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AACM Great Black Music Ensemble
Live At The Currency Exchange Volume 1AACM, 2019.
A fantastic testament to the never-ending legacy of mindblowing music from Chicago's AACM collective – a live set that brings together some of the less-recorded musicians in the organization, all working through a set of beautiful live improvisations! The music is listed as "spontaneous ... CD (Jazz CD)
Favorite (France), Late 70s/Early 80s.
Smooth, soulful tracks from many corners of the planet – all pulled together in a fantastic fourth edition of this wonderful series! Most folks associated AOR grooves with the slickest studios in New York and LA during the 70s – but in farther-flung locations, the style was also being ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Herbie Hancock
Flood (2018 Black Friday Release)Sony/Get On Down, 1975. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$29.99
31.98
A fantastic double-length set from Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters – easily one of Herbie's greatest records ever, but originally only issued in Japan! Hancock is in tremendous form here – almost as if he's merging the grooves of the Headhunters album with the wilder electric modes ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
King Bucknor & His Afrodisk Beat Organisation
Katakata (180 gram pressing)Shanu Olu/Hot Casa (France), Mid 70s. (reissue)
A really tremendous record from the Lagos scene of the 70s – a set that's completely sharp from beginning to end, and which has the same sort of side-long jamming that you'd find on the best records by Fela Kuti at the time! King Bucknor's billed as "The Black Isaiah Of Africa" ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Afro Blue Persuasion
Live At Haight Levels – Vol 1 (with download)Mo Jazz/Tramp (Germany), 1967.
Fantastic work from the kind of local combo who never got their due on the national scene – but who never let that stop them from making some really wonderful music back in the day! We know next to nothing about the Afro Blue Persuasion combo – save for the fact that they were active ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Lance Ferguson
Rare Groove SpectrumFreestyle (UK), 2018.
Lance Ferguson has given us plenty of great work over the years – from his work in The Bamboos, to all his many other projects – yet as much as we've liked all of those, this one might actually be one of his best – a fantastic reworking of rare groove tracks from the 70s, all with ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Various
Las Vegas Grind Vol 7Jazzman (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s.
Jazzman Records takes over the legendary Las Vegas Grind series – and does a fantastic job of coming up with the kind of really raunchy tracks that always made the collections so great! When this series first came out, it really blew our mind – because although we knew plenty of older ... CD (Rock CD)
Hot Casa (France), Late 70s.
A great companion to the Togo Soul 70 compilation – one that features two more rare tracks from back in the day, and two new remixes that offer up a contemporary take on a pair of other rare cuts! If you missed the core volume, it's definitely well worth checking out – and is a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Cannonball Adderley
Swingin' In Seattle – Live At The Penthouse 1966 to 1967Reel To Real, Mid 60s.
CD...$16.99
18.99
Great live work from the Cannonball Adderley Quintet – recorded during a time when the group's star was really rising on Capitol Records, but at a level that's got the more open-ended, freely-blown style of their classic concert dates for Riverside! The material here was all recorded for ... CD (Jazz CD)
Jacky Giordano
Timing ArchivesDe Wolfe/Farfalla (France), Mid 70s.
A great set of rare tracks recorded by French funk maestro Jacky Giordano – originally released as part of a series titled "Timings" for the De Wolfe Sound Library – but with a groove that's way deeper than that stiff titled might make you expect! The tracks are tight and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Billy Robinson
Evolution's BlendRadio Canada/Return To Analog (Canada), 1972. (reissue)
A fantastic album from overlooked Candian tenorist Billy Robinson – a hell of a player, and one who might have been huge if this album were issued on a regular label in the US – instead of as a project by Radio Canada up north! Robinson has a wonderful vision here – gently ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Orgone
ReasonsKillion Sound, 2019.
Orgone just seem to get better and better as the years go on – from a more standard funk combo to one who've really found their own groove – which they seem to push even further here with the addition of singer Adryon De Leon – a vocalist who really helps bring some focus to their ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Andre Tanker Five
Afro Blossom West (180 gram pressing)Cree (Germany), 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$26.99
29.99
A jazzy combo from the Caribbean – led by a singer who also plays some really wonderful vibes! The rhythms are strong, with a definite dose of calypso in the mix – but the overall sound is much more in the jazz side of the spectrum, thanks to fluidly melodic sounds from Andre Tanker on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Takeru Muraoka
Rock Joy In SaxVictor (Japan), 1971.
Don't let the "rock" in the title fool you – as this is a jazz album all the way through, but one that has Japanese tenorist Takeru Muraoka taking on some of the hipper rock songs at the start of the 70s! Muraoka has this raspy, almost fuzzy tone at times – mixed with heavy ... CD (Jazz CD)
Mother Earth
Complete Recordings 1968 to 1970 (Living With The Animals/Mercury/Wounded Bird, Late 60s. 2CD
CD...$15.99
19.98
A trio of classics from this groundbreaking group! First up is Living With The Animals – fantastic early work from Mother Earth – one of those special late 60s groups who emerged out of the rock, folk, and blues scenes – but who somehow managed to make a very special sound of ... CD (Rock CD)
Guy Skornik
TuskFinders Keepers (UK), 1979.
Really beautiful electronics from the enigmatic Guy Skornik – an artist that we mostly know for his quirky concept record Pour Pauwels, but who sounds here like some of the best electronicians of the German scene of the 70s! All tracks are long and spun out – electronic, but with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Shungo Sawada
Fool On The HillRCA/Victor (Japan), 1969.
Groovy instrumental work from late 60s Japan – a set that features guitar from Shungo Sawada, and a feel that's a bit like some of Wes Montgomery's best large group sets for A&M or Verve! The core combo features Sawada on guitar, plus piano and organ from Maeda Norio – brought ... CD (Jazz CD)
Harvey Mandel
Righteous (180 gram pressing)Philips/Purple Pyramid, 1969. (reissue)
LP...$13.99
14.98
A very nice set of electric guitar groovers from a young Harvey Mandel! The record has less of the trippy dippy feel of Harvey's later albums – and instead has some nice tight jazzy arrangements with his soulful guitar soloing over the top. There's a lot going on stylistically here without ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Vladimir Tarasov
Atto IVMelodia/Sahko (Finland), 1989. (reissue)
A beautiful little record that's wonderfully hard to peg – not entirely a jazz record, although there are elements in the set of avant improvisation – but also not really any other style we can think of – and we mean that in the best way possible! Vladimir Tarasov recorded this ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Toni Tornado
Toni TornadoOdeon/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1972. (reissue)
An early 70s gem from Brazilian singer Toni Tornado – one of that country's greatest soul singers of the time, and an artist with a real talent for putting over a groove! The tunes on the set are a mad mix of heavy funk, deep soul, and larger arrangements – making the whole thing sound ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Eddie Palmieri
Mi Luz MayorRopeadope, 2019.
CD...$11.99
13.98
A hard-driving set from the great Eddie Palmieri – and a record that's maybe his strongest salsa effort in years, even though it's still filled with lots of the edgey, jazzy touches he's also brought to his best material in recent decades! The album's got a very strong lead vocal presence ... CD (Latin CD)
Shungo Sawada Quartet
FormationVictor (Japan), 1970.
Searingly soulful work from the group of guitarist Shungo Sawada – a player we mostly know from his groovy instrumental sides of the 60s, but who sounds plenty darn hip in this setting! The record has a nice sort of soul jazz groove on most numbers – one that takes Shungo's warmer ... CD (Jazz CD)
Behn Gillece
Parallel UniversePosi tone, 2019.
CD...$11.99
16.98
In recent years, Behn Gillece has risen to become one of the most consistent musicians on the vibes in jazz – both in terms of his own music, and the ever-growing legacy of records he's been giving us! This set finds Behn at the top of his form – effortlessly ringing out these bold, ... CD (Jazz CD)
Cherry Red (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 4CD
A fantastic entry in the Close To The Noise Floor series – one that looks at early American experiments with electronics – but from the DIY generation that was unlocking access to technology that had previously been in the hands of bigger label artists and the academic electronic scene! ... CD (Rock CD)
Various
Midnight In Tokyo Vol 3 – Japanese Rare Soul, Boogie & New Wave – Compiled By Toshiya KawasakiStudio Mule (Germany), Late 70s/Early 80s. 2LP
A sexy set of tracks from the Japanese scene – music that seems to start in the disco years, and move into some of the more electronic Tokyo modes of the next generation – but always with a sweetly groovy style to the music! The work here is very different than both US soul of the time ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Etta Jones
Soulful Sunday – Live At The Left BankReel To Real, 1972.
