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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".

A fantastic Sun Ra album – with otherworldly sounds that perfectly sum up his unique jazz vision! The album features material recorded in New York in 1961, and released on Saturn in 1965 – but whatever the date, it's still light years ahead of its time! Ra plays piano, as usual, but he also works with some beautiful instruments of his own creation – including the strangely wonderful Sun Harp, the Dragon Drum, and the Spiral Percussion Gong. The percussion instruments are heard to great effect on the track "Solar Drums" – which has an echoey percussive sound that's really wonderful! The rest of the group includes John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Pat Patrick, Clifford Thornton, Marshall Allen, and Clifford Jarvis – classic Ra players all of them – and other titles include "Lights On A Satellite", "Kosmos In Blue", and "Cluster Of Galaxies".

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".

One of the greatest Saturn albums! This one has Ra playing clavioline and echoey "cosmic side drums" with a great spacey sound that was probably arrived at through some primitive reverb and echo techniques! The overall effect is everything you'd imagined about Sun Ra – a mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and some spacey musings that are definitely out of this world! Titles include "Moon Dance", "Voice of Space", and "Adventure Equation". Beautiful blue and white image on the front cover, with that stark Saturn Records look – and a very cool sound overall!

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".

An excellent Sun Ra session from 1959! Ra and the Arkestra are playing in a fine mix of straight jazz and spacey styles, with Ra on electric piano throughout the entire set. A few tracks have some great chanted vocals – and we're not sure if they're sung by one of the Saturn doo wop groups, or by the ensemble – but they give the tracks a great sound, and the whole set has a good late 50's Arkestra sound. With the tracks "Nubia", "Plutonian Nights", "Star Time", and "Watusa".

One of the rarest non-Saturn LPs by Sun Ra – an obscure set recorded for the Philly Jazz label, the imprint who also released Ra's classic Lanquidity album! This set has the group returning to a more traditional Arkestra groove – recording in Chicago with a mix of acoustic instruments and electric keyboards that reminds us of some of the band's best work for Saturn – very odd and offbeat at times, quite free at others – but always brought back beautifully with a sense that all is unified under the cosmos! Ra really stretches out on organ and synthesizer – and also plays a bit of piano as well – and titles include "Mayan Temples", "Inside The Blues", "Over The Rainbow", and "Intrinsic Energies".

The 2nd volume of the Solar-Myth sessions! Recorded in New York in 1970, with an Arkestra that includes Kwame Hadi, Ali Hassan, Danny Davis, John Gilmore, and Clifford Jarvis – and instrumentation that includes moog, space dimension mellophone, ancient Egyptian Infinity drum, and lots of other weird percussion instruments. Longer titles are "The Utter Nots", "Scene 1, Take 1", and "Strange Worlds", and the whole thing's packaged in a glossy gatefold cover, with good photos of the band, and a good cover shot of Ra wearing cool goofy glasses!

A very nice session that actually has a bit of a soul jazz touch – with elements that are similar to Ra's Lanquidity set, a much sought-after spacey fusion classic! The band still plays fairly out, but the singing's a bit more soulful than usual, and the music has some funky vibes, guitar, and bass in addition to the group's usual array of "out there" instrumentation. Players include Ra on keyboards, Michael Ray on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, Harry Wilson on vibes, and John Gilmore and Marshall Allen on reeds. The whole thing's got 3 long tracks – "Celestial Road", "Say", and "I'll Wait For You".

One of the rarest Sun Ra albums ever – and one of the most enigmatic, too! Strange Strings is a very unique session recorded with an otherworldly sound – heavily steeped in the use of "electronic strings", amplified string instruments recorded with crazy echo and other effects, almost sounding like analogue electronics at times. The set also uses a variety of percussion instruments – including "log drum" and "lightning drum" – and Ra plays a bit of electronic piano on it as well as a variety of interesting percussion instruments. And if that's not enough, the whole album ends with the spooky sound of Thlan Aldridge on "space voice"! Incredibly cosmic, and quite out at most moments – with tracks that include "Strange Strange", "Worlds Approaching", and "Strings Strange".

Amazing sounds from Sun Ra – vocal recitations, weird words, and spoken bits – all set to some mighty cosmic music! The work here is all previously unissued, and pulled from rare tapes recorded in 1966, 1968, and 1982 – an amazing discovery in the Ra archive, with a real focus on his more poetic side! The set begins with some wonderfully echoey bits – Ra's vocals in the lead, and some cool abstract sounds and electronics behind him. Other tracks have even more obscure elements in the background, and a few others provide some more familiar jazz elements – but overall, the whole thing's got a wickedly spaced-out feel – very much what you might expect if you'd ever heard the myth of Ra before hearing one of his records! Titles include "The Universe Is Endless", "The Sub-Dwellers", "Music Is A Universal Language", "The Universe Sent Me", "A Cosmic Dimension Of Music", "They Taught Me To Share", and "Worship Of A Statue".

Sun Ra's first album as a leader – originally issued on the Transition label, but presented here in its better-known incarnation by Delmark Records! Even at this early point, Ra had a sound unlike any of his contemporaries – large group and modern, but not in a way that showed any similarities to work going on in New York or LA – a voice that was all his own, and already quite boldly stated, even in these early years! The format might be somewhat familiar – an ensemble with horns and rhythm – but the overall execution really starts to open up as the album moves on – with odd phrasings, timings, and unusual moments that live up to all the promise you might expect from Ra. Even Mingus and some of his better-known contemporaries weren't heading in these directions in the mid 50s – and the record is a proud showcase of the freedoms that players were often accorded in the less-trafficked Chicago scene of the time. Horns include Art Hoyle & Dave Young on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor sax, Pat Patrick on baritone, Julian Priester on trombone, and James Scales on alto sax – and rhythm includes Jim Herndon on tympani, Robert Barry on drums, Wilbur Green on electric bass, and a young Richard Evans on acoustic bass! Titles include "Brainville", "Call For All Demons", "Transition", "Lullaby For Realville", "Street Named Hell", "New Horizons", "Fall Off The Long", "Possession", and "Future".

The first album on Saturn! Despite the futurism that the title of the set might imply, the material on this LP is actually some of Sun Ra's earliest, and dates back to the years when the Arkestra was first beginning to make itself heard in Chicago. That doesn't stop the material from being amazing, though, as these prime early tracks really show how strong Ra's vision was, even when it was being applied to material that might look more simple on the surface. Titles include "El Is A Sound Of Joy", "Medicine For A Nightmare", "Sunology", "Advice To Medics", and "Portrait Of The Living Sky".

A lost Sun Ra classic – from the early days of the Arkestra! This 1966 release on Saturn features music that was recorded by The Arkestra in Chicago in 1957 and 1958. Some of the tracks are from the same session as the Sound Of Joy LP, and a few others were from sessions later in the year. Ra plays piano and "solar piano", and the group's got some added percussion and tympani. Along with the usual suspects, James Spaulding also sits in with the group on a few tracks, playing both alto and flute. Titles include "Eve", "Overtones Of China", "Two Tones", and "El Viktor". Cool cover, too, with a colorful painting of a surrealistic space scene!

An adventurous side from Sun Ra – recorded in 1962, when the Arkestra had recently moved to New York City – with Ra playing a bit of percussion and electric celeste on one track, and an overall freer approach by the rest of the group! Players include the classic lineup with Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, and Ronnie Boykins – and titles include the haunting originals "Dimensions In Time", "Dancing Shadows", "The Rainmaker", "We Travel The Spaceways", and "Calling Planet Earth".

A killer early session from Sun Ra! Ra plays organ and electric piano, and the band includes Gilmore, Pat Patrick, Marshall Allen, Ronnie Boykins, Art Hoyle, Phil Cohran, and Julian Priester. The group's also got an electric bass, which gives the tracks a nice bottom, and a good spooky feel. Nothing's too out, but the record's got a great off-kilter sound, and lots of original tracks like "Between Two Worlds", "Tiny Pyramids", "Music From the World Tomorrow", and "Angels And Demons At Play".

