There's a pile of vinyl on the cover of this album from Japanese trio Nautilus – and that's maybe a good way to get at the sound of their style – as the group work heavily from an old school mode, while still pushing things into some more contemporary rhythmic territory too! The approach is somewhere between old school jazz trio work and some of the choppier styles of the young generation of Japanese trios – yet still with a lot more focus on the solo side of things, which some of those other groups are lacking! Much of the energy of the record comes from the piano and keyboard work of Mariko Nakabayashi, next to the bass of Shigeki Umezawa and drums of Toshiyuki Sasaki – on titles that include vocal appearances from Hanah Spring on "I Want You" and "It's A Shame", Ayaca on "Part Time Lover", and Kei Owada on "Empty Faces" – plus a nice take on the classic "Little B's Poem", and the cuts "The Eye Of The Hurricane", "Sweet Love Of Mine", and "Nebulosa". CD

Pretty obscure stuff from Don Nelson – a hip swinging jazz vocalist who we only know from this one album on Mode! Like some of the best obscure titles on Mode, this one takes a under-documented player from the LA scene of the 50s pairs him with a nice backing combo, and cuts a few respectable sides that will stand as the artist's only real legacy. Nelson mostly sings – in kind of a Bobby Troup-ish way – but he also plays a bit of recorder, which sounds nice and spooky! He's backed by a trio that includes Jimmy Rowles on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – and titles include "The Wind", "Taking A Chance On Love", "It Happened Once Before", "Nobody's Heart", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most". CD

A warmly flowing set of tunes from vibist Steve Nelson – working here with an excellent rhythm section that includes Mulgrew Miller on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums! The style isn't as archly modern as some of Nelson's previous records – and with Miller's piano to propel him along, many of the longer tunes spin out nicely with a very open-handed approach – but one that still has those great darker tones and colors that we love so much in Nelson's vibes, and which are one of the reasons why we'd call him one of the players of his generation on the instrumen. Titles include "Airoso", "Sound Essence", "Song For Tina", "Night Mist Blues", "You & The Night & The Music", and "Up Jumped Spring". CD

Even these many years into his career, pianist Mike Nock is still one of the most dynamic, rhythmic players we can think of – a really bold voice on the acoustic keys, and one who never fails to delight our ears! This recent album is simple and elegant, yet steps forth with the same sense of power that first made Nock a talent to watch back in the 60s – a way of playing the piano that almost challenges the bass and drums for rhythmic supremacy, participating equally in the warmly flowing groove of the tunes. Members of Nock's trio here include Toby Hall on drums and Brett Hirst on bass – and the session's filled with great original numbers that include "Communion", "Three Dee", "Drowning Joyfully", "Gravity Adjustment", "Acceptance", and "Changing Seasons Winter To Spring" – as well as a great version of Wayne Shorter's "ESP". CD

Soaring sounds from Nucleus – one of the few UK jazz/rock combos from the start of the 70s who really found a way to keep growing and changing as the years moved on! Here, the lineup is nice and large – the mighty trumpet of Ian Carr in the lead, next to keyboards from both Gordon Beck and Geoff Castle, both of whom bring plenty of Fender Rhodes into play – with more work from Jocelyn Pitchen and Ken Shaw on guitars, and Bob Bertles on alto, baritone, bass clarinet, and flute – really great reedwork that's always a great match for Carr's energy. There's some really great drums on the set from Bryan Spring, which make the best tracks quite funky – and titles include "In Procession", "The Addison Trip", "Pastoral Graffiti", "New Life", and "A Taste Of Sasparilla". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued live material from Odyssey – recorded years after the group's initial emergence in the New York psych scene in the late 60s, but with a sound that still has them sounding pretty darn trippy overall! There's definitely a lot of "room" feel in the recording – as the set was not done straight from the soundboard – yet that also really gives you a sense of the way these guys have mastered their instruments, as they stretch out and cascade through space at a level that's very different than the early work – really psych into prog, especially on a few of the album's really long tracks! The performance has a huge amount of long, majestic organ solos – and titles include "For Band Babies", "Lord Make A Regular Man Out Of Me", "She Who Must Be Obeyed", "Winter Summer Spring & Fall", and "One More Time Can't You Feel". CD also features four bonus tracks too! CD

Omar's second album for BMG – and an instant classic set of soul tracks that sadly almost disappeared as soon as it was released! The album shows Omar growing even stronger than ever both as a singer and songwriter – moving from the indie feel of earlier work into a confident role as one of the few strong male soul talents of the end of the 20th century. Omar's voice is heavenly, as always – almost an electric-sounding pitch that works perfectly with the keyboards and instrumentation on the set – and his songs have a mature quality that is at once personal and professional. The album's filled with some great songs and wonderful surprises – like Omar's cover of The Stranglers' "Golden Brown", and tracks that include "Say Nothin" (2 versions), "This Is Not A Love Song", "Fallin", "Music For The Pipe", "Waiting Game", and "Spring Step". LP, Vinyl record album

Lost soulful sounds from Osiris – one of the many high-concept funk ensembles to spring up in the wake of Earth Wind & Fire – and one of the better ones too! The combo's got some mighty tight grounding in the bass work of Tyrone Brunson – stepping out here in an early role to really help forge the group's groove from the bottom up – basslines with percussion, then jazzier elements on the top – including some wicked work by Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns! Those added horns really pack a lot of punch on the record – working perfectly with the group vocals that step out on most of the numbers – maybe not in ways that are as righteous as you'd guess from the title or the cover, but plenty darn groovy overall. Titles include "You & I", "Love In Your Heart", "I'll Never Let You Go", "Fantality", "Say You Will", and the jazzy stepper "Travelin Salesman". CD

Tracks include "April In Paris", "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White", "Some Other Spring", "You Must Believe In Spring", "I'll Remember April", and "April Showers". CD

Titles include "Suddenly It's Spring", "Mountaing Greenery", "Start Of Something Big", "Meditation", "Dance For Daddy", and "Them There Eyes". CD

The most uncategorizable grooves in the canon of Guillermo Scott Herren – his Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and otherwise keys-and-drums centered Piano Overlord guise – and a collection of rare vinyl singles cut from 03-05! Maestro Scott wrote, plays, and produced all the tracks – done with lots of keys, drums and samples – and range from abstract atmospherics to a more rollicking, beat driven approach. Tracks include "Walk Home", "Another Marion B Moment", "Spring's Arrival", "Spring's Demise", "Agorophobia", "Recuerdas?", "Stay Home", "Intermission Thing", "Running JCH For All His Beats And Jewels", "Triste Maita", "You Stole My Stereo Outro", "Diplo Electric Manatee Final Mixdown", "The Overlord Meets The Adventure Time In Sleepy Keys", "Agorophobia (Count Bass D interpretation)" and "No Community (Blu Jemz K Kings version)". CD

One of the most unusual albums in the Three Blind Mice jazz catalog of the 70s – a set recorded by overlooked American reedman Allan Praskin, who really opens up in the Japanese setting of the record! Praskin is a player who worked strongly on the European scene for decades – mostly in a modern jazz mode, and with an angular, sharp sound on this set – of the sort that should have made him huge! There's a soulfulness to Praskin's alto that really gives the set a bit more depth than some of the other TBM dates – and he works in a cool piano-less quartet that features Kiyoshi Sugimoto on guitar, Yoshio Ikeda on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums! All three players really hit some wonderful rhythmic formations – giving the record as much fresh energy as Praskin's horn – and titles include the funky "Height Of Spring", plus "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Reflectors", "Encounters", and "Blues Connotation". CD

