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A damn soulful swinger, with a bluesy undercurrent too!

Ray Charles backing singers lay down a batch of swingin' soul tracks for his Tangerine label, with production by the Ray himself, plus arrangements by Charles, as well as Ray Jackson and Sid Feller. Lots of good souful material, including "After Loving You", "You Must Be Doing Alright", "Bad Water", and "Come Get It I Got It".

A real turning point in the career of Gene Ammons – a record that almost returns Ammons to his earthier roots, and in the process helps build up a whole new sound in soul jazz for the 60s! The "Jug" nickname in the title is kind of a joking way to help Ammons stand alongside "Miles", "Trane", "Diz", and other one-name monikered stars in jazz – but even without that gimmick (which somehow lasted for years), the album's got a depth that more than gets Gene back on top, thanks to a gritty soulfulness and good sense of feeling in the grooves! Players here include Richard Wyands on piano on most numbers – plus a rare appearance by Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson on 2 numbers – one on organ, one on piano. Rhythm is by Doug Watkins on bass and JC Heard on drums – and Ray Barretto makes one of his great soul jazz appearances on drums – rolling the groove along with a nice bit of bounce throughout! Titles include "Tangerine", "Ol Man River", "Easy To Love", "Seed Shack", "Miss Lucy", and "Namely You".

A pretty sweet set of retro futurist synth from Chrome Canyon – which is essentially the solo project of Morgan Z and guests – and a mix of late 70s Krautrock-era synthy bombast and early 80s electro soundtracky styles! Overall, it's got sort of a Euro disco-tinged soundtrack vibe – think Giorgio Moroder, Wendy Carlos and 80s soundtrack-era Tangerine Dream – along with more starkly minimal tones and key, though used to maximum effect! There's also some twists and turns – like the cosmic post-fusion sax on the title track, bits of guitar, drums and other instrumentation. It's a very well structured batch of instrumentals – with a focused, song-based approach – as opposed to looser synthy experimentation. A leftfied win for Stones Throw! Includes "Beginnings", "Pluze", "Legends", "Branches", "Elemental Themes", "Cave Of Light", "Generations", "Chasing The Dead", "Sacred Mountain", "Signs From An Old World", "Carfire On The Highway" and more.

Truth in album titles from Manuel Goettsching – inventive soundscapes from the Ash Ra Tempel founder – played entirely on electric guitar, though it's all about hypnotic layering and effects. It's amazing stuff, evolving guitar notes manipulated into the studio. "Echo Waves" is a 17+ minute, uber-hypnotic piece that's another case of material living up to the title, one that reminds us a bit of some of Tangerine Dream's soundtrack work of a decade later. "Quasarsphere" is atmospheric and spacey, a shorter piece. "Pluralis" is the 20+ minute epic closer, very much akin to "Echo Waves".

Recorded in the years when Dean was fishing around for some style to hang his voice on, and before he settled on Country & Western material, this isn't really an album of Latin tracks, but it does have some nice choppy numbers with a cha cha feel, courtesy of arranger Don Costa. Tracks include "Manana", "In A Little Spanish Town", "South Of The Border", "Besame Mucho", and "Tangerine".

An excellent bit of spacey club grooves from the enigmatic Rinder & Lewis team! The record has a sweet jazzy vibe that's different than some of their other records – and which seems to share equal parts influence from Kraftwerk, Larry Mizell, and Tangerine Dream. Includes the great spacey electronic track "Blue Steel", plus "Willie & The Hand Jive", "Harlem Shuffle", and "Arabella/Home".

Easy instrumentals and jazzy genius from the early 70s Brit scene – groovy, moddish jazz takes on pop and soundtrack hits of the time from the Harry Roche Constellation – with a vibe that betters the grooviest of sound library discoveries! There's a loungey charm to many of the tunes, but trombonist Roche and his Constellation get down and dirty in spots, too – such as on the priceless, tripped out fuzzy funk version of "Pinball Wizard" – and that's just one highlight of this should-be classic! Blasting horns, easy keys, chiming strings, jazz funk bass and grooves galore! Players include the cream of the crop of period British session players. Tracks include "Superwoman", "Tangerine", "That's Living", "Rhapsody In Blue", "Good Morning Heartache", "Pinball Wizard", "Lay Lady Lay", "Ludmilla's Theme", "Spiral" and more. Tracks from Sometimes include "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Watch What Happens", "Moonlight Serenade", "You've Got Possibilities", "Sometimes", "The Prowler", "Marmalade Molasses And Honey", "Carnaby Chick", "My Romance" and more. 21 tracks in all!

