Posi tone, 2023.
Diego Rivera has a very classic look on the cover – and the record comes across with a very classic vibe as well – back to the days of Sonny Stitt or Hank Mobley, when a top-shelf saxophonist set up in a quartet was more than enough to make some really special magic on record! That's ...
(Jazz CD)
British Progressive Jazz (UK), 1976.
A fantastic session from the 70s UK jazz scene, and one that's maybe as important to fans of the Canterbury scene as well – given the unusual legacies of the three players involved! The music is definitely jazz, though – fairly improvised, and recorded live with work from Elton Dean on ...
(Jazz CD)
Esoteric (UK), 1973. 2CD
A pair of lost albums from Jade Warrior – back to back in a single set! Eclipse is a mighty nice set from the early 70s run of records from Jade Warrior – but a set that was recorded at the time, and which lie unissued for years! As with so many great never-issued records, the passage ...
(Rock CD)
Righteous (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s.
The title's a bit confusing, but the set's got Lux & Ivy going right back to the roots of the weird, wonderful sounds that inspired their music in The Cramps – offbeat, hard-edged 45s from the glory days of the 7" single – served up here in a range of styles, on a range of ...
(Rock CD)
Jazzman (UK), 2023.
Maybe the greatest music we've heard so far from Nostalgia 77 – a group who started many years back as a jazz-referenced project – but one who here are definitely a fully-fledged combo with a very spiritual vibe! As before, producer Benedic Lamdin is at the helm of the lineup – ...
(Jazz LP)
Now Again, 1975. (reissue)
The sound of Zambia, circa 1975 – a heady brew of psychedelic styles and deeper African roots – served up in the unique blend of modes that would come to be known as Zamrock! The album's got a dark feel right from the start – one of those records where it feels like something's a ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Flying Dutchman/BGP (UK), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
The first-ever album from Gil Scott-Heron – and a perfect bridge between the world of his writing and the years to come of musical transformations that would forever change the American scene! The set's not the warm, jazzy soul of some of Gil's later records – and instead, there's a ...
(Soul LP)
EMI/Afrodelic (Italy), 1974. (reissue)
A funky psychedelic nugget from the Nigerian scene of the 70s – a record that's got more of a lean small group take on some of the bigger ensemble modes of the period, in a way that really seems to give the Moonrakers Band lots of flexibility with their sound! Some numbers might be a bit ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Impulse (Germany), 1975. (reissue)
A strangely wonderful album from Marion Brown – quite different from his other work on Impulse, with a mellow electric edge that gives it a warm and laidback feel! The approach here is much more soulful than before – with finely crafted tunes that weave Brown's work on alto with ...
(Jazz LP)
Luaka Bop, 1978.
A record with a groove that's hard to deny – yet one that's also maybe nicely understated, in comparison to some of the late 70s contemporaries of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah on the West African scene! The music's got this seductive quality that ebbs and flows with the groove – not full-on ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Intakt (Switzerland), 2023.
A hell of a record from the great Andrew Cyrille – and one that lives up to his key legacy of solo percussion records from back in the day! Cyrille's very first date as a leader was a solo percussion set – and for years, he's continued to be one of the best performers in the mode ...
(Jazz CD)
Wolke Verlag (Germany), 1996.
The too short life of Albert Ayler was one of tremendous creative activity, and a degree of mystery as well – both aspects that the author delves into deeply in this really well-done look at the legendary avant saxophonist! Wilson spent months in the US, following the journey that Ayler took ...
(Book)
New Jazz/Real Gone, 1958. (reissue)
A fantastic early album from jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby! Ashby's a unique talent like no other – and despite the fact that she plays a rather sleepy instrument, the harp, she swings with an other-worldly quality that's simply amazing, quite exotic, and very much in the camp of players like ...
(Jazz LP)
Fire/Sunset Blvd, Early 60s.
Storming soul from Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford – one of the hardest-hitting duos of the early 60s, and a pair who set the tone for countless other acts to come! The style here is definitely soul, but steeped in plenty of R&B too – partly from Dee Dee's smoking work on Hammond, ...
(Soul CD)
Grapefruit (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. 3CD
Sunshine Pop is a style that's usually associated with the American west coast scene of the 60s – music that sprung up in the wake of The Beach Boys and some of the other upbeat, harmony-heavy groups of the time – yet as you'll see in this set, there was also plenty of sunshine pop ...
(Rock CD)
BBE (UK), Early 70s. 2LP Gatefold
Incredible rare jazz from the Japanese scene of the 70s – all hand-picked by DJ Muro, one of the coolest talents on the contemporary scene in Tokyo! The set's a bit of a shift from other collections of this nature – as it focuses a bit more on tracks that are funky than those that are ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
Blue Note, 1970. (reissue)
A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky ...
(Jazz LP)
Impulse (Germany), 1967. (reissue)
One of the first moments of genius from a young Pharoah Sanders – a set that builds on the energy of John Coltrane's Love Supreme generation – but takes it in a much more expansive direction! The album's got a sense of majesty that's years ahead of its time – righteous, positive, ...
(Jazz LP)
Vedette/Dialogo (Italy), 1974.
Legendary drummer Tullio De Piscopo is all by himself on the cover, and that's how he sounds on the record – just playing solo, but with amazing grooves that hardly make you miss the other instruments at all! Tullio's got a long legacy in both jazz and club music – yet this set may be ...
(Jazz CD)
Full House/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1980.
A cheesy cover but a wonderful album – incredibly sensitive piano trio work from Fumio Karashima – easily one of our favorite players from the Japanese scene of his time! Fumio has a way with a tune that's really amazing – a talent for penning and playing original material that's ...
(Jazz CD)
True Vine/Numero, 1979. (reissue)
An album that's very out of time, especially given all the musical trends that were taking place in the year it was released – but that hardly seems to matter at all to Allan Wachs, as he's got a very personal style to the record – one that welcomes you in to a world that's all his own ...
(Rock LP)
Forest/BBE (UK), 1978.
A groovy little group from the northeast scene in the 70s – one who mix jazz and funk touches with some more roots-oriented material at times – all handled with instrumentation that's impeccable throughout! If these guys were out in Cali, they'd no doubt be working in the big studios ...
(Rock CD)
Now Again, 2023.
A great chapter in the wonderful career of Brazilian guitarist Fabiano Do Nascimento – a set that has him filling up his sound a bit, while still allowing his acoustic instrument to stand in the lead – an approach that makes for a record that's even more colorful and moving than before! ...
(Brazil LP)
Fresh Sound New Talent (Spain), 2000. 2LP Gatefold
Bassist Reid Anderson has a really wonderful way with his group here – leading things with a strong sense of flow and color throughout – at a level that holds equally strong when things are upbeat and when things are mellow! All the group members seem folded into the flow of the music ...
(Jazz LP)
Death Is Not The End, Mid 90s.
A really unusual collection, and one that really captures a key musical moment in the London scene – a time when all sorts of underground activity was happening on the rave scene, but people didn't have the world of cell phones and internet to connect! So instead, folks got news out about ...
(Spoken Word CD)
Verve/Mosaic, 1950s. 10CD
A much-needed collection of the famous Jazz At The Philharmonic performances of the 1950s – work that follows up the initial postwar run from producer/presenter Norman Granz, which helped lay the groundwork for Verve Records – but which hasn't gotten the full exposure it deserves! ...
(Jazz CD)
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2023.
A long-overdue document of the artistic activity of Roscoe Mitchell – best known to most as a key member of both the AACM and Art Ensemble Of Chicago as a jazz musician, but a surprisingly accomplished painter too! Mitchell's artistic career is captured here in both distant chapters – ...
(Book)
Ayz/Comet (France), 1984. (reissue)
A record with a really unusual pedigree, in that it was recorded by a number of Haitian singers and musicians on the New York scene – done in the mid 80s with a bit of a groove, and a compelling blend of Caribbean roots and more spiritual elements! At some level, the record is years ahead of ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Peripheral Minimal (UK), Late 70s/1980s. 2CD
The farther reaches of the UK electronic scene in the post-punk years and beyond – material that might be best termed as the earliest years of industrial music – not the thinner "industrial dance" of the latter part of the 80s, but the moody, noisy sounds that grew out of the ...
(Rock CD)
Trio/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1977.
Pianist Takashi Kako has one of the most unique approaches to his instrument we've ever heard – especially in a setting like this, which is more improvised music than straight jazz! Unlike some of the more dynamic pianists of that scene in the 70s, Takashi handles his instrument with this ...
(Jazz CD)
Curtom/Rhino, 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
A mindblowing solo set from Curtis Mayfield – a record that not only foregrounds all the subtle politics he'd been forging in the Impressions during the 60s – but one that also really has Mayfield exploding as a force to be reckoned with in the studio! The album's a personal ...
(Soul LP)
ATA (UK), 2022.
A beautiful album dedicated to the legacy of the late Pharoah Sanders – one that has this excellent group in very similar spiritual territory, but with a wonderful vibe of their own! Tony Burkill delivers these biting tenor solos throughout – soulful, but with a nice edge – ...
