A beautiful book that does a great job of capturing the wide range of creative and community activity of Theaster Gates – one of the most important artists to emerge from the Chicago scene in the past few decades! Gates is way more than just an artist, though – as his works involve constant interaction with the city around him, sometimes as larger social projects that seek to offer opportunity and transform the community – sometimes with aspects that work almost to document lost or unseen cultures in Chicago – but always with an inventive, genre-defying quality that continues to keep all his creativity and ideas relevant over the years. The book is divided up into a variety of sections – including an interview with Gates, a studio visit, a document of important works, and even a timeline of his creative activity and role in Chicago – served up in an oversized, softcover volume – full color throughout, with 158 pages in all. Book

A massive double-header – one that features the first two Sylvester albums for Fantasy Records! First up is the self-titled Sylvester – a reworking of his older groove into one that we love more than any other that he ever used – a smooth modern soul style, not really disco, but with a driving approach that would certainly have worked well in the clubs! You gotta give Syl credit here – as it would have been easy for him to turn up the camp a lot in the 1977 disco days – but instead he's sticking strong to his soul impulses, and has come up with a wonderful album of tracks that's like the first Luther album – one that you can enjoy whatever your take on the man, without any introduction to his person or persona. Of course, a big part of the credit also goes to Harvey Fuqua – who's reemerged here from his years at RCA to produce the record – showing his always strong ability to seek out new talent, and bring out the best in them. Titles include "I Tried To Forget You", "Tipsong", "I Been Down", "Loving Grows Up Slow", "Never Too Late", and "Over & Over". Step II is probably Sylvester's biggest album for Fantasy – and for good reason too! The set pushes onto the dancefloor a bit more than before – often with some slight keyboard touches that hint at the Patrick Cowley years, but with none of the coldness of those records at all. The great Harvey Fuqua's producing here with Syl, and the sound is rich and bold – an even more prideful statement than Sylvester's first album on Fantasy. Two Tons Of Fun deliver some great backup vocals, and Cowley lays down a bit of keyboards – and titles include the all-time disco classic "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real", plus "Dance (Disco Heat)", "Just You & Me Forever", "Grateful", and "I Took My Strength From You". CD

For the third volume of this hip Japanese series, Travelphonic go to New York – and come up with a batch of some of the best singles from the Giant Step label! Giant Step's been a key part in fusing the underground soul and club scenes in the Big Apple – and their singles have always been one of their strongest calling cards over the years. This package is a great overview of that work, and features 10 tracks in all, a few of which are out of print – including "Twisted" by Ultra Nate, "Stars (Tauriva mix)" and "I Realized" by Jiva, "Surrender" by Seek, "La Noche Y El Dia (Ananda Project voc)" by Susana Baca, "Saturday Night Experience (Shelter voc)" by Jody Watley, "Rideaway Getaway (Blaze rmx)" by Agent K, "Lamentations)" by Carl Hancock Rux, and "Heaven Sent" by Donnie. CD

Heads or tails, it's a winner every time – as the record's one of the last clear moments of genius from keyboardist Bob James in the 70s! The sound here is stepping out a bit more from Bob's earlier sides on CTI, but there's still plenty of great keyboard work to make the album worth seeking out – as well as that unusual James approach to rhythm, which often makes tunes come across with lots of angular moments and darker corners, no matter how smooth the overall production might sound. Other players here include Richard Tee, Ralph MacDonald, Randy Brecker, Alphonso Johnson, and Steve Gadd – and titles include the seminal break track "Night Crawler", plus "Heads", "We're All Alone", "I'm In You", and "One Loving Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Motor City madness from the MC5 – a searing batch of work that still has the groups kicking out the jams whenever possible! Guitars are fuzzy, freaky, and full-on – played with plenty of force by Fred Smith and Wayne Cramer, and driven home with some heavy drums by Dennis Thompson – almost a blues into funk approach, via hard rock – and definitely standard-setting work for the time. The album's often overlooked in favor of their debut, but it's well worth seeking out – and features tracks that include "Future/Now", "Skunk (Sonicly Speaking)", "Poison", "Gotta Keep Movin", and "Sister Anne". LP, Vinyl record album

A special sort of project from the great Misha Panfilov, but one that's very much in line with the psychedelic sound of his funky 45s – as the set here is all instrumental, and features tracks recorded by Misha for a stage performance! Yet this is hardly familiar soundtrack music – as the performance is one with a lot of movement, and Panfilov's funky touches are perfect for the setting – almost as if he's going back to territory from some of those famous Gus Giordano records from years back – as Misha mixes his own fuzzy guitars, keyboards, and electronics with some added drums that really kick things into gear! There's also some guest flute and Wurlitzer in a few spots too – but most of the work is just Misha and the drums, getting nice and funky amidst that spacey production that always makes any of his projects so great. Titles include "Paradox", "Seekers", "Shapes", "Awakening", "Alone In The Dark", and "Mystery Box". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavy funk gem from the UK sound library scene – exactly the kind of record that makes digging for sound library records so great – filled with grooves that never saw the light of day on the mainstream market back in the 70s! Heavy drums rule the scene on many cuts – making the record a real beathead classic – and instrumentation shifts from track to track, from funky flute to wah wah guitar, and plenty more 70s touches too – all delivered with tight, sharp instrumentals that work together perfectly on an all-killer, no-filler session! Titles include "Superdrive", "Decisive Action", "Hard Hitter", "No Way", "Stay With It", "Inflation", "Race With Time", "Speed Trap", "Hair Raiser", "Fun Seeker", and "Great Technique". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a very careful approach to sound – very slow-building work on soprano sax from Evan Parker, matched with equally thoughtful electronics from Matthew Wright – both players coming together in one of the most subtle executions of this mode we've ever heard! And that quality is only heightened by the fact that the group's a quartet – Peter Evans on trumpet and piccolo trumpet, and Mark Naussef on percussion – players who share the sensitivity of the dual leaders, as they build things up over long improvisations that really showcase that thoughtful sonic sensitivity that's always made Parker such a distinct reedman on the European scene. The whole thing is definitely a free jazz expression of electro/acoustic ideals first forged in the middle of the 20th Century – and titles include "At Altitude", "Drawing Breath", and "Engaged In Seeking". CD

