All Categories — All Formats  

A cool open-top plastic sleeve for storing your CDs! This one works like the LP and 45 sleeves we stock – in that the plastic hugs your CD package on the front and back, and on the sides and bottom – but the top is open, so you can slide out the jewel case for easy access when listening! There's no flap at all to get in the way – and the sleeves are great if you store your CDs on shelves vertically, and don't like the outside cases to get scratched up. This version fits a range of multi-disc packages – including older-styled jewel cases that handle 2 to 4 CDs, and most of the contemporary larger slipcover styled CD packages too.

A cool open-top plastic sleeve for storing your CDs! This one works like the LP and 45 sleeves we stock – in that the plastic hugs your CD package on the front and back, and on the sides and bottom – but the top is open, so you can slide out the jewel case for easy access when listening! There's no flap at all to get in the way – and the sleeves are great if you store your CDs on shelves vertically, and don't like the outside cases to get scratched up. This version fits a standard jewel case CD.

A cool open-top plastic sleeve for storing your CDs! This one works like the LP and 45 sleeves we stock – in that the plastic hugs your CD package on the front and back, and on the sides and bottom – but the top is open, so you can slide out the jewel case for easy access when listening! There's no flap at all to get in the way – and the sleeves are great if you store your CDs on shelves vertically, and don't like the outside cases to get scratched up. This version fits a digipack, CD single, or slimline case.

One of the most obscure of the Paul Chambers albums on Blue Note – and one of the most interesting as well! Although best known for his solid rhythm work on late 50s hardbop recordings, Chambers breaks out here with a more introspective, more exploratory style on the bass – using the instrument "on top", as a lead solo force in a group with Kenny Burrell on guitar, Hank Jones on piano, and Art Taylor on drums. The sound is surprisingly soulful, and modern yet swinging – in the manner of Oscar Pettiford's best sides of this style. Titles include "Yesterdays", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Confessin", and "The Theme". CD also features the bonus track "Chamber Mates"

Tremendous work from trumpeter Ted Curson – and one of the few records that shows up often in his oeuvre, but which is every bit as great as his rare and expensive albums! Side one features killer material from Curson's group with tenorist Bill Barron – three cuts recorded in Paris in 1964, all of them razor-sharp, and overflowing with modern ideas – tracks that include "Searchin For The Blues", "Desolation", and "Light Blue". Side two features Curson in another European mode – working as the bold soloist in front of a larger Yugoslavian big band – with searing readings of his classics "Straight Ice", "Flip Top", and "Quicksand".

A very groovy set of pop-jazz guitar tunes – originally recorded by Metronome Records in Sweden, but issued here by Atlantic. The core of the recording is Gustafsson's guitar trio, but the record also features some larger backing by Georg Riedel that have a nice airy feel to them. While the record isn't totally funky, it's got a nice slightly funky easy sound that's very nice. Includes a good version of "California Soul", plus "Waltz A Nova", "The Look Of Love", "Witchita Lineman", and "Me On The See Saw".

A great and rare solo guitar record by Lena Hughes – issued here by Tompkins Square – a label that's put out some of the best fingerstyle guitar folk releases in recent memory – in both the contemporary and archival realms! Queen Of The Flat Top Guitar is an archival release in their Long Gone Sound Series – and it's one of best yet! Lena, born in 1904, was rural Missourian amateur guitarist and mainstay at Ozarks area folk festivals. This record is her one-and-only known album – and though she's also remembered as a fine fiddler and banjo player, it finds her focusing on flat top guitar in the tradition of 19th century parlor music. Warm and wonderful stuff – as inviting as anything we've heard on Tompkins Square. Includes "Pearly Dew", "Under The Double Eagle", "Letter Edged In Black", "Blue Heaven", "Galloway Bay", "You Are The Only Star Of My Blue Heaven", "Spanish Fan-Dango", "Kentucky Moon Waltz", "Silver Treads Among The Gold", "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" and"Cedar Brook Waltz".

A great and rare solo guitar record by Lena Hughes – issued here by Tompkins Square – a label that's put out some of the best fingerstyle guitar folk releases in recent memory – in both the contemporary and archival realms! Queen Of The Flat Top Guitar is an archival release in their Long Gone Sound Series – and it's one of best yet! Lena, born in 1904, was rural Missourian amateur guitarist and mainstay at Ozarks area folk festivals. This record is her one-and-only known album – and though she's also remembered as a fine fiddler and banjo player, it finds her focusing on flat top guitar in the tradition of 19th century parlor music. Warm and wonderful stuff – as inviting as anything we've heard on Tompkins Square. Includes "Pearly Dew", "Under The Double Eagle", "Letter Edged In Black", "Blue Heaven", "Galloway Bay", "You Are The Only Star Of My Blue Heaven", "Spanish Fan-Dango", "Kentucky Moon Waltz", "Silver Treads Among The Gold", "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" and"Cedar Brook Waltz".

