Modern Records sessions by Jimmy Beasley – done for the famous LA label, but all recorded in Beasley's home town of New Orleans – with a very raw, early Crescent City vibe! Many of these cuts were done with the group of Dave Bartholomew at Cosimo's Studios – and they're filled with the kind of romping rhythms and piano lines that you'd know from some of Dave's bigger-name sessions with artists like Fats Domino or Smiley Lewis – yet Jimmy's approach here is nicely different, and far less familiar – almost jazzy at times, and with less of a need to "rock" than some of his contemporaries! That doesn't mean that these tracks don't groove with the New Orleans best – just that they've got some very cool, individual touches – and sophisticated shadings that we really appreciate. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive live album from this funky trio – a double-length set, and one that they get all to themselves after splitting a long run of live records with other artists during most of 2023! While we liked those records, we're very happy to have Khruangbin on their own – stretching out in that bold blend of guitar, bass, and drums they combine with almost a proggish approach to funk! Titles include "Time", "The Number 3", "Lady & Man", "White Gloves", "Two Fish & An Elephant", "Evan Finds The Third Room", "Maria Tambien", "First Class", "Friday Morning", and "A Calf Born In Winter". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete presentation of a legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – both of which are united here with additional material! The set features two takes on the Quintet material – without bass overdubs, and with them added – on titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are/52nd Street Theme", "Wee", and "Hot House". The package then also adds in the second half of the concert – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". Plus, the set features a stunning solo drum performance by Max Roach – "Drum Conversation". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible snapshot of the funky soul genius of Sly Stone in an early transitional period – featuring all the known recordings of his short-lived Stone Flower label and production house from 1969-1970! Sly was a rising star at this point, and while the Stone Flower Productions name had been established already for Sly & The Family Stone's work-to-date, there was a brief period when he and manager David Kapralik set out make Stone Flower an official management and production house – and recorded some great tunes with female vocal trio Little Sister, funky soul singer and harmonica player Joe Hicks and funk rock sextet 6ix – as well as some gems sung by Sly himself. Sly & The Family Stone were soon to take off in a really huge way, his business relationship with Kapalik was becoming strained, and other factors behind-the-scenes made it impossible for Stone Flower Productions to really take root, but this brief period is fantastic. We're so glad it's been dug up and collected here! The cuts are primarily written and produced by Sly Stone – with Sly out front on "Just Like A Baby", "Africa", "Spirit" and "Scared" – and other great tracks include "You're The One" and "Somebody's Watching You" by Little Sister, "Home Sweet Home (Part 2)" and "I'm Going Home (Part 1)" by Joe Hicks, "Trying To Make You Feel Good", "You Can, We Can" by 6ix and more. 18 tracks in all – with a nice booklet of notes by Alec Palao, and an interview with the elusive Sly Stone himself! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic 500th release by the BBE label – one that looks back at the past, and soars to the future! This special extended single package is a fantastic return to form for everyone involved – as underground club legends Patrick Adams and Leroy Burgess get a whole new groove from Louie Vega – but with a warmly soaring vibe that's a great update of their classic approach! "Barely Breaking Even" is a classic from the Universal Robot Band – but this new take has both vocals and production that are a lot warmer than the original P&P Records version – and a groove that's even catchier too! All four mixes are over eight minutes long – served up here beautifully on a double 12" package! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A rootsy cover, and some rootsy blues to match – a fairly stripped down session from John Lee Hooker –- and one that mostly just features vocals and guitar, plus some occasional added guitar and piano! Most of the recordings here are from the early 50s, pulled together in a full LP at the end of that decade – and they represent the formative roots of the Chess Records sound – a key bridge between Chicago blues and work from earlier scenes. Titles include "Ramblin By Myself", "Ground Hog Blues", "Women & Money", "High Priced Woman", "Sugar Mama", "Walkin The Boogie", "Love Blues", and "Union Station Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

