A real treasure from reedman Maulawi Nurudin – originally recorded as part of the Strata Records scene in Detroit, but done in Chicago in 1973 – and issued here for the first time ever! The vibe here is almost more Tribe Records than some of the other Strata sides – as Maulawi blows tenor and other reeds over these modal grooves with drums from Tani Tabbal, plus bass and keyboards from other unknown musicians – all in a laidback style that's rich and soulful – almost a spiritual jazz take on territory that would later be explored by Grover Washington Jr, especially given Maulawi's use of soprano sax! Titles include great takes on "Maiden Voyage", "People Make The World Go Round", and "I Say A Little Prayer" – plus the originals "Orotunds", "Where Is The Place", and an "Unknown Track". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous first outing as a leader for Japanese saxophonist Kosuke Mine – one of our favorite players of the 70s, already sounding wonderful here right at the start! The album's got a freewheeling vibe – not entirely avant, and maybe more in the modal territory unlocked by Miles Davis a few years before – although with a very different vibe, given the Mine's in the lead on alto! Yet the group also features some very Miles-like use of electric piano – handled here by Masabumi Kikuchi, a key young contemporary of Mine, and one who'd gotten a bit more of a head start in the world of recording – really adding a lot to the record here, next to the very forward-thinking rhythm duo of American players Larry Ridley on bass and Lenny McBrowne on drums! All tracks are nice and long, and most are originals – the kind of open, long-spun cuts that really herald all the great changes taking place on the Japanese jazz scene at the time. Titles include "Little Abbi", "McPhee", "Love Taken", "Morning Tide", and "Bar L'Len". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of spiritual sounds from Japanese drummer Takahashi Miyasaka – one of those sublime 70s records that really carries the Coltrane legacy forward, and finds a whole new channel of inspiration in the universe! The group is led by Miyasaka, but features fantastic horn work from Koichi Matsukaze on alto and tenor, Genji Sawai on soprano and alto, and Hiroshi Itaya on trombone – the last of whom has a wonderfully distinct voice, with these crisp, concise notes that really make the record shine! Pianist Hiromachi Tsugaki is wonderful too – a player we don't know at all, but who ranks right up there with the best Japanese pianists of the decade – and bassist Kagehiro Ohba has a spacious stepping sound that really keeps things in line. All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Dog's Dance", "Pecker's Blues", "Ballad For Mammoth", and "Animals Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Takeo Moriyama recorded some great albums in the 70s and 80s – and this live date from the start of the 90s is equally nice, and comes across with a soaring, spiritual vibe that's very different than most mainstream work of the time! The music soars with effortless energy, and Takeo's drums are matched by superb work on bass from Hideaki Mochizuki – then spun out with these searing tenor solos from Toshihiko Inoue, all while the mighty Fumio Itabashi handles piano – all with a sense of soulful majesty that matches any of the key Japanese jazz classics recorded under his own name! The set's a live one, and the tracks are all very long and bold – with titles that include "Watarase", "Exchange", "Hush A Bye", "Sunrise", and "Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 70s genius from the Japanese jazz scene – a record that features warm piano work from the leader Masao Nakajima – a player who can burn one minute with great intensity, then deliver a laidback lyrical line the next! It's that balance that makes the album really wonderful – a quality that's echoed very strongly by the reed work on the record – great contributions from Toshiyuki Honda on flute, alto, and soprano – a player you might hear on fusion records in other settings, but who is even more wonderful here. The rest of the group includes bassist Osamu Kawakami, and the great American drummer Donald Bailey – a player who worked with Jimmy Smith in the 60s, but who has a very different vibe here. Titles include a beautiful remake of "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" – plus "Third Plane", "Moment's Notice", "My Love", and "Beloved Diane". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring piano lines, burning trumpet solos, and soulful tenor sax – all wrapped together beautifully in this obscure Japanese session from the 80s – a date that has all the free-thinking power and unbounded energy of some of our favorite American soul jazz sessions from a decade before! The group's led by bassist Shintaro Nakamura, but features wonderful contributions from trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, tenorist Robert Kenmotsu, and pianist Jeff Jenkins – all of whom get plenty of space to state their case on the album's long and stretched-out tracks. The bass of Nakamura and piano of Jenkins sets up a good modal groove on most numbers – and titles include "Future On You", "Don't Forget Me", "Sweet & Sour Sound", "Evolution", and "A Blind Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A set with a warm cover image and a fair bit of electric instrumentation – yet a record that's also got much more of an edge than you might expect! Drummer Tatsuya Nakamura leads a group through territory that's partly fusion, but which also borrows some looser, darker modes from the farther side of the spectrum – not totally in Miles Davis 70s electric modes, but certainly shaped by the knowledge of the territory he opened up on his long double-length albums, which is then brought back into more compact song formation that changes nicely throughout the set! Other players on the record include Jun Fukamichi on keyboards, Kazumasa Akiyama on guitar, and Shinobu Fujimoto on trumpet – and there's also some nice use of percussion next to Tatsuya's work on drums. Titles include the improvised "Ballad", plus "Locus", "Wow", and "1/4 Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

A damn soulful album from Ghanaian percussionist Rim Kwaku Obeng – recorded in LA at the end of the 70s, with loads of sweet clubby touches in the mix! Rim gets in plenty of tight percussion – lots of which showcases his rim-heavy approach to the drums – and also plays keyboards and sings a bit too – in a larger group that mixes in some very hip LA funky elements, a bit like some of the criss-crossing that Hugh Masekela did on his Chisa Records sessions! The style makes for a great bit of funky club with lots of deeper acoustic percussion elements in the sound – and titles include the massive break classic "Funky Drummer", plus "Nothing Is Free", "Spend Your Money", "Gas Line", "Sunkwa", and "Believe In Yourself". Special package – also includes the bonus 12" tracks "International Funk (voc)", and "International Funk (inst)". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully groovy work from Rim Kwaku Obeng – an artist with African roots, but working here in the San Francisco scene of the early 80s – where he's clearly picked up a very international vibe in his music! Rim definitely plays some traditional percussion on the tracks, but there's also a more contemporary funky club approach too – a mixing of modes that's totally great, and which almost represents an 80s step forward for the already-great Bay Area soul vibe of the 70s! The first half of the set features material from the Too Tough EP – which has very cool female vocals, both a lead and a chorus – the latter of whom move around with the rhythms in this totally great way that almost feels like some New York cuts from the Danceteria generation. The second half of the set loses the female singers, but is still every bit as wonderful as the first – with these long grooves from Rim & The Believers that have the percussion, basslines, and guitars criss-crossing in even more amazing ways. Titles include "Shine The Ladies", "Love Me For Real", "I'm Not Going To Let You", "Peace Of Mind", and "I'm A Song Writer". LP, Vinyl record album

A great combination of Congo grooves and Nigerian 70s – served up here by vocalist Ondigui and his Bota Tabansi ensemble! Ondigui already has a fantastic sound himself – this vocal range and ability to inflect his notes that has the singer cascading up and down the spectrum – in ways that really explode when the lively rhythms of the group come into play – lots of romping percussion, often influenced by Cuban modes – colored in with these bright guitar lines that bubble and glisten throughout the tunes! Titles include "Longe La Wenge", "Wonderful For Ashawo", "Meveg", "Mude Dzam", and "Beza Bakili Ma Nyon". LP, Vinyl record album

Osunlade's always had a sound that's deep, but this time around his entire approach seems even deeper than ever – maybe because this lavish package is as much a visual treat as it is an audio one! The set's as much of a book as it is a record – a heavy, hardcover package that has beautiful images on each page, writings too – all in tribute to the Orishas who've become a continuing inspiration for Osunlade – and helped move his music away from just simple dancefloor fare! And yet the tracks groove nicely, too – all in that deepest of house modes that the man's been giving us for many years – woven from strands of different cultural inspiration, and given a contemporary soulful spin – mostly from Osunlade himself on live drums, moog, Fender Rhodes, theremin, and other instrumentation – as well as vocals, and some guest help from Gabriele Poso, Oveous Maximus, Chateau Flight, and Tanya Blount. Titles include "No Way", "Pheramones", "Ser Al Santismo", "A Day Without", "Yeku Yeku", "Man O Wirdz", "Trinity Ov Me", "Idiosyncracy", and "Walkin In Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

