Stunning work from one of England's greatest jazz artists ever! West Indian sax player Joe Harriott was one of the brightest spots on the UK's jazz scene of the late 50s and 1960s – and although a few of his more famous albums have been issued on CD, there's a wealth of great work by Joe that's never seen the light of day since the 60s. This long-overdue set features some excellent rare work by Joe – most recorded live, either with his own group, or that of Michael Garrick, who produced the set. The first four tracks feature Harriott Quintet tunes from 1961 – two straight numbers, versions of "Moanin" and "Round Midnight", plus two examples of Joe's "abstract" style of jazz, "Coda" and "Tempo". Next up are some wonderful angular solo recordings of standards like "Confirmation", "Love For Sale", and "Body & Soul" – all of which show Joe's deep roots in soulful jazz tradition, embellished slightly by some added piano by Coleridge Goode. Lastly, Joe blows incredibly with Garrick's groundbreaking groups of the 60s – wailing hard on the hardbop groover "Shiva", and his own modal jammer "Calypso Sketches". Wonderful work all around – and an essential bit of Harriott to fill your all-too-empty collection! CD

A lost jazz treasure from one of the most enigmatic pianists of the 60s – the legendary Hasaan, who recorded famously with Max Roach on Atlantic Records, but who also left behind this rare session that's never seen the light of day until now! Hasaan hails from Philly, where he was a player who'd made huge waves in that city, with a technique that rivaled the modernism of Elmo Hope or Herbie Nichols – but a musician who rarely ever got exposure outside of the city, which is what makes this album so essential! Even more essential is the fact that the set features work from a very young Odean Pope on tenor – really sounding tremendous here next to Hasaan – maybe the Charlie Rouse to his Thelonious Monk, although both musicians work in territory that's even more mindblowing! All titles here are originals by Ali, filled with all these amazing changes and angles – driven forth even more strongly by the work of Art Davis on bass and Kali Madi on drums – on tunes that include "True Train", "Richard May Love Give Powell", "Atlantic Ones", "Viceroy", "El Hasaan", "Epitome", and "Metaphysics". Album also features three shorter alternates of titles on the record. CD

The second full album from Richard Hell & The Voidoids – issued with a bit less fanfare than the first, but still every bit as essential! Five years have passed since Blank Generation, but Hell's wit and energy are as sharp as ever – and if anything, The Voidoids have really fused into a really cohesive unit – not a slicker band, but one that has a powerful sense of instrumentation to match Richard's vocals – especially in the great guitar work of Robert Quine! Judging from the grainy cover image, Hell is keeping things as real as ever – which definitely comes through in titles that include "Time", "The Kid With The Replaceable Head", "You Gotta Move", "Downtown At Dawn", "Lowest Common Denominator", "I Can Only Give You Everything", and "Ignore The Door". LP, Vinyl record album

The start of a legend – a huge amount of material that introduced the world to the tenor genius of the young Joe Henderson – recorded over the space of a few short years, on records that feature Joe as both the leader and a sideman on some of the hippest Blue Note records of the time! Henderson was amazing right at the start – able to play a soulful hardbop lead at one moment, then slide into edgier modern territory the next – a quality that made him a key artist to work with some of the other strong Blue Note innovators of the period – as you'll hear in this overstuffed set! The set features a total of 47 gems – including some alternate takes – all wrapped up with the usual top-shelf Mosaic Records booklet of notes, photos, and other key details on the material. Includes the full albums Page One, Our Thing, In N Out, Mode For Joe, and Inner Urge – all recorded under the leadership of Joe Henderson – plus tracks from the albums Unity by Larry Young, The Kicker by Bobby Hutcherson, Little Johnny C by Johnny Coles, and Step Lightly by Blue Mitchell – and the full Kenny Dorham albums Una Mas and Trompeta Toccatta, both of which are essential in Henderson's career! CD

Classic early work by modern tenor genius Joe Henderson – very well titled with the use of "mode", given the new sound and new direction Henderson was taking his tenor in the 60s! The album's got Joe working at the head of an all-great lineup that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – the last of whom really brings in some tremendous moments to the record, using his instrument to create a slightly off-kilter feel that pushes the set from straight hardbop into the modern realm with traces of "new thing" tones and colors. Joe's solos are incredible – searing, searching, yet still pulsing with an undeniably soulful rhythm – and titles include the essential track "Black", plus "Caribbean Fire Dance", "Free Wheelin", and "Shade Of Jade". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early work by modern tenor genius Joe Henderson – very well titled with the use of "mode", given the new sound and new direction Henderson was taking his tenor in the 60s! The album's got Joe working at the head of an all-great lineup that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – the last of whom really brings in some tremendous moments to the record, using his instrument to create a slightly off-kilter feel that pushes the set from straight hardbop into the modern realm with traces of "new thing" tones and colors. Joe's solos are incredible – searing, searching, yet still pulsing with an undeniably soulful rhythm – and titles include the essential track "Black", plus "Caribbean Fire Dance", "Free Wheelin", and "Shade Of Jade". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early work by modern tenor genius Joe Henderson – very well titled with the use of "mode", given the new sound and new direction Henderson was taking his tenor in the 60s! The album's got Joe working at the head of an all-great lineup that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – the last of whom really brings in some tremendous moments to the record, using his instrument to create a slightly off-kilter feel that pushes the set from straight hardbop into the modern realm with traces of "new thing" tones and colors. Joe's solos are incredible – searing, searching, yet still pulsing with an undeniably soulful rhythm – and titles include the essential track "Black", plus "Caribbean Fire Dance", "Free Wheelin", and "Shade Of Jade". CD features a bonus alternate take of "Black". CD

The brilliant bluesy side of Hendrix – great stuff recorded from '66-'70 – including his most blues based originals and incredible covers! Bluesy it is, but it's also Jimi – with the soaring, loose and massively influential lead guitar grooves and many of which went unreleased until the 90s – and remains among the most essential of posthumous Hendrix releases. Includes "Hear My Train A Comin'" (acoustic and electric versions), "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Catfish Blues", "Red House", "Voodoo Chile Blues", "Mannish Boy", "Once I Had A Woman", "Jam 292" and "Electric Church Red House". CD

