Wonderful work from Incognito – perhaps their greatest album ever! By the time of this 1993 release, this Brit funky soul combo was in perfect form – blending together classic modes of jazz funk into a tight modern blend that's lasted a lot longer than anyone might have thought at the time. From the perspective of nearly a decade later, this album glistens like a lost soul jewel – perfectly fitting in between some of our favorite 70s albums, and a few of the better sides from recent years. The vocals are great, the riffing is tight, and the production is smooth and soulful all the way through. Tracks include "Still A Friend Of Mine", "Positivity", "Smiling Faces", "Do Right", "Talkin Loud", and "Thinkin About Tomorrow". CD

A totally great package – one that brings together some of the coolest cuts ever from the early solo years of Weldon Irvine! Side one of the record features two takes on his great "Deja Vu" – the initial short version, which has more of a take on the catchy jazzy lyrics – and the longer version, which runs for almost ten minutes, and has more jazzy solo work! The flipside features the totally wonderful "Feelin Mellow" – a cut with a few singers working next to Weldon's electric piano lines, giving the whole thing a very righteous vibe – which is carried through on the cool "Watergate Don't Bug Me" – complete with melodica from Weldon, Fender Rhodes from George Cables, and some cool extemporaneous lyrics about Watergate! LP, Vinyl record album

Queen of Soul is right! Heck, on these early albums, Etta practically invented soul – or at least invented a deep soul style of singing that would be taken up by countless other female singers during the 60s, but rarely matched with this kind of brilliance. Straight up beautiful stuff! The arrangements are uncredited, but we think they're probably by Riley Hampton – who did so much of Etta's other wonderful work in the early 60s. The recordings for sure took place at points between '62 and '64, mostly in Chicago, with couple in New York and one in Nashville. One other thing that is crystal clear about the sessions is that she had access to the very best musicians and the best sound possible – all you need is a listen to know that! The album's an all-solid, all-soul record with loads of obscure tunes and not a bit of filler! Titles include "Flight 101", "Bobby Is His Name", "Breaking Point", "Mello Fellow", "Do Right", and "Somewhere Out There". This first ever proper CD release is loaded with excellent bonus material – recordings from the same early-to-mid 60s period – 13 of them "You Got Me Where You Want Me", "Only Time Will Tell", "Pushover". "You Can't Talk To A Fool", "Would It Make Any Difference To You", "Pay Back", "Tomorrow Night", "I Can't Hold It Any More" and more. 23 tracks in all! CD

Essential funk in a single set – three killer albums from James Brown's legendary backing group! First up is Food For Thought – the classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The band are incredible at this point – sharper, harder, and funkier than just about any other combo around – and that includes all the thousands of groups in the funky 45 underground who were always trying to copy their sound, but never got things this right! Not only are the rhythms the stuff of legend – but the use of the instruments is far far above the norm – as can be heard on the mindblowing "The Grunt", which was sampled heavily by Public Enemy to great fame – and which features a saxophone solo that sounds more like a whistling tea kettle! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks! Doing It To Death is an incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing hard, long, and loud, in the free funk improvisational mode that was James' real contribution to the music at the time. The tracks are all incredibly long, with James at the forefront, egging the band on with shouts and comments – but also letting them open up large instrumentally, playing in a mode that's as much jazz as it is funky soul. The whole thing's peppered with some nice shorter segues between tracks – but the long cuts are the winners, and are some of the best funk ever recorded! Titles include "Mo Peas", "Doing It To Death", "La Di Da La Di Day", "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight", and "Sucker". Last up is Damn Right I Am Somebody – quite possibly our favorite record by the JBs, ever! The set starts with a wonderful conversational bit – rapping and musing on the idea of "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" – showing the group in a political and righteous mode for the first time ever. The grooves then kick in – with the same heavy funk as on earlier records, but also a nice nod towards experimental production – from strange fade ups and fade downs, to stark time and rhythm changes, and even bits of electronics used to create some very cool moments in the grooves! The whole thing's as dead funky as can be, and is stuffed with insane classics like "Blow Your Head", "Same Beat", "Damn Right I am Somebody", "I'm Payin' Taxes, What am I Buyin'", and a great cover of Marvin Gaye's "You Sure Love to Ball"! CD

A different groove than usual from The JBs – but still pretty darn nice, and way better than just about all the other funky combos on the market! It's the late 70s, and James Brown's head is a bit addled – he thinks he's the guy who invented disco, and he starts turning his extended funky sound towards the clubs. By this point, Fred and Maceo had left him, so he's working here with a new version of the JBs, one that still includes Jimmy Nolan on guitar and Sinclair Pickney on sax – and although the new band's not the same as the old, they're a surprisingly good funk band nonetheless, and the album's still more of a funk album than you'd guess from the title. In fact, if the record didn't have JBs in the title, most folks would probably thing it was some great lost band! Lots of uptempo funk tracks, similar to those on James' albums from the time – and Martha & The Lazers sing vocals on a few tracks. Titles include "JBs Disco", "Night Train Disco", "A Little Bit Of Disco", and "Soul Of The Disco". CD

Includes "Uptown Girl", "Tell Her About It", "Keeping The Faith", "Innocent Man", "Longest Time", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Warmly grooving vocal work from Howard Johnson – one of the few albums the singer cut under his own name, and a sparkling gem from the 80s groove scene! Howard's got a style that really sets the stage for some of the bigger singers of his time – a sound that's mature, yet still very able to groove – which is something that Johnson does often in the set, supported by some snapping bass, electro keyboards, and crackling drums on most of the cuts. Kashif wrote about half the tracks on the album, and also co-produced – and titles include "So Fine", "Keepin Love New", "Jam Song", "Take Me Through The Night", "Say You Wanna", and "This Is Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

A great mid 50s recordings by one of the greatest pairings in popular jazz of the time – the twin-trombone lead work of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, both players who'd come from differing backgrounds, but who created a wonderful new sound together! The interplay between the trombones on thesession is wonderful – a strongly pronounced mini-horn section – yet one that's fluid enough to work at a nice boppish pace, especially when paired with a rhythm section of Dick Katz and Al Harewood. Titles include "Thou Swell", "Gong Rock", "Out Of This World", "Lope City", "Mad About The Boy", "That's How I Feel About You", "Stolen Bass", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

A great mid 50s recordings by one of the greatest pairings in popular jazz of the time – the twin-trombone lead work of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, both players who'd come from differing backgrounds, but who created a wonderful new sound together! The interplay between the trombones on thesession is wonderful – a strongly pronounced mini-horn section – yet one that's fluid enough to work at a nice boppish pace, especially when paired with a rhythm section of Dick Katz and Al Harewood. Titles include "Thou Swell", "Gong Rock", "Out Of This World", "Lope City", "Mad About The Boy", "That's How I Feel About You", "Stolen Bass", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

