Quite an unusual Lou Donaldson album for Blue Note – much more open-ended than his other sets, with a really hard-jamming sort of sound! Unlike some of Donaldson's tighter dates of the time, which feature more bop-based, song-based shorter tunes – this one's more of a long-form blowing ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A really formative album – not just as part of the key second chapter of alto genius Lou Donaldson, but also as the start of a huge generation of jazz funk grooves to come! The key element here is drummer Idris Muhammad – working in the group of Donaldson, but under his birth name of ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Part of the Blue Note Tone Poet series – heavy cover and vinyl!)
Great early material from Lou Donaldson – with a hard-hitting bop sound missing from his later work! The tracks are short, raw, and lively – and filled with the kind of pre-hardbop soul that Donaldson was infusing into jazz, along with other players on the material – like Horace ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Darkly brilliant – and one of Joao Donato's most fantastic records! The set was recorded during Joao's time in America in the mid 60s – cut in New York with lofty backings by Claus Ogerman, in a pillowy soft mode that fits perfectly with Joao's light bossa piano lines, and which has ... (Brazil) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo pressing with deep groove. NOTE – Vinyl is nice and clean, but the cover has heavy wear & staining on the bottom 3 inches or so with peeling, clear tape, and waviness.)
One of our favorite albums by Kenny Dorham – and a really different session than his usual studio work! The album captures Kenny in a relaxed live setting, with a bit more dirt on his horn than usual, and some great gutsy players in the group, like Bobby Timmons, Sam Jones, and JR Monterose. ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A wonderfully free-thinking set by Kenny Dorham – and a record that really breaks from his earlier work! The album's not exactly experimental, but it features longer tracks with a looser approach than some of Dorham's sweeter shorter work – more in a rhythmically progressive mode that ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Maybe one of the greatest albums ever from trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a set that has him really stretching out as a musician – not just showing off that impeccable sense of tone that marked his important records of the 50s, but also coming up with new ways of phrasing, and a sometimes-uniq ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Carl Douglas' classic pop soul track about "Kung Fu Fighting" is an enduring favorite, as we're reminded everytime our local UHF station cops it for a promo for a martial arts double feature they're running on Saturday afternoon! The rest of the tracks on here aren't as great, but there's ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the insert and xeroxed review. Cover has light aging.)
Dr Dre —
Chronic ... LP Priority/Interscope, 1992. Near Mint- ...
$29.99
The first solo set that Dr Dre cut after leaving NWA – and a record that not only set the tone for his solo career, but also for a huge run of albums from other folks in the years to come! Dre's as much of a production genius as he is a frontman here – really pushing forward some of ... (Hip Hop) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The second album from the legendary Nick Drake – one of those records we could never ever live without – and a true piece of genius that's been turning on generations of listeners since Nick first recorded it back at the start of the 70s! The format is folksy, but the execution is ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Beautiful pressing – 180 gram vinyl, with textured cover like the original, and a bonus download in multiple formats!)
Godlike work from the legendary Nick Drake – and exactly the kind of record that's made him a continuing legend over the years! The style is completely its own – not really folk or rock, but not really jazz either – yet served up with plenty of jazzy phrasing that's helped keep ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Great heavy vinyl in the original gatefold-style cover – and includes bonus download for the album, too!)
A beautiful treasure from the legendary Nick Drake – the last album he ever recorded – and a set that may well be his most personal as well! The sound here is even more stripped-down than before – often just vocals and acoustic guitar, but used together in ways that are really ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Paquito D'Rivera on clarinet and saxophones – and featuring an orchestra conducted by Carlos Franzetti. Tracks include "La Bella Cubana", "Tu Mi Delirio", "Mariana", "Song To My Son", and "Come Arrullo De Palmas". (Jazz) CD
Soulful and pounding! Joe Dukes is one of the greatest soul jazz drummers ever – the key to the unique sound that Jack McDuff had during his big rise to fame in the mid 60s, a combination of tightly funky rhythms underneath, with a freer approach to the top of the kit that worked perfectly ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo black label pressing. Cover has light wear.)
A landmark album from the mighty Bob Dylan – a 2LP set of studio work, which was quite rare at the time – and a set that has Dylan stretching out all his creative powers in newly different directions! The album had a long genesis in the studio – some early work with The Band, ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(70s pressing in the revised cover, with minimal wear.)
