Black Friday titles
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Black Unity Trio
Al-FatihahSalaam Records/Gotta Groove, 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
Amazing spiritual jazz treasure – the only album ever issued by this obscure avant trio from the Cleveland scene – a group that includes a young Abdul Wadud on bass and cello! The style is nicely loose and open, but also very different than the sound of the AACM at the time – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Discos Machuca/Analog Africa (Germany), Late 70s.
The amazing legacy of a tiny Colombian record label – a small imprint, but a groundbreaking one as well – with a rich variety of sounds that you'll hear on this really wonderful collection! Discos Machuca was based in Barranquilla, a real crossroads of cultures, sounds, and styles ... CD (Latin CD)
Jahari Massamba Unit (Madlib & Karriem Riggins)
Pardon My French (2020 Black Friday Release)Madlib Invazion, 2020.
A tremendous collaboration between Madlib and drummer Karriem Riggins – both artists who are great enough on their own, but who really hit some new territory in this funky instrumental project! Riggins plays live drums, and Madlib throws in all this other instrumentation that really changes ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra
Dimensional StardustInternational Anthem/Nonesuch, 2020.
One of the most ambitious albums ever from Rob Mazurek – and a set that really continues the legacy of community building and world healing that's become such an important part of his music! Rob's a player who was great at the start – a hell of a trumpeter, and a great experimentalist ... CD (Jazz CD)
Horace Tapscott
Songs Of The UnsungInterplay/Survival Research (Australia), 1978. (reissue)
Solo piano work from the magical Horace Tapscott – a blend of original compositions, plus work by hip composers like Cal Massey and Elmo Hope – key modern jazz talents with whom Tapscott genuinely shares a lineage! Tapscott's got the usual fluid touch on the keys – opening forth ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Kraftwerk
Soest LiveInnerspace (UK), 1970.
Rare early work from Kraftwerk – a live performance done at a time when the group was maybe more tied to the freakier, fuzzier side of the German scene than some of their later spare electronics – stepping out here on long tracks that really show a great ability to jam in an extended ... CD (Rock CD)
Joseph Bonner (Joe Bonner)
Impressions Of Copenhagen (180 gram pressing – with bonus track)Theresa/Pure Pleasure (UK), 1981. (reissue)
LP...$34.99
44.98
One of the most interesting records we've ever heard from pianist Joe Bonner – a set that still has all the long, spiritual lines of his excellent albums from the 70s – but which also showcases Bonner's ear for larger arrangements – as he brings in trumpet, trombone, flute, and a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Andrew Cyrille
Ode To The Living Tree (180 gram pressing)Venus (Japan), 1994.
Pure genius from Andrew Cyrille – a record that's got a bit more of a soaring, spiritual vibe than some of his more freely improvised work of the past – a set that marks a key chapter in this stretch of the drummer's career, similar to his album on DIW at the same time! The group is ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Stanley Cowell, Billy Harper, & Others
Such Great Friends (180 gram pressing)Strata East/Pure Pleasure (UK), 1983. (reissue)
LP...$34.99
44.99
A lost bit of late Strata East – and an all-star session that never lets up! The album's a quartet effort – led by Stanley Cowell, but equally featuring participation from Billy Harper on tenor, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all soaring together on long tracks ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Nana Vasconcelos & Agustin Pereyra Lucena
Incredible NanaTonodisc/Altercat (Germany), 1971.
Some of the earliest recordings of Brazilian percussionist Nana Vasconcelos – an artist who'd go on to have a huge history in jazz, including famous work with Pat Metheny on ECM! This set has Nana very much in his roots – playing first on a stunning solo percussion track that mixes ... CD (Brazil CD)
Ol Dirty Bastard
Return To The 36 Chambers Instrumentals (2LPs with bonus 7 inch) (2020 Black Friday Release)Elektra, 1995. 2LP Gatefold
A rare all-instrumental version of the very first album from ODB! Pressed up here like a rare promo release – with versions of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", "Baby C'Mon", "Brooklyn Zoo", "Hippa To Da Hoppa", "Rawhide", "Damage", "Don't ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Various
Mr Bongo Record Club – Vol 4Mr Bongo (UK), Late 60s/1970s.
Maybe the coolest entry so far in this excellent series – and proof that the Mr Bongo label has gone much farther in recent years than it ever did in the past! Years back, Bongo was known as a hotbed of Latin and Brazilian music – but the sounds here are also rare funk and soul, other ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Various
Tokyo DreamingSony/We Want Sounds (UK), Early 80s.
A great dip into the wide world of Japanese pop in the early 80s – a set that does a nice job of bringing in some elements from the world of jazz, and showing just how much a range of electric modes flowed together in Tokyo at the time! Some of these artists were doing more offbeat work, ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Impulse, 2020. (pic cover)
A really full-on track from Comet Is Coming – a cut that has all the cosmic touches of their other work, but which also features vocals from Joshua Idehen – who's got this dark, bold vibe that really seems to send the group over the top! The cut may well be the most sonically intense ... 12-inch, Vinyl record (Jazz 12-inch)
Verve, 2020. (pic cover)
Unreleased work from Jon Batiste – and a set that pays tribute to the roots and traditions that inspired his music! The set begins with the tunes "Work It Out" and "I Need You" – then moves into the title cut "We Are", which was done with help from the St ... 12-inch, Vinyl record (Jazz 12-inch)
Tom Ze
RaridadesWarner (Brazil), Late 60s/Early 70s.
A fantastic collection of rare work from the young Tom Ze – obscure tracks from 7" singles, compilations, and festival performances too – all brought together as a counterpart to his full length albums on the Continental and RGE labels! As singles, a few of these tracks are maybe ... CD (Brazil CD)
Grand Royal, 1982. (reissue)
Think the Beastie Boys went straight into hip hop? No – back at the start, they were three guys with plenty of energy who dabbled in a number of modes that were brewing big in the New York scene of their youth – including punk rock and reggae, both of which are featured here along with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Manu Dibango
NegropolitainesFremeaux & Associates (France), Early 90s.
CD...$16.99
18.99
A really great project from the legendary saxophonist Manu Dibango – a set that's almost a return to more rootsy territory after his more upbeat grooves of the 80s – even though Manu was always a bit more of a hybrid player overall! The set was originally issued in two different ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Steve Potts
Musique Pour Le Film D'un Ami123/Souffle Continu (France), Early 70s.
A strange and beautiful album from reedman Steve Potts – an artist that most folks know as a key part of the Steve Lacy group on the French scene of the 70s, but who stepped aside to record this rare album as a leader! As you'd guess from the title, the album's a soundtrack of sorts – ... CD (Jazz CD)
Elektra, 1992. 2LP (reissue)
The solo LP, after he left and before he rejoined Brand Nubian. Mostly produced by Puba, with some help from Kid Capri, the Stimulated Dummies, the Brand New Heavies and others. In the same sense that the Nubes records without Puba showed he wasn't the be all and end all of the group, this solo ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Setenta
Materia NegraLatin Big Note (France), 2020.
Excellent work from Setenta – a Parisian combo who work with a great blend of Latin roots and funk – served up with lots of percussion at the core, topped with Fender Rhodes and other keyboards from jazz genius Florian Pellissier! The acoustic percussion and electric keys are perfectly ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Columbia/Get On Down, 2002. 2LP
An early oughties classic – with an appearance by Tupac from beyond the grave – plus guest work from Alicia Keys, Bravehearts, and Kelis – on tracks that include "Revolutionary Warfare", "Hey Nas", "Zone Out", "Made You Look", "Get ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Black & Blue/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1970/1973.
Great work from this Chicago group – material recorded in France, but which wails with the best sound of the small blues clubs on the south side at the time! The core group features Louis Myers on guitar and harmonica, Dave Myers on bass, and Fred Below on drums – joined by Eddie ... CD (Blues CD)
Le Deal
Jazz TraficantesFavorite (France), 2020.
A beautiful debut from this hip French group – a quartet that features piano and arrangements by Florian Pellissier, who we've loved on his other records – plus Yoann Loustalot on flugelhorn, Theo Girard on bass, and Malick Koly on drums – really stretching out here at a session ... CD (Jazz CD)
Milton DeLugg & The Little Eskimos/
Santa Claus Conquers The Martians/Modern Harmonic, Early 60s/2020. 7 inch & DVD (pic cover)
Sounds from the much-ridiculed 60s trash classic – a Milton Delugg original plus a cover by The Fleshtones – plus the movie on DVD! 7-inch, Vinyl record (Soundtracks 7-inch)
Grapefruit (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. 3CD
Weird work from the Wicker Man generation – that moment in British music where it often seemed like the spookiest sounds could come from the past – as you'll hear here in a huge batch of music from the acid folk revival years! Instrumentation on these tracks is mostly acoustic, but ... CD (Rock CD)
Elvis Presley
From Elvis In Nashville (4CD set)RCA, 1970. 4CD
The first-ever proper presentation of one of the most legendary Elvis Presley recording sessions – a marathon five day series of recordings done in Nashville, in which Elvis was working with hip backing from the Nashville Cats, and really breaking past some of the stale material that had ... CD (Rock CD)
Soul Jazz (UK), 1970s/Early 80s. 2CD
A really fantastic compilation – and one that will take your collection of German electronic music far past the familiar territory of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream! This series has always been great, but it also seems like the longer it goes, the deeper it digs – which is definitely ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Kamaal Williams
Wu HenBlack Focus, 2020.
Keyboardist Kamaal Williams is light years ahead of his first record here – and that's saying a lot, as that album was already pretty darn far-reaching! The music still has plenty of Fender Rhodes and keyboards, and other jazz elements that include tenor from Quinn Mason – but the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Grover Washington
Grover Live (180 gram gold vinyl pressing) (2020 Black Friday Release)Lightyear, 1997. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
Late live material from Grover Washington – previously unreleased, and proof that the saxophone master was still plenty darn soulful towards the end of his career! The instrumentation reminds us a bit of Grover's early 80s dates for Elektra – a bit more keyboard driven than some of his ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Eric Reed
For Such A Time As ThisSmoke Sessions, 2020.
CD...$13.99
16.99
Eric Reed steps out here in a strong array of modes – solo, trio, and quartet – all of which really show the depth he's developed in recent years – a strong step forward from the already-great territory of his earlier records! The pianist really knows how to balance his talents ... CD (Jazz CD)
Piero Umiliani
Lounge SideRambling (Japan), Late 60s.
Sublime soundtrack work from one of our favorite Italian composers – the mighty Piero Umiliani – a man who gave the world plenty of weird sounds over the years, but who could also come up with a really dreamy sort of groove! Most of this work is a mix of jazz and bossa with some of the ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
University Of Central Arkansas, 2020.
A special celebration of the long-running Southern Music issue of Oxford American – one that pulls together some of the best articles from the 20+ years of the special issue, adds in new articles on southern music icons – and comes with a bonus playlist that lets you stream 15+ hours of ... Magazine (Magazine)
Brooks
Any Day NowUnderdog (France), 2020. 2LP Gatefold
The Brooks have one hell of a drummer in the group – Maxime Bellavance, who's also credited as "Maestro Rhythm King" – and his sharp work on the kit really keeps things sharp throughout, as this Canadian funk combo make their way through a surprisingly strong array of 70s funk ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Legendary Beyons
Legendary BeyonsAlbina Music Trust, 1977. (reissue)
Damn great work from the Legendary Beyons – a soul group from late 70s Portland, but one who could easily go head to head with some of the hipper New Jersey and Philly acts of the early part of the decade! The group have fantastic harmonies – and are able to serve them up on these ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Daniel Humair
Drum ThingFremeaux & Associates (France), 2020.
