A fantastic first album from Pete Townshend – one that showed the world that he was a hell of a force to be reckoned with, even away from The Who! There's some elements here that link back to Pete's work with the band, but the music here is already showing lots of new ideas brewing in his solo space – some of the greater sensitivity of Townshend's solo voice – which might not always get showcased when Roger Daltrey was taking the lead – and also some different musical strands that might not have been right for The Who. Ronnie Lane takes the lead on "Evolution" – which you'll recognize from the world of The Faces – and other titles include the original acoustic version of "Pure & Easy", plus "Nothing Is Everything (Let's See Action)", "Time Is Passing", "Forever's No Time At All", "There's A Heartache Following Me", "Content", "Parvardigar", and "Sheraton Gibson". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer soul from Doris Troy – a wonderful selection of classic singles from a variety of different labels – mostly smoking selections from the 60s, but a few rare gems from later years too! Doris is one of those singers who never hit the chart heights of some of her contemporaries, but always managed to do impeccable work – as you'll hear here on a range of singles for labels like Calla, Cameo, Capitol, Atlantic, and Apple! Troy's got this amazingly rich voice – one we'd rank right up there with Aretha Franklin at her best – supported here by a range of backings that run from deep soul to uptown soul to some warmer 70s modes. Titles include "Face Up To The Truth", "Just One Look", "What A Night Night Night", "Don't Tell Your Mama", "You Tore Me Up Inside", "Heartaches", "He's Qualified", "I'll Do Anything", "Hear Me Calling", "Can't Hold On", "Tomorrow Is Another Day", and "What A Wonderful Lover". CD

McCoy plays Duke, with surprisingly great results – thanks to an expanded trio format that features lots of additional percussion! McCoy's on piano, working alongside Coltrane bandmates Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – but the real charm of the record comes from Willie Rodriguez and Johnny Pacheco, who add in extra percussion to most numbers, and really complicate the rhythms nicely! The tracks are way more than simple Ellington tribute numbers, and the fresher rhythms really liven things up tremendously – giving the record a soulful swing that we wouldn't expect from either Tyner or Duke! Titles include "Mr Gentle & Mr Cool", "Gypsy Without A Song", "Duke's Place", "Caravan", and "Searchin". CD

Mc Coy plays Duke, with surprisingly great results – thanks to an expanded trio format that features lots of additional percussion! McCoy's on piano, working alongside Coltrane bandmates Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – but the real charm of the record comes from Willie Rodriguez and Johnny Pacheco, who add in extra percussion to most numbers, and really complicate the rhythms nicely! The tracks are way more than simple Ellington tribute numbers, and the fresher rhythms really liven things up tremendously – giving the record a soulful swing that we wouldn't expect from either Tyner or Duke! Titles include "Mr Gentle & Mr Cool", "Gypsy Without A Song", "Duke's Place", "Caravan", and "Searchin". Includes 3 bonus tracks "It Don't Mean A Thing", "I Got It Bad", "Gypsy Without A Song (alternate)". CD

A pretty cool, seemingly unlikely duo effort on Rhymesayers – pairing up underground hip hop mainstay Aesop Rock and avant indie vocalist Kimya Dawson of Moldy Peaches! It actually works well! Aesop's no nonsense sounding voice can deliver even the most abstract lyrics with strength and authority and it pairs well with Dawson's oddball nursery rhyme style. Includes "Kryptonite", "Delicate Cycle", "TV On IO", "Earthquake", "Organs", "Superheroes", "Jambi Cafe", "Scissorhands", "Eyeball Soup", "Teleprompters", "WYHUOM", "Boomerang" and more. CD

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Italian alto player Massimo Urbani is in some tremendous company here – working with a quartet that features Ron Burton on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – a lineup who really make the album a standout in his career! The group's got a soulful swing that really brings out the best in Urbani's tone – allowing him to be free, but never too out – and keeping a strong sense of rhythm in most of the tracks – one that almost approaches soul jazz on the best numbers, thanks to the excellent work of Burton and Brown together – a really wonderful pair! Titles include "Tender Song", "Solar", "Diddy For Biddy", and "Rip The Ripper". CD

With Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, Kenny Davern on soprano, Wayne Wright on rhythm guitar, Mike Moore on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Warren Vache on cornet and flugelhorn, Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Cal Collins on guitar, Marshal Royal on alto saxophone, Nat Pierce on piano, Phil Flanigan on bass, and Jake Hanna on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Cal Collins on guitar, Michael Moore on bass, and Jake Hanna on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Warren Vache on cornet, Ben Aronov on piano, Lincol Milliman on bass, and Giampaolo Biagi on drums – accompanied by the Beaux-Arts String Quartet. CD

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The Ventures were furiously productive in the early 60s – delivering gem after gem – and this is among the best! Telstar is somewhere near the ninth record by the group, offering a dizzying mix of covers of some of the most popular songs of the day. The guitar still leads as the main sound on these tracks but they do expand the instrumentation to include organ, trumpet, mandolins and harpsichord as well. They sing a little on some of the tracks but they mainly stay in the instrumental realm. Greatness! Tracks include "Telstar", "The Lonely Bull", "Mexico", "Calcutta", "Apache", "Never On A Sunday", "Tequila", "Green Onions", "Let There Be Drums", and "Red River Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

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Reedman Alan Wakeman may not be the biggest name in British jazz, but he works here with all-star lineups on both performances – really showcasing his unique vision as a leader, which is emphasized by the strength of the musicians in the group! At some level, these octet recordings are somewhere in the territory of Mike Gibbs or early Mike Westbrook – very fresh approaches to larger group material, with a mix of modern elements and breakout solos amidst a greater, more composed whole – almost a Charles Mingus vibe at times! Wakeman blows both tenor and clarinet – and the 1969 performances include work from Alan Skidmore on tenor and flute, Mike Osborne on alto and clarinet, Paul Rutherford and Paul Nieman on trombones, John Taylor on piano, Lindsay Cooper on bass, and Paul Lytton on drums – as well as percussion and gongs from most players too. The 1979 sessions have a different lineup – with Skidmore and Art Themen on tenor next to Wakeman's tenor and soprano sax – plus trumpet from Henry Lowther, trombone from Paul Rutherford, piano from Gordon Beck, bass from Chris Lawrence, and drums from Nigel Morris. Titles include "Chaturanga", "Manhattan Variation", "Vienna", "Kingside Breakthrough", "Dreams", "Forever", and "Merry Go Round". CD

Reedman Alan Wakeman may not be the biggest name in British jazz, but he works here with all-star lineups on both performances – really showcasing his unique vision as a leader, which is emphasized by the strength of the musicians in the group! At some level, these octet recordings are somewhere in the territory of Mike Gibbs or early Mike Westbrook – very fresh approaches to larger group material, with a mix of modern elements and breakout solos amidst a greater, more composed whole – almost a Charles Mingus vibe at times! Wakeman blows both tenor and clarinet – and the 1969 performances include work from Alan Skidmore on tenor and flute, Mike Osborne on alto and clarinet, Paul Rutherford and Paul Nieman on trombones, John Taylor on piano, Lindsay Cooper on bass, and Paul Lytton on drums – as well as percussion and gongs from most players too. The 1979 sessions have a different lineup – with Skidmore and Art Themen on tenor next to Wakeman's tenor and soprano sax – plus trumpet from Henry Lowther, trombone from Paul Rutherford, piano from Gordon Beck, bass from Chris Lawrence, and drums from Nigel Morris. Titles include "Chaturanga", "Manhattan Variation", "Vienna", "Kingside Breakthrough", "Dreams", "Forever", and "Merry Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

A great one from pianist Mal Waldron – a set that marks that renewed sense of energy he found as the 80s approached – a move back to some tighter forms in terms of the inside/outside edge of the improvisational spectrum – but still with some of the freer spirit he'd unlocked in the 70s! The tracks are all nice and long, and are forged by a quartet that features Clifford Jordan on tenor, Cecil McBee on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – a group who definitely have some of the spirit of Jordan in this setting, but with all the deeper tones that Waldron can bring to a date. Jordan is tremendous, and the album features three long tracks – "Charlie Parker's Last Supper", "Hymn From The Inferno", and "What It Is". LP, Vinyl record album

