Spiritual jazz saxophonist Nat Birchall works here with an even more expanded version of his Unity Ensemble – in ways that make for a record that's even more righteous and expressive than ever before! Nat's got this way of spinning out solos over a modal groove that just gets better and better – blowing both soprano and tenor here, in a group that features additional tenor work from Brit jazz great Alan Skidmore on most of the tracks too – a great second voice next to Birchall's own. The core combo also features piano from Adam Fairhall, bass from Michael Bardon, drums from Paul Hession, and percussion from both Lascelle Gordon and Mark Wastell – helping to craft an earthy groove that makes Nat's cosmic solo flights sound even more heavenly! There's definitely an old school post-Coltrane vibe here, but also a lot more going on – and titles include "Elevation", "Jubilation", "New World", "Exaltation", and "Greetings Of Love". CD

A really wonderful album from this ever-changing Brazilian group – a combo who started out in more standard Afro Funk modes years ago, but who've really shifted their music in all sorts of great ways over recent albums! There's still some strong use of horns and heavy percussion throughout – but they also work in keyboards and electronics in these really great ways – almost echoing some Brazilian musical experiments from that Trama Records generation at the start of the century, while also holding true to the more acoustic elements at their roots! Titles include "Baile Flutante", "Mar Virado", "Loa Lua", "Marginal Elevado Radial", and "Na Quarta Feira". CD

An excellent bit of southern funk – very much in the early mode of Little Beaver, but with a sound that's even harder! James Knight is The Black Knight – leading a tight little combo with a raw funky 45 sound, heavy on the horns for backing, but with James' guitar right up front in the mix, jamming hard in a way that would have made Hendrix proud! The tracks are a mix of heavy funk numbers and more tripped-out jams – and Knight's vocals remind us a bit of Charles Wright in the old days, blaring out of the speakers with a bit of distortion and lots of soul, really driving home the quality of the songs. Titles include "Fantasy World", "Save Me", "Flyin High", "Funky Cat", "Uncle Joe", "Cotton Candy", and "Just My Love For You". CD

Maybe the coolest set so far from this excellent combo – a record that infuses their unique blend of Afro Funk with some slightly psychedelic currents – as you might guess from the cover! The record's not entirely in the territory of a group like the Heliocentrics, but there's certainly more fuzz than before – yet always balanced with the forward-moving rhythms that the group does so well, plus plenty of that soaring brass work that graces their name – horn lines that are in a fantastic tradition that includes both styles from New Orleans and Nigeria! Titles include "The Pit", "But At What Cost", "Aethervision", "Little Ghosts", "Hox C", "Echo AD", "A Web A Knot A Tangle", and "Doom Country". CD

A great little vocal session on Bethlehem – and maybe the only record we've ever seen from singer Betty Blake! Blake's a great vocalist right from the start – one who balances swing and sophistication wonderfully – amidst some very hip jazz backings from a combo that features Zoot Sims and Roland Alexander on tenor, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Teddy Charles on vibes, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Mal Waldron on piano! The set's got a bit more punch than some other Bethlehem vocal dates, but it also has a nice sense of spontaneity too – never over-arranged or too staid, in ways that really show off Blake's swinging side. Titles include "Moon and Sand", "I'll Be Around", "While We're Young", "Blue Fool", and "Trouble Is A Man". CD

Killer work from this funky Finnish combo – a group who celebrate a strong decade in music with this really wonderful set! The Blassics bring in all the right sort of influences from African funk of years back, especially Ethiopian music – and they spin out tracks that are often nice and long, and which feature some tremendous jazzy solos from the horn section – players stepping out from the ensemble for individual expressions, and not just vamping with the rhythms! The rest of the instrumentation is great too – well-crafted, and shaded with all sorts of tones that really deepen the music in personal ways, and don't just echo styles of the past. Titles include "Afrohustler", "Special Occasion", "Ruff Strut", "West Side Glory", "Swazi Funk", "Yeketema Set", and "Hagerun Geleba". CD

An all-star group take on the music of Duke Pearson – paying wonderful tribute to the kind of special, soulful grooves that Duke cooked up during his too-short career on Blue Note Records in the 60s! The lineup here is top-shelf, and very much in keeping with the sort of strong combos that Pearson would put together – both for records under his own name, and as a producer for Blue Note – and the lineup here features Diego Rivera on tenor and soprano sax, Art Hirahara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums – a no-nonsense group who really focus in on the best elements of the songs, then let loose with great solo work. Jon Davis replaces Hirahara on three tracks on the set on piano – and titles include the great tune "Is That So", plus "You Know I Care", "Sweet Honey Bee", "ESP", "Chili Peppers", "Ready Rudy", and "Idle Moments". CD

A funky update from New Orleans soul legend Eddie Bo – a set recorded during a brief by great period of funk revival albums by the Soulciety label in Germany – the same imprint who brought back Fred Wesley and Bobby Byrd for some excellent records at the same time! There's a bit less grit in the grooves than some of Eddie's funky 45s of the 60s, but the style's definitely more funk-based than his more bluesy material from the 80s – set loose with tight drums and nice combo backings, and plenty of piano, Rhodes, and vocals from Eddie himself! Titles include "Back Up This Train", "Sister Lucie", "You Got A Hole In It", "It Must Be Love", "Louberta", and "Blackbird". CD

A record with a freaky sort of cover, but one that's got this very laidback, down to earth vibe – almost like a small funk combo taking on territory from 70s AOR, but serving things up with a much looser, easygoing sort of style! The vocals are great – blue-eyed soul, and compressed down into the instrumentation, which includes keyboards, guitar, and light strings – plus occasional flute and trumpet – all handled with this stripped-down vibe that almost makes you feel like you're sitting in with a big label act like America or Hall & Oates as they're cooking up some mellow soul tracks in the studio. Titles include "Rialto Winds", "Gift Of Life", "Peach Optimo", "Hanging On", "NyNy", "I Will Be", and "Too Yung". CD

Keyboardist Julius Brockington really takes off here – in a style that's not quite funk, not quite jazz – and which has some of the unique sophisticated changes that Gene Harris was bringing to his Blue Note records in the mid 70s! Like Gene, Julius already has a strong background on the keys – and here, he's able to open up and create all sorts of new rhythms in his music – working on organ, piano, and even a bit of Arp – in a combo that features Steve Turner on alto and flute, Jim Wilson on trumpet, and Garry Langston on guitar! The vibe is great – sophisticated, but funky too – and very unusual compared to other albums of the time. All the material is original – and titles include "Gettin' Into It", "Lost Tribe", "Jaded Jackie", and "In the Back of the Churchyard". CD

A fantastic testament to the genius of the transatlantic meeting that is the Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet – a group that manages to bridge the sometimes-unwieldy modes of the improvising orchestra, and the energy of a smaller free jazz combo! All the players seem tied together perfectly – both at an emotional level, and a musical one – so that the combination of energy is way more than the sum of its mighty parts – a real accomplishment, given that the "parts" include Ken Vandermark, Peter Brotzmann, Marts Gustafsson, and Mars Williams on reeds – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass, and both Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums. The set begins with a searing 37 minute piece dedicated to Robert Rauschenberg – Vandermark's "All Things Being Equal", which almost has a Mingus-like combination of structure and solo. "Images" follows, and is a more freewheeling piece – but completely wonderful too! CD

