One of the greatest British funk albums of the 70s – if not all time! FBI may have an American reference in their name, but back in the day, they were the leading lights of the London soul scene – and one of the few groups who could blend together jazz, soul, and funk influences with the same sort of depth and tightness you might get from Kool & The Gang at their best! As with that group during their crucial mid 70s years, there's a style here that's really stretching out – not just copycat funk, but a really deep, personal approach to the groove – such that the mellow tracks have rhythms that are as infectious as the uptempo ones – and the whole record has this sense of righteous soul and almost spirituality – really tying things together beautifully, and making this classic way more than just a typical 70s soul album! A true treasure throughout – well worth all the praise its received over the years – with cuts that include "Love Love Love", "Talking About Love", "FBI", "The Time Is Right To Leave The City", "Bad Deal", and "Let Me Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A really well-chosen set of classic Afro Funk records from Fela Kuti – hand-picked by Idris Elba, and brought together in this limited box set! Open & Close is an early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! Fela teams up with vibist Roy Ayers on Music Of Many Colors – one of the best soul collaborations ever – a whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Opposite People is seminal work from one of Fela's most crucial periods – recorded at a time when his soul was the deepest! The album features 2 long tracks – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant" – and they both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Tremendous stuff – done in a style that shows that no matter how many people cop or remake Fela's sound, he's still the best one to do it! The rare Stalemate album features the side-long tracks "Stalemate" and "Don't Worry About My Mouth" – both really hard-driving numbers, with a fantastic mix of vocals and grooves! Live In Amsterdam is an excellent live set from Fela – one that shows that he was still very capable of going over the top during the 80s! The set's a double LP – and it features 4 great numbers by the group, with Fela on soprano sax, piano, and organ, and plenty of other great work on tenor, alto, and trumpet. Titles include "Gimme Shit I Give You Shit", "Custom Check Point", "Movement Of The People", and "Political Statement Number 1". I Go Shout Plenty is a great one from Fela – with a date of 1986, but a sound that's pure late 70s! The record features 2 long tracks – "I Go Shout Plenty" and "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – and they're both hard groovers with a strong political feel. "Why Black Man" is especially nice, and has some great keyboard riffing in the middle, with that great tinny sound that you'll hear on the best Fela albums. One that we almost never see – and issued on the Decca subsidiary Afrodisia. LP, Vinyl record album

A true late 60s rock masterpiece – and like albums by Love and The Velvet Underground, a set that barely made a mainstream impact at the time – but which has gone on to be the stuff of influence and legend over the decades! The album's the first from Gram Parsons and the group – one of only two they would cut together – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of rough-edged rock and country influences rising up from the LA scene – all those glimmers of brilliance that Parsons had brought to the Byrds and other projects, maybe given their full flowering here in a mode that's unabashed about its country music influences – maybe even more so than some of Gram's later solo work. Sneeky Pete Kleinow's steel guitar really adds a lot – but so does the presence of Chris Hillman on guitar and mandolin, and Chris Ethridge on bass and piano. Titles include the brilliant "Sin City" – a track we'll love until we die – plus "Christine's Tune", "Do Right Woman", "Dark End Of The Street", "My Uncle", "Wheels", "Juanita", "Hot Burrito No 1", "Hot Burrito No 2", "Do You Know How It Feels", and "Hippy Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy little group from the northeast scene in the 70s – one who mix jazz and funk touches with some more roots-oriented material at times – all handled with instrumentation that's impeccable throughout! If these guys were out in Cali, they'd no doubt be working in the big studios of the time – or maybe would have even scored some sort of major label contract – yet the really wonderful thing about the record is that it's much more homegrown, and completely charming in the process – especially since their sound is very tight, but without too much overdone production. Titles include the great groover "Crazy Days" – plus "Blue Eyed Lady", "Fly Away", "Finding My Way Back Home", "I Can't Live Without You", "Nice Guys & Fools", and "Go On Away". Great reissue adds a number of bonus tracks to the original album! LP, Vinyl record album

Lyrical magic from pianist Ryo Fukui – a lost gem from the Japanese scene of the 70s, and a beautifully flowing album throughout! Fukui's got a wide-open touch to the piano that we totally love – and is easily one of the best of his contemporaries on the Japanese trio scene of the time – working in the open-ended mode that was allowed by labels in Tokyo during the 70s, a style that was never too far outside, but which really allowed the pianist to soar with a driving, rhythmic intensity. There's a bit of a modal groove to some of the tracks on the album, but more than that, there's just a beautiful sense of freedom – a love of sound and texture that's never reduced to mere experimentation, and which has Ryo taking full command of the keys to soar to the skies on waves of acoustic soul. The group on the set features Yoshinori Fukui on drums and Satoshi Denpo on bass – and tracks include "I Want To Talk About You", "Scenery", "Autumn Leaves", "Early Summer", and "It Could Happen To You". LP, Vinyl record album

