All Categories — New Arrivals — CDs   New Arrivals Last Two Days 1st Time at DGA  

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose,... read more

A beautiful date from bassist Josh Abrams – a player who's lent his soulful talents to so many great Chicago sessions over the past decade or two – really coming into his own as a leader! Josh has this deeply spiritual approach to his instrument – a style that, back when he first... read more

One of the coolest, baddest, funkiest albums Cannonball Adderley ever recorded – a massive suite of tunes based on the signs of the Zodiac, produced to perfection by David Axelrod, and featuring some hip recitations from the mighty Rick Holmes! The double-length set is completely compelling... read more

A massive look at the mighty pairing of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod – a partnership that's way more than just jazz musician and producer! Axelrod's talents in the studio are many, but his greatest heights were possibly reached in collaboration with Cannonball – a relationship... read more

Singer Cyrille Aimee gets help from some great "friends" here – a tight quintet with Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Joel Frahm on tenor, and Spike Wilner on piano – really helping set up her vocals with a solid instrumental footing! Aimee's got a slight Billie Holiday quality to... read more

One of Airto's greatest records ever – a really hard hitting batch of tracks that mix sharp-edged fusion lines with some earthier Brazilian percussion touches – all in a way that nicely steps off of Airto's first few American releases, and warms the groove up with a nice dose of... read more

Lots of complicated lines and rhythms going on here – a session recorded under the leadership of trombonist Jeff Albert, but which features equal energy coming from all members of the quartet – Kidd Jordan on tenor, Josh Abrams on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums! Abrams and Drake offer... read more

Eric Alexander in a perfect setting – working here with a rock-solid group of familiar players who are perfect for his soulful tenor sound! The album's got a gentle, ballad-heavy approach – but even so, the groove is superb, and right in the pocket right from the start – with... read more

An all-instrumental set from Mose Allison – one that drops out his familiar jazz vocals, and really brings a nice focus to his energy on the keys of the piano! Given that Mose really got his start as a sideman in other combos during the 50s, the selection's no surprise – and if you've... read more

An incredible package – and one that features three of the most important records ever cut by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago! All three albums were recorded at the Saravah Studios in the summer of 1969 – during a time when the Art Ensemble of Chicago were making big waves on the Parisian... read more

A far-reaching early gem from Roy Ayers – a set that's much more jazz-based than his later work, and a record that has him touching base with the Blue Note and Strata East sides of the jazz spectrum! The lineup here is incredibly hip – a mix of players that includes a young Charles... read more

A really special record from a really special group – one of two sublime 70s gems from Azteca – a wicked blend of jazz, funk, Latin, and soul – all put together by a young Coke Escovedo! Coke's ostensibly the leader of the group, but there's also a richly collaborative feel going... read more

Insanely wonderful work by Bacharach – in a way that we can hardly begin to describe (but we'll certainly try!) By the time this one was recorded – 1971 – Burt's reputation as a songwriter and arranger were so firmly established that he had an incredible amount of freedom in the... read more

A lost album of raw twangy guitar from Mickey Baker – best known as the noisier half of the Mickey & Sylvia team – and even more let loose here on his own! The record is pretty rocking all around – with lots of loud, complex guitar soloing from Mickey – in a manner that... read more

A stone classic from this famous Chicago spiritual leader of the 70s – and an album that's got a nice balance between intimate soul numbers and larger tracks that have the whole Mount Zion Baptist Church along for support! The set's definitely got the strongly soulful vibe of Barrett's Like... read more

Crucial work from Moreno Batamba – a set that brings together his Sister Pili album with a few bonus tracks as well! The core record is a cracker from 1983 – a set that shows the farther-reaching style in East African music at the time, yet without any too-commercial styles at all... read more

2 rare slices of exotica by Les Baxter – back to back on one CD! The first half of the set features material from the album Ports Of Pleasure – a dreamy exploration of south sea ideals that's got a more lightly drifting quality than some of Baxter's more percussive exotica albums, and... read more