Fantastic work from drummer Daniel Humair – a hugely important creative musician, still very much at the top of his game! Humair was one of the first European percussionists to really set his instrument free from conventions of timekeeping – to open up more possibilities for melody, ... CD (Jazz CD)
Jacques Loussier, Andre Hodier, Andre Previn, & Claude Bolling
Musique Classique Et Jazz – La Naissance Du Crossover 1958 to 1962Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 50s/Early 60s. 2CD
CD...$22.99
29.99
A well-done look at a style that would break big on the European scene of the mid 60s – the mixture of jazz performance and classical melodies – presented here in a slightly different way by some of the genre's true pioneers! Jacques Loussier recorded famous albums of Bach tunes done ... CD (Jazz CD)
Evelyn Champagne King
Evelyn Champagne King – The RCA Albums 1977 to 1985 (8CD set)RCA/Soulmusic.com (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 8CD
A massive collection of music – eight full albums from Evelyn Champagne King, plus bonus tracks as well! King was a hell of a singer who came along at just the right time – as cool and classy enough to have sung jazz in decades before, but with a richness that also really fit the ... CD (Soul CD)
MGM/Vivid (Japan), 1968.
A really groovy little record – a set of really catchy pop psych numbers, all of which get the added benefit of larger arrangements from producer Alan Lorber! Orpheus are clearly good enough on their own – a great ear for mixing trippier touches and catchier lyrics – but the ... CD (Rock CD)
Project 3/El (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. 4CD
The complete early recordings of The Free Design – one of the most heavenly vocal groups ever recorded! The lineup features two gals and two guys – singing together in ways that take the earlier harmony modes of the 60s into some very special territory – a bit like some of the ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Warriors Of The Wonderful Sound
SoundpathClean Feed (Portugal), 2020.
CD...$13.99
16.99
That's a striking name for this all-star group – and the music is equally striking too – a large piece composed by Muhal Richard Abrams, recorded here in memory to his long legacy in jazz! The work is a classic example of the way that Abrams was able to mix larger orchestrations and ... CD (Jazz CD)
Cherry Red (UK), 1980s. 5CD
A full package of work from the great Chaz Jankel – the keyboardist/composer who first rose to fame with Ian Dury & The Blockheads, but who went onto make some even better work on his own! Jankel's the guy responsible for the great groove on some of the best Dury classics – and ... CD (Rock CD)
Joe Castro
Passion Flower – For Doris Duke (6CD set)Sunnyside, Late 50s/1960s. 6CD
CD...$44.99
49.98
A massive tribute to this overlooked west coast pianist of the postwar years – an overstuffed set that features unreleased recordings, rare albums, and lots of other unusual material from the archives of the great Joe Castro! The set follows on the very illuminating Lush Life package from ... CD (Jazz CD)
Jimmy Blanche
Dou Van Jou (with bonus download)Stima (France), 1987.
A great 80s fusion of gwo-ka rhythms and more contemporary elements – very much in the "new Africa" mode that Celluloid records was plotting a few years earlier – as Jimmy Blanche works here next to a blend of acoustic and electric percussion, on tracks that have a heavy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Tito Puente
El Rey Del Timbale (aka Puente In Percussion)Tico/Survival Research (Australia), Late 50s. (reissue)
Essential grooves from Tito Puente – a really unique record for the time, and a set that's only grown in power over the years! The album's an all-percussion jam from Puente – one that strips away most other instrumentation, to focus just on heavy drum work from Puente and a core group ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)
Isoo Fukui
Sunrise SunsetThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1976.
Mindblowing sounds from Japanese bassist Isoo Fukui – one of a handful of 70s players on that scene who really helped reinvent the sound of his instrument in jazz! Isoo really drives the group here up from the bottom – by playing both bass and cello with these well-inflected notes that ... CD (Jazz CD)
Ace (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s.
CD...$12.99
18.99
Tremendous work from one of the greatest songwriting duos in southern soul – Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, two artists who barely had any success on their own, but who gave the world a host of fantastic songs all handled by other poeple! Penn and Oldham were neck deep in the best elements of ... CD (Soul CD)
Mandrill
MandrillPolydor/Anagram, 1970.
CD...$11.99
12.99
A masterpiece of freeform funk from Mandrill – New York group at the start of the 70s, but one who work here with the best longform jamming styles of the Bay Area scene! The combo draw equal influence from jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – using all elements in a unique hybrid that's all ... CD (Soul CD)
Mayuko Katakura
Mayuko Katakura Plays ColtraneDays Of Delight (Japan), 2020.
A really fresh take on the music of John Coltrane – not just because Mayuko Katakura is a pianist, not a saxophonist – but also because she's got a really fresh, original approach to the tunes! You'll certainly recognize most of the numbers, but they're taken in different ways – ... CD (Jazz CD)
Enrique Rodriguez & The Negra Chiway Band
Fase LiminalSoul Jazz (UK), 2020.
These guys have a real 70s look on the cover, and they have a strong 70s sound within – a cool contemporary take on older spiritual jazz modes – done by a largeish ensemble who recall the glory days of Impulse Records at its best! We've heard from Chilean keyboardist Enrique Rodriguez ... CD (Jazz CD)
Periodical Numerical
Periodical Numerical Vol 3 – The Reflection IssueNumero, 2020.
A great issue of this mini-magazine from the folks at Numero Group – one that focuses heavily on the unique LA imprint Reflection Records – home to the classic album from Catherine Howe, and some other great music too! The issue has a feature on the label, plus looks at some of its ... Magazine (Magazine)
Z Records (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 2CD
A fantastic entry in this excellent series – one that goes way past the disco and boogie promised in the title – and which includes some modern soul gems that we might never have otherwise heard! There's a sense of warmth that really links these tunes together – not too-fast ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Akira Miyazawa
Four UnitsTakt/Le Tres Jazz Club (France), 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
Some of the most arch-modern work we've ever heard from Japanese reedman Akira Miyazawa – proof that even though he was one of his nation's greatest straight jazz sax players in the 60s, he could also open up experimentally too! Akira's playing both flute and tenor here – and he's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Jerry Jeff Walker
Mr Bojangles – The Atco/Atco/Morello (UK), Late 60s/1970s. 5 CDs
Five full albums from Jerry Jeff Walker – presented here in a box set with original album art too! First up is Mr Bojangles – a fantastic early moment from Jerry Jeff Walker – a set that contains the huge "Mr Bojangles", but also features lots of the other sorts of ... CD (Folk/Country CD)
Art Blakey
Roots & Herbs (180 gram pressing)Blue Note, 1961. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$28.99
34.99
One of our favorite albums ever from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – even though it was only issued by Blue Note nearly a decade after it was recorded! The set's an overlooked nugget from that intensely productive time when the group features one of its strongest frontlines ever – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
George Otsuka
Physical StructureThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1976.
Japanese drummer George Otsuka is always one hell of a hip cat – one of those players whose name on a record always means that we'll pick it up – and never fail to hear something wonderful! And while Otsuka first got his start working with a piano trio at the end of the 60s, this sweet ... CD (Jazz CD)
Today's Latin Project
Today's Latin Project (Japanese paper sleeve edition)Discomate/P-Vine (Japan), 1983.
A walearic classic from the Japanese scene of the early 80s – a set that's definitely got some of the Latin elements promised in the title, but which also resonates strongly with some of the more electronic modes of the time! The tunes are instrumental, and often a bit jazzy – but also ... CD (Jazz CD)
Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto
Quatermass SevenMadlib Invazion, 2020.
A heady mix of fuzzy funk and psychedelic production – served up here as a duet between Little Barrie and Malcolm Catto! Catto's on drums, with the same rock-solid style that we've loved right since his Mo Wax days – and Barrie handles guitar and vocals – with that more ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Graeme Miller & Steve Shill
Carrier FrequencyFinders Keepers (UK), 1984.
A rare soundtrack from an unusual UK stage production of the early 80s – presented here on record for the first time ever! The piece was a stage extension of the novel Riddley Walker – and has this eerie, sci-fi like vibe – scored here by Graeme Miller and Steve Shill with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Hand Clappin Foot Stompin Funky Butt/Pye/BGO (UK), Late 60s. 3CD
A huge package – four full albums by this excellent soul group – plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Hand Clappin Foot Stompin Funky Butt Live – filled with sockin soul from Geno Washington – an ex-American marine who recorded to big fame in the UK in the late 60s ... CD (Soul CD)
Dave Gisler Trio with Jaimie Branch
Zurich ConcertIntakt (Switzerland), 2020.
CD...$18.99
19.99
Trumpeter Jaimie Branch makes a very strong addition to the trio of guitarist Dave Gisler – bringing her tremendous sense of sound to the carefully-crafted lines of sonic color that flow from Gisler's strings! The rest of the group features Raffaele Bossard on bass and Lionel Friedli on ... CD (Jazz CD)
Jneiro Jarel
After A Thousand YearsFar Out (UK), 2020.
Jneiro Jarel has always been way more than just a hip hop producer – even his earliest records were a bit hard to peg, and this excellent set not only pushes that bar forward a heck of a lot, but it also firmly suits the album's placement on the Far Out label! Far Out's best known for its ... CD (New Grooves CD)
Mort Garson
Music From Patch Cord ProductionsSacred Bones, Late 60s/Early 70s. (reissue)
A tremendous collection of work from moog maestro Mort Garson – a name you might know from projects like the Wozard Of Iz, Lucifer, or Ataraxia – stepping out here on some much more obscure recordings, including some that appear here for the first time ever! Garson was easily one of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Now Sound LP)
Monstamadgination/Past Due, 1979. (pic cover, reissue)
The only track ever recorded by the obscure East Bay funk group Monsta – a combo whose output was so lean, the one-sided single was only pressed in a run of 100 copies at the time! That doesn't stop the tune from being a treasure, though – as it bursts right out of the gate with a ... 12-inch, Vinyl record (Soul 12-inch)
Frank Lowe
FlamBlack Saint (Italy), 1975. (reissue)
A classic 70s session from Frank Lowe – done with a really raw feel that reminds us of his well-remembered work for the ESP Records label a few years before! The whole thing's pretty freewheeling – classic avant soulful jazz at its best, played by Lowe on tenor, Joseph Bowie on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Jugoton/Everland (Germany), 1970s. 2LP Gatefold
Fierce funk from behind the iron curtain in the 70s – a huge selection of tracks from the Yugoslavian record label Jugoton – most presented here to the western work for the first time ever! The music here isn't the usual American funk and soul of the decade – even though the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Dave Rempis/
Stringers & Struts
Aerophonic, 2020.
An amazing little session – the kind of performance that can make free improvisation such a mindblowing thing when its handled by musicians this great! The date marks a strong return by guitarist Jeff Parker to the farther reaches of his sound – working here alongside the alto, tenor, ... CD (Jazz CD)
Eddie & Ernie
Time Waits For No OneCairo, Late 60s.
A deep soul treasure! You've probably never heard of the team of Eddie & Ernie, but they've risen to fame over the years with collectors of rare 60s soul – and have recently been immortalized on volumes of Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures, one of the most important soul compilation ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Mario Laginha, Julian Arguelles, & Helge Andreas Norbakken
AtlanticoEdition (UK), 2020.