An incredible record from Sun Ra! The session was recorded in New York in the late 60s – and it features Ra playing the "solar sound instrument", which is actually a modified Hohner Clavinet, used here with some really spooky sounds! The setting of the album is spare and moody – with Ra striking out first on the "solar sound instrument" – laying down a groove that's filled in by John Gilmore on tenor, plus additional percussion by Robert Barry (who plays a bit of the "lightning drum"), Clifford Jarvis, Marshall Allen, and Pat Patrick. Titles include "Mu", "Lemuria", "Atlantis", "Bimini", and "Yucatan".

If this is disco, point us in the direction of Studio 54! The album's one of Ra's greatest from the 70s – recorded in Italy in 1978, and featuring some incredibly otherworldly keyboards that are some of his most enigmatic on record! The track "Disco 3000" is an incredible workout on synthesizer, with a tiny bit of drum machine, a little "Space Is The Place" breakdown, and all of the wild sound you'd expect from a Sun Ra album. The cut goes on for quite some time, and is really fantastic. Side two of the record features two more long tracks – the sweetly soulful "Friendly Galaxy", a great soul jazz number, and "Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens", which has spooky organ, frenetic bass, and somber percussion!

Late 60's issue of a record that's also known as Rocket Number Nine Take Off For The Planet Venus. The material was recorded in 1959 and 1960, but unissued until the mid 60's. Ra plays piano, chimes, and gong, and the tracks have a nice laid back spacey feel, with some ensemble vocals chanted by the group. Ronnie Boykins also plays the space gong on one cut, which sounds very nice. Cuts include "Somewhere In Space", "Space Loneliness", "Space Aura", and "Interplanetary Music". The cover's got a brilliant red and white drawing of volcanic land, piano keys floating in space, and a mysterious female figure in flames!

Crazy stuff – one of the wilder albums from Sun Ra, and a record that has him playing on "two moog synthesizers" – which both sound as if they're going at the same time! The rest of the group is quite small – with only John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, and Danny Davis – so Ra really center stage on the keys, and spends most of the record making some really weird and wonderful sounds on the moog. Tracks include "Intergalactic II", "To Nature's God", and "The Code Of Interdependence".

A pretty darn incredible record from Sun Ra – with a soulful, spiritual approach that's missing from most of his other albums of the time! The album features Ra playing a good deal of organ (dubbed "intergalactic organ" in this case!) – grooving soulfully on some short tracks that almost hit a soul jazz mode, and which recall the late 60s experiments of organist Freddie Roach. One track, "Pleasant Twilight", is actually a pretty catchy groover with some great ensemble vocals – and other nice ones in this mode include "Somewhere Else", "Otherness Blue", and "Somebody Else's World". After those tunes, the album actually gets a bit "out" – with Ra switching to moog, which he uses in a very tripped-out sci-fi sort of way! The moog tracks are spare and spooky – with a real outer space approach, and lots of chunky analogue bits that still manage to be quite tuneful. Titles include "Sun Thoughts", "The Wind Speaks", "World Of The Myth I", and "The Design – Cosmos II".

A legendary performance by Sun Ra & The Arkestra – and for good reason, too! The album was initially issued on a hard-to-find French import, but has cropped up in other formats over the years – and it's a stellar live date that really illustrates the group at their soulful best! Ra definitely goes past the usual here – and focuses the energy of the ensemble in a way that makes the whole extended performance very captivating throughout – especially in the way the group can get totally free at some spots, and perform with subtle, soulful tones at others. The lineup includes Marshall Allen on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, Pat Patrick on baritone and bass clarinet, Danny Davis on alto and flute, James Jacson on clarinet and flute, Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Danny Thompson on baritone and bassoon, Alan Silva on bass, Rashied Salim on vibes, and vocals by June Tyson, Gloristeena Knight, and Verta Grosvenor. Ra himself plays moog, piano, organ, electric piano, and "intergalactic instruments"! Volume one includes an excellent long track called "The Cosmic Explorer", which has Ra going crazy on the moog, plus the shorter tracks "Star Gazers", "Shadow World", and "Enlightenment".

Righteous Ra from the end of the 70s – one of the most soulful albums ever by the Sun Ra Arkestra, and a lost treasure that's got some nice funky moments! The vibe here is very much in the Lanquidity/Disco 3000 mode – an extrapolation of styles best known from the Space Is The Place era, tightened up into more of a groove at some points, but also relaxed and more reflective at others. Our favorite track on the set is "UFO", a snapping bit of funk that comes as a real surprise from Sun Ra – and a tune that's got some nicely noisy guitar jamming alongside straighter electric rhythms – all topped off by vocals from the group and some really strong horn work! The tune's a great party funk number that shows the Arkestra at its most joyous – and other tracks include "On Jupiter", which has a great blend of light vocals, spacey moog, and snakey sax – plus the side-long "Seductive Fantasy", a laidback number that unfolds with a really gentle grace.

Unbelievable! This is one of the rarest Sun Ra records we've ever seen – and it's also one of the most compelling. There are no tracks listed on the label (although the Sun Ra discography lists them as "Sometimes The Universe Speaks", "Pleiades", "Third Heaven", "When There Is No Sun", "Halloween In Harlem", and "Shadow World") – and the sound is very very unusual. The first two tracks feature lots of spare reed work, mixing flutes, oboe, and clarinet with some occasional percussion. Then, the record shifts into an all-vocal number – almost like one of Ra's older doo wop tunes, but with a very strange sing-song lyric about the cosmos. Side two moves into larger group sounds, more in keeping with the mid 70s style of the Arkestra, and featuring some very firey solos mixed with a bit of synth. Great stuff, and the Arkestra at its most mystical!

A beautiful little record from Sun Ra and the orchestra – and a set that really lives up to its evocative cover and title! The album features Ra on "intergalactic space organ" – an instrument that may well be a conventional version of the organ, but which is handled with some haunting, very spacey solos that spin out beautifully often setting the scene while the rest of the Arkestra comes in and adds in great solos over the extended reading of the title tune. The lineup includes John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, and Kwami Hadi on trumpet – and June Tyson sings a bit on the record as well. Titles include "Black Man", "In A Blue Mood", and "Universe In Blue" (parts 1 & 2).

A beautiful album of tracks recorded during some of the Arkestra's last days in Chicago! The record features some great work by Ra on Electronic Piano and Cosmic Tone Organ – and there's a full complement of horn players on the set, including Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, and Marshall Allen. 2 tracks – "Interplanetary Music" and "We Travel The Spaceways" – have haunting vocals by the group, and the set also features the numbers "Space Loneliness", "Tapestry From An Asteroid", and "New Horizons".

An amazing album from Sun Ra – and one of the most in-demand for Dusty Groove customers! The record's actually a bit funky – if you can believe it – and was recorded with electric keyboards, bass, and guitar (played by the mysterious Disco Kid!) The album originally came out on the Philly Jazz label and was quickly dismissed by many Ra fans for being a funk sell-out album – but over the years, it's become a prized album for its cosmic sense of soul and appealing jazz dance style. In fact, it's probably the album that most folks expect when they've heard one or two Sun Ra tracks on a funk compilation and expect all of his albums to sound like that. Titles include "That's How I Feel", "Where Pathways Meet", "Twin Stars of Thence", and "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)". Tough stuff, and a very unique Sun Ra LP!

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".

