Pure brilliance from start to finish – especially the second side of the record, which has a continuous run of tunes that's very unique – and still completely sublime all these many years later! The album shows the fracturing ideas of the group, but crafted together with a unity you won't find on The White Album or Let It Be – still a way of making it all gel together beautifully, as the fab four stretch their wings to find new ways of being. Added instrumentation is used wonderfully – never overdone, but with orchestral passages that can really hammer home the best musical moments – and titles include "I Want You", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "The End", "Her Majesty", "Polythene Pam", and "Sun King". CD

Rollicking country-tinged blues from Jimmy Reed and an incredible group of backing musicians – actually not captured in the opulent grandeur of Carnegie Hall – and probably all the better for it! Prior to the original double LP release of Jimmy Reed At Carnegie Hall, Reed headlined a Blues At Carnegie Hall event, and though the performance was not recorded for a live album release he went on the cut a similar set list with varying players that included Lonnie Brooks, Phil Upchurch and Eddie Tayor on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, Earl Phillips and Albert King on tracks. It's really wonderful stuff, obvious epiphany material for loads of rockers and young players on both the US and British blues scenes to come! 23 tracks in all: "Bright Lights Big City", "I'm Mr Luck", "Found Joy", "Kind Of Lonesome", "Tell Me You Love Me", "Hold Me Close", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Blue Blue Water", "Hush Hush", "Found Love", "Honest I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Boogie In The Dark", "Take Out Some Insurance", "The Sun Is Shining" and lots more! CD

Pure brilliance from start to finish – especially the second side of the record, which has a continuous run of tunes that's very unique – and still completely sublime all these many years later! The album shows the fracturing ideas of the group, but crafted together with a unity you won't find on The White Album or Let It Be – still a way of making it all gel together beautifully, as the fab four stretch their wings to find new ways of being. Added instrumentation is used wonderfully – never overdone, but with orchestral passages that can really hammer home the best musical moments – and titles include "I Want You", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "The End", "Her Majesty", "Polythene Pam", and "Sun King". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure brilliance from start to finish – especially the second side of the record, which has a continuous run of tunes that's very unique – and still completely sublime all these many years later! The album shows the fracturing ideas of the group, but crafted together with a unity you won't find on The White Album or Let It Be – still a way of making it all gel together beautifully, as the fab four stretch their wings to find new ways of being. Added instrumentation is used wonderfully – never overdone, but with orchestral passages that can really hammer home the best musical moments – and titles include "I Want You", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "The End", "Her Majesty", "Polythene Pam", and "Sun King". This very cool 2CD version features a new mix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell – and a huge amount of bonus alternate tracks – including "Come Together (take 5)", "Something (studio demo)", "Oh Darling (take 4)", "Maxwell's Silver Hammer (take 12)", "Golden Slumbers/Carry The Weight (takes 1, 2, & 3)", "Sun King (take 20", "I Want You (Trident recording session & reduction mix)", "Octopus' Garden (take 9", "Because (take 1 inst)", and "Mean Mr Mustard (take 20)". CD

Rollicking country-tinged blues from Jimmy Reed and an incredible group of backing musicians – actually not captured in the opulent grandeur of Carnegie Hall – and probably all the better for it! Prior to the original double LP release of Jimmy Reed At Carnegie Hall, Reed headlined a Blues At Carnegie Hall event, and though the performance was not recorded for a live album release he went on the cut a similar set list with varying players that included Lonnie Brooks, Phil Upchurch and Eddie Tayor on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, Earl Phillips and Albert King on tracks. It's really wonderful stuff, obvious epiphany material for loads of rockers and young players on both the US and British blues scenes to come! 23 tracks in all: "Bright Lights Big City", "I'm Mr Luck", "Found Joy", "Kind Of Lonesome", "Tell Me You Love Me", "Hold Me Close", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Blue Blue Water", "Hush Hush", "Found Love", "Honest I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Boogie In The Dark", "Take Out Some Insurance", "The Sun Is Shining" and lots more! CD

Pure brilliance from start to finish – especially the second side of the record, which has a continuous run of tunes that's very unique – and still completely sublime all these many years later! The album shows the fracturing ideas of the group, but crafted together with a unity you won't find on The White Album or Let It Be – still a way of making it all gel together beautifully, as the fab four stretch their wings to find new ways of being. Added instrumentation is used wonderfully – never overdone, but with orchestral passages that can really hammer home the best musical moments – and titles include "I Want You", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "The End", "Her Majesty", "Polythene Pam", and "Sun King". Cassette

Pure brilliance from start to finish – especially the second side of the record, which has a continuous run of tunes that's very unique – and still completely sublime all these many years later! The album shows the fracturing ideas of the group, but crafted together with a unity you won't find on The White Album or Let It Be – still a way of making it all gel together beautifully, as the fab four stretch their wings to find new ways of being. Added instrumentation is used wonderfully – never overdone, but with orchestral passages that can really hammer home the best musical moments – and titles include "I Want You", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "The End", "Her Majesty", "Polythene Pam", and "Sun King". CD

Mac Curtis rocks, that's no lie – and this well-done collection shows that the southern legend kept on going strongly long after his famous late 50s singles for King Records! The set's got plenty of that classic King material – really hardcore work that rivals some of the best rockabilly that others were cutting for Sun Records at the time – and it follows up with some surprisingly great later material too, done for the smaller Rollin Rock label, but with an equally sharp edge – surprisingly timeless sounds, given the time – and handled in a lean style that really matches the older cuts. As always with Bear Family, the presentation is great – excellent sound, detailed notes, and 32 tracks that include "Rockin Mother", "Party Line", "Say So", "Just So You Call Me", "Grandaddy's Rockin", "Sidething", "Little Miss Linda", "Hard Hearted Girl", "Half Hearted Love", "That Ain't Nothin But Right", "No", "For Your Love", "Missy Ann", "Been Gone A Long Time", and "Show Me The Money". CD