CD...$12.99
13.99
A beautiful trio – one who used familiar instrumentation, but create a joyous sound that's all their own – one that's filled with cascading rhythms between the instruments – all sparkling with this sense of warmth that really wins us over right away! The trio features Mario ... CD (Jazz CD)
Joe Armon-Jones
Turn To Clear ViewBrownswood (UK), 2019.
A fantastic second set from keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones – a musician we first came to love in the UK-based Ezra Collective, and one who's now effortlessly bridging a space between jazz and soul! The record's got a vibe that's as cosmic as its cover – but one that comes not just through ... CD (Jazz CD)
Mort Garson
Didn't You HearSacred Bones, 1970. (reissue)
One of the rarest albums ever from the legendary Mort Garson – an all-electronic film score, one that was originally only available on record in the lobby of a Seattle theater that was showing the film! The tracks are shorter than on some of Garson's more commercial projects of the time, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Now Sound LP)
Ennio Morricone
Themes – Giallo (180 gram marbled vinyl pressing)Music On Vinyl (UK), Early 70s. 2LP Gatefold
A collection of classic horror soundtrack work from Ennio Morricone – mostly early 70s material that represent the maestro at the height of the early giallo genre! The tunes here are often a bit more obtuse, atonal, and abstract than some of Morricone's lighter grooves – and his work ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Omar El Shariyi (Ammar El Sherei)
Oriental MusicSoutelphan/We Want Sounds (UK), 1976. (reissue)
That's a pretty groovy looking keyboard on the cover – and the record's got a pretty groovy sound as well – very different than other organ records or Mid-East instrumental titles of the time, thanks in part to some very dexterous work on the multi-level keys from Omar El Shariyi! The ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Mary J Blige
My Life (2CD edition – with bonus tracks0Uptown/Universal, 1994. 2CD
The stunning second album from Mary J Blige – a record that showed that both the singer and her new form of soul music were around to stay! Production is from Sean Combs and Chucky Thompson – very heavy on beats borrowed from the underground, but nicely tuned to the mainstream – ... CD (Soul CD)
Jimi Hendrix
Live In Maui (3LP set with bonus Blu-ray)Legacy, 1970. 3LP & Blu-ray
A legendary set of live performances from Jimi Hendrix – both sets recorded in Maui in July of 1970, presented here officially for the first time ever – along with a bonus documentary on the performances too! The set is kind of the true counterpart to the botched Rainbow Bridge project ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
George Benson
Weekend In LondonProvogue, 2020.
George Benson is no spring chicken – but damn, he sounds plenty darn youthful here – working at the Ronnie Scotts club in London with some tight jazz funk backing! Benson sings as much as solos on guitar – and the whole thing is a great throwback to the sound of his 70s records ... CD (Jazz CD)
Masaru Imada & George Mraz
Alone TogetherThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1977.
A beautiful showcase both for the piano of Masaru Imada and the bass of George Mraz – the latter of whom gets really respectful treatment on this Japanese-only session – in the best tradition of the Three Blind Mice record label! TBM always had a way of showcasing the bass that was ... CD (Jazz CD)
Junko Onishi Presents The Sextet
Unity All – Live At Pit Inn – The Most LiveSomethin Cool (Japan), 2020. 2LP Gatefold
A searing live set from this larger group headed up by pianist Junko Onishi – actually more than a sextet for this date, given the appearance of a few other players in the concert! Onishi sounds more vibrant than we've heard in years – not just a really dynamic leader, but also playing ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Tori Handsley
As We StandCadillac (UK), 2020.
Tori Handsley may not look like your usual jazz musician on the front cover – but she's part of the contemporary London scene, and really breaks out here alongside some killer drums from the great Moses Boyd! Handley plays both piano and electric harp with lots of cool effects – and ... CD (Jazz CD)
Jimi Tenor
AulosPhilophon (UK), 2020.
Jimi Tenor looks something like a sexy god on the cover – but his sound within is very down to earth – maybe even more so than on some of his other recent records! The album marks a nice return to groove-based territory for Jimi – still with some of the jazzier and global ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves LP)
Peter Bernstein
What Comes NextSmoke Sessions, 2020.
CD...$13.99
17.98
Guitarist Peter Bernstein is standing on an empty New York street on the cover – a good indication of the June 2020 date on which the material was recorded – a moment that also seems to come through in the music as well! Bernstein's still got all those wonderful colors we love in his ... CD (Jazz CD)
Mars Williams
Ayler Xmas 4 – Chicago Vs New YorkSoul What/Astral Spirits, 2020. 2CD
CD...$14.99
18.00
Mars Williams presents a great installment in this surprisingly long-running series – a really unusual mix of Christmas songs with the avant jazz inspiration of Albert Ayler – served up here in two different performances – one recorded in Chicago, the other in New York! As with ... CD (Holiday Music CD)
Finders Keepers (UK), 1971.
One of the most obscure entries in the short-lived genre of prog-based horror soundtracks – and one of the best as well – music by the French group Acanthus, served up here for a creepy film by director Jean Rollin! In a way, the use of electric guitar with vampires is maybe even ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Zdenek Liska
Mala Morska Vila (limited splatter vinyl)Finders Keepers (UK), 1976.
A stunning soundtrack from the glory days of the Czech film scene – served up here in a weird mix of electronics, orchestrations, and voices – all at a level that makes you feel like someone went into the sound labs of the Italian scene of the early 70s, cut up all the tapes from the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Mango/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1976. (reissue)
One of the greatest mainstream 70s efforts from Lee Scratch Perry – a wonderful collaboration with Jah Lion – who serves up rhymes of knowledge and wisdom over some dubby genius from Scratch himself! The album skews towards the roots side of the spectrum, but has a looser, more open ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Babylon By Bus (half speed master)Island, 1978. 2LP (reissue)
LP...$43.99
48.99
A classic double live album from Bob Marley & The Wailers – presented and packaged at a level that's really a cut above the usual set of that nature from the time! The group's in excellent form in a concert setting – and there's more than enough magic here to warrant the extended ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
Alain Bellaiche
Sea FluorescentAsylum/Souffle Continu (France), 1976. (reissue)
Rare funky fusion by this overlooked French guitarist – recorded in New York with a really unusual group, and in a setting that has Alain Bellaiche providing a bit of vocals too! The sound is great – different than some of the more jamming rock fusion of the European scene at mid 70s ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Mabumi Yamaguchi
LeewardUnion/Le Tres Jazz Club (France), 1978. (reissue)
Spare sounds, but beautifully woven together – all in service of these lovely long tracks that really highlight the soulful side of reedman Mabumi Yamaguchi! Each number here takes up half the side of a record – there's only four tracks in all – and Yamaguchi plays these slow-buil ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Soberscove, 2020.
Book...$31.99
38.99
One of the most unique books we've ever gotten from John Corbett – an author who's given us some fantastic music writing over the years! This book is completely different – not written, but "salvaged" – as the contents are a lost manuscript from the early 30s – ... Book (Book)
Finders Keepers (UK), 1966.
An amazing soundtrack to an amazing film – a Czech new wave classic that's supported by sounds as dynamic as the images on the screen! There's a really playful feel to the whole thing – much more so than other Finders Keepers reissues in recent years – and the music jumps along ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Ennio Morricone
Female – Ennio Morricone Selected By Alessandro CasellaBlack Cat (Italy), Late 60s/Early 70s.
That's a near-naked woman on the cover, and the set's a batch of rare tunes by soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone – all from films and scores with a woman at the center! The music is a mix of some of the best slinky, sexy Morricone modes of the late 60s, with some of the moodier, spookier ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
RPM (UK), Mid 70s. 3CD
A totally great look at the role of the female singer in mid 70s England – a role that's a bit of an evolution from the UK pop styles of the 60s – soaring forth in a great mix of rock, vocal, and soul-based modes! Some of the singers are names that you'd recognize from the initial ... CD (Rock CD)
Tramp (Germany), 1970s/Early 80s.
A fantastic collection, and one that goes deep deep into the farther reaches of the spiritual scene in the 70s – tracks that are way more obscure than music on labels like Strata East or Impulse, and which really show an evolution of music ideas at the time! The core style is jazz, but there ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Hux/Vinyl Lovers (UK), Early 70s.
LP...$22.99
25.99
Great live work from the earliest years of Ian Carr's Nucleus – recorded at a time when the combo was breaking tremendous new ground in British jazz! As with the Nucleus studio albums of the period, there's a free-flowing energy here that's totally great – a spacious approach to fusion ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Lyman Woodard Organization
Don't Stop The Groove (180 gram pressing)Lyman/Pure Pleasure (UK), 1979. (reissue)
LP...$34.99
44.99
A killer little set from funky organist Lyman Woodard – an old bandmate of Dennis Coffey, and one of the standout stalwarts of the 70s Detroit jazz funk scene! The set features Lyman working in a live setting – grooving out over some mighty long tracks that blend jazz and soul together ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Stax/Craft, Early 70s. 2CD
CD...$18.99
19.99
An overdue look at a very cool record label – the short-lived Gospel Truth imprint, which was an outlet for the more spiritual side of Stax Records in the early 70s! The music is gospel, but often has plenty of the best Memphis soul elements of more popular Stax/Volt work of the time – ... CD (Gospel CD)
Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim)
Dollar Brand Plays Sphere JazzHoney Pie, 1960. (reissue)
The first-ever trio album from South African piano legend Dollar Brand – a set that hints at a Thelonious Monk influence in the title, but which already has the pianist stepping out in that unusual style that's completely his own! The original tunes on the record are especially nice – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Clear Path Ensemble
Clear Path EnsembleCosmic Compositions, 2020.
LP...$23.99
24.99
Jazzy work from Clear Path Ensemble – mostly a solo act by composer/performer Cory Champion, but graced with some nice guest work on bass clarinet, flute, harp, and piano too! Despite the one-man operation at the core, the music isn't electric or heavily processed – and instead, things ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Bruce Ditmas
Visioni Sconvolgenti (10 inch LP)Dead Cert (UK), 1977.
Some of the noisiest work we've ever heard from Bruce Ditmas – an artist who's best known for his 70s work that mixed together drums and electronics – an approach that's taken here to the farthest side of the sonic spectrum! The tracks are all recorded in Bruce's own studio, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Grapefruit (UK), Early 70s. 3CD
A fantastic collection of work from the UK scene at the start of the 70s – a treasure trove of pop cuts from the time, most of which never made it across the Atlantic to our neck of the woods – and which represent a whole different world of music than you'd know from the classic rock ... CD (Rock CD)
Don Sebesky
Distant GalaxyVerve/Pleasure For Music, Late 60s. (reissue)
A wonderful blend of space age jazz and electronic sounds – served up by arranger Don Sebesky, who didn't always sound this groovy! The record is a great set that really lives up to the promise of its title – as Don soars out into space at the head of a group that features Hubert Laws ... LP, Vinyl record album (Now Sound LP)
Wire, 2020.
William Basinski looks a bit like Iggy Pop on the cover – but if you know the man and his music, you'll know that he's something else entirely – and if you don't, you'll find out plenty in the big cover feature within! The issue also has articles on the new Homeboy Sandman album, the ... Magazine (Magazine)
Sun Ra Arkestra
SwirlingStrut (UK), 2020.
