The incredible second album from Roxy Music – a record that's even more focused on the group's unique vision than the first – and a set that grabs your ears and blows you away from the very first note! These guys are completely in their own genre here – not art rock, nor glam, nor prog – although all the different members of the group could handle those styles, and plenty more – yet choose to work here in territory that's still brilliant and unique after the passage of decades! The progression of the album is amazing – from the catchy leadoff track "Do The Strand", to the tale of lost love with a sex doll in "Every Dream Home A Heartache", to the almost-funky "Bogus Man", the proto-punk "Editions Of You", and the swirling hypnotic extended closer of "For Your Pleasure". A masterpiece through and through! CD

The groovy Brit piano player lays down a set of standards like "April In Paris", "Spring Song", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Summertime", "The Solway In Summer", "Summer Wind", "Early Autumn", "September Song", "Forever Autumn", "When Winter Comes", "Winter World Of Love", and "June In January". CD

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The title's a bit obtuse, but the music is warm and soulful throughout – a really tremendous session that carries on the strong legacy of solo work that Jimmy Heath was doing in the 70s! The feel here is a lot like some of Heath's dates for the Muse or Xanadu labels – and Jimmy's working here with a great rhythm section that includes Larry Willis on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Akira Tana on drums – players who provide a very soulful grounding for the set. Heath blows alto, tenor, and soprano sax – and remaining players include Tom Williams on trumpet and Tony Purrone on guitar. The groove is in a classic Prestige/Riverside mode – not hard hardbop, but soulful, with touches of post-Coltrane blowing, and the mix of lyricism and soul jazz that Heath's always brought to his best work. Titles include "Trane Connections", "Forever Sonny", "You Can See", "I Waited For You", and "Song For Ben Webster". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Tamiko Jones – one of the more enigmatic soul singers of her generation! Tamiko could always handle a number of styles – and on this set, she moves between jazz and deep soul, working through a set of tracks that were recorded at either Sam Phillips in Memphis, or Rudy Van Gelder's famous jazz studio in New Jersey. Arrangements are by Teacho Wiltshire, Horace Ott, and Artie Butler – and Solomon Burke makes a guest appearance on the track "Try It Baby". Other tunes include "Where Are They Now?", "Black Is Black", "Ya Ya", "Suddenly", "This Time Tomorrow", and "Please Return Your Love To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The third volume in Strata East's Dolphy Series, and a hard to find recording by the great baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne! Although Payne had his roots in earlier bop material, by the time of this recording, he'd emerged as an outspoken modernist – although few labels would give him the chance to prove himself in this respect – save for the legendary Strata East imprint, which gives Payne this chance to show a whole new side of his talents! The group is a perfect one to bridge the generations – with Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Wilbur Ware on bass, Wynton Kelly on piano, and Albert Heath on drums – stretching out beautifully in a set of original compositions that are easily some of Payne's best work on record ever. Tracks include "Follow Me", "Flying Fish", "Slide Hampton", and "Girl You Got a Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous collection of work from moog maestro Mort Garson – a name you might know from projects like the Wozard Of Iz, Lucifer, or Ataraxia – stepping out here on some much more obscure recordings, including some that appear here for the first time ever! Garson was easily one of the hippest and most talented artists to work with the moog and related analogue electronics – and his music was always a cut above some of the more simple moog pop instrumentals – as Mort brought in lots of original ideas and compositions to his recordings, while also using the electronics for melody as much as for effect. That blend is very much in place here – on tracks from a number of different projects, including some cool advertising work – and at times, there's a slinky sensuality to Garson's electronics that almost sound like the Italian cinema work of Stelvio Cipriani. Titles include "Killers Of The Wild", "Music For Advertising 2", "Is He Trying To Tell Us Something (inst)", "Geisha Girl", "Space Walker", "Dragonfly", "Cathedral Of Pleasure", "Realizations Of An Aeropolis", and "Son Of Blob Theme". CD

