... LP, Vinyl record album

A real lost chapter in the career of the great Don Covay – material done after his original funky soul on 60s Atlantic Records, and before his return to fame in the early 70s on Mercury – done in a raw vibe that has a lot more grit than you might expect! There's touches of psychedelic blues in the instrumentation, which was recorded both in Memphis and Muscle Shoals – even though the record comes across with a vibe that's unlike any of the big hits recorded in those scenes at the time! Definitely a standout in the world of soul in the early 70s – with titles that include "Standing In the Grits Line", "Sweet Thang", "Stop By", "Bad Luck", "Hitching a Ride", and "What's In the Headlines". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A killer start to the 80s for the Dazz Band – with great tunes in a funky mode as well as more measured group soul numbers – and it all adds up one of their best albums ever! Tunes like the opener "Shake It", plus "Shake It Up" and "Magnetized" bring the funkier vibes – with a vamping guitar, thumping bass groove, punchy horns, and top notch vocals from the group – while tunes like the title track and "Beyond The Horizon" have a more soaring arrangement of horns and some strings,still with an impeccable core groove. It's not as smoothed out in the production booth as some of their later grooves of the 80s – a total gem! Other titles include " Skate Lovers", "Carry On", "Do It Again", "Do It Again", "Sooner Or Later" and "Beyond The Horizon". LP, Vinyl record album

Roger Lewis on baritone and soprano saxophone and percussion, Lionel Batiste on bass drum and percussion, Jenell Marshall on drums and percussion, Kevin Harris on tenor saxophone and percussion, Efrem Towns on trumpet, and Gregory Davis on trumpet, vocals and percussion. CD

Features guest vocals from Chuck D, Bettye LaVette, Guru, and Ivan Neville. CD

Very unique work from Dr Buzzard's Savannah Band – a set that bears all the unmistakeable touches of group leader August Darnell! The set's definitely got the older aesthetic that Darnell brought to his work at the time – possibly even more so than the group's first album – and it's also got a wonderfully acoustic approach to the music, one that uses older jazz inflections mixed with rootsier percussion – almost a late 70s club update of older swing and Latin modes! The tunes are beautifully penned too – most often starting out with a real sort of 30s or 40s style, then sweeping nicely into more of a 70s groove – but always without any sense of gimmick or trickery. Vocals are by the lovely Cory Daye, with a bit of help from Darnell – and titles include "Transistor Madness", "Organ Grinder's Tale", "Mister Love", "The Gigolo & I", "Nocturnal Interludes", and "I'll Always Have A Smile For You". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

From "Night Fever". 7-inch, Vinyl record

A killer batch of large ensemble numbers – very much in the mode of the Clarke-Boland Big Band, or some of the other groups on MPS at the time! The group's led by Jerry Van Rooyen, the Dutch jazzman and composer who did some excellent funky soundtrack work over the years – a fact that certainly shows up in the tracks on the set – which have a sweetly grooving feel mixed in with the large ensemble jazz – a great approach that would have been right at home in some hip Euro film score from the time! Van Rooyen gives the material a soulful feel that's a lot like some of Quincy Jones' best scoring from the 60s – blending together work on organ, Fender Rhodes, and piano (played by Frans Elsen, Rob Madna, and Rob Franken) – with breakaway horn solos by players like Benny Bailey on trumpet and Rolf Ericson on trumpets, Ake Persson and Jiggs Whigham on trombones, and Herb Geller, Ferdinand Povel, and Tony Coe on reeds – most of whom are players who've sparked great notes previously on sets with the Clarke-Boland Big Band, or other hip MPS ensemble projects. Titles include "Sonlite", "Because I Love You", "Some Blues", "For Nathalie", "The Runners", "JBW", "Green", and "Whirligig". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A great bass-heavy groover from The Gap Band – pulled off one of their best albums ever, Gap Band IV! The cut's got some really great funky bits on the bottom – acoustic piano wrapped around some more electric rhythms, in a blend that keeps the track as soulful as it is catchy! 12-inch, Vinyl record

