One of the most soulful albums to come out of the Australian scene of the 70s – and the crowning achievement of jazz singer Joyce Hurley – a vocalist we'd easily rank with Dee Dee Bridgewater for depth of righteous expression! Joyce's voice is definitely different than Dee Dee's – with some very unique phrasing – but this album's got the same sort of uncommonly expressive vibe as Bridgewater's legendary Afro Blue set. Backing is by a small combo with nice reed and electric piano work – usually letting Joyce take the lead at most moments, but with horn help to shape the sound of the tunes in really nice ways – a balance that few jazz records of the time ever hit this well – and which continues to uphold the soulful power of Hurley's vocals! The album's got loads of great numbers – including the jazz dance classic "Sunbath", a wicked take on "Maiden Voyage", and the instrumental number "Sambole" – plus other titles that include "Blues For Joyce", "Left Alone", "How Are You Dreaming", and "Threedom Street". LP, Vinyl record album

The last Motown album of the 70s for Willie Hutch – and his last LP for the label before comback to the label in the mid 80s! Willie does indeed have nice little funky soul party going on here– with a steady, but not too laidback groove that bridges the more stripped down funk of earlier records to breezier and slightly more elegant soul sounds of the later 70s. There's some nice guitar, bass and Fender Rhodes moments, and the album's got a nice warm soulful sound throughout. Tracks include "Willie's Boogie", "We Gonna Have A House Party", "Soul Strut", "I Never Had It So Good", "What You Gonna Do After The Party", and "After Love Is Gone" – plus bonus single versions of "We Gonna Have A House Party" and "We Gonna Party Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful early recordings from Al Jarreau – cut years before his bigger commercial fame in the 70s, but still with a sublime vocal approach that shows that he was light years ahead of most other singers in the 60s! The date's a rare one – done in Rock Island, IL – with a combo that features Cal Bezemer on piano, Gary Allen on bass, and Joe Abodeely on drums – who'd also played a bit with JR Monterose. The style's jazzy, but really takes off with those magnificently soaring modes we love from Jarreau – and titles include a killer version of "My Favorite Things", plus "One Note Samba", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "A Sleepin Bee", "Stockholm Sweetnin", and "Joey Joey Joey". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy soundtrack, written for this film that starred Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow as two young lovers on a one night stand. The film sports a great vocal theme – "Maybe Tomorrow", sung by Evie Sands in a haunting airy way, and also performed at another point by the Morgan Ames Singers, and instrumentally by Quincy. Other tracks include Quincy's own number "Silent Moovies", the vocal cuts "Bump In The Night" by The Strange Things and "Lost In Space" by Jeff Bridges, and a number of classical themes played by a brass group led by Quincy. LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! 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

Khruangbin get a great new sound here – thanks to the vocals and acoustic guitar of Leon Bridges, who bring a whole new dimension to their music! The title and cover of the record are very well-put – as there's this open space to the record that's a bit different than previous outings by Khruangbin – still that aesthetic that lingers somewhere south, down near the border – but maybe more relaxed and letting itself flow down the road to some territory that's all its own – the marvelous vocals of Leon Bridges at the wheel, with the rest of the group well-tuned to make the journey with a warm dose of mellow soul. Titles include "Midnight", "C-Side", "Conversation", and "Texas Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Khruangbin get a great new sound here – thanks to the vocals and acoustic guitar of Leon Bridges, who bring a whole new dimension to their music! The title and cover of the record are very well-put – as there's this open space to the record that's a bit different than previous outings by Khruangbin – still that aesthetic that lingers somewhere south, down near the border – but maybe more relaxed and letting itself flow down the road to some territory that's all its own – the marvelous vocals of Leon Bridges at the wheel, with the rest of the group well-tuned to make the journey with a warm dose of mellow soul. Titles include "Midnight", "C-Side", "Conversation", and "Texas Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely lovely work from Irene Kral – a Japanese-only session from the 70s, and one of her best efforts from the time! Irene's vocals have never sounded better – strong and confident, but not in a cloying way that gets in the way of the tunes – working with a piano trio led by Alan Broadbent that's wonderfully adaptive to the mood of the tunes, especially from a rhythmic standpoint – as a number of the tracks turn out to be great groovers in the end! The album's a perfect example of the way that American singers were always able to find a hipper vibe when recording in Japan during the 70s (like Dee Dee Bridgewater or Lorez Alexandria, to name a few others recorded this way!) The set's got a great version of "On A Clear Day", a snapping jazz dance take on "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", plus the cuts "Star Eyes", "Misty Roses", "Angel Eyes", "Corcovado", and "Everytime We Say Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work by a great singer – the far under-recorded Irene Kral, a lovely lady who really bridges a number of different camps in the vocal jazz world! At one level, Irene's got the coolness of a Christy or Connor, but at another, she's got a more open, swinging, and soulful style – one that comes off with none of the hoke of Anita O'Day, and which is a perfect balance between class, cool, and easy going honesty. The trio of Junior Mance provides the backings, and titles include "Better Than Anything", "The Meaning Of The Blues", "Passing By", "No More", "Nobody Else But Me", "This Is Always", and "It's A Wonderful World". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most darkly beautiful sessions ever recorded by vocalist Karin Krog – a batch of spare duets done with pianist Bengt Hallberg – in a way that offers both artists plenty of space to stretch out and do their thing! Karin's vocals are recorded with an echoey quality that only seems to further underscore the edge and emotion in her singing – and in addition to some very fluid acoustic piano, Hallberg also plays some electric keys on the set as well – often in a much more laidback, spacious sort of groove – one that creates a nice degree of juxtaposition as the tunes roll on. As usual with Krog at this point, there's a fair number of lesser-known tunes that really make the set great – including the John Surman compositions "Like That" and "The End Of The Day Song". Other titles include "Dear Bix", "You Must Believe In Spring", "Love Walked In", "Spring In Manhattan", and "I Ain't Here". CD features 2 previously unissued bonus tracks – "A Child Is Born" and "Cabin In The Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

