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A Latin monster – and one of our favorite albums from the New York scene! The record is the only one we've ever seen from pianist Earl Coleman – and it's a groove-happy fiesta that's every bit Spanish Harlem at its best. Earl's piano is flowing and free, and the band grooves through tracks that dip, turn, and soar like some of the best hard-jamming numbers from Joe Cuba, Ray Barretto, or Joe Bataan from the time. Some tracks feature soulful English vocals, and the titles alone should give you the feel of the set – "Hippy Heaven", "Latin Love-In", "Banana-Loo", and "What You Gonna Do".

Pure insanity from the mighty Mulatu – one of his few American albums from the 60s! The record's an incredible blend of New York Latin and some of the more Afro-styled grooves Mulatu explored more freely on his Ethiopian recordings – served up in a jazzy style that has plenty of vibes in the mix, and lots of percussion at the bottom! The record is a treasure throughout – other-worldly, yet still very hip and swinging – a mysterious bridge between Latin America and Africa, suspended on waves of wonderful sound! Titles include "Shagu", "Mascaram Setaba", "Almaz", "Mulatu's Hideaway", "Askum", "Playboy Cha Cha", and "One For Buzayhew".

Amazing work from the legendary Mulatu Astatke – one of Ethiopia's funkiest musicians of the 70s, making a rare appearance here on this lost American recording! The album has been a holy grail for years amongst beatheads – loved for its killer blend of weird rhythms, sweet funk, and super-dope vibes – and the grooves on the set are really unique – slow, snakey, and with a sinister, almost other-worldly feel. There's not nearly as much vibes on Mulatu's Ethiopian recordings – and their appearance here really gives the set a nice American sort of twist – almost Roy Ayers meets Sun Ra with a hot dose of African funk thrown in for good measure! Titles include "Chifara", "Munaye", "Kaselefkut-Hulu", "Mascaram Setaba", and "Mulatu".

David Axelrod takes on Handel's Messiah – and the result is an amazingly complex set of music – very similar to his earlier albums on Capitol Records, and his Warner work with the Electric Prunes! If you love the Axe, you'll find plenty to love here – spare, dark orchestrations, often with a subtle hint of funk in the rhythms, some jazzy flourishes, and this bold sense of studio majesty that marks Axelrod as one of the most inventive producers of his time! The sound's one that gave birth to a whole generation of hip hoppers and beatheads – and the proceedings are conducted by Cannonball Adderley, with a feel that's similar to other Adderley/Axelrod high-concept sets – like Soul Of The Bible or Soul Zodiac. Titles include "Overture", "Worthy Is the Lamb", "Behold Recitative", "Comfort Ye My People", and "And The Angel Said Unto Them".

Raw early Beatles – recorded in Hamburg at the beginning of the 60s when they were backing up singer Tony Sheridan – surprisingly well-preserved recordings, assuming that no one knew that this little backing band was going to take over the entire pop music world in a few years! We actually really dig the stripped-down, fairly rudimentary, though nicely rollicking Beatles instrumentation here – with charismatic vocals by Sheridan as well as some nice early Beatles compositions and vocals. The original release of this material may have been a post-breakout cash grab, but the music holds up really well and it's very much worthy! Includes "Ain't She Sweet", "Cry For A Shadow", "Let's Dance", "My Bonnie", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Ruby Baby", "Why", "Nobody's Child", "Ya Ya" and more.

A deep and worthy first volume of unreleased Early Takes from George Harrison – one of most spiritually-minded people to ever become a rock & roll star – and here's some of his best songs stripped to the bare, real essentials! Firstly, we must say that this set does right by George and honors his legacy – compiled by Giles Martin (son of Beatles producer George Martin), who was granted access to Harrison's personal tapes by Olivia Harrison and the family. Secondly, it's great to hear the songs in something of a root form, especially the ones that got the grand Phil Spector Wall Of Sound treatment back in the day! It's got demos and otherwise unheard versions of his best-known early solo material, and stripped down takes of some his later songs. Most of it centers around George's emotion-steeped vocals and acoustic guitars, with other stripped-down accompaniment, though nothing nearly as huge as Phil Spector's All Things Must Pass production. Includes demo versions of "My Sweet Lord", "Run Of The Mill", Dylan's "Mama You Been On My Mind", "Behind The Locked Door", "All Things Must Pass" and "The Light That Has Lighted The World", plus early takes of "I'd Have You Any Time", "Woman Don't You Cry For Me" and "Awaiting On You All".

