Late summer grooves galore!
Jimmy Castor
Dimension IIIRCA/Vocalion (UK), 1973.
Three-dimensional magic from the great Jimmy Castor – an artist who'd already conquered the worlds of sweet soul, heavy funk, and Latin by the time of this release! Jimmy draws on all his rich background in the soul underground, and also seems to move with a new sort of sophistication, too ... CD (Soul)
Eric Roberson
Wind EPBlue Erro Soul, 2017.
Eric Roberson's one of the few people who can make us fall in love again with his music from the very first note of a record – as he does here on the opening track, which is an incredibly soulful ode to the greatness of Clarie Huxtable! The set only gets better as it moves on – and ... CD (Neo Soul)
Jay-U Experience
Enough Is Enough (180 gram pressing)Soundway (UK), 1977. (reissue)
LP...$20.99
21.98
Rare Nigerian funk and soul from The Jay-U Experience! Rather than following Fela's or any other template for 70s Afro Funk or soul, the group does a pretty incredible job of mixing up styles into a unique hybrid, rooted in the above, touching on reggae and jazz, too, and all the while holding ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Gal Costa
IndiaPhilips/Mr Bongo (UK), 1973.
One of the richest, most expressive albums ever from the great Gal Costa – a set from her immediate post-Tropicalia years, and one that shows that she's got a lot more to offer than just a wild sense of experimentation! Gilberto Gil is the musical director here – with help from Rogerio ... CD (Brazil)
Alice Coltrane & Carlos Santana
IlluminationsColumbia/Vocalion (UK), 1974.
A really mindblowing collaboration between two of the most spiritual mainstream musicians of the early 70s – legendary guitarist Carlos Santana and spiritual jazz guru Alice Coltrane! The set came at a time when Santana was reaching for much deeper ideas in both his music and his personal ... CD (Jazz)
Lester Bowie
Numbers 1 & 2 (50th anniversary edition)Nessa, 1967.
CD...$14.99
16.99
Some of the earliest work ever recorded by Lester Bowie as a leader – and a set that stands in importance right next to the early Delmark AACM sides by Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell! Plus, the album's almost an early Art Ensemble of Chicago effort, given the lineup – which ... CD (Jazz)
Transatlantic/Esoteric (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. 3CD
A very cool look at the freakiest years of the legendary Transatlantic Records label – an important British imprint that was essential to blues and folk in the late 60s, but which also released some much trippier material too! The music here is a frenetic blend of jazz, folk, prog, and some ... CD (Rock)
Delegation
Promise Of Love (with bonus tracks)State/Big Break (UK), Late 70s.
The classic first album from Delegation – a great male soul trio from the late 70s, and one who sound great on both sweet mellow tunes and more upbeat ones! Delegation have a sound that's quite unique, especially on this album – a groove with slightly tropical traces on some numbers, ... CD (Soul)
Freddie McKay
Picture On The Wall (deluxe edition – with bonus tracks)Studio One, 1971.
A legendary meeting of talents in the Studio One studios – the wickedly-grooving Soul Defenders and the heartbreakingly soulful Freddie McKay – both coming together here on an album that was an instant Studio One classic! The Soul Defenders have a slow-stepping groove with a nice ... CD (Reggae)
Saturn/Cosmic Myth, 1970.
CD...$12.99
13.99
A stone classic – and one of the wilder, more electronic albums from Sun Ra – a set that has him playing on "two moog synthesizers" – which both sound as if they're going at the same time! The rest of the group is quite small – with only John Gilmore, Marshall ... CD (Jazz)
Nahid Akhtar
I Am Black BeautyFinders Keepers (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s.
The title's a pretty bold proclamation from Nahid Akhtar – but the album definitely supports the claim, thanks to a fierce combination of funky modes and Pakistani groove! The tracks here were all recorded for the Lollywood film world in Lahore – Pakistan's answer to Indian cinema at ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Raw Soul Express
Best Kept Secret (180 gram pressing)Athens Of The North (UK), Late 70s.
An album that definitely lives up to its title – as it's been a well-kept secret for decades, since most of us have only heard the self-titled album by Raw Soul Express from the 70s! Turns out, these southern funk giants also had a whole other record in the can – finally getting a long- ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Nautilus
Nautiloid Quest (with bonus CD)Agogo (Germany), 2017. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$35.99
39.98
It's hard not to love a band named after the oft-sampled jazz funk masterpiece by Bob James, but Japanese trio Nautilus brings the goods on their own terms! A core trio of bassist Shigeki Umezawa, keyboardist Daisuke Takeuchi and drummer Toshiyuki Sasaki, they put a really great timeless spin on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk)
DJ Shadow
Mountain Has Fallen EP (with download)Mass Appeal, 2017.
LP...$15.99
16.98
Good stuff from the always inspired, never predictable DJ Shadow! He's creative boundaries here, and also recalling the vibe of his classic era here – all the while inspiring disparate, equally guest collaborators! He gets assists from top notch MCs both legendary and contemporary in Nas and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
Piero Piccioni
Puppet On A ChainSilva Screen, 1970. (reissue)
LP...$26.99
32.99
A very groovy action-based score from composer Piero Piccioni – one of his few non-Italian soundtracks from the time! The music was recorded in swinging London at the end of the 60s – and it's got a mod sound that's very groovy, with Hammond and horns and guitar and electric bass all ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Techniques & Friends
Winston Riley's Rocksteady & Early Reggae 1968/Dub Store (Japan), Late 60s.
CD...$16.99
18.99
Harmony soul from the Jamaican scene of the 60s – served up here in a host of hardcore production from the great Winston Riley! The grooves definitely show the style of Kingston, but the vocals almost echo the best of the indie soul scene in the US – that sophisticated harmony approach ... CD (Reggae)
Soulmusic.com (UK), 1977/1985. 2CD
A pair of later Motown efforts by the Mack himself – with 1977's Having A House Party, the last album in his original deal with the the legendary label, plus his mid 80s Motown comeback Making A Game Out Of Love – in a 2CD set with bonus tracks! Willie does indeed have nice little funky ... CD (Soul)
Reverend Lonnie Farris
Night At The House Of PrayerBuked & Scorned, Early 60s.
Fantastic work from Reverend Lonnie Farris – one of the key proponents of "sacred steel" guitar – the use of the mostly-country instrument in the setting of soulful gospel! Farris works the instrument in ways that are sometimes familiar, sometimes almost more like the use of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Gospel)
Johnson Spiritual Singers
Don't Let The Devil RideDetroit Gospel Reissue Project, Mid 70s.
Totally wonderful work from this obscure Detroit group – a quintet of very young gospel singers, and one that gets some wicked work on electric guitar as well! The music has a vibe that's every bit what you'd expect from the cover – very raw, and at-home – with that guy on his ... LP, Vinyl record album (Gospel)
Thelma Houston
Summer Nights EP (180 gram pressing)Preservation (UK), 1980.
Fantastic work from Thelma Houston – material recorded in 1980, but never issued at the time – and maybe even better than most of Thelma's own records from the period! The tracks were recorded at Muscle Shoals, with tight production by Clayton Ivey and Terry Woodford – in a way ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Bob Downes Open Music
Let Your Mind Space OutBob Downes Music/Openian (Germany), 2017.
Reedman Bob Downes definitely got the title right here – as the music's got a very spacey sound at times – as Bob reworked a contrabass flute, in order to create these really weird, textural sort of tones! Downes has been making amazing sounds since the start of the 70s – and ... CD (Jazz)
Clipse
Til The Casket DropsColumbia/Get On Down, 2009. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$19.99
22.98
Malice & Pusha T back with The Neptunes on the bulk of Til The Casket Drops – recorded Columbi, after the Jive Records swan song/uncompromising masterpiece Hell Hath No Fury back in '06, and this one still head-and-shoulders above most major label hip hop LPs circa '09! The couple of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
Steoples
Six RocksStones Throw, 2017.
LP...$14.99
16.98
A record that's as stark as its cover – a very cool collaboration from LA beatmaker GB (Gifted & Blessed) and British singer Yeofi Andoh – done in a style that may well be opening up whole new frontiers for underground cosmic soul! The record's got a nicely rough vibe – songs ... LP, Vinyl record album (Neo Soul)
James Taylor Quartet
BootlegReal Self (UK), 2017.