A pop dancefloor classic – built around Shannon's killer club hit "Let The Music Play", as guilty a guilty pleasure as there ever was for us, and a tune that we can't help liking even today! Other tracks on the set have a similar punchy electro groove – lots of beats popping underneath, and sweetly soulful vocals from Shannon over the top. Electro programming is by Rob Kilgore and Chris Barbosa – and titles include "Let The Music Play", "Sweet Somebody", "My Heart's Divided", and "One Man". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those electro groovers that's a real guilty pleasure for us! The cut's sure a bit silly – with popping linn drums and bass pedals, and the lyrics are even sillier – but the whole thing's got that great post-punk/post-funk sound that we've always grooved to, and Shannon's sincere take on the lyrics make the cut work better than you'd think! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A classic performance by one of the most groundbreaking soul jazz groups of the 70s! Tolliver's leading his Music Inc ensemble here – an important quartet that featured him on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jimmy Hopps on drums. During their time recording for the Tolliver/Cowell owned label Strata East, the group forged a strident spiritual approach to jazz – one that took all of the experiments of Coltrane, and fused them with a soulful sound that was packed with all of the righteousness of the time. The group's at their finest here – working before a very friendly crowd at the legendary Slugs nightclub in the East Village – and tracks on this second volume include "Spanning", "Wilpan's", and "Our Second Father", all done in nice long readings!h LP, Vinyl record album

A classic performance by one of the most groundbreaking soul jazz groups of the 70s! Tolliver's leading his Music Inc ensemble here – an important quartet that featured him on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jimmy Hopps on drums. During their time recording for the Tolliver/Cowell owned label Strata East, the group forged a strident spiritual approach to jazz – one that took all of the experiments of Coltrane, and fused them with a soulful sound that was packed with all of the righteousness of the time. The group's at their finest here – working before a very friendly crowd at the legendary Slugs nightclub in the East Village – and tracks on this first volume include "Drought", "Felicite", and "Orientale", all done in nice long readings! LP, Vinyl record album

Bang the box – a classic battle cry from the glory days of Chicago house – summed up here perfectly with a stack of tracks from the short-lived AKA Music label! The package follows strongly in the mode of Still Music's Kill Yourself Dancing set – and like that one, it offers up a really great look at a tiny label from the Windy City club scene – an imprint who cut some key tracks that barely made it out of the midwest, but which really helped to shape the house-heavy rhythms that went onto inspire countless artists in years to come! AKA only issued records for two short years in the mid 80s – but they really helped push some of the leaner, cleaner Chicago house modes that were bursting into the limelight in the acid years – those cool keyboards and dark beats that still stand out as some of the best elements from the classic years. The notes do a great job of telling the story from the perspective of the clubs and the streets – and titles include "Rock It" by Matt Warren & Michaelangelo, "Bang The Box (bang the house mix)" by Matt Warren, "Take Me Higher (ultimate acid mix" by Nexus 6, "Lost In The World" by Michaelangelo, "The Music's Got Me (club mix)" by Team, "Pleasure Dome (house mix)" by Modern Mechanical Music, "Don't Bring Back Memories" by Matt Warren & Michaelangelo, and "Alternative House" by Michaelangelo. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little session that's one of Nat's last great vocal albums – thanks to some solid jazz backing by George Shearing. Shearing's group here is a super-hip west coast Latin one, with Emil Richards on vibes, Al Hendrickson on guitar, Al McKibbon on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums. Most tracks have them augmented by some larger backings by Ralph Carmichael – which creates this dreamy jazzy pillow for Nat to sing over. Cole's voice is still super-sweet and super-sexy, and the record is a good mix of ballads and more jazzy material. Titles include "Lost April", "Azure-Te", "September Song", "Don't Go", "There's A Lull In My Life", and "Serenata". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of rare work from the great Sam Dees – one of the best songwriters in 70s soul music, and an artist who managed to put more recordings in the vaults than he did in the charts! Sam's known best for a handful of singles and a classic album on Atlantic Records – but during the 70s, he continued to record amazing work on his own – often a demos, but with a quality level that was the same as the best indie soul of the time – which makes these recordings such a pleasure to discover! The CD follows strongly alongside other Ace release of this nature – and includes 13 never-heard tracks, plus a few rare singles, and a handful of other Dees cuts from a Hotlanta sampler – all brought together here in one great set! Sam's vocals are wonderful – very unique, and with a badass quality that really brings an edge both to his deep soul material, and the set's few more groove-oriented cuts. Titles include "I'm Your Biggest Fan", "Singing In Poverty", "Today Is A New Day", "We've Got To Get It Together", "Married But I'm Still In Love", "Child's Play", "What's It Gonna Be (alt)", "Claim Jumping", "What Good Is A Love", and "Gimme A Little Action". CD

