Definitely the high point of the Fatback band's later career, after they'd abbreviated their name, and adopted a slicker sound. One of our favorite bottom heavy 80s jams, from the cusp of the era. 7-inch, Vinyl record

The clubby jazz funk debut of Freeez – plus the Anti-Freeez remix album from a couple years later – issued together along with even more bonus material in this great 2CD set! Dancefloor ready live band grooving is the warmly beating heart of the Freeez sound at this early point – with heated drums and killer basslines driving it – clearly influenced by late 70s international club sounds, but with this great, tight energy and dexterous musicianship that could only come from a real, functioning, true band. Nice stuff! Disc One includes the original album & remixes: "Mariposa (Butterfly)", "Caribbean Winter", "Easy On The Onions", "Sunset", "Flying High", "Roller Chase", "First Love" and more from the original, plus bonus tracks including "Ainti-Freeez (Set Me Free) – Disco Version", "Fly By Night", "Flying High (12" Remix)" and more. Disc Two includes early singles, demos, instrumentals and the complete Anti-Freeez remix album from 1984 – with "Keep In Touch", "Hot Footing It", "Stay", "Roller Chase (1984 Remix)", "Alone (1984 Remix)", "One To One (1984 Remix)", "Caribbean Winter (1984 Remix)", "Say You Will Be My Lover (Previously Unreleased Demo)" and more. 30 tracks on 2CDs. CD

A cool re-creation of the best soundtrack modes of Fabio Frizzi – particularly his scores for the films of Lucio Fulci! The performance is a live one, but done with a very classic vibe – played by a small combo that mixes keyboards, guitar, and rhythms with some light strings to really capture the creepy vibe of Frizzi's best soundtrack material – served up here in a mix of instrumental tracks that occasionally feature vocals – with music from the films Manhattan Baby, Zombi 2, Paura Nella Citta Dei Morti Viventi, Beware Of Darkness, and more! Titles include "Bunny Love Song", "Silver Saddle", "Baby Sequence" (numbers 1-4), "Zombi 2", "Wast It All In Vain", "Rusth Games", "Luca Il Contrabbandiere", "Voci Dal Nulla" and more. CD

Man, if there's an unpopped bass left in the house after this one's through, we'll be surprised! The Gap Band were one of the bigger bass-heavy funk acts of the early 80s – and Polygram did all their fans a favor by culling together the 12" mixes of some of their bigger cuts. The set includes the perennial sample favorite "Outstanding", plus "You Dropped A Bomb On Me", "Party Train", "I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance", and "Burn Rubber". LP, Vinyl record album

Original, rare and/or extended versions of classic chart funk by the Gap Band! The set features original vinyl versions of the cuts, many available for the first time on CD! Tracks include "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" (original 12" mix), "Burn Rubber", "Early In The Morning" (original 12" mix), "Party Train" (original 12" special dance mix), "Outstanding" (original 12" mix), "I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance (Oops), "Shake" (original 12" disco version), and "Humpin". CD

Massive music in a wonderful package – three funky classics from The Gap Band! First up is the group's self-titled album from 1979 – the start of the legendary second chapter for the Gap Band – the point when the group had reemerged as the tight funky trio of the Wilson Brothers, with a groove that would really set them up nicely for the 80s! This first album in the new format has a wonderfully tight feel – still plenty of sharp edges that echo their earlier groove, but a leaner quality too – one that's got the bass and drums snapping together wonderfully, really setting the tone for the heaviest grooves. There's also a few mellower cuts too – which really sound great, and give the record the same sort of balance you might hear on work by Heaven & Earth at the time. War's Lonnie Simmons produced – and held the cash bag all the way to the bank! Titles include "I'm In Love", "Got To Get Away", "Messin With My Mind", "Shake", "Baby Baba Boogie", "Open Your Mind Wide", and "I Can Sing". Gap Band II features mean, lean grooves from The Gap Band – a legendary batch of mainstream funk from the end of the 70s – and a record that really has the trio working at the top of their game! There's a wonderful balance here between funky numbers and mellow ones – the latter of which really help pace the record nicely, giving it a depth that takes the group way beyond the cliches of some of their contemporaries, and firmly establishing the Gap Band as one to watch for the 80s! Titles include the massive "I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up & Dance" – with its classic "Oops Upside Your Head" refrain – plus "Who Do You Call", "No Hiding Place", "Steppin Out", "You Are My High", and "Party Lights". Gap Band III is sagreat one from the Gap Band – funky gems and sinister groovers – the best of both worlds for the group! Tunes like "Burn Rubber On Me (When You Want To Hurt Me)" and "Humpin" packed 80s dance floors for good reason, and put the band in steady rotation, while numbers like "Yearning For Your Love" showed the band could drop the tempo, stretch out a bit, and deliver the mighty mellow. This one's certainly at the top of the heap of 80s groovers, as far as we're concerned – a record that really took the Gap Band over the top! Other tracks include "Nothin' Comes To The Sleepers", "Are You Living", "The Way", "Gash Gash Gash" and more. CD

A great one from the Gap Band – funky gems and sinister groovers – the best of both worlds for the group! Tunes like "Burn Rubber On Me (When You Want To Hurt Me)" and "Humpin" packed 80s dance floors for good reason, and put the band in steady rotation, while numbers like "Yearning For Your Love" showed the band could drop the tempo, stretch out a bit, and deliver the mighty mellow, too. This one's certainly at the top of the heap of 80s groovers, as far as we're concerned – a record that really took the Gap Band over the top! Other tracks include "Nothin' Comes To The Sleepers", "Are You Living", "The Way", "Gash Gash Gash" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Here you go – every groover you'd ever want by the Gap Band, on one CD! Titles include "Burn Rubber", "You Dropped A Bomb On Me", "Shake", "Yearning For Your Love", "Outstanding", and "Party Train". Whomp that bass! CD

A killer Mirwood bit of northern soul – solo work from Bobby Garrett, usually heard in a duo but plenty great here on his own – bringing this raspy charm that keeps the tune nicely down to earth, even when the arrangements and backing vocals really soar! Those elements get plenty of play on the flipside – an all instrumental romp that follows the groove of the main track! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A fantastic rare album cut by Stan Getz in Europe! The session features Getz as the main soloist with the Clarke-Boland Big Band, and the overall sound is an incredible chapter in both the career of Getz and the CBBB. Given that most of the CBBB's soloists had a sharp angular sound, Getz's softer tenor approach is a real change for the group, and it's wonderful to hear the way that he floats around their driving arrangements – never getting lost in the mix, and instead adding whole new ranges of tones and color to their trademark sound. The set features 6 original compositions – including "Extravagances", "Escarmouches", "Provocations", and "Touchstone" – and it's packaged in a very nice fold-out cover! CD