A very nice session that actually has a bit of a soul jazz touch – with elements that are similar to Ra's Lanquidity set, a much sought-after spacey fusion classic! The band still plays fairly out, but the singing's a bit more soulful than usual, and the music has some funky vibes, guitar, and bass in addition to the group's usual array of "out there" instrumentation. Players include Ra on keyboards, Michael Ray on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, Harry Wilson on vibes, and John Gilmore and Marshall Allen on reeds. The whole thing's got 3 long tracks – "Celestial Road", "Say", and "I'll Wait For You".

A totally amazing treasure – a deep dig through the Sun Ra archives, featuring music from Ra, spoken bits, and more – all packaged with amazing presentation of the vinyl, and a huge booklet as well! The records feature way more than just the usual music on Ra projects like these – as they artistically mix together rehearsal moments with some spoken passages, and also some sound effects and other found bits too – almost an art collage in tribute to Sun Ra, but based around music by Ra himself! Highlights include some key rehearsal moments – including a John Gilmore solo, Ra on moog, and "The Second Stop Is Jupiter" performed with Art Jenkins and June Tyson. But the package also features Ra lecturing the Arkestra, talking on music – plus other spoken bits from Dick Gregory, Avery Young, and Krista Franklin. The vinyl is super-heavy, with different colors – and the jackets are heavy pressboard cardstock, hand-printed. The book is LP-sized, 32 pages, with interview materials, notes on the music, details on the project, and some images too. Tremendous stuff – and a must for any Sun Ra collector!

A totally amazing treasure – a deep dig through the Sun Ra archives, featuring music from Ra, spoken bits, and more – all packaged with amazing presentation of the vinyl, and a huge booklet as well! The records feature way more than just the usual music on Ra projects like these – as they artistically mix together rehearsal moments with some spoken passages, and also some sound effects and other found bits too – almost an art collage in tribute to Sun Ra, but based around music by Ra himself! Highlights include some key rehearsal moments – including a John Gilmore solo, Ra on moog, and "The Second Stop Is Jupiter" performed with Art Jenkins and June Tyson. But the package also features Ra lecturing the Arkestra, talking on music – plus other spoken bits from Dick Gregory, Avery Young, and Krista Franklin. The vinyl is super-heavy, with different colors – and the jackets are heavy pressboard cardstock, hand-printed. The book is LP-sized, 32 pages, with interview materials, notes on the music, details on the project, and some images too. Tremendous stuff – and a must for any Sun Ra collector!

If this is disco, point us in the direction of Studio 54! The album's one of Ra's greatest from the 70s – recorded in Italy in 1978, and featuring some incredibly otherworldly keyboards that are some of his most enigmatic on record! The track "Disco 3000" is an incredible workout on synthesizer, with a tiny bit of drum machine, a little "Space Is The Place" breakdown, and all of the wild sound you'd expect from a Sun Ra album. The cut goes on for quite some time, and is really fantastic. Side two of the record features two more long tracks – the sweetly soulful "Friendly Galaxy", a great soul jazz number, and "Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens", which has spooky organ, frenetic bass, and somber percussion!

An excellent live performance from the 80s – recorded during a time when the Arkestra was extremely tight, and really beginning to break big with audiences like the enthusiastic one heard at this festival in Athens! Sun Ra and the group are at the height of their powers here – really commanding the set with tremendous presence – and effortlessly shifting between free improvisations, straighter tunes, and some especially rhythmic numbers that are almost worth the price of admission alone! Players include Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Danny Ray, and James Jacson – and this 2LP set on 180 gram vinyl version on Vinyl Lovers includes 13 tracks: "Improvisation For Children Of The Sun", "Yeah Man!", "Mack The Knife", "Big John's Special", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Space Is The Place/We Travel The Spaceways/Outer Spaceways", "Carefree (Egyptian Fantasy)" and more.

A limited edition vinyl nugget – one that brings forth three rare tracks from the Cosmo Earth Fantasy project! First up is the beautiful "World Of Africa" – a tune that's partly chanted vocals over percussion, partly skittish guitar that dips and turns all over the groove – in a really exotic, hypnotic sort of way! "Love Is Always" is this sublime ballad – with Ra playing echoey piano lines over slow percussion, which then opens up to a soulful tenor solo that's incredible – the Arkestra at their spiritual best! "Space Is The Place" completes the record – but done here in a very offbeat, upbeat version that features lots of chanting and changing up the groove – much more live and spontaneous than any other take we've heard of the tune – almost as if they're forming the track out of spoken ideas between members of the Arkestra!

The early 70s Arkestra at the height of their power – recorded in a brilliant live set from 1973, one that showcases the bold soul of the Impulse years! There's a resonance here with other spiritual jazz experiments going on in the US at the time – and Ra and the 25 members strong group seem firmly committed to exploring new freedoms in jazz, yet still work with messages that can reach out to a larger group – themes explored vocally on versions of "Astro Black", "Enlightenment", and "Space Is The Place", juxtaposed by longer instrumental passages that have a cohesiveness that's sometimes missing from other live sets. Other titles the 2LP version include "What Planet Is This? Opening Improvisation", "Love In Outer Space", "The Shadow World", "Watusa/Egyptian March", and "Discipline 27" and "What Planet Is This? Closing Improvisation".

A totally amazing treasure – a deep dig through the Sun Ra archives, featuring music from Ra, spoken bits, and more – all packaged with amazing presentation of the vinyl, and a huge booklet as well! The records feature way more than just the usual music on Ra projects like these – as they artistically mix together rehearsal moments with some spoken passages, and also some sound effects and other found bits too – almost an art collage in tribute to Sun Ra, but based around music by Ra himself! Highlights include some key rehearsal moments – including a John Gilmore solo, Ra on moog, and "The Second Stop Is Jupiter" performed with Art Jenkins and June Tyson. But the package also features Ra lecturing the Arkestra, talking on music – plus other spoken bits from Dick Gregory, Avery Young, and Krista Franklin. The vinyl is super-heavy, with different colors – and the jackets are heavy pressboard cardstock, hand-printed. The book is LP-sized, 32 pages, with interview materials, notes on the music, details on the project, and some images too. Tremendous stuff – and a must for any Sun Ra collector!

Amazing stuff from Ahmed Abdul-Malik – one of the early 60s most enigmatic jazz talents! Malik was Thelonious Monk's bassist for a few years, but by the time of this record, he was working in a very sophisticated cross-cultural mode – pulling together many different strands of jazz and Eastern music, forging them into a very unique sound. Unlike some of Malik's other records, which featured a style that was very heavy on Middle Eastern instrumentation, this one's got a very even blend of jazz, and features excellent work by Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Calo Scott on cello, Eric Dixon on tenor, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. Malik himself plays bass and oud, and the record's got a snaking mix of jazz and exoticism that's roughly similar to Yusef Lateef's work on Savoy, or some of Sun Ra's work from the time. Titles include "Nights On Saturn", "La Ibkey", "The Hustlers", and "Oud Blues".

How this burningly bad set has remained under wraps for so long is beyond us, but thanks to the folks at Honest Jon's, it's been brought to the much needed light of day! An excellent set collecting work from throughout the career of Cedric Im Brooks, spanning a wide assortment of styles, but all with a deep spiritual approach that Brooks gathered from time spent in his youth in Philadelphia, where he fell under the influence of Sun Ra, almost joining the Arkestra before returning home to Jamaica. The set jumps from heavy, dark roots and Nyabhingi influenced reggae, including some nice dubbed out versions, to Jamaican jazz sides like his take on Horace Silver's classic "Song For My Father", to some tightly snapping disco influenced grooves and bouncing afrobeat rhythms that would make Fela proud! 19 tracks in all, including "Free Up Black Man", "Satta Massa Gana", "Jah Light It Right", "Lambs Bread Collie", "Salt Lane rock", "Rasta Lead On Version", "Sly Mongoose", "Africa", "Collie Version", "Rebirth" and "Sabebe".