Cedar Walton plays both electric and acoustic piano in this sweet and overlooked 70s set – a soulful trio outing with Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums! The set was recorded live, and has that soaring, exploratory style of Cedar's best work of the time – pushing off a lot from his 60s work with some more abstract approaches to rhythm and solos. Titles include "Voices Deep Within Me", "Firm Roots", "I'm Not So Sure", and "One For Amos". LP, Vinyl record album

A great late date from Ben Webster – one that has the tenorist working with a Dutch rhythm section that features Cees Slinger on piano, Jacques Schols on bass, and John Engels on drums – stretching out nicely on long tracks that include "Work Song", "The Preacher", "Straight No Chaser", and "John Brown's Body". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds from the Wilde Flowers – a group who were an undeniable precursor to Soft Machine and Caravan, and who also were one of the first to explore some of the farther reaches that would soon explode in the worlds of British prog and psych! The group never issued a full album at the time, which makes this collection of rare recordings completely essential – as it features early work from Robert Wyatt on drums and vocals, Hugh Hopper on bass, Pye Hastings on guitar, Richard Sinclair on vocals, Mike Ratledge on flute, and David Sinclair on keyboards. The lineup shifts from track to track – really showing the woodshedding experiments of the musicians – and a young Kevin Ayers even makes a few appearances on vocals too. Titles include "Impotence", "Those Words They Say", "He's Bad For You", "Never Leave Me", "Time After Time", "No Game When You Lose", "The Big Show", "She Loves To Hurt", "Memories", "Slow Walkin Talk", "Parchman Farm", and "She's Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever full length album from Big Joe Williams, despite a much longer legacy as a blues singer in the south – captured in a few different intimate settings in St Louis by the then-fledgling Delmark Records! The approach is very lean, of the sort that made the record a key statement in the folk blues revival at the end of the 50s – with Joe playing this really unique nine string guitar from two different instruments put together, and singing with this really compelling trill in his voice that marks the singer as very distinct from so many others in his generation. JD Short adds harmonica and a bit of guitar – and titles include "Mellow Peaches", "No More Whiskey", "Tailor Made Babe", "Omaha Blues", "Juanita", "Tailor Made Babe", and the interesting "Big Joe Talking" – which has Williams speaking a bit on his life! CD

The first-ever full length album from Big Joe Williams, despite a much longer legacy as a blues singer in the south – captured in a few different intimate settings in St Louis by the then-fledgling Delmark Records! The approach is very lean, of the sort that made the record a key statement in the folk blues revival at the end of the 50s – with Joe playing this really unique nine string guitar from two different instruments put together, and singing with this really compelling trill in his voice that marks the singer as very distinct from so many others in his generation. JD Short adds harmonica and a bit of guitar – and titles include "Mellow Peaches", "No More Whiskey", "Tailor Made Babe", "Omaha Blues", "Juanita", "Tailor Made Babe", and the interesting "Big Joe Talking" – which has Williams speaking a bit on his life! LP, Vinyl record album

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The complete early recordings of Al Wilson – a set that features one full album, plus 11 more bonus tracks! At the core of the set is Searching For The Dolphins – a wonderful early album from soul singer Al – a well-crafted mix of modes that really stands out in late 60s pop – and which showed that Wilson was quite different than most of his contemporaries! The album's got some very hip production by Johnny Rivers – who was really stretching out his own sound at the time – and arrangements are by Gene Page and Marty Paich, who create a sublime blend of jazz, soul, and strings – plus a slight undercurrent of more righteous modes from the late 60s post-folk underground! In addition to straighter soul, Wilson sings a mix of hip contemporary compositions by Fred Neil, Jimmy Webb, and others – showing a depth of sound that's really wonderful. Instrumentation's by a small combo that includes Hal Blain on drums, Larry Knechtel on keyboards, and some especially great flute from Jim Horn – whose sound here really brings some dark moments to the record. Titles include a classic version of Oscar Brown Jr's "The Snake" – which has gone onto become something of a dancefloor stormer over the years – plus the cuts "Shake Me Wake Me", "I Stand Accused", "Who Could Be Lovin You", "Brother Where Are You", "Summer Rain", "Do What You Gotta Do", and a groovy cover of Fred Neil's "The Dolphins". Added to the core album are 11 more bonus tracks – most of which have an even more soul-based sound overall – some of which were issued on the Bell and Carousel labels. Titles include "When You Love", "Now I Know What Love Is", "Mississippi Woman", "Sugar Cane Girl", "You Do The Right Things", "Bachelor Man", and "Falling In Love With You". CD

In Bizarroland, low fi pioneer and semi-unhinged cult icon Gary Wilson will put a record out on Stones Throw, and said comeback album will be reviewed in hip hop and DJ-centered publications and receive favorable notices. By Bizarroland, we mean the real world in 2004. The detached, minimalist low fi electro soul frappe of his You Think You Really Know Me, recorded way back in the late 70s, is taken to the next obvious step here, with the childlike melancholy just a little bit more blue. The vocal distortion has the appropriately disquieting effect, as it did back in the day. Tracks include "A Very Small Town", "Linda Wants To Be Alone", "Shauna Made Me Cry", "Gary's In The Park", "Sodus Point", "Gary Saw Linda Last Night", "Electric Depression", "She Makes Me Think Of Endicott", "Hold Back The Daylight" and more – plus the bonus tracks "6.4=Makeout" and "Chromium Bitch" – recorded in 1976! CD

A wonderful little album from Jackie Wilson – one that helped him redefine his sound and save his career! Jackie's earlier work for Brunswick was a mish-mash of styles that ranged from raw R&B to smooth supper-club jazz to silly novelty numbers, all of which had gotten pretty stale by the mid 60s. Elsewhere at Brunswick, though, things were really popping during the time – as Carl Davis was turning the label's Chicago offices into a hotbed of soul, forged in the newer hipper styles of the Chisoul scene. Davis got Wilson into the Chicago scene for this album – had him working with arranger Sonny Sanders and director Gerald Sims – to create a wonderful batch of strident soul tunes that perfectly embody the loping Chisoul groove that was Davis' real legacy in soul music during the 60s. The prime example of this is the title cut "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher" – which became a runaway hit that put Wilson back on the map I the soul business. The rest of the album's just as great, though, and includes loads of solid numbers like "Soulville", "I've Lost You", "Those Heartaches", and "I'm The One To Do It". CD

The long-overdue issue of a classic Nancy Wilson album recorded live at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas – one that captures her at the height of her youthful powers! The style here is a great illustration of the genius of Nancy Wilson at the time – an approach that was classy and careful, yet also relaxed and soulful – with a quality that not only reached out to a variety of audiences at once, but which also helped to further transform the role of the female singer in jazz through its success. Backings are swinging and jazzy – tightly arranged, but with a style that's different and more jazz-based than most of Nancy's studio arrangements of the 60s – and titles include "Small World Isn't It", "The Man That Got Away", "If We Only Have Love", "Gypsies The Jugglers & The Clowns", "We Would Have Been Fine", and "KC Medley". CD

