A great set by Hampton Hawes – really one of his best ever records, and for a number of reasons! First up, Harold Land's playing tenor on the record, opening it up a lot more than some of Hamp's regular trio sides. Secondly, the bassist on the set is Scott LaFaro, the challenging modernist from Chicago who played such great work with Ornette and Sonny Rollins, and who gives the session a fresher tone than some of Hawes' other recordings. Lastly, the tracks are longish, giving both Land and LaFaro plenty of room to roam, making for a much more adventurous record overall. Titles include "Hip", "Crazeology", "I Love You", and "Numbers Game". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those great records from the years when Hampton Hawes was working actively on the global scene, briefly not recording with Contemporary Records, and turning out some of his grooviest material to date! The set's a trio session – with Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Donald Bailey on drums – and there's a soulful flow to the record that's wonderful, and really a change from the style that Hawes was using at the start of the 60s – playing long and contemplative lines that almost sound like they're coming from an electric piano at times, in a mode that must have had a huge influence on other west coast jazzers, like George Cables! The album's got a great long cover of "The Look Of Love", plus a groovy set of originals that include "Muffin Man", "Carmel", "Spanish Girl", and "High In The Sky". A bit hipper than some of his other work – and with a nicely subdued groove! CD

Some of the fullest, freakiest sounds we've ever heard from Karl Hector & The Malcouns – and a set that almost has the contemporary combo resonating with some of the older psych and fuzz that often gets reissued on the Now Again label! JJ Whitefield – of Whitefield Brothers/Poets Of Rhythm fame – is at the helm of the group, and also handles the production – and the whole thing is a deep shift from the sharper, funkier style of his early material – as this record's really awash in fuzz and long, languorous space – drawing elements from older funk, jazz, and global elements, and pushing them all through a mighty cool psych-styled filter. Marja Burchard sings some cool wordless vocals on the record, but most of the focus here is instrumental – with great organ, vibes, moog, and plenty of fuzzy guitar. Titles include "Crawling Through Your Mind", "Hymnins (extended)", "Inhale/Exhale", "Mother Seletta", "Dekagon", and "Asteroid". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from a contemporary hardbop genius – Finnish drummer Aleksi Heinola, a musician who's got the same sense of leadership as the great Art Blakey! Not that Heinola's any sort of Blakey imitation – just that he's got a way of picking all the best elements for a group, putting them together the right way – and really letting them take off and do their own thing! We loved the efforts of his quintet release from a few years back, and the music here follows in a similar spirit, with a mostly different lineup – superb work from deep-voiced tenorist Gabor Bolla, rock-solid bass from Daniel Franck, and soulful piano lines from Jukkis Uotila, a player who can hang on just the right modern modes at the right time, in order to bring a real sharpness to the set. Titles include "Big Push", "Peace", "Bolivia", "New Vibes", "Vananta Land", "10 Points", "Pronto", "Think Of One", "Tetragon", and "Rio". CD

Great work from a contemporary hardbop genius – Finnish drummer Aleksi Heinola, a musician who's got the same sense of leadership as the great Art Blakey! Not that Heinola's any sort of Blakey imitation – just that he's got a way of picking all the best elements for a group, putting them together the right way – and really letting them take off and do their own thing! We loved the efforts of his quintet release from a few years back, and the music here follows in a similar spirit, with a mostly different lineup – superb work from deep-voiced tenorist Gabor Bolla, rock-solid bass from Daniel Franck, and soulful piano lines from Jukkis Uotila, a player who can hang on just the right modern modes at the right time, in order to bring a real sharpness to the set. Titles include "Big Push", "Peace", "Bolivia", "New Vibes", "Vananta Land", "10 Points", "Pronto", "Think Of One", "Tetragon", and "Rio". LP, Vinyl record album

No slush here, as Alex Heitlinger leads a large group with a really cool, crisp vibe – modern jazz arrangements with a style that's contemporary, but not in an avant way – maybe just with a boldness that embraces so many changes in bigger jazz ensemble modes on both the American and European scenes in the past fifty years – then gives things a spin that's very much in the spirit of the leader! Heitlinger composed most of the tracks on the set – and there's key solos on each, with work from Michael Thomas on soprano and alto saxes, Peter Sommer and Jon Armstrong on tenor, Greg Gispert and Shane Endley on trumpets, Corey Christiansen on guitar, Brian Woodbury and John Fedchock on trombones, and Carmen Staaf on piano. Titles include the originals "Unfurling", "Trail To Cullowhee", "For Patrick", "Lines & Circles", and "Here & Now". CD

A nice set from the British folk boom of the mid 60s – a rare one from singer Dorris Henderson and future Pentangle founder John Rensbourn! Florida born, LA raised singer Dorris Henderson moved to London in 1965 and was soon singing London's folk clubs, where she met Rensbourn. A solid mix of traditionals and then contemporary folk songs – stripped down and honest takes on "Saly Free And Easy", "Cotton Eyed Joe", "Mr Tamborine Man", "Going To Memphis", Something Lonesome", "Mist On The Mountain" and more. This edition includes bonus tracks from a rare 45 – "Hangman" and "Leaves That Are Green". CD

An 80s groove classic – and a killer bit of Captiol Records soul from High fashion! Of all US major labels, Capitol was probably putting out the best soul in the early 80s – and this is a tight modern batch of up-tempo tracks, right up there with other contemporary classics on the label, like work by BB&Q Band, Taste Of Honey, and TS Monk! The tunes all manage to have a great groove without sounding cheesy – thanks to some nice jazzy touches in the arrangements, good hooks in the songs, and some great soulful vocals. Very, very nice – and nearly every cut's a winner! Tracks include "Feelin Lucky Lately", "Next To You", "Hold On", "When The Lover Strikes", "I Want To Be Your Everything", and "You're the Winner". LP, Vinyl record album

A flagship record from the wonderful Dome label – one of the hippest homes to contemporary soul on the other side of the Atlantic – and a company that's given us great music for over two decades! This set is one of their key early releases – a brilliant set from Hil St Soul – a singer who just grew and grew in popularity after this release. Hil's got a sweetly jazzy style – a bit like some of the underground NuSoul singers in the US in at the same time, but maybe with some of the crispness of the London scene too – and she sings here with some nicely restrained arrangements that have a good focus on beats and lots of warm instrumentation over the top, never too hype, just right for her personal style. Titles include "Strictly A Vibe Thing", "Just A Matter Of Time", "Nostalgia", "Concrete Jungle", "Free Spirit", "There For Me", "Until You Come Back To Me", "For Your Love", and "Props". CD

A strong overview of tracks from their first years at RCA – a great mix of top-shelf musicianship, especially Jethro Burns on mandolin – and the duo's trademark knack for contemporary song parody! Titles include "Let Me Go Blubber", "Por Ol Koo-Liger", "I'm Movin On No 2", "Cold Cold Heart No 2", "Jam Bowl Liar", "Hart Brake Hotel", and "He'll Have To Go". LP, Vinyl record album

