A great second set from Ides Of March – proof that the jazz rock combo had a lot more going on than just their famous single! The sextet hailed from the same scene as early Chicago (Chicago, of course!) – and have here a sound that shares plenty of the jazzy flourishes of that better-known group – blasting trumpet lines that soar, dip, and turn alongside the more uptempo tunes, and shade in the mellower ones. But there's also a more personal approach to this set overall, one that comes from the rough vocals of James Michael Peterik and some of the surprisingly heartfelt lyrics to a few of the album's best tunes – not entirely the height of early 70s singer/songwriter material, but also not that far either. Titles include the funky "Superman", plus "LA Goodbye", "Mrs Grayson's Farm", "Friends Of Feeling", "We Are Pillows", "Freedom Sweet", and "Tie Dye Princess", an extended number that runs for over 11 minutes. LP, Vinyl record album

A post-Warner set from Jim Peterik and the Ides Of March – with titles that include "Hot Water", "Do What You've A Mind To", "Quicksilver", "Ride The Music", "Lay Back", "Roadie Ode", and "Heavy On The Country". LP, Vinyl record album

These guys will forever be known for the jazzy grooving title hit – "Vehicle", a brassy driving number that seems as if it's always being used in some sort of car commercial (which must net these guys a lot of royalties!) – but which is usually mistaken by others for being the work of Blood Sweat & Tears! Like BST, Ides Of March have a really driving sound here – pushing forward with heavy drums, sharp bits of brass, and a great early jazz rock sound that's way better than most work by the competition in years to come! Tracks include "Vehicle", "Wooden Ships", "Home", "Bald Medusa", "One Woman Man", and "Symphony For Eleanor". CD

One of those landmark meetings of mighty talents that sounds even better on record than it does on paper – as the set somehow finds this really special space that's completely between all the best early 70s modes of both Terry Riley and John Cale! Cale was really coming into his own at the time as a solo act – creating amazing records after leaving the Velvet Underground, but also still tied to the deeper art scene from which he emerged. Riley was on the way to becoming one of the most popular of the more modern composers – thanks to a nod from The Who, and a big audience for his wonderfully trippy records on Columbia. The label allowed the pair to create this really special music here – sounds that borrow from Riley's minimalism, while also having some of the darkness of Cale's own compositions – and coming across with this jagged, almost modal sort of approach that's really great. Cale only sings on one song, and the rest of the set is instrumental – as Riley plays piano, organ, and soprano sax – and Cale joins in on bass, guitar, viola, and harpsichord. The two of them groove together in these totally cool tracks that build and build, with minimal lines repeating over and over in endlessly fascinating groove – in a way that touches on a weirdly funky mode! The cut "Ides Of March" has the potential to be dancefloor groover in the jazz dance scene, and there's lots of other great tracks like "Church of Anthrax", "The Protege", and "The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles". CD

One of those landmark meetings of mighty talents that sounds even better on record than it does on paper – as the set somehow finds this really special space that's completely between all the best early 70s modes of both Terry Riley and John Cale! Cale was really coming into his own at the time as a solo act – creating amazing records after leaving the Velvet Underground, but also still tied to the deeper art scene from which he emerged. Riley was on the way to becoming one of the most popular of the more modern composers – thanks to a nod from The Who, and a big audience for his wonderfully trippy records on Columbia. The label allowed the pair to create this really special music here – sounds that borrow from Riley's minimalism, while also having some of the darkness of Cale's own compositions – and coming across with this jagged, almost modal sort of approach that's really great. Cale only sings on one song, and the rest of the set is instrumental – as Riley plays piano, organ, and soprano sax – and Cale joins in on bass, guitar, viola, and harpsichord. The two of them groove together in these totally cool tracks that build and build, with minimal lines repeating over and over in endlessly fascinating groove – in a way that touches on a weirdly funky mode! The cut "Ides Of March" has the potential to be dancefloor groover in the jazz dance scene, and there's lots of other great tracks like "Church of Anthrax", "The Protege", and "The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles". LP, Vinyl record album

