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The classic – with "Break On Through", "Soul Kitchen", "Crystal Ship", "Light My Fire", "Back Door Man", and "The End". CD

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An incredible record – with a great performance, and the ultra-creepy long version of "Celebration Of The Lizard"! CD

The classic debut – with "Break On Through", "Soul Kitchen", "Crystal Ship", "Light My Fire", "Back Door Man", and "The End" – plus bonus tracks "Moonlight Drive (Versions 1 & 2)" and "Indian Summer". CD

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Titles include "Land Ho", "Maggie M'Gill", "Roadhouse Blues", "Waiting For The Sun", "Peace Frog", "Ship Of Fools", and "Blue Sunday". CD

Titles include "Tell All The People", "Touch Me", "Shaman's Blues", "Easy Ride", "Wild Child", "Do It", and "Wishful Sinful". CD

A completely righteous mix of jazz and African percussion – put together by drummer Art Blakey at a time when he was riding high with the Jazz Messengers, but also was willing to work on great experiments like this! The album's years ahead of its time – and arguably opens the door for countless spiritual jazz projects like this in the 70s, more proof that Blakey was a groundbreaking artist who was always opening doors for others! Blakey's own work on drums is joined by percussion from Montego Joe, Chief Bey, Garvin Masseux, James Ola, Folami, Robert Crowder, and Solomon Ilori – the last of whom would record his own record for Blue Note – and the rest of the group features Yusef Lateef on flute and tenor, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and the great Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass – a great choice for the record, given that he was mixing together similar modes on his own records of the time. Titles include "Tobi Ilu", "Love, The Mystery Of", and "Obirin African". CD

We'll be honest with you – we love this stuff! Sure, Ornette made some great recordings for a number of other labels – but as a whole, his Atlantic stuff is some of the greatest modern jazz ever recorded, and no other period of an artist is more worth collecting and having in a complete format than this one! The package is unbelievably thorough – and includes not only all the tracks from classic albums like Change Of The Century, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, Shape Of Jazz To Come, Ornette!, Ornette On Tenor, The Art Of The Improvisors and Twins – but also 6 previously unreleased tracks, and rare material like Ornette's Japanese-only LP To Whom Who Keeps A Record plus 2 selections from Gunther Schuller's Jazz Abstractions featuring Ornette! There's 6CDs in all – packaged in a great case with a well annotated booklet. Titles include "Proof Readers", "Revolving Doors", "Joy Of A Toy", "Cross Breeding", "Variants On A Theme Of Thelonious Monk", "Eos", "Focus On Sanity", "Una Muy Bonita", "Lomely Woman", "Little Symphony", "The Circle With The Hole In The Middle", "Beauty Is A Rare Thing", "Folk Tale", "The Face Of The Bass", "Brings Goodness", "Rise & Shine", and lots and lots more! CD

We'll be honest with you – we love this stuff! Sure, Ornette made some great recordings for a number of other labels – but as a whole, his Atlantic stuff is some of the greatest modern jazz ever recorded, and no other period of an artist is more worth collecting and having in a complete format than this one! The package is unbelievably thorough – and includes not only all the tracks from classic albums like Change Of The Century, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, Shape Of Jazz To Come, Ornette!, Ornette On Tenor, The Art Of The Improvisors and Twins – but also 6 previously unreleased tracks, and rare material like Ornette's Japanese-only LP To Whom Who Keeps A Record plus 2 selections from Gunther Schuller's Jazz Abstractions featuring Ornette! There's 6CDs in all – packaged in a great case with a well annotated booklet. Titles include "Proof Readers", "Revolving Doors", "Joy Of A Toy", "Cross Breeding", "Variants On A Theme Of Thelonious Monk", "Eos", "Focus On Sanity", "Una Muy Bonita", "Lomely Woman", "Little Symphony", "The Circle With The Hole In The Middle", "Beauty Is A Rare Thing", "Folk Tale", "The Face Of The Bass", "Brings Goodness", "Rise & Shine", and lots and lots more! CD

Maybe the strongest creative statement to date from tenorist James Brandon Lewis – an album of work inspired by the legacy of George Washington Carver – served up here with a sense of depth that's certain to open even more doors for Lewis in years to come! There's a majesty to the music that's apparent in the very first notes, and which keeps on coming as each song unfurls – that search for truth talked about in Carver's writings, quested here with a quintet that includes William Parker on bass, Chad Taylor on drums, Kirk Knuffke on cornet, and Chris Hoffman on cello! The energy of Parker and Taylor is sublime – and makes for a setting that's different than other recent records we've heard from Knuffke, who also seems to draw new currents of sonic inspiration from the gentle but powerful use of the cello. The tenor has a raw, sharp edge throughout – a personality that would be striking, even without the beautiful setting of Lewis' original material – and titles include "Lowlands Of Sorrow", "Jesup Wagon", "Experiment Station", "Fallen Flowers", "Seer", and "Arachis". CD

