Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself. CD

Pivotal work from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – eleven full albums recorded by the young jazzman as a leader, together showing a really incredible scope of his talents in just a few short years in the studio! The Blue Note albums here already show an incredible evolution – from initial hardbop crackle at the best level of the label, to a slight shift into new thing territory that marks a more experimental side of Freddie's work that would take off later in the 60s. There's also two Impulse Records releases in the package – the completely sublime sextet outing of The Artistry Of Freddie Hubbard – a great date with Curtis Fuller on trombone, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and John Gilmore on tenor – making a rare appearance in the studio away from the Sun Ra Arkestra! The other Impulse album is titled Body & Soul – and has Hubbard amidst a larger group of modernists on most tracks, with these incredible Wayne Shorter arrangements – then in a small group with shorter on tenor and Eric Dolphy on alto and flute. Blue Note albums include Breaking Point, Blue Spirits, Open Sesame, Going Up, Hub Cap, Ready For Freddie, Hub Tones, and Here To Stay – with players who include Tina Brooks, Jimmy Heath, and Wayne Shorter on tenors; McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, and Herbie Hancock on pianos; Paul Chambers, Sam Jones, and Reggie Workman on basses; and James Spaulding making a key early appearance on alto and flute. 70 long tracks in all – and a very detailed booklet of notes with rare photos! CD

A brilliant pairing of piano talents – and a record that also features some incredible horn work from Billy Harper and Hannibal Marvin Peterson too! Masabumi Kikuchi plays electric piano throughout – working with a large Evans-led ensemble that also includes Harper on tenor and flute, and Peterson on trumpet and flugelhorn – not to mention some surprising sounds on ring modulator from Evans himself! The arrangements are quite bold – like the best of Gil's work of the time – and really do a great job of mixing electric and acoustic elements in a really fresh way – quite different from any other big band styles of the time, and with all the modernism you'd expect from Evans' music. Titles include "Priestess", "Ictus", "Cry Of Hunger", "Eleven", "Drizzling Rain", and "Thoroughbred". CD

Twin-flute magic from the quintet of Herbie Mann and Sam Most – both of whom play the long, thin instrument here – in intertwining lines of sound that are totally great! There's a style here that's often a bit more frenetic than usual for Herbie – one that's possibly picked up from Most, as might be heard on some of his later sides from the 60s. Whatever the case, even when things are gentle, there's some nice little interplay – a lot of action from both flute players, supported by guitar from Joe Puma, bass from Jimmy Gannon, and drums from Lee Kleinman. Arrangements are by Russ Garcia, and titles include "It's Only Sunshine", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Empathy", "Seven Come Eleven", "Just One Of Those Things", and "Flying Home". CD

Clive Palmer definitely has an original band here – a group who have some of the acoustic elements of The Incredible String Band, of which he was a part – but who also come across with a sound that's a lot more ancient, dark, and spooky too! Vocals are by Clive and Mick Bennett – both singers with a very moody approach – almost weary from battles in the field, coming back home to tell their tales – set to instrumentation that includes key use of organ amidst the acoustic elements, but almost as if it's a pump organ, which gives all the songs this wonderfully downbeat sort of vibe – a bit like when Nico uses harmonium. The set's definitely on the darkest side of the acid folk spectrum, and maybe has echoes of Current 93 and Wicker Man as well – on titles that include "Eleven Willows", "I Told Her", "Oh Bright Eyed One", "Heart Dancer", "Let It Be You", and "Solomon's Song". CD

One of the wonderfully creative 70s sets from Japanese stringman Isao Suzuki – an artist who also plays bass, but who works here on jazz cello – for a very unusual approach! The set has Suzuki's work on the light strings matched in a combo with lead guitar from Kazumi Watanabe – who's nicely restrained here, and falls in with Isao's strings at a level that's quite different than his own material of the time. Watanabe's lead is augmented by further rhythm guitar work by Kazumasa Akiyama, and the resulting mix of stringed instruments creates a sound that sounds pretty darn groovy in some parts – lightly leaping along with some Fender Rhodes from Tsuyoshi Yamamoto. The best track is the album's long funky remake of "Feel Like Making Love", which begins with a spacey intro, then leaps into an almost-breakbeat reading of the track that features some great electric piano work in a classic MPS mode. Other tracks include "Ako's Dream", "Isao Family", and "Seven Come Eleven". CD

A great 70s comeback album from tenorist Teddy Edwards – done after a number of years away from the studio, but with a rock-solid sound that may well be his classics from the 60s! Teddy's tone is amazing on the record – more laidback and confident than on his earlier albums, and a lot more soulful as well – stepping out right from the start with a quality that's boldly personal, and free from some of the 70s cliches that others might have attempted in a set like this. Instead, Edwards is very much his own man – and very much in charge of an excellent group that includes Conte Candoli on trumpet, Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Brown on bass, Frank Butler drums, and Jerry Steinholz conga and percussion – players who come together with this warmly soulful quality that's surprisingly more than the sum of its already-great parts. Titles include "The Blue Sombrero", "Bear Tracks", "Ritta Ditta Blues", and "Eleven Twenty Three". CD

