A fantastic lost slice of work from reedman Yusef Lateef – a performance recorded at the legendary Ronnie Scott's club in London, with backing from a trio that features the wonderful Stan Tracey! Tracey was a committed modernist who really helped shape the sound of the UK scene at the time – and his pairing here with Lateef is wonderful, as Stan seems to bring out some of the most spiritual, most exotic sounds from the saxphonist – shaping the music with his own creative and angular work on piano. Yusef blows flute, tenor, shenai, and xun – and overall, the whole thing's got a vibe that really takes us back to the brilliance of his late 50s sessions for Savoy – done with the same mix of modernism, exoticism, and soul. Titles include "Song Of Delilah", "Last Night Blues", "Yusef's Mood", "Angel Eyes", and "Blues For The Orient". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record from Chicago musician/artist Damon Locks – maybe the album he's been waiting his entire life to make – and the first to really bring together the mighty sum of his many talents! The material was recorded live in performance at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory – at an event that also included a group of singers and dancers to augment the musical performance – in a setting that gives Damon's majestic vision the proper setting it really deserves! Locks himself moves between electronics and vocal performances – in a core instrumental group that's heavy on drums and percussion from Dana Hall, clarinets from Angel Bat Dawid, and more percussion from Arif Smith – making music that's even more beautiful when the singers come into the mix, and take the energy to the sky with a very cosmic, righteous vibe. Locks has given us a glimpse of his vision in artwork, music, and writings over the years – but this time around, it feels like we're seeing the full scope at once – with more power and meaning than ever before. Titles include "Solar Power", "Rebuild A Nation", "Which I Believe It Will", "The Colors That You Bring", "The Future", "From A Spark To A Fire", "Black Monument Theme", and "Sounds Like Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Joni Mitchell's second album, and the one where she really seemed to find her voice – quickly moving past the more folk-styled music of her roots, into that special territory that was very much her own! The album has some incredibly deep songwriting for such a young artist – tunes that are unabashedly full of love, wonder, and worry – graced with acoustic guitar and those amazing vocals – exploding into sunshine and life with a power that still holds up strongly after all these years! Stephen Stills plays bass and guitar on the record, but Joni clearly doesn't need any superstar help at all – as she shines brilliantly on titles that include "Both Sides Now", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Chelsea Morning", "Tin Angel", "That Song About The Midway", "Songs To Aging Children Come", and "I Think I Understand". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic Arkestra live set from the end of the 80s – beautifully recorded, and put together with a lot more dynamic energy than some of the less professional Sun Ra live dates from the time! The set runs for nearly an hour in length, and tracks are long, but often quite focused – served up with a good deal of soulfulness in both the rhythms and horn work, as well as some of that Ellington-inspired tightness that marked Ra's best later years. Players include Michael Ray, John Gilmore, Tyrone Hill, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and Ahmed Abdullah – and titles include "Astro Black", "If You Came From Nowhere Here", "Can You Take It", "Angel Race/I Will Wait For You", "Cosmo Approach Prelude", and "Interstellar Lo-Ways". LP, Vinyl record album

Venezuela had some pretty amazing sounds going on in the early 80s, and this album from electronic musician Angel Rada is definitely a great example of the diversity of the scene! Rada works in a style that echoes some of the hippest European experiments of the late 70s – particularly some of the best of the German artists on Sky Records – but his overall approach is looser, and more distinctive – almost as if he's using his electronics to plumb space in an experimental way – music that might be the perfect soundtrack for some sort of spacecraft approaching and exploring an unknown planet! Titles include "Basheeba", "Video Game", "Panico A Las 5am", "Upadesa", "Carrillon", and "Asesinato Musical". LP, Vinyl record album

