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Autum – the best season for record shopping!


Ace (UK), 1960s/Early 70s.
An imagined soundtrack to a journey through London in the generation of Get Carter and Carnaby Street – and one that showcases not just the rich array of sounds and styles that were taking place in the city at the time, and in a way that highlights all sorts of different locations around town! ... CD (Rock CD)

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)

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)
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)
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)

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)

Daniel Ogren

Fastingen 92
Mr Bongo (UK), 2023.
A record with a very vintage-styled cover, but a set that's contemporary overall – jazzy work from Daniel Ogren, who plays all the instruments pictured around him on the cover – mixed with some occasional vocals from Anna Ahnlund, plus live drums and keyboards that almost hit a clubby ... CD (Jazz CD)

Baikida Carroll

Orange Fish Tears
Palm/Souffle Continu (France), 1974.
Easily our favorite album by Baikida Carroll – a wonderfully spiritual session cut in Paris, and done with this open-ended, spacious sound that seems to bring AACM improvisation into play with some of the global currents that were happening overseas at the time! As on an AACM date, most ... CD (Jazz CD)
Creative Funk/Essential, Early 70s.
A group who have plenty of the funk that you might guess from their name, but one who can also do a great job with a mellower cut too – as you'll hear in this wonderful collection of their too-short legacy on record! The group were formed in Harlem during the early 70s, and had a run that ... CD (Soul CD)

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)
Compost (Germany), Late 70s/1980s/1990s.
A stunning set of Brazilian-styled cuts – presented here in the long-overdue 6th volume of this legendary series! Decades back, the Glucklich series taught us plenty about Brazilian grooves – especially the sort that weren't always recorded in Brazil, and were sometimes lost to the ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)

Michael Dease

Swing Low
Posi tone, 2023.
Really rich sounds from reedman Michael Dease – a baritone player, and one who handles the large horn with effortless ease – taking us back to some of our favorite bari players of the 50s who could carve out a line as if they were swinging an alto or a tenor! The rest of the group have ... CD (Jazz CD)

Matthew Halsall

Ever Changing View
Gondwana (UK), 2023.
A spiritual masterpiece from Matthew Halsall – a record that still has the beautiful trumpet work we've loved from the start, but which also shows just how much Halsall has been expanding his talents in search of new meanings, and new modes of expression! Matthew handles a fair bit of ... CD (Jazz CD)
Blue Note/Third Man, 1970. (reissue)
Tremendous work from this lesser-known combo from Detroit – a session of work that builds strongly on the colors and changes explored by Miles Davis earlier in the 60s, but which takes things off into a whole new direction! (A Multidirection?) The horns on the record have incredible ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz 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)

Victor Axelrod & Others

If You Ask Me To
Daptone, Late 2000s/2010s.
An album issued under the name of Victor Axelrod, but one that features his talents as a producer and performer – working alongside a whole host of other artists who are part of the mighty soul and funk stable of Daptone Records! The set includes some 7" only cuts handled by Victor, ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
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)

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)

Betty Davis

Is It Love Or Desire
Light In The Attic, 1976.
A lost album from 70s funk diva Betty Davis – and one that's every bit as essential as her music released back in the day! The set was recorded hot on the heels of Betty's classic Nasty Gal album – but it's got a groove that's almost more in the territory of her first two records on ... CD (Soul CD)

Bobby Caldwell

Cat In The Hat
Clouds/Be With (UK), 1980. (reissue)
One of the greatest moments ever from Bobby Caldwell – a special little album that occupies it's own place between genres – a touch of soul, the warmth of jazz, and a delivery that really helped Caldwell reach out to some big new audiences at the time! There's a cool, compressed feel ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Tatsuya Nakamura

Locus
Sea Horse/BBE (UK), 1984. Gatefold
A set with a warm cover image and a fair bit of electric instrumentation – yet a record that's also got much more of an edge than you might expect! Drummer Tatsuya Nakamura leads a group through territory that's partly fusion, but which also borrows some looser, darker modes from the farther ... CD (Jazz CD)

Citi Express

Living For The City
On Records/Afrosynth (Netherlands), 1991. (reissue)
Very clubby work from the South African scene at the start of the 90s – a record that warms things up nicely from the synth pop recordings of a few years before, and really seems to embrace all the best elements of house music in the process! The songs are catchy and have nice hooks when the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Mercury/Cherry Red (UK), Mid 60s.
The short but brilliant career of The Runaways, served up here in a really great box set – one that features all four of their studio albums (including one not released in the US at the time), and their more obscure live album from Japan! Together, the five records tell the tale of a group ... CD (Rock CD)

Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids

Afro Futuristic Dreams
Strut (UK), 2023. 2LP
Bold new work from the legendary Pyramids ensemble – a spiritual jazz group who go back to the 70s, but who've reemerged in recent years with a renewed sense of energy, and a very forward-thinking sound! Leader Idris Ackamoor is still a master of tone and feeling on reeds – including ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Island, 1983. (reissue)
One of best ever albums by Tom Waits – the beginning of his gutbuckety, Americana Carnivalesque era of dreamlike sinister romance and lovelorn surrealism! The tin pan piano ballads and get pushed a bit to the wayside for Tom's more mysterious and poetic side, and this begins one of the great ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Daptone, 2023.
Jalen Ngonda's a hell of a soul singer, and he's working here in a stunning setting that really does justice to his fantastic voice – a larger set of arrangements than you'd usually hear on a Daptone Record, in a way that rises up with a really majestic sort of vibe! Ngonda's got a way of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)

Dora Morelenbaum

Vento De Beirada EP
Mr Bongo (UK), 2023.
You may have heard the vocals of Dora Morelenbaum in the group Bala Desejo – but her performance here is very different overall – much more personal, and set up in this wonderful blend of acoustic guitar and vocal brilliance, with a quality that maybe hearkens back to older Brazilian ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Bear Family (Germany), 1950s/Early 60s.
The rainy season's plenty pleasant with a collection like this – a batch of 30 rain-themed tunes from the worlds of soul, rock, country, and vocal music of the 50s and 60s – all served up with the top-shelf level of presentation we love from Bear Family! The cuts are great – a ... CD (Rock CD)

Prince Far I

Under Heavy Manners
Joe Gibbs/VP, 1976. (reissue)
A dark and murky classic from Prince Far I – a set that has his words of wisdom brewing up amidst a whole host of dubby productions from Joe Gibbs! The Prince takes dub production to fresh territory here – toasting over the tracks, but in a way that's very different than some of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)

Evan Parker & Matthew Wright

Etching The Ether
Intakt (Switzerland), 2023.
A record with a very careful approach to sound – very slow-building work on soprano sax from Evan Parker, matched with equally thoughtful electronics from Matthew Wright – both players coming together in one of the most subtle executions of this mode we've ever heard! And that quality ... CD (Jazz CD)

Nathan Davis

Hip Walk
Saba/MPS (Germany), 1965.
A killer hardbop session from the early years of MPS/Saba Records – and one of the boldest statements on record from the mighty American reedman Nathan Davis – then residing in Europe, and really making some great waves on the scene! As with so many of the best Saba gems, the record ... CD (Jazz CD)

Volker Kriegel

Inside – Missing Link
MPS (Germany), 1972. 2CDs
A double-length set – and one that's got plenty of space for wide-ranging power from guitarist Volker Kriegel! The set builds beautifully off the energy that Volker had in the Dave Pike Set – with a similar blend of funk and psychedelic influences, all filtered down beautifully in ... CD (Jazz CD)
Mojo, 2023.
Mojo goes with an uncommonly bright-eyed, smiling group photo of the young Smiths on the cover – appropriate for cover celebrating 40 years since the dawn of legendary group and and the impact they've had on generations since! There's lots more in this packed issue, too, with other greats ... Magazine (Magazine)
Regrooved (Netherlands), 1981. Gatefold
The never-heard third album from Mutiny – one of the tightest, funkiest offshoots of the P-Funk empire of George Clinton – a group who gave us two wonderful Columbia albums at the end of the 70s, then somehow left this gem behind in the can! Drummer Jerome Brailey's the head of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Tao Forms, 2023. 2 CDs
Some of the most soulful sounds we've ever heard from tenorist James Brandon Lewis a reworking of themes from the music of Mahalia Jackson into jazz – all at a level that keeps all the spirit of the originals, while unlocking the songs as vehicles for freer improvisation! Given the mix of ... 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 ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz 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)

Dennis Mpale

Paying My Bills
Tusk/Sticky Buttons (UK), 1994. 2LP (reissue)
A warm blend of jazz, club, and other 90s elements – served up here by South African trumpeter Dennis Mpale, in a way that really opens up his sound! Mpale had already played in many settings before this record, and on the set he almost seems inspired by some of the London combinations of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Golden Ear/P-Vine (Japan), 1980.
Very obscure later work from Jackie Ross – recorded in her years after Chess Records, with a sound that's a lot more mature than before! The style here is a bit like Marlena Shaw in the late 70s – a sophisticated blend of soul, jazz, and a little bit of club – served up with ... CD (Soul CD)
TK/Ultra Vybe (Japan), Early 70s.
A real lost chapter in the James Brown legacy of soul – tracks that The Godfather issued on a branch of TK Records, right during the same time he was cutting some familiar funk classics on the Polydor and People Records labels! The music here is an offshoot of the Funky People universe that ... CD (Soul CD)

Yussef Dayes

Black Classical Music
Nonesuch, 2023.
Yussef Dayes works here under a title that was first coined by Rahsaan Roland Kirk to refer to jazz – but Dayes takes the term to a whole new level with this groundbreaking set – really moving past jazz to unlock a whole field of soulful expression – served up an excellent group ... CD (Jazz CD)
Madlib Invazion, 2023.
One of the funkiest entries in this killer Madlib sound library series – thanks to some mighty heavy drums from J-Zone! The set begins with a rock-solid break right from the start, then keeps on going strongly in a similar mode – mixing warmer keyboards, guitar lines, and even a bit of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop 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)
Impulse, 1962. Gatefold (reissue)
Drummer Roy Haynes always brings something great to the table for any album he does as a leader – and this record is no exception! Here, the "added something" is the presence of Roland Kirk on reeds – offered a key early chance to express his most modern ideas in the freedom ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Bill Evans

From Left To Right
MGM/Elemental, 1970. (reissue)
One of our favorite albums ever from Bill Evans – an amazing session of Fender Rhodes material that's quite different than most of his other work! The sound here is incredibly gentle – Bill barely hitting the keys of the Rhodes to send out spare, shimmering notes amidst larger ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Ayako Shinozaki

Music Now For Harp
Denon/We Want Sounds (UK), 1973.
A bold new frontier for use of the harp in experimental music – and that's saying a lot, given that Ayako Shinozaki recorded this album during the generation of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby! Shinokazi takes the instrument a bit back towards its use in more serious music, but with ... CD (Out Sound 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)
Hilton's Concept/P-Vine (Japan), Mid 70s.
A mighty great little record – a mixture of jazz and soul from the heavy talents of Hilton Felton – and a record that not only features some of his own great work on organ and keyboards, but some great contributions from other members of the DC scene of the 70s! In addition to help ... CD (Jazz CD)