A wonderfully groovy album from Nancy Wilson – filled with hip jazzy touches and lots of bouncy soul – in that sweet blend that was a perfect fit for the style of late 60s Capitol Records! Nancy really steps out from some of her more staid modes here – swinging a groove with some bad-rapping late 60s styles, yet still also reminding us that she's a sophisticated lady on some of the record's more adult tracks too. Arrangements are by the trio of Jimmy Jones, Phil Wright, and Joe Parnello – each of whom bring a different feel to the record, and help create a strong sense of variety amongst tracks that include "Son Of A Preacher Man", "Make The World Go Away", "I Made You This Way", "Husbands & Wives", "Mr Walker It's Over", "Almost Persuaded", and "Got It Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Melodic psychedelia from 70s Iran – an incredible full scale anthology of recordings by guitarist and vocalist Kourosh Yaghmaei from the pre-revolution years – and an absolute treasure! Kouroush often recorded with his brothers – Kourosh singing lead and playing guitars or bass – with Kamran Yaghmaei on guitars and backing vocals and Kambiz Yaghmaei on keys and backing vocals. Other players contribute drums, bass and occasional additional elements – harmonica or horns on few tracks. The sound is a really wonderful amalgam of western garage, psych and strains of funk with native Iranian modes and tempos. The songs here sink in on an emotional level without us knowing a word of the language – the passionate vocals work wonderfully in that regard – but musically, it's innovative stuff that's nicely tripped out and heavily rhythmic, without compromising the melodic sensibility. The heavy duty 3LP set features 21 tracks in all – in a sweet 6 panel gatefold with a 24 page booklet – featuring extensive notes and photos, with Kourosh's story told in autobiographical detail. Like other recent Now Again packages, it's really beautifully done! Titles include "Gol E Yakh", "Dar Enteha", "Paiz", "Leila", "Del Dareh Pir Misheh", "Shirin Joon", "Ghazal", "Mosafere Shahre Baran", "Saghe", "Niyayesh", "Saraabe Toe", "Baroona", "Khaar", Bachehaye Khoobe Koocheh" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album by Hozan Yamamoto – a flute player with a great ear for mixing traditional sounds and modern jazz! The set's a suite of sorts – performed by a cool quartet with Yamamoto on bamboo flute, plus Masabumi Kikuchi on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Hiroshi Murakami on drums – all with a rich sense of poetry and feeling, that newly expressive sound that Japanese jazz hit as the 70s approached! Yamamoto's flute work alone is worth the price of admission – but alongside Kikuchi's well-timed (and toned) piano lines, and Peacock's roundly sensitive bass, the instrument is even more brilliant – heard on tracks that include "Silver World", "Stone Garden Of Ryoan Temple", "A Heavy Shower", and "Sawanose". CD

A standout solo moment for Yazz – the singer who first rose to fame as part of the Coldcut soundsystem, then really broke big at a point when UK soul was cracking the American mainstream! Yazz may have a bleached-out look on the cover, but her sound is deeply soulful – and fits in perfectly with the house-styled grooves on the record – backings that have an unabashed love of disco, at a time when listening audiences were maybe forgiving that music for all of its previous excesses, and strongly embracing its best qualities again – in a groove that's maybe a bit similar to Lisa Stansfield at the time, although with more beats and less strings. Production and backings are by Coldcut, FON, Youth, and other hip talents – and titles include her great remake of "The Only Way Is Up" – plus "Systematic People", "Wanted On The Floor", "Stand Up For Your Love Rights", "Fine Time", "Where Has All The Love Gone", "Got To Share", and "Turn It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of albums from this Guyana group – both recorded overseas, and with a really unique sort of vibe! Young Ones Of Guyana On Tour was recorded in 1970, while the group was in London – at the legendary Landsdowne Studios, home to some really groundbreaking jazz at the time – a location that must have left some sort of imprint on the combo, as they work here in a mix of different styles that includes soul, Latin, and even Jamaican modes – often using strong lead guitar upfront, usually peppered with very cool Farfisa organ lines too. Many of the cuts are instrumentals, and some are vocals – and the mix reminds us a lot of the sorts of variety you'd get on a late 60s rocksteady album. Titles include "Liquidator", "Monkey Man", "Express Way", "Love Can Make You Happy", "No More Heartaches", and "Meditation". Reunion was recorded in Toronto in 1973 – after the group took a hiatus from recording for a bit, to reemerge here with a style that's definitely matured for the time! The organ has shifted from Farfisa to Hammond, but still used in these nice lean lines – and the vocals are more prominent, and maybe more soulful too – especially when the group take on some American soul tracks from the time. Titles include "Guitar Man", "Hooked On Me", "Poppa Joe", "Oh Girl", "If Loving You Is Wrong", "Suriname", "Ain't No Sunshine", and "Lean On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that should be an insane dark mess, given the look of the cover – but which turns out to be a surprisingly well put-together effort all the way through! Zappa does a great job of hiding behind his hair here – never acting with the pomp that a pop genius like him could easily have enacted – and instead passing off the record as if it's just another freakout – despite the fact that the arrangements are some of his tightest, most focused, and downright groovy so far! There's plenty of key musical help to make the whole thing come out right – including bass from Shuggie Otis, the inimitable voice Captain Beefheart, on the cassic "Willie The Pimp", violin from Jean-Luc Ponty, drums from Paul Humphrey, and bass from Max Bennett – all players who really live up to the musical complexity of Zappa's compositions – often with a pre-fusion vibe that's almost unexpected. Other titles include "Son Of Mr Green Grass", "The Gumbo Variations", "It Must Be A Camel", "Peaches In Regalia", and "Little Umbrellas". CD

One of those records that should be an insane dark mess, given the look of the cover – but which turns out to be a surprisingly well put-together effort all the way through! Zappa does a great job of hiding behind his hair here – never acting with the pomp that a pop genius like him could easily have enacted – and instead passing off the record as if it's just another freakout – despite the fact that the arrangements are some of his tightest, most focused, and downright groovy so far! There's plenty of key musical help to make the whole thing come out right – including bass from Shuggie Otis, the inimitable voice Captain Beefheart, on the cassic "Willie The Pimp", violin from Jean-Luc Ponty, drums from Paul Humphrey, and bass from Max Bennett – all players who really live up to the musical complexity of Zappa's compositions – often with a pre-fusion vibe that's almost unexpected. Other titles include "Son Of Mr Green Grass", "The Gumbo Variations", "It Must Be A Camel", "Peaches In Regalia", and "Little Umbrellas". LP, Vinyl record album

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Maybe one of the coolest volumes ever in this long-running series from John Zorn – but maybe that's also because the album's dedicated to the great Terry Riley, and features Zorn improvising on organ, on two long tracks that definitely echo the minimalist legacy in Riley's music! The organ is a pipe organ, which has a much fuller sound and larger presence than some of the electric keyboards that Riley used in the past – and while Zorn echoes that sense of song progression that you'll know from the composer/performer's famous recordings, he also lets loose with his own sonic tendencies too – and explores some of the farther reaches of the pipes with very heavy sounds! The album features two long tracks – "A New Door Opens" and "Elissa's Tears" – both improvised. CD

A truly incredible collection – even more wonderful than we might have guessed from the title and cover – and both of those are already pretty darn appealing! This package might well be the most comprehensive we've ever seen on the early days of punk in England – a package that goes way past the big names, way past the classic cuts, and really digs deep into the huge explosion of indie labels that fueled the scene – creating a legacy of rare singles and amazing sounds that the British scene hadn't seen in years! If you dig the Sex Pistols or Clash, there's dozens of other tunes here to love – some by artists you'll know from later fame, represented here on very early tracks – and lots more from acts who maybe only gave the world a handful of brilliant singles. The presentation is as stunning as the music – 111 tracks on 4CDs, inside a heavy 64 page book-style jacket – with page after page of notes on each song and band, and lots of images as well. Consider this whole thing an overdue primer on all the punk you missed – even if you lived back in the day – and lose yourself in the huge array of tracks by groups who include The Radiators From Space, Puncture, Some Chicken, The Panik, The Only Ones, Suspects, Tueway Army, The Boys, Acme Sewage Co, Raped, Bazoomis, Menace GLC, Sids, Rudi, Art Attack, Angelic Upstarts, Mean Street, Poison Girls, Chelsea, Demon Preacher, Leyton Brothers, The Dole, Riff Raff, The Tights, Social Security, Nicky & The Dots, No Way, The Wall, Hollywood Brats, Disco Zombies, Spizzoil, Horrorcomic, The Cravats, and lots lots more! CD