Earl Sweatshirt has always been at the forefront of hip hop – and here, he really continues that legacy, by also reaching backwards for the production skills of The Alchemist – whose special touch on the record really creates a whole new milieu for Earl's lyrics! There's a dreamlike ... (Hip Hop) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Wonderful late work from Charles Earland – one of the few 70s players who never lost his fire! No matter what the setting, Earland had a command of the organ that came out wonderfully on record – a mean, lean approach to solos that always kept things interesting, and a great ear for ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A tremendously beautiful album – and a righteous anthem of power and growth that seems to open itself up to us more and more over the years! Earth Wind & Fire are at their height here – mixing together soul and funk with a set of influences that includes African percussion and ... (Soul) read moreCD
A great little combo, and one with a fair bit of organ in the mix – more of a rock instrumental combo than a jazz one, but still with plenty of jazzy touches – thanks to the keyboards! The tunes here are all instrumental – a bit fuzzy at times, but nice and clear at others – ... (Rock) read moreCD
Teddy Edwards at the height of his powers – packing a tight, soulful punch that made him one of the most popular players on the west coast in the early 60s – and a great link between earlier R&B tenorists and the leaner sound of 60s jazz! Edwards has a nice gutbuckety tone at times ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(1998 West Coast Classics pressing – includes obi!)
Eliane Elias plays piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3 Organ, and synthesizer – plus the album features guest work from Randy Brecker on trumpet and Dave Valentin on flute! (Jazz) CD
A lesser-known Ellington set from the 60s – tracks from the lesser-remembered musical, with alto from Johnny Hodges, trumpet from Ray Nance, and tenor from Paul Gonsalves! Titles include "Our Children", "Nightlife", "I've Just Seen Her", "Back To ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s French CBS pressing. Cover has light wear and a Collectors' Series sticker.)
Duke Ellington classics from 2 different decades! Blue Light is subtitled "jazz for that relaxed mood", but is actually a great compilation of early work by Ellington's group – recorded for Columbia during the years 1934 to 1939! Somehow, the tracks still end up sounding 30 years ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Includes the songs "Hop Skip Jump", "Creole Love Call", "Diminuendo In Blue / Crescendo In Blue", "Kissing Bug", "In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree", "Esquire Swank", "Frankie And Johnnie (Part One)", "Frankie And Johnnie ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Duke Ellington in fine fine form – working here in a selection of tunes played at jazz festivals in 1959 – a very good year for the Ellington Orchestra! The styles here are a mix of older Duke modes and some of the more sophisticated modernism of his late 50s years – and ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(6 eye stereo pressing with deep groove – 1B/1B. Cover has some edge wear.)
Two shows from our hometown of Chicago! Tracks include "Jumpin Punkins", "Beale Street Blues", "Golden Feather", "Coloratura", "Caravan", "In A Mellotone", and "Come Sunday, Work Song". (Jazz) CD
Titles include "Portrait Of Mahalia Jackson", "Bourbon Street Jingling Jollies", "Second Line", "Portrait Of Wellman Bruad", and "Thanks For The Beautiful Land On The Delta". (Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo pressing in a textured cover, still sealed with a cutout notch. Shrinkwrap is cracked a bit at the bottom left edge.)
A classic early 50s moment from Duke Ellington – a whole new level of modern expression – with a lineup that includes Paul Gonsalves on tenor and Willie Smith on alto! Titles include "The Hawk Talks", "Harlem Suite", "Jam With Jam", "Sultry ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s mono Japanese pressing – RJL-2516(M) – with insert. Cover has light ring impressions and some worn spots at the bottom.)
Radio broadcasts sponsored by the Treasury Department! Volume 6 collects shows from Indiana, Ohio, and New York and features Taft Jordan, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Cat Anderson, Billy Strayhorn, and others. Tracks include "Ko-Ko", "Let The Zoomers Drool", "Jumpin' ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Elzhi & Oh No —
Heavy Vibrato ... CD Nature Sounds, 2024. New Copy ...
