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Wonderful stuff – and one of our favorite-ever Marvin Gaye albums! This is the legendary two-record set that Marvin wrote and recorded as an alimony payment to his ex-wife Anna Gordy (the story's pretty long, and we won't get into it here – suffice it to say that when stars get a divorce, watch out!) Although the album was thought of as a no-brainer quickie at the time – and predicted to fail so that Anna wouldn't get any cash from it – the record is an extremely well-crafted one, filled with extremely personal songs that also have a warm soulful finish, in the style of Marvin's work on the LP I Want You (which is kind of a nice bookend to this one – as it was an extended love poem to the young girlfriend that caused him to split up with Anna!) Hard and soulful, the record's a searing testimony to the relationship between Marvin and Anna, and a painful document of the troubles between them – set to some mellow grooves that are easily some of Marvin's greatest of the 70s! The set's filled with great "lost" Marvin Gay songs, too – like "Sparrow", "When Did You Stop Loving Me", "Anger", "You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You", and "Time to Get it Together".

Wonderful stuff – and one of our favorite-ever Marvin Gaye albums! This is the legendary two-record set that Marvin wrote and recorded as an alimony payment to his ex-wife Anna Gordy (the story's pretty long, and we won't get into it here – suffice it to say that when stars get a divorce, watch out!) Although the album was thought of as a no-brainer quickie at the time – and predicted to fail so that Anna wouldn't get any cash from it – the record is an extremely well-crafted one, filled with extremely personal songs that also have a warm soulful finish, in the style of Marvin's work on the LP I Want You (which is kind of a nice bookend to this one – as it was an extended love poem to the young girlfriend that caused him to split up with Anna!) Hard and soulful, the record's a searing testimony to the relationship between Marvin and Anna, and a painful document of the troubles between them – set to some mellow grooves that are easily some of Marvin's greatest of the 70s! The set's filled with great "lost" Marvin Gay songs, too – like "Sparrow", "When Did You Stop Loving Me", "Anger", "You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You", and "Time to Get it Together".

Wonderful stuff – and one of our favorite-ever Marvin Gaye albums! This is the legendary two-record set that Marvin wrote and recorded as an alimony payment to his ex-wife Anna Gordy (the story's pretty long, and we won't get into it here – suffice it to say that when stars get a divorce, watch out!) Although the album was thought of as a no-brainer quickie at the time – and predicted to fail so that Anna wouldn't get any cash from it – the record is an extremely well-crafted one, filled with extremely personal songs that also have a warm soulful finish, in the style of Marvin's work on the LP I Want You (which is kind of a nice bookend to this one – as it was an extended love poem to the young girlfriend that caused him to split up with Anna!) Hard and soulful, the record's a searing testimony to the relationship between Marvin and Anna, and a painful document of the troubles between them – set to some mellow grooves that are easily some of Marvin's greatest of the 70s! The set's filled with great "lost" Marvin Gay songs, too – like "Sparrow", "When Did You Stop Loving Me", "Anger", "You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You", and "Time to Get it Together". Expanded CD features the famous 12" instrumental version of "A Funky Space Reincarnation" – plus a full set of 12 bonus alternate mixes produced by the likes of Mocean Worker, Easy Mo Bee, Leon Ware, Marcus Miller, Prince Paul, Bootsy Collins, Slaam Remi, and The Randy Watson Experience – including "Anger (alt extended)", "Here My Dear (alt mix)", "Time To Get It Together (alt extended mix)", "Falling In Love Again (alt version)", "I Met A Little Girl (alt version)", "Sparrow (alt version)", and "Anna's Song (inst – alt version)".

Bossa Nova Mancini! What a wonderful idea – the work of Henry Mancini interpreted in bossa jazz format – done here by a tight 60s combo, led by Waltel Branco, and featuring Meirelles on sax, Dom Salvador on piano, and a host of other strong Brazilian jazz players! The tunes are classic Mancini – pulled mostly from his famous soundtracks of the late 50s and early 60s – and given Mancini's light jazzy style, the tunes adapt perfectly to this lively new setting, and are really given a wonderful workout by the strong group on the set. Titles include "My Manne Shelly", "Peter Gunn", "Lightly", "Megeve", "Dear Heart", "Mr Lucky", "The Pink Panther Theme", and "Something For Sellers".