A totally wonderful little record that's every bit as sexy as you might guess from the cover – and which also has some of the groovy French elements you might expect from the title! The set's got this slinky, erotic vibe that's almost in Serge Gainsbourg territory – save for the fact that the tunes are mostly instrumental, and Monica Lassen seems mostly on the set to moan, giggle, and make other expressions of pleasure as the set goes on – a bit like the presence of a woman on a sexy French record at the end of the 60s! The music is very cool, too – somewhere in a space between late 60s European soundtrack modes and bossa nova – with lots of cool organ lines, soulful sax, captivating rhythms, and cool effects that further underscore the sound of the set – on titles that include "Dalliance In Wave", "On Rollin Yacht", "A Lodge Of Joy", "Embrace Ment", "Path For Two", and "Che Vuole Quesat Musica Stasere". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record on Strata East – and a concept that shouldn't work as well as it does, but which comes off perfectly – thanks to the strength of the players! As you might guess from the title, the group's an all-piano ensemble – one that features hip talents that include Harold Mabern, Sonelius Smith, Stanley Cowell, Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, and Webster Lewis – coming together in ways that have the pianos handling every part of the music – rhythm, melody, and all these great little bits around the edges – all on these long, stretched-out tracks that have lots of room for solo contributions too! The vibe is very Strata East, just all-piano – and titles include "Effi", "Killers", "Precious Lord", "The Almoravids", and "Man Extensions". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Some of the coolest music we've ever heard from Tomeka Reid – a soundtrack for a film based on the Chicago school of imagist painting in the 60s – nicely scored with music from the windy city itself! Reid composed the different selections on the soundtrack – most of which are different themes for Hairy Who artists, such as Ed Paschke, Ray Yoshida, Jim Nutt, and others – and the music features Reid's cello and the percussion of Adam Vida, plus some slight vocalizations at a few haunting moments! The music is surprisingly tuneful at most points – and quite beautiful as well – and titles include "Jizz & Jazz", "Hairy Shoes", "Tin Eared Tenor", "Dappled Pleasure Dress", "O Number I", "The Design & The Dilemma", and "Snooper Trooper". CD

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Gary, Indiana is maybe best known as the hometown of the Jackson 5 – but the city also had plenty of other soul singers back in the day – as you'll discover on this really well-done collection of tracks! The set's titled after the Chicago Skyway, a huge industrial structure that links the south side of the Windy City with Gary – and that link is a key one, as many of the artists here have a resonance with Chicago soul too – working with qualities that are often a bit more sophisticated than usual, and not as directly aimed at the charts or the dancefloor – a really special breed of soul music that makes for a wonderfully rich collection! As usual with Numero, the package is as great as the track list – and titles include "Trouble" by General Lee & Lost Weekend, "Sweet Jo-Ann" by El Anthony, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "So I Can Make This Change" by The Krash Band, "Bridge Of Love" by Lost Weekend, "Give Your Love To Me" by Wilton Crump, "Don't Be Afraid" by Sky's The Limit, "Let's Ride" by Junei, "You Just Be You" by Into New Dimensions, "I Need Your Love" by Billy Foster, "Pleasure" by General Lee, "Night Music" by Billy Foster, "The Look On Your Face" by Nate Evans & Mean Green, and "We've Been In Love Too Long" by El Anthony. LP, Vinyl record album

