An early cooker from Richard Groove Holmes – and one of the most important Hammond jazz sets to come out of the west coast at the time! At a point when most folks think the east has a lock on the instrument, Groove bursts forth here with a great hard-edged sound – proof that the LA scene didn't just go for cool jazz and the occasional hardbop date – and the start of a great run of records that would have Holmes sounding great all through the 60s! The lineup is nicely unusual, too – with guitar from Chicagoan George Freeman, then on the west coast – and a key part of Holmes' group for years – and trombone from the excellent Lawrence Tricky Lofton, a player who rarely recorded, but made some great sides with Carmell Jones. The group also features Les McCann on piano, a nice combo with the organ – plus Ben Webster on tenor and Ron Jefferson on drums. Titles include "Good Groove", "That Healin' Feelin'", "Them That's Got", and "Deep Purple". CD

A very hip album of vocal jazz – recorded by the underground singer Barbara Long, a righteous east coast talent who cut a very small amount of work during the 60s. This set's got Long backed by a small group that includes Booker Ervin, Billy Howell, and Nat Phipps – and Ervin's tenor solos, some of the few he ever played with a singer, are very much in his classic style. The set list features some great obscure numbers – and titles include "Where Is Lonesome", "Largo To Oscar", "Gee Baby", "Swan Lake", "Serenade", and "It's Heaven". CD

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". CD features 3 bonus tracks! CD

Very nice stripped-down set by Tony Scott – one of the most overlooked reed players of the 50s, and an artist who ventured into much more hippy-dippy oriented material during the 60s. The set supposedly features "both sides" of Scott's work – but it's really only a simple batch of clarinet tracks, performed in the company of 2 different quartets: one with Mundell Lowe, Teddy Kotick, and Shadow Wilson; the other with Dick Garcia, Milt Hinton, and Osie Johnson. The guitar/clarinet sound works very nicely throughout – and titles include "East Coast, West Side", "Counterpoint Pleasant", "Star Dust", and "Cry Me A River". CD

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring". CD

Brilliant work by the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – a seminal hardbop album that was one of the few to bridge the east and west coast scenes! The set was recorded in LA under the joint leadership of Brown and Roach – and features the classic quintet lineup that included Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell (Bud's brother!) on piano, and George Morrow on bass. The mix of Roach's heavy full-on drumming and Brown's lyrical beauty is beyond compare – and Land's angular and sensitive tenor lines provide a perfect link between the two. Titles include classics like "Parisian Thoroughfare", "The Blues Walk", "Daahoud", "Jordu", and "Joy Spring". CD

Lost loft jazz work from trumpeter Ted Daniel – an important force on the east coast scene of the time, but one who was never as well-recorded as his contemporaries – which makes a set like this a real treasure! The group here is Ted's Energy Module ensemble – a group who really live up to their name, with searing work on tenor from Daniel Carter, plus lots of spiritual elements from Oliver Lake on alto, soprano sax, and flute – played in a very open-ended, freewheeling style – which also makes strong use of Richard Pierce on bass and Tasuya Nakamura on drums. All tracks are quite long – and very expressive – and the group takes on work by key contemporaries like Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Dewey Redman, and Sunny Murray – as well as some of Daniel's own tunes. Ted plays flugelhorn too – and also gets amazing sounds out of a French hunting horn and Moroccan bugle – and titles include "The Probe", "Ghosts", "Jiblet", "Innerconnection", and "Entering/Congeniality/Pagan Spain". CD

A fantastic classic from the Cali scene of the early 90s – one of the key records that had the west coast going head to head with some of the smarter acts back east – a great balance to the up and coming genius of Wu Tang and Brand Nubian! There's a similar sense of message and play going on here – rhymes from Mikah 9, PEACE, Aceyalone, and Self Jupiter – set to beats that bounce nicely, but never in a way that undercuts the lyrics – nicely crisp production with assist from the Earthquake Brothers. Titles include "Inner City Boundaries", "Shammy's", "Everything's Everything", "Park Bench People", "Mary", "Cornbread", "Way Cool", "Heavyweights", "Pure Thought", "Hot Potato", and "Six Tray". CD

A great little album from this overlooked singer – an east coast vocalist from the 50s, working here on one of the few sessions she ever recorded! Teal's got an exotic look on the cover, but the presentation of the music is right up there in the best mainstream jazz modes of the time – and unlike some of the other small combo vocal work on Bethlehem in the 50s, this album has the fuller feel of the sorts of records you might hear on a label like Capitol or Verve at the time. Ted Steele handles the arrangements – and is also credited with discovering Teal in Atlantic City – and the backings are a mix of jazzy flourishes and larger strings – never poppy or overdone. Titles include "Autumn Leaves", "El Cumbanchero", "Deed I Do", "For You My Love", "Who's Sorry Now", "Let's Fall In Love", and "Easy To Remember". CD also features three bonus alternate takes! CD