A great little solo set from Priscilla Coolidge – a singer most folks know from her duo records with Stax legend Booker T (of MGs fame) – who's on hand this time around to handled arrangements, production, and play some sweet Hammond too! The set's got this surprisingly funky feel at some moments – these slinky, groovy currents that really bring out the best in Priscilla's vocals – a nice edge that she maybe didn't even have on her records with Booker – and even some of the gentler, mellower moments have a tightness in the instrumentation that makes the whole thing surprisingly nice – although we definitely like the funkiest numbers the best. Titles include "On The Road", "Hummingbird", "Spring Rain", "T My T", "Salty Haze", and "Come On Sweet". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet acoustic folk rock from an obscure Colorado combo – a group who were perhaps a few years too late to make a mark with their sound, but who still sound wonderful nonetheless! This beautiful little record is the group's sole legacy – recorded for the tiny Owl Records label in 1973, and featuring a wonderfully harmonic approach! The instrumentation's all acoustic – warm guitars that slide in beautifully next to one another, plus mandolin, piano, and some occasional violin and recorder – and the vocals have a slightly spacey quality that fits in well with the themes of the tunes. Titles include "People Come", "And I A Fairy Tale Lady", "You Don't Have To Hurry", "Tappan Square", "Dorian 240 Lament", "Window", and "Binghamton". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – "Suite For Windy Spring", "Child", "Where I'm Bound", and "Chermaine". CD

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 simple title, but a great little record – one that offers up Jimmy Raney's guitar in all its best early tone – a sound on the instrument that few other players could match at the time! Raney's guitar was always a bit earthier than some of his 50s contemporaries like Johnny Smith and Tal Farlow – and in an era where the electric guitar could sometimes be played in a style that made you forget that there was actually a guy on the other end of those strings, a record like this really stands out! We're not saying that Raney's tone isn't great, because it is – ringing out with a bright, bell-like mode at times – but it's also a bit more personal too. Other players include Hall Overton on piano, John Wilson on trumpet, and Teddy Kotick on bass – and titles include "Double Image", "On The Square", "Some Other Spring", "Minor", "A Foggy Day", and "Cross Your Heart". CD

Excellent cool jazz vocals from The Netherlands! In the immediate post-war years, the Dutch jazz scene was one of the first to emerge with a sophisticated understanding of the American jazz form. Rita Reys was one of the country's leading talents in this respect, and she had a wonderfully cool vocal style that was similar to American singers like June Christy or Chris Connor. This great Japanese reissue of an album from 1956 has her fronting 2 different groups – one the legendary Wessel Ilcken Combo, the other an early version of The Jazz Messengers, featuring Horace Silver and Hank Mobley. The Jazz Messengers sides were apparently recorded in New York, and the Ilcken sides are of Dutch origin. Both are great – and titles include "I Should Care", "It's Alright With Me", "Old Black Magic", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year". CD

Excellent cool jazz vocals from The Netherlands! In the immediate post-war years, the Dutch jazz scene was one of the first to emerge with a sophisticated understanding of the American jazz form. Rita Reys was one of the country's leading talents in this respect, and she had a wonderfully cool vocal style that was similar to American singers like June Christy or Chris Connor. This great Japanese reissue of an album from 1956 has her fronting 2 different groups – one the legendary Wessel Ilcken Combo, the other an early version of The Jazz Messengers, featuring Horace Silver and Hank Mobley. The Jazz Messengers sides were apparently recorded in New York, and the Ilcken sides are of Dutch origin. Both are great – and titles include "I Should Care", "It's Alright With Me", "Old Black Magic", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year". CD

Mike Richmond is plucking the cello on the front of the cover – and within, he uses the instrument in a wonderfully fluid, jazzy style – really living up to the legacy of earlier work on the cello in jazz by artists like Ron Carter, Sam Jones, or Eldee Young! The group is nice and lean, with Andy Laverne on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Anthony Pinciotti on drums – and the cello is recorded very high up in the mix, with a lot more texture on the strings than you might expect – and certainly a very different sound than the use of the instrument in classical music or string quartet settings! Titles include a fair bit of Bill Evans numbers – versions of "Bill's Hit Tune", "Orbit", "Turn Out The Star", "B Minor Waltz", and "Waltz For Debbie" – and a nice take on "You Must Believe In Spring". CD

A great follow-up to Claudio Roditi's Braziliance record – and like that set, a record that's filled with a similarly warm and breezy groove! There's a range of bossa and post-bossa elements at work in the mix, plus some slight Latin jazz touches too – and Roditi's horn sounds wonderful in the setting, really stretching out with these well-blown lines over work from a group that includes Romero Lubambo on guitar, Michael Dease on trombone, Helio Alves on piano, John Lee on bass, and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums. All songs are originals by Roditi – and titles include "Slow Fire", "Piccolo Blues", "A Dream For Kristen", "Blues For Ronni", "Vida Nova", "Winter Dreams", and "Spring Samba". CD

A rare mid 50s collaboration between pianist Andre Previn and trumpeter Shorty Rogers – an instrumental collaboration between the pair – one that's mostly set up in the mode of Rogers style of the time with his Giants group – but which also really sparkles tremendously with the addition of Previn's brightly-colored piano lines! We'd honestly never thought that highly of Andre's work until hearing this set – and his presence here really adds a new dimension to the Shorty Rogers groove of the 50s – a set of tones that spring out wonderfully, and really illuminate the set! Other players include Bud Shank, Milt Bernhart, Jimmy Giuffre, and Bob Cooper – on 13 titles that include "It's Delovely", "Heat Wave", "40 Below", "Claudia", "General Cluster", "Everything I've Got", "Call For Cole", and "Lullaby Of Birdland". LP, Vinyl record album

Very unusual work from trumpeter Shorty Rogers – recorded in 1962 for the Navy Swings radio show, and done in a way that captures a different side than usual of Rogers' playing! As the title implies, a number of tunes feature vocalist Jeri Southern joining in the group – singing in a style that's nicely more jazzy than some of her other work, really surprising us with her ability to deliver a heartfelt ballad. But even more than the vocals on the CD, we love the instrumental numbers – as Rogers is playing here with 2 different groups that feature an assortment of unusually-matched LA players – including Harold Land on tenor, Gary Peacock on bass, Larry Bunker on drums, and either Mike Wofford or Amos Trice on piano. Rogers himself plays both trumpet and flugelhorn – and although the tracks are relatively short, there's some well-crafted interplay between the members of the group. The set features 13 tracks, 3 of which are vocal – "Down With Love", "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year", and "I Hadn't Anyone Till You". Instrumental numbers include "Time Was", "Popo", "Morning Fun", "Martians Go Home", "Casa De Luz", and "Paul's Pal". CD

Titles include "Manteca", "The Man With A Horn", "My Funny Valentine", "Round Midnight", "I Can't Get Started", "Up Jumped Spring", and "Concerto For Cootie" – 19 tracks total. CD