Gary, Indiana is maybe best known as the hometown of the Jackson 5 – but the city also had plenty of other soul singers back in the day – as you'll discover on this really well-done collection of tracks! The set's titled after the Chicago Skyway, a huge industrial structure that links the south side of the Windy City with Gary – and that link is a key one, as many of the artists here have a resonance with Chicago soul too – working with qualities that are often a bit more sophisticated than usual, and not as directly aimed at the charts or the dancefloor – a really special breed of soul music that makes for a wonderfully rich collection! As usual with Numero, the package is as great as the track list – and titles include "Trouble" by General Lee & Lost Weekend, "Sweet Jo-Ann" by El Anthony, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "So I Can Make This Change" by The Krash Band, "Bridge Of Love" by Lost Weekend, "Give Your Love To Me" by Wilton Crump, "Don't Be Afraid" by Sky's The Limit, "Let's Ride" by Junei, "You Just Be You" by Into New Dimensions, "I Need Your Love" by Billy Foster, "Pleasure" by General Lee, "Night Music" by Billy Foster, "The Look On Your Face" by Nate Evans & Mean Green, and "We've Been In Love Too Long" by El Anthony. LP, Vinyl record album

Deep deep funk from the legendary Westbound label – the important early home to Ohio Players and Funkadelic, but also host to some other great funky groups too! In keeping with the name, the cuts here focus on the kind of Westbound tracks that have great drum breaks in their groove – or which stand out as great selections for sampling, too – but all presented with the same sort of care, research, and attention to detail that the Ace label brings to all of their famous soul collections! In other words, the whole thing's got all the sharp edges and funky beats as one of those dodgy sample collections – but the sound is better, the tracks are legit, and the whole thing features detailed notes as well. Titles include "Kissing My Love" by Spanky Wilson, "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players, "Suzie Thundertussy" by Junie, "You & Your Folks Me & My Folks" by Funkadelic, "Music Man (part 2)" by Pleasure Web, "Back From The Dead" by King Errisson, "You're Gettin A Little Too Smart" by The Detroit Emeralds, "Pack Of Lies" by The Counts, "Funk It Down" by Caesar Frazier, "Good Old Music" by Mgictones, "The Fuz & Da Boog" by Fuzzy Haskins, "Heartbreaker Of The Year" by Denise LaSalle, "Does He Treat You Better" by Unique Blend, "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms" by Detroit Emeralds, "Mixed Up Moods & Attitudes (Tom Moulton mix)" by Fantastic Four, "Tightrope (single mix)" by Junie, and "I'll Bet You" by Funkadelic. CD

A great lost bit of mid 70s Motown – a pair of should-be classic albums by Dynamic Superiors – in a single set! Dynamic Superiors were a great harmony group with an east coast sound – quite different from the usual Motown combo in that their vocals were often allowed very free range, with less of the tightness of the usual Motown group soul album. Ashford & Simpson produced the record – with arrangements by Leon Pendarvis, Richard Tee, and Arthur Jenkins – and the whole thing's a sweet soul treasure that's got some excellent mellow soul cuts! Titles from the self-titled set include "One Nighter", "Don't Send Nobody Else", "Shoe Shoe Shine", "Star of My Life", and "Leave It Alone". Pure Pleasure is another sweet set – arranged with a bit more of a high stepping groove than some of the other Motown work of the time. Backings are handled by a range of talents that includes Paul Riser, William Eaton, Al Gorgoni, and Horace Ott – but the real charm is the way the group's innocent harmony style puts over the lyrics, all of which are very strong tunes written by the team of Ashford & Simpson. Titles include "Face The Music", "Hit & Run Lovers", "Deception", "Pleasure", "Nobody's Gonna Change Me", "Feeling Mellow", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", and "Don't Give Up On Me Baby". CD

