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Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the material featured very misleading notes, but the true details of the session are even more impressive – as Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb – and titles include "Biosphere Blues", "Intergalactic Research", "Earth Primitive Earth", "New Planet", and "Continuation To Jupiter Festival". Beautiful 2CD reissue features sublime sounds from the original tapes, remastered – plus a full bonus CD of unreleased tracks that include "Blue York", "Conversation Of The Universe", "Red Planet Mars", "Cosmic Rays/Next Stop Mars", "The Myth", "Meteor Shower", "Infinity", "The Beginning Of", and "Endlessness".

One of the best-remembered Sun Ra albums from the 70s – a really cool little session that features Ra playing the unusual "rocksichord" all the way through! The instrument's a very weird one – kind of like a messed-up electric piano, with lots of cool broken notes and a weird fuzzed-out tone – one that almost feels like a guitar's being fitted into a keyboard, with almost psychedelic results! Ra's use of the rocksichord gives the album a really eerie, outer spacey sound – one that mixes strongly with more familiar jazz lines from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone, and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet. Titles include "The Mystery Of Two", "Interstellar Low Ways", "Cosmos", "Moonship Journey", "Neo-Project #2", and "Jazz From An Unknown Planet".

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight".

Amazing work from Sun Ra – record that really features a great range of sounds and styles, and a heck of a lot of soul as well! Ra plays some especially nice rocksichord on the set – that freaky, fuzzy keyboard that comes off sounding like a guitar, even though it's played with keys – and there's some spiritual undercurrents to the set that are different than some of Ra's other albums with the instrument – some deeply feeling rhythms and soulful, spiritual expressions that really belie the Space Is The Place generation in which the album was cut. A few recitations imbue the record with a bold sense of poetry, which seems to be carried through strongly in the instrumentation too – especially on John Gilmore's tenor lines, which almost have a Shepp-like quality at points. Other players include Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto, Ahk Tal Ebah on trumpet, Clifford Jarvis on drums, and Sly on electric guitar – and titles include "Song No 1", "There Is Change In The Air", "Antique Blacks", "Would I For All That Were", "Ridiculous I & The Cosmos Me", and "This Song Is Dedicated To Nature's God".

An expanded version of the material that originally appeared on the Nothing Is album – stretched out here into a 2CD set that features loads of extra unreleased cuts from the recordings! The core album is one of the best non-Saturn Sun Ra albums of the 60s – material recorded live on a tour of New York colleges in 1966, and very much in a spirit that captures the Arkestra at their best! Longer tracks are juxtaposed nicely with shorter ones – in a way that has the group running very outside one minute, yet stepping soulfully back to the center the next – never schizophrenicly, but in a mode that really displays the full range of energy pulsing in the group. Interesting instrumentation on the set includes Ra on clavoline, plus Carl Nimrod on the beautiful-sounding "sun horn" – and other players include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Pat Patrick on baritone, and James Jacson on log drum and flute. This 2CD version features both a first and second set, with even a bit of material from a soundcheck, too – a total of 25 titles that include "Theme Of The Star Gazers #2", "Is Is Eternal", "The Exotic Forest #2", "Space Aura", "Velvet", "Dancing Shadows", "Next Stop Mars", "Outerspaceways", "Shadow World", and "Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space".

2CDs worth of previously unissued material! Both records – Cymbals and Crystal Spears – were originally due to be released on Impulse during the same stretch that the label was repackaging older Saturn albums, but were never issued because of all the messed up relations that quickly terminated what should have been a much longer deal. (Some of this is nicely outlined in the good set of notes that go with the set.) Cymbals features 3 tracks that did appear on a Saturn album called Deep Purple, plus 2 titles that were never issued before – and the set features Ra on organ Rocksichord, vibes, and organ – playing very out and raucously with a group that includes Danny Davis, John Gilmore, and Akh Tal Ebah. Crystal Spears is a lot more introspective, and takes us back to earlier years of the Arkestra. Ra's on organ, marimba, mini moog, and vibes – and the rest of the group's playing a variety of horns and percussion. Tracks include "Crystal Spears", "Sunrise In The Western Sky", "The Embassy Of The Living God", "Thoughts Under A Dark Blue Light", and "The Mystery Of Two".

Previously unissued work by Sun Ra – tracks recorded during the sessions for his Heliocentric Worlds 2 album for ESP, but lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds".

One of Sun Ra's best non-Saturn live sets of the 70s – a nice little record that shows the group mixing it up with equal parts avant garde and straight ahead jazz, all handled in that ever-growing large group style that made them a real force to be reckoned with in a concert setting! The album was recorded during the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival, and has a bit more focus and polish than some of the other Arkestra live material from the time – a mature, coherent sound that almost points the way towards some of their work to come in the 80s – when Ra and the group were finally reaching the wider audience they deserved. The set's a double-length one, and features players who include John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, and James Jackson on Ancient Egyptian Infinity drum – which is always a treat. Ra plays solar organ and moog, as well as piano – and titles include "Of The Other Tomorrow", "On Sound Infinity Spheres", "El Is The Sound Of Joy", "Gods Of The Thunder Realm", "Gods Of A Thunder Realm", "The House Of Eternal Being", and "Lights On a Satellite".

Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall, and only half the tracks came out on a rare Saturn LP – making this CD collection that first time that all 11 titles appear in their entirety. Ra and the group recorded the set on New Year's Eve, 1964 – at a time when John Gilmore had left the Arkestra to work with Art Blakey – leaving Pharoah Sanders to come and take his place on tenor. Also noteworthy is the presence of Black Harold (Harold Murray) on flute – blowing with a dark edge alongside other group members who include Al Evans on trumpet, Teddy Nance on trombone, Marshal Allen on alto sax, Pat Patrick on baritone sax, and both Alan Silva and Ronnie Boykins on bass. The performance starts with a relatively fierce sound, but then moves into some beautifully lyrical moments – and titles include "Gods On A Safari", "The New Tomorrow", "The Second Stop Is Jupiter", "Cosmic Interpretation", "The Other World", "Dawn Over Israel", and "Space Mates".

A set of varied moods and settings – yet one that really does a wonderful job of fleshing out the Sun Ra aesthetic during these crucial years when Ra dubbed himself the "King Of The Sub Underground"! That humorous title is a reference to the fact that Ra and the Arkestra were still working with largely little mainstream exposure – despite the big growth of avant jazz at the time – and were instead working on beautiful recordings like these, often made without any thought of a larger market at all! The CD brings together material from albums originally issued with Sub-Underground in the title – also under other names as well, including Temple U – and the tracks represent the Arkestra really hitting some of their creative heights in a mix of live, studio, and rehearsal recordings. Titles include the brilliant "World Of Africa", recorded in 1968, but with a chunky groove and weird piano that almost feel like a precursor to Fela Kuti; the sublime "Love Is Always" and "Song Of Drums", recorded live with a spare group in a beautifully echoey setting; surprisingly great takes on "What's New" and "Autumn In New York", played by a small group with Ra on a slightly off-tune upright piano; the long "Cosmo Earth Fantasy" suite, with some very fierce sounds; and a nice live take on "Space Is The Place/We Roam The Cosmos", which jumps right into the groove at the start – with a pretty offbeat feel, and lots of cool vocal interplay!

The rare Space Probe sent out to the cosmos by Sun Ra in the mid 70s – with material recorded from the early 60s onward – the heart of it being Sun Ra's first ever recordings on a moog synthesizer in 1969, and it's one heck of a trip! This excellent edition on Art Yard includes the material from the original Saturn release – the epic, nearly 18 minute interstellar trip that is the title track – with Sun Ra crafting hallucinatory moog magic throughout it. He shifts gears on "Earth Primitive Earth" (the complete version), an earlier recording, as much influenced by ancient sounds as futuristic ones, with hand drums for the beat and bass clarinet by John Gilmore. The closing "Conversion Of JP" is the other holdover from the earlier Space Probe LP and it's another gem steeped in primitivism, believed to feature Marshall Allen on flute (sure sounds like him to us). Art Yard includes some really incredible unissued material here from sessions that produced the Secrets Of The Sun and When Sun Comes Out sets – titles including "Solar Symbols II", "Dance Of The Wind", "Recollections Of There" and "Destiny". Other players include James Jacson on log drums, Nimrod Hunt on hand drums and vocalist Thea Barbara.

Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall, and only half the tracks came out on a rare Saturn LP – making this CD collection that first time that all 11 titles appear in their entirety. Ra and the group recorded the set on New Year's Eve, 1964 – at a time when John Gilmore had left the Arkestra to work with Art Blakey – leaving Pharoah Sanders to come and take his place on tenor. Also noteworthy is the presence of Black Harold (Harold Murray) on flute – blowing with a dark edge alongside other group members who include Al Evans on trumpet, Teddy Nance on trombone, Marshal Allen on alto sax, Pat Patrick on baritone sax, and both Alan Silva and Ronnie Boykins on bass. The performance starts with a relatively fierce sound, but then moves into some beautifully lyrical moments – and titles include "Gods On A Safari", "The New Tomorrow", "The Second Stop Is Jupiter", "Cosmic Interpretation", "The Other World", "Dawn Over Israel", and "Space Mates".

