Skip navigation
Scripting is disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires JavaScript to function correctly.
Style sheets are disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires style sheets to function correctly.

Fresh sounds in many flavors!


Blue Note/Third Man, 1971. 2LP Gatefold
A rare funky treasure – lost live material from Grant Green's hippest years at Blue Note – recorded in the early 70s funky years, but unissued for decades! The set's an incredibly smoking one – with loads of long tracks that really stretch out in a hard-hitting, bottom-heavy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Muriel Grossmann

Devotion
Third Man, 2023.
The first widely-circulated album issued by the stunning saxophonist Muriel Grossman – an artist we've been stocking on imports for the past decade or so, and who quickly became one of or favorites in jazz! If you've not heard Muriel before, this album's a perfect introduction to her music ... CD (Jazz CD)
Numero, Late 60s/1970s/Early 80s. 2LP Gatefold
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 ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)

Matt Berry

Simplicity
KPM/Acid Jazz (UK), 2023.
A really fantastic pairing of forces – as keyboard collector Matt Berry serves up a special set of instrumental tracks for the KPM sound library – many of which are done on the kinds of keys that KPM were recording back in the day! You might know Matt for his work on screen, but he's ... CD (Sound Library CD)
Direction, 1969.
Really fantastic later work from Bobby Darin – material that's quite different than the simple pop of his early Atco years, and even the jazzier style he used earlier on in the 60s! The set is one of two issued by the Direction label – and features Bobby taking off from some of the Tim ... CD (Vocalists CD)

Ballister (Dave Rempis/Fred Lonberg Holm/Paal Nilssen Love)

Smash & Grab
Aerophonic, 2023.
Brilliant work from this well-matched trio of improvisers – a group who definitely smash and grab in a highly sonic way – thanks to cello and electronics from Fred Lonberg-Holm, drums and percussion from Paal Nilssen Love, and alto, tenor, and baritone saxes from the great Dave Rempis! ... CD (Jazz CD)
Bear Family (Germany), 1950s/1960s.
The shadow of Hank Williams still looms large in country music well into the 21st Century – but it had an especially strong force in the years after his too-early death – as you'll hear here in a great selection of covers, tributes, and other songs that continue the short-but-strong ... CD (Folk/Country CD)
Blue Note, 1970. (reissue)
Brilliant work as a leader from McCoy Tyner – and easily one of his most righteous albums ever – a true batch of spiritual gems that really takes the John Coltrane legacy one step further! Most numbers build with a modal vibe that's more Impulse Records than Blue Note – and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Bell/Big Pink (South Korea), 1974.
A killer bit of Latin funk from the west coast scene of the 70s – the only album we've ever seen from Sapo, but a set that almost blows away the efforts of bigger groups like Malo or El Chicano! There's a bit more funk in the mix here than in some of the group's contemporaries – a ... CD (Latin CD)
Bear Family (Germany), Late 50s/Early 60s. 2CDs
Great early work from the enigmatic Wayne Cochran – a whiter-than-white cat who's most famous for his late 60s run of surprisingly great funk and soul records for Chess and King – heard here on the complete tracks recorded for a variety of different labels in the runup to those years! ... CD (Rock CD)
Bear Family (Germany), Late 50s/Early 60s.
The fingersnap here is the key – as all the cuts here have a nicely romping kind of groove – a sweet sense of rhythm that's bound to get your toes tapping as much as your fingers are snapping – thanks to a nice sense of space between the notes! The music is from a variety of ... CD (Rock CD)
Jazz Detective, Mid 60s. 2CDs
Very cool work from vibist Cal Tjader – sounds that are different than some of the larger arrangements and concepts of his Verve Records albums of the mid 60s, and material that appears here for the first time ever! The set features a range of appearances that Tjader made on radio in Seattle ... CD (Jazz CD)
Cadillac (UK), 1972.
Mike Westbrook live, and also a bit more stripped-down than on some of his earlier albums – less of the high concept presentation overall, and more in the mode of the sharper edges of the British scene of the time! The tracks are all longish, and nicely open at points – flowing with a ... CD (Jazz CD)

Tomasz Stanko

Wooden Music II
Astigmatic (Poland), 1972.
Beautiful improvised work from legendary Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko – work that's much more powerful and bracing than the atmospheric recordings he would do for ECM in later years! The work here comes right at a key moment for free jazz on the European scene – and Stanko works with ... CD (Jazz CD)
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1964.
Tremendous early work from Karin Krog – a great example of her rich vocal talents and creative energy, recorded well before her more experimental sessions of the 60s! Even at this early date, Karin's got a strong commitment to improvisation and unique phrasing – a style that really ... CD (Vocalists CD)

Chip Wickham

Love & Life
Gondwana (UK), 2023.
We love the music of Chip Wickham – a very soulful reed player who easily moves between spiritual and modal modes – sometimes grooving, sometimes a bit more open – and always working with a fantastic sense of color and tone! Here, Chip plays both flute and tenor sax – the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Brit Funk Association

Ancestral Voices
Expansion (UK), 2023.
That's almost an Earth Wind & Fire-styled image on the cover – and the Brit Funk Association definitely live up to the spirit of that scene – which is maybe no surprise, given that group members have a legacy that goes way back for many years on the UK soul scene! There's a warmth ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Jazz Detective/Elemental, Mid 60s. 2CDs
60s Ahmad Jamal in the studio is already pretty darn great – but live, his group is even more amazing – as the pianist is able to stretch out more, and take a lot more chances too – not just in the way he's striking the keys of the piano, but also working with the fantastic ... CD (Jazz CD)
Dead Oceans, 2023. 2LP
A massive live album from this funky trio – a double-length set, and one that they get all to themselves after splitting a long run of live records with other artists during most of 2023! While we liked those records, we're very happy to have Khruangbin on their own – stretching out in ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Cherry Red, Late 70s/Early 80s. 5CD
A massive look at the huge legacy of North American punk in the late 70s – culled together from scenes in New York, Ohio, Boston, and LA – plus other surprising spots around the country – as artists were working separately, but together, to completely reinvent both the sound of ... CD (Rock CD)
Freedom/ORG, 1970. (reissue)
Stunning duets from these key improvisers – a set recorded in Paris, and done with a stripped-down and freely playful vibe that's very much like some of the best AACM material of the time! Wadada Leo Smith blows trumpet, Marion Brown is on alto – and both players bring percussion into ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Schoolly D/Get On Down, 1986. (reissue)
A seminal hip hop record from the 80s – early work from Schoolly D, from a time when he was repping the streets of Philly like nobody else – and really reinventing the whole hip hop game, from performance down to production! The record is a pure hip hop classic, from the Schoolly D ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Stax/Craft, Late 60s/Early 70s.
An incredible addition to the rich legacy of Stax Records – a collection of rare tracks, almost all of which appear here for the first time ever – a set that represents recordings done by all the great songwriters who were working for Stax at the time, most of whom were also recording ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Tommy Flanagan, John Coltrane, & Others

Cats (180 gram pressing)
Prestige/Craft, 1957. (reissue)
A landmark late 50s album on Prestige Records – one of the label's key efforts to bring together some of the best talents in the hardbop business, and really let them loose on the kind of extended passages that weren't being recorded a few years before! The Cats here are all quite hip ones ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Strata East/P-Vine (Japan), 1969. 2LP (reissue)
One of the most ambitious albums ever recorded from Clifford Jordan – a totally righteous little effort that was the first installment in the legendary Dolphy Series on the Strata East label! The set has Jordan working with a larger group than usual – an all-star array of players that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Jazzman (UK), Late 60s/1970s/1980s/1990s.
A wonderfully wide-ranging tribute to the great John Coltrane – served up here in a whole host of tracks recorded after his too-early death, each of which take his musical message in different directions! The sound is certainly spiritual – in keeping with the different volumes in this ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Slash/Craft, 1982. 2CDs
A surprising classic from the early 80s underground – a record that came to the world from the scene in Milwaukee, where neither the group nor the rest of the world would have expected the album to have such staying power over the decades! And yet, from the very first needle drop, it's hard ... CD (Rock CD)
Resonance, Mid 60s. 3LPs Gatefold
Unreleased live work from Les McCann – recorded at a time when the soulful giant was really breaking it up in clubs around the country, and just about to unleash a whole new righteous side of his talents! The tracks here resonate strongly with some of the earlier Pacific Jazz live work that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Roy Ayers

Stoned Soul Picnic
Atlantic/Nature Sounds, 1968. (reissue)
An early album as a leader from the great Roy Ayers – a set that captures the vibes man at a time when he'd been working on the west coast soul jazz scene, and was stepping into even greater fame in the group of Herbie Mann! Yet this set is definitely Roy's own – kind of an ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Colemine, 2023.
Live funky performances, but with plenty of inspiration from the world of hip hop production and samples – served up by Grimez with a rotating cast of players who really keep things fresh! The grooves are nice and lean at most points – plenty of live drums and tight basslines, used in ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Parlophone/Lion, 1971. (reissue)
An incredible concept album from the South African scene of the early 70s – a record that mixes rootsy percussion with plenty of freak and fuzz – all in a style that seems to take UK psychedelic inspirations and forge them into a very unique Johannesburg expression! Acoustic elements ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Pony Canyon (Japan), 1989. 2LP Gatefold
Brilliant live work from legendary Japanese saxophonist Akira Miyazawa – one of the first players on his scene in the 60s to forge something fresh and new – still going very strong here on this concert performance from the end of the 80s! The tracks are nice and lean – played by ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Choice/Candid, 1972. (reissue)
Overlooked 70s work from Jimmy Giuffre – a hip trio session that has all the free elements of his earlier recordings, but possibly an even greater focus on tone! Jimmy plays a range of reeds here – tenor, clarinet, and flute – and he works with bass and drum accompaniment, but ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Centering/Aum Fidelity, 2023.
A fantastic volume put together by bassist William Parker, and one that shows his larger connection to cultural activity in general – as it features Parker interviewing four key artists, most of whom are represented here in ways that go far beyond music! The subjects within include ... Book (Book)
Cadet/Universal (Japan), 1969.
An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, ... CD (Soul CD)
Prestige/Craft, 1957. (reissue)
Fantastic early work from Gil Evans – emerging here in this early session as an already far-thinking modernist. The tracks are shorter and less ambitious than some of Evans' work on Impulse, but the group is excellent – and even in a shorter format, the conception of the work still ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Cherry Red (UK), Mid 80s. 3CD
A amazing look at the British indie scene during one of its greatest stretches – the mid 80s period when it seemed like new labels and new bands were springing up every week! The 2CD set takes its name from the influential C86 collection put together by NME at the time to showcase some of ... CD (Rock CD)
Atlantic/Big Pink (South Korea), 1979.
A sweet little set from the Jeremy Spencer Band – a record that might have had more of a singer/songwriter vibe, or an AOR approach, had it been recorded a few years before, but which instead comes off here in a really unique blend of rock and disco! There's plenty of guitar leads on the ... CD (Rock CD)

Papo Felix & Ray Rodriguez

Papo Felix Meets Ray Rodriguez
Ghetto/Now Again, 1971. (reissue)
A killer set of New York Latin from vocalist Papo Felix and bandleader Ray Rodriguez – recorded slightly after the Latin Soul generation, but done with plenty of dark little edges – thanks to production from Joe Bataan! There's a bit of salsa in the mix here, and a bit of descarga jazz ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)

Fabiano Do Nascimento

Mundo Solo
Far Out (UK), 2023.
A set that's mostly solo from guitarist Fabiano Do Nascimento – yet one that's not like the solo Brazilian guitar records from years back, as Fabiano handles a range of different instruments, often overlaying them during the course of a performance – so that he works here with a ... CD (Brazil CD)

