A very cool little set – not a hokey album of big band music, but instead a set that has Hammond hero Shirley Scott taking on some of the same territory as Jimmy Smith on Verve Records! By that, we mean that she teams with arranger Oliver Nelson – who gives Shirley a very cool groove, and 60s updates of older tunes that turn out to be a perfect setting for her soaring solos on the organ! Titles include "Tippin In", "Roll 'Em", "For Dancers Only", "Little Brown Jug", "Sophisticated Swing", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". LP, Vinyl record album

Romantic bossa work from the lovely Sylvia Telles – an album that predates her 60s albums for Elenco, and which almost has an equal amount of jazz in the mix as well! Sylvia was one of the few Brazilian singers of her generation who could work equally well in English as well as Portuguese – and one track here is an extended medley of the American standards "All The Way", "The Boy Next Door", and "They Can't Take That Away From Me" – sung in a lightly jazzy style that's totally great. Other tracks are a mix of bossa standards by Jobim, Roberto Menescal, Joao Gilberto, and others – recorded with backings that are light and sweet, and which sometimes include a bit of harmony vocals in the chorus – a nice touch, and one that gives the record a nice sense of variety! Titles include "Dindi", "Nao Gosto Mais De Mim", "Gardez Moi Pour Toujours", "Samba Torto", "Corcovado", "Tete", "Chora Tua Tristeza", and "Oba-La-La". LP, Vinyl record album

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A crucial full-length set from underground Chicago MC Vakill – an artist who was popping up on obscure 12" singles and cassette-only releases in the 90s – really given a chance to shine here with superb Molemen production! The record's got that great Chitown underground vibe of the time – really creative use of samples next to straightforward lyrics – just the right amount of sophistication to set things apart from the charts, but without any too-bedroom modes either! Tracks include "Am I Dope Or What", "Something Terrible", "Amen", "A Chi-Ago 91", "Check Me Out 91", "My Heaven Your Hell", "Who's Afraid", and "Amen (rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazingly beautiful album, recorded by Vinicius De Moraes, Dorival Caymmi, Oscar Castro-Neves, and The Quarteto Em Cy for some sort of a special show. Castro-Neves provides some excellent bossa backing, the Quarteto girls sing chorus and over the top, Vinicius does some recitations, and Caymmi sings lead vocals. If the whole thing sound's a bit heavy-handed, it's not – and instead is an amazing batch of heavenly bossa-tinged tracks, with all the intelligence and imagination of the best titles on the Elenco label. The whole thing's extremely lively, and has an other-worldly sound that matches Vinicius' classic Afro Sambas LP with Baden Powell. Tracks include "Bom Dia Amigo", "Berimbau", "Historia De Pescadores", "Formosa", "Broto Maroto", and "Aruanda". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Howlin' Wolf, Ma Rainey, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner & His Kings Of Rhythm, Lou Sargent, Johnny Cash, Warren Smith, Carl Perkins, Billy Love, James Cotton, and Frank Frost. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by pianist Ronnell Bright – a player best known for his accompaniment behind famous vocalists, like Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson – but who's also a jell of a jazz musician when he gets to shine on his own! This rare date was cut in Paris – at a time when Bright was visiting the city with Vaughan – and it's a stripped-down trio date with a nicely relaxed feel – one that has Bright really opening up on the keys, in ways you don't always hear on his material with singers. Other players in the trio include Richard Davis on bass and Art Morgan on drums – and titles include "Johnnie Pate's Blues", "Sail Em", "Doxology", "Chasing Sarah", and "R&R Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

An easy-going, openly-swinging set from British reedman Sandy Brown – long live tracks that feature lots of deft clarinet work from Sandy, plus some tightly swinging rhythms from a combo that includes Ray Crane on trumpet, Brian Lemon on piano, Phil Bates on bass, and Mike Scott on drums! There's certainly trad roots to the music, but the execution is much more bop-inflected overall – especially given the long tracks that allow plenty of room for solo work – which almost gives the record the feel of a Buddy DeFranco appearance in a Verve Jam Session! Titles include "Splanky", "In The Evenin", "I Got It Bad", "Royal Garden Blues", and "Roll Em Pete". LP, Vinyl record album

