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A great step forward for The Bamboos – still as funky as ever, but in a much greater range of styles than before! The core deep funk sound we've always loved is still burning away at the bottom – thanks to the ever-trusty grooves of Lance Ferguson and crew – but this time around, there's also a host of guests who really seem to shape the overall feel of the record – Aloe Blacc, Megan Washington, Klye Auldist, Daniel Merriweather, Bobby Flynn, and Ella Thompson – each bringing in their own great flavors, and creating a depth of sound that's mighty nice! Most of these guests are vocalists, but their shifting styles seems to spur the instrumentation onto new heights too – adapting to suit the mood, yet never in a way that's too frenetic to keep the album from being unified overall. Titles include "Where Does The Time Go", "What I Know", "I Got Burned", "Cut Me Down", "Midnight", "Medicine Man", "Window", and "Hello Stranger".

A brilliant return from the Hot 8 Brass Band – a New Orleans combo who take tradition into some great funky new territory! As you'd guess from their name, the instrumentation is heavy on brass – played with a gritty, soulful edge – in the way you'd find during some street performance in a corner far from the mainstream Quarter – sometimes accompanied by ensemble vocals, and almost always driven by these great rhythms at the bottom – more than funky enough to set even the heaviest horns on fire with their energy. Titles include "Bingo Bango", "Fine Tuner", "Steamin Blues", "Can't Hide From The Truth", "New Orleans (After The City)", and a nice remake of The Specials' "Ghost Town".

A mindblower from Menagerie – yet another deep musical chapter in the rich career of Lance Ferguson – an artist we loved for his early club work, then dug as a funk maestro with The Bamboos, now able to hit spiritual jazz sounds with this wonderful new group! The set's got a feel that's more in the Build An Ark/Carlos Nino camp than anything else we've heard on the Tru Thoughts label – and Menagerie's a very cool ensemble with Ferguson on guitar, plus tenor, flute, trumpet, soprano sax, Fender Rhodes, and lots of percussion – and added vibes from Roy Ayers on one key track! Vocals are great – sung by Lance and female singers together, in a mode that recalls some of Ayers' more righteous moments of the 70s – and the album's a stunner all the way through – way deeper than we were expecting. Titles include "They Shall Inherit", "The Chosen", "Jamahlia", "Leroy & The Lion", "The Quietening", and "There Will Come Soft Rains".

A mindblower from Menagerie – yet another deep musical chapter in the rich career of Lance Ferguson – an artist we loved for his early club work, then dug as a funk maestro with The Bamboos, now able to hit spiritual jazz sounds with this wonderful new group! The set's got a feel that's more in the Build An Ark/Carlos Nino camp than anything else we've heard on the Tru Thoughts label – and Menagerie's a very cool ensemble with Ferguson on guitar, plus tenor, flute, trumpet, soprano sax, Fender Rhodes, and lots of percussion – and added vibes from Roy Ayers on one key track! Vocals are great – sung by Lance and female singers together, in a mode that recalls some of Ayers' more righteous moments of the 70s – and the album's a stunner all the way through – way deeper than we were expecting. Titles include "They Shall Inherit", "The Chosen", "Jamahlia", "Leroy & The Lion", "The Quietening", and "There Will Come Soft Rains".

A massively beautiful little record from Nostalgia 77 – one that really knocked our socks off, and that's saying a lot, because we really liked their last album too! The sound here is much jazzier than before – strung out over some funky beats and samples, but played by a larger group that includes some excellent work on saxes and flute, plus these massive acoustic basslines that roll out over the tunes and create a sinister, soulful sort of sound. Alice Russell sings a bit on the record, but honestly the main focus here is on the instrumentation – and the instrumentation is totally great! Given the album's strong reliance on acoustic bass, and the wonderfully angular horn parts, there's a sound here that almost makes us imagine what it would have been like had Charles Mingus got the chance to record for Mo Wax! Titles include "You & Me", "The Garden", "Freedom", "Seven Nation Army", "After Ararat", "Cheney Lane", "Green Blades Of Grass", and "The Hunger".