Great pre-Columbia album by The Manhattans, originally recorded in the early 70s for the King-related DeLuxe label! The set features a stellar set of harmony soul tracks that show the transition from the group's early Carnival sides to their modern Columbia ones – and the Manhattans are in a dope east coast Super Fly mode – like contemporaneous indie groups like The Modulations, The Montclairs, or Soul Generation. There's sort of a mix of material, with some sweet soul tunes, and some heavier tracks, but there's plenty of good cuts to make this one worth searching out. Tracks include "I Can't Stand for You To Leave Me", "Do You Ever?", "Back Up", "Million to One", "Fever", "The Picture Became Quite Clear", "With These Hands", "If My Heart Could Speak", "It's The Only Way", "Rainbow Week", and "Cry If You Wanna Cry". 22 cuts in all! CD

2 of Sunny Murray's classic sides for the BYG label, on one CD! Sunshine is one of Sunny's rarest from the time – and a full-on session that features Lester Bowie, Arthur Jones, Roscoe Mitchell, Archie Shepp, Kenneth Terroade, Dave Burrell, and Malachi Favors. The large group wails mightily, with a spiritual edge that's a bridge between Murray's New York avant roots and some of the late 60s work of the AACM. Side one features the extended "Flower Trane", and side two contains "Real" and "Red Cross". Even Break is one of the best-ever BYG/Actuel sessions, and one that has the unlikely pairing of east coast avant players Sonny Murray and Byard Lancaster, with Art Ensemble Of Chicago bassist Malachi Favors! Murray plays drums, and reads a bit of poetry, while the band wails behind him in powerful turgid lines of hard free jazz that represent all there is to say about the freedom of the Paris jazz scene in 1969. 4 long tracks – "Invisible Blues", "Complete Affection", "Giblets – Part 12", and "An Even Break". CD

Nas' debut LP masterpiece Illmatic – a record that will probably stand forever as one of the greatest hip hop full lengths of its time! Nas has had some creative ups-and-downs over the years, but nothing can take away the impact of this damn near perfect slice of east coast street hop – truly one of the great, filler free, beginning-to-end classics with not a wasted second! Part of the strength of the record is the top-shelf choice of production – work from DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock and Q-Tip – all of whom help the young Nas really find his voice with the right sort of vibe – on titles that include "NY State Of Mind", "Life's A B***h", "Half Time", "One Love", "Memory Lane", "Represent", "The World Is Yours", and "It Ain't Hard To Tell". CD

A legendary album from alto genius Art Pepper – a set in which he meets up with the famous Miles Davis rhythm section of the time – Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – a trio of players who really help send the album over the top! There's maybe a bit more of a crackle in the rhythms here than on some of Art's other 50s records – which makes for a classic meeting of east and west coast scenes, and some especially nice raspy lines from Pepper – delivered at that level that always made his music of this period so nicely complex – outwardly cool, but with some seething energy at the core. Titles include a definitive take on Art's classic "Straight Life" – plus "Waltz Me Blues", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", and "Star Eyes". CD

A legendary album from alto genius Art Pepper – a set in which he meets up with the famous Miles Davis rhythm section of the time – Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – a trio of players who really help send the album over the top! There's maybe a bit more of a crackle in the rhythms here than on some of Art's other 50s records – which makes for a classic meeting of east and west coast scenes, and some especially nice raspy lines from Pepper – delivered at that level that always made his music of this period so nicely complex – outwardly cool, but with some seething energy at the core. Titles include a definitive take on Art's classic "Straight Life" – plus "Waltz Me Blues", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", and "Star Eyes". CD

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". CD features 3 bonus tracks! CD

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". CD features 3 bonus tracks! CD

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". CD features 3 bonus tracks! CD

Really wonderful work from the Texas scene of the 60s – not the heady psych or garage usually associated with the state, nor the more Latin-inflected modes from the border – but instead a unique batch of music that feels more like work from either coast, and which comes across with a surprisingly soulful sound! The 60s scene in East LA is well-known as a hotbed of early Chicano soul – and plenty of Spanish Harlem groups also dug doo wop at the time too – and the Royal Jesters fit perfectly right into that spot – working like a garage band, but with a stunning approach to vocal harmonies that really rivals the underground soul acts of the time. Most of the best cuts are relatively mellow and laidback – ala Joe Bataan's sweet soul work – and a few other nice numbers bring in a romping party vibe to balance things out, with some of the festive qualities you'd expect from the crowd scene on the cover. Yet it's the soul tunes we love the most, and the album's filled with them – a heady collection of 28 tracks that includes "I've Got Soul", "I'm So Sorry", "Afro-lypso", "My Life", "Spanish Grease", "Back To You", "Just A Friend", "Theme For A Lonely Girl", and "Meet Me Down In Soulsville". CD

