Sounds you can't even imagine!
Kamasi Washington
Heaven & Earth (2CDs)Young Turks, 2018. 2CD
Truly tremendous work from saxophonist Kamasi Washington – a set that may well even blow away his groundbreaking Epic album – given the scope of soul and spirit in the music! As with the previous project, this one's double-length, but maybe feels even more fitted to the mode – as ... CD (Jazz CD)
Reflections
Love On DeliveryCapitol (Japan), 1975.
A modern soul classic – and a darn hard record to find! The Reflections were an obscure male quartet with a sound that mixed deep soul vocals and smooth modern production, and as far as we know, they only ever cut this one LP for Capitol. Melba Moore gave the group their start, and the ... CD (Soul CD)
GAD (Poland), Late 60s/Early 70s.
A killer look at the ultra-obscure world of Polish sound library recordings in the 60s and 70s – music that's even rarer than the small pressing albums from Western Europe at the time, and equally groovy as well! The track selection here is superb – handled by the Soul Service team who ... CD (Sound Library CD)
Miles Davis
Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud (2CD deluxe edition)Fontana/Universal, 1958. 2CD
One of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a groundbreaking soundtrack that forever changed the way that jazz music was used in film! According to legend, the sounds here were recorded by Miles on a hot Paris night – late in the studio, after a live performance – in a very ... CD (Jazz CD)
Grapefruit (UK), Mid 60s. 3CD
Not the British folk sounds of the generation of Pentangle and Fairport Convention – and instead, music from a few years before – a time when the UK scene was absorbing plenty of folksy styles from the US, but also mixing things with a fair bit of rock and pop as well! In fact, a ... CD (Rock CD)
Mike Westbrook
Last Night At The Old PlaceCadillac (UK), 1968.
CD...$9.99
15.99
A really fantastic live performance by the Mike Westbrook Concert Band – recorded right around the same time as his seminal albums for Deram – and with an equally amazing sound! The "old place" here is Ronnie Scott's old club – which was still leased for a few months as ... CD (Jazz CD)
Piero Piccioni/
10th Victim/Mainstream/Intrada, 1965.
A pair of rare Mainstream Records soundtracks from the 60s – back to back on a single CD! First up is The Tenth Victim – also issued in Italy as La Deccima Vittima – one of our favorite soundtracks of all-time!! Piero Piccioni's score for this one is an insane mix of weird ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Sudan Archives
SinkStones Throw, 2018.
LP...$13.99
14.99
It's impossible to put a label on the sound of Sudan Archives – and while we were already blown away with the mix of future sounds and African inspiration on her debut EP, she's even more mindblowing here on an album that's based around recent experiences in Ghana! If you're expecting to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Neo Soul LP)
Trio (John Surman/
Incantation – The Dawn Recordings 1970/Dawn/Esoteric (UK), Early 70s. 2CD
Two and a half album's worth of improvising genius from the UK scene – served up here in a package that includes the complete Dawn Records albums by this legendary group! First up is the self-titled Trio album – a groundbreaking bit of free jazz from the UK scene at the start of the ... CD (Jazz CD)
LA Connection
LA Connection – Now AppearingMCA/Universal (Japan), 1982.
An excellent set of 80s groove – produced here by Larry Blackmon, with a very Cameo-styled touch – under a title that definitely shows the big shift in the funk scene over to the west coast at the start of the 80s! LA Connection really have a great way of blending things together ... CD (Soul CD)
Love Unlimited Orchestra
Love Unlimited Orchestra – The 20th Century Records Singles 1973 to 197920th Century/Universal, Mid 70s. 2CD
One of the greatest soul instrumental groups of the 70s, finally given their due – here in a massive package that brings together all their great singles done under the guidance of Barry White! White was a genius at the time of these tracks, and he worked with Love Unlimited at a level that ... CD (Soul CD)
Binker & Moses (Binker Golding/
Alive In The East
Gearbox (UK), 2018.
Fantastic work from the team of Binker Golding and Moses Boyd – a pair who just seem to get more and more fantastic with each new album – as they do here, with some heavy-hitting help from Evan Parker on tenor and soprano sax, and Byron Wallen on trumpet! Yet the most compelling ... CD (Jazz CD)
Universal, Early 70s.
A fantastic selection of work from one of the hippest girl groups of the 70s – the mighty Love Unlimited trio, three singers who all worked under the genius of Barry White in his prime! Unlike other girl trios of the time, who often used an older soul mode refitted with disco grooves – ... CD (Soul CD)
Dazz Band
Let The Music PlayMotown (Japan), 1981.
A glorious little album from The Dazz Band – a set that quickly proclaims its intentions with the title – as the group roll into a tight batch of upbeat funky numbers, all graced with their superb sense of musicianship! There's almost a late 70s funk mainstream vibe here than some of ... CD (Soul CD)
All Score Media (Germany), 2018.
The cover looks vintage, the music sounds vintage, but the whole thing is actually contemporary – although also recorded as a soundtrack for the title film, which was first released in 1971! Mondo Sangue did something similar with their last album, and the results here are every bit as great ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Jason Stein's Locksmith Isidore
After CarolineNorthern Spy, 2018.
Jason Stein is one of the few folks who can make a bass clarinet sound like a completely fierce instrument – a horn blown with the kind of frenzy and sonic power that most musicians would bring to a tenor – completely set free here in a fantastic trio with Jason Roebke on bass and Mike ... CD (Jazz CD)
Black Art Jazz Collective
Armor Of PrideHigh Note, 2018.
CD...$15.99
16.99
A set that's bursting with every bit as much of the fantastic energy you might expect from the lineup – a bold sextet that features Wayne Escoffery on tenor, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, James Burton III on trombone, Xavier Davis on piano, Vicente Archer on piano, and Johnathan Blake on drums ... CD (Jazz CD)
Johnny Guitar Watson
Johnny Guitar Watson (colored vinyl pressing)King/Modern Harmonic, 1963. (reissue)
LP...$23.99
24.99
Killer work from one of the all-time greats – even if it only represents a small slice of his music! Unlike James Brown, Little Willie John, or the 5 Royales – Johnny Guitar Watson only spent a brief bit of his career at King Records – but his work for that legendary imprint was ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
David Axelrod
Song Of InnocenceCapitol/Now Again, 1968.
CD...$14.99
15.98
One of a handful of amazing albums recorded by David Axelrod towards the end of the 60s – really stunning, genre-breaking music that was years ahead of its time – and which has only finally been getting its due in more recent decades! At the time of the record, Axelrod was a house ... CD (Jazz CD)
One Way
LadyMCA/Universal (Japan), 1984.
An overlooked gem from the ever-strong years of One Way – that early 80s run when the group kept on putting out great records! The vibe's changed up a bit from before, but that's one of the things that makes One Way so great – that they were kind of an evolutionary act, always drawing ... CD (Soul CD)
Prana People
Prana People (180 gram pressing)Prelude/Omaggio (Italy), 1977. (reissue)
A stunning early set from brothers Tunde-Ra and Taharqa Aleem – a duo who later recorded together as Aleem and The Fantastic Aleems to much greater fame in the early 80s! Here, though, the brothers are working in very moody club territory – crafting these great grooves that are heavy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Reggie Quinerly
Words To LoveRedefinition, 2018.
CD...$12.99
15.00
A beautiful album from drummer Reggie Quinerly – as much a jazz vocal album as an instrumental one – given that the record features a fair bit of guest work from Melanie Charles and Milton Suggs! Both singers are wonderful – richly soulful, with sophisticated textures and ... CD (Jazz CD)
Midnight Hour (Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhamma
Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad Present The Midnight HourLinear Labs, 2018. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$28.99
31.98
Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad really sound fantastic here – stepping off their great work on the soundtrack for Luke Cage, and taking their music in an even stronger direction with help from an array of guest singers and musicians! Things are as rich and funky as you might expect ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Jason Palmer
Jason Palmer At Wally's Vol 1Steeplechase (Denmark), 2018.
CD...$15.99
19.99
Trumpeter Jason Palmer has given us some great creative projects in recent years – but this time around, he's in a wonderfully back-to-basics mode – working with an excellent combo in a small club in Boston – on long tracks that really stretch out and let us hear his imaginative ... CD (Jazz CD)
Kamaal Williams
Return (180 gram pressing – with bonus download)Black Focus, 2018.
LP...$18.99
19.99
The first solo project from Kamaal Williams – and a wonderfully spiritual set that has the keyboardist really blowing us away with his talents! Williams plays plenty of Fender Rhodes on the set, mostly in a trio setting, but one that's far from standard jazz – as the rhythms often ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Rufus With Chaka Khan
CamouflageMCA/Universal (Japan), 1981.
An under-appreciated gem by Rufus – the group's last album before Chaka left to depart on her successful early 80s solo career – and a nice one nonetheless! There's a trace of 80s groove in the mix – especially on the bass and percussion – but these elements are handled ... CD (Soul CD)
Stelvio Cipriani
Dov'e AnnaDigitmovies (Italy), 1976.
A set that was originally created in the prime electric years of the great Stelvio Cipriani – but one that has him working on acoustic piano throughout – often using weird effects and production elements to change up the sound of the instrument! There's a great main theme to the ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Stargard
StargardMCA/Universal (Japan), 1977.
The debut album from Stargard – a set that turned the trio into strong soul stars, after a brief and mistaken role in the film Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band! Given the failure of that cinematic endeavor, it's amazing that MCA signed the girls up – but it's also clear that the ... CD (Soul CD)
Gal Costa
LegalPhilips/Elemental (Spain), 1970.
Essential early material by Gal Costa! The record is her first after the immediate Tropicalia years, and it's a stunning blend of styles that seems to draw heavily from changes going on in the American rock scene at the time. The core of the music is still steeped in Brazilian elements – ... CD (Brazil CD)
Pierre Dorge
SoundscapesSteeplechase (Denmark), 2018.
