The Jazz Is Dead series goes mighty deep with this gem of a record – opening the door for two legendary Tribe Records talents from the Detroit scene of the 70s – reedman Wendell Harrison and trombonist Phil Ranelin – both of whom sound superb throughout! As with other volumes in the JID series, the production pair really adapt their sound and strategy to fit the best modes of the guest – so that this time around, Ali Shaheed Muhammad's just adding some strong basslines to the tunes, and Adrian Younge plays a variety of keyboards and guitar – yet neither get in the way of the vision that's clearly coming from both Harrison and Ranelin! Tracks almost feel like an update of older Tribe Records modes – and drummer Greg Paul provides a nice crisp crackle at the bottom. Tunes include "Running With The Tribe", "Ursa Major", "Black Census", "Open Eye", "Genesis", and "Fire In Detroit". LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of the best albums ever by this British group that mixed jazz, funk, and rock – with lots of choppy guitar parts, and some nice funky drum breaks! The band had a looser sound on some of their other records, but this one is nicely compressed – especially for fans of later British jazz rock. A few tracks have some vocals, but there's more than enough instrumental cuts to make you forget them. Titles include "La Si Si-La So So", "Panic", "Liamo", "Tree", and "Death By Drowning". LP, Vinyl record album

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

With David Wong on bass. 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

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. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible! This is quite possibly the best of this legendary series of Jamaican soul, funk, and reggae tracks – and it's a masterpiece! The track selection is amazing, and the set has a bit more crackle than earlier volumes – with loads of great 70s production, including nice dubby bits, and some excellent instrumentation. Titles include "Mission Impossible" by Randy's Allstars, "Make It Reggae" by Shark Wilson & The Basement Heaters, "Rebel Soldiering" by Johnny Clarke, "Jungle Lion" by Lee Perry, "Take It Easy" by Hopeton Lewis, "Jackie's Theme" by Jackie Mittoo & Randy's Allstars, "Uptown Top Rankin" by Althea & Donna, "Cincinatti Kid" by Prince Buster, and "Bam Bam" by Sister Nancy. 15 cuts in all – and all great! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

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 assortment of tracks recorded together under the Downbeat name, but which was really designed to showcase the budding jazz talents on late 50s Dot Records! The set kicks off with a big band, Basie-ish number – "Blues Over Easy", performed by Manny Alban and jazz greats that include Nick Travis, Gene Quill, and Jerome Richardson. Next up is the Tony Scott quintet with Jimmy Knepper – on a version of "Scrapple From The Apple" – followed by 2 tracks by Steve Allen – one trio, one with a quartet with Georgie Auld – "Rose Room" and "The Fast Thing In C". Paul Horn follows up with "Give Me The Simple Life" – and the set's completed by "Dougy's Buggy" performed by the Don Elliott Quintet, with Elliott on trumpet and vibes, plus bass clarinet by Hal McKusick. CD

A wild set of work from the Swedish scene of the 70s – work that's all inspired by a spiritual current in the artists, but which comes across with a vibe that you really wouldn't expect! It might be the shift in language – the Swedish lyrics mean that most of us can't understand the religious message of the vocals – but there's also a freewheeling sense of style going on too – including plenty of the funky currents that you'd find in Godspell or Jesus Christ Superstar – upbeat, lively, and stepping out with a really positive vibe! The instrumentation is great – a blend rock, soul, funk, and jazz – often in the same cut at once – and the whole thing is wonderfully groovy – filled with work we never would have heard otherwise, by artists who include Tomas Ernvik, Sabandet, Tillsammans, Mobilen, The Vergers, Mission Possible, Sanggruppen Liv, Obadja, Ingegerd, Humlans Funkykappe, and many others! LP, Vinyl record album

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 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. LP, Vinyl record album

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 soaring collection of rare jazz from the Tokyo scene – all music originally recorded by the Japanese branch of Columbia Records – the same imprint that put out some exclusive and very hip Japanese-only albums from Miles Davis, Roy Ayers, and Herbie Hancock! The musicians here are all Japanese, and play with a vibe that definitely lives up to the label's legacy with American artists – mixing spiritual jazz, funky styles, and other soulful modes in a really great way – with a sense of variety that not only makes the collection a stellar listen throughout, but also really opens up your ears to the wealth of excellent Japanese jazz recordings that were never issued in the US! Titles include "Trial Road" by Tomoki Takahashi, "A Muddy Muffin" by Masahiko Sato, "Toppu" by Shigeharu Mukai, "Scramble" by Hiromasa Suzuki, "Samba De Negrito" by Takashi Mizuhashi & Herbie Hancock, "Ogi Denju Shiki" by Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd, "The Ground For Peace" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Chakkiri Bushi" by Nobuo Hara with Hozan Yamamoto, "Mickey's Samba" by Mikio Masuda, and "Jones Street" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto. LP, Vinyl record album

With Chick Corea, Arturo Sandoval, Poncho Sanchez, Pete Escovedo, Ed Calle, Steve Turre, Hilton Ruiz, and many more. CD

Music from Benny Goodman Sextet, Joe Carroll, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ruby Braff & Coleman Hawkins, JJ Johnson, Erroll Garner, Stan Getz & Bob Brookmeyer, Teddy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. CD

2 CDs of artists recording for LTJ Bukem's Good Looking label, with the atmospheric "intelligent" sound he became known for, though we prefer to just call it smooth jazzy jungle: Big Bud "Freedom", Blame "Alpha: 7", Seba "Remedy", Blu Mar Ten "She Moves Through", Artemis "Sun Voyage" and Big Bud "Mystique". CD