CD...$16.99
18.99
A very soulful setting from singer Etta Jones – who really opens up here in a concert done for the Left Bank jazz society in Baltimore! The performance is from 1972, and really has Jones sounding a bit different than on her 60s material for Prestige – partly because backings are by the ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Flesh Eaters
I Used To Be PrettyYep Roc, 2019.
CD...$14.99
15.99
Now as much as ever, The Flesh Eaters are a vessel for Chris D's smart and serious lit quality punk poetry, with macabre lyrical themes that give it a dark, distinctive edge. And what a vessel he has with these seasoned genre-defying legends from X, Los Lobos and The Blasters, all seemingly ... CD (Rock CD)
East West/Music On Vinyl (Netherlands), 1993. (reissue)
The somewhat slept on second album by Das Efx – and in hindsight, it's just as solid as Dead Serious – maybe even more consistently strong than the breakout debut! Dray and Skoob keep up the loco syllabic tempo and tongue tripping rhymes on this one – over the head nodding Solid ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Chantal Goya
Comment Le Revoir (Japanese paper sleeve edition)Oldays (Japan), Mid 60s.
Some of the coolest, grooviest work from the French scene of the 60s – recordings by the lovely Chantal Goya – a stunning presence both on record and on screen at the time! Goya's maybe best remembered for her role on Jean-Luc Godard's Masculin/Feminin – where she almost plays a ... CD (French CD)
Cachao/
Complete Cuban Jam Sessions (5CD set)
Panart/Craft, Late 50s/Early 60s. 5CD
An incredible collection of records – a series of albums that forever changed the sound of Latin music around the world! These five sets were all cooked up in the changing Cuban scene at the start of the 60s – where musicians were getting looser and freer, with a sound that was quite ... CD (Latin CD)
Horace Parlan
Movin & GroovinBlue Note (Japan), 1960.
A killer set of tracks by one of the best piano players that Blue Note ever recorded – and a great trio outing that sparkles with soulful intensity! Even in this more traditional format, Horace Parlan's still one of the most inventive players of his generation – working with a sense of ... CD (Jazz CD)
Matthew Shipp & Mat Maneri
Conference Of The Mat/Rogue Art (France), 2019.
CD...$14.99
16.99
The title of the album might be a gimmicky joke – but the sound of the record is completely wonderful – richly expressive sounds from Matthew Shipp on piano and Mat Maneri on viola – coming together on a number of different improvised tracks, each with a very different vibe! We've ... CD (Jazz CD)
Mourning A BLKstar
Garner PoemsElectric Cowbell, 2018.
A fantastically righteous set – a blend of funk and politics that we haven't heard done this well since the 70s – even though the whole record is aimed at dealing with contemporary issues – as you might guess from the title's reference to the late Eric Garner! The set's dedicated ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
DJ Muggs
Soul Assassins – Dia Del AsesinatoSoul Assassins, 2019.
LP...$23.99
24.98
DJ Muggs in a raw, neo classic NY gritty hip hop mode – and if you're going to pull that blueprint off convincingly, you may as well be one the architects – really doing a solid, timeless job here! This is tough, terse, top notch stuff with a strong guestlist to suit, including legends ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Brian Ellis
Deep CluesHobo Camp, 2019.
LP...$18.99
22.98
A soulful solo set from Brian Ellis – a keyboardist we know from more jazz-based projects in recent years, but who really soars out here in a warmly sunny mode! Brian handles everything on the album himself – working like some LA maestro from the 70s in a multi-track studio – and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Cortex
L'Enfant Samba/Trad Vibe (France), 1975. (pic cover)
Two of the coolest cuts from this legendary funk ensemble – back to back on a limited 45! "L'Enfant Samba" has a fantastic groove – samba at the core, but laced with sweet keyboards – then given this breezy French female vocal on top, scatting at times, with almost a ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
CAM/Quartet (Spain), 1962. 2 CDs
Beautiful work by Nino Rota – filled with the kind of classic themes that distinguished his best work for Fellini. Carlo Savina conducted, and he does an excellent job with Rota's ideas – crafting them into short little packets of sound, woven tightly into little balls that pass back ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Joni Mitchell
Blue (colored vinyl pressing)Reprise/Rhino, 1971. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$19.99
21.98
A peak album for Joni and genuinely one of the greatest singer-singwriter albums of the 70s, of not ever, all the greater for the intimacy of the songs and beauty of her voice! Perfect isn't a word you want to throw around too often, but Joni Mitchell's Blue might be one of the rare perfect albums. ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon (180 gram pressing)Asylum/Rhino, 1976. (reissue)
LP...$19.99
21.98
An early gem from Warren Zevon – his first for Asylum and a creative peak – with some of his best remembered songs, and deeper album cuts that are just as great! Zevon's dark sense of humor comes through here, especially on the all time classic "Poor Poor Pitiful Me", but ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Wadada Leo Smith
Rosa Parks – Pure LoveTum (Finland), 2018.
CD...$16.99
19.99
A righteously powerful piece from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – a tribute to the political power of Rosa Parks, and her lasting legacy in American history – served up as an oratorio of seven songs, performed with a nicely shifting lineup! The album is one of the most ambitious we've ... CD (Jazz CD)
Mojo, 2019.
The unhinged story of The Doors is the cover story this month – with lots more features, on Khruangbin, Donny Hathaway, Prefab Sprout, Fleetwood Mac, Noel Gallagher, The Moody Blues, Mick Jagger and the 50th Anniversary of his legendary, Nicolas Roeg-directed film Performance, 2019 music ... Magazine (Magazine)
Sourakata Koite
En HollandAwesome Tapes From Africa, 1984.
Wonderfully deft work on the kora from Sourakata Koite – a musician who maybe seems to handle the instrument with an even more fluid, more rhythmic sound than most other players we've heard! The Kora's got many strings – kind of a cross between a harp and a lute – but Koite never ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Return To Analog (Canada), 1981. (reissue)
Sweet AOR grooves from Gilles Rivard – a Canadian singer from the start of the 80s, and one who works here with a very jazzy vibe! The lyrics are all in French, but it's clear that Gilles is a hell of a songwriter – able to come up with songs that are smartly structured, as well as ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Ides Of March
Friendly Strangers – The Warner Brothers Recordings (Vehicle/Warner/Wounded Bird, Early 70s. 2CD
CD...$15.99
19.98
Both full Warner Brothers albums by this excellent group – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Vehicle – the debut album from Ides Of March – a group who will forever be known for the jazzy grooving title hit – "Vehicle", a brassy driving number that seems as if it' ... CD (Rock CD)
Atlantic/Get On Down, 1989. (reissue)
LP...$21.99
24.98
The classic debut album by the DOC, from the glory days of Ruthless Records – one of the few records on the label to live up to the brilliance of NWA at their height! Dr Dre handles the production here – and there's a razor-sharp edge that really matches DOC's wordcraft – as ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Akira Miyazawa
Akira Miyazawa (aka Yamame)King (Japan), 1962.
If the cover image of a Akira Miyazawa fishing in a trout stream wasn't already enough to make us love this one, the music on the disc certainly is – as the album's a real shining jewel in the Japanese jazz scene of the 60s, the kind of record that really set a whole new standard for the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Oldays (Japan), 1966.
Revolutionary pop from 60s Paris – a seminal set by one of our favorite French artists ever! Michel Polnareff sounds every bit as great as he looks on the cover – a slightly long-haired singer who plays acoustic guitar along with his vocals – but never in any familiar folksy ways ... CD (French CD)
Saravah/Core Port (Japan), Late 60s/1970s.
A fantastic trip around the globe, led by a famous record label from Paris – the legendary Saravah Records, headed up by the great singer/songwriter Pierre Barouh – and home to music by Brigitte Fontaine, Areski, Steve Lacy, and even the Art Ensemble Of Chicago! Yet despite the growing ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Saravah/Core Port (Japan), Late 60s/1970s.
A fantastic trip around the globe, led by a famous record label from Paris – the legendary Saravah Records, headed up by the great singer/songwriter Pierre Barouh – and home to music by Brigitte Fontaine, Areski, Steve Lacy, and even the Art Ensemble Of Chicago! Yet despite the growing ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Blue Mandala Project
Notes From The Outer SoulPietro Vincenti (Italy), 2018.
