Amazing box set – five full albums of material, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Flowers – a soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". Next is Rejoice – a huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White – whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch – and which takes the girls miles from their rougher, rootsier soul of the Stax/Volt years – yet like all the best EWF records of the time, the sound is also plenty soulful, with lots of righteous undercurrents. The album includes the group's wonderful track "Don't Ask My Neighbors", a heavenly tune that builds on a long tradition of sweet female soul from Chicago; the super-huge "Best Of My Love", a hit on dancefloors and radios for years to come – and many other nice numbers like "Blessed", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", and "Key To My Heart". Sunbeam is great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey sound that provides a perfect spiritual edge to the girls vocals – taking them way past the hits, into much more sophisticated soul territory. There's a beautifully righteous vibe going on throughout – a sound that's almost like Minnie Riperton at her 70s Capitol best – and titles include "Love Vibes", "Walking The Line", "Time Is Passing By", "I Wouldn't Lie", "Smile", and "Spirit Of Summer". Come Into Our World has the sweet Emotions at the top of their game – one of the brilliant albums that has the soulful trio working hand in hand with Earth Wind & Fire! The girls were plenty great in their early years, but working with Maurice White and company, they really took off – hitting a whole new level that really unlocked some deeply spiritual power in their vocals! And sure, the approach also yielded the group plenty of hits – but for good reason, too – given the classic quality and all-great nature of a set like this. Maurice White produced, and the lineup is filled with plenty of Earth Wind & Fire players too – working with some great arrangements from Tom Tom 84, Wade Marcus, and others. Tunes are balanced between clubby numbers and some nice midtempo moments – and titles include "Where Is Your Love", "Cause I Love You", "Come Into My World", "On & On", "I Should Be Dancing", "Layed Back", and "Yes I Am". New Affair has The Emotions breaking free a bit from the Earth Wind & Fire influence, and grooving nicely with a sweet 80s feel! The girls' voices are still quite wonderful – some of the deepest harmonies in the female soul world at the time – and the tunes kick it up nicely in a blend of snapping bassy club tracks and mellower cuts that sweetly sway with their great vocals! Loads of wonderful tracks – and an album not to miss! Titles include "Turn It Out", "There'll Never Be Another Moment", "Now That I Know", "Love Lies", "When You Gonna Wake Up", and "Here You Come Again". 3CD set features 8 bonus tracks – including "Boogie Wonderland (12" mix", "Don't Ask My Neighbors (single version)", "I Should Be Dancin (single version)", "My Baby Dance", "Changes", "Where Is Your Love (single version)", and "Flowers (single version)". CD

A definite killer from the great Gianni Ferrio – one of his grooviest soundtracks ever, and a set that's filled with lots of mod 60s touches! There's a bit of electric sitar, cool bubbling Hammond, and even some jazzy horn parts that make for nice flourishes over the top – all changing up in cool and different ways from track to track – creating the kind of instrumental variety that we love in soundtracks like these! The album features vocals on two tracks – and titles include "Strana Gente", "Mr Ice Cream Again", "Week-End On Ice", "Billy's Ice Cream", "Pedigree", "Semifreddo", "Nuovi Ricchi", and "Fino All'Ultimo Gelato". CD also features 16 more bonus tracks – practically a whole extra album of music! CD

A really cool collection of cuts that were originally issued as 7" singles in recent years, but which work perfectly together here as a full length set that introduces the world to the deeply funky talents of Kevin Finigier! Kevin hails from Argentina, but has a deep love of American soul and funk, particularly the 60s variant that was big in the UK mod scene – and here, he serves up some wicked grooves that may well be some of the best contemporary work in this mode we've heard for years! The production is nice and gritty – really back at the level of the indie funky 45 scene from back in the day – and the set mixes instrumental numbers that have a wicked sharp explosion of sounds with some heavy vocal tracks that are equally nice. The Kevin Fingier Collective deliver the cuts "Addis Ababa", "Sunglasses After Dark", "El Basement", "Latin Dynamite", and "Cocktail De Medianoche" – and other tracks include "I Love Without A Love" by Jo Ann Hamilton, "Why Don't You Go Home" by Diane Ward, "Um Brilho Novo" by Josi Dias, "Kairo Bancou Moulu" by Abdoulaye Badiane, and "Don't Wanna Cry No More" by Gerri Granger. CD

A really unusual group, with a vibe that's wonderfully hard to peg – partly funky, maybe a bit jazzy, and with some prog and blues rock elements in the mix too – yet all served up in a blend that's very much the group's own! There's a number of tracks that almost feel like they began as studio jams, which then have "singer" Richie Hamilton kind of speaking some lyrics that are often muted a bit next to the riffing guitar, bass, and drums – while a few other tracks have a stronger instrumental vibe, with very strong guitar work from Frank Vandenkloot. Eric Tagg makes a great appearance on Fender Rhodes on the cut "Friends" – and other titles include "Victim Of The Past", "What Is Man", "I'll Never Let You Go", and "Necernomicon". CD

A very cool live set from the great tenorist Stan Getz, and one that really echoes some of the best styles of his Getz Au Go Go album – as it not only features guest vocals on a number of tracks from the lovely Astrud Gilberto, but also includes work from vibist Gary Burton throughout the entire performance! The combination of Burton and Getz is tremendous – one that wasn't captured nearly enough by Verve in the 60s, which makes these live recordings so essential – as Gary's modern chromatic elements really seem to unlock a fresh spirit in Stan's horn – all the fluidity of the bossa years, but with these unusual inflections that are completely mindblowing! The rest of the core group is equally hip – Chuck Israels on bass and the great Roy Haynes on drums – and Astrud Gilberto sings on seven of the album's nineteen selections. Titles include instrumental cuts "The Singing Song", "Blues Walk", "O Grande Amor", "Edelweiss", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Jive Hoot", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "On Green Dolphin Street" – and the vocal numbers "Voce E Eu", "Corcovado", "Telephone Song", "Girl From Ipanema", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Samba De Uma Nota So". CD

A fantastic soundtrack that's maybe even more legendary than the unusual animated film for which it was created – a funky French classic that stands strong in the best tradition of work by Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier, and Michel Colombier! No surprise, Alain Goraguer is part of the same generation, and did some great early jazzy backings for Serge – but here, his style is much funkier, with lots of sweet keyboard lines, wah wah guitar, and soaring larger orchestrations that really put the whole thing together – clearly one of Alain's best musical moments – and filled with great tunes that include "Le Bracelet", "Deshominisation", "Mort De Draag", "La Femme", "Mira Et Ten", and "Ten Et Medor". Plus, this great reissue is mixed from the original tapes – and features 10 more bonus tracks – all appearing here for the first time ever! CD

Two very playful soundtracks – both composed by Lallo Gori, who we mostly know for more serious action work! Scusi Ma Le Paga Le Tasse is from the start of the 70s, and begins with a vocal number from Franco Fanchi, but soon moves into much groovier territory with a blend of funky jazz and dreamier moments of the sort that you might be likely to hear from some of the bigger Italian composers of the period. There's occasional light piano, ala Stelvio Cipriani – and even an appearance from the Nora Orlandi singers over the course of the 17 tracks from the film. Come Rubammo La Bomba Atomica is from 1967, and the music has some slight currents of spy spoof scores of the period – that nice comedic/dramatic mix of jazz and dynamic pacing, blended with a few exotic elements too. The set features two vocal numbers sung by Elsa, and the rest of the 12 tracks from the film are instrumental. CD

A really cool set from the Italian scene of the 70s – one that features very hip vocals from the great Shirley Bunnie Foy, set to lean instrumentation that makes the whole thing nicely different than just a standard jazz vocal session! Shirley plays percussion next to her vocals, and the set features some mighty nice organ and piano from Sonnie Taylor – plus added percussion by a third player too, all with a vibe that makes for some really unusual tracks that have the piano and percussion dancing around with a loose, open vibe – which Shirley is only happy to explore with these vocals that unravel in a completely wonderful way – all sorts of personal inflections that groove with the rhythms, in a unique style that goes way past jazz – maybe with some of the righteous energy of Nina Simone at her hippest! Titles include "Go Down Moses", "Way O Comin Home", "Ulele Angolian Blood", "Gershwin/Summertime", "When Sunny Gets Blue", and "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child". CD