A collection of outtakes from the Deserter’s Songs sessions! Includes home demos and otherwise rougher, early versions and otherwise alternate mixes – pretty wonderfully fleshed out, though, even in blueprint form. A very worthy batch of rare versions of songs from their one-time underappreciated/now acknowledged classic Deserter's Songs – plus more from the sessions. 11 in all: "Piano Vs Telephone (Home Cassette Tape Demo)", "Pick Up, If You're There (DJ Nickel 1998 Remix)", "Endlessly (Tascam 8-Track Reel To Reel Demo)", "A Soft Kiss (For Waking Up) (Home Cassette Tape Demo)", "Goddess On A Hiway (1989 Home Cassette Tape Demo)", "Night On Panther Mountain (Unreleased Mix)" and more.

Life is good, and so is Nas – and that's an understatement – as he's one of the most vital MCs of the early 90s onward! Life Is Good finds Nas in a somewhat liberated mode, though still rocking an Empire State Building-sized chip on his shoulder – and spitting charismatic vitriol at any target deemed worthy – but he's too smooth and too sharp of a lyricist for it come off as too ill-mannered. Good stuff from a legend. Includes "No Introduction", the standout "Loco-Motive" with Large Professor, "Daughters", "Reach Out" with Mary J Blige, "Back When", "The Don", "Stay", "Bye Baby", "World's An Addiction" with Anthony Hamilton, "Summer On Smash" with Miguel & Swizz Beatz, "A Queen's Story" and more.

The excellent follow up to folk guitar great Harry Taussig's Fate Is Only Once album – appropriately titled Fate Is Only Twice – and it's only been 47 years since Fate struck for the first time! Fate Is Only Once was a mid 60s private press rarity, thankfully reissued by the obscure folk heroes at Tompkins Square – so it's fitting that Tompkins Square would see this worthy contemporary sequel into release. It's got a similarly brilliant mix of meditative, unfussy, but incredibly accomplished acoustic folk and blues instrumentals. A solo guitar stunner! Includes "Rondo In D – On Southern Tmemes", "Children's Dance", "Der Dritte Man Fantasia", "Living In The City", "In The Corner Of The Circle", "Perpetuum Mobile Revisited", "Azure", "Fate Is Only Twice" and more.

Brooding sounds from Justin Velor, aka Dom Thomas – and a set that's definitely worthy of placement on the Brutal Music label! The set's a mix of different post-punk energies with a UK twist – sometimes abstract noise, sometimes more groove-conscious rhythms – but often with colder electro elements that really give the set a nice sort of vintage vibe, despite the contemporary date! Yet Justin also makes great use of modern modes to fit the whole thing together nicely – a great mix of sounds that also features guest work from Gerry Love, Jez Williams, Marie Chantecaille, and Leee John. Titles include "Relance", "Flameout", "Energiser", "Listen", "The Rain", "Oscillations", "Escape To Oblivion", and "Missing You".

The birth of Miami soul, and a beautifully done document of the rare Deep City label – home to Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Betty Wright in the years before Alston and TK Records! Way before Miami soul started cracking the charts at the start of the 70s, Deep City was already putting the best parts in place – working with a tight roster of artists and an equally tight in-house band that rose from the ranks of Florida A&M's Marching 100 band – razor-sharp instrumentalists who helped forge a groove worthy to rival the sounds of Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and even the best of Detroit at the time – given that some of the work here has a much sweeter soul sound than other 60s southern soul. As usual, the Numero team have done an incredible job with the package – pulling out rare photos, personal stories, and just the right amount of information to breathe new life into the Deep City label and help it live anew. Titles include "Paralyzed" and "Good Lovin" by Betty Wright, "Am I A Good Man" by Them Two, "Someone To Fulfill My Needs" and "I Love You Baby" by The Moovers, "I Am Controlled By Your Love" and "Willing & Able" by Helene Smith, "Good Thing (part 1)" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "It's My Baby" and "The Upset" by Paul Kelly, and "Stay Away From My Johnny" by Freda Gray & The Rocketeers. 2LP version features 6 bonus tracks – all instrumental – including "Good Lovin (inst)", "I Love You Baby (inst)", "Darling I'll Go (inst)", and "Am I A Good Man (inst)" by The Deep City Band – and "Stay Away From My Johnny (inst)" and "Good Thing (part 2) (inst)" by The Rocketeers.