Excellent! You're probably familiar with the Aquarius Dub set, an early, early dub LP, featuring some great rockers from Herman Chin Loy and Augustus Pablo – this groovy set from Pressure Sounds collects many of the vocal, dee jay and instrumental tracks that those rhythms laid the base for! 2 dozen bouncing numbers from the Scorpio and Aquarius imprints, with Chin Loy's rippling offbeat approach to production and top flight chats, scats and voicing from some of Kingston's finest, including Augustus Pablo & Herman "Aquarius Rock" and "Iggy Iggy", 2 versions of Alton Ellis' "Alton's Official Daughter", The Aquarians "Funky Aquarius", Sounds Unlimited "Roadrunner" and "Middle East Skank", Archie McKay "Pick Up The Pieces", Leroy Parker "Groove With It", Beres Hammond "No More War" plus its version by Herman, Dennis Alcapone "Return Of Sabata", James Eastwood "Darkest Night", Charlie Boy "Funky Strip", The Teacher "Soul Vibration", Dennis Brown "Song My Mother Used To Sing", Herman "Aquarius Dub", "River Nile Version", "Sabata" and "I Man" and Augustus Pablo "The Red Sea", "Snowball & Pudding", "Song Of The East" and "East Of The River Nile". LP, Vinyl record album

A much-needed look at the production genius of Martin Rushent – a UK studio genius who started out in punk, then really helped the scene find new sounds and styles as the 80s moved in! Rushent is sometimes confused with the other great Martin of the period – producer Martin Hannett – and although his style is a bit different, there is a similarity – as Rushent, like Hannett, is a bit of an outsider, and really takes a fresh approach to recording the news music of the moment – never trying to drape it in older styles from previous eras, which really allows some of the crispness of the younger acts to really shine through! As the 80s move in, Rushent also shows a great ear for some of the right electronic touches, yet never in a way that was overly commercial – a balance that really comes out strongly on the second half of the set. As with other entries in this great producer series from Ace, the notes are fantastic – really digging deep into each track, with a 19 title set list that includes "Autonomy" by The Buzzcocks, "Hard Times" by Human League, "Homicide" by 999, "Hold On" by Ian Gomm, "Kiss Me Deadly" by Generation X, "Get A Grip On Yourself" by The Stranglers, "Tonight" by Rachel Sweet, "Guitar Beat" by The Raybeats, "I Could Be Happy (Martin Rushent rmx)" by Altered Images, "A Way You'll Never Be (12" version)" by Leisure Process, "Working Girl" by The Members, "Beneath The Blue Sky" by The Go Gos, "Breakfast" by The Associates, "Steamhammer Sam" by Intaferon, "Je Suis Passee (7" version)" by Hard Corps, "The Big Sweep (club mix)" by Then Jericho, and "Are You Receiving Me" by XTC. CD

A way way deeper set than the first volume of Bay Area Funk – and a collection that shows that things got pretty heavy on the San Francisco and Oakland scenes of the 70s! A good number of the tracks here are instrumental, and show some wonderful interplay between the trippier sides of funky jazz and the harder sides of soul going on in the Bay Area back in the day – killer music from the fringes that often got lost in the shuffle of all the better-known music coming out on the bigger labels! The work here is all from very tiny labels – expertly selected and all officially cleared by the Luv N Haight team with keen respect for the artists involved – and in a way, the package has set a new high standard for the label! A tremendous discovery, and filled with tracks we'd never heard before – titles that include "Stop Look Listen" by Primevil, "Poor Sad Child (part 1)" by The Windjammers, "Born To Live With Heartache" by Mary Love, "Move In The Room" by Dawn & Sunset, "Ebony" by Project Soul, "Acid Lady" by San Francisco TKOs, "Hip Breakin" by Little Denise Stevenson, "Devil's On The Run" by Uptights Band, "Brute Strength" by Mile Selesia, and "Lenient With My Love" by The Relatives. CD

Tracks include "Rock Dis Funky Joint" by Poor Righteous Teachers, "Music Man" by Master Ace, "Bonita Applebum" by A Tribe Called Quest, "It's Funky Enough" by the DOC, "Erase Racism" by Kool G Rap & DJ Solo, and 10 more early 90s classics! CD

The soulful sound of Trojan Records, mixed superbly here by Japanese DJ Holiday – who comes across with a killer blend of cuts from the rocksteady and early reggae years! A number of tracks here are Jamaican remakes of American soul tunes, and they're mixed with originals that really echo the spirit of mellow grooves that were especially strong in the early part of the 70s – served up here on a set of 20 tracks that are all pulled from the farther reaches of the Trojan catalog, including a fair bit of under-discovered nuggets! Titles include "Let's Get It On" by Lloyd Charmers, "Lean On Me" by BB Seaton, "Tears On My Pillow" by Derrick Morgan, "It's You I Love" by Merlene Webster, "Somebody's Baby" by Pat Kelly, "Pain In My Heart" by Derrick & Naomi, "Target" by The Gaytones, "Love Letters" by Phyllis Dillon & Alton Ellis, "Sitting In The Park" by Slim Smith, "Keep It Like It Is" by Louisa Marks, "Emergency Call" by Judy Mowatt, and "Our Day Will Come" by The Heptones. CD

A really cool idea for a collection – a set that brings together vintage 70s tracks and more contemporary cuts – all with a globe-spanning ear for a groove, and an approach that's as heavy in soul as you'd expect from the title! This isn't your usual collection of sample tracks or funk classics – as the selection moves way past the obvious, and does a brilliant job of combining tracks we never would have thought to put together – while also introducing us to a number we'd never heard before too! Titles include "Every Time I See Him" by Metropolis, "Eva" by Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti, "O Galho Da Roseira" by Airto, "Apocalypse Now Ho" by Nar'Chiveol, "Wache" by Francisco, "After All" by Soylent Green, "Space Queen" by King Errison, "Robot Man" by Yusef Lateef, "Stay This Way (lunar dub)" by Brand New Heavies, "Le Train" by Chene Noir, "Southern Freez" by On, "The PL (ext edit)" by Typesun, and "Le Cyclope" by Daniel Humair, Francois Jeanneau, and Henri Texier. LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from a label that was way out in the Cleveland scene of the 60s – but which bristles with some of the best energy of Detroit and Chicago at the time! The tiny imprint never cracked the big time, but not for lack of quality – as the cuts here have a sharp blend of deep soul vocals and tight arrangements – of the sort that we've always loved in the best smaller Chicago indies of the late 60s – particularly the kind of labels that were operating in the shadows of Chess and Brunswick. A core group of artists recorded most of this music – and make for a very unified feel throughout – especially given that even some of the numbers with solo singers still really maintain a group soul sort of vibe. And the overall quality of the package takes us back to the earliest days of projects like this from the Numero Group – right down to the very detailed story of the label's unique place in 60s soul music. Titles include "There's No You" by The Occasions, "Demanding Man" and "Two Can Make It" by The Sensations, "She Didn't Know" by Sammy Jones, "Ain't That A Heartache" and "Baby Don't Go" by Norman Scott, "You're Not Loving A Beginner" by Jesse Fisher, "How long Will It Last" by The Soul Notes, "Why" by The Springers, and "Party At Lester's" by Lou Ragland & His Bandmasters. 2CD set – with 40 tracks and a great booklet! CD

With selections by The Rolling Stones, Them, Tom Jones, The Zombies, Kathy Kirby, Mike Leander Orchestra, Unit 4 + 2, Bern Elliott, The Bachelors, Lulu & The Luvers, Johnny Howard Band, Billy Fury, The Applejacks, and Dave Berry. LP, Vinyl record album