A great mid 50s recording by one of the greatest pairings in popular jazz of the time – the twin-trombone lead work of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, both players who'd come from differing backgrounds, but who created a wonderful new sound together! The interplay between the trombones on thesession is wonderful – a strongly pronounced mini-horn section – yet one that's fluid enough to work at a nice boppish pace, especially when paired with a rhythm section of Dick Katz and Al Harewood. Titles include "Thou Swell", "Gong Rock", "Out Of This World", "Lope City", "Mad About The Boy", "That's How I Feel About You", "Stolen Bass", and "It's All Right With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from jazz singer Etta Jones – an effort cut around the same time as her better-known records for Prestige, but one that's maybe done with an even hipper sound overall! Etta's nicely laidback, and hits that soulful, singing mood that makes her so great right from the start – a bit offbeat, but in the best way possible – as Jones brings older bluesy inflections into play with more contemporary ideas – all set to wonderful instrumentation from a cool group that features Junior Mance on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Joe Newman on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor, and Mike Manieri on vibes. The song choices are great – and the balance between steppers and mellow cuts is perfect – on titles that include "Swinging Shepherd Blues", "All Right OK You Win", "Moon Man", "Did I Remember", "Lonely Crowd", and "I Was Telling Him About You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record – very different than anything else that Hank Jones ever recorded! The album features arrangements by Oliver Nelson – done in that mod 60s pop-jazz style that he was using on his best work – and about half the record features Jones playing electric harpsichord, one of those groovy instruments that we can never get enough of! Needless to say, the combination of these two factors pushes the record far away from Jones' usual straight jazz piano trio approach – as does some tight added horn work, and an overall feel that's right up there with the grooviest sounds that Impulse or Verve had to offer in the 60s. Titles include "Broadwalk Samba", "Happenings", "Funky But Blues", "Fugue Time", "Jazztime USA", "Mas Que Nada", and "Cul De Sac". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime vocals from one of our favorite male vocalists of the 60s – the deep voiced Jack Jones, one of the best at putting over a ballad or a love song at the time! Jack's got a style that's smooth and sophisticated – but never soppy or slick – kind of a mature, grown-up poise that really transforms any of the material he sings, as you'll hear on this well-selected batch of work from Jones' key years at Kapp Records. Jones' work from the time was a strong influence on the work of Scott Walker – and there's a really direct line between these tunes and some of the material that Walker did during his Philips years. (Ever wonder about Walker's influences? Try going past the obvious Jacques Brel to look at Icemen like Jerry Butler and Jack Jones! This 2CD collection is a wonderful introduction to some of Jack Jones' greatest recordings – and despite the "love collection" title, it's far better than you'd think! 34 tracks in all – with titles that include "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "True Love", "And I Love Her", "Charade", "If You Go Away", "Hit The Road To Dreamland", "Rosalie", "Somewhere Along The Way", "You're Sensational", "You're My Girl", "Dear Heart", "Close Your Eyes", "Summertime Promises", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Love With The Proper Stranger". CD

The early years of Quincy Jones, summed up in all their greatness – material from a time years before Quincy became a superstar in the world of soundtracks and soul, yet was already breaking new ground in the field of large ensemble jazz! Q had a special spark, right from the start – and you'll definitely hear that here, in a succession of albums and bonus material that highlight his uniquely swinging, soulful sense of arrangement – and his great ear for individual musicians, at a level that makes the groups here really work as all-star lineups, filled with musicians who often recorded as leaders on their own, but came together in tight formation under Jones' leadership. The set features a few bonus tracks recorded in Sweden in the late 50s – plus the full albums Birth Of A Band, Go West Man, This Is How I Feel About Jazz, Great Wide World Of Quincy Jones, I Dig Dancers, Around The World, Quintessence, and Big Band Bossa Nova – all served up in a big box with 78 tracks in all – and full notes in French and English! CD

Time will tell whether the sophomore LP Late Registration will prove to be as revolutionary of a commercial force as College Dropout turned out to be – but it's a better album! We loved the debut as much as the rest of the world did, but this one's an easier listen from beginning to end. The production is tight, the guests earn their spots, and the whole thing's furiously soulful. Much is being made of LA hipster/orch pop troubadour Jon Brion's co-production, but this is Kanye's show. On one level Kanye can rock a subject as cliched as "Gold Digger", and still come out with a fresh perspective that runs deeper than it sounds on the surface, then deliver a serious track about the evils of the diamond trade that still rocks the ice. And those are just the first singles. Another great one! Tracks include "Wake Up Mr West", "Heard 'Em Say", "Touch The Sky" feat Lupe Fiasco, "Gold Digger" feat Jamie Foxx, "Drive Slow" feat Paul Wall & GLC, "My Way Home" feat Common, "Crack Music" feat Game, "Roses", "Bring Me Down" feat Brandy, "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (rmx) feat Jay-Z, "We Major" feat Nas & Really Doe, "Gone" feat Consequence & Cam'Ron and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Pop culture baggage aside, this is some pretty mesmerizing stuff from Kanye West! Ye the album, if his persona hasn't turned you off by now, is a compelling effort from what we'll dub Kanye's "puzzle period" – this strange era of his recorded output that's a long time since his creative and popular breakthroughs, past the more challenging and complex work circa My Beautiful Dark Twisted Family that enchanted critics and polarized fans, and just got more polarizing from there. The man is a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, hiding behind a Twitter handle but this might be very well be pop art genius...we'll see how it holds up over time! Pretty stripped down compared to some of his denser productions the past few years, and lyrically daunting, but oddly hypnotic all the way. Includes "I Thought About Killing You", "Yikes", "All Mine", "Wouldn't Leave" and "Ghost Town" with PartyNextDoor, "No Mistakes" and "Violent Crimes". LP, Vinyl record album

It seems like it's been a whole since we heard the Bronx referred to as Pelon, and "Pelon Rising" samples some Bronx and other MC's talking about how now's "the time for the Bronx to shine like the sun." Both cuts have a nice, spare production style (no producer is listed) with slightly hyped underground vocals. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Massive massive Miami funk – and a record that seems to sound better and better as the years move on! Sure, KC and crew were a chart-topping act, but this first album's a stellar batch of heavy cuts – featuring great instrumentation on clavinet, conga, guitars, and horns – all bubbled into an extremely tight mix that riffs along madly on just about every cut! Sure, we grew up grooving to this stuff out of the AM radio in the car (hmmm. . . Maybe that was the problem), but honestly, it sure stands up to a lot more funk from the time than you'd expect! Includes all the big hits – like "Boogie Shoes", "That's The Way (I Like It)", and "Get Down Tonight" – plus some nice breaks and funky intros on "I Get Lifted" and "Let It Go". LP, Vinyl record album

Kendrick Lamarr waited quite a long time to give the world a follow-up to his classic DAMN – and for good reason too, as the rapper's been on a long personal journey that's documented strongly on the record! The Kendrick heard here is much more introspective than before – and that's saying a lot, given his previous approach – and tunes here deal with issues of personal struggle, healing, and redemption – but all with the kind of sharp edges and sense of fragility that keeps the record from ever feeling to smug or full of itself. Opinions started flying about the record right from the start, and there's plenty here to build your own understanding too – on titles that include "Father Time", "Die Hard", "United In Grief", "We Cry Together", "Count Me Out", "Purple Hearts", "Rich Spirit", "Crown", "Savior", and "Silent Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic New Orleans soul from Chris Kenner – and just about the only 60s album issued under his name! Chris was one of the first New Orleans artists to veer into the funkier side of the spectrum – and here, he's working on a batch of all-original, chunky bottomed-tracks – filled with the kind of grooves that made the Crescent City scene one of the most exciting in the 60s – all produced to perfection by a young Allen Toussaint! The set features a great two-part version of Kenner's early hit "I Like It Like That" – plus the classic groovers "I Like It Like That (parts 1&2)", "Something You Got", and "Land Of 1000 Dances" – and lesser-known gems "That's My Girl", "Packing Up", "Time", and "Come Back & See". LP, Vinyl record album