Beautiful work from Blue Mandala Project – an Italian group led by pianist Pietro Vincenti, an artist we really loved for his older Brazilian-styled sounds in the group Quintetto X! The vibe here has some of the sound of the older group, but there's also maybe more funk and soul elements at ... CD (Jazz CD)
Various
This Is Soul (Atlantic)Atlantic, 1968. (reissue)
LP...$19.99
21.98
A killer collection of deep soul from the Atlantic Records catalog – including a few tunes that they'd snatched from Stax in the early days of the label! The package here is one that was issued for overseas markets in the 60s – partly as a calling card for the new genius of Atlantic, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Various
Drums Food Clothing ShelterCulture Power 45, 2019.
LP...$16.99
18.99
The Chicago-rooted Culture Power 45 collective delivers once again – soulful, substantive independent hip hop from rhymers and producers alike – including Fatnice, Radius, The Geaux, Pugs Atomz, Mahogany Jonez, Infinito 2017 and many more. Not to go all analytical, but the 4 words put ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
NCF/Superfly (France), 1989. (reissue)
Sheila and Desmond Majek work here with support from the Nigeria Conservation Foundation – whose message really comes across in the album's earth-minded grooves! The rhythms are a blend of 80s soul modes, with maybe a bit of a Caribbean vibe at times too – and the spirit of the vocals ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Johnny Jenkins
Ton-Ton Macoute! (180 gram pressing – with bonus tracks)Atco/4 Men With Beards, 1970. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$19.99
24.99
An excellent bit of raw funky southern soul from Johnny Jenkins – recorded in Macon, GA, and one of the last relics of the relations that Atlantic Records had with all of the little local scenes in the south! Ton-Ton Macoute is one of those records that manages to blend funk, blues, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Elis Regina
Elis (1966) (180 gram pressing)Philips/Elemental (Spain), 1966. (reissue)
An excellent early gem by one of Brazil's greatest singers! The record captures Elis Regina at a prime early stage – when her voice was raw and filled with emotion, and when she was backed by some excellent arrangements that blended jazz, bossa, and more complicated vocal settings. The ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Dinked/Profile, 1993. Gatefold (pic cover, reissue)
7-inch...$13.99
15.98
A late period classic single from Run-DMC, produced by the mighty Pete Rock! Run-DMC worked with kind of an allstar roster of the most respected hip hop producers of the early 90s on the Down With The King album, which really paid off creatively, especially on the Pete Rock-produced title track. ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Hip Hop 7-inch)
Makaya McCraven
Universal BeingsInternational Anthem, 2018. 2CD
CD...$12.99
13.99
Maybe the crowning achievement of drummer Makaya McCraven so far – a double-length set that stands as a huge testimony to all the many waves he's been making in jazz for the past few years! The album features four slices of live performance – recorded in New York, Chicago, LA, and ... CD (Jazz CD)
Analog Africa (Germany), 1972. Gatefold (reissue)
The short but incredible legacy of Orchestre Abass – served up here with material from their two rare singles, plus unreleased tracks as well! The group have this fierce sound that's very much in keeping with the image on the front cover – a stark keyboard element in the mix, often ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Something Blue
Maximum EnjoymentPosi tone, 2019.
CD...$11.99
16.98
A record that definitely lives up to its promised title – as the whole thing brims over with excellent work from players you might know from other albums on the Posi-Tone label! The group name doesn't get at the heart of the sound, though – as there's a sharp, soulful focus to the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Buried Treasure (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s.
A buried treasure's worth of gems from the Amphonic sound library – the record company started by Syd Dale – whose 60s work for KPM was some of the grooviest of the time! Syd's on a few cuts here, but most of the music is by other names who recorded for the company – including a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Stuff Combe
Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion (180 gram vinyl)M Records/We Release Jazz (Switzerland), 1974.
A masterpiece of funky jazz from the 70s – one that's led by Swiss drummer Stuff Combe, but which also features tremendous work from the great Benny Bailey on trumpet and Francy Boland on electric piano! The groove here is almost CTI, but a bit looser too – more in the MPS funky mode ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Desco/Daptone, 1998. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
19.99
One of the greatest grooves from the legendary Desco Records years – a brilliant album of modern Afro Funk done by The Daktaris – in a groove that's just as hard-hitting as any of Fela's work from the 70s! The album was one of the first to bring back an older African style to current ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Ralph (UK), 1980. 2 CDs
A genius moment for the Residents – a record in which they not only claim to go "commercial", by playing some tuneful songs throughout – but one in which they also claim that most pop music is the same as contemporary commercials – which means that all the songs here are ... CD (Rock CD)
Lee Morgan
Lee Morgan Vol 3 (with bonus track)Blue Note (Japan), 1957.
One of the hardest to find of the early Lee Morgan albums on Blue Note – and a very lyrical batch of hardbop tracks, played with a slightly exotic flair! Morgan's group on the date features melodic modernists Benny Golson on tenor and Gigi Gryce on alto sax – both of whom push Morgan ... CD (Jazz CD)
Wire, 2019.
The cover bills its feature as "The Survival Of Joe McPhee" – but given all the fantastic music that Joe's given us in recent years, it's clear that he's very much alive and well! Yet the issue really does a great job of getting at all the hard work McPhee brings to that continuing ... Magazine (Magazine)
Jodi
Pop Espontaneo – Homemade Psychedelic Funk & Fuzz-Pop from Paraguay 1969 to 1975 (with bonus tracks)Out-Sider (Spain), Late 60s/Early 70s.
Jodi's a duo, not a single guy – but together, the pair have a style that's very much in the best tradition of singular outsider rockers from the past! The music is maybe a bit electronic, a bit psych, and definitely tuneful enough to earn the "pop" in the title – but never ... CD (Rock CD)
Sly & The Family Stone
Life (gold vinyl pressing)Epic/Sundazed, 1968. (reissue)
LP...$26.99
28.99
Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Tommy Tate
Hold OnMalaco/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1979.
A real killer from Tommy Tate – perhaps the greatest record ever from this overlooked southern soul singer – and a real lost gem in the Malaco Records catalog! Tommy wrote most of the songs himself – and he turns out to be a hell of a writer, too – very much on a par with ... CD (Soul CD)
Arista/BGO (UK), 1972/1975/1976. 2 CDs
A trio of albums from percussionist Airto – with bonus tracks too! First up is Free – one of the coolest, grooviest albums you'll ever hear from the legendary percussionist Airto – a set that mixes his own Brazilian roots with the electric genius of 70s CTI – all with ... CD (Brazil CD)
Fat Beats, 2018.
LP...$18.99
19.98
Berlin beatmaker Suff Daddy's entry in Fat Beats's Baker's Dozen hip hop instrumentals series, showcasing showcasing inventive producers from all over the world – and one of our favorites so far! Suff Daddy has a seamless way of melding head-nodding hip hop with progressive soul and jazz ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Wes Montgomery
Live At The BBC Studios 1965Hi Hat, 1965.
A fantastic lost slice of work from guitarist Wes Montgomery – a rare British broadcasting recording done in the year of 1965 – during a European tour that gave us some other material by Wes over the years! This collection features the guitar genius with an American group that features ... CD (Jazz CD)
Chico Buarque
Chico Buarque De Hollanda Vol 4 (180 gram pressing)Philips/Elemental (Brazil), 1970. (reissue)
Chico Buarque's fourth album – a mainstream Brazilian success at the time, but a record that's still as great as any of the more experimental sides from the period! Buarque has a sense of timing and charm here that are undeniable – an approach to the music that's aware of all the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Residents
Eskimo (2CD edition – with bonus tracks)Ralph (UK), 1979. 2 CDs
Seminal sounds from The Residents – a record that's purportedly inspired by the ceremonial music of the Eskimo – but it's very a much a Residents album, and one that follows there own absurdist adventuresome impulses! There's often this cold, drifting wave of sound in the background ... CD (Rock CD)
PFM
Manticore Studio Albums (Photos Of Ghosts/Manticore (UK), Mid 70s. 4CD
A quartet of classics by PFM – an Italian prog act of the 70s, and one of the few to challenge the international reputation of British groups like Yes or Emerson Lake & Palmer – so much so, the latter group actually issued these albums on their own Manticore label! Like ELP, PFM ... CD (Rock CD)
Tom Paxton
How Come The Sun (plus Tom Paxton EP)Reprise/BGO (UK), 1971.
