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Golden Earring's really opening up its groove here – getting past the straight jangle pop of their debut, and expanding their sound in ways that rival the changes going on with The Hollies or Hermans Hermits at the same time! A slightly soulful undercurrent emerges on a few tracks – almost a hint of the heaviness to come in the group's music, yet still mostly focused on rockish outlets here. And the instrumentation's getting a bit more complicated too – some really compelling lines that take full advantage of the great production for the record. Titles include "Another Man In Town"," Smoking Cigarettes", "In My House", "Don't Wanna Lose That Girl", "Tears & Lies", "Impeccable Girl", "Call Me", "Lionel The Master", and "There Will Be A Tomorrow". CD features 4 bonus tracks too – "Wings", "Don't Run Too Far", "What You Gonna Tell", and "Daddy Buy Me A Girl".

One of the nicest records we've heard from Jeff Parker in years – a trio date with some wonderfully rich sounds, and a great showcase for some of the more lyrical sides of his music! Parker plays in these great chromatic modes throughout – using some slight effects with his hollow-body electric, in the company of bassist Chris Lopes and drummer Chad Taylor – the latter of whom really helps make the album great, thanks to a fluid, open sense of rhythm – yet one that still always knows how to swing! There's more of a groove here than you might usually expect from Jeff, and a sensitivity too – and the album almost feels like the beginning of a rich new chapter in his career. Titles include "Mainz", "Swept Out To Sea", "Freakadelic", "Istvan", "Occidental Tourist", and "The Morning Of The 5th".

Creative modern jazz pianist Matthew Shipp is a deserving cover subject for Signal To Noise – one of the best active journals of unusual music – with features this time on Van Dyke Parks, Bobby Beausoleil, Vic Chesnutt, the "music by mail" phenomenon, and more! The features are only half the goods in Signal To Noise, with a wealth of CD/DVD/LP and DL reviews, live reviews, book reviews, the world's coolest underground music crossword puzzle and more!

Hip hop legend, soundtrack composer, actor/director and straight-up modern day Renaissance Man RZA graces the front cover of Wax Poetics – with the ascendant future soul guru Jesse Boykins III covering the back! This excellent and eclectic issue of Wax Po also has features on Detroit drummer/producer Karriem Riggins, William Hart of The Delfonics, Pacific Northwest jazz funk legends Pleasure, Bryan Ferry, Nite Jewel, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Gaslamp Killer, Bay Area hip hop boss Mac Dre and much more!

A beautiful jazzy classic, and perhaps Gil Scott-Heron's most perfectly realized album ever! The record has a completely sophisticated jazzy approach – one that's miles ahead from even Gil's previous work on Flying Dutchman, and which shows him to be one of the most distinctive and emotive vocalists in soul and jazz over the past 25 years. The album contains the monster dancefloor track "The Bottle", which went on to be a huge hit in many versions – but it's also got loads of gentle, fragile songs (the kind of work by Gil that we like the best, and which show him as a deeply emotional and complicated artist, with a richness that still yearns to be tapped fully. Classics include "Peace Go With You Brother" and the original version of "Your Daddy Loves You".

A pair of disco gems – back to back in a single set, and with bonus tracks too! First up is the album On Such A Winter's Day by Grand Tour – a unique side project of the Canadian team who gave the world the THP Orchestra, but one that's done with a bit more Euro style overall! The grooves are full and sweeping right from the start – not as cold as the sounds coming from some of the German studios, but with a similar use of vocals tied up inside the strings – a quality that has the singer equally placed with the instrumentation in the mix, and not as much as a standout soloist. These strings are arranged to perfection by the legendary Jimmie Haskell – who really changes up his mode here, and works great with the groove. The set's got a killer clubby remake of "California Dreamin" – done with female lead vocals and a disco pace that's somehow more chilling than the original. Other titles include "Still I'm Sad", "The Grand Tour", "Flight To Versailles", and the great jazzy groover "Late November". Bonus tracks include "Grand Tour (7" mix)", "Let's Go Boating (promo 7" mix)", "Grand Tour Medley", "Lat November (promo 7" mix)", and "Still I'm Sad (7" mix)". Headin South is a standout album from Southern Exposure – a sweet disco set from the Canadian scene of the late 70s – and one that's as sexy-sounding as its cover might imply! The tracks are long and nicely stretched-out – and have a great use of percussion at the core, mixed with spacier keyboards that really help refine the groove – and give the tracks more than enough energy to push well past the 5 minute mark – even without any sort of strong vocals in the lead! Lyrics are mostly in the catch chorus style of this sort of work – but the main appeal is really the instrumentation, including keyboards from Carl Marsh, alongside some nice riffing guitar and bass as well. Titles include "On Our Way", "Love Is", "Tight Pants", and "Headin South". Bonus tracks include "Headin South (edit)", "On Our Way (edit)", "Love Is (7" mix)", and "Tight Pants (7" mix)".

One of the nicest records we've heard from Jeff Parker in years – a trio date with some wonderfully rich sounds, and a great showcase for some of the more lyrical sides of his music! Parker plays in these great chromatic modes throughout – using some slight effects with his hollow-body electric, in the company of bassist Chris Lopes and drummer Chad Taylor – the latter of whom really helps make the album great, thanks to a fluid, open sense of rhythm – yet one that still always knows how to swing! There's more of a groove here than you might usually expect from Jeff, and a sensitivity too – and the album almost feels like the beginning of a rich new chapter in his career. Titles include "Mainz", "Swept Out To Sea", "Freakadelic", "Istvan", "Occidental Tourist", and "The Morning Of The 5th".

A record that sounds like it's got a hokey title – but one that actually has Winter working with players that include Cecil McBee, Freddie Waits, Samb Brown, and Jeremy Steig. The "folk" in the songs is hardly of the Dylan type – as Winter uses jazz to explore a host of cultural styles, from South American to Jamaican to Brazilian to European, working together with a group that includes flute, guitar, trumpet, and some really complicated rhythmic progressions. Waits and McBee really make the set groove – and the album's filled with great tracks that include "Blue Mountain", "Gotta Travel On", "Greenwood Side", "Aruanda", "Repeat", and "The Legend Of Lord Thomas".

Even though Paul Winter's always been a little bit of a phony, this bossa LP on Columbia is pretty good stuff! The record was recorded with some of Brazil's best bossa players – like Luiz Bonfa, Roberto Menescal, and Luiz Eca (of Tamba Trio fame). John Hammond produced the session, so you can be sure it's got the kind of rootsy sound that will make the tracks have a bit more kick than if the album was in the hands of a regular pop-bossa producer. Titles include "Avion", "Reza", "Vagamente", "Ela E Carioca", "Zomba", and "Alem Da Imaginacao".

A great 80s take on the music of Thelonius Monk – and one of the real standouts in a generation when plenty of folks were taking chances with Monk's music! Drummer Paul Motian leads a group that also features Joe Lovano on tenor and Bill Frisell on electric guitar – an instrument that's used here in a snakey sort of way that really spaces out familiar tunes from Thelonious – almost unwinding the angular corners and turning them into more spatially-directed elements. Guests include Geri Allen on piano and Dewey Redman on tenor – and titles include "Justice", "Bye Ya", "Straight No Chaser", "Ugly Beauty", "Off Minor", and "Epistrophy".