Howlin Wolf sings the blues, and comes across in a way that influences an entire generation too – with that raw, raspy sound that made the singer a perfect blend of delta roots and contemporary sounds that were bubbling up in the postwar years! These tracks have a spare, simple, stark style that's still a lot more powerful than most of the records that tried to copy Wolf's modes in later years – mindblowing guitar work from Willie Johnson, harmonica lines that weave the whole thing together, and tremendous vocals that would shake the paint off your walls, even without any other instrumentation! Titles include "Crying At Daybreak", "Twisting & Turning", "Brown Skin Woman", "Morning At Midnight", "Backslide Boogie", "House Rockin Boogie", "Keep What You Got", and "Worried About My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Michael Hudson Casanova is a saxophonist, but the sound of the record draws equally strongly from the contributions of Erik Skov's guitar – a player whose sense of color is balanced wonderfully by the sharper edges of the saxophone – then given some nice structure through the work on drums by Gustavo Cortinas Fouilloux! The work on the record has a slow-building, spacious vibe – maybe not too far from contemporary ECM, but a lot warmer overall – thanks in part to the very expressive sounds of the leader – a player who can cover a lot of ground, but all without going outside – and never in a way that's showy or calls too much attention to itself. James Davis joins the group on trumpet on one track – and titles include "The Now", "Animus", "Infinite Perspective", "Continuum", "Etude For Clementine", "What If Everything Is Not Enough", and "Recycle". LP, Vinyl record album

A great and rare solo guitar record by Lena Hughes – issued here by Tompkins Square – a label that's put out some of the best fingerstyle guitar folk releases in recent memory – in both the contemporary and archival realms! Queen Of The Flat Top Guitar is an archival release in their Long Gone Sound Series – and it's one of best yet! Lena, born in 1904, was rural Missourian amateur guitarist and mainstay at Ozarks area folk festivals. This record is her one-and-only known album – and though she's also remembered as a fine fiddler and banjo player, it finds her focusing on flat top guitar in the tradition of 19th century parlor music. Warm and wonderful stuff – as inviting as anything we've heard on Tompkins Square. Includes "Pearly Dew", "Under The Double Eagle", "Letter Edged In Black", "Blue Heaven", "Galloway Bay", "You Are The Only Star Of My Blue Heaven", "Spanish Fan-Dango", "Kentucky Moon Waltz", "Silver Treads Among The Gold", "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" and"Cedar Brook Waltz". CD

Arranged by Marty Paich – with cuts that include "I Want A Roof Over My Head", "If I Could Be With You", "You're Driving Me Crazy", "My Old Flame", and "Imagination". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone killer from funky flute player Bobbi Humphrey – one of her early albums for Blue Note Records, and a set that's a perfect summation of the best sides of her talents! The album's got a slightly different feel than Bobbi's work with Larry Mizell – yet still sports a similar approach that blends her amazingly spiritual flute lines with rich larger backings – in this case arranged by Horace Ott, Alphonse Mouzon, and Wade Marcus, in a sublime blend of electric jazz and soaring strings – all with a feel that's almost like some lost blacksploitation soundtrack! Given the lady's strength on her instrument, and her sharp sound on her solos, the record's got a focus and righteousness that takes it way past most contemporary efforts of this nature – a bold testament to the qualities that have made Bobbi one of our favorite players on flute for many many years. The set also features some wonderful Fender Rhodes – played both by Harry Whitaker and Paul Griffin – plus bass from Wilbur Bascomb, and heavy drums from Alphonse Mouzon. Titles include "Love Theme From Fuzz", "Nubian Lady", "Lonely Town Lonely Street", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", Is This All", "I Love Every Little Thing About You", "El Mundo De Maravilas", and a great version of Mouzon's "Virtue". CD

The regal image on the cover really fits the spirit of the record – as Shafiq Husayn seems to be channeling some sort of subtle majesty throughout – really focusing his already-great talents, and maybe winning himself a rightful spot at the head of the table of the contemporary soul underground! Way back when, Shafiq's work made Sa-Ra Partners sound great – but he's so different here, so much more developed – and fiercely collaborative in a large lineup that features appearances from Anderson Paak, Peyton, Jimetta Rose, Didda Joe, Sharis, Ivory T, Coultrain, and others! There's a crisp, cosmic vibe to the whole record – rising in righteousness on titles that include "No Particulars", "All Night", "Little Miss Petty", "Magi's Love", "Supastar Youngin", "Thorns & Roses", "Maybe Baby Winter", "Crush You", and "Unconditional". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's as playful as the image on its cover – and one that's pretty darn soulful too – a really great criss-crossing of modes from a trio of three very different personalities who manage to come together with a vibe that's very much their own! The combination of three almost makes us think of Deee Lite – but these guys are more contemporary soul than club, yet share a similar sense of interaction that really keeps things interesting throughout, and which serves as a great way to move past some of the posturing you might get from a solo artist in the lead. Titles include "Upqua", "Omersaar", "The Martyr", "Other People's Pictures", "The Juice", "First Impressions", and "Something To Do". CD

A great second album from In The Tradition – a wicked combo from contemporary Detroit, and one who play with some incredibly righteous styles! The group's got some great percussion at the bottom – djimbe and conga from Kefentse Chike – and some tight horns on the top – a mix of reeds from songwriter Olujimi Tafatoana, plus trumpet and trombone – all given energy by piano from a few different players, and a bit of guitar as well. The set features a version of Horace Silver's "Mother Nature", but most other cuts are originals – one with a bit of vocals, the rest instrumental – on titles that include "Libation/For Nkrumah", "Blessed Blackness", "It's A Black Thang", "Children Of The Sun", and "In The Tradition". CD

Maybe the third great Philly studio group of the 70s – after MFSB and Salsoul Orchestra – a killer combo who provided backing grooves to plenty of great club tracks over the years – and who step out strongly here on their own debut album! Bunny Sigler helps give the album a sharp focus – with his own production and songwriting in play – in modes that are very much like his own best club tracks of the time – but the group is more than great enough on their own – with a funky edge that definitely lives up to their name, and a groove that's even sharper than the two aforementioned contemporary combos. Lead vocals are by James Carmichael, who's totally great – and titles include "Don't You Wanna Party", "Never Let It Go Away", "I Got My Mind Made Up", "Dark Vader", "Wide World Of Sports", and "You Say You Want Me To Stay". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that we remember dismissing at the time – but honestly, it really lives up to repeated listenings in later years! Sure, Michael Jackson's no longer working with Quincy Jones – and instead goes for Teddy Riley and some other (then) contemporary producers – but that all makes for a very solid 90s crossover vibe – perfect for radio play a the time, not to mention heavy video rotation too – and definitely still another jewel in the crown of the King of Pop! Titles include "Remember The Time", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", "In The Closet", "Jam", "Dangerous", "Gone Too Soon", "Will You Be There", "Black Or White", "She Drives Me Wild", and "Can't Let Her Get Away". CD

