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A collection of two wonderful early 70s albums from Tom Ze, recorded just after the Tropicalia years! Estundando O Samba is one of Tom Ze's best albums ever – a fantastic blend of post-Tropicalia styles – and it features some strange arrangements that perfectly illustrated Ze's insane approach to songwriting. As with much of Ze's music, the actual sound is incredibly hard to describe – and the album bristles with imagination and creative fire. Includes a haunting spare version of "A Felicidade", plus the nutty instrumental "Tom", and the original tracks "So", "Ma", "Vai", "Ui!", "Hein?", and "Mae". Se O Caso E Chorar has a number of tracks with a samba sound at the base – but there's more than enough fantastic material to keep the record fresh, and Tom's writing is as great as ever. There's a vocal group that sings with Ze on many of the tracks on the record – but they also seem to sometimes act as a Greek chorus, in response to breakaway vocal passages that are dominated by Ze. Includes the excellent baroque funky number "Dor E Dor", plus the tracks "Sonho Colorido De Um Pintor", "A Baba", "O Sandalo", "A Briga Do Edificio Italia Com O Hilton Hotel", and "Happy End".

Some of the wildest work we've heard from Tom Ze in years – a set that returns to some of the darker themes of his famous 70s recordings, and one that features a great balance between experimental sounds and more playful modes! The rhythms are especially compelling – fresh sounds learned from some of the younger generations that Ze's influenced over the years, and who've worked with him too – and the instrumentation is really varied from cut to cut, keeping a freshness to the record that really has us digging in more deeply as the set rolls on – held more rapt by Tom's genius than we remember in years. Titles include "Tropicalia Lixo Logico", "Jucaju", "Navegador De Cancoes", "Aviso Aos Passageiros", "Capitais E Tais", "O Motobi E Maria Clara", and "Tropicalea Jacta Est".

Kick ass early work from the great Tom Ze – recorded in the beginning of the Tropicalia years, but with a style that shows Ze sitting on the fence between rock/pop and some of his madder later work! The style's still pretty hard to describe, and listening to the music, you can hear how much of an influence Ze must have had on the styles of Caetano Veloso and Os Mutantes – whose work from 1969 is echoed in many of the songs on the album. There's lots of weird organ, arranged in kind of a swirling psychedelic way that reminds us of songs from the early Mutantes album, or from the Tropicalia Ou Panis et Circensis album from 1968. Ze wrote all the tracks, and titles include "Sabor De Burrice", "Camelo", "Gloria", "Curso Intesivo De Boas Maneiras", "Parque Industrial", and "Profissao De Ladrao". A great cover, and a rare rare relic!

A hell of a great record – as you might already guess from the fact that Kassin produced the album, and it also features guest appearances by Chico Buarque and Tom Ze! Yet Thais Gulin is clearly the main draw here – a really lovely, inventive singer with a freshness that comes through on the very first tune – the haunting string of "ooo" sounds in the title, set to sounds that are earthy enough to be earnest, yet gentle enough to sensitively deliver Thais to the public. The rest of the record follows with a similar balance between charm and creative expression – and titles include "Little Boxes", "Encantada", "Cinema Americano", "The Glory Hole", "Agua", "Horas Cariocas", "Se Eu Soubesse", and "Revendo Amigos".

A glorious celebration of the Luaka Bop label – the groundbreaking imprint first started by David Byrne as a way to bring older Brazilian music to the American market! Since that initial release – Brazilian Classics 1 – the label's been covering a hell of a lot of ground – a fair bit of the South American scene, bits from overseas, and even some home-grown treasures too – all of which can be heard on this wonderfully low-priced collection. The package comes with a cool fold-out cartoon – telling the story of the label and its relationship with the majors over the years – and the CD features 15 titles that include "Ponta De Lanca Africano" by Jorge Ben, "Aht Uh Mi Hed" by Shuggie Otis, "Fuzzy Freaky" by David Byrne, "Sexy" by Los Amigos Invisibles, "Rio Longe" by Moreno + 2, "Defeito 2 Curiosidade" by Tom Ze, "Whoever You Are" by Geggy Tah, "Baby" by Os Mutantes, "Samba Sem Nenhum Problema" by Marcio Local, "Bacalao Con Pan" by Irakere, "Sweet Melody" by Zap Mama, and "Heart Of Glass" by Nouvelle Vague.

An amazing introduction to one of the most significant cultural movements in the latter half of the 20th Century – the groundbreaking years of Tropicalia in late 60s Brazil! The music and legacy of Tropicalia are referenced often, but hardly ever presented this well – and this package is everything we could have hoped for as an introduction to the movement – filled not just with great music, but also an overwhelming amount of notes that trace the history of Brazilian music and art through their changes in relation to Tropicalia! In fact, the notes are almost worth the price of the compilation alone – very densely written over 48 pages in the CD booklet, with more information in one place than we've ever seen before. But as you might imagine, it's the music that really makes the set special – and Soul Jazz have done an excellent job of pulling together key late 60s works from the most important musicians associated with Tropicalia – an great starting point for the movement that's filled with most essential tracks! Titles include "Bat Macumba" by Gilberto Gil, "Tuareg" and "Sebastiana" by Gal Costa, "A Minha Menina" and "Panis Et Circenses" by Os Mutantes, "Alfo Mega" and "Tropicalia" by Caetano Veloso, "Gloria" and "Jimmy Renda-Se" by Tom Ze, "Procissao" by Gilberto Gil, "Ave Genghis Khan" by Os Mutantes, "Take It Easy My Brother Charles" by Jorge Ben, "Quero Sambal Meu Bem" by Tom Ze, "Lost In The Paradise" by Caetano Veloso, "Bat Macumba" by Os Mutantes, "Domingo No Parque" by Gilberto Gil & Os Mutantes, and "Irene" by Caetano Veloso.

One of the most beautiful albums we've ever heard from Mario Adnet – a set done with some great expanded orchestrations – and key help from guests who include Roberta Sa, Monica Salmaso, and Lenine! The tunes have this spacious, expansive feel that really lives up to the Amazon promise of the title – beautifully poetic, but with the orchestrations, full of fire too – in ways that really take us back to some of the best Brazilian scoring of the early 70s – especially that time when folks like Tom Jobim and Edu Lobo were really hitting their most sophisticated levels. Many numbers have vocals – from Roberta Sa, Vincente Nucci, Monica Salmaso, Lenine, and Mario himself – and titles include "Boto", "Rio Amazonas", "Canoa Canoa", "Trilhas Da Floresta", "Borzeguim", "Saci", and a killer vocal reading of Joao Donato's "A Ra".

Groundbreaking Italian prog from Area – the Arbeit Macht Frei, Cautio Radiation Area, Crac!, Area(A)zione, Maledetti and Event '76 albums – all from the crucial early-to-mid 70s years – in a 6CD box set on Cramps! The debut Arbeit Macht Frei features a tripped out blend of lingering 60s psychedelia with jazzier prog and folkish melodies, all done as uniquely as any combo of the time. Includes "Luglio, Agosto Stettembre (Nero)", "Consapevolezza", "240 Chilometri" and more. Cautio Radiation Area is even more impressive – a mad mix of out jazz, hard jamming, and even more experimental touches that include quite a bit of noise. Titles include "Cometa Rossa", "Lobotomia", "Brujo", and "ZYG". Crac! continues on this path, with even more far out vocals and a strangely joyous take on far-reaching 70s prog. Tracks include "Magalopoli", "Nervi Scoperti", "Area 5", "Implosion" and more. Are(A)azone is the group's 4th album – a collection of alternate versions of songs from previous records plus a 15 minute hard jamming tune called "Are(A)zione", and a free jazz interpretation of "The International". Maledetti goes further with the out jazz – and features guest soprano sax work from Steve Lacy. Includes "Evaporazione", "Gerontocrazia", "Scum", "Caos (Parte Seconda)" and more. Event '76 closes with "Caos II Parte (1)", "Caos II Parte (2)" and "Event '76". Comes in a great oversized package with a nice booklet – notes in Italian.

Creative electronics from Uwe Schmidt – aka Atom (TM) and dozens of other pseudonyms! Atom (TM) And Friends make these great pop music pastiches laced with electronic textures – putting modern electronica, classic funk, pop, rock, bossa nova and more in a blender – and coming out with material that's easy to love, but hard to categorize! Includes his tropical clubby cover of "Smoke On The Water" as Senor Coconut, an icy Euro funk takes on James Brown's "Superbad" and Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes" as LB, straight up original soundscapes as Atom and other strange, yet accessible numbers recorded as Erik Satin, The Stereonerds, Los Sampler's, The Rogertubesound Ensemble and more. 17 in all: "Duck Cha Cha" and "Showgirl" as Lisa Carbon, "Mp3 (MoralPovertyThree)", "Suck My Groove", "Bowman Suite" and "Daddy's Song" as Atom, "Music (For The Library Of God)" as The Roger Tubesound Enemble, "Dropshadow Disease" as Dropshadow Disease, "La Vida Es Llena De Cables" as Los Sampler's and more.

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

A classic set that goes "slam" from the very first note – and which helped to set the pace for countless ensemble funk acts to come! Brass Construction had a wonderful sound that was the best-realized version of the east coast indie club combos of the mid 70s – funky at the bottom, but polished at the top, in a style that was equally appreciated by fans of disco and more classic funky soul! The "brass" in their title was certainly strongly supported – as the group used a brace of horns on the top of the mix, smoothly gliding over the choppier rhythms at the bottom. And while there's certainly some vocals on the set, they often take second stage to the tight instrumentation of the group! The set includes the classic "Movin" – virtually a blueprint for mainstream funk at the time – plus the tracks "Changin", "Love", "Talkin", "Dance", and "Peekin".

