Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, Clifton Anderson on trombone, Stephen Scott on piano and kalimba, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Perry Wilson on drums, and Kimati Dinizulu on percusion. CD

A great later moment from Pharoah Sanders – a set that's one of his few from the time that really stretches out in the same open, spiritual territory of his classic recordings for Impulse! The group's a trio – with Sanders on tenor and wood flute, Hamid Drake on drums and other percussion, and Adam Rudolph on a host of different instruments – from hand percussion, to kalimba, bamboo flute, and gong! The style's probably mostly like Rudolph's other material – not nearly as outside as some of Drake's recordings – but the presence of Sanders' horn really shapes things a lot, and gives the whole thing a lot more bite than some of Adam's other material. The tracks are long, and mostly have Pharoah soaring out with beautifully emotive work on tenor. Titles include "Morning In Soweto", "Sunrise", "The Thousand Petalled Lotus", "Roundhouse", "Sunset", and "Calling To The Luminous Beings". CD

A reverent snapshot of the spiritual & soul jazz emanating from the Mainstream label in the early 70s – a well curated set featuring great numbers by Frank Foster, Blue Mitchell, Hadley Caliman, Roy Haynes and other giants of the scene! The material comes from a time in Mainstream label history when it was essentially relaunched as a jazz label, following some the psyche era rock albums of the previous few years. Soulful jazz sounds from a spiritual realm as well as some in a jazz funk mode, and excellent material all the way! 12 great tracks in all: The sprawling opener "The Loud Minority" by Frank Foster, "Mi Hermano" by Blue Mitchell, "Up And Down" by Harold Land, "Watercress" by Hadley Caliman, "Kamili" by Buddy Terry, "Senyah" by Roy Haynes, "EW Beautiful People" by Frank Foster, "Little One" by Hadley Caliman and "Petits Machins" by Johnny Coles/ CD

The 50s Basie band, loud and proud – recorded beautifully by Verve on the stage of the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957 – a great year, both for the group and the fest! The lineup here features Count Basie firmly at the helm on piano – with players who include Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, and Frank Foster on tenor – plus Thad Jones and Joe Newman on trumpets – all tightly grooving on arrangements by Ernie Wilkins, AK Salim, and others – filled with plenty of Basie jumps, leaps, and vamps! Jimmy Rushing sings vocals on the track "Sent For You Yesterday & Here You Come Today" – and other tracks include "Lester Leaps In", "Swingin At Newport", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", and "Evenin". CD also contains 5 more bonus tracks from another Verve album – Count Basie & Joe Williams at Newport, most with Williams on vocals – including "All Right Okay You Win", "The Comeback", "Roll 'Em Pete", "Smack Dab In The Middle", and "One O' Clock Jump". CD

Sublime trio work from pianist Stanley Cowell – a player who's held us rapt with attention for decades – and continues to earn our faith with great records like this! The album features Cowell on piano, and a bit of kalimba – which is mighty nice – working with bassist Tom DiCarlo and drummer Chris Brown – both younger players who really seem to get Cowell's groove, especially in the more complicated moments – of which there are a few. The set begins with two great originals by Stanley – "Cosmology" and "El Space O" – then moves into the great "Asian Art Suite", which is really one of the most unusual, exotic things we've heard from Cowell in years! That music is then offset by the long "Civil Rights Suite" – which has bolder overtones to match its social message – and the set then concludes with two more standalone compositions by Cowell – "Long Vamp" and the classic "Abstrutions". CD

One of the most meditative albums we've ever heard from this legendary Chicago AACM group – very spiritual, and a record that shows lots of the energy that percussionist Kahil El'Zabar would soon bring to his work with the ritual trio! The group features fantastic work on woodwinds from both Light Henry Huff and Ed Wilkerson – the former playing soprano sax, the latter on tenor – mixing gently in sublime tones over Kahil's work on drums and percussion, which includes some beautiful kalimba too! In the best AACM tradition, all players handle other instruments too – Huff some harp and percussion, Wilkerson piano and additional woodwinds – improvising in these soulful styles over the cours of the album-length track "Impressions", which is divided up into seven different passages. CD

Kali Z Fasteau on soprano saxophone, cello and electric piano, William Parker on contrabass and Cindy Blackman on drums. CD

Ed Wilkerson on reeds, Nicole Mitchele on flute, melodia, and harp, Harrison Bankhead on bass, and Avreeayl Ra on percussion, kalimba, and flute! CD

