Wonderful work by Dolphy – as essential to his catalog as any of his albums on Prestige from the same time! Although Dolphy broke plenty of musical barriers in the studio, to our ears, it was always in a live setting that he sounded best – freely exploring the kind of space his playing ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(1999 Japanese pressing in a replica gatefold sleeve – includes obi!)
Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Excellent funky work from Lou Donaldson – and a groundbreaking record that was the first to feature him playing on Blue Note with drummer Idris Muhammad – who is listed on the session under his birth name, Leo Morris! Muhammad gives the album that crackling funky bottom sound that ... (Jazz) read moreCD
One of the excellent Chess Records session that Lou Donaldson recorded in between his two different stretches on the Blue Note label – a small combo date that has a soulful take on the style of his early 60s Blue Note material – with a killer group that includes the mighty Herman Foster ... (Jazz) read moreCD
The title's no lie – because the album is one of the shining jewels of Lou Donaldson's legendary funk years for Blue Note – that second period when he returned to the label at the end of the 60s, and really helped redefine the sound of soul jazz at the time! The format here is very ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(90s reissue pressing – sealed!)
Lou Donaldson & The 3 Sounds —
LD + 3 ... LP Blue Note, 1959. Near Mint- ...
$49.99
A classic meeting between alto giant Lou Donaldson and Blue Note's crack Three Sounds combo – the great piano trio led by the mighty Gene Harris! The formula was one that Blue Note employed on a number of sessions from the time – and it makes a lot of sense, because the Three Sounds ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Japanese King pressing, with insert – GXK 8229. Cover has very light wear in one corner, but this is a great copy.)
One of the grooviest albums of the 60s – and the first album in Donovan's legendary run with producer Mickie Most! The sound here is light years away from the heavy Dylan of Donovan's first recordings – and is steeped in eastern influences that sparkle in both the songwriting and ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Yellow label stereo pressing. Cover has some light wear & aging.)
Maybe one of our favorite Doors records of all time – if only for the long Fender Rhodes solo by Ray Manzarek on the album's final track, "Riders On The Storm"! Yet the whole album is pretty darn great, too – the last to feature Jim Morrison, who would leave the planet ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original 1971 stereo mix remastered on heavyweight vinyl – in a cool die-cut sleeve with yellow see-through image, just like the firs tpressing!)
Titles include "Tell All The People", "Touch Me", "Shaman's Blues", "Easy Ride", "Wild Child", "Do It", and "Wishful Sinful". (Rock) LP, Vinyl record album
(Red label big "E" pressing. Includes the printed inner lyric sleeve! Cover has light ring & edge wear, cutout hole.)
Classic early work from Kenny Dorham as a leader – a brilliant set that sparkles with modern touches! The group's a quartet that pairs Kenny's trumpet with the alto sax of the late Ernie Henry – a perfect accompanist that brings out both the brightness in Kenny's horn, and the edgier ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A completely unique little session – and a record that's every bit as musically striking as you might guess from its title and cover! The date's a rare Latin-tinged one for trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a record that takes his usually smooth sound and sets it up against octet backings with ... (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
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
An excellent groover from Kenny Dorham – possibly one of his best ever albums for Blue Note – a record that shows how much he was pushing past his bop roots in his later years! The tracks are extremely long, and done with a complexity in rhythms that mixes Latin elements with hardbop ... (Jazz) read moreCD
The great Dr John at his freaky deaky best – working here in a mindblowing mix of New Orleans roots and late 60s psych – all served up in some heady studio space and instrumental touches! The sound's unlike anything that ever went before – and is way better here than on some of ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Slime green vinyl Jackpot reissue – remastered from the original 1968 mono mix, and pressed at RTI!)
