Later work by Billy Eckstine – a nice little album from the early 60s, recorded in a dark and somber tone that shows a whole new side to his voice! The album features amazingly restrained arrangements by Billy May – a mix of jazz and strings that has a sadder, deeper style than before – one that certainly fits the "with feeling" claim of the title. Tracks include "Once More With Feeling", "Stormy Weather", "I Love You", "With Every Breath I Take", "Secret Love", and "As Time Goes By". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Like Wow" and "Anything You Wanna Do". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set of tracks that features Art Farmer soloing on flugelhorn over larger arrangements by Oliver Nelson. Farmer's work on the instrument was just taking shape at this point in his career, and the soulful backings of Nelson are a really great match for his lyrical tone, and widening sense of expression. Tracks are longer and more complicated than you'd expect – and the set's got some great numbers, like "Naima", "Rue Prevail", "Rain Check", and "Ruby". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice set that brings together Hawk Flies High plus earlier material from 78s! The core record is a key album in the reintroduction of Coleman Hawkins in the late 50s – recorded in a style that still bears a lot of traces of earlier years, but at a time when Hawk was being claimed as a key influence by a variety of younger modernists! The set's got a sense of freedom that's really surprising – especially on the longer numbers, which unfold with some playful instrumental twists that seem to come especially from trumpeter Idrees Sulieman and trombonist JJ Johnson – both of whom are great on the record. Other players include Hank Jones on piano, Barry Galbraith on guitar, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – and titles include "Juicy Fruit", "Think Deep", "Blue Lights", "Sanctity", and "Chant". Other material is from 40s 78s – very nicely presented! LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of very stripped-down albums from John Lee Hooker – issued together in this 70s set! First up is Country Blues Of John Lee Hooker – featuring the legendary John Lee Hooker, heard here in one of his more obscure recordings from the late 50s – at least in contrast to his famous sides for Vee Jay Records! This set's an unusual date – recorded in Detroit, despite the claim of the title – and featuring Hooker on acoustic guitar and vocals, without any other instrumentation at all – pitched much more towards the growing folk blues scene than some of his more familiar Chicago recordings. Tracks are short, but pack plenty of punch – and titles include "Black Snake", "I Rowed A Little Boat", "Bundle Up & Go", "Behind The Plow", "Water Boy", "Tupelo Blues", and "Pea Vine Special". That's My Story is from 1960, and features great rootsy blues from John Lee Hooker – and an unusual session that has him getting backup help from jazz players Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums! Jones and Hayes only play on a handful of tracks, and most of the focus is on Hooker's damn-great vocals, and acoustic guitar – spun out nicely over a set of tracks that includes "I Need Some Money", a controversial clash with early Motown – plus "One Of These Days", "Gonna Use My Rod", "I Want To Talk About You", "Democrat Man", and "I'm Wanderin". LP, Vinyl record album

Sunshine pop from late 60s Florida – a cool little set from Mercy, a group that features a sweet mixture of guy and gal vocals over some nicely gentle rhythms! Production is by Brad Shapiro and Steve Alaimo, but the Warner release of the album seems to give it a cool sort of sophistication too – almost a darker take on more mainstream pop styles of the time, with a wry undercurrent that's hard to describe, but which sets the album apart nicely. Instrumentation includes organ and 12 string guitar underneath the vocals – and titles include "Love Can Make You Happy", "Forever My Love", "The Morning's Come", "Sounds Of Silence", "Love Is Blue", and "Do I Wanna Live My Life With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Early greatness from Wes Montgomery – and a session that's got a gritty edge that takes Wes back to his Indianapolis roots! The album's one of the few of the time to feature the unsung Hammond hero Mel Rhyne – a player who worked with Wes at his start, but has only gotten stronger acclaim in recent decades as part of his comeback. Rhyne's a key force in the record – working alongside Montgomery's guitar and the drums of Jimmy Cobb – in a loose, open trio that has Mel participating as strongly in the rhythms as he does in the solo side of the album. Titles include a few Montgomery originals – "The Trick Bag" and "Fried Pies" – plus the tunes "Besame Mucho", "Dearly Beloved", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Canadian Sunset", "The Breeze & I", and "For Heaven's Sake". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that marks a very different chapter in the career of Bill Nelson than his initial rise to fame at the head of Be Bop Deluxe – a set that offers up a leaner take on the 70s styles of Nelson's music, and a sound that's decidedly aimed much more at the new wave generation! Bill was always a bit ahead of the pack in terms of production and instrumentation – and he definitely puts that work to use here, by retuning an earlier aesthetic in ways that are definitely at the forefront of UK electronic pop! Vocals are often processed, keyboards and guitars intertwine nicely, and titles include "Don't Touch Me I'm Electric", "Stop Go Stop", "Furniture Music", "Revolt Into Style", "The Atom Age", and "A Better Home In The Phantom Zone". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few Bud Powell sessions cut for RCA, but a brilliantly swinging date that has the pianist working at the height of his powers! There's an edge here that comes through right from the start – an off kilter vibe in both Bud's tone, and even in the way he's vocalizing joyously in the background at a few spots – not singing, but exclaiming – at a level that really helps you feel how much he owns the piano while he's performing! Dark pockets and sharp angles pervade – while still swinging right down the middle – balanced off perfectly with work from Art Taylor on drums and George Duvivier on bass. Tremendous all the way through – and different than Bud's work for Verve and Blue Note – in a really compelling way. Titles include "Another Dozen", "Like Someone In Love", "She", "Oblivion", "Swedish Pastry", and "Birdland Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from Prince – really his first full fledged masterpiece! Prince ushered the 80s in with a mix of recognizable influences, but filtered through his unique sensibility – taking a new approach to funky soul – by using his own sinister blend of layered vocals, crisp rhythms, and ultra catchy songs – always capped with that unbridled, fearless sexuality that comes across right here on the cover – and which already shows that the singer is a bold new force to be reckoned with! And despite his claim of having a dirty mind, Prince uses the music to unlock the sensual souls in all of us – with tracks here that would already become calling cards for a generation – such as the unstoppable classics "Dirty Mind" and "When You Were Mine", plus "Head", "Sister", "Do It All Night", and "Party Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty hip stuff, with a definite Coltrane influence – and Larry Young in the group on organ, along with Billy Cobham on drums and Armando Peraza on congas. Titles include "Naima", "A Love Supreme", "Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord", "Meditation", and "The Life Divine". LP, Vinyl record album