A legendary session from the early years of ECM – one of those records that really helped set the tone of the label for years to come! The album's definitely on the more avant side of the spectrum, and is a great reminder of how much ECM contributed to European free jazz at the start – with fantastic interplay from a group led by reedman Jan Garbarek on tenor, bass sax, flutes, clarinet, and percussion – in a quartet with Terje Rypdal on guitar, Jon Christensen on percussion, and Arild Andersen on bass, xylophone, and kalimba! The tracks vary in length, and the players all shift instruments nicely – on titles that include "Myb", "Blow Away Zone", "Afric Pepperbird", "Scarabee", and "Beast Of Kommodo". CD

Beautiful late Blue Note work from vibist Bobby Hutcherson – laidback, warm, electric, and with a mixture of CTI funk and some of the more lyrical soul jazz work of his years with Harold Land! Part of the credit for the set should go to George Cables – who plays both acoustic and electric keys on the record, and who gives the album a sweetly dancing feel that really warms things up wonderfully – a great mix of vibes and keyboards that's wonderful throughout! But all other players are wonderful too –including drummer Eddie Marshall, bassist James Leary, and horn players Freddie Hubbard, Hadley Caliman, and Manny Boyd. Titles include a great remake of "Little B's Poem", the mellow groover "Why Not", and the cuts "Til Then", "Knucklebean", and "So Far So Good". CD

Joe McPhee on pocket trumpet and soprano sax, and John Heward on drums and kalimba. CD

An excellent bit of spacey funk from Julian Priester – the Chicago hardbop trombonist who grooved mightily in the late 50s and early 60s with the likes of Sun Ra and Max Roach, but who here is reemerging as a 70s electric funk maestro, in the lineage of Herbie Hancock. Here, he's working with the Pepo Mtoto band – which includes west coast soul jazz luminaries like Henry Franklin, Hadley Caliman, Bayete, Ndugu Chancler, and Pat Gleeson, who adds some wonderful moog and Arp to the set. Tracks are long and spacey, with a building funky groove that's inspired countless acts over the past decade – not the least of which has been Chicago's own Isotope! Titles include "Love, Love", "Images", "Eternal Worlds", and "Epilogue". CD

A really sweet late effort from bluesy soul singer and sax player Eddie Cleanhead Vinson – his dawn of the 70s comeback! Cleanhead covered a whole lot of stylistic range in earlier years, from big band vocalist, to R&B shouter, to bebop era alto sax player – and he comfortably displays that range here, albeit in a loose, easygoing soul mode – backed by a great group of session players that includes Joe Pass, Artie Butler, Arthur Wright and Plas Johnson. Bob Thiele produced, and the titles include "Cleanhead Blues", "Pass Out", "Alimony Blues", "Cleanhead Is Back", "Juice Head Baby", "Old Maid Boogie", "One O'Clock Humph" and "I Needs To Be Be'd Wid". This great Ace CD version includes 3 bonus tracks: live versions of "Cleanhead Blues", "I Had A Dream" and "Person To Person". CD

A big breakthrough for Philip Bailey – and a record that was kind of a second-level explosion for the Earth Wind & Fire sound in the 80s! There's a definite crossover feel to the record – a style that takes Bailey's soulful vocals, and mixes them with lots of catchy hooks – in ways that push the Kalimba aesthetic even more into mainstream modes. Yet the album's still got some solid soul grounding, too – thanks to arrangements by Tom Tom and Arif Mardin – which is a nice contrast to the production by Phil Collins, who also guests on the hit "Easy Lover". Other cuts include "Time Is A Woman", "Go", "Walking On The Chinese Wall", "Photogenic Memory", "I Go Crazy", and "Children Of The Ghetto". CD features a bonus cut – "Easy Lover (extended dance remix)". CD

The 50s Basie band, loud and proud – recorded beautifully by Verve on the stage of the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957 – a great year, both for the group and the fest! The lineup here features Count Basie firmly at the helm on piano – with players who include Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, and Frank Foster on tenor – plus Thad Jones and Joe Newman on trumpets – all tightly grooving on arrangements by Ernie Wilkins, AK Salim, and others – filled with plenty of Basie jumps, leaps, and vamps! Jimmy Rushing sings vocals on the track "Sent For You Yesterday & Here You Come Today" – and other tracks include "Lester Leaps In", "Swingin At Newport", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", and "Evenin". CD also contains 5 more bonus tracks from another Verve album – Count Basie & Joe Williams at Newport, most with Williams on vocals – including "All Right Okay You Win", "The Comeback", "Roll 'Em Pete", "Smack Dab In The Middle", and "One O' Clock In The Morning". CD

