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One of the wildest albums by the funky conga player. The title track, "Lion Walk" runs through all of side one, and has a weird, tripped-out sloppy funk feel, with guitar and sax solos over Big Black's moody congas. Side two has three long songs, with a groove that's not as good, but still pretty dark and moody: "Tell Me, Do Your Conscience Bother You", "Love, Sweet Like Sugar Cane" and "Come On Down To The Beach".

One of the funkier albums by African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, and a record that's filled with lots of short little groovers that have more of an edge than on previous pop instrumental albums – much more of the hard funky vibe of the Chisa years! The set features loads of great funky 45 cuts – including "Fuzz", "Riot", "Mace & Grenades", "Gold", and "Head Peepin".

Classic work from Hugh Masekela – and the album that pushed him over the top! The record features his version of "Grazin In The Grass", a runaway instrumental hit when it was issued – and a sly little groover that was based upon some earlier South African pop melodies that Hugh copped from his roots. The group's a tight little quintet with Al Abreu on tenor and soprano sax, William Henderson on piano, Chuck Carter on drums, and Henry Franklin on bass. The whole thing's great – and tracks include "Stop", "Bajabula Bonke", "There Are Seeds To Sow", "Vuca", "Almost Seedless", and "No Face, No Name, and No Number".

One of the grooviest albums to come from the godlike hands of Emil Richards – a hip LA vibist who touched equally the worlds of jazz, soul, rock, and easy! This album's got a bit more punch than some of Richard's more jazz-based sessions – with Emil playing a wide range of percussion instruments, plus vibes and marimba – all backed by some incredibly groovy work on organ and piano by Dave McKay! Arrangements are by Tom Scott and Paul Beaver – and the record's got the jaunty, swinging quality of some of Scott's best early work of the time – particularly his early gems for Impulse! Titles include a great version of Tom Scott's oft-recorded "Blues for Hari", a very groovy number with a great 60s eastern feel – plus originals "Hot Fudge Sundae" and "Here", and versions of the tracks "Girl Talk", "Sunny", "Take Five", and "Call Me".

The great second Eric B & Rakim album – benchmark hip hop of the first order! Following up Paid In Pull, Follow The Leader completes one of the great one-two punches in hip hop history – bring in a richer, fuller, more skillfully creating sound, without sacrificing the dense, hard hitting, sparely funk greatness of the debut. Includes the awesome title track, plus "Lyrics Of Fury", "Microphone Fiend", "The R", "Musical Massacre", "No Competition", "Just A Beat", "Eric B Never Scared", "Put Your Hands Together", "To The Listeners" and "Beats For The Listeners".

A really strong debut from Iomos Marad of the Family Tree/All Natural family! Fans of J-Live, Talib Kweli, Relativity-era Common and Stakes Is High-era De La Soul should find much to love here. Like the best of other records from the All Natural and Molemen teams, the production style is timeless hip hop; it's stable, thumping soul beats and scratches that provide a firm back end for out front rhymes that actually have something to say. Features production from the should-be-huge Dug Infinite, plus nice work from All Natural's Capital D, G (riot), UNI, Memo from the Molemen and others. 16 tracks including "I Stand Alone", "I Confess", "Anotha Late Night", "Show & Prove", "Tight", "The Steele", "Deep Rooted", "Elevate", "Wildstyle", "Appetite To Ride" featuring J-Live, "Free" with Chicago soul chanteusse Tanya Reed and more.

Warm, mellow, and completely sublime – the mighty America at the height of their powers – working with a quality that nobody else can match! The trio wrap together all the best ideas that were bubbling under in the LA scene of the late 60s – vocal harmonies, studio perfection, and even touches of rootsy instrumentation – yet find a space to work all these elements together in a rich sound that's completely unique – amazingly understated at times, despite a near-perfect level of production! The whole album's great – even their original version of "Muskrat Love" – nestled in here next to "Rainbow Song", "Submarine Ladies", "Molten Love", "Green Monkey", and "Goodbye".

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!

Groovy pop instrumental versions of Donovan's hits, including "Catch the Wind", "There Is a Mountain", "Sunny Goodge Street", "Jennifer Juniper", and "Hampstead Incident". The sound is very Brit now sound, with a lot of electric bass, and jumpy orchestrations banked in strings.

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!

Pure magic from the height of Roy Ayers' classic 70s run on Polydor – a record that's filled with warm, jazzy grooves – all served up in that unique style that Roy was forging at the time! The album perfectly balances dancefloor tracks with mellower numbers – stepping out one minute with a funky groove on the bottom, then sliding into some slinkier laidback styles that are equally great. William Allen handles the arrangements with Roy, and does the strings himself – and also plays some monstrous bass on most numbers, which really brings up the rhythms from the bottom! Titles include the killer groovers "Sweet Tears", "When Is Real Real", "Let's Do It", and "Freaky Deaky" – and the warm mellow cuts "You Came Into My Life", "Kiss", and "Melody Maker".

An unusual version of this album – not the soundtrack, but a special radio promo, recorded on opening night – with interviews with Burt Bacharach and Jerry Orbach – plus snippets from other folks like Neil Simon, Herb Alpert, Sidney Lumet, Ben Gazzara, Milton Berle, and even Burt's parents!

JR's cut some records that have a rootsier feel – but this one features smooth modern arrangements and production by Phil Medley and Buddy Scott. The set begins with an uptempo clubby remake of "Taste of Honey", and also features a nicely grooving take on "Stella By Starlight". Other tracks include "Million To One", "Live Love & Play", "Love & Conversation", and "The Coming Of Your Love".

