A fantastic classic from the Cali scene of the early 90s – one of the key records that had the west coast going head to head with some of the smarter acts back east – a great balance to the up and coming genius of Wu Tang and Brand Nubian! There's a similar sense of message and play going on here – rhymes from Mikah 9, PEACE, Aceyalone, and Self Jupiter – set to beats that bounce nicely, but never in a way that undercuts the lyrics – nicely crisp production with assist from the Earthquake Brothers. Titles include "Inner City Boundaries", "Shammy's", "Everything's Everything", "Park Bench People", "Mary", "Cornbread", "Way Cool", "Heavyweights", "Pure Thought", "Hot Potato", and "Six Tray". CD

A well-done look at a genre that kind of snuck in under the wire – music that carries some late traces of electro, touched with underground club styles, but also delivered in a way that's plenty darn catchy, with a great ear for a hook and a groovy sort of sing-song lyric! The music is heavy on beats, basslines, and keyboards – all bursting out with plenty of energy – maybe a brightened up take on street soul from the early 80s, but usually with a younger female singer, which helps the music bubble along in a really great way! The package is new territory for Ace Records, but they've done a great job of bringing together both key cuts and overlooked gems – all hand-picked by Bob Stanley, with a set list that includes "Two Of Hearts (12" version)" by Stacey Q, "Don't Be Shy (radio voc)" by Janelle, "Lover Girl" by Meg, "Let's Go (radio)" by Nocera, "Funky Little Beat" by Connie, "When I Hear Music" by Debbie Deb, "I Wonder If I Take You Home" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force, "Together Forever (radio)" by Lisette Melendez, "Dreamin" by Will To Power, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Lil Suzy, "Thief Of Hearts" by Cynthia, "Fascinated (12" version)" by Company B, and "Baby Talk" by Alisha. CD

Tracks from Kruder & Dorfmeister, Shantel, Turntable Terranova, The Righteous Men, Four Ears, Doppelganger, Fauna Flash, Third Electric, Kreidler, Impulse, and more. CD

A great group gets even better – thanks to some heavenly production from the legendary Ed Motta! Ed's an artist that we love tremendously for his own work – particularly the recent groundbreaking sides on the Trama label – but here he's working in the studio in support of Jazzinho, giving their already-great groove an added touch of warmth, soul, and imagination! As on their debut, Jazzinho work strongly in a jazzy 70s territory – hitting the best notes of Brazilian fusion from that time, and coming off with an especially soulful sound on the vocals – which are mostly backed up by live combo instrumentation. Ed's participation here runs past even his control of the studio board, as he sings a bit, arranges some, and also plays guitar and percussion – really acting as a special extra member of the group for this set! Main vocals are by Guida De Palma, and titles include "The Lagoon Monster", "Aos Meninos De Angola", "Symmetry", "Tide", "Symetrie", "Afro Luso Brasileiro", "Aos Meninos De Angola", "Cancao De Embalar", "Da Tempo Ao Tempo", and "Look Inside". CD

Spiritual sounds from a group who just seem to get better and better with each release – a combo headed up by Lance Ferguson, who you'll know from previous funk projects, including work in The Bamboos – an artist who's turned out to be a surprisingly strong jazz leader as well! There's definitely some soulful currents of Lance's previous work mixed in with the music – including some female soul vocals that help the record soar at points, almost with a Roy Ayers righteousness, especially in the way the singers join together – and the rest of the ensemble features Fender Rhodes, tenor, soprano, trumpet, and some mighty nice percussion – on titles that include "Arrival", "Danieda's Dance", "Of", "Shores Of Infinity", "Kingdom", and "Earthrise". CD

Part hip hop, part abstract beats – and one of the more soulful and hip hop based late 90s/early 00s sets on Ubiquity! Features guest appearance from scene mainstays 2 Mex, Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone, Medusa, Abstract Rude and others. Tracks include "For Those Who Never Dream", "Leading To The One", "Monotone", "Sun Child", "Fiend Or Fix", "Planets Ain't Aligned", "Inner Eye", and "Sixth Sense". CD contains the bonus track "Faces Of The Deep". CD