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

Includes "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You", "Simple Twist Of Fate", "The Harder They Come", "Gomorrah", "Love In The Afternoon", and "Mission In The Rain". CD

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

... CD

A great bit of glam pop from the mid 70s – presented with a tightly focused sound that's got plenty of grooves on the bottom, and sweetly compressed guitars and vocals over the top! Mike Leander's at the production helm, and the album's kind of a further popification of the older Gary Glitter groove – softened a bit at times, especially on a few of the mellower numbers – but still pretty great on the upbeat ones! Titles include "Where Have You Been", "Painted Lady", "People Like You & People Like Me", "Let Me Love You", "Dream Baby", "My First Mistake", "Makes You Blind", and "Watch The Show". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Guitarist Peter Hand with Don Braden on saxophone and flute. CD

A tremendous set from one of the best – and most under-recognized – groups of the British jazz rock scene at the end of the 60s! The group have an approach that mixes heavy blues-influenced jamming with some of the lighter, more lyrical touches that were showing up at the time – in a way that gives them a firmly grounded sound at one level, but also a slightly more sophisticated, contemplative approach – making the group almost a UK equivalent to the sound of the Steve Miller Band at the time. The jazzier tracks on the album feature work by some great straight British players – including Harry Beckett and Ray Warleigh – and the album's also got a few nice slightly funky cuts that are known for their breaks! Tracks include "The Dansette Kid", "Hickory", "Not Foolish, Not Wise", "Poor Mabel", "Believe In Me", "Don't Give Up", "Hickory", and "Tadpole". LP, Vinyl record album

A monster of a jazz rock set from drummer Keef Hartley – a player who initially came to fame for his funky grooves in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers! Hartley's sound here is a great mix of rootsy rock and some of the jazzier touches that were creeping into the London scene at the time – with plenty of tightly snapping rhythms at the bottom of the tunes, enough to create a nice funky rock undercurrent on most numbers. The set's made even better by some great keyboard work from Mick Weaver – and the best cuts have some really jamming elements that let Weaver open up on organ and electric piano. Titles include "Roundabout", "Overdog", "Imitations From Home", "We Are All The Same", "Enroute", and "Plain Talkin". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty cool take on the music of Thelonious Monk – one that's overflowing with all these great tones and colors that we've never heard in Monk's songs before – all of which come from the creative talents of arranger/conductor Miho Hazama! Miho's working here with the Metropole Orkest Big Band – an ensemble whose sense of sound has graced a number of excellent contemporary releases, and who really seem to be at ease with the music of Monk on this set – with Hans Vroomans handling the piano, but much of the energy also flowing from the magnificent array of trumpets, trombones, and reeds in the group. Titles include "Ruby My Dear", "Thelonious", "Hackensack", "Round Midnight", "Crepuscule With Nellie", "Friday The 13th", and "Epistrophy" – all done in nice long takes. CD

Great work from this cool Nigerian funk combo of the 70s – a group who bore strong ties to the equally-great Akwassa, and who work here with an equally righteous groove! Lyrics are mostly in English, and have some political currents that give the music a social sort of edge – but the real charm comes from the music, which is tight, funky, and filled with loads of wicked basslines that bump and groove along with the riffing guitar and organ lines! There's a spareness here that's a real difference from some of the bigger Afro Funk ensembles you might know from the time – as Heads Funk Band is really just a quartet, but manages to make a mightily massive sound. Titles include "Hot Punk", "Hard World", "Can You Do It", "Money Makes You Happy", "Got To Love", and "Egbe Bere Ogo Bere". CD