(Jazz LP)
First Word (UK), 2022.
A set that furthers Takuya Kuroda's experiments in pushing farther past the jazz of his roots – still graced with plenty of strong trumpet work and bold solo lines – but amidst rhythms that have a nice complexity, and which really push the envelope at times – mostly played live, ...
(Jazz LP)
Polydor/Universal (Germany), 1966. (reissue)
German keyboardist Ingfried Hoffman handled the grooviest organ working the other side of the Atlantic in the 60s – as mighty a talent on the Hammond as Jimmy Smith or Jack McDuff back in the US at the time, and equally groovy too! Hoffmann's work on the keys is probably best known from his ...
(Jazz LP)
Fontec/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1977.
A really groovy harp jazz trio – one that moves through territory that's a bit like American player Dorothy Ashby on some of her small combo records – but with Japanese musician Tadao Hayashi in the lead! The approach is relatively lean – just the bass of Takao Kusagaya and drums ...
(Jazz CD)
BMM (France), 2023.
A contemporary record, but one that really owes a lot to the classic soundtrack modes of the Italian and French scene at the end of the 60s – done with all sorts of wonderful instrumentation that mixes keyboard lines with cool production that makes things sound all sort of moody and beautiful! ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Color Red, 2023.
Drummer Tim Carman is best known for his work in the bluesy trio GA-20, but here he's in much more of a jazz-based mode overall – leading a trio that features some stunning organ work from Ken Clark, a player we don't know at all, but who clearly knows how to channel the best soul jazz styles ...
(Deep Funk LP)
Ace (UK), Late 70s/1980s/1990s/2000s/Early 2010s. 2LP
Not girl pop, not chart hits, and instead a whole host of hard-burning tracks from the underground – a well-done collection that showcases a huge range of positive, powerful female musical expressions from the mid 70s onward! The set begins during the heyday of the early punk years, and ...
(Rock LP)
Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1979.
Exactly the kind of record that's got us digging Japanese trio sessions from the 70s so much – a set that's filled with lots of warm, soulful sounds, creatively compelling changes, and fresh rhythms that really keep the tunes interesting! There's a slight undercurrent of funk on most numbers ...
(Jazz CD)
Mothers Records/P-Vine (Japan), 1975. (reissue)
Spanky Wilson really takes off here – hitting some of her boldest soul modes to date – and serving up a few funk-heavy classics in the process! Production and arrangements are by HB Barnum – who draws on his own rich legacy of soul projects for the set, and finds a way to let ...
(Soul LP)
Bethlehem, 1957. (reissue)
Rare material from John Coltrane – tracks that were done for Bethlehem Records at a time when he was just rising up as a leader, and still contributed work as a sideman! The album features Trane playing tenor on only four of the album's eight tracks – making it kind of surprising that ...
(Jazz LP)
King/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1983.
Larry Coryell lends his guitar to this sweet trio set from Japanese pianist Fumio Karashima – bringing in a slight bit of electricity to a set that's otherwise acoustic! The format here is real back to basics for Karashima – a set of mostly jazz standards, played by a trio that ...
(Jazz CD)
Trio/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1980.
Percussionist Masahiko Togashi works here with superb piano accompaniment from Takashi Kako – a player whose sense of touch and tone is as unique as Togashi's work on the drums! Kako brings these sounds out of the piano that are almost guitar-like at times – not strummed, but with an ...
(Jazz CD)
Ze/Iconoclassic, 1984.
A well-circulated solo set from Junie Morrison – by now working very far from the P-Funk empire, and with a groove that fits in nicely with the sound of 80s soul! The album's heavy on basslines, beats, and keyboards – very much an 80s funk evolution from Junie's 70s roots – with ...
(Soul CD)
Chien Chien Lu, 2023.
We love the vibes-heavy music of Chien Chien Lu, and love it in an even different way here, as she collaborates with bassist Richie Goods – an artist who really helps deepen the sound of her music, and creates this great balance between bass and vibes that's completely amazing! You might not ...
(Jazz CD)
180g (UK), Late 60s/1970s/Early 80s. 2LP Gatefold
A wonderfully wide-ranging look at the more unique aspects of Japanese jazz from the 60s onward – a set that mixes together spiritual tracks, bossa nova, and some surprisingly soulful tracks too – all from records that were only ever issued in Japan! If you've heard the great first ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
African Lady/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1983. (reissue)
A really beautiful album of spiritual soul jazz – featuring the Visions group of tenorist Sam Sanders, an ensemble that worked in Detroit for many years, but rarely made it out of the Motor City! This album's a fantastic demonstration of Sanders' talent and power – wonderfully ...
(Jazz LP)
Trio/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1972.
Seminal work from Anthony Braxton – a crucial concert recorded at Town Hall in the early 70s – originally only issued in Japan, but a date that's ended up getting some real global attention over the years! The first half of the set features Braxton's alto in a trio with Dave Holland on ...
(Jazz CD)
Impulse (Germany), 1972. (reissue)
A classic of spiritual, soulful jazz – and one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums! The set was recorded in New York after a few free and festive years in Paris, and it's an amazing about-face that has Archie stepping into a world of righteous, full-on, political, and funky themes – the ...
(Jazz LP)
Why Not/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1975.
A beautiful session from vibist Walt Dickerson – a set that really lives up to its title, given Walt's tone and timing on the date! The group's a trio – with Dickerson's frequent partner Andrew Cyrille on drums, and the great Wilbur Ware on bass – playing with these warm, soulful ...
(Jazz CD)
Fiction/Elektra, 1992. 2LP (reissue)
Maybe the biggest album ever from The Cure – a set that marked a high moment in maybe the second chapter of their career – at a time when they'd gone from being a cult underground band to becoming a surprisingly durable group in the long run! That darker energy of Robert Smith's ...
(Rock LP)
Trio/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1982.
A mighty nice Japanese piano trio session from the 80s – and one that's got the full, round warmth of some of the best 70s dates for the Three Blind Mice label! Naoki Nishi handles the keys, and plays piano with a mixture of straight swing and more spacious lyrical moments – the latter ...
(Jazz CD)
Trio/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1978.
An obscure 70s trio session from pianist Tommy Flanagan – and one that really gets at the full depths of his lyrical talents on the keys! As the title implies, the session features Tommy working through a host of Harold Arlen standards – all familiar numbers, but performed here with a ...
(Jazz CD)
TruSoul, Early 90s/2019.
Pete Rock returns to the 1200, and the crispy, vinyl-heavy approach that's always made his music so great – but which also seems recently reborn with a new sense of commitment on records like this! There's lyrics on the set, but mostly those that are sampled from other records, bubbling in ...
(Hip Hop LP)
CBS/Guerssen (Spain), 1972. (reissue)
A near-lost musical treasure from the cultural crossroads of the Bay Area scene in the early 70s – work by a Filipino American group who were big on the scene – and who have a mix of rock, jazz, and Latin elements that's not unlike some of their bigger San Francisco contemporaries! The ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Love/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
An amazing moment from Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino – an early 70s session recorded in America – with fantastic work from Gary Bartz on alto and Reggie Workman on bass! The album's not like Hino's later American dates – which were often more fusion based – as the style ...
(Jazz LP)
Hiroshi Suzuki/Masahiko Togashi Quintet
Variation
Takt/Lawson (Japan), 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
An excellent early album from Japanese drummer Masahiko Togashi, featuring a group that he co-led with trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki! The quintet's got a sound that's kind of a messed-up take on the Blue Note groove of the 60s – particularly the Lee Morgan rolling funky soul jazz sound of the ...
(Jazz LP)
Aketa's Disk/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1979.
One of the warmest, most lyrical albums recorded on the unique Aketa's Disk label in Japan – a set that offers up their own spin on some of the trio modes of the bigger labels of the time – all served up in a nicely offbeat performance from drummer Tsunoda Hiro! Each of the two tracks ...
(Jazz CD)
Trio/Solid (Japan), 1980.
A beautiful little record, with some of the slight exotic touches you might expect from the title – as the group features Kazumi Watanabe on acoustic and electric guitar, and Yuji Imamura on percussion – both musicians who help open up the sound of the trio core into much warmer ...
(Jazz CD)
Trojan/Doctor Bird (UK), Late 60s. 2CDs
Two rare compilations from Trojan Records – back to back in a single set, with an insane number of bonus tracks too! Both records capture that time when the groove was moving from rocksteady to early reggae – still yet to hit global fame, which makes for a really nice mix of music from ...
(Reggae CD)
Hat Hut (Switzerland), Late 60s.
An unusual package – one that features the full album The Way Ahead, plus tracks from other late 60s Archie Shepp sessions too! The Way Ahead has tenor giant Archie Shepp in prime form – working with a sextet that's awash in avant freedoms, but which always shows a great sense of ...
