Stunning duets from these key improvisers – a set recorded in Paris, and done with a stripped-down and freely playful vibe that's very much like some of the best AACM material of the time! Wadada Leo Smith blows trumpet, Marion Brown is on alto – and both players bring percussion into the mix too – as they shift between shorter and longer improvisations, all handled with that special ear for sonic textures that makes them such subtle giants in their field! The style is very different than the more spiritual vibe of some of Brown's larger group performances from the period – and very much in the spirit of more intimate improvisational recordings that Wadada would issue more often in years to come. Titles include "Rhythmus 1", "Centering", "And Then They Danced", and "Njung Lumumba Malcolm". LP, Vinyl record album

Exactly the kind of record that makes us love sound library records so much – and definitely the sort that sets the style apart from anything else we can think of! Both Sandro Brugnolini and Giorgio Carnini turn in some great work here – a mindblowing mix of modes over the space of ten short tracks – some tunes a cascading array of instrumentation, in a hip groove that's neither American jazz or soundtrack funk, but a special space of its own! Other tunes use an electronic approach that's years ahead of its time – as groovy as 60s analogue, but a lot darker, too – in ways that the rest of the world might not touch until the German new wave. The balance is almost even between swinging groovers and darker electronic cuts – and titles include "Grinta", "Azione CIA", "Scalo Clandestino", "Alambicco Cibernetico", "Strutture Generative", "Omicido Bianco", and "CIA Massacre". LP, Vinyl record album

There was definitely a dread in this session from producer Clement Bushay – but one who also brought in a strong influence from American soul – at a level that creates this mighty nice blend between roots reggae and lovers rock modes! The set trips along in an easygoing mode, and titles include originals by the artists who provide the vocals, plus some great covers too – on titles that include "Loving Girl" and "Come On Back To Me" by Bob Davis, "Have You Ever Loved Someone" by Delroy Washington, "Summertime" by Domino Johnson, "Traveling Man" by Eugene Paul, "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "Higher & Higher" by Carl Bert, "You Said You Love Me More & More" by Gene Rondo, and "Rock Your Baby" by Anne & Annis Peters. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest moments ever from Bobby Caldwell – a special little album that occupies it's own place between genres – a touch of soul, the warmth of jazz, and a delivery that really helped Caldwell reach out to some big new audiences at the time! There's a cool, compressed feel to the record – but a quality that's still quite personal and never too slick – that rare balance that only a few of Bobby's contemporaries could ever match – and which is really hammered home here by the production and great songwriting. Instrumentation uses a warm blend of acoustic and electric elements that offset the vocals nicely – and titles include "Coming Down From Love", "Wrong Or Right", "You Promised Me", "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love", and "Open Your Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

Possibly the greatest album ever from Angel Canales – a 70s salsa classic through and through, and one with great links between the New York scene and Canales' Puerto Rican roots! The tunes are wonderfully heartfelt throughout – sung with a youthful sense of soul that's far different than some of the more emotive modes of previous generations of Latin singers – in a way that really scored big with the younger generation at the time, and which makes Canales one of the key forces helping to change the sound of the music in the 70s. Instrumentation is nice and tight – acoustic small combo work with two trombones, trumpet, baritone sax, flute, piano, bass, and percussion – under musical direction by Juan Torres. Titles include "Lejos De Ti", "Perico Macona", "La Hiedra", "Sol De Mi Vida", "Sabor Los Rumberos Nuevos", and "El Cantante Y La Orquesta". LP, Vinyl record album

Saxophonist Chelsea Carmichael has a really beautiful sound here – a style that's spiritual, but spacious too – so that her flow is one that often has a nice sense of space between the notes, as she moves through tracks that effortlessly blend live instrumentation with a few additional production elements! Shabaka Hutchings produced the set, but nicely lets the vibe flow from Chelsea's own inspiration – as she works with lean instrumentation from a lineup that features David Okumu on guitar, Tom Herbert on bass, and Edward Wakili Hick on drums – the last of whom has this great way of crackling gently underneath the tenor! Titles include "There Is A Place (It's Not Here)", "Bone & Soil", "Myriad", "The River Doesn't Like Strangers", "Hiaro/Hadali", "There Is You & You", and "All We Know". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic album from trumpeter Ian Carr and his legendary Nucleus group – a combo who are really right on the money here, finding their own sort of space at a level that's very different than some of the other rock/jazz projects on the UK scene at the time! There's often a lot more space between the notes going on here than on more jamming, more progressive records – a laidback groove that's wonderfully soulful, and which ties this Nucleus set a bit more strongly to American jazz funk that was rising up at the time – or maybe like some of the better Euro work by groups like Cortex or Placebo! Ian Carr leads the group on trumpet, Dave MacRae plays a lot of great keyboards, and Brian Smith blows strong solos on tenor, soprano, and flute – on titles that include "Southern Roots & Celebration", "Capricorn", "Images", "Caliban", "Roots", and "Whapatiti". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily our favorite album by Baikida Carroll – a wonderfully spiritual session cut in Paris, and done with this open-ended, spacious sound that seems to bring AACM improvisation into play with some of the global currents that were happening overseas at the time! As on an AACM date, most players handle a fair bit of instruments – Carroll on trumpet, flugelhorn, seal horn, and percussion; Oliver Lake on soprano, alto, tenor, flute, and percussion too; and the great Nana Vasconcelos on lots more percussion – including cuica, tablas, timbales, bells, and more as well! Manuel Villardel plays both acoustic and electric piano – and the tunes build through these great improvisations between the horns and percussion, often with long, cyclical styles that are completely hypnotic! Titles include the modal groover "Forest Scorpion" – plus "Orange Fish Tears", "Rue Roger", and "Porte D'Orleans". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that just makes us say "wow" right from the very first note – a perfect showcase for all musicians involved, and a really mighty meeting of the creative minds! We've really loved the strong return to form that Matthew Shipp has given us on piano in recent years – and of course, the basswork of William Parker is always tremendous – but they both somehow rise even more to the top alongside the drums of Gerald Cleaver and reeds of Daniel Carter – in a session that's wonderfully spiritual, very rhythmic, and often quite straight at times! There's a balance between the avant impulses of the players and the collective action of the group – almost recalling the loft jazz years, but more contemporarily righteous too – and this second volume features titles that include "Wordwide", "Mask Production", "Da Rest Is Story", and "Blinking Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark recording – one of a handful of early documents of the avant garde LA scene, featuring a nimble quartet headed up by the inventive frontline of John Carter on reeds and Bobby Bradford on trumpet, over the fluid rhythm team of Tom Williamson on bass and Chicago expatriate Bruz Freeman on drums! Carter and Bradford's energetic approach followed its own line of development, much in the way that other small cells of improvisers were developing their own take on the "new thing" in the post-Coltrane/Coleman environment of the late 60s and early 70s throughout the country. The compositions unfold in a way that implies both multi-linear improvisation and composed events, but blurs the line between the two, all the while played with a great deal of fire and few of the intellectual abstractions of other free players! Titles include "The Sunday Afternoon Jazz Blues Society", "The Eye Of The Storm", "Loneliness", and "Encounter". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from one of Brazil's greatest soul singers of the 70s – an album of rich feeling that's a wonderful bridge between American soul music and some of the sophisticated song stylings of the MPB generation! Cassiano's somewhere in the territory of contemporary Tim Maia – but is a bit smoother and more sophisticated – more of a mature soul mode next to Maia's rougher funk – served up here with impeccable arrangements that really draw from all the best changes in Brazilian music during the early 70s. The album includes the funky "Central Do Brasil", the extended midtempo groover "Onda", the semi-hit "Hoje E Natal", and the cuts "De Bar Em Bar", "Ana", "A Lua E Eu", and "Salve Essa Flor". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique record, one that seems to mix some of the spacey sounds of the electronic ambient world of the early 80s underground with more tuneful, song-based modes of the post-punk generation – all at a level that seems to move effortlessly between both sorts of styles! There's certainly plenty of 80s keyboards on the set, and plenty of drum machine percussion – but the mood shifts from upbeat and catchy to more laidback and spacey – sometimes with vocals, sometimes all instrumental with a very cosmic vibe! Titles include "I Wash My Hair With Limes", "Entrance Of The Deacon", "She Dreams Of Golden Gloves Dancing", "Big Buck Meets The Perpendicular Fish", and "The Surface Of The Water". 2LP reissue features a full album of bonus unreleased tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums as a leader from tenorist George Coleman – an artist who we feel often never gave us enough with himself in the lead as well! George brings in that great edge he used on earlier sessions with other leaders, while still also really establishing himself as one of the most expressive tenorists of the 70s in a mainstream mode – almost that balance between straighter swing and sharper corners that Joe Henderson brought to key recordings at the time. The group here are very fluid, and able to shift wonderfully with George's lead – Hilton Ruiz on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a masterful lineup who make magic throughout, on titles that include "Amsterdam After Dark", "New Arrival", "Lo-Joe", "Autumn In New York", "Apache Dance", and "Blondie's Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