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 killer array of funky grooves from Fela Kuti – served up in a 6LP box set, with records chosen by Ginger Baker! Baker's a key choice to work on the set – given his famous recordings with Fela, heard here on the album's leadoff record – Fela & Ginger Baker Live! Next up is Roforofo Fight – an early full-length Fela LP, filled with 4 tight groovers that stand with his best work! "Go Slow" begins with this mad trumpet solo that you'll recognize from a famous sample, especially as it mixes in with keyboards; "Roforofo Fight" is a fast-time groover that has the drums working overtime to keep up with the political power of the cut. Confusion features a monster 26 minute track – and it begins with Sun Ra Arkestra-like washes of sound and spaciness, before leaping into a bass-heavy groove that provides a perfect platform for heavy jamming and vamping by the band. Alagbon Close is a lesser-known 70s session from Fela – but a great one too, and a record that captures the Africa 70 group at all their early raw best! Tracks are both very long – stretching for a side of the record apiece – and the title track "Alagbon Close" features some amazing keyboard lines on the intro, all tinny and thin – and done with this other-worldly almost Sun Ra-like quality! The other tune, "I Get No Eye For Back", also has some amazing electric piano too – but intertwined with some very strong horn work from the group! He Miss Road brings back Ginger Baker – who's producing the group, and gives them a sweet progressive vibe. Titles include "He Miss Road", "Monday Morning In Lagos", and "It's No Possible". Last up is the Na Poi album, with two long cuts cuts – "Na Poi" and "You No Go Die Unless"! Both have a freer feel than usual, with heavy percussion added into the usual mix of keyboards and sax solos. All records in original cover art, too!

A landmark session that features two of the greatest tenor talents to emerge from the rich Chicago scene of the 50s! Jordan was well-known to jazz fans, or would be within a few years – but Gilmore's rarely heard in this sort of setting, as most of his recording career was spent in the company of Sun Ra's Arkestra. The record features the duo in a twin-tenor frontline, with backing by Horace Silver, Curly Russell, and Art Blakey. Ostensibly a blowing session, but much tighter than you'd expect – and with a hard heavy Blue Note groove. Titles include "Evil Eye", "Status Quo", "Bo-Till", and "Blue Lights".

Despite the stupid name (or perhaps because of it), this is one of the great lost sessions of the 60s! Drummer Pete LaRoca originally cut this set for the tiny Douglas label, and the session's an amazing bit of modernist jazz that features a rare non-Sun Ra appearance by tenorist John Gilmore. Gilmore's playing is fantastic, and quite different from that on some of his Ra albums – probably because the rest of the quartet features Chick Corea and Walter Booker, who groove in a very modal vein. The material's out, but not too out – and although Corea and Gilmore's solos are quite far-reaching, they also snap back nicely into the tight playing of the ensemble. And forget all of your biases against Corea – because at this young age, his playing is great! Very hard to find in this original form! Titles include "Sin Street", "Dancing Girls", "Love Planet", and "Bliss".

A legendary album from Chicago – recorded by a group with ties to Sun Ra, Phil Cohran, and Earth Wind & Fire! The set's got a sound that more than lives up to all those references – a vibe that's jazzy and soulful, yet often quite righteous too – imbued with the sort of spirit you'd guess from the group's name and the album's cover image – but often served up with a tight enough groove to make the set a favorite for fans of funk as well! There's a really special mix going on here – and unlike other ensembles of the time, The Pharoahs never go too far out – and instead really have the great sort of focus you'd hear even more strongly with Earth Wind & Fire. The lineup features Louis Satterfield on bass, Willie Woods on trombone, Don Myrick on saxes, Black Herman on drums, and Derf Reklaw on percussion and flute – and titles include "Ibo", "Somebody's Been Sleeping", "Damballa", "Freedom Road", "Great House", and "Black Enuff".

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".

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!

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 heck of a great little boogaloo album – and one of the few 60s sides by the legendary Johnny Zamot! Although cut for Decca, the album's every bit as tight and soulful as contemporaneous work for Tico, Fania, or Cotique – and the set features a similar blend of English lyrics, Latin rhythms, and a nicely gritty Spanish Harlem approach to the music! The horns cut wonderfully into most of the tunes – blasting out with a soul instrumental sort of vibe, while the lyrics tackle simple themes of love and lust on titles that include "Baby, Bring It To Me", "You Cheated On Me", "Harlem Boogaloo", "Hey Girl", "You Dig", and the sweet instrumental "Latino Baby", written by Pat Patrick, from Sun Ra's group!

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. Volume 1 of the vinyl version has 10 tracks on 2LPs, 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 and more.

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".

Mindblowing – and a landmark recording that crosses all boundaries in the Chicago music scene of the late 60s! Philip Cohran was a visionary musician who'd played with Sun Ra during the 60s, but who left Ra to forge his own musical vision by the middle part of the decade. The Artistic Heritage ensemble was a crucially important group in Chicago – one that drew players from both the soul and jazz scenes, with a wealth of talents that later went onto work with groups like Earth Wind & Fire, The Pharoahs, Ra's Arkestra, and other ensembles. Talents on this set alone include players like Charles Handy, Don Myrick, Aaron Dodd, Henry Gibson, and Louis Satterfield – not to mention Cohran, who plays cornet (as he did with Sun Ra), plus two groovy instruments of his own invention: the violin uke and the great Frankiphone, a sort of electric thumb piano whose use on these recordings pre-dated the very famous Kalimba sound that Earth Wind & Fire would use to great success during the 70s. The album includes the driving conga funk track "Unity", the singing soulful track "The Minstrel", the incredibly haunting "On The Beach", and the track "Motherhood", which has a strong Abbey Lincoln type of feel. The whole thing's a beautiful batch of spiritual jazzy tracks with a good groove – and a perfect blend of soul and spirit, jazz and righteousness! Beautifully packaged, too!

A crowning moment of achievement for trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah – a record that draws on his rich experience working with Sun Ra, but focuses the energy into a warmer, more spiritual jazz setting overall! The album's a lost treasure from the US scene of the late 70s – a perfect melding of jazz modes of the time, and one of those dates that somehow has all the players sounding even better than usual – really hitting a unique space together – one that's rhythmic, yet searching – free, yet structured – and always open to new ideas throughout! In addition to trumpet from Abdullah, the group also features vibes from Jay Hoggard, French horn from Vincent Chaney, cello from Muneer Abdul Fatah, bass from Jerome Hunter, and drums from Rashied Sinan. Hunter's bass is an especially moving force in the session – giving the album a warm, soulful current that really holds things together – and titles include "Song of Tenderness", "Eternal Spiraling Spirit", "Long Time Black", and "Life's Force".

Amazing work from the legendary Mulatu Astatke – one of Ethiopia's funkiest musicians of the 70s, making a rare appearance here on this lost American recording! The album has been a holy grail for years amongst beatheads – loved for its killer blend of weird rhythms, sweet funk, and super-dope vibes – and the grooves on the set are really unique – slow, snakey, and with a sinister, almost other-worldly feel. There's not nearly as much vibes on Mulatu's Ethiopian recordings – and their appearance here really gives the set a nice American sort of twist – almost Roy Ayers meets Sun Ra with a hot dose of African funk thrown in for good measure! Titles include "Chifara", "Munaye", "Kaselefkut-Hulu", "Mascaram Setaba", and "Mulatu".

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!

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 great mid 70s record by Antorcha – whose late 60s records as Las Antorchas were a great mix of styles – from beat, to garage, mod and psych – and by this point in the mid 70s, shortened their name and honed their groove into heavier, moodier style that's even better! Heavy rhythms and moody textures – with some really haunting organ grooves – and an overall vibe that's up there with some of greater underground rock around the world at the time. By this point, the band was producing and promoting themselves – and put up a number of EPs that are compiled here for this great 11 song set: with "En El Jardin Del Eden", the English-sung "Grass" and "Going Down", "La Tierra", "Crisalida", "Bracero", "Mira", Quiero Vivir" and more.