Betty Davis

Crashin From Passion
Light In The Attic, 1979.
The final album from Betty Davis – and a killer cap to her stunning run of female funk classics in the 70s! The album was recorded at the end of the decade, but has a sharpness that's every bit as great as her earlier work for the Island and Just Sunshine labels – grooves that are more ... CD (Soul CD)
Nacional, 2023.
A contemporary collection, but one that really hearkens back to the brown-eyed soul of the Texas scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a moment when local groups were picking up on some of the vibes of East LA – reveling in the rich history of Texas soul and blues, but mixing it with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)

Milford Graves

Babi (with bonus CD)
IPS/Corbett vs. Dempsey, 1969/1976. 2CD Gatefold
One of the rarest albums ever from percussionist Milford Graves, and one of the most intense as well – a completely unbridled live performance that features saxes from Hugh Glover and Arthur Doyle! Glover and Doyle are amazing together – and with that trademark raspy tone, Doyle's set ... CD (Jazz CD)

Marcus Belgrave

Gemini II
Tribe/P-Vine (Japan), 1974. (reissue)
One of the key records from the Detroit Tribe Records scene of the 70s – a masterful blend of spiritual jazz and deeper ideas, and maybe the greatest record ever cut by trumpeter Marcus Belgrave! The set was originally issued on the Gem Eye label in 1974, in a pressing of only 1000, the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Madlib Invazion, 2010. (reissue)
Originally the first release in the Madlib Medicine Show series – this one is a full scale collaboration with no nonsense rapper Guilty Simpson – sort of a prelude to Guilty's OJ Simpson LP with Madlib in the production booth! The set is a pretty sharp confluence of Guilty's heavy-toned ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Elektra/Big Pink (South Korea), 1978.
A gem of a record from the mid 70s west coast scene – a really overlooked set from vocalist Laura Allen, recorded with a wonderfully breezy, soulful sound! Laura's got a voice that's perfect if you dig singers like Linda Lewis or Maria Muldaur, particularly the former – a bit jazzy at ... CD (Vocalists CD)

Paulette McWilliams

These Are The Sweet Things
Expansion (UK), 2023.
A contemporary gem from Paulette McWilliams – the Chicago singer who was part of Rufus before Chaka Khan, worked with Luther Vandross, and who's given the world decades of great contributions after cutting her rare solo debut on Fantasy Records in the 70s! This set shows Paulette very much ... CD (Soul CD)

VV Brown

Am I British Yet
Universal (France), 2023.
A record as powerful as the image on the cover – and a set that strongly continues the personal and political legacy of British rapper VV Brown! The set works very strongly as a whole, to examine issues of race in contemporary England – and Brown mixes hip hop lyrics with sung vocals, ... CD (Hip Hop CD)

Steely Dan

Gaucho
MCA, 1980. (reissue)
The last album in the classic run of Steely Dan – the final taste we'd have of the group until their surprising revival in the 90s! Gaucho picks up beautifully where Aja left off – warmly produced with a deep undercurrent of jazz, but perhaps a bit more down to earth feel at times too ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Soul Jazz (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 2LP Gatefold
Sun Ra, Parliament, and other soul and jazz acts famously took us into space back in the day – and in the wake of their journeys, countless other artists elected to take the trip too – soaring to the cosmos on a blend of beats, basslines, keyboards, and vocals – all elements that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Salem/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1957.
Rare early work by Johnny Pate – the great jazz bassist who later went onto great fame as an arranger at ABC in the 60s, where he handled all of the classic work by the Impressions – then did some great funky soundtrack material in the 70s! The style here is very different – as ... CD (Jazz CD)
Vertigo/Big Pink (South Korea), 1970.
A bit of a change from the fragile, folksy tones of the first album from Jimmy Campbell – a set that's got some heavier instrumentation, and a feel that's a bit more rocking overall! Jimmy still shows some of his sensitive side on the set, but only on a few tracks – leaving others to ... CD (Rock CD)
Outta Sight (UK), Late 60s/1970s.
A great entry in this wonderful series – a set that's full of rare 7" singles from the late 60s and early 70s, but with a vibe that's very different than other collections of this nature! As with previous volumes, the sound is warm and uplifting – not heavy funk or deep soul, but ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Cherry Red (UK), 1984. 2CDs
Super-groovy work from The Bluebells – a Scottish group who should have been one of the bigger acts from the British Isles in the 80s, but who broke up before ever getting the shot they deserved! There's plenty of smart songwriting here – and a production approach that's in the ... CD (Rock CD)
Ace (UK), Early 70s.
A set that really digs deep into the British scene of the early 70s – a package pitched around the idea of opening acts for supergroups at a rock festival, and one that serves up a whole host of groups who never fully got their due on our side of the Atlantic at the time! These aren't ... CD (Rock CD)

Brother Moves On

$/He Who Feeds You Owns You
Native Rebel (UK), 2023. 2LP
A powerful and righteous album from Brother Moves On – as you might guess from the title – a group led by singer Siyabonga Mthembu, who's worked with Shabaka & The Ancestors – in a lineup that also features some contributions from Shabaka Hutchings as well! The group span ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Cykada

Metamorphosis
Astigmatic (Poland), 2023.
A set that's even more searing and sonically intense than the debut of this genre-hopping group – served up in this bracing blend of electric and acoustic instrumentation that almost takes us back to the 90s experiments on Axiom Records from the Bill Laswell generation! there's plenty of ... CD (Jazz CD)
Rockashacka (Japan), Mid 70s.
Glen Brown rhythms, King Tubby mixing, and a set of really wonderful dubs – all pulled from unreleased tapes from the vaults – and served up with a superb sound throughout! These aren't throwaway cuts – as the core elements are from the roots years of Brown's music – with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1964.
Make ours Swedish Style too! This set's one of the best early albums by Swedish singer Monica Zetterlund – one of our favorite singers ever, and one of those rare European lovelies who could sing in English with the best of American vocalists, but who could also pick up on the changes in ... CD (Vocalists CD)

Tatsuro Yamashita

Moonglow
Ariola/Sony (Japan), 1979. (reissue)
A sweet masterpiece of 70s AOR from Japan – served up by Tatsuro Yamashita, who was easily one of the most soulful male singers on the scene in the years before city pop! The record's got a jazzy vibe that's great, and which really fits the R&B-inspired midtempo rhythms – almost as ... LP, Vinyl record album (Japanese LP)
Warner, 1970. 3LP Gatefold (reissue)
Maybe the greatest album ever from Van Morrison – and a set that broke into a whole new side of his talents! Van's producing himself on the record – not really in the conventional role as a producer, but in a way that has him really writing most of the album as he goes along in the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Past Due, Late 70s.
A massive batch of underground club from Richie Weeks – an artist who managed to get a few key records issued back in the day, but who also kept on working strongly in the studio to create a wealth of wonderful work that's only seeing the light of day well into the 21st Century! Every track ... CD (Soul CD)
Blitzen, 1960s/1970s.
Christmas is funky here, and in more ways than you might expect – as the package covers a great range of sources and styles, and even includes a few funky gospel numbers from the season! There's plenty here that we haven't seen on other Holiday sets – and the 25 track collection ... CD (Holiday Music CD)

Lowell Fulsom

Tramp
Kent/P-Vine (Japan), 1967. (reissue)
One of THE all time classics of funky blues – a record built around Lowell's huge single "Tramp" – a massive tune that spawned a whole generation of answer tunes! "Tramp" kicks off the set with a stone break that's worth the price of the album – then Lowell ... LP, Vinyl record album (Blues LP)
Astigmatic (Poland), 2019.
The spirits here are way more than Slavic – as Eabs continues its strong run of genre-breaking work in jazz – music that's often a bit hard to pin down as it moves through a range of sounds, styles, and sonic approaches! There's certainly some jazz at the core, but there's also a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Blue Note (Japan), 1962.
One of the only two vocal jazz albums that the Blue Note label recorded back in the day – and a haunting batch of tracks from a young Sheila Jordan! The style here is quite different than that of Jordan's later, more experimental records – and this early session shows her as an ... CD (Vocalists CD)
BBE (UK), Late 60s/1970s/Early 80s. 2CDs
A soaring collection of rare jazz from the Tokyo scene – all music originally recorded by the Japanese branch of Columbia Records – the same imprint that put out some exclusive and very hip Japanese-only albums from Miles Davis, Roy Ayers, and Herbie Hancock! The musicians here are all ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Motown, 2023.
Way more than just another Christmas album from an older R&B singer – as Brandy brings in plenty of her own songwriting skills to the record, and creates a set that should well be a Christmas classic in years to come! As with some of the best soul-based Holiday sets, the standout cuts ... LP, Vinyl record album (Holiday Music LP)
Cellar Live, 2023.
A definite funky Christmas from keyboardist Adam Shulman – a player who handles Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and organ here – plus additional keyboards as well! Yet despite the many keys, this isn't some Herbie Hancock-styled set – as the groove is lean, and the record has a small ... CD (Holiday Music CD)
Hilton's Concept/P-Vine (Japan), Mid 70s.
A holy grail of funky music – and a rare gem from the DC scene of the 70s! Keyboardist Hilton Felton cut this wicked killer for his own tiny label – Hilton's Concept – and it's a very unique blend of jazz and funk modes, done with help from members of The Blackbyrds and Three ... CD (Jazz CD)

Pascal Comelade & Liminanas

Boom Boom
Because (France), 2023.
A fantastic pairing of these two contemporary French acts – coming together here in a style that's even greater than the sum of their parts! The set is full on with all sorts of fuzzy elements and funky rhythms – a range of keyboards and other instruments from Pascal Comelade, more ... CD (French CD)

AC Soul Symphony (Dave Lee/Joey Negro)

Metamorphosis
Z Records (UK), 2023. 2CDs
One of the coolest projects we've ever heard from the mighty Dave Lee – and that's saying a lot, given all the excellent records he's given us under the name of Joey Negro, Sunburst Orchestra, and other related projects! Here, Dave mixes his keen ear for funky club with some of the great ... CD (New Grooves CD)

Milford Graves & Don Pullen

Nommo
SRP/Superior Viaduct, 1966. (reissue)
Groundbreaking early work from drummer Milford Graves and pianist Don Pullen – a set of long, free improvisations that were originally issued on Graves' Self-Reliance Productions label! The music is even more striking than sounds from the time on the ESP label – and also really ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Salsoul/Soulmusic.com (UK), Late 70s. 3CD
An insane array of Christmas disco classics – all wrapped up in a single package! The set features both the original 1976 mix and 1992 Tom Moulton mix of the legendary Christmas Jollies set by the Salsoul Orchestra – one of the Salsoul label's biggest-selling albums – originally ... CD (Holiday Music CD)
Jive/Get On Down, 1993. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
An East Bay classic from Spice 1 – and a great little record from that time before the west coast became a bit too much West Coast! There's a thuggish, early gangsta vibe that runs through the whole set – but as with some of the more enduring Cali hip hop of the time, the set's got a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)

Chiminyo

NRG2
NRG Discs (UK), 2023.
A record with a plain white cover, but a sound that's mighty rich – served up by a hip London collective led by drummer Chiminyo, and featuring very soulful contributions from Axel Kaner-Lidstrom on trumpet, James Mollison on tenor, David Mrakpor on keyboards and bass, and Wonky Logic on bass ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Ancient Archive Of Sound (UK), 2023.
Reedman Nat Birchall digs deep for this masterful set – creating timeless music that easily stands next to the work of some of his key ancestors in jazz – especially musicians of the generation of John Coltrane! The set is one that has Birchall layering his tenor, soprano, and baritone ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Demon (UK), Late 70s/1980s.
A massive batch of mixes from dancefloor maestro John Luongo – a set that's heavy on cuts from the 80s in many styles, and which has some other surprises in the mix as well! Luongo was one of those talents who did a great job of bringing underground dancefloor modes to a more mainstream ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Gearbox (UK), 1964.
Almost from the start of his career, tenorist Johnny Griffin was heading overseas, delivering searing live performances like this – working as a solo horn player with a pickup group, at a level that was often even more powerful than some of his studio work back home! And here, the combo is ... CD (Jazz CD)
SRP/Superior Viaduct, 1966. (reissue)
Groundbreaking early work from drummer Milford Graves and pianist Don Pullen – a set of long, free improvisations that were originally issued on Graves' Self-Reliance Productions label! The music is even more striking than sounds from the time on the ESP label – and also really ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Masabumi Kikuchi Sextet