The last album ever recorded by funky drummer Roy Porter – and a really unique set that seeks to combine his older grooves from the 70s with contemporary elements from the 90s hip hop scene! The approach is a lot better than you might expect, and has lots of the best true school elements firmly in place – no surprise, given that most of the tracks are built from Porter's complicated rhythms and sophisticated electric grooves, pulled almost straight from his original albums – with rhymes added by Houston Blue, Ded To The World, and Big Born. Plus, the set's also got some instrumental numbers that hold very strongly in the old Roy Porter mode – killer cuts "Slaughterhouse", "Wave", "Dopetifvity", and "Mr RP & Me" – next to vocal cuts that include "Generation", "Slaughterhouse", and "Mysticali Fix". LP, Vinyl record album

A very unusual album from Max Roach – and one that continues his great 50s trend of seeking out some of the freshest players in jazz! The set's a rare trio outing for Max – and it features some incredible piano work by a musician named Hasaan – a player we only know from this set, but who's a cooking modernist with a vibe that ranks him right up there with postwar greats like Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston, and Herbie Nichols! With references like those, you can bet there's plenty of sharp edges in the piano – but the tunes also have a subtle, soulful feel too – a sense of humanity that's really wonderful. The album includes the tracks "Off My Back Jack", "Almost Like Me", "To Inscribe", "Pay Not Play Not", and "Din-Ka Stret", all written by Hasaan. CD

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron – still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here – bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks – and the previous acoustic moments are replaced with more electric instrumentation overall, but never in a way that seeks to dampen Gil's message, nor push him into easy commercial territory. Instead, the tighter rhythms seem to really hammer home some of the lyrics – most famously in "Angel Dust", which almost touched a wider audience than the drug itself – and equally nicely on cuts that include "Cane", "Angola Louisiana", "Show Bizness", "Better Days Ahead", and "Madison Avenue". LP, Vinyl record album

Raul Seixas looks a bit less freaky on the cover here than on some of his 70s records, but his sound is still nice and lean, and definitely on the edgier side of MPB – as befitting his initial role in the group Secos E Molhados! Seixas has really learned how to express himself at a deeper level, and the record allows him a few more introspective tracks next to the harder rockers – maybe the maturing balance that Lou Reed was seeking in his music at the time – on titles that include "Segredo Da Luz", "Aquela Cosa", "So Glad You're Mine", "Carimbador Maluco", "Lua Cheia", "Quero Mais", "Nao Fosse O Cabral", and "DDI". LP, Vinyl record album

A super-rare sound library gem from the Italian scene – a wonderful tune that's got this midtempo bassline that steps along in a very groovy way – easygoing, but funky too – as harp, strings, and some mighty nice flute come into the mix to warm things up! "Since I Lost You" is a new cut – but one that seeks to recall the spirit of Sorgini's original – a bit more contemporary in production, but with all these very similar elements and a mighty nice groove! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Pivotal work from Waldron – stepping out of the blowing session mode, emerging as one of the 60s most striking moderinists. Like a lot of Waldron's records from the time, this set shows an amazing desire for new forms and modern ideas, and the mix of players – Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter, Joe Benjamin, and Charlie Persip – pulls the material in a number of different ways. Carter plays bowed cello, as he did on Dolphy's Out There session, and he gives the set a dark moody feel. Ervin's in his best modernist mode, and he ably trades lines with Dolphy and keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Waldron's writing and arranging is superb, and the tracks feature a lot of weird time structures and unusual modal patterns. Includes the tracks "Status Seeking", "Warm Canto", "Warp and Woof", and "Fire Waltz". CD

A classic greatest hits package from The Who – one that had almost as much life as any of their major full length albums, and a set that served to re-introduce new audiences to the group after the success of Tommy and Who's Next! Most of the tracks here predate those albums – pulled from the group's earliest years, and awash in mod rhythms, tight guitars, and lyrics that are quite edgey – even in the format of a two-minute pop tune. Titles include "Boris The Spider", "Happy Jack", "Pictures Of Lily", "My Generation", "The Seeker", "I Can't Explain", "The Kids Are Alright", "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere", "A Legal Matter", "Substitute", "I'm A Boy", and "Pinball Wizard". LP, Vinyl record album

The Grasso Brothers definitely know how to boogie – and they more than prove themselves with a wicked selection of rare tracks from the deepest years of the underground! The set's a killer collection right from the start – pulled from vintage 12" singles, albums, and even some funky 45s – with a groove that begins in the best boogie modes of the indie club scene, then soars to the skies in a range of fresh, creative styles – new variations on funky club modes of the 70s, taken to newer heights in the freedom of the post-disco years. There's some wicked cuts here we never would have discovered otherwise – and titles include "A Better Day" by Sharon Johnson, "Done Been" by Kenny Pierce, "We Know How To Boogie" by Those Good Intentions, "Dance To Freedom" by Sherman Hunter, "Stone Luv" by Roller Disco, "Plastic People (G&D edit)" by Living Color, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Gospel Seekers, "Love Ain't Just A Physical Thing" by Carol Meriwether, and "Ain't No Doubt About It" by William Barlak. LP, Vinyl record album

