A prog classic from the Czech scene at the start of the 70s – music from a moment when things were really pushing the cultural barriers in the new freedoms of the time! Blue Effect blend core jamming with some larger arrangements that appear from time to time – all given a sense of ... read moreCD
Kaito Nakamura Davis —
Blaque Dawn ... CD Brilliant Works (Japan), 2023. New Copy ...
$18.9928.99
Beautifully cascading sounds from drummer Kaito Nakamura Davis – a player whose own work is often more a part of the larger group in which he works, at a level that has all the other elements wrapped up and rolling along together! The group features superb bass from Keisuke Furuki, a player ... read moreCD
A really beautiful follow-up to the previous set of duets from these two west coast musicians – and a record that's maybe even more sublime than the first! We're not sure what it is – maybe it's the passage of a few years that has deepened the sound, or maybe just the warmth that both ... read moreCD
With a name like Home Boy & The Cost Of Living, it's gotta be the 80s – as just a quick listen to this set will attest! The rhythms are heavy in basslines and drum machine modes – with lots of sweet styles that are somewhere between electro/street soul, and a mellower boogie bounce ... read moreCD
A mighty tribute to the music of John Lee Hooker – a set that's got a nice batch of work from his important early years, and is especially heavy on Vee Jay Records material – and one that also includes tracks from his later recordings too! The first three CDs here are the meat of the ... read moreCD
A really lovely debut from Kurena Ishikawa – both a singer and a bassist, and one who works here with a universal appeal that could well have new ears digging her music around the globe! Kurena sings in English and Japanese, with a very personal, down to earth vibe that's really wonderful ... read moreCD
Excellent funky jazz from Czechoslovakia – served up in a blistering mix of big band arrangements and electric rock elements! The group's a jazz-rock orchestra – with a hard wailing instrumental sound that's sort of like the Clarke Boland Big Band, mixed with fuzzed-out guitars – ... read moreCD
The overdue debut as a leader for reedman Josh Johnson – once part of our scene here in Chicago, but also a musician with a wide range of experience that includes work with Leon Bridges, Jeff Parker, and Marquis Hill! Yet despite those ties, Josh breaks out here as a musician with a vibe ... read moreCD
High Llamas —
Hey Panda ... CD Drag City, 2024. New Copy ...
$12.9916.99
It's been quite awhile since the last High Llamas album – and in that time, the genius of Sean O'Hagan seems to have distilled even more – to a point where all those great elements he was able to layer together on previous records come out with a spare focus that maybe makes the whole ... read moreCD
Shintaro Mamiya —
My Silverite ... CD Mamiyax (Japan), 2023. New Copy ...
$14.9928.99
Saxophonist Shintaro Mamiya has this wonderfully raspy tone on the alto – a surprising edge that at times almost makes you feel like he's blowing a tenor, as does the setting for the record – which has a well-crafted, soulful groove that definitely brings out the best in the leader! ... read moreCD
Japanese jazz vocalist Junko Mine made a great trip to LA for this album – working here under the leadership of pianist Lou Levy, with a group that includes some of the best west coast jazz players of the 50s! At the time, American labels were often ignoring the talent that was still ... read moreCD
A key second chapter in the long and wonderful career of Joni Mitchell – a set that brings together the four albums she recorded for the Asylum label in the mid 70s – a post-Blue period that really had Joni opening up and exploring a lot in her music – including a jazzier side of ... read moreCD
(Remastered by Bernie Grundman, in a package with a painting by Joni Mitchell!)
Naoki Nishi's not the biggest name from the glory days of the Japanese piano trio scene, but he's a great musician, and one with a lyrical quality that really links his style to that of important American greats from the time – maybe some of the warmth of Hank Jones, but mixed with some of ... read moreCD
Drummer Kenta Okamoto has a great way of leading his Wu-Xing group here – often letting the other players really color in the sound, working in a blend of vibes, keyboards, and some guest saxophone that's mighty nice all the way through! The tunes have a soulful quality that takes us back to ... read moreCD
Kosei Uchida —
Three From Boston ... CD All Art/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1981. New Copy ...
$12.9923.99
Three from Boston, but working here on a set recorded in Tokyo, and with that open, freewheeling spirit of the best Japanese trio sessions of the 70s! Kosei Uchida is on piano, but the set's got a well-matched lineup that includes Tim Horner on drums and Hideo Kawahara on bass – really ... read moreCD
A brilliant solo effort from drummer Jim White – a musician who's provided support to a wide range of rock greats – including Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, and Bill Callahan – but one who's also a secret master of the drum kit, with a command of his instrument that's really breathtaking! ... read moreCD
A stunning presentation of the legendary Wattstax concert – that huge moment of pride and power when the folks at Stax Records filled up the Los Angeles Coliseum with one of the most memorable shows of the 70s! The meeting of talents here is the stuff of legend – and this great package ... read moreCD