Plenty of crazy rhythms here – as singers Chiemi Eri and Carl Jones are joined by Japanese jazzmen who include Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, saxophonists Sadao Watanabe and Sleepy Matsumoto, guitarist Shungo Sawada, and the Hideo Shiraki Quintet! The backings on all tracks are superb – and elevate the already-great team of Eri and Jones to a wonderful new level – one that easily matches some of the hippest vocal jazz sessions cut in the US during the same period, especially some of the more inventive albums on the soul jazz side of the spectrum. Titles include "The Big Twister", "My Funny Valentine", "Just Squeeze Me", "Love Is Here To Stay", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Midnight Sun Will Never Set". CD

Over 80 minutes of magic from the great Al Green – a special entry into the Japanese-only series of Free Soul collections! The series often mixes together great tracks from different artists, but this volume features only music from the godlike Al himself – a warm, mellow blend of Memphis soul nuggets – and one that mixes together classic Hi Records hits with some lesser-known gems from Green! Willie Mitchell's great production really ties the whole thing together – as does the wonderful work of Free Soul maestro Toru Hashimoto, who still has one of the greatest ears for grooves we've ever heard. Titles include "Full Of Fire", "Let's Stay Together", "You Ought To Be With Me", "Love", "Take Me To The River", "Sha La La", "Love & Happiness", "Love Ritual", "So Good to Be Here", "Loving You", "Your Love Is Like The Morning Sun", "King Of All", "Look What You Done For Me", and "I Think It's For The Feeling". CD

There's a beautifully resonant tone to the album – as the guitar work of John Hart mixes in this really fresh way with the Hammond of Brian Charette and tenor of Rich Perry – as all three players take the whole thing in directions that are very far from traditional organ and tenor records from back in the day! Hart's a guitarist with a masterful sense of color, and he uses that sense in all these great ways – often matching the tones and timings of Perry, as the pair shimmer next to Charette's work on the keys and pedals, as the proceedings are punctuated by nicely subtle work on drums from Steve Johns – a player who clearly doesn't want to get too much in the way of the balance of color and tone. Titles include the originals "Act Riot", "Resonance", "Sun King", "Peregrine", and "Things" – plus versions of "Pinocchio" and "I'll Get By". CD

There's a beautifully resonant tone to the album – as the guitar work of John Hart mixes in this really fresh way with the Hammond of Brian Charette and tenor of Rich Perry – as all three players take the whole thing in directions that are very far from traditional organ and tenor records from back in the day! Hart's a guitarist with a masterful sense of color, and he uses that sense in all these great ways – often matching the tones and timings of Perry, as the pair shimmer next to Charette's work on the keys and pedals, as the proceedings are punctuated by nicely subtle work on drums from Steve Johns – a player who clearly doesn't want to get too much in the way of the balance of color and tone. Titles include the originals "Act Riot", "Resonance", "Sun King", "Peregrine", and "Things" – plus versions of "Pinocchio" and "I'll Get By". CD

A great issue with Roctober's double-flip format – one side printed right side up for the music content, the other upside-down for the comics! The double-cover issue has features on PJ Proby, ONO, Skafish, Klaus Nomi, Lenny Bruce, The Mummies, Sly Stone, Sun Records saxophonist Martin Willis, and Pedro Funkadelic Bell – plus Heavy Metal cartoonist Serge Clerc, and comix by Plastic Crimewave, Archer Prewitt, Matt Madden, King Merinuk, Rob Syers and MORE! Magazine

A set issued relatively early in the history of rap music – yet one that's still maybe one of the greatest-ever Christmas collection of hip hop tracks for the season! The album's from the glory days of Profile Records – from a time when the label was repping the New York scene strongly in the mainstream – thanks to the success of Run DMC, which let the label bring together some other top shelf-talent from the time! The set list here features some less-remembered acts, but all in top-shelf Holiday work – and titles include the classic "Christmas In Hollis" by Run DMC, which uses that perfect Clarence Carter "Back Door Santa" sample behind slice-of-life yet knowingly funny Run-DMC rhymes in their prime – plus other cuts that include Let The Jingle Bells Rock" by Sweet Tee, "Christmas In The City" by King Sun-D Moet, "Chillin With Santa" by Derek B, "He's Santa Claus" by Disco 4, That's What I Want For Christmas" by The Showboys, "Ghetto Santa" by Spyder-D, and "Dana Dan Is Coming To Town" by Dana Dane. The only clunker here might by "A Surf MC New Year" by Surf MCs – but that cut's the last, so you can easily pick up the needle before it starts! LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning, funny, and truly great collection of ultra-rare female tracks from the mid 50s – lots of honky tonk and rockabilly stompers – cut for labels like Fraternity, King, Sandy, and even Sun Records, all pulled together in one wonderfully-themed collection! You'll probably never see this primordial, sludgy early rock and underground country next to those great early Wanda Jackson albums in the bins – but these tracks are all cut from the same cloth, and emote the same pith and vinegar, if not the same innate ability to let loose with sheer early rock power! Great stuff – dug from even deeper reservoirs than the Nuggets compilers dare to look – and the set list will show you that there's plenty to discover in the early years of female rock and roll. Tracks include "Skull & Crossbones", "Killer" and "Tiger" by Sparkle Moore, "Everlasting Love" by Barbara Pittman, "Ten Cats Down" by the Miller Sisters, "Dirty Dishes" by Jeani Mack, "I'm Leaving" by Linda Brannon, "Wille Joe" by the Mystery Trio, "Sugar Baby" by Helen Bozeman, "Three Young Chicks" by the Star Sisters. CD

