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35 songs on 3CDs (most unreleased in the US) and a DVD with rare videos and live performances.

A trio of modern talents, working beautifully together on a set of extended live tracks! The group features guitar from Peter Bernstein, Hammond from Larry Goldings, and drums from Bill Stewart – coming together in ways that remind us of the hipper side of 60s organ combos – those moments when Grant Green and Larry Young really opened things up with a long-flowing groove! There's still a nice undercurrent of soul in the mix, but the rhythms are relatively free and unfettered too – moving forth with energy that might be called modal by some, but which is even less constricted by a simple tag like that – more just pure, beautiful waves of sound from both the organ and guitar. Titles include "The Danger Zone", "Milestones", "Just A Thought", "Molto Molto", and "Chant".

The best album so far from this up-and-coming Colombian group – a great mix of rootsy elements and more electronic production – served up in the forward-reaching style we've come to love in recent projects from the Soundway label! Bomba Estereo are easily one of the most contemporary groups to hit the imprint of late – and they've got no trouble at all moving between upbeat, soulful styles and more earthy levels of instrumentation – all fused together with the kind of warmth and joy we might expect in some of the older productions from Luaka Bop, but with a bit more edge too. Titles include "Bosque", "Bailar Conmigo", "Pa Respirar", "Mozo", "Pajaros", "Pure Love", and "Caribbean Power".

The best album so far from this up-and-coming Colombian group – a great mix of rootsy elements and more electronic production – served up in the forward-reaching style we've come to love in recent projects from the Soundway label! Bomba Estereo are easily one of the most contemporary groups to hit the imprint of late – and they've got no trouble at all moving between upbeat, soulful styles and more earthy levels of instrumentation – all fused together with the kind of warmth and joy we might expect in some of the older productions from Luaka Bop, but with a bit more edge too. Titles include "Bosque", "Bailar Conmigo", "Pa Respirar", "Mozo", "Pajaros", "Pure Love", and "Caribbean Power".

Pure wonderfulness from Charles Bradley – two killer cuts that really sum up his contemporary genius! "Strictly Reserved" has this slow funk groove that's nice and sinister – a stepping guitar riff that really sets up the groove right from the start – topped with these incredibly soulful vocals from Charles, and peppered with just the right dose of horns! "Let Love Stand A Chance" is a killer too – mellower, and a bit more deep soul – with a burning feel that almost blows away the best James Brown ballads of the King Records years!

Che Guevara never sounded so groovy – thanks to some sublime soundtrack scoring from the great Nico Fidenco! The music is a bit more exotic than usual for Nico – some touches of pan pipes and acoustic guitar to signify the South American scene, but mixed with other elements that are pure Fidenco all the way – including little swells of sound that slink along slowly, rootsy percussion that gives a few moments a nice earthy touch, and other elements that are sometimes more sensual than dramatic – and we mean that in a good way! Most tracks are short, and trade a few themes back and forth throughout – and titles include "La Boliviana", "Los Federales", "I Regolari", "I Compagni Morti", "Los Federales", "La Ballata Del Che", and "La Leggenda Del Che". CD also features 5 bonus tracks too!

A pair of bossa classics – back to back on a single CD! The first Jazz Samba set is one of those records that no home should be without – not only a pivotal album in the growth of bossa nova in the 60s – but a set that also really helped set the career of tenorist Stan Getz on fire! The real credit here might almost go to guitarist Charlie Byrd – as Byrd was a big early proponent of bossa nova rhythms, and had already been experimenting with them on his records of the time – yet also gets a key extra "umph" here in the presence of Stan's tenor – a bold, rich, soulful sound that really helps give the music a lot of direction – in ways that still resonate strongly all these many years later! Getz is completely sublime – a master of tone and timing throughout – and perfectly fit to these tunes. Rhythms are mostly from Byrd's trio, augmented with some extra percussion – and titles include the classic "Desafinado", plus "E Luxo So", "Samba Dees Days", "Samba Triste", "O Pato", "Samba De Uma Nota So", and "Baia". Jazz Samba Encore is hardly an "encore" of the first Stan Getz Jazz Samba album – as this set's got a slightly different feel, and lots of great elements that make it really unique! This time around, Brazilian musician Luiz Bonfa is on guitar – already a skilled proponent of the bossa by the time of the record, and arguably one of the few who really got it going back home in Rio. Stan's tenor sounds wonderful – as carefully and soufully blown as on the first set, but also with some new colors and tones too. Bonfa's wife Maria Toledo sings a bit on the record – hinting at Stan's work to come with Astrud Gilberto (this album was cut right before the Getz/Gilberto collaboration) – and the record also features added work on piano and guitar from the great Antonio Carlos Jobim – more than enough proof that the album's got a pure bossa pedigree! Titles include "Menina Flor", "Ebony Samba", "Saudade Vem Correndo", "Sambalero", "Samba De Duas Notas", and "Mania De Maria".