Possibly one of the most essential Billie Holiday albums for Verve – a set that carries the same title as her famous autobiography, and which also features many key numbers from her songbook at the time! The feel here is quite easygoing and relaxed – with small group backing behind Billie's vocals, which themselves are recorded cleanly and clearly throughout. One side features backing by a combo that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, and Paul Quinichette on tenor – and the other features a group that includes Bobby Tucker on piano, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Barney Kessel on guitar, and the great Willie Smith on alto sax. Titles include plenty of classics – including "God Bless The Child", "Strange Fruit", "Lady Sings The Blues", "No Good Man", "Good Morning Heartache", "I Must Have That Man", and "Trav'lin' Light". CD

Possibly one of the most essential Billie Holiday albums for Verve – a set that carries the same title as her famous autobiography, and which also features many key numbers from her songbook at the time! The feel here is quite easygoing and relaxed – with small group backing behind Billie's vocals, which themselves are recorded cleanly and clearly throughout. One side features backing by a combo that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, and Paul Quinichette on tenor – and the other features a group that includes Bobby Tucker on piano, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Barney Kessel on guitar, and the great Willie Smith on alto sax. Titles include plenty of classics – including "God Bless The Child", "Strange Fruit", "Lady Sings The Blues", "No Good Man", "Good Morning Heartache", "I Must Have That Man", and "Trav'lin' Light". LP, Vinyl record album

Possibly one of the most essential Billie Holiday albums for Verve – a set that carries the same title as her famous autobiography, and which also features many key numbers from her songbook at the time! The feel here is quite easygoing and relaxed – with small group backing behind Billie's vocals, which themselves are recorded cleanly and clearly throughout. One side features backing by a combo that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, and Paul Quinichette on tenor – and the other features a group that includes Bobby Tucker on piano, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Barney Kessel on guitar, and the great Willie Smith on alto sax. Titles include plenty of classics – including "God Bless The Child", "Strange Fruit", "Lady Sings The Blues", "No Good Man", "Good Morning Heartache", "I Must Have That Man", and "Trav'lin' Light". LP, Vinyl record album

Great live material – recorded during the late 60s as part of the Left Bank Jazz Society series in Baltimore, but never issued until now! The work captures Freddie Hubbard in that great Atlantic Records mode – crafting a mixture of hip hardbop and nascent 70s soul soloing, working here with a quintet that features all wonderful players, including Benny Maupin on tenor, Kenny Barron on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums. The set's one of the best in this series on Label M – and it's essential work if you dig Hubbard at this key moment! Titles include "Pensativa", "Echoes Of Blue", "Crisis", and "Bob's Place". CD

An essential Blue Note album by the great vibist Bobby Hutcherson, and a record that's split into 2 different sides, each of which display different aspects of Hutcherson's talents. The first four tracks are mellow and lyrical, with the kind of lovely melodic writing that is best illustrated by the cut "Little B's Poem" – included here, and still one of Hutcherson's most enduring works. The next four tracks show Hutcherson more as the accomplished modernist, working with edgey talents like James Spaulding on alto and flute, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and the great Joe Chambers on drums – who also wrote all 4 of the tracks in this segment. The work is a key example of Hutcherson's devotion to the Blue Note "new thing" sound, and titles include "Air", "Juba Dance", and "Pastoral". CD

An essential Blue Note album by the great vibist Bobby Hutcherson, and a record that's split into 2 different sides, each of which display different aspects of Hutcherson's talents. The first four tracks are mellow and lyrical, with the kind of lovely melodic writing that is best illustrated by the cut "Little B's Poem" – included here, and still one of Hutcherson's most enduring works. The next four tracks show Hutcherson more as the accomplished modernist, working with edgey talents like James Spaulding on alto and flute, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and the great Joe Chambers on drums – who also wrote all 4 of the tracks in this segment. The work is a key example of Hutcherson's devotion to the Blue Note "new thing" sound, and titles include "Air", "Juba Dance", and "Pastoral". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Bobby Hutcherson's most important albums ever – and an essential piece of "new thing" jazz that ranks up there with such key Blue note sessions of the genre as Tony Williams' album Life Time, Dolphy's Out To Lunch, and Jackie McLean's One Step Beyond! Hutcherson's sound on the vibes is amazing – metallic, yet melodic – in a sublime blend of the modern and the soulful, all wrapped up in tones and colors that few other players have ever managed to get from the instrument! All the other players on the session really rise to the occasion too – and the album features tremendous work from Sam Rivers, Freddie Hubbard, Andrew Hill, and Joe Chambers. Titles include "Ghetto Lights", "Catta", and "Idle While". LP, Vinyl record album

The uber-classic Observer Book Of I-Roy – the masterful collection of mid 70s material, which collected, add up to some of the very finest recordings that great Jamaican deejay I-Roy recorded with writer, arranger, producer Niney The Observer! The album is essential a top notch round-up of singles that I Roy voiced for Niney in '76 and '77 – unbeatable versions of roots reggae classics! Includes "Jah Come Here", "Step On The Dragon", "Cam Road Skanking", "Sister Maggie Breast", "Water Rate", "Jamaican Girl", "Wicked Eat Dirt", "Roots Man" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal early country rock from Gram Parsons and the International Submarine Band – cut soon before Gram jumped ship to the Byrds for the legendary Sweetheart Of The Rodeo LP! The one-and-only International Submarine Band LP is the first official full length album from Gram Parsons, and probably the record in which GP's deep love of soulful 60s honky tonk is worn most proudly on his sleeve. He covers Merle Haggard's "I Must Be Somebody Else You've Known" and Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues", and overall the album sounds a little bit more Bakersfield than San Francisco. Notoriously produced by Lee Hazlewood's gal Suzi Jane Hokem. Essential! Tracks include "Blue Eyes", "A Satisfied Mind", "Folsom Prison Blues/That's Alright", "Miller's Cave", "Luxury Liner", and "Strong Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