The final sound library set from this legendary Polish group – a hard-hitting prog trio who maybe deliver the goods more here than some of their more commercial contemporaries! As with the rest of the best from SBB, the sound here is as much fusion as it is progressive rock – stretched out on long tracks that feature lots of keyboards and piano from Jozef Skrzek, heavy guitar from Apostolis Antymos, and drums and percussion from Jerzy Piotrowski – a well-matched lineup who really deliver perfection throughout! Titles include the 15 minute "Spring Chimeras" – plus shorter cuts that include "AP", "Danusia's Dance", "Maladjusted Machine", and "Day At Stock Exchange". CD features bonus tracks too – "AP (work in progress)", "Fortepian Na Jednej Nodze", and "Wiosenne Chimery (live)". CD

Sweet Hammond grooving from the legendary Shirley Scott – a set that brings together two of her earliest albums for the Moodsville label at Prestige, both of which are in a soulful, mellow, late nite mode! The first album in the set is The Shirley Scott Trio – a date done for the Moodsville subsidiary of Prestige, with the laidback and mellow groove that was typical for the imprint at the time. Shirley actually plays a bit of piano on the record next to her Hammond – tinkling the ivories with a sound that's almost more lyrical than her work on organ. Bass is by either George Tucker or George Duvivier, and Arthur Edgehill is on drums – and tracks include "Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You", "Sweet Lorraine", "I Thought I'd Let You Know", "Spring Is Here", "I Should Care", and "Until The Real Thing Comes Along". Like Cozy is a very well titled little album – as the sound is nice and cozy – just Shirley Scott's organ with a bit of bass and drums, all stepping along in a mellow and soulful mood! The style is what you'd expect from the Moodsville label at the time – a more laidback, more intimate presentation of the talents of Scott – at least in comparison to some of her other work on the main Prestige label. The group here is a familiar one – with George Duviver on bass and Arthur Edgehill on drums – and titles include "My Heart Stood Still", "Once In Awhile", "Laura", "Like Cozy", "Little Girl Blue", and "More Than You Know". CD

A serious later session from Don Sebesky – one that shows that he's still capable of plenty of darkness in his music, even after scoring some smoother sets in the 70s! The album's definitely got something of a "jazz orchestra" feel – with a full orchestra that initiates the proceedings, and sets the scene with a low-toned, rumbling sort of style – before the album then opens up into some much more jazz solo-based work that has a much more redemptive feel! Players include Alex Foster on tenor, Jon Faddis on trumpet, Gordon Beck on piano, Richard Davis on guitar, and Joe Beck on guitar – all of whom get some nice space to state their cases as the album rolls on – on three long tracks that include "Bird & Bela In B", "Rite Of Spring", and "Sebastian's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record from The Seeds, and one that definitely earns its title – as it points the way towards a psychedelic future that would have made the group giants on the international scene, had they continued in this direction! The sound is very different than the garage punk of their previous two albums – a lot more complex, yet still never overdone – a real testament to the genius of Sky Saxon and the rest of the group as they opened up their minds, and allowed all sorts of new ideas to spring forth! And if you like the earlier records, you'll still find plenty to love here, as the whole thing still has a mighty sinister edge – as you'll hear on the cuts "Travel With Your Mind", "Flower Lady & Her Assistant", "Fallin'", "Six Dreams", "Two Fingers Pointing On You", "Now A Man", "Painted Doll", "Out Of The Question", and "Where Is The Entrance Way To Play". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record from The Seeds, and one that definitely earns its title – as it points the way towards a psychedelic future that would have made the group giants on the international scene, had they continued in this direction! The sound is very different than the garage punk of their previous two albums – a lot more complex, yet still never overdone – a real testament to the genius of Sky Saxon and the rest of the group as they opened up their minds, and allowed all sorts of new ideas to spring forth! And if you like the earlier records, you'll still find plenty to love here, as the whole thing still has a mighty sinister edge – as you'll hear on the cuts "Travel With Your Mind", "Flower Lady & Her Assistant", "Fallin'", "Six Dreams", "Two Fingers Pointing On You", "Now A Man", "Painted Doll", "Out Of The Question", and "Where Is The Entrance Way To Play". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Woody's last albums – a back to basics set, recorded with a group that include Kenny Garrett on alto sax, Kenny Barron on piano, and guest guitar work on one track by Peter Leitch. The approach is straight modal hardbop – in the spirit of Woody's first recordings for Muse – and although his genius seems to have faltered a bit, his work here is still incredibly solid, much more so than most other trumpeters of his generation, and still expressed in a preference for easily grooving longer tracks. Titles include "Speak Low", "Solid", "There Will Never Be Another You", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "The Woody Woodpecker Song". CD

One of Woody's last albums – a back to basics set, recorded with a group that include Kenny Garret on alto sax, Kenny Barron on piano, and guest guitar work on one track by Peter Leitch. The approach is straight modal hardbop – in the spirit of Woody's first recordings for Muse – and although his genius seems to have faltered a bit, his work here is still incredibly solid, much more so than most other trumpeters of his generation, and still expressed in a preference for easily grooving longer tracks. Titles include "Speak Low", "Solid", "There Will Never Be Another You", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "The Woody Woodpecker Song". CD

Sunny and swinging – an overlooked Capitol Records treasure from George Shearing – and one with a group that really helped set the sound of groovy jazz in the 60s! The players here are all wonderful – Emil Richards on vibes, Toots Thielemans on guitar, and Al McKibbon on bass – plus some guest congas from Armando Peraza – an artist we mostly know from Cal Tjader's Latin records! With Richards' vibes, the record really has a great sound – deep-toned, with plenty of jazz and Latin inflections – very similar to the territory that Tjader was exploring in the late 50s. And let's not forget George, too – as his piano has that nicely-blocked feel that really fits the sublime rhythms of the tunes. Titles include "Mambo Inn", "Jordu", "Confirmation", "Some Other Spring", "Drume Negrita", and "Bernie's Tune". CD

Features Bobby Shew and Chuck Findley on trumpet and flugelhorn, Art Resnick on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Sherman Ferguson on drums. Tracks include "Nadalin", "Stompin' At The Savoy", "I Love You", "I'm Old Fashioned", and "Joy Spring". CD

5 classic albums from Nina Simone – packaged together in one sweet little set! First up is Nuff Said – a great little album from Nina – mostly recorded live at the Westbury Music Fair, with a hip mix of jazz, soul, and folk that's stretched out in a slightly informal setting that always brings out the best of Nina's vocals! Tracks include "The Backlash Blues", "Please Read Me", "Sunday In Savannah", "Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)", and the nice jazzer "In The Morning". Plus, the album also includes one straight soul number – "Do What You Gotta Do", with some great arrangements by Horace Ott. Next is To Love Somebody – one of Nina's greatest records – recorded with her cool combo that included Weldon Irvine! Weldon's on organ on the set, and he co-wrote the two-part track "Revolution" with Simone, one of the album's strongest numbers! That track is set amidst covers of other hip 60s material, including "Turn Turn Turn", "To Love Somebody", "I Can't See Nobody", and "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" – all done with a freely righteous style that has Nina cutting loose at the end of the 60s! Black Gold is a real classic from Nina, one of the excellent sets she cut with the Stroud Productions imprint during the early 70s! The style here is even hipper than her late 60s work on Philips – with a mixture of open-ended jazz and soul that's best summed up in the album's extended reading of "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair", and a great version of "To Be Young Gifted & Black", which was written by Weldon Irvine, who's probably playing piano here with Nina. It Is Finished is the kind of record that once made purists turn up their noses, but which is now being rediscovered as a unique jazz/soul crossover album, filled with loads of nice moments! The instrumentation's pretty darn interesting – and includes sitar, harp, Spanish guitar, and other odd percussion instruments. Includes Nina's nice version of "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter", plus "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl", "Dambala", "Obeah Woman", and "The Pusher". Nina Simone & Piano is a strong back to basics session for Nina, one that featured her piano and vocals only, a very spare approach that was markedly different from her work a few years previously for other labels. Nina's tone on the piano is incredible – and she's working with some striking modern jazz changes that offset the folksiness of her vocals in a fantastic way, creating a sound that's a lot fuller than you'd expect! Titles include "Seems I'm Never Tired Lovin You", "Compensation", "Everyone's Gone To The Moon", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "I Think It's Going To Rain Today", "The Desperate Ones", "The Human Touch", and "Another Spring". CD