There's some bigger arrangements here than you'd usually get on a BB King album of the 60s – but they're used in a really great way that makes the album one of our favorites by King from his years at ABC! Johnny Pate arranged and produced, and he gives the whole thing a Chicago soul punch that's mighty nice – a mix of blues and soul that's not unlike some of the best Bobby Blue Bland work at Duke a few years before – and a blend that's really a lot like some of the best indie soul coming out of Chicago's west side in the late 60s too. The album's a killer all the way through, and it's great to hear BB in such a setting – on cuts that include "Dance With Me", "Heartbreaker", "I'm Not Wanted Anymore", "Having My Say", "That's Wrong Mama", "Now That You've Lost Me", "Until I Found You", and "Worried Dream".

A classic set of smooth 70s soul from an under-recognized genius! Phillip Mitchell is a bit like his Atlantic Records contemporary Sam Dees – in that he wrote a lot of material for other singers, recorded a handful of singles, and worked mostly in the southern scene – but he also had a sophisticated, modern style that sounded a lot more like work coming out of New York, Philly, or Chicago. This lost album for Atlantic is a great example of that fact – as it was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but also features some Philly elements too – creating a great mix of modes that's wonderfully unique! There's a feel here that's just like some of the best work from Leroy Hutson, Johnny Bristol, or Leon Ware at the same time – a majestic, mature approach to soul that's simply tremendous. Titles include "In Between Lovers", "Top Of The Line", "I'm So Happy", "Let's Get Wet", "Paying The Price", and "If It Ain't Love It'll Go Away". Also features the bonus track "Take Me Away".

Willie Mitchell's definitely on top with this smoking little set – a record that seems to allow even freer interplay between the members of his group – in ways that make the album one of Mitchell's jazziest efforts of the 60s! The players of the group are getting a bit of credit on the back cover this time around – a great revelation that the smoking tenor on the record comes from Willie's brother James Mitchell, and that the cool tight guitar lines are from Mabon Teenie Hodges – who we don't think we know from anywhere else! Most tunes are familiar songs, but reworked with hip Memphis instrumental arrangements – on titles that include "30 60 90", "Big Power House", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "Come See About Me", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Who's Makin Love", and "Take Five".

Clark Terry's breezy trumpet is paired with Don Butterfield's tuba for a real "top and bottom" session of brassy jazz. The two of them are backed by a sharp rhythm section that includes Jimmy Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The set's got a lot of nice originals, and despite what you might think, this is actually one of Terry's harder sessions. Cuts include "Top N Bottom", "Mardi Gras Waltz", "Blues For Etta", and "Mili-Terry".

Two older players, cooking together beautifully on this early 80s session – and both hitting a vibe that almost makes the set smoke like some rare 60s gem on Blue Note! Frank Wess plays both tenor and alto sax – both of them extremely deep and soulful – with these open, thoughtful solos that almost show more imagination and maturity than in the early days – and also a swinging vibe that's undeniably great. Trumpeter Johnny Coles turns out to be a perfect partner for the session – and manages to mix his sweeter tones with some of his more modern phrasing too – in ways that make the album a treasure trove of unexpectedly great surprises – loads of illuminated passages that keep us coming back again and again over the years. The rhythm section is a good reason for the strength of the set too – and features Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Celia", "Minority", "An Oscar For Oscar", "Ill Wind", "Morning Star", and "Whistle Stop".

A massive collection of ska instrumentals – all the real deal from the initial 60s start of the genre – and all pulled from the legendary Top Deck catalog! There's a crisp, raw edge to these tracks that nobody else was able to ever match again – a sinister vibe that comes from the bold production style, cool compressed rhythms, and soulful sax and trumpet solos that really make these numbers cook! Given that the set's all instrumental, the vibe here is a lot different than most ska revival work too – almost more in a 60s soul instrumental mode – with great traces to the inspiration of the genre. Titles include "Shot In The Dark" and "Determination" by Roland Alphonso, "China Town" and "China Clipper" by The Skatalites, "Scattered Lights" and "Red Is Danger" by Tommy McCook, "Warlock" by Jackie Mittoo, "Love In The Afternoon" by Don Drummond, "Live Wire" by Lyn Taitt & Jackie Mittoo, "Yogi Man" and "Red Is Danger" by Johnny Moore, "Shock Resistance" by Baba Brooks, "Lawless Street" by King Sporty & The Skatalites, and "Ti Pi Tin" by Raymond Harper.

The birth of ska – served up in a host of hard-edged classics from the early years – great Jamaican tracks that sound a lot more like soul music than most later incarnations of the genre – no surprise, given that many of these cuts were crafted from the strong influence of American radio on the Kingston airwaves! The rhythms are definitely what you'd call ska, but the vocals often have a deeper approach than we're used to in later work of the genre – heavily tilted towards the soul and R&B side of the spectrum, especially when more than one singer is featured on a track – and often mixed with razor-sharp instrumentation that packs the punch of a vintage funky 45! Titles include "Valley Of Green" and "Take Your Time" by Jackie Opel, "Men Alone" by The Deacons, "Lonely & Blue Boy" by Ferdie Nelson, "Sweet Dreams" by Bibby & The Astronauts, "Snake In The Grass" by Larry Marshall, "Ten Virgins" by The Angelic Brothers, "Everyday" by The Avalons, "My Darling Josephine" by Joe G Henry, "Dream For Tomorrow" by Al & The Vibrators, "Fresh Out Of Love" and "Someone" by The Jetts, and "Never Too Young To Learn" by Andy & The Avalons. 40 tracks in all!