Light and tippling magic from pianist Kenny Drew – working here in trio formation with Philly Joe Jones on drums and Paul Chambers on bass, and getting a nice degree of freedom in this early Riverside session! There's a "newness" here that continues the inroads Kenny made on his first few sides for Blue Note – a piano style that's respectful of 50s mainstream, but finds its own space without falling into too-boppish modes or easy modern traps. The set features a great reading of Kenny's classic "Weird-O", as well as his great "Blues For Nica" – and other tunes include "Caravan", "Ruby My Dear", "When You Wish Upon A Star", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine".

A warmly collaborative effort from Dexter Gordon – one of his most satisfying albums from the late 70s Columbia revival, thanks to the presence of a hip array of guest artists! The album was recorded both live and in the studio – but the feeling is relatively spontaneous throughout – with a freewheeling, bop-heavy energy that really brings the most out of these famous "encounters"! 2 tracks feature Johnny Griffin on tenor, going head to head with Dex in really classic mode on "Blues Up & Down" and "Cake". 2 more tracks – "Diggin It" and "It's Only A Paper Moon" – feature trumpet from Woody Shaw, trombone from Curtis Fuller, and some especially great vocals from Eddie Jefferson – stretching out here with an energy and focus that almost beats most of the albums under his own name from the 70s! One more track – "Ruby My Dear" – is taken as a long solo vehicle by Gordon, no guest star present, with rhythm by the core trio of George Cables on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Eddie Gladden on drums.

Early-to-mid 70s southern soul majesty from George Jackson – excellent material from one of the great songwriters from the era, and a singer who conveyed deep soul and genuine emotion with the very best of them! The tracks here are the first ever compilation of singles Jackson released in the day, and have been heavily sought after almost since – on MGM/Sounds Of Memphis, the affiliated ER Music, Hi Records and even Chess – plus some excellent numbers that weren't issued at the time. The material has the feel of our favorite Memphis and other points southern soul, but with George's unique way of a keeping a mellow groove steeped in raw emotion – wonderful vocals by Jackson, and Memphis style backing of soulful guitars, horns, sweet keys, rollicking drums and insistent bass lines. The songs themselves are exceptionally great, really making the whole package a knockout! Titles include the masterful "Aretha, Sing One For Me", plus "Things Are Getting Better", "Let's Live For Ourselves", "If You Never See Me", "All In My Mind", "Dear Abby", "I Don't Need You No More", "Let Them Know You Care", "Willie Lump Lump", "We've Only Just Begun" and more.

The only album we've ever seen from Khemistry – but a heck of a sweet little set, and one that's always been dear to our hearts! The trio features two gals and one guy, all working with a great sing-song approach on the vocals – and a snapping 80s groove on the rhythms! There's a warmth here that you don't always find in sets of this type – a simple, straightforward feel that keeps the whole album humming along nicely – even through some of the mellower numbers. Production is never too commercial, and the instrumentation's never too electric – and the album's got a simple charm that's kept it a favorite on rare soul lists for decades. Titles include "Can You Feel My Love", "There's No Me Without You", "I Can't Lose With The Stuff I Use", "Sucker For The Boogie", "I Got A Feeling", and "Walking Papers".