Matrix
Catalyst/Trading Places (Italy), 1977. (reissue)
One of the best albums ever from Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – a set that continues his development as a wonderfully expressive player on his instrument, but one that also opens up with a bit more bite at times, too – thanks to the presence of some sharp-edged contemporaries! The ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Astral Spirits, 2023. (pic cover)
A really cool take on two holiday tunes from Vince Guaraldi – both of them done in very unusual versions! "Christmas Time Is Here" has lots of offbeat steel guitar, plus other instrumentation that shades in the edges and gives the whole thing a nicely moody, blue-tinged sort of ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Holiday Music 7-inch)

Mike Makhalemele

Peacemaker
As Shams/We Are Busy Bodies (Canada), 1975. (reissue)
Saxophonist Mike Makhalemele is in great company here – blowing these long, soulful lines in a combo that has plenty of mellow grooves – keyboards from Jabu Nkosi and bass from Sipho Gumede – both players who really know how to lay back, open up a groove, and let Mike do all the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti

Deja Vu EP
Selva (Brazil), Mid 80s.
Never-issued work from these two giants of Brazilian soul – excellent material that really should have seen release back in the day, but which is maybe even more of a treasure presented here at long last! The set's got a warm modern soul glow – the sort of 80s material that Marcos ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Trojan/Doctor Bird (UK), Mid 70s. 2CD
Really cool work from the UK reggae scene of the early 70s – a set of obscure early albums from the hands of British producer Dennis Bovell – issued in a series of unassuming packages that were done to appear as obscure Jamaican imports – from the stripped-down packaging to the ... CD (Reggae CD)
Ace (UK), Late 50s.
You might know Ace Records as home to a fair bit of jazz, funk, and soul reissues over the years – but right from the start, the label's also had a keen ear for rockabilly – and can boast a decades-long devotion to the music, with releases that have really blown us away! This set digs ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Akira Miyazawa

Bull Trout/Iwana
Victor/Lawson (Japan), 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
A fishy little record from saxophonist Akira Miyazawa – but a great one too, and an indication that he was probably one of the greatest modernists on the Japanese scene of the time! The set's built around four long tracks – all played with a main focus on the tenor, handled here in a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Tico/Craft, Late 60s. 2LP Gatefold
A massive batch of boogaloo gems – all wrapped up in one mighty package! Tico Records was one of the first great New York indie labels to focus on Latin music in the postwar years – and by the time of the huge late 60s boom in the world of Latin Soul, the label were definitely in a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)
Colemine/Remined, 1969. Gatefold
Raw funky blues from the Cleveland scene – unreleased recordings from the obscure singer Fred Davis, who hardly ever set his music to wax back in the day! The album's got a gritty blend of blues inflections and soulful expressions – similar to some of the hippest west side work from ... LP, Vinyl record album (Blues LP)
Rockashacka (Japan), Late 70s/1980s.
A killer collection of reggae remakes of famous soul and funk tunes – all served up from a later generation of the scene, which makes a nice change from some of the more ska and rocksteady collections of this nature! It's no secret that Jamaican music was initially given a strong inspiration ... CD (Reggae CD)
Sugar/Decca, 1960s/Early 70s.
A cool collection of vocal songs from the world of soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone – many of which are more unusual than some of his bigger themes, and brought together here as a great addition to the Segreto series! The work runs from the early 60s to the early 70s – and the ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Blue Note, 1967. (reissue)
A pivotal session from the late 60s – one that has Jackie McLean pulling things back a bit from his "new thing" period, and turning towards the spiritual soulful groove that would characterize his early 70s work! The album bristles with excitement – still very much informed ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Ibrahim Hesnawi

Father Of Libyan Reggae
Habibi Funk (Germany), Late 70s/Early 80s.
One of the most unusual entries in this amazing set of releases from the Habibi Funk label – a set that's definitely what's promised in the title – in that Ibrahim Hesnawi delivers a really unique take on the sound of Kingston! The music is certainly in a rhythm that echoes ... CD (Global Grooves CD)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

Les Jardins Mystiques Vol 1 (3CD set)
Brainfeeder, 2023. 3CD
A long-overview testament to the genius of Miguel Atwood Ferguson – a string player whose work has graced countless other great spiritual jazz projects from the west coast scene, and one who finally gets a chance to showcase his beautiful sense of creation in all its glory! The massively ... CD (Jazz CD)

Fred Schneider & The Superions

Destination Christmas (red vinyl pressing)
HHBTM, 2023.
The B-52s never gave us a Christmas record – but Fred Schneider tries to correct that fact many years later with this sweet set of Holiday grooves – a really playful album that's got all the charms we love so much in Fred's famous work with that 80s group! The vibe here is nice and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Holiday Music LP)
Westbound/ORG, 1972. (reissue)
Maybe the funkiest album ever cut for the legendary Westbound label in Detroit – and that's saying a lot, given that the company was the initial home to Funkadelic! Yet on this stunning full length set, The Counts maybe do that famous group one better – pushing aside their vocals for ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
P-Vine (Japan), Early 90s.
The never-issued second album from Main Source – and a set that's a very worthy successor to their classic Breaking Atoms! As with that record, the production here is superb – Large Professor at his best, with all the right sort of early 90s jazz influence in the samples, balanced with ... CD (Hip Hop CD)
Blue Note, 1957. (reissue)
A real hard-burner from Kenny Burrell – a set that was recorded for Blue Note in the guitarist's early career, but not issued by the label until the 70s – and even then only in Japan! Kenny's got the sharp edge and strong sense of leadership you'll hear on his classic Midnight Blue ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Rittor (Japan), 2015.
One of the most essential discographies we've ever seen – mostly because we own almost none of the records in the book, which makes it an essential volume to use for digging in the crates! This time around, the folks at Rittor – who've given us other great record books over the years ... Book (Book)
Orange House/Lawson (Japan), 1979. (reissue)
Noriyo Ikeda has a look on the cover that's maybe a bit more understated than some of her contemporaries, but comes across on the set with a really vibrant quality – using jazz as much as soul to craft her wonderful vocals, in ways that make for an album that's rich in feeling, even past the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Japanese LP)
Sahel Sounds, 2023.
Very underground work from Malian guitarist Bounaly – a musician whose work first appeared on a Whats App compilation, and makes its first ever full length appearance on this set! The album was recorded live, with a very gritty vibe – long tracks that have Bounaly's electric guitar ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
We Want Sounds (UK), 1970s.
Japanese pianist Yuji Ohno started out in jazz, but soon had a role in so many different styles on his scene during the 70s – arranging for singers, doing soundtrack material, and serving up work in a whole host of different contexts – many of which are included in this mighty nice set! ... CD (Jazz CD)
Crown/P-Vine (Japan), Late 50s. (reissue)
Seminal sounds from Elmore James – a classic album that brings together material recorded in California, New Orleans, and Chicago – all with an amazing focus on Elmore's stunning talents on electric guitar! The music here mixes sides that have tight band backing with some smaller combo ... LP, Vinyl record album (Blues LP)

Jorge Lopez Ruiz & Jose Tcherkaski

Coraje Buenos Aires
RGS (Argentina), 1973.
A stunningly expansive project from Argentine jazz genius Jorge Lopez Ruiz – one that takes off in even more ambitious territory than his Bronca Buenos Aires album from a few years before! Ruiz plays all sorts of great Fender Rhodes throughout, leading a larger group that mixes tenor, alto, ... CD (Jazz CD)
Omnivore, Early 60s. 2LP
Early genius from the legendary pianist Hasaan – an artist most people know for his famous Atlantic album with Max Roach, but who steps out here in a set of earlier material that's completely amazing! The set begins with six trio tracks – performed in a group with Henry Grimes on bass ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Bruno Berle

No Reino Dos Afetos
Far Out (UK), 2022.
A really lovely little record – one that feels like an instant classic in the world of MPB – the sort of long-overdue new release by a Brazilian artist that we hope we'll be hearing plenty from in years to come! As with the elite list of our Brazilian favorites of the past 20 years, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
P&L, 2023.
Mayer Hawthorne's looking a bit cheesy on the cover, but sounding pretty darn great within – really sparkling with those mellow soul elements that have just gotten better and better with each new release, at a level that's a plenty strong musical answers to any of the haters out there! There' ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Awesome Tapes From Africa, 2023.
A wonderful live set – and one that really reflects the rebirth of a legend! Ethiopian keyboardist Hailu Mergia cut some fantastic records back in the day, but had spent years driving a cab in Washington, DC – before the reissue of some of his older gems led the musician to come back ... CD (Global Grooves CD)

Luther Thomas & Human Arts Ensemble

Funky Donkey Vol 1
Creative Consciousness/We Want Sounds (UK), 1973. (reissue)
A fantastic record – and one of those rare moments when an avant group can serve up a bit of funk! This lost bit of work was recorded live in St Louis in 1973 – part of the Black Artists Group scene that was the city's answer to Chicago's AACM movement of the late 60s. Alto player ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Thandi Ntuli with Carlos Nino

Rainbow Revisited
International Anthem, 2023.
Incredibly lovely piano and vocals from Thandi Ntuli – served up here with lots of special touches from spiritual master Carlos Nino – who helped create the proceedings as a very organic meeting of minds and hearts on the shores of sunny California! Thandi's got a soulful way of both ... CD (Jazz CD)

Harry James

Off The Record
Potions, 2023.
Short instrumentals from drummer Harry James – produced in a way that often has a slight hip hop influence at times, but mostly in the way the other instruments are layered into the mix! Harry's drums are often live, and nicely crackling – and there's some great use of piano on the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Blue Note, 1960. (reissue)
One of the key classics from the hardbop years of Blue Note – the kind of album that really set the label apart from the rest at the time! Soul Station is a deceptively simple album that has tenor giant Hank Mobley playing standards and originals in a quartet with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Blitzen, Late 50s/1960s/Early 70s.
Country music Christmas in all its glory – served up here in a whole host of tracks that mix bigger names with lesser-knowns, familiar songs with some unusual numbers that really keep things interesting! The themes here have a lot more to do with just daddy and drinking – and the ... CD (Holiday Music CD)
United Artists/Esoteric (UK), 1970. 2CD
A record that has Family very much at the top of their game – and working in a format that some of their contemporaries were trying on record at the time – serving up one side of live material, and one set in the studio! Although the group are sometimes linked to the prog scene of the ... CD (Rock CD)

Mike Makhalemele & Winston Mankuku Ngozi

Bull & The Lion
As Shams/We Are Busy Bodies (Canada), 1976. (reissue)
Twin-tenor magic from South African saxophonists Winston Mankunku Ngozi and Mike Makhalemele – working together here with backing from a sweet electric combo that features Trevor Rabin on guitar! The groove is open and fluid – the band just vamping and opening things up, to let Ngozi ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Sugar/Universal (France), 1973. 2LP (reissue)
A fantastic soundtrack that's maybe even more legendary than the unusual animated film for which it was created – a funky French classic that stands strong in the best tradition of work by Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier, and Michel Colombier! No surprise, Alain Goraguer is part of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
A&M/Verve, 1989. (reissue)
A really back to basics album from trumpeter Don Cherry – or maybe a set that goes back to basics that Don didn't even have, given that most folks initially heard him in the freewheeling group of Ornette Coleman! The album's straighter than his work with Ornette, and also different than his ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Gerald Bailey

