A massive double length set from Funkadelic! As if the group's vision wasn't already expansive enough in their early Westbound years, they really make incredible use of the space of this 2LP set to show off their talent for funky invention, fuzzed-out guitar, and mind-bending look at the world around them – taking off into a heady array of topics and settings that are even more chilling than before. If Maggot Brain can be taken as a document of Detroit after the apocalypse, this set should be read as a wider statement on the climate in America that was leading up to it – all served up with some of the group's funkiest rhythms on record to date! Titles include "You Hit the Nail On the Head", "A Joyful Process", "Loose Booty", "I Call My Baby Pussycat", "Biological Speculation", "Philmore", "We Hurt Too", "Everybody Is Going To Make It This Time", "Miss Lucifer's Love", and "If You Don't Like the Effects Don't Produce the Cause". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible document of late 60s America – composed and conducted by Gary McFarland, in a style that's much more ambitious than any of his other work! The album's fully titled "America The Beautiful: An Account Of Its Disappearance" – and features "movements" with very telling subtitles that include "On This Site Shall Be Erected", "80 Miles An Hour Through Beer Can Country", "Suburbia: Two Poodles And A Plastic Jesus", and our personal favorite, "Due To A Lack Of Interest, Tomorrow Has Been Cancelled". Gary's really wearing his politics on his sleeve here – picturing a late 60s America that's without hope, without revolution, and clearly in danger of falling prey to its own plasticization. The whole thing's a wonderful antidote to the "revolution is coming" side of the 60s that is more popularly pushed – and Gary was one of the few musicians at the time with an eye that was clear enough to see that in the 60s, you could sing "The Times Are A-Changing" – but in reality, the corporations were a-growing! Musically, the album features a larger group of jazz players working in a full, rich style that has lots of soundtrack touches. There's a real Axelrod-like feel to the set – with string passages one minute, funky rhythms the next – and some breakout jazz soloing that really colors the tunes nicely! Players include Jerome Richardson, Eric Gale, Bernard Purdie, and Chuck Rainey – and Gary's mostly doing the conducting on the set. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set of hardbop from the legendary Hank Mobley – recorded during the initial Mobley run at Blue Note, and a keen document of his amazing power on the tenor sax! The album's got a tightness that's almost impossible to believe – a summation of all the best bop trends of the 50s, rolled into a freewheeling and soulful expression, guided by Mobley's always-sharp ear for a groove. The group's great too – and Art Blakey is on drums, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and a young young Freddie Hubbard plays trumpet. All tracks are nice and long, with a firey hardbop sound, deeply held in place by Mobley's soulful tone on the tenor! Titles include "My Groove Your Move", "Baptist Beat", and "The Breakdown". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Don Pullen's best-known albums, and for good reason too – a well-recorded document of a Montreux performance that helped put Don's piano talents in the spotlight for the rest of the 70s! The record's got a sense of freedom that's quite unusual for Atlantic Records at the time – as each side features one long track, played at a level that's very spontaneous, and often quite outside – at least at some points. Side one features an extended version of Muhal Richard Abrams' "Richard's Tune", done with a trio that features electric bass by Jeff Berlin and drums by Steve Jordan – and side two features the even more beautiful Pullen original, "Dialogue Between Malcolm & Betty" – which adds in some great Latin percussion to the trio! LP, Vinyl record album

A massive live document of the power of Rush in their early years – mostly just guitar, bass, and drums – but used with intensity and imagination on titles that include "Bastille Day", "Anthem", "Bytor & The Snow Dog", "Fly By Night/In The Mood", "Lakeside Park", "Working Man/Finding My Way", "Something For Nothing", and even a full rendition of the "2112" opus! LP, Vinyl record album

