The mighty Mulatu Astatke has given us lots of amazing music over the years – key records both home in Ethiopia and here in the US – yet this performance may well be one of his most special, as it unites the legendary musician with a host of giants from the American scene – all in ... read moreCD
(Out of print. Individual performances from the Timeless box set – featuring the performance on CD and DVD! DVD is NTSC coded, Region 0.)
Mad funk from Ethiopia – classic work by the legendary Mulatu, one of Africa's heaviest artists of the 70s! Mulatu's been kind of a beathead secret for years – as most of his exotic grooves were never issued properly outside of Africa, and have only been the province of collectors who ... read moreCD
David Murray & Gwo-Ka Masters Feat Pharoah Sanders —
Gwotet ... CD Justin Time, 2004. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
A rich tapestry of Afro-Caribbean rhythms – and one of the most compelling albums we've heard in years from David Murray! The set features an expanded group of percussionists, vocalists, and other instrumentalists – fronted by lead solo stars David Murray and Pharoah Sanders – ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
(Out of print, cover has a small promotional sticker and a punch.)
Negarit Band —
Origins ... CD Buda (France), 2023. New Copy ...
$13.9915.99
A really great set of Ethio jazz from this contemporary combo – one who draw inspiration from the golden years of the 70s, but who bring plenty of individual twists to the music of their own! There's a lean, focused style here that's totally great – and an emphasis on jazz ... read moreCD
Some of the heaviest work to come from the African scene of the 70s – the initial offering of the Ngozi Family – a group who clearly take strong inspiration from the Cream years of the UK scene, but who also come across with a grittier, punkier vibe overall – thanks to lean, ... read moreCD
Nomade Orchestra —
EntreMundos ... CD Far Out (Brazil), 2017. New Copy ...
$7.9916.99
A second great set from Nomade Orchestra – a Brazilian group who bring a trans-global approach to jazz-based instrumentation – with a resulting sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of! These guys aren't in the usual Brazilian groove, and they're also not like some of the Afro ... read moreCD
A Brazilian group, but one who play with a wonderfully spiritual sound – with currents of jazz that take us back to the early 70s years of Strata East and Impulse Records, but given perhaps a bit more of a contemporary twist! The large lineup definitely lives up to the orchestra in their ... read moreCD
A damn soulful album from Ghanaian percussionist Rim Kwaku Obeng – recorded in LA at the end of the 70s, with loads of sweet clubby touches in the mix! Rim gets in plenty of tight percussion – lots of which showcases his rim-heavy approach to the drums – and also plays keyboards ... read moreCD
Wonderfully groovy work from Rim Kwaku Obeng – an artist with African roots, but working here in the San Francisco scene of the early 80s – where he's clearly picked up a very international vibe in his music! Rim definitely plays some traditional percussion on the tracks, but there's ... read moreCD
Massive work from this funky Nigerian cat – a set that offers up a key mix of James Brown funk and home-grown elements – all in a blend that's totally unique! The 1970 album mixes together equal parts African highlife and American soul – making for a style that's heavy one minute ... read moreCD
A classic session of pounding percussion – quite possibly the most successful entry into this earthy genre that hit the recording scene at the end of the 50s! Babatunde Olatunji is joined here by a great assemblage of players – including Montego Joe and Baba Hawthorne Bey on percussion ... read moreCD
Orchestra Baobab —
Bamba ... CD Sterns (UK), 1980/1981. Used ...
$9.99
More killer work from Senegal's legendary Orchestra Baobab! This CD collects music from two of the band's best late-period albums, Mouhamadou Bamba (1980) and Sibou Odia (1981), both cut prior to the band's celebrated Pirate's Choice sessions. All of the group's trademarks are present – the ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Orchestra Baobab —
Made In Dakar ... CD World Circuit/Nonesuch, 2008. Used ...
$5.99
Osibisa —
Osibisa/Woyaya ... CD Decca/BGO (UK), 1971. New Copy 2 CDs ...
$14.9919.98
Heavy-jamming Afro Funk from Osibisa – the group's first 2 albums, back to back in one 2 CD package! Osibisa were one of the most popular Afro Funk groups of their generation – with a globe-spanning influence that made them as well-received over here in the US as they were in their ... read moreCD
No charity needed here – as reedman Eji Oyewole's got a wealth of talent on his own! Eji's a musician with roots in the 60s Nigerian scene, but left to follow a personal path through Europe and the US, where he picked up some wonderfully funky styles which are then brought home to create ... read moreCD
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 ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A great lost album from the end of the Black Ark era! Originally recorded for Island records in the late 70s, this set has Scratch teaming up with a pair of Congolese musicians for an amazing fusion of his spacey reggae vision with their Zairian roots in Zouk music. Includes "African ... (Reggae, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A record that features a slightly expanded concept on the ideas that Astor Piazzolla had unleashed with his Zero Hour album – all those incredible twists and turns he'd been using to transform Argentine modern music – roots in the tango, but expressions that are up there with some of ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Roswell Rudd & Toumani Diabate —
Malicool ... CD Universal (France), 2003. Used ...