Migration Climate
Potions, 2023.
A jazz records of sorts, but a funk one as well – recorded mostly by Gerald Bailey on a variety of instruments, and with an intimate vibe that really reflects the creative process! The tunes often have a nice kick, with some really great drums – and are short and melodic, with key ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Trojan/Doctor Bird (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. 2CD
One of the most obscure Trojan Records collections of the 70s – maybe in part because it looks more like an airline promotional album than it does a collection of rare reggae nuggets! Yet the set is definitely the latter – a Trojan LP that brings together earlier singles recorded by ... CD (Reggae CD)
Strut (UK), 1980s. 2LP Gatefold
A brilliant batch of electronic, cold wave, and post-punk tracks – all drawn from the farther reaches of the Swiss underground of the 80s – a scene that was far more secret than those in the UK, Germany, or other European hotbeds of electronic experimentation! We'd heard only a few of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Massimo Urbani

30
Red (Italy), 1981.
A gorgeous album from alto saxophonist Massimo Urbani – a set that's a strong reminder of the way he can blow an alto with the depth of a tenor – a quality that resonates even more strongly here next to the tenor work on the album from Pietro Tonolo! The record's got a sharp edge that ... CD (Jazz CD)
Record Kicks (Italy), 2008. (reissue)
Slammin Hammond from Trio Valore – a really old school combo with a sweet mix of mod and funky rhythms! The group features heavy drums from Steve White – with a groove that stretches back to his many years on the hip side of the UK scene – and remaining trio members include Damon ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Catalyst/Trading Places, 1976. Gatefold (reissue)
A warm set of groovers from Flip Nunez – a San Francisco-based pianist with a great Latin tinge, working here in a fantastic setting that makes for one of his greatest recordings! The album was recorded in SF in 1976, and it's got the laidback groove of some of the best sides coming from the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)

Dredd Foole & The Din

See God 1985/1986
Corbett vs. Dempsey, Mid 80s. 2CD
The second chapter of the underground Boston legacy of Dredd Foole & The Din – a strong stretch of material from a time when Dredd was working with the Volcano Suns! Early Din-related material had Mission Of Burma providing the instrumentation – and the shift here to Volcano Suns ... CD (Rock CD)

Oscar Peterson & Milt Jackson

Very Tall (180 gram pressing)
Verve, 1961. Gatefold (reissue)
Milt Jackson joins the Oscar Peterson Trio – helping the group to hit some great new space with his magical work on vibes! Jackson's got an open, airy feel – an approach that almost lets Peterson punctuate the tunes a bit more with his piano – while the pair get strong rhythmic ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Liberty/Esoteric (UK), Late 60s. 3CD
A pair of classic albums from this unique British group – packaged with lots of bonus material too! First up is the Sea Shanties debut – a freaky, fuzzy set from High Tide – a record that some folks know for its groundbreaking use of electric violin, but one that's equally great ... CD (Rock CD)
Atlantic/Soulmusic.com (UK), 1970s. 7CDs
In the early 70s, The Spinners did something that was really wonderful for their music, and instantly made them one of the greatest groups of their generation – they stopped recording for Motown in Detroit, and made the move to Philly to work with the great Thom Bell – the ... CD (Soul CD)

Harold Danko

Trillium
Steeplechase (Denmark), 2023.
One of the most striking, experimental albums we've ever heard from pianist Harold Danko – a quality that's maybe hinted at with the cover's image of Danko messing around inside the piano! The record's a trio date, but not with the usual format – as the group features Rich Perry on ... CD (Jazz CD)
Verve, 1960. Gatefold
An album that's often overlooked amidst some of the bigger "songbook" Verve sessions by Ella Fitzgerald – yet a really special record that shows off a side of Ella that's not ever captured this well on other records! The record was also initially billed as tied into the book and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)

Move

Shazam
A&M/Esoteric (UK), 1970. (reissue)
The Move are looking a bit fuzzier here than in their earlier years – and they're sounding a bit fuzzier too, but in a way that's totally great! The group's down to a quartet, which seems to bring even more focus on the great vocals of Carl Wayne, and heady guitar of Roy Wood! There's a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Mango/Universal (France), 1979. 2LP (reissue)
A seminal set from Linton Kwesi Johnson – the record that maybe pushed him over the top, and really marked him as one of the strongest new voices in reggae at the end of the 70s! Linton's a poet, not a singer – but his style is also more focused and clear in comparison to some of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
El (UK), 1950s. 4CDs
A set that showcases a surprising contribution that Andy Warhol made to American music in the postwar years – graphic work done years before his time as a Pop Art icon, or his relationship with the Velvet Underground – from years when Warhol was a more conventional illustrator, and ... CD (Jazz CD)
Jazzaggression (Finland), 2023.
Misha Panfilov takes on the sound library style of the 70s – and as with all of his other projects, the results are completely top shelf all the way through – wonderfully funky, yet handled in a style that's a nice change from Misha's work in other modes as well! Tunes are short and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Trojan/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1976. (reissue)
One of those great "mystery" projects from Dennis Bovell – a record that was originally designed to look like some obscure import from Kingston, but which was actually Bovell and crew working in a top shelf UK answer to righteous roots modes of the 70s! Tracks are full of righteous ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
Tribe/P-Vine (Japan), 1975. 2LP
A massive double-dose of unissued material from the sessions for the legendary Vibes From The Tribe album – with a focus on some especially funky tracks! Trombonist Ranelin was one of the key figures in the city's Tribe Records scene – and Vibes From The Tribe is one of the greatest ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Ropeadope, 2023.
The legendary Headhunters are still in mighty great shape after all these years – different in lineup, but still a sublime showcase for the work of Mike Clark on drums and Bill Summers on percussion – two of the core Headhunters who first worked with Herbie Hancock back in the 70s! The ... CD (Soul CD)
Antone's/New West, 1998. (reissue)
A later performance from blues harmonica great Lazy Lester, but one that's got all the same great energy as his famous early work for the Excello label! There's plenty of grit in the grooves here – a set that's nicely under-produced, with a great backroom vibe – Lester blowing harp and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Blues LP)
Chocolate Star, 1976.
Never-heard live work from Gary "Chocolate Star" Davis – a set that's got a nice raw edge, and a surprising club vibe that's very different than some of his other material from the time! The tracks often stretch out, and mix together funky rhythms, vibes, and keyboards – with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Strata East/P-Vine (Japan), 1974.
Weldon Irvine meets Strata East – and the result is one of the keyboardist's funkiest albums ever! The set's more jazz-based than the soul/funk outings Weldon cut for RCA and his own label – with great focus on Weldon's lines on clavinet and Fender Rhodes – supported by sweet ... CD (Jazz CD)
Wax Poetics, 2023.
An all hip-hop issue of Wax Poetics – with the late Notorious BIG living large on the front cover – alongside other great features on Blackalicious, Schoolly D, T Eric Monroe, Grandmaster Flowers, Sue Kwon, Yo Yo, and Super Cat – plus a look at the photography of B+, whose images ... Magazine (Books Magazine)

Jean Michel Jarre

Les Granges Brulees
Eden Roc/Transversales Disques (France), 1973. (reissue)
A really haunting bit of early electronics by Jean Michel Jarre – the soundtrack for the film Les Granges Brulees from the early 70s! The work here has a very different sound than Jarre's later music – not nearly so neat and tidy, with lots of rough edges, and shorter tunes that have a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
International Anthem, 2023.
The second set from Resavoir – a project headed by Chicago producer/musician Will Miller, an artist who's had a lot of experience in the higher reaches of the hip hop scene – but who here gives himself over to much more personal, introspective modes! Yet the album's not a solo effort ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Columbia/Easy Tempo (Italy), 1974.
A wonderful set of funky Latin grooves from Chakachas – an album that was recorded around the same time as their classic Jungle Fever record, but which is much more obscure overall! The set was originally only issued in Europe, and has a groove that's very similar to Jungle Fever – a ... CD (Soul CD)

Piero Piccioni

Lo Scopone Scientifico
Quartet (Spain), 1972.
A surprisingly sensitive soundtrack from Piero Piccioni – especially given that it was done for an early 70s comedy that starred the great Alberto Sordi! The style here is maybe more in that early 60s Italian style of composers like Carlo Rustichelli and Nino Rota – light, lovely ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Out-Sider (Italy), 1977.
George Clinton and the P-Funk army in all their 70s glory – presented here in a live performance that was originally done for radio in Detroit! There's not much in the way of notes or personnel listed for the set, but there's definitely some long jamming passages on the set, which are likely ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Pulsar/Big Pink (South Korea), Late 60s.
A fantastic set from a singer who really should have gotten bigger fame at the time – an artist who played keyboards with Doug Sahm, and definitely absorbed some of that Texas brew of sounds – but who also has a soulful style that's very much his own when he steps out in the lead! Part ... CD (Rock CD)
Cadet/Verve, 1970. (reissue)
Incredible work from the amazing Dorothy Ashby – a brilliant set of funky and spiritual tunes, set to full backings from Chicago soul arranger Richard Evans! This album is easily one of Ashby's greatest, and it's dedicated to the writings of Omar Khayyam – one of the forces guiding ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Jive, Early 90s.
A remix-heavy version of a record that may have the year 1993 permanently locked into its title – but a set that's got more than enough strength to survive strongly over the decades – the first great statement from Cali giants Souls Of Mischief, and a record that would set the tone for ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)

Ara Tokatlian & Enrique Villegas

Inspiracion
Cabal/Altercat (Germany), 1975. (reissue)
One of the hippest records ever cut by pianist Enrique Villegas – very different than his early material, and a set that's got this strong, stretched-out, and highly spiritual vibe – thanks in very large part to his musical partner on the date, saxophonist Ara Tokatlian! In many ways, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Solar/Robinsongs (UK), Early 80s. 3CD
A massive collection of work from Lakeside – one of the leading lights of the Solar Records label in the early 80s, and one of the label's key groups in helping to redefine funk in the decade! Lakeside take the large ensemble funk format of the late 70s, and give it a leaner, cleaner groove ... CD (Soul CD)

Masahiko Sato

Palladium
Express/Universal (Japan), 1969. (reissue)
The debut album of the legendary pianist Masahiko Sato – a musician who's got a way with a piano that's unlike anyone else we can think of – almost creating these sinister moments at times, which are balanced by occasional moments of warmth, amidst a very groundbreaking sense of freedom! ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Viva/Big Pink (South Korea), 1967.
A lost gem from the LA scene of the 60s – a set that was originally cast as an exploitation of the heady Sunset Strip scene, but which actually features a fair bit of excellent work by the young JJ Cale! Cale arranged and produced the set, and wrote some tunes too – and the record ... CD (Rock CD)
Nodlew/P-Vine (Japan), 1973.
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 ... CD (Jazz CD)
Nodlew/P-Vine (Japan), 1972.
Landmark early work from the legendary Weldon Irvine – recorded way back when he was first coming to fame with Nina Simone, but done as an obscure indie effort for his tiny Nodlew label! The set's a wicked batch of keyboard-heavy funk – at a level that's similar to some of the best ... CD (Jazz CD)

Clifford Jordan

Drink Plenty Water
Strata East/Harvest Song, 1974.
A totally fantastic record from tenorist Clifford Jordan – maybe his most sophisticated session ever, and an album that was originally intended for release on Strata East in the mid 70s, but which has never seen the light of day before! Here, Jordan expands on the spiritual modes of classics ... CD (Jazz CD)
Tramp (Germany), Late 70s/Early 80s.
A great entry in this always-killer collection of rare funk and soul – a series that somehow manages to keep on delivering ultra-rare nuggets, even at a time when there's been so many other compilations from so many other labels over the years! Our ears are always trained to appreciate the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Guerssen (Spain), 1972. Gatefold (reissue)
The second half of the title gives this one away – as the album's a batch of progressive rock tracks from early 70s Bolivia – all very heavy on guitar and organ! Tracks are longish, but never too sloppy – and the keyboards and guitar jam together nicely in an exploration of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Rickey Calloway