Some of the best work ever from legendary trumpeter Woody Shaw – and honestly, a batch of music that may well be one of the best runs at a label by any jazz musician, period! Woody first came on the scene as a sharp talent from the east coast in the 60s – playing with a drive and fire that really set a whole new tone for the trumpet – one different from predecessors like Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, or Freddie Hubbard. And although he was already great on records for Blue Note and other labels, he really exploded as a leader with these sides for Muse – stretching forth with dynamic energy and boundless imagination – sometimes in a setting that was as spiritual as work on Strata East, sometimes in a straighter mode that put Shaw right up there with the best trumpeters of decades past. This Muse Records work has always been scattered and spotty on the reissue market, but is finally collected together here in one place – a stunning set of albums that includes The Moontrane, Love Dance, Little Red's Fantasy, Concert Ensemble At The Berliner Jazztage, In The Beginning, Iron Men, Setting Standards, Solid, and Imagination. The set features all tracks from these sessions – including bonus material not on the original LPs – plus very detailed notes and information, in the true Mosaic Records fashion! CD

That's a sweet image on the cover – and the grooves inside are equally dynamic too – a really wonderful collection that's easily one of the most compelling in Numero's Eccentric Soul series! The work here all hails from the tiny San Antonio scene of the late 60s – but much of the music has a sound that's way different than you might expect from Texas soul – often with great harmonies that recall the best of the east coast groups of the time, and occasionally with a few brown-eyed touches that echo the style of East LA! There's a wonderfully heartbreaking feel to many of these tracks – and the set's heavy focus on mellower numbers is totally great – and gives the whole thing a wonderful late nite sort of vibe that's usually quite hard to find in compilations like this. As usual, Numero's done a great job with the notes and history of the label – but the music alone is more than enough – a heady brew of cuts that include "Little Girl Blue" and "Try Loving Me" by The Webs, "I Gotta Know" by Tonettes, "Give Your Love To Me" and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Little Jr Jesse & The Tear Drops, "Cry & Wonder Why" by Doc & Sal, "Must Be Alright" and "Hey It's Love" by The Commands, "She's Gotta Have Soul" by Bobby Blackmon & The Soul Express, and "I Can't Take No More" by Willie Cooper & The Webs. CD

Heavenly New Jersey soul from the All Platinum/Stang stable of Sylvia Robinson stars. There's 16 great tracks on here by some of the best (and lesser known) of the 70's east coast male vocalists, like George Kerr, Larry Saunders, Phillipe Wynne, and Derek Martin, plus obscure 70's stuff by better known talents like Chuck Jackson and Donnie Elbert. Great stuff, and all with the All Platinum sound behind it. CD

A tremendous album from The Beau Brummels – one of the lesser-remembered groups from the late 60s Warner hipster heyday! At some level, the group's a folk-rock outfit – with the left-of-center feel of some of Fred Neil's best work for Capitol, and a similar blend of east coast honesty and west coast mind expansion. The format here is remarkably simple, but handled with some nice touches by producer Lenny Waronker, who really brings a lot more out of the band than on their earlier indie recordings. Titles include "Are You Happy", "The Wolf Of Velvet Fortune", "The Keeper Of Time", "Only Dreaming Now", "Magic Hollow", "Painter Of Women", and "Triangle". CD

A rare early date as a leader from pianist Walter Bishop Jr – cut for a tiny east coast label that folded almost as soon as the record was issued – but a date that's gone onto great fame over the years, thanks to circulation in a few different formats! Bishop's got a really maturing approach here – as sharp as his work from the bop years, but with a deeper sense of tone and color too – occasional lyrical moments that get great shading from the bass of Jimmy Garrison and drums of GT Hogan – both players who make the album really something special – a real cut above the usual trio session. In that manner, the record features two tunes that run for nearly 10 minutes each – opening up in that reflectively soulful mode that Bish would be known much more for in later years – and titles include "Speak Low", "Milestones", "Green Dolphin Street", and "Blues In The Closet". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes! CD