A beautiful jazzy classic, and perhaps Gil Scott-Heron's most perfectly realized album ever! The record has a completely sophisticated jazzy approach – one that's miles ahead from even Gil's previous work on Flying Dutchman, and which shows him to be one of the most distinctive and emotive vocalists in soul and jazz over the past 25 years. The album contains the monster dancefloor track "The Bottle", which went on to be a huge hit in many versions – but it's also got loads of gentle, fragile songs (the kind of work by Gil that we like the best, and which show him as a deeply emotional and complicated artist, with a richness that still yearns to be tapped fully. Classics include "Peace Go With You Brother" and the original version of "Your Daddy Loves You".

More of a book than a magazine – given how heavy this mofo is, and the high-quality, full-color production throughout! This issue of Flashback weighs in at over 200 pages – and is filled with long pieces on some of the giants of psychedelia – including Morgen, Tomorrow, and 13th Floor Elevators! The issue also has a great look at rock papers of yore – penned by researcher Richie Unterberger – plus a look at Fairport Convention singer Judy Dyble, the Dragonfly album, and lots lots more – including a great feature titled "100 Early Hard Rock Albums Everyone Should Hear" – more than enough to have us re-checking our record collections!

A great revival for this well-done magazine – back in action with a great run of features! In addition to a report on our Chicago blues scene – the set also features a long cover article on The Green Brothers, plus a look at Baton Records, the west coast blues of Country Pete McGill, and gospel greats The Brooklyn All Stars! There's also lots of news on gigs and festivals, plus upcoming shows as well – as well as reviews, and an unusually large batch of obituaries.

An eye-grabbing cover, and plenty to grab you inside, too – some great features Cymande, London's Kiss FM, UK Record Stores, Keith Mansfield, Carroll Thompson, Sticky, Mala, and hip UK labels – more than enough different slices of the British underground to get you packing up and taking the next plane east! Shook does a really great job of carrying the torch that used to burn brightly for Straight No Chaser – that unique British blend of jazz, funk, soul, world, hip hop, and more – summed up here in succinct writing, beautiful images, and even some nice record reviews and ads for new releases, too!

"Wild Sounds From Past Dimensions", from the thick, twice yearly ode to garage, proto punk, power pop and more Ugly Things! Ugly Things is almost more book than magazine, thick as it is, they cram even more great stuff in with teeny tiny print – and this one has pieces on lost San Fran rockers Wild Flower, Sky Saxon Remembered, The Fen Men, Nico, Timebox, West Coast Consortium, Spteson, Imperial Dogs and much more – plus loads of reissue reviews, great old photos, and more. 224 pages!

The first full album recorded by A Certain Ratio – and a mad mix of styles that's immediately compelling! The group are a key link here in so many traditions – British punk, 70s funk, dub, and late prog – all coming together under the godlike production talents of Martin Hannett to make the album one of the gleaming jewels in the crown of the young Factory Records label. There's never been a record of such scattered, skittish darkness – and even though short songs like "The Fox", "Forced Laugh", "Felch", "My Spirit", and "Loss" are arresting, the whole thing's magnificently capped off by the extended percussion jam "Winter Hill" – a tune that sounds like a batucada group trying to drum their way across a post-apocalyptic landscape!

Pretty mellow stuff from George Benson, but with some nice moments! Don Sebesky handled the arrangements for this set of larger backings – but Benson's guitar is right out front, hitting some super-dope lines at the best moments, stretching out from the warm Fender Rhodes or horn heavy backings. Highlights include "No Sooner Said Than Done", which has some very weird processing on the guitar; "Full Compass", which has some nice hard drums; and "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams", a mellow moody track. CD also features 3 bonus tracks – the previously unreleased "From Now On", and new mixes of "Serbian Blue" and "Take The A Train".

Surprisingly groovy work from Tony Blackburn – a guy most folks know for his famous DJ work in the UK, from the pirate radio years onwards – but also a singer who cut a fair number of cool singles – most of which are packaged here in this overstuffed set! Blackburn's got a voice that was great for speaking on radio – and his approach to pop is often touched with that same sort of depth – perfect for subtle drama on more driving numbers, or a simple sort of charm that works very well with the more laidback tunes too! Musical styles run a gamut of pop psych, mod, and cool compressed 70s Brit pop modes – all of the sort you're likely to hear from some of the bigger acts that Tony might have been spinning on the air. Titles include "It's Only Love", "Open Your Eyes", "Janie", "Chop Chop", "Happy", "If You Were A Dream", "Fairy Tales", "Dusty", "Cindy", "House Of Cards", "Don't Get Off That Train", "Green Light", "Winter Is Through", and "In The Night".

Tried-and-true underground hip hop mixed with more experimental beathead touches from Blu – with collaborations and production by Exile, Shafiq Husayn, Flying Lotus, Dibia$e, Daedalus and more – plus appearances by U-God, J*Davey, Co$$, Pac-Div and more. Titles include "Doin Nothing" with U-God, "Everything OK" feat Ms Jack Davey, "Everybody Nose" feat Sa-Ra & Nola Darling, "Hours", "Annie Hall" feat Chop, Cherry Pop & Tiombe Lockhart, "Tags" feat Exile, "Spring Summer Winter Fall" feat Jimetta Rose, "Down To Earth" feat Donel Smokes, Definite & Double Oh, "Keep Pushinn", "Doin Something" feat Pac Div, U-N-I, J*Davey, Tiron & Ayomari and more.

Sublime Italian soundtrack funk – and one of the greatest albums ever from 70s maestro Stelvio Cipriani! The music was scored for a schlocky horror film about a giant octopus – but Cipriani's approach here goes far beyond its roots – beautifully blending together tightly compressed bass and funky drum bits with sweet electric keys and warm string touches – making for a set that slinks along with an infectious groove from start to finish! The sound is incredible – immediately seductive on the first track, and continuing to develop as the set moves on – making for an amazing soundtrack that we'd rank as one of our Italian favorites of the 70s. Titles include "Tentacles", "Small Town Pleasures", "She'll Never Come Back", "San Diego Yellow Cab", "Summer & Winter", and "Scotch For Two". CD features more tracks than the previous version – 7 more bonus tracks that are previously unreleased!

A mellow soul classic from Chicago – and one of the last great records to come out of the city's hip 70s soul scene! We know very little about Crystal Winds – save for this excellent record, one of the few titles issued on the short-lived Cash Ear label, a south-side imprint in the tradition of 70s powerhouse labels like Curtom or Chi-Sound. The work's got a wonderfully polished feel – lots of jazzy harmonies on the vocals, and a smooth midtempo groove that reminds us of some of the best work on Fantasy Records, especially those handled by Wayne Henderson and At Home Productions. Includes a great jazzy stepper called "Signs of Winter's Time", plus other great tracks like "So Sad", "Love Ain't Easy", and "It's A Wondrous Thing".

One of Dankworth's harder outings, with a great group of Brit Jazz players, including Michael Gibbs, Kenny Wheeler, and Tony Coe. It includes tight compositions that still carry Dankworth's easy feel, but which also have a bit of an atonal edge to them! Includes "Hogshead of Hogarth", "Composition with Colour", "Winter Scene", "Sailor", "Face In A Crowd", "Little Girl In Blue" and more.

The last album to some from the brilliant team of Peter Howell and John Ferdinando – the partners behind the Ithaca and Agincourt albums – coming across here with one of their greatest sets ever! The music here is a bit more focused and polished than before – taking the best folk and psychedelic elements, and folding them together in a sweet sound that's almost Sunshine Pop – but which is obviously a few years later than the rest of the genre! The vocals often have a slight harmony approach, and there's a strong rhythmic undercurrent to many numbers – not really funky, but a lot more grooving than you might expect – again, a quality that we really appreciate in Sunshine Pop! Titles include "Memories", "Lonely Road", "You Need Friends", "Tale Of Your Life", "In The Morning", "Come Inside", "Take A Walk", and "Once In A Winter Town".