Damn! The first volume in this series of rarities cut by George Jackson for Fame Studios really blew our minds around here – and Kent has gone and somehow topped it with Volume 2! Let The Best Man Win features 2 dozen songs, most of which are originals by Fame staff writer Jackson – and not one of these was officially released back in the day. A bunch were cut to demo the songs for prospective artists, but it's truly hard to imagine anyone bettering these versions – not even Candi Staton or Wilson Pickett! The backing is top notch, too – with that unshakable Fame southern soul rhythm that's just raw enough – and each track feels fully-formed – not at all like a demo! As essential a trip into the Fame archives as any we've had to date! Includes "Mini Skirt Mini", "Get It When I Want It", "Forbidden Love", "Save Me", "Let The Best Man Win", "Soul Lovin'", "I'm Livin' Good", "Your Love Lifted Me", "You Got A Lot To Like", "Ain't That Some Good Lovin'L, "The Darkest Hour Is Before The Dawn" and many more. CD

Upbeat soul from Millie Jackson – a massive batch of tunes that work perfectly for the dancefloor, but which still retain all the grittier edges of her best early years! Although Millie's probably best known for her weepy ballads of the 70s, she also pioneered a more upbeat style of southern soul too – a nicely grooving approach to the music that was almost the southern equivalent of grooves from Philly and New York at the time. The style's a great one for Jackson's bold, proud lyrical style – and this wonderful set really shows the best bad-stepping side of Millie's talents in the 70s. Most cuts are pulled from her years on the Spring label during the decade, and the set features a few rare versions and edits that make the package essential, even if you've got all the individual LPs! 22 tracks in all – including "If That Don't Turn You On", "All I Want Is A Fighting Chance", "House For Sale", "Somethin Bout Cha", "You Can't Stand The Thought Of Another Man Loving Me", "Love Doctor", "Put Something Down On It", "A Little Taste Of Outside Love", "Ask Me What You Want", "I Miss You Baby", "Letter Full Of Tears", "Fancy This", "Rising Cost Of Love", and "You Can't Turn Me Off In The Middle Of Turning Me On". CD

Essential funk in a single set – three killer albums from James Brown's legendary backing group! First up is Food For Thought – the classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The band are incredible at this point – sharper, harder, and funkier than just about any other combo around – and that includes all the thousands of groups in the funky 45 underground who were always trying to copy their sound, but never got things this right! Not only are the rhythms the stuff of legend – but the use of the instruments is far far above the norm – as can be heard on the mindblowing "The Grunt", which was sampled heavily by Public Enemy to great fame – and which features a saxophone solo that sounds more like a whistling tea kettle! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks! Doing It To Death is an incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing hard, long, and loud, in the free funk improvisational mode that was James' real contribution to the music at the time. The tracks are all incredibly long, with James at the forefront, egging the band on with shouts and comments – but also letting them open up large instrumentally, playing in a mode that's as much jazz as it is funky soul. The whole thing's peppered with some nice shorter segues between tracks – but the long cuts are the winners, and are some of the best funk ever recorded! Titles include "Mo Peas", "Doing It To Death", "La Di Da La Di Day", "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight", and "Sucker". Last up is Damn Right I Am Somebody – quite possibly our favorite record by the JBs, ever! The set starts with a wonderful conversational bit – rapping and musing on the idea of "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" – showing the group in a political and righteous mode for the first time ever. The grooves then kick in – with the same heavy funk as on earlier records, but also a nice nod towards experimental production – from strange fade ups and fade downs, to stark time and rhythm changes, and even bits of electronics used to create some very cool moments in the grooves! The whole thing's as dead funky as can be, and is stuffed with insane classics like "Blow Your Head", "Same Beat", "Damn Right I am Somebody", "I'm Payin' Taxes, What am I Buyin'", and a great cover of Marvin Gaye's "You Sure Love to Ball"! CD

An essential album for fans of early vocalese – and a record that brings together 3 of the greatest talents of the genre! The sides were pulled from early Prestige singles by the artists – and Eddie Jefferson's represented on 4 great numbers with backing by a group that includes Seldon Powell, plus some additional vocals from Irv Taylor. Jefferson titles include "Old Shoes", "Please Be Kind To Me", "Strictly Instrumental", and "Start Walkin Stop Talkin". Joe Carroll swings in next – laying down 4 straighter vocal tunes with a group that includes Bill Graham on baritone sax, on songs that include "Two Wrongs Won't Make It Right", "I Was In The Mood", and "Got A Penny Benny". Last up is Annie Ross, delivering some of the classic numbers from her Ross/Pleasure album – including "Twisted", "Farmer's Market" and "Jackie". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential collection of rare material by this important female gospel trio of the 50s – a group who's not only known for bringing a style to the music that was ever bit as great as male group gospel of the pre-soul years – but who also are the initial early home to later soul superstar Candi Staton! As you can tell by the cover image, the girls are quite young – at least on many of these recordings – but this isn't kiddie music at all, as there's a deeply soulful style of singing that's very mature, and which instantly sets fire to these messages of spirit – with a vibrant style that usually just features some romping piano in the lead, alongside dynamic vocals. The lineup shifts a bit, but Candi is on most of these recordings – which also saw the light of day on Excello as singles – and the set also features a few tracks from later years, with Shirley Ann Lee on vocals. Titles include "Many Little Angels In The Band", "At The Cross", "Rest Rest Rest", "Too Late", "Sin Is To Blame", "It's All Over Me", "My Faith Is In Thee", "I Looked Down The Line & I Wondered", and "Somebody's Knocking At Your Door". CD

A really amazing look at the secret art and language of gang culture in Chicago – the most detailed book we've ever seen to examine the words on the street during the 60s, 70s, and 80s! Chicago had a very special sort of language to communicate gang activity and culture during the heyday of the city's big gangs – graffiti that was filled with codes and symbols, and which really predated major street art in New York – plus a network of patches, business cards, and other objects that conveyed a special sort of numerology and message – sometimes harmless words about parties and events, sometimes essential details about the criminal underworld. This book is fascinating on so many different levels – not just a prurient true crime story, but instead a very detailed examination of gang culture in terms of linguistics, visual media, and representation. Yet all that detail doesn't make things too dry, either – as the book is overflowing with photos and images – examples of street graffiti, countless business cards, patches, portraits, and more – even some maps at the back. The whole thing is a massive 375 pages, full color throughout, and very beautifully done! Book