A fantastic rare album cut by Stan Getz in Europe! The session features Getz as the main soloist with the Clarke-Boland Big Band, and the overall sound is an incredible chapter in both the career of Getz and the CBBB. Given that most of the CBBB's soloists had a sharp angular sound, Getz's softer tenor approach is a real change for the group, and it's wonderful to hear the way that he floats around their driving arrangements – never getting lost in the mix, and instead adding whole new ranges of tones and color to their trademark sound. The set features 6 original compositions – including "Extravagances", "Escarmouches", "Provocations", and "Touchstone". LP, Vinyl record album

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Terry's vibes lead a group that fetaures Conte Candoli and Stu Williamson on trumpet, Bob Enevoldsen on trombone, Jack Schwartz on baritone, Bill Holman on tenor, and Joe Maini on alto! CD

A large group session – tracks include "Song Is You", "Dancing In The Dark", "Blue Lou", "Fat Man", and "My Reverie". CD

A previously-unreleased live date from the late 50s! Featuring Al Porcino and Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bob Enevoldsen and Joe Cadena on trombone, Jack Schwartz on baritone sax, Bill Perkins and Bill Holman on tenor sax, Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy on alto sax, Pete Jolly and Lou Levy on piano, Max Bennett and Buddy Clark on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Tracks include "The Fuzz", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Sometimes I'm Happy", and "Moonlight In Vermont". CD

A live performance with Pete Jolly on piano, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bill Perkins on tenor, Mel Lewis on drums, and others! CD

Unreleased work from the BBC Archives of the 70s – a stunning large group session with a very groovy vibe! Dave Gold isn't as much of a giant as some of the other British leaders of the time – but he's got a wonderful way with the group here, and makes the music move with some of the funky currents that he brought to his work for the KPM Sound Library – where you might know Dave from some key albums! Gold was also working as the leader of the jazzy group on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar – and he has the lineup here take off on a soaring funky version of that show's "Heaven On Their Minds" – a great cut that's worth the price of admission alone, served up with a mix of tenor and flute from Brian Ashe, baritone from Ronnie Ross, electric piano from Cliff Hall, and guitar from John Girvan – amidst a larger group of trumpets, trombones, and alto saxes. Other cuts include the gold originals "O'Connell Street" and "Nostalgia" – both groovy tracks with an MPS big band vibe – plus a version of the Jimmy Webb tune "Pocketful Of Keys". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Abbey Lincoln, Bobby Goldsboro, Jackie DeShannon, Count Five, John Fred & His Playboy Band, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, and a side's worth of themes by Goldenthal. LP, Vinyl record album

A key album in the legendary early years of Gong – that mythical moment when the group was almost more like a cult or a commune than just another rock band on the scene! The set has the group very firmly ensconced in their French country home, where the record was recorded – with a mindblowing lineup that includes the great Daevid Allen on vocals and guitar, Didier Malherbe on tenor and soprano sax, Gilli Smyth on second vocal, Steve Hillage on guitar, and Pierre Moerlen on drums and percussion – plus lots of other surprises along the way. Titles include "Selene", "Other Side Of The Sky", "Castle In The Clouds", "Oily Way", "Flute Salad", and "I Never Glid Before". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and congas, John Stubblefield on tenor, Joe Ford on alto and soprano sax, Larry Willis on piano, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Steve Berrios on drums, bells and percussion. CD

Trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez cooks away nicely with his Fort Apache band – swinging in that hip mix of Latin and jazz that's always made the combo so great! This sweet set was recorded live, which gives the band lots of long, open-ended tunes on which to really open up and do their thing – rhythms cooked up beautifully by the trio of Larry Willis on piano, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Steve Berrios on drums and percussion – topped with magnificent hork work from Jerry on trumpet, John Stubblefield on tenor, and Joe Ford on alto and soprano sax. The live setting gives the production a really classic no-nonsense feel – and titles include "Isabel The Liberator", "Today's Nights", "Elegua", "Ugly Beauty", and "Verdad Amarga". CD

An 80s classic from one of the hippest Latin jazz ensembles of its time – the wonderful Fort Apache band of trumpeter/percussionist Jerry Gonzalez! As with other albums from the group, the key strength here is Jerry's choice of compadres – a great lineup of jazzmen who understand both Latin rhythms and more open, expressive soloing – which really allows them to stretch way way past any sort of obvious cliches for their genre. Some of the tunes get quite modern at points – and players include John Stubblfield on tenor, Angel Papo Vasquez on trombone, Larry Willis on piano, Edgardo Miranda on guitar, and Steve Berrios, Nicky Marrero, and Milton Cardona on percussion. Titles include "Nefertiti", "Eighty One", "Siempre Junto A Ti", "Evidence", and "Jackie-ing". CD

Trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez doing what he's always done best – effortlessly bridging the worlds of jazz and Latin – with long tracks that rely more on the the strengths of the soloists than the rhythms to keep them moving along – even though the rhythms of the tunes are pretty darn great overall too! Jerry blows both trumpet and flugelhorn – and the set features superb tenor from John Stubblefield – plus more great work from Joe Ford on alto and soprano, and Larry Willis on piano – all given rock-solid support from Andy Gonzalez on bass and Steve Berrios on drums, marimba, and percussion. Jerry plays a bit of congas at points – and titles include "So Near So Far", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Midnight Train", "Give It Some Thought", "Jungle Plum", and "Dance Cadaverous". CD

An essential early document of the Grateful Dead – a double-length collection of live material that was one of the first to give the rest of the world a chance to hear what they could provide to their ever-growing concert audiences! The tracks were mostly recorded in New York in early 1971, and have the group really spinning out their special sort of magic in ways that are a nice change from their studio records – looser, more jamming, and maybe more acoustic too – that shift from psych to roots that was already going on, but delivered here with the sort of warmth that would hold their fans in sway for years to come. Tracks vary in length – and the set includes an 18 minute take of "The Other One", plus "Bertha", "Big Railroad Blues", "Playing In The Band", "Me & My Uncle", "Wharf Rat", "Not Fade Away/Goin Down The Road Feeling Bad", and surprisingly great takes on "Mama Tried" and "Me & Bobby McGee". CD

