A huge collection of work – one that not only gets at the brilliance of the young Jacques Brel as a singer on the Francophone scene, but which also showcases his tremendous talent for penning fresh and original songs – a number of which are served up here in versions by other singers of the time! There's something really special about a Jacques Brel tune – as he cuts to the heart of humanity, exposing dreams, follies, fears, and sadness with a mix of wit and emotion – a balance that nobody else has been able to touch this well – and which also carries over, even when another singer might be handling his songs! The first 4CDs of the set bring together key early recordings by Brel – 89 tracks from his early years on Barclay. And the remaining 2CDs offer up key interpretations of his tunes – another 45 titles, performed by artists who include Juliette Greco, Marc E Odile, Denise Andre, Yves Montand, Jacqueline Nero, Vera Gran, Colette Chevrot, Pia Colombo, Yvette Giraud, Les Riff, and many others – including a fair bit of artists who are not represented well in the world of reissues! CD

One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time – and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) – and it features Dee Dee singing material that's quite different than her later R&B-inflected sides from the late 70s – very soaring and spiritual work, delivered in a way that set a whole new standard for jazz at the time! Backing is by a small combo with brothers Ron and Cecil Bridgewater, plus Roland Hanna on acoustic and electric piano, George Mraz on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums and percussion – but the star of the set is always Dee Dee, who sparkles beautifully on the album's classic versions of "Afro Blue" and "Little B's Poem" – both of which have been redone by many other singers over the years. Other great cuts include "People Make The World Go Round", "Love From The Sun", and "Love Vibrations". CD

One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time – and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) – and it features Dee Dee singing material that's quite different than her later R&B-inflected sides from the late 70s – very soaring and spiritual work, delivered in a way that set a whole new standard for jazz at the time! Backing is by a small combo with brothers Ron and Cecil Bridgewater, plus Roland Hanna on acoustic and electric piano, George Mraz on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums and percussion – but the star of the set is always Dee Dee, who sparkles beautifully on the album's classic versions of "Afro Blue" and "Little B's Poem" – both of which have been redone by many other singers over the years. Other great cuts include "People Make The World Go Round", "Love From The Sun", and "Love Vibrations". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time – and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) – and it features Dee Dee singing material that's quite different than her later R&B-inflected sides from the late 70s – very soaring and spiritual work, delivered in a way that set a whole new standard for jazz at the time! Backing is by a small combo with brothers Ron and Cecil Bridgewater, plus Roland Hanna on acoustic and electric piano, George Mraz on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums and percussion – but the star of the set is always Dee Dee, who sparkles beautifully on the album's classic versions of "Afro Blue" and "Little B's Poem" – both of which have been redone by many other singers over the years. Other great cuts include "People Make The World Go Round", "Love From The Sun", and "Love Vibrations". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection of records – a series of albums that forever changed the sound of Latin music around the world! These five sets were all cooked up in the changing Cuban scene at the start of the 60s – where musicians were getting looser and freer, with a sound that was quite different than the tighter big bands of a few years before – strongly influenced by changes in American jazz, including the jam session mode that was big on record during the 50s! In a way, these sides are an answer to that – as they feature all-star musicians coming together on long, more spontaneous tracks – often in smaller combos with heavy influence on rhythm, and lots of work from the key soloists on the dates. Each record has a different leader, but often some of the same musicians – and there's some especially great work on trumpet and tenor by other members of the group – at a level that went on to influence the small combo sound of artists like Joe Cuba, the grooves of the Latin Soul/boogaloo scene, and even the all-star American groups like the Alegre All Stars and Fania All stars in years to come. Records 1 and 2 feature leadership by Julio Gutierrez, record 3 is led by Nino Rivera, record 4 (the most famous) is led by bassist Cachao, and record 5 is led by flautist Fajardo. Great box set – all CDs in small LP-styled sleeves with original art – alongside a 96 page booklet of notes and photos! CD

A fantastic tribute to the great Jean Carne – a singer who started out in jazz, working with then-husband Doug Carn on spiritual sessions and drummer Norman Connors on his soulful sides of the 70s – then shifted over to the Philadelphia International label, where she really helped Philly soul find new direction moving into the 80s! Jean always brings all the sophistication of her roots into her music – making her way more than just another soul singer, and instead a vocalist with a great range of expression that has her opening up in just the right way, no matter what the setting. This excellent collection is filled with classics from her years on Philadelphia International, and also includes some rare 12" mixes and duets with other artists too. Titles include "Free Love", "No Laughing Matter", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "You Can't Come Back Now", "There's A Shortage Of Good Men", "Time Waits For No One", "Lonely Girl In A Cold Cold World", "Bet Your Lucky Star", We Got Some Catchin Up To Do", "When I Find You Love", "Was That All It Was (12" mix)", "What's On Your Mind (12" mix)", "Revelation/Infant Eyes", "Mystic Stranger", "Completeness", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – plus "I'm Back For More" with Al Johnson, "Sweet & Wonderful" with Glenn Jones, "You Might Be Surprised" with Roy Ayers, "Love Is Beautiful" and "Dreams Of Tomorrow" with Dexter Wansel, "Keep In Touch" and "The Look Of Love" with Grover Washington, and "Dindi", "Love's In Your Corner", and "Valentine Love" with Norman Connors. CD

A classic collaboration between 2 of the godfathers of Chicago soul – recorded at a time when both of them had emerged as proven big-sales artists, and were given the freedom to experiment in different styles with side projects like this. Here, they're singing in almost a Curtis Mayfield-esque vein, with more of a political edge than their usual stuff from this time – and the album's a righteous batch of soul cuts that shows the growing sophistication and social conscience of the Chicago scene. Arrangements are by Tom Tom Washington and Richard Evans – and tracks include "Ten & Two (Take This Woman Off The Corner)", "You Just Can't Win", "One Hand Washes The Other", "The World Keeps Changing", and "Sho Is Groovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A broad leap forward for Detroit, from a few years back, with Carl Craig establishing himself as a visionary not only amongst the first wave of techno artists, but for the new beat generation too – alongside like minded producers like Kirk Degiorio and Larry Heard. Electronic music imbued with a sense of human warmth, and one of the few techno full lengths we enjoy listening to front to back. 15 tracks in all, with 4 more than the LP, some quite short, others song length, including "Goodbye World", "Alien Talk", "Dreamland", "Butterfly", "Suspiria"and "Frustration". CD