Landmark material from the farther reaches of jazz in the mid 60s – one of two albums that trombonist Grachan Moncur recorded for Blue Note – and a session that ranks as one of the best examples of the "new thing" moment in 60s jazz! Grachan's leading a sextet here that includes a number of players that he cut his teeth with in Jackie McLean's great mid 60's group, including McLean himself on alto, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, and Tony Williams on drums – all players who were opening up their own doors in the avant jazz world of the time – joined by trumpeter Lee Morgan, who really rises to the occasion, and opens up with a modern tone that's different than some of his own albums! The set features four stunning Moncur compositions – "Air Raid", "Evolution", "The Coaster", and "Monk In Wonderland". It's hard to describe the power of these recordings – but thankfully, we don't have to, as one listen to the album will blow you away! CD

Landmark material from the farther reaches of jazz in the mid 60s – one of two albums that trombonist Grachan Moncur recorded for Blue Note – and a session that ranks as one of the best examples of the "new thing" moment in 60s jazz! Grachan's leading a sextet here that includes a number of players that he cut his teeth with in Jackie McLean's great mid 60's group, including McLean himself on alto, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, and Tony Williams on drums – all players who were opening up their own doors in the avant jazz world of the time – joined by trumpeter Lee Morgan, who really rises to the occasion, and opens up with a modern tone that's different than some of his own albums! The set features four stunning Moncur compositions – "Air Raid", "Evolution", "The Coaster", and "Monk In Wonderland". It's hard to describe the power of these recordings – but thankfully, we don't have to, as one listen to the album will blow you away! CD

The complete collection of Hag's 60s singles at Capitol – with some of his most legendary songs – along with some equal treasures that just didn't hit as big on the charts! It's a pretty tightly-focused set that starts with the formative, Bakersfield honky tonk-honed style of the earlier singles and segues pretty early to his popular and creative peaks as both a performer and songwriter! That smoky smooth voice is as great as it would ever be during this period, and he really starts showing his storytelling excellence on these songs, too. To this day, Haggard doesn't get the credit he deserves for his empathetic songcraft – and many of his best songs are in this set! 28 tracks in all: "I'm Gonna Break Every Heart In Can", "Falling For You", "Swinging Doors", "The Bottle Let Me Down", "Silver Wings", "Branded Man", "Sing Me Back Home", "The Fugitive", "You'll Never Love Me Now", "If I Had Left It Up To You", "Someone Told My Story", "I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am", CD

A fantastic set as a leader from drummer Victor Lewis – and one that really takes off with some of that energy he'd explored while working with Bobby Watson a few years before! There's a vibe here that's great – positive, upbeat energy – that new sense of optimism that seemed to come from the American jazz scene in the 80s, as new doors were opened and new horizons broadened – and Lewis harnesses all that great spirit as he works here in an excellent group that includes Seamus Blake on tenor and soprano sax, Stephen Scott on piano, and Terell Stafford on trumpet! Don Alias adds percussion to a number of tracks – giving things a sweet extra kick – and titles include "Vulnerability", "Un-Til", "Alter Ego", "Buttercups", "Shakehandre", and "Here's To You Babe". CD

Great stuff from global funk phenoms Nomo – deftly blending Afro steeped funk with an astral reach – with more of a spiritual jazz influence and off kilter avant touches! Invisible Cities arrives just about a year since their breakthrough Ghost Rock opened so many doors, and although productivity and consistency have never been a problem with Elliot Bergman & co, we're still pretty awestruck – especially given that Ghost Rock set the bar pretty high! Blazing horns, dynamic rhythms and rapturous percussion galore, with the electric kalimba still defining the group's identity nicely, with lots of sweaty funk, more spacious spiritual jazz atmosphere, and a couple of choice covers – Moondog's "Bumba" gets a bit of Caribbean funk treatment with steel drums, plus a reverent take on Tom Ze's "Ma"! Other tracks include "Invisible Cities", "Waiting", "Crescent", "Patterns", "Elijah" and "Nocturne". CD