Really wonderful work from trombonist Al Grey – sounding hipper here than at any other point in his career! One of the great reason for Al's sound here is the presence of tenorist Billy Mitchell – a partner with Al in the Basie band, and a great player who gives just about any session a deeply soulful finish. The rest of the group is equally nice too – with work by Dave Burns and Donald Byrd on trumpet, Floyd Morris and Herbie Hancock on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. The use of vibes is especially striking for a set like this, and really gives the proceedings a different feel than you might think. Titles include "R.B.Q.", "Minor On Top", "African Lady", and "Hi Fly". CD

Really wonderful work from trombonist Al Grey – sounding hipper here than at any other point in his career! One of the great reason for Al's sound here is the presence of tenorist Billy Mitchell – a partner with Al in the Basie band, and a great player who gives just about any session a deeply soulful finish. The rest of the group is equally nice too – with work by Dave Burns and Donald Byrd on trumpet, Floyd Morris and Herbie Hancock on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. The use of vibes is especially striking for a set like this, and really gives the proceedings a different feel than you might think. Titles include "R.B.Q.", "Minor On Top", "African Lady", and "Hi Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little album from Johnny – quite different than most of his other sessions at the time, as this one features a big band – a "Big Soul Band", as the title says – filled with some strong Chicago and soul jazz players, and featuring killer arrangements by the great Norman Simmons! Simmons' was just bubbling up at the time – and he had a sock soul jazz sound that was part of his time on the Chicago scene, and which, unfortunately, rarely achieved as strong of recorded expression as it did on this album. Griffin's a heck of a great player, even at this age, and the strength of his horn sits nicely in the front of a great ensemble that also includes Pat Patrick, Matthew Gee, Julian Priester, Frank Strozier, Bobby Timmons, Harold Mabern, Vic Sproles, and Charlie Persip. Titles include a number of Simmons originals – like "Meditation", "Panic Room Blues", and "Holla" – plus a great reading of Timmons' "So Tired", and traditionals like "Deep River", "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" and "Wade In The Water" and Junior Mance's "Jubilation". Inclues the bonus track "Wade In The Water (alternate take)". CD

One of the rarest Johnny Griffin albums ever – a set recorded as a side project when Griff was working with the Clarke Boland Big Band – in a lineup that features some of the best members from that great ensemble! The style's a bit more laidback and soulful than other CBBB projects – more in the mode of Johnny's roots in Chicago during the 50s, but still inflected with some of the sharper touches he picked up during his 60s years in Europe. Other players here are all wonderful – and include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Ake Persson on trombone, Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and both Kenny Clarke and Kenny Clare on drums – seemingly playing together on some tracks, which creates a nicely skittish rhythm in the set! Titles include "The Turk's Bolero", "Deep Eight", "A Handful Of Soul", "Foot Patting", and "Lady Heavy Bottom's Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare European gem from Johnny Griffin – recorded in quartet formation with backing from the rhythm trio of the Clarke Boland Big Band! Johnny was working with the trio in the bigger group at the time, but he gets plenty of space to state his case here – stretching out on hard-bitten, almost-modern solos that are some of his most adventurous to date on record – supported strongly on the album's longish tracks by Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! There's a quality to Griffin's tone that's incredible – urgent, edgey, but never too far out – completely in command of itself, and able to run free, but without wasting at note at all – unlike some of his over-stretched European solos of later years. The set features beautiful long readings of Boland's "Night Lady" and "Old Stuff", plus Griffin's "Scrabble", and versions of "Summertime", "All The Things You Are", and "Little Man You've Had A Busy Day". CD

We love our Buddy Guy here in Chicago – and this set cut for Vanguard, one of his first full solo albums with his own band will always be a favorite! Buddy's late 60s sound was as charismatic as he'd always be, but there's an understated approach to his lead that's really wonderful, and hits us much deeper than the showy, guitar solo heavy stuff that the blues club tourists want to hear! He's got the great Otis Spann playing piano, Wayne Bennett on rhythm, Jack Myers on bass, Lonny Taylor and Fred Below on drums, and Donald Hankins, Aaron Corthen and Bobby Fields on saxes. Titles include "A Man And His Blues", "I Can't Quit The Blues", "One Room Country Shack", "Just Playing My Axe", "Worry, Worry", "Jam On A Monday Morning" and more. CD

We love our Buddy Guy here in Chicago – and this set cut for Vanguard, one of his first full solo albums with his own band will always be a favorite! Buddy's late 60s sound was as charismatic as he'd always be, but there's an understated approach to his lead that's really wonderful, and hits us much deeper than the showy, guitar solo heavy stuff that the blues club tourists want to hear! He's got the great Otis Spann playing piano, Wayne Bennett on rhythm, Jack Myers on bass, Lonny Taylor and Fred Below on drums, and Donald Hankins, Aaron Corthen and Bobby Fields on saxes. Titles include "A Man And His Blues", "I Can't Quit The Blues", "One Room Country Shack", "Just Playing My Axe", "Worry, Worry", "Jam On A Monday Morning" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

We love our Buddy Guy here in Chicago – and this set cut for Vanguard, one of his first full solo albums with his own band will always be a favorite! Buddy's late 60s sound was as charismatic as he'd always be, but there's an understated approach to his lead that's really wonderful, and hits us much deeper than the showy, guitar solo heavy stuff that the blues club tourists want to hear! He's got the great Otis Spann playing piano, Wayne Bennett on rhythm, Jack Myers on bass, Lonny Taylor and Fred Below on drums, and Donald Hankins, Aaron Corthen and Bobby Fields on saxes. Titles include "A Man And His Blues", "I Can't Quit The Blues", "One Room Country Shack", "Just Playing My Axe", "Worry, Worry", "Jam On A Monday Morning" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes lots of Brunswick, Commodore, and Melrose big band material – plus a trio version of "The Man I Love" – just trumpet, piano, and drums – recorded for V-Disc. CD

One of Slide Hampton's first albums – and a massively hard-wailing set that will make any doubters sit up and take notice! The set really packs a punch – as Slide leads a hip group that features Freddie Hubbard, Richard Williams, Bernard McKinney, and George Coleman through some tightly woven arrangements that manage to swing with the grace of small combo work, yet wail with the intensity of a big band. Great solos pop out all over the set – and there's a soul jazz groove that makes the album sound like a classic Prestige session. Titles include "Asseveration", "Hi Fly", "Sister Salvation", and "A Little Night Music". CD