Not the dodgy record you might expect from the title – but instead a special vinyl-only collection of the best cuts from the past few years of releases from the mighty James Taylor – one of the coolest keyboardists to come along in the past few decades! Taylor first emerged in the UK ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk)
Return To Forever
Music MagicColumbia/Vocalion (UK), 1977.
Lots of musical magic here – a further extension of the Return To Forever vibe that helped Chick Corea find some of his best energy of the 70s! The style is still as tightly focused as before, but also opens up with a bit more soul, too – trading some slight moments of jamming for a ... CD (Jazz)
Paul Rutherford
In Backward TimesEmanem (UK), 1979/1988/2004/2007.
CD...$16.99
19.99
Unreleased material by one of the greatest trombone improvisers in jazz – heard here on four very long tracks pulled from the vaults of Emanem Records! As label founder Martin Davidson says in the notes, the music of Rutherford was one of the reasons he created the company – and ... CD (Jazz)
Television
Live At The Old WaldorfElektra/Record Store Day, 1978. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$33.99
35.98
The rare, long unreleased Television live album! Recorded at San Francisco's Old Waldorf in the summer of 1978, on the one-and-only US tour the band ever did as a headliner in their original 70s run, it's a revelatory and all too rare treasure. Television's well-known legacy as a mainstay in the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Rico Rodriguez & Friends
Unreleased Early Recordings – Shuffle & Boogie 1960Federal/Dub Store (Japan), 1960.
Some of the earliest recordings you'll ever hear from the legendary trombonist Rico Rodriguez – sides recorded long before his famous 60s work in ska, and his bit 70s records under his own name – done with a much rootsier groove overall! The setting here is that mode that has the early ... CD (Reggae)
RCA/Legacy, Early/Mid 50s. 3CD
CD...$36.99
39.89
A treasure trove of early Elvis recordings – a set the goes deeper into the nascent, pre-pop culture mania, and right into the heart and soul of "A Boy From Tupelo" who really had the voice and charisma of a king – mania, hype and a half century of merchandising be damned! ... CD (Rock)
Archie Shepp & Lars Gullin
House I Live In (180 gram pressing)Steeplechase/Modern Silence (Italy), 1963. (reissue)
A mindblowing little record – one of those jazz meetings you might never have thought possible, and every bit as great as you'd expect! By the time of this set, Lars Gullin had already reached the heights of jazz in Scandinavia – one of the hippest players of the 50s, ready to branch ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Soul Jazz (UK), Late 60s/1970s.
CD...$16.99
22.99
A fantastic look at the righteous current of energy that swept through American music at the end of the 60s – that huge wave of knowledge and political inspiration that still stands as one of our favorite moments in jazz and soul! The Civil Rights generation had gotten some things ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Detroit Gospel Reissue Project, 1960s/Early 70s.
A deep deep dig into the Detroit gospel scene – one that goes way farther than the bigger work by artists like CL Franklin and his famous daughters – and which instead looks at the wealth of work circulating on labels that mostly only issued 45rpm recordings! The music here is ... LP, Vinyl record album (Gospel)
Tony Williams Lifetime featuring John McLaughlin
Live In New York 1969 (180 gram pressing)Hi Hat, 1969.
Stunning sounds from drummer Tony Williams – a rare live date from the end of the 60s, and one that's even more freewheeling than the performance on his classic Emergency album! The group here is the same as that one – the famous trio with John McLaughlin on guitar and Larry Young on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Philly Groove/FTG, 1972.
CD...$11.99
12.98
The Delfonics just kept on getting better and better! The longer the group recorded, the more they picked up this strange spacey quality that pushed them past some of their contemporaries of the early 70s. And on an album like this, they prove that they're way more than just Thom Bell puppets by ... CD (Soul)
Heliocentrics
Sunshine Makers (180 gram pressing)Soundway (UK), 2017.
LP...$19.99
21.98
A masterful psychedelic funk soundtrack by Malcolm Catto & The Heliocentrics – a perfectly choice combo to score a documentary about the rise of LSD in the 60s! The set is all instrumental, and the group really goes above and beyond the call of duty on it, crafting an appropriately trippy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk)
Shindig
Issue 70Shindig, 2017.
Shindig looks at The Byrds in the crucial year of 1967 – the summer of love that had the band maybe getting even rootsier than before! There's also big articles on The Action, Lovin Spoonful, and moog maestro Jean-Jacques Perry – plus the second half of the last interview that Steve ... Magazine (Magazines)
Various
I Am On The Battlefield For My Lord – Jamaican Gospel Vol 3 – Sixteen Killers From The 60s & 70sBuked & Scorned, 1960s/1970s.
A heady serving of rare gospel work from the Jamaican scene – tracks that were recorded during the same years as rocksteady and reggae, but with a much more spiritual vibe overall! The music here often shares a lot in terms of grooves with secular Jamaican sounds – but the recording ... LP, Vinyl record album (Gospel)
Don Burrows Quartet
At The Sydney Opera HouseMainstream/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1974.
A record that really shows off the strengths of the Australian jazz scene in the 70s – so much so, it was one of that nation's biggest jazz records of the decade, and also got a fair bit of global circulation too! The album's billed to reedman Don Burrows – who's a bit like his nation's ... CD (Jazz)
Sabrina Malheiros
ClareiaFar Out (UK), 2017.
Beautiful modern bossa from Sabrina Malheiros! Sabrina has always had a genuine feel for classic Brazilian soul – she's the daughter of Alex Malheiros of Azymuth, so samba jazz, funk and soul are in her genes – and she really soars on this one. All the songs on Clareia are originals, ... CD (Brazil)
Rhino, Late 60s. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$26.99
29.98
One of the grooviest Nuggets compilations we've seen in years – full of west coast pop psych gems circa '67 & '68 for the most part – with deep cuts by legends and some real obscurities, too! Includes some great tunes by beloved scenesters of the time like West Coast Pop Art ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Hal Galper
Wild BirdMainstream/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1972.
One of the greatest albums ever recorded by pianist Hal Galper – and that's saying a lot, given his huge legacy of records! This set has Hal working in a strongly electric mode – using an electric piano with the same sort of spacious qualities he could bring to acoustic – never ... CD (Jazz)
Ugly Things
Issue 45 – Summer/Ugly Things, 2017.
A mighty book-sized issue of the always-overstuffed Ugly Things – one of the deepest digs into past rock sounds you could ever hope to find! This time around, The Outsiders and Q65 both get big articles – part of a look at the excellent Dutch rock scene of the 60s – and there's ... Magazine (Magazines)
Leon Ware & Others
Free Soul – The Classics Of Leon WareMotown/Universal (Japan), 1970s/Early 80s. 2CDs
An massive tribute to the genius of Leon Ware – a figure who was as important to the sound of Motown in the 70s as Marvin Gaye – and a singer, producer, and songwriter whose talents touched the careers of countless others in the decade too! Ware had an undeniably mature, sensual style ... CD (Soul)
Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown '65Mainstream/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1965.
A very unusual setting for the legendary Ruth Brown – the singer who first rose to fame singing raw-edged R&B tracks for Atlantic Records in the 50s – but who works here in a much jazzier mode overall! The set features backings from Peter Matz – who often accompanied the ... CD (Soul)
Clarke Boland Big Band
All Smiles (180 gram pressing)MPS (Germany), 1968. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$31.99
34.99
A hard slammer from the Clarke-Boland Big Band – recorded when the band was burning up the road in Europe, taking great players and audiences in one fell swoop, coming up with some of the strongest straight jazz of their generation! The album features stunning solos all around by an all-star ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Bob & Gene
If This World Were MineModo/Daptone, Late 60s.
A previously-unreleased sweet soul treasure – now finally getting its due! Bob & Gene were an obscure duo from Buffalo at the end of the 60s – recording briefly together under the guidance of Bob's father, who recorded the young pair in his home studio with the help of some great ... CD (Soul)
Heavenly Sweetness (Netherlands), Late 70s/1980s. 2LP Gatefold
The set's billed as "the perfect soundtrack to chill on the beach", but it's way more than that – and besides, when we always used to go to the beach, all the radios were always blaring classic rock or mainstream pop – and this collection is way way deeper than that! Guts ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations)
Chiaroscuro/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1974.
