, J*Davey, Tiron & Ayomari and more.

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring".

Incredible work from Don Cherry – a previously unreleased live date from the 60s, but every bit as great as any of his better-known records from the decade! The sound here is really amazing – a hip blend of Cherry's trumpet with tenor from Gato Barbieri and vibes from Karl Berger – working here in a piano-less setting that has all three players snaking together beautifully as the tunes unfold – freed up a bit to explore some really bold new territory, yet always held together with the same sense of inherent rhythm you'd find on Cherry's Blue Note albums from the late 60s. Rhythm is by Bo Stief on bass and Aldo Romano on drums – both players who really help the tunes take on some great structures – especially during the group's extended take on "Orfeu Negro", a number taken in very similar ways to Archie Shepp's Fire Music version of "Girl From Ipanema"! Other numbers are great too – and include "Remembrance", "Spring Is Here", "Suite For Albert Ayler", and "Complete Communion", done in a 22 minute take.

A landmark first album from drummer Norman Connors – a spiritual jazz masterpiece that builds wonderfully on the post-Coltrane tradition! Norman is years away from his smoother soul recordings at this point, and coming out of a righteous jazz background that included work with Marion Brown and Archie Shepp. For this initial set, Norman's in incredible company – working with players that include Herbie Hancock on both electric and acoustic keys, plus Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Gary Bartz and Carlos Garnett on saxes, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Billy Hart and Airto on percussion – plus a chorus of vocalists on the album's mighty title cut! Tracks are all long, spiritual, and freely exploratory – but never in a style that goes too far outside, or that forgets the joy and love that can spring forth in a forward-thinking session like this one! Titles include "Dance Of Magic", "Give The Drummer Some", "Morning Change", and "Blue".

Incredible work from Nicola Conte – Schema records maestro making his Blue Note debut with this set – and giving the label one of their best new albums of the 21st Century! The record's quite different than Nicola's programmed dancefloor work for Schema – and is much more of an organic jazz-based session – with instrumentation by a wide arrangement of hip European jazzers (including Till Bronner and Rosario Giuliani!), plus sweet vocals from a variety of different singers! The groove is still very much in the Conte/Schema spirit – often in a loping modal approach to jazz, with a strong inspiration from the best European scenes of the late 60s and early 70s. The sound is wonderful – with players from the larger lineup playing in differing groups from track to track – showcasing instrumentation that includes vibes, flute, trombone, tenor, alto, and even a bit of guitar from Nicola himself. Vocalists include Bembe Segue, Lucia Minetti, Cristina Zavalloni, and Till Bronner – and titles include "Sea & Sand", "Nefertiti", "Wanin Moon", "A Time For Spring", "Kind Of Sunshine", "Aphrodite's Dream", "The Dharma Bums", "All Gone", "Le Depart", and "Several Shades Of Dawn". Imagine the best work of Schema or Compost done in an all-organic, all-natural mode – and you've got the beautiful sound of this set!

Incredible work from Nicola Conte – Schema records maestro making his Blue Note debut with this set – and giving the label one of their best new albums of the 21st Century! The record's quite different than Nicola's programmed dancefloor work for Schema – and is much more of an organic jazz-based session – with instrumentation by a wide arrangement of hip European jazzers (including Till Bronner and Rosario Giuliani!), plus sweet vocals from a variety of different singers! The groove is still very much in the Conte/Schema spirit – often in a loping modal approach to jazz, with a strong inspiration from the best European scenes of the late 60s and early 70s. The sound is wonderful – with players from the larger lineup playing in differing groups from track to track – showcasing instrumentation that includes vibes, flute, trombone, tenor, alto, and even a bit of guitar from Nicola himself. Vocalists include Bembe Segue, Lucia Minetti, Cristina Zavalloni, and Till Bronner – and titles include "Sea & Sand", "Nefertiti", "Wanin Moon", "A Time For Spring", "Kind Of Sunshine", "Aphrodite's Dream", "The Dharma Bums", "All Gone", "Le Depart", "The In Between", and "Several Shades Of Dawn". Imagine the best work of Schema or Compost done in an all-organic, all-natural mode – and you've got the beautiful sound of this set! This 2010 Schema special edition features the original album remastered, plus a bonus CD featuring the previously vinyl only "Bohemian's Dilemma" and "Waltz Of The Sirens", an alternate version of "Nefertiti", an extended version of "Kind Of Sunshine" and other great tracks – including the previously unreleased "Danubian", "Teardrop Painted Blue" and "Quiet Stars". An hour of bonus material in all!

Sweet disco and soulful jazz – the only album we've ever seen from Copeland Davis, a great talent on the piano, and a mellow soul singer with a clear inspiration from Marvin Gaye! The album's a pretty unusual one – in that the overall groove is instrumental, mostly tight rhythms and strings with Copeland playing piano over the top – but a few cuts have Copeland singing as well – in this great sexy style that really adds a lot to the record. The approach is a bit rough at times, but it's kind of a rough version of slickness, which makes for a compelling set, and gives the album a few nice underground clubby numbers! Titles include "Look What We've Found", "Morning Spring", "So In Love", "Jet", and "No Arms Can Ever Hold You".