Alabaster DePlume

Come With Fierce Grace
International Anthem, 2023.
A stunning achievement as a leader from Alabaster DePlume – material that's maybe some of the most powerful he's ever given us, even though the core of the record comes from the same sessions as his previous album, Gold! As with that record, the material here was originally performed at the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Sire/Mute (UK), 1979. (reissue)
A groundbreaking bit of work from Telex – the Belgian trio that features earlier electronic experimentalists Marc Moulin and Dan Lacksman – both artists who really refine their sound for a groovier, clubbier style that really takes off! At a time when most UK electronic outfits were ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Touche/Jazzman (UK), 1967.
A totally fantastic record, and one we'd put right up there next to some of the best soulful hardbop albums on bigger labels of the 60s – even though the set hardly ever saw much circulation back in the day! As you can guess from the cover, the quintet hails from San Francisco – and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
King Jammys/VP, Mid 80s. 2CD
Righteous roots reggae from the digital generation – a whole host of tracks produced by the legendary King Jammy – a force who was really able to keep the spiritual fires of the 70s burning well into the following decade! The selection of cuts here is great – and if anything, the ... CD (Reggae CD)

Matthew Shipp Trio

Circular Temple
Infinite Zero/ESP, 1992.
A really important early album from this groundbreaking pianist – a set that initially got plenty of exposure at the time, thanks to its placement on the Infinite Zero label – even though Matthew Shipp's piano work was very far from the mainstream! The trio here is tremendous – ... CD (Jazz CD)
Som Livre/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1981. (reissue)
Funky soul from the great Marcos Valle – a great blend of mellow grooves and upbeat tunes recorded at the same time Valle was working in the US with Leon Ware! The style here is very similar to Ware's 2 albums for Elektra – both of which feature work from Valle, and include tunes that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
International Anthem, 2023.
One of the last recordings ever made by the genius trumpeter Jaimie Branch – and a set that shows the bold new direction she was going in, right before she left our planet all too soon! The music here leaps forward from any of Branch's earlier recordings – with harder rhythms, more ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Mac Curtis

Mac Curtis Rocks
Bear Family (Germany), Late 50s/Mid 70s.
Mac Curtis rocks, that's no lie – and this well-done collection shows that the southern legend kept on going strongly long after his famous late 50s singles for King Records! The set's got plenty of that classic King material – really hardcore work that rivals some of the best ... CD (Rock CD)
Steeplechase (Denmark), 1975. (reissue)
Rock-solid overseas work from the mighty Dexter Gordon – a studio set instead of one of his live dates from the Danish scene of the time – and a record that seems to have Dex coming across with even more focus and power than ever! The tracks are long, and his solos have this wonderful ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Southern University Jazz Ensemble with Alvin Batiste

Southern University Jazz Ensemble Goes To Africa With Love (with bonus tracks)
Now Again, 1973. 2LP (reissue)
A really incredible spiritual jazz treasure from the New Orleans scene – one that features a student group led by legendary Nola musician Alvin Batiste, but delivered in a style that's much more like some of the hipper jazz collectives in cities like Detroit, Chicago, or Philly at the time! ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Joe Marcinek Band

5
Vintage League, 2023.
Guitarist Joe Marcinek has a mighty sharp group here – a combo that features plenty of organ work from Robert Walter, plus piano, trombone, trumpet, and tenor – all used in ways that are nicely more complicated than just standard funk! Marcinek's a bit like Eddie Roberts – in ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)

Black Market Brass

Hox
Colemine, 2023.
Maybe the coolest set so far from this excellent combo – a record that infuses their unique blend of Afro Funk with some slightly psychedelic currents – as you might guess from the cover! The record's not entirely in the territory of a group like the Heliocentrics, but there's ... CD (Global Grooves CD)

Soul Liberation

Who Are You
Rainbow/BBE (UK), Early 80s.
One of those great rare gospel albums from the modern soul generation – a time when the music had some of its strongest secular styles in the grooves – so much so, you might be hard-pressed to imagine these guys singing in a church! In fact, most of these tracks would be right at home ... CD (Soul CD)
MB/P-Vine (Japan), Early 70s.
An excellent lost bit of funky soul! The Turner Brothers were an obscure Indianapolis combo who played hard funky instrumental grooves – similar to hometown contemporaries like the Nineteenth Whole or Funk Inc – and they mixed up tight ensemble playing with good jazzy soloing on sax, ... CD (Soul CD)
Cherry Red, Mid 60s. 3CDs
A package that looks like a tape box, and which includes a whole host of never-heard tracks from the great Glenda Collins – a stunning female singer who worked with UK production genius Joe Meek back in the 60s! Glenda recorded a few key tracks that were issued as singles – soaring ... CD (Rock CD)

Shirley Finney

Pray Again
Savoy/Rain & Shine, 1979. (reissue)
A fantastic blend of gospel and modern soul – and a set that definitely hangs more towards the latter, given the superb backings on the set! The great Horace Ott produced, after years in the secular soul world – and he definitely gives the tremendous voice of Shirley Finney the kind of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Gospel LP)
Leila Pinheiro/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1982. (reissue)
Leila Pinheiro's first album – first issued back in 1982, with a spare and jazzy post-bossa style that reminds us of some of Gal Costa's work from the same period! Leila's vocals are wonderful – slightly deep with lots of jazzy phrasing, set to arrangements that drift along in a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Just Sunshine/Light In The Attic, 1973. Gatefold (reissue)
Betty Davis was one of the nastiest ladies in 70s soul – and this is one of her greatest albums – a killer batch of funky tracks all the way through! Betty has a sound like nobody else – and she takes heavy drums, throbbing bass, and ripping guitars – all as a hard and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Numero, Mid 70s. (reissue)
A beautiful lost record from the 70s – recorded by a singer from Harlem, but attending a Quaker school in Pennsylvania – which makes for a wonderfully cool blend of sounds and styles on the set! There's almost an acoustic core to the record, but the set also uses just the right amount ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Nimbus, 1979. 2CDs
The Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra steps out here in a very large version of the ensemble – led by the great Horace Tapscott on piano, and stretching out on some very long tunes that are filled with strong solo work from different members of the group! Key players include Adele Sebastian and ... CD (Jazz CD)

Natasha Watts

Music Is My Life
NRK (UK), 2023.
Mighty nice work from UK soul singer Natasha Watts – a contemporary artist, but one who's got a nicely crackling approach to her music – at a level that maybe takes us back to that great moment when British soul was really finding its own way forward at the start of the 90s! As with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Neo Soul LP)

Nagat El-Saghira

Eyoun El Alb
Soutelphan/We Want Sounds (UK), 1980.
A record with a great mix of subtle drama and soulful styles – served up by Egyptian singer Nagat, with help from the Al Massrieen group of Hany Shenouda! This isn't all-out Arabic club music, but there's some contemporary instrumentation in the mix that really works well – especially ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)

Funk Revolution with Lucky Brown

Don't Go Away
Tramp (Germany), 2023.
The funky Lucky Brown joins the Funk Revolution for this nicely gritty set – one that's every bit as heavy on their hard rhythms as it is on Lucky's contributions! The group features some especially great work on keyboards from Delvon LaMarr – who plays here with a vibe that's every ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Just Sunshine/Light In The Attic, 1974. Gatefold (reissue)
Killer work from Betty Davis – one of the most impressive female funk talents ever! If you ever needed a definition of funk, this record may well be it – snapping drums, sharp-edged guitars, and sex-filled basslines that slink and slide all over the bottom of the grooves – a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Numero, Late 70s.
Brilliant early sounds from Jimmy Jam – rare late 70s material that has a very different sound than his slicker 80s work with Terry Lewis! The style here is a wonderful blend of sweet soul and righteous jazzy funk – a lot warmer than Jimmy's later beat-heavy style – and served up ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Tony Scott & The Indonesian All Stars

Djanger Bali
MPS (Germany), 1967.
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 ... CD (Jazz CD)
Doctor Bird (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 2CDs
Crucial work from Dennis Brown – one of the most soulful voices in reggae at the end of the 70, and an artist who achieved some great global fame – but who is also represented here on a host of the more obscure 7" singles issued by Joe Gibbs back home in Kingston! The set is ... CD (Reggae CD)

Faithful Brothers

Faithful Brothers
Legere (UK), 2023.
The Faithful Brothers are an Israeli duo, but one who come to their debut after years of collecting Northern Soul 45s – decades of listening, learning, and absorbing – all of which really shows through in this well-done debut! The pair work with a very full lineup of musicians – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)

Namaz with Rachel Gould

300 MPH
Software/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1981. (reissue)
Soaring grooves and scatting vocals – a wonderful collaboration between this hip fusion combo and singer Rachel Gould, and one that's right up there with the best German grooves of the Glucklich generation! Rachel only sings on a few of the album's tracks, but those sparkle beautifully with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Guy Pedersen

Contrebasses
Tele Music/Be With (UK), 1970. (reissue)
There's plenty of the bass promised in the title – but that's what we'd expect, given that the great Guy Pedersen's bass appeared on countless wonderful French records over the years! Yet this set's also something really special, too – a chance for Guy to come out of the background, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)

Michel Gonet

Phasing News Vol 1
Tele Music/Be With (UK), 1976. (reissue)
A record that really takes on the "phasing" in the title seriously – as it uses all sorts of cool effects to create a special magic with simple sounds – all while managing to serve up some great funky nuggets too! The record's a masterpiece in both sound library ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Dreamtime, 2023.
One of the most spiritual, most well-conceived sessions we've heard from reedman David Boykin in years – a single performance that runs for almost 30 minutes, featuring a totally hip lineup that includes Nicole Mitchell on flute, Joshua Abrams on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar, Eliel Sherman ... CD (Jazz CD)

Johnathan Blake

Passage
Blue Note, 2023.
Really beautiful work from Johnathan Blake – a record that shows just how strongly Blake seems to be finding his voice with each new release! The set's got this richly visionary quality that goes beyond the leader's work on drums – and instead has a unified focus that comes from a ... CD (Jazz CD)
Figueroa, 2023. (pic cover)
A record with a wonderfully old-school vibe – one that sounds almost like you've found some dusty 45 in the back of a record shop in Peru! "Maravilla" has all this great guitar – almost in a surfish mode, but slower and more sophisticated – moving wonderfully over some ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Regrooved (Netherlands), 1976.
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)
International Anthem, 2023.
We've been following the music of Carlos Nino for many years, and during that time he's never failed to take us on an amazing journey – yet despite that legacy, this set may well be his most visionary record in years – a tremendous summation of ideas that have been brimming around the ... CD (Jazz CD)