King Of Funk
Rickey Calloway/Funk Night, 2023.
Amazing work from Rickey Calloway – an overlooked soul singer with a resume that goes back to the 70s, and one who's definitely kept the spirit of James Brown alive and well with music like this! In a world of young singers trying for a classic vibe, Rickey's the real deal – and served ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)

Enrique Villegas

Tributo A Monk
Trova/RGS (Argentina), 1967.
A very cool split album from pianist Enrique Villegas – and one that's nicely different than some of his other records from the time! Side one features a long tribute to Thelonious Monk – a blended medley of "Bemsha Swing", "Round Midnight", and "Blue Monk ... CD (Jazz CD)
Def Jam, 1988. 2LP (reissue)
The massive second album by PE – and the one where where the hit their full creative stride, and their politics and philosphy hit at full force – moving Public Enemy from an imposing threat to both the hip hop and pop music status quo to a straight up cultural phenomenon! There's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)

Atlantis Jazz Ensemble

Celestial Suite
Marlow (Canada), 2023.
A heavenly bit of spiritual jazz from this cool Canadian combo – a lean group, but one who manage to deliver this soulful flow that almost makes you think they're a much larger ensemble! Pierre Chretien handles the Fender Rhodes and songwriting, and he's really got a magical ear for a tune ... CD (Jazz CD)

Sarah Webster Fabio

Jujus – Alchemy Of The Blues
Folkways/Smithsonian, 1976. (reissue)
An incredible album, and very unique! Sarah Webster Fabio was a hip 70s poet with a very righteous sound – and she's working here with funky backings by a tight group that includes family members, in a style that's similar to early 70s work by artists like Wanda Robinson and Camille ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Mighty Cavaliers

Mapendo
EMI/Want Some (Germany), 1977. Gatefold (reissue)
A record as earthy as you might expect from its cover – a rare 70s gem from the Kenyan scene, and one that mixes some killer funky nuggets with a few more straightforward tunes! There's lots of driving rhythms on the album, and snakey guitar that criss-crosses in a great way underneath the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Wenha/P-Vine (Japan), 1981.
A weird and wonderful album from Tribe Records giant Wendell Harrison – an obscure electric set from the start of the 80s! There's still a strongly spiritual feel on the record, but Wendell also adds some Fender Rhodes and vocals to his work on tenor and flute – bringing in the same ... CD (Jazz CD)

Fachada

Cidade Da Selva
Electric Cowbell, 2023. Gatefold
A second set of abstractions on Brazilian references from Fachada – and like his first, a record that has a lean vibe overall, and a funky blend of keyboards, percussion, and some well-chosen guest instrumentation! The set is plenty soulful, but never too smooth – and although much of ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves LP)
RGS (Argentina), 1966.
A lost mid 60s session from famous Argentine bassist Jorge Lopez Ruiz – maybe even more compelling than some of his other albums of the decade, in that the entire set is based on his own compositions! Ruiz is a hell of a bassist and an equally great leader – and works here with this ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Jamila Woods

Water Made Us
Jagjaguwar, 2023.
We're already huge fans of Jamila Woods – partly because she reps our hometown of Chicago, but mostly because her previous records have been so great – yet right from the very first note of this set, we're falling in love all over again, and at a much deeper level than before – ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Rockers International/Onlyroots (France), 1978. (reissue)
A lean and spooky little set from the Rockers All Stars – put together with killer production from Augustus Pablo and Everton Da Silva! The vibe here is in the moodiest territory that Pablo might explore on albums under his own name – and although the father is providing help, it's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)

Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Jazz Is Dead 19 – Instrumentals
Jazz Is Dead, 2023.
An all-instrumentals set of tracks from the Jazz Is Dead duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – but one that also has some ties to their previous projects as well! The set features some material written with Jean Carne, who doesn't sing at all – and some written with Lonnie ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Beat (Italy), 1972.
A wonderful and overlooked soundtrack by Morricone – done for a western, but with a tone that's very different than most of his other spaghetti work! The main theme to the film has a very cool and groovy approach – almost in the gentle bossa mode at times, with a slightly jangly theme ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Victor/Omnivore, 1979.
A great little record from Art Pepper – four long tracks that really have him stretching out on alto – but in a way that's maybe a bit different than some of his more burning albums on the Galaxy label at the time! The group here follows from some of the previous Artist House ... CD (Jazz CD)
GDM/Beat (Italy), 1963/1966.
Two groovy Ennio Morricone scores from the 60s – both of them pretty darn great! La Trappola Scatta A Beirut is a hip spy thriller from the time – done with some bold, jazzy inflections on the instrumentation – and styles that echo American and British thrillers of a similar ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Atlantic/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1970. (reissue)
An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Soul Jazz (UK), 1970s/Early 80s. 2LP
A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Verve, 1973. (reissue)
An incredible album of Latin funk – the only-ever record from this west coast combo headed by the legendary Benny Velarde! Benny's a name that you might recognize from earlier, straighter Latin dates for Fantasy – or for countless studio work during the 70s – but here, he's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)

Im & Dave/Jackie Mittoo/Lloyd Williams

Money Maker
Studio One, 1970.
The album may not have been much of a Money Maker for Studio One Records – given that it's one of the rarest in their catalog – but it stands as a key illustration of the label's genius, and just how far away they were from most of their contemporaries! The set's a bit of a split ... CD (Reggae CD)

Hiromasa Suzuki

High Flying
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1976. (reissue)
Loads of great keyboards here from Hiromasa Suzuki – working in a mode that's somewhere between earlier funky jazz, and the tighter Japanese fusion of the late 70s! The style here is never too smooth, yet Suzuki really manages to blend some great elements together – his own keys, lots ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe

Vigilante (180 gram pressing)
Fania/Craft, 1983. (reissue)
Willie and Hector really open things up here on this excellent early 80s session – going for longer tracks that really expand upon their classic sound of the 70s! There's a very ambitious approach to the music – with more passages that shift between vocals and instrumentation than ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)

Fred Anderson

Milwaukee Tapes Vol 2
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 1980.
A long-overdue second dive into the tapes of Fred Anderson's searing performance in Milwaukee in 1980 – a brilliant document of a group that was not recorded often, and who shine here in a way that really illuminates the genius that Anderson was capable of in the decade before the world began ... CD (Jazz CD)
Great Jones/Shimmy Disc, 1989. 2LP
A really wonderful later project from the legendary poet Allen Ginsberg – a set put together by Hal Willner, and one that may well be better than any of his previous efforts to blend together words and music! The tunes often still have that hypnotic quality of Ginsberg's earlier recordings, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Spoken Word LP)
Mr Bongo (UK), 1970s/2023.
Miche's at it again – and he's somehow managed to top the great sound of the first volume in the series – digging deeper into the past, coming up with more soulful numbers overall, then throwing in just the right touch of Brazilian grooves to even things out! As before, there's no ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)

Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited

Sounds Of Sound Limited
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1970. (reissue)
A killer funky group from early 70s Japan – a slightly large ensemble, but one with some really heavy drums at the bottom – plus some great use of organ and electric guitar! There's a tight brace of horns at the top – flute, tenor, trumpets, and trombone – but the rhythms ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Daisaku Kume

Violent Cop
WRWTFWW (Switzerland), 1989.
Daisaku Kume did a fantastic job with the music for this excellent film from Takeshi Kitano – serving up a fair bit of the keyboard sounds that you'd know from his work in the famous fusion group T-Square, but in a way that's nicely different than those records too! There's definitely lots ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Red (Italy), 1985. Gatefold (reissue)
A tremendous little record from Bobby Watson – one of the brightest young artists in jazz back in the 80s! The album features Watson grooving with the Italian Open Form Trio for the session – but all players come together with the cohesiveness of some of Watson's best work with Curtis ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Profile/Get Down, 1993. 2LP (reissue)
An important early 90s moment for Run DMC – as the set has one of the first big major hip hop acts of the 80s, retuning themselves slightly for the new decade – in part by opening the door to added guests and producers for the record! The core energy that makes the trio so great is ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Light In The Attic, Late 60s/Early 70s. 2LP
The coolest collection of work we've ever seen from Nancy Sinatra – a package that goes way past her 60s hits to include a host of lesser-known gems, non-LP singles, rarities, and even a few unissued tracks as well – all presented in a lavish setting that's as vivid as the image on the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)
Freestyle (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s.
Crucial cuts from The Investigators – a UK lovers rock group, but one who borrow plenty from American soul as well – as you might guess from their look on the cover, which almost makes them appear like some east coast indie act from the early 80s! The rhythms are definitely reggae on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

David Wertman

Kara Suite
Mustevic/Finders Keepers (UK), 1976. (reissue)
One of a few rare gems issued on the 70s Mustevic label run by drummer Steve Reid – a player on the session here, but as a sideman working under the leadership of bassist David Wertman – who really delivers this amazing blend of larger concept and freewheeling improvisations from all ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Weldon Irvine

Weldon & The Kats
Nodlew/P-Vine (Japan), 1968/1980s.
Rare work from Weldon Irvine – a selection of tracks recorded as private studio outings, reissued briefly by Luv N Haight in the early 90s, and then only on vinyl! The style here is much more jazz-based than some of Irvine's soul recordings – a mode that's often all instrumental, and ... CD (Jazz CD)
Fremeaux & Associates (France), 1961. 3CDs
A legendary lineup of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers – heard here on an extended set of concert performances done in France at the start of the 60s! As on the Blue Note live albums by the group, there's a special sort of energy going on here that pushes past the already-great studio material ... CD (Jazz CD)

Curtis Lundy with Carmen Lundy

Never Gonna Let You Go/Jabbo's Revenge
Dynamite Cuts (UK), 1987. (pic cover)
Two fantastic early cuts from bassist Curtis Lundy – one of which features superb vocals from the young Carmen Lundy too! The stellar "Never Gonna Let You Go" was the first time most of us heard Carmen's voice – which is perfect for this uplifting, hard-grooving number that ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)

George Burton

Yule Log
George Burton/Porge, 2023.
A mighty fresh Christmas album from pianist George Burton – one that goes way past familiar territory, with an unusual mix of tunes next to familiar Holiday favorites – and served up with a mix of sounds and styles that really sets things apart from the pack! George plays acoustic ... CD (Holiday Music CD)
Athens Of The North (UK), 1980s/Early 90s. 2LP Gatefold
Fantastic work from the UK soul scene – music from a time when some of the bigger names overseas were starting to grab interest on US charts, but were only the tip of the iceberg next to some of the overlooked artists on this set! If you dig the sounds of Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, and Mica ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)