(Jazz CD)
BBE (UK), 2019. 2LP Gatefold
A really great collection of jazzy groovers – one that effortlessly combines older material and newer recordings, all with a great ear that never tires in its pursuit of the groove! The blend of old and new is a bit like some of the collections we used to love from Gilles Peterson back in ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1971. Gatefold (reissue)
A brilliant set of spare duets between Japanese percussionist Masahiko Togashi and saxophonist Mototeru Takagi – both stretching out on an album-length performance that stands up to anything the European Free jazz scene was offering at the time! Togashi is amazing on the kit – very ...
(Jazz LP)
Trio/Solid (Japan), 1981.
Masaru Imada gets a bit tropical here, but also picks up some great help on horns – thanks to guest work from the Brecker Brothers, whose performance on a few tracks really help give the set a strong soul fusion vibe! The core sounds come from Imada's quintet – which has the leader ...
(Jazz CD)
WeJazz (Finland), 2022.
A really fantastic issue of this wonderful jazz magazine – and one that features great articles on two legendary record labels – 70s spiritual powerhouse Black Jazz Records, and the legendary South African imprint As-Shams! There's plenty more greatness too – a fond farewell to ...
(Magazine)
Tele Music/Be With (UK), 1973. (reissue)
A record that really lives up to the promise of its title – and one that delivers not just in the world of funky rhythms, but Latin modes as well! There's some great percussion on the cuts at the bottom – so that even if there's some wah wah guitar or sweet electric keyboards, there ...
(Sound Library LP)
Rebirth/P-Vine (Japan), 1985.
Later work from reedman Wendell Harrison and the Tribe Records scene – a set that's got a slightly tighter feel than some of his earlier work, but still a relatively soulful vibe overall! Harrison leads the group on tenor, flute, and clarinet – but there's definitely a collective vibe ...
(Jazz CD)
Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 50s/Early 60s. 2CD
The birth of a key moment in avant garde music – served up here in a series of recordings that are nicely different than some of the other musique concrete material on the market! The package brings together some early "panorama" presentations of the work – two from the Club ...
(Out Sound CD)
VAP/BBE (UK), 1981.
Really amazing sounds from Japanese drummer Takeo Moriyama – a record that's sometimes spiritual and organic, sometimes very unusually put-together – and which makes as much use of inventive percussion as it does the leaders drums! The group's got this very cool twin-sax approach ...
(Jazz CD)
Bethlehem/BMG, 1957. (reissue)
A well-titled set from Art Blakey – considering the hard-driving sound of the group! The album's one of the best from that unusual year of 1957 – almost a "lost" year for Art, when he was working away from Blue Note with a very different lineup of the Jazz Messengers than on ...
(Jazz LP)
Owl Wing (Japan), 1969.
Really fantastic early work from pianist Takehiro Honda – a set that seems to predate even his famous first few albums – and which has Honda playing with all the unbridled energy you might guess from the cover! Given that Honda was one of the first pianists to really unfurl that style ...
(Jazz CD)
TP Orchestra Poly Rythmo De Cotonou
Afro Funk
Albarika Store/Acid Jazz (UK), Late 70s.
An album that really lives up to its title, and one that brings together a host of rare singles from this legendary group – all of which are maybe even funkier than some of the tracks on their albums of the time! The bulk of the record is from very rare 7" singles issued on the Albarika ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Kosmische Musik/Die Kosmischen Kuriere (Germany), 1974. (reissue)
One of the most striking albums of the Krautrock generation – a project that has singer Gille Lettmann acting as Starmaiden – in a set of tracks that features contributions from a whole host of other contemporaries too! Klaus Schulze provides keyboards amidst all sorts of fuzzy guitar ...
(Rock LP)
Impulse (Germany), 1972. (reissue)
Amazing work from violinist Michael White – one of a few that he cut for the Impulse label in the early 70s, all of which helped to completely redefine the use of his instrument in jazz! Throw away any sleepy connotations you may have about the violin, because in White's hands it's an ...
(Jazz LP)
Verve/Philips (Germany), 1969. (reissue)
A one of a kind record that still sparkles as brightly today as it did back in the late 60s – an amazing collaboration between Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina and Scandinavian jazzman Toots Thielemans – done in a style that easily makes it one of the best records ever from both artists! ...
(Brazil LP)
Jazz Is Dead, 2023.
The Jazz Is Dead series goes mighty deep with this gem of a record – opening the door for two legendary Tribe Records talents from the Detroit scene of the 70s – reedman Wendell Harrison and trombonist Phil Ranelin – both of whom sound superb throughout! As with other volumes in ...
(Deep Funk LP)
Atlantic, Mid 70s. Gatefold (reissue)
A monstrous bit of jazzy fusion from the 70s – and the record that really put drummer Billy Cobham on the map – virtually creating his own sort of space between jazz, funk, and prog – thanks to the help of an all star lineup too! Cobham is tremendous on drums – and is ...
(Jazz LP)
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1976. (reissue)
A great blend of funky jazz and wooden flute – the Japanese shakuhachi reed instrument, blown by Kifu Mitsuhashi here – then mixed with some larger backings that almost have a CTI Records sort of groove! The approach is similar to some of the best 70s projects from Hozan Yamamoto ...
(Japanese LP)
Ohr/Pilz (Germany), 1972. Gatefold (reissue)
A blitzkrieg of sound from Wallenstein – a group who were definitely one of the more hard-hitting acts in the Krautrock generation – graced with a sound that comes on strong right away, then really spins out in this soaring blend of keyboards and guitars! Lead singer Jurgen Dollase ...
(Rock LP)
Deram/Universal (UK), 1969. (reissue)
Killer work from The Flirtations – originally an American group, but one who made a hip step to the UK in the mid 60s – where they began backing a lot of big artists, and also recorded this rare gem on their own! The sound is a wonderful blend of American soul and 60s UK girl pop ...
(Soul LP)
Mercury, 1969.
Ella Fitzgerald on the stage at the legendary Montreux Festival in 1969 – completely captivating the crowd, even though the setting of the show is nice and stripped down! Ella sings here with backing from the trio of pianist Tommy Flanagan – in a style that's a nice change from some of ...
(Vocalists LP)
Motor/Universal (Germany), 1995. (reissue)
A key moment in the rebirth of the legendary Joyce – a set recorded on the European scene at a time when interest in her older records was at an all-time high, yet before she really had gotten the chance to record at a level that would take her back to those roots! Some of the studio Joyce ...
(Brazil LP)
Timeless/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1984. (reissue)
One of the most unique albums ever recorded by the legendary bassist Jaco Pastorious – and one of the most outside as well! The set features duets recorded with drummer Rashied Ali for French Radio in 1984 – and as with John Coltrane, Ali is something of a muse here with Pastorius ...
(Jazz LP)
Top Tape/Mr Bongo (UK), Early 70s.
A record with a very plain cover, but one that contains some of the most searing guitar work of the early 70s – the one and only album by a short-lived group from Brazil – one who mix Sabbath-style hard rock with some more experimental modes – all at a level that's completely ...
(Rock CD)
Chess/Elemental (Spain), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
A famous date that showcases the Chess Records influence on the sound of the Brit rock scene – one that has a number of key players "giving back" to the label, and working on a special date with Howlin Wolf! Wolf's rough vocals are in the lead on all tracks, and he also plays a bit ...
(Blues LP)
Janus/Trading Places, 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
A real lost chapter in the career of the great Don Covay – material done after his original funky soul on 60s Atlantic Records, and before his return to fame in the early 70s on Mercury – done in a raw vibe that has a lot more grit than you might expect! There's touches of psychedelic ...
(Soul LP)
Denon/Lawson (Japan), 1976. (reissue)
A really cool record from the Japanese scene of the 70s – one that mixes traditional instrumentation with some high fidelity recording styles – then adds in just the right dash of contemporary elements too! The set's not as all-out funky as others like it from the time, but does rise ...
(Japanese LP)
Dragon (Sweden), 1950. 2CD
Rare material from one of the few trips that alto genius Charlie Parker ever made to the European scene during his too-short live – and a package that also shows just what a difference Bird brought to the world at the time! The set features a fair bit of live material that begins with a ...
(Jazz CD)
RCA/Dialogo (Italy), 1974.
A totally wonderful early project from trumpeter Enrico Rava – very different than just about anything we've ever heard from him, as the record's bubbling over with joy and life, and seems to encompass a globe's worth of influences! Rava's trumpet gets plenty of showcase in the set, amidst ...
(Jazz CD)
Finders Keepers (UK), Late 70s. (pic cover)
Some of the darkest music we've ever heard from Polish soundtrack legend Andrzej Korzynski – music that's got a sublime mix of brooding instrumentation and very tripped out production – slow-moving, but striking – as all sorts of weird effects transform the fuzzy guitar and ...
(Funky 45's 7-inch)
RCA/Dialogo (Italy), 1962.
A very cool album from the Italian branch of RCA Records – and a set that features a host of artists from other nations who briefly stopped over in Italy, and recorded some of these gems for the label! There's a core energy to the set, which balances contributions from a few key artists, ...
(Jazz CD)
Blue Note (Japan), 1970.
Donald Byrd in a sweet electric mode – as you'd guess from the title! The set was recorded right before Byrd's legendary run with Larry Mizell in the early 70s – and the electric approach is a bit different here – a style that blends Byrd's wonderful trumpet lines with the larger ...