A great Denon date from saxophonist Bob Berg – recorded at a point when he was really coming into his own as a leader, and using some fusion elements a bit more confidently than before! The session balances Bob's work on tenor and soprano with work from Don Grolnick on organ and keyboards, Mike Stern on guitar, Robby Kilgore on synth, and Peter Erskine on drums and percussion – a lineup that feels itself together well on the date, grooving with a sense of tightness, but one that's opened up well by Berg's bolder solo moments. David Sanborn guests on one track – and titles include "Words", "Snakes", "Kalimba", "The Search", "Maya", and "That's The Ticket". CD

Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, wooden flute, and contra-alto clarinet; DD Jackson on piano, organ, bass synth, and keys; Kahil El'Zabar on drums, percussion, bells, kalimba, and vocals. CD

Sweet LA soul jazz from trumpeter Bobby Bryant – an oft-overlooked player with a hard hitting sound that was a bit like Nat Adderley! The album's one of Bobby's best (and few) – and it's got a really groovy little feel, almost in a Jazz Crusaders mode – with a small combo playing live on tight bouncy little tracks that still have some nice room for solo work. The Crusaders reference is a clear one – as Joe Sample's in the group on piano – and other players on the record include Hadley Caliman and Herman Riley, both of whom play tenor. Titles include "Sunny", "Love Is Supreme", "58th Street", "Don't Say Goodbye", and "Blues For Ramona". CD

The legendary debut of Bobby Caldwell – a blue-eyed soul singer who borrowed just the right amounts from AOR and R&B! Bobby's got a voice that's really great, and wrapped up warmly amidst keyboards and larger arrangements that all come across with a very cool compressed style – almost as if Caldwell discovered that midtempo and mellow style on some of the Earth Wind & Fire albums from a few years before, and used it as inspiration to craft a classic groove that's very much his own! The set features Bobby's huge classic "What You Won't Do For Love" – but the whole album's great, and other titles include "Special To Me", "Can't Say Goodbye", "My Flame", "Love Won't Wait", "Come To Me", "Down For The Third Time", "Take Me Back To Then" and "Kalimba Song", another nod to Maurice White and crew, to be sure! Also includes a bonus track – the TK version of "Can't Say Goodbye". CD

Abstract beats with a depth of global influences from Dimlite – the Swiss beatmaker/producer's debut for the Now Again/Stones Throw – and far reaching effort that covers a lot of aural atmosphere over its running time! Dimlite's work for Sonar Kollectiv was among the most forward looking on the roster, and that unpredictable approach is well served here. Glitchy synth sounds and bubbling electronic errata mix with more earthy rhythms and hazy melodies – with vocals that also give it a more grounded feel in spots, but this is adventurous and unpredictable in all the right ways. Titles include "Kalimba Sewathswamp/Kurt Feelings", "On The Same Picture" featuring vocals by Elan Tamara, "Firevomit (ODN)", "Elbow Flood", "Can't Get Used To Those (Afterlude)" and more. CD features the bonus "Elbow Flood" instrumental. CD

The group's first, with production courtesy the great Gary Katz, who's put a fine touch on many Steely Dan LPs. While we were a bit dismissive of this effort at the time, it's kind of become a bit of a watershed in retrospect, the high water mark for the American Acid Jazz scene, if a bit commercial, and definitely a nice portrait of the mid 90s NYC scene, with loads of great players from all over the spectrum. Titles include "El Gollpe Avisa", "Buddah Head", "Nerd", "Balimka", "Rentstrike", and "Saturday Afternoon". CD

Beautiful late Blue Note work from vibist Bobby Hutcherson – laidback, warm, electric, and with a mixture of CTI funk and some of the more lyrical soul jazz work of his years with Harold Land! Part of the credit for the set should go to George Cables – who plays both acoustic and electric keys on the record, and who gives the album a sweetly dancing feel that really warms things up wonderfully – a great mix of vibes and keyboards that's wonderful throughout! But all other players are wonderful too –including drummer Eddie Marshall, bassist James Leary, and horn players Freddie Hubbard, Hadley Caliman, and Manny Boyd. Titles include a great remake of "Little B's Poem", the mellow groover "Why Not", and the cuts "Til Then", "Knucklebean", and "So Far So Good". CD

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

Sweet electric magic from Ramsey Lewis – four 70s albums in a single collection! First up is Don't It Feel Good – massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". Tequila Mockingbird is an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! Love Notes is a great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash". CD

