A really great return to form for the Free Soul series – one that mixed together key tracks from a variety of hip 70s soul and jazz labels – including Flying Dutchman, Brunswick, and TK – all with an assortment of grooves that really work well together! As with the classic Free Soul sets, all the titles here were chosen by Toru Hashimoto – a man who's taught us plenty about music over the decades – and the long package runs for over 80 minutes, with a sublime assortment of cuts that include "Girl Overboard" by Dorothy Moore, "Misdemeanor" by Foster Sylvers, "Am I The Same Girl" by Barbara Acklin, "What Am I Going To Do" by Reid Inc, "My Baby's Got ESP" by Four Below Zero, "You Light Up My Life" by Judy Roberts, "You Got To Be The One" by Marilyn Farra & Satin Soul, "My Baby Just Cares For Me" by Nina Simone, "Love Land" by The Lost Generation, "Jolie" by Latimore, "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott Heron, "We've Only Just Begun" by Lynn Marion with Frank Cunimundo Trio, "Don't You Care" by Alice Clarke, "Let Your Love Rain Down On Me" by Jewel Bass, "Changin" by Sharon Ridley, and "Love Each Other" by Leon Thomas. CD

Classic soul, with a slight touch of funk – all served up in a limited vinyl-only package that really does justice to the longstanding legacy of the Free Soul series from Japan! The tunes here are upbeat, soaring, and very much on the positive side of soul music from back in the day – and although most of these tracks are more obscure than the big hits of the 70s, they've achieved greater fame over the decades – thanks in part to use as samples, and through great collections like this one! Titles on this second volume include "My Baby's Got ESP" by Four Below Zero, "Jolie" by Latimore, "Ain't It Good Feeling Good" by Eloise Laws, "Changin" by Sharon Ridley, "Let Your Love Rain Down On Me" by Jewell Bass, "Queen Of My Soul" by Average White Band, "Party Down (part 1)" by Little Beaver, "You've Got To Be The One" by Maryann Farra & Satin Soul, "Love Land" by The Lost Generation, and "My Baby Just Cares For Me" by Nina Simone. LP, Vinyl record album

An essential look at the spiritual jazz legacy of Impulse Records – a set that's maybe a bit overdue in this series, given that Impulse first opened the door to these modes with their recordings of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders in the 60s! For some reason, Impulse had a perfect ear for this music – able to let players stretch out and be free, but also work some of the earlier modal jazz impulses into longer-form tunes that still had a pulse of rhythm – and which were often a bit different than the freer jazz styles on a label like ESP. Make no mistake, there's plenty of improvisation going on here – but it's also part of the larger, unified spirit of the tunes – a real message in the music, on selections that include "Sister Mamie" by Yusef Lateef, "Three Flowers" by McCoy Tyner, "7th Day" by Freddie Hubbard, "Half & Half" by Elvin Jones, "Groove Waltz" by McCoy Tyner, "The Blessing Song" by Michael White, "Turiya & Ramakrishna" by Alice Coltrane, "A Taste Of Honey" by Phil Woods, "Constant Trob (part 1)" by John Klemmer, "Hum Allah Hum Allah Hum Allah" by Pharoah Sanders, "Maimoun" by Marion Brown, "Lonesome Lover" by Max Roach, "Fantszm" by Elvin Jones, "Acknowledgement" by John Coltrane, "Thembi" by Pharoah Sanders, and "Journey In Satchidananda" by Alice Coltrane. And let us say that even if you have some of these tracks on other records, there's something completely sublime about the way the whole thing is put together – and the way the tracks sound next to each other! CD

An incredible companion to the book Enjoy The Experience – and like that volume, a set that's filled with gems from the obscure sides of the American recording industry – vanity and privately pressed records that are plenty darn groovy, and pretty darn funky in all the right spots! The book is a painstakingly researched collection – and this soundtrack is just as carefully put together – with a great range of styles – heavily steeped in freaky funk, upbeat boogie, acid folk, offbeat psych, and trippy jazz! The range of sounds is really wonderful – with a feel that's somewhere between a Trunk Records or Finders Keepers compilation – and titles include "Intro (Excerpt)" by The Muzzy Band, "Spacing Out" by The Invaders, Diska Limba Man" by Medico Doktor Vibes, "Music Slave" by Jade, "White Panther" by Arcesia, "Never Come Back" by Boa, "ESP Switch" by Michael Farneti, "6.4 = Makeout" by Gary Wilson, "Just To Say Goodbye" by Russ Saul, "Cadillac Woman" by Stephen David Heitkotter, "Piledriver" by Dennis The Fox, "Old Time Feeling" by Circuit Rider, and "666" by Ray Torske. CD

A stunning set of vocal recordings by Tlahoun Gessesse – one of the most important singers during the golden age of Ethiopian Music – caught here on a set of sides that sadly saw that period coming to an end! The tracks on the set are mostly from the early 70s, a time that saw great political changes in Ethiopia – and tremendous censorship and restrictions on cultural production. Gessesse's vocals during this time are perhaps even more melancholy and heartfelt than before, and he's working here on a number of sides with the legendary Mulatu – with arrangements that have a angular, almost modernist edge. Despite the language barriers that keep us from understanding what Gessesse's singing about, there's an incredibly evocative quality to the work that transcends time and place – and titles include "Alegntaye", "Aykedashem Iebe", "Ene Negn Wey Antchi", "Yene Felagote", "Beyet New Mengedu", "Lantchi Biye", "Tchuheten Betsemu", and two versions of "Kulun Mankwalesh". First time on reissue vinyl for this material – which originally appeared on the 17th volume of the Ethiopiques series. (Global Grooves, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album