(Jazz CD)
Blue Note (Japan), 1969/1973. 2CDs
A unique 70s package from Blue Note – one that features two full albums recorded by the drummer for the label, both of which were unissued until this double-length set! The first half features some of the material that would later go on to make up the longer album At This Point In time ...
(Jazz CD)
Trojan, Late 60s/Early 70s. 2CD
Definite essential work from The Maytals – the legendary group led by Toots Hibbert, and who really helped transform the sound of Jamaican music with recordings like this! There were certainly other soulful groups in their generation on the Kingston scene, but The Maytals really helped give ...
(Reggae CD)
Revolution/Acid Jazz (UK), Mid 70s. (reissue)
A stunner of a set from the 70s African scene – and a record that may well be a lot rawer and harder than most that you have in your collection! Ferry Djimmy was originally a boxer, and spent time outside of his native Benin – but on a return to the country in the early 70s, he cut ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Relativity/Get On Down, 1997. 2LP (reissue)
The fantastic third album from Common – the record that really catapulted him on his way to stardom, yet a set that still retains all the best aspects of his early days in Chicago! Part of that quality comes from the superb production of No ID, who gets a bit of local help from Dug Infinite ...
(Hip Hop LP)
Trio/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1983.
The cover here is slightly tropical-looking, and that's reflected a bit in the music – as the set expands from the more familiar trio modes of pianist Masaru Imada, to bring in help from a key batch of American musicians, both electric and acoustic! Imada handles a bit of Fender Rhodes next ...
(Jazz CD)
P-Vine (Japan), 1974.
A rare session from indie soul legend Penny Goodwin – a previously unissued live performance from 1974, featuring small combo backing in a sweet and jazzy mode! Penny's got a voice that's instantly recognizable – a bit raspy, in the mode of Esther Phillips – but cooler and more ...
(Soul LP)
Past Due, Late 70s.
Never-heard music from the great Richie Weeks – an artist you might know for his work in New York dancefloor groups The Jammers and Weeks & Co – but who's heard here on cuts that represent his never-ending efforts to come up with great grooves in the studio! Much of this music was ...
(Soul CD)
Gallo/We Are Busy Bodies (UK), 1979. (reissue)
A wonderful blend of 70s electric modes and the spiritual currents of the Gallo label on the South African scene – and a record that really stands as a testament to the talents and timing of keyboard player Lionel Pillay! The set just features two long tracks – building with a groove ...
(Jazz LP)
P-Vine (Japan), 2022. 2LP Gatefold
Keyboardist Bernie Worrell first rose to fame in the P-Funk universe of George Clinton – but as the decades moved on, he also became a very different sort of keyboardist overall – one with a lot more way out sounds than he ever would have contributed to a record by Funkadelic – as ...
(Soul LP)
Trojan, Mid 60s. 2CD
The Skatalites are a group who were one of the key forces in Jamaican music in the 60s – a crack ensemble of musicians who really helped the scene in Kingston break strongly from other Caribbean cities at the time – finding a groove that would forever set the path towards rocksteady and ...
(Reggae CD)
Preference, 2022.
A wonderful blend of spoken word and jazz – contemporary, but put together with the strength of similar records from the 70s – those secret texts of knowledge that often used to be sold as much in bookstores as in the record racks! AK Toney and Jasik provide the spoken passages, set to ...
(Jazz LP)
Gallo/We Are Busy Bodies (UK), 1980. (reissue)
A slinky fusion gem from South African keyboardist Lionel Pillay – a set that's got this snakey style that definitely continues the legacy of jazz from that scene in earlier years, but with a vibe that's very much his own! Pillay's got this great way of relaxing into a groove – taking ...
(Jazz LP)
Red Horizon/BBE (UK), 1978.
A rare and beautiful set from the Japanese scene of the 70s – a record that features tenor and soprano sax from Hideyasu Terekawa, and vibes from Hiroshi Fujii – a wonderful combination, and a pair of players who really open up in the live setting of the record! The tunes are mostly ...
(Jazz CD)
Bethlehem/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1957.
One of Charles Mingus' excellent albums for the Bethlehem label – recorded during that magical year of 1957, a real turning point in his career! There's a sharpness here to Mingus' musical vision that hadn't shown up in previous years – a refinement of ideas expressed for Savoy and ...
(Jazz CD)
Pyramid/Strut (UK), 1974. (reissue)
Incredible music from The Pyramids – an obscure Midwestern combo who made some pretty amazing records in the early 70s! There's a heavy dose of spirituality in the mix here – a vibe that rivals some of the best albums of the time on Strata East, but with a freer sound overall – ...
(Jazz LP)
Pykotic/Lion, 1985. (reissue)
Mindblowing work from the American underground of the 80s – served up by one of the few truly committed psych bands, at a time when everyone else was just waving flowers and paisley, pretending they were part of a psych revival! These guys are the real deal – long guitar lines that are ...
(Rock LP)
Supraphon/GAD (Poland), 1975. 2CD
The classic debut of Energit – one of the hippest, tightest fusion combos on the Eastern European scene of the 70s – thanks in part to the wonderful keyboard work of the great Emil Viklicky! At times, Viklicky could be more of a straight jazz player – but here, he's much more in ...
(Jazz CD)
JMI, 2022. Gatefold
Not a straight session of bossa nova jazz, but a record that maybe takes its title seriously – and served up a love letter to the Brazilian music style, but one that's got the very individual spirit of the leader in its groove! The record is a jazz date first and foremost, with Antero ...
(Jazz LP)
Die Kosmischen Kuriere (Germany), 1974. (reissue)
A totally wonderful little record – one that really lives up to the sci-fi party promised in its title – but with all the German 70s elements you'd guess from the cover! The quintet here is a supergroup of Krautrock giants – a lineup that includes Manuel Gottsching on guitar, ...
(Rock LP)
Impulse, 1967. Gatefold (reissue)
One of the funkiest records ever recorded for Impulse – and the debut set by guitarist Mel Brown! Mel has a really down-and-dirty style that's quite unusual for the label at the time – a rootsy approach to guitar that's steeped in equal parts jazz, soul, and R&B – and which ...
(Jazz LP)
Saigon Supersound, Late 60s/Early 70s.
Really fantastic work from a scene that interacted briefly with our culture during the Vietnam war – yet still managed to hold on to a groove that was very much its own! This isn't the sound of American rock blaring out of a transistor radio in some fiction film about the war – and ...
(Global Grooves CD)
Aketa's Disk/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1981.
A beautifully fragile record of solo piano work – one that seems to underscore it's "alone" title not just with the fact that it features just Shoji Aketagawa on piano, but also because the whole thing's recorded with this echoey, almost forlorn of quality – very unusual for a ...
(Jazz CD)
Blue Note (Japan), 1969.
The title's a great one for this post-Coltrane cooker from Elvin Jones – as the set really has Elvin exploring some really fresh currents in jazz, with a range of complicated rhythms that really pull the whole session along strongly! Rhythm is really set free on the record – as Elvin ...
(Jazz CD)
Universal (France), 2023.
A beautiful meeting of contemporary soul and deeper roots – served up here by a singer from Cameroon, but one who works in the best criss-crossing traditions of the scene in France! Elements of hip hop, reggae, and other modes filter through the record – and although the lyrics are in ...
(Neo Soul CD)
Vogue/Souffle Continu (France), 1970.
The only album ever issued by this incredible group from the French scene – a quintet of musicians who were really caught up in the powerful political energy of the post-1968 scene! The record is maybe even more revolutionary than some of the sets issued on artier labels like Saravah or BYG ...
(Rock CD)
EFAE/Moved By Sound (UK), 1982. (reissue)
A brilliant moment as a leader from saxophonist Maurice Malik King – a member of the St Louis underground in the 70s, but one who never saw the same sort of fame as contemporaries who left the city for New York and beyond – yet who continued to create some incredible music far away from ...
(Jazz LP)
Maya (Aleksander Sever/Omer Govreen/Floris Kappeyne/Wouter Kuhne)
Maya
JMI, 2022. Gatefold
A quartet session that mixes vibes and piano – the former from Aleksander Sever, the latter from Floris Kappeyne – but in a way that's nicely different from any sort of historical precedents – such as work from the MJQ or George Shearing, and maybe even more recent recordings from ...
(Jazz LP)
Far Out (UK), 1977.
A record that could have been the biggest breakthrough in the career of the legendary Joyce – yet the set was never issued at the time! The late 70s session has Joyce recording in New York, under the guidance of studio maestro Claus Ogerman – who has a wonderful way of elevating the ...
(Brazil CD)
Jupiter (Stubo/Kullhammar/Nickelsen/Holmegard)
Wild East
Moserobie (Sweden), 2022.
A record with a killer combination at the core – the tenor of Jonas Kullhammar and Hammond work of Steiner Nickelsen – both players who take this familiar pairing and really find a way to make something new! Yet that's also often the point of some of the best records on Kullhammar's ...