Tremendous lost work from Sun Ra – recorded live in Detroit at the start of the 80s, and only ever issued briefly on a limited Saturn Records pressing! Given the show's setting in the Detroit underground, the material has an especially hip sound to it – a return to some of the more righteous modes of the early 70s – both in the group's use of electronics, and in the chanted soul-based lyrics on the album's great version of "Rocket Number Nine"! Ra himself is playing organ and synthesizer – using both in ways that are really eerie and other-worldly – often with spooky tones and these highly metallic notes that make it really difficult to figure out which instrument is which. Overall, the tunes are adventurous, but never too far outside – often quite introspective, and even slightly groove-based, as on the record's great take on "Romance On A Satellite". Other members of the group for this date include Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Craig Harris, June Tyson, and James Jacson – who plays "Ancient Egyptian Infinity Lightning Drum". CD also features the whole performance that was recorded – material that originally appeared on the Saturn albums Beyond The Purple Star Zone and Oblique Parallax. Other titles include "Beyond The Purple Star Zone", "Planetary Search", "Vista Omniverse", "Celestial Realms", "Journey Stars Beyond", and "Immortal Being".

One of the most soulful Sun Ra albums ever – very much on the Lanquidity tip, and done with a great mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation! The vibe here is really mellow, spiritual, and warm – and the album actually feels a lot more like a session recorded for the Strata East label than it does for Saturn! Keyboards pervade the session – electric piano and organ drifting around in moody, laidback lines – augmented by occasional vibes, bits of guitar, and some wonderfully well-blown sax solo work by Marshall Allen and John Gilmore! The title track "Sleeping Beauty" runs for all of side two of the album – and it's an amazing little number that mixes instrumental passages with some great mellow Roy Ayers-styled vocals. "Door Of The Cosmos" is a bit of a groover, and even gets a bit funky at times – and the album also features the laidback spacey number "Springtime".

The "Sunrise" in the title here is especially well-placed – because this live performance by Sun Ra has a beautifully glowing quality – one that unfolds musically as the set rolls on, moving through a day's course of music in different moods and dimensions! Ra initiates the proceedings with some gentler inside piano, but as the set gets moving, the other group members leap into the fray – pushing a tremendous energy into some of Ra's original compositions – then stepping back for a more peaceful, contemplative exploration of older themes in jazz – played in that "across the 20th century" mode that took hold of The Arkestra strongly during this decade. Group members here include Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Noel Scott, Michael Ray, and Danny Thomas – and the concert is very well recorded, with numbers that include "Cocktails For Two", "Lightnin", " "Light From A Hidden Sun", "Pin Points Of Spiral Prisms", "Silhouettes Of The Shadow World", "Queer Notions", "Big John's Special", and "A Helio-Hello & Goodbye Too".

Incredible early work from Lorez Alexandria – the kind of albums that instantly set her apart from other singers of the 50s, reissued here properly for the first time in years! On This Is Lorez, the singer is working with sublime small combo backings from the group of pianist King Fleming – an unusual Chicago ensemble that includes Wilber Wynn on guitar, Ronald Wilson on flute and oboe, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Audrey Jones on bongos – a musical lineup that brings in a different sort of sophistication to the record, shading tunes with moody colors on flute and oboe that perfectly support Alexandria's soulful and sensitive interpretations of the tunes. The whole thing is pure genius, and a key look at the new levels of sophistication that were bubbling everywhere on the Chicago scene during the years of Jamal and Sun Ra. Lorez Sings Pres follows in a very similar mode – with backing by a Chicago group that again includes King Fleming piano, plus Charles Stepney on vibes, Paul Serrano on trumpet, and Vernel Fournier on drums – an extremely hip lineup that makes the record far more than just the Lester Young tribute promised in the title! But despite the instrumentalists, the real star on all sides is Alexandria – who sings with dark tones and deep colors that go far beyond conventional jazz vocals – all carried off with that slightly breathy mode that was one more unique aspect of her work! CD features all tracks from both albums – a total of 22 titles that include "Snowstorm", "I'm Glad There Is You", "The Sky Is Crying", "I'm Making Believe", "Necessity", "Penthouse Serenade", "DB Blues", "This Year's Kisses", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "Jumping With Symphony Sid", and a key early reading of "Baltimore Oriole".

One of the best early albums from Ash Ra Tempel! Here they bring vocals into to the mix for the first time, though it's still a spacious blend of slow-building atmosphere and spare dynamics that evolve into more feverish and intense maelstroms. The vocals of John L are another instrument, really – with gruff screams and moodier howls that echo the instrumentation impressively. The drums and percussion and incredible, with sax, organ, guitar and electronics. Work that bridges earlier psych to later experimental rock pretty fearlessly! Includes the "Light And Darkness" suite of " A) Light: Look At Your Sun" and "B) Darkness: Flowers Must Die" (originally spanning a side), plus the Schwingungen side "A) Suche" and "B) Liebe".

A trio of classic albums from Don Cherry – packaged in a heavy book-like cover, with lots of new notes too! On the first part of the set, Cherry really breaks out on his classic Mu sessions from France – using the new freedoms of post-68 Paris to explore themes at a level that would set the tone for generations to come! The album's very spare, and very improvised – with Cherry on pocket trumpet, piano, and wooden flute – plus a bit of percussion too – alongside drummer Ed Blackwell, who's equally unbridled – showing a huge evolution since the time both he and Don spent in the group of Ornette Coleman! There's a few echoes of the global elements that Cherry would later embrace more strongly in the 70s – but the core energy here is mostly improvised jazz, handled at a level that really makes a lot better use of the freedom than some of Don's contemporaries. Titles include "Total Vibration", "Sun Of The East", "Brilliant Action", "Terrestrial Beings", "Bamboo Night", "The Mysticism Of My Sound", "Psycho Drama", "Smiling Faces Going Places", "Teo Teo Can", and "Dollar Brand/Spontaneous Composing/Exert Man On The Moon". Orient is a beauty from Don Cherry – and one of his rarest records! This set was originally only ever issued by the Japanese branch of BYG Records in the early 70s, and it features 2 live performances from France, both of them great! Don's in a spare trance-like mode here – working with one trio comprised of bassist Johnny Dyani and percussionist Okay Temiz; and another trio with Han Bennink on percussion and Moqui on tambura. Tracks from both sets are very long and stretched-out – a mixture percussion, trumpet, flute, piano, and occasional vocals, often done in a globally expansive style. Titles include "Si Ta Ra Ma", "Orient", "Eagle Eye", and "Togetherness".

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

Great lost work from the legendary Phil Cohran and his Artistic Heritage Ensemble – a composition that was recorded during the group's late 60s years on the Chicago scene – but which has never been released until now! The album stands beautifully alongside the group's self-titled classic and their tribute to Malcolm X – and like those amazing records, this one has a feel that's all its own – an exploration of Moorish elements in Spanish culture – which comes off as a Latin-inflected sound with African roots! The lineup here is similar to other Cohran classics – Donald Myrick on baritone sax, Charles James Williams on alto, Eugene Easton on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, Aaron Dodd on tuba, Pete Cosey on guitar, Henry Gibson on congas, and Louis Satterfield on bass – a mix of musicians that includes members with Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire listed in their resumes! Cohran's vision in the suite is wonderful – and the music has all the depth and righteous energy of his self-titled record, but a bit more Latin fire too – a beautiful blend that really makes us appreciate his genius even more than before, and which finally gives us another record of his to love after all these years.

An amazing bit of music – and an incredible document of generations of creative jazz energy as well! The legendary Phil Cohran teams up here with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a collective made up of Cohran's sons, who follow strongly in the rich legacy of his own Artistic Heritage group – yet in a very different way! Hypnotic Brass have caught the ear of many during their bright rise to fame – with a fluid, horn-heavy groove that's really amazing – echoes of Sun Ra and other Chicago creative legends – yet played almost entirely on brass instruments, which gives them an even bolder vibe. Here, working with their progenitor brings the group even more depth than before – an excellent sound that really spins things out wonderfully – percussion layered underneath the horns, solos taking jazzy flight, and an overall righteous vibe that holds things together beautifully. The album's way more than the sum of its parts – and those parts are already rich indeed – and titles include "Stateville", "Cuernavaca", "Ancestral", "Spin", "Zincali", "Apsara", and "Frankincense & Myrrh".

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

Amazing work from the legendary Phil Cohran – and a much-needed collection of his rare singles on the Zulu label! The work here is contemporary to the sides issued by Phil's Artistic Heritage Ensemble on their two famous records – but the sound is often a bit tighter, and funkier too – kind of the 45 distillation of sounds the group was working out in larger format on the full albums! As with those classics, the approach is amazing – a hip blend of jazz, soul, and African elements – very much in the spirit of Sun Ra, Cohran's predecessor on the Chicago scene – but often with a lot more groove, and a lot less avant garde elements. Players on the set include Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on baritone, Charles Handy on trumpet, Louis Satterfield on bass, Pete Cosey on guitar, and Henry Gibson on timbales and conga – all working at a level that easily rivals the best from Ra, Salah Ragab, Mulatu, and other space jazz legends from the time! Titles include "The African Look", "Loud Mouth", "New Frankiphone Blues", "Frankiphone Blues", "Detroit Red", "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz", and "Black Beauty".