The return of a legend – or maybe more accurately, the first time this legend's ever really gotten his due! Ralph Jackson's been working in the Alabama soul underground for decades – yet this smoking album may well be the first time he's ever really gotten out front, and able to do his thing – working with a tight group of younger musicians who really respect the southern soul vibe that Ralph's going for – and help him hit a really great sound in the process! The set's a soul record through and through – not one of these modern funk workouts with an old singer thrown into the mix – but the kind of old school album you'd hear from Malaco or Criteria Studios – particularly during that point when deep soul was growing up in the 70s. Production and arrangements are right on the money – and all tunes are written by Jackson, save for one totally great cover of The Ides Of March classic "Vehicle"! Other titles include "You've Been Very Good To Me", "Searching", "For Just One Second", "I Can't Leave Your Love Alone", "I'll Take Care Of You", and "There Must Be A Reason". CD

Solo work from the former leader of Ides Of March. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from The Ides Of March, Tin Tin, Blues Image, Ferrante & Teicher, The Assembled Multitude, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Ten Years After, Robert John, Flash, The New Seekers, Wayne Newton and Arlo Guthrie. CD

A tremendous step forward for the young Muhal Richard Abrams – a set that still shows his early roots in the AACM, but which also blossoms with some of his more serious compositional efforts to come! There's a sensitivity here that really stands out – even among Abrams' contemporaries – a striving for a wider range of expression – some as bold as before, some much more deeply personal and intimate. The tracks feature a shifting array of players – working alongside Abrams piano, and building up the sound in a number of different ways. Players include Wallace McMillan on flute and sax, Edwin Daugherty on sax, Richard Brown on sax, Emanuel Cranshaw on vibes, Rufus Reid on bass, and Steve McCall and Wilbur Campbell on drums. Ella Jackson provides vocals on "How Are You?" – and other titles include "Ballad For New Souls", "Things To Come From Those Now Gone", "In Retrospect", "Ballad For Old Souls", "1 & 4 Plus 2 & 7", and "March Of The Transients". CD

One of the first big moments of Albert Ayler's work in the jazz mainstream – and a record that doesn't dim his greatness at all from the earlier sides recorded for ESP! The album's got a sharply angular sound that more than lives up to its vibrant cover image – a well-honed approach to improvisation, showcased by Ayler in a set of recordings done upon his return from work on the European scene. The material was recorded on two different dates – featuring two different groups: one with Alan Silva, Beaver Harris, and Joel Friedman; the other with Donald Ayler, Henry Grimes, and Michel Sampson. Titles are long, with the searing emotional sound that Ayler was peaking at during this time – and titles include "For John Coltrane", "Change Has Come", and "Truth is Marching On". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic late work from Ayler! The record is one of the last he ever recorded – and it's a no-nonsense live set, without any of the silly influences of some of his late Impulse sides. Most of the material features Ayler blowing long free solos, with a tightness and directness missing from mid 60s sessions. Cal Cobbs is on piano, Steve Tintweiss is on bass, and Allen Blairman is on drums. Titles include a very soulful version of "Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe" – plus "Truth Is Marching", "Universal Message", and "Spiritual Reunion". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic late work from Ayler! The record is one of the last he ever recorded – and it's a no-nonsense live set, without any of the silly influences of some of his late Impulse sides. Most of the material features Ayler blowing long free solos, with a tightness and directness missing from mid 60s sessions. Cal Cobbs is on piano, Steve Tintweiss is on bass, Allen Blairman is on drums, and Mary Maria plays a bit of soprano sax, and sings vocals on "Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe", done here in a fantastically soulful version! Other tracks include "Holy Family", "Truth Is Marching", "Universal Message", "Spiritual Reunion", and "In Heart Only". CD

Fantastic late work from Ayler! The record is one of the last he ever recorded – and it's a no-nonsense live set, without any of the silly influences of some of his late Impulse sides. Most of the material features Ayler blowing long free solos, with a tightness and directness missing from mid 60s sessions. Cal Cobbs is on piano, Steve Tintweiss is on bass, Allen Blairman is on drums, and Mary Maria plays a bit of soprano sax, and sings vocals on "Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe", done here in a fantastically soulful version! Other tracks include "Holy Family", "Truth Is Marching", "Universal Message", "Spiritual Reunion", and "In Heart Only". 2 LPs – with both volumes of the music recorded in 1970 at the legendary Nuits De La Fondation Maeght series! LP, Vinyl record album