Great stuff from global funk phenoms Nomo – deftly blending Afro steeped funk with an astral reach – with more of a spiritual jazz influence and off kilter avant touches! Invisible Cities arrives just about a year since their breakthrough Ghost Rock opened so many doors, and although productivity and consistency have never been a problem with Elliot Bergman & co, we're still pretty awestruck – especially given that Ghost Rock set the bar pretty high! Blazing horns, dynamic rhythms and rapturous percussion galore, with the electric kalimba still defining the group's identity nicely, with lots of sweaty funk, more spacious spiritual jazz atmosphere, and a couple of choice covers – Moondog's "Bumba" gets a bit of Caribbean funk treatment with steel drums, plus a reverent take on Tom Ze's "Ma"! Other tracks include "Invisible Cities", "Waiting", "Crescent", "Patterns", "Elijah" and "Nocturne". CD

Mindblowing work from one of the greatest new groups we've heard in years – Michigan's mighty Nomo, easily one of the greatest Afro Funk combos going! Nomo's got a tightness that surpasses most other heirs to Fela's throne – an intensely focused energy that's really tremendous – and which soars out with some jazzy touches on the horns that move the group into deeply soulful territory! There's way more going on here than just guitar riffing, percussion, and blasting horns – as Nomo's musical vision is really expansive, and often echoes with cosmic touches you never would have heard back in 70s Ethiopia! Electric instruments are used subtly, but really effectively – so that keyboards are matched with weird guitar parts and some especially great electrified gamelan and kalimba lines, the last of which are almost worth the price of the record alone. The whole thing's great – classic in its roots, but creative enough to have a boldly strong voice of its own – and our hats are off to Nomo for blowing us away even more here than with their already-great debut! Titles include "We Do We Go", "Nutones", "Hand & Mouth", "Fourth Ward", "Reasons", "New Song", "Divisions", "Sarvodaya", and "Book Of Right On". CD

The first 2 albums as a leader from keyboardist Patrice Rushen! Prelusion is a great set from Patrice – very different than her later R&B work from the 80s! The record's her first, and at the time, Patrice was much more of a jazz artist – working here with a cool west coast set of players (Joe Henderson on tenor, Hadley Caliman on alto and soprano, and Oscar Brashear on trumpet), playing a range of keyboards, from acoustic and electric piano, to ARP, and clavinet. The tracks are long, and have a wonderfully composed soul jazz vibe – feeling a heck of a lot like work on labels like Strata East, deeply dipping into a soulful bag that's solid and real, with no fakery or tricks to make the mood happen. Includes "Traverse", "Shortie's Portion", "7/73", and "Haw Right Now". Before The Dawn has Patrice working in a groove that's almost like that of Herbie Hancock at the time – using lots of electric piano, clavinet, and synth to craft some mighty fine jazz funk grooves. The group's a monster assemblage of Fantasy jazz players like Hubert Laws, Lee Ritenour, Hadley Caliman, and Harvey Mason – and the session crackles with a tight edge that you'll never find in any of Patrice's later work. Tracks are long, with lots of great spacey grooves, and titles include "Razzia", "Before The Dawn", "Kickin Back", and "Jubilation". Note: CD omits the track "Puttered Bopcorn" from Prelusion – due to space restrictions. CD