An essential bit of jazz funk from Donald Byrd and Larry Mizell! The groove's very similar to the classic Places & Spaces, and the record's got loads of cool spacey tracks with hot funky trumpet from Donald, and cool waves of synth and sound from Larry. The title cut's a great groover, and other nice ones include "Think Twice" (sampled by Main Source for "Lookin' At the Front Door"), "I Love The Girl", and "You Are The World". Great great great stuff, and right up there with the albums Places & Spaces and Street Lady!

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

The full scope of genius from the legendary Alvin Cash – not just his 60s gritty groovers, but a host of later funk tracks as well – all packaged into a beautiful book-styled package! Cash is one of our favorite Chicago artists ever – a dancer by trade, but a flamboyant personality who always managed to make his way center stage – whether live or in the recording studio! The set begins with early "twine" numbers from Alvin – some romping heavy soul tracks that have a very deep bottom, and a raw sound that's equal part R&B and Chicago soul – definitely tuned towards the dancefloor crowd that was a natural fit for Cash's energy. As the set moves on, it then picks up some wicked late 60s singles for the Toddlin Town label, and also includes some excellent early 70s groovers for Sound Stage Seven – some of Alvin's hardest, heaviest numbers ever. The set features work by Alvin Cash with The Registers, Hundred Dollar Bills, The Crawlers, and Scott Brothers Orchestra – and titles include "Keep On Dancing (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky 69", "Moanin & Groanin", "Doin The Creep", "It's Party Time", "Funky Washing Machine", "Alvin's Doin His Thing", "Funky Street", "Doin The Ali Shuffle", "Whip It On Me", "The Charge", "Boston Monkey", "The Philly Freeze", "Alvin's Boogaloo", "Let's Do Some Good Timing", "The Bump", "Twine Time", "Twine Awhile", "The Barracuda", and "You Shot Me Through The Grease".

Rare work from the Circle City Band – the first-ever full length album from the group – and a set that brings together their few club singles and a host of previously unreleased tracks! The CCB are well remembered for the roller skating jam "Magic" – and the rest of this set is equally great – with lots of bouncing basslines, snapping beats, and warmly soulful grooves that really sparkle with lots of early 80s funky touches – from the sweet keyboards over the top right down to the crackling rhythms on the bottom! The package is a great discovery – one of those moments when you realize there's a lot more to a group than you'd ever heard before – and the album's way more than a reissue, given the treasure trove of previously unheard 80s grooves in the set! Titles include "Love", "Time Tunnel", "Hello Stranger", "Magic", "Gladiators", "My Place", "Party Lights", "Lonely", and "Hold On".

2 great later gems from The Dells – both essential sides of their later catalog! I Touched A Dream is an especially tremendous record – a bit smoother than before, but still much more daring vocally than most other harmony groups at the time, cutting through some smoother arrangements with a sublime approach to the material that's all-soul all the way! Arrangements are sometimes bit uptempo and modern, but they're still in a strong Chicago groove – with backings by Tom Tom 84 and Sonny Sanders – and production by Carl Davis and Eugene Record, making for a late 70s update of the classic Brunswick soul approach! Titles include "Look At Us Now", "All About The Paper", "So You Are Love", "Passionate Breezes", and "I Touched A Dream". Whatever Turns You On is another later winner from The Dells – a record that has the group mixing uptempo grooves and sublime mellow numbers – all of which are sung with heartbreaking vocals that show the group as still one of the best in soul music – even after more than 20 years on record! Arrangements are by Tom Tom 84 and Sonny Sanders, and production by Carl Davis and Eugene Record – all key factors in the success of the album, thanks to a long local history with the Chicago soul legends – and a respect that's very clear in their handling of the sound on this set. Titles include "Happy Song", "It Took A Woman Like You", "Whatever Turns You On", "Ain't It A Shame", "Stay In My Corner", "is It It", and "Heaven's Just Step Away".

The rare second set from First Class – and a set that's every bit as heavenly as the first! The album's a great slice of later New Jersey soul – still very much in the mode started by groups like The Moments or Whatnauts, but showing a stronger Philly influence on the groovers – which are mixed in here with gentler, mellower cuts that really show the group's great harmony talents! Although never as big as contemporaries like Blue Magic, First Class have a great approach that really holds on strong throughout the set – working here with production from George Kerr, Donnie Elbert, and Tommy Keith – all of whom know how to get the sound right for the feel of the tunes. Titles include "Give Me Lend Me", "Let's Make Love", "Coming Back To You", "Lucky Me", "Hypnotized", and "Going Out Of My Head". CD features four bonus tracks too – "It's Never Too Late", "Beginning Of The End", and "Don't Know What You're Doing" in both stereo and mono versions.

Killer stuff – and probably the best record ever by this Chicago soul group! The record's got a full batch of original tracks written and produced by the group's mentor, Curtis Mayfield – including their amazing, funk steeped version of "Don't Change Your Love", with a breakbeat that lit up the sampler culture for years! That raw drum sound is in effect on even the more delicate numbers, and the lead vocals and harmonies soar or sink deep to the soul, as the groove demands. There's also some kind of tripped out touches in the production in spots, making for a nice balance of sweet soul and leftfield touches. Kind of an underappreciated effort in the grand scheme of Curtis Mayfield productions, but wholly essential! Other titles include "Stay Close To Me", "New Dance Craze", "Baby, Make Me Feel So Good", and "Little Young Lover".

An incredible bit of soundtrack work by Gilberto Gil – and one of his best albums! The record was originally recorded to accompany the work of director Rogerio Szanzerla, and it's a wonderful mix of samba, jazz, and post-Tropicalia psychedelia – all recorded in a warm intimate style that's similar to Gil's legendary London recording from 1971! The tracks are some of the most pioneering that Gil ever recorded – and they break free of the time and space constraints of some of his studio albums, stretching songs out into long open-ended explorations, 4 of which are over seven minutes long. Gil's vocals are extremely soulful, and his guitar playing is free and jazzy, often interspersed with some nice funky flute and percussion work. Titles include "Diga A Ela" in two versions – plus "Mr. Sganzeria", "Blind Faith", "Yeh Yeh Yah Yah", and "Tomorrow Vai Ser Bacana".

A great lost chapter in the Larry Mizell story – a record that's not nearly as well known as Mizell-produced jams for Bobbi Humphrey or Johnny Hammond, but which is every bit as great! Roger Glenn's a funky flute player with a really great groove – California groovy, with just a touch of Latin – served up here with some great Mizell-infused touches – that rolling rhythm on the bottom, soaring instrumentation on the top, and some great Latin elements that are wrapped up warmly in the fusion! There's plenty of great keyboards, too – played both by Larry Mizell, and also by Mark Soskin – a range of Fender Rhodes, Arp, mini-moog, and more – all adding in the right sort of warmth to Roger's flute, and the album's rich array of percussion. Titles include "Kick", "Reachin", "Rio", "Gloria", "Overtime", and "Don't Leave".

Jerry Goldsmith serves up some great bold sounds for this dramatic western with Charles Bronson – music that uses a striking horn passage in the lead and some deft rhythms at the bottom – really pushing the action forward with a nice degree of intensity! Yet the approach is also never too overdone or prone to cheesy drama – as Goldsmith hits a perfect balance that keeps things compelling throughout – sometimes through the use of odd tones and sounds that add a nicely unsettling feel. Titles include "Here They Come", "A New Friend", "Free Ride/Hot Stove", "The Trestle", "Who Are You", "No Word Yet", and "Last Battle". CD adds in a film version of "Here They Come", an alternate mix of the "End Credits", and the track "Four Styles".

Different is right – as this obscure early 60s side shows Chico Hamilton really opening up, moving past the modern chamber style of the late 50s, into the freer modal rhythms that characterized his incredible work of the 60s! The group's the beginning of that sound too – with Charles Lloyd on tenor and flute, Gabor Szabo on guitar, and Albert Stinson on bass – joined by George Bohannon on trombone, who slides around the grooves to expand the bottom of the album's sound nicely! The album's perhaps not as "eastern" as some of Hamilton's mid 60s work – but the roots of that sound are definitely there, with stretched out tracks that really show some great writing and playing working together! Titles include "Voice In The Night", "A Different Journey", "The Vulture", "One Sheridan Square", and "Sun Yen Sen".

Two dramatic scores from Leigh Harline – a sometimes-overlooked composer from the great years of Hollywood soundtracks! The Wayward Bus is put together with some really beautiful charts – filled with sadder tones and bluer notes amidst the orchestrations – that wonderful late 50s move to more adult dramatic inflections – conducted by Lionel Newman with a great sense of care. Things are never too overdone, yet build with this really personal quality – a sense of tension that breaks into gentle redemption at the end – on titles that include "Johnny & Alice", "The Old Road/Mirror Mirror", "Lonesome Alice", "Mildred & Johnny", and "A Time For Contemplation". Harline's music for The Enemy Below is a bit more driving – full of the sorts of bold movement and quiet reflection that you'd expect in a submarine thriller – balancing between modes almost as if the submarine itself was diving and resurfacing. Titles include "Radar Contact", "Charting Tables", "Counter Attack", "Abandon Ship", "Ocean Bottom", "Target Safe", "Target Waiting", and "The Enemy Below".

60s Chicago soul doesn't get any better than this – a sublime debut from the legendary Walter Jackson – done in a smoothly sophisticated style that set a whole new standard for the genre! The record steps off nicely from some of the earliest work by Jerry Butler and The Impressions – blending Chicago soul with more adult-styled orchestrations from Riley Hampton – at a level that has Jackson sitting beautifully across a number of different modes at once – still appealing to the kids with the uptown groovers on the set, but also reaching to an older crowd with the beautiful ballads and heartbreaking love songs. The sound is incredible – easily one of the most fully realized full-length soul records on the Okeh label – and titles include "What Would You Do", "There Goes That Song Again", "I Don't Want To Suffer", "That's What Mama Say", and "It's All Over". CD adds in 10 more bonus tracks – most of which are previously unissued – making for an amazing collection that's one of the first time that Jackson's work at Okeh is finally getting its due! Bonus titles include "The Heartbreak Road", "Anything Can Happen", "Blue Rose", "Starting Tomorrow", "Don't Play With Love", "It's Hard To Believe", "You Gotta Give", and "Tell The World".