The most amazing record to date from Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra – just the kind of cosmic, spiritual session you'd expect from the group's name – perfectly placed in a Chicago lineage that includes Sun Ra's Arkestra and the best years of the AACM! The group's got all the collaborative spirit of the latter reference – a largeish ensemble made up of some of the city's most important avant musicians in recent years – including Nicole Mitchell on flute, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Josh Abrams on acoustic bass, Matt Bauder on clarinet and tenor, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, and Mike Reed and John Herndon on drums – all players who know each others strengths through countless gigs together – coming together under the visionary leadership of Rob Mazurek on cornet. There's some slight electro-acoustic elements, which further complicate the sound of the record – but all without ever taking it off base – and the whole thing's got a righteous sort of energy that makes us mighty proud that sounds this great came from our hometown. Titles include "ChromoRocker", "Impression #1", "Ascenscion Ghost Impression #2", and "Three Blocks Of Light".

Remixes and rare tracks from the mighty Gerardo Frisina – easily our second favorite Italian groover next to the mighty Nicola Conte! The set's a great counterpart to some of Frisina's other full albums on Schema – because it not only presents a few previously unreleased tracks, it also offers up some of Gerardo's great remix work for other artists in recent years! Frisina's got a great way of imbuing a current track with a classic Latin vibe – mixing acoustic percussion, driving rhythms, and jazz-based instrumentation together with incredible sharpness and energy – a no-nonsense approach to a groove that shows that's almost a distillation of the best older elements. This approach is heard wonderfully on Gerardo's own tracks "Tokyo's Dream (07 version)", "Alborado", "Es Diferente", "Calle De Candela (vibes version)", and "Zanja" – but it also comes through on remix tracks that include "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac (G Call remix)" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Dis-ka-ndombe" by Jorge Graf, "Black Forrest Stomp" by Hipnosis, "Windly Coast" by Idea 6, "Guarapiranga" by Toco, "Stardust From Tomorrow (dissociated mood version)" by Sun Ra, and "Ghetto Stomp" by Combo Moderna.

An amazing album – and a really unique slice of the underground of jazz in the 60s! The session was put together in 1963 by Walt Dickerson, and was conceived as an attempt to draw attention to the incredible amount of great jazz players who were then currently serving time in prison for trumped-up drug charges. The players were culled from New York's Riker's Island, and the mix is a strange and wonderfully surprising blend of musicians that includes Hope, John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Philly Joe Jones, and Earl Coleman. The quality of the work and writing is superb, and not only is the record a high point in Hope's all-too-short career, but it also features some excellent non-Sun Ra work by Gilmore! Titles include "One For Joe", "Three Silver Quarters", "Kevin", "Trippin", and "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream".

It always feels like we're waiting a long time for a new record from Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – but it's always well worth the wait! This time around, they've found a way to focus their energies even more than before – still sticking strongly in the horn-heavy groove that we love, but also opening things up a bit more on the rhythm tip, too – and going for production that, if anything, makes them sound even more earnest, honest, and spontaneous than before! The record really preserves the live energy that makes the group so compelling – that razor sharp criss-crossing of jazz traditions and styles – steeped in a Chicago legacy that includes Sun Ra and Phil Cohran, but coming across with a hell of a lot more groove than either of them too. Titles include "Touch The Sky", "Kryptonite", "Pluto", "Black Boy", "World Champions", and "Starfighter".

A totally great little set from Sign Of Four – a project of Miles Newbold from the Natural Yogurt Band – served up with an approach to exotic jazz funk that's even trippier than his previous work! Miles plays a load of live instruments here – vibes, flute, guitar, percussion, and keyboards – all sifted and filtered together with some cool studio work to sound very vintage, and very offbeat – like some weird Eastern take on American soul jazz of the 60s, or like a garage band trying their best to sound like Sun Ra! The music is some of the best new work we've ever heard on the Jazzman label – and really feels a lot more like some lost exotic record from years back – with titles that include "Samba Moderno", "Morocco", "Topsy Turvy", "Mirage", "Morphine", "Fruit Juice For Everyone", and "Sun Suite Humulus Lupulus". 11 tracks on the CD.

We love Frank Strozier – and think he's one of the greatest talents in jazz – period! This long-overdue CD brings together two of Frank's early 60s sessions for the Jazzland label – both of them gems that have lain under-discovered for years. Long Night is an excellent example of the maturity and modernism that was coming out of the Chicago jazz scene as it hit the early 60s – and it features Strozier's soulful alto in the company of some of the city's best players, like pianist Chris Anderson, drummer Walter Perkins, bassist Bill Lee, and baritonist Pat Patrick, playing here away from Sun Ra's group! The title track alone is an incredibly fantastic composition, full of moodiness and incredible reed work – but the rest of the record's great, too, and features excellent originals like "The Need For Love", "The Crystal Ball", and "Pacemaker". March Of The Siamese Children continues the trend – with a sound that goes far beyond the hardbop and soul jazz in which Strozier first cut his teeth – into a mode that's angular and exploratory, yet also still warmly expressive – filled with a richness of sound that holds up fantastically year after year. Titles include "March Of The Siamese Children", "Our Waltz", "Hey Lee", "Lap", "Extension", and "Something I Dreamed Last Night".

One of the best Luv N Haight compilations, probably our favorite in their eclectic series that set a benchmark for so many funky compilations to follow! There's 8 tracks in all, covering lots of ground, all of it groovy, including the hard to get Sun Ra cut "Where Pathways Meet" from his Lanquidity album on Philly Jazz, Bobby Forrester's "Uncle Funky", "Hector" by the Village Callers, "Brotherhood" by Kamal & the Brothers, "Salsa De Santa Rosa" by Quintessence, "Too Soon Your Old" by Penny Goodwin, "Ronco Da Cuica" by Viva Brazil, and "For The Love Of Money" by Elliot Fisher.

Revolutionary jazz from the era of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond – soulful and spiritual jazz as important as any of the era – an impeccably well chosen compilation of Freedom, Rhythm & Sound from Soul Jazz Records! The set is a tie-in with Soul Jazz's essential Freedom, Rhythm & Sound book – documenting the sounds and providing an aural portrait of a fertile creative period in African American music and cultural history – when the societal struggles were a counterpart to the heretofore unseen depth of creativity and empowerment in jazz music. Includes a nice booklet of notes, and songs from both the independent underground, and some that made it onto established labels like Verve and others, and material by Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Errol Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Horace Tapscott, Sun Ra and many more. 23 pivotal tracks on 2CDs, many running on the longer side, for a straight up incredible set of spiritual soul jazz: includes "Africa" by Oliver Lake/NTU, "Space A Nova" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto/Mysticism, "Miss DD" by Mary Lou Williams, "Old Time Religion" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Drinking Song" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Attica Blues" by Archie Shepp, "Peyote Song No III" by Horace Tapscott & Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Freedom Time" by Pharoahs, "Black Survival" by Roy Brooks & Artistic Truth and more.

"Expanse" is a mighty big name for the group that David Boykin uses on this record – especially given that the combo's only a quintet – but that's ok with us, because the sound here is more than large enough to warrant the name! Boykin's working with a great batch of players from the Chicago scene here – including frequent musical partner Nicole Mitchell on flute, sliding wonderfully alongside David's saxophones – plus Jim Baker on piano, Josh Abrams on bass, and Mike Reed on drums. The album features two longish tracks, both composed by Boykin with a vision that's freely expressive, yet never too free – a perfect balance that reigns things in wonderfully, and which shows him to be one of the key current heirs to a Chicago tradition that runs back to the early AACM and Sun Ra! Titles include "Nuance" and "47th Street Ghost".

One of the few albums ever from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – a player with a decades-long legacy of performances with jazz legends Max Roach and Sun Ra, as well as Detroit electro genius Carl Craig! The album's got a wonderful sound that links together these 2 sides of Catlett's career – righteous acoustic jazz at the core, but augmented with bits of electronics, some of which are played by Carl Craig on synth and "space programming"! Arkestra member Marshall Allen is also in the group – playing alto and flute – and other instrumentation features twin trumpets from John Douglass and Dwight Adams, keyboards from Craig Taborn, and lots of percussion from Francisco himself. The sound is outside at some points, but always swings back to a warmly spiritual vibe – and Catlett's compositions are as ambitious as the performances on the set. Titles include "Baba Lu Aye", "Suny", "La Luu Banche Barasuayo", "Space Chord Progression", "Voodoo Papa Legba Mapotelo", "Saints At Congo Square", "Pa'Los Mayores", and a Carl Craig/Craig Taborn mix of "Baba Lu Aye".

An excellent CD of contemporary spiritual jazz excursions from this former member of Sun Ra's Arkestra. While Catlett's earliest pedigree is in Latin jazz, his many years spent with Ra have infused his music with a far reaching sensibility, well understood by his bandmates Craig Taborn and Rodney Whitaker on this disc, who are also joined by many of Detroit's other young lions to fill out some of the larger arrangements on a few numbers. Taborn is at his most Tyner-esque in these post-Coltrane lyrical numbers, 13 in all, including "Iron Master", "Vital Force", "The Other Side Of The Mask", "Cultural Warrior" and "El Morro".