Essential early work by Elton John – tracks that include "Bennie & The Jets", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", "Your Song", "Honky Cat", "Daniel", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", "Rocket Man", "Border Song", and "Crocodile Rock". Cassette

Essential early work by Elton John – tracks that include "Bennie & The Jets", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", "Your Song", "Honky Cat", "Daniel", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", "Rocket Man", "Border Song", and "Crocodile Rock". CD

Essential early work by Elton John – tracks that include "Bennie & The Jets", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", "Your Song", "Honky Cat", "Daniel", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", "Rocket Man", "Border Song", and "Crocodile Rock". CD

Essential early work by Elton John – tracks that include "Bennie & The Jets", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", "Your Song", "Honky Cat", "Daniel", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", "Rocket Man", "Border Song", and "Crocodile Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! CD

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! CD

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! CD

BB King live in Japan – really cooking here on a concert performance that's quite different from his other live records of the time! The set's a double-length one – originally a 2LP set – and most tracks are nice and long, with lots more room for solos from BB – stretching out wonderfully in front of a crowd that's clearly going out of their minds – almost as enthusiastic, at least in the way they're recorded, as the Apollo crowd at a James Brown performance! Although not issued in the US at the time, the material is essential BB King – really great tracks that are some of the best he recorded in the 70s. Titles include "Jamming At Sankei Hall", "Hikari", "Chains & Things", "You Are Still My Woman", "Niji Baby", "How Blue Can You Get", and "Eyesight To The Blind". LP, Vinyl record album

30 essential dubs, from the golden age of reggae. King Tubby works his echoplex magic on a set culled half from Niney the Observer productions, and half from Striker Lee. You could waste your time on the 4 or 5 dozen other collections out there that are just capitalizing on Tubby's name, or stick with the cream, like this one (or one of the other sets put together by Blood & Fire that we offer). This is the real isht, thunderclap reverb drops and fat, churning bass; includes "Casanova Dub", "Corn Man", "Mr. D Brown Skank", " Rema Dub", "King Tubby's Special", "Gorgon Speaks Version", "I Trim The Barber", "Straight To Babylon Boy's Head" & "Cool Down Version". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff! This essential CD brings together two of Roland Kirk's best albums from the mid 60's (and two of his hardest to find on vinyl!) Rip, Rig, & Panic is mindblowing work from Roland Kirk – a record that really pushes the boundaries of his music even farther than some of his earlier, and excellent, albums for the Mercury label! Kirk's really stretching out here – finding a space in jazz that's uniquely his own – modern, yet playful – creative, yet never overindulgent – and perfectly balanced to find a whole new sound of soul for the 60s! Things never get too far outside, but Kirk's reedlines are always breaking out into fresh territory – incredible tenor parts, and also some amazing work on manzello and stritch too, both lesser-known reed instruments that Roland employs to incredible ends. Other group members fit his vibe perfectly – Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – each stepping quickly to catch the energy of each new twist and turn in Kirk's music. Titles include the sublime "From Bechet Byas & Fats" – plus "No Tonic Pres", "Rip Rig & Panic", "Mystical Dream", "Black Diamond", and "Slippery Hippery Flippery". Beautiful Edith is a bit mellower, but no less wonderful, and the record features some great early piano work by Lonnie Liston Smith. Titles include "Blue Rol", "No Tonic Press", "Rip, Rig, & Panic", "Slipper, Hippery, Flippery", "Stompin' Grounds", and "Mystical Dreams". CD

Essential work from vocalist Karin Krog – one in a number of sessions cut with some of the best saxophonists of her time (Dexter Gordon, Archie Shepp, John Surman) – a record that features some incredible late tenor from Warne Marsh, set beautifully alongside one of the few vocalists who could match him! Instrumentation for the record comes only from Warne's tenor and the bass of Red Mitchell – leaving Karin plenty of room to open up with imaginative interpretations of the tunes – and almost letting Marsh emerge as a second "voice" that contributes equally to the album. The approach is wonderful – spare and moody, but extremely soulful – and even familiar chestnuts sound completely fresh in the setting. Titles include "I Remember You", "Trane", "Moody's Mood For Love", "Loverman", and "Speak Low". LP, Vinyl record album

About 30 years back, Joseph Lanza first turned us on to an amazing array of 60s easy listening records that we'd never fully given their due – and here, he continues the journey, but with a key shift into the world of psychedelia too! The book is a wonderful look at the way that easy listening and instrumental pop tried to stay vibrant in the second half of the 60s – and it follows the way that easy artists of the time were picking up the aesthetics of the younger generation in a variety of ways – not just doing cover versions of songs by The Beatles and Stones, but also going for trippier artwork on their album covers, and using more unusual studio techniques in production – all in ways that made for a huge legacy of very groovy records! At times, things would even move backwards – as older songs from the early part of the century were given a mod spin for the 60s generation – and the range of topics covered here is as wonderful as Lanza's presentation. The book is a very cool 7" square format – with lots of album reproductions and great graphics, plus a list of 50 essential records at the back – served up in a softcover volume that's 237 pages in length. Book

Led Zeppelin at peak power – mixing hard rock bombast with deep, genuine love for blues and folk guitars! Houses Of The Holy is the essential the blueprint for countless imitators to come – but it's also got smarts, subtleties and creative ambitious that's just plain lost on the watered wannabes that floated up in Zeppelin's wake. Titles include "The Crunge", "Over The Hills & Far Away", "The Song Remains The Same", "The Rain Song", "Dancing Days", "Dyer Maker", "No Quarter", and "The Ocean". CD

Led Zeppelin at peak power – mixing hard rock bombast with deep, genuine love for blues and folk guitars! Houses Of The Holy is the essential the blueprint for countless imitators to come – but it's also got smarts, subtleties and creative ambitious that's just plain lost on the watered wannabes that floated up in Zeppelin's wake. Titles include "The Crunge", "Over The Hills & Far Away", "The Song Remains The Same", "The Rain Song", "Dancing Days", "Dyer Maker", "No Quarter", and "The Ocean". LP, Vinyl record album