A really bold step forward for Chicago tenor genius Isaiah Collier – and maybe the first record to showcase his emergence as a multi-instrumentalist instead of just a spiritual jazz musician! There's clearly a lot of improvisation going on here – not just from the larger ensemble, which includes Corey Wilkes on trumpet, Julian Reid on keyboards, and Michael Damani on guitar – but also from Collier, who effortlessly shifts between saxes, flute, vocals, and keyboards without any overdubs or additional production at all! A few moments are tight and funky, others are much more experimental – a blend that that's really great, and which continues the unique spirit into which Collier has evolved in recent years. The record also features some key vocal contributions from the great Jimetta Rose – and titles include "Never Back Down", "Eggun", "Village Song", "Retreat", "Parallel Universe", and "The Last Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – material recorded as the soundtrack for the Canadian film Le Chat Danse Le Sac – which features new recordings of material that Coltrane had done in previous years, but really updated by the fresh version of this group! Although the music was used in the film, which was an art house hit at best, it's never been issued on record before – and in fact, its existence was something of a mystery until not that long ago – quite a surprise, given that the sessions were done at Rudy Van Gelder's studio, and have a quality level that really matches the Impulse Records best by these musicians! The tunes are almost like this amazing bridge between the mid 60s Impulse years and the Coltrane sound at the start of the decade on Atlantic – as the grooves are modal, and most music is more inside than the group was hitting by 1965 – yet still burning with that searching spirit that made them so great. The lineup, of course, features John Coltrane on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the whole thing is an instant key addition to the catalog of this tremendous quartet. Titles include two takes on "Naima", three takes on "Village Blues", and the tracks "Like Sonny", "Traneing In", and "Blue World". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of funky fusion from the French scene of the 70s – the standout set from Cortex, a combo who's very heavy on the keyboards! The tunes have a feel that's quite different than American electric work of the time – funky, but also a bit breezy too – with a strong Brazilian influence in some of the rhythms, and hip use of female vocals alongside the Fender Rhodes – which makes for a double layer of sound that's totally great! There's a bit of alto sax in the instrumentation, but most of the sound comes from the interplay between keyboards, voice, bass, and drums – rolling along in a sound that's stunningly soulful, and which makes the record one of the hippest European dates from the decade. Tremendous all the way through – with tracks that include "Automne", "L'Enfant Samba", "La Rue", "Go Round", "Madbass", "Sabbat", "Mary Et Jeff", and "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in many years from this legendary studio project from On-U Sound and Adrian Sherwood – and one that makes us feel as if the passage of decades hasn't happened at all! Sherwood's production is still wonderful – and, if anything, maybe less showy, or more soulful, or less moody – just something that seems to let the work of the group come through with energy that's wonderfully warm and organic, while still resonating with plenty of touches that will make longtime label fans proud! Vocals are shared between Charlie Eskimo Fox and Mr Magoo, and the set also features guest appearances from Prince Far I and Daddy Freddy – on titles that include "That's More Like It" "Jubilee Clock", "Swiftly", "Stonebridge Warrior", "Crown Hill Road", "The People's Sound", and "Whatever It Takes". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful collaboration between Miles Davis and the great Gil Evans – and perhaps the most perfectly realized of all their projects! The album's got a wonderfully unified feel – as it begins with long compositions that have a distinct Spanish-tinge (and not a Latin-tinge, which is an important distinction to the way the album progresses.) Evans' arrangements have a majesty that takes the songs to the next level – working them as lush, lively backings for Davis' equally majestic trumpet solos, some of the finest he ever recorded with large group backing. Wonderful all the way through – and with the tracks "Concierto De Aranjuez", "Saeta", "The Pan Piper", and "Solea". LP, Vinyl record album

Angel Bat Dawid is a completely mesmerizing artist on record, but she's even more mindblowing in a live setting – where she seems to channel the energy of the skies and the planet into her music – brimming over with righteous energy that guides the rest of the group with a hell of a lot of power! Angel plays clarinet, keyboards, and sings throughout – effortlessly shifting between those elements in a group that includes tenor, keyboards, electronics, bass, and lots of drums and percussion – bursting out with an effortless blend of larger conception and improvisation – at a level that may well have Dawid emerging as one of the few folks from Chicago that could ever hope to match the legacy of Sun Ra! That's not saying that Angel is anything like Ra at all – but in a similar way, she immediately comes across as a true visionary, a deeply spiritual talent, and an artist who's following a path that's completely her own. Features material recorded live in Chicago and Berlin – and titles include "Capetown", "Black Family", "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black", "The Wicked Shall Not Prevail", "Melo Deez From Heab'N", "VIKTORious Return", and "Enlightenment". LP, Vinyl record album