An album recorded in the Netherlands, but a set that hits right to the heart of RL Burnside's Mississippi roots – thanks to a beautifully spare, careful presentation of the music! Most numbers feature just Burnside on vocals and guitar – with a vibe that's similar to the field recordings that first introduced the world to his talents – those delta-raised styles that have an immediate tie back to the early years of blues on 78rpm discs, especially in this session – where RL seems to almost be reaching back further than the style of some of his other recordings of the same period. Titles include "Skinny Woman", "See What My Buddy Done", "Shake Em On Down", "Don't Care How Long You're Gone", "Jumper On The Line", "Long Haired Doney", and "Greyhound Bus Station". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy folk soul survivor Terry Callier returns to Mr Bongo with Hidden Conversations – with Terry's soul searching lyricism, warm vocals, and mood setting acoustic guitar paired with laidback production by trip hop pioneer Robert Del Naha of Massive Attack! The styles work pretty well together – Terry's way with a song and his performances are built ready to soar, even at their most stripped down and spare, and his voice and guitar are leading lights of the production, over spacey keys and trippy beats. Terry sings, speaks, scats, and tells stories wonderfully, and we're as proud as ever to have him as our Chicago-to-the-cosmos soul sage! Titles include "Wings", "Sunset Boulevard", "Hidden Conversations", "The Hood I Left Behind", "Once I Dreamed Of Heaven", "Fool Em I Fool R U", "Rice And Beans – Grace", "Jessie And Alice", "John Lee Hooker" and "Live With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic forro from the Brazilian scene of the 60s – a really hard-hitting collection of work from Camarao – and some of the sharpest use of the accordion you'll ever hear! This isn't the accordion of the polka world, Lawrence Welk, Paris musette, or even Tex-Mex music – as the rhythms to the tunes are incredibly infectious – often just served up on a spare bass drum, which is used as if it's both an acoustic bass and a percussion instrument at once – setting up tunes which move quickly and with a frenzied sort of action – followed by bits of saxophone or other reeds, and lots of incredibly deft keyboard work from Camarao – who's clearly pumping his instrument with incredible speed to match his energy on the keys! If you've never heard Brazilian forro, you're about to hear one of the best – and even if you have, the excellent presentation here by Analog Africa makes the set really stand out from some of the blander collections on the market. Titles include "Rio Antigo", "Xeem", "Xaxando Com Garibaldi", "Os Camaroes", "De Serra Em Serra", "Camaro No Oriente", "Nao Interessa Nao", "Fim De Festa", "Voce Passa Eu Acho Graca", "Forrozinho Moderno", and "Retrato De Um Forro". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's billed as "best of" Canned Heat, but which also features some material that wasn't on their full length albums for Liberty too! The package is a great summation of all the stuff that makes the group so great – and yes, it doesn't feature some of the longer jams of their double albums from the period, but does hone in on the way they blend together blues inspiration and psychedelic influences so well – on titles that include "Goin Up The Country", "Amphetamine Annie", "Rollin & Tumblin", "Time Was", "On The Road Again", "Fried Hockey Boogie", "Same All Over", "Bullfrog Blues", and "Sic Em Pigs". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 60s classic from Canned Heat – a record that captures the group during that moment when their unique blend of styles was really on fire! There's a grittier, almost noisier vibe going on here at times – fuzz turned up a bit more than before, and maybe a bit more attitude – as if the group were getting spurred on by some of the societal changes at the end of the 60s, and shaken out of any reveries of the past! The set's filled with very heady tunes – titles that include "I'm Her Man", "Sic Em Pigs", "Do Not Enter", "Big Fat", "Huautla", "Get Off My Back", and "Down In The Gutter But Free". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from one of Brazil's greatest soul singers of the 70s – an album of rich feeling that's a wonderful bridge between American soul music and some of the sophisticated song stylings of the MPB generation! Cassiano's somewhere in the territory of contemporary Tim Maia – but is a bit smoother and more sophisticated – more of a mature soul mode next to Maia's rougher funk – served up here with impeccable arrangements that really draw from all the best changes in Brazilian music during the early 70s. The album includes the funky "Central Do Brasil", the extended midtempo groover "Onda", the semi-hit "Hoje E Natal", and the cuts "De Bar Em Bar", "Ana", "A Lua E Eu", and "Salve Essa Flor". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully groovy album from Celia Reis – maybe the hippest set ever from this Brazilian singer who was equally at home in samba and bossa modes! Production and arrangements are by Arthur Verocai – which will give you an idea of the creativity that went into the record – as Verocai creates all these ambitious grooves that are very much in the best territory of some of the funky Marcos Valle work at the start of the 70s – basslines dipping under strings, all topped with Celia's wonderful vocals – which have a power here that we've never heard on other records – almost a Gal Costa sort of touch! Tracks include tunes by Valle, Verocai, and others – and titles include "Em Familia", "Mia", "Vida De Artista", "Dominus Tecum", "Ay Adelita", "Toda Quarta Feira Depois Do Amor", "A Hora E Essa", "E Preciso Dizer ADeus", and "Badalacao". LP, Vinyl record album

An early leader session for Jimmy Cleveland – one that pulls him out of the Lionel Hampton group, and puts him in the company of a number of different all-stars – top level players that Mercury brought together in three different sessions for the album. Players include Lucky Thompson, Cecil Payne, Barry Galbraith, Wade Legge, Paul Chambers, and Jerome Richardson – and it's the quality of the ensemble grooving that really makes the album swing, a lot more than Cleveland's solos on his own. Titles include "Vixen", "Hear Ye Hear Ye", "See Minor", "Bone Brother", "Count 'Em", and "Little Beaver". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice material from a very under-recorded period in Chris Connor's career – with arrangements by Pat Rebillot and Alyn Ainesworth – on titles that include "The Long & Winding Road", "Hit Em In The Head With Love", "Time & Love", "Buy & Sell", "More Today Than Yesterday", and "Ten Cents A Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Tap Em Up Solid", "I'm A Fool For A Cigareet", "Married Man's A Fool", "Mexican Divorce", and "Ditty Wa Ditty". LP, Vinyl record album