An excellent gimmick – and yet another way that United Artists was trying to push its "Bond" catalog in the 60s! Count Basie brings a soulful swing to the work of John Barry – hitting hard on the tracks with his own smoking piano, and an orchestra filled with some of his best players, like Al Grey, Eric Dixon, and Freddie Green – as well as Eddie Lockjaw Davis, an artist who wasn't credited on the session at he time. Arrangements are by Chico O'Farrill and George Williams – and titles include "Thunderball", "From Russia With Love", "007", "Girl Trouble", and "Goldfinger".

Pure brilliance from start to finish – especially the second side of the record, which has a continuous run of tunes that's very unique – and still completely sublime all these many years later! The album shows the fracturing ideas of the group, but crafted together with a unity you won't find on The White Album or Let It Be – still a way of making it all gel together beautifully, as the fab four stretch their wings to find new ways of being. Added instrumentation is used wonderfully – never overdone, but with orchestral passages that can really hammer home the best musical moments – and titles include "I Want You", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "The End", "Her Majesty", "Polythene Pam", and "Sun King".

A bittersweet farewell from The Beatles – a record that definitely shows the fracturing unity of the group, with lots of near-solo moments – but a set that also makes us really wonder what they'd have done with all this genius, had they managed to hold it together! There's great hints here of the solo work to come – especially from George Harrison and John Lennon – and the Phil Spector production really helps open up a new sound for the group. Includes the genius cuts "I Dig A Pony", "Two Of Us", "Across The Universe", "I Me Mine", "One After 909", "For You Blue", and "Let It Be".

Things are getting slightly more complicated for the Bee Gees here – but we mean that in a good way! The vocals are superb – soaring forth with this unique sort of majesty, and light years away from their 70s disco pop styles – and the backings are a strange mix of rootsy and orchestral – making for a very odd juxtaposition that really seems to push the whole thing forward brilliantly! There's nobody else like the Bee Gees at this point in their career – a possible acquired taste, but one that's got you hooked once you get it! Titles include "When The Swallows Fly", "In The Summer Of His Years", "Indian Gin And Whiskey Dry", "I've Gotta Get A Message To You", "Kilburn Towers", and "I Started A Joke".

A dream band indeed – as the set features a cast of excellent players who manage to come together tightly as a unit, then break out in really strong and hard-blown solos! Even by a "pulled together for this jam session by the record label"-type group there's a swinging style firmly in place – incredible tightness, but a real respect for the soloists – and a power to kick it louder and larger than even in a small group setting. Players include Herb Geller, Al Cohn, Hank Jones, Budd Johnson, and Ernie Wilkins – and titles on this first volume include "Maynard The Fox", "The Wailing Boat", "Somebody Wants Me Down There", "Little Girl Kimbi", and "Button Nose".

Six albums in, and these guys still aren't losing their groove – and if anything, they seem to be getting even tighter and funkier with the 80s groove generation! Randy Muller's still the main man making things happen here – giving the group their trademark horn sound, and that fantastically tight approach to rhythm – one that's very much inherited from the early BT Express groove, but which is almost sharper and more mature. There's a lean quality to these tracks that's quite surprising, given the nine piece lineup of the group – but that's very much the Muller touch, and its in full force here. Titles include "Do Ya", "Working Harder Every Day", "We Can Do It", "I'm Not Gonna Stop", "Don't Try To Change Me", and "We Are Brass".

Early 50s material recorded by the late Clifford Brown – issued here in a classic "memorial" package slightly after his death in 1956! And while Brown never recorded much for Prestige – and never really as a leader – these sides are still a great example of his completely unique touch on the trumpet! The first half of material was recorded in 1953 – and features Brown soloing with Tadd Dameron's group on the tracks "Philly JJ", "Chose Now", and "Dial B For Beauty". The other set features Brown and Art Farmer as the lead soloists with the Swedish All Stars, a group led by Quincy Jones – and tracks on that session include "Stockholm Sweetnin", "Scuse These Blues", and "Lover Come Back To Me".

Quite obscure later work from Maxine – done in a style that's partly like her classic uptown soul work for Wand, but which also has some more down-home and rootsy moments – in an approach that was clearly intended to make her come across as more of a hard soul singer! Arrangements are by Bert De Coteaux, and all very strong throughout – with a level of quality that matches the Atlantic sort of session of this type, which was probably what Bert was aiming for! Titles include the single "We'll Cry Together", plus "Piece Of My Heart", "See & Don't See", "Reason To Believe", "You're The Reason I'm Leaving", and "Didn't You Know".

The CSUF combo gets help from Chicago arranger Burgess Gardner – on a set of tracks that includes "Foxy", "Blusef", "How Are You", and "Evanstune".

A surprisingly great album – even if it's short on information! There's no real dates on this one, so we have to assume that it's of the vintage of the album's release date – somewhere in the early 60s – making the album pretty late for Benny, but also pretty great as well! The sessions have a pretty unique feel – with Benny's alto in front of gentle small group backings that have a bit of a sweet feel – and some occasional vocal chorus bits that slide in and out very gracefully. Carter's tone is tremendous, and the sound of the record is really incredible – hard to describe, but much more than you'd expect from the title, label, and the date! Titles include "Waltz Gay", "Bagatelle", "Blues For Benny", "Black Knight", and "Cuando Caliente El Sol".

