Spiritual sounds from the source – a host of incredible tracks from a time when jazz was really opening up into new dimensions – as players stepped forward in a wave of strong post-Coltrane energy to really push the music into the skies! The music here can be seen as a blueprint for generations to come – styles that are now getting new fame in the hands of Kamasi Washington and some of his contemporaries, but which flowered first in recordings like these – pulled from the early 70s vaults of Prestige, Milestone, and Muse Records – and brought together here in a really wonderful collection! Tracks are all nice and long, and the set showcases an older generation of jazz musicians really flowering at the time – balanced perfectly between a sense of freedom and a spiritual soul – on titles that include "Celestial Blues" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Let Us Go To Higher Heights" by Carlos Garnett, "The Almoravid" by Joe Chambers, "Brown Eyes" by Charles Earland, "Warriors Of Peace" by Azar Lawrence, "Aftermath" by Oliver Nelson, "Josie Black" by Hampton Hawes, "Let It Take Your Mind" by Bayete Umbra Zindiko, "Fire" by Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane, and "The Free Slave" by Roy Brooks. CD

Spiritual sounds from the source – a host of incredible tracks from a time when jazz was really opening up into new dimensions – as players stepped forward in a wave of strong post-Coltrane energy to really push the music into the skies! The music here can be seen as a blueprint for generations to come – styles that are now getting new fame in the hands of Kamasi Washington and some of his contemporaries, but which flowered first in recordings like these – pulled from the early 70s vaults of Prestige, Milestone, and Muse Records – and brought together here in a really wonderful collection! Tracks are all nice and long, and the set showcases an older generation of jazz musicians really flowering at the time – balanced perfectly between a sense of freedom and a spiritual soul – on titles that include "Celestial Blues" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Let Us Go To Higher Heights" by Carlos Garnett, "The Almoravid" by Joe Chambers, "Brown Eyes" by Charles Earland, "Warriors Of Peace" by Azar Lawrence, "Aftermath" by Oliver Nelson, "Josie Black" by Hampton Hawes, "Let It Take Your Mind" by Bayete Umbra Zindiko, "Fire" by Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane, and "The Free Slave" by Roy Brooks. LP, Vinyl record album

This great series keeps on going – and it seems that with each new volume, the realm of Cosmic Discotheque just keeps on getting bigger! As with previous volumes, the feel here isn't standard disco – and the tracks are upbeat, but have a variety of fresh approaches that go far past the mainstream modes of the late 70s clubs – some with European production and instrumentation that really changes things up, some from easy listening sources going for the disco scene, some with global influences stripped down for grooves, all with an approach that will have you digging this volume as much as previous entries! Titles include "Bumerang" by Petr A Pavel ORM, "Hypno Dance" by Who's Who, "I Love Paris" by Zamulo, "Ride The Sky" by Mystic Moods, "Super Woman (inst)" by Surprise Band, "Griffo" by Boro, "Funk Disco Sounds" by The Yetians, "Sugar (part 2)" by Freddie Cannon, "Caliente" by Caliente Orchestra, "Surprise" by Fantastic Soul Invention, and "Shaba Da Ba Dam" by Obah. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most righteous albums to ever bear the name of King Britt – a selection of spiritual jazz tracks from the 70s, all of which show a definite inspiration for Britt's recent work in the 21st Century! There's no remixes or remakes here – and the collection features all original gems from a few decades back – stretched out and cosmic grooves from some of the leading lights of the soul jazz underground in the post-Coltrane years! Most numbers are obscure tracks licensed from smaller indie labels – brought together beautifully with a sense of depth and darkness that goes way beyond the usual King Britt groove. Titles include "Space Spy" by Grachan Moncur III, "Beyond Yourself" by Brother Ahh, "Scorpio Libra" by Eddie Henderson, "Kawaida" by Herbie Hancock, "Ekim" by Michal Urbaniak, "Yebo" by Mtume, "Conviction" by Dane Belany, "Naima" by Doug & Jean Carn, "The Time Now For Change" by Phil Ranelin, "Moving Pictures 4 The Ear" by Don Cherry, and "Encounter" by Flora Purim. CD