Kiefer's one of those artists that we sometimes forget about, then fall in love all over again when we drop the needle on a record – which is definitely the case this time around, as Kiefer seems to be more on top of his game and focused than ever! As before, there's a mix of piano/keyboards and percussion that dominates the sound – sometimes live drums, sometimes programmed – delivered with a warmth that really makes the spare elements resonate with a lot more soulful power than you might expect – almost as if Kiefer listened to some of the more soulful, subtle keyboardists in the 70s fusion generation, but found a way to transform their energy to a 21st Century setting – transforming the world of beats and keys in the process. Titles include "I Wish I Wasn't Me", "My Disorder", "Panic", "High", "Dreamer", "Head Trip", "I Could Cry", "August Again", "Forgetting U", and "I Was Foolish I Guess". CD

Kiefer's one of those artists that we sometimes forget about, then fall in love all over again when we drop the needle on a record – which is definitely the case this time around, as Kiefer seems to be more on top of his game and focused than ever! As before, there's a mix of piano/keyboards and percussion that dominates the sound – sometimes live drums, sometimes programmed – delivered with a warmth that really makes the spare elements resonate with a lot more soulful power than you might expect – almost as if Kiefer listened to some of the more soulful, subtle keyboardists in the 70s fusion generation, but found a way to transform their energy to a 21st Century setting – transforming the world of beats and keys in the process. Titles include "I Wish I Wasn't Me", "My Disorder", "Panic", "High", "Dreamer", "Head Trip", "I Could Cry", "August Again", "Forgetting U", and "I Was Foolish I Guess". LP, Vinyl record album

Kiefer's one of those artists that we sometimes forget about, then fall in love all over again when we drop the needle on a record – which is definitely the case this time around, as Kiefer seems to be more on top of his game and focused than ever! As before, there's a mix of piano/keyboards and percussion that dominates the sound – sometimes live drums, sometimes programmed – delivered with a warmth that really makes the spare elements resonate with a lot more soulful power than you might expect – almost as if Kiefer listened to some of the more soulful, subtle keyboardists in the 70s fusion generation, but found a way to transform their energy to a 21st Century setting – transforming the world of beats and keys in the process. Titles include "I Wish I Wasn't Me", "My Disorder", "Panic", "High", "Dreamer", "Head Trip", "I Could Cry", "August Again", "Forgetting U", and "I Was Foolish I Guess". LP, Vinyl record album

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 rich effort from Morgana King – the first of her rare Reprise LPs – and a record that shows incredible range and an ability to bring a heavy, textural mood to just about any kind of tune! Torrie Zito's arrangements on It's A Quiet Thing are lush, but, well, quietly so – and Morgana's vocals can build from what's kind of a deep vibrato hush to a really soaring affect! It's nice stuff – with an approach to well known songs of the time that's quite unique! Titles include "It's A Quiet Thing", "Dindi", "Gone With The Wind", "Little Blue Girl", "Mountain High, Valley Low", "How Insensitive", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Deep Song" and "If You Should Leave Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from one of the undisputed UK maestros of lovers rock during the 80s – producer Neville King, who serves up this totally sweet batch of overlooked gems from the time! The groove is nice and mellow – that fantastic blend of contemporary soul and reggae rhythms that really took hold in London and other UK spots from the late 70s onward – perfect for slow-stepping in the more laidback hours of a party, or chilling out back home on your own! Singers on all these tracks are great – nicely understated, but plenty soulful – and titles include "What About Me" by Blood Sisters, "Lady Lady" by One Blood, "At The Dance" by Leroy Simmonds, "It's Love That Makes A Woman" by Karen Dixon, "They Don't Stay Long" by Unique, "Open Up The Door" by Charisma, "The Day Will Come" by The Sadonians, "Love Sweet Love" by Love & Emotion, and "Not My Baby" by The Sensations. CD features bonus tracks – "Hold Me Tight" by Natural Touch, and "Loving Kind" by Simplicity. CD

One of the greatest contributions made by the 32 Jazz label so far has been the rich amount of classic Roland Kirk material they've released on the market. The best of Kirk's work has been out of print for years, and like the folks at 32 Jazz, we think that's a darn shame – which is why we're extra-excited about a set like this! This nicely (and strangely) packaged 3 CD set features 2 CDs worth of previously unreleased live material – recorded in the years 1964 to 1975, by jazz recordist/archivist George Bonafacio. The material is amazing, and definitely gives proof to the claim that Kirk's live sets were even more amazing than his studio recordings. There's a wealth of great stuff here that really opens up an understanding of Kirk's 60s and early 70s years – and titles include "Rahsaantalk", "Misterioso", "Jammin With A Wolf", "Sister Sadie", "Blues For Alice", and a very groovy "Multi-Horn Medley". And if that's not enough, the 3rd CD of the set features the totally rare Natural Black Inventions album, which Kirk recorded for Atlantic. The record's got an amazing sound: Roland plays solo (mostly), and without the aid of overdubbing, to create these amazing soundscapes of multiple horns and circular breathing. It's filled with these fantastic throbbing pulsating reed lines, with one horn blowing rhythm, and one playing an adventurous solo – and both being blown live a the same time! Tracks include "Black Root", "Raped Voices", "Day Dream", and "Something For Trane That Trane Could Have Said". 3 great CDs of material by one of our favorite-ever reed players – and nicely priced, if we do say so ourselves! CD

A great little 70s album of electric blues – a set that begins with a song about Watergate – then moves off into a whole other great range of themes too! Bob Kirkpatrick's got a vibe here that's in the better style of the small club scene of Detroit or Chicago at the time – lean, gritty, and with vocals wrapped around his guitar in a really wonderful way – getting support from a slightly unusual trio that features Jothan Callins on bass, Ron Burton on piano, and Harold White on drums – two of whom you'll know from work in spiritual jazz! Titles include "Watergate Blues", "Sweet Little Angel", "I Don't Know Why", "When The Sun Rose This Morning", "I Been Down So Long", and "I Got Love". CD

A landmark recording – but never issued properly until this reissue! This rare live set was recorded in New York in 1959, and it features the unusual pairing of Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh with the Bill Evans trio of the time – Bill on piano (natch), Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Paul Motion on drums. Evans' warm, round lyricism is quite striking here – much more different backing than we're used to hearing behind Konitz and Marsh, although still with enough modern tones to make them feel right at home. There's a darkly brooding feel to the best numbers here, and most tracks stretch out far past the 5 minute mark – making for a 12 track set that offers over 90 minutes of music! Titles include "Lennie Bird", "April", "Just Friends", "Palo Alto", "317 E 32nd", "It's You Or No One", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "Lennie-Bird", and "How About You?". CD