A set from the late 90s, but one that's got a very timeless vibe – as it features spare duets on kora between these two legendary players – coming together in a way that's completely magical, and fresh enough to earn the "new ancient" in the title! There's a sense of warmth to the proceedings right from the start – an improvising sympathy that seems borrowed from jazz, although there's nothing jazz-like at all in this music – and the production uses just the right touch of echo to bring out the resonant qualities of the instruments, but never seeks to commercialize the proceedings at all. Titles include "Salaman", "Bi Lamban", "Kita Kaira", "Korobali", "Yamfa", "Cheikhna Demba", and "Bafoulabe". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest albums that Rahsaan Roland Kirk ever recorded – a perfect realization of his "black classical music" ethos, and a pan-generational jazz album that's all held together by one unique musical vision! Side one features the extended suite "The Seeker", which mixes together bop, avant garde, and New Orleans styles – and side two features more of the same in an extended medley of tracks, plus the titles "Baby Let Me Shake Your Tree" and "Sweet Fire". The album's got a few cool passages that feature recitations by Rahsaan – stating his musical philosophy, and tracing the development of the styles of work – and other players include Leroy Jenkins on violin, Dick Griffin on trombone, Ron Burton on piano, and Sonelius Smith on celeste! LP, Vinyl record album

Thelonious Monk meets the mighty Oliver Nelson – the hip bigger band arranger who was helping so many other artists find their groove back in the 60s! The result is less Nelson-led than some of Oliver's other albums of the time – and instead, the arranger is nicely respectful of Monk's core sound – and still manages to led Thelonious keep the frontline strong on piano, and work with familiar players are the core who include Charlie Rouse on tenor, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. Nelson's touch seeks mostly to augment the Monkish lines with some larger horn shadings – sometimes a bit upbeat, but never more swinging than Monk might want. There's enough of a blue tone here to keep this one nicely in line with the rest of the 60s Columbia catalog for Thelonious – and titles include "Monk's Point", "Consecutive Seconds", "Let's Cool One", and "Rootie Tootie". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool late 60s spy soundtrack from Italian maestro Armando Trovajoli – possibly one of his most dynamic scores of the time, filled with a range of modes – from jazzy, to moody, to mellow! The main theme of the film has a leaping, soaring piano/horn line that's totally great – quite driving and catchy, with enough of a groove to make it alone worth seeking out – but other tracks are plenty wonderful too, and feature a nice array of jazzy passages mixed with sweeter strings, plus a few sparer, more contemplative moments that echo the theme in very subtle ways. The lovely Lara Saint Paul sings the theme song "The Touch Of A Kiss" – and other titles include "The Report Is Completed", "Just Pull The Trigger", "The Last Gift", "A Bank In Zurich", "The Cottage Over The River", "Unexpected Note", "A Forced Meeting", "Suddenly An Old Friend", "Tears & Spies", and "She Dangerous Stuff". CD

An obscure 80s groover from keyboardist Brian Auger – one that continues the journey into soulful sounds from his earlier years, but with a feel that's a bit more modern R&B overall! Brian does most of the singing, and handles plenty of Hammond and Fender Rhodes – and the tunes are short and catchy, with a nice sort of punch overall. Titles include "The Hurricane", "Downtown Hookup", "Heart Of The Hunter", "The Seeker", and "They Say Nothing Lasts Forever". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a set from Caravan – and a record that we'd stand right next to some of the bigger albums of the early 70s prog generation in the UK! The instrumentation is fantastic –schooled in an earlier mod era, but turned towards more ambitious ends – yet still with a sense of groove that comes through in the basslines and drums, and which keeps things from ever sounding too indulgent – all while the band seeks to top Yes or King Crimson at their own game! The keyboards are especially great – fantastic work from David Sinclair – but the whole group is wonderful – with Richard Coughlan on drums, Richard Sinclair on bass, Jimmy Hastings on sax and flute, and Pye Hastings on some amazing guitar. Titles include "As I Feel I Die", "If I Could Do It All Over Again I'd Do It All Over You", "Hello Hello", "Limits", "Asforteri", and "With An Ear To The Ground You Can Make It/Martinian/Only Cox/Reprise". CD

A surprisingly nice little record – a set in which Prestige Records collected together a number of unissued Eric Dolphy tracks after his death – but still a strong full album – as the record features music that's even a bit more far-reaching than some of the studio albums on the label! Dolphy plays a solo bass clarinet version of "God Bless The Child"; he plays with Booker Little and Mal Waldron on "Status Seeking"; he's on flute in a quartet with Jaki Byard on "April Fool"; and he plays with a pickup Danish rhythm section on an alternate take of "Don't Blame Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing document from Tomkins Square – and a set that goes even beyond the usual high level of some of the other releases from the label! The set's a beautiful archival project – one that seeks to resurrect the rare music of Arizona Dranes – a gospel pianist and vocalist who recorded briefly in the 20s – on an obscure set of 78rpm releases that were only captured through acoustic technology. Dranes has an incredible approach – both to the piano, which is more bluesy – or almost boogie-woogie at times – and to her vocals, which have an unbridled soul that really comes through, even with the lower level of recording. The set was put together by journalist Michael Corcoran – who spent years looking into Dranes life, and wrote the notes for the 44 pages that come in the book-style package, which also includes some rare photos. 78s were remastered brilliantly – and titles include "He Is My Story", "Just Look", "God's Got A Crown", "My Soul Is A Witness For The Lord", "Don't You Want To Go", and "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go". CD