Rare work from the west coast mainstream pop underground of the 60s – that magical musical place where cats who had bigger gigs were able to make some special sounds in between the chart singles – groovy little records that often got lost amidst the shifting sands of time! Two of the biggest talents on that scene of the time were Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and producer Terry Melcher – both of whom worked on much bigger projects, especially in later years, but also cut some cool stuff here together as a duo. The music here is heavy on the harmonies you'd expect from a duo with their experience – but most vocals are duo mode, not quartet or quintet – set amidst some totally sweet hot rod and surf-styled music – produced mostly by Melcher with this cool squished-up studio sound! The set features rare singles, a few unissued numbers, mono cuts, and even some work by the related Rogues – 20 whopping titles that include "Come On Let's Go", "Hawaii", "Summer Means Fun", "Raining In My Heart", "Roger's Reef", "Yeah", "Thank You Baby", "Halfway", "Four Strong Winds", "Look Who's Laughing Now", "Come Love", and "Custom Machine".

A mind-blowing collection of work from Kaleidoscope – the ultra-hip psych combo who recorded some great work for Epic Records at the end of the 60s! This package not only features all the group's important albums, but also includes a wealth of rare singles too – including some surprising gems recorded for Epic in unusual situations, proof that the label really expected the band to break big at the time! The 3CD package features 45 tracks in all – with titles that include "Egyptian Gardens", "I Found Out", "Little Orphan Nannie", "Please", "Rampe Rampe", "Love Games", "Egyptian Candy", "Lie To Me", "Let The Good Love Flow", "Cuckoo", "Seven-Ate Sweet", "Banjo", "Why Try", "New Blue Ooze", "Lie & Hide", "Sefan", "Chocolate Whale", "Another Lover", "Sneakin In The Ghetto", and "Ballad Of Tommy Udo".

Japanese drum powerhouse George Kawaguchi leads a very hip band here – one that's filled with quick-thinking players who can really create strongly on the fly – matching George's boundless energy, but bringing plenty of their own elements to light as well! Kawaguchi's drums are back a bit in the mix, compared to some of his other albums of this time – but there's often a punch to the record that comes from the larger ensemble – a bit funky big band at points, but with more intimate qualities at others. Other musicians include Hideo Ichikawa on keyboards, Yoshio Ohtomo on alto, Hidehiko Matusmoto on tenor, and Isao Suzuki on bass – and titles include "Tappan Zee", "Feels So Good", "I Can't Get Started", "Isn't She Lovely", "Friends", "Fantasy", and a nice funky take on "Superstion".

Fantastic French funk – a record that's unlike any other deep funk combo we can think of – because Caroline Lacaze sings in her native language instead of English! The grooves are stepped in the best funky 45 styles of the late 60s, but the vocals also echo the more soulful sound of the French pop of the time as well – making the record a sweet hybrid that really stands out from the pack – and which will certainly help freshen up any collection of contemporary funk! Caroline's sung before on projects with the Mighty Mocambos, and she gets strong support from them on this debut set of her own – a stone smoker that include "Soultempo", "Je Reste", "Toujours Lui", "Laisse Tomber", "Ici", "Minutes D'Insouciance", and "En Route Madame".

A fresh new sound from the Shawn Lee universe – one that's every bit as funky as before, but which has some great twists and turns too! The album definitely lives up to its title – and offers up plenty of keyboards soaring off into space – but there's also some unexpectedly gritty rhythms at the bottom, making for a nice degree of acoustic funk – and not just the drum machine bits you might expect! And in fact, there's even some sweet congas and other percussion at points – bringing in a deeper, rootsy quality that's a great contrast to the moogy moments – almost as if Jean Jacques Perry was sitting in some some lost combo from the funky 45 years! Titles include "Black Hole", "Galactica", "Celestial Waltz", "AJ's Mood", "Low Riders In Space", "Jupiter's Jam", and "Tiger Style".

Incredible early-to-mid 70s albums from The Miracles – Renaissance and Do It Baby – plus a bonus Tom Moulton remix! First up, Renaissance truly is one, and proof that the the group could do amazing things away from Smokey Robinson! Of course, they've got a heck of a lot of great help on this set – from some of Motown's best, like Willie Hutch, Fonce Mizell, Freddie Perren, and even Marvin Gaye, who wrote and produced the album's standout track "I Love You Secretly", a stone treasure that's as good as any of Marvin's recordings from the time! The whole set is great, though, filled with wonderful songs that never got their due – and which will make this one stand for years as a treasure to fans of harmony soul! Titles include "I Didn't Realize The Show Was Over", "I Love You Secretly", "I Don't Need No Reason", "Don't Let It End", and "What Is A Heart Good For". The follow-up Do It Baby is another overlooked post-Smokey gem – a beautifully display of Miracles' unmatched soul harmony mastery – on a record that's just about as good as anything they did with Smokey. This one actually reminds us a lot of some of our favorite Philly albums coming out at the same time! Arrangements are handled by James Carmichael, Freddie Perren, and Willie Hutch – and it's heavy with slinky smooth soul groovers like "Do It Baby", "You Are Love", "What Is A Heart Good For", and "Give Me Just Another Day", one of a few great cuts on the record written by Leon Ware! This much needed Hip-O Select package includes a bonus track, too: Tom Moulton's mix of "Do It Baby" – which extends that classic cut to more than 7 minutes of dancefloor soul greatness!

The "string" here is a reference to the album's strong use of violin, viola, cello, and bass – a surprisingly wonderful setting for the sharp-edged alto lines of leader Fredrik Nordstrom! The album's one of the most compelling so far from Fred – and that's saying a lot, because we've already loved his other records – a date that has Nordstrom sounding even more fluid and angularly inventive than ever – yet juxtaposed against a quintet that features drums and the four other stringed instruments mentioned above. Bass is particularly nice – held down by Torbjorn Zetterberg, in that wonderfully rich manner that makes his contribution to any record an instant plus in our book – and which here provides a bottom sound that allows for even more interplay between the strings. Titles include "Birki", "What Now", "Toy Music", "Gunter's", "Doghouse", "Stinko", and "Sorti".

Wonderful early work from O Terco – an early EP, packaged here with enough bonus tracks to make a full album! The groove is great – very upbeat, playful, and less heavy rock-oriented than the group's later famous sets – a nicely organic mix of samba generation beats and some of the more playful touches of the EMI/Odeon scene – blended with guitars that certainly show a psyche influence in the music – but in ways that almost make the set sound more like a Brazilian bit of Sunshine Pop! Vocals often have this cool compressed sound – not exactly harmonized, but recorded that way – and the guitar lines are clean, but with an undercurrent of fuzz – especially when bumped up from the bottom by the bass. Titles include "O Visitante", "Mero Ouvinte", "Adormeceu", "Tributo A Sorriso", and "Edificio Da Avenida Central".

An insane bit of fuzzed-out funk! This is Parliament's rare first album – a trippy batch of tunes that come off of Clinton's experimentation in the Detroit soul scene, infused by the rock-heavy energy of the city at the time – and probably a heck of a lot of cannabis, too! The record is quite different than the slick funky sound of the group's later work for Casablanca – and has the psychedelic funk sound of the early work of Funkadelic, which was also recorded during the same period. The album's filled with funky classics – including "I Call My Baby Pussycat", "Little Ole Country Boy", "My Automobile", "Funky Woman", and "Nothing Before Me But Thang". CD features loads of bonus tracks too – 7 more numbers that include "Red Hot Mama", "Come In Out Of The Rain", "Unfinished Instrumental", "Loose Booty", "Breakdown (mono)", "Fantasy Is Reality", and "Breakdown (stereo unedited version)".

A pair of killers from Dave Pike – early work in a tremendous career in music! First up is Bossa Nova Carnival – a sublime set of bossa nova numbers, all written by the bossa pianist Joao Donato! Joao doesn't actually play on the record, but his compositions here are enough – as they help Pike find a new sense of space and pulse in his music – rhythms that really unlock his vibes towards their grooviest ends for the first time ever on record. Most numbers are heavily modal – a great mix with the bossa setting – and the album also features key work from Clark Terry on flugelhorn, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Chris White on bass – whose loping lines really help shape the overall sound of the record. Also features lots of nice percussion – and titles include "Ginha", "Samba Lero", "Sono", "Carnival Samba", "Sausalito", and "Melvalita". Limbo Carnival isn't some early 60s gimmick session, designed to cash in on a dance craze – and instead, it's a wonderful early Latin set from the great vibist Dave Pike! In fact, given the strength of the grooves here, it would be plenty darn hard to do any limbo action to this one – because the rhythms are bouncy, modal, and very very groovy – served up by Pike on vibes, in a lineup that includes Ray Barretto on conga, Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, and Leo Wright on flute and alto – plus a few other straight jazz players like Jimmy Raney on guitar and Tommy Flanagan on piano. Tracks include "Mambo Bounce", "Matilda", "Cattin Latin", "St. Thomas", and a strange groovy version of "La Bamba".

A cool combat-themed country rock record by The Red Rippers – largely the work of songwriter and Vietnam veteran Lt. Edwin Bankston – and a pretty riveting obscurity from the early 80s private press vaults! The sounds range from breezy, Creedence-styled backdrops and 70s outlaw country inspired grooves, to more of a fuzzed out, slightly harder-edged feel – but it's the lyricism that really pushes Red Rippers into a different realm. It's full of war-wizened songs about forgotten soldiers, bloody jungle battles and other prideful and mournful tales from this veteran's point of view! The difference between the catchy, if quite raw tunefulness and the frank lyricism gives it a really dichotomous, intriguing feel! Includes "I Roll", "Soldier Of Fortune", "Firefight", "Who Remembers", "Vietnam Blues", "The Dark And Bloody Road", "She's Been Down", "Body Bag".