A very unusual issue of this long-running jazz magazine – one that offers up a special selection of 100 key albums that boast a two-horn quintet – that is, a five piece group with a trumpet and a sax player in the lineup! As with other issues, this one begins with a full color section that features full color thumbnails of all the albums featured, then moves into a black and white section that offers up more details – including players, labels, dates, titles, and other information in English – plus a short review in Japanese, which you can read using Google translate on your phone. The artists range nicely – albums run from 50s classics on Blue Note through 70s Japanese masterpieces, to some more contemporary albums – and there's also other features and reviews too – in a book-style package, 200 pages, with black and white images throughout. Book

A tremendous step forward for Jazzanova – an album that's overflowing with classic soul touches, and done in a style we'd hardly have expected from the group a few years before! Jazzanova have always had an ear for older sounds in their music – which is something that first set them apart from the dancefloor pack – but this album's a really amazing achievement, and one that's put together with the solid sound of some lost late 60s sessions from Motown at points – or with some of the cooler sounds of European jazz of the 70s! There's still a 21st Century vibe to the music – a bit of crackle here and there that marks it as contemporary – but the backings also have tight orchestrations, occasional strings, and that perfectly put-together quality that still makes us marvel at old soul and jazz records after all these years. Vocals are sublime too – as the album features contributions from Phonte, Paul Randolph, Ben Westbeech, Jose James, Dwele, Bembe Segue, and Leon Ware – all of whom fit in perfectly, without any of the sort of random "vocals with sound system" feel you might get in another album of this type. Most tracks are co-written with the vocalist – which is an even hipper touch that ensures a depth of quality – and titles include "Gafiera", "Lucky Girl", "Little Bird", "I Can See", "Look What You're Doin To Me", "Let Me Show Ya", "Lie", and "So Far From Home" – plus a great cover of "Rockin You Eternally". CD

Beautiful early work from Jethro Tull – a formative set that really has the group deepening both their themes and their music! There's still a bit of blues rock at the core – but also some richer, more lyrical modes too – and Ian Anderson does a perfect job of bridging both worlds with his sublime work on flute – an instrument that must have seemed like an odd lead for a rock group at the time, but which is no surprise in the same generation that artists like Herbie Mann and Roland Kirk were making their own hip records – not to mention the great Harold McNair, who was a UK contemporary of Andreson. The whole thing's great – a record that's ripe for rediscovery, and which really gives back year after year – and titles include "A New Day Yesterday", "Back To The Family", "Fat Man", "Reasons For Waiting", "Nothing Is Easy", and the classic instrumental "Bouree". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning collection of work from Bola Johnson – a key figure on the scene in Lagos in the years before Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade! Johnson's style here really shows Nigerian music at the crossroads – upbeat elements of early highlife informing the rhythms with plenty of lean guitar lines and percussion, but topped with all these great jazzy elements over the top – almost as if Johnson is bringing forth an older style of R&B inspiration in the horns, while letting things sound very contemporary in the rhythms! The mix is a bit like some of the wonderful hybrids that were happening on the London scene in the late 50s and early 60s – and the lyrics here often share a similar mix of politics and humor. The package is long overdue – and collects together rare early singles on Philips, with a great set of notes and other titles. Titles include "Somebody Find Me Trouble", "Oh My Baby Josephine", "Obiriki Aye N Yilo", "Koto Ye O", "Buroda Mase", "Kilode", "Mimo Mimo Loluwo", "Lagos Special", "Meme Latori", "Nigeria Drive On The Right", and "Pappa Rebecca Special ". CD

A stunning collection of work from Bola Johnson – a key figure on the scene in Lagos in the years before Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade! Johnson's style here really shows Nigerian music at the crossroads – upbeat elements of early highlife informing the rhythms with plenty of lean guitar lines and percussion, but topped with all these great jazzy elements over the top – almost as if Johnson is bringing forth an older style of R&B inspiration in the horns, while letting things sound very contemporary in the rhythms! The mix is a bit like some of the wonderful hybrids that were happening on the London scene in the late 50s and early 60s – and the lyrics here often share a similar mix of politics and humor. The package is long overdue – and collects together rare early singles on Philips, with a great set of notes and other titles. Titles include "Somebody Find Me Trouble", "Oh My Baby Josephine", "Obiriki Aye N Yilo", "Koto Ye O", "Buroda Mase", "Kilode", "Mimo Mimo Loluwo", "Lagos Special", "Meme Latori", "Nigeria Drive On The Right", and "Pappa Rebecca Special ". CD

An overlooked gem from jazz singer Etta Jones – an effort cut around the same time as her better-known records for Prestige, but one that's maybe done with an even hipper sound overall! Etta's nicely laidback, and hits that soulful, singing mood that makes her so great right from the start – a bit offbeat, but in the best way possible – as Jones brings older bluesy inflections into play with more contemporary ideas – all set to wonderful instrumentation from a cool group that features Junior Mance on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Joe Newman on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor, and Mike Manieri on vibes. The song choices are great – and the balance between steppers and mellow cuts is perfect – on titles that include "Swinging Shepherd Blues", "All Right OK You Win", "Moon Man", "Did I Remember", "Lonely Crowd", and "I Was Telling Him About You". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from those magical 70s years when Quincy Jones was effortlessly blending jazz, soul, and contemporary R&B – all to come up with a genre that's almost completely his own! In the early 70s, Quincy Jones surrounded himself with some of the best young soul and jazz talent he could find, plus a few older pros – and the result was a great series of albums that spanned genres and created a whole new approach to modern R&B. This gem of an album was put together with a young Leon Ware and an older Ray Brown – and it features some killer mellow soul tracks that rank with Quincy's best work – with especially strong contributions from Ware, who'd yet to really shine on his own! Titles include the sublime version of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven", plus "Body Heat", "Soul Saga", "Everything Must Change", "One Track Mind", and "Along Came Betty". CD

A great underground soul moment from the online age – a set released as a free digital mixtape, but which quickly took the world by storm – and really helped establish Kehlani as a strong voice in contemporary soul! The set's a short one, but has a richness that goes beyond the number of songs – as a range of different producers help Kehlani open up some great territory, blending her voice very strongly into the mix, but never hiding the power at the core – on titles that include "FWU", "Get Away", "As I Am", "Deserve Better", "How We Do Us", "1st Position", and "Tell Your Mama". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking little set from DJ Kemit – done in that great old school mode we used to love – in which a hip producer gets vocal help from a range of key contemporary singers! Vocals here are from the best of the best – Eric Roberson, N'Dambi, Osunlade, Frank McComb, Lady Alma, Carl McIntosh, Choklate, and others – each of whom step in on a different track, and really help shade in the different flavors of the record! Kemit comes up with a different groove for each guest – often one that really helps show them at their best – and titles include "Digital Love", "You Don't Know", "Funky 8 Ball", "Inside Out", "Summers Night", "Spread Love", "Never Go Away", "Fortune Teller", and "I Was I Am". CD