(Jazz CD)
Digitmovies (Italy), Early 70s. 2LP & 4CD set
A wonderful package – one that brings together four killer horror soundtracks from Italian maestro Bruno Nicolai! First up is La Coda Dello Scorpione – a dark dark masterpiece from the legendary Bruno Nicolai – written for an equally dark thriller with a wonderful edge! The work ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Of The Cosmos/Moved By Sound (UK), 1979. (reissue)
A masterful moment as a leader from bassist Sirone – one of his only albums in the lead, and a very different set than some of his work with the Revolutionary Ensemble! There's an intimate vibe going on here, but one that's still very powerful, and definitely in the best spirit of the loft ...
(Jazz LP)
Columbia/Telephone Explosion (Canada), 1970. (reissue)
One of the greatest moog albums ever – all original sounds and tunes from the legendary Bruce Haack! Haack had spent most of the 60s doing small label kiddie records on his own, but this late 60s gem on Columbia is probably his best known work – a masterpiece of short and groovy little ...
(Now Sound LP)
Blue Note (Japan), 1973.
A real rarity from the Blue Note years of drummer Elvin Jones – a unique large group session that was recorded in 1973, but not issued by the label until many years later! As with many of the unreleased Blue Note sets, the quality is superb – Jones doing something a bit different, ...
(Jazz CD)
Warner (Italy), Late 60s.
Pure pop magic from the lovely Mina – a very weird little record in which she takes on a host of mid-period tracks by The Beatles! The sound is as offbeat as the cover's take on Revolver – kind of a cross between late 60s Beatles, and early 70s Italian – trippy at points, but ...
(Vocalists CD)
Aberrant (France), Late 70s/1980s.
It's hard to imagine the scene at Studio 54 in the Soviet scene of the late 70s – but, as with most of the world at the time, the USSR managed to pick up more than a few influences from the disco years in America – a range of sounds that it held on to for longer than the bit club years ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
Pyramid/Strut (UK), 1973. (reissue)
The first of three albums issued by The Pyramids – a wonderful bit of spiritual soul jazz with a really cosmic feel! The group are heavy on percussion and reeds – blending congas and assorted other percussion instruments with soprano sax, alto, and flute – all in a captivating ...
(Jazz LP)
Backwoodz, 2023.
Elucid references his grandmother in the title here – but the music is the sort of hard-nosed work that he's given us in the past, and hardly the sort of set you can imagine getting any sort of play in the old folks home! The production is wonderfully dark and dense – that gritty style ...
(Hip Hop LP)
JMI, 2022. Gatefold
Vibist Sasha Berliner has a really great touch here – a style that's almost elliptical at times, as she builds and builds these waves of sound on the vibes – creating a magical flow that really makes the whole album a strong statement for her ever-growing talents! The lineup also helps ...
(Jazz LP)
Hot Casa (France), 2022.
New work from Togolese music legend Roger Damawuzan – but a set that feels as fierce and funky as if it were recorded in the 70s! The group is super-tight throughout – more inspired by the James Brown Band of the late 60s than other West African groups – and tracks are short, ...
(Global Grooves CD)
Westbound/Big Pink (South Korea), 1974. (reissue)
An overlooked gem from the great Spanky Wilson – a set that's sometimes missed because it's not as hard and funky as her earlier work, yet a record that's got all sorts of wonderful charms that really show Wilson starting to develop as a singer! There's a cool, classy vibe to the record, ...
(Soul CD)
Timeless/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1983. (reissue)
A lost treasure from tenorist Benny Golson – and one of his most noteworthy records since the early days! The "John" in the title is Coltrane – and the set's got a sweeping spiritual groove that's quite different from much of Golson's other work, and which shows that he's ...
(Jazz LP)
Jody Stecher & Krishna Bhatt
Rasa
Rooster/Don Giovanni, 1981.
A really unusual record – part global, part folk – but maybe that's what you'd expect when you match the sitar of Krishna Bhatt with the acoustic guitar of Jody Stecher! There's definitely a lot of sitar on the record, and some tabla too – but those sounds are balanced by more ...
(Global Grooves CD)
Pyramid/Strut (UK), 1976. (reissue)
One of the boldest albums ever from this legendary spiritual jazz ensemble – and a set that has them reaching even further heights in their music! There's a bit more focus here than before – tunes that are somewhat shorter, and really hone in on the best elements in the group's sound ...
(Jazz LP)
Blue Note (Japan), 1969/1972.
A overlooked gem in Elvin Jones' Blue Note career – and an album that's virtually the blueprint for the Stone Alliance sound forged later in the decade by bassist Gene Perla and reedman Steve Grossman! Both players are working to full effect on this smoking little set – mixing some of ...
(Jazz CD)
Hypnotize Minds/Get On Down, 2000. 2LP (reissue)
Three 6 Mafia blow things up with other members of their Hypnotize Minds label – creating a thug-heavy party that really pushes their sound over the top! At times, there's almost so many voices on the record, with so much energy, it feels as if the album's going to pop right out of your ...
(Hip Hop LP)
Bear Family (Germany), Late 50s/Early 60s.
Really obscure work from the early days of the German rock scene – a time long before the prog experiments that would get some of its bigger groups international attention – and done when the nation was maybe working harder to import sounds from outside, rather than export its own new ...
(Rock CD)
Because/Universal (France), 1970s/Early 80s. 2LP
Really cool cuts from the French club scene of the 70s – a weird and wonderful assortment of sounds that all came from producer Daniel Vangarde and his Zagora Record label – a place where all sorts of criss-crossing styles could work together in a really wonderful way! Some moments ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
Leaf (UK), 2023.
Percussionist Sarathy Korwar is maybe even more political here than on his previous record – and creates music that feels like it's got a definite mission – breaking down boundaries in jazz, Indian music, and just about any other style that Sarathy gets his hands on – at a level ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Hanover/Real Gone, 1959. (reissue)
A beautifully vivid set from Jack Kerouac – one that has him reading his own music set to spare piano accompaniment by Steve Allen – most of which was improvised for the set! The pairing of Kerouac and Allen seems an unlikely one, but it really works well here – as Jack's quite ...
(Spoken Word LP)
Full House/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1982.
The cover's a bit sketchy, but the music is sharp and clear throughout – strong-handled work on piano from Japanese player Masaru Imada, given great support from the work of George Mraz on bass and Billy Hart on drums! The set's got a nice crisp vibe throughout – a bit more punch than ...
(Jazz CD)
Ventadorn/Dizonord (France), 1979. (reissue)
A weird and wonderful little record – one that combines noisy industrial moments with acoustic folksy elements – all in a way that's not unlike the direction Current 93 would take later on in the 80s! Regrelh somehow manage to evoke both a primitive pagan past and an eerie apocalyptic ...
(Rock LP)
University Of Minnesota Press, 2022.
An incredible book from Nicole Mitchell – an artist that most know for her work as a jazz musician on flute, and a range of other musical projects – yet one who's developed into a cultural force far beyond music, as you'll see in this really groundbreaking literary project! The book ...
(Book)
Candid/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1960.
The only thing "straight" about Steve Lacy's horn is its shape – as the soprano sax here is used in some extremely inventive and modern ways, especially for the date of the session! We don't think we're going out on a limb to say Lacy is one of the foremost melodic improvisors of ...
(Jazz CD)
Leaf (UK), 2023.
Percussionist Sarathy Korwar is maybe even more political here than on his previous record – and creates music that feels like it's got a definite mission – breaking down boundaries in jazz, Indian music, and just about any other style that Sarathy gets his hands on – at a level ...
(Global Grooves CD)
Imperial/Universal (Japan), 1961.
Breathy brilliance from April Stevens – the sexy west coast singer who made some really wonderful records in the 50s! At some level, April was a bit like Julie London – in that she sang in a laidback, seductive tone that was quite risque at times – but she was also a bit more pop ...
(Vocalists CD)
Jazz In Britain (UK), 1970.
Some of the greatest work we've ever heard from legendary British guitarist Ray Russell – a set that was not issued to the public at the time, but recorded especially for the BBC – and with a sound that's every bit as striking as his famous albums for CBS! There's maybe a slightly more ...
(Jazz CD)
Luaka Bop, Late 70s/Early 80s. 5LPs
A huge package of work that finally brings the rare Nigerian albums of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah to a much larger global audience – all beautifully brought together with a booklet that pays tribute to Oshomah, with contributions from his family – and sound quality that's a heck of a lot ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Tidal Waves, 1976. (reissue)
Heady sounds from Friimen – a 70s combo from Nigeria, but one who have some of the deeper, more psychedelic elements of groups from farther south on the West African scene – lots of basslines and a dubby sort of vibe! At times, the feel here is almost more like Blo or Cymande (even ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Inventory Press, 2023.
Milford Graves was a legendary jazz drummer, yet he's also far more than that – a non-stop creative force whose talents ranged from art to science to healing and writing – an incredible legacy that's finally captured in one place by this beautiful book! From a visual perspective, the ...
(Book)
Bear Family (Germany), Late 60s.