No charity needed here – as reedman Eji Oyewole's got a wealth of talent on his own! Eji's a musician with roots in the 60s Nigerian scene, but left to follow a personal path through Europe and the US, where he picked up some wonderfully funky styles which are then brought home to create this completely cooking late 70s album! The style's different than other big Afro Funk names of the time – like Fela Kuti or Manu Dibango – but shares a similar sense of flowing, open grooves – and Eji's ability to act strongly as both a lead vocalist, and a soaring soloist on tenor, soprano, and flute! Rhythms are damn funky at the core – with almost a blacksploitation vibe at times – and the tracks are all quite long, with most of the real "voice" coming from the saxes, which speak volumes on their solos. Titles include "Gele Odun (Oil Boom)", "Lagos Complex Highways", "Unity In Africa", and "Charity Begins At Home". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest voices ever in soul music – served up here in a stunning set of new mixes by the legendary John Morales – king of the edit, with a talent that goes way back to the best modes of the early club scene in NYC – and an equally great ability to find all the best bits in a cut and make them even better! In other words, these aren't the kind of remixes that seek to bludgeon an original track to death in service of putting the remixer in the spotlight – and instead, Morales has a superb way of helping Teddy Pendergrass shine even more than ever – letting the vocals soar over majestic Philly soul grooves – on tracks that are both from the Pendergrass years in Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and some of Teddy's later solo cuts too. Titles include Morales mixes of "The More I Get The More I Want", "The Love I Lost", "Come Go With Me", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Only You", "Now Is The Time To Do It", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "If You Know Like I Know", "You Can't Hide From Yourself", "Is There A Place For Me", "Where Are All My Friends", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring debut from Audrey Powne – both a jazz musician and a soulful singer, and an artist who manages to wrap both those talents here together in a very righteous way! The album uses larger arrangements to set a very bold sonic scene – clearly informed by spiritual jazz, but taken to more cosmic currents at times – and topped with these airy vocals from Audrey that have a way of gliding effortlessly amidst the charts! Powne also plays a bit of trumpet – soloing with a nice sense of boldness – and overdubbing allows her to create her own choral vibe amidst the gentle strings and other elements – almost like a 21st Century update of the older Cadet/Concept sound from the end of the 60s. Titles include "Feed The Fire", "Souled Out", "Survive", "Indigo", "Overture", "From The Fire", and "Sleep". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's really out of time and place – a set that sounds nothing like most other material issued in 1980, and which also hardly shows any traces of the Louisiana roots of Will & James Ragar! Instead, the set's got this laidback style that's almost folk funk at times, especially the variant from the late 60s and early 70s – maybe a bit like the music of Alzo & Udine. Guitars are mostly acoustic, but warmed up in nicely smooth ways – not through commercial production, just by inflecting the proceedings with a knowledge of jazzier phrasing, which comes through in the vocals, piano, and occasional other instrumentation too. There's a warm, laidback approach to the record that's really beautiful – and titles include "As The Day Grows Tired", "My Shining Sun", "She's Laughter", "Melting Pot", "Needs", "Hidden Away", "Just A Wanderer", "Oregon", and "Parade". This reissue also adds in the bonus tracks "Forever" and "Bayou Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

An ultra-hip set of soul jazz from 70s Detroit – recorded back in the day by saxophonist Sam Sanders, but never issued at the time! The album's got this wonderfully warm, open sort of vibe – a quality that's kind of like an indie take on the CTI mode of the time, but much more relaxed – and nicely directed towards soul as well, given the vocals that grace some of the album's best moments! Some tunes are right on the money, with an undercurrent of funk – but other moments get a bit wilder and more righteous, in the style you'd expect from the legendary Strata Records imprint! Core instrumentation is by a combo that features Sanders on alto, plus lots of great keyboards, and guitar, baritone, and percussion. Vocals are by Jamil and Kenneth Harris – plus an unnamed female singer too – and titles include "Inner City Player", "Face At My Window", "Loser", "Funked Up", "Love's Gain", and "Summer Mist". LP, Vinyl record album

A great group, and one we've never heard before – stepping out with some tremendous trumpet and alto work that really makes the album sparkle! The group's led by trumpeter Hideto Sasaki, and features alto from guest Sekine Toshiyuki – both working in a mode that's sharply angular, but deeply soulful – like some of the most modern Blue Note work at the end of the 60s! There's some really wonderful interplay between the horns – supported by vamping, soaring rhythms on piano, bass, and drums – and in a way, the record feels like one of those later Lee Morgan dates, still rooted in hardbop traditions, but really taking off with new ideas! Titles include a wonderful version of "Little B's Poem", plus "Carole's Garden", "Turquoise Twice", "Stop Over", and "Soultrane". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those great rare gospel albums from the modern soul generation – a time when the music had some of its strongest secular styles in the grooves – so much so, you might be hard-pressed to imagine these guys singing in a church! In fact, most of these tracks would be right at home in the clubs – as Soul Liberation have this upbeat modern soul approach that's wonderfully groovy – and which is made even better by their righteous lyrics – which often soft-pedal the religious message, but still use its current to give the music a strong sense of spirit – which is then matched by the equally uplifting sense of groove! Titles include "Send Me", "Heavenly Places", "Put On The Whole Armor", "Who Are You", "It Won't Go Away", and "Touch Me Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's a bit later than some of the famous 70s work by Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – yet a record that's maybe even powerful than most of those albums too! As before, Suzuki continues to use his instrument in really unconventional ways – not just in the way he phrases things, but also in the structure of the songs and the role that the bass plays as well – but here, he's linked with even more exploratory musicians in the group – in a lineup that features Hideo Ichikawa on piano, Akira Shiomoto on guitar, and the great Masahiko Togashi on percussion! Togashi definitely brings some of his amazing touch to bear on the overall shape of the record – but Suzuki also still warms things up with key moments of melody as well – those great elements that always bring the proceedings back to earth when they've taken off for a bit. Titles include "Make Trip", "Tornado", "Long Straight Road", "East Words", "Mysterious", and "Otari". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant early album from pianist Aki Takase – already at the top of her game with an amazing command of the keyboard – a reach and sense of imagination that almost opens into the freewheeling territory of Cecil Taylor, but one that's also got a lot of room for gentler, more sensitive moments – which makes the balance of expression on the album a real delight! The tracks are all quite long, and there's some equally wonderful work on bass from Nobuyoshi Ino – a player whose thoughtful qualities really open up the piano, and also provide some soulful grounding for the record next to the drums of Takeo Moriyama. Tracks include "Mountain Forest", "Minerva's Owl", "Monologue", and "Song For Hope". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare and beautiful set from the Japanese scene of the 70s – a record that features tenor and soprano sax from Hideyasu Terekawa, and vibes from Hiroshi Fujii – a wonderful combination, and a pair of players who really open up in the live setting of the record! The tunes are mostly jazz numbers penned by others, but the pair really make them their own – thanks in part to some warm rhythms from drummer Aki Hiro Nakaya and bassist Tetsuo Miura, the latter of whom has this great way of wrapping around the performance and guiding it gently. Things are nice and open at times, with plenty of room for solos – and titles include "Black Nile", "Simone", "Rerev", "I Remember Clifford", and "Stella By Starlight". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover looks gothic, but the sound is plenty darn groovy – a sweet set of sound library instrumentals from the 70s scene in Paris – most of them served up with an upbeat, clubby sort of vibe! Yan Tregger may not be one of those names that immediately comes to the lips of underground club collectors – but there's plenty of great clubby moments here, with grooves that bubble on tight basslines, swing with sweet keyboards, and often get lots of riffing guitar in the mix! Yet there's also some nicely weird touches too – as you might expect from a record that was cut far from the mainstream, as part of a studio library set – the kind of weird funky elements you might find on some of the more obscure 12" singles from the late 70s underground. Titles include "Carry On", "Gimmicky", "Sunny Wing", "Light Heart (parts 1 & 2)", "Riff On", "Lyric Soul", "Slow Zoom", and "This Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic 500th release by the BBE label – one that looks back at the past, and soars to the future! This special extended single package is a fantastic return to form for everyone involved – as underground club legends Patrick Adams and Leroy Burgess get a whole new groove from Louie Vega – but with a warmly soaring vibe that's a great update of their classic approach! "Barely Breaking Even" is a classic from the Universal Robot Band – but this new take has both vocals and production that are a lot warmer than the original P&P Records version – and a groove that's even catchier too! All four mixes are over eight minutes long – served up here beautifully on a double 12" package! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Really evocative work from pianist Mal Waldron – a rare Japanese session cut with trumpeter Terumasa Hino, and a hip group of players who really make the set sparkle! The album's easily one of the most spiritual that Mal ever cut – and features two side long tracks that build beautifully, with soaring, searching rhythms that are unlike anything else we've ever heard in another Waldron record. Other players include Takao Uematsu on tenor, Isao Suzuki on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums – and the set also feature added percussion, which really adds to the spiritual quality of the music. Titles include "Reminiscent Suite" and "Black Forest". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic of 70s avant spiritual jazz – issued on the tiny Sweet Earth label, which was also home to some very special records from Sun Ra and Marion Brown! Bassist David Wertman is a lot more obscure than those bigger names, but he was part of the New York loft jazz scene in those crucial mid 70s years – and had associations with Arthur Blythe, Billy Bang, Steve Reid, and other key members of the group – all heavyweights that Wertman can easily stand next to with the strength of the material on this set! The sounds here are a fantastic combination of larger ideas and more spontaneous creation – almost in an AACM mode, but a bit more spiritual overall – with David's bass at the helm of a group that includes David Swerdlove on alto and soprano sax, John Hagen on tenor and soprano, John Sprague on flutes, Greg Wall on baritone, and John Zieman on keyboards. Drummer Jay Conway really provides some great energy to keep things lively and moving – and titles include "Oh John Love Trane", "Clear Air Dancer", "Earthly Delights", and "Relations". LP, Vinyl record album