Post Beatles pop and groovy beat psychedelia from the great Indonsian group Koes Plus – an offshoot of the earlier combo Koes Bersaudara that would go on to be legends in their homeland – here with a fantastic, fun and straight up wonderful couple of LPs collected on a single set by Sublime Frequencies! It include Dheg Dheg Plas from 1969 and Koes Plus Vol 2 from 1970 – the rare first 2 albums by the group – from raw, but melodic songs and rumbling rhythms to organ drenched garagey pulp that feels closer to ? And The Mysterians than The Beatles. It's really great stuff, catchy as all get out and with ragged charm to spare. A real treasure put together by Sublime Frequencies! Comes with a nice booklet with notes by Alan Bishop. 24 tracks in all: "Kelelawar (The Bats)", "Derita (Suffer)", "Awan Hitam (The Black Cloud)", "Tiba Tiba Aku Menangis (Suddenly I Cried)", "Bergembira (Have Fun)","Tjintamu Telah Berlalu (Your Love Has Passed)", "Dheg Dheg Plas (Heartbeat)", " Manis Dan Sajang (Sweet and Dear)" , "Hilang Tak Berkesan (Gone Without an Impression)", " Kembali Ke Djakarta (Back to Djakarta)", Rahasia Hatiku (Secret of my Heart)", "Andaikan Kau Datang (Wishing that You Would Come)", "Bilakah Kau Pulang (If You Were Home)", "Hanya Pusaramu (Only Your Grave)", "Mengapa Kau Sedih (Why Were You Sad)", "Djandjimu (Your Promise)" and more.

Charlie Louvin's amazing late career creative upswing continues with these Murder Ballads And Disaster Songs – the kind he's sung for 50 something years – done wonderfully this time for Tompkins Square! Back in the 50s, the Louvin Brothers put out 2 widely disparate theme albums in a short stretch, the ominous Tragic Songs Of Life and the spiritual Satan Is Real – and Charlie does a similar thing with this record and its counterpart Steps To Heaven. He does magic with a few numbers from Tompkins Square's superlative People Take Warning box set of archival folk & blues recordings, and a few other gems, with sly honky tonk arrangements. Mark Nevers staffs the sound with some of the best young pickers and players in Nashville, including Chris Scruggs, William Tyler, Ben Hall & others – and as a bonus, we always love it when Andrew Bird lays off the whistling, the live looping and gimmickry, and just fiddles – as he does wonderfully here on "Darling Corey". Other tracks include "Wreck Of Old 97", "Katy Dear", "Down With The Old Canoe", "The Little Grave In Georgia", "My Brother's Will", "Dixie Boll Weavel", "Is This My Destiny", "Mary Of The Wild Moor", "My Texas Girl" and more.

A great look at the post-Motown work of Teena Marie – her 80s years on Epic Records, a time when she was charting big with a wonderfully seductive approach to soul! Marie's definitely in charge of her groove here – writing, arranging, and producing most of the work on the set – making her as much of a studio whiz as a female soul singer, a rare distinction in her field – and another layer of Teena's talents that always helped set her apart from the rest. The vibe here is a bit different than the Motown years – a bit more beats and 80s keyboards – and we especially love the mellower cuts, which gave Marie some great quiet storm play back in the day. Titles include "My Dear Mr Gaye", "Just Us Two", "Ooo La La La (12" version)", "Sugar Shack (ext club)", "If I Were A Bell", "Stop The World", "Fix It (12" version)", "Stop The World", "Shadow Boxing", and "Casanova Brown".

Amazing work from Nomo – their greatest album so far, and an incredible step forward in styles! Nomo started out as an already-great Afro Funk combo – but over the past few records, they've picked up a really hip range of musical influences – spiritual jazz, electronica, Congotronics, and other cool sounds – all of which are filtered perfectly into this set! The grooves here are unlike anything else we can think of – as tight as Nigerian grooves from the 70s, but stretching out with really jazzy solos – all inflected with some cool electronic touches underneath, but in ways that jam along strongly with the acoustic instrumentation. Leader Elliot Bergman picked up some great added help for this set – including contributions from underground jazz players like Hamid Drake, Josh Abrams, and Adam Rudolph – all of whom help shape the sound wonderfully. Titles include "Nova", "Three Shades", "Last Beat", "Brainwave", "All The Stars", "Sound The Way", "Rings", "Ghost Rock", and "My Dear".