The best record in years – maybe decades – from the legendary Dr John – and a set that stands up strongly next to the messed-up Crescent City vibe of his 70s classics! Big thanks are due to Black Keys' guitarist Dan Auerbach – who produced and supervised the whole recording ... (Soul) read moreCD
A sprawling set from the prolific Drake – a nearly 70 minute record that was originally released digitally for free –ultimately of a caliber to come out as a legit, no less than chart-topping proper album! Includes "Legend", "Energy", "10 Bands", "Know ... (Hip Hop) read moreCD
Fantastic early work from The Dramatics – an amazing blend of sweet soul harmony vocals, Memphis soul production, and some other-worldly songwriting that far surpasses later work of the group. This album's one of the band's most righteous, with a mixture of Curtom-type message cuts and ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original orange label pressing. Cover has light wear, some application bubbles in front, and half split bottom seam. Labels have small initials in marker.)
One of the greatest albums ever by pianist Kenny Drew – a record that's as noteworthy for the contributions of the sidemen as it is for the efforts of the leader! Drew's a player who often worked mostly in trio formats – but here, he's hitting hard with a righteous Blue Note power ... (Jazz) read moreCD
An strong session of soulful hardbop – featuring reunited 60s legends Junior Cook on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums! The album was recorded in Japan, using some of that high-tech production ("super disc", the label says), but still nicely ... (Jazz) read moreCD
The soundtracks to 2 of Jean Luc-Godard's greatest films – back to back on one CD! The score to Pierrot Le Feu features 9 tracks in all – 3 of which are vocal numbers by Anna Karina, who starred in the film, and who delivers the vocals with a decadently deadpan style that fits ... (Soundtracks) read moreCD
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 moreCD
A pretty amazing 70s moment from Bob Dylan – a legendary tour that was a bit of a rock and roll circus on wheels – hence, perhaps, the unique name of the tour! Bob's in a very collaborative spirit here – working with famous guests who include Mick Ronson, Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn ... (Rock) read moreCD
(Includes slicpase, large booklet and bonus DVD, which is still sealed!)
A pivotal moment for Bob Dylan – and maybe one of THE albums of the 60s! The newly-electrified Dylan really takes off here – putting more punch and bit into his already-strong lyrical approach – and twisting things in amazing ways that still leave us breathless all these many ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo 360 Sound pressing. In the "meaningless" cover, with ring wear, a big spot of pen at the top, half split spine, light aging.)
Live material from Bob Dylan – mostly solo with just acoustic guitar and harmonica! Titles include "Mixed Up Confusion", "Long Song", "Ride Willie Ride", "Can't Go Home This Way/100 Miles", "Turn To The Rain & The Wind", "Long John ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 70s issue. Cover has light wear and aging.)
Sheila E's Prince-influenced hit, with a Part II on the flip that basically finds the band jamming on the groove for a bit longer. . . (Soul) 12-inch, Vinyl record
One of the greatest albums ever from organist Charles Earland – a double-length set that's filled with spiritual, soaring grooves! The style here is a perfect blend of the rougher soul jazz of Earland's roots with some of the spacier styles of his later recordings – served up in a ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Fantastic stuff through and through – and almost a "best of" best of collection from the 70s! The album's a key illustration of the genius of Earth Wind & Fire on Columbia Records – because by the time the set was released in 1978, most of the tracks were already well-know ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has some edge & ring wear.)
Grupo Ebano —
Grupo Ebano ... LP BBE (UK), 1997. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$30.9935.99
A very cool vocal group from the Brazilian scene of the 90s – a quintet who issued this album initially only on CD, but with a sound that's got a much more classic vibe than you'd expect from the date! The harmonies are great – and follow in a legacy that includes older groups like ... (Brazil) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Rachel Eckroth has a resume that includes work behind some famous singers in a variety of styles – but here, she's a very committed jazz instrumentalist – working with a very bold touch on the piano at times, alongside guitarist Andrew Renfroe, who's got this edgey sense of tone on his ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fantastic work from a time when Billy Eckstine had one of the hippest groups going – a bop-heavy lineup that features trumpet from Dizzy Gillespie, and saxes from Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, and Wardell Gray! (Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a partially split seam and light surface wear.)