The most spiritual album from Nostalgia 77 in years – a real return to some of the modes he was exploring with his octet a few years ago – especially some of the more jazz-based styles that really made those records sparkle! The album's all instrumental – quite a change from the previous highly vocal record from Nostalgia 77 – and instrumentation is a very righteous blend of the leader's bass, plus reeds, trumpet, percussion, and lots of Hammond and Fender Rhodes – used in these mellow-flowing styles that really further the exploratory style of the music. As before, Riaan Vosloo's got a really expressive style to his writing – rich colors that are completely sublime in the hands of the group – on titles that include "Algernon", "Zippy Slipper", "Angels & Demons At Play", "Sunrise In Mexico", and "The Taxidermist".

Soulful funk with Colombian touches – a real triple-header of talents that features Alice Russell on vocals, and Quantic leading his cool Combo Barbaro! "Magdalena" has a sound that's really wonderful – vocals from Russell that really surprise us – with a mix of soaring soul and warmth that's almost Stevie Wonder, somehow sounding perfect here with the cut's slight Latin jazz touches! "Look Around The Corner" is another great cut from the project – but given two more contemporary spins here in a gospel mix by Simbad and another by Behling & Simpson.

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

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

A whole new sound for Mark De Clive-Lowe – and a great one too – a completely different approach than any of his other previous records, and one that mixes his core cosmic grooves with a heavy dose of jazz! The set has Mark working with the Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra – who provide bigger band backing to his sweet keyboards and rhythms, making for a wonderful blend of acoustic and electric that almost takes us back to some of the best MPS sessions of this nature in the 70s! Most tracks feature at least one horn solo out from the larger group – and there's no vocals at all on the record, which further gives the whole thing a fresh vibe compared to some of Mark's recent releases. Titles include "Relax Unwind", "Blues For Six", "Money", "El Dia Perfecto", "Heaven", "Take The Space Trane", "Caravan", and "Filthy Fingers".

These guys just keep getting better and better with each new record – really transforming the older sound of New Orleans into a rich new groove – one that's not just jazz, street music, or conventional brass band – but a really unique hybrid of all those modes and more! The album begins with a great intro piece, spoken by Big Al over grooves from the group – who then really let loose on the album's instrumental tracks that follow – mixing melody and rhythm effortlessly with their work on horns and percussion, and coming across with a style that's even funkier than before – further proof that their placement on the Tru Thoughts album is a mighty good thing! Titles include "Shot Gun Joe", "Tombstone Intro", "We Goin Make It", "Big Girl", "Take It To The House", and "Milwaukee Fat".

Mindblowing stuff – maybe the deepest album we've heard so far from Quantic, and a great step forward for Alice Russell too! After years of working in some of the best contemporary funk modes around, Quantic really expands his vision here – hitting a level of maturity that brings in richer arrangements with bits of strings and other righteous touches – all in a vibe that feels just like the Cadet studios at the end of the 60s! The approach is great – because at the bottom, Quantic's still got all his sharp funky edges intact – mixed in with these swirling soulful arrangements that Charles Stepney would have been proud of – all coming together in a mode that unlocks this whole new side in Alice Russell too – a vibe that's almost Stevie Wonder-ish at times, which really fits perfectly with the grooves. Sublime sounds throughout – a true instant classic – with titles that include "Magdalena", "Here Again", "Travelling Song", "I'll Keep A Light In My Window", "Look Around The Corner", "Su Suzy", "Boogaloo 33", "Road To Islay", and "Similau".