Frankie, Frankie – OW! Take a broken down synth, some crazy vocals, and a rich sense of imagination – and you've got one of the seminal groups of the New York scene of the early punk years. Suicide were a seminal bridge between earlier prog underground sounds and the art-rock punk styles that were coming out of New York in the late 70s. With this one landmark album, the band completely dismantled the cold German prog synth of groups like Kraftwerk, La Dusseldorf, and Tangerine Dream – and created a wild sound of spare anguish that brought a whole new dimension to punk rock. Ok, maybe we're going out on a limb – but this record has got to be one of the top 50 "must have" rock albums of all time. Includes the cuts "Ghost Rider", "Rocket USA", "Johnny", "Frankie Teardrop", "Che", and "Cheree" – plus the unreleased remix of "Cheree".

Whoa! Here's a motherlode of pop psych grooves from Mainstream – the jazz-centric label who were famously making a play for the freaky rock scene in the latter half of the 60s – releasing astounding material by The Amboy Dukes, Stone Circus, Fever Tree, Ellie Pop, Bohemian Vendetta and many more! Mainstream didn't hit paydirt with the mainstream rock consumers, for the most part, and many of the rock releases of the late 60s are pretty obscure these days – but it's wild, groovy stuff – with fuzzy guitars, primal rhythms, trippy lyrics and catchy melodies. This massive 2CD collection puts togther standout album tracks and singles – 52 tracks on 2CDs with a nice booklet of notes! Includes "Journey To The Center Of The Mind" by Amboy Dukes, "For A Moment" by Orient Express, "Can't You See" by The Tangerine Zoo, "200 Years" by Maxx, "I Can Beat Your Drum" by Fever Tree, "You'll Walk Away" by The Art Of Lovin, "An Older Man" by The Tiffany Shade, "Can't Be Love" by Ellie Pop, "Tinkle Talk" by The Sixpentz, "Sara Wells" by The Stone Circus, "Mary Maiden" by The Scarlet Letter and many more.

A much-needed look at the incredible German music scene of the 70s – a sprawling landscape of prog, fusion, electronics, and more – all put together beautifully here with the usual completeness we've come to expect from Soul Jazz! Many of the names are familiar – the sorts you've either passed by in the record racks, or seen priced up high in the collectible imports up on display – and if you've never dipped into these grooves, this set is a perfect way to start – as the folks at Soul Jazz have really tuned their ears well, to pick out key tracks that really resonate strongly with music of the 21st Century – a good deal of which was influenced by these groundbreaking acts. Some cuts are long, but never too overindulgent – and the instrumentation and production techniques are really mindblowing – extremely creative, and often presented here in their most open, honest form. As usual with Soul Jazz, the notes are wonderful – and titles include "Devotion" by Between, "Dino" by Harmonia, "This Morning" by Gila, "Rambo Zambo" by Kollektiv, "La Chasse Aux Microbes" by Michael Bundt, "It's A Rainy Day Sunshine Girl" by Faust, "Hallo Gallo" by Neu, "Rheinita" by La Dusseldorf, "Morgengruss" by Popul Vuh, "Fly United" by Amon Duul II, "Soham" by Deuter, "I Want More" by Can, "Geradewohl" by Roedelius, "No Man's Land" by Tangerine Dream, "Daydream" by Ash Ra Tempel, "High Life" by Ibliss, and "Heisse Lippen" by Cluster.

A much-needed look at the incredible German music scene of the 70s – a sprawling landscape of prog, fusion, electronics, and more – all put together beautifully here with the usual completeness we've come to expect from Soul Jazz! Many of the names are familiar – the sorts you've either passed by in the record racks, or seen priced up high in the collectible imports up on display – and if you've never dipped into these grooves, this set is a perfect way to start – as the folks at Soul Jazz have really tuned their ears well, to pick out key tracks that really resonate strongly with music of the 21st Century – a good deal of which was influenced by these groundbreaking acts. Some cuts are long, but never too overindulgent – and the instrumentation and production techniques are really mindblowing – extremely creative, and often presented here in their most open, honest form. As usual with Soul Jazz, the notes are wonderful – and titles on this second volume of the vinyl include "Fly United" by Amon Duul II, "Soham" by Deuter, "I Want More" by Can, "Geradewohl" by Roedelius, "No Man's Land" by Tangerine Dream, "Daydream" by Ash Ra Tempel, "High Life" by Ibliss, and "Heisse Lippen" by Cluster.