Randy Crawford's working here with arrangements and production from Reggie Lucas – all very much in that sweet 80s style he was bringing to work with other artists at the time! There's plenty of beats, guitars, and keyboards in the instrumentation – pushing an overall sound that's more electric than some of Randy's jazzier sides from the early days. But Ms Crawford's vocals come out strongly on top of it all – with a poised presence that's clearly the main focus of the set. Lucas plays guitar, and also wrote a few of the tracks – and titles include "Can't Stand The Pain", "Actual Emotional Love", "World Of Fools", "Betcha", "Desire", "Getting Away With Murder", and "Almaz". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic presentation of all that's wonderful with the mighty Daptone label – one of the hippest, funkiest record companies of the past few decades – the company that gave the world Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, and other great artists – all of whom are heard here in an extended length live set! The package documents three nights of music at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem – home to famous live shows by James Brown – whose tight way of presenting a variety of singers is replicated here – as Daptone cycle through some of their hippest acts in the lead, offering up a few songs by each – while the mighty Dap Kings provide all the backing! There's a huge amount of songs by both Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley – plus more by Budos Band, Antibalas, Menahan Street Band, Como Mamas, Sugarman 3, Saun & Starr, and Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens – then everybody comes together to perform a version of "Family Affair" at the end! Binky Griptite acts as the MC for the evening – and the whole thing has a rock-solid sound that's every bit the best that Daptone can offer. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's way more than just a "best of" from Anthony David – as it opens with his great recent cut "Heaven", a sublime duet with Algebra Blesset, and a stunning acoustic remake of a classic Womack tune from way back! The warmth of David's vocals has only deepened over the years – and it's great to trace the evolution from the already-great early cuts to some of the really wonderful recent ones – as Anthony works both solo, and in duets with other artists who include India Arie, Kiesha Jackson, and Giovanca. Titles include the original version of "Heaven", and "Heaven (amapiano mix)" – and Blessett returns on "Need You Now" – next to other tunes that include "Words", "Something About You", "Yes", "Smoke One", "Everything Is Everything", "Need You Now", "Lady", "4Evermore", "Livin It Up", "Rule The World", "Cheatin Man", and "The Further We Go". CD

A selection of very cool cuts from a long-running party hosted by the mighty Mark De Clive-Lowe – an event that showcases all his rich love of sounds in jazz, soul, club, and other contemporary modes – delivered live as a very collaborative effort, in a style that's captured beautifully on this expanded CD! Mark's got a hand in all the cuts here, but he also opens the door to all the guests to really do their thing – including Tommaso Cappellato, Myele Manzanza, Stro Elliot, Kamau Daaood, Joy Jones, and Colectivo Arte & Manha – all artists who share Mark's genre-jumping cosmic vision! The tracks here are all different than the Ropeadope album with Church in the title – and cuts include "Mystic Brew", "ACHH", "Steps Ahead", "ESSS (Love The Space)", "Ancient Prophecy", "Montara", "Blueberries", "Atlantic Journey", and "Invocation". Also includes the Japanese-only bonus track "Ryugu Jo". CD

A fantastic early reggae hit – and a classic bit of rocksteady that never grows old! Desmond was one of the first artists to really crack the global charts, and this American pressing of "Israelites" is more than proof of his popularity – as well as a great little tune! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Classic first by the enigmatic Dimitri – one of the first modern artists to take the bachelor pad sound of the 50s, and transform it into funky grooves for the 90s. The whole thing's got a wonderfully loungey sound – with nice bits of Frenchiness and downtempo beats, plus other jazzy moments. Titles include "Un World Mysteriouse", "Par Un Chemin Different", "Sacre Francais", "Nothing To Lose", "Un Termede", "Attente Musicale", and "Dirty Larry". The CD includes two tracks on the vinyl. CD

One of the best ever albums from maestro Will Downing – a smooth rolling, impeccably arranged gem of an album from the early 90s – with a timeless sound that's as fresh and breezy as ever! The production is immaculate, without losing any of the warmth and emotion – a clean approach that's really close to perfect when done by artists as capable as Downing. Will's vocal arrangements are front and center, with gorgeous female backing singers, keys, piano and synth, crisply popping bass, and horn accompaniment. Very nice stuff from an overlooked early 90s contemporary soul cat. Titles include "I'll Wait", "She", "Giving My All To You", "I Try", "For All We Know", "Something's Going On", "Don't Make Me Wait", "I Go Crazy", No Love Intended" and unique take on War's "The World Is A Ghetto". LP, Vinyl record album

That's a mess of vintage analog electronics on the cover, and there's plenty of that inside the record as well – as Eleven76 come across with all sorts of cool classic 70s styles that move between soundtrack funk and some leaner, more cosmic cuts for the clubs! The album's definitely trying to evoke a classic sound library style – but as with some of the hipper European electronic artists back in the day, these guys also have their ears tuned towards crossover fame in a world where moogy electronics can get some spins in the discos – a blend that makes for a mighty wonderful little album that definitely lives up to the promise of its cover! Titles include "Duosynchronic", "Canyon Chase", "Wolf At The Door", "Knock Out", "Minister", "Step Off The Ledge", and "Kreuzer Weight". LP, Vinyl record album

Early prog jazz genius from the mighty Embryo – and an album that perfectly fuses their love of world rhythms and electric jamming grooves – at a level that made them one of the coolest groups on the European scene at the time! Core work here is by a trio – and the percussion by Edgar Hofmann ranges from playful to hypnotic – with heavy drums and basslines crafting some incredible rhythms that spin out strongly – sometimes jamming, sometimes a bit looser – and often topped with great work on flute by Hansi Fischer, and this ultra-cool Leslie piano played by Christian Burchard – which has a nice fuzzy sound. The album's got lots of other sweet organ and mellotron lines – and Hofmann also plays soprano sax and violin as well – on titles that include "Tausendfussler", "Time", "Revenge", "Espagna Si Franco Finished", "Try To Be", and "Change". LP, Vinyl record album

Brian Eno at the crux of his career – hanging perfectly between the guitar-heavy glam of earlier years, and the spacey electronics of later material – both of which he presents wonderfully on the record! The album is one of his last to feature real rock songs, with the kind of vocals you'd know from Eno's first two albums – and it mixes straighter styles with more complex electronic soundscapes, resulting in some wonderfully cold and abstract material that prefaces musical territory that many other artists wouldn't hit until the following decade! Titles include "Golden Hours", "The Big Ship", "St Elmos Fire", "Sky Saw", "Spirits Drifting", and "Becalmed". CD

