A set that's not entirely funky, but maybe not that far off either – as the whole thing features unreleased material that was recorded by Zappa in the studio after Hot Rats – including some nicely jamming cuts that really have the group letting loose in maybe a more spontaneous, organic sort of way! All that Zappa sharpness is still present in the instrumentation, but things are maybe a bit more soulful – which seems a strange word to use, but definitely fits at times – as the hip group features performances from Sugarcane Harris, as well as drums from Aynsley Dunbar! Titles include "Basement Jam", "I'm A Rollin Stone", "Tommy/Vincent Duo 1", "Funky Nothingness", "Work With Me Annie/Annie Had A Baby", "Khaki Sack", "Twinkle Tits", "Chunga's Revenge (basement version)", and "Tommy/Vincent Duo 2". 3CD set is overflowing with great material – CDs 2 and 3 feature session masters and bonus tracks from the Zappa/Hot Rats 70 recordings – 14 more rare tracks! CD

A really great look at a key year in British punk – a time when the music really broke open, and artists from a wide range of scenes began to make music in a punk rock vein! The set has way more variety than you might expect – not just the big names and new acts that were helping define the music, but also surprising entries from hard rock, pub rock, and other styles – all really embracing the short, sharp shocks of punk – and showing just how influential the new sound was to the larger British music scene. Punk never grabbed the mainstream the same way over here – and the 3CD set is a fantastic representation of the big bang the music made in the UK in 1977 – presented with the kind of detailed notes and other information that always makes these collections from Cherry Red so great. The package features a massive 87 tracks in all – with work by The Heartbreakers, Eater, Chartreuse, The Rings, Models, Buzzocks, Vibrators, Deaf School, The Damned, Gorillas, The Jam, Britzkrieg Bop, Cock Sparrer, Motorhead, Only Ones, Johnny Moped, Rezillos, Slaughter & The Dogs, Wreckless Eric, Boomtown Rats, Sham 69, Radiators From Space, Doctors Of Madness, Generation X, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, Zeros, Tom Robinson Band, X-Ray Spex, Tyla Gang, Jerks, Spider, Alternative TV, John Cooler Clarke, Graham Parker, The Doll, Ultravox, Chelsea, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Raped, Norman & The Hoolians, Drug Squad, and many others. CD

A love letter to the legendary Fame Records – filled with unissued tracks and rare gems from the vaults! Fame was one of the great ones back in the day – the driving force behind Muscle Shoals soul music, and a company that helped really redefine the sound of the music in the 60s – thanks to incredible production, and a tight cast of studio musicians who knocked it out of the park on nearly every session! 21 of the set's 24 tracks have never been issued before – and, even more compelling, none were featured on the similar 7" box set from Ace – making the package a treasure trove of music, even for the serious soul collector. Titles include "Tell It Like It Is" by Big Ben Atkins, "Almost Persuaded" by Jackie, "You're So Fine" by James Barnett, "I Do" by June Conquest, "Your Helping Hand" by Otis Clay, "In The Heat Of Love" by Marjorie Ingram, "Steal Away 67" by Jimmy Hughes, "You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy" by Ralph Soul Jackson, "Let's Do It Over" by Travis Wammack, "For You" by George Jackson, "Baby Come Back" by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, "Keep On Talking" by Prince Phillip, "It Ain't No Harm" by George Byrd & The Dominoes, "Blind Can't See" by Richard Earl & The Corvettes, and "I Need Someone" by The Entertainers. CD

The genius of Don Byas finally gets its due – served up here in a massive 10CD package that's overflowing with work from some of Byas' most fruitful years as a saxophonist! Byas is one of the sometimes-overlooked giants of his generation – a player with a tone and style that's every bit as distinct as that of Ben Webster and Lester Young. Yet for some reason, Byas has a much more checkered recording history – and one that sometimes doesn't really capture his strengths when he's completely on fire. That's definitely corrected here – as the package features some key recordings by Byas as a leader – then rolls into a stunning array of tenor performances in the groups of others – some originally issued on rare 78s, others never issued until this box – making the whole thing a mindblowing look at these seminal years in Don's career! The labels for some of the tracks include King, Manor, Jam, Savoy National, and HNS – and Byas blows as a leader in a few groups, and with other leaders who Hot Lips Page, Hank D'Amico, Cozy Cole, Earl Bostic, Joe Turner, Timmie Rogers, Oscar Pettiford, and Dizzy Gillespie – a really varied lot, which demonstrates the versatility that Byas could have as a performer. The box has 193 tracks in all, and a hugely detailed set of notes – a really ear-opening listen to this great tenorist! CD

The music of Carlos Nino has just gotten more and more spiritual as the years go on – and that's really saying a lot, given how spiritual he was right at the start! But with recent records, Nino has transformed from a jazz-inspired musician to maybe more of a sonic astronaut – able to take organic moments of expression and weave them into a rich tapestry of tone, color, and life – almost as if he's reworking the plane of existence, and trying to find the door to greater enlightenment in the process! That approach definitely comes through here, as Nino opens up in the company of contributors who include Jamael Dean on piano and keyboards, Devin Daniels on alto, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings, Jesse Peterson on guitar, Sam Gendel on alto, and Jamire Wiliams on drums – as well all players whose work appears in different ways on a variety of tracks – all helmed by the sonic exploration of Carlos, with a bit of help from veteran travelers Iasos and Laraaji. Titles include "Explorations 7", "Actually", "For The Shapalaceer", "Luis' Special Shells", "Jamirelandflight", "Waterwavesarrival", "In The Moment", "Youwillgetthroughthis I Promise", "Dreamsishappening", and "Recurrent Reiki Dreams". CD