Quite possibly our favorite album ever from pianist Andrew Hill – a really unique outing that features the vibes of Bobby Hutcherson and a rare non-Sun Ra appearance by tenorist John Gilmore! The presence of Hutcherson brings a real "new thing" energy to the album – a feel that's similar to Bobby's classic Dialogue album, of which Hill was such an important part. But the searching tenor of Gilmore also brings a striking new level to the session as well – and his solos open up with a raw, earthy quality that really shades in the album with a great deal of feeling. Gilmore's role here is a bit like that of Joe Henderson on his freer Blue Note material – but his sound still undeniably unique, at a level that really makes us wish he'd recorded more albums like this at the time. The tracks are all originals by Hill, and include the titles "Duplicity", "Black Monday", "The Griots", and "Le Serpent Qui Danse". CD features 2 bonus alternate takes too!

A previously unissued performance by the Brotherhood Of Breath – recorded at a time when the group was at the height of their early powers! Some of the styles here are in the straighter, South African-inspired jazz of pianist Chris McGregor's roots – but other tracks get far more experimental, and show the new ideas and levels of expression that some of the players were adopting at the time – a great criss-crossing of cultural modes as the London jazz scene absorbed ex-colonial artists from South Africa and the West Indies. The lineup here includes Dudu Puckwana and Mike Osborne on altos, Alan Skidmore and Gary Windo on tenor, Harry Beckett and Marc Charig on trumpet, Nick Evans and Malcolm Griffiths on trombone, Harry Miller on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all coming together with a sense of magical creativity that we'd reserve for a rare few groups – like the Sun Ra Arkestra! Titles include "Nick Tete", "Restless", "Do It", "Eclipse At Dawn", "The Bride", and "Funky Boots March".

The genius of the Chicago collective scene is firmly back in action – on this stunning second CD from Nicole Mitchell! The record is incredible – light years ahead of her debut, and a rich tapestry of sounds and colors performed by a large group that features some of the best underground musicians in the city's soulful avant scene. From the first moment of the set, the music grabs you with the depth and intensity of some of the best work of the 70s Strata East era – and it stands proudly in a tradition of work that includes the collective projects of the AACM, and groups like the Sun Ra Arkestra and Artistic Heritage Ensemble. Mitchell's writing is wonderful – stretching out on a Coltrane-like journey of discovery and spiritual expression – and her playing on the set is interwoven with some beautifully vocalized passages. Titles include "Afrika Rising Trilogy", "Peaceful Village Town", "Emerging Light", "Bluerise", "Goldmind", and "Wheatgrass".

A great album from McCoy Tyner – a set that's steeped in the modal soulfulness of his years with John Coltrane, but also handled in a way that really has him breaking away from the pack a bit! Half the album's played with a trio that features Jimmy Garrison on bass – but the strongest cuts feature a sextet with John Gilmore on tenor (making a rare non-Sun Ra appearance), Frank Strozier on alto, Thad Jones on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – all working beautifully together in an early example of the soulful group groove that Tyner would hit even more strongly in the post-Coltrane years. Titles include "T 'N A Blues", "Three Flowers", "Contemporary Focus", and "Night In Tunisia".

An explosion of music from the legendary ESP Records label – a 50th Anniversary tribute to all the genius that made the imprint so wonderful back in the day – and easily one of the most important jazz labels in America! The set here focuses heavily on ESP's contribution to avant jazz – and the tracks feature the cream of the crop of the east coast scene at the time – particularly the groundbreaking New York players who were running forward with the experiments of the "new thing" generation, and starting to forge the first space for free jazz in the US! Titles include "Burn Baby Burn" by Norman Howard, "No 6" by New York Art Quartet, "The Lady" by Frank Wright, "Cocktail Piece" by Don Cherry, "Metamorphosis" by Sonny Simmons, "Other Worlds" by Sun Ra, and "Batterie" by Paul Bley.

Tripped out jazz and funk! This great little set features some gems from the late 60s/early 70s years at Atlantic, Warner, and Elektra – and has a focus on tunes that draw more than a bit of influence from the fuzzed-out, long-haired late 60s scene. You're bound to recognize a few of the names on the set – but what you'll really appreciate is the way the tunes come together, grooving hard with a mixture of heavy jazz and trippy elements – staying soulful in most parts, and even hitting a bit of funk at just the right moments! Titles include "Back Home" by Yusef Lateef, "Threnody For Sharon Tate" by Freddie Hubbard, "Smoke Signals" by Eddie Harris, "Sorcery" by Charles Lloyd, "Mirror" by Charlie Mariano, "Raymond Winchester" by Yusef Lateef, "Freaks For The Festival" by Roland Kirk, "Vibrafinger" by Gary Burton, and "Spontaneous Simplicity" by Sun Ra.

A crucially important slice of work – and maybe one of the most striking sets in this all-great Spiritual Jazz series! The focus here is on some of the great American players working in Europe during the late 60s and early 70s – often in collaboration with equally forward-thinking Europeans, and with results that are still musically amazing all these many years later! The collection has American flautist Sahib Shihab working with Swiss guitarist Pierre Cavalli, sound library maestro Johnny Hawksworth with west coast giant Hampton Hawes, Don Cherry working with Krzysztof Penderecki, a rare version of "Enlightenment" by Sun Ra in France and other legendary European recordings by Albert Ayler, Billy Gault, and Lee Konitz – a wonderfully rich blend of players. The tracks are pulled from records we almost never see – especially on vinyl – titles include "Studie Nr 1 Fur 12 Saitige Gitarre" by Pierre Cavalli & Sahib Shihab, "Jazz Rule" by Johnny Hawksworth & Hampton Hawes, "Born & Shake" by Clarence Peters, "Enlightenment by Sun Ra, "Summertime" by Albert Ayler, "T & W" by Frank Wright Sextet, "Humus The Life Exploring Force" by Don Cherry & The New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra, "Five, Four, & Three" by Lee Konitz, "The Creators" by Bobby Hutcherson with Harold Land, and the masterful, nearly 20-minute "Springtime" by Eric Dolphy. Includes a great essay on the scene by Francis Gooding, plus extensive info for each track!

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

The 3rd album by The Dining Rooms (in case you couldn't guess by the title!) – and the best so far! These guys have really matured from earlier outings – moving into a sophisticated realm of downtempo soundscapes crafted with a great deal of care, and which are put together with a lot more than simple tricks and gimmicks. There's loads of really solid tunes in here – sly numbers that sneak up on you with a subtle approach to the craft, gently burrowing in and taking root – somehow making the album that much more compelling overall. A number of tracks have some wonderfully languid vocals, some male and some female – and these tunes fall nicely next to instrumental numbers with a very evocative approach. Titles include "Anima Per Amarti", "Tunnel", "La Citta Nuda", "Fluxus", "Flamenco Sketches", "Dreamy Smiles", "You", "African Loungesters", and a nice cover of Sun Ra's "Astro Black"!

One of the boldest albums ever recorded by trumpeter Dizzy Reece – a session recorded in Paris in 1970, with some amazing tenor sax from the great John Gilmore! The pairing of Reece and Gilmore is a bit of a surprise – a strikingly avant choice for the former, and a rare date away from Sun Ra for the latter – but the album really has the players coming together wonderfully, in ways that really spark a whole new sense of sound from Dizzy! The trumpeter's solos are filled with fire and imagination – really stretching out here in ways that aren't as totally free as the BYG/Actuel French work of the time, but which definitely leans that way in spirit. Other players include Siefried Kessler on piano, Patrice Caratini on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – and the tracks are all long, and plenty darn driving! Titles include "Summit", "Krisis", "Communion", and "Contact".

An amazing look at the earliest years of one of our favorite jazz musicians ever – a massive 4CD set that goes way beyond Pharoah Sanders' famous first album for ESP! The box is filled with great music, but is also an historical document too – as it offers up some interview snippets, alongside material that has Sanders working in the Don Cherry Quintet, the Sun Ra Arkestra, the Paul Bley Quartet, and his own group as well! CD 1 features material from January 1, 1963 – recorded with a Don Cherry group that features Sanders on tenor, Joe Scianni on piano, David Izenzon on bass, and JC Moses on drums – plus a May, 1964 date with a Paul Bley group that features Sanders, Izenzon, and Paul Motian on drums! CD 2 features a famous group led by Sanders – with Jane Getz on piano, Stan Foster on trumpet, William Bennett on bass, and Marvin Patillo on drums – on the titles "Bethera" and "Seven By Seven". CDs 3 and 4 feature material from December 30 and 31st, 1964 – a famous performance with Sun Ra and Black Harold – one that seems to be expanded from the previous release, presented with both mono and stereo tracks. Titles include "The Second Stop Is Jupiter", "We Travel The Spaceways", "Dawn Over Israel", "Gods On Safari", "Space Mates", and "The Voice Of Pan". And yes, some of this stuff's been on the market before – but the package also features interviews with Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, and Don Cherry – plus a nice booklet too!