Solid material from UK hip hop veteran Ty – on a tight 10-inch EP from Record Breakin and Tru Thoughts! Rhymer Ty and producer partner Drew Horley have been working together for quite a while now, and they're as strong as ever production wise – with beats and scratches that show love for classic hip hop – and they bring quite a bit of live instrumentation into the mix , too. Synth, keys and piano by Drew, plus live drums, some horns and other live instrumental flourishes (including clavinet by Amp Fiddler) – along with some soulful backing vocals on the hooks. Ty's lyrics are strong on both the self-reflection and social commentary tips. Good stuff! Tracks include "Lets's Start", "Like You Never", "Knock Knock" and "Well Well Well".

Soaring, soulful sounds from Kylie Auldist – maybe the best so far from this up-and-coming singer! The vocalist gets superb help from Lance Ferguson, of The Bamboos – and together, they both explore a mode that's more swinging 60s mod than some of Lance's usual funk – an upbeat, joyous groove that's some of the best female blue-eyed soul we've heard in years! Instrumentation is filled with great grooves and lots of bouncy brass – and titles include "Still Life", "Counting On You", "Changes", "Daydream", "Nothin Else To Beat Me", and "All In You".

They're billed as an "orchestra", and have a sound to match – but the group's mostly a quartet on this sweet little outing – with added help from guest players on different tracks! The sound here is every bit as great as the previous Hidden Orchestra outing – an evocative blend of acoustic instruments and sound slices that seem to have a very organic nature – billed in the notes as "field recordings" by leader Joe Acheson, and used here in these really painterly ways, very much in keeping with the cover! Things are never too processed – and really the music seems to originate from the group's strings, piano, percussion, and horns – then get filled in and expanded by these field recordings, and by other cool acoustic instruments that bubble forth in the mix. There's a majesty to the music that's right up there with Nostalgia 77 or Cinematic Orchestra – and titles include "Vorka", "Flight", "Spoken", "Disquiet", "Seven Hunters", and "Reminder".

Alice Russell w/ Darondo, Hot 8 Brass Band and more!

A shapely set of grooves from the Tru Thoughts label – a double-length set at half the price of a regular CD – and one that also features a fair bit of rare mixes and hard to find tracks! The package is a great way to dip into the richness of the label – one of the few leftfield imprints that are still going strong these days, and continuing to push boundaries with its fresh approach to a 21st Century groove. Creative production and soulful vocals abound – and titles include "Heroine" by Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills Are Wildcookie, "Sleepwalker (Ambassadeurs rmx)" by Nostalgia 77, "Darkrum" by Anchorsong, "The Why" by Mark De Clive-Lowe, "Swing Samba" by Drumagick, "Big Fat Liar" by Kinny, "Fairplay (Zed Bias old skool mix)" by Zed Bias, "Sleepwalker (Lanu rmx)" by Nostalgia 77, and "Crash & Burn (Hint club mix)" by Hint. 2CD set features 29 tracks in all!

Mindblowing stuff – maybe the deepest album we've heard so far from Quantic, and a great step forward for Alice Russell too! After years of working in some of the best contemporary funk modes around, Quantic really expands his vision here – hitting a level of maturity that brings in richer arrangements with bits of strings and other righteous touches – all in a vibe that feels just like the Cadet studios at the end of the 60s! The approach is great – because at the bottom, Quantic's still got all his sharp funky edges intact – mixed in with these swirling soulful arrangements that Charles Stepney would have been proud of – all coming together in a mode that unlocks this whole new side in Alice Russell too – a vibe that's almost Stevie Wonder-ish at times, which really fits perfectly with the grooves. Sublime sounds throughout – a true instant classic – with titles that include "Magdalena", "Here Again", "Travelling Song", "I'll Keep A Light In My Window", "Look Around The Corner", "Su Suzy", "Boogaloo 33", "Road To Islay", and "Similau".