Lyrical magic from pianist Ryo Fukui – a lost gem from the Japanese scene of the 70s, and a beautifully flowing album throughout! Fukui's got a wide-open touch to the piano that we totally love – and is easily one of the best of his contemporaries on the Japanese trio scene of the time – working in the open-ended mode that was allowed by labels in Tokyo during the 70s, a style that was never too far outside, but which really allowed the pianist to soar with a driving, rhythmic intensity. There's a bit of a modal groove to some of the tracks on the album, but more than that, there's just a beautiful sense of freedom – a love of sound and texture that's never reduced to mere experimentation, and which has Ryo taking full command of the keys to soar to the skies on waves of acoustic soul. The group on the set features Yoshinori Fukui on drums and Satoshi Denpo on bass – and tracks include "I Want To Talk About You", "Scenery", "Autumn Leaves", "Early Summer", and "It Could Happen To You". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky club from 70s France – a great blend of disco, jazz funk, and slightly warmer soul – all served up by keyboardist Christian Gaubert with vocals but the ultra-sweet Last Exit group! Gaubert's style is right up there with the best European club at the time – tight rhythms, soaring keyboards, and an overall sound that's much deeper than some of the competing work coming from other territories at the time – especially the colder club sounds of Germany. Most lyrics are in English, and sung in an ensemble style by the group – and Gaubert's keys include Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and acoustic piano. Titles include "It", "Man On A Wire", "Sweet & Fool Like A Child", "Sweet Maryline", "Keep On Keep On", "Running Wave", and "Going Ups & Coming Downs". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning set of vocal recordings by Tlahoun Gessesse – one of the most important singers during the golden age of Ethiopian Music – caught here on a set of sides that sadly saw that period coming to an end! The tracks on the set are mostly from the early 70s, a time that saw great political changes in Ethiopia – and tremendous censorship and restrictions on cultural production. Gessesse's vocals during this time are perhaps even more melancholy and heartfelt than before, and he's working here on a number of sides with the legendary Mulatu – with arrangements that have a angular, almost modernist edge. Despite the language barriers that keep us from understanding what Gessesse's singing about, there's an incredibly evocative quality to the work that transcends time and place – and titles include "Alegntaye", "Aykedashem Iebe", "Ene Negn Wey Antchi", "Yene Felagote", "Beyet New Mengedu", "Lantchi Biye", "Tchuheten Betsemu", and two versions of "Kulun Mankwalesh". First time on reissue vinyl for this material – which originally appeared on the 17th volume of the Ethiopiques series. LP, Vinyl record album

Man, these guys are really opening up their sound a lot with this release – moving into the heavier, harder rock territory that would bring them big fame in the 70s! The whole thing's a lot more tripped-out than before – none of the sweeter, lyrical modes of the group's earliest hits – and instead, a lot more moody numbers that really brood nicely on heavy basslines, fuzzy guitar, and some arch vocals sung in English throughout, despite the Dutch origins of the band. Why this one didn't rock the UK and US scenes bigger at the time is a mystery – but the record's ripe for rediscovery now, and filled with great cuts that include "The Truth About Arthur", "Who Cares", "Mr Fortune's Wife", "Must I Cry", "Magnificent Magistral", "I've Just Lost Somebody", "Sam & Sue", and "Crystal Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

NSI stands for "new sounds from the islands" – and that's definitely what you'll get here from this combo who serve up a fantastic blend of Antilles rhythms and contemporary club funk – all very much in the best spirit of the early zouk movement at the time! There's lots of great bass on the record – often used as the key core element of the tunes, with keyboards, guitar lines, and vocals layered alongside – almost with a quality that seems to echo the way that American groups were borrowing bits from the Caribbean and using it to inflect funk and soul up in the New York scene of the early 80s. The music is plenty playful, and very groovy – and titles include "Turn Your Face On Me", "Steel Ka Dance", "Oui Ce Yes Roger A Ti Wawa", and "Moin Epi Vou". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky fusion from the Brazilian scene of the 80s – music from a time when the best electric jazz was more the product of indie labels like the Som Da Gente powerhouse – a company who really let Grupo Medusa find their groove! The band features some great keyboard work on Fender Rhodes and clavinet by Amilson Godoy, plus some great guitar playing by Heraldo Do Monte, in a style that's much more soaring, groovy, and upbeat than some of his solo albums. There's also lots of great Brazilian percussion in the rhythms – and as with other Brazilian jazz of the style, there's often a bit of vocals mixed in, almost at an instrumental sort of level. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Pe No Chao", "Uma Viagem", "Ponto De Fusao", and "Baiana". LP, Vinyl record album

Over the years, we've come to realize that the best thing about the Peanuts cartoons isn't the actions of Charlie Brown and Lucy, but the wonderful music from Vince Guaraldi – perhaps the one aspect of the cartoons that's kept on giving over the years, and which we can proudly carry into adulthood! Vince's music is sublime – often simple, but groovy – a mix of rhythmic vamps and more lyrical passages that perfectly underscore the melancholy that graced the characters of Charles Schultz, and which perhaps defines them even better than the clunky stories or voiceovers on the screen. This set features all the best numbers from the glory days of those cartoons – mostly holiday numbers, but some other gems too – titles that include "Skating", "Little Birdie", "Baseball Theme", "Linus & Lucy", "Happiness Is", "Oh Good Grief", "Christmas Is Coming", "Great Pumpkin Waltz", "Thanksgiving Theme", and both vocal and instrumental versions of "Christmas Time Is Here". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible bit of global jazz from the French scene at the start of the 70s – one of those really unique records that's beyond easy definition, and which really represents all the cool criss-crossings in styles that were taking place on the Parisian scene at the time! Majole Hajary was born in Suriname, raised in Amsterdam, and has a background in Indian culture – but he also works here with the very groovy French arranger Roger Guerin, who plays trumpet and does a masterful job of bringing the whole thing together – in a blend of voices, rhythms, and instrumentation that all feels like some of the more compelling work on Saravah Records at the time! Lyrics are in French, traded between a few different singers with a very spiritual vibe – and Guerin's trumpet solos over the top, often like Donald Byrd in his "with voices" mode, but hipper – especially as other instrumentation includes sitar, organ, tablas, and lots of other great elements! Titles include "Judas", "Notre Pere", "Priere", "Gethsemani", "Les Apotres", and "La Mort De Judas". LP, Vinyl record album