An amazing record from Kyoto Jazz Massive – and about time, too! The Japanese collective has been bubbling under for years – doing some of the most groundbreaking production, remix, and single work of the current Japanese scene – and this album is really their first true full-length, a massive set of tracks with a soulful approach we never knew they had! The whole thing's amazing from the word "go" (which actually isn't the first word on the album!) – and the first few tracks are especially strong, all soulful numbers with vocals by guest singers that include Vanessa Freeman, Victor Davies, and Maiya James. After that burst, the album takes off instrumentally – stretching for the sky in a jazz-infused blend of beats and keyboards, occasional other instrumentation creeping into the mix at just the right moments. Titles include "The Dawn Introduction", "The Brightness Of These Days", "Mind Expansions", "Stargazer", "Eclipse", "Between The Lights", "Substream", "Shine", "ME Outroduction", and "Behind The Shadow". CD

About 30 years back, Joseph Lanza first turned us on to an amazing array of 60s easy listening records that we'd never fully given their due – and here, he continues the journey, but with a key shift into the world of psychedelia too! The book is a wonderful look at the way that easy listening and instrumental pop tried to stay vibrant in the second half of the 60s – and it follows the way that easy artists of the time were picking up the aesthetics of the younger generation in a variety of ways – not just doing cover versions of songs by The Beatles and Stones, but also going for trippier artwork on their album covers, and using more unusual studio techniques in production – all in ways that made for a huge legacy of very groovy records! At times, things would even move backwards – as older songs from the early part of the century were given a mod spin for the 60s generation – and the range of topics covered here is as wonderful as Lanza's presentation. The book is a very cool 7" square format – with lots of album reproductions and great graphics, plus a list of 50 essential records at the back – served up in a softcover volume that's 237 pages in length. Book

Incredible early work from Yusef Lateef – some of his best! On these early Savoy side, Lateef is drawing from the wealth of influences that were running through the Detroit jazz underground of the 50s that spawned him – and apart from a strongly-conceived bop-influenced sound, you'll also hear Lateef experimenting a lot with jazz exoticism, using different reed instruments and odd small-group arrangements in a manner that's sort of a more "inside" version of similar work done at the time by Sun Ra and group. Lateef's work at this point is a key link in a tradition of exploratory Afro-centric jazz that runs through Roland Kirk's "Black Classical Music" of the 60s, and the underground output of labels like Tribe or Strata East during the 70s. About half the cuts on here are fairly straight, and still pretty nice, but those that aren't will open your eyes to Lateef's genius! Includes titles from The Fabric Of Jazz, The Dreamer, Jazz & The Sounds Of Nature, and Prayer To The East – with 19 numbers that include "Arjuna", "Valse Bouk", "Check Blues", "Gypsy Arab", "Sram", "Lover Man", and "8540 Twelfth Street". CD

The long-overdue return of Bettye Lavette to Muscle Shoals – the scene of her ill-fated album for Atlantic Records from the early 70s – hence the title of this album! The style here is certainly classic, and very old school – with backings provided by The Drive-By Truckers, whose member Patterson Hood has family ties back to the older Muscle Shoals scene of the 60s and 70s – and classic southern soul keyboardist Spooner Oldham joins the group wonderfully on electric piano for most of the record, bringing a sweetly warm style to the backings that sounds great next to the time-sharpened edges of Bettye's vocals. As with other Anti label efforts of this type, the sound is respectfully classic – no attempt made to update Lavette's style at all, and none of the cheesier bluesy material that Bettye might have been forced to sing, were she working with a lesser label. Titles include "Choices", "Jealousy", "You Don't Know Me At All", "I Still Want To Be your Baby", "Somebody Pick Up My Pieces", "Talking Old Soldiers", "Before The Money Came", and "I Guess We Shouldn't Talk About That Now". CD

A very different sort of book on bebop – one that looks at the music during its key years of midcentury, but through a very different prism than the sorts of all-star players who usually get most coverage by jazz writers! Author Jonathan Leal digs very deep to uncover three obscure players who cross race, cultural, and creative lines – Raul Salinas, Harold Wing, and James Araki – figures who were not huge on the scene, but who intersected with some very big names – and whose experiences here really enrich an understanding of the social possibilities offered by jazz at the time. Leal gets past the platitudes about the music and opens up the communities and opportunities created by jazz – tracing the histories of each of these three unique and overlooked players, while also putting their individual experiences in a larger context too. The notes alone are huge – really showing the work that Leal put into the project – and the book is 238 pages, softcover, with a small amount of black and white images. Book

Two albums from Peggy Lee on one CD. First up is I Like Men! – an obscure album of "guy" songs from the end of the 50s! There's a playful feel to the music that fits Lee's vocals very well – as do the bouncy arrangements from Jack Marshall, who turns out to be one of the best musical partners that Peggy could ever hope for! The set's got that nice jazzy groove that really makes Lee's return to Capitol Records so great – and titles include "Good For Nothing Joe", "Charley My Boy", "Jim", "Bill", and "It's So Nice To Have A Man Around the House". On Sugar 'N' Spice Peggy's sweet as sugar, but working here with a heck of a lot of spice – thanks to arranger Benny Carter, who brings in a wonderfully jazzy feel to the set! The album's one of Peggy's best from her comeback years at Capitol – and a prime example of the syncopated, slinking mode of arrangement that was the best 60s discovery for the Peggy Lee voice – and which allowed her to create a unique space for her own maturing sexuality in pop music. The whole thing's great, and avoids the cliches of some of the other Peggy Lee albums from the time. Titles include "I Believe In You", "Ain't That Love", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "The Sweetest Sounds", "Teach Me Tonight", "Tell All The World About You", and "Big Bad Bill". CD

Peggy's sweet as sugar, but working here with a heck of a lot of spice – thanks to arranger Benny Carter, who brings in a wonderfully jazzy feel to the set! The album's one of Peggy's best from her comeback years at Capitol – and a prime example of the syncopated, slinking mode of arrangement that was the best 60s discovery for the Peggy Lee voice – and which allowed her to create a unique space for her own maturing sexuality in pop music. The whole thing's great, and avoids the cliches of some of the other Peggy Lee albums from the time. Titles include "I Believe In You", "Ain't That Love", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "The Sweetest Sounds", "Teach Me Tonight", "Tell All The World About You", and "Big Bad Bill". Plus, CD features 3 bonus cuts – including "Amazing", "Loads Of Love", and "I'll Be Around". CD