Really beautiful sounds from bassist David Wertman – an unsung hero of the late 70s spiritual jazz scene around New England, and one who delivers this gem in close partnership with singer Lynne Meryl! Meryl's got this warm, fluid style that's a lot like the way that some of the better Bay Area groups were using jazz vocals a few years before – a mode inspired by overseas singers like Flora Purim or Urzula Dudziak, but used here alongside soulful instrumentation that draws a lot from the more inside currents of the loft jazz scene! Wertman's bass is at the core, and tremendous throughout – full of fire and force, and sometimes matched with a bit of percussion – a musical force that's handled here more fully by Tony Vacca, who employs a range of instruments – next to piano and prepared piano from Tom McClung, and these strong trombone solos from Tim Atherton – a player who really sends the whole thing over the top with his contributions! Most tracks have a great modal groove – and titles include "Forest Dance", "Camel", "Flute Song", "New Earth", "Sing My Love Song", and "Dance Of The Mideast Madness". This expanded edition brings in more rare cuts from other releases – eight bonus tracks that include "How Come", "Up In The Sky", "Sci Fi Fantasy", "Blessing Of Love", "Golden Light", and "You Are My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Hypnotic organ funk from Lyman Woodard – an old bandmate of Dennis Coffey, and one of the shining lights of the 70s Detroit scene! This is amazing, amazing stuff – Woodard's electric piano, organ and occasional mellotron and Norma Bell's alto saxophone lend a cosmic funk aspect throughout, very much like Death Wish-era Herbie Hancock – with a laidback, tripped-out groove that's really mindblowing! Ron English accents the thing perfectly with his languid guitar and bass groove, while Leonard King and Lorenzo Brown's drumming and percussion can keep the groove adrift, or tear it up in a funky maelstrom depending on the mission of the cut. It's totally essential Strata jazz funk – and a record we've rarely seen in the original pressing. Tracks include "Saturday Night Special", "Joy Road", "Belle Isle Daze", "Creative Musicians", "Cheeba", "On Your Mind", "Allen Barnes", and "Help Me Get Away". Features bonus tracks "Saturday Night Special (lost alt mix)" and "Bell Isle Daze (lost alt mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from the German scene of the 80s – at a time when the prog and free jazz experiments of the previous decade had calmed down a bit, yet German musicians were still coming up with lots of new and amazing ideas! Here, there's definitely a bit of inspiration from Brazilian music, but mixed with some of the new generation of vocals from jazz singers like Karin Krog or Monica Zetterlund – handled by singer Beate Kynast on the record, in a way that's light years away from more traditional jazz vocals! There's a fluid, soaring sensibility to the music – modal mixed with post-bossa rhythms, on instrumentation that includes trumpet from Robert Schulte Hemming, alto and flute from Wolfgang Puschnig, keyboards and piano from Martin Kubert, drums from Peter Wirth, and bass from Rudi Engel. Instrumentation has a warm blend of acoustic and electric elements – very much like some of the best Nabel releases, or the sort of work later compiled in the Glucklich series – on titles that include "Rush Hour", "Impressions Of Autumn", "Bluze", "Number Four", Lament", and "Scarcely Had We Left The House". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of albums from this Guyana group – both recorded overseas, and with a really unique sort of vibe! Young Ones Of Guyana On Tour was recorded in 1970, while the group was in London – at the legendary Landsdowne Studios, home to some really groundbreaking jazz at the time – a location that must have left some sort of imprint on the combo, as they work here in a mix of different styles that includes soul, Latin, and even Jamaican modes – often using strong lead guitar upfront, usually peppered with very cool Farfisa organ lines too. Many of the cuts are instrumentals, and some are vocals – and the mix reminds us a lot of the sorts of variety you'd get on a late 60s rocksteady album. Titles include "Liquidator", "Monkey Man", "Express Way", "Love Can Make You Happy", "No More Heartaches", and "Meditation". Reunion was recorded in Toronto in 1973 – after the group took a hiatus from recording for a bit, to reemerge here with a style that's definitely matured for the time! The organ has shifted from Farfisa to Hammond, but still used in these nice lean lines – and the vocals are more prominent, and maybe more soulful too – especially when the group take on some American soul tracks from the time. Titles include "Guitar Man", "Hooked On Me", "Poppa Joe", "Oh Girl", "If Loving You Is Wrong", "Suriname", "Ain't No Sunshine", and "Lean On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible rare jazz from the Japanese scene of the 70s – all hand-picked by DJ Muro, one of the coolest talents on the contemporary scene in Tokyo! The set's a bit of a shift from other collections of this nature – as it focuses a bit more on tracks that are funky than those that are spiritual – yet also includes those that have some very cool, hip Japanese touches – at a level that's hugely different from American jazz work of the time! The selection of cuts is great – and rather than offer a completely diverse dozen, Muro does a great job of focusing in on a few key acts – most of whom have not hit the reissue market strongly in recent years. Titles include "Hanagasa Odori", "Sakura Sakura", "Soran Bushi", and "Yagi Bushi" by Tadaaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys; "Nanbu Ushioi Uta", "Saitara Bushi", "Souma Nagareyama", and "Asadoya Yunta" by Kifu Mitsuhashi & Kiyoshi Yamaya; "Seijinshiki (Adult Day)" by Toshiyuji Miyama & His New Herd; "Tabaruzaka" by Katsuya Yokoyama & The Million Pops; and "Fuku Jobutso Part 1 (Muro edit)" and "Osorezan (Muro edit)" by Kiyoshi Yamaya & Contemporary Sound Orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

Cool cuts from around the globe – all brought together in one wonderfully funky set! The music here all draws heavily from American funk and psych styles – and often uses some slightly different instrumentation, or more regional inflection – to make the usual psych funk styles sound even more groovy and exotic – in a mindblowing way that makes the entire set a real musical delight! Most tracks are instrumental – heavy on drums and fuzzy guitar – but there's a few vocal moments, too – and the funk current is super-strong, way more so than on other collections that promise a heavy bottom, but usually just present offbeat psych. Titles include "Jet Pop" by Bana Pop Band, "Foxy Lady" by 49th Blue Streak, "Karate Chop" by The Tijuana Brats, "Stari Dvorac" by Pro Arte, "Nie Przejziemy Do Historii" by Krzysztof Klenczon, "Louis Louis" by Friar Tuck, "Time Of Machines" by Sergio Ferraresi, and "The Shaman's Dance" by Alexandr Sergeyevich. LP, Vinyl record album

The Grasso Brothers definitely know how to boogie – and they more than prove themselves with a wicked selection of rare tracks from the deepest years of the underground! The set's a killer collection right from the start – pulled from vintage 12" singles, albums, and even some funky 45s – with a groove that begins in the best boogie modes of the indie club scene, then soars to the skies in a range of fresh, creative styles – new variations on funky club modes of the 70s, taken to newer heights in the freedom of the post-disco years. There's some wicked cuts here we never would have discovered otherwise – and titles include "A Better Day" by Sharon Johnson, "Done Been" by Kenny Pierce, "We Know How To Boogie" by Those Good Intentions, "Dance To Freedom" by Sherman Hunter, "Stone Luv" by Roller Disco, "Plastic People (G&D edit)" by Living Color, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Gospel Seekers, "Love Ain't Just A Physical Thing" by Carol Meriwether, and "Ain't No Doubt About It" by William Barlak. LP, Vinyl record album