CD...$12.99
13.99
Sun Ra left the planet a few decades ago, but his Arkestra has been going strong – really carrying the torch that the great one kept burning – and stepping out here in their first studio album in 20 years! The record is really something special – that core Sun Ra spirit, but ... CD (Jazz CD)
Tani Tabbal Trio
Now ThenTao Forms/Aum Fidelity, 2020.
An album that leaps right out of the gate with a very complex vibe – then continues that spirit all the way through – thanks to an effortless interweaving of the drums of Tani Tabbal with the bass of Michael Bisio and alto sax of Adam Siegel! The trio are wrapped tightly around each ... CD (Jazz CD)
Phicus (Fages/
Solid
Astral Spirits, 2020.
This Spanish trio has a really amazing blend of guitar, bass, and drums – used in ways that are very different from a conventional jazz combo, and which has this real focus on bottom-end sounds on most of the tracks! The guitar of Ferran Fages has all these unusual tones – not just ... CD (Jazz CD)
Victor Chukwu/
Akalaka/Tabansi/BBE (UK), Late 70s. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$26.99
29.99
Two rare albums from Uncle Victor Chukwu – a hell of a guitarist, and the driving force behind both of these Nigerian gems from the late 70s! Akalaka is a record that's maybe higlife in outward appearance, but which has a very different quality overall – in part because the guitar work ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Ex/Superior Viaduct, 1980. (reissue)
LP...$20.99
24.98
The Ex have had an amazing career over their many decades in music – forays into jazz, improv, and even global sounds – but here, right at the start, they're much more in the spirit of political punk contemporaries from the UK – especially Gang Of Four and Crass – both of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Natsuki Tamura, Satoko Fujii, & Ramon Lopez
MantleNot Two (Poland), 2020.
A record that explodes right out of the gate with a sound that's all its own – a fantastic collaboration between drummer Ramon Lopez and the long-running Japanese duo of Natsuki Tamura on trumpet and Satoko Fujii on piano – two players who are able to effortlessly burst out in this ... CD (Jazz CD)
RCA/BGO (UK), Mid 60s. 2CD
Four gems from the early RCA years of Bobby Bare – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Detroit City – a classic early album from the great Bobby Bare – proof that the man had plenty of charms in the years before he started working with hip singer/songwriter material! The set ... CD (Folk/Country CD)
William Kurk
WKWilliam Kurk Productions, 2020.
CD...$6.99
10.00
William Kurk is a secret hero of ours – a Chicagoan who's been creating wonderful soul records for many years, and who's never fully gotten his due – but never lets that stop him from bringing his best to the game! This record's breaks out with beautifully positive energy right from ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Expansion (UK), 2020.
A collection of mostly contemporary tunes, but one that really lives up to the classic modern soul modes of the Soul Togetherness series! The tracks are warm and uplifting – done with a great vibe that holds strong throughout – usually in a midtempo mode, but sometimes picking up the ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Sun Ra
NidhamuSaturn/Strut (UK), 1971.
LP...$22.99
23.99
A great lost album from Sun Ra – one of a handful that he recorded on a legendary trip to Egypt in 1971 – live throughout, with that special sort of flavor that the Arkesta picked up while visiting the land of the pyramids! The work was recorded in Cairo – by a lineup that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Jarrod Lawson
Be The ChangeDome (UK), 2020.
Really fantastic work from Jarrod Lawson – one of those underground singers who should be huge, if the world had any justice! Lawson's a cut above, and completely his own singer – the kind of individual talent that comes along once in a generation, like Al Jarreau or Michael Franks ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Step In (Joe Fonda/
Voila La Tendresse
Not Two (Poland), 2020.
Bassist Joe Fonda may well be the best known player in the group – but the real star of the show is pianist Carlo Morena – as he wrote all the selections on the album (save one), and spins out these tremendous long lines on piano – filled with life and soul, color and flow! ... CD (Jazz CD)
Nina Simone
I Put A Spell On You (180 gram pressing)Philips/Universal, 1964. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$28.99
34.99
Completely captivating work by Nina Simone – working here in that unique crossover style she was using in the mid 60s – a blend of jazz and soul arrangements that were perfect for her intimate folksy style. The album's one of her first few for Philips, and it really has her opening ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)
Quinn Harris
Statements (180 gram pressing)Cantilever/Tidal Waves, 1975. (reissue)
One of the rare west coast sets from Quinn Harris from the 70s – an artist who looks pretty darn badass on the cover, and who sounds very much the same on the grooves of the record! Quinn's both a singer and a saxophonist – and he mixes tenor and flute solos in with the lyrics, which ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Saturn/Strut (UK), 1971.
LP...$22.99
23.99
Some of the most obscure material that Sun Ra and the Arkestra recorded on their legendary trip to Egypt – given that half the set was a TV broadcast, and the other half was recorded at the home of their host – Hartmut Geerken! The spirit here is very strong – a mix of the newer ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Bruno Nicolai
GeminusFour Flies (Italy), 1969.
Bruno Nicolai is at the top of his game here – really working magic for the soundtrack to this extended late 60s mini-series for Italian television! The music sums up all the best Nicolai modes of the time – some of those Morricone-like moments of mellow groove, mixed with starker ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Rhymesayers, 2020. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$23.99
29.99
One of the most sonically intense albums to date from Aesop Rock – a set that matches his ever-sharp rhymes with the sorts of musical settings that really live up to the spirit of the title! The vocals come on with this really crispy sort of edge – partly the production, partly the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Sun Ra
HorizonSaturn/Strut (UK), 1971.
LP...$22.99
23.99
An amazing live date from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – recorded in Cairo in 1971, with a very transcendent sound overall! Ra and the group are clearly inspired to be working in the shadow of the pyramids – and their music sometimes has Eastern overtones, a bit in the manner of Salah ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Fela Ransome Kuti & His Highlife Rakers
Fela's First – The Complete 1959 Melodisc Session (10 inch LP)(2020 Record Store Day Release)Cadillac (UK), 1959.
The first-ever vinyl issue of the earliest recordings ever made by Fela – and a set that also includes two tracks that appear here for the first time ever! The work was recorded in London at the end of the 50s, and features a very young Fela doing a jazzy take on highlife styles – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
John Hicks
Steadfast (180 gram pressing)Strata East/Pure Pleasure (UK), 1975. (reissue)
LP...$34.99
44.99
Beautiful solo work from John Hicks – one of the few straight pianists that can hold our attention in a setting like this for so long – a record that's maybe a bit more conventional than some of the other releases on the Strata East label from the 70s, but equally filled with a sense of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Prince Lasha
Search For TomorrowEnja/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1974.
A rare set from reed genius Prince Lasha – one that dovetails nicely with the albums on the Birdseye label, and which features Lasha in a very similar setting! (In truth, the records may have some overlap – but we're not entirely sure.) The tracks are very long, and the record really ... CD (Jazz CD)
Billie Holiday/
Billie – Original Soundtrack
Verve, 1939/Late 40s/1950s.
A selection of work put together for the well-done documentary on the late, great Billie Holiday – a record that includes classics from Billie's vintage recordings, plus a few new tracks recorded for the film by the Sonhouse All Stars! The Holiday vocal tracks are the main draw – as ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Nick Waterhouse
Live At Pappy & Harriet's – In Person From The High DesertInnovative Leisure, 2020.
CD...$13.99
14.99
The rawest record to date from Nick Waterhouse – a live set, recorded way out in Pioneertown, CA – with a nice edge and a bit more fuzz than some of his previous records! The vibe is still soulful, and the group features backing vocals along with tight horns, bass, and organ – ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Kahil El Zabar
Kahil El Zabar's America The BeautifulSpiritmuse, 2020.
A bold vision for a better version of our nation – served up here by percussionist Kahil El Zabar, but in a mode that also has him working as the conductor of a larger ensemble too! The record has all the sense of pride, power, and optimism of some of the best sessions of this type from the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Giuliano Sorgini
OccultoFour Flies (Italy), Mid 70s.
A pretty wild collection of horror film work from Italian composer Giuliano Sorgini – pulled from the farther reaches of the low-budget film industry of the 70s – but still completely at the top of the game from a musical perspective! There's a really nice mix of modes going on here ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Vivian Green
Love AbsoluteSoNo, 2020.
CD...$11.99
12.99
Vivian Green's one of those singers who may never get the gold or the glory, but who always brings her best to a record like this – that great style of vocal inflection that set her apart in the earlier years of the neo soul scene, still very much her key calling card as she makes her way ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad with Azymuth
Azymuth – Jazz Is Dead 4Jazz Is Dead, 2020. 2LP
LP...$32.99
33.99
A fantastic combination of funky grooves – the studio talents of Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and the Brazilian-tinged fusion of the legendary Azymuth! The jazzy trio are in great form here – tunes that are lean, and which really offer up all the best aspects that the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Spring/BGP (UK), Early 80s.
CD...$12.99
18.99
A great slice of work from the New York underground of the post-disco years – served up by a family of labels that had been making things happen through most of the 70s! The set focuses strongly on the singles issued by the Posse and Spring Records labels – the former a new offshoot of ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Quakers
Quakers II – The Next WaveStones Throw, 2020. 2LP
LP...$21.99
22.99
A long-overdue second set from Quakers – and a set that's got even more intensity than their debut! Beats are by the core trio of Supa K (Katalyst), 7STU7, and Fuzzface (Geoff Barrow) – and there's a very old school vibe to most of the record – a focus on core elements on each ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
JR Bailey
Just Me & YouMAM/Be With (UK), 1974. (reissue)
A really sublime rare groover from JR Bailey – vocalist in the Cadillacs back in their doo wop years, but a heck of a great 70s mellow soul artist in this obscure little set! JR wrote and co-produced all the tunes on the set – in a mode that steps along beautifully with a subtle groove ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Roy Budd
Man At The Top (with bonus tracks)Caldera (Germany), 1973.
An overlooked score from the great Roy Budd – one that we're not sure ever made it to vinyl back in the day – and which is presented here in a nicely expanded version! The music has that tense quality that made the non-groovy cuts from Budd's Get Carter score so great – and which ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Creepy John Thomas/
Trippin Like A Dog & Rockin Like A Bitch – The Complete Recordings (Come With Me/Grapefruit (UK), 1969/1971. 3CD
Three full albums from Australian singer Creepy John Thomas – all of them pretty darn great! The set begins with a record issued under the name of Rust – a set recorded in Germany, by Australian singer John Thomas – all quickly put together in the studio, but with results that ... CD (Rock CD)
Freddie Terrell & The Soul Expedition
Soul Expedition (Japanese paper sleeve edition)Lefevre Sound/P-Vine (Japan), 1971.
This one's billed as "the rarest funk album of all time" – but even if it wasn't, we'd still love it to death because it's so darn great! Freddie hails from the Georgia scene of the late 60s – and he's got a slow-burning approach to his music that mixes in a good dose of ... CD (Soul CD)
Various
This Is Fame – 1964 to 1968Fame/Kent (UK), Mid 60s.
CD...$12.99
18.99
Classic sounds from one of the coolest labels and studios in southern soul – the mighty Fame, which was to Muscle Shoals what Stax was to Memphis – especially at the time of these mid 60s recordings! Like Stax, Fame was an indie with a strong ear to the ground – and was able to ... CD (Soul CD)
Dan Lacksman
Tchip Tchip – Electronic System Vol 3RKM/Real Gone, 1974.