A really great collection that brings together some of the most hard-rocking tracks from Wanda Jackson's early years on Capitol Records – a time when the singer became an instant legend for her hard-edged way of putting over a tune! At a time when the early rock scene was dominated by male ...
(Folk/Country LP)
Astral Spirits, 2022.
A graceful collision of sounds from this very unusual trio – a lineup that features electronics handled by all three members – plus alto from Chris Pitsikos, bass from Luke Stewart, and drums from Jason Nazary! There's a feel here that's a bit like some of Stewart's other work, but the ...
(Jazz LP)
Ohr/Pilz (Germany), 1973. (reissue)
Wallenstein open up their sound a bit more here – starting off with a side-long suite billed as the "symphonic rock orchestra", and which features just the sort of touches that name might make you expect – a bit added strings, mostly through mellotron, but also a wider, fuller ...
(Rock LP)
Jazz Detective, Mid 60s. 2CD
Really fantastic music from pianist Ahmad Jamal – a set of tracks that's a really nice change from some of the recordings he was doing for Chess Records in the early 60s, and which definitely point the way towards the more stretched-out performances to come on Impulse Records! As the title ...
(Jazz CD)
Cherry Red (UK), Late 70s. 12CD
A stunning selection of early work from The Fall – a package that brings together all the music they recorded in the late 70s, plus a number of unissued live sets from the same time! As with the other boxes in this series from Cherry Red, the presentation is amazing, and amazingly ...
(Rock CD)
Storyville/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1978.
A sparkling set from pianist Richard Wyands – and a great demonstration of that soulful flow he's really unfurled strongly in later years – captured here in an obscure trio outing from the late 70s! Wyands' is part of a small number of players who can be lyrical, yet forceful at the ...
(Jazz CD)
Blue Note (Japan), 1971.
A gem of an Elvin Jones session – quite different than most of his other work from the time! The album's got Elvin working with a larger group of mixed electric and acoustic players – with Chick Corea on piano and electric piano, Yoshiaki Masuo on guitar, Gene Perla on electric and ...
(Jazz CD)
Sunnyside, 2023. 2CD
The music of Egbergo Gismonti means many things to many people – as the Brazilian music legend worked in so many styles and settings, he really offered a lot to the world with his many albums! And here, arranger Gaia Wilmer approaches Gismonti's music with a real love of his work in a larger ...
(Jazz CD)
King/Universal, 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
A different James Brown album – but a nice one! James doesn't sing soul, so much as jazz – in front of large backings by Louis Bellson, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson that are in his best 60s soul mode – and which give the album a very very groovy feel overall! The record's ...
(Soul LP)
Modern Harmonic, 1986.
The legendary Sun Ra is certainly a prophet in jazz – but here, the word has a different meaning – as it refers to the Prophet VS keyboard, which Ra used for the first time in this mid 80s recording! Sun Ra is no stranger to electronics – he was coming up with all sorts of weird ...
(Jazz LP)
URC/Super Fuji Discs (Japan), 1972.
An incredible album, and an incredible cultural moment as well – as Japanese avant piano legend Yosuke Yamashita pays tribute to the great Muhammad Ali – on the occasion of his visit to Japan for the World Heavyweight match in 1972! Half the record features instrumental selections with ...
(Jazz CD)
Fania/Craft, 1972. (reissue)
Supposedly the end of Willie Colon's early "crime" career – as the title and cover imply that he's finally been brought to trial! Don't worry about Willie being beaten down, though, because the music on the album is every bit as fierce and powerful as ever – and features a ...
(Latin LP)
Toshiba/Lawson (Japan), 1983. (reissue)
An unusual 80s album from reed player Michiko Akao – one that follows on the mode of some of the earlier Japanese records that mixed older folkloric styles with jazz, such as the records by Hozan Yamamoto – but done with more unusual instrumentation overall, in ways that mixes Michiko's ...
(Jazz LP)
EMI/Fatiado (Spain), 1975. (reissue)
Seminal funk from the Brazilian scene of the 70s – one of those really rare, really one-of-a-kind albums – but one that also seems to perfectly sum up the sound of the times as well! Di Melo's a mighty funky cat – and works here with these bass-heavy arrangements from Geraldo ...
(Brazil LP)
Elektra/Alive, 1971. (reissue)
Swamp Dogg's on the cover, riding a giant rat out of the ghetto – an image that definitely hints at some of the politics on the record! The album's one of Swamp's key classics from the early 70s – recorded at a time when he was still super-sharp – and when the character was a ...
(Soul LP)
Brain/Bureau B (Germany), 1972. Gatefold (reissue)
Heady work from Cluster – a record that really helped set the tone for a whole generation of German experimentation! The sound here is incredibly dense – guitar and keyboard parts that are processed heavily, looped back on themselves, and sometimes supported by a bit of electronics ...
(Rock LP)
Dark Entries, Early 80s.
A whole host of rare tracks from electro maestro Patrick Cowley – all of them the sort of grooves that were burning up dancefloors in San Francisco in the years before Cowley was taken from us all too soon! These numbers are all clubby instrumentals – post-disco, pre-house – but ...
(Soul CD)
Blue Note (Japan), 1975.
An incredible record – and one of the real high points in the career of trumpeter Donald Byrd! The album's the third one he cut with producer/arranger Larry Mizell – and of all Byrd's work with Mizell, this one's the funkiest, the tightest, the most soulful, and the most perfectly ...
(Jazz CD)
Blue Note, 1973.
A never-heard live set from the mighty Donald Byrd – recording here with live accompaniment from the Mizell Brothers – at a level that's every bit as wonderful as their work with the trumpeter in the studio! The material was originally recorded during a same series of albums that Blue ...
(Jazz CD)
Atlantic/Iconoclassic, 1985.
A third great chapter in the career of the mighty Steve Arrington – a solo debut, after work in the groups Slave and Hall Of Fame – and a set that has Arrington maybe shining even more than ever in the spotlight! Rhythms are a bit more mid 80s than his previous work – but Steve's ...
(Soul CD)
577, 2022.
There's a nice variation here to the previous album from Francisco Mela with this title – and that difference is pianist Cooper-Moore, who steps into the place that Matthew Shipp held in the previous trio – and brings all sorts of wonderful sounds and flavors into play! Mela's a great ...
(Jazz LP)
Preference, 2022.
Alto saxophonist Devin Daniels gets a fantastic showcase here – a trio with just the bass of Logan Kane and drums of Christian Euman – which creates a very open space in which Daniels seems to emerge as a major new voice on his instrument! Devin blows the horn with amazing dexterity ...
(Jazz LP)
Dave Rempis/Elisabeth Harnik/Fred Lonberg-Holm/Tim Daisy
Earscratcher
Aerophonic, 2022.
Very striking sounds from a very striking quartet – one that brings Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnik into play with the Chicago sounds of Dave Rempis on alto, Fred Longberg-Holm on cello, and Tim Daisy on drums! The tracks are all long, and have a very freely improvising quality – ...
(Jazz CD)
Hanover/Real Gone, 1959. (reissue)
One of the most jazz-based recordings ever done by Jack Kerouac – a set that features some great improvisations from Zoot Sims and Al Cohn! If you only know Cohn and Sims from their more arranged dates of the 50s, you'll really be surprised at their work here – as both players blow ...
(Spoken Word LP)
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2013.
Tomeka Reid and Fred Lonberg-Holm are two of the most amazing contemporary musicians on cello – yet here, in a set of live duets, they also pay tribute to those who've gone before in jazz territory on the instrument – as they combine their own compositions with those by Sam Jones, Ron ...
(Jazz LP)
Candid/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1961.
Supremely soulful modern jazz from the great Booker Little – one of his best albums ever as a leader, and a real standout moment amidst so many of the re-titled sessions that came out after his early death! The album's got a tremendous feel from the very first note – a furthering of ...
(Jazz CD)
ECM (Germany), 2022.
John Scofield's a musician who's changed up his sound wonderfully over the decades – and yet, throughout it all, he's never stopped to give us an album of solo guitar – something he does here in a wonderfully fresh way – mixing up a surprising array of songs alongside his own work ...
(Jazz CD)
Blue Note, 2022.
A mighty fresh debut from Domi and JD Beck – a duo who mix together keyboards and drums at a level that channels lots of styles from the global underground of the past decade or so, but with a jazzier sort of warmth, and a nicely soulful current throughout! The pair first got attention on a ...
(Jazz CD)
LHI/Sundazed, 1968.
Seminal early country rock from Gram Parsons and the International Submarine Band – cut soon before Gram jumped ship to the Byrds for the legendary Sweetheart Of The Rodeo LP! The one-and-only International Submarine Band LP is the first official full length album from Gram Parsons, and ...
(Rock CD)
Octopus/Holy Basil (Italy), 1972. (reissue)
A moodier set than usual from the great Alessandro Alessandroni – the kind of sound library album that really lets the composer open up and try some new ideas – of the sort he wouldn't necessarily use in his more famous soundtracks! At points, there's a darkness here that almost feels ...
(Sound Library LP)
Cherry Red (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 4CD
A set that really expands the legend of Factory Records – the famous label who gave the world New Order, Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, and other important post-punk bands – as the set focuses on the equally legendary Hacienda nightclub, which the label opened in Manchester in 1982! ...