Sweet disco and soulful jazz – the only album we've ever seen from Copeland Davis, a great talent on the piano, and a mellow soul singer with a clear inspiration from Marvin Gaye! The album's a pretty unusual one – in that the overall groove is instrumental, mostly tight rhythms and strings with Copeland playing piano over the top – but a few cuts have Copeland singing as well – in this great sexy style that really adds a lot to the record. The approach is a bit rough at times, but it's kind of a rough version of slickness, which makes for a compelling set, and gives the album a few nice underground clubby numbers! Titles include "Look What We've Found", "Morning Spring", "So In Love", "Jet", and "No Arms Can Ever Hold You".

A wonderful tribute to the mighty talents of trombonist Raul De Souza – a package that features individual DVD and CD performances by the musician, brought together in one cool little set! Both formats feature recent material, ostensibly recorded for this package – and all tracks on the CD are not on the DVD – and vice versa – which means that you'll get an even broader picture of Raul than you might expect! The performances are great, too – very jazzy, with a style that focuses heavily on De Souza's lead trombone lines and solos – without much other instrumentation getting in the way. Given the many styles that Raul's used over the years, it's great to hear such a back to basics jazz-based set – echoed by guest work on the DVD from Joao Donato on piano and Hector Costita on tenor sax. DVD titles include "Spiritual", "A Vontade Mesmo", "St Remy", "Funky Man", "Bossa Eterna", "Jumping Street", and "Violao Quebrado" – and CD titles include "Alibi", "Ligia", "10 Minutos", "Voila", "Viva O Rio", "Up Jumped Spring", and "Todas As Tribos". Comes in an oversize package – with notes in English and Portuguese!

Maybe the best work we've ever heard from Joe Derise – an overlooked male vocalist from the 50s, and one of our favorite of the generation! Joe's got a style that's not unlike some of his bigger contemporaries – like Bobby Troup or Matt Denis – a sophisticated style that's still plenty jazz, but which also avoids some of the too-heavy traps that other male singers might hit. There's a wonderfully light, fluid feel to the set – even on the ballads – and the album has sublime backing from the Australian Jazz Quintet, whose work on reeds from Dick Healey and Errol Buddle is might nice – as is the work on vibes by Jack Brokenshaw and piano by Bryce Rhode. Tracks include "Soon", "The Charm Of You", "Personality", "More & More", "Humpty Dumpty Heart", and "Spring In Old New York".

Kenny may be quiet, but he's never muted – and the record is far from the sleepy session you might guess from the title! The album's a real standout in the Dorham catalog – a set that let's Kenny's trumpet sparkle beautifully in a quartet that includes piano from Tommy Flanagan, bass from Paul Chambers, and drums from Art Taylor – all bringing their own spirit to the record, but really hanging back in the space to let Dorham's sound dominate the record. Kenny's notes are beautifully shaped throughout – in a mode that has echoes of Clifford Brown's sweetness, but which also speaks with a raspier, earthier tone overall! Titles include 2 key Dorham classics – "Lotus Blossom" and "Blue Spring Shuffle" – plus "Mack The Knife", "My Ideal", "Blue Friday", and "Old Folks".

A bird in a tree, tied to a turntable by a set of headphones! Don't ask us to explain it – but we love the image, and think you will too – one of the most creative we've ever gotten in our t-shirt design contest! The shirt's printed on brilliant white, which really makes the playful colors pop out nicely – and the back shoulders carry the Dusty Groove website address – so you can let everyone behind you know where you shop! The toddler tee is 100% cotton, from Precious Cargo – and at the very least, this it should ensure you've got the hippest gift at your sister-in-law's baby shower this spring!

A bird in a tree, tied to a turntable by a set of headphones! Don't ask us to explain it – but we love the image, and think you will too – one of the most creative we've ever gotten in our t-shirt design contest! The shirt's printed on brilliant white, which really makes the playful colors pop out nicely – and the back shoulders carry the Dusty Groove website address – so you can let everyone behind you know where you shop! The toddler tee is 100% cotton, from Precious Cargo – and at the very least, this it should ensure you've got the hippest gift at your sister-in-law's baby shower this spring!

A classic vocal set from Ella – filled with standards from the Rodgers & Hart songbook – including "My Romance", "Spring Is Here", "Thou Swell", "A Ship Without A Sail", and "Have You Met Miss Jones".

Mitzi Gaynor's way more than just a pretty face and a nice pair of legs – as you'll hear on this late 50s set for Verve Records! Russ Garcia handles the arrangements – and proves again that he's a great choice for an unusual vocal date – able to add in lots of cool twists and turns that really keep things fresh – in ways that can really suit the special qualities of a singer's voice! The tracks are all Gershwin numbers, as you'd guess from the title – and Russ serves them up with some nice jazz flourishes throughout – little horn bits and larger tones from the orchestra, which both served to illuminate the best elements of Gaynor's vocals. Titles include "Soon", "Spring Again", "Treat Me Rough", "That Certain Feeling", "My Ship", "Isn't It A Pity", "I Can't Get Started", and "Gotta Have Me Go With You".

One of the last albums that Stan ever cut with larger arrangements – a surprisingly nice late 70s session that features backings from Lalo Schifrin! Most of the tunes on the set are Schifrin originals (save for one dodgy number from Evita!) – done in a sweetly flowing soundtracky style that works perfectly with Stan's breezy horn. Instrumentation's got some light Latin touches – but mostly in a fuller orchestral mode, with percussion sneaking out of the strings – and titles include "Children Of The World", "Livin It Up", "Street Tatoo", "Around The Day In Eighty Worlds", and "You Me & The Spring".