A fantastic CD collection – one that brings together all five volumes of Stereolab's Switched On albums in one set – a huge collection of unusual material and rare singles! On the original Switched On record, moog, fuzz, and farfisa have never sounded so great together – and although these guys drank deep of the well of 60s pop magic before making this modern-day classic – they also come off sounding pretty darn original on their own! When this gem of a record first hit the world, it was as if all of us were hearing music from the cosmos for years, but could never find a way to make it part of our everyday lives. Then along come Tim Gane, Laetitia Sadier, and crew – and completely change the world for the better! An album that no home should be without – with titles that include "Contact", "Super-Electric", "Doubt", "Brittle", "Au Grand Jour", "The Way Will Be Opening", and "Changer". Refried Ectoplasm is the second in the holy trinity of "switched on" albums from Stereolab – a set that collects together all the unusual recordings and other side bits the group were doing in the early years of their career – standing strong as a testament to their non-stop efforts to forever push the boundaries of electric fuzzy pop! The vocals Laetitia Sadier are completely sublime – almost a bridge between the darker modes of the previous pop generation and all the new ideas of the world to come – when the rest of rock music would finally catch up to these guys, and realize that the best path to the future is through the past! Titles include "Farfisa", "John Cage Bubblegum", "Tempter", "Exploding Head Movie", "French Disko", "Harmonium", "Revox", "Mountain", and "Sadistic". By the time of Aluminum Tunes (Switched On Vol 3) – it had only been a few years since the previous Switched On set, but Stereolab had already created so much musical magic, they needed a double-length record to keep the whole thing intact! The sound here is somehow getting even more dreamy and wonderful – definitely showing their work with the mighty Sean O'Hagan, and also really opening up into all the many musical ideas that Tim Gane was picking up from his never-ending search for unusual records! The 60s swirl through time and space, and make the future sound even better than we could have imagined it – while the Channel is drained, and England and France become one in a genius marriage of pure pop modes. Titles include "The Extension Trip", "How To Play Your Internal Organs Overnight", "Space Moment", "Iron Man", "The Long Hair Of Death", "One Note Samba/Surfboard", "Percolations", "1000 Miles An Hour", "Klang Tone", and a great take on the theme to "Get Carter". Switched On 4 is full of fantastic sounds from Stereolab – an assortment of rare singles and other unusual recordings that were mostly issued on their own Duophonic label, and which are far more obscure than their bigger label albums during the same period! Even though Stereolab gave the world some undeniable classics in the late 90s and early 00s, they were also working endlessly, and seemed to record more than they could ever fit on a full length set – which resulted in all the cool singles, limited releases, and other material included here – not dusty tapes pulled from the archives, but beautiful work that often returns the group to all the space age charms of their first few records! The package is huge – 25 tracks in all, of varying length – and titles include "Barok Plastik", "Calimero", "Fried Monkey Eggs (voc)", "Solar Throw Away", "Variation One", "Monkey Jelly", "Explosante Fixe", "Jump Drive Shut Out", "The Super-It", "L'Exotisme Interieur", "Pandora's Box Of Worms", "Retrograde Mirror Form", "Nomus E Phusis", "I Feel The Air Of Another Planet", "Outer Bongolia", and "Intervals". Includes tracks from Duophonic 45s, Underground Is Coming EP, Moog, First Of The Microbe Hunters, and work from compilations, unreleased tracks, and even a collaboration with Brigitte Fontaine! Switched On 5 is maybe the coolest entry so far in this really wonderful series – a set that's overflowing with rare and unusual work from Stereolab – most of it done at a time when the group were riding high on a major label, but still managed to issued a huge amount of music on their own, and work in a variety of collaborative settings too! One of our favorite is their work with Nurse With Wound, and tracks from that partnership begin this set – which then moves into rare singles, work with artists, compilation contributions, and plenty more – all with the usual Stereolab charm, but often with a nicely different vibe too! Titles include "Simple Headphone Mind", "Symbolic Logic Of Now", "Magne Music", "Forensic Itch", "Spool Of Collusion", "Robot Riot", "Trippin With The Birds", "Cybele's Reverie (live)", "Nth Degrees, "Refractions In The Plastic Pulse (Autechre Feebate mix)", and "Plastic Mile (original version)". CD

Steve Tibbetts on guitar, kalimba, and tapes, Marcus Wise on tabla, Bob Hughes on bass, Marc Anderson on congas, steel drums, percussion, and berimbau, and vocals from Bruce Henry, Claudia Schmidt, and Jan Reimer. CD

Music from Etran Finatawa, Mariem Hassan, Samba Toure, Ali Hassan Kuban, Bammo Agonla & Tankari, Toureg De Fewed, Anansy Cisse, Wodaabe Women, Mahmoud Fadl, Moudou Ould Mattalla, Abdel Gadir Salim & Emmanuel Jal, Djime Sissoko & Djama Djigui, Tuareg Women, and Salamat. Specal edition also includes a bonus CD from Mamane Barka. CD

A previously-unissued live set from Earth Wind & Fire – recorded during their monumental tour of the US in 1975! The performance captures the group at the height of their powers – working with a tightness that's incredible, especially considering the massive stage setting – hitting grooves that are often even funkier than their studio albums, with an even sharper edge than on the better-known Gratitude live album from the 70s. The choice of tracks is great – and the album's filled with loads of the group's early gems – including "Mighty Mighty", "Kalimba Story", "Yearnin Learnin", "Shining Star", "Happy Feelin", "Evil", "Reasons", and "That's The Way Of The World" – plus a version of "Sun Goddess" with guest keys from Ramsey Lewis! CD