A searing live document of the magic of Ten Years After – recorded at London's Klooks Kleek as a great example of the kind of sound that got the group a huge amount of attention before they were even signed to a record label! The sound's still got some of the bluesy influences that both the group and that club were known for – but the guitar of Alvin Lee is really taking off, especially on the album's very long tracks – which seem to insist on solos that would go onto influence a whole psychedelic generation. The Hammond solos are great, too – and titles include "I May Be Wrong But I Won't Be Wrong Always", "Spider In My Web", "I'm Going Home", and a surprisingly great take on Woody Herman's "Woodchopper's Ball", which is completely transformed here! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set of modal jazz tracks – recorded by the great LA pianist Jack Wilson with a young Roy Ayers! The set is amazing, and features haunting piano and vibes interplay between Ayers and Wilson – in a style that could best be summed up as LA modern modal, but which is also embellished by lots warm, lyrical twists by both of the soloists. The title cut is a totally groovy workout on Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", and the rest of the set includes Coltrane's "Impressions", Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments", Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder", and a great 3-part reading of "The Sandpiper". One of our favorite albums from the 60's, and a beautiful document of one of the lesser-known streams of jazz that was coming out of the west coast during the time – and it's key proof that Ayers was an incredible jazz player in his years before moving to soul music! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest albums on Arhoolie Records – an amazing document of steel guitar bluesman Black Ace! Ace plays just like he sits on the cover – really leaning into the instrument in ways that bring out all these cool, deep inflections – completely hypnotizing on their own, with almost an unworldly feel at points – and accompanied by vocals on most tracks. Titles include "Drink On Little Girl", "Bad Times Stomp", "Farther Along", "Evil Woman", "Fore Day Creep", "Little Augie", and "Golden Slipper". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – the best document you'll ever find of the undeniable genius of Fletcher Henderson! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album from Shorty Long – issued shortly after his early death from drowning at the age of 29 – and an amazing document of the mighty soul powers he would have had in years to come! There's a depth here that Shorty never had before – a sense of power and righteousness that comes through not just in the vocals, but in the construction of the songs as well – very tight, with a musical vision that shows a sense of pride and power that was never present in Long's earlier singles. Paul Riser handled the arrangements, in a way that really illustrates that cresting Motown intensity at the start of the 70s – and titles include "Whiter Shade Of Pale", "Baby Come Home To Me", "When You Are Available", "The Deacon Work", "Give Me Some Air", "I Had A Dream", and "I Wish You Were Here". LP, Vinyl record album

A great document of the crossover between the New York Latin scene and the Catskills – the upstate resort community that was as important to the Latin groups as the uptown clubs! Like many groups of the period, Machito's found a heck of a lot of work in the Catskills during the 50s – most notably at the Concord Resort, paid tribute to by this set – which includes photos of famous Concord staffers that include swimming instructor Buster Crabbe and golf pro Jimmy Demarest! But apart from that gimmicky approach, the album's actually a strong one for Machito – showing the kind of grooves that helped his 50s group cross over big – a mix of mambo and early cha cha tracks that include "Patricia", "Guaglione", "Torero", "Cha Cha Cha Loco", "Cotillon Mambo", and "Mambo La Concord". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best records that Emitt Rhodes cut on his own after leaving The Merry Go Round – a slightly rough blend of rock, folk, and dimmed sunny pop influences – and a perfect document of the waning light of the west coast scene at the turn of the 70s. There's almost a boozy feel to the work – Rhodes' vocals a little scratchy, and the songs honestly plucked out like some of Nilsson's more intimate work – touched with occasionally more expansive instrumentation. Titles include "Side We Seldom Show", "Mirror", "Really Wanted You", "My Love Is Strong", "Better Side Of Life", "Love Will Stone You", and "Golden Child Of God". LP, Vinyl record album

The only real full length document ever issued by the Sex Pistols – an album that came out almost as the group was falling apart – yet one that's still gone on to have a hell of a place in rock and roll history! There's no denying the power of these songs, even all these many years later – and together, this mix of important singles and key album cuts offers up a bleak picture of modern life that still resonates pretty darn strongly all these many years later! The whole thing's great, and as instrumentally intense as its lyrics – with classics that include "Holidays In The Sun", "Bodies", "Anarchy In The UK", "No Feelings", "Problems", "Pretty Vacant", "God Save The Queen", "New York", "EMI", "Liar", "Submission", and "Seventeen". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful document of some of the most laidback jazz ever recorded – the sublime 50s recordings of the Johnny Smith quintet, done at a time when the lineup included Stan Getz! The tunes on the set feature Johnny's mellow electric guitar setting the pace, alongside wonderfully-blown early solos from Stan. The tunes are mostly standards, but done in a great style that's not exactly cool jazz, but which has a groundbreakingly easy groove that's simply sublime! Titles include "Tenderly", "Vilia", "A Ghost Of A Chance", "Jaguar", "Moonlight In Vermont", "Tabu", and "Where Or When". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by The Tom Tom Club – a group that started out as a side project by Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz – but which went onto have a surprising life of its own! Like the Talking Heads at the start of the 80s, Tom Tom Club were very open to pulling together rhythms from the soulful underground – bits of Caribbean influence and certainly some sounds from hip hop too – but used in these cool sing-songy tunes that also had ties to the same New York underground scene that gave the world ESG and Liquid Liquid! Yet there's also a nicely complex set of textures, too – thanks to work on the record by Adrian Belew and Steve Stanley – both of whom can balance out funky elements and more interesting textures. The record took off immediately with the track "Genius Of Love" – inspired by hip hop, and respected by that scene too – as was the album's classic "Wordy Rappinghood". The whole thing's great – an excellent document of the moment, but more timeless too – and other titles include "L'Elephant", "As Above So Below", "On On On On", "Lorelei", and "Booming & Zooming". LP, Vinyl record album