Plenty of beats here from Roger Troutman – going for a sound that's maybe even more electro than some of his earlier solo work, at a level that really seems to be pushing the Zapp sound further for the 80s! The style is funky, but touched with lots of elements that have wended their way from indie hip hop up to mainstream soul – all at a level that later acts might fuse together with a bit more warmth, but which still has the starker feel of electro soul in Troutman's hands. Titles include "Thrill Seekers", "I Want To Be You Man", "I Really Want to Be You Man", "Night & Day", and "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". LP, Vinyl record album

Pivotal work from Waldron – stepping out of the blowing session mode, emerging as one of the 60s most striking moderinists. Like a lot of Waldron's records from the time, this set shows an amazing desire for new forms and modern ideas, and the mix of players – Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter, Joe Benjamin, and Charlie Persip – pulls the material in a number of different ways. Carter plays bowed cello, as he did on Dolphy's Out There session, and he gives the set a dark moody feel. Ervin's in his best modernist mode, and he ably trades lines with Dolphy and keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Waldron's writing and arranging is superb, and the tracks feature a lot of weird time structures and unusual modal patterns. Includes the tracks "Status Seeking", "Warm Canto", "Warp and Woof", and "Fire Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare dancefloor soul on King Records – and another crucial look at a side of the label that's beloved by the most devoted of 60s & 70s soul seekers – but it's deeply overlooked by the mainstream! Volume 3 is the best yet in the series – partly because they're found some stellar proto-funk treasures that work just as strongly with the Northern Soul community – and also because there's some really great stuff here that paves the way for some of our favorite 70s soul! It's heavy with singles released from 1968 to 1971 – by Marva Whitney, Mill Evans, Charles Spurling, Mary Johnson, Royal Flush, The Presidents, Willie Hatcher, The Brownettes and many more! 24 tracks in all: "Unwind Yourself" by Marva Whitney, "Right Now" by Mill Evans, "Popcorn Charlie" by Charles Spurling, "Thunder" by Lord Thunder, "Name In Lights" by Freddie Williams, "You Have My Blessings" by Mary Johnson, "Mama's Baby" by Royal Flush, "Something You Didn't Done" by Mike Williams, "When We Get Together" by Otis Williams & His Charms and many more. CD

A really unusual collection, with a sound that's very much its own – a set that seeks not to pin down a certain scene or style of music – but instead maybe capture a special mood, one that's very much in line with the title! There's definitely a certain sort of melancholy to the set – yet that's only part of the picture too – as many of these cuts have a vibe that's post-folk, post-Sunshine pop – maybe a bit rootsy in production, but also served up with a mature approach to songwriting and vocals that really set the tunes apart. You might think of these artists as being farther left field of America at their height – and we mean that in the best way possible – working with some of the harmonies and blueness of Alzo & Udine, and in a similar mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation that really fits the spirit of the lyrics. The liner notes are a bit scant on dates or information on most of the artists – the compilers prefer more to talk about themselves – but the music speaks volumes by itself, on tracks that include "Holy River" by Space Opera, "Loaves & Fishes" by Willow, "NY Survivor" by Randy & The Goats, "Illusion" by Norma Tanega, "Tomorrow Is Gone" by Jode, "Sad About The Times" by West, "The Running Water" by The Smubbs, "Here Comes The Sun" by Oliver Klaus, "Wolf" by Antonia Lamb, "Lover Now Alone" by Kevin Vicalvi, "Sails Across The Sea" by Bob Metzdorf, "Maybe Someday Maybe Never" by Dennis Stoner, and "Lonely City" by Hollins Ferry. CD

Sunshine Pop is a style that's usually associated with the American west coast scene of the 60s – music that sprung up in the wake of The Beach Boys and some of the other upbeat, harmony-heavy groups of the time – yet as you'll see in this set, there was also plenty of sunshine pop coming from the UK too – some by older artists influenced by musical changes, some by very cool English groups, and some by artists who were really taking the sound and spirit in their own direction! The box tracks a great stretch in the UK scene when things were sweet and well-produced, with a really great focus on well-crafted vocals amidst lovely arrangements – never too slick or sleepy in a soft rock way – and often presented with some unique British twists that make the tunes a great change from Sunshine Pop in the US! We love it when the Grapefruit label digs into a genre we never would have explored this deeply – and the 3CD package is a wonder throughout – with 87 tracks in all, alongside a big booklet of notes – presented by a huge array of artists who include Butterscotch, Dawn Chorus, The Mirage, Design, The Zombies, Paul Ryan, Roger Webb Sound, Agincourt, The Flies, Jason Cord, Symbols, Pinkerton's Colours, Tony Rivers & The Castaways, West Coast Consortium, The Seekers, Wilson Malone Voiceband, Orange Bicycle, Ken Smart, Harmony Grass, Episode Six, and many many others! CD

Brel at his best – delivered with the biting tone that made Brel one of the most brilliant social commentators of the 20th Century, yet with a warmth that offset his critical vision with a real love of life! Arrangements and orchestrations are by the mighty Francois Rauber – a bit fuller and richer than on other Brel albums – in a manner that seeks to deepen the feeling of the tunes without overwhelming them in emotion. Beautiful work throughout – and with titles that include "Madeline", "La Statue", "Les Paumes Du Petit Matin", "Bruxelles", "Les Bourgeois", "Les Biches", and "Chanson Sans Paroles". Beautiful! LP, Vinyl record album