There was never anyone like Lee Hazlewood – and this album is a true testament to his genius! He's the kind of guy you think you've got figured out when you first look at him – but the more you listen to his music, the more you want to raise him above all of the other hip singer/songwriters he seems to be like (Gram Parsons, Leonard Cohen, etc). At heart, Lee was a Cowboy – much more so than any of those fake LA "desperadoes" of the Sunset rock years – and this album, recorded as part of the enigmatic film A Cowboy In Sweden, is true testament to Lee's incredible ability to be both totally serious about his image, yet still maintain a sense of wit and distance that makes him incredibly hard to pin down, genre-wise. He's the country singer Scott Walker always wanted to be, and he's got a pop genius that Leonard Cohen painfully tried to reach in his later years. Brilliant! Filled with beautiful titles like "Forget Marie", "Pray Them Bars Away", "Easy & Me", "No Train To Stockholm", and "The Night Before" – one that you won't forget for a long time! This rare deluxe version features a bonus album of unreleased tracks – outtakes, demos, and instrumentals! LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great package – one that brings together some of the coolest cuts ever from the early solo years of Weldon Irvine! Side one of the record features two takes on his great "Deja Vu" – the initial short version, which has more of a take on the catchy jazzy lyrics – and the longer version, which runs for almost ten minutes, and has more jazzy solo work! The flipside features the totally wonderful "Feelin Mellow" – a cut with a few singers working next to Weldon's electric piano lines, giving the whole thing a very righteous vibe – which is carried through on the cool "Watergate Don't Bug Me" – complete with melodica from Weldon, Fender Rhodes from George Cables, and some cool extemporaneous lyrics about Watergate! LP, Vinyl record album

Time will tell whether the sophomore LP Late Registration will prove to be as revolutionary of a commercial force as College Dropout turned out to be – but it's a better album! We loved the debut as much as the rest of the world did, but this one's an easier listen from beginning to end. The production is tight, the guests earn their spots, and the whole thing's furiously soulful. Much is being made of LA hipster/orch pop troubadour Jon Brion's co-production, but this is Kanye's show. On one level Kanye can rock a subject as cliched as "Gold Digger", and still come out with a fresh perspective that runs deeper than it sounds on the surface, then deliver a serious track about the evils of the diamond trade that still rocks the ice. And those are just the first singles. Another great one! Tracks include "Wake Up Mr West", "Heard 'Em Say", "Touch The Sky" feat Lupe Fiasco, "Gold Digger" feat Jamie Foxx, "Drive Slow" feat Paul Wall & GLC, "My Way Home" feat Common, "Crack Music" feat Game, "Roses", "Bring Me Down" feat Brandy, "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (rmx) feat Jay-Z, "We Major" feat Nas & Really Doe, "Gone" feat Consequence & Cam'Ron and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Kendrick Lamarr waited quite a long time to give the world a follow-up to his classic DAMN – and for good reason too, as the rapper's been on a long personal journey that's documented strongly on the record! The Kendrick heard here is much more introspective than before – and that's saying a lot, given his previous approach – and tunes here deal with issues of personal struggle, healing, and redemption – but all with the kind of sharp edges and sense of fragility that keeps the record from ever feeling to smug or full of itself. Opinions started flying about the record right from the start, and there's plenty here to build your own understanding too – on titles that include "Father Time", "Die Hard", "United In Grief", "We Cry Together", "Count Me Out", "Purple Hearts", "Rich Spirit", "Crown", "Savior", and "Silent Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

Kiefer's one of those artists that we sometimes forget about, then fall in love all over again when we drop the needle on a record – which is definitely the case this time around, as Kiefer seems to be more on top of his game and focused than ever! As before, there's a mix of piano/keyboards and percussion that dominates the sound – sometimes live drums, sometimes programmed – delivered with a warmth that really makes the spare elements resonate with a lot more soulful power than you might expect – almost as if Kiefer listened to some of the more soulful, subtle keyboardists in the 70s fusion generation, but found a way to transform their energy to a 21st Century setting – transforming the world of beats and keys in the process. Titles include "I Wish I Wasn't Me", "My Disorder", "Panic", "High", "Dreamer", "Head Trip", "I Could Cry", "August Again", "Forgetting U", and "I Was Foolish I Guess". LP, Vinyl record album

Kiefer's one of those artists that we sometimes forget about, then fall in love all over again when we drop the needle on a record – which is definitely the case this time around, as Kiefer seems to be more on top of his game and focused than ever! As before, there's a mix of piano/keyboards and percussion that dominates the sound – sometimes live drums, sometimes programmed – delivered with a warmth that really makes the spare elements resonate with a lot more soulful power than you might expect – almost as if Kiefer listened to some of the more soulful, subtle keyboardists in the 70s fusion generation, but found a way to transform their energy to a 21st Century setting – transforming the world of beats and keys in the process. Titles include "I Wish I Wasn't Me", "My Disorder", "Panic", "High", "Dreamer", "Head Trip", "I Could Cry", "August Again", "Forgetting U", and "I Was Foolish I Guess". LP, Vinyl record album

Lizzo's reveling in superstardom here – even more forthright and confident than before, on titles that include "About Damn Time", "Grrrls", "I Love You Bitch", "Special", "Break Up Twice", "Naked", "Coldplay", "Birthday Girl", "If You Love Me", "2 Be Loved", and "The Sign". LP, Vinyl record album