Wonderful early work from Madeline Bell – a great singer with a sound that's equal parts American soul and British 60s female pop! The recordings on the set are from Madeline's earliest years in the UK – long before she achieved greater fame on crossover rock recordings, at a time when... read more

A massive meeting of vibes and percussion – and easily one of the best albums we've ever heard from Karl Berger! The proceedings here are very open and improvised, yet also have a rhythmic pulse too – that quality you'd definitely expect from Blackwell, which brings in structure even... read more

A searing debut from Black Heat – one of the best funk acts to record for Atlantic during the 70s, and a tight little group with a sound that's a mixture of New Orleans funk and New York heavy! The album's got a bit of vocals – figuring in on about half the tracks – but the main... read more

A lost bit of ensemble funk from the end of the 70s – served up in a mix of bass-heavy club and boogie styles! The group have a rolling groove that's a bit like some of the work by Instant Funk or other clubby funk acts – but the overall feel is a bit tighter and more small group-orient... read more

A well-titled set from Art Blakey – considering the hard-driving sound of the group! The album's one of the best from that unusual year of 1957 – almost a "lost" year for Art, when he was working away from Blue Note with a very different lineup of the Jazz Messengers than on... read more

Tried-and-true underground hip hop mixed with more experimental beathead touches from Blu – with collaborations and production by Exile, Shafiq Husayn, Flying Lotus, Dibia$e, Daedalus and more – plus appearances by U-God, J*Davey, Co$$, Pac-Div and more. Titles include "Doin... read more

A strange but great chapter of The Blue Notes – working here without Harold Melvin or Teddy Pendergrass, but still sounding pretty great on their own! This version of The Blue Notes is a male quartet – not the Melvin group with Sharon Paige who were recording for ABC – and they... read more

Angela Bofill's sublime first album – a mixture of jazzy soul and soulful jazz, all put together with a sound that's really a cut above most of her contemporaries! As with Jean Carn or Phyllis Hyman, there's a sophistication to Angela's sound here that indicates roots in much hipper... read more

An amazing collection of work from the legendary Graham Bond – a 60s Hammond player who was incredibly important to the London scene during the best mod years of the decade! Bond was way more than just a jazz musician – and like George Fame, Zoot Money, and a few of his other... read more

Mad music from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – a brilliant mix of dada energy and psychedelic production – served up in these five classic Liberty albums from the cusp of the 70s! Frontman Neil Innes later went on to a lot of projects with Eric Idle in later years – including the... read more

The classic Scott La Rock tribute album – with BDP classics and remixes – originally issued as a 2LP set that was put together following the South Bronx-repping hip hop pioneer's shooting death. Alternate versions, remixes and BDP medley's from their most classic late 80s period. 15... read more

A set that definitely lives up to its title – a stone stormer from Brainstorm – one of the tightest funky ensembles of their generation, and one of the few who could go deep while still laying down a groove! The set's got a perfect balance of modes – enough of the appeal of... read more

DJ Muro's digging James Brown – and we're digging the massive way he mixes together the music! The set's way more than another James Brown compilation – and instead, it feels more like a love letter to The Godfather – served up in music made by James himself, and some of his key... read more

Get down with the sound of Peter Brown – one of the funkiest white cats on the Miami soul scene of the 70s! Peter originally hailed from the Chicago area, but he got the call down to Miami with his classic club groover "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me" – a compelling blend of... read more

One of the great ones! No kidding, Jaki Byard was an amazing talent in the 60s – and records like this one are rare treasures to be sought-after by any serious jazz fan. Byard had an incredible range of talents and influences – and, like his frequent bandmate Roland Kirk, he could... read more

Massive work from Calibro 35 – a group we've been digging on obscure overseas releases – stepping out here on their first American record, and easily their funkiest album to date! The sound is wonderful – still filled with the older Italian soundtrack references that got the... read more