A very trippy album from the enigmatic Brother Ah – aka Robert Northern, former member of Sun Ra's Arkestra, and also a lecturer on the east coast. This album's his first, originally issued on the Strata East label – and a space mixture of other-worldly sounds. The first long track on the album is entitled "Beyond Yourself (The Midnight Confession)", and features a group with Ah on flutes and "natural" sounds, plus cello by Pat Dixon, percussion by Barbara Burton, and soprano voice by Barbara Grant. The track's a "sound journey in 7 parts" – floating across space with a mystical feel that slowly unfurls. The other long track on the set is "Love Piece", a tune in which Ah plays flute along with percussion by Max Roach and the M'Boom percussion ensemble – plus a 90-voice chorus, and a short rap by Roach. Very spiritual stuff! CD

The only 2 trio sessions recorded by pianist and vibist Eddie Costa – both done in the late 50s, a few years before Eddie's untimely early death! The first 9 tracks on the CD feature work from the Eddie Costa/Vinnie Burke Trio album – a spare and sweet little set from the team of Costa and Burke – one of the best of the east coast chamber jazz pairings of the 50s! The duo's trio has Eddie on piano and vibes, Vinnie on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – all working together to craft light, rhythmic versions of tunes that really change them up rhythmically – working in the most playful mode of the time to freely create over the top of familiar numbers that include "Fascinating Rhythm", "It Could Happen To You", "Sweet & Lovely", "Yesterdays", and "Let's Do It". The set also features two nice originals – "Unison Blues" and "Pile Driver". House Of Blue Lights is a quite different record altogether – one that has Eddie playing with a much heavier touch on the left hand – inflecting the keys in a bluesier mode, but also working here with some modern touches from drummer Paul Motian, who's in the trio along with bassist Wendell Marshall. Costa's tone has changed decidedly for the record – and he's often got a loudly flowing approach to the keys that echoes later work by McCoy Tyner, Steve Kuhn, and other key 60s innovators. And even though tracks are again mostly familiar numbers, Costa's really pushing them to new levels – pushing, pausing, and twisting them into unusual time structures and melodic progressions. Titles include "House Of Blue Lights", "Diane", "When I Fall In Love", "My Funny Valentine", "What's To Ya", and "Anabelle". 15 tracks in all – 9 from the Costa/Burke Trio album, and 6 from Blue Lights. CD

The mindblowing debut of De La Soul – a set that's inarguably one of the most important records in hip hop history – overflowing with playful, endearingly oddball trio rhymes and Prince Paul production at it's most sprawlingly sampled and creative! The set has classic songs that stand out well enough on their own – but they're all also wonderfully linked together as a whole, making the album one of the first really well-thought out full length albums in hip hop – filled with loosely connective skits with recurring characters that are vital to the experience of listening to the record as a whole! Additionally, the set is especially fascinating given its 1989 release year – a time when so many of the contemporaneous crews and solo MCs on both the east coast and west coast were going grittier, darker and more profane – but it doesn't feel like a conscious reaction to that, as much it feels like sharp trio and a brilliant producer carving out their own damn creative niche. Includes "Me Myself & I", "The Magic Number", "Plug Tunin", "Say No Go", "Tread Water", "Eye Know", "Buddy" and much more! CD

The mindblowing debut of De La Soul – a set that's inarguably one of the most important records in hip hop history – overflowing with playful, endearingly oddball trio rhymes and Prince Paul production at it's most sprawlingly sampled and creative! The set has classic songs that stand out well enough on their own – but they're all also wonderfully linked together as a whole, making the album one of the first really well-thought out full length albums in hip hop – filled with loosely connective skits with recurring characters that are vital to the experience of listening to the record as a whole! Additionally, the set is especially fascinating given its 1989 release year – a time when so many of the contemporaneous crews and solo MCs on both the east coast and west coast were going grittier, darker and more profane – but it doesn't feel like a conscious reaction to that, as much it feels like sharp trio and a brilliant producer carving out their own damn creative niche. Includes "Me Myself & I", "The Magic Number", "Plug Tunin", "Say No Go", "Tread Water", "Eye Know", "Buddy" and much more! CD

Excellent work by this oft-overlooked east coast harmony group! Like a rare few groups at the time, The Ebonys had a sound that mixed male and female harmonies – in a sweetly mellow sound that was a lot hipper than more famous groups that used the style, and which had all the best elements of the Philly group approach of the early 70s. The set features some great tracks by Gamble & Huff – plus the group's incredible tune "Life In The Country" – a slow mellow stepper that never gets old! Other tracks include "Hook Up & Get Down", "I Believe", "Sexy Ways", "Nation Time", and "You're The Reason Why". CD