A great step forward for Tom Paxton – his first album on the Reprise label, and a set that really pushes the best post-folk modes of the singer! Tom's in this very dark setting here – still singing and playing acoustic guitar, but draped with these mature elements from a well-chosen ... CD (Folk/Country CD)
Piero Umiliani
Il Marchio Di Kriminal (yellow vinyl pressing)Beat/Dagored (Italy), 1967. (reissue)
A great entry in the Kriminal series of films – one that features some wonderfully groovy work from Piero Umiliani! The music here is Umiliani at his most playful – rooted in jazz, but with warmer touches from bossa and other mod 60s Italian styles too – sometimes set to wordless ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Disco Space Funk Band
Journey Through The NightBaby Grand/Everland (Austria), 1978. (reissue)
A sweet little record that's way better than you might ever guess from the title – almost more of a jazz funk effort overall, with excellent work on guitar, trumpet, saxes, and keyboards! There's vocals on the album, but maybe more in a backup sort of way – and although the cuts could ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Tony Branker
For The ChildrenOut-Sider (Spain), 1980. (reissue)
You might know Tony Branker from his more recent work – issued under the name of Anthony Branker, and often quite far-reaching in scope – and here, even at a young age, the trumpeter's already got a heck of an amazing vision – working here in a beautiful set of all-original music, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Masta Ace & Marco Polo
Breukelen StoryFat Beats, 2018. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$23.99
24.98
A rock solid collaboration between classic boombap influenced veteran producer Marco Polo and legendary rhymer Masta Ace – a thoroughly headnodding full length ode to the borough of Brooklyn! Tight, top notch straight forward hip hop all with the way, with guests Pharoahe Monch, Lil Fame, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Rose Brothers
Everything's Coming Up RosesMuscle Shoals Sound/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1986.
Everything's coming up for the Rose Brothers here – sounding better on this second set than on their debut, with a style that really shows the group coming into their own! The quartet have an approach that takes an older 70s group style, and finds a way to make it work within a contemporary ... CD (Soul CD)
Ruby Andrews
Everybody Saw YouZodiac/Everland (Austria), 1970.
One of the greatest female soul records ever to come from Chicago – a killer set of work from the legendary Ruby Andrews! Ruby's a hell of a talent that should have been huge at a national level – possessed with a deep soul style that matched the best from Betty Lavette or Mavis ... CD (Soul CD)
Modern Harmonic, Late 60s/Early 70s. 2LP Gatefold
Something weird, and something very cool too – a set that brings together a whole host of strange and unusual tunes from the glory days of exploitation cinema! These cuts are all from a time when the b-movie underground was playing it fast and loose – trying to get more folks into the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
George Ohtsuka 5
Loving You George – George Ohtsuka Quintet At Nemu Jazz InKing (Japan), 1975.
Long tracks, lots of open energy, and plenty of freewheeling solos too – just the sort of Japanese jazz album from the 70s we treasure so much! The group here is led by drummer George Ohtsuka – sometimes spelled Otsuka – and features Fumio Karashima on piano and Fender Rhodes ... CD (Jazz CD)
Atomic
Pet VariationsOdin (Norway), 2018. 2LP Gatefold
Magnificent music from Atomic – a set that begins with a set of variations on the "Pet Sounds" theme from Brian Wilson – then takes off into some great directions inspired by the music of Steve Lacy, Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Bley, and Edgar Varese! Atomic are always fantastic ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Lol Coxhill & Raymond MacDonald
Morphometry (colored vinyl pressing – with bonus CD)Glo Spot (UK), 2018.
Powerful yet playful sax duet session with soprano legend Lol Coxhill and Raymond MacDonald, recorded during Coxhill's last visit to Scotland! Stunningly, this one went unreleased for years despite Lol being in such titanic form at nearly 76-years-old, a frequent enough collaborator with the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Lightmen Plus One
Energy Control Center (2CD version – with bonus tracks)Lightin/Now Again, 1972. 2CD
Cosmic jazzy genius from Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen – the kind of a record that sounds like it should have come out of Detroit or Chicago in the early 70s – and not the Texas scene from which the group hailed! The Lightmen have a vibe that reminds us a lot of The Pharoahs or some ... CD (Jazz CD)
Larry Coryell
OfferingVanguard/Wounded Bird, 1972.
CD...$10.99
14.98
A fantastic record from guitarist Larry Coryell – one that maybe has him shedding some of the more rockish tendencies of his roots, while finding the way forward in a searing, searching style of funky jazz! There's almost a Flying Dutchman sort of righteousness to the record – as Larry ... CD (Jazz CD)
Judy Singh
Time For Love (180 gram pressing)CBC/Majik Bus (UK), 1970. (reissue)
LP...$21.99
25.99
Obscure work from the Canadian scene at the start of the 70s – served up by a singer who's part soul, part jazz – and who delivers a surprising amount of unusual tunes on the album! Judy Singh's got the class and poise of Nancy Wilson, although maybe a slightly more youthful style ... LP, Vinyl record album (Vocalists LP)
Cesar Mariano & CIA
Sao Paulo - BrasilRCA/Mr Bongo (UK), 1977.
A fantastic bit of funky fusion from Brazil – one of the most hard-hitting albums we've ever heard from keyboardist Cesar Mariano! Mariano had a long legacy in music that included great arrangements for Elis Regina – but this set is completely different than most of his other work ... CD (Brazil CD)
Dave O'Higgins Trio + Max Ionata
Tenors Of Our Time (Japanese paper sleeve edition)Albore Jazz (Japan), 2018.
Two tenors, Hammond organ, and drums – nothing else at all, which makes for a mighty sharp little record! The group's led by tenorist Dave O'Higgins, but it draws equal power from guest Max Ionata on tenor too – and each player appears in a different channel of the record, so you can ... CD (Jazz CD)
Czerwono-Czarni
Msza Beatowa Pan Przyjacielem MoimPolskie Nagrania/GAD (Poland), 1968.
A totally groovy little group from late 60s Poland – one who work here in a "beat mass" of their own creation – a totally rocking album that seeks to remake the Catholic mass in a flurry of fast drums, riffing guitars, and mod keyboards! The territory is nothing new – ... CD (Rock CD)
James Booker
Lost Paramount TapesParamount/General General, 1973. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
19.98
A great little set from New Orleans legend James Booker – a previously unissued session from 1973 – recorded in LA with a great array of well-matched players! Booker's on piano, playing with a chunky, rough-edged groove – pretty funky at times, thanks especially to the great John ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Nana Mouskouri
Voice Of Greece (3CD set)El (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s. 3 CDs
A huge amount of early work from Nana Mouskouri – a singer who looked a bit like a librarian, with glasses to match – but who managed to catapult to huge global fame in the 60s and 70s! Part of that fame was due to the fact that Nana was not only a great singer, but also graced with a ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Yukihiro Takahashi
Saravah SaravahSony (Japan), 1978.
Japanese singer Yukihiro Takahashi pays tribute to the classier side of European vocals here in this mellow gem from the late 70s – an album that's done with production help from Ryuichi Sakamoto, in an easygoing mode that fits the "city music" style that was the best side of ... CD (Rock CD)
High Pulp
Bad JuiceHigh Pulp, 2018.
A deep funk band, but with a difference – as these guys have no trouble making a wider sort of sound out of their instrumental sharpness! There's a great sense of texture to some of these tunes – maybe the "pulp" promised by their name – as keyboards, guitars, funky ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Andrew White
MM & M Series Vol 3 – Bio MeAndrew's Music, 2018.
Andrew White really takes the "bio" in the title seriously here – as the set doesn't just present his music, but also a fair bit of his life as well! The album features a few different instances of White on radio or on stage – and the first part is a 2018 radio program that ... CD (Jazz CD)
Idris Muhammad
You Ain't No Friend Of MineFantasy/Wounded Bird, 1978.
CD...$10.99
14.99
A completely different album than some of the earlier work from funky drummer Idris Muhammad – but a set that's completely wonderful in its own sort of way! Muhammad's drums are still right on the money, and able to move with even more quick-stepping power than before – set up in these ... CD (Jazz CD)
Aloha Got Soul, 1980. (pic cover, reissue)
7-inch...$9.99
12.99
Sweet sunny sounds from the Hawaii scene at the end of the 70s – served up here by a funk group who would have been huge, were they working in Los Angeles or San Francisco! There's a sharp blend of jazz, funk, and soul throughout – like some of the hippest Fantasy Records groups – ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Bruno Spoerri
Rare & Unreleased 1971 to 1996WRWTFWW (Switzerland), 1970s/1980s/1990s.
Very unusual sounds from Bruno Spoerri – once a Swiss jazz musician in a relatively small scene – but now a world-famous composer for his groundbreaking soundtrack and sound library music of the 70s! This set begins in that territory, and then moves on to some equally cool cuts from ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Trojan/Doctor Bird (UK), 1969.