One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". Very nice!

One of the instant classic Wu Tang solo projects – Ghostface Killah's essential, early peak Ironman – and a a record that stands strongly among the best hip hop albums of the its era! Produced by The RZA at a point in which it seemed there was little he could do wrong. An absolute high water mark for Ghostface and the entire Wu Tang empire. This incredible limited edition version from Get On Down really raises the bar for audiophile CD reissues – it's unbelievable! The CD is a 24K gold disc – encased in a heavy duty box – pretty much a full sized cigar box, actually – with a full color 48 page hardcover book inside, with extended artwork, lyrics and additional liner notes. Titles include "Winter Warz", "Daytona 500", "Motherless Child", "Soul Controller", "Wildflower", "Poisonous Darts", "Fish", "Camay", "Black Jesus", "The Faster Blade", "260", "Assassination Day", "Box In Hand", "After The Smoke Is Clear" and "All That I Got Is You".

One of the instant classic Wu Tang solo projects – Ghostface Killah's essential, early peak Ironman – and a a record that stands strongly among the best hip hop albums of the its era! Produced by The RZA at a point in which it seemed there was little he could do wrong. An absolute high water mark for Ghostface and the entire Wu Tang empire. Titles include "Winter Warz", "Daytona 500", "Motherless Child", "Soul Controller", "Wildflower", "Poisonous Darts", "Fish", "Camay", "Black Jesus", "The Faster Blade", "260", "Assassination Day", "Box In Hand", "After The Smoke Is Clear" and "All That I Got Is You".

A great little album of short groovy cuts from Dizzy – and actually quite hard to find on vinyl! Despite a title that sounds a bit flowery, the grooves are nice and hard – and Dizzy's playing here with a combo that includes James Moody, Kenny Barron, Billy Butler, and Candido. The sound isn't as funky as the records that Dizzy would later cut for Perception, but it's getting pretty close at times – especially on the tunes that have a nice Latin soul feel. Titles include "Summer Samba", "Bang Bang", "Mas Que Nada", "Tequila", "Winter Samba", and "Get That Money Blues".

Killer stuff – and an amazing album that not only showcases the varitone sax talents of Eddie Harris, but also features some fantastic arrangements by Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney! Harris plugs in right from the start – blowing an electric sax that comes up with some groovy groovy sounds – perfect for Stepney to work with on the backdrops – mixing together funky orchestrations, off-kilter strings, and even some prepared piano, ala John Cage – similar to the mode he used with Ramsey Lewis at Cadet! Tunes are wonderful – offbeat, funky, and plenty darn soulful – and titles include "Live Right Now", "It's Crazy", "Winter Meeting", and "Theme In Search Of A TV Commercial".

Incredible work from one of the hippest groups in the contemporary underground – Detroit's In The Tradition, a combo with a righteous sound that takes us back to the 70s days of Strata East and Tribe Records! This double-length set is a bold step forward for the group – as some tracks feature their own music, done in a spiritual blend of sounds that's really wonderful – tunes that spin out with long modal rhythms, soaring solos, and a very soulful energy that never lets up – with lots of echoes of the best Chicago and Detroit modes from years back. The other tracks features more work by other jazz greats – Wayne Shorter, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, and others – reinterpreted by the group in wicked blend of hardbop and soul jazz modes – simply brilliant, and like getting two excellent albums together in a single package – with a really unified sound! Titles include "She Sings To The Wind", "Winter Meeting", "Noloyiso", "Trouble Of The World", "One Love", "Black Orpheus", "Chantized", "Crisis", and "Dreams".

Janeiro Jarel and MF Doom – united as JJ Doom – and it's one of the fresher Doom collaborative projects of the past couple years! As unique as MF Doom is on the production tip, we gotta say we dig his joint efforts more when he's on the rhymes and another producer is behind the beats. Of course, the reason is that Doom is even more distinct behind the mic than he is when he wears the production mask. JJ's spacey style pilots most of the tracks on Key To The Kuffs, so Doom is free to drop mad rhymes. There's an impressive guest list, too – which includes Beth Gibbons, Damon Albarn, Indigo, Khujo Goodie and others. Titles include "Waterlogged", "Guv'Nor", "Banished", "Bite The Thong", "Dawg Friendly", "Rhymin Slang", "Winter Blues", "Viberian Sun Pt. II", "Wash Your Hands" and more.

A beautiful example of the mid-60s power of JJ Johnson – a big band session that features arrangements by JJ, Gary McFarland, and Oliver Nelson – all a very cooking mix of modernism, soul, and swing! The groups are large on all numbers, but there's plenty of room for Johnson to solo out in the lead – in a tightly-blown approach to trombone that almost comes across like a trumpet, given JJ's focus on the instrument. Other horn parts back him up lightly, but never overwhelm – and titles include "So What", "Stratusphunk", "Winter's Waif", "El Camino Real", "Stolen Moments", "Train Samba", and "Bemsha Swing".

Sure, this one's got "boogie" in the title – but don't let that scare you off! The album's carved in the same hard funky style as mid 70s hits like "Hollywood Swinging" or "Jungle Boogie" (both from earlier albums) – and in fact, the "boogie" in the title seems to be a definite reference to that latter track, which is aped a bit on the album, instead of the more common 70s use of the term for disco. Whew! That's a bit of a complicated explanation – but we're just trying to tell you that this one's still plenty funky, with loads of great drums, jazzy riffing, monster basslines, and even a dose of righteous soul! Tracks include "Spirit of The Boogie", "Jungle Jazz", "Ancestral Ceremony", "Winter Sadness", and "Ride the Rhythm". One of their last great LPs, and an essential addition to their mid 70's opus! Reissued with the original gatefold cover, too!

Way more than just a "boogie" album – as you might think from the title – and much more a hard-hitting batch of funky tunes, mixed with some even cooler laidback numbers! The album follows heavily off the style of Wild & Peaceful – mixing together the group's older crack rhythms with some newer, hipper, jazzier inflections – making for an incredibly powerful sound that really opens them up. Titles include the massively funky "Jungle Jazz" – a jazzy follow up to "Jungle Boogie" – plus some spiritual numbers that have a cosmic soul jazzy feel, like the tracks "Cosmic Energy", "Ancestral Ceremony", and "Winter Sadness". The whole thing's great – and other titles include "Mother Earth", "Caribbean Festival", and "Ride The Rhythm".

A nice bit of psych folk from the UK – Paul Korda's Passing Stranger record from 1971. It's pretty driving set in moments, and quite delicate in others – voiced impressively by Korda, who's also really strong in the songwriting arena! The songs are really inspired, still carrying some of the romance and idealism of the later 60s, and his voice is quite soulful, too! It's co-produced by Vic Smith and features some stellar guests on the sessions, including AWB guitarist Alan Gorrie, plus Chris Spedding, Onnie McIntyre, Madeline Bell and Doris Troy. Includes "Between The Road", "Morning Wakes The Sun", "Dover Ferry", "Ode To The Ministry", "Into Your Station", "Pass Me Winter", "Rubble My Cauldron", "We Are Each Other", "A Passing Stranger", "Mud Mother" and more. 2 bonus tracks: "English Country Garden" and "Seagull" – pulled from rare singles!