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

Maybe not the complete roots of African funk, but a set that does a great job of bringing together a range of different cuts that show the new sounds and styles that were really hitting the scene as the 70s moved in – work from a wide variety of sources, but which all seems to share a sound and spirit with some of the newly independent African nations! There's a few African funk cuts in the mix, but the more interesting ones are almost those from the Anglo world that show a similar sense of groove, but with a slightly different vibe – coming across here on cuts that include "Waterbed (inst)" by LTD Exchange, "African Queen" by Allez Allez, "Them Changes" by Lionel Hampton, "Sangandongo" by Niagara, "Wassahoumba" by Africa Djole, "Do The Choo Choo" by Jack Ashford, "Africa Gone Funky" by Screaming Jay Hawkins, "Super Kumba" by Manu Dibango, "Tite Rope" by Harold Alexander, "Fat City Strut" by Mandrill, and "Corey Died On The Battlefield" by Wild Magnolias. (Global Grooves, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

A second great serving of grooves from the French scene of the late 60s and early 70s – a package that also includes some rare sound library material too, and which shows that if you know where to look, French records can be a real treasure trove of funky cuts! We loved the first volume, but this second one may well dig even deeper – as much of the work here is new to our ears, and the cuts work together in a really great blend of funky instrumental modes – familiar elements from the time, but lots of great twists and turns too! Titles include "Mr Buzz" by The Flying Dutchman, "Soul Car" by Pierre Alain Dahan & Slim Pezin, "Riviera Express" by Bernard Estardy, "Ten Et Medor" by Alain Goraguer, "Belle Gueuse" by Claude Engel, "Lewis & Clark" by Raymond Guiot, "Red Medium" by Tonio Rubio, "Aubergine Time" by Bernard Lubat, "Bass Session" by Guy Pedersen, "Jelly Roll Dance" by Jean Pierre Martin, "Bass Duettino" by Raymond Guiot, "Nage Libre" by Hervey Roy, "Patio Bass" by Guy Pedersen, and "Bahia Bossa Nova" by Bernard Lubat. LP, Vinyl record album

Alex Attias has always given us some really creative sounds in his own music – so we've got some mighty high expectations when he brings together a selection of tracks by other artists for BBE! Fortunately, the record not only lives up to those expectations, but does them one better – by opening us up to some overlooked contemporary cuts that all have the cosmic touches of Attias' work on the London scene – then interweaving them with some older tracks that resonate even more strongly in the territory! There's some wonderful work from recent years that show just how far the best side of the broken beat legacy has evolved – and other older cuts have a cosmic vibe that's plenty righteous too, with some great jazzy currents that really deepen the vibe of the collection. Titles include "Midnight Magic" by Cro Magnon with Roy Ayers, "My Dream Came True" by Root Soul, "Cascade" by Tatham Mensah Lord & Ranks, "Do The Dance" by Grooveman Spot, "Over & Over" by Material with Nona Hendryx, "Curiosity (Zanzibar rmx)" by Nicole Willis, "Could You Be Me (Theo's SS translation)" by Kathy Kosins & Paul Randolph, "Earth Overshoot Day (Hugo LX rmx)" by Cotonete, "Party Hardy (Alex Attias edit)" by Velvet Hammer, "Her Boyfriend Assesses His Value & Pleads His Case" by Kip Hanrahan, and "It's You (disco alert mix)" by Sunaga T Experience. (New Grooves, Funky Compilations) CD

Alex Attias has always given us some really creative sounds in his own music – so we've got some mighty high expectations when he brings together a selection of tracks by other artists for BBE! Fortunately, the record not only lives up to those expectations, but does them one better – by opening us up to some overlooked contemporary cuts that all have the cosmic touches of Attias' work on the London scene – then interweaving them with some older tracks that resonate even more strongly in the territory! There's some wonderful work from recent years that show just how far the best side of the broken beat legacy has evolved – and other older cuts have a cosmic vibe that's plenty righteous too, with some great jazzy currents that really deepen the vibe of the collection. Titles include "Midnight Magic" by Cro Magnon with Roy Ayers, "My Dream Came True" by Root Soul, "Cascade" by Tatham Mensah Lord & Ranks, "Do The Dance" by Grooveman Spot, "Over & Over" by Material with Nona Hendryx, "Curiosity (Zanzibar rmx)" by Nicole Willis, and "It's You (disco alert mix)" by Sunaga T Experience. (New Grooves, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