Brian Eno at the crux of his career – hanging perfectly between the guitar-heavy glam of earlier years, and the spacey electronics of later material – both of which he presents wonderfully on the record! The album is one of his last to feature real rock songs, with the kind of vocals you'd know from Eno's first two albums – and it mixes straighter styles with more complex electronic soundscapes, resulting in some wonderfully cold and abstract material that prefaces musical territory that many other artists wouldn't hit until the following decade! Titles include "Golden Hours", "The Big Ship", "St Elmos Fire", "Sky Saw", "Spirits Drifting", and "Becalmed". LP, Vinyl record album

Brian Eno at the crux of his career – hanging perfectly between the guitar-heavy glam of earlier years, and the spacey electronics of later material – both of which he presents wonderfully on the record! The album is one of his last to feature real rock songs, with the kind of vocals you'd know from Eno's first two albums – and it mixes straighter styles with more complex electronic soundscapes, resulting in some wonderfully cold and abstract material that prefaces musical territory that many other artists wouldn't hit until the following decade! Titles include "Golden Hours", "The Big Ship", "St Elmos Fire", "Sky Saw", "Spirits Drifting", and "Becalmed". CD

A surprisingly strong record from an equally surprising duo – both artists who had given the world some real moments of genius in the 70s, then maybe lost their way a bit in the following decade – only to strip things back to a basic appeal here! For Eno, the record is a real return to song-based forms – something he'd really lost during so many of his ambient projects – and for Cale, the record is maybe a bit more focused, with just the right sort of energy to bring his often-strong songwriting back to the fold – as both artists open up with their best instrumental flexibility, and share their strong studio skills too. Titles include "In The Backroom", "Empty Frame", "Spinning Away", "Been There Done That", "Crime In The Desert", "The River", "Cordoba", "Footsteps", "One Word", and "Lay My Love". Cassette

A surprisingly strong record from an equally surprising duo – both artists who had given the world some real moments of genius in the 70s, then maybe lost their way a bit in the following decade – only to strip things back to a basic appeal here! For Eno, the record is a real return to song-based forms – something he'd really lost during so many of his ambient projects – and for Cale, the record is maybe a bit more focused, with just the right sort of energy to bring his often-strong songwriting back to the fold – as both artists open up with their best instrumental flexibility, and share their strong studio skills too. Titles include "In The Backroom", "Empty Frame", "Spinning Away", "Been There Done That", "Crime In The Desert", "The River", "Cordoba", "Footsteps", "One Word", and "Lay My Love". CD

A wealth of wonderful work from Marianne Faithfull, all pulled from those key early years when she was part of the musical world of Andrew Loog Oldham and the Rolling Stones! Yet right from the start, despite the fact that she sang a few Stones songs on her own (and wrote a few for the group, too) – Marianne was always very much her own singer, and had a way with a song that was quite different than most of the other UK girl pop artists of the time too! Faithfull sometimes has a trill, and always has a sense of darkness on these singles – almost in the territory of the young Nico, but more tuneful and less moody – and superbly set up in just the right sort of arrangements by Mike Leander, David Whitaker, and even the great Jack Nitzsche. CD features all the a and b-sides of these early singles, plus a huge amount of notes – and 22 tracks that include "Morning Sun", "Sister Morphine", "As Tears Go By", "Summer Nights", "The Sha La La Song", "Something Better", "I'd Like To Dial Your Number", "Counting", "That's Right Baby", "Tomorrow's Calling", "This Little Bird", "What Have I Done Wrong", and "Go Away From My World". CD

A righteous album recorded in memory of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 – done to showcase the continued vibrancy of culture in the city, and handled with a collaborative spirit that really makes the whole thing shine! The recording features contributions from over 50 different artists from the current scene in Oklahoma – rappers, producers, singers, and other creative talents – all coming together to deliver a very positive message, and show the world that the legacy of Tulsa and Greenwood has not been lost over the years. But even without the legacy behind it, the album's got a mighty nice vibe – summed up on titles that include "Our World", "Reparations", "Creme Of The Crop", "North Tulsa Got Something To Say", "Brunch At The Brady", "Young & Free", "City Of Dreams", "Shining", and "Been Through It All". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums ever from pianist Clare Fischer – and one of the few to really get at the bossa nova spirit that's only hinted at in some of his other work! Clare's bossa touches had a great effect on other artists in the 60s – most notably Cal Tjader – but here, he's on his own and at the head of the pack – working in sweet small combo formation with some really great rhythms! Fischer plays both piano and organ – the latter of which is totally great, and which almost adds a Walter Wanderley charm to the set – and other players include the great Dennis Budimir on guitar, Bob West on bass, and Colin Bailey on drums. The track list is a mix of tracks by Jobim and Fischer – and titles include "Ornithardy", "One Note Samba", "Carnavel", "Pensativa", and "Quiet Nights". LP, Vinyl record album

There's no break at all between politics and culture in Cuba – and, at some level, the nation's cultural activities have been one of its greatest exports during the years of blockade – messages of power and pride that have helped remind the world of a people that some of the west have chosen to leave behind! Coco Fusco really gets at the energy of cultural activity in contemporary Cuba – and presents the book not just as a polemical essay, but instead a full color art book that's overflowing with images – of performance, artists, artworks, and scenes on the street – all working together as a rich tapestry to illustrate a scene that so many of us have not had a chance to experience at this level. The book is full color, 190 pages, hardcover, and has images throughout. Book

The legendary Iceberg Slim has given us plenty of his own story over the years – but this book is the first to look at the man behind the man – writer Robert Beck, who started as a pimp and became a surprisingly successful author – as well as an underground figure who inspired a later generation of hip hop artists as well! If you've ever read any of Slim's books, you'll know the world that he came from – but author Justin Gifford gets past the hype of the character, and looks at Beck's background and upbringing, his sometimes less-than-successful career as a hustler, and his move to convey the spirit of the streets on paper. Gifford's an academic, but presents the book in a nicely lively style – and the whole thing is hardcover, 265 pages, with some black and white images. Book