A beautiful bit of lost Getz from the 60s – a record of incredible depth that's somehow gotten lost in the shuffle of time! The album has Stan playing at Tanglewood with a core group that includes Gary Burton, Jim Hall, Steve Swallow, and Roy Haynes, plus musical backings by the Boston Pops – conducted by Arthur Fiedler in a style that's somehow without any of the hoke of his other recordings of the time, and which manages to give Stan some of the best "with orchestra" backings he's ever gotten! There's none of the overwrought modernism of some of the other Getz/orchestra collaborations that we never seem to like as much – and Stan's in incredible Spring Rain-like tone on the whole thing – blowing magically through both the lush and grooving numbers alike! Titles include "Tanglewood Concerto", "Where Do You Go", "Three Ballads For Stan", "A Song After Sundown", and a great orchestral take on "Girl From Ipanema".

An early killer from Johnny Griffin – a stripped-down quartet session for Blue Note, done in a format that really gave him plenty of room to open up! The rhythm section is a powerful trio led by Sonny Clark on piano, and featuring bassist Paul Chambers alongside the obscure drummer Kenny Dennis – but it's Griff's tone and conception that dominates the set – really blowing in a style that combines the soulful and the modern with incredible spontaneity, all wrapped up in a beautiful early Andy Warhol cover! Tracks are all longish, and titles include "The Congregation", "Latin Quarter", "I'm Glad There Is You", and "Main Spring".

Beautiful 60s work from Hampton Hawes – a set from the middle of the decade, a period when he wasn't recorded all that often – but one not issued by Contemporary until his American revival in the 70s! The group's got a wickedly fluid feel – not just Hamp's always-amazing piano, but also great drums from Donald Bailey and some especially great bass from Red Mitchell – really hitting those rounded, warm tones that would flower even more boldly during his time overseas. The sound is great – almost more of a Saba/MPS piano set than the usual Contemporary bag – and titles include "I'm All Smiles", "Searchin", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Spring Is Here", and "Manha De Carnaval".

A lost set of work from the team of Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land – recorded right around the same time as their famous San Francisco album! The album's overflowing with the soulful, righteous tones the pair could create together – sublime vibes from Hutcherson, both tenor and flute from Land – and a top-shelf supporting cast that includes Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums! Like others of this nature, Blue Note never issued the material at the time – but wisely released it as an album at the start of the 80s – a great contribution to Hutcherson's catalog for the label – of which we can never get enough! Titles include "Ungano", "Avis", "Comes Spring", and "Orientale".

An amazing, career-spanning compilation of pioneering psych and earlier material, mixed with more traditional elements of Korean music by Shin Joong Hyun – including his own numbers, great songs with his combos over the years and tunes he wrote for others to sing – from the late 50s to the early 70s! The stylistic breadth is pretty wide, but what's so impressive is that he's not merely traipsing through genres to stay current – he's a real master, and the consistently great quality throughout is a real thing to behold. It's passionate and soulful as all get out, whether it's a spare bit of rock or folk, raw and rumbling psych folk or garage-y stormers. One of the best global psych comps we've seen in a while! Includes "Moon Watching", "J Blues '72" and "I've Got Nothing To Say" (credited to Shin Joong Hyun), "Please Don't Bother Me Anymore" by Golden Grapes, "The Sun" by Kim Jung Mi, "Tomorrow" by lee Jung Hwa, "Spring Rain" by Park In Soo, "Sunset" by Jang Hyun, "Why That Person" by Bunny Girls, "Beautiful Rivers And Mountains" by Shin Joong Hyun & The Men and more.

Spacey sounds from the enigmatic Iasos – a legendary figure in the 70s underground – and an artist with a heck of a great ear for organic electronics and unusual recording techniques! This cool collection of Iasos' music was put together by Carlos Nino with the guys at Numero – and as such, it's got a really sensitive feel – a way of bringing together the sounds and stories that really get at the subtle genius of Iasos – packaged in a lavish set that also features lots of vintage photos too. The style is often quite personal, and almost naive – as Iasos works on guitar, keyboards, amplified flute, and other odd tape and studio effects – all flowing out with a style that's often a bit cosmic, and pretty darn compelling. Titles include "Crystal Petals", "Procession On The Horizon", "Cloud Prayer", "Rainbow Canyon", "I Passion You A Leap Of Love Flame", and "Spring Temple Forest".

Spacey sounds from the enigmatic Iasos – a legendary figure in the 70s underground – and an artist with a heck of a great ear for organic electronics and unusual recording techniques! This cool collection of Iasos' music was put together by Carlos Nino with the guys at Numero – and as such, it's got a really sensitive feel – a way of bringing together the sounds and stories that really get at the subtle genius of Iasos – packaged in a lavish set that also features lots of vintage photos too. The style is often quite personal, and almost naive – as Iasos works on guitar, keyboards, amplified flute, and other odd tape and studio effects – all flowing out with a style that's often a bit cosmic, and pretty darn compelling. Titles include "Crystal Petals", "Procession On The Horizon", "Cloud Prayer", "Rainbow Canyon", "I Passion You A Leap Of Love Flame", and "Spring Temple Forest".