Mindblowing music from this ultra-cool musician – nearly three albums packaged on one CD! First up is Stones – a very groovy set of tunes that we'd rank right up there with Hal Blaine's Psychedelic Percussion for sheer nuttiness! Emil Richard plays a range of percussion instruments – as on other albums from the time – vibes and lots of mallet and percussion instrument – but he's also working with a really noisy moog, handled by Paul Beaver, and some weird "22-tone-to-the-octave" instruments that give the album an other-worldly tone that we really love. The whole thing bubbles and bleeps and grooves – with plenty of jazz still in the mix, as befits Richards' roots in the LA scene of the late 50s. 12 tracks in all – all named after birthstones – with titles that include "Garnet", "Moonstone", "Emerald", "Topaz", "Opal", and "Ruby". Next up are 6 tracks from New Time Element – one of the grooviest albums to come from the godlike hands of Emil Richards! This album's got a bit more punch than some of Richard's more jazz-based sessions – with Emil playing a wide range of percussion instruments, plus vibes and marimba – all backed by some incredibly groovy work on organ and piano by Dave McKay! Arrangements are by Tom Scott and Paul Beaver – and the record's got the jaunty, swinging quality of some of Scott's best early work of the time – particularly his early gems for Impulse! Titles include a great version of Tom Scott's oft-recorded "Blues for Hari", a very groovy number with a great 60s eastern feel – plus "Hot Fudge Sundae", "Happy Together", "Jimmy", and "Georgy Girl". And last but not least are 8 tracks that comprise Journey To Bliss – a fantastic bit of "Eastern" tinged jazz – and a real musical Journey To Bliss on its own! Vibist Emil Richards has always been totally groovy in our book – but he really outdoes himself here – working in an exotic mode that features lots of weird percussion over choppy modal grooves from keyboards, guitar, and drums – all in a wild blend of rhythms and grooves played by Richards and his Microtonal Blues Band. Players include Tom Tedesco and Dennis Budimir on guitar, Dave MacKay on keyboards, and Joe Porcaro on drums – but all players handle a variety of instruments, as does Richards, who must play dozens of different percussion elements on the set! Side one of the album features some great short groovers – like "Maharimba", "Bliss", "Mantra", and "Enjoy Enjoy" – all of which are in a tripped-out LA guru hippy mode that's simply wonderful! Side two features the extended "Journey To Bliss" suite, which has some spoken bits and a much wilder sound – but also the same sort of groovy pop-Eastern sound as side one!

Dusty grooves from Alice Russell – a set that's steeped in heavy soul influences all the way through – from her great vocals on the top, to the tight instrumentation in the middle, to all the heavy drums that keep things kicking on the bottom! The album may well be Russell's tightest outing to day – and a set that's done in close collaboration with Alex Cowan – who really helps move Alice's music forward strongly with some new elements that never appeared in previous outings! There's some cool little twists and turns in the music – slight use of contemporary keys and electronics alongside the live funk elements – blended in nicely, without any sense of gimmick at all – and really helping bridge the space between the deep funk underground where Russell's worked strongly for years, and the bigger soul mainstream she could well dominate in the future. Titles include "Twin Peaks", "I Loved You", Citizens", "To Dust", "Hard & Strong", "For A While", "A To Z", and "Let Go". Features bonus track "Different".

The complete Tamla and Motown singles of The Satintones – the soul, R&B & popular music juggernaut's first male vocal group – and a treasure trove of rare post doo wop from the end of the 50s/beginning of the 60s! It's fascinating for the history herein – the group is hugely under-anthologized in a world of myriad Motown compilations – which is a real shame, as you'll hear in this sweet set – with numbers that rely on the doo wop influences as well as tunes more devoted to lead vocals – with a slew of early Berry Gordy productions and compositions. The set includes the then legally challenged Shirelles knockoff/answer song "Tomorrow and Always" plus "Motor City", "Going To The Hop", "Sugar Daddy", "A Love That Can Never Be", "Foot Stomping Time", My Kind Of Love", "Boogie Woogie Heart", "Because I Love You", "You Can't Beat My Lovin" and many more. 26 tracks in all.

An excellent 70s album from Horace Silver – one that's often overlooked, but which yields of listening joy, once you open it up! The set's got some wonderful modal/spiritual numbers – in a mode that would make the record highly prized if it were issued on Strata East, and which is pretty darn great for Blue Note at the time – easily one of Silver's most righteous moments of the late 70s! The percussion promised in the title really stands out – and helps shape the rhythms with an even more exotic feel than usual – but the set also cooks with some great horn solos too – trumpet by Tom Harrell and tenor by Larry Schneider – both players whose arcing lines really help add a lot of color to the grooves. The whole thing's great – proof that Silver never stopped growing as an artist – and titles include "The Aztec Sun God", "The Mohican & The Great Spirit", "The Gods Of The Yoruba", and "The Spirit Of The Zulu".

Wonderful work from Horace Silver – part of a great run of late 70s sides for Blue Note that unlock a whole new side of his soulful talents! The vibe here is different than the previous United States trilogy – still very righteous, with an overt message too – but served up in these wonderfully warm tones – with loads of great woodwind passages over these wickedly angular rhythms – grooves that are somewhat like those Silver first started forging on his 27th Man album! The arrangements are sublime – and on some cuts handled by Silver, but orchestrated by Wade Marcus – with players who include Tom Harrell on trumpet, Bob Berg on tenor, Buddy Collette and Fred Jackson on flutes, and Jerome Richardson on soprano sax. The rhythm section is key, too – and features Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster on drums! Side one features "The Tranquilizer Suite" – with passages that icnlude "Keep On Getting Up", "Time & Effort", and "Perseverance & Endurance" – and side two includes the excellent "The Process Of Creation Suite" – with "Motivation", "Activation", and "Assimilation".

Moogy, groovy, and really wonderful stuff – a set of rare private recordings made by the team of Scott Ludwig and Maximillian Crook, both electric inventors and very groovy musicians in their own right! The pair have a bit of a connection to Del Shannon – who used their Musitron instrument on the chorus of his hit "Runaway" – and a few of these tracks were actually produced by Shannon himself, in later years away from pop fame. But over and above that brief connection to mainstream pop, this work more than stands out on its own – and crackles with a sound that's simple, yet intense – almost a 60s garage rock aesthetic applied to electronic instrumentation, with a result that's got the appeal of some of Bruce Haack's work, but none of the child-like themes. Ludwig's playing the Sonocon and Crook is on the Musitron – both instruments of their own invention, and with a fuzzed-up approach to analogue electronics – and the CD features a range of material from in-home recordings and a rare live date! Titles include "Beeswax", "Our Electronic Bag", "Space Child", "Hero", "Punk Walk", "Firefighter's Theme", "The Diamond", "Runaway", "Caravan", "Hawaiian Vibes", and "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight".

A masterpiece in psychedelic soul from The Temptations – perhaps the most perfectly realized album from their years working with Norman Whitfield! The set's awash in that bottom-heavy, rumbling funk mode that Whitfield brought to the group at the end of the 60s – served up in bold tracks that push the group's vocals to a whole new level, and which bring in a more righteous sound than anyone might have expected previously from Motown! The centerpiece here is the amazing "Runaway Child" – a really extended number that has all the political soul of a Curtis Mayfield tune – and other titles include "Cloud Nine", "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me", "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "I Gotta Find A Way", "I Need Your Lovin", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".

A rawer, edgier Tom Waits starts to emerge on Blue Valentine – he's still the booze and smoke-stained ballad singer, but he's got a buzzing, electric edge and some bruised rhythms to match! Really great stuff from Waits as he was nearing the end of his excellent run on Asylum. Includes "Somewhere", "Red Shoes By The Drug Store", "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis", "Romeo Is Bleeding", "Whistling Past The Graveyard", "Kentucky Avenue", "Blue Valentines" and more.

The funky foundations of rap – and one of the best, most focused compilations of its kind we've ever stocked! You can truthfully call the treasure trove of funk singles here "pre-rap". Every track is a direct precursor. We mean that on the vocal tip – and also for the heavy funk bass and drums on the bottom end. We've seen some similar sets that go back to the 50s and even earlier – with jump jivin' R&B that originally planted the seeds – but this one focuses squarely on the late 60s and 70s material that most directly fertilized all rap to come! It also largely eschews the righteous and political precursors of the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron school, for party funk proto rappers such as Pigmeat Markam, Bill "Butter Ball" Crane, Blowfly and others – but there's some socially aware cuts here, too. Great stuff with a just a couple of well-known numbers and many more funky rarities! 16 in all: "We Got The Number" by Pigmeat Markham, "Butterballs" by Butterball, "Get On The Good Foot" by James Brown, "Sesame Street" by Blowfly, "Smoke My Pipe" by AJ Rowe, "Snake Hips" by Timmy Rogers, "Everybody Says" by Billy Dee & Sugar Bear, "Do You Have A Good Woman" by Rufus Beacham and more.

Sort of a "part 2" to the excellent Sexopolis compilation – issued more than a few years ago, and one of the first times anyone ever paid attention to the huge undiscovered legacy of funky French music! The package, like the first, is put together by DJ BNX of Fantomas – and it's got a really wonderful blend of French tunes from sources that include jazz, soundtrack, pop vocal, and easy listening albums of the 60s and 70s. The groove is really great – with lots of mad twists and turns that you'd never hear in American albums of the time, and a surprisingly fresh sound that keeps us digging back for French rare goodies like these! Titles include "Shore Of Sumatra" by Pierre Dutour, "Afromania" by Clyde Borly, "High Tide" by Jack Arel, "Hysterie" by Eric Framond, "Shirley" by Pierre Devevey, "Zozoi" by France Gall, "Dingo" by Olivier Despax, "Chakan" by Jef Gilson, "Africa" by Mat 3, "Popcorn" by JP Bottura, and "Number One" by Francis Lai.