Features a few tracks each by Carey Bell's Blues Harp Band, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, and Johnny "Big Moose" Walker! Part of the early Alligator Records effort document the fading Chicago Blues underground. LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy downtown score to this NY underground film from the early 80s – a great document of the scene at the time! John Lurie plays sax on a number of tracks, and other players include Scott & Beth B (who directed the film), Richard Edson, and Kristin Hoffman. Titles include "Sleaze", "Black Box Disco", "End Zone", "The Chase", "The Roof", and "The Demo". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic illustration of the live music tradition on Brazil – one that really arose on records during the 60s, and blossomed strongly on 70s records like this – which feel almost more like an event than a recorded document! The concert features a magnificent meeting of Chico Buarque and Maria Bethania – both very strong talents on their own, balanced in this really great way amidst larger backings from Maestro Gaya – duetting on tunes that really turn into something special from their performance – never a challenge of egos, but instead a wonderful folding of strong ideals. Terra Trio provide the rhythms – and most numbers are Buarque originals – with titles that include "Flor Da Idade", "Vai Levando", "Bem Querer", "Noite Dos Mascarados", "Tanto Mar", "Gota D'Agua", "Com Acucar E Com Afeto", and "Sem Fantasia". LP, Vinyl record album

A great document of all this famous harmony trio/quartet were able to achieve during their first few years – a masterful reworking of vocal group modes from earlier rock and soul styles, taken forward towards the 70s with a spirit that's still as powerful today as it was back at the time! These tracks saw so much circulation over the years, it's easy to forget how revolutionary they were – especially when coming from artists who had roots in more familiar rock modes, but who somehow really seemed to rise together in the company of each other. Titles include "Deja Vu", "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", "Ohio", "Teach Your Children", "Our House", "Helplessly Hoping", "Wooden Ships", "Woodstock", "Helpless", "Guinnevere", and "Find The Cost Of Freedom". LP, Vinyl record album

A live document of the mid 70s Rolling Thunder Revue era! The best of it recasts classic Dylan songs as well as ones from the then recent Blood On The Tracks as raucous rock & roll tunes, which might've puzzled a lot of longtime fans, critics, and maybe even casual concertgoers at the time, but like so many initially confusing creative left turns in Dylan's career, it's a lot more fascinating in retrospect. Includes a rave-up version of "Maggie's Farm", plus "Shelter From The Storm", "Idiot Wind", "I Threw It All Away", "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again", "Lay Lady Lay", "You're A Big Girl Now" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the bigger efforts from Material – featuring the core trio of Bill Laswell, Martin Bisi, and Michael Beinhorn – plus guest work by Nona Hendryx, Nile Rodgers, Whitney Houston, Archie Shepp, Oliver Lake, and Fred Frith. The mix of jazz and soul talents comes together more nicely than you might think, thanks to Laswell's talents for crossing cultures – and although a few numbers here sound quite dated, overall the album's worth digging out at least for a document of a unique moment. Titles include "Take A Chance", "Memories", "Don't Lose Control", "Let Me Have It All", "Time Out", "Come Down", and "I'm The One'. LP, Vinyl record album

A real mind-trip – and an incredible document of the times – not just ideas floating around in the late 60s, but also new ways of making records too! The album is loosely based around ideas and writings from The Medium Is The Massage – McLuhan's important 1967 book, co-written with Quentin Fiore – and represented here as a wild sound collage that blends together music, sounds, media snippets, and readings by McLuhan, Fiore, and a host of other voices! The album's actually much more of a "happening" than a spoken word album – a real studio party that's cut up and messed up by all the added effects, sounds, and music – genius that comes from Jerome Agel, who put the whole project together – and delivered it to the loving hands of John Simon, who produced some other wonderful records of this nature for late 60s Columbia. A real delight throughout – and the kind of an album we wish people still kept making! LP, Vinyl record album