Three vocal gems in a single set! First up is It Might As Well Be Love – a record that's a perfect example of the way that Ann Burton really stands out among the field of female jazz vocalists – as an artist who's both able to continue a classic legacy, yet also bring all sorts of special inflections and expressions of her own to really transform the music! At first glance, the record's in familiar territory – with combo backing from Mike Renzi on piano, Jay Berliner on guitar, Buster Williams on bass, and Grady Tate on drums – but the choice of material and Ann's execution really take the album into something fresh, different, and really unique – that little something extra that always makes Burton's more obscure albums always worth seeking out! Titles include "Sooner Or Later", "After You", "I Like You You're Nice", "Humpty Dumpty Heart", and "What'll I Do". That's All is an easygoing live set from vocalist Ann Burton – one that has her working with the trio of pianist Rob Agerbeek, and which features a few guest appearances from Mark Murphy! The whole thing's got an approach that makes you feel like you're right in the club with Ann – as Rob's trio handle a few titles instrumentally, then Ann steps in for vocals, and Mark Murphy makes a surprise appearance at the end. Recording quality is great – clean and clear, but never too much so to lose the spontaneity of the performance – and Ann herself is especially wonderful in the way she slides easily into the tunes, and sings them with a lively punch that really gives them a bit of new life. Titles include "Dreamer", "Blue Bossa", "Time Was", "My Gentleman Friend", "My Buddy", "I Wish I Were In Love Again", and "That's All". New York State Of Mind is wonderfully laidback vocal work from Ann Burton – a richly talented singer who really sounds best in a setting like this! The album's got Burton working with a trio – Grady Tate on drums, Buster Williams on bass, and sweet acoustic and electric piano from Michael Renzi. Burton interprets the tunes here with a classic care that's rare for a vocalist of her generation. The set was produced by Helen Merrill, which might well account for an approach that works so sympathetically with warm vocals. Titles include "You Started Something", "All Too Soon", "Never Never Land", "Come In From The Rain", and "I Can Dream, Can't I?" CD

A stunner of a set from Caravan – and a record that we'd stand right next to some of the bigger albums of the early 70s prog generation in the UK! The instrumentation is fantastic –schooled in an earlier mod era, but turned towards more ambitious ends – yet still with a sense of groove that comes through in the basslines and drums, and which keeps things from ever sounding too indulgent – all while the band seeks to top Yes or King Crimson at their own game! The keyboards are especially great – fantastic work from David Sinclair – but the whole group is wonderful – with Richard Coughlan on drums, Richard Sinclair on bass, Jimmy Hastings on sax and flute, and Pye Hastings on some amazing guitar. Titles include "As I Feel I Die", "If I Could Do It All Over Again I'd Do It All Over You", "Hello Hello", "Limits", "Asforteri", and "With An Ear To The Ground You Can Make It/Martinian/Only Cox/Reprise". CD features the unreleased bonus tracks "Why (demo)", "As I Feel I Die (demo)", and "Clipping the 8th (demo)" – plus "A Day In The Life Of Maurice Haylett". CD

An early 70s call to action from the great Dick Gregory – a figure who began his career on the comedic stage of the Civil Rights generation, but soon rose to become one of the most powerful voices for change – so much so that Gregory changed his own ambitions, and move all his activities from entertainment to social action! Dick first gave the world this book in 1972, a masterful unpacking of the forces of repression at work – both overt and covert – and although a fair bit of history has been filled in since the time of its publishing, the messages within still hold a great deal of power – and are essential to anyone seeking change in a larger context. America has changed a lot from the 70s, but the issues at hand here are still crucial – and still delivered with a clarity that few folks can do this well. Softcover edition is 293 pages. Book

Features Chris Potter on alto, soprano, and tenor sax – plus Robin Eubanks on trombone, Steve Nelson on vibes, and Billy Kilson on drums. Tracks include "Looking Up", "Make Believe", "A Seeking Spirit", "High Wire", "Jugglers Paradise", "Candlelight Vigil", "Wonders Never Cease" and "Down Time". CD

Dark work from the quartet Bass Desires – a combo that draws heavily on the rumbling sounds of bassist Marc Johnson, then fills in the spaces with twin guitars from Bill Frisell and John Scofield, and also features a bit of drums from Peter Erskine! Some of the sounds here echo more abstract experiments in the left side of the jazz spectrum during the 80s – but they're taken into a bit stronger, straighter focus here – and recorded with enough ECM touches to make Johnson's music cross over in surprising ways. A few tracks are surprisingly tuneful, and titles include "Small Hands", "Thrill Seekers", "1951", "Prayer Beads", and "Sweet Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking live set from Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine group – a very powerful quintet that's driven by a two-saxophone engine! The reeds here are handled by Frank Foster and Pat Labarbera – both of whom help Jones work out some post-Coltrane energy – but not in a way that seeks to just copy The Great One! Instead, the combo build wonderfully on the spirit left behind by the late Trane – playing long tracks that stretch out with searing solos from both saxophonists, build on piano-less rhythm from Roland Prince's guitar and the bass of Andy McCloud. The set was recorded live, but with wonderful clarity – and titles include Foster's great "House That Love Built", plus "EJ Blues" and a take on "Love Supreme". CD