A surprising side of the legendary Stax Records – especially if you only know the Memphis powerhouse as an outlet for funk and soul! There was always a bit of crossover between country and soul – even in the early days, a label like King Records could easily handle both – or a company like Atlantic could find a way to make its soul singers handle country tunes with ease. Yet the approach here is pure country – tracks recorded during the final few years of Stax – at a time when the company was both growing strongly, thanks to the fame of Isaac Hayes and others – and also trying out new ideas to round out the strength of their operation. Given their proximity to Nashville, and the fact that Memphis studios like Sun or Ardent had handled country-styled sounds – the move seemed to be a good one, and definitely comes across here in the quality of the tracks! The music has a nice left-of-Nashville vibe – almost like some of the growing wave from Austin soon to come, but also a bit like the cooler indie 45 country market of the 70s – which is finally getting its due these days. Either way, the sounds here are way past the hits, and way past the more standard modes of the time – and show that Stax Records could bring as much of a magic touch to country as they could to other sounds they recorded. Titles include "Hippie From The Hills" by Roland Eaton, "The River's Too Wide" by Karen Casey, "That Glass" by Eddie Bond, "Sweet Country Music" by Becki Bluefield, "My Girl" by Danny Bryan, "Satisfied Woman" by Paige O'Brian, "All The Love You'll Ever Need" by Cliff Cochran, "A Mom & A Dad For Christmas" by Lee Denson, and "Truck Driver's Heaven" by Roger Hallmark. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic 70s session from Charlie Palmieri – featuring some of his best keyboard solos of the decade, and some very cool work on organ that almost makes us think Sun Ra is in the group! The style is quite unusual, even for Charlie – with a weird sound from his organ that really gives the record an edge – played alongside straighter piano lines, heavy percussion, and lots of warm horn work overall. Charlie's organ really stands out best on the descarga cut "No Esta En Na" and the groovy midtempo "Estoy Friza'o" – but the whole thing's great, and other cuts include "Comelon Hustle", "King Charles", "Dame Tu Corazon", and "Sobando El Piano Merengue". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime set of piano and bass duets – one that comes across with a depth of feeling and richness of expression that takes it way past the usual! The presence of Isao Suzuki is an instant indication that things are going to be pretty darn fresh – as the bassist always has a way of moving past the obvious, trying for interesting little rhythms and offbeat phrasing – and often shifting from conventional bass to piccolo bass as well. Pianist Kunihiko Sugano comes across wonderfully too – sometimes lyrical, sometimes very punctuated in his phrasing – shifting his phrasing effortlessly in the course of the set, and working with Suzuki to create a really fresh set of moods. Brilliantly inventive throughout – way better than most American dates like this from the time – and proof that there was really something great bubbling in Japan during this stretch. Titles include "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Autumn In New York", "The Very Thought Of You", "Goodbye", and "Mean To Me". CD

Double LP collection from 1986-87, 12 tracks in all: Dana Dane "Cinderfella Dana Dane", Derek B "Get Down", Salt N Pepa "Tramp", Eric B & Rakim "I Ain't No Joke", Surf MC's "Boomin' It", King Sun - D Moet "Hey Love", Run-DMC "You Be Illin' (rmx)", The Classical Two "New Generation", Sweet Tee "It's Like That Yall", Epee MD "It's My Thing", Spyder D "How Ya Like Me Now" and Roxanne Shante "Have A Nice Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of rare 45s from the powerhouse TK Records label and all it's many smaller imprints – Dade, Glades, Alston, and many others – brought here together with a focus on a really special side of the label! TK was one of the first to really promote the 12" single in the disco generation – but before, during, and after the label maintained a strong commitment to the funky 45 too – and really used the format to showcase some of its stronger soul singers, in a way that made sure that the 7" singles packed plenty of punch! This set features 24 of those rare nuggets from TK, with plenty of obscure numbers in the lineup – and titles include "All Because Of Your Love" by Otis Clay, "Rules Are Made To Be Broken" by The Diamonettes, "Never Had A Love So Good" by Charles Johnson, "I Can't Speak" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Don't Waste My Time" by Jerry Washington, "Hold On To It" by Barry Smith, "Please Don't Stop" by Wildflower, "Stop Hurting Me Baby" by Purple Mundi, "One Night Affair" by The Rising Sun, "That Is Why" by Sherlyn Wittiker & Touch, "Even Though" by King Tutt, "Do What You Wanna Do (part 1)" by Frank Howard & The Continentals, and "How Can I Do What's Right" by Vanessa Kendrick. CD