Herbie Hancock is certainly Takin Off at this point in his career – stepping into the limelight with an excellent batch of soul jazz tunes, including the first recording of his classic "Watermelon Man", the one track that probably put all his kids through school! Although that one went on to become a standard within a few short years in 60s jazz, it still sounds great here in the original – a very fresh take on the sound of soul jazz in the 60s – offered up here in a 7 minute version that has more sharp soloing than most other takes on the tune! The group here is great too – with Dexter Gordon on tenor, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks are all also originals by a young Herbie – including "Watermelon Man", "The Maze", "Driftin", "Three Bags Full", "Alone & I", and "Empty Pockets". CD features three bonus alternate takes! CD

An amazing little record – easily one of the coolest albums ever on the legendary Ovation label – and a set that has the small imprint almost hitting the heights of their Chicago neighbor Cadet Records! The core sounds here are from the folksy duo of Chuck Hollins and Dave Starr – but their music is really expanded with some key studio touches – jazzy inflections from session players, some slight fuller arrangements – and an overall vibe that carries the same sense of hope and new voice that you'd find in records by Terry Callier or Rotary Connection! The dawn of the 70s was a great time to push the boundaries of what could be done with folk and psychedelic trappings, and these guys really find a great little space – balancing trippy lyricism, lots of ethereal atmosphere, and a few heavily percussive jams! Titles include "Talking To Myself", "Krishna Dov", "Cry Baby Cry", "Twin City Prayer", "John Hurt", "Hard Headed Women", "Lovable", "Digress", "Staying High", "Sidewalk's Talkin'", and "Feelin' Good". CD features bonus tracks that include a 9 minute outtake of "Hard Headed Woman" – plus single versions of "Feelin Good" and "Lovable". CD

You gotta love a record with song titles like "Marijuana", "Drugstore", and "Hurrycane" – and we can definitely promise that the overall sound definitely matches those trippy references! The record's one of the most obscure Italian sound library sets from the time – and really has a feel that's more like an offbeat jazz album overall – never too outside, but definitely modern – with very strong passages from the saxophone, flute, and trumpet players in the group – who work nicely alongside some sweet organ and guitar, which provide some excellent psychedelic touches! Tony Iglio himself handles the Hammond – and wrote and arranged all the tunes – and in addition to the three mentioned above, other titles include "Jungla", "Yatagan", "Yellow Drops", "Soft Cream", and "Velvet". CD

A great collaboration from two fantastic players – alto genius Bobby Watson and percussionist Ray Mantilla – both coming together here in a style that's even more than the sum of their mighty parts! The group has lots of Watson elements at the core – bass from Curtis Lundy, drums from Victor Lewis, and piano from Ronnie Mathews – but the presence of Mantilla's congas really changes up the groove, and the trumpet of Jack Walrath further emphasizes some Latin currents, while also linking up to the soulful energy of Watson's horn! Tracks are penned by all members of the group – and the record's overflowing with the sense of good spirit and boundless energy we always love from Bobby's dates as a leader. Titles include "Karita", "Chili Plaza Suite", "Ella Dunham", "Los Apolypticanos", "Know One Has To Know", and "River Jordan". CD

A really early piece of music from the great Karl Jenkins – the British instrumentalist that most folks know for his work in Soft Machine in the mid 70s – heard here a few years before, on a beautiful composition that mixes his jazz inclinations with some of his more serious ambitions! The album features one long work, divided up into movements – played by a lineup of some of the hippest British jazz players of the moment – including Ian Carr on flugelhorn, Ray Warleigh on alto, Alan Skidmore on tenor, Brian Smith on soprano, Chris Spedding on guitar, and Frank Ricotti on percussion! There's a solid, soaring vibe to "Penumbra II" – as the piece builds slowly, with some great piano from Jenkins himself – then really takes off, with added help from Dave MacRae on electric piano, Ray Babbington on bass, and John Marshall on drums – all at a level that mixes modal energy with some solos that step out nicely, but never too free or outside! CD

Plenty cool sounds from Joyce – a lady who's always been the definition of the world used in the title – thanks to her totally unique, totally wonderful style! The album's one of a number of recent gems that have Joyce really going back to basics – hitting that soaring blend of vocals and acoustic guitar that first made her 70s recordings so great, cut here with small combo instrumentation that includes Tutty Moreno on drums and Helio Alves on piano. But the real charm, as always, comes from Joyce – the way she works her voice, plays her guitar, and ties the two of them together in a manner that's unlike anyone else – a sound inspired by bossa, inflected by jazz, but totally her own throughout. Familiar tunes get completely remade with the approach – as you'll hear on the set – which includes these sublime Joyced-up versions of "Cool", "Let's Do It", "Love For Sale", "Fever", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Invitation", and "Moon River" – all sounding very unique, and plenty darn cool! CD

An excellent collection of rare work from the legendary BB King – a selection of 25 tracks from the vaults of RPM and Kent Records, 23 of which appear here for the first time ever! Some cuts are alternates, some are different versions of other recordings – and all are pretty darn wonderful – that sharp-edged BB King sound right at the start, before the famous Memphis powerhouse was recording for bigger labels in a more commercial setting! Lots of these cuts have a jazzy backing alongside BB's sweet guitar and raspy vocals – a mode that's similar to the mix of bigger band and bluesy elements you'd get on early work from Bobby Blue Bland – that great Memphis mix of modes that always makes us love this stretch in King's career so much. Titles include unusual versions of "Sweet Little Angel", "Catfish Blues", "Early In The Morning", "I Wonder Why", "Goin Down Slow", "Whole Lotta Meat", "Loving You In Vain", "Long Nights", "The Woman I Love", "Soul Beat", "Don't You Want A Man Like Me", "Be Careful With A Fool", and "Whole Lot Of Lovin". CD

A mindblowing collection of work from one of our favorite film composers ever – and a package that showcases as much jazz and vocal material as it does his work for cinema! The design is wonderful – a big-styled package with a huge volume of notes and photos – served up with 20 CDs that each focus on a different theme, many of which are presented in full album reissues of material from Michel Legrand's long and storied career – alongside other work that's always been hard to find on CD! CD1 features early jazz records Legrand Jazz and Plays Richard Rodgers. CD2 and CD3 feature vocal material – the albums Michel Legrand Chante, Serenades Du Xxeme Siecle, Les Moulins De Mon Coeur, and Michel Legrand (1981). CD 4 features nouvelle vague/new wave film work. CD5 features work with director Jacques Demy, including some unusual moments. CD6 is a tribute to Steve McQueen – soundtrack work from Thomas Crown Affair, Le Mans, and The Hunter. CD7 features albums with Stan Getz and Bud Shank. CD8 features 22 vocal songs by French performers. CD9 features 19 tracks by international performers. CD10 features rare work for stage musicals, including the long Monte Cristo soundtrack. CD11 features work for animated films – including Il Etait Une Fois L'Espace, Michel's Bird, and Oum Le Dauphin Blanc. CD12 features a tribute to Alain Delon – the soundtracks for Cercle Rouge and La Piscine, plus a vocal track sung by Delon. CD13 features work for director Jean Paul Rappenau – soundtracks for Le Sauvage, Les Maries De L'An II, and La Vie De Chateau. CD14 features full album collaborations with Phil Woods and Sarah Vaughan. CD15 features collaborations with Stephane Grappelli. CD16 features concert performances – the albums Legrand Cinema and Legrand Concert, plus bonus tracks. CD17 features orchestral works from recent years. CD18 and CD19 feature some material from rare or previously unreleased soundtracks. And CD20 features rare and unusual material – including work for Radio Luxembourg, some jazzy bits, and even a commercial for Heineken! CD

A long-overdue look at the mini-soul empire of Leo Gooden – an tiny little enclave in East St Louis that was making some mighty hip music in the early 60s! Gooden wore many hats at the time – politician, club owner, and local businessman – but he also put together his own band and record label, and worked in a very hip mix of R&B and 60s soul jazz modes! Through his nightclub, The Blue Note, Gooden came into contact with a variety of great musicians, both national and local – and he brought their inspiration to play on sessions recorded here for his LG family of labels – issued on a handful of singles and two rare LPs. Although rough-edged at times, these tracks have a really great sound – kind of a grittier take on the Prestige Records groove of the 60s – helped out by musicians who include Oliver Nelson and Hamiet Bluiett – and singers who include Albert King and Charles Drain. The package is a bit loose on discographical details, but definitely includes all the best moments from these mighty years on the East St Louis scene – and the full story in the notes more than helps to fill in the gaps in Gooden's compelling tale. The titles by Leo's Five – Gooden's group – are all hip jazz instrumentals, often with a strong mix of Hammond, guitar, and tenor – and these titles include "Hold It", "Sunrise Serenade", "Something You Got", "Tippin", "Johnnie Come Marching Home (Country Style)", "Minor Over Matter", "Mop Water", "Fredrick's Dream", and "Cookin With Chezie Mae". Other cuts include "COD" and "Worsome Baby" by Albert King, "So Glad" and "Stop & Think About It Baby" by Charles Drain, "Winkee Do" and "Ugly Ugly" by Leo Gooden, and "Let's Do The Cat" by Jamie Ross. CD