$12.9914.99
Elzhi serves up plenty of great lyrical work here, but our favorite aspect of the record may be the work of Oh No – who definitely takes the title seriously, and uses plenty of vibes throughout! This may well be the best vibes-driven hip hop project we've ever heard – as each track has ... (Hip Hop) read moreCD
Extremely heady work from the French scene of the early 70s – and hardly the Latin Rock album you might guess from the title! Ergo Sum have a sound that's as contemplative as their name – a slow-building, almost brooding blend of jamming, jazzy work on flute, Fender Rhodes, organ, ... (Rock) read moreCD
Booker Ervin —
Book Cooks ... CD Bethlehem (Japan), 1960. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
One of the greatest albums on the Bethlehem label – and one of the first albums as a leader by the legendary Booker Ervin! At the time of the set, Ervin had come off a great stint with the Charles Mingus group – one that inflected his rootsy Texas tenor tones with a sharper modern edge ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print 2000 Japanese pressing – includes obi!)
Booker Ervin —
Song Book ... CD Prestige/OJC, 1964. Used ...
$6.99
A wonderfully warm session from tenor legend Booker Ervin – maybe not as experimental as some of Booker's other dates for Prestige Records in the 60s – but a really wonderful record that fully explores the deep tones of his Texas tenor, and still lets him come off with a bit of an edge! ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Magical trio recordings from the classic trio that featured Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums – a massive 3CD set of music, and one that brings together the complete June 1961 Village Vanguard recordings! The revolutionary bass work of LaFaro, and free-thinki ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Bill Evans —
Conceptions ... CD Essential Jazz, 1956/1958/1962. Used ...
$4.99
Combines the 2 LP Conception with early Evans recordings. (Jazz) CD
One of our favorite albums ever from Bill Evans – an amazing session of Fender Rhodes material that's quite different than most of his other work! The sound here is incredibly gentle – Bill barely hitting the keys of the Rhodes to send out spare, shimmering notes amidst larger ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Sealed 70s pressing! Cover has a small cut corner.)
Bill Evans on pinao, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Marty Morell on drums. Titles include "Very Early", "Waltz For Debby", "Quiet Now", "Elsa", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Sareen Jurer", and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Barcode has a cutout hole, disc has a promo stamp.)
Features Bill Evans on piano, Marc Johnson on bass, and Joe Labarbera on drums. Tracks include "Emily", "Knit For Mary", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "Your Story", "My Man's Gone Now", and "Letter To Evan". (Jazz) CD
A legendary set from the team of guitarist Jim Hall and pianist Bill Evans – both already wonderful players on their own, but really hitting a magical sort of space here together! The record is a classic in understatement – the inevitable meeting of two players who'd both made a career ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A great pairing – one who barely recorded together, but always made magic when they did! The vibe here is different than the Evans/Getz date on Verve in the mid 60s – partly because of the live setting, but maybe also because the group is Bill's – with Eddie Gomez on bass and ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Punch through barcode and promotional stamp on CD.)
Bill Evans with Lee Konitz & Niels Henning Orsted —
Live In Europe 1965 ... CD Lonehill (Spain), 1965. Used ...
$9.99
An assortment of material from different live dates on Bill Evans' 1965 tour of Europe – recorded in October of that year with a range of different lineups and guest players! The first 2 tracks on the set were done with Alan Dawson on drums and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Gil Evans & Steve Lacy —
Paris Blues ... CD Owl/Sunnyside, 1988. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
A beautiful set of duets between Evans and Lacy, and one of the most haunting records either of them made during the 80's! The feeling is extremely intimate, and the players have a warmth that's often missing from their other works. Evan's plays especially beautifully, and uses both acoustic and ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print. Barcode has a cutout hole.)
Faada Freddy —
Golden Cages ... LP Universal (France), 2024. New Copy ...
$20.9926.99
Faada Freddy already has a very striking style – a blend of gospel and soul with some elements of his Senegalese roots – yet here, he pushes the boundaries even more by just working with voice and human percussion elements, but in a mode that makes for a mighty full groove! Freddy's ... (Neo Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really great record, and maybe one of the few hip hop soundtracks to get at the real feel of the music on the streets – maybe no surprise, as the film for which it was created did the same thing! This isn't a fluffed-up Hollywood take on hip hop, with mainstream soul thrown into the mix ... (Hip Hop) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Marianne Faithfull —
Rich Kid Blues ... LP Castle (UK), 1971/1978. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ...
$39.99
A real breakthrough moment for Marianne Faithfull – a singer who'd already been doing some incredible music in the 60s, but who moves here into deeper territory that makes her way more than just a female British singer with a bit of an edge – and really opens up that talent that would ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 80s issue. Cover has minimal wear and tiny blemish spots.)