A very cool 12" replica of an early EP from The Kinks – one that features a whole host of tracks from that moment when Ray Davies was really taking off with his songwriting, and giving the group some of the most evocative work of their career! The leadoff cut is "Waterloo Sunset" – Ray's great anthem to London – and all the other tracks are great too, and include "Act Nice & Gentle", "Mr Pleasant", "Holiday In Waikiki", "Little Miss Queen Of Darkness", and the great "This Is Where I Belong". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue look at the short but rich career of Sandy Posey on MGM Records – presented here in a set of four full albums, plus bonus non-LP singles too! Posey has a very unique approach, music that's a little bit country and a little bit pop – and which carries a distinct sound that really sets Sandy apart from so many other of her 60s contemporaries! Posey's approach is always a bit hard to peg, and that's what makes it great – a southern singer, working in Tennessee – but with soulful production from Chips Moman that pushes things both past the poppier side of Nashville, and some of the lighter girl singer modes of the east coast too – really on the cusp of something wonderful, and cresting nicely in all sorts of really wonderful ways – as distinct for Sandy maybe as Roy Orbison's special blend was for him. Chips Moman produced almost all the work here, although he gets a bit of help from Joe South near the end – and the 2CD set features 55 tracks in all, including "Born A Woman", "What A Woman In Love Won't Do", "All Hung Up In Your Green Eyes", "Deep In Kentucky", "Handy", "The Big Hurt", "Sunglasses", "Miss Lonely", "Single Girl", "Shattered", "Ways Of The World", "Take Me With You Baby", "I Take It Back", and "Bread & Butter". CD

A fantastic take on the music of Sun Ra – a set that looks at the way his sounds dovetailed with the exotica movement in American music of the postwar years! Given that he claimed to be from outer space, Ra was already pretty darn exotic himself – but his music also arose at a time when artists like Martin Denny and Les Baxter were taking global sounds and fusing them into more mainstream American music, including jazz – with results that have become legendary over the years! And while Denny, Baxter, and other contemporaries were more involved with mood music, Ra was part of a generation of jazz musicians – such as Yusef Lateef or Wilbur Harden – who were working a richer vein of the territory for jazz – as you'll hear in these wonderful tracks. The set brings together key sides from the earliest Ra recordings, plus some unissued material too – done in the really great style of the other Modern Harmonic reissues in recent years. Unissued titles include "April In Paris", "Paradise", "Star Bright", "Spontaneous Simplicity", "Somewhere In Space", and "Cha Cha In Outer Space" – and other titles include "Overtones Of China", "Tiny Pyramids", "The Nile (part 1)", "Kingdom Of Thunder", "Ancient Aiethopia", "India", "Friendly Galaxy", and "Africa" – plus the complete version of "Island In The Sun". CD

An incredible package – one that brings together four rare publications by Sun Ra – printed words that are every bit as groundbreaking as his music – and which together represent the farther-flung corners of his vast cultural enterprise! The set represents each of the texts in the manner in which it was originally presented – save for the yellowing paper of the originals – so that two are small pamphlets, one is a slightly larger booklet, and the last is a huge stapled publication – each with a size, feel, and presentation that's like their originals! First up are the pamphlets that came with two early Ra records – Jazz By Sun Ra and Jazz In Silhouette – the first a booklet of liner notes with some poems, the second much more poetic, and originally done as a mimeograph that quickly deteriorated. Next is the famous Immeasurable Equation – a book of poetry from the mid 60s, which also features some writings by Ra on both his career and politics. Last is the huge Immeasurable Equation Vol 2 – a much larger book of poetry from 1972, presented on full sheets of paper stapled together with a textured cover of artwork. All four are impossibly hard to find – and in the format here, it's as if you had the originals in your hands, but in mint condition! Book

Key Sun Ra albums for ESP records – the Heliocentrics World trifecta – in a 3CD set! The work here is a bit more intense than usual – almost cerebral at times, with very contemplative passages on percussion and reeds, offset by strong piano lines from Ra – all in a mode that marks a sharp break from earlier Saturn albums. Volume One finds the group working in an interstellar formation that holds up strongly with the Saturn sides – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Teddy Nance on trombone, Chris Capers on trumpet, Danny Davis on flute and alto, and Ra on piano, bass marimba, and some especially nice electronic celeste! Things get quite out at points – freer almost than other Arkestra sides of the time – and titles include "Outer Nothingness", "Other Worlds", "Nebulae", "Dancing In the Sun", "The Cosmos", and "Of Heavenly Things". Volume Two has a freer feel than the first volume, and a bit more avant-oriented work overall. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion – and Ra himself is on tuned bongos, piano, and clavioline, which has a very nice spooky sound! The reed work on the album is by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen – with bass by Ronnie Boykin and percussion by Roger Blank. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". Volume Three features tracks recorded during the sessions for Volume Two, but it was lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds". CD

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight". This fantastic expanded reissue includes bonus material – some tracks that appeared on the album Sun Sound Pleasure, and other recordings too – titles that include "Hour Of Parting", "Round Midnight", "Hours After", "Velvet", "Enlightenment", "Hours After (single version)", "Great Balls Of Fire (single version)", "Back In Your Own Backyard", and the unreleased tunes "Blues For Saturn", "State Street (alternate)", and "Horoscope (incomplete)". CD

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight". This fantastic expanded reissue includes bonus material – some tracks that appeared on the album Sun Sound Pleasure, and other recordings too – titles that include "Hour Of Parting", "Round Midnight", "Hours After", "Velvet", "Enlightenment", "Hours After (single version)", "Great Balls Of Fire (single version)", "Back In Your Own Backyard", and the unreleased tunes "Blues For Saturn", "State Street (alternate)", and "Horoscope (incomplete)". LP, Vinyl record album

