Esperanza Spalding —
Esperanza ... CD Heads Up, 2008. Used ...
$4.99
Sublime work from a truly amazing artist – one who both sings and plays acoustic bass – all in a captivating blend of jazz, soul, and Brazilian styles! Esperanza Spalding has a fresh, unique feel that's all her own – the warmth of a jazz singer like Carmen Lundy, the sharper ... (Neo Soul) read moreCD
Maybe the greatest record so far from the lovely Esperanza Spalding – a set that has her moving farther from jazz, into a wonderfully warm style of soul music overall! The mix of modes is exquisite – a blend of Spalding's jazz-trained vocals with some beautiful arrangements that ... (Neo Soul) read moreCD
Maybe the greatest record so far from the lovely Esperanza Spalding – a set that has her moving farther from jazz, into a wonderfully warm style of soul music overall! The mix of modes is exquisite – a blend of Spalding's jazz-trained vocals with some beautiful arrangements that ... (Neo Soul) read moreCD
(Deluxe Edition – cover image has a dark background.)
One of the hippest records we've ever heard from Esperanza Spalding – a set that almost feels as if she's stepping back into some of the more experimental, individual qualities that made her so different at the start! There's definitely some appealing, catchy songs here – but the ... (Neo Soul) read moreCD
30 cuts of the classic doo wop sides that the Spaniels cut for the Vee Jay label in Chicago, during the late 50's. In contrast to labelmates The El Dorados, The Spaniels were a bit smoother, and added more of a sweet harmony sound to their style – as you'll know from tracks like "Goodnit ... (Soul) read moreCD
An incredible full length album from The Spaniels – one that's mostly still in the group's older doo wop mode, but which also shows them picking up a bit of the Atlantic Records group sound of the early 60s! Many tracks make strong use of The Spaniels' classic vocal approach – ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono rainbow label pressing – clean, with some light marks. Cover has light wear, and a bit more near the bottom.)
A surprisingly great batch of modern salsa tracks – recorded with a really classic feel! The group's led by pianist/arranger Oscar Hernandez – and it features work by a number of older salsa legends, including Jimmy Sabater, Ruben Rodriguez, and Bobby Allende. Tight all the way ... (Latin) read moreCD
This is the third movement in the fantastic pop symphony that is Spanky & Our Gang! The record's perhaps their oddest to date – and mixes groovy vocal stylings with some fairly advanced production approaches that work perfectly with the incredible songs written by Stuart Scharf and Bob ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The first, and perhaps the most conventional album by Spanky & Our Gang – but still pretty darn insane! The group are a strange mix of 60s styles – with bits of We Five, bits of Harpers Bizarre, bits of The Association – but a totally strange and totally fun approach to pop ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Red label stereo pressing. Cover has a bent corner and some surface wear.)
Two cool UK albums from Otis Spann – back to back on a single set! First up is the album Blues Of Otis Spann – a rare UK session, and one that's sometimes got even more grit than some of his hometown recordings back in Chicago! The vibe is very lean and laidback – an early Mike ... (Blues) read moreCD
A raw soul classic from Otis Spann – one of those great late 60s dates from the time when Bob Thiele was producing the Bluesway label for ABC, and really found a way to bring out the best in artists like Otis! Spann had always been great, but there's a bolder, edgier quality here – ... (Blues) read moreCD
A record that moves guitarist Melvin Sparks a bit more into soul territory from the funky jazz of his early 70s years – but still a heck of a great little record overall! The tracks are shorter than before and the backings are bigger – but Melvin's work on the strings still gets plenty ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A real turning point for Sparks – a set that has the duo of Russell and Ron Mael finding a whole new focus for their music on the UK scene! The style is a bit glammy at times – not in the execution, so much as the production – which has a great way of compressing the vocals up ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(180 gram 40th anniversary pressing. Includes the printed inner sleeves.)
A well crafted set of tunes – both modern and soulful, in keeping with the rich talents of James Spaulding! The album sports a stupid title, but it's actually a thoughtful batch of tracks dedicated to African American achievement and expression – featuring Spaulding on alto sax and ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Special Delivery —
Special Delivery ... CD Shield/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1978. New Copy ...
$12.9915.99
Late harmony soul from the DC scene – an overlooked gem by a group whose equally great on club cuts and mellower numbers – in a mode that steps off from the Philly sound of the mid 70s, and pitches things with a slightly hipper flair! There's some especially great tracks here that have ... (Soul) read moreCD
Featured guests include Chieli Minucci, George Jinda, Omar Hakim, Mark Egan, Dave Weckl, Michael Bearden, Robbie Kondor, Szakcshi, and Bemshi. (Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album
(Still sealed!)
Specials, Selecter, Madness, English Beat, etc —
Dance Craze ... LP 2 Tone/Chrysalis, 1981. Near Mint- ...