Arguably one of the greatest concept albums of the 80s – and the only really strong full length album cut by Frankie Goes To Hollywood! At the time of the set, the group was riding high on the success and controversy of their singles "Relax" and "Two Tribes" – but in the ambitious ZTT mode, sought to expand their sound way past familiar hits, and into a realm of sonic exploration that rivaled that of labelmates Art Of Noise. Don't get us wrong, because the Frankie of this album is still very much in groove-oriented territory – but they also let Horn take over with some more striking tunes that are both longer and shorter than the usual pop track – offsetting the vocal numbers on the record with a rich tapestry of musical backdrops that also more firmly forward the group's social and sexual leanings. The album features surprising covers of "War", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", and "Born To Run" – plus the hits "Relax" and "Two Tribes", and the original numbers "Welcome To the Pleasure Dome", "Krisco Kisses", "The Ballad Of 32", "Wish The Lads Were Here", "Black Night White Light", "The Only Star In Heaven", "The Power Of Love", and "Bang". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably one of the greatest concept albums of the 80s – and the only really strong full length album cut by Frankie Goes To Hollywood! At the time of the set, the group was riding high on the success and controversy of their singles "Relax" and "Two Tribes" – but in the ambitious ZTT mode, sought to expand their sound way past familiar hits, and into a realm of sonic exploration that rivaled that of labelmates Art Of Noise. Don't get us wrong, because the Frankie of this album is still very much in groove-oriented territory – but they also let Horn take over with some more striking tunes that are both longer and shorter than the usual pop track – offsetting the vocal numbers on the record with a rich tapestry of musical backdrops that also more firmly forward the group's social and sexual leanings. The album features surprising covers of "War", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", and "Born To Run" – plus the hits "Relax" and "Two Tribes", and the original numbers "Welcome To the Pleasure Dome", "Krisco Kisses", "The Ballad Of 32", "Wish The Lads Were Here", "Black Night White Light", "The Only Star In Heaven", "The Power Of Love", and "Bang". CD

One of the stunning late 60 psych rock classics on Mainstream Records – and, like the rest, a set that's a real standout at the time – and one of the few musical statements by a group who never got picked up and pushed more heavily by another label! Yet that quality is what makes the whole thing wonderful – a freaky, fuzzy east coast set with a very down to earth vibe – music that would have been garage a few years before, but which has picked up some very heady influences along the way – especially in the strong use of fuzz and distortion on the guitar! Drummer Chuck Monica has a nicely urgent vibe at times, echoed by the bass of Victor Muglia – and lead singer Brian Cooke delivers some great work on organ too! Nick Manzi is the man with the fuzz on guitar – and titles include "All Kinds Of Highs", "Riddles & Fairytales", "She Always Gives Me Pleasure", "Images", "Deaf Dumb & Blind", and "Paradox City". CD

Esperanza Spaulding looks more striking than ever on this album cover, but not as striking as the music inside – co-produced by Spaulding with Tony Visconti – the longtime David Bowie collaborator who really brings a sharp sort of focus to the set! Although Esperanza began as a jazz bassist who also happened to sing, by the point of this album she's a fully-formed soul star in her own right – bold, powerful, and progressive – with a vision that's even more moving, almost with a future soul or cosmic crackle at points, instead of some of the warmer, gentler modes from previous recordings. The album's a stunner, and shows that Esperanza Spaulding will be surprising us plenty in years to come – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Earth To Heaven", "Rest In Pleasure", "Elevate Or Operate", "Unconditional Love", "Funk The Fear", "I Want It Now", and "Ebony & Ivy". Deluxe edition features the bonus track "Change Us", plus an extended version of "Unconditional Love", an expanded booklet, and poster too! CD

This issue's cover feature is a tribute to 60 years of music from the great Stevie Wonder – one of our all-time favorites – with a look at some of the deep cuts that sometimes get overlooked! There's also a look forward at 2024 – with big expectations of records from Nick Cave, Kamasi Washington, and others – plus other articles on AC/DC, Billy Bragg, Brittany Howard, Buena Vista Social Club, and Captain Beefheart – all delivered with the great writing and graphic presentation that always makes Mojo such a pleasure to read! The issue also has a bonus CD with classic heavy tracks from ZZ Top, Little Feat, Canned Heat, and others – and there's almost 150 reviews inside, which is plenty to keep your turntable spinning. Magazine

