One of Art Farmer's pivotal mid 50s sides – recorded in the company of altoist Gigi Gryce, a great player and a budding young arranger who helped Farmer really formulate the best side of his sound! The tracks are lyrically modern – but still have a nice dose of soul in them – a wonderful blend that really sets the stage for the move that Art was making away from earlier trumpeters in jazz – into that hip territory that was neither too cool, nor too overblown – and which would almost be known as "Farmer-like" in years to come! The album features Gryce and Farmer in 2 different groups – one with Horace Silver on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – the other with Freddie Redd on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Social Call", "Capri", "Deltitnu", "Stupendous Lee", and "Blue Concept". CD

The classic sound of Funkadelic, reworked by a key selection of contemporary talents from the Detroit scene – but never in a way that wrecks the originals at all! Unlike other remix projects, which might break up the music to a point that you can hardly recognize the original grooves – this set does a wonderful job of maintaining all the integrity of the famous funky recordings by the group, while also letting some artists from the group's hometown also include a few of their own contributions too – all in ways that really expand the original vision of the music, while keeping things in a funky soul vein all the way through! Given all the greateness of Detroit grooves in recent years – from that city's very fertile underground of producers and musicians – the sound here is still even more amazing than we expected, and the album's a very fitting one to be issued on the Westbound label. The set's double-length, and for good reason too – and titles include "Music 4 My Mother (Underground Resistance mix)", "Sexy Ways (Recloose disco flip)", "Get Your Ass Off & Jam (Marcellus Pittman rmx)", "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Alton Miller mix)", "Super Stupid (Dirtbombs version)", "Music For My Mother (Andres Wo Ahh Ay voc mix)", "Cosmic Slop (Moodymann mix)", "Be My Beach (Mophono & Tom Thump)", "Let's Make It Last (Kenny Dixon Jr edit)", "Let's Take It To The Stage (Amp Fiddler @Ya mix)", "Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine edit)", "Looking Back At You (Ectomorph stripped & dubbed)", and "Standing On The Verge (Anthony Shake Shakir & T Dancer rmx)". CD

Pianist Per Husby is a player with a rich, warm tone – one that really sets the stage here for some wonderfully soulful explorations by a very hip group – a combo who sound perfect when they hit a modal mode, but can also do some other wonderful things as well! Husby's piano is rich at the core, but the record is balanced with all sorts of great reed work – Knut Riisnaes on tenor, Harald Bergsen on alto and tenor, and Bjorn Johansen on soprano, tenor, and baritone – balanced nicely by the trumpet work of Bernt Anker Steen, and given a strong rhythmic pulse from Carl Morten Iversen on bass and Svein Erik Gaardvik on drums. And if you think all these Norwegian names might add up to a sleepy session, you're totally wrong – as the record is a great example of the way the better players on the European scene were absorbing American spiritual jazz experiments, then using the energy to make something new of their own. The title track "The Peacemaker" is worth the price of admission alone – and other titles include "Introduction To No Particular Song", "Smatta", "Nokve", "Fantasy In D", and "Adgang F". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone 70s classic from the Isley Brothers – a set recorded right at the height of their glory days – at a time when their sound was completely on the money! The cover has the group on stage – a photo taken during their run of arena concerts at the time – but the album's a studio effort throughout, and really shows the group's increasing understanding of the way the right production would bring out all the best elements in both their instrumentation and vocals! In fact, although the groovers are great, the group are maybe at their height with the impeccable production on two ballads – the sublime "Voyage To Atlantis" and "Footsteps In The Dark" – served up alongside the midtempo tune "Tell Me When You Need It Again", another great track that almost has the same power as the other two. But the whole thing's great – in the best Isley Brothers 70s way – and tracks include "Climbin Up The Ladder", "The Pride", and "Go For Your Guns". CD

A stone 70s classic from the Isley Brothers – a set recorded right at the height of their glory days – at a time when their sound was completely on the money! The cover has the group on stage – a photo taken during their run of arena concerts at the time – but the album's a studio effort throughout, and really shows the group's increasing understanding of the way the right production would bring out all the best elements in both their instrumentation and vocals! In fact, although the groovers are great, the group are maybe at their height with the impeccable production on two ballads – the sublime "Voyage To Atlantis" and "Footsteps In The Dark" – served up alongside the midtempo tune "Tell Me When You Need It Again", another great track that almost has the same power as the other two. But the whole thing's great – in the best Isley Brothers 70s way – and tracks include "Climbin Up The Ladder", "The Pride", and "Go For Your Guns". LP, Vinyl record album

"This here is the victory lap," raps Hov midway through The Black Album, his supposed career-capper (for this stage, anyway), and if nothing here immediately dazzles us to the core the way the best of his past singles have done, overall this is probably the most consistent front-to-back listen of all his albums. One of the nicest things about the Black Album is the brevity. As tight as the best of his recent output has been over the last couple of years – from singles, to album tracks, to guest spots – Jay-Z's simply been TOO productive, which has diluted the overall power of his presence. That issue is addressed right off the bat here – with a very manageable 14 tracks, no guest rhymers, and a consistent overall sound and mood thanks in part to strong production by Kanye West, 9th Wonder, Neptunes, Timbaland, Eminem (who's baroque synth productions are getting dangerously close to going stale, but it fits Jay-Z's dramatic finale theme very well), Rick Rubin and DJ Quik. It's a wildly disparate cast behind the boards, but this thing flows incredibly well thanks to Jay-Z's predetermined mission to make a great album, not just a hot record. We may still have to lean towards Blueprint as his late masterpiece, but this is way up there. "December 4th", "What More Can I Say?", "Encore", "Change Clothes", "Dirt Off Your Shoulder", "Threat", "Moment Of Clarity", "99 Problems", "Justify My Thug", "Lucifer", "Allure", "My First Song", and a couple of brief interludes. LP, Vinyl record album