Sweet sweet grooves from the SOS Band – definitely on the rise at the time, but still sounding great, with all the best elements of their early work firmly intact! The core group are very much at home in the studio – and have this cohesive sound that really comes through right away – leading off with some big numbers produced and arranged by the team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – a few of which really pushed up the charts – then stepping into some of their own production work with help from Gene Dozier, who definitely brings more of a funky feel to the proceedings! Lead vocals are mostly handled by Mary Davis, but a few tracks feature Abdul Ra'oof up front – and titles include "Just Be Good To Me", "Tell Me If You Still Care", "For Your Love", "If You Want My Love", "On The Rise", and "Steppin The Stones" – plus "Just Be Good To Me (vocal rmx)", "For Your Love (expanded rmx)", and "Tell Me If You Still Care (inst)". CD

One of the coolest collections ever put out by The Numero Group – and that's saying a lot, given the hipness of the label! Downriver Revival chronicles the story of a unique studio in Michigan – Double U Sound, a custom recording spot that captured a wonderful range of soul, funk, gospel, and other sounds from the local community – beautifully presented here in a full CD, plus a bonus DVD that features the near-complete 200 song archive of the studio! The DVD's really unique – so we'll talk about it first: Done with an interactive menu that lets you literally comb through the boxes of tapes in the Double U vault – selecting each reel recorded by the studio, and sampling the rich array of wonderful sounds from this untapped Michigan scene – a huge amount of music, far more than you'd ever find on a CD compilation. The DVD also features a documentary on the studio and Downriver Revial project – and that alone would be worth the price of admission – but the CD then features 24 key numbers pulled from the vaults – tracks that were either issued on rare 45s, or never issued at all – and which represent a wonderful array of soulful sounds that definitely lives up to the Numero standard! Titles include "There's A Light" by Shirley Ann Lee, "Take Care Of Us" by The Revelations, "Untitled Jam" by Bobby Cook & The Explosions, "Foot Stumping (alt)" by Organics, "While You Were Gone" by Combinations, "Heaven" by Deliverance Echoes, "Untitled" by Burgess Band, "Round N Round" by Junior Mays Group, and "Walk With Me" by Calvin Cooke. CD

One of the more avant-oriented 60s sessions cut by Wayne Shorter for Blue Note – a record that's not entirely part of the "new thing" generation, but which definitely has Shorter pushing the boundaries from his previous records for the label! The lineup here is a key batch of players who can handle both sides of the fence – inside and outside – Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Grachan Moncur on trombone, Herbie Hancock on piano, James Spaulding on alto, Ron Carter on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – all players who were really breaking their own boundaries at the time. The set also features work from Wayne's Brother on one track – avant trumpeter Alan Shorter, who's only known for a few records under his own name, and who really brings a great sound to play here. At times, the record builds into a sound that's freer and more challenging than on some of Shorter's other albums from the time – but less in a free jazz mode, than with an overall sense of purpose that really keeps the message clear. Features all original compositions by the Shorter brothers – and cuts include "Chaos", "Face Of The Deep", "Mephistopheles", and "Genesis". CD

Quite possibly the greatest Larry Young album of the post-Blue Note years – and a massive bit of funk that totally redefines his sound! Larry's working here with his hip group Fuel – an ensemble that features Laura Logan on lead vocals, giving the tunes a real focus through her lyrics – and letting them pack a bit more punch too, since her voice sounds a lot like Betty Davis at the time! Larry's keyboards are forceful, but never too over the top – and he's notched things down a bit to focus on the overall groove of the set – still keeping things adventurous on the keys, but also working in a mode that's much more heavily jazz funk! The album's one of THE essential electric jazz sets of the 70s – and features the classic break cut "Turn Out the Lights" – plus other great tracks that include "Floating", "Fuel for the Fire", "I Ching", "H+J=B (Hustle + Jam = Bread)" and "New York Electric Street Music". CD

A really cool collection, and one that will definitely blow your mind if you only know the Burt Bacharach/Dionne Warwick collaborations, or some of Burt's solo albums on his own! Bacharach started out young and early, and was effortlessly penning pop songs for singers in a variety of styles – working as part of that songwriting scene in New York that was always hustling, and able to get a surprising amount of songs into the hands of up-and-coming singers of the time! The scope of this set is stunning – as the first 3CDs feature 95 tracks penned by the young Bacharach himself – sung by a variety of artists who include The Exotics, Etta James, Gene McDaniels, Paul Evans, Marlene Dietrich, Tommy Sands, The Drifters, Frankie Avalon, The Four Coins, Marty Robbins, Sonny James, Jack Jones, Jo Stafford, Bob Manny, and many others. CD4 21 more tracks that showcase unusual but important influences on Burt's compositional style – including work by Henry Cowell, Alban Berg, Leonard Bernstein, Gill Evans, and Tadd Dameron. CD

A cracklingly sharp bit of 80s pop from Company B – a trio of female singers who get some great help throughout from legendary Miami club producer Ish – an artist you might know for his famous contributions to Foxy, Oxo, and a range of other earlier projects! Ish has definitely updated his groove from the TK disco years – going more for a Miami club vibe from the hi energy years – lots of fast beats and catchy keyboards next to the vocals of the trio, who often trade leads throughout the set. Titles include the big hit "Fascinated", plus "Full Circle", "Jam On Me", "Signed In Your Book Of Love", "Perfect Lover", "Spin Me Round", and "Infatuate Me". CD features bonus tracks – "Full Circle (club)", "Perfect Lover (vocal club)", "Fascinated (club)", "Full Circle (sax & dog house mix)", and "Signed In Your Book Of Love (street mix)". CD

The Drawbars definitely work here with more than just one finger – and they deliver a really great groove, with a style that's a nice change from some of their contemporaries! Part of the trio's uniqueness lies in the vintage keyboards handled by Chris Haertel – who has a way of going for tones that are nicely less familiar, and sometimes delivered with a spacious approach that's a cool change from just jamming work on organ or piano! The rhythms are often equally laidback, yet still tight and funky – served up with bass from David Nesselhauf and drums from Julian Gutjahr – on titles that include "Art Form", "Shout", "Two Face", "Cat Call", "One Finger Only", "Let's Do It Again", "Skyline", and "One Twenty Five". CD