$24.99
A big moment for the British ska scene – and the soundtrack to a film that featured live work by nearly all of the big names at the time! The album features live work by artists who owed a lot to 2 Tone, but who'd even moved onto bigger fame by the film – but who are working here in a ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(US pressing. Cover has a promo stamp. A nice copy.)
Specifics —
Specifics II ... LP P-Vine (Japan), 2007. New Copy ...
$29.9936.99
You gotta love a hip hop album that begins with an Alice Coltrane sample – and The Specifics follow suit with plenty more other jazzy bits too – almost evoking an old Tribe Called Quest generation with they way they use key samples, but also doing so at a level that's very understated ... (Hip Hop) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Japanese pressing – with obi!)
Spectral (Dave Rempis/Darren Johnston/Larry Ochs) —
Empty Castles ... CD Aerophonic, 2018. Used ...
$9.99
A beautiful triangulation of horns from the Spectral Trio – working here on their second album, with a mighty nice lineup that features Larry Ochs on tenor and sopranino, Dave Rempis on alto and baritone, and Darren Johnston on trumpet! The sound here feels more focused on textures than ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Includes poster! Cover has some edge wear, corner bend.)
Speed, Glue & Shinki —
Eve ... LP Warner (Japan), 1971. New Copy (reissue)...
$39.9948.99
An incredible album from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – served up by a group with a name that might be clunky, but which also belies one of that nation's heaviest combos of the time! The approach here is a bit like some of the tripped-out blues-influenced rock of the Led Zep ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Great reissue – with obi, and inserts just like the original!)
A hell of a record from a Japanese band who answered to nobody else – a combo who could come on with the ferocity of James Gang or some of their contemporaries, but also hit some even wilder, more experimental moments too – something they definitely do here in the space of the double-len ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Great 2LP reissue – with the paper wraparound image of the original!)
A sweet little set from the Jeremy Spencer Band – a record that might have had more of a singer/songwriter vibe, or an AOR approach, had it been recorded a few years before, but which instead comes off here in a really unique blend of rock and disco! There's plenty of guitar leads on the ... (Rock) read moreCD
Badass organ funk from the mighty Leon Spencer – a set that's got a bit of a fuller feel than some of his previous albums for Prestige – but a groove that's also equally great! The style here is somewhere between blacksploitation funk and some of the grooves from the CTI/Kudu camp ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great second step for the Spencer Davis Group – working here with Hammond player Eddie Hardin, who strongly steps in to replace the departed Steve Winwood! (Rock) LP, Vinyl record album
(Original stereo pressing. Cover has faint ring wear.)
A groovy batch of rock and roll tracks for this hip mod sex romp from the late 60s! Titles include "Just Like Me", "Picture Of Her", "Waltz For Caroline", "Possession", "Looking Back", "Taking Out Time", and "Virginals Dream" by ... (Soundtracks) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo pressing. Cover has tiny corner bumps, but is great overall!)
A great one from this excellent 80s quartet – with Charlie Rouse on tenor, Kenny Barron on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Ben Riley on drums! (Jazz) CD
Not a spice girl – as you might think from the cover – but a great male harmony soul group from the 70s, and one who are equally well skilled on ballads and groovers! The album's a lost gem from the New York scene of the disco years – and while some of the tracks definitely have ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An East Bay classic from Spice 1 – and a great little record from that time before the west coast became a bit too much West Coast! There's a thuggish, early gangsta vibe that runs through the whole set – but as with some of the more enduring Cali hip hop of the time, the set's got a ... (Hip Hop) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Russ Spiegel on guitars, Jim Gasior on organ, and Lucas Apostoleris on drums – with special guests Brian Lynch on trumpet and Hendrik Meurkens on harmonica. (Jazz) CD
Eight Atlantic albums, and The Spinners are still going strong – sounding really wonderful here, thanks to Philly backings from the great Thom Bell! The album's not filled with hits, but that's a big part of its charm – as the group still sounds great, with smoother than smooth vocals ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes printed inner sleeve. Cover has a cutout notch and light wear.)
In the early 70s, The Spinners did something that was really wonderful for their music, and instantly made them one of the greatest groups of their generation – they stopped recording for Motown in Detroit, and made the move to Philly to work with the great Thom Bell – the ... (Soul) read moreCD
Classic Philly Spinners – with Philippe Wynne on lead vocals, and Thom Bell arranging and producing with that hit sound he gave the group during the 70s! The record may not of given the band as many hits as some of the others, but it's got an excellent Philly sound – with backing by ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(In the die-cut gatefold cover, with fully intact figures, but bent across the front panel, and top right corner with some price sticker remnants.)