John Lennon's fabled "Lost Weekend" LP, self produced and another kinda strange mix of weighty material and messy fun composed, produced and recorded in LA while he was estranged from Yoko! Includes some meditations on love and loss, unpretentious horn accented rock & roll tunes and combinations of the two – with a spiritual restlessness underlying even the more straightforward numbers. Includes the rave up "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" with Elton John, the alluring "#9 Dream", "Old Dirt Road", "Bless You", "Steel And Glass", "Ya Ya", "Going Down On Love" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Yoko shows her Fluxus roots on this album of trippy experimental stuff. Side one is a live piece called "Cambridge 1969", which is performed by John and Yoko, with the help of avant jazzmen John Tchicai and John Stevens. Lots of noisy guitar on that one. Side 2 features a number of spare tracks recorded on a cassette at Queen Charlotte Hospital, in 1968. Cuts include "No Bed For Beatle John" (as pictured on the cover), "Baby's Heartbeat", and "Two Minutes Silence". LP, Vinyl record album

Anthony and crew were one of the few groups who actually got better when they moved from the raw indie scene to the slicker major label one – as you'll hear perfectly on this set of some of their best work for the Veep/DCP/United Artists label. Teddy Randazzo handled all the arrangments and production, and his breathy uptown style works perfectly with the band's soulful harmonies. Titles include "Hurt So Bad", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "Our Song", "Get Out Of My Life", and "Going Out Of My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Terrace Martin, and a set that already has him stretching out and building bridges between scenes and genres – at a level that has continued to make him one of the real giants of the west coast scene! The record's never just about Terrace's keys or saxophone – although his work on both are totally great – and instead, there's an equal presence here from the guests – Robert Glasper on Fender Rhodes, or artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lalah Hathaway, Ty Dolla Sign, Musiq Soulchild, and others on vocals – balancing hip hop and soul with Martin's jazz at the core, as he awakes new ears sounds they never would have discovered otherwise! Titles include "Triangle Ship", "No Wrong No Right", "Over Time", "Watch U Sleep", "Something Else", "You're The One", "I'm For Real", "Gone", and "Motivation". LP, Vinyl record album

Terrace Martin is an artist who just keeps on getting deeper and deeper over the years – an already-great jazz musician, but one who's widened his scope to touch on broader currents of soul and hip hop – all of which really open up with the jazz-based energy at the core! At some level, this record might be to Martin's career what the Black Radio project was to Robert Glasper – as Terrace opens the door to all-star guests who include Kim Burrell, Leon Bridges, Ty Dolla $ign, Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi Washington, and even Glasper himself – while also finding space to serve up a few key tracks on his own, without any guests – tracks that may well be some of our favorite on the album. Titles include "Turning Poison Into Medicine", "Drones", "Leave Us Be", "Don't Let Go", "Listen", "Sick Of Cryin", "Leimert Park", "Tapped", and "Griots Of The Crenshaw District". LP, Vinyl record album