What can we say? This is one of the greatest albums of all time! The record's got a sound that's completely unique – as crack LA garage punk rock meets Hollywood baroque production, and the result is an amazing bit of loud guitar noise backed by strings and horns, all graced by the godlike vocals of the great Arthur Lee. Forever Changes is a milestone in rock – an incredibly bleak document about insanity, escape, and the coming revolution that never happened. Think of all the best moments of Wild In The Streets, Zabriske Point, and Invocation of My Demon Brother rolled into one – and you'll only have a tiny slice of the picture! A record that will haunt us until the day we die – filled with incredible songs like "Alone Again Or", "Old Man", "Daily Planet", "Red Telephone", and "Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark & Hilldale". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Terrace Martin, and a set that already has him stretching out and building bridges between scenes and genres – at a level that has continued to make him one of the real giants of the west coast scene! The record's never just about Terrace's keys or saxophone – although his work on both are totally great – and instead, there's an equal presence here from the guests – Robert Glasper on Fender Rhodes, or artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lalah Hathaway, Ty Dolla Sign, Musiq Soulchild, and others on vocals – balancing hip hop and soul with Martin's jazz at the core, as he awakes new ears sounds they never would have discovered otherwise! Titles include "Triangle Ship", "No Wrong No Right", "Over Time", "Watch U Sleep", "Something Else", "You're The One", "I'm For Real", "Gone", and "Motivation". LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased live work from Les McCann – recorded at a time when the soulful giant was really breaking it up in clubs around the country, and just about to unleash a whole new righteous side of his talents! The tracks here resonate strongly with some of the earlier Pacific Jazz live work that Les was cutting earlier in the decade – but also show a new evolution that's partly the confidence he had as one of the key soulful musicians on the west coast, but also a shift in his style past some of the more standard soul jazz modes that others were taking from his bag – leaving McCann to keep on growing in new directions of his own. All tracks here are trio titles – recorded in Seattle or at the Village Vanguard – and players include Stanley Gilbert and Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Frank Severino and Paul Humphrey on drums. Titles include "The Grabber", "Could Be", "I Can Dig It", "Doin That Thing", "Sunny", "The Shampoo", "Blues 5", "Out In The Outhouse", "Lavande", "Da Da", "Yours Is My Heart Alone", and "Wait For It". LP, Vinyl record album

Mic Geronimo's first LP, a little less crossover with a harder sound than his later efforts. The Beatminerz & Buckwild handled production on about half of the album. Royal Flush, OC & the Lost Boyz show up here and there, too. Includes "Lifecheck", "Wherever You Are", "Sh*t's Real", "Time To Build" & "Masta IC". LP, Vinyl record album

A set with maybe the most striking cover image that Monday Michiru's given us in years – and a record that really delivers on that promise, too – filled with really captivating tunes that represent a new high level in Monday's already-high career! There's a depth and maturity to the record that we never would have guessed when we first fell in love with her music – and we thought she was already pretty darn deep way back then – as Monday delivers hers vocals alongside musical complexity that takes strong advantage of the many great guest jazz musicians in the lineup – players who include Misha Tsiganov and David Kikoski on Fender Rhodes, Gil Goldstein on piano, Lew Tabackin on flute, and Steve Wilson on soprano sax. But at the center of it all is Monday – far more a jazz singer in recent years than the soul artist of her start – but balancing the spirit of both worlds beautifully, and with command of her vocal instrument that's completely stunning! Where most singers seem to get a bit more casual about their craft over the years, Michiru's just continued to master her natural instrument with a fantastic range and wonderfully expressive quality. Titles include "Ombre Of Time", "Pivot", "Cycles", "The Sound", "Ringo Oiwake", "Hope Pretend To Sleep", "Rise Above", "Life", and "Gossamer's Touch" – plus "Untethered", which features some great guest work from Ursula Rucker! LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring grooves and scatting vocals – a wonderful collaboration between this hip fusion combo and singer Rachel Gould, and one that's right up there with the best German grooves of the Glucklich generation! Rachel only sings on a few of the album's tracks, but those sparkle beautifully with a breezy sort of soul that's totally great – and other instrumental titles have a different sort of appeal, but one that's wonderful too – well-played keyboards and guitar, without some of the fusion excesses of the 70s – served up in lean grooves that bring in a great mix of Brazilian and funky jazz styles. The set's got a warmly appealing sound throughout – but not one that's at all like US fusion of the time – still quite adventurous, and really set free to groove in a joyous sort of way! Titles include "Mystic Latin", "Movin Seconds", "Vom Regen Bogen", "Short Funky", "Congress Of Dreams", "Cyklus III", and "Anticipated Joy". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued album by the great Hermeto Pascoal – recorded in the space between his 70s classics Slaves Mass and A Musica Livre – and every bit as amazing as those classics! The music here is fluid, open, and a fantastic mix of jazz and all of Hermeto's new ideas about musical structure – performed at a level that's highly organic, and with that completely individual vision that Pasocal brought to his sound from the start! This isn't typical Brazilian fusion of the time, but nor is it anything like the tighter sounds that Airto and Flora Purim were recording up in the US – instead, a musical mode that's completely in its own space, and which needs only one listen to convince you of the master's genius. The group here is overflowing with young talent – Lelo Nazario on keyboards, Nivaldo Ornelas and Mauro Senise on saxes and flute, Toninho Horta on guitar, Zeca Assumpcao on bass, and Ze Eduardo Nazario on drums – all important musical visionaries on their own, working together here to hit an even new level of creativity. Aleuda Chaves sings wordlessly on a bit of the record – and the whole thing has that blend of soaring sound and lyricism that marks Pascoal at his best. Titles include "Danca Do Paje", "Natal", "Casinha Pequinina", and "Mavumvavumpefoco". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual album, and one that features a host of recordings done by Lee Perry right before his Pipecock Jackson implosion in the late 70s – but presented by former partner Pauline Morrison, who deserves a lot of credit for putting together a host of great dub tracks that might have been lost otherwise! The record first surfaced in the UK around 1980, with the usual very spare set of packaging that seems to mark some of the best dub records from the time – so there's little in the way of actual details about the recordings, but the quality of the bassy, echoey tracks definitely resonates with the strengths of the Black Ark studios at their height Titles include "Cool Rockers", "Jah", "Rasta Man", "Camp", "Dreadlock", "Guidance", "In The Valley", and "Money". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey sort of approach that's unlike anything else we can think of – and certainly different from any other late 60s albums of this type! The production is totally great – and has a way of pulling out some of the weirdest aspects of the music – which itself features guitar from Billy Butler and Eric Gale, bass from Bob Bushnell, tenor and flute from Seldon Powell, and organ and piano from Richard Tee – who also handled all the arrangements on the set! The centerpiece is the hit single "Funky Donkey", but just about every track's a groover in its own way – and titles include "Soul Drums", "Bill's Groove", "Jimmy's Back", "Testifyin", "Modern Jive", "Blow Your Lid", "Bee N Tee", and "Soul Bossa Nova". This new edition includes 8 bonus tracks, with a couple rare 45 tracks and more that have never been released – all soulful & funky – well paired with the Soul Drums album! Bonus tracks are in stereo, and include "Alexander's Rag Time Band", "Genuine John", "Soul Clappin", "If You Never Cried", "Stop" and "Time Is Tight". Also comes with a nice booklet with new liner notes, and choice quotes from Purdie's peers and those he influenced, from Galt MacDermot to Large Professor. LP, Vinyl record album