A great presentation of work from the legendary Tribe Records of Detroit – all handled by DJ Muro, who's posed on the front in a way that recalls one of the label's rarest albums! The style here is different than other collections of Tribe Records material – as Muro goes for cuts that showcase some of the more soulful, funky sides of the label – still very righteous overall, but with less of the longer or more avant-oriented tracks that came from the Detroit underground at the time. Muro's been giving us amazing collections for many years, and this one is no exception – a fantastic demonstration of his magical ear, as he makes his way through cuts that include "The Wok" by Wendell Harrison, "Ode To Africa" by Harold McKinney, "Why Don't Love Make Everything Right" by Cosmic Force, "Ginseng Love" by Wendell Harrison, "Freedom Jazz Dance" by Harold McKinney, "For Real" by Doug Hammond, "Glue Fingers (part 2)" by Marcus Belgrave, "Vibes From The Tribe (prelude)" by Phil Ranelin, "What We Need" by Wendell Harrison & Phil Ranelin, "In The Moog" by Harold McKinney, "Farewell To The Welfare" by Wendell Harrison & The Tribe, "Wake Up Brothers" by Doug Hammond, "Sounds From The Village" by Phil Ranelin, and "Belle Isle" by Wendell Harrison. CD

Keyboardist Kamaal Williams has given us some great records under his own name – and here, he turns in a stunning set for the DJ Kicks series – a record that's overflowing with a mix of cosmic jazz, soul, and club from some of Kamaal's key contemporaries – mixed with a few great contributions of his own! All the criss-crossing of styles that we love in Williams own music is present in his selections on this set – and there's a majestic flow that really shows an understanding of all the changes in the underground during the past decade or so – as Kamaal takes us on a musical journey through its landscape of sound! Titles include "Hey There" by Steve Spacek, "Buggin Out" by Seiji, "Summer Madness SA" by Karriem Riggins, "Stuck (orig)" by Peven Everett, "Southern Freeez" by Freeez, "Ein Kola Bitte" by Ratgrave, "Peace & Love's Comin" by Phil Asher, "He's So Crazy" by Wbeeza, "Pregnant" by Awanto 3, "It's All In The Groove" by City People, "Lowrider" by Yussef Kamaal, "Nuts" by Dego, "Cause I Love You" by Diggs Duke, and the cuts "Strings (ATL)", "Snitches Brew (live)", and "Shinjuku (DJ Kicks)" by Kamaal Williams himself. CD

Sample funk spun from records rescued by The Numero Group – edited by white label production crew Shoes without Numero's consent – which was then seized by Numero at the pressing plant, they bootlegged the bootleg, and release it here legitimately as Eccentric Breaks & Beats! The breakbeat funk aware will recognize the packaging for its parody of the Ultimate Breaks & Beats series – and however you feel about the politics of grey market music – creatively, this thing is a total win! Numero takes such impeccable care with their reissues, from the masters to the notes and packaging, we actually never really thought of the music as sample material – funky as the funkiest of their ouvre is! That's a testament to the curators of Numero, as the singers, players and producers of the original material are of paramount importance and we think of them individually when we listen to those compilations. Shoes, on the other hand (. . .or foot), heard potential for hypnotic, swirling psych funk blends and spins an undeniably creative set to suit. Titles include "Give Me Another Day", "Not Ready For School", "John Goodman Is Too Cool To Cry", "Peopleibrium", "Feel What Lies Behind You", "Saving Mr Billy's Soul", "Cosmic Clock", "Which Jesus Am I", "Everything" and more. CD

Cosmic grooves and spacey post disco compiled by Dompteur Mooner – a great third volume of the Elaste series from Compost Records! The soul if disco splintered in the cosmos in the early 80s, soaring strings giving way to funky synths, proto-techno programming and all around galactic feel in the clubs of Europe and pretty much all around the world – and this set pulls together the widest range yet! Definitely not disco in a conventional set, but spacey synth funk and influential club grooves from the early 80s underground that sounds great today! Includes "Take A Chance (Dompteur Mooner Edit)" by Queen Samantha, "Urth" by Mobius, "Beats of Love" by Nacht Und Nebel, "Allein (Original Version)" by Tabu, "Beuys Boys" by Pollyester, "Jamacia Running" by The Pool, "Powerslide" by Mythos, "Africa (Dub Mix)" by Key Of Dreams and more. Includes "Take A Chance (Dopmteur Mooner Edit)" by Queen Samantha, "Urth" by Mobius, "Beats of Love" by Nacht Und Nebel, "Allein (Original Version)" by Tabu, "Beuys Boys" by Pollyester, "Jamacia Running" by The Pool and more. 10 tracks on 2LP for the vinyl version. LP, Vinyl record album