Further genius from James Brown at the start of the 70s – a record that's starting to show some of the more open-ended grooves he'd explore with the JBs on their own albums – longer, stretched-out tracks that are way more than simple funk and soul! There's a sense of freewheeling energy here that's totally great – dynamic, powerful calls from James at the top of most tunes – and incredibly sharp work on horns and rhythm from the band – cutting grooves and turning lines like no other combo in the business, all with a great mix of deep soul and hard funk! The album features the 7 minute killer version of "Let a Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", plus "World (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A New Day (parts 1 & 2)", "Give It Up or Turn It Loose", "If I Ruled The World", "The Man In The Glass (part 1)", and "I'm Not Demanding (part 1)". A treasure trove of funk and soul! CD

A rare television soundtrack from Italian jazzman Sandro Brugnolini – easily some of his most hard-hitting work, and a mighty cool record to boot! Brugnolini mixes small combo jazz and some darker orchestrations in a shifting palette of sounds from track to track – which means that some numbers are hard groovers, others have this brooding quality, and still others have this incredible tinkling piano that seems to float in the air – maybe the most gentle passages of the record, but also some of the most eerie too – especially in the way that Sandro mixes darkness and light with effortless ease! Most numbers are short, and work together beautifully – a very vivid record, even away from the images on the screen. Titles include "Aggressione", "Tallonato", "La Notte Muore", "Colluttazione", "Quasi Un Sogno", "Incidente Provocato", and "Tempus Fugit". CD

A killer record from bassist Paul Brusger – a set that features plenty of great work from Eric Alexander on tenor and alto – the latter an instrument that he's really begun to embrace in recent years! The rest of the group is wonderful too – Steve Davis on trombone, Rick Germanson on piano, and Willie Jones III on drums – a combo with a hard-swinging energy, and lots of individual identity in the way each member expresses themselves within the group – no egos getting in the way of the groove, even though the musicians themselves are an all-star group! Yet credit should really be given to Brusger for not only pulling the whole thing together, but also composing most of the material for the set – really great tunes that bristle with fresh life and vision, on selections that include "A Slice Of Gryce", "Just A Tadd More Please", "Do Dreams Really Matter", "The Sugar Glider", and "Blues For Another Time". CD

The one and only album by this righteous funky combo from Ohio! Although Brute Force were an American group of the late 60s, they've got a sound that brings in traces of the African rhythms that were bubbling under at the time – similar to some of the best London groups of the post-colonial years, like Cymande, Demon Fuzz, or Asiko. There's often a jagged and jazzy style on the bottom of the grooves, topped with brighter horn flourishes, and combined with a vocal approach that has some slight folksy touches – very hip, progressive, and as righteous as you'd expect from the cover! Sonny Sharrock sits in on some tracks, and the titles include "Some Kind Of Approval", "Doubt", "Ye Le Wa", "Do It Right Now", "The Deacon", and "Monster". CD

The monumental debut of BT Express – and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally – in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty of tight wah wah guitar riffing, conga beats, and funky flute and sax – topped off by just the right amount of strings to make the set soar even more! The album's best known for the title track "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" – which was a big hit, but is still an excellent groover – and the set also includes loads of other great cuts too – like "Express", which was the original song that the created the JBs' response track "Monorail"; "This House is Smokin'", which has lots of funky descending horn bits; and other great tunes that include "Mental Telepathy", "If It Don't Turn You On", and "Do You Like It". CD features two bonus tracks – the original 7" single versions of "Express" and "Do It". CD

The monumental debut of BT Express – and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally – in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty of tight wah wah guitar riffing, conga beats, and funky flute and sax – topped off by just the right amount of strings to make the set soar even more! The album's best known for the title track "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" – which was a big hit, but is still an excellent groover – and the set also includes loads of other great cuts too – like "Express", which was the original song that the created the JBs' response track "Monorail"; "This House is Smokin'", which has lots of funky descending horn bits; and other great tunes that include "Mental Telepathy", "If It Don't Turn You On", and "Do You Like It". CD features two bonus tracks – the original 7" single versions of "Express" and "Do It". CD

Really fantastic sounds from Butcher Brown – a group who just seem to leap forward more and more with each new release – and who've really hit their groove with this well-recorded performance! The album was recorded live to disc in London – with a superb sound that only further emphasizes the sharp instrumentation that make these guys way more than just another funky combo – the fluid blend of heavy drums, warm keyboards, rich bass, and great interplay between guitar, trumpet, and occasional tenor – handled with the dexterity of a 70s jazz funk supergroup, but with all the lean energy of a funky 45! The tunes are all originals, all nice and long, and wonderfully soulful – and titles include "918", "Camden Square", "Street Pharmacy", and "Fiat". CD

Butcher Brown move past their roots as a core funk combo here – opening the door to contributions from a whole host of guests, and moving even more strongly into the world of soul music than on their album with Triple Trey! There's an expansive sound here that seems to have the hardworking outfit finally getting their chance at more mainstream fame – not in a commercial way, but at a level that just opens up with the energies they've always had, given focus through contributions from Braxton Cook, Keyon Harrold, Jay Prince, Vanisha Gold, Julia Shuren, Nappy Nina, Pink Siifu, and others – on titles that include "This Side Of Sunshine", "Happy Hourrr", "Around For Awhile", "Pink Fur", "Run It Up", "Espionage", "I can Say To You", "Move (Ride)", "Turismo"- "Eye Never Knew", "Half Of It", "No Way Around It", and "DYKWYD". CD

Bobby Byrd recorded some killer work with James Brown back at the end of the 60s, but hardly got the chance to record much once the 70s moved on – until this killer full length set that has Bobby's vocals backed by the genius of the Soul Society combo! There's a really old school vibe to the whole set – strongly inspired by the James Brown sound of the late 60s, but also filtered through the new changes that the UK scene was bringing in during the generation of Brand New Heavies – a plenty that's great for Bobby, and has a whole back to basics vibe that really sounds wonderful, and reminds us that old funky legends never die – they just don't get the attention they deserve! The set features guest vocals from Vicki Anderson and Carleen Anderson – two generations of female funk – and titles include "Back From The Dead", "Never Get Enough", "I'm On The Move", "Sayin It & Doin It Is Two Different Things", "The Way To Get Down", and "Sunshine". CD

A really magical combination of sounds – the tenor of Tony Kofi and the harp of Alina Bzhezhinska – coming together here with a really strong sense of spiritual majesty! There's a sense of grace and pacing to the record that's wonderful – and Alina's approach to her instrument is nicely different from soulful predecessors, like Dorothy Ashby or Alice Coltrane – yet equally captivating as well, especially when grounded by the deep, rich tones that Kofi brings from his horn – blown in modes that take us back to some of the spiritual saxophone giants on Impulse records! And yet the pair aren't out here to just ape older modes – as there's a very thoughtful, very personal approach to the music – meditative, but never too much so to lose its groove – on titles that include "Tu Vides", "Tange", "Alteria Vita", "Anima", and "Tabula Rasa". CD

An incredible collection of records – a series of albums that forever changed the sound of Latin music around the world! These five sets were all cooked up in the changing Cuban scene at the start of the 60s – where musicians were getting looser and freer, with a sound that was quite different than the tighter big bands of a few years before – strongly influenced by changes in American jazz, including the jam session mode that was big on record during the 50s! In a way, these sides are an answer to that – as they feature all-star musicians coming together on long, more spontaneous tracks – often in smaller combos with heavy influence on rhythm, and lots of work from the key soloists on the dates. Each record has a different leader, but often some of the same musicians – and there's some especially great work on trumpet and tenor by other members of the group – at a level that went on to influence the small combo sound of artists like Joe Cuba, the grooves of the Latin Soul/boogaloo scene, and even the all-star American groups like the Alegre All Stars and Fania All stars in years to come. Records 1 and 2 feature leadership by Julio Gutierrez, record 3 is led by Nino Rivera, record 4 (the most famous) is led by bassist Cachao, and record 5 is led by flautist Fajardo. Great box set – all CDs in small LP-styled sleeves with original art – alongside a 96 page booklet of notes and photos! CD