A rock-solid effort from De La Soul at the start of the 21st Century – a record that really has the group coming back into their own! On previous records, it had been a little difficult to tell if De La Soul has been trying harder to please their critics, or simply finally being true to themselves by expelling all traces of the perceived hippy-isms of their earlier work – and the answer is probably somewhere in between, but leaning towards their autonomy. They've been a new group all together since Stakes Is High, and Bionix is certainly their best work since – with the Wu Tang-like piano driven beat of the title track, the catchy soul of "Baby Phat" and "Simply", both of which should be nice club hits, and more than a few subtle nods to the Prince Paul years, especially on the "Simply Havin" interlude. "What We Do (For Love)" makes great use of a Slick Rick guest spot – complete with the horny fanfare. Cee-Lo shows up on "Held Down", and B-Real appears on "Peer Pressure" – both of which suggest that De La spent a little time in Stankonia last year. Other tracks include "Watch Out", "Special", "The Sauce", "Pawn Star", "It's American", and "Trying People". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary drummer Tullio De Piscopo is all by himself on the cover, and that's how he sounds on the record – just playing solo, but with amazing grooves that hardly make you miss the other instruments at all! Tullio's got a long legacy in both jazz and club music – yet this set may be one of his most unique, and one of the purest demonstrations of his talents as a musician – as he manages to serve up these solo tracks that are all rhythmic and very groovy, with a melodic command of the drum kit that fills in all the other elements you might miss – on tracks that move between classic hip hop break cuts, to Brazilian-inflected groovers, to some other rhythmic masterpieces that were certainly years ahead of their time back in 1974! Titles include "Afro Cubano", "Samba Carnival", "Rocking Special", "Afro Jazz", "7/4 Rock", "Fast Afro Samba", "Drum Fantasy", "Onda Nueva 3/4", "Moderato Swing", and "Dodiciottavi". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Delta 5 – one of our favorite groups from the UK post-punk years, and a group whose funky, dubby approach to punk rivals the best work by groups like The Slits or Gang Of Four! Like both groups, they have smart songs with interesting lyrics – but focused down right into the groove, with lots of heavy interplay between bass and guitar – captured with a razor-sharp sound, and that inherent sense of darkness we love in so many productions from the time! Female singer Ros Allen is in the lead, really belting out the tunes with a great sort of edge – and the set includes the group's three rare singles on Rough Trade, plus BBC sessions and live material – making for an overdue full length collection from these years. Titles include their classic "Mind Your Own Business" – plus "Now That You've Gone", "Try", "Colour", "Make Up", "Triangle", "Innocenti", "Train Song", "Anticipation", "Final Scene", "Shadow", "Circuit", and "Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

A set from the late 90s, but one that's got a very timeless vibe – as it features spare duets on kora between these two legendary players – coming together in a way that's completely magical, and fresh enough to earn the "new ancient" in the title! There's a sense of warmth to the proceedings right from the start – an improvising sympathy that seems borrowed from jazz, although there's nothing jazz-like at all in this music – and the production uses just the right touch of echo to bring out the resonant qualities of the instruments, but never seeks to commercialize the proceedings at all. Titles include "Salaman", "Bi Lamban", "Kita Kaira", "Korobali", "Yamfa", "Cheikhna Demba", and "Bafoulabe". LP, Vinyl record album

While most collaborations between hip hop producers and jazz players have been mediocre at best, neither really being able to get invloved enough in each other's music, this collaboration between Kondo and Krush is almost entirely successful. Kondo's played in just about every style from all out free jazz to hard bop, and Krush's spare and slightly abstract approach to both the turntables and with his beats creates just the right backdrop. We got open on "Ha Doh", "Sun Is Shining", "Fu Yu" and "Ki gen". 13 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Eric Dolphy – one of his most perfectly realized moments at the head of a larger ensemble – and a record that definitely set the tone for countless spiritual jazz sessions of the 70s! Dolphy recorded this session for Alan Douglas in 1962, and it features a larger array of players than you'll find on most of his records for other labels – the cream of the "new thing" players that were around New York at the time, including Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Prince Lasha on flute, Sonny Simmons on alto, and even Clifford Jordan on soprano sax – making a rare appearance on record on that instrument! Together, the players create a set of soundscapes that lies somewhere between Dolphy's Out To Lunch album, and some of the more modernist work by Mingus – a stunning batch of tracks that go out, but never too far. Titles include "Ode to CP", "Burning Spear", "Iron Man", and "Mandrake". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darkest albums we've ever heard from Domenico – very different than his collaborations with Kassin and Moreno Veloso! The sound here has a lot more electronics and distortion – not unfamiliar with other records on the Mais Um Discos label, but a bit different than some of Domenico's other work – although there's some bossa-styled acoustic guitar and vocals at times, which really makes a great contrast and warms things up nicely! Producer Ricardo Dias Gomes had a big hand in the sound, and the album is maybe more of a collaboration between the two than just a Domenico solo set – and the whole thing definitely marks another amazing chapter in his wonderful run of records over the years. Titles include "Diga", "Nada Sera De Outra Maneira", "Mole", "Ta Brabo", "Aterrizar", and "Um Abraco No Faust". LP, Vinyl record album

A really formative album – not just as part of the key second chapter of alto genius Lou Donaldson, but also as the start of a huge generation of jazz funk grooves to come! The key element here is drummer Idris Muhammad – working in the group of Donaldson, but under his birth name of Leo Morris – and still already graced with that fantastic sense of rhythm that has him stretching out the beats, and creating grooves that would push the 60s soul jazz generation into more electric funk modes in the decade to come! The record's a perfect bridge between the two generations – with long tracks that draw plenty from Idris' drums and Lou's alto – plus work from Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Lonnie Smith on organ, and the young George Benson on guitar – still hard and soulful, in that style he had been using in the 60s group of organist Jack McDuff. If you know the heavily sampled side of Lou Donaldson's work, you'll know the greatness you're getting here – on cuts that include "Dapper Dan", "Midnight Creeper", "Bag Of Jewels", and "Love Power". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most beautiful record we've ever heard from bassist Dezron Douglas – an artist who hasn't given us many albums as a leader, but who always creates something special when he does! This set not only follows that legacy, but really knocks it out of the park – as there's a rich, soulful approach to the whole thing that represents a quality that we've always heard lurking in Dezron's music, but which never came through this strongly! The group is really well-matched with warm piano and Fender Rhodes from George Burton (another player we like a lot) – and these angular reed lines from Emilio Modeste, a player who can have a soulful swing at one minute, and a much freer sound the next – especially when driven on by dynamic drum work from Joe Dyson Jr – as the group effortlessly moves between spiritual/modal sounds, and more outside moments. Melvis Santa sings on one cut, "Wheeping Birch" – and other titles include "Luna Moth", "Atalaya", "Rose", "J Bird", "Octopus", "Foligno", "More Coffee Please", and "Jones Beach". LP, Vinyl record album