Sun Ra's made the move here from Egyptian pyramids to Mayan temples – but the sound is every bit as cosmic and compelling as ever! The album's one of Ra's last – a studio set recorded in Italy in 1990, and one that draws strongly from the tightening of tradition the Arkestra experienced in the 80s – working at a time of some of their greatest acceptance by jazz audiences worldwide, and able to express themselves fully in a range of different modes! The sense of tone and timing here is beautiful – almost Ellington-like at points, but still with a decidedly Sun Ra-like quality – and players on the date include Michael Ray and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor, Noel Scott and Marshall Allen on alto sax, and Tyrone Hill on trombone – and June Tyson also sings just a bit on the set. Ra plays both piano and synth, and titles include "Alone Together", "Discipline 1", "Sunset On The River Nile", "El Is The Sound Of Joy", "I'll Never Be The Same", "Theme On The Stargazers", and "Opus In Springtime". A double-length set too – nearly 80 minutes of music! CD

One of the most mysterious, elusive Sun Ra albums in the legendary Saturn Records catalog – a set that was only ever pressed in small quantities back in the 80s, and often with different tracks for different pressings too! The material here is from a range of different performances, and really showcase the continued sense of majesty the Arkestra carried forth from the 70s, even when they were working farther from the limelight – often with the lovely June Tyson in the lead on vocals, and a bit of vocalizations from Ra as well – and different lineups depending on the tracks – but with mindblowing material from John Gilmore on tenor and Marshall Allen on alto throughout the recordings. Ra plays a bit of electronics, but most of the sounds here are acoustic – although still as other-worldly as ever – and this package finally brings together all the tracks that have appeared on variations – with one unissued number too. Titles include "When Spaceships Appear/Ra To The Rescue Ch 1", "Back Alley Blues", "Drummerlistics", "Children Of The Sun", "Mystery Mr Ra", "Space Shuttle/Ra To The Rescue Ch 2", and "Cosmo Party Blues". CD

One of the most mysterious, elusive Sun Ra albums in the legendary Saturn Records catalog – a set that was only ever pressed in small quantities back in the 80s, and often with different tracks for different pressings too! The material here is from a range of different performances, and really showcase the continued sense of majesty the Arkestra carried forth from the 70s, even when they were working farther from the limelight – often with the lovely June Tyson in the lead on vocals, and a bit of vocalizations from Ra as well – and different lineups depending on the tracks – but with mindblowing material from John Gilmore on tenor and Marshall Allen on alto throughout the recordings. Ra plays a bit of electronics, but most of the sounds here are acoustic – although still as other-worldly as ever – and this package finally brings together all the tracks that have appeared on variations – with one unissued number too. Titles include "When Spaceships Appear/Ra To The Rescue Ch 1", "Back Alley Blues", "Drummerlistics", "Children Of The Sun", "Mystery Mr Ra", "Space Shuttle/Ra To The Rescue Ch 2", and "Cosmo Party Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful contemporary bit of sweet soul – a tune that dips and swells in a mighty nice way, with a slow funk groove at the bottom, and these heartbreaking vocals from Marietta Smithover the top! "Suns Of Marvin" is faster and funkier, and instrumental – with a great drum/bass/riffing guitar line that feels like some rare funky 45 from back in the day – right down to the gritty production that really sends things over the top! Nice vibes solo in the middle, too! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Incredible early work from Curt Boettcher and Sandy Salisbury – best known for their collaboration in the fantastic groups Ballroom and Millennium – but heard here in a set of intimate demos the pair recorded around the same time! There's plenty of Sunshine Pop genius on these cuts, even if the production isn't at a full studio level – as the tunes are wonderful even at the core, and the vocals by either of the pair really make the magic of the tunes shine through – with a warmth and intimacy that's even more striking than some of their better-known material. We'd rank this right up there with similar material from Roger Nichols and Paul Williams – and titles include "Spell On Me", "Opus To A Friend", "Really & Truly", "Sweet Tangerine", "Next Day Sad", "Love Is Good", "Soft Words", "The Sun Is Shining Now", and "Oops". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from Curt Boettcher and Sandy Salisbury – best known for their collaboration in the fantastic groups Ballroom and Millennium – but heard here in a set of intimate demos the pair recorded around the same time! There's plenty of Sunshine Pop genius on these cuts, even if the production isn't at a full studio level – as the tunes are wonderful even at the core, and the vocals by either of the pair really make the magic of the tunes shine through – with a warmth and intimacy that's even more striking than some of their better-known material. We'd rank this right up there with similar material from Roger Nichols and Paul Williams – and titles include "Spell On Me", "Opus To A Friend", "Really & Truly", "Sweet Tangerine", "Next Day Sad", "Love Is Good", "Soft Words", "The Sun Is Shining Now", and "Oops". CD features three bonus tracks! CD