A wonderful set of work by this fantastic east coast harmony group – a short-lived early 70s ensemble who were discovered by the great George Kerr when on a trip to a prison! The Escorts were handled by Kerr with the same flair he brought to other groups like The Whatnauts and The Moments – a wonderful mix of ballads and well-crafted vocal numbers that show the fragile New Jersey style of singing at its best. The set features 20 tracks in all – all the tunes from the group's 2 albums, plus some bonus material, and even an interview snippet! Titles include "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow", "Brother", "Corruption", "Disrespect Can Wreck", "Let's Make Love (at Home Sometimes)", and "All We Need (Is Another Chance)", their plea to society to forgive them for their past crimes. Classic New Jersey! CD

One of the best new soul records we've heard in years – a tremendous accomplishment for the mighty Lee Fields, and a set that's quite different than any of his other work! We've always loved Lee's funk and deep soul sides, but this album's something new altogether – almost done in the hard-edge, downtempo mode of the east coast harmony scene of the late 60s and early 70s – like some of the best group soul work coming out of New Jersey or Philly, with some super-dope production and instrumentation that's really amazing! The grooves follow strongly in the same laidback style as recent El Michels work – no surprise, given the El Michels connection to the music – with beats that are hard, but slow – and instrumentation that's funky, but in a mellow sort of way. Lee's vocals are as deep as ever – very much trained in the James Brown tradition, but turned here towards a really unique groove that makes us completely reevaluate his talents – an amazing achievement not just for Fields, but also for the whole Truth & Soul/El Michels crew! An instant classic – with tracks that include "My World", "Ladies", "Expressions Theme", "Honey Dove", "Money I$ King", "Love Comes & Goes", "Do You Love Me", and "Last Ride". CD

A motherlode of rare tenor work from the east coast bop scene – rare singles and album tracks recorded for the Dawn label! First up are 4 numbers done by Stan Getz in 1949 with a group that includes Al Haig and Jimmy Raney – on titles that include "Skull Buster", "Ante Room", "Pennies From Heaven", and "Poop Deck". The Getz edge is already very firmly in place on these sides, with a sound to match the quality of Stan's work for Prestige or Roost in the same era. Wardell Gray follows with 2 numbers – "It's The Talk Of The Town" and "In A Pinch" – both done with a similar group that includes Raney and Haig, also recorded in 1949. The scene then moves to 1956 – a big year of recording for the Dawn label – and features 2 tracks that have Paul Quinichette blowing with the Gene Roland group – "These Foolish Things" and "Along About This Time Of Year" (neither of which are on the other Quinichette Dawn/Biograph CD.) Last up is Zoot Sims – one of Dawn's strongest artists – heard here on 6 tracks from 1956, done with a group that includes Jerry Lloyd on trumpet – and including "Blues For The Month Of May", "The Big Stampede", "Jerry's Jaunt", and "I Should Care". CD

A legendary record from one of the most unique Latin groups of their time! In an early 70s world where many Latin combos were going for class and poise, the Ghetto Brothers moved in another direction entirely – working here with a fair bit of electric guitar alongside more familiar Latin rhythms – all to push along some wonderfully soulful vocals! The record's got a very different feel than most east coast Latin work of the time – one that's a bit like some of the Chicano soul of the west coast, but not nearly as smooth, and with a definite nod towards both funk and singer/songwriter work of the mainstream! The guitar's really upfront in the mix – riffing off at the start of most tracks – and the vocals have a slightly sweet quality, supported by harmonies from the rest of the group at times – making for a wicked blend of modes that's extremely compelling. A record that's as filled with soul and feeling as it is with hard-edge groovers – featuring titles that include "You Say You Are My Friend", "Ghetto Brothers Power", "I Saw A Tear", "Girl From The Mountain", "There Is Something In My Hearth", "Got This Happy Feeling", and "Viva Puerto Rico Libre". This great deluxe edition from Truth & Soul comes inside a beautifully done, 80-page booklet – full of rare photos of the band in action and behind-the-scenes – plus richly detailed notes. CD

Wonderful work from this really unique west coast combo of the 70s – a quartet that draws plenty from key contributions of each of its members – but which also has a very special sound in the acoustic guitar of Laurindo Almeida! Almeida's a player who'd already been working in LA for two decades or more, but finds a whole new way to express himself here – in the company of past partner Bud Shank on reeds – who really opens up with some soulful solos on the record, which step boldly past some of the guitar passages that sometimes lead off the tracks. Ray Brown's bass is wonderful too – well-shaped, and given some great space to help work alongside Laurindo's guitar – and the album's completed by some very sensitive work on drums by Shelly Manne. Titles include "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Django", "Romance De Amor", and "Recipe Of Love". CD