The complete recordings of July – a set that features their rare original album, unreleased tracks, and lots of surprisingly great later material too! First up is the self-titled July album from 1968, presented in both mono and stereo mixes – the debut album from July – a group who only gave the world this gem of a record back at the end of the 60s – but who've gone on to become legendary, based on the strength of the set! The whole thing is a real standout in the psych scene of the UK – well-crafted songs that are tight, but groovy and loose at the same time – tuneful, but filled with experiments – and produced with just the right sort of inventive qualities to make the special flourishes and individual moments of genius really come to light! There's so many great things going on here – an all-rich, no-filler record that's filled with gems that include "My Clown", "Dandelion Seeds", "Jolly Mary", "Hallo To Me", "You Missed It All", "The Way", "To Be Free", "Crying Is For Writers", "I See", and "A Bird Lived". Next is Second Of July – a great counterpart to the legendary self-titled album from July – material recorded in a private setting, to predate that psych masterpiece – but every bit as stunning overall! The quality of this work goes way beyond its origins as demo material – as the sound is wonderful, the musical ideas very rich, and overall psychedelic conception is amazing! There's no overindulgence, but also no easy pop psych modes either – and it's really incredible how much these guys can pack into a short song – from unusual guitar lines, to freewheeling rhythms, and trippy ideas in the lyrics. Many numbers have a sweet groove underneath, and are slightly freakbeatish – but there's also a much more unique feel to the record as well. Tracks include "Dandelion Seeds", "You Missed It All", "My Clown", "Friendly Man", "I See", "The Girl In The Cafe", and "Move On Sweet Flower". The box set then moves into two later albums from a re-formed group – Temporal Anomaly and Resurrection – both of which feature material conceived over a number of years, issued on Resurrection in 2013, and on Temporal Anomaly here for the first time ever. Tracks are great – still very much in the spirit of the classic material, and produced with a nicely understated vibe. Last up is The Wight Album – a recent project from July – still sounding surprisingly great after all these years! At this point, the group is a duo – original members Peter Cook and Tom Newman – but they really manage to craft some great sounds here, with a style that ties back to their initial recording in 1968, and which features some of the successful flourishes of their revived activity from about a decade ago! The tunes are way better than any sort of younger attempt at material like this – mostly because there's a nicely understated, although still quite psychedelic, approach to the whole thing – maybe a reminder that with the best psych records, charm is every bit as important as fuzz. Titles on the double-length set include "The Traveler", "Sophie", "Special Guy", "Henry's Squirrel", "Seeking The Hacksaw Blades", "The Game", "What's Gonna Be", "Disco Klingon", "Mods Of Ryde", "It's Up To Me", and "Once When We Was Free". CD

One of Shelly Manne's best records of the 60s – largely because the group's so great! Altoist Frank Strozier was playing with Shelly at the time, and his rich talents on the alto make the record almost worth seeking out for him alone – because here, Strozier's opening up his sound a lot more than in the early days – and going for strange phrasings, sharp edges, and other unusual twists that really add a lot more spice to the set than you might expect! The rest of the group features Conte Candoli, Russ Freeman, and Monty Budwig – and in a way, the record takes off from the energy of Shelly's classic Blackhawk sessions, but with even a bit more tightly dynamic sound. Titles include "Frank's Tune", "You Name It", "Margie", and "Idle One". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Don Pullen's most spiritual albums of the later years – a live set that has him working with a group that really lives up to the culture-crossing reference of their name – as slight elements of African and Brazilian rhythms dance along with the soulful jazz vibe of the performance! Pullen's got this great way of laying out long flowing piano lines at times – almost in the spirit of Dollar Brand – and he's also working with Carlos Ward on alto sax, who'd played with Brand before – and who gives the record this beautifully balanced sense of soul. Some of the more rootsy elements come from percussionist Mor Thiam – who plays djembe, tabula, and rainsticks – and the quintet also features Nilson Matta on bass and JT Lewis on drums. All tracks are quite long, and titles include "Kele Mou Bana", "Yebino Spring", "Ah George We Hardly Knew Ya", "Capoeira", and "Aseeko". CD

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron – still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here – bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks – and the previous acoustic moments are replaced with more electric instrumentation overall, but never in a way that seeks to dampen Gil's message, nor push him into easy commercial territory. Instead, the tighter rhythms seem to really hammer home some of the lyrics – most famously in "Angel Dust", which almost touched a wider audience than the drug itself – and equally nicely on cuts that include "Cane", "Angola Louisiana", "Show Bizness", "Better Days Ahead", and "Madison Avenue". CD

Stark, simple early work from Siouxsie & The Banshees – a set recorded when the punk scene that birthed them was only a few years old – but which already has them seeking out a great new sound of their own! Some of the songs here have a short, sharp approach – but others have a slower, spookier vibe – a bit like the same shift that John Lydon took when he formed Pil after the Sex Pistols – but with an obviously different pitch! Production is relatively simple and straightforward – leaving most of the energy to come from the fantastic guitars and Siouxsie's lead – on titles that include "Jigsaw Feeling", "Pure", "Carcass", "Helter Skelter", "Mirage", "Nicotine Stain", "Metal Postcard", and "Suburban Relapse". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from America, The New Seekers, Maria Muldaur, The Four Seasons, Frankie Valli, Seals & Crofts, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Bonnie Tyler, Robert John, George McCrae, Alan O'Day, KC & The Sunshine Band, Honey Cone, Jigsaw, Harry Chapin, Randy Vanwarmer, and more. CD