Gloriously soulful and passionate postwar gospel – one of the best ever compilations on the Tompkins Square label – shining a powerful light on rare African American church recordings, street corner sermon style numbers, choir backed testifying soul & blues, and straight up wonderful spiritual soul music all the way! The tunes range from the mid-to-late 1940s through the 1970s for the most part, with a few later recordings – and part of what's so inspiring about it is the disregard of formality to the program. It has crackly field recordings of congregations, reverends and choirs, back porch gospel blues, and more polished, but no less passionate recordings – the common thread being the raw, honest devotion and deeply felt soulfulness of it. Hats off to producer, compiler Mike McGonigal for putting together such an excellent set, and for his concise, but well done notes on each track, and to Tompkins Square for continuing to raise the bar! 80 tracks on 3 discs: "Peace In The Valley" by Rev Lonnie Farris, "Rock And Roll Sermon" by Elder Beck, "So Glad" by Rev Robert Ballinger, "Wasn't That A Mystery" by Madison County Senior Center Singers, "The Wicked Shall Cease From Troubling" by Nathaniel Rivers, "Jesus' Blood" by Golden Stars Of Greenwood, SC, "God's Mighty Hand" by Rev Utah Smith, "Fire Shed In My Bones" by Boyd Rivers, "Power Is In The Heart OF Man" by Brother & Sister W B Grate, "You Ought To Been There" by The BC Harmonizers, "Go Devil Go" by Madam Ira May Littlejohn and more.

Grooviness galore – and a wonderful selection of obscure psychedelic numbers from the deep deep vaults of EMI Records! The cuts here are mostly of British late 60s origin, and they feature a really fuzzed-up approach to pop – complete with odd production techniques, off-kilter arrangements, and a pretty heady brew of guitar, bass, drums, and tripped-out vocals – all served up with top-shelf sound, as proof that even on the bigger labels of the 60s, lots of younger artists were still taking plenty of chances! The package has complete track-by-track notes in a full color book with photos, labels, and album sleeve images too – and the CD features 25 tracks that include "Dandelion Seeds" by July, "Real Life Permanent Dream" by Tomorrow, "Hold On" by Ipsissimus, "Dog Presides" by Paul Jones, "Model Village" by Pennyh Peeps, "Towards The Skies" by The Gods, "Strange Walking Man" by Mandrake Paddle Steamer, "Mr Commuter" by Mike Proctor, "William Chalker's Time Machine" by The Lemon Tree, "Barricades" by The Koobas, "Please Leave My Mind" by Herbal Mixture, "World Of You" by The Aerovons, and "Monday Morning" by Tales Of Justine.

A massive collection of soulful groovers – tunes that packed the dancefloors in the days before disco, and which definitely show the harder edge of the soul spectrum! The set starts off with mid-60s tunes based around a simple rhythm and a quirky dance gimmick – then branches out into some hard-hitting sock-soul numbers from later in the decade, and eventually slides into some sweet 70s funk! The overview of tunes is a great one, with some tasty familiar numbers, some great obscurities, and a few tracks that have been massively hard to find on CD! Titles include "The Greasy Frog" by Jeb Stuart, "The Matador" by Major Lance, "The Dip" by The Whispers, "Jerk It" by The Gypsies, "The Chicken" by Jackie Lee, "The Meditation" by TNT Band, "Broadway Freeze (parts 1 & 2)" by Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds, "Walkin The Duck" by The Triumphs, "Temptation Walk" by The Entertainers IV, "Moon Walk (parts 1 & 2)" by Joe Simon, "Bumpin & Stompin" by Garland Green, "Bus Stop" by Fatback Band, and "Do The Sissy" by Albert Collins. 26 tracks in all!

Raw mod and gritty funk rock grooves from team Le Beat Bespoke – the fourth set in the series – bubblegum garage, fuzzed out pop, funky percussion and wailing organs – this just might be the best in the series to date! Compiler Rob Bailey out does himself here, once again digging deep for obscure mod singles, groovy slabs of garage rock, with a few left turns such as a heavy Latin gem and a more psych-steeped number or two – propulsive, exciting numbers regardless of genre affections and fiery dancefloor ready rock tunes all the way! 20 tailor made cuts on the CD – a brief notes on each tune, all of which are exciting and groovy as can be! Titles include "Voodoo Medicine Man" by Jerry & Jeff, "False Alarm Love" by Peaceful Coalition, "Eg Veit Ao Pu Kemar" by Trubrat, "Feelin" by Joy Unlimited, "No Thank You Mr Pusher" by Big Tom, "King Of Siam" by East Of Eden", "Comin On Down" by The Twilights and more.

A weird sort of title – until you realize it's a play on the name of the city of Manchester, where most of this work originates – and where the testosterone must have been running high during the 70s, when most of these tunes were cut! The music here represents a world hardly heard from before – a British underground in the years after Deep Purple – rich in fuzz, and heavy on drums – making music that easily rivals the badass power of most of the bigger British groups of the time – and which often has an undercurrent of funk at the bottom too! That funky element is definitely at play on the track selection here, too – as you might expect with Finders Keepers at the helm – the folks who've given us fuzzy funky nuggets from around the globe, and have turned back towards home to dig up these mostly unreleased gems! Titles include "Windy Day" by Greasy Bear, "Hunt The Stag" by Stack Waddy, "Ten Days Gone" by Urbane Gorilla, "Crocadilla" by Spider Jive, "Come On In" by Slipped Disc, "Seven Stars" by Plasma, "Johnny" by Socrates, and "Is This Really Me" by JC Heavy.

Sitar-heavy psych from the late 60s to early 70s – each track a prime example of how sublimely Eastern string buzzes worked in the psychedelic era – and a straight-up excellent set of rare international singles! What's so great here is that it's a pretty diverse mix of styles – electric and acoustic psych-stepped rock, pop and folk. Some of sunny and some dark – some pop hook-filled, some tripped out – and all of it is hypnotic and worthy checking out! Includes "Eight Miles High" by The Folkswingers, "Many Times Jimbo" by Click, "Water Boy" by Shocking Blue, "Face In The Clouds" by Family, "Real Life Permanent Dream" by Tomorrow, "All Your Ambition" by Saffron, "Love" by The Virgin Sleep, "Spinning Wheel" by Blonde On Blonde, "Ask For Nothing' by Galliard and more. 28 tracks in all!

One of the grooviest compilations we've ever seen – a collection of work by American expatriates living in Israel at the end of the 70s – a hip blend of US funk and Hebrew spirituality! Most of the work here sounds like the best spiritual funk of the 70s – very much in an Earth Wind & Fire tradition of joy, love, and life – played in righteous ensemble mode with a good deal of jazz in the instrumentation alongside funkier rhythms on the bottom! The artists on the set originally hailed from Chicago and Detroit – and there's still strong influence from those scenes, particularly the early 70s sound of the Windy City. If you dig The Pharaohs and Pieces Of Peace, you'll find plenty here to love – and as usual with Numero Records, the whole thing comes with an amazing booklet of notes – the full story of this unique musical diaspora, supported with some great images as well. Titles include "Go To Proclaim", "Equilibrium", "Prince Of Zeal", "Junky Baby", and "Savior In The East" by Soul Messengers; "Holding On" and "Dimona" by Tonistics; "Daniel", "Burn Devil Burn", and "A Place To Be" by Spirit Of Israel & Soul Messengers; and "Hey There" and "Modernization" by Sons Of The Kingdom.

An excellent collection of funky tracks from South Africa – most of them with a slightly different feel than work you'd get on other Afro Funk compilations – and we mean that in a good way, too! Some of the artists are names you'd recognize from later recordings of the big South African crossover years of the 80s and 90s – but they're represented here by harder, edgier cuts from the early days – and mixed up with some more obscure acts, too – which really helps bring a freshness to the set, especially given the interweaving of genres that goes on – as you might guess from the extended sub-title of the CD! Titles include "Sangoma" by Malombo, "Oh Yeh Soweto" by Teaspoon & The Waves, "Intombi Ibhinca Isidwaba" by Phuzushukela, "Kikzelani" by Nelcy Sedibe, "Hula Hoop Jive" by Kataki, "Andromeda" by Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath, "Malume" by Abafakasi, "Baloyi" by Dudu Pukwana & Spear, "Lily's Express" by Gwigwi Mrwebi, "Wozan Mahipi" by Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens, and "Bayeza" by Soul Brothers.

One of the best titles in this great series from the Chicago underground – a dozen tracks from as many generations, all linked together by a sweet mellow groove, of the sort that's dug by those on the stepping scene! Titles include "It's You" by Locksmith, "Chasing The Wind" by Gregg Karukas, "Excusions Beyond" by Excursions Beyond, "Love Temptation" by Liz Torres, "Baltimore Oriole" by Pat Thomas, "Walking Away" by Flora Purim, "Angeline" by Tom Browne, "Felix Leo" by Rodney Franklin, "Chillin Out" by Fatback, "Phone Home (inst)" by Johnny Chingas, "Embrace" by Society Of Soul, and "Movin On" by Paul Taylor.