Sublime work from Hal McKusick – one of those mid 50s modernists who offered up such hope for new ideas at the time, and who seemed to all but disappear by the middle of the next decade! This album's one of Hal's finest – an optimistically crafted batch of tunes written by many of the 50s best modernists: Gil Evans, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, and others – played by a group that includes Art Farmer, Barry Galbraith, Jimmy Cleveland, and Milt Hinton. The approach is east coast chamber jazz – a refreshing change from the west coast version, made all the better by McKusick's crisp tone and precise blowing. Titles include "Alto Cumulus", "Tommy Hawk", "Lydian Lullaby", "One Score & Eight Horns Ago", "Jambangle", and "Just Leave It Alone". CD

Sweeeeet soul from Chicago! The Natural Four were one of the greatest soul harmony groups of the 70's – and their work on the Curtom has an amazing "rough with the smooth" quality that really sets them apart from east coast groups of the time! Part of the strength of the set has to do with Leroy Hutson – who arranged and produced the whole album, and gives it a superdope quality that makes it stand proudly with the best work on Curtom Records of the time. The sound is full and polished, yet also honest, earnest, and personal – in that great mix of moods that Hutson and Curtis Mayfield could bring to their own work of the time. The whole set's a classic, and titles include "Try Love Again", "You Bring Out The Best In Me", "Can This Be Real?", "This is What's Happening Now", and "Things Will Be Better Tomorrow". CD

A hip hop masterpiece from Prince Paul – his second album as a solo act, but one that builds on years of top-shelf experience in the east coast scene – including his roots with Stetsasonic and production of De La Soul! The record came up at a time when there seemed to be a new sense of self-awareness in hip hop – maybe not a postmodern sensibility, but a gentle play between the real role of the artist and imagined pop presence – handled here by Paul with a lot more care than most, and presented in a concept album format that's full of great surprises along the way! Breeze Brewin of Jugganauts handles the main lyrics, but the story has lots of famous guests along the way – almost a Wizard Of Oz sort of journey that includes Kool Keith, Big Daddy Kane, Chubb Rock, Biz Markie, and many others. Titles include "MC Hustler", "The Other Line", "Pain", "Steady Slobbin", "War Party", "Weapon World", "Handle Your Time", "The Men In Blue", and "Mood For Love". CD

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". CD features 3 bonus tracks! CD

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". CD features 3 bonus tracks! CD

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". CD features 3 bonus tracks! CD

The first 2 albums as a leader from keyboardist Patrice Rushen! Prelusion is a great set from Patrice – very different than her later R&B work from the 80s! The record's her first, and at the time, Patrice was much more of a jazz artist – working here with a cool west coast set of players (Joe Henderson on tenor, Hadley Caliman on alto and soprano, and Oscar Brashear on trumpet), playing a range of keyboards, from acoustic and electric piano, to ARP, and clavinet. The tracks are long, and have a wonderfully composed soul jazz vibe – feeling a heck of a lot like work on labels like Strata East, deeply dipping into a soulful bag that's solid and real, with no fakery or tricks to make the mood happen. Includes "Traverse", "Shortie's Portion", "7/73", and "Haw Right Now". Before The Dawn has Patrice working in a groove that's almost like that of Herbie Hancock at the time – using lots of electric piano, clavinet, and synth to craft some mighty fine jazz funk grooves. The group's a monster assemblage of Fantasy jazz players like Hubert Laws, Lee Ritenour, Hadley Caliman, and Harvey Mason – and the session crackles with a tight edge that you'll never find in any of Patrice's later work. Tracks are long, with lots of great spacey grooves, and titles include "Razzia", "Before The Dawn", "Kickin Back", and "Jubilation". Note: CD omits the track "Puttered Bopcorn" from Prelusion – due to space restrictions. CD

Guitarist Sal Salvador made few albums as a leader during his day – but all of them are a treat, especially this one! The set's a mid 50s outing that features Sal's guitar in a quartet with Eddie Costa on piano and vibes – and grooving in a lightly swinging style that has some traces of east coast chamber jazz of the time, but which also displays Salvador's unique fascination with tone, sound, shape, and color! Salvador has a way of approaching the electric guitar that's like few other players in jazz – sometimes coming on full swing, other times laying back and letting the strings and their sounds shape the progression of tunes on the set. Titles include "Salaman", "I Love You", "Handful Of Stars", "Frivolous Sal", "Tangerine", "You Could Swing For That", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Stunning 50s modern jazz – long overdue for reissue! The CD features 2 long-lost albums – Modern Music From Philadelphia by The Brothers Sandole, and The Clarinet Artistry of John La Porta. The Sandoles were one of the least-known and least-appreciated groups working on the east coast during the 50s. Dennis and Adolphe Sandole had an incredible talent for writing – and in the short time they recorded together, they served up some amazing tracks with a wonderful group sound that recalls some of the Mingus Jazz Workshop recordings with John La Porta. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Drums", "Wings Over Persia", "Grenadine", "Boys From Istanbul", "Arabu", "The Tamaret", and "Magic Carpet". The second set of material on the CD features clarinet tracks by John LaPorta – an important east coast modernist who was a key part of Charles Mingus' mid-50s recordings, and who was as important to east coast modernization of the clarinet as Jimmy Giuffre was to the west coast scene. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Dirge For Dorsey", and "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea". CD