A mixture of folksy and jazzy vocals from singer Susan Carter – part of the Laurel Canyon scene of the late 60s! Although Susan was one of the "Ladies Of The Canyon", she's got a sound here that's much more wider-ranging than that of Joni Mitchell – a unique mixture of jazz and rock influences that come across with a different sound on nearly every track on the set. The arranger for the album is Dick Halligan, who we've never heard of before – but who should get a lot of credit for the way that he mixes together odd phrasings and timings to match the shifting styles of Susan's vocals. Titles include "I'm So Tired", "I Need A Good Man Bad", "Medley For Billie Holiday", "Bluebird", and "Jam Session".

A dream of a record from Chad & Jeremy – a fantastic bit of psychedelic pop produced by Gary Usher! The album's got quite a different feel than the rest of the duo's work – as their standard Brit pop style is augmented by lots of extra strings and woodwinds, super-baroque in a beautiful post-Pet Sounds sort of way. The songs are wonderful, too – with themes on the rise and fall of modern life, very much in a Kinks sort of style – with titles like "Busman's Holiday", "Rest In Peace", "Family Way", "Can I See You", and the extended "Progress Suite". Plus, the CD features 6 bonus tracks, a few previously unissued – including "Manners Maketh Man", "Cautionary Tale", "Sister Marie", and "Painted Dayglow Smile".

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band – proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years – stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and soulful solos that made the ensemble unlike any other group in the 60s – a really groundbreaking approach to their music, delivered by a range of top-shelf players! Arrangements are by Boland, who also plays piano – and other group members include Benny Bailey and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpets, Derek Humble on alto sax, Carl Drewo and Zoot Sims on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax and flute, and Ake Persson on trombone – plus rhythm from the rock-solid duo of Jimmy Woode on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the Latin-tinged "Los Bravos", and more great originals by Boland – including "Volutes", "The Styx", "Charon's Ferry", and "Box 703 Washington DC" – plus versions of "Gloria" and "Last Train From Overbrook".

One of the greatest records ever by this hip jazz ensemble – and one of their most unique! The record has the band grooving hard through two incredible suites of Latin music – Gary McFarland's "Latin Kaleidoscope" and Francy Boland's "Cuban Fever" – each of which takes up a side of the record, both driving the band to new solo heights with a very hip edge! Players include the usual cream of the crop of European jazz residents – like Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, Jimmy Deuchar, Phil Woods, Tony Coe, and Benny Bailey – and the tracks include "Uno Graso De Areia", "A Rosa Negra", "Olhos Negros", "Cara Bruja", and "Fiebre Cuban". Wonderful all the way through – and always a treasure! One of the shining jewels in the crown of MPS – and a Gilles P classic all the way through!

Arranged by Leroy Holmes and Arnold Goland – and titles include "Two Strangers In The City", "The Same Old You", "Strangers In The Night", "The More I See You", and "The Wishing Doll".

This is a repackaged version of an album that was originally issued under Cecil Taylor's name, under the title Hard Drive (and later Stereo Drive, or something like that). The record brings together two of the late 50's most promising modernists – Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane – in a group that includes Kenny Dorham, Chuck Israels, and Louis Hayes. The music is a startling mix of styles – as Taylor's heavy piano clashes noisily with Trane's free flowing lines on the tenor. It doesn't always work, but it's well worth a listen, and stands as a critical meeting of two important talents that were both best known on their own. Tracks include "Shifting Down", "Double Clutching", and "Just Friends".

Soaring work from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – a session that was incredibly far-reaching for the time, and which originally was unissued until after the time of Coltrane's death! The record's got the group really pushing forward strongly – hitting a Love Supreme mode, but also showing even some of the sharper edges that John would explore with the group after this one – a beautiful swan song to the lineup of McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Things soar with a hell of a lot of spirituality, yet never get too overindulgent to lose their groove – and titles include "Amen", "Dearly Beloved", "Ascent", "Attaining", and "Sun Ship".

A various artist compilation Prestige put together to capitalize on the popularity of the Oscar-winning Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra with music that features Eastern and Egyptian themes. In spite of how you may feel about the concept, the set features some tracks that have become harder to come by on vinyl, and plays nicely whether you're considering the theme. . .or not. 5 tracks in all: "La Ibkey" by Ahmed Abdul Malik, "Taboo" by Yusef Lateef, "Anadolu Oyuni" by Oudi Hrant, "Ackmet" by dizzy Reece, and "Bakai" by John Coltrane.

Amazing stuff – and one of Chris Connor's greatest records for Atlantic! There's a depth to this set that passes some of her others from the time – partially because the album features a very hip set of tunes, written by Ornette Coleman, Norman Mapp, John Lewis, Peggy Lee, and others – and partially because the album has some sublime arrangements by Al Cohn that easily shift between darkness and swinging brilliance – all with that perfect sense of balance that Connor brought to her best sessions. Titles include "I'm Gonna Go Fishin", "Jump For Joy", "Night Bird", "Opportunity Please Knock", "Milano", "Day Dream", "Free Spirits", and a great version of "Lonely Woman"!

Early genius from drummer Norman Connors – a sensational bit of righteous soul jazz – right up there with the best work on Strata East and Black Jazz from the time! The sound here is full, soulful, and spiritual – as Connors heads up a large ensemble that includes luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Eddie Henderson, Gary Bartz, Carlos Garnett, Buster Williams, and Dee Dee Bridgewater – all working together in a formation that's free spirited, yet tightly unified – often at a level that's even stronger than their own recordings! The album mixes a few longer tracks with shorter numbers – in a mode that reminds us a lot of Garnett's classic Black Love album – and titles include "Song For Rosa", "Black Lightnin", "Dark Of Light", "Butterfly Dreams", and "Laughter".