Led Zeppelin at peak power – mixing hard rock bombast with deep, genuine love for blues and folk guitars! Houses Of The Holy is the essential the blueprint for countless imitators to come – but it's also got smarts, subtleties and creative ambitious that's just plain lost on the watered wannabes that floated up in Zeppelin's wake. Titles include "The Crunge", "Over The Hills & Far Away", "The Song Remains The Same", "The Rain Song", "Dancing Days", "Dyer Maker", "No Quarter", and "The Ocean". LP, Vinyl record album

Led Zeppelin at peak power – mixing hard rock bombast with deep, genuine love for blues and folk guitars! Houses Of The Holy is the essential the blueprint for countless imitators to come – but it's also got smarts, subtleties and creative ambitious that's just plain lost on the watered wannabes that floated up in Zeppelin's wake. Titles include "The Crunge", "Over The Hills & Far Away", "The Song Remains The Same", "The Rain Song", "Dancing Days", "Dyer Maker", "No Quarter", and "The Ocean". CD

Led Zeppelin at peak power – mixing hard rock bombast with deep, genuine love for blues and folk guitars! Houses Of The Holy is the essential the blueprint for countless imitators to come – but it's also got smarts, subtleties and creative ambitious that's just plain lost on the watered wannabes that floated up in Zeppelin's wake. This super deluxe box set includes a wealth of bonus material and a 80-page hardbound book, plus art print! Titles include "The Crunge", "Over The Hills & Far Away", "The Song Remains The Same", "The Rain Song", "Dancing Days", "Dyer Maker", "No Quarter", and "The Ocean". LP, Vinyl record album

A live album, but one that's every bit as essential to the Led Zeppelin catalog as any of their studio albums from the 70s! In fact, the album may well be more important on its own – as it marked a real high point for the double-length live album in rock music – not just because it features lavish packaging and great presentation – but also because, like the film, it's filled with really long, unusual takes of the group's classics – most of which diverge very strongly from their studio versions! The real highlight here is the set's classic "Moby Dick", which features one of the greatest drum solos ever set to wax – and other tunes include "Rain Song", "Whole Lotta Love", "Stairway To Heaven", "No Quarter", and "Dazed & Confused". CD

Incredibly haunting early work from Peggy Lee! The record is one of her moodiest, and is essential listening for anyone who's ever though of Peggy only as a schmaltzy pop singer. The arrangements are fantastic, and they have a sad somber quality that we'd compare to those on Frank Sinatra's legendary Wee Small Hours album. The tracks are similar, too – and filled with pain, loss, and longing – really some of the deepest work of Peggy's career at this time! Titles include "So Blue", "What's New", "Street Of Dreams", "Too Late Now", and "Dancing On The Ceiling". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the out there primal scream of Plastic Ono, and more of an impeccably produced, easy to love landmark from John Lennon! The title track, beautiful as it is, is so heavily ingrained into rock & roll myth making machine that it's become too easy to overlook how great most of the songs on the album are. It must be the most consistent of John's LPs post-Beatles, and it's just about as essential as they come. Co-produced by Phil Spector, yet it's often not as grandly orchestrated as a Wall Of Sound effort, and well tailored to Lennon's songs. Includes "Give Me Some Truth", "Oh My Love", "How Do You Sleep?", "Imagine", "Crippled Inside", "Jealous Guy" and "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing limited box set release of John Lennon's Imagine – issued as a special 40th Anniversary package, and even cooler than the original release back in the 70s! The white box has a great cover image of John at the piano, with Yoko sitting nearby – and contains 2LPs, on 180 gram white vinyl – plus a poster and postcards as well! The core album is Imagine, of course – the most consistent of John's post-Beatles albums, and just about as essential as they come. Co-produced by Phil Spector, yet it's often not as grandly orchestrated as a Wall Of Sound effort, and well tailored to Lennon's songs – which include "Give Me Some Truth", "Oh My Love", "How Do You Sleep", "Imagine", "Crippled Inside", "Jealous Guy" and "I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier". The second LP features Imagine Sessions material – early versions of "Baby Please Don't Go", "Imagine", "How Do You Sleep", "Jealous Love", "Oh My Love", and "I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic late 70s double live album from Little Feat! Their reputation as one of the great live acts of that decade or any other is realized beautifully here – the band playing off of each other masterfully, and they're just as sharp vocally – but what's most impressive is how they manage to expand upon the studio versions of the songs and jam a bit, too. A seriously impressive set – and truly one of the more essential live albums of the late 70s by anyone! Includes "Join The Band", "Fat Man In The Bathtub", "All That You Dream", "Day Or Night", "Spanish Moon", "Dixie Chicken", "A Apolitical Blues", "Sailin Shoes", "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" and more, plus lots of outtakes – 27 tracks in all. CD

Amazing sounds from one of the all-time greats – the legendary Little Willie John – not only a key inspiration to James Brown, but one of the formative forces in soul music at the start of the 60s! The material here was cut by King Records at the height of its R&B years, but it also stretches forth towards something new, too – a deeper, more expressive sound that really blows us out of the water, even all these decades later – vocals that are incredible, and virtually a blueprint for the style that would come to be known as deep soul in later years. The package brings together all of Little Willie John's hit singles for King, but also features the much more obscure b-sides too – making it an essential document of these legendary years – with a whopping 32 tracks that include "Now You Know", "Flamingo", "Spring Fever", "I'm Sorry", "My Nerves", "Do Something For Me", "Leave My Kitten Alone", "Let Nobody Love You", "Fever", "Tell It Like It Is", "Letter From My Darling", "Don't Leave Me Dear", "Right There", and "All Around The World". CD

Probably the greatest record that the Louvin Brothers ever made – and a haunting batch of songs filled with death and disaster, sung in a crystalline harmony style by Ira and Charlie! Includes the oft-quoted "Kentucky", plus loads of other great ones, including "Take The News To Mother", "What Is Home Without Love", the ever-scary and beautiful "Knoxville Girl", and "Mary Of The Wild Moor". Country harmony grandeur and entirely essential! LP, Vinyl record album