The archive here appears to be Volcov's own record collection – but that's A-OK with us, because he's got some wonderfully groovy, wonderfully soulful, wonderfully under-discovered records he wants to share with us! The set's got a wicked blend of obscure tracks from decades back, and some contemporary cuts that share a similar vibe – music that's in a really special place between soul, jazz, and fusion – often with a cosmic vibe that gives the whole collection a very righteous sound! Liner notes are by Patrick Forge, who points out how obscure most of these tracks are, and what a special collection this is – and we definitely agree with his words, as most of these tracks are new to us, too. Titles include "Keep The Same Old Feeling" by Hot Quisine, "Do The Right Thing" by JOB, "Go (Chez Damien classic mix)" by The Urban Cru, "The Sound Of The Memory Of Many Living People" by Are & Be, "Arigo (Volcov edit)" by Manfredo Fest, "Turning On To Me" by Oneness Of Juju, "Footprints On The Sand (Shannon Harris Urbanicity reinterpretation)" by Chanan Hanspal, "Sophisticated Disco (Volcov edit)" by O'Donel Levy, "Simon's Melody" by The Antilles, "Part 4" by Shakazulu, and "Sun On My Back" by Bembe Segue. LP, Vinyl record album

I-Robots take a mighty cool look at the Phantom Records label – a small imprint from that great moment when the Italian club scene was getting pretty electric and cosmic – almost as a dancefloor extension of sound library modes from a few years before! The cuts here all have plenty of keyboards and a fair bit of spacey touches – all while managing to sound upbeat and funky, although with more colder electro modes as some of the tracks move a bit further into the 80s run of the label. Some tracks are quite short, others are longer groovers – and titles include "Come With Me (I-Robots reconstruction)" by Carlotto, "Cometa Music Hall" by Cometa Music Hall, "Whirlwind" by Don Bernini, "Radio Cosmo 101" by The One O Ones, and "Music One (parts 1, 7, & 8)" by Musicone. LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic little collection – a look at the way that sounds from the Caribbean changed over nicely when brought to the UK scene – where immigrants from former British territory really helped to transform the sound of London in the 70s! The music here is served up in a range of different styles – certainly reggae, but with plenty of funk and soul too, mixed with other elements from the islands – all brought into new play together when taken up in the UK! Right from the start, the English artists were starting to put their own spin on things – so the cuts within offer up all these great new directions – maybe even more surprises than you're used to finding on some of the other collections from the Soul Jazz label! The presentation of material is superb, and there's some very detailed notes as well – with cuts that include "No Time For Hello" by Harry Beckett, "Ooh Boy" by Sandra Reid, "Don't Call Us Immigrants" by Tabby Cat Kelly, "RK1" by The Terrorist, "Black Pride" by Brown Sugar, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Black Harmony, "Positive Vibrations" by Pebbles, "Love Money" by Funk Masters, "Ragga Trip" by Ragga Twins, "Be Thankful For What You've Got" by Winston Curtis, "Fug" by Cymande, "Sticks Man" by Black Slate, "Rising To The Top" by Dee Sharp, "Misty Winter" by Digital Mystikz, "Compelled" by Cosmic Irden, and "Still In Love" by Janet Kay & Alton Ellis, and "Java Bass" by Shut Up & Dance. CD

A time-spanning compilation that mixes old and new disco tunes alike! The set begins with the more cosmic sound of 70s club – longer tracks with a strong keyboard groove and really expanded rhythms – and it links those cuts up with more modern ones that still hold onto the soul of the classics, while also stretching forth towards newer sounds. All this makes for a really great set – a timeless blend of tunes that really fit well together, presented in unmixed format for a super-long package of tracks! Titles include "Over & Over" by Sylvester, "Everybody Get Dancin" by The Bombers, "Reckless Girl" by The Beginerz, "Bad Habit (demo)" by ATFC presents Onephatdeeva, "I Feel Love (1977 original)" by Donna Summer, "Do What You Wanna Do" by T Connection, "I Will Follow You (full intention club)" by Una Mas, "There But For The Grace Of God Go I" by Machine, "Keep On Jumpin" by Musique, "You Can't Hide From Your Bud" by DJ Sneak, "Music Makes Me Happy (ATFC vocal)" by Tomy or Zox, "Dangerous Vibes (Spen & Kamizra deepah dub)" by Ferry Ultra with Roy Ayers, "Let's Get Horny" by Hi Voltage, "Too Much Love (Axwell voc)" by Michelle Wilson, and "Love Is Freedom" by Joey Negro vs Secret Sounds. 26 tracks in all. CD