$6.9912.99
A really compelling set from trombonist Roswell Rudd – one of our favorite players of the 60s avant garde, and an artist who's started to grow tremendously since coming out of his recent retirement! The set is a brilliant criss-crossing of styles – as Rudd's working here with Mali-based ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
One of the coolest records we've ever heard from this legendary Argentine pianist – a set that has Jorge Lopez Ruiz playing lots of Fender Rhodes, and mixing it in with both rootsy Latin percussion and a number of other keyboards too! The set's almost a South American version of some of ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Insanely wonderful work from Shango Dance Band – a group headed by onetime Fela Kuti bandmate Ojo Okeji – whose bass work here is worth the price of admission alone! Okeji was a key part of Fela's Koola Lobitos, until leaving the group in 1968 – and taking some of the best ... read moreCD
The birth of a legend – a set that brings together all the important early recordings that made Ravi Shankar such a key ambassador for Indian music in the 60s – long tracks that mix his sitar with really incredible percussion, all spun out with pulsating modal energy that went on to ... read moreCD
Two rare Argentine albums from Vera Sienra – back to back on a single CD, with great notes too! Nuestra Soledad is a tremendous debut, and unlike anything that we can easily put into words – fado in style, but carried off in a way that's more bossa nova overall – yet done with a ... (Brazil, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Ches Smith on drums, Miguel Zenon on alto sax, Matt Mitchell on piano, Nick Dunston on bass, and Daniel Brevil, Fanfan Jean-Guy Rene, and Markus Schwartz on percussion – plus Sirene Dantor Rene on vocals. (Jazz, Global Grooves)CD
Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 —
Confluence ... CD Wah Wah 45s (UK), 2023. New Copy ...
$6.9913.99
Dele Sosimi was raised in the shadow of Fela Kuti, literally – as he spent part of his youth in Fela's commune – yet his music is nicely free of some of the overdone Afro Funk modes of the 70s, and instead really finds a fresh way forward with all sorts of wonderful criss-crossings of ... read moreCD
Idrissa Soumaoro —
Ampsa ... CD Mr Bongo (UK), 1978. New Copy ...
$11.9913.98
A beautiful album from Idrissa Soumaoro and L'Eclipse – one recorded during a time of great political unrest in Mali, and a set that was never commercially issued – but just originally given away by the Malian Association for the Blind! The album's got all the power of earlier albums ... read moreCD
A huge amount of work from a reedman we'd never heard before – Martinique-born Alexandre Stellio – a hell of a clarinet player, and one who effortlessly weaves together island rhythms and early strands of jazz! All of the recordings here were done in Paris during the mid 30s, and ... read moreCD
The world of Dexter Story just keeps getting bigger and bigger – not just because he's a richly collaborative player, but also because he's got this musical style that really opens up to so many different elements – but without ever sounding like he's trying to crash them together in ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Guitars from the desert by Tinariwen – a group with Malian roots, and a sound that's all their own – certainly one of the most distinct approaches in the global music scene of the early 21st Century! The album's got production that's tighter than some of their previous efforts, but a ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Tinariwen —
Amatssou ... CD Wedge, 2023. New Copy ...
$9.9916.99
A record that marks an unusual chapter in the career of this legendary group, yet one that also fits very strongly into their wonderful run of albums in the 21st Century! The set's got a unique approach – recorded in a tent in Algeria, but with long-distance production from Daniel Lanois ... read moreCD
Tinariwen —
Emmaar ... CD Anti, 2014. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Maybe the greatest record so far from Tinariwen – and a set that definitely has them really honing their amazing guitar-based skills, yet all without sounding commercial or crossover at all! The album's got a fullness that we've never heard before from the group – kind of a righteous ... read moreCD
An amazing bit of funk from early 70s Brazil – an ultra-rare album, but one that almost beats some of the bigger Brazilian classics of the time! The recording has a very unusual approach – a non-stop blend of songs on each side – which makes for long, continuous tracks that mix ... (Brazil, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Waaju —
Grown ... CD Olindo (UK), 2020. New Copy ...