A less tense and caustic Roots than the crew that hit us on the majority of Rising Down a couple years earlier – and this one's as strong of an album as they've delivered since moving over to Def Jam. In truth, we were a little scared when we saw some of the guests credited – Monsters Of Folk, John Legend, Joanna Newsom and other headscratchers on top of more likely collaborators such as Phonte, Blu, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw – it gets over very, very well here! How I Got Over is a Roots effort through and through, with contemplative and soulful tracks that simmer and stew in tried and true fashion. The tracks with those indie rock guests turn out to be among the Roots-iest tracks on the record. Believe that! So you can rest easy, the Roots are The Roots here, just what we wanted and just what we get! Includes "A Peace Of Light" feat Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle, "Walk Alone" feat Truck North, PORN & Dice Raw, "Now Or Never" with Phonte & Dice Raw, "Dear God 2.0" with Monsters Of Folk, "The Day" feat Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash, "Doin It Again", "Tunnel Vision" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best tracks ever from the pair of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – some of most righteous, authoritative and thematically heavy soul music ever created – compiled in one incredible set! Messianic, emotive vocals from Gil and stunningly restrained, magical soul jazz arrangements from Brian – words can't express how dynamic these tunes are! Great stuff from classic LPs such as Winter In America, It's Your World, First Minute Of A New Day, Secrets and more! 15 tracks in all: "The Bottle", "It's Your World", "Johannesburg", "Winter In America", "The Liberation (Red, Black & Green)", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is (Live)", "We Almost Lost Detroit", "Angel Dust", "Show Bizness", "Madison Avenue", "Shut 'Em Down", "Alien (Hold On To Your Dreams)". LP, Vinyl record album

Archie Shepp is one of the most unique players in jazz – an artist who started out completely avant at the beginning of his career, then moved to spiritual jazz explorations, then to straighter jazz material in later decades – but always with all that knowledge of the edges and farther realms of jazz he explored in his other music! That's definitely the case here – as Shepp takes on a host of ballads, but with all these edges and dark passages that are completely different than you'd hear from any other player – cast beautifully with help from Horace Parlan on piano, Wayne Dockery on bass, and Steve McRaven on drums. Shepp blows alto and tenor, and in addition to the titles "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Lush Life", "Angel Eyes", "All Too Soon", and "Embraceable You" – the set also features Shepp originals "Deja Vu" and "I Know About The Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A really moody album from drummer Tyshawn Sorey – one that features a straightish jazz approach, but on really long songs that take a form that's all their own! The set's a trio date – recorded with Aaron Diehl on piano and Matt Brewer on bass – but the music is hardly standard piano trio fare, as there's a sense of pacing and spacing that really gives the record a unique vibe – something that's maybe not that much of a surprise, given how unique Sorey's music can be! Titles include "Reincarnation Blues", "Angel Eyes", "Seleritus", and a great reading of "In What Direction Are You Headed" – which was penned by Harold Mabern, and initially done on Lee Morgan's last album. LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record from a Japanese band who answered to nobody else – a combo who could come on with the ferocity of James Gang or some of their contemporaries, but also hit some even wilder, more experimental moments too – something they definitely do here in the space of the double-length of the album – which mixes full-on jammers full of fuzz and bluesy riffs with some of the weirder moments you might find on the farther reaches of The Beatles' White Album! Vocals are all in English, and given that the album was issued on Atlantic, we're not sure why they never tried to push these guys bigger in the states – as they're better than most of the rest of the period. Titles include "Sniffin & Snortin", "Run And Hide", "Bad Woman", "Red Doll", "Flat Fret Swing", "Calm Down", "Search For Love", "Wanna Take You You", and "Song For An Angel". LP, Vinyl record album

A pop masterpiece from UK soul singer Lewis Taylor – easily his tightest album to date! The set's got a magical feel that reminds us strongly of our favorites from 70s radio on both sides of the Atlantic – warmly compressed instrumentation that slides in nicely alongside the vocals, sunnily grooving in a sound that's incredibly well-crafted, yet also extremely personal. The production is light years ahead of that on Lewis' other self-released albums – at a level that rivals the best studio work from LA or London in the early 70s, and which firmly pushes Lewis out of the indie Neo Soul ghetto, into a style that's much more in the vein of classic AOR pop. The whole thing's a real departure from Lewis' other work – which may turn off a few folks, but which has us appreciating his talents more than ever! Titles include "Send Me An Angel", "Listen Here", "Lost", "New Morning", "Yeah", "Please Help Me If You Can", "One More Mystery", and "Say I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking album by soul singer Lewis Taylor – his first self-released album, issued on his own after parting company from Island Records! The album's incredible – every bit as great as the albums Lewis Taylor 1 & 2 – and in fact even better, as Lewis has a lot more freedom here to explore his own ideas. The sound is a blend of compressed rhythm and keys, filtered with Lewis' excellent vocals – deeply soulful, and instantly captivating, steeped in a tradition that stretches back to Marvin Gaye, and which makes him one of the best underground soul singers alive today. Songs are sweet, slow, slinky, and seductive – coming off amazingly well, with a deeply soulful production style that's handled a heck of a lot better than the cover! In fact, if the silly cover art's making you worry that the album won't be great, even if you're a fan of Lewis' other work – don't worry, because the music is the thing that really matters, and the whole album here is top-shelf! Titles include "Send Me An Angel", "Stoned", "Shame", "Til The Morning Light", "Positively Beautiful", "Lovelight", and "Sheneverdid". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – and one of the funkiest albums that Ike Turner ever recorded – done during a late 60s moment when his fame with Tina Turner was really on the rise – but much more like some funky 45 take on the pre-Tina work he'd been doing in the 50s! This set's a batch of obscure funky instrumentals – and sounds like a strong compilation of rare 45s, filled with hard funky drums, nice breaks, and plenty of super-tight grooves. Nearly every cut's a winner – and titles include "Black Angel", "Black Beauty", "Freedom Sound", "Ghetto Funk", "Funky Mule", "Nuttin' Up", "Scotty Souling", and "Thinking Black". With titles like that, you know the cuts have got to be good – and for one of the few times in his career, Ike actually delivers the funky goods! LP, Vinyl record album