Nobody does the Holidays like Steve & Eydie – serving up the goods with that perfect blend of swing and schmaltz that sounds great during the eleven other months of the year, but somehow sounds especially nice at Christmas! Maybe it's the way they interact – which reminds us a lot of the kind of Holiday TV performances we grew up with – or maybe it's the way that Eydie somehow bubbles over with enthusiasm at these weirdly unexpected moments – as if she's hearing some of these seasonal classics for the very first time. Arrangements are by Don Costa, Al Cohn, and Pat Williams – and some tracks feature the pair together, some feature either Steve or Eydie on their own. Titles include "What Are you Doing New Year's Eve", "Sleigh Ride", "Winter Wonderland", "White Christmas", "Let It Snow", "The Christmas Song", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". Great expanded edition – with bonus tracks that feature the pair singing "Hurry Home For Christmas" and "Baby It's Cold Outside" – plus Steve on "The First Noel", "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "White Christmas", and "Twas The Night Before Christmas" – and Eydie on "My Favorite Things" and "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear". CD

A set that's maybe worth it for the title track alone – a fantastic reading of the Henry Mancini classic "Two For The Road", taken by David Schnitter in a wonderfully soulful style – raspy in tone, but with all the melodic genius of the tune itself! Schnitter is beautiful on the rest of the record, too – a date that really reminds us what a master of tone and phrasing he can be on his best records – a very distinct player, and one who is sometimes even bringing a different tenor voice to each track on the set, in ways that give the album a hell of a lot of depth. Other group members include Yaniv Tabenhouse on piano, Masa Kamaguchi on bass, and Jorge Rossy on drums – and also on vibes on three of the album's eleven tracks. Titles include a great reading of the Horace Silver tune "Barbara" – plus "Two For The Road", "Consolation", "Conception", "Blues For John", "Obscurity", "Out Of Nowhere", and "Ugly Beauty". CD

The first-ever solo album from Doug McCombs – the well-known bassist with a huge legacy that includes work in Eleventh Dream Day and Tortoise – finally getting a chance to shine in the spotlight on his own! The vibe here is more like Doug's work in Brokeback, but even more open and improvised – as McCombs plays guitar and bass on the record, on long tracks that feature some guest instrumentation at points – electronics from Sam Prekop and drums from John Convertino on "Two To Coolness" – and drums and keyboards from James Elkington on "To Whose Falls Shallows". The album's remaining long song, "Green Crown's Step", is solo McCombs. CD

Miche's at it again – and he's somehow managed to top the great sound of the first volume in the series – digging deeper into the past, coming up with more soulful numbers overall, then throwing in just the right touch of Brazilian grooves to even things out! As before, there's no unifying label or scene to these tracks – they're just brought together in celebration of a really joyous, positive, uplifting vibe – one possessed by each track alone, but which really steps out strongly as they all resonate together! Titles include "Save The Best For Last" by Alice Cohen & Fun City, "You & Me" by Mark Meadows, "Take To The Sky" by Mixed Generation Enterprize, "I Like What She's Doing" by Billy Boomer, "Straight Forward" by PJ City, "Realize" by Maxwell, "High On You" by Freedom, "Blow My Mind" by The Lost Family, "As" by The Family Tree, "A Luz Que Brilha Meu Viver" by Banda 22, "Misterio Brilhante" by Ze Da Lata, "Then I Reach Satisfaction" by Eleventh Commandment, and "Dame Solamente Amor" by Rogers Mitchell. CD

Low Budget Hi Fi Music from Madlib – the eleventh entry in his epic Madlib's Medicine Show series – 28 tracks of hip hop unofficially dubbed the Dirty Demos! The set feature sample enriched instrumentals by Madlib as Loop Digga and collaborations with Strong Arm Steady, J Rocc, Madlib & Oh No as The Professionals, Guity Simpson, AG & Frank Nitt. It's great stuff, natch – finding Madlib in a straighter hip hop mode production wise – but straighter Madlib production has unexpected twists and turns! Loads of funky samples, some recognizable others otherworldly – and beats that range from dusty funk to dramatically soulful. Includes "The Sound Of Champions" (inst), "Charlie Hustle" by Strong Arm Steady, "Sam", "Snakes 101" by MED, "Girls" by J Rocc, "Love/Hate" (inst), "The Adventurs Of Soul Bra And Docta Dick'em Pts 1 & 2", "Hold Up" by The Professionals, "Thoughts Of An Old Flame" by Guilty Simpson and others. CD

Fantastic soul from Mainstream Records – an imprint that's normally best-known for their work in the field of jazz, but a label that also cut some killer soul singles in the early 70s! Mainstream soul artists almost never got a chance to record a full-length album – so over the years, this soul legacy has been somewhat lost in the shifting sands of time (and shifting piles of funky 45s) – which makes this collection a much-needed resurrection of that material – especially when given the ultra-hip, extra-level presentation of the Kent label! The CD features 23 great tunes from these years – some of them in the modern soul mode promised in the title, lots more in kind of a hip funky soul approach – very early 70s New York, with righteous themes mixed with more familiar soul styles – all set to impeccable instrumentation. Titles include "Oh My Love" by Almeta Latimore, "Come Back With Your Love (part 1)" by Special Delivery, "Grass Ain't Greener" by Charles Beverly, "Love Bug" by Sugar Billy, "You'll Do It" by Calvin Arnold, "I'll Never Trust Love Again" by McArthur, "You've Got A Lot To Give" by Chocolate Syrup, "I'll Never Be The Same (part 1)" by Chapter Three, "I've Been Trying To Love You" by Lenny McDaniel & The Last Nikle, "Slow Down World" by Charles Colbert, "Everyone Has Someone" by Linda Perry, "Your Love Is Like A Rising Sun" by Steptones, "Let Her Know" by Bobby Earl Williams, "Please Don't Set Me Free" by Jeany Reynolds, and "Today Or Never" by Eleventh Commandment. CD