A great date from pianist Dave McKenna – an artist who's frequently caught in a trio set or smaller – which makes this quartet session with Zoot Sims a mighty nice treat! McKenna's got a really timeless approach to piano – one that often spans decades of jazz expression, ... CD (Jazz)
Tamba 4
Samba BlimCTI/A&M (Japan), 1968.
An incredible album by the Tamba 4 – one of 2 albums the Brazilian bossa combo did in the US for A&M Records, during the brief time when they were expanded to a quartet from the original Tamba Trio lineup! The set is completely sublime – a wonderful mix of the group's trademark ... CD (Brazil)
Albert Mangelsdorff
Albert Mangelsdorff & His FriendsMPS (Germany), 1969.
CD...$12.99
14.99
German trombonist Albert Manglesdorff goes toe-to-toe with an amazing line-up of avant garde mainstays in duet settings for this MPS classic – including Don Cherry, Elvin Jones, Karl Berger, Attila Zoller, Lee Konitz, and Wolfgang Dauner! The format is simple; each of the seven tracks was ... CD (Jazz)
Bobby Hutcherson & Harold Land
UCLA – 27 September 1981Hi Hat, 1981.
A rare later meeting of one of the greatest pairs in soulful jazz – vibist Bobby Hutcherson and reedman Harold Land, who both cut some excellent work for Blue Note at the end of the 60s – coming back together here for a rare live date from 1981! The set was well-recorded, originally ... CD (Jazz)
Zeshan B
VettedMinty Fresh, 2017.
CD...$11.99
12.99
A record that certainly deserves its title – as the sound is well-vetted right from the start, and not at all the gimmicky approach you might expect! Zeshan B might well be forging a whole new genre here – one of Indian soul – as the singer was raised by Indian parents in ... CD (Deep Funk)
Dub Store (Japan), 1966/1967.
Fantastic sounds from the rocksteady years in Jamaica – tracks that are a fair bit more rare and obscure than some of the bigger singles that circulated at the time – even though they feature a fair bit of the same artists and musicians! The work here all came from the studios of ... CD (Reggae)
Stan Getz
Newport Jazz Festival 1964Hi Hat, 1964.
Fantastic Stan Getz material from the 60s – a beautiful live set recorded right around the same time as Stan's Getz-A-Go-Go album – and, like that one, also features great vibes from Gary Burton and a bit of guest vocals from Astrud Gilberto! The main focus is on Stan's core sound with ... CD (Jazz)
Sorry Bamba
Sorry Bamba Du MaliSonghoi/Africa Seven (UK), 1977. (reissue)
Killer Malian music from Sorry Bamba – served up here on one of his greatest albums of the 70s! The set just features four songs, but they're all nice and long – and build up in this wonderfully complex, completely mesmerizing blend of percussion, keyboards, and guitar – extended ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Oneohtrix Point Never
Good Time – Original Motion Picture SoundtrackWarp, 2017.
The contemporary soundtrack is alive and well in the hands of an artist like Oneohtrix Point Never – brought back to a new sense of intensity that it hadn't had since the early days of electronic pioneers like John Carpenter and David Lynch! Tracks are mostly spare, but striking – and, ... CD (Soundtracks)
Various
Cold Waves Of Color Vol 4Color Tapes/Lion, Early 80s.
The continuing genius of this really wonderful series – just about the only way you'll get to hear this wealth of work from the UK electro scene of the early 80s – most of which was only released on cassette at the time! These tracks follow strongly on the electronic sounds of scenes ... CD (Rock)
Adam Makowicz
Handful Of StarsChiaroscuro/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1981.
Sprightly piano work from Adam Makowicz – an overlooked date from the early 80s, but one that's every bit as great as some of his albums that got much wider release! The set's got an unusual trio – George Mraz on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums – the latter of whom is a bit of ... CD (Jazz)
Alphonse Mouzon
In Search Of A Dream (180 gram pressing)MPS (Germany), 1977. (reissue)
LP...$31.99
34.99
A full-on electric jammer from Alphonse Mouzon – cut in the frenetic style of his Blue Note sides, but given an extra electric MPS twist! The lineup includes a host of strong European fusion players – including Miroslav Vitous on bass, Philip Catherine on guitars, and Joachim Kuhn on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Raymond Scott & The Secret 7
UnexpectedTop Rank/Basta, 1960.
CD...$11.99
12.99
A great musical mystery – and one of Raymond Scott's jazziest albums of the 50s! The group on the session is Scott's "Secret 7" – a batch of unnamed jazz musicians, most likely playing here out of contract with other labels, hence the secret nature of their work on the album! ... CD (Jazz)
Dorothy Ashby
Hip Harp/Prestige/Doxy (Russia), Late 50s. 2LP
2 of Dorothy Ashby's classic Prestige sessions – back to back on one 2LP set! First up is material from Hip Harp – great stuff by the grooviest artist ever to play a harp! Dorothy Ashby had a unique soul jazz harp sound, and although the instrument she used is probably more thought of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
John Lennon/
Unfinished Music No 2 – Life With The Lions (limited edition white vinyl – with poster, download & bonus tracks)
Zapple/Secretly Canadian, 1968. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
23.98
Fantastically wild work from the team of Yoko Ono and John Lennon – a set in which Yoko very firmly pulls John into the world of Fluxus, experimentation – on a record that's more of an art piece than most of the other later releases by the pair! Side one is a live piece called "Cam ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Jazzovy Orchestr Cechoslovenskeho Rozhlasu
Jazz Ze Studia A (with bonus tracks)Panton/GAD (Poland), 1976.
Searing sounds from one of the coolest ensembles working on the Czech scene of the 70s – a group who mix big band modes with sweet electric touches – in a style that's like some of the hipper acts on the MPS label at the time! The approach is very much like a Clark Boland Big Band ... CD (Jazz)
S-Tone Inc with Toco
Superbacana EPSchema (Italy), 2017. (pic cover)
A great pairing of Schema Records talents here – as the grooves of S-Tone are topped with vocals from Toco – who brings a nice bit of his own Brazilian vibe to the music! "Superbacana" is featured here in both standard and dub versions – both with Toco vocals, and both ... 12-inch, Vinyl record (New Grooves)
Pioneers
Long Shot (180 gram pressing)Trojan/Music On Vinyl (UK), 1969. (reissue)
An early gem from The Pioneers, and one of the first records on the Trojan label too – the kind of head-nodding, late rocksteady sounds that made the imprint a key bridge between the scenes in Kingston and London at the end of the 60s! The Pioneers have a bit more complex vocal interplay ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae)
McKenna Mendelson Blues
McKenna Mendelson BluesPacemaker Entertainment/Lion, 1968. (reissue)
Late 60s work from Michael McKenna and Joe Mendleson – working here in a punchy, hard charging and fiery bluesy rock mode for the McKenna Mendelson Blues set! The group was fairly short lived, and otherwise known as Mainline – but this set puts the bluesy tendencies right out front, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Afrique
Soul MakossaMainstream/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1973.
A killer album of Afro Funk – with a very unusual origin! In the wake of Manu Dibango's big hit (and some kind of failure to register the copyright), many many versions of "Soul Makossa" were recorded and released, some good, some bad. This album is a good example of that ... CD (Soul)
Amadana
Sibreco Turntable (internal speakers in wood cabinet – complete with USB & RCA outputs, and stylus)Amadana (Japan), 2015.
A totally wonderful little turntable – solid, stylish, and totally self-contained – with a strong sound that's a lot better than most other plug-and-play models on the market! The first thing that stands out with this one is the base – which is very solid, and has a wood veneer ... Turntable
Nice & Smooth
Nice & SmoothFresh/Priority, 1989. 2LP (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.99
One of our favorite hop hop records from the end of the 80s – a set that sprang onto the scene out of nowhere and instantly won us over! They're not exactly the same, but we'd like to think of Nice & Smooth in the same space as De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest – because, like ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
Reverend Jodie Holmes
When I Could I Wouldn't – Now I Want To But I Can'tDetroit Gospel Reissue Project, 1976. (reissue)
A fierce and firey sermon from the Detroit scene of the 70s – served up by Reverend Jodie Holmes with a fair bit of inspiration and accompaniment from other members of his congregation! The album's got a much rootsier feel than bigger-label gospel recordings of this nature – recorded ... LP, Vinyl record album (Gospel)
Apple/Secretly Canadian, Early 70s. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$21.99
27.98
Pretty wild work from Yoko Ono – a mixture of straight rock tunes and some very experimental numbers, a few of which sound so much like New York No Wave tunes from a decade later that we have to admit we're pretty darn shocked! In fact, we'd dare say the record's better than anything ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Charles Lloyd
Passin ThruBlue Note, 2017.