A classic Trojan Records compilation – of the same sort as their famous Tighten Up albums, but a lot more obscure! As with those gems, the approach here is to present the overseas listener with some of the coolest, most cutting tracks from the Kingston scene – numbers that probably saw ... CD (Reggae CD)
Lee Gagnon
JazzzzzBarclay/Return To Analog (Canada), 1969.
One of the hippest albums ever from this Canadian reedman – a set of long, open tracks that really show Lee Gagnon taking some new directions at the end of the 60s! The record has this very spacious vibe – one that comes partly from the way the other instrumentation comes together ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
DJ Jazzy Jeff
M3Playlist (Germany), 2018.
A masterful set of soul jazz steeped hip hop from DJ Jazzy Jeff – officially the finale of The Magnificent trilogy of that began in 2002, but a timeless, brilliant standalone effort if you're just now jumping in – anchored by Jeff's piloting and cuts, live instrumentation by Kaidi ... CD (Hip Hop CD)
Zygmunt Wichary
TalizmanGAD (Poland), Late 50s/Early 60s.
Hard-swinging trad jazz from the Polish scene of the postwar years – in a style that was as revolutionary to the Soviet-controlled culture as its later modern jazz and fusion moments! The group here is led by pianist Zygmunt Wichary, and works with a frenzied spirit that's a lot more intense ... CD (Jazz CD)
Piero Piccioni
Un Italiano In AmericaGDM/Beat (Italy), 1967.
A cool Italian soundtrack from the late 60s – penned by Piero Piccioni with a great mix of sensitive and swinging themes! The instrumentation often features lush orchestrations, used in relatively lean ways – never as heavily romantic or sentimental as you might find in American films ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Pete Brown
Peter The GreatBethlehem/Solid (Japan), 1954.
One of the few albums ever as a leader from alto saxophonist Pete Brown – a less-remembered talent of his times, but a key link between the generations of bop and swing! The set was only issued as a 10" LP, but packs the full punch of most longer albums – sublime alto from Brown ... CD (Jazz CD)
Nat Birchall
Tunji/Jazzman (UK), 2018. (pic cover)
Tenorist Nat Birchall takes on the great Coltrane tune "Tunji" – a perfect fit for Nat, given how much spiritual jazz he's got in his music! The tune has a great modal groove – thanks to a quartet that includes John Ellis on piano, Michael Bardon on bass, and Andy Hay on ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Talib Kweli Vs Styles P
Seven EP (splatter colored vinyl)Javotti Media, 2018.
LP...$14.99
16.98
Rhyme legends Talib Kweli and Styles P team up for a rock solid EP – and it's an allstar effort all with the way, with appearances by Common, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, Nikois and Little Vic and production by Nottz, Ohno, Marco Polo, 88 Keys & Khrysis! A-Games are brought all around, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Barbara Gryfe
What The World Needs Now (180 gram pressing)CBC/Majik Bus (UK), 1970. (reissue)
LP...$21.99
25.99
Sweet jazzy pop from Barbara Gryfe – a singer who not only works here on a rare album for the Canadian Broadcasting System, but who also sings a bit in Hebrew too! The production and presentation have a sweet late 60s style – a bit influenced by the Dionne Warwick/Burt Bacharach ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Seiichi Nakamura
First Contact – Live At The Rob RoyKing (Japan), 1973.
A stone smoker from tenorist Seiichi Nakamura – thanks partly to some great trombone from Shigeharu Mukai! Shige's one of our favorite Japanese trombonists from the 70s, and he really gives this session a deep degree of soul – working strongly in the frontline with Seiichi, and getting ... CD (Jazz CD)
Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen
Country Fried Chicken (2LP set – with bonus tracks)Lightin/Now Again, 1975. 2LP (reissue)
LP...$22.99
25.98
One of the strangest covers we've seen in years – and a perfect fit for this obscure session of unusual grooves! Drummer Bubbha Thomas is working here in a mode that's kind of an electrified 70s take on the Texas showband style of earlier years – a mode that has the core funky combo ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Various
Library Music Film (DVD)Legere (France), 2018.
A long-overdue look at the legendary sound library music scene overseas – produced by Shawn Lee, who's clearly a strong fan of the genre with the style of his own music – and featuring appearances by Lee, and a host of sound library legends who include Alan Hawkshaw, Brian Bennett, ... DVD (DVD)
Pork Pie
Berlin 1974678 Records (Netherlands), 1974.
Unreleased live sounds from the legendary Pork Pie group – an electric ensemble led by keyboardist Jasper Van't Hof during the early 70s – and one that drew equal attention from both the worlds of funky fusion and progressive rock! That attention was well-given, too – as the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Fumio Karashima
Hot Islands (Japanese paper sleeve edition)King/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1978.
A more electric album than usual from pianist Fumio Karashima – but in a great way too! The album has Karashima playing Fender Rhodes, mini-moog, and other keys – in addition to his usual acoustic piano – in a driving quartet lineup with bass from Miroslav Vitous and saxes from ... CD (Jazz CD)
Scorpions & Saif Abu Bakr
Jazz Jazz JazzHabibi Funk (Germany), Mid 70s.
CD...$14.99
15.98
A fantastic set from the Sudanese scene of the 70s – served up by a group who've definitely got all the jazz promised in the title, but who also have a special vibe that's all their own! The rhythms are nicely jagged – sometimes rolling and romping, almost with a South African jazz ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
JR Monterose
TTTStoryville/Solid (Japan), 1988.
A great later date from tenor genius JR Monterose – a set that's deceptively simple at the outset, but which has JR playing with all of those wonderfully sharp lines and well-chosen phrases of earlier years! Monterose is a real unsung talent on his instrument – a player who never went ... CD (Jazz CD)
Tower Of Power
You Ought To Be Havin Fun – The Columbia/Columbia/Soulmusic.com (UK), Late 70s/Mid 90s. 2CD
Two slices of work from Tower Of Power – both recorded for Sony/CBS, but with over a decade between them! First up, the set presents 19 killer cuts from the Columbia Records years of Tower Of Power – a time when the group moved away from Warner Brothers, where they were maybe losing a ... CD (Soul CD)
Egg/Esoteric (UK), 1978. (reissue)
Tim Blake looks like he's sitting at the helm of a spaceship on the cover – and in a way, that's what his music was at the time – a way of taking off to the skies on waves of electronics, in the kinds of sounds that Blake first created in his Crystal Machine project, but which have an ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Legere (France), Late 60s/1970s.
An extra-groovy collection of sound library gems – put together in conjunction with the recent film about this overlooked genre of funky music – and featuring a special selection of tracks picked by key stars of the documentary! The work here comes from a variety of important library ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Vos Voisins
Vos Voisins (with download)Prog Quebec/Return To Analog (Canada), 1971. (reissue)
French funky rock from the Quebecois scene of the 70s – served up here by a really great group who match the sharpness of some of their best contemporaries on the European scene! There's a heck of a lot of jazz in the approach of Vois Voisins – especially in the way they build the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Charlie Walker
Close All The Honky Tonks/Columbia/Morello (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. 2CD
Four fantastic albums from Charlie Walker – one of the lesser-remembered talents of the late 60s country scene, but a singer whose work on albums like these can match the best of the bunch! As you'd guess by some of the titles, the tunes are heavy on references to barrooms and drinking ... CD (Folk/Country CD)
Judity Ravitz
Bolerio (180 gram pressing)NMC/Be With (UK), 1983. (reissue)
A wonderfully strange combination of musical elements – and one that really stands out because of that strangeness! Judith Ravitz is an Israeli singer, but she's also got a love for the music of Jorge Ben – and she recorded this sweet little set at a time when Jorge's backing group, A ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Piero Piccioni
La Notte BravaDigitmovies (Italy), 1959.
A fantastic early soundtrack from maestro Piero Piccioni – very jazzy overall, in a style that merges postwar Rome with some of the groovier touches to come on the Italian scene! The tracks are mostly around the two minute mark, and work as these great jazz instrumentals on their own – ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Tomasz Stanko
Music 81 – Polish Jazz Vol 69Polskie Nagrania (Poland), 1982. (reissue)
A lost chapter in the career of Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko – better known for his recent recordings on ECM, and his classic 60s work with Komeda – but sounding surprisingly great here as well! The album's a relatively straight set of tracks that feature Stanko with a quartet – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Robbie Basho
Venus In CancerBlue Thumb/Traffic, 1969. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$21.99
24.98
One of the wildest albums ever from the great Robbie Basho – as you might guess from the cover! Basho first made waves with his solo guitar work (and a bit of vocalizations) for the Takoma label, during the early years of John Fahey – but as the 60s ended, Robbie had more of a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Folk/Country LP)
David St. George
Voices Of Dr DaveMalaco/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1985.