A lost spiritual jazz classic from pianist Nate Morgan – maybe the musician's best-remembered moment, and for good reason too! The set's got this soaring, spiritual vibe that's much more early 70s than you'd guess from the date of recording – a post-Coltrane spirit with lots of modal energy in the rhythms, carved out by Nate in these bold, dark lines on piano – and topped with some excellent work on alto sax from the great Dadisi Komolate! Both players were key figures in the under-documented LA scene of this period – and work together to make tremendous sounds on this album – on titles that include "He Left Us A Song", "Journey Into Nigritia", "Morning Prayer", "Mother", and "Study in CT". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album ever cut as a leader by tenor saxophonist Charles Brackeen during his early years – and a real standout in the catalog of the legendary Strata East label! The set's got an unusual history – in that it's part of the Dolphy Series, recorded before the label started by Clifford Jordan – as a way of giving a strong showcase to so many new ideas that were bursting in jazz during the late 60s! Here, Brackeen's tenor is set up with a trio of musicians most familiarly associated with Ornette Coleman – Don Cherry on trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums – a unit that's completely on fire, and freer than before – yet each graced with such strong individuality, every aspect of the record is a complete delight. Brackeen is amazing (why the hell didn't he record more like this at the time?) – but the bass, trumpet, and drums are all very distinct too – the perfect power of free improvisation when it's done right. Titles include "Rhythm X", "Hour Glass", "CB Blues", and "Charles Concept". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums issued as a leader by bassist Cecil McBee – and like all of the rest, a really amazing record that showcases the visionary talent that often made McBee such a key part of other folks' groups! The tracks are long and spiritual, but with slight avant leanings – and Cecil both plucks and bows his instrument, creating a masterful leadership to a group that includes Chico Freeman on flute and tenor, Joe Gardner on trumpet, Dennis Moorman on piano, Don Moye on drums, and Steve McCall on percussion – definitely a strong AACM influence in the lineup but with some of the soulful warmth that you'd expect more from a set on India Navigation. The performance was recorded at Sweet Basil – and includes 2 long tracks – "Agnez" and "First Song In The Day" – plus the shorter "God Spirit". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from Pleasure – a group who were already great before, but who really seem to hit a great new level with this late 70s classic! Pleasure started out as a sweet jazz/funk combo with a great edge to their music – but by the time of this set, they'd actually gotten even tighter and better – but all without losing their depth at all! Most of the group's contemporaries just got slick and commercial – but instead, Pleasure found a way to hone their skills wonderfully – and take on some new spacey and electric touches in the process – definitely pointing towards the funky future promised in the title. The set's filled with some of the funkiest and most soulful moments of the group's career – including "Space is the Place", which has great funky drums on the intro; the mellow "Thoughts of Old Flames", a real stunner with a great moody feel; and the classic "Glide", a great dancefloor groover that still stands up well. Other tracks are all great too – and include "Universal", "Strong Love", "Nothin To It", and "Dedication To The Past". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from Pleasure – a group who were already great before, but who really seem to hit a great new level with this late 70s classic! Pleasure started out as a sweet jazz/funk combo with a great edge to their music – but by the time of this set, they'd actually gotten even tighter and better – but all without losing their depth at all! Most of the group's contemporaries just got slick and commercial – but instead, Pleasure found a way to hone their skills wonderfully – and take on some new spacey and electric touches in the process – definitely pointing towards the funky future promised in the title. The set's filled with some of the funkiest and most soulful moments of the group's career – including "Space is the Place", which has great funky drums on the intro; the mellow "Thoughts of Old Flames", a real stunner with a great moody feel; and the classic "Glide", a great dancefloor groover that still stands up well. Other tracks are all great too – and include "Universal", "Strong Love", "Nothin To It", and "Dedication To The Past". CD