A funky combo, but one with a real difference – as they seem to find whole new corners of the globe in which to work their magic – almost an imagined space of cultural criss-crossing, all set to some mighty funky bass and drums! The core element here is the guitar – which echoes exotic modes that seem to move from Mexican folk, to contemporary Tuareg sounds, and even a bit of southwest guitar instrumental echo – but all in ways that are very fresh and different, and which also sound quite unusual compared to the usual use of guitar in a funky combo! There's a bit of vocals on the album, but really the guitar is the main "voice" – and one that speaks volumes – on titles that include "Lady & Man", "Como Te Quiero", "Shades Of Man", "Maria Tambien", "Como Me Quieres", "A Hymn", and "Rules". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant set from Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – two long, leaping, loping tracks that almost feel like some of McCoy Tyner's best work! Kikuchi plays acoustic piano, and the group's a quartet with Terumasu Hino on trumpet, Koshuke Mine on tenor, Eric Gravatt on drums, and Juni Booth playing some really wonderful bass. Booth's bass leads the tracks with a soulful quality that you don't always hear on Kikuchi's other work – really giving the record a strongly-rooted vibe, while the musicians are still free to really open up and explore. The album's tracks, "East Wind" and "Green Dance", are both excellent examples of the soulful freedoms allowed in the Japanese scene of the 70s – side-long numbers that are different both from contemporary performances on both the US and European scenes of the period. CD

Great work from one of the undisputed UK maestros of lovers rock during the 80s – producer Neville King, who serves up this totally sweet batch of overlooked gems from the time! The groove is nice and mellow – that fantastic blend of contemporary soul and reggae rhythms that really took hold in London and other UK spots from the late 70s onward – perfect for slow-stepping in the more laidback hours of a party, or chilling out back home on your own! Singers on all these tracks are great – nicely understated, but plenty soulful – and titles include "What About Me" by Blood Sisters, "Lady Lady" by One Blood, "At The Dance" by Leroy Simmonds, "It's Love That Makes A Woman" by Karen Dixon, "They Don't Stay Long" by Unique, "Open Up The Door" by Charisma, "The Day Will Come" by The Sadonians, "Love Sweet Love" by Love & Emotion, and "Not My Baby" by The Sensations. CD features bonus tracks – "Hold Me Tight" by Natural Touch, and "Loving Kind" by Simplicity. CD

The first-ever solo album from Kweku of Ghana – who you've likely heard as KOG on projects with Nubiyan Twist, Onipa, and others – really sounding great here with a colorful vibe that really fits the image on the cover! The rhythms percolate nicely throughout – lean beats mixed with live percussion and some jazzier instrumentation – only occasionally hitting more familiar West African modes, as KOG borrows bits of influence from his colleagues in the UK – and works in all these cool currents of contemporary soul as well! Titles include "Mayedeen", "Like A Tree", "Shidaa", "Lord Knows", "Ayinye", "Ebeneezer", and "No Way" – which features guest work from the legendary Gyedu Blay Ambolley! CD

The second installment in the Videoclub – and like the first, a set of tracks that definitely lives up to the vintage action styles promised on the cover! The tracks are heavy on influences from classic crime, cop, and kung fu soundtracks – served up as shorter instrumental tracks that also make a nice nod to 70s sound library styles too – all with production that's totally great, and right on the money – so that the music never sounds too contemporary at all, and really has the spirit of analog funk from back in the day! Titles include "Trouble In Istanbul", "Bombay Sapphire", "Land Cruiser Radio", "Cairo City Limits", "High Voltage", "Golden VHS Awakening", and "She's An Agent". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that furthers Takuya Kuroda's experiments in pushing farther past the jazz of his roots – still graced with plenty of strong trumpet work and bold solo lines – but amidst rhythms that have a nice complexity, and which really push the envelope at times – mostly played live, but with a richness that evokes both the initial broken beat experiments in London, and some of that city's more contemporary modes. There's a few straighter jazz cuts that balance things out – a mellow moment or two that Freddie Hubbard might have added to a CTI session – and titles include "Dead End Dance", "Old Picture", "Time Coil", "Midnight Crisp", "Choy Soda", and "Fade". LP, Vinyl record album

A rising sun from the Jose James side of the universe – trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, stepping out here in a wonderful debut for Blue Note! You've heard Kuroda play with Jose James over the years, but he comes up with a rich new groove here on his own – a mostly-instrumental mode that has his cool, compressed lines over some sweet contemporary funky backings – heavy on Fender Rhodes from Kris Bowers, and some tightly snapping live rhythms that really add a lot of energy to the record! James guests on one track – a great remake of "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" – and also produced the whole set – but the core strength of the record comes from Kuroda's trumpet, and the great keyboard lines of Bowers. Other titles include "Green & Gold", "Piri Piri", "Afro Blues", "Mala", "Call", and "Sometime Somewhere Somehow". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Robert Lakatos is in great form here – able to improvise freely like a contemporary musician at some points, swing with bop at other moments, while also coming across with gentler, more introspective modes at different – all with really well-balanced accompaniment from Christian Lakatos on bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums! The album has the well-recorded sense of sound that we love in many of the Sawano piano trio projects – a great extension of older Japanese and French piano modes – and titles include the two improvised tracks "Shining" and "B In B" – plus "The Good Life", "It's All Right With Me", "The Past", "Sepia", and "Scrapple From The Apple". LP, Vinyl record album

Peter Lemongello has a sound that's a bit like his look on the cover – more mature than other pop stars of the time, and able to serve up a sound that really matches that look! There's kind of a smooth, adult approach to the album – echoes of the work of late 60s singers like Jack Jones or Vic Damone, but given some 70s adult contemporary production at points too – never too overdone, and with a style that's surprisingly intimate for the Private Stock label. The album's got a great AOR groover in the tune "All You Get From A Love Song Is Love" – and other titles include "The Hungry Years", "Miss You Nights", "If You Walked Away", "When I Think Of You", and "Where Did We Go Wrong". CD

Some of the most soulful sounds we've ever heard from tenorist James Brandon Lewis a reworking of themes from the music of Mahalia Jackson into jazz – all at a level that keeps all the spirit of the originals, while unlocking the songs as vehicles for freer improvisation! Given the mix of freedom and spirit here, there's almost a vibe that takes us back to the brilliance of Albert Ayler at the start – served up through the intertwining magic of Lewis' tenor, the cornet of Kirk Knuffke, cello of Chris Hoffman, bass of William Parker, and drums of Chad Taylor – all tremendous players, but resonating even more strongly in the presence of this project! James has been getting plenty of attention in recent years, but this could be the album that catapults him into the canon of contemporary jazz – thanks to amazing takes of "Elijah Rock", "Were You There", "Go Down Moses", "Precious Lord", "Deep River", "Wade In The Water", "Swing Low", and "Sparrow". LP, Vinyl record album

The breakout record from Lizzo – a set that's even more musically striking than its instantly-iconic cover image! The record bristles with an energized take on contemporary R&B, mixed with just the right dose of hip hop – and although Missy Elliott guests on one track, Lizzo's clearly showing the world that she's ready to take the mantle from the queen, with a much more honest, upfront songwriting approach – on titles that include "Boys", "Lingerie", "Heaven Help Me", "Exactly How I Feel", "Tempo", "Crybaby", "Soulmate", "Like A Girl", and "Cuz I Live You". CD

