Cool cuts from around the globe – all brought together in one wonderfully funky set! The music here all draws heavily from American funk and psych styles – and often uses some slightly different instrumentation, or more regional inflection – to make the usual psych funk styles sound even more groovy and exotic – in a mindblowing way that makes the entire set a real musical delight! Most tracks are instrumental – heavy on drums and fuzzy guitar – but there's a few vocal moments, too – and the funk current is super-strong, way more so than on other collections that promise a heavy bottom, but usually just present offbeat psych. Titles include "Jet Pop" by Bana Pop Band, "Foxy Lady" by 49th Blue Streak, "Karate Chop" by The Tijuana Brats, "Stari Dvorac" by Pro Arte, "Nie Przejziemy Do Historii" by Krzysztof Klenczon, "Louis Louis" by Friar Tuck, "Time Of Machines" by Sergio Ferraresi, and "The Shaman's Dance" by Alexandr Sergeyevich. CD

Classic cuts from the TK Records stable of Miami disco from the 70s – all of which are served up here on 7" single mixes, a fair bit of which appear here on CD for the first time ever! TK is maybe best known for it's long-spun club cuts that were a perfect fit for the budding 12" format in the mid 70s – but the label also turned out plenty of cuts with a tight, catchy groove that was perfect for a funky 45 – which might have been why TK was one of the few labels to rule both on the radio and on the dancefloors back in the day! Japanese DJ T Groove takes us through 20 TK singles here – with tracks that include "Return Of Vader" by AD, "Macho" by Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch, "Higher" by Chi-Lites, "Star Cruiser" by Gregg Diamond, "Moon Ride" by Universal Love, "Let's Dance" by Wild Honey, "Have A Good Day (part 1)" by Gail Eason, "Music (voc)" by Montreal Sound, "I'm Gonna Dance" by Asha Puthli, "Dancin In My Feet" by Laura Taylor, "Holding Back" by Gregg Diamond, "At Midnight" by T Connection, "If There's Love" by Amant, "Spank" by Jimmy Bo Horne, and "The Break (short)" by Kat Mandu. CD

A soaring blend of rare club tracks from the glory days of the American disco underground – music that was cut in the deep shadows of the mainstream market at the time, and which has gone on to have a lot longer staying power too! The cuts here are all from very obscure releases on tiny labels around the country – most so small, the records were issued on 7" singles, not the usual 12" club DJ release – which has made them even more overlooked in the passing decades, given that so many collectors of this sort of music are digging for the larger format! Yet interest in rare club from the pre-house years has never been stronger – and a set like this is a great way to glimpse a scene that was out of reach even to most folks who were around at the time – a smoking set of 17 groovers that include "Can You Dig It" by Teakwood, "Bay Trippin" by Parnassus, "Come Along With Me & Party" by Monofide, "I Wanna Dance" by Compton Hodge, "Feel In" by The Unit III, "My Woman My Woman" by Joshua Jackson, "She's The One" by Nature, "Bronco Queen" by Van Buren, and "Sport City Rock" by Earl Turner. CD

Kurt Elling has been one of the greatest jazz singers of the past few decades, yet he's always pushing his music too – moving past the overdone styles that tend to hold back other singers, with an ear that's very open to new settings, and new possibilities for his magnificent voice! Here, he works alongside guitarist Charlie Hunter – in a quartet that also features DJ Harrison on keyboards and Corey Fonville – in a style that's plenty jazzy, but which has some nice funky currents at times – elements that really help Kurt change things up in these really amazing ways! Titles include a remake of the Bob Dorough/Multiplication Rock classic "Naughty Number Nine", Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow", and a transformation of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – plus original tunes "Bounce It", "Little Fairy Carpenter", and "Not Here Not Now". CD

An album as soaring and cosmic as its cover – recorded by the communal Ophiucus in France in the early 70s, and served up with a really cohesive feel throughout! The group mix folksy roots with some slight psychedelic touches – tripping things out nicely on the best numbers, but always maintaining an up-close, personal feel on the set. Lyrics are never too overblown, and even when all the group members harmonize together, their vocals seem to take second place to the acoustic guitars that set the tone for most tracks. Titles include "Prenez Donnez", "Au Hasard", "Djukela", "Univers", "Inachevee", "Mirlipinious", and "Ne Cherche Plus". CD is beautifully done – with a huge booklet of notes, photos, and other information – plus 8 more English language tracks from the group's ill-fated second LP – titles that include "Give Or Take It", "Into Your Song", "You're Only Dreaming", "Night Song", and "Telephone Funeral Blues". CD

A record with a very bleak sort of cover image, but a wonderfully warm sound within – strongly resonant quartet work that features great vibes from Kinta Hamada, plus Takeshi Inomata on drums, Kinta Hamada on vibes, Naoki Nishi on piano, and Kenichi Uchiyama on bass! With a lineup like that, you might expect a bit of a Modern Jazz Quartet approach – but these guys have moved way past that, and are instead in the warmer, more expressive territory opened up by the Japanese piano scene of the 70s – working in a well-recorded format that sparkles with plenty of warmth and relaxed imagination. Most tracks are nice and long, and titles include "CTA", "Adjustment", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "That Old Black Magic", and "Angel Eyes". CD