One of Slide Hampton's first albums – and a massively hard-wailing set that will make any doubters sit up and take notice! The set really packs a punch – as Slide leads a hip group that features Freddie Hubbard, Richard Williams, Bernard McKinney, and George Coleman through some tightly woven arrangements that manage to swing with the grace of small combo work, yet wail with the intensity of a big band. Great solos pop out all over the set – and there's a soul jazz groove that makes the album sound like a classic Prestige session. Titles include "Asseveration", "Hi Fly", "Sister Salvation", and "A Little Night Music". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent 1959 session that was Slides first as a leader, and which featured Freddie Hubbard, Booker Little, and George Coleman on horns – as well as Pete LaRoca on drums! The format is in that tightly-controlled early Hampton mode – not really big band, but a small combo take on the style – with wonderful breakout solos, and a real flair for soulful arranging that brings out the best in the group – even on the more straight ahead tunes! Titles include "Althea", "Jazz Corner", "Go East Young Man", and "Newport". LP, Vinyl record album

Though there are a number of different LPs using the VSOP title in a few different ways, this was the first, a double album recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival, featuring Herbie leading groups that represented a number of different points in his career. The first lineup later recorded under the name VSOP, and was a re-grouping of the classic Miles quintet, with Freddie Hubbard in Miles' place, in fine form here, the group playing nice expansive lines as they stretch out. They take on "Maiden Voyage" and "Nefertiti" and really stretch out on "Eye Of The Hurricane". Sides 3 and 4 are the real treat, with Herbie's early electric band that had recorded the spacey Warner's LPs playing "Toys" and "You'll Know When You Get There", and then the funk band that was contemporanious with the release of the LP, featuring Headhunters Paul Jackson & Bennie Maupin, and some heavy wah wah funk from Wah Wah Watson, on "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" & "Spider". LP, Vinyl record album

The fantastic lost legacy of The Harlots Of 42nd Street – a cross-dressing group who were Manhattan contemporaries of the New York Dolls, but who never got their best shot at fame! If anything, the group's lyrics are grittier than the Dolls – more in the streetwise/street scene mode of early solo Lou Reed, with plenty of tales from the gutter on up – and although their sound may be a little less punkish, their overall approach is still nice and raw, and completely unique! The group only issued one single back in the day, and this set is the first full-length document of their music – with titles that include "S&M", "Refuse To Be Misused", "Cool Dude & Foxy Lady", "Mother Nature", "Polyethylena Purebred", "Spray Paint Bandit", and "Double Bubble Bustin Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing set – all four of the legendary Warner Brothers albums by harmony giants Harpers Bizarre – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Feelin Groovy – the fab first LP by Harpers Bizarre! The group were one of the strangest pop ensembles operating in the seminal LA scene of the mid 60s – ostensibly a sweet harmony vocal group, but with a strangely childish approach that also had an ear open for the mind-blowing production styles of the Brian Wilson era. Van Dyke Parks was a big supporter of the group – and they perform a sublime version of his tune "Come To The Sunshine" as the leadoff track on the album – and even though Van Dyke didn't handle the arrangements of the record, the style of the music is very similar to his own, with guitar, bass, and drums coming into play with strings, woodwinds, and baroque orchestral touches. The record is as dark as it is sublime – one of those pop gems that hit big, but which has a brooding depth bubbling underneath the sugary coating – ala Pet Sounds. Tracks include "Happy Talk", "The Debutantes Ball", "I Can Hear The Darkness", "Raspberry Rug", and their huge hit version of "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)". Next is Anything Goes – the group's second album – and while it has a lot of similarities with the first, it's also a lot deeper of an expression of their strange blend of harmony vocals, sweet 60s pop, and the nostalgia for the early 20th century that was running through the Burbank Warner scene that included a young Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Lenny Waronker, and other LA underground of the mid 60s. The whole record fits together beautifully – beginning with an old-timey radio kind of announcer, then sliding into sublimely crafted harmony tunes that include originals from the LA luminaries and the group, plus a few other surprising covers. Titles include the hit version of "Anything Goes", plus "The Biggest Night Of Her Life", "Milord", "Virginia City", "High Coin", "Jessie", "This Is Only The Beginning", and "You Need A Change". The Secret Life Of Harpers Bizarre is the third album by Harpers Bizarre – and one that shows them growing in leaps and bounds with each new release! The record is a sublime fusion of sweet pop California 60s harmonies (ala The Sandpipers or The Lettermen), baroque arrangements with a fake dreamy nostalgia (ala Van Dyke Parks or Randy Newman), and drug-addled underground takes on the eazy sound of the generation (ala Brian Wilson or Love). This album is one of their most perfectly-realized visions, and it features a great blend of older songs, all hipped-up to modern LA arrangements by the likes of Nick De Caro, Perry Botkin, and others. The record has an approach that's simply mindblowing when you consider the amount of funds and effort that must have been put into a record that would only be truly appreciated 40 years later – and it's filled with great titles that include "Me, Japanese Boy", "Look To The Rainbow", "Funny How Love Can Be", "Mad", "Green Apple Tree", and "Las Mananitas". Last up is the group's fourth album, unfortunately, the last Warner album by Harpers Bizarre – one of the few testaments of genius left to us by this incredible group! The record shows the group moving past the sweet pop and dreamy nostalgia of earlier albums – tentatively stepping into the haze of the late 60s LA scene with a blend of songs that share a lot musically with earlier work, but which also seem to have a more adult approach to some of their themes. Arrangements are by the group mostly – with help from pop geniuses like Jack Nitzsche, Nick De Caro, Lenny Waronker, Harry Nilsson, and Perry Botkin Jr. The harmonies are sublime – and the group effortlessly blends original tunes like "Soft Soundin Music", "All Through The Night", "When The Band Begins To Play", and "There's No Time Like Today, along with bizarre covers like "Hard To Handle", "Something Better", "I Love You Alice B Toklas", and Jim Pepper's "Witchi Tai To", which is worth the price of the record alone! Bonus tracks include "Both Sides Now", "Small Talk", "Poly High", "If We Ever Needed The Lord Before", "Malibu U", "Cotton Candy Sandman", "Lost My Love Today", and "Bye Bye Bye". CD

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A really unusual moment from the young tenor Tubby Hayes – a live date recorded at the familiar Flamingo nightclub, a spot Tubby played often in London – but featuring a group who appear here on record in contrast to some of the smaller combo work that Hayes was recording in the studio! The lineup is large – not a big band, but not a quartet either – and Tubby turns out to be a master as a leader, working together different contributions from players who include Ronnie Scott, Terry Shannon, Jeff Clyne, Stuart Hamer, and Alan Branscombe – coming together in sharp ensemble formation, but breaking out into great individual solos too. The material shows the sharply modern voice that Hayes would soon bring to British jazz on his 60s recordings for Fontana – on titles that include "But Not For Me", "Ow", "Treble Gold", "Sonny Sounds", "Tour De Force", "Design For Drums", and "Lifeline". CD

