Quite possibly the greatest record that Don Ellis ever recorded – and his hippest too! The trumpeter's playing here with a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on alto and piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – coming together perfectly in that arch-modern style that you'd find on the best Candid albums from the time. Ellis tone is skittish and fragile – and sounds here almost like he's working in a Mingus-y mode, quite possibly because Byard's influence on the session is pretty strong. Titles include "Waste", "A Simplex One", and "Sallie" – and side two features an extended "Improvisational Suite #1". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's partly an album by massive funk trio Khruangbin, and partly a tribute to some of the musicians they worked with on a recent tour – as side one has the other performers in the lead, while Khruangbin gets plenty of instrumental space on the flipside! The group themselves turn in a great James Brown tribute in the mix of "Blind Man Can See It/It's The Monaurail" – and also serve up "Bin Bin", "Friday Moring", "People Everywhere", and "Number 4". Other titles include "Nobody Smokes Anymore" by Robert Ellis, "Woman Trouble" by Kelly Doyle, "At The Trailride" by Ruben Moreno, and "Don't Bother Me" by The Suffers. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary Jamaican group finally get their time in the spotlight – as Sound Dimension backed up plenty of artists in the glory days of Studio One – singers who include Alton Ellis, The Heptones, Horace Andy, and dozens of others – while also getting the chance to cut some killer instrumental work on their own! The lineup is the stuff of legends – Ernest Ranglin on guitar, Jackie Mittoo on Hammond, Cedric Brooks on reeds, and Vin Gordon on trombone – plus other musicians who really help keep things soulful throughout, and make the music here a blinding set of instrumentals from the late ska years into early reggae rhythms! Titles include "Soul Shake", "The Thing", "Holy Moses", "Hail Don D", "Full Up", "Love Land", "Bitter Blood", "Baby Face", and "Man Pon Spot". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Aahh, sweet lover's rock, and all from Studio One no less! Whether you're looking to set the mood for a late night rub up, or just want to cool out to some mellow island vibes, this batch of easy rockin' lover's numbers cut under the supervision of Coxsone Dodd is just the ticket. You get sweet soulful numbers from Studio One stalwarts, plus a number of nice tracks by some lesser known stars in the Studio One galaxy, and as you'd expect from a Soul Jazz set, it's wrapped up quite nicely. 18 tracks in all, including "I Don't Know Why" by Delroy Wilson, "Touch Me Baby" by Myrna Hague, "Darling I Need Your Loving" by John Holt & The Paragons, "Ten To One" by The Mad Lads, "Reggae Magic" by Jackie Mittoo, "Too Long Will Be Too Late" by Freddy & Jenny, "Let Him Try" by Alton Ellis, "Don't Wait For Me" by Albert Tomlinson, "Got To Be Sure" by Horace Andy, "Ready To Learn" by the Heptones, 'We're All Alone" by Doreen Schaefer and more! LP, Vinyl record album

American grooves go Kingston – as the set features a wonderful assortment of funk and soul classics, all delivered here in reggae-styled versions! The approach is similar to the material featured in the older Reggae Disco collection from Soul Jazz – but the mix of modes here is much more expansive – so that you'll get some cuts that are very heavy in a New York clubby groove, while others are much more Jamaican in approach – and have an American soul tune bending down towards more reggae-oriented territory. As always with Soul Jazz, the choice of cuts is wonderful – and includes "Move On Up" by Devon Russell, "Caught You In A Lie" by Derrick Harriott, "Young Hearts Run Free" by Hortense Ellis, "Wanna Be Startin Somethin" by Ed Watson & Brass Circle, "For The Love Of You" by Bill Campbell, "Flight To Jamaica" by Crashers, "Fool's Paradise" by Valerie Harrison, "Reasons" by Seventh Extension, "Don't Let Love Get You Down" by Pete Campbell & The Sunshine Girls, "In The Rain" by Webby Jay, and "Just A Groove" by Glen Adams Affair. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's way more than just another dip into the legendary catalog of the Studio One label – as there's a well-chosen selection of cuts here that go well past the hits, and really live up to the kind of "classics" promised in the title! It's no secret that Studio One was one of the first and most important studios and labels to rise up on the Kingston scene at the end of the 60s – pioneering impeccable production, tight musicianship, and the kind of soul-drenched vocals that helped Jamaican music rich a much larger global audience – music that's given a fantastic showcase here on titles that include "No Man Is An Island" by Dennis Brown, "Simmer Down" by The Wailers, "I'm Just A Guy" by Alton Ellis, "Rocking Time" by Burning Spear, "Confucious" by Don Drummond, "Rub A Dub Style" by Michigan & Smiley, "Fever" by Horace Andy, "School" by Prince Jazzbo, "Love Me Forever" by Carlton & The Shoes, "Rockfort Rock" by Sound Dimension, "Pretty Looks Isn't All" by The Heptones, and "El Pussycat Ska" by The Skatalites. LP, Vinyl record album