CD...$15.99
19.99
Guitarist Pierre Dorge has been giving us amazing music for many years – but he sounds especially amazing here in the company of a really great group – the excellent Kirk Knuffke on cornet, plus Stephen Riley on tenor, Conrad Herwig on trombone, Jay Anderson on bass, and Adam Nussbaum ... CD (Jazz CD)
Brotzmann/
Hot Lotta (with bonus material)
Svart (Finland), 1973.
A rare chapter in the career of Peter Brotzmann – and a very smoking set cut on the Finnish scene of the early 70s! The quartet features Brotzmann on tenor and alto – playing alongside the tenor and flute of Juhani Alaltonen – both of them completely all-out and unbridled, ... CD (Jazz CD)
Jason Palmer
Jason Palmer At Wally's Vol 2Steeplechase (Denmark), 2018.
CD...$15.99
19.99
Trumpeter Jason Palmer has given us some great creative projects in recent years – but this time around, he's in a wonderfully back-to-basics mode – working with an excellent combo in a small club in Boston – on long tracks that really stretch out and let us hear his imaginative ... CD (Jazz CD)
Sadao Watanabe, Terumasa Hino, & Others
Bad Girl Yoko EPSuper Fuji Discs (Japan), 1966. (pic cover)
A totally cool Japanese soundtrack from the 60s – one that's as much of a jazz album as it is a film score! The group features saxes from Sadao Watanabe and trumpet from Terumasa Hino – part of a lineup that would already make the music sound great on paper, although it's even better ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Dos Santos
LogosInternational Anthem, 2018.
A fantastic album from this groundbreaking Latin combo from Chicago – one who've got an inclusive spirit that grabs together so many different elements of music and unifies them as one! The style isn't quite salsa, isn't Latin rock or jazz – but instead has so many strands of sounds ... CD (Latin CD)
Bossa 4
RepetecoEquipe/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1968.
An obscure bossa combo, but a great one too – featured here on a rare 60s album for the Equipe label, which was also home to some of Dedoato's earliest work! The feel here is a bit like some of those better-known records – with organ lines stepping out over some lively samba and bossa ... CD (Brazil CD)
David Sylvian & Holger Czukay
Plight & Premonition/Virgin/Gronland (Germany), Late 80s. 2CD
A pair of classic collaborations – presented here as a single set! First up is Plight & Premonition – one of the first truly experimental albums David Sylvian ever recorded – moody soundscapes done in collaboration with quirky Can member Holger Czukay, and stretched out over ... CD (Rock CD)
Gerald Alston
Gerald AlstonMotown/Universal (Japan), 1988.
Brilliant solo work from Gerald Alston – the first album issued under his own name, after a strong legacy of work with The Manhattans! Alston's vocals are wonderful here – beautifully crafted, with a sense of maturity and feeling that most of his younger soul contemporaries couldn't ... CD (Soul CD)
Trojan, 1970s. 2CD
CD...$18.99
19.99
A dub collection, done the Trojan way – not throwaway tracks from unused studio sessions, or dusty dub plates – but the kind of cuts that made Trojan such a great label back in the day – and a continuing influence on later styles from punk, to indie rock, to dubstep! The bottom ... CD (Reggae CD)
Walter Wanderley
MoondreamsA&M/CTI (Japan), 1969.
Walter Wanderley opens up wonderfully on both organ and electric harpsichord here – going for a very different sound than on his earlier records, and with plenty of great late 60s CTI touches! The music is as heavenly as you might guess from the title – a dreamy recasting of Brazilian ... CD (Brazil CD)
Chocolate City/Universal (Japan), 1981.
Massively funky work from Cameo – a set that's right in the middle of their classic early run – and still quite strong on the bass-heavy grooves the group helped inspire in countless legions of imitators! The tightness of the set is incredible – moving at a pace that's simply ... CD (Soul CD)
Albert Mangelsdorff & Masahiko Sato
Spontaneous – Albert Mangelsdorff Meets Masahiko SatoInterchord/Be! (Germany), 1971. Gatefold (reissue)
Definite spontaneous sounds from the great Albert Mangelsdorff – a set that has the trombonist working alongside the up-and-coming Japanese pianist Masahiko Sato, who also plays some ring modulator on the album! Sato's almost the driving force here – although that role might also go to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
James Brown
Hey America (180 gram pressing)Polydor/Elemental (Spain), 1972.
A really fantastic album from James Brown – and an unusual one, too – as it was only ever issued overseas back in the early 70s! The album's got a title that's similar to one of James' Christmas albums, but it's a completely different record – kind of a condensation of some of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Takao Uematsu
Straight AheadArt Union (Japan), 1977. (reissue)
A sweet set of Japanese jazz from the 70s – straight ahead, but with some great fusion undercurrents too – thanks to keyboards from Mikio Masuda, which electrify most of the tracks nicely! Takao Uematsu plays tenor throughout, and the group also features some great trumpet from Hitoshi ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Little Willie John
Fever (colored vinyl pressing)King/Modern Harmonic, Late 50s. (reissue)
LP...$23.99
24.99
A seminal album from the legendary Little Willie John – one of the greatest singers in the pre-soul years, and a strong influence on James Brown as well! The cover's quite unassuming – from that time when the growing R&B album market somehow didn't like to feature a black face on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Jun Fukamachi
Sea Of DiracUniversal (Japan), 1977.
Keyboardist Jun Fukamachi floats dreamily on the Sea Of Dirac in this mellow fusion classic from the 70s – a set that has Jun getting plenty of help from American fusion heavyweights like Steve Gadd on drums, Tony Levin and Anthony Jackson on bass, and Steve Khan and Eric Gale on guitars! If ... CD (Jazz CD)
Mikolaj Hertel
SpleenGAD (Poland), 2002.
Mikolaj Hertel may not be a household name, but he certainly knows how to create some great electronic sounds when he wants to – and even on an album as late as this, he comes across with a sound to rival the spacey electronic masters of the European scene of the 70s! The music is spare and ... CD (Sound Library CD)
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids
Angel FellStrut (UK), 2018.
CD...$11.99
12.99
Saxophonist Idris Ackamoor is a living jazz legend – but not the kind that's stale and stuffy, and instead a continuously vibrant player who's given us mindblowing music since his initial recordings with his Pyramids group in the 70s! This version of the Pyramids is different than that one, ... CD (Jazz CD)
One Way
Wild NightMCA/Universal (Japan), 1982.
A lesser-known album from One Way, but a great one – and in some ways, even fresher and more appealing than some of their more famous work from the time! The set's still got plenty of the great One Way bounce in the mix – but there's also a deeper, more sensitive soul sound going on ... CD (Soul CD)
Keitaro Miho
La Cloche/Columbia/Super Fuji Discs (Japan), 1966. (pic cover)
A totally cool little Japanese soundtrack from the 60s – done for a film that features a bunch of younger teens who head out the beach – and which is scored with music that perfectly fits the mood! There's a really great range of 60s film modes going on here – as some tunes ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Procol Harum
Grand Hotel (CD/Chrysalis/Esoteric (UK), 1973. CD & DVD
Procol Harum check into the Grand Hotel – and check out with one of their greatest albums ever! The set's got that majestic sound that was the group's strongest point – a strange mix of the very personal vocals of Gary Brooker and the expansive blend of piano, organ, and guitar that ... CD (Rock CD)
R+R Now
Collagically SpeakingBlue Note, 2018.
CD...$13.99
14.99
A soul jazz supergroup for the 21st Century – one that features individual players who've really blown our minds with their work over the past decade or so – all coming together in a combo that really lives up to its promise! R+R Now has a dream lineup – Robert Glasper on ... CD (Jazz CD)
Buster Williams
AudacitySmoke Sessions, 2018. 2LP Gatefold
LP...$37.99
39.99
A legendary bassist in a really top-shelf group – a tight lineup that may well make the set one of the best records from Buster Williams in many years! Williams has that tight, tremendous groove that we've loved in his sound for decades – forged here with a killer quartet that includes ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Trunk (UK), Late 60s.
The grooviest version of Spider-Man you'll ever hope to hear – all music used in the schlocky late 60s animated series – with sounds that are way tighter and better-done than the stiff images on the screen! The music here is all from the vaults of the UK KPM sound library – and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Toshiro Mayuzumi
Only On Mondays EP (Getsuyobi-No Yuka)Columbia/Super Fuji Discs (Japan), 1964. (pic cover)
A very cool mix of music – served up here on a soundtrack that's almost like having an audio version of a movie! The songs are all relatively short, and are the mix of jazz and lighter melodies that you might find in an early 60s Italian soundtrack – perfect music for the bittersweet ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Slum Village
Lost Scrolls Vol 2 – The Slum Village EditionNe'Astra, Late 90s.
LP...$19.99
22.98
Lost tracks for the Fantastic Vol 2 sessions and beyond – recorded from the mid-to-late 90s and featuring perfect production by Jay Dee! For years onward we appreciated music that came out under the Slum Village banner, even without the much-heralded early line-up – those later efforts ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Temptations
Psychedelic ShackGordy/Motown, 1970.
CD...$11.99
12.99
A late 60s Motown classic – with a deep heavy soul sound that mixed psychedelic elements into a rolling righteous groove – with a style that was perfect for the political tenor of the times! The formula worked extremely well for The Temps, and shifted them from being just a regular ... CD (Soul CD)
Pery Ribeiro
Pery – Acompanadopor Primo QuintetoRVV/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1960.
A really great album from Brazilian jazz singer Pery Ribeiro – one that mixes his fantastic vocals with groovy backing from the Primo Quinteto – directed by Joao Peixoto Primo, with some excellent arrangements from Breno Sauer! Sauer's a jazzman at the core, and he does a great job ... CD (Brazil CD)
JD Allen
Love StoneSavant, 2018.