A shapely set of grooves from the Tru Thoughts label – and one that also features a fair bit of rare mixes and hard to find tracks! The package is a great way to dip into the richness of the label – one of the few leftfield imprints that are still going strong these days, and continuing to push boundaries with its fresh approach to a 21st Century groove. Creative production and soulful vocals abound – and titles include "Heroine" by Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills Are Wildcookie, "Sleepwalker (Ambassadeurs rmx)" by Nostalgia 77, "Darkrum" by Anchorsong, "The Why" by Mark De Clive-Lowe, "Swing Samba" by Drumagick, "Big Fat Liar" by Kinny, "Fairplay (Zed Bias old skool mix)" by Zed Bias, "Sleepwalker (Lanu rmx)" by Nostalgia 77, and "Crash & Burn (Hint club mix)" by Hint. 2LP set features 12 tracks – and also includes a CD of the full album, with 29 tracks in all!

Soaring spiritual jazz from Larry Stabbins – a reedman you might know from his recent Stonephace project for Tru Thoughts, or for his seminal work in the groups Weekend and Working Week! Yet the sound here is something else entirely – a righteous side of Larry's music we never would have expected back in the 80s – as his tenor and flute are mixed with bold, modal lines that recall some of the contemporary spiritual energy from Matthew Halsall and Nat Birchall on the Gondwana label – music that has a similar sort of early 70s approach! Tracks are long and flowing, and very open – with great solos from Larry and sublime piano from Zoe Rahman – whose tones and timing really give the record a lot of energy. Titles include "Noetic", "Immanence", "Transcendental Euphoria", "Soul Train", "White Queen Psychology", and "Africa".

A smoking debut from this funky Atlanta combo – a group who've worked together for years, and have a totally top-shelf quality on this first album! Vocalist Ruby Velle is firmly in the lead – hitting hard with a soulful punch that rivals some of the most soulful female singers on funk projects from labels like Tru Thoughts or Record Kicks – working with very sharp rhythms from the Soulphonics combo – whose horns are as sharp as their grooves on drums, bass, and guitar! Titles include "The Man Says", "Medicine Spoon", "The Agenda", "Looking For A Better Thing", "Longview", and "Mr Wrong".

Surprisingly deep soul from Hannah Williams – a singer who seems like just your run of the mill local talent on the cover – but who comes across with the smoking sound of some legendary southern soul diva on the record! The band and the backing is pretty great too – way more than just a rehash of older soul modes – and instead a contemporary approach that has subtle strains of some of the more interesting funk elements that have percolated globally of late – all fused together by Diesler, who's kind of the "artistic director" of the set – and who gives the music a Tru Thoughts sort of complexity. Titles include "The Kitchen Strut", "Work It Out", "Washed Up", "Don't Tell Me", "Things To Come", "Get It", and "Do Whatever Makes You Feel Hot".

Deep deep funk from The Poets Of Rhythm – and a record cut at a time when all the world thought classic funk was dead! Apart from a few revivalist albums by older artists at the time, deep funk was plenty hard to come by at the start of the 90s – and often mis-recorded or badly mixed when it was tracked down. Enter The Poets, one of the first newer groups with a strong ear for the sound of the funky 45 generation – heard here in a rare full length set that presents the group in all their glory! The combo's got an approach to funk that mixes guitar, horns, and heavy drums with some slightly more psychedelic production – sometimes abstracting things slightly, in a mode that would be used much more heavily by the Quantic/Tru Thoughts camp in years to come. Most of the tracks on this set could easily pass for lost 45s from the early 70s – no surprise, given that the group was often putting out "fake" old cuts at the time – but the record proudly presents The Poets at their early best, with a smoking endorsement from Bobby Byrd to boot! Titles include "More Mess On My Thing", "Funky Runthrough (parts 1 & 2)", "Choking On A Piece Of Meat", "Saltin The Soup", "It Came Over Me", "Strokin The Grits", and "North Carolina".

Two tracks from this sweet Finnish singer! "Go Go Get Gone" is a classic-styled soul number – a bit of a 60s and 70s influence, with a sound that would make it right at home with some of the Tru Thoughts female soul of late! "Nothing Without You" is a slower, bluer ballad – but quite nice too.