A fantastic group from the British scene at mid 60s – music from a time when the UK world of jazz was exploding from the work of artists like Joe Harriott and Tubby Hayes, but also held some other tremendous talents as well! The group here has trumpeter Henry Lowther and tenorist Lyn Dobson at the core – and also features work from Jon Hiseman on drums, plus piano from Ken McCarthy and bass from Ron Rubin on the quintet tracks, and bass from a pre-Cream Jack Bruce on the quartet titles! Tracks are long, open, and filled with the kind of modern expression you might know from the group of Ian Carr and Don Rendell – often modal rhythms giving strong inspiration to freer solo flights – but always with a sense of soul that keeps things from ever sounding too outside to swing. The whole thing's wonderful – a near-lost slice from these crucial years – with titles that include "Snow", "Straight Away", "Celebrity Stomp", "Night & Day", "Red Planet", "Black & White Raga", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible modal sounds from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – one of our favorite contemporary jazz artists, and one whose vision just gets bolder and bolder with each new record! This completely sublime set has Halsall working tightly with reedman Nat Birchall – a frequent musical partner whose own records bristle with the same sort of spiritual energy – given some slight additional flavors here with extra flute, harp, and koto – used alongside the more familiar piano, bass, and drums that have always grounded the pair's work together. All tunes are original, and have this vibe that's perfect for the post-Coltrane spiritual jazz generation – but delivered in a way that's quite fresh, too – and not just a simple rehash of early 70s Impulse Records modes. Every track's a gem – and titles include "Sagano Bamboo Forest", "Tribute To Alice Coltrane", "When The World Was One", "Falling Water", and "Kiyomizu Dera". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Hawkwind – a record that virtually defines the term "space rock", and which went on to create a whole genre unto itself! The live setting is perfect for the group – as they open up on long tracks that blend together odd touches, sci fi elements, and some mighty heavy rock lines too – all with some trippy vocals that really send things over the top! Lemmy's a mad genius at this point – and the record's got a ballsy power that's quite different from more prog-based groups who travel down similar paths, but never with ferocity like this. Titles include "Earth Calling", "Born To Go", "Down Through The Night", "The Awakening", "Upside Down", "10 Seconds Of Forever", "Brainstorm", "Seven By Seven", "Sonic Attack", Welcome To The Future", "You Shouldn't Do That", "Time We Left This World Today", and "Master Of The Universe". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Hawkwind – a record that virtually defines the term "space rock", and which went on to create a whole genre unto itself! The live setting is perfect for the group – as they open up on long tracks that blend together odd touches, sci fi elements, and some mighty heavy rock lines too – all with some trippy vocals that really send things over the top! Lemmy's a mad genius at this point – and the record's got a ballsy power that's quite different from more prog-based groups who travel down similar paths, but never with ferocity like this. Titles include "Earth Calling", "Born To Go", "Down Through The Night", "The Awakening", "Upside Down", "10 Seconds Of Forever", "Brainstorm", "Seven By Seven", "Sonic Attack", Welcome To The Future", "You Shouldn't Do That", "Time We Left This World Today", and "Master Of The Universe". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Hawkwind – a record that virtually defines the term "space rock", and which went on to create a whole genre unto itself! The live setting is perfect for the group – as they open up on long tracks that blend together odd touches, sci fi elements, and some mighty heavy rock lines too – all with some trippy vocals that really send things over the top! Lemmy's a mad genius at this point – and the record's got a ballsy power that's quite different from more prog-based groups who travel down similar paths, but never with ferocity like this. Titles include "Earth Calling", "Born To Go", "Down Through The Night", "The Awakening", "Upside Down", "10 Seconds Of Forever", "Brainstorm", "Seven By Seven", "Sonic Attack", Welcome To The Future", "You Shouldn't Do That", "Time We Left This World Today", and "Master Of The Universe". CD

A seminal set from Hawkwind – a record that virtually defines the term "space rock", and which went on to create a whole genre unto itself! The live setting is perfect for the group – as they open up on long tracks that blend together odd touches, sci fi elements, and some mighty heavy rock lines too – all with some trippy vocals that really send things over the top! Lemmy's a mad genius at this point – and the record's got a ballsy power that's quite different from more prog-based groups who travel down similar paths, but never with ferocity like this. Titles include "Earth Calling", "Born To Go", "Down Through The Night", "The Awakening", "Upside Down", "10 Seconds Of Forever", "Brainstorm", "Seven By Seven", "Sonic Attack", Welcome To The Future", "You Shouldn't Do That", "Time We Left This World Today", and "Master Of The Universe". CD

A seminal set from Hawkwind – a record that virtually defines the term "space rock", and which went on to create a whole genre unto itself! The live setting is perfect for the group – as they open up on long tracks that blend together odd touches, sci fi elements, and some mighty heavy rock lines too – all with some trippy vocals that really send things over the top! Lemmy's a mad genius at this point – and the record's got a ballsy power that's quite different from more prog-based groups who travel down similar paths, but never with ferocity like this. Titles include "Earth Calling", "Born To Go", "Down Through The Night", "The Awakening", "Upside Down", "10 Seconds Of Forever", "Brainstorm", "Seven By Seven", "Sonic Attack", Welcome To The Future", "You Shouldn't Do That", "Time We Left This World Today", and "Master Of The Universe". Packaged in a nice foldout sleeve, with printed inner-sleeves, poster, program and insert of notes mostly in Japanese. CD

Sophisticated fusion from Japanese reedman Toshiyuki Honda – a set that's kind of an extension of the straighter sounds he'd crafted a few years before! The album has almost a soundtrack-like feel at times – and comes off like a suite of tracks that blends core combo instrumentation with larger strings – in ways that color in the tunes wonderfully – but in ways that are quite different from some of the other "jazz with strings" albums of the time! Honda's work on soprano sax, alto, and keyboards is great throughout – and although some of the rhythms are programmed, they're still quite warm and hardly the too-commercial type that other jazz artists were using at the time. Titles include "Waltz Crepuscule", "Love Theme #2", "A Refracted Beat", "The Woman From Marusa", "The Men Gather Round Money", and "A Gloomy Foreboding Of Battle". LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy Lena Horne from the 60s – an album that's a heck of a lot hipper and more swinging than most of her sets from a decade before! That unmistakable Horne style of singing is still very much in place here – but the backings are often tightly punctuated, with a gently soulful groove that definitely lives up to the title, and which serves up most of the tracks with a nice little sense of rhythm. Ray Ellis is working here with Lena on the backings – and his style is arguably a bit groovier than usual too, with more of the syncopations you might find in mid 60s Quincy Jones or Oliver Nelson. Titles include "I Got A Worried Man", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "Love Bug", "Taste Of Honey", "I'd Like To Hear It Sometime", and "You Know What To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from the great Willie Hutch – a set that's different than his more famous Motown music of the 70s, but which already shows a nicely ambitious approach! Willie's a warmer, sweeter-voiced singer here – working through some great original tunes of his own, plus a few well-chosen classics – all in a mix of soul and strings that definitely grooves, but which could also have gotten Hutch some bigger exposure in the larger music world as well. A few numbers are almost more in a jazz vocal territory – or at least in territory of artists like Lou Rawls or Arthur Prysock – while others have the righteous energy of Willie's later sound too. The arrangements are by Rene Hall and Perry Botkin Jr – and titles include "Season for Love", "The Shortest Distance", and "Trying To Understand A Woman", plus covers like "Hurt So Bad" and "Twelfth of Never". LP, Vinyl record album