A great assortment of rare jazz and soul – and a set that you can totally dig, even if you don't know the meaning of Klinkhamer! The title's a reference to a Dutch record shop, whose owners compiled these tracks – but the music here has a very universal appeal, especially if you dig your music on the deeper side of the spectrum – as the cuts are mostly late 70s/early 80s numbers, served up in a blend of spiritual and funky jazz styles, with just a bit of vocals in the mix. Almost all the cuts here are pretty darn hard to track down on vinyl, which makes for a very essential set – and titles include "Kweenie" by Don Jules Pules Band, "Offshore Sounds" by Rene Van Heldingen, "Epitaph" by Gianno Basso, "Don't Let Love" by Oasis Band, "Funky Blues" by Sergio Coppotelli, and "Holy Ghost" by Eddie Holman. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible trip through the 70s Japanese jazz scene – a second volume of J Jazz that's even bigger and better than the first – with unknown gems from private presses, indie labels, and rarities from the Japanese branches of the major labels, too! Compilers Tony Higgins & Mike Peden (who are both also responsible for the nicely done notes) follow through on all of the things we loved about the first J Jazz compilation, but improve on it by going bigger and digging deeper. The majority of the tracks were recorded from 1969 through the late 70s – with a few recorded in later years – and all have a wonderful way of being open to the stylistic inventions of the time without getting hung up on trends. So while there's some fusiony funk and electric piano, there's plenty of acoustic instrumentation and timelessly inventive material. BBE has outdone themselves on this excellent collection – and the titles include "Dragon Dance" by Makoto Terashita & Harold Land, "Daguri" by Kohsuke Mine Quintet, "Distant Thunder" by Mabumi Yamguchi Quartet, "Animal Garden" by Miyasaka + 5, "Mother Of The Future" by Electro Keyboard Orchestra, "Serenade To A Dimly Lit Street" by Hiroshi Matsumoto/Hideo Ichikawa Quartet, "Teru-Teru Bozu" (Black Keys) by Teru Sakamoto Trio, "Little Giant" by Nobuo & Sharps & Flats, "Brown Trout" by Akira Miyazawa and more. 14 tracks on 3LPs. LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring collection of rare jazz from the Tokyo scene – all music originally recorded by the Japanese branch of Columbia Records – the same imprint that put out some exclusive and very hip Japanese-only albums from Miles Davis, Roy Ayers, and Herbie Hancock! The musicians here are all Japanese, and play with a vibe that definitely lives up to the label's legacy with American artists – mixing spiritual jazz, funky styles, and other soulful modes in a really great way – with a sense of variety that not only makes the collection a stellar listen throughout, but also really opens up your ears to the wealth of excellent Japanese jazz recordings that were never issued in the US! Titles include "Trial Road" by Tomoki Takahashi, "A Muddy Muffin" by Masahiko Sato, "Toppu" by Shigeharu Mukai, "Scramble" by Hiromasa Suzuki, "Samba De Negrito" by Takashi Mizuhashi & Herbie Hancock, "Ogi Denju Shiki" by Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd, "The Ground For Peace" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Chakkiri Bushi" by Nobuo Hara with Hozan Yamamoto, "Mickey's Samba" by Mikio Masuda, and "Jones Street" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of jazzy groovers – one that effortlessly combines older material and newer recordings, all with a great ear that never tires in its pursuit of the groove! The blend of old and new is a bit like some of the collections we used to love from Gilles Peterson back in the last century – but Paul Murphy definitely has his own style and way of choosing a tune, and like Peterson, he has a great way of setting a new sort of fire with jazz – one that will burn strongly for generations to come! Titles include "Yatra-Ta" by Terje Terasmaa, "African Mailman" by Rhythmagic Orchestra, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Blue Mode, "Foot In The Door" by Onward International, "Zombie" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Emnete (live)" by Imperial Tiger Orchestra, "4 Beat Cha Cha Cha" by Lucas Van Merwijk & His Cubop City Big Band, "Tribute To Mulatu" by Patchworks, "Koumba Fri Fri" by Mamelon, "Sorrow Tears & Blood" by Shola Adisa Farrar & Florian Pellissier Quartet, and "Mambo De La Pinta" by Art Pepper. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool criss-crossing of classic and contemporary jazz cuts – all put together by the same folks who've given us the excellent Jazz Room reissue label in recent years! The vibe here is expanded past the 70s and 80s material reissued by that label – and the right use of more recent cuts really does a lot to open up the music – expanding the palette in really wonderful ways, while still holding onto plenty of the classic jazz dance modes that first started taking over the UK clubs in the early years of Gilles Peterson and some of his contemporaries! Titles include "Niger Mambo" by Chieck Tidiane Seck, "African Flutes" by Clare Fischer, "Water No Get Enemy" by Daniel Crawford, "Sounds" by Eternal Buzz Brass Band, "Don't You Want Me" by Fast 3, "Golden Brown" by Take Vibe, "The Hipster" by Florian Pellissier, "Black & Decker" by Raul Monsalve Y Los Forajidos, "Jazz Carnival" by Cruisic, and "Rebel No 27 (7" edit)" by Chip Wickham. LP, Vinyl record album

A second volume of underground disco and unstoppable dancefloor soul from NYC in the late 70s and early 80s – M&M Mixes Vol 2, highlighting rare and previously unreleased mixes by John Morales! It features a roster of legendary names, particularly to diggers of deeper disco tracks, but also some soul stars who worked well in that groove – a batch of tunes mixed & engineered by Morales back in the day at M&M Studios and elsewhere. Great numbers by Brass Construction, Inner Life feat Jocelyn Brown, War and First Choice! The vinyl version comes in 2 separate parts –both 2LPs and featuring all exclusive extended vinyl versions – each each of which fills a whole side! Part A includes "Caught Up (John's Missing M+M Extended 12" Mix)" by Inner Life feat Jocelyn Brown, "Now Is Tomorrow (John's M+M Today Groove Mix)" by Brass Construction, "The Player (John's North Philly M+M Groove Mix)" by First Choice and "Slipping Into Darkness (John's M+M Out Of The Light Mix)" by War. LP, Vinyl record album

A completely sublime collection of spiritual jazz numbers from the 70s – put together by the legendary Kev Beadle, one of the first cats to spin the music with Gilles Peterson on the UK scene! The package is a great mix of essentials from years back, plus some under-discovered nuggets from the American underground – all with a nice emphasis on the grooves and rhythms – in a way that you might have heard back at Dingwalls on a Sunday afternoon! The set's a great reminder that music can be progressive and groovy at the same time – and the whole thing's overflowing with righteous treasures. Vinyl version features some exclusive tracks not on the CD – "Safari" by Frank Walton, "Padali" by Chuck Flores, and "I See Chano Pozo" by Jayne Cortez & The Firespitters – plus "In Every Way" by Reverie, "Open Your Mind" by Southern Energy Ensemble, "Brotherhood" by Kamal Abdul Alim, and "Freedom Road" by The Pharoahs. LP, Vinyl record album

An overdue look at the great range of sounds that came from Inner City Records at the end of the 70s – a hip American indie with a strong specialty in soulful fusion, hip vocalists, and a range of other great styles too – all brought together here by London DJ Kev Beadle! Inner City's often a bit overlooked – as the label flourished most strongly in the years after some of the better-known soulful imprints of the 70s – and the label always had a great ear for new sounds, fresh ideas, and the kind of compelling global elements that often led them to license key tracks from overseas, and bring them to the US market. This collection's heavy on singers – the kind of cool, underground jazz vocalists that Inner City captured so well – and it's also got a nice mix of funky fusion, modal numbers, and spiritual currents – on titles that include "The Other World" by Judy Roberts, "Hunt Up Wind" by Hiroshi Fukumura, "Vera Cruz" by Helen Merrill, "Lucky Southern" by Tom Lellis, "Quickie Nirvana" by Kellis Ethridge, "Samba De La Cruz" by Terumasa Hino, "So High" by Janet Lawson, "The Samba" by Jeff Lorber, "Return Of The Prodigal Son" by Joe Lee Wilson, "Shenkansen" by Urszula Dudziak, "To An Elfin Princess" by Charlie Mariano, "Pandora" by Carlos Franzetti, and "Jennine" by Eddie Jefferson. LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy goodness galore – a set of really well-chosen tracks that we're not sure we've ever seen reissued before – mostly from obscure sources that might well have remained underdiscovered otherwise! Jazz is at the key, but there's also some soulful vocal moments too – and most tracks are long, and have a vibe that's a nice change from funky jazz or spiritual modes – even though there's still plenty of soulful energy throughout the set! Instrumentation is both electric and acoustic, and styles change up nicely – in ways that make each new track a great discovery, even if you've got ears that are well-trained on years of record digging. Titles include "On Dit" by Sara Alexander, "On A Winder's Day" by Afrodisax, "For You" by Dave Plaehn, "Pre-Stretch Warm Up" by Rick Panzer, "Du Ar Frisk" by Roger Ekman, "Philosophy" by Anne Marie Giortz, "Sengakuji" by Urban Hansson, and "Alcohol" by Rene Van Helsdingen. LP, Vinyl record album