An obscure electro set from the Malaco family of labels – one recorded in Philly, not down in Jackson – with a vibe that's a nice mix of southern styles and more contemporary 80s grooves! Dr Dave has this surprisingly rich vocal style that steps along nicely over keyboards and electric ... CD (Soul CD)
Extra Ball
Go AheadPolskie Nagrania (Poland), 1979.
A strange name but an excellent group – one headed up by guitarist Jaroslaw Smietana, playing here with a free-flowing vibe we really like! The album's got kind of a modal approach to fusion overall – one that's never overly jamming, and more concerned with the rhythmic progression of ... CD (Jazz CD)
Earth Wind & Fire
Earth Wind & Fire/Warner/BGO (UK), 1971.
A pair of spiritual soul classics – the rare early Warner Brothers albums from Earth Wind & Fire – back to back on a single CD! Earth, Wind & Fire's first album was recorded at a time when the group recently had ties to the Chicago soul and jazz scenes, and a range of ... CD (Soul CD)
Jimmy McGriff & Richard Groove Holmes
Giants Of The Organ Come TogetherGroove Merchant/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1973.
Twin organs back to back – and a heck of a hard-wailing set from Groove Holmes and Jimmy McGriff! The album cooks from the very first note – and features long tunes that open up with the same sort of solo-heavy approach that you'd get on Holmes' Prestige albums of the 60s – very ... CD (Jazz CD)
Americo Brito & Djarama
Nha D'StineMar & Sol (Netherlands), Early 80s. (reissue)
One of the only albums ever recorded by Djarama – a group with roots in Cape Verde, but who rocked the Dutch scene of the mid 80s – where their highly rhythmic style must have been a huge hit! The approach here is a bit like some of the post-colonial acts recording in Paris around the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Setenta
We Latin Like ThatLatin Big Note (France), 2018.
They may be Latin, but they're also pretty darn funky – and also seem to have picked up the best Brazilian funk currents of the 70s – which they use here to turn out their best album to date! There's lots of echoes of the era of Tim Maia and Toni Tornado, but mixed with some slightly ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
New Mastersounds
Nashville Session 2One Note (UK), 2018.
The New Mastersounds return to the sweet studio in Nashville that gave us the previous album – but this time around, they change things up a bit – by using a variety of different keyboards instead of their usual Hammond! The core rhythms are every bit as sharp as before – and ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Claudio Tallino
Calamo (with bonus CD)Aris/Sonor (Italy), 1976. Gatefold (reissue)
A pretty fantastic soundtrack to a movie that looks pretty darn spooky – not in the usual Italian horror way, but more in an earthy, ritualistic sort of mode! As part of that vibe, the music's got this great current of sex – some funky elements mixed with grittier sounds – often ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Alberto Baldan Bembo
Lingua D'ArgentoSonor (Italy), 1976. Gatefold (reissue)
Alberto Baldan Bembo isn't the biggest name on the Italian scene – but he's forever been remembered for this totally groovy album from the 70s – the kind of record that really matches the highest standards of the time! Bembo has this way of mixing floating instrumental currents with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Ace (UK), 1968. 2CD
CD...$18.99
21.99
The fourth fantastic chapter in this wonderful trip through the 60s – headed up by author Jon Savage, as a great soundtrack to his documents of the time! If you know Savage at all, you'll know to expect something different and fresh – an unusual take on the period, and one that goes ... CD (Rock CD)
Creative Arts Ensemble
One Step OutNimbus/Outernational (UK), 1981. 2LP (reissue)
A great bit of work from the hip LA scene that centered around the Nimbus label at the end of the 70s – a collective who work together here with the same spiritual jazz modes you'd find on labels like Tribe or Strata East! The group features some bigger names from the scene, including some ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Amiri Baraka
It's Nation TimeBlack Forum/Motown, 1972. Gatefold (reissue)
An amazing record that's as powerful as the political message of the title – the hippest record ever cut by Amiri Baraka, and that's saying a heck of a lot! Baraka delivers a long and complex set of poetic reflections on the state of Black America, spiritual awakening, and political ... LP, Vinyl record album (Comedy/Spoken LP)
Street Feet
Street FeetBaby Grand/Everland (Austria), 1977.
The street feet here are pretty funky ones – maybe more so than you'd guess from the relatively "stock" look of the cover image – as the album's got the kind of sharp instrumental core that you'd be likely to find on some of the best Bay Area groovers from late 70s Fantasy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Charlie Mariano
Jazz IntersessionKing (Japan), 1964.
A rare Japanese session from American reedman Charlie Mariano – and one of the few recorded documents of his time on the Tokyo scene! The album really captures Charlie at a pivotal – and under-recorded – point in his career – definitely stretching out from the tight lines ... CD (Jazz CD)
Spaceark
SpacearkMr Bongo (UK), 1975.
Rare funky soul from Spaceark – a supremely talented group with a uniquely cosmic funk and soul-steeped sound! Originally a self-released private press effort, this is not at all like the amateurish private press records that so often get reissued as oddities, this is really wonderful stuff ... CD (Soul CD)
Matthew Shipp
Ao Vivo Na Jazz Na FabricaSESCSP (Brazil), 2016.
Beautifully bold solo work from Matthew Shipp – recorded here solo, in Brazil – with a freely-flowing sound that's a great reminder of his organic genius at its best! There are times when Shipp can sometimes be a bit too cold or academic, but that's definitely not the case here – ... CD (Jazz CD)
Herb Alpert, 2018.
Herb Alpert remakes himself again – taking all the best tunes from his classic years on A&M records, then fitting them to contemporary grooves – all at a level that's a bit like some of the Verve Remixed projects from years back, but even better! These aren't remixes, but new ... CD (Now Sound CD)
Pat Kalla & Le Super Mojo
JonglerFavorite (France), 2018.
A great little album from French singer Pat Kalla – an artist whose "Super Mojo" here is really the genius of producer Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart! The set is a collaboration between Pat and Patchworks – and uses the great vocals of Kalla to bring new focus to the ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Big Band Katowice
Music For My FriendsPolskie Nagrania (Poland), 1977. (reissue)
Funky big band from Poland – a very groovy set that's right up there with the best large group 70s sessions on MPS! The group here is very heavy on the horns – lots of trumpets and saxes – underscored by some hipper rhythms that include a bit of guitar, electric bass, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Starvue
Upward BoundMidwest International/Everland (Austria), 1980.
The only full album from Starvue – a late 70s Chicago group who were part of that overlooked scene in the city once the bigger labels had moved on! In truth, if Starvue were working on the coasts, they could have been huge – as they've got a really sharp, focused approach to ensemble ... CD (Soul CD)
9th Creation
Love Crime EPTrack/Past Due, Early 80s. (reissue)
A rare later set from 9th Creation – done after their funk classics in the 70s, and with a nicely updated sort of groove! Side one is the "dance side" – and has the group working with more beats and basslines than before, but still finding a great way to keep all their charms ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Jazzman (UK), Late 60s/1970s/1980s.
A really tremendous collection of overlooked jazz from the UK scene – most of it recorded in the late 60s and 70s, at a time when the nation was really exploding with new ideas – so much so, the bigger labels weren't able to keep pace with recording during the period! Instead, it was ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Chico Buarque
Caravanas – Ao VivoBiscoito Fino (Brazil), 2018. 2CD
A fantastic live follow-up to the Caravanas album by Chico Buarque – and done at a similar level that shows that Chico's lost none of his charms as the years go by! The set's got the man upfront, singing and playing acoustic guitar – with a combo behind him, kicking up the rhythms in a ... CD (Brazil CD)
Deodato
Os Catedraticos – AtaqueEquipe/Far Out (UK), 1965.
CD...$12.99
16.99
An organ bossa classic from the legendary Eumir Deodato – one of his strongest albums from his early years in Brazil! There's a very jazzy feel to the set all the way through – thanks to a tightly arranged group that not only features the organ and percussion you might expect from such ... CD (Brazil CD)
Isao Suzuki/
Samba Club
King (Japan), 1981.
A wicked wicked set of tracks from Japan – one that blends together jazzy riffing and Brazilian rhythms, all played with a surprisingly soulful bent! Suzuki's on bass and piccolo bass, and Yamamoto plays not only electric piano but also a bit of electric harpsichord – which adds a cool ... CD (Jazz CD)
Frank Foster
Basie Is Our BossArgo/Universal (Japan), 1963.