A mindblowing bit of psych from the late 60s – and a record that has way more to offer than just the usual fuzzy guitar, thanks to key use of moog, theremin, and tape tricks! There's a really freaky feel to the record from the start – a quality that's hipper than most of the underground at the time, almost an ironic take on the usual – sometimes through thoughtful lyricism, other times via a more experimental music approach that almost hints at some 70s prog and post-prog styles – yet presented here in much shorter form, without any overindulgence at all! The record's one that really transcends its time – a compelling little set that offers plenty more than just its existence as a rare relic – and which actually features many tunes that would make perfect covers for the contemporary scene today. Titles include "That's Another Story", "Machines", "This Is It", "This May Be Goodbye", "It Comes On Anyhow", and "Sex & Violence". CD features bonus tracks – "Rose Coloured Glasses", "Love", ""Comic Strip", "Every Single Word", "Let The Boy Pretend", and "Have Mercy". CD

An incredible legacy of jazz – one that's certainly as disconnected as promised by the title, but which stands as a much-needed look at the many-sided talents of tenorist Allen Lowe! The set's on ESP Records, but often has sounds that are somewhat straight ahead – although often in a way that's a bit more than you might expect – as Lowe's a player with a strong knowledge of older generations of jazz, but who can put things together with a very contemporary ear – maybe best summed up in the Avant Garde Tribute To Louis Armstrong – a Knitting Factory performance that's part of this set. Lowe works with a compelling range of musicians throughout – maybe most importantly, trumpeter Doc Cheatham, who shows that in the 80s and 90s, he was still very open to new ideas – as well as Percy France and David Murray on tenor, Randy Sandke on trumpet, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Matthew Shipp on piano and Farfisa organ – and many others along the way. The massive 8CD set features countless rare recordings from over 40 years of Lowe's career – private recordings, live sets, and lots more – a huge addition not just to his own catalog, but a revelation of a connecting web on the east coast scene for decades! CD

We love the vibes-heavy music of Chien Chien Lu, and love it in an even different way here, as she collaborates with bassist Richie Goods – an artist who really helps deepen the sound of her music, and creates this great balance between bass and vibes that's completely amazing! You might not be likely to put the two instruments together right away, but they sounds fantastic here – as Goods has this melodic way of handling his instrument that stems from some of the best electric bass advances in 70s jazz, yet leaned out with a more contemporary vibe – and given these gentle funky elements in the backings that are mighty nice. All those touches make for a perfect setting for Chien's vibes – every bit as spacious, soulful, and seductive as before. The set features guest vocals from Sy Smith and Jamison Ross, plus keyboards from Big Yuki – and titles include "Rain", "Water", "Dull Ice Flower", "Embrace The Now", and a great remake of the Donny Hathaway tune "Someday We'll All Be Free" – plus a bonus radio edit of "Someday We'll All Be Free"! CD

A contemporary set, but one that's unlike any other recent Brazilian recording we can think of – given the very unique vibe that Mauricio Maestro is going for! You might know Mauricio from his mid 70s work with Joyce on Visions Of Dawn – and although this set is a recent recording, it has a same sort of classic feel overall. The sound here has deep rhythms and folksy touches – a warm acoustic mode, but topped with some slight electricity and larger arrangements – a bit like some of the more creative sounds in the Brazilian underground during the post-Tropicalia years – yet with a richness that takes it much farther too! Maestro handled the arrangements, and he brings in a jazz-tinged quality that's not unlike the Milton Nascimento generation – yet the overall approach is earthier too, and vocals are handled by Mauricio, percussionist Nana Vasconcelos, and Kay Lyra – swirled up with a bit of light string backings that really help the record soar to the skies! We'd rank this one right up there with classics from the 70s by Joyce or Edu Lobo – but we also recognize that it's very much it's own record too. Titles include "Jungle Bells", "Agua Clara", "Canto Do Paje", "Todos Os Santos", "Ciclo Da Vida", "Ouvindo Estrelas", "Upside Down", and "Horizonte". CD

That's Lucy Sante on the cover – and she not only delivers a small piece of her own at the front of the magazine, but is also the focus of a nice long article penned by Sasha Frere Jones, which is then followed by an interview with Sante too! And there's way more here too – a look at 30 years of Sleater Kinney, the contemporary Detroit jazz scene, Chicago music legend Doug McCombs, painter Shonto Begay, the music of Dredd Foole, the teenage recordings of Teresa Leigh, gallerist Hudson, writer Jeff Noon, the cosmic soul of Shabazz Palaces, and lots lots more – all in vivid color throughout, with hardly any ads at all! Magazine

French composer Michel Magne is perhaps best remembered for his soundtrack work of the 60s – but this well-done collection digs farther back, and brings together not only some earlier film score work from the postwar years, but also some extra cool instrumental projects too! Magne's always got a special sort of twist in his music – and he was maybe one of the first French arrangers to incorporate newer ideas in pop and rock to his music, at a level that opened the door for later artists like Jean Claude Vannier or Michel Colombier – and like contemporary Alan Goraguer, he's also got some strong backing in jazz as well! Those many streams of styles really come into play here – in a big 3CD package that features 88 tracks in all – including the soundtracks to the films Le Repos Du Guerrier, Le Pain Vivant, Detournement De Mineures, Le Pique Assiette, and Un Singe En Hiver – plus work from a Musique Pour Films album, the records Musique Tachist, Paris, and A L'Alhambra – and even a rare collaboration with author Francoise Sagan! CD

A rare space funk treasure from the legendary Mandre – the man who'd given the world three great clubby albums on Motown, then retreated to the indie label scene for this much more obscure fourth record! All the great Mandre elements are in place here, but presented with a more stripped-down vibe – one that also echoes the way that funk was getting leaner and more electric in the 80s – which Mandre echoes with his use of beats, basslines, and all sorts of cool keyboards! The low-fi approach maybe makes the record even more enduring than his earlier efforts – with strong links to the contemporary scene – and cuts include "Rain", "Isle De Joie", "Magic Woman", "I'm On Your Frequency", "You're A Freaky Girl" and "Freaky Feeling". CD

Not just jazz from the Northwest, as the set also features some California material too – brought together in this great double-length set of unissued material from this legendary jazz drummer! The set begins with Shelly Manne leading a quintet at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1958 – playing both a more conceptual piece, and some looser jazz numbers – with work from Herb Geller on alto, Russ Freeman on piano, Stu Williamson on trumpet, and Monty Budwig on bass – a group who echo some of Shelly's work on Contemporary in the mid 50s – on the titles "Quartet – Suite In Four Movements", "Stop Look & Listen", and "The Vamp's Blues". The second half features material from that great 60s stretch when Manne was getting looser and really letting his groups open up – as on the classic Blackhawk recordings – especially great here as the combo features excellent flute and alto from the young Frank Strozier, next to Conte Candoli on trumpet, Hampton Hawes on piano, and Budwig on bass – all recorded live in Seattle in 1966. Ruth Price provides vocals on the two short tracks "Dearly Beloved" and "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" – but the long tracks are instrumentals, and the best – and include "Funny", "Secret Love", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Summertime". CD