11 tracks by Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson, Commodores, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross.

A lean little set from Jimmy Smith's back to basics years of the early 80s – an album that's recorded in a relatively old school soul jazz mode! Jimmy's mostly playing Hammond here – but also uses a bit of Arp strings at times – and the rest of the group members include George Benson on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, Grady Tate on drums, and Stanley Turrentine on tenor sax – all playing in modes that are nicely laidback and open. There's a bit of 70s warmth to the production of the record, but little other in the way of modern touches – and in a way, the record almost takes us back to the sound of Jimmy during his very last years at Verve, when he'd mostly returned to small combo work. Titles include "MASH", "I'll Drink To That", "Off The Top", "Endless Love", "Mimosa Love", and "Ain't Misbehavin" – plus a few words spoken by Jimmy at the end!

Wonderful open-ended Ahmad Jamal music from the end of the 60s – and a set that really shows his growth as a player at the time! The "revisited" in the title refers to Jamal's earlier success on Argo records with a recording of "Poinciana" – one that forever made the tune his, thanks to a long-flowing approach that took the familiar standard, and turned it into the perfect foil for Jamal's expressive piano style. But the vibe here is very different – even more open than before, with a beautiful 9 minute reworking of the tune that's worth the price of admission alone! The trio features Jamil Sulieman on bass and Frank Gant on drums – and titles include "Poinciana", "Call Me", "Lament", "How Insensitive", and "Have You Met Miss Jones".

A stone cooker from Junior Mance – quite possibly his most freewheeling album of the time – thanks to an open-ended live setting that really lets him take off! All tracks are nice and long – and Mance really stretches out on piano, working with a tight trio that features Wilbur Little on bass and Rudy Collins on drums – both great rhythm players who set the album on fire right away! David Newman guests on the last two track – playing tenor on one, and flute on the other – again, getting some more freedom than on his usual Atlantic sessions of the 60s. Mighty nice stuff – with tracks that include "Before This Time Another Year", "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free", "That's All", and "Turning Point".

The cut here is "Top Ten List", that was only released as a promo single. Masta Ace returns to his classic production and vocal style on by far his best track after the Slaughterhouse LP.

One of the best 60s albums ever from the legendary Toshiko Akioshi – a session recorded back in the US, with help from a quartet of American musicians! The album's got a strongly boppish feel overall – as Toshiko's piano comes into play with trumpet from Kenny Dorham, tenor and flute from Lew Tabackin, bass from Ron Carter, and drums from Mickey Roker – all working in a style that has a lot of dark corners and very subtle edges. Hints of Toshiko's later arranging styles creep into some of the tunes, but overall the work is relatively spontaneous and open – quite lyrical and points, especially on some of the original numbers that have some slightly Japanese themes alongside more conventional jazz progressions. Dorham's trumpet is obviously a great asset in a setting like this – and the record is one of his rarest appearances from the time. Titles include "The Night Song", "How Insensitive", "Phrygian Waterfall", "Let's Roll In Sake", and "Opus No Zero".

A real treasure – previously unreleased live material from the late, great Bill Evans – featuring wonderful late 60s work from his trio that included Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morrell on drums! The recording quality is great, and the playing is equally top-shelf too – a perfect illustration of the trio's genius, with a strong focus on the way that Gomez's basslines really help to shape the flowing grooves of the tunes! Evans is wonderful, too – still some echoes of that earlier 60s bite at times, yet also lots of those open, lyrical modes that really flowered in the later part of the decade – as you'll hear on a set that includes "Emily", "Yesterdays", "Witchcraft", "Round Midnight", "Autumn Leaves", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Mother Of Earl", "Turn Out The Stars", and "Here's That Rainy Day".

Late 60s reggae from Derrick Morgan – largely covering period at the end of the decade, which found Derrick thriving in the post-ska and post rocksteady landscape – making hits, starting dance crazes and bring a depth of soul the the reggae scene! This compilation has hits like "Moon Hop", transcendent covers like "Stand By Me", "Don’t' Play That Song" and "Seven Letters" and much more. 24 tracks in all: "Belly Woman", "First Taste of Love", "What A Thing", "Night At The Hop", "Return Of Jack Slade", "How Can I Forget", "I Love You", "Hard Time", "Come What May", "Give Me Back", "One Morning In May", "Derrick Top Of The Pop Vs 2" and much more.

Four great albums from this hip Haitian group – all packaged together in one nicely-priced set! First up is Back To Stay – a set that features Haitian grooves, but from the New York scene – making for an excellent mix of modes that really keeps things interesting! The core sounds have that bouncy vibe you'd expect from the Caribbean, but there's definitely some horn arrangements that show some American influences from funk and Latin, and maybe even a bit of jazz – all well-recorded here with a style that avoids any of the too-polished modes that can sometimes hold back a record like this. Tony Moise handles most of the arrangements and music – and also plays lead tenor – and titles include "Haiti", "Mariage", "Devine", and "Boat People". The other three albums – Les Bibles De Orchestras, Original Shleu Shleu, and Creation – all have a similar feel – and the 2CD package features 25 tracks in all!