An incredible album from Charles Lloyd – one that seems to return him to his spiritual flowering of the 60s – maybe just because the set begins with a searing long take of his classic "Dream Weaver"! But there's also a richness here that we don't always hear from Lloyd – ... CD (Jazz)
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club (blue & yellow starburst pressing)Sire/Real Gone, 1981. (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.98
The first album by The Tom Tom Club – a group that started out as a side project by Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz – but which went onto have a surprising life of its own! Like the Talking Heads at the start of the 80s, Tom Tom Club were very open to pulling ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Blue Mitchell
Graffiti BluesMainstream/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1973.
One of Blue Mitchell's hippest funky sets of the 70s – an unusual little record that mixes a bit of funky harmonica with his own soulful trumpet! The approach definitely echoes a bit of the "blues" in the title – but the groove is much more straightforward and funky – ... CD (Jazz)
Don Drummond
Don CosmicStudio One, Late 60s.
CD...$18.99
19.99
An incredible collection of work from one of the coolest musicians on the Jamaican scene in the 60s – the legendary Don Drummond – an artist who was schooled in jazz trombone, then went on to use the instrument as a surprisingly powerful force in ska, rocksteady, and reggae! This ... CD (Reggae)
Chris Connor
MistyAtlantic (Japan), Late 50s.
An unusual set from the legendary vocalist Chris Connor – a record that's graced with a boozy later image of Chris on the front, but which features a host of rare gems from her late 50s years at Atlantic Records! There's some really wonderful work on the record that easily matches, if not ... CD (Vocalists)
Arthur Alexander
Arthur Alexander (with bonus tracks)Warner/Omnivore, 1972.
CD...$15.99
16.98
A great little comeback album for southern soul godfather Arthur Alexander! It was recorded during a period when Warner Brothers was really committed to cutting heavy soul albums, with singers like Lorraine Ellison and Paul Kelly, and Alexander sounds great in this setting. The record's got some ... CD (Soul)
James L'Estraunge Orchestra
Closer/BBE (UK), 2017. (pic cover)
"Closer" is a fantastic groove – wickedly jazzy, and filled with lots of Fender Rhodes and strings – soaring to the skies on a slightly broken rhythm that almost recalls the best London work of a decade before! Yet there's also a stronger soul vibe here too – thanks to ... 12-inch, Vinyl record (New Grooves)
Numero, Late 70s.
CD...$13.99
18.98
That's Seafaring Strangers, not to be confused with the rootsy vibe of the Wayfaring Strangers on a similarly-named Numero Group series – as these guys are playing tightly-crafted sounds that soar to the mainstream – with a vibe that's obviously classy enough to get them admission to ... CD (Rock)
Lean Left (Ken Vandermark/
I Forgot To Breathe
Trost (Austria), 2017.
It's easy to forget to breathe with music this intense – a full-on frenzy from a quartet that features Paal Nilssen-Love on drums, Ken Vandermark on saxes, and both Terrie Ex and Andy Moore on guitars! The guitars are spaced out – one in each channel – which only makes the sonic ... CD (Jazz)
Sandro Brugnolini & Modern Jazz Gang
Gli Arcangeli (180 gram colored vinyl pressing)Dagored (Italy), 1962. (reissue)
An incredible jazz soundtrack from early 60s Italy – performed by saxophonist Sandro Brugnolini and his Modern Jazz Gang! The work's on a par with any of the great French jazz soundtracks of the late 50s – with a rich, evocative style of composition that takes the music far past its ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Rockfire Funk Express
People Save The World/Third Man, 1973. (pic cover)
Early work from the Hackney brothers of Detroit – the trio who went on to protopunk fame in the groundbreaking group Death – but who here sound a lot more soul-based overall! "People Save The World" has riffing guitar over quick-stepping bass that seems to be years ahead of ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's)
Voices Of East Harlem
Voices Of East HarlemJust Sunshine/Soul Brother (UK), 1973. (reissue)
A masterpiece of sweet group soul! This was the first secular record cut by The Voices Of East Harlem – a group who'd had an earlier gospel-tinged album on Elektra, but who are soaring out here in a brilliant mix of righteous mainstream soul styles – courtesy of the Curtom power team ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Guts
Stop The ViolenceHeavenly Sweetness (Netherlands), 2017. 2LP
Maybe the best work so far from one of the hippest beatmaking collectives on the European scene – on a record that definitely has some of the righteous power you'd guess from the title! As before, the approach is rooted in hip hop, but also has a lot more going on too – lots of musical ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves)
Nomade Orchestra
EntreMundosFar Out (Brazil), 2017.
A second great set from Nomade Orchestra – a Brazilian group who bring a trans-global approach to jazz-based instrumentation – with a resulting sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of! These guys aren't in the usual Brazilian groove, and they're also not like some of the Afro ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Enrico Pieranunzi/
Yesterdays – Mads Vinding Trio Live In Copenhagen 1997
Stunt (Denmark), 1997.
CD...$15.99
19.99
Bassist Mads Vinding really seems to bring out something special in the musicians he works with – and here, his sense of balance and tone is a beautiful accompaniment to the piano of Enrico Pieranunzi – who seems both to have that fantastic flow of his other records, but maybe a bit ... CD (Jazz)
Leon Ware
Leon Ware (1982)Elektra/Be With (UK), 1982. (reissue)
LP...$26.99
29.99
Seminal modern soul from the great Leon Ware – an artist who had a great influence on the sound of mellow Motown in the 70s, but who's sounding even better here in an early 80s California groove! Leon's smooth, sophisticated, and very much his own man on the set – unabashedly upfront ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Cyrus Chestnut
There's A Sweet Sweet SpiritHigh Note, 2017.
CD...$15.99
16.99
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut has a great guest here – the wonderful Steve Nelson, whose vibes really make a few of the album's tracks sparkle! These tunes include great remakes of the Bobby Hutcherson tunes "Little B's Poem" and "The Littlest One Of All" – which are both ... CD (Jazz)
Gary Burton
ThrobAtlantic (Japan), 1969.
A very groovy record from vibes legend Gary Burton – a set that was done for Atlantic Records right after Gary's big rise to genius on RCA – but with a feel that's even wilder than those wonderful records! There's a bit of the Vortex Records approach going on here – some slight ... CD (Jazz)
Disney, 1970s. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$24.99
29.99
Did you think that Star Lord launched into space with only one special mixtape from his mom? Think again – as this second volume serves up an equally great array of pop tracks from the past – a mad musical mixup that made the second Guardians Of The Galaxy film every bit as enjoyable ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Armando Trovajoli
La Famiglia Benvenuti (180 gram pressing)Four Flies (Italy), 1969. (reissue)
A welcome portrait of the late 60s mod jazz and funk inspired side of soundtrack maestro Armando Trovajoli! Not to be confused with other more sentimental "Famiglia" soundtracks by the legendary composer – which would be easy to do at just a glance of the cover – 1969's La ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Soul Jazz (UK), 1960s/1970s/1980s.
A deep look at the electronic music underground in the 60s, 70s, and 80s – not the academic theoreticians who were slaving away in university laboratories, but the more independent, freewheeling talents who were using the initial analogue moment to open up their own boundaries in time and ... CD (Out Sound)
Russell Malone
Time For The DancersHigh Note, 2017.
CD...$15.99
16.99
Jazz guitar isn't normally a mode you'd expect to be linked with dancers – but this great album from Russell Malone has a very rhythmic core that makes things pretty darn groovy overall! Drummer Willie Jones III is part of the group – and we always love his work – and bassist ... CD (Jazz)
Pat Thomas
Elephant Clock Of Al JazariOTOroku (UK), 2017.