Post-Suicide work from Alan Vega, and a set that's got a surprisingly tuneful quality at times – while still making the best of that completely unique voice that Vega brought to his famous collaborations with Martin Rev! Instead of Rev, the set actually features Ric Ocasek on keyboards, and also production – and we're stunned at how much Ocasek is willing to get into Vega's groove, instead of push him into more pop-oriented territory – so that the record is way colder, cooler, and groovier than anything The Cars would ever give the world at the time! Vega's still got a great punky edge in his vocals, which come through wonderfully – and titles include "Kid Congo", "Video Babe", "Saturn Drive", "Goodbye Darling", "Je T'Adore", "Angel", and "Wipeout Beat". LP, Vinyl record album

Delicate dissonance, bruised beauty, and hazy noise pop – all in one of the best rock albums ever made – the amazing first album from the Velvet Underground and Nico! The album's the stuff of legend – and for good reason, too – a surprising slab of vinyl that barely set the world on its ear when first issued back in the mid 60s – yet a record that's gone onto have an influence felt for decades to come – arguably one of the most important rock records of all time. There's a really sinister edge to the record, even when things are sweet – and the range of subject matter and handling here is brilliant – from the dream pop slice of heaven "Sunday Morning", the melodic bitterness of "Femme Fatale", the massive White Light-esque freakout "European Son", and the sublime "Heroin" – quite possibly the inspiration for generations of drug use to come. The whole thing's a classic – with wonderful vocals from both Nico and Lou Reed – and titles include "Venus In Furs", "Run Run Run", "Black Angel's Death Song", "I'll Be Your Mirror", and "All Tomorrow's Parties". LP, Vinyl record album

A unique mid 60s Chess session from Muddy Waters – one with a very different feel than usual, and a good dose of soul too! As you might guess from the title, Muddy gets some full backings on this set – not exactly a large brass section, but a set of Chicago soul-styled backings handled by Gene Barge and Charles Stepney – grooves which, when mixed with his own bluesy guitar and vocals, creates a feel that's a bit like some of the Little Milton Chess work from the same time – blues, but with a current of some of the deeper, headier soul styles that were coming out of the Chicago scene as it was hitting that new level of sophistication in the 60s. Titles include "Hard Loser", "Going Back To Memphis", "Trouble In Mind", "Sweet Little Angel", and "Take My Advice". LP, Vinyl record album

Earl McGrath looks pretty darn cool on the cover, and from all reports he was a pretty darn cool guy in the 70s too – head of Rolling Stones Records, and friend and confidant to some very hip folks in the music industry! After Earl passed, a closet full of unreleased tapes was discovered at his home – really wonderful material by artists big and small, brought together here in a treasure trove of tracks that give us a whole different look at the 70s! Given the obscurity, most titles are demo recordings with lean instrumentation – but that quality makes the work by big stars even more interesting, and really delivers the best work of the special singer/songwriters that McGrath would always champion. Titles include "Cocaine Cowboy" and "Gonna California" by Terry Allen, "California" by Mark Rodney, "Baby Come Closer" and "Dry In The Sun" by Hall & Oates, "Funky But Chic" by David Johansen, "Tension" by Jim Carroll, "Oh La La" by Shadow, "Christopher" by Michael McCarty, "Holy Commotion" by Paul Potash, "Sail Away" by Jabor, "Invisible Lady" by Johnny Angel, "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" by Blood Brothers Six, and "Salt Showers" by Len & Betsy Green. LP, Vinyl record album