Billy Paul at the height of his powers – able to capture the ears of the crossover audience, yet still stay very strongly on message – all with this righteous power that maybe makes Billy one of the hippest mainstream soul stars of the 70s! Gamble & Huff are at the helm, and arrangements at Sigma Sound are by Lenny Pakula, Norman Harris, and Bobby Martin – but throughout the whole thing, it's Billy's delivery that really sends the record over the top – the new sense of maturity he brings to the huge hit "Me & Mrs Jones", the funky vibe of "Am I Black Enough For You", and the wealth of great work on tracks that include "I'm Gonna Make It This Time", "I'm Just A Prisoner", "Brown Baby", and "Let's Stay Together". A masterpiece of sophisticated soul that not only had Billy crossing over big, but which opened whole new doors in the market for black male singers! CD also features a bonus 9 minute version of "Me & Mrs Jones" – recorded live in London, 1973! CD

An excellent album from Max Roach – cut at a time when he was rising from the ashes, after the too-soon death of trumpeter Clifford Brown – and began working with really inventive younger players who would drive him into a whole new mode of righteous styles! That's definitely the case here – as Roach leads a group that includes Kenny Dorham on trumpet, filling in the Clifford Brown spot with a very different sound – next to Sonny Rollins on tenor, Ray Bryant on piano, and George Morrow on bass – players who really help open new doors in the music! The tunes are a mixture of the hardbop that Roach forged with Brown, plus a growing sense of the spiritual, slyly sneaking in, and working an agenda that is at once subtle and powerful – on titles that include "Dr Freezee", "Mr X", "Woodyn You", and "Body & Soul". CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Minor Trouble", "Love Letters", and "It Don't Mean A Thing". CD

Includes such classics as "Photon Torpedo (3 Blasts)", "Communicator Beeps", "Red Alert Klaxon #2", "Tribble Coos", "Warp Drive", and "Enterprise Doors". CD

Some of the most unique vocal work ever recorded – a stunning collection of Columbia sides by Oscar Brown Jr, a singer who mixed together equal parts jazz, soul, and folk – and came up with a sound that was all his own! Oscar bubbled out of the hip Chicago scene of the early 60s – and had a much more righteous approach than most of his contemporaries – not only writing his own lyrics for most of the tunes, but working in a genre-blending style that crossed over to a variety of difference audiences. Oscar could groove with the best in a southside club, but also appeal to the northside intellectuals – opening doors wherever he went with a fresh approach to jazz vocals! The set features work from all 4 of his Columbia albums – including a number of tracks on CD for the first time – and features arrangements by Quincy Jones, Floyd Morris, and Ralph Burns – on 23 tracks that include "All Blues", "Work Song", "Excuse Me For Living", "The Snake", "Mr Kicks", "Afro Blue", "Signifying Monkey", "Dat Dere", "Hazel's Hips", "Jeannine", "Opportunity Please Knock", "The Tree & Me", "Elegy (Plain Black Boy)", "Tall Like Pine", and "But I Was Cool". CD

The long-gestated follow up to the breakout Lord Willin' record by Clipse – announced in fall 2003 – finally released in late 2006! Hell Hath No Fury may have been on ice for 3 years, but it appeared as an instant classic, WAY up at the top of the list of greatest hip hop LPs of the mid 00s. The Neptunes beats are very spare and chilly, despite the fiery title – while the Pusha T & Malice style of precise storytelling and detached deliveries probably make them the most natural duo in the game. A gritty rap masterpiece. Tracks include "We Got It For Cheap", "Momma I'm So Sorry", the masterful "Mr Me Too" feat Pharrell, "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)" feat Slim Thug, "Dirty Money", "Ride Around Shining" feat the Re-Up Gang, "Key's Open Doors", "Chinese New Year" feat Rosco P Coldchain, "Nightmares" feat Pharrell & Bilal and more. CD

A collection of rare early work by Miles Davis – all recorded in New York during the years 1947 to 1950 – most of them studio sides, but also featuring a few tracks recorded at the Royal Roost! The assortment of players varies from grouping to grouping, and although Miles' trumpet is in the groups, there's also a stronger focus on the ensemble work on a number of the tunes. Other players include JJ Johnson, Sahib Shihab, Kai Winding, Cecil Payne, Tadd Dameron, Fats Navarro, Stan Getz, and Art Blakey – and the CD features 23 titles that include "Good Bait", "Woody N You", "Bean A Re Bop", "John's Delight", "What's New", "Heaven's Doors Are Open", "Focus", "Phantomesque", "For Europeans Only", and "Big Dog". Some of the material was issued under Dameron's name originally, and a few other tracks are Illinois Jacquet big band titles recorded for Aladdin. CD

