Fierce sounds from Ame Son – one of the most important French groups at the start of the 70s, and, as the title implies, an outfit who seemed to catalyze all the best elements going on at the time! The tunes are long, and relatively freewheeling – and instrumentation can get mighty intense – in an early Floyd-like style that has us wanting to set the controls for the heart of the sun! But there's a lot more of an edge, too – and overall, things are much more unbridled – not nearly the focused energy of some of the more polished groups of the time – and almost a garage-prog sort of approach. Titles include "Coeur Fou", "Eclosion", "Seventh Time Key", "Hein Quant A Toi", and "Reborn This Morning On The Way Of". Includes great poster with notes, too! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite mixing of modes from the old school – a tremendous second album from the legendary Aksak Maboul! The record mixes arty playfulness with some rootsier elements – bits of Eastern instrumentation, jazz, improvisation, and even some post-punk elements – all in a way that makes for one of the most creative recordings of its time – a set that easily provides key inspiration for more recent genre-crossing acts like this! There's a bit of Y or Ze Records whimsy at times – but the end result is much deeper, and much more compelling– as you'd expect from a group that features Fred Frith on guitar, Chris Cutler on drums, Marc Hollander and Michel Berkmans on reeds, and Denis Van Hecke on a range of cool cellos! Each tune has a slightly different flavor, but there's still a really unified feel to the record too – one of those European projects that comes together like nothing you'd hear from the US. Titles include "Geistige Nacht", "A Modern Lesson", "Palmiers En Pots", "Inoculating Rabies", "Cinema", and "Bosses De Crosses". CD

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A huge amount of recordings from one of our favorite singers ever – the incredible Claude Nougaro, a French vocalist of the postwar years, and a master of many styles that included jazz, samba, and bossa nova! Nougaro had a unique talent for penning French lyrics to American and Brazilian tunes – and during the 60s, he rose to fame through his inventive compositions, unique vocalizations, and keen ear for a jazzy groove. His work of the 70s progressed with an even deeper exploration of modern jazz and Brazilian idioms – and as the 80s approached, he stretched out into even more complicated styles of his own. Nougaro's growth over the years is tremendous – and his work comes across with a sound that is really unique, and which stands as some of the greatest mainstream French work of his era – on a par with that of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Fontaine! The set features 12 albums in all – albums include Cecile Ma Fille, Bidonville, Paris Mai, Soeur Ame, Locomotive D'Or, Femmes Et Famines, Plume D'Ange, Tu Verras, Assez, Chansons Nettes, Ami Chemin, and Bleu Blanc Blues. CD

The best album to date from Orange Pekoe – a lovely blend of light rhythms, acoustic instrumentation, and sweet female vocals! The instrumentation here has a more jazz-based sound than before – with lots of light percussion, guitar, and keyboard bits – creating an almost bossa-like sense of intimacy, one that really lets the breezy vocals of Tomoko Nagashima dominate the set. Most of the lyrics are in Japanese, and titles include "Story", "Heavenly Summer", "Cradle", "Songbird", and "Niwaka-ame". LP, Vinyl record album

A Japanese-only collection of work by one of our favorite French singers! Titles include "Computer's Dream", "Ca N'Arrive Qu'Aux Autres", "Tout Tout Pour Ma Cherie", "Ame Caline", "La Pupee Qui Fait Non", "L'Amour Avec Toi", "Love Me Please Love Me", and "Tous Les Bateaux Tous Les Oiseux". LP, Vinyl record album

Mighty raw work on thumb piano from Ekuka Morris Sirikiti – mostly pulled from radio broadcasts in northern Uganda, and served up here with a very timeless vibe! Most tracks feature vocals and percussion alongside Ekuka's lead instrument – which itself has some of the chromatic warmth as on other recordings of kalimba and other variations – but also a much rougher edge, too – certainly more percussive than melodic at most moments, but in a really hypnotic way. Titles include "Omaro Cil Pacu", "Peko Me Kin Calo", "In Balonyo For Ayinet", "Jo Ame Aparo Loc", "Acoc Acoc Twol Iye Akayi", "Pwan En Obalo Gum Waa", and "Wilo Koti Me Kwalo Orango". LP, Vinyl record album