Standout solo work from Mavis Staples – a set that really expands the Stax sound nicely with a bit of strings to sweeten up the groove! Steve Cropper's at the production helm, and there's still enough grit in the grooves to remind us we're down in Memphis – but the choice of tunes and range of Staples' vocals show a growing sense of power that's really great – a mode that pulls itself up past simple southern soul cliches, and aims nicely at the mainstream! Yet even in that mode, the album's never too commercial, and certainly not pop-oriented at all – just proof that Stax was growing wonderfully at the time, and had plenty to offer a great talent like Mavis. Titles include a funky version of "Son Of A Preacher Man", plus "Pick Up The Pieces", "You're Driving Me", "Security", "Until I Met You", "Sweet Things You Do", "Good To Me", and "Chained". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a simple, elegant title – and a similar cover image too – but if you know Sonny Stitt, you know there's often plenty beneath the surface, and this classic Chess Records has plenty to offer, once you start listening! The album's right up there with Sonny's work for Roost – in terms of straight, strong, confident blowing – remarkably subtle, but also remarkably well-conceived, and proof that by the end of the 50s, Stitt had really matured greatly as a player – bringing so much to bear in very short space, and really coming up with imaginative solos in the process! The group's a quartet with Barry Harris on piano (although conflicting information also claims that it's Ramsey Lewis) – but Stitt's the main focus on this set, and for good reason – on titles that include "Jack Spratt", "Propapagoon", "This Is Always", "Everyone Does", and "Mr Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone 70s classic from Tavares – quite possibly the group's biggest album, and a masterpiece of LA vocal group soul! The album's biggest claim to fame is the massive hit "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel", recorded by the group for this set, but blown to the heights through it's huge use in the film Saturday Night Fever. But although that hit might mark them as a disco group, Tavares are still very much in the strongest style of their best early vocal group sets – coming together magically as a group, even when the rhythms are a bit uptempo, and sounding great on tracks that include "To The Other Man", "The Mighty Power Of Love", "Bein With You", "Ridin High", "Wonderful", and "Guiding Star". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning moments of genius from 10CC – a record that has the duo of Godly & Creme really hitting their stride in the studio, and taking the group into completely different territory than on their first few records! The brilliance of the mega-hit "I'm Not In Love" is very well-known – and the rest of the record follows with a similar sort of sonic intensity, one that holds strong even as the song styles shift throughout – almost with the sort of mini-masterpiece in album format that Trevor Horn would so loudly proclaim at ZTT. The record's both a key part of 70s pop, and one that's also very much apart from the pack – with titles that include "I'm Not In Love", "The Second Sitting For The Last Supper", "The Film Of My Love", "Brand New Day", "Blackmail", "Flying Junk", and the three part "Une Nuite A Paris" suite. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet second set from Touch Of Class – a group who broke big in the indie underground of the 70s with their debut – and who still continue here in a great blend of upbeat rhythms and richer soul styles! Some numbers are clearly aimed at the dancefloor – as on their debut – but these guys can also slide into a mellower number with a laidback harmony vibe – a blend that's rooted in some of the younger east coast group modes of the early 70s, but which is taken here to some slightly more mature territory by the trio. Gerald and Pete Jackson of the group handled the arrangements – in a way that's nice and fresh – and a good change from some of the more "packaged" approaches on other albums of this nature. Titles include "Let Yourself Go", "You Took The Sunshine", "I Need Action", "I Found My Rainbow", and "You've Got My Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

A haunting tribute to the late John Coltrane – not just a "friend" of McCoy Tyner, but a key musical partner back in the 60s! The album's a solo piano effort – extremely intimate, but still played with that long-flowing majesty we always love in McCoy – and two of the tunes are famous Coltrane compositions – "Naima" and "The Promise" – and another is a spiritual reading of "My Favorite Things", done in a completely different mode than Trane's version. Other titles are Tyner originals – "Folks" and "The Discovery". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no mistake – both in its pluralization and its acclaim for Kai Winding – as the leader here is working with a brace of additional trombones, all in a groove that's one of his most fluid on record to date! The style builds nicely from the sound that Kai and JJ Johnson forged in the 50s – but it's served up here with a sound that's slightly more modern, filled with colors and tones that really deepen the sound of Winding's music! Other trombonists include Jimmy Knepper, Tony Studd, Paul Faulise, and Johnny Messner – playing differently pitched trombones – and rhythm players include Ron Carter on bass, Bill Evans on piano, and Al Beldini on drums – plus some guest conga by Olatunji. Titles include "Speak Low", "Love Walked In", "Mangos", "Michie", "Impulse", and "Black Coffee". LP, Vinyl record album