A uniquely European Encounter between pianist John Lewis and violinist Svend Asmussen – and one that makes for a different blend of instrumentation than you'd get on some of John Lewis' other albums as a leader! The pair are supported by Jimmy Woode on bass and Sture Kalin on drums – for a 50/50 mix of American and European – in a style that's wonderfully spare, and which brings out some of the best dark tones of both players – and which also has Asmussen's instrument inflecting some nice color into Lewis' tones. The album sports a wonderful version of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – plus a set of Lewis originals that include "If I Were Eve", "Winter Tale", "Slater's Theme", and "New York 19".

Pivotal work from one of the first bluesmen to ever use "blind" in his name – sides recorded by the legendary Willie McTell when he was at the height of his powers! Most tracks here feature well-recorded vocals from Willie – especially for the time – a haunting accompaniment to his deft work on acoustic guitar, which makes up the bulk of the instrumentation for most of the tracks. Ruth Day joins Willie on a few numbers – and titles include "Razor Ball", "My Baby's Gone", "Atlanta Strut", "God Don't Like It", "Scary Day Blues", "Experience Blues", "Kind Mama", and "Cold Winter Day".

A pair of classics from the great Bill Medley – pulled from his key early years on his own! Bill Medley 100% a surprisingly wonderful little record – and a real testament to the blue-eyed soul of Medley! The set's a solo outing that has Bill stepping away from his fame as a Righteous Brother – but almost sounding even better on his own, with a depth of soul to his vocals that's really amazing – echoes of Ray Charles, Jerry Butler, Chuck Jackson, and other 60s greats – served up with a surprising lack of cliche – at least in comparison to folks who tried this sort of thing in later years. Bill Baker serves up some sparkling arrangements for the set – and titles include "Brown Eyed Woman", "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Show Me", "One Day Girl", and "That's Life". Soft & Soulful is a record that really has Bill Medley deepening up his groove – moving past some of the more standard soul music modes of earlier efforts, and stretching out in a rich tapestry of modes that clearly sets the scene for soul singers in generations to come! There's still a strong dose of 60s soul in the mix here, but the arrangements complicate things nicely – and bring in this "adult" approach to the music that no doubt went back from Medley's mainstream presence to have an influence on other soul singers as well – kind of a template for more mature modes that would show up more strongly in the 70s. Medley wrote some of the tunes on the set himself – which further deepens the personality of the record – and titles include "Winter Won't Come This Year", "Peace Brother Peace", "100 Years", "I'm Gonna Die Me", "Softly", "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby", "Any Day Now", and "Street Of Dirt".

A wonderfully moody session from Helen Merrill – and an obscure one too! The album was recorded in New York in 1965 – with pianist Dick Katz leading an off-beat group that featured Thad Jones on cornet, Jim Hall on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – a combo that has equal talents for modern moments and more sensitive moods. The groove is much more fragmented than on some of Helen's earlier records for Mercury – with a jagged edge that works perfectly with her strangely detached style of presenting a lyric – a way of looking at familiar tunes almost from the outside, in ways that really come up with something new. Titles include "Baltimore Oriole", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Day Dream", "The Winter Of My Discontent", "What Is This Thing Called Love", and "Deep In A Dream".

Titles include "Angie", "Star Star", "Hide Your Love", "Winter", "Can You Hear The Music", "100 Years Ago", and "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo".

An oft-overlooked jazzy gem from Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – and a beautifully swinging session that has Gil toning it down a bit, and working into a nicely musical groove that gets past the heavy politics of earlier years! The record's a great showcase for the more upbeat side of Gil's talents – and what it lacks in righteousness, it more than makes up for in a warmly flowing and very soulful vibe! The band's in great form – laying down tight warm jazzy riffs that provide some of the best backing for Gil's voice we've heard since Winter In America – and titles include the wonderfully catchy "Racetrack In France", plus "Hello Sunday Hello Road", "Under The Hammer", and "We Almost Lost Detroit".

An oft-overlooked jazzy gem from Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – and a beautifully swinging session that has Gil toning it down a bit, and working into a nicely musical groove that gets past the heavy politics of earlier years! The record's a great showcase for the more upbeat side of Gil's talents – and what it lacks in righteousness, it more than makes up for in a warmly flowing and very soulful vibe! The band's in great form – laying down tight warm jazzy riffs that provide some of the best backing for Gil's voice we've heard since Winter In America – and titles include the wonderfully catchy "Racetrack In France", plus "Hello Sunday Hello Road", "Under The Hammer", and "We Almost Lost Detroit".

Gil Scott Heron's first album for Arista – very much in the mellow soul jazz work of his legendary album on Strata East! The record features some wonderfully moody jazz backing that really marks a shift in Gil's style – never going too far over the top, but hitting a sweet groove that really lets him open up as a singer even more than before! There's plenty of warm electric piano on the album, couched in those wonderfully soulful phrases that Gil and Brian Jackson could cook up so effortlessly at the time – and tracks include the fantastic cut "Winter In America", plus "The Liberation Song (Red, Black And Green)", "Ain't No Such Thing As Superman" "We Beg Your Pardon", "Alluswe" and "Western Sunrise".

One of Gil Scott-Heron's best albums from later years! The record's got some wonderful mellow cuts – the kind that send chills up our spine, and which remind us of Gil's stripped-down jazzy work on the album Winter In America. And in fact, Gil does an excellent remake of the classic track "Your Daddy Loves You" from that album – adding in a bit more production than on the original, but still doing the cut with a wonderfully soulful vibe. A few cuts have a razor sharp lyricism laid down over jazz funk arrangements – "The Klan" and "Waiting For The Axe To Fall" in particular – but the best numbers are wonderfully sophisticated jazzy numbers, like "Combinations" and "The Train From Washington".

Some of the best tracks ever from the pair of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – some of most righteous, authoritative and thematically heavy soul music ever created – compiled in one incredible set! Messianic, emotive vocals from Gil and stunningly restrained, magical soul jazz arrangements from Brian – words can't express how dynamic these tunes are! Great stuff from classic LPs such as Winter In America, It's Your World, First Minute Of A New Day, Secrets and more! 15 tracks in all: "The Bottle", "It's Your World", "Johannesburg", "Winter In America", "The Liberation (Red, Black & Green)", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is (Live)", "We Almost Lost Detroit", "Angel Dust", "Show Bizness", "Madison Avenue", "Shut 'Em Down", "Alien (Hold On To Your Dreams)".

An unusual one for George Shearing – in that this Capitol session's a trio date, instead of Shearing's usual quintet mode – working in an Ahmad Jamal-like trio with drums by Vernel Fournier and bass by the late Israel Crosby! There's flowing, subtly soulful sound going on here – one that's almost an homage to Jamal, but which still has some of the more Shearing-like tones to ring out and announce George's influence on the date. The album was sadly Crosby's last recording, but his bass still sounds great – and titles include "Wonder Why", "Blues In 9/4", "Heart Of Winter", "What's New?", and "Symphony".

Soaring grooves from Bebu Silvetti – a set that definitely has the disco touches you'd expect on the Salsoul label, but which also seems to pick up a few soundtracky styles as well! Some tunes are upbeat and grooving, with a great blend of strings and beats – the kind that Silvetti does so well – while others are a bit more groovy, and feel like the kind of thing you might hear on an Italian soundtrack of the time – especially when the wordless vocals are scatting along with the music! Titles include "Silvia's Picture", "Winter Rain", "Travel Check", "Steps In The Snow", "A Day In The Country", and "Spring Rain".