A mid 70s set from Can that's still very much in the best spirit of their earliest work – mostly longish tracks and all quite hypnotic – wonderful stuff from the team of Irmin Schmidt, Jacki Liebezeit, Holger Czukay, and Michael Karoli. Sure, Damo's not on vocals any more, but the instrumentation's still pretty darn great – and Can is also working more explicitly established global genre elements, but still really sounds like no one other than Can. Traces of reggae mix alongside many other rhythmic elements, jagged experimentalist touches, 70s ambient energy, and imaginative jams galore from one of the most creative combos of its time! Titles include "Chain Reaction", "Quantum Physics", "Dizzy Dizzy", and "Splash". CD

A record that's early in the career of Canned Heat, but one that already has the group exploding past their roots – stretching out in a double-length set that takes the combo way past any sort of standard blues rock modes! Some folks love the record for the classic "Going Up The Country" – one of the signature Canned Heat tunes – but there's also some insane jams on here, including the 20 minute "Parthenogenesis", and the amazing "Refried Boogie" – which takes up all of sides three and four, and which is one of the clearest examples of the way that artists of their generation were inspired by blues, but soon opened up into psych and prog modes! Other titles are shorter, and include a version of the classic "One Kind Favor" – plus "Sandy's Blues", "Walking By Myself", "My Mistake", and "Pony Blues". CD

One of two rare albums recorded by organist Jimmy Caravan in the 60s – a really great talent on the Hammond, and a player with a really clean, lean, and groovy sound! Jimmy's style here borrows a lot from the Capitol jazz scene of players like Howard Roberts or Henry Cain – an approach to organ jazz that's a bit more stripped down and less gritty than that of labels like Blue Note or Prestige – and one that uses the cleaner sound to bring even more rhythm into the mix, letting the organ leap around the tunes in a groovily playful way! Caravan's got a great sound throughout, and although the other players aren't listed, the album's got a nice small combo sound all the way through. Titles include "Off A Brass Monkey", "Equinox", "UFO", "Cyclops", and a groovy version of "Hey Jude". CD

One of the hippest albums ever from the team of Kenny Clarke and Francy Boland – a unique small combo session that's even groovier than their famous big band work! The setting is wonderful – Clarke on drums, Boland on piano, and a sextet lineup that includes Sahib Shihab on flute, Fats Sadi on vibes, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Joe Harris on percussion – all players who know each other well, and groove together as one amazing unit on the set! The tunes here are lyrical and lively, modal and moving, and still some of the freshest jazz cut on the European scene of the 60s – music that's having a huge impact these days in the club jazz underground. Shihab's flute work is sublime, especially next to Sadi's vibes – and Harris' added percussion gives a number of the cuts a bit of a Latin kick that's totally great! There's a bit of vocals on the set, and titles include "Ebony Samba", "Tin Tin Deo", "Potter's Crossing", "Wives & Lovers", "Ensadinado", "Lorraine", "Day By Day", "Love Hungry", and "Please Don't Leave". CD

A landmark batch of work from the British jazz scene – the complete early run of recordings from Colosseum, maybe the greatest jazz-rock group of their time! The combo grew out of earlier work in the beat group generation – informed strongly by American jazz and R&B, but already on the forefront of the new prog generation – driven by the mighty drums of Jon Hiseman and topped with the sax and reed work of Dick Heckstall-Smith – both fantastic players who really gave the group their grounding! The lineup shifts a bit throughout this set, and maybe gets even better as the records go on – with later work from Chris Farlowe on vocals, whose soulful style is a perfect match to the groove-heavy sound of the group. Back in the days when we didn't like prog at all, and were more focused on jazz and funk, we still had a very soft spot for Colosseum – and it's no surprise that some of these records are always found in the collections of funk fanatics around the world. The 6CD set features the full albums Those About To Die Salute You, Valentyne Suite, Grass Is Greener, Daughter Of Time, and Colosseum Live – almost all of which are presented here with bonus tracks – alongside a full bonus CD of rare studio and live recordings too! There's also a huge booklet of notes – and this package is the comprehensive take on this legendary group. CD

Rare material from John Coltrane – tracks that were done for Bethlehem Records at a time when he was just rising up as a leader, and still contributed work as a sideman! The album features Trane playing tenor on only four of the album's eight tracks – making it kind of surprising that they used his name in the title – but the album is a lesser-known batch of large group recordings that offer an interesting early chapter in his career! The main force behind the album is arranger Harry Tubbs – possibly not a name that's as sexy as John Coltrane, hence the billing – but a worthy leader for the date, given the quality of the music. Many of the other players here are small combo heroes who can also shine brightly in bigger groups – such as Donald Byrd and Art Farmer on trumpets, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – plus Rolf Kuhn, making an early American appearance on clarinet. Coltrane gets in some nice, but short moments on the date – but the bigger charm is the full ensemble work – on titles that include "She Didn't Say Yes", "Turtle Walk", "At Home With The Blues", "Seabreeze", and "Love & The Weather". CD

A fantastic second album from this ultra-hip French combo – a group who effortlessly mix up jazz, funk, and global elements in the best cross-cultural tradition of the Parisian scene! Cotonete have been around for many years, even though they haven't given us many records – and it's clear from this set that their sound has gelled and evolved even more than before – no gimmicks or easy tricks on the record, and instead this really cohesive blend of keyboards from Florian Pellissier with trumpet, saxes, guitar, trombone, bass, and plenty of percussion! Guests include Omar, Leron Thomas, and Sabrina Malheiros – each of whom sing on a single track – and titles include "Satori", "La Derniere Guitare", "Bebete Vaobora", "Venezuela", "Cinq Pour L'Aventure", and "What Did You Run For". CD

A very hip batch of 60s soul jazz numbers – played with a hard, full swing by the combo of LA bassist Clarence Daniels – and featuring vocals on a few of the best tracks! Daniels' group has a sound that's full, but never too much so – a great mix of rootsier soul jazz modes and more sophisticated arrangements – with a depth that almost reminds us of Oliver Nelson at times – but also with a sound that draws on the earlier jump blues sound of the postwar LA scene, reforged a bit for the 60s! This fantastic collection mixes Clarence's one full album with some rare singles and a number of unissued tracks too – and about half the set is instrumental, with saxes from Curtis Peagler – and singers on the other tracks include Obie Jessie, Sandy Miller, and Clarence Daniels himself. Titles include "Hard Working Girl", "Daddy's Got A Shotgun", "I Got To Get Ready", "Instrumental #3", "You Dig It", "Hello California", "Do The Deal", "I'll Drive My Blues Away", "Street Girl", "What Can A Poor Boy Do", "Baby I'm Gone", "I'll Never Let You Go", and "Pastel". CD

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself. CD

Guitarist Lucas De Mulder gets some great props on this album even before the needle dropped – as funky guitar legend Eddie Roberts stepped up to produce the whole thing, and even has his famous combo The New Mastersounds provide the instrumentation on the set – with some nice trumpet help from Gabe Mervine! The feel is a bit like some of Roberts' own records, but with more of the funky core that NMS can provide – perfect for Lucas, as he's got this sharply riffing style that's really amazing – a completely deft approach to funky guitar that we'll be likely to hear on many great records in years to come! But for now, this starter is more than enough – bubbling over with great instrumentals that include "Hot Ba Ri O", "Come Out At Night", "Several Times", "Redbone", "Warm Nights", "Fruit Salad", "Feel The Spirit", "Underground Dance", "Ginger Beat", and "Keep Walkin". CD