One of Frank Sinatra's last great ballad albums for Capitol – a sad and dreamy batch of tunes that kicks off with the incredible "Only The Lonely" – one of those Sinatra torch songs that's so great, so sad, nobody else has ever been able to record a better version, nor have they really tried! The rest of the album's great, too – with arrangements by Nelson Riddle that are very much in the Wee Small Hours mode – expressive, but subtle and sophisticated – at that level that set Sinatra so far apart from most other male singers of the 50s. Despite the creepy cover, there's a mature, adult approach to the whole thing – a new level of emotion that most other singers wouldn't find for a decade. Titles include "Only The Lonely", "Angel Eyes", "What's New", "Ebb Tide", "Spring Is Here", "Goodbye", and the sublime "One For My Baby". CD

One of Frank Sinatra's last great ballad albums for Capitol – a sad and dreamy batch of tunes that kicks off with the incredible "Only The Lonely" – one of those Sinatra torch songs that's so great, so sad, nobody else has ever been able to record a better version, nor have they really tried! The rest of the album's great, too – with arrangements by Nelson Riddle that are very much in the Wee Small Hours mode – expressive, but subtle and sophisticated – at that level that set Sinatra so far apart from most other male singers of the 50s. Despite the creepy cover, there's a mature, adult approach to the whole thing – a new level of emotion that most other singers wouldn't find for a decade. Titles include "Only The Lonely", "Angel Eyes", "What's New", "Ebb Tide", "Spring Is Here", "Goodbye", and the sublime "One For My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest albums ever cut by the Singers Unlimited – thanks to great instrumentation from the mighty Art Van Damme! Art plays accordion – in a way that works perfectly with the banks of sound and sweetness we love from the group – an instrument whose own breathy tones turns out to be a perfect accompaniment for their harmonies, especially in the way it sets a very melancholy mood! Other instrumentation is great too – relatively spare use of the guitar of Sigi Schwab, plus vibes from Heribert Thusek, bass from Eberhard Weber, and drums from Charly Antolini – and titles include a really sublime version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave", plus "Violets For Your Furs", "Cherry", "Spring Is Here", "Ecstasy", "We Could Be Flying", and "Invitation". CD

An incredible live set by Dr. Lonnie Smith – recorded during his 75th birthday celebration at NYC's Jazz Standard! It's mostly in a trio setting with Jonathan Kreisberg on guitar and Johnathan Blake on drums, working through raucous and intimate moments with equal skill. We saw Lonnie play not too long before this impeccable set was recorded, so believe us when we tell you, the next best thing to seeing him do his inimitable thing in person – even as late in the game as his 75th year – is right here! He wastes no time pulling us in with a great take on Wayne Shorter's "Juju", which feels SO good with Lonnie's electric keys, along with some great space for Kreisberg to shine, and the set has some wonderful mellower moments, too. Includes a killer cover of Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", Smith's own "Alhambra" and "All In My Mind", plus "Devika", "On A Misty Night"and "Up Jumped Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

Sonic Youth's second set for Geffen and perhaps the SC album most burdened by expectations of the time – produced by Butch Vig and with a bigger, yet way noisier sound than Goo. The sound is straight up incredible – whether you'd want to credit Vig, mixer Andy Wallace or Sonic Youth themselves – the feedback and layers of fuzz are massive, making the few quieter moments all the more impressive when they spring up. The great songs and odd changes are all Sonic Youth – and this is another essential set from them. Include "100%", "Swimsuit Issue", "Theresa's Sound-World", "Drunken Butterfly", "Shoot", "Wish Fulfillment", "Sugar Kane", "Youth Against Fascism", "On The Strip", "Purr", "Creme Brulee". LP, Vinyl record album

A passionate, fairly wild off the cuff recording from Bahaman folk guitarist and spirited singer/howler/grunter/one-of-a-kind performer Joseph Spence! Good Morning Mr Walker was recorded one Spring day in 1971, except for the last three tunes, which are concert recordings from later that evening. Spence emotes over his plaintive acoustic picking and playful strumming, but his vocals are really something else – and wholly loveable. Titles include "Out On The Rolling Sea", "I See Mary And Joseph", "I See Mary And Joseph", "Lay Down My Brother", "Coming In On A Wing And A Prayer", "Don't Let Nobody Burn Down Burma Road", "Be A Friend To Jesus" and "Mary Ann". CD

The title certainly gets it right – as Dakota Staton is definitely dynamic on this one, but not in a way that's hokey or forced at all! Instead, the record nicely lifts Staton from some of the more laidback and bluesy modes of her other 50s records – into a fuller range of styles that are inflected with plenty of jazz – scored nicely by arranger Sid Feller, and played by a group that includes some great vibes, flute, and piano. The sound is sometimes dark and moody, sometimes lively and swinging – and titles include "I Wonder", "Say It Isn't So Joe", "Let Me Off Uptown", "Night Mist", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Some Other Spring", and "It Could Happen To You". CD features 4 bonus tracks, 2 previously unreleased – with titles that include "Invitation", "The Party's Over", "The Nearness Of You", and "I'll Remember April". CD

Beautiful Roost material from Sonny Stitt – solid, mature, and extremely well-placed lines on the alto sax – all caught at a level that's higher than most of his contemporaries were dising out at the time! The boppier side of Stitt's roots is nicely suppressed here – and in its place is a focused and deeply personal approach to the music – one that's wonderfully complemented by the "New Yorkers" combo of Hank Jones on piano, Shadow Wilson on drums, and Wendell Marshall on bass. The record's one of the jewels in the crown of his Roost catalog – and titles include "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Engos, The Bloos", and "Bloosey". CD

Beautiful Roost material from Sonny Stitt – solid, mature, and extremely well-placed lines on the alto sax – all caught at a level that's higher than most of his contemporaries were dising out at the time! The boppier side of Stitt's roots is nicely suppressed here – and in its place is a focused and deeply personal approach to the music – one that's wonderfully complemented by the "New Yorkers" combo of Hank Jones on piano, Shadow Wilson on drums, and Wendell Marshall on bass. The record's one of the jewels in the crown of his Roost catalog – and titles include "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Engos, The Bloos", and "Bloosey". LP, Vinyl record album