Great Mid 70s records from Cameo – Cardiac Arrest from 1975 and We All Know Who We Re from 1977 – together in a single set! Cardiac Arrest is excellent early work from the group. It's got a really sublime approach – tightly funking, but not too fast, in the mode of some of their... read more

A lost west coast gem from the 50s – a unique quintet session for Atlantic Records, cut by a group co-led by trumpeter Conte Candoli and pianist Lou Levy! There's a bit more fire here than in some of the other sides from the time by the players – especially Levy – and in a way,... read more

The last album in a legendary run of music from keyboardist Doug Carn – his final album for the Black Jazz label, and a set that pushes even farther than his previous efforts! Jean Carn isn't in the group this time around, but the set does feature a totally great twin-vocal approach –... read more

An undisputed 70s soul jazz classic – and arguably the best album that Doug Carn ever cut for the Black Jazz label! The set is a masterpiece of spiritual jazz – with Carn on keyboards setting up the groove, and wife Jean singing some incredible vocals – very different than her... read more

Two rare albums from these Duke Ellington sidemen – both recorded in New York with production from Stanley Dance! Rock Me Gently offers up some rare work as a leader from baritone saxophonist Harry Carney – working here in a swinging smaller group of players from the larger Ellington... read more

Sweet British harmony soul from this overlooked 70s group – a really wonderful record that continues some of the best mellow group styles of the earlier part of the decade! Dave Collins – of Dave & Ansel Collins fame – is a member of the trio – but the sound here is... read more

A motherlode of music from the glory days of Chairmen Of The Board – tremendous tunes from that time when the group were one of the freshest things in soul music – partly for their unique vocal approach, and partly for the bold, upbeat sound of their backings! All the work here comes... read more

Two great albums back to back in one set – with a full CD's worth of bonus material too! First up is The Glow Of Love – the classic debut from Change, and the start of an amazing run of groovers in the early 80s! The set's got a tight, jazzy feel throughout – a stripped-down... read more

One of the most easy-going Motown albums of the early 80s – a set that steps past some of the heavier funk the label's other acts were using, and which goes for kind of a crossover mix of ballads and heartfelt numbers! The title track is something of a post-70s feminist statement, although... read more

Sublime modern jazz from Teddy – right up there with the best mid 50s work of other groundbreakers like Charles Mingus or George Russell, to whom Charles acknowledges more than a bit of inspiration! Charles plays vibes like no one else – especially at this point in his career, when he's... read more

Nothing Fragile here – as Cherrelle comes across with plenty of power on this debut LP – thanks to sharp production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on some of the best cuts, and an overall groove that's right on the best side of early 80s soul! The Jam/Lewis tracks are heavy on... read more

Sweet 80s grooves from Cherrelle – a set that really has the singer cooking strongly with the production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – complete with all the heavy beats you might expect! Jam and Lewis borrow plenty of bottom sounds from the styles of hip hop and electro, and do a... read more

Club classics and a whole lot more – a massive package of work that contains most of the biggest Chic cuts from the glory days of the group, plus some surprisingly nice bits from later years too! All production here is by the team of Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers – that groove-heavy... read more

A trio of sex film soundtracks from 70s England – but done in a way that's a lot classier than you might expect! The sounds here aren't the usual bump-n-grind you might expect from US porno – and instead, the tunes are really great soundtrack numbers, penned with a distinct... read more

A trio of funky electric albums from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years – 1984's Time Exposure, ''85's Find Out and '86's Hideaway – in a 2CD set! Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. ... read more

One of the few Cobb sides for Prestige to feature an organist, in this case the obscure player Austin Mitchell. The record's got a pretty deep gutbuckety groove, thanks to trombonist Buster Cooper, the other main soloist on the album. Cobb's rich Texas tenor is firmly in place – and titles... read more

Five killer albums from Billy Cobham – all records that really define his strength on the drums in the 70s! The music here is a groundbreaking mix of jazz, rock, and a bit of funk – a style of which Billy was one of the greatest proponents at the time – not just on albums like... read more