Beat digging heroes Kon & Amir return with a diverse, funky treasure trove of rare dancefloor anthems, rarer disco soul and African boogie cuts – possibly the best yet in their Off Track series for BBE! The east coast duo have dedicated each title in the series to an NYC borough, and Brooklyn is honored this time out – but there's a world of rare and underground club funk & soul presented here! Includes African disco & soul records with all regions dancefloor appeal, raw percussion and bass accented numbers that are tight and punchy and others with a more soaring approach, all of it totally wonderful and hard-to-find – including some we've seen or heard before! The vinyl version features 2LPs with unmixed tracks, with Kon's selections on 2 sides and Amir's on 2 sides – some featured on the mixed 2CD versions plus alternate tracks! Kon's selections include "Burnin Up" (Kon's edit) by SFB, "From The Heart" (Kon's Multi rmx) by Donny McCuillough, "Rock Don't Stop" by Taxie, "More Power To You" by Mazyck Project, "Lost In Space" by Shake and "EOD" by Edge Of Daybreak. Kon's selections include "Enjoy Your Life" by Oby Onyioha, "Disco Power" by Bomp, "You Can't Change A Man" by Christy Essien Igbokwe, "Sexy Dancer" by Harry Mosco and "Don't Ask Me" by Goddy Oku. LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant funky instrumentals from the UK Cavendish Sound Library – a company who could sometimes recorded more staid music, although that certainly wasn't the case with the gems on this collection! The music is by a handful of British studio talents of the time – most of whom come from the jazz scene in earlier years – and provide a great update of their earlier talents with some very sweet electric touches! Many of these tunes have some really great keyboards – Fender Rhodes or even moogier elements – and many also have wicked basslines next to the funky drums, which really make things kick throughout. These tunes are vastly undiscovered – at least in comparison to better-known sound library funk from companies like KPM or DeWolfe – but we'd put these grooves right up there with the best of that bunch too. This second volume is full of wonderful tracks that go even farther past the first volume – funky, but jazzy too – with a lot of work by Dennis Farnon, including the cuts "Night Walk", "Soul Type Blues", "Shanghai Caper", "Cocoanut Cocktail", "Bass Bits", "Chameleon", "Crazy Legs", "Blues For Boo", "Baltic Caper", "Test Drive", and "Nuremberg Ring" – plus "Funk" and "Rock" by Chris Barron, "Equation" and "Mad Mendoza" by Trevor Duncan, "Leagueliner" by Ray Davies, "Diraffe" by Bob Adams, and "Self Deception" by Tany Turens. LP, Vinyl record album

Mad Mats is not only digging beyond the crates here, he's also digging beyond any conventional expectations you might have – as the set's got a unique vibe that may well make it one of the most compelling BBE compilations in years! The music is from the late 60s through the present – but it all comes together in a very future-sounding way – with rhythms that are often offbeat, electric elements that seem to crackle with independent energy, and vocals that can fall down in the mix one minute and burst forth the next! This isn't a dance music compilation, and it's also not a set of rare funk tracks either – and instead, Mats creates his own very personal journey in sound – heedless of time periods, genres, and often national boundaries. Titles include "Take A Stand" by Psalms, "Big Big Boss" by Johnny Moore, "Badly" by Cuthead, "Sherriff (Murlo rmx)" by Gappy Ranks, "Keep The Music Alive" by Yvonne Gray, "Evil Woman" by Bobby Hebb, "Jazz In Outer Space" by BSTC, "The Traveller" by Deft, "Space Based" by Mode M, "Don't Hold Back The Feeling (key trip dub)" by U N I, "Animations" by Intimate Disco, and "Jah I See You" by Ensemble Entendu. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 1 features five different records, all with lots of space for the tunes to stretch out – and titles include "I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo rmx)" by Leon Collins, "What About Love (Tony Gioe rmx)" by Marboo, "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Double Exposure, "Inside America (Rick Gianatos disco queen acetate edit)" by Juggy Murray Jones, "Dancing Free (John Luongo rmx)" by Hot Ice, "Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by The Sunshine Band, "Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "It's Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)" by Double Exposure, "Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing rmx)" by Fay Hauser, "Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese rmx)" by Love Symphony Orchestra, "The Beat Goes On & On (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Ripple, "I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Ruby Andrews, "I've Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, "The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos rmx)" by Lake Shore Drive, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, and "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Skip Mahoney. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 2 features five full records – all with lots of space for the tracks to stretch out – and titles include "My Number's Up (Tee Scott rmx)" by The Salsoul Orchestra, "The Love Bug Done Bit Me Again (David Todd rmx)" by Skyliners, "LA Sunshine (Robert Ouimet rmx)" by Aura, "Love Has Come My Way (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Tony Valor Sound Orchestra, "Handsome Ma (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Sparkle Tuhran & Friends, "Love Thang (Tee Scott rmx)" by First Choice, "Burn Me Up (Jellybean Benitez edit)" by Kay Gees, "Love Is The Message (Tee Scott rmx)" by Brooklyn Express, "Changes (Jellybean Benitez rmx)" by Chain Reaction, "J'Ouvert (Frank Sestito rmx)" by John Gibbs & The Jam Band, "By The Way You Dance (Bobby DJ Guttadaro rmx)" by Bunny Sigler, "It's Good For The Soul (Walter Gibbons disco madness version)" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "It's A Better Than Good Time (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. LP, Vinyl record album

That sun-drenched image on the cover really gets at the spirit of the music on this excellent compilation – as most of the work has this slow-stepping, laidback sort of vibe – funky, but easygoing too – with the kind of cool, casual elements that maybe feel like the kind of music that you'd put on back at home, to rest up with a cool drink after spending a long day at the ocean! Many of the tracks are vintage, but there's some contemporary nuggets here too – a really well-chosen blend of cuts that are almost a genre unto themselves. Titles include "Just A Thought" by Just Us, "Tight Tonight" by Bengt Liedman, "More Than Hope" by Wendy Grace, "As The Day Grows Tired" by Will & James Ragar, "Moonshine" by Orion, "Kayenta Crossing" by William Eaton, "Peace Train" by Garth Fletcher, and "Golden Hour" by Aria Rostami. LP, Vinyl record album

The kind of record that makes us mighty proud to live in the Windy City – and a long-overdue look at the wealth of rare club, disco, and soul cuts bubbling in the Chicago underground at the end of the 70s! During the early part of the decade, the city was widely known for some super-huge soul acts – and in the 80s, house would raise Chicago to international fame – but in the space between, the city kept on putting out some really wonderful music – wicked little cuts issued on small indie labels, most of which never got any circulation outside the midwest! The Mr Peabody crate-digging team's collected together the best of the best from these overlooked years – and also threw in a few of their own edits too – furthering the dancefloor potential of some of the best rare nuggets. 2LP version features 8 cuts – including "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" by Carmen Amez – plus seven Mr Peabody edits – versions of "Too Far Gone" by LaJohn & Sheela, "The Challenge" by Billy Hinton, "The Composer" by Fantasie, "Running To A Disco" by Lonnie Givens, "Bass Come Back" by The Moore Brothers, "Disco Ball" by Brighter Side Of Darkness, and "Your Love Is In The Pocket" by Premonition. LP, Vinyl record album

A really wicked compilation, of the sort that BBE first started doing back in the day – a mix of records that spans both scenes and generations, yet which come together with a beautifully integrated vibe! There's a warmth here that's undeniable – currents of jazz, Brazilian, acoustic soul, and more – all wrapped up with a sunny vibe that really makes the whole thing soar wonderfully, as strange musical bedfellows really find a great space to play together that's full of imagination, spirit, and plenty of soul! Titles include "Factory Rhythms" by Jr Quintet, "Life" by Bugs Beddow, "I Had A Friend" by Peter Gallway, "Palavras" by Caixa Cubo, "Mystery Of You" by Jeff Scott, "Place In Space" by Joe Thomas, "Heaven" by Crosswind, "Como Aprendi A Soportar Tus Inseguridades, "Easter Suite (edit)" by John Standefer & Friends, "California (Shawn Lee mix)" by Kirk Reed, "Make The Call (ext version)" by MF Robots, "Smile Upon Your Brother" by Ambassador College Band & New World Singers, and "I Know (demo version)" by Astronauts Etc. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic funky follow-up to the first Mr Thing compilation from BBE – and a set that's equally filled with rare and soulful grooves! If we didn't know better, we'd swear he went into our crates and pilfered our own record collections – because the package contains plenty of overlooked cuts that we've loved for years, but which have never gotten their due – and not even all of them are from totally obscure pressings or small indie labels – just the kind of records that people pass over sometimes, because they don't know how great they sound! There's lots and lots and lots of deeply funky numbers on the collection – and the package really takes us back to the glory days when BBE compilations were always turning us onto something new – especially during the Keb Darge glory days. Titles include "Back Ground Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Searching For Soul" by Jake Wade & The Soul Searchers, "ABC" by Hot Butter & Soul, "Spooky Do" by Dick Walter, "The Horse" by Val Merral's Orchestra, "It's Just Begun" by Hot City Bump Band, "Sally" by Frank Pleyer Big Band, "Love Is Just A Word" by Johnny Griffith Inc, "Can't Stop Talkin" by Art & Ron, "Family Affair" by The Generation Gap, "Gacek" by Jerzy Milian, "Rockin Chair" by John L Watson with White Mouse, "Pink Panther" by Alan Tew, "Twinkle Stars Boo Galoo (live)" by Oscar Harris & The Twinkle Stars, "The Message" by Tinga Stewart, and "Pru Urebu" by The Rias Orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