Genius, pure genius! (Have we said that about Lee too many times before?) The work of Lee Hazlewood is beyond description – a bit of vocals, a bit of country, a bit of lounge, and a bit of rock – all wrapped up with a sinister edge that has you believing that this was the man who used to refer to his frequent musical partner as "Nasty" Sinatra over the headphones during recording sessions! The set features 35 tracks from Lee's obscure years at MGM records – wonderful vocal tunes that rank with some of his best ever, plus a few weird instrumentals, recorded by Lee Hazlewood's Woodchucks. Insanely wonderful stuff – records that we come back to again and again and again over the years – finally presented in their entirety, with a great set of notes on the music! Tracks include "Hands", "Mannford Oklahoma", "This Town", "Sand", "Child", "Little War", "Fort Worth", "Summer Wine", "I Move Around", "After Six", "Batman", "Summer Nights", "Suzi Jane Is Back In Town", "In Our Time", "When A Fool Loves A Fool", and "So Long Babe".

The Jimi Hendrix of Turkey? That may well be the case with the legendary Erkin Koray – a musician who may not have had the pure chops of Hendrix, but who definitely helped transform the guitar sound of an entire generation! Erkin's got this massively wicked groove – rooted in years of Turkish tradition, yet electrified too – and often laid out over rhythms that are hypnotic and exotic – a perfect fit for the tripped-out production of the tunes! This excellent double-length collection brings together material from rare singles and albums by Koray – and really stands as a perfect introduction to one of the coolest cats in the Near East during the 70s – music that really defies description, not to mention the boundaries of language and nation as well. Titles include "Sevince", "Anma Arkadas", "Eyvah", "Arap Saci", "Komsu Kizi", "Timbilli", "Sana Birseyler Olmus", "Silinmeyen Hatiralar", "Yagmur", "Mesafeller", and "Feshuphanallah".

The Jimi Hendrix of Turkey? That may well be the case with the legendary Erkin Koray – a musician who may not have had the pure chops of Hendrix, but who definitely helped transform the guitar sound of an entire generation! Erkin's got this massively wicked groove – rooted in years of Turkish tradition, yet electrified too – and often laid out over rhythms that are hypnotic and exotic – a perfect fit for the tripped-out production of the tunes! This excellent double-length collection brings together material from rare singles and albums by Koray – and really stands as a perfect introduction to one of the coolest cats in the Near East during the 70s – music that really defies description, not to mention the boundaries of language and nation as well. Titles include "Sevince", "Anma Arkadas", "Eyvah", "Arap Saci", "Komsu Kizi", "Timbilli", "Sana Birseyler Olmus", "Silinmeyen Hatiralar", "Yagmur", "Mesafeller", and "Feshuphanallah".

Madlib invades Blue Note! He gets free reign of the catalog for this mix of sampler genius and live band interpretations, too, as/with Ahmad Miller, Yesterdays New Quintet, Malcolm Catto, Medaphoar, and others from the Stones Throw camp. This one's truly a conceptual triumph, if there ever was such a thing – one of the greatest hip hop producers alive, given carte blanche with the source beats of the century! Madlib's Blue Note crates are heavily weighed in the mid 60s through mid 70s electric beats that often get the shaft in mainstream jazz round-ups, but floor the beathead world into overdrive. Re-interpretations, remixes, and revisions are spliced seamlessly with the source samples, creating a whole new world where hip hop and late model live funk not only co-exists with classic Blue Note jazz, but it actually draws a linear transition between the 2 genius art forms. Beautiful stuff – if the album isn't the most original idea to come along all of these years into the hip hop & jazz underground, it's certainly one of the most perfectly realized projects of its kind, ever! It's one for the time capsule – pure funky sample wizardry by any standard! Includes Monk Higgins' "Slim's Return" interpreted by Ahmad Miller and DJ Lord Such on cuts, "Donald Byrd's "Distant Land", "Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Bounce", Yesterday's New Quintet's adaptation of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints", Madlib Invazion's "Funky Blue Note", the Joe McDuphrey Experience take on Horace Silver's/Herbie Hancock's "Peace/Dolphin Dance" and lots more.

Madlib invades Blue Note! He gets free reign of the catalog for this mix of sampler genius and live band interpretations, too, as/with Ahmad Miller, Yesterdays New Quintet, Malcolm Catto, Medaphoar, and others from the Stones Throw camp. This one's truly a conceptual triumph, if there ever was such a thing – one of the greatest hip hop producers alive, given carte blanche with the source beats of the century! Madlib's Blue Note crates are heavily weighed in the mid 60s through mid 70s electric beats that often get the shaft in mainstream jazz round-ups, but floor the beathead world into overdrive. Re-interpretations, remixes, and revisions are spliced seamlessly with the source samples, creating a whole new world where hip hop and late model live funk not only co-exists with classic Blue Note jazz, but it actually draws a linear transition between the 2 genius art forms. Beautiful stuff – if the album isn't the most original idea to come along all of these years into the hip hop & jazz underground, it's certainly one of the most perfectly realized projects of its kind, ever! It's one for the time capsule – easily Madlib's masterpiece, and pure funky sample wizardry by any standard! Includes Monk Higgins' "Slim's Return" interpreted by Ahmad Miller and DJ Lord Such on cuts, "Donald Byrd's "Distant Land", "Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Bounce", Yesterday's New Quintet's adaptation of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints", Madlib Invazion's "Funky Blue Note", the Joe McDuphrey Experience take on Horace Silver's/Herbie Hancock's "Peace/Dolphin Dance" and lots more.