An amazing package, almost like getting three albums in one – thanks to a huge amount of bonus tracks! The core album is a gem – one that features two older players, cooking together beautifully on this early 80s session – and both hitting a vibe that almost makes the set smoke like some rare 60s gem on Blue Note! Frank Wess plays both tenor and alto sax – both of them extremely deep and soulful – with these open, thoughtful solos that almost show more imagination and maturity than in the early days – and also a swinging vibe that's undeniably great. Trumpeter Johnny Coles turns out to be a perfect partner for the session – and manages to mix his sweeter tones with some of his more modern phrasing too – in ways that make the album a treasure trove of unexpectedly great surprises – loads of illuminated passages that keep us coming back again and again over the years. The rhythm section is a good reason for the strength of the set too – and features Kenny Barron on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – on titles that include "Celia", "Minority", "An Oscar For Oscar", "Ill Wind", "Morning Star", and "Whistle Stop". 2CD set features two more slices of music – first another 5 bonus tracks that are alternate cuts from the album – then a full extra hour's worth of performance from a 1988 live date by the pair – on titles that include "One For Amos", "If You Can't Call Don't Come", "Minority", "Blues For David", and "Morning Star".

Like the back of the cover says "WARNING: The bass in this LP is contaminated by radioactive material!!"! Insanely hyped electro beats meet ridiculously radioactive low end tones with the best tracks being the instrumentals featuring some vocoded vocal bits, which is about half the record. Titles include "Da Intro", "Let it Flow", 'Freak Out", "Stay Awake", "Rollin With Da Boom", "Planet Bass", "Klickinda Bass" and "Bionic Bass".

This is Charanga 76's second record and it features nine songs with a salsa sound. The group's leaders are Felipe Martinez and Hansel Martinez and they are joined by singer Raul Alfonso, Frank Bello on piano, Andrea Brachfeld on flute, David Castro on bass and many others. Tracks include "Kuku-cha Ku-cha", "Vamos A Escaparnos", "Rosa", "Sin Mi", "Juan Cabeza" and "Echa Pa'lante".

A great musical mystery – and one of Raymond Scott's jazziest albums of the 50s! The group on the session is Scott's "Secret 7" – a batch of unnamed jazz musicians, most likely playing here out of contract with other labels, hence the secret nature of their work on the album! In keeping with the nature of the original album, the players also aren't listed here – save for one undeniable talent, the mighty Toots Thielemans, who contributes some great sounds to the combo grooving on the set. The format is kind of a mixture of Scott's wilder arrangements from previous years, with some of the small chamber jazz work that was coming out of the east coast at the time – and although the record was originally issued on Top Rank, it's got a feel that's very much in keeping with much of the RCA sessions of the time. There's a few nice sound effects and studio tricks, but overall the real strength of the set comes from the instrumentation used – including Thelemans' harmonica, plus vibes, flute, and other more standard jazz instrumentation. Titles include "Waltz Of The Diddles", "Temptation", "In The Beginning", "A Message From Where", and "Quiet Entrance".

Tracks by the Delfonics, the Tempress, the Spinners & more.

Moody mellow vocals and lots of spare sounds – a really compelling collaboration between singer Greta Aagre and keyboardist Erik Honore! Honore plays a variety of instruments on the record, but his best contribution here is "samples" – bits of sound that are usually filtered down from acoustic sources, and delivered with a slightly skittish feel – never over the top, but kind of textural – in a way that nicely offsets the warmer qualities of Greta's vocals. Most tunes are relatively atmospheric, and draw energy from contributions on trumpet, guitar, and percussion from a few different guest musicians – on titles that include "Rope", "Before Betrayal", "Year Of The Bullet", "Move To Strike", "Home", "Stateline", and "Birth Mark".

A tremendous step forward for the young Muhal Richard Abrams – a set that still shows his early roots in the AACM, but which also blossoms with some of his more serious compositional efforts to come! There's a sensitivity here that really stands out – even among Abrams' contemporaries – a striving for a wider range of expression – some as bold as before, some much more deeply personal and intimate. The tracks feature a shifting array of players – working alongside Abrams piano, and building up the sound in a number of different ways. Players include Wallace McMillan on flute and sax, Edwin Daugherty on sax, Richard Brown on sax, Emanuel Cranshaw on vibes, Rufus Reid on bass, and Steve McCall and Wilbur Campbell on drums. Ella Jackson provides vocals on "How Are You?" – and other titles include "Ballad For New Souls", "Things To Come From Those Now Gone", "In Retrospect", "Ballad For Old Souls", "1 & 4 Plus 2 & 7", and "March Of The Transients".

Wickedly hip work from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his real standout sessions for Capitol Records in the 60s! The set lives up to its "Africa" promise right from the very first note – and features a set of loud, proud tunes that really bring out the righteous sounds of this generation of new liberation – tunes that sparkle with lead alto and soprano sax from Cannon, but which really draw even more energy from the whole collective of musicians on the record – a hip lineup led by HB Barnum, who also did all the arrangements for the set! The result is a record that's unlike any of Adderley's other albums – from some of the evocative snakey lines on the top, to the hip mix of 60s Cali soul and African percussion on the bottom. And oh yeah, David Axelrod produced the whole thing too! Titles include "Gumba Gumba", "Up & At It", "Hamba Nami", "Ndolima", and "Lehadima".

