A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly one of the greatest funk compilations ever – and we're not just saying that because we're from the Midwest! The genius compilers at Jazzman spent years scouring the smaller cities of the American hinterlands – tracking down obscure musicians, long-lost labels, and nearly-gone master tapes – all to bring together 23 bits of rare funk that bristle with the same energy and excitement as the day they were first recorded! The package is incredible – not only filled with incredible tunes that somehow manage to push the boundaries and redefine our understanding of classic funk from the time, but also doing so in a package that's filled with liner notes that offer more information on the artists than probably their own mothers know! Plus, the set's also got some previously unissued numbers as well – making it a must-have for any funk fan, even if you've somehow managed to track down original copies of some of these choice bits! Titles include "Whip It" by The New Establishment In Soul, "Let's Do It Today (full version)" by The Us, "Pushin To The Top" by Markus Kelly & The Impassions, "Sissy Walk" by Billy Ball & The Upsetters, "Tell Her" by Fred Williams & The Jewels Band, "The Hatch" by The TMGs, "Boots Groove" by The Soul Tornados, "Po Boy's Dream" by Illinois Connection, "It's Not You For Me (live)" by Billy Joe Holloman, "Funky In Here" by Dayton Sidewinders, "Master Groove" by Henry Peters & The Imperials, and "A Day In The Life" by Chocolate Snow. CD

A wonderfully wide-ranging tribute to the great John Coltrane – served up here in a whole host of tracks recorded after his too-early death, each of which take his musical message in different directions! The sound is certainly spiritual – in keeping with the different volumes in this long-running series – but there's a nice mix of expressions and instrumentation, offering up a journey into John Coltrane's important influence on so many different spheres of jazz – far more than you might expect! And this isn't just a set of Coltrane remakes or covers, either, as new songs are mixed with familiar ones – in a well-chosen batch of tracks that includes "Trane" by Carmelo Garcia, "Transition" by Malachi Thompson, "John Coltrane" by Clifford Jordan, "Naima" by Darwin Strickland Trio, "Terre Engloutie" by Gilles Torrent Jazztet, "To Trane" by Carsten Meinert Kvartet, "Welcome" by Norman Connors, "Ole" by Sonny Fortune, and "Naima" by Jack McDuff. CD

A wonderfully wide-ranging tribute to the great John Coltrane – served up here in a whole host of tracks recorded after his too-early death, each of which take his musical message in different directions! The sound is certainly spiritual – in keeping with the different volumes in this long-running series – but there's a nice mix of expressions and instrumentation, offering up a journey into John Coltrane's important influence on so many different spheres of jazz – far more than you might expect! And this isn't just a set of Coltrane remakes or covers, either, as new songs are mixed with familiar ones – in a well-chosen batch of tracks that includes "Trane" by Carmelo Garcia, "Transition" by Malachi Thompson, "John Coltrane" by Clifford Jordan, "Naima" by Darwin Strickland Trio, "Terre Engloutie" by Gilles Torrent Jazztet, "To Trane" by Carsten Meinert Kvartet, "Welcome" by Norman Connors, "Ole" by Sonny Fortune, and "Naima" by Jack McDuff. 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

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Heavy funk, hand-picked by Will "Quantic" Holland – and an incredible set that's easily one of the best funk collections we've ever stocked! Will definitely knows his thing, and for the collection, he's dug through the rich catalog of Jazzman 45 reissues in recent years – pulling together some of the best bits from 7" wax, and putting them together into one completely tight collection. The package not only features tremendous tracks all around – most of which are making their CD debut here – but it also includes full liner notes on each number, scans of each label, and even a "funk 45 rarity guide" that's pretty darn handy! And sure, you may already have some of these in your collection as Jazzman or Funk 45 reissue 7" singles – but at this price, the collection's a heck of a great way to get them all together – and it's got the Quantic stamp of approval too. Titles include "Egg Roll" by The M&S Band, "Ooh Ah Ee" by Vern Blair Debate, "Ain't No Other Way" by Herman Hitson, "Tra La La" by The Great Deltas, "Just Plain Funk" by James Polk & The Brothers, "The World (part 1)" by Sandi & The Matues, "Fast Man" by PC's Ltd, "Stay Together" by Soul Excitement, "The Loneliest One" by Gene Anderson, "Boilin Water" by Tony Bowens & The Soul-Choppers, "I Turn You On" by Latin Breed, and "Mystery Of Black (part 1)" by Shades Of Black. CD

Jazzman take on the Cali scene – and the results are every bit as amazing as you might imagine! Like previous Texas, Florida, and Midwest Funk comps on the label, this volume is essential listening all the way through – a massive dig into rare west coast grooves of the late 60s and 1970s – presented with excellent notes on every single track, and more than enough historical detail to put the music in perspective! The whole thing's fully legit, with great mastering on most cuts – and the track list is filled with rare gems we've never seen on any other collections before – a massive funky treasure trove that includes "Turn It Over" by Chucky Thurmon, "Farm Song" by Leon Gardner, "What Goes Around Comes Around (part 1)" by Arthur Monday, "Get It Right" by Rhon Silva, "Funky Fire" by Billy Larkin, "WB" by California Gold Notes, "Curse Upon The World" by Apple & The Three Oranges, "Cold Heat" by Lil Lavair & The Fabulous Jades, "Bones" by Winter, "Smokin Tidbits" by Edwards Generation, "Al's Place" by Enrique Olivarez Y Los Vampiros, "Talking About My Baby" by John Heartsman & Circles, "What's Going On" by Mr Clean & The Soul Inc, and "All Bundled Into One" by Water Color. LP, Vinyl record album