The sound of Gerry Mulligan in the early 60s – and one of the best records by his larger than usual Concert Jazz Band! Given Gerry's piano-less experiments of the 50s, it's surprising to actually have him as the pianist on this session – hitting the keys with a nice light touch, so that the larger horn section can take over most of the tunes – a beautifully-arranged ensemble who have a feel that's lighter than some of the groups of the 50s – such as the Kenton ensemble – yet one that's equally modern at times! The lineup is wonderful – with Clark Terry and Nick Travis on trumpets, Willie Dennis and Bob Brookmeyer on trombones, and Gene Quill, Gene Allen, and Eddie Caine on saxes – plus guitar from Jim Hall, bass from Bill Crow, and drums from Gus Johnson. Titles include "Big City Life", "Bridgehampton South", "My Kind Of Love", "Pretty Gypsy", "Bridgehampton Strut", and "Big City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album – a lot better than you might think from the concept! After the death of JFK, Oliver Nelson penned this extremely strong tribute to the man – featuring snippets of speeches made by Kennedy during his time in office as president, used as bridges between jazz based backings by Nelson that are filled with some of his strongest writing of the time. The notes are more devoted to Kennedy's memory and Nelson's genius than the usual liner notes – so we're not sure who the players are – but the overall style is right up there with some of Nelson's best serious work from the time, and features a striking use of strings against jazz solo instrumentation, almost in a manner that recalls Ralph Burns' best styles of the 50s. Titles include "The Artists Rightful Place", "Jacqueline", "Day In Dallas", "Let The Word Go Forth", and "John Kennedy Memory Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

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Anita sings it swinging and simple – working with a smallish combo to back her up, and vocalizing in a relatively uncluttered style that's in keeping with her best mode at Verve! The tunes are mostly standards, sung in a way that bridges swing and later styles of jazz vocalization – no real scatting or vocalese, but still with a good sense of the rest of the group overall. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Taking A Chance On Love", "Tenderly", "Old Devil Moon", "S Wonderful", and "You Turned The Tables On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing vocal work from The Olympics – a great little group who bridged the gap between doo wop and 60s soul – and who had a pyrotechnic style that only The Coasters could match! Like The Coasters, The Olympics often mixed in a good deal of humor with their tunes – not only in the subject matter, which often included topics from the lower end of the mid century cultural spectrum, but also in the way they delivered the tunes – which was always lively and exuberant! This quality made for some nice little groovers in the group's repertoire too – tunes that rock and roll with an early approach to upbeat 60s soul, and which has made some of their numbers perennial dancefloor favorites. Titles include "Little Pedro", "Dodge City", "Private Eye", "Big Boy Pete", "Big Chief Little Puss", "Stay Away From Joe", and "Baby Hully Gully"; plus bonus tracks not included in the original issue. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever on the legendary Strata East label – and that's saying a hell of a lot! Drummer Billy Parker is a player that we don't know much, but he'll always be well-remembered for this album's sublime blend of spiritual jazz styles! The lineup is wonderful – a hip quintet with Ron Bridgewater on tenor and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet – plus sister Dee Dee on additional vocals at a few points too! Donald Smith also plays piano, and sings a bit – with his warmly soulful style that makes the album's leadoff track a killer classic – and the rest of the group is rounded out by Cecil McBee on bass and Parker on drums. Tracks have those perfect blends of searching, soaring elements that virtually define the Strata East vision in the 70s – and titles include the sublime "Dance of The Little Children", plus "Gemini's Lullaby", "Home", "Get With It", and "Freedom Of Speech". LP, Vinyl record album

With Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and Stan Hope on piano – on titles that include "Only Trust Your Heart", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Everything Happens To Me", and "Just For You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record by Jimmy Ponder – recorded late in the 80s, but with some nice touches that give the record more of an early 70s jazz funk groove – almost a style that hits the Prestige sound at times! John Patton's in the group on organ – making one of his best appearances of the 80s, and really hitting nicely with some lean and rhythmic lines that keep things grooving on most of the record's best tracks. Ponder's on hollow-body, but playing with a tune that's more line-focused than some of his more warmly chromatic sets from the late 70s and early 80s – a return to the sound he first forged in the late 60s, heard here with backing rhythm guitar from Geary Moore on 2 tracks, plus some nice flute and tenor from Bill Saxton throughout. Titles include the nice groover "Mean Streets, No Bridges", plus "After The Rain", "They Long To Be Close To You", and "Next Time You See Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A full funky session from master drummer Bernard Purdie – a set that expands out his previous Prestige vibe, and almost goes for a soundtrack scope to match the record's Shaft title! The set leads off with a great take on the Isaac Hayes hit – one that follows in the same fully-flowing, slow-building mode as Ike's – but which comes across here as an instrumental with some great solo work from Houston Person – playing here almost in a Stanley Turrentine sort of mode! Other tracks continue the hip mix of jazz and larger backings – and feature a lineup of players that includes Neal Creque on electric piano, Gerry Thomas and Danny Moore on trumpets, Willie Bridges and Houston Person on tenors, Billy Nichols and Lloyd Davis on guitars, Gordon Edwards on Fender bass, and Norman Pride on congas. The sound is warm without ever sounding too smooth – and Purdie's funky drums at the bottom ensure that most tunes are nicely lively. Titles include "Shaft", "Butterfingers", "Summer Melody", "Changes", "Way Back Home", and "Attica". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite different from Flora's earlier work, but in a way that we find quite compelling! The record was produced by Leon Ndugu Chancler, and it's got a smooth fusion sound that's kind of in a southern California R&B mode, played by a huge range of excellent Brazilian and west coast talents that include Patrice Rushen, Dorothy Ashby, Fred Jackson, Raul De Souza, Toninho Horta, and Airto. While this sound overwhelms the core of Flora's usual Brazilian jazz approach, it also expands some of the tracks to a great groove – with Flora's vocals on top, stretching out in a whole new way! Includes a great English language version of the Milton Nascimento classic "Nada Sera Como Antes", plus the cuts "You Love Me Only", "I'm Coming For Your Love", "Corre Nina", "Angels", "Bridges", and "Fairy Tale Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that Max Roach was always experimenting with his music – even in the later years! The album's one of a few 80s efforts to feature Roach's Double Quartet – a group that takes his regular four-piece jazz group and augments it with a string quartet – all in a sound that's almost an extension of modes first begun by Roland Kirk in the 60s! The Kirk reference isn't accidental – as the title track here is a great version of Kirk's "Bright Moments" – one that uses the strings to offset the core jazz work of Roach on drums, Odeon Pope on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Tyrone Brown on electric bass – all in ways that are as creative as they are playful, definitely in a Kirk-styled spirit. Other tunes follow suit – and use the strings to echo Kirk's dream of a black classical music, but also one that's always firmly jazz-based at all times. Titles include "Double Delight", "Hi Fly", "Bright Moments", "Elixir Suite", and "A Tribute To Duke & Mingus". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive hit and creative triumph for Salt N Pepa – a record that was both maybe their biggest ever, and which had the duo working with Spinderella at a level that also bridged both hip hop and R&B! Although there were some younger up-and-comers on the scene at the time, Salt N Pepa had already honed their craft, matured a bit, and were able to serve up just the right hook-heavy blend of hip hop and a touch of R&B – mixing both freewheeling fun with some feminist positivity and maybe just a touch of social consciousness in all the right ways. Titles include their classics "Whatta Man and "Shoop" – plus "Groove Me", "No One Does It Better", "Step", "Heaven Or Hell", "Big Shot", "Sexy Noises Turn Me On", "Somma Time Man", "I've Got Aids (PSA)", and "Break Of Dawn". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Capitol album from rocker Jack Scott, and a set that's full of original tunes that mark a bit of a turn towards country music! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few full albums by the great Jack Scott – with titles that include "Burning Bridges", "Window Shopping", "Good Deal Lucille", "What In The World's Come Over You", "My King", and "Cruel World". LP, Vinyl record album

An oft-overlooked jazzy gem from Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – and a beautifully swinging session that has Gil toning it down a bit, and working into a nicely musical groove that gets past the heavy politics of earlier years! The record's a great showcase for the more upbeat side of Gil's talents – and what it lacks in righteousness, it more than makes up for in a warmly flowing and very soulful vibe! The band's in great form – laying down tight warm jazzy riffs that provide some of the best backing for Gil's voice we've heard since Winter In America – and titles include the wonderfully catchy "Racetrack In France", plus "Hello Sunday Hello Road", "Under The Hammer", and "We Almost Lost Detroit". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "They Came To Cordura", "I Love Paris", "Chicago", "Monique", "Something Wonderful Happens In Summer", "The Moon Was Yellow", and "Hidden Persuasion". LP, Vinyl record album