Genius, pure genius – and one of the few key sides by Warne Marsh as a leader! The album follows on Marsh's appearance with Lee Konitz on an earlier Atlantic album, but it really breaks free from the Konitz mode – and has an open, laidback sound that is instantly captivating – still modern, to be sure, but also done in a way that has some of the soulfulness of a Hank Mobley albums at times. Part of the reason for this is the group's rhythm section – which features Ronnie Ball on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and either Philly Joe Jones or Paul Motian on drums. And on the Motian numbers, Marsh is playing without piano – making for a coolly evocative style that really has the tenor dominating the sound. Titles include "My Melancholy Baby", "Excerpt", "Too Close For Comfort", "Yardbird Suite", and "Just Squeeze Me".

Pure genius from Curtis Mayfield – and a record that's got all the righteousness and political power you might guess from the cover! The album burns with a sense of empowerment that's every bit the best strength of Curtom in the 70s – a sublime blend of heavy soul, funky undercurrents, and far-reaching arrangements that still always manage to groove! And Curtis' vocals are great too – echoing out with a newfound presence that far surpasses the raspy quality of his early work with The Impressions. Arrangements are by Rich Tufo, production is by Mayfield, and titles include "Future Song" (aka "Future Shock"), "Keep on Trippin", "Can't Say Nothin", "Back To The The World", and "Right On For The Darkness".

Arguably one of the greatest pop albums of all time – a pure act of genius from Todd Rundgren, and one of the few cases in rock music where two records are actually better than one! The double-length set was Rundgren's third solo effort after the breakup of Nazz – but it's a broad step ahead from the first two, and a strong move into the kind of near-perfect, yet always-human pop that made Rundgren so great in the 70s. Sides one through three of the album were completely done by Todd himself – all instruments, voices, and production handled through the then-new magic of the 16 track studio – and Rundgren's really at his best here, working in the kind of personal modes that make his tunes so great, some of the best of the mainstream singer/songwriter generation. Side four has fuller arrangements and other players coming into the mix, but the core feel of the rest of the record is very nicely preserved – apart from a few tunes that perhaps get a bit too goofy. It's hard to imagine more great pop songs in one album – and the set's overflowing with genius moments that include "Marlene", "I Saw The Light", "I Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", "It Takes Two To Tango", "Sweeter Memories", "I Went To The Mirror", "One More Day", "Song Of The Viking", and "Hello It's Me".

Patti Smith's first album and one of greatest rock albums of the 70s! Pure, driving passion powers Patti as profoundly as it ever would here on horses. The musicianship is famously top notch, too, making for one of those amazing moments in rock when a great voice – not just a great sounding singer, but uniquely visionary presence ultimately proves to be more forceful than the players. Produced by John Cale, with great guitar from Lenny Kaye – and titles that include "Gloria", "Redondo Beach", "Birdland", "Free Money", "Kimberly", and "Land".

Pure pop magic from Ringo – with cuts that include "You're Sixteen", "I'm The Greatest", and "Photograph" – all recorded with help from John Lennon, George Harrison, Steve Cropper, Tom Scott, Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins, and Harry Nilsson!

Pure genius from Horace Tapscott – a record that really lights a new fire under his talents – and takes us back to some of the most expressive, most righteous jazz from the LA scene of the 70s! The quartet here features key LA player John Carter on clarinet – an instrument that he'd embraced heavily during the decade in which this set was recorded, but managed to use with a sense of boldness and fire brought to earlier work on saxes – a sound that's quite different than just about any other player on the instrument! Carter's a perfect match for Tapscott's long-woven lines on piano – heard to great effect on the album's reworking of his classic "Dark Tree" – but cast out perfectly on all the other tunes too – thanks in part to tremendous rhythm work from Cecil McBee on bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The set's brilliant all the way through – one of the greatest things Hat Art ever recorded – and a record to rival any of the great indie underground sets of the 70s. Titles include "One For Lately", "The Dark Tree", "Sketches Of Drunken Mary", "Lino's Pad", "Sandy & Niles", "A Dress For Renee", and "Nyja's Theme".