A Krautrock classic from start to finish – and very much the sort of music from the early 70s German scene that had a huge impact on music well into the 21st Century! The songs here are maybe a bit shorter than on some of the contemporary albums from the scene, but no less experimental overall – mixing conventional instrumentation with wild production and effects – so that sounds from players like Harald Grosskopf on drums, Manuel Gottsching on guitars, and Klaus Schulze on keyboards all end up sounding much wilder than you might expect! Dieter Dierks serves a key role as the "magier em mischpult" – helping weave the amazing sounds throughout in his legendary studio – on titles that include "Elektronenzirkus", "Intergalactic Radio Guri Broadcasting", "Der Planet Des Sternemadchens", "Planet of Communication", "Der Narr Im All", and "Intergalactic Nightclub". LP, Vinyl record album

Steve Cropper's looking a lot more loose and upfront than he ever did on albums he cut with Booker T & The MGs – and maybe that's because he's emerging here as a more more of a lead artist as well – singing next to his classic work on guitar, while still letting his strength on that instrument carry most of the vibe of the set! There's still plenty of classic Cropper elements in place here, including backing by the Memphis Horns – and at some level, Steve's vocals are always a lot more understated than his guitar – as if he knows that's what we really came for. The set's got a number of original titles – including "Give Em What They Want", "Playin My Thang", "Fly", "With You", "Ya Da Ya Da", and "Why Do You Say You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer trucker country from the great Dick Curless! The set includes his classic "Tombstone Every Mile" – plus "Six Days On The Road", "Big Wheel Cannonball", "Hard Hard Traveling Man", "Long Lonesome Highway", "Drag Em Off The Interstate Sock It To Em JP Blues", and "Winter's Comin On Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Muggs' beats get a bit darker on this album, but are still sharp enough to cut through even the thickest clouds of smoke. 14 tracks in all, including "I Wanna Get High", "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That", "Insane In The Brain", "When The Sh** Goes Down", "Hits FromThe Bong", "A To The K", "Hand On The Glock" and "Break 'Em Off Some". LP, Vinyl record album

Mid 70s and mellow work from two legendary Brazilian vocalists – the great Dick Farney and the lovely Claudette Soares, singing here in a set of duets that include a number of classic Brazilian tunes set to lush arrangements. The sound is very classic – kind of a 70s take on an older era, with slight electric touches mixed with more traditional strings and piano – and titles include "Nos", "Chuva", "Nick Bar", "Ela Foi Embora", "Tomara", "O Amor Em Paz", and "Apelo". LP, Vinyl record album

Is it Fulsom or Fulson? We're not going to try and present ourselves as the authority, but what we can tell you is this collection features 27 tracks from the man, mostly raw blues, though a number of cuts are more produced, with full horn section and piano complementing Fulsom's guitar and vocals, and mostly issued as 45s, though many of the numbers were previously unreleased at the time this collection was put together in the mid 70s. The best numbers are stripped down, lean and raw – and titles include "I Want To Know", "Lonely Hours", "It's A Long Time", "Rollin' Blues", "Love 'N Things", "Love Grow Cold", "Hung Down Head", "Someday Baby", "I Want To Make Love To You", "Rock This Morning", "Rock 'Em Dead", 'Worry Worry", "I'm Glad You Reconsidered", "Blue Shadows", "Why Don't You Write Me" and "Blue Soul", plus loads more! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic classic from Genesis – a record that really has the early version of the group at their height – able to spin out longform instrumental passages that would go onto shape a generation of proggers who tried to copy their sound – amidst lyrical moments that really have Peter Gabriel hitting his imaginative stride! The set's worth it alone for the amazing side-length "Supper's Ready" – a track so trippy, it's completely different than the Phil Collins-led era of Genesis – and the record features so many other great moments – like the commentary on urban housing that is "Get Em Out By Friday", the soaring keyboard-driven "Watcher Of The Skies", and the majestic "Can Utility & The Coastliners". All that and one of the strangest covers of all time too! LP, Vinyl record album

Genius material from the team of tenorist Stan Getz and Brazilian bossa legend Joao Gilberto – reunited here in a brief mid 70s period, after their famous Verve recordings of the early 60s – and in a way that shows all the changes both artists had gone through over the years! Stan and Joao would go onto produce the sublime Best Of Two Worlds studio record during this same stretch – but this never-issued live date is arguably even deeper and darker than that record – as Stan blows with the stronger current of melancholy he seemed to unlock in period of his Sweet Rain record and onward – and Joao himself does all the singing here, without help from any female vocalist – with that bluer, more personal vibe he hit on his incredible record from 1973. The maturity and emotion of both musicians comes through right away – and support is from the trio of Joanne Brackeen on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all wonderful musicians who also know just the right moment to step back and let the two giants dominate when needed. Titles include "Eu Vim Da Bahia", "E Preciso Perdoar", "Doralice", and "Retrato Em Branco E Preto". LP, Vinyl record album