CD...$15.99
16.99
A beautiful album of ballads from tenor saxophonist JD Allen – one that could easily fit alongside classic 60s sessions in a similar mode! Allen's always been a dynamic player, but here he's got this nicely understated approach – one that really stuns us with the richness of his tenor ... CD (Jazz CD)
Ruggero Cini
I Fantastici 3 Supermen/Beat/CF Soundtracks (Italy), 1967/1968.
Two really great soundtracks in the early run of the Italian Supermen comedies – both much nicer than some of the later scores in the series! I Fantastici has a 60s playful vibe right from the start – that occasional use of almost march-like drums that you'd find in some 60s comedies, ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
William Parker
Voices Fall From The Sky (3CD set)Aum Fidelity, 2018. 3CD
CD...$26.99
29.98
A really wonderful collection of music from the legendary bassist William Parker – and one that finally brings a light to an under-illuminated side of his talents – his work with different singers over his long and creative career, all collected together here in a great 3CD set! Make ... CD (Jazz CD)
Procol Harum
Exotic Birds & Fruit (3CD set – with bonus tracks)Chrysalis/Esoteric (UK), 1974. 3CD
Procol Harum were one of those groups who continued to sound amazing, even way past their initial hits – as you'll discover here on this wonderful gem from 1974! The album's got everything we love in the group very firmly in place – that strange mix of blues roots and drama, fused with ... CD (Rock CD)
Piero Piccioni
Le Streghe (with bonus tracks)Digitmovies (Italy), 1966.
Music for a film about witches – but handled here with sounds that are a lot more dreamy than they are spooky – thanks to the fantastic 60s talents of maestro Piero Piccioni! There's lots of elements here that are kind of an extrapolation of bossa nova styles – both in terms of ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Edward Vesala, Antero Honkanen, & Others
Ode To MarilynSvart (Finland), 1973.
A tribute to Marilyn Monroe, but one that's way different than you might expect – as the music here is highly electronic, and often quite dark – served up in a mix of experimental and jazz-based modes by a very unusual Finnish group from the early 70s! The quintet features drummer ... LP, Vinyl record album (Out Sound LP)
Senora
SenoraGrowing Bin (Germany), 1981. (reissue)
A great set of grooves from the 80s European scene – not recorded by the lovely lady on the cover, but instead by a fusion combo with a really soulful sound! There's plenty of keyboards and guitar in the mix – and the overall feel is maybe like some of the best soul fusion records on ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Walt Dickerson & Richard Davis
TendernessSteeplechase (Denmark), 1977. (reissue)
LP...$24.99
35.99
A set recorded during the same space as the previous album from Walt Dickerson and Richard Davis – but sometimes with a slightly different feeling in the sound! There's definitely some of the tenderness promised by the title – especially at those great points when the colors of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Dennis Coffey
One Night At Moreys – 1968Omnivore, 1968.
CD...$15.99
16.98
If there's one thing we know about funk legend Dennis Coffey, it's that we can never get enough of his early work – especially when he's working in his trio with the mighty Lyman Woodard on Hammond! The pair together are fantastic – and have this Detroit-bred version of jazz funk that's ... CD (Soul CD)
Skymark
Virtual StarsModern Sun (Netherlands), 2018.
Skymark is Marc Friedli – a European keyboardist with a real love of vintage instruments – Arp, Moog, Prophet, Roland, and more – all of which he brings to bear nicely in this very groovy set! As with his previous record, the vibe here is kind of late 70s/early 80s – some ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves LP)
Jozef Skrzek
Around The World In Eighty MoogsGAD (Poland), Mid 2000s.
Here's a trip we'd love to take – going around on the world on one of the coolest keyboards ever, served up here in a series of live recordings from Polish electronic musician Jozef Skrezek! The album features two long tracks that pull together material recorded live between 2003 and 2009 ... CD (Sound Library CD)
Wladyslaw Komendarek
Powrot Z Materii Miedzygwiazdowej (with bonus tracks)GAD (Poland), 1992.
One of the wildest electronic musicians in the Eastern European scene – working here on some very long, very stretched-out tracks that are completely cosmic overall! The music was recorded in the early 90s, but has a quality that rivals some of the more progressive European electronic ... CD (Sound Library CD)
Pedrinho
AleluiaMar & Sol (Netherlands), 1978.
A sweet 70s set recorded in Lisbon, but with roots in Cape Verde – the original home of Pedrinho before he recorded this debut album at the age of 18! The tunes all have this joyous, skittish sort of energy – groove that bubble on up from down at the bottom, woven through nicely with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Sylvers
Sylvers IIPride/Mr Bongo (UK), 1973.
The second album by The Sylvers – and like the first, a record that really has the group going way past any expectations you might have of them as a kid soul group! The Sylvers started out in the same era as the Jackson 5 and Five Stairsteps – but right from the start, they already ... CD (Soul CD)
El Michels Affair featuring Piya Malik
Unathi/Big Crown, 2018. (pic cover)
7-inch...$8.99
9.98
The cover's a bit unusual for a single by El Michels Affair, and the music is too – especially given that group here work with singer Piya Malik – whose entrancing vocals really bring a new sound to their groove! "Unathi" has some elements that are in the familiar El Michel's ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Carlo Savina
Joko Invoca Dio E Muori (with bonus tracks)GDM/Pentamusic (Italy), 1968.
A film that's heavy on vengeance – but one that also has a very powerful, positive feeling in its music! Carlo Savina is at the height of his 60s powers here – working with a rich palette of tonal colors that explode on the main vocal number, "Vengeance" – then get ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Marty Ehrlich
Trio ExaltationClean Feed (Portugal), 2018.
Saxophonist Marty Ehrlich is certainly exalted here – working in a superb trio setting that seems to make for one of his best records in years! The rhythm duo are fantastic – Nasheet Waits on drums and John Hebert on bass – both players who create this brooding sense of power ... CD (Jazz CD)
HNE (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 3CD
British heavy metal at the start of the 80s – a time when the UK scene was rising fresh from the big jolt of the punk generation – and also maybe starting to shine as the greatest place for metal in the world! There's an intensity to these tracks that really blows away some of the ... CD (Rock CD)
Les McCann
LayersAtlantic/Get On Down, 1973. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
20.98
This might well be the best album that Les McCann ever cut during the 70s! It's got some killer electric piano riffs, of the sort that are being sampled heavily today by the kids, and which are getting his music to a whole new generation. The tracks have a tight spacey funk sound, and they don't ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Joshua Abrams
Excavations 1 (with bonus download)Feeding Tube, 2018.
Fantastic solo bass sounds from the mighty Joshua Abrams – a musician who's risen to achieve a very spiritual sense of leadership with other musicians over the years – but who also sounds pretty amazing here on his own! Joshua is often bowing the bass, bringing almost reed-like tones ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Mark Soskin
Upper West Side StoriesSteeplechase (Denmark), 2018.
CD...$15.99
19.99
Pianist Mark Soskin has always had some wonderfully bright tones in his work – notes that ring out beautifully, almost with the ease of an electric piano, even when acoustic – and that tradition definitely continues here, as Mark works through a set of well-chosen tracks with a nicely ... CD (Jazz CD)
Allegra Levy
Looking At The MoonSteeplechase (Denmark), 2018.
CD...$15.99
19.99
An album with a bit of a gimmick – songs about the moon – but one that quickly transcends that mode, thanks to the vocal strengths of Allegra Levy! Levy's definitely a singer who's working in a jazz-based style, but she's also got this very pointed, personal approach to phrasing that ... CD (Vocalists CD)
Andersson & Honkanen
Reidarin Sahkoiset KuvatLove/Svart (Finland), 1977.
An unusual electronic project from mid 70s Finland – a collaboration between Ake Anderssonin and Antero Honkasen on music inspired by the paintings of Reidar Sarestoniemi – a relatively abstract artist, as you might guess from the sound of the proceedings! Most of the work here has a ... CD (Out Sound CD)
Bernard Estardy
Fragments D'Une Empreinte Magnetique – Rare, Originaux, Inedits 1966 to 2006 (with bonus download)Gonzai (France), Late 60s/1970s. Gatefold (reissue)
Wonderfully groovy sounds from the great Bernard Estardy – the made French studio genius who certainly lives up to his image on the cover! Despite the large date range on the front, most of these tracks feel like our favorite style of late 60s/70s French grooves – the kind that are ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Born Bad (France), Mid 80s.
Great grooves from the French scene of the 80s – a time when Parisian musicians were picking up a lot of the electro soul elements from the New York scene, but also mixing them with other currents of European and African dancefloor modes! This set's a bit later than the first volume in the ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Jorge Ben
Ben (LP sleeve edition)Philips/Dusty Groove, 1972.
CD...$5.99
18.98
A stunner of a record from the mighty Jorge Ben – and a record that catapulted the Brazilian singer to international fame at the time! Ben had already been making magic for almost a decade down in Brazil – and his compositions and grooves left an undeniable impact on the scene in the ... CD (Brazil CD)
Onyx Collective
Lower East Suite Part 3Big Dada, 2018.
CD...$12.99
13.99
A jazz trio, but one with a real difference – as Onyx Collective almost seem as concerned with the textures of their work as a group than they are with their individual shapes and tones! The lineup is a familiar one – tenor sax, bass, and drums – but the instruments are used here ... CD (Jazz CD)
Omni (Australia), Late 50s/1960s/Early 70s.
CD...$16.99
19.99
A really great little collection – one that looks at the deeper, darker strands in country music during the 60s – that moody space that lie behind the Rubber Room of Porter Wagoner, and which may not have gotten much chart play at the time, but which makes for one of the most ... CD (Folk/Country CD)
Caetano Veloso
TransaPhilips/Elemental (Spain), 1972.
Some of the most beautiful work ever recorded by Caetano Veloso – an album that carries on the style of English language lyrics used on his session in exile in 1971, but which also introduces him back to the world of Brazilian popular music! The album's a great transition for Veloso – ... CD (Brazil CD)
Malcolm Cecil
Malcolm Cecil ProjectRopeadope, 2018.