Righteous soul, and the only record ever cut by East Coast – a group led by Larry Blackmon of later Cameo fame – and featuring vocals from a young Gwen Guthrie – heard here for the first time on LP, long before her later hits! The style is very hip – a mixture of funk and progressive grooving, all held together with a sound that's young, proud, and which moves easily between influences from a number of different camps. In a way, the group's almost a cross between early Earth Wind & Fire and The Voices Of East Harlem – with a style that's got some nicely soulful jazz elements, but served up with a dose of sweeter soul. Gregory Johnson plays some great keyboards on the set, and titles include "I've Got To Reclaim You", "Something Deep Inside", "Any Thing You Have In Mind", "Miss Gigi", "Keep On Trying", "I Found You", and "You Can't Let It Get You Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Eek-A-Mouse's early 80s classic – and the benchmark meeting between the wildly unique deejay and vocalist with producer Henry Junjo Lawes! The Mouse is out front of stellar rootsy backing by The Roots Radics Band. Titles Include "Ganja Smuggling", "Long Time Ago", "Operation Eradication", "There's A Girl In My Life", "Slowly But Surely", "Wa-Do-Dem", "Lonesome Journey", "Noah's Ark", "I Woll Never Leave My Love" and "Too Young To Understand. LP, Vinyl record album

The Electric Prunes are maybe best-remembered in terms of their collaboration with David Axelrod – but here, you'll hear the young group already sounding pretty dam great on their own – working with a set of their own arrangements, to create that moody, eerie vibe that instantly made the group one of the standout acts on the American scene of the psych generation! Few acts were able to capture this sort of energy on our side of the Atlantic – and the Prunes veer between madness and magic at a level that's more typical of some of the trippiest UK groups of the period – mixing freak and fuzz, fear and awe, on titles that include "The Great Banana Hoax", "Wind Up Toys", "Dr. Do-Good", "Hideaway", and "Capt Glory". LP, Vinyl record album

That's a mess of vintage analog electronics on the cover, and there's plenty of that inside the record as well – as Eleven76 come across with all sorts of cool classic 70s styles that move between soundtrack funk and some leaner, more cosmic cuts for the clubs! The album's definitely trying to evoke a classic sound library style – but as with some of the hipper European electronic artists back in the day, these guys also have their ears tuned towards crossover fame in a world where moogy electronics can get some spins in the discos – a blend that makes for a mighty wonderful little album that definitely lives up to the promise of its cover! Titles include "Duosynchronic", "Canyon Chase", "Wolf At The Door", "Knock Out", "Minister", "Step Off The Ledge", and "Kreuzer Weight". LP, Vinyl record album

Paid In Full, indeed! Eric B & Rakim's seminal debut still pays off in so many ways, and it was such a vital link between the party rockin' style of the old school and the terse, hard-hitting beats and rhymes of the nascent school, we can't even come up with the words for the praise it's due. Essential would be an understatement, it's really part of the bedrock for some of the best hip hop to come, very little of which could match it! Includes the immortal "I Ain't No Joke", "Eric B Is In The Cut", "I Know You Got Soul", "Move The Crowd", "Paid in Full", "Chinese Arithmetic", and "Eric B. Is President". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most obscure work ever recorded by Lebanese singer/songwriter Roger Fakhr – late 70s recordings that were originally only circulated on tape within a small community of friends and supporters, and material that has a vibe that almost feels like some of the best late 60s material from the American scene! Roger sings in this beautifully moody vocal style that's maybe somewhere between Bill Fay and Fred Neil – and the instrumentation, while gentle, is also well-pointed – so that slight electric elements mix with acoustic guitar in a very cool way, and always with a sense of arrangement and production that really distances these tracks from any sort of home recordings or demos. Plus, vocals are in English throughout – which furthers the Cali vibe of the material – and the whole thing could well be the record that gets the rest of the world to pay attention to Fakhr's overlooked genius! Titles include "Down To My Bones", "You Look So Funny", "Had To See Harry", "Drinking Tea", "Rainhill", "Road Of Farewell", and "East Of Any Place". LP, Vinyl record album

A really pivotal album from the great Art Farmer – a late 50s session that has him finding that sense of tone and timing that would dominate his work in years to come! Art was already great by the time of this set, but he's also got maybe a more personal, almost poetic vibe at times – starting to realize that the space between the notes is as important as the notes themselves, while still maybe holding onto a slight bit of the bite of his earliest recordings too. The group is a very well-matched trio of easygoing modernists – Hank Jones on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – on titles that include "Too Late Now", "Back In The Cage", "And Now", "Stablemates", "Earth", and "Nita". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer Fela Kuti album from the mid 70s – one of the more obscure releases from the glory days, but a set that's overflowing with all the greatness the man and his Africa 70 group could bring to the proceedings! Side one features the wonderful "Noise For Vendor Mouth" – a long tune that begins slowly, but funkily – building to a tremendous crescendo as the lyrics deliver some words of wisdom about Fela's Kalakuta Republic, and its reputation in Nigeria – all while saxophone solos and keyboard parts really egg the proceedings on! Also great is the flipside "Mattress" – a rare stab at feminism, as Fela explains the relation between sexuality and gender in African society. The cut's got a great tripped-out break on the intro, with these mad riffing horns that sound equally cool! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most compelling Fela albums of the 70s – and one that's got a very different feel than some of his others. The album features one long track – "Coffin For Head Of State" – and although the track still has the usual Fela staples of horn riffs, chopping vamps, and electric piano – it's also got a sad dirge-like sound that is incredibly soulful, and filled with sorrowful emotion that you don't normally catch on Fela's albums. Side two is especially great – as it's mostly instrumental, and features some great interplay between a spacey electric piano and the horn section. LP, Vinyl record album

A lost early chapter in the career of Roberta Flack – material recorded during the sessions for her legendary First Take album, but unissued at the time – and presented here with an amazing demonstration of the depth of her young talents! All the genius of First Take is in place here – that groundbreaking territory between jazz and soul that set Roberta apart from the pack, right from the start – but there's also a wider range of currents going on – maybe some more jazz-based numbers, mixed with other soul-referenced titles too – a wider span that furthers the role that Flack plays as a bridge between the 60s innovations of Nina Simone and a host of others to follow. The group is just a trio – Flack on piano with Marshall Hawkins on bass and Bernard Sweetney on drums – but the tunes have a very wide-open vibe that's very visionary, and every bit as great as Roberta's debut! Titles include a stunning version of "Afro Blue", plus "It's Way Past Suppertime", "This Could Be The Start Of Something", "Groove Me", "To Sir With Love", "The Song Is Love", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out", "The House Song", and "Hush A Bye". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic record by this important Japanese band, and one that was actually made in Canada, despite the title – at a time when the group were visiting, and managed to create this wonderful record with a very relaxed, organic vibe! Vocals are in English, and lead singer Joe Yamanaka has a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – not afraid to really run up with expressive passages when needed, but also sometimes nestled right down next to the fuzzy guitar and heady bass – which occasionally have echoes of some of the new hard rock modes of the UK, but with more of a sense of space between the notes, which Joe is more than happy to fill in a really great way! Guitarist Hideki Ishima also plays a bit of sitar – and titles include "Spasms", "Heaven & Hell", "That's All", "Hiroshima", "Aw Give Me Air", "Kamikaze", and "Unaware". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic record by this important Japanese band, and one that was actually made in Canada, despite the title – at a time when the group were visiting, and managed to create this wonderful record with a very relaxed, organic vibe! Vocals are in English, and lead singer Joe Yamanaka has a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – not afraid to really run up with expressive passages when needed, but also sometimes nestled right down next to the fuzzy guitar and heady bass – which occasionally have echoes of some of the new hard rock modes of the UK, but with more of a sense of space between the notes, which Joe is more than happy to fill in a really great way! Guitarist Hideki Ishima also plays a bit of sitar – and titles include "Spasms", "Heaven & Hell", "That's All", "Hiroshima", "Aw Give Me Air", "Kamikaze", and "Unaware". LP, Vinyl record album