The last Motown album of the 70s for Willie Hutch – and his last LP for the label before comback to the label in the mid 80s! Willie does indeed have nice little funky soul party going on here– with a steady, but not too laidback groove that bridges the more stripped down funk of earlier records to breezier and slightly more elegant soul sounds of the later 70s. There's some nice guitar, bass and Fender Rhodes moments, and the album's got a nice warm soulful sound throughout. Tracks include "Willie's Boogie", "We Gonna Have A House Party", "Soul Strut", "I Never Had It So Good", "What You Gonna Do After The Party", and "After Love Is Gone" – plus bonus single versions of "We Gonna Have A House Party" and "We Gonna Party Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

Not the Eleventh House group with guitarist Larry Coryell, and instead this very cool spoken word record from Milwaukee – one that features light instrumentation on organ, flute, guitars, percussion, and even electric sitar – kind of a cross between some of the beat-era Fantasy Records poetry albums, and the trippier 70s work of Ken Nordine! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible snapshot of the funky soul genius of Sly Stone in an early transitional period – featuring all the known recordings of his short-lived Stone Flower label and production house from 1969-1970! Sly was a rising star at this point, and while the Stone Flower Productions name had been established already for Sly & The Family Stone's work-to-date, there was a brief period when he and manager David Kapralik set out make Stone Flower an official management and production house – and recorded some great tunes with female vocal trio Little Sister, funky soul singer and harmonica player Joe Hicks and funk rock sextet 6ix – as well as some gems sung by Sly himself. Sly & The Family Stone were soon to take off in a really huge way, his business relationship with Kapalik was becoming strained, and other factors behind-the-scenes made it impossible for Stone Flower Productions to really take root, but this brief period is fantastic. We're so glad it's been dug up and collected here! The cuts are primarily written and produced by Sly Stone – with Sly out front on "Just Like A Baby", "Africa", "Spirit" and "Scared" – and other great tracks include "You're The One" and "Somebody's Watching You" by Little Sister, "Home Sweet Home (Part 2)" and "I'm Going Home (Part 1)" by Joe Hicks, "Trying To Make You Feel Good", "You Can, We Can" by 6ix and more. 18 tracks in all – with a nice booklet of notes by Alec Palao, and an interview with the elusive Sly Stone himself! LP, Vinyl record album

Garage rock revivalism of the first order – dusty 90s blasts by the mighty Mummies that sound like they could have been cut decades earlier, or later, for that matter – on vinyl, as nature intended! Fuzzy, low fi, monstrously shambling awesomeness from San Francisco's anti-scenester garage rock nasties – recorded as cheaply as possible, as the Pharaohs decreed. Titles include "That Girl", "Test Drive", "I'm Bigger Than You", "Foood, Sickles And Girls", "One By One", "Tall Cool One", "Die!", "The House On The Hill" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records ever produced by Disneyland Records – and one of the creepiest too! The record features one side of raw sound effects – top-shelf level material, of the sort that the Disney crew would save and use in cartoons and films – and the other side features similar sounds, but structured with a more narrative approach – almost making for a record that's sort of a ghost story in sound! Titles include "The Very Long Fuse", "The Dogs", "The Unsafe Bridge", "The Martian Monsters", "Chinese Water Torture", and "Drips & Splashes". LP, Vinyl record album

A great slice of work from the New York underground of the post-disco years – served up by a family of labels that had been making things happen through most of the 70s! The set focuses strongly on the singles issued by the Posse and Spring Records labels – the former a new offshoot of the latter, especially geared towards 12" singles that were strongly focused on both the new sounds of the clubs and the streets – including lots of electro, bass-heavy funk, hip hop-inspired grooves, and mabye even some elements that would soon point the way towards house music to come! This side of the Spring Records label has never been covered in detail like this before – and the choice of cuts is as great as the notes on the music – which finally gives the Posse singles their due in the scene from back in the day. Titles include "We Come To Jam" by Blaze, "Sing A Song" by Lonnie Youngblood, "Have Your Cake" by Body, "Wired For Games (long version)" by C Brand, "Workin Out" by Ritz, "Live It Up (short vocal)" by Fonda Rae, "Get Up An Dance" by Mynk, "Spread Love" by Fatback, "Let's Get Nice (7" vocal)" by Glory, and "Got To Have Your Lovin (short vocal)" by Feel. LP, Vinyl record album