A soulful, spiritual set from the start of the 80s – served up by a group who seem to have only recorded this one rare album, yet who come across like a combo with a much longer legacy! There's a laidback approach to the music that reminds us of similar work from the Cali scene in the 70s – although these guys seem to be from Connecticut, and work with a lineup that includes keyboards, trombone, bass drums, and a nice use of flute and saxes. Other players come into the mix from time to time – percussion, bass, tenor, and acoustic guitar – and the track "Moments Of Silence" has vocals from soulful female singer Kharmia. All other cuts are instrumental – and include "Can't Stop Now", "Why Must I Go", "Marketplace", "In My Apartment", and "Breeze". LP, Vinyl record album

Sun Ra and the Arkestra famously recorded a song on a Disney tribute album in the late 80s – and this set follows up on that famous moment by showcasing a whole bunch of other songs from World Of Walt – all done by the Arkestra in a range of wild versions! At some level, the songs are maybe no surprise – a great fit for the cosmic yearnings of Ra, and a very good match for some of the more inventive arrangements he was bringing to these late years of the Arkestra – at a time when they were finally getting some of the wider recognition they deserved. Material is from a few different years, but about half the tracks were recorded at the 9:30 club – and titles include "Second Star To The Right", "Let's Go Fly A Kite", "Pink Elephants On Parade", "Whistle While You Work", and "The Forest Of No Return". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool record from reedman Robert Rockwell – one that features some great work from keyboardist Bobby Lyle too! Lyle was recording for bigger labels at the time, but his work here on electric piano really adds a lot to the long tracks on the record – a nice mix with the tenor, soprano, and bass clarinet of Rockwell – who also plays some waterphone on the record too! There's a fair bit of added percussion on two tracks, plus guitar on two as well – and the rest of the core group features Willard Peterson on bass and Bill Berg on drums. Titles include "Androids", "Elvin's Waltz", "Todos Nosotros", and "On the Edge". LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get for Sonny Rollins during the 50s – from the cover right down to the incredible solos on the set! The album's got Rollins really stretching out – still not finding the freer trio mode of his Vanguard session, but still bringing in plenty of fresh ideas in both his phrasing and the construction of his tunes – way more than just the roots of his (still excellent) years as a boppish player. The group's nice and loose – with Wynton Kelly on soulful piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all able to snap into a groove when needed, but also letting Rollins really lay back into a solo too. Titles include the sublime "Asiatic Raes", plus "Namely You", "Tune Up", "Wonderful Wonderful", and "Blues For Philly Joe". If you've ever needed a record to convince you how great Rollins is, this might just be the one! LP, Vinyl record album

Straight, soulful work from Archie Shepp – an overlooked gem from the start of the 90s, and a set that we'd rank right up there with his classics from his great "straight" period of the late 70s! The album's got frequent partner Horace Parlan on piano – who already helps things get grounded in all the right territory – and the excellent Wayne Dockery is on bass, a player with subtle power that really helps give the album all the right depth. George Brown completes the group on drums – and Shepp blows both tenor and alto sax – the latter of which has this raspy quality that's maybe overblown, but in this really powerful way. Title sinclude "Ask Me Now", "Party Time", "Billie's Bossa", "Go Down Moses", and "Now's The Time". LP, Vinyl record album