A beautiful set of solos, finely crafted by Hemphill with a great deal of soul and emotion. Hemphill put together the whole album himself, and he claims that it is "dimensional solo music postured from the expressive blues idiom". Sounds about right to us, and album's one of our favorites by him from the time. Titles include "Hotend", "Countryside", "OK Rubberband", "Dirty Row", and "Antecedent". 2CDs strong. CD

Features Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff, Freddie Hubbard, and Nicholas Payton on trumpets – plus Chick Corea on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Al Foster, Joe Chambers and Lewis Nash on drums. CD

A single album combining the classic 70s Heptones sides Night Food and Party Time, two of the band's strongest albums. The first set was cut at Harry J's, and is a bit more produced than some of their earlier sides, but has some great vocal harmonies and updates of awesome Studio One rhythms, which originated with bass player and lead singer Leroy Sibbles. The follow up, Party Time, finds the Heptones teaming up with Lee Perry for a wonderful set laid down at the legendary Black Ark, with Sibbles' always great songwriting over a set of nice roots rhythms laid down by Boris Gardiner, Winston Wright, Mikey Boo, Willie Lindo and others. Includes "Country Boy", "Book Of Rules", "Love Won't Come Easy", "Fatty Fatty" and "Mama Say", "Party Time", "Crying Over You", "I Shall Be Released", "Why Must I" and "Sufferer's Time", 20 tracks in all. CD

Notable sidemen include Shorty Rogers, Stan Getz, and Terry Gibbs – plus vocals by Marry Anne McCall. CD

A pretty remarkable set of spacey soul songcraft from Hiatus Kaiyote – a Melbourne group that blends moody, laidback live soul instrumentation with bubbling futuristic elements in a surprisingly seamless way – elevated even higher by strong songwriting and the soulful vocals of Nai Palm! Haitus Kaiyote has a sound that's steeped in cosmic soul, moody soul jazz and the artier/synth and programmed atmosphere of spacier moodscape figures like Flying Lotus – but it's band-based and song-based in a way that could really break Hiatus Kaiyote in a big way. Includes "Mobius Streak", "The World It Softly Lulls", "Leap Frog", "Malika", "Ocelot", "Boom Child", "Lace Skull", "Rainbow Rhodes", "Sphinx Gate" and "Nakamarra". LP, Vinyl record album

A real standout in the early career of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a very unique session that has him working with some larger arrangements in the background – blowing these magical solos over the top, while still hitting a great edge with the rest of the musicians as well! There's a sound here that's unlike anything else we can think of – including other big band trumpet dates of the time – partly because the set features a fair bit of arrangements by Wayne Shorter – a very rare side of his talents, but one that's equally as soulful as his sublime small group albums of the time. The record has an undeniable depth right from the start – magical, mystical, and very soulful – with a group that includes Eric Dolphy and Wayne Shorter on saxes, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Tracks include "Chocolate Shake", "Thermo", "Clarence's Place", and "Aries". CD

A real standout in the early career of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a very unique session that has him working with some larger arrangements in the background – blowing these magical solos over the top, while still hitting a great edge with the rest of the musicians as well! There's a sound here that's unlike anything else we can think of – including other big band trumpet dates of the time – partly because the set features a fair bit of arrangements by Wayne Shorter – a very rare side of his talents, but one that's equally as soulful as his sublime small group albums of the time. The record has an undeniable depth right from the start – magical, mystical, and very soulful – with a group that includes Eric Dolphy and Wayne Shorter on saxes, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Tracks include "Chocolate Shake", "Thermo", "Clarence's Place", and "Aries". CD

A real standout in the early career of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a very unique session that has him working with some larger arrangements in the background – blowing these magical solos over the top, while still hitting a great edge with the rest of the musicians as well! There's a sound here that's unlike anything else we can think of – including other big band trumpet dates of the time – partly because the set features a fair bit of arrangements by Wayne Shorter – a very rare side of his talents, but one that's equally as soulful as his sublime small group albums of the time. The record has an undeniable depth right from the start – magical, mystical, and very soulful – with a group that includes Eric Dolphy and Wayne Shorter on saxes, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Tracks include "Chocolate Shake", "Thermo", "Clarence's Place", and "Aries". LP, Vinyl record album

An early 90s contemporary hip hop-steeped street soul gem from Intro! Intro deftly introduce themselves with a style that was as timely as could be circa '93, and holds up with classic swagger today. While 90s hip hop soul styled beats and production finesse has a timeless shelf life in the best hands, some of the pop soul crossover efforts of the day didn't stay quite as fresh as Intro, whose affinity for their era with inspiration from groups like the Gap Band and the Isleys keeps it as fresh as ever. Includes the classic "Love Thang", "Let Me Be The One", "Anything For You", "Why Don't You Love Me", "It's All About You", "Ribbon In The Sky", "Don't Leave Me", "Come Inside", "One Of A Kind Love", and "So Many Reasons" – plus the New Life bonus tracks "My Love's The Way", "Feels Like The First Time" and "New Life". Production by Eddie "DJ Eddie F" Ferrell, Richard Nash and Kevin Woodley. LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent early album from this great Philly soul group, featuring some of their best sides from the 60s, and lots of tracks that weren't released as singles! The band includes Vince Montana on vibes, Norman Harris and Bobby Eli on guitar, Leon Huff on piano, and Lenny Pakula on organ – and the track list includes "Best Days Of My Life", "I Didn't Know", "Let Me In Your Mind", "This Is My Love Song", and "Brand New Me". Great great great soul stuff, with a good group, excellent arrangements, and tight early Philly soul songwriting! LP, Vinyl record album

A rock-solid record – kind of a later version of the Five Stairsteps, heard here in groove that's much more grown up! The album's got a feel that really shows the evolution of the Burke family – way past their kiddie soul roots, and even some of their offshoot projects of the 70s – into a style that's pretty complex at times, and which really shows a mature approach to rhythms. The vibe is hard to describe accurately – because while there are some clubby elements, the overall sound is deeper and more complicated too – showing some of the quirkier elements of the Island Records contemporaries alongside which the group were placed for this debut. The feel is quite different than the second album from the group – which is much more straight ahead – and titles include "9 Times Out Of Ten", "Full Moon", "All Night Thing", "Rent Strike", and "Love Can't Come/Love Has Come". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure UK set from the late 80s – served up by a band with a strong roots-based approach, and presented here with some slight dubby touches in the mixing! There's a very homegrown, laidback vibe to the whole thing – as if you've stumbled on some back room sessions in west London, with the group really hitting a groove that's making them plenty mellow, while they spin out messages of wisdom and truth, as promised in the title! A few cuts have some surprisingly strong percussion moments, which is a nice change – we'd swear we even heard some tables in there – and titles include "Nothing's New", "Most High", "Being As We Are", "Congo", and "Hail & Greetings". LP, Vinyl record album