A wonderful testament to the soul and sensitivity of the music of John Hicks – a loving tribute to the late, great pianist – handled here by some of his closest jazz associates! Even without Hicks' compositions, the group would be great enough – but given that John's musical legacy lives on in the songs, there's a deeper sense of feeling here that really unites the music – a rich extension of that flowing, spiritual side of his music that first flowered most strongly in the 70s, then continued to please us for years in a series of excellent later albums. Elis Wood-Hicks delivers some great work on flute throughout the set – and other players include Craig Handy on tenor and soprano, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, and core rhythm from Larry Willis on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Steve Williams on drums. Willis' later tones on the keys are a wonderful complement to Hicks' tunes, and Lundy's bass is always an element that makes a set great – and continues that legacy here. Titles include "Mind Wine", "After The Morning", "Blues In The Pocket", "Single Petal Of A Rose","Avotcja", and "Yemenja". CD

Features tracks from JB Hutto & The Hawks, Sam Lay Blues Band, Floyd Jones-Eddie Taylor Band, and Billy Boy Arnold Band LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album that is perhaps the single most influential beat source in hip hop! The record was the brainchild of bongo player Michael Viner – who also happened to be running the Pride subsidiary of MGM at the time. Viner's got a meeeeeean touch on the bongo, hitting it hard and funky like the best 70s conga players – and his approach to the instrument is kind of like a funky update of popular instrumental styles laid down on guitar by The Ventures or on moog by Hot Butter. This album features the classics "Apache" and "Bongo Rock" – both with monster funky breakdowns that showed up on a heck of a lot of hip hop records over the years – plus loads of other goodies like "Last Bongo In Belgium" and "Bongolia". Excellent stuff – and darn hard to find! (We can still remember how stunned we were when we found our first copy in a Canadian record store back in 1987 – and even then we had to pay plenty!) LP, Vinyl record album

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

... Cassette

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Japanese keyboardist Kuni Kawachi works here on a variety of cool keys while also singing – serving up work on Hammond, celeste, harpsichord, and even rocksichord – while also getting strong support from the legendary Flower Travelling Band! The record's leaner than that group's music, yet definitely echoes some of their ear for offbeat sounds – as Kuni's spare vocals and keys get just the right touches of fuzzy guitar, offbeat percussion, and sweet psychedelic elements! Vocals are in Japanese throughout, and there's a balance of acoustic and electric elements that's mighty nice – on titles that include "Where Are You Walking Now", "The Cat", "A Puddle & A Purple Vetch", "Already No More Secrets", "Riddle", and "That's Why Love Is". LP, Vinyl record album

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

... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of Afro funky soul – one of a few albums recorded by the legendary Lafayette Afro Rock Band! The set has an incredible blend of American funk, African rhythms, and European production – recorded in the heady cross-cultural scene of early 70s Paris – with a sound that's often imitated, but never duplicated! Funky guitar snakes through electric piano riffing, rolling basslines, and some really heavy percussion – occasionally supporting a bit of chorus vocals, but mostly going for a hard-grooving instrumental sound overall! The set includes the massive break track "Darkest Light", sampled by PE and others – plus the tracks "Baba Hya", "Djungi", "Raff", "Conga", "Avi-Vo", and "Malik". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing Afro Funk from one of the greatest groups of the genre – The Lafayette Afro Rock Band, a funky ensemble recording in Paris in the early 70s! The group were working in a hotbed of cross-cultural styles – and brought American funk rhythms firmly into play with African influences – creating grooves that were even heavier and harder than the work at the time by Fela Kuti, and which have stood for years as some of our favorite funk records! This album's one of their best – named after the title cut, their great take on Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa" (done here even funkier than the original!), and featuring other great tracks, like "Voodounon", "Azeta", and "Hihache" – all of them filled with heavy bass, tight drums, and fuzzy guitar – plus the cuts "Nicky" and "Oglenon". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest music we've ever heard from Ethiopian keyboard legend Hailu Mergia – a late 70s session that has his organ lines sounding even groovier than ever, on some sweet tracks that also bring in a fair bit of funk to the grooves! The style is much more in an Ethiopiques vein than some of Mergia's later music – with his own floating keyboard lines wrapped nicely around bolder notes on trumpet and sax, and some additional electric piano too – all moving in this moody, soulful territory that's really wonderful! Most of the record is instrumental, but there's some occasional vocals too – more in a chorus mode that goes along with the grooves beautifully – on titles that include "Bati Bati", "Embuwa Bey Lamitu", "Wede Harer Guzo", "Minilbelsh", "Anchin Kifu Ayinkash", "Sintayehu", and "Yenenesh Wey". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Nostalgia In Times Square", " Moanin'", "Self Portrait In 3 Colors", "Don't Be Afraid, The Clown's Afraid, Too", " Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love", "Mingus Fingers", "Weird Nightmare", "Open Letter To Duke", "Invisible Lady", and "Ecclusiastics". CD