A totally great set by Cannonball Adderley – one of his funkiest albums ever, recorded live at Operation Breadbasket under the supervision of Jesse Jackson, and a session in which the band is cooking a lot more than on some of their other albums from the time! The set grooves hard with some tight electric piano from Joe Zawinul – amazing snakey lines that not only set the tone for the whole record, but which really make for a strong evolution from the Mercy Mercy Mercy era of the group a few years before. Cannon's alto and soprano work are beautiful – a masterpiece of soul jazz expression – as is the cornet from brother Nat – and the group's completed by bassist Walter Booker and drummer Roy McCurdy. The album's a bucketful of great jazzy sample tunes – and tracks include "Walk Tall", "Country Preacher", "Hummin", and the extended "Afro-Spanish Omlet".

A swingin' Japanese concert by one of Cannonball's best groups from the 60's. Joe Zawinul's on piano, brother Nat's on cornet, Sam Jones is on bass, and Louis Hayes is on drums. But the real treat here is Yusef Lateef, who does some excellent reed work on tenor, flute, and oboe – and who's playing at this point with that great mix of soul jazz and out-sounds that he was cooking up at the time. There's some great long cuts, including an excellent 12 minute reading of Lateef's "Brother John", plus the title track, "Come Sunday", "Tengo Tango", "Easy To Love" and "The Weaver".

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Art Blakey – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark".

The first proper Aesop Rock album in a few years – and his first for Rhymesayers – a logical next step for his uncompromising, darkness-tinged sounds and distinctive rhyme style of his early work for Def Jux! Aesop hasn't missed a step, and the sound is as dystopian, breathless and creative as ever. Hanni El Khatib plays guitar on a few tracks, as does Allyson Baker, with appearances by Rob Sonic and Kimya Dawson. Includes "Leisureforce", "ZZZ Top", "Cycles To Gehenna", "Zero Dark Thirty", "Crows 1" with Kimya Dawson, "Homemade Mummy", "Crows 2" with Rob Sonic, "1,000 Clock", "Saturn Missiles", "Tetra", "Gopher Guts" and more.

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

Very nice album by Jug that often gets overlooked because it's comprised of 2 different sessions, and can't get the "historical" writeup of being a single significant moment in the studio. Some tracks – including "Lascivious" and "Soft Winds" – are with a tight quartet that features the very soulful piano of Patti Brown. The others are with a larger group that has a whole horn section backing Jug up. The sound's a bit unusual for his records of the time, but it also gives him a great platform to work from, and he wails out of the group on his solos. Other titles include "Lullaby Of The Leaves" and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

Recorded live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, February 7-10, 1983. A HUGE amount of material! Includes the tracks "Say Hello", "Walk The Dog", "Violin Solo", "Closed Circuits", "For A Large And Changing Room", "Pictures Of It", "Language Of The Future", "Reverb", "If You Can't Talk About It, Point To It", "City Song", "Finnish Farmers", "Democratic Way", "Private Property", "Neon Duet", "Difficult Listening Hour", "So Happy Birthday", "Dance Of Electricity", "Sax Duet", "Born, Never Asked", "From The Air", "Beginning French", "Talkshow", "Cello Solo", "Blue Lagoon", "Stiff Neck", "Hothead", "Telephone Song", "Sweaters", "We've Got Four Big Clocks", "I Dreamed I Had To Take A Test", "Big Top", "It Was Up In The Mountains", "Big Science", "Red Map", "Strike", "False Documents", and many, many more!

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". CD features a massive 52 page booklet, too!

One of the most creative albums ever from UK composer Neil Ardley – and that's saying a lot, given the complexity of his other work! The set's got a wonderful blend of jazz arrangements and some freer passages – scored by Ardley with some of his most sensitive, most beautiful music ever – almost as if the whole thing's an extended soundtrack for a passage in time – or at least a sonic journey that's filled with some wonderful twists and turns! There's definitely some jazz/rock elements in the music, but the main focus is jazz – and Ardley has that same strong sense of large charts and forward-moving rhythms that you'd find in the best early work of Mike Westbrook, particularly his albums for Deram. Players are a very familiar, and very top-shelf batch of British musicians – including Barbara Thompson, Dick Heckstall-Smith, and Don Rendell on reeds; Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther on trumpets; Derek Wadsworth on trombone, Frank Rocotti on vibes, and Stan Tracey on both piano and celeste. Ardley plays prepared piano, and Ivor Cutler makes a great guest appearance on one track – reciting "The Dong With A Luminous Nose" – and Norma Winstone sings on "Will You Walk A Little Faster". The title track – "A Symphony Of Amaranths" – is dedicated to Duke Ellington and Gil Evans – with a feel that more than lives up to both! LP features a bonus "outro" track too.