Soulful fusion by one of the best groups of their genre! The CD contains both albums recorded by Tarika Blue for Chiaroscuro Records in the 70s – both of them wonderful fusion records that have an incredibly soulful sound. The group features work by soulful luminaries like Justo Almario, James Mason, and Ryo Kawasaki – and the overall feel is sweetly bubbling, soul-inspired jazz – very much in the tradition of Roy Ayers' best work of the period, or work recorded for the same label by Mason and Kawasaki! Irene Datcher and Dolores Smith sing on a few tracks, giving the album a nice vocal dimension that takes things even deeper – and the CD features a total of 13 tracks that include "Love It", "Truth Is The Key", "Dreamflower", "Things Spring", "Blue Neptune", "Jimi", "Downtown Sound", "Sun Through Winter", "Sunshower", "Charlie", and "My Love Is So Free".

Incredible late work from the great West African dance band Vis-A-Vis – a brilliant set from 1977 that demonstrates good and well why the band were so greatly in demand both live and in the studio! The group had spent quite a bit of time backing the great Ghanaian singer K. Frimpong in the mid-to-late 70s, sometimes billed as the Cubano Fiestas, but as you're hear on this great set, they're just as great out on their own. They show a pretty amazing range – with a raw, yet dexterous African funk sound on some numbers and the entwining melodies of high life on others. The 12-piece group features a trio of vocalists led by "Superstar" Isaac Yeboah, plus Anthony Yeboah and Ayim Bediako, with Sammy Cropper on guitar, Slim Mau on bass, drummer Gybson "Shaolin Kung-Fu" Papra, George Asante on conga, Tonny Dozis on keys and synth, Kofi Abrokwaa on tenor sax, Paul Winter on trumpet, Daniel Asare on maracas and Alex Jubin on cowbells. Includes "Obi Agye Me Dofo", "Kankyema", "Gyae Su", "Gladys Mmbobor" and "Susan Suo".

A pair of burning 21st Century recordings by Per Henrik Wallin – easily one of the greatest free jazz pianists working the European scene for the past few decades – as you'll certainly hear on this set! CD 1 features duets between Wallin and drummer Sven Akie Johansson – recorded in an intimate setting in Wallin's apartment, but played with a full sense of explosive energy that would easily rival the best live work by either player. The performance runs for nearly an hour, and features 10 segments, all numbered versions of "Proklamation". CD 2 is a live date from Amsterdam – one that features a trio with Peter Janson on bass and Leif Wennerstrom on drums – working with Wallin in a mode that's certainly a bit more inside than the first one, but no less creative overall. Echoes of piano modernism from the 50s onward characterize many of the numbers – and Wallin brings together a legacy of key players into dialectic with his own approach – shifting back and forth beautifully, and showing a command of the keyboard that's simply breathtaking. Titles include "Farewell To Sweden", "Winter Rap", "Work", "PH's Delight", "Time Waits", "Voodoo", and "The Question Of Evoking".

Sultry vocals from Sallie Blair – one of the hipper singers of her generation, and an artist with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of! Blair's a bit bluesy, a bit soulful, but ultimately a jazz singer at heart – and her already-cool style gets some sweet extra help on this session from Neal Hefti, who brings a great sense of punch to his arrangements – almost a Basie bounce at points, but with some Henry Mancini touches too – especially in the album's great use of electric guitar and Latin percussion. Most numbers have a slinky, sexy sort of groove – and titles include "That Old Black Magic", "Witchcraft", "Whatever Lola Wants", "Doncha Go Way Mad", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "Early Winter", and "I'm Through With Love".

One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". Very nice!

Breezy bossa nova – Hollywood 60s style! The album's one of the best cut for Capitol by guitarist Laurindo Almeida – and has a sweet groovy little style that features Laurindo's lovely guitar work over some lightly dancing small combo backings that include flute, harmonica, organ, percussion, and even a bit of whistling on a few tracks! The vibe's very much in the best Verve/Impulse takes on the bossa – done with a clear California influence, which keeps things cool and breezy – and which also pushes Almeida past his sometimes-staid style on guitar. Two cuts also feature some great vocals by Irene Kral – and titles include "Twilight In Rio", "Old Guitaron", "Sarah's Samba", "Izabella", "Winter Moon", "Girl From Ipanema", and "Choro For People In Love".

A fresh set of sounds from pianist Stanley Cowell – a really inventive record that also features Stan on kyma and kalimba as well, alongside some equally great guitar work from Vic Juris! We're not sure if Cowell and Juris have ever played together, but the pairing works wonders here – as the bold colors of Vic's guitar come into play with the deeper tones of Cowell's instruments – all in a setting that has both more sharp edges and warmer moments than most recent sessions we've heard from the pianist! The style isn't Strata East, but does strongly echo the best of Juris' recordings from the 70s – and the change of scene for Cowell has only given us more respect for his talents in these later years. A few tunes have some nicely distorted lines, and the group also features Tom DiCarlo on bass and Chris Brown on drums – on titles that include "Victim", "Tinged", "Sun Burn", "St Croix", "Winter Reflections", "Welcome To This New World", and "An Overseas Memory".

A pretty great late live set from Buddy Guy – who's tearing it up at his namesake Legends club in Chicago! Buddy's been throwing it down for years at Legends during annual winter residencies – which can be among the tougher tickets to score in the winter live club scene around here – so it's a bit surprising that there hasn't been a proper live document before the top notch Live At Legends! Better late than never. It kicks off with a profane stage intro that lets you know that Buddy and his band aren't messing around or coasting on reputation, before they shake the roof with "Best Damn Fool", "Mannish Boy", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "Damn Right I Got The Blues", "Skin Deep" and a couple killer medleys: "Boom Boom/Strange Brew" and "Voodoo Chile/Sunshine Of Your Love". The set also includes 3 bonus studio recordings: "Polka Dot Love", "Country Boy" and "Coming For You" – the latter featuring The Memphis Horns.

A killer bit of Latin Soul – one of the few albums ever recorded by conga player George Guzman, working here with a very cool, very hip, late 60s ensemble! The group sport 3 trumpets, piano, bass, and some very strong percussion – plus vocals in both English and Spanish, which makes for a perfect back and forth mood to the set, handling both straight Latin and Latin Soul numbers with ease! Loads of great tracks – including "Diggin' Rice & Beans", "Manteca", "Really Bad Scene", La Banda Ya Llego", and "Winter Love". Nice, tight, and very very groovy.

Rare English language recordings from the sublime Francoise Hardy – music that's every bit as wonderful as her famous French recordings – and even more compelling to our Anglo-styled ears! The vocals are wonderful – sung with this sense of darkness that's almost got an echo of Nico at points, given the accent – set to backings that balance this darkness with a bit more light, but never in ways that are overly poppy – and which definitely continue that more sophisticated style that Hardy always brought to her music! There's less "yeh yeh" to the tracks than a few years before – and Francoise is definitely digging deeper music at this point in her career – sometimes with a breathy brilliance that's a bit like Jane Birkin too. Titles include "Bown Bown Bown", "Till The Morning Comes", "Loving You", "In The Sky", "Midnight Blues", "Magic Horse", "Song Of Winter", "Strange Shadows", "Ocean", "The Garden Of Jane Delawney", "Sometimes", "Let My Name Be Sorrow", "Times Passing By", "I Just Want To Be Alone", and "Suzanne".