Long tracks and plenty of room to move around – a perfect setting for the classic sound of the Red Garland Trio on Prestige! Despite the title, the album's not so much groovy as it is lyrically beautiful and filled with sensitivity – a key bridge between piano players of the mainstream in the years before Garland, and some of the bigger, bolder names that would rise up during the 60s soul jazz years. Rhythm is by Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the longer tracks give Chambers plenty of room to express his unique talents on the bass. Titles include "Gone Again", "Hey Now", "Will You Still Be Mine", "What Can I Say Dear", and "C-Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Long tracks and plenty of room to move around – a perfect setting for the classic sound of the Red Garland Trio on Prestige! Despite the title, the album's not so much groovy as it is lyrically beautiful and filled with sensitivity – a key bridge between piano players of the mainstream in the years before Garland, and some of the bigger, bolder names that would rise up during the 60s soul jazz years. Rhythm is by Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the longer tracks give Chambers plenty of room to express his unique talents on the bass. Titles include "Gone Again", "Hey Now", "Will You Still Be Mine", "What Can I Say Dear", and "C-Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A very different record than the first collaboration between Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – but that's also one of the things that makes it great! The album's more of a split LP than a shared one – as side one features a live performance from the great mid 60s Stan Getz quartet that featured Gary Burton on vibes – a wonderfully cool combo that was very under-documented on record, and which makes a key appearance here. The combination of Burton's vibes and Stan's tenor is pure genius – a sound that's got all the subtle hues and cool colors of the Getz bossa recordings, but which is quite different overall. Stan's tone is amazing on these tunes – and titles include "Here's That Rainy Day", "Tonight I Shall Sleep With A Smile On My Face", "Grandfather's Waltz", and "Stan's Blues". Side two features Joao Gilberto without Stan – playing in a very groovy trio that's more straight bossa than most of his other US recordings – cool small combo grooving that's totally great! The lineup features Gilberto on guitar and vocals, Keeter Betts on bass, and Helcio Milito on drums – all working in a sweetly grooving mode on titles that include "Samba De Minha Terra", "Meditation", "Bim Bom", "Rosa Moreno", and "O Pato". LP, Vinyl record album

A really majestic album from this mighty nice group – a set that references older space-themed albums from the postwar years, but which serves up the sound in the best style of the Ghost Funk Orchestra! There's cool use of NASA dialogue between some tracks – and rather than burst out in a countdown of rocket fuel, the music moves slowly, almost dreamily at times – really reveling in laidback funk and fuzz, while also coming across with a slightly cinematic vibe that the group's never had before! A few tracks really rise above the usual, sometimes with really great vocals or jazz solos – and titles include "Casadastra", "Space Walk", "A Solar Wind", "Helios", "Nova", "To The Moon", "Eyes Of Love", and "Infinite Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

Overlooked 70s work from Jimmy Giuffre – a hip trio session that has all the free elements of his earlier recordings, but possibly an even greater focus on tone! Jimmy plays a range of reeds here – tenor, clarinet, and flute – and he works with bass and drum accompaniment, but often in a really gentle way that allows his own solo energy to dictate the tunes – coming out in space that's boldly soulful on the tenor, yet more fragile and intimate on the flute – kind of a cross between more expressive avant work and some of the more spiritual tones of the time. The tenor tunes are especially great – kind of opening a new chapter for Giuffre's career – and the group features Kiyoshi Tokunaga on bass and Randy Kaye on percussion. Titles include "The Bird", "Mosquito Dance", "The Chanting", "The Butterfly", "Dervish", "Phoenix", and "Night Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the trippiest work ever issued by New Zealand's Peter Gutteridge – music that's much more spare and spooky than his work with The Clean and The Chills – and which has a freaky fuzzy quality that's somewhere in a space between Suicide and Spacemen 3! The album was originally only issued on cassette, and has a sound that's perfect for that format – stark and somewhat distorted – with vocals that are nicely muddy, and slip right down in alongside the fuzzy guitar – sometimes joined by other voices, but always with a murky, muddy quality that's totally great – reflective of that excellent late 80s generation who embraced distortion, fuzz, and psych – but took the music to much deeper, darker territory than some of the cleaner bands from a few years before. Titles include "Lonely", "Hang On", "Ocean", "Cause Of You", "Rubout", "Planet Phrom", "Having Fun", "First Instrumental", "Exhibition 2", "Fifty Seven Seconds", and "Chinese Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