The collected work of a mighty trippy group from the Indian scene – a psychedelic combo who worked in the 70s, but who had the same sort of edge you'd hear from the American and British scenes of the late 60s! In truth, there's a fair bit of Anglo influence going on in the music – not just in the English language lyrics, but also in the way the guitars come together with stretched-out, soaring brilliance – flying eight miles high to the sky in a heady brew of freak and fuzz – and turning this approach to some surprising soundtrack numbers too! Production is perfect for the band's vibe – often spacing things out in a really cool way – with some slightly primitive modes that also remind us of the South American psych scene of a few years before. Now Again did a brilliant job with the package – bringing together a host of the group's best tracks from the mid 70s, and a bonus 20 page booklet with full notes on the group, and some very cool photos and ephemera. The whole thing even features a few unreleased numbers – and titles include "Obsession 77", "Sunshine Day", "Butterfly Version 1", "Theme From The Godfather", "Theme From The Fox", "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Booboo Lullaby", "Man You're Not Number One", "Travel On", "Gesthemene", and "Foxy Lady".

A great album that Roy Ayers cut after his co-led record with Fela Kuti – and one with the same sort of hard-driving Afro-Funk grooves that you'd find in Fela's classic recordings! The songs are shorter than Fela's, and with more of Roy's usual smooth jazzy production style – but the overall influence is very much in the Afro-Funk vein, and the album's sort of a "part 2" to the Music Of Many Colors set that was cut a few years before. William Allen worked on the record with Roy – playing choppy Afro-Funk bass, and arranging and producing a lot of the material with Roy and Jaymz Bedford – and the record also features a host of extra percussion players, as well as some vocals by the lovely Sylvia Striplin. Includes the great groover "Africa, Center Of The World", plus "The River Niger", and a great remake of "Third Eye", which was on Everybody Loves The Sunshine, but is redone here with a heavier sound!

Seminal early funk work from Roy Ayers! The record catches him at that perfect point when he was turning from a straight jazz player into a sinister force in 70s funk – and the group on the session includes super-hip soul jazz giants like Charles Tolliver, Sonny Fortune, and Harry Whitaker, running through short hip soul tracks that were very different than the style of music they were laying out on albums of their own. Roy's on organ, piano, vibes, and vocals – and he also handles the arrangements, with extra help on strings by William S Fischer, whose usual dark touches come across very well here. The album features some great soul covers – like "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Day Dreaming" – plus the original tracks "Cocoa Butter", "Rhythms of Your Mind", and "Red Black & Green".

A great little album from Roy Ayers – a very funky record that's almost all instrumental all the way through! The sound is a bit in the vein of Roy's Live At Montreux set – but funkier overall, thanks to some very heavy rhythms on the bottom – and an approach to the tunes that's short, tight, and very much on the money! In addition to Roy's great vibes, the set also features Harry Whitaker on electric piano, Jimmy Owens and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpets, Garnett Brown on trombone, and Dennis Davis on drums and percussion – all very hip players who really help Roy find the mix of jazz and funk he was going for at the time. Dee Dee Bridgewater sings a bit of vocals on the record, joining Roy on the sublime spiritual track "Love From The Sun" – but most other tracks on the album have a more instrumental approach. The record includes a great remake of Leroy Hutson's track "Giving Love", sung more famously by Voices of East Harlem, and it's also got a nice funky cover of the hit "Brother Louie" – plus the tracks "The Morning After", "Des Nude Soul", "Virgo Red", "Love From The Sun", and "I Am Your Mind".

A brilliant funky soundtrack – with great work from a number of different artists! The Buddah soul stable came out in full force for this soundtrack, including Harvy Fuqua, The New Birth, Barbara Mason, and Horace Ott – as well as the little known group Badder Than Evil! They play on the great instrumental track "Hot Wheels", which is the chase theme in the film, and a great sample track! Also includes "Super Shine #9", sung by Sister Goose & the Ducklings, which is a very groovy, goofy, soulful number – plus the tracks "Child Of Tomorrow", "Harlem Dreams", "Child Of Tomorrow", and "Come On & Dream Some Paradise".

One of the greatest Brigitte Bardot albums you could ever buy – some of the grooviest, sexiest work the famous French actress ever cut! The album's overflowing with excellent original material written by Bardot by Serge Gainsbourg and Francis Lai – two of our favorite French composers of the 60s, and both a very good choice to work with Brigitte! Bardot sings in a sexy, whispery style that's a bit like Jane Birkin, but somewhat different too – and the arrangements are by Michel Colombier, Paul Pio, and Christian Gaubert – three talents who definitely keep things groovy. There's a few instrumentals mixed in with the vocal tracks – but that's totally fine with us, because they're all pretty great – and there's plenty of moments with a nice groove and a bit of funk. Titles include "Harley Davidson", "Ay Que Viva La Sangria", "Gang Gang", "David B", "Mister Sun", "Paris", "On Demenage", and "Contact" – plus the excellent "Marseillaise Generique" instrumental – used to great effect in Austin Powers!

The soundtrack that put John Barry over the top – and to many, THE James Bond soundtrack! The album chills from the first notes of the haunting title theme – the majestic "Goldfinger", sung by Shirley Bassey with a tone that's as dangerous as a razor-sharp hat spinning through the air! Barry then takes over with some wonderful instrumentals – a blend of crime jazz, mood pieces, chase themes, and more – all peppered with that dark dark Bond theme that we love so much! Titles include "Into Miami", "Teasing The Korean", "Alpine Drive", "Bond Back In Action", "Gassing The Gangsters", and "Death Of Goldfinger".

A perfect illustration of the genius of guitarist Robbie Basho – a set recorded early in his career, but with music that's light years ahead of most of his contemporaries! Although a set of solo acoustic guitar tracks, the music isn't really folk – nor is it the sort of acoustic underground music that would emerge more strongly in the 70s – and instead, it's got a real edge throughout – lots of odd tones and weird phrasings that almost preface a whole generation of guitar experimentalists like Derek Bailey or Eugene Chadbourne – yet still within a setting that's relatively tuneful overall! Basho's music has this subtle mysticism that we really love – and the solo sounds here are as evocative as the titles – which include "Mountain Man's Farewell", "Seal Of The Blue Lotus", "Sansara In Sweetness After Sandstorm", "Dravidian Sunday", and "Bardo Blues".

A landmark album from Joe Bataan – so great, that it made the entire record company change its name! The record has Joe really bursting out after his seminal Latin Soul work of the late 60s – blending Latin rhythms and American soul into a whole new style of music – one that Joe called "Salsoul", because of it's mixture of salsa and soul! The blend is fantastic, a real milestone in the NuYorican scene – and handled perfectly by Joe on every cut! There's some massive Latin funk on here, including the tracks "Latin Strut" and "Aftershower Funk", plus some straighter Latin jazz, like "Sunny Gets Blue Mambo", and a great Latin Soul cut with English vocals called "Johnny".

The Beatles for sale, but never in a commercial way at all – early proof of the group's great balance between mainstream appeal and sounds that still stick to the frontiers of rock and roll! The tunes are short, and heavy on influences from American R&B – yet the Fab Four are already crafting their new sound strongly, and have a melodic brilliance that's hard to deny! Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "Honey Don't", "Every Little Thing", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby", "I'm A Loser", "Rock & Roll Music", "I'll Follow The Sun", "Mr Moonlight", and "No Reply".