With Thad Jones on cornet and flugelhorn, George Adams on tenor and flute, George Lewis on trombone, Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Lenny White on drums; and special guests Warren Smith on tympani and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet. LP, Vinyl record album

A damn funky record – way more so than you might expect from the "string" in the title! The group's kind of an answer to the Soulful Strings ensemble headed by Richard Evans for Cadet/Concept in Chicago – and like that group, it mixes up funky rhythms with some sweet large orchestrations – in a style that's almost a precursor of blacksploitation funk to come in the 70s! Paul Riser handles arrangements – very much in the same spirit of Evans – and he picks up a hip Motown groove that bridges sweeping soul and gritty funk – all played to perfection by an ensemble led by Gordon Staples, and featuring players from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra! There's lots of funky nuggets in the set – and titles include excellent originals like "Strung Out", "Toonie", and "Sounds of the Zodiac" – plus "The April Fools", "The Look Of Love", "Get Down", "If Your Love Were Mine", "Someday We'll Be Together", and "From A Heart That's True To Only You". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from The Trammps – and a record that broke the group firmly out of the Philly ghetto, yet still carried all the best touches of the Sigma scene! Sure, the title track was a super-huge hit – thanks to a plug in Saturday Night Fever – but the record itself is Philly club soaring high, with key arrangements and production from the team of Norman Harris, Ronald Baker, and Earl Young – all of whom provide tremendously mighty grooves to soar the multi-voiced sound of the group well over the top of the clubs! Titles include an 11 minute version of "Disco Inferno", plus "Starvin", "Don't Burn No Bridges", "You Touch My Hot Line", and "I Feel Like I've Been Livin (On The Dark Side Of The Moon)". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's certainly got it right – as the set's a showcase for the deft string work of these two giants! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most fantastic hardbop albums of all time! Tommy Turrentine was the less-famous trumpet-playing brother of Stanley Turrentine – but he was a hell of a player in his early days, and he cut some amazing records with his brother during the younger years of his career. This is the only record we've ever seen that features him as a leader – but the session's a monster, with the kind of razor-sharp hardbop playing we'd stack up there with must-have LPs like Art Blakey's Freedom Rider, Hank Mobley's Caddy For Daddy, or the legendary Young Lions session on Vee Jay. The group features a number of players who were working with Max Roach at the time – including Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Julian Priester on trombone – as well as Roach on drums, Horace Parlan on piano, and Bob Boswell on bass. Titles include "Gunga Din", "Too Clean", "Time's Up", "Long As You're Living", "Blues For JP", and "Webb City". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy soul all the way through – and a great little album from Lenny White and the Twennynine combo – a group that features some especially great keyboards from the great Don Blackman! The style here's a bit like some of Blackman's own work – rooted in fusion, but focused towards soul – with vocals on all tracks, but lots of tightly crafted riffs and grooves underneath! Keyboards and guitars are in the forefront on top of Lenny White's drums – but tunes also feature some EWF horn work, and an occasional vocal chorus arranged by Blackman, and featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater and Googie Coppola! Tracks include the classic 80s groover "Peanut Butter", plus "Tropical Nights", "Best Of Friends", "Take Me Or Leave Me", "Citi Dancin", and "Betta". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a number of excellent albums of Brazilian jazz cut by Sarah Vaughan – a surprisingly great move for the singer, whose style had begun to wear thin by the mid 70s. The record's got a pretty faithful sound, and the musicians on the set include Jobim on piano, plus Mauricio Einhorn, Nelson Angelo, and Helio Delmiro – all Brazilian greats in their own right. Danilo Caymmi and Milton Nascimento join in on vocals, and tracks include "The Day It Rained", I Live To Love You", "Roses & Roses", "Bridges", "A Little Tear", and "Courage". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit soul, a bit rock, with touches of funky folk – almost in the mode of Ellen McIlwaine, who was clearly one of Martha's contemporaries in the hip female singer/songwriter scene. Titles include "Two Bridges", "Black Rose", "Space King", "Livin Outside The Law", and "Byrdcliffe Summer". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the last really compelling records ever done by Mike Westbrook – a large group session that shifts effortlessly between funky moments and some more adventurous playing! The album's a suite of tracks that run through a bit more moods than we're used to hearing on some of Westbrook's earlier records – and the overall approach is varied, but in a way that's really enjoyable, and doesn't get bogged down in some of the repetitive themes that Westbrook could sometimes fall in love with. The real star of the record is John Surman, who solos often on baritone, soprano, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Sleepwalker Awaking In Sunlight", "Outgoing Song", "Tender Love", "Construction", "View From The Drawbridge", and "Pistache". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare early material from singer Lee Wiley – pulled from a series of V-Disc recordings, with backing by the group of guitarist Eddie Condon! Players include Jack Teagarden on trombone, Bobby Hackett on trumpet, and Pee Wee Russell on clarinet. LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Williams was really reviving his career as a vocalist at this point – working with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band on a few well-selling records, and on this smoother set with arrangements by Horace Ott. The overall feel is kind of in a swinging Grady Tate mode, with jazziness underneath larger orchestrations that have more of a popish quality to them – and Joe stretches his style to work on songs like Milton Nascimento's "Bridges", plus "Didn't We", "You Send Me", "I Hold No Grudge", "Oh Darling", and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Hako Yamasaki, and a set that really bridges a few different eras of music on the Japanese scene! At some level, Hako's got the richly expressive style of female singers of the late 60s – but she works here with more acoustic guitar, and some more down-to-earth touches that aren't exactly folk or singer/songwriter, but showcase an intimacy that gives the record a tremendous amount of power – even if you can't understand the lyrics! Electric elements and more powerful backings come into the mix from time to time, but never overwhelm – as the recording quality has Hako's vocals right up front, at a level that's extremely expressive, even for her young age. Titles include "Taketombo", "Sayonara No Kane", "Kazaguruma", "Sasurai", and "Bokyo". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible stuff from the jazz underground of Newark! This is one of the rarest albums ever recorded by jazz organist Larry Young – cut for the tiny Perception label during the early 70s, and featuring some of the cream of the New Jersey jazz underground. The album's got playing that bridges a number of Young's different styles – from his straighter soul jazz work at Blue Note, to his harder jamming with Santana and John McLaughlin, to his more fusion oriented albums for Arista. James Blood Ulmer's on guitar, but there's also a large ensemble of excellent players, and lots of other percussion and cool instrumentation that really gives the album an "out there" sound! Titles include "Sunshine Fly Away", "Saudia", "Hello Your Quietness", and "Khalid Of Space". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy funk from 70s Turkey – proof that the world of the groove knew no boundaries at the time! The tunes here are all pretty heavily influenced by American funk and jazz of the period – awash in heavy beats, tight riffing, and wicked instrumentation that's often produced with a nice gritty edge that really matches the intensity of some of the best funky 45s! But the work also features a fair bit of Eastern influences as well – either in use of specific instruments, sounds, and phrasing – or the occasional Turkish vocals which really help freshen the groove. Side one is all funk – and very dirty, nasty, and with beats a lot heavier than you'd expect – and side two is jazz, but not your usual Anglo jazz from the time – and more in the world/jazz crossover style explored by labels like MPS! The whole thing's totally great – a record you'll proudly stack next to your best Mulatu albums, but which will take you even further! Titles include "Hilal" by Durul Gence 10, "Senlik" by Erol Peckan, "Cecen Kizi" by Emin Findikoglu, "Sevemek Istiyorum" by Erkut Tackin, "Karli Daglar" by Erkin Koray, "Aybatti (edit)" by Fikret Kizilok, "Dolana Dolana" by Mustafa Okzent Ve Orkestrasi, "Bermuda Seytan Ucgeni" by Aksu Orkestrasi, and "Kopruden Gecti Gelin" by Ferdi Ozbegen. LP, Vinyl record album

A sparkling collection of club tracks from the contemporary underground – music that spans the Atlantic, but is nicely unified in a mix of thoughtful, well-crafted grooves! There's a quality here that might be thought of as post-broken beat – tracks that know all the best qualities of the previous generation, but also warm things up a bit with jazzy currents and a really magnificent sense of flow! The whole thing is very cohesive, and feels very different than a much more scattered compilation – with tracks that include "Mental Feelings" by Rick The Goldson Wilhite & Jon Easley, "Real Time" by Boo Williams, "PCM" by The Mechanical Man, "Surface" by Nemanja Krstic, "Tribute To The Sound" by Life Recorder, "Space Rele" by Gene Hunt, and "Escape Two" by Dan Piu. LP, Vinyl record album