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 never-issued live performance from the legendary Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino – recorded live in concert, originally by the Three Blind Mice label – yet a date that's a lot more freewheeling than most of the more familiar studio material from TBM! All the tracks are long, soaring, and searching – very spiritual in nature, and kicked off with long solo work from Hino, as he builds up energy and then welcomes in the rest of the group – a killer lineup that features two tenors, one in each channel – Mabumi Yamaguchi and Yasuaki Shimizu – plus nicely raw guitar work from Kazumi Watanabe, very different than his tighter albums of later years – as well as bass from Nobuyoshi Ino and percussion from Yuji Imamura. Titles include "Olive's Step", "Flying Clouds", and "Running Water". LP, Vinyl record album

The missing piece of the epic Madlib's Medicine Show series – No 9 in the eclectic soundscape architects year-long effort to release full length albums on a near-monthly basis ended up following No 11, but the collaboration with MC Frank Nitt is worth the wait! Nittyville is funky hip hop excellence that's, in a way, one of the most straight-forward entries in the series. Solid wordplay delivered sharply by Nitt and funky Madlib production that's framed to suit. That said, 'Lib's an adventurous cat, so even as straight up hip hop it's challenging convention at every turn. The sorta concept of the album is that it's Channel 85 is running a show called Nittyville, with a support cast that includes Oh No & MED. Includes "Nittyville (The Landing)", "So Beautiful (Dues Paid)", "Stageridin", "Jus Follow", Eyegotcha", "What Can U Tell Me" feat MED, "Red Light Green", "Set It Off" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic mid 80s dancehall from Yellowman! Production by Henry Junjo Lawes, backing by Roots Radics and rhythms laid down at Channel One – often the recipe for greatness – and that's on the menu here. Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt came at an inarguable peak for Yellowman, with unstoppable rhythms and Yellowman's brilliant way of delivering gruff lyricism in an approachable way. Revolutionary material from an icon at a creatively crucial peak. Titles include "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt", "Strictly Mi Belly", "Wreck A Pum Pum", "Hill & Gully Rider", "Bedroom Mazuka", "Good Loving", "Body Move", and "Watch Your Words". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic productions from the legendary Augustus "Gussie" Clarke – all work recorded at Channel One and King Tubby's – and done in this laidback, soulful groove that's completely sublime! The music here never goes too far over the top – just sweet and subtle rhythms that have this gentle-stepping quality that works perfect with the vocals – which are delivered by some of the most soulful singers on the scene at the time. All horn arrangements are by Tommy McCook and Bobby Ellis, but also have this mellow vibe too – very different than some of the earlier material, often with snakey elements that really work great with the vocals. Album features 11 killers – including "The Right Track" by Tommy McCook", "Guiding Star" by Leroy Sibbles, "How Can I Love Someone" by Delroy Wilson, "Born To Dub You" by Augustus Pablo, "Their Own Way" by Dennis Brown, "Girl Don't Come" by Jacob Miller, and "Love You To Want Me" by Horace Andy. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most powerful, personal album that Killer Mike ever recorded – a set that took many years to put together, and which definitely represents the journey the rapper was experiencing at the time! Mike channels some of his own experience to deal with the larger issues that are facing so many black Americans in recent years – and while some of his resolutions are definitely his own, they are delivered with a sense of power that certainly resonates at a much larger level too! Production includes some great work from No ID, plus Cool & Dre, Twhy Xclusive, and Little Shalimar – and the album has features from Ty Dolla Sign, Andre 3000, Jagged Edge, and El-P. Titles include "Motherless", "Something For Junkies", "Exit 9", "Two Days", "Spaceship Views", "Slummer", "High & Holy", "Don't Let The Devil", "Down By Law", and "Shed Tears". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Badu – one with a depth of feeling and genuine soulful vibes that live up to its title, despite the fact that she records for one of the world's biggest media conglomerates! It's all about the vibe here. Erykah rolls her syllables, scats and emotes feelings more than an actual narrative in the strongest of these cuts. It's not that she's forgone lyrics, but it's all about the ambience, not radio sing-a-longs. She also dives head first into her organic soul and hip hop hybrid sound a little more sparingly, but still better than most who that followed her lead post-Baduizm. She channels Donald Byrd on the great "Think Twice", which is pretty indicative of the vibe as a whole. The groove is sorta mellow, but in a very tripped-out way, with deep organ washes and synth tones, scratchy soul guitar, and crisp organic beats. There's an appearance by Dead Prez on "Steady On The Grind", and a really sweet old school flavored remake of the great "Love Of My Life" track from the Brown Sugar soundtrack with Queen Latifah and Bahamadia, but for the most part Erykah is sweating soul on her own spiritual plane here. It's gonna take a little while to sink in, but this may be her best album (despite whatever naysaying BS you may read in mainstream reviews.) Tracks include "Bump It", the great single "Danger", "Woo", "Back In The Day" and "I Want You". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful live work from Bill Evans – issued here for the first time, and the kind of special concert that really makes a great addition to his classic catalog! Bill Evans live can really be something wonderful – and that's definitely the case here, as he makes this personal magic with the keys of the piano – Evans-esque balancing of silence and sound, with painterly colors that always feel natural and organic, never forced – like Bill's fingertips are just spreading out, and channeling sound through the instrument! Rhythm is from Eddie Gomez on bass and Elliot Zigmund on drums – both players whose work here goes far past the conventional – and titles include "Sareen Jurer", "Sugar Plum", "Two Lonely People", "TTT", "Up With The Lark", "Blue Serge", and "Nardis". LP, Vinyl record album