The record's got a cover that's very different than the lush, stylish imagery used on so many of the Thievery Corporation records that Eric Hilton crafted over the years – and the sound here is nicely different too – maybe stripped down to some core elements, with a focus on the rhythmic progression of the tunes, as they often focus on a core sample or instrumental line to carry things forward! Hilton's definitely marking his own territory here – and titles include an excellent guest appearance from Brian Jackson on keyboards on "Something For Byrd" – and the other titles "Past Present & Future", "Put Em Down", "E Plays It Cool", "Cold Gemini", and "Mind Archeology". LP, Vinyl record album

The original mix of Ruff Draft from J Dilla – a set cut back when he was still going by the name of Jay Dee, as one of the most powerful voices to emerge from the new scene in Detroit – working here alone in the studio, and with a raw power that's really wonderful! The record is supposedly music that Dilla originally made for himself, and which saw an initial limited release – but which, thanks to various reissues and variations, has gone on to become a key part of his too-short musical legacy. Tracks include "Reckless Driving", "Nothing Like This", "Let's Take It Back", "Crushin", "The $", and "Make Em NV" – plus some key interlude tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

J Dilla at his grittiest, most rugged & raw – in both the production and rhyme realm – with all beats and rhymes by the Dilla himself! This set originally opened our ears to a different side of Dilla, a harder hitting aesthetic, with beats and grooves from out of leftfield that draw you in and hypnotize. Ruff Draft was originally released as a vinyl only EP for the European market, and it was tough to get ahold of from the get go – so hats off to Stones Throw for giving it the reverent re-release it deserves – fleshed out with bonus tracks! Titles include "Let's Take It Back", "Reckless Driving", "Nothing Like This", "The $", "Make'Em NV", "Crushin'", "Wild" (a previously unreleased track that's nothing short of mindblowing – a minimalist masterpiece), "Take Notice" and more. 10 tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning lost bossa nova soundtrack! The score was penned for the 1967 film Garota De Ipanema (Girl From Ipanema), and although you've heard some of the tracks before in other versions, the overall album is very nice – and is a wonderful tribute to the early days of bossa nova! Jobim and Vinicius perform, as well as Baden Powell, Tamba Trio, Nara Leao, Elis Regina, Ronnie Von, Chico Buarque, and Quarteto Em Cy – and titles include "Por Voce", "Chorino", "Aria Para Se Morrer De Amor", "Rancho Das Namoradas", and "Tema Da Desilusao". We think some of the material might have popped up on other albums from time to time, but there's still enough stuff here that we hadn't heard elsewhere – and that we like a lot! LP, Vinyl record album

A really early record by a young, fresh-faced George Jones – his full length debut, actually – released in 1957 by Starday, not too long after his debut appearance at the Grand Ole Opry! George had been recording some artistically promising, if underselling singles for a couple years prior, including the now legendary rockabilly sides (on which he was billed as "Thumper" Jones), but this was his first full length showcase as a rising country singer. The title is pure showbiz, as George wouldn't be a big star for a couple more years. He was ready, though! The songs are great, and he wrote or co-wrote most of 'em – and oh man, that VOICE – this is where the legend begins, people! Includes the early classic "Why, Baby, Why", and a whole bunch of great tunes, including "You Gotta Be My Baby", "Ragged But Right", "It's OK", "Still Hurtin'", "Boat Of Life", "Let Him Know", "Play It Cool" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one by Quincy! Although the material here isn't funky like his 70's work, it does show Quincy as a strong composer of serious thriller-type material – working in a style that produces a nice amount of tension and mood, and which still has some nice touches of jazz. The group is filled with strong jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Anthony Ortega, Oliver Nelson, Elvin Jones, and others – and the album features a vocal version of the theme by Marc Allen, plus a crazy spoken bit from the movie, by Rod Steiger! Other titles include "Harlem Drive", "Naked Truth", "Rack 'Em Up", and "Death Scene". LP, Vinyl record album