A hard rock trio with a hell of a sound – heard here on their one and only album from the 70s – a surprising major label debut on Epic Records, with top-shelf production from Rick Derringer! The album's got a searing burn right from the start – quite a heady brew for this young trio, who come on with the guitar complexities of Johnny Winter at times, and kind of the brooding, bassy bottom you might hear from the James Gang ag their best – although Tin House also have this more youthful, more sneering vibe too – one that's completely their own, and which has made this obscure debut a lost treasure for hard rock collectors over the decades! Titles include "I Want Your Body", "Be Good & Be Kind", "Personal Gain", "Jezebel Give Me Your Lovin", "Lady Of The Silent Opera", "Tomorrow", and "You've Gone Too Far". LP, Vinyl record album

An archetypal album by Roy Ayers – and one that really shows him at the turning point of his sound! Gone are the trippier jazz funk moments of earlier albums – and in their place are some tight grooves and wonderfully spacey soul. Roy hits the dancefloor with one of his first up-tempo funk numbers "Brother Green", a catchy groover with lots of clavinet, and the massive "Life Is Just A Moment", a storming 2-part number that rolls along with a pounding almost house-like groove. "Mystic Voyage" shows the sweet jazzy side of Roy – as it's a vibes-heavy instrumental with a light stepping groove, perfect for the mellow direction he'd take on other records. The album also features some great off-beat funk numbers that recall earlier albums – including the break-heavy "Spirit Of Doo Doo", plus "Funky Motion" and "The Black Five". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 80s groover from the mighty Azymuth – a set that's early in their run of albums during the decade for Fantasy Records, and one that offers up a nice adaptation of the groove from their early Brazilian classics! Tracks are nice and lean, and acoustic percussion is blended with keyboard work at a level that really opens up the sound – and which makes Azymuth so different from so many other fusion outfits recording in the US during the time – as does the occasional use of wordless vocals, and that really special sense of rhythm that the group deliver so well! The set includes the classic ten minute "Last Summer In Rio" – a great Fender Rhodes number that was once a huge steppers cut in Chicago – plus the great tracks "The House I Lived In", "What Price Samba", and "May I Have This Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

A great full length collection of work by Memphis singer Barbara Brown – a vocalist who appeared both as a solo act, and with her sisters – on a variety of singles for labels like Cadet, Atlantic, Tower, and MGM in the late 60s and early 70s! Barbara's got a deep, rich voice that's clearly schooled in gospel, but pointed towards more secular ends – an approach that's very much in keeping with the best late 60s wave of soul from Atlantic Records, and which is carried off here with a sharpness and precision that's simply mindblowing! Why Brown never scored bigger is a real mystery to us, because these tunes come off like the cream of the crop of southern soul at the end of the 60s – not just obscurities for obscurity sake, but some of the highest level of soul a female soul singer could hope for at the time! Titles include "Can't Find No Happiness", "Plenty Of Room", "A Great Big Thing", "Things Have Gone To Pieces", "Man Around The House", "Play Thing", "I'm Gonna Start A War", "I Don't Want To Have To Wait", "It Hurts Me So Much", "Got To Be Somebody", "There's A Look On Your Face", and "If I Can't Run To You I'll Crawl". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – material recorded as the soundtrack for the Canadian film Le Chat Danse Le Sac – which features new recordings of material that Coltrane had done in previous years, but really updated by the fresh version of this group! Although the music was used in the film, which was an art house hit at best, it's never been issued on record before – and in fact, its existence was something of a mystery until not that long ago – quite a surprise, given that the sessions were done at Rudy Van Gelder's studio, and have a quality level that really matches the Impulse Records best by these musicians! The tunes are almost like this amazing bridge between the mid 60s Impulse years and the Coltrane sound at the start of the decade on Atlantic – as the grooves are modal, and most music is more inside than the group was hitting by 1965 – yet still burning with that searching spirit that made them so great. The lineup, of course, features John Coltrane on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the whole thing is an instant key addition to the catalog of this tremendous quartet. Titles include two takes on "Naima", three takes on "Village Blues", and the tracks "Like Sonny", "Traneing In", and "Blue World". LP, Vinyl record album