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

They might well call this a Beginners Guide To Blue Note Jazz Funk – given that most of the tracks here are from the hip 70s run at Blue Note Records! The vibe is wonderful – funky and soulful, but definitely with jazz at the forefront – as older soloists were finding new ways to reach their audiences through electric grooves – and younger players were making a huge name for themselves through a very inventive approach to their work! The 3CD set is a hell of a deal for the money – with 33 tracks that include loads of Blue Note gems, plus some 70s Capitol funk and soul tracks too – titles that include "As" by Gene Harris, "Dominoes" by Donald Byrd, "The Genie" by Bobby Lyle, "Down The Way" by John Lee & Gerry Brown, "Chicago Damn" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Sassy Soul Strut" by Lou Donaldson, "Think Twice" by Donald Byrd, "Tidal Wave" by Ronnie Laws, "London Town" by Light Of The World, "Windy C" by 100% Pure Poison, "Daisy Mae" by Raul De Souza, "Movin" by Brass Construction, "Prance On" by Eddie Henderson, "Music Is My Sanctuary" by Gary Bartz, "Abdullah & Abraham" by Chico Hamilton, "Cheshire Cat" by Ronnie Foster, "Funky Sneakers" by Willie Bobo, "Sunshine" by Nancy Wilson, "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, and "Sky Islands" by Caldera.

A rollicking follow-up to one of the best compilations of rare rockers from Bayou country you could ever hope to score – and it's just as great as the first Boppin' By The Bayou set – with tracks by Rocket Morgan, Pee Wee Trayhan, Mickey Gilley, Tony Perreau, Glen Owens, Jay Chevalier, Wiley Jeffers, Al Ferrier and many more! It's got some material that's akin to rockabilly, boogie woogie and R&B-fueled rockers from the period made famous elsewhere in the south – but with some surefire swampy characteristics that's pure Louisiana, too! 28 tracks in all – with rare singles and LPs released on labels such as Zynn, Castle, Flyright, Speedy, Goldband and others – plus some previously unreleased stompers! "You’re Humbuggin' Me" by Rocket Morgan, "Too Hot To Handle" by Vince Anthony, "Got A Right To Cry" by Glen Owens, "Going Back To Cocodrille" by Cajun Joe, "Oh Nell" by Warren Storm, "Castro Rock" by Jay Chevalier, "Rock-A-Me Lulu" by Johnny Jano, "She's Coming Back Again" by Wiley Jeffers, "Whose Baby Are You" by Robert Owens and more.

A treasure trove of funk and soul from one heck of a great little label – Columbus, Ohio's short-lived Capsoul imprint – only around for 5 years in the 70s, but home to a great flurry of indie singles! We first caught onto the label's brilliance with their funky classics "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies and "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss – but as this set wonderfully demonstrates, the label's got a heck of a lot more to offer – and all of it great! The label's brilliance has been masterfully unearthed by the crate-digging team at Numero Records – who've brought together 20 of the best Capsoul singles in a beautiful package that really tells the story of the tiny imprint, getting at the details and struggles that faced independent soul in the marketplace of the 70s. Way more than just a set of old singles, the set's a rich document of indie soul in one of the near-forgotten corners of the Midwest – filled with great tunes that may well have you booking the next flight you can find to Columbus! Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "Pure Soul" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Without Love" by Ronnie Taylor, "You're All I Need To Make It" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr, "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Too Far Gone" by Four Mints, "I Want To Be Ready" by Kook Blues, "Go On Fool" by Marion Black, and "Number One" by Bill Moss. Updated version features new mastering and additional notes – plus the bonus track "All I Need To Make It" by The Capsoul Group.

Heavy funk with a contemporary twist – a host of James Brown classics, all replayed here by the roster of the Gamm label! Given the hip hop stylings of most of the artists, the funk here is often cut, pasted, and sampled – but there's also clearly a bit of live instrumentation going on too – as well as some occasional deep soul vocals which really help send home the tunes! The overall feel is almost a James Brown remix mode, but in a way that really lets the producers leave their own stamp on the tracks – and the set list includes "The King James Version (part 2)" by D-Frost Beats, "Bang It On" by BadSim, "You Dead Wrong" by Red Astaire with Caretta Bell, "Ain't It Funky" by Yosaku, "Mama's Dead" by Bloodfire, "Fonky President" by Pure P, "Sayin It & Doin It" by Sugarloaf Gangsters, "U Got Soul (Swell's power surge mix)" by Swing Session, and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose" by DJ Ayres.

Go Go galore – a massive compilation of Chocolate City grooves – some of the best funky numbers from the DC scene of the 80s – a unique strech when the nation's capital was cooking up some mighty heavy grooves! Although recorded in the 80s, these tracks really preserve a 70s sort of funky sound – and in a way, the Go Go scene was kind of a refuge for all the great live funk energy of the 70s – especially the larger ensemble groups, like those in the P-Funk universe! Tracks are nice and long, filled with great rhythms, and lots of nice live instrumentation – and some great call-response vocals that are a bit like old school hip hop too. Titles include "Welcome To The Go Go" by Class Band, "Feel It" by The Mighty Peacemakers, "Somebody's Ringing That Doorbell" by EU, "You Can Dance" by Davis Pinckney Project, "Virginia Gone Go Go" by Code Red, "Skunk Funk Go Go" by Dr Skunk Funk, "Who Comes To Boogie" by Little Benny & The Masters, and "DC Groove" by Static Disruptors. 24 tracks in all – way more than any other set of this nature we've seen!