Some of the most soulful sounds we've ever heard from tenorist James Brandon Lewis a reworking of themes from the music of Mahalia Jackson into jazz – all at a level that keeps all the spirit of the originals, while unlocking the songs as vehicles for freer improvisation! Given the mix of freedom and spirit here, there's almost a vibe that takes us back to the brilliance of Albert Ayler at the start – served up through the intertwining magic of Lewis' tenor, the cornet of Kirk Knuffke, cello of Chris Hoffman, bass of William Parker, and drums of Chad Taylor – all tremendous players, but resonating even more strongly in the presence of this project! James has been getting plenty of attention in recent years, but this could be the album that catapults him into the canon of contemporary jazz – thanks to amazing takes of "Elijah Rock", "Were You There", "Go Down Moses", "Precious Lord", "Deep River", "Wade In The Water", "Swing Low", and "Sparrow". 2CD edition features the full bonus album These Are Soulful Days – recorded by James Brandon Lewis with the Lutoslowski Quartet. CD

Two rare albums from Dutch reedman Theo Loevendie – both amazing little records that sound beautiful here on a single CD! Mandela features complicated lines from a hip Netherlands combo of the late 60s – one headed up by Theo Loevendie on alto sax, but which acts a lot more like a collective of modernists working together – Hans Dulfer on tenor and bamboo flute, Willem Van Manen on trombone, Nedly Elstak on trumpet, Joop Mastenbroek on baritone and clarinet, Maarten Altena on bass, and Martin Van Dunhoven and John Engels on drums. The tunes all have a nice sense of structure – energy that's more like the early 60s modernism of the European scene – particularly some of the more rhythmic styles – than the looser freedoms that some of Loevendie's contemporaries were hitting at the same time. There's definitely plenty of offbeat sounds in the mix – but the group also knows how to swing, too – on titles that include "Trombomanie", "Mr Brook", "Timbuktu", "Trompedly", and "Pepy". Chess is a really playful outing from a very cool Dutch combo – one with lead alto from Theo Loevendie, but a rich array of sounds from the other members too! The reeds are especially nice – often coming together with a complexity that goes back to older European modern traditions, yet with a swinging sensibility that's still plenty jazz, too – kind of a mix of composition, arrangement, and inherent swinging – with standout work from Hans Dulfer on tenor, Leon Van Oostrom on baritone, Leo Cuypers on piano, and Willem Van Manen on trombone – a player we barely know at all, but whose bold tones really bring a lot to the record. Titles include "Lapsang Souchong", "Scratch", "Brasilia", and "Tremolo". CD

One of the most obscure albums issued on the Palm Records label of French jazz genius Jef Gilson – a large ensemble session that ties together both spiritual and avant styles of the early 70s, and which really demonstrates the overlooked power of the French scene at the time! The group's led by Chilean pianist Manuel Villarroel which might explain the title reference – and the lineup is filled with a range of excellent and obscure French musicians – including Jean Quarlier, Hugh Levick, Jef Sicard, and Gerard Coppere on reeds – plus Alain Brunet and JF Cannape on trumpets, Alphonse Leboucher and Josef Traindl on trombones, and Keno Speller, Claudio Bertoni, and Ana-Maria Villarroel on percussion. The tunes are as loose and open as the free jazz material recorded by BYG/Actuel a few years before – but also have more inherent structure and soul, and a really great balance between the contributions of the individual members as they space out the sound nicely. Titles include "Bolerito", "Leyendas De Nahuelbuta", and "Quetzalcoatl". CD

French composer Michel Magne is perhaps best remembered for his soundtrack work of the 60s – but this well-done collection digs farther back, and brings together not only some earlier film score work from the postwar years, but also some extra cool instrumental projects too! Magne's always got a special sort of twist in his music – and he was maybe one of the first French arrangers to incorporate newer ideas in pop and rock to his music, at a level that opened the door for later artists like Jean Claude Vannier or Michel Colombier – and like contemporary Alan Goraguer, he's also got some strong backing in jazz as well! Those many streams of styles really come into play here – in a big 3CD package that features 88 tracks in all – including the soundtracks to the films Le Repos Du Guerrier, Le Pain Vivant, Detournement De Mineures, Le Pique Assiette, and Un Singe En Hiver – plus work from a Musique Pour Films album, the records Musique Tachist, Paris, and A L'Alhambra – and even a rare collaboration with author Francoise Sagan! CD

A Japanese live date from pianist Junior Mance – and a record that's an overlooked gem in his catalog from the 80s! The set was recorded in a small club in Tokyo, and there's this great groove to the whole thing – almost more back in the soul jazz roots in which Mance was launched in the 60s, but with longer cuts that show some of the increasing sophistication in his style, but all without ever losing the groove! A good part of that is the rhythm team here – superb work from bassist Martin Rivera, next to the drums of Rudy Lawless – on titles that include "Something", "Smokey Blues", "Small Fry", "Emily", "No Greater Love", and "Summertime". CD

An obscure set from Hammond genius Jimmy McGriff, but a great one too – nicely different than his earlier work for Sue Records, and done at a level that really shows his growth at the end of the 60s! The record's one of those unusual Sonny Lester productions that seem to open up McGriff's approach to the keys – moving past more standard jazz organ sounds of a few years back, and finding all these inventive, original ways to open up a groove! Jimmy's still giving 110% on the Hammond – grooving with an unnamed group in a mode that recalls the fiercely swinging sound of Groove Holmes at his best in the mid 60s – and like Holmes, McGriff has a real talent for taking familiar numbers, and making them swing with a very soulful edge! Titles include the great original "Once Again", plus great takes on "The Way You Look Tonight", "Laura", and "Moon River". CD

Japanese jazz vocalist Junko Mine made a great trip to LA for this album – working here under the leadership of pianist Lou Levy, with a group that includes some of the best west coast jazz players of the 50s! At the time, American labels were often ignoring the talent that was still flourishing strongly in the city of angels – and it was up to Japanese labels like this to give them a chance to shine on record – which they do wonderfully, in a group that features Levy on piano, Bill Perkins on tenor and flute, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Red Mitchell on bass, and Mundell Lowe on drums. Junko handles vocals, but also knows when to step aside for an instrumentalist to solo – and titles include "Easy To Love", "You're The Top", "I Concentrate On You", "In The Still Of The Night", "You Do Something To Me", and "I Get A Kick Out Of You". CD

A fantastic live performance from Charles Mingus – recorded in Detroit, with a slightly unusual group – and done with the more open, freewheeling quality that grace his live recordings of the early 60s! The set was recorded at the Strata Gallery – and has some of the deeper spiritual currents of the work on Detroit's Strata label – as the quintet burns beautifully with contributions from Don Pullen on piano, John Stubblefield on tenor, Joe Gardner on trumpet, and the great Roy Brooks on drums! It's interesting both to hear Mingus without Dannie Richmond on drums – and Brooks at a time when he was at his most righteous – and the pairing really seems to bring a lot of the best energy out of the other players too. The super-expanded set features material from a few nights of performance, with a few alternate takes – and titles include "The Man Who Never Sleeps", "Pithecanthropus Erectus", "Peggy's Blue Skylight", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk", "Dizzy Profile", and "C Jam Blues". CD

A classic early 60s session for Candid Records – put together by a group that includes Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and a host of other musicians who were working here as "Newport Rebels" – by setting up the Jazz Artists Guild Festival as a protest against the increasingly commercialized Newport date! And for the record, the group definitely live up to their name – really shaking off the easier modes popularized at the Newport festival, and coming across with a style that's much more modern, firey, and righteous! Other artists include Abbey Lincoln on vocals, Booker Little on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eric Dolphy on saxophone, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – and titles include a great rendition of "Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do" – plus 2 other great originals, "Cliff Walk" by Booker Little and "Mysterious Blues" by Mingus. CD