Maybe not the first album of electronics to come out of the European scene – but a set that definitely marked that standout moment when moogy pop found a great way forward! Dan Lacksman had plenty of studio experience before cutting this gem of a record – and he brings that all to bear ... CD (Rock CD)
Sebastian Strinning/
Dripping The Eye
Jaki, 2020.
Improvised duets between drummer Julian Kirshner and saxophonist Sebastian Strinning – and a record that begins with a non-stop explosion of energy, before moving into some more subtle, tentative improvisations between the pair! Kirshner is great on both fronts – able to keep up with ... CD (Jazz CD)
Whit Boyd Combo
Party Girls (gold vinyl pressing)Modern Harmonic, 1969.
LP...$23.99
26.99
Funky organ jazz from a very unlikely source – a Texas-made porno from 1969, and a movie that dared ask the question "Do prostitutes make good wives?" The music is unusual in that it's actually pretty darn good – nice small combo jazz, often with a good current of funk in the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Four Flies (Italy), Late 70s. (pic cover)
A track from one of the more savage Emmanuelle films of the 70s – and pretty darn groovy! "Make Love On The Wing" is an upbeat clubby track – lots of romping drums at the core, and vocals from Ulla Linder that have a slightly creepy take on the usual disco diva mode! The ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Centaura
Lawdy Lawdy LawdNumero, 1979.
LP...$6.99
16.98
Looks like a 12" single, but the set's actually fantastic full album of rare funky soul – the only set ever cut by this obscure southern combo from Birmingham – a group who seem to share the best mix of club and funk styles you'd find on the Atlanta scene of the late 70s! By that, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Chris McCarthy
Still Time To QuitRopeadope, 2020.
CD...$9.99
14.99
Chris McCarthy's the pianist in the group, and also the composer of all the tunes on the set – but the record gets some equally strong drive from the frontline work of Takuya Kuroda on trumpet and Michael Blake on tenor! Chris' tunes seem to fuse together Kuroda and Blake with this really ... CD (Jazz CD)
Soft Head (Hugh Hopper/
Rogue Element (with bonus tracks)
Ogun (UK), 1978.
That's Soft Head, not Soft Heap – which is another way of saying that the fantastic music here is yet another strong evolution of the original Soft Machine sound! The quartet features bass from Hugh Hopper and amazing work from Elton Dean on alto and saxello – plus sweet electric piano ... CD (Rock CD)
Mistura Pura
Blue BusUbiquity, 2020. 2LP
LP...$20.99
24.98
Mistura Pura, aka Federica Grappasonni, is as much of a vinyl collector as a producer and musician – and that depth of musical interest really comes through in this double length set! The tracks have lots of elements that draw on styles from the 60s and 70s – but the beats are often ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves LP)
Piero Piccioni
Il DiavoloWHP (Italy), 1963. (reissue)
Rare early work from Piero Piccioni – music scored for a 60s film with Alberto Sordi in the lead – maybe a bit more conventional than some of Piccioni's later work, but still wonderfully groovy overall! There's lots of jazz in the mix, and there's a number of tunes that have a great ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
David Bowie
Metrobolist (Man Who Sold The World)Parlophone (Germany), 1970. Gatefold
The first truly great David Bowie electric guitar album – an all-out, power-driven set of tracks played by a group that included Mick Ronson and Tony Visconti! Bowie's in prime pre-Ziggy mode here – ripping into tunes that blister with dark energy that are some of the first truly ... CD (Rock CD)
Norman Feels
Norman Feels (180 gram pressing)Just Sunshine/Tidal Waves, 1973. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$25.99
29.99
Mellow soul, sweeping strings, and sweet electric keys – a stone 70s classic from Norman Feels – one of the greatest soul singers you've never heard before! The album's Norman's first (of two), and is a vastly under-recognized gem – the kind of record that easily stands next to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Black Diamond
A Held SpaceWoolgathering, 2020.
The duo of Artie Black and Hunter Diamond – the former of whom plays tenor, alto, clarinet, and other small instruments – the latter on tenor, clarinet, and some very cool percussion elements too! All the music here is improvised, recorded over a marathon five hour session, then ... CD (Jazz CD)
Grapefruit (UK), Late 60s/1970s/Early 80s. 4CD
A surprisingly huge amount of recordings from Fumble – a UK group who started out during the big Brit rock explosion of the mid 60s, then went on to become a strong rock revival act in the 70s! The package begins with early singles and other material – including cuts issued as Four ... CD (Rock CD)
Yosuke Yamashita
Tribute To Mal WaldronEnja/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1980.
A slightly different album than usual from Japanese avant piano legend Yosuke Yamashita – a tribute to Mal Waldron, and one that maybe has a bit more of a straight swing and sense of soul than some of Yamashita's other records from the time! The Waldron vibe is very strong here – and ... CD (Jazz CD)
John Carpenter
Escape From New York (expanded 180 gram colored vinyl pressing – with 12-page booklet)Waxwork, 1981. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$39.99
47.98
A seminal soundtrack from the legendary John Carpenter – one of those key records that showed the world that he was as great of a composer as he was a director! The album's a Carpenter-esque masterpiece – lots of cool, spare electronics – used in ways that make the whole movie a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Juan Pina Con La Revelacion
Juan Pina Con La Revelacion (180 gram pressing)Zeida/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1975.
LP...$26.99
29.99
A rare Colombian set from Juan Pina and his tight little group – a record with the same sort of bold, youthful vibe as Juan's image on the cover! The music's not really cumbia, but has some elements of that style in the rhythms – which are mixed with instrumentation that would be more ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)
Larry Cartell/
Girl In Gold Boots – Original Soundtrack (CD/Glenolden/Modern Harmonic, 1968.
A very groovy soundtrack to a very groovy movie – a near-lost 60s exploitation flick that's got it all – biker gangs, go-go girls, and lots of mod rocking numbers to really fit the scene! The album's got a fair bit of straight 60s rock numbers – the kind of offbeat tunes you'd ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Junie
Suzie Super GroupieWestbound/Be With (UK), 1976. (reissue)
A funky tribute to all the "Super Groupies" who were helping out the 70s music scene – maybe the closest thing that Junie Morrison every came to a tribute album – and a set that's got all the same wonderful complexity of his other solo albums on Westbound! As with those ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Budos Band
Long In The Tooth (with bonus download)Daptone, 2020.
LP...$18.99
19.99
Budos Band may be long in the tooth – 15 years since their first record (!) – but they still sound pretty darn funky and fresh to our ears, and maybe even return here to some of the rawer modes of their first few records! The approach is simple, but fantastic – heavy drums on the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Various
Double Whammy – A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-Up (blue vinyl pressing) (2020 Record Store Day Release)Craft, Mid 60s.
A well-chosen batch of rare garage rock gems from the 60s – rare work from labels that include Stax, Fantasy, Original Sound, and Vanguard – including three never-issued tracks! The choice of material is great, and the whole thing features notes from producer Alec Palao – a name ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Patrick McLean
One Heart One BeatExpansion (UK), 2020.
You may not know Patrick McLean by name, but he's got a strong legacy in the UK soul scene – which includes important work as part of Hi-Tension and the Brit Funk Association – both groups whose sound informs the grooves on this set! Patrick handles lead vocals on the set – and ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Nat Birchall
Mysticism Of SoundAncient Archive Of Sound (UK), 2020. Gatefold
One of the most unusual albums we've ever heard from saxophonist Nat Birchall – and that's saying a lot, given the very unusual qualities of most of his work! Yet this set is very special in that it's a solo effort – music by just Nat himself, but never on one instrument at a time ... CD (Jazz CD)
Tru Thoughts (UK), 2020.
LP...$20.99
21.99
A great entry in this excellent series – one that has some of the hipper beatmakers and producers of the Tru Thoughts label serving up their versions of classic cuts from back in the day! The range of songs here is great – material original served up by Duke Ellington, Fela Kuti, ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves LP)
Motown (UK), 1960s/Early 70s. 2CD
A long-overdue fifth entry in this amazing series – and like the previous volumes, a double-length set of rare material from the Motown vaults! 20 of the 43 tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and all of the material here goes way past the hits – to really show the full ... CD (Soul CD)
Los Picapiedra
Kabwlu (180 gram pressing)Discos Fuentes/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1965. (reissue)
LP...$26.99
29.99
One of the stranger albums on Disco Fuentes during the 60s – served up by a group with a caveman look on the cover, and who also had a bit of a caveman schtick in their approach – but who also managed to groove with a lean sound that's mighty nice all the way through! The album takes ... LP, Vinyl record album (Latin LP)
Ayalew Mesfin
Mot AykerimNow Again, Mid 70s.
The last album in a crucial cycle of releases that bring together work from one of the most compelling singers on the Ethiopian scene of the 70s – a set whose title translates as "you can't cheat death" – and which has a vibe that's also echoed a bit in the music as well! The ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Billy Wooten
In This WorldAPS/P-Vine (Japan), 1979. (reissue)
LP...$36.99
44.99
One of the most soul-based records ever cut by vibist Billy Wooten – a record that's even tighter and more focused than his work with The Wooden Glass or 19th Whole! The album's got Billy and other vocalists singing along with his vibes and marimba – over the top of tightly vamping ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Carlo Rustichelli
Sei Donne Per L'Assassino (aka Blood & Black Lace) (grey vinyl pressing)Sugar/Spikerot (Italy), 1964. Gatefold
A great Italian soundtrack from that early 60s stretch when jazz was still a very strong part of film scoring – a mode that's borrowed from the French new wave, but used by Italian composers in cooler, groovier styles – as you'll hear in this excellent overlooked gem! The style is more ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Blues Creation
Blues Creation (2020 Japan Record Day Release)Polydor/Universal (Japan), 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
A fantastic Japanese group from the end of the 60s – a quartet who really live up to their name, and definitely give the blues rock movement of the Anglo world a run for its money! These guys are awash in plenty of fuzz – and the solos are long, and very trippy at points – that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Caiphus Semenya
Streams Today Rivers TomorrowMunjale/Be With (UK), 1984. (reissue)
South African soul from Caiphus Semenya – and a set that's got a nicely righteous, upbeat vibe throughout! Caiphus works here in that best sort of South African style in the decade when the nation's struggles were getting a lot more global attention – showing a spirit that refuses to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Dust To Digital, 1920s/1930s/1940s. 4CD
An amazing collection – and one that really lives up to the genius of the original Anthology Of American Folk Music put together by Harry Smith for Folkways Records! That groundbreaking set is the stuff of legend – a package that collected rare blues, folk, string band, hillbilly, and ... CD (Folk/Country CD)
Various
Blue Note Re:Imagined 2020Blue Note, 2020. 2CD
CD...$16.99
17.99
The sound of Blue Note Records – reimagined, but by a younger British group of musicians who don't record for the label at all! The sound here is more like recent work on Brownswood, A22, or Impulse Records – as the collection features lots of great contributions from artists who are ... CD (Jazz CD)
Kiki Dee
Fontana & Motown Years (3CD set)Universal/Edsel (UK), Late 60s. 3CD
A stunning collection of work from Kiki Dee – a British singer that most folks only discovered in the US in the mid 70s, thanks to a duet with Elton John – but one who gave her homeland some fantastic music in the 60s! The set's the first to fully dip into this part of Kiki's career, ... CD (Soul CD)
Rhymesayers, 2020. 2LP
LP...$22.99
24.99
A smoking Rhymesayers debut from Sa-Roc – one of the most inventive female MCs of the past decade, and an artist who just continues to explode with fresh energy on each new release! The album's mostly produced by Sol Messiah – Sa-Roc's longtime musical partner, and a talent who really ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Don Cherry
Don Cherry Trio – Live In Paris 1979Alternative Fox (UK), 1979.