With his sextet from 1947 with Conte Candoli on trumpet, Emmett Carls on tenor, Tony Aless on piano, Billy Bauer on guitar, and Mel Zelnick on drums; and with big band in 1950 with Howard McGhee, Al Porcino, and Don Ferrara on trumpet; JJ Johnson and Kai Winding on tronbone; Zoot Sims and Georgie Auld on tenor; Charlie Kennedy on alto; Gerry Mulligan on baritone; Tony Aless on piano; and Don Lamond on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Notable sidemen include Arnett Cobb, Frank Rosolino, and Nat Adderley. CD

With Butch Miles on drums, Freddie Green on guitar, John Clayton on bass; Danny Turner, Bobby Plater, Eric Dixon, Charlie Fowlkes, and Kenny Hing on saxophone; Wayman Reed, Lyn Biviano, Sonny Cohn, and Pete Minger on trumpets; and Bill Hughes, Mel Wanzo, Fred Wesley, and Dennis Wilson on trombones. Titles include "9:20 Special", "Sunny Side Of The Street", "Lena & Lenny", "Easy Does It", "Every Tub", and "Blues For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful bit of folk-psych from the late 60s UK scene – recorded for Polydor in 1969, but never issued at the time – now finally getting its first exposure to the world at large! The group have a really easygoing approach – blending fuzzy electric and softer acoustic guitars, slow-stepping rhythms, and some slightly more tripped-out instrumentation – all with vocals that take on a nicely lyrical approach – never too hippy-dippy, but with an evocative quality that has echoes of the ancient. Group members have ties to Band Of Joy and Velvett Fogg – and the set features uncredited work from Peter Frampton, and members of The Herd and East of Eden. Like other Lion reissues, the quality here is top-shelf – full notes, photos, and lots of information on the lost album – presented here with 12 tracks that include "Execution Of The Child", "Rain Day Julep", "Hello Goodbye Victoria Cane", "Hanna Wife Of Thomas Kite", "Harpsichord", "Roses & Ribbons", "Masochists Of Strangulation", and "The Story Of Acorn Rose". CD

An all-tenor set from Bobby Jaspar – material recorded in Paris in 1953 and 1954, played with a variety of different groups! Jaspar's tenor has a really great sound here – kind of a Lester Young rasp that marks him as a very Getz-like musician at this point – but with a slightly more upbeat edge as well – working nicely alongside players who include Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Fats Sadi on vibes, Roger Guerin on trumpet, Henri Renaud on piano, and Nat Peck on trombone. Titles include "Black Horse", "Kaba Soutra", "Strike Up The Band", "Up In Quincy's Room", "Capri", "Early Wake", "Jeux De Quartes", "Schabooz", and "Struttin With Some Barbecue". LP, Vinyl record album

Early genius from these Bay Area stalwarts – one of the greatest rock records of its time! Surrealistic Pillow is the second Jefferson Airplane album, but they took a number of huge creative leaps in the 8 months or so between their debut record and this one. This one is where they're joined by psych siren Grace Slick, but it's not just the line-up change that sets it apart. Surrealistic Pillow is a perfect title, as it's comforting and disorienting at the same time. It's also the magical confluence of wildly different spirits – with standout contributions by the entire band. Titles include the seminal "White Rabbit" – plus "Embryonic Journey", "3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds", "DCBA 25", "How Do You Feel", "Today", "She Has Funny Cars", and "Plastic Fantastic Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

Early genius from these Bay Area stalwarts – one of the greatest rock records of its time! Surrealistic Pillow is the second Jefferson Airplane album, but they took a number of huge creative leaps in the 8 months or so between their debut record and this one. This one is where they're joined by psych siren Grace Slick, but it's not just the line-up change that sets it apart. Surrealistic Pillow is a perfect title, as it's comforting and disorienting at the same time. It's also the magical confluence of wildly different spirits – with standout contributions by the entire band. Titles include the seminal "White Rabbit" – plus "Embryonic Journey", "3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds", "DCBA 25", "How Do You Feel", "Today", "She Has Funny Cars", and "Plastic Fantastic Lover". CD

Early genius from these Bay Area stalwarts – one of the greatest rock records of its time! Surrealistic Pillow is the second Jefferson Airplane album, but they took a number of huge creative leaps in the 8 months or so between their debut record and this one. This one is where they're joined by psych siren Grace Slick, but it's not just the line-up change that sets it apart. Surrealistic Pillow is a perfect title, as it's comforting and disorienting at the same time. It's also the magical confluence of wildly different spirits – with standout contributions by the entire band. Titles include the seminal "White Rabbit" – plus "Embryonic Journey", "3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds", "DCBA 25", "How Do You Feel", "Today", "She Has Funny Cars", and "Plastic Fantastic Lover". CD

Call it a love of dancers or just plain Quincy Jones groove – this album's filled with tight tracks that are a perfect showcase for the ways in which Quincy had such a huge influence on jazz in the 60s! The tunes are often old standards, but done here in a style that's nicely syncopated – taking on that Jones love of space and sound, and working it through some big band tracks at a level that creates grooves that are a lot hipper than you'd hear on albums like this from most of his contemporaries! Players are all top-notch – and include Benny Bailey and Freddie Hubbard on trumpets, Melba Liston and Curtis Fuller on trombones, Jerome Richardson and Oliver Nelson on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Patti Brown on piano, and Les Spann on guitar and flute. Heck, even liner notes from Dorothy Kilgallen can't keep this one from being nice – and titles include "Chinese Checkers", "Tone Poem", "G'Wan Train", "Pleasingly Plump", and "A Sunday Kind Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A very soulful set of big band material from Quincy Jones – recorded during that tight early 60s period when his arrangements just couldn't fail! The album's his only session for Impulse, and it's got a slightly deeper style than his work from the time for Mercury – a bit more sophisticated, with nice modern touches that take the tunes in surprising directions. Part of the greatness of the set lies in the players – as the album features work by Curtis Fuller, Thad Jones, Stu Martin, Freddie Hubbard, Patty Brown, Phil Woods, and Jerome Richardson – and titles include "Robot Portrait", "Hard Sock Dance", "The Twitch", and "For Lena & Lennie". CD