Killer stuff – and an amazing album that not only showcases the varitone sax talents of Eddie Harris, but also features some fantastic arrangements by Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney! Harris plugs in right from the start – blowing an electric sax that comes up with some groovy groovy sounds – perfect for Stepney to work with on the backdrops – mixing together funky orchestrations, off-kilter strings, and even some prepared piano, ala John Cage – similar to the mode he used with Ramsey Lewis at Cadet! Tunes are wonderful – offbeat, funky, and plenty darn soulful – and titles include "Live Right Now", "It's Crazy", "Winter Meeting", and "Theme In Search Of A TV Commercial".

A tremendous second step for Chicago soul legend Walter Jackson – packaged here with a huge amount of bonus tracks as well! The core album is a sublime mix of new tunes and re-imagined standards – and a set that takes Walter Jackson into even more sophisticated soul territory than before! The record is proof that the up and coming soul artists of the 60s had a key place alongside the more established mainstream acts on the other side of the fence – as Walter's working here with arranger Riley Hampton to re-cast a number of familiar tunes in his cool Iceman soul mode – changing the themes, rhythms, and inflections of the tracks for a more contemporary soul market – and also interspersing them with a few great new songs of his own! The approach is amazing – far better than even Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson's work in a similar idiom – and the album features the sublime hit "Welcome Home", plus the Van McCoy tunes "Suddenly I'm All Alone", "Still At The Mercy Of Your Love", and "The Magic's Gone" – alongside versions of "Moon River", "Let It Be Me", "Imagination", and "My Funny Valentine". Added to the original album are 7 more rare tracks pulled from singles – some of the true gems in Jackson's 60s career for Okeh – with titles that include "Deep In The Heart Of Harlem", "Cold Cold Winter", "That's When I Come To You", "Special Love", "One Heart Lonely", "I Think It's Going To Rain Today", and "The Folks Who Live On The Hill".

Great stuff from the girls who first put Barry White on the map! The record is the group's second – and by this point, Barry had developed that tight snapping drum sound that made his orchestral albums work so well. You'll hear it to good effect on most songs on the LP, which have a great groove that's in the best Barry White mode of the 70s – but which kind of dominates the girls' vocals a bit. Not that anyone should complain that much, as it's the overall package that's always made Barry's albums sound so great – but we do wonder how the group felt when they had to sit out the first track, which was the instrumental "Love's Theme", a song that went onto become Barry's biggest song ever, and which probably sold the album a lot more than the vocal tracks. Still, you can hardly detect a note of disharmony – and the album soars from track to track, through titles like "Under The Influence Of Love", "Say It Again", "Yes, We Finally Made It", and "It May Be Winter Outside".

A real classic from Sergio Mendes – probably most famous for its funky bits! The record pushes past the formula of the earlier Brasil 66 albums, and goes for a more sophisticated approach that adds in some sweet electric moments, more complicated grooves, and an overall sound that's even hipper than the group's early pop for A&M. The album features an excellent version of "For What It's Worth" that has a tight drumbreak which has been sampled often, as well as a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Lost in the Paradise" which is a good translation of the song to an American idiom! Other tracks include "Viramundo", "Stillness", "Chelsea Morning", and "Sometimes In Winter". A real gem – and one of the group's most overlooked albums!

Titles include "Angie", "Star Star", "Hide Your Love", "Winter", "Can You Hear The Music", "100 Years Ago", and "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo".

Double vinyl collection with 14 tracks of the best of the RZA productions from 1993-95, reminding us just how dope RZA and the rest of the Wu-Tang were back then. Each side starts out with spoken Wu-history lesson from RZA. Includes RZA "Wu-Wear" (non-lp track), GZA "Liquid Swords", Method Man "Method Man", "Bring The Pain", "All I Need", Raekwon "Incarcerated Scarfaces", "Ice Cream", Ghostface "Winter Warz", "All I Got Is You", Ol Dirty Bastard "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", "Brooklyn Zoo", Wu-Tang Clan "Ain't Nuthing Ta F' With", "Protect Ya Neck", "C.R.E.A.M."

A great one from Gil Scott-Heron – and another wonderful collaboration with Brian Jackson – who handled all the arrangements on this set, and gave the record that sweet jazzy sound that makes Gil's work from this time some of his best ever! There's loads of excellent electric piano from Jackson – whose work in the style made the Winter In America album so great – and the combination of Gil's vocals and his keys really makes the album sublime! Leading the way, Gil's heavy, strong, strident and focused lyricism – presciently and poetically preparing for the 80s as only he could! Includes the single "Shut 'Um Down", "Alien (Hold On To Your Dreams)", "Willing", "Corners", "Late Last Night", and "Push Comes To Shove". This Soul Brother edition includes a 2009 essay/introduction by Brian Jackson.

Quite possibly the greatest moment ever from the legendary Scott Walker – a set that strongly steps beyond even the genius of his first two solo albums, thanks to an amazing assortment of original tunes! Scott's dark vision of masculinity is emerging full-blown here – in an array of imagistic songs that piece together a very different picture of the male voice in music at the end of the 60s. Arrangements are quite large – echoing Scott's love of Jacques Brel and Jack Jones – but they've got a very subdued quality too, one that always takes second seat to Walker's incredibly haunting voice – rich, yet unquestionably fragile at the same time. Titles include "Copenhagen", "Winter Night", "30 Century Man", "It's Raining Today", "Two Ragged Soldiers" and "Big Louise".

The first full album recorded by A Certain Ratio – and a mad mix of styles that's immediately compelling! The group are a key link here in so many traditions – British punk, 70s funk, dub, and late prog – all coming together under the godlike production talents of Martin Hannett to make the album one of the gleaming jewels in the crown of the young Factory Records label. There's never been a record of such scattered, skittish darkness – and even though short songs like "The Fox", "Forced Laugh", "Felch", "My Spirit", and "Loss" are arresting, the whole thing's magnificently capped off by the extended percussion jam "Winter Hill" – a tune that sounds like a batucada group trying to drum their way across a post-apocalyptic landscape!

Pretty mellow stuff from George Benson, but with some nice moments! Don Sebesky handled the arrangements for this set of larger backings – but Benson's guitar is right out front, hitting some super-dope lines at the best moments, stretching out from the warm Fender Rhodes or horn heavy backings. Highlights include "No Sooner Said Than Done", which has some very weird processing on the guitar; "Full Compass", which has some nice hard drums; and "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams", a mellow moody track.

Leonard Cohen's debut for Columbia, one of the most astounding first albums if its era, and to this day a towering achievement in both songwriting and myth making! The production is that perfectly haunting mix of sparseness and grandeur, with Cohen's lyricism piercing and penetrating wonderfully – his voice never sounded better, and this is certainly one of the great "lightening in a bottle" efforts that was hard to top by Cohen or anyone else in the more poetic upper levels of pop music. Includes ""Suzanne", "Master Song", "Winter Lady", "The Stranger Song", "Sisters Of Mercy", "So Long, Marianne", "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye", "Stories Of The Street", "Teachers" and "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong".

A double-length set of late genius from the great Art Pepper – a live performance from Tokyo, cut at a time when Pepper was really stretching out on his solos! The tunes are all quite long, with plenty of room for Art's inventive reed work – and the album also features some great spoken bits between a few of the songs – a really great way to hear a Pepper voice that doesn't come from his instrument – which oddly then seems to really illuminate the music to follow. The group's a very familiar one, which means that everyone's in great company – George Cables on piano, Tony Dumas on bass, and Carl Burnett on drums. Titles include "Winter Moon", "Avalon", "YI Blues", "Donna Lee", "Make A List", "Quiet Fire", "Straight Life", and "Landscape".