A fantastic album from the great Don Cherry – and maybe one of the earliest examples of the way that he mixed together avant jazz and a globe's worth of influences on the European scene! The album features three long tracks – all seemingly improvised – very heavy on percussion, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Savoy/Honest Jons (UK), Late 50s/1960s/1970s/Early 80s. 3CD
An insanely fantastic look at the strong legacy of gospel music from Savoy Records – a company who were initially a powerhouse in the fields of jazz and R&B, but who moved into the gospel world and dominated that market for decades! Savoy is a bit like Chess Records – a company who ... CD (Gospel CD)
Happenings Four
Long Trip (2020 Japan Record Day Release)Capitol/Universal (Japan), Early 70s. Gatefold (reissue)
A heavy classic from a moment when the Japanese scene really started to take off and find its own directions in rock music – which is definitely the case from this hip combo who sing in Japanese, but have all these amazing instrumental elements that provide the record with a universal appeal! ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Busy Bee (Sweden), Mid 60s.
LP...$16.99
17.99
A really cool collection of lost cuts from the 60s – and one that goes a bit farther than other collections of this nature, as a good number of the groups are from spots around the world! Make no mistake, the vibe here is the sort that you'd hear coming out of American garages and back alley ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Billy Brooks
Windows Of The MindCrossover/We Want Sounds (UK), 1974.
Funky trumpet galore – and one of the few albums ever cut by trumpeter Billy Brooks as a leader! At the time of this 1974 LP, Billy Brooks was an overlooked LA trumpeter working in the Ray Charles band – and although this record didn't bring him instant fame when it was released, it's ... CD (Jazz CD)
Doug Webb
Apples & OrangesPosi tone, 2020.
Forget the cover, which is maybe a bit too sweet for our taste – and instead imagine some sort of vintage Prestige Records soul jazz image on the front – because the set's a tremendous batch of tenor and organ numbers throughout! Tenorist Doug Webb has recorded with Hammond organ ... CD (Jazz CD)
Lionel Loueke
HHEdition (UK), 2020.
Some of the most beautiful music we've ever heard from Lionel Loueke – a set that's mostly just solo guitar, with a bit of vocalization thrown in for good measure – and which has a style that's almost more compelling than some of Lionel's work in a larger format! Loueke doesn't really ... CD (Jazz CD)
Hugo Montenegro
Hugo In Wonder-Land (2020 Record Store Day Release)RCA/Nature Sounds, 1974. (reissue)
The moog wizard Hugo Montenegro takes on the music of Stevie Wonder – in a blend that maybe makes the record one of the coolest that the studio maestro ever recorded! Hugo had already proven that he could groove in the 60s, and he picked up the moog at the end of the decade and started ... LP, Vinyl record album (Now Sound LP)
Joni Mitchell
Early Joni – 1963Rhino, 1963.
A rare relic from the early Canadian years of Joni Mitchell – a never-released recording done at a radio station in Saskatoon – back at a time when she was still known as the 19 year old Joni Anderson! The songs are mostly traditional, but handled with guitar work and vocals by Joni ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Kling Klang/Parlophone, 1986. (reissue)
A mid-80s gem from Krafwerk – a record that almost caught the world by a bit of surprise, and which showed that the four robotic guys from Germany were alive and well! The influence of Kraftwerk on the sound of early 80s music is undeniable – from rock to soul to hip hop – yet ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Decca (UK), Late 60s. (reissue)
Fantastic early work from David Bowie – material that we've always treasured as much as Ziggy Stardust! This set's pre-Hunky Dory, pre-Space Oddity – and it's an amazing little record that's almost completely devoid of guitars – instead using weird woodwinds (lots of oboe!), ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Swamp Dogg
Gag A Maggott (splatter vinyl pressing)Stone Dogg/Alive, 1973. (reissue)
LP...$20.99
21.99
One of Swamp Dogg's roughest and rawest albums of the 70s – a real down-home affair that's probably one of the clearest expressions of what Jerry Williams was trying to do with his character! The album was produced by Jerry in collaboration with Miami soul maestro Steve Alaimo – and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Tino Contreras
La Noche De Los DiosesBrownswood (UK), 2020.
CD...$13.99
14.99
A brilliant late statement from Tino Contreras – the legendary Mexican drummer who's been part of the jazz scene in Mexico City for decades – and who can still give the world wonderfully vibrant music like this! There's a deeply spiritual vibe to the record – a sound that's like ... CD (Latin CD)
Grateful Dead
American Beauty (3CD set – with bonus tracks)Warner, 1970. 3 CDs
One of the crowning early moments from the young Grateful Dead – a key Warner studio album that really has the group moving from psychedelic to more roots-oriented modes – maybe a Marin vibe versus a Haight sort of happening – with loads of great guitar and pedal from Jerry Garcia ... CD (Rock CD)
Ben Wendel
High HeartEdition (UK), 2020.
A really lovely little record from tenor saxophonist/pianist Ben Wendel, and a set that's definitely got a high heart – this warmth that almost belies the cover – and which comes from Ben's own work on tenor, and the very cool wordless vocals of Michael Mayo! Mayo begins the record ... CD (Jazz CD)
Alexander Von Schlippenbach
Slow Pieces For AkiIntakt (Switzerland), 2020.
CD...$18.99
19.99
Spacious sounds from pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach – a set dedicated to Aki Takase, a fellow pianist who's had an influence on his work in more ways than one – and who here is clearly the inspiration for slower movement and more contemplative sounds on the keys! We've always ... CD (Jazz CD)
Abkco, 1975. (reissue)
A 70s album from The Stones, but one with a 60s-looking cover – and for good reason too, as the set features a whole host of unissued gems from their first decade in the studio! The package is a great reminder of how strong the group were at the start – so much so that the set ended up ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Tomeka Reid & Joe Morris
CombinationsRogue Art (France), 2020.
CD...$14.99
16.99
Stunning combinations of sound – Tomeka Reid on cello and Joe Morris on guitar – each sounding especially wonderful here in the company of each other! It may be our ears, but there seems to be a really special sort of warmth going on here – as Morris drops a bit of his sharper ... CD (Jazz CD)
BBE (UK), Late 2000s/2010s.
CD...$14.99
18.99
An excellent collection of Neo Soul gems – the kind of standout cuts that have made the movement such an important part of modern music over the past 20 years – a continuing evolution of classic soul styles, at a level you'll never find in the chartbound mainstream! These aren't ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Action Bronson
Only For DolphinsLoma Vista, 2020.
CD...$11.99
12.99
A dolphin welcomes the listener to the record – a sign that you're clearly in for something different than usual – and that sense of whimsy returns throughout, in a mix of rhythms, sound samples, and other elements that all stand as a nice contrast to the more straightforward rhymes in ... CD (Hip Hop CD)
Aquiles Navarro & Tcheser Holmes
Heritage of the Invisible IIInternational Anthem, 2020.
CD...$11.99
12.99
One of the boldest albums so far on the International Anthem label – and that's really saying a lot, given the boldness of most of their records! The set features wonderfully dynamic energy from Aquiles Navarro and Tcheser Holmes – the former a trumpeter, the latter a drummer – ... CD (Jazz CD)
Sure Fire Soul Ensemble feat Kelly Finnigan
Impeach The President/Colemine, 2020. (pic cover)
The Honeydrippers first recorded the tune back during the years of Nixon – but "Impeach The President" is a cut that maybe matters more now than ever – given a tight reading by the Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, and topped with vocals from Kelly Finnigan! The monstrous drum break ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Warren Wolf
Christmas VibesMack Avenue, 2020.
CD...$16.99
17.99
We love the music of vibist Warren Wolf any time of the year, but he sounds especially nice here on a Christmas album – which seems to make his instrument resonate with even more warmth and feeling than ever before! Most of the tunes are familiar numbers, but given some nice arrangements by ... CD (Holiday Music CD)
Kylie Auldist
This Is What Happiness Looks LikeSoul Bank, 2020.
Aussie singer Kylie Auldist first cut her teeth singing for deep funk groups – but on a set like this, it's clear that she's ready to step out and soar into a wide world of soulful modes! The record brings in more 80s styles than we've heard from Kylie before – some keyboards and ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Isao Suzuki
All RightThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1974.
Groovy electric work – in a style that's both funky and swinging, with many different strands and styles running through at once! Isao Suzuki plays electric piano, Hammond organ, vibes, and cello – a great mix of instruments that come off surprisingly well in his hands – ... CD (Jazz CD)
Ryko, 1970s/1980s. 2LP (reissue)
A special vinyl sampler from Frank Zappa – intended to point the way towards the big run of releases that would soon come on CD under the same title! The set brings together some of the best of that enterprise – and features live performances from 1969 through 1984 – all mastered ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Culpeper's Orchard
Mountain Music – The Polydor Recordings 1970 to 1973 (Culpeper's Orchard/Polydor/Esoteric (UK), Early 70s. 2CD
The complete Polydor Recordings of Culpeper's Orchard – a Danish group who are every bit as enigmatic as their name! The set begins with their debut – a great record from overlooked Danish group at the start of the 70s – a combo who could easily step between folksy and ... CD (Rock CD)
Little Richard
Second Coming (with bonus tracks)Reprise/Omnivore, 1972.
Funky 70s Little Richard – very much in the spirit of his Rill Thing album, although a bit more polished! The album features production and arrangements from New Orleans soul legend Bumps Blackwell – who first handled Richard way back when – and the record's sort of divided half ... CD (Soul CD)
Dan Lacksman
Dan LacksmanRKM/Real Gone, 1973.
A really cool record from the European scene of the early 70s – a set that features rockish vocals and guitar, but also a heck of a lot of moog and other keyboards too – all of which makes for an album that's years ahead of its time! Sure, there had been plenty of moog pop instrumental ... CD (Rock CD)
Merry Clayton
Gimme Shelter (black & white vinyl pressing)Ode/Real Gone, 1970. (reissue)
LP...$23.99
24.99
A classic from Merry Clayton – and a record whose title follows from her big fame of singing on the original version of "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones! The sound here is a lot more soul-based, as you'd guess – arranged beautifully by Gene Page, with a really righteous ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Cold Crush Brothers
TroopersWest Side/Demon (UK), 1988. (reissue)
The Cold Crush Brothers were a seminal force in New York hip hop in the mid 80s – thanks to singles on Tuff City, Profile, and B Boy – but this is the first full album the group ever issued, and really the only one until later collections of their work! The vibe here follows from the B ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Warner/Rhino, 1979. (reissue)
Devo's second album didn't scare the bejesus out of 70s rock fans in the way of their agitpop masterpiece debut, and the group's mainstream salad days of "Whip It" were still another year or two away, but nowadays we wouldn't trade Duty Now For The Future for just about any post punk ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Dewey Redman
ChoicesEnja/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1992.