A classic live date from Satchmo – and expanded to include the complete performances on that legendary night at Boston's Symphony Hall – for the first time ever! Recorded in November of 1947 and originally released in '51, it's never before been issued with both the first and second sets that night. There's also a number of great tunes here that were released before in edited versions, but fully presented here. It's such wonderful stuff – both as a top-shelf document of this period of American jazz – and as a brilliant example of Satcho's charming stage presence. His trumpet and solo vocals are well captured, and you can here up humming along on the instrumentals, too. The players at this point who are All Stars, indeed, include Jack Teagarden on vocals and trombone, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Dick Cary on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass, and Sid Catlett on drums – plus some great vocals by Velma Middleton. 29 songs on 2CDs – in a hardback package with a great booklet – and featuring "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", "Stars Fell On Alabama", "Body And Soul", "Steak Face", "Back O'Town Blues", "St James Infirmary", "Mop Mop", "Jack Armstrong Blues", "That's My Desire", "C Jam Blues", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Mahogany Hall Stomp" and more – many previously unreleased!

Previously unissued material from the great Harry Arnold – excellent mid 60s big band sessions, as creative as they are hard-swinging! Arnold's group here is at the top of its form – working together with a rich array of tones and colors that show the best legacies of 50s modern jazz in the large ensemble idiom – yet with a lean quality that really allows lots of voice from the soloists, too – a lineup that includes Arne Domnerus, Jan Johansson, Lars Farnlov, Bengt-Arne Wallin, and Georg Riedel! Arrangements are by Wallin, Pete Jacques, and others – but it's Arnold who clearly knows how to make the whole thing hold together this well. Titles include "It's In The Bag", "Margie", "Blues For Nathan", "Cheryl", "Tina", "Per Spelman", "You've Got It", "I Knew It I Knew It", and "King Valiant".

A mid 70s winner from Ashford & Simpson – one of their earlier efforts, and a record that finds them fleshed out as a top notch act of their end – even if it'd be yeas before they'd net the kind of huge chart success that they deserved! Come As You Are is filled with solid soul with a sophisticated, expertly spun approach to production and arranging around the duo vocals – and the first rate songwriting that they'd provided for huge Motown stars like Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye. A couple tracks move more towards a dancefloor soul vibe that's pretty wonderful, and doesn't compromise the intimate soul vocals at the center. Titles include "It'll Come, It'll Come, It'll Come", "One More Try", "Believe In Me", "Caretaker", "Somebody Told A Lie", "Tell It All", "Sell The House" and "It Came To Me". This CD edition includes a couple remixes of the most club soul styled tune "One More Try" – the 12" disco mix plus a longer Dimitri re-edit!

Great stuff! From Motown songwriters to world-class superstars, the trip was a well-deserved one for Valerie Simpson and Nick Ashford – and this album's perhaps their crowning achievement in sophisticated club soul! The record's got a great groove that offers a more soulful version of disco than most of the competing albums on major labels at the time – a perfect summation of the care and craft that Ashford & Simpson had always put into their music right from the start! The pair handle all production on the record, and also contributed all the songs too – and the whole thing's so wonderfully tight, right, and on the money, the album soars to the top even before the vocals come into the mix. Titles include more than a few club classics, like "Found A Cure", "Stay Free", and "Nobody Knows" – plus the cuts "Dance Forever", "Crazy", "Follow Your Heart", and "Finally Got To Me".

The first full length album recorded by the legendary Association – a classic bit of Sunshine Pop that would forever change the sound of the 60s! Although familiar, the album's got an amazing depth that still never fails to surprise today – odd production twists and turns, courtesy of a young Curt Boettcher; personally youthful harmonies that slip as often as they soar; and just the right touches of flower power to move the group away from their folkie roots into the new sun of a changing decade! The hits "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish" are almost worth the price of admission – but lesser-known cuts are even better, and show a wealth of great work penned by members of the group! Other titles include "Standing Still", "Message Of Our Love", "Changes", "I'll Be Your Man", "Blistered", "Round Again", "Remember" and "Enter The Young".

The first album by Atlantic Starr – a tight set of modern soul tunes with a very different feel than their later work! Part of the credit goes to Bobby Eli – who arranged and produced the set, giving it a feel that's almost late Philly – tight, sophisticated, and right on the money at all the best points! There's a number of sweet mellow ballads with lead vocals by Sharon Bryant, and other tracks that groove in an uptempo way that points towards more of the group's 80s work – a great mix of modes that makes for a really well-developed album right out of the gate. Titles include "Gimme Your Lovin", "The Love I Never Had", "Visions", "Keep It Comin", "Stand Up", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "We Got It Together", and "Being In Love With You Is So Much Fun".

Two great funky guitar tracks! Both cuts have kind of a slow chugging stoner groove to them – right up there with work by Shuggie Otis or Eddie Senay, and with a similar mix of tripped-out soloing over the top of slow funky beats!

An excellent funky fusion group from Chicago – and one of the best ensembles to record for the Black Jazz label! The group's made up of hip Chicago underground players – and includes Ken Chaney on electric piano, Ari Brown on saxes, and Frank Gordon on trumpet – a lineup that comes together with the same sort of righteous energy and soulful power as Windy City contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Earth Wind & Fire! On this first LP, they jam with a mix of righteous funk and spiritual soul jazz, mixing electric piano, choppy reeds, and tight horns with a powerful rhythm backing that never goes too over the top, and which stays in a good modal mode that works great for the soloists – soaringly expressive at a personal level, yet coming together with a really righteous group feel in the end. Tracks include "Jupiter", "Brand New Feeling", "Convulsions", and "Kera's Dance".