One of the most beautiful records to come out of the early 70s – a tremendous indie effort from a young Weldon Irvine! Irvine put this album together as sort of a musical "time capsule" of his generation – an effort to capture the era's thoughts, feelings, and emotions through a mix of music, vocals, and a few spoken bits – all woven together in a way that changes moods nicely, but always keeps the same righteously spiritual vibe! Weldon plays keys that are both electric and acoustic throughout – and he's joined by a very hip batch of players who include Jimmy Owens, Lenny White, Alex Blake, George Cables, and others – all working here in a very rough-edged and soulful mode. Titles include the classic break track "Bananas", the sweet vocal number "Deja Vu",and the soul classic "Feelin' Mellow" – also covered by Fatback Band, but even better here in the original! Other tracks include "Soul Sisters", "Watergate Don't Bug Me", "Spontaneous Interaction", and "I Am". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-heard live work from the legendary Junie Morrison – a funky legend who worked both in the Ohio Players and in the P-Funk empire of George Clinton – heard here in a smoking live setting in Michigan, right around the time of his classic solo records for Westbound! The format is great – really open and freewheeling, and nicely different than some of Junie's records in the studio – as Junie works with the Crowd Pleasers group, in a blistering blend of funk, soul, and jazz – with solos that evoke some of the latter, and which remind us of the unearthed Lyman Woodard concerts from around the same time! Tracks are mostly nice and long, very jamming – and the small combo vibe is a really different change from some of the arena funk of the period. Titles include a great version of Junie's classic "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce" – plus "Super J", "Tight Rope/Super Groupie", "Shakey Ground", "Fopp", "Musical Son", "Oh Me Oh My", "Surrender", and an Ohio Players medley of "Pain/Cookies Will Get You/Pleasure/Ecstasy". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-heard live work from the legendary Junie Morrison – a funky legend who worked both in the Ohio Players and in the P-Funk empire of George Clinton – heard here in a smoking live setting in Michigan, right around the time of his classic solo records for Westbound! The format is great – really open and freewheeling, and nicely different than some of Junie's records in the studio – as Junie works with the Crowd Pleasers group, in a blistering blend of funk, soul, and jazz – with solos that evoke some of the latter, and which remind us of the unearthed Lyman Woodard concerts from around the same time! Tracks are mostly nice and long, very jamming – and the small combo vibe is a really different change from some of the arena funk of the period. Titles include a great version of Junie's classic "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce" – plus "Super J", "Tight Rope/Super Groupie", "Shakey Ground", "Fopp", "Musical Son", "Oh Me Oh My", "Surrender", and an Ohio Players medley of "Pain/Cookies Will Get You/Pleasure/Ecstasy". CD

An incredible collection of Stevie Wonder cover versions – different versions of familiar tunes, but ones that really manage to sparkle with all the righteous soul of the Stevie himself! It's been over a decade since DJ Spinna brought us the last version of his Wonder Of Stevie series – and during that time, he's managed to come up with a huge amount of great tracks that make the whole thing go way way deeper than before – not just cuts that copy the Wonder mode, but which seem to draw strong inspiration from its genius, and really soar to the skies! Much of the music here resonates with a charm that's located around the years of albums like Music Of My Mind and Innervisions, with all the jazzy currents that might imply – and some cuts are 70s vintage, others are more contemporary. Titles include "Bird Of Beauty" by US Atlantic First Navy Show Band, "It's My Pleasure" by Billy Preston, "Love's In Need Of Love Today" by John Minnis Big Bone Band, "As" by Tony Sherman, "Buttercup" by Jackson 5, "Have A Talk With God" by East St Louis Gospelettes, "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me" by Quincy Jones, "Golden Lady" by Reel People with Tony Momrelle, "If You Don't Love Me" by GC Cameron, "If She Breaks Your Heart Again" by Foreign Exchange, "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing" by Black Sugar, "Go Home" by Jrod Indigo, and "Make My Water Boil" by David Ruffin. 2CDs – one of the cuts unmixed, one with the tracks in a continuous mix by Spinna! CD