A wonderful album from this enigmatic soul group! Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were one of a handful of early 70s groups – like Chairmen Of The Board or 100 Proof Aged In Soul – who had a sound that was incredibly hard to peg. There were bits of southern rawness in the vocals, but the overall approach also had plenty of elements of smoother Northern Soul, and wasn't afraid to use strings or uptown arrangements when they were needed. This album's their best, and features 10 tracks written by Eddie Cornelius, plus a great little cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together". Tracks include the sublime easy soul number "Too Late To Turn Back Now", choppy odd groover "Treat Her Like A Lady", and the cuts "Gonna Be Sweet For You", "Let Me Down Easy", and "Lift Your Love Higher".

A seminal session of LA hardbop – featuring a great group that includes Gerald Wilson, Jack Sheldon, Harold Land, Frank Butler, and pianist Carl Perkins, the unique talent who had a strange way of playing the keys (sideways!), and who died shortly after the recording of this set. As the title might imply, the album's dedicated to Perkins – and titles include "Nica's Dream", "Pink Lady","Carl's Blues", and "Larue".

An overlooked late 60s treasure on Blue Note – one of the few new groups to work on the label at the time, and an up-and-coming modern combo from Detroit! The album's quite unique for a number of reasons – not just because the group was a little-known new signing to the label, but also because the work is quite far-reaching at times – some of the most free-thinking jazz recorded for Blue Note during the time, with a sense of boldness that almost stretches back to Jackie McLean's first few records of the new thing years, or a sense of lyrical invention that's a bit like Wayne Shorter when he made a shift towards the outside. Some numbers are awash in fast colors and changes, while others are a bit more in the pocket, with echoes of soul jazz – but the whole thing's incredibly fresh and free, a wonderful little record that only gets better and better over the years! The group features pianist Kenny Cox as the leader, plus Charles Moore on trumpet, Leon Henderson on tenor, Ron Brooks on bass, and Danny Spencer on drums. Titles include "Mystique", "You", "Trance Dance", "Eclipse", and "Number Four".

One of the grooviest albums ever cut by Papa John Creach – a set that mixes his bluesy roots with some stoner funk and rock elements from the early 70s! Creach is on vocals and violin, and working here with a host of famous luminaries – including Grace Slick, Carlos Santana, Paul Kantner, and Jerry Garcia – each of whom definitely leave their mark on the record! Yet despite all these famous names, the record's got a pretty unified feel – and the best cuts have a nicely messed-up funk sound that we really like a lot – kind of in a Blue Thumb sort of blend, with a mix of rootsy elements and wilder electric ones and plenty of funky rhythms at the bottom. Titles include "Soul Fever", "String Jet Rock", "The Janitor Drives A Cadillac", "Plunk A Little Funk", and "Papa John's Down Home Blues".

Despite the title of the album, the group's a sharp-edged fusion combo – one that hails from late 70s Japan, and who works here in the best mainstream fusion mode of the time! The tunes are mostly jazz funk with a bit of polish – heavy on guitars from Kazuo Takeda, who also takes off on some pretty nice solos – and also featuring keyboards from Hisao Sakurai and tenor from Mitsuru Kanekuni. The record is never too jamming, nor too smooth – but one number does feature some unfortunate blues vocals from Takeda. Titles include "Spinning Toe Hold No 2", "No Problem", "Wild Cat", "Swamp Boy", and "Fou Fou Gun Gun".

Classic tenors head-to-head – as Griff & Lock lay out one of their excellent 2 tenor classics from the early 60s! The rhythm section's deeply soulful – with Junior Mance on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – and the album grooves through some long blowers, a mellow number, and a few choppy modern ones. Titles include "Last Train From Overbrook", "Second Balcony Jump", "Midnight At Mintons", "Hey Lock", and "Good Bait".

A beautiful little record by Miles Davis – oft overlooked next to some of the better-titled Prestige sessions of the 50s, but a great one nonetheless! The session features Miles working with trio backing from Red Garland on piano, Oscar Pettford on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – often in a mellow mode that fits the "musings" in the title, but which also provides a wonderful showcase for Davis to further intensify his vision on a set of longer tracks. Most tunes are familiar, but they're really transformed here – and titles include "I Did", 'Will You Still Be Mine?", "Green Haze", "I See You Face Before Me", "A Night In Tunisia" and "A Gal In Calico".

Denny's combo with Augie Colon and Julius Wechter groove their way through some nice numbers from films of the 40s, 60s, and early 60s – mostly in the vein of familiar tunes, but as always, redone in a groovy exotic way by Denny's unique approach to easy instrumentals! The vibes, piano, and conga sound great together – and there's even some nice celeste on the album in a few parts. Titles include "Carioca", "Sayonara", "Paradise", "We're Off The See The Wizard", and "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing".

A real smoker from Lou Donaldson's years at Cadet – and an organ-driven session with Big John Patton on the Hammond! The record's got a slightly lighter groove than the Patton/Donaldson albums for Blue Note – but that's the great thing about the record, as it's kind of a nice bridge between the lyricism of Donaldson's non-organ records, and the harder sound of his Hammond sessions. Ray Crawford plays guitar in the group, and most tracks feature conga from the little-known Cleopas Mopedido Morris – quite possibly a more famous player, working here under a "nom-de-date". Other players include the great Bill Dixon on drums, who gives the record a nicely fluid feel – and Bill Hardman on trumpet, making a really unique appearance here. Titles include "Possum Head", "Midnight Soul", "man With A Horn", and "Persimmon Tree".

