The great Andy Smith has been giving us killer compilations for more years than we can count – but it also feels like he's really outdoing himself with this Disco Wonderland series – showing us that there's still such a huge amount of music to discover when you get past the mainstream ... CD
UK trumpet legend Harry Beckett makes a surprising appearance here for the On-U Sound label – although maybe that's not much of a surprise, given all the diversely creative moments Beckett has had in his decades-long career! The format is very much in the best On-U Sound mode, but with a bit ... LP, Vinyl record album
A double-length package – with two very cool soundtracks! First up is Night Of The Witches – a lost soundtrack gem from the great Sean Bonniwell – an artist you might know from his 60s hits in The Music Machine, and one who uses all that sonic experience in a mighty nice way on ... CD
Maybe the most ambitious album to date from saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins – a largeform project that expands on his previous music in great ways, and really opens up with a visionary quality that we never would have expected a few short years ago! The album's title is a key reference from the ... CD
A great live session in the best tradition of the Smalls Live series – one that seems to have all players working at a level that's even higher than usual, as they stretch out on long tracks that offer up plenty of room for freely expressive solos! The songs are mostly familiar numbers, not ... CD
A wonderful reunion of Pharoah Sanders and vocalist Leon Thomas – and a set that captures a lot of the same energy as the pair's previous record – Karma! Thomas' vocals are in wonderful form for the set – stretching out soulfully on the extended classic "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-H ... LP, Vinyl record album
Not the music of Bob Dylan – but a great little set that shows just how much Dylan's influence spread amidst various channels of the music world of the mid 60s – so much so, that it left behind a whole host of unlikely acts picking up some of his sounds and styles – and using it ... CD
The cover image is a great hint at the vibe of this gem of a record from London's Ezra Collective – but as with most of their music, there's a lot more going on than you might expect – certainly not a straight dance record, although the album's overflowing with really wonderful rhythms! ... CD
A really lovely tribute to the late producer Nujabes – a set that unlocks some of the mellower, more personal elements in his music through the use of stripped-down instrumentation and no beats or samples at all! Haruka Nakamura mixes piano, guitar, and other light sonic elements – in ... LP, Vinyl record album
A mighty nice Halloween collection – and one with a slightly different twist! The Numero Group have done a great job of taking on classic compilation series over the years – serving up their own versions of Ultimate Breaks & Beats, East LA soul collections, and other modes – ... LP, Vinyl record album
The long-overdue second album from the Brand New Heavies – and one that came at just the right time to support the strong underground reputation the group were getting from a great range of singles issued during the early 90s! The sound hasn't changed much since their debut – at least ... CD
You might not know If Music, nor the Handson Family – but don't worry about that, and just dive into the collection – as it's overflowing with fantastic contemporary cuts that mix spacey sounds, jazzy instrumentation, and some really far-out grooves! There's a definite London vibe ... LP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic statement of soul from reedman Hadley Caliman – a player who gave us a handful of really amazing albums in the 70s! This set is definitely one of those gems – as it's got this flowing mix of spiritual currents that's really powerful – maybe more of a west coast take ... CD
A fantastic solo album from saxophonist Deadly Headley Bennett – a key session player on the Jamaican scene of the 70s, where his reedwork graced countless sessions – often without much credit to the man himself! That's nicely changed here, as Headley's the star – but also ... LP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic blend of global elements and contemporary grooves – and a set that has the Waaju combo uniting with the legendary Moroccan musician Majid Bekkas – who plays these wonderfully sinister lines on guembi and guitar! The set's got some of the fuzzy vibes you'd hear on a record ... LP, Vinyl record album
Seun Kuti maybe sounds more majestic here than ever – ready to rise not just to the legacy his father Fela left behind, but maybe into an even larger world of global soul as well – with a groove here that doesn't abandon his Afro Funk roots, but definitely augments that sound with all ... CD
Tamil Rogeon plays violin and viola, but not in a way that sounds like classical music at all – one that instead reintroduces the instrument with the same cosmic currents it had in the best years of 70s fusion, but all with a spin that's very contemporary too! In a generation where the harp ... LP, Vinyl record album
One of the all-time great tenor/organ sessions on Blue Note – totally fierce, with a sound that's a lot rawer than most other work on the label! The incredible Baby Face Willette grooves it hard and heavy on Hammond – working in a quartet that includes Fred Jackson on tenor, Grant ... CD
A fantastic set of tracks that was recorded at the cusp of the 70s, but which wasn't (for some strange reason) released until many years later! Donald Byrd's playing here with two different larger groups, and the music is a perfect bridge between his spacey late 60s attempts to mimic Miles Davis, ... LP, Vinyl record album
An incredible early solo project from the young Tracey Thorn – a set recorded right before she joined up with Ben Watt to form Everything But The Girl – but delivered in a leaner, much more personal style overall! There's almost a bossa nova inspiration to the record – although ... LP, Vinyl record album