Guitarist Sal Salvador made few albums as a leader during his day – but all of them are a treat, especially this one! The set's a mid 50s outing that features Sal's guitar in a quartet with Eddie Costa on piano and vibes – and grooving in a lightly swinging style that has some traces of east coast chamber jazz of the time, but which also displays Salvador's unique fascination with tone, sound, shape, and color! Salvador has a way of approaching the electric guitar that's like few other players in jazz – sometimes coming on full swing, other times laying back and letting the strings and their sounds shape the progression of tunes on the set. Titles include "Salaman", "I Love You", "Handful Of Stars", "Frivolous Sal", "Tangerine", "You Could Swing For That", and "All The Things You Are".

The soaring debut of one of the greatest groups of the disco era – and one that would go onto be the sound of Salsoul Records too! The large mostly-instrumental ensemble is headed up by Vince Montana – who brings plenty of Philly disco touches into play with the group's wonderful blend of tight rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, and full strings – a blend that comes off perfectly, and with a surprisingly lean groove – thanks to Montana's vision, and help from arranger Ron Baker too. There's some surprisingly funky moments at times – that sharp edge of the Sigma Sound rhythm section – and titles include "Chicago Bus Stop", "Salsoul Rainbow", "Salsoul Hustle", "Tangerine", and "You're Just The Right Size". Great bonus tracks too – including single versions of "Chicago Bus Stop", "Tangerine", "You're Just The Right Size", and "Salsoul Hustle" – and the bonus 12" "Salsoul Hustle (disco version)".

Excellent instrumental electronics, with a sort of pulsing progressive sound that's like the best stuff by Tangerine Dream, and with a cool bubbling feel to it. Tracks include "Cybernaut", "Jetsex", "Timewhys", "Riversong", and "Aurora". Very groovy, very moogy, and a nice bit of hippy dippy trippy electronics.

The rare and originally Japanese-only Seven Waves album from electronic musician Suzanne Ciani – plus her even rarer Voices Of Packaged Souls from 12 years earlier – together in a single set from Bird/Finders Keepers! Seven Waves was originally issued in the early 80s, and composed on a host of instruments that no longer exist! It's got a spare, ethereal sound – with an electronic vibe that's right up there with some of the best German or French soundtrack albums of this nature from the time – kind of post-Cluster, post-Tangerine Dream material – with shorter tunes and a great melodic focus! Titles include "Sirens", "Love In The Waves", "Wind In The Sea", "Sailing Away", "Water Lullaby", and "Birth Of Venus". Voices Of Packaged Souls is one of the first-ever albums to feature the music of Suzanne Ciani – and one of the wildest, too! The set was originally pressed up in a tiny 50 copy run – as part of an art exhibit in Brussels to feature a sound sculpture collaboration between Ciani and another artist – filled with loads of weird, wild, offbeat electronics by Suzanne – including some cool processed vocal passages, and loads of spare, stark sounds that work together as a beautiful collage – moving from noise to notes to noise and back again! This is the first time the Voices Of Packaged Souls material has ever appeared on CD – and the titles include "Sound Of Heat", "Sound Of Wetness", "Sound Of Love Turning", "Sound Of A Lighted Window", "Sound Of A Dream Kissing", "And All Dreams Are Not For Sale" and many more.

A seminal Italian horror soundtrack, played by the great Goblin, and created for this totally creepy film by Dario Argento! The band are using a lot of airy keyboards and electronics here – in broad washes of sound filled with evil and darkness, instead of some of the group's usual funkier rhythms. Not that the whole score's slow and moody, though, because some of the tracks have a nice early 80s electronic feel – like late Tangerine Dream, or instrumental Ultravox. Plus, a few themes have very haunting vocals, set to very creepy orchestrations! There's a total of 16 cuts on this CD, with the usual Cinevox unreleased goodies thrown in! Titles include "The Wind", "Sleepwalking", "Jennifer", "The Monster Children", and "Jennifer's Friends". Creepy!

A sharp EP from the MF Grimm – with strong production by Draser Monumental! Grimm is as tight as ever here, spitting grim, though passionately penned over some nice production by Monumental – giving it the apocalyptic funk backdrop it needs. Includes "Good Morning Vietnam", "Tangerine", "If You Don't Know", "Be Noble", "Solar Soul Controller", "Grand Opening" and "Mater Matuta". Side B features the instrumentals.

13 track CD & booklet with music from Pete Bardens, Stanley Clarke, Tangerine Dream, Steve Smith, Bill Bruford & Steve Kindler.