Kanye West finally dropped the full length in early '04 – and it's one of the best hip hop albums of the year. Kanye is probably the hottest beats producer of the year, too, having dug through the greatest soul hooks of the past few decades for his samples, and piled on the chunkiest, catchiest, thickest beats anywhere. And if he doesn't have the greatest vocal delivery in hop hop (if he did, he'd be Superman considering his production pedigree), he makes up for it with some masterful lines, like "I gotta apologize to Mos and Kweli/is it cool to rap about gold if I told the world I copped it from Ghana and Mali?" from "Breath In Breath Out". Hilariously, Kanye also found just about the sharpest theme for a record that we've scene in a while – the tangential connection between gang bangers and frat boys! He ain't granola, he ain't bling bling, he's just a guy from Chicago with a sometimes astoundingly strong production aesthetic, very smart rhymes and a lot of people who owe him great guest spots, and deliver. Were you looking for more than that? It's a triumph, one that Chicago couldn't be more proud of! "We Don't Care", "Graduation Day", "All Falls Down" with Syleena Johnson, "Spaceship" with GLC & Consequence, "Never Let Me Down" with Jay-Z, "Get 'Em High" with Talib Kweli & Common,"New Work Out Plan", the great single "Slow Jamz" with Twista & Jamie Foxx and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Kanye West finally dropped the full length in early '04 – and it's one of the best hip hop albums of that year. Kanye is probably the hottest beats producer of the year, too, having dug through the greatest soul hooks of the past few decades for his samples, and piled on the chunkiest, catchiest, thickest beats anywhere. And if he doesn't have the greatest vocal delivery in hop hop (if he did, he'd be Superman considering his production pedigree), he makes up for it with some masterful lines, like "I gotta apologize to Mos and Kweli/is it cool to rap about gold if I told the world I copped it from Ghana and Mali?" from "Breath In Breath Out". Hilariously, Kanye also found just about the sharpest theme for a record that we've scene in a while – the tangential connection between gang bangers and frat boys! He ain't granola, he ain't bling bling, he's just a guy from Chicago with a sometimes astoundingly strong production aesthetic, very smart rhymes and a lot of people who owe him great guest spots, and deliver. Were you looking for more than that? It's a triumph, one that Chicago couldn't be more proud of! "We Don't Care", "Graduation Day", "All Falls Down" with Syleena Johnson, "Spaceship" with GLC & Consequence, "Never Let Me Down" with Jay-Z, "Get 'Em High" with Talib Kweli & Common,"New Work Out Plan", the great single "Slow Jamz" with Twista & Jamie Foxx and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Kanye West finally dropped the full length in early '04 – and it's one of the best hip hop albums of the year. Kanye is probably the hottest beats producer of the year, too, having dug through the greatest soul hooks of the past few decades for his samples, and piled on the chunkiest, catchiest, thickest beats anywhere. And if he doesn't have the greatest vocal delivery in hop hop (if he did, he'd be Superman considering his production pedigree), he makes up for it with some masterful lines, like "I gotta apologize to Mos and Kweli/is it cool to rap about gold if I told the world I copped it from Ghana and Mali?" from "Breath In Breath Out". Hilariously, Kanye also found just about the sharpest theme for a record that we've scene in a while – the tangential connection between gang bangers and frat boys! He ain't granola, he ain't bling bling, he's just a guy from Chicago with a sometimes astoundingly strong production aesthetic, very smart rhymes and a lot of people who owe him great guest spots, and deliver. Were you looking for more than that? It's a triumph, one that Chicago couldn't be more proud of! "We Don't Care", "Graduation Day", "All Falls Down" with Syleena Johnson, "Spaceship" with GLC & Consequence, "Never Let Me Down" with Jay-Z, "Get 'Em High" with Talib Kweli & Common,"New Work Out Plan", the great single "Slow Jamz" with Twista & Jamie Foxx and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Time will tell whether the sophomore LP Late Registration will prove to be as revolutionary of a commercial force as College Dropout turned out to be – but it's a better album! We loved the debut as much as the rest of the world did, but this one's an easier listen from beginning to end. The production is tight, the guests earn their spots, and the whole thing's furiously soulful. Much is being made of LA hipster/orch pop troubadour Jon Brion's co-production, but this is Kanye's show. On one level Kanye can rock a subject as cliched as "Gold Digger", and still come out with a fresh perspective that runs deeper than it sounds on the surface, then deliver a serious track about the evils of the diamond trade that still rocks the ice. And those are just the first singles. Another great one! Tracks include "Wake Up Mr West", "Heard 'Em Say", "Touch The Sky" feat Lupe Fiasco, "Gold Digger" feat Jamie Foxx, "Drive Slow" feat Paul Wall & GLC, "My Way Home" feat Common, "Crack Music" feat Game, "Roses", "Bring Me Down" feat Brandy, "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (rmx) feat Jay-Z, "We Major" feat Nas & Really Doe, "Gone" feat Consequence & Cam'Ron and more! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest albums that John Lewis ever recorded – and a set that's noteworthy for the presence of two European modernists! Most of the record features Lewis in a wonderful group with trobmonist Albert Mangelsdorff – who gets plenty of space here to play in his stepping, stuttering style – one of the more angular approaches to trombone in the 60s, and a nice contrast to the piano of Lewis. The group shared by both features Karl Theodor Geier on bass and Silvije Glojarnic on drums – and titles include "Animal Dance", "Set Em Up", "Monday In Milan", and "Why Are You Blue". But possibly even better than these sides is the album's one track by the amazing Zagreb Jazz Quartet – a group that features Bosko Petrovic on vibes, in a style that's somewhat inspired by the MJQ, but a fair bit darker too! The group play the wonderful "Ornaments" – awash in blue tones and richly chromatic vibes. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from one of Germany's greatest modernists – one of the key records that showed the world that German jazz was way more than just a rehashing of American modes in the postwar years! This rare 1963 recording features the quintet of trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff – a groundbreaking unit that includes tenorist Heinz Sauer, altoist Gunter Kronberg, bassist Gunter Lenz, and drummer Ralf Hubner – a fantastic combo that comes together in a stark modernist groove that's right up there with the best work of Ornette Coleman or Joe Harriott from the time – very rhythmic, in ways that offset the freedom of the horn solos beautifully – letting the saxes and trombones soar, while the bass and drums lock into a tight groove. The no-piano, three-horn frontline is incredibly strong – bracing and powerful, but never in a way that's too cold or modern, thanks to an inherent sense of soul in allt he players. Titles include "Varie", "Ballade Fur Jessica Rose", "Club Trois", "Set Em Up", and "Tension". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album of bossa groovers, recorded by Herbie in the early days of the US bossa boom – and with a sound that's right on the money! The backing's very lively, and the tracks have a tight bossa sound that's quite authentic. Herbie's flute is livelier than usual, and on a set like this, you can hear why it's no wonder that he's been so respected by Latin and Brazilian players over the years. Titles include "Voce E Eu", "Bossa Velha", "Blues Walk", "One Note Samba", "Amor Em Paz", and "Deve Ser Amor". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record, and one that might be thought of best as a "Herbie Mann Plus" record – rather than a duet between the artists on the cover! Half the set features the American release of some great Joao Gilberto material from the early years in Brazil, with arrangements from Antonio Carlos Jobim – and the other half features excellent alto and flute solos from Mann, set to some sweet bossa backings by Jobim – with some additional guitar from a young Baden Powell! Given the Jobim arrangements on both sets of material, there's a great unified feel to the whole thing – and Herbie cuts include "Amor Em Paz", "Insensatez", "Consolacao", "Deve Ser Amor", and "One Note Samba" – which has a vocal by Jobim. Gilberto cuts include "Rosa Morena", "Samba Da Minha Terra", "Bim Bom", and "Desafinado". LP, Vinyl record album