The cover's a bit cheesy, but the grooves are great – very much what we've come to expect from this long-running series that always serves up some great funky tracks! Mood Mosaic's been around for a long time, and they've got a great reputation for mixing together tracks you might not normally find on a compilation – not just standard soul and funk tracks, but some more unusual numbers from unlikely sources – which work together with the others to create a very cool vibe throughout! Titles include "The Build Up" by Alan Tew, "Balek" by Placebo, "Izzy Come Izzy Go" by Funk Revolution, "Silent Scream" by Dave Myers Effect, "Kulawy Wojtek" by Nibiesko Czarni, "Mr Deal" by JC Heavy, "Hakusha" by The Neopolitans, "Funky Chimes (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul Scracchers, "Cosmic Sea" by Mystic Moods, and "A Man" by Key & Cleary. CD

The cover's a bit cheesy, but the grooves are great – very much what we've come to expect from this long-running series that always serves up some great funky tracks! Mood Mosaic's been around for a long time, and they've got a great reputation for mixing together tracks you might not normally find on a compilation – not just standard soul and funk tracks, but some more unusual numbers from unlikely sources – which work together with the others to create a very cool vibe throughout! Titles include "The Build Up" by Alan Tew, "Balek" by Placebo, "Izzy Come Izzy Go" by Funk Revolution, "Silent Scream" by Dave Myers Effect, "Kulawy Wojtek" by Nibiesko Czarni, "Mr Deal" by JC Heavy, "Hakusha" by The Neopolitans, "Funky Chimes (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul Scracchers, "Cosmic Sea" by Mystic Moods, and "A Man" by Key & Cleary. LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked tunes hand-picked by the Japanese maestro of the groove – a heady batch of tracks collected by Yukihiro Fukutomi, with a brilliant melding of jazz, soul, and Latin influences! The set compiles 10 tracks from American and European sources – and features many hard-to-find remixes that surfaced briefly on expensive singles, but which have long gone by the wayside – making this collection even more essential to fans of the groove. Fukutomi presents the tracks in their entirety, unmixed – and titles include "Don't Mean A Thing (Incognito mix)" by Space Jazz Dub Men, "I Got Somebody New (original)" by Georg Levin with Clara Hill, "Everything (Yam Who rmx)" by Dwayne Morgan, "Life Rhythms (Raw Deal rmx)" by E Smoove, "Dreams Come True (Afronaught mix for Bugz In The Attic)" by Alison David, "Listen (Just Listen Louie's Master mix)" by Urban Species, "Cosmic Gypsy (Fila Brazilia rmx)" by United Future Organization, "I Just Wanna Say (Domu's Number One Mix)" by Michelle Lawson, and "Cloud 9 (Quenti Harris Shelter mix)" by Donnie. (New Grooves, Funky Compilations) CD

Fantastic funky sounds from TK Records – a Miami soul powerhouse that most folks know for some big disco hits in the 70s, but a company that also cut some killer 45s in the years before that time! Much of the work here is from the earlier funky 45 years of the TK empire – including singles issued on the Glades, Alston, and Cat labels – plus a few later tracks that show just how committed the company was to more unusual, more developing styles of funk – even when they were making big cash on their disco hits. The whole thing is fantastic – and filled with plenty of rare funky breaks that you'll recognize from samples – with titles that include "Funky Yolk" by Arnold Albury & The Casuals, "Nobody But You Babe" by Clarence Reid, "Cramp Your Style" by All the People, "Mashed Potato Popcorn" by Freddie & The Kinfolk, "Let's Take A Break" by Milton Wright, "Cutting Room (Hot Pants)" by Oceanliners, "Miss Hot Stuff" by Clarence Reid, "Lay It On Me" by Willie Johnson, "Let Me Be Your Lover" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Cosmic Funk" by Mad Dog Fire Department, and "Don't Waste My Time" by Jerry Washington. CD