Definitely hard wailing stuff from Jr and group – caught here in a smoking live setting, which really lets them open up! The record begins with an introduction by the Velvelettes, and ends with Earl Van Dyke performing "Heartbreak" – but the rest of the album's by Jr and crew, and titles include "Hot Cha", "Shake & Fingerpop", "Cleo's Back", "Shotgun", "Ame Cherie (Soul Darling)", and "Tune Up". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone cooker from Jr Walker – the kind of hard-driving soul that made his 60s Motown work a key link between the Detroit sound of the time, and R&B sounds of earlier years! Jr's soulful sax is right up in the mix on most numbers – and the overall sound is nicely freewheeling and almost spontaneous – almost a Motown studio jam at times, with vocals and instruments dancing together in joyous formation! Most tracks are instrumentals, but many also have some sort of vocal chorus – and titles include "Anyway You Wanta", "Pucker Up Buttercup", "Twist Lackawanna", "San Ho Zay", "Money", "Last Call", "Ame Cherie", "Mutiny", and "Road Runner". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure magic from saxophonist Barney Wilen – captured here at a point when his powers were really back in full force, and when he seemed to be at his most soulful when handling a gentle, easygoing sort of tune! The ballads in the title are definitely out in full force – served up in a mixture of famous French melodies, past and present – so that older postwar melodies are mixed with more contemporary moments from Michel Legrand – with a lyrical vibe that's really emphasized by the superb work on piano for the set by Michel Grallier! The rest of the group is great, too – and players include Sangoma Everett on drums, and Riccardo Del Fra on bass – the last of whom you might know from some fantastic albums with Chet Baker in later years. Wilen blows tenor and a bit of soprano – and titles include "L'Ame Des Poets", "Une Ete 42", "My Way", "Once Upon A Time", "Sous Le Ciel De Paris", "Syracuse", and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life". CD features new mastering, and four bonus tracks – alternate takes of tunes on the album! CD

With Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray on a multitude of saxophones, clarinets – even a bit of flute. Titles include "Ming", "David's Tune", "I Heard That", "Quinn Chapel AME Church", "Affairs Of The Heart", and "Little Samba". CD

Japanese club music from the disco years onward – but a set that's got a very universal appeal in the rhythms! The vocals are mostly in Japanese, but the arrangements, production, and instrumentation here resonate strongly with the best that New York or Philly had to offer during the disco generation – a well-done blend of funky grooves with some slightly larger instrumentation, all of which sends home the soulful vocals in a way that hardly makes you notice they're not singing in English! All of the tracks here are from rare albums – similar to the Wamono Jazz compilations – and titles include "Birth Of The Odyssey" by Godiego, "This Is Hot" by Ikue Sakakibsara, "I Will Give You Samba" by Soul Media, "Woman In A Man's World" by Hatsumi Shibata, "Disco Great Tokyo" by Pink Parachute, "Krishna" by Yumi Murata, "Ame Wa Knife No Ya Sa" by Yoshito Machida & Godiego, and "Purple Shadow" by Hatsumi Shibata. LP, Vinyl record album

A huge amount of recordings from one of our favorite singers ever – the incredible Claude Nougaro, a French vocalist of the postwar years, and a master of many styles that included jazz, samba, and bossa nova! Nougaro had a unique talent for penning French lyrics to American and Brazilian tunes – and during the 60s, he rose to fame through his inventive compositions, unique vocalizations, and keen ear for a jazzy groove. His work of the 70s progressed with an even deeper exploration of modern jazz and Brazilian idioms – and as the 80s approached, he stretched out into even more complicated styles of his own. Nougaro's growth over the years is tremendous – and his work comes across with a sound that is really unique, and which stands as some of the greatest mainstream French work of his era – on a par with that of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Fontaine! The set features 24 different albums by Nougaro – mostly studio, but with a few live records – mostly from the 60s, 70s, and 80s – but also including some real gems from his comeback years in the 21st century. Albums include Cecile Ma Fille, Bidonville, Paris Mai, Soeur Ame, Locomotive D'Or, Femmes Et Famines, Plume D'Ange, Tu Verras, Assez, Chansons Nettes, Ami Chemin, and Bleu Blanc Blues – and the package is a book-style volume, with a 48 page booklet, and 24 CDs with 317 songs in all! CD

An excellent album by Jr Walker and group – one that has them moving past the honking sax combo format of other albums, into a more expanded Motown-esque soul approach that mixes vocals and tenor into a swirling blend of grooves! Arrangements are by Paul Riser and Willie Shorter, and Johnny Bristol gave the album some of that sparkling production he could whip up on his best days. Includes the hit "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)", plus "San Ho Zay", "Hot Cha", "Sweet Soul", "Ame Cherie", and "Cleo's Mood". CD