A great-looking bossa compilation – with loads of fun moments! The set features a super-groovy assortment of tunes that mixes together famous bossa groovers with some other more obscure numbers – and the overall feel of the whole thing is very much in a tight jazzy mode, with a strong 60s drive to it. Titles include "Bossa Nova (I Say)" by Bobby MacKay, "Samba De Uma Nota So" by Coral De Ouro Preto, "Boy From Ipanema" by Sarah Vaughan, "Samba Ninternacional" by Os Farroupilhas, "Telefone" by Walter Wanderley, "Menino Travesso" by Edison Machando, "Reza" by Paul Winter, "O Pato" by Pedrinho Mattar, "Mas Que Nada" by Tamba Trio, and "Upa Neguinho" by Edu Lobo". 22 tracks in all!

No anarchy here – as the groove is bold and tight, and right on the money – making for maybe the greatest album so far from the legendary Bukky Leo! The reedman's been working in London for decades, yet has only gotten his due in recent years – turning out a pan-global blend of spiritual jazz, Afro Funk, and possibly a bit of Caribbean groove too – all wrapped together in a style that really shows off Bukky's long legacy in music! The overall production and execution of this album is even greater than previous recent releases – helping give Bukky that tight focus we first heard many years back – and which really helps keep a strong spark to the groove throughout this entire album. Bukky wrote and arranged the entire set – and titles include "Afrobeat Jam", "Hard Times", "Fella Fella", "Rhythemic", "Mansa Dialema", "Jahfrobeat", "Skeleton", "Time Scale", and "Anarchy". CD also features bonus saxophone versions of "Hard Times" and "Time Scale" – plus "Skeleton (Gilles Peterson beach mix)" and "Skeleton (Gilles Peterson winter dub)".

One of the most obscure 50s vocal sessions on Atlantic Records – a sophisticated set of material set to beautifully shaded arrangements from Thomas Talbert! Patty McGovern's vocals are somewhat fragile and soft – but in a really nice way that mixes beautifully with Talbert's slightly modern backdrops – music that uses light woodwinds and a nice dose of jazz to create a moody, almost sad-tinged sound. The quality's quite different than many other 50s vocal dates – and it really makes us wish we'd heard more from the team of McGovern and Talbert. Titles include originals "Wednesday's Child", "I Like Snow", "Love Isn't Everything", and "Winter Song" – plus "Get Out Of Town", "Alone Together", "All In Fun", and "Hooray For Love". CD also features some rare bonus tracks – including "Summer Rain", "Every Other Dream", "If That Isn't Love", and "I Love You Dear".

Beautiful work from Seung-Hee – a vocalist who splits her time between Korea and North America, and who has a scope of sound that really lives up to her global stance! Seung-Hee has a really classic approach – not 50s torch, but that really inventive period of the 70s, when female jazz vocalists were really breaking free – finding new ways to inflect their notes, and often adding their own words too – in ways that made the music even more expressive than before! Seung-Hee's got a great way with a tune, and turns in some excellent compositions here – including a few set to music by Bill Evans and Charlie Haden – often with that freewheeling mix of breezy and soulful styles that we love in our favorite European jazz vocalists from years back. This album's a great step forward for the singer – and may well put her in a lineage that includes the best work by singers like Sheila Jordan, Monica Linges, and Karin Krog. Titles include "Sketc Part 2", "I'll Be Here", "Winter & Then", "Valparaiso", "An Elliptical Note", "By The Sea", "Visions", and a version of Edo Lobo's "Pra Dizer Adeus".

The second live set we've gotten to hear from Mario Biondi, and it's the second terrific and worthy one! Yes You Live is a double set that finds Mario working in both acoustic jazz and electric jazz modes – both with a lot of soul. There's a contemporary freshness to the whole thing, as well as a genuine love of classic soulful jazzy vocal performers – traits we've always loved about Mario's studio work and sounding all the more vibrantly alive in a live setting! CD Yes includes "Nature Boy", "Serenity",, "Black Shop", "Love Dreamer", "Winter In America", "Ecstasy" and more. CD You features a middle section of tracks with Incognito, including "No Mo' Trouble", "Lowdown" and "Can't Get Enough", plus "I Know It's Over", "Bom De Doer", "I Wanna Make It" and more.

The clubby jazz funk debut of Freeez – plus the Anti-Freeez remix album from a couple years later – issued together along with even more bonus material in this great 2CD set! Dancefloor ready live band grooving is the warmly beating heart of the Freeez sound at this early point – with heated drums and killer basslines driving it – clearly influenced by late 70s international club sounds, but with this great, tight energy and dexterous musicianship that could only come from a real, functioning, true band. Nice stuff! Disc One includes the original album & remixes: "Mariposa (Butterfly)", "Caribbean Winter", "Easy On The Onions", "Sunset", "Flying High", "Roller Chase", "First Love" and more from the original, plus bonus tracks including "Ainti-Freeez (Set Me Free) – Disco Version", "Fly By Night", "Flying High (12" Remix)" and more. Disc Two includes early singles, demos, instrumentals and the complete Anti-Freeez remix album from 1984 – with "Keep In Touch", "Hot Footing It", "Stay", "Roller Chase (1984 Remix)", "Alone (1984 Remix)", "One To One (1984 Remix)", "Caribbean Winter (1984 Remix)", "Say You Will Be My Lover (Previously Unreleased Demo)" and more. 30 tracks on 2CDs.

A leap in creativity and ambition from Jane Weaver – kind of a concept album covering "seven chapters of cosmic aquatic folklore" – the loose storyline might be strange and mysterious, but the slow building mood and evolving instrumentation of the music, plus the enigmatic beauty of Jane's voice are compellingly wonderful! Jane is a very talented instrumentalist – she sings and plays guitars, organs, synths and vibes throughout – and she's recruited an adventurous and impressive roster of guests. The incredible Susan Christie recites a poem in the opening suite – and other guests include Esyllt Glyn Jones on harp, Wendy Flower of Wendy & Bonnie (!!!), violinist Lis Murphy (who records Balkanese folk songs under the name Behar), noisemaker Andy Votel and others. Includes the 3 part opening suite "Europium Alluminate/A Circle And A Star/The Fallen By Watch Bird" plus "Turning In Circles", "Jud A Llefrith", "Whistpers Of Winter, "My Soul Was Lost, My Soul Was Lost, And No One Saved Me", "Noctilumina" and "Silver Chord".

The greatest track ever by this hip Chicago group – served up in both vocal and instrumental versions! Heavenly!

A soundtrack steeped in Euro funk and disco from Franco Micalizzi – his work for Stridulum, also known as The Visitor – a wild film starring John Huston as Jerzy – as a being from outerspace with telekinetic earthling offspring and a crazy cast that includes Glenn Ford, Shelly Winters, Sam Pekinpah and Lance Henriksen! Somehow, this plot provides for a soundtrack filled with funky bass and drums, flute, breathlessly cooed wordless vocals and other 70s dancefloor touches! Titles include "Stridulum Theme", "Here's The Dream", "Atmosphere", "Sadness Theme", "Running Away From Jerzy" and more. This CD version includes 8 previously unreleased bonus tracks!