An instant classic from Slum Village – one of those records that kind of snuck out into the world, then became legendary as the years went on! Of course, with work from Jay Dee, there's no surprise that the album's got plenty of staying power – as he does a killer job here, throughout, really elevating the work of T3 and Baatin with a mix of influences from soul, deep funk, and mellowed-out jazzy touches! In addition to the core Slum crew the record features D'Angelo, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Pete Rock, and Jazzy Jeff – on titles that include "Conant Gardens, "I Don't Know", "Jealously", "Fall In Love", "Get Dis Money", "Once Upon A Time", "Go Ladies", "Hold Tight", "What's It All About", and "Fourth & Back". Also includes the bonus tracks "Thelonious" and "Fall In Love (Remix)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key classics from the Jimmy Smith years at Blue Note Records – a really groundbreaking time for the Hammond organ in jazz, as Jimmy helped take it from backrooms in bars to center stage of jazz with a record like this! The album's about as iconic as you can get for Jimmy at the label – from the fantastic cover image, to the well-crafted tunes – many of which are shorter than some of Smith's earlier jam session-styled work, and help forge a bridge between soul jazz and the emerging soul instrumental sound of the early 60s. The album features some excellent work from the obscure Percy France on tenor on most of the tracks – a player we only know from a handful of dates – next to other quartet members who include Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. Titles include "Sugar Hill", "I Got A Woman", "Motoring Along", "Gracie", and "Messin Around". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE landmark hip hop albums – and the full length debut of great Tribe Called Quest! We hardly need to tell you about this classic – but it will always bear repeating. De La Soul might have kicked the door open on leftfield, anything goes artistry about a year or so earlier, but their friends and fellow Native Tongues Tribe's debut was a crucial reminder that the east coast was spinning out of one of the greatest creative growth spurts in hip hop history at the time. Pure excellence. Tracks include "Luck Of Lucien", "Footprints", "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo", "Bonita Applebaum", "Can I Kick It?", "Rhythm (Devoted To The Art Of Moving Butts)", "Mr Muhammad", "Description Of A Fool" andmore seminal, jazzy middle school tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a comeback for Tribe Called Quest – maybe one of the best musical comebacks ever, and a fantastic reminder of why we loved the group so much in the first place! 18 years have passed since we last heard from the trio (now, sadly, a duo) – and that time only seems to have sharpened their sound, and given them a more powerful presence than ever! Everything we loved about them is still very firmly in place – that sense of collaboration, almost improvisation in a jazz-like way, and those moments of surprise and wonder at all the deft turns they can take in a short space. Yet there's also a new edge – one that might be even more powerful in this highly politicized moment in American history – a bite that the group never had before, and a larger social agenda that makes all of their incredible skills even more amazing, when focused on a target. We've certainly missed them – but the album's also well worth the wait! Titles include "Black Spasmodic", "The Donald", "The Space Program", "We The People", "Solid Wall Of Sound", "Dis Generation", "Kids", "Melatonin", "Enough", "Movin Backwards", and "The Killing Season". LP, Vinyl record album

The landmark debut of 2Pac – hard rhymes and gritty production laying the bedrock for an iconic legacy! 2Pac's voice is front and center throughout, nothing tentative about the rhymes or delivery, and true to legend, every word feels honest and real, whether you're comfortable with it or not. Classic! Tracks include "Young Black Male", "Trapped", "Soulja's Story", "I Don't Give a F**k", "Violent", "Words Of Wisdom", "Something Wicked...", "Crooked A** N**a", "If My Homie Calls", "Brenda's Got A Baby", "Tha Lunatic", "Rebel Of The Underground", and "Part Time Mutha". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul from the great Marcos Valle – a great blend of mellow grooves and upbeat tunes recorded at the same time Valle was working in the US with Leon Ware! The style here is very similar to Ware's 2 albums for Elektra – both of which feature work from Valle, and include tunes that are also done here in Portuguese versions! Marcos makes a real departure from some of his earlier work here, and emerges as a surprisingly great soul star with plenty of talents for penning two-step tunes and keyboard-heavy tracks that glisten with a sweet California groove. A few tracks recall some of Valle's Odeon work – like the baroque instrumental "Camina Grande" – but we're most partial to the soul tracks that dominate the record, and which include "Bicho No Cio", "Pecados De Amor","Garimpando" and "A Paraiba Nao e Chicago". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most beautiful work ever recorded by Caetano Veloso – an album that carries on the style of English language lyrics used on his session in exile in 1971, but which also introduces him back to the world of Brazilian popular music! The album's a great transition for Veloso – a set that's served up with some of the newly personal qualities his music developed in London, but which still has a good ear for experimentation and keeping things interesting. Titles include the wonderful "Nine Out Of Ten" – a haunting tune about his time in exile – plus "Neolithic Man", "Nostalgia", "Triste Bahia", "It's A Long Way", and "You Don't Know Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A second set of crucial solo work from Bunny Wailer – material that comes from the time when Bob Marley was hitting huge global success on his own, then passed away too early, and left Bunny as one of the key forces to carry on the original ideas of the Wailers trio! And actually, by that time, Bunny had already gone much deeper – stepping out with material like this, from his own Solomonic Productions imprint, which was about as deeply indie as Bob Marley was commercial – keeping things really raw, spare, and laidback on the production tip – as Bunny continued to push a very righteous agenda with some wonderful tunes of his own! There's only a bit of a hint at some of the changes in larger reggae on these tracks – maybe some longer songs that showcase the move towards 12" singles and album tracks, which actually allows for more interesting production and dubbier moments amidst the roots reggae message of the cuts. Titles include "Anti Apartheid", "Solidarity", "Arab Oil Weapon", "Solomonic Dub", "Galang So", "Riding", "Trouble Is On The Road Ahead", "Cease Fire", "Rule Dancehall", and "Love Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

A monster from start to finish – not only the greatest album from War, but maybe one of the greatest mainstream funk albums of all time! The set's got a really unique groove – one that so many others tried to copy, but which was forged here first – in a wicked LA blend of Chicano funk, heavy organ lines, and soulful singing that sews the whole thing together perfectly. Just about every cut is upbeat and funky – rolling along at that low-rider pace that was War's lasting contribution to funk music – and the album features the huge hits "World Is A Ghetto" and "Cisco Kid", two of the brightest spots on radio funk from the 70s – plus classics like "Four Cornered Room", "City Country City", "Where Was You At", and "Beetles In The Bog". LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get for Ben Webster on Verve Records – a nicely mature, nicely laidback session that really captures the energy promised in the title! The sidemen are all in an easygoing, soulful mode – Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – and Ben blows these beautifully deep, well-crafted lines on tenor over the top – always with that raspy tone that had already influenced a generation, but which hardly ever got a better showcase than this! Titles include "Time On My Hands", "Where Are You", "Soulville", "Late Date", and "Ill Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