What can we say? This is one of the greatest soul soundtracks ever! In a market that was dominated by the big-selling Shaft and Superfly albums, Roy slipped in this masterful blend of jazzy vibes and wah wah funk that's easily one of the best-composed records of the blacksploitation genre! The album's much more unified than your average funky soundtrack – and each track moves between styles that you'd hear on any of Roy's great albums from the time. There's heavy funk on the track "Brawling Broads", cool vibes and electric piano on "Aragon", off-beat jazz on "Coffy Sauna", and great soul on cuts like "Coffy Is The Color" and "Coffy Baby". Wonderful all the way through – and another jewel in the already-big crown of the great Roy Ayers!

Talk about a meeting of the minds – a pair of ultra-amazing classics from the team of Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson – back to back in a single set! At the time of Step Into Our Life, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a smooth soulful style that was pushing the genre onto whole new levels, while still keeping firm roots in jazz – a rare blend that few other artists could handle this well! This initial debut from the pair seems to be much more dominated by the spirit of Roy Ayers' work at the time – particularly the mellow jazzed up work he was laying down on albums like Vibrations and You Send Me – a wicked sound that's rooted in modern soul modes, but filled with plenty of warm jazz elements too. The album's got wonderful vibes and electric piano from Roy – and tracks include "Step Into Our Life", "Lovers Should Always Be Together", "No Deposit No Return", "Ooh Baby", and "For Real". Prime Time is a funky classic from the team of Roy Ayers and Wayne Henderson – both at the top of their game here, and effortlessly mixing together jazz, funk, and soul! The record really seems to embrace the best of both artists' styles – some of the bassy groovers that Wayne did so well himself, and while producing for other artists – and those snakey, soulful numbers that we love so much in the late 70s work from Roy Ayers – ultra-sophisticated, but still plenty darn grooving – and some of the most sensual soul you'll ever hope to hear. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Weekend Lover", "Thank You Thank You", "Can You Dance", "It Ain't Your Sign It's Your Mind", "You Make Me Feel Like Rockin With Ya", "Have Your Way", and "Million Dollar Baby".

The punk-metal crossover classic. Very nearly as deserving of watershed status as the unbridled Rock For Light set. Burning jams from top to bottom: "I Against I", "House Of Suffering", "Re-Ignition", "Secret 77", "Let Me Help", "She's Calling You", "Sacred Love", "Hired Gun" and "Return To Heaven".

A really wonderful take on Porgy & Bess and other Gershwin standards by Pearl Bailey – there's just something about her naturally rich, bluesy, husky tone on these tunes that's simply wonderful! The backing is often well measured, but, occasionally a bigger sound and chorus vocals kick in. For the most part Pearl owns this stuff, giving warmth and resonance lost on more showbizzy takes on the style and compositions. Titles include "I Got Plenty Of Nothin". "I Got Rhythm", "Summertime", "Lady Be Good", "A Foggy Day", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Bess You Is My Woman", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "Clap Yo Hands" and more.

An obscure session that Chet recorded in the mid 60's with a rhythm section from Detroit that includes the Kirk Lightsey, Herman Wright, and Roy Brooks – and that features some firey playing by George Coleman on tenor. Tracks include "Rearin' Back", "Grade A Gravy", and "Fine & Dandy". Much more soulful than some of Chet's other LPs – and a record that was oddly licensed both to Prestige and Roulette!

Out of the wreckage of Cream came some very hip grooves! Ginger Baker was the hippest of the group's 3 members – and although he's often credited by soul fans for his work with Fela, he should also get a hats off for his work with the group Air Force – essentially a 10-piece (which seems to have been expanded beyond even that number for this set) that came up with some of the most monstrous art funk jamming we've heard! At its base, the group's in the jazz rock mode – with players that include Brit jazz luminaries Phil Seamen, Harold McNair, and Graham Bond, plus rockers like Baker, Steve Winwood, Denny Laine, and Rick Grech. The tracks are all long groovers in a post-beat group mode – and the best tracks have a jamming sound that's pretty over the top! It's full of the propulsive, Afro-influenced bass and percussion, some wild, jazz funk flute and sax, plus amazing work on violin, guitar and occasional, ephemeral vocals. Awesome stuff – one of the best and most innovative live albums of the era! Titles include "Da Da Man", "Aiko Biaye", "Do What You Like", "Doin It", and "Don't Care". It's about time this thing arrived on CD!

A great step forward for The Bar-Kays – an album that actually has them taking on a few mellower moments, amidst the heavy funk you might expect – yet all without softening their groove at all! The album's very much in the best spirit of the group's Mercury debut – still recorded in Memphis, with production that's tight, but never uptight – enough to firmly put the group at the top of the funk superstar scene of the mid 70s, yet never sell out the rich Memphis groove that first got them going! Titles include "You Can't Run Away", "Let's Have Some Fun", "Can't Keep My Hands Off You", "Whatever It Is", and "Shut the Funk Up".