Only the second album from Gypsy, but one that really has the group opening up their wings to soar – especially on the longer tunes that really feature some nicely freewheeling interplay between organ and guitar! Yet even on the shorter cuts, the sound between the two is great too – driven on by some rhythms that feature very tasty use of congas, in a way that might draw some slight comparison to Santana, although these guys maybe have some more mid-American elements in the mix too, almost a dash of light Allman Brothers at times! Whatever the comparisons, though, the whole thing is great – a really under-discovered gem that deserves to be in the bigger pantheon of the time – with cuts that include "Here In The Garden", "Blind Man", "Reach Out Your Hand", "Around You", and "As Far As You Can See". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible bit of global jazz from the French scene at the start of the 70s – one of those really unique records that's beyond easy definition, and which really represents all the cool criss-crossings in styles that were taking place on the Parisian scene at the time! Majole Hajary was born in Suriname, raised in Amsterdam, and has a background in Indian culture – but he also works here with the very groovy French arranger Roger Guerin, who plays trumpet and does a masterful job of bringing the whole thing together – in a blend of voices, rhythms, and instrumentation that all feels like some of the more compelling work on Saravah Records at the time! Lyrics are in French, traded between a few different singers with a very spiritual vibe – and Guerin's trumpet solos over the top, often like Donald Byrd in his "with voices" mode, but hipper – especially as other instrumentation includes sitar, organ, tablas, and lots of other great elements! Titles include "Judas", "Notre Pere", "Priere", "Gethsemani", "Les Apotres", and "La Mort De Judas". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost bit of funky vibes and Fender Rhodes – one of those few records that's as sublime as it is rare – like work by Billy Wooten or Lyman Woodard! The Bobby Hamilton Quintet were an obscure combo from upstate New York – but they've lived on in our hearts (and ears!) with this rare gem from the 70s – a killer set that features Bobby on Rhodes, vocals, and percussion; Mike Gipson (aka Brother Fundi) on vibes, percussion, and electronics; and additional trumpet, tenor, and percussion – used to just the right effect in these totally great arrangements. Most of the tunes on the album are instrumentals – with a very cool, ultra-hip soul jazz approach that's somewhere between the very early Polydor work of Roy Ayers, and the funky electric grooves of the Nineteenth Whole – and the tracks are long, and have a really deep, soulful feel! Titles include "Pearl", "Priscilla", "In The Mouth Of The Beast", "Roll Your Own", and "Dream Queen". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing music from Hapshash & The Coloured Coat – a group with a sound that's every bit as freewheeling as their name! The set's a unique collaboration between DJ/producer Guy Stevens and psych poster designers Michael English and Nigel Weymouth – and has this loose, unfettered feel that's almost more like a "happening" in the studio instead of some road-jamming band cutting its music to vinyl – a really hair-down party with instrumentation on trippy percussion, jangly guitar, and other odd sounds that step in and out of the mix – showing a larger studio sense of manipulation for the whole record. There's an odd groove to the record at parts – almost a chaos theory return of the eternal – and titles include "H-O-P-P Why?", "A Mind Blown Is A Mind Shown", "The New Messiah Coming 1985", "Aoum", and the epic side two jam "Empires Of The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A set of unreleased duets between trumpeter Roy Hargrove and pianist Mulgrew Miller – two players who are definitely in harmony throughout the recording! Most tracks are nice and long – taken with an open, lyrical sensibility – one that's driven strongly by Miller's sense of imagination on the piano, and which seems to have Roy Hargrove maybe opening up a bit more than some of his studio recordings of the time! Titles include versions of "Triste", "Con Alma", "This Is Always", "I Remember Clifford", "Never Let Me Go", "Invitation", Ruby My Dear", "Ow", and "Just In Time" – plus a nice reading of the Blue Mitchell tune "Fungii Mama". LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Roy Haynes always brings something great to the table for any album he does as a leader – and this record is no exception! Here, the "added something" is the presence of Roland Kirk on reeds – offered a key early chance to express his most modern ideas in the freedom of Haynes' group – working alongside Tommy Flanagan on piano and Henry Grimes on bass, in what was easily one of the hippest groups to record for Impulse in the early 60s! The record's filled with wonderful material – and a mix of originals and standards done with a very twisted edge – all with great interplay between Kirk's quirky sax work and Roy Haynes' amazing drumming – often changing up timings and rhythms with ease, and really matching Kirk's quirky energy for the set. Titles include "Moon Ray", "Raoul", "Snap Crackle", and "Long Wharf". LP, Vinyl record album

A soulful classic from The Heptones – easily one of the greatest trios to emerge from the Jamaican scene in the late 60s – and one of the few who were really able to evolve their style as the years went on! The style here is to earlier Heptones material as the early 70s Impressions records on Curtom were to their 60s albums on ABC – more righteous in content, and hipper in overall expression – with this beautiful interplay between the vocals of Leroy Sibbles, Barry Llewellyn, and Earl Morgan – all captured with this warm glow in the Harry J Studio! Includes material originally released in Jamaica on the album Book Of Rules, then issued by Trojan as Cool Rasta with additional tracks. Titles include "Black On Black", "Over & Over", "Peace & Harmony", "Dreadlock", "Suffering So" and and "Wah Go Home". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums as a leader from pianist John Hicks – a record that really set the tone for countless great sides to come – and which follows on years of great work with Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Charles Tolliver, and other soulful jazz giants! This set was Hicks' only date for the Strata East label – and has an open, flowing vibe that's very much in keeping with the imprint – and which is maybe a bit different than his later, more familiar material! Part of the strength of the record is bassist Clint Houston – who's completely sublime throughout, and has a way of shaping his notes with this depth that seems to set Hicks free to fly across the keys of the piano on these very long original tunes. Drummer Cliff Barbaro is also part of the trio – and can wind things up when needed, but also lay back and allow some great interplay between Houston and Hicks – on beautiful long tunes that include "Hells Bells", "Avojca", "Yemenja", and "Angie's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful session by Andrew Hill – recorded in 1968, but issued only briefly in 1981 – and out of print for years! The session is a key one in understanding Hill's work – as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass Roots album. The set features wonderful frontline work in the trumpet of Charles Tolliver, and tenor and soprano of Joe Farrell – both players who open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a nice bottom – egged on by the rest of the combo, which includes Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The album's an enchanting one – not as dark as early years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own. Titles include "Dance With Death", "Love Nocturne", "Black Sabbath", "Partitions", and "Fish N Rice". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little record from this Japanese trio – all instrumental, and put together in a style that blends elements of electro pop, electric fusion, and maybe a bit of sound library funk! The tunes are all pretty vivid – maybe evoking the scene in the title – but they also have elements that tie them more strongly to the emerging electronic groove coming from the Japanese scene at the end of the 70s – almost as if you were stripping away vocals, and coming up with spare tracks that are heavy on keyboards and other eletric touches. Titles are all in Japanese – but translate as "Aegean Fantasy", "Rose Between The Waves", "Image", "Daybreak", "Aphrodite's Mourning", and "Mykonos' Bride". LP, Vinyl record album

Pivotal work from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a tight, edgy quintet performance that's done with a modern jazz sound that approaches the Blue Note "new thing" sound, but which stays just this side of the fence to keep in line with Freddie's other soulful work of the 60s – yet still with an edge that you never would expect if you only know his electric and funky work of the 70s! The group features some great work by James Spaulding, who gets a lot of solo room on alto and flute – and Ronnie Matthews is on piano, effortlessly shifting between rhythmic and soulful lines, and passages that get a bit darker and deeper. The tunes are nearly all Freddie Hubbard originals, except for the classic "Mirrors", written by drummer Joe Chambers, who's also a key part of the group – and other tunes include "Breaking Point", "Far Away", "Blue Frenzy", and "D Minor Mint". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant collaboration between vibist Bobby Hutcherson and reedman Harold Land – the first Blue Note album to feature the talents of the pair together, and a stone classic from the very first note! Hutcherson had already been making big waves for the label with his earlier sides – some avant, some soulful, all great – but adding Land's magical tenor and flute to the mix really opens his sound up a lot, and unlocks a lyrical quality in Bobby's music that really points the way to his flourishing years in the 70s! Yet all is not totally sweet – as both Land and Hutcherson maintain an edginess on the record that makes it more of a progression from the "new thing" years than a break – and pianist Chick Corea is on hand, moving through a very similar path in his own music too. Other players include Reggie Johnson on bass and Joe Chambers on drums – and the tracks are nice and long, with that free-wheeling soulful sound that Land seemed to nicely bring to Hutcherson's playing. Titles include "Herzog", "Same Shame", "Maxtrix", "Total Eclipse", and "Pompeian". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest records ever from Akira Ishikawa and his Count Buffalos band – a hip little groover that stands head to head with some of the best funky jazz from the US and Europe of the time! Despite Akira's earthy look on the cover, the record's got a relatively electric feel overall – thanks to some sweet electric piano from Hiromasa Suzuki and organ from Norio Maeda – both of whom work together on most numbers, with a great sense of flow between the keyboards! The rhythms have some Latin and African percussion added on the bottom, which gives the grooves a nicely chunky feel – and some cuts have some sharp-edged tenor solos from Takeru Muraoka, who further deepens the soul of the set. The album's a really tremendous one through and through – as righteous as a lost American funky fusion set from the early 70s – and titles include "African Deer", "Sunrise", "Sandstorm", "Blue Soul", "Bakishinba", and "Mirage". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice work from this funky jazz combo – a group who owe plenty to the sound of 60s soul jazz on Prestige and Verve Records, but who also do plenty to make their own mark as well! The album's issued on the same label as the Haggis Horns, and these guys definitely use strong interplay between the horns to make their mark – the trumpet of Nick Malcolm and tenor of Jake McMurchie, set out over some nice grooves from keyboardist George Cooper – who plays piano, organ, and Wurlitzer – plus a bit of vibes as well! There's vocals on one track from Doc Brown – the cut "Rolling On A High" – and all others are instrumental, and include "The Long Haul", "Chasing Fantasies", "Snakebite Playfight", "Net Zero", and "Enigma" – which was recorded live in Paris. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique project from the Serbian underground of the 80s – a record that mixes together global elements, electronics, and some other live instrumentation – all in a way that's as tuneful as it is experimental, and which has a nice sort of post-punk sense of freedom throughout! The music reminds us a lot of some of our favorite work from farther up on the European scene – particularly records on the Crammed label, as this set shares a similar sense of wider sensibilities coming into play with new technologies of the time, yet handled in a way that's very personal and poetic. The duo bring a bit of vocals to the record, but most of the music comes from the interplay between acoustic and electronic elements – on titles that include "Gitanes", "Gajeiro", "Rhinoceros II, "Sometimes At Nine", "In The Sky", and "Rumba Balcana". LP, Vinyl record album