A triple pack of early magic from Natalie Cole! Inseparable is Natalie's stunning debut for Capitol Records in the mid 70s – a real surprise, and a set that should have had the singer blossoming even more than she did at the time! As with some of the other Capitol soul sessions of the time,... read more

A great couple of harder-to-find Ornette Coleman records – nicely paired up in a 2CD set! First up is The Music Of Ornette Coleman, from 1967 – which is beautiful record that serves as both a showcase for Ornette's "serious" writing efforts – and his ability to play... read more

Buddy Collette's definitely a man of many parts here – and many talents too, considering the reedwork on the set! Buddy plays alto, tenor, clarinet, and flute – using the horns with wonderful invention that really showcases his unique style of the time – that mix of modern and... read more

John Coltrane made plenty of great music during his late 50s time at the Prestige Records label – some of it under his own name, and a lot more while working with other leaders! This package presents the full recordings from that second half of Coltrane's Prestige performances –... read more

Rootsy gospel from The Como Mamas – a tremendous trio of female singers, working here in an all-acapella mode that's completely sublime! The set's an offshoot of the Como Now project done by Daptone a few years ago, and has the same timeless feel – quite a difference from the heavy... read more

Funky genius from Con Funk Shun – a pair of late 70s albums – together in a single set! Loveshine finds the group working under the production helm of Skip Scarborough, who seems to give them an even sharper edge than usual! The album's filled with those tightly compressed rhythms... read more

The sounds are definitely convergent here – very individual strands from all the musicians, but each finding space to come together in a really beautiful way! The album's got a great balance between improvised moments and more compositional impulses – a balance that's not unlike that... read more

Four classic albums by this hip UK group – all with rare bonus tracks too! First up is the wonderful Dad Man Cat – our favorite record by one of the best funk records to ever come out of England! On this great debut album, Corduroy are a tight funky combo, with an organ and clavinet... read more

An incredible debut as a leader for Chick Corea – quite different than his 70s work, and a set that's filled with heavy soul jazz and Latin influences! Chick's coming off of years of work in Latin bands, and in smaller soul jazz combos, and his writing here is a mix of the freer style that... read more

Larry Coryell gets a definite lift here from the album's tight combo – a trio of players who really help Coryell hit some of the funky heights of many years past! Larry's lost none of the fuzz since his late 60s sides for Vanguard – and he works here with tight bass, drums, and Hammond... read more

Sublime soprano sax duets from the team of Lol Coxhill and Michel Doneda – both playing at a level that's almost more about sound overall than just notes and music – that great ear for textures and shapes that have made us love Coxhill's work since the 70s! The tracks are mostly long,... read more

A fantastic album from Sonny Criss! The record is one of his excellent late 60s "comeback" sides for Prestige – and it features incredibly solid, confident, and hard alto solos, blown with a tremendous amount of imagination. Bob Cranshaw and Alan Dawson provide excellent rhythm... read more

A fantastically beautiful album that strongly proves the old jazz adage "It's not the song, but the singer"! The "singer" in this case is alto player Sonny Criss – and the songs are a middle of the road batch of compositions, like "Sunny", "Willow Weep For... read more

A tasty session of west coast Brazilian grooves – cut by the great percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, with a group that includes Claudio Slon, Larry Williams, and Lee Ritenour. The record's got a very nice breezy feel – with a sound that's similar to some of the Fantasy Brazilian LPs of... read more

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library... read more

A soul jazz Latin classic – one that matches the searing tenor work of Eddie Lockjaw Davis with the hard-hitting conga of a young Ray Barretto! The core group of the set is a soul jazz one – with Lockjaw blowing over rhythm by Lloyd Mayers on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley... read more

Our favorite album ever from Tyrone Davis – even if it's completely different than most of his other work too! The set's got a wonderfully smooth feel right from the start – a mellow-grooving, slow-stepping approach that works perfectly for Tyrone's wonderful vocals – pushing... read more