Bebel Gilberto

Joao
Pias, 2023.
A really stunning album from Bebel Gilberto, and one that sheds all the trappings of previous sets to get right to the core of her talents! The album's a tribute to her father, Joao Gilberto – as you might guess from the title – and the presentation of the music is often right up there ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 50s/Early 60s. 4CDs
The early years of Quincy Jones, summed up in all their greatness – material from a time years before Quincy became a superstar in the world of soundtracks and soul, yet was already breaking new ground in the field of large ensemble jazz! Q had a special spark, right from the start – ... CD (Jazz CD)

Jacques Brel & Georges Brassens

Brel Brassens – Les Voisins Magnifique (5CD set)
Universal (France), Late 50s/1960s. 5CDs
Two of the greatest French songwriters of the postwar years – each dealing with a variety of topics, served up here in a very unique setting! The package features five CDs that each bring together themes that are strong in the music of both – love, death, injustice, and so on – ... CD (French CD)

P Unity

No Codes
U Know Me (UK), 2023.
Sweet bass-heavy funk from this overseas combo – a Polish group, but one who clearly dig the Ohio funk style that surged up at the end of the 70s, as well as the tighter funky grooves of Prince during the following decade! The ensemble have a wonderfully sharp vibe, and the lyrics snake ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)

David Janeway

Interchange
Steeplechase (Denmark), 1993.
An unissued session from pianist David Janeway, done at a time when he was really hitting his stride – moving across the keys of the piano with this intuitive sense of feeling that makes for a very special record! The quality is a bit hard to describe, but if you've heard other Janeway ... CD (Jazz CD)

Joshua Redman

Where Are We
Blue Note, 2023. 2LP
The first-ever album from Joshua Redman to feature vocals, yet a set that also has plenty of his own great tenor sax as well – all set up in a very unusual format wrapped around different scenes and cities in the US! The record's a bit of a statement on the America of the 21st Century, as ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Telex

Neurovision
Sire/Mute (UK), 1980. (reissue)
A sweet electro classic from Telex – one of those records that had the Euro trio years ahead of their time, and working with a sound that went onto influence a fair bit of American club, dance, and hip hop in the decade to come! The record is awash in all sorts of great electronics – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Various

Viva Varda
Universal (France), 1960s/1970s/1980s/1990s/2000s.
A fantastic musical tribute to the filmmaking genius of the late Agnes Varda – a set that brings together work from her earliest films of the 60s, all the way through some of her important contributions to cinema in the 21st Century! The scope of styles here is great – sometimes jazzy, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Blue Note, 1959. (reissue)
A killer session from Horace Silver – a record that has the legendary Blue Note pianist working with his famous quintet that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The album's one of the group's first, and really showcases ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Tomorrow Comes The Harvest

Evolution
Axis, 2023.
A very cool project – one that was initiated by the late Tony Allen in collaboration with Detroit keyboardist/percussionist Jeff Mills – and which is carried forth here by a trio with a really soaring, far-reaching vibe! Percussion is at the core – played both by Mills and by ... CD (New Grooves CD)

Fernando Oly

Tempo Pra Tudo
Mad About Records (Portugal), Late 70s. (reissue)
We'll admit that we don't know anything at all about Fernando Oly – but he's a hell of an artist, with a richness to his music that really seems to put him in the same territory as the 70s generation of Milton Nascimento and his associates! In fact, there's a lofty vibe to the record that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)

Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band

Sonbonbela
Sublime Frequencies, 2023.
Baba Commandant serves up a wonderful blend here – tight Afro Funk mixed with rootsier elements from mandingue – all at a level that really makes the album stand out from the pack! There's some especially great performances on ngoni and balafon, both instruments that get some key ... CD (Global Grooves CD)

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)

Dave Rempis/Farida Amadou/Jonas Cambien

On The Blink
Aerophonic, 2023.
The reedwork of Dave Rempis is in a wonderfully electric setting here – next to the electric bass and electronics of Farida Amadou, and the piano and additional electronics of Jonas Cambien – both players who seem to really bring a lot of different sounds out of Dave's work on alto and ... CD (Jazz CD)
King (Japan), 1962.
Bossa jazz from 60s Japan – a set recorded right around the same time that Verve first started hitting bossa grooves in the US! The sound here is sharper than a Verve bossa album, though – with some of the same hardbop inflections you'd hear on other Hideo Shiraki albums from the time ... CD (Jazz CD)
Figueroa, 2023. (pic cover)
The guitar work of Zac Sokolow is totally great here – echoing both older surf and South American modes – as the rhythms do with the latter, but at a pace that's nicely laidback, and which really lets the guitar find all this space for tone, texture, and echo! The approach follows ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)

Michel Gonet

Phasing News Vol 2
Tele Music/Be With (UK), 1976. (reissue)
Sweet work from Michel Gonet – one of the unsung geniuses of the French 70s sound library scene! The album's a mixed bag of styles – in that about half the tracks feature lots of synthesizer and percussion, moogily stating themes that range from fast and groovy to mellower and spacey. ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)

Guy Pedersen

Maxi Music
Tele Music/Be With (UK), 1972. (reissue)
Massively funky sound library work from Guy Pedersen – a bassist who already had a long legacy in French jazz by the time of this early 70s set, yet somehow manages to knock things out of the park in a completely different way! The bass is definitely at the core of most numbers – yet ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)

Budos Band

Frontier's Edge
Diamond West, 2023.
That's a real Roger Dean-styled image on the cover, which maybe heralds the sound that's going on here for the Budos Band – an approach that's even heavier than before, with maybe stronger guitar and bass at times – yet a vibe that still bristles with the group's great use of percussion ... CD (Deep Funk CD)

Akira Ozawa with Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media

Greece Ni Tsuite Kakareta Hon
Columbia/Lawson (Japan), 1973. (reissue)
Bassist Akira Okazawa works here with a leaner version of the Soul Media group of reedman Jiro Inagaki – a sweet little set that has Jiro on tenor, soprano, and flute – and some mighty nice work on organ from Norio Maeda! Akira sings on many numbers, in both English and Japanese, in ... LP, Vinyl record album (Japanese LP)
Blue Note, 1960. (reissue)
A perennial favorite in the Jimmy Smith catalog for Blue Note – and a smoking little set that has Jimmy's Hammond grooving nicely alongside tenor from Stanley Turrentine and guitar from Kenny Burrell! Only Donald Bailey's drums remain from Jimmy's regular trio, but that shift is fine, given ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Rocafort (France), Late 70s/Early 80s.
A really revelatory collection – one that showcases a West African influence on sounds in Colombia – in a way that's almost a further shift of the way that Afro-Cuban sounds had an impact on Congolese and other rhythmic styles on the other side of the Atlantic! The music often features ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Rock Beat, Mid 60s.
We're huge fans of monster-oriented rockers, and this cool little collection is filled with plenty of gems from the glory days of American schlock horror cinema and novelty 45s! The cuts here are from the farther reaches of the indie scene past "Monster Mash" – and although the CD ... CD (Halloween CD)

Roy Milton

Roy Milton Rocks
Bear Family (Germany), Late 40s/Early 50s.
Roy Milton definitely rocks, even though he wasn't a rocker at all – and instead was one of the key artists in postwar R&B who helped really chart the course for other decades of musicians to follow! As you'll see from the image on the cover, Roy's a drummer, but his real strength is ... CD (Soul CD)

Bra Sello

Butterfly
Soweto/Afrodelic (Italy), 1975. (reissue)
A record with a really unique vibe – definitely jazzy, but different than most other South African jazz of the time – as the set spins out two very long tracks that take their groove from township modes of the period, but then use some of the longer-form rhythmic jazz instrumentation ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
King (Japan), 1962.
If the cover image of a Akira Miyazawa fishing in a trout stream wasn't already enough to make us love this one, the music on the disc certainly is – as the album's a real shining jewel in the Japanese jazz scene of the 60s, the kind of record that really set a whole new standard for the ... CD (Jazz CD)

Speed, Glue & Shinki

Eve
Warner (Japan), 1971. (reissue)
An incredible album from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – served up by a group with a name that might be clunky, but which also belies one of that nation's heaviest combos of the time! The approach here is a bit like some of the tripped-out blues-influenced rock of the Led Zep ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1978/1993/2010.
A trio of albums from this great modern piano giant! Progressive is excellent work from pianist Don Friedman – a set that's definitely progressive, but which also has a heck of a lot of warmth too – that fantastic balance of new ideas and lyricism that made Friedman one of the freshest ... CD (Jazz CD)
Sugar Hill/Rhino, Late 70s-Mid 80s. 2LP
A masterclass in early rap from Sugar Hill Records – touchstone classics that thumped dancefloors from the early days to today, inspired the scene's kings and queens to follow, and helped pave the way for the sounds and styles to come! Bookended by the long versions of the good-natured party ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop 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)

Moana Pozzi

Impulsi Di Sesso
Cinedelic (Italy), Late 80s. Gatefold (reissue)
The singing debut of Moana Pozzi – a figure known equally well on the Italian scene for her role in pornography and politics! The style here is as slinky and sexy as you might guess from the cover – more laidback than 70s disco with a female porno singer in the lead, with plenty of 80s ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Ace (UK), Late 80s/Early 90s.
A well-done look at a genre that kind of snuck in under the wire – music that carries some late traces of electro, touched with underground club styles, but also delivered in a way that's plenty darn catchy, with a great ear for a hook and a groovy sort of sing-song lyric! The music is heavy ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Ace (UK), Mid 60s.
A great take on the girl group sound of the 60s – served up here in a collection that's a lot more soulful than some of the more pop-oriented packages on the market – but that's no surprise, given that the whole thing was put together perfectly by Ace Records! Ace and their related ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Duke University Press, 2023.
A much-needed look at the amazing underground jazz scene in LA – the richly creative spiritual and avant underground that flourished strongly in the 60s, 70s, and 80s! Although the city's best known for its cool jazz of the 50s, there's an even greater amount of left-field jazz that's come ... Book (Book)
Red (Italy), 1987. 2LP Gatefold
Spare, stretched-out work from tenorist Joe Henderson – one of his hippest recordings of the 80s, and a great live date recorded with just bass and drums for accompaniment! Henderson's horn is heard in great company with the bass of Charlie Haden and drums of Al Foster – both players ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Madlib Invazion, 2023.
Maybe the heaviest set of sound library grooves you'll ever hear – but that's probably no surprise, given that the package features some key Heliocentrics elements in the mix – including lots of psychedelic production next to fierce work on drums from Malcolm Catto and Jake Ferguson! ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Clap City (UK), Early 70s.
A stunning bit of sweet soul from this very obscure Ohio group – done in a soaring harmony style that would have made the late 60s Impressions proud – but given this nicely stark backing and production that's maybe more in the New Jersey mode of the time! The Aswads are backed by the ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Sacred Bones, Late 60s/Early 70s.
One of the coolest collections of work we've ever heard from the great Mort Garson – a selection of tracks that were done during the same years as his famous album releases in the world of moog and analog synth, but done for much more obscure sources that include television, film, and other ... CD (Sound Library CD)
Modern Harmonic, 1960.
One of the most obscure albums ever issued by exotica king Chaino – a set that was originally only released as a reel to reel tape, and which maybe shows an even wider sonic palette that was designed for that format! All the percussion we love on other Chaino records is firmly in place, but ... CD (Now Sound CD)
GDM/Beatball (Korea), 1970.
One of the first great soundtracks we ever heard from Piero Piccioni – and still one of the best! Colpo Rovente has this really special sort of sound – jazzy, but not really jazz – bassy, but not really funky – and often done with spare, stark sounds – but never in a ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Timeless/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1985/2022.
Three great albums from the Dutch scene! Sling Shot is a beautiful little album from Dutch pianist Cees Slinger – one that features a quartet with Clifford Jordan on tenor, Philly Joe Jones on bass, and the wonderfully-toned Isla Eckinger on bass! The presence of Jordan adds a deep edge to ... CD (Jazz CD)