2 of very best LPs ever cut by the Louvin Brothers – Tragic Sounds Of Life and Satan Is Real – back to back on CD complete with bonus tracks! Tragic Songs Of Life is quite possibly THE greatest record that the Louvin Brothers ever made – and a haunting batch of songs filled with death and disaster, sung in a crystalline harmony style by Ira and Charlie! Includes the oft-quoted "Kentucky", plus loads of other great ones, including "Take The News To Mother", "What Is Home Without Love", the bone-chilling "Knoxville Girl", and "Mary Of The Wild Moor". Great stuff, and completely essential! Satan Is Real is a fantastic record of country harmony spirituals, cut during the height of their years at Capitol! The record's a treasure all the way through – from great songs like "Satan is Real", "The Drunkard's Room", and "Dying From Home, And Lost" – to the groovy cover that has the Louvins smirking next to a flaming pile of garbage with a self designed statue of Satan. Incredible stuff! Other titles include the Gram Parsons epiphany "The Christian Life", "Satan's Jeweled Crown" and "I'm Ready To Go Home" and more. The CD also includes 4 bonus tracks of 45 sides: "Blue From Now On", "Red Head Hop", "Read What's In My Heart" and "My Heart Was Trampled On The Street". CD

"Got To Be Real" is one of the most amazing tracks of all time. Not only did it bridge the disco and soul worlds at the time, but through hip hop sampling, it also became an essential old school classic. Still sounds great today, and it's a cut that we can never get enough of. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Groundbreaking Latin Jazz – and an essential 2LP set! The album brings together classic work for Norman Granz' Verve and Clef labels in the cubop mode – including Dizzy Gillespie's Manteca Suite, Machito's Afro-Cuban Suite, titles by Chico O'Farrill, and others recorded in 1949 and arranged by Rene Hernandez. Players include Machito, Charlie Parker, Diz, Mario Bauza, Eddie Bert, Flip Phillips, Chano Pozo, and Jos Mangual – and the quality of the work unifies the sessions wonderfully, even though they were recorded separately over a 5 year period. LP, Vinyl record album

A Stones Throw sci-fi masterpiece – one that was destined for greatness from conception, but we're still pretty well blown away by the final product! MC Doom and beatmaster Madlib couldn't be better suited for a collaboration. As much as we've dug the best of Doom's material of the last couple years, he's always needed a good editor – and Madlib brings nothing but the best sci-fi sound collages, scratches, and titanically driving funky beats – the grooved out 70s side of 'Lib's personality is wisely given a powder, while in the company of a vocal presence that's as insane as Doom. When it's not so pounding, the sound drops into the kinda gloomy, murky crackle of earliest Wu Tang. This is easily the best album of its kind since Dr. Octagon tore the flood gates open. Essential!!! "The Illest Villains", "Accordian", "Bistro", "Raid" feat Medaphoar, "America's Most Blunted", "Rainbows", "Curls", "Money Folder", "Hardcore Hustle","Fancy Clown", "Supervillain", "All Caps", "Rhinestone Cowboy" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great step forward for the legendary Tim Maia – working here in a style that's even tighter and more sophisticated than before – yet still equally filled with funk and soul! The arrangements are a bit bigger than before, and the production a bit more professional – but that change only brings Tim into even more heavenly soul territory – with a mix of grooves and strings that lays somewhere between the best early 70s work on labels like Curtom or Motown! Tim's got a new sense of majesty on the album – and also sings in English in a few spots – at a level that makes us wonder why he was never able to crack the American soul market at the time. An essential record from the man who brought American soul music to Brazil – with tracks that include "Over Again", "New Love", "O Balanco", "Reu Confesso", "Preciso Ser Amado", "Amores", and "Do Your Thing Behave Yourself". CD

A great step forward for the legendary Tim Maia – working here in a style that's even tighter and more sophisticated than before – yet still equally filled with funk and soul! The arrangements are a bit bigger than before, and the production a bit more professional – but that change only brings Tim into even more heavenly soul territory – with a mix of grooves and strings that lays somewhere between the best early 70s work on labels like Curtom or Motown! Tim's got a new sense of majesty on the album – and also sings in English in a few spots – at a level that makes us wonder why he was never able to crack the American soul market at the time. An essential record from the man who brought American soul music to Brazil – with tracks that include "Over Again", "New Love", "O Balanco", "Reu Confesso", "Preciso Ser Amado", "Amores", and "Do Your Thing Behave Yourself". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great idea for a book on records – and one that's completely different than most that we've seen before! Unlike other books of this nature, which are filled with "essential" or "classic" records – this book is full of flops, or records that never really hit the heights, but which are pretty darn great overall! In the eyes of the authors – and our eyes too – all of these records are under-acknowledged gems – some by big names, others by more obscure artists – lots of which never got their full due at the time. The book is filled with some of our favorite records of all time – which is a big hats off to the long list of contributors, who include Miriam Linna, Steve Shelly, Peter Holsapple, Russ Titelman, Marshall Crenshaw, Bob Irwin, Lenny Kaye, and many others – who've come up with a set of essays on titles that include The Living Legend by Baby Huey, Gene Clark & The Gosdin Brothers, Continued by Tony Joe White, Delta Sweete by Bobby Gentry, Entertainment by Family, Desertshore by Nico, Young Mod's Forgotten Story by The Impressions, Roots by The Everly Brothers, Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt, and lots lots more! The book is filled with records that we love, and that we'd now call classic – served up in a hefty softcover edition that's almost 400 pages in length, with black and white images throughout. Book

Not just a book on Motown – despite the image of The Supremes on the cover – but a story of Detroit itself – told as a series of intersecting paths that include the famous soul music label, as well as all the manufacturers, cultures, communities, and political forces that were shaping the city in the early 60s. The decline of Detroit has been a story for decades now – but David Maraniss looks at the city in the years before the fall – focusing on 1963, where he shows that tensions were already strong in some sectors, and the ground upon which so much was being built could easily shift and allow the whole thing to topple. The book is one of the most fascinating city portraits we've ever read – with lessons that are still completely essential to the 21st Century urban environment – and the whole thing is 441 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book