Amazing work from Nomo – their greatest album so far, and an incredible step forward in styles! Nomo started out as an already-great Afro Funk combo – but over the past few records, they've picked up a really hip range of musical influences – spiritual jazz, electronica, Congotronics, and other cool sounds – all of which are filtered perfectly into this set! The grooves here are unlike anything else we can think of – as tight as Nigerian grooves from the 70s, but stretching out with really jazzy solos – all inflected with some cool electronic touches underneath, but in ways that jam along strongly with the acoustic instrumentation. Leader Elliot Bergman picked up some great added help for this set – including contributions from underground jazz players like Hamid Drake, Josh Abrams, and Adam Rudolph – all of whom help shape the sound wonderfully. Titles include "Nova", "Three Shades", "Last Beat", "Brainwave", "All The Stars", "Sound The Way", "Rings", "Ghost Rock", and "My Dear".

A loving look at the Ember Records label – a key indie in the doo wop scene on the east coast at the end of the 50s – and a company with a great ear both for underground groups and chart-topping acts! The 25 tracks here offer up a great initial overview of Ember's strengths – and tracks are both in a stripped-down, vocal-dominant mode – and in some of the tighter, more instrumental-driven styles that would hit doo wop's second wave as the 60s approached. The quality of the material here is all top-shelf – about as good as you could hope for an indie set like this, especially if you dig the sort of stripped-down vocal group work we've always loved best from the doo wop years. Titles include "A Night To Remember" and "In The Still Of The Night" by The Five Satins, "Dear Diary" by The Smoothtones, "I'll Always Say Please" by The Concords, "Soft Lights" by David Clowney Band, "Sandy" by The Colonaires, "Be My Pussycat" by The Boptones, "Headin For The Poorhouse" and "Get A Job" by The Silhouettes, "Hold Me Close" by The Marktones, and "Mary Ann" by The Barries.

Forget everything you know about "Raindrops Are Falling On My Head", and give Burt kudos for this gem of an album! Sure, "Raindrops" shows up here a few times – instrumentally, and in a BJ Thomas vocal version – and it's not a bad tune at all. But the real gems are some of the instrumentals – which have Burt almost doing a Tijuana take on his classic A&M sound – in a style that's really wonderful! Our favorite cut is the amazing "South American Getaway" – a breezy vocal scatting number that seems to take the best of the Swingle Singers and I Cantori Modern and roll them into one groovy tune that soars, dips, turns, twists, and holds our dear heart close for 5 minutes and 13 seconds! It's a real gem, and worth the price of the album alone – but you'll also get a few other nice ones, like "The Old Fun City", "The Sundance Kid", "Come Touch The Sun", and "Not Goin Home Anymore".

Damn soulful work from Erma Franklin – the lesser-known sister of Aretha and Carolyn Franklin, working here on 60s sides cut for the Epic and Shout labels! Most of the material here was only issued as singles back in the day – so the set's an essential full-length overview of Franklin's great work during this time – a few well-known singles, such as the original version of "Piece Of My Heart", mixed with lots of lesser-known gems – making for a deep soul extravaganza all the way through! There's more cuts here than on other sets on Erma from the past – a total of 26 tracks in all – supported by notes and label scans too – and titles that include "Big Boss Man", "Piece Of My Heart", "Don't Wait Too Long", "Never Again", "Detour Ahead", "Pledging My Love", "Don't Blame Me", "Hello Again", "I'm Just Not Ready For Love", "Don't Catch The Dog's Bone", "Open Up Your Soul", "I'm Just Not Ready For Love", "Have You Ever Had The Blues", "Love Is Blind", "Abracadabra", "Never Let Me Go", "Dear Momma", and "Each Night I Cry".

A sweet sampling of late 60s psyche from the American underground – a collection of work by different groups who represent some of the most obscure artists on the Mainstream label at the time – fleshed out here with a slew of bonus tracks that more than doubles the running time of the original album! The work here is all generally pretty hard rocking – heavy on guitars, with lots of fuzz – sometimes in support of sweeter-styled lyrics and a dreamier, more melodic feel, other times set to darker and more hallucinatory themes. The 12 original album tracks include "Hungry Women" and "No Me Tomorrow" by Euphoria, "Wind Dream" and "Baby Dear" by The Wildflower, "My Dear & Kind Sir" and "I Think I'm Down" by The Harbinger Complex, and "Walking Down The Road" and "Streetcar" by The Other Side. There's a stunning 13 bonus tracks (!!!) – mono single versions of Wild Flower, Otherside, Euphoria and Harbinger Complex tracks and mid 60s cuts by alternate Mainstream & Brent combos The New Dawn, The Word, The Ban, Thee Unusuals and The Ariel! Includes "Slave Of Desire" by New Dawn, "Now It's Over" and "So Little Time" by The Word, "Place Of Sin" by The Word, "I Could Go On" by Thee Unusuals and more. Includes a 24-page booklet with group histories and other notes. Killer!