The fourth album from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – solidifying what we learned pretty early on from the indomitable soul spirit that is Sharon and her impeccable combo the Dap-Kings – it's that this is not some retro soul revival novelty act, what they are is the greatest active embodiment of a true soul sound that will never go away! We've always loved that Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings recognize the studio and the stage as different worlds. On stage, Sharon is the possibly the most energetic, charismatic presence you'll ever see and the band brings heft and heat. In the studio, they stretch out and diversify wonderfully, bringing both raw, unpolished funky soul realness to some more stripped down numbers and a full on Stax or Hi level heaviness to the bigger ones. The songs are better and more memorable than ever on this record – with "The Game Gets Old" and "I Learned The Hard Way" (an astoundingly strong one/two punch for the opening minutes) plus "Better Things", "Give It Back", "Money". "The Reason", "Window Shopping", "I'll Still Be True", "Without A Heart", "If You Call" and "Mama Don't Like My Man". CD

Guitarist Julian Lage is working here with a slightly expanded group, yet still comes across with a sound that's as warm and intimate as some of his previous material! The core trio with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave Kings on drums is expanded with the addition of Levon Henry on saxes, Patrick Warren on keyboards, and Kris Davis on piano – elements that are often used in loose, spare ways – so that Lage's work on the strings is always center stage, and maybe captured with a moody vibe that's partly ECM, but with some of the Americanist leanings of projects from Bill Frisell in the phrasing. Titles include "Myself Around You", "Northern Shuffle", "Omission", "South Mountain", "Speak To Me", "Two & One", "Vanishing Points", "As It Were", "76", and "Nothing Happens Here". CD

Guitarist Julian Lage is working here with a slightly expanded group, yet still comes across with a sound that's as warm and intimate as some of his previous material! The core trio with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave Kings on drums is expanded with the addition of Levon Henry on saxes, Patrick Warren on keyboards, and Kris Davis on piano – elements that are often used in loose, spare ways – so that Lage's work on the strings is always center stage, and maybe captured with a moody vibe that's partly ECM, but with some of the Americanist leanings of projects from Bill Frisell in the phrasing. Titles include "Myself Around You", "Northern Shuffle", "Omission", "South Mountain", "Speak To Me", "Two & One", "Vanishing Points", "As It Were", "76", and "Nothing Happens Here". LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Julian Lage is working here with a slightly expanded group, yet still comes across with a sound that's as warm and intimate as some of his previous material! The core trio with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave Kings on drums is expanded with the addition of Levon Henry on saxes, Patrick Warren on keyboards, and Kris Davis on piano – elements that are often used in loose, spare ways – so that Lage's work on the strings is always center stage, and maybe captured with a moody vibe that's partly ECM, but with some of the Americanist leanings of projects from Bill Frisell in the phrasing. Titles include "Myself Around You", "Northern Shuffle", "Omission", "South Mountain", "Speak To Me", "Two & One", "Vanishing Points", "As It Were", "76", and "Nothing Happens Here". LP, Vinyl record album

Really moody magic from the great Yusef Lateef – an artist who was definitely using his time on the Impulse label to open up some new territory in his music! This set might well be the most experimental that Lateef had recorded to date – still filled with the exotic touches of his previous records – including work on a wide range of global reed instruments – but handles with a deeper fascination with sound and shape, so much so that Lateef sometimes steps away from straight swing to some very creative moments. A key part of this sound is pianist Mike Nock – who joins Lateef here, and really opens up his own sound too – playing at a level that's light years past many American pianists, and really setting the stage for some of his work to come as a leader. The rest of the group is great too – an unusual quartet with Reggie Workman on bass and James Black on drums – and titles include "Try Love", "Soul Sister", "Love Waltz", "Warm Fire", "Gee Sam Gee", and "Listen To the Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Thelonious Monk album for Columbia Records – and one of the best, as well – a beautiful illustration of the way that his shift in labels really set some new fire to his music in the early 60s! The group is Monk's sharp-edged quartet with the amazing Charlie Rouse on tenor, John Ore on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums – a group that's beautifully understated, but able to do incredible things in the company of the pianist – hanging back to let Thelonious take center stage one minute, then swinging hard together the next. The set includes great renditions of Monk classics that really illustrate his new energy at Columbia – and titles include "Bolivar Blues", "Bye-Ya", and "Monk's Dream" – plus great remakes of "Body & Soul" and "Just A Gigolo". LP, Vinyl record album

They're not kidding with the title of this one – because although the record was only Wes Montgomery's second album as a leader, he was already making plenty of waves with the sound of his guitar! The session lines Wes up with the very tight rhythm team of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all of whom lay back and mostly let Wes take center stage – sparkling on a number of original tunes that include "West Coast Blues", "Mister Walker", and "D Natural Blues". Other tracks include a great fast take on Sonny Rollins' "Airegin", plus "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". LP, Vinyl record album

Clara Moreno's working here with some famous help in the credits – but the sound of the album is definitely all her own, and even better than some of her other great sets in recent years! The style is mostly bossa, but served up with a slightly modern approach – not one that's electrified or remixed, but nicely free of cliches that try to hard to conjure up images from the old days – done in a sparely evocative mode that really gets to the best heart of the bossa, and re-presents it wonderfully with Clara's youthful talents! Moreno's on vocals throughout – although Celso Fonseca sings a bit on a few duets – and instrumentation includes acoustic guitar from both Fonseca and Joyce on some tracks, plus drums by Tutty Moreno. Most instrumentation is acoustic, and quite stripped down – sometimes only a bit of guitar, bass, and percussion behind the vocals – giving Clara plenty of room to stand on her own, center stage. Titles include "Rosa De Ouro", "Litoranea", "Sabe Quem", "Sei La", "Moca Flor", "Mon Manege A Moi", "Tenderly", "Ela Vai Pro Mar", "Vem Morena Vem", and "Copacabana". CD