Massive – and more rare club singles than we might have hoped for in a single package! The set's proof that there's still plenty to dig for in the 12" scene of the late 70s and early 80s – as it features a huge amount of rare grooves we've never heard before – most of them perfectly balanced between boogie, disco, and funky soul modes – and often produced with the sort of raw touches that we'd usually find on the P&P family of labels! There's definitely an east coast vibe running strong in the set – but the collection also features nice contributions from points west, too – including a few especially nice club tracks from the Detroit scene that have been lost to the shifting sands of time for years. The notes feature some surprising details on each number – proving that compiler DJ Red Greg really knows his stuff – and about half of the cuts are presented in sensitive edits that do great things to expand the groove, while still respecting the structure of the original tune. Titles include "Love Explosion" by Donnell Pitman, "Music Madness" by Beckie Bell, "Get On Up" by Free Spirit, "Search For Tomorrow" by Chain Reaction, "Love Me For Real" by Rim & Kasa, "You Don't Want My Love" by KIC, "Fear" by Arthur King, "Right Size" by Miss Misty, "So Much To Talk About" by New Love Ltd & Interstate 95, "Crazy" by Carl Marshall & The SDs, "Booty Shaker" by Star Quad, "Rainbows" by Del Richardson, "Can You Dig It" by Lafayette Street, "Why Do I Love You" by Andy Crown, and "Feeling Freeky" by The Vandales.

An early classic from pianist Billy Taylor featuring his classic 50s trio with bassist Earl May and drummer Percy Brice! The tracks are mostly short and simple, and done in Taylor's warmly rhythmical approach to the keys – a groove that was clearly informed by the hardbop of the time, but which laid back in a much more soulful formation. The set features dozen tracks in all, including "Blue Cloud", "It's A Grand Night For Swinging", "Purple Mood", "A Bientot", "Early Bird", "Day Dreaming", "Radioactivity", "Long Tom", and "Daddy O".

Quite an interesting record – one that was sort of a jam session party, starring most of the leading lights of Flying Dutchman during their early days. Thiele broke the set into 4 sides – 1. A bunch of messed-up jazz tunes from the Tom Scott, Roger Kellaway, Howard Roberts camp; 2. The Jazz Story – tracing the development of jazz in the 20th century, and featuring Esther Marrow on one track, plus some modern performances by John Carter, Bobby Bradford, and Horace Tapscott; 3. Dedication To John Coltrane – featuring work by the Elvin Jones Trio, The Ornette Coleman Quartet, and Joe Farrell; 4. A Few Thoughts For The Day, featuring some of the political spoken side of the label, with music by the Appleton Syntonic Menagerie. Very wild stuff overall – with more than a few great moments. Titles include "Lament For John Coltrane", "Head Start", "Freaky Zeke", "Lanoola Goes Limp", and "Jungle Sound".

Way more than just an introduction – and instead, an amazing collection of bossa nova gems – 48 tracks pulled from the vaults of the legendary EMI/Odeon label – home to some of the best bossa work ever recorded in Brazil! The package is a treasure through and through – filled with key classics, overlooked gems, and the kind of weird and wonderful bossa numbers that never made it here to the US – but which have made digging for Brazilian records a favorite pastime of ours for decades. Most tracks here are from the 60s, and the set runs from straight bossa numbers to others that use bossa as a starting point, then take off into great new territory. Titles include "Ao Amigo Tom" by Doris Monteiro, "A Resposta" by Marcos Valle, "Voce" by Milton Banana Trio, "Deixa Eu Dizer" by Claudia, "A Ra" by Joao Donato, "Eh Mundo Bom Tai" by Johnny Alf, "Agua De Beber" by Neco, "Onde Anda O Meu Amor" by Bossa Tres, "Fotografia" by Sylvia Telles, "Por Causa De Voce" by Marisa, "Outra Vez" by Elizeth Cardoso, "Inutil Paisagem" by Dick Farney, "Ho Ba La La" by Norma Benguell, "Estamos Ai" by Leny Andrade, "So Tinha De Ser Com Voce" by Eumir Deodato, and "Misturada" by Quarteto Novo.

A pair of corkers from Roland Kirk – back to back on a single CD! Domino is a key early album from reedman Roland Kirk – at set that really has him strongly finding his voice in jazz, and transforming most of modern music in the process! The set's a perfect illustration of the way that Roland could swing with soul, yet still reach out with bold new ideas too – mixing up work on tenor sax, manzello, stritch, flute, and even nose flute – instruments often played at the same time, with this amazing multi-reed style that's really mindblowing – and which follows the soaring sheets of sound of the Coltrane generation, yet completely in its own way too! There's a sharp modern edge to most of the rhythms – thanks in part to the presence of Andrew Hill on piano and celeste on a few cuts – alongside from Vernon Martin on bass and Roy Haynes and Henry Duncan on drums – and a bit of additional piano from Wynton Kelly. The whole thing's amazing – one of those records that never fails to delight us – and titles include "3 In 1 Without The Oil", "ED", "Domino", "Meeting On Termini's Corner", and "A Stritch In Time". Reeds & Deeds is a hauntingly beautiful album from the great Roland Kirk – and a perfect illustration of why his music means so much to us! The set sparkles with warmth and imagination right from the start – a subtle balance between swing, soul, and searching reedwork from the leader – bold on tenor, but also completely creative on flute, stritch, manzello, and even siren too. Benny Golson adds in a bit of tenor, and also helps with the arrangements – and the record also features key contributions from other fresh talents of the 60s – including Charles Greenlee and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Virgil Jones on trumpet, Harold Mabern on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – the last of whom really seems to get the right sort of rhythms for Kirk's playful swing. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Reeds & Deeds", "Waltz Of The Friends", "Hay Ro", "Limbo Boat", "This Is Always", and "Song Of The Countrymen".

A compelling little set from Iceland – a large group effort that's half-funky, half-grooving in a more sophisticated way – almost with the depth of an MPS session from the 70s! Maestro Samuel Jon Samuelsson leads the group on trombone – but some of the best aspects here are in the rhythms – warm Fender Rhodes, organ, clavinet, and moog – all bubbling nicely next to a subdued bassy bottom, alongside some interesting percussion too! The funkiest tracks have a 70s soundtrack appeal – but there's way more going on here than just simple copycat modes – and Samuelsson brings a depth of color, tone, and timing to both his writing and arranging on the set. Given the size of the ensemble, this is clearly a majestic undertaking – yet the album's also free from some of the too-cerebral coldness that often turns us off with other contemporary orchestra projects. Titles include "Funk Mood", "Hardcore", "Mr Funky Goes Straight", "Boba", "Dansadi", "Eins Hratt Og Heagt Er", and "BBQ Ribs".

The first Motown full length record by the Spinners – Original Spinners from '67 – followed by an impeccably well-chosen collection of bonus material! It's excellent stuff – an overlooked album with some very hard to find Motown work by this early version of the legendary Spinners – with lead vocals by Bobby Smith and Edgar Edwards. The tracks have a mixture of sweet and raw harmonies – crafted with an elegantly soulful sound that would later take the group way over the top during the 70s, and which here sounds sublime next to some of the group's Motown contemporaries! The first 12 tracks on this excellent Kent compilation are the Original Spinners tracklist – including "Sweet Thing", "I Cross My Heart", "I'll Always Love You", "Truly Yours", "Like A Good Man Should", "For All We Know", "How Can I", "It Hurts To Be In Love", "Nobody Else But You", "Where Is That Girl", "Tomorrow May Never Come" and "That's What Girls Are Made For". Most of the 14 bonus tracks are previously unreleased masters – revelatory stuff from earlier in the 60s – formative, yet beautifully realized recordings with productions by Harvey Fuqua and Ivy Joe Hunter! Titles include "Darling", "Words Can't Describe", "12 O'Clock", "Just Another Guy", "We're Gonna Be More More Than Friends" and more.

A masterpiece in psychedelic soul from The Temptations – perhaps the most perfectly realized album from their years working with Norman Whitfield! The set's awash in that bottom-heavy, rumbling funk mode that Whitfield brought to the group at the end of the 60s – served up in bold tracks that push the group's vocals to a whole new level, and which bring in a more righteous sound than anyone might have expected previously from Motown! The centerpiece here is the amazing "Runaway Child" – a really extended number that has all the political soul of a Curtis Mayfield tune – and other titles include "Cloud Nine", "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me", "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "I Gotta Find A Way", "I Need Your Lovin", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".

Pure piano magic from Bobby Timmons – a pair of great albums from his years at Riverside Records! First up is Sweet & Soulful Sounds – a wonderful mellow trio session from Bobby – done with a spare, relaxed approach that's a nice contrast to the recordings he was making for Prestige around the same time – but which still has the same deep, soulful approach to the piano that makes those records so great! Half a dozen trio numbers with Sam Jones and Roy McCurdy are rounded out with two piano solos, "God Bless The Child" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" – both of which present Bobby in an especially introspective mode, one you don't hear that often on record! Remaining trio tunes include "The Sweetest Sounds", "Turn Left", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Another Live One", "Alone Together", and "Why Was I Born". Born To Be Blue is one of Bobby Timmons' most obscure trio sessions from the early years – recorded at the tail end of the Riverside years, which is probably why the album disappeared so quickly! The set's in a similar format to some of Bobby's other records for Riverside – a trio set with either Sam Jones or Ron Carter on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – but it's different in that Bobby's a bit more introspective – "blue", if you will – working in less of the gutbucket soul jazz mode than before, and really hitting some lyrical magic on the keys! The album includes the original tunes "Know Not One", "Often Annie", and "The Sit In" – plus a great reading of Tom McIntosh's "With Malice Towards None".

A sweet little set that definitely aims to stake out its own little territory – with a groove that lives up surprisingly well to the title! The music here is way funkier than you might expect – and comes from a time when many popular singers were working in studios staffed by cats who were pretty darn cool – and had a great ear for picking up some of the best musical undercurrents from other scenes – including some of the best soul and funk that was really breaking out in the US at the start of the 70s! As a result, many of these tracks have unexpectedly funky rhythms at the bottom – way different than the kind of backings that you might have heard in country soul records from a few years before – and different too than the redneck rock that was becoming more popular with some of the bigger acts on the charts. You're bound to recognize a few bigger names here – as the set's not just country artists – and as usual, the Light In The Attic crew have done a stunning job of putting the whole thing together. Titles include "LA Memphis Tyler Texas" by Dale Hawkins, "Georgia Mountain Dew" by Johnny Adams, "Light Blue" by Bobby Darin, "I Wanta Make Her Love Me" by Jim Ford, "Hawg Frog" by Gray Fox, "Fire & Brimstone" by Link Wray, "Street People" by Bobby Charles, "Bayou Country" by Gritz, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins, and "Studspider" by Tony Joe White.