William Bell was one of the first great soul singers to record for the legendary Stax Records in Memphis – an artist who really helped set the tone for deep soul singles to come from the likes of Otis Redding and Johnnie Taylor – and one whose early work is still some of the best he ever gave us! This well-done package brings together all of Bell's first 14 singles for the label, both a-sides and b-sides – standing together as a testament to all the greatness the singer brought to the fray right from the start – as Stax not only found a way to record him so much differently than he would have been handled in other spots, but also matured along with Bell to keep on creating fresh magic as the 60s moved on! As always with Ace/Kent, the presentation is wonderful – a detailed set of notes that matches the wonderful set list – which includes "Formula Of Love", "Just As I Thought", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "I Told You So", "Don't Stop Now", "Crying All By Myself", "I'll Show You", "Monkeying Around", "Ain't Got No Girl", "Every Man Oughta Have A Woman", "Never Like This Before", "Marching Off To War", "Soldier's Goodbye", "One Plus One", "Eloise", "You're Such A Sweet Thing", "Don't Make Something Out Of Nothing", and his great farewell to Otis Redding, "Tribute To A King". CD

Heady and heavy work from Billy Bond and La Pesada Del Rock & Roll – a guitar heavy group from Argentina, and one with plenty of blues rock overtones! The guitars are definitely turned up to 11 here – jamming with an intensity to match some of the best hard rock sides from Peru reissued by the Lazarus label in recent years – and like those sets, there's a sound here that's an intensification of earlier beat group modes – taken into much harder territory for the 70s. The production is great – earthy, trippy, and a little bit spooky – and the album's got an oddly unsettling feel, one that's familiar at first, but then increasingly estranged as the record moves on. Quite compelling, and with 16 tracks that include "Dueno De Tu Piel", "El Parque", "Buen Dia Senor Presidente", "Divertido Reventado", "Salgan Al Sol", "La Maquina", "Voy A Ver Un Amigo", "Para Que Nos Sirven", and "La Marcha De San Lorenzo". CD

One of the most ambitious projects ever from vibist Gary Burton – an extended piece written by Carla Bley – and billed as "A Dark Opera Without Words"! The work has a feel that's much more fluid than opera, though – and is a great instrumental outing that not only features Gary's vibes at their youthful best, with support from his quartet – but which also includes extra work from Steve Lacy on soprano sax, Gato Barbieri on tenor, and Carla Bley herself on piano. The music is never too far out, but with angular tones and strange time changes that mark the record as being quite different from Gary's other sides for RCA. It also makes the record one of his best, too – as the set has that wonderfully fresh sound that you get from early work by Bley – never too silly, and with a serious approach to composition that also never loses sight of its roots in jazz. Titles include "The New Funeral March", "Silent Spring", "Mother Of The Dead Man", "Death Rolls", and "The New National Anthem". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most ambitious projects ever from vibist Gary Burton – an extended piece written by Carla Bley – and billed as "A Dark Opera Without Words"! The work has a feel that's much more fluid than opera, though – and is a great instrumental outing that not only features Gary's vibes at their youthful best, with support from his quartet – but which also includes extra work from Steve Lacy on soprano sax, Gato Barbieri on tenor, and Carla Bley herself on piano. The music is never too far out, but with angular tones and strange time changes that mark the record as being quite different from Gary's other sides for RCA. It also makes the record one of his best, too – as the set has that wonderfully fresh sound that you get from early work by Bley – never too silly, and with a serious approach to composition that also never loses sight of its roots in jazz. Titles include "The New Funeral March", "Silent Spring", "Mother Of The Dead Man", "Death Rolls", and "The New National Anthem". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from vibist Gary Burton – two RCA albums back to back on a single CD! First up is Lofty Fake Anagram – a standout classic from Burton, and the kind of fresh-voiced and angularly modern session that showed why his sound on the vibes was one of the most revolutionary in jazz at the time! The session features a quartet with Larry Coryell on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Bob Moses on drums – all working in a style that's got touches of modal jazz, and fragments of the Walt Dickerson sound – yet which is also a bit looser, freer, and more spacious – all without going too far "out". Titles include "Lines", "I'm Your Pal", "Fleurette Africaine", "Feelings & Things", "June The 15th, 1967", and "Good Citizen Swallow". Next up is Genuine Tong Funeral – billed as "A Dark Opera Without Words", an extended piece written by Carla Bley, and performed by the Burton quartet with help from a larger group that includes Steve Lacy, Gato Barbieri, Michael Mantler, and Bley herself. As such, the album's probably the most ambitious one that Burton ever recorded during the 60s – never too far out, but with angular tones and strange time changes that mark the record as being quite different from his other sides for RCA. It also makes it one of his best, too – as the record has that wonderfully fresh sound that you get from early work by Bley, never too silly, and with a serious approach to composition that also never loses sight of its roots in jazz. Titles include "The New Funeral March", "Silent Spring", "Mother Of The Dead Man", "Death Rolls", and "The New National Anthem". CD