A fitting title for this scorching set tracks led by the incomparable Lee Morgan – captured over several dates throughout 1960 at the legendary Birdland club – and backed up by Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers! Nothing but legends on the stage here – with Morgan's trumpet out front of Blakey on the kit, Bobby Timmons on piano, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Jymie Merrit on bass. The tracks on the first disc were recorded on three dates in the spring and summer of '60, and they include "The Chess Players", "This Here", "The Midget", "Nelly Bly", "Dat Dere", "Justice", Night In Tunisia" and more. Disc two features numbers recorded in the summer and fall of the same year, and it includes "Lester Left Town" with Lester Young sitting in on piano, "It's Only A Paper Moon", "This Here", Sakeena's Vision", "Koko's Waltz" and more. CD

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

Although these days, Parliament's best remembered for their classic studio albums, back in the 70s, the real P-Funk experience was the incredible live shows served up by George Clinton and the group! George, Bootsy, and the rest were undeniably at the top of their game at the time – rolling into cities and taking them by storm with their space-themed sets, wild costumes, and intense ability to jam live with a force that even blew away their records! This double live set is a great document of the P-Funk sound of the time – and features some great tunes from mid 70s Parliament, served up in modes that range from straight to very long and drawn out. Titles include "Give Up The Funk", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "Night Of The Thumpasorous Peoples", "Let's Take It To The Stage", and "Gamin' On Ya!" – all done with the sort of live jamming feel that made their shows go on forever and groove all night long. CD

Art's blowing with a quiet intensity here – not as far out as you might expect from the title, but with that crisp genius that still graced all of his records from the time! The album features a quartet with Dolo Coker on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – working in a format that gives Art center stage, blowing with a slightly raspy tone that still always sends chills up our spine! There's a maturity here that we really like – that later Contemporary mode that has Pepper breaking things down a bit more than usual, and showing a bit more humanity in his horn. Titles include "Too Close For Comfort", "Gone With The Wind", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

If you dig the Replacements as much as us, you can never get enough – especially during the first few years of the group's career, when it seemed like they were really on fire with a very fresh new sound! This set is a great lost chapter of the group from that time – and represents the first-ever professional live recording of the band in action – already a searing quartet on the stage, with an intensity that wasn't always captured this well on their studio sessions – tearing it up before a hometown stage in the Twin Cities, early in 1981! Titles include "Somethin To Du", "Love You Till Friday", "Rattlesnake", "All Day & All Of The Night", "I Hate Music", "Otto", "More Cigarettes", "Johnny's Gonna Die/All By Myself", "Oh Baby", "Excuse Me", "Customer", "I Wanna Be Loved", "Shiftless When Idle", "Off Your Pants", "Hangin Downtown", "Takin A Ride", and "Like You". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential 90s material from Smif N Wessun – one of those key records that was not only great in and of itself, but also as part of a larger tapestry of top shelf talents finally getting to shine in the spotlight! Previously, Smif N Wessun had shown up on Black Moon's first album – and here, they take center stage, but also give key exposure to Boot Camp Clik – in a standard-setting album that features great production from Beatminerz, who really keep things at the right level for the harder-edged lyrics of the set! The album cover is a bit of a Roy Ayers reference – and the set makes a key early use of the Ayers classic "We Live In Brooklyn" on the track "Home Sweet Home" – amidst other cuts that include "Wrekonize", "Timz N Hood Check", "Wrektime", "Wontime", "Sound Bwoy Bureill", "Shinin Next Sh*t", "Wipe Ya Mouf", "PNC", "Bucktown", and "Let's Git It On". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key classics from the Jimmy Smith years at Blue Note Records – a really groundbreaking time for the Hammond organ in jazz, as Jimmy helped take it from backrooms in bars to center stage of jazz with a record like this! The album's about as iconic as you can get for Jimmy at the label – from the fantastic cover image, to the well-crafted tunes – many of which are shorter than some of Smith's earlier jam session-styled work, and help forge a bridge between soul jazz and the emerging soul instrumental sound of the early 60s. The album features some excellent work from the obscure Percy France on tenor on most of the tracks – a player we only know from a handful of dates – next to other quartet members who include Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. Titles include "Sugar Hill", "I Got A Woman", "Motoring Along", "Gracie", and "Messin Around". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring, soulful work from South Shore Commission – one of those great upbeat soul groups who really helped shape the scene in the pre-disco years – effortlessly blending strong vocals and uptempo grooves, and setting the stage for countless others to follow! Like some of their best contemporaries, South Shore were a soul group first, and a club act second – and they've got this easy ear for rising harmonies that are fantastic, and at the level of the best work coming out of the Sigma Sound Studios of the period – mixed with maybe some of the slightly grittier sound of the New Jersey scene. The whole album's great – and titles include their classics "Free Man" and "We're On The Right Track" – plus "Train Called Freedom", "Any Day Now", "Before You're Gone", "Handle With Care", "I'd Rather Switch than Fight", and "Just A Matter Of Time". CD features 8 bonus tracks – including some of the rare single mixes of album tracks. CD

Mavis Staples takes the stage at one of our favorite hometown haunts – performing live with small combo backing, in a sound that's even rootsier than some of her recent records! The setting is a great one for Mavis, and it's nicely free of some of the hoke that can sometimes creep in – a really stripped-down, authentic performance before a small but enthusiastic crowd of Chicago soul fans – with backing that's really just guitar, bass, and drums – plus a small backing vocal group too. Titles include "For What It's Worth", "This Little Light", "Wade In The Water", "Down In Mississippi", "Freedom Highway", "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", and "On My Way". CD