A really wonderful recording from percussionist Kahil El'Zabar and his Ritual Trio – a set that features our favorite incarnation of the group – with the mighty Malachi Favors on bass, and Ari Brown on both soprano sax and piano! Tracks are all nice and long, and build in that beautifully spiritual style that made Kahil one of the real standouts on the Chicago scene in the period – one of the few cats who didn't just go avant for freedom's sake, and instead worked in this open, flowing, soulful style that nobody else was touching at the time! The title cut's a great illustration of this approach – a really beautiful 16 minute cut that draws gentle modal energy from interplay between bass and kalimba, then lets Brown really stretch out over the top – and the other tracks follow strongly, with a wonderfully organic approach. Titles include "Alika Rising", "Why Not", and "Where Do You Want To Go". CD

Kahil El'Zabar on drums, kalimba, flute and vocals, Yosef Ben Israel on bass, Ari Brown on tenor saxophone and piano, and Billy Bang on violin. CD

Kahil El'Zabar on drums, percussion, and kalimba, Ari Brown on tenor saxophone, Billy Bang on electric violin, and Yosef Ben Israel on bass. CD

The first widely-circulated album issued by the stunning saxophonist Muriel Grossman – an artist we've been stocking on imports for the past decade or so, and who quickly became one of or favorites in jazz! If you've not heard Muriel before, this album's a perfect introduction to her music – and if you've been following her already, you'll definitely be pleased – as Grossman really opens up that mix of modal and spiritual styles she does so well – working with an expanded lineup of instrumentation that adds in her own work on flute, percussion, bass, kalimba, harmonium, and tambura next to the core tenor and soprano sax – in a combo that also features great Hammond B3 from Abel Boquera, guitar from Radomir Milojkovic, and drums from Uros Stamenkovic. At times, the organ is used almost in a Larry Young sort of way – but other moments have the instrument in moodier waves of sound, especially when things get slightly exotic – and the double-length set opens up with beautiful tunes throughout, on long selections that include "Mother Of All", "Absolute Truth", "Calm", "Care", "All Heart", "Devotion", and "Knowledge & Wisdom". CD

Subtle genius from Joe Henderson – a wonderfully laidback album that interweaves Latin rhythms, west coast soul jazz, and some slight electric touches – all in a mode that shows Henderson to be one of the deepest thinking players of his scene! All tracks are long and exploratory, without going too far out – and they're done here with a style that's gentler and more introspective than Henderson's first few electric records – but in a way that makes them even more complicated and deeply soulful. Players include Oscar Brashear, George Duke, Luis Gasca, Hadley Caliman, and Mark Levine – but Henderson's tenor is the main guiding force of the set – moodily exploring some wonderful space laid out on the tunes "All Things Considered", "Las Palmas", "Tres Palabras", and "Canyon Lady". CD

Elvin Jones towers above his bandmates on the cover of this 70s classic – and really leads them onward to some great sounds within! The record has a bit more focus and soul than some of Jones' other albums of the period – still quite powerful and dynamic, but with a good adherence to melody, and plenty of room for the group members to open up and make some beautiful sounds – including Pat LaBarbera and Michael Stuart on soprano and tenor sax, and Roland Prince on guitar! The twin reed players are wonderful – and work together in ways that are different than some of Elvin's records at the start of the 70s – and titles include "Kalima", "Section 8", "Giraffe", and "Familiar Ground". CD

A double-length set that showcases the ever-growing, ever-evolving talents of drummer Quin Kirchner – working here in a variety of settings with help from some other great talents on the Chicago scene! Most of these tunes have a core sense of structure – and even when Quin is improvising more freely, he still finds a way to swing – working here on conventional drums, other percussion instruments, and even a bit of kalimba too – alongside a mix of players that includes Nick Broste on trombone, Nate Lepine on tenor and flute, Nick Mazzarella on alto, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Greg Ward on alto, Rob Clearfield on piano, and Matt Ulery on bass. Many numbers have a spacious, ambitious vibe – almost spiritual jazz, of a quality that really has us respecting Kirchner more than ever – and the double space of the album is really needed to allow this majestic message the room to unfold properly. Titles include "Ecliptics", "King Korn", "Jupiter Moon", "Horizons", "At This Point In Time", "Bata Chop", "Pathways", "Star Cluster", and "Moon Vision". CD