A much-needed look at the amazing underground jazz scene in LA – the richly creative spiritual and avant underground that flourished strongly in the 60s, 70s, and 80s! Although the city's best known for its cool jazz of the 50s, there's an even greater amount of left-field jazz that's come from LA – work that rivals eastern scenes like the AACM in Chicago or loft jazz world in 70s New York – but even more righteous and spiritual overall! The book does a great job of laying the groundwork for this scene to emerge – and offers an incredible amount of detail on its evolution – with an especially focused look at Horace Tapscott and his Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, as well as some of the artists who recorded for Nimbus Records. Plus, this updated edition does a wonderful job of showing the continuing legacy of the music well into the 21st century – and also includes an appendix by Roberto Miranda, for a larger volume running well over 420 pages! Book

Southern hillbilly soul from Fern Jones – a minister, church singer and songwriter with a real feel for the secular shake of 50s Sun Records, honky tonk, and shout blues – a pure evangelical with a worldly groove! Fern worked the gospel circuit of tent and church shows for many, many years – but only recorded two albums, this one for Dot/Paramount. Fern sings in the torch country style of Patsy Cline, often with spare rockabilly-styled guitar and drums backbeat. This album is probably most noteworthy for the classic song "I Was There When It Happened" – co-written by Fern Jones and made famous by Johnny Cash. It's especially legendary because it was the only gospel number Sam Phillips allowed Cash to include on his first LP. But Fern's album is more than worthy of a late discovery – she's a true pioneer, fearlessly blending the Lord's work with the Devil's music – at a time when such poles were anathema for most artists, fans, and record labels alike! Original album tracks include "You Ain't Got Nuthin'", "I Do Believe", "Be Thankful You're You", "I Ain't Got Time", "Let Tomorrow Be" – plus the bonus tracks "When I Meet You", "By And By", "I Don't Care What The World May Do" and "This World Is Not My Home". CD

George Jones in one of his most classic periods – singles he cut with producer Pappy Daily for United Artists from the early-to-mid 60s – and some of the greatest barroom laments and rave up honky tonk treasures ever! Producer Pappy Daily frames the inherent sorrow, boozy slur and sly pug attitude of The Possum's voice with near-perfect waltz pattern backdrops, laid down by session legends like Pig Robbins, Grady Martin and Billy Strange – along with effective, ghostly choruses by The Jordanaires. Classics and relatively forgotten gems alike – including "The Race Is On", "She Thinks I Still Care", "Magic Valley", "Big Fool Of The Year", "My Tears Are Overdue", "Your Heart Turned Left (And I Was On The Right)", "Brown To Blue", "Wrong Number", "Least Of All", "World's Worst Lover", "A Good Old Fashioned Cry" and many more. 32 in all! CD

A wide-ranging look at the talents of August Darnell – an artist who's probably best known to the world as Kid Creole, but who also had a hand in a number of other dancefloor acts of the late 70s and early 80s! All tracks here have that trademark August Darnell groove – a good ear for jazzy, playful rhythms – often with styles borrowed from previous decades in the 20th century, retooled with hipper, leaner styles for the time! Darnell was one of the first to actively reach back into the past for ideas to use on the dancefloor – and although the practice is quite common now, the tracks here have a sound that few contemporary artists could ever hope to match. And when he wanted to, Darnell could also hit a club groove as great as any other artists on the New York scene of the late 70s – a pulsing, hypnotic approach to rhythm that was probably best know from his side projects on Ze Records. The tunes go way beyond familiar Kid Creole hits – and titles include "Goin To A Showdown" and "I'm An Indian Too (12" mix)" by Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, "Is That All There Is" by Cristina, "Paradise" and "Emile (Night Rate)" by Aural Exciters, "There But For The Grace Of God Go I (12" version)" by Machine, "Don't Play With My Emotions" by Ron Rogers, "On A Day Like Today" by Gichy Dan's Beachwood #9, "Pharoah (Can't Take It To The Grave" by Coati Mundi, "Sunshower" by Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, and the Kid Creole tracks "He's Not Such A Bad Guy After All (12" version)", "Double On Back", "Off The Coast Of Me", and "Going Places (Zemix version)". CD

Kiefer's one of those artists that we sometimes forget about, then fall in love all over again when we drop the needle on a record – which is definitely the case this time around, as Kiefer seems to be more on top of his game and focused than ever! As before, there's a mix of piano/keyboards and percussion that dominates the sound – sometimes live drums, sometimes programmed – delivered with a warmth that really makes the spare elements resonate with a lot more soulful power than you might expect – almost as if Kiefer listened to some of the more soulful, subtle keyboardists in the 70s fusion generation, but found a way to transform their energy to a 21st Century setting – transforming the world of beats and keys in the process. Titles include "I Wish I Wasn't Me", "My Disorder", "Panic", "High", "Dreamer", "Head Trip", "I Could Cry", "August Again", "Forgetting U", and "I Was Foolish I Guess". CD

Kiefer's one of those artists that we sometimes forget about, then fall in love all over again when we drop the needle on a record – which is definitely the case this time around, as Kiefer seems to be more on top of his game and focused than ever! As before, there's a mix of piano/keyboards and percussion that dominates the sound – sometimes live drums, sometimes programmed – delivered with a warmth that really makes the spare elements resonate with a lot more soulful power than you might expect – almost as if Kiefer listened to some of the more soulful, subtle keyboardists in the 70s fusion generation, but found a way to transform their energy to a 21st Century setting – transforming the world of beats and keys in the process. Titles include "I Wish I Wasn't Me", "My Disorder", "Panic", "High", "Dreamer", "Head Trip", "I Could Cry", "August Again", "Forgetting U", and "I Was Foolish I Guess". LP, Vinyl record album

Kiefer's one of those artists that we sometimes forget about, then fall in love all over again when we drop the needle on a record – which is definitely the case this time around, as Kiefer seems to be more on top of his game and focused than ever! As before, there's a mix of piano/keyboards and percussion that dominates the sound – sometimes live drums, sometimes programmed – delivered with a warmth that really makes the spare elements resonate with a lot more soulful power than you might expect – almost as if Kiefer listened to some of the more soulful, subtle keyboardists in the 70s fusion generation, but found a way to transform their energy to a 21st Century setting – transforming the world of beats and keys in the process. Titles include "I Wish I Wasn't Me", "My Disorder", "Panic", "High", "Dreamer", "Head Trip", "I Could Cry", "August Again", "Forgetting U", and "I Was Foolish I Guess". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty amazingly deep dive into the world of avant garde music in Japan – not just jazz or experimental sounds, but a range of different recordings – all presented in a style that's similar to other Japanese disc guides on music! The approach has each page listing one or two records – with black and white reproductions of the cover image, plus title, label, and a small Japanese language paragraph on the music – which you can try to read using a translate program. Unlike other disc guides of this nature, though, the approach is more Japanese overall – text is vertical, and most titles and artists are in Japanese characters – but again, you can likely use a Google translate program to read those with your phone. There is English here and there, and the album cover images certainly give you plenty to start digging – as does the approach of the book, which does provide some structuring that groups the records together. The book is softcover, black and white, 238 pages, and features listings for works by Kaoru Abe, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yoshihide Otomo, and many others. Book