Righteous soul, but with a wicked groove too – a killer set from Aquarian Dream, made even better by some great Norman Connors production! In a way, Aquarian Dream were to Norman Connors what Ramp were to Roy Ayers – in that the group wasn't really that dominated by Connors, but they did benefit a lot from his groundbreaking work in the jazz funk field – getting a level of sophistication in their sound that's really wonderful – and mixed with almost equal parts soul, funk, and jazz in the instrumentation! Vocals are often in a harmony mode – again in the manner of Ramp – and there's a classy yet cosmic sound to the record that we totally love. (And there's also one more Roy Ayers-like connection in the vocal department – since the group features Sylvia Striplin, who later recorded for Roy's Uno Melodic label!) The album's got a number of nice groovers with a strongly off-beat sound – and titles include "Friends", "It Ain't Whatcha Say", "You're A Star", "Play It For Me", and "Gentle Thoughts".

Rhythmic early 60s global grooves from John Berberian – a master of the oud with a great group of players on these oft intense takes traditional Turkish, Armenian and Arabic songs! The melodies and rhythms are pretty impressive – the percussion is particularly heavy and groovy! The oud is out front and supported by lots of clarinet and bongo, hand percussion, guitar, bass and some vocals, too! There's a passion here that easily trumps any initial thoughts that this would be a dry reading of middle-eastern folk material – it's appealing in many of the ways that Salah Ragab's Egyptian jazz material is, without the cosmic funkiness. Players include Souren Baronian on clarinet and bongos, Jack Chalikian on canun, John Valentine on guitar and dudoog, among others. Tracks include "Siseler", "Laz", "Basha Bella", "Whyek", "Taksim", and "Nubar Nubar".

One of the few straight rock records ever issued on the mostly-folk Monitor Records label – a great 60s outing from Freeborne, a group with a sound that's as tripped-out as you might expect from the cover! Instrumentation is heavy on organ and guitars, both acoustic and electric, but there's also some cool percussion too – and interesting use of recorders, in a way that comes across with an ocarina-like charm! Vocals are somewhat soft, but have a dark undercurrent – and there's a really great folk-into-psyche sort of feel to the whole thing. Titles include "Images", "Land Of Diana", "But I Must Return To Frenzy", "Inside People", "Yellow Sky", "Peak Impressions & Thoughts", and "Visions Of My Own".

One of the hippest Stan Kenton albums of the 60s – a set of original compositions by Dee Barton – Stan's drummer at the time, and a composer to rival the great ones who contributed to the Kenton group of the 40s and 50s! Barton's work here is totally great – modern, but never too academically so – that perfect balance of swinging and thinking that marks some of the best Kenton albums over the years. All numbers are awash in those great Kenton tones and colors we love so much – and the group here features Mike Price on trumpet, Dick Shearer on trombone, Ray Reed on alto & flute, Mike Altschul on tenor, and Don Bagley on bass – as well as Kenton on piano and Barton on drums. Titles include "Man", "Lonely Boy", "Singing Oyster", "Dilemma", "Three Thoughts", "A New Day", and "Woman".

Hip work from the Polish scene at the start of the 70s – a Hammond-heavy combo with a fair bit of jazz in their grooves – almost a more progressive take on the Brit beat group sound of the 60s, but without all of the progressive modes that other Euro groups were moving into! There's a great blend of basslines, percussion, and organ in the group's approach – and although there's a number of tracks with vocals, there's also others where the instrumentation really dominates, and those are especially appealing to us. Production is cool too – often echoey and effect-heavy – and titles include "A Dream", "Temptation", "The Nerves Of Cities", "Thoughts", "The Hive", and "The Starveling's Dance".