These guys never miss! For years, we'd always passed up the later work of Jackie & Roy – thinking, in our elitist minds, that only their early work was worth merit. But this session from 1982 proves how wrong we were – as it's a stellar batch of small group tracks – sung in the same sweet mode as their best 50s work! The group's a nice one – with some great vibes by Paul Johnson – and the style has Jackie singing some songs in the lead, others in duet with Roy, and still others in a wonderful wordless mode that we really love. Titles include "Loving You", "I Watch You Sleep", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Am I Blue", "Bidin My Time", "Mine", and "Joy Spring".

One of the first albums ever from the team of Jackie Caine and Roy Kral – and one of the best, too! The album's got a relaxed, open-ended approach to jazz vocals that already carries all the hallmarks of the Jackie & Roy style – wordless scatting on some tunes, playful lyrical interplay on others, and a focus on Jackie's ballad talents on some of the gentler numbers – all wrapped up in small combo backing that's sensitive, creative, and modern – yet never in a way that overwhelms the vocals. It's hard to match the poise, class, and cleverness of this one – and the album easily set a new standard for vocal jazz in the 50s! Titles include a few great early tunes by Tommy Wolf – the songwriter who would become so important for the pair – and backing is by Roy on piano, Barney Kessel on guitar, Red Mitchell on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums. Titles include "Let's Take A Walk Around The Block", "You Smell So Good", "Listen Little Girl", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", "Bill's Bit", "Dahuud", "I Wish I Were In Love Again", and "Lover".

The first-ever release of a great live date from pianist Oliver Jones – working here with a hip trio that features Reggie Johnson on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums! Jones gets plenty of room to open up in the relaxed format of the performance – often using a strong left hand to set the rhythms going, even before the bass and drums come into play – in ways that do a great job of mixing bluesy undercurrents with some lighter, more lyrical touches as well! Titles include "Up Jumped Spring", "Blues For Helen", "Emily", "Round Midnight", "Snuggles", "Hymn To Freedom", and "Something For Chuck".

Some of the greatest jazz work ever recorded by Michel Legrand! Although Legrand's always been known for his sweet soundtrack work and his famous easy listening sides – he's also a heck of a jazz pianist, and here in this rare 1959 session, he works in a trio format that puts him right up there with the best of the French piano-technics of his generation, like Maurice Vander or Rene Utreger. The arrangements are wonderfully off-beat – and Legrand dances around the piano with a versatility that we didn't know he had. The group features Guy Pedersen on bass and Gus Wallez on drums – and titles include "Paris In The Spring", "Sous Les Ponts De Paris", "Paris Canaille", "Moulin Rouge", and "La Vie En Rose".

One of the weirdest records ever on ESP – a dreamy mix of vocals from this family-based group – set to jazz-based instrumentation, over rhythms that range from funky to bossa! The singing's a bit rough at times, but that's part of the charm – as The Leavitts have an earnest, honest approach to their music – a bit of a message in some of the lyrics, and a fair bit of poetic imagery too – done with an approach that's somewhere in the territory of The Free Design, but not nearly as polished! Music is handled by a very hip batch of players – including Chick Corea on piano, Pete Yellin on flute, and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax – all musicians who add great sounds to the group's own work on guitar, and give the record a solid instrumental grounding. Pretty amazing stuff, and a lot more charming than you might expect – with tracks that include "The Saints Of My City Are Children", "Fun City", "Notes So High", "Candy", "Once I Had A Little Duck", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and "O Amor Em Paz".

One of the best-ever albums by this lovely soulful singer! Linda Lewis had an amazing style that was somewhere in between Minnie Riperton, Joni Mitchell, and Ellen McIlwaine – meaning that she mixes soul, folk, and a bit of jazz into her own unique vibe. This album's a gem, and is filled with groovy little songs that have a great sweetly jazzy vibe, and some excellent production that keeps things nicely in place. Linda wrote all the tracks, and backing is by a tight little group that mixes guitar, keyboards, and percussion, in kind of an LA small studio combo sort of way. Titles include "Spring Song", "It's The Frame", "Feeling Feeling", "Waterbaby", and "More Than A Fool". Great songwriting, and one of the loveliest voices that never got the fame it deserved!

One of the best-ever albums by this lovely soulful singer! Linda Lewis had an amazing style that was somewhere in between Minnie Riperton, Joni Mitchell, and Ellen McIlwaine – meaning that she mixes soul, folk, and a bit of jazz into her own unique vibe. This album's a gem, and is filled with groovy little songs that have a great sweetly jazzy vibe, and some excellent production that keeps things nicely in place. Linda wrote all the tracks, and backing is by a tight little group that mixes guitar, keyboards, and percussion, in kind of an LA small studio combo sort of way. Titles include "Spring Song", "It's The Frame", "Feeling Feeling", "Waterbaby", and "More Than A Fool". Great songwriting, and one of the loveliest voices that never got the fame it deserved! CD also features the bonus track "Rock A Doodle Doo" – kind of a hit for Linda!

A nicely done compilation of pivotal work from the great Ramsey Lewis – focusing on his work for Columbia/CBS Records from the 70s and early 80s – and very well chosen at that! Of course the title comes from Ramsey's iconic album of the same name, and this 2CD set features a few tracks from that one, but it's also got numbers from Tequila Mockingbird, Ramsey, Three Piece Suite, Love Notes and other great records, plus choice live work, his album with Nancy Wilson and other standouts. It kind of focuses on the sunny electric jazz and fusiony soul groovers, and Jazz FM does a great job with the selections! 32 tracks on 2CDs: "Spring High", "Caring For You", "Tambura, "So Much More", "Lynn (Live)", "Hot Dawgit", "Paradise", "Expansions", "Sun Goddess", "Sassy Stew (Live)", "Whisper Zone", "Camino El Bueno", "All The Way Live", "Intimacy", "I'll Always Dream About You" and more.