An insanely wonderful album of Latin percussion – tone of few we've ever seen from Cuban percussionist Lazaro Pla, aka Manteca – a date recorded in Miami in the 70s, and filled with lots of raw percussion jams! There's a massive amount of bongo work here, mostly in a very spare setting – but some of the most compelling cuts also have a bit of funk too – added drums and basslines that kick things wonderfully, and make the record even more worth seeking out. Despite the 70s date, the whole thing has a raw descarga approach all the way through – just tight jamming in a real old school mode, without any vocals or polished production. Titles include the killer break tracks "Afro Funky" and "Cosas De Manteca" – plus "Abacua", "Son Montuno", "Rumbon En Casa De Cando", and "Gozando El Timbal". LP, Vinyl record album

The first ever recordings of Mississippi Fred McDowell – the legendary Alan Lomax Recordings – recorded in Como, Mississippi in September of 1959! It includes songs that would be part of his canon for the rest of his career, mostly just his voice and guitar in raw, beautiful, soul-shaking form. He's got some vocal accompaniment "When The Train Comes Along", plus Fanny Davis on the comb on a couple tunes and a second guitar by Miles Pratcher on a few. Perfection! Includes "Shake 'Em On Down", "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning", "Drop Down Mama", "Going Down The River", "Worried Mind Blues", "When The Train Comes Along" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal funk from the Brazilian scene of the 70s – one of those really rare, really one-of-a-kind albums – but one that also seems to perfectly sum up the sound of the times as well! Di Melo's a mighty funky cat – and works here with these bass-heavy arrangements from Geraldo Vespar – very groovy and filled with lots of influence from American soul of the time, yet delivered in a style that's decidedly Brazilian too! There's a sense of sparkle to the album that recalls the charm of Jorge Ben in his funkiest modes – but Vespar also brings in some nicely jazzy flourishes too – especially on the keyboards and horn passages, which really go past the usual EMI/Odeon modes of the time. The whole thing's great – a soulful treasure all the way through – and titles include the funky classic "A Vida Em Seus Metodos Diz Calma", plus "Kilario", "Aceito Tudo", "Pernalonga", "Jodao", "Alma Gemea", "Se O Mundo Acabasse Em Mel", and "Minha Estrela". LP, Vinyl record album

Early bossa jazz from Sergio Mendes – recorded with his famous Bossa Rio combo, in the years before he moved to America! The album's a classic in Brazilian jazz – a tight album of bossa-inflected jazz tunes played with razor-sharp precision, handled with a style that went on to influence countless other Brazilian groups at the time. Mendes is in the lead on piano, and other players include Edison Machado on drums, Raul De Souza on trombone, and Hector Costita on tenor sax. The whole thing's great – a masterpiece of both jazz and bossa – and it's filled with classic tunes arranged by Jobim, Moacir Santos, and Sergio himself. Titles include "Nana", "Primitivo", "Desafinado", "Ela E Carioca", "Amor Em Paz", "Noa Noa", and "Neurotico". LP, Vinyl record album