Soul Jazz gets the royal treatment, or should we say gives us the royal treatment! The royal court is in session with a fine, fine batch of today's sound today, another regal dip into the Studio One vaults, showcasing the top male vocal stars in Coxsone Dodd's stable! The set includes both classic cuts and some well chosen lesser known nuggets, and as you now know (or are about to find out) the Soul Jazz selectors pull together a compilation fit for a king! 17 numbers in all, including "I've Got To Make It" by Larry Marshall, "Every Tongue Shall Tell" by Horace Andy, "Well Run Dry" by Alton Ellis, 'Water More Than Flour" by Johnny Osbourne, "I Am The Ruler" by Anthony Rocky Ellis, "Pretty Looks Isn't All" by Cornell Campbell, "Please Be True" by Alexander Henry, "Them A Come" by Burning Spear, "Change Of Plan" by Joe Higgs, "Roots Natty" by Devon Russell, "Be Yourself" by Ken Boothe, "I Shall Be Released" by Freddie McGregor, "Father Will Cut You Off" by Freddie McKay, "Locust" by the Ethiopian, "One, One" by George Philip, "I Don't Want To See You Cry" by John Holt and "Won't You Come Home" by Delroy Wilson. LP, Vinyl record album

A host of rare gems from the early years of Lee Perry's legendary Black Ark studios – material recorded by Scratch himself, on some cuts featuring The Upsetters, others some close contemporaries – but all nicely unified here by contributions from Lee at just about every level! As with other Pressure Sounds collections, the approach here is wonderful – way past the entry-level reggae collections you might get elswhere, but also not overwhelmed with trainspotter attention to rareness over quality – as the cuts here are all pretty darn great, and feature many gems from the early reggae years that really show Perry's diversity past his own recordings. The set includes a number of Upsetters version recordings of vocal tunes – and titles include "Set Yourself Up" by The Upsetters, "Brotherly Love" by Henrick Nicholson, "Roots Train (previously unreleased dub plate mix)" by Junior Murvin, "Woman Gotta Have Love (previously unreleased dub plate mix)", "Say A Little Prayer (12" mix)" by Eric Donaldson, "Mr Cravin" by Junior Murvin, "Such Is Life (version)" by The Upsetters, "Nu Fi Run It Down" by Danny Clarke, "Ska Baby" by Bobby Ellis, and "Such Is Life" by Lord Creator. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool criss-crossing of classic and contemporary jazz cuts – all put together by the same folks who've given us the excellent Jazz Room reissue label in recent years! The vibe here is expanded past the 70s and 80s material reissued by that label – and the right use of more recent cuts really does a lot to open up the music – expanding the palette in really wonderful ways, while still holding onto plenty of the classic jazz dance modes that first started taking over the UK clubs in the early years of Gilles Peterson and some of his contemporaries! Titles include "Niger Mambo" by Chieck Tidiane Seck, "African Flutes" by Clare Fischer, "Water No Get Enemy" by Daniel Crawford, "Sounds" by Eternal Buzz Brass Band, "Don't You Want Me" by Fast 3, "Golden Brown" by Take Vibe, "The Hipster" by Florian Pellissier, "Black & Decker" by Raul Monsalve Y Los Forajidos, "Jazz Carnival" by Cruisic, and "Rebel No 27 (7" edit)" by Chip Wickham. LP, Vinyl record album