Two stunning records from the Soul Children – back to back on a single CD! Friction is one of the best records to come out of the south in the 70's, and it's one of the most amazing records we've ever heard about sleepin' around, cheatin', and sneakin' love on the side. The 7 tracks form a sort of "suite" of love and infidelity, and they're woven together with this amazing production that mixes a Memphis sensibility with the higher level of production that was hitting the east coast vocal groups of the time. Titles include "I'll Be the Other Woman", "Can't Let You Go", "We're Gettin Too Close", "Love Makes It Right", and "What's Happening Baby". Best Of Two Worlds is a beautiful album of Memphis soul by one of the sweetest vocal groups ever to come out of the south! The record's a bit more complicated than some of their earlier ones, and features some nice tracks with a more extended style, and more sophisticated arrangements that work great with the group's rich harmonies. Includes "The Hang Ups Of Holding On (parts 1 & 2)", "Wrap It Up", "Let's Make A Sweet Thing Sweeter", "Don't Break Away", and "Give Me One Good Reason Why". CD

Rare work from the east coast scene of the mid 50s – a sweet little quintet session from saxophonist Hal Stein and trumpeter Warren Fitzgerald! Both players were slightly lesser stars in the jazz world of the time, but come across here with a clarity of vision and tightness of execution that reminds us of some of our favorite RCA jazz sessions from the same period – sharp arrangements that set things up beautifully at the start – and short, well-executed solos that give both players a strong presence on the record. Stein blows both alto and tenor – and the record has a really compelling lineup – with Bob Dorough on piano, Alphonso Cotton on bass, and a young Paul Motian on drums! Not only that, the whole thing was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder – and titles include "Zounds", "The Sarong Is New", "Cattin", "Bee Dee's Blues", "Nan Do Mo Nai", "Choice Derby", and "This Love Of Mine". CD

Sublime harmony soul from The Temprees – one of the few southern groups who could really match the brilliance of the east coast scene of the time! The core of the CD features the album Temprees 3 – the group's third album, and a wonderfully tight affair that features some slight Philly touches with a bit of Gamble & Huff's help. Other tracks on the set include 4 more from the Lovemen album, plus 3 previously unissued numbers that really stretch out nicely – showing the group moving into much longer material than we know from their other albums for Stax! The sound is tremendous – perfect harmony vocals falling into place with a heartbreaking quality, but also a bit of a deeper Memphis current – one that comes out beautifully through the mix of material on the set, and which showcases the group as one of the best from their era. Titles include "If I Could Say What's On My Mind", "I Love You You Love Me", "You're On My Mind", "Out Of My Reach", "Ain't Nothin Like It", "Mr. Cool That Ain't Cool", "I'll Live Her Life", "Come And Get Your Life", "Your Love Is All I Need", and "The Whole Bit Of Love". CD

A vision of the future of avant garde jazz – recorded in 1966, and one of the most groundbreaking titles on the legendary ESP label! Saxophonist Marzette Watts is a player who hardly ever gets his due – but was part of the key new wave of younger players on the east coast scene of the 60s – fitting well in a lineage of Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, and other important forces in avant jazz at the time. This album's one of the few he ever recorded – along with an important session for Savoy – and is mindblowing right from the start – a fresh blend of new thing ideas with the freer, looser modes of the ESP scene – handled perfectly by a well-chosen group that features Byard Lancaster on alto and flute, Clifford Thornton on trombone and cornet, Sonny Sharrock on guitar, Karl Berger on vibes, Juni Booth and Henry Grimes on bass, and JC Moses on drums. Watts plays tenor, soprano, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Backdrop For Urban Revolution", "Ia", and "Geno". CD