Amazing sounds from one of the all-time greats – the legendary Little Willie John – not only a key inspiration to James Brown, but one of the formative forces in soul music at the start of the 60s! The material here was cut by King Records at the height of its R&B years, but it also stretches forth towards something new, too – a deeper, more expressive sound that really blows us out of the water, even all these decades later – vocals that are incredible, and virtually a blueprint for the style that would come to be known as deep soul in later years. The package brings together all of Little Willie John's hit singles for King, but also features the much more obscure b-sides too – making it an essential document of these legendary years – with a whopping 32 tracks that include "Now You Know", "Flamingo", "Spring Fever", "I'm Sorry", "My Nerves", "Do Something For Me", "Leave My Kitten Alone", "Let Nobody Love You", "Fever", "Tell It Like It Is", "Letter From My Darling", "Don't Leave Me Dear", "Right There", and "All Around The World".

One of the last albums in Julie London's legendary run for Liberty Records – a perfect cap to a phenomenal catalog, and one that still shows London very much at the top of her powers! The backings here are by three different talents – Don Bagley, Kirk Stuart, and Allyn Ferguson – but the sound is nicely unified, and most numbers make strong use of that breathy, up-close style of singing that Julie virtually invented back in the 50s – maybe not as sad and dreamy as back then, given all the mature modes and adult sensuality expressed in London's records of the 60s! Titles include "Bidin My Time", "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Show Me The Way To Go Home", "This Can't Be Love", "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year", "The Man I Love", and "The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else".

On Sophisticated Lady, Julie London's got her hair up, and is wearing a classy gown – so you can bet that the feel of the record definitely follows through with the "sophisticated" promise of the title! Things are as mellow as on London's early classics for Liberty, but there's a bit more of an orchestrated feel too – fuller backings that couch her lovely vocals in a near-perfect array of strings – usually quite gentle, and often breaking away to give Julie that personal, solitary space that usually has her singing at her best. Titles include "Make It Another Old Fashioned Please", "Sophisticated Lady", "Remind Me", "You're Blase", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and "Absent Minded Me". For The Night People is mature, mellow, and totally wonderful – clear proof that Julie London was still making great music well into the 60s! The album's got a simple, unassuming charm – very much in the late nite mode you'd guess from the title, with spare backings from Don Bagley that often have a key guitar line in the mix – working along with London's vocals in the same style as the mid 50s – but with a different feel overall – a bit more mature and world-wise, which makes for a perfect fit for tunes that include "I Got It Bad", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Am I Blue", "I'll Never Smile Again", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", and "When The Sun Comes Out".

A beautiful album from Jon Lucien – one that's been far too neglected over the years! This was Lucien's second album for Columbia – and it's a wonderfully strong effort that fuses together jazz, soul, and Brazilian styles, in a manner that recalls some of his best work for RCA – but also moves the music into a slightly more modern soul vibe, too! The sound's a bit tighter than in earlier years – but the best cuts really benefit from this approach, and have sort of a Bill Withers-esque mix of smooth instrumentation and real soul vocals. Titles include the classic "Hello Like Before", plus "Child Of Love", "Mi Vida", "Spring's Arrival", "Gaku", and "If I Could". CD features a bonus early version of "Child Of Love".

Early work from British vocalist Lena Martell – a full Decca album, plus a batch of rare singles as well! The Someone New set is amazing – recorded with jazzy backings from Johnny Keating, in ways that are quite different than other British girl singers of the time – much more adult, and sophisticated – with a blend of jazz and strings that's completely sublime, and presented here with a really sparkling sort of sound! Lena's especially great at the mellow ballads that dominate the set – tunes served up with shimmering arrangements from Keating, and a style that's kind of a 60s update on 50s modern large group work from the US. Titles include "Comes Love", "Where Is Love", "You're Free", "Something Simple", "Too Soon", "There'll Never Be Another You", "Lost In The Stars", and "I'm A Fool To Want You". The set also features 9 singles – recorded in the years 1964 through 1971 – the latter of which are especially nice, and show Lena really shining in some full, adult pop modes. These tunes include "For The Love Of Him", "I Would Marry Spring", "I'm Going Home", "The World Of A Child", "Now", "It's Another World", and "All Cried Out".

Some of the hippest jazz ever played at Vassar College – and previously-unreleased work from avant legend Joe McPhee, recorded right around the same time as his classic Nation Time record! One CD features a smoking performance by McPhee on tenor – working with a group that also includes Byron Morris on alto sax – really stretching out on a mixture of original tunes and some surprisingly free takes on standards – familiar songs blown openly, almost with a Coltrane Quartet sort of approach! But the other CD is even more amazing – and even more obscure – as it features a group with vibist Ernie Bostic, alto saxophonist Otis Greene, and Hammond player Herbie Leaman – all musicians we really don't know at all – but who sound wonderful together! The mix of organ and vibes is completely sublime – and tracks are very long and airy, with a haunting feel that's unlike anything we've ever heard before. The Bostic group plays "Flowers For Mattie B", "Bag's Groove", and "Resolution" – and McPhee's combo takes on "Green Dolphin Street", "Spring Street", "Muntu", "Maybell's Blues", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Stella By Starlight".