One of the greatest soundtracks ever – an archetypal album from French composer Francis Lai, and a record that set the tone for countless other imitations to come – yet which is still the best! The groove here is really unique – a spare blend of bossa influences, jazzy organ lines, and wordless vocals that are sung beautifully by French singers Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh – and although a mainstream success, the record was the initial force behind the legendary Saravah imprint that Barouh would form later, to record a wide range of groundbreaking work in a variety of genres. But history aside, the music here is plenty – and from the very first note the whole soundtrack grabs you with a sense of warmth and sentiment that defy description – modes never heard before in the soundtrack world, and which really broke the mold from Hollywood conventions! Titles include the seminal bossa number "Samba Saravah", plus "A Man & A Woman", "Today It's You", "In Our Shadow", "At 200 MPH", and "Stronger Than Us". LP, Vinyl record album

About 30 years back, Joseph Lanza first turned us on to an amazing array of 60s easy listening records that we'd never fully given their due – and here, he continues the journey, but with a key shift into the world of psychedelia too! The book is a wonderful look at the way that easy listening and instrumental pop tried to stay vibrant in the second half of the 60s – and it follows the way that easy artists of the time were picking up the aesthetics of the younger generation in a variety of ways – not just doing cover versions of songs by The Beatles and Stones, but also going for trippier artwork on their album covers, and using more unusual studio techniques in production – all in ways that made for a huge legacy of very groovy records! At times, things would even move backwards – as older songs from the early part of the century were given a mod spin for the 60s generation – and the range of topics covered here is as wonderful as Lanza's presentation. The book is a very cool 7" square format – with lots of album reproductions and great graphics, plus a list of 50 essential records at the back – served up in a softcover volume that's 237 pages in length. Book

Massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

A trio of 80s albums from piano genius Ramsey Lewis – all brought together in a single package! First up is Les Fleurs – a bit later than Ramsey Lewis' classic electric sides for Columbia Records in the 70s, but still a pretty great little album – and one that mixes mellow grooves on Fender Rhodes with a nice dose of acoustic piano – in a style that's a bit like Rodney Franklin at the time, but considerably warmer and sweeter overall! The core trio backs Ramsey on acoustic bass and drums – but there's plenty of extra bits added in throughout, including a bit of sax from Ronnie Laws, and some overall arrangements and additional keys from Tom Tom 84 – who really helps keep a sophisticated Chicago vibe in place – almost a ghost of Charles Stepney, lurking nicely in the background. Titles include remakes of "Reasons", "Les Fleurs", and "Super Woman" – plus the tracks "Physical", "With A Gentle Touch", and "Essence Of Love". Fantasy is a sweet 80s set that has Ramsey Lewis showing the world that he's still one of the reigning master of the keyboard – as he opens up here with a whole bunch of keys from that decade, at a level that marks a strong new chapter from his electric work of the 70s! Lewis works alongside additional keyboardists Morris Butch Stewart and Lonnie Graves – and at times, even the rhythms are electric too – influenced by both R&B and hip hop at times, similar to Herbie Hancock electric experiments of the time – but with more of that soulful vibe that we love from Ramsey! There's a bit of vocals on the record – courtesy of Stewart, Maurice White, Brenda Mitchell, Josie Aiello, and Alice Sanderson Echols – on titles that include "Les Clefs De Mon Coeur", "It's Gonna Change", "Victim Of A Broken Heart", "Slow Dancin", "Ram Jam", "This Ain't No Fantasy", "Part Of Me", and "The Quest". Keys To The City is a late 80s effort that still has the piano genius very much at the top of his game – tight, but never in the sleepier territory of some of the smooth jazz artists who were coming into the scene! Ramsey's on piano both electric and acoustic – getting more keyboard help from Larry Dunn, who also handles arrangements – with musicians who include Don Myrick on saxes, Roland Bautista on guitar, and Maurice White on percussion – the last of whom is a key influence here, as it's clear that Lewis is holding onto that great balance of jazz and soul that he furthered in his work with White and Earth Wind & Fire in the 70s. Titles include "Keys To The City", "7/11", "Strangers", "My Love Will Lead You Home", "You're Falling In Love", "Shamballa", and "Love & Understanding". CD

A record cut at a time when Brazilian singer Ivan Lins was enjoying a great wave of international fame – a moment that resulted in music that almost had him reaching out as a majestic singer, able to inspire the whole world at once, rather than just the mainstream audiences back home in Brazil! The set's got this quality that's very positive and uplifting – almost as if Lins is borrowing a bit from the production and arrangements that Milton Nascimento was using, but giving it a more personal twist with his excellent songwriting. And the whole thing's tight, but never slick – that careful balance that Brazilian artists could always reach, at a time when American singers would always sound too clunkily commercial. Ivan's voice is wonderful throughout – able to communicate volumes, even if you can't understand his language – and titles include "Pontas Cardeias", "Leva E Traz", "Clareou", "Awa Yio", and "Cru Cre Corroro". CD

Anthony and crew were one of the few groups who actually got better when they moved from the raw indie scene to the slicker major label one – as you'll hear perfectly on this set of some of their best work for the Veep/DCP/United Artists label. Teddy Randazzo handled all the arrangements and production, and his breathy uptown style works perfectly with the band's soulful harmonies. 12 numbers in all, including "I'm Hypnotized", "Beautiful People", "Georgy Girl", "A Thousand Miles Away", "You Only Live Twice", "Goin' Out Of My Head", "Two People In The World", "A Prayer & A Jukebox", 'When You Wish Upon A Star", "You Better Take It Easy Baby" and "If I Remember To Forget". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of spacey club from Mandre – aka Andre Lewis – an artist we'd place right up there with some of the best cosmic sounds from Dexter Wansel at the time, and maybe even some of the more space-bound club artists of the European scene as well! The album's got some wonderful keyboards throughout – heard in a mostly instrumental mode on side one, save for a great track that includes vocals from Maxayn – and as the set rolls along, things get more confident, more groove-oriented, and pick up some bassier rhythms that fit in wonderfully with Mandre's overall conception! The album's got a fuzzy, trippy sound you'd hardly expect from late 70s Motown – and the whole thing's been an underground club classic for years – with cuts that include the sublime "Solar Flight (Opus I)" and "Third World Calling (Opus II)", plus "Keep Tryin", "Masked Music Man", "Wonder What I'd Do", "Money", "Dirty Love", and "Masked Marauder". CD