By the mid 70s, the New York Latin scene was boomin' so large it could easily fill venues like Yankee Stadium – as you'll hear on this excellent live set from the Fania All-Stars, a monster record that easily ranks with the best live Latin sides of the time – like Eddie Palmieri at Sing ... (Latin) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A rare early Blue Note album by guitarist Tal Farlow – pre-Verve material that's really wonderful, and which shows that Farlow was already one of the freshest jazz guitar talents of his generation! The record has a cool 2-guitar frontline, played by Farlow and the obscure Don Arnone – ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An amazingly beautiful set of tracks from Art Farmer – playing here with superb accompaniment from a young Harold Mabern on piano, in a laidback quartet format that really lets Art open up! Art's playing is fresh and creative throughout – never too over the top, and always blown with ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print 1997 Japanese pressing – includes obi.)
A wicked slow funk number from Fat Night – haunting, moody, and very very compelling! There's a slightly trippy feel to the track – maybe from the heavy echo used on the vocals – but the core groove of stepping guitar and drums almost takes us back to the best mellow harmony cuts ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Guitar, bass, and drums – all used in a style that's lean and funky – and which mixes elements of 60s soul jazz with some of the hipper modes of the 70s underground! The guitar of Addison Rifkind has this warmly chromatic vibe – and a way of wrapping chords around a groove that ... (Deep Funk) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The legendary debut of Fear – a landmark in the LA punk scene of the early 80s, and a set that's maybe also showing some of the key shifts that were happening at the time! There's still plenty of hard and fast work going on here, and that undercurrent of wit that marked so much of the best ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Crazy rhythms, joyous postpunk, frenetically catchy melodies – and to put it all simply, one of the best albums of its time! The jittery guitars by Glenn Mercer and Bill Million pretty much pave the way for indie rock guitar for the 2 decades to come, all of the oddball additional percussion ... (Rock) read moreCD
One of the best soul collaborations ever! Fela and Roy Ayers team up for this whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the ... (Global Grooves) read moreCD
(Please note that there is some staining on the traycard artwork and is priced accordingly.)
A killer set of New York Latin from vocalist Papo Felix and bandleader Ray Rodriguez – recorded slightly after the Latin Soul generation, but done with plenty of dark little edges – thanks to production from Joe Bataan! There's a bit of salsa in the mix here, and a bit of descarga jazz ... (Latin) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
2 lesser-known gems from a young Maynard Ferguson – back to back on a single CD! First up is Plays Jazz For Dancing – a record that hones the usual Ferguson groove a bit more for the dancefloor, yet still keeps in plenty of room for the sorts of solo space that Maynard first forged ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(2007 digipak pressing – in nice shape!)
Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly —
Mestizx ... CD International Anthem/Nonesuch, 2024. New Copy ...
$13.9915.99
We first fell in love with the work of Frank Rosaly when he was a drummer here on the Chicago jazz and improv scene – but this album is something completely different overall, and a real evolution of Frank's talents both as a percussionist and musical visionary! The album's a collaboration ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly —
Mestizx ... LP International Anthem/Nonesuch, 2024. New Copy Gatefold ...
$22.9924.99
We first fell in love with the work of Frank Rosaly when he was a drummer here on the Chicago jazz and improv scene – but this album is something completely different overall, and a real evolution of Frank's talents both as a percussionist and musical visionary! The album's a collaboration ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly —
Mestizx (red vinyl pressing) ... LP International Anthem/Nonesuch, 2024. New Copy Gatefold ...
$27.9929.99
We first fell in love with the work of Frank Rosaly when he was a drummer here on the Chicago jazz and improv scene – but this album is something completely different overall, and a real evolution of Frank's talents both as a percussionist and musical visionary! The album's a collaboration ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The first single from the Shady/Aftermath debut LP. It's a damn nice one as far as this stuff goes – Dre's increasingly baroque synth blips get a good workout here, as on the Get Rich LP, for a slower club grind. The B-side "Backdown" is another strong LP track. (Hip Hop) 12-inch, Vinyl record
A righteous album recorded in memory of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 – done to showcase the continued vibrancy of culture in the city, and handled with a collaborative spirit that really makes the whole thing shine! The recording features contributions from over 50 different artists from the ... (Hip Hop) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Firefall —
Elan ... LP Atlantic, 1978. Sealed ...
$6.99