Late work from avant tenor legend Dewey Redman – and surprisingly great, with all the best energy of his sides from older years! The album features Dewey playing in a trio with Cameron Brown on bass and Leon Parker on drums – plus guest appearances on about half the tracks by a young ... CD (Jazz CD)
Soul Jazz (UK), 2020. 2CD
A glittering constellation of groundbreaking jazz from the contemporary UK scene – a world of jazz that's changed dramatically over the past decade or so, with huge new advances in sound and styles in a range of different directions! The changes going on are a bit like some of those that ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Frankie Reyes
OriginalitosStones Throw, 2020.
LP...$16.99
17.99
A set that definitely earns its title – given that it features freshly original keyboard instrumentals from Frankie Reyes – a musician who plays here unlike anyone else we can think of! The tracks are all quite spare – the keyboard (organ?) serving as both the rhythm and the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Sooper, 2020. 2LP Gatefold
A fantastic second album from Chicago's Sen Morimoto – and, like the first, a set that really moves beyond simple definition! Sen's got years of experience in jazz and rock – and those elements come into play with his hip hop production, in ways that make for a real genre-crossing ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Tommy Flanagan
Ballads & BluesEnja/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1978.
A key 70s session from Tommy Flanagan – a record that showed that he was still one of the most fluid and soulful players of his generation! The album has Flanagan working only with the bass of George Mraz – in a drum-less format with even less structure than usual, a perfect setting ... CD (Jazz CD)
Dan Lacksman
Electronic System Vol 2RKM/Real Gone, 1973.
A really sweet electronic album from Dan Lacksman – one that's a lot more instrumental than his debut album, but which still sounds different than some of the moog records that came before! Dan's really opening up his analog skills here – and he uses the world of electronics in ways ... CD (Rock CD)
Shigeko Toya
Shigeko Toya With The Imada Masaru TrioThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1972.
An unusual little session from early 70s Japan – one that features some jazz vocals from Shigeko Toya, but also a fair bit of piano as well – set alongside backing from the trio of Masaru Imada, who plays organ on the numbers that don't feature Toya on the piano! If that sounds ... CD (Jazz CD)
Danny Woods
AriesInvictus/Demon (UK), 1972. (reissue)
A rare solo effort from Danny Woods – a record cut away from Chairmen Of The Board during a stretch when the group had temporarily disbanded – and an excellent showcase for Danny's strength on his own! Woods is really wonderful here – with a proud, righteous quality that really ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Delano Stewart & Others
Stay A Little Bit Longer (plus bonus tracks)Trojan/Doctor Bird (UK), Late 60s. 2CD
A great collection of work – one that features a core album by the Delano Stewart, plus a huge amount of extra material that was also handled by producer Sonia Pottinger! The set begins with Stay A Little Longer – an excellent set by the under-recorded Delano Stewart – a singer ... CD (Reggae CD)
Kenny Carter
Showdown – The Complete 1966 RCA RecordingsRCA/Kent (UK), 1966.
CD...$12.99
18.99
The long-overdue release of the complete RCA recordings of Kenny Carter – a hell of a singer who should have been huge, but who only saw a few tracks issues as singles back in the day! This set corrects that fact, and brings together 22 titles that Kenny recorded for RCA – magnificent ... CD (Soul CD)
Christopher Parker & Kelly Hurt with Brian Blade
No Tears SuiteMahakala, 2020.
A fantastic project dedicated to the legendary Brown V Board Of Education moment in the Civil Rights Movement – a suite of tracks recorded in Little Rock, home of the original moment of integration – with music by pianist Christopher Parker, and songs and recitations from Kelly Hurt! ... CD (Jazz CD)
Don Cherry
Om Shanti OmBlack Sweat (Italy), 1976.
Rare 70s work from Don Cherry, and one of the most perfect realizations of his organic music concept – a quartet session recorded for Italian broadcast, with long songs that have a very spun-out, meditative vibe! Cherry's on pocket trumpet, but is way more than a horn player – as his ... CD (Jazz CD)
Pete Rock
80 Blocks InstrumentalsSoul Brother, 2020.
LP...$21.99
23.99
A backward step from the second 80 Blocks From Tiffany's project – one that shows just how strong Pete Rock remains as a producer over the years – and how great the rock-solid rhythms of his work can be, even without any vocals! Pete first helped set the tone for a generation 25 years ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Gorillaz
Song Machine – Season OneParlophone, 2020.
CD...$12.99
13.99
A record that's a bit of an anomaly, given that it was created in the time of Covid – as the Gorillaz work here with a whole host of guest stars – in the kind of musical party that most local authorities would shut down! Yet given the virtual nature of the group – the core of ... CD (Rock CD)
Parlophone, 2020. 2CD
A record that's a bit of an anomaly, given that it was created in the time of Covid – as the Gorillaz work here with a whole host of guest stars – in the kind of musical party that most local authorities would shut down! Yet given the virtual nature of the group – the core of ... CD (Rock CD)
Eugene Chadbourne
Live At Grady's Records (3CD box set)Weird Cry, 2015/2018/2020. 3CD
Three different performances from guitar genius Eugene Chadbourne – each recorded in a very intimate setting at Grady's Record Refuge in Ventura! Each CD features two long tracks – one an extended performance with guitar, the other with banjo – usually with Chadbourne delivering ... CD (Rock CD)
Fremeaux & Associates (France), 1940s/1950s. 4CD
CD...$22.99
29.98
If you've ever doubted the genius of Yma Sumac, here's a set that will really change your mind – as the overstuffed package presents a huge amount of music from the legendary singer – including a full disc's worth of material recorded in Argentina, before her famous postwar work on ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Gaslamp Killer
Heart Math (2 X 10 inch LP – on colored vinyl)Cuss, 2020. 2 x 10 inch Gatefold
LP...$32.99
34.99
A fantastic testament to the ever-growing strengths of Gaslamp Killer – and a record that's not really instrumental hip hop, or just a loose collection of beats – but instead almost moves the producer into the territory of more complex soundtrack or sound library modes, yet still all ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Captain Sky
Adventures Of Captain SkyAVI/Past Due, 1978.
A legendary funk set from late 70s Chicago – served up by our own Captain Sky, aka Daryl Cameron – an imposing figure who often worked in the same space-themed territory as the P-Funk empire in the mid 70s! The difference here, though, is that Cameron wrote, produced, and put the whole ... CD (Soul CD)
Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim)
Dollar Brand At MontreuxEnja/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1980.
Extremely solid live work from Dollar Brand – playing here before a very enthusiastic crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1980! The group is especially nice – a tight quintet with Carlos Ward on flute and alto, Craig Harris on trombone, Andre Strobert on drums, and Alonzo Gardner on ... CD (Jazz CD)
Octobre
Octobre (tan vinyl pressing)Return To Analog (Canada), Early 70s. (reissue)
An excellent prog set from the early 70s Quebec scene – work that really shows just how special that oft-overlooked world of music could be at the time! Octobre certainly have the instrumental chops to rival bigger prog groups, but they also come across with a quality that's more personal ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Diana Ross & The Supremes
Funny Girl (2CD ultimate edition)Motown/Real Gone, 1968. 2CD
CD...$26.99
27.99
A great little album from Diana Ross – maybe one of her lesser-known efforts with The Supremes, and a set that really points the way towards the solo years to come! One of the reasons for that is that the set really just features Diana out in the lead, with different backing singers behind ... CD (Soul CD)
Giancarlo Chiaramello
Quando Gli Uomini Armarono La Clave E – Con Le Donne Fecero Din-DonBeat (Italy), 1971.
One of the more obscure entries in the caveman comedy genre that cropped up briefly at the end of the 60s – a set of very groovy tunes for a movie that has the females going on a sex strike to keep the men from fighting! There's very little in the music to tie the film to Lysistrata – ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Procol Harum
Something Magic (2CD edtiion – with bonus tracks)Chrysalis/Esoteric (UK), 1977. 2CD
Relatively late work in the classic years of Procol Harum – but as any true fan of the group will tell you, these guys never stopped being great – even if the rest of the world wasn't paying as close of attention as they were back in the 60s! Gary Brooker's vocals and piano are still ... CD (Rock CD)
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Essential Gladys Knight & The Pips 1961 to 1965Sunset Blvd, Early 60s. 2CD
CD...$20.99
21.99
If you only know Gladys Knight from her Motown classics, or her big hits of the early 70s, you'll find a huge amount to discover here – because right from the start, the lady and her group were really something special! The idea of a male/female vocal group was a bit unique in the early 60s ... CD (Soul CD)
Esoteric (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. 3CD
A heady look at the Danish psych scene at the end of the 60s – music that's not nearly as well known as US or UK material from the time – but every bit as groovy! Most of these groups sing in English, and are sharing some of the same influences that were coming out of the British scene ... CD (Rock CD)
Trans-Kalahari Quintet
Long Journey HomeAnsonica, 2020.
CD...$13.99
14.99
Nice work from the Trans-Kalahari Quintet – a group that mostly resides in Botswana, but which also has a vibe that reminds us of South African jazz traditions from back in the 70s and 80s! The tunes all have a strong sense of flow – a rhythmic pulse that engages other southern African ... CD (Jazz CD)
Various
Spiritual Jazz Vol 12 – Esoteric, Modal, & Progressive Jazz From Impulse Records 1962 to 1975Impulse/Jazzman (UK), 1960s/Early 70s. 2 CDs
An essential look at the spiritual jazz legacy of Impulse Records – a set that's maybe a bit overdue in this series, given that Impulse first opened the door to these modes with their recordings of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders in the 60s! For some reason, Impulse had a perfect ear for ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Eddie Barclay & Others
Arrangeur, Interprete, Et Producteur 1946 to 1962 (3CD set)Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 40s/1950s/Early 60s. 3CD
CD...$18.99
29.99
A huge tribute to a giant force in French music at midcentury – bandleader, arranger, and producer Eddie Barclay – a man who recorded plenty of records on his own, then went on to launch the Barclay label to showcase a generation worth of fresh French talent! The first two CDs provide ... CD (Jazz CD)
Captain Sky
Pop Goes The CaptainAVI/Past Due, 1979.
The second smoking album from Captain Sky – a Windy City funk legend, and one who's cut from some of the same cloth as Bootsy Collins or Rick James! Like both of those artists, the Captain's a pretty imposing figure, with a bit of future flash to his looks – and while he uses lots of ... CD (Soul CD)
Atlantic/Soulmusic.com (UK), 1960s. 3CD
Damn fantastic work from Barbara Lewis – one of our favorite soul singers of the 60s, and an artist who's a bit unlike anyone else! Lewis hails from the Detroit area, but also did a fair bit of early recording in Chicago – and in a way, her sound is maybe a mix of the class of Motown ... CD (Soul CD)
Butcher Brown
#KingButchConcord, 2020.
Fantastically jamming genius from Butcher Brown – a contemporary funk combo, but one with a sound that owes nothing to anyone else! These guys aren't retro, or any kind of jamband offshoot – and instead, they rework vintage instrumentation with a very fresh feel of their own – a ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Chene Noir
Orphee 2000Chene Noir/Heavenly Sweetness (France), 1976.
A spiritual set from 70s France – but one that has a very different origin than most! Chene Noir come from a theatrical background, and do a wonderful job of mixing up elements – that free-spirited sense of genre-stepping that took place on the French scene after the initial ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Mike Hanapi
Mike Hanapi With Kalama's QuartetMississippi, Late 20s/Early 30s.