A sublime mix of tunes put together by Jazzanova to celebrate the 5th anniversary of their groundbreaking radio show – one that features 6 completely exclusive tunes, plus a wealth of other great bits from a variety of different artists! The vibe here is laidback and mellow, yet still plenty soulful – almost in the Secret Love territory explored by Jazzanova in earlier years, but with a fair bit more electricity overall, and a really global sort of consciousness in the soulful vocals on the tunes! Even when things get a bit abstract, they're still plenty funky – and there's a crisp, crackling sensibility that unites all the different tracks in the mix. 20 tracks in all – including "Just A Lil Lovin" by Jazzanova & Outlines, "In The Remix (Starship interpretation)" by Capital A, "Candlelight" by Wahoo, "Or At Least" by The Slapped Eyeballers, "Excelsior" by Ame, "Intermission" by Soulphiction, "Flashback (Jazzanova's mashed bag)" by Fat Freddy's Drop, "Skitsophrenic (part 2)" by Leroy & Darnell, "Nowhere (Atjazz Astro Black mix)" by Clara Hill, "My Vision (Dixon edit)" by Agora Rhythm, "Sun Of A Beach (London mix)" by Pharoah Roche, "Beatzeps" by Jaslopski, "Step Off" by Arken, "I Just Wanna Sing For You" by Norman Weeks & The Revelations, "So Long" by Nicola Kramer, and "No Memory Of Time (reggae version)" by Eva Be with Joe Dukie. CD

Bassist Akira Okazawa works here with a leaner version of the Soul Media group of reedman Jiro Inagaki – a sweet little set that has Jiro on tenor, soprano, and flute – and some mighty nice work on organ from Norio Maeda! Akira sings on many numbers, in both English and Japanese, in this raspy style that's really unique – but it's also clear that the instrumentation's a key part of the set – especially on the funkier numbers on the album! There's a few cool covers here – like "What's Going On" and "Alone Again Naturally" – next to other titles that include "Kage", "Ootsubu No Ame", "Hitotsu No Kotoba", "Chiisana Ai Dakedo", and "Iku Ga Li". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Riton, Morgan Geist, Black Strobe, Meitz, J Rawls, Jazzanova, Ursula Rucker. Ame, Ayro, Soha, John Tejada, Atjazz & Jaydee. CD

A really majestic album from Japanese keyboardist Hiromasa Suzuki – a set that maybe takes inspiration from the progressive side of the rock spectrum at the time, but which delivers the goods with a style that's definitely jazz all the way through! Suzuki plays both acoustic piano and electric, and with guitar from Kiyoshi Sugimoto in the group, there's definitely an electric vibe – but one that's offset by the sax work of Takeru Muraoka, trumpet of Takehisa Suzuki, and trombone of Tadataka Nakazawa! There's also work from the ancient biwa instrument from Japan, name-checked in the title – although the soaring quality of the other instrumentation really takes over at most points. Titles include "Ame No Iwayado", "Ashiharashiko", "Kamuyamatoiwarehiko", "Watatsumi No Irokonomiya", and "Yamatoshi Uruwashi". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from Cecil Taylor – a Japanese album that captures the pianist at the peak of his power – when he was breaking through into this amazing new territory in improvised music, with energy and dexterity that's completely unlike anyone else! Taylor in the 60s was great, but Taylor in the 70s – especially here – is mindblowing – as he attacks the piano with this reach and sense of imagination that would have blown away any of the big cockrock guitar heroes of the decade – all with a style that might sound like chaos at first listen, but which has this incredible understanding of notes, sounds, and colors – all effortlessly cascading from Cecil's fingers throughout! The album was recorded live in Lino Hall, Tokyo, at 2 in the morning – and titles include "Lono", "Choral Of Voice (Elesion)", "First Layer", and "Asapk In Ame". LP, Vinyl record album

Marvelous late work from tenorist Barney Wilen – the French reedman who first rose to fame in the late 50s, with crucial recordings with Miles Davis and Art Blakey – then really faded from view for most of the next few decades, before making a fantastic late life comeback, with a sound that was even better than before! We love all of the later Barney Wilen records a great deal, but we especially love his work in a live setting – as over the years, Wilen developed this tremendous ability to really stretch out on a solo, and still remain creative – hitting a level that matches the talents of tenor giants like Dexter Gordon or Johnny Griffin, save for the fact that Barney could also play soprano sax, which he does here, in addition to some of the tenor tunes. The group's a tight quartet – with superb work from pianist Olivier Hutman, who also plays some electric piano in addition to acoustic, plus Gilles Naturel on bass and Peter Gritz on drums. All material is issued here for the first time ever – and titles include "Beautiful Love", "L'Ame Des Poetes", "Little Lu", "Mon Blouson", "Besame Mucho", "Goodbye", "No Problem", "Latin Alley", "Bass Blues", "Doxy", "Old Folks", and "How Deep Is The Ocean". CD