The legendary debut of The Allman Brothers – and a set that maybe set the tone for countless southern rock albums to emerge in the following decade! Yet even at the start, the Allmans are still set apart from the rest – a fiercely jamming band who created the structure for most of the tunes by working together with an almost jazz-like inspiration – blending the guitars of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts with organ and vocals from Gregg Allman, driven by the massive bass of Berry Oakley, and held strong through the percussion efforts of Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks. Titles include the classic "Whipping Post", plus "Dreams", "Every Hungry Woman", "Don't Want You No More", "Black Hearted Woman", "Trouble No More", and "It's Not My Cross To Bear". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of early material from Dave Bartholomew – a key figure in the early days of New Orleans soul! Dave blows trumpet, arrangements are by Wardell Quezerque, and the group features Bobby James on organ and Smokey Johnson on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had an undeniable impact on modern music for the past few decades! Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "She's Leaving Home", "Lovely Rita", "When I'm Sixty Four", "A Day In The Life", and "Fixing A Hole". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Quite an unusual record from Art Blakey – a rare big band session, recorded with a lineup that's quite different than the usual Jazz Messengers! Turns out, Blakey's quite good in this setting – and has the same firey energy to direct a larger ensemble that he has when working with a smaller quintet. The added players here really help him express some new musical ideas with greater depth – almost like the added percussionists on some of his drum-heavy Blue Note dates of the late 50s. Members of the group include John Coltrane and Al Cohn on tenor, Sahib Shihab on alto, Donald Byrd and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Melba Liston on trombone, and Walter Bishop on piano – and titles include "Last Date", "The Outer World", "Midriff", "Tippin", and "Pristine". CD

Quite an unusual record from Art Blakey – a rare big band session, recorded with a lineup that's quite different than the usual Jazz Messengers! Turns out, Blakey's quite good in this setting – and has the same firey energy to direct a larger ensemble that he has when working with a smaller quintet. The added players here really help him express some new musical ideas with greater depth – almost like the added percussionists on some of his drum-heavy Blue Note dates of the late 50s. Members of the group include John Coltrane and Al Cohn on tenor, Sahib Shihab on alto, Donald Byrd and Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Melba Liston on trombone, and Walter Bishop on piano – and titles include "Last Date", "The Outer World", "Midriff", "Tippin", and "Pristine". LP, Vinyl record album

Players include Andy Sheppard, Steve Swallow, Lew Soloff, Gary Valente, Victor Lewis, and Wolfgang Puschnig. CD

A nice album compiling of some of the less-collected work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings done in Europe for the Metronome and Vogue labels, recorded with a great larger group. Sides feature Brown working with Quincy Jones, Gigi Gryce, Anthony Ortega, Juimmy Cleveland, and others alongside Parisian and European players that include Henri Renaud and Pierre Michelot. The set features "Brown Skins", "Keeping Up With Jonesy", "Bum's Rush", "Chez Moi", "All Weird" and "No Start No End". CD

A nice album compiling of some of the less-collected work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings done in Europe for the Metronome and Vogue labels, recorded with a great larger group. Sides feature Brown working with Quincy Jones, Gigi Gryce, Anthony Ortega, Juimmy Cleveland, and others alongside Parisian and European players that include Henri Renaud and Pierre Michelot. The set features 9 tracks in all – with a couple of multiple takes, and titles include "Brownskins", "Keeping Up With Jonesy", "Bum's Rush", "Chez Moi", "All Weird" and "No Start No End". CD