A really fantastic album from the Dedicated Men Of Zion – a contemporary gospel group, but one who work here with small combo backings that take us back to some of our favorite records of the early 70s – a tremendous blend of spiritual message and very down-to-earth arrangements! The quartet have some fantastic harmonies throughout, and get support from the Sacred Soul Sound Section – a funk combo who use plenty of organ and riffing guitar, which gives the heavenly vocals a nice degree of humanity – on titles that include "The Devil Don't Like It", "Lord Hold My Hand", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "I'm Going Home", "Up Above My Head", "I'm A Soldier In God's Army", and "One River To Cross". CD

A great overview of the early soundtrack work of Georges Delerue – one of the first great composers to emerge from the French new wave/nouvelle vague generation – and an artist whose music was often a key part of those films! Some of the new wave cinema used music by jazz artists and combos – and while Delerue often worked in larger instrumental settings, he certainly borrowed plenty from that spirit – as there's often some nice touches of jazz here, amidst fuller orchestrations – a contrast between a single lead instrument and the rest of the group – in ways that also hint towards greater cinematic changes to come. The set features work from films directed by Francois Truffaut, Alain Resnais, Edouard Molinaro, Pierre Kast, Georges Lautner, Claoude Boissol, and Philippe De Broca – music from the movies Hiroshima Mon Amour, Marche Ou Creve, Le Bel Age, Les Jeux De L'Amour, Tirez Sur Le Pianiste, Jules Et Jim, Jusqu'Au Bout Du Monde, Les 3 Etc Du Colonel, Le Bonheur Est Pour Demain, and Une Aussie Longue Absence. CD

The great CD release of two previous albums from this hip contemporary combo – two vinyl albums back to back on a single CD! Both albums have a fantastic blend of jazz, contemporary soul, and hip hop – served up by a group who can really get the sound right – Terrace Martin on keyboards and alto, Robert Glasper on keyboards, Kamasi Washington on tenor, and 9th Wonder on beats! Vocals on most tracks are by Phoelix, who really helps give the instrumentation some focus – yet the jazz component of the record is never buried under the lyrics, as the players get plenty of space to do their thing – with a vibe that's a bit like some of Glasper's Black Radio project, yet given much more the kind of cool Crenshaw vibe that we've loved in Martin's previous records. All four artists are credited with songwriting and production and you can really hear that balance in the sound – on tracks that include "Love You Bad", "Sleepless Nights", "The Mighty Tree", "Freeze Tag", "Luv U", "Sleepless Nights", and "From My Heart & Soul". The Dessert album offers up a reworked version of the core record – with titles that are partly remixes, partly reworks – with guest appearances from Snoop Dog, Cordae, Herbie Hancock, Reuben Vincent, and others! CD

Really compelling work from the enigmatic Dino – a set recorded with slow, slinky backings from the Montevideo Blues combo! The album's a lot less blues than you might guess from the group's name – and in a way, the approach is almost more folksy, or singer/songwriter overall – with a key focus on Dino's political lyrics, and backings that often follow along with snakey guitar and slinky rhythms. There's a raspy brilliance to the whole set – and Dino almost sounds like Uruguay's equivalent of Geraldo Vandre – a powerful, positive singer, but one who never reached a bigger audience outside his homeland. Titles include "Sentimiento", "Si Te Vas", "Montevideo Blues", "Milonga De Pelo Largo", "Para Hacer Musica Para Hacer", and "Chamarrita El Chiquero". CD reissue is as amazing as the original – with a huge booklet with notes, history, and lyrics – plus 7 more bonus tracks too! CD

A fantastic bit of lost hardbop – an obscure ABC album that has Kenny Dorham working with his Jazz Prophets group! The combo's a quintet with a unique lineup that includes Dick Katz on piano, JR Monterose on tenor, Sam Jones on bass, and Arthur Edgehill on drums – and the whole set's got an open-ended sort of approach that's much more like albums of the time on Blue Note or Savoy than it is the usually more staid ABC jazz sides of the 50s! Monterose and Dorham are fantastic, and really open up on the 5 tracks on the album – all of which are long enough to give the players plenty of room to blow. Probably one of the best jazz records ever recorded for ABC – with titles that include "The Prophet", "DX", "Tahitian Suite", and "Blues Elegante". CD

An album as incredible as its bulls-eye cover – the first record ever from a young Bob Dorough – and easily one of his most swinging sessions! The style here is a bit straighter jazz than on some of Bob's later work – vocalese inspired by Jon Hendricks, King Pleasure, Eddie Jefferson, and others – recorded with a small combo that includes Jack Hitchcock on vibes, Warren Fitzgerald on trumpet, Jerry Segal on drums, and Bob's longtime partner Bill Takas on bass. Many of the tunes are vocalized versions of bop numbers – done with a nicely quirky style that shows that the mad Dorough touch was already in place during these early years – on titles that include "It Could Happen To You", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "Baltimore Oriole", "Yardbird Suite", "Devil May Care", and "Ow" – plus his great original "You're The Dangerous Type"! Also features a bonus alternate take of "Yardbird Suite". CD

The notes on the cover use the term "Latinx Futurist" to refer to the work of Dos Santos – and that may be one of the best ways we've ever heard to describe their really unique blend of modes – served up here with a sound that firmly places the group at the crossroads of some great contemporary currents of music! Instrumentation is a familiar blend of percussion, guitar, and keyboards – but the presentation is nicely unique – as echoes of older Latin styles come into play with more creative elements, all in a small combo mode that's produced to perfection by Elliot Bergman – who did plenty of his own genre-crossing work in the group Nomo over the years. Lead vocals are by Alex Chavez, a really wonderful singer – and titles include "Shot In The Dark", "City Of Mirrors", "Palo Santo", "Jaguar De Rosas", "Lejos De Ti", and "Glorieta". CD

A great return to form for this legendary Somalian group – a combo who made some important records in the 80s, but were part of the huge diaspora on their scene as the troubles of the following decade forced a long pause in cultural activity! Here, the group are reborn with new youthful energy – as Dur Dur Band International, and working here with vocals from three different singers – Fadumina Hilowle, Zabiib Sharabi, and Cabdinuur Alaale – three different voices who really help expand the sound of the set! There's still plenty of East African roots here – in both the rhythms, and the exotic currents of the keyboards and saxophone lines – and despite the Berlin setting for the album, the record has a very traditional approach to production and presentation. Titles include "Love My Love", "Duurka", "Jija Love", "Sallal", "Heeyaa", "Hasha Geel", and "Riyo". CD

The best collection we've ever seen of the work of funky soul legends Dyke & The Blazers – a double-length set that features full, unedited versions of their classics – plus a whopping batch of previously unreleased tunes! Dyke & The Blazers had a groove that was mighty solid back in the late 60s – a hard-vamping, tightly rhythmic groove that easily matched the best early funk of the time from Charles Wright, Sly Stone, or James Brown – and which was often served up with a rougher edge, and an overall sound that was a lot more dangerous! However, many of the group's singles really trimmed down their performances – shaving off key instrumental moments that are lovingly re-attached here, and combining them with some even rarer tracks that never saw the light of day back in the 60s. The whole thing's amazing – and the 2CD set features a whopping 33 tracks in all, split into one disc of material recorded in Phoenix, and one more of tracks from Hollywood! Titles include "Black Boy", "Stuff", "Moon", "Booga Jivin", "Runaway People", "Funky Broadway Time (parts 1 & 2)", "Swamp Walk", "Extra Funk", "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man", "Soul Cake", "She Knows It", "Let's Do It Together", "Bring It On Back", "Funky Walk (parts 1 & 2)", and "Triple Funk". CD