Although these days, Parliament's best remembered for their classic studio albums, back in the 70s, the real P-Funk experience was the incredible live shows served up by George Clinton and the group! George, Bootsy, and the rest were undeniably at the top of their game at the time – rolling into cities and taking them by storm with their space-themed sets, wild costumes, and intense ability to jam live with a force that even blew away their records! This double live set is a great document of the P-Funk sound of the time – and features some great tunes from mid 70s Parliament, served up in modes that range from straight to very long and drawn out. Titles include "Give Up The Funk", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "Night Of The Thumpasorous Peoples", "Let's Take It To The Stage", and "Gamin' On Ya!" – all done with the sort of live jamming feel that made their shows go on forever and groove all night long. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool, very unusual relic from the Chicago advertising scene of the 60s – a document issued by the Agency recording studios, a spot in the city's downtown – featuring narration from Frank Sweeney, as he takes you through a whole host of ads and jingles recorded by the company! Includes compositions by Johnny Frigo, Sid Siegel, and others – and vocals from Ken Nordine, Js With Jamie, Len Dressler, and others. Lots of very cool 60s commercials! LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual document of the legendary scene around CBGB's on the lower east side – one that gets at the great range of music that passed through the doors of the clubs, in addition to some of the better known punk acts who helped form its legend! The music here runs the gamut from seminal new wave to bar rock – and the choice of cuts is interesting, most likely culled together from acts who didn't have any sort of record label contract at the time. Titles include "Head Over Heels", "Slash" and "All For The Love Of Rock And Roll" by the Tuff Darts; "Operetico", "AVM" and "Poe" by the Shirts; "Cadillac Moon", "Change It Comes" and "Let Me Dream If I Want To" by Mink Deville; "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" and "I'm Really Not this Way" by Manster, "We Deliver" by the Miamis, "I Need A Million" and "It Feels Alright Tonight" by the Laughing Dogs, "Romance" by Sun, and "Everybody's Depraved" by Stuart's Hammer. LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by the second group to call themselves the Last Poets – and as fierce a document of their rich talents as you'll ever find – bursting forth with anger and righteousness at a level as tight as Gil Scott-Heron's first album! The group here is the key second lineup of the ensemble of wordsmiths – comprised of Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, and Omar Ben Hassan, plus the percussionist Nilaja – and most cuts feature only spare percussion backing over the spoken protest poetry – delivered with a brutal edge that really sums up the righteous politics of the time. Titles include "Run, N*gger", "On The Subway", "When The Revolution Comes", "Jones Comin' Down", "Black Thighs", "N*ggers Are Scared Of Revolution", and "Wake Up, N*ggers" – all of which should give you a good picture of what's going on with the record! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful free-flowing work by Cecil Taylor – and a key album to document his solo piano genius in the 70s! The album's an extended live performance, recorded at Montreux in 1974 – in an open, unbridled style that really shows the open spirit in Taylor's work at the time. The set includes one long piece, divided into 5 movements that include "Abyss", "Petals & Filaments", and "Crossing" – plus 2 shorter tracks "Jitney No 2" and "After All No 2". LP, Vinyl record album

A great later Norman Granz live production – with work by Ella Fitzgerald, Flip Phillips, Illinois Jacquet, Louis Armstrong, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and others! The original album is a landmark historic document, as it was the first ever live jazz album recorded at the legendary LA venue. The set opens with with the Norman Granz intro that leads to the Jam Session portion with Harry Edison, Roy Eldridge, Illinois Jacquet, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich, rolling nicely into material led by Art Tatum on piano, including "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Begin The Beguine", "Willow Weep For Me" and "Humoresque". From there, Ella Fitzgerald and her group dig into "Love For Sale", "Little Girl Blue", and more. The set also features a couple of great numbers by the Oscar Peterson Trio: "9:20 Special" and "How 'Bout You" – and closes with a pair of numbers featuring Ella out front of Louie Armstrong and his group. LP, Vinyl record album