Soul Motivators

Do It Together
Do Right (Canada), 2023.
The Soul Motivators have always been great, but this record really sends them over the top – stepping out with a force that's really well-conceived – and a richer soul vibe than just the usual sort of funk combo with a female singer! There's all these great touches in the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)

Joe McPhee/Mette Rasmussen/Dennis Tyfus

Oblique Strategies
Black Truffle (Austria), 2023.
A really haunting setting for the great Joe McPhee – working here mostly on tenor, next to the alto of Mette Rasmussen, and a mix of percussion, voice, and tape manipulation from Dennis Tyfus – all of which make for a very different sounding record for Joe than usual! The resonances of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Blue Thumb, 1973. (reissue)
A brilliant record by Sun Ra & The Arkestra – and an album that forever gave them a slogan to live by! The record's different than some of the other Arkestra work from the time – in that it's a bit tighter and more spiritual, more in keeping with the style of the Blue Thumb label, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
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)

Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo

Okinawa
King (Japan), Late 70s.
A groovy little record from the Count Buffalos group – an ensemble we know mostly for their heavier funk of the early 70s and late 60s – but who here step out in a clubbier mode with some sweet touches of disco! The group's still a jazz one at its core – but they've also added in ... CD (Jazz CD)
Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 50s/Early 60s. 6CDs
A huge collection of work – one that not only gets at the brilliance of the young Jacques Brel as a singer on the Francophone scene, but which also showcases his tremendous talent for penning fresh and original songs – a number of which are served up here in versions by other singers of ... CD (French CD)

Peter Brotzmann/Fred Van Hove/Han Bennink

Outspan No 2
FMP/Cien Fuegos (Austria), 1974. (reissue)
A beautiful chapter in the evolution of these three key artists on the European scene – and a record that has some warmth and wit that nobody might have expected in their music a few years before! All three are still very much in exploration of the kinds of tones and sounds they could reach ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Jazzman (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s.
Really cool cuts from that magical moment when monster movies, rock and roll, and the 45rpm single all collided together – creating a short-lived but fantastically rich underground of really weird and wonderful records! The music here is a great mix of instrumentals, vocal numbers, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Halloween LP)
Galaxy/Omnivore, 1985.
A New York album, but one that was oddly recorded in Burbank – and which has Art Pepper sounding very much at the top of his game! The format here is a bit like the other Artist House Pepper sessions, and those he did for the Japanese Atlas label – tight, focused, often tunes that are ... CD (Jazz CD)
Monument/Vocalion (UK), Early 70s. 2CD
Genius early work from Kris Kristofferson – four great albums in a single package, with SACD mastering too! First up is The Silver Tongued Devil & I – a masterful tribute to the genius of Kris Kristofferson, and a record that perfectly illustrates that unique place he held in music ... CD (Folk/Country CD)
Fontana/Universal (Japan), 1970.
An amazing record – one that we'd never part with! The session is one of Blossom Dearie's greatest records ever – a sublime set of tunes recorded in London, at the end of the 60s, with larger arrangements than usual, and a feel that's almost psychedelic. Backings were arranged and ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Impulse, 1968. Gatefold (reissue)
Brilliant late work from spiritual saxophone genius Albert Ayler – one of his last truly great albums! The session has none of the jazz-meets-other music feel of some of the other Impulse albums – and is more in the straight expressive style of the ESP recordings. Tracks are more ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Emil Amos

Zone Black
Drag City, 2023.
A contemporary project, but one that was initially intended for the legendary KPM Sound Library – and one that has Emil Amos serving up instrumentals that offer up his own take on classic sound library modes from years back! There's definitely more of a 21st Century vibe going on here at ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)

Jason Adasiewicz

Roy's World
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2023. Gatefold
Beautiful music from Chicago, set to another Chicago-themed project – a film based around the Roy stories of writer Barry Gifford! Yet that literary reference aside, the music here has fantastic merits of its own, even if you've never read Gifford at all – a very different, more ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Pan Am/Lawson (Japan), 1977. (reissue)
A funky 70s killer from Japanese arranger Norio Maeda – very different than his 60s material, and also different than you might guess from both the image on the cover, and the "samba" in the title! There's some Brazilian influence in the rhythms, but the approach is fuller, richer, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Enja/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1987/1988.
Great later work from Abbey Lincoln! The album Talking To The Sun is something of a comeback set for Abbey Lincoln – an extremely powerful set from the early 80s, and one that helped set the tone for some great albums to come! Abbey's working here in a bold style that includes a fair bit of ... CD (Vocalists CD)

Steven Bamidele

Summing Up
Tru Thoughts (UK), 2023.
The first we're hearing from Steven Bamidele, but we're guessing it won't be the last – as this debut has a wonderfully well-crafted vibe from the start, which comes from both Steven's great ear for production, and his snakily sensual vocals! There's a laidback quality to his singing that's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Neo Soul LP)
Fontana/Universal (Japan), 1966.
A classic set of jazz vocals from Blossom Dearie – recorded at Ronnie Scott's nightclub when she was living in London during the 60s! The set's got a nice intimate feel, and is one of Blossom's best-ever jazz recordings – a bit more live and hip than some of her Verve material, with ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Express/Universal (Japan), 1969.
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! ... CD (Jazz CD)
Philips/Big Pink (South Korea), 1967.
A legendary psych set from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – served up by a group who take their name from the famous horror author HP Lovecraft, and who get some sublime production from Dunwich – also another Lovecraft reference! The group have a really unique vibe – in that ... CD (Rock CD)

Flower Travellin Band

Satori
Warner (Japan), 1971. Gatefold (reissue)
One of the heaviest albums to ever come from Japan – a wicked batch of tripped-out, fuzzy tunes to rival the hardest rock from the UK at the time! Flower Travellin Band have a basic approach that's build on pounding drums and rumbling basslines – and although the guitars are fierce too ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
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)
Fremeaux & Associates (France), 1930s/1940s/1950s/Early 60s. 3CD
A really cool set, and one that goes way past the usual 60s soul and pop modes that usually define a girl group compilation – as this one goes way way back, and traces female harmony modes from the early swing years onwards – served up in a massive 82 track package that's overflowing ... CD (Soul CD)
TNT, 2023.
Very hip work from Art Turk Burton – percussionist, educator, and underground figure on the AACM scene in Chicago for decades – working here on a set of very long, live readings of key jazz tunes, served up with help from some equally hip musicians on the scene! The great Ari Brown ... CD (Jazz CD)

Paul Lytton & Erhard Hirt

Borne On A Whim – Duets 1981
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 1981. Gatefold
A set of free improvised duets that are so fierce, they've been kept from the public for decades – finally seeing the light of day in this long-overdue package! Percussionist/electronicist Paul Lytton is a player known to many, and known for his always-incredible ear for sonic intensity ... CD (Jazz CD)
Souvenir/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1970. (reissue)
A really burning record from the Venezuelan scene at the height of its musical growth – and an album that seems to echo the blend of Latin and rock styles that were happening on the American west coast at the time – but with a nicely different vibe! Guitars and keyboards come into play ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)
Smithsonian Folkways, 1950s/1960s/Early 70s. 3CDs/Book
A stunning document of culture in and around the Texas scene of the postwar years – never-heard recordings done by blues enthusiast Robert Mack McCormick, who also photographed most of his subjects as well – a lost legacy that finally gets exposure to the world at large here in a big ... CD (Blues CD)
Philips/Universal (France), 1976. 2CDs
One of Serge Gainsbourg's best albums ever – a set that we love every bit as much as his Melody Nelson classic, or his killer records with Jane Birkin! The set was recorded in the mid 70s, and it features amazing orchestrations from Alan Hawkshaw – backings that are even better than ... CD (French CD)
Loma Vista, 2023. 2LP
Maybe the most powerful, personal album that Killer Mike ever recorded – a set that took many years to put together, and which definitely represents the journey the rapper was experiencing at the time! Mike channels some of his own experience to deal with the larger issues that are facing so ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Glass Wing/Soundway (UK), 1984. 2LP (reissue)
A really unique record, one that seems to mix some of the spacey sounds of the electronic ambient world of the early 80s underground with more tuneful, song-based modes of the post-punk generation – all at a level that seems to move effortlessly between both sorts of styles! There's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Drag City, Mid 90s.
Very dark sounds from John Fahey's later years – music that was likely recorded in the boardinghouse where he was spending his time, and done with a much moodier vibe than most of his earlier music! The set begins with a layered vocal number that's extremely foreboding – layered vocals ... LP, Vinyl record album (Folk/Country LP)
Atco/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1966. (reissue)
A rare Atlantic LP from the 60s – one that showcases two different sides of singer Mary Wells, in a mode that's different than her work for other labels! The "two sides" in the title are Mary's soul side and her more sophisticated one – the former served up in a batch of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Capitol/Big Pink (South Korea), 1974.
An album with a wonderfully dramatic sort of approach – post-psych, but still plenty heady – and served up by a mysterious deep-voiced singer who had many people thinking that Jim Morrison had done some mojo rising at the time! Yet the set's hardly a Door-styled effort, either – ... 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)
Paisley Park/Warner, 1990. 2LP (reissue)
The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Roy Ayers

Virgo Vibes
Atlantic/Nature Sounds, 1967. (reissue)
A far-reaching early gem from Roy Ayers – a set that's much more jazz-based than his later work, and a record that has him touching base with the Blue Note and Strata East sides of the jazz spectrum! The lineup here is incredibly hip – a mix of players that includes a young Charles ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Asylum/Lawson (Japan), 1977. (reissue)
Soulful city pop from the end of the 70s – a record that features the unique vocal stylings of Ginji Ito next to these really groovy, surprisingly jazzy arrangements – which also include some work from Ryuichi Sakamoto! The instrumentation alone is worth the price of admission – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Japanese LP)
Philips/Lawson (Japan), 1984. 2LP (reissue)
Great work from Junko Ohashi – one of those Japanese singers who seem to have a very global appeal, even if you can't understand the lyrics! Ohashi's got an expressive style that reaches back into older modes of vocalization in Japanese pop, but delivers the lyrics with this cool, focused ... LP, Vinyl record album (Japanese LP)

Blackwood Apology

House Of Leather
Fontana/Sundazed, 1969.
A really cool concept album from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – a set that has dreamy sunshine pop harmonies blended with some darker psychedelic elements – all at a level that resonates strongly with the Dunwich production the whole thing received! There's almost a UK late 60s ... CD (Rock CD)