Vital early Prestige work from alto sax great Charlie Mariano – who's fronting a quintet of Boston All Stars! The record includes a couple of his more essential early compositions in "Erosong" and "Barsac" – and Charlie's solos on those are incredible on those. It's also got some tightly-swinging takes on "Stella By Starlight" and "I'm Old Fashioned" (which Mariano decisively was not!) – "Bye Bye Blues" and "Bess, You Is My Woman". Dick Twardzik's piano also stands out tremendously throughout the set – along with Herb Pomeroy on trumpet, Bernie Griggs on bass and Jimmy Wiener on drums. Also features material from a 10 inch album subtitled New Sounds From Boston – which is quite appropriate – as the soulfulness of the solos and the overall arrangements sound a good half-decade ahead of their time! Charlie's solos are terrific, but he's a generous leader – with plenty of space for standout moments by a group that features Joe Gordon on trumpet, Sonny Truitt on trombone, Jim Clark on tenor, George Myers on baritone, Glenn Glennon on drums, Jack Lawlor on bass, and Roy Frazee on piano. Includes 2 sessions masters each of Mariano's own "Boston Uncommon" and "The Wizard" – plus "Tzoris" and "Autumn In New York". Also includes "Mariners" and "Aviary" – the former in a sextet setting and the latter a quintet. LP, Vinyl record album

Nice album from the 70s that brings together some of the beautiful jazz sides that Charlie Mariano cut while he was living in Japan with his (then) wife, pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi. The record's split up into two sets of tracks – one is a series of compositions from West Side Story that feature Mariano's icy alto playing in beautiful light, free lines. The other set's comprised up of 2 longer, later tracks – "Haru-No-Umi" and "Stone Garden Of Ryoan Temple" – both of which show Charlie in a haunting experimental period, and playing a number of different reed instruments, in addition to his usual alto. If you're a bit fan of Mariano (and we're huge fans of his), the record is an essential collection of some great rare stuff by him. LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary drummer Harvey Mason in sweet jazz funk groove at Arista – a way stronger record than we remembered! Harvey played on some of our favorite jazz funk records of all time – including the massive Gears LP by Johnny Hammond among so many other great albums – and on his on 70s work for Arista, he explored jazz funk and soul instrumentals, with an expansive approach. He was an integral piece of the pie on so many completely essential records by other artists, that it's far too easy to overlook the considerable strengths of the records he headlined, and this is surely of on one of those! Players include Lee Ritenour & Ray Parker on guitars, the Sea Wind Horns of Bruce Fowler, Sally and Kenny Mason, Greg Pillinganes and Paul Smith on pianos and organs, Jan Hammer on Mini Moog and others. Cuts include "Sweet Mercy", "Bertha Baptist", "First Summer" (with Harvey Mason on vibes, bells and chimes), "No Lands Man", "Sho Nuff Groove", "The Mase", "When I'm With You (Live Version)" and "KY And The Curb". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great Curtis Mayfield albums – often overlooked, but essential in any collection of his work! The sound is still very much in the classic Curtom mode, with less of the uptempo and disco groovers that were showing up on some of the other records from the time – and more of the sweetly soulful styles that Curtis was also working on as his 70s career progressed. There's a wonderful sense of Mayfield's persons that comes through on every cut here – the righteous, proud Curtis from the earlier part of the 70s – and the warmer, mature Mayfield that was showing up a bit later on. Titles include the classic groover "Tripping Out" – plus "Never Let Me Go", "Something To Believe In", "It's Alright", and "Never Stop Loving Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Cassette

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus, this set also features a whole bonus LP – one that brings together extra tracks, unreleased cuts, alternate versions, instrumental versions, and even some cool radio promotional spots – with the "Check Out Your Mind" instrumental studio jam, the full-length version of the instrumental "Junkie Chase", the demo version of "Ghetto Child", and lots more! LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus, this set also features a whole bonus CD – one that brings together extra tracks, unreleased cuts, alternate versions, instrumental versions, and even some cool radio promotional spots! with the "Check Out Your Mind" instrumental studio jam, the full-length version of the instrumental "Junkie Chase", the demo version of "Ghetto Child", and lots more! Great stuff – and in a lovely fold-out package, with the same foldover die-cut cover of the original LP! CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus, this set also features a whole bonus CD – one that brings together extra tracks, unreleased cuts, alternate versions, instrumental versions, and even some cool radio promotional spots! with the "Check Out Your Mind" instrumental studio jam, the full-length version of the instrumental "Junkie Chase", the demo version of "Ghetto Child", and lots more! CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus 2 bonus tracks, the single mix of "Freddie's Dead" and "Superfly". CD

An essential 2 CD set that brings together some of the best work ever by one of the 70's most enduring modern soul groups! We've always loved Maze, but they sound extremely great on this CD – since it picks through their classic albums, and brings together the best cuts, skipping over some of the group's weaker material. Nearly every cut's a winner, and titles include "While I'm Alone", "Golden Time of Day", "Southern Girl", "Joy & Pain", "Happy Feelings", "Love Is The Key", "Lady Of Magic", "Back In Stride", "I Wanna Be With You", "Running Away", and "Reason". CD

Seminal work from The Meters – and an album that's essential for just about any collection of old school funk! The record's a blueprint for grooves that have been copied for generations to come – yet nobody does it better than these Crescent City kings – working here with a sound that's lean, mean, and completely on the money! The mix of organ, guitar, and bad-walking rhythms is completely sublime throughout – and made even better by massive production from the team of Marshall Sehorn and Allen Toussaint. Imagine taking the best instrumental funk 45s from your collection, then playing them back to back – and you'll get a good idea of the solid sound of this landmark set. Titles include "Funky Miracle", "Oh Calcutta", "Yeah You're Right", "Pungee", "Look-Ka Py Py", "Dry Spell", "Little Old Money Maker", "The Mob", "9 Til 5", "Rigor Mortis", and "This Is My Last Affair". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from The Meters – and an album that's essential for just about any collection of old school funk! The record's a blueprint for grooves that have been copied for generations to come – yet nobody does it better than these Crescent City kings – working here with a sound that's lean, mean, and completely on the money! The mix of organ, guitar, and bad-walking rhythms is completely sublime throughout – and made even better by massive production from the team of Marshall Sehorn and Allen Toussaint. Imagine taking the best instrumental funk 45s from your collection, then playing them back to back – and you'll get a good idea of the solid sound of this landmark set. Titles include "Funky Miracle", "Oh Calcutta", "Yeah You're Right", "Pungee", "Look-Ka Py Py", "Dry Spell", "Little Old Money Maker", "The Mob", "9 Til 5", "Rigor Mortis", and "This Is My Last Affair". LP, Vinyl record album