A deep dive into the work of a wonderful record label – the Strata imprint from Detroit at the start of the 70s – a company who served up some very spiritual sounds in the short time they were issuing records! Don't confuse Strata with Strata East – although the labels do have some similarity – as Strata also brought in a bit more electricity on some of its cuts, and some slight touches of funk as well – a very special brew in which the Detroit jazz underground of the time were mixing things up in so many different ways – really given a lot of freedom to explore styles that are still ahead of their time all these many years later! Key albums on Strata have been reissued in recent years, but the set also features some overlooked gems by more obscure artists too – titles that include "Maiden Voyage" by Ursula Walker, "Salsa (part 1)" by Fito Foster, "Time Is Wasting" by TJ, "Joy Road" by Lyman Woodard Organization, "All But Blind" by Mixed Bag, "Island Song" by Kenny Cox, "Face At My Window" by Sam Sanders, "People We Got To Do Better" by The Soulmates, "You're The One" by TJ, "Noh Word" by Contemporary Jazz Quintet, "Tune For LN" by Larry Nozero, "Where Is The Place" by Maulawi, "Saturday Night Special" by Lyman Woodard, and "Beyond The Dream" by Kenny Cox. LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic collection – one that seems to find a special place that's all its own – a bit folk funk, a bit jazzy soul, a bit something else that we can't define at all – all sewn together through a wonderfully well-chosen batch of cuts that we might never have heard otherwise! Paul Hillery uses words next to each of the titles to describe the tunes, ala an older sound library record – like "canyon cool", or "susurrations of the sea", "ethno-fusion", "swelling cellos", and so on – all light ways of getting at the vibe of the album's beautiful mix of laidback vocals and easygoing instrumentation – definitely music that's perfect for spending some time with the setting sun! Titles include "Fields Of Green" by Carm Mascarenhas, "Colorado Red Sky" by MCF, "Mojafe" by Hardin & Russell, "Be With Me" by Pat Rahming, "Wet Dreams" by Floyd Hunchback Group, "Surfer Girl" by Persona La Ave, "In Passing" by Kimberle, "Over & Over" by Andy Davis, "Playin Your Game" by Blaine L Reininger, "The Shadows Dance" by Graeme Gash, "It All Comes Around" by Parker MacDonnell, and "The Light" by Reggio. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection of Stevie Wonder cover versions – different versions of familiar tunes, but ones that really manage to sparkle with all the righteous soul of the Stevie himself! It's been over a decade since DJ Spinna brought us the last version of his Wonder Of Stevie series – and during that time, he's managed to come up with a huge amount of great tracks that make the whole thing go way way deeper than before – not just cuts that copy the Wonder mode, but which seem to draw strong inspiration from its genius, and really soar to the skies! Much of the music here resonates with a charm that's located around the years of albums like Music Of My Mind and Innervisions, with all the jazzy currents that might imply – and some cuts are 70s vintage, others are more contemporary. Titles include "Bird Of Beauty" by US Atlantic First Navy Show Band, "It's My Pleasure" by Billy Preston, "Love's In Need Of Love Today" by John Minnis Big Bone Band, "As" by Tony Sherman, "Buttercup" by Jackson 5, "Have A Talk With God" by East St Louis Gospelettes, "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me" by Quincy Jones, "Golden Lady" by Reel People with Tony Momrelle, "If You Don't Love Me" by GC Cameron, "If She Breaks Your Heart Again" by Foreign Exchange, "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing" by Black Sugar, "Go Home" by Jrod Indigo, and "Make My Water Boil" by David Ruffin. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection of cuts that we might never have encountered otherwise – all brought together in celebration of 20 years of work from the If Music shop, who clearly just keep on refining their ears over the years! There's so many cuts here that fall in a special space between familiar genres – jazzy instrumentation mixed with folksy vocals, electronic rhythms mixed with warmer instrumentation, ethnic instrumentation fused with jazzy expression, and blends that really keep things interesting throughout – especially as most of these cuts are nice and long, and really explore the ideas at their core! Titles include "We Are Not Invisible" by Ola Szmidt, "Big Kalimba" by Greetje Bijma Kwintet, "Fidji" by Christine Schaller, "Sunday Sea Improvisation" by Tamar Osborn, "Fall In To Me (alt version)" by Emanative & Liz Elensky, "Turkish Showbiz" by Atilla Engin Group, "Dennison Point" by Tenderlonious, and "At The Speed Of Light" by Sarathy Korwar. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky disco and rare soul compiled by Al Kent – Disco Love 2 on BBE – once again going a lot deeper into the soulful underground of the late 70s and coming back up with some incredibly fresh rarities! Al Kent hails from Glasgow, but we honestly couldn't tell you where most of the singers and groups on the set are from – but we can tell you it's a great batch of underground tunes, some soaring and straight up disco, others with a more thumping, rawer or funkier groove – all of it perfectly pitched to the dancefloor. Includes "Joey's Tune" by Plazza Suite", "I Think I'll Do Some Stepping On My Own" by Sandy Barber, "I've Got The Need" by Spooky & Sue, "I Can Make It On My Own" by Vessie Simmons, "Make Love To You" by Scarbrough, "When Did You Stop" by The J's and more. 8 long unmixed numbers on the 2LP version. LP, Vinyl record album

A glorious send off from J Dilla – with some of the most soulful productions Dilla's ever laid down – and appearances by Common, D'Angelo, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib, MED, Black Thought and others! It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production – and passionate rhymes from the honored guests. A lot of the more leftfield, abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP are really on the outskirts of the sound here – a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds. We're speechless. There's one more official posthumous LP in the can, and thank goodness for that. Tracks include in-your-f**kin' face intro "Geek Down" with Busta Rhymes, "E=MC2" feat Common, "Love Jones", "Love" feat Pharoahe Monch, "Baby" feat Madlib & Guilty Simpson, "So Far To Go" feat Common & D'Angelo (come back D', the world needs you), "Jungle Love" feat MED & Guilty Simpson, "Dime Piece (Remix)" feat Dwele, "Love Movin'" feat Black Thought and "Won't Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Alex Attias has always given us some really creative sounds in his own music – so we've got some mighty high expectations when he brings together a selection of tracks by other artists for BBE! Fortunately, the record not only lives up to those expectations, but does them one better – by opening us up to some overlooked contemporary cuts that all have the cosmic touches of Attias' work on the London scene – then interweaving them with some older tracks that resonate even more strongly in the territory! There's some wonderful work from recent years that show just how far the best side of the broken beat legacy has evolved – and other older cuts have a cosmic vibe that's plenty righteous too, with some great jazzy currents that really deepen the vibe of the collection. Titles include "Midnight Magic" by Cro Magnon with Roy Ayers, "My Dream Came True" by Root Soul, "Cascade" by Tatham Mensah Lord & Ranks, "Do The Dance" by Grooveman Spot, "Over & Over" by Material with Nona Hendryx, "Curiosity (Zanzibar rmx)" by Nicole Willis, and "It's You (disco alert mix)" by Sunaga T Experience. LP, Vinyl record album

A really joyous collection of grooves selected by Alex Attias – work that's maybe even more uplifting than the first volume in this series – and we really liked that one a heck of a lot too! Most of the tracks are relatively contemporary – selected by Attias from the work of underground colleagues over the past few years – and they're put together in a way that's even more than the sum of their mighty parts – the kind of careful ear for a well-selected track list that reminds us of the sort of albums that made us first fall in love with the BBE label many years back! In a world of dark corners and uncertainty, this is a set that will help you find the way forward, and have a hell of a good time doing it – thanks to tracks that include "Gwotet (Alex Attias LillyGood Party edit)" by David Murray & The Gwo-Ka Masters with Pharoah Sanders, "Open Up Your Mind (Honeycomb voc mix)" by Universal Tongues feat Elle, "Star Child Going Home" by MJ Lallo, "Freedom Flight (Alex Attias LillyGood Party edit)" by Mausiki Scales, "Children Of The World (Ben Brophy edit)" by Elements Of Life feat Josh Milian, and "How Bad I Want Ya (GU peak tru time mix)" by Stacy Kidd with Peven Everett. LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing jazz from Japan – a tremendous introduction to the 70s scene in Tokyo if you've never heard this music at all – and a package that also includes a fair bit of rare tracks, even if you're not a newcomer! The Japanese love of American jazz is no secret – and the music was spread widely there by American forces after WWII – but during the 70s, something really special happened, and the scene found a voice that was all its own – exploding with new energy to create sounds that were soulful, spiritual, and powerfully poetic! By the end of the 70s, Japanese fusion would get more global exposure – but most of the tracks here are acoustic, save for Fender Rhodes lines – and feature completely inventive, imaginative sounds – often set to grooves that are modal and spiritual too. A fantastic collection throughout – with tracks that include "Blind Man" by Shintaro Quintet, "White Fire" by Takao Uematsu, "Aya's Samba" by Eiji Nakayama, "Earth Mother" by Koichi Matsukaze, "Dead Letter" by Tohru Aizawa, "Kaze" by Takeo Moriyama, "Long Neal" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, "Unknown Point" by Mitsuaki Katayama, and "Little Island" by Fumio Karashima. 3LP set features bonus tracks – "Sea Breeze" by George Otsuka and "Ode To Workman" by Terumasa Hino and Reggie Workman. LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from the 70s jazz underground – music that comes from a special place where freedom and rhythm walk hand in hand! Most of the artists here are ones with a legacy that includes some more outside performances – but the cuts here are all upbeat and grooving – often in a modal jazz style that's completely sublime, and which provides boundless energy for the soloists to really take off! Most numbers are from a spiritual, post-Coltrane generation – and most of the work here is not that easy to find otherwise. Tracks include "Abuella" by Billy Bang, "V Movimento" and "III Movimenhto" by Giorgio Gaslini, "Latin Black Funk" by Sparrow, "Theme/Souls" by George Russell with Jan Garbarek, "Benediction" and "Pursuit" by Tina Marsh Creative Opportunity Orchestra, and "Now Is The Time" by Dick Griffin. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous look at one of the coolest jazz labels of all time – and one that has an especially strong focus on the more spiritual side of its music! The paired Black Saint and Soul Note labels came along from the Italian scene right at a time when so many other American companies were shutting their doors – former spiritual jazz powerhouses like Strata East, Impulse, and Black Jazz were moving beyond the music, or disappearing entirely – which made the role of Black Saint/Soul Note such a crucial one! The company came into the game at a time of boundless creativity in American jazz – and really captured a post-Coltrane generation that was brimming over with fire and new ideas, but just needed a place to find expression – which it did at the label, who recorded dozens of albums in the space of less than a decade, nearly all of which have gone onto become classics over the years. And while there's a side of the label that's much more free jazz and avant garde, the cuts here reflect a Black Saint/Soul Note that's just slightly inside – tunes that are still freewheeling, but also have a rhythmic core – and the kinds of open, soaring solos that were first inspired in the 60s generation of Coltrane and Shepp. The choice of cuts is great – similar to the others in the If Music series – and titles include "Mr Seven" by M'Booom, "Joycie Girl" by Don Pullen with Sam Rivers, "Il Giro Del Giorno In 80 Mondi" by Enrico Rava, "Oasis" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Confessin" by John Stubblefield, "Joobubie" by George Adams & Dannie Richmond, "Verde Que Eu Te Quero Ver" by Rava String Band, "Down Home In New York" by Archie Shepp, "BK" by Air, and "The Nagual Julian" by Billy Bang Sextet. LP, Vinyl record album

