A sweet little album of breezy jazz – with vocals by Joan Johnson on a number of tracks, and that modally grooving post-MPS sound that still resonated strongly on a few German labels at the end of the 70s! The real star here is Peters, whose work on saxes is great – kind of pinched in tone, in a snaking way that bubbles soulfully out of the album's best tracks. Johnson's vocals are nice, too – but they come to their strongest point when really challenged by Peters reed work, and by the driving piano of Walter Norris, who's also in the group. Titles include "Kekay", "Mr Steve", "Wings Of Steve", "Morning Mist", and "Happy Endings". LP, Vinyl record album

Greg's definitely showing off all his chops on this one – working with help from a huuuge array of famous guest stars – including The Pointer Sisters, James Ingram, Howard Hewett, Jackie Jackson, Michael Jackson, Robbie Nevil, and others. And while the bulk of the record really shows the influence of these mainstream 80s soul artists – and not always in a good way – the record also sports a brilliant tune done with Donald Fagan of Steely Dan, the sweetly grooving "Lazy Nina", which sounds like the best work off Fagan's Nightfly, and has Greg and Don duetting on vocals! Titles include "Behind The Mask", "Signals", "Shake It", "Countdown To Love", "Come As You Are", and "Playin With Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty amazing set from Esther Phillips – her final album for Kudu – and a beautiful mix of soaring soul sounds from one the most unique, emotionally-inflected soul vocalists of her era! Esther's in prime Kudu mode here – working with jazzy arrangements by David Matthews and Pee Wee Ellis, adding her unique, grit-inflected soul chanteuse vocals to a smoother mix of instrumentation that creates a perfect counterpoint that took her way past her earlier work! There's also a couple of really sweet disco skewed numbers that work incredibly well – with spacier bits of synth and a dancefloor soul bed of percussion and rhythms – and in general, the arrangements are pretty great from track-to-track! Players include Randy Brecker and Mike Brecker on trumpet and tenor sax, Bray Miles on synthesizer, Bobby Lyle on clavinet, Eric Gale on guitar, Joe Farrell on tenor sax and alto flute, percussionist Ralph MacDonald and other excellent name musicians and others bring a grand sweep and sweeter intimacy when the mood requires. Titles include "Magic's In The Air", "A Beautiful Friendship", "Boy I Really Tied One On", "Higher & Higher", and "All The Way Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth and sophisticated grooving from Esther Phillips – a record that really has her shaking off the rag-tag and rootsy modes of earlier years, and gliding sweetly into the mainstream! Phillips' vocals are still as soulful and compelling as ever, but the backings are quite full – penned by Joe Beck, who also plays a fair bit of guitar on the record too – and done with a sound that's in the same mode as David Matthews' backings for other Kudu sides of the time. There's a definite soul-heavy focus going on here – with some clubby touches too – and titles include "Caravan", "Fever", "Pure Natural Love", "Unforgettable", "For All We Know", "Fools Rush In", and "Going Out Of My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

Not a live album – as you might think from the title – but a tight batch of tunes that shows the full funk and soul talents of the legendary Esther Phillips! The album's got a nicely dark undercurrent at times – a sound that's not as smooth as some of Esther's other Kudu albums from the 70s, with bits of R&B bubbling underneath the more contemporary arrangements. Backings are penned by Pee Wee Ellis and Gary King – and players include Bob James and Richard Tee on keyboards, Hubert Laws on flute, and Bernard Purdie and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom provides a sublime beat on the album's standout funky number "Disposable Society" – one of those great little groovers that never did anything for Esther at the time of its release, but which has really gotten rediscovered in recent years! Other tracks include "Doing Our Thing", "Living Alone", "Can't Trust Your Neighbor With Your Baby", and "I Feel The Same". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Cantaloupe Island", "Contact", "Pebble Beach Walk", "California", "The Loner", "Soul Summit", "Eighty-One", "Twenty Small Cigars", "How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That", "King Kong", and "With A Little Help From My Friends". CD