Not just jazz from the Northwest, as the set also features some California material too – brought together in this great double-length set of unissued material from this legendary jazz drummer! The set begins with Shelly Manne leading a quintet at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1958 – playing both a more conceptual piece, and some looser jazz numbers – with work from Herb Geller on alto, Russ Freeman on piano, Stu Williamson on trumpet, and Monty Budwig on bass – a group who echo some of Shelly's work on Contemporary in the mid 50s – on the titles "Quartet – Suite In Four Movements", "Stop Look & Listen", and "The Vamp's Blues". The second half features material from that great 60s stretch when Manne was getting looser and really letting his groups open up – as on the classic Blackhawk recordings – especially great here as the combo features excellent flute and alto from the young Frank Strozier, next to Conte Candoli on trumpet, Hampton Hawes on piano, and Budwig on bass – all recorded live in Seattle in 1966. Ruth Price provides vocals on the two short tracks "Dearly Beloved" and "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" – but the long tracks are instrumentals, and the best – and include "Funny", "Secret Love", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

The album's great cover image is an homage to the Death Wish soundtrack by Herbie Hancock, and Mantle references 70s funk group Mandrill in his name – but the sound here is very different than either of those two references might make you expect, more in a contemporary hip hop vein, but equally cool overall! The 70s sonic hints are delivered in the well-produced beats, which are peppered with great samples – all to provide a killer backdrop for a rotating cast of rappers who work in both English and Japanese – a lineup that includes BES, King104, Tetrad The Gang Of Four, Jomo, Jackson2, Vikn, A-Thug, and BD – on titles that include "Rest In Peace", "Only My Lyrics Is Real", "2Face", "Level The Vibes", "OG Theory", "Moment Of The Sexorcist", "Run the World", "Tied In A Row", and "Front Of Underground". LP, Vinyl record album

A set with a large date range in the title, but one that actually just features work from two different albums, each recorded seven years apart – one in Nigeria, the other cooked up in San Francisco – both working together here as the fantastic but too-small 80s legacy of Ayo Manuel Ajisebutu! There's plenty of 80s groove in the music, often a lean approach that's heavy on basslines and keyboards, but warmed up with elements that nod back to older Nigerian funk modes, with a more contemporary vibe – yet one that's also not trying for the thinner or more commercial styles that sometimes marked the growth of world music at the time. Side one features titles from the Love Candidate album – including the instrumental "Song Of Love", plus "Fun Time" and "Don't Stop" – and side two features work from the Party Zone album, including "Sojourn", "Gboro Mi Ro", and "Do Good". LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary artist, but working here on a very ancient instrument – the Kenyan obokano, which is a large eight-stringed instrument that brings out these bassy tones that are completely unique – blended here with a second version of the instrument, plus fuzzy guitar, bass, and other instruments as well! The approach takes the obokano into almost-psychedelic territory – with a quality that still resonates with all the core qualities that Kenyan musicians have used for years, but which takes on this very trippy quality next to the more Western-styled instrumentation. Grandmaster Masese also sings in this very hypnotic way next to his instrument – on titles that include "Omoraba", "Ekeore", "Chombe Ciachire", "Enyamunchera", "Inyora Nka", and "Nyambeki Na Nyarere". LP, Vinyl record album

Four early 80s classics from Johnny Mathis – presented here in a single 2CD package! Different Kinda Different is a tremendous start to the 80s for Johnny Mathis – and a set that really continues that strong shift into soul-based territory he begun in the 70s! Gene Page handles a lot of the arrangements here, and gives the whole thing that strong blend of strings and soul that he worked on other 70s classics for different artists – a perfect approach for that magnificent Mathis voice, especially when the tunes have a bit of a groove! Two of the best numbers here – "Different Kind Of Different" and "I'll Do It All For You" – are duets with Paulette McWilliams, who'd recorded on her own, but who really seems to hit her stride with Johnny, and in a way that's different than any of his other soul partners in duets. Other titles include "Never Givin Up On You", "With You I'm Born Again", "I Will Survive", "The Lights Of Rio", and "Love Without Words". Friends In Love is mature 80s work from Johnny Mathis – a set that features two duets with Dionne Warwick, plus some other nice material that shows that Johnny wasn't going to be left behind in the shadows of his older work! At some level, the approach of the 80s, and the rise of a new sort of adult contemporary scene, really helped Mathis find a new audience – especially when teaming with Dionne, who was also having a rebirth at the time! Titles include the classic duet title cut "Friends In Love", and another duet on "Got You Where I Want You" – plus other titles that include "What Do You Do With The Love", "When The Lovin Goes Out Of The Lovin", "I Remember You & Me", and "Somethin's Goin On". Special Part Of Me is a sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a setting – rich and full of feeling, and arguably better than some of his younger contemporaries on the charts! The ballads are beautiful, but there's also a few surprising midtempo numbers – and titles include a sublime remake of "Love Won't Let Me Wait", done with Deniece Williams – plus "Love Never Felt So Good", "Simple", "Priceless", "One Love", "Right Here & Now", and "Lead Me To Your Love" – plus "You're A Special Part Of Me", a duet with Angie Bofill. Live is a later live album from Johnny Mathis, and one that brings together classics, newer cuts, and a few titles he'd never sang before – all served up with a sound that shows the continuing strengths of the legendary singer! There's a variety of arrangers used on the set – including Gene Page and Michel Colombier – and titles include "Orange Colored Sky", "When A Child Is Born", "Begin The Beguine", "I Believe In Love", "Fly Away", "99 Miles From LA", and "A Certain Smile". CD

Mellow magic from Johnny Mathis – a late 70s set that updates his older style for a crossover audience in adult contemporary! The style is smooth and polished, but never so much so that Johnny's amazing voice can't shine through – thanks to soulful arrangements from Gene Page, who'd done plenty of work with hipper soul artists in the 70s – and Deniece Williams makes a great guest appearance on a number of tracks – really bringing Mathis into that duet style that would hit even bigger for the singer in the 80s. Titles include "If You Believe", "To Much Too Little Too Late", "How Deep Is Your Love", "It Was Almost Like A Song", and "Till Love Touches Your Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A really deep dig into the Japanese scene of the 90s – a unique discography that brings together key records in a variety of different styles – from tuneful to noisy, soulful to electronic! The book's a more contemporary variation of the sort of Japanese discographies we normally stock for jazz and soul music – and like those, it's got listings for titles with a full color reproduction of the cover, some details in English, and more text in Japanese. The feel is a bit like flipping through the record racks in Tokyo – where you can understand the context and the nature of the records, even if you can't understand the language. The book features sections on a wide range of styles – including Japanese house, Japanese hip hop, club jazz, Japanese dub, techno, Japanese lounge, J Rock, avant noise, alternative, and even sections on labels like Crue-L and Sokkyo. There's shorter features along the way – all in Japanese – and the book is softcover, full color, and almost 200 pages. Book

