An excellent dip into the rootsier material from the Studio One catalog – the kind of reggae classics that have forever made the label one of the best Jamaican companies! The package is every bit as sublime as Soul Jazz's other reggae compilations – and it features a selection of tunes that far outshines most other reissues of Studio One material, and which includes some great rare gems that have a heavy soulful feeling. Titles include "Meditation" by The Cyclones with Count Ossie, "Set Me Free" by L Crosdale, "More Creation" by Lennie Hibbert, "Fear Not" by Winston Jarrett, "Blackish White" by Alton Ellis, "Far Beyond" by Leroy Wallace, "Addis A Baba" by Willie Williams, "Lumumbo" by Bunny & Skitter, "Africa Here I Come" by Freddie McGregor, and "Congo Rock" by Sound Dimension. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a joint effort from Ethio jazz funk visionary Mulatu Astatke and psych funk genre-busting combo the Heliocentrics – a record we had the highest hopes for and still find wildly above and beyond our loftiest expectations! The collective touch on some classic Mulatu compositions, but the bulk of the material here is brand new, and purely collaborative – if you know the Helioecentrics or you know Mulatu, you can clearly hear what each bring to the table – and it works together brilliantly! There's often a gritty funk bottom end, the best drums and percussion, fat electric bass lines underneath Ethio jazz inspired sax, trumpet, trombone and flute – swirling psychedelic flourishes with theremin and other effects that never take away from the groove. Mulatu's on vibes, percussion, Wurlitzer, drums and keyboards – and his compositions and the Helios trade back and forth throughout the set. There's some additional Ethiopian instrumentation and atmospheric vocals in the mix on some tunes, and more of an astral, avant funk vibe on others, but there's always a brilliant confluence of styles. Bottom line, the album is everything we wanted it to be and more – this will undoubtedly be favorite for years to come! Titles include "Masenqo", "Cha Cha", "Addis Black Widow", "Mulatu", "Blue Nile", "Esketa Dance", "Chik Chikka", "Live From Tiger Lounge", "Chinese New Year", "Phantom Of The Panther", "Dewel"., "Fire In The Zoo", "An Epic Story" and "Anglo Ethio Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary set, but one that comes across with a very vintage vibe – one that really hearkens back to the best underground work on the Kingston scene at the end of the 70s! The production is fuller than some of those records, but still comes across with a classic-styled warmth – especially given that most numbers feature melodica lines from Addis Pablo, who really carries on the tradition of the instrument in dub, as first started by his father Augustus Pablo many years back! Jah Bami provides vocals on most tracks – and titles include "Selassie I Wisdom", "Far East Median", "Harar Melody", "Jah Alone", "Eastern Acoustic", "Acoustic Dub", "Selassie I Wisdom Dub", and "Jah Chant Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Augustus Pablo's most classic records – from the title, to the cover, to the melodica-laden grooves within – prime Pablo with that ethereal sound that few other players could match on the instrument! The backings are warm and dubby – a perfect complement to the moody lead lines – and players include an all-star cast - with Earl Chinna Smith on guitar, Family Man Barrett and Robbie Shakespeare on bass, and Max Edwards and Carlton Barrett on drums. All tunes are instrumental – and titles include "Chant To King Selassie I", "Natural Way", "Nature Dub", "Upfull Living", "Unfinished Melody", "Jah Light", "Memories Of The Ghetto", "Africa (1983)", "East Of The River Nile", "Sounds From Levi", "Chapter 2", and "Addis A Baba". LP, Vinyl record album

A really pivotal album from the great Art Farmer – a late 50s session that has him finding that sense of tone and timing that would dominate his work in years to come! Art was already great by the time of this set, but he's also got maybe a more personal, almost poetic vibe at times – starting to realize that the space between the notes is as important as the notes themselves, while still maybe holding onto a slight bit of the bite of his earliest recordings too. The group is a very well-matched trio of easygoing modernists – Hank Jones on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – on titles that include "Too Late Now", "Back In The Cage", "And Now", "Stablemates", "Earth", and "Nita". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked soul from 70s Japanese singer Tatsuro Yamashita – recorded in New York and LA, and done with some excellent backings that rank with the best American soul from the time! The New York side was produced and arranged by Charlie Calello – who brings in some great jazzy moments to the set, using Pat Rebillot, Randy Brecker, and Jon Faddis to play on the tunes – almost giving the record a Crusaders-ish groove at times. The LA side was arranged by Tatsuro himself – and has a style that's similar, but with more backing vocals that slide in and out of the mellow Free Soul-styled rhythms. There's some really great numbers on the set, even if you can't understand the Japanese lyrics – and titles include "Windy Lady", "Circus Town", "Minnie", "Last Step", and "City Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool live material from Dizzy Gillespie – a set that has him working in that groovy blend of Latin with slight funky currents that we love on his best albums from the 70s! The setting here is very open and free, with very extended tracks that really let the rhythms build before the solos come in – a great flow from a quintet that features Mike Longo on piano, Al Gafa on guitar, Earl May on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums – all players who match that special spark and energy that Dizzy brings to the proceedings! Many tracks feature a short spoken announcement, with that wit that Gillespie always has on the stage – and Jon Faddis plays guest trumpet on two tracks as well. Titles include the long cuts "Sunshine", "Brother K", "Ole For The Gypsies", "The Truth", "Manteca", and "The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a few large group sessions recorded by Charles Tolliver during his years on Strata East – and an amazingly spiritual effort that really brings together the best strands of sounds running through the underground at the time! The format's a bit similar to Tolliver's previous Music Inc big band album for Strata, released 5 years before – with lots of strong lead action from Charles on trumpet, and Stanley Cowell on piano. But this time around, the larger group seems to be more fully integrated into the tunes – there not just to support the soloists, but to rise up with a full, proud sense of majesty that's really amazing. Other players include Cecil McBee and Reggie Workman on basses, Billy Parker and Warren Smith on percussion, Jon Faddis and Jimmy Owens on trumpets, John Gordon and Garnet Brown on trombones, and Charles McPherson, George Coleman, Harold Vick, and Charles Davis on saxes! Titles include great versions of the Tolliver classics "Plight" and "Impact" – plus "Mother Wit", "Lynnsome", and "Grand Max". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's definitely funky, but which maybe has a lot more going on as well – richer production moments that move between ambitious soundscapes and fuzzier freakouts – but all without losing the groove at the core! The record's billed as "mysterious", but really seems to come from the talents of Seth Applebaum – a great producer and arranger who manages to keep all the tight elements at the core, including some great bass and drums – while also letting things freak out up top a bit more – almost as if David Axelrod were given the chance to work with some of the younger funk combos in recent years. There's a bit of trippy vocals, but most of the set is instrumental – and titles include "Seven Eight", "Spirits In The Distance", "Broken Boogaloo", "Isaac Hayes", "Slow Down", "Kaddish", and "Modern Scene". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare Ghanaian funk from Marijata – a rawer, rootsier take on the mid 70s African funk sound, and really unique vibe overall! Marijata is a core 3-piece featuring drummer Kofi Addison, organist Bob Fischian and guitarist Nat Osmanu of the group Sweet Beans – a set up that provides for a distinctive, loose-limbed feel on the sparest moments – always funky, but without any reliance and bigger, denser orchestrations. Even when augmented by a horn section they've got a great, gritty vibe all their own! This live in the studio set is one of the most hard-sought of the genre, and now that we've heard it, we can see why! Raw, riveting and soulful stuff – a real treasure! Includes "I Walk Alone", "We Live In Piece", "No Condition Is Permanent" and "Break Through". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring sounds from Nucleus – one of the few UK jazz/rock combos from the start of the 70s who really found a way to keep growing and changing as the years moved on! Here, the lineup is nice and large – the mighty trumpet of Ian Carr in the lead, next to keyboards from both Gordon Beck and Geoff Castle, both of whom bring plenty of Fender Rhodes into play – with more work from Jocelyn Pitchen and Ken Shaw on guitars, and Bob Bertles on alto, baritone, bass clarinet, and flute – really great reedwork that's always a great match for Carr's energy. There's some really great drums on the set from Bryan Spring, which make the best tracks quite funky – and titles include "In Procession", "The Addison Trip", "Pastoral Graffiti", "New Life", and "A Taste Of Sasparilla". LP, Vinyl record album