An overdue look at the great range of sounds that came from Inner City Records at the end of the 70s – a hip American indie with a strong specialty in soulful fusion, hip vocalists, and a range of other great styles too – all brought together here by London DJ Kev Beadle! Inner City's often a bit overlooked – as the label flourished most strongly in the years after some of the better-known soulful imprints of the 70s – and the label always had a great ear for new sounds, fresh ideas, and the kind of compelling global elements that often led them to license key tracks from overseas, and bring them to the US market. This collection's heavy on singers – the kind of cool, underground jazz vocalists that Inner City captured so well – and it's also got a nice mix of funky fusion, modal numbers, and spiritual currents – on titles that include "The Other World" by Judy Roberts, "Hunt Up Wind" by Hiroshi Fukumura, "Vera Cruz" by Helen Merrill, "Lucky Southern" by Tom Lellis, "Quickie Nirvana" by Kellis Ethridge, "Samba De La Cruz" by Terumasa Hino, "So High" by Janet Lawson, "The Samba" by Jeff Lorber, "Return Of The Prodigal Son" by Joe Lee Wilson, "Shenkansen" by Urszula Dudziak, "To An Elfin Princess" by Charlie Mariano, "Pandora" by Carlos Franzetti, and "Jennine" by Eddie Jefferson. LP, Vinyl record album

Essential dub material from the legendary King Tubby – a set that's one of the best of the genre during the classic years – and which stands as a true testament to how great the format can be when handled right! The watchword here is simplicity – as the key elements are almost isolated in little sonic chambers, then set to resonate alongside each other – pulled from rhythms from tracks initially done as vocal productions, but reworked through the mixing talents of Erroll "ET" Thompson and Tubby. Players include Bobby Ellis on trumpet, Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall on tenor, and Augustus Pablo on organ and piano, plus a bit of clarinet. Titles include "Keep On Dubbing", "Stop Them Jah", "Young Generation Dub", "Each One Dub", "555 Dub Street", "Braces Tower Dub", "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown", "Corner Crew Dub", "Say So", "Skanking Dub", and "Frozen Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Four incredible albums from Hammond legend Brian Auger – a key link between jazz and the headier sounds of the UK scene at the end of the 60s! First up is Open – one of the amazing early albums from the team of Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger – kind of a next-generation to the Brit beat group sound of the mid 60s – one that moves beyond simple R&B modes, to bring in more sophisticated soul and jazz touches! Driscoll's vocals are amazing – some of the boldest belted out in the British scene at the time – and Auger's Hammond work really cooks throughout – at a level that easily makes him one of the best UK organists to hit the scene, amidst some very heady company in the 60s. There's a few bluesy moments, but our favorites are the funky ones – especially the group's reading of "Season Of The Witch", which is tremendous. Other cuts include "In & Out", "Black Cat", "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph", and "Break It Up". Definitely What is a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky style that's clearly touched by chromatic inspirations from Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith – both of whom are referenced by some of the song structures on the set. The album's filled with killer organ-based instrumentals – some lean and stripped down, others full and rich – and all of them coming across with a richly soulful sound that you'd hardly expect from a member of the British rock scene! Titles include "Day In The Life", "Red Beans", "Definitely What!", and his classic "Bumpin' On Sunset". Streetwise is filled great funky grooves by the legendary Trinity group – featuring excellent keyboard work by Brian Auger, recorded during the period when he was really beginning to stretch out a bit, and hit a much more open-ended kind of sound. Julie Driscoll is still on vocals, singing in her raw sound, but Brian's Trinity group gets a fair number of nice instrumental moments on the set – which are greatly appreciated! Titles include the classic and sample laden "Light My Fire", "Czechoslovakia", "Finally Found You Out", "In Search Of The Sun", "Ellis Island", "I've Got Life", and "Save The Country". Befour is the third album from Brian Auger & The Trinity – and the first to feature the group recording without vocals from Julie Driscoll! The sound here is just as soulful as before – a tight take on American soul jazz and funky soul of the 60s – pushed along by Auger's mighty work on the Hammond organ, and featuring (this time around) some male lead vocals, which seem to give the album an even deeper feel than earlier work! Auger's included some great covers of American tunes like "I Want To Take You Higher", "Listen Here", and "Maiden Voyage" – all redone with some great Brit beat group touches – and the album also features a great take on Faure's "Pavane", and Auger's own "Just You Just Me". LP, Vinyl record album