A great little project – Clara Moreno's jazzy soul take on Jorge Ben's classic Samba Esquema Novo album – but much more than a simple tribute record, and some of her warmest grooves in years! The songs by Jorge are great, of course – but Clara is really doing something special here, adapting the material in a way that honors the soulful integrity Ben brought to the bossa in early 60s – but working with arranger Paulo Malheiros in a lively (and often live sounding) jazzy approach that really opens up the material! There's a lot of piano in the mix,the rhythm section is solid, and Clara's beautiful voice is right out front – and we especially love the warm and unfussy vibe of the record. We knew we were in for something special with the unique take on "Mas Que Nada" that starts the record off – and the groove continues on the cuts "Tim Dom Dom", "Balanca Pema", "Chove Chuva", "E So Sambar", "Rosa Menina Rosa", "Quero Esquecer Voce", "A Tamba", and "Pra Causa De Voce Menina". CD

A trio of classic albums from The Muscle Shoals Horns – with bonus tracks too! First up is Born To Get Down, by a group who were definitely born to get down – as they'd proved before on countless funk and soul sessions in the south – and as they prove once again with this masterful album on their own! The style here is surprisingly well-formed – not just horn players getting to shine in the lead, but a soul group with a tightness that matches some of the hippest, most sophisticated groups of the time – working here with really well-crafted rhythms that often hit an excellent midtempo groove, and avoid any disco-era cliches. Muscle Shoals legend Barry Beckett helps the group out on keyboards, arrangements, and production – and trumpeter Harrison Calloway turns out to be a surprisingly great singer in the lead. Titles include "Born To Get Down", which has a nice keyboard break in the middle, plus "Bump De Bump Yo Boogie", "Give It To Me", "Open Up Your Heart", "Where I'm Coming From", and "Break Down". Doin It To The Bone is a killer album from the Muscle Shoals Horns – and way more than just a set of studio players stepping out for some time in the spotlight! Sure, the MSH had worked on hundreds of sessions by this point – but there's also a sense of ownership and leadership they never had before – a real sense of trying something fresh, and really making the album all their own! To that respect, they certainly use their horns – but also work in plenty of vocals, too – and definitely emphasize the rhythms, which often have this cool compressed vibe that's very much in the best Earth Wind & Fire style – especially on the midtempo numbers that really make the album a killer. Production is by Barry Beckett, who goes for a nicely modern soul approach – and of all the horns, Harrison Calloway is probably the lead talent here – handling most of the arrangements, songwriting, and vocals. Titles include "What's Goin Down", "Dance To The Music", "I Just Wanna Turn You On", "Addicted To Your Love", "Beware Of The Rip Off", and "Keep On Playing That Funky Music". Last up is Shine On – an early 80s set from the mighty Muscle Shoals Horns, but one that cooks every bit as much as their funk classics from the 70s! At some level, this album may well be the group's funkiest – but in a style that's got some of the best 80s qualities in the grooves – the kind of tight basslines and sweet keyboard lines that marked some of the best work of the time – mixed with the group's sublime horn lines, which provide these jazzy inflections that really warm things up in a brilliant way! Most of the rhythms are nicely right in the middle – neither too uptempo, nor too head-noddy – and the whole thing's a really overlooked gem that's a standout funky set from the time. Titles include "Celebrate Recreate Participate", "She Was Once My Woman", "Shoalin", "More Than Ever Now", and "Don't Bust Yo Bubbles". 2CD set features bonus tracks – 7" mixes of "Born To Get Down", "Bump De Bump Yo Boodie", "Where I'm Coming From", and "She Was Once My Woman" – plus "I Just Wanna Turn You On (12" mix)". CD

A wonderful package – a set that brings together two rare funk albums by Newban, an early version of Atlantic Starr – plus bonus tracks too! The first Newban record is one of the sweetest ensemble funk albums of the 70s – and a record that's gone on to become a classic, despite the fact that most people know little about the group! Newban have a sound that's almost a jazzier take on the Earth Wind & Fire groove of the time – a style that's warm and fluid, and which really gets past the cliches of other larger funk acts – and manages to find a space in sound that's all its own! There's lots of odd phrasings and chords on the set – creating these very blue passages even when the group's grooving in an uptempo mode – almost like the sense of sadness that creeps out from Stevie Wonder's work during his best early 70s years. The sound is totally unique, and uniquely wonderful – and the album includes the classic "Father Time", plus the cuts "Magic Lady", "Mellow Days, Easy Nights", "Fatback Sally", and "Hungry Grin". Newban 2 is every bit as great as the first album – if not better – with some excellent excellent lost material that's the kind of stuff that still keeps you diggin' for the hard ones. Includes the track "Greenburgh", with a tight funky intro and a smooth sweet soul groove, plus lots of other great cuts like "Free Your Mind", "Easin' Through", "Find a Place to Live", and "Rhythm & Rhyme". This deluxe package also features three rare bonus tracks – "Oh Wow", "Miracle Holiday", and "Bells" – tracks recorded before the first two albums! CD

Contemporary sounds from the legendary Parchman Prison farm in Mississippi – once home to musical blues and jazz legends in the 20th Century, and open to visits from creative talents and photographers – but which has been much more closed off in recent years, which maybe makes this collection even more important than some of the classic efforts to showcase the talents at Parchman in the postwar years! The music is spiritual, but with a feel that's very different than more mainstream gospel – very intimate and personal, as the voices of these young men rise up together in a beautifully unified spirit – almost acapella, but with some occasional piano or organ. Titles include "Break Every Chain", "Open The Eyes Of My Heart", "I Give Myself Away", "Step Into The Water", "Lay My Burden Down", and "Solve My Need". CD

Two very different films, both of which receive some mighty nice scoring from the lesser-known Italian maestro Franco Piersanti! First up is Il Nudo Del Ragno – a creepy film, as you might guess from the cover – but one that's scored by Piersanti with a surprising degree of sensitivity, and some very rich orchestrations that are very different than the stark, more electric modes being used in so much of 80s horror! There's some really beautiful woodwinds in the music, and some darker strings that echo 70s atonality from Morricone – on titles that include "Labirinto", "Omicidio", "Radio Jazz", "Budapest", and "Illusioni Ottiche". Next is Una Prova D'Innocenza, a film of a more serious nature, and which gets equally beautiful handling – with a blend of strings that can get very dark at times, almost with the richness of some of Morricone's global scores of the period – inflected with just the right dose of woodwinds too, matched by the occasional echoey piano line. CD features 15 tracks from the score – a real under-discovered beauty! CD

Wonderful later work from Brazilian guitar legend Baden Powell – an artist whose sound just deepened and got more complex as the years went on! Here, Baden's just playing solo, but with a vibrancy that's amazing – fingers moving across the strings of the guitar in this amazing way, spinning out rhythm and melody at once – and often topped with some vocals by Powell himself – a light-voiced singer with a sound that adds this special sort of personal sparkle to the music! There's plenty of jazz influence at work here, and Baden's got a strong sense of improvisation as well – on titles that include "Odeon", "Vento Vadio", "Garota De Ipanema", "Para Nao Sofrer", "Tributo Ao Meira", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Samba Do Aviao", "Bolina De Papel/A Premiera Vez", and "Interrogando". CD

An amazing little soundtrack that's every bit as groovy as its cover – a great blend of 60s mod and Italian jazz, all in support of the skeleton-costumed master thief Kriminal! This CD represents the first full length presentation of the film's soundtrack – a long-overdue masterpiece that steps off the jazzier modes used in Italian films of the early 60s, touched by some of the more dynamic production and arrangement styles that were creeping in later in the decade – all served up over short, sweet tracks that dance with delight and drama throughout! There's even a bit of the British and American spy modes of the time creeping into the mix – no doubt a way of highlighting the "international crime" reputation of lead character Kriminal. CD features a total of 29 tracks in all, with notes in both English and Italian! CD

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight". This fantastic expanded reissue includes bonus material – some tracks that appeared on the album Sun Sound Pleasure, and other recordings too – titles that include "Hour Of Parting", "Round Midnight", "Hours After", "Velvet", "Enlightenment", "Hours After (single version)", "Great Balls Of Fire (single version)", "Back In Your Own Backyard", and the unreleased tunes "Blues For Saturn", "State Street (alternate)", and "Horoscope (incomplete)". CD

A killer combination of sounds served up by a group led by a tenor saxophonist – but one who chooses to make music that's very different than the norm! Otis Sandsjo has a way of phrasing that's very fresh, and almost electronic at times – which blends in perfectly with the chunky sounds from his trio-mates Petter Eldh on bass and Dan Nicholls on keyboards – players who all have a way of letting loose, cutting things up, and allowing production to layer in all these other sonic and rhythmic elements along the way! The mix of live performance and altered recording is a bit like some of the Makaya McCraven experiments – but more tenor-focused, in a great way – on tunes that include "Loomy", "Orkaneon", "Pluralregn", "Clicks 2023", and "Earrings". CD