A stunner of a set from Ken Vandermark & co as Powerhouse Sound – a riveting 2CD batch of rhythmic juxtaposition inspired by dub, sound collage production, and free rock caterwauling – done with a pair of line-ups in both Oslo and Chicago! The Oslo group is heavy with bass and stuttering electronic manipulations, and features Vandermark, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten and Nate McBride on electric bass, Pall Nilssen-Love on drums and Lasse Marhaug on electronics. The Chicago crew runs through variations of the material and changes up the instrumentation with Vandermark, John Herndon on drums, Jeff Parker on guitar and McBride on bass. Disc one (Oslo version) includes "Shocklee (For Hank Shocklee)", "King To Crown (For King Tubby), "Coxsone (For Coxsone Dodd)", "2-1-75" (For Miles Davis), "Acid Scratch (For Lee Perry)", "Exit-Salida (For Burning Spear)" and "New Dirt (For The Stooges)". Disc two (Chicago version) includes "Old Dictionary (For Bernie Worrell)", "King To Crown Pt 1/Acid Scratch Pt 2", "Coxsonne", "2-1-75" and "New Dirt/King To Crown Pt 2". CD

Unreleased work from the great Prince Jammy – an assortment of never-heard dubs, all of which bristle with a sharpness that marks the start of the digital generation! There's a spareness here that's wonderful – Jammy's way of making a key element be just enough out front of some slow-stepping rhythms – all very earthy, even though there's a sonic sharpness to the music – a vibe that heralds that new generation that the Prince helped open up in Jamaican music! Titles include "President Dub", "Sunny Side Dub", "Vincent In Dub", "Nuff Corn Dub", "Anything A Dub", "One Million Dub", "Yah We Deh Dub", "Higgler Move Dub", and "Mr Joe Is Dubbing". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from John Prine – his Atlantic debut, done at a time when he was emerging from the second generation of the Chicago folk scene – with a style that set the tone for countless singer/songwriters in years to come! The record has immediate appeal to ears tuned towards hip country, folk, and the more personal side of rock at the time – as Prine sings his material with a wry wit that's simultaneously heartbreaking, with support from the great Reggie Young on guitar and Bobby Emmons on organ – plus work on two tracks from scenemate and soon-to-be-star Steve Goodman on guitar. Titles include the seminal "Hello In There" – a tune that's hard to believe was written by a 24 year old – plus "Six O'Clock News", "Sam Stone", "Donald & Lydia", "Illegal Smile", "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore", and "Far From Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A very clubby set from the Johannesburg scene at the start of the 90s – four longer tracks that really showcase that moment when house music influences were running through more mainstream R&B – all at a level that's richer and more soulful than some of the synth-heavy work of the decade before! The basslines are great – really grooving in that garage style that was big in the NYC clubs at the time – warming up the tunes in mighty nice ways, and making for some very seductive rhythms! Titles include the super-catchy title cut "Big World", plus "Unity", "Rebatla Muzik", and "Qinisela". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible debut from Public Image Limited – one of the most striking records of its generation, and a huge surprise – given that the Sex Pistols had broken up just a few months before! The record is the key transition of Johnny Rotten into John Lydon – and the whole thing is light years ahead of the Pistols in terms of boundless creativity and originality – different from Lydon's own earlier revolutionary punk act and different from pretty much everything else on the late 70s landscape – even darker than punk, if you can imagine that! The dissonant, driving post punk guitars and sneering vocals are recognizable, sure – but the dubby textures and more angular touches are so far outside the box and so hugely influential that it's hard to fathom myriad underground rock acts existing without it. Of course, part of the credit also goes to the amazing band that John Lydon assembled to put the whole thing together – a quartet that includes incredible guitar from Keith Levene, and heady bass from Jah Wobble – both key parts of the sound. Titles include "Theme", "Religion", "Religion II", "Annalisa", "Public Image", "Low Life", "Attack" and "Fodderstompf". LP, Vinyl record album