Modal jazz galore – a collection of rare Italian tunes that move with a loping, soaring sense of energy – often very classic in their sound and style, but mostly pulled from a range of more obscure recent sources! Most of the tracks here were never issued outside of Italy – and even then, only on small labels that never achieved wider distribution – making almost the whole collection a new discovery in jazz to our ears, and one that's filled with countless delights throughout! As you'd guess from the title, the rhythms here are well-paced and lively – soaking up a lot of influences from the Coltrane generation, but also coming across with the tightness of a classic Blue Note or Prestige session. Most groups here are quartets, quintets, or sextets – and the longer than usual tracks offer plenty of room for solos on tenor, trumpet, trombone, and piano. Titles include "Spagna" by Piana Valdambrini Sextet, "Babir" by Alliance, "Proof Of The Pudding" by Michael Cochrane, "Calypso" by Dino & Franco Piana, "Naima" by Antonio Farao, "Tutankhamon Dance" by Nuevo Sestetto Italiano, "Woody" by Flavio Boltro, "Spring" by Antonio Farao, "La Stalla Di Pegaso" by Abbate Nicola Fontana Albano, and "New Born" by Idea 6. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Georgia Brown, Chas & Dave, Hilka Cornelius, Steve Alaimo, Eddie Blazonczyk, Bonnie Gallie, Frankie Station, and The DJ Fontana Band. LP, Vinyl record album

Arthur Blythe may be in the tradition here, but he's never of the tradition – as the set represents the modern musician taking on a host of older jazz currents, while carving things out with his own special sort of soul! Half the tunes are familiar favorites, the other half originals – and Blythe moves far past his avant roots, to showcase his deep understanding of so many different shades of jazz – blowing alto beautifully throughout, in a very hip quartet that features Stanley Cowell on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on drums! Titles include great takes on "Naima", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Caravan", and "In A Sentimental Mood" – plus the originals "Break Tune" and "Hip Dipper". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the lesser-known albums from the mid 70's, and one that includes a mix of remakes of old stuff, and some faster tracks that seem to be aimed at the dancefloor. Dave Matthews arranged a number of tracks, including "Hot", "So Long", and "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons". James did the rest, including "Future Shock Of The World", "Woman", "Most Of All", and "Goodnight My Love". Not his greatest – but also with some pretty decent funky moments that aren't too fast! LP, Vinyl record album

The set has a cover proclaiming that the set is "a new musical path" – and producer Jimmy Bowen works with bigger backings from Larry Muhuberac to use soaring strings next to the acoustic core, in ways that push Glen into some of the more soulful expressions he had to offer. The approach is a bit hard to describe, but it's different both from country roots, and from Jimmy Webb territory – that majestic Glen Campbell sound rising up nicely – on tunes that include "One Last Time", "I Will Never Pass This Way Again", "Sweet Fantasy", "Running Scared", "Just For What I Am", and "The Last Thing On My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

A real jammer of a record from Billy Cobham – almost a summation of all the work he'd done in earlier years, smoothed out with a sweet funky late 70s fusion groove! The sound on the set is really tight – still plenty hard on the instrumentation, but also with a focus that we really appreciate – one that's aimed as much at the soul-based jazz crowd as it is the headphone groovers who'd dug some of Cobham's trippier records in years past. Players on the set include Mark Soskin and Joachim Kuhn – both of whom add in some mighty nice keyboards – as well as guitarist Pete Maunu, whose jamming riffs make the best tunes crackle with electricity! Titles include "AC/DC", "Leaward Winds", "Puffnstuff", "Antares The Star", "Magic", and "On A Magic Carpet Ride". CD also adds in 2 bonus tracks – "Indigo" and "Guernica". LP, Vinyl record album

One of numerous posthumous live sides, capturing a great early 60s performance by Trane in a quintet setting. Eric Dolphy joins the classic quartet of Tyner, Jones, Workman and Trane for a lenghty reading of "My Favorite things" and the contemplative numbers "Blue Train", "Naima" and "Impressions". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the definitive Sam Cooke recordings of the 60s – never issued at the time, but one of the crucial sides that's provided a later look at his brilliance from the time. The session was recorded at the same vintage as Sam Cooke At The Copa – another live record that was issued during the 60s, and which some claim caused the repression of this one, a much livelier, harder, and soulful session, recorded way uptown, at the Harlem Square Club. The Sam you hear here is a much harder soul artist than the one at the Copa – working his way through some great versions of tracks that include "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Feel It", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "Nothing Can Change This Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Claim Jumper", "Third Party", "Big Time", "Done Got Over It", and "It's My Own Tears". LP, Vinyl record album