The Mighty Diamonds debut set, an excellent mix of their sweet harmonies, strident political stance and the then new Rockers sound that was sweeping the Island, recorded at Channel One with a mighty band under the direction of the Hoo Kim brothers. An essential! Includes "Right Time", "Gnashing Of Teeth", "Them Never Love Poor Marcus", "I Need A Roof", "Have Mercy", "Natural Natty", and "Africa". CD

A gem from the great Lloyd Miller – backed by modern Brit jazz funk maestros The Heliocentrics – and a credit to the legacies of all involved! Miller has worked timeless, hypnotic magic on an array of Middle Eastern and Asian instrumentation throughout his career, here playing piano, Indian santur, clarinet, Chinese sona, sitar, wood flute, oud and more – and this effort stands strongly with his best. He's accompanied by the masterful Malcolm Catto & The Heliocentrics – showing as much depth and versatility as ever in largely acoustic and improvisational setting – and the bottom line is that it's just as wonderful as their work with Mulatu. As much as we've flipped out over the Heliocentrics efforts as headliners to date, it's quite stunning how well they work backing such influential and legendary figures. Essential! Includes "Electricone", "Nava", "Mandala", "Spiritual Jazz", "Bali Bronze", "Modality", "Salendro", "Pari Ru", "Lloyd's Diatribe", "Fantasia" (Pts 1 & 2), "Chahargah", "Sunda Sunset" and more. CD

One of Charles Mingus' true classics – and an essential album in any jazz collection! This 1959 gem was recorded by Mingus at a key point in his career – when he was rising from the jazz underground into the ranks of America's elite jazzmen, penning some of the most challenging work of his career, and working with incredible younger players that interpreted his work with a great deal of fire! The tracks are a bit more tightly arranged than work on some of Mingus' previous work for labels like Atlantic and Bethlehem, but that also gives them a razor-sharp emotional edge that's carried off perfectly by players who include John Handy and Shafi Hadi on alto saxes, Booker Ervin on tenor, Willie Dennis and Jimmy Knepper on trombones, Horace Parlan on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The album is filled with key Mingus classics – like "Better Git It In Your Soul", "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", and "Fables of Faubus" – plus "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Open Letter To Duke", and "Bird Call". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Charles Mingus' true classics – and an essential album in any jazz collection! This 1959 gem was recorded by Mingus at a key point in his career – when he was rising from the jazz underground into the ranks of America's elite jazzmen, penning some of the most challenging work of his career, and working with incredible younger players that interpreted his work with a great deal of fire! The tracks are a bit more tightly arranged than work on some of Mingus' previous work for labels like Atlantic and Bethlehem, but that also gives them a razor-sharp emotional edge that's carried off perfectly by players who include John Handy and Shafi Hadi on alto saxes, Booker Ervin on tenor, Willie Dennis and Jimmy Knepper on trombones, Horace Parlan on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The album is filled with key Mingus classics – like "Better Git It In Your Soul", "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", and "Fables of Faubus" – plus "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Open Letter To Duke", and "Bird Call". CD features 3 rare bonus tracks – "GG Train", "Girl Of My Dreams", and "Pedal Point Blues" – and also features 4 tracks presented here in their full versions, not the edited ones that appeared on the original LP. CD

Killer funky organ – and 100% Dynamite! Jackie Mittoo is one of the all-time great organists – as essential to Jamaica as Booker T was to Memphis, or Jimmy McGriff was to New York. He's legendary these days as the player who completely transformed the Hammond sound with his unique Jamaican instrumental style during his early years with the Skatalites, and on his later solo recordings for Studio One. This set's probably the first time Mittoo's work has been properly packaged and remastered – and the folks at Soul Jazz have done an amazing job of selecting just the right tracks for such a project. The whole thing wails along with a stone rocksteady groove – with plenty of nice drum parts and funky rhythm bits underneath Jackie's soulful organ. If you dug the label's 100% Dynamite series, you'll really dig this one – and the whole thing's very much in the same vein. Tracks include "Drum Song", "Reggae Rock", "Hot Tamale", "Killer Diller", "Black Organ", "Stereo Freeze", "Wall Street", "Darker Shade Of Black", "Juice Box", and "Killer Diller". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure late 50s set from the mighty Hank Mobley – and like all of the tenorist's sides for Blue Note, an essential gem that tops most work by the rest of his contemporaries! The setting here is a really warm and lyrical one – as Mobley's playing with Horace Silver on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, Art Blakey on drums, and the great Art Farmer on trumpet – making one of his rare (and appreciated!) Blue Note appearances on the set! The tracks have a good mixture of hardbop and more lyrical overtones – in a manner that's similar to Silver's work, but with a little more gutbucket soloing on tenor from Mobley. Titles include "Base On Balls", "Fin De L'Affaire", "Funk In Deep Freeze", and "Startin From Scratch". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure late 50s set from the mighty Hank Mobley – and like all of the tenorist's sides for Blue Note, an essential gem that tops most work by the rest of his contemporaries! The setting here is a really warm and lyrical one – as Mobley's playing with Horace Silver on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, Art Blakey on drums, and the great Art Farmer on trumpet – making one of his rare (and appreciated!) Blue Note appearances on the set! The tracks have a good mixture of hardbop and more lyrical overtones – in a manner that's similar to Silver's work, but with a little more gutbucket soloing on tenor from Mobley. Titles include "Base On Balls", "Fin De L'Affaire", "Funk In Deep Freeze", and "Startin From Scratch". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – alternate takes of "Funk In Deep Freeze" and "Wham & They're Off". CD