Well, we don't know if Mr B could ever be considered "modern", but this is a pretty groovy batch of 60s pop tunes – like "Mister Kicks", "People", "Wanted", "Wives & Lovers", and "A Beautiful Friendship" – all done to ... (Vocalists) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono gold label Broadcast Only promo with deep groove. Cover has light wear, bumped corners, and a promo ink stamp in back.)
The title says it all – as Billy sings themes from 12 big movies of the late 50s and early 60s – familiar tunes done here in a nice soulful setting, with arrangements by Billy Byers, and Bobby Tucker at the head of the orchestra. Titles include "More", "The High & ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
A great collection of work by The El Dorados – a solid smoking vocal group from 50s Chicago, with a sound that was a key influence on 60s soul! The set brings together a number of the group's classic Vee Jay recordings – but it also goes way past the traditional "best of" ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(80s issue.)
El Michels Affair —
Adult Themes ... LP Big Crown, 2020. New Copy ...
$18.9921.99
A really different groove from El Michels Affair – but one that reminds us again that the group is really amazing at just about anything they ever try to do! The adult themes here are modes borrowed from older European styles – some of the slinky funk of Serge Gainsbourg and some of ... (Deep Funk) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Short tracks with a spare swinging groove – featuring the trumpet of Eldridge, with backing by Ronnie Ball on piano, Benny Moten on bass, and Edward Locke on drums. The focus is on Eldridge's lightly playful trumpet style – and tracks include "Song Of the Islands", "Bossa ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo Verve Inc pressing with deep groove. Cover has some small splits, light surface wear, spot of pen.)
Not the Prince music from the first Batman film – but all those other sounds that were used in the movie, penned and produced at a surprisingly strong level by Danny Elfman – who shows the world that he's got a lot more to offer than just his previous work in the group Oingo Boingo! ... (Soundtracks) read moreCD
A nicely understated session that was recorded in honor of Billy Strayhorn – who'd passed away a few months before the recording. The set features all classic Strayhorn compositions – played in new versions by Duke and a group that includes Clark Terry, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label stereo Dynagroove pressing with deep groove. Cover has light ringwear.)
A nicely understated session that was recorded in honor of Billy Strayhorn – who'd passed away a few months before the recording. The set features all classic Strayhorn compositions – played in new versions by Duke and a group that includes Clark Terry, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Buck Clayton's trumpet joins the Ellington band – on titles that include "Take The A Train", "In A Mellotone", "Newport Jump", "I Got It Bad", and "Skin Deep". (Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono 6 eye pressing with deep groove. Cover has light wear and aging, small split in the top seam, and a small name in pen in back.)
One of Duke's standout sides for Columbia during the late 50s wealth of new recordings – a live set recorded at Miami's Bal Masque nightclub. The arrangements are sophisticated, and Duke's piano is hitting that darkly-tinged later style – but the focus is also on danceable arrangements ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Later French CBS pressing with orange fade labels. Cover has a cut corner, Collectors' Series sticker, and Prix Special sticker.)
An amazing package – decades of work from Duke Ellington, presented here with lots of unreleased tracks as well – the most comprehensive collection of this work that's ever been done! (Jazz) CD
(Out of print and complete with box, book, and all the CDs. Box and book show minor wear and signs of handling, discs are all in great shape – a nice copy!)
One of Duke's most popular albums of the 50s – but we won't hold that against him! The session's one of a number of 50s outings that revisit older classics with the new level of quality offered in the studio – and it's got a similar feel to some of Duke's work for Bethlehem around the ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono teal label pressing. Cover has light wear and aging, small seam splits, and a center split in the bottom seam.)
