Even these many years into his career, pianist Mike Nock is still one of the most dynamic, rhythmic players we can think of – a really bold voice on the acoustic keys, and one who never fails to delight our ears! This recent album is simple and elegant, yet steps forth with the same sense of ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Ken Nordine —
Colors ... CD Philips/Ashodel, Mid 60s. Used ...
$18.99
This is Asphodel's wonderful reissue of "word jazz" maestro Ken Nordine's classic mid 60s ode to the sultry side of the common, the uncommon, and some seemingly made up colors. ("Muddy" anyone?) Billed as "A Sensuous Listening Experience" – and truly living up ... (Spoken Word) read moreCD
Great lean grooves from vibist Red Norvo – exactly the kind or record that shows why he was such an amazing talent on his instrument in the 50s! The album has Red working without piano or drums – just the guitar of Jimmy Raney and bass of Red Mitchell – both players who are ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Biggie's masterpiece! There's very little we could possibly say about this east coast landmark that isn't already etched in stone in the annals of hip hop history. Biggie's a master storyteller, whether he's spinning tales of violent street nihilism, his skills beneath the sheets, or blistering ... (Hip Hop) read moreCD
Nuyorican Soul (Masters At Work) —
Nuyorican Soul ... CD Giant Step/Talkin' Loud, 1997. Used ...
$7.99
A massive record – and an instant legend the day it was released! Masters At Work host the beautiful meeting of a host legendary artists – Roy Ayers, George Benson, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Jocelyn Brown, Vince Montana, and others – all united in a magical session that brings ... (New Grooves) read moreCD
Produced and arranged by Arif Mardin – with titles that include "Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp", "Map To The Treasure", "Up On The Roof", "Been On A Train", and "Blackpatch". (Rock) CD
Laura Nyro's second album in her legendary early run for Columbia Records – and an effort that's a bit more dramatic than the first! Laura's handling all arrangements herself this time, and they're conducted by Jimmy Haskell – but the overall sound is almost as spare as if Nyro were ... (Rock) read moreCD
A classic set from all-true Alexander O'Neal – and maybe one of his last great records for the Tabu label! The set's got a nice balance of groovers and mellower moments – really showing the growing diversity of O'Neal as an artist, as he tries to move away from some of his bigger ... (Soul) read moreCD
(Out of print original pressing, booklet has some light wear.)
A damn soulful album from Ghanaian percussionist Rim Kwaku Obeng – recorded in LA at the end of the 70s, with loads of sweet clubby touches in the mix! Rim gets in plenty of tight percussion – lots of which showcases his rim-heavy approach to the drums – and also plays keyboards ... (Global Grooves) read moreCD
Billy Ocean —
Suddenly ... CD Jive/Arista, 1984. Used ...
$3.99
The album that made Billy Ocean a superstar for a little while, one that had a HUGE couple of years on the charts, even longer service as a snapshot of its era, and is now one that we can look at freshly and appreciate for all of the unstoppably catchy pop soul craft that made it so massive in the ... (Soul) read moreCD
A striking session for Anita O'Day – and a refreshing change from her work of the 50s! This one has Anita singing with arrangements by Gary McFarland, a mix of easy jazz styles that show a more sophisticated side to her voice – a bit more careful than before, with more hidden in the ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
An overlooked treasure from Anita O'Day – easily one of her best records of the 70s, and a record that seems to bring together both of the best aspects of her sound! At one level, there's a tightly swinging groove to the set – that great small combo jazz approach that seemed to work ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
Anita O'Day pays tribute to Downbeat poll winners by singing vocal versions of their big hits in this lively set of jazz tracks from the 50s! Arrangements are by Marty Paich and Russ Garcia, both swinging as nicely as they ever did – and the setting of the album keeps Anita nicely in line, ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
Nice late larger arrangements by Claus Ogerman – with tenor solos from Michael Brecker! (Jazz) CD
Claus Ogerman & Michael Brecker —
Cityscape ... CD Warner, 1982. Used ...
$4.996.99
A great showcase for the talents of a young Michael Brecker – rich orchestrations by Claus Ogerman, topped by Brecker's sharp-edged, and well-stated lines on tenor! The album predates Brecker's first record as a leader by a number of years, and it shows a serious side to his playing that's ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Christian Fabian on bass, Matt King on keys, and Jason Marsalis on drums. (Jazz) CD
Yukio Ohta & His Hummingbirds —
Sound Villa 88 ... CD Columbia/Think (Japan), 1968. Used ...
$19.9924.99
Groovy groovy work from the Japanese scene of the late 60s – performed by a cool quartet who harmonize vocally along with their instruments! The group's got a jazzy style – using piano, guitar, bass, and drums to lay down a groove – but their real charm comes from their harmonies ... (Vocalists) read moreCD
A landmark album for the O'Jays – a set that moved them from the indie ranks to 70s megasoulstatus! After years of bumping around on a variety of labels, and in a variety of styles, the group really exploded with this wonderful set – an album that has them soaring along in the ... (Soul) read moreCD
Heavenly grooves from Hiroshi Okazaki & His Star Gazers – a group who harmonize wonderfully on this set! Despite their Japanese origin, the Star Gazers sing in English – clearly drawing from a legacy that includes The Four Freshmen and Hi-Los – but they also scat wordlessly ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A classic session of pounding percussion – quite possibly the most successful entry into this earthy genre that hit the recording scene at the end of the 50s! Babatunde Olatunji is joined here by a great assemblage of players – including Montego Joe and Baba Hawthorne Bey on percussion ... (Global Grooves) read moreCD
One of the rarest soul records of the 70s – recorded in Germany by a bunch of American servicemen on leave, but with a sound that's right out of the Chicago or Detroit groove of the pre-disco years! The group's great with both the funky and soulful material – hitting hard with monster ... (Soul) read moreCD
Orchestra Baobab —
Bamba ... CD Sterns (UK), 1980/1981. Used ...