Great work from French tenor genius Barney Wilen – a live festival set from 1988, a year when Wilen was really making a strong comeback to the scene – in a group that also features Spanish piano legend Tete Montoliu, plus Riccardo Del Fra on bass and Aaron Scott on drums! The setting is a great reminder of how much Wilen can adapt in different groups – especially from this stretch, when he was often playing with more familiar lineups. Montoliu really opens up Barney in a different way than other pianists – and gets in plenty of great solo work of his own – on long tracks that include "Summertime", "L'Ame Des Poetes", "La Valse Des Lilas", "It Never Entered My Mind/Invitation", "Blues For DN", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Billie's Bounce", "Round Midnight", "All The Things You Are", and "Sous Le Ciel De Paris/Autumn Leaves". CD

Great work from French tenor genius Barney Wilen – a live festival set from 1988, a year when Wilen was really making a strong comeback to the scene – in a group that also features Spanish piano legend Tete Montoliu, plus Riccardo Del Fra on bass and Aaron Scott on drums! The setting is a great reminder of how much Wilen can adapt in different groups – especially from this stretch, when he was often playing with more familiar lineups. Montoliu really opens up Barney in a different way than other pianists – and gets in plenty of great solo work of his own – on long tracks that include "Summertime", "L'Ame Des Poetes", "La Valse Des Lilas", "It Never Entered My Mind/Invitation", "Blues For DN", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Billie's Bounce", "Round Midnight", "All The Things You Are", and "Sous Le Ciel De Paris/Autumn Leaves". CD

With Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray – on titles that include "Ming", "David's Tune", "I Heard That", "Quinn Chapel AME Church", "Affairs Of The Heart", and "Little Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful harmony soul from Act 1 – a group we totally love when they're in this mode – just grooving enough to open up the vocals a bit, stepping along with some great east coast sweet soul production! "Night Of The Wolf" is a completely different track, but equally groovy – a sharp funky instrumental with all sorts of fast-riffing guitar, taken from a rare Italian sound library album of the 70s – and topped with a cool whistle that almost has a spaghetti western vibe! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Trio features Hal Galper on piano, Steve Gilmore on bass, and Bill Goodwin on drums. CD

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A hokey kind of cover, but a great little album – another easy winner from the team of Eric Alexander and Harold Mabern, easily one of the greatest pairs working together in jazz for the past decade or so! Alexander's got a tremendous tone on the tenor – finely-honed with the maturity of a later Dexter Gordon, but also open to fluid, free moments too – with a sense of joy and exploration that recall our favorite moments on mid 60s Blue Note or Prestige. Mabern is great too – warm on the keys, but never sloppy – a player more filled with soul these days than ever, and always a great accompanist to Alexander's shifting range of modes in a set like this. Drums are by Joe Farnsworth, another trustworthy regular partner to the pair – and Nat Reeves completes the quartet on bass. Titles include 3 excellent Alexander originals (always his best work on record) – "Typhoon 11", "Little Lucas", and "Open & Shut" – plus versions of "Where Is The Love", "Where Or When", "Ruby My Dear", and "It's All In The Game". CD

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An intimate trio date from the late, great Mose Allison – recorded in 2006 but not released until 2015. Tracks include "City Home", "Lucky So & So", "Numbers On Paper", "My Backyard", "One Of These Days", and "You Can Count On Me". CD

Although the Muse label had a reputation for doing mostly straight ahead sessions, they did manage to come up with some great avant ones, thanks mainly to the production work of Michael Cuscuna. Here, percussionist Barry Altschul is joined by his old Circle bandmate Dave Holland, and free-thinking out players Sam Rivers, Muhal Richard Abrams, and George Lewis. The melding of AACM and Circle-esque traditions of out playing is a good one, and the set has a number of different tones and voices. Titles include "King Korn", "Hey Toots", "Cmbeh", and "Natal Chart". CD