A great lost bit of mid 70s Motown – a pair of should-be classic albums by Dynamic Superiors – in a single set! Dynamic Superiors were a great harmony group with an east coast sound – quite different from the usual Motown combo in that their vocals were often allowed very free range, with less of the tightness of the usual Motown group soul album. Ashford & Simpson produced the record – with arrangements by Leon Pendarvis, Richard Tee, and Arthur Jenkins – and the whole thing's a sweet soul treasure that's got some excellent mellow soul cuts! Titles from the self-titled set include "One Nighter", "Don't Send Nobody Else", "Shoe Shoe Shine", "Star of My Life", and "Leave It Alone". Pure Pleasure is another sweet set – arranged with a bit more of a high stepping groove than some of the other Motown work of the time. Backings are handled by a range of talents that includes Paul Riser, William Eaton, Al Gorgoni, and Horace Ott – but the real charm is the way the group's innocent harmony style puts over the lyrics, all of which are very strong tunes written by the team of Ashford & Simpson. Titles include "Face The Music", "Hit & Run Lovers", "Deception", "Pleasure", "Nobody's Gonna Change Me", "Feeling Mellow", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", and "Don't Give Up On Me Baby". CD

Fantastic work from EABS – a combo who continue to amaze us with the diversity of sounds they create, and the depth of feeling they can get from a mix of acoustic and electric instruments! There's maybe an even deeper spiritual vibe going on here than previous records – music that's not afraid to borrow some currents from the world of contemporary soul, yet still stays strongly in jazz territory overall – electric rhythms at some points, acoustic at others – blended with a range of wonderful keyboards from Marek Latarnik Pedziwiatr, next to trumpet from Jakub Kurek, and tenor and soprano sax from Olaf Wegier. The great tenorist Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski guests on the track "A Farewell To Mother Earth" – and other tracks include "Lucifer", "Dead Silence", "Mystery Of Monolith", "Global Warning", "Ain't No Mercy", and "The Odyssey Of Dr Heywood Floyd". CD

Wonderful work from this obscure funky group – a combo who hailed from Indy, only issued two albums back in the 70s, but also left behind this wicked batch of unissued cuts that were recorded up in Chicago! The group have a vibe that's every bit as great as their warmly collaborative look on the cover – clearly an ego-less funky combo who are able to shift singers and moods from track to tracks – trading leads between singers Anthony Joseph Roberts and Pamela Tanner, and also bringing lots of jazzy instrumentation into the mix too! These guys had been together for a number of years before recording the set, and are clearly at the top of their game – woodshedding hard away from the limelight, but knocking it out of the park with cuts that include "69 Cents", "I'm In A Hurry", "Shell Of A Man", "Where You Lead", "That Is Why", "Love So Strange", and vocal and instrumental versions of "See The Light". CD

Really fantastic late material from Duke Ellington – two different performances from the Berlin Jazz Festival, both of which really capture him in that mature, modernist mode that we love so much! The first session here definitely has Duke working at that level – beginning with a beautiful long piano improvisation, then shifting into some smaller combo performance material with Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Harold Johnson on trumpet, Harry Carney on baritone, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Quinten White on drums. There's less of the full orchestra Ellington approach, which allows even more focus on those wonderful late piano lines that made Duke's final years so distinct – on titles that include "Piano Improvisation No 1", "Pitter Panther Patter", "Sophisticated Lady", and "Tap Dance", which has tapping from Baby Laurence! Next is a set of tracks from 1969 – recorded with a larger group that contains most of the important Ellington players of the 60s – serving up some beautiful ensemble performances of titles that include "La Plus Belle Africaine", "El Gato", "Caravan", "Meditation", "Satin Doll", and "Mood Indigo". CD

Poland's Ergo Band are a tight combo with a great ear for a groove – sometimes funky in sort of an Average White Band way, sometimes a bit harder jamming, like some of their Eastern Bloc contemporaries! And here, they're joined by singer Grzyna Lobaszewska – who sings on a good number of tracks on the set, in a way that really helps the band find their focus – keeping things in more of a rhythmic mode when Grzyna's singing, so that there's some surprising elements of soul in the music – even though the lyrics themselves are in Polish! The AWB comparison is definitely a good one for the way the group blend great drums, riffing guitar, and horns – and titles include "15 Minut Spozienia", "Nocny Spacer", "A Wiec", "Dzien Jak Blues", "Gdybys", and "Piesn Dla Ciebie". CD features an unreleased live take on the Quincy Jones tune "Boogie Joe The Grinder". CD

Some of the finest Peruvian grooves of the 60s and 70s – served up by three different groups headed by reedman Nilo Espinosa, plus a few other combos as well! Nilo's got a way with a groove that's totally unique – a bit soul jazz a times, influenced by bossa at others, and sometimes even moving into sweet electric fusion – always with a very pronounced sense of rhythm that makes nearly all of his numbers into the kind of groovers that can easily traverse the globe far from their roots in the Peruvian scene! The package features work from the mid 60s Los Hilton's, the early 70s Bossa 70, and the mid 70s Nil's Jazz Ensemble – the last of whom have been favorites for years with crate-diggers, due to their use of electric keyboards and very tasty drums! Titles include "Here Come The Hilton's" and "Sherezade" by Los Hilton's; "El Gato", "Think", "Get Out Of My Way", and "Las Mariopsas" by Bossa 70; "Reflexiones", "Summer Love", "Hard Work", "Looking For A Blues", and "Somos Nada" by Nil's Jazz Ensemble; "El Bueno El Feo Y El Malo" by Nilo Espinosa Con Los 007; "Light My Fire" by Charlie Guerrero; "Gotas De Miel" by Nilo Espinosa Y Orquesta; and "People Got To Be Free" by Charlie & Many. CD

A killer trio with a really wonderful sound – one that's equal parts jazz and funk, but which also maybe has a strong inspiration from 70s electric modes – not in a way that's too spacey or trippy, but which really uses the right sense of space between the notes to open up the groove! The lineup features drums, keyboards, and guitar – all beautifully combined without too much hype or fanfare, but definitely in a way that's less familiar than other combinations of the instruments – and which has plenty of sweet electric funk appeal throughout! This CD-only release combines the group's Mosaic EP and their Murmurations album – for a total of nine tracks that include "Cannonball", "Pocket 5", "Breakthrough", "Miles Away", "Dragonfly", "Mariposa", "Ivory Mountain", and "Transcoso". CD

Never-issued music from a really legendary group – titled in a way that's similar to their famous 60s record for Atlantic Records – but a batch of live material recorded in Sweden with an equally sublime sort of feel! Art Farmer works here on flugelhorn alongside guitarist Jim Hall – a brief but important pairing in 60s modern jazz – especially when combined with the talents of Steve Swallow on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums – four artists who make for a really revolutionary quartet, as they explore the space of sound, and the space between the notes, in ways that still sound as revolutionary now as they did when recorded back in 1964! Titles include "Theme For Jobim", "Sometime Ago", "Waltz Hot", "Birk's Works", "I Love You", and "Bilbao Song". CD

A killer album of soul jazz piano instrumentals – produced by James Brown! The Dee Felice Trio were a groovy combo from Cincinnati, and James Brown took a shine to them at some point in the late 60s. They backed James on one record, but their big moment was this album – which had James producing, and the group grooving nicely on some hard piano jammers! The sound's a lot more stripped-down than usual for James, but the groove is very nice! Includes an excellent funky version of "There Was A Time", a great cover of Marcos Valle's "Crickets Sing For Anamaria", and the tracks "Summer In The City", "In Heat", "Both Sides Now", and "Never". Features 3 bonus tracks too – "Nightingale", "Little Liza Jane", and "There Was A Time (single version)". CD