Groovy Eastern sounds from John Berberian – a musician we know from more rockish projects, but who steps out here on a relatively traditional set of tunes! As you'd guess from the title, Berberian's instrument is the oud – that weird stringed instrument we probably know best from Ahmed Abdul-Malik's jazz experiments of the early 60s, used here by John in styles that are much more in keeping with its Middle Eastern roots. The rhythms draw from Turkish, Armenian, and Arabic inspiration – and other instruments on the record include finger cymbals, clarinet, bongos, guitar, and assorted percussion. Most number features vocals sung in a haunting sort of tone – and tunes include "Rast Taksim", "Yarus", "Sevasda", "Savgulum", "Sevan 5/4", and "Azziza".

A classic vocal set from Justo Betancourt – sung to arrangements by Bobby Valentin and Javier Vazquez, both of whom really set him up with some nice little tracks! The album is Justo's first solo album for Fania away from the group La Sonora Matancera, and it's mostly traditionally styled – with some slower tracks that show off his ballad style, and a few more upbeat numbers that groove a little better. Tracks include "Yira Yira", "Palabra De Carino", "Mi Cuba Bella", "Me Perdiste Para Siempre", "No Estas En Nada", and "De Cara A Tu Vida".

The sun shines brightly on Mario Biondi – really making this record sparkle with a charm that goes way beyond Mario's previous albums – a quality that's less retro than before, and which shows Biondi as a growing soul star with really universal appeal! There's still some of the old school jazz in the mix that we love from Mario's Schema work – but the album's also got a fuller production style at times, one that really expands the palette of Biondi's colors, and which has him working here with help from key guests who include Omar, Leon Ware, Al Jarreau, Incognito, and Chaka Khan – and even a bit of organ from the James Taylor Quartet! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick helped co-write a good number of tracks on the set – and titles include "Shine On", "Come To Me", "Woman Woman", "What Have You Done To Me", "Never Stop", "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Idea", "Girl Blue", "Light To The World", and "Catch The Sunrise".

A pretty darn cool little record – even if it is a bunch of cover versions! As the title proclaims, the set presents the winners of a US Army competition for its members stationed in Europe in the early 70s – one that chose The Black Seeds for side one of the album, and Sound Trek for side two! The Black Seeds are a sweet harmony group with a really heartbreaking feel – very much in the New Jersey/Philly mode, and sounding great on a number of roughly-done covers that include "Go Outside In The Rain", "Black Magic Woman", "Do Your Thing", "Backstabbers", and "Ain't No Sunshine". The Sound Trek are a bit more groove-oriented – kicking off their set with an instrumental reading of "Kool & The Gang", but then rolling into a batch of vocal soul covers that include "Walking In The Rain", "Backstabbers" (again!), "Coldest Days Of My Life", and "I Love Everything About You".

Ahhh. . . Nice! Wonderful intelligent, spiritual rhymes, full of Islamic prayer references, blunt antagonist rhymes, a battle with the ugliest of inner demons and broken artist poverty all hugged by catchy bouncing hook filled choruses. And all the production is handled by Ant, a true autuer akin to Pete Rock, now becoming more comfortable with his art with each release: tight organ loops, snapping drums, bright horns and nice upright basslines. "Soulful" is the key adjective here. Tracks include "Star Quality", "Pay Them Back", "Shadows On The Sun", "Forest Whitiker", "Room With A View", "Back Stage Pacin", "Missing Teeth", "Dorian", "Soul Whisper", "Champion", "Prince Charming", and more! Side F to this triple vinyl set has 4 added instrumental versions!

A great little album by James Brown – and very different than his other work! He cut this one with the groovy Dee Felice Trio – a jazz-based combo that he recorded on their own for King, on another very rare, very excellent record. The band's in similar form here, although not necessarily as funky – and they do a great job of giving James' vocals a jazzy twist that they don't have on other albums – proving yet again that The Godfather can handle just about any sort of groove that he wants! Features a wonderfully groover version of "Sunny", which moves along very nicely – plus remakes of "There Was A Time" and "Cold Sweat", along with the tracks "Uncle" and "That's Life".

Classic soul jazz material from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one of his most sinister (and most rare) albums for Blue Note! The group's a quintet, with frequent bandmate Pepper Adams on baritone, Duke Pearson on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all grooving with some of the tightness heard on other Adams/Byrd dates, but also a warmer, more open-ended approach to the music, especially on the solos! The tracks slink along with a dark little groove – and although Pearson's piano is often sweetly lyrical, it also has a nice hard sound that works well with the sharp-edged horn lines of Byrd and Adams. The album's very much in the vein of the pair's work on the Warwick label during the same time – and with excellent compositions that include "Say You're Mine", "Duke's Mixture", "The Cat Walk", and "Hello Bright Sunflower".

A rock-solid set from Donald Byrd and a great group of players – a record that's got the same sharp edges and dark undercurrents of late 60s classics like Black Jack, Mustang, and Slow Drag! As with those gems, this album's got Donald really experimenting a bit more – especially with the rhythms – which are put forth by a hip trio that features Chick Corea on piano, Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums! But almost even better is the frontline – with Sonny Red making one of his sublime appearances with Byrd, blowing alto with an edge that's amazing – and frequent partner Pepper Adams, adding plenty of baritone on the deep end. The whole thing's great – oddly unreleased until the start of the 80s – and titles include "Samba Yanta", "I Will Wait For You", "Blues Medium Rare", "The Creeper", "Chico-San", "Early Sunday Morning", and "Blues Well Done".

A pretty darn compelling album – one of the only sets we've ever seen from singer John Byrd – and a unique set of work for the time! The album was recorded at Muscle Shoals – with arrangements, production by Joe Wilson, who also wrote a good deal of the songs too – but the overall sound is almost more like that of some of the heavier soul coming out from points north at the time – far less southern soul at times than you'd guess from the record's pedigree. Most tunes are original to the set, and some of the best numbers even have a bit of a jazzy undercurrent. Titles include "Your Thing & My Thing", "I Can't Stop Loving You, Girl", "I've Got What You Need", "Sunshine", "Honey, I Don't Mind", and "Wait Til Tomorrow".

Sweet and funky organ work from the great Henry Cain – a little known player who recorded on some excellent sides for Capitol in the 60s, including some of the albums by Howard Roberts! This set is Cain's one full album for the label – and it's a tight and jumpy set of instrumentals, produced by David Axelrod with a nice sharp edge. Arrangements are by HB Barnum and Oliver Nelson – both of whom really hit the right sound for Cain's clean approach to the Hammond keys – setting up enough space for him to groove freely, yet still keeping the band tightly reigned into the rhythm of the cuts. Titles include "Horror Scope", "Shake A Lady", "Dead End Street", "Why", "Sunny", "The Way I Feel", and "Critic's Choice".

Terry Callier's first album – recorded in 1964 when he was a wee teen hanging around Chicago's folk scene! As the title indicates, the album's definitely got a folk-styled sound – but also as the "new" implies, it's got a sound all it's own, fresh and free – and that sound is the genius that is Terry Callier! This is very stripped down material, very dark and brooding – a good chance to hear Terry before he hit the Chess studios and they backed him up with a lot of orchestrations (although we love the orchestrations, too.) The material has a soulful spiritual feel, and is sung with a lot of passion over acoustic guitar. Think of Nina Simone's folksier stuff from the same time, if you need a reference. Tracks include "900 Miles", "Cotton Eyed Joe", "It's About Time", "Promenade In Green", and "I'm A Drifter".

Johnny's first LP for Columbia! His terse, spare Sun style is still in evidence here with a slightly more crisp and polished sound, but no less powerful thanks to that famous wobbly baritone. Johnny would soon start stretching out good and wide thanks to the full creative freedom Columbia provided, but you get nothing but the taught, rock solid early style here. Tracks include "One More Ride", "The Troubadour", "Pickin' Time", "Suppertime", "That's Enough", and "I Still Miss Someone".