Beautiful work from one of the most sensitive song stylists in postwar Paris – pianist Bernard Peiffer, a player who really sparkles here in a set of familiar standards! There's a laidback, easygoing feel to the whole record – kind of a moody, late nite sort of vibe – one that lets Peiffer really play around with these familiar tunes! The album's a great French example of the criss-crossing of piano lines that was also happening in the US during the 50s – some of the fresher, modern ideas at play, while at the same time, a strong dose of sentiment that could also be pulled from the piano. Most numbers only feature the bass of Jean-Marie Ingrand behind Bernard's piano – and a few also feature drums from Pierre Delin. Titles include "Just You Just Me", "If I Had You", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "You Are My Sweetheart", "Memory Of A Dream", and "Prelude To A Kiss". CD also features three bonus tracks from an EP – "I Surrender Dear", "Sweetie Pie", and "Ain't Misbehavin".

A great look at the post-Motown work of Teena Marie – her 80s years on Epic Records, a time when she was charting big with a wonderfully seductive approach to soul! Marie's definitely in charge of her groove here – writing, arranging, and producing most of the work on the set – making her as much of a studio whiz as a female soul singer, a rare distinction in her field – and another layer of Teena's talents that always helped set her apart from the rest. The vibe here is a bit different than the Motown years – a bit more beats and 80s keyboards – and we especially love the mellower cuts, which gave Marie some great quiet storm play back in the day. Titles include "My Dear Mr Gaye", "Just Us Two", "Ooo La La La (12" version)", "Sugar Shack (ext club)", "If I Were A Bell", "Stop The World", "Fix It (12" version)", "Stop The World", "Shadow Boxing", and "Casanova Brown".

A great portrait of an under-recorded artist – Joe Albany's last album ever, recorded for Elektra records during their early 80s run of straight jazz sides! The record's got a spare, personal quality that's similar to Albany's other late work – but it's a bit more professionally put together too – not slick or commercial, but recorded quite thoughtfully, with clearly a lot of care in getting all of Joe's charms through on the record. There's a tentativeness to his keyboard work that's great – a sort of hesitation, then quick move forward with surprising grace – balancing beautifully in ways that warm us to his music even more than before. Other players include Al Gafa on guitar, George Duvivier on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – but the record really has a main focus on Albany's piano lines. Titles include "Ruby My Dear", "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry", "Autumn In New York", "They Say It's Wonderful", "For The Little Guy", and "Too Late Now".

Rural accented, haunting and wonderful folk material from Jay Bolotin – a Kentucky bred songwriter and singer who made an impact on some powerful artists in Nashville, and in the country and folk landscape in general, but never really got his due for his own work – including this wholly excellent self-titled set recorded in 1970! There's a haunting, but graceful lilt to his singing and songwriting that reminds us of Leonard Cohen, but with a resonant southern warmth that's all his own, and it's little wonder to us that he was championed by keen eared artists such as Kris Kristofferson. The arrangements are fantastic, but unfussy, with just voice and guitar when that's all that's called for, electric bass, keys and drums when the mood needs it heavier, plus uncommon and completely effective elements like some harpsichord, celeste and other percussion. Players include guitarist David Mowry, bass player Ken Lyon, Mark Taber on piano & harpsichord, and Bobby Mason of The Fugs on drums & percussion. Titles include "Dear Father", "Jimmy's Got A Music Box", "It’s All In That", "Pretty Burmah", "Trinketman", "You Are A Woman", "For Kristy", "Winter Woman" and more.