That's a pretty cosmic image on the cover, and the vibe of the album follows suit in a very nice way – mixing the best "future" modes of 80s music of the cassette generation with some more traditional funk and soul! The set opens our ears to a world we'd never have heard otherwise – and the music here has a surprisingly strong tie to some of the New York electro modes of the period – great basslines, keyboards, and some electronic touches that are balanced by warmer vocals by the Egyptian singers – all with a style that's a lot more soul-based and western than other Mid-East grooves of the time! Titles include "Donia El Arkam" by Frikit El Ensan, "Merci" by Simone, "Genoun El Disco" by Dr Ezat Abou Ouf & El Four M, "Hezeny" by Al Massrieen, "Ana Alby Har Nar" by Lebleba, "Mahsobka Endes" by Eman El Bahr Drwish, and "Tany Tany" by Araf Rady. (Global Grooves, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of late 70s French disco funk – actually sound library material from the Tele Music archives – featuring positively killer bass lines, keys and drums, with a warmth and a groove that just slays so much of the better known dancefloor material of the era! Includes great stuff by Spatial & Co, Disco & Co, Voyage and Arpadys – should be classic cosmic disco all the way! The vinyl version features 7 tracks: "Bass Power", "Electric Maneges", "Exotic Guide", "Future Vision" and "All The Bass" by Spatial & Co, ""Phantom Rock" by Disco & Co, and "I Love You Dancer" (instrumental version) by Voyage. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous entry in this wonderful series – a set that proudly proclaims its contents with the "NOW" on the cover! Back when the Spiritual Jazz series first started on the Jazzman label, the music was mostly relegated to material of the John Coltrane generation and the generation that followed – but in the past decade or so, there's been a huge explosion in new artists that explore the deeper, more righteous currents of jazz – music that's pulled in from the farther reaches of free improvisation, to righteous, message-oriented styles that often mix modal rhythms with more exploratory solo passages. Yet this new generation is hardly slavish to the sounds of Impulse Records – as they've really moved beyond, and have used a globe's worth of influences and new 21st Century concepts to bring fresh spirit to the music – opening things up in ways that have made this new movement one of our greatest sources of inspiration in recent years. This double-length entry is a fantastic overview of the sounds that are currently reshaping the planet – and titles on volume 2 include "Flute Song" by Wildflower, "Slow Sweet Burn" by Abeeku, "Palms To Heaven" by The Cosmic Range, "Nova" by Menagerie, "Avo's Tune" by Teemu Akerblom Quartet, "Paris" by Jonas Kullhammar, "Vessels" by The Jamie Saft Quartet, "What Do I Tell My Children Who Are Black "by Angel Bat Dawid, "Trane's Groove" by Carla Marciano, "For Coltrane" by Steve Reid Foundation, "Empty Streets" by Vibration Black Finger, and "Memory Ritual" by The Pyramids. LP, Vinyl record album

Theo Parrish takes on the music of Black Jazz Records – yet somehow manages to make the whole thing come across with a cosmic groove that's all his own! By that, we don't mean that Theo's messing with the cuts – just that his mix here really highlights the more expansively electric and rhythmically angular elements of the label's classic catalog – sounds that are clearly an inspiration for a huge number of 21st Century musicians and producer – not just Parrish himself! There's a richly spiritual vibe to the whole set – and the collection is easily one of the best presentations of the Black Jazz label we've ever heard – stunning from start to finish. Cuts include "My Favorite Things" by Gene Russell, "Those Who Chant" by Walter Bishop, "Jupiter" and "Convulsions" by The Awakening, "Trance Dance" by Doug Carn, "Time & Space" by Rudolph Johnson, "Criss Cross" and "BE" by Calvin Keys, and "Blue Bossa" by Walter Bishop Jr. CD

A much-needed look at this sometimes-missed chapter in Italian music – a moment when the Italo Club sound of the 80s had transformed into a scene that gave us some of the cleanest, leanest house music of the time! Earlier Italian imports had a big impact on the birth of house music in Chicago – and a few years later, those forward-thinking sounds were used to bring a needed revamp to Italian club as well – as you'll hear in these wonderfully-executed cuts that often have the best spare sounds of the US underground, mixed with some classic elements that warm things up in a mighty nice way! All volumes are filled with well-chosen cuts that never got the kind of attention they should have at the time – and titles on this third edition include "Illusion" by Optik, "Universal" by Leo Anibaldi, "Tramp Heart" by Green Baize, "Children Trip" by Deep Choice, "Deep Blue" by Deep Blue, "Walkin On The Moon" by Cosmic Galaxy, "Paranoia" by Golem, "Sweet Pieces (alt mix)" by Lonely Dance, "Ouverture" by Don Carlos, and "Dance To The House (unreleased edit)" by Neurostate. LP, Vinyl record album