Three later live sets from Dizzy Gillespie – all in a single package! Sesjun Radio Shows 1 is great, and if you like Dizzy Gillespie as much as us, you'll know that he kept on getting better and better as the years went on – continuing to evolve as a musician, into territory that's always very different than what he was giving the world a few years before! That's definitely the case here, on two live performances done for Dutch Radio in the late 70s – both of which feature a guitar as the key partner – with Rodney Jones on the first half, Ed Cherry on the second, and bass from Benjamin Brown and drums from the great Mickey Roker. Tracks are long, and open up in this really wonderful way – and the group is joined by percussionist Sheyvonne Wright on the second half, who also sings a bit too. There's a quality here that's much more in the best 70s work on the Muse label than you might expect – and titles include "Barcelona", "Diddy Wah Diddy", "Toccata", "The Truth", "Night In Tunisia", "Manha De Carnaval", and Round Midnight". Sesjun Radio Shows 2 is further proof that the genius of Dizzy Gillespie knows no bounds, even in later years – as these two different radio performances feature Diz with very unique saxophonists – both of whom really transform the sound of the group! The first half of the set has Gillespie on trumpet with a young Paquito D'Rivera on soprano and alto sax – a young player really coming into his own here, in an unusual group that also features Canadian guitarist Ed Cherry, bassist Michael Howell, and drummer Ignacio Berroa – on titles that include the funky "Unicorn", plus "All The Things You Are" and "Cripple Crapple Crutch". The second half will be even more surprising to fans of avant jazz – as the legendary Sam Rivers joins the group on tenor and soprano sax – blowing straighter than on his free improv records, but definitely adding an edge! The rest of the group features Cherry and Berroa, with John Lee in on bass for Howell – and titles include "Tanga", "Manteca", and "Birk's Works". Concert Of The Century is a record with a title that's a hell of a claim to make – but it's also a hell of a concert, too – one that features Dizzy Gillespie blowing with an all-star small group lineup – in really stretched-out takes on the tunes, at a level that rivals his best 70s material on the Pablo label! In addition to Gillespie on trumpet, players also include Milt Jackson on vibes, James Moody on tenor and flute, Hank Jones on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all working together as seamlessly as you'd expect! Titles include "Darben The Redd Foxx", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Get Happy", "Blues N Boogie", "If I Should Lose You", and "Bass Solo/Manha De Carnaval/Work Song". CD

A long-overdue issue of this jazzy Peanuts classic – music that's delighted ears for decades, yet never got the same sort of commercial release as Charlie Brown Christmas music! As with that work, the music here all comes from the genius of Vince Guaraldi – and given the early 70s recording of the tunes, Vince definitely has updated his style since the 60s – using Fender Rhodes at times, and even having an electric sensibility to his acoustic piano work too – a sense of spacing and timing that's totally great! The core combo features a young Tom Harrell on trumpet, plus Chuck Bennett on trombone, Seward McCain on bass, and Mike Clark on drums – a very cool jazzy group. Vince sings on the wonderful tune "Little Birdie", which has some larger arrangements – and other titles include "Is It James Or Charlie", "Thanksgiving Theme", "Charlie Brown Blues", "Peppermint Patty", "Linus & Lucy", and "Thanksgiving Interlude". This expanded release features lots of great alternates on the themes – and the tune "Clark & Guaraldi", and "Is It James Or Charlie (bonus mix with whistling)". CD

A pair of Purple Sage classics – back to back on in a single set! First up is the classic debut of New Riders Of The Purple Sage – one of the leading lights of the new acoustic scene in the Bay Area after the shaggier, more electric years of the Haight Street scene! Jerry Garcia plays pedal steel and banjo on the record, and at some level these guys definitely owe a bit to some of Jerry's more acoustic explorations – especially on records to come – but they've also got their own brand of hippie country that's mighty nice, and which has a much more easygoing, less-jamming vibe than some of the headier San Francisco groups of the period. The set also features more guest work from Mickey Hart and Commander Cody – and titles include "Portland Woman", "Garden Of Eden", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Glendale Train", "Dirty Business", "Louisiana Lady", and "All I Ever Wanted". Powerglide is a set that has the New Riders Of The Purple Sage expanding their sound a bit – moving past the acoustic trio at the core to add in more pedal steel and even a bit of dobro – all at a level that seems to further their commitment to country-influenced Bay Area acoustic grooves! As before, Jerry Garcia makes a few appearances on the set, but it's clear that the group don't even need his help to sound great – working with vocals that are more harmonic and confident than before, and with songs that also really show them growing as tunesmiths too. The set features the original cuts "Sweet Lovin One", "Rainbow", "California Day", "Contract", and "Runnin Back To You" – plus a great cover of "Dim Lights Thick Smoke & Loud Loud Music". CD

A wonderfully groovy set of Christmas tracks – one done in a style very similar to the Get Easy Snow compilations – as you might guess from the title! The selection here is great – with a few perennial favorites, a few rare gems, and a great middle stretch of wonderful bits from some of the grooviest artists of the 60s and 70s – a great antidote to some of the too-played holiday music you might hear during the 12th month of the year! Titles include "Santa Claus Is Definitely Hear To Stay" by James Brown, "Close Your Mouth It's Christmas" by Free Design, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy McGriff, "Snow" by Claudine Longet, "Black Christmas" by The Emotions, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by The Temptations, "Christmas Gift" by Margie Joseph, "Winter Warm" by Bob Crewe Generation, "Snow Flakes" by The Ventures, "Winter Symphony" by The Beach Boys, "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway, "Children Go Where I Send Thee" by Kenny Burrell, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" by Ray Anthony & His Bookends, "Swinging Christmas" by Helmut Zacharias, and "Jingo Jango" by Bert Kaempfert. CD

Heady work from the German scene of the late 60s – one of the key albums by the first incarnation of Amon Duul, who grew out of the underground commune of the same name! The set's got a loose, almost improvised feel – with some long tracks that definitely make you feel like you're dropping in on the band as they jam together in the studio, mixed with shorter numbers that still somehow manage to convey the same sort of energy, but in a smaller space! Production is nice and open – with some of that murky current of darkness that would come to reign in the Krautrock scene a few years later – and titles include "Mama Duul Und Ihre Sauerkrautband Spielt Auf", "Bitterlings Verwandlung", "Der Garten Sandosa Im Morgentau", and "Ein Wunderhubsches Madchen Traumt Von Sandosa". CD