A record that's incredibly hard to pin down – and we mean that in the best way possible – a really explosive blend of jazz elements, contemporary rhythms, and all these other wonderful sounds and styles – a globe's worth of music that somehow was created in just a tiny bedroom studio! There's a richness here that's really uncommon for such a production – a quality that instead makes you feel as if some larger ensemble were working out new musical ideas in collaboration – not just a single artist with an uncanny ear for just the right saxophone elements, keyboard moments, and surprising sonic touches. These aren't "jazz loops" or some sort of silly, facile approach to music – and instead, Vasconcelos Sentimento has all the sophistication and depth to make the record well worthy of inclusion in the mighty catalog of the Far Out label. Titles include "Movimento", "Burkina", "Lucca", "Batebate", "Geraldo", "Quebra Coco", "Atraso Granular", and "Tender Strings". CD

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 players with him – to form the amazing Shango Dance Band, which is this incredible bridge between older Afro jazz modes and the new funk styles to explode in the 70s! At some level, the groove's a bit like that which Fela was percolating at the start of the 70s – but there's also some jazzier currents on the horn solos, especially the trumpet – and Okeji's bass is very far up in the mix – dipping, turning, and crafting these amazing grooves throughout – with a snakey vibe that's completely sublime – as is the entire record. And sure, there have been plenty of Afro Funk reissued on the market in the past decade or so – but few as essential as this one – or as enjoyable! Titles include "Position Pass Power", "Women Are Great", "Son Of Thunder", "Alupandu Gbe", and "I Need Your Love". CD

A rough-edged batch of spiritual jazz tracks from trumpeter Charles "Cha Cha" Shaw (not to be confused with Charles "Bo Bo" Shaw) – recorded in an open-ended loft jazz mode with a really open, echoey feel! The album's a rare 70s jazz date on the Folkways label, and it's almost got the freer, open sound of an ESP session from a decade before – experimental jazz that's very much at the fringes, but also played with some of the spirituality of the post-Coltrane generation. Shaw's trumpet has a really earthy sort of feel – blown with a great sense of personality, and a sound that's almost heart-wrenching at times – especially on some of the more modal numbers. Other players include Brian Ross on tenor, Billy Lyes on piano and guitar, and Ronnie Boykins on bass. Boykins is really the only player we know here from other records – and titles include the nicely grooving "KZ", plus "Juggety", "Super Slik", and "Eternal". CD

The title here is interesting – given that Matthew Shipp's been giving us new concepts in jazz piano for decades – yet there also is a way that this set differs from some of Shipp's classic recordings – maybe in part because it seems to hew to older piano trio traditions at times, especially the modern generation of Monk and Herbie Nichols – while also really expanding the sound, thanks to the inventive contributions of all three musicians – not just Shipp on piano, but also Michael Bisio on bass and Newman Taylor Baker on drums! Titles include "The Function", "Primal Poem", "Sea Song", "Brain Work", "Coherent System", and "Tone IQ". CD

A great tribute to the genius of Alan Shorter – has classic late 60s album, plus a bonus track too! The core of the record is the album Orgasm, a record as striking as its title – and one of the few recorded performances of trumpeter Alan Shorter – brother of Wayne Shorter, and an equally powerful force in avant jazz in the 60s when he got a chance! And although Alan hardly recorded much, this album's a masterpiece – a set that bridges the "new thing" moment of jazz in the mid 60s with some of the freer improvisations that were taking over on both the New York and European scenes – a balance of modes that's similar to some of the Don Cherry albums for Blue Note in the late 60s, and delivered here with a stunning lineup that includes superb early modern tenor work from Gato Barbieri, bass from either Charlie Haden or Reggie Johnson, and drums from either Muhammad Ali or Rashied Ali. Tracks are all originals – and titles include "Parabola", "Straits Of Blagellan", "Outeroids", and "Orgasm". CD also features another key performance by Alan Shorter from a few years earlier – the track "Mephistopheles" from the Wayne Shorter album All Seeing Eye – with Wayne on tenor, James Spaulding on alto, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Grachan Moncur III on trombone, and Herbie Hancock on piano. CD

Quite possibly the most celebrated album ever from keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith – a groove-heavy classic that's burned up many a dancefloor in its day, yet also a record that features some great mellow moments as well! The title track "Expansions" is virtually a blueprint for the migration of the cosmic jazz sound onto the dancefloor – a tune that's as funky as it is righteous – but other cuts on the album slow down the pace a bit too, and show off the mellower, more introspectively spiritual side that's always made Lonnie way more than just a funky jazz artist. Easily the best place to start in the all-great Lonnie Liston Smith catalog – and featuring tracks that include "Expansions", "Summer Days", "Desert Nights", "Shadows", "My Love", "Peace", and "Voodoo Woman". CD

An incredibly untapped world of cinematic jazz – pulled from an array of Spanish films of the late 50s and early 60s – most of which have soundtracks as dynamic as work coming from France or Italy at the time! A good portion of the tracks here are scored by Jose Sola – who seems to draw inspiration from some of the west coast jazz soundtracks of the 50s – work by Elmer Bernstein, Shorty Rogers, Leith Stevens, and others – blending standout soloists with fuller backings, but in a way that matches the stark energy of the images on the screen! The CD's an unusual one in that many of the tunes are quite long – upwards of 10 minutes, and very different than the shorter snippets of jazz you might get on other soundtrack efforts from the same generation – and some numbers keep in bits of the dialogue, presenting the music with sound that's more "cinematic" than straight studio recording. Solo instruments include a fair bit of trumpet and alto sax – and the package comes with a great booklet with notes in English and Spanish, plus images from the films. Titles include "Un Vaso De Whisky", "A Sangre Fria", "Altas Variedades", "Los Cuervos", "Regresa Un Desconocido", and "El Salario Del Crimen" by Jose Sola; plus "091 Policia Al Habla" by Augusto Alguero, "Juventud A La Intemperie" by Enrique Escobar, and "A Tiro Limpo" by Federico Martinez Tudo. CD

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 provide a great illustration of the way that the crumbling French colonial empire was allowing all sorts of unusual criss-crossing in sound – in this case, the already-strong Parisian love of jazz mixed with the influence of new phrasings, colors, and rhythms from the French Caribbean – very much in the spirit that would soon become known as biguine! Stellio recorded a surprising amount of music during these years – and the set brings together every session with detailed notes and excellent sound – recordings that are all awash with his amazingly deft, edgey reed lines over romping rhythms, piano, and guitar – the last of which has some slight echoes of Parisian swing. 85 tracks in all – and notes in French and English! CD

One of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded by the legendary Toots Thielemans – a small combo session that stands in great contrast to much of the bigger studio work he was doing in the 70s! Despite the title, the record's a studio one and not a concert – but it's got a relaxed intimacy that's really great, and features plenty of long-drawn lines from Thielemans on the harmonica, all played with the sort of tone and phrasing that made him one of the greatest jazz players ever on the instrument. The rest of the group features Joanne Brackeen on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums – all quite hip players that help Toots avoid the traps of sentimentality and commercialism that could sometimes hurt his work. Titles include "Dr Pretty", "I Never Told You", "Giant Steps", and "Snooze". CD features the bonus tracks "Stella By Starlight" and "Revol". CD

One of the most obscure albums of the 70s from jazz vibes legend Cal Tjader – a set that was originally done as a direct-to-disc session for an audiophile label, but one that has Tjader recording with some of his grooviest modes of the time! The group here is wonderful – and the album sparkles with all these wonderful electric piano lines from the great Clare Fisher, a player who always seems to bring out the best in Cal – working alongside Gary Foster on flute and alto, Willie Bobo on timbales, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Pancho Sanchez on congas! The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Ritmo Caliente", "Desposado", "Funquiado", "Tres Palabras", and "Huracan". Very likely Cal Tjader's best Latin LP of the 70s! CD