Various

Reference Point
BBE (UK), 2023.
A really wicked compilation, of the sort that BBE first started doing back in the day – a mix of records that spans both scenes and generations, yet which come together with a beautifully integrated vibe! There's a warmth here that's undeniable – currents of jazz, Brazilian, acoustic ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)

Herman Chin Loy

Mysticism Dub
Musicism/Pressure Sounds (UK), 1983. 2LP
Some of the rarest dub work ever cut by this legendary Jamaican producer – music that originally appeared on two different records that only ever circulated in shabby TK Records 12" sleeves, often with the wrong information printed on the labels! Yet the set is every bit as seminal as ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)

Mike Bandoni

Lost Communication
Funk Night, 2020.
Mike Bandoni soars to space on waves of funky drums – spread out here on long tracks that are often three times the length of a funky 45, which allows plenty of room for the drums to do all sorts of sharp changes and crackling passages – as plenty of cool keyboards, electronics, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)

Ted Daniel with Energy

Live At Ali's Alley
Ujamaa, Late 70s. 2LP
A rare document of this unique project from trumpeter Ted Daniel – one of his strongest contributions to the New York scene of the time, even though the group never left behind much of their legacy on record! The ensemble is a large spiritual avant ensemble – a bit like the Music Inc ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Elektra/Cherry Pop (UK), 1990. 2 CDs
There's never been a better bit of throwback dancefloor fodder ever! Sure, these guys were blaring out of every cheap radio at the time, and it was just about impossible to walk into a shopping mall without hearing "Groove Is In The Heart" for about 5 years after the album came out ... CD (Soul CD)

Tony Williams Lifetime

Emergency
Polydor/Be With (UK), 1969. 2LP (reissue)
A seminal jazz rock statement from drummer Tony Williams – one that has him stepping out quite far from his original "new thing" recordings of the mid 60s! The album's got a genre-forming sound that's incredibly fierce – a power trio churning of Williams drums, John ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Lol Coxhill & Totsuzen Danball

Lol Coxhill & Totsuzen Danball
Wax Records/P-Vine (Japan), 1983.
One of the wildest albums that British reedman Lol Coxhill ever played on – and that's really saying a lot, as he's played on a heck of a lot of wild albums! The set's done with a Japanese group, and it's got an insane mix of improvised jazz and post-punk energy – Lol's work on soprano ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Clean Cuts/Sundazed, 1981. 2CDs
A record that shows a very different side of Dr John than you might know from the trippy classics of his early years at Atlantic Records – as the set's all instrumental, but with the doctor focusing on an older tradition of New Orleans piano! The quality of the record is amazing – all ... CD (Soul CD)
Trojan/Doctor Bird (UK), 1974. 2CDs
Not a live album, as you might guess from the title – but instead a wickedly sharp mid 70s set from one of the most soulful voices in reggae – a record that has Gregory Isaacs getting superb support from The Soul Syndicate, and production from the great Alvin Ranglin too! The vibe is ... CD (Reggae CD)
Preference, 2023.
Underground spiritual sounds from Diego Gaeta – the first set we've heard from him as a leader, and hopefully not the last! Diego leads the lineup on piano, often evoking some of the deeper spiritual traditions on the LA scene – from the Horace Tapscott generation up through the world ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Sonny Sharrock

Black Woman
Atlantic/Superior Viaduct, 1969. (reissue)
One of the best-ever Sonny Sharrock albums – and one of the few that really captures the fresh genius of his approach! The set was recorded in New York during the period when Sonny had just come out of Herbie Mann's group with Roy Ayers – but the sound is far far different than the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
BBE (UK), 1970s/1980s.
A really fantastic collection – one that seems to find a special place that's all its own – a bit folk funk, a bit jazzy soul, a bit something else that we can't define at all – all sewn together through a wonderfully well-chosen batch of cuts that we might never have heard ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
HoZac, 2023.
A second great dip into the world of "flop" albums from the past – records that maybe didn't dent the charts or make anyone a fortune at the time – but which have gone on to become the stuff of legend over the years! These aren't crappy records or total dreck – and ... Book (Book)
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)
Pressure Sounds (UK), Early 80s. 2 CDs
Sweet early 80s tracks from the legendary Bunny Striker Lee – work that shows him stepping effortlessly into the dancehall modes of the time – still a master of rhythm, and of finding the right sort of talents to add to his sound! The package features a nice mix of bigger names and up-a ... CD (Reggae CD)
BBE (UK), 2023. 2LP
A really cool collection of cuts that we might never have encountered otherwise – all brought together in celebration of 20 years of work from the If Music shop, who clearly just keep on refining their ears over the years! There's so many cuts here that fall in a special space between ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Sunset Blvd, Early 80s.
Great later work from this 60s southern soul legend – a set that's maybe more rarities than hits – even though there's some classic Percy Sledge tunes in the mix as well, just served up in later versions! The collection's a great illustration of the way that true soul heroes keep on ... CD (Soul CD)
Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1970s.
Classic soul, with a slight touch of funk – all served up in a limited vinyl-only package that really does justice to the longstanding legacy of the Free Soul series from Japan! The tunes here are upbeat, soaring, and very much on the positive side of soul music from back in the day – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Pressure Sounds (UK), Mid 70s. 2LP
Excellent! You're probably familiar with the Aquarius Dub set, an early, early dub LP, featuring some great rockers from Herman Chin Loy and Augustus Pablo – this groovy set from Pressure Sounds collects many of the vocal, dee jay and instrumental tracks that those rhythms laid the base for! ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)

Pierre Dutour

Top Fiction
Tele Music/Be With (UK), 1979. (reissue)
A late 70s nugget from the Tele Music sound library – a set that's got some of sweet spacey touches you might expect from the cover, but which also has plenty of funky rhythms at the bottom! The tracks are short, tight, and really pack a lot into a small space – as the set's got 14 ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Liberty/Cinedelic (Italy), 1971. (reissue)
A great and groovy early album from Volker Kriegel – the German guitarist who'd cut some very trippy work for the MPS label in the 70s – but a player who steps out here in a sweet soul jazz mode at the end of the 60s! Volker's still got the same wickedly sharp style on guitar you'd ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Dome (UK), 2023.
A set that's way more than just a "best of" from Anthony David – as it opens with his great recent cut "Heaven", a sublime duet with Algebra Blesset, and a stunning acoustic remake of a classic Womack tune from way back! The warmth of David's vocals has only deepened over ... CD (Neo Soul CD)

Gil Scott-Heron

Legend In His Own Mind
Made In Germany (Germany), 1983.
An excellent double-length live set from Gil Scott Heron – recorded right in the middle of his classic years on Arista Records, and with an extended groove that shows just how great he could be in a concert setting! Many of these tracks are quite long, with both instrumental solos and a more ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Contemporary/Craft, 1959. (reissue)
Tomorrow may be the question, but the record screams "today!" – and even this many years after its recording, this early set by Ornette Coleman has an energy and presence that cannot be denied! The sound here is kind of a rougher take on the mode that would gel more strongly on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1970s.
Classic soul, with a slight touch of funk – all served up in a limited vinyl-only package that really does justice to the longstanding legacy of the Free Soul series from Japan! The tunes here are upbeat, soaring, and very much on the positive side of soul music from back in the day – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Polydor/Big Pink (South Korea), 1972. Gatefold
Clive Palmer definitely has an original band here – a group who have some of the acoustic elements of The Incredible String Band, of which he was a part – but who also come across with a sound that's a lot more ancient, dark, and spooky too! Vocals are by Clive and Mick Bennett – ... CD (Rock CD)

Jack DeJohnette

Sorcery (180 gram pressing)
Prestige/Craft, 1974. (reissue)
Quite possibly the most tripped-out of all albums by Jack DeJohnette – one that really shows his roots in many streams of the free, soul, and fusion jazz scenes of the time – and which is served up with a heck of a lot of surprises in the mix! Jack himself plays both drums and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Past Due, Late 70s. 3LP
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 ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Carolyne Bernier

Carolyne Bernier
Private Stock/Octave (Japan), 1978.
A sweet sexy disco set from Carolyne Bernier – a singer we only know from this one record, but who does a mighty nice job of hitting the right mood for the songs! The set's definitely got that "sexy lady upfront" sort of disco mode – with Bernier moving slinkily along the ... CD (Soul CD)

Willie Morris

Conversation Starter
Posi tone, 2023.
A definite conversation starter from tenorist Willie Morris – a rich-voiced player who steps out here in a set of mostly original material that really knocks things out of the park! Willie's got this way of wrapping his horn next to the alto of Patrick Cornelius – as the pair move ... CD (Jazz CD)
Blue Note, 1965. (reissue)
Lee Morgan on the hippest side of his 60s talents – working here in a style that's really stretching out, and in the same territory as similar unreleased gems from the time – like Tom Cat or Sonic Boom! The group here is very inventive – Jackie McLean on alto, Larry Willis on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
A tremendous first outing as a leader for Japanese saxophonist Kosuke Mine – one of our favorite players of the 70s, already sounding wonderful here right at the start! The album's got a freewheeling vibe – not entirely avant, and maybe more in the modal territory unlocked by Miles ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Philips/Verve, 1966. (reissue)
A landmark album from Nina Simone – a set that really pushes her far past just the standard realm of jazz vocals, and which also helped really establish her role as one of the most righteous singers of the 60s! The set's maybe extremely noteworthy for Nina's original tune "Four ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)

Bokani Dyer

Radio Sechaba
Brownswood (UK), 2023.
Maybe the richest album to date from South African pianist Bokani Dyer – a set that has vocals on most tracks, and which also carries a more direct and powerful message than any of his previous releases – very uplifting and righteous, at a level that marks Dyer as one of the key forces ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Annexus Quam

Beziehungen
Ohr (Germany), 1976.
The amazing second album from Annexus Quam – a record that's almost as much of a jazz session as it is a Krautrock classic – given that the record is full of really long tunes that spin out plenty of solos, some of which almost verge on free improvisation in their approach! The group ... CD (Rock CD)
BBE (UK), Late 80s.
Music as lively and colorful as the image on the cover – upbeat work from the second half of the 80s scene in South Africa – music that has a very positive vibe overall, and a sound that's perfect for the mix of keyboards and beats used in the rhythms! The styles here are those which ... CD (Global Grooves CD)

Earl Sweatshirt

Sick
Warner, 2023.
A wickedly sharp album from Earl Sweatshirt – a set that comes on strong from the very first notes, then keeps on with a tightness that really makes a nice difference from some of Earl's other albums – an approach that's maybe more compact in terms of the way the songs are laid out, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Blue Note/Third Man, 1970. (reissue)
Donald Byrd in a sweet electric mode – as you'd guess from the title! The set was recorded right before Byrd's legendary run with Larry Mizell in the early 70s – and the electric approach is a bit different here – a style that blends Byrd's wonderful trumpet lines with the larger ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Jerzy Milian