Wonderful work from Pockets – a group who started out more in a jazzy mode, but who here have emerged as a fully-formed, soaringly soulful group that's a perfect fit for the Kalmiba Productions style of the late 70s! As you probably know, Kalimba's the production arm of the Earth Wind & Fire empire – and Pockets fit here right in tight with their groove – a nice little sidebar, definitely with their own spirit – but filled with that sense of perfection that wraps together funk, soul, and jazz with equal emphasis on all three styles! There's some great harmony vocals in the mix too – crafted with the care of contemporaneous groups like Side Effect or Creative Source – and titles include "Your Heart's In Trouble", "Bye Bye", "Catch Me", "So Delicious", "How Do You Think It Feels?", "Charisma", and "Baby Are You Coming Home With Me". CD

Excellent work from Flora Purim – one of the wonderful west coast bits of Braziliana recorded in the Fantasy Records studios during the mid 70s! The record's a perfect example of the greatness that arose when Brazil's best talents had the chance to work with some of America's best jazz and fusion players – a sublime fusion of talents that resulted in a groove that would dominate the west coast scene for most of the 70s. In this case, Flora's backed by a great group that includes Hadley Caliman, Oscar Castro-Neves, Carlos Santana, Ron Carter, George Duke, Earl Klugh, and Airto – and the set includes a great choice of breezy numbers, perfect for Flora's vocals, like "Vera Cruz", "Silver Sword", "Casa Forte", "Mountain Train", and "Search For Peace". CD

Omar Sosa on grand piano, percussion, vocals and kalimba; Christophe Minck on double bass, moof voyager, synths and modular effects; and Steve Arguelles on drums, percussion and simmon drums. CD

A huge collection of work from Steve Tibbetts – a guitarist who really helped open up the sound of ECM Records in the 70s, then kept on exploring music that was always at the fringes of jazz and other styles too! The package is put together by Steve himself, and features key moments from ECM and other labels, plus what might be some newer recordings too – although it's a bit hard to tell from the notes. What we can say, though, is that the 3CD set has a huge amount of music 49 tracks in all – divided up into three different modes! CD1 features Acoustibbetts – sounds from those early years, when Steve's first instrument was the acoustic guitar, mixed with other elements on kalimba and piano, inflected with a larger sense of space on percussion and a bit of bass. CD2 features Elektrobitts – from a time when Steve was using some electronic instrumentation with the same open ear he brought to acoustic guitar – and mixing things with just the right organic elements on percussion, bass, and a bit of voice from Claudia Schmidt. CD3 moves into farther global territory as Exotibbetts – evoking both ECM and 4AD styles of space and sound, mixing instrumental passages with some more exotic elements – but always with that understated sonic quality that Steve brings to his music. CD

A really sweet late effort from bluesy soul singer and sax player Eddie Cleanhead Vinson – his dawn of the 70s comeback! Cleanhead covered a whole lot of stylistic range in earlier years, from big band vocalist, to R&B shouter, to bebop era alto sax player – and he comfortably displays that range here, albeit in a loose, easygoing soul mode – backed by a great group of session players that includes Joe Pass, Artie Butler, Arthur Wright and Plas Johnson. Bob Thiele produced, and the titles include "Cleanhead Blues", "Pass Out", "Alimony Blues", "Cleanhead Is Back", "Juice Head Baby", "Old Maid Boogie", "One O'Clock Humph" and "I Needs To Be Be'd Wid". This great Ace CD version includes 3 bonus tracks: live versions of "Cleanhead Blues", "I Had A Dream" and "Person To Person". CD

Just the right sort of setting to unlock all the majestic power of David S Ware at his best – that tremendously soulful tone on tenor, and one that rivals Billy Harper when operating at a level of this nature! The performance is a live one, and features Ware in the company of guitarist Joe Morris, drummer Warren Smith, and bassist William Parker – the last of whom provides that trademark pulse that always seems to set Ware on fire – an inspiring sort of rhythm that really pushes his horn to searing, searching new heights! Tracks are all quite long, with a spiritual feel – and Ware also plays a bit of kalimba on the record, which is always a nice touch. Titles include "Nataraj", "Reflection", "Namah", "Crossing Samsara", "Shakti", and "Antidromic". CD

Classic work from Chuck Wayne – one of the most overlooked jazz guitarists of his day! The album's a very laidback trio set – just guitar, bass, and drums – and Chuck plays in these blocks of color and tone – very much like Wes Montgomery, but a bit more fast paced and with some weird touches that make the album more interesting than you'd expect. Titles include "See Saw", "Shalimar", "Alone At Last", "The Song Is You", "Lovely", "I'll Get Along", and "Lil Darlin". CD