Peggy's sweet as sugar, but working here with a heck of a lot of spice – thanks to arranger Benny Carter, who brings in a wonderfully jazzy feel to the set! The album's one of Peggy's best from her comeback years at Capitol – and a prime example of the syncopated, slinking mode of arrangement that was the best 60s discovery for the Peggy Lee voice – and which allowed her to create a unique space for her own maturing sexuality in pop music. The whole thing's great, and avoids the cliches of some of the other Peggy Lee albums from the time. Titles include "I Believe In You", "Ain't That Love", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "The Sweetest Sounds", "Teach Me Tonight", "Tell All The World About You", and "Big Bad Bill". Plus, CD features 3 bonus cuts – including "Amazing", "Loads Of Love", and "I'll Be Around". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of Chess Records work by JB Lenoir – one of the more unusual singers on the Chicago scene at the time – and one with a sound that's pretty darn great all the way through! Lenoir's tone is a pitch or two up from most of his contemporaries – not as gritty and deep, and with inflections that almost point the way towards soul singers in the generation to come. Yet the backings are definitely in the best Windy City modes of the time – as Lenoir plays some great electric guitar, alongside Alex Atkins on alto, Ernest Cotton on tenor, Joe Montgomery on piano, and Willie Dixon on bass. The set mixes vintage singles with a few unreleased tracks – and titles include "Natural Man", "Don't Dog Your Woman", "Don't Touch My Head", "Five Years", "Mama What About Your Daughter", "Korea Blues", "Let Me Die With The One I Love", "I'm In Korea", and "Carrie Lee". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Rod Levitt led one of the hippest large groups of the 60's, and although his work was barely recognized at the time, and all but forgotten now, these RCA records of his stand as a constant tribute to his brilliant skills as an arranger and leader. These cuts are short and quirky, with ensemble playing of great skill, and solos that come burning out in little twists and turns, then jump off to make way for the next player in the group. Rolf Ericson's about the only player in the group you may know, but also notable are alto player Buzz Renn and tenorist George Marge – two great talents that we only know from Levitt's recordings. LP, Vinyl record album

A strong mid 50s trio outing from west coast pianist Lou Levy – recorded under the supervision of Shorty Rogers during his time working with RCA. The set's got a harder-swinging edge than you might expect – and grooves in the manner of some of Levy's other fine mid 50s work – thanks to excellent accompaniment from Max Bennett on bass and Stan Levy on drums. Lou's work on the keys really pushes things nicely – hitting some unexpected gutbuckety tones, and working with a bluesy undercurrent that's a far cry from his west coast roots. Titles include "Apartment 17", "Yesterdays", "Angel Eyes", "Lou's Blues", "How About You", and "Woody N Lou". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just "abstractions" – as the set's a very focused batch of some of the larger ideas that John Lewis had about jazz – explored beautifully here away from the Modern Jazz Quartet! The album has Lewis working with frequent partner – and fellow third stream conceptualist – Gunther Schuller – and also features great guest work from Ornette Coleman on alto, Joe Wilder on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, and Scott LaFaro on bass – all very different talents at the forefront of jazz at the time, helping bring a wider range of voices than you might normally get on a John Lewis project. Titles include "Abstraction", "Variants On A Theme of Thelonious Monk", and "Piece For Guitar & Strings". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

A quadruple-header from Ramsey Lewis – four albums from his great 70s electric period on Columbia Records! First up is Funky Serenity – sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams". Golden Hits isn't a "best of", but instead has Ramsey and his funky mid 70s trio with Morris Jennings and Cleveland Eaton revisiting some of his best loved material from the Cadet years, but with the groovy Rhodes and wah wah sound that we dig so much about his CBS recordings. Unlike some of the other records from this period, the group's nice and stripped down, just the electric piano, bass and drums, so the groove's nice and wide open, Ramsey and company popping along with the sanctified soulful vibe of his 60s work, but updating their sound with some nice electric touches. 9 numbers in all: "Hang On Sloopy", "Blues For The Night Owl", "Hi-Heel Sneakers", "Carmen", "Delilah", "Wade In The Water", "Slippin' Into Darkness", "Somethin' You Got", and "The In Crowd". Solar Wind was cut smack dab in the middle of Ramsey's glory days at Columbia Records – with great production help and work on bass from the mighty Cleveland Eaton! The style is nice and lean, with just some occasional fuller touches – and Ramsey plays plenty of Fender Rhodes, in addition to bits of Arp and moog too – in a setting that's mostly trio, with a few guest players stepping into the mix from track to track! There's a nice degree of fuzz at points, thanks to added help from Steve Cropper – and titles include a great funky version of "Summer Breeze", plus "Solar Wind", "Come Down In Time", "Love for A Day", "Hummingbird", "Jamaican Marketplace", and "Sweet & Tender You". Sun Goddess is one of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the drummer in Ramsey's trio before starting his own group – and the shared relationship both artists had with producer Charles Stepney! The three were all key parts of the late 60s sound at Chess Records – but here, they've brought the same soulful energy to Columbia – working in a wider, more mature groove for the 70s – one that has Lewis' wicked Fender Rhodes lines stretching out strongly over tight, compressed, funky lines from EWF! The centerpiece of the set is the massive 7 minute "Sun Goddess", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Living For The City", "Gemini Rising", and "Jungle Strut". Funky, electric, and sublimely wonderful all the way through! CD

Lizzo's reveling in superstardom here – even more forthright and confident than before, on titles that include "About Damn Time", "Grrrls", "I Love You Bitch", "Special", "Break Up Twice", "Naked", "Coldplay", "Birthday Girl", "If You Love Me", "2 Be Loved", and "The Sign". LP, Vinyl record album

First up is one of Julie London's strongest overall albums – a great session that features small group backings with a warm and intimate feel! There's less of the languid sadness of some of Julie's other records, and more of the dreamy floating style of singers like Chris Connor or June Christy on this one. The feeling of the album's great, and it shows that Julie was much more than a pop singer with sexy looks and a smoky finish – although we're happy to hear that on here too! Titles include "Let There Be Love", "Goodbye", "You've Changed", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To", "Lonesome Road", "They Didn't Believe Me", and "The Thrill Is Gone". Around Midnight's just about the best time to listen to Julie London – especially given her sultry late-night style of singing! This album's one that definitely follows in that mode – setting Julie's vocals to backings by Dick Reynolds – a bit fuller than some of her earliest Liberty albums, but still quite moody, and very much in the best spirit of the album's songs of adult love and loss. The song choices are especially great too – with some key mid-century classics that include "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning", "Lush Life", "Lonely In Paris", "Something Cool", and "You & The Night & The Music". CD

A beautiful treatise on the lasting power of classic soul music – yet a book that also goes way beyond the simple readings and overdone cliches that are often attached to accounts of the music! Instead, author Emily J Lordi looks at not just the source recordings, but also the evolving theories about their role within black culture, and the larger American story – tracing shifts over time, while still focusing on the core contributions of artists like Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Isaac Hayes, and Marvin Gaye! The writing is smart, but never too academic – and Lordi does a great job of tying together the strands of her different arguments throughout. 217 pages, softcover. Book

What can we say? This is one of the greatest albums of all time! The record's got a sound that's completely unique – as crack LA garage punk rock meets Hollywood baroque production, and the result is an amazing bit of loud guitar noise backed by strings and horns, all graced by the godlike vocals of the great Arthur Lee. Forever Changes is a milestone in rock – an incredibly bleak document about insanity, escape, and the coming revolution that never happened. Think of all the best moments of Wild In The Streets, Zabriske Point, and Invocation of My Demon Brother rolled into one – and you'll only have a tiny slice of the picture! A record that will haunt us until the day we die – filled with incredible songs like "Alone Again Or", "Old Man", "Daily Planet", "Red Telephone", and "Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark & Hilldale". LP, Vinyl record album