Brilliant work from Jimi Tenor and his Kabu Kabu group – an incredibly righteous set that's easily the best we've heard so far from the soulful ensemble! In addition to the spiritual jazz vibe of before, the group's also picked up some influences from African soul and jazz too – not just standard Afro Funk, but also some Ethiopian and Egyptian elements too – folded into Tenor's music like some mad meeting between Sun Ra, Fela Kuti, and Mulatu! Jimi's at the lead, handling tenor, flute, and a host of weird instruments – and the ensemble is heavy on percussion and horns, including some great trumpet work from Jukka Eskola of the Five Corners Quintet. Despite the monochromatic cover image, the album's got a really rich sound – a deeply soulful, deeply spiritual vibe that's totally wonderful – served up on titles that include "Grind", "Mogadishu Ave", "Mega Roots", "Aligned Planets", "Mystery Spot", "Floating Orange", "Fast Legs", "Higher Styx", and "Magical World".

A really cool compilation of late 50s outer space obsessive pop, rockabilly boogie, and groovy space age jazz numbers – wild numbers from the decade before we set down on the moon! The numbers are mostly from the end of the 50s – age of black & white flying saucer attack movies and cold war hysteria – and it's filled with seedy and spacey little numbers that clearly influenced a generation of cheeky rockers to come. Martian honky tonk numbers, theremin enhanced instros, early Sun Ra cosmic jazz, echoey surf rock, and so much more! 27 tracks in all: "Blast Off" by The Jimmie Haskell Orchestra, "Saturn" by Sun Ra, "In The Bible" by Flying Saucers, "Martian Band" by Wildtones, "Moon Moods" by Samuel J Hoffman, "Space Storm" by Col Frank Erhardt and more.

This is Soul Jazz's masterpiece suite of US independent soul jazz stuff from the seventies. This thing's a monster, and is almost a seventy minute non-stop ride through the heady side of American jazz by great artists like Sun Ra ("Space Is The Place"), Art Ensemble of Chicago ("Theme De Yoyo"), Steve Reid ("Lions of Judah"), and Marcus Belgrave ("Space Odyssey"). A compilation as legendary as the artists it includes.

A rare non-Sun Ra session from bassist Ronnie Boykins! Boykins was one of Ra's most long-term players – a key part of the Arkestra for many years – but on this album, he hits a totally different sound –and one that's somewhat spiritual as well! The group's got a great sax-heavy sound that comes from a trio of reedmen – Monty Waters, Joe Ferguson, and James Vass – handling alto, tenor, soprano, and flute between them – often in a tight line at the head, then breaking out into some wonderfully personal solos – played with such feeling that almost makes us think that Boykins was a much more sensitive musician than he ever got the chance to be with Sun Ra. The tunes have a really beautiful sense of structure and soul – and the reedmen explode beautifully with their work, alongside a remaining lineup that features Daoud Haroom on trombone, Art Lewis on percussion, and George Avaloz on congas. Titles include "Tipping On Heels", "The Third I", "The Will Come, Is Now", "Starlight At The Wonder Inn", and "Demon's Dance".

An early gem from Ghana legend Ebo Taylor – a smoking little set with a really hypnotic feel overall! The tracks here are all nice and long – and build energy with kind of a minimal layering of sound – an approach that's different than some of the longer Nigerian jams you might know from the time, but with a style that's equally compelling – especially give the great use of guitar and keyboards! These instruments are heard to best effect on the sublime "Peace On Earth" – a tune that features this wonderful other-worldly electric piano – ringing out with tones that are almost vibes-like at times, and which almost have a Sun Ra-ish sort of quality. Also great is "Atwer Abroba" – a tune with some funky horns riffing along with the tight percussion, and captivating vocal refrains over the top. The title cut, "Twer Nyame", has wonderfully chromatic guitars – really let loose, and allowed to build slowly – creating this warm electric energy on the tune!

The cover's a bit cheesy, but the record's a great one – stunningly spiritual jazz from saxophonist Idris Ackamoor, and a set that really lives up to his soulful fame from the 70s! The record has a similar vibe to some of Ackamoor's recordings with The Pyramids – very well-crafted work that's filled with a rich spirit and lots of freely creative energy – often moved by rhythms that are warm and flowing, and recorded with a sound that's much more 70s than you'd guess from the date of the recording. Idris plays alto sax, and other group members include Art Hirahara on electric piano, Baba Duru on percussion, Destiny Muhammad on harp, and Fred Harris on drums. Some tracks have vocals – sung beautifully, in a really Strata East sort of way – and titles include "Our Voices", "Beckoning", "Libation Song", "Island Dance", "Move Towards The Light", and "Centurian".

The wildly diverse, heavily percussive global jazz, soul, and exotica inspired Afrodesia from the late 60s combo Afro Soultet – a crazy rare one, too! The group purportedly has roots in Texas, but incarnations of it were gigging around LA a bit earlier as Afro Latin Blues Quintet +1 and a bit later as Afro Latin Soultet. Here they play with boundless inspiration from around the globe. Afro Latin percussion and rhythms hold it all together, but they bring in strains of Latin soul, African rhythms, straighter jazz and madly percussive instrumental rock. Producer/composer/arranger/raconteur Jack Millman plays drums in the group as Johnny Kitchen, and other players include Joey Dubreau on vibes, Frank Morris on guitar and harmonica, Eddie Paris on drums, Dean Elliot on percussion, William Quinn on flute & sax, and Bill Collins on keys. Includes "Afrodesia", "Mozamba", "Soul Rockin'", "Afro Revolt", "Torrid Zone", "Oom Gowa", "Slave Traders", "Drumbouie", "Aphro Bugaloo", "Chocolate Drop", "Le Berber" and "Sand, Sun And Sea".

A lesser-remembered album from America, and one with some surprisingly nice moments, too! The group here are still working with producer George Martin – but they're recording in Hawaii, with some tight studio help – and almost hitting that sound they helped inspire in so many others with their earlier records – a perfect warm, mellow, seventies mode that's mighty nice throughout! A few tunes almost bring in an undercurrent of funk – more of a bit of a punch at the bottom, with less of the fragile acoustic modes of before – although a few nice tracks still have those in place as well. Drummer Willie Leacox brings in a nice kick to the set – and titles include "God Of The Sun", "Sergeant Darkness", "Sarah", "These Brown Eyes", "Don't Cry Baby", "Hurricane", and "Now She's Gone".

A massive amount of early work by The Animals – brought together in one overstuffed package with some unreleased tracks as well! The group here have a great rough sound – much more bluesy than in later years, which turns out to be a perfect setting for the young Eric Burdon – whose vocals soar out wonderfully over a mix of original tunes and remakes of American classics by folks like Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Sam Cooke, Bo Diddley, and others! Producer Mickie Most really knows how to keep the right sort of edge on the tunes – lots of raw power in the instrumentation, especially the Hammond and guitar – and a stark, dark quality to Eric's vocals that went onto become the stuff of legend. Package features 40 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Believe To My Soul", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Club A Go Go", "For Miss Caulker", "Feel", "Boom Boom", "Don't Want Much", "It's My Life", "House Of The Rising Sun", "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place", and "I'm Gonna Change The World".

This one's got it all – fuzzy instrumentals, sweet harmonies, and some nice trippy parts too – all wrapped up in a set that's easily one of the best Tower Records rock soundtracks of the 60s! Most of the schlocky biker soundtracks from the time are already pretty darn great – but this one's even a cut above – put together with a special quality that's always made us dig this one the most! The album features a great cut called "Hellcats" – a harmony rocker by The Sunrays, and just as great as their own album tracks. The set also features an instrumental "Hellcats" and "The Angry Mob" by The Arrows – plus psych oriented tracks by Davy Jones & The Dolphins, including "The Only Way To Fly", "Mass Confusion", and "Let's Live A Little" – and "I'm Up" and "The Marionettes" by Somebody's Chyldren.

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 beautifully packaged reissue of this rare set from 1964 – an early example of the genius of Albert Ayler, recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great – and the quartet features Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – the latter of whom is almost completely freed up from rhythm at some points. Titles include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", and "No Name". Also includes a bonus fold-out poster with a painting of Ayler!

Seminal ESP work from Albert Ayler – a unique session done as a soundtrack to a short (and weird!) film from experimental director Michael Snow! The lineup is a bit different than some of Ayler's other ESP albums – and features Don Cherry on trumpet and cornet, John Tchicai on alto, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums. At times, the record's got a bit of a "new thing" vibe – a bit more spacious and sonic than some of Ayler's other material – but at other times, it burns with an intensity that's almost harder and freer than any of Albert's trio dates of the 60s. The album features 2 long tracks – "AY" and "ITT" – plus the shorter "Don's Dawn".

A seminal Albert Ayler session from the 60s – recorded at the legendary Judson Hall with an incredible sound! There's a bold, righteous feel to this record that possibly even tops other Ayler classics for ESP – and the spacious setting makes the notes echo, rebound, and come back together with searing intensity throughout. The group features Ayler on tenor, brother Don on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto, Sunny Murray on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Gary Peacock on basses – using a unique two-bass approach that only further emphasizes the unique qualities of the record. Call Cobbs plays a bit of harpsichord too – and tracks include "Sprits Rejoice", "Holy Family", "Angels", and "Prophet".