A nice album compiling of some of the less-collected work by Clifford Brown – 1953 recordings done in Europe for the Metronome and Vogue labels, recorded with a great larger group. Sides feature Brown working with Quincy Jones, Gigi Gryce, Anthony Ortega, Juimmy Cleveland, and others alongside Parisian and European players that include Henri Renaud and Pierre Michelot. The set features 9 tracks in all – with a couple of multiple takes, and titles include "Brownskins", "Keeping Up With Jonesy", "Bum's Rush", "Chez Moi", "All Weird" and "No Start No End". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A side's worth of material from each of the band leaders with their orchestra! Benny Carter tracks feature sidemen that include Bumps Myers, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, JJ Johnson, and Idrees Sulieman; and Cootie Williams tracks feature Bob Horton, Eddie Vinson, and Sam Taylor. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent bossa session led by pianist Oscar Castro-Neves and his band, and recorded during the blitz of early bossa sessions by the Audio Fidelity label! The group's a large one, but not too large to lose the groove – and Castro-Neves put the whole thing together so that the album's always got a nice bounce to it, and so that the jazz component comes through nice and strong! There's loads of good groovers on here, all played with a very strident hard bossa feel – and tracks include "Outra Vez", "O Menino Desce O Morro", "Chora Tua Tristeza", "Zelao", "Doralice", and "Patinho Feio". LP, Vinyl record album

Live radio broadcasts from Eddie Condon's club in Greenwich Village. Shifting lineup includes Wild Bill Davison on cornet, Cutty Cutshall on trombone, and Ed Hall on clarinet. CD

In the electric universe of the GRP label, Chick Corea makes a bold move with his Akoustic Band here – even if the overall conception of the cover and the group's fashions have kind of an "electric" 80s look to it! The group here is a trio – with John Patitucci on bass and Dave Weckl on drums – and Corea's flowing piano lines are at the forefront of the group's work, initiating the tunes with a surprisingly heartfelt feel, and showing some of the sense of space and sound he developed on his electric recordings. Titles include "Spain", "Circles", "TBC", "Morning Sprite", "Bessie's Blues", and "My One & Only Love". CD

Chicago blues, but plenty darn funky – recorded with a sharpness and tightness that shows a strong soul-based influence in the second-generation electric work of James Cotton's generation! The core group here features James on harmonica and vocals – backed by piano, guitar, bass, and drums – plus a great horn section that has a distinct Chess Records feel – no surprise, given that it features Gene Barge, Paul Serrano, and Louis Satterfield! The production is by Barry Goldberg and Mike Bloomfield – and they're clearly helping Cotton tighten up his groove – and almost hit some Atlantic soul-styled modes at times. Titles include "Knock On Wood", "Sweet Sixteen", "Feelin Good", "Off The Wall", "Good Time Charlie", "Turn On Your Lovelight", "Something On Your Mind", and "Don't Start Me Talkin". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great set of new recordings from Bill Curtis, founding member of Fatback – done here in a style that nicely links together a few different strands of the Fatback sound! Some cuts have the funky groove of the early years, especially the Event Records era – while others have that tighter soul approach of the time when Fatback were really riding the crest of their popularity – a great mix that mostly comes off with sort of an early 80s soul quality overall – production that's still more than rough around the edges to let the soulful side of Fatback come through! The "friends" listed include Willie Bridges, Gerry Thomas, Isabella Gordon, Quenetta Simpson, and others – and titles include "Truckin", "All About U Baby", "Gooshy Sushi", "He's A Player", "Open House", "Dem Words", and "Do It To Me Now". CD

One of the few albums to feature the work of the legendary Tadd Dameron from his formative early years in bop – a time when Dameron's modernist modes were really helping to shape the sound of the scene! The groups are all pretty darn smoking, and the record features some classic work by Fats Navarro on trumpet, Allan Eager on tenor, Milt Jackson on vibes, and Kenny Clarke on drums. Tracks are longer than the usual 3-minute bop side, and titles include "Wahoo", "Good Bait", "Tiny's Blues", and "Symphonette". LP, Vinyl record album