A classic set of spacey club from Mandre – aka Andre Lewis – an artist we'd place right up there with some of the best cosmic sounds from Dexter Wansel at the time, and maybe even some of the more space-bound club artists of the European scene as well! The album's got some wonderful keyboards throughout – heard in a mostly instrumental mode on side one, save for a great track that includes vocals from Maxayn – and as the set rolls along, things get more confident, more groove-oriented, and pick up some bassier rhythms that fit in wonderfully with Mandre's overall conception! The album's got a fuzzy, trippy sound you'd hardly expect from late 70s Motown – and the whole thing's been an underground club classic for years – with cuts that include the sublime "Solar Flight (Opus I)" and "Third World Calling (Opus II)", plus "Keep Tryin", "Masked Music Man", "Wonder What I'd Do", "Money", "Dirty Love", and "Masked Marauder". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive return to form for Maxwell – his first album in many years, but definitely well worth the wait! The set's supposedly the start of a trilogy – but hell, we're more than happy to have it all on its own – a wonderful reminder of the deeply soulful sound that first made us fall in love with Maxwell's music many years back – at a time when few mainstream soul artists could hit such a classic vibe – equally amazing all these years later, as Maxwell's still doing it better than most! Tunes are beautifully-written – straightforward, without any gimmicks, and cascading in warm beats, laidback grooves, and those sweetly crackling vocals that make Maxwell a winner on both mellow and funky numbers. Titles include "Bad Habits", "Cold", "Pretty Wings", "Playing Possum", "Phoenix Rise", "Stop The World", and "Love You". CD

Maybe the crowning moment on record of the mighty McSolaar – certainly the first French MC to conquer the global world of hip hop, and also maybe one of the first non-American artists to show that other languages could work equally well with the music! The production here is every bit as great as Solaar's lyrics – handled by Jimmy Jay and La Funk Mob, the latter of whom you might know from albums of their own – definitely pioneering European talents in taking the best US modes of the early 90s, and mixing them with a fresher array of beats and samples! Titles include "Obsolete", "Dix De Mes Disciples", "La Fin Justifie Les Moyens", "Sequelles", "Prose Combat", "Nouveau Western", "Superstarr", and "Temps Mort". LP, Vinyl record album

The full story of one of the most important indie labels in the world of folk, roots, and acoustic music – an imprint who are maybe only second to Folkways Records fo the way they've not only preserved the past, but helped foster a new future as well! Rounder Records was begun as a labor of love in the Boston scene after the more popular folk boom of the 60s – and as the dust settled from the years of Kingston Trio and The Brothers Four, Rounder helped find a way forward for the more interesting, more important acoustic artists – while also opening the door to new sounds and styles along the way – a huge legacy that ended up including superstars as well as very obscure musicians and singers. The book has a great narrative drive, and really gets at the kind of enthusiasm that started the label and kept it going and growing for decades – tracing both its influence on other musical scenes, and the way that artists continued to help Rounder from ever falling into cliche. Hardcover edition is 196 pages, with some black and white images. Book

The setting is the Golden Gate, but the sound is pure Philly International – a rare early live performance from the label, featuring some of its key vocal heavyweights working here with live accompaniment from MFSB! Although the instrumental group backed Philly artists often in the studio, this 1973 concert marks the only time they worked live with the singers – in a stunning showcase for the young label, performed as part of a Columbia Records convention in San Francisco! Given the setting, and the uniqueness of the whole event, the release of this rare material is a treasure for soul fans of many generations – a rare addition to the amazing run of music the label first started giving us at the time. The set begins with MFSB doing a version of "Freddie's Dead" – then runs into Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes singing "I Miss You", "The Love I Lost", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – followed by Three Degrees on "I Didn't Know" and "Dirty Ol Man". MFSB then follow with "TSOP", then Billy Paul sings "East" and "Me & Mrs Jones", and the set ends with The O'Jays on "Love Train", "Sunshine", "Back Stabbers", and "When The World's At Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark blend of gospel spirit and 70s soul – and one of the greatest moments ever from The Mighty Clouds Of Joy! Like so many other soul artists before them, these guys have voices that are steeped in the best traditions of gospel – but rather than giving up their roots and going secular, they just cut this set with the best Philly soul help of the time – arrangements from Wade Marcus, and a smoking Sigma Sound lineup that includes work from Norman Harris, Vince Montana, Bobby Eli, Ronnie Baker, and Earl Young – all of whom give the record the vibe of the best Philly International material from the time! Dave Crawford produced, but the set almost feels more Gamble & Huff than anything else – as the quintet's vocals really soar on tracks that include "Stoned World", "Time", "Mighty Cloud Of Joy", "The Master Plan", and "Heart Full Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

No room for squares with grooves this great – a classic Hank Mobley session from the mid 60s, and one that really shows the growth in his style at the time! The work's still strongly in a hardbop style, but modal elements are definitely creeping into the mix – a bolder sense of rhythm that really transforms the music from before – and lets Mobley reach out in a whole different way with his solos! The album features material from two different sessions – each of which have Mobley's tenor coming into play with other inventive artists on Blue Note at the time. One date features Lee Morgan on trumpet, Andrew Hill on piano, John Ore on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – and the other features Donald Byrd on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Jones again on drums. Titles include "Up A Step", "Me N You", "Three Way Split", "Carolyn", and the classic "No Room For Squares". Plus, this reissue CD features 3 bonus cuts – "Old World New Imports", and alternate takes of "Carolyn" and "No Room For Squares". CD

Moor Mother's an artist who just keeps on getting more and more interesting with each new release – definitely in a genre that's completely her own – one that lives up to the spirit of west coast underground pioneers in recent decades – and, as with those artists, seemingly finds a sonic space that none of us knew existed! Under her real name, Camae Ayewa, Moor Mother has roots in musical education in the world of higher learning – and here, she's managed to draw together many strands of that experience into a voice that's not only all her own, but completely organic and laidback too – a mixture of hip hop, soul, spoken word, and some of the jazzier currents promised in the title. Nearly every single track features a collaboration – artists include Nicole Mitchell, Melanie Charles, Jason Moran, Wolf Weston, and many others – and titles include "Woody Shaw", "Ode To Mary", "Umzansi", "Golden Lady", "Blame", "Blues Away", "Dust Together", "Arms Save", "Barely Woke", "Rap Jasm", and "Joe McPhee Nation Time Intro". CD

