Mos Def's first for Downtown after a weird few years on Geffen that saw many a bumped street date, the hit & miss New Danger, and finally, the semi aborted release of the controversial True Magic – back with a top shelf, excellent album in 2009's The Ecstatic! It may not be Black Star or... read more
Mostly Other People Do The Killing —
Slippery Rock ... CD
Hot Cup,
2012. Used ....
$8.99Just Sold Out!
Marvelous work from Mostly Other People Do The Killing – and a record that's quite different from its cheesy looking cover! The quartet never fail to amaze us with their creative energy – and this time around, they're paying homage to that moment in 80s jazz when the underground was... read more
Mukta —
Jade ... CD
WEA (France),
2000. Used ....
$4.99Just Sold Out!
Excellent work from this jazzy Indian combo! Mukta mix together Indian rhythms and funky jazz – in a way that's unlike anything we've ever heard, but which draws a bit of an influence from the 60s funk of Ananda Shankar and the 70s Bollywood funky era. The focus on this album, though, is... read more
Mulligan always sounds great next to a tenor – especially in the Verve series that has him teamed up with players like Johnny Hodges, Paul Desmond, or Stan Getz. This release, cut with Ben Webster upfront, is one of the best of that series – and features the pair blowing easily and... read more
An odd title, but a really wonderful album from Mark Murphy – an 80s session for Muse that easily matches some of his most creative moments for the label in the 70s! There's some wonderful versions of soulful jazz tracks here – takes on "Effendi" by McCoy Tyner, "Beauty... read more
A surprisingly nice album of straight ahead tenor tracks from David Murray – playing here in a quartet with guitarist Stanley Franks, drummer Andrew Cyrille, and the great Don Pullen, who plays organ on the session! The album's not exactly in the classic soul jazz organ/tenor mode –... read more
Classic-styled soul from Musiq Soulchild – his debut set for Def Soul, and the start of a great run of mellow grooves! As you might guess from the compressed wording of the title, the tunes here have a great set of flow – a laidback, kicked-back sort of sound that's not nearly as full-o... read more
Mystic Merlin —
Full Moon ... CD
Capitol/EMI (UK),
1982. Used ....
$6.99
A standout classic from one of the all-time overlooked greats – the sublime Mystic Merlin, a group who cut a handful of killers in the early 80s! The group's biggest claim to fame is a young Freddie Jackson on vocals – but they're honestly much more an ensemble act than a backup for a... read more
The Mystic Moods take a clever gimmick, and make it stick – using sound effects of rain and storms, as on other early albums, and mixing the whole thing with some really sweet instrumentals! The album features some great Don Ralke originals that get past the covers on earlier sides –... read more
Nacao Zumbi —
Futura ... CD
Trama (Brazil),
2005. Used ....
$6.99
A stormer of a set from Nacao Zumbi – really stepping out here with a bold sound that's miles away from the group's run with Chico Science, and which marks them as a strong force to be reckoned with on their own! The production here is really ramped up – not exactly funky, but really... read more
A full length collabo from Nas & Damien "Jr Gong" Marley – who've worked together in the past on a track two – and overall it's a win that goes well beyond simple hip hop/dancehall fusion! The duo samples Mulatu, collaborate with K'Naan , Dennis Brown, Stephen Marley and... read more
A wealth of unusual records – not just under Oliver Nelson's name, but material for other artists too! The set features the Oliver Nelson-led sessions for Full Nelson, Fantabulous, Jazz Interactions Orchestra/Jazzhattan Suite, Kennedy Dream, and Sound Pieces – plus music from Jimmy... read more
One of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album... read more
Plenty of exotic themes in this lesser-known Italian western score from the 60s – bits of flute, bits of whistling, and even some vocals from I Cantori Moderni! Mellower moments are nicely juxtaposed with more dramatic ones – underscoring the mix of romance and drama that follows the... read more
Carlos Nino builds near-orchestral grandeur out of samples, loops, acoustic strings, voice and nature sounds – with assistance from fellow Build An Ark sailors and other guests – breezy, laidback and engaging all the way! The album is constructed from recordings Carlos made of himself... read more
The classic! With "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Drain You", "On A Plain", "Lithium", "Polly", "In Bloom", "Come As You Are", and "Lounge Act".... read more
Fabio Nobile —
Always Love ... CD
Deja Vu (Italy),
2008. Used ....
$9.99
A killer full-length set from Fabio Nobile – an artist who's been making hip singles for a number of years, but who really sparkles in the space of an extended album! Fabio's groove is always warm and jazzy – a bit like some of the best moments from Italian contemporaries on Schema... read more
Darwin Noguera's Evolution Quintet —
Gardener ... CD
Chicago Sessions,
2009. Used ....
$6.99
Red Norvo —
Move! ... CD
Savoy,
Mid 50s. Used ....
$13.99
Norvo may have cut some sleepy recordings in his day, but his early sides are usually all pretty great – especially this material, recorded with Tal Farlow on guitar and Charles Mingus on bass! The drum-less combination of vibes, guitar, and bass makes for an almost-exotic approach –... read more
Alexander O'Neal —
Hearsay ... CD
Tabu,
1987. Used ....
$11.99
One of the crowning achievements of Alexander O'Neal – a set that uses cool little intro tracks to help structure the standout songs on the set – giving the whole thing a much more well-conceived approach than other mainstream soul albums of the time! Some of the cuts draw from O'Neal's... read more
An incredible debut from Okada Taxi – the kind of future soul classic we'll be digging for years! Okada handles the keyboards and programming on the set – next to an assortment of great instrumentation on trumpet, Wurlitzer, and acoustic bass – plus key guest work by artists that... read more
George Oldziey & Gato 6 —
El Viento ... CD
Bus Biscuit,
2012. Used ....
$2.99
A dancefloor classic – one of the strongest albums ever by Al Hudson, Alicia Meyers, and the whole One Way crew! The record's got a sweet soulful feel that provides a nice counterpoint to its bass-heavy grooves – popping along at that midtempo pace that was Al's popular remedy for... read more
One Way & Alicia Myers —
Back To Back ... CD
Universal/MCA,
Late 70s/Early 80s. Used ....
$5.99
A nicely priced collection of work from One Way and their best lead vocalist – Alicia Myers! The set features 5 tracks by One Way, including dancefloor favorites like "Push" and "Cutie Pie", as well as "Who's Foolin Who", "My Lady", and "Lady You... read more