A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits".

An incredible live recording by Burt Bacharach – and one that wasn't issued in the US! This early 70s concert is great proof that the Bacharach magic didn't come from any studio tricks – but from the genius of Burt himself – as the maestro's working here in a fantastic larger-than-life setting, one that offers slightly different takes on the magical tunes of his A&M years. The arrangements include a large instrumental group, plus strings and uncredited singers – and Burt himself delivers some wonderful vocals on a few tunes too. Titles include "Promises Promises", "The Look Of Love", "Walk On By", "Come Touch The Sun", "Bond Street", "Close To You", "A House Is Not A Home", and 2 nice medley tracks!

A lost Burt Bacharach treasure – a bit later than classic vintage, but a wonderful album from the mature maestro – and sometimes overlooked, due to its status as a soundtrack! The work here is totally great – that mellow, easy-flowing style that Burt really perfected around the time of Living Together – served up here in a batch of sweet instrumental tracks, plus a few key vocal numbers with lyrics sung by Jackie DeShannon, Libby Titus, and Michael McDonald – all of whom slide down more into the Bacharach ethos than stand out as their usual selves – and we mean that in a good way! Titles include "I Don't Need You Any More", "In Tune", "If We Ever Get Out Of Here", "On The Beach", "I've Got My Mind Made Up", "Find Love", "Luisa", and "I Think I'm Gonna Fall In Love".

An obscure and wonderful chapter in the career of Burt Bacharach – material penned for a 1967 TV musical starring Rick Nelson and Joanie Sommers – all of it perfect 60s Bacharach pop all the way through! The plot of the musical is a bit silly, but the performance isn't – tightly-crafted vocal numbers that often mix Burt's older Brill Building style with a bit more of a Sunshine Pop kind of approach. Although penned by Bacharach, the music is actually conducted by Peter Matz – who does a great job of retaining the maestro's sense of space and timing, but also unlocks some bolder flourishes in the tunes, and manages to get some really amazing vocal performances out of both Sommers and Nelson! There's a sophistication here that goes beyond the roots of both singers – and the record's filld with lesser-known tracks that still sparkle with plenty of Bacharach brilliance – including "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", "They're Gonna Love It", "Juanita's Place Montage", "Try To See It My Way", "They Don't Give Medals", "Fender Mender", and "Juanita's Place".

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".

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".

Maybe the best record we've ever heard from Cosmic mainman Daniele Baldelli – and definitely a set that really lives up to the funky side promised in the title! Baldelli's got a much deeper groove here than ever before – a great ear for tight elements on the basslines, mixed with jazzy work on keyboards and guitar – all woven into a groove that's every bit as club-worth as his other music, yet a lot more warm and soulful overall! It's almost like Daniele's going back to discover a disco generation he might have missed the first time around – with a retro style that's hard to distinguish from the original, a lot like Joey Negro and some of his Sunshine Band work. Titles include "Mellow Game", "Good Day", "What Da Funk", "Voltage Groove", "Synthesized Honey", "Break Loose", "Drive Me Crazy", and "Fontainebleau".

2 rare slices of exotica by Les Baxter – back to back on one CD! The first half of the set features material from the album Ports Of Pleasure – a dreamy exploration of south sea ideals that's got a more lightly drifting quality than some of Baxter's more percussive exotica albums, and which is awash in dreamy soundscapes penned by Les himself! The orchestrations are large and bold throughout – mixing strings and woodwinds almost in a soundtrack-y mode – but always with the light sense of interplay that makes Baxter's work so great. Titles include "Monkey Dance Of Bali", "Pearls Of Ceylon", "Tahiti A Summer Night At Sea", "Hong Kong Cable Car", "Tramp Steamer To Singapore", "Harem Silks From Bombay", and "Sidewalk Cafes Of Saigon". The Sacred Idol is a real standout set from the end of Les Baxter's run at Capitol Records – originally scored for a film that was never released, but a great set of tracks that more than stands strongly on its own! The theme here is a Mexican/Latin American one – explored by Baxter with his trademark blend of larger orchestrations and lighter exotica touches – often swirling around in an extremely evocative mode that makes us wish the film had been issued to the public, and at a few key moments even hinting at the funkier modes that would follow on some of Les' later work for other labels. Titles include "Aqueducts", "Gardens Of The Moon", "Pyramid Of The Sun", "Temple Of Gold", and "Procession Of The Princes".

An earlier classic from The Beach Boys – and easily one of their best records from the prime sun and surf era for the group – with rave up rockers and some sweet ballads! So much as been written about the foreboding behind-the-scenes circumstances in Beach Boys lore, even during these early years, it can steal away from the more innocent charms if you allow it to – but don't! This is all about soaring, groovy harmonies and impeccable production – on tunes that include "I Get Around", "All Summer Long", "Hushabye", "Little Honda", "Wendy", "Carl's Big Chance", "Girls On The Beach", "Drive-In", "Don't Back Down" and more. Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

My God – they finally did it! After all these years of hearing about the legendary Smile album from The Beach Boys – hearing snippets on other albums, studio bonus tracks, re-recordings, and all the other sources they've dangled in front of us for decades – Capitol's finally gone and done what they never did back in the 60s – released the whole legendary set together, as one package – and in formats that even exceed anything that might have been issued back in the day! You've probably heard a good number of the songs here before – some as they were chopped up and included on Smiley Smile, 20/20, and other post-Pet Sounds albums by the group – and in some recent re-recordings by Brian Wilson. But trust us, they all sound amazing here together – in the original recordings, with sublime 60s studio production, and godlike arrangements by the young Brian Wilson. Titles include "Our Prayer", "Gee", "My Only Sunshine/You Are", "Cabin Essence", "Wonderful", "Surf's Up", "Holidays", "Vege-Tables", "Good Vibrations", "Love To Say Dada", "Do You Like Worms", "Barnyard", and "I'm In Great Shape". Plus, this hip box set has loads of cool bits – 2CDs that include the original album with 8 bonus tracks on the first disc – then a full bonus CD of "finished" work from the project – alternate takes, expanded versions, and more – including "Our Prayer Dialogue", "Surf's Up 1st Movement", "Vege-Tables (fade)", "Cool Cool Water (version 2)", "Heroes & Villains (children were raised)", and more. Box also comes with a poster, a 36 page booklet, and a button!

Great contemporary sounds from Brazil – a collaboration between Nina Becker and Marcelo Callado – done with a really playfully creative feel! Nina's sung recently with Orquesta Imperial, and Marcelo's the drummer in Caetano Veloso's recent group – and the record definitely has echoes of both of those worlds – very creative songwriting, thoughtful interplay between acoustic and electric instrumentation, and a freshly crispy sensibility on the production – which keeps a gentle edge to most of the tunes. Titles include "Cade Voce", "Blues", "Futuro", "Nuvem", "Packing To Leave", and "Essa Menina".

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".

Beautiful work from Benjamin Biolay – easily one of our favorite French artists of the 21st Century – even though we've been following his work since the previous one! Benjamin's got a sound that's just perfect if you, like us, dig an older generation of French work by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Dutronc, Michel Polnareff, and others from that magical late 60s moment when French pop really found its own sound. Biolay's got a way of sliding in the sinister next to the groovy – often with vocals that are spoken as much as sung – and produced to perfection by his own strong ear for unusual combinations of sounds. Benjamin helped launch the career of many other great French acts in the past decade or two – but we still love his own work the best – and an album like this definitely lives up to that faith. Titles include "Venganza", "Marlene Deconne", "Personne Dans Mon Lit", "Confettis", "La Fin De La Fin", "L'Insigne Honneur", and "Tresor Tresor".

Birds, brass, and plenty of grooves – two sublime UK sound library sets, back to back on a single CD! "Birds" here is used in the UK slang for women – and the combo sports wordless female vocals sliding along with the grooves – sneaking in and out of the brassier bits on the top with a "yeh yeh" sort of chorus approach, but one that's pretty musical overall! The best part of the music, though, is below the birds and the brass – the bottom, which is often quite funky, and has a soundtrack-styled sort of groove – rolling bass, snapping drums, bits of keyboards – all used in the best gently funky ways of the glory days of the Brit Easy scene. Most of the work here is the brainchild of arranger Keith Roberts – a lesser-known UK sound library figure, one who did a bit of work on Scott Walker's fourth album, but who really shines brightly here on his own. Titles include "Sort Of Soul", "Return To Montana", "Sunspot", "All Souled Out", "Time Key", "Pop Off The Tops", "New Dawn", "Melanie", "Sugar Sugar", "Funky Splanky", "The Kung Fu Kid", "Mexico Fiesta", "Fritzy Baby", and "Swamp Water".

Fantastic funk from the Italian scene – penned for a cop movie that was also known over here as The Hired Gun! The style here is even more of a cut above than usual for Italian crime – really on a par with the best American work of the period, particularly some of the extra-hip stuff you might hear on TV – like some of those gems from Sunday Night Mystery Movie that would blend sophisticated strings, offbeat orchestrations, and some great funky basslines and keys! The keyboards are especially nice – snaking through over these bass bits that roll out wonderfully and there's some moody woodwind moments that further deepen the sound in ways you wouldn't expect. Plus, the whole package is totally great – full, well-written notes in English – almost at a Film Score Monthly level! CD features 15 tracks from the film – plus 5 more bonus cuts from the vaults.