Donna Summer also covers spring, autumn and winter here – on an incredibly groovy disco concept album – gorgeously sung by Donna Summer and produced to perfection by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte! It's got 4 long, seasonally-titled tunes and a reprise – with "Spring Affair", "Summer Fever", "Autumn Changes" and "Winter Melody" – and the numbers groove appropriately! The spring groover is breezy, summer's is nice and steamy, the dancefloor grooves shift and phase for autumn, and winter is cool and delicate. One of the finer album-oriented disco releases of the period! LP, Vinyl record album

An overstuffed double-length set from Donna Summer – one that features some of the live material promised in the title, plus some even better studio work as well! The first 3 sides of the album feature Donna recorded live – putting over tunes with a bit more personality and almost a sense of spontaneity that we wouldn't expect – on titles that include "Fairy Tale High", "Only One Man", "I Remember Yesterday", "I Love You", "Spring Affair", "Mimi's Song", "I Feel Love", and "Last Dance". But even better is the 4th side of the record – which features the extended "MacArthur Park Suite" – Donna's masterful reworking of the Jimmy Webb classic, stretched out to even greater length than the original! LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks from Spirit Of Eden, Colour Of Spring, It's My Life, and The Party's Over. Cassette

Soulful fusion from the mighty Tarika Blue – a group who recorded for the Chiaroscuro label around the same time that James Mason gave the imprint his classic Rhythm Of Life album – recording here in a sound that's not only a bit like James, but which also features his guitar on a number of tracks! The group's way different than the standard fusion acts of the time – as they blend together spiritual currents that allow for breezier instrumentation – sounds that take off to the skies, while still grooving at the core – thanks to an excellent lineup that also includes guitar from Ryo Kawasaki and soprano sax from Justo Almario! The core of the group features Philip Clendeninn on Fender Rhodes and Arp, with bass from Barry Coleman and drums from Kevin Atkins – and the record's got some very James Mason-like vocals at some points, from singers Dolores Smith and Irene Datcher. Titles include "Jimi", "My Love Is So Free", "Love It", "Dreamflower", "Things Spring", "Truth Is The Key", and "Charlie". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Dat Dere", "Soul Time", "Easy Does It", "Lush Life", "God Bless The Child", "Old Devil Moon", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and two versions of "Moanin". CD

A wonderful mellow trio session from Bobby Timmons – done with a spare, relaxed approach that's a nice contrast to the recordings he was making for Prestige around the same time – but which still has the same deep, soulful approach to the piano that makes those records so great! Half a dozen trio numbers with Sam Jones and Roy McCurdy are rounded out with two piano solos, "God Bless The Child" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" – both of which present Bobby in an especially introspective mode, one you don't hear that often on record! Remaining trio tunes include "The Sweetest Sounds", "Turn Left", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Another Live One", "Alone Together" and "Why Was I Born". CD

Never-issued work from pianist Keith Tippett – live studio recordings from 1970, and cuts that really capture Tippett at the height of his young brilliance! There's a vibe here that's often a bit different than some of his famous albums of the period – more modal in the rhythms overall, with long-spun cuts that sparkle with a beautifully spiritual sense of energy! The package features three tracks each from two different sessions in 1970 – both of which feature Elton Dean on saxes, Marc Charig on cornet, and Nick Evans on trombone – all sounding every bit as special and soulful as Tippett on the recordings. The first date also features Jeff Clyne on bass and Trevor Tomkins on drums – the second has Roy Babbington on bass and Bryan Spring on drums – and titles include "In A Vacant Mood", "Thoughts To Geoff", "How Long This Time", "Five After Dawn", and "Green & Orange Night Park". CD

Sublime mellow work from Cal Tjader – vibes mixed with strings mixed with Latin percussion – a nicely laidback take on his classic 50s sound! The core group is still one of Cal's Latin best – with Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo on percussion – and many tracks have some great flute work by Paul Horn, snaking through the mellower grooves with a sound that's sad and soulful. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Ode For Margo", "Martha", "Spring Is Here", and "Star Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record from the Japanese scene of the 70s – one that seems to borrow a lot from the French pop styles of the late 60s – as you might guess from the group's name! Toi Et Moi are one guy singer, one gal – blending their Japanese vocals beautifully, with elements that move between lighter bossa elements and some fuller, more upbeat backings – a blend that makes the album a treasure through and through, and which gives it the same ability to transcend the boundaries of language as some of our favorite European work of the time! Lyrics are all in Japanese, and titles translate as "Love Token In A Spring", "June Bride", "Village In The Valley", "Ballad Of Rainbow & Snow", and "Beautiful Summer". LP, Vinyl record album

You might not initially recognize the name of Trevor Tomkins, until you realize he was the drummer in the great Don Rendell/Ian Carr group of the late 60s – continuing his great run of modern jazz expressions here, in a set of never-issued work! The material here dates from years after the breakup of the Rendell/Carr combo, but it's clear that Trevor really drunk in deep from that moment in jazz – and continues the spirit of open flow and creative rhythms in his own music – working here with a great lineup of players that includes Chris Pyne on trombone, Jimmy Hastings and Brian Smith on soprano and tenor saxes, Phil Lee on guitar, John Horler on piano and electric piano, and Paul Bridge on drums. The double-length package features work recorded over the space of a few years, but has a very unified feel – and the material is mostly all original, with a number of especially wonderful tracks penned by Lee. Titles include "Your Eyes Are Love", "The Right Moment", "Chapter One", "Celeste", "Summer Night", "Three Four Peace", "Evansong", "Your Dancing Toes", "Early Spring", and "For Future Reference". CD

A split session of material – both sides recorded during the same concert in Yokohama, but with one side of instrumental work, and one side of vocals! Pianist Masaru Imada starts things out with three really beautiful original tunes – pieces that blend together some modal rhythms with some of the freer energy that he and his Japanese scene were opening up at the time – not avant modes, by wonderfully lyrical progressions that are urged on here by work from Isoo Fukui on bass and Tetsujiro Obara on drums! Both players continue on the vocal tracks, which have singer Shigeko Toya in the lead – and the quartet are also joined by Kenji Mori on alto on two tracks too. Instrumental tunes include "Ascent", "On The Green Pavement", and "Shadows In Spring" – and vocal numbers include "Call Me Irresponsible", "I'll Be Seeing You", "Fine & Mellow", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

A set that hugely expands the legacy of British 80s singer Tracie Young – a great artist, but one who only got a single record issued back in the day! First up is that set, Far From The Hurting Kind – a fantastic bit of soulful UK pop from the 80s that was originally issued on Paul Weller's Respond label, and done with plenty of the touches that Weller was bringing to his own Style Council music at the time! Tracie's got a voice that's right at home in some of the British period styles, but which sounds even better with some of the mod soul inflections that Weller's production brings to the record – definitely 80s in instrumentation and execution, but with a richness that really seems to open up the vocals of singer Tracie Young. Titles include "The House That Jack Built", "When You Sleep", "Moving Together", "Thank You", "I Can't Hold On Till Summer", "Souls On Fire", and "Spring Summer Autumn". Next is the album No Smoke Without Fire – a second set that was not issued at the time, and which has maybe some deeper soulful currents in the music – a bit like the work that Corinne Drewery would do with Swing Out Sister. Titles include "Italian Girl", "I Think You're Lucky", "When You Call Me", "No Smoke Without Fire", "Invitation", and "Fingers Crossed". Both albums are presented here with bonus tracks – and the package features lots more too – CD3 adds in 17 more Rarities, with remixes and singles; CD4 features live material and later radio mixes; DVD adds in some rare promo videos and TV appearances too! The whole package is huge – 84 titles in all. CD