CD...$8.99
15.99
A beautiful return to form for bassist Malcolm Cecil – a musician who made some great waves on the London jazz scene of the 60s – then disappeared behind years of studio and recording work in later decades! Cecil's back and sounding great here – working with a young trio that ... CD (Jazz CD)
George Robert & Kenny Barron
PeaceDIW (Japan), 2002.
Spare and beautiful duets between saxophonist George Robert and pianist Kenny Barron – done without any additional instrumentation, and in a way that brings out the most lyrical side of Kenny's playing! Robert plays both alto and soprano saxophone here – often with a focused, well-bitte ... CD (Jazz CD)
Joe Bonner/
Suburban Fantasies
Steeplechase (Denmark), 1983. (reissue)
LP...$24.99
35.99
A sublime pairing of Joe Bonner's piano and the bass of Johnny Dyani – a player we always love, but who seems to hit a new sort of depth in this setting! Bonner is beautiful in a stripped-down setting like this – always full of rich imagination, even in a solo mode – but this ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Beginning Of The End
Funky Nassau – The Definitive Collection (Beginning Of The End/Alston/Strut (UK), Mid 70s. 2CD
CD...$14.99
15.99
A great collection – the rare two albums by Beginning Of The End, plus bonus tracks too! First up is the classic Funky Nassau – s monster bit of funk that's unlike anything else we can think of! Beginning Of The End hailed from The Bahamas, but don't hold that against them – ... CD (Soul CD)
Gene Clark
Gene Clark Sings For YouOmnivore, 1967.
CD...$15.99
16.98
A fantastic lost chapter in the jagged career of the great Gene Clark – spare recordings done between his time with The Byrds and his first album in the duo of Dillard & Clark – all songs with a sound that's a fair bit different than either of those better-known chapters of Clark's ... CD (Rock CD)
Walker Brothers
Sun Ain't Gonna Shine AnymoreSmash/Elemental (Spain), 1966.
A seminal album from the mighty Walker Brothers – the group that featured the young Scott Walker before he leapt out onto his legendary solo career! The style here is a bit different than Scott's solo work – or maybe like his first two albums, a bit – a mix of Brill Building pop ... CD (Rock CD)
Bruce Marshall/
Gimme My Wife/Preservation Project, Early 70s. (reissue)
Two heavy funk tracks from the trippiest days of the genre – both of them previously unreleased, and with a nice degree of psychedelic influence in the mix! "Gimme My Wife" has almost an early Funkadelic rhythm – cyclical in a great way, with fuzzy guitar riffing around the ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Vinicius De Moraes & Odette Lara
Vinicius & Odette Lara (180 gram pressing)Elenco/Elemental (Spain), 1963. (reissue)
A dream of a bossa session – the kind of cool, yet sophisticated session that made the 60s Elenco label so great! The album features vocals by the completely lovely Odette Lara – a blue-tinged singer who really gets at the melancholy in the music – which is superbly underscored ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Kevin Ayers/
June 1, 1974
Island/Elemental (Spain), 1974.
A seminal live set that brings together the best talents from mid 70s leftfield rock – a unique meeting of Brian Eno, Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Nico, Robert Wyatt, and Mike Oldfield! The concert is one that was initially Ayers' gig – but he had the foresight to invite the others along ... CD (Rock CD)
Art Blakey
Buttercorn LadyLimelight/Elemental (Spain), 1966.
An unusual little record from Art Blakey – a live set recorded at the Lighthouse in 1966, with a band that includes the surprising lineup of Keith Jarrett on piano and Chuck Mangione on trumpet! If you're surprised at the mix of players, and figure that they won't groove with Blakey's ... CD (Jazz CD)
Analog Africa (Germany), 1960s/1970s.
A long-overdue second chapter of the African Scream Contest compilation – the first of which introduced a huge new audience to the funky sounds of Benin in the 70s! This set is every bit as fantastic as the first – filled with tunes that have these darkly brooding, heavy funk ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Foster Sylvers
Foster Sylvers (Pride LP)Pride/Mr Bongo (UK), 1973.
How old was Foster Sylvers when he cut this record? Seven? Eight? Whatever the case, the little tyke forever changed the face of funky music with the incredible cut "Misdemeanor" – one of those chunky funky numbers that sounds like nothing else we've ever heard, and which has ... CD (Soul CD)
Cherry Red (UK), Early 80s. 4CD
A great look at the huge second wave of UK punk after the bigger labels were leaving the music behind at the end of the 70s – a bold surge of independent sounds from the underground, including a fair bit of work that was really pushing the boundaries of the music and its politics at the time! ... CD (Rock CD)
Steve Miller Band
Rock LoveCapitol/Elemental (Spain), 1971.
A really cool little album from the mighty Steve Miller – a set that's half live, half studio, and fully in possession of all Miller's mighty charms! The guitar is fantastic – and really stretches out on some of the longer tracks – but as always with Steve, he's never slavish to ... CD (Rock CD)
Bureau B (Germany), 1975. 2LP Gatefold
Electronic space rock of the highest pedigree – a brilliant third effort from Richard Pinhas and Heldon, nestled nicely in territory between the Cluter/Eno axis and Metal Machine Music – with perhaps a slightly stronger dose of proggish psych as well! The double-length set is filled ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Righteous (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s.
A great little collection done in the best "mondo" mode – which means that it brings together weird, raw tracks from the early years of rock and soul – and mixes them with some great spoken snippets from B-Movie films of the time! The approach is a bit of a variation on the ... CD (Rock CD)
Jorge Ben
Jorge Ben (1969)Philips/Elemental (Spain), 1969.
A samba soul masterpiece from Jorge Ben – one of the most brilliant records to come out the fertile late 60s Brazilian scene – and an incredible album that works with the psychedelic flourishes of Ben's contemporaries and a deeper undercurrent of soul & funk! This is one of the ... CD (Brazil CD)
Hugo Luiz
Bossa HugoPaladium/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1965.
An overlooked album of bossa guitar from Hugo Luiz – maybe the only record we've ever seen by the musician, and a set that we'd rank right up there with our 60s favorites from Luiz Bonfa or Baden Powell! Yet there's also a difference here that nicely sets Hugo apart – a richness in ... CD (Brazil CD)
Jimi Tenor
Order Of NothingnessPhilophon (Finland), 2018.
A fantastic shift in style from the great Jimi Tenor – a man who's given us everything from cosmic soul to deep funk to spiritual jazz over the years – and who now seems to be inventing his own new genre of music! There's definitely some Afro Funk elements in the sound, but the group's ... CD (Jazz CD)
Isao Suzuki Quartet + 2
Orang-utanThree Blind Mice/Le Tres Jazz Club (France), 1975. (reissue)
A very compelling set from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – one that draws on the electric traditions being forged at the time by artists like Miles and Joe Henderson – but which is also graced by the warm lyricism that was running through other Japanese jazz sessions of the 70s! Suzuki ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Baiano & Os Novos Caetanos
Baiano & Os Novos Caetanos (180 gram vinyl)CID/Far Out (Brazil), 1974. (reissue)
A very weird record – and an odd parody of both Os Novos Baianos and Caetano Veloso! The album's recorded live, and it's very much in the spirit of early work by Os Novos Baianos – with loads of tunes that have a funky samba style, with some nice rough touches – but there's also ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Kitsos Harisiadis
Lament In A Deep Style – 1929 to 1931Third Man, Late 20s/Early 30s.
Clarinet music, but unlike anything else you might have heard before – as Greek musician Kitsos Harisiadis uses the instrument in a style that's quite far from American jazz and swing! Instead, the clarinet here is used on a series of folkloric tunes – music from the northwestern ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Gary McFarland
In SoundVerve (Japan), 1965.
One of the grooviest albums of the 60s – a sublime blend of jazz, bossa, and easy – and a set that definitely lives up to its title! The album's probably the most perfect realization of the unique groove that Gary McFarland was going for back in the day – a mix of vibes, ... CD (Jazz CD)
Brothers Johnson
Light Up The NightA&M (Japan), 1980.
More hit magic from the Brothers Johnson – still working with Quincy Jones at this point, and virtually setting up the blueprint for jazzy soul in the 80s! Backings are by an all-star team, and Rod Temperton's helping out Quincy with arrangements – going for that snapping groove ... CD (Soul CD)
Studio One, Mid 70s.
CD...$18.99
19.99
A selection of rare tracks that appeared on the Bongo Man label from Studio One – the company's very hip imprint in the roots reggae generation – and a package that also includes a number have never been released on LP! Titles include "Ring A Ting" by Prince Jazzbo, "Step ... CD (Reggae CD)
Kool & The Gang
Love & UnderstandingDe-Lite/Universal (Japan), 1976.
Amazing work from Kool & The Gang – from a period when they were pushing past their tight early funky sound, into a super-dope mix of electronics and spacey jamming that is still pretty darn revolutionary today! Although you might think the album would be a bit disco by the date, it's ... CD (Soul CD)
Curtom/Rhino/Run Out Groove, Early 70s. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
Fantastic! The lost link in the Chicago soul scene of the 60s was Baby Huey – and he was a pretty darn big link too, if you've ever seen him in pictures! Weighing in at about 300 pounds, Baby Huey was sort of a rockin' soul star who played clubs on both sides of the city, to audiences of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
David Hollander
Unusual Sounds – The Hidden History Of Library MusicAnthology Editions, 2018.
Book...$38.99
55.00
A fantastic look at the European sound library scene of the 60s and 70s – one that goes way past some of the simpler cover art books that have been around over the years – to offer up details on individual labels, histories of the music, and a great look at key musicians as well! Don't ... Book (Book)
Azambuja & Cia
Azambuja & Cia (180 gram vinyl)Far Out (Brazil), 1975. (reissue)
A record with an unusual source, but a sound that puts it right up there with some of the most heavenly rare Brazilian albums of the 70s – served up here in a folksy, jazzy mix of acoustic and electric elements – all with help from heavyweights who include Victor Assis Brasil, Mauricio ... LP, Vinyl record album (Brazil LP)
Catch Up
Catch Up Vol 1Sommor (Spain), 1975. (reissue)
A classic bit of 70s funk from Germany! This rare 1975 set was the brainchild of 3 of Germany's funkiest jazz players – drummer Charly Antolini, whose drums crackled on some of the best MPS recordings; keyboardist Max Greger Jr, who made some great straighter albums in the 60s; and bassist ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Lo Greco Bros
Different Standards Vol 2Irma (Italy), 2018.