One of the more laidback western soundtracks we've ever heard – and we mean that in a great way! Franco Micalizzi seems to work here in a way that's more focused on the overall music than the genre of the film – and turns in some really beautiful slow-stepping numbers – some with a bit of fuzz, some a bit of acoustic guitar – often in a warmer style than the usual western score, with a lyricism that's really striking on some of the tracks! Instrumentation includes some cool distorted old piano, a bit of flute, and fuzzy keyboards – and the set includes the vocal number "When Spring Is In The Air" – and 12 more instrumental numbers.

A heavy heavy set from the legendary Alphonse Mouzon – one of his drum-heavy funk records for Blue Note! Alphonse has a style that's a bit different than some of his other work here – very direct, with plenty of soul undercurrents – although definitely some of the rockish elements that also made Mouzon a key crossover player in the fusion years! The album was Mouzon's first, and in some ways may be one of his best – and has a strong jazz component, thanks to work from sidemen who include Sonny Fortune and Buddy Terry on reeds, and the great Larry Willis on acoustic and electric piano. Alphonze wrote, arranged, and conducted all the tracks – and titles include "Crying Angels", "Funky Finger", "Spring Water", and "Sunflower".

Jazz in romantic places, but some pretty groovy ones too – a host of global destinations all referenced in the track selection for the set! Dave Pell's tenor is at the lead on most numbers, but the octet's in fine formation too – arranged by Jack Montrose, Marty Paich, Johnny Mandel, and Shorty Rogers – the last of whom also produced the album, and manages to give it the same sort of feel as his own great sets for Atlantic at the time! The style is prime west coast 50s – with a classic cover to match – and players include Bob Gordon on baritone sax, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Ray Sims on trombone, and Donn Trenner on piano and celeste. Titles include "New Orleans", "Flying Down To Rio", "Paris In The Spring", "Memphis In June", "Isle Of Capri", "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "On A Slow Boat To China", and "London In July".

One of the classic Verve series of recordings from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival, and an album that features one side of the Oscar Peterson trio with Ray Brown and Herb Ellis, plus a side of the trio joined by Jo Jones, Sonny Stitt and Roy Eldridge. 8 tracks in all, including "Will You Still be Mine", "Joy Spring", "Gal In Calico", "52nd Street Theme", "Monitor Blues", "Willow Weep For Me", "Autumn In New York" and "Roy's Son".

A beautiful example of the maturation of American avant jazz in the 70s – a set that has the Revolutionary Ensemble really drawing their sound into focus, drawing on older experimental modes and forging them into a rich new vision – one that would certainly live up to the AACM's promise of "Great Black Music"! The tracks here are all quite long, but they also have a careful, thoughtful feel too – not just improvisations, but measured exercises in spirit and sound – played beautifully by the trio formation of Sirone on flute and bass, Jerome cooper on drums, percussion, and balaphone, and Leroy Jenkins on violin, flute, and kalimba! The mixture of instrumentation is handled with Art Ensemble-like precision at points – never academic, and occasionally loose enough to be loft jazz – but always with an ear for organic richness of sound, in ways that make the album a surprising delight at each new turn. Titles include "Chicago", "March 4 1", "Clear Spring", and "Revolutionary Ensemble".

One of Woody's last albums – a back to basics set, recorded with a group that include Kenny Garret on alto sax, Kenny Barron on piano, and guest guitar work on one track by Peter Leitch. The approach is straight modal hardbop – in the spirit of Woody's first recordings for Muse – and although his genius seems to have faltered a bit, his work here is still incredibly solid, much more so than most other trumpeters of his generation, and still expressed in a preference for easily grooving longer tracks. Titles include "Speak Low", "Solid", "There Will Never Be Another You", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "The Woody Woodpecker Song".

Soaring grooves from Bebu Silvetti – a set that definitely has the disco touches you'd expect on the Salsoul label, but which also seems to pick up a few soundtracky styles as well! Some tunes are upbeat and grooving, with a great blend of strings and beats – the kind that Silvetti does so well – while others are a bit more groovy, and feel like the kind of thing you might hear on an Italian soundtrack of the time – especially when the wordless vocals are scatting along with the music! Titles include "Silvia's Picture", "Winter Rain", "Travel Check", "Steps In The Snow", "A Day In The Country", and "Spring Rain".

Loose, soulful and swaggering tenor sax from a pair of legends – Hal Singer and David Murray – fellows who busted boundaries for decades! On Challenge, recorded in Paris in Spring, 2010, they play great, mostly original material with passionate conviction and a a boundless sense of intutitive interplay. Singer and Murray communicate masterfully, and their excellent group includes Rasul Siddik on trumpet, Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Jaribu Shahid and the always great Hamid Drake on drums. Includes Singer's "Challenge", "Hamid's Time" and "Dreams Of Dreams", Murray's "Hong Kong Nights", "Long March To Freedom", "Stressology" and more.