A seminal bit of crossover disco from the mid 70s – and a record that broke big on its title reworking of The Animals' earlier hit! Leroy Gomez heads the group on vocals and alto sax – and brings a slight Latin flourish to the album – mixing strings with some brassier "Spanish" horns and acoustic guitars – used here in a way that predates the Gypsy Kings' move onto the dancefloor many years later. Side one is taken up completely by an extended reading of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" – which runs into the "Esmeralda Suite", really just an extension of the first number. Side two continues the "oldies" mode of the first with a cover of "Gloria" – then rolls into the original tunes "You're My Everything" and "Black Pot". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal bit of crossover disco from the mid 70s – and a record that broke big on its title reworking of The Animals' earlier hit! Leroy Gomez heads the group on vocals and alto sax – and brings a slight Latin flourish to the album – mixing strings with some brassier "Spanish" horns and acoustic guitars – used here in a way that predates the Gypsy Kings' move onto the dancefloor many years later. Side one is taken up completely by an extended reading of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" – which runs into the "Esmeralda Suite", really just an extension of the first number. Side two continues the "oldies" mode of the first with a cover of "Gloria" – then rolls into the original tunes "You're My Everything" and "Black Pot". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge book of jazz reviews from the UK – all penned by journalist Chris Searle from the Morning Star – and presented here with a bonus 2CD set of rare material from the UK scene! The CD is really incredible – and is almost worth the price of the package alone – as it features never-issued work that echoes some of the ideas in the book – served up by some of the luminaries we've come to love from the Jazz In Britain label! There's a huge amount of material from various groups led by pianist Chris McGregor – titles that include "New Year Carnival", "Sun Song", "Night Poem", and "Sabendye Baye" – plus more cuts that include "Saalfelden Encore" by Trevor Watts, "Live At The Albert" by Mujician, "Number Three" and "Sixes & Sevens" by John Stevens, "Six Piece Group Improvisation" by Splinters, and "How About You" by Bruce Turner. The book covers more contemporary musicians in UK performances – almost 400 pages of reviews from the Morning Star, on artists who include Susan Alcorn, Denys Baptiste, Fred Frith, Anthony Braxton, Mary Halvorsen, Oliver Lake, Frank Lowe, Myra Melford, Archie Shepp, Henry Grimes, and dozens of others. Book

A fantastic extended performance from the great Cecil Taylor – and a set that's really striking for a number of different reasons! First, the performance begins with some added voice work from Tristan Honsinger, Dominic Duval, and others – doing unusual vocalizations that are a bit like those that Taylor would sometimes use to augment his piano improvisations. Another striking feature is the presence of Sunny Murray on drums – one of Taylor's best musical partner, and a player who here is working at a level that's wonderfully open and spacious – very different than you might expect, and in a way that also seems to bring even more thoughtful, sensitive qualities to Cecil's piano! The set was recorded live in Berlin in 1996, and features two shorter segments, both with voice – and one very bold piece in the middle that runs for almost 50 minutes in length. CD

Inventive percussion and amazing bass work – plus a host of other interesting elements as well – all wrapped up beautifully in this unique collaboration between Isao Suzuki and Masahiko Togashi! Both players were some of the most creative of the mainstream Japanese scene of the 70s – Togashi a drummer who'd often go out, but still maintain a sense of soul – and Suzuki a bassist who often used variations of his instrument that were a bit unusual, and which did way more than simple rhythm work! Here, Isao's working with cello, piccolo bass, and regular bass – in addition to piano and percussion – and Togashi plays lots more percussion, and a bit of keyboards too – as both players mix up instrumentation in these sensitive shadings of sound and color that are almost a Japanese equivalent of the best ECM experiments of the 70s. Tunes are all as poetic as they sound from the titles – and titles include "A Day Of The Sun", "Birth Of Yellow Eggs", "Silvery Flash", and "Awakening Of The Fresh Green". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever albums from Mel Torme – a set that sparkles with the same smooth swing as his best late 50s dates for Bethlehem records! Like those sets, this one features Torme's voice really taking off over some tight jazzy charts – arranged by Johnny Williams, Shorty Rogers, and Dick Hazard – all in styles close to those used previously by Marty Paich. But almost even better is the New York theme of the record – surprising, given the anti-NYC vibe of Torme's classic "California Suite" – but perfect, too, as it really ties the whole thing together wonderfully – creating this beautiful picture of the Big Apple in the postwar years. Titles include the greatest version of "Sunday In New York" you'll ever hear – plus "Let Me Off Uptown", "Autumn In New York", "New York New York", "Manhattan", and "My Time Of Day". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the only records we've ever heard from Japanese vocalist Minami Yasuda – a very soulful singer from the 70s, and one who really opens up with some scattingly creative energy on this date! Backings are from the trio of pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, which leaves plenty of space for Minami to do her thing – stretching out the words of the tunes with really great inflections, and adding plenty here even to oft-recorded selections. Titles include a great take on "Sunny", plus "It's Been A Long Long Time", "Akatonbo/Fly Me To The Moon", "Love", "Day By Day", and "You Are My Sunshine". CD

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 1 features five different records, all with lots of space for the tunes to stretch out – and titles include "I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo rmx)" by Leon Collins, "What About Love (Tony Gioe rmx)" by Marboo, "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Double Exposure, "Inside America (Rick Gianatos disco queen acetate edit)" by Juggy Murray Jones, "Dancing Free (John Luongo rmx)" by Hot Ice, "Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by The Sunshine Band, "Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "It's Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)" by Double Exposure, "Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing rmx)" by Fay Hauser, "Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese rmx)" by Love Symphony Orchestra, "The Beat Goes On & On (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Ripple, "I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Ruby Andrews, "I've Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, "The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos rmx)" by Lake Shore Drive, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, and "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Skip Mahoney. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 2 features five full records – all with lots of space for the tracks to stretch out – and titles include "My Number's Up (Tee Scott rmx)" by The Salsoul Orchestra, "The Love Bug Done Bit Me Again (David Todd rmx)" by Skyliners, "LA Sunshine (Robert Ouimet rmx)" by Aura, "Love Has Come My Way (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Tony Valor Sound Orchestra, "Handsome Ma (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Sparkle Tuhran & Friends, "Love Thang (Tee Scott rmx)" by First Choice, "Burn Me Up (Jellybean Benitez edit)" by Kay Gees, "Love Is The Message (Tee Scott rmx)" by Brooklyn Express, "Changes (Jellybean Benitez rmx)" by Chain Reaction, "J'Ouvert (Frank Sestito rmx)" by John Gibbs & The Jam Band, "By The Way You Dance (Bobby DJ Guttadaro rmx)" by Bunny Sigler, "It's Good For The Soul (Walter Gibbons disco madness version)" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "It's A Better Than Good Time (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little collection, and one that definitely fits the sunny Cali look on the cover – as the set mixes together vintage jazz and AOR from the 70s, but also includes some cuts from the present as well – all with a timeless vibe that almost creates a new sort of genre unto itself! Acoustic and electric elements share the sound equally, as do vocal and instrumental modes – and there's a style to the set that's maybe as if you've come into the SoCal scene during the height of the big label recordings of the 70s – but maybe stumbled on some smaller studios down the road apiece where more personal, interesting music is taking place. Titles include "Let Love Flow" by Monica Rypma, "You Never Sang This Song" by Guy Maxwell, "Sunday Morning" by Pixie Lauer, "Ride That Train" by Guy Schwartz, "Make Believe" by Jim Lamarche, "Land Of Wonder" by Maria Fant, "Misterios" by Diana Pequeno, "Marie" by Airbone, "Summer Days/Golden Haze" by White Feature, and "Phone Home" by Michael Welch. CD