Bold sounds from this hip quartet of American players – working here on an early session for the Black Saint label, in a recording that's got a really great sense of focus! The album's dominated by the two-part track "Warriors Dance" – a number that builds beautifully on rhythms from the bass of Fred Hopkins and drums of Bobby Battle, punctuated by sharper piano from Don Pullman and wild tenor sounds from Chico Freeman – soulfully crafted, but also with some of the playful aspects you'd find in 70s work from the AACM. The tune shifts its shape a lot over the course of its 30-plus minutes – and the album's completed by the wonderful "Land Of The Pharoahs" – a leaping number with a great spiritual avant energy! CD

Three wonderful albums from this legendary Brazilian singer – all presented in a single set! First up is Nothing Will Be As It Was Tomorrow – a record that's quite different from Flora's earlier work, but in a way that we find very compelling! The record was produced by Leon Ndugu Chancler, and it's got a smooth fusion sound that's kind of in a southern California R&B mode, played by a huge range of excellent Brazilian and west coast talents that include Patrice Rushen, Dorothy Ashby, Fred Jackson, Raul De Souza, Toninho Horta, and Airto. While this sound overwhelms the core of Flora's usual Brazilian jazz approach, it also expands some of the tracks to a great groove – with Flora's vocals on top, stretching out in a whole new way! Includes a great English language version of the Milton Nascimento classic "Nada Sera Como Antes", plus the cuts "You Love Me Only", "I'm Coming For Your Love", "Corre Nina", "Angels", "Bridges", and "Fairy Tale Song". Every Day Every Night is a beautifully soulful record from Flora Purim – still awash with touches from her Brazilian roots, but also done with a great 70s LA sound! Airto's helping Flora out on production, but the real hero here is Michel Colombier – who handles most of the arrangements and wrote a good deal of the tunes with Purim and Airto – mixing his own expansive studio talents with their organically-forged groove, in a way that makes the record a real standout from the California fusion scene of the 70s! Players include Randy Brecker, Lee Ritenour, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Harvey Mason, and other jazz heavyweights – and titles include "The Hope", "I Just Don't Know", "In Brasil", "Blues Ballad", "Why I'm Alone", "Walking Away", and "Samba Michel". Carry On is one of Flora Purim's more R&B-sounding albums from the 70s, produced by George Duke with an appreciation for Flora's Brazilian jazz roots, but with a smoother sound that's in keeping with Duke's own work of the time! The combination is pretty sweet – a professional culmination of the mixture of fusion and Brazilian jazz that had been happening in the San Francisco scene during most of the 70s, and featuring many of the musicians who had helped make that groove so strong. Players include Airto, Sheila Escovedo, Joe Farrell, Ronnie Foster, Bobby Lyle, and Larry Williams – and tracks include "Niura Is Coming Back", "From The Lonely Afternoon", "Freeway Jam", "Beijo Partido", "Corine", and "Love Lock". Includes bonus tracks too – "Tango Blues" and "Sad Song". CD

A sweet, hip hop-leaning side project of the mighty Q-Continuum crew – adding a propulsive party rap groove to their eclectic stew of funk and modern soul groove! Features mysterious vocalists rocking it under the names Father Metro and MC Paleface, plus Axl Smith, Puppa J, and others – with a nice backdrop of turntables, live horns, bubbling bass and percussion! Tracks include "Nothing But A Q-Thing" feat Organ Kane and others, ", "Travelling Phrase" feat Axl Smith, "Girls (Ladies)" feat Father Metro, "Fire It Up (Bossa)" feat Father Metro & MC Paleface, "Cheeky Monkey" feat Smulton, "The Mogul" feat Tuomo, "Destination Unclear" feat Father Metro, "They Dream To Be Free" feat Axl Smith and more. CD

Obscure 80s work from Latin trumpeter Bobby Quesada – a musician you might know best for his socking late 60s work, still sounding great here! The combo features piano from Ruben Rivera, vocals from Luis Rodriguez, and titles include "Hay Vistas Que Tumban Cocos", "Goyito El Pescador", "Que Vivan Los Estudiantes", "Como Aguja", and "Lagrimas De Gasolina". LP, Vinyl record album