A sublime second chapter of work from Booker T & The MGs – pulled from a time when Stax Records was stepping out of the influence of Atlantic, and really opening the door to a wide variety of new soul sounds! That approach is definitely in place here – as the tracks really evolve past the early hits of the group – with more unusual rhythmic patterns, laid down by the great Al Jackson on drums and Donald Duck Dunn on bass – while Steve Cropper provides all the riffing genius on his guitar, and Booker T pushes things over the top with completely sublime work on organ! All players are really changing up their groove, especially as the singles here progress from the 60s into the 70s – and the package features a-sides and b-sides, and even a few post-Booker T cuts by the MGs. Titles include "Kinda Easy Like", "Melting Pot", "Sunday Sermon", "Something", "Fuquawi", "Sugarcane", "Blackside", "Neckbone", "Soul Clap 69", "Slum Baby", "Meditation", "Johnny I Love You", "Time Is Tight", "Jamaica This Morning", "Over Easy", "Heads Or Tails", "Mrs Robinson", and "Soul Limbo. CD

A mighty nice early album from Jimmy Cliff – a set that's maybe not as well-known as his massive hits of the 70s, but which definitely sets the tone for all the greatness to come! Jimmy's voice already has this raw, righteous power that's incredible – trained in the soul of the rocksteady generation, but given all these nice lean production touches that were handled by Cliff himself – clearly already really getting his ears around the best aspects of the forces available at Dynamic Studios! There's some key ringers in the set – including Winston Wright on organ and Tommy McCook on tenor – and The Heptones provide some mighty nice backing vocals too. The whole thing has a much rawer sound than you might guess for a record on a major label – and titles include "Black Queen", "Be True", "Oh Jamaica", "Commercialization", "The Price Of Peace", "Poor Slave", and "Rip Off". CD

If De La Soul took the world by storm with their groundbreaking debut, they definitely pushed hip hop even farther ahead with this killer second album – a record that refines all the best impulses of the first set, and has the trio coming across with an even greater command of the space of a full length set! After a decade or more where most hip hop albums were just a string of singles and other cuts, De La (along with Public Enemy and a select few others) really helped the medium move into the realm of the album – weaving together cuts that are killer enough to be singles with all sorts of skits and album tracks, all with a vibe that has the whole thing flowing together wonderfully! The humor and wit of the group in their youth is still very much on point, as is the production work of Prince Paul – and the album bubbles over with longform imagination and careful execution that many groups could still hope to match! The samples are superb, nice and funky – and titles include "Oodles Of O's", "Talkin Bout Hey Love", "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays", "Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa", "Ring Ring Ring", "Keepin The Faith", "Bitties In The BK Lounge", "Pass The Plugs", "Pease Porridge", and "Fanatic Of The B Word". CD

The Elcados serve up a new sort of Nigerian groove for the end of the 70s – one that's got an electric vibe that definitely matches the look of their sweet suits on the cover! There's a fair bit of keyboards amidst the guitars that riff along with the rhythms – and the style has a bit of a reggae current, too – not all-out Jamaican sounds, but kind of an extrapolation of Kingston roots, fused with sweeter 70s Afro Soul modes! Some cuts are instrumentals, and may well be the best on the set – especially the tripped-out guitar jammer "Funky Music" – alongside other tunes that include "Whatever You Need", "The World Is Full Of Injustice", "Marry The Poor", and "This Is Life". CD

Maybe the greatest music we've heard so far from Nostalgia 77 – a group who started many years back as a jazz-referenced project – but one who here are definitely a fully-fledged combo with a very spiritual vibe! As before, producer Benedic Lamdin is at the helm of the lineup – yet the production is minimal, and instead the whole thing has this instrumental flowering of group members in ways that really fit the spirit of music by Dollar Brand, Chris McGregor, and Sun Ra – who are all covered on the set alongside the group's own original compositions too! The horn work is especially wonderful – a blend of flute from Gareth Lockrane, tenor from James Allsop, and trumpet from Alex Bonney – held down by bass from longtime 77 stalwart Riaan Vosloo on bass, plus Tim Giles on drums, and Ross Stanley on piano and organ. Titles include "Dakar", "Ishmael", "The Sun Is Big", "Love In Outer Space", "Flower", and "The Hooper". CD

One of the crowning achievements of Alexander O'Neal – a set that uses cool little intro tracks to help structure the standout songs on the set – giving the whole thing a much more well-conceived approach than other mainstream soul albums of the time! Some of the cuts draw from O'Neal's own life and experience, and that feel is definitely augmented by the spontaneous, conversational feel of the intros and links – a really nice contrast to the wonderfully tight R&B production from the superteam of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis! Of course, lots of these tracks also struck big as singles for Alexander – proof that the cuts are more than strong enough to stand on their own – yet taken over the course of the whole album, with all the extra bits, the whole thing really sounds great. Titles include "Hearsay", "The Lovers", "Fake", "Criticize", "Never Knew Love Like This", "To Make You Love Me", "Crying Overtime", and "Sunshine". Bonus tracks include "Fake 88", and mixes of "Criticize", "To Make You Love Me", and "Never Knew Love Like This". CD