A pretty great record from singer Jennie Smith – not just for her own vocals, but for the unusual batch of tunes on the set! Jennie sang regularly on the Steve Allen show – and Steve penned every tune on the set – giving Smith a batch of music that goes way past overdone standards or pop numbers from other artists – a great fit to match the fresh voice that Jennie brings to the music! The arrangements are lush, but compact too – handled by Bob Enevoldsen, with a quality that acknowledges his roots in west coast jazz – but served up with a bit more conventional swing. Titles include "Never Had This Feeling Before", "With You", "After You", "I Love You Today", "Spring In Maine", "After Awhile", "When I'm In Love", and "Life Is But A Dream".

A wicked little set from British pianist Eddie Thompson – a player who always wasn't as well noticed on this side of the Atlantic, but who will forever be remembered for this classic date for MPS! The set's got a great criss-crossing of styles – a punctuated way of playing the keys with roots that go back to jazz piano of the pre-war years – yet a flowing, open approach to the groove that's also pure MPS too – kind of a timeless match that's really compelling, and which makes the record unlike anything else we can think of from the time. The trio features Tony Archer on bass and Terry Jenkins on drums – and titles include "Jitterbug Waltz", "I Wish I Was In Love Again", "Tea For Two", "Spring Is Here", and "My Romance", plus the nicely grooving original, "One Mohr Time".

Early 80s greatness from Bernard Wright – the benchmark Nard from '81 and his Funky Beat from '83 – in a single set! Nard is a masterpiece of smooth jazzy funk – and super-hip session headed up by the young keyboardist! Wright's working here with an insider crowd of jazz funk players that includes Bobby Broom, Dave Grusin, Marcus Miller, and Don Blackman, whose funky style is very similar to Wright's. The record sort of picks up the groove where some of the Fantasy Records sessions of the 70s left off – mixing together jazz and soul into a captivating blend that's made even better by Dave Grusin's tight production. Includes Don Blackman's sample classic "Haboglabotribin", a nice version of Weldon Irvine's "Music Is The Key", and the cuts"Just Chillin' Out", "Master Rocker", and "Bread Sandwiches". Funky Beat is his second album – an 80s groove electro classic that's quite different than his first LP! It takes Bernard firmly into a b-boy jazz mode – working keyboards, bass, and drum programs into a groove that's farther reaching and more soulful than anything that Herbie Hancock was doing at the time. And as with his first album, Bernard's got plenty of great help on this one – as the record features work by Weldon Irvine, Lenny White, Dave Grusin, and others. The album includes some great Weldon Irvine compositions – like a remake of "Mr Clean", and the sweet vocal numbers "Won't You Let Me Love You" and "Keep On Doing That Right Thing", both of them warm wonderful tunes that stand with the best work on the album! Also includes a straight jazz version of "Joy Spring", and the breakin' tracks "Funky Beat", "Get Your Lover Back", "Video Generation", and "Move Your Body".

A wonderful snapshot of the late 60s/early 70s underground rock scene in Vancouver! The original album was put together as a benefit for the Cool Aid House – a shelter for homeless youth in Vancouver, and no doubt a haven for hippie culture at the time. The album was and is a vital document of the scene – touching on the freedom-seeking vibe of the time in the lyricism, but free of hippie rock cliché –it's great stuff! Sunny and loose harmonies, deft acoustic and electric instrumentation, creative and inviting music from Spring, Route Nine, Mock Duck, Papa Bear's Medicine Show, Black Snake, Mock Duck and others. Includes "Girl Of The Night Suite" by Route Nine, "The Reason" and "Catfish" by Black Snake, "Do Re Me" by Mock Duck, "Gardens And Flowers" by Hydro Electric Streetcar and more. This beautiful joint effort reissue from Light In The Attic and Lion includes a bonus second LP of material! 9 on LP2: "Borrowed Song" by Mock Duck, "Wordplay" by Spring, "Carousel" by Black Snake, "The Planet Man" by Greydon Moore and Leo Jung and more.

Gilles Peterson takes on the Black Jazz catalog – and the results are completely sublime! The set features Gilles P selecting and mixing his favorite cuts from the legendary label – and the package is a great reminder that, in the years before he dedicated himself more strongly to 21st Century grooves, Peterson was our main man to go to for spiritual jazz like this! There's definitely a special magic to the whole thing – a way of choosing and sequencing the cuts that really unlocks the music even more – even if, like us, you already own all the titles on the Black Jazz label. The whole thing's got a wonderfully righteous vibe – filled with power and soul – and tracks include "Aunt Lovey" by Calvin Keys, "Maiden Voyage" by Kellee Patterson, "Second Wave" by Roland Haynes, "All Your Lover All Day All Night" by Cleveland Eaton, "Beauty & The Electric Tub" by Henry Franklin, "Spring Thing" by The Awakening, "Ndugu's Prayer" by Walter Bishop, and "Awakening Epilogue" by The Awakening.

A fantastic package – a must-have for any fan of older jazz! This CD set reissues material originally packaged in the rare Jazz Scene box set issued by Verve at the end of the 40s – a limited package of 78rpm singles that documented the styles and sounds of modern jazz at the time, filled with great drawings and photos, and one of those super-rare collectibles that you never ever see! This set does a fantastic job of re-presenting the material – filling one CD with tracks in the original box set, and a whole other CD with bonus material that was never issued at the time! Plus, it comes with great notes, reproductions of the original art, photos, and a whole lot more. It's a rare treasure both visually and musically – as the edgey recordings are in the best late 40s modern mode, blending bop, swing, and influences from other fields – really incredible work that deserves to be heard again and again! Titles include "Introspection" by Ralph Burns, "Sono" by Duke Ellington, "Swingin For Julie & Brownie" by Flip Phillips, "Spring In Naples" by Ralph Burns, "Tailspin" by Billy Strayhorn, "Tea For Two" by Willie Smith, and "Tanga" by Machito.