Dr. John's second record, cut back in the days when there was a lot more freakiness to his bag – as you'll notice by his eyeballs in the photo on the back cover! The tracks are wild, funky, and messed-up New Orleans R&B filtered through a heavy dose of psychedelics – a unique little mix that countless others copied in later years, but which John did better than anyone else! Harold Battiste produced and arranged – and tracks include "Mama Roux", "Croker Courtbullion", "Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", and the original version of "I Walk On Guilded Splinters".

Three slices of rare work by Duke Ellington – all recorded previously as semi-private recordings, and issued here in a short-lived 70s set! As you'd guess by the title, the tracks are all in "suite" form – that broader compositional style that dominated Ellington's later work, one in which he brought together complicated ideas with a very unified feel – often based around a single theme, but fleshed out beautifully with modes that were even more sophisticated than in his earlier work. Side one features "The Queen's Suite", recorded in 1959 with mostly full orchestra, but also a spare passage of just piano and bass – and side two features "The Goutelas Suite" from 1971, and "The Uwis Suite" from 1972.

Fantastic stuff – and one of our favorite lost sessions from the 70s! The album's a completely unique work by pianist Bill Evans album – one that features him playing both electric and acoustic piano over stunning arrangements by Claus Ogerman! The sound is indescribably beautiful, with a range of moments that span a number of styles – all of them dark and moody. Evans' playing is at that complex late stage, and Ogerman's orchestrations are completely sympathetic, never intrusive, and offer a brilliant showcase for haunting lines of dark, introspective genius from Evans. In a way, we'd compare this one to some of the more baroque CTI sessions – or to later work in recent generations by artists like Chris Bowden! The album features 2 different movements of the larger "Symbiosis" suite – divided up into a total of 5 long tracks in all!

A rare early trio session from bassist Richard Evans – known much more famously for his late 60s soul and jazz arrangements at Chess! The set's not only unique for it's exposure of Evans as a jazz artist, but it also marks one of the first appearances of pianist Jack Wilson – still a part of the Chicago scene at the time of this album, but already playing with the fluid lyricism we love so much from his 60s LA recordings! Wilson's piano is a really key part of the record, and he works a groove that's simply sublime – filled with lots of flowing, gliding touches on the top of the keys, but also coming across with enough of a bottom to give the record plenty of soul! The drummer in the group is Robert Barry, another noteworthy south sider at the time – and titles include "Consu", "The Preacher", "Trees", "Vera", "Should I", and "Daybreak". Nice cover, too, with a young Evans sitting in front of a globe!

Dang, who the heck are these guys? They're great! The Exportations seem to have only popped up for this one album, but they've got a solid harmony soul sound that's right up there with the best groups of the 70s – and which in fact feels a lot more like indie work from the early part of the decade than you'd guess from their placement on United Artists, and the 1978 date of this LP. They appear to be a Detroit group, and they've got a great talent for mixing the rough and the smooth – in the manner of The Dramatics best work of the time. Titles include "Main Ingredient", "You've Been A Long Time Coming", "Kiss Me Love", "Strange Sensations", and "Music". Great harmony soul – and a record you'll treasure as much as any indie session of its type!

One of the nicest albums that Ferrante & Teicher cut for United Artists! The record has bits of prepared piano over exotic backings – perhaps not as crazy as some of their albums for Westminster, but still with some good off-beat touches that make the album one of the few that's really worth seeking out by them. Plus, the Exotica arrangements give the piano pair a different sound than usual – a bit less staid, with a pretty nice batch pad groove. Titles include "Taboo", "Shangri La", "Moon Of Manakoora", "Negligee", "Jungle Drums", and "Adventures In Paradise".

An early 80s classic from Richard Dimples Fields – one of the most unique talents in soul music of his generation – with an appeal that's both down home, and smoothly sophisticated at the time! In a way, Fields' music represents many changes his audience was going through at the time – classing things up a bit, and heading into the mainstream – yet still very much concerned about the same issues and challenges of years past. The approach is almost southern soul by way of southern California – rough edges polished out, but still earthy enough to hang out with the crowd from back home. Almost all titles are originals, and Richard handled most of the production too – on tracks that include "If It Ain't One Thing It's Another", "After I Put My Lovin On You", "Baby Work Out", "Mr Look So Good", "Taking Applications", and "A Freak On The Side".

50 brings the leaders of the '07 record sales marathon to Curtis – including Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls – plus G-Unit standbys Young Buck & Tony Yayo, and his longtime champions Dr Dre & Eminem. Titles include "My Gun Go Off", "I'll Still Kill" feat Akon, "Come & Go" feat Dr Dre, "Ayo Technology" feat Justin Timberlake, "Movin' On Up", "Straight To The Bank", "Amusement Park", "Fully Loaded Clip", "Follow My Lead" feat Robin Thicke, "Peep Show" feat Eminem, "All Of Me" feat Mary J Blige, "Touch The Sky" with Tony Yayo and more.

Great work from this cool European sextet – a vocal group that features three gals and three guys – or pals, as their name might indicate! Their style's a bit like the Double Six, in that it's rooted in harmony jazz – but given the choice of material here, and the overall execution, there's more of a Sunshine Pop feel in place on most numbers – which is plenty darn great for us! The tunes are all Burt Bacharach numbers, but they're done here in really fresh ways – not simple copycats of familiar Brill Building hits, but often arranged with unusual twists that make the most of the group's multi-voiced style, and which throw in a few unique instrumental touches as well. Titles include "Walk On By", "Wishin & Hopin", "Blue On Blue", "Close", "Cross Town Bus", "My Little Red Book", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", and "Here I Am".