Nemesia
GAD (Poland), Late 70s.
Some of the funkiest work we've ever heard from the great Polish jazzman Jerzy Milian – working here in the late 70s, and with a larger ensemble too – all in a level that's often got plenty of cop/crime soundtrack influence in the grooves! Milian's vibes are still in the mix somewhere, ... CD (Jazz CD)

Carver Area High School/Carver Seniors Class Of 83

Get Live 83/Carver Senior Song
Challenger/Soul Jazz (UK), 1982. (pic cover, reissue)
A high school record, but also one of the first hip hop singles to come out of Chicago! Given that in the early 80s, Chi-town was still focusing mostly on soul (and soon, house), the Windy City was way behind New York in terms of hip hop production – and most early rap efforts came out as ... 12-inch, Vinyl record (Hip Hop 12-inch)

Lisa Ono

Bossa Hula Nova
Universal (Japan), 2001. (reissue)
A great take on the sweet style of the lovely Lisa Ono – a record that combines two great musical passions of the Japanese scene – bossa nova and Hawaiian grooves! And although Lisa's recording in a vaguely Hawaiian mode, the style's nicely different too – mixing her usual bossa ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Flying Dutchman/BGP (UK), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
One of the most compelling albums we've ever heard from Ornette Coleman – and a set that's very different than some of his other work for different labels – particularly his better-known material for Blue Note and Atlantic! The album's got a righteous feel that's right up there in the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Joyful Noise/Shimmy Disc, 1974.
A story of "spaceship earth" – created and performed by electronics genius Bruce Haack, ostensibly for children, but a really tripped-out set! The album's got a stark, spare feel – one that uses Haack's echoey voice alongside homemade electronics and rhythms – all in a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Now Sound LP)

Jakal (Keefe Jackson/Julian Kirshner/Fred Lonberg-Holm)

Peroration
Amalgam, 2023.
CD...$6.99 10.99
An improvising trio in the best Chicago tradition – a nicely tangled-up blend of the drums of Julian Kirshner, reeds of Keefe Jackson, and cello, tenor guitar, and electronics of Fred Lonberg-Holm! The set echoes with the kind of sonic exploration that Fred's been bringing to his music for ... CD (Jazz CD)
Brownswood (UK), 2023.
A record that makes us go "Damn!" – and has us really falling in love with Secret Night Gang even more than on their debut – and we really liked that album a heck of a lot! This time around, the group have woven together this richly soulful vocal approach with laidback funk, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)

Ruth White

Short Circuits
Angel/Rhythm Productions, Late 60s.
Beautifully crazy moog material from Ruth White – an artist who could sit on both sides of the moogy fence – approaching the instrument with a bit less of the pop styles of her contemporaries, but in ways that are still plenty darn compelling over the years! Most of the work here is of ... CD (Out Sound CD)
Blue Note, 1967. (reissue)
One of the hippest sets that Duke Pearson ever recorded – and an all-out Blue Note soul jazz set that's even better than Pearson's classic Sweet Honey Bee! Duke's style is deeper and more farther-reaching here – with echoes of styles used at the time by Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Mercury/Verve, 1959. Gatefold (reissue)
A great session from 1959 – one that features John Coltrane playing tenor in a combo that's billed as being led by altoist Cannonball Adderley – but which is really more of a Miles Davis combo, without Miles! The set was recorded in Chicago when both were stopping through the city ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Lost Recordings (France), Late 60s/1970s/1980s. Gatefold
An incredible lost slice of work from one of our favorite singers of all time – a set of different live performances recorded in the Netherlands, most of which have some larger arrangements that give the whole thing the same sort of vibe as Blossom Dearie's famous London recordings of the 60s! ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)
Fantasy/Craft, 1972. (reissue)
Very righteous work from Esther Marrow – an overlooked soul singer who works with a hell of a lot of pride and power! The set's an overlooked gem in the Fantasy catalog of the 70s, and it's one of only two secular soul albums cut by Marrow – and quite possibly the best of the bunch, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Everland (Austria), Late 70s/Early 80s.
A really unusual set of 70s grooves from the African scene – tracks that almost seem to be out of time, as many of them have electric touches and driving rhythms that sometimes feel as if they are laying the groundwork for clubbier styles in years to come! Yet these also aren't synth-heavy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)

Pharoah Sanders

Black Unity
Impulse (Japan), 1971.
A righteous cover, a righteous title, and a righteous little session that features one long song that spans the entire length of the album! "Black Unity" may well be Pharoah Sanders' freest expression on record to date – but it's also still got all the hallmarks of his best moments ... CD (Jazz CD)

Akira Ishikawa Count Buffalo Jazz & Rock Band

Bakishinba – Memories Of Africa
Polydor/Cinedelic (Italy), 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
One of the funkiest records ever from Akira Ishikawa and his Count Buffalos band – a hip little groover that stands head to head with some of the best funky jazz from the US and Europe of the time! Despite Akira's earthy look on the cover, the record's got a relatively electric feel overall ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Philips/Verve (Japan), 1966.
Classic work from Nina Simone – and an album that definitely lives up to its title! Nina Simone certainly emerged as the high priestess of soul during her monumental stretch for Philips Records in the 60s – as she moved way past jazz, way past some of the folk she'd begun tapping into, ... CD (Vocalists CD)

Dutch Hobby Orchestra

Our Time
Nederlands Jazz Archief (Netherlands), Late 60s.
A fantastic document of a very cool group – one that we're not sure recorded any albums at the time, but who played on Dutch radio, with a lineup that featured some of the hippest cats on the scene at the time! The vibe is a bit like the work of Ruud Bos or Boy's Big Band – a very ... CD (Jazz CD)
Abnak/Sundazed, Late 60s.
Totally wonderful work from this overlooked 60s duo – Jon Abdnor and Javonne Braga – a pair who recorded for the very cool underground pop powerhouse Abnak Records, and have this rough-edged quality that really makes the music wonderful all the way through! The style is as groovy and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)

Speakers Corner Quartet

Further Out Than The Edge
Otih, 2023.
A very hip group from the London scene, and one who've got a slightly different origin than most – in that they initially started out as a house band for a spoken word event – then grew into a really great group on their own! In the best contemporary London fashion, there's a real ... CD (Jazz CD)
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)
Fontana/Universal (UK), Late 60s. 6CD
CD...$134.99 149.99
A stunning look at one of our favorite singers of all time – captured here in the grooviest period of her career, and presented with a huge amount of rare and unreleased material too! In the late 60s, after her famous recordings for Verve, Blossom Dearie moved to the London scene, worked ... CD (Vocalists CD)

Franco Micalizzi

Stridulum (The Visitor)
Quartet (Spain), 1978.
Franco Micalizzi was one of the unrivaled maestros of the action score on the Italian scene of the 70s – and here, he does a great job of blending that experience with some slightly moodier touches – creating a really nice blend of tunes that swing effortlessly between clubby groovers ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Grapefruit (UK), Mid 60s. 2CD
A huge amount of work from The Merseybeats – a group who were Liverpool contemporaries of The Beatles, and named after the body of water alongside the city – but who were way more than a copycat combo overall! Like many other 60s British groups, The Merseybeats start out with a sound ... CD (Rock CD)
Funky Delicacies/Tuff City, Late 60s/Early 70s.
A long-overdue return to form for this legendary compilation series – and one that presents a huge number of rare cuts, with a very cool approach! Side one is vocal, and side two is instrumental – and together, both sides serve up the kind of hard-edged material that make the New ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Rockashacka (Japan), Early 80s.
Great work from one of the undisputed UK maestros of lovers rock during the 80s – producer Neville King, who serves up this totally sweet batch of overlooked gems from the time! The groove is nice and mellow – that fantastic blend of contemporary soul and reggae rhythms that really ... CD (Reggae CD)
Studio One, Late 60s/1970s/Early 80s.
A great collection of rare gems from the Studio One label – one that's filled with unusual material that we've not seen elsewhere! Some of the tracks are alternate mixes, some are unissued recordings – and there's also a nice range of material that goes past the more familiar early ... CD (Reggae CD)
Blue Note, 1966. (reissue)
One of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Soul Jazz (UK), Late 60s. 2LP
A very cool take on the sound of Studio One – a package of late 60s themes from James Bond films and other soundtrack sources! The mix is maybe not that surprising, given the use of Jamaican music early on in the series – as part of the Dr No soundtrack – and maybe that global ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
WHP (Italy), 1968.
Brilliant live work from Blue Note legend Horace Silver – extended live tracks that are even hipper than some of his studio work of the period, and recorded with a very cool combo as well! The great Benny Maupin is in the lead on tenor, and a young Randy Brecker sounds wonderful next to him ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Bill Withers

Just As I Am
Sussex/Big Break (UK), 1971.
A beautiful album by Bill Withers – filled with incredibly well written songs, and an amazing instrumental technique that blended folksy elements with smoother 70s soul, in a sound that would put Bill at the top of the charts for many years, yet still give him cred with soul fans for decades! ... CD (Soul CD)
Sundazed, Late 60s. 2LP
A really incredible batch of work from a very unique group – a Cali sunshine pop combo, but one who could let loose with some headier psych touches as well – which they definitely do on the mindblowing title track of the record! Mike Nesmith produced the set, but the work is much ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Milestone/Craft, 1982. (reissue)
A sweet 80s groover from the mighty Azymuth – a set that's early in their run of albums during the decade for Fantasy Records, and one that offers up a nice adaptation of the groove from their early Brazilian classics! Tracks are nice and lean, and acoustic percussion is blended with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)

Damon Locks & Rob Mazurek

New Future City Radio
International Anthem, 2023.
Damon Locks and Rob Mazurek are no musical strangers to each other – their paths have crossed often on the Chicago and global scenes over many years of creative activity. Yet this project is also the first they've co-led, and it's an incredible document of how much both artists have grown in ... CD (Jazz CD)

Toshiko Akiyoshi & Charlie Mariano

Toshiko Mariano Quartet (Candid)
Candid, 1960.
One of the few recorded meetings of alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano and pianist Toshiko Akioshi in the studio – quite strange given that they were a couple at the time! The session's easily one of the last great American sessions by either player – a work that shows Mariano's alto ... CD (Jazz CD)
Strata/BBE (UK), 1973. 2LP
A real treasure from reedman Maulawi Nurudin – originally recorded as part of the Strata Records scene in Detroit, but done in Chicago in 1973 – and issued here for the first time ever! The vibe here is almost more Tribe Records than some of the other Strata sides – as Maulawi ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Steve Marcus with Jiro Inagaki & His Soul Media

Something
Columbia/Cobra Rose (South Korea), 1971. Gatefold (reissue)
A rare Japanese-only album from American reedman Steve Marcus – best known for his fuzzy freaky sets on the Vortex label – but heard here in the company of Tokyo reedman Jiro Inagaki – who also made some pretty freaky albums of his own! The tracks here are nice and long – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Naughty Rhythm (Italy), Mid 70s.
This great series keeps on going – and it seems that with each new volume, the realm of Cosmic Discotheque just keeps on getting bigger! As with previous volumes, the feel here isn't standard disco – and the tracks are upbeat, but have a variety of fresh approaches that go far past the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
GAD (Poland), Late 70s/Early 80s.
There's lots of wild electronics here, and plenty of other great sounds too – served up in a host of very cool tracks from a range of short animated features from Poland – not kiddie cartoon music, but work that's often got a very spare and spacey sort of vibe! The set's awash in ... CD (Soundtracks CD)