With players like these, the life of a trio must be a great one – and the album's one part of a two-day recording session done by pianist Paul Bley, bassist Steve Swallow, and saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre! The "trio" tag is somewhat misleading at times – because the album's often a gathering of all three players in the studio, rather than a continuous collaborative effort. Some tracks have a single player, working alone – while others sneak in a duet, and others then follow a trio format – and the album's a great illustration of the sharp talents that all players still had at this point in their career! Giuffre's especially great – and works here on both clarinet and soprano sax – and given that Swallow had been a key part of Jim's trio in years back, many moments often sound like a revival of the more "out" Giuffre trio sides, with the addition of Bley's great tones on piano. This second volume features the "Sunday" session – with titles that include "Things", "Fallen Statue", "Play Ball", "Scrambled Legs", "Where Were We", "Mephisto", and "Tango Del Mar". CD

Four incredible albums from the young Georgie Fame – plus a bonus CD of rare material, bonus tracks on all CDs, and 18 previously unreleased tracks – all in a box set with a 48 page book, 5 postcards, and a poster too! First up is Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo – blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". Fame At Last is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "Green Onions", "Let The Sunshine In", "Get On The Right Track Baby", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "I Love The Life I Live". Sweet Things is a definite sweet thing from Georgie Fame – a record that has him filling in his sound even more than before, with tremendously soulful results! The backings here are bigger than before – a bit tooled in an American soul mode, but still with that beautifully raspy Georgie Fame touch – lots of jazzy inflections on the vocals, and a way of handling a tune, even a familiar one, and really working it on his own level. Hammond still fills in most of the tunes, but other instrumentation includes some nice African percussion from Speedy Acquaye, saxes from Pete Coe, and some nice bold drums from John Mitchell. These come out to the forefront on the classic funky tune "Music Talk" – and still sound great on other numbers that include "The World Is Round", "Last Night", "Dr Kitch", "My Girl", "Ride Your Pony", and "Sweet Thing". Sound Venture is one of the jazziest early albums from Georgie Fame – a set that has him singing with the big band of Harry South, at a level that's a lot more complicated than some of his other work with The Blue Flames! The style here still has that mod 60s London feel, but it also has some deeper inflections as well – modes borrowed a bit from Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison, yet served up with even greater complexity – at a level that really points towards the tremendous growth Fame would unleash over the next few years. Members of the group include Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Dick Morrisey, Kenny Wheeler, and many other key Brit jazz figures of the time – and titles include "Three Blind Mice", "Dawn Yawn", "Feed Me", "Lovey Dovey", "Lil Darlin", "Lil Pony", "I Am Missing You", and "Many Happy Returns". CD5 is Bend A Little – a package with 20 unusual titles – demos, rare tracks, and outtakes – including unreleased tracks, IBC recordings, and even two German tracks too! Plus, each individual CD comes with bonus tracks – 40 bonus tracks, in addition to the 20 more titles on the Bend A Little set – a huge amount of material! CD

An excellent album – and one of Joe Henderson's boldest sets from the early 70s! The record features Joe working with a hip group of young Japanese players that includes Terumasa Hino on trumpet and Masabumi Kikuchi on piano and electric piano – and the sextet format of the session stretches way past Joe's other Japanese recording from the time, which was issued in the US on Milestone. This one features very long tracks, with tremendous intensity from both the group and Joe, who's got a real edginess to his playing here. Includes a version of "So What", plus the originals "Sunrise In Tokyo" and "Get Magic Again". CD

An amazing set that documents the early years of the Zamrock scene – the funk and psych informed Afro Rock pioneered by vocalist and African guitar legend Rikki Ililonga and his group Musi-O-Tunya in Zambia from 1973 to 1976 – and compiled beautifully in this great set from Now Again/Stones Throw! It's incredible stuff that blends fuzzed out guitar psychedelia, raw rhythms and brass-heavy funky soul. Ililonga's legacy is represented strongly on the record made by the group he founded, Musi-O-Tunya – who work with electric guitar, bass, sax, western and African drums and percussion – as well as the Zambia album, credited to Rikki Illilonga, in which he sings and plays all instruments except trumpet. The set also includes his Sunshine Love album, in which he sings and plays all instruments except bass and drums – and a it's got a rawer, bluesier psych soul approach overall. The CD version compiles most tracks from those albums plus Musi-O-Tunya's Wings Of Africa LP and bonus tracks from 7-inches from the time. 31 tracks on 2 CDs and comes a great, book-bound package with extensive liner notes by Eothen Alapatt and an interview of Ililonga by Eothen. Disc one includes Musi-0-Tunya tracks "Tsegulani", "Mpondolo", "Walk And Fight", "The Sun", "Dark Sunrise", "The Wings Of Africa", "Jekete Yamankowa" (Parts 1 & 2), "Mpulula", "Smoke" and more. Disc 2 features tracks from the Rikki Ililonga cuts "Sansa Kuwa", "Sheebeen Queen", "Stop Dreaming Mr D", "The Nature Of Man", "The Queen Blues", "Working On The Wrong Thing", "Sunshine Love", "Angel Black" and more. CD

