Very cool compilation featuring a whole mess of great lost funk tracks from the legendary Westbound label – including a few unreleased cuts! There's a number of tracks on here that we just about never see, and some more that you'll only find on rare funky 45s. Tracks include "Getting It Off", an instrumental by Fuzzy Haskins, "Super Funk" by Erasmus Hall, "In The Pocket" by Boots, "Funk It Down" by Caesar Frazier, "Just Us" by Crowd Pleasers, "Funky Beethoven" by Gene Anderson, "Be What You Is" by U.S. Music & Funkadelic, and "Funky World (parts 1 & 2)" by Silky Vincent. Very cool stuff, and with a good set of notes! (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great albums back to back – both rare albums from a percussionist who worked with Sun Ra! First up is Mora volume 1 – a legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is definitely at the core – but the set also features wonderful contributions from Vincent Bowens on tenor and soprano sax, Jerome LeDuff on berimbau, Alberto Nacif on quinto, and Detroit jazz legend Kenny Cox on piano! There's a balance here that really matches the best Strata East energy of the 70s – an open, flowing approach that's completely sublime, and very righteous too – even more so than anything Mora's done since the 70s – making this record one of his greatest achievements ever. Tersa Mora sings a bit of vocals at times – and titles include "Afra Jum", "Five AM", "Rumba Morena", "Samba De Amor", and "Cultural Warrior". Mora 2 is a set recorded in Detroit, but one that's got a globe's worth of elements in the mix – originally recorded in the mid 80s, but not released until a brief CD issue in the early part of the 21st Century! Despite that history, the album's a really timeless record that encompasses a world's worth of elements in jazz! Francisco Mora Catlett's at the height of his powers here – leading the group with a sense of righteous majesty that takes us back to some of the most ambitious heirs of the post-Coltrane generation, but with perhaps an oddly rhythmic twist as well – such as you might find in some of the 70s classics of Bobby Vince Paunetto. Echoes of Latin, Afro, and spiritual jazz come together as one – soaring to the skies on soulful waves of sound – brought together with a sense of focus and spirit that really moves us a lot. Players include Marcus Belgrave and John Douglass on trumpets, Sherman Mitchell on trombone, Vincent Bowens on tenor and flute, Alex Harding on baritone and bass clarinet, Kenny Cox on piano, and Rodney Whitaker on bass – and titles include "Samba/Conga De Amor", "Amazona Prelude/Dawn", "Old Man Joe", "Por Que Paro", and "Afra-Jum (parts 2 & 3)". CD

A really wonderful album of obscure jazz recordings from the Chicago scene of the 70s – way more than just the usual school band record, as the tracks here are mostly originals, and performed by a very inventive group of musicians! Governor's State University was a very hip place at the time – a public college at the end of the main train line running through the south side of Chicago – which made the school a place of great opportunity and expression for the city's African-American community. Rather than a junior college, GSU had higher levels of learning – and had an especially strong jazz program, as you'll hear in this set – which features both sextet performances and work by a larger ensemble – both imbued with some of the best creative legacy of the Chicago scene. Things never go far outside, but there's definitely a deeper understanding of musical reaches taking place here – and the core quartet features Walter Henderson on cornet, John Pate on piano, Eugene Vineyard on tenor, Ronald Askew on guitar, Jeff Simon on bass, and Curtis Prince on drums. These players are in the larger group – which also features William Howell and Gerald Myrow on trombones, Vincent Carter and Steele Seales on saxes, and Kenneth Brass and Melvin Williams on trumpets. Titles include "Crabmeat", "Song For Suzanne", "Keishaz", "Give It One", "Listen Here", and "Spanish Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

Solid, soulful work from Vincent Herring – blowing here wonderfully on alto and soprano sax, with a sense of feeling and creative energy that really makes him one of the key players of his generation! The proceedings are relatively straight, but they're also totally great – open, honest expression that's a nice update of 70s indie jazz modes – held together tightly by a rhythm section that includes Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ira Coleman on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums on most of the records – or Keven Hays, Dwayne Burno, and Carl Allen on a few remaining selections. Wallace Roney plays trumpet on the first set of tracks – Scott Wendholt on the others – and the whole album has a sharp-edged quintet format with an occasional bite, often rolling out in the kind of upbeat lines that usually make Herring sound best. Titles include "Sound Check", "August Afternoon", "Dawnbird", "Dr Jamie", "Toku Do", and "The Dark Side Of Dewey". CD

A wonderful album by pianist John Hicks – which, despite a stupid title that makes it sound like a techno record, is a brilliant batch of easily soulful tunes that ranks with his best work of recent years! The album features Hicks in some fantastic company – most notably bassist Curtis Lundy, who's well-rounded grooves have always provided perfect accompaniment for Hicks' piano, plus Vincent Herring on alto and soprano sax, Cecil Brooks III on drums, and occasional flute by Elise Wood. Tracks have that blocky modal approach that's always made Hicks' work a perfect extension of the post-Coltrane generation – and titles include "Yemenja", "Elation", "Soul Eyes", and "Mind Wine". CD

A group with an enigmatic name, and one with a sound to match – as the quintet play together in ways that link late 50s modern jazz with later, more experimental moments – but all with a sense of cohesion that really makes for a hell of a record all the way through! Some tracks are long, some much shorter – and there's a mix of subtle feeling here that almost takes us back to the territory of Mal Waldron and Eric Dolphy – especially given the album's great use of bass clarinet at times, handled by Joel Stedman, who also plays flute. The rest of the combo features more flute and tenor from Matt Cliffe, piano from Hugh Vincent, bass from Elliot Roffe, and drums from Simon Henry – a wonderfully expressive group who have a superbly fresh sense of tone and timing. Titles include "Faith", "Lizard", "Sight", "Maya's Mood", "Miss B", "Summit", and "Diogenes Pot". LP, Vinyl record album

Joshua Redman on soprano and tenor saxophone, Larry Grenadier and Timothy Cobb on bass, Ellen Westermann, Eugene Moye and Stephanie Cummins on cello, Brian Blade on drums, Pamela Sklar on flute, Robert Carlisle on French horn, Brad Mehldau on piano, vibraphone, and tubular bells, Daniel Panner, Dov Scheindlin, and Vincent Lionti on viola, and Ann Leathers, Avril Brown, Christina Courtin, Courtney Orlando, Karen Karlsrud, Katherine Livolsi-Landau, Yuri Vodovoz, and Joanna Maurer on violin. CD