Beautiful work here from the Lo Greco brothers – sounding even warmer and jazzier here than on their previous work for Schema Records! The duo of Gianno Lo Greco on drums and Enzo Lo Greco on bass have a really easygoing approach to rhythm – soulful, with all the right spaces between ... CD (Jazz CD)
Stelvio Cipriani
Quelli Della Calibro 38/Digitmovies (Italy), 1976/1993.
Two Italian crime soundtracks – recorded almost 20 years apart, but sounding great here together as a double-length set! First up is Quelli Della Calibro 38 – a fantastic score by Stelvio Cipriani, and one that mixes a bit more action and groove with his usual sense of a dreamy melody ... CD (Soundtracks CD)
Temptations
Solid RockGordy/Motown, 1972.
CD...$11.99
12.99
A masterful album of righteous trippy soul – recorded during the height of the Temptations' strong association with Norman Whitfield! The record has more than a few political/social conscience songs – like "Take A Look Around", "Stop The War Now", and "Superstar ... CD (Soul CD)
Prefuse 73
SacrificesLex, 2018.
CD...$11.99
12.98
Prefuse 73 doing his distinctive thing – mood-setting, hypnotic beats that roll from raw and deconstructionist to big and boisterous – with plenty off off-kilter melodic touches between! The range from stripped down and mellow to dense and rollicking is impressive as always, and his way ... CD (Hip Hop CD)
Rufus
Party Til You're BrokeMCA/Universal (Japan), 1981.
Great later work from Rufus – working here without Chaka Khan on vocals, but sounding even jazzier as a result! There almost seems to be more emphasis on the instrumentation than before – and the album's got a warmly funky groove that definitely carries on the 70s Rufus tradition, but ... CD (Soul CD)
Ramsey Lewis
Funky Serenity/Columbia/BGO (UK), Early 70s. 2CD
A quadruple-header from Ramsey Lewis – four albums from his great 70s electric period on Columbia Records! First up is Funky Serenity – sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, ... CD (Jazz CD)
Bram Tchaikovsky
Strange Men Changed Men – The Complete Recordings 1978 to 1981 (Strange Man Changed Man/Warner/Cherry Red (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 3CD
The complete recordings of the overlooked Bram Tchaikovsky – a power pop genius, and one who may not be that well remembered these days – but who was equally grabbed up by folks who drinking deep of late 70s sounds by artists like Elvis Costello, Marshall Crenshaw, and The Jam! There's ... CD (Rock CD)
Paolo Marini Latin Jazz Combo
Soul Of TumbaoIrma (Italy), 2018.
A sweet little session of Latin jazz – one that begins with an instrumental cover of a great soul tune by Omar – then only gets better as things go on! Percussionist Paolo Marini is at the helm of the ensemble – but he almost always has a tight blend of trumpet and trombone in ... CD (Jazz CD)
Pharoah Sanders
Juan Les Pin Jazz Festival 1968Hi Hat, 1968.
A very early live set by Pharoah Sanders – very much in the best modes of his late 60s albums on Impulse Records, and a great addition to that era of recordings from the tenor genius! The performance was recorded by French Radio, and has great sound quality – really capturing the ... CD (Jazz CD)
Balona E Seu Conjunto
Garota De IpanemaPaladium/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1967.
A rare one from 60s Brazil – and a really great small combo bossa session with some very unusual instrumentation! At their core, the Balona group seem to be a bossa piano trio – but many tracks here have a little "something else" – vibes, electric guitar, or trumpet ... CD (Brazil CD)
Temptations
Puzzle PeopleGordy, 1969.
CD...$11.99
12.99
A classic set of psychedelic soul from this fantastic 60s group! The record is one of the groundbreaking albums the Temps cut with producer Norman Whitfield – and it's a landmark session that perfectly showcases what Whitfield's full-on, guitar-heavy, bassy-bottom style could do for the ... CD (Soul CD)
Jorja Smith
Lost & FoundFamm Limited, 2018.
The fantastic first full-length set from Jorja Smith – a British singer who first rose to fame working with Drake, but who's very much her own woman on this powerful debut! Jorja's got this snakey style of singing – very seductive, especially when wrapped around the beats of the tunes ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Brenda Russell
Love LifeA&M/Universal (Japan), 1981.
A real stormer from Brenda Russell – cut early in her big 80s stretch, and a set that's done with some no-nonsense backings that are a perfect fit for her vocals! The album's much more of a straight soul set than some of her later crossover work – still with enough gentle moments to ... CD (Soul CD)
Celia
CeliaContinental/Mr Bongo (UK), 1972.
A beautifully groovy album from Celia Reis – maybe the hippest set ever from this Brazilian singer who was equally at home in samba and bossa modes! Production and arrangements are by Arthur Verocai – which will give you an idea of the creativity that went into the record – as ... CD (Brazil CD)
Bar-Kays
PropositionsMercury (Japan), 1982.
Tightly grooving work from The Bar-Kays – a set that's light years away from the sound of their Memphis roots, but still plenty darn funky overall! The album's got a tight bass-heavy approach to the music – the well-forged ensemble sound that graced the later years of the Bar-Kays' ... CD (Soul CD)
Chrysalis, 1993. 3LP (reissue)
LP...$72.99
79.99
A groundbreaking meeting of musical icons – with veteran jazz greats, a couple of then-young guns, and one of the MCs who helped bring jazz into hip hop in the first place! Jazzmatazz bridges both stylistic and generational boundaries in incredible ways, not only an earnest effort by Guru to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
BB & Q Band
Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band (aka BB & Q Band)Capitol/Universal (UK), 1981.
One of THE 80s groove classics – an excellent album that never gets old! The BB&Q Band had a tight outta site style that was the best small combo 80s version of 70s mainstream funk – sweetly jazzy, thanks to some really spacious production, and filled with lots of hard-stepping ... CD (Soul CD)
Grant Green
Slick – Live At Oil Can Harry'sResonance, 1975.
CD...$16.99
18.99
Late live work from the mighty Grant Green – cut at a time when the guitarist wasn't giving us nearly enough records as in his early years, and was also tending to record in a more polished setting! That's definitely not the case here – as the tracks are long, and the music is live ... CD (Jazz CD)
Nico Fidenco
Eternal Anguish/Four Flies (Italy), 1977. (pic cover)
Two sweet funky tracks from the soundtrack to the Italo sex classic Emanuelle Perche Violenza Alle Donne – served up here on a mighty cool pic sleeve 45! "Eternal Anguish" has these cyclic rhythms with a bit of tribal percussion – topped by a swirling flute line that creates ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Marcos Valle
Tempo Da GenteArca/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1986.
A great soul album from the legendary Marcos Valle – a Brazilian talent who started out in the 60s bossa years, but who's coming across here after some great modern soul material with Leon Ware in the US! The vibe here is similar to some of the Ware collaborations – tight, smooth, and ... CD (Brazil CD)
Last Poets
Understand What Black IsStudio Rockers (UK), 2018.
The Last Poets are back in action, after far too much time away from the studio – and this time around, they've got some great help from younger producers Nostalgia 77 and Prince Fatty! As with most righteous music of the 70s, there's a message here that's as important today as it was when ... CD (Soul CD)
Deva Mahal
Run DeepMotema, 2018.
The first full album from Deva Mahal – a relatively young singer, but one who comes across with a power that makes us think that she's been recording for years! Deva's definitely got a contemporary soul approach, but works with a rasp in her vocals that's a bit blues-influenced too – ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Mike LeDonne
From The HeartSavant, 2018.
CD...$15.99
16.99
A fantastically soulful pairing of talents – as organist Mike LeDonne works here with tenorist Eric Alexander – in a groove that's not that different from Alexander's great early work with Charles Earland! Mike just keeps getting better and better on the keys of the Hammond – and ... CD (Jazz CD)
Helio Matheus
Matheus Segundo MatheusRCA/Athens Of The North (UK), 1975.
A sweet bit of electric work from 70s Brazil – the only album we've ever seen from Helio Matheus, and one of those rare gems that's every bit as great as its legend might imply! Helio works here in this spacious territory that has a compressed groove on the bottom, and a wide sound on the ... CD (Brazil CD)
Leon Bridges
Good ThingColumbia, 2018.
A soaring set from Leon Bridges – a full length second album that's every bit as classic as his debut, but in a completely different way! Where Coming Home was maybe Leon's answer to the generation of Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke, Good Thing is more of a nod to the era of Maxwell and D'Angelo ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
K Avett
LionessK Avett, 2018.
A great soul singer, and one with a very positive vibe – a sound that maybe grabs us the same way we felt when we first heard Jill Scott – and that's saying a heck of a lot! As you might guess from the title, K Avett's a singer who's not to be taken lightly – yet while her ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Africa Seven (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s.
Funky female soul from the African scene of the 70s – much of it with a good deal of club music influence in the mix! The work here is from a time when music on the continent was absorbing a lot of modes from soul, funk, and club styles in the US and Europe – mixing older Afro Funk ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Lyn Collins
Think (About It)People/Universal (Japan), 1972.