$8.9913.99
A really great combo from the contemporary London scene – one who work with jazz instrumentation, but in ways that echo a variety of rhythmic styles – elements of North and West African modes, and touches of Caribbean as well – but all done with a lean, instrumental style! The ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Incredible work by Randy Weston – light years ahead of his trio material from just a few years before! The album is one of his most progressive from the early years, and features an extended suite dedicated to the newly-won freedoms of the African Nations – with occasional lyrics by ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
The great drummer Tony Allen left our planet all too soon – but not before cutting this fantastic album as part of the Jazz Is Dead series – a killer record that may be one of the best he's given us in the past decade or so! The format here is different than some of Tony's other ... (Deep Funk, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Various —
12 Bombazos Bailables ... CD Discos Fuentes/Vampi Soul (Spain), Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy ...
$7.9916.99
A dozen heavy groovers from the legendary Discos Fuentes – pulled from a time when the Colombian label was really finding its sound and strengths – mixing together older strands of Afro Cuban inspiration with a special vibe that would soon make their scene rival the Latin music power of ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Very cool sounds from the 60s scene in Italy – music that's clearly inspired by the best British female pop of the period, and also a bit by Detroit soul – with maybe just a touch of French "yeh yeh" modes thrown in for good measure! Yet because the sounds come from a scene ... (Rock, Global Grooves)read moreCD
The "nuggets" in the title is very well placed here – as all the cuts here have every bit as much freak and fuzz as the American garage and pre-punk work chronicled famously on the lengendary Nuggets series! Yet these tracks are all even more obscure, and all come from African ... read moreCD
Coco Maria hosts a mighty cool radio show on BBC Worldwide – one that showcases all sorts of unusual Latin music hybrids that have come up over the years – including a good range of contemporary music, such as the tracks featured on this really well-done compilation! The music here has ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A completely different side of Colombian music than you'd know from Discos Fuentes and some of the other mainstream outlets from that scene – as the tracks here are all from the contemporary underground, and represent a really rich flowering of creative grooves and soulful modes! In truth, ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves)read moreCD
An amazing world of music – rare funk, soul, reggae, and other grooves from Belize – all beautifully compiled in the rich Numero Music style! We're really stunned by the set – as we had no idea at all that Belize had anything going on at this level – and the collection is ... read moreCD
Heavy funk from the Bahamas – a whole bunch of groups that will show you that Nassau had a lot more to offer than The Beginning Of The End! The groove here is totally wonderful – somewhat like American funk of the late 60s and early 70s, but served up with some very unusual rhythmic ... read moreCD
Incredible third coast salsa from the late 70s – amazing stuff from the orquestras of Carlos Ruiz and his Ebirac label – made by singers and players in Chicago's Puerto Rican community of the period that stands up just as well today! Chicago salsa, unlike more nationally popular styles ... read moreCD
Sweet grooves from the Duomo Sounds label – a short-lived Nigerian imprint who cut some mighty funky sounds at the start of the 80s! The title here uses the word "disco", but these cuts have none of the strings and polish of the sounds you'd hear at Studio 54 – as most ... read moreCD
We really loved the first volume in this series, and this second entry maybe goes even deeper into the unique territory of the collection – a genre that's maybe all its own, with a really cool blend of older tracks and contemporary numbers, all served up with a laidback sort of vibe! There's ... (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A set with an unusual sort of flavor – one that looks at the influence of Spanish culture on modern music during the postwar years – brought together here in a mix of jazz and classical recordings with some very different styles! CD1 is all jazz – and showcases some key Spanish-th ... read moreCD
Maybe one of the most mindblowing sets ever put together by the Dust To Digital label – a set that follows on their long-running exploration of 78rpm music from around the globe, and one that presents all these rare tracks in a really incredible format! The set's got a box for the package, ... read moreCD
An overstuffed package of classic work from the Caribbean – most of it from midcentury, at a time before reggae and other styles would bring even more exposure to the scene! The music here is in a nice mix of modes – separate by island identity, but drawn together in a good way by the ... read moreCD
A set of merengue tracks, but from a very focused source – as the package features all numbers recorded in the Dominican Republic during the 60s and 70s – often with a groove that sets them apart from the rest! The rhythms here are often blindingly fast – so much so, you might be ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A really ear-opening set – one that introduces us to a world we'd never have heard otherwise – filled with music that's maybe even groovier and more evocative than we could imagine! There's loads of very trippy styles going on here – almost as if the whole Mongolian scene had ... read moreCD
A stunning blend of soul, Latin, jazz, and Brazilian numbers – and a set that may well be our favorite entry in the Mr Bongo Record Club so far! If you know the Mr Bongo label, you'll know that for decades, they've turned us on to the sort of rare gems we might not have heard otherwise ... (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Music from Mr. Dale, Peter Ram, Rupee, Rameses Browne, Monsta Vibes Crew, Nahtalee, Kamouflazh, Full Force, Spida, Kamouflazh, Rupee, and more. (Reggae, Global Grooves)CD
A funky psychedelic kaliedoscope of grooves from India – killer numbers from the 70s and into the early 80s – Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga, from the folks who put together the equally heavy Psych-Funk 101 and Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas compilations! Most of cuts here have a raw, fuzzed out ... (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Various —
Rai Rebels ... CD Earthworks/Virgin (UK), 1988. Used ...