There's a slight shift here from the first album by Steeleye Span – a bit of a shift to just a touch of electric guitar and organ next to the bass guitar lines of Ashley Hutchings – which makes for an even more sinister sound than before! In keeping with their approach, most songs are from older British sources – but they really get transformed by the presentation, which creates an acid folk vibe that really sets the stage for the Wicker Man scene – including some of the strange folk experiments of Current 93 many years later! Most of the rest of the instrumentation is acoustic, used in a way that creates this time-tripping approach that's really amazing – on titles that include "Boys Of Bedlam", "Cold Haily Windy Night", "The Blacksmith", "Female Drummer", "The King", "Lovely On The Water", and "The Lark In The Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Supremes albums of the 70s – a rare live Japanese session that wasn't even issued in the US at the time! The album follows strongly in the spirit of the other Motown Japanese live sets of the time – with really tight backings behind the group on stage, and a powerful, spontaneous sound that really seems to take off even more strongly than the studio albums. The girls' vocals are great – and really nicely unfettered on some of the tunes – stepping out with strong leads and soulful harmonies that are a good reminder that the group was still burning strong at this point. Titles include "Stoned Love", "TCB", "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", "Bad Weather", "Cherry Cherry", and "Somewhere". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from Muddy Waters – a set of tracks all recorded overseas, at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival – but during that strong 70s moment when Muddy had really focused his sound, and was reaching out to cross global boundaries and touch a whole new generation with his sound! The Montreux vibe is always one that's very faithful to the artist – audiences at that festival aren't the sort to be given watered-down, commercial pap – and that's definitely the vibe here, as the material resonates with any of Waters' best 70s live material for other labels, with a really great sound, even from the stage. The set features performances from Muddy Waters appearances in 1972, 1974, and 1977 – and titles include "Same Thing", "Howlin Wolf", "Still A Fool", "Trouble No More", "Rock Me Baby", "Long Distance Call", "Mannish Boy", "Nobody Knows Chicago Like I Do", "County Jail", "I'm Ready", "Electric Man", and "Can't Get No Grindin". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky soul double-header – one that features live material both by Osaka Monaurail and the legendary Marva Whitney! The set starts out with a few tracks by OM – playing in that razor-sharp, James Brown-inspired groove that we love so much – easily the greatest contemporary JB-driven funk we can think of! Singer Ryo Nakata throws in a bit of vocals over the group's instrumental grooves – but then steps aside so that Marva Whitney can take center stage for the remaining three-fourths of the album – singing with the same raw fury as on her recent studio set with Osaka Monaurail! The sound here is incredible – easily some of the best funk-revival work we can think of, and the sort of record that should make Marva plenty proud after all these years. Titles include "New New Type Thing", "Evil", "I Made A Mistake", "It's My Thing", "Your Love Was Good For Me", "Things Got To Get Better", "What Do I Have To Do", and "Daddy Don't Know About Sugar Bear". CD

A seminal jazz rock statement from drummer Tony Williams – one that has him stepping out quite far from his original "new thing" recordings of the mid 60s! The album's got a genre-forming sound that's incredibly fierce – a power trio churning of Williams drums, John McLaughlin's guitar, and Larry Young's free-thinking work on organ. The tunes are long and jamming, but also have a tight rhythmic focus that never gets too sloppy – and which virtually set the stage for a whole generation of 70s fusion players in years to come! Young and McLaughlin are especially great – working here with Williams to pound out sheets of sound in a cosmic trippy maze of riffs and grooves, certainly enough to inspire the most addled rocker to head over to the jazz section! Though this set was released as two separate volumes, this double LP version has both albums, and features 8 tracks in all "Emergency", "Beyond Games", "Where", "Vashkar", "Sangria For Three", "Something Spiritual", "Spectrum", and "Via The Spectrum Road". LP, Vinyl record album

Deep soul from the glory days of the Memphis scene – not the better-known work recorded at Stax, but material from the smaller American Sound Studio – a new game in town during the late 60s, and a place that forged it's very own legacy in Memphis music! American recorded a variety of styles – a bit like Muscle Shoals – but this collection not only focuses most strongly on the soul music cut at the studios, but also work by "The Memphis Boys" – the superb in-house session group that included top-shelf talents like Reggie Young and Tommy Cogbill on guitar, Bobby Emmons on keyboards, and Chips Moman at the head of the group. The great Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham also did plenty of work for American – on material that was issued on a variety of labels – Atlantic, Cameo, Bell, Sound Stage 7, Smash, and others – all collected here with a deep set of notes that really gets at the special vibe going down at American. Titles include "Burning Fire" by Arthur Conley, "Someone To Take Your Place" by Bobby Marchan, "I Don't Want To Have To Wait" by James & Bobby Purify, "Ain't That True Love" by Oscar Toney Jr, "There's A Heartbreak Somewhere" by Roscoe Shelton, "Comin To Bring You Some Soul" by Sam Baker, "It Ain't Fair" by Ben E King, "Don't Take Your Love" by The Blossoms, "So Much Love" by Dusty Springfield, "Broadway Walk" by Bobby Womack, "Holdin On" by Jerry Lee Lewis, and "On The Other Side" by Lee Jones & The Sounds Of Soul. CD

More of a sound collage than a regular compilation – with is an excellent testament to the creativity of Trevor Horn's ZTT label at this early stage! Features material from Andrew Poppy, Art Of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Propaganda, Anne Pigalle, and Instinct. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", "Little Waltz", "Ten Strings" and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove! CD