Sprightly, modernist Kollywood pop from the mid 80s – beautifully sung by KS Chithra, with the boundary-busting sounds and arrangements of Ilaiyaraaja! The songs are wonderful, time-honored regional pop sounds – traditionally-constructed songs blended with some 80s studio touches – loops, multi-tracking, drum machines, synths and electric keys – which all then fuse seamlessly with the haunting strings, percussion and achingly beautiful female vocals you'd expect from Kollywood – mixed with some madder, pulpy bits too! KS Chithra is as lovely of a vocalist as Asha Bhosle and other more internationally known singers, adding the warmth and depth of the songs collected here. We might even love this more than the earlier Ilaiyaraaja work Finders Keepers put together for the Solla Solla compilation – we didn't expect this to surpass it! Wonderful! Includes "Indha Vennila", "Yaaro Sonnaangalaam", "Vandadhe", "Oh My Love", "Pon Maaney", "Kankaliley", "Rathiri Thookkam", "Velli Kizhamai", "Oru Pooncholai", "Nethu Oruthara", "Hey Maina" and more.

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

The second LP from Cypress Hill, and as far as we're concerned, the last great one. Muggs' beats get a bit darker on this album, but are still sharp enough to cut through even the thickest clouds of smoke. 14 tracks in all, including "I Wanna Get High", "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That", "Insane In The Brain", "When The Sh** Goes Down", "Hits FromThe Bong", "A To The K", "Hand On The Glock" and "Break 'Em Off Some".

A should-be Cali country rock classic by Chris Darrow – and a real rare gem of a record we'd put right up there with the best of its kind! Multi-instrumentalist Darrow might be best known to psych enthusiasts – as he was a founding member of Kaleidoscope – but as a session player, he's worked with an eclectic roster of major players that includes Frank Zappa, Gram Parsons, Leonard Cohen, Sly Stone, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others. His solo work is akin to some other great, but better-known Cali country rockers, and honestly, we'd rate this record up against the aforementioned Mr. Parsons – it's really that good – but with more eclectic instrumentation. Catchy songs that are well sung and expertly-crafted – with Chris playing guitars, mandolin, dobro, fiddle and just about anything else with strings on it – and some light percussion, too! Other players include Ed Black, Loren Newkirk, Arnie Moore and Mickey McGhee – plus a sweet group of backing vocalists that includes Jennifer Warren. Titles include "Beware Of Time", "Lovers Of Sleep Abed Tonight", "Shawnee Moon", "Move On Down The Line", "Song For Steven", "Cocaine Lil", "Alligator Man", "Keep On Trying", "New Zoot", "The Show Must Go On", "The Sky Is Not Blue Today" and "We Can Both Learn To Say I Love You".

A lost album from 70s funk diva Betty Davis – and one that's every bit as essential as her music released back in the day! The set was recorded hot on the heels of Betty's classic Nasty Gal album – but it's got a groove that's almost more in the territory of her first two records on the Just Sunshine label – very hard, heavy, freaky, and fuzzy – with lots of sharp-edged guitar licks wrapped up around Davis' badass vocals – which have just as much attitude as ever! It's not clear why the album never saw the light of day back in the 70s, but it's an essential follow-up to Davis key classics – undeniably funky music by one of the most unique figures ever in soul – the kind of set that would have been a bomb, had it dropped in the 70s – and which will have an even greater impact when let loose in the 21st Century. Titles include "Stars Serve You Know", "Bottom Of The Barrel", "Crashin From Passion", "Whorey Angel", "It's So Good", "Is It Love Or Desire", "Bar Hoppin", and "Let's Get Personal".

Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a perfect setting for Betty's incredible vocals – which themselves have a smokey, raspy quality that's completely unique! At times, Davis is almost speaking, but at others she's practically screaming – belting out the lyrics in a way that makes you feel like you're sharing some space with her at the end of the bar as she gets more and more wound up about issues and people who are on her mind. And as if the vocals weren't enough, the backings are incredible too – filled with drum breaks and basslines that few other albums can match – all wrapped around badass tunes that include "Shoo-B-Doop & Cop Him", "He Was A Big Freak", "70's Blues", "Git In There", "Special People", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", and "Your Mama Wants Ya Back".

The amazing second album from Deep Jazz – and every bit as spiritual and soulful as the first! These guys really blew us away with their debut, and we're loving them even more this time around – and can honestly say that they're one of the few contemporary combos to ever get our favorite sounds of the 70s just right – that magical music that came out on labels like Strata East and other small indies of the time – that post-Coltrane generation when musicians really stretched their skills to the heavens in search of new sounds! The arrangements, production, and execution here are wonderful – with no modern tricks or gimmicks to get in the way at all – and in addition to great warm acoustic bass from group leader Jerker Kluge, the set also features alto, tenor, flute, bass clarinet, and piano – plus some great Alice Coltrane-like harp, sweet percussion, and even female vocals on a few cuts. Titles include the great originals "The Meeting", "Movement", and "Don't Get Drowned" – plus great versions of "Little Sunflower" and "Spirits Up Above".

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

Finally a strong full-length from Nu-Mark – the myriad strengths of which were amply hinted up via the epic 10" series that led up to it – and an album that packs plenty of diverse, timeless beatcraft and stellar guests on the mic! Nu-Mark's got a sharp, crisp edge with his beats – one that really seems to set a new sort of fire without ever being too overly-aware of its own style – often with these soulful undercurrents that help his music reach way past the usual, too! Vocals and rhymes are by a great batch of A-list talents – including Aloe Blacc, Charles Bradley, Bumpy Knuckles, Ernie Hines, Large Professor, J-Live, and Tiron – and one cut even features some sweet funky touches from Quantic. Titles include "Oya Indebure", "Tropicalifornia", "Tough Break", "Feel The Way About It", "Vengeance Is Mine", "Dumpin Em All", "Our Generation (re-edit)", "When You Sleep", "Never Be Wrong", "Times Is Rough", and "Tonight".

Easily one of Donovan's most successful albums – but also a brilliant blend of folk and jazz that forged a bold new sound in the 60s – here in the original mono mix! Part of the strength of the set comes from arranger John Cameron – an artist that we love for his jazz and easy work of the late 60s, and who's working here with players that include British jazzmen Phil Seamen, Tony Carr, Ronnie Ross, and Harold McNair! The instrumental component of the album alone is worth the price of admission – as Cameron gently blends together moddish and trippy styles, alongside some folksier vocals and guitar from Donovan. But it's also Donovan's own extrapolation of styles of the time that really makes the album a masterpiece – a strange post-folk mode of expression that's almost a British counterpart to the genius of Simon & Garfunkel, but which is arguably darker and more intellectual. Apart from classic hits like "Museum" and "Mellow Yellow", the album also features some moodier brilliance on tracks that include "The Observation", "Hampstead Incident", "Sunny South Kensington", "Writer In The Sun", "Sand & Foam", and "House Of Jansch".

Mac really steps out on this one – pushing past his usual hip studio take on New Orleans soul, to a more expansive style that includes performances by a host of surprise guests like Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, PP Arnold, Graham Bond, and Doris Troy. That loping, trippy groove of John's is still firmly in place, shifted slightly – kind of a New Orleans meets post 60s London style. There's also a really unique, kind of mellow Cajun folk blues thing going on, and it balances a lot of really disparate elements in a fairly unified feel. It's sort of like Captain Beefheart playing lounge piano in a swamp – an ambitious style that you really have to respect and appreciate. Titles include "Craney Crow", "Black John The Conqueror", "Zu Zu Mamou", and "Pots On Fiyo" "Where Ya At Mule", "Familiar Reality", and more.