One of the first albums to ever issue recordings made at the Newport Jazz Festival – quite a big hit, and the beginning of a real trend in jazz! The set's also some great work by Duke – free to perform in a setting that's not bound by some of the time restrictions of earlier years, ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(80s pressing in the blue border cover – still sealed with promo stamp.)
One of Duke Ellington's best albums of the 50s – a well-conceived session of dark moody tracks that revisits a few old favorites, hits a few standards, and offers a new gem that's right up there with the classics! The "indigos" title is taken very seriously here – as the ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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 moreCD
(Sealed 2004 pressing. Barcode has a cutout hole.)
Don't let the title put you off, because this certainly isn't a session of background music – and the name simply refers to the fact that the arrangements on the set really showcase the strong horn work of the Ellington orchestra! Duke's still on piano for the session, but the real strength ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono 6 Eye pressing with deep groove. Cover has some wear and aging, half split seams with some clear tape at the top, and a yellowed sticker spot in back at the opening.)
Excellent Duke Ellington work from the late 50s – written and recorded during a period in which he was reemerging with a stronger jazz vision than ever before! The set was written by Ellington and Strayhorn – and dedicated to the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario – but ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono 6 eye pressing with deep groove. Cover has light surface wear.)
A collection of Duke's signature tunes spanning two decades – with "Black And Tan Fantasy", "The Mooche", "Ring Dem Bells", "Mood Indigo", "Solitude", "Take The A Train", "Perdido", "C Jam Blues", "Caravan&quo ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great tribute to the late bassist Jimmy Blanton – served up by his old boss Duke Ellington, working here on piano alongside the bass of Ray Brown! This spare piano/bass session is a rarity in Duke's catalog – and it's a real later gem that captures the warmth and imagination of the ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Radio broadcasts – sponsored by the Treasury Department! Volume 3 collects two full treasury shows as well as a performance from the New Zanzibar club broadcast by NBC. Tracks include "Black & Tan Fantasy", "Clementine", "All At Once", "Blue ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A wonderful stripped-down set of piano work from Duke Ellington – presented here in an obscure set of duets recorded with Billy Strayhorn in 1950, finally issued as a full package by Riverside in the mid 60s – at a time when more folks seemed to be paying attention to Duke's stylings on ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A seminal meeting of the old and new generations of jazz in the 60s – put together in perfect Impulse fashion! At some level, this is actually an early 60s John Coltrane Quartet album – with Duke Ellington sitting in for McCoy Tyner on piano, as that's the lineup on about half of the ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Part of the excellent Acoustic Sounds series – heavy cover and vinyl!)
The fourth and final Eric B & Rakim LP from their classic mid 80s to early 90s run – with some of Rakim's finest rhymes and most devasting delivery to date, and some of Eric B's best production, too! The title track, if course, is a monster – with Rakim's precise rhymes, the furious ... (Hip Hop) read moreCD
Standout early work from the mighty Esquerita – an artist you might initially write off as a Little Richard copycat, but one who also delivers a whole lot more in the end! The groove here is rough R&B, inflected with a touch of early soul – and the piano lines are worth the price ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(80s French pressing. Cover has light wear and aging.)
One of Bill Evans' landmark sessions with the young bassist Scott LaFaro – a player who made key contributions on every record he touched, then left this earth far too soon in his career! The live session's a perfect demonstration of the way that the Evans trio format not only re-worked the ... (Jazz) read moreCD
The Bill Evans trio with Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums – a near-perfect lineup that forever raised the bar for jazz piano expression! The title here is certainly apt – because even though many of the tunes are shortish, Evans has a sense of exploration in the way he's ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(2004 hybrid SACD pressing – works on regular players too!)