An ear-opening collection of work from the Peruvian scene of the late 60s – kind of a secret hotbed of Latin grooves, at least to our American ears – and one that was overflowing with some of the best elements of the small combo scene at the time! These guys clearly take a lot of inspiration from the groundbreaking material of the Joe Cuba Sextet, but they also move the music in lots of other directions too – sometimes with a bit of cumbia in the rhythms, other times more of a descarga mode, and almost always with a lot of jazz instrumentation over the top. There's plenty of the soulful elements you'd expect from the boogaloo reference in the title, but there's also lots more too – served up in a set of 28 gems from the Mag label, with titles that include "Kintos Instrumental" by Los Kintos, "Saludo Maracaibo" by Pedro Miguel Y Sus Maracaibos, "Cumbayea" by Mario Allison Y Su Combo, "La Guarachera" by Nico Estrada Y Su Sonora, "Malambo" by Los Diablos Rojos, "La Charanga Del Espacio" by Carlos Pickling Y Orquesta, and "Busco Una Chiquita" by Coco Lagos Y Sus Orates. CD

A heavenly set of funky tracks from the indie scene of the 70s – titles that were all recorded as singles for the gospel market, but which have a fair bit of funk in the rhythms! These tunes all have massive appeal well beyond their spiritual message – heavy drums, amazing basslines, and nicely gritty instrumentation that sets these cuts up right next to funky 45 treasures from the mid 70s – but which also gives them a slightly different feel, too – thanks to some uplifting messages in the lyrics, which also means that the vocal styles are nicely changed up from more standard funk-based lyrics! The blend is wonderful, and completely captivating – and we'd not heard most of these cuts before digging into the collection – which goes every bit as deep as the Good God gospel/funk collections on Numero. Titles include "If You See Me Doing Wrong" by Wearyland Singers, "I Don't Want To Be Alone" by Allen Gauff Jr, "Troubles Of The World" by The Christian Harmonizers, "Save A Seat For Me" by Vocal Aires, "Blackman Keep On Doing Your Thing" by The Original Christian Harmonizers, "Days Are Just Like People" by Zella Jackson, "I've Got Power In My Mind" by Preacherman Isidore Womack, and "Who's Your Boss" by Pearl Farano & The High Lites Of Joy. CD

Music from Andy Summers, Ralph Towner, Vernon Reid, Laurence Juber, David Cullen, Pierre Bensusan, Alex de Grassi, Bill Frisell, Henry Kaiser, Gary Lucas, Michael Manring, Tony McManus, Arlen Roth, David Russell and more. CD

A heady helping of rare singles from the farther reaches of the indie scene in early reggae – labels that include Duke, Grape, Splash, High Note, Explosion, and JJ – all tiny companies that are now part of the larger Trojan Records empire! The work here is nicely varied – as many styles as promised in the title, but with maybe the soulful edge of rocksteady at the core – a strong focus on the kind of late 60s singles that had more than enough depth to cross the Atlantic and get plenty of play on the London scene too! Titles include "Old Time (dub)" by GG All-stars, "Black Power" by Dave Barker, "Wondering" by The Hippy Boys, "Let My People Go" by The Rulers & The Carib Beats, "It's Too Late" by Chosen Few, "Going In Circles" by Charmers All Stars, "Love Brother" by Herman, "Rim Bim Bam" by The Ethiopians, "Fire Fire (take 3)" by Tony & His Group, "Night Of Love" by Ansel Collins, "Pony Ride" by Winston Groovy & Pat Rhoden, "Dee's Special" by Lynn Taitt & The Jets, and "Going In Circles" by Charmers All Stars. LP, Vinyl record album

Not really the house of ages – given that most of these cuts are so rare, they're only making their first appearance here – but a great little collection that reminds us that there's still so much to discover in the funky underground of the last few years of the 20th Century! Jeremy Newell really knocks it out of the park with this one – and comes up with a deep, soulful collection of house tracks from the farthest reaches of the scene – either work that only appeared on very obscure singles, or didn't even make it past tape back in the day – leaping forth here with a wickedly groovy sound that's more than worth the wait. Titles include "Take Me Higher" by Jimi Polo, "I Promise (more beats for passion mix)" by Mark Rogers, "Keep On Pressing (KOT orig mix)" by Sean Grant, "More I Get" by Teleport feat Russell Patterson, "Yo Razor" by Arts & Craft with Razor Cain, "Don't Run Away" by Soul Dhamma, "When I See You (tight voc)" by Frank Youngwerth with Ernie, "Freak It (Tony Humprhies inst mix)" by Johanna, "Mainline (Roger S Ego trip mix)" by Tribal House, "We Can Make It (unreleased dub)" by UBQ Project, and "Deeper (Benji Candelario's deeper than deep unreleased mix)" by Susan Clark. CD

Fuzzy guitars, analog electronics, moody production, and slightly sinister vocals – all elements you'll find in abundance here, in this well done look at UK work from a generation when the US scene was dipping into modes that were later dubbed "post-rock" – and helped to define the style of a generation! The British take on this territory is nicely different from American work of the time – and there's maybe a larger, wider palette of approaches going on – elements borrowed from other styles and generations, but woven into these wonderful waves of sound that made for a great farewell to the 20th century! The collection is in a slightly newer range than we're used to hearing from Ace Records, but they do an equally great job with the material – as the choice of cuts is superb, and the detailed notes provide plenty of direction throughout the musical journey. Titles include "City Poison" by Moonshake, "Second Language" by Disco Inferno, "Darling Effect" by Insides, "Starry Night" by Laika, "Every Day Shines (D mix)" by Earwig, "Play Away" by Electric Sound Of Joy, "Through You" by Seefeel, "Loose Threads" by Pram, "In The Light Of Time" by Flying Saucer Attack, "The Weight" by Hood, "A Street Scene" by Bark Psychosis, "Naturally Occurring Anchors" by Spoonfed Hybrid, In The Event Of Just Looking" by Appliance, "Sun Drawing" by Movietone, and "A Cherry Wave From Stranded Youngsters" by Mogwai. CD

Fuzzy guitars, analog electronics, moody production, and slightly sinister vocals – all elements you'll find in abundance here, in this well done look at UK work from a generation when the US scene was dipping into modes that were later dubbed "post-rock" – and helped to define the style of a generation! The British take on this territory is nicely different from American work of the time – and there's maybe a larger, wider palette of approaches going on – elements borrowed from other styles and generations, but woven into these wonderful waves of sound that made for a great farewell to the 20th century! The collection is in a slightly newer range than we're used to hearing from Ace Records, but they do an equally great job with the material – as the choice of cuts is superb, and the detailed notes provide plenty of direction throughout the musical journey. Titles include "City Poison" by Moonshake, "Second Language" by Disco Inferno, "Darling Effect" by Insides, "Starry Night" by Laika, "Every Day Shines (D mix)" by Earwig, "Play Away" by Electric Sound Of Joy, "Through You" by Seefeel, "Loose Threads" by Pram, "In The Light Of Time" by Flying Saucer Attack, "The Weight" by Hood, "A Street Scene" by Bark Psychosis, "Naturally Occurring Anchors" by Spoonfed Hybrid, In The Event Of Just Looking" by Appliance, "Sun Drawing" by Movietone, and "A Cherry Wave From Stranded Youngsters" by Mogwai. LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

32 nuggets from the farther reaches of the British scene in the early years of punk rock – music that goes past some of the bigger names of the time, and which presents an especially English take on the raw sounds that were shaking things up on both sides of the Atlantic as an antidote to the disco and AOR generations! The Cherry Red label was born during these times, and always had a great ear for some of the more unusual, offbeat work – including cuts by artists who were important, but who quickly disappeared from the scene – presented here in both classic 45rpm singles, and some even much more obscure and rare tracks too! The whole thing's got a short, sharp punch throughout – and titles include "Mucky Pup" by Puncture, "Hungry" by The Zeros, "Outside View" by Eater, "Peudo Punk" by O Level, "Chelsea 77" by Maniacs, "Speed Freak" by V2, "Safety Pin Stuck In My Heart" by Patrik Fitzgerald, "Teenage Treats" by The Wasps, "I Don't Want My Heart To Rule My Head" by Social Security, "Murder Of Liddle Towers" by Angelic Upstarts, "Just Another Teenage Rebel" by The Outcasts, "ACAB" by The Rowdies, "19 & Mad" by Leyton Buzzards, "King Of Kings" by The Pack, "Where's Captain Kirk" by Spizzenergi, "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by Pure Hell, and "Jilly" by The Pranhas. LP, Vinyl record album