A really fantastic record from one of the coolest groups to emerge from the Texas psych scene at the end of the 60s – a combo who here maybe reach their height in a style that uses conventional instrumentation, but with a way of pushing them out in all sorts of fantastic and ambitious directions! Vocalist Dennis Keller is incredible – with a very moody style that might give Jim Morrison a run for his money – and the keyboards seem to include a bit of electric harpsichord, which increases the slightly eerie quality of the album too! The group turn in a stunning remake of the Love tune "She Comes In Colors" – nicely different than the original – and other titles include "I Put A Spell On You", "Hey Mister", and "Girl Don't Push Me" – plus a massive side long version of "Hey Joe". CD

The coolest record so far from this totally great combo – a live recording done on the home turf of the Greg Foat Group – the Playboy Club in London! The retro venue really fits the slinky, sexy vibe of the group's music – and although we already loved these guys before, this album has a really special sort of feel – with loads of wonderful keyboard lines from Greg on Hohner Electra piano, Elka Rhapsody, Hammond L 100, and Mutron Phaser – almost always distorted with a nice degree of fuzz, but still a straight ahead approach, and some great undercurrents of fuzz too! The group also features tenor and trumpet – which sometimes sound distorted, ala Varitone modes – and the overall sound feels like some lost jazzy club combo from the late 60s, really tripping out in a very comfortable space. We'd easily stack this one next to our favorite funky Fender Rhodes records from back in the day – and titles include "By The Grace Of God I Am", "Ingen Reklam", "Funky Fanfare", "Madrid", and "Mr Minor". CD features two bonus tracks – "Finky Minky" and "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag". CD

A cool quartet with some very groovy vocals – a combo who seem to take some great inspiration from Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 – as well as other hip vocal groups of the 60s! The lineup features one gal and three guys – often with the gal singer in the lead, supported by warm harmonies from the male singers – all grooving to their own instrumentation, played on organ, guitar, and drums! This lean approach is mighty nice – and has the group soaring through a cool mix of soul and pop material that's all pretty upbeat and lively – given a few 70s touches on the keyboards at times, and coming across with a spontaneous feel that almost makes you feel like you're catching the combo in a club. Titles include "Dream A Dream A Day", "Scarborough Fair", "Summertime", "I Thank You", "More Today Than Yesterday", "What The World Needs Now", "Let's Make It One World", and "Day Dreaming". CD

The title certainly gets it right – as the album's one of the funkiest ever from guitarist George Freeman, and one of the few to really hit that messed-up groove he was working in the clubs before his mid 70s retreat to Chicago! The style here is often all over the map – a mix of soul jazz and funkier numbers, but often served up with less of the direction than you'd get on Prestige, and even less of that on Groove Merchant – more in a raw small combo mode, with Freeman's guitar hitting plenty of raspy notes and weird solo excursions that keep even the mellower tunes exciting! The record features 2 different groups – one with John Young on piano, the other with Bobby Blevins on organ – and brother Von Freeman plays tenor sax on the whole set, although not nearly in the spotlight as George! (Definitely in keeping with something that Von told George many years back – quoted to us by George – "When you've got your own album, make sure that people know that you're the star!") Titles include "New Improved Funk", "Daffy", "Happy Fingers", "Confirmed Truth", "Guitar Lover Man", and "Big Finish". CD

Tremendous early work from German saxophonist Joki Freund – a player who would go onto much greater fame in the progressive years at the end of the 60s, but who already sounds plenty darn great on this early combo side from 1963! The style of the work is incredibly hip – with a definite John Coltrane modal groove in place, but also a sense of globally conscious jazz that's very much in the spirit of classic Saba/MPS work, but which predates most of that by a number of years! Freund plays tenor and soprano sax here – in a sextet with Wolfgang Dauner on piano, Emil Mangelsdorff on flute and alto, Eberhard Weber on bass, Karl Theodor Geier on bass, and Peter Baumeister on drums – and the record is overflowing with great tunes that more than live up to the compelling title and cover image! Lots of "Eastern" styled numbers – and titles include "Aisha", "Carribean Ringo", "Yogiana", "HL 20", and "Killer Joe". CD

Searing, soulful energy from this overlooked Japanese combo of the 70s – a crack quartet led by drummer Ryojiro Furusawa, working here with some great guest work on trombone from Shigeharu Mukai! The tunes are often very simple, but with a groove that's totally great – a bit of a modal vibe at times, and some spiritual jazz undercurrents at others – really making the record feel like some lost Strata East album, thanks to electric piano lines from Toshiyuki Daitoku and some tenor and soprano sax from Tomoki Takahashi. Most tunes are long, and very openly grooving – and titles include "Yellow Cherry", "You Wanna Rain", "For Heavens Sake", "Snake Walk", and "Acoustic Chicken". CD

A really beautiful follow-up to the previous set of duets from these two west coast musicians – and a record that's maybe even more sublime than the first! We're not sure what it is – maybe it's the passage of a few years that has deepened the sound, or maybe just the warmth that both players have for each other – yet whatever the case, the combination of the saxophones of Sam Gendel and the bass of Sam Wilkes flows out with all these tones and textures that go way past the obvious – definitely in some of the "beyond jazz" modes of the LA scene in recent years, but still with enough solo strengths to please fans of more conventional instrumentation too. There's great sonic touches to many tracks – almost an International Anthem vibe, but not in a remix/cutup way – and titles include "Greetings To Idris More Songs", "Flametop Green", "Welcome Vibe", "Theem Prototype", "SG's Prius", "Streetlevel", and a nice version of "Caroline No". CD

A great solo set from tenorist Binker Golding – an artist we usually hear on the Gearbox label as part of the Binker & Moses combo, but who maybe sounds even bolder and stronger here in the lead on his own! The set's a quartet date, with a relatively straight group – but the sound is wonderful – overflowing with new ideas, and this sense of voice from the leader that gets fantastic support from Joe Armon-Jones on piano, Daniel Casimir on bass, and Sam Jones on drums! Nobody's pushing too hard, or trying any tricks – yet there's a freshness and individual spirit to the record right from the very first note – unusual rhythms from the trio, and more confidence in Golding's sound than we've ever heard before. Titles include "Skinned Alive Tasting Blood", "Fluorescent Black", "You That Place That Time", "And I Like Your Feathers", and "Exquisite She Green". CD

Fantastic unreleased work from one of the greatest trumpeters on the European scene from the late 50s onward – and one of the few players who could match the depth and soul of American jazzmen on the instrument! Dusko Goykovich has given us so much great music over the years – in small groups as a leader, in unusual projects as a sideman, and even as a soloist in bigger bands – and here, we capture the trumpet giant at the earliest stage of his career – on some beautiful German radio studio recordings from the end of the 50s and start of the 60s – tight, soulful, boppish material with a slight modern edge – recorded on all tracks with Derek Humble on alto, Karl Drevo (Drewo) on tenor, Franciso Coppieters on piano, and Jonny Fischer on bass. Some tracks feature Kenny Clarke on drums, the rest feature Stuff Combe on the kit – and titles include "Mile Dave", "Omricon", "Perhaps", "Quicksilver", "Solar", "Les Copains", "Salud To Birdland", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD

A four-pack of albums from this seminal group – all brought together in a single set! Where Were You is a seminal set from the Sunset Strip scene of the 60s – and just the kind of record that shows why the changes taking place in Cali were so important to the growth of so much other music at the time! A few years before, and The Grass Roots would have been a pop folk combo re-tuning traditional tracks for the coffeehouse scene – but here they're taking off with some post-folk modes that are partly sunshine pop, partly the headier currents that were the darker side of the west coast – all put together with superb production by PF Sloan and Steve Barri – who also penned some of the best tunes on the record. Titles include the great "Where Were You When I Needed You" – plus "Only When You're Lonely", "Look Out Girl", "Ain't That Loving You Baby", "I've Got No More To Say", "I Am A Rock", "Tell Me", and "Mr Jones". Let's Live For Today is maybe the most famous record ever given to the world by California quartet The Grass Roots – famous for its title tune, and for the way that it effortlessly blends together folk inclinations and psych inspirations! The record's definitely one of those that showed the world that there was something new in the air at the time – put together with perfect production in the studio from Steve Barri and PF Sloan – who are in territory that's somewhere between the best from Brian Wilson and Abbey Road Studios – but a bit more understated than both! Titles include the classic "Let's Live For Today" – plus "Things I Should Have Said", "Wake Up Wake Up", "No Exit", "This Precious Time", "House Of Stone", "Is It Any Wonder", and "Tip Of My Tongue". Feelings is a great departure for The Grass Roots – a set that has the group taking a stronger role overall in the instrumentation and songwriting on the record – at a level that makes the whole thing a fabulous extension of all the genius they'd given the world on previous sets! There's still that cool blend of post-folk and psychedelic elements taking place here – gently swirled together with acoustic and electric guitars setting the tunes up just right – all with a late 60s Cali vibe that's as great today as when it was recorded. Titles include "The Sins Of A Family Fall On The Daughter", "Melody For You", "You Might As Well Go My Way", "Dinner For Eight", "Good Things Come To An End", "You & Love Are The Same", and "Hey Friend". CD

Groundbreaking early work from drummer Milford Graves and pianist Don Pullen – a set of long, free improvisations that were originally issued on Graves' Self-Reliance Productions label – combined here for the first time ever! The music is even more striking than sounds from the time on the ESP label – and also really predates some of the freer work of this type from the European scene – as Graves is a monster on the drum kit and a range of percussion, reaching out with this scope of sound and deft command of his hands that's simply breathtaking – matched by energy from Pullen that really surpasses some of his later work too – almost Cecil Taylor-like vibes at points, mixed with other elements that are in a more familiar mode for the pianist. The set features five long improvisations, each a numbered variant with the title "PG". Great gatefold package – with images of some of the hand-painted covers that Graves used for his releases! CD

Possibly the best album ever by this excellent Brazilian percussive combo! The record begins the groove where the group's other albums started – by taking hard batucada rhythms, and tight samba grooves – but it also adds in a bit tighter production, and shows a marked commitment to hitting the same sort of dancefloor groove that you'd expect from other work on Far Out. Wilson Das Neves and Robertinho Silva are at the head of the percussion team – and tracks include "Roda Baiana", "Bo", "Batucumba", "Taruma", "Berimbal Capoeira", and "Read Between The Lines". CD

A lost bit of funky vibes and Fender Rhodes – one of those few records that's as sublime as it is rare – like work by Billy Wooten or Lyman Woodard! The Bobby Hamilton Quintet were an obscure combo from upstate New York – but they've lived on in our hearts (and ears!) with this rare gem from the 70s – a killer set that features Bobby on Rhodes, vocals, and percussion; Mike Gipson (aka Brother Fundi) on vibes, percussion, and electronics; and additional trumpet, tenor, and percussion – used to just the right effect in these totally great arrangements. Most of the tunes on the album are instrumentals – with a very cool, ultra-hip soul jazz approach that's somewhere between the very early Polydor work of Roy Ayers, and the funky electric grooves of the Nineteenth Whole – and the tracks are long, and have a really deep, soulful feel! Titles include "Pearl", "Priscilla", "In The Mouth Of The Beast", "Roll Your Own", and "Dream Queen". CD

An incredible record – and virtually the blueprint for countless other keyboard records to come! At the height of his 70s powers, Herbie really takes off into space with this set – moving away from more commercial music, and hitting a groove that's totally righteous, totally electric, and completely mindblowing! The album's got a bit of a Headhunters vibe, but it also veers off into some very wild analogue electronics too – a mix of Fender Rhodes, clavinet, melotron, and echoplex processing – augmented by additional work on Arp from Patrick Gleeson. Other players on the set include Bennie Maupin on reeds, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – and the great Buck Clarke rounds out the combo on percussion. The album only features three long tracks – "Rain Dance", "Hidden Shadows", and "Hornets" – but all of them are killers! CD

A wonderful Herbie Hancock session from the 60s – a Blue Note album that's sometimes overlooked, but which really shows Herbie taking off – as he adds a nice dose of lyricism into his usual soul jazz approach from the 60s! The sound's a bit farther-reaching than on some of Hancock's smaller group sessions – and the record features a sextet that includes Jerry Dodgion on flute, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, and Peter Phillips on bass trombone – an instrument that combines wonderfully with Thad's horn, to create all these cool, compressed elements. Herbie plays piano alongside Ron Carter on bass and the great Mickey Roker on drums. The harder-hitting soul jazz riffs and hooks of Herbie's first few records are nicely replaced by more thoughtful lines that get a bit deeper, soulfully – and nearly all tracks on the set are originals by Hancock! The album's filled with great moments – and tracks include "The Sorcerer", "Riot", and "Goodbye To Childhood". Features bonus tracks – two takes of "Riot", and an alternate of "Goodbye To Childhood". CD

Overlooked gems from this key reedman on the Brit modern scene of the 60s – two rare albums in a single package! First up is Movement – one of the most obscure albums recorded by Joe Harriott – leading light of the British avant scene in the 60s – and one of the best, too! The album features Harriott working with a quintet that includes Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Bobby Orr on drums, and Coleridge Goode on bass – playing in territory that's somewhat in the neighborhood of his Abstract and Free Form albums, but also a bit more inside, with more of a focus on swinging, hard-hitting jazz. The rhythms are often quite tight and soulful, and although the album's touched with lots of angular moments – both in the solos and backings – the overall sound is wonderfully grooving and tremendously captivating! The album's got that perfect blend of modern, modal, and soul that make the best Brit jazz albums from the mid 60s so wonderful – and the set list includes original tunes such as "Movement", "Spaces", "Blues On Blues", "Revival", "Beams", and "Count Twelve". High Spirits is pretty unique – a set of takes on tunes that come from a musical show, but recast strongly as soulful sides for the Harriott combo! Pianist Pat Smythe re-arranged all tracks in the set – and really gives them a new sort of energy – opening them up for lots of solo work on his own piano, plus alto from Harriott, and some beautiful trumpet lines from the great Shake Keane – a player who always sounds great next to Joe. The rest of the group features Coleridge Goode on bass and Bobby Orr on drums – and titles include "Home Sweet Heaven", "Something Tells Me", "Go Into Your Trance", "I Know Your Heart", and "Was She Prettier Than I". CD

Lezlie Harrison's a great singer, and she sounds especially wonderful here next to the Hammond B3 of Ben Paterson – a player who really seems to click with Lezlie's great approach! There's a slight current of soul in Harrison's music, but the music is definitely jazz – as she's got a richness of expression, and way of using her voice that we'd rank right up there with vocalists like Carmen Lundy or Dee Alexander – given plenty of space to open up and soar here in a small combo setting, with work also from Matt Chertkoff on guitar and Pete Zimmer on drums. The approach is great – very different than some straight old school Hammond/vocal session – as Harrison's take on the tunes is very fresh, with more contemporary approach to arrangements – on titles that include "Love Won't Let Me Wait", "Let Them Talk", "A Lover Is Forever", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "Fly Like An Eagle", and "Close Your Eyes". CD