Quite an unusual date for vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon – one that has him singing with the group of Wilbur De Paris, in a mode that's a lot more trad than any of Jimmy's other records from the time! Turns out, that amazing voice is perfect for the setting – and Witherspoon really sounds... read more

Three mad soundtracks from the great Francois DeRoubaix – all penned during his formative years of the 60s! Even at this early point, Francois shows a great ear for bringing up more inventive sounds from his orchestrations – sometimes great jazzy flairs on flute or vibes, sometimes... read more

A sweet blend of west coast jazz and Brazilian rhythms – and one of our favorite records ever from trombonist Raul De Souza! The session's got a more soulful, jazzy feel than some of Raul's other dates from the 70s – not nearly as tight as his sets for Capitol, with an earthy... read more

The only full album ever recorded by the legendary Sam Dees – an artist who's probably best known for his songwriting skills on other records, but who really shines here as a lead star on his own! Dees' approach is wonderful – a bit rootsy, with some slight southern soul elements... read more

A pair of soundtracks from legendary composer Georges Delerue – beautiful work for Bernardo Bertolucci's Le Conformiste (Il Conformista) from 1970 – and the lesser-remembered, but again quite beautiful La Petite Fille En Velours Bleu from 1978! Le Conformiste has a few modes, ranging... read more

2 rare soundtracks by French composer Eric Demarsan – 1978's Attention Les Enfants Regardent and 1983's L'Indiscretion – back-to-back! Attention Les Enfants Regardent kicks off with an ethereal choir overture, and from there rolls out some laidback, but moody tracks that steadily build... read more

Two post-CTI gems from Deodato – back to back on a single CD! Whirlwinds is sweet keyboard soul from Deodato – a set that steps off nicely from the strengths of his big hits on CTI, hitting a similarly flowing groove that's really great! The instrumentation here is a bit more expanded... read more

Amazing sounds from Senegal – a group working here with a trio of singers and some mighty great guitar from Papa Seck – all wrapped up into a groove that mixes the earthy with the trippy! The rhythms bump around with some really hypnotic elements, and often wrap the guitar right around... read more

A killer from Lou Donaldson's early hardbop years at Blue Note – recorded right during his classic run of albums for the label, but not issued until many years later! There's a sweet bounce to most tracks here – the kind of vibe that Lou had most famously on his Blues Walk album –... read more

Plenty of sass, and plenty of soul – a great mix of modes from the mighty Lou Donaldson! The set has Lou expanding his sound a bit from the harder funk of Blue Note dates from a few years before – working with arranger George Butler, who gives the record a cool electric vibe –... read more

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... read more

Kenny may be quiet, but he's never muted – and the record is far from the sleepy session you might guess from the title! The album's a real standout in the Dorham catalog – a set that let's Kenny's trumpet sparkle beautifully in a quartet that includes piano from Tommy Flanagan, bass... read more

An early recording by the great Malian singer Na Hawa Doumbia – made in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in 1982 – which finds her backed by guitar, keyboards and raw drums that starkly frame her voice in a great way! It's that voice that really carries this recording – it's piercing,... read more

A strange film, but a great soundtrack! George Duning came up with an excellent batch of jazzy tracks for the film – and most of them swing hard and tightly, with strong jazzy solos, in a manner that's similar to some of Henry Mancini's best scores of the late 50s. A number of tracks have... read more

Somali sounds from the late 80s – a wonderful set of grooves from the Dur Dur Band – originally issued only on cassette, and lovingly restored here on some more enduring formats! The style is pretty darn funky – maybe some of the latest Afro Funk grooves we've heard from the... read more

2 early 70s sessions from Billy Eckstine – both recorded for Stax Records! First up is Senior Soul – a well-titled set not only given Billy's age, but also because of the surprisingly soulful undercurrent to the record – an extension into the genre even greater than Eckstine's... read more