The rare second album from Twilight – recorded five years after the first, and with a sound that's every bit as great! Twilight morphed a bit in the time since their debut – moving from a solo act into more of a duo, yet still very strongly under the guidance of mainman Lawrence Ross – a singer, musician, and self-produced artist with a great ear for pushing contemporary soul modes into some hip new directions! The overall feel of the set is more early 80s than you'd expect from the date – no too-tinny keyboards, and lots of warmth in the production – killer indie soul that really brings out the best aspects of Ross' original tunes, with lots of great keyboard work that falls more in a jazzy style than the usual soul modes of the time. There's plenty of groovers, but more in a funky soul style for the 80s than the more familiar boogie or dancefloor modes – and as before, there's some great ballads that show a good degree of depth in Twilight's sound. Titles include "Pains Of Love", "Love From You", "You're In Love", "I Wonder Who", "Dance With Me", "Find Someone Else", and "You Look So Good". CD

An east coast psych classic from Ultimate Spinach – a group who recorded for MGM, but who would have been equally at home next to some of the trippy rock groups on Mainstream or Vanguard at the time! Alan Lorber handles production, and he really lets the group's freak flag fly – using that great ear for psychedelic elements that he brought to some of his own groovy records, which gives familiar instrumentation some nicely shaggy edges that really help push the album over the top! There's all sorts of cool things going on here – especially on the longer tracks, of which there are a few – and titles include "Jazz Thing", "Mind Flowers", "Suite Genesis Of Beauty", "Fragmentary March Of Green", and "Fifth Horseman Of The Apocalypse". CD

Totally wonderful spy soundtrack work from Piero Umiliani – done in his best groovy style of the 60s, with a brilliant mix of jazz and mod elements throughout! Umiliani's extrapolating from the more famous spy sounds of Bond and Barry, and takes things very strongly into his own territory with a blend of light woodwinds, moody Hammond, snapping snare, and a bit of strings as well – interwoven with a really fresh feel that includes a bit of the bossa styles you'd hear in other Italian work of the time! Given the obscurity of the film, the soundtrack's a great discovery – and steps out boldly here on this set of 21 tracks from the movie. CD

A really cool spy soundtrack from the Italian 60s scene – put together by Piero Umiliani with lots of jazzy touches! The music here is a nice change from the more obvious, more familiar American spy modes of the time – and often uses some cool vibes mixed with horns, to create this blend of tension and action that flows together wonderfully! The tunes are really evocative – almost little mini-movies on their own, even without the film – and there's a core theme that's very catchy – never dominating the soundtrack, but showing up in little bursts to tie the whole thing together. 20 tracks in all, great sound, and the package includes a little fold-out movie poster! CD

A great collection of groundbreaking early work from Michal Urbaniak – early European recordings that are very different than his American records from later years! First up is Paratyphus B – some of Michal Urbaniak's heaviest work of the 70s – an album of relatively free and exploratory fusion, recorded in Stuttgart with a group of Polish contemporaries who include Urszula Dudziak on voice and percussion, and Adam Makowicz on electric piano! Urbaniak plays soprano sax, tenor, and flute next to his more familiar electric violin – and many of the tracks are spacey explorations in sound, with some sort of rhythm, but really more a focus on the jamming of the keys, violin, and Dudziak's incredible voice. Titles include "Valium", "Irena", "Sound Pieces", "Winter Piece", and "Paratyphus B". Inactin is one of the greatest albums that Polish jazzman Michal Urbaniak ever cut – and a sparkling session of funky fusion recorded in Germany, at the studios of Horst Jankowski! The album feels like one of the great MPS electric albums from the 70s – and it's got loads of cool Fender Rhodes and clavinet playing, spacey electric violin, and some tight choppy soprano work. Urszula Dudziak lays down some incredibly spooky vocals on the best tracks – riffing away in an otherworldly way that matches the funk on the album. Includes the nice breakbeat tracks "Inactin" and "Ekim", plus the cuts "Lato", "Fall", and "Groovy Desert". 3CD set features 2CDs worth of rare bonus live material – a concert recorded in Bremen in 1972, with very long tracks that include "Introduction/Valium", "Sound Pieces", "Irena", and "Groovy Desert/Silence/Lato". CD

The piano of Argentine jazz legend Enrique Villegas gets some great accompaniment here from Ellington sidemen Paul Gonsalves on tenor and Willie Cook on trumpet! Villegas normally recorded in trio modes, or more intimate settings – and it's great to hear him here with a more swinging style, one that really gets great solo work out of the Ellingtonians too – very similar to some of the other non-Duke sessions that Gonsalves was able to cut on a variety of scenes around the world in the 60s! Other players include Alfredo Remus on bass and Eduardo Casalla on drums – and titles include "Perdido", "Blues For BA", "St Louis Blues", "I Can't Get Started", and "Just Friends". CD features three bonus tracks too "Blues En Do", "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen", and "Lullaby Of The Leaves". CD

Great spiritual grooves from Web Web – a group who've always had a warm blend of electric and acoustic elements, but who take things further in this second collaboration with Max Herre – who brings in all sorts of keyboards and drum machine bits to the music! The core style is still jazz, with excellent tenor and flute from reedman Tonk Lakatos, whose presence really gives the album a soulful vibe – next to the core leading energy of Roberto Di Gioia, who works on a whole host of instruments – organ, mellotron, trumpet, guitar, piano, and even harp! There's other percussion in the group, warm basslines from Christian Von Kaphengst, and guest performances from a variety of others – including the great Carlos Nino on two tracks – all in a style that's got more of the warmth of Schema Records than the usual Compost sound. Titles include "La Planete Fantastique", "The Source Of All Things", "Perennial Journey", "Olobo", "Artist Unknown", "Look Beyond The Sun", and "Zutuma". CD

Jazz harpist Amanda Whiting offers up a nicely changed-up sound here – on a record that begins with a lean trio approach, the adds in work from Chip Wickham on alto and flute on a few tracks too! There's a vibe to the record that's maybe more introspective than before, and very personal – as if Whiting is really figuring out what she can offer to the world of jazz on her instrument, taking up different territory than legends who've preceded her, like Alice Coltrane or Dorothy Ashby – as she works alongside spacious accompaniment from Aidan Thorne on bass and Jon Reynolds on drums. Percussionist Baldo Verdu joins the group on half the album's tracks too – and titles include "Venus Fly Trap", "Discarded", "Up There", "Where Would We Be", "Too Much", "Temptation", "Abstraction", "Lost", and "Suspended". CD

Capitol greatness from Nancy Wilson – a pair of excellent albums locked together on one CD! This Mother's Daughter is one of Nancy Wilson's hippest albums from the 70s – a great record of smooth mellow tracks produced by Eugene McDaniels, handled with some nice jazzy flourishes, and a warm soulful sound that brings out the best in Nancy's vocals! If you've dug her vocals on the Life, Love, & Harmony album, you'll find that this one's pretty similar – with some great easily grooving tunes that well mark her move into modern soul – and a sophistication that goes way beyond her work of the 60s! Titles include "China", "I Don't Want A Sometimes Man", "From You To Me To You", "Stay Tuned", "When We Were One", and "Now". On I've Never Been To Me, Nancy Wilson hits hard on two different levels – some of the mellow, sophisticated numbers that made her mid 70s years so great – and a few more upbeat groovers that aim strongly for the clubs! The blend is carried off well here – thanks to production and arrangements from Gene Page and Garry Sherman – both of whom avoid any too-commercial modes and really help keep the album at a level that works perfect for Wilson's huge legacy in soul music! The sound often has that great Capitol Rare blend of class and soul – and titles include "Love Is Alive", "Flying High", "All By Myself", "Here It Comes", "Moments", "Changes", and "Nobody". CD

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! CD

An early album from Japanese genius Akiko Yano, and one that features some key contributions from American jazz and fusion players – in a lineup that brings some surprisingly funky touches to the record too! Akiko's vocals and unique song structures still have all the charms you'll know from other records, but there's also a groove at points that's totally great – a vibe that's picking up from that moment when Japanese singers and musicians were traveling over the Pacific to work with American players for a really cool blend! The album features keyboards from Roger Powell, Hammond from Will Boulware, drums from Steve Jordan, and guitar from David Spinozza – plus plenty of moog and other keyboards from Akiko and Hideki Matsutake. Titles include "Yo Ro Ko Bi", "Uo Sao", "Katarun Kararan", "Kodomo Tachi", "Okina Ishi", "Two On The Stage", and "Andante Cantabile". CD