A whole new set of mod soul smokers – contemporary cuts, but mostly recorded with a vibe that hearkens back to the sound of London in the 60s – which means plenty of influence from Motown and other Northern Soul sources, plus an occasional touch of jazzy Hammond too! These tracks are all recent, but really showcase the Acid Jazz talent for getting an older style right – not exactly pure 60s, but more the best Brit blue-eyed modes – of the sort you might have heard when Style Council could hit a groover like this, or when some of the more recent Acid Jazz acts are at their best. Titles include "Pandora" by Men Of North Country, "Girlfriend" by The Filthy Six, "Return To Space" by Twisted Tongue, "Ordinary Joe" by Jasmine Kara, "No More Heroes" by Night Trains, "From Now On" by Magnus Carlson, and "Sex Is On Fire" by Jerk Juice.

Pure genius from Curtis Mayfield – and a record that's got all the righteousness and political power you might guess from the cover! The album burns with a sense of empowerment that's every bit the best strength of Curtom in the 70s – a sublime blend of heavy soul, funky undercurrents, and far-reaching arrangements that still always manage to groove! And Curtis' vocals are great too – echoing out with a newfound presence that far surpasses the raspy quality of his early work with The Impressions. Arrangements are by Rich Tufo, production is by Mayfield, and titles include "Future Song" (aka "Future Shock"), "Keep on Trippin", "Can't Say Nothin", "Back To The The World", and "Right On For The Darkness".

Pure genius throughout – two great albums on a single CD! Trombone Jazz Samba is an overlooked gem from Bob Brookmeyer – and a set that fits in strongly with the other Verve Records bossa nova albums of the 60s! Bob's the center star on valve trombone, but the record's awash in work from other great Verve talents too – a tight small group that features Gary McFarland on vibes, Jim Hall and Jimmy Raney on guitars, and Willie Bobo on drums – alongside some added percussion that really helps keep the bossa spirit strong! Tunes have that spare, soulful crackle that you'd find in the Stan Getz bossa sessions for Verve – except that trombone is the lead solo instrument here – and titles include "A Felicidade", "Col Bogey Bossa Nova", "Blues Bossa Nova", "Qual E O Po", "Chara Tu Tristeza", and "Samba De Orfeu". Samba Para Dos is a great lost groover on Verve – recorded during the heyday of the label's bossa years with Stan Getz! The record features Bob Brookmeyer fronting a large group arranged and conducted by Lalo Schifrin – soloing over the top, while Lalo comes up with sparkling bossa-tinged grooves that are in the spirit of his best soundtrack work of the mid 60s. Brookmeyer's playing is great too – very different than his sparer, modernist work on other records – and very much in the tradition of Brazilian trombone players who were a key force in bossa jazz at the time. The set includes one long original, "Samba Para Dos", plus shorter standards like "My Funny Valentine", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", and "I Get A Kick Out Of You" – all taken in great jazzy bossa versions!

Four classic albums by this hip UK group – all with rare bonus tracks too! First up is the wonderful Dad Man Cat – our favorite record by one of the best funk records to ever come out of England! On this great debut album, Corduroy are a tight funky combo, with an organ and clavinet mod sound that still holds up damn well over the years. Their songwriting is great, and the groove on the set push way past the stock acid jazz riffing of the early 90s. Best example of this is "Skirt Alert", a cut that begins with an amazing drum break, then grooves into a Brazilian-inflected funk number, in the manner of Earth Wind & Fire's use of the idiom. Other tracks include "Chowdown", "How To Steal The World", "Electric Soup", "Money Is", and "Six Plus One". CD also features six bonus demo tracks! High Havoc is a real shift for Corduroy, who are opening their sound a lot here from earlier releases – showing that the group was way more than just one of London's many retro funk combos at the beginning of the 90s. The set includes the sublime track "Something In My Eye", a breezy bossa number that would almost put Brasil 66 to shame, and which we can guarantee will have you hitting the repeat button on your CD player again and again! Other tracks include "The Corduroy Orgasm Club", "Breakfast In Love", "Nobody Move", "Very Yeah", "Clearing Up Music", "Lovely Lonely & Loaded", and "The Frighteners". CD features 9 more bonus tracks – some previously unreleased! Next is Out Of Here – a record that's still heavily steeped in the 60s territory of previous releases, but one with a bit more of a mod feel overall! There's lots of heavy Hammond and guitar in the mix, and the vocals have a warm appeal too – kind of a blue-eyed soul take on mod London modes – served up here with a sound that's arguably tighter and more soulful than lots of current work of this nature! Corduroy was always a group that never fully got its due – and with records like this under their belt, they were easily one of the hippest acts on the Acid Jazz imprint at the time. Titles include "Don't Wait For Monday", "Practice What You Preach", "Magic Carpet", "January Woman", "Mini", "Motorhead", "Along The Rooftops", "End Of The Rainbow", and "Red Mercury". CD features 7 more bonus tracks – a number of unissued demos! Last up is Quattro – Live In Japan 1994 – a great little live set from Corduroy – recorded late in their career, but with the stripped down funky feel of their best early work! The album was recorded in Japan – but the groove is pure London jazz funk all the way, with a tight mix of keyboards and riffing guitars, electrically grooving in a very soulful way. Includes versions of "Skirt Alert", "Something In My Eye", "Mini", "Money is", "London, England", "Electric Soup", "E Type", "The Frighteners", and "Chow Down".