The full scope of genius from the legendary Alvin Cash – not just his 60s gritty groovers, but a host of later funk tracks as well – all packaged into a beautiful book-styled package! Cash is one of our favorite Chicago artists ever – a dancer by trade, but a flamboyant personality who always managed to make his way center stage – whether live or in the recording studio! The set begins with early "twine" numbers from Alvin – some romping heavy soul tracks that have a very deep bottom, and a raw sound that's equal part R&B and Chicago soul – definitely tuned towards the dancefloor crowd that was a natural fit for Cash's energy. As the set moves on, it then picks up some wicked late 60s singles for the Toddlin Town label, and also includes some excellent early 70s groovers for Sound Stage Seven – some of Alvin's hardest, heaviest numbers ever. The set features work by Alvin Cash with The Registers, Hundred Dollar Bills, The Crawlers, and Scott Brothers Orchestra – and titles include "Keep On Dancing (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky 69", "Moanin & Groanin", "Doin The Creep", "It's Party Time", "Funky Washing Machine", "Alvin's Doin His Thing", "Funky Street", "Doin The Ali Shuffle", "Whip It On Me", "The Charge", "Boston Monkey", "The Philly Freeze", "Alvin's Boogaloo", "Let's Do Some Good Timing", "The Bump", "Twine Time", "Twine Awhile", "The Barracuda", and "You Shot Me Through The Grease". CD

Work Of Art is a great batch of material that Art Farmer recorded for Prestige in the early fifties. This is way before he got hyper-lyrical, and his playing is raw and hard on a bunch of Quincy Jones arrangements, including the savage cut "Mau-Mau", which features a very early use of the electric bass, driving drumming by Sonny Johnson, and a savage Afro groove. This cut alone is worth the price of the album, and deserves to be a club classic. Warm Valley is a wonderfully-titled set for Art Farmer – working here in a warm valley of sound, and blowing in that open, spacious tone that marked so much of his best later work! The group's a quartet – with Fred Hersh on piano, Ray Drummund on bass, and Akira Tana on drums – all sort of nicely sticking in the back and letting Art take center stage on his round, well-crafted fluegelhorn solos. Titles include "Eclypso", "And Now There's You", "Three Little Words", "Warm Valley", and "Sad To Say". CD

A wonderfully-titled set for Art Farmer – working here in a warm valley of sound, and blowing in that open, spacious tone that marked so much of his best later work! The group's a quartet – with Fred Hersh on piano, Ray Drummund on bass, and Akira Tana on drums – all sort of nicely sticking in the back and letting Art take center stage on his round, well-crafted fluegelhorn solos. Titles include "Eclypso", "And Now There's You", "Three Little Words", "Warm Valley", and "Sad To Say". CD

A wonderfully-titled set for Art Farmer – working here in a warm valley of sound, and blowing in that open, spacious tone that marked so much of his best later work! The group's a quartet – with Fred Hersh on piano, Ray Drummund on bass, and Akira Tana on drums – all sort of nicely sticking in the back and letting Art take center stage on his round, well-crafted fluegelhorn solos. Titles include "Eclypso", "And Now There's You", "Three Little Words", "Warm Valley", and "Sad To Say". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic sound of Funkadelic, reworked by a key selection of contemporary talents from the Detroit scene – but never in a way that wrecks the originals at all! Unlike other remix projects, which might break up the music to a point that you can hardly recognize the original grooves – this set does a wonderful job of maintaining all the integrity of the famous funky recordings by the group, while also letting some artists from the group's hometown also include a few of their own contributions too – all in ways that really expand the original vision of the music, while keeping things in a funky soul vein all the way through! Given all the greateness of Detroit grooves in recent years – from that city's very fertile underground of producers and musicians – the sound here is still even more amazing than we expected, and the album's a very fitting one to be issued on the Westbound label. The set's double-length, and for good reason too – and titles include "Music 4 My Mother (Underground Resistance mix)", "Sexy Ways (Recloose disco flip)", "Get Your Ass Off & Jam (Marcellus Pittman rmx)", "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Alton Miller mix)", "Super Stupid (Dirtbombs version)", "Music For My Mother (Andres Wo Ahh Ay voc mix)", "Cosmic Slop (Moodymann mix)", "Be My Beach (Mophono & Tom Thump)", "Let's Make It Last (Kenny Dixon Jr edit)", "Let's Take It To The Stage (Amp Fiddler @Ya mix)", "Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine edit)", "Looking Back At You (Ectomorph stripped & dubbed)", and "Standing On The Verge (Anthony Shake Shakir & T Dancer rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

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! A surprisingly great little record – and one we like almost better than the first few! Titles include "Love", "Mirror", "Entrow", "Do Yah", "Save Me", and "I Got A Reason". CD

One of the best-remembered solo albums by Steve Hillage – a record that tightens things up a bit more from his debut as a leader, but which still keeps most of the best progressive elements nicely intact! Hillage has a bit more presence here as a star – but at a slightly fuzzy level that's very much in keeping with the cover image – a sound that always puts the guitar center stage, and usually just brings in the vocals as an afterthought. The tracks here are mostly longish, and build nicely from cosmic guitar work that spins out in space – and titles include "Om Nama Shivaya", "It's All Too Much", "Lunar Musick Suite", "Electrick Gypsies", and "Hurdy Gurdy Man". CD

Warmly grooving vocal work from Howard Johnson – one of the few albums the singer cut under his own name, and a sparkling gem from the 80s groove scene! Howard's got a style that really sets the stage for some of the bigger singers of his time – a sound that's mature, yet still very able to groove – which is something that Johnson does often in the set, supported by some snapping bass, electro keyboards, and crackling drums on most of the cuts. Kashif wrote about half the tracks on the album, and also co-produced – and titles include "So Fine", "Keepin Love New", "Jam Song", "Take Me Through The Night", "Say You Wanna", and "This Is Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric soul from Evelyn King – and a set that features lots of contributions from a young Kashif! Kashif both wrote some of the songs, and plays keyboards on the record – helping to give King that tightly focused sound that would really be her strongest suit in the early 80s! There's a nicely clean feel here that keeps the record moving strongly forward – and even though Evelyn's vocals are sometimes second-stage next to the beats and keyboards, they still have a way of sending the tunes home in the end. Titles include "Get Loose", "Back To Love", "I'm Just Warming Up", "Betcha She Don't Love You", "Love Come Down", and "I Can't Stand It". LP, Vinyl record album