Basie may be his boss, but Frank Foster's definitely his own man – especially working here on this hip little session for Chess Records – a small group date with some key members of the Count's ensemble! There's a bit of the Basie sense of arrangement in the tunes – especially in ... CD (Jazz CD)
Roger Doyle
Oizzo NoCacophonic (UK), 1975.
Very cool work from the Irish avant garde of the early 70s – served up here by a key member of what must have been a pretty small scene! Roger Doyle is a drummer, with experience in jazz – but here, he's working in this huge variety of experimental sounds – leading a Moondog-like ... LP, Vinyl record album (Out Sound LP)
Takeshi Inomata
Modern Punch For YouKing (Japan), Mid 60s.
The punch here is in the groove – a nice little burst down at the bottom of the rhythms, which makes most of these tunes swing nicely! The set's a bit hard to describe right off the bat – but it's kind of a mix of jazz ensemble swinging with some groovier 60s modes – bits of ... CD (Jazz CD)
Music From Memory (Netherlands), 1980s/Early 90s. 2 CDs
Really cool sounds from the European underground of the 80s – mostly music that's quite far from the pop in the title, as much of it is quite understated, and comes from the farther reaches of the post-post-punk scene! These tracks aren't nearly as dark as the cold wave sounds of the same ... CD (Rock CD)
Soul Jazz (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s.
The hippest funky jazz from the start of the 70s – music that takes all the pride, power, triumph, and challenge of the 60s – and focuses into a bold new energy for a young generation! The work here draws equally from jazz and soul, with lots of other global influences coming into play ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Masahiko Togashi with Albert Mangelsdorff
Session In Paris Vol 2 – Colour Of DreamKing (Japan), 1979.
One of a pair of great late 70s European dates from Japanese percussion master Masahiko Togashi – and a set that features some especially striking trombone from the legendary Albert Mangelsdorff! Given Albert's previous experiments in free, open-ended groups – his talents here are ... CD (Jazz CD)
Lee Perry & The Upsetters
Scratch The Upsetter AgainTrojan/Antarctica Starts Here, 1970. (reissue)
LP...$20.99
24.98
Nice batch of early 70s cuts by Lee Perry, replete with his unique approach and the roots of the out there production and songwriting skills that Lee would use to transform Jamaican music for decades to come! Taken from the LPs Scratch The Upsetter Again and Eastwood Rides Again, filled with the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
MPS (Germany), Late 60s/Early 70s.
CD...$22.99
25.99
A fantastic trip through the farther reaches of the MPS/Saba Records label – headed up here by the great Nicola Conte – who's taken plenty of inspiration from these tunes in his own music as well! As you'd guess by the title, there's a spiritual jazz approach going on here – but ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Big Four
Jazz At The TorysKing (Japan), 1957.
That's Torys, as in Suntory's – the big Japanese distillery who's hosting this special performance of The Big Four – a crackling lineup that features soulful tenor from Hidehiko Matsumoto and drums from George Kawaguchi! The core group have an energy that's like the best American bop ... CD (Jazz CD)
Guido & Maurizio De Angelis
L'Allenatore Nel Pallone – Mundialito (edit)/Four Flies (Italy), 1984. (pic cover)
Two of the grooviest tracks from the score to L'Allenatore Nel Pallone – both issued here on a limited 45! "Mundialito" has a Braziliany groove at the bottom, with lots of cuica next to percussion – but the overall rhythm is more leaping and Italian, and a chorus does all ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Gilberto Gil
Ok Ok Ok (with bonus tracks)Biscoito Fino (Brazil), 2018.
A really great record from Gilberto Gil – a Brazilian legend who maybe strayed from his genius a bit in later years, but who's really been back on track of late! Gilberto's wonderful here – very up-close and personal, but also sharply witty too – returning to that energy that ... CD (Brazil CD)
Hideo Shiraki
Hideo Shiraki Plays Horace SilverKing (Japan), 1962.
The music of Horace Silver is magically presented here by drummer Hideo Shiraki – grooving nicely in the same exotic approach to soul jazz you'd find on Silver's best Blue Note sides of the late 50s! Shiraki's always had a bit of a Jazz Messengers approach in his music – at least at ... CD (Jazz CD)
Dust To Digital, Late 60s/1970s/1980s/Early 90s. 3CD, DVD & Book
A really fantastic little package – one that presents a key look at the farther reaches of Mississippi in the 60s, 70s, and 80s – served up in rare photographs, essays, readings, films, and a great batch of music all collected by William Ferris! Starting in the mid 60s, Ferris sought ... CD (Blues CD)
Time 5
This Is Time 5King (Japan), 1971.
Groovy vocals from 70s Japan – a very hip male quintet, and one with the same harmony sound as The Four Freshmen or The Hi-Los! Given the date of the record, the tunes are a bit more contemporary – but still swung by the group with a very jazzy style, one that often has sweet small ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Evan Parker
Snake DecidesIncus/OTOroku (UK), 1986. (reissue)
An insanely wonderful piece of work from saxophonist Evan Parker – and maybe the record that will really have you deciding that Parker's a genius! The set is all solo soprano sax, recorded live in St Paul's church in Oxford – which creates this really rich sense of sound – but ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Toshiko Akioshi
Toshiko Akiyoshi Meets Her Old PalsKing (Japan), 1961.
Toshiko Akioshi makes a trip back to the Japanese jazz scene in the early 60s – for this great little session that has her meeting up with "old pals" from previous years – including Sadao Watanabe on alto sax, Akira Miyazawa on tenor, and Hideo Shiraki on drums! The reunion ... CD (Jazz CD)
Simon Finn
Pass The DistanceMushroom/Antarctica Starts Here, 1970. (reissue)
LP...$20.99
24.98
A beautifully fragile record cut by UK folkie Simon Finn – a singer with an incredibly distinct voice, recording here in an equally distinct musical setting! Finn's guitar and percussion are set in a trio with tabla, percussion, and dulcimer from Paul Burwell – and a lot of other ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Procol Harum
Procol's Ninth (3CD set)Chrysalis/Esoteric (UK), 1975. 3CD
A hugely expanded version of this record – with two and a half CD's worth of unreleased material! The core record is quite an unusual moment for Procol Harum – still riding strong here onto their ninth album as a group – but also bringing in the legendary production team of ... CD (Rock CD)
Tubby Hayes
Down In The VillageFontana/Universal (Japan), 1962.
Genius work by one of our favorite tenor players ever – the amazing Tubby Hayes! Hayes was one of the best British jazz talents ever, and his raw tenor sound is right up there with Sonny Rollins and Hank Mobley for sheer power and inventiveness. This laidback session features Hayes at the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Hideo Shiraki
Hideo Shiraki (1958)King (Japan), 1958.
A late 50s stormer from Japanese drummer Hideo Shiraki – caught here at a great point in his early career! The album's got a bit more of a swing-based feel than some of Shiraki's later sides – a bit more Verve-like energy than Blue Note style – which is a-ok with us, because the ... CD (Jazz CD)
London/Abkco (Japan), 1968. 2 SACD & Flexidisc
CD...$43.99
49.98
One of the greatest albums ever from The Rolling Stones – a set that still draws on all the bluesy roots of their best 60s material, yet which also shows a sharper, nastier edge as well! The album shows the tremendous sense of focus and power the Stones had in this crucial late 60s stretch ... CD (Rock CD)
George Duke
Faces In Reflection (180 gram pressing)MPS (Germany), 1974. (reissue)
LP...$25.99
29.99
Killer keyboards from the legendary George Duke – and one of his most righteous albums for the MPS label! The album's a spectacular set that showcases both sides of Duke's genius at the time – his spacey, soulful approach to a laidback tune – and his more jamming styles on the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Hideo Shiraki/
Modern Ameriachi For You
King (Japan), 1965.
Not sure what they mean by "Ameriachi" in the title – but from the sound of the music, there's definitely a great A&M Records-styled mix of jazz, Latin, and South American modes! The set begins with a set of cookers from drummer Hideo Shiraki – working with an excellent ... CD (Jazz CD)
Los Sospechos
PostalesColemine, 2013. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$18.99
26.98
Deep funk, but with a compelling twist – bits of South American styles filtering into the mix from time to time, but in subtle ways that never lose the groove! The album's a soundtrack, but works more like a funk album on its own – and is a great full length follow-up to some of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
John Young
Touch Of PepperArgo/Universal (Japan), 1962.