Three great 70s albums from keyboardist Mike Longo! First up is Awakening, killer electric piano work from the mighty Mike Longo – recorded at a time when he was definitely at the height of his powers! The album sports a rare Mainstream Records appearance from James Moody – who was a frequent partner of Longos on sessions at the time – particularly on some of Dizzy Gillespie's funky records – which bear a lot of similarity to the sharp-edged grooves on this one! The rhythm section is wonderfully tight, and a big part of the success of the set – as they keep things grooving with a slightly sharper edge than some of Longo's other records – thanks to bass from Ron Carter, drums from Mickey Roker, and even a bit of extra congas from Dizzy Gillespie, of all people! Other players include Moody on alto, tenor, and flute – plus Virgil Jones on trumpet and Curtis Fuller on trombone. Titles include "Just To Let You Know", "A Piece Of Resistance", "The Awakening", "Pass It", and "Bitchin". Funkia is quite possibly the greatest record ever by Mike Longo – a wicked batch of electric funky piano tunes, recorded with a sublime 70s feel! The set's got a really stripped down group – with Ron Carter on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Patato Valdez on percussion – all grooving behind Longo's work on electric and acoustic piano, creating some magical rhythms that snap a groove out of just about every single tune! The whole set's great – not just a "one number" funky jazz set – and titles include versions of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", Dizzy Gillespie's "Ole' For the Gypsies", Les McCann's "Samia", and Longo's own "Southern Soul" and "Funkia". 900 Shares Of The Blues is stone funky, and one of his best albums ever! The whole thing's done in a really laidback style that's simply amazing – a lot like the best CTI work of the time, but somehow rougher, and with a darker edge. Longo riffs out on the keys over rhythm by Ron Carter, Mickey Roker, and Ralph MacDonald – and Joe Farrell and Randy Brecker add in some great horn work that fleshes out the tunes with a deeply soulful jazzy feel. The whole album's great, with a range of moods, emotions, and grooves that Longo hardly ever hit again – and titles include "Summers Gone", "El Moodo Grande", "Like a Thief In the Night", "Ocean Of His Might", and "Magic Number". CD

With a record like this, it's clear that bassist Jamale Davis is a player to watch – as he's got a way of really bringing something new to the table, and presenting us with a very fresh conception of jazz! Way back through a legacy that includes albums by Ron Carter, Richard Davis, and Oscar Pettiford, it's often the case that groups led by a bassist can really deliver something different – not just a way of pushing a player who's sometimes in the background to the front, but maybe changing up approaches to rhythm and melody in all these really inventive ways – something that Jamale definitely does here – working with a lineup who shape their sounds beautifully – Dario Terzuolo on tenor, John Mosca on trombone, Mferghu on piano, and Ben Zweig on drums and pandeiro. The mix of tenor and trombone is beautiful next to the bass – and the album has a good blend of unusual tunes and a few well-chosen remakes – in a set list that includes "Rabbit Island", "Indra", "Taxi Bird", "Star Eyes", "Run With The Hunted", "Congo Blues", and "Hello I Must Be Going". CD

A much-needed collection of the famous Jazz At The Philharmonic performances of the 1950s – work that follows up the initial postwar run from producer/presenter Norman Granz, which helped lay the groundwork for Verve Records – but which hasn't gotten the full exposure it deserves! Unlike the 40s sessions, there's a lot of material here that never made it to CD – including tracks from the multi-record box set releases that included JATP volumes 11, 15, 16, and 17 – plus the Jazz Concert #1 album, Jazz At The Hollywood Bowl, and various Opera House sessions – and even the Lester Young Carnegie Blues record, which appeared later on vinyl! Some unreleased tracks have been added to the set too – and as with Mosaic Records at its best, this is less a reissue package than a proper presentation of material that was scattered out there in various formats – finally presented in the right order, with detailed notes, and really great sound. Artists are the cream of the crop of Verve at the time – Stan Getz, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Herb Ellis, Buddy DeFranco, Sonny Stitt, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, and others – plus some non-Verve artist surprises as well! Very limited, and comes with a huge booklet of notes and performance details too. CD

Excellent funky Christmas – essential for any soulful holiday celebration! Not everyone knows it, but James Brown cut a fair number of Christmas albums during the 60s – thre albums, and a bunch of singles to be exact! They're all super-rare, but this great collection brings together some of the best material from those years – and nearly all the tracks are originals, with a quality level that's just as great as James' non-Christmas recordings! No kidding, The Godfather put his heart and soul into these recordings – and the stuff on here's great if you dig his King albums and singles from the late 60s, you'll find plenty to love here too. Titles include "Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas", "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here To Stay", "Hey America", "Soulful Christmas", "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year (parts 1 & 2)", "Go Power At Christmas Time", and the perennial favorite "Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto". 17 cuts in all – and a really great collection. CD

The last, and most obscure of James Brown's Christmas albums of the King years – and quite possibly the hippest too! Given that James is shouting "Hey America" in the title, he's clearly going for a righteous and semi-political tone on the set – singing Holiday tunes, but also slipping in a larger message from time to time. A few tracks seem familiar from other JB holiday sets, and titles include the funky "Hey America", the rollicking "Go Power At Christmas Time", and the cuts "Christmas Is Love", "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here To Stay", "My Rapp", "I'm Your Christmas Friend Don't Be Hungry", and "Merry Christmas Baby & A Very Happy New Year". CD

One of the most ambitious Cecil Taylor projects of the 80s – a special project performed by a large ensemble at a jazz festival in Poland – an incredible group who really expand the vision in Cecil's music! Make no mistake, Taylor is definitely the leader here – his piano and vocalizations really direct the entire set – but the music brims over with contributions from giants who include Tomasz Stanko and Enrico Rava on trumpets, Conrad Bauer on trombone, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Frank Wright and John Tchicai on tenors, Gunter Hampel on bass clarinet and vibes, and William Parker on bass. The performance features one long piece, but graced with all these really beautiful themes amidst the freer improvisations – coming across with a global vision in jazz that's maybe not unlike some of Charlie Haden's Liberation Music projects, but freer and bolder overall! CD

Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis just keeps getting deeper and deeper with each new release – very different than the artist who first emerged a number of records back, and one with a strong ability to explore the farther sides of the jazz spectrum! That's definitely the case here – as Lewis plays tenor at the head of a quartet with Aruan Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums – a lineup who are more than fluid enough to move with the ideas that flow effortlessly both from the compositional pen of the leader, and his well-crafted, very personal lines on tenor sax! The tunes vary in length, which further deepens the individuality of the set – and titles include "Helix", "Per 1", "Breaking Code", "An Anguish Departed", "Loverly", "Molecular", "Cesaire", and "A Lotus Speaks". CD