A fantastic funky record from the Butterfield Blues Band – a set that's much less in the blues style from which the group took their name, and very strongly in the hipper mixed-up blend of styles that were happening on the Cali scene at the end of the 60s! Paul still leads the group on harmonica and vocals – but the latter often have a lot more of a loose, freewheeling soul sort of approach – as he's backed by a very cool group that's heavy on horns mixed with tight guitar and mighty nice basslines – plus piano from Jerry Ragovoy, who produced the whole set! Phillip Wilson provides some great drums – which are a key part of the funky cuts – and titles include "Love March", "No Amount Of Loving", "Love Disease", "So Far So Good", "Buddy's Advice", "Losing Hand", "Where Did My Baby Go", "All In A Day", and "Morning Sunrise". CD

A fantastic funky record from the Butterfield Blues Band – a set that's much less in the blues style from which the group took their name, and very strongly in the hipper mixed-up blend of styles that were happening on the Cali scene at the end of the 60s! Paul still leads the group on harmonica and vocals – but the latter often have a lot more of a loose, freewheeling soul sort of approach – as he's backed by a very cool group that's heavy on horns mixed with tight guitar and mighty nice basslines – plus piano from Jerry Ragovoy, who produced the whole set! Phillip Wilson provides some great drums – which are a key part of the funky cuts – and titles include "Love March", "No Amount Of Loving", "Love Disease", "So Far So Good", "Buddy's Advice", "Losing Hand", "Where Did My Baby Go", "All In A Day", and "Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky masterpiece from Bill Cosby – hardly the sort of record you might expect from all of his years on mainstream TV! This set was cut back when Bill was a much hipper cat on the LA scene – and it was the start of a brief all-instrumental run with his Badfoot Brown ensemble – a group who's not named in the notes on the record, but who offer up some seriously funky grooves! Bill supposedly plays keyboards himself – some really mad electric piano that's often repetitive, cyclical, and really hypnotic – a tripped-out style that's more funk than jazz, and which is easily one of the best parts of the record. But the rhythms are great too – equally hypnotic, and build up from bass, organ, guitar, and this whomping sort of drum part – echoing strongly in the background and really bringing a spooky feel to the set. Side one includes the amazing "Martin's Funeral" – sampled famously by Tribe Called Quest, and a 15 minute jam that's inspired by the funeral of Martin Luther King. Side two features "Hybish Shybish", an even longer track that's sort of an improvised jazz game – and which features tripped-out instrumental trading that's simply amazing. The whole record is really mindblowing – a messed-up jam session that's well worth the legend that's been built up around it over the years – and we're hard-pressed to think of another album like it! And as a special bonus, the package features these really long notes written by Bill Cosby himself – words that are as unusual as the music, and a side of him that's hardly been shown again. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic presentation of legendary live material from the team of Miles Davis and John Coltrane – taken from the last concert tour the pair ever did together, and presented here with beautifully stunning sound! The European dates in 1960 were all part of a larger Jazz At The Philharmonic tour – which meant that Norman Granz was on hand to do a great job of capturing the material, which is then given extra-special treatment here for the reissue! Some of these sides have been issued on dodgy overseas collections over the years, but this is the first time all this material has been presented together, and so well – a tremendous illustration of the long solo genius of both Davis and Coltrane, with support from Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. All tracks are very long – and the set features 8 tracks from the Paris concert on March 21, 5 tracks from the Copenhagen concert on March 24, and 9 from the Stockholm concert on March 22. There's also an interview with Coltrane, conducted during the tour – and titles include "Round Midnight", "On Green Dolphin Street", "All Of You", "So What", "Fran Dance", "Walkin", "All Blues", "Bye Bye Blackbird", and "Oleo". CD