A very soulful set of big band material from Quincy Jones – recorded during that tight early 60s period when his arrangements just couldn't fail! The album's his only session for Impulse, and it's got a slightly deeper style than his work from the time for Mercury – a bit more sophisticated, with nice modern touches that take the tunes in surprising directions. Part of the greatness of the set lies in the players – as the album features work by Curtis Fuller, Thad Jones, Stu Martin, Freddie Hubbard, Patty Brown, Phil Woods, and Jerome Richardson – and titles include "Robot Portrait", "Hard Sock Dance", "The Twitch", and "For Lena & Lennie". LP, Vinyl record album

The Kay-Gees' funkiest record ever – a set that's harder and sharper than anything else they'd ever record in years to come! Grabbing this one up is like finding a lost Kool & The Gang album from the early years – which is no surprise, since Ronald Bell of the group produced, and wrote a lot of the songs with the group – maybe acting as their mentor, and definitely giving the young group a great showcase for their boundless energy, and tight skills in the groove department! The band are incredibly tight – with lots of hard drums, choppy guitar, and the rolling party feel that made Kool & The Gang so great during their best years – captured here with a similarly raw production style. There's some great horns that blast in and out, sounding very off-beat at the best moments – like the classic "Who's the Man With the Master Plan", sampled by YZ many years ago – or other funky cuts like "Ain't No Time", "Get Down", and "You've Got to Keep on Bumpin". LP, Vinyl record album

The Kay-Gees' funkiest record ever – a set that's harder and sharper than anything else they'd ever record in years to come! Grabbing this one up is like finding a lost Kool & The Gang album from the early years – which is no surprise, since Ronald Bell of the group produced, and wrote a lot of the songs with the group – maybe acting as their mentor, and definitely giving the young group a great showcase for their boundless energy, and tight skills in the groove department! The band are incredibly tight – with lots of hard drums, choppy guitar, and the rolling party feel that made Kool & The Gang so great during their best years – captured here with a similarly raw production style. There's some great horns that blast in and out, sounding very off-beat at the best moments – like the classic "Who's the Man With the Master Plan", sampled by YZ many years ago – or other funky cuts like "Ain't No Time", "Get Down", and "You've Got to Keep on Bumpin". LP, Vinyl record album

The Kay-Gees' funkiest record ever – a set that's harder and sharper than anything else they'd ever record in years to come! Grabbing this one up is like finding a lost Kool & The Gang album from the early years – which is no surprise, since Ronald Bell of the group produced, and wrote a lot of the songs with the group – maybe acting as their mentor, and definitely giving the young group a great showcase for their boundless energy, and tight skills in the groove department! The band are incredibly tight – with lots of hard drums, choppy guitar, and the rolling party feel that made Kool & The Gang so great during their best years – captured here with a similarly raw production style. There's some great horns that blast in and out, sounding very off-beat at the best moments – like the classic "Who's the Man With the Master Plan", sampled by YZ many years ago – or other funky cuts like "Ain't No Time", "Get Down", and "You've Got to Keep on Bumpin". CD features bonus tracks – the unreleased instrumental "Let's Boogie", the unreleased disco version of "My Favorite Song", and the tracks "You've Got To Keep On Bumpin (parts 1 & 2)", "Hustle Wit Every Muscle (orig single)", and "Hustle Wit Every Muscle (disco version – original single)". CD

The Kay-Gees' funkiest record ever – a set that's harder and sharper than anything else they'd ever record in years to come! Grabbing this one up is like finding a lost Kool & The Gang album from the early years – which is no surprise, since Ronald Bell of the group produced, and wrote a lot of the songs with the group – maybe acting as their mentor, and definitely giving the young group a great showcase for their boundless energy, and tight skills in the groove department! The band are incredibly tight – with lots of hard drums, choppy guitar, and the rolling party feel that made Kool & The Gang so great during their best years – captured here with a similarly raw production style. There's some great horns that blast in and out, sounding very off-beat at the best moments – like the classic "Who's the Man With the Master Plan", sampled by YZ many years ago – or other funky cuts like "Ain't No Time", "Get Down", and "You've Got to Keep on Bumpin". CD featuers bonus tracks – the unreleased instrumental "Let's Boogie", the unreleased disco version of "My Favorite Song", and the tracks "You've Got To Keep On Bumpin (parts 1 & 2)", "Hustle Wit Every Muscle (orig single)", and "Hustle Wit Every Muscle (disco version – original single)". CD

Massive massive Miami funk – and a record that seems to sound better and better as the years move on! Sure, KC and crew were a chart-topping act, but this first album's a stellar batch of heavy cuts – featuring great instrumentation on clavinet, conga, guitars, and horns – all bubbled into an extremely tight mix that riffs along madly on just about every cut! Sure, we grew up grooving to this stuff out of the AM radio in the car (hmmm. . . Maybe that was the problem), but honestly, it sure stands up to a lot more funk from the time than you'd expect! Includes all the big hits – like "Boogie Shoes", "That's The Way (I Like It)", and "Get Down Tonight" – plus some nice breaks and funky intros on "I Get Lifted" and "Let It Go". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of genius – 2 key mid 60s albums from swinging Brit jazzer Johnny Keating – both of which showcase his tightly rhythmic "Keating Sound" approach! Keating had originally worked as an arranger in the 50s group of Ted Heath, but after stepping out on his own in the 60s, he came up with a really fresh approach to big band grooving – one that was highly syncopated, in a choppier style of rhythm than many other groups were using at the time, and which was very much in the snapping mode of the best 60s pop work of the time. This new sound meant that Keating could take just about any tune and swing it on its ear – cutting up the basic structure of the song, and rebuilding it in sharper, tighter blocks of sound. The result is a style that's quite different from the usual big band groove – one that makes for some extremely playful instrumentation, but which manages to still keep moving strongly ahead without resorting to too many tricks or gimmicks. For both albums, Keating's working with some great British talents that include Shake Keane on trumpet, Tubby Hayes on saxes, David Snell on harp, and Jim Sullivan on guitar. The CD features a total of 24 tracks that are a wonderful introduction to the Keating Sound of the 60s – with titles that inlcude "Paris", "Brave New World", "Serenata", "Speak Low", "Listen", "The Preacher", "Hey Girl", "Bee Bom", "My Kind Of Girl", and "The Chihuahua". CD