The funkiest album ever recorded by Lyn Collins – a stone solid set that really lives up to the legacy of her funky 45s! Like those gems, this one has Collins working with James Brown on production and the JBs in the background – creating a razor-sharp groove that's probably the ... CD (Soul CD)
Various
Spiritual Jazz 8 – Japan Part 1 – Esoteric, Modal & Progressive Jazz From Japan 1961 to 1983Jazzman (UK), 1960s/1970s/Early 80s. 2LP Gatefold
The biggest volume so far in the Spiritual Jazz series from Jazzman Records – and maybe the best as well! This fantastic collection looks at the huge legacy of spiritual jazz that flowed from the Japanese scene in the postwar years – sounds that had their initial expression around the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Narada Michael Walden
Looking At Me Looking At You/Atlantic/BGO (UK), Mid 80s. 2CD
A trio of mid 80s albums from Narada Michael Walden – all together in one 2CD set! First up is Looking At You Looking At Me – an album with plenty of beats– so much so you might forget that Narada Michael Walden first rose to fame as a drummer – but all the electricity is ... CD (Soul CD)
Ace (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s.
A totally fresh take on French sounds of the late 60s – served up here with a sound that's as revolutionary as the image on the cover! This isn't the dreamy strings of familiar Paris in the Spring – but instead, the sound of change that happened in and around 1968 – as a whole ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Kenny Lattimore
Never Too Busy – The Kenny Lattimore AnthologySoulmusic.com (UK), 1990s/Early 2000s. 2 CDs
A great overview of the work of soul singer Kenny Lattimore – a set that not only features the best tracks from his solo run of recordings, but also early work in the group Maniquin, and some duets with Chante Moore as well! Kenny's a singer who really helped give a new shape to the male ... CD (Soul CD)
Yukako Yamano
3rd StageYukako Yamano (Japan), 2017. Gatefold
A beautiful album of solo piano from up-and-coming pianist Yukako Yamano – a set that's got a lot more acoustic depth than you might expect from the keyboard pictured on the cover! Despite the presentation of that instrument, most of the music here is done on a very resonant grand piano ... CD (Jazz CD)
EPMD
Strictly BusinessFresh/Capitol, 1988. 2LP (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.99
EPMD's incredible full length debut – a straight up all caps CLASSIC late 80s effort – raising the bar for the genre and helping pave the way for so much of the best golden age hip hop to come! Bottom heavy funky soul beats and masterful use of samples anchor the production, and the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Paul Simon
Paul Simon Song Book (with bonus download)CBS, 1965. (reissue)
LP...$18.99
20.98
A fantastic early chapter in the solo career of Paul Simon – an unusual 60s album made away from Art Garfunkel, and only released in the UK at the time! Word has it that Paul was never happy with the record, but we find it to be amazing – and this surprising link between his young ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Z Records (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. 2CD
Fantastic funky club from the late 70s underground – a set of tracks that are as groovy as they are rare – all hand-picked by Faze Action! The set's one of the best in this excellent series – as Faze Action goes for a slightly different vibe, one that's got a sharper crackle ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Various
Spiritual Jazz 8 – Japan Part 2 – Esoteric, Modal & Progressive Jazz From Japan 1961 to 1983Jazzman (UK), 1960s/1970s/Early 80s. 2LP Gatefold
The biggest volume so far in the Spiritual Jazz series from Jazzman Records – and maybe the best as well! This fantastic collection looks at the huge legacy of spiritual jazz that flowed from the Japanese scene in the postwar years – sounds that had their initial expression around the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Funky Compilations LP)
Mistura Pura
Hollywood Spritz (180 gram pressing)Ubiquity, 2018. 2LP
LP...$15.99
18.98
There's a bit of Hollywood here, but also a fair bit of bossa nova, older jazz, and other modes that remind us a bit of our favorite older records on labels like Schema and Irma – maybe no surprise, given that the whole thing was recorded in Milan! Federica Grappasonni is at the helm – ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Tide/CTI/BGO (UK), Early 70s.
A pair of CTI records gems from Antonio Carlos Jobim – back to back on a single CD! First up is Tide – an incredible record from the first off-key note to the last! The album's filled with some wonderfully moody LA studio sounds, arranged by Deodato, and a has a great swirling mix of ... CD (Brazil CD)
Ezra Collective
Juan Pablo – The PhilosopherEnter The Jungle (UK), 2018.
LP...$16.99
17.99
A fantastic set from one of the hippest groups on the contemporary London scene – a combo who are burning together sounds from a whole range of influences to forge a bold path forward in jazz! Ezra Collective have this effortless blend of electric and acoustic elements – wonderful ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Numero, Late 50s/Early 60s. 3CD
An insane new chapter in the mighty legacy of the Numero Group – not the rare soul, obscure psych, or underground folk the label has covered with other releases – but instead a huge batch of under-discovered gems from the exotica scene of the postwar years – essentially the ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Sean Khan with Hermeto Pascoal
Palmares Fantasy (180 gram vinyl)Far Out (UK), 2018.
The deepest record we've heard so far from London's Sean Khan – and that's saying a lot, as we really loved his previous albums! Sean got his start on the broken beat scene a number of years back, and has slowly been evolving into more of a jazz-based artist – which he hits ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves LP)
Mick Ronson, David Bowie, & Others
Beside Bowie – The Mick Ronson Story – The SoundtrackUniversal, 1970s/2018.
CD...$13.99
14.98
Mick Ronson gets his mighty due – in this sweet soundtrack that not only features some of his key moments with David Bowie, but also includes some great solo tracks – as well as performances with other artists too! Don't think of this as a film-based collection, and imagine it more as ... CD (Rock CD)
Magical Properties, 2004. 2LP
LP...$23.99
24.98
A beautiful blend of beats, electronics, and well-chosen acoustic sources – including a bit of bassoon, and some acoustic guitar in unexpected places! These sorts of mixes are maybe a bit more familiar now – but back at the start, this album was a bit of a groundbreaker – maybe a ... LP, Vinyl record album (New Grooves LP)
Kiefer
HappysadStones Throw, 2018.
An impressive blend of jazz and hazy hip hop beatcraft from Kiefer – his best yet! We dug Kiefer's earlier Kickinit Alone a lot, too, but Happysad feels like a next level effort. Jazz piano really stands out as the leading light in the sound here – it's the real thing, too – ... CD (Hip Hop CD)
Dave Bailey
Bash! (180 gram Japanese pressing)Jazztime/Craftman (Japan), 1961. Gatefold (reissue)
Rare material from Dave Bailey – a set that's filled with fire, soul, and imagination – recorded as part of the drummer's amazing (and amazingly short) early 60s run as a leader! The date smokes with the same sort of energy as Dave's great "Gutter" albums for Epic – a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Mike Nyoni & Born Free
My Own ThingNow Again, Mid 70s. 2CD
Wonderfully trippy sounds from Mike Nyoni – one of the funkier talents in the Zamrock scene of the 70s – even though he also works with lots of the slight psychedelic touches of other contemporaries too! Mike's style on guitar is a bit too loose to be funk, but it's also got this nice ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Solar/Robinsongs (UK), Late 70s. 2CD
A trio of albums from Shalamar – all from the group's mighty late 70s run! Uptown Festival is the classic first album by Shalamar – that legendary trio that featured a young Jody Watley – all working under the leadership of Soul Train maestro Don Cornelius! Given Don's ... CD (Soul CD)
Chip Wickham
Shamal WindLovemonk (Spain), 2018.
Beautiful sounds from Chip Wickham – a spiritual reedman who can be light on the flute at some points, then go deep on baritone sax at others – really showing this strong range of expression that's as powerful as the modal rhythms in his music! We totally loved Chip's first album, and ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Black Milk
Fever (marble colored vinyl)Mass Appeal, 2018. 2LP
LP...$22.99
24.98
Detroit producer/MC double threat Black Milk is back with a rhymes-centric effort after the soul jazzy instrumentals of The Rebellion Sessions with Nat Turner – a true-to-form move given his unpredictable, diverse career to date – and sure enough it's another creative win! Compelling ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Temptations
MasterpieceGordy/Motown, 1973.
CD...$11.99
12.99
They certainly got the title right on this one – because the album's an early 70s masterpiece from the Temptations – one of the last in their legendary run of records with Norman Whitfield! By this point, the group are way past simple harmony soul – and are working with Whitfield ... CD (Soul CD)
Jorge Ben
Tabua De EsmeraldaPhilips/Universal (Brazil), 1974.
Searing samba soul from Jorge Ben – one of his best-remembered albums of the 70s, and for good reason too! The album's got a slightly fuller feel than some of Ben's other work of the time – never slick, but with backings balanced nicely against his own raspy vocals and acoustic guitar ... CD (Brazil CD)
Evan Parker/
Topography Of The Lungs
Incus/OTOroku (UK), 1970. (reissue)
A landmark album in the British avant garde – the first set ever issued on Incus Records, and a monumental set of improvisations between Evan Parker on saxes, Hank Bennink on percussion, and Derek Bailey on guitar! The album followed from some great energy on the British scene of the ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Thing (Gustafsson/
Again
Thing (Sweden), 2018.
It's hard to imagine using the word "again" when referring to an album by The Thing – as the group always seem to be ever-changing, ever-evolving – so restlessly creative in spirit, we can hardly imagine them doing the same thing ever again! This brilliant set – despite ... CD (Jazz CD)
Manu Dibango
Electric AfricaCelluloid/Tidal Waves, 1985. (reissue)
LP...$24.99
28.99
A really sweet combination of talents – as the legendary Afro Funk saxophonist Manu Dibango steps into the 80s – working with some of the electro jazz talents who were transforming the music at the time, in a mode that certainly warrants the title of the album! Bill Laswell produced, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Tower Of Power
Back To Oakland (Japanese paper sleeve edition)Warner (Japan), 1974.
Tower Of Power are back in Oakland, after recording their previous album down south – cooking up plenty of East Bay grease with their horn-heavy groove at the height of its power! These guys were always a cut above any other band who tried for this territory – and this early version of ... CD (Soul CD)
Gal Costa
Gal A Todo Vapor – Fa TalPolygram (Brazil), 1971.
An incredible live album from Gal Costa – one that's easily as great as any of her studio albums from the time! But unlike the studio albums, the style here is quite spare and intimate – a very personal presentation of Gal's music, recorded in a way that has her starting out nearly ... CD (Brazil 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)
Lack Of Afro
Jack Of All TradesLoa (UK), 2018.