One of Sarah's few albums for Columbia, and a rather early one at that. The set features excellent small group backing from George Treadwell and His All Stars, with Benny Green on trombone, Bud Johnson on tenor, Tony Scott on clarinet, Mundell Lowe on guitar, and JC Heard on drums – all of whom shine nicely, and make the record one of Sarah's best jazz outings of the 50s. Titles include "Mean To Me", "Goodnight My Love", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", "East Of The Sun", "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Atena", "Dark Dreamer", "Elegy For The Stella Marie", "In The LIfe Before", "The Force That Flows", "Eternal Triangle", "Urantia", "She Might Be Spring", "And What Do You Like To Be Called", and "Abruja". CD

Three albums from this great reedman! Gibraltar features a killer Dutch duo from the end of the 70s – tenorist Harry Verbeke, who's got a bold, clear sound – and pianist Rob Agerbeek, who's been making soulful sides from the 60s onwards! The pair get great accompaniment here from drummer Billy Higgins and bassist Herbie Lewis – the last of whom may be at his best here – with these well-placed, well-rounded lines that help the record groove right from the start – and which give the record a nice bounce, even in gentler moments – followed up strongly by Agerbeek and his strong sense of chord progressions. Most tunes are familiar, but get nice readings by the group – and titles include "Gibraltar, "Holy Land", "Soul Sister", "No Me Esqueca", and "No Problem". It's You Or No One is a gem, as Harry Verbeke's a tenor player we grow to love more and more over the years – especially as we discover more of his obscure Dutch recordings like this album from the 70s! Verbeke's a tenorist who's completely fully-formed and strong-voiced right from the very first note – maybe indicated by his choice of a Barney Wilen tune to lead off the set – as, like Wilen, Harry's one of these great under-discovered European talents who really helped move his instrument forward, but away from recognition on our side of the Atlantic. The rest of the group is top-shelf too – the great Irv Rochlin on piano, Harry Emmery on bass, and Max Bollerman on drums – on titles that include "Blue Bossa", "Prelude In Blue", "Mariette", "Sugar", and "Chelsea Bridge". As for Harry Verbeke Plays Romantic Ballads, the title's no lie, but it can't even begin to get at the very special sound of the record – as there's a lot more going on here than just a saxophonist taking on American standards! Harry Verbeke's got this sense of tone and phrasing that are very much his own – a quality that we love on his harder-swinging records from the 70s, but which opens up with even more individuality here – a raspy sort of charm that's hard to describe in words, but which makes the album very different than so many other tenor outings of this type. Another strong element is the use of organ instead of piano – an instrument played here by Carlo De Wijs, who mostly shades in things under Harry's lead, rather than try to challenge him to a sonic battle – as the core get gentle support from Hein Van De Geyn on bass and Arnoud Gerritse on drums. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "A Child Is Born", "Chelsea Bridge", "Spring Fever", and "Everything Happens To Me". CD

A very cool split album from pianist Enrique Villegas – and one that's nicely different than some of his other records from the time! Side one features a long tribute to Thelonious Monk – a blended medley of "Bemsha Swing", "Round Midnight", and "Blue Monk – played with a trio that includes the great Jorge Lopez Ruiz on bass and Eduardo Casalla on drums – followed by other tracks on side two that have a very Monkish approach – nicely angular, and with a vibe that shows just how much Villegas learned from Monk, but maybe filled in with more of the expansive notes he brings to his own music too. These tracks include "It Might As Well Be Spring", "St Thomas", "Charmaine", and "It's Only A Paper Moon". CD

This issue's titled after a classic album from the great Horace Tapscott, and features a wonderful article on the man himself inside – plus great feature on Isaiah Collier, our hometown hero on saxophone – destined to become one of the greatest players in jazz over the next few years! There's plenty more too – a look at Gogo Penguin, Matthew Halsall, Tigran Hamasayan, and the jazz scene in Istanbul – plus a second visit to jazz joints in Tokyo, a look at deeper listening modes – and more on Bill Frisell, Spring Heel Jack, and Esa Pethman! As always, the presentation is wonderful – beautiful images and art – and the whole thing is squarebound, like a book, almost no ads and full of color throughout! Magazine

Wonderful stuff! Ben Webster blows soulful late night ballads over strings – a perfect combination, and a wonderful idea that was first executed on two LPs in the 50s: Music For Loving and Music With Feeling, both of which are reissued here with some extra unreleased material! Backings are by Ralph Burns and Billy Strayhorn – both of whom can be trusted to keep things hip, using the strings to create mood, emotion, and tension, instead of a pillow to smother the sound of Webster's incredible tenor work. Added to those two albums and bonus cuts is the even rarer Harry Carney with Strings session, recorded in the same era, and a perfect addition to the package that makes for over 3 LPs worth of material on 2 CDs, all packaged with great notes and some very cool Verve artwork! Titles include "Chelsea Bridge", "Some Other Spring", "Blue Moon", "Early Autumn", "My Fantasy", "Love Is Here To Stay", "Under A Blanket Of Blue", "You're Mine You", "Love's Away", and "All Too Soon". CD

A great solo set from Kentonite Claude Williamson. The west coast piano player takes on a number of standards, some in solo format, some with a trio including Max Bennett and Stan Levey. Nice fifties jazzy line drawing on the cover. Titles include "Spring Is Here", "Get Happy", "Yesterdays", "Like Someone In Love", and "My Heart Stood Still". LP, Vinyl record album

Two different slices of sound from keyboardist Sohan Wilson – both of them equally great! Side one of the record features a live jazzy combo working with Sohan – creating these cool jazz funk numbers that are steeped in 70s tradition, but which have a very contemporary cosmic vibe – not a rehash of older modes, but really new territory explored by the keys! Side two has more of a clubby vibe – beats, samples, and other elements that are topped with strong keyboard lines of a variety of modes – very 21st century, with some spectacular production on the rhythms – all of which will have us looking for plenty more of Sohan's music in the future! Titles include "Guerrero Eterno", "Feel It", "Hey Girl", "Anthem For The Universe", "All I Want Is Again", "Spring Birds", "Night Sky", and "Childhood Memories". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut by vibist Lem Winchester – a hip talent from the soul jazz generation, but one who left our planet all too soon! Here, Lem plays vibes with backing from the Ramsey Lewis trio – excellent rhythm work from Eldee Young on bass and Redd Holt on drums – plus lyrical piano that blends nicely with the vibes, almost in a Jack Wilson/Roy Ayers sort of mode! Tracks include "Joy Spring", "Jordu", "Sandu", "Message From Boysie", and "Where It Is", an original by Winchester. LP, Vinyl record album

2 mid 50s sets by a young Phil Woods! Record one features Pairing Off – a well-blown album with lots of room for solo space! – Working with a group that includes Donald Byrd, Gene Quill, Kenny Dorham, and Tommy Flanagan – and the 4 tracks off of that album are all quite long, with an open, hardbop-driven blowing session feel, including "The Stanley Stomper", "Cool Aid", "Suddenly It's Spring", and "Pairing Off". Record 2 features material from Bird Feathers, an alto player anthology, & the album Phill & Quill, including the tracks "Creme de Funk", "Solar", "Black Cherry Fritters", and "Altology". LP, Vinyl record album