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Kid Koala, and Dan The Automator pool their skills for this dawn of the 2000s sci-fi hip hop classic – the masterful Deltron 3030! The guest list is almost too long to get into, but Money Mark, Prince Paul, PB Wolf and Mr. Lif are all here, along with many others. One of the benchmark albums in the leftfield underground hip hop canon – and a hugely influential set that burst the doors wide open for the more creative spirits in the hip hop and even experimental pop. Tracks include "State Of The Nation", "3030", "The Fantabulous Rap Extravaganza", "Things You Can Do", "Positive Contact", "St Catherine St.", "Virus", "Mastermind", "National Movie Review", "Time Keeps On Slipping", "Turbulence (remix)", "Battlesong", "Memory Loss" and more. This reissue edition adds 3 bonus tracks: "Positive Contact" (Charlie Clouser remix), "Terbulence" (Mark Bell rmx) and "Positive Contact" (Mario C rmx). CD

A decade since their previous effort, and 14 years since their previous masterpiece, Portishead returns with Third – and, oh, what a mindblowing third act. The first thing you'll realize about Third is that it's not Dummy Part 3 – a welcome and surprising trait – but it does take their earlier way with a spooky, brooding and ominous framework to new dimensions. Secondly, there's no obvious single – it's to be taken as a whole. Beth Gibbons's vocals are as soul wrenching as ever, and an overall stark, melancholic beauty connects Portishead '08 to the old stuff, but they go deeper. Some bits are quite minimalist, wringing emotion from a low strum, a distant chime, or a haunting bit of dissonance – other parts are more richly layered and even a bit jarring. Pulp cinematic aura, feedback textured psychedelia, haunting European pop, and traces of field recorded folk flavor the sound – they've dabbled in all of these elements before – but never with this particular feel. The sound of epiphany. How many acts in the pop realm create a whole new style with a classic album, and then pull off something nearly as great almost 15 years later, without ripping themselves off? Add Portishead to that small list. We'll call '08 early, this is the best pop album of the year. Titles include "Silence", "Hunter", "Nylon Smile", "The Rip", "We Carry On", "Deep Water", "Machine Gun", "Small", "Magic Doors", "Threads". CD

Elliot's Smith's second solo album and his first for Kill Rock Stars, a landmark for the label and Elliot's legacy – unintentionally kicking the doors open for a loner folk, melancholy acoustic movement in an indie rock era known for earsplitting noise at the time. It's more willfully intimate than what we'd lump in with what was being sold as "low fi" at the time, with material that really only needs Elliot's yearning voice, words and acoustic guitar to give us all we need. Lovely, heartbreaking stuff all the way. Includes the devastating "Needle In The Hay", "Clementine", "Christian Brothers", "Satellite", "Good To Go", "Alphabet Town", "Southern Belle", "St Ides Heaven" and "The Biggest Lie". CD

In pretty much any bio of the pioneering art punk band Wire you'll read about how between 1977 and 1979, the group made three of the best, most forward looking rock albums of the era. First they perfected punk rock (Pink Flag), a year later they opened the doors to the more melodic new wave (Chairs Missing), and followed that up by introducing experimental electronics and metronomic beats (154), clearing the way for the aggro-post-punk-dance music of the early 80s. 10 years from now, there will probably be an addendum to all of those bios, stating that in 2002/2003 Wire finally returned to form – and they were as great as they ever were! We love our hyperbole around here, there's no denying that, but we really can't overstate how amazing Send is for Wire fans. As much as they've been around in various forms, Colin Newman and co. have not sounded this vital since 1979. None of the million billion indie rock kids emulating the old boys are even in the same universe, despite what your local hipster papers and zines might say. The album is basically a collection of the comeback EPs Wire self-released in 2002 – Read And Burn 1 & 2 – plus four newer, equally ferocious tracks. The first half kind of serves as the logical 2002/3 equivalent of their razor melody guitar sound of the late 70s, and the second half adds the aggro/electro beat-driven stuff that was bastardized by others (and at times by Wire themselves) all through the 80s and 90s. The whole thing is consistent, aggressive as all-get-out, and a stunningly loud comeback that we never saw coming. It's all the more rewarding because of it. "In The Art Of Stopping", "Mr. Marx's Table", "Being Watched", "The Agfers Of Kodack", "Nice Streets Above", "Spent", "Read And Burn", "You Can't Leave Now", "Half Eaten", "99.9." CD

The fantastic solo debut of Pharoahe Monch – served up after a few years of guest appearances that were really raising our ears to his mighty talents! The Pharoahe returns the favor here – inviting in guest versions from Common, Talib Kweli, Canibus, Apani B Fly, Busta Rhymes, MOP, and others – all rolled into that crisply perfect production style that made Rawkus albums like this so essential at the time – and so great over the years to come. Titles include "Behind Closed Doors", "Queens", "Simon Says", "Official", "God Send", "The Next Sh*t", "Right Here", and "The Truth" – plus the great remix version of "Simon Says", with work from Method Man, Redman, and Shabaam Sahdeeq. CD