All Categories — CDs  

Some of the biggest singles by British reggae giants Aswad! Don't Turn Around his pretty heavy with material from the mid-to-late 80s period – when they were at a commercial peak – blending Lovers Rock and were crossing over in a major way. Breezy, easygoing stuff – plus some... read more

Later work by a group fronted by fusion keyboard maestro Bayete – known most to Dusty Groove customers for his two classic albums on Prestige, both of them Herbie-esque soulful explorations. Some of that fusion feel is still here on this set – which is a mixture of smooth soul, rock... read more

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One of our top 10 dub albums of all time! This album bridges the gap between the the low-fi, down and dirty excursions of the 70's dub era, and the later high tech dub revolution brought on by On-U, Mad Professor and Jah Shaka. The rhythms here are all first rate, drawn mostly from their Chill Out... read more

One of our favorite Black Uhuru albums, when they'd fully matured as a group under the production of Sly & Robbie, with a tight modern reggae sound that few other groups could match from that era. Heavy, heavy grooves saddled with the trios potent lyrics and harmony vocals, including the... read more

The follow up to the burning Showcase set and second LP finding the harmony trio of Michael Rose, Puma Jones and Duckie Simpson under the heavy guidance of Sly & Robbie. While it didn't produce as many singular hits as the preceding set or the following Red LP, this album's still solid from... read more

Nick Drake's second album, and a fantastic batch of jazz-tinged folksy tracks that's virtually unlike anything else ever done on this planet! The compositions are amazing, and Drake's execution of the material is masterfully produced by Joe Boyd, who brings out all the rich tonal qualities of the... read more

Godlike! This is probably the finest Nick Drake album that you can buy, and it's an incredible mix of folksy vocals, jazzy guitar, and incredible baroque arrangements! The album includes Drake's wonderful "River Man", one of his best-ever songs (and maybe one of THE best-ever songs!)... read more

Paid In Full, indeed. Eric B & Rakim's seminal album still pays off in so many ways, and it was such a vital link between the party rockin' style of the old school and the terse, hard-hitting beats and rhymes of what was then the new school, we can't even come up with the words for the praise... read more

Classic work from Gwen Guthrie – a tight batch of keyboard-heavy cuts that sparkles with a strong 80s groove! Deodato's at the helm on production, and he clearly helps direct the sound of the set – giving it some of the sharpness and focus of his other 80s soul productions – and... read more

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes... read more

One of the greatest jazz rock albums to come out of the British scene at the end of the 60s – a record that's filled with tight changes, bluesy overtones, and some wonderfully choppy moments – all played by a legendary lineup that includes Terry Smith on guitar, John Healing on organ,... read more

Mid 90s Isleys – with some songs written by Angela Winbush, who also produces – as does R Kelly on a few numbers too! Includes "Floatin On Your Love", 'Whenever You're Ready", "Let's Get Intimate", their cover of Simply Red's "Holding Back The Years"... read more

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An irresistible classic from Miles Jaye – possibly his best-known album, bouncing along with plenty of beats at the end of the 80s! The rhythms are plenty programmed, but Miles' vocals provide a great warm sense of contrast – soaring out with fluid, mature tones that are mighty nice,... read more

A classic disco stormer from Grace Jones – recorded at Sigma Sound with a real Philly groove, thanks to arrangements from John Monster Davis – and produced with a full, soaring sound from the legendary Tom Moulton! The set may well be Grace's true club classic from the late 70s –... read more

Great work from Grace Jones – still riding high on a disco wave here, but also finding her own space and sound too! The mighty Tom Moulton produced, ensuring some great sound for the set – and arrangements are by Thor Baldursson and John Davis, both of whom bring in nice sense of... read more

One of our favorite albums ever from Grace Jones – a record that has her shedding some of the disco excesses of earlier years, and moving into a great blend of sounds that really showcases the energy of the New York scene from which she sprang! The album was recorded in Nassau, with help... read more

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Sweet grooves from the great Bob Marley – a set cut at a time when Marley was really riding his international fame – and able to create the kind of music that reached out way more than conventional reggae! The Kingston roots of the sound are still very firmly in place – but there'... read more

A great collection of work from Bob Marley – put together as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, but a set that works equally well as a rich introduction to his music! There's a handful of classics here, but also some nice lesser-remembered tunes too – and the package includes... read more

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One of Nico's darkest albums – and the kind of record we always suggest to those who doubt her genius! The incredibly spare set has Nico playing harmonium, which makes for a spooky off-kilter sound that really gives the record a somber approach – especially as the instrument sounds a... read more

A later effort, and one that features Adrian Sherwood at the production helm, finally getting a chance to show Lee just how much he stole from him! Tracks include "African Hitchhiker", "Vibrate On", "Inspector Gadget", and "African Headcharge In The Hackney... read more

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One of the greatest steel band records ever – and a hip hop sample classic from way back! Sure, there were other hip steel bands back in the 70s – but nobody else ever got as far as 20th Century – ending up on a major label, cutting some key funky covers, and crossing over with... read more

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One of the weird Meters-related New Orleans parade bands from the 70s – similar to the group The Wild Magnolias, but with a sound that's more in a New Orleans mode than a 70s funk one. The Meters play on the record, and the group sings most of the vocals as well – and production is by... read more

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Key tracks from a really important time in Jamaican music – the wonderful rocksteady years of the late 60s, when the Kingston crowd were really coming with a unique groove of their own! The music here isn't really reggae, but kind of a rougher precursor – and one that still shows... read more

Here's the real deal – a totally cool collection of all-classic Jamaican ska tracks from the mid 60s – with no revival cuts, no remakes – just the core original grooves! The quality of the work here is tremendous – a rocking, romping approach to soul music that really shows... read more

10 tracks that sum up the hopes for modern funk and underground soul – circa 1993! The set was a big one back in its day, and it still provides a good picture of what the kids were digging during those difficult years for modern groove. Titles include "Chameleon" by Jazz Warriors,... read more