What can we say? This is one of the greatest albums of all time! The record's got a sound that's completely unique – as crack LA garage punk rock meets Hollywood baroque production, and the result is an amazing bit of loud guitar noise backed by strings and horns, all graced by the godlike vocals of the great Arthur Lee. Forever Changes is a milestone in rock – an incredibly bleak document about insanity, escape, and the coming revolution that never happened. Think of all the best moments of Wild In The Streets, Zabriske Point, and Invocation of My Demon Brother rolled into one – and you'll only have a tiny slice of the picture! A record that will haunt us until the day we die – filled with incredible songs like "Alone Again Or", "Old Man", "Daily Planet", "Red Telephone", and "Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark & Hilldale". LP, Vinyl record album

What can we say? This is one of the greatest albums of all time – and it's made even better through the addition of a bunch of previously unissued tracks! The record's got a sound that's completely unique – as crack LA garage punk rock meets Hollywood baroque production, and the result is an amazing bit of loud guitar noise backed by strings and horns, all graced by the godlike vocals of the great Arthur Lee. Forever Changes is a milestone in rock – an incredibly bleak document about insanity, escape, and the coming revolution that never happened. Think of all the best moments of Wild In The Streets, Zabriske Point, and Invocation of My Demon Brother rolled into one – and you'll only have a tiny slice of the picture! A record that will haunt us until the day we die – filled with incredible songs like "Alone Again Or", "Old Man", "Daily Planet", "Red Telephone", and "Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark & Hilldale". CD version also includes "Hummingbirds (demo)", "Laughing Stock", "Wonder People (I Do Wonder) (outtake)", "Your Mind & We Belong Together", and alternate mixes of tracks on the LP. CD

Hard to believe that a preppie look could ever be associated with a soul singer, but by the time of this 1983, the preppie craze had spread so much that it actually provided Cheryl Lynn a nice way to update her style! There's nothing preppie about the music, though – and the record's a great batch of cuts that show how much Cheryl influenced the soul sound of the early 80s, especially at a time when Columbia was putting out so many strong R&B acts – stepping forth with a tight, mature groove that's totally wonderful – definitely a standard-setting sound that so many other female singers tried to match! Includes the cuts "Encore", "Fool A Fool", "Fix It", "Change The Channel", "Preppie", and "Life's Too Short". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool package – one that brings together two rare albums issued alongside the early rise to fame of Mad Magazine – plus rare bonus tracks too! First up is the stunning Musically Mad set, led by Bernie Green – one of the maddest bachelor pad albums to come out on RCA during the late 50s – and it features a nutty set of tunes released in conjunction with Mad Magazine, whose Norman Mingo contributed a fantastic cover painting of Alfred E Neuman! Instrumentation is very percussive-heavy – and there's plenty of odd sound effects, like warbling brass, air-squeezed hands, clanging anvils, crazy voices, and "clinkerated chimes" – all of which makes for a cartoony sound that definitely fits the promise Mad spirit! Titles include "Anvils, Of Course", "Concerto For Two Hands", "Laughing Raymond", "The Green Bee", and "Give Me That Good Old Progressive Jazz". Next is Mad Twists Rock & Roll – maybe the coolest of all the Mad Magazine records from the early days – a set done in collaboration with Big Top Records, as sort of a parody of the rock and roll that label was putting out at the time! Most songs are surprisingly strong rock numbers, but the lyrics are often jokes about the usual themes handled at the time – but given the level of presentation and strength of the overall record, the whole thing maybe just serves to remind us how important novelty records were to the birth of rock and roll! Titles include "She Got A Nose Job", "Let's Do The Pretzel", "Throwing The High School Basketball Game", "Someone Else's Dandruff", "When My Pimples Turned To Dimples", and "Blind Date". CD also features some rare bonus tracks from singles too – "It's A Gas", "She Lets Me Watch Her Mom & Pop Fight", "Potzrebie", "Meet The Staff Of Mad", and "What Me Worry". CD

A great single-only track from Main Source – and maybe the greatest thing ever about the White Men Can't Rap project! The tune's a sharp attack on wanna-bes in the hip hop world, served up by one of the best of the time – all delivered with that sharp crackle that makes Main Source so wonderful over the years! "He Got So Much Soul" is great too – this really skittish little number that cascades with funky drums, bassline, and a bit of trumpet as Main Source spins out their rhymes effortlessly! All served up on a limited pic disc single too! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A rare acid folk-styled gem from the Bay Area scene at the end of the 60s – served up by Rusty Evans from the famous Freak Scene group, stepping out here in a completely different style overall! The music is mostly acoustic, at a level that has the raspy lead vocals coming across with a nice current of darkness – really moody singing to fit the equally moody themes – almost darker than Tim Hardin at the time, as if Marcus were coming down from a bad trip with all these realizations about the world! There's a bit of electric guitar snaking through the record too – and overall the more gentle instrumentation really emphasizes the haunting power of the music. Titles include "Royal Maze", "The Coming", "Grains Of Sand", "Time Of Our Time", "We'll All Go Together", and "Color Song". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Terrace Martin, and a set that already has him stretching out and building bridges between scenes and genres – at a level that has continued to make him one of the real giants of the west coast scene! The record's never just about Terrace's keys or saxophone – although his work on both are totally great – and instead, there's an equal presence here from the guests – Robert Glasper on Fender Rhodes, or artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lalah Hathaway, Ty Dolla Sign, Musiq Soulchild, and others on vocals – balancing hip hop and soul with Martin's jazz at the core, as he awakes new ears sounds they never would have discovered otherwise! Titles include "Triangle Ship", "No Wrong No Right", "Over Time", "Watch U Sleep", "Something Else", "You're The One", "I'm For Real", "Gone", and "Motivation". LP, Vinyl record album

A 2CD set, with 2 late 60s gems from Johnny Mathis! Those Were The Days is a title tune sung famously by Mathis as a single – but even better are the rest of the tracks on the set – a cool batch of 60s numbers that really show Johnny stretching out comfortably with some new material, but never in ways that mess with his amazing vocal approach at all! Backings often have a gentle dip underneath the strings – letting Mathis pick up some slight groovy rhythms at points, on titles that include "Light My Fire", "59th Street Bridge Song", "This Guy's In Love With You", "You Make Me Think About You", "The World I Used To Know", and "Turn Around Look At Me". Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet has Johnny Mathis taking on the title tune of the famous film, and also dipping into a mix of other soundtrack numbers from the time – plus a bit of pop material as well! As with other Mathis albums from this stretch, we really love the selection of tunes – penned by Michel Legrand, Francis Lai, Nilsson, and other songwriters we love so much from the generation – writers who really get Johnny past the familiar styles of his early hits. Ernie Freeman did some of the arrangements – which makes for a nice change – and titles include "Live For Life", "Without Her", "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Love Me Tonight", "Didn't We", "We", "The World I Threw Away", and "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In". CD