Part 3 of a series of double LPs issued by Verve in the late 70s compiling his classic recordings for Verve under the direction of Norman Granz. Loads of landmark bop performances are documented here, and the groups include smaller quintets and quartets, as well as some medium sized groups and big band recordings, with sidemen that include Max Roach, Percy Heath, Teddy Kotick, Walter Bishop and others. 30 tracks in all, including "Autumn In New York", "Stella By Starlight", "Begin The Beguine", "Night & Day", "I Can't Get Started", "Old Folks", "I Remember You", "Now's The Time", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Love For Sale" and "I Love Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer funk from the Italian scene of the 70s – work by the Pulsar Music Ltd combo, originally used as the soundtrack for the crime classic Milano Violenta! Italian crime films were really hitting their height at the time – documenting the new wave of terror that was hitting the cities in the 70s – and music like this perfectly set the scene, with a sharp mix of funk, jazz, and other urban elements – all served up in a non-stop barrage of totally great cuts, of the sort that you'd only find sparsely on American soundtracks of the period. Music is composed by Italian jazz great Enrico Pieranunzi with Silvano Chimenti – and titles include "Leyla Theme", "Running", "Walking At Sunrise", "Six In", "Swinging Day", "Blue Funk", "Dreamland", and "Cat Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Weather Report at the height of their 70s fame – captured live in a double-length set, very much the practice for jazz superstars of the time! The format is familiar – but the liveness gives the album a slightly different feel than their studio sets – a sound that echoes out strongly along with thunderous applause from the crowds, who are themselves clearly situated in some very large arenas. And while the studio Weather Report albums are easily documents of the group's power themselves, it's something extra to hear the crowd going nuts for them here – cheering on Jaco Pastorius during a frenetic bass solo, roaring with approval at a Joe Zawinul keyboard bit, or clapping with enthusiasm after Wayne Shorter finishes a snakey solo. Tracks are all longish, and titles include "Scarlet Woman", "Black Market", "Birdland", "Thanks For The Memory", "8:30", "Brown Street", "In A Silent Way", and "Slang". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic testament to the genius of Stevie Wonder – a collection that brings together some of his most important work of the 70s, plus a few new tracks too – all graced with a back cover note that proudly states "written, arranged, and produced by Stevie Wonder"! That note is key to the strength of the set – as it documents Wonder's rise from child soul phenomenon to adult American composer – a voice that was one of the strongest of the 70s in finding a new sense of pride and power for the generation. The whole thing's great – as you'd expect – and even after all these years, the set stands as one of the best ways to jump into Stevie's work of the 70s. Titles include "Living For The City", "Superstition", "Front Line", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Superwoman", "I Wish", "Sir Duke", "Higher Ground", "Boogie On Reggae Woman", "Do I Do", "Ribbon In The Sky", "Master Blaster (Jammin)", and "Isn't She Lovely". LP, Vinyl record album

The "pair" here is Phil Woods and Gene Quill – both blowing beautifully on alto sax, with that sharp edge and deep tone that made both players a real standout in the 50s scene! The Woods/Quill mix has been documented elsewhere, but the sound here is rawer than some of those other dates – a bit less formal, with a nice blowing session sort of groove. There's also a pair of trumpets, too – Donald Byrd and Kenny Dorham – and rhythm is from the trio of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. All tracks are quite long – and the album features 4 titles that include "The Stanley Stomper", "Cool Aid", "Suddenly It's Spring", and "Pairing Off". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest spoken word records ever recorded, and certainly one of the oddest to ever be issued by the LA rock powerhouse label Del-Fi – a set that has Sheldon Allman in coversation with actual drunks! The approach is a bit crazy, and Allman's maybe a bit of a bully – but the whole thing is a fascinating relic from a time when records were the closest thing to documentary for many subjects. LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, February 7-10, 1983. A HUGE amount of material! Includes the tracks "Say Hello", "Walk The Dog", "Violin Solo", "Closed Circuits", "For A Large And Changing Room", "Pictures Of It", "Language Of The Future", "Reverb", "If You Can't Talk About It, Point To It", "City Song", "Finnish Farmers", "Democratic Way", "Private Property", "Neon Duet", "Difficult Listening Hour", "So Happy Birthday", "Dance Of Electricity", "Sax Duet", "Born, Never Asked", "From The Air", "Beginning French", "Talkshow", "Cello Solo", "Blue Lagoon", "Stiff Neck", "Hothead", "Telephone Song", "Sweaters", "We've Got Four Big Clocks", "I Dreamed I Had To Take A Test", "Big Top", "It Was Up In The Mountains", "Big Science", "Red Map", "Strike", "False Documents", and many, many more! LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Charlie Byrd was one of the first American players to record bossa nova tunes – but although his work with Stan Getz has always been well-documented, some of the titles under his own name can be quite hard to come by. This is one of the best ones that Charlie cut on his own – and it features tight guitar work in a mode that's similar to that used by Baden Powell on his early bossa recordings, augmented by trio rhythms – plus some occasional larger backings by Walter Raim, and some extended group settings that feature Charlie Hampton on alto, Earl Swope on trombone, and Willie Rodriguez on percussion. Tracks include "Ho Ba La La", "Samba Triste", "Yvone", "O Barquinho", "Un Abraco Do Bonfa", and "O Passaro". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a handful of documents from the late 50s of an early incarnation of Ornette's group, that still featured piano, before he decided to pursue the more limitless possibilities of a keyless harmelodic group. Paul Bley joins Ornette, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins in this seminal recording, which offers an altogether different perspective on Coleman's formative years developing the free concept. 4 numbers in all: "Klactoveesedstene", "I Remember Harlem", "The Blessing" and "Free". LP, Vinyl record album