Groundbreaking guitar work from Mike Hanapi – one of the important early guitarists in the Hawaiian slide mode – from a generation that had a huge impact on blues and country music to come! Mike's style here isn't the cheesy 60s Hawaiian modes of the Don Ho generation – and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
A Kostis (Constantinos Kostas Bezos)
Jail's A Fine SchoolMississippi, 1930/1931.
Beautifully folksy work from pre-war Greece – a series of 78s from Constantinos Bezos, not only a musician, but also a journalist and actor too – and reportedly one with a very political wit! That wit comes through in the title of the collection – but might not in the lyrics to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
CAM/Quartet (Italy), 1961. 2CD
A wonderful Nino Rota score – composed around the same time as his better-known work for Fellini, but done for a film directed by Luchino Visconti! There's a great mix of darkness and light in the music – some playful themes mixed with moodier moments – set to instrumentation ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Sly5thAve
What It IsTru Thoughts (UK), 2020.
Sly5thAve is deeper and more soulful than ever before – really stepping past his initial role as a creative beatmaker, and emerging here more as a fully-formed producer with a strong ear for his overall sound! The tunes here are a mix of instrumental and vocal numbers – woven together ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Richard Groove Holmes
Dancing In the SunVersatile/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1977.
Groove Holmes is definitely dancing in the sun here – working with full arrangements from Mario Sprouse, in a sweetly soulful style that's not unlike Johnny Hammond at the time! Groove still plays Hammond on most numbers – but also a bit of mini Korg too – and although the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Elektra/Esoteric (UK), Late 60s. 3CD
A great little package – three overlooked gems from Rhinoceros – all packaged together in a single box set! First up is their self-titled debut – the great first album from Rhinoceros – a group that's every bit as heavy as their name, and who really deserved much bigger ... CD (Rock CD)
Twilite Tone
ClearingStones Throw, 2020.
A really great Stones Throw debut from Twilite Tone – a Chicago beatmaker who's been one of our local heroes for years, and who finally gets the wider exposure he's deserved for way too long! Tone's done some big name work for Common, Kanye, and others – but here, he's very much at ... CD (Hip Hop CD)
Sandro Brugnolini
Abstract Forms – A Selection Of Electronic Moods & AtmospheresMusica Per Immagini/Sonor (Italy), Late 80s/Early 90s.
Late work from Italian sound library giant Sandro Brugnolini, but great work too – a set that shifts a bit in the styles of instrumentation used, but which follows lots of the same dark passages that Sandro explored in the 70s! The keyboards and electronics are more digital than analog, but ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Ill Considered
Ill Considered 3Ill Considered (UK), 2018.
We can't get enough of this group – and their unique piano-less style has a different approach to spiritual jazz modes than you might ear from another combo – especially since the drums and percussion are often used in ways that are complicated, but never to free to lose the groove of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Anteloper (Jaimie Branch & Jason Nazary)
Tour Beats Vol 1International Anthem, 2020.
LP...$18.99
19.99
Mindblowing sounds from Anteloper – a great side project from trumpeter Jaimie Branch, and one that lets her open up with lots of the more electronic sides of her spirit! The set's a collaboration with Jason Nazary – who adds in acoustic drums plus a host of electronics and effects ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Strut (UK), Late 70s/1980s/Early 90s.
A great look at one of our favorite record labels of all time – a company that was one of the first we ever worked together with, back when we started Dusty Groove – and whose music has been a huge inspiration to us for decades! Black Fire is a really special record label from the DC ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Garland/Beat Rocket, Late 60s.
CD...$13.99
14.99
A really cool collection of work from the surprisingly deep musical well of Garland Records – a Pacific Northwest imprint that's maybe best known for some garagey gems, but who here display a great ability to cut country-tinged records too! The vibe here is a bit Bakersfield, but filtered ... CD (Rock CD)
Ryo Fukui
Letter From Slow BoatSapporo/WRWTFWW (Switzerland), 2015.
Beautiful work from pianist Ryo Fukui – a relatively recent set, but one that sparkles with all the charm and imagination of his famous records from years back! The format is a familiar trio – with Takumi Awaya on bass and Itetsu Takemura on drums – but as always with Fukui, the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Penny Penny
Yogo YogoAwesome Tapes From Africa, 1996.
The strong second album from Penny Penny – a set that has the South African singer emerging as even more of a superstar than before – as you might guess from his look on the cover! The style is this unique blend of older South African vocal modes with more contemporary club elements ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Emma-Jean Thackray
Um Yang EP – Night Dreamer Direct To Disc SessionsNight Dreamer (UK), 2020.
A fantastic Ep by UK trumpeter Emma Jean Thackray – really growing into an important role as a leader here, amidst some of her hippest contemporaries from the London scene! The album features two side-long tracks, both brilliant – built up from spontaneous interplay between Thackray ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella – The Lost Berlin TapesVerve, 1962. 2LP
LP...$24.99
29.99
Ella Fitzgerald recorded one of her most successful albums in Berlin – a smoking live set that gave the world her take on "Mack The Knife" – and this set marks a fantastic second chapter to that record – unreleased tapes that appear here for the first time ever! The ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)
Horace Tapscott & Michael Session
Live in Avignon, France – 1989Village, 1989.
LP...$28.99
29.99
A beautiful lost performance from pianist Horace Tapscott – a set of duets with saxophonist Michael Session, recorded in France at the end of the 80s – and based around three long tracks, one penned by Tapscott himself – the other two by LA/Nimbus contemporaries Jesse Sharps and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Mildlife
AutomaticHeavenly, 2020.
Mildlife snuck under the radar a bit with their previous record – but here, they seem poised to break big, and with a sound that's very much their own! All the great keyboard work from before is still in place, but the vocal quotient of the music has been increased – to a level where ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Christian McBride
For Jimmy, Wes, & OliverMack Avenue, 2020.
Bassist Christian McBride is at the helm of a big band here – paying tribute to the fantastic work done for Verve Records in the 60s by organist Jimmy Smith, guitarist Wes Montgomery, and arranger Oliver Nelson! The set really captures the dynamic energy of records like Bashin or The Dynamic ... CD (Jazz CD)
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids
ShamanStrut (UK), 2020.
CD...$12.99
13.99
A tremendous return to form for reedman Idris Ackamoor and his Pyramids group – and a record that we love every bit as much as his classic material from the 70s! There's a power, righteousness, and urgency to this album that we haven't heard from Ackamoor in years – very much the kind ... CD (Jazz CD)
Kellee Patterson
Maiden VoyageBlack Jazz/Real Gone, 1973.
The most righteous album ever from Kellee Patterson – her first record, and a set that's way different from her more soul-based sides of later years! The album's got Patterson working in a wonderfully soulful approach to jazz – a style that's not unlike the earliest work by Dee Dee ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Far Out (UK), Mid 70s. (pic cover)
Two rare early tracks from Azymuth – both mighty nice! "As Curvas Da Estrada De Santos" is an instrumental take on a tune by the brothers Robert and Erasmo Carlos – but done as a slow-stepping funky instrumental, with loads of great organ work from Jose Roberto Bertrami! The ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Orchestra Baobab
Specialist in All Styles (180 gram pressing)World Circuit/Nonesuch, 2002. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$28.99
29.99
A great return to form for Orchestra Baobab – a group who really shone on the Senegalese scene in the 70s, but disbanded right as they were hitting global fame – eventually reuniting around the time of this album, thanks to demand from listeners around the world! The style is nicely ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Michel Colombier
Capot Pointu (colored vinyl pressing – with bonus tracks)Play Time (France), 1969.
One of the grooviest albums ever by this baroque French arranger! Michel Colombier has cut some pretty great stuff in his time – but this album's probably the greatest, and it swings with a bouncy late 60s French pop sound that recalls some of the hippest work of Serge Gainsbourg, Michel ... LP, Vinyl record album (French LP)
Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
Chicago WavesInternational Anthem, 2020.
A record that's a bit of a dream come true for us at Dusty Groove – a set that features two of our favorite contemporary musicians, recording at a unique venue in our fair city – with a vibe that makes the record one of the best we've ever heard from the pair! Carlos Nino was one of ... CD (Jazz CD)
Jeff Parker
Suite For Max BrownInternational Anthem/Nonesuch, 2020.
CD...$13.99
14.98
Mindblowing music from Jeff Parker – sounds that we always knew were part of his core, but which have maybe taken most of his career to emerge! This album follows beautifully from Jeff's previous album for International Anthem – and like that one, it's an explosion of new and old ideas ... CD (Jazz CD)
Sun Ra & His Solar-Myth Arkestra
Solar-Myth Approach Vols 1 & 2Corbett vs. Dempsey/BYG, Late 60s. 2CDs
CD...$18.99
20.00
Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra ... CD (Jazz CD)
Paisley Park/Warner, 1987. 3CD
A fantastic record from Prince – a double-length set that came out at a time when the purple one was brimming over with energy and new ideas – and a step slightly in the direction of more socially conscious material! Everything that was great about Prince before the record is ... CD (Soul CD)
Ayalew Mesfin
Che Belew (March Forward)Now Again, Mid 70s.
Rare singles and unreleased tracks from one of the funkiest artists on the 70s scene in Ethiopia – the amazing Ayalew Mesfin – a fantastic talent with a groove that's dying to be heard! Mesfin's music has maybe even more of James Brown groove than some of his funky contemporaries ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Gregory Porter
All RiseBlue Note, 2020.
CD...$13.99
14.99
A heck of a step forward for Gregory Porter – and we're stunned to say that, because he's already had so many great steps forward in his career! Gregory's already been a hell of a singer for years – we've loved him since the very first note he ever recorded – but with a record ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Cosmic Vibrations featuring Dwight Trible
Pathways & PassagesSpiritmuse, 2020.
A great spiritual jazz group – one put together at the suggestion of Dwight Trible, and which features his amazing vocals as the cornerstone! The group have some sonic roots in the past, but also embrace some of the newer freedoms of the current spiritual jazz scene – modes that would ... CD (Jazz CD)
Sea Lions
Free The PeopleJet (Austria), 1978.
An unusual album from the West African scene of the 70s – a set that brings together that area's styles with touches of reggae and maybe a slight current of soul – all of which makes for a very distinct approach to rhythm, which is also echoed in the vocals and instrumentation! There's ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Cherry Red (UK), Late 70s/1980s. 4CDs
A really great idea for a collection, and one that traces a really unique moment in time – that explosion of small indie labels on the UK scene during the early years of punk – a moment that opened the door for countless new waves of musical expression for years to come! Sure, the big ... CD (Rock CD)
Various
Breaking The Beats – A Personal Selection of West London Sounds – Compiled By Joey Negro & Will FoxZ Records (UK), 2000s. 2CD
CD...$16.99
19.99
A stunning selection of the sorts of music that really set the London scene on fire at the start of the century – the new wave of broken beat artists who sprung up in the wake of jungle – a whole new generation of producers and performers that really reinvented the sound of the ... CD (New Grooves CD)
Roscoe Weathers
I'll RememberJazzman (UK), Mid 60s.
Really wonderful work from a very overlooked talent – reedman Roscoe Weathers, a player who worked the west coast in the 60s before settling in LA – then led a group with a very strong flute sound in the lead! Roscoe's music here has plenty of echoes of the spiritualism of Yusef Lateef ... CD (Jazz CD)
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