Given that Atlantic's big claim to fame with Aretha was that they took her from being a supper club jazz singer and made her a hard soul act, we've always been a bit surprised at the way they chose to hook her up with some Bacharach tunes after her first few sides – giving her a classier uptown sound to mix with the deeper southern style that broke her out big. This album's a great example of how Aretha can mix the two styles – as it features the title rendition of "This Girl's In Love With You", and great versions of "Dark End Of The Street" and "Sit Down & Cry", and the sublime "Call Me", which is a perfect blend of the two styles in one song. And oddly, the "classier" material was recorded down in Miami, Atlantic's new home for soul in the south. LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked 80s session from trombonist Curtis Fuller – and a great one too – a record that really returns the player to the powerful presence we first loved in his albums of the late 50s and early 60s! Fuller's the leadoff solo instrument throughout – working here with backing from the Roma Trio of Danilo Rea on piano, Enzo Pietropaoli on bass, and Roberto Gatto on drums – all playing with that careful, classic vibe that maybe made the Italian scene in the 80s one of the richest on the continent. Curtis blows boldly, even at mellower moments – often phrasing more like a trumpet than a typical trombonist – and serving up lots of soulful sounds in the process. The set features a sublime reading of "Naima", plus "Blue Bossa", "Afternoon In Paris", "Red's Delights", and "Impressions". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most ambitious albums ever from Rob Mazurek – and a set that really continues the legacy of community building and world healing that's become such an important part of his music! Rob's a player who was great at the start – a hell of a trumpeter, and a great experimentalist with electronics – but in recent years, he's matured to become a real messenger for the farther, future reaches of jazz – with an energy that makes a collaborative project like this come off in a way that might never have occurred in the hands of any other musician! Mazurek is at the head – director, composer, arranger, and instrumentalist too – and the large lineup is filled with heavyweights from the Chicago scene that Rob helped shape over the past few decades – plus others as well – players who include Damon Locks on voice and electronics, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Tomeka Reid on cello, Joel Ross on vibes, Jaimi Branch on trumpet, Jeff Parker on guitar, Ingebrigit Haker Flate on bass, and Chad Taylor, John Herndon, and Mikel Patrick Avery on a variety of drums and percussion. There's a richness here that tops other Exploding Star Orchestra performances – and more of a focus, too – so that the whole thing comes together as even more than the sum of its mighty parts, as one of the best International Anthem releases to date. Titles include "Galaxy 1000", "Parable Of Inclusion", "Autumn Pleiades", "Minerals Bionic Stereo", "Dimensional Stardust", "Abstract Dark Energy", and "The Careening Prism Within". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the moogiest records of all time – a legendary LP of "electronic pop music of the future" – sourced and claimed as an influence by everyone from Stereolab to the Beastie Boys! The legendary team of Gershon Kingsley and Jean-Jaques Perry are working here in early tape experiments that chop up quirky analogue electronics – and uses them to produce moogy songbits and space sounds, all with a really groovy beat! There's a simple magic here that has made the album hold up for years, and stand apart from a legion of later imitators with a clear, simple, and effective style that makes the best of all the bleeps and blonks in the set! Titles include "Unidentified Flying Object", "Spooks in Space", "Barnyard In Orbit", "Swan's Splashdown", and "Girl From Venus". A loving musical space party! LP, Vinyl record album

The first Raydio set from guitarist Ray Parker – an artist who'd worked on countless session gigs by the time of this album, which gave him more than enough chops to get things right from the start! The sound is tight and definitely aimed at the charts, by Ray also brings his own sort of groove to the set too – kind of a mainstream funk approach that found a very big audience at the time! As the years pass, this one sounds better and better to our ears – with titles that include "Jack & Jill", "Let's Go All The Way", "Is This A Love Thing", "Honey I'm Rich", "You Need This (To Satisfy That)", "Betcha Can't Love Me Just Once", "Me", and "Get Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Sonny Stitt's work for Verve was some of his best on record – and this album is a perfect illustration of that bold claim! Sonny's blowing here in a wonderful style – a bit more restrained than on his early bop sides, more complicated than on his later soul jazz sessions, and all together totally solid, totally in-the-pocket – with not a note out of place, nor a moment of superfluous blowing on the set. Stitt's extremely confident here – dominating the intimate quartet setting with lots of fire, warmth, and imagination. The rhythm section includes Jimmy Jones on piano, Jo Jones on drums, and Ray Brown on bass – and tracks include "Sonny's Tune", "Down Home Blues", "Alone Together", and "Norman's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Warm, wonderful harmony work from The Tymes – a set that features lots of familiar tunes, but redone in really great ways by the group! The harmonies are the key here – as the group's vocals are totally sublime – cascading magnificently amidst some fuller arrangements that might have been aimed at a crossover market, but which hardly ever dampen their soul at all. Jimmy Wisner handled production, and brings in a gentle swing to some of the tunes – a groove that's certainly made one track, their title version of "People", a big fave down in the Carolinas over the years. Other tracks include "City", "For Love Of Ivy", "Look Of Love", "God Bless The Child", "Make Someone Happy", "The Love That You're Looking For", and "The Way Of The Crowd". LP, Vinyl record album

A 60s album, but one that's filled with some of the earliest recordings Muddy Waters made for Chess Records – all wrapped up in a title that proclaims his music as the real deal! The instrumentation here is all quite spare – varying combinations of electric guitar, harmonica, piano, and bass – all topped by Waters' wonderfully twanging vocals, heard here at a level that's still extremely fresh and without cliche! The tunes are the sort that bar bands have been ruining for decades, but they still sound great in the originals – and titles include "Sad Letter", "Gonna Need My Help", "Train Fare Blues", "Too Young To Know", "Honey Bee", "My Life Is Ruined", and "She's All Right". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! LP, Vinyl record album

There's few cases where we want the clock to stop in music – but in the case of Belle & Sebastian, we'll gladly make an exception – as the group deliver all the completely charming, well-crafted songs here that we've always loved in their work – instantly appealing, and with that undeniable quality that has you instantly knowing the music as it unfolds! Titles include "Deathbed Of My Dreams", "If They're Shooting At You", "Young & Stupid", "Sea Of Sorry", "Working Boy In New York City", "Do It For Your Country", and "Reclaim The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