Very spare sounds from Roscoe Mitchell and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, but still very sharp-edged too – and in a way, a mix of deeper thoughts and spontaneous energy that reminds us a lot of some of the more "out there" moments of the Art Ensemble back in the 70s! Roscoe's reeds have those complex qualities that we've heard in recent compositional work – but the overall approach is a bit looser, too – and clearly dictated by the range of percussion added by drummer Tyshawn Sorey. Trumpeter Hugh Ragin blows a fair bit on the record too – adding in sounds that shift from textural to musical – and overall, it may well be his tracks that we like the best. Titles include "The Horn", "Bells In The Air", "Out There", "A Cactus & A Rose", "Meadows", "A Game Of Catch", "Waves", and "Windows With A View".

One of Eddie Palmieri's greatest albums – and certainly one of the most mindblowingly creative! The album encompasses all the grooves stated in the title, and then some – as Eddie works with a mix of acoustic and electric instruments, crafting tunes that are long and exploratory, tightly jazzy but also free, and with more than a bit of funk in the mix on the best numbers. And far from confusing, the whole thing comes together with a really cohesive sound – the kind of broad vision in one fell stroke that only Palmieri could pull off! Titles include "Cobarde", "Chocolate Ice Cream", "The Mod Scene", "Random Thoughts", "Resemblance", and "Condiciones Que Existen".

A dreamlike flow of elemental sounds and masterful mood from Adam Rudolph & Ralph James – conceived and performed as a dialogue between multi-instrumentalists Adam Rudolph and Ralph Jones on a date at Michigan's Delta College Theatre in 2009! Rudolph works with African percussion and more for his parts, including different hand drums and frame drum, thumb piano, cup gongs, glockenspiel and more – plus some voice, melodica and horns. Jones brings more wind to the proceedings with flutes, clarinet, sax and contributes a bit of percussion, too. It's pretty dreamy, yet wholly hypnotic given the percussion and overall creative energy of the duo! Includes "Nectaric Vibrations", "Aspects Of Motion", "Oshogbo", "Leaf Writing", "Celestial Space", "Forest Geometry", "Kind Thoughts", "Motherless Child", "Thankfulnes And Joy" and "Dream Inflected".

A treasure trove of rare work from the obscure German Ego label – four different albums, all of them great – packaged here in tiny LP-styled covers too! The set's especially noteworthy for the work of British saxophonist Alan Skidmore – working here on some of his best material of the late 70s – records that easily rival the best sides cut back home in the UK, but which also have a very different feel and flavor! On Morning Rise, Skidmore plays tenor and soprano sax, alongside Gerd Dudek, who also plays both horns too – in these long, textural lines that merge and diverge nicely with Skidmore's – creating these majestic shapes in sound, before then taking off towards much more powerful solos. Rhythm is from Adelhard Rodiginger on bass and Lala Kovacev on drums – and titles include "Morning Rise", "Macedonian Market", "Dr Les Mosses", and "Nakemiin". SOH is a trio outing from Alan Skidmore, drummer Tony Oxley, and bassist Ali Haurand – hence the title – and the set really allows Skidmore to expand on some of his most open, expressive lines on tenor and soprano sax! Tracks are quite long, and build with this almost late-Coltrane sort of energy – almost glowing with a sense of spirituality that's pushed along strongly by the reed lines. Titles include "One Two Free", "Das Ist Alice", "Lost In WG", and "Trio Nr 10". European Jazz Quintet features tremendous reeds from the trio of Alan Skidmore, Gerd Dudek, and Leszek Zadlo – all of whom play both tenor and soprano sax – and work alongside the bass of Ali Haurand and drums of Pierr Courbois! The set features two long tracks – "Das Ist Alice" and "Miss B" – both of them balanced nicely on the cusp between European free jazz and some stronger spiritual jazz structures, in a very nice way. Last up is Thoughts, from Leszek Zadlo – a record that has Zadlo on both flute and tenor, working with the excellent Ego Records rhythm trio of Joe Haider on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Joe Nay on drums! The sound is quite different than other Ego sessions with the trio – as the tracks here build very slowly, often through the initial utterings of Zadlo on his reeds – kind of growing into a spiritually expressive style that gets increasingly focused as the set goes on – in ways that are a nice change from European free jazz. Titles include "Two Friends", "Some Body", "Struggle", and "Thoughts".