Cypress Hill's debut masterpiece – one of the biggest and best first albums in 90s hip hop! There's little we can add to the canon when it comes to describing this album's impact, but it's still pretty revelatory. Like other west coast rap heavies of the time, Cypress Hill documents real world street violence with a darkly comic sensibility, redefined usage of the word "blunt" forever more, and simply delivered one of the most influential rap (or rock, considering the astonishing crossover success) albums of the decade. Titles include "How I Could Just Kill A Man", "Hand On The Pump", "Hole In The Head", "Real Estate", "Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk", "Phunky Feel One", "Pigs", "Latin Lingo", "Something For The Blunted", and "Psychobeatbuckdown". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly big collection of tracks from Milt – documenting his oft-forgotten years at Impulse Records, plus a few more sides from albums he cut with other folks for ABC. The range of the material is far greater than you might think – and takes Milt way past the MJQ stylings of more famous recordings, into a span of tunes that include soul jazz, hardbop, and even a few funky numbers! Titles include "I Love You", "Braddock Breakdown", "Who Can I Turn To", "Queen Mother Stomp", "Bags' Groove", "Evening In Paris", "Put It Off", and "Gingerbread Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

Despite the fact that he was a showy bombastic drummer in his big band days during the early 50s, Gene Krupa made some fantastic small group sessions – and this is one of them! The record features two different groups – one with the great Willie Smith on alto, the other with Ben Webster on tenor – and both of them are tightly swinging combos with a very mature sound. Smith is an especially nice treat here – as his incredible alto playing is woefully underdocumented, and only really shows up on a few small Verve sessions like this. Titles include "Jungle Drums", "Showcase", "Midget", and "Overtime". LP, Vinyl record album

Reissue of a rare Teddy Charles album that also featured Booker Little and Booker Ervin. The album features the inventive vibist caught live in New York at a Metronome sponsored gig featuring Mingus alums Mal Waldron, Booker Ervin and Booker Little. The set includes one expansive Charles original, "Take Three Parts Jazz", a Little original "The Confined Few", Ervin's "Scoochie" and Waldron's "Cycles", along with a few standards. The music is fantastic, and is a mix of modernist modal themes with rich soul jazz playing. Ervin and Little are fantastic, and their sharp edgey sounds are a perfect contrast with Charles' moody vibes. Very little of Teddy Charles' work, which ranged from introspective avant garde pieces with Jimmy Giuffre to more swing based collaborations with Mingus, has been documented, this piece showcases his New Directions Quartet in a unique setting, with inspired guests. LP, Vinyl record album

The LP that followed up Barry's classic pop folk track "Eve Of Destruction". The track still sends a shiver up our spines – probably more because we've seen it used in a million documentaries, than because of any actual power in the song. Still, it's a darn groovy track, and the LP has a number of other nice ones written by P.F. Sloan, including "Mr. Man On The Street (act 1)", "What's Exactly the Matter With Me", and "The Sins Of A Family". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost spiritual jazz classic from pianist Nate Morgan – maybe the musician's best-remembered moment, and for good reason too! The set's got this soaring, spiritual vibe that's much more early 70s than you'd guess from the date of recording – a post-Coltrane spirit with lots of modal energy in the rhythms, carved out by Nate in these bold, dark lines on piano – and topped with some excellent work on alto sax from the great Dadisi Komolate! Both players were key figures in the under-documented LA scene of this period – and work together to make tremendous sounds on this album – on titles that include "He Left Us A Song", "Journey Into Nigritia", "Morning Prayer", "Mother", and "Study in CT". LP, Vinyl record album

You might not be able to understand the lyrics, but you'll definitely be moved by the instant charm of Malaysian rocker Adnan Othman – a singer who works here in a groovy blend of fuzzy guitar, mod rhythms, and all the other great sounds we love from late 60s French and British tracks of the time! In fact, there may be more French elements at work here than some of the more typical Anglo-influenced singers in Southeast Asia at the time – especially those romping rhythms and jangly guitar lines of the yeh-yeh generation, which really get these tunes moving even before Othman comes in with his vocals. By the end of the set, Adnan's expanding his sound a bit – moving from the work with The Rhythmn Boys that takes up most of the collection, to singing with The Wanderers and Flamingoes – all documented nicely in the notes and images in the package. Titles include "Bila Kah Gembira", "Doa Ku", "Bershukor", "Sapu Tangan", "Hari Bahagia", "Berlenggang", "Merana", "Mormah", and "Hidupu Tambah Gembira". LP, Vinyl record album