A huge dip into the massive Latin catalog of Fania Records – served up here with selections from four different DJs on four of the CDs – followed by a set of remixes on the fifth CD! The cuts are straight on the first four – and the package features 70 classics from the boogaloo era forward – work from Lenni Sesar, Fania All Stars, Seguida, Willie Rosario, Charlie Palmieri, Roberto Roena, Tito Puente, Louie Ramirez, Orchestra Harlow, The Latinaires, Ray Barretto, Lebron Brothers, Dave Cortez, George Guzman, New Swing Sextet, Eddie Palmieri, and dozens of others! Then, CD5 features 13 more tracks in contemporary remixes by Nicola Conte, Quantic, Joe Claussel, 4Hero, and others – work by Pete Rodriguez, Hector Lavoe, Noro Morales, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, Ralfi Pagan, and others. CD

Soundtrack to the TV series by Carl Sagan, with selections by Vangelis, Toru Takemitsu, Tomita, and Synergy, and classical pieces by Pachelbel, Vivaldi, Bach, Shostakovich, Hovhaness, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Stravinsky. CD

Soundtrack to the TV series by Carl Sagan, with selections by Vangelis, Toru Takemitsu, Tomita, and Synergy, and classical pieces by Pachelbel, Vivaldi, Bach, Shostakovich, Hovhaness, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Stravinsky. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic set – totally fresh, and way different than the usual Northern Soul compilation! The set features many tracks recorded in the UK – which makes for a sound that's different than some of the American-heavy grooves that you'll hear on other sets, and which adds in a compelling dose of British 60s pop. Don't worry about a lack in "soul", though – because that side of the set's just as strong as you could hope for – it's just expanded further with some compelling new takes on arrangements and instrumentation. Titles include "Listen To My Heart" by The Bats, "Giving Up On Love" by Sonny Childe, "Billy Sunshine" by Billie Davis, "So Called Loving" by David Essex, "Nothing But A Heartache" by The Flirtations, "Name It You Got It" by Micky Moonshine, "Don't Change It" by Fearns Brass Foundry, "Our Love Is In The Pocket" by Amen Corner, "Heart Trouble" by Eyes Of Blue, and "Something Beautiful" by Adrienne Posta. 25 tracks in all! CD

The fingersnap here is the key – as all the cuts here have a nicely romping kind of groove – a sweet sense of rhythm that's bound to get your toes tapping as much as your fingers are snapping – thanks to a nice sense of space between the notes! The music is from a variety of different genres – late 50s/early 60s country, pop, jazz, and R&B – all brought together here with the usual great Bear Family sense of an inventive tracklist, and definite panache for putting together a collection! The set features 31 tracks in all – and titles include "Tremblin" by Byrdie Green, "Love Charms" by Sanford Clark, "Lookout Mountain" by Chuck Miller, "Walk With Me Lord" by Ruth Brown, "King Of The Road" by Roger Miller, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "Coal Miner" by Nappy Brown, "Fever" by Peggy Lee, "Tale Of Woe" by Wynonie Harris, "Hawk" by Bill Haley & The Comets, "Jack That Cat Was Clean" by Dr Horse, "Chills & Fever" by Ronnie Love, "Sixteen Tons" by Jimmy Dean, "Tiny Tim" by LaVern Baker, "Satan Is Her Name' by Steve King & The Echelons, and "Heartbeat" by The Collins Kids. CD

A classic compilation gets upgraded in a mighty nice way – as a huge tribute to the many years of soul and funk we've gotten from the Ace/Kent label in London! Back at the start of the 80s, the company was one of the first to properly repress rare American soul, and do it the right way – not only with top-shelf sound quality, but also a strong sense of history that has had us learning as much about 60s and 70s soul from their compilations as we've found ourselves loving the music! The original On The Soul Side album was one of the first Kent titles from the early years – but here, it's expanded to a whopping 26 titles, with great sound and detailed notes – all to present over two dozen tracks that really show the farther reaches of 60s soul beyond Motown and the big chart hits. Titles include "Boy Watcher" by Ginger Thompson, "Baby I Love You" by Jimmy Holiday, "Dr Love" by Bobby Sheen, "Love & Desire" by Patrice Holloway, "A Lot Of Love" by Homer Banks, "It's What's Underneath That Counts" by June Jackson, "Point Of No Return" by Gene McDaniels, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, "It Was Easier To Hurt Her" by Garnet Mimms, "The Record" by HB Barnum, "Love Is A Hurtin Thing" by Lou Rawls, "Nothing Left To Do But Cry" by Merry Clayton, "The Man Who Don't Believe In Love" by Marv Johnson, "What You Gonna Do" by Bobby Womack, "Nobody Treats You The Way I Do" by The Magnificent Men, "Gonna Fix You Good" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, "It Will Stand" by The Showmen, "What's A Matter Baby" by Timi Yuro, "Ready Willing & Able" by Jimmy Holiday & Clydie King, and "Trick Bag" by Earl King. CD

Horace Silver in many flavors – a great range of jazz recordings from the Prestige/Fantasy catalog – all based around classic compositions by Silver! Horace was a Blue Note man, and never recorded for other labels back in the 60s – but his music had a huge reach for generations to come, as you'll hear on this great mix of cuts that includes soul jazz groovers, vocal numbers, and even the odd Brazilian bit too! Titles include "Ecaroh" by Wes Montgomery, "Filthy McNasty" and "The Preacher" by Eddie Jefferson, "Peace" by Tommy Flanagan, "Moon Rays" by Vince Guaraldi & Bola Sete, "Sister Sadie" by Ray Brown, "Song For My Father" by Richard Groove Holmes, "Strollin" by Jack McDuff, "The Preacher" by Shirley Scott, "Nica's Dream" by Blue Mitchell, and "Opus De Funk" by Art Pepper. CD

A really heady collection of cuts – one that starts with jazz, and moves into a whole host of other righteous styles too – all to sum up a 70s mode that's as much about empowerment as it is peace! Think of the cuts here as being in the much farther reaches past the styles initiated by Impulse Records and the Coltrane generation – to a point where the artists here aren't just copying modal and spiritual jazz styles, but infusing them with all sorts of new inflections of their own – at a level that makes the whole collection a really wonderful discovery! As with previous volumes, there's titles here we never would have heard otherwise – and this CD features tracks from both Vols 5 and 6 of the vinyl version – titles that inlcude "Algunas" by Jimmy McGary, "Bless Your Soul" by Lucky Brown & The SGs, "Night In Tunisia" by A La Ala, "Cataracts" by Musica Orbis, "Januschka" by Frederic Rabold, "Little Boogum" by Federico Cervantes, "No Outlet" by Beaver College Modern Jazz Orchestra, "Night Eagle" by Cleveland Jazz All Stars, "Zimbabwe" by Ron Wilson Trio, "Shanti" by Jazz Yatra Sextett, and "One More For The Road" by Dahle Scott CD

The title here is very apt – as there's a reaching sort of vibe to the whole record – uplifting tunes from the farther reaches of the Numero catalog, all brought together in a way that really makes things soar! Genres shift nicely, and maybe the lack of description or cover notes is a good way of just making you trust the label and dive right in – something we've been doing for many years now! Tracks include "The Kiss" by Alex Johnson, "To Live In The Sea" by Masumi Hara, "Touch" by Calvin Keys, "Rain" by Bob Siebert, "Enchanted Pool Suite (prelude & part 1)" by Lenny White, "The Kiss" by Alex Johnson, "Thou Art With Me" by LaRhonda LeGette, "Past Life Regression" by ART Wilson, "Modulation Del Sol" by Ascending Wave, and "Gold Dust Twins" by Reach. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare rockers, early soul, and cool classic country – all the sorts of cuts you'd expect to hear from the mighty Bear Family Records label – but brought together here with school and the classrooms as the theme! A few of the cuts are familiar, but most are nice and obscure – in keeping with the well-chosen tracks we always discover on Bear Family – all presented with very detailed notes and vintage images too! Titles include "School Bus" by The Shades, "High School USA" by Tommy Facenda, "I Wanna Dance With The Teacher" by The Olympics, "Letter To A School Girl" by The Delcados, "The Teacher" by The Falcons, "High School Love" by Ronnie Allen, "School Girl" by The Winstons, "School House Rock" by Billy Harlan, "Talk Of The School" by Sonny James, "School Bus Love Affair" by Wynn Stewart, and "School Girl" by the 5 Royales. 34 tracks in all! CD