There's few cases where we want the clock to stop in music – but in the case of Belle & Sebastian, we'll gladly make an exception – as the group deliver all the completely charming, well-crafted songs here that we've always loved in their work – instantly appealing, and with that undeniable quality that has you instantly knowing the music as it unfolds! Titles include "Deathbed Of My Dreams", "If They're Shooting At You", "Young & Stupid", "Sea Of Sorry", "Working Boy In New York City", "Do It For Your Country", and "Reclaim The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Brass Construction – heavy horns, basslines, and stellar dancefloor grooves – a stone classic! The first one was totally great, but they cast a wider stylistic claim on II – their trademark funky sound is still very firmly in place, but they bring more to the plate. The rhythms and percussion have a more globally steeped flare at points on the album, and there's a more smoldering, slightly mellower vibe on some tracks, without sacrificing the funk. The whole thing's fused together wonderfully – with the larger group moving with the energy a much smaller combo – and titles include "Sambo", "Screwed", "Get To The Point", "What's On Your Mind", and "Now Is Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

A great straight set from Chick Corea – one that has him playing acoustic piano throughout, and reclaiming some of the bolder jazz territory he first forged in the 60s! The tracks are long and soaring – very soulful in their construction, and played in a dynamic way that's surprisingly without cliche – no easy "hit" jazz moves, and instead a real return to basics for a quartet that includes Chick on piano, Michael Brecker on tenor, Steve Gadd on drums, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Gomez, as usual, really makes the record sound great – giving it a round, warm heart that glows throughout – and titles include "Quartet No 1", "Quartet No 2", and "Quartet No 3". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare non-Strata East 70s session from pianist Stanley Cowell – but one that still carries much of the same soul and spirit overall! The group here is a trio – with Stanley Clarke on bass and the wonderful Jimmy Hopps on drums – and the tunes themselves are perhaps a bit slower to get going than some of Cowell's creations on Strata, but they still often explode with freely lyrical energy and a great sense of creation. A few compositions are familiar from other records, but redone here with slightly different flavors – and Clarke plays a bit of electric bass on the set, which changes some of the pulse up a bit. Titles include "Emil Danenberg", "Miss Viki", "Cal Massey", "Astral Spiritual", and "Maimoun". LP, Vinyl record album

Apart from the title's terrible pun on the Glenn Campbell hit of the mid 70s, this album's a real treat – a very soulful batch of smooth funky jazz tunes by The Crusaders, who by this point have fully emerged to claim the throne of the pop soul jazz genre they virtually invented. The record's got razor-sharp production, which you'll hear perfectly in the album's jazz stepping hit "Keep That Same Old Feeling", one of the best tunes ever to come from the pen of Wayne Henderson, and a track that he recorded endlessly with other groups. Other tracks include "Feeling Funky", "Spiral", and "Til The Sun Shines". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album from start to finish – and easily one of the most compelling experimental sets from the 70s! Call it a "auralgraphic entertainment", or "an incredible mental experience" – both claims listed on the title – and you wouldn't even be getting half of the picture of this amazing set – because the music rolls out here in a really dreamy blend of folksy elements, found sounds, and electronics – on two long tracks that each run for a side apiece – but which have far more song-structure than you might expect! There's no jamming, but no sloppiness either – and instead, Bill Holt finds a way to bring together disparate sounds and ideas in this really dynamic way – but also with a subtlety that few other later works like this ever thought to try. The record has been legendary for decades – and for good reason, too – and if you're not in an altered state, it will definitely get you there – and if you are, you'd better hold onto your hat! LP, Vinyl record album

A great version of moogy pop from the moog pop era of the late 60s – served up with a slightly sexy vibe, as you might guess from the title and the cover! The set's got a great electronic take on the Serge Gainsbourg classic "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus", plus versions of "Stella By Starlight", "Goin Out Of My Head", "The Look Of Love", "Like A Lover", and "This Guy's In Love With You". A nice groove, and slightly funky in a very groovy way! LP, Vinyl record album

A strange record – one that claims to be recorded in 1979, but which sounds exactly like Fischer's 1972 session called T'Da-a-a-a-a. In fact, the players are the same, the songs are the same, and the sound is the same – but the cover lists different timings and a different recording date, so if we're to believe it, are we to think that Fischer took the same group, same songs, and just redid the entire album in 1979? Seems unlikely, but does it really matter? The 1972 record is an excellent album – one of Fischer's elusive electric sides, and one that features him playing a Yamaha EX-42 organ, which has a very cool sound! The group's a quartet, with the great Gary Foster on alto and soprano sax – and the tracks are a mix of older jazz standards ("Soon", "Round Midnight", "Lennie's Pennies") and originals ("Blues In F" by Fischer and "Crystal Sunrise" by Tom Scott), all done in long versions with some intimate and exploratory solos. LP, Vinyl record album