Back in the 70s, there were plenty of records that mixed together the Japanese shamisen with more contemporary sounds – but of them all, this set might well be one of the wildest – as it features two side-long tracks that mix the acoustic strings of the ancient instrument with a mix of moogy electronics and keyboards! Konae Imato handles the shamisen in a very classic style – with lots of raspy touches along the three strings – while Masashi Komatsubara delivers all these different sounds from the moog – sometimes very abstract, sometimes tuneful, sometimes very experimental – all of which makes for a wonderful sense of variety throughout the record! Hideki Matsutake (aka Logic System) was part of the album's creation too – and the record features the long tracks "Journey To Edo" and "The City Of Edo". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album from the team of Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr – and a set that's arguably even more soulful than their work together in The 5th Dimension! The pair are lucky to have Groovesville soul maestro Don Davis at the helm – helping them hit a more mature, more contemporary sound that mixes equal parts club rhythms with some of the smoother styles of the late 5th Dimension years. McCoo's vocals are especially wonderful – classy, but always quite heartfelt – at a level that almost comes across like some of the best Philly International vocalists of the same period – especially on the soaring disco numbers! Titles include "You Can't Change My Heart", "You Don't Have To Be A Star", "We've Got To Get It On Again", "Easy Way Out", "My Love For You", and "I Hope We Get To Love In Time". LP, Vinyl record album

The first solo album from the team of Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr – and a set that's arguably even more soulful than their work together in The 5th Dimension! The pair are lucky to have Groovesville soul maestro Don Davis at the helm – helping them hit a more mature, more contemporary sound that mixes equal parts club rhythms with some of the smoother styles of the late 5th Dimension years. McCoo's vocals are especially wonderful – classy, but always quite heartfelt – at a level that almost comes across like some of the best Philly International vocalists of the same period – especially on the soaring disco numbers! Titles include "You Can't Change My Heart", "You Don't Have To Be A Star", "We've Got To Get It On Again", "Easy Way Out", "My Love For You", and "I Hope We Get To Love In Time". 3 bonus tracks: "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show) (Single Version)" and "I'm So Glad I Found You". CD

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". CD

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". LP, Vinyl record album

Howard McGhee and his trumpet team up with pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and Shelley Manne on drums for this great early 60s session. The record features the McGhee original "Demon Chase" and two Teddy Edwards songs, "Sunset Eyes" and his salute to McGhee "Maggie's Back in Town." McGhee himself pays tribute to one of his favorite trumpet players, Clifford Brown by doing Brown's "Brownie Speaks." Other titles include "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," "Willow Weep for Me" and "Summertime." LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark concert from the mid 80s – one held to honor the resurrection of the Blue Note label, featuring a wealth of some of the best players for the label – from the 80s back to the 50s bebop years. This is the second of 4 LPs, issued both separately and in a box set format, and features a nicely snapping hard bop quintet on side one, with Jackie McLean, Woody Shaw, McCoy Tyner, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette running through "Sweet & Lovely", "Appointment In Ghana", "Passion Dance" and "Blues On The Corner". Side two shows two different sides of Blue Note, with Cecil Taylor appearing in a solo setting, performing the lengthy "Pontos Cantados" and the then contemporary Blue Note artist Bennie Wallace leading a Newk-inspired pianoless trio, with McBee and DeJohnette reprising their rhythm section role on "Broadside". CD

A cool contemporary set from Beirut producer Charif Megarbane – a set served up in a style he bills as "Lebrary" – which is a combination of Lebanese elements with a classic sound library aesthetic! The tunes here are short, funky, and colorful – and almost feel like some 70s studio take on expected Mid East musical modes – with the exotic and the groovy shaking hands in some very cool styles throughout! There's plenty of wonderful grooves on the record, with a nicely varied sense of instrumentation – and titles include "Shanklish", "Ma Ward", "Abou Boutros", "Chez Mounir", "Pas De Dialogue", "Soul El Ahad", "Tarator", "Ya Salam", "A Parking Lot By The Sea", and "Pale Baleine". CD

Maybe the greatest record we've ever heard from Ethio keyboard legend Hailu Mergia – a sweet set of jazz recorded in the mid 70s, with a vibe that still sounds fantastic after all these years! The groove here is the sort that so many other contemporary groups have been picking up on recent recordings – unusual slow-stepping rhythms, mixed with exotic keyboard lines that often run up and down the scale – sometimes feeling more like some sort of cosmic current than the work of a set of fingers on the keys – even when the group move into some more soul-based modes! The whole thing is wonderful – just the right touches from horns and guitar – and titles include "Gumegum", "Ou OU Ta", "Aya Belew Belew", "Tezeta", "Endegena", and "Zengadyw Derekou". LP, Vinyl record album

Weird and wild sounds from contemporary Bogota – music that's got a very old school quality at its core, yet which also mixes in plenty of experimentation with the rhythms! Think of this as an old Colombian record with analogue electronics and sound samples – or some other-worldly sounds from the left side of the Peruvian scene – still with plenty of Latin elements at the core, especially in the grooves – but done with some really cool keyboards, tape tricks, and other nice bits! Titles include "Fiesta", "Guarach UFO", "Desesperanza", "Salsa Caliente", and "Salsa Del Zombie". CD

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

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

Really cool work on shakuhachi – and a set that's way more than just the ballads you might expect from the title! Japanese reed player Kifu Mitsuhashi definitely uses some older modes here, and begins the set as such – but as the record moves on, more contemporary instrumentation comes into play, with some great funky jazz moments on a number of cuts – great drums, keyboards, and guitar mixed alongside the acoustic instrument – creating a vibe that's wonderful throughout, and a lot groovier than you might expect. There's some great cuts here that resonate with the best work from Hozan Yamamoto – hidden here under a package that's maybe a bit more subtle, but equally great! LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely work from Clara Moreno – a set that's much more laidback than some of her earlier dancefloor work, and one that's filled with bossa instrumentation throughout! Joyce co-produced the set, and you can really hear some of her acoustic soul in the music – a warm blend of snapping percussion, skipping guitar lines, and occasional bits of keyboards and horns – used in ways that still really let Moreno stay in the lead, captivating our ears with her wonderful vocals! Clara's style has a breathy undercurrent, which is a nice change from some of the too-polished contemporary bossa sets – and guests on the record include Orlandivo on vocals and Joao Donato on piano – both folks we'd welcome on any album. Titles include "Mestico", "Bebete", "Balanco Zona Sul", "Bruxaria", "Brincando De Samba", "Jeito Bom De Sofrer", "Samba De Negro", and "Uala Ualala". CD

Paul Morley wrote famously for the NME during the key years of punk, post-punk, and new wave – which makes him very able to draw a rich portrait here of contemporary and scenemate Tony Wilson – the man behind Factory Records, The Hacienda club, and a huge legacy of music in the 80s and beyond! Morley also helped form ZTT Records, and is very smart and well-read – and he brings in a surprising amount of theory and other references – really getting at the politics behind the art and business impulses of Wilson – in a very detailed book that's way more than you might expect! Morley also opens the door to other voices along the way – with occasional commentary from contemporaries – before dipping back in to this very deep, very well-written look at one of the most important figures on the UK scene during the late 70s and 1980s. This heavy, hardcover edition is a massive 604 pages, with some images in the middle. Book