Christian Gaubert

Last Exit
Mad About Records (Portugal), 1979. (reissue)
Funky club from 70s France – a great blend of disco, jazz funk, and slightly warmer soul – all served up by keyboardist Christian Gaubert with vocals but the ultra-sweet Last Exit group! Gaubert's style is right up there with the best European club at the time – tight rhythms, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
180g, Late 60s/1970s. 2LP Gatefold
The first-ever western collection of work from Japanese jazz giant Jiro Inagaki – a great saxophonist in his own right, and a real master of the groove with his Soul Media band! The double-length set is overflowing with gems from the golden age of Jiro and that group – tunes that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Soul Jazz (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. 2LP
A much-needed look at the funky Miami scene of the late 60s and early 70s – the new powerhouse of southern soul, after the slowdown in the scenes in Memphis and Muscle Shoals! The Miami sound was harder, tighter, rawer, and faster than that of other southern outlets – based around a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Paisley Park/Legacy, 1991.
A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time ... CD (Soul CD)
Ace (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s.
Blue-tinged work for those days when your heart is breaking and your soul is aching – a really wonderful batch of tracks that are heavy on those late 60s/early 70s moments when male singers were starting to open up a bit and let their emotions show! The vibe here is very different than Bobby ... CD (Rock CD)
MPS (Germany), 2023.
Tremendous work from the mighty Ed Motta – an artist who never lets us down, and who just keeps getting better as the years move on! Back in the 20th Century, Ed asked us to move his records from our Brazilian section to Neo Soul – a move that was wise on his part, as Motta has become ... LP, Vinyl record album (Neo Soul LP)
Fame/Kent (UK), Early 70s.
Genius early work from Candi Staton – one of her first few gems recorded at Fame Studios with producer Rick Hall – and a set that packs the punch of some of the best female soul of the time! The groove here is stripped-down, raw, and ready – at a level that even Aretha Franklin's ... CD (Soul CD)

Aphrose

Roses
LRK (UK), 2023.
Toronto-based Aphrose is a hell of a soul singer – an artist with a voice rich enough to crack the mainstream, but a more laidback way of putting over a tune that makes her music sound even more personal overall! The album's almost at throwback to a time when we were regularly discovering ... LP, Vinyl record album (Neo Soul LP)

Melcochita Y Su Conjunto

Dejen Bailar Al Loco
Mag/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1968. (reissue)
The cover image here will give you a great idea of the vibe of the record – as Melochita was a comedian as well as a Latin musician, and brings a great sense of playful wit to the album! A number of cuts feature vocals that have this really odd, almost cartoony style that's totally great ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)

Pyramid Trio (Roy Campbell/William Parker/Zen Matsuura)

Visitation Of Spirits
No Business (Lithuania), 1985.
Never-issued work from this amazing group – a live performance recorded near Boston, and one that shows just how much players like Roy Campbell were helping to introduce more spiritual energy to the avant scene after the 70s! Roy blows trumpet, flugelhorn, and flute here – working on ... CD (Jazz CD)

Appendix

Space Trip
Amigo/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1973. (reissue)
A brilliant batch of grooves from this early 70s Swedish ensemble – a group who mix together spiritual jazz and fusion styles, and have a sound that's a lot deeper than most of their contemporaries on the European scene at the time! A few tracks have lyrics in English, but sung in a roughly ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Atco/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1966. (reissue)
A landmark set of grooves by this excellent Detroit group – a trio who recorded for the local indie Karen, but got a much bigger boost towards fame when their record was picked up by Atlantic! The set's one of the killer 60s Motor Town sets produced by Ollie McLaughlin – and like the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Fame/Kent (UK), Late 60s.
Wonderful early work from deep soul singer Candi Staton – early southern work, and done with a very different vibe than the clubbier cuts she'd deliver at the end of the 70s! Fame Records giant Rick Hall produced, and the whole thing was recorded with the kind of raw hard sound that Muscle ... CD (Soul CD)
Knitting Factory, 2013. 2LP (reissue)
One of the hippest entries in the Red Hot series so far – a set of tracks dedicated to the legendary Fela Kuti – felled by AIDS after years of influential grooves – still being felt strongly by the rich array of artists collected in the set! Most tracks are contemporary, but ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Folkways/Smithsonian, 1977. (reissue)
Seminal 70s work from Sarah Webster Fabio – an amazing blend of poetry and music, and incredibly hip all the way through! Fabio's got a depth that goes beyond other commercial poets of the time – a righteousness that's right at home in the spiritual jazz scene of the 70s, and which is ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Ahmed Abdullah with Louis Reyes Rivera

Strange Celestial Road – My Time In The Sun Ra Arkestra
Blank Forms, 2023. Book
Trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah has made some great music of his own, but over the years he was also a key player in the legendary Arkestra of Sun Ra – and this unique volume is maybe one of the first books ever to really get at what life was like as a member of that legendary ensemble! The book is ... Book (Book)

Leela James

Thought U Knew
BMG, 2023.
The title track on this one's a slammer, and the whole album has Leela James really working at the top of her game – maybe using a touch of her maturity to really sharpen her songwriting edge, and serve up the kind of material that really lets us focus on her strengths! There's a confidence ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Jazzman (UK), 2023. 2LP
One of the deepest-digging entries in this wonderful series – a set that explores the wealth of spiritual jazz issued on small indie labels in the 70s – material that's sometimes referred to as "private", although that's really just a factor of how little circulation these ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Jazzman (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s.
Greasy Mike's at it again – and while he might not make any dates by flashing his vinyl collection to the gals on the street, he more than wins us over with his cool collection of rare and offbeat gems from the glory days of the 7" single! This time around, the tunes are all by female ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Soul Jazz (UK), 2008.
A beautiful book on the dancehall scene in Jamaica – one that's done in a different style than some of the other Soul Jazz books – which are often focused more on album cover art! This book's got a very different approach – and is more an art book with photos of the dancehall ... Book (Book)
Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 50s/Early 60s. 3CDs
French composer Michel Magne is perhaps best remembered for his soundtrack work of the 60s – but this well-done collection digs farther back, and brings together not only some earlier film score work from the postwar years, but also some extra cool instrumental projects too! Magne's always ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Northern Spy, 2023.
Some of the most intense work we've ever heard from composer/reedman Darius Jones – a set of longer works, recorded live in Vancouver – with a style that mixes core jazz instrumentation with some added string elements that really send things over the top! There's plenty of free ... CD (Jazz CD)
Regrooved (Netherlands), 1976. Gatefold
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 ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Tribe/P-Vine (Japan), 1974. (reissue)
One of the most righteous albums ever issued by the always-righteous Tribe Records label of Detroit – a really collective effort, one that features ensemble vocals and spiritual jazz – all pulled together by pianist Harold McKinney! The album showcases a group named Voices Of The ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
International Anthem, 2023.
A sublime blend of jazz and organic sounds from multi-instrumentalist Bex Burch – a record that sounds as if it might have come from the studio of Carlos Nino, but which almost has a more personal, poetic sort of quality! There are some sounds of nature here – including bird calls from ... CD (Jazz CD)
Sublime Frequencies, 2023. 2LP Gatefold
A beautiful set of ragas on the rudra veena – a sitar-like instrument, but one that has a deeper sound overall, and an additional resonator on the bottom – all of which makes for a really wonderful sound throughout! The album's billed as the first recording of a female musician on the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Island (UK), 1976. (reissue)
A strong debut effort from one of the finer British roots acts – the mighty Aswad, a group who were big on the UK shores, but never got the same sort of international circulation as their peers Steel Pulse! Like many UK groups of the time, Aswad are nicely self-contained, different than the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
Cherry Red (UK), Late 70s. 2LP
32 nuggets from the farther reaches of the British scene in the early years of punk rock – music that goes past some of the bigger names of the time, and which presents an especially English take on the raw sounds that were shaking things up on both sides of the Atlantic as an antidote to the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
On-U Sound (UK), 2023.
The first album in many years from this legendary studio project from On-U Sound and Adrian Sherwood – and one that makes us feel as if the passage of decades hasn't happened at all! Sherwood's production is still wonderful – and, if anything, maybe less showy, or more soulful, or less ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
Flying Dutchman/BGP (UK), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
A very different album than most of the other records issued on the Flying Dutchman label at the start of the 70s – not funk, or jazz, or soul material – and instead a stunning hard rock monster that's every bit as revolutionary as titles in those other genres on the label! The group ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Kang Tae Hwan/Choi Sun Bae

Korean Fantasy
No Business (Lithuania), 1999.
Long, live, improvised duets between drummer Kim Dae Hwan and trumpeter Choi Sun Bae – the latter of whom also blows a bit of harmonica on the set! Yet mostly, Bae is blowing trumpet – and he's got this earthy, raspy tone that's great – very mouthy at points, then shifted into ... CD (Jazz CD)

Sampha

Lahai
Young, 2023.
Sampha's a singer who's always hard to peg, but one who grabs you right away – with a voice that's one of the most unique, distinct, and powerful in contemporary soul music – and which deserves to be heard in all its brilliance on a record like this! We're not sure how to describe what ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
United Dairies/Souffle Continu (France), 1984.
A legendary bit of noise from the United Dairies label of Stephen Stapleton – a set that combines his own experimental sounds with some contributions from the avant French scene as well – all at a level that shows how that sometimes-overlooked 70s generation ended up having a bit impact ... CD (Rock CD)
Ace (UK), Mid 90s. 2LP
Fuzzy guitars, analog electronics, moody production, and slightly sinister vocals – all elements you'll find in abundance here, in this well done look at UK work from a generation when the US scene was dipping into modes that were later dubbed "post-rock" – and helped to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Various

Stax Christmas
Stax/Craft, Late 60s/Early 70s.
A deep soul take on the sound of Christmas – served up here in a range of classic Holiday cuts from the legendary Stax Records! The set's nicely different than the previous Stax Christmas set, and features some tunes from later in the label's run – some of those cool singles that they ... LP, Vinyl record album (Holiday Music LP)

Los Yorks

Los Yorks 68
Mag/Munster (Spain), 1968. (reissue)
Rough-edged rock and roll from the Peruvian scene of the 60s – a set cut at a time when the scene was still very much in love with the R&B-influenced style of the UK beat groups, and less concerned with some of their later, more psychedelic directions! There's a nicely garagey quality to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
WHP (Italy), 1973. 2LP
Archie Shepp in Europe is always an amazing thing – and here, the spiritual master is captured right between his late 60s free French recordings, and some of his more tightly-controlled Italian albums of the second half of the decade! There's a great balance here – as Archie's still ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra

Live At IUCC 2/25/79 – Church Recordings Vol 2
Nimbus, 1979.
That's the legendary Horace Tapscott at the piano on the cover, and he's doing a fantastic job here, working with this equally legendary set of musicians from the LA scene of the 70s – as they stretch out in a tremendous performance that appears here for the first time ever! Tapscott was ... CD (Jazz CD)
Blue Thumb/Verve, 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
A wickedly funky album from Joao Donato – quite different than his earlier bossa sessions, and recorded in LA with a sweet jazzy bounce! The album's overflowing with great keyboard work – and Joao plays both piano and organ, in a group that includes percussion from Emil Richards, who ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)

Sandy Salisbury & Curt Boettcher

Try For The Sun (with bonus tracks)
Sundazed, Mid 60s.
Incredible early work from Curt Boettcher and Sandy Salisbury – best known for their collaboration in the fantastic groups Ballroom and Millennium – but heard here in a set of intimate demos the pair recorded around the same time! There's plenty of Sunshine Pop genius on these cuts, ... CD (Rock CD)

Salt N Pepa

Very Necessary
Next Plateau/Mercury, 1993. 2LP (reissue)
A massive hit and creative triumph for Salt N Pepa – a record that was both maybe their biggest ever, and which had the duo working with Spinderella at a level that also bridged both hip hop and R&B! Although there were some younger up-and-comers on the scene at the time, Salt N Pepa had ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Timeless/Tidal Waves, 1978. (reissue)
One of the greatest albums as a leader from tenorist George Coleman – an artist who we feel often never gave us enough with himself in the lead as well! George brings in that great edge he used on earlier sessions with other leaders, while still also really establishing himself as one of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Grupo Yoyi

Grupo Yoyi
Egrem/Future Rootz, 1977. (reissue)
A totally cool Cuban gem from the 70s – one of those wicked little records from a time when the scene in Havana were mixing together all sorts of styles, and really coming up with a fantastic blend of modes that never got much exposure on our American market at the time! The set's got this ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)