An excellent collection of soulful house from the current Detroit underground – one that's bubbling over with great work from lesser-known talents – all of whom come together to prove that these days, Detroit's one of the most happening music scenes on the planet! There's a really unified feel to the record, despite the presence of so many different artists – and much of the work here is kind of a homegrown version of the better-known cosmic grooves that have been emanating from the city in the work of Amp Fiddler, Ayro, and others in recent years. There's perhaps a bit more of a house-heavy vibe here than those references might imply – but the sound is cosmically soulful all the way through, with some great vocals on the best tracks! Titles include "Melodies From The Jazz Republic" by Mick Huckaby, "A Walk Thru Osaka" by Marcellus Malik Pittman, "Ecoutez" by Keith Worthy & Malik Alston, "Hot N Funky" by Delano Smith, and "In The Dark" by Raybone Jones, Marcellus Malik Pittman, & Rick The Godson Wilhite. The 2012 double vinyl version includes the bonus track "Bosmos" by Rick The Godson Wilhite & Kenny Dixon Jr (Moodyman). 6 long jams on 2LPs.

A brilliant criss-crossing of group from this cool trans-global group – a set recorded in London, but with roots in Venezuela, LA, and Ghana – served up with a sound that's even greater than the sum of its parts! Malcolm Catto recorded the record – and really helps bring a funky energy to the record, by working alongside lead studio help from Jack Yglesias of The Heliocentrics – pushing here into a space that's even more offbeat than the grooves of that group! There's loads of rich acoustic instrumentation – especially percussion – and Mulatu joins the record at one spot, furthering the exotic appeal of the set. Some tracks have an almost ethnographic vibes, while others are a bit more contemporary – although the overall sound is more than worthy of placement on the Soundway label. Titles incude "Arena", "Cumbacutiri", "Fly Through The Lightning To Speak With The Sun", "El Negrero", "Escape To The Palenque", "Manicero", "La Familia", and "Speak To The Spirit Of The Sea".

The J Dilla beats that provided the stellar backdrop for his worthy brother Illa J's rhymes – the instrumentals for the Yancey Boys album – a record that stands up very well against many of the better LPs Dilla produced in his lifetime. It could have gone wrong in a number of ways for a number of reasons – but truth be told it's a quality record that's will worth picking up! On the vocal versions, Illa J's proved a worthy talent – rolling with a mix of singing and rhyming is really unique – and this set of bright, spacey funk beats by Dilla are naturally top notch & timeless and sound wonderful out on their own. Tracks include "Timeless", "We Here", "R U Listenin'", "All Good", "Swagger", "Illasoul", "Air Signs" and more.

Thumpingly playful, spacey and funky beatcraft from the J Dilla archives – a packed couple sides of short, instantaneously addictive material – great stuff that does the Dilla legacy proud! Lost Tapes, Reels & More is Dilla at his most insistent – with one memorable beat heavy blast after another. There's a lot of sampled vocal bits on this one, too, but beyond that, this is Dilla as beatmaker and producer – and in peak form! A very worthy release on Moodymann's Mahagoni label. 20 short(ish) tracks on 2 sides: "I'm Back Nick", "Dilla Beats II", "Token Jazz Hour", ""3 Round The Corner", "Here We Go Again", "Sessions 4", "73 Soundtrack", "Videogame 1", Clap 4 Me", "Aahhh", "Licking", "Still Laffin", "Go Get Em" and more.

The raw and melodic first wave sounds of Spacemen 3 – an early indicator of the boundless sounds to come the group and their offshoot projects to come – but this is a wholly worthy record and still one of the coolest psychedelic rock records of the 80s! Spacemen 3 always proudly wore their influences on their sleeves, and the inclusion of covers on this first record make that even more pronounced, but as it would continue or a couple decades to come with these guys, it's the fresh, personal approach to carrying the torches that make them so exciting. Essential! Titles include "Losing Touch With My Mind", "Hey Man", "Rollercoaster", "Mary Anne", "Little Doll", "2:35" and "DD Catastrophe".