A sweet little trio set – one that's virtually unknown, given the limited pressing run of the original album – but which stands as one of the best recorded in Germany at the time! The group here have a cohesive focus that's mighty nice – an ability to let loose with open, flowing ideas – yet still retain a sense of swing – in ways that remind us a lot of the best French piano trios, but with a special quality that really makes this album unique! There's a sense of depth in the colors that we really love – a thoughtful sense of less-is-more – yet never delivered with the overdone cliches that sort of reference usually implies – again, because of the subtle swing that's going on. Klaus Treuheit plays piano, but the trio's very equally balanced with efforts from Christian Lachotta on bass and Hans-Gunter Brodmann on drums – on cuts that include "Blues Blue", "Lydia's Lament", "Herbstlaub", "Sidran", and "Winterlied".

One of Bill Withers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that has hip stepping off the acoustic sound of his Sussex records, into a warm and jazzy style that we like every bit as much as his earlier work! The album's got a wonderfully sophisticated jazzy vibe, and includes the excellent cut "Lovely Day" – a perfect midtempo track with some great electric keyboards behind Bill's raspy soulful voice, and a great hook on the chorus! Paul Riser handled a lot of the arrangements – and other titles include "Wintertime", "It Ain't Because Of Me Baby", "I Want To Spend The Night", and "Then You Smile At Me". CD features the bonus tracks "Rosie (unreleased demo)", "Lovely Night For Dancing (single version)", and "Let Me Be The One For You (inst mix)".

A sweet little package – with three classic albums from Bill Withers, each in a tiny LP-styled cover! Still Bill is Bill Withers' second album – even more wonderful than the first! The record's a perfect summation of all that made Bill so great – warm raspy vocals, sweet soulful production, mature songwriting, and just the right use of acoustic guitar to accent all the best elements in the music! Withers was already great before this record, but Still Bill really pushed him over the top – and made sure that generations to come would never tire of his genius. The arrangements are wonderful – with just the right sort of punch to hammer things home – yet still very far from commercial, and able to let all the acoustic elements of Bill's roots shine through. The record includes the massive "Lean On Me" – but we love it even more for the funky "Use Me", the slinky "Kissing My Love", the righteous "Who Is He (And What Is He To You)", and the always-great "Lonely Town Lonely Street". Menagerie is one of Bill Withers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that has hip stepping off the acoustic sound of his Sussex records, into a warm and jazzy style that we like every bit as much as his earlier work! The album's got a wonderfully sophisticated jazzy vibe, and includes the excellent cut "Lovely Day" – a perfect midtempo track with some great electric keyboards behind Bill's raspy soulful voice, and a great hook on the chorus! Paul Riser handled a lot of the arrangements – and other titles include "Wintertime", "It Ain't Because Of Me Baby", "I Want To Spend The Night", and "Then You Smile At Me". Watching You is a sweet little 80s session from Bill Withers – a lot less acoustic than his soul of the 70s, but in a way that works surprisingly well! As always with Bill, the vocals are the main thing, and the passage of time has done nothing to take off his edge – that warmly raspy quality that's instantly recognizable, and which comes through with all of its original charm – even amidst the smoother, more electric approach of the album's backings. There's a number of tracks on here that hit a mellow, midtempo groove that works quite well – and Bill did most of the production himself, with help from collaborators who include Ralph MacDonald, Michel Colombier, and Denny Diante. Titles include "Watching You Watching Me", "Oh Yeah", "Something That Turns You On", "You Try To Find A Love", "We Could Be Sweet Lovers", and "Heart In Your Life".

A wonderful collection that brings together two vintage compilations on the legendary Minit label – more than enough work to make a really heavy-hitting CD! The first 12 tracks on the set are from the excellent We Sing The Blues collection, issued by Minit in the early 60s – and a package that features a lot more soul than you'd guess from the "blues" in the title! The collection features some of the best up and coming talents working in the Crescent City at the time – artists who helped shift the R&B sound of the 50s into the New Orleans soul groove that would grow tremendously in the 60s – and who sound great here in a batch of tracks that includes some great lesser-known numbers. New Orleans Our Home Town is a similar package, but one that features a bit more R&B too – older 50s tracks issued on Imperial, mixed with some of the more modern New Orleans soul that was showing up on Minit. CD features a whopping 25 tracks in all – including "The Power Of Love" by Willie Harper, "Te Ta Te Ta Ta" by Ernie K Doe, "Moanin & Screamin (parts 1 & 2)" by Diamond Joe, "Oogsey Moo" by Jessie Hill, "Green Door" by Eskew Reeder, "It Will Stand" by The Showmen, "Let's Live" by Aaron Neville, "You're The One" by The Spiders, "I Didn't Want To Do It" by The Spiders, "Two Winters Long" by Irma Thomas, "Walking To New Orleans" by Fats Domino, "I'm Gone" by Shirley & Lee, and "A Certain Girl" by Ernie K Doe.

Jerri Winters gets some hip backings here – thanks to help from the Al Belletto Sextet, who almost share the star spotlight on the record as much as Jerri! The combo are perhaps best known for their 50s work on Capitol, but they sound equally great here – stepping out with a tight sound that must have made them a great act to catch live in a club! And in addition to the combo's instrumentation – which includes alto sax, piano, trombone, and trumpet – the group also harmonize a bit behind Jerri's vocals – supporting her with a sound that's sort of a groovy 50s update on the older 40s mode of matching a female lead with a male harmony group. Don't let all this praise of the Belletto group take away from Winters, though – because she steps out strongly too – and really makes the album sparkle with a personal take on some lesser-remembered standards. Titles include "In Other Words", "Crazy In The Night", "Kind Of Moody", "Ridin On The Moon", "Dark Shadows", "Sometimes I'm Happy", and "It's Always You".

The LA Turnaround from Brit folk tunesmith Bert Jansch – one of the few records he made for Charisma in the mid 70s – this one fresh from the break up of the seminal Pentangle! The UK folk sound is as noteable in Bert's voice as any other aspecet of this warm, wonderful set – but there's also some laidback, southern Cali sunshine in the acoustic picking as well as the more fleshed out instrumentation, with some electric bass, pedal steel and electric piano that shows up when the mood strikes. A really wonderful record, produced by Mike Nesmith, who often a part of some pretty inspiring things when free of any creativitely stifling Monkee business! Titles include "Fresh As A Sweet Sunday Morning", "Chambertin", "Travelling Man", "Stone Monkey", "Needle Of Death", "Lady Nothing", "One For Jo", "Open Up The Watergate (Let The Sunshine In), "The Blacksmith" and more. Vinyl version includes a bonus CD 4 bonus tracks: alternate versions of "Open Up The Watergate", "The Blacksmith" and "One For Jo", plus "In The Bleak Midwinter, plus the CD is enhanced, featuring the 13+ minute behind the scenes "LA Turnaround. . .The Movie".

Beautifully smooth soul from Robert Winters & Fall – a great mix of 80s groove and modern mellow – handled with lots of warm touches that make Winters' vocals come off wonderfully! The feel here is a bit like some of the smoother sets from DJ Rogers – as Winters' voice has a deeply soulful quality, but is also set up in some tighter arrangements that seem to take it even farther – augmented by some nice jazzy work on keyboards from time to time, and set up in larger backings from Gene Page. Titles include "Face The Magic", "Touched By You", "Magic Man", "Watchin' You", and "How Can Love Be Wrong".

A country soul record from Joe Simon from the Spring label that was recorded in a variety of places including Chess and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. The album contains a couple of songs co-written by Simon ("Walking Down Lonely Street" and "Come Back Home") plus some others such as ""Carry Me", "Covering the Same Old Ground", "Best Time of My Life", and "Neither One of Us" which seemed to be a popular cover for other country soul singers like Ruby Winters.

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