David Byrne waited a full decade before giving the world a follow up to his original Beleza Tropical collection of funky Brazilian music – yet during that time, it's also clear that he learned a lot more about the scene – and was able to pick up on some very hip artists who were much more contemporary than the first time around! The record has a fair bit of late 90s gems from a time when Brazilian music was really catching fire again – inspired both by its own experiments of the past, and new attention to its more groundbreaking styles by artists up north – which then seemed to let loose a new era of fresh sounds and styles! The set's got a total of 15 tracks in all – and titles include "O Seu Olhar" by Arnaldo Antunes, "Coriosidade" by Tom Ze, "Tanacara" by Gonzaguinha, "Balanca Pema" by Marisa Monte, "Acho" by Carlos Carega, "Bog La Bog" by Carlinhos Brown, "Pregoes Do Rio" by Moleque De Rua, "Batuque" by Daniela Mercury, "Hoje Eu Quero Sair So" by Lenine, and "Rios, Pontes, & Overdrives" by Chico Science. LP, Vinyl record album

Blue-tinged work for those days when your heart is breaking and your soul is aching – a really wonderful batch of tracks that are heavy on those late 60s/early 70s moments when male singers were starting to open up a bit and let their emotions show! The vibe here is very different than Bobby Gillespie's own music – and the set brings together bits of country, roots rock, and soul – really special tracks that have a perfect blend of heartfelt vocals, well-penned lyrics, and the kind of arrangements and production that really send the whole thing over the top! The best thing about the collection is that it brings together songs we never would have thought to combine like this – a masterful set list that includes "I Don't Want To Talk About It" by Crazy Horse, "Wait & See" by Lee Hazlewood, "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" by Thin Lizzy, "The Coldest Days Of My Life" by The Chi-Lites, "Roll Um Easy" by Little Feat, "Magnolia" by JJ Cale, "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" by Willie Nelson, "Love Sick" by Bob Dylan, I'll Be Long Gone" by Boz Scaggs, "Strong As Death" by Al Green, "Kind Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Dark End Of The Street" by Ry Cooder, "I Feel Like Goin Home" by Charlie Rich, "When My Mind's Gone" by Mott The Hoople, and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" by Nick Cave. LP, Vinyl record album

Mighty sounds from a legendary Detroit soul producer – the great Dave Hamilton, a talent who issued a number of key singles back in the day, but who's left behind an even larger legacy of excellent unreleased work! This collection draws from both sides of that spectrum – and features upbeat Northern Soul gems that were issued on small labels like Topper and Demo-Ristic – mixed with other tracks that lay in Dave's vaults until their discovery at some point in the 90s! Together, the tracks are a wonderful illustration of the deep deep trove of material that lurked in the Detroit scene far in the shadows of Motown – artists who were eclipsed by the big names at the time, but who sound mighty darn fresh all these many years later. Titles include "What Should I Do", and "Who Are You Trying To Fool" by Little Ann, "Sweep It Out The Shed" and "Challenge My Love" by Tobi Lark, "Love Friends & Money" by James Lately, "You Won't Miss The Water" by Chico & Buddy, "Talkin About My Baby" by Dottie & Millie, "You Got Me Turned Around" by OC Tolbert, "Shoop Doop" by Dave Hamilton, and "You Did" by Priscilla Page & Rony Darrell. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue entry in this legendary series of compilations – one that taught us an awful lot about funky soundtrack music back in the day, finally back in action after a long hiatus! This time around, the groove has gotten even deeper – as the series has stretched to include some killer sound library material as well – really mixing together all the jazz, funk, and cinematic elements that were in the previous volumes – yet all with the hip Euro-styled groove that we loved in all of those releases too! There's a huge amount of funky nuggets here, but all with a vibe that's very different than 70s work from the US scene – and although we've missed the Easy Tempo series for many years, we're so glad to have them back – as they're still one of the best. Titles include "Take Me To New York" by Brooklyn Bridge Group, "Undertown" by Orchestra Mustang, "First Time Three" by Roberto Pregadio, "Angelus" by Soul's Soul, "African Flute" by Ninety, "Super Cat" by Les Chakachas, "Sunshine Train" by Hugh Bullen, "Un Uomo Che Lavora" by Carlo Cordara E I Waterloo, "Meeting" by Gino Marinaaci, and "Guida Sicura" by Enzo Scoppa. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive collection of work from these important years in music – and even if you don't know or care about Gary Crowley, who's pictured on the cover, you'll find plenty to love here if you dig UK sounds from the late 70s and early 80s! As indicated by the title, the set focuses on new wave and punk tracks – which also means that there's plenty of post-punk too – and the package does a really great job of offering up music that stands the test of time, even though much of it never got much play on American airwaves back in the day – music that really helped set the tone for a generation, and whose effects are still resonating all these many years later. As with volume one, the presentation is great – a very nice package, with detailed notes – and the 2LP version features 28 titles – with work by The Times, Shake, The Limps, Newtown Neurotics, The Slits, Gary Valentine, Basement 5, Dolly Mixture, Liquid Stone, The Subterraneans, Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam, Zounds, The Cure, The City Limits, Moving England, The Barracudas, Penetration, X-Ray Spex, The Limit, Magazine, Golinski Brothers, The Clash, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Mad music from the Dutch scene of the 70s – music recorded either in The Netherlands, or the Dutch part of Belgium – pulled together here in a collection that's filled with ear-opening funky gems! The music here isn't straight soul, funk, or jazz – but rather criss-crossing musical styles that often have a little bit of each – often with these qualities that remind us of better-known soundtrack or folk-funk songs from the time – but which take on very different qualities, given the difference in language! There's plenty of great drums throughout, loads of killer keyboards, and basslines that can make just about any sort of song a funky nugget – and as with other titles on the Sdban label, the whole thing's a real revelation – a gateway to music that we never would have discovered otherwise – but now find that we can't live without. Titles include "Eva's Pakje" by Jimmy Frey, "Zomerliefde" by Laurentius, "Onheil" by Lamp & Lazerus, "Gemendg Gevoel" by Herman De Bruycker, "Wie Weet" by Spectrum, "Het Oink Beest" by Elly & Rikkert, "Maan Dag" by Daan Broos & Dapokaster, "Nooit Meer" by Josine Van Dalsum, "Handicap 2000" by Daan Broos, "Het Huis Van Wilde Tederheid" by Luk Bral, and "Hollandse Taal" by Moeder En Haar Jongens. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible trip through the 70s Japanese jazz scene – a second volume of J Jazz that's even bigger and better than the first – with unknown gems from private presses, indie labels, and rarities from the Japanese branches of the major labels, too! Compilers Tony Higgins & Mike Peden (who are both also responsible for the nicely done notes) follow through on all of the things we loved about the first J Jazz compilation, but improve on it by going bigger and digging deeper. The majority of the tracks were recorded from 1969 through the late 70s – with a few recorded in later years – and all have a wonderful way of being open to the stylistic inventions of the time without getting hung up on trends. So while there's some fusiony funk and electric piano, there's plenty of acoustic instrumentation and timelessly inventive material. BBE has outdone themselves on this excellent collection – and the titles include "Dragon Dance" by Makoto Terashita & Harold Land, "Daguri" by Kohsuke Mine Quintet, "Distant Thunder" by Mabumi Yamguchi Quartet, "Animal Garden" by Miyasaka + 5, "Mother Of The Future" by Electro Keyboard Orchestra, "Serenade To A Dimly Lit Street" by Hiroshi Matsumoto/Hideo Ichikawa Quartet, "Teru-Teru Bozu" (Black Keys) by Teru Sakamoto Trio, "Little Giant" by Nobuo & Sharps & Flats, "Brown Trout" by Akira Miyazawa and more. 14 tracks on 3LPs. LP, Vinyl record album