Jazz music didn't start on vinyl – but the advent of the long-playing album really helped the music take off and grow – expanding out to much longer performances than were allowed by the 78rpm single, which in turn allowed artists to reach out to new and exciting styles from the 50s onward! The long legacy of the relationship between vinyl and jazz is explored here in ways that go beyond the simple details that most jazz record collectors already know – as Darren Mueller looks at specific case studies within the world of labels and artists to highlight some of the challenges and crossroads that helped define jazz on record. One chapter looks at the early albums of Prestige Records and some of the mistakes along the way, the recording of Duke Ellington At Newport, the 50s albums of Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley's famous live recording in San Francisco, and the recording challenges of Mingus Ah Um. There's also a great chapter on "Jazz As A Culture Of Circulation" – and the book has a discography and other details too. Softcover edition is 435 pages. Book

A real classic from one of our favorite artists of the 60s! Fred Neil is best known to the world as the man who wrote "Everybody's Talkin", which was used excessively in the film Midnight Cowboy (although his version in the film was sung by Nilsson) – but he's a hell of a great artist on his own, a real revolutionary that we'd rank right up there with someone like Tim Hardin or Nick Drake. This Capitol album has Fred playing in a very relaxed studio vibe – with some spare backing, and edgey playing that opens up a side of him that we've rarely heard elsewhere – all in a session that was largely improvised, and designed to recreate the feel of his legendary live shows. The tracks are fairly long, and include titles like "Felicity", "Send Me Somebody To Love", "Looks Like Rain", and "Fools Are A Long Time Coming". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from Willie Nelson – quite different from his outlaw material of the 70s, but equally compelling in its own sort of way! As you'd guess from the title and cover, the set came out at a time when Willie was a real up-and-coming songwriting in country music – responsible for hits for artists like Faron Young, Patsy Cline, and others – and finally given the chance to start as a singer on his own. Willie's style is as amazing as his songs – very different than the mainstream, and often inflected with plenty of jazz – which, for some odd reason, as wonderful as it sounds, is what also kept Nelson away from stardom for most of the 60s. Yet don't let that put you off at all, as the presentation of the material is sublime – completely personal, almost heartbreaking, and still with all those charms that most of the rest of the world didn't discover with Willie for another decade or so. Titles include "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Crazy", "Mr Record Man", "One Step Beyond", "Wake Me When It's Over", "The Part Where I Cry", "Hello Walls", and "Darkness On The Face Of The Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

A collision of generations – as giants of the world of 70s and 80s AOR come together to pay tribute to the soulful styles of the years before! At the time, the album was the sort that really made us cringe – since we were such soul purists back in the 90s – but over the years, we've really come to accept the whole thing both as a well-meaning effort, and more importantly, as a lost chapter of the Donald Fagan/Steely Dan genius – as Fagan produced the set, and really brings a lot of his older music into play! Other artists include Boz Scaggs, Phoebe Snow, and Michael McDonald – but the set also features work from older bluesman Charles Brown – and titles include remakes of "Madison Time", "Knock On Wood", "Shakey Ground", "Lonely Teardrops", "Downing In The Sea Of Love", "Groovin", and "People Got To Be Free" – plus nice takes on "Chain Lightning", "Pretzel Logic", and "Green Flower Street". CD

Maybe one of the first truly tuneful moments from Yoko Ono – working here with backing from the Elephants Memory group – on a double-length set that shows a really great range from the singer! Yoko's vocals are fragile and sometimes a bit strained in the traditionally structured song mode –but so were Nico's and Marianne Faithful's – both artists we'd almost reference for the nature of this work! The set's a surprisingly pleasant effort from a misunderstood artist who just 2 years earlier was shrieking like a feral beast – and titles include "Yang Yang", "Death Of Samantha", "I Want My Love To Rest Tonight", "What Did I Do", "What A Bastard The World Is", "I Felt Like Smashing My Face In A Clear Glass Window", and "Is Winter Here To Stay". LP, Vinyl record album

A genius pairing of these two legendary improvisers – two artists who really had an amazing sense of tone and timing on their instruments! By the time of the recording, Evan Parker had lept far ahead most of his improvising contemporaries on tenor and soprano sax – using the horns in ways that were very far from their roots, as he opens up all sorts of sonic possibilities – at a level that is also echoed by George Lewis, who'd already given the world some amazing moments on his solo trombone record, yet pushes even farther here! The set features five different improvisations, each numbered variations on the title – all great. LP, Vinyl record album

Two of the hippest soul artists of the late 60s – coming together here for an incredible collection of work! Bobby Womack would explode into huge fame as a star in his own right at the end of the decade – but at the time of these recordings, he was mostly getting play as a songwriter – and the young Wilson Pickett was one of the strongest supporters of his work! The tracks here were all recorded between 1966 and 1968 for Atlantic Records – including many excellent Muscle Shoals recordings – and the style of Womack's writing is a perfect blend with the deep soul vocals of the Wicked Pickett – at a level that almost seems to provide a blueprint for the mode that Bobby would use on his first few length albums. The lyrics are wonderful – full of fantastic feeling, and arguably more mature than some of the contemporary soul from the time – and it's wonderful to hear all the selections together in one place, especially with detailed notes that really frame the whole project. Titles include "It's A Groove", "Let's Get An Understanding", "People Make The World What It Is", "Trust Me", "Remember I Been Good To You", "I've Come A Long Way", "Sit Down & Talk This Over", "Nothing You Can Do", "I'm In Love", "I'm Sorry About That", "I Found A True Love", "We've Got To Have Love", and "Jealous Love" – and the CD also features two great bonus tracks – an early Bobby Womack single from Atlantic in 1967 – with Bobby singing "Find Me Somebody" and "How Does It Feel". CD

Wonderful work from Gregory Porter – easily one of the best new jazz singers to emerge in the past decade or so, and one whose approach is soulful enough to rival the greats of the 70s! There's echoes here of Bill Withers, Gil Scott-Heron, and Al Jarreau – and like all those artists, Gregory's a singer who really moves past simple styles and generic conventions – into a mode that's vivid and rich right from the start, and defiitely his own territory – a world of sound that's a delight to experience! Most backings are straight jazzy, but inflected with some soul modes – and the album's even better and more incredible than Porter's debut for Motema. Titles include "On My Way To Harlem", "When Did You Learn", "Mother's Song", "Imitation Of Life", "Our Love", "Be Good", and "Painted On Canvas". CD