An album with Roy Ayers in the title – but which also features the man himself in the music – really sounding wonderful here, and recreating some of the best sounds of his classic work from the 70s! For some reason, Adrian Younge always likes to put his name in the lead, even when working with classic artists – like The Delfonics – but as with his record with that group, this project never has Younge eclipsing the real star of the set too much – as the record is very much Roy's own, and is full of the kind of sublimely soulful sounds that have always made Ayers one of our favorite artists of all time! Roy plays vibes, sings, and delivers the kind of well-tuned soul tracks that we always love so much – alongside bass, Fender Rhodes, and other instruments from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – plus work from Phil Ranelin on trombone, and Wendell Harrison on tenor. Titles include "Hey Lover", "Synchronize Vibration", "Soulful & Unique", "Sunflowers", "Shadows Of The Past", "African Sounds", and "Solace". CD

Torbjorn Zetterberg has always been a hell of a bassist – but in recent years, he really seems to be exploding as a greater jazz visionary – working with a group like this in a range of explosive new ideas we never would have expected just a few years ago! The music is often incredibly dense – Zetterberg's bass in the lineup, but also part of a rich array of sounds from Susana Santos Silva on trumpet, Mats Aleklint on trombone, Jonas Kullhammar on tenor and alto, Alberto Pinto on clarinet and baritone, Jon Falt on drums, Alexander Zethson on Hammond and Fender Rhodes, and Lars Skoglund on drums – mostly players that have worked together often over the years, and who beautifully interpret the stunning arrangements and compositions by Zetterberg. There's definitely plenty of outside moments on the record, but as with much Moserobie material, things also swing at times too – a balance between freedom and structure that matches the balance between group and individual on the album. Titles include "Drommusik", "Meningen Med Vad", "Oraklet I Finnaker", "Plingplongpiano", and "Nytt Hopp Over Atlanten". CD

Pure dynamite throughout – a really killer batch of cuts that easily steps between 60s and 70s styles in Jamaican music – shaking things up with soulful late 60s numbers, funky 70s gems, and some dubbier tracks from a time when production styles really opened up! As with other volumes in this excellent series, the choice of cuts is wonderful – really well-chosen tracks that go past the hits, but also feature some numbers that have become underground classics over the years – but all at a level that's got a lot more bite than some of the oft-played reggae that's been keeping dorm rooms running for decades. There's a total of 14 tracks in all – and titles include "Rocker's Rock" by Augustus Pablo, "No No No" by KC White, "Ring The Alarm" by Tenor Saw, "One Two" by Sister Nancy, "Woman Of The Ghetto" by Kim Harriott, "Heatwave" by Johnny Organ, "King Tubby Dub" by Tommy McCook & The Agrovators, "Earthquake" by Jackie Mittoo, and "Ready Or Not" by Johnny Osborne. CD

Beautifully spiritual jazz from the post-Coltrane generation – a wealth of righteous grooves from the early 70s – brought together in one mighty collection! If you dig the work of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and other giants on Impulse Records, this is a great way to dig even deeper – and hear the way their late 60s legacy inspired other musicians to new heights in their own music – sounds that hit a new level of freedom in jazz, yet which are still filled with enough swing and soul to avoid some of the more avant modes of the free jazz scene! If that description sounds a bit obtuse, then just plug into the collection, and let the music do its thing – as it's got a very powerful vibe throughout – the kind of inspirational, socially conscious work that flourished best during the 70s – and which is finally getting its due all these many years later. The package is new territory for Ace/BGP, but they've done a great job as usual – picking key tracks from the era, and coming up with detailed notes on each of the long tracks. Titles include "Free Angela" by Bayete, "Bridge Into The New Age" by Azar Lawrence, "Tress Cun De O La" by Joe Henderson, "Ebony Queen" by McCoy Tyner, "Peace" by Idris Muhammad, "Mother Of The Future" by Norman Connors, "Brown Warm & Wintry" by Jack DeJohnette, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, and "Fire" by Joe Henderson & Alice Coltrane. CD

An ear-opening collection of work from the Peruvian scene of the late 60s – kind of a secret hotbed of Latin grooves, at least to our American ears – and one that was overflowing with some of the best elements of the small combo scene at the time! These guys clearly take a lot of inspiration from the groundbreaking material of the Joe Cuba Sextet, but they also move the music in lots of other directions too – sometimes with a bit of cumbia in the rhythms, other times more of a descarga mode, and almost always with a lot of jazz instrumentation over the top. There's plenty of the soulful elements you'd expect from the boogaloo reference in the title, but there's also lots more too – served up in a set of 28 gems from the Mag label, with titles that include "Kintos Instrumental" by Los Kintos, "Saludo Maracaibo" by Pedro Miguel Y Sus Maracaibos, "Cumbayea" by Mario Allison Y Su Combo, "La Guarachera" by Nico Estrada Y Su Sonora, "Malambo" by Los Diablos Rojos, "La Charanga Del Espacio" by Carlos Pickling Y Orquesta, and "Busco Una Chiquita" by Coco Lagos Y Sus Orates. CD

A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. CD

A mighty nice little package – one that's overflowing with the special sort of Latin and soul music hybrids that rose up from the Spanish Harlem scene in the late 60s – the kind of cuts that helped establish Fania Records as one of the most important Latin labels around – and one of the grooviest too! These aren't the 70s salsa tracks that Fania spread across the globe – but the more New York-styled numbers that often had English language lyrics in the lead, sung by a soulful vocalist – and set to small combo rhythms that were overflowing with energy, and plenty of touches of jazz, soul, and funk! These are all the mixes from the rare 45rpm singles issued by Fania back in the day – and although the songs are wonderful, the collection together is even cooler as a whole – dozens of tracks, including some really rare ones – all bound up in a 7" book-styled cover, with 60 pages of notes, and a bonus funky 45! Titles include "Silent Heart" by 125th Street Candy Store, "Micro Mini" and "Make Out" by Harvey Averne, "Too Much Lovin" and "So Fine" by Joe Bataan, "Willie Baby" by Willie Colon, "Soul Drummers" and "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Geronimo" and "Funky Big Feet" by Bobby Valentin, "Mercie" by Ralph Robles, "Camel Walk" by The Latinaires, "Batola Boogaloo" by Bobby Quesada, "Grazin In The Grass" by Orchestra Harlow, "Spinning Wheel" by El Apollo Sound, "Hey Sister" by Monguito Santamaria, "Who Is The Girl For Me" and "Look At Her" by Ralfi Pagan, "New York Soul" by Ray Barretto, "Some Lonely Heart" by ronnie Marks, "Let's Get It Together This Christmas" by Harvey Averne, "Shaft" and "If I Were A King" by Joe Bataan, "Johnny's No Good" and "Blonde Latin Blues" by WRLC, and "Today" and "Try Just a Little Harder" by Butter Scotch. Lots more too – and the bonus 7" single features two promo tracks recorded for DJ Symphony Sid – one by Joe Bataan, the other by Bobby Valentin! CD

A much-needed look at the funky Miami scene of the late 60s and early 70s – the new powerhouse of southern soul, after the slowdown in the scenes in Memphis and Muscle Shoals! The Miami sound was harder, tighter, rawer, and faster than that of other southern outlets – based around a really strong ability to pick up a little riff, cook it up nicely, and create the perfect backdrop for sock-soul vocals. By the mid 70s, Miami was topping the charts with disco tunes that sprung out of this energy – but the tracks on this set are all heavy-hitters from the pre-disco years – kickass funky tunes that burn like a box full of rare funky 45s! The set's overflowing with gems – and titles include "You Got To Be A Man" by Helene Smith, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "Funky Cat" by James Knight & The Butler, "90% Of Me Is You" by Gwen McCrae, "Funky Me" by Timmy Thomas, "Funkadelic Sound" by Little Beaver, "Spanish Flyer" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "Do It To Me One More Time" by Joey Gilmore, "A Woman Will Do Wrong" by Helene Smith, "You Got To Be A Man" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "Fantasy World" by James Knight & The Butlers, "Cadillac Annie" by Clarence Reid, "Somebody Done Took My Baby & Gone" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "I Get Lifted" by George McCrae, and "Don't Make The Good Girls Go Bad" by Della Humphrey. CD

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 – especially Brazilian, Global, and Latin bits – and the way they intersect with American grooves of the 60s and 70s – an intersection that's explored heavily here in a really fantastic assortment of tunes! Titles include "Talkin" by Vee Gees, "Africa Bossa" by The Drive, "Okosa Bushi" by Chiemi Eri, "Japao" by Dora Morelenbaum, "Bakom Glaset" by Dina Ogon, "Copa Sete No Samba" by Copa 7, "Estrada" by Hareton Salvanini, "Ye Me Le" by Hazel Scott, "I Do Love You" by Ash Soul Inc, "Eternal Life" by Shira Small, "A Volta" by Mirna, "I'll Keep My Light In My Window" by New York Community Choir, and "Um Amor Para Toda A Vida" by Ines Soares, and "Easy Going" by Sven Wunder. CD