Tony Scott & The Indonesian All Stars

Djanger Bali
MPS (Germany), 1967. Gatefold (reissue)
An incredible album – and one of the most groundbreaking blends of jazz and global music ever recorded! Reedman Tony Scott plays here with a little-known group of Indonesian jazz players – brought together in a special project for MPS/Saba records, in a blend of modal jazz elements and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Midi/We Want Sounds (UK), 1984.
A pivotal album in the career of Ryuichi Sakamoto – a set that got wide global circulation right at a time when he was a rising star on the screen as much as a surprising international music star as well – of the sort who became a key global representative for all the changes that had ... CD (Japanese CD)
Finders Keepers (UK), 1971.
An early pairing of composer Andrzej Korzynski and director Andrzej Zulawski – a Polish duo who show that groovy vampire films aren't just the stuff of the southern European scene in the 70s! Korzynski's music for the movie is really wonderful – starting with a wicked fuzzy funky theme ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Rhino, 1970s/1980s/1990s/2000s/2010s. 2LP
A mighty tribute to one of the coolest bands to emerge from the American underground of the late 70s – and one of the few who were able to both end up on a larger label, and yet still continue the genius that made them such a powerful presence on the arty, edgy Ohio scene from which they ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Christian Zysset

Cosmogonie
Mondiophone/Endless Happiness (Italy), 1972. (reissue)
A 70s sound library record, but one that's also very different than most – as Christian Zysset put together the whole thing more as a jazz record with long, extended tracks – instead of the more typical batch of shorter themes and songs! The set's got a largeish group who stay together ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)

Art Hirahara

Echo Canyon
Posi tone,
Art Hirahara is a player who keeps winning us over with each new release – a wonderfully sensitive musician and thoughtful composer, but also one who's got a great way with a soaring, swinging sound as well! Part of that latter quality comes here from the superb accompaniment of Boris Kozlov ... CD (Jazz CD)

Du-Rites

Plug It In
Old Maid, 2023.
A set that's almost a back to basics effort for the Du-Rites – one that makes the best use of the massively funky drums of Jay Mumford and fast-riffing guitar of Pablo Martin – as the duo augment their groove with some additional work on bass, percussion, and keyboards too! Yet there's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Jazzman (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s.
Maybe not the most politically correct of the entries in the Greasy Mike series of weird and wild 45s – as the collection brings together material that offers a postwar take on the East – in a weird mish-mash of rocking styles blended with imagined ideas of Pacific-rimmed culture! The ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Eric Krasno & Stanton Moore

Krasno/Moore Project – Book Of Queens
Concord, 2023.
A heady set from these two longtime funk legends – Eric Krasno on guitar and Stanton Moore on drums – working in a tight trio that also features Eric Finland on Hammond, Wurlitzer, and Mellotron – all in a sharply soulful groove that definitely lives up to the legacy of both ... CD (Deep Funk CD)

John Berberian Ensemble

Music Of The Middle East
Roulette/Life Goes On, Mid 60s. (reissue)
Maybe one of the most authentic records ever cut by John Berberian – an American musician, but one who delivered great work on the oud during the 60s – including some projects that were often a bit psychedelic in nature! This set's a bit more straightforward, but equally great – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Nadja/Octave (Japan), 1975.
A great early album from pianist Kunhiko Sugano – a set that has the leader working in a relaxed live setting, in a small Japanese club that also features a conga added to his usual trio! Most numbers begin with an introspective introduction from Sugano – those lyrical lines he does so ... CD (Jazz CD)

Ronald Langestraat

Apollo
South Of North (Netherlands), Early 90s.
A mighty nice combination of sounds – nice and lean, recorded both live and in a home studio – then wrapped together with that special sort of magic that Ronald Langestraat brings to his albums! At the time of the date, Langestraat was playing daily in the Apollo Hotel in Amsterdam ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Douglas Andrew McCombs

VMAK-KOMBZ–-DUGLAS–6NDR7–-
Thrill Jockey, 2022.
The first-ever solo album from Doug McCombs – the well-known bassist with a huge legacy that includes work in Eleventh Dream Day and Tortoise – finally getting a chance to shine in the spotlight on his own! The vibe here is more like Doug's work in Brokeback, but even more open and ... CD (Rock CD)

Jorge Lopez Ruiz

Un Hombre De Buenos Aires
Trova/Altercat (Germany), 1978. (reissue)
One of the coolest 70s albums we've ever heard from the always-cool Jorge Lopez Ruiz – a set that expands out from his earlier jazz work with a flurry of wonderful sounds and styles, set up in a much more ambitious vibe overall! Yet despite the sophistication of the setting, the work is also ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Edsel (UK), 1980s.
Remixes and extended tracks galore – and a wonderful package that really opens up the world of the gay club scene in the post-disco years! The tracks are a great array of dance, import, and high energy tracks – some of which carry forward disco energy into the 80s, others of which open ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)

Funkgus

Man With A Gun
Baal/P-Vine (Japan), Late 70s. (reissue)
Raw funk from 70s Singapore – but a bunch of cats who really get their sound right! The album's got a surprisingly sharp edge – thanks to raspy guitars that work perfectly with the group's English language vocals – themselves sung with a nice sort of sharpness that makes the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Stax/Omnivore, 1969. (reissue)
An obscure bit of late 60s Stax! Steve Cropper's working away from the MG's here, in a mode that's slightly similar, but which has his guitar upfront in the mix on a batch of Memphis-style instrumentals – kind of his own take on the groove he was laying down with Booker T, but with a lot ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Beat (Italy), 1973.
One of the first great Italian cop movies of the 70s – and a superbly-scored film with a really wonderful soundtrack! The DeAngelis brothers are clearly drawing heavily from an American tradition initiated by Lalo Schfrin – using heavy guitar, funky undercurrents, and even some ... CD (Soundtracks CD)

Delroy Witter & Friends

Lovers Rock Revisited Vol 2
Rockashacka (Japan), Late 70s/Early 80s.
Delroy Witter's the producer, a key underground talent on the London scene during those big years of homecrafted reggae records – and he gets help here from a range of wonderful singers who really bring out the most soulful currents of the lovers rock promised in the title! The set's a well-d ... CD (Reggae CD)
Blue Note/Mosaic, Early 60s. 7CD set
CD...$118.99 119.00
Pivotal work from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – eleven full albums recorded by the young jazzman as a leader, together showing a really incredible scope of his talents in just a few short years in the studio! The Blue Note albums here already show an incredible evolution – from initial ... CD (Jazz CD)

Atmo (Amadeo Tommasi)

Telegiornale
Octopus/Holy Basil (Italy), 1971. (reissue)
A legendary sound library album on the famous Italian Octopus label – and a set that's maybe one of the most unusual to be recorded by Amadeo Tommasi! The music is filled with all sorts of weird sounds and production elements – almost taking the experiments of the musique concrete ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
As Shams (South Africa), Mid 70s.
There's less disco here than you might expect, as the group's a very jazzy one – with tenor and flute from South African jazz legend Basil Coetzee, working next to the organ and drum machine of Pops Mohamed as he creates a very cool, unique groove! The music's an extension of other South ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Jazzaggression (Finland), 1973.
A wonderfully raw keyboard trio session from the Norwegian scene of the early 70s – served up by a group led by Christian Reim, who you may know from more modern jazz-styled material, but who's in a killer funky group here! Reim plays Fender Rhodes and organ next to the guitar of Rickard ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Chulo/Daptone, 2023.
A contemporary record, but one that hearkens back to the glory days of the Latin diva albums of the 50s and 60s – wonderfully expressive vocals from Maria Raquel, a singer who makes her debut here, yet somehow feels as if she's been making music for many many years! The arrangements are a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)
Digitmovies (Italy), Early 70s. 3 CD
A really rare chapter of the soundtrack legacy of Italian giants Guido & Maurizio DeAngelis – a pair who are best known for their crime/cop movie work of the 70s, but who step out here in a whole host of different TV projects instead! There's definitely some music here that resonates ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Stax/Jackpot, 1968. (reissue)
Booker T & The MGs – definitely doing their thing on this late 60s cooker – and moving their instrumental sound into a whole new range than before! The album has a very groovy feel – nice and tight, with especially great organ and guitar lines – often tuned towards 60s ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Ronald Langestraat

Light Years Away
South Of North (Netherlands), 2022.
Ronald Langestraat has been in more jazz-based territory in the past, but here he adds in a bit more rhythm and opens up a groove – quite a surprise for this octogenarian musician! Ronald sings on many tracks, with this cool raspy voice that slides in and out of the grooves nicely – as ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Blue Note, 1967. Gatefold (reissue)
A seminal album from this genius tenorist – a classic session from the late 60s that has Wayne Shorter pushing into a searching, spiritual groove, but one that's still filled with all the taught electricity of his earlier recordings on Blue Note! Shorter's accompanied by youthful modernists ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Genius

Genius
P&M/Easy Tempo (Italy), 1974.
A really wild little funky record – one that's got very obscure origins on the Argentine scene of the 70s, and which serves up an unusual blend of soul, funk, and sound library modes! The tunes have plenty of wicked basslines, heavy drums, and riffing guitar – all of which draw ... CD (Sound Library CD)
Cuca/Numero, Mid 60s.
A really cool Canadian group from the 60s – an all-native lineup of members from the Tsimshian Nation – but working here in a raw garagey style that's totally great! The drums are lean and powerful, guitar follows suit, and vocals often have a surprisingly charming quality – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Gloria Weems

Lovelight
CCP/Freestyle (UK), 1983. (reissue)
A South African soul set from Gloria Weems, but one that feels like some of the best of the New York scene at the time – especially the underground indie work that was letting a lot of electro soul elements come into the mix! The bass pedal elements are great, and the drum machine rhythms ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Stax/Jackpot, 1967. (reissue)
Booker T's definitely getting a bit funky with this one – stepping off with the incredible title cut, a tune which really complicates the groove from the earlier years! The sound is still solid Memphis soul, with a raw instrumental vibe – but the grooves are even better than before, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Peter Brotzmann & Sabu Toyozumi

Triangle – Live At OHM 1987
No Business (Lithuania), 1987.
A never-issued performance recorded in Tokyo in the mid 80s – searing duets between German reed giant Peter Brotzman and drummer Sabu Toyozumi! We love Sabu's records from the 80s, and his sense of timing and space really seems to open Brotzmann up here – with a vibe that's almost more ... CD (Jazz CD)
Guruguru Brain (Netherlands), 2023. 2LP Gatefold
A really cool collection of cuts from the contemporary underground in Singapore – new music, but work that often resonates with some of our favorite funky global tracks of the 60s and 70s! Think "sitar funk", and you'll start to get the vibe of the set – as there's some of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Touch & Go, 1991. (reissue)
The seminal second album from Slint, and the group's swan song too – yet a record that would go on to have a huge impact for years to come, virtually setting the tone for many other 90s projects from a variety of other scenes! The Louisville quartet really knock it out of the park here ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Reprise/Esoteric (UK), 1971. 3CD
One of our favorite moments in the strong run of records from Family – a set that's still strongly defined by the vocals and songwriting of Roger Chapman, but which also has a lot more going on as well! John Wetton's joined the group for this album, and adds in bass and a bit of vocals ... CD (Rock CD)
Blue Note, 1965. Gatefold (reissue)
One of the greatest Blue Note albums of all time – a record that's even better than the look of it's cover – which is already pretty darn classic! Hank Mobley had been making records for Blue Note for a number of years before this set – but Caddy For Daddy is one in which he ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Barry Altschul/David Izenson/Perry Robinson

Stop Time
No Business (Lithuania), 1978.
A never-issued live performance from a really incredible trio – and a set that has reedman Perry Robinson coming across with some of the bold energy he brought to his important avant recordings on the New York scene of the 60s! The pairing of Barry Altschul's drums and David Izenson's bass ... CD (Jazz CD)