A cool jazzy single from Japan – one with live jazz instrumentation in the best clubjazz mode, but topped with Japanese vocals that really give the whole thing a great vibe! The snapping snare is matched by a great acoustic bassline – and the whole approach plays out nicely on the flipside too, but in a different way! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Warm, mellow, and completely sublime – the mighty America at the height of their powers – working with a quality that nobody else can match! The trio wrap together all the best ideas that were bubbling under in the LA scene of the late 60s – vocal harmonies, studio perfection, and even touches of rootsy instrumentation – yet find a space to work all these elements together in a rich sound that's completely unique – amazingly understated at times, despite a near-perfect level of production! The whole album's great – even their original version of "Muskrat Love" – nestled in here next to "Rainbow Song", "Submarine Ladies", "Molten Love", "Green Monkey", and "Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

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Dream session indeed, as this date brings together Eddie Henderson, Benny Golson, George Coleman, Grover Washington, Jaki Byard, and Ron Carter – plus a crack group of younger players including Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Joe Locke, and Ed Thigpen – performing a great set of songs made famous by Miles Davis! Titles include Davis classics "All Blues" and "So What", plus standard "My Funny Valentine" and "I Thought About You", as well as the original "Davis", penned by Benny Golson. CD

A very groovy group, and one who've got the sunshine pop sound you'd expect from their image on the cover – bright, swinging, and upbeat – often harmonized, and set to cool Sidewalk Production work from Harley Hatcher! Titles include "Rainbow In The Rain", "Cold Wisconsin Nights", "Come On & Get It", "Keeping Your Love", "Prelude To Love", and "In The Late Afternoon". LP, Vinyl record album

A tight, old school set of jazz from the Dutch American All Stars – a group that features trumpeter John Marshall, pianist Hod O'Brien, bassist Jacques Schols, and drummer Peter Ypma – all playing here in very relaxed, familiar company! There's nothing too fancy or overdone with these tunes – and they spin out with that easygoing feel we love in any album that has O'Brien on piano – a mature mode of jazz that never tries too hard to overstate its case, but gets plenty of greatness done along the way. Marshall's horn has all the sparkling tones we love in other Blue Jack Jazz recordings, and the basswork from Schols really adds a nice undercurrent of soul to the set. Titles include "Joop's Lope", "Forecast", "Quasimodo", "Frisky", "Milestones", and "Zanzibar". CD

Bossa with a great American twist! Nancy Ames was an American pop singer of the 60s – one who did mostly folksy tunes with a light California feel, and who here is coming up with some great bossa nova numbers, set to arrangements by Stu Phillips! The package has all the sunniness of a summer LA afternoon at the beach – with the driving groove of a pop bossa session from Rio. The album's perennial favorite is Nancy's remake of "Mas Que Nada" (done here as "Pow Pow Pow") – but there's loads of other wonderful numbers, and the whole album's great! Titles include "Laia La Daia", "Love's Like Wine", "So Nice", and "A Man & A Woman". As the song says – Pow Pow Pow! Her greatest LP by a mile, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Late great work from Ammons – an album done at the time of his funk sides for Prestige, but recorded in the style of his earlier years in Chicago! The session's a laidback set of soulful solo-heavy work – recorded as part of a hip series of shows at the North Park Hotel, with a local rhythm trio that includes Jodie Christian on piano, Cleveland Eaton on bass, and Marshall Thompson on drums. James Moody joins Ammons in the frontline, and the set's got the best electric feel that you'd hear if you were lucky enough to catch either player in a small club date in the early 60s. Loads of very imaginative solo work in the best Chicago tenor tradition – with titles that include "Work Song", "Jim Jam Jug", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "C Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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A second pairing of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and the Amabutho Male Chorus – one that's indicated not just in the title of the record, but in a changing of the group's name! The sound here is even more Afro-styled than the previous effort – coming across right from the start with a bold, righteous vibe that's quite unique – almost a bit more confident than some of the Ensemble's other work of the time – and executed in a way that really shows that confidence! The male voices aren't always in strong focus, which still leaves plenty of space for the group's creative instrumental interplay – and titles include "Colors One", "US of A/U of SA", "Zola's Smile", "America", and "You Got It". CD

A second pairing of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and the Amabutho Male Chorus – one that's indicated not just in the title of the record, but in a changing of the group's name! The sound here is even more Afro-styled than the previous effort – coming across right from the start with a bold, righteous vibe that's quite unique – almost a bit more confident than some of the Ensemble's other work of the time – and executed in a way that really shows that confidence! The male voices aren't always in strong focus, which still leaves plenty of space for the group's creative instrumental interplay – and titles include "Colors One", "US of A/U of SA", "Zola's Smile", "America", and "You Got It". CD