A brilliant batch of electronic, cold wave, and post-punk tracks – all drawn from the farther reaches of the Swiss underground of the 80s – a scene that was far more secret than those in the UK, Germany, or other European hotbeds of electronic experimentation! We'd heard only a few of these groups before – and back in the day, we were constantly searching for Euro electronic and new wave records – and the work that Strut have done to put the whole thing together is wonderful, as these rare gems are also illuminated with detailed notes that really shine a light on the darker corners of this sonic scene. Titles include "Anfang" by Mittageisen, "Le Jour L'Ennui" by Aboriginal Voices, "Boat Song" by Lilliput, "Asho II" by Bells Of Kyoto, "Labyrinth" by Jurg Nutz, "Basic Ground Without Voice" by Konx, "Soyledir" by Cafe Turk, "Nightmare" by Unknownmix, "Arbeiter" by Schamanen Circel, and "Glettscher" by El Deux. CD

A brilliant batch of electronic, cold wave, and post-punk tracks – all drawn from the farther reaches of the Swiss underground of the 80s – a scene that was far more secret than those in the UK, Germany, or other European hotbeds of electronic experimentation! We'd heard only a few of these groups before – and back in the day, we were constantly searching for Euro electronic and new wave records – and the work that Strut have done to put the whole thing together is wonderful, as these rare gems are also illuminated with detailed notes that really shine a light on the darker corners of this sonic scene. Titles include "Anfang" by Mittageisen, "Le Jour L'Ennui" by Aboriginal Voices, "Boat Song" by Lilliput, "Asho II" by Bells Of Kyoto, "Labyrinth" by Jurg Nutz, "Basic Ground Without Voice" by Konx, "Soyledir" by Cafe Turk, "Nightmare" by Unknownmix, "Arbeiter" by Schamanen Circel, and "Glettscher" by El Deux. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set, even if it's not what you might expect – not the kind of cuts that heralded the early years of country soul – and instead an even cooler batch of tracks from those years when R&B and hillbilly records often crossed paths on the postwar scene! Many of the small indie labels of the 50s recorded both country and blues, sometimes even having different artists take on the same songs, but in different ways – which meant that there was often a lot of cross-pollination going on in the farther reaches of the music business! The cuts here definitely show that approach – as a good many of them were originally country hits for other singers, but sound great and very different in the hands of R&B artists – and are mixed with a few others that follow similar themes, and really fit into the set in a great way. As always with Bear Family, the whole thing is presented with great notes and details on the music – in a set list of 29 tracks that include "Steel Guitar Rag" by Earl Hooker, "Sixteen Tons" by BB King, "Lovesick Blues" by Sonny Knight, "Big Mamou" by Smiley Lewis, "Ghost Riders In The Sky" by Scatman Crothers, "It'd Surprise You" by The Griffin Brothers with Margie Day, "Indian Love Call" by Hal Singer, "No Help Wanted" by Bob Gaddy & His Alley cats, "Cherokee Boogie" by Moose Jackson, "It Makes No Difference Now" by Piano Red, and "You Can't Stay Here" by Pearl Reaves & The Concords. CD

A huge dip into the history of hip hop – in a set that's something of a groundbreaking effort from the folks at the Smithsonian! If we're honest, we'll tell you that we're old enough to remember a time when folks thought that hip hop was just a fad – when it was a musical style that would disappear in just a few short years. But now, all these many decades later, the form has had such an impact on American culture that the Smithsonian Institute is giving it some official sort of due – something we never would have believed back in the 80s! The package is huge – 9CDs with a whopping 129 tracks in all, and a 300 page book that supports the recordings with an insane amount of notes, photos, and all sorts of other information – alongside a track list that was put together by folks who include Questlove, 9th Wonder, Chuck D, Jeff Chang, and MC Lyte! The set is especially great on old school tracks up through the golden era hip hop years – but also moves into the 21st century too – and artists include Treacherous Three, Afrika Bambaataa, Fearless Four, Cold Crush Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Run DMC, Fatback, Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Funky Four +1, T La Rock, Schoolly D, Beastie Boys, Kool Moe Dee, LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, Mantronix, Stetsasonic, Audio Two, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Marley Marl, Tone Loc, Jungle Brothers, NWA, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, 3rd Bass, De La Soul, Queen Latifa, DOC, 2 Live Crew, Dr Dre, Sir Mix A Lot, Digable Planets, Positive K, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Naughty By Nature, Black Sheep, Tribe Called Quest, Geto Boys, Pharcyde, 2Pac, Warren G, Gang Starr, Notorious BIG, and many many more! CD

A really great entry in the excellent Super Funk series – one that offers up cuts that are every bit as strong on their soulful vocals as they are their funky grooves! The track selection is wonderful – rare cuts from 45s, of the sort that funk diggers have been trading for years – plus some of those extra-special unreleased tracks, which the folks at Ace/BGP always seem able to dig up through their access to the vaults! The notes are filled with rare photos, label scans, and loads of information on the cuts – showing that their selection here wasn't just a random process – and despite the title, most tracks here are 70s numbers from the heavy funk years. Titles include "Dark Skin Woman" by Billy Cee, "Love Highjacker" by George Jackson, "You Bring The Tears" by Sampson & Delilah, "Born To Live With Heartache" by Mary Lvoe, "Sweet Thang" by William Bostic, "Foolish Man (part 2)" by The Huck Daniels Co, "Work It Out" by Marcene Harris, "Jodine" by Earl Harris, "Funky Kingston" by Tribe, "Brother Jack" by The Funky Kids, "Forgotten" by Lamont Johnson, "Daddy Please Stay Home" by Obrey Wilson, and "So Fine" by Chet Ivey & His Fabulous Avengers. CD

A landmark double LP collection of work from Stax Records – issued at the end of the 60s, after their split with Atlantic – and a real celebration of the new life that was coming to the label at the time! The range of work is really great, and the 28 track set moves easily from hits to more obscure numbers – in a mode that really shows the growing sound of Stax as the 70s approached. Classic! Titles include "Hot Hips" by The Bar-Kays, "Where Do I Go" by Carla Thomas, "I Like Everything About You" by Jimmy Hughes, "It's Me" by Judy Clay, "Booker's Theme" by Booker T & The MGs, "Heartaches Mountain" by Ollie & The Nightingales, "Soul Clap 69" by Booker T & The MGs, "These Old Memories" by The Mad Lads, "Private Number" by William Bell & Judy Clay, "Long Walk To DC" by Staple Singers, and "Copy Kat" by Bar-Kays. 28 tracks in all! LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous entry in this wonderful series – a set that proudly proclaims its contents with the "NOW" on the cover! Back when the Spiritual Jazz series first started on the Jazzman label, the music was mostly relegated to material of the John Coltrane generation and the generation that followed – but in the past decade or so, there's been a huge explosion in new artists that explore the deeper, more righteous currents of jazz – music that's pulled in from the farther reaches of free improvisation, to righteous, message-oriented styles that often mix modal rhythms with more exploratory solo passages. Yet this new generation is hardly slavish to the sounds of Impulse Records – as they've really moved beyond, and have used a globe's worth of influences and new 21st Century concepts to bring fresh spirit to the music – opening things up in ways that have made this new movement one of our greatest sources of inspiration in recent years. This double-length entry is a fantastic overview of the sounds that are currently reshaping the planet – and titles on volume 2 include "Flute Song" by Wildflower, "Slow Sweet Burn" by Abeeku, "Palms To Heaven" by The Cosmic Range, "Nova" by Menagerie, "Avo's Tune" by Teemu Akerblom Quartet, "Paris" by Jonas Kullhammar, "Vessels" by The Jamie Saft Quartet, "What Do I Tell My Children Who Are Black "by Angel Bat Dawid, "Trane's Groove" by Carla Marciano, "For Coltrane" by Steve Reid Foundation, "Empty Streets" by Vibration Black Finger, and "Memory Ritual" by The Pyramids. LP, Vinyl record album