Henryk Debich

Majowka
Polskie Radio/GAD (Poland), 1979.
Sweet funky work from Henryk Debich – a soundtrack composer by fame, but one who could get nice and groovy when he wanted – which is definitely the case here! The tracks are all upbeat instrumentals done by a Polish radio ensemble – and they've got a style that's a lot like some ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)

Sonny Rollins with Heikki Sarmanto Trio

Live At Finlandia Hall – Helsinki 1972
Svart (Finland), 1972. 2LP
The tenor of Sonny Rollins, heard in a very unusual setting – a freewheeling live date from Finland, with wonderful Fender Rhodes work from Heikki Sarmanto! The tracks are all very long, and the use of Fender Rhodes next to Sonny's sharp tenor makes for a wonderful contrast – as Heikki ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Hiromasa Suzuki

By The Red Stream
Lawson/Columbia (Japan), 1973. (reissue)
Soaring keyboards from Hiromasa Suzuki – stretched out on some longer tracks than usual, with beautiful electric elements over some great large arrangements! Suzuki plays a fair bit of electric piano on the set – and is working here with some fairly dramatic larger ensemble sounds that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Prestige/Craft, 1973. (reissue)
Badass organ funk from the mighty Leon Spencer – a set that's got a bit of a fuller feel than some of his previous albums for Prestige – but a groove that's also equally great! The style here is somewhere between blacksploitation funk and some of the grooves from the CTI/Kudu camp ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Sunaga T Experience

Crouka
Cutting Edge/Lawson (Japan), 2001. 2LP
The jazzy genius of Tatsuo Sunaga gets turned in a cool direction here – as the set's an imagined soundtrack for the voyage of Crouka – the dog who disappeared from the launch of the Soviet rocket Soyuz2! That story hardly needs to be part of the description, though – as the ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves LP)

Gil Ok-Yun, Lee Saeng-Gang, Lee Sung-Jin, & Ryu Bok-Sung

Spirit Junction – Korean Folk Music Meets Jazz
Cobra Rose (South Korea), 1986. Gatefold
A really unique record – one that follows in the Japanese tradition of mixing folk inspiration and jazz instrumentation – yet one that takes the music much father overall, with a freewheeling improvised sound that's totally great! The core energy of the set comes from the saxes of Gil ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Numero, Late 60s.
A massive batch of upbeat soul tracks from the Numero side of the universe – material collected from across the many labels and artists they represent, and brought together to make one totally smoking collection of Northern Soul! The approach here is different than others to bear that tag ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Sdban (Netherlands), 1950s/1960s.
A much-needed look at the Dutch jazz scene in the 50s and 60s – a spot in Europe that was turning out some really fantastic modern material – at a level that's every bit as great as better-known work coming from France, Germany, and Scandinavia at the time! Many of the players here ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
GDM/Sub Ost (Italy), 1970. 2LP (reissue)
A lost treasure from the legendary Ennio Morricone – a soundtrack written for a crime film starring Charles Bronson & Telly Savalas, and handled with all the spare subtlety of his best work! Bruno Nicolai's directing the orchestra on this one – and isolated instruments include ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Tommy Boy, 2001.
A rock-solid effort from De La Soul at the start of the 21st Century – a record that really has the group coming back into their own! On previous records, it had been a little difficult to tell if De La Soul has been trying harder to please their critics, or simply finally being true to ... CD (Hip Hop CD)
Seismographic (Germany), 1980s.
Sweet 80s grooves from the Turkish scene – served up in a mode that mixes earlier styles with instrumentation that's a bit more fitting for the decade – drum machine rhythms and keyboard lines coming into play with more exotic melodies, and vocals served up in a variety of styles! Some ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Dot/Big Pink (South Korea), 1970.
A really cool little record that's essentially the start of the great musical legacy of Ellen McIlwaine – a group effort, but one that still features Ellen on vocals and arrangements – as well as work on harmonica, guitar, and organ! The style is more blues-influenced than some of the ... CD (Rock CD)
Prestige/Craft, Late 50s. (reissue)
A stunningly powerful batch of hardbop tracks from Mal Waldron – one that's different both from his trio material of the time, and from some of the ways that he works on the Prestige blowing sessions of the period – as Waldron is clearly the leader here, and really works magic with a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Tommy Boy/Chrysalis, 2000. (reissue)
All hits and almost no misses – starting with "Oooh", easily the best single of the '00, featuring some nice quotes from classic hip hop tracks ranging from the Funky 4 + 1 to Mos Def, and some of Redman's best verses in a while. De La Soul basically started the whole skits-between- ... CD (Hip Hop CD)

Isaac Hayes & Dionne Warwick

Man & A Woman
ABC/Big Break (UK), 1977.
A wonderful duet set from Isaac Hayes and Dionne Warwick – one that draws on the classiest side of the Hayes spectrum, and uses his groove to help Dionne find some great new energy! Even in performance, the music has that great rich quality that Isaac always brought to his solo recordings in ... CD (Soul CD)
King/Bear Family (Germany), Late 50s/Early 60s.
Killer cuts from the glory days of King Records – material from that second generation of the label, when their earlier blend of hillbilly and R&B made King a perfect platform for the new sounds of rockabilly and rock and roll! The package does a great job of digging in deep to the King ... CD (Rock CD)

Ennio Morricone

Un Sacco Bello
Beat (Italy), 1980.
A really unusual soundtrack from Ennio Morricone – one that's from the start of the 80s, and which has some sweet electric touches used alongside some of his more familiar modes! There's a bit of funk at the start, which heralds some of the less conventional instrumentation for the maestro ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Beat (Italy), 1980.
A really unusual soundtrack from Ennio Morricone – one that's from the start of the 80s, and which has some sweet electric touches used alongside some of his more familiar modes! There's a bit of funk at the start, which heralds some of the less conventional instrumentation for the maestro ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Bear Family (Germany), Late 40s/1950s/Early 60s.
Peggy Lee's best known as a jazz singer, but this very cool collection emphasizes her work in more pop-based fields of the postwar years – great grooving tracks when Lee was touching on R&B, early rock, and other more upbeat styles! The match of Bear Family presentation and these well-cho ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Enja/Pure Pleasure (UK), 1988. (reissue)
A gentler set than some of David Murray's other US dates from the time – but in a really great way that nicely gets at the more sensitive side of his work on tenor and bass clarinet! There's a bit of a hardbop groove to the album, but also a bit more freedom too – a style that never ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Moon Ji-Young

Love Tactics
SRB/Cobra Rose (South Korea), 1979. (reissue)
The only album ever cut by Korean singer Moon Ji-Young – and a really creative set that even includes a few instrumentals next to the really great vocals from the star act! The set was done in collaboration with arranger Yon Seok-won – who comes up with a few funky touches that really ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)

Oscar Rocchi

Alchemy In Jazz
Minstrel/Holy Basil (Italy), 1980. (reissue)
One of the most beautiful records we've ever heard from Italian pianist Oscar Rocchi – a set that still holds onto some of the modern elements of his music, but which also shows a warmly lyrical side as well! That latter quality really comes through strongly in the flute lines of Hugo ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Doctor Bird (UK), 1982.
A wonderful set from Carroll Thompson, one that easily slides back and forth between easy rocking lover's numbers on the reggae front, and polished 80s commercial soul. The set was originally issued on the SG imprint, and fell unfairly into obscurity almost immediately, perhaps because Carroll ... CD (Reggae CD)

Dinner Party (Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, & Kamasi Washington)

Enigmatic Society
Sound Of Crenshaw, 2023.
Maybe the best work so far from this really wonderful group – a magnificent match of the keyboards of Robert Glasper, the saxophones of Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, and the superb production talents of 9th Wonder – all working together in a stunning blend of jazz, soul, funk, ... CD (Jazz CD)

Hermeto Pascoal

Hermeto
Cobblestone/Far Out (UK), Early 70s. (reissue)
The amazing first album from Brazilian modern musical genius Hermeto Pascoal – a set that would change the world of jazz and Brazilian music for years to come! By the time of the set, Hermeto was no stranger to the scene – he'd recorded famously in Quarteto Novo with Airto, and in some ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil 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)
Easy Tempo (Italy), Late 60s/1970s.
A long-overdue entry in this legendary series of compilations – one that taught us an awful lot about funky soundtrack music back in the day, finally back in action after a long hiatus! This time around, the groove has gotten even deeper – as the series has stretched to include some ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)

Annexus Quam

Osmose
Ohr (Germany), 1969.
Amazing sounds from the early years of the prog sounds in Germany – exactly the kind of record that shows how much farther Krautrock was stretching than psychedelia! Although the set still draws most of its energy from conventional instruments – guitars, organ, bass, and drums – ... CD (Rock CD)

Nicola Conte

Umoja
Far Out (UK), 2023.
Richly soulful sounds from Nicola Conte – his first album for Far Out Records, but a set that shows the spiritual journey he's been on for the past decade or so on a variety of other labels! Conte has really matured into a jazz visionary – using the same energy here with live musicians ... CD (New Grooves CD)

Bengt Frippe Nordstrom

Bengt Frippe Nordstrom (5LP set)
Ni Vu Ni Connu (Luxembourg), Late 60s. 5LP Set
LP...$224.99 295.00
A stunning tribute to the work of Swedish reedman Bengt Frippe Nordstrom – a player whose solo and small group improvisations arguably set the tone for countless Scandinavian recordings in years to come – presented here with both unreleased material and his legendary Natural Music ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Gypsy (Shirley Bunnie Foy)

Way-O
Diagram/Mono Jazz (Italy), 1974.
A really cool set from the Italian scene of the 70s – one that features very hip vocals from the great Shirley Bunnie Foy, set to lean instrumentation that makes the whole thing nicely different than just a standard jazz vocal session! Shirley plays percussion next to her vocals, and the set ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Impulse, 1961.
A lost slice of work from the mighty John Coltrane – and a set that features the equally great Eric Dolphy up on stage with Trane at the Village Gate! These never-issued recordings are every bit as wonderful as the Village Vanguard material recorded during the same year – with the ... CD (Jazz CD)