A pretty powerful record – as you might imagine from a set dedicated to both John Coltrane and James Baldwin – both inspirations that Joe McPhee seems to channel, but in a very personal way! The 2020s seem to be a time when McPhee's got this whole new level of power and presence – and that's definitely the case here, as his horn has this sense of urgency that almost blows away work from just a few years before – and which is matched at times by a spoken presence that has an equal sense of righteous authority. Bassist John Edwards is a key part of the sound – especially as the pair are just performing as a duo – but it's the intensity of McPhee that really sends the whole thing over the top! Titles include "Whispers Of Naima", "Tell Me How Long Has Trane Been Gone", "A Sojourner's Truth", and "The Oneliest Monk". CD

Julie Driscoll's come a long way from her years with Brian Auger here – stepping out in a freer sound that marks the shift in the British scene from beat group grooving to jazz-rock jamming. The session features a host of likely suspects from that hip side of the scene where avant jazz and rock merge – a lineup that includes Keith Tippett on piano, Elton Dean on saxes, Chris Spedding and Brian Godding on guitars, and Nick Evans on trombone – and Julie's vocal style is finely tuned to match the craft of the players on the set, with with fantastically deft twist and turns! She's a lot more open-ended in her singing, with less of the R&B inspired approaches of the late 60s, and more of the expansive vocalizations that were showing up in the work of other European vocalists of the 70s. Titles include "Leaving It All Behind", "Break-Out", "A New Awakening", "Walk Down", and "I Nearly Forgot – But I Went Back". CD

Poland's Ergo Band are a tight combo with a great ear for a groove – sometimes funky in sort of an Average White Band way, sometimes a bit harder jamming, like some of their Eastern Bloc contemporaries! And here, they're joined by singer Grzyna Lobaszewska – who sings on a good number of tracks on the set, in a way that really helps the band find their focus – keeping things in more of a rhythmic mode when Grzyna's singing, so that there's some surprising elements of soul in the music – even though the lyrics themselves are in Polish! The AWB comparison is definitely a good one for the way the group blend great drums, riffing guitar, and horns – and titles include "15 Minut Spozienia", "Nocny Spacer", "A Wiec", "Dzien Jak Blues", "Gdybys", and "Piesn Dla Ciebie". CD features an unreleased live take on the Quincy Jones tune "Boogie Joe The Grinder". CD

A stone killer from the legendary 5 Royales – one of the greatest groups to ever record for King Records in the 50s, and a key force in helping move things forward from doo wop to soul! The balance between Lowman Pauling's lead and the harmonies is amazing – a big inspiration on the young James Brown & The Famous Flames – and many cuts have this hard guitar used in a very rhythmic way, which creates a groove that few other groups could touch! The tracks all have a great hard-edged sound, with little of the schmaltz that can sometimes date these albums a bit too much – just lots of raw group vocals that definitely pave the way for 60s soul, but also have a stronger 50s R&B current in the background! The material is very rootsy soul stuff – and titles include "One Mistake", "Mine Forevermore", "Wonder Where Your Love Has Gone", "I Know It's Hard But It's Fair", and "Get Something Out Of It". CD

Pivotal early dub! Depending upon whose history of the Jamaican recording industry you subscribe to, this is can be considered by many to be the first dub LP – and whether that's proveable or not, it's certain among the first! History aside, it's a mighty set with some raw early dub style workouts at the hands of Errol Thompson at the renowned 16 North Parade recording studio run by Randy's, with some deft production by Clive Chin. Needing virtually no introduction, the Impact All Stars drop some incredible rhythms, many which will be immediately recognizable as having been versioned from massive numbers for Augustus Pablo, Junior Byles and the Soul Vendors. Titles include "Java Dub", "Cheating Dub", "ET Special", "Ordinary Version Dub", "Hide Away Dub" and "Black Man's Dub". CD

Seminal sounds from Placebo – one of the hippest electric groups going on the European scene of the early 70s, thanks to some great keyboards and electronics from the legendary Marc Moulin! Placebo's sound here is a unique approach to funky jazz – one that certainly draws from the electric modes of the American scene, and without any of the jamming elements of other Euro fusion groups – but there's also a touch of rockish inflection at points too – especially in the way the rhythms have a tightly pulsating groove. There's none of the indulgence of prog, but there's definitely a lineage going on somewhere in the mix too – and in addition to Moulin's keyboards, the group also features great horns from Nick Fissette, Alex Socrier, and Richard Rousselet. Titles include "Bolkwush", "Temse", "Balek", "Phalene", "Re-Union", and "Only Nineteen". CD

Freaky keyboards and fuzzy saxophone – played by the team of Dieter Seelow and Peter Mayer, working here in a rare bit of funk from the early 70s German scene! The record's got a sound that's very much in the madder side of the MPS spectrum at the time – jazz influenced by a bit of fuzzier rock elements – heard to good effect on Seelow's amplified, processed saxophone lines – and on some of the heavier organ moments from Mayer. The sound is wide-open, but never too free or jamming – clearly inspired by the hipper American soul jazz of the late 60s – the side of the scene that started with electric Eddie Harris, and moved into weirder Melvin Jackson moments – both players who are a good comparison here, as the groove definitely shows a love of the electrified music that Harris and Jackson made together. Remaining instrumentation includes electric bass and drums – so the overall sound is quite spare – and titles include the massive three-part "Mr Dynamite", plus "Masquerade","Danny's Walk", "The Swinger From Rio", and "With A Little Help From My Friends". CD