The vaults of Fania Records, plumbed by the Jazzman crew – all in a double-strength approach to Latin grooves! The wealth of great music on Fania, Tico, and related labels is well-known to Latin groovers worldwide – but the Jazzman crew have managed to bring a nicely fresh perspective to the labels here – going for cuts that show the labels' appeal to the funky 45 underground, thanks to a healthy dose of soul, jazz, and funk in the mix! Most of these numbers represent the cream of the crop of the New York scene of the late 60s and early 70s – not the mainstream one, but the side that was bubbling under uptown – as influences from Spanish Harlem mixed in nicely with older influences from Cuba and Puerto Rico. CD features 18 tracks in all – most of the numbers that were previously on the expensive 7" box sets that were part of the Fania/Jazzman project – and the set also features all the original notes on each tune too. Titles include "Doug's Room" by Mauricio Smith, "Come An Get It" by Eddie Palmieri & Cal Tjader, "Soana" by Noro Morales, "Hit The Bongo" by Tito Puente, "Geronimo" by Bobby Valentin, "Fever" by La Lupe, "Soul Drummers" by Ray Barretto, "Black Brothers" by Tito Puente, "Mambomongo" by Mongo Santamaria, "Camel Walk" by The Latinaires, "Tighten Up" by Al Escobar, "I Got The Feeling" by Chollo, "Use It Before You Lose It" by Bobby Valentin, and "Never Learned To Dance" by Harvey Averne. CD

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. CD

The Jazzman label hits a whole new level of brilliance – as they turn their funk-trained crate digging skills to the world of spiritual jazz! The collection's an amazing batch of ultra-rare tunes – tracks that take inspiration from the John Coltrane/Archie Shepp work on Impulse Records in the 60s, then run with those roots in bold new directions – soaring, spiritual aims in jazz that reach for new freedoms, but never lapse into the totally-outside modes of free jazz! Instead, there's a really great balance here between structure and struggle – as many tunes often have a good rhythmic pulse, usually modal and soulful, then let the horn solos stretch out more in their own sounds and directions. The mix is amazing, as is the selection of tunes – rare numbers pulled mostly from American independent jazz releases of the 60s and 70s – most of which are as obscure as the funky 45s we normally get from Jazzman. As with the label's US funk compilations, there's full notes on all the music – a heck of a lot of detail on these artists – and tracks on the set include "Paul's Ark" by Morris Wilson Beau Bailey Quintet, "Ayo Ayo Nene" by Mor Thiam, "Nomusa" by Ndikho Xaba & The Natives, "The Afrikan In Winter" by The Positive Force, "Neveen" by Salah Ragab, "Ja Mil" by Hastings Street Jazz Experience, "Be There" by Leon Gardner, "Psych City" by Ohio Penitentiary 511 Jazz Ensemble, "Introduction" by James Tatum Trio Plus, and "No Jive" by Frank Derrick Total Experience. US pressing has 2 bonus tracks – "All Prasies To Allah (parts 1 & 2 edit)" by Lightmen Plus One, and "Bada Que Bash" by PE Hewitt Jazz Ensemble. CD

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

One of the deepest-digging entries in this wonderful series – a set that explores the wealth of spiritual jazz issued on small indie labels in the 70s – material that's sometimes referred to as "private", although that's really just a factor of how little circulation these records saw back in the day! As is well-known, the 60s influence of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy set countless fires on players in the generation that followed – including some older musicians who really changed up their groove in the post-Coltrane energy, and recorded material that was full of searing solos, modal rhythms, and a new sort of spiritual vibe! The set features plenty of nuggets from that time – including some very rare 45s – and even includes one or two earlier tracks, which makes for a great span of sounds within. As always with Jazzman, the detailed notes are as great as the track selection – and titles include "By The Grace Of God" by Erni Clark, "Ethiopia" by Carmelo Garcia, "Desiree Song" by Bobby Jackson, "Pharoah's Thing" by Compass, "Symbiosis" by Almanac, "A'Keem" by Cullen Knight, "Themes & Variations" by Black Is, "Middle Eastern Fantasy" by Radam Schwartz & Leslie Ford, "Spanish Boots (parts 1 & 2)" by Don Menza, and "Delilah" by Andrew McPherson. CD

One of the deepest-digging entries in this wonderful series – a set that explores the wealth of spiritual jazz issued on small indie labels in the 70s – material that's sometimes referred to as "private", although that's really just a factor of how little circulation these records saw back in the day! As is well-known, the 60s influence of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy set countless fires on players in the generation that followed – including some older musicians who really changed up their groove in the post-Coltrane energy, and recorded material that was full of searing solos, modal rhythms, and a new sort of spiritual vibe! The set features plenty of nuggets from that time – including some very rare 45s – and even includes one or two earlier tracks, which makes for a great span of sounds within. As always with Jazzman, the detailed notes are as great as the track selection – and titles include "By The Grace Of God" by Erni Clark, "Ethiopia" by Carmelo Garcia, "Desiree Song" by Bobby Jackson, "Pharoah's Thing" by Compass, "Symbiosis" by Almanac, "A'Keem" by Cullen Knight, "Themes & Variations" by Black Is, "Middle Eastern Fantasy" by Radam Schwartz & Leslie Ford, "Spanish Boots (parts 1 & 2)" by Don Menza, and "Delilah" by Andrew McPherson. LP, Vinyl record album