Beautiful reeds throughout – a sensitive yet striking mix of flutes and clarinet – the former played by Michel Edelin, the latter by Jacques Di Donato, who also handles a bit of soprano sax as well! The instruments often fold over each other nicely as the tunes begin – fluttering... read more

A pair of surprisingly sweet albums from the Elgart brothers – back to back on a single CD! Girl Watchers is maybe the grooviest album ever from the team of Les & Larry Elgart – as you can probably guess from the title! The set's awash in groovy tunes from the late 60s – not... read more

A sweet sweet groover from Enchantment – and a record that may well be the group's greatest moment in the 80s! There's a tightness here that goes beyond the sound of Enchantment in previous years – yet the sound is also still pretty underground too – more electro soul than chart... read more

The second album of heavy east coast funk and slow rolling rhymes from the brothers from Brentwood. Nice, fat trunk rattling production and Eric and Parrish's trademark back and forth rhymes keep this set fresh,even today. Loaded with classics: "So What Cha Sayin'", "Get the... read more

Eight soulful brothers of the Luckett family – all coming together here in a wonderful gospel set from the 70s! The harmonies are tremendous, and often balanced with great leads from Rev LC Luckett – creating the kind of interplay you might get in the front of a church, yet given a lot... read more

One of Farmer's best sessions of the 70s – recorded in a mode that's a bit freer than usual, with a group that includes Hampton Hawes, Ray Brown, and either Steve Ellington or Shelly Manne on drums. Art Pepper sits in on 4 of the album's 6 tracks – and it's his tone and edgieness that... read more

A lost classic from Father's Children – the group's only album ever, but an impeccably produced set – thanks to the efforts of Wayne Henderson's At Home Productions team! The groove here is similar to that forged by Henderson over at Fantasy – soul, but inflected with plenty of... read more

A spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh... read more

A pair of hip 70s albums from the team of Ferrante & Teicher – back to back on one CD! In A Soulful Mood is a surprisingly soulful set from the team of Ferrante & Teicher – filled with lush instrumentals that mix their piano-heavy technique with some seductive 70s grooves! ... read more

Killer stuff – and probably the best record ever by this Chicago soul group! The record's got a full batch of original tracks written and produced by the group's mentor, Curtis Mayfield – including their amazing, funk steeped version of "Don't Change Your Love", with a... read more

Gutsy tenor work from Jimmy Forrest – a player who was poised to rival Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons at the start of the 60s, and who could have easily done so, given the strength of his work for Prestige! The record's one of a few that the St Louis player got to cut for the label – and... read more

A trio of amazing albums – all of which really live up to the legend of Kim Fowley! First up is the well-titled Outrageous – one of the wildest albums ever from LA scenester Fowley – done in a very weird, very messed-up style that sort of sounds like The Stooges meet The Modern... read more

One of Aretha's undisputed classics – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group... read more

Early 80s clubby funk & soul from Freeez – a pretty sweet mix of period synth and boogie soul with far richer, live instrumentation and solid, hooky songwriting! Freeez recorded Gonna Get You in Manhattan – and you can certainly hear the NYC culture of the time flowing nicely in... read more

A massive bit of funky fusion from the 70s – an album that was crucially overlooked at the time, but which has gone onto become a crate-diggers classic over the years! The group's fronted by Polish jazz legends Michal Urbaniak and Urszula Dudziak – but it also features a fair bit of... read more

Fantastic stuff – and a record that may well be the greatest ever from the mighty Serge Gainsbourg – high praise indeed, considering the greatness of Gainsbourg's other music! The album is one long suite built around a spare, electric bass-driven theme – a slow funk riff that's... read more

Sweet fusion from the great Eric Gale – two late 70s albums back to back on a single CD! Part Of You is part of Gale's great run for Columbia Records in the late 70s, and a set that's got a nicely grooving bottom – thanks to production from Ralph MacDonald, and arrangements from... read more