The world of girl groups might seem cliched to some – but if you know where to look, you'll find a host of really amazing material – and that's definitely the case in this well-chosen set, a superb Ace Records package that's overflowing with material that goes way past the obvious! At some level, Ace are approaching the style in the reverse way of more mainstream collections – not starting with hits, then trickling down to obscurities – and instead pulling together unusual bits from a variety of indie labels that might have gotten otherwise overlooked, including a few cuts that were never issued at the time, mixed here with rock and soul gems from singles on labels like Keetch, Challenge, Bang, Mira, and Etiquette. As with their CD-length dips into the music, the quality here is superb – with 14 titles that include "Chu Sen Ling" by The Bermudas, "My Little Baby" by The Witches, "Tossin A Ice Cube" by The Hollywood Chicks, "Chico" by Linda Laurie, "A Dumb Song" by The Delicates, "Baby That's Me" by The Carolines, "Don't Worry About Me Baby" by Mayalta Page, "You May Be Holding My Baby" by The Pussycats, "I Wanna Know Right Now" by Carol Slade, "Sweet Kind Of Loneliness" by The Darlettes, and "My Baby Looks But He Don't Touch" by Carol Connors. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collection of work from one of the greatest soul labels ever – a tiny Alabama imprint that helped bring the Muscle Shoals sound to the masses – thanks to the work of producer Rick Hall, and his crack band of session players! The music here set a whole new standard for soul in the south – and really helped bridge older 50s modes and the new wave of more expressive, more sophisticated singers – served up here in a special vinyl-only package that mixes big Fame classics with some real gems that never got their due back in the day – and even come cuts that appear here on vinyl for the first time ever! Titles include "She Ain't Gonna Do Right" by Clarence Carter, "Fortune Teller" by The Del-Rays, "That Kind Of Lovin" by Otis Clay, "Back In Your Arms" by George Jackson, "Feed The Flame" by Billy Young, "Almost Persuaded" by June Conquest, "A Piece of My Heart" by Art Freeman, "I Worship The Ground You Walk On" by Jimmy Hughes, "Blind Can't See" by Richard Earl & The Corvettes, "Come On Home" by Hrman Moore, "I'm Gonna Forget About You" by Arthur Conley, "Long Ago" by Ben & Spence, "Take Me Just As I Am" by Dan Penn, and "Don't Make Me Hate Loving You" by Jeanie Greene. LP, Vinyl record album

This may be street funk, but it was clearly recorded in some of the hippest studios of the time – with just the right touches to keep these cuts sounding as raw and urgent as when they were recorded back in the day! The set mixes together album tracks, rare funky 45s, and even a few unissued gems that have been unearthed by the folks at Ace Records – all to make for a package that's way different than just about any other mainstream funk compilation on the market! And sure, maybe the set's an introduction to a genre, but it also features plenty of funky nuggets for rare collectors too – in a lineup that includes "Brand New Girl" by Billy Garner, "Funky Kingston" by Tribe, "Foolish Man (part 1)" by The Huck Daniels Co, "Stop" by Camille Lil Bo, "Do It" by Billy Sha Rae, "Mother Popcorn" by The Mellow Matics, "Soul Feeling (part 1)" by Eddie Giles, "Get Me Back On Time Engine 9" by National Soul Review, "Here Comes The Judge" by Larry & Tommy, and "Bad On Bad" by Chet Ivey. LP, Vinyl record album