Daniel Villarreal with Jeff Parker & Anna Butterss

Lados B
International Anthem, 2023.
Killer trio material from drummer Daniel Villarreal – a lean, clean record that's a really great showcase for all three players involved! The music's got a vibe that's more live and spontaneous than some other efforts on the International Anthem label, and a sound that's almost funky at ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Solid State/Big Pink (South Korea), Late 60s. (reissue)
An obscure set from Hammond genius Jimmy McGriff, but a great one too – nicely different than his earlier work for Sue Records, and done at a level that really shows his growth at the end of the 60s! The record's one of those unusual Sonny Lester productions that seem to open up McGriff's ... CD (Jazz CD)

Menagerie

Shores Of Infinity
Freestyle (UK), 2023.
Spiritual sounds from a group who just seem to get better and better with each release – a combo headed up by Lance Ferguson, who you'll know from previous funk projects, including work in The Bamboos – an artist who's turned out to be a surprisingly strong jazz leader as well! There's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Clement Bushay

Dread In Session
Summertime/Lantern (Italy), 1976. (reissue)
There was definitely a dread in this session from producer Clement Bushay – but one who also brought in a strong influence from American soul – at a level that creates this mighty nice blend between roots reggae and lovers rock modes! The set trips along in an easygoing mode, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)

Eero Koivistoinen

Odysseus
Otava/Svart (Finland), 1969.
The first-ever album as a leader from Finnish saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen – an amazing debut that's filled with sharp notes and soaring rhythms! The style here is slightly modern, but also filled with a tremendous sense of soul – a deeply creative vibe that takes off from the hippest ... CD (Jazz CD)

Per Texas Johansson

Orkester Omnitonal
Moserobie (Sweden), 2023.
A compelling chapter in the long and wonderful career of reedman Per Texas Johansson – a set that features a larger ensemble interpreting his ideas, and working with a really incredible combination of horns! The group perform three longer compositions under the direction of Johan Siberg, and ... CD (Jazz CD)
Sublime Frequencies, 1970s. Gatefold
A great collection of non-LP material and other rare gems from one of the key figures in the Turkish psychedelic scene – an amazing artist who managed to take rootsy themes and melodies, and mix them with some really heavy duty guitar – all to create a freaky, fuzzy batch of music that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Per Texas Johansson

Den Samsta Losningen Av Alla
Moserobie (Sweden), 2023.
An album that's quite unlike anything else we've ever heard from this great European reedman – a set that seems to have Per Texas Johansson working in deeper tones, richer colors, and a bolder sense of music than before – more focus on the overall sound of the group, yet still with ... CD (Jazz CD)

Irreversible Entanglements

Protect Your Light
Impulse, 2023.
Not the first album from this fantastic group, but a set that's their initial outing for Impulse Records – the old home to John Coltrane, Sun Ra, and Pharoah Sanders – and a very fitting place for their boundless sense of expression! The group really seem to have upped their game for ... CD (Jazz CD)
Mr Bongo (UK), 1960s/1970s.
A stunning blend of soul, Latin, jazz, and Brazilian numbers – and a set that may well be our favorite entry in the Mr Bongo Record Club so far! If you know the Mr Bongo label, you'll know that for decades, they've turned us on to the sort of rare gems we might not have heard otherwise ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Blue Note/Third Man, 1956. (reissue)
Genius early work from the legendary Thad Jones – one of his greatest albums ever, and a sublime tribute to his talents on the trumpet! Jones has a groove here that definitely fits in nicely with the title – some of the more contemplative, expressive modes of his native Detroit scene ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Eero Koivistoinen

For Children
Otava/Svart (Finland), 1970.
Wonderfully tripped-out work from Finnish tenor giant Eero Koivistoinen – the first album recorded with his legendary Music Society group, and a strong departure from his straight jazz debut! The group here is expanded from before – with guitar from both Jukka Tolonen and Attilla ... CD (Jazz CD)

Poznanska Orkiestra Rozrywkowa PRITV

Wizjer (with bonus tracks)
GAD (Poland), 1979.
Funky sound library instrumentals, done for Polish radio at the end of the 70s – which means they've got a fair bit of disco and club influences thrown into the rhythms for good measure! In fact, there's plenty of tracks here that would be great to drop on a disco dancefloor – although ... CD (Sound Library CD)
Dust To Digital, 2023.
A series of new recordings – different than the mostly 78-based music we know from the Dust To Digital record company – yet one that's presented in a format that's every bit as compelling as some of the other global projects from the label! The recordings were done in Cadiz, almost as ... CD (Global Grooves CD)

Aaron Diehl & The Knights

Zodiac
Mack Avenue, 2023.
A beautiful take on the Zodiac Suite composed by Mary Lou Williams – one that has the same mix of piano and larger arrangements as her initial performance, but which takes the tones and colors in some much different directions overall! The core of the set has Aaron Diehl on piano, in the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Stax/Jackpot, 1965. (reissue)
A great little record from Booker T and group – often overlooked amidst the range between Green Onions and Melting Pot, but a very strong album of soulful Memphis instrumentals all the way through! Book's organ is bubbling hot, and the band's tight rhythm style works in a perfect laid-back ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Stax/Jackpot, 1966. (reissue)
A great little album from Booker T & The MGs – recorded in the post Green Onions years, at a time when the group was really coming together – with a tightness that perfectly illustrates their sublime Memphis instrumental groove! The album's heavy on guitar and organ, as you'd ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Bra Sello

Battle Of Disco
Soweto/Afrodelic (Italy), 1977. (reissue)
There's no disco going on here, and no battling either – as the set's got this wonderfully warm, fluid groove that mixes township rhythms with some sweet jazzy touches – plenty of reed work from Bra Sello on the top, but also plenty of great ensemble instrumentation too! The record ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)

Tre Burt

Traffic Fiction
Oh Boy, 2023.
The retro-styled font on the cover is a tipoff to the sound of this set – as Tre Burt steps back into the past a bit more and channels some strong influences from 70s soul, while still offering up that more contemporary blend of rock and R&B influences you'd know from his previous records! ... CD (Neo Soul CD)

Tenderlonious

You Know I Care
22A (UK), 2023.
The most spiritual session we've ever heard from Tenderlonious – a set that we always knew he had in him, given his playing on other folk's albums – yet one that still comes as a great surprise in comparison to some of his other records too! The set features compositions by Wayne ... CD (Jazz CD)
Constellation (Canada), 2023.
Maybe the most striking set in this ever-shifting series of releases from Matana Roberts – and one that shows his more advanced sonic sensibilities, in a mix of improvised jazz and more compositional settings! There's a vibe here that's almost like the more "serious" work of Roscoe ... CD (Jazz CD)

Shindig

Issue 144
Shindig, 2023.
The cover feature is a deep dive into the last days of Roy Wood's and Jeff Lynne's The Move and their, well, move to Electric Light Orchestra – who, needless to say, would become of the one of the biggest and most tuneful pop rock behemoths of its time – and where better to find this ... Magazine (Magazine)
Enjoy/P-Vine (Japan), Early 60s.
A great look at the lesser-known side of the Harlem soul empire of producer Bobby Robinson – best known for his work on the Fire and Fury labels, but also heard here on a host of rare singles for Enjoy, Vest, and other smaller imprints! There's plenty of records here that mark Robinson as ... CD (Soul CD)
Moserobie (Sweden), 2003.
An amazing set from one of the best young players on the Swedish jazz scene – tenor saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar, a player with boundless depth and imagination! The title of the set may be "plays loud for the people" – but we'd like to amend that to "plays proud for the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Blue Note/Third Man, 1971. (reissue)
Elvin Jones rose to fame in the company of one of the greatest saxophone players ever – the mighty John Coltrane – and his post-Coltrane work like this really continues a keen respect for the role of the reeds in jazz – and really does a lot to push it forward as well! There's a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Mercury/Universal (Japan), 1954.
Early early work by Paul Bley – years before he picked up the synthesizer, and years before he became the moody modernist he was in the 70s! The album's a relatively straight batch of tracks, but does have a touch of modernism – an early example of the sharp sounds that Bley would ... CD (Jazz CD)

Diane Jenkins with Creative Funk

I'm A Woman – The Complete Singles
Creative Funk/Essential, Early 70s.
Diane Jenkins was one of a few singers who worked with the mighty Creative Funk ensemble in the 70s – and here, she steps out in a collection that brings together her rare singles for that group's label, all of which feature backings from Creative Funk themselves! The groove here is nicely ... CD (Soul CD)

Piero Umiliani (Moggi)

Tra Scienza E Fantascienza
Beat/Musica Per Immagini (Italy), 1976. (reissue)
A wonderful sound library set from the great Piero Umiliani – and a record that's filled with some of his coolest electronics ever! The feel of the record is very much in keeping with the image on the cover – kind of sci fi, but kind of playful too – a wonderful blend of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Mercury, 1960.
An unusual chapter in the label-hopping career of Charles Mingus – a one-off date recorded for Mercury right after Mingus' legendary sessions for Columbia! The format here may well be Mingus' most ambitious to date – as the album features larger groups than before, exploring a range of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

John Carter & Bobby Bradford

Self Determination Music
Flying Dutchman/BGP (UK), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
A landmark recording – one of a handful of early documents of the avant garde LA scene, featuring a nimble quartet headed up by the inventive frontline of John Carter on reeds and Bobby Bradford on trumpet, over the fluid rhythm team of Tom Williamson on bass and Chicago expatriate Bruz ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Motohiko Hino

Flying Clouds
Days Of Delight (Japan), 1976.
A never-issued live performance from the legendary Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino – recorded live in concert, originally by the Three Blind Mice label – yet a date that's a lot more freewheeling than most of the more familiar studio material from TBM! All the tracks are long, soaring, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Jon Appleton & Don Cherry

Human Music
Flying Dutchman/BGP (UK), 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
A fantastic record – and a really mindblowing mix of spiritual jazz and electronics! The set is an amazing collaboration between trumpeter Don Cherry and pioneering electronic musician Jon Appleton – one of those rare meetings of the minds that goes far deeper than you'd expect! On ... LP, Vinyl record album (Out Sound LP)

Xaver Hellmeier

X-Man In New York
Cellar Live, 2023.
A killer set from jazz drummer Xaver Hellmeier – recorded in New York and produced by drummer Joe Farnsworth – a mentor of the younger player, and maybe the force for bringing together the top-shelf group on the date – a wonderful lineup that features Eric Alexander on tenor, ... CD (Jazz CD)
Bear Family (Germany), Late 50s/Early 60s.
A great array of bug-related tunes from the glory days of the 45rpm single – mostly rock numbers, but with some cool instrumental, soul, and exotica tracks thrown into the mix as well! The package is one of the weirdest of the many great themed compilations we've stocked from Bear Family ... CD (Rock CD)
Jazz In Britain (UK), 2023.
A hefty look at the key role of composition in British jazz during the glorious modern uprising that began in the second half of the 60s – a book that features chapters on key figures from that moment, including Barry Guy, Mike Gibbs, Michael Garrick, Mike Westbrook, John Mayer, and Keith ... Book (Book)
Stiff/Cherry Red (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 4CD
The full Stiff Records run from Lene Lovich – a singer whose sound and style were perhaps one of the most striking of the new wave generation! In fact, it's tempting to say that Lovich set a tone that countless other female artists would soon follow – a new vibe, a new look, a way of ... CD (Rock CD)

If you're ever in Chicago, be sure to visit our Chicago record store!
1120 N Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60622
Open 10am–6pm daily.
All the great stuff appears here at our online record store first — but if you shop locally, you'll also get a chance to handle the goods before you buy!

We buy new and used LPs, 45s, vinyl records, and CDs

in the store by appointment only.

We pay top prices for older jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, and other genres in good shape!


See why Dusty Groove is consistently rated one of Chicago's Best Record Stores!
Updated December 01, 2023


⇑ Top