Heavy funk from the Indy scene of the late 60s – the lost album by one of the funkiest combos in the Midwest! Ebony Rhythm Band have an incredible sound that seems to take the heavy bottom of New Orleans Funk and merge it with the trippier elements of Detroit psychedelic soul – no surprise, considering they hailed from Indianapolis, a point about halfway between the two cities! The tracks on the set have a really great tripped-out groove – using lots of guitar and organ over heavy rhythms, in a style that's a bit like the Meters at times – but a lot freer flowing. The album features 2 tracks that formed the basis of one of the group's singles – plus a lot more that were never issued at the time, including a few by other incarnations of the combo! Titles include "Soul Heart Transplant", "Ode To Billie Joe", "Light My Fire", "Vanilla Fudge", "Get Yourself Together (Smiling Faces/Sunshine Of Your Love medley)", "Drugs Ain't Cool", "Fool Am I", and "It's Too Late For Love".

A much-needed entry in the too-short career of The Electric Prunes – a rare live performance from the late 60s, and material that's arguably even more hard-burning than most of their studio work at the time! There's plenty of fuzz and a fair bit of freak going on – and the group are very much at their garagey best here – still plenty trippy, but surprisingly focused too – without as much of the space that might have shown up on later records, and a blistering intensity that matches the best of the Sunset Strip scene at the time. The recording was done by Swedish radio, so is quite clear and strong – and titles include "You Never Had It Better", "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night", "Long Day's Flight", "Smokestack Lightnin", "Get Me To The World On Time", and "Try Me On For Size".

Fuzzy and genuinely well-crafted private press grooves from the Emerson brothers – with crazy good hooks, some surprisingly solid musicianship – and songs that range from straight-up catchy, though fuzz-drenched rock, to funk and soul! Donnie Emerson is the lead singer, guitarist and bass player, along with some synth – and on the best tunes, he's got a confident, laidback and warm style on vocals that truly doesn't feel the voice of a kid still in his teens – with brother Joe on drums and other friends on backing vocals here and there. Here's a record that profoundly transcends the private press novelty and the goofy jumpsuits they're rocking on the front cover! Includes "Good Time", "Give Me The Chance", "Baby", the instrumental groover "Feels Like The Sun", "Love Is", "Don't Go Lovin' Nobody Else", "Dream Full Of Dreams" and "My Heart".

Droning soundscapes with dreamy atmosphere and ominous twists and turns from Ensemble Pearl! The ensemble is an international one – featuring Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley, plus Atsuo from Boris, Boris-affiliate Michio Kurihara, William Herzog and guests – and their eponymous record for Drag City is one of cooler avant instrumental projects on DC in recent memory. It apparently came together from material recorded for a theater project a couple years earlier – and it has a bit of tripped out, spooky soundtrack-y feel to show for it – but it stands really strongly as a headphones experience all its own! Includes "Ghost Parade", "Painting On A Corpse", "Wray", "Island Epiphany", "Giant" and "Sexy Angle".

A brilliant criss-crossing of group from this cool trans-global group – a set recorded in London, but with roots in Venezuela, LA, and Ghana – served up with a sound that's even greater than the sum of its parts! Malcolm Catto recorded the record – and really helps bring a funky energy to the record, by working alongside lead studio help from Jack Yglesias of The Heliocentrics – pushing here into a space that's even more offbeat than the grooves of that group! There's loads of rich acoustic instrumentation – especially percussion – and Mulatu joins the record at one spot, furthering the exotic appeal of the set. Some tracks have an almost ethnographic vibes, while others are a bit more contemporary – although the overall sound is more than worthy of placement on the Soundway label. Titles incude "Arena", "Cumbacutiri", "Fly Through The Lightning To Speak With The Sun", "El Negrero", "Escape To The Palenque", "Manicero", "La Familia", and "Speak To The Spirit Of The Sea".

A beautiful early record from singer Bill Fay – recorded in a baroque brilliance that rivals the late 60s work of Scott Walker! Like Walker, Fay's as much a poet as he is a singer – and he's also got the great fortune here to be working with some excellent arrangements – handled by British jazzman Michael Gibbs, and featuring some excellent guitar work from Ray Russell. That said, Bill Fay has a distinctly artful presence with a style that's all his own! He's slightly folksy at times, with echoes of some of more mysterious aspects of late 60s and early 70s psych folk scenesters – but his overall vision is far more elaborate, and carried off here to perfection in a rare kind of "once in a career" record that still holds up beautifully today! Titles include "Garden Song", "The Sun Is Bored", "Narrow Way", "We Have Laid Here", "Methane River", "Goodnight Stan", "Be Not So Fearful", and "Down To The Bridge".

The first full length for The Five Americans – a great set of mid 60s heartland rock by a group that could deliver raucous garagey nuggets, sweeter harmonies, and jangly pop tunes – with equal excellence! The group vocals are fantastic, and it's especially impressive that they could handle organ and heavy drums drenched rockers and groovy pop vocals at the same time. These five fellas should be much better remembered! Includes the killer title track "The Losing Game", "Goodbye", "The Train", "it's A Crying Shame", "I Know They Lie", "Twist And Shout", "I'm So Glad", "The Outcast" and more. Reissued for the first time in mono here by Sundazed – and it sounds great!

An overlooked chapter in the Zapp/Roger story of the 80s – the only album ever issued by vocalist Bad Bobby Glover! Roger Produced, and there's plenty of Zapp talent on hand for the record, too – which means that the overall groove is heavy on the kind of funky basslines, electrified keyboards, and tight rhythms you'd expect – all put together at a level that's especially got the sharp focus of the first few Zapp albums! Glover's a great vocalist for the project – one who slides in perfectly with the groove, making his voice fit just like a key element in the rhythms – which makes for a very groove-heavy set overall. Titles include "What Kind Of Lady", "Bright Skies Sunny Days", "I Love You", "It's My Turn", "Your Spell", "So Mean", "Happy", and "I Can't Stand the Pain".

A rare non-soundtrack record from Goblin – but done in a style that's equally wonderful as their famous music for horror films! The set really shows the progressive roots from which they sprang – with a sound that's a bit fuller than some of their soundtrack work, and which also has vocals too – sung in Italian, but with a very Peter Gabriel sort of edge to them. Keyboards figure heavy in the mix, and there's also some really nice dark undercurrents too – on titles that include "La Danza", "Mark Il Bagarozzo", "Terra Di Goblin", "Un Ragazzo D'Argento", and "Notte".

One of Barry Gray's greatest moments – the ultra groovy soundtrack for Space 1999, the short-lived but well-remembered mainstream sci-fi show from the 70s! The title theme has a nice bit of a dancefloor bounce to it – pre-guessing the disco-copy mode that other space soundtracks were facing in the 70s by turning out its own original hit – and other tunes in the set follow a sometimes similar mode that makes the record far funkier than you'd guess for a soundtrack of this type! Some tracks are certainly more straightforward and dramatic, but there's plenty here in that funky Brit Easy mode of the mid 70s – lots of compressed instrumentation and some slight electronic touches – and often rhythms that are a lot harder than you'd expect! Highlights include "Breakaway", "Death's Other Dominion", "Black Sun", and a reprise of the theme.

Massively mellow funk – played by a cool Chicago trio that's heavy on the electric keys! The group's led by the team of keyboardist Gregory Bibb and guitarist James Norris – with the former working through a set of tasty keys that include Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and farfisa! Rhythms are lean, laidback, and nicely stripped-down – funky, but chilled out – in a kind of a groove that was years ahead of its time, and which is now only finally getting its due. There's some really heavy drums on the best cuts – hard, but with rhythms that are slightly off-kilter, in a way that makes for a really refreshing groove, even when the group's covering work by other artists. The whole thing's instrumental – with the original tracks "Brother Marcus" and "Changing Things" – plus great covers of "Love & Happiness", "Shaft", and a great version of "Ain't No Sunshine". Nice laidback funk, with a super-dope sound that's as a hip as the cover!