A very hip batch of 60s soul jazz numbers – played with a hard, full swing by the combo of LA bassist Clarence Daniels – and featuring vocals on a few of the best tracks! Daniels' group has a sound that's full, but never too much so – a great mix of rootsier soul jazz modes and more sophisticated arrangements – with a depth that almost reminds us of Oliver Nelson at times – but also with a sound that draws on the earlier jump blues sound of the postwar LA scene, reforged a bit for the 60s! This fantastic collection mixes Clarence's one full album with some rare singles and a number of unissued tracks too – and about half the set is instrumental, with saxes from Curtis Peagler – and singers on the other tracks include Obie Jessie, Sandy Miller, and Clarence Daniels himself. Titles include "Hard Working Girl", "Daddy's Got A Shotgun", "I Got To Get Ready", "Instrumental #3", "You Dig It", "Hello California", "Do The Deal", "I'll Drive My Blues Away", "Street Girl", "What Can A Poor Boy Do", "Baby I'm Gone", "I'll Never Let You Go", and "Pastel". CD

Ernie Watts on saxophones, Chick Corea on piano, Andy Simpkins on bass, and John Dentz on drums. CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Fantastic work from a time when Billy Eckstine had one of the hippest groups going – a bop-heavy lineup that features trumpet from Dizzy Gillespie, and saxes from Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, and Wardell Gray! LP, Vinyl record album

Franz Von Klenck on alto sax, Helmut Rheinhardt on alto and baritone sax, Johnny Feigl on baritone sax, Werner Schulze on bass, Bobby Schmidt on drums, Mary Lou Williams and Werner Drexler on piano, Kurt "Bubi" Aderhold and Paul Martin on tenor sax, Helmut Hauck, Otto Bredl and Werner Betz on trombone, Heinz Herrmannsdorfer on lead trombone, Klaus Mitschele, Rolf Schneebiegl and Siegfried Achhammer on trumpet, Gottfried "Hanne" Wilfert on lead trumpet, and Caterina Valente on vocals. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

With Joe Benjamin on bass, Sam Woodyard on drums, Harold Shorty Baker, Willie Cook, and Clark Terry on trumpets, Ray Nance on cornet, Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman, John Sanders, and Johnny Hodges on alto, Russell Procope and Jimmy Hamilton on alto and clarinet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Harry Carney on baritone and bass clarinet. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 66 tracks on 3 CDs. Notable sidemen include Wallace Jones and Cootie Williams on trumpet, Rex Stewart on cornet, Tricky Sam Nanton and Lawrence Brown on trombone, Johnny Hodges on alto and soprano sax, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Fred Guy on guitar, Jimmy Blanton on bass, and Sonny Greer on drums. CD

Notable sidemen include Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges, Tricky Sam Nanton, Barney Bigard, and Harry Carney. CD

A dream band indeed – as the set features Maynard working with some excellent players who manage to come together tightly as a unit, then break out in really strong and hard-blown solos! Even in these early recordings, the style of the Ferguson group is firmly in place – incredible tightness, but a real respect for the soloists – and a power to kick it louder and larger than even in a small group setting. Players include Herb Geller, Al Cohn, Hank Jones, Budd Johnson, and Ernie Wilkins – and titles on this first volume include "Maynard The Fox", "The Wailing Boat", "Somebody Wants Me Down There", "Little Girl Kimbi", and "Button Nose". CD