"Good Guys" is one of the most fantastic cuts to come out of the Chicago soul scene in the late 60s. The vocals are amazing, the groove is wonderful, and the production by Gene Chandler is pure Chicago psychedelic soul! The flip's pretty darn great, too!

Pure crossover genius from Buddy Miles – a great mix of funky soul and rockish touches – and the kind of record that easily put Buddy in the same camp as Sly Stone or The Isley Brothers with mainstream audiences of the time! Tracks here are a bit longer and more jamming than work by either of those two artists – with the kind of heavy guitar and horns that played heavily to the Fillmore crowd – but the overall sound of the record is a fair bit more soulful and even funkier than some other Miles' efforts from the earlier years too, with plenty of his tight drums in the mix! Titles include a great 12 minute reading of the title track "We Got To Live Together" – plus "Take It Off Him & Put It On Me", "Runaway Child", "Walking Down The Highway", and "Easy Greasy".

Beautiful late work from Lee Morgan! The last five years of Lee's life saw him really stretching out to do some fantastic writing, playing, and leading – and this record stands today as one of the best examples of that period – a pure act of genius, with a sound that really takes off from Lee's earlier Blue Note albums. The styles are a unique blend of soulful hardbop and the more stretched-out spiritualism that would later emerge in the early 70s soul jazz scene – and players include the lesser-known Frank Mitchell on tenor, plus Jackie McLean on alto, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – the last of whom provides an amazingly lyrical approach to rhythm, the sort that was key to some of Lee Morgan's best work of the time! Titles include "Afreaka", "Short Count", "The Cry Of My People", "Anti Climax", and "Psychedelic". CD also features 3 bonus tracks too – "Extemporaneous", "Mickey's Tune", and "Leebop".

A lost soul treasure from the 70s – and a rare secular album recorded by gospel singer Dottie Peoples! The set's got a stunning deep soul feel – easily right up there with the best 70s work from the Malaco and Muscle Shoals scenes – with a pure and top-shelf approach to the material that stands tall throughout the entire session. Dottie's vocals are tremendous – influenced by her gospel work, but with an easygoing style that's never too overdone, and which has the same mix of modern and southern that we love in work from the time by Jimmy Lewis or Sam Dees. The album's never been issued before, and the original 1978 tapes have been lovingly remastered with beautiful sound. Titles include "Look Around", "Imagine Me", "A House Made Of Love", "Very Strong Affection", "I Don't Want Nobody", and "Bring It Over Baby".

Smooth and sophisticated grooving from Esther Phillips – a record that really has her shaking off the rag-tag and rootsy modes of earlier years, and gliding sweetly into the mainstream! Phillips' vocals are still as soulful and compelling as ever, but the backings are quite full – penned by Joe Beck, who also plays a fair bit of guitar on the record too – and done with a sound that's in the same mode as David Matthews' backings for other Kudu sides of the time. There's a definite soul-heavy focus going on here – with some clubby touches too – and titles include "Caravan", "Fever", "Pure Natural Love", "Unforgettable", "For All We Know", "Fools Rush In", and "Going Out Of My Head".

A treasure trove of funk and soul from one heck of a great little label – Columbus, Ohio's short-lived Capsoul imprint – only around for 5 years in the 70s, but home to a great flurry of indie singles! We first caught onto the label's brilliance with their funky classics "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies and "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss – but as this set wonderfully demonstrates, the label's got a heck of a lot more to offer – and all of it great! The label's brilliance has been masterfully unearthed by the crate-digging team at Numero Records – who've brought together 19 of the best Capsoul singles in a beautiful package that really tells the story of the tiny imprint, getting at the details and struggles that faced independent soul in the marketplace of the 70s. Way more than just a set of old singles, the set's a rich document of indie soul in one of the near-forgotten corners of the Midwest – filled with great tunes that may well have you booking the next flight you can find to Columbus! Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "Pure Soul" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Without Love" by Ronnie Taylor, "You're All I Need To Make It" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr, "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Too Far Gone" by Four Mints, "I Want To Be Ready" by Kook Blues, "Go On Fool" by Marion Black, and "Number One" by Bill Moss. Updated version features new mastering and additional notes – plus the bonus track "All I Need To Make It" by The Capsoul Group.

Amazing, simply amazing! The record is one of the first that Gary Bartz ever cut – done during a time when he'd been working with Max Roach and a super-hip group of younger soul jazz players who would go onto shape the sound of the 70s. Bartz leads a group that includes Stanley Cowell on piano, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Pharoah Sanders on tenor, Reggie Workman on bass, and Freddy Waits on drums – and the music sounds like it was lifted from one of the best albums on Strata East from the 70s. There's no funk, no vocals, no weird rhythms – just pure spiritual jazz, played to perfection, and filled with a creative vitality that most of the players had lost a few years later. Tracks include the album-side "Another Earth", plus "Dark Nebula", "UFO", and "Perihelion & Aphelion". Impossibly hard to find on vinyl, too!