One of the coolest, funkiest records we've ever heard from Dr John – thanks to lots of guest help from The Meters! The vibe here is a bit tighter than some of Mac's previous records – not as trippy as his first few for Atco – but the sound is still nice and sharp, and Allen Toussaint provides production and arrangements with a style that would be right at home on some of his work for the indie Sansu label. The title cut – "Right Place Wrong Time" – was a huge hit, but has a great funky break – and the album also features loads of other nice numbers too – including "Life", "Traveling Mood", "Same Old Same Old", "Just The Same", and "Shoo Fly Marches On". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful tribute to the higher art side of the post-Civil Rights years – served up in a larger monograph from an exhibition at the Tate Museum – which pulled together examples from many different strands of underground work from the mid 60s through the early 80s! Contents include photographs, paintings, collages, and more public material – including some posters and publications – and the book divides the material along different scenes and settings – with sections on Art & Unrest In Los Angeles, The Black Emergency Cultural Coalition, The Studio Museum In Harlem, Amiri Baraka & The Black Arts Movement, Spiral & The March On Washington, Black Art Debates In Pamphlets & Magazines, Emory Douglas & The Black Panther Party Newspaper, Avant Garde Filmmakers, Black Women Artists, AfriCobra, and Beauford Delaney & James Baldwin. The first large section of the book features images with introductory text – and another section features long essays with images, written by Zoe Whitley and Mark Godfrey. The last smaller section features recollections by Samella Lewis, Edmund Barry Gaither, Linda Goode Bryant, and others. Book is heavy, full color throughout, and 256 pages. Book

Larry Graham and crew are definitely going for a fuller sound on this set – starting off the record with a funky marching band, in Tusk-like fashion – then rolling into some bass-heavy funk that tops even their previous records for tightness! The groove is a key element in the growth of west coast funk in the 70s – bass in the lead, but keyboards percolating in all over the place, in a style that's almost got touches of jazz – and which sets the stage for many of the Zapp-sounding projects of the future. Titles include "Love", "Mirror", "Entrow", "Do Yah", "Save Me", and "I Got A Reason". LP, Vinyl record album

A great setting for Stacey Kent – one of the most lovely vocalists to emerge in recent years – heard here in a live performance that's almost got more charm than her previous studio albums for Blue Note! The space is large, but the group is nice and small – an intimate lineup that features guitar from Kent alongside the vocals, tenor and soprano sax from Jim Tomlinson, Fender Rhodes and piano from Graham Harvey, bass from Jeremy Brown, and drums from Matt Skelton – a lineup that provides perfect gentle backings for Stacey's unique way of singing – a light-voiced mode that almost feels like Blossom Dearie at times! Titles include "Waters Of March", "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars", "Breakfast On The Morning Tram", "O Comboio", "Dreamer", "Jardin D'Hiver", "Samba Saravah", and "Ces Petits Riens". CD features the bonus track "They Say It's Wonderful". CD

A surprisingly great album – one that features Herbie and Bobby trading flutes and tenor, blowing long solos in a set that gives them plenty of room to work! The album only features four long tracks – "Let's March", "Tel Aviv", "Somewhere Else", and "Chasing The Bird" – blown in the open-ended mode that made some of the best Prestiges sides from the time so great. Joe Puma plays guitar, Tommy Flanagan is on piano, and rhythm is by Wendell Marshall and Bobby Donaldson. LP, Vinyl record album

Blue in the main style of his early years at Riverside – working in an all-star group (the "Big 6" in the title), with players that include Johnny Griffin, Curtis Fuller, Wynton Kelly, Wilbur Ware, and Philly Joe Jones. Blue's leadership isn't that strong – but fortunately, the others (particularly Griffin, Ware, and Jones) gel together strongly with or without him, making the set crackle with the soulful energy of some of the best Jazzland/Riverside hardbop sides from the time. Tracks include "Sir John", "Blues March", "Big Six", and "Jamph". CD