Haunting solo piano work from Pat Thomas – an artist who doesn't seem to just play the keys, but the overall instrument as well – yet all without ever resorting to any sort of sonic tricks or gimmicks! Pat's got this amazing command of the keyboard – able to make the whole ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Eddie Lockjaw Davis
Nice Jazz 1978Black & Blue (France), 1978.
CD...$12.99
16.99
Eddie Lockjaw Davis is a hell of a player on his own – but he's maybe even more amazing when he works alongside other horn soloists – who always seem to inspire Davis to bring out the boldest, mouthiest side of his horn! That tenor is alive and well, and wonderfully set up here – ... CD (Jazz)
Wild Honey
UntamedTK/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1979.
An obscure disco trio from the Miami soul scene of the 70s – working here in a way that's maybe like a deep soul take on some of the Philly female trios of the same time! The strings are soaring and the grooves are tight – but there's maybe a richer vocal approach from the group than ... CD (Soul)
Grand Slam with Gary Mudbone Cooper
Funk Cruisin' – The Neverending Voyage (includes bonus DVD)TNT Productions (Germany), 2017. 2LP Gatefold
A contemporary group from overseas, but one who've drank heavily from the George Clinton P-Funk brew of the 70s – and found a great way to bring the sound forward for the 21st Century! The work here is very much in the best late P-Funk mode – bassy, but never too uptight – played ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk)
Alice Clark
Alice ClarkMainstream/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1972.
There weren't many vocal albums on the Mainstream label during the early 70s, and this rare soul side is a real overlooked gem! Alice Clark has a rich soulful voice, with a style that sounds a bit like Esther Marrow, mixed with some of the lead vocalists in Voices Of East Harlem – a really ... CD (Soul)
Voices Of East Harlem
Can You Feel ItJust Sunshine/Soul Brother (UK), 1974. (reissue)
Amazing work from The Voices Of East Harlem – a group with roots in gospel, but working here in a wonderfully soaring secular soul style – complete with arrangements and production from the legendary Leroy Hutson! The style here is similar to some of Leroy's best work, and that of his ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Danser's Inferno (John Danser)
Creation OneLirs/Everland (Austria), 1973. (reissue)
That's "Danser", not "dancer" – as in John Danser, who's also best known for a groovy jazz album under his own name! This sweet little set from the early 70s may well be John's best album ever – a wonderful blend of funky grooves and these wonderful raspy vocals ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Gregory Howe
Gregory HoweWide Hive, 2017.
CD...$9.99
14.99
A very different set from Gregory Howe – an artist who you might know from jazz recordings as part of the Wide Hive Players, and on other projects for that label as well – stepping out here as a surprisingly compelling singer/songwriter in a whole new mode! Gregory supplied the lyrics ... CD (Rock)
Joe McPhee & Bryan Eubanks
My Undocumented Alien ClarinetPenultimate Press (UK), 2017.
They certainly got the "alien" in the title right – as the album's one of the weirdest, spaciest sets we've ever heard from reedman Joe McPhee – and one that also has him playing a fair bit of clarinet too! The album just features one long track – a live performance ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Emanuela Campana
FortissimoIrma (Italy), 2017.
A sweetly sultry singer – and one whose style will grab you nicely, even if you don't understand Italian! The style here is laidback and jazzy – with a warm glow that comes from some very well-crafted arrangements – sometimes with a bit of bossa in the rhythms, sometimes kind of ... CD (Vocalists)
Nina Miranda
Freedom Of MovementSix Degrees, 2017.
CD...$11.99
12.98
You might remember Nina Miranda for her great work with Da Lata years ago – but since that time, she's only evolved even more as an artist – to a point where she's really finding her voice here in a freshly creative way! The record's got a very compelling mix of acoustic and electric ... CD (Brazil)
Infinito 2017
Mind Of Advanced ResistanceLowtech/Joe Left Hand (Austria), 2017.
Infinito 2017/Marcellous Lovelace has been one of independent Chicago hip hop's strongest, most consistent voices for quite a while, and he's as sharply on point here as he's been in years! Raw wisdom on the mic has always been a strong suit for Infinito, and he's as solid as ever here – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
Enigma/Real Gone, 1983.
CD...$16.99
18.98
A pair of albums from Rain Parade – back to back on a single set, with new notes and mastering! First up is Emergency Rail Power Trip – an undisputed treasure from the early 80s west coast scene – a trippy little record that was one of the shining jewels in the new psych ... CD (Rock)
Simon Law
Look To The SkyDome (UK), 2017.
An overdue full-length set from Simon Law – one of the founding members of Soul II Soul, and a British soul producer as well – working here in a mode that delivers strongly on both sides of his experience! The album's a very collaborative effort – and features appearances from ... CD (Neo Soul)
I Marc 4
Debito Coniugale (180 gram pressing)Four Flies (Italy), 1970. (reissue)
An ultra groovy soundtrack and one the rarest records ever by the hip Italian group! Like many of I Marc 4's other legendary efforts, it was originally issued as a sound library release – but this one was actually composed as a crazy 1970 film soundtrack. It's got some wild use of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Van Morrison
Astral Weeks (180 gram pressing – clear vinyl)Warner/Rhino, 1967. (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.98
Van's debut album for Warner Brothers and a pretty radical departure from anything he'd done before – breaking all kinds of new ground for his own most creative work and helping pave the way for all kinds of hauntingly poetic rock, folk rock, and singer-songwriter records to come! It doesn't ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Jestofunk
Love In A Black DimensionIrma (Italy), 1995. 2LP Gatefold
A classic bit of funk from the Italian scene of the 90s – and a record that first gave the world a taste of all the great sounds to come! At the time of this release, Italy was mostly known for its club and house tracks – yet some of the hipper musicians on the scene had also been ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves)
Ace (UK), Mid 60s.
LP...$22.99
26.99
A set that's every bit as wonderful as you'd guess from its title and cover – a killer package of all-girl rockers, and one that's filled with rare gems from the 60s! The material here is definitely a lot harder-hitting than more familiar girl group sounds of the 60s – as the tunes are ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Saturn/Cosmic Myth, 1965.
CD...$12.99
13.99
One of the most important Sun Ra albums from the early years of Saturn Records – a set that got a bit more circulation than some of his other records, and which shows the group really expanding their sonic range in a wonderful way! The title track takes up all of side one – and is this ... CD (Jazz)
Omar
Love In BeatsFreestyle (UK), 2017.
Omar's been blowing our minds for years now – turning out some of the freshest soul music on the global scene – from his tremendous debut at the start of the 90s, to a range of crucially-overlooked albums that should have made the singer huge! The man's a hell of a singer, and a really ... CD (Neo Soul)
Sam Frazier Jr
Take Me Back (with download)Fat Possum/Big Legal Mess, Late 60s/Early 70s.
LP...$12.99
17.98
Rare and unreleased late 60s/early 70s Birmingham, Alabama soul by the great Sam Frazier Jr! Sam came to be better known as a bluesman over the years, but perfectly nails it here in a southern soul mode, recorded at Neal Hemphill's Sound Of Birmingham studio early in the 70s. It's up there with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
(U)nity
(U)nity Is PowerRopeadope, 2017.
CD...$8.99
13.99
Unity through diversity from (U)nity! At the core, players Michael Valeanu, Axel Tosca, Chris Smith, Max Cudworth and Amaury Acosta bring a strong backdrop of Afro-Cuban inspired percussion, exciting early fusion-flavored electric guitar, sax and spacey keys, and with a huge group of contributors ... CD (Jazz)
Now Again/Stones Throw, 1973. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$21.99
23.98
Rare funk from the Indy scene of the early 70s – the long-overdue release of material recorded by a really hard-jamming, horn-heavy combo! Amnesty have a sound that's awash in the best large group influences of the time – a bit of Earth Wind & Fire, a bit of Parliament/Funkadelic, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Brenton Wood
Baby You Got ItDouble Shot/Craft, 1967. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
21.99
Wonderful wonderful soul from Brenton Wood – one of the most unique singers of his day, and a talent whose voice worked well on so many types of numbers! This album's Brenton's second – a great follow-up to the first, and one that shows him pushing the envelope a lot in terms of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Gary McFarland
Soft SambaVerve (Japan), 1964.