The "pair" here is Phil Woods and Gene Quill – both blowing beautifully on alto sax, with that sharp edge and deep tone that made both players a real standout in the 50s scene! The Woods/Quill mix has been documented elsewhere, but the sound here is rawer than some of those other dates – a bit less formal, with a nice blowing session sort of groove. There's also a pair of trumpets, too – Donald Byrd and Kenny Dorham – and rhythm is from the trio of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. All tracks are quite long – and the album features 4 titles that include "The Stanley Stomper", "Cool Aid", "Suddenly It's Spring", and "Pairing Off". LP, Vinyl record album

Spiritual keyboard giant Lonnie Liston Smith joins the duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – and the result is maybe one of the deepest records in this wonderful series! As you can imagine, Lonnie is on keyboards, and delivers some wonderful solos throughout – very much in the spirit of his classic Flying Dutchman albums of the 70s – at a level that even seems to bring out some deeper vibes from Younge and Muhammad as well! Vocalist Loren Oden joins the group on four tracks, recalling the great vocal style used on Lonnie's classic records, in this beautiful mix of jazz and soul that really shapes the tunes – in a set that that includes "A New Spring", "Love Brings Happiness", "Cosmic Changes", "Dawn", "Gratitude", "What May Come", and "Love Can Be". CD

Spiritual keyboard giant Lonnie Liston Smith joins the duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – and the result is maybe one of the deepest records in this wonderful series! As you can imagine, Lonnie is on keyboards, and delivers some wonderful solos throughout – very much in the spirit of his classic Flying Dutchman albums of the 70s – at a level that even seems to bring out some deeper vibes from Younge and Muhammad as well! Vocalist Loren Oden joins the group on four tracks, recalling the great vocal style used on Lonnie's classic records, in this beautiful mix of jazz and soul that really shapes the tunes – in a set that that includes "A New Spring", "Love Brings Happiness", "Cosmic Changes", "Dawn", "Gratitude", "What May Come", and "Love Can Be". CD

Spiritual keyboard giant Lonnie Liston Smith joins the duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – and the result is maybe one of the deepest records in this wonderful series! As you can imagine, Lonnie is on keyboards, and delivers some wonderful solos throughout – very much in the spirit of his classic Flying Dutchman albums of the 70s – at a level that even seems to bring out some deeper vibes from Younge and Muhammad as well! Vocalist Loren Oden joins the group on four tracks, recalling the great vocal style used on Lonnie's classic records, in this beautiful mix of jazz and soul that really shapes the tunes – in a set that that includes "A New Spring", "Love Brings Happiness", "Cosmic Changes", "Dawn", "Gratitude", "What May Come", and "Love Can Be". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete Columbia Records studio sessions from pianist Denny Zeitlin – and a package that features a fair bit of unreleased material too – not just alternate takes, but loads of fresh new tunes recorded at the time – appearing here for the first time ever! Zeitlin's a hell of a pianist, especially during these years – a really fresh 60s talent who works with a sound that's both warmly lyrical and somewhat modern – stylistically rooted in Bill Evans' inspiration, but clearly his own man by the time of these recordings! Denny's never fully gotten his due, and reissues over the years have been spare – so this package is not only a much-needed look as his mighty talents, but also a key discovery of 12 previously unreleased numbers. Players include Charlie Haden, Cecil McBee, and Joe Halpin on bass – and Freddie Waits, Oliver Johnson, and Jerry Granelli on drums. Titles include "Blue Phoenix", "Spring Is Here", "Western Thing", "Slipstream", "Later", "Labyrinth", "The Journey Home", "Carole's Garden", "Skippying", "Carnival", "Dormammu", "Living Alone", "Night & Day", "Maiden Voyage", "Nica's Tempo", "Cathexis", and "Repeat". CD

A silly title, but a pretty nice album overall! This 2CD set features a cool selection of downtempo and retro-styled grooves from some of the hipper overseas labels of the past few years. There's a number of cuts on here by artists that we stock and love, but there's even more by artists we haven't – including some pretty cool groups that we were happy to discover. The package was selected by 45 Dip, and not only includes a number of their own tracks, but also has a feel that's pretty much in keeping with their own end of the musical spectrum – laidback, funky, with elements of classic instrumentation. Titles include "Gorgeous George", "Docking", "Something In Space", and "Va Va Voom (Space Lounge mix)" by 45 Dip, plus "Buddha Cowboy" by John Howard, "Mooger Fooger" by Bermuda Triangle, "She's Groovy" by Akasha, "In Spring" by Les Hommes, "Bubble Love" by Chunking, "Sea Of Change" by Broadway Project, "Angel" by Zohar, "One Day Trip In An Elevator" by Hand Polished, "Love Is Incredible" by Bastian, and "Party" by Sporto Kantes. 29 tracks in all! CD

The genius of Ziggy Stardust didn't just spring out of the blue – as David Bowie spent years listening to other music by a range of different artists – engaging them, supporting them, and absorbing them in the process – all to weave into the rich tapestry that became his own musical legacy! Bowie famously covered 60s tunes on his Pin Ups album, and did others' tracks on some other studio sides as well – and his live performances were famous over the years for surprising remakes that offered unabashed homage to those who influenced him – a few of whom would become musical partners as well. This loving package features 24 tracks that were all later performed by Bowie, but delivered here in their original versions – all with detailed notes that trace the lines between the initial takes and the remakes – with the kind of flourish we've come to love from Ace Records. Titles include "Fill Your Heart" by Biff Rose, "It Ain't Easy" by Ron Davies, "Sorry" by The Merseys, "Rosalyn" by The Pretty Things, "Dancing In The Street" by Martha & The Vandellas, "Nite Flights" by The Walker Brothers, "Alabama Song" by Lotte Lenya & The Three Admirals, "Kingdom Come" by Tom Verlaine, "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" by The Kinks, "White Light White Heat" by The Velvet Underground, "Louie Go Home" by Paul Revere & The Raiders, "If There Is Something" by Roxy Music, "Criminal World" by Metro, "Amsterdam" by Jacques Brel, "Wild Is The Wind" by Johnny Mathis, "I Took A Trip On A Gemini Space Ship" by The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, and "Pablo Picasso" by The Modern Lovers. CD

British music breaking through – served up here in a set of sounds that really reflect the massive musical year of 1971! As you might guess from the "underground" in the title, the collection's a bit one-sided – as it's not out to document the hits of the time, but instead the work that was bubbling under and having such a huge impact on the world – even if some of these artists never saw the fame they deserved, or were a few years away from bigger success with the tracks on the set! The package is heavy on work from the psych-into-prog years – much of which never falls into the excesses of either – and there's also a few hard rockers, some jazzier bits, and lots more surprises along the way – served up in a set list of 52 tracks by artists who include Keef Hartley, Jade Warrior, Pink Fairies, Procol Harum, Family, Samurai, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Nucleus, Yes, Status Quo, Cressida, BB Blunder, Beggars Opera, Pretty Things, Spring, Hawkwind, Audience, Atomic Rooster, Patto, Caravan, John Martyn, Peter Hammill, and many others. CD