That's "Dytomite", not "dynamite" – and don't ask us what it means, either! But we can tell you that the set's a great bit of highlife, recorded with a lean, breezy feel – a bit more heft than just the duo pictured on the cover – with criss-crossing guitars, really wonderful rhythms, and dipping basslines that provide this bubbling sense of energy that really sends home the groove! One track has this cool moogy sound that's very unique, and the rest sparkle with a great sense of warmth that's only expanded with the vocal interplay in the lead. Titles include "Amanfoo", "Nya Asem Hwe", "Anomakoro", "Obaa Mansa", and "Meye Meho Ayie". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover might look a bit understated, but the album's got plenty of depth and power – a rare set from the Texas underground of the early 80s – cut by a group who've clearly drunk deep from the same musical well that inspired Stevie Wonder, Roy Ayers, and other cosmic soul talents of the 70s! As with Stevie and Roy, there's plenty of jazzy currents in the music of The People's Workshop – warm keyboards, sweet sax and flute, and waves of color that really come through the grooves and illuminate the deeper spirit of the vocals. There's a sense of collaboration here that's really special – almost a James Mason vibe at times – all with a sense of sophistication that's quite different than the rootsier sounds you might normally expect from Texas soul groups. Titles include "Save Your Money", "A Song For The Children", "Love Love", "Let's Get High", "Chocolate Coated People Song", and "This Song". LP, Vinyl record album

The archive here appears to be Volcov's own record collection – but that's A-OK with us, because he's got some wonderfully groovy, wonderfully soulful, wonderfully under-discovered records he wants to share with us! The set's got a wicked blend of obscure tracks from decades back, and some contemporary cuts that share a similar vibe – music that's in a really special place between soul, jazz, and fusion – often with a cosmic vibe that gives the whole collection a very righteous sound! Liner notes are by Patrick Forge, who points out how obscure most of these tracks are, and what a special collection this is – and we definitely agree with his words, as most of these tracks are new to us, too. Titles include "Keep The Same Old Feeling" by Hot Quisine, "Do The Right Thing" by JOB, "Go (Chez Damien classic mix)" by The Urban Cru, "The Sound Of The Memory Of Many Living People" by Are & Be, "Arigo (Volcov edit)" by Manfredo Fest, "Turning On To Me" by Oneness Of Juju, "Footprints On The Sand (Shannon Harris Urbanicity reinterpretation)" by Chanan Hanspal, "Sophisticated Disco (Volcov edit)" by O'Donel Levy, "Simon's Melody" by The Antilles, "Part 4" by Shakazulu, and "Sun On My Back" by Bembe Segue. LP, Vinyl record album

Not a set of world music-inflected jazz – although there is a bit of that – and instead, a wonderful collection of spiritual numbers from around the world – most recorded in the 70s, at a time when barriers were really breaking down in jazz music! All tracks here are nice and long, and most are groovers – but not in the typical funky jazz way – as the album is mostly earthy and organic, and mostly acoustic too – with musicians that work together wonderfully in ensemble format, and often find ways to incorporate non-traditional instruments into a jazz-based perspective! Titles include "Souffle (part 2)" by Armand Lemal, "Ismaa" by The Jazz Committee For Latin American Affairs, "Timbuktu" by Theo Loevendie Consort, "Fonetik A Velo" by Kafe, "Martinica" by Michel Sardaby, "Illustration" by Billy Bang's Survival Ensemble, "Pumu 1" by Masabumi Kikuchi, and "Itwenty Five" by Joe Malinga & The Southern African Force. LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing jazz from Japan – a tremendous introduction to the 70s scene in Tokyo if you've never heard this music at all – and a package that also includes a fair bit of rare tracks, even if you're not a newcomer! The Japanese love of American jazz is no secret – and the music was spread widely there by American forces after WWII – but during the 70s, something really special happened, and the scene found a voice that was all its own – exploding with new energy to create sounds that were soulful, spiritual, and powerfully poetic! By the end of the 70s, Japanese fusion would get more global exposure – but most of the tracks here are acoustic, save for Fender Rhodes lines – and feature completely inventive, imaginative sounds – often set to grooves that are modal and spiritual too. A fantastic collection throughout – with tracks that include "Blind Man" by Shintaro Quintet, "White Fire" by Takao Uematsu, "Aya's Samba" by Eiji Nakayama, "Earth Mother" by Koichi Matsukaze, "Dead Letter" by Tohru Aizawa, "Kaze" by Takeo Moriyama, "Long Neal" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, "Unknown Point" by Mitsuaki Katayama, and "Little Island" by Fumio Karashima. 3LP set features bonus tracks – "Sea Breeze" by George Otsuka and "Ode To Workman" by Terumasa Hino and Reggie Workman. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't be fooled by the title, because the music here isn't really techno – but more the roots of techno – pulled from an array of older jazz, soul, house, and club recordings – brought together in a weird mix of styles by Laurent Garnier and Carl Craig! There's still a relatively dancefloor-heavy vibe on the tracks – and many of the numbers are ones that predate the use of the word techno, but feature elements that would grow to much greater importance as the genre exploded in the 90s. Part B of the vinyl version features 11 tracks that include "Journey In Satchidananda" by Alice Coltrane, "NTT DoCoMo" by Arpanet, "Sea Shake" by Drexciya, "Join In The Chant" by Nitzer Ebb, "It's A War" by Kano, "Dance Boy Dance" by Alexander Robotnick, "Bettino's Bounce" by Funkadelic, "No More Words" by Yello, "Disco Circus" by Martin Circus, and "Burning (MK club edit)" by MK. LP, Vinyl record album

Killer Latin dancefloor material! Compiled by Brit Latin DJ Gerry Lyesight, and filled with loads of storming cuts that we don't see elsewhere, wrapped up into one lovely package with the usual BBE high standards! There's 14 cuts, and titles include "Tumba El Quinto" by Hector Rivera, "Coco My Way" by Tambu, "Gaviota" by Jimmy Bosch, "Oromi" by Daniel Ponce, "Muneca" by Charlie Palmieri, "Red Onions" by Armando Peraza, "No Que Va A Llora" by Andy Harlow, and "Porque No Me Dices" by Linda Leida. Great stuff all the way through, and mostly slamming instrumentals, with a few tight jazzy vocal cuts thrown in! LP, Vinyl record album