A dream of a record from Gary McFarland – lightly jazzy instrumentals with a warm bossa nova undercurrent! The style is incredible – a sweet blend of vibes, guitar, and even some light whistling – often also featuring wordless jazz vocals – scatting along with the groove in ... CD (Jazz)
Milestone/Concord, 1971. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.99
An essential record from Gary Bartz – one of two albums he cut with Andy Bey, and the killer group he was calling his NTU Troup! Andy's vocals are incredible – light years ahead of anything he did with his sisters, and similar to those he laid down on his own solo album for Atlantic, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Brenton Wood
Oogum BoogumDouble Shot/Craft, 1967. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
21.99
A classic by Brenton Wood – one that crossed over big, and which was a real bright spot on the indie soul scene of the late 60s! Brenton's sound is kind of a swinging LA one – a bit pop in parts, but all-soul on the vocals, which are a bit sweet, but with a raspy edge that's always ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
People's Choice
Any Way You Wanna – The People's Choice Anthology 1971 to 1981Big Break (UK), 1970s/Early 80s. 2CD
Funky Philly soul at its finest! This is the first-ever People's Choice compilation we've seen – all the more impressive for pulling together essential recordings made for the Philadelphia International, Casablanca, TSOP, West End and Phil-LA Of Soul labels – recordings that cover an ... CD (Soul)
Heliocentrics
World Of MasksSoundway (UK), 2017.
A record that seems to show a whole new side of the Heliocentrics – music that's every bit as trippy and funky as before, but which also seems open to a lot more musical currents as well – possibly because the record marks the group's debut on the Soundway label! This time around, they' ... CD (Deep Funk)
Andrzej Korzynski
Akademia Pana KleksaGAD (Poland), 1983. (reissue)
A weird and wonderful lost soundtrack from Polish composer Andrzej Korzynski – done for a movie that was essentially a children's story, but with a great array of unusual sounds and very cool 80s keyboards! The music is very much in par with some of Korzynski's other classics – and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks)
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Arrives (180 gram pressing – mono)Atlantic/Rhino, 1967. (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.98
Aretha Arrives in great style – and a mixture between her earlier vocal jazz years at Columbia, and her later southern soul sides of the 60s! Arif Mardin is already arranging Aretha's work at this point, and the backing group includes southern soul studio giants like Spooner Oldham, Tommy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Sonny Rollins
Saxophone Colossus (180 gram pressing)Prestige, 1956. (reissue)
LP...$24.99
25.99
Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Cody Chestnutt
My Love Divine DegreeHand Written, 2017.
Divine sounds from the mighty Cody Chestnutt – a singer who's come a long way from both his Headphone Masterpiece album, and the long drought that followed that classic set! Cody's very firmly back in the driver's seat – and he's working strongly to remind folks that fuzzy, abstract ... CD (Neo Soul)
Cherry Red (UK), 1970s/Early 80s. 4CD
An incredible collection of electronic sounds that went on to inform generations of rock, pop, and dance music in years to come – but all featured here with much more interesting examples from the European roots of the genre! There's a wonderful criss-crossing of sources going on here – ... CD (Rock)
Polish Jazz Quartet
Polish Jazz Quartet Meets Studio M-2GAD (Poland), Mid 60s.
A lost chapter in 60s modern European jazz – recordings made by a very hip quartet, working amidst a larger setting created by Polish Radio! The core group features two key names – pianist Wojciech Karolak and saxophonist Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski – both of whom recorded some ... CD (Jazz)
Baden Powell
Tristeza On GuitarMPS (Germany), 1966.
Sadness on guitar – a perfect title for Baden Powell's work on his chosen instrument, especially the way he could bring a simple but emotive style to his music! Powell's work on guitar here is often quite spare, but beautifully handled – set up with rhythms by a small combo that ... CD (Brazil)
Marina (Germany), 2017.
A jazz record, but one with a pedigree in pop – given that the songs here are all instrumentals based on tunes penned by the excellent (and overlooked!) Pearlfishers group! The Pearlfishers original songs are completely sublime – almost a Brian Wilson mode for our generation, but much ... CD (Jazz)
Detour (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s.
A fantastic collection of funky mod and psych tracks from the great Rob Bailey – the man who's steered us through a handful of other wonderful compilations over the years, and won our undying respect in the process! Rob's choices are quite far from the obvious – and are made up from a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations)
Mateusz Swiecicki
Halo Wenus (with bonus tracks)GAD (Poland), 1974.
Dig space age sounds? Then you're going to find plenty to love here – in a record that's filled with sweet keyboard instrumentals, odd electronics, and lots of lovely little melodies – all brought together in a record that easily transports the listener to the planet Venus! The ... CD (Sound Library)
Idrees Sulieman featuring Oscar Dennard
Four American Jazzmen In TangierSunnyside/Groovin High, 1959. 2CD
CD...$18.99
19.98
A much-needed document of a very hip quartet – one that was led by trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, after his initial famous recordings for Prestige – and which also featured pianist Oscar Dennard, an under-recorded genius who left this world at a very early age! The 2CD package presents the ... CD (Jazz)
Born Bad (France), Late 60s.
A whole host of cool Latin tracks from the French West Indies scene of the late 60s – not music that flowed to Guadeloupe or Martinique from Cuba or Puerto Rico – but fresh new sounds that were directly inspired by the boogaloo generation on the New York scene! The tracks here aren't ... CD (Global Grooves)
Larry Ochs Sax & Drumming Core
Wild Red YellowRogue Art (France), 2017.
CD...$14.99
16.99
Mighty wild sounds from reedman Larry Ochs – who plays some of his boldest sounds in years on both tenor and sopranino saxophones – really driven onwards by the burning energy of the group! The combo features this fierce mix of percussion and electronics, plus trumpet from Natsuki ... CD (Jazz)
Ruben Blades
Metiendo ManoFania, 1977.
Willie Colon declares Ruben Blades as the champ on the cover of this early solo set – and for good reason too, as the album's one of Blades' best! There's a clear, clean simplicity to the record that's totally wonderful – a purity of vision before some of Ruben's later crossover ... CD (Latin)
Tim Buckley
Goodbye & Hello (180 gram pressing – mono)Elektra/Mono, 1967. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.98
Easily one of our favorite albums by Tim Buckley – and a record that really opens up with some key jazzy touches! Buckley's still got his roots in folk here, and his vocals are yet to hit the extremes of Starsailor or Lorca – but there's also a new sense of inflection to the way he ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Reprise/Rhino, 1967. (reissue)
LP...$19.99
21.98
An early moment of genius from The Electric Prunes – and exactly the kind of record that shows why they were a cut above their contemporaries, and why Warner really backed them strongly right from the start! There's a depth here that rivals some of the group's Sunset Strip contemporaries ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
John Corbett
Vinyl Freak – Love Letters To A Dying MediumDuke University Press, 2017.
Book...$18.99
24.95
An incredible look at the format of vinyl – put together by a guy who's got one of the hippest record collections we've ever seen! John Corbett's been writing about music, art, and other formats for decades – but his real labor of love is vinyl records – a format he continued to ... Book (Books)
Malamanya
MalamanyaSecret Stash, 2017.
A set recorded in Minneapolis, but done with a very classic Latin vibe – thanks to a no-nonsense recording style, and a tight combo that features lots of work on tres! The guitar-like instrument is used here to capture a vintage Afro Cuban vibe – a bit like some of the best recordings ... CD (Latin)
Group Home
Livin' ProofPayday/Get On Down, 1995. 2LP (reissue)
LP...$22.99
25.98
Classic debut of Group Home from the height of the Gang Starr foundation, when Primo just couldn't miss on the production front – always a rock solid backdrop from on point rhymes, which is just what you get from Lil' Dap & Melachi The Nutcracker. Strong work that stands up strongly these ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
Pedro Laza Y Sus Pelayeros Rito Esclavo
Rito Esclavo (180 gram pressing)Discos Fuentes/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1961. (reissue)
If a cover was enough, we'd already love this record – but fortunately the music's even better than the image on the front – which makes the whole thing a stone cold winner! The album's a great early example of the fresh, raw sound that was coming out of Colombia at the start of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin)
Ralph/Crammed (Belgium), 1979. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
19.99
One of our favorite records ever from Tuxedomoon – a set that has them nicely honing their rawer roots into a focused sound that was perfect for the European scene they were set to conquer! The set is the group's last recording before departing their San Francisco roots – a strange ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Beach Boys
Wild Honey (stereo – 180 gram pressing)Capitol, 1967. (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.99
A back-to-basics album of sorts – shorter, catchier songs recorded by the group after the collapse of Smile – but a record that still has some really wonderful moments overall – and which shows that The Beach Boys would never be the same after Pet Sounds! There's a mix of older ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Mike City
Feel Good Agenda Vol 1BBE (UK), 2017.