An album that hardly has the Grateful Dead in the dark – given that it was one of their biggest of the 80s, and really helped the group find a big new audience, thanks to a surprising hit! All the older elements are still in place, but the production has definitely changed since the early years – more upfront elements throughout, although still not really aimed at territory that's totally commercial – maybe just refining some of their older ideas for a new generation, in ways that Dylan and Springsteen were finding on their records at the time – maybe as an answer to the younger generations who were copping their style. Titles include "Hell In A Bucket", "West LA Fadeaway", "Tons Of Steel", "Touch Of Grey", "When Push Comes To Shove", and "Black Muddy River". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful post-Coltrane playing by the two Grubbs brothers (who get top recommendations from Pharoah Sanders and Naima Coltrane on the back cover!). The album's filled with spiritual spiralling intertwining alto and soprano sax lines, underpinned by soulful backing on piano, bass, drums, and percussion. The quality of the writing on the album is excellent – and we'd easily rank this one up there with the best work on Strata East from the time, or with Gary Bartz's first two albums for Milestone. Includes the long title cut, plus "Reflections (On New York City)", "Pisces", and a beautiful cover of "Naima". Really wonderful stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime duets – just Haden's bass and the piano of Anderson – on titles that include "The Night We Called It A Day", "CC Blues", "Alone Together", and "I Hear A Rhapsody". LP, Vinyl record album

Just Haden on bass and Taylor on piano – in an intimate session! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent John Handy album from the 60s – and one that features some especially nice vibes from Bobby Hutcherson – in a group that also features Pat Martino on guitar! Tracks are all nice and long, and the record maybe features some of the most "out" moments in Handy's career – as he blows very soulful solos on alto, while Hutcherson hits some very hard noisy notes on the vibes. The rest of the group includes Albert Stinson on bass and Doug Sides on drums – and titles include "Naima", "A Little Quiet", and "Tears Of Ole Miss (Anatomy Of A Riot)". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive batch of funky soul jazz – the Second Movement (to the first album Swiss Movement) of the collaboration of Eddie Harris and Les McCann! The vibe here is even freer, and hipper, than on the first set – with a host of long tracks that have Les really working the Fender Rhodes into some great grooves, as Eddie blows along some mean, mad Varitone with equal charm! Players include Bernard Purdie, Buck Clarke, and Cornell Dupree – and titles include "Saima", "Carry On Brother", "Universal Prisoner", and the brilliant sample cut "Shorty Rides Again"! LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh new ideas in improvisatory jazz with players who went onto have an undeniable impact on the global scene as well. This album's one of the standout recordings of the Black Artists era at its best – a record produced by Hemphill, but equally balanced between his own alto and flute, the trumpet of Baikida Carroll, cello of Abdul Wadud, and drums of Phillip Wilson – plus a bit of added baritone from Haimet Bluiett. The rhythms are quite open, but there's also a nice sense of structure to the record too – a bridge between spiritual and free jazz that prefaces the impact that both Hemphill and Bluiett would have on the New York loft jazz generation. Titles include "Dogon AD", "Rites", and "The Painter". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary John Lee Hooker, heard here in one of his more obscure recordings from the late 50s – at least in contrast to his famous sides for Vee Jay Records! This set's an unusual date – recorded in Detroit, despite the claim of the title – and featuring Hooker on acoustic guitar and vocals, without any other instrumentation at all – pitched much more towards the growing folk blues scene than some of his more familiar Chicago recordings. Tracks are short, but pack plenty of punch – and titles include "Black Snake", "I Rowed A Little Boat", "Bundle Up & Go", "Behind The Plow", "Water Boy", "Tupelo Blues", and "Pea Vine Special". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Freddie Hubbard – one of his best albums ever! The title cut's a classic, but all cuts on the album are great – and really set a whole new standard for soul jazz in the 70s! Unlike the freer runs of Miles Davis, Freddie takes things into territory here that's open, yet tightly controlled – a really soulful, spiritual vibe that's quite different than any of his later commercial work – or his hardbop of the decade before! The lineup includes Joe Henderson on tenor and Herbie Hancock on piano – and even back in the 80's, when everyone was going purist again, and was pretending they didn't like 70's electric jazz at all, they still claimed that this was a great jazz record, and one of the only good ones for CTI. We know better now, of course, and know that there were loads of great CTI sessions – but that doesn't stop this from being one of the best! Titles include "Red Clay", "Delphia", "Suite Sioux", and "The Intrepid Fox". LP, Vinyl record album

Accompanied by Joe Newman on trumpet, Houston Person on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Margie Joseph's really hitting on all burners here – thanks to sublime production from Lamont Dozier, working at the height of his mid 70s powers! Joseph's earlier deep soul vocals are given a nice sense of focus and righteous energy from Dozier's production – a fullness that somehow makes her sound almost better than before, with that mix of professionalism and personal presence that Lamont was laying down on his own great albums. Most of the rhythms are in a mellow midtempo mode – never too aimed at the clubs, but nicely picked up and smoothed out a bit from Joseph's earlier work – and sort of given that Detroit "umph" that rose to prominence in the early 70s HDH generation. Titles include "Didn't I Tell You", "Hear The Words Feel The Feeling", "Prophecy", "All Cried Out", "Feeling My Way", "I Get Carried Away", "Why'd You Lie", and "Something To Fall Back On". LP, Vinyl record album