Freeze is a wonderful set from Junie – a record that has all the offbeat funk he was crafting with the Ohio Players during their Westbound years – and the same sort of heady sound that would make Morrison a perfect match with the P-Funk empire! The record contains the legendary track "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce", which features a meeting between the Funky Granny (a near folklorish character from the early 70s, who'd appeared on records by Kool & The Gang and Ohio Players) and an alien, who tells urges to "buy this record, buy this record, buy this record" in a very silly voice! The funky comedy of this track is nicely matched by a range of other odd numbers and straighter soul cuts – and titles include "Freeze", "Super J", "Musical Son", "Junie II", "World of Woe", and "Cookies Will Get You". LP, Vinyl record album

The solo debut of Junie Morrison – a crazy little album recorded for Westbound in the time after he split company with The Ohio Players – and a set that's definitely got the weirdly wonderful mix of music that group was known for in their pre-Mercury years! Junie effortlessly moves between a number of styles, all with a great degree of wit – still keeping things funky in all the best ways, but also really experimenting with larger sounds and unusual arrangements – which come into play here in a really wonderful way! The album's an overlooked funk treasure from the 70s – far too sophisticated for its own time – and titles include "Walt's Third Trip", "Tight Rope", "Johnny Carson Samba", "Anna", "Loving Arms", "Married Him", and "The Place". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great follow-up to the first collaboration between Khruangbin and Leon Bridges – one with a title that's similar to the first, but a sound that's nicely different too! It's almost as if the group take the "moon" in the title seriously – and go for a more laidback, dark-tinged version of the territory covered on Texas Sun – grooves that are a bit more mellow, and somewhat more introspective – at a level that really works well for the vocals of Leon Bridges, which themselves are sometimes spaced out in these really cool ways with the production! This isn't the hard-jamming side of Khruangbin, but instead that maturing quality of the trio that has them doing more with less – bringing a slow funk majesty to Bridges' vocals, on titles that include "Doris", "B-Side", "Chocolate Hills", "Father Father", and "Mariella". LP, Vinyl record album

The poetic title here is wonderfully well-suited to the album – as there's a free-floating, spacious quality to the music – yet one that's very different than some of the softer sessions that sort of reference might make you expect! Cornet player Kirk Knuffke always has a great sense of space in his music – and in this trio, it really seems to do a lot to the piano of Matthew Shipp, who can be a master of understatement at times, with really quietly brooding sounds on the keys – matched by the perfect energy of bassist Michael Bisio, who is exactly the right choice for this outing. If you know some of Knuffke's other work, you'll be surprised here – as there's more of an edge, and the session really builds a bridge to the world of Shipp, while finding this great spot in the middle for both to exist – on titles that include "Time Is Another River", "Paint Pale Silver", "Heal The Roses", "Today for Today", "Blinds", "June Stretched", "Between Today & May", "Stars Go Up", and "The Water Will Win". LP, Vinyl record album

Tenorist Eero Koivistoinen first rose to fame with a handful of groundbreaking records in the 70s – but in more recent years, he's reemerged with maybe an even sharper sound and bolder sense of his talents! The music here feels like that of a young artist spreading his wings and on fire with new ideas – brilliantly fresh tenor lines from the leader, but tied to a unified group sound that's every bit as great – work from Alexi Tuomarila on piano, Jorhi Huhtala on bass, and Jussi Lehtonen on drums – all lesser-known players from the Finnish scene, but who really follow the visionary lead of Koisivistoinen as he moves between equal moments of darkness and light! Titles include "Stammer", "Played Twice", "Casa De Ferro", "Kelo", "Body Language", "Hokum", and "Diversity". LP, Vinyl record album

An early pairing of composer Andrzej Korzynski and director Andrzej Zulawski – a Polish duo who show that groovy vampire films aren't just the stuff of the southern European scene in the 70s! Korzynski's music for the movie is really wonderful – starting with a wicked fuzzy funky theme that feels like it's lifted right out of Vampyros Lesbos – and followed by other groovy tracks that are often heavy on electric bass at the bottom – used to set a scary mood on the spookier numbers, and create an upbeat groove on the swinging ones! This limited 10" release only sports 9 tracks, but they're all pretty great – and the whole thing is almost like a condensation of the best elements you'd find in much longer soundtracks with a lot of filler in between. Titles include the main title theme and reprise, "Tango", "Dworek", "Lapanka", "Szpital" (parts 1 and 2), "Na Strychu", and "W Instyucie". LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length set – and one that's got plenty of space for wide-ranging power from guitarist Volker Kriegel! The set builds beautifully off the energy that Volker had in the Dave Pike Set – with a similar blend of funk and psychedelic influences, all filtered down beautifully in wicked MPS vibe – lots of space between the notes, and a balance that never gets too jamming or rocking – which is plenty pleasing to our ears! Volker's got an amazing tone on some of these tunes – and other hip players include John Taylor on electric piano, Cees See on flute and percussion, soprano and tenor sax from Alan Skidmore, tenor from Heinz Sauer, trombone from Albert Mangelsdorff, and bass from Eberhard Weber. Tunes really run a nice range of styles – some getting trippy, some a bit exotic, and plenty nice and funky, too! Titles include "Slums On Wheels", "The E Again", "Zanzibar", "Missing Link", and "Lastic Plemon". LP, Vinyl record album