The title may be a simple one, but the record really marks a key point in John Coltrane's development – an embrace of the newer freedoms allowed to him at Atlantic Records, but in a way that's a bit more subtle than some of his other work for the label! At one level, the record moves at the same groove as Trane's later Prestige years – with rhythm mostly from Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – carving out some sharp lines for Coltrane to cascade over on tenor sax. Yet there's also a new sense of darkness here too – one that moves into edgier territory, and which isn't nearly as settled in as before. These qualities sneak out of both original numbers like "Harmonique", "Fifth House", and "Like Sonny" – as well as standards like "My Shining Hour" and "Little Old Lady". And they really come to the forefront on the classic "Village Blues" – the one track that features the new Coltrane group of McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, and Elvin Jones! LP, Vinyl record album

The "lovers" here are funky 45 lovers – the kind that dig rare singles from the 60s and 70s as much as we do – plenty of which you'll find stacked up nicely in this killer set! The package delves into the legacy of 7" singles from Miami soul powerhouse TK Records – and the package is full of more unusual tracks that go way past some of the big TK chart and club hits of the time, to really show the range of material that was making the label so great – and such an important force in the record racks at the time! Titles on this vinyl version include "For Lovers Only" by New Image, "Oh Let Me Know It (part 1)" by Special Delivery, "Let Me Take Care Of Your Heart" by The Smith Brothers, "Our Day Is Here" by Jimmy Beaumont & The Skyliners, "Man Of Mine" by Betty Wright, "Stop Hurting Me Baby" by Purple Mundi, and "Nowhere" by Hokis Pokis. LP, Vinyl record album

A really really beautiful little compilation – one with a sound that's every bit as powerful as the image on its cover! The music here all comes from the Gospel Roots label of Miami soul powerhouse TK Records – a key force in mainstream soul in the 70s, but also a company who issued some excellent spiritual material at the time! The work here isn't rootsy gospel – and instead reflects all the hip, righteous changes that were coming into the music during the 70s – bits of blacksploitation funk in the rhythms, powerful lead singers upfront, and an impeccable production style that often mixed deep soul vocals with modern soul presentation. This side of the TK legacy has been crucially ignored over the years – but this wonderful package more than corrects that fault – by offering up some of the key tracks from the Gospel Roots label, alongside a lavish booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and record images – all recounting the overdue tale of this great music. Not all artists are southern – there's a number from up north, and even a few from Chicago – and titles include "Tell Me" by The Fantastic Family Aires, "After The Rain" by Pastor TL Barrett, "Will You Save Me" by The Jordan Singers, "Never Say What You Want" by The Phillipians, "Help Me To Carry On" by The Fabulous Luckett Brothers, "I've Got To Make A Change" by Bright Clouds, "Wake Up Everybody" by The O'Neal Twins, "On Jesus Program" by The Original Sunset Travelers, "Blessed Be The Name Of God" by The Brooklyn All Stars, and "Christians Catch Hell" by Reverend Edna Isaac & The Greene Sisters. LP, Vinyl record album