A trio of funky classics from Faze-O – collected here with bonus tracks too! First up is their debut, Riding High – a spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh from the moment it was first set to wax back in 1977! This album's the group's first, and best – and it's a really wonderful record that blends together funky fusion and heavy soul – filled with killer cuts arranged by the Ohio Players, and with lots of great keyboards by the group! Includes, of course, the massive cut "Riding High" – plus "Toe Jam" and "Funky Reputation"! The second album is a definite Good Thang from Faze-O – easily the masters of snakey funk at the end of the 70s! The set's got loads of great elements that echo the group's Riding High debut – a groove that never goes too far over the top, and which kicks back at a pace that so many others would copy a few years later – a vibe that's a bit Ohio, a bit Cali, yet crafted here with a vision that's totally unique to the band! Horns are a bit heavier than before, but there's still plenty of great keyboards too – and the vocals definitely recognize that they're the second star of the record, and usually defer to the rhythms on most numbers. Tracks include "Good Thang", "Party Time", "Space People", "Who Loves You", and "Funky Lady". Breakin The Funk is wicked funk from Faze-O – a group who seem even tighter than before on this smoking album – yet still hold onto all the laidback modes that made them so great in the first place! There's a lean quality here that really prefaces the direction so many funk acts would take a few years later – a way of compressing everything down on the rhythm, to get past some of the excesses of too-large funk groups, or some of the overblown qualities of the disco generation! Faze-O were definitely out front with this approach, and continue to craft it strongly here – and the album's got a few great mellow tracks too – a great illustration of the claim made in the liner notes – that "Faze-O music is carefully built in panels of melodic phases, to sensuously put you in a funky but heavenly mood of time and rhythm." Titles include "See You Through The Night", "I'm Thankful", "I Still Love You", "Let's Rock", and "Ya Ba Da Ba Duzie". Features bonus tracks – 7" single mixes of "Riding High", "Breakin The Funk", "Good Thang", and "Who Loves You". CD

A righteous batch of 70s reggae tracks, all produced by Niney The Observer – including 15 tracks that haven't been in print since their original Jamaican release back in the day! The cover and title are a play on a famous American film of the late 60s – but the music here is pure Kingston, and has Niney working with some of the top talents of the scene, and as a lead act on his own – serving up both instrumentals and vocal tunes, all in a wonderfully soulful mix of modes! There's definitely some key classics on the set, but those are also mixed with some great rare numbers too – a rich array of cuts that were originally only issued as 7" singles, presented here with great sound and very detailed notes. There's a whopping 49 tracks in all – with work from Big Youth, Earth & Stone, Ken Boothe, Sang Hugh, The Observers, Hubert Lee, Winston Wright, Delroy Wilson, Denis Brown, U Roy, Glassford Manning, Junior Delgado, Roman Stewart, and Niney himself! CD

The mighty Lonnie Liston Smith live – sounding every bit as great as he did on his famous studio sessions from the 70s – and maybe even more freewheeling too! The feel of the record is really tremendous – extremely soulful, with Lonnie jamming away on keyboards as the band grooves up these cool spacey rhythms – stepping out in territory that's definitely the more cosmic side of jazz funk, with those righteous currents that always made Lonnie so great. The whole thing's wonderful – with loads of great electric work, and an overall spiritual vibe that's every bit as great as his albums for Flying Dutchman – and players include Donald Smith on flute and a bit of vocals, Dave Hubbard on tenor and soprano sax, and Lonnie himself on Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and Arp. The set includes a nice extended take on "Visions of A New World", plus the tracks "Watercolors", "Sorceress" – which isn't on any of his studio albums, "Prelude", and the classic "Expansions". CD

Great early work from Ken Boothe – gritty and soulful, with a vibe that's quite unlike most of his contemporaries! There's almost more soul going on than Jamaican grooves at times, although the overall feel is definitely skewed towards the latter – and the album's a great illustration of the way that artists like Boothe picked up on an American vibe, and pushed it much more into Kingston territory. Titles include "Come Lay Some Lovin On Me", "Evil Girl", "Satisfaction", "My Heart Is Like An Open Book", "It's Gonna Take A Miracle", "Ain't No Love", "Ain't That Loving You", "Artibella", "Freedom Street", "Duke Of Earl", and "In The Summertime". CD

A fantastic set of Fender Rhodes from the Italian scene of the 70s – not a record that got the kind of mainstream play as American classics by Bob James and Ramsey Lewis – but a set that definitely shares their spirit! Cabildos Three were a studio group as much as a jazz combo – a trio with Cabildo on Fender Rhodes, working alongside tight bass and percussion – on jazzy tunes that were originally only done as a sound library session, but which have attained legendary status when pulled together in this full length album. The whole thing is every bit as great as the words "Fender Rhodes", "Italy", and "percussion" might suggest – and titles include "Castenada Drive", "Yuxtaposicion", "Collection Samba", "Two Types Of Complexion", "Jesus Maria District", "African Penta Song", and "Akorin". CD

Maybe the funkiest album ever cut for the legendary Westbound label in Detroit – and that's saying a lot, given that the company was the initial home to Funkadelic! Yet on this stunning full length set, The Counts maybe do that famous group one better – pushing aside their vocals for some incredible instrumental interplay that comes from bumping Hammond lines, wickedly sharp drums, and non-stop riffing guitars – all of which take center stage, while the vocals only seem to be part of the mix to urge the instruments onward! Tracks are long and jamming – ala the early Westbound work from George Clinton – and although The Counts recorded before and after the space of this album, this set is definitely the group's masterpiece. Titles include "What's Up Front That Counts", "Rhythm Changes", "Thinking Single", "Why Not Start All Over Again", "Bills", and "Pack Of Lies". CD features two bonus tracks – "Motor City" and "What's It All About". CD

Unreleased live material from trumpeter Ted Daniel – a hell of a talent on the New York scene of the 70s, but one who hardly ever got as much recorded exposure as some of his contemporaries! Ted's got this fantastic way of blowing – bold and free, but with a sense of structure too – almost more inheriting a legacy of 60s experimentalists like Ted Curson, or the later Lee Morgan – than graced with the style of some of his contemporaries on the loft jazz scene. This album definitely has Daniel at the top of his game – shaping sound with boundless imagination and energy – lots of strength, but also lots of focus – never too free for free's sake, and always strongly influenced by the pulse of group members Richard Pierce on bass and Tatsuya Nakamura on drums. In fact, the mix of bass, drums, and trumpet almost evokes some of the Sonny Rollins trio material – especially of the more outside variety – and Daniel also plays a bit of flugelhorn and French hunting horn too. Titles include "OC", "The Moor", "Jiblet", and "Congeniality". (And in case you're wondering, the material here is of similar vintage to that on the No Business album from Ted – but different recordings.) CD