One of Bley's best records from the 60's, and a great session recorded in Rome with Barry Altschul on drums and Mark Levinson on bass. We think of this era in Bley's career as sort of his middle period, after some important time spent with Ornette, one of the few pianists Coleman ever used, and Jimmy Giuffre, as we as Sonny Rollins, all of whose influence had made an impact on Bley, as a performer, writer and leader. The playing is wide open, but with a keen sense of group interplay and a wonderful dynamic between the three, a post free sensibility that was very progressive but never too noisy or oblique. The tracks include Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", Annette Peacock's "Both", Carla Bley's "Ida Lupino" and "Albert's Love Theme", and Bley's own "Mazatalon".

A deeply effective set from Bonobo! North Borders has beats that are as compelling as any in Bonobo's canon – often thumping pretty hard – paired with gorgeous electronic sound washes and really deft use of vocal samples and guest singers. The mix of compelling beats and lighter, more ethereal atmosphere is a nice touch – and the use of voices, whether sampled or sung by a guest, really brings in an uncommon emotional depth. Includes "First Fires" with Grey Reverend, "Emkay", "Don't Wait", "Cirrus", "Heaven For The Sinner" with Erykah Badu, Towers" with Sjerdene, "Jets", "Antenna", "Know You", "Ten Tigers", "Sapphire", "Transits" and "Pieces" feat Cornella.

Sublime sounds from Booker T & The MGs – the group's first five albums, laid out in one totally package! The progression in Memphis soul here is wonderful – as the package starts with the initial Green Onions set – a record that grew out of a famous jam from Book and the group in the studio – then moves through Soul Dressing, And Now, Hip Hug Her, and Doin Our Thing – records that get funkier and funkier at each new spin – showing how the group really tightened up their style, and helped transform the sound of instrumental soul in the process! Loads of great Hammond from Booker T, mixed with killer guitar from Steve Cropper – and a motherlode of great cuts that include "Green Onions", "Comin Home Baby", "Can't Be Still", "Home Grown", "Think", "Soul Jam", "Taboo", "One Mint Julep", "Plum Nellie", "Outrage", "Night Owl Walk", "Double Or Nothing", "Sunny", "Pigmy", "Slim Jenkins Place", "Hip Hug Her", "Soul Sanction", "The Beat Goes On", "Blue Or Green", "Ode To Billie Joe", "Never My Love", and "I Can Dig It". All albums in tiny LP sleeves too!

A groovy bossa gem from the glory days of A&M Records – an ultra-hip group recorded with production by Sergio Mendes! The feel here is a lot like that of Brasil 66 – bossa rhythms, sunny CA instrumentation, and lovely female vocals – in this case sung singularly, by the lovely Gracinha Leporace – aka Mrs Mendes! Instrumentation is arguably even better than on Brasil 66 records – with wonderfully groovy organ lines from Manfredo Fest, who plays Lowrey organ instead of the usual Hammond. A really essential slice of bossa nova – and a record we'd never part with! Filled with wonderful tunes that include "Gentle Rain", "Up Up & Away", "Wave", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", "Cacao do Sal", "Veleiro", "Saiupa", and "Nana".

Brilliant 60s pop from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – best known for their key early songwriting work for The Monkees, but a heck of a great duo on their own! Boyce & Hart have a sparkly, sunshiney sound that's very much a part of The Monkees generation – a beautiful post-folk, post-surf blend of styles, and one that's served up with all the warmth and charm that made The Monkees so great. But if you're thinking that the CD is just a Monkees rehash, it's not – because there's very little work here that was associated with the more famous group – and instead, the collection really gets at the jangly genius of the Boyce & Hart sound, a style that should have sparkled strongly on its own in the 60s, but which was unfortunately always eclipsed by their work for other artists. Looking at the great photos in the CD's well-done booklet, it's clear that Boyce and Hart have a hell of a lot of charm – and that charm comes through brilliantly in the set's collection of 24 numbers pulled from their 3 albums for A&M Records. Titles include "For Baby", "Sometime She's A Little Girl", "Girl I'm Out To Get You", "Where Angels Go", "The Ambushers", "Love Every Day", "Teardrop City", "Pretty Flower", "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite", "Six & Six", "Alice Long", "PO Box 9847", and "Strawberry Girl".

Brilliant 60s pop from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – best known for their key early songwriting work for The Monkees, but a heck of a great duo on their own! Boyce & Hart have a sparkly, sunshiney sound that's very much a part of The Monkees generation – a beautiful post-folk, post-surf blend of styles, and one that's served up with all the warmth and charm that made The Monkees so great – yet also with some cool twists and turns that make a record like this so great – the kind of chance-taking that A&M sometimes allowed its artists to take at the time! Backings are super-groovy – arranged by Artie Butler and Don McGinis – and titles include "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite", "Teardrop City", "I Wanna Be Free", "The Countess", "Population", and "Two For The Price Of One" – a great cover of a Larry Williams & Johnny Watson soul tune! Features bonus mono single tunes – "The Ambushers", "Love Every Day", "Where Angels Go Trouble Follows", and "I Wanna Be Free".

One of the headiest albums from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – as you might guess from the image on the cover! The album continues the playful quality of previous A&M sets, but also has a deeper feel too – a bit more soul on the vocals, which really comes through on the album's few covers – and a slightly more socially-conscious approach to the lyrics too – supported by backings by a core group that features John Gallie on some especially great organ and keyboards, and great arrangements from Jimmie Haskell! The shift is great proof that these two were way more than just songwriters – and titles include "Change", "Maybe Somebody Heart", "Abracadabra", "My Baby Loves Sad Songs", "Thanks For Sunday", and "Strawberry Girl". CD features bonus mono tracks – "Six & Six", "LUV – Let Us Vote", "We're All Going To The Same Place", "PO Box 9487", and "Alice Long".

Excellent work from Chicago reed player David Boykin – a much more straight ahead album than some of his earlier work, but done with an edge that keeps it in the ranks of the AACM tradition that has informed much of Boykin's music from the start. Boykin is on sax and clarinet – and the rest of the group includes Josh Abrams on bass, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Jim Baker on piano, and Isaiah Spencer on drums – grooving together in an angular modern bop approach that recalls some of Roland Kirk's most adventurous work of the 60s, touched with traces of the more soulful side of the Chicago avant scene. Titles include "Niki's Bounce", "Jacuzzi", "Virgo", "Sunset", "Stalking The Cat", "Sunrise", "Antimatter", and "Jiffy Pop".

A brilliant reinvention of the Bobby Bradford/John Carter partnership – a key force on the LA avant scene of the late 60s and early 70s – still filled with fire in this later recording! Bradford's cornet has lost none of its force – and the real shift here is Carter, who works only on clarinet – yet uses the instrument with incredible energy, with bold, stretching lines that move far past some of the more fragile aspects of the instrument – and which seem to get pushed even farther here by Bradford than on some of Carter's own albums as a leader during the 80s. The rest of the group features Don Preston on piano and keyboards, Richard Davis on bass, and the mighty Andrew Cyrille on drums – whose playing here really propels the whole set strongly – on titles that include "Comin On", "Sunday Afternoon Jazz Society Blues", "Room 408", and "Encounter".

Ah, yes, it's a sunshine day, alright – and this batch of groovy, polyester 70s TV pop fits just right! God help us for admitting this, but these goofy, well arranged, dumb fun numbers from the Brady Kids 70s LPs are a heck of a good time, and a pretty true distillation of 70s vanilla pop sounds. It ain't nearly as glorious as the best stuff from the Monkees or the Partridge Family as real pop art, nor does it need to be. Like Jonny Bravo, they they fit the suit just fine! Includes "It's A Sunshine Day", "We Can Make The World A Whole Lot Brighter", the very Brady cover of cheese classic "American Pie", "Keep On", "Merry Go Round", "Candy (Sugar Shoppe)", "Truckin' Back To You", "We'll Always Be Friends"

Brand New Heavies back in action – and sounding every bit as great as always! The group still has that sublime mix of soul, jazz, and funk that's made them so great right from the start – a mode that's steeped in classic influences from the 60s and 70s, yet finds a way to come out sounding really fresh and unique on every track! Instrumentation is razor-sharp, and mostly live – and vocals are by N'Dea Davenport, Jan Kincaid, Dawn Joseph, and Simon Bartholomew – creating a nice mix of personalities that make the record feel even more joyously collaborative than ever – almost as if the group's borrowed a page from the Incognito book – and the great way that combo has of coming together. The sound is warm and flowing throughout – never stiff or commercial – and titles include "Heaven", "Turn The Music Up", "Do You Remember", "On The One", "Sunlight", "Forward", "Addicted", and "A Little Funk In Your Pocket".

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.

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!

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".