Rural accented, haunting and wonderful folk material from Jay Bolotin – a Kentucky bred songwriter and singer who made an impact on some powerful artists in Nashville, and in the country and folk landscape in general, but never really got his due for his own work – including this wholly excellent self-titled set recorded in 1970! There's a haunting, but graceful lilt to his singing and songwriting that reminds us of Leonard Cohen, but with a resonant southern warmth that's all his own, and it's little wonder to us that he was championed by keen eared artists such as Kris Kristofferson. The arrangements are fantastic, but unfussy, with just voice and guitar when that's all that's called for, electric bass, keys and drums when the mood needs it heavier, plus uncommon and completely effective elements like some harpsichord, celeste and other percussion. Players include guitarist David Mowry, bass player Ken Lyon, Mark Taber on piano & harpsichord, and Bobby Mason of The Fugs on drums & percussion. Titles include "Dear Father", "Jimmy's Got A Music Box", "It’s All In That", "Pretty Burmah", "Trinketman", "You Are A Woman", "For Kristy", "Winter Woman" and more.

Pick any 10 words out of any Outkast album description on our pages at random, and you'll see how dearly we've loved these boys throughout the years – but truth be told, deep down we didn't think that they would be able to pull off the double album/solo album project(s). We were seriously wrong – Speakerboxxx/Love Below is HUGE in every way, and both halves are great all the way through! If you were worried Big Boi's Speakerboxxx half would be lazy southern hip hop without Andre's freaky presence throughout, you can put those fears to rest right now. Speakerboxxx is a deeply soulful electro hopping pounder from front to back – every bit as innovative as Andre's half! Tracks include "Ghettomusick" (which features one of just two appearances by A3000 on the whole disc), "Bowtie" with Sleepy Brown, "Bust" with Killer Mike, "Church", "Tomb Of The Boom" with Konkrete, Big Gipp and Ludacris, "Flip Flop" with Jay-Z, "The Way You Move" and more. A lot of press has been given to the assumption that Andre 3000 has largely forsaken hip hop on his half (The Love Below) and has instead dived head first into cosmic future funk. Well, the rumors are true. There's lots of straight up jazz piano and horn bits on the Love Below, with Andre's half serious, half tongue-in-cheek romantic soul cabaret croon way over the top. It's steeped in the classic Outkast party vibe, but with lots of Sign Of The Times-era Prince (complete with androgynous distorted vocals), Parliament and Cameo thrown into the mix. Sick, energetic genius! Tracks include the deliriously great "Hey Ya!" single, "She Lives In My Lap", "Love Hater", "Happy Valentine's Day", "Roses", "Good Day, Good Sir", "Behold A Lady", "Pink And Blue", "Spread", "Dracula's Lady" with Kelis, and more. Who the hell knows what they can possibly do to surprise us after this – but wherever Andre 3000 and Big Boi go from here, they each have yet another classic in the discography!

A lovely little tribute to one of our favorite songwriters of all time – the lyrical genius Tommy Wolf, whose compositions were first championed back in the 50s and 60s by Bob Dorough, Jackie & Roy, and Blossom Dearie! Wolf's got a wonderful way with a twist of a phrase – playful, but never too silly – just freshly original in a world of overdone standards, and a reminder that creative American songwriting didn't stop with Cole Porter and Harold Arlen! Bobbi's voice has a warmly sweet quality that makes for a slightly different approach to the material than others before her – and backing on the record is by a piano trio led and arranged by Chick Cicchetti. Titles include "There Are Days When I Don't Think Of You At All", "Say Cheese", "I'm Alright Til You Touch Me", "It's Nice Weather For Ducks", "You Smell So Good", "I've Never Been Anything", and "A Face Like Yours".

Sister Sledge finally takes over the production booth for 82's Sisters LP – and while their commercial peak had long passed, their uptempo, catchy post disco groove is in still in fine form! The Sisters take some risky moves towards straight up funk and early rap on the lead track "Super Bad Sisters" – and endearingly handle both tasks – and then roll out some sophisticated string-laden bits, neon dancefloor grooves, and winning slow jams later on in the set. One of the most diverse batches of tunes from Sister Sledge, with some real gems! Other tracks include "My Guy", "Lightfootin'", "My Special Way", "Everybody's Friend", "All The Man I Need", "Jacki's Theme – There's No Stopping Us" and more.