Very experimental work from this loose Canadian collective of the late 60s – but a set that's filled with some surprisingly cool touches too! The album's almost more of a "happening" in the studio at times – with free-flowing energy between jazz musicians, rockers, poets, electronocists, and more experimentally sonic scientists – shifting styles quickly from track to track, but occasionally hitting some straighter, funkier moments that are totally great – almost a more tripped-out version of some of the French electronique work we love so much from the 60s – and a record that's mindblowingly beautiful in its sense of freedom and creativity. The whole thing's a sonic trip through incredibly fresh territory – never too overindulgent, and beautifully balanced both in sound and execution. Titles include "Ode A L'Affaire", "J'Ai Perdue 15 Cents Dans Le Nez Froid", "Finale", "Viens Danser Le OK La", "Agnus Dei", "Desafinado", "She's Leaving Home", and "Intermezzo". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album of Latin funk – the only-ever record from this west coast combo headed by the legendary Benny Velarde! Benny's a name that you might recognize from earlier, straighter Latin dates for Fantasy – or for countless studio work during the 70s – but here, he's really got a talent for a funky 70s groove – and manages to hit a unique space that's somewhere between conventional funk, west coast Latin, and some of the hippest blacksploitation grooves of the time! The album also features some under-credited work from Lalo Schifrin – who was tied to the project somehow (Velarde claims that the record was killed by MGM upon release because of a feud with Lalo) – but never really fully credited in the notes. There's a definite link here with some of Schifrin's funkier soundtrack of the period – a great blend of jazzier elements and headier 70s funk – all served up with a tightness that has made the record one of our favorite funky treasures for years! Titles include "The Ghetto", "Latin Slide", "Who You Fooling", "Road Runner", "Soul Sauce", "Cocoa Leaf", and "Move Your Hands". LP, Vinyl record album

The layers here come from the wonderful interplay between the guitar of Julian Lage and his trio members Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave King on drums – both musicians who lay back nicely, and find a way to resonate with those trademark chromatic notes that Lage seems to spin out effortlessly! The album's billed as a precursor to the previous View With A Room album – looser and more exploratory than that one, but also pretty darn great on its own. Titles include "The Layers", "Mantra", "Everything Helps", "This World", "Missing Voices", and "Double Southpaw". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically beautiful record that stands as the first meeting between Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land – an album that's possibly even better than the more famous Blue Note work by the pair! This is one of those "once in a lifetime" jazz sessions – filled with magical interplay that's made the record a favorite with collectors for years, and done with a sound that's as lyrically graceful as it is soulful and righteous! Hutcherson's vibes are at their warmest 60s mode, but still have some of the angularity of his more modern sides for Blue Note – but Land is the real discovery here – as he steps out with a fluidity that surpasses any of his earlier hardbop albums, a flowing exploratory style expressed on both flute and tenor – with a mode that's years ahead of its time, and sounds a lot more like work on labels like Strata East or Muse from the 70s. Tracks are nearly all originals by Land, and are the kind of thoughtful jazz compositions that show up on a rare few records from the 60s – all of them are great, and sparkle with creativity and a subdued sense of righteousness. The other players on the date include Joe Sample on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Donald Bailey on drums – and titles include "One For Nini", "Angel Dance", "The Peace Maker", "40 Love", "Stylin", and "The Aquarian". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally wonderful little record that's every bit as sexy as you might guess from the cover – and which also has some of the groovy French elements you might expect from the title! The set's got this slinky, erotic vibe that's almost in Serge Gainsbourg territory – save for the fact that the tunes are mostly instrumental, and Monica Lassen seems mostly on the set to moan, giggle, and make other expressions of pleasure as the set goes on – a bit like the presence of a woman on a sexy French record at the end of the 60s! The music is very cool, too – somewhere in a space between late 60s European soundtrack modes and bossa nova – with lots of cool organ lines, soulful sax, captivating rhythms, and cool effects that further underscore the sound of the set – on titles that include "Dalliance In Wave", "On Rollin Yacht", "A Lodge Of Joy", "Embrace Ment", "Path For Two", and "Che Vuole Quesat Musica Stasere". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from Les Abranis – a group with Algerian roots, but who also had a big influence on the post-colonial scene in France – where their unusual blend of elements was a key bridge between cultures! There's plenty of North African elements in the music, but mixed with 70s influences from funk, rock, and club music – in styles that are reminiscent of hybrids from the time in Iran and Turkey, with a vibe that really has scenes and generations coming together in a timeless sort of style! The package brings together a fair bit of cuts from the group's Album No 1 from 1983, plus earlier tracks too – and titles include "Chenar Le Blues", "Akoudar", "Id Ed Was", "Thilelli", "El Guoum Agui", and "Athedjaladde". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Deeply soulful blowing from tenorist Frank Lowe – working here in a wonderfully hip group that includes Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Grachan Moncur III on trombone, Geri Allen on piano, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Charles Moffett on drums. The date really lives up to the promise you might expect from the players listed – and has a really classic, deep-rooted sound that makes the album feel like some lost avant set from a decade before – very well-crafted and thoughtful, with a great balance between focus and freedom. Lowe wrote most of the songs – and titles include "Decision In Paradise", "Cherryco", "I'll Whistle Your Name", "Lowe-ologie", "You Dig", and "Dues & Don'ts". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover may look like some indie soul set from the 80s, but Mabu's Madness is a rare east coast funk combo from the start of the 70s – one who issued this killer set on the tiny Maple label with a mighty heavy sound! The album's got a vibe that's a bit like some of the best funk albums on the Stang/All-Platinum label – nicely raw in all the best spots, with some unconventional instrumentation that's not afraid to soar between hard funk and sweeter soul moments – all topped with vocals from Brad "Mabu" Young, who also provides all the heavy drums on the set – which really seem to set the combo on fire! Brad's almost got a slight dose of Hendrix in his vibe, which is echoed by some of the heavy fuzz on the guitar at points – on titles that include "Seize The Time", "Show Me How", "Do The Best You Can", "We'll Make You Proud", "Mind Your Business", and "She Turned Me On". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure albums issued on the Palm Records label of French jazz genius Jef Gilson – a large ensemble session that ties together both spiritual and avant styles of the early 70s, and which really demonstrates the overlooked power of the French scene at the time! The group's led by Chilean pianist Manuel Villarroel which might explain the title reference – and the lineup is filled with a range of excellent and obscure French musicians – including Jean Quarlier, Hugh Levick, Jef Sicard, and Gerard Coppere on reeds – plus Alain Brunet and JF Cannape on trumpets, Alphonse Leboucher and Josef Traindl on trombones, and Keno Speller, Claudio Bertoni, and Ana-Maria Villarroel on percussion. The tunes are as loose and open as the free jazz material recorded by BYG/Actuel a few years before – but also have more inherent structure and soul, and a really great balance between the contributions of the individual members as they space out the sound nicely. Titles include "Bolerito", "Leyendas De Nahuelbuta", and "Quetzalcoatl". LP, Vinyl record album