Part 2 of a series of double LPs issued by Verve in the late 70s compiling Bird's classic recordings for Verve under the direction of Norman Granz. Loads of landmark bop performances are documented here, mostly smaller groups, but several with orchestral backing too, with sidemen that include Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Hank Jones, Ray Brown, Thelonius Monk and others. 22 tracks in all, including "The Bird", "Passport", "April In Paris", "Summertime", "Everything Happens To Me", "Star Eyes", "Mohawk", "Leapfrog" and "Relaxin' With Lee". LP, Vinyl record album

The soundtrack to the Sex Pistols quote/unquote documentary The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle – a crazy mess of Pistols odds, ends and quote/unquote hits – including Sid's crazy-as-hell take on Sinatra, the weird quote/unquote French version of "Anarchy In The UK" and miscellaneous errata. Definitely one of weirdest chapters of Sex Pistols lore, which kind makes it a necessity! Includes "Johnny B Goode", "Road Runner", "Anarchy In The UK", "Substitute", "Lonely Boy", "God Save The Queen", "You Need Hands", "Black Arabs", "Silly Things", "Something Else", "My Way", "The Great Rock 'N'Roll Swindle" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album by the legendary soul jazz genius Bobby Timmons! The record is from one of Timmons' lesser-documented periods, when he was really opening up a lot, and going like mad on the keyboard, in a way that was even more spectacular than his early sessions with Art Blakey! The playing's fantastic, the writing's great, and there's so much going on that you're bound to forget that it's just a piano trio at work. Includes the great "Chun King", which is a nice long groover – plus some other nice ones like "Walking Death" and "Gettin' it Togetha". LP, Vinyl record album

80s issue of some seminal recordings of some of the most influential, yet unde-documented jazz pianists of the bop and post bop eras. There's three tracks by the Bebop Boys, with Bud Powell, Kenny Dorham, Sonny Stitt, Al Hall and Kenny Clarke: "Bebop In Pastel", "Seven Up" and "Blues In Bebop". Following that there's 5 stellar tracks from Lennie Tristano's trio with Billy Bauer and John Levy, performing his cerebral and vastly influential music on two takes of "Supersonic", plus "On A Planet", "Air Pocket" and "Celestia" and fouor popping bop numbers from Herbie Nichols in a small group rolling through "'s Wonderful", "Nichols & Dimes", "Who's Blues" and "My Lady Gingersnap". There's also a batch of trio sides from Dodo Marmarosa and the under-recorded George Wallington, and a nice handful of bop numbers from the Kenny Clarke Quintet featuring Horace Silver. 27 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare recording from Charlie Mariano's "lost" years in Japan – an under-documented period of his career next to earlier American work and later 70s European fusion! At the time of the set, Charlie was living in Japan with (then) wife pianist Toshiko Akioshi – and opening up tremendously from a musical standpoint – exploring new sounds and new modes of expression that really took him a long way beyond the straighter jazz of his roots. This set has Charlie working with Japanese reedman Sadao Watanabe, in a session that features both players on alto sax, but also using folkloric flutes as well – mixing the crisper sax work with earthier, more organic tones that really make the album sound tremendous! This aspect of the record is featured on 2 long tracks – "God Has Mercy" and "Stone Garden Of Ryoanji" – both of which were written by Mariano, and which have a wonderful "jazz meets world" feel – nicely balanced by the more traditional jazz numbers "I Thought About You" and "Iberian Waltz", the latter of which is still a relatively exploratory Mariano number that runs for over 16 minutes! LP, Vinyl record album

Frenetic and energetic work from James White and the Blacks – a seminal album in the post-punk New York scene, and one of the fiercest documents of the no wave sound! White combines jagged punk rock guitars with some more funk-inspired rhythms and odd traces of free jazz – all sifted into one genre-f*cking album that grabs you from the get-go! The sound is incredible – an inspiration for countless other groups, but rarely duplicated as well – with tracks that include "Bleached Black", "White Devil", "Almost Black", "Heat Wave", "Stained Sheets", and "Contort Yourself". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic live album from the great Betty Wright – and one of the few recorded documents of the way that classic soul singers would evolve the nature of their songs in a concert setting! Betty's recording for Alston/TK here, but the mode she uses is one that would grace countless performances to come from lots of her southern soul contemporaries, including many who would end up recording for Malaco in the 80s – this warmly personal, all-entertainment approach that really heightens the spirit of the singer way past their familiar songs and lyrics. Betty does some great monologue bits on the album – the most famous of which is on her 8 minute take of "Tonight Is The Night" – hugely superior to the studio version. There's also a great "Clean Up Woman Medley", in which betty sings that song and mixes it with bits of other 70s songs over the course of 11 minutes – showing that she's the one and only clean up woman! Other tracks include "Where Is The Love", "You Can't See For Lookin", "Lovin Is Really My Game", and "A Song For You". LP, Vinyl record album