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid 70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD also features 5 bonus tracks – "Shining Star (future star)", "All About Love (first impressions)", "Happy Feelin (anatomy of a groove)", "Caribou Chaser (jazzy jam)", and "That's The Way Of The World (Latin expedition)".

One of the grooviest records we've ever seen from this hip Japanese ensemble – a set that brings some great keyboards to the group's usual horn-heavy sound! There's a wonderful blend of Fender Rhodes and organ on the set – often used as the lead solo instrument over the fuller backings, in a way that's especially nice on the tunes with Rhodes! Tunes are mighty nice, too – a bit funkier than usual for Hara and the gang – and often arranged with a nice kick on the bottom, which seems to further emphasize the keys. Titles include "Nervous Breakdown", "Come Together", "Spinning Wheel", "Bouree", "Breit Kopt", and "Liberation".

An amazing double-header – and a set that really adds a lot more music than we might have expected! First up is a richly expanded version of Cleopatra Jones – one of the best of the blacksploitation scores of the early 70s – a masterpiece of music that we rate every bit as high as Shaft or Superfly – maybe even higher! The music here is incredible – a surprising funky turn for JJ Johnson, who most folks know for his straighter jazz work – and like Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and others who were surprising the world with their ability to score music for a full film during the early 70s, JJ really knocks it out of the park with this one – coming up with a batch of tunes that are a wonderful mix of sophisticated scoring, creative instrumentation, and some damn funky grooves! The title cut features Joe Simon on vocals, and Millie Jackson sings on the cuts "Love Doctor" and "It Hurts So Good". The rest of the set is instrumental, and other cuts include an instrumental take on "Cleopatra Jones", plus "Go Chase Cleo", "Goin To The Chase", "Wrap Up", and "Airport Fight". This new version features 17 bonus tracks from the original film score, not the record – amazing extra music by Carl Brandt, with titles that include "Emdee", "Elevator/Cleo & Captain", "Pot Burn/Mommy/Police Raid", "Ambush", "Doodle Apartment", "Before Crash", and "Snake Crib". CD 2 features some long-lost music from the film Cleopatra Jones & The Casino Of Gold – a well-known follow-up to the original movie, but one that was never properly represented on record – making this CD set a long-awaited premiere of the original music for the film! The set features music by Dominic Frontiere – penned in a mix of funky action modes, with some slight exotic touches too, due to the location of the story. Frontiere's in his best soul/funk mode – a side that few folks realize he can do this well – and the music has a slightly different feel than JJ Johnson's Cleo Jones work, but is equally nice. Titles include "Casino Source", "Chopped Meat", "Oymia", "Les Orgie", "Fatman Stomp", "Dead Dragon Lady", and "Pool Hall Rock" – plus the vocal number "Playing With Fire". CD also features 4 more bonus tracks from Cleopatra Jones – including extended versions of the theme, and Pattie Brooks singing "Swing Down Chariot" and "Am I Blue". Great notes too – very full, with lots of photos, in the best Film Score tradition!

Some of the hippest work we've ever heard from German clarinetist Rolf Kuhn – a beautiful set from the 60s, and one that's filled with modern touches, but never goes too far out! Rolf's clarinet is definitely sharper here than in the decade before – informed by much of the modern jazz changes around him, and stretching out in space that's nicely open, and often moved along with some modal rhythms on the bottom. As with some of his other European contemporaries, Kuhn manages to use the instrument in completely new ways than before – no trad jazz clarinet lines that echo Benny Goodman's generation – and instead, an extremely evocative sound that often carries some nicely exotic overtones. The rest of the group's great too – and includes brother Joachim Kuhn on piano, Michal Urbaniak on tenor and soprano sax, and Czeslaw Bartkowski on drums. Titles include "Lady Orsina", "Mountain Jump", "Minor Impressions", "Solarius", and "Soldat Tadeusz".

Classic work from this cool 70s combo – one of their smoking samba sets for the Tapecar label – a great illustration of the rich energy going on in the Brazilian indie scene at the time! Samba really burst strongly back to the forefront in the 70s – and although some artists commercialized the genre strongly, these guys really kept things at their best basic level – working here in a very spontaneous sort of way – with plenty of percussion bouncing up a groove from the bottom, peppered with lots of tight guitar lines, all in service of these joyous vocals from the whole ensemble! The set features a bit of guest work from Roque Do Pla and Noel Rosa De Oliveira – and titles include "Cara De Pau", "Farinha Na Cuia", "Fundanga", "Catimbere", "Que E Isso", "Quem E Da Bahia Nao Pode Cair", and "Trocando Rosas".

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

Pretty great stuff – two groovy albums from German maestro Kai Warner, back to back on a single CD! Warner Plays Wagner is exactly what it sounds like – Kai takes on a host of compositions from Richard Wagner – but the results sound even better on record than they do on paper – thanks to Warner's groovy way of mixing strings together with early 70s production modes – all in ways that are far less classical than kind of a hip sort of soundtrack or sound library sort of vibe! Strings are heavy, but the grooves are too – and there's often a nice little bounce on the bottom, which cuts through the orchestrations in a great way, with lots of nice moments you wouldn't expect. Titles include "Tannhauser", "Am Stillen Herd In Winterszeit", "Lohengrin", "Dir Ton Lob", and "Lied An Den Abensternd". Swingin Johann is a whole new take on the music of Strauss – big band versions of older waltz numbers from the 19th century, but pepped up with plenty of that economic miracle German mode of the 70s! Instrumentation is jazz-based, but gets some sound library touches too – a bit of electrification in the bass, and some smoothing in the production – and even a bit of keyboards too. The end result isn't far from Berry Lipmann at the time – and titles include "Wiener Bonbons", "Annen Polka", "Wer Uns Getraut", "Rosen Aus Dem Suden", "Schatz Walzer", "Thema Aus Die Fledermaus", and "Kunstlerleben".

50s futurist sounds from the pioneers – Raymond Scott, Jean Jacque Perrey, Edgard Varese and others – early computer grooves, synthesizer experimentalist eeriness and symphonically styled soundscapes! Sci fi sounds, oddly melodic electronics, gigantic computer sounds and living, breathing orchestral accompaniment! 18 tracks in all: "Sonik Re-Entry" by Tom Dissevelt/Kid Balton, "The Rhythm Modulator" by Raymond Scott, "Ancient Krell Music" by Louis & Bebe Barron, "{arade Des Soldats De Bois" by Jean Jacques Perrey, "Density" by Rene Le Roy", "Noise Study" by the IBM 7090 Computer, "Octandre" by NY Wind Ensemble and more.

Amazing jazz from the Hungarian scene of the 60s and early 70s – some of the most obscure work from Eastern Europe at the time, as the Hungarian labels never got out to the west as well as those from other nations! Theoretically, the Cold War should have stopped jazz exports to the rest of Europe – but nations like Poland and Czechoslovakia managed to get their artists some good western exposure at the time. But Hungary was another story – and although Budapest is less than an hour from Vienna, most of this work has never made it out to the west before! This volume is a delightful treasure throughout – filled with jazzy modal tunes that share a lot with the Saba/MPS work of the time – all hand-picked by Tom Weiland of Les Gammas, with an ear for the same sort of jazzy grooves as his own work! The set's especially great for piano-driven tunes – which are often pushed along with some excellent warm, round, acoustic basstones – leaping along soulfully on the set's more extended numbers. CD features a total of 11 tracks that include "Theme Of Ahmad Jamal" by Studio 11, "Dalia" by Pege Trio, "Night & Day" by Qualiton Jazz Ensemble, "Afro Cubano" by Balint Ensemble, "Hungarian Folksongs" by LDL Ensemble, "Song For My Father" by Csaba Deseo Ensemble, "Jarom Az Utam" by Grencso Kollektiva, and "Baby Car" by Pege Quintet.

An amazing portrait of America between the wars – served up over dozens of vintage 78rpm recordings – all based around themes of daily life mentioned in the title! The collection is an incredible historical document – pulled mostly from the collection of Louisville 78 collector Don Wahle, and remastered and re-presented beautifully by the folks at Tompkins Square – who not only sort the songs into key categories, but also provide a wealth of notes and images to further illuminate the tunes! There's a number of tracks on here that have never been reissued before, mixed with others that are still plenty darn rare – and the package features 42 tracks that include "Climbing The Golden Stairs" by Happy Four, "Oh Declare His Glory" by McDonald Quartette, "Fourth Of July At The County Fair" by Bill Chitwood, "Tennessee Coon Hunt" by Whit Gaydon, "Hide Away" by Oscar Ford, "Poor Man Rich Man" by David McCarn, "Driving Saw Logs On The Plover" by Pierre La Dieu, and "Flat Wheel Train Blues (parts 1 & 2)" by Red Gay & Jack Wellman.

These guys may not be a household name, but they're a heck of a great group – and one of the best European combos we've heard from the time! Staffan is a pianist, and Lars is a trumpet and cornet player – and it's clear that the group have taken some cues from the classic Cannonball Adderley Sextet of the Riverside years. But even more importantly, they seem to be working here in that "soul jazz into modern" style that showed up on a lot of the Cannonball-produced records from the same period – a mode that's still somewhat grounded in a rootsy, rhythm-based sound – but which also breaks out with some incredible tones, colors, and modes – shading in the set with a depth that we never would have expected! The CD features a range of different recordings by the group – including one with vocals by the lovely Monica Zetterlund – and the overall quality of the work is at or above that of the usual Blue Note or Prestige session from the same period! 11 tracks in all – with titles that include "Paronet I Montecello", "Atarax", "Fin Sikt Over Havet", "Pia", "Juan Les Pins", "Farfars Vals", and "Maybe Tomorrow".