An incredible collection of Stevie Wonder cover versions – different versions of familiar tunes, but ones that really manage to sparkle with all the righteous soul of the Stevie himself! It's been over a decade since DJ Spinna brought us the last version of his Wonder Of Stevie series – and during that time, he's managed to come up with a huge amount of great tracks that make the whole thing go way way deeper than before – not just cuts that copy the Wonder mode, but which seem to draw strong inspiration from its genius, and really soar to the skies! Much of the music here resonates with a charm that's located around the years of albums like Music Of My Mind and Innervisions, with all the jazzy currents that might imply – and some cuts are 70s vintage, others are more contemporary. Titles include "Bird Of Beauty" by US Atlantic First Navy Show Band, "It's My Pleasure" by Billy Preston, "Love's In Need Of Love Today" by John Minnis Big Bone Band, "As" by Tony Sherman, "Buttercup" by Jackson 5, "Have A Talk With God" by East St Louis Gospelettes, "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me" by Quincy Jones, "Golden Lady" by Reel People with Tony Momrelle, "If You Don't Love Me" by GC Cameron, "If She Breaks Your Heart Again" by Foreign Exchange, "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing" by Black Sugar, "Go Home" by Jrod Indigo, and "Make My Water Boil" by David Ruffin. LP, Vinyl record album

Much as we love the legendary debut from Joy Division, we love this second album even more – as the whole thing's a perfect realization of their genius – and such a strong step forward, it still pains us to remember that singer Ian Curtis was taken from us all too soon, and the group never got to fully move past this moment! Everything that made the first record great is here – but there's also a more cohesive approach to both the song structure, and the overall album presentation – so that the landscape of darkness we first viewed on Unknown Pleasures comes into even greater focus here – as the songs follow one another in a beautifully logical order, and the slight refinements in production make all the best elements of the musicianship – especially the bass and drums – even more powerful than before. Titles include "Twenty Four Hours", "Heart & Soul", "Decades", "Colony", "Passover", and "A Means To An End". CD

Never-heard live work from the legendary Junie Morrison – a funky legend who worked both in the Ohio Players and in the P-Funk empire of George Clinton – heard here in a smoking live setting in Michigan, right around the time of his classic solo records for Westbound! The format is great – really open and freewheeling, and nicely different than some of Junie's records in the studio – as Junie works with the Crowd Pleasers group, in a blistering blend of funk, soul, and jazz – with solos that evoke some of the latter, and which remind us of the unearthed Lyman Woodard concerts from around the same time! Tracks are mostly nice and long, very jamming – and the small combo vibe is a really different change from some of the arena funk of the period. Titles include a great version of Junie's classic "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce" – plus "Super J", "Tight Rope/Super Groupie", "Shakey Ground", "Fopp", "Musical Son", "Junie II", "Surrender", and an Ohio Players medley of "Pain/Cookies Will Get You/Pleasure/Ecstasy". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful live material from Pharoah Sanders – a key record in a time when the tenor genius was really coming back into his own in the 80s – finding a new level of soul and spiritualism after his early run of albums on Impulse Records! The group here are a well-matched array of players who would accompany Pharoah on other key musical journeys at the time – John Hicks on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – the last of whom is also going through a righteous transformation as he gets past some of his funk and club modes of the 70s. The centerpiece of the album is a long quartet version of "You've Got To Have Freedom" – one that's nice and grooving, but in a very different way than the more famous studio version. Another real winner is "Pharomba", a 13 minute long track that has a gentle groove and some extremely nice work on tenor from Pharoah! This 2LP version also features a great bonus track – "Doktor Pitt", nice and long, and not on the original LP release! LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most righteous album ever from reedman Harold Vick – a crowning achievement of all his soulful years in jazz, cut as one of the key 70s releases on Strata East! Vick is fantastic here – light years ahead of his work as the funky tenorist on 60s albums by John Patton and Jack McDuff in the 60s, even as great as that material was – and emerging here as an incredibly sensitive soul jazz player, capable of turning out some incredibly sophisticated and emotional compositions – which are then graced by these really spiritual solos! Harold wrote and produced the whole album – really controlling his musical vision – and other players include Virgil Jones on trumpet, George Davis on flute, Joe Bonner on Fender Rhodes and piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – a lineup that sounds even greater on the record than it does on paper. Titles include "Don't Look Back", "Melody For Bu", "Stop & Cop", and "Senor Zamora". LP, Vinyl record album