CD...$13.99
14.99
They definitely got the title right on this one – as the music is so upbeat and positive, it's certainly got a feel good agenda! Mike City does a wonderful job of mixing clubby rhythms with deeper soul currents – getting help from an amazing array of guests talents along the way – ... CD (Neo Soul)
Monday Michiru
RoutesArtist Share, 2006.
Another top-shelf session from Monday Michiru – one of the few current artists who's been able to hold our attention for so many years, thanks to an ever-deepening quality in her work! Back at the end of the 90s, we were first amazed when Monday moved simpler dance-based work into more ... LP, Vinyl record album (Neo Soul)
Dwight Sykes
On The RocksPeoples Potential, Early 80s.
Early 80s underground soul from Dwight Sykes and his Jahari Band – a combo that played in and around the Kalamazoo scene, but never broke big at all on a national level! There's a surprisingly tight quality to the cuts here – as Dwight works with a female vocal trio on some numbers, ... CD (Soul)
Sire/Rhino, 1977. (reissue)
The Ramones really caught their classic recorded sound for the first time on Leave Home – the second of their three perfect late 70s milestones. As amazing as the debut is, its two-channel shrieking buzz saw sound bowed nicely to the slightly more digestible but just as cathartic roar of the ... CD (Rock)
Boogie Down Productions
Ghetto Music: The Blueprint Of Hip HopJive/Get On Down, 1989. (reissue)
LP...$19.99
22.98
Classic Boogie Down Productions circa '89 – with prime street poetry from KRS, perfectly raw beats and overall peak end of the 80s production! Blueprint is an apt title for a couple reasons – the beats aren't what we'd call spare, but they're raw and unvarnished – a perfect ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop)
Esoteric (UK), 1969.
A jazz rock masterpiece from Colosseum – the kind of record that the British scene could do far far better than any American group at the time! The set is a sweet blend of late beat group grooving – using the heavy R&B-influenced guitar and organ styles of earlier years, and ... CD (Rock)
Dwight Trible with Matthew Halsall
InspirationsGondwana (UK), 2017.
A fantastic setting for the voice of Dwight Trible – one of the few contemporary jazz singers who inherited the style of spiritual jazz greats like Leon Thomas or Joe Lee Wilson! Trible's singing here with backing from a group that includes trumpeter Matthew Halsall, recording on Halsall's ... CD (Vocalists)
Kasai All Stars
Around Felicite (with bonus CD)Crammed (Belgium), 2017. 2CD
Wonderful work from the Kasai All-Stars – a group we first discovered in the Congotronics series with Konono No 1 – and who still have the same wonderful blend of raw rhythms, fuzzy distortion, and very powerful vocals! Their music has this powerfully organic vibe – with acoustic ... CD (Global Grooves)
Ralph MacDonald
Calypso Breakdown – Sound Of The TK YearsTK/Ultra Vybe (Japan), Late 70s.
Killer tracks from legendary percussionist Ralph MacDonald – an artist who played on countless jazz, soul, and funk sessions of the 70s – but really came into his own with a handful of late 70s recordings for the TK Records label! The best of those tracks are wonderfully compiled here ... CD (Soul)
Helmut Brandt
Spree Coast JazzSonorama (Germany), 1963.
CD...$18.99
20.98
The baritone sax of German musician Helmut Brandt is at the helm– but the album's equally noteworthy for its strong use of American players Benny Bailey on trumpet, Nat Peck on trombone, and Herb Geller on alto! The concert is one of those wonderful meetings of American and European jazz ... CD (Jazz)
Rudy Ray Moore
Cockpit – The Third Rudy Ray Moore AlbumKent/Dolemite, Early 70s.
Rudy Ray Moore flies the friendly skies – and turns out one of his best records of the 70s! The set is easily one of the tightest albums from Rudy's classic years – and uses a fair bit of musical backings beneath his very raunchy comedy – in ways that are sometimes funky, but ... CD (Soul)
Meridian Trio (Nick Mazzarella/
Triangulum
Clean Feed (Portugal), 2017.
Triangulum – a great title for the wonderful energy of this group – which swings perfectly between the three sharp points of Nick Mazzarella on alto, Matt Ulery on bass, and Jeremy Cunningham on drums! These guys are freewheeling, but always soulful – not just because of Nick's ... CD (Jazz)
Ronald Bruner Jr
TriumphWorld Galaxy/Alpha Pup, 2017. 2LP
LP...$24.99
25.98
A very well-titled album – given that the whole thing's a real triumph from Ronald Bruner Jr – who serves up some wonderful vocals alongside his work on drums – in a set that's got a swirlingly cosmic approach to soul! The album's overflowing with hip talents from the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Neo Soul)
Clark Terry & Bob Brookmeyer
TonightMainstream/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1964.
A killer combination of talents – and one that made a few excellent records in the 60s! Bob Brookmeyer's got a cool, compressed tone – that great approach he developed on valve trombone in the 50s – and it brings a new level of sophistication to the trumpet of Clark Terry here ... CD (Jazz)
Max Cilla
La Flute Des Mornes Vol 1Bongo Joe (UK), 1981. (reissue)
Traditional sounds from Martinique – but played in a very jazzy way by fluteman Max Cilla – whose instrument glides and soars over a range of lively percussion! The group features a bit of piano and bass, but the various drums really lead the sound – as does Cilla's flute, which ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Rob Mazurek
RomeClean Feed (Portugal), 2017.
An incredible solo record from Rob Mazurek – a wonderful change from some of his larger group and collaborative projects – even though we love those a heck of a lot too! This set's a great reminder of the core improvisational genius that Rob's always had, but which sometimes is ... CD (Jazz)
Lynn Castle
Rose Colored CornerLight In The Attic, 1966.
CD...$13.99
15.98
Never-heard sounds from Lynn Castle – a singer who was maybe more famous in 60s LA for her work as a hair stylist – even though she spent her free time turning out really beautiful songs like these! Castle only ever issued one 45 on Lee Hazlewood's label – but the work here is ... CD (Rock)
Jovino Santos Neto & Andre Mehmari
Guris – A Tribute To Hermeto PascoalAdventure Music, 2017.
CD...$12.99
15.98
A gorgeous tribute to the music of Hermeto Pascoal – performed here by the twin pianists Jovino Santos Neto and Andre Mehmari, with some additional guest help from Hermeto himself! The album's way more than just a set of piano work, though – as the music really lives up to the larger ... CD (Brazil)
Eero Koivistoinen
Labyrinth (2LPs & 7 inch – with bonus tracks)Love/Svart (Finland), 1977. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
No sonic labyrinth here – just a great set of hard-blown grooves from saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen! The session's a well-focused effort that has Eero working in quartet formation with acoustic piano, bass, and drums – blowing beautiful tones and colors with a slightly angular approach ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz)
Beach Boys
Beach Boys 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow (Wild Honey stereo/Capitol, 1967. 2CD
CD...$19.99
21.99
An amazing treasure for fans of the Beach Boys during their highest moment of genius – a huge batch of unreleased tracks from their important year of 1967 – plus the rare stereo mix of Wild Honey! We love the Wild Honey album – a back-to-basics album of sorts – shorter, ... CD (Rock)
Binker & Moses (Binker Golding/
Journey To The Mountain Of Forever
Gearbox (UK), 2017. 2CD
CD...$13.99
14.99
That's quite a cover for a record by Binker & Moses – especially as the duo's always quite down-to-earth, and not nearly the kind of proggish act you might expect from the album's image! Yet they've also expanded a bit this time around – not into a full-jamming group, as they ... CD (Jazz)
Television Personalities
Mummy You're Not Watching MeFire (UK), 1982. (reissue)
LP...$23.99
24.99
The second fantastic set from this seminal group from the early 80s UK scene – a combo who might have been punk at the core, but also worked with a smattering of mod influences – ala The Jam – but also weren't afraid to get a bit psychedelic at times too – in ways that make ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Sdban (Belgium), 1970s. 2CD
Funk from Belgium? Believe it or not, stranger things have happened – and we can promise that if you played these tracks back to back with more familiar grooves from other 70s sources, you'd quickly find that these Belgian grooves are right up there with the best of the bunch! The set's ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Damily
Very AombyBongo Joe (UK), 2017. (reissue)
A record of very fast rhythms from Madagascar – so much so, we had to check the speed on our turntable when first putting it on! The core of the sound comes from the wicked guitar work of Damily, plus vocals, bass, and percussion – all wrapped tightly together, then sent soaring on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves)
Marcos Valle
Vontade De Rever Voce (180 gram vinyl)Som Livre/Vinilisssimo (Spain), 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)
Kokotob
Flying HeartClean Feed (Portugal), 2017.