The resurgence of one of the most groundbreaking periods in recent groove history – the almost-forgotten post-punk years in England, a time of incredible musical convergence! In the heady days of the early 80s – a time when much music was being lost under a gloss of big hair, tinny keyboards, and wispy vocals – a small underground of British musicians were bringing together bits of funk, punk, disco, reggae, and 70s electronica – crafting dark and funky little tunes the likes of which we've barely heard since! A number of these groups went onto do much larger (and weaker) recordings – but this package brilliantly documents the edgy brilliance at the beginning of the post punk years: a nihilistic horizon on the other end of punk – no longer angry, caustic, and shouting, on one hand with the wind knocked out of its apparent sails, on the other, slowly fomenting in secret places, coming up with music far more powerful than punk ever was. And for some strange reason, much of it was pretty darn funky – thanks to a heavy use of simple electric bass, scattershot (sometimes primitive) drum parts, and nice electronic touches, almost in an inverse to American electro. The music more than speaks for itself – and the set's as classic a batch of tunes from the time as we'd ever heard. Titles include "Shack Up" and "Knife Slits Water" by A Certain Ratio, "In The Beginning There Was Rhythm" by The Slits, "20 Jazz Funk Greats" by Throbbing Gristle, "Vegas El Bandito" and "Coup" by 23 Skidoo, "She Is Beyond Good & Evil" by The Pop Group, "Being Boiled" by The Human League, "To Hell With Poverty" by Gang Of Four, and "24 Track Loop" by This Heat. LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary Norman Granz Jazz Scene collection – a limited package of that documented the styles and sounds of modern jazz at the time, one of those super-rare collectibles that you never ever see! A rare treasure both visually and musically – as the edgey recordings are in the best late 40s modern mode, blending bop, swing, and influences from other fields – really incredible work that deserves to be heard again and again! Features work by Charlie Parker, Willie Smith, Bud Powell, Machito, Duke Ellington, Ralph Burns, Lester Young, Neal Hefti, and Coleman Hawkins! LP, Vinyl record album

A very unusual concert from Billie Holiday – one that features narration by Gilbert Millstein, telling the story of Billie's life! The format is quite unusual – almost a live documentary, with the subject of the documentary there in person herself! Millstein narrates from the start, and Billie emerges with songs throughout – using Millstein's narration to bracket portions of her career, then delivering the tunes associated with that portion. Backing is by an all-hip group that includes Coleman Hawkins, Kenny Burrell, Chico Hamilton, Roy Eldridge, and Buck Clayton – and titles include "I Cried For You", "My Man", "Don't Explain", "Lady Sings The Blues", "Body & Soul", "I Love My Man", and "Yesterdays". LP, Vinyl record album

Kendrick Lamarr waited quite a long time to give the world a follow-up to his classic DAMN – and for good reason too, as the rapper's been on a long personal journey that's documented strongly on the record! The Kendrick heard here is much more introspective than before – and that's saying a lot, given his previous approach – and tunes here deal with issues of personal struggle, healing, and redemption – but all with the kind of sharp edges and sense of fragility that keeps the record from ever feeling to smug or full of itself. Opinions started flying about the record right from the start, and there's plenty here to build your own understanding too – on titles that include "Father Time", "Die Hard", "United In Grief", "We Cry Together", "Count Me Out", "Purple Hearts", "Rich Spirit", "Crown", "Savior", and "Silent Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

1970s reissue of Bird's incomparable Dial sides, cut during the height of the Bop age. Though the cover just has a generic photo of Bird, there's extensive notes on the back, and the tracks are arranged in a documentary sort of fashion, lining up all the takes together, so you can hear Bird developing his solos and working through his unique concept, with support from Dizzy Gillespie, Lucky Thompson, Miles Davis & Dodo Marmarosa. Several takes each of "Moose the Mooche", "Yardbird Suite", "Ornithology", "Night & Tunisia" and others. LP, Vinyl record album