A tremendous bit of psychedelic pop from sunny California at the end of the 60s – one of those records that has a heck of a lot more going on than most of the bigger sets at the time! Sunlight work in territory that's not unfamiliar – harmony vocals, guitar-based grooves, and slightly hippieish lyrics – but they've got a way of putting together the tunes that's really a cut above – a compelling style that somehow makes all the best elements really resonate strongly, with a perfection that delights more and more with each new track on the album! There's kind of a timeless quality to the record that almost makes it feel like something recorded many years later – but the overall production and instrumentation are very 60s-based, with a really great sound throughout. CD features the full album plus bonus tracks – and titles include "David", "Light Without Heat", "Hammond Eggs", "Sometimes A Woman", "Second Thoughts", "Seven Times Infinity", and "The Fun Machine".

A record that has Leszek Zadlo on both flute and tenor, working with the excellent Ego Records rhythm trio of Joe Haider on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Joe Nay on drums! The sound is quite different than other Ego sessions with the trio – as the tracks here build very slowly, often through the initial utterings of Zadlo on his reeds – kind of growing into a spiritually expressive style that gets increasingly focused as the set goes on – in ways that are a nice change from European free jazz. Titles include "Two Friends", "Some Body", "Struggle", and "Thoughts".

7 instrumental tracks off this lost piece of the Chicago hip hop puzzle, which featured Kanye West's debut on wax as a producer, but we aren't certain how many of these tracks he did: "Word Domination", "Keep Movin", "Sick Thoughts", 'What", "One Puff", "Thought It Was On" and "Down To Earth".

A seminal bit of Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the early 70s – the second album from Malo, and an even harder-hitting jam session than the first! The group are really in top form here – taking off with Santana-inspired riffs that are filled with heavy percussion, soaring organ, and guitar from Carlos' brother Jorge – all matched by some incredible horn work from trumpeter Forrest Bachtel and a young Hadley Caliman – sounding especially great here before his solo years as a jazz artist! The legendary Francisco Aguabella is on conga, and tracks include "Momolombo", "Oye Mama", "I'm For Real", "Midnight Thoughts", "Hela", and "Latin Bugaloo".

A great later sleeper from Brian Auger – a record that's much deeper and more soulful than some of his earlier work – and done in a soaring style that's really great! Alex Lighterwood sings as much as Auger plays the keys here, but that's ok with us – because he fuses his voice very nicely with organ, electric piano, and moog – creating a spacily soulful quality that's produced with a nice flanged-out style! Some tracks are funky, others are more laidback – and the set's a great illustration of how far Auger had come in just a few years. Titles include the spacey "Thoughts From Afar", the fast-jamming "The Big Yin", a Latin-tinged instrumental "Something Out Of Nothing", plus "Future Pilot" and "Brain Damage".

Mellow, magical, and moody – a sublime set from the great Jack Sheldon – working both as a vocalist and jazz trumpeter! Sheldon first cut his teeth as part of the west coast scene of the 50s – but by the time of this sweet little record, he'd elevated himself into a unique space that made him a regular fixture on TV during the 60s and 70s – always entertaining, and with a vocal style that was as raspy and rough as his trumpet solos were cool! This set for Dot is Jack's second for the label – and it's a great mix of styles all handled by Don Sebesky. Sebesky scores some tunes that focus on Jack's trumpet – with breathy solos that drift across some sweet 60s easy arrangements – offset by others that feature Sheldon's growling vocals, rumbling along in a jagged, jaunty sort of mode. The whole thing's filled with lots of groovy 60s touches – of the sort you'd expect much more from a record on A&M than on Dot. Titles include "The Boy's Got Soul", "Happy Together/Honey Pie", "Afterthoughts", "Meet A Cheetah", "I Think He's Hiding", and "Shangri-La".