$9.99
More killer work from Senegal's legendary Orchestra Baobab! This CD collects music from two of the band's best late-period albums, Mouhamadou Bamba (1980) and Sibou Odia (1981), both cut prior to the band's celebrated Pirate's Choice sessions. All of the group's trademarks are present – the ... (Global Grooves) read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Orchestra Baobab —
Made In Dakar ... CD World Circuit/Nonesuch, 2008. Used ...
$5.99
A seminal blend of folk roots and jazz improvisation – with Ralph Towner on guitar, Collin Walcott on sitar, oboe and horn from Paul McCandless, and bass and flute from Glen Moore. Titles include "North Star", "Children Of God", "Naiads", "Shard", ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Features Colin Walcott on percussion, sitar, tabla, and guitar – plus Paul McCandless on oboe and bass clarinet, Glen Moore on bass, and Ralph Towner on guitars, piano, and flugelhorn! (Jazz) CD
A Cuban classic from Orquesta Aragon – recorded back in the days when US labels like RCA still had access to music being recorded in Havana! The style here is very much in keeping with the cha cha cha in the title – but it's also very much the Cuban variation, with a slightly more ... (Latin) read moreCD
The glorious return of Os Mutantes – a recent live performance that marks the group's first new album in many many years! The show was recorded before a very enthusiastic audience in London – at a time when the city was in the throes of a recent new wave of interest in Tropicalia ... (Brazil) read moreCD
The second set of madness from the legendary Os Mutantes – and like the first, an album done in close collaboration with arranger/producer Rogerio Duprat, whose talents add a new level of genius to the record! The album's got a compelling mix of styles that strikes out on the very first tune ... (Brazil) read moreCD
Early work by this popular Brazilian samba group – recorded in the 70s with some strong arrangements that give the record a modern and soulful finish. Titles include "Do Lado Direito Da Rua Direita", "Catimba Criolo", "As Tres Capitais", "Cravos E ... (Brazil) read moreCD
(Out of print, 2001 remastered edition – part of the excellent Serie 100 Anos De Musica!)
Titles include "She's On The Left", "Can't Go Back On A Promise", "One Love One Dream", "Cindy", "The Family", "My Heart Can Wait Forever", and "La Cuenta Por Favor". (Soul) CD
A stone classic from Jeffrey Osborne – and a real standout in mainstream soul at the start of the 90s! Osborne's legendary vocals have never sounded better – as there's a warmth in the production that returns him to the grace and power he had when first going solo – a style that ... (Soul) read moreCD
One of the most sophisticated albums to come from the funky reed talents of Greg Osby – one of Blue Note's biggest hopes of the past 10 years. Osby's moving way past the simple riffing of early days, and is working here with a sextet that includes the great Andrew Hill on piano, Jim Hall on ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Osby expanding his sound as ever – adding in a string quartet to a jazz recording performed on alto and soprano sax, in a quartet with Jason Moran on piano, Scott Colley on bass, and Marlon Browden on drums and percussion. The quartet are used in various interesting ways in kind of a post ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Kresten Osgood,Michael Blake & Lonnie Smith —
Hammond Rens ... CD Ilk (Denmark), 2003. Used 2 CDs ...
$9.9911.99
Michael Blake on tenor and soprano saxophone, Dr Lonnie Smith on hammond organ, Kresten Osgood on drums, and Anders Provis on percussion. (Jazz) CD
(Out of print.)
Peter Ostroushko with Dean Magraw —
Duo ... CD Red House, 1991. Used ...
$4.99
An insanely wonderful album! Shuggie Otis is the son of Johnny Otis – the LA R&B maestro who was moving heavily into funk at the end of the 60s – and he has this tripped out, super-dope guitar style that he played to strong effect on Johnny's albums of the late 60s and early 70s, ... (Soul) read moreCD
Matt Otto —
Umbra ... CD Origin, 2023. Used ...
$1.99
Titles include "Paw Paw", "Wanjiku", "Esthesis", "Prez", "Hawk", and "Melisma". (Jazz) CD
A great lineup that would make plenty of waves in the coming years – wth Kenny Garrett on alto, Ralph Bowen on tenor, Michael Philip Mossman on trumpet, Harry Pickens on bass, Bob Hurst on bass, and Ralph Peterson on drums! (Jazz) CD
Wonderful work by a group who really know how to make their mark – coming across with a sound that's very much their own, with a quality that hits you from the very first note! As with previous records, a big part of the sound here depends on the vibes of Behn Gillece – already a ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Sealed.)
Out To Dinner (Patrick Cornelius/ Behn Gillece/Ryan Keberle/Boris Kozlov/Rudy Royston) —
Episodes Of Grace ... CD Posi-Tone, 2022. Used ...
$6.998.99
Nobody's out to dinner here – or out to lunch – as the quintet revel in the tight intensity that we love from some of the recent all-star projects like this on the Posi-Tone label! The combination of instrumental elements here is wonderful – the sharp alto of Patrick Cornelius, ... (Jazz) read moreCD
George Clinton may have pretty well disbanded Parliament and Funkadelic by the time the 80s came around, but the Mothership is still soaring highly on this first album from the P-Funk All Stars project – featuring some (but not all) of George Clinton's better players from various groups! ... (Soul) read moreCD
Brassy LA sunshine big band from Marty Paich – with plenty of subtle, grooving twists & turns, too – with lots of lighter touches and late 50s Hollywood style! Marty is better remembered for his studio arrangement and production genius than as a band leader, but shows a really ... (Jazz) read moreCD