Harmony soul heaven – a wealth of rare soul singles issued by the Mainstream Records family of labels in the 70s – most of which have never been on CD before! Mainstream's best remembered as a jazz imprint from the period, but they also turned out plenty of great soul too – and this collection focuses on their strong talents with male harmony groups, on a wealth of great numbers to rival the more famous names coming out on bigger labels at the time! Most tunes move at a mellow or midtempo pace, but there's a few fuller, funkier numbers too – and tracks include "Talk To The Rain" and "You're So Hard To Forget" by Spring, "Let's Fall In Love" by Spectrum, "That's When He Remembers" by The Preparations, "Has Love Been Here Before" by The Fabulous Determinations, "Come Back With Love (parts 1 & 2)" by Special Delivery, "Someday Somewhere" by The Dramatic Experience, "I Feel It" by Dramatics, "Stop & Think A Minute" by Charles Beverly, and "Love Looks So Good On You" by Larry Rice.

The heaviest side of the Chicago soul scene of the 60s – served up in a massive batch of rare tracks from the indie label underground! The collection is a great tribute to the depth of the Windy City scene back in the day – the huge range of local artists who were working hard to keep Chicago grooving – often with a style that was nice and gritty, with a bit less polish than work from Detroit – but with an equal sort of punch on the dancefloor! All tunes here are upbeat and grooving – and the range of artists is wonderfully representative, and includes a few rare tracks from singers who'd crack later fame on bigger labels. Titles include "I Can't Forget" by Bull & The Matadors, "I'm A Big Man" by Big Daddy Rogers, "Swing Your Love My Way" by No No Starr, "Disillusioned" by Marvin L Sims, "Check Her Out" by The Idols, "Spring Song" by The Accents, "All The Way" by The Danderliers, "Lovely Ladies" by Jimmy Hughes, "All Of My Life" by The Ringleaders, "I'm A Good Guy" by The CODs, "A Lonely Boy" by Lee Wilson, and "Speed Up" by Betty Moorer.

20CDs of passionate orchestral tracks ranging from Ravel's Bolero, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, and Wagner's Magic Fire Music to Ravel's La Valse, Orff 's Carmina Burana and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.

A lovely later recording from Stan – very spare and spacious, and recorded with a casual approach that's quite striking, and really fresh. The album features Stan playing alongside pianist Albert Dailey – with no other rhythm accompaniment, just piano and tenor sax. The tunes are mostly familiar numbers, played in a relaxed, improvised mode that makes the whole thing feel like you're getting a lucky glimpse of Stan and Albert playing together in an after hours session or rehearsal. There's a bit of roughness in the recording, but given the depth of soul and color from both players, that quality also emerges as an honest humanity that only serves to make the recording more compelling! Titles include "Tune Up", "A Child Is Born", "Confirmation", "Round Midnight", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most".

A strong back to basics session for Nina, one that featured her piano and vocals only, a very spare approach that was markedly different from her work a few years previously for other labels. Nina's tone on the piano is incredible – and she's working with some striking modern jazz changes that offset the folksiness of her vocals in a fantastic way, creating a sound that's a lot fuller than you'd expect! Titles include "Seems I'm Never Tired Lovin You", "Compensation", "Everyone's Gone To The Moon", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "I Think It's Going To Rain Today", "The Desperate Ones", "The Human Touch", and "Another Spring". Also includes four bonus tracks – "Music For Lovers", "In The Love Vain", "I'll Look Around", and "The Man With The Horn".

A well-titled set from Art Blakey – considering the hard-driving sound of the group! The album's one of the best from that unusual year of 1957 – almost a "lost" year for Art, when he was working away from Blue Note with a very different lineup of the Jazz Messengers than on his famous sessions for that label! The players here are all great – and include Johnny Griffin on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Junior Mance on piano, and Spanky DeBrest on bass – all working with a style that's a bit loose and open, allowing plenty of space for solos! Griffin's horn has all the sharp edges you'd expect, and Hardman's great too – and Blakey himself seems to sit back a bit more than usual in his chair, letting the soloists lead the tracks, instead of kicking things into gear from the drums. Titles include "Deo X", "Sweet Sakeena", "Late Spring", "Krafty", and "For Miles & Miles".

Just when we've thought we've heard everything Peter Brotzmann has to offer – out comes a record like this, and blows us away all over again! As you'd guess from the title, Brotzmann's working here in a Chinese setting – mixing with younger players we'd never heard before – including Li Tiequiao on alto and Scandinavian spring flute, and Xu Fengxia on zither, sanxian, and voice – a strange style of singing that really makes for an amazing moment on one track! The quartet also features Kristian Mondrup Nielsen on drums – and Brotzmann plays searing tenor, alto, and clarinet – but often changes his phrasing to meet the moods of the younger players – especially at moments when Fengxia is in the forefront. Amazing stuff – and the CD features titles that include "Deciduous Carnival", "Walking In Wu Men", "Beijing Legend", "798 Art District", "Moat", and "Feel As If We Were Visiting Our Country Of Birth". DVD features all these tracks, plus two more!