Two slices of work from Dutch vocalist Ann Burton – one of the hippest jazz singers on the European scene of the 60s and 70s, although not as well known over here as some of her other overseas contemporaries! The first half of the CD features vintage live work from 1962 - material that has Burton's vocals with the Flamingo Combo – a group with piano, guitar, bass, and bongos – all of which make for a spare sound that's a nice change from the usual piano trio mode, leaving lots of room for Ann's vocals. Titles include "Bag's Groove", "Close Your Eyes", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Let's Get Away From It All". The second half of the CD is of more recent vintage, but equally great – studio sides from 1988, recorded with the Rob Agerbeek trio. Agerbeek's group is really wonderful here – quite unusual in their mix of piano, bass, and vibes – which is sometimes augmented with trumpet from Ack Van Rooyen – and often using rhythmic approaches that really open up the tunes nicely, taking them far past simple renditions of familiar standards. Titles include "Afterthoughts", "Again", "Nice & Easy", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", and "I Won't Dance".

A full-on collaborative album from underground mic legend Freddie Foxxx, aka Bumpy Knuckle, and hip hop heavyweight champion producer DJ Premier! Primo and Bumpy Knuckles go way, way back – and KoleXXXion does a pretty solid job of honoring the legacies of both. This is the 2LP instrumentals, with nothing but Primo production: Includes "My Thoughts", "BAP (Bumpy And Premier)", "We Are At War", "FYPAU", "D'Lah", "Turn Up The Mic" (DJ Premier remix) feat Nas, "The Key", "Ownit", The Gang Starr Bus", "Greatness", "The Life", "More Levels", "Mic & Gun" and more.

John Zorn, inspired by the work of William Blake – on an album that's one of his most beautiful in years! There's a really lovely sound going on here – bright, and filled with hope – in ways we never thought we'd be hearing from Zorn many years back – music that's made not by John's own instrumentation, but by a group that features John Medeski on piano and organ, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, Carol Emanuel on harp, Trevor Dunn on bass, Joey Baron on drums, and Cyro Baptista on percussion! The sound is warm and very organic – a shade towards a Terry Riley minimal mode, but more lyrical overall – with an open, flowering quality that's wonderful right from the start. Zorn arranges and conducts – and titles include "An Island In The Moon", "The Hammer Of Los", "The Prophecy", "Marriage Of Heaven & Hell", "Night Thoughts", and "When The Morning Stars Sang Together".

Hard Philly soul from the hands of Wally O – aka Wally Osborne, one of the the best independent producers working in Philly during the late 60s. This set of 22 tracks digs through some of Wally's best work – mostly male group sides, done in a mixture of styles that includes uptempo groovers and sweet harmony ballads – and all either issued as rare singles on labels like Toxsan or Womar, or never issued at all, and appearing for the first time on this CD. The harmony tracks are incredible – the kind of late night slow tracks that always send us scrambling for the liner notes to see who's blowing our mind – and overall, the quality of work on this CD matches the best of any of our other sweet soul or harmony classic titles. Tracks include "Dear One", "A Nicer Girl", and "Tears Tell The Story" by The Topics; "I'm So Glad", "Tell Me So", and "I Found True Love" by Herb Johnson & The Impacts; "Kisses & Roses" and "When I'm With You" by The Four Thoughts; "You Can't Have Your Cake" and "I Wish I Knew" by Bobby Holland; "Without You Babe" and "Cold Cold Love" by Jeri & Joe; "Cement Plaster & Gold" by The Natural Soul Brothers; "It Wasn't A Lie" by Topaz; and "My Life Depends On You" by The Passionettes.