A huge document of work from LA's Consolidated Productions – a company you might not know by name, but one who issued work on a number of tiny indie labels – including City Lights, Simco, Space, Velvet, Angel Town, and many other labels! The set is heavy on 60s soul in a variety of styles – and features group harmonies, deep soul singers, and even some instrumental work too – all with qualities that are very much in the best modes that the Chicago scene was recording at the time – sophisticated, but gritty too – and with a vibe that's way past the 60s soul hits you'll find on mainstream compilations! You'll recognize a few names here – including Gene Russell, later of Black Jazz fame – and there's a fair bit of obscure artists too – in a set list of 28 tracks that include "Misery" by The DeVelles, "Cool It Baby" by BB Carter, "I'm Mad" by Spider Walker, "Money Man" by LA Untouchables, "I Got To See My Baby" by Lee Jones, "Jet Set" and "Doin The Snake Hips" by Gene Russell's Trio, "Don't You Fool Me" by Ann Stacy, "My Lover" by Marilyn Calloway & The 4 Silvertones, "Lighten Up Baby" by Ty Karim, "Turkey Trot" by Dynamic Duo & The Penguiness, "False Pride" and "Prove It" by Lee Harvey, and "So Called Friend" by Billy Williams. LP, Vinyl record album

A huge document of work from LA's Consolidated Productions – a company you might not know by name, but one who issued work on a number of tiny indie labels – including City Lights, Simco, Space, Velvet, Angel Town, and many other labels! The set is heavy on 60s soul in a variety of styles – and features group harmonies, deep soul singers, and even some instrumental work too – all with qualities that are very much in the best modes that the Chicago scene was recording at the time – sophisticated, but gritty too – and with a vibe that's way past the 60s soul hits you'll find on mainstream compilations! You'll recognize a few names here – including Gene Russell, later of Black Jazz fame – and there's a fair bit of obscure artists too – in a set list of 28 tracks that include "Misery" by The DeVelles, "Cool It Baby" by BB Carter, "I'm Mad" by Spider Walker, "Money Man" by LA Untouchables, "I Got To See My Baby" by Lee Jones, "Jet Set" and "Doin The Snake Hips" by Gene Russell's Trio, "Don't You Fool Me" by Ann Stacy, "My Lover" by Marilyn Calloway & The 4 Silvertones, "Lighten Up Baby" by Ty Karim, "Turkey Trot" by Dynamic Duo & The Penguiness, "False Pride" and "Prove It" by Lee Harvey, and "So Called Friend" by Billy Williams. LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from the Jamaican scene – a set that includes cuts by artists who'd later record classic tracks in the rocksteady years, but who here are working in a much different mode! The title is plenty apt, but only gets at part of the sound – as this isn't straight doo wop as you'd know from the American scene, but instead some early group harmony – of the sort that would flourish even more strongly on famous Jamaican trio recordings of the late 60s – handled here with much more stripped-down instrumentation, and a shifting set of rhythms that mixes US influences with other more Caribbean modes. Titles include "Muriel" by Alton & Eddie, "Dearest Darling" by Jiving Juniors, "Til The End Of Time" by Chuck & Dobby, "Dearest Beverly" by Jimmy Cliff, "Heavenly Angel" by Laurel Aitken, "Do You Know" by Owen & Millie, "I'm Going Back" by The Charmers, "Diamonds & Pearls" by Dobby Dobson, and "Album Of Memory" by The Mellowlarks. LP, Vinyl record album