Raekwon's third album, featuring appearances by Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface, Havoc, Capone, Sheek Louch and others. Tracks include "Pit Bull Fights", "King Of Kings", "Smith Bros.", "Robbery", "Planet Of The Apes", "Once Upon A Time", "Musketeers Of Pig Valley", "Ice Cream, Pt.2" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent "comeback" LP for Ernest Ranglin, though astute observers realize he never really went away in the first place! Ranglin was always able to move back and forth easily between the worlds of groovy jazz, playing alongside Monty Alexander on some of his finest 70s sides, and Jamaican studio work, serving guitar duties at Studio One, cutting some of the rhythms that would serve as the foundation for much of the Jamaican music throughout the years! This set finds him in fine form, rendering excellent jazzy versions of numerous classic rhythms with a crack band that includes old mates Monty Alexander on piano, Roland Alphonso on saxes, and funky drummer Idris Muhammad! 11 tracks in all: "Congo Man", "Surfin'", "King Tubby MeetsThe Rockers", "Satta Massagana", "54-46 (Was My Number)", "None Shall Escape The Judgement", "Ball Of Fire", and "Black Disciples" CD

A legendary overview of jazz on the Italian scene at the start of the 60s – a great document of the new modes that was really setting the work of Italian jazz musicians apart from those in other parts of Europe – working with fresh ideas and a new conception that's completely sublime! The work here often has a great balance between structure and individual voice – and many numbers feature strong soloists who'd go on to great fame in a variety of settings – already graced here with talents that seem greater than their young years. Trumpeter Enrico Rava leads things off in a quartet with pianist Maurizio Lama, on a version of the tune "Line For Lyons" – and Lama follows with a trio reading of his own "Tema For Franco". Trumpeter Sergio Fanni is joined by the great Eraldo Volante on tenor and baritone on the tunes "Duo" and "Circeo". Later soundtrack artist Piero Umiliani serves up his "Picolla Suite Americana" – followed by the Modern Jazz Gang of saxophonist Sandro Brugnolini (with later sound library giants Enzo Scoppa and Cicci Santucci), on the tracks "The Drum Is A Tramp" and "Blue Mirria". Trombonist Dino Piana delivers the tune "Tempo Di Febbraio" with help from the great Gianni Basso on tenor – and the set also features a reading of "Bag's Groove" with Giorgio Azzolini on bass, Piano on trombone, and Attilio Donadio on alto. LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking early work from the team of Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz – the kind of record that marked the pair as one of the freshest new voices to hit Latin music in the New York scene of the 60s! The rhythms and modes are all familiar ones, but they're delivered with a different sort of edge here – partly because of Ricardo's heavy use of dark notes on the piano, but also because there's a nice sense of space in the arrangements that almost points the way towards some of the freer thinkers of the Latin Soul years. Bobby's vocals are well-placed, and very soulful – and Chivirico Davila and Felo Brito also sing a bit on the record too. Titles include an incredible mambo reworking of "Parisian Thoroughfare", done as a longer descarga number that's really great – and other tracks include "Chachita", "Mirame", and "Yenyere". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing set from altoist Sonny Red – a player who hardly ever got to make any albums as a leader, and who really burns brightly on this Blue Note classic! Red's got a tone on alto that's as deep and sharp as most tenorists of his generation – extremely soulful, but with a really raspy edge that's almost modern at times – a combination that's quite unique, and which makes his playing on a few key albums well worth tracking down. This album's one of the best of Sonny's few dates on record – and it features the saxophonist working with two different groups – both headed by Wynton Kelly on piano, and with either Sam Jones or Paul Chambers on bass, and either Roy Brooks or Jimmy Cobb on drums – a hell of a great rhythm lineup, no matter how you slice it! Both groups are right on the money, and the whole album swings very nicely – and titles include "Alone Too Long", "The Lope", "Nadia", "Bluesville", and "Blues In the Pocket". LP, Vinyl record album