A wicked album that's one of Stan Getz's best from the 70s! The record features Stan reunited with Chick Corea, whose warm lyricism was the lynchpin in Getz's landmark Sweet Rain – the stunning session from 1968 that is perhaps our favorite-ever Getz album. Corea plays electric piano here, but with none of the indulgence that he was lapsing into at the time. His blocky chords stake out a stark new territory, into which Getz solos beautifully, into a range yet untapped at that time in his career. Tony Williams augments the group on drums, giving the whole thing a sense of freedom, but also a nice tight swing. Tracks include "La Fiesta", "Five Hundred Miles High", "Times Lie", and "Day Waves".

A pretty unique record by Gibbs – a set of Jewish tunes set to jazz, played by a group that includes vibes, piano, trombone, and clarinet. The clarinet's the main influence here on the sound – as it's used in a snakey way that instantly invokes Klezmer music, yet still retains the fluidity you'd expect from a jazz album. About half the tunes on the album will be instantly familiar – as they're numbers with popularity that brought them out of the Jewish market into the mainstream in years past – and titles include "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon", "S & S", "Nyah Shere", "And The Angels Sing", "My Yiddishe Momme", and "Papirossen (Cigarettes)".

A real gem from the height of Dizzy's big band years at Verve – a stunning little set that features a hip larger group that includes Joe Gordon, Melba Liston, Rod Leavitt, Phil Woods, Ernie Wilkins, and Billy Mitchell. The groove here is well-orchestrated, well-placed soul – with less of the playful bop touches of earlier sides, and more of a hiply modern style that shows Dizzy stretching out in larger shades of color and tone. And while the "World Statesmen" cover and image might make you wary of some gimmick on the set, the album's key Gillespie through and through – a deft turn away from the styles of the bop years, into a world of sound that would support his career strongly for years to come! Titles include "Tour De Force", "Doodlin", "Night In Tunisia", "The Champ", "My Reverie", and "Dizzy's Blues".

The first true moment of genius from the legendary Curt Boettcher – an early 60s folk-rock set that's already overflowing with the warm harmonies and creative arrangements of his later classics! The Goldebriars boast some incredible vocals in the duo of Sheri and Dottie Holmberg – both of whom take the lead on most tracks here, sometimes singing solo, but often harmonizing beautifully – in a mode that's nearly timeless, but which has some incredible musical touches from Boettcher, who pushes the vocals far from traditional folk mode, into a really unique sound that points the way towards countless post-folk imitators in years to come! Titles include "Long Time Travellin", "No More Auction Block", "Voyager's Lament", "Railroad Boy", "Come Walk Me Out", and "He Was A Friend Of Mine".

One of our favorite Dexter Gordon Blue Notes – a beautiful quartet recording that unites Dex with two other Americans in exile – Bud Powell and Kenny Clarke! The group's completed by French bassist Pierre Michelot, and includes a great take of "Scrapple from the Apple", plus excellent readings of "Stairway to the Stars" and "Night in Tunisia". The format is simple, but the sound is magic – classic Dexter Gordon in a tight Blue Note mode!

An excellent trippy soundtrack – to a film we'd love to see, and which starred Charles Aznavour, Ringo Starr, John Astin, James Coburn, John Huston, Richard Burton, and Marlon Brando! The crazy outing is accompanied by a great Dave Grusin score that includes lots and lots of heavy guitars – quite different from his usual bag, and a nice fit with the few vocal numbers in the film – some standout rock titles that go along nicely with Dave's sweet instrumental grooves! Includes "Rock Me" and "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf, "Child Of The Universe" by The Byrds, and the excellent Grusin instrumentals "Marlon & His Sacred Bird", "Constant Journey", "Spec Ra Tac Para Comm", and "Opening Night By Surgery".

A great lost date from the wonderful Gigi Gryce – a set that features the altoist in an sextet, but often swinging with a looser vibe than on some of his better-known albums from the 50s! There's a mix of soulful and modern here that's not unlike the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet – both players of Gryce's same postwar generation, and coincidentally recording for Mercury at the same time. Although the groove here is definitely different – less emphasis on the bottom, and more on the top – not just Gryce's wonderfully raspy alto, but also the trumpet of Richard Williams too. All other players are great as well – and Eddie Costa brings in some sweet vibes – in a lineup that also features Richard Wyands on piano, and either Reggie Workman or George Duvivier on bass, and either Walter Perkins or Bob Thomas on drums. Tracks include "Reminiscing", "Gee Blues Gee", "Blue Light", and "Night In Tunisia".

A standout 60s soundtrack from the great Manos Hadjidakis – penned for a heist thriller from director Jules Dassin! The music follows slightly off the Dassin/Hadjidakis pairing on Never On A Sunday – using lots of familiar Greek elements, but moving these into more complicated film score modes as well – particularly on some of the cool mood-setting numbers you'd find in a heist film of this vintage – a surprisingly great setting for some of the more exotic moments in the music. There's plenty of bazuki in the mix, and some nice percussion too – and titles include "Meet Hans", "Istanbul", "Meet Arthur Simpson", "Main Title", "On The Road", and "The Road To Riches".