Some of the best material from Gambian psych funk pioneers Guelewar – a double-length collection, pulled from stellar albums of the late 70s and early 80s! Guelewar's got a really great sound here – one that brilliantly blends heavy, hypnotic rhythms, passionate vocals, swirling guitars and psychedelic organ grooves – all to create really unique vibe, and more than worthy of the legendary fame the group's gotten over the years! You might know Guelewar from their earlier work in the Supreme Eagles and Super Alligators – both great groups who prefaced the material here – infusing regional traditions with western funk, soul, and psych – to create a wicked groove that eventually evolved into the Guelewar sound! Titles include "Sama Yaya Demma N'Darr", "Sunu Makaan", "Ya Mom Samaray", "Njarama", "Tasito", "Wollou", and "Kele Fasane".

Singer and harpist Carol Kleyn's Takin' The Time album from 1980 – and a pretty remarkable step up from her Love Has Made Me A Stranger record of a few years earlier! While the preceding album carried more of a late 60s mood – though one that felt right at home on the mid 70s folk fringe – this one has a warm, laidback and somewhat otherworldly West Coast folk rock vibe. Carol's voice leads the way, and her harp is often right out front, too, but there's lot going on! Speaking of fringe-y, Bobby "Enlightening Beam Of Axonda" Brown is the producer here – but the record is actually quite accessible. Another really strong and worthy reissue from Drag City! Includes "Takin' The Time", "Jethro", "She Lost Her Crown", "Sailor Like Me", "Could Be Me", "Tides And Crazy Moons", "Missy Robin", "Intermission", "How Long Till Forever" and "Prayer".

Long lost soul from Love Apple – the only known recordings made by the female vocal trio in the late 70s – rehearsal takes made with the legendary Lou Ragland! Love Apple is Lily Pearson, Annette Warren and Avetta Henry – working here with Cleveland soul mainstay Ragland, who was at the time hoping to move further into the production realm. The ladies shared lead vocal and songwriting, and as you'll hear on these loose rehearsal sessions, talent and potential for greatness was limitless. Backed loosely by guitar, drums and piano, with lots of space for them to work on the vocals – which are natural, sweet and soulful. Researcher and compiler Jon Kirby's notes tell the story of the unrealized potential of group nicely. The instrumentation is raw, but the versatile voices are more than worthy of discovery, even if it's a few decades late! Includes "Man On The Side", "Call Me When You Want Me", "Guess I Always Knew", "There's No Answer Without You", "The Changing Times" and "What Will Tomorrow Bring". Rare fruit from the Boddie Recording Company archives.

The debut of the mighty Hawkwind – spacey, yet blues informed rock from the very and of the 60s/start of the 70s – the dawn of space rock as we know it! These fellas looked into their minds eyes and what what they saw was eerie echoes, lumbering rhythms and trippy atmospherics grounded just in enough in bluesy rock and more stable soundscapes. Pure excellence, and a record worthy of its legend. Titles include "Hurry On Sundown", "The Reason Is?", "Be Yourself", "Paranoia (Pts 1 & 2)", "See As You Really Are" and "Mirror Of Ilusion".

A great BBC Jazz Club 45 session from legendary British jazz quintets led by tenor Ronnie Scott & drummer Phil Seamen! As program, it's fun stuff – with both groups assembled for a live broadcast and introduced by an announcer – and the music itself is terrific. Scott's group taking on an exciting, energetic hard bop approach. The Seamen quintet's work is reviting, as well. Scott's players include Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet, Terry Shannon on piano, Lennie Bush on bass and Allan Ganley on drums. Seamen's includes Joe Harriot on alto, Dave Goldberg on guitar, Johnny Weed on piano and Major Holley on bass. A really nice, worthy comercial release of the program – for the first time ever! Titles include "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", "Gone With The Wind", "Speak Low", "Poinciana", "I'll Take Romance", "Bass House", "Big Man", "IPA Special" and more.