An album of duets that Curtis cut with rising disco star Linda Clifford – who by 1980 may well have been earning more money for Curtom than Curtis! The album's about half disco tracks, half soul duets in a Chicago mode – and arrangements are by Gil Askey and Norman Harris. Tracks include "Ain't No Love Lost", "It's Lovin Time", "Love's Sweet Sensation", "Between You Baby & Me", and "The Right Combination". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring grooves from Sean McCabe – the artists' debut on the mostly-reissue Z Records, but a set that also puts him in the same sort of classic territory as his labelmates, the Sunburst Band! Sean's groove is filled with classic club touches, but is also a bit more contemporary – the warmest, most soulful side of the London scene – and at a level that we've not heard anyone do this well in a long long time – a set that takes us back to that magical time a decade or so ago, when London was really burning up our collection with wonderful records like this! There's plenty of echoes of The Rurals or Nathan Haines in the mix – and vocals are by a shifting array of singers, who glide across the keyboard-heavy grooves. Titles include "All Of The Above", "Everything's Alright", "Something About You", "Who's Foolin Who", "Love For Life", "Reach Out", "Back To Front", "Embrace You", "Somethin For Nothin", and "Tomorrow's Another Day". CD

Unreleased live work from Les McCann – recorded at a time when the soulful giant was really breaking it up in clubs around the country, and just about to unleash a whole new righteous side of his talents! The tracks here resonate strongly with some of the earlier Pacific Jazz live work that Les was cutting earlier in the decade – but also show a new evolution that's partly the confidence he had as one of the key soulful musicians on the west coast, but also a shift in his style past some of the more standard soul jazz modes that others were taking from his bag – leaving McCann to keep on growing in new directions of his own. All tracks here are trio titles – recorded in Seattle or at the Village Vanguard – and players include Stanley Gilbert and Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Frank Severino and Paul Humphrey on drums. Titles include "The Grabber", "Could Be", "I Can Dig It", "Doin That Thing", "Sunny", "The Shampoo", "Blues 5", "Out In The Outhouse", "Lavande", "Da Da", "Yours Is My Heart Alone", and "Wait For It". LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased live work from Les McCann – recorded at a time when the soulful giant was really breaking it up in clubs around the country, and just about to unleash a whole new righteous side of his talents! The tracks here resonate strongly with some of the earlier Pacific Jazz live work that Les was cutting earlier in the decade – but also show a new evolution that's partly the confidence he had as one of the key soulful musicians on the west coast, but also a shift in his style past some of the more standard soul jazz modes that others were taking from his bag – leaving McCann to keep on growing in new directions of his own. All tracks here are trio titles – recorded in Seattle or at the Village Vanguard – and players include Stanley Gilbert and Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Frank Severino and Paul Humphrey on drums. Titles include "The Grabber", "Could Be", "I Can Dig It", "Doin That Thing", "Sunny", "The Shampoo", "Blues 5", "Out In The Outhouse", "Lavande", "Da Da", "Yours Is My Heart Alone", and "Wait For It". CD

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". CD

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". CD

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". LP, Vinyl record album

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". CD

An excellent comeback album from the great Clyde McPhatter! The record was recorded in 1970, after Clyde had spent some time in Europe, kicking about and getting his head together. Clyde's vocals are as great as ever – and the backings are sublime, some of the best he ever received! The album's produced by the team of Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, and Earl Young – and the trio also handled most of the arrangements, in that sweet late 60s style that was working such magic with Archie Bell & The Drells over at Atlantic. The standout cut on the album is "The Mixed Up Cup", a great soul number that begins with an excellent drumbreak that then goes into the sound of a cup being filled with water! Apart from that sound effect, though, the real strength is Clyde's voice, which is sweet, soulful, and honest on just about every track. Titles include "I'll Belong To You", "If You Only Knew", "Mr Heartache", "A Mother's Love", "Book Of Memories", "Someone To Believe In", and "Please Give Me One More Chance". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever set of duets between Joe McPhee and Fred Lonberg-Holm – two players who've improvised often in other settings on the Chicago scene over the years – but who somehow never had the time to take off like this on their own! Fred's working at his highest level of sonic intensity here – both on cello and on electronics – and McPhee continues to blow us away as the years go on – opening up here on tenor in ways that maybe make even his early classics seem tame by comparison – showing a tremendous understanding of his instrument and all its many sonic possibilities, and in ways that aren't just about pure power, but about an honest, open, human sort of sympathy that fits the situation. the album features three long tracks, all improvised – "That Time", "This Time", and "Next Time". CD

Three great 60s albums from jazz singer Carmen McRae – all in a single set! Second To None is one of Carmen McRae's best records of the 60s – an album done with beautiful arrangements from Peter Matz, who's probably best known for his work with Barbara Streisand at the time – and who really helps McRae take her music to the next level! Carmen was already one of the most sophisticated jazz singers of the 50s – but in the following decade, she really perfected her phrasing – and was able to grab material and make it completely her own – all with a mode that's steeped in the special sort of inflections a jazz singer can bring, but which is also able to maybe be even more adult in approach overall. The strings soar, the percussion is fairly spare and often a little bit off kilter – and Carmen emphasizes her phrasing and more earthy tendencies without any empty histrionics – on titles that include "In The Love Vain", "The Music Makes Me Dance", "Too Good", "Once Upon A Summertime", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", and "Cloudy Morning". Live & Doin It is about as strong an example of the genius of Carmen McRae as you could ever hope to find – a live album that displays Carmen's impeccable phrasing in a very stripped-down setting – and one that also swings with a fair degree of sophisticated soul as well! Back in the 50s, Carmen paved the way for later stars like Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – and here, she outdoes both of them with effortless ease – working with a very cool trio that features Norman Simmons on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and a very young Stu Martin on drums. The set's got that strong understanding of soul that was explored even more fully in her Atlantic Records years – which really transforms tracks in unexpected ways. Titles include "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Quiet Nights", "Trouble Is A Man", "My Ship Has Sailed", "No Where", "Meaning Of The Blues", and "I Only Have Eyes For You". Haven't We Met is great work from Carmen McRae – light and groovy one minute, deeply expressive the other – but all with a sense of balance that few other singers can touch at this point in her career! Carmen's already moved past straight jazz, yet she also avoids the traps of bigger label commercial singers too – really making the best of the sophisticated charts by Don Sebesky, yet also always reminding us who's in charge! The album's on a par with the excellent work to come for Atlantic records – and titles include the groovy "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", "Who Can I Turn To?", "He Loves Me", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Limehouse Blues", "I'm Foolin' Myself", "Fools and Lovers", and the title track – a wonderfully groovy take on the Kenny Rakin tune "Haven't We Met". CD

Sublime early work from Carmen McRae – a collection of recordings done with backing from pianist Ray Bryant in both small combo and large group settings! The first dozen tracks on the album have Carmen singing in a beautifully fragile mode – with only Ray's piano and a bit of bass and drums to back her up – and it's a real treat to her the McRae vocal approach in such an unfettered format, because even at this earlier age, Carmen had a sense of control, poise, and grace that shines through immediately. Next up are 14 more tunes that also feature Bryant's piano, but over larger backings directed by Jack Pleis – in a way that's more similar to some of McRae's better known recordings from the time, but still quite great – done with a level of sophistication that clearly paved the way for Nancy Wilson and Marlena Shaw in years to come – on a batch of 12 mostly Noel Coward numbers, and 2 other tunes. 26 tracks in all – and titles include "I Can't Escape From You", "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Exactly Like You", "All My Life", "Dream Of Life", "Zigeuner", "A Room With A View", "Never Again", "Invitation", "If Love Were All", "Why Does Love Get In The Way", and "Mad About The Boy". CD