A really cool little record – one that takes an older Italian sound library mode and reworks it with some of the contemporary flavor of the Schema label – but all with live instrumentation that's mighty nice all the way through! Lorenzo Morressi handles bass, guitar, and plenty of vintage keyboards – while Luicano Cantone plays live drums throughout, which gives the record a crisp crackle that might be missing if the pair worked with too many programmed rhythms, samples, or overdubs! There's also plenty of live instrumentation on the set too – including sublime flute lines from Tenderlonious, and electric piano from Giovanni Guerretti – on titles that include "Allegro Funerario", "Slalom", "Odeon", "Savana Urban", "Beta Erotica", "Sulla Strada Della Luna", and "Poste Presente". CD

A really cool little record – one that takes an older Italian sound library mode and reworks it with some of the contemporary flavor of the Schema label – but all with live instrumentation that's mighty nice all the way through! Lorenzo Morressi handles bass, guitar, and plenty of vintage keyboards – while Luicano Cantone plays live drums throughout, which gives the record a crisp crackle that might be missing if the pair worked with too many programmed rhythms, samples, or overdubs! There's also plenty of live instrumentation on the set too – including sublime flute lines from Tenderlonious, and electric piano from Giovanni Guerretti – on titles that include "Allegro Funerario", "Slalom", "Odeon", "Savana Urban", "Beta Erotica", "Sulla Strada Della Luna", and "Poste Presente". LP, Vinyl record album

A Morricone score penned for a comedic western – but music that's really on a par with any of his more familiar classics of the genre! The styles here run from dark to bright – with some numbers that feature trademark Morricone styles like isolated harmonica or chanting vocals, to others that cascade with slightly more contemporary instrumental modes – including just a bit of subdued electricity amidst the larger orchestrations. But in any setting, the Morricone genius shines through beautifully – and there's a sense of depth to even the simplest tunes here that's really great – and the balance here is what really makes the album strong. CD features a whopping 29 tracks in all – way more than any other issue of music from the film – with titles that include "Non Fare L'Indiano", "Sfida All'Ultima Forchetta", "L'Ultima Tromba", "Tanti Pugni", "Occhio Alla Pena", "Passagio Dal Male Al Bene", and "Dal Sarto". CD

The title's not right – as there's plenty of soul and plenty of blues throughout – just the sort of thing we'd expect from Stan Mosley's long legacy of indie recordings from the contemporary underground! We first started hearing Stan's music on the Malaco label at the end of the 90s – a great continuation of that company's way of keeping southern soul alive by mixing it with a bit of blues – a quality that definitely comes through on some of these cuts, with a bit of blues guitar solo in the lineup – while Stan soars out as more of a deep soul singer on others! The vocals are wonderful throughout – nicely unbridled, and very much up to Mosley's legacy – on titles that include "You Need Love", "Blues Man", "I Can't Get Next To You", "This Train", "Losing Hand", "Stomp", "Right Next Door", and "I'm Back To Collect". LP, Vinyl record album

A wild little record from the Korean scene of the 70s – served up by a band of boys (and one gal), but not the sort of boy band that you'd hear in contemporary K-Pop! Instead, there's a heady, growling sort of groove to the whole record – not entirely hard rock, but touched with an understanding of that mode, which is then carried out in varied ways that really make the most of the dramatic vocals in Korean! Lyrics are sometimes very bold, sometime sweeter – and the instrumentation has fuzzy guitars and organ lines that echo some of the Japanese modes of the late 60s, but with some slightly different phrasing. All titles are in Korean, as are the lyrics – but there's a very groovy, universal sort of appeal to the set! LP, Vinyl record album

There's a pile of vinyl on the cover of this album from Japanese trio Nautilus – and that's maybe a good way to get at the sound of their style – as the group work heavily from an old school mode, while still pushing things into some more contemporary rhythmic territory too! The approach is somewhere between old school jazz trio work and some of the choppier styles of the young generation of Japanese trios – yet still with a lot more focus on the solo side of things, which some of those other groups are lacking! Much of the energy of the record comes from the piano and keyboard work of Mariko Nakabayashi, next to the bass of Shigeki Umezawa and drums of Toshiyuki Sasaki – on titles that include vocal appearances from Hanah Spring on "I Want You" and "It's A Shame", Ayaca on "Part Time Lover", and Kei Owada on "Empty Faces" – plus a nice take on the classic "Little B's Poem", and the cuts "The Eye Of The Hurricane", "Sweet Love Of Mine", and "Nebulosa". CD

A really great set of Ethio jazz from this contemporary combo – one who draw inspiration from the golden years of the 70s, but who bring plenty of individual twists to the music of their own! There's a lean, focused style here that's totally great – and an emphasis on jazz instrumentation over romping rhythms – sometimes topped with vocals, other times done in a way that really lets the solo instruments take center stage! Some tracks are nice and long, and we might like those the best – and titles include "Lalibela", "Ethiopia Danosae", "Kaffa Chafo", "Guwayla", "Esay Naiye", "Saint Yared", "Filae Goferae", and "Arba Minch". CD

That's Antonio Neves wielding a trombone on the cover – but the set's got elements that move way past his great work on that horn – drawn from very collaborative contributions from different members of the contemporary scene in Rio! The record's got a jazz basis at the core, but quickly explodes into a real style-shifting approach – that legacy of easily mixing modes that has been the hallmark of some of the most creative work from Brazil in recent decades – guided perfectly here by Neves on drums as well as trombone! Antonio sings on one track, and the record also features vocals at points from Leda, Alice Caymmi, Ana Frango Eletrico, and Marcos Esgulera – amidst a whole host of guest musicians too, including Edu Neves on flute, Leo Gandelman on alto, and Hamilton De Holanda on mandolin. Titles include "Lamento De Um Perplexo", "Forte Apache", "Simba", "A Pegada Agora E Essa", "Noite De Temporal", and "Jongo No Feudo". CD

One of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – and a key session in the best "new thing" mode of the 60s! The New York Art Quartet were a short lived collaboration between trombonist Roswell Rudd, saxophonist John Tchicai, bassist Lewis Worrell, and percussionist Milford Graves – but their legacy in this one album is almost greater than that of other combos who recorded more frequently at the time. The sound is similar to the best "spacious" groups of the new thing years – such as the Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon work, or some of the looser sides by the New York Contemporary Five – a group that featured Shepp and Tchicai. Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) makes a key guest appearance on the title "Black Dada Nihilismus" – reciting his writings alongside the group's somber instrumental musings – and other titles include "Short", "Rosmosis", and "No 6". CD

One of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – and a key session in the best "new thing" mode of the 60s! The New York Art Quartet were a short lived collaboration between trombonist Roswell Rudd, saxophonist John Tchicai, bassist Lewis Worrell, and percussionist Milford Graves – but their legacy in this one album is almost greater than that of other combos who recorded more frequently at the time. The sound is similar to the best "spacious" groups of the new thing years – such as the Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon work, or some of the looser sides by the New York Contemporary Five – a group that featured Shepp and Tchicai. Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) makes a key guest appearance on the title "Black Dada Nihilismus" – reciting his writings alongside the group's somber instrumental musings – and other titles include "Short", "Rosmosis", and "No 6". CD