Latimore's digging deeper, and sounding greater than ever – working at Muscle Shoals with some great Miami production from Steve Alaimo – and coming across with a sound that's even warmer and more sophisticated than before – yet still very true to its deep soul roots too! At a time when some of Latimore's contemporaries might have been heading for the disco, he keeps it real and focuses on the best mellow modes that always made him so great – particularly those which use keyboards next to his unique vocal approach. Heck, even the album's odd cover of "Tonight's The Night" sounds pretty darn great – although we're even more partial to the original tracks like "Out To Get Cha", "We Got To Hit It Off", and "Dig A Little Deeper" – as well as his sweet version of George Jackson's "Ain't Nothing Like A Sweet Woman's Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Dino's early years at Reprise! French Style has Dean working with jazzy Neal Hefti arrangements – and singing the kind of postwar tunes that always evoked at bit of Paris, but which were mostly English language numbers – titles like "Gigi", "I Love Paris", "Mimi", "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup", "The Last Time I Saw Paris", and "Mam'selle". Despite the gimmick, the album comes off surprisingly well thanks to Dino's sublime vocal work! LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal session that was virtually one of the only west coast attempts to replicate the famous "cubop" mix of bebop and Latin that had been evolving over the years in the New York scene. Machito percussionists like Jose Mangual and Ubaldo Nieto join a west coast group that includes alto player Frank Morgan, trumpeter Conte Candoli, pianist Carl Perkins, and other LA boppers. The back of the record proclaims that with the death of Charlie Parker, someone must step in as the new bop genius – and Morgan does a capable job on tracks like "Wippet", "Chooch", "The Champ", and "Bernie's Tune" – and on the record's non-Latin numbers, included here to expand the release to a 12" format. LP, Vinyl record album

The "biggest" album of Lou Reed's career – in the grand sense – with epic production and a small army of superstar session players and production by spectacle specialist Bob Ezrin – but that's paired with arguably the darkest, gloomiest songcycle ever composed by Lou Reed! The dichotomy works, and Lou apparently agrees, having revisited the material in the mid aughties to great acclaim. Ultimately, this and the previous year's Transformer makes for one of the strangest and most incredible transitions over a short period of time in pop music history. Titles include "Berlin", "Lady Day", "Men Of Good Fortune", "Caroline Says" (I & II), "The Kids", "The Bed", "Sad Song" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Henri Renaud at the height of his postwar modern powers – working here with Jean Lisse on trumpet, Sandy Mosse on tenor, Jean Louis Chautemps on baritone, Benny Vasseur on trombone, and Jimmy Gourley on guitar! Titles include "Paris Je T'Aime", "Mahogany Hall Stop", "Thou Swell", "Docteur Wiggins", and "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool record! The album's sort of an American tribute to the emerging French sex goddess Brigitte Bardot – one that features a gatefold cover with a wraparound photo of Brigitte, and some nice images on the inside. Music on the set is by Pete Rugolo – the master arranger who'd worked with June Christy, Stan Kenton, and others – and although Bardot doesn't sing or even make an appearance on the set, Pete does more than enough of a good job of conjuring up her presence with a good selection of jazzy tunes. Players include Pete Candoli and Jack Sheldon on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Paul Horn and Bud Shank on reeds, and Laurindo Almeida on guitar. Gloria Wood sings on one track – and titles include "Arsenic Blues", "Paris BB", "Jeff's Blues", "Mambo Bardot", "A T'Aimer", and "The Night Heaven Fell". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare return to recording for alto player Buster Smith – captured here in a setting that's even sharper than before! Smith has roots that go back to the 30s bands of Bennie Moten and Andy Kirk – but he also was an early boss of Charlie Parker, who claimed to be strongly influenced by his alto – and you can definitely hear Buster take off in a few Bird-like flights during the set! The groove is mostly older swing-based jazz, yet there's a sharper edge too – and certainly an understanding of bop that informs the solos. Buster's tone is incredible throughout – deeply personal, and very soulful – and titles include "Late Late", "Organ Grinder's Swing", "King Alcohol", and "Kansas City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge disco cash-in moment of the 70s – but a great one too, and a strong illustration of the power that Casablanca Records had in both the clubs and charts at the time! The movie and record were both a bit over-pressed upon release, but they nonetheless stand as a great snapshot of the way that funky soul had taken over the clubs during the disco generation – giving showcase to a whole host of new young artists, and exposing lots of mainstream listeners to soul music at a level they wouldn't have touched a few years before! Donna Summer was one of Casablanca's big acts at the time – and she really dominates the record with her classic rendition of "Last Dance", plus tracks "With Your Love" and a disco remake of "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus". Both other cuts are strong too – and include "Lovin, Livin, & Givin" by Diana Ross, "Too Hot Ta Trot" by The Commodores, "Disco Queen" by Paul Jabara, "Leatherman's Theme" by Wright Bros Flying Machine, "Floyd's Theme" by Natural Juices, and "Find My Way" by Cameo. LP, Vinyl record album

David Thomas has left Pere Ubu behind – but he's got great help here from The Wooden Birds – a group that features Allen Ravenstine on keyboards and electronics, and Tony Maimone on bass! Thomas also plays a bit of accordion alongside his increasingly wild vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from one of the most compelling mainstream talents in recent years – an artist who can get wide fame and acclaim, yet keep on pushing the boundaries into fresh new cosmic territory! This album may well be Thundercat's masterpiece – not just a summation of all the ideas and areas he's explored in the past, but also kind of a re-filtering of other modes as well – including the more spiritual and jazz-based territory that he's moved towards, especially when working with others! Yet there's nothing here that's an easy copy of another style, or another's work – as the whole thing bristles with a personal newness that's wonderful – even when Thundercat is getting help from guests who include Kamasai Washington, Flying Lotus, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell, and Kendrick Lamarr – as well as some especially nice work from AOR legends Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. Titles include "I Am Crazy", "3AM", "Rabbot Ho", "Bus In These Streets", "Lava Lamp", "Jethro", "Show You The Way", "Drink Dat", "Jameel's Space Ride", and "Tokyo". LP, Vinyl record album