A really unusual combination of instruments – or, that is, a familiar combination – but used here in really unusual ways! The group features Taiko Saito on vibes and marimba, Niko Meinhold on piano, and Tobias Schirmer on clarinet and bass clarinet – and all instruments are often ... CD (Jazz)
Lloyd McNeill
Washington SuiteAsha/Soul Jazz (UK), 1970.
One of the most beautiful albums ever recorded by DC flutist Lloyd McNeil – and one of the grooviest, too! Lloyd's work is always amazing – stretched-out, spiritual, and filled with life – but this time around, there's a definite groove to the record that's undeniable – an ... CD (Jazz)
Basta (Netherlands), 1960s. 3LP
LP...$42.99
44.98
An amazing lost trove of work by electronic music Raymond Scott – sounds that were never issued commercially, and which may well represent the last corner of his genius yet to be explored! The music here was all created in Scott's home studio on Long Island – and is a fantastic blend ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library)
Various
C88 (3CD set)Cherry Red (UK), 1988. 3CD
The third great volume in this wonderful series that looks at the huge explosion of British indie rock in the mid 80s – and a collection that maybe compiles tracks from the last great year of the scene! Not that British music stopped dead in its tracks – but the following year saw ... CD (Rock)
Elektra/Rhino, 1966. (reissue)
LP...$19.99
21.98
Love's first album – a seminal bit of Sunset Strip rock, and every bit as powerful today as it was in the 60s! The style's a bit sharper-edged than the group's classic and more familiar Forever Changes set, but it's still pretty darn great – a completely fresh batch of guitar-heavy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Jorge Ben
Solta O PavaoPhilips/Universal (Brazil), 1975.
An overlooked treasure from the great Jorge Ben – an album recorded between the fame of his "Taj Mahal" hit and Africa Brasil classic – and a set that's every bit as wonderful as those two records! There's a tight, choppy groove to most of the set – that mix of samba, ... CD (Brazil)
Tomorrow's Gift
Goodbye FutureInterchord/Long Hair (Germany), 1972. Gatefold (reissue)
One of those amazing groups from the early 70s German scene – the kind of outfit who were doomed to failure right from the start, but didn't ever let that stop them from making some incredible music! The sounds here came about as a result of the dwindling Tomorrow's Gift lineup woodshedding ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Association
Insight Out (colored vinyl pressing – mono)Warner/Rhino, 1967. (reissue)
LP...$19.99
21.98
Fantastic dreamy pop! Despite the fact that this one yielded the super-huge hits "Windy" and "Never My Love", the album's also filled with great 60s pop tunes that you've probably never heard before – all as fantastically well-crafted and delicately strung-out as the big ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock)
Albert King
Born Under A Bad Sign (180 gram pressing)Stax, 1967. (reissue)
LP...$19.99
21.99
One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Blues)
Ray Barretto
AcidFania, Late 60s.
A monster! If you buy one Latin record this year – make it this one – because it's one of the greatest ever recorded! Ray's late 60s Acid album is a landmark recording – a sublime mixture of Latin jazz, percussion, and soul – grooving hard in a variety of styles, and ... CD (Latin)
Hidden Orchestra
Dawn Chorus (with bonus download)Tru Thoughts (UK), 2017. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$18.99
21.99
A record with a sound to match its evocative title – maybe the most heady work to date from Hidden Orchestra – and that's saying a lot, given the depth of their other releases! These guys definitely take the "orchestra" in their name seriously – and while the lineup is ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves)
Split Decision Band
Split Decision Band (numbered, limited edition – with download)Now Again, Early 80s. Gatefold
LP...$49.99
55.98
An overlooked treasure from Split Decision Band – a group whose one single issued back in the day has gone onto become a sought-after classic with funk and soul collectors! And yet besides that one famous single, these guys actually have a lot more to offer – an incredibly well-develope ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul)
Various
Welcome To Zamrock 2 – How Zambia's Liberation Led To A Rock Revolution 1972 to 1977 (CD & book)Now Again, Mid 70s.
Fantastic sounds for fans of funk and rock alike – music from the freaky, fuzzy 70s scene in Zambia – a place where styles effortlessly criss-crossed to really produce something new and unique! The work here is often heavy on fuzz guitars, but also has some wickedly soulful basslines ... CD (Global Grooves)
How Do You Are (Germany), Late 70s.
Mellow fusion, jazzy soul, and lots of warm 70s pop currents – all coming together in a great third installment of this wonderful series! The collection goes way past the familiar "yachtpop" material you might expect from the title – less top 40 AOR than the kind of more ... CD (Funky Compilations)
Thelonious Monk
Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960Sam Records/Saga, 1959. 2CD
CD...$22.99
24.99
A rare and unused soundtrack recording by Thelonious Monk – and a set of music that would be a standout in his catalog, even if it wasn't planned for a film! You probably know the Art Blakey soundtrack for the movie – which was the used and released version – and you might even ... CD (Jazz)
Various
Zaire 74 – The African ArtistsWrasse, 1974. 2CD
CD...$17.99
19.99
Amazing music from an amazing moment – the legendary Zaire 74 concerts that took place before the Rumble In The Jungle fight between Muhammad Ali and George Frazier! The moment was one of great pride and power – and although the concert performances have become the stuff of legend over ... CD (Global Grooves)
Analog Africa (Germany), Late 70s/Early 80s.
You might know "Soul Makossa" – the worldwide hit by Manu Dibango that was covered by many folks, and sampled heavily in later years too – but this set takes a look at the deeper scene behind that famous groove, through a host of wickedly funky tracks from the late 70s scene ... CD (Global Grooves)
Susana Estrada
Sexadelic Disco Funk Sound Of Susana EstradaSauce/Espacial (Spain), Early 80s.
Sweet sexy sounds from Spanish singer Susana Estrada – a performer known for her famous erotic work of the 70s, stepping out here in a set of clubby tracks for the disco generation! The early 80s date of these tracks mark Susana as maybe being a bit later than some of the porn stars turned ... CD (Soul)
Guido & Maurizio DeAngelis
Continuavano A Chiamarlo TrinitaDigitmovies (Italy), 1971.
A beautifully sensitive soundtrack for this early film from the team of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill – very different than most of the other western music of the time – which is a fitting accompaniment to the unique actions of the pair onscreen! There's a fair bit of acoustic guitar in ... CD (Soundtracks)
If you're ever in Chicago, be sure to visit our Chicago record store!
1120 N Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60622
Open 10am–8pm daily.
All the great stuff appears here at our online record store first — but if you shop locally, you'll also get a chance to handle the goods before you buy!
1120 N Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60622
Open 10am–8pm daily.
All the great stuff appears here at our online record store first — but if you shop locally, you'll also get a chance to handle the goods before you buy!
We buy new and used LPs, 45s, vinyl records, and CDs
in the store from 11am–6pm daily. Feel free to stop by with used vinyl and sell or trade with us.We pay top prices for older jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, and other genres in good shape!
See why Dusty Groove is consistently rated one of Chicago's Best Record Stores!
We happily accept debit and credit cards!