Isao Suzuki

Blue Road
Days Of Delight (Japan), 1975.
Really great work from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – a live performance recorded right at the same time as his groundbreaking albums for the Three Blind Mice label – and maybe even more compelling than some of that work! Suzuki, like Ron Carter and a few other key contemporaries, is ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Cat/Wagram (France), 1975. (reissue)
A landmark album from the Miami soul scene of the 70s – the record that put Gwen McCrae on the map, and showed to the world that the TK sound was about to dominate the charts! There's a really unique groove to the set – part older southern soul, part percolated electric modes – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul 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)
Ace (UK), Mid 70s. 2LP
A really cool record, and one that digs deep into the earliest days of the disco scene – that time in New York where there weren't any records being made as strictly "disco" cuts – and DJs had to make their pick of soul and funk records from a time when the music was really ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Born Bad (France), 1960s/1970s/Early 80s.
Music by kids, but with a much darker sound than you might imagine – as the work is very avant garde, and blends tape tricks, experimental instrumentation, and all sorts of unusual recording techniques – all with a sound that must have terrified the kids when they heard the results on ... CD (French CD)

Nina Simone

You've Got To Learn
Verve, 1966.
A really fantastic live album from Nina Simone – recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1966, and delivered with that hard-burning energy that always makes Nina's concert performances so mindblowing! There's a lean, mean groove to the record – sharply soulful piano from Simone, and ... CD (Vocalists CD)

Howlin Wolf

Message To The Young
Chess/Elemental, 1971. (reissue)
Funky blues work from Howlin Wolf – his key entry into the funked-up genre that Chess Records was cutting at the end of the 60s with other blues artists like Etta James, Bo Diddley, and Muddy Waters! As on records with those artists, Wolf's older modes are updated here for a hipper, younger ... LP, Vinyl record album (Blues LP)

Abbey Lincoln

Who Used To Dance
Gitanes/Verve (France), 1996. 2LP
One of those fantastic later albums that really had Abbey Lincoln finding a whole new sound and spirit – a style that offers up a mature take on all that righteous energy of her younger days – nicely focused, and set up here with some superb arrangements put together by Abbey herself! ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)

Johnny Lytle

Loop
Tuba/BGP (UK), 1966. (reissue)
One of the coolest, grooviest albums ever from jazz vibist Johnny Lytle – a set that really leans into the impact that he was having with the soul instrumental crowd, and which serves up tunes in these short, tight grooves that show why Johnny was the king of the stepping dancefloor in the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Dredd Foole & The Din

We Will Fall
Corbett vs. Dempsey, 1982.
Completely unreleased music from this legendary Boston group – one that features Mission Of Burma working with leader Dredd Foole, in a set of cuts that are completely incendiary all the way through! The material is mostly live, and even edgier than their studio work – and shows the ... CD (Rock CD)

Ike & Tina Turner

Hunter
Blue Thumb/Elemental, Early 70s. (reissue)
A pretty sweet little album from Ike & Tina Turner – recording during a period when it seemed like they had contracts with just about every soul label on the market! This one's definitely got that hip "play it for the Fillmore crowd" sound that you'd expect from Blue Thumb ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Melvin Sparks

Texas Twister
Eastbound/Westbound (UK), 1973. (reissue)
One of the funkiest albums ever from early 70s guitar wizard Melvin Sparks – his first for the short-lived Eastbound offshoot of Westbound, and done in a style that's even harder and rawer than his work for Prestige! The sound is lean and often a bit rough around the edges – with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)

Arthur Russell

Picture Of Bunny Rabbit
Audika, Mid 80s.
Never-issued material from the legendary Arthur Russell – a set of tracks that's maybe closest in spirit to his groundbreaking World Of Echo album – as it blends together voice, cello, effects, and plenty of the echo promised in the title – all with a style that's beyond easy ... CD (Rock CD)

Shafiq Husayn

So Gold
Nature Sounds, 2023.
The regal image on the cover really fits the spirit of the record – as Shafiq Husayn seems to be channeling some sort of subtle majesty throughout – really focusing his already-great talents, and maybe winning himself a rightful spot at the head of the table of the contemporary soul ... CD (Neo Soul CD)

Melvin Sparks

Melvin Sparks '75
Westbound (UK), 1975. (reissue)
A record that moves guitarist Melvin Sparks a bit more into soul territory from the funky jazz of his early 70s years – but still a heck of a great little record overall! The tracks are shorter than before and the backings are bigger – but Melvin's work on the strings still gets plenty ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Saturn/Cosmic Myth, 1958. 2CD
Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely ... CD (Jazz CD)

Aki Takase & Alexander Von Schlippenbach

Four Hands Piano Pieces
Trost (Austria), 2023.
Four hands, and plenty of power – a stunning set of improvisations between these two longtime avant greats – and a set that may well be one of the boldest we've heard from either player in years! Maybe it's the quality that the Trost label seems to get from musicians, or maybe it's ... CD (Jazz CD)
Verve, 1956. (reissue)
Amazing early work from Blossom Dearie – quite possibly her best album for Verve, recorded in the mid 50s right after her return from work on the Paris scene! The style here is sprightly and whimsical, yet also fragile and human – a blend that few other singers can pull off as well as ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)
Westbound (UK), 1975.
A killer compilation – one that's every bit as wild and wooly as the famous image on the cover! The set came out in the mid 70s, and it's a perfect summation of all the greatness that Funkadelic had given the group in just a few short years – their brilliant way of blending together ... CD (Soul CD)
Jazz In Britain (UK), 1965. 2CD
An expanded, remastered version of this legendary live performance from British tenor giant Tubby Hayes – a 1965 session recorded at the famous Hopbine club, owned by saxophonist Tommy Whittle, who also makes an appearance on two numbers in the set! The recording quality of the CD is quite ... CD (Jazz CD)
Modern Harmonic, 1972.
One of the weirdest records Sun Ra ever made – music to accompany the strange film Space Is The Place – which itself was an odd mixture of science fiction and blacksploitation-type action! The sounds here are sometimes in the usual Arkestra mode – wonderfully exotic rhythms mixed ... CD (Jazz CD)

Professor James Benson

Gow-Dow Experience
Gow Dow/Jazzman (UK), 1973.
A rare bit of righteous jazz from the Cali scene of the 70s – a record that's much more obscure than some of the better-known efforts from the Bay Area and the LA scene, but which resonates strongly with all the power of those classics too! James Benson was an educator as much as he was a ... CD (Jazz CD)
Mr Bongo (UK), 1970s/2023.
We really loved the first volume in this series, and this second entry maybe goes even deeper into the unique territory of the collection – a genre that's maybe all its own, with a really cool blend of older tracks and contemporary numbers, all served up with a laidback sort of vibe! There's ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Zappa, 1970. 3CDs
A set that's not entirely funky, but maybe not that far off either – as the whole thing features unreleased material that was recorded by Zappa in the studio after Hot Rats – including some nicely jamming cuts that really have the group letting loose in maybe a more spontaneous, organic ... CD (Rock CD)

Andre Gibson & Universal Togetherness Band

Apart – Demos 1980 to 1984 (white vinyl pressing)
Numero, Early 80s.
That's Andre Gibson sitting at an electric piano on the cover – an image that will give you very much an idea of the record – as the music here is more personal and intimate than previous recordings by the Universal Togetherness Band – and tracks that actually seem to show a lot ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Candid, 1960.
The only thing "straight" about Steve Lacy's horn is its shape – as the soprano sax here is used in some extremely inventive and modern ways, especially for the date of the session! We don't think we're going out on a limb to say Lacy is one of the foremost melodic improvisors of ... CD (Jazz CD)
Legacy/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), Early 70s.
A great introduction to the music of Shuggie Otis – the tripped-out guitarist who's best known for his early 70s classics for Columbia Records! This set comes from those three amazing albums – and showcase Shuggie's shift from bluesy funk guitar to the more laidback, tripped-out work ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)

Hachidai Nakamura

Memories Of Lyllyan
Toshiba/Universal (Japan), 1960. (reissue)
A great piano trio set from the start of the 60s – performed by a Japanese player we know little about! Hachidai Nakamura isn't a name that we remember from many other records, but on this beautifully-titled record he steps forth with a command of the keys that's really wonderful – a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Reprise/Rhino, 1968. Gatefold (reissue)
The mindblowing full length debut of Joni Mitchell – and a record that instantly set a whole new tone for singer/songwriter material in the late 60s! Joni had years of folk experience before this set, but the record is something else entirely – dark at times, deeply personal, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Som Da Gente/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1980. Gatefold (reissue)
Funky fusion from the Brazilian scene of the 80s – music from a time when the best electric jazz was more the product of indie labels like the Som Da Gente powerhouse – a company who really let Grupo Medusa find their groove! The band features some great keyboard work on Fender Rhodes ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)

Junie (Junie Morrison)

When We Do
Westbound (UK), 1975. Gatefold (reissue)
The solo debut of Junie Morrison – a crazy little album recorded for Westbound in the time after he split company with The Ohio Players – and a set that's definitely got the weirdly wonderful mix of music that group was known for in their pre-Mercury years! Junie effortlessly moves ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Impulse, 1969/1974. Gatefold (reissue)
A brilliant late Impulse Records album from Archie Shepp – material recorded on a variety of dates at the end of the 60s, but packaged together as an extremely soulful set in the mid 70s! There's a feel here that rivals some of the best moments of the Attica Blues years – a mix of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Ace (UK), Mid 90s.
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 ... CD (Rock CD)
WeJazz (Finland), 2023.
There's never been a magazine like this – a publication that seems to cover jazz of the past and the future with equal enthusiasm – and which has a way of making everything come together in a wonderfully vivid way! As with previous issues, the choice of subjects seems very close to our ... Magazine (Magazine)
United Artists/Atomhenge (UK), 1973. 2CDs
A seminal set from Hawkwind – a record that virtually defines the term "space rock", and which went on to create a whole genre unto itself! The live setting is perfect for the group – as they open up on long tracks that blend together odd touches, sci fi elements, and some ... CD (Rock CD)
Cherry Red (UK), 1980s/1990s. 4CD
That's a Paul Weller-looking chap on the front cover – and it's no surprise that his work in The Jam helped usher in a huge new crop of British mods in the 80s and 90s – groups who were really inspired by the same 60s influences that got Weller and his group going a few years before ... CD (Rock CD)
Elektra, 1967.
Really important early live work from The Doors – a performance at the legendary Matrix club in San Francisco – and one of the first concert recordings ever done of the group! The set wasn't originally part of their legacy with Elektra Records, but has become rehoused as a key part of ... CD (Rock CD)

Pierre Alain Dahan & Mat Camison

Rythmiques
Tele Music/Be With (UK), 1973. (reissue)
A really well-titled set, especially given that as a drummer, Pierre Alain Dahan lent his talents to a whole host of French jazz, funk, and soul outings in the 70s – although his approach here is different than on some of his more famous work! The album's a set of duets with electronic ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Elektra/Grapefruit (UK), Early 70s. 2CD
A pair of albums from this near-forgotten group – both originally issued by Elektra, and presented here with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Crabby Appleton – a set that's got a surprising sort of late psych vibe at times – almost as if the group were hanging on to ... CD (Rock CD)
Quartet (Spain), 1974.
Dark genius from Ennio Morricone – a soundtrack that begins with a cool water dripping sound on the title theme – then moves into a set of tunes that are equally spacious and moody! The music unfolds slowly, in this really beautiful way – sometimes with light piano lines stepping ... CD (Soundtracks CD)

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