Pure tromboneliness from Conrad Bauer – a really compelling solo set that's recorded live, but which also seems to have his horn folding back upon itself at times too! There doesn't seem to be any overdubbing at play (although we can't be sure, because our German's not good enough to read the notes) – and it almost seems as of Bauer's blowing these really bold notes with his horn, letting them echo out and bounce back, while he then soon cooks up another sound at the same time. The approach is wonderful – as textural as it is musical – and each long track on the set has a very different and completely compelling flavor. Titles include "Swingspiel", "Flutz", "Einer Fur Alle", and "Denk'Mal".

A stone killer! "Marvin's Groove" is pure genius – begins with hard splashy drumbreaks, rolls into a fuzzed out bassline, and bounces into a tenor part that's tastily cutting. The cut's as hip as anything you'd find on an early 70s soundtrack, with a groove to match! "Generated Love" is nicely funky too – with an organ/guitar sound that's almost in a New Orleans groove.

Raw crackling hip hop funk beatcraft at its deepest from mighty Madlib – working in his Beat Konducta style for this third entry in the epic Madlib's Medicine Show Series! Beat Konducta In Africa is a hazy hip hop instrumental set from 'Lib (lest you thought it might be a funky compilation of rare African material) with some additional mixing from J Rocc – based on rare African vinyl. The sound is pure Madlib/Beat Konducta heady hip hop funk – recognizable as being spun from and inspired by African material, and impeccably so, with that instantly identifiable, exploratory Madlib sonic stamp. He looks far beyond Afrobeat and funk sources, with some raw funk rock beats, psych, garage and more with some trippy vocal samples – and he's building up from blueprints records originally pressed all over Africa – Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Botswana and Ivory Coast. But too much mention of the source material risks making this sound like a compilation or a mix set, when it's Madlib all the way! Titles include "Motherland", "Raw Introduction To Afreaka", "Warrior's Theme", "Street Hustler", "Afritonic" (Pts 1 & 2), "Tradition", "Blackfire", "Obtaive", "Mtima", "African Bounce", "Freedom Play", "Natural Sound Waves", "Unika (Outro)" and many more. 37 tracks on the vinyl version.

A sexy little soundtrack from Piero Piccioni – penned for an early 80s film, but done with a slinky style that's pure Euro 70s all the way! Keyboards mix nicely with strings on many tracks – almost in a way that Piccioni seems to borrow from American soul maestros of the previous decade – but there's also some more Italian-styled touches too – including some later bossa inflections that really round out the sound of the record in a wonderful way. And a few especially nice gems have this sense of space that almost makes the music float in the air – recalling the sounds that first made us fall in love with the 60s music of Piccioni. Most solo piano is by Piero, and Toquinho plays guitar on one track – and titles include "Anche Se Sai", "Notte Preziosa", "Occhio Discreto", "Volo Di Mezzanotte", "Bona Nox", and "Ritmo Macumbeiro". CD features 11 bonus tracks too!

A wealth of rare New Orleans soul – and a great package dedicated to the work of producer Wardell Quezerque! The 2CD, 60 track set is chock-full of wonderful numbers – great singles that have been remastered and which feature a mixture of better known singers – like Eddie Bo or CL Blast – plus a host of other talents we'd never heard before. The "smokin" in the title is certainly well-placed, as the package is overstuffed with great tunes that you'd have to spend a lifetime of digging through singles bins to find. Tracks include "Poor Sam" by Earl King, "99.44% Pure Love", "What Can I Do" by CL Blast, "Soul Train" by Curley Moore, "Patty Cake Shake" by Guitar Ray, "You Are Going To Be Somebody's Fool Too" by Eddie Bo, "I Believe In Miracles" by Jerry Foucha, "Can You Forgive Me" by Earl Harrison, "Everybody Dance" by Lydia Marcelle, "Lucky Fellow" by The Jades, "Can't Stay Away" by The Fabulettes", and "Make Up Your Mind" by Vic Cornish.

The best yet from Flying Lotus – who we keep allowing ourselves to believe has hit an insurmountable peak with each new record – but he just keeps getting better! Where the preceding Cosmogramma upped the stranger, spacier and more abstract textures, Until The Quiet Comes is a bit more inviting – and to his credit, Flying Lotus keeps things as innovative as ever, while still giving this one just a bit more immediately appealing atmosphere. There's nearly always a compelling beat, whether it's abstract boom bap or bubbly and synthy, with heavy bass and thick waves of sound floating over. An incredible roster of guests contribute, too – including string-arranger Miguel Atwood Ferguson, vocalists Erykah Badu, Laura Darlington and Radiohead's Thom Yorke, keyboardist Dorian Concept, and others – but there's little doubt that this is purely the Flying Lotus show. Greatness! Titles include "All In", "Sultan's Request", "See Thru To U" with Erykah Badu, "DMT Song" with Thundercat, "The Nightcaller", "Only If You Wanna", "Electric Candyman" with Thom Yorke, "Hunger" with Niki Randa, "Phantasm" with Laura Darlington, "Dream To Me" and more.