A swirling blend of soul, funk, and jazzy grooves – and a super-rare album that we've never seen in the original! Supposedly, backing on the record is by the British Afro-Funk group Assagai – which sounds right to us, because there's a nice rolling conga groove on many of the tracks. Lead vocals are by Charles Hilton Brown, in a nicely raw soul style that reminds us a bit of Otis Redding, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland on some of his early 70s material. The record features vocal covers of a number of soul hits – like "Try A Little Tenderness", "Love Train", and "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus some originals that are even better, like the funky instrumental "GRF", and the tunes "Maddox" and "Tell Me Once Again". Nice and raw, and with a sound hip enough to match the record's cover!

Groundbreaking work on vibes by Gary Burton – recorded in a setting that's live and open, yet quite groovy too! There's a rhythmic freeness that marks the set from the very first note – lessons learned from the generation of Ornette, yet taken in new direction – and definitely into new colors and tones – thanks to Burton's amazingly chromatic vibes, and the vivid guitar of Larry Coryell – not to mention the unusual rhythms from Steve Swallow on bass and Bob Moses on drums. These youthful players push the envelope even more than on some of Burton's other RCA albums of the time – going for a groove that's much more open and abstract, and which puts Coryell's guitar in a role that's as important as Burton's vibes in the set. Titles include "Wrong Is Right", "Walter L", "Lines", "The Sunset Bell", and "Blue Comedy".

A pair of overlooked 70s gems from Jerry Butler – back to back on a single CD! Love's On The Menu is understated genius from Jerry – the kind of record that follows nicely off of his best strengths for Mercury in the early 70s – and which has him furthering the level of mature soul that was his greatest contribution to music in the decade! As before, the best tunes here are often the mellower ones – sung in a mode that's warmly soulful, and which often raises the bar for mainstream soul – to a level that would allow a lot more work to come from other singers a few years later. The title cut – "Love's On The Menu Tonight" – is a perfect illustration of this style – and other cuts include "The Devil In Mrs Jones", "Thank You Early Bird", "I'm Goin Left", "Don't Let This Smile Fool You", "I Don't Want Nobody To Know", and "This Is Your Life". Suite For The Single Girl is a great little concept album – and one that really shows the continuing sophistication and growth of Jerry Butler's music in the 70s! The record is dedicated to the "single girl" of the 70s (portrayed with the sad little photo of a brown bag lunch and a Gucci purse on the cover) – the new professional woman in the workplace – a surprisingly popular theme for many other singers of the period, but handled here by Butler with way more poise and class than any of his contemporaries! Arrangements are by James Mack and Paul Wilson, who often bring a great mellow mode to the best cuts – almost a Leon Ware style of laidback sensuality. A few other tunes are groovers, but still fit in just right – and titles include "Suite For The Single Girl", "I Wanna Do It To You", "Music In Her Dreams", "Only Pretty Girls", "Let's Go Get Out Of Town", "Chalk It Up", and "Ms Fine".

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.

Get ready to discover a true soul genius – the vastly under-known Richard Caiton, an excellent sweet soul singer who hailed from the New Orleans scene of the 60s! Unlike some of his more famous Crescent City contemporaries, who sung in a chunkier funkier style, Caiton's got a mellow soul approach that's much more in keeping with east coast work of the same period. His voice has a sweetly crackling style that we really love – never too sweet, but with an honest and personal approach that brings some nice fragile touches to his music. This collection of work is the first time Caiton's genius has ever been properly brought to light, as most of his tunes were issued on smaller labels, only as singles – leaving it to the genius compilers at Grapevine to bring together all of these great rare tracks from the late 60s and early 70s. 20 tracks in all, with titles that include "I Like To Get Near You", "Take A Hold Brother & Sister", "Superman", "Got To Get Across To You", "I See Love Girl In Your Eyes", "I Gotcha My Love", "Forgive Me Baby", "Reflections", "Our Love Is True", "I'm Not The Other Man", and "What's Wrong Baby".

The last album in a legendary run of music from keyboardist Doug Carn – his final album for the Black Jazz label, and a set that pushes even farther than his previous efforts! Jean Carn isn't in the group this time around, but the set does feature a totally great twin-vocal approach – with singing by Joyce Green and John Conner, blending their voices together in a style that's right up there with the most righteous 70s jazz experiments by Horace Silver or Billy Gault! This vocal balance really brings a new sort of power to Carn's music – furthering the righteous spirit of earlier years with a hell of a lot of energy – also aided by great instrumental work from Ronnie Laws on tenor and soprano sax, Thurman Green on trombone, Calvin Keys and Nathan Page on guitars, and Big Black on percussion. Titles include the classic "Higher Ground" – plus "Adam's Apple", "Western Sunrise", "Chant", "Sanctuary", "The Messenger", and "Mighty Mighty".

Early genius from The Carpenters – a really tremendous little album, and one that's quite different than their soft rock hits of the 70s! There's a plenty playful feel to the set – energy that comes right off the best Sunshine Pop of late 60s A&M Records – to which this album is a perfect link – a mode in which the studio's as much a part of the sound as Richard and Karen's own contributions – wrapped up with a heavenly approach by producer Jack Daugherty. Tunes are simpler, sometimes more personal – and there's lots of nice basic music touches along the way – a piano here, sweet keyboard there, some gentle drums, and more – all to make the music sound totally groovy! If you've ever heard the Roger Nichols music for A&M, and wondered how he could have such a later link to this pair, this is the album to show you the way. Titles include "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing", "Your Wonderful Parade", "Turn Away", "All Of My Life", "Ticket To Ride", "Don't Be Afraid", "What's The Use", and "Someday".

Previously unreleased material from the duo of Bobby Bradford and John Carter – two players who created ferocious energy together in their famous LA quartet of the late 60s and early 70s, but who here get at a completely different sound of their talents! In a way, the record really represents the growth that Carter had as a musician by this time – his wonderfully lyrical, evocative work on clarinet – which carries some echoes of Jimmy Giuffre's freeness on the instrument, but a more deeply personal quality as well – quite earthy and organic at times, with these really beautiful tones! Bradford's cornet really seems to follow suit strongly – beautifully blown, but at a level that's more intimate than we've heard from Bobby before – really wonderful phrasing that's free, but still always quite tuneful too. The set features a few tracks with solo clarinet, and one solo cornet – and titles on this second volume include "Woman", "Woodman's Hall Blues", "Sweet Sunset", "Swiss Account", "Les Masses Jigaboo", and "And She Speaks".

An amazing debut from the John Carter/Bobby Bradford New Art Jazz Ensemble – one of the most powerful voices in jazz on the west coast at the end of the 60s! In a way, the quartet's sound is a culmination of the underground changes that had been bubbling under during most of the 60s on the LA scene – new ways of conceiving jazz after Ornette and Dolphy had first set the scene on fire at the start of the decade, but styles that weren't receiving nearly the exposure as some of the better-known avant work on the Chicago, New York, or European scenes. The style here definitely owes something of a legacy to Ornette in the way it reconceives rhythm and melody – and a bit to Dolphy in its freewheeling, free-thinking work on clarinet, flute, and alto by John Carter. Bobby Bradford's bracing trumpet lines really give the album a tremendous punch – and the rest of the group features Tom Williamson on bass and Bruz Freeman (brother of George and Von!) on drums. Titles include "Seeking", "The Village Dancers", "Sticks & Stones", "In The Vineyard", "Karen On Monday", and "Song For The Unsung".

Wobbly sounds from Casino Vs Japan – loads of great low fi electronics that really take us back to that key 90s moment when so many folks were rediscovering the sound of the analogue generation! The music here comes from a few years after that moment, but still shares the same love of shapes and textures that made the rediscovery so great – and if anything, the lack of immediacy allows these guys to just lay back and find their own space – often letting the tunes just take form slowly, without any overdone qualities – giving the whole thing a really personal feel that's still quite vibrant all these many years later! Almost like a post-rock version of the Sky Records sounds from the German scene of the late 70s/early 80s – with tracks that include "It's Very Sunny", "Metrobolt", "Dielectric Saints", "The Larp", "Medery", "Warm Windows", and "Theme".

The sweetly grooving first album from Central Line – one of the few British soul groups to really kick it in the early 80s scene – with a catchy dancefloor sound that both encapsulates the era and lays down a killer groove for the ages! The album is a blend of bass riffing, keyboards, group vocals and nice electro touches – always done with a truly soulful approach as a perfect counterbalance to the breezy electronics! Upbeat and fresh early 80s modern soul that holds up better than most huge hits of the time! Titles include the killer opener "Walking Into Sunshine", plus "Don't Tell Me", "Shake It Up", "Breaking Point", and "I Need Your Love".

Really beautiful vocal work from Corinne Chatel – spare tunes that mostly feature overdubbed vocal passages, sung wordlessly, often with a very musical feel – yet one that's quite offbeat too! There's a quality here that really reminds us of some of our favorite Meredith Monk work from years back – really imaginative, and never gimmicky at all – with an approach that's very abstract, yet somehow all makes complete sense too – logic that's all its own, yet really beautiful overall! Titles include "Call", "Les Sirenes", "Heartbeats", "Berceuse", "Angels Vocalizing", "Awakening The Goddess", and "South India".