(Rock CD)
Village LA, 2022.
Randal Fisher blows tenor with a tone that's really unique – one that we can't easily explain in words, but which has a sense of individuality that marks the record right from the start, and continues to delight as the set rolls on! There's kind of a crisp, higher-tone in his instrument ...
(Jazz CD)
Saturn/Cosmic Myth, 1972. (reissue)
A beautiful little record from Sun Ra and the orchestra – and a set that really lives up to its evocative cover and title! The album features Ra on "intergalactic space organ" – an instrument that may well be a conventional version of the organ, but which is handled with some ...
(Jazz LP)
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2022.
One of the most powerful performances we've heard in years from the great Joe McPhee – and that's because he lets his voice speak as much as his tenor – especially on two spoken passages that highlight McPhee's message at an extremely righteous political level! Yet that's also very ...
(Jazz LP)
Afrosynth (Netherlands), 2022. 2LP (reissue)
Drummer Ayanda Sikade is a hell of a force on the contemporary jazz scene in South Africa – and here, he steps out with a voice that's all his own – drawing a bit on the older legacy of his nation's jazz, while also bringing in some of the more spiritual currents of the global ...
(Jazz LP)
Black Saint (Italy), 1981. (reissue)
One of the excellent non-Art Ensemble sessions cut by the team of saxophonist Joseph Jarman and percussionist Don Moye – work that draws on their experience in the groundbreaking Chicago group, but also takes them into rich new territory on their own! The group's a quartet – with ...
(Jazz LP)
Office Home (France), 2022.
Muyiwa Kunnuji played trumpet with Fela Kuti back in the day, and he definitely references Fela's legacy with the politics in the title of the set – yet his approach here is nicely his own, and a really fresh vision of the legacy of older Afro Funk! There's still plenty of the long tracks ...
(Global Grooves CD)
Musicanossa (Japan), Early 2000s.
Great work from the revival years of Terry Callier – a time when the Chicago singer was finally getting his due after decades of obscurity – playing to big new audiences around the globe, who only seemed to live his spirits even more! You can definitely hear that on this record – ...
(Soul CD)
RCA/Mono Jazz (Italy), 1962. Gatefold
A really unique package – one that offers up a full 12" presentation of four tracks that Chet Baker originally released in Italy as 7" singles – very obscure material done at a time when Baker had fled the west coast scene in which he started! The material is equally ...
(Jazz LP)
Heavenly Sweetness (France), 2022.
The first-ever album of solo bass work from Kham Meslien – a player whose contributions have graced a number of different groups in recent years, but who maybe sounds even more powerful here on his own! There's a warmth to the music that makes the solo bass performance very different than ...
(Jazz CD)
Palm/Souffle Continu (France), 1972. (reissue)
A really freewheeling set of improvised jazz from the French scene of the 70s – and a record that's a bit different than some of the more structured material that was usually issued on the Palm label, and maybe a bit more like some of the famous 1969 sessions on the BYG/Actuel imprint! The ...
(Jazz LP)
Fantagraphics, 2022.
A massive look at the art behind the music of the great Sun Ra – a selection of images that are almost as important as his sonic creations – given that so many of his records were issued in very small pressings, and often had covers that were handmade! As collectors know, so many of ...
(Book)
Lantern (Italy), 1972. (reissue)
A very rare (and very early) album by the great British saxophonist Lol Coxhill! The session was recorded live in concert, and Coxhill plays in a trio with Jasper Van't Hof on electric and acoustic pianos, and Pierre Courbois on percussion. Although the record is quite "out", the ...
(Jazz LP)
Jazz Is Dead, 2022.
One of the most ambitious recordings in the excellent Jazz Is Dead series – and one that marks a long-overdue return for Garrett Sarracho – an artist who gave the world the excellent En Medio album for Impulse Records in the early 70s – but who has mostly kept his talents ...
(Deep Funk LP)
Planets/BBE (UK), 1977.
One of those really special piano albums from the Japanese jazz scene of the 70s – a record that's overflowing with new ideas and imagination, all captured with a really wonderful ear for sound as well! Masaru Imada plays a Bosendorfer grand, which has a really resonant quality, even when he' ...
(Jazz CD)
Maro/Super Fuji Discs (Japan), 1969. (reissue)
One of the earliest albums ever from Japanese pianist Yosuke Yamashita – and a set that already has him completely on fire, and well into the legacy of music that would continue for years to come! Yamashita is incredible here – almost a Japanese answer to the freedoms of Cecil Taylor, ...
(Jazz LP)
Nonesuch/Karl (Germany), 1968. (reissue)
A landmark early recording from Morton Subotnick – and a piece of music that really pushed analogue electronics forward from the previous academic generation! Subtonick's style here is much more freewheeling – with almost an improvisational feel at times – sounds and noises that ...
(Out Sound LP)
44 Records/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1977. (reissue)
One of the most soulful albums to come out of the Australian scene of the 70s – and the crowning achievement of jazz singer Joyce Hurley – a vocalist we'd easily rank with Dee Dee Bridgewater for depth of righteous expression! Joyce's voice is definitely different than Dee Dee's – ...
(Vocalists LP)
International Anthem/Rings (Japan), 2022.
Photay works here on a host of different instruments, and gets some key help from Carlos Nino on percussion – but in a set that's very much the leader's own! The tracks are mostly instrumental and atmospheric – as Photay handles saxes, electronics, guitar, and piano – on these ...
(Jazz CD)
Universal (France), 2022.
Michel Legrand is one of our favorite composers of all time – and although the man himself passed away in 2019, his music continues to live on strongly in the hearts of countless singers and musicians he's touched over the years – including those who work together on this wonderful ...
(Soundtracks CD)
Schema (Italy), 2022.
A really wonderful project from Gianluca Petrella – one that seems to take all the deeper currents he used in his work with Nicola Conte, and push them even farther here on his own! There's a righteous depth to the record we never would have expected from Petrella a few years before – ...
(New Grooves CD)
Contact/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1964.
A really great little album on the short-lived, Bob Thiele-run Contact label – an early 60s set that collects rare early work by Shelly Manne from 1944! The set features a series of New York recordings with Shelly – 4 tracks with the Barney Bigard Trio with Eddie Heywood on piano; 4 ...
(Jazz CD)
El (UK), Late 40s/1950s/Early 60s. 4CD
A set that's dedicated to the famous Beatles producer George Martin, and which seeks to bring together a whole host of sounds and styles that not only influenced his work in the studio – but which also represent maybe the odder aspects of the British scene, in a way that really helps create a ...
(Now Sound CD)
Menace (UK), 2022.
You might know the trumpet of Antoine Berjeaut from his work with Makaya McCraven – but here, as a leader, he's a very different force overall – working in territory that's mostly his own, and which blends his trumpet and flugelhorn solos with a nice array of electric elements! The ...
(Jazz LP)
Tunde Mabadu & His Sunrise
Bisu
Blackspot/Afrodelic (Italy), 1978. (reissue)
That's Tunde Mabadu holding a heavy tenor sax on the cover – an instrument which he uses wonderfully on the album's offbeat funky grooves, most of which are very different than more conventional Afro Funk of the time! There's often a slinky midtempo groove to the music – perfect for ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Taretone/Tidal Waves, 1980. (reissue)
Jake Sollo's definitely got some boogie legs here – more than enough to make this rare bit of Nigerian soul go head to head with some of the clubbier work from the American underground at the time! As you might guess from Jake's sense of style on the cover, the whole thing's got a tight, ...
(Global Grooves LP)
Polskie Radio/GAD (Poland), 1979.
Sweet funky work from Henryk Debich – a soundtrack composer by fame, but one who could get nice and groovy when he wanted – which is definitely the case here! The tracks are all upbeat instrumentals done by a Polish radio ensemble – and they've got a style that's a lot like some ...
(Sound Library CD)
International Anthem, 2022.
Maybe the most beautiful record we've ever heard from bassist Dezron Douglas – an artist who hasn't given us many albums as a leader, but who always creates something special when he does! This set not only follows that legacy, but really knocks it out of the park – as there's a rich, ...
(Jazz CD)
Acid Jazz (UK), 2022.
The long-overdue return of Gloria Scott – one of our favorite female soul singers of the 70s, and an artist who only gave the world one famous full length album, produced by Barry White! The vibe here is nicely similar to that classic, but more contemporary too – still-great vocals ...
(Soul LP)
Universal/Sam Records (France), 1958.
One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by pianist Ronnell Bright – a player best known for his accompaniment behind famous vocalists, like Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson – but who's also a jell of a jazz musician when he gets to shine on his own! This rare date was cut in Paris ...
(Jazz LP)
Polydor/Universal (Japan), 1965. (reissue)
A beautiful early album from Sadao Watanabe – a Polydor session recorded before some of his better-known albums for Takt/Columbia, but done with a similar mix of soul jazz and bossa influences! Watanabe's horn has really sharpened up from his already-great earlier sides – and he's ...