One of Stanley Turrentine's most obscure sessions for Blue Note – a rare trio side featuring Roy Brooks on drums, and wife Shirley Scott on organ – billed on the original album cover as "Little Miss Cott"! The feel here is a bit more open than usual – no bassist on the set, just Roy's nicely free drums, Shirley's work on the organ keys and pedals, and Stan's soulful blowing over the top – a freewheeling mix that sounds totally great, and which almost hits some of the rootsier sounds of the tenor/organ scene that Stan and Shirley were rooted in at the time. There's a slightly mellow feel to the set, but one that always has plenty of soul – and titles include "Baia", "Wee Hour Theme", "Troubles Of The World", and "My Shining Hour".

Dreamy British folk songs and balladry, often touched by whimsy, a little bit of madness, or both – odd tunes done by singers and players from the late 50s through the early 70s – a scattered, oddball batch of tunes purported to be inspirations for the pagan singalongs in the 70s cult masterpiece The Wicker Man! Includes traditional folk tunes from Scotland, Ireland and England, a jig and a medieval song or two, and oddball acoustic tunes mostly with lonely vocals and lilting guitar, flute and earthy string melodies. Most are not nearly as far out and wild as the Wicker Man soundtrack material, but the genesis is certainly here – and the tunes go back and forth between endearingly folky and stuff that's a bit more chilling. Titles include "Corn Rigs" by Elizabeth Sanders, "Gently Johnny, My Jingalo" by Lady Jane, "Drowsey Maggie" by Paddy Malone and more.

Wonderful work from Cedar Walton – the kind of simple, soulful set that has us always looking out for his albums again and again over the years! There's a fluid grace here that's wonderful – a vibe that's slightly different from some of Walton's American sessions, especially those that have a slightly higher concept – and in some ways, it almost feels like there's even more punch to his piano than usual, swung nicely by rhythm from David Williams on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Titles include "Midnight Waltz", "Cedar's Blues", "Turquoise", "Bremond's Blues", "The Vision", and "Dear Ruth".

Dreamy British folk songs and balladry, often touched by whimsy, a little bit of madness, or both – odd tunes done by singers and players from the late 50s through the early 70s – a scattered, oddball batch of tunes purported to be inspirations for the pagan singalongs in the 70s cult masterpiece The Wicker Man! Includes traditional folk tunes from Scotland, Ireland and England, a jig and a medieval song or two, and oddball acoustic tunes mostly with lonely vocals and lilting guitar, flute and earthy string melodies. Most are not nearly as far out and wild as the Wicker Man soundtrack material, but the genesis is certainly here – and the tunes go back and forth between endearingly folky and stuff that's a bit more chilling. Titles include "Corn Rigs" by Elizabeth Sanders, "Gently Johnny, My Jingalo" by Lady Jane, "Drowsey Maggie" by Paddy Malone and more.

John Tchicai plays the music of Thelonious Monk, and a few of his own tunes too – in a wonderful set that shows beautifully why we always look out for work from this enigmatic saxophonist! There's definitely a Monkish vibe to the record, but Tchicai's approach is often quite personal too – creating warmth where others might have kept things angular, or changing up the pacing of the tunes – so that he's always leaving a very strong imprint of his own on the recordings, and not just covering too-familiar Monk territory. Each tune has a slightly different execution – and many numbers have John stepping out sparely, blowing in the lead – but with some warmth and depth that's quite different than the coldness of his modern moments from years back. And there's also a bit of Hammond on the record – played by George Colligan, who also alternates on piano – and use of that instrument really makes for a fresh sound too – a wonderful change that's almost like some 60s soul jazz take on Monk. Bass is by Steve Laspina and drums are by Billy Drummond – and titles include "Monk's Mood", "Coming On The Hudson", "Light Blue", "Ugly Beauty", "Ruby My Dear", "Aks Him Now", and "Cool Copy".