A third healthy dose of music from the early years of the Jamaican scene – work that's a direct precursor to the trio group soul mode of the rocksteady years, and which provides a great bridge into the way that American soul music went on to have such a strong influence on reggae! The "doo wop" in the title is key here – as these tracks are definitely heavy on harmonies and lighter on instrumentation – very much tied to American expressions of the genre, and delivered by artists who'd both go on to later fame, and disappear in the shifting sands of time. Titles include "My Heaven" by Alton & Eddie, "Sweet As An Angel" by Jiving Juniors, "First Time We Met" by Annette & Shenley, "Dream Girl" by Ricketts & Rowe, "Don't You Know" by The Moonlighters, "I'll Always Call Your Name" by Belltones, "Never Go Away" by Wilfred Jackie Edwards, "Change Of Mind" by Higgs & Wilson, and "I've Done You Wrong" by The Blues Busters. LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite record labels of all time finally gets its due – in a wonderful package that not only brings together some of the coolest cuts from the legendary French imprint Saravah Records, but also tells the story behind the company and it's groundbreaking approach to music! Saravah was born from the fame of Francis Lai's soundtrack for A Man & A Woman (Un Homme Et Une Femme), and from the lyrical contributions of Pierre Barouh – but immediately after, the company began pursuing a musical path like no other – taking on strands of jazz, world music, and the hippest styles in France – and creating new music that was unlike anything that had ever been recorded! Some of the best moments from the legendary label are here – including tracks that have the Art Ensemble of Chicago working with singers – Marva Broome on "Mystifying Mama", Alfred Panou on "Je Suis Un Sauvage", and Brigitte Fontaine on "Comme A La Radio" – plus more titles that include "Monsieur Chimpanze" by Michel Roques, "Sicilienne" by Maurice Vander, "Delhi Daily" by Baroque Jazz Trio, "Le Bruit Et Le Bruit" by Beatrice Arnac, "EDF Power" by EDF, "Trane's Call" by Georges Arvanitas, "Saudade" by Pierre Barouh & Baden Powell, "Je Jouais Le Piano" by Jacques Higelin, "Desert Angel" by Cohelmec Ensemble, and "80 AB" by Areski. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Incredible female pop from 60s France – not weepy ballads or old school Paris numbers, but the kind of hip-snapping, all-groovy material that made the 60s French scene so great! Loads of these tracks are new to our ears (and we love French grooves a lot!) – and this volume of the series seems to dig even deeper than before – through a range of rare 7" EP material and singles, to come up with some killer tracks that will move way beyond the bigger cuts you might know from Francoise Hardy or Brigitte Bardot. The production and instrumentation is superb throughout – often with these funky currents that make these tracks feel years ahead of their time – and as usual with Ace, the whole presentation is great – from ultra-clear sound through full notes on the music too. Titles include "Rouge Rouge" by Christie Laume, "Pour La Gloire" by Annie Philippe, "Demain" by Zouzou, "Cours Si Tu As Peur" by Fabienne, "A La Fin De La Soiree" by Sheila, "Cette Nuit" by Pussycat, "Angel Of Sin" by Charlotte Walters, "Les Prisons De Sa Majeste" by Delphine, and "Le Nenuphar" by Stone. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark double-live album that was easily one of the most important soul record moments of the 70s! The concert was an all-star event held in LA to celebrate the anniversary of the Watts riots – but it features a killer lineup of talent from the roster of Stax Records – by then a proud independent with more than enough power to spread a nationwide message from Memphis to Los Angeles without any trouble! The record is nicely segmented – so that it offers up mini "sets" by each artist – really recreating the feel of the event, at a level that lived on in countless living rooms long after the concert was over. Titles include "Son Of Shaft/Feel It" and "I Can't Turn You Loose" by The Bar-Kays; "Ain't No Sunshine" by Isaac Hayes, "I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To" and "Hearsay" by The Soul Children, "I Like What You're Doing To Me" and "Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas; "The Breakdown" and "Do The Funky Penguin" by Rufus Thomas, "Killing Floor" and "Angel Of Mercy" by Albert King"; "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers; and "Knock On Wood" by Eddie Floyd. Also includes 2 studio tracks recorded after the show – "Oh La De Da" by The Staple Singers, and "Lay Your Loving On Me" by Eddie Floyd. LP, Vinyl record album

Music as lively and colorful as the image on the cover – upbeat work from the second half of the 80s scene in South Africa – music that has a very positive vibe overall, and a sound that's perfect for the mix of keyboards and beats used in the rhythms! The styles here are those which were borrowed – or plundered – by artists in the mainstream up north – but these are the tracks that really made the SA scene back in the day, and have a wonderful blend of synth, basslines, and vocals that often trade back and forth nicely – warming up the music a lot more than you'd expect! Titles include "Crocodile's Rock" by Black Moses, "I Was Born In Africa" by Richie S, "Blackout" by Tools & Figs, "Dayshift" by Dieketseng, "Ximamane" by Joy White, "Chomesa" by Chicco, "Nwananga Washanesera" by Joe Masunga, "Pusa Twala" by Sky Jinx, "Khombora Mina" by Paul Ndlovu, "Johnny Boy" by The Angels, "Don't Follow Me" by Mafika, and "Special Angel" by Babsy Mlangeni. LP, Vinyl record album