A lesser-known late 70s album from Carole King – recorded for Capitol, with titles that include "Everybody's Got The Spirit", "Venusian Diamond", "Changes", "Wings Of Love", "Mainstreet Saturday Night", and "Sunbird". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the drummer in Ramsey's trio before starting his own group – and the shared relationship both artists had with producer Charles Stepney! The three were all key parts of the late 60s sound at Chess Records – but here, they've brought the same soulful energy to Columbia – working in a wider, more mature groove for the 70s – one that has Lewis' wicked Fender Rhodes lines stretching out strongly over tight, compressed, funky lines from EWF! The centerpiece of the set is the massive 7 minute "Sun Goddess", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Living For The City", "Gemini Rising", and "Jungle Strut". Funky, electric, and sublimely wonderful all the way through! LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of lost work from Sandy Salisbury – all recorded during the same time he was working with Curt Boettcher in the legendary group The Millennium! The songs are all as lovely as the image on the cover – and on his own, often overdubbing his vocals to create his own harmonies, Sandy's got this quality that's maybe even sweeter and more sophisticated than you'd know from his other records – almost Beatles-esque, especially of the more melodic tunes that Paul McCartney would front during the later years of that group. All work is from Sandy's own archives, appearing here for the first time ever – and titles include "Silent Lonely Night", "Do I Miss You", "Tomorrow", "Six O'Clock", "Once I Knew A Little Dog", "Butter Me Over", "The Sun Always Shines On Suzanna", and "Everyone Should Be In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The hippest side of Cannonball Adderley at the end of the 60s – that loose, soulful vibe he was serving up on some of his coolest records for Capitol at the time – stretched out here over some very long tracks recorded live in France! The year alone marks the record as a great one – as Cannon in 1969 could do no wrong – and he's working here with his crack quintet that includes Nat Adderley on cornet, Victor Gaskin on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums – plus the mighty Joe Zawinul on both acoustic and electric piano – really finding his groove here, with that incredible sense of chunky rhythm that really seemed to set Cannonball and Nat on fire! Titles include "Why Am I Treated So Bad", "The Scavenger", "Experience In E", "Blue No Boogie", "Walk Tall", "Come Sunday", "Work Song", and "Manha De Carnaval". CD

A swingin' Japanese concert by one of Cannonball's best groups from the 60's. Joe Zawinul's on piano, brother Nat's on cornet, Sam Jones is on bass, and Louis Hayes is on drums. But the real treat here is Yusef Lateef, who does some excellent reed work on tenor, flute, and oboe – and who's playing at this point with that great mix of soul jazz and out-sounds that he was cooking up at the time. There's some great long cuts, including an excellent 12 minute reading of Lateef's "Brother John", plus the title track, "Come Sunday", "Tengo Tango", "Easy To Love" and "The Weaver". CD features the bonus track "Work Song". CD

A seminal 70s set from the legendary Air trio – and one of their wonderful non-American dates from the early years – material recorded overseas, where this famous AACM trio was maybe getting more attention than in the US! The album was originally a Japanese-only album, and it's easily one of the group's greatest of the decade – a sublime set that really has them working strongly in their AACM roots, yet also reaching for a new sound too – a beautiful balance between jazz generations, carried off perfectly by the trio of Henry Threadgill on reeds, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on drums! Tracks are long, and extremely inventive – and titles include "Through A Keyhole Darkly", "Air Raid", and "Midnight Sun". CD

A wonderful vocal set – with jazzy backings by Bill Holman! Titles include "Impossible", "Hooray For Love", "Shake Down The Stars", "I've Got The Sun In The Morning", and "They All Laughed". LP, Vinyl record album

5 years after they made their first set of groundbreaking Braziliany jazz tracks together, Bud Shank and Laurindo Almeida went back into the studio to record another great batch for Pacific Jazz. That second set of sessions is captured here in its entirety, and it features Shank and Almeida playing with the looser rhythm team of Gary Peacock and Chuck Flores on a number of short groovy tracks that clearly had a big influence on the bossa generation. Titles include "Waltz Frio & Calor", "Sunset Baion", "Mood Antigua", "Choro In A", "The Color Of Her Hair", and "Nocturno". CD

Herb Alpert's first-ever album – a runaway hit that was the birthplace of so many groovy things – not just the start of the Tijuana Brass sound, also the birth of A&M Records! The album's the first to feature Herb's trademark take on the Mexican band style – done here with a bit more "jaunty" pop stylings than in later years, including a "rocking" electric bass that kicks along nicely at the bottom of some of the more chart-oriented tunes. The first full album on A&M – and the beginning of an empire – with titles that include "The Lonely Bull", "El Lobo", "Desafinado", "Mexico", "Never On Sunday", and "Struttin With Maria". LP, Vinyl record album