A funky blacksploitation soundtrack – issued here for the first time! The score was written and performed by HB Barnum, the great soul arranger who was responsible for some of the funky work that David Axelrod did at Capitol Records during the late 60s – and this set features him working in a hipper mode of wah-wah funk, jazzy instrumentals, and a few more full-on soul numbers. The CD features a total of 18 tracks lifted from the original film, and remastered for mainstream release for the first time ever – and the album's filled with great short numbers that are a must for any fan of the sound of 70s funky action films! Titles include "Freedom", "Kung Fu Funk", "They Keep Comin", "Black Star Barber Shop", "Playin Numbers", "Fun Lovin Arrives", and "Roof Top Fight".

The only album ever by The Barrino Brothers – a stellar early 70s harmony group, and one who could sing with the best of the east coast scene of the time! The whole set's got a feel that's very much in the best mode of groups like The Modulations, Soul Generation, and even The O'Jays – as the group's got a deeper, more solid sound than some of the more fragile outfits of their era. Production is very strong – thanks to the Holland-Dozier-Holland powerhouse sound of the time – and the group's vocals are supported on a full groove that really helps send the whole thing over the top! The title cut "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love" is a stone classic – and other nice tracks include "Rain", "I Had it All", and "It Doesn't Have to Be That Way". Loads of bonus tracks too – including "Trapped In A Love", "I Had It All (single)", "I Shall Not Be Moved", "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love (inst)", "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love (single)", "Born On The Wild (voc)", and "Born On The Wild (inst)".

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

Quite an unusual record from New Orleans R&B legend Dave Bartholomew – arranger, producer, and trumpeter – coming off here with more of a jazz sound than on his usual records! Despite the "New Orleans" and "House Party" in the title, the album's actually set of complicated larger group arrangements – wonderful stuff with some strongly pronounced solos, blowing forth in styles that almost evoke some of the best crime jazz soundtracks of the time. Wardell Quezerque joined Bartholomew in putting together the album, and titles include "Sultan's Dream (parts 1 & 2)", "Concerto For Alto Sax (parts 1 & 2)", "Portrait Of A Drummer", and "A Cool One".

A rare treat by Gary Bartz – and very different than most of his other work! The album's a small group session – with Charles Mims on piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums – recorded with the feel of a looser soul jazz set on Black Jazz or Strata East. Mims' is great on piano, and working with Bartz, the pair come up with some wonderfully soulful numbers that have a very earthy feel. Tracks include "Ju Ju Man", "Pisces Daddy Blue", and "Chelsea Bridge" – plus a versoin of "My Funny Valentine", with vocals by Syreeta.

Features solos from Moe Koffman on soprano sax and flute, Guido Basso on trumpet, Rob McConnell on trombone, Peter Appleyard on vibes, and Phil Nimmons on clarinet.

A real killer from the legendary Joe Bataan – an album of righteous power that really lives up to the dynamic promise of the title and cover! Joe Bataan's in top form throughout – serving up a blend of Latin grooves and 60s soul influences that few other artists of the time could touch – soaring and upbeat one minute, but mellow and laidback the next. There's a number of longer tracks on here that really move past the standard Latin Soul modes – bringing in bits of descarga jazz, instrumental soul, and mellower ballads to Joe's already-great blend of styles. The depth here is tremendous, and nearly every track's a winner! Titles include the slamming "It's A Good Feeling (Riot)", "Muneca", and "Mambo De Bataan" – plus the soul tracks "What Good Is A Castle", "My Cloud", "Daddy's Coming Home", "Ordinary Guy", and "For Your Love".

Genius work from Les Baxter – two of his best albums for Capitol, back to back on one CD! Ritual Of The Savage is one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the time! Before this record, most attempts at exotica were simple instrumental pop, colored with slight worldly instrumentation – or too-dreamy recordings, putting over a sleepy version of life on the islands. Enter Les Baxter, who had an amazing ear for sounds, rhythms, and arrangements – one that was the first to record this sort of music in a way that was sonically evocative, and could stand on its own without other referents. Instrumentation is often conventional, but used oddly here – and Baxter's original compositions are all pretty darn great – playful without being goofy, and nicely mixing Latin and Pacific rhythms at the bottom. Titles include "Busy Port", "The Ritual", "Coronation", "Jungle Jalopy", and Les' original version of "Quiet Village". Heck, even the cover is gorgeous – with a brilliant blue illustration of some guy putting the moves on a woman amidst spooky tribal relics! The Passions is a really obscure box set recording – done as Les Baxter's classic exploitation of "a woman's passions", using vocalist Bas Sheva in the role of the tormented female! Shiva's got a bold, evocative style that's not unlike Yma Sumac – and she sings here wordlessly, as an added instrument on top of Baxter's orchestrations – playing the role of the inner psyche of woman, on titles that include "Lust", "Terror", "Joy", "Hate", "Ecstasy", and "Despair"! The whole thing's a mini docu-drama in sound – beautifully recorded in a flurry of red, blue, and other chromatic hues – not as exotic as Baxter's other work from the 50s, but equally great as a modern sonic psychoanalytic text!

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

Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Every Little Thing", and "Yes It Is".