Heavy, soul-baring lyricism delivered with spiritual resonance and wise authority by Gil Scott-Heron – his first album shot in far too many years, and a direct hit – essential listening for longtime listeners and neophytes alike and a well worthy entry in a legendary career! Scott-Heron is documenting his world as profoundly and poetically as ever here, and the production is built with spare, haunting beats and atmospheric bits of strings, guitar, keys, loose atmospherics and hazy electronics – loosely framing his voice and giving it all the room in needs to carry the mood. Gil sings and speaks with equal authority throughout, and you can hear the years in his voice like never before, giving him the worn edges of the old soul he always evoked. This is a record we're proud to put among his treasured recordings of the 70s and early 80s. Titles include "On Coming From A Broken Home" (Parts 1 & 2), "Your Soul And Mine", "I'll Take Care Of You", "Where Did The Night Go", "Running", "The Crutch" and more, including several interludes that are pretty amazing – captures of conversation that show Gil nearly as charismatic and poetic in "off" moments as he is recording a song. Also includes 2 covers, "Me And The Devil" (the Robert Johnson song) and the title track, Smog/Bill Callahan's "I'm New Here", given a whole new life.

A solid Big KRIT mix CD gets a worthy release on 2LPs of wax! Features appearances by Big Sant, David Banner, Chamillionaire, Raheem Devaughn and more. Includes "Rise & Shine", "Rotation", "My Sub", "American Rapstar", "Kings Blues", "Amtrack", "Free My Soul", "The Vent" and many more – plus the bonus track "Shake Junt".

A truly solid modern reggae album by Hollie Cook – daughter of Paul Cook and one of the Slits circa the mid 00s revival – delivering a pretty much irresistible Prince Fatty-produced set for Mr Bongo! Hollie herself dubs here take on the style as "tropical pop", and that's fair – her voice his lovely and kind of delicate, served will by tried-and-true Prince Fatty production and some gravelly reggae vox assistance from Horseman on few tunes, giving it a grittier counterbalance. It's the kind of record that's pretty easy to naysay without actually hearing. Go ahead and listen, it's worthy! Includes "Milk And Honey", "That Very Night", "Walking In Sand", "Cry (Disco Version)", "Sugar Water (Look At My Face)" and "Body Beat" feat Horseman, "Shadow Kissing" and "Used To Be".

A full length bow for Detroit hip hop veteran House Shoes –a producer and proponent for some of the best hip hop that city has produced from the mid 90s onward – with an album on Tres that lives up to all of it! Let It Go features a mix of accessible single-worthy cuts with A-game rhymes, moody/hypnotic interludes and gritty beats. The head-nodding full length instrumentals on 2LPs: includes "Let It Go (The Beginning)", "Empire", "Dirt", "Crazy", "Sweet", "So Different", "Sunrise", "Cry Now", "Roller Coaster" and more.

A cool contemporary combo, but one who draw heavily from the sound of Italian film scores of the 70s – all with an approach that easily makes this album a perfect partner for any giallo soundtracks you might love! Instrumentation is nice and dark – a cool mix of strings and keyboards, with some slight and subtle rhythms – all used together in ways that are never too jamming, and which really preserve a strong sense of tension throughout – but also offer up some melodic moments as a respite, too – that balance between darkness and light you'd find in the best film scores by Ennio Morricone! The overall presentation is wonderful – truly classic, and worthy of the great cover as well – and titles include "Sotto Il Sole", "Gli Occhi Della Dolcezza", "Uccelare", "Canto Del Cigno", "Agente D'Oriente", and "Senza Calore".

Bob Dylan and his great band whip up a moody, yet darkly humorous Tempest – and while the overall greatness of his records came down just notch or two after Love And Theft – this one goes the other way and comes pretty damn close to his late-era peaks! Lyrically, it's definitely better than the past couple records – with verse after verse of poetic storytelling – which is carried all the more effectively by his weathered rasp. Sound-wise, Dylan is as indebted as ever to pre-rock rhythm & blues, but there's some nice fuzzy electrified arrangements, too – and it's all played by a stellar band that's been with him for a long time now, one perfectly-suited for the style: guitarists Charlie Sexton & Stu Kimball, BR5-49 fiddler and steel guitarist Donnie Herron, bassist Tony Garnier, drummer George Receli, and a most noteworthy guest in Los Lobos' David Hidalgo on accordion. Includes "Duquesne Whistle", "Soon After Midnight", "Narrow Way", "Long And Wasted Years", "Pay In Blood", "Scarlet Town", "Early Roman Kings", "Tin Angel", "Tempest" and "Roll On John".