Some of the hippest work we've ever heard from German clarinetist Rolf Kuhn – a beautiful set from the 60s, and one that's filled with modern touches, but never goes too far out! Rolf's clarinet is definitely sharper here than in the decade before – informed by much of the modern jazz changes around him, and stretching out in space that's nicely open, and often moved along with some modal rhythms on the bottom. As with some of his other European contemporaries, Kuhn manages to use the instrument in completely new ways than before – no trad jazz clarinet lines that echo Benny Goodman's generation – and instead, an extremely evocative sound that often carries some nicely exotic overtones. The rest of the group's great too – and includes brother Joachim Kuhn on piano, Michal Urbaniak on tenor and soprano sax, and Czeslaw Bartkowski on drums. Titles include "Lady Orsina", "Mountain Jump", "Minor Impressions", "Solarius", and "Soldat Tadeusz".

One of the grooviest albums ever from Jimmy McGriff – a hard-wailing session that's filled with plenty of cooking lines on the organ, and a few especially funky tracks! The groove here is tight, short, and very sharp – strongly in the mode of other post-Sue sessions by McGriff – like The Worm or other Groove Merchant sides – with a style that's often much more focused than Jimmy's earlier years, and strongly turned towards the rhythms of the tunes! A few numbers are more familiar soul jazz, but these are nicely offset by the harder funk numbers of the record – like the romping, stomping break classic "The Main Squeeze", the totally groovy "The Worm Turns", and the fast-vamping "GMI". The group features Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Connie Lester on alto sax – and other titles include "The Sermon", "Stella By Starlight", and "The Blues Train To Georgia".

A tripped-out set of acid folk guitar from Satwa – featuring Brazilian psychedelic folk genius Lula Cortes, in a feel that's very much like his own great work of the time! Satwa is one of the sweetest sets of psych folk jams we've heard in ages – with a mostly-instrumental, wholly mesmerizing sound spun by Lula on sitar and partner Lailson on 12 string guitar – a rich acoustic blend that's even deeper and more enigmatic than music of this type from the American scene! There's a bit of guest lead guitar on one track by Robertinho Do Recife – and titles include "Satwa", "Can I Be Satwa", "Alegro Piradissimo", "Lia A Rainha Da Noite", "Apacidonata", "Amigo", "Atom", "Blue Do Cachorro Muito Louco", "Valsa Dos Cogumelos", and "Alegria Do Povo".

If Hawaii was this funky, we'd move there in a minute – and honestly, we wouldn't be surprised if this record did a heck of a lot for the image of state back in the day! The soundtrack is one of our all-time favorites – a driving batch of larger orchestrations that is heavy on percussion, filled with jazzy riffs, and which makes great use of electric bass to round out the bottom nicely! Mort Stevens goes way beyond the typical cop show groove on this one – filling up the record with rich colors, unique tones, and some great inflections on the horn passages that charge each tune with a mad level of excitement. There's some great instrumental touches in the set too – like occasional fuzzed-out guitar, Hammond organ, and even a bit of sweet flute and soulful sax – giving the whole thing a feel that reminds us of Lalo Schifrin's best work from the time. Includes the massive "Hawaii Five-O" theme, plus the cuts "Call To Danger", "Up Tight", "Blues Trip", "The Long Wait", "The Floater", "Beach Trip", "Operation Smash", "McGarrett's Theme", and "Front Street". Book 'em Danno!

Muddy's grooving hard and funky – with help from Cadet studio funksters like Charles Stepney, Phil Upchurch, Louis Satterfield, and Morris Jennings – one of the best ever of the once oft-maligned, now oft-beloved funk era Chess/Cadet albums! After The Rain has more of Muddy's classic bluesy finish than some of the other Chess blues remodel albums from the time – but it's still got plenty of raw production and great fuzzed out guitar that totally killer! Hard charging dirty grooves from Muddy Waters that we've always dug – and we're thrilled to see these kinds of records get some belated love! Titles include "I Am The Blues", "Hurtin Soul", "Bottom Of The Sea", "Honey Bee", "Rollin' And Tumblin'", "Screamin & Cryin", and "Blues & Trouble".

Not 80s hits, but a great collection of lesser-known gems from the left side of the soul spectrum – some cuts by bigger artists that sparkle even more strongly than their hits – mixed with work by some less common acts too – all served up in a double-length package that's filled with surprises! Most numbers have a boogie bounce or an 80s groove approach – nice and funky, but in a post-70s sort of style – and titles include "Hypnotized" by Scott White, "Don't Wanna Wait" by Lew Kirton, "Ladies Choice" by Stone City Band, "Joy" by Band Aka, "Sexy Sassy" by Bobby Nunn, "Don't Bust Yo Bubbles" by Muscle Shoals Horns, "My Simple Heart" by Carol Douglas, "Happy Days" by Forecast, "Let's Dance" by Tom Browne, "Don't Stop" by Shine, "Special Delivery" by Ann Fields, "Shout About It" by Lamont Dozier, "Love Follows" by Steven Dante, and "Stomp" by Moses Tyson.

An excellent compilation of rare funky jazz tunes – issued here supposedly as a lost soundtrack, but really just a collection of tunes from other sources, all with a nice soundtrack-y jazz feel! There's a few familiar names here, but most of the material is from rare European and American indie jazz LPs, and sound library sources of late 60s/early 70s vintage, with a nice mix of electric and acoustic playing. Titles include "Troublemaker" by John Cameron, "Voodoo Love Dance" by Melvyn Price, "Do Whatever Sets You Free" by Gus Giordano, "Chili Mac" by Preston Love, "La Folla" by Solar Plexus, "A New Generation" by Oscar Brown Jr & Jean Pace, "Dancer" by Gregory Charles Royal, "Zazueira" by Meta Roos, and "Jody's Freeze" by James Reese & The Progressors.

Think funk music has to be old to be good? Think again – as Keb Darge takes you on a tour of some of the best funk you'll ever find on one CD, and it's all by current groups! Nobody knows more about old funk than Keb – as his work as a DJ, collector, and compiler have been keeping the music alive for years. But Keb's also open minded enough to realize that there's a heck of a lot of new groups that have been inspired by the classic grooves of the late 60s and early 70s – and who share his love for totally authentic funky tracks that are perfect in every way, top to bottom with dirty, heavy, messed-up funk! The set brings together 14 recent tracks from the deep funk underground – killer cuts that were issued as rare 7" singles, plus a few previously unissued numbers, all with the sock-hard finish of classic work by James Brown or The Meters – and with the added bonus that these are groups that you could actually get up, go out, and see in a club! Tracks include the previously unissued tracks "Wait Up" by Speedometer and "The Badger" by Connie Price & The Keystones – plus "Texas Rumble" by The Imaginary Visions, "Forty First Street Breakdown" by Naomi Davis, "One Note Brown" by The New Mastersounds, "Got To Be The Way It Is" by Sharon Jones, "Who's The King" by Joseph Henry, "The Matador" by The Mighty Imperials, "GT" by The New Mastersounds, "Funky So & So" by The Sugarman Three, and "Blow Your Top (part 1)" by The Soul Destroyers.

A great look at the Amphonic Sound Library – an under-compiled UK imprint from the 70s, and one who issued some very groovy groovy work! The set brings together a range of different sessions produced by Syd Dale – the mighty maestro you might know from his work at KPM, sounding equally groovy over here at Amphonic! The tracks are all from the 70s, and have a style that's a bit warmer and more electric than some of the earlier Brit sound library material – some especially sweet undercurrents that remind us a lot of our favorite styles coming from the Selected Sound label over in Germany. There's a jazzy feel to most of the numbers – lots of great keyboards, guitars, and horns – mixed in with swinging rhythms and some occasional fuller strings on titles that include "Swayin" and "Girl In A Whirl" by James Clarke, "Shifting Sands Of Sound" and "Cross Talk" by Dick Walter, "Soul Searching" and "Poltergeist" by Steve Gray, "Melina" and "Salvador Setup" by Ray Davies, "Setting The Scene" and "Vegas Venue" by Dick Walter, "First Flight" by Gerry Butler, "The Heavy Gang" by Syd Dale, "A Moment In Time" by Dick Doerschuk, and "Tomorrow Is Now" by Ronnie Hazelhurst. 25 tracks in all – and really great sound!

A musical document of an amazing moment in the New York scene – the late 80s/early 90s wave of vogue balls – which were almost a collision of club culture with high fashion! There was a particularly rich gender-bending element to the vogue scene – and the music that accompanied it was a key part of that activity – tracks that had already risen to fame in crossover clubs from previous years, taken to new heights by DJs who provided music along with the voguing activity – in a great array of grooves from the disco years through early house music, brought together in ways that made 80s musical evolution make a heck of a lot of sense! The compilation album is a companion to the excellent book of the same name – also by Soul Jazz – and this 3CD version features tracks that include "Moment Of My Life" by Inner Life, "The Ha Dance (Ken/Lou mixx)" by Masters At Work, "Just Like A Queen (share the throne mix)" by Ellis D, "Is It All Over My Face" by Loose Joints, "Body Drill" by 2 Body's, "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross, "The Witch Doctor (dark ages mix)" by Armand Van Helden, "Break 4 Love (Spanish fly mix)" by Raze, "Din Daa Daa" by George Kranz, "X (Sound Factory mix)" by Junior Vazquez, "Love Is The Message (Tom Moulton mix)" by MFSB, "Cunty (party mix)" by Rageous Projecting Keven Aviance, "Love Thang" by First Choice, "This Brutal House" by Nitro Deluxe, "Ooh I Love It (Love Break)" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "Deep In Vogue (Banjie Realness mix)" by Malcolm McLaren. Also includes a limited bonus mix CD by Junior Vazquez – and a booklet and cool set of postcards!