(Jazz LP)
P-Vine (Japan), 2022.
Really great work from Positive Force – a group who gave the world a rare groove classic back in the 80s, and who return here with fresh material that's every bit as great! The last time around, their lead singer was Denise Vallin – and here, the lovely Leslie Page steps up to the ...
(Soul CD)
A&M/Real Gone, 1969. (reissue)
A lost gem on late 60s A&M Records – cut at a time when the label was moving away from its mainstay of dreamy pop, and cutting some really wonderful work in a much rootsier mode! Steve performs his own tunes – as well as work by Pete LaFarge, Hank Williams, and Marvin Rainwater ...
(Rock LP)
Favorite (France), 2012.
A contemporary set, but one that sparkles with all the best brilliance of the 70s scene in Brazil – and that includes such heady company as Marcos Valle, Azymuth, and Joao Donato! As with all those artists at the time, Lucas Arruda has a groove that's strongly based on Fender Rhodes – ...
(Brazil LP)
Pressure Sounds (UK), 1977.
An unreleased album of sorts from roots reggae great Patrick Andy – tracks that were initially culled together by producer Yabby You in the late 70s, and which include a few never-issued tunes by Andy, plus rare stereo mixes of some other tunes too! If you know the famous title single that ...
(Reggae CD)
Elektra/Craft, 1991. 2LP (reissue)
An unforgettable album from Natalie Cole – a record that came at a time when her R&B career was faltering slightly, and a set that not only helped Natalie reach a new level of sophistication in her music – but also find a huge new audience too! If the title sounds familiar, it's ...
(Soul LP)
Iron Mountain Analog Research, 1959/1972. LP & 7 inch Gatefold (reissue)
Completely bizarre work from Brother Theodore – a strange postwar cultural figure who'd arrived in the US from a rescue of the holocaust hellhole of Dachau, then reinvented himself as an offbeat actor and monologist! Theodore's got a very strange voice, one that's partly inflected by his ...
(Spoken Word LP)
None More (UK), 2022.
Vocalist Mimi Koku joints Monzanto Sound for this wonderful EP – bringing a soulful flow to the four tracks on the set, at a level that really blends nicely with the group's laidback combination of keyboards, bass, and drums! Keys are by Mali Baden-Powell, aka Mali-I – who you might ...
(Neo Soul LP)
Because (France), 2022.
French disco legend Cerrone has been alive and well in recent years – thanks to attention from a younger generation who've really helped reintroduce the world to the genius of his grooves! The set's definitely got more of a contemporary vibe than Cerrone's 70s music, but all the best ...
(Soul CD)
Blue Note, 1967. 2CD
Searing work as a leader from drummer Elvin Jones – a set recorded very early on in his years at Blue Note, just a few weeks after the death of John Coltrane – yet one that was never issued by the label at the time! The location is a regular gig that Jones was holding down in New York ...
(Jazz CD)
Grapefruit (UK), 1972. 3CD
A glorious assortment of Brit rock gems from 1972 – music that really shows the increasing sophistication of the scene at the time – and a strong move away from the sorts of pop tracks that previously dominated the charts! A few years before, much of this music would have been ...
(Rock CD)
Toshiba/Mr Bongo (UK), 1972.
One of the coolest records we've ever heard from Japanese drummer Akira Ishikawa – even wilder than some of his famous funk sessions of the time! The set definitely lives up to its African Rock promise – as it features lots of sparely percussive tracks that build beautifully – ...
(Jazz CD)
Trojan/Doctor Bird (UK), Late 60s.
Two killer Trojan albums from Lee Perry & The Upsetters – back to back on a single CD! First up is Return Of Django – an early moment of genius from the legendary Lee Perry – and a set that uses Django imagery from Italian westerns to serve up a "bad boy" version of ...
(Reggae CD)
Astigmatic (Poland), 2022.
Fantastic work from EABS – a combo who continue to amaze us with the diversity of sounds they create, and the depth of feeling they can get from a mix of acoustic and electric instruments! There's maybe an even deeper spiritual vibe going on here than previous records – music that's ...
(Jazz CD)
Ancient Archive Of Sound (UK), 2022.
One of the most beautiful, spiritual albums ever from saxophonist Nat Birchall – and that's really saying a lot, if you know his other records! As you can guess from the title, the spirit of John Coltrane looms large on the record – and the tracks are a mix of Coltrane classics and new ...
(Jazz LP)
Materiali Sonori/Spittle (Italy), Early 80s.
A great little set that takes off nicely from the classic Fuzz Dance work of Alexander Robotnick – a set that features some of his contemporaries on the Italian label of the same name, plus one of Alexander's own cuts too! The music here is great – early electro club, at a level that ...
(Funky Compilations LP)
L+R Records/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1980.
Hans Koller is a saxophonist – one of the best on the German scene from the 60s onward – but he shares the stage here with a very hip array of brass players, in a mode that maybe makes the album one of Koller's most striking from the time! There's plenty of work from the leader himself ...
(Jazz CD)
AS Cap/BBE (UK), 1985.
The trio of pianist Yasuhiro Kohno work here with a really wonderful "+ One" – the vibes of Mashiro Kanno, who really adds a heck of a lot to the long-flowing grace of the tunes in the set! The album's a live one, but it's got all the warmth and creative intimacy of the best ...
(Jazz CD)
Gondwana (UK), 2022.
Four sublime tracks from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – all of which work together to give this EP release all the spiritual power of his full length albums! Halsall has a sense of majesty here that's undeniable – the continuing evolution of that style that's grabbed us strongly for over ...
(Jazz CD)
Finders Keepers (UK), 1966.
One of the most striking records we've ever heard from Swiss music legend Bruno Spoerri – a set that's very different from both his straight jazz recordings and his more experimental work – and instead a soundtrack for an obscure 60s film about a strangler in London! There's definitely ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Brownswood (UK), 2022. 2LP Gatefold
A set that's even better than the first album from Str4ta – a great side project from Jean Paul Bluey Maunick of Incognito, and one that takes him back to the British 80s funk world from which he came! Gilles Peterson is Bluey's partner on the project – and he's opened the door to a ...
(Neo Soul LP)
East World/Think (Japan), 1987. (reissue)
Sophisticated fusion from Japanese reedman Toshiyuki Honda – a set that's kind of an extension of the straighter sounds he'd crafted a few years before! The album has almost a soundtrack-like feel at times – and comes off like a suite of tracks that blends core combo instrumentation ...
(Jazz LP)
Trunk (UK), 1971.
Ron Geesin's a British arranger with a host of amazing talents – from early work in the exotica field, to a famous collaboration with Roger Waters – always handled with a mindblowing sense of sound and scope! Here, he delivers a superb score for the film Sunday Bloody Sunday – a ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Soul Jazz (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 2CD
American grooves go Kingston – as the set features a wonderful assortment of funk and soul classics, all delivered here in reggae-styled versions! The approach is similar to the material featured in the older Reggae Disco collection from Soul Jazz – but the mix of modes here is much ...
(Reggae CD)
Heavenly Sweetness (Netherlands), 2022. 2CD
Some of the most beautiful music we've ever heard from Guts – very different than the spare productions of earlier years, thanks to the presence of dozens of guest stars – singers and musicians who help to open up the music with the sounds of Havana and West Africa combined! Most of ...
(New Grooves CD)
7T's (UK), Early 70s. 4CD
A cool little package that goes way beyond the obvious glam rock numbers you might know from the 70s – and which instead shows just how much that musical moment penetrated the UK scene in the early part of the decade – served up here on a huge variety of tracks that we might not have ...
(Rock CD)
Brownswood (UK), 2023.
Drummer Yussef Dayes leads the group here – but the whole thing's awash in lots of other wonderful touches too – including plenty of sweet keyboards, and the kind of slinky saxophone solos that take us back to the glory days of CTI/Kudu Records in the 70s! The music is lean and ...
(Jazz LP)
Atco/HNE (UK), Early 70s. 8CD
The first four albums from this crucial group – along with four more CDs of rare live material too! First up is the self-titled Cactus – the first album from this legendary group – an important American hard rock powerhouse, driven by the famous rhythm duo of Tim Bogert on bass ...
(Rock CD)
Capitol/Big Pink (South Korea), 1971. (reissue)
A really surprising moment in the career of Bob Seger – a set that has him stepping away from the fuller rock backings of the Bob Seger System, and moving into a mode that's more singer/songwriter, and which has very light instrumentation that really seems to suit Seger's vocals! There's a ...
(Rock CD)
Finders Keepers (UK), 1972.
An early 70s soundtrack from the great Andrzej Korzynski – and one that's as devilish as you might expect from the title! The music is much heavier than any of Korzynski's later work – psychedelic, but bordering on industrial – as there's lots of fuzzy guitar, but often distorted ...
(Soundtracks LP)
Real/Rhino, 1978. (reissue)
A still-searing moment of genius from Johnny Thunders – a record that captures the New York giant at a time when he still retained all the best intensity he brought to his work in the New York Dolls and Heartbreakers – yet at a level where he's also almost ready to burst out as a bigger ...
(Rock LP)