They're not kidding with the title of this one – because although the record was only Wes Montgomery's second album as a leader, he was already making plenty of waves with the sound of his guitar! The session lines Wes up with the very tight rhythm team of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all of whom lay back and mostly let Wes take center stage – sparkling on a number of original tunes that include "West Coast Blues", "Mister Walker", and "D Natural Blues". Other tracks include a great fast take on Sonny Rollins' "Airegin", plus "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". CD

Lost genius from trumpeter Lee Morgan – a session recorded for Blue Note in 1967, but not issued until the late 70s – and even then, only for a very short time! The session has Morgan moving into that wonderful last stage of his career – working in tight formation towards a sound that still had that groovier hardbop styles of earlier recordings, but which also unfolds towards a more ambitious spiritual jazz mode. The writing on the session is superb – original tunes that crackle with energy in a surge of dark notes and shadowy moods, inspiring the soloists to express themselves at levels that rank with their best work of the time! The group features David Newman on tenor – sounding completely different, and far more righteous, than on his Atlantic sides of the 60s – plus Cedar Walton on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. A great sound overall – right up there with Tom Cat or The Gigolo for lyrical modernism – and with titles that include "Sneaky Pete", "The Mercenary", "Sonic Boom", and "Mumbo Jumbo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the better albums on the Alligator Records label from Chicago – a set by Fenton Robinson that's not far different from his earlier work on the 77/Sound Stage Seven label – which means that there's more of a southern soul vibe to the record at times than some of the more crowd-pleasing groups that Alligator was recording up north! Fenton has the tightness of a deep soul singer, but also relaxes nicely into his music – often letting his guitar speak as much as his lyrics – with help on second guitar from Mighty Joe Young! Easily one of the greatest albums from both Fenton and Alligator – with titles that include "I've Changed", "Country Girl", "Gotta Wake Up", "Texas Flood", "Checking On My Woman", and "Somebody Loan Me A Dime". CD

Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". CD

A great great great collection of rare soul tracks – all pulled from the east LA powerhouse Rampart Records – a key force for fresh sounds in the 60s! Rampart was at a crossroads between soul and Latin scenes in the larger Los Angeles area – and as such, was able to grab music from both sides of the fence – including artists who had this amazing power to reach out for new styles to bridge previous gaps between different audiences! Make no mistake, the sound here is soul throughout – but it's also soul that helped set the stage for a bigger wave of soul, rock, and Latin changes to come from LA at the start of the 70s – and the positive force of this music is stunning, especially when taken together in a big serving like this. Titles include "Come Swim With Me" by Little Ray, "Girl I Love You" by Ron Holden, "Tracy" by Barry White & The Atlantics, "I'm In Love With Your Daughter (part 1)" by Thee Enchantments, "Hey Joe Where You Gonna Go" by Sammy Lee & The Summits, "The Panther" by The East Bay Soul Brass, "Listen To The Wise Man" by East Side Kids, "Poquito Soul" by One G Plus 34, "Evil Ways" by The Village Callers, "One Like Mine" by The Salas Brothers, "I Had A Strange Dream" by Four Tempos, and "Chinese Checkers" by The Mixtures. CD

The last in a series of rare 50s live material from Chet Baker – featuring a near-lost performance from the Tiffany Club in LA, recorded in 1954 with a group that includes Russ Freeman on piano, Carson Smith on bass, and Bob Neel on drums. The tracks are presented in crystal-clear long versions – really sparkling with a sound that's tremendous for a live set at the time – and which is even more amazing, considering that most of the tracks hadn't been issued before. A few numbers were issued in edited form on an Italian label, and later briefly on one of the out of print Mosaic box sets – but the CD features the full performance – 12 tracks in all, all in unedited takes. Titles include "Lullaby Of the Leaves", "Russ Job", "The Wind", "Frenesi", "Carson City Stage", and "A Dandy Line". CD

A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums – but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul – a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest of the combo's contemporaries – hitting a careful balance that never gets too cheesy or commercial, and which still manages to glow as strongly into the 21st century as it did when first released back in the day! The sound here is sublime – warm, but never sleepy – jazzy, but never cliched – and mixed in such a way that the vocals and instruments almost get center stage in the spotlight without trying to crowd one another out. Titles include the incredible "Work it Out" – worth the price of the record alone – plus "No Limit", "That's Not What We Came Here For", "Free Yourself", "Do It Till The Fluid Gets Hot", and "Feel Your Way". CD

A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums – but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul – a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest of the combo's contemporaries – hitting a careful balance that never gets too cheesy or commercial, and which still manages to glow as strongly into the 21st century as it did when first released back in the day! The sound here is sublime – warm, but never sleepy – jazzy, but never cliched – and mixed in such a way that the vocals and instruments almost get center stage in the spotlight without trying to crowd one another out. Titles include the incredible "Work it Out" – worth the price of the record alone – plus "No Limit", "That's Not What We Came Here For", "Free Yourself", "Do It Till The Fluid Gets Hot", and "Feel Your Way". LP, Vinyl record album

The second volume of work that Donald Byrd recorded live at the Olympia in Paris in 1958 – even harder-hitting in tone than the first! The set features Byrd playing some tight hardbop lines – working in a cool group that also features Bobby Jaspar on tenor, Walter Davis Jr on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – all players who come together with the sound and style of some of those great late 50s Prestige blowing sessions! The difference, though, is that Byrd is the clear leader here – working his trumpet solos with techniques that really show him growing as an artist on this Paris trip – forging a tight vision into the music that makes it way more than just a loose bop exercise on stage. You'll hear that especially on "52nd Street Theme", but the whole set's pretty darn great – and tracks include "At This Time", "Formidable", "Two Bass Hit", "Parisian Thoroughfare", and "Stardust". CD