Totally wonderful work from this overlooked 60s duo – Jon Abdnor and Javonne Braga – a pair who recorded for the very cool underground pop powerhouse Abnak Records, and have this rough-edged quality that really makes the music wonderful all the way through! The style is as groovy and pop psych as you might expect from the image on the cover – but there's a particular sort of execution here that really makes the music stand out – in part a sense of male/female vocal pairing that has all the unique charms of a Lee Hazlewood project, but more rough around the edges – so much so at some times they almost come across like John Doe and Exene singing on early records by X. A tremendous treat throughout – with titles that include "Gift Of Love", "You Don't Care", "How Come", "I Want Some More", "Thursday Morning", "Drums", "Doctor Jon The Medicine Man", and "Truly Truly True". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that features great early Junior Parker material, recorded during his years on the soulful powerhouse Duke Records! Titles include "Goodbye Little Girl", "My Love Is Real", "I'm Gonna Take A Chance", "It Ain't Like That No More", "If You Can't Take It", "What Kind Of Love", "Today I Sing The Blues", and "Little Old Lover Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from this legendary group – one of the few rock acts to record for the avant jazz powerhouse ESP Records – with titles that include "Soon The Moon", "Squeek", "Radar Eyes", "Travelin Salesman", and "Permanent Green Light". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic package of work – material that not only helped kick off the career of the legendary Howlin Wolf, but also the Memphis powerhouse Sun Records too! The material here was all cut in the Sun Studios right at the start of its famous run – material recorded by Sam Phillips long before Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis – at a time when he was deeply interested in the shifts taking place in southern blues at the time, and was willing to take a chance on the mighty talents of Howlin Wolf! Wolf was no newcomer to the scene, but hadn't gotten recorded much before – especially not at this level, which brings out qualities that really ignited a long stretch of important 50s sessions after Sun licensed a few key tracks to other labels before they got their own imprint up and running. This very cool 10" package features titles not issued at the time – ten great tracks that were in the Sun Records vaults for years – presented here in a very cool vintage-styled LP. Titles on this second volume include "Color & Kind", "My Baby Walked Off", "Baby Ride With Me", "Smile At Me", "California Blues", "Well That's All Right", "Mr Highway Man/Cadillac Daddy", "Decoration Day Blues", "Dorothy Mae #2", and "CV Wine Blues/Drinkin CV Wine". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The Houseplant series really takes off with this killer triple-LP set – a massive batch of funk and soul, both old and new – presented here in a really great assortment of modes! There's some great deep tracks from the 70s here, alongside some well-chosen contemporary cuts from the international funk underground – plus a few other assorted surprises along the way – keeping the label's strong reputation for serving up a record that's way different than the standard funk compilation! Titles include "Short Stopping" by Veda Brown, "What's Good For You" by Harvey Scales, "Little Saddy" by Andre Ethier, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Slide" by Adesse Versions, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Love Theme From Spartacus" by Yusef Lateef, "Town Called Nowhere" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Blah Blah Blah" by Saun & Starr, "Gotta Let Me Know" by Breakestra, "Jamaica Ska" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "Legend In My Own Mind" by The Stepkids, "Lament 1" by Dustin Laurenzi, "Trouble" by Frederick Knight, "The Echo" by Epsilons, "A Little Bit More Won't Hurt" by Bettye Crutcher, "The Who Who Song" by Jackie Wilson, and "Don't Stop" by The Bar Kays. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic funk, rare soul, and contemporary goodies too – all served up in a beautiful package designed by the folks at Seth Rogan's Houseplant! As with the previous set, this one is divided into three modes – one record sativa, one indica, and the third a hybrid – capturing different moods with each record, but with an all-soul, rock-solid selection of tunes throughout! As with previous volumes, the classic and contemporary come into play in a really great way – and this volume also features some great international titles too – a set list that includes "Follow The Wind" by Coletta Woodson, "Cookin" by Tortilla Factory, "Bra" by Cymande, "High Beams" by Tkay Maidza, "Lupita" by Nico Gomez, "Pretty Woman Pass On By" by Richard Marks, "Norma Jean" by Napoleon Demps, "Bizness" by Tune Yards, "Right On" by Carleen & The Groovers, "The Love You Left Behind" by Syl Johnson, "Groovy Babe" by Durand Jones & The Indications, "Kill Dem" by Jamie XX, "Aminata Du The" by Amadou Balake, "Help Me To Understand" by Harlem Gospel Travelers, "Will I See You Again" by Thee Sacred Souls, "Grow Forever" by Lizette & Quevin, "Tearz" by El Michels Affair & Lee Fields, "Everything That Looks Good" by Charles Suggs, "Raggio Verde" by Il Quadro Di Troisi, "Let's Do It Today" by The US, and "When We Would Ride" by Kendra Morris & Eraserhood Sound. LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from vibist Cal Tjader – sounds that are different than some of the larger arrangements and concepts of his Verve Records albums of the mid 60s, and material that appears here for the first time ever! The set features a range of appearances that Tjader made on radio in Seattle – really well-recorded dates, done at the city's famous Penthouse nightclub – and featuring Cal's vibes in a stripped-down setting that's almost more of a throwback to his pre-Verve material for Fantasy records. There's excellent players throughout, especially on piano – as the keys are handled by Clare Fischer, Al Zulaica, and Lonnie Hewitt – all of whom did great work with Cal – working here in combos that feature plenty of percussion from Armando Peraza, and drums and timbales from Johnny Rae and Carl Burnett. The tunes are a nice mix of modes – some Latin, some bossa, lots straighter jazz – and titles include "Insight", "Davito", "Pantano", "Leyte", "Half & Half", "Bag's Groove", "Mambo Inn", "Morning", "Soul Burst", "Cuban Fantasy", "Love For Sale", "Reza", "On Green Dolphin Street", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Fuji", and "Along Comes Mary". LP, Vinyl record album