A killer collection of east coast soul from the 70s – work that originally appeared on a handful of different labels, but which was all put together by Robert Hosea Williams – an unsung producer working out of a small studio in Silver Springs – with an incredible ear for up-and-coming talent! The music here is totally deep and righteous throughout – the hippest of the indie label scene on the east coast – and work that really lives up to the progressive, righteous reference you'd get from the Red, Black, & Green in the title! There's plenty of group soul here – of a type that mixes older harmony modes with hipper 70s references – creating a really badass approach to soul music that's simply mindblowing – and way different than the mainstream variants that were hitting the charts at the time. The whole thing's great – one of the best Numero comps in years – and titles include "Phoney People" and "I Really Really Love You" by Father's Children, "Sleepwalking" and "Let's Do It Over" by The Summits, "Don't Worry About The Joneses" and "We're Two Fools In Love" by Dysons Faces, "Day By Day" and "It Must Be Love" by The Exceptions Featuring Mark Greene, "Town Called Nowhere" and "I Need Your Love" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, and "Summer In The Parks" and "Generation" by East Coast Connection. CD

A sharp-edged session of tremendous trumpet and tenor interplay – served up by the legendary quintet of Gianni Basso and Oscar Valdambrini! The album's got a sound that's as hip as it looks – a great approach to 50s modern jazz, done in a style that's equally influenced by west coast cool and east coast hardbop! Valdambrini's trumpet is beautifully measured throughout – with echoes of both Kenny Dorham and Chet Baker – offset by some deeper grooving on tenor from Basso, who plays with a strength and command that few American players of the time could match. Titles include "Come Out Wherever You Are", "Lo Struzzo Oscar", "Lotar", "Gone With The Wind", "Parlami D'Amore Mariu", and "Fan Tan". CD

The mindblowing debut of De La Soul – a set that's inarguably one of the most important records in hip hop history – overflowing with playful, endearingly oddball trio rhymes and Prince Paul production at it's most sprawlingly sampled and creative! The set has classic songs that stand out well enough on their own – but they're all also wonderfully linked together as a whole, making the album one of the first really well-thought out full length albums in hip hop – filled with loosely connective skits with recurring characters that are vital to the experience of listening to the record as a whole! Additionally, the set is especially fascinating given its 1989 release year – a time when so many of the contemporaneous crews and solo MCs on both the east coast and west coast were going grittier, darker and more profane – but it doesn't feel like a conscious reaction to that, as much it feels like sharp trio and a brilliant producer carving out their own damn creative niche. Includes "Me Myself & I", "The Magic Number", "Plug Tunin", "Say No Go", "Tread Water", "Eye Know", "Buddy" and much more! Expanded edition contains a second bonus CD packed with alternate versions and rare 12" single remixes! CD

Tasty set that includes many of the Delfonics' best moments from their classic Philly Groove years! This is the kind of heavenly east coast group soul that never gets old – and it's no wonder this stuff keeps cropping up in movies and samples over the years. Titles include "Tell Me This Is A Dream", "Didn't I Blow Your Mind", "Ready Or Not Here I Come", "When You Get Right Down To It", and "I'm Sorry". CD

An odd little album in the Stan Getz catalog of the 50s – not just because of the cheesy cover and title, but also because it features a range of unusual material recorded over a three year period with a variety of different players! Some of the dates here definitely fit the "cool sounds" title of the record – in that they feature Getz with the west coast lineup of Loy Levy on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass – heard more famously on Stan's West Coast album of the same time. But other sides feature a different grouping – with Jimmy Rowles on piano, Bobby Whitlock on bass, and Max Roach on drums – offering up a different side of the west coast altogether. And still others take things back to more of an east coast modern style – by featuring either Tony Fruscella on trumpet or Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, in groups with John Williams on piano. The mix of material makes for a nicely-rounded portrait of Getz's talents in the mid 50s years – and the album features 10 tracks that include "Nobody Else But Me", "Serenade In Blue", "Of Thee I Sing", "Love Is Here To Stay", "Blue Bells", "Roundup Time", "Rustic Hop", and "A Handful Of Stars". CD

A hard and heavy Hammond jazz classic – and one of Jimmy McGriff's greatest recordings of the 60s! The title track's a new rendition of Ray Charles' famous tune "I've Got A Woman" – recorded here in a rolling, vamping groove that must have blown the woofer out of countless jukeboxes in the east coast lounge scene back in the 60s! Jimmy's use of the bass pedals on the tune is incredible, and really sets the stage for the rest of the album's powerhouse grooves – a nice blend of originals by Jim, plus some wonderfully re-worked jazz classics – played by a trio that included guitarist Morris Dow and drummer Jackie Mills. Other tracks include "M.G. Blues", "All About My Girl", "Flying Home", and "That's The Way I Feel". CD