The best yet from Flying Lotus – who we keep allowing ourselves to believe has hit an insurmountable peak with each new record – but he just keeps getting better! Where the preceding Cosmogramma upped the stranger, spacier and more abstract textures, Until The Quiet Comes is a bit more inviting – and to his credit, Flying Lotus keeps things as innovative as ever, while still giving this one just a bit more immediately appealing atmosphere. There's nearly always a compelling beat, whether it's abstract boom bap or bubbly and synthy, with heavy bass and thick waves of sound floating over. An incredible roster of guests contribute, too – including string-arranger Miguel Atwood Ferguson, vocalists Erykah Badu, Laura Darlington and Radiohead's Thom Yorke, keyboardist Dorian Concept, and others – but there's little doubt that this is purely the Flying Lotus show. Greatness! Titles include "All In", "Sultan's Request", "See Thru To U" with Erykah Badu, "DMT Song" with Thundercat, "The Nightcaller", "Only If You Wanna", "Electric Candyman" with Thom Yorke, "Hunger" with Niki Randa, "Phantasm" with Laura Darlington, "Dream To Me" and more.

Great stuff – and one of the purest examples we can find of the Latin piano style of the great Noro Morales! Noro plays here without any of the trappings of some of his other records – just working with a small rhythm combo on an all-instrumental set – with tremendous solo work on the piano – filled with flourishes, but never in a way that's too overly-complicated, nor too dramatic to ever lose its swing! That balance is what made Noro so great back in the day – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Oye Men", "Pica Mosquito", "Mi Guajira", "Vitamina", "Que Linda Eres", and "Oye Negra".

A heavy serving of jazz from Amiga Records – the East German stalwart who did plenty to keep the music going on their side of the Iron Curtain! Some of the work here is in a trad mode – and shows that after the war, the older style found a great home in Eastern Europe – but as the set goes on, there's some great modern jazz tracks too – numbers that easily echo the best styles being cooked up in postwar France, Sweden, and even West Germany too – including a fair bit of numbers that have an early Saba/MPS sort of vibe! You'll definitely recognize a few names here from later, more famous work – and titles include "Gruss An Kurlewitsch" by Gunter Horig Trio, "Barenspuren" by Gustav Brom, "Babs" by Werner Pfuller Quintett, "Thema In Moll" by Johannes Rediske Quintette, "En Avant" by Werner Pfuller Quintett, "I Found A New Baby" by Jazz Band Halle, and "Summertime" by Manfred Krug.

An excellent album of 70s work by this legendary musician from Tipica 73! The record is the debut of Alfredo De La Fe – a great percussionist and string player with a keen ear for a salsa groove that's steeped in tradition, yet has a forward thinking approach to rhythm. Alfredo's style is a great example of the way the older charanga format was taken up by 70s salseros – used to move back towards a purer Latin sound, but also to form a platform for new forms of expression. The group features Jorge Dalto on Fender Rhodes, Nestor Torres on flute, Nicky Marrero on timbales, and Alfredo himself on violin and percussion. There's a lot more percussion players on the album, too – and vocalists include Adrienne Alberto, Hector Alomar, and Felo Barrio. Includes the batucada groover "Hot To Trot", the slightly funky "Que Rico Bailo Yo", and the tracks "Canto Del Corazon", "Charangueando", and "Toca Alfredo Toca".

A contemporary album, but one that really recalls the great sound of the samba explosion of the 70s – that moment when the genre really took off in a powerful new approach to the style! The arrangements are superb – core percussion mixed with larger orchestrations and a bit of backing vocals – all in support of Mariene's soulful lead vocals, which are wonderful from the start – upbeat and filled with a range of power that's undeniable. There's a bit of forro in the mix at times, used sparely – and titles include "Foquete", "Ponto De Nano", "Um Ser De Luz", "Isto E Bom", "Marujo", "Estrada De Caminde", and "A Pureza Da Flor".

The great second album from The Bo-Keys – the stellar Memphis combo that's a mix of younger players and veteran session musicians from of the vaunted Hi Records scene of the classic era – who deliver a straight up knockout with Got To Get Back! We dug the group's earlier work, but this one really raises the bar. It's not so much a throwback to the late 60s and 70s golden era of Memphis and other points southern soul as it is a modern statement on the sounds longevity – committed with the purest authenticity. There's funky and smouldering soul instrumentals and vocal numbers with an incredible lineup of guests – including the great Otis Clay, plus Percy Wiggins, William Bell and Charlie Musselwhite. They work equally great in a number of modes, too. Titles include "Hi Roller", "Jack And Ginger", "Sundown On Beale", "90 Days Same As Cash", "Cauley Flower", "Got To Get Back (To My Baby)" with Otis Clay, "Weak Spot" with William Bell, "Catch This Teardrop" with Percy Wiggins and more.