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
A classic set to feature the Bill Evans Trio with the great Scott Lafaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums! Listening to the set we're reminded of what always brings us back to Evans' playing – a quality that's often described as moody, but which is really is quite spry and lively throughout ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An incredible album from Bill Evans – and maybe THE record you need in your collection if you're trying to understand his contribution to jazz! The album's one of Evan's first sides from the Village Vanguard – and features the legendary trio that included Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A short but beautiful set from the incredible Peven Everett – 5 tunes that are a bit mellower and more laidback than usual – and which feature Peven trading his house groove for an equally wonderful blend of snapping beats, stepping basslines, and warm keyboard lines! Peven's vocals ... (Neo Soul) read moreCD
(Out of print. Note that each of these is handmade by Peven – so that the items will have a self-produced, homemade look to them that differs from CD to CD – although the music is great, and that production makes these one of a kind items!)
An amazing blend of astral jazz and atmospheric orchestral soundscapes – composed and directed by coronetist Rob Mazurek! Exploding Star Orchestra is an apt name, but it's more of a bright and glorious explosion than a calamitous one – a sweeping couple of soundtracky suites that's ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A great little return to form for Tal Farlow – his first recording in a decade, and a rare Prestige side that features a groovy quartet with John Scully on piano, Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. There's a different vibe here than Tal's work for Verve – a bit more open, but ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Never-issued music from a really legendary group – titled in a way that's similar to their famous 60s record for Atlantic Records – but a batch of live material recorded in Sweden with an equally sublime sort of feel! Art Farmer works here on flugelhorn alongside guitarist Jim Hall ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A great overseas album by Art Farmer – done with a driving Latin-tinged feel and a mellifluous groove that really shows the best side of Art's playing! The set was recorded while Art was living in Vienna, and the group features Jimmy Heath on soulful tenor, soprano sax, and flute, plus some ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Art Farmer —
Manhattan ... LP Soul Note (Italy), 1982. Near Mint- ...
$14.99
Overlooked genius from Art Farmer – a less-remembered session from the early 80s, and one that features him in a hip quintet with the great Sahib Shihab! The feel here is as lyrical and laidback as some of Art's other work from the time, but the presence of Sahib on soprano and baritone ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear and is bent a bit at the spine.)
Landmark work by one of the greatest jazz outfits of the early 60s! Art Farmer and Benny Golson were both known as well-composed players during the 50s – strongly soulful, but often with a fine sense of arrangement that usually tended towards the lyrical side of things. With this group, ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(1990 Japanese pressing, 20 bit remaster. Includes obi!)
One of the best records ever cut by funky sax man Joe Farrell! The album's got a stripped down, choppy groove – virtually the blueprint for later 70s funk of this type, and played perfectly by Farrell and a very hip quartet lineup! Players include Joe on soprano and tenor sax, Herbie ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print. Remastered edition. Booklet has light waviness.)
A stunning start to the 80s from Fela Kuti – and a record that has the Egypt 80 band cooking every bit as strongly as Africa 70! The album's got this massively cooking vibe right from the start – fast-running, fast-riffing rhythms that are peppered with horns at the beginning of "O ... (Global Grooves) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(US green label Capitol pressing. Cover has a cutout notch and some surface wear.)
Fela & Roy Ayers —
Music Of Many Colors ... LP Celluloid/Knitting Factory, 1980. New Copy (reissue)...
$24.9925.99
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great double-length set that collects 2 rare sessions from late in Fela's career! Don't be put off by the date, though, because the material's great – and has that tight hard Afro Beat groove that you'll know from Underground System, another session from around the same time. "ODOO&qu ... (Global Grooves) read moreCD
A real classic from the great Fela Kuti – a seminal mid 70s record that not only shows his impeccable sense of rhythm, but also his sense of rage as well! The title track – "Expensive Sh_t" – is Fela's answer to the time that he got busted for dope, and was forced to ... (Global Grooves) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A pair of albums from saxophonist Wilton Felder – back to back on a single CD! We All Have A Star offers up solo sounds from Crusaders reedman Wilton Felder – a really great set that's very much in the best vibe of his larger group at the time – yet one that also offers up a ... (Jazz) read moreCD