The Trammps are still burning strong at the end of the 70s – never losing their Philly groove despite a run on the charts and much bigger fame than most of their contemporaries – and in a way, the album's almost a back-to-basics affair that's pure Philly all the way! Arrangements here are by Norman Harris, Ron Kersey, and Ron Baker – who've taken the group into a mode that's perhaps got some of the new club touches being explored more at Salsoul than Philly International – but which still works tremendously well for the group. Tracks are all full, flowing, and and aimed at the dancefloor – and although there's not really any standout hits or hooks here, that aspect of the album is almost a welcome relief, given that the group could be going for easy hits at this point. Titles include "Love Insurance Policy", "Whole World's Dancing", "My Love It's Never Been Better", "Soul Bones", "Love Magnet", and "More Good Times To Remember". LP, Vinyl record album

A haunting tribute to the late John Coltrane – not just a "friend" of McCoy Tyner, but a key musical partner back in the 60s! The album's a solo piano effort – extremely intimate, but still played with that long-flowing majesty we always love in McCoy – and two of the tunes are famous Coltrane compositions – "Naima" and "The Promise" – and another is a spiritual reading of "My Favorite Things", done in a completely different mode than Trane's version. Other titles are Tyner originals – "Folks" and "The Discovery". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal work in the development of the career of Cedar Walton – the formation of his excellent Eastern Rebellion ensemble, a group that became a platform for soul jazz expression for the next two decades! The group on this set features George Coleman on tenor, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all working in territory that Walton and Clifford Jordan were exploring heavily at the time – long, drawn-out soul jazz tunes – frequently built upon modal rhythms, and touched with traces of post-Coltrane blowing. The key factor, though, is that the work's never too outside, never too overindulgent – just hard-swinging soul jazz, in a 70s expression of the older Blue Note ideal! Titles include "Bolivia", "5/4 Thing", "Mode For Joe", and "Naima". LP, Vinyl record album

A rootsy group from the Chicago scene, but one with a fair amount of wit, too – a subtle political agenda that's buried a bit beneath more rocking modes, and which really helps set these guys apart from the pack! The songwriting is often pretty smart, at least from a social perspective – couched amidst riffs and rhythms that are more mainstream overall, yet which know how to underscore the right punch of the group's intentions. A key illustration of this fact is the longer "Gospel" track – kind of a mini-suite aimed at Christian radio – but the elements bubble forth on other tunes that include "Rock Garden", "Pot Of Gold", "Reno", and "The Authentic British Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy guitar from the great Laurindo Almeida – with Chuck Domanico on bass, Clare Fischer on acoustic and electric iano, Emil Richards on vibes and marimba, Frederick Seykora on cello, Aime Maurice Vereeck on percussion, and Chuck Flores on drums and percussion. LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Charlie Byrd was one of the first American players to record bossa nova tunes – but although his work with Stan Getz has always been well-documented, some of the titles under his own name can be quite hard to come by. This is one of the best ones that Charlie cut on his own – and it features tight guitar work in a mode that's similar to that used by Baden Powell on his early bossa recordings, augmented by trio rhythms – plus some occasional larger backings by Walter Raim, and some extended group settings that feature Charlie Hampton on alto, Earl Swope on trombone, and Willie Rodriguez on percussion. Tracks include "Ho Ba La La", "Samba Triste", "Yvone", "O Barquinho", "Un Abraco Do Bonfa", and "O Passaro". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – and one of the real high points in the career of trumpeter Donald Byrd! The album's the third one he cut with producer/arranger Larry Mizell – and of all Byrd's work with Mizell, this one's the funkiest, the tightest, the most soulful, and the most perfectly realized vision of the soaring sound the duo were aiming for! Every track is a winner – and the album glides along with a slippery sinewy groove, never pausing for a weak moment or a misplaced note, shimmering with pride in its own genius. Byrd's trumpet soars over the top, banking gracefully over waves of funky drums, spacey keyboards, and extremely well-placed vocals – all brought together perfectly by Mizell, with a tightly fused style that few people have ever been able to match in the studio since! Tracks include "Change (Makes You Want To Hustle)", "Dominoes", "Wind Parade", "Places & Spaces", and "Night Whistler". LP, Vinyl record album

70's issue of alternate takes from some of Trane's best Atlantic sessions, including the one that went on to be the Giant Steps album. The alternates feature different versions of some of Coltrane's most familiar numbers for Atlantic, including "Naima", "Cousin Mary", "Giant Steps", and "Syeeda's Song Flute" – and they sound as good as the originals, with a different twist each time. LP, Vinyl record album

Truly the best of the best of Coltrane's years at Impulse – as the collection has a strong focus on the longer, more spiritual numbers that he was free to develop while working for the forward-thinking company. The set's stuffed with great numbers – and includes classics like "Africa", "Alabama", "Naima", "Kulu Se Mama", "Soul Eyes", plus excerpts from the longer albums Love Supreme and Om. LP, Vinyl record album

John Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard – but his sound here is a lot more far-reaching than a few years before! The album's a great counterpart to the first Vanguard session – as it takes all of the bold, soaring energy of that date, and balances it with the newly introspective sound of the later Coltrane years – plus some of the freedoms learned from the Love Supreme era. The group here showcases the new territory explored by Coltrane – with Trane himself on tenor, soprano, and a bit of bass clarinet (echoing earlier Dolphy), plus Pharoah Sanders on additional tenor, Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rasheid Ali on drums. The album only features 2 long tracks – an incredibly soulful version of "Naima", and a very firey version of "My Favorite Things", but one that begins with a haunting bass solo by Garrison! LP, Vinyl record album