Later stuff, but a pretty unique album from Herbie! The sound's a bit smoother than some of the groundbreaking electric albums, but the playing's top-shelf, and the record features a number of jazz funk numbers with soulful vocals – including work by Gavin Christopher and The Waters. Think of the record as work by Lonnie Liston Smith from the same time, and you'll really come to appreciate the funky grooves of "Don't Hold It" and "Saturday Night", and the spacey soul of "Making Love" and "Stars In Your Eyes".

A great little album from Herbie – it that says "previously released" on the back cover, but was actually released with Tootie Heath as leader under the name Kuumba, entitled Kawaida. It's a hip batch of afro-centric jazz, with a Strata East sort of feel: lots of percussion and spacey soul jazz work in a very righteous vein! Don Cherry, Buster Williams, Mtume, Herbie Hancock, and Ed Blackwell are all part of the group – and the tracks are all long and spiritual, in a style that's similar to the Heath Brothers album on Strata, but with a bit more fire. 3 tracks: "Maulana", "Dunia", and "Kamili".

One of the true hit jazz albums of the 60s, and a record that's still pretty darn incredible today! Who'd have thought that a jazz recording of the theme to the film "Exodus" could have been such a hit? It was, and the way Eddie handled it forever transformed the face of jazz. Eddie was nicely poised between the harder soul jazz camps and the freer spiritual jazz underground that was operating in Chicago and Detroit in the 60s – and with his unique combo that had Joe Dorio on guitar, he transformed the song into a great groove that matched the other excellent material that he was laying down at the time. This record's a gem, which is often rare for such a jazz "hit" – and it includes loads of great tracks like "AM Blues", "Velocity", "Alicia", and "ATC".

What a movie! Bob Hope, Frankie Avalon, and Tuesday Weld on the same screen! But even better, the great Jimmie Haskell handled the music – and he comes up with some excellent touches that make the record groove a bit more than many of its contemporaries. Jimmy contributes some cool instrumental tunes that pop organ, guitars, and drums around other instrumentation – and also brings a nicely syncopated approach to vocal numbers by members of the cast, giving them the punch of some of his work for Reprise at the time. Frankie sings "I'll Take Sweden", "Would Ya Like My Last Name", and "The Bells Keep Ringin"; Tuesday sings "Give It To Me"; and Bob does "Nothing Can Compare With You" over instrumentations that sound a lot like Dean Martin's at the time. Instrumental titles include "Watusi Jo", "Kissin Polka", "I'll Take Sweden", and "The Bells Keep Ringin".

A mid 70s masterpiece of heavy space rock from Hawkwind – one of their best albums ever! The sci fi errata that was always such crucial element to Hawkwind's ouvre is of course, still here in force, but the heavier, more insistent and lumbering groove really serves them well – spacey, hard rocking fun from legendary group that sounds as great here as they ever would on a studio album! Includes "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke)", "D-Rider", "Web Weaver", "Goat Willow", "Paradox", "Lost Johnny" and more, plus "You'd Better Believe It (Single Version)", "Paradox (Single Version)", "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke) (Single Version)" and "It's So Easy".

A real gem from Woody Shaw's greatest period – a very hip sextet session, recorded with Hayes, Cook, Shaw, and a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Matthews on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Guilhermo Franco on percussion. Tracks are long, and stretch out in that searching, modal style that Shaw was using a lot at the time – and although the Hayes/Cook team are listed as the leaders on the set, the record clearly owes a lot to Shaw's influence and style. Titles include "Ichi Ban", "Book's Bossa", "Brothers & Sisters", and a great take on "Moontrane".

All the Jimi hits you'd ever want in one place! Titles include "Purple Haze", "Fire", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Stone Free", "Crosstown Traffic", "All Along The Watchtower", "Red House", "Foxy Lady", and "Hey Joe".

The Jimi Hendrix Experience at their most classic! Tripped out bluesy cosmic rock ferocity and great songs, too – firing on all cylinders here on the middle record of their ultra epic three LP series of unimpeachable greatness. Titles include "EXP", "Up From The Skies", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Castles Made Of Sand", "She's So Fine", "One Rainy Wish", "Bold As Love" and more.

A brilliant early set from Honey Cone – and a perfect illustration of the way the trio really moved past simple girl group modes of the 60s! There's a bold, proud, righteous tone to the record right from the start – thanks to these soaringly soulful vocals from the girls, and these fuzzy arrangements from Tony Camillo – who seems to borrow a bit from the more righteous modes of Norman Whitfield at Motown, then give things a bit more of a girl soul twist! The combination is amazing, and the album's rock-solid all the way through – filled with great original tunes that really keep a unified feel throughout – and titles include "Are You Man Enough", "Take Me With You", "Girls It Ain't Easy", "While You're Out Looking For Sugar", "The Feeling's Gone", "Sunday Morning People", and "Take My Love".

An amazing album – and a really unique slice of the underground of jazz in the 60s! The session was put together in 1963 by Walt Dickerson, and was conceived as an attempt to draw attention to the incredible amount of great jazz players who were then currently serving time in prison for trumped-up drug charges. The players were culled from New York's Riker's Island, and the mix is a strange and wonderfully surprising blend of musicians that includes Hope, John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Philly Joe Jones, and Earl Coleman. The quality of the work and writing is superb, and not only is the record a high point in Hope's all-too-short career, but it also features some excellent non-Sun Ra work by Gilmore! Titles include "One For Joe", "Three Silver Quarters", "Kevin", "Trippin", and "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream".