Includes music by Charles Sonko, Salim Abdullah, Kussow Kurtumwaarey, New Star Orchestra, Depiano & Orchestra Beguen Band, Francis Bebey, Professional Uhuru, and more – 23 tracks total. CD

James Brown left a mighty legacy in soul music over the years – not just his own recordings, but a host of other great work inspired by his own genius – recorded by artists who all do a pretty darn good job of copping his groove! This excellent set looks at the prime years of that legacy – the late 60s/early 70s funky 45 underground, which was filled with James Brown-inspired tunes from a variety of artists from all over the country. Yet like most attempts to imitate genius, the real charm here is when the groups go slightly wrong – when they step out of line from straight JB copycatism, and bring either their own genius, or own mistakes into play on the tracks. Compiler Gilles Petard has done a wonderful job of pulling together the best of these tracks – tunes that start out sounding a lot like James Brown, but nicely take a left turn somewhere along the way – often with surprising results! And almost even better, many of these numbers veer into real James Brown jamming territory – that great "part 2" that was almost the better part of the James Brown legacy than part 1! As with the label's Absolute Funk series, there's full notes on the music, as well as dates and original single release information – on titles that include "I Found You" by James Hanns & The Soul Entertainers, "I Can't Stand Myself" by Mona Lisa, "Funk Line (parts 1 & 2)" by Fabulous Shalimars, "Sh'Mon" by Mr Dynamite, "Soul Brother's Testify (parts 1 & 2)" by Chester Randle's Soul Senders, "Sock A Poo Poo 69 (parts 1 & 2)" by Maurice McKinnies & The Champions, "Country Girl" by Gino & The Gentlemen, and "I'm A Love Man With A Love Plan" by Jules & The Dynamics. CD

One jazz legend pays tribute to another – as percussionist Kahil El Zabar leads his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble through a set of tracks that really take on the wide-spanning legacy of the great Don Cherry – from his early years with Ornette Coleman, to his European world jazz experiments, to his enduring sonic creations over the years! Kahil is every bit as much of a musical experimentalist as Cherry – and his leadership here is perfect – pulling together contributions from Corey Wilkes on trumpet, David Ornette Cherry on piano, Alex Harding on baritone, and Dwight Trible on voice – all players who also pick up percussion and other instruments, in the best Cherry tradition. Kahil handles a wide array of percussion, including balafon and kalimba – and also adds some of his great vocalizations to the proceedings – in a set of tracks that includes "Degi Degi", "Sketches Of A Love Supreme", "Lonely Woman", "Harvest Time", "Spirit Gatherer", "Holy Man", and "Evocation". CD

A gem of a record from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – one of our favorite jazz musicians of the past 20 years, and an artist who just seems to be growing and growing with each new release! This set picks up on the organic, meditative quality of some of Halsall's recent records – but it also has a bit more bite, and is maybe almost a return to the roots of his earliest records on the Gondwana label – those classics that first made us fall in love with his music over a decade ago, and which made Matthew a real front-runner of the current global spiritual jazz underground! The set's got this very rich presentation – as the leader's work on trumpet is mixed with harp from Maddie Herbert, flute and tenor from Matt Cliffe, piano and kalimba from Livin Gheorghe, and great use of percussion, bass, and drums – all on long tracks that build with the best sort of post-Coltrane energy – titles that include "Joyful Spirits Of The Universe", "Mindfulness Meditations", "Tropical Landscapes", "Harmony With Nature", and "The Energy Of Life". CD

A tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold". CD

A true treasure from this righteous Philly collective – a group who only issued one album in the 70s, and who finally double their catalog with the release of this rare performance from 1973! Sounds Of Liberation have this all-star lineup of musicians who did great work in Philadelphia and elsewhere – with Khan Jamal on vibes, Monette Sudler on guitar, and Omar Hill and Rashid Salim on percussion – working alongside some great work on flute and alto from Byard Lancaster, heavy bass from Billy Mills, and just the right touch of drums from Dwight James! The style here is maybe tighter, and occasionally more funky than on their one self-titled album – but the group also stretch out strongly too – hitting all the right spots in this forward-thinking blend of spiritual jazz modes, of the sort that would have made them a huge 70s ensemble, had they held on and found the right venue. Titles include the extended "New Horizon", plus "Badi", "Sweet Evil Mist", "Thoughts", and "Keno". CD

Features 18 short tracks Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Art Pepper, AK Salim, Frank Wess, Kenny Clarke, and Milt Jackson CD