A deep look at a blues scene that doesn't always get its due – music not from Chicago, Memphis, or various points south – but some nicely gritty tracks that were cut in New York during the postwar years! Despite New York's fame as a hub of jazz, soul, and other styles – the city also had a surprisingly strong blues scene in the 50s and 60s, which is when most of these tracks were recorded – music that's both in the electric modes that were showing up in other urban centers at the time, and also in some more traditional modes that were sometimes left behind in other cities – but which got a nice revival in New York, thanks to an interest in folk blues from the underground! Material here was originally recorded by a range of different labels – Old Town, Atlantic, Mercury, Prestige, Fire, Apollo, King, and Chess – and as you'd expect from Ace, there's also some unreleased material on the set, all presented with a great assortment of notes and details on every single track. 26 titles in all – with cuts that include "Bad Blood" by Champion Jack Dupree, "Step It Up & Go" by Blind Boy Fuller, "The Guy With A 45" by Allen Bunn & His Trio, "Stormy Monday Blues" by Bob Gaddy, "Kansas City March" by Wild Jimmy Spruill, "Four Women Blues" by Larry Johnson & Hank Adkins, "Idle Hours" by Lonnie Johnson with Victory Spivey, "Hard Times" by Noble Thin Man Watts, "Believe Me Darling" by June Bateman, "Security" by Tarheel Slim & Little Ann, "Jack That Cat Was Clean" by Dr Horse, and "Goodbye Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison. CD

Sun Ra, Parliament, and other soul and jazz acts famously took us into space back in the day – and in the wake of their journeys, countless other artists elected to take the trip too – soaring to the cosmos on a blend of beats, basslines, keyboards, and vocals – all elements that are given an especially electro-tuned vibe in this great second volume of the series! The space age journeys are maybe more akin to the world of Newcleus than Earth Wind & Fire – lots of processing on the vocals, sweet riffing on the keyboards, and basslines that are tightly tied to the rhythms of the grooves – served up here in a way that references sounds of the street, west coast funk, and even earlier hip hop – all brought together in a very well-chosen array of tracks! As always with Soul Jazz, the presentation is as great as the music within – a set list that includes "More Ounce Rap" by Bobby Deemo, "Master Groove (inst)" by Chance, "Shine Your Light" by The Grainers, "Get Right" by Mid City Crew, "Summer Times" by Frank James & Shadow, "Year 2001 Boogie" by Rich Cason & The Galactic Orchestra, "Smurf Trek" by Chapter Three, "Let's Ride" by Junei, "Breakdance" by Command Performance, and "Computer Pop" by Maggotron. CD

A very cool take on the sound of Studio One – a package of late 60s themes from James Bond films and other soundtrack sources! The mix is maybe not that surprising, given the use of Jamaican music early on in the series – as part of the Dr No soundtrack – and maybe that global moment of understanding helped the groups back home in Kingston to reach for the skies with material like this! The whole thing is a fascinating document of two strands of Brit culture in these post-colonial years – with titles that include "James Bond Danger Man" by The Soul Brothers, "Pussy Galore" by Lee Perry & The Wailers, "Mr Flint" by The Soul Brothers, "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" by The Soul Brothers, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "From Russia With Love" by Roland Alphonso & The Studio One Orchestra, "Ball Of Fire" by The Skatalites, and "James Bond Girl" by The Soul Brothers. CD

... CD

Funky nuggets from one of the greatest reggae labels of all time – a really wonderful collection that gets at some of the more hard-hitting material from Kingston powerhouse Studio One Records! Given the way that Studio One helped bridge the worlds of soul during the years of Jamaican ska and rocksteady, the funk is no surprise – and the package features both remakes of American funky numbers and plenty of homegrown cuts, all served up by some of the giants from the scene at the time. Titles include "Sidewalk Doctor" by Pablove Black, "007" by Soul Brothers, "Love Jah" by Sound Dimension, "Do Your Thing" by Leroy Sibbles, "Idleberg" by Cedric Im Brooks, "African Descendants" by Alton Ellis, "Reggae Feet" by Lloyd Williams, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "Beat Down Babylon" by Prince Frances, "Funky Broadway" by Delroy Wilson, "It's A Shame" by Alton Ellis, "Melting Pot" by Underground Vegetables, "Music Answer" by The Sharks, and a surprising remake of "Shaft" by the unlikely Cedric Im Brooks. CD

Rare work from one of the most obscure sides of the Studio One catalog – dub recordings that were issued in small press runs, usually with handmade covers, and which barely saw circulation outside of Jamaica at all! This is Studio one at its most experimental – following the new wave of creative activity on the Kingston scene in the 70s, and letting the Dub Specialist access older tracks from the Studio One catalog, break them down, and build up these spare dub tracks that really live up to the "space age" promise of the title! The whole thing is almost more of a Dub Specialist album overall, save for the fact that the core of the tracks is from material by a host of other artists – on titles that include "Tricky", "Disco Dub", "Still Water Version", "Marcus Dub", "Accra", "A Lie Gal A Tell", "Pick Up", "Red Neck", "Wailing Sounds", "Barb Wire Version", and "Juk's Inc". CD

Maybe one of the best reggae collections the Soul Jazz label has ever given us – a really rich collection of tracks from the Studio One collection, all with female singers in the lead – a good number of which have never been reissued before! Soul Jazz has been covering the Studio One catalog for many years – but this time around, they seem to have dug even deeper than before – mixing in lots of rare nuggets alongside the few familiar tracks – all to showcase a wonderfully soulful blend of singers who cut some great work for the label! The music begins in the rocksteady years, and moves onward – presented by Soul Jazz with their great ear for a set list, usual detailed notes that really get at the history of the artists and music. Titles include "Feel So Good" by Denise Darlington, "My Man Is Gone" by Angela Prince, "Welcome You Back Home" by Jackie & Doreen, "Friends & Lovers" by Rita Marley, "You're No Good" by Marcia Griffiths, "Sleeping Tree" and "Barb Wire" by Nina Soul, "Turn Turn Turn" by Jennifer Lara, "New World" by Myrna Hague, "Melody Life" by Marcia Griffiths, "Can I Change My Mind" by Hortense Ellis, and "Buck Town Corner" by The Jay Tees. CD

The Beatles weren't just the biggest recording act on the scene in the mid 60s, they were also probably the most influential from a songwriting perspective too – such that countless other groups, singers, and musicians picked up their songs and gave them a try, including some tracks that The Beatles never recorded themselves! These aren't just hack cover versions, though – as the artists here clearly love the Fab Four, and are dedicated to unlocking ways that the music inspires them, and makes them seek their own expressions too – expressions that are presented here in full force, in a very cool package that mixes up rock, soul, jazz, folk, and other styles too – all in a massive 85 track set, with very detailed notes. Artists include Jackie Lynton, Marilyn Powell, The Merseymen, Dick Rivers, Mary Wells, Duffy Power, The Coterie, Mark Wynter, Strawberry Fair, Brotherhood, The Buckinghams, Madeline Bell, The Transatlantics, Count Basie, Jimmy James, Spanky & Our Gang, Zoot, Junior Parker, Jackie Trent, The Four Preps, PJ Proby, Mae West, Five Man Electrical Band, Dave Baby Cortez, and many others. CD

A really cool package, and one that goes past the easy old school hits from the early years of hip hop – and which instead brings together all these unusual strands of sound that really show how creative things were, right at the start! There's a number of tracks here that are a great surprise – nuggets we loved back in the day, and which spring to live here amidst other well-chosen tracks – all served up with the usual super-great notes and overall presentation we love from the Soul Jazz label. Many tracks have great basslines or boogie-styled grooves – from that moment when hip hop, funk, and soul were maybe more strong bedfellows than they would be a few years later – and themes are a nice mix of politics and partying, on titles that include "Get Live 83" by Carver Area High School Seniors, "Super Rock Body Shock" by Eye Beta Rock, "Street Talk" by Funky Constellation, "Do You Like That Funky Beat" by Kool Kyle The Starchild, "Jam To Remember" by Just Four, "Eei Eei O" by Silver Star, "Magic's Rap" by Magic's Trick, "Real Rocking Groove" by Chapter III, "To The Beat Y'All" by Sangrita, "Rappin & Rockin The House" by Funky Four Plus One More, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by Mike T, and "Girls Of The World" by The Just Four. CD