A bold little set from Thelma Houston – produced with a strong disco finish, in a way that makes the best of her fierce diva vocals! The album's got a unity that's nicely appreciated – especially since some of Houston's other records could be a bit too unfocused or overblown – and the production by Hal Davis and arrangements by Arthur G Wright all have a strongly soulful quality that never steps too far out of line. Titles include a cover of "Love Machine", plus "Saturday Night Sunday Morning", "Ride To The Rainbow", "Paying For It With My Heart", "I Wanna Be Back In Love Again", and the excellent modern groover "Give It To Me".

An amazing record – quite possibly the best ever by Chicago soul legend Leroy Hutson! The whole thing's a smooth soul masterpiece beyond compare – a stunning blend of great songwriting, sexy vocals, and buttery production that rank it up there with the best work of 70s giants like Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware, or Roy Ayers. Leroy's got a voice that's both warm and mellow, yet incredibly honest at the same time – and the songs on the record show a range of colors and emotions that perfectly fit his unique style. Features mellow "Cool Out", the funky "Lucky Fellow", the sweet "All Because Of You", and the sublime cuts "It's Different" and "Can't Stay Away". The whole thing's great – and is one of the crowning achievements of the Chicago soul scene!

Excellent bop sides cut for EmArcy by Cannonball, collected and assembled in a manner that showcases his wonderfully soulful and hard blowing approach to the alto in the years before Miles recruited him. The set features a host of great sidemen including brother Nat, JJ Johnson, Cecil Payne, Ernie Royal, John Coltrane, Junior Mance, Horace Silver, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Keeter Betts, Sam Jones, Kenny Clarke, Max Roach and Jimmy Cobb. 17 tracks in all, including "Hurrican Connie", "Cynthia's In Love", "Cannonball", "Nat's Everglade", "Fallen Feathers", "Watermelon", "Fort Lauderdale", "Broadway At Basin Street", "T's Tune", "Blues For Bohemia", "Specutacular", "Miss Jackie's Delight", "Hoppin' John", "The Way You Look Tonight", "I'll Remember April", "Limehouse Blues" and "The Sleeper".

The legendary AACM trio makes a memorable appearance at the 1978 Montreux jazz fest, captured live here by Novus. The trio of Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall are at their best here – and the set features 3 great original compositins ("Suisse Air", "Let's All Go Down To The Footwash", and "Abra"), all with the band's unique mixture of creativity, soulfulness, and sense of humor.

In case you don't get the joke, the title's a play on the fact that Atlantic Records had just been acquired by Warner Communications – now fully a major label at the end of the 70s! That fact doesn't stop the album from being a good one, though – and AWB work here with Arif Mardin on a set of tunes that still have a fair bit of the funky touches of earlier records, but which also go for a few mellower tunes too – of the sort that were becoming the group's strongest suit at the time. "She's A Dream" is a great example of this style – a nicely gliding number that still has a nice groove at the bottom – and while the set doesn't include any standout hits, it's still a great example of why AWB could pull off this sort of record a lot better than most of their contemporaries! Titles include "She's A Dream", "Warmer Communications", "Price Of The Dream", "Sweet & Sour", "One Look Over My Shoulder", "Your Love Is A Miracle", and "Same Feeling Different Song".

Bunny Sigler produced this one by Carl, and it's definitely got a lot of Bunny's Philly disco influences running through it. You won't find any "Bad Mamma Jamma" tracks on here – but you will find a lot of up-tempo cuts with a dancefloor sound. Titles include "Live For Today", "Let's Groove", "Willing & Able", "Spend The Night", and "Universal Girl".

A pivotal album in the development of the use of the Hammond organ in jazz – and Charles Earland's first exposure to a large audience! Durign the 60s, Charles was bumping around the Philly scene quite a bit – and recorded some small group indie sides that first gave a glimpse of his unique sound on the organ. But with this record, Earland really broke out wide – and hit a huge audience that made him one of the most in-demand players of the early 70s! The Earland touch is summed up perfectly here – a really fluid approach to the keys that shakes loose the clunkier styles of older Hammond players, and goes for a tightened-up groove that puts equal emphasis on rhythm and melodic improvisation – in a way that's always made Charles' records some of the best jazz dancers to come out of Prestige. Earland has an amazing way of completely transforming a tune – taking a familiar melody, but riffing on it extensively – slowly expanding it through almost modal progressions – until the tune opens up into a long extended jazzy groove! Proof of this is the album's sublime 11 minute version of "More Today Than Yesterday" – a solid stepper that never gets old – and other tunes include "Black Talk", "The Mighty Burner", "Here Comes Charlie", and "Aquarius". Oh, and players include Virgil Jones, Houston Person, Melvin Sparks, and Idris Muhammed – an all-star lineup, but tightly guided by Charles as if they were his own working group!

Did Ellington ever record in concert and it not be great? This wonderful double-length set from the 60s is key proof of his genius in an unfettered live setting – recorded in Paris in 1963 with plenty of dark edges! The tracks are short overall, but Duke's really at the head of the group on piano – playing with those angular, modern tones he picked up in the post Money Jungle years – and clearly in charge of the group from the keyboard, not the podium. Horn players include Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Lwarence Brown, Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges, and Paul Gonsalves – all bringing in some special tones and unique performances to an extended set list that includes both Ellington standards and a few lesser-known numbers. Titles include "Rockin In Rhythm", "Concerto For Cootie", "Suite Thursday", "Tone Parallel To Harlem", "Bula", "Cop Out", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "Theme From Asphalt Jungle", and "Star-Crossed Lovers".