$4.99
With selections by Chaba Fadela, Cheb Sahraoui, Cheb Hamid, Chaba Zahouania, Cheb Khaled, and Houari Benchenet. CD
A really great compilation put out by the folks at Red Hot – an organization dedicated to "Fighting Aids Through Popular Culture". Previous sets by the group have focussed on jazz, bossa, and other music – and this time around, the focus is Africa, currently suffering from a ... read moreCD
Music from Dengue Fever, Les Boukakes, Tinariwen, Ba Cissoko, Hip Hop Hoodios, Balkan Beat Box, Albert Kuvezin & Yat-Kha, Alms For Shanti, Yela, Donna Maria, and more. CD
Music from Sonora Carruseles, Joe Arroyo Y La Verdad, La Sonora Dinamita, Los Nemus Del Pacifico, Gabino Pampini, Los Titanes, Fruko y sus Tesos, The Latin Brothers, Los Del Caney, Yolanda Rayo, Los Golden Boys, and more. CD
A vivid portrait of a rich legacy in jazz – the wonderful sounds that have come from the South African scene from the early 60s onwards – served up nicely in this well-chosen set! The collection mixes underground work with well-known artists, older tracks with more contemporary ones ... read moreCD
Music from Compagnie Jellouli & Gdih, Malouma, Tinariwen, Hasna El Becharia, Chet Fewet, Aziza Brahim, Nayim Alal, Mariem Hassan, Tartit Ensemble, Seckou Maiga, Groupe Oyiwane, Kel Tin Lokiene, and Sahraoui Bachir. CD
Really rare grooves from an incredibly obscure scene – and that's saying a lot, given how many global sounds have been circulating in recent years! The cuts here represent a unique outpouring of funky club styles from the nation of Surinam – tracks recorded by a handful of groups in ... read moreCD
A really fantastic look at a scene we might never heard otherwise – served up here in a selection of cuts that have a really surprising vibe! Forget everything you know about Indonesian music, as the work here seems to draw most heavily from the European scene at the time – ... read moreCD
A full plate of funky freakout grooves from the Turkish scene – compiled one and all from 7-inch records made from the end of the 60s to the dawn of the 80s! It's a mix of psych folk, funk, more traditional buzzing strings and hypnotic melodies – pretty wonderful all the way! Turkey's ... (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Eleven covers from Mark Cass, Kawika Lum Ho, Mark Cass with Uketopia, Herb Ohta Jr, Keoki Kahumoku, Rick Cunha, Sean Na'auao, Luisa Finau, Michael Piranha,and Andy Sexton. (Now Sound, Global Grooves)CD
The Nigerian scene might be best-remembered as a hotbed of Afro Funk in the 70s – but during the same key stretch, the nation also gave rise to a heady rock underground, too – one that often mix psychedelic inspirations with some of the soul and funk that were coming from the bigger ... read moreCD
It's easy to wake up with grooves this great – a searing back of 70s Afro Rock gems that are also surprisingly funky, too! The tunes here do a wonderful job of mixing psych currents and headier rhythms – a great blend of the burning Afro Funk trends that were happening in Nigeria at ... read moreCD
Fantastic sounds for fans of funk and rock alike – music from the freaky, fuzzy 70s scene in Zambia – a place where styles effortlessly criss-crossed to really produce something new and unique! The work here is often heavy on fuzz guitars, but also has some wickedly soulful basslines ... read moreCD
A really mind-bending collection of African grooves – one that digs deep into the West African scene of the early 70s – and comes up with a massive batch of tunes that really opens up our understanding of the music! The sound here isn't just 70s Afro Funk – as the tunes include a ... read moreCD
Music as lively and colorful as the image on the cover – upbeat work from the second half of the 80s scene in South Africa – music that has a very positive vibe overall, and a sound that's perfect for the mix of keyboards and beats used in the rhythms! The styles here are those which ... read moreCD