Early bossa jazz from Sergio Mendes – recorded with his famous Bossa Rio combo, in the years before he moved to America! The album's a classic in Brazilian jazz – a tight album of bossa-inflected jazz tunes played with razor-sharp precision, handled with a style that went on to influence countless other Brazilian groups at the time. Mendes is in the lead on piano, and other players include Edison Machado on drums, Raul De Souza on trombone, and Hector Costita on tenor sax. The whole thing's great – a masterpiece of both jazz and bossa – and it's filled with classic tunes arranged by Jobim, Moacir Santos, and Sergio himself. Titles include "Nana", "Primitivo", "Desafinado", "Ela E Carioca", "Amor Em Paz", "Noa Noa", and "Neurotico". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice early stuff from Sergio – also issued as the album Brazil 65 on Capitol! That's Brasil 65, not Brasil 66 – a distinction that marks a key early stage for the great Sergio Mendes – heard here on one of his first albums to mix together bossa jazz and vocals! The approach here is a bit more like vintage bossa dates from Brazil – or a bit like some of the Verve bossa records too – as Sergio's core trio is at the heart of every tune, playing with a great jazzy approach – then augmented in different ways by alto and flute from Bud Shank, guitar from Rosinha De Valenca, and vocals from the lovely Wanda De Sah! Production is perfect – really in a classic Elenco Records mode – and titles include "Let Me", "Consolacao", "Tristeza Em Mim", "Muito A Vontade", "Reza", "Berimbau", and "Aquarius". LP, Vinyl record album

Martha Mendonca sings here with backings from the groups of Francisco Moraes and Elcio Alverez – on a set of 14 tracks that include a nice version of "Samba Em Preludio". LP, Vinyl record album

A complete collection Charles Mingus' classic recordings for the Candid label – far and away some of the best recordings he ever made, and some of the few studio sessions that really let him stretch out and do his thing! Players here are a firey lineup of young modernists that includes Eric Dolphy, Ted Curson, Charles McPherson, Booker Ervin, Paul Bley, Roy Eldridge, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Knepper, Jo Jones and Dannie Richmond – all working here with Mingus on really long tracks that burst out with raw emotion, intense energy, and some really searing solo work! 17 tracks spread out over 4 LPs, with titles that include "Lock Em Up", "MDM", "Stormy Weather", "Folk Forms No 1", "Original Faubus Fables", "Bugs", "All The Things You Could Be If Sigmund Freud's Wife Was Your Mother", "Mysterious Blues", "Melody From The Drums", "Vasserlean" and "Wrap Your troubles In Dreams" LP, Vinyl record album

One of Charles Mingus' classic recordings for the Candid label – far and away some of the best recordings he ever made, and some of the few studio sessions that really let him stretch out and do his thing! The Candid label didn't last long – but during their short stretch of recording, they gave musicians like Mingus a chance to do things they weren't able to do at bigger labels – and this 1960 session is a great change from some of the tighter style that Charles was using just the year before at Columbia. The group is a searing combo – Eric Dolphy on alto, Booker Ervin on tenor, Ted Curson on tenor, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – really taking off on long tracks that are filled with brilliant solo work – titles that include "Lock Em Up", "MDM", and "Stormy Weather". LP, Vinyl record album

The electric lady is back again – getting great help on this set from Prince, Erykah Badu, Miguel, and Esperanza Spaulding! The set features further chapters in Janelle's Metropolis story – but apart from that overarching structure, and cool notes that situate the singer as some future cultural criminal, the overall vibe is tight funky soul – at a level that not only lives up to all of Monae's sparkling promise from before, but which also finds a great way to bring out the best elements of all the guests! There's plenty of funky numbers here that stand wonderfully well on their own, but the whole thing works even better as a unified set – with titles that include "Primetime", "Givin Em What They Love", "Queen", "Electric Lady", "Look Into My Eyes", "It's Code", "Ghetto Woman", "Victory", "Dorothy Dandrige Eyes", and "What An Experience". LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing album from James Moody – of the sort that opens up a whole new facet of his career! The record takes off from Moody's early 60s work for Chess – his post-bop recordings that started displaying a deeper side of his musical consciousness – and which occasionally featured work by composer/arranger Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's presence is felt very strongly here – as he produced the whole session, and contributed a few tracks – working in the Nola Penthouse studios at a level of hipness we never would have expected! Moody plays tenor, alto, and flute – working with a really great group that includes Patti brown on piano, Albert Heath on drums, Reggie Workman on bass, and Thad Jones on trumpet – and the scope of the work is far beyond anything you'd expect! The record's got a stunning early funk track by Edward Bland – "If You Grin You're In", which features a tripped-out organ line mostly just holding one note – while drums pound hard, and Moody blows it over the top – all set to this flattened production that makes the whole thing sound really eerie! Other great tracks include the loping groover "Capers", the wonderfully moody flute number "Wayward Plaint" (written by Dennis Sandole, of the oft-overlooked Sandole Brothers), and the tracks "Em Prean Shore" and "Buster's Last Stand". Tremendous throughout – and completely essential, whether you already like Moody or not! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful tribute to the genius of this landmark Brazilian poet/songwriter/diplomat/singer! Some tracks feature Vinicius singing, and others feature him speaking or reading his own work – and the album features appearances by Jobim, Toquinho, Edu Lobo, Chico Buarque, Susana De Moraes, and others. Titles include "Samba Em preludio", "Estamos Ai", "Depoimento De Chico Buarque", "O Haver", "Depoimento De Tom Jobim", "A Casa", "Vai Levando", "Agua De Beber", "Samba Da Bencao", and "Soneto A Lua". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic bossa mixed with more ambitious touches for the 70s – easily one of the greatest records ever to come from the team of Vinicius and Toquinho! The record has vocals by both, often layered on top of each other with a wonderfully spacious feel that spreads out beautifully between the speakers – and instrumentation features Toquinho's acoustic guitar supported by fuller, jazzier backings from Francis Hime and Edu Lobo – both of whom hit that sublime blend of warmth and space that made their own early 70s Brazilian albums so great! Titles include "Carta Ao Tom 74", "Como E Duro Trabalhar", "Samba Da Volta", "Samba Pra Vinicus", "Samba Do Jato", and "Canto E Contraponto", with a guest performance by Quarteto Em Cy. LP, Vinyl record album