The brilliant return of one of our favorite funky series ever – filled with top-shelf rarities that represent the best of 70s rare groove and break tracks! It's been a long time since we last saw a volume of Strange Games, but this set shows that it's been more than worth the wait – as BBE have come up with a batch of tunes so great, they must have been working on this one for years! As with other volumes, the names are familiar, but the cuts are all surprisingly hard to find – and they're all hand-picked for their resonance with modern use of the material in hip hop and remix culture – an aspect that makes even obscure tunes echo with a strong familiarity because of a bassline or drum break! And as an added treat, the CD and vinyl both have the same number of tracks – an increasingly rare phenomenon these days – with titles that include "Love & Happiness" by Monty Alexander, "She's My Summer Breeze" by The Reflections, "Come Into My Life" by The Supremes, "LA Night" by Yasuko Agawa, "Looking Up To You" by Michael Wycoff, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "You Are What I'm All About" by The New Birth, "Loving You" by Donald Byrd, "Porcupine" by Nature Zone, "Strange Funky Games & Things" by Jay Dee, "Do It Baby" by The Miracles, "California Dreaming" by Eddie Hazel, and "Reflections" by Bill Conti. LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful record from the Ambiance ensemble – a group led by reedman Daoud Abubakar Balewa – a musician with the same underground prominence as Plunky Nakabinde and Idris Ackamoor during the same generation! Like both of those artists, Daoud has a way of moving effortlessly between spiritual jazz and more soul-based styles – heard here on one of his standout records from the early 80s, which blends his own work on a variety of saxes with nicely flowing accompaniment on piano, percussion, guitars, and a slight touch of Fender Rhodes – mostly instrumental, but with a few vocal moments from time to time! The vibe is late spiritual jazz – not as tightly tied to Coltrane-based modes, and nicely finding its own space in the universe – on titles that include "Eastwind", "Something Better", "Into A New Journey", and "The Arrival" – plus versions of "Black Narcissus", "500 Miles", and "Windows". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of rare records by Sidiku Buari – issued back to back on a single CD! Feelings is a record that was issued on the tiny Precious label – home to only two Buari albums in its tiny catalog – and the set follows strongly on the work that Sidiku recorded in New York during the 70s, records that were initially issued just under his last name! The groove on some tracks is full of early 80s NYC touches – sweet electro keyboards that provide some great middle-ground shocks to the tunes – while beats crackle crispy at the bottom, and Buari sings these slinky soul vocals that are a lot more American than you'd guess from the Ghanaian recording of the album. But other numbers have more of a West Africa vibe – that updating of older modes that was taking place in Nigeria too. Titles include "Music", "Feelings", "Anowar", and "Yayo Papa". Sidiku Buari & His Jam Busters has a groove that definitely lives up to its name – a sweet 80s crackle with lots of tunes that jam in an old school funk style – keyboards, basslines, and rhythms right on the money – in a great Transatlantic bridge between Ghana and New York City! The set begins with the super-funky "Let's Go To Funky Town" – a tune with a break on the intro to rival some of the best funky club work of the time – and the vibe continues strongly through the rest of the set, on titles that include "Sophisticated Jammer", "Power To My People", "Rhythm Of Africa", "Minsumobo", and "Karambani". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records ever issued by Sidiku Buari – the Ghanian musician who also recorded just as Buari – stepping out here in a very unusual performance recorded live at a club in New York at the end of the 70s! Side one begins with this great crowd frenzy and very cool energy as Buari's group take off running – mixing West African modes with more American boogie and funk elements – in a blend that has lots of riffing guitar and some especially groovy keyboard parts! Side two features studio material, but still pretty darn great – and maybe touched with a slight inspiration from Jamaica in some of the dubbier rhythms. There's some nicely weird sounds that are a bit hard to identify, and which cut against some of the sweeter vocal moments – on titles that include "Together We Can Rebuild It", "Revolution", "Keep The Rhythm Going", "Ofey Karambani", "This Is Music", and "Disco Soccer". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most rootsy albums ever issued by the Tabansi label – a set that's quite different than their more familiar electric modes, and which features very raw, tribal sounds by a percussion group that is tied to the Niri Kingdom in Nigeria! As you'd guess from their name, the ensemble is heavy on drums, but also uses these very spare, simple wood flutes – in a mode that usually varies back and forth in a cycle of notes, which creates a very hypnotic sound along with the percussion – almost like some of the early albums by Moondog. There's also vocals, too – but these seem more intended to encourage the instrumentation, almost calls to action. Titles include "Eze Na Aga", "Nrijifor II", "Ochawaligwe", Ufie Nnam Eze I", and "Okanga Eze Niri II". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those really special piano albums from the Japanese jazz scene of the 70s – a record that's overflowing with new ideas and imagination, all captured with a really wonderful ear for sound as well! Masaru Imada plays a Bosendorfer grand, which has a really resonant quality, even when he's swinging hard – which he definitely does at many points, thanks to work from Kunimitsu on bass, Tetsujiro Obara on drums, and Yuji Imamura on percussion – which really adds a lot at some of the best moments! The tunes are all originals by Imada – filled with feeling, but never in a hokey way at all – and titles include the 17 minute "Sea's Pasture", plus "Blue Road", "Planets", "Epilogue", and "A Marionette". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that features all sorts of cool and unusual twists and turns – an obscure set from the Swiss scene of the 70s, and a date that mixes some harder-driving numbers with more open-ended tracks that feature mighty nice work on reeds! The lineup includes alto and soprano from Stefan Schneller, and flute and tenor from Toni Schadler – instruments that are used in different ways, and with different flavors, depending on the tracks – mixed in with electric piano, bass, drums, and some especially nice percussion, which also changes things up from cut to cut. Titles include the groover "Shagalak", plus "Sint Flute", "Transistor", "Basillio", "White Arena", and "L'Auca". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible tribute to the legendary Strata Records in Detroit – performed by Jazzanova with a host of other guests – and at a level that's maybe the greatest thing the group has ever given us on record! The vibe here is a lot more Strata and spiritual than the style you'd expect from Jazzanova – as they take on tunes by label legends like Lyman Woodard, Kenny Cox, Sam Sanders, Maulawi, and other talents from the same Motor City underground of the 70s that gave the world Tribe Records. Instrumentation is a blend of Fender Rhodes and lots of live jazz work on flute, tenor, trombone, and trumpet – sometimes topped with vocals from Sean Haefeli, who really helps open up the soulful side of the tunes! Wonderful throughout, better than we might have even guessed – with titles that include "Joy Road", "Face At My Window", "Ortotundes", "Loser", "Scorpio's Child", "Creative Musicians", "Lost My Love", "Inside Ourselves", and "Saturday Night Special". LP, Vinyl record album

The trio of pianist Yasuhiro Kohno work here with a really wonderful "+ One" – the vibes of Mashiro Kanno, who really adds a heck of a lot to the long-flowing grace of the tunes in the set! The album's a live one, but it's got all the warmth and creative intimacy of the best Japanese piano dates of the 70s – a quality that has Kohno's group pushing the edges, but never going too far out – very different than a more conventional piano trio session, with a mixture of boldness and lyricism that keeps things wonderful throughout the set! Tracks are all nice and long, the group features work from Tsutomu Numakami on bass and Hironobu Fujisawa on drums – and titles include "Village Festival", "Mr Nilson", "Time For Peace", "Song Of Island", and a very groovy take on "Love For Sale". LP, Vinyl record album

Nigerian singer Eric Kol reclines on the cover like a hip American soul singer of the early 80s – and he sounds a fair bit like one too, given the mix of boogie styles on the album! The record's got that lean vibe from the time when Nigerian groups really trimmed down their style from the bigger ensembles of the 70s – and keyboards figure in as strongly as guitar and percussion, the latter of which also feels to be sometimes programmed, sometimes live! Kol still gets some horns in the mix too, but the main focus is on the groove and his vocals – which are recorded with a cool, compressed quality that nicely hugs the rhythms. Titles include "Rain In My Heart", "Let The Music Play", 'It's Gonna Be Bright", "You're My Solution", "I Will Sing A Song", "Where The Wind Blows", and "Let Your Love Rule My World". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime lost group soul album – featuring The Moods, who we presume to be from St Louis (although we're working on second-hand information, so we're not sure!) The group have a harmony style that's a bit like Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – but with rougher touches, and none of the disco mode of that group's later work – and on this set, they work their way through some wonderful numbers that groove at a midtempo pace, moving in smooth soul modes with electric piano and tenor behind the group's wonderful vocals. A real gem if you dig harmony ensembles – with an approach that's kind of east coast early 70s indie, but which has a tightness that makes us wonder why these guys didn't hit bigger! Titles include "Funk It Out", "Without Her", "Live Today", "Grooving When We Meet", "This Magic", and "You Came Into My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Really amazing sounds from Japanese drummer Takeo Moriyama – a record that's sometimes spiritual and organic, sometimes very unusually put-together – and which makes as much use of inventive percussion as it does the leaders drums! The group's got this very cool twin-sax approach – both tenor and soprano, each played by Toshihiko Inoue and Shuichi Enomoto – alternating between the instruments, and creating these textures that are sometimes sharp-edged, but always very striking – especially when the album's percussion from Yoji Sadanari really takes off! The whole thing almost feels a bit out of time, especially for its early 80s recording date – almost like one of those unusual Japanese spiritual sessions from a decade before, which also might not be what you're expecting from the 80s cover image too. Titles include "To O Ku", "Fields", "Ka Ze", "Ta Ke", and "East Plants". LP, Vinyl record album