One of the greatest albums by this super-stylized funkster from Chicago! Captain Sky followed very firmly in the P-Funk footsteps – using lots of bass and rocking rhythms to carve out a space-themed groove that had plenty of cool touches! And more than that, the Captain's style was equally well suited to the emerging 80s groove era – and worked well with a nice dose of slight electric touches – not totally wikki-wikki, but certainly setting the stage for that sound! Titles include "Elementary School Of Funk", "Sir Jam A Lot", "Trace Of Love", "Bubble Gum (I Chewz You)", "Tootsie Rock", and "Let Me Come Inside". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove! CD

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This first volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "First Light", "California Dreaming" and a medley of "Inner City Blues" and "What's Going On". LP, Vinyl record album

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This third volume of the 3 LP set includes takes of "Funkfathers", "Cherry", "Bowl Full Of Blues", "Cherry Red" and "God Bless The Child". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Kenny Dorham's best records ever – and one of his rarest too! The set was cut for the short-lived Jaro label, home to a few great jazz sides during its short-lived American tenure – and the set features Kenny grooving at a level that's extremely tight, very much in the best spirit of his work for Blue Note or Prestige – and recorded here with equally top-shelf sound! The record shows Kenny at his lyrical best – working alongside the piano of Tommy Flangan, who really helps enforce this side of his music – and also getting some help from Charles Davis on baritone, who brings in some darker edges to the record. Other players include Butch Warren on bass and Buddy Enlow on drums – on tracks that include the original entitled "Stage West", plus another sweet tune by Davis entitled "Turbo" – as well as the numbers "Butch's Blues", "Six Bits", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

One of Kenny Dorham's best records ever – and one of his rarest too! The set was cut for the short-lived Jaro label, home to a few great jazz sides during its short-lived American tenure – and the set features Kenny grooving at a level that's extremely tight, very much in the best spirit of his work for Blue Note or Prestige – and recorded here with equally top-shelf sound! The record shows Kenny at his lyrical best – working alongside the piano of Tommy Flangan, who really helps enforce this side of his music – and also getting some help from Charles Davis on baritone, who brings in some darker edges to the record. Other players include Butch Warren on bass and Buddy Enlow on drums – on tracks that include the original entitled "Stage West", plus another sweet tune by Davis entitled "Turbo" – as well as the numbers "Butch's Blues", "Six Bits", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

Seminal sounds from this great Detroit group – and a key look at their less-remembered music of the 60s! Although Fantastic Four are probably best remembered for their later disco work – including the Alvin Stone album on Westbound – back in their early days, they were a great Detroit vocal group with a sweet raw sound and some excellent harmonies. Although this album says it's a "best of", it's really the only full LP the group cut during the time – and it's a rare treasure of harmony soul, cut with a nicely stripped-down sound that makes the tracks shine like rough indie soul gems instead of Motown numbers. Titles include "I Love You Madly", "The Whole World Is A Stage", "Goddess Of Love", "As Long As I Live", and "Man In Love" – but the whole record's great! CD

An essential Art Farmer session from the mid 50s – and a magnificent batch of hardbop tracks that we'd rank with some of our favorite work on Blue Note! The group is incredibly strong – with Hank Mobley on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – all coming together with a magical in-the-pocket groove that persists on nearly every track. Farmer's still at a formative stage here – and he's going for a much harder sound than usual, with an excellent tone and extremely well calculated solos throughout. Mobley's at his best from this period, and his playing puts this session more in the tightly executed Blue Note camp (ala some of the Horace Silver late 50s recordings), than it does the Prestige/New Jazz blowing session mode. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Ad-Dis-Un", "By Myself", "Farmer's Market", "With Prestige", and "Wailin' With Hank". CD

One of Art Farmer's pivotal mid 50s sides – recorded in the company of altoist Gigi Gryce, a great player and a budding young arranger who helped Farmer really formulate the best side of his sound! The tracks are lyrically modern – but still have a nice dose of soul in them – a wonderful blend that really sets the stage for the move that Art was making away from earlier trumpeters in jazz – into that hip territory that was neither too cool, nor too overblown – and which would almost be known as "Farmer-like" in years to come! The album features Gryce and Farmer in 2 different groups – one with Horace Silver on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – the other with Freddie Redd on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Social Call", "Capri", "Deltitnu", "Stupendous Lee", and "Blue Concept". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record, and one that forever transformed the sound of opera in the US – the amazing summation of all the many musical ideas that Philip Glass had been cooking up since the 60s, done as a mindblowing stage presentation with Robert Wilson! Voices, organ, reeds, and piano come together in wonderful lines that go on and on, seemingly forever, in endless variations and rivulets of sound – as simple in structure as the leaner small combo minimalist work from Glass – but with a very different style in the fuller setting, with a sonic quality that still is as groundbreaking today as it was back in the 70s! CD

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

2 Eric Kloss albums back to back on a single CD – both under-discovered, and both totally great! Sky Shadows is one of the late 60s killers for Prestige by reedman Kloss – sublime material that was every bit as great as some of the bigger-name work for the label, but never really got its due! Kloss is sharper and more focused here than in later years – starting with a hardbop groove, but really reaching out with some inventive sounds of his own, and some great changes from the group! The inventive ensemble features Pat Martino on guitar, Jaky Byard on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and titles include "Sky Shadows", "January's Child", "The Girl With The Fall In Her Hair", and "In A Country Soul Garden". In The Land Of Giants is a crackling bit of modernist free play, with a very soulful edge – and the group includes Booker Ervin, Jaki Byard, Richard Davis, and Alan Dawson all joining Kloss as he hits his mid-period "exploratory" stage. His alto is super-crisp here, and although he's reaching out a bit more than on earlier albums, he never manages to lose the swing that made him sound so great right out of the box. Tracks include "So What", "When Two Lovers Touch", and "Sock It To Me Socrates". CD