Early genius from the legendary pianist Hasaan – an artist most people know for his famous Atlantic album with Max Roach, but who steps out here in a set of earlier material that's completely amazing! The set begins with six trio tracks – performed in a group with Henry Grimes on bass and Kalil Madi on drums – a combo who carve out space that's completely their own, taking some of the 50s modern piano ideas of Herbie Nichols and Thelonious Monk, but letting them loose with even more imagination – yet also avoiding any too-free modes as well. The balance is incredible – on all original titles that include "Viceroy", "Pay Not Play Not", "Off My Back Jack", "Almost Like Me", and "Dinka Street". Next are three long tracks that feature the vocals of Muriel Gilliam (aka Muriel Winston from her Strata East days), singing alongside Hasaan's piano on these really amazing takes on standards – stretched out, and given lots of sharp edges – on takes of "Embraceable You", "Stella By Starlight", and "Body & Soul". Last up are two very long solo tracks – stunningly imaginative versions of "After You've Gone" and "End Of A Love Affair". CD

An incredible lost moment in the career of Screamin Jay Hawkins – material that was recorded in London in the mid 60s, and with a very different flavor than most of Hawkins' other material! There's a mod jazz approach to this set that's totally great – as Jay's raw vocals come into play with a sweet-grooving Hammond, in a combo that also features some sharp work on guitar, and some strong sax solos too! The upbeat, jazzy vibe is totally great – and gives Screamin Jay a whole new focus for his vocals – and for his songwriting, too – as most of the material here is original. And while Hawkins is always best remembered for his spooky, gimmicky cuts, this material is equally great in a totally different way – and, if it were pursued further, might have given the man a whole new direction in his career. Make no mistake, there's still plenty here to love if you're a longtime fan of Screamin Jay Hawkins – but you'll also really appreciate the mod grooves in the set as well! Titles include "I Wanna Know", "In My Dream", "Change Your Ways", "Serving Time", "Please Forgive Me", "Move Me", "My Marion", and "All Night". Plus, CD features a whopping 12 bonus tracks – a few alternate takes, and other versions of album songs – plus the titles "I'm Lonely" and "Stone Crazy". CD

Chris Hazelton cooks it up on the Hammond – playing here in a sweet small combo mode that's mighty nice – and with baritone from Brett Jackson in the group instead of the usual tenor! The deep sound of Jackson's horn is a nice balance with Chris' tight work on the keys, and the chromatic sounds of Jamie Anderson's guitar – as the group swings nicely on tracks that also feature drums from John Kizilarmut and occasional conga from Pat Conway! The whole thing's got a nicely different vibe from standard jazz organ sets – and titles include "The Groove Merchant", "Night Lights", "So Tired", "Amsterdam After Dark", "Easy Talk", and "Watch What Happens". CD

There's nothing standard about this set – as Joe Henderson always brings something special to a recording session – especially at this point in his career! The album has a wonderful format – Joe's unique tenor tone set up beautifully alongside the bass of Rufus Reid and drums of Al Foster – no piano or other horns at all, just an open, swinging combo with a really great sense of energy! Joe's bold lead really sets the tone for most numbers – and a few tracks are compositions that Henderson recorded famously early in his career, recast here with a whole new sound and heightened sense of maturity. Titles include "Blues In F (aka In N Out)", "Blue Bossa", "Inner Urge", "Body & Soul", and "Take The A Train". Also features a bonus alternate of "Body & Soul". CD

A wonderful session by Andrew Hill – recorded in 1968, but issued only briefly in 1981 – and out of print for years! The session is a key one in understanding Hill's work – as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass Roots album. The set features wonderful frontline work in the trumpet of Charles Tolliver, and tenor and soprano of Joe Farrell – both players who open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a nice bottom – egged on by the rest of the combo, which includes Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The album's an enchanting one – not as dark as early years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own. Titles include "Dance With Death", "Love Nocturne", "Black Sabbath", "Partitions", and "Fish N Rice". CD features a bonus alternate take of the title cut. CD

Rare small group work from the great Johnny Hodges – an unissued live set from the start of the 60s, and one that has Johnny working with key Ellington sidemen in a very Ellington-like setting! Solo Hodges could usually take one of two forms – more soulful small group material that has less of the arrangements of his longtime leader, the Duke – and more Ellington-based performances, of which this set is definitely one – as Hodges leads a hip combo with Ray Nance on trumpet, Lawrence Brown on trombone, Harry Carney on baritone, Al Williams on piano, Aaron Bell on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums. Tunes are almost all numbers by Ellington or Billy Strayhorn, but done in a nice lean style, with key solo performances throughout – and titles include "Rocking In Rhythm", "Jeep Is Jumpin", "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", "Sophisticated Lady", "Mood Indigo", and "Solitude" – plus "Good Queen Bess", "Perdido", and "Autumn Leaves". The sound quality is great – very clear, with a nicely crisp tone on the horn parts, especially Hodges and Carney! CD

Saxophonist Toshiyuki Honda evokes some of the spirit of his classic Burning Waves album here – working with some slight fusion touches, in a way that reminds us just how strongly his reedwork can soar in just the right setting! Honda blows both soprano and alto here, and shares arrangements on the album with Soichi Noriki, who plays both acoustic and electric piano – always with this soulful flow that really matches the crisp imagination of Honda's saxophone lines. The bassist, Gregg Lee, is also electric – and the rest of the combo features Shingo Okudaira on drums, and May Inoue on guitar, which is often used in these warmly chromatic ways. Titles include "Nile", "Magic Mushroom", "Horizon", "CC Rex", "Last Ballad", and a nice take on the Chick Corea classic "La Fiesta". CD

Really great early work from guitarist Earl Hooker – and a set that also feature some soulful sides by Jody Williams too! The bulk of the album features Hooker laying down that amazing guitar sound that always made him so distinct, and such a key precursor to funk as well – working in combos with organ and piano from Big Moose, tenor from AC Reed, and more piano from Pinetop Perkins – on titles that include "How Long Can This Go On", "Bright Sounds", "Off The Hook", "Nothing But Poison", "Nothing But Good", and "Leading Brand" – plus cuts with vocals from Ricky Allen and Lillian Offitt. Jody Williams plays guitar, but he also sings too – and brings a nicely soulful vibe to tunes that include "You May", "Hideout", "Morning For Molasses", "Looking For My Baby", and "Lucky You". CD

A really beautiful set that was issued on a sub-label of UK folk powerhouse Transatlantic – yet a set that's nicely different than some of the better-known work from that label! Ian Hunt and John Thomas both play acoustic guitars, and add in a bit of bass and light percussion – in a stripped-down style that has all the elements of folk, but sounds nothing like it – as there's a much cooler post-60s vibe – not really singer/songwriter, but this sense of intimacy and adult approaches to the music that's very special – maybe a bit like the team of Lambert & Nuttycombe, yet very much in the group's own spirit. The duo really transform the material they touch – as evidenced on their great version of "Living Without You" – heard here next to titles that include "Hold Me Know", "Silver Lady", "We Say We're Happy", "Mr Bojangles", "Older Now & Younger Then", "Morning For Eve", and "Rockfield Rag". CD

A set that's as playful as the image on its cover – and one that's pretty darn soulful too – a really great criss-crossing of modes from a trio of three very different personalities who manage to come together with a vibe that's very much their own! The combination of three almost makes us think of Deee Lite – but these guys are more contemporary soul than club, yet share a similar sense of interaction that really keeps things interesting throughout, and which serves as a great way to move past some of the posturing you might get from a solo artist in the lead. Titles include "Upqua", "Omersaar", "The Martyr", "Other People's Pictures", "The Juice", "First Impressions", and "Something To Do". CD