We love this Jazz Liisa series from Finland – as it features unreleased work from the 70s, but which matches the quality of some of our favorite German and Japanese jazz records of the time! The first half of the set was recorded for Finnish radio, and features a group that really shows the power of that scene at the time! The lineup features trumpeter Mike Koskinen at the helm – blowing in a much more outside way than some of his later studio albums, with a cascading array of tones and soundshapes that recall some of the hipper British work of the end of the 60s – such as records like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs – both of whom would be good comparisons here, especially in the tension between the idea of the group, and the strong solos of the individual members. Other players include Juhani Aaltonen on tenor and flute, Mircea Stan on trombone, Kaj Backlund on trumpet, Pekka Poyry on flute and soprano sax, Olli Ahvenlahti on piano and Fender Rhodes, and Edward Vesala on drums – and titles include "PS DC", "Murusia 2", "Numero Puolitoista", "Song For Sally", and "Peretelmia". On the second half, Otto Dorner's just the conductor on the set – but it's also clear that he's a very musically-minded fellow, as the action he gets from the group on the session is really wonderful! The players are all sharp-edged instrumentalists who represent the cream of the Finnish jazz scene of the time – Juhani Aaltonen on tenor and flute, Markku Johansson on trumpet, Seppo Paakkunainen on baritone, and Christer Boustedt on alto – all musicians who really bring a lot of their individual voices to the performance, and are given great space to solo by Donner – in a way that reminds us of some of the more open-ended bigger band performances from the MPS Records releases of the early 70s. Titles include "Och Tusen Tusen Strala Ock", "For Her", and "Saxballad". CD

Music from Uncle Dog, Free, The Rumbledown Band, Jim Capaldi, Paul Kossoff, Back Street Crawler, and Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu & Rabbit. CD

A 70s crossover classic, and the album the put LaBelle over the top! The mighty Allen Toussaint is at the helm for this first Epic album to feature the trio of Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash – and he really helps the group find an amazing new sound after their somewhat rougher, rootsier efforts for Warner Brothers! The new groove has plenty of Toussaint's New Orleans rhythms in the mix – but the overall sound is a bit smoother too – kind of a classy, clubby take on the Crescent City sound – one that still sounds wonderful after all these years. Most tunes have a vamping rhythm and lots of great electric piano – and titles include the massive hit "Lady Marmalade", the great title track "Nightbirds" – and "Space Children", "All Girl Band", "You Turn Me On", "What Can I Do For You?", and "It Took A Long Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great back to basics set from Denise LaSalle – returning to her deep soul roots after some bigger, clubbier records for major labels! There's a nicely down-home vibe to the record – the start of LaSalle's presence on the bluesier underground of the aging chitlin circuit – but still not as fully bluesy as she's be a few years later. The album draws a bit from Miami soul modes of the previous decade, but also really lets that Malaco approach grow into its own with a strong singer like Denise – finding new confidence as the label was fast becoming one of the last soul labels left in America! Latimore does a great guest appearance on the title cut "Right Place Right Time" – and other tracks include "Bump & Grind", "Good Man Gone Bad", "He's Not Available", "Why Does It Feel So Right", "Love School", and "Your Husband Is Cheating On Us". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful batch of Latin Jazz grooves – played by a group who more than deserved the right to call themselves the Latin Jazz Quintet! The core sound features vibes and piano jamming away nicely, really hitting some great modal rhythms – but this album's also got an added bonus in the presence of alto player Bobby Capers, an old bandmate of Mongo Santamaria, and a real killer of a player on a hard Latin groove! Capers really makes this album shine – cutting in some hard-edged sax solos amidst the warmer pulse of the vibes and piano – and titles include some hard grooving classics like "Rip a Dip", "Dilly Dali", "Blues Waltz", "Milestones", "Red Top", and "Sunday Go Meetin'". CD

Nice bit of rocksteady material by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, touted on the cover as "Carribean's Number One Band". The cover goes onto say "It's Oily! Oily! And Sweet!" – and it's right! This stuff has a nice raw feel, with a stone cold 60s reggae groove, and a lot of nice bubbly, popping party rocking feel. Tracks include "Soul Ska", "Rock Steady", "Bend Down Low", "Musical Pressure", "On The Beach", "Papa Jack", and "OO7". LP, Vinyl record album

You might know Dave Lee under his other name of Joey Negro, which has long been associated with some of the best clubby cuts on both sides of the Atlantic – but whatever the case, whoever the name, the man himself has always given us nothing but top-shelf work – a tradition that's definitely continued with this wonderful set! Dave/Joey has always had a really great ear for the classic – carrying forward the best sorts of 70s and 80s elements from the world of funk, club, and soul – all with a sense of perfection that rivals the work of bigger names like Incognito or Brand New Heavies, and always served up with a killer ear for the dancefloor! Here, Dave steps forth with a dozen new tracks under an array of various group names and projects – all produced with the love promised in the title, and a heavy dose of soul as well. Titles include "Do It Again" by Rare Essence with Lifford, "Starlight" by Dave & Omar, "Love Walked In The Room" by Jayenne with Gina Carey, "Raise A Blaze" by Foreal People with Xan Blacq, "Want Me Back" by Mistura with Jemini, "Power Of The Mind (power trip mix)" by Dave Lee with Billy Valentine, "Let's Do It In Style" by The Sunburst Band, "Taste My Love" by Dave Lee with Billy Valentine, "Face The Love" by The Sunburst Band with Angela Johnson, and "If You Ever Need Someone" by Mistura With Tiffany T'Zelle. 2CD version features a full bonus CD of remixes – 10 more tracks that include "After The Rain (Dave Lee destination boogie mix)" by Str4ta, "Don't Leave Me This Way (Dave Lee Philly World mix)" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Mountains (Dave Lee live & direct ext mix)" by The Vision with Adreya Triana, "Prospect Park (Dave Lee disco reshake)" by Prospect Park, "Use Your Imagination (Dave Lee reimagined mix)" by Kokomo, and "One Plus One (Dave Lee ext mix)" by Leroy Burgess. CD

Raw early blues material – with Bobby Leecan on guitar and Robert Cooksey on vocals – including tracks with the Dixie Jazzers Washboard Band! LP, Vinyl record album

The majority of this release was taken from Sonny Lesters "Ann Corio Presents How To Strip For Your Husband Vols 1 & 2 – Music To Make Marriage Merrier", plus David Rose's "the Stripper", Bobby Summers' "Pad", and the Genteels "Take It Off". CD