One of the few sides ever recorded as a leader by Chicago soul jazz pianist John Young – a tasty trio set with just the right touch of pepper! The tracks are short and lively, very much in the mode of other Chicago trio players – like John Wright or Ramsey Lewis – and most of the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Ray Bryant Trio
Gotta Travel OnArgo/Universal (Japan), 1966.
A stone groover from the great Ray Bryant – one of his brilliant albums for Cadet from the 60s! Ray's soul jazz trio (with Freddie Waits on drums) is augmented by the 2-horn trumpet section he used on some of his other Cadet recordings from the time – trumpet from Snookie Young and ... CD (Jazz CD)
Art Ensemble Of Chicago/
Art Ensemble Of Chicago & Associated Ensembles (21CD set)
ECM (Germany), Late 70s/1980s/1990s/2000s/Early 2010s. 21CD
CD...$98.99
109.99
A huge chapter of work from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – one that not only includes their own albums for the ECM label, but also related solo and side projects too! The set begins with four Art Ensemble albums – Nice Guys, Full Force, Urban Bushman, and The Third Decade – all of ... CD (Jazz CD)
This Mortal Coil
Filigree & Shadow4AD (UK), 1986. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$30.99
32.98
Tremendous work from This Mortal Coil – only the second album by the 4AD Records collective, but one that doubles the length of the first – and explores some even deeper territory in the process! The group take songs that had been forgotten from previous generations – beautiful ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Johnny Griffin/
Jazz Jamboree 63 Vol 2 – Polish Radio Jazz Archives
Polskie Radio (Poland), 1963.
Poland's Jazz Jamboree festival really opened up in 1963 – and featured great performances from jazz musicians all over the European scene – plus key Polish talents, and a few American guests as well! This second volume really smokes with some very long tracks that are heavy on ... CD (Jazz CD)
Stag O Lee (Germany), Late 50s/Early 60s.
Raw rockers, offbeat groovers, and lots more odd bits from the glory days of the indie single – pulled together here in a package that sounds as sexy as it looks! The Stag-O-Lee label has been giving us some great collections in recent years, and this one's right at the top of their stack ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Ghetto Brothers
Power/Salsa International/Everland (Austria), 1972.
A legendary record from one of the most unique Latin groups of their time! In an early 70s world where many Latin combos were going for class and poise, the Ghetto Brothers moved in another direction entirely – working here with a fair bit of electric guitar alongside more familiar Latin ... CD (Latin CD)
Stag O Lee (Germany), Late 50s/Early 60s.
A strange title, a strange cover, and lots of strange sounds within – a set that's very much in keeping with the mad mix of music we've loved from the Stag-O-Lee label over the years! As with other entries in this series, it's a bit hard to say what style of music the set really holds – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Wild Honey
UntamedTK/Everland (Austria), 1979.
An obscure disco trio from the Miami soul scene of the 70s – working here in a way that's maybe like a deep soul take on some of the Philly female trios of the same time! The strings are soaring and the grooves are tight – but there's maybe a richer vocal approach from the group than ... CD (Soul CD)
Various
Brownswood Bubblers Volume 13Brownswood (UK), 2018.
A lucky number 13 for the Brownswood Bubblers series – a great reminder that the compilation is still one of the best places we know for getting turned onto new music from the global underground! And by that, we don't mean the lame dance music "underground" of more than a decade ... CD (New Grooves CD)
Henri Texier
AmirJMS (France), Mid 70s. (reissue)
A 70s classic from bassist Henri Texier – a musician who's been a key part of the French jazz scene for decades, and already had a very unusual approach in his early years! Texier is fantastic here on acoustic bass – but he's also already opening up in so many other ways too – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Itibere Orquestra Familia
Pedra Do EspiaFar Out (Brazil), 2001. 2CD
Wonderful jazziness from Brazil! This group has a sound that's beyond compare – influenced clearly by the 70s work of Hermeto Pascoal, but much more tuneful, light, and dancing – vocals blending with piano, percussion, and a host of angular reed instruments! The sound is incredible ... CD (Brazil CD)
Monk Higgins
Extra Soul PerceptionSolid State/Dusty Groove, 1968.
One of the few albums ever issued as a leader by Monk Higgins – a genius musician/arranger who first got his start on the Chicago scene of the 60s, then moved out to the west coast at the end of the decade – where he also helped inject some funky new sounds into the Blue Note label! ... CD (Jazz CD)
Holger Czukay/
Full Circle
Trio/Gronland (Germany), 1982.
A fantastic trio of talents – the mighty bassist and drummer from Can, joined by the suddenly-solo Jah Wobble from Public Image Limited – all in a set of grooves that brings out all the best of their talents! Given that Wobble already presents some beautifully heavy bass, Czukay ... CD (Rock CD)
9th Creation
SuperheroesHilltak/Past Due, 1979. (reissue)
Fantastic funk from 9th Creation – a group who really tighten up their sound for this record, but still stay as wonderful as before! There's a totally right-on-the-money vibe to the whole thing – like the best Wayne Henderson/At Home productions from the late 70s – or maybe that ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
KPM/Be With (UK), 1976. (reissue)
Nick Ingman's known to some for his groovy guitar instrumentals of the 60s – but here, he's at the top of the sound library game – serving up bigger group instrumentals in two different styles! Side one features "distinctive themes" – and has Ingman working a big band ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Pride (with David Axelrod)
Pride (2018 Black Friday Release)Warner/Get On Down, 1970. (reissue)
A lost treasure from David Axelrod – an obscure 1970 rock project, and one that's almost even hipper than his work with the Electric Prunes! The style here is rock, but the sound is very much in an Axelrod mode – quite spacious, and with this wonderful undercurrent of funk – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Holger Czukay
MoviesEMI/Gronland (Germany), 1979.
CD...$13.99
14.99
Not a soundtrack album from Holger Czukay – despite what you might guess from the title – and instead a batch of nicely tuneful, often-catchy tracks that somewhat follow the style of late 70s work from Can! Not surprisingly, Holger's joined by group makes Jaki Liebezeit on drums, and ... CD (Rock CD)
Erik Andresen
Cointreau (10 inch LP)Jazzaggression (Finland), 1969.
Fantastic – two rare tracks from Norwegian alto saxophonist Erik Andresen – issued here for the first time ever! Side one features the long original title track "Cointreau" – which has Egil Kapstad on electric piano, an instrument that seems to encourage the best sort ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Solid State SurvivorAlfa/Sony (Japan), 1979. (reissue)
Tremendous work from this groundbreaking electro pop trio – a group who seem to compress all the best electric energy on both sides of the planet at the time – creating a leaner, catchier take on some of the hippest German modes, mixing them with their own quirky energy, and paving the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
MKWAJU Ensemble (Midori Takada)
MKWAJUColumbia/WRWTFWW (Switzerland), 1981.
Beautifully percussive sounds from Midori Takada and the Mkwaju ensemble – a group that features Takada on vibes, marimbas, gongs, and tom tom – alongside other percussion and marimbas too! Joe Hisaishi produced, and also plays keyboards – but the electric elements are light, and ... CD (Rock CD)
Motohiko Hamase
ReminiscenceStudio Mule (Germany), 2018.
Very poetic sounds from bassist Motohiko Hamase – a contemporary recording, but one that almost takes us back to that late 70s/early 80s moment on the Japanese scene, when musicians were combining electric and organic elements – but in ways that had a surprising mix of modes! Hamase ... CD (Jazz CD)
Francis Coppieters
Piano Viberations – Small Group Jazz Featuring Piano & Jazz With Rhythm – KPM 1166 (180 gram pressing)KPM/Be With (UK), 1975. (reissue)
A straight jazz set from KPM, but a great one too – a record that's a great mix of piano and vibes, handled in an almost MPS-ish sort of way! There's a few funky numbers here, and some great rhythms too – very dynamic grooves that are heavy on modal influences, and which really sparkle ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
If you're ever in Chicago, be sure to visit our Chicago record store!
1120 N Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60622
Open 10am–8pm daily.
All the great stuff appears here at our online record store first — but if you shop locally, you'll also get a chance to handle the goods before you buy!
1120 N Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60622
Open 10am–8pm daily.
All the great stuff appears here at our online record store first — but if you shop locally, you'll also get a chance to handle the goods before you buy!
We buy new and used LPs, 45s, vinyl records, and CDs
in the store from 11am–6pm daily. Feel free to stop by with used vinyl and sell or trade with us.We pay top prices for older jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, and other genres in good shape!
See why Dusty Groove is consistently rated one of Chicago's Best Record Stores!
We happily accept debit and credit cards!