Warmly soulful work from Lack Of Afro – a name we first knew for more dancefloor-oriented projects, but one that's really evolved into much richer territory in recent years! The album's overflowing with vocal tracks – soulful groovers that lean heavily on styles from the 60s and 70s, ... CD (Deep Funk CD)
Tim Maia
Tim Maia (1976)Polydor (Brazil), 1976.
A sweet 70s album from the great Tim Maia – exactly the kind of record that's earned him the legend as one of Brazil's funkiest singers of all time! The set has a slightly warmer vibe than some of Maia's early 70s music – a bit more richness in the arrangements, as Tim gets even more ... CD (Brazil CD)
Guido Spannanocchi
Terms & ConditionsAudioguido (UK), 2018.
A really beautiful little album – open and free at times, but also relatively rich in sound – almost in the territory of Sonny Rollins at the start of the 60s, but with a slightly more modern approach! This is maybe the first we've ever heard of alto saxophonist Guido Spannocchi ... CD (Jazz CD)
EPMD
Unfinished BusinessFresh/Capitol, 1989. 2LP (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.99
The second album from EPMD, and the second triumph! Unfinished Business continues in the style of the classic debut, but that's anything but a problem at this point, there was really no one at their doing like Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith at the time! Their style of heavy east coast funky soul ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Gal Costa
Gal (1969)Philips/Mercury (Brazil), 1969.
Heady heady work from the legendary Gal Costa – caught here right at her early best, smack dab in the middle of the Tropicalia years! The album's one of Gal's legendary collaborations with arranger Rogerio Duprat – and it's very much in the spirit of her other incredible session from ... CD (Brazil CD)
Shirley Davis & The Silverbacks
Wishes & WantsTucxone (Spain), 2016.
LP...$18.99
19.99
Great work from Shirley Davis – working here with a Spanish funk combo who've got a deep vibe we really didn't expect! The group's got this tightness that really works well with Davis' vocals – using organ lines and downturning blue currents in this great style that gets away from some ... LP, Vinyl record album (Deep Funk LP)
Jeff Parker
Blackman (flexidisc)International Anthem, 2018.
7-inch...$8.99
9.99
A fantastic single from Jeff Parker – part of the ever-evolving level of sound that he's hit on his great projects with International Anthem! The tune's as much of a soul track as Jeff's ever recorded – one that begins with beautiful chromes layered from keyboards and guitar – ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Pierre Sandwidi
Le Troubadour De La Savane - 1976 to 1980Born Bad (France), Late 70s.
A lost legacy in music from Pierre Sandwidi – a singer from Burkina Faso who had a fair bit to say about the social situation in his West African nation – often working in a mode that was a bit more cut off from mainstream music on the continent, which resulted in a very unique sort of ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Chico Buarque
ConstrucaoPhilips (Brazil), 1972.
If you've ever been wondering which album to get by Chico Buarque – this is it! The record's a stunning batch of sophisticated sides, done in collaboration with Roberto Menescal, and with help from Jobim and MPB4! The album builds on the style of Buarque's excellent late 60s songwriting, ... CD (Brazil CD)
Bird & The Bee
Interpreting The Masters Vol 1 – A Tribute To Daryl Hall & John Oates (2018 Record Store Day Release)Blue Note/Slow Down Sounds, 2010. (reissue)
A beautiful little tribute to the genius of Hall & Oates – one that has us liking their tunes even more than before! Somehow, The Bird & The Bee are a perfect fit for this music – and their stripped-down renditions of these classics really works wonderfully – recasting ... LP, Vinyl record album (Rock LP)
Toshio Matsuura Group
Love Play DanceBrownswood (UK), 2018.
CD...$10.99
11.98
Quite a compelling little record – a jazz album at heart, but one that also opens up into lots of different sonic territory – as you might expect from a collection of tunes that includes tracks by Rotary Connection, Roni Size, Flying Lotus, Kruder & Dorfmeister, and Bugge Wessletoft! ... CD (Jazz CD)
Delaney & Bonnie
Accept No Substitute – The Original Delaney & Bonnie (Japanese paper sleeve edition)Elektra (Japan), 1969.
Southern rock meets southern soul – all in this groundbreaking set from the team of Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett! The quality quotient here is quite high – light years beyond so many later folks who tried for this territory, but then slicked it up for radio airplay – and in ... CD (Rock CD)
Psyko, 2018.
It's been way too long since we last heard a full length set from Sy Smith – but it's certainly been worth the wait – because she's stronger than ever, and very much at the top her game – if not the whole world of soul music in general! Sy's always been a hell of a singer – ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Marius Cultier
Ouelele SouskaiFiesta/Ascensionale (Italy), 1975. (reissue)
Maybe the funkiest album ever from Marius Cultier – and definitely one of the records that perfectly shows off his wonderful post-colonial blend of sounds! There's bits of funk from both sides of the Atlantic going on here – roots in both Africa and the Caribbean, but fused through ... LP, Vinyl record album (Global Grooves LP)
Various
Westbound DiscoWestbound (UK), Late 70s.
CD...$12.99
18.99
Fantastic funky club from one of the hippest soul labels of the 70s – Detroit powerhouse Westbound Records – home to Funkadelic, The Counts, and some other very hip artists! Westbound disco isn't the same as the grooves you'd hear from Philly and New York – because the label ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Vicktor Taiwo
Joy Comes In SpiritInnovative Leisure, 2018.
The fantastic first full length set from Vicktor Taiwo – an artist who may well redefine the sound of electro soul for the 21st Century! Vicktor's got a voice that would be wonderful in a standard setting – inflected with his Nigerian roots, and clear love of American soul music – ... CD (Neo Soul CD)
Beginning Of The End
Beginning Of The End (2LP pressing)Alston/Strut (UK), 1976. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$26.99
28.99
One of the rarest funky records of all time – the hard-to-find second album by Beginning Of The End! This West Indian combo hit it big with their first album on Alston, but this second set, for some strange reason, never really got distributed – which is a damn shame, because it's ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Jorge Ben
Sacundin Ben SambaUniversal (Brazil), 1964.
One of Jorge Ben's greatest albums – a groundbreaking blend of samba and soul that forever went onto transform the face of Brazilian music! The record works off the groove set down by Jorge's earlier hit "Mas Que Nada" (which appears on another LP), and takes the blend of bossa, ... CD (Brazil CD)
Delaney & Bonnie & Friends
On Tour With Eric Clapton (Japanese paper sleeve edition)Atco (Japan), 1970.
A killer set of southern rock – even if the whole thing was recorded in London, while the group was on tour with Eric Clapton! Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett are at the height of their powers here – really reworking rootsy southern elements into the kind of sharp-edged 70s sound that made ... CD (Rock CD)
AZ/Universal (Japan), 1968.
One of the greatest Brigitte Bardot albums you could ever buy – some of the grooviest, sexiest work the famous French actress ever cut! The album's overflowing with excellent original material written by Bardot by Serge Gainsbourg and Francis Lai – two of our favorite French composers ... CD (French CD)
Jean Hoyoux
PlanetesCortizona (Belgium), 1982. 2LP Gatefold
A sublime love song to all things spacey and cosmic – served up on a host of early 80s keyboards that come across in a surprisingly warm sort of style! The tracks are all quite long, and follow the best modes of French underground electronics of the 70s – particularly that generation ... LP, Vinyl record album (Sound Library LP)
Ryo Fukui
Mellow DreamTrio/We Release Jazz (Switzerland), 1977.
A well-titled album from Japanese pianist Ryo Fukui – one that's got a warm sense of flow that takes it well past conventional piano trio work! The group here features Fukui on piano, Satoshi Denpo on bass, and Yoshinori Fukui on drums – all working together beautifully as a unit ... CD (Jazz CD)
Grant Green
Funk In France – From Paris To Antibes 1969/Resonance, Late 60s. 2CD
Beautiful rare work from the late 60s years of Grant Green – a time when the guitarist was giving us some of his funk classics on Blue Note, and when he really seemed to be opening up his groove! That's definitely the case here – as the tracks aren't just funky, but also spin out at ... CD (Jazz CD)
Theo Hill
Interstellar AdventuresPosi tone, 2018.
CD...$11.99
15.99
Theo Hill just seems to get better and better as the years go on – a fantastically sensitive pianist, but one with a hell of a lyrical swing as well – here moving into territory that might even rival Cedar Walton or Kenny Barron at their best! Theo wrote a good number of the tunes here ... CD (Jazz CD)
Caetano Veloso/
Temporada De Verao – Ao Vivo Na Bahia
Philips (Brazil), 1974.
Great live material from 1974, recorded in Bahia, and featuring Caetano, Gal, and Gilberto Gil – each performing tracks on their own! The quality's better than a lot of other Brazilian live albums from the early 70s, and the album's a strong one in Caetano's early 70s catalog – showing ... CD (Brazil CD)
Areski
Un Beau MatinSaravah/Souffle Continu (France), 1970. Gatefold
Areski on his own, without Brigitte Fontaine – but sounding equally wonderful, and with a really haunting sound! The albums' recorded with very minimal backings – a bit of cello, flute, and bass – all in an echoey space that makes Areski's raspy, poetic vocals ring out ... CD (French CD)
Logan Richardson
Blues PeopleRopeadope, 2018.
CD...$9.99
14.98
Logan Richardson's really on fire here – sounding a bit different than any of his previous records, but equally creative overall! The set's got an unusual format – two guitars and electric bass dominate the middle, with heavy drums from Ryan Lee, and these very openly-blown alto parts ... CD (Jazz CD)
Nara Leao
Garota De IpanemaPhilips (Brazil), 1989.