Includes a ton of alternate takes – a total of 23 tracks in all! CD

Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees recreate the magic of the Beatles – on a set that also features performances by Steve Martin, Dianne Steinberg, George Burns, Donald Pleasence, Stargard, Earth Wind & Fire, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, and Billy Preston. LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from pianist Hal Galper – one early, two later, and served up in a single set! Guerilla Band is electric piano genius from Hal Galper – one of his best non-acoustic albums ever, and a set that's filled with moody colors and changes! The album's a fair bit more dynamic than some of Galper's other albums from the 70s – with horns from the Brecker Brothers, guitar from Bob Mann, and tightly rhythmic work on the bottom that makes some of the best numbers hear all-out funky jams! There's a sharply angular feel to the record that's made it a favorite for beatheads for years – plenty of tunes that are ripe for samples, even when things get slightly mellow – and Galper's approach to the keys is really amazing, unlike any other player we can think of at the time! Titles include "Figure Eight", "Call", "Black Night", "Point of View", "Welcome To My Dream", and "Rise & Fall". Rebop is a gem of a later album from pianist Hal Galper – one that has him teaming up with tenorist Jerry Bergonzi, as both players really find a way to make the other sound great! Galper's always got a nicely spacious approach to the piano – using the spots between the notes in just the right way, which is great for Jerry, as he likes to fill them with well-placed, well-timed tenor elements that really make his horn sound great. The balance is a bit like that which Bergonzi brings up on some of his best sessions for Red Records – and the group also features Jeff Johnson on bass, and Steve Ellington on drums. Titles include "All The Things You Aren't", "Jackie-Ing", "Take The Coltrane", "Laura", and "It's Magic". On Just Us, the trio of pianist Hal Galper gets some great guest work here from tenorist Jerry Bergonzi – a rich-toned player who really seems to bring out a different vibe in Hal's music! Galper's touch on the keys seems to be extra-dexterous here – really spinning out these long, lively lines that are balance with the well-placed tones of Bergonzi – given gently swinging support from Pat O'Leary on bass and Steve Ellington on drums! Many of the tunes are standards, but opened up with all these great colors – and titles include "Just Us", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "Stablemates", "Lover Man", "I'll Never Be The Same", and "Unforgettable". CD

An overlooked gem from the Verve bossa years – a session that features the sweet tenor sax work of Stan Getz, alongside some swinging bossa arrangements from the great Gary McFarland! Given the strength of Gary's own work for Verve at the time, it's no surprise that he's a perfect accompanist for Getz on the session – working with just the right amount of space to let Stan stand out from the pack, and really creating a great blend of Brazilian rhythms and some of the modder 60s styles at Verve. Gary contributed a number of originals to the session too – and titles include "Bim Bom", "Manlancolico", "Balanco No Samba", "Noite Triste", "Chega De Saudade", and "Manha De Carnival". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Seminal work from Dizzy – showing that he was a genius in any form of jazz! In the mid 50s, Diz had one of the hippest big bands going – filled with great young players that included Lee Morgan, Joe Gordon, Melba Liston, Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell, and Walter Davis Jr. The work he crafted here was partly an extension of his earlier bop sides, but also a demonstration of his desire to express himself in more expansive forms – kind of a hint of the direction he'd take in the 60s, with his work in Latin, soundtrack, and funk styles. The set combines tracks from 3 different Verve albums – and it also packages the material with a number of previously unissued tracks, and some great liner notes that do a wonderful job of summing up the spirit of the work. Arrangements are by AK Salim, Quincy Jones, Tadd Dameron, and Dizzy himself – and tracks include "Jordu", "Tin Tin Deo", "Groovin For Nat", "Dizzy's Business", "Jessica's Day", "Doodlin", "Yo No Quiero Bailar", "Birk's Works", "Tangorine", "Umbrella Man", and "Mayflower Rock". 42 tracks in all! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of cubop! Diz is playing here with the band that virtually invented Latin Jazz – the one that featured Chano Pozo on conga, plus great soloists like James Moody and Ernie Henry – all blowing beautifully in a style that's one of the most perfect realizations of the cubop Latin Jazz groove of the time! The recording was done live, but the quality's strong – and titles include "Good Bait", "Emanon", "Ool Ya Koo", and a classic reading of "Manteca"! LP, Vinyl record album

A tribute to Herbie Hancock's most freewheeling group – with Billy Hart on drums and Eddie Henderson on trumpet! CD