A landmark album from The Spinners – one that has the Detroit vocal group making a hip trip to the Philly scene – picking up a whole new sound and rich new energy in the process! A few years later, working in Philly studios would be common for many artists – but this self-titled ... (Soul) read moreCD
The first Motown full length record by the Spinners – Original Spinners from '67 – followed by an impeccably well-chosen collection of bonus material! It's excellent stuff – an overlooked album with some very hard to find Motown work by this early version of the legendary ... (Soul) read moreCD
A tremendous collection of early work by The Spinners – their sublime second album for Motown, plus 13 additional bonus tracks, most of which appear here for the first time ever! The core of the set is the 2nd Time Around album – pre-Philly magic from The Spinners – a wonderful ... (Soul) read moreCD
A hell of a record from the Italian scene of the 70s – a heavy set of electric jazz with a soaring, righteous sort of vibe – served up by a quintet who somehow manage to work as if they've got the spirit of a much larger ensemble! We don't know any of the players at all from other ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A huge array of photographs from the golden years of 90s hip hop – all captured within a few short years by Peter Spirer, at a time when he was diving deep into the scene to really document the sort of energy that's made this stretch such a legendary one for the music! These photos are way ... (Books) read moreBook
The crowning achievement of Spirit – a wonderful blend of many musical strands at once – and a set so successful for the group, you probably could have found in any college dorm room in the early 70s! The record's really a cut above for their generation – an expansive effort that ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Yellow label stereo pressing. Cover has ring & edge wear, aging.)
A trippy little combo with a distinct post-Coltrane feel – stretching out here wonderfully, on a hip little session on a homegrown label! The group hail from the unlikely spot of Las Vegas – but they've got a deeply spiritual sound that rivals the best work on the coasts in the early ... (Jazz) read moreCD
One of the most striking records we've ever heard from Swiss music legend Bruno Spoerri – a set that's very different from both his straight jazz recordings and his more experimental work – and instead a soundtrack for an obscure 60s film about a strangler in London! There's definitely ... (Soundtracks) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Mindblowing work from Swiss jazz and funk legend Bruno Spoerri – all of it never issued before, and a set that maybe comes across as some of the coolest music we've ever heard from Bruno! Spoerri has a long legacy of recordings – including straight jazz in the 60s, and sound library ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A record of free-thinking jazz – recorded by a trio from Chicago, featuring drummer Paul Wertico, reedman Rich Corpolongo, and bassist Doug Loftstrom. There's a frenetic, choppy sound here that at one level seems to take off from European fusion groups of the 70s – yet also point the ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has some wear on the top seam, but looks great overall.)
Spooky Tooth have grown their hair since the cover of their first album – and they've also grown their sound a bit too – into a brew that's even headier and more powerful than before! The album's still got an undercurrent of soul – and begins with a fantastic drumbreak on the ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(US pressing in a tip-on cover – SP 4194 – still sealed with a squiggle of marker at the top right corner.)
70s issue of this masterpiece of psychedelic pop – a set that really captures that key shift from R&B-influenced sounds to much headier territory on the UK scene! Spooky Tooth came to this debut with a fair bit of previous activity in other groups – and there's a core energy here ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Brown label stereo pressing. Cover has light wear.)
An onslaught of fuzz from the reformed version of Spooky Tooth – a group that has Gary Wright very firmly back in the lead on vocals, and the new addition of Mick Jones on guitar – whose lead lines give the group a whole new sense of power! Wright and Jones worked together in ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The electrifying debut of Bruce Springsteen – flying the flag for earnest souls in the strange years of the early 70s, and busting right out of the gets in prime form! Loads of classics – including "For You", "Blinded By The Light", "Mary Queen Of Arkansas" ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(In the fold-over postcard cover, with light wear.)
Bruce Springsteen —
River ... LP Columbia, 1980. Sealed 2LP ...
$29.9934.99
Prime classic Springsteen double album, circa 1980! The River finds Bruce a few years removed from the massive breakthrough that was Born To Run, and seemingly starting to let go of the darker tone of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, though still with some shadows of it. Definitely a creative high ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(180 gram remaster from 2015, still sealed with hype sticker.)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band do "Wrecking Ball" live at Giants Stadium and "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" live featuring Tom Morello. (Rock) 12-inch, Vinyl record
With Gerardo Velez on percussion, Julio Fernandez on guitar, Kim Stone on bass, Dave Samuels on vibraphone and marimba, Richie Morales on drums, Tom Schuman on Keyboards, and Jay Beckenstein on saxophone. (Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album
One of the greatest Yes albums of the 70s – even if it isn't a Yes album at all! Instead, the set's a stunning solo project from bassist Chris Squire – and a record that shows just how much his talents were to the sound of Yes as a whole! The album's got a vibe that's very much like ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has surface & edge wear, tiny cutout notch.)
(Cover has some ringwear, edge wear, and is bent a bit at the spine.)
Ssslick —
This Is Ssslick ... CD Stage 3 Sound/Sonorama (Germany), 1981. New Copy ...
$7.9916.99
A cool little album from the Kansas City scene – a mix of jazz, soul, and vocals – played by a mixed group that includes organ, guitar, vibes, and percussion! The sound is swinging soul jazz, but with vocals out front at times – and the sound is nicely rough around the edges, ... (Soul) read moreCD