Another round of Studio One butter from the folks at Soul Jazz! By this point you're well informed about the status of Coxsone Dodd's Studio One operation as the cornerstone of so much Jamaican music, and Soul Jazz has approached the catalog from just about every angle, covering nearly all the bases before landing here on this dub set. The sly Island grooves are stripped down to their bare essentials, then given a tasteful bit of dubby gloss at the hands of Sylvan Morris, for a massive collection that'll rule your stereo like Studio One rocked the sound systems back in the day. 17 tracks in all, wrapped in a nice package that includes interviews with Morris and Dodd, and fully annotated as to which numbers the rhythms were originally cut as the backing for. Includes "Bionic Dub", "Sky Rhythm", 'Taurus Dub 2", "Hooligan", "Dub Rock", "Hi Fashion Dub", In Cold Blood Version" and "Feel The Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique take on the familiar territory of the funky soul compilation – a set that seems to dig up music that's a genre all unto itself – with very little ties to the popular modes in the mainstream at the time! It's really hard to describe the appeal of these tunes in just a few words – some are very personal and intimate, all are very soulful – but the range of approaches is very different, and in ways that we might even dare call experimental – even though all the tunes here are straight and tuneful! A number of cuts almost seem to mix sweet soul vocals with more psychedelic inspirations, but that's only the start of the sound here – a really rich world of discovery, with titles that include "Just A Star" by Smiles, "Never Get A Chance" by Nature's Choice, "You Got That Right" by Antwans, "We Need Each Other" by Joe Walker, "Come Inside" by Stride, "Slacking Off" by Massauvians, "Swave Villi Us" by Aka Shaic, "Norfolk Sound" by Ray T Jones, "Changes" by No ID, "Just Loving You" by Small Society, and "For Old Times Sakes" by Spice. LP, Vinyl record album

From the vaults of Liberty and United Artists, with selections by Jay & The Americans, Bertell Dache, Johnny Maestro, The Belmonts, Patty Duke, Mike Clifford, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Bobby Vee & The Johnny Mann Singers, The Fleetwoods, Patience & Prudence, Johnny Burnette & The Johnny Mann Singers, and Jan & Dean. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little package, and way more than just the familiar exotica moments on mainstream compilations – as your guides here are Lux Interior and Poison Ivy of The Cramps – two folks who know more than plenty about the music of the farther reaches of the postwar years! And although their other collections for this label have gone way out to pull in some totally obscure material, the blend here is more measured – so that you'll get great cuts by some of the bigger exotica names, mixed with other numbers that are more unusual – and some that we wouldn't have even thought to include in such a package – all awash in sounds from the islands, tropical percussion, and even a few birdcalls and chants along the way! The 2CD set features a great range of material – and titles include "The Twisters" by Mel Henke, "Hampi" by Yma Sumac, "Mystery Of Love" by Olatunji, "Jardin De La Noche" by Robert Drasnin, "Mood For You" by Phil Moore, "Alegres Conga" by Cal Tlader, Envy" by Bill Russo, "Kele Kele" by Johnny Richards, "African Bossa Nova" by Ahmed Abdul Malik, "Tabu" by Augie Colon, "Pua Carnaeon" by Arthur Lyman, "Adventures In Paradise" by Leo Addeo, "Dance Of The Nustas" by Elisabeth Waldo, "Pagan Love Song" by Alex Stordal, "Balikpapan" by Jimmy Namaro Trio, and "Train To Ranchipur" by Markko Polo Adventurers. CD

A deep deep dive into the farther reaches of the California scene in the late 60s – music that's completely wonderful all the way through, and presented with a level that really blows away some of the less-official collections on the market! If you know the hit sounds of the time, you'll know a bit of what to expect here – but the selection of cuts goes way way deeper, put together by Alec Palao, a guy we'd already trust with anything Cali from the 60s – and who really knocks himself out with this set! If you dig Beach Boys, Mamas & Papas, and the Byrds, you'll find plenty of new sounds here to fall in love with – and as usual with Ace, the whole thing comes with superb notes, and even features a few unreleased tracks – including two rare cuts by Third Wave, who recorded one album for MPS! Titles include "Niki" and "Three Kingfishers Ferris Wheel" by Third Wave, "Go Try & Put Out The Sun" by The Forum, "Soul Sunrise" by JP Rags, "A Thousand Faces" by The Thousand Faces, "Out In The Open" by The Justice League, "Meadows & Flowers" by Curt Boettcher, "Richard & Me" by Evergreen Tangerine, "Someday Sunday" by The Gettysburg Address, "Lazy Bones" by The Tricycle, "Sugar Stone" by The Candy Company, "The Life You Lead" by A Small World, "Summer Flower" by Crystal Set, and "Until Now" by Augie Moreno. CD

Very groovy – 18 tracks of cocktail lounge and bachelor pad grooves – work by Jack Costanzo, Martin Denny, Al Caiola, Julie London, Terry Snyder, Gloria Wood, John LaSalle, and others! CD

An essential collection of work from the Japanese scene of the 70s – as set that really gets at the "something special" that made jazz from this generation so unique! Japanese musicians were early adopters of American modes – and the scene had great bop recordings from the 50s onward – but as the 70s approached, old and young musicians really started experimenting with a whole new range of styles – some mixed older Japanese instrumental modes with contemporary jazz, others tried a poetic approach to modal jazz, some were spiritual, and a few even got downright funky – but in ways that were very different than American jazz funk! This set brings together key examples of all those great styles – in a package that features detailed notes from Yusuke Ogawa, the man who's taught us plenty over the years – with titles that include "Mustache (live)" by Takeshi Inomata & Sound Ltd, "Fourth Expression" by Masahiko Togashi, "Do It" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Romance" by Hiroshi Suzuki, "Tochi Mo Kurumi Mo Fukiotose" by Masahiko Sato, "Breeze" by Soul Media, "Adult's Day" by Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd, "Sakura Sakura" by Tadaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys, "Muraiki" by Minoru Muraoka, "Mago Uta" by Count Buffalo & The Jazz Rock Band, "D51" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, and "Breath Prologue" by Hozan Yamamoto, Masahiko Togashi, and Yosuke Yamashita. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible addition to the rich legacy of Stax Records – a massive collection of 146 tracks, almost all of which appear here for the first time ever – a set that represents recordings done by all the great songwriters who were working for Stax at the time, most of whom were also recording artists on the label! Given that fact, these aren't scratchy recordings performed by hacks who can't sing – as almost all the material features the sort of top-shelf vocalists who made Stax such a deep soul powerhouse in the 60s and 70s – represented here in a style that shows just how much freedom of creative expression the label allowed its best – very different than the way some of the bigger companies would just cram a song down a quickly-booked session in the studio! Plus, these demo tracks are done in a variety of modes – some with very stripped-down instrumentation, some with fuller groups – and together, they offer a key look at the creative process at Stax – one that's very different than the iconic sound of productions in their Memphis studio, and which really shows an even deeper range of expression through the variety of approaches. The 7CD set has a really cool approach – CDs 1, 2, and 3 feature demos by Stax artists singing their own material; CD4 features Stax singer/songwriters working on non-Stax material; and CDs 5, 6, and 7 feature songs by these artists that were never issued at the time! The set includes work by The Staple Singers, William Bell, Carla Thomas, Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, Eddie Floyd, Veda Brown, Frederick Knight, Mack Rice, Delaney Bramlett, Jimmy Hughes, and many others – and the package features 146 tracks in all, with copious notes on the material! CD