The duo of Vinicius De Moraes and Toquinho were already making some great music in Brazil at the time of this set – and for this rare Argentine recording, they were also joined by vocalist Maria Bethania – who makes for a wonderfully charming sound that really sends the record over the top! As on some of the duo's other albums, Vinicius and Toquinho trade vocals back and forth next to guitar lines from the latter – and here they get some great small combo jazz backing by a group that features pianist Mike Ribas – in a style that's leaner and even groovier than some of their other albums in Brazil! Bethanias joins the pair on a number of tracks – and titles include "Testamento", "Samba De Bencao", "Viramundo", "Tarde Em Itapoa", "O Dia Da Criacao", "Como Diza O Poeta", and "Apelo". LP, Vinyl record album

The poet and the guitarist get together for a set of tracks with Marilia Medalha on vocals, and some nice lively backing by a larger group. The sound is mostly bossa, with light airy vocals, driving samba percussion, and nice lines on acoustic guitar. Tracks include "Samba De Gesse", "Tarde Em Itapoan", "Como Dizia O Poeta", "Samba De Rosa", "O Grande Apelo", "Mais Um Adeus", and "Tomara". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a sound that's as wonderfully swirling as its cover – material from a short-lived Cali group of the early 70s, and one who deliver this set with all the best elements of the big groups of the time – but with a much more laidback vibe! Their harmonies can really be wonderful, and hardly even need any studio augmentation – as you'd get with a more commercial group – and the songs are easygoing, but well put-together – tight, but nicely far from the charts too – and served up with some impeccable instrumentation that really gives the group their own flair! The whole set's got all the warmth of the best soft or country rock material of the time, but is more personal and less major label – on titles that include "Angelena", "Early Morning", "Tell Me A Story", "Roll Em Down", "Sleep Eyes", "New Day", "Time", and "Dirt Roads". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 70s album from this excellent Brazilian harmony group! Their sound is a different from that of Quarteto Em Cy or Tamba Trio, and their singing is less filled with straight jazzy harmonies than it is some off-kilter vocal lines that weave together and challenge each other throughout the tracks – in a really beautiful way. While they're best known for their groundbreaking work from the 60's, this LP's a good batch of tracks from the 70's that still retains the feel of the group. Cuts include "Fantasia", "Angelica", "Nascente", and a cover of Caetano Veloso's "Tropicalia"! LP, Vinyl record album

Nas balancing classic level depth and dexterity with more off the cuff and spontaneous rhymes on the once written off, belatedly better respected Nastradamus LP – his second album of 1999! How anyone could ever have completely disrespected an album with a track as masterful as "Project Windows" is a mystery – it's Nas at an all time best level on the mic, and the track is real deal soul with Ron Isley singing the hook – and bringing the goods, too – but there's some other standout tracks here that make it well worth a spot on your shelf! Other tracks include "Life We Chose", "Nastradamus", "Some Of Us Have Angels", "Come Get Me", "New World", "Family" with Mobb Deep, "Big Girl", "God Love Us", "New World" and "Shoot Em Up". LP, Vinyl record album

The music of Misha Panfilov just gets deeper and deeper with each new release – and here, he's light years away from the funk of his earlier sets, and much more in the realm of spiritual jazz! The set's got a vibe that's almost in the Carlos Nino side of the spectrum, but which also resonates strongly with Misha's amazing sense of sound – served up by a group that features Misha on guitars, keyboards, organs, harpsichord, ngoni, and a whole host of other elements – joined by the trumpet of Rafael Andrade, tenor of Francisco Aguilar, bass of Ricardo Dias, and drums of Francisco Coelho. Tunes are long and carry elements of Brazilian and other global styles – but often in a way that evokes cinematic modes too, although things are much deeper than any sort of easy soundtrack reference to such styles. The whole album's a masterpiece of beauty that we never would have expected from Panfilov a few years back – and titles include "Vertical", "Alegria Em Movimento", "Caleidoscpopio", "Domingo Magico" and "Para O Sol". LP, Vinyl record album

Leila Pinheiro's first album – first issued back in 1982, with a spare and jazzy post-bossa style that reminds us of some of Gal Costa's work from the same period! Leila's vocals are wonderful – slightly deep with lots of jazzy phrasing, set to arrangements that drift along in a mixture of electric and acoustic instrumentation – a wonderful blend, and one that gives the record a depth that you don't always find in some of Pinheiro's more recent recordings. The set includes songs by Francis Hime, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Donato, and Cateano Veloso – and titles include "Tudo Em Cima", "Bons Amigos", "A Porta", "Coracao Vagabundo", "Lua De Cetim", and "Nossa Rua". LP, Vinyl record album