They're not kidding with the title of this one – because although the record was only Wes Montgomery's second album as a leader, he was already making plenty of waves with the sound of his guitar! The session lines Wes up with the very tight rhythm team of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all of whom lay back and mostly let Wes take center stage – sparkling on a number of original tunes that include "West Coast Blues", "Mister Walker", and "D Natural Blues". Other tracks include a great fast take on Sonny Rollins' "Airegin", plus "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". CD

Lost genius from trumpeter Lee Morgan – a session recorded for Blue Note in 1967, but not issued until the late 70s – and even then, only for a very short time! The session has Morgan moving into that wonderful last stage of his career – working in tight formation towards a sound that still had that groovier hardbop styles of earlier recordings, but which also unfolds towards a more ambitious spiritual jazz mode. The writing on the session is superb – original tunes that crackle with energy in a surge of dark notes and shadowy moods, inspiring the soloists to express themselves at levels that rank with their best work of the time! The group features David Newman on tenor – sounding completely different, and far more righteous, than on his Atlantic sides of the 60s – plus Cedar Walton on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. A great sound overall – right up there with Tom Cat or The Gigolo for lyrical modernism – and with titles that include "Sneaky Pete", "The Mercenary", "Sonic Boom", and "Mumbo Jumbo". Plus, the album is expanded here by 6 more tracks – all recorded in 1969, and only briefly issued on a 2LP late 70s album called The Procrastinator. These tunes have a slightly different, almost sadder feel – with a group that includes Julian Priester, George Coleman, and Harold Mabern – on more wonderful originals that include "Cla Til Da", "Uncle Rough", "Mr Johnson", and "The Stroker". CD

An evocative title, and one that really sets the stage for the great sound of the record – an Oscar Peterson album that's a bit more open and flowing than usual – with some great long tracks, and a mighty soulful sound throughout! The title track is a real gem – as Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen begins the number with a long bass bit that's wonderful – which then ignites Peterson's piano into these long-rolling lines that really fit the spirit of the number! Other tunes spin out with a similar magic – still familiar Peterson modes, but kind of a deeper sense of lyricism too. Terry Clark handles drums – and titles include "Nigerian Marketplace", "Cakewalk", "Nancy With The Laughing Face", "You Look Good To Me", and "Au Privave". CD

A stone classic – and one of the wilder, more electronic albums from Sun Ra – a set that has him playing on "two moog synthesizers" – which both sound as if they're going at the same time! The rest of the group is quite small – with only John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, and Danny Davis – so Ra really center stage on the keys, and spends most of the record making some really weird and wonderful sounds on the moog – showing the world that, although the instrument was already gaining popularity in the hands of others, nobody could handle the futuristic sound machine like the spaceman himself! The mix of moog with avant jazz solos is completely sublime – and titles include "Intergalactic II", "To Nature's God", and "The Code Of Interdependence". CD features some great bonus tracks – the 17 minute "Space Probe", plus some alternates and odd takes too! CD

Anonymous experimentalists The Residents cover, satirize and stage an arty assault on the classic rock and pop regime! The group dispenses with all subtlety here, mocking the heck out of a couple decades worth of American pop culture soundtrack fodder. Anything that could be construed as "the sound of an era" gets skewered mercilessly – drag strip rockers become car crashes, pop songs are recast as creepy noise and other clearly satirical waves rush in throughout the 2 long pieces, but other movements are less obviously sarcastic, and even more innovative. It'd be smug if it wasn't so damn good! CD

Pure genius from The Revolutionary Ensemble – and one of the records that really helped set the stage for the New York loft jazz sound of the 70s! The lineup is quite unique – percussion from Jerome Cooper, violin from Leroy Jenkins, and bass from Sirone – a much more subtle lineup of instruments than you'd hear on previous avant sides from ESP – with a resultantly different sound as well – one that's got more subtle colors and tones, and a slow-building, organic approach to improvisation that definitely shows an influence from the experiments of the AACM in Chicago. The album features one long track – "Vietnam (parts 1 & 2)" – but it's got a heck of a lot of variety over its nearly 50 minutes of music! CD

Three classic albums from Shoes, plus bonus tracks, and a full CD worth of rare material too! First up is Present Tense – a power-pop classic from Shoes – their first full length for Elektra Records, and a set that stands with all the best end of 70s gems from either coast! The songs are impeccable, and the group do a fantastic job of blending sharper guitars with really great lyricism – a mode that maybe makes the Illinois group a strong precursor for territory that The Replacements wouldn't hit until many years later – and which makes just about every track on the album a precious nugget that just gets better and better with time! Titles include "Now & Then", "Every Girl", "I Don't Wanna Hear It", "Three Times", "In My Arms Again", and "Too Late". On Tongue Twister, Shoes continue the brilliance of their first album for Elektra – serving up the kind of music that was so well-done, so subtle, it was maybe missed by most of the world at the time – even though it's gone onto the status of classic, thanks to legions of fans and critics! Shoes have a way with a tune that's unlike anyone else – maybe that compressed charm of Big Star, but fused into the sharper modes of the power pop years – but without any of the too commercial modes of some of the bigger groups of the time. Instead, the whole thing feels like you've just stumbled upon a brilliant band, playing in a backroom bar – which, unfortunately, is how Shoes spent too much of their career. Titles include "Only In My Sleep", "She Satisfies", "Found A Girl", "Hate To Run", "When It Hits", "Yes Or No", "Your Imagination", and "Girls Of Today". On Boomerang, Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". 4CD set features a huge amount of bonus material – 8 track demo versions of all three albums, added to their discs – and a bonus CD of 18 more rare tracks – all in a box, with a big booklet of notes! CD