A really great assortment of rare work from the golden era of Western Swing – featuring famous Texas and Oklahoma acts, plus a lot of other much more obscure artists! The set features a whopping 99 tracks in all – with work from Fort Worth Doughboys, Bob Wills & Texas Playboys, Doug Bine & His Dixie Ramblers, the Tune Wranglers, the Washboard Wonders, the Crystal Spring Ramblers, Buddy Jones, Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers, the Sunshine Boys, the Hi-Flyers, and more. CD

Grandmaster Flash is best known for his work in the world of hip hop, not the sort of club scene that Salsoul helped feed back in the day – yet this surprisingly great package has Flash adding in some hip hop energy to the catalog of the legendary label – spinning tracks that emphasize the funkier currents of Salsoul, and drawing a link between disco singles and the sorts of rhythms that first helped feed the old school street party scene! Titles include "High" by Skyy, "Doctor Love" by First Choice, "Make Up Your Mind" by Aurra, "Runaway" by Salsoul Orchestra, "Let's Celebrate" by Skyy, "Slap Slap Lickedy Lap" by Instant Funk, "Love Sensation" by Loleatta Holloway, "Ten Percent" by Double Exposure", "I Got My Mind Made Up" by Instant Funk, "Spring Rain" by Silvetti, "Ooh I Love It" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "Checkin You Out" by Aurra. LP, Vinyl record album

An extremely eclectic selection of groovers – with that spiritual jazzy vibe that you'd expect from the London scene, and from the crates of the legendary Russ Dewbury. The compilation has a similar feel to the Freedom Time set – with a batch of tracks that move beyond the usual heavy funk numbers to include some excellent jazz vocal numbers, and some other more complicated tracks that have a sweet fusiony sound. Just about all the tracks on here are super-obscure, and you won't find them easily on original vinyl – nor in such a set as lovingly put together as this one! Titles include "Morning Spring" by Copeland Davis, "Afro Beat" by Jazz Techniques, "Let The Sunshine In" by Sons & Daughters Of Life", "If You Can Live With Yourself" by Dale Dennard, "Gang Progress" by Andre Ceccarelli, "Partido Alto" by Airto & Flora, "Pretty Bird" by Terea, "No Other Love But You" by Clarice Labbe, "Gemstones" by Jack Wilson, "Morning" by Lorez Alexandria, and "Frozen Tundra Lady" by Steamheat. Loads more, and packed with rare tracks! CD

A fantastic package – a must-have for any fan of older jazz! This CD set reissues material originally packaged in the rare Jazz Scene box set issued by Verve at the end of the 40s – a limited package of 78rpm singles that documented the styles and sounds of modern jazz at the time, filled with great drawings and photos, and one of those super-rare collectibles that you never ever see! This set does a fantastic job of re-presenting the material – filling one CD with tracks in the original box set, and a whole other CD with bonus material that was never issued at the time! Plus, it comes with great notes, reproductions of the original art, photos, and a whole lot more. It's a rare treasure both visually and musically – as the edgey recordings are in the best late 40s modern mode, blending bop, swing, and influences from other fields – really incredible work that deserves to be heard again and again! Titles include "Introspection" by Ralph Burns, "Sono" by Duke Ellington, "Swingin For Julie & Brownie" by Flip Phillips, "Spring In Naples" by Ralph Burns, "Tailspin" by Billy Strayhorn, "Tea For Two" by Willie Smith, and "Tanga" by Machito. CD

Modal jazz galore – a collection of rare Italian tunes that move with a loping, soaring sense of energy – often very classic in their sound and style, but mostly pulled from a range of more obscure recent sources! Most of the tracks here were never issued outside of Italy – and even then, only on small labels that never achieved wider distribution – making almost the whole collection a new discovery in jazz to our ears, and one that's filled with countless delights throughout! As you'd guess from the title, the rhythms here are well-paced and lively – soaking up a lot of influences from the Coltrane generation, but also coming across with the tightness of a classic Blue Note or Prestige session. Most groups here are quartets, quintets, or sextets – and the longer than usual tracks offer plenty of room for solos on tenor, trumpet, trombone, and piano. Titles include "Spagna" by Piana Valdambrini Sextet, "Babir" by Alliance, "Proof Of The Pudding" by Michael Cochrane, "Calypso" by Dino & Franco Piana, "Naima" by Antonio Farao, "Tutankhamon Dance" by Nuevo Sestetto Italiano, "Woody" by Flavio Boltro, "Spring" by Antonio Farao, "La Stalla Di Pegaso" by Abbate Nicola Fontana Albano, and "New Born" by Idea 6. LP, Vinyl record album

A really heady dip into the mighty large catalog of P&P Records – a small family of New York labels in the late 70s/early 80s, and a powerhouse of production who were cutting grooves that were years ahead of their time! P&P was one of those companies that always seemed to get more attention overseas than on our shores – and that legacy is supported here with a superb track list from DJ Kenta – who brings together 19 gems from the label's far-ranging roster, in a cool blend of funky club tracks that even include a few of his own original edits! Titles include "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "African Rock" by Licky, "Roller Rink Funk" by Shift, "Stomp Your Feet & Dance" by Kim Taylor, "Out Of Work (voc)" by Jesse Gould, "Turn Up Your Radio" by Kessler, "I Did It Again" by Jesse Henderson, "Spring Rain" by The Destiny Orchestra, "Feel The Spirit (long disco version)" by Foster Jackson Group, "Dance Dance Dance (disco version)" by Marta Acuna, and "Super Jay Love Theme" by Super J. CD

A really heady dip into the mighty large catalog of P&P Records – a small family of New York labels in the late 70s/early 80s, and a powerhouse of production who were cutting grooves that were years ahead of their time! P&P was one of those companies that always seemed to get more attention overseas than on our shores – and that legacy is supported here with a superb track list from DJ Kenta – who brings together 19 gems from the label's far-ranging roster, in a cool blend of funky club tracks that even include a few of his own original edits! Titles include "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "African Rock" by Licky, "Roller Rink Funk" by Shift, "Stomp Your Feet & Dance" by Kim Taylor, "Out Of Work (voc)" by Jesse Gould, "Turn Up Your Radio" by Kessler, "I Did It Again" by Jesse Henderson, "Spring Rain" by The Destiny Orchestra, "Feel The Spirit (long disco version)" by Foster Jackson Group, "Dance Dance Dance (disco version)" by Marta Acuna, and "Super Jay Love Theme" by Super J. CD

American film may have invented the genres of crime jazz and blacksploitation funk – but by the mid 70s, the Italian scene was really giving us a run for our money – as they turned out some amazing grooves for their legendary run of cop and crime films at the time! The movies were awash in music that really kept the action moving – heavy drums, badass basslines, wah wah guitar, and anything else that fit the spirit of a great chase or action scene. This collection brings together some of the best of that stretch – and, as with other of these recent Sugar productions, adds in some unreleased material that makes the package essential, even if you've already got work from this scene in your collection. Titles include "Il Cappotto Dilegno (edit)" by Riz Ortolani, "Poliziotto Spring M2" by Stelvio Cipriani, "Silkin Street" by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis, "Ordine Firmato Inbianco" by Carlo Savina, "Onore E Guapparia M7" by Filippo Trecca, "L'Intoccabile Mr Cliff" by Riz Ortolani, "I Gabbianivolano Basso M13" by Roberto Pregadio, "Body Guard" by Stelvio Cipriano, "Il Braccioviolento Della Mala M10" by Vassili Kojucharov, and "L'Assassino Hale Ore Contate" by Luis Bacalov. CD