Excellent Japanese LP that combines 2 of Gil Melle's rare 10" LPs for Blue Note: New Faces – New Sounds and The Gil Melle Quintet. The first LP features 2 different groups, and has Melle's haunting tenor playing amidst other bop-era modernists like Eddie Bert, Tal Farlow, George Wallington, and Max Roach. Tracks on this session include "The Gears", "October", "Cyclotron", and "Venus". The Quintet LP features Melle on tenor and baritone, playing with Tal Farlow and Urbie Green – and it includes the tracks "Timepiece", "Spellbound", and "Transition". Both sets are amazing, and the music is out-of-this world – with a sound that's unlike anything Blue Note ever did again, and which transcends any sort of traditional descriptions of jazz from the time. Very nice, and just about the only way you'll find this material on LP! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully moody album from singer Helen Merrill – recorded with backing by pianist John Lewis, in an overall feel that's got some of the styles that Lewis forged with the Modern Jazz Quartet! The tunes are familiar ones, mostly, but arranged in a style that's got wonderfully sad and somber touches – really bringing out the best of the dark qualities in Merrill's vocals. Backing is by a quartet with Lewis, Richard Davis, Hubert Laws, and Connie Kay – and titles include "Close Your Eyes", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "The Singer", "Yesterdays", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Mad About The Boy", and "Django". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time – a pioneering blast of mid 80s thrash from Metallica at an early peak! Say what you will about Metallica's later career triumphs and failures, there's no overstating how huge their impact was on metal and hard rock early on, and their best few records are incredible to this day. This may well be they're very best album – the culmination of a couple years of slow-building word-of-mouth reputation-building for genre work that can't be praised highly enough. One metal classic after another: "Fight Fire With Fire", "Ride The Lightning", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Fade To Black", "Trapped Under Ice", "Escape", "Creeping Death" and "The Call Of Ktulu". CD

The complete Josie work from the mighty Meters in a 2CD set – including the self-titled '69 album, Look-Ka Py Py and Struttin' from 1970, plus a bunch of great singles and numbers with Art Neville and Cyril Neville! Disc 1 features Meters & Look-Ka Py Py – the former simply one of the greatest albums in the history of funk – and the latter an all time classic funky instrumental LP, with a choppy tight guitar groove. Includes "Cissy Strut", "Cardova", "Art", "Stormy", "Look-Ka Py Py", "Dry Spell", "Little Old Money Maker" and more. Disc 2 starts with Struttin' – about as hard, heavy and funky as you can get – with "Chicken Strut", "Go For Yourself", "Ride Your Pony", "Hand Clappin Song" and more. Also includes the singles "Message From The Meters", "Zony Mash", "I Need More Time", "Sassy Lady" and more, plus "Bo Diddley" (Pts 1 & 2)", "Heartaches" and "I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You" with Art Neville from '68, plus "Gossip" and "Tell Me What's On Your Mind" with Cyril Neville circa '70. CD

Mic Geronimo's first LP, a little less crossover with a harder sound than his later efforts. The Beatminerz & Buckwild handled production on about half of the album. Royal Flush, OC & the Lost Boyz show up here and there, too. Includes "Lifecheck", "Wherever You Are", "Sh*t's Real", "Time To Build" & "Masta IC". LP, Vinyl record album

A set with maybe the most striking cover image that Monday Michiru's given us in years – and a record that really delivers on that promise, too – filled with really captivating tunes that represent a new high level in Monday's already-high career! There's a depth and maturity to the record that we never would have guessed when we first fell in love with her music – and we thought she was already pretty darn deep way back then – as Monday delivers hers vocals alongside musical complexity that takes strong advantage of the many great guest jazz musicians in the lineup – players who include Misha Tsiganov and David Kikoski on Fender Rhodes, Gil Goldstein on piano, Lew Tabackin on flute, and Steve Wilson on soprano sax. But at the center of it all is Monday – far more a jazz singer in recent years than the soul artist of her start – but balancing the spirit of both worlds beautifully, and with command of her vocal instrument that's completely stunning! Where most singers seem to get a bit more casual about their craft over the years, Michiru's just continued to master her natural instrument with a fantastic range and wonderfully expressive quality. Titles include "Ombre Of Time", "Pivot", "Cycles", "The Sound", "Ringo Oiwake", "Hope Pretend To Sleep", "Rise Above", "Life", and "Gossamer's Touch" – plus "Untethered", which features some great guest work from Ursula Rucker! LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual album from the young Stephanie Mills – not only because it captures the singer at a wonderful early point in her career, when she was still open to a rich range of expression – but also because the whole thing was written and produced by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David – who almost work with Mills as a 70s update of their classics with Dionne Warwick! Yet the sound here is also different – deeper in that nicely matured way that Burt had brought to his own great albums and special projects of the time – with these sensitive emotional moments that are a real surprise from Mills, especially as she could have just been phoning it in at this point. Backings are definitely Bacharach-like, but nicely subtle too – again like the direction Burt himself was going at the time – and titles include "No One Remembers My Name", "Loneliness Remembers (What Happiness Forgets)", "This Empty Place", "The Way I Fell About You", and "All The Way To Paradise". CD

Some of the best soul to come out of the early 60s – and also some of the least known! Although Garnet's big hit "Cry Baby" does get its dues from time to time, just about every side he cut was a winner, and they all sparkled with his unusual mix of deep soul vocals and tight uptown production. This whopping 25-track CD is about the first time anyone in the US has given Garnet's work a showcase since it came out – and the track selection includes loads of his best tracks, like "A Quiet Place", "One Girl", "A Little Bit Of Soap", "Welcome Home", and the amazing "Thinkin", which is due to show up on a famous soundtrack sometime soon! CD

It's the mid 70s, and The Miracles have been deserted by Smokey – but fortunately the group was extremely well trained in the harmony department, and this album's just about as good as anything they did with him on Motown! The record's got an excellent smooth harmony soul style – and reminds us a lot of some of the Philly albums coming out at the same time. Arrangements are handled by James Carmichael, Freddie Perren, and Willie Hutch – and the record's filled with slinky smooth soul grooves like "Do It Baby", "You Are Love", "What Is A Heart Good For", and "Give Me Just Another Day", one of a few great cuts on the record written by Leon Ware! LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued work by a very groovy group – a British female quintet who first started out in skiffle, but turned into a pretty rocking outfit by the time of these tracks – material that was recorded in the mid 60s, but unreleased for over 50 years until the recent rediscovery of the tapes! The EP features an especially great tune on John Lee Hooker's "Dimples", done in a spare raw style – and the group continue in soulful territory on takes of "What'd I Say", "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover", and "I'm Talking About You". 7-inch, Vinyl record

Early and brilliant work by the MJQ – recorded at a time when the combo's idea was quite unique, and when its execution was still filled with a lot of creative energy! The group, of course, features the core duo of Milt Jackson and John Lewis – and bass chores are handled by either Percy Heath, or Ray Brown – the latter of whom dominates the album surprisingly. Drums are mostly by Kenny Clarke, whose harder touch gave the group an edge on a lot more of these early recordings – and on a few numbers, Al Jones sits in instead of Kenny. Titles include "Love Me Pretty Baby", "D&E", "True Blues", "Yesterdays", "Round About Midnight", and "Milt Meets Sid". CD