A beautifully understated album from the legendary Nara Leao – done as a tribute to the bossa generation, with key help from the great Roberto Menescal – who handles the arrangements, plays guitar behind Nara's lovely vocals! Given that Nara's groundbreaking work of the late 60s was ... CD (Brazil CD)
Djalma Dias
DestaqueRGE/Discobertas (Brazil), 1973.
Wicked samba from Djalma Dias – served up with a nice undercurrent of soul on a few tracks, too! Waltel Branco handles the arrangements, and gives the record a great little groove – one that's a mix of percussive samba elements and fuller backings at points – very lively overall, ... CD (Brazil CD)
Caetano Veloso
Sem Lenco Sem Documento – O Melhor De Caetano VelosoPolygram (Brazil), Late 60s/1970s/Mid 80s.
Nice overstuffed "best of" compilation that features work by Veloso that spans from his early Tropicalia years to the stuff he did as a pseudo-new wave artist in the early 80s. 7 cuts alone are from the pivotal year of 1968 – including "Shy Moon", "Lua De Sao ... CD (Brazil CD)
Mobb Deep
Infamy (with download)Loud/Violator, 2001. 2LP (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.98
Mobb Deep steps into a new millennium with a slightly bigger sound, but without losing the plot! Long-heralded for being gritty and raw in the best kind of way, Prodigy & Havoc had nothing left to prove on that front – so taking a slight left turn with a more introspective lyrical bent ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
First Choice
Player (original, Mike Maurro rmx)Philly Groove/Brook Side, Mid 70s.
A killer – and one of the earliest Philly club tracks! The tune's a hard-grooving two-part monster arranged and written by Norman Harris – tight rhythms steeped in strings, rolling, dipping, turning in a way that really works magic with the vocals of the ladies! Mike Maurro does a ... 12-inch, Vinyl record (Soul 12-inch)
Various
Best Of Down In The Valley 1 & 2 – A Heavy Selection Of Mod Rockers, Garage & Psych Funk TracksPerfect Toy (Germany), 1960s.
A really great take on the style of the funky compilation – one that mixes in lots of gritty garagey rock tracks along with a bit of vintage soul! The blend here is surprisingly seamless – as the rocking tracks often have a funky kind of groove, and the soul cuts sometimes have ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Professor Rhythm
Professor 3Awesome Tapes From Africa, 1991.
A set of brightly bubbling grooves from Professor Rhythm – and a record that really seems to fit the changing mood on the South African scene of the time! Most of the tracks are instrumental – with just a bit of chorus vocals here and there – and they've got an upbeat, optimistic ... CD (Global Grooves CD)
Cuasares
Afro-ProgresivoPharaway Sounds (Spain), 1973.
The album's titled Afro Progressivo, but it's got a sound that's also as spacey as its cover image – served up here in a great blend of electric instrumentation mixed with a fair bit of percussion – all then given some very strange effects in the studio! The sound library set was ... CD (Sound Library CD)
Ennio Morricone
Spasmo (180 gram pressing)Tiger Bay (Italy), 1974. Gatefold
Sweetness and darkness – perfectly blended together in this classic mid 70s soundtrack by Ennio Morricone! The main theme of the film – "Bambole" – is one of those Mondo Morricone type numbers that floats along on a gossamy sheen – vocals gliding softly over light ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soundtracks LP)
Outta Sight (UK), 1950s/Early 60s.
A great look at the 50s years of the Okeh Records label – a time when the imprint had moved away from the blues, jazz, and hillbilly sounds of previous decades – but also hadn't yet hit that soul-styled sound of the 60s! During that later decade, producer Carl Davis would make Okeh a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Morwell Unlimited
A1 Dub (180 gram orange vinyl pressing)Trojan/Music On Vinyl (UK), 1980. (reissue)
Blacka Morwell serves up some massive dub here – working at Channel 1, for an obscure album on Trojan Records – but maybe coming across with some of the richness of the Island Records generation! There's a fullness to the sound that's wonderful – top-to-bottom completely solid, ... LP, Vinyl record album (Reggae LP)
Beginning Of The End
Funky NassauAlston/Strut (UK), 1971. (reissue)
LP...$22.99
23.99
A monster bit of funk that's unlike anything else we can think of! Beginning Of The End hailed from The Bahamas, but don't hold that against them – because instead of being a Caribbean cliche, they took the best part of the island rhythms, and used them to forge an incredible approach to ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Mobb Deep
Murda Muzik (with download)Loud, 1999. 2LP (reissue)
LP...$22.99
24.98
The last album from Prodigy & Havoc's classic run in the 90s – still with the distinctively raw, now legendary street style of the early to mid-period Mobb Deep – with appearances by Nas, Raekwon, Big Noyd, 8-Ball, Lil Cease, Lil Kim and more. In their prime, Mobb Deep had a way of ... LP, Vinyl record album (Hip Hop LP)
Issste/Mr Bongo (UK), 1981.
A wonderfully hard-to-categorize album from the start of the 80s – a Mexican record that mixes folkloric roots with electronic instrumentation – but all in a way that sounds much more ancient than you'd expect for the time! The fusion of modes here is wonderful – almost at a ... CD (Latin CD)
Outta Sight (UK), Mid 50s.
The kind of hard-hitting sounds that played at London's famous Americana club during the postwar years – gritty R&B, upbeat jump blues, and some other gritty grooves from the 50s – all served up in one mighty nice compilation! The vibe here is maybe more like some of the Ace/Kent ... LP, Vinyl record album (Soul LP)
Dave & Ansell Collins
Double Barrel (with bonus tracks)Trojan/Doctor Bird (UK), Early 70s.
Fantastic work from the team of Dave Baker and Ansel Collins – one a soulful singer from the Jamaican rocksteady scene, the other a hip keyboardist whose organ lines really make the album shimmer! The pair scored a huge international hit with this album – and the whole thing was a key ... CD (Reggae CD)
Trad Vibe (France), 1975.
A legendary bit of funky fusion from the French scene of the 70s – the standout set from Cortex, a combo who's very heavy on the keyboards! The tunes have a feel that's quite different than American electric work of the time – funky, but also a bit breezy too – with a strong ... CD (Jazz CD)
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot Sings (aka Brigitte 1963) (Japanese paper sleeve edition – with bonus tracks)Philips/Universal (Japan), 1963.
Classic 60s work from Brigitte Bardot – the roots of French female pop, with a set of tracks that mix together bits of rock, pop, and lively jazz-based arrangements – all in a unique blend that's totally great, and every bit as wonderful as you might expect! We might go so far as to ... CD (French CD)
How Do You Are (Germany), Late 70s/1980s.
This very hip series just got a whole lot hipper – thanks to the selection talents of Brazilian soul legend Ed Motta – who serves up a huge host of rare tracks from Brazil! Ed's always had a deep love of the AOR sound of the 70s – and he's not only a great soul singer on his own ... CD (Funky Compilations CD)
Ben Lamar Gay
Downtown Castles Can Never Block The SunInternational Anthem, 2018.
One of the most unusual "best of" collections you'll ever own – given that it features material pulled together from seven different albums by Ben LaMar Gay – none of which were ever released! The package is more of a debut than anything else – and a hell of a musical ... CD (Jazz CD)
Billy Parker's Fourth World
Freedom Of Speech (180 gram pressing)Strata East/Pure Pleasure (UK), 1975. Gatefold (reissue)
LP...$36.99
44.99
One of the greatest albums ever on the legendary Strata East label – and that's saying a hell of a lot! Drummer Billy Parker is a player that we don't know much, but he'll always be well-remembered for this album's sublime blend of spiritual jazz styles! The lineup is wonderful – a ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Stanley Cowell
MusaStrata East/Everland (Austria), 1974. Gatefold (reissue)
A solo piano set from Strata East mainman Stanley Cowell – but a record that's got enough soul and spirituality to rival a full group recording! Although working alone here, Cowell's touch on the keys is astounding – often flowing and highly rhythmic, with a pulsating sense of energy ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Peter Brotzmann & Fred Lonberg-Holm
OuroborosAstral Spirits, 2018.
An album of beautiful tones and textures – and a set that has these two different improvisers really finding some great space together! The theme here isn't compromise, but exploration – as Brotzmann reminds us what again what a multi-faceted saxophonist he can be – finding ways ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
Heavenly Sweetness (France), Late 60s/Early 70s. 6 x 7 inch box set
The Ethiopiques series just got cooler than ever – given a very hip twist here in a limited box of 7" singles – which bring the music forth at a level that feels even more vintage than before! If you're not hip, the long-running Ethiopiques collection has uncovered some of the ... 7-inch, Vinyl record (Funky 45's 7-inch)
Keef Hartley Band
Time Is Near (Japanese paper sleeve edition)Deram/Universal (Japan), 1970.
Easily one of the greatest records ever from the Keef Hartley Band – and certainly the group's jazziest! The album's awash in great horn parts that dance along beautifully with the rootsier vocals of the set – sung by guitarist Miller Anderson, in a rough-edged style that has some ... CD (Rock CD)
Kassin
RelaxLuaka Bop, 2018.
We admire the hell out of Kassin, but it's hard to imagine that we'd relax when faced with a new record of his – as we always pay fervent attention to everything he ever does! And this time around, that attention is rewarded even more than usual – as the musician and studio genius ... CD (Brazil CD)
Domenico (Domenico Lancellotti)
Good Is A Big GodLuaka Bop, 2018.
You've heard Domenico before as part of the groundbreaking +2 trio with Kassin and Moreno Veloso – but this is only the second time the singer has worked on his own, and the first that he's given us his full name on the cover! That difference might mark a new sort of confidence in Domenico ... CD (Brazil CD)
Melvin Sparks
Texas Twister (2018 Record Store Day Release)Eastbound/Tidal Waves, 1973. (reissue)
One of the funkiest albums ever from early 70s guitar wizard Melvin Sparks – his first for the short-lived Eastbound offshoot of Westbound, and done in a style that's even harder and rawer than his work for Prestige! The sound is lean and often a bit rough around the edges – with ... LP, Vinyl record album (Jazz LP)
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!
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