Tracks from Dee Dee, Karaja, Decoy & Roy, Haifa, Alex Gold, Lost Witness, The Thrillseekers, Matt Schwartz Presents Sholan, Ashtrax, Oakenfold, Jakatta Feat. Seal, Milky, Las Ketchup, and more - 63 songs in all. CD

A set that's dedicated to the famous Beatles producer George Martin, and which seeks to bring together a whole host of sounds and styles that not only influenced his work in the studio – but which also represent maybe the odder aspects of the British scene, in a way that really helps create a greater understanding of the more offbeat sounds of The Fab Four themselves! CD1 is titled In All Directions – and brings together jazz, skiffle, vocal tracks, and plenty more – in a nicely varied lineup that includes work from Basil Kirchin, John Dankworth, Bert Weedon, The Vipers, Christopher Logue, Temperance Seven, Ray Cathode, Ron Goodwin, and Cleo Laine. CD2 is titled Experiments With Pop – and has a bit of comedic moments mixed with more musical selections – in a lineup that includes Peter Sellers, John Dankworth, Flanders & Swann, Matt Monro, The Goods, Bernard Cribbins, and Ron Goodwin. CD3 is titled Comedy Surrealist, and continues that spirit – with more Goon Show material, Beyond The Fringe, The Alberts, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore, and other important pre-Monty Python acts from the UK – who often brought a lot of creativity to the production of their work in the studio. CD4 features straighter classical influences, but in a range of modes – tracks that begin with Bach, and move through Chopin, Ravel, Debussy, Holst, and even Gershwin. As always with these unusual sets on El Records, there's a lot of thought that goes into the choice of material – drawing lines between sounds that we really didn't expect! CD

A great little collection that seeks to put the Bristol scene on the map – and to show the kind of inventive jazz the city's been offering up in recent years! The compilers aim to demonstrate that Bristol has as many newly-creative acts as the sort that have been bubbling up in London on labels like Brownswood – and the range of material here really shows a similar way of blending newer ideas and older execution – especially strong in the rhythm department, and with an effortless mixing of acoustic and electric modes. If you've been digging sounds from Comet Is Coming, Nubya Garcia, and Joe Armon-Jones, this set is a great place to take that interest further – on work that includes "Bergson" and "Jabba" by Waldo's Gift, "3.3 Encke Ups" and "Sea Of Apathy & Indifference" by Run Logan Run, "Flump (Ishamel Ensemble rework)" and "Grook" by Snazzback, "Owl" by Lyrebird, and "Bourdain" by Alun Elliott Williams. CD

A fantastic entry in this long running series – a batch of compilations that normally focuses on rare disco grooves, but which also features a fair bit of funky soul nuggets this time around! The groove is still mostly uptempo, but with all these wonderfully weird, wild funky elements in the mix too – not gimmicky tracks, but the kind of unusually-crafted cuts that are quite far from the mainstream – and which show that there were often some really amazing things happening in the farther reaches of the soul music underground at the end of the 70s! Plus, most of these cuts are impossibly rare – so much so that many are reaching our ears for the first time, via this excellent compilation – in a list of tracks that includes "Specialty Item" by MVP Cloudburst, "Give Me Love" by EKG, "Disco 2000" by Pleze, "Flashback" by Jeff Burns, "Dance Your Blues (part 2)" by Spellboun, "Forget Yourself" by Body Heat, "Say Raise Your Hand & Say McNasty" by McNasty, "Reflex" by Reflections, "Reaching For Our Star" by Sharon Revoal, "Space Ghost (parts 1 & 2)" by Jackson Lee, "Spend Some Time With Me" by Rideout, "Move On" by Frederick, "I'm Into Your Love" by Executive Jam, "Seeking" by Cash Money, "Give It Up" by Horizon, and "Twilight" by Firewater. CD

Tomorrow may be the question, but the record screams "today!" – and even this many years after its recording, this early set by Ornette Coleman has an energy and presence that cannot be denied! The sound here is kind of a rougher take on the mode that would gel more strongly on Ornette's Atlantic albums – but even so, it's still incredibly fresh, and well worth seeking out – especially as an example of the sharper edges that were bursting forth from the once-cool west coast scene! Coleman's on alto sax and Don Cherry is on trumpet – but they're not joined by their more familiar associates, and are instead working with a more conventional rhythm team that includes either Percy Heath or Red Mitchell on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – all clearly trying to make a bit of sense of Ornette's approach here, but in a way that also creates a great sense of tension on the record! Tracks are shortish, with great solos by Ornette and Cherry – and titles include "Tomorrow Is The Question", "Endless", "Rejoicing", "Lorraine", "Turnaround", "Tears Inside", and "Giggin". CD

A lost Miles Davis concert – recorded in 1957, with many of the same players he used for his classic soundtrack to the French film Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud! The group's a quintet with French players Barney Wilen on tenor, Rene Utreger on piano, and Pierre Michelot on bass – grooving with help from Kenny Clarke on drums – and tracks are longish and include many late 50s jazz standards – like "Bag's Groove", "Four", "Walkin", "Round Midnight", and "Lady Bird". Barney Wilen's young tone is razor sharp at this point – and makes for a great counterpoint to the sweeter horn of Miles, coming together with the same magic they shared in their wonderful soundtrack work together. There's a bit of crackle in the recording quality, but the concert's well worth seeking out! CD