Sheesh, Howard Rumsey sure knew how to stick his name on a lot of records! (He must have been trying to give Norman Granz and Leonard Feather a run for their money!) Fortunately, most of them were also great – like this one, which features flute duets between Bob Cooper and either Bud Shank or Buddy Collette, over rhythms by Sonny Clark or Claude Williamson on piano, Max Roach or Stan Levy on drums, and Howard Rumsey on bass (actually making a rare appearance on wax here!) Titles include "Aquarium", "Still Life", "Bag's Groove", "Hermosa Summer", "Albatross", "Night In Tunisia", "Warm WInds", and "Happy Town". LP, Vinyl record album

Really fantastic music from pianist Ahmad Jamal – a set of tracks that's a really nice change from some of the recordings he was doing for Chess Records in the early 60s, and which definitely point the way towards the more stretched-out performances to come on Impulse Records! As the title implies, the setting is live – and Jamal really stretches out here on a number of tunes – working with a free-flowing sense of lyrical beauty that's even more stunning than in the shorter space of a studio cut – really skilled with that ear for tone and timing that made his work such a fresh voice on the piano scene at the time, and a subtle hint at righteous modes to come in the following generation. Chuck Lampkin is on drums throughout, and one set features Richard Evans on bass, the other Jamil Nasser – on long takes of "Bogota", "Minor Adjustments", "All Of You", "Squatty Roo", "Keep On Keeping On", "Minor Moods", "Lollipops & Roses", "Tangerine", and "But Not For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Lee Morgan – one of his last records ever, and a set that shows a whole new promise in his music – one that was sadly unfulfilled as a result of his tragic early death. The songs hare are all quite long – stretched out live numbers, but never in a way that's overindulgent (especially in comparison to some of Lee's Blue Note contemporaries) – and put together with a level of creativity and imagination that's simply stunning! Lee's in a beautifully searching mode here – stretching out on his solos, and hitting spaces we never would have imagined in his work even a few short years before. The rest of the group's great too – and include Bennie Maupin on flute, tenor, and bass clarinet, Harold Mabern on piano, Jymie Merritt on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums. Titles include "The Beehive", "Neophilia", "Nommo", and "Absolutions". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost side of work from 70s funk powerhouse Mainstream Records – a company best known for its jazz albums of the early 70s, but one that also cut some great soul and club material too! Most of the work here came out only as singles, and wasn't nearly as well-circulated as the albums on Mainstream – and much of it was much more underground too, from a time when funk groups were picking up the pace a bit for the new styles of dance on the scene – yet still nicely far from the more slickly produced disco that would top the charts at the end of the 70s! Most tracks appear here on vinyl for the first time since the 70s – and titles include the unissued "Disco Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Three Ounces Of Love – plus "Get Down Get Down" by South Side Coalition, "Music Is Fun To Me" by The Grand Jury, "We've Got To Get Together" by Chocolate Syrup, "Gonna Have A Good Time" by Crystal Image, "Nothing Between Us" by Electric Ladies, "Whatever's Your Sign You've Got To Be Mine" by Prophecy, "Hundred Pounds Of Pain" by Lenny Welch, and "No Rebate On Love" by The Dramatics. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic addition to the John Coltrane catalog, and a set that's wonderful for so many different reasons it's hard to fit them all in one short passage! As the title implies, the album features a rare live performance of "Love Supreme" – done in 1965, when the work was new both to the world, and the classic Coltrane quartet with McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Yet the version here is also very different than the album reading – looser, with more "interlude" passages – at a level that already has the group drinking in the spirit of the tune, and finding a way to rise with a new spiritual majesty! Another key part of the recording is the presence of Pharoah Sanders on tenor – making a very early appearance with the group – amidst a septet lineup that also features a very young Carlos Ward on alto, and Donald Rafael Garrett on bass – players who expand the lineup in ways that show some of Coltrane's growing experiments past the quartet structure. The whole thing was recorded at the Penthouse Club in Seattle – a place that's given us some other fantastic "lost" recordings from the 60s in recent years – and the record is essential listening, even if you own the studio Love Supreme record, or any other Coltrane records at all. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great soul albums on the Westbound label – the Detroit funk powerhouse known for famous records by Funkadelic, The Counts, and the Detroit Emeralds! Eramus Hall have a vague P-Funk connection – and according to legend, the band were given their name by George Clinton, who had seen a building in Chicago named Eramus Hall – but the sound is a lot smoother than any of the P-Funk projects of the time, and the group's strongest point is their smooth soul groove, augmented by a tight jazz funk style on the best cuts. In a way, they're sort of like a morphed version of late Parliament – with a funk sound that's nicely compressed, but still a lot more true than any of the countless other bands on the market who were aping P-Funk at the time. Highlights include the groovers "Your Love Is My Desire" and "She Shined A Light", both with nice sample moments – and other tracks include "Stuck In The Mudd", "Funk Permit", and "Think Positively". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent lost classic from Detroit soul jazz powerhouse Phil Ranelin – now a legendary figure, but recording here back at the start of his career in the Motor City! Trombonist Ranelin was one of the key figures in the city's Tribe Records scene – and this album is one of the greatest that the label ever issued – a perfect blend of the spiritual currents that were bubbling under in the scene, and some of the funky touches that helped make Ranelin and the label legendary over the years. The set features Ranelin on trombone, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Kenny Cox on electric piano, and Harold McKinney on piano – plus other luminaries from the incredibly strong Detroit scene of the time – and titles include the funky classic "Sounds From The Village", the slow spacey breakbeat number "Vibes From The Tribe", and the jazzy groover "For The Children". Also includes "He The One We All Knew", an extended piece that features members of The Griot Galaxy that takes up all of side two! LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring disco vocals from the Ritchie Family – a trio who get plenty of great clubby help here from Richie Rome and Jacques Morali, both of whom ensure that the whole thing is a super-charged powerhouse of late 70s disco elements! The strings glide in nicely next to the vocals, and the rhythms are live and played with a nice intensity – maybe more New York than the usual TK Records release of the time, but that's probably Morali's work on the set! The trio vocals follow in the tradition started for 70s disco by Three Degrees – and titles include "Life Is Music", "Lady Luck", "Super Lover", "Disco Blues", "Liberty", and "Long Distance Romance". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring set from the later years of Detroit funk powerhouse Westbound Records – a record that has the label moving into clubbier territory, but with all the sharpness they brought to their earlier releases! Detroit producers Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey are at the helm of the record – and although the set has disco elements that include chorus vocals and upbeat rhythms, the approach is maybe more in a fast funk style than more commercial work of the time – which keeps things nice and lean throughout, at a level that's similar to early work from T Connection and some of the hipper groups of their scene! Both Motown legend Earl Van Dyke and Dennis Coffey play on the album – and tracks include "We Got Our Own Thing", "Free To Be Me", "Get A Groove In Order To Move", and "Sure Can't Go To The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent lost classic from Detroit soul jazz powerhouse Phil Ranelin – now a legendary figure, but recording here back at the start of his career in the Motor City! Trombonist Ranelin was one of the key figures in the city's Tribe Records scene – and this album is one of the greatest that the label ever issued – a perfect blend of the spiritual currents that were bubbling under in the scene, and some of the funky touches that helped make Ranelin and the label legendary over the years. The set features Ranelin on trombone, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Kenny Cox on electric piano, and Harold McKinney on piano – plus other luminaries from the incredibly strong Detroit scene of the time – and titles include the funky classic "Sounds From The Village", the slow spacey breakbeat number "Vibes From The Tribe", and the jazzy groover "For The Children". Also includes "He The One We All Knew", an extended piece that features members of The Griot Galaxy that takes up all of side two! LP, Vinyl record album