Three overseas sessions from American tenor great Eddie Lockjaw Davis! Jaws Strikes Again is a slightly different setting than some of the other 70s albums from Eddie Lockjaw Davis – in that the set was recorded for the Black & Blue label, who always liked to get a nice gritty punch out of the players they recorded! Given Eddie's legendary tone, the approach works perfectly here – on tracks that are short and focused – and which feature some mighty nice work on Hammond from Wild Bill Davis, plus guitar from the great Billy Butler, and drums from Oliver Jackson! Titles include "Jumpin With Symphony Sid", "The Man I Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Candy", "After You're Gone", and "Light & Lovely". Nice Jazz 1978 is a great example of Eddie in collaboration – as Eddie Lockjaw Davis is a hell of a player on his own – but he's maybe even more amazing when he works alongside other horn soloists – who always seem to inspire Davis to bring out the boldest, mouthiest side of his horn! That tenor is alive and well, and wonderfully set up here – in five different live performances from the Nice Jazz Festival in 1978 – two with Illinois Jacquet on tenor, six with Harry Edison on trumpet, and one more with Paul Bascomb on tenor and Eddie Vinson on alto. Tracks are nice and long – that back/forth jam session style that Eddie does so well – and titles include "Rompin With JC", "Brazil", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Just Friends", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Misty". Jaw's Blues is a nice one from the start of the 80s! Tenorist Eddie Lockjaw Davis always had a hell of a tone – and although his best-remembered dates are maybe from the 50s and 60s, the saxophonist still kept on making great records for many years to come! This album's definitely one of those – a European live recording, done in Munich, with Eddie stretching out with the sort of raspy tone that always made his early duets with Johnny Griffin such a delight – getting the sort of sensitive accompaniment here that Griff had on some of his later European dates too. The wonderful Horace Parlan is on piano, with Reggie Johnson on bass, and Alvin Queen on drums – and although it's clear that the Davis tenor solos are the main attraction, the album's a very sold group effort too. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Jaw's Blues", "I'll Remember April", "Young Man With A Horn", and "But Beautiful". CD

High Pulp have some pretty heavy jazz guests this time around – a killer lineup that includes work from Jeff Parker, Kurt Rosenwinkel, James Brandon Lewis, and Brandee Younger – all musicians who definitely deepen the sound, while still letting the core combo bristle with all the funky edges of their previous work! The jazz soloists are working in a territory that's not strictly jazz – more the post-styles of labels like Brownswood or International Anthem – but also given a different sort of spin in the manner we've come to expect from High Pulp. Titles include "Dirtmouth", "Never In My Short Sweet Life", "Robert Pollard", "Solanin", "Unified Dakotas", "Fatigue", and "Bad Infinity". CD

We completely love the music of Woody Shaw – but unfortunately, the legendary trumpeter left this planet way too soon, and only gave us about 20 years of recordings! Fortunately, the vaults have yielded some gems like this over the years – unreleased live material that not only adds to the space in Woody's catalog, but also really shows us how special he could be in a live setting! Shaw's got this strength of imagination and inner spirituality that never falters at all, even when the tracks are stretching out nice and long – which they really do here, as almost all the numbers move way past the ten minute mark – and have Woody blowing magnificent solos throughout. The group is great, too, with Mulgrew Miller on piano, Tony Reedus on drums, and Stafford James on some especially crucial bass – an instrument that always seems to drive Shaw onto new heights when it's handled the right way, which it definitely is here. Titles include "Eastern Joy Dance", "Rahssan's Run", "The Organ Grinder", "Pressing The Issue", "Sweet Love Of Mine", "Katrina Ballerina", and "400 Years Ago Tomorrow". CD

A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many others! The set list is superb – and while most of the tracks are well-remembered gems, and not the kind of rare cuts we usually hear from Ace Records – taken together, they're a tremendous reminder of a time when hip hop really came alive – bursting with wit, wisdom, and a whole new sense of musical imagination! As usual with Ace, the liner notes and other details are great – making this way more than just a slap-dash mix of hits – and titles include "You're Not Coming Home (Mase's funkay recall mix)" by Groove Garden, "Age Ain't Nothin But A #" by Chi Ali, "Bonita Applebum" by Tribe Called Quest, "Sunshine Men" by Freestyle Fellowship, "Peachfuzz" by KMD, "K Sera Sera" by Justin Warfield, "It's A Shame" by Monie Love, "Doin Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers, "OPP" by Naughty By Nature, "Doowutchyalike" by Digital Underground, "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays" by De La Soul, "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep, "All For One" by Brand Nubian, "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style" by Dream Warriors, "Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children" by Queen Latifah with De La Soul, "Where I'm From" by Digable Planets, and "We Run Things (It's Like Dat)" by Da Bush Babees. CD

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Padlock (Larry Levan special mix)", "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", and "Peanut Butter (Larry Levan special mix)". CD

An unusual collection of mento material from Jamaica – a later document of sounds that were initially the first on the path towards rocksteady and reggae! Back in the late 50s, Bermuda had calypso and Jamaica had mento – a style that was similar, but which had a slightly different rhythmic pattern – one that was fused with influences from American soul as the decade moved on, as the blueprint for ska, rocksteady, and later styles too! These recordings are all from the 70s – handled by producer Sonia Pottinger for her High Note label – and show that even in the era of dub and roots, mento was still going strong in Jamaica – although definitely with more contemporary touches that show the growing influence of reggae back on the older form of music. The set's a great look at this moment in the style – done with the usual huge booklet of notes we love from Doctor Bird, filled with rare images and label scans too – and the 2CD set features 46 tracks in all – full albums by King Vupp, The Jolly Boys, and The Prince Brothers – plus more by Sugar Belly, Count Lasher, Baba Brooks, The Dingle Brothers, Marva Moore, and others. CD