A great chapter in the wonderful career of Brazilian guitarist Fabiano Do Nascimento – a set that has him filling up his sound a bit, while still allowing his acoustic instrument to stand in the lead – an approach that makes for a record that's even more colorful and moving than before! Vittor Santos adds some larger arrangements to the record, and Arthur Verocai contributes a bit of strings – but neither arranger seeks to dominate the sound, and instead they just augment all the warm colors and beautiful tones of the guitar – which still stands strongly upfront in the mix. Many of the songs are the same as on his Yuktu record, but handled differently – and titles include "Noite", "Pelas Ruas", "Rio Tapajos", "Flower Of Life", "Novo Dia", "Curumin", and "Stalagmites". LP, Vinyl record album

Motor City madness from the MC5 – a searing batch of work that still has the groups kicking out the jams whenever possible! Guitars are fuzzy, freaky, and full-on – played with plenty of force by Fred Smith and Wayne Cramer, and driven home with some heavy drums by Dennis Thompson – almost a blues into funk approach, via hard rock – and definitely standard-setting work for the time. The album's often overlooked in favor of their debut, but it's well worth seeking out – and features tracks that include "Future/Now", "Skunk (Sonicly Speaking)", "Poison", "Gotta Keep Movin", and "Sister Anne". CD

A great return to form for tenorist JR Monterose – a player who always sounds amazing on record, even though he only made a handful of albums over a 30 or 40 year period of performance! Most folks know JR's classic 50s album for Blue Note, but later dates like this are well worth seeking out – and this set may be one of the purest later demonstrations of Monterose's genius – as the tenorist has the sort of effortlessly creative solo ability you'd find in a rare few – able to spin things out with the imagination of a Sonny Rollins or Von Freeman, while still managing to hold tight with the rest of the group – who are equally great, and include the wonderful Hod O'Brien on piano, plus Teddy Kotick on bass and Jimmy Wormworth on drums. Titles include sublime readings of "Giant Steps", "My Old Flame", and "Lush Life" – plus the great originals "Marty's Place", "Evelyn's Delight", and "Luan". CD

A surprisingly beautiful score for a film that's about revenge – one that maybe elevates the whole proceedings past the George Kennedy performance on the screen – at that level that can always make a Morricone score for a forgotten film well worth seeking out! There's plenty of tension in the music – sounds that draw on some of the maestro's understanding of more atonal elements, yet mixed with other moments that show a slight sense of relief – orchestrations sliding back into more familiar formation – in a shifting balance that creates a nicely unsettling sound throughout the entire score! Tunes include "Il Giustiziere", "Terrorist", "Vite Cancellate", and "Gusto Di Vendetta". CD

A sweetly sexy soundtrack from the great Berto Pisano – one that really lives up to its image on the cover! There's a gently grooving feel to the music that's right up there with the best erotica work from Morricone – handled by Pisano with light strings, keyboards, bits of flute, and some especially nice vocals from Edda Dell'Orso, who's definitely on the warmer side of her talents with a record like this! The tunes glide along nicely, and are supported with some great artwork from the film – and titles include "Orchestra For Edda", "Piano Dreams", "Free Hammond", "Sound For A Child", and "Voice In The Night". CD also features 11 more tracks from Carlo Savina's score to Suggestionata – an equally great 70s erotic film with a really slinky feel! Savina's music borrows a bit from older bossa modes, but also rolls in some more adult 70s styles too – the kind of sexy Sunday morning themes that always make Euro soundtracks of the time worth seeking out, even if the film itself isn't that great! CD

Trad revival material – but like most of Pee Wee's sides from the time, a lot hipper than you might expect, with traces of modernism that show why Russell was getting the ears of a lot of the jazz elite at the time, and why these mid 60s recordings are well worth seeking out. The group includes youthful talents Steve Kuhn on piano and Charlie Haden on bass – further illustrating the modernist component – and titles include "Blue Monk", "2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West", "Body & Soul", and "Graduation Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The final album from Carlos Toshiki and the Omega Tribe group – a late bit of city pop from a late incarnation of a Japanese pop act with roots that go back to the 70s! The vocals are nicely soulful, but never overdone – and the set features arrangements from Hiroshi Shinkawa that update the sound slightly, with instrumentation that's definitely on the better side of the late 80s spectrum. Lyrics and titles are in Japanese – but some translate as "Automation", Winner", "Our Way", "Baransu", "Natsu No Wana", and "Seeking Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer tribute to the 60s songcraft of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart – who are probably best-known as the songwriters behind many songs by The Monkees – but they're terrific performers in their own right, on top of penning tunes for the creme of the 60s crop! This set goes a long way towards demonstrating their range. It's got all great songs by legendary groups and singers – including veterans like Fats Domino and Chubby Checker – who were seeking fresh heat at the time – plus great stuff by Boyce & Hart themselves, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Dino, Desi & Billy, The Shangri-Las, The Ikettes, The Standells, The Honeybeats and more! Includes "Valleri" by The Monkees, I Can't Get Him Out Of My Mind" by Sandra Dee, "(He's Gonna Be) Fine Fine Fine" by The Ikettes, "She" by Del Shannon, "Lazy Elsie Molly" by Chubby Checker, "Too Many Teardrops" by Bobby Hart, "Be My Guest" by Fats Domino, "Beverly Jean" by Curtis Lee and more. 26 in all. CD

With selections by The Pleasure Seekers, Larry & The Loafers, The Teddy Boys, The Grains Of Sand, The Magic Mushrooms, The Knaves, The Renegades, The First Four, Richard & The Young Lions, The Beech-Nuts, The Human Beinz, The Swingin' Machine, The Enfields, and Sonny Gee & The Standells. LP, Vinyl record album