A now-legendary set from the Philadelphia underground at the start of the century – a package that reminds us just how much great music has always been going on in the city, often far from the mainstream! This set corrected that fact, by bringing together a trio of three genre-stepping musicians – drummer Questlove, jazz bassist Christian McBride, and keyboardist Uri Caine, who plays some great Fender Rhodes and Hammond B-3 on the set! The core grooves are by the trio, working together in a way that's not that different from the freestyle funk of Medeski, Martin, & Wood back when they used to care a bit more about the groove – and the group's joined on a few tracks by guests, including Pat Martino on guitar, Jon Swana on trumpet, and Larry Gold on cello. The best cuts on the set have a hard beat underneath, warm rolling basslines, and washes of keyboards over the top to keep things nice and sweet. Titles include "The Miles Hit", "Call For All Demons", "Grover", "Ain't It The Truth", "Mister Magic", "Philadelphia Freedom", and "Lesson #4". CD

Tracks from Circulation, KCL Project, Diva Five, Idjut Boys, Daddae Harvey, Frankie Foncett, Destry & Tee Harris, Freaks, Mr C, Reticulate, and Freestyle Inc. CD

12 tracks, and 4 skits, with E Double's newer hot sound in the beats, and Keith Murray and the Funk Doctor Spock joining him on the mic, including "Countdown", "Full Cooperation", "Rhymin Wit Biz", "The Game (Freestyle)", "Can You Dig It?", "No Guest List" and "Def Squad Delite". CD

Tracks include "Can I Get Open" by Original Flavor, "Lyrics To Go (Tumblin Dice remix)" by A Tribe Called Quest, "Best Kept Secret" by Diamond & The Psychotic Neurotics, "Hot Potato" by Freestyle Fellowship, "The Return Of The Crazy One" by Digital Underground, "Snake Eyes" by Main Source, "93 Til Infinity" by Souls Of Mischief, "Popcorn" by KMD, "Them That's Not" by J-Live, "One Of Those Days" by Schoolz Of Thought, and more. CD

A bit of a rarity for hip hop albums – how many live sets can you name? With 19 live versions of classic KRS tracks, including "Lick A Shot", "Jack Of Spades", "My Philosophy", "Still #1 (freestyle)", "Poetry", "Criminal Minded", "Jimmy", "The Bridge Is Over", "South Bronx", 'Reggae Medley (including 9mm)", "Super Hoe", "Why Is That?", 'Stop The Violence", "Breath Control", "Self Destruction" and more. CD

A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many others! The set list is superb – and while most of the tracks are well-remembered gems, and not the kind of rare cuts we usually hear from Ace Records – taken together, they're a tremendous reminder of a time when hip hop really came alive – bursting with wit, wisdom, and a whole new sense of musical imagination! As usual with Ace, the liner notes and other details are great – making this way more than just a slap-dash mix of hits – and titles include "You're Not Coming Home (Mase's funkay recall mix)" by Groove Garden, "Age Ain't Nothin But A #" by Chi Ali, "Bonita Applebum" by Tribe Called Quest, "Sunshine Men" by Freestyle Fellowship, "Peachfuzz" by KMD, "K Sera Sera" by Justin Warfield, "It's A Shame" by Monie Love, "Doin Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers, "OPP" by Naughty By Nature, "Doowutchyalike" by Digital Underground, "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays" by De La Soul, "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep, "All For One" by Brand Nubian, "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style" by Dream Warriors, "Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children" by Queen Latifah with De La Soul, "Where I'm From" by Digable Planets, and "We Run Things (It's Like Dat)" by Da Bush Babees. CD

Includes "Luv On A Dub" by Daddy D, "Amazin" by Omniscence, "I'm Gonna Kill You" by Juggaknotz, "Let It Fall" by Lin Que, "Ghetto Girl" by 8 Off, "Natural Disaster" by Supernatural, "Real Hip Hop" by Das EFX, and "Brooklyn Zoo", "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", and a freestyle by Ol Dirty Bastard. CD

An assortment of Nujazz, downtempo, and electronic tracks from Germany – pulled together by the folks at Spinning Wheel Records, who we love for their collections of older groovy bits! The set features many exclusive tracks and previously unissued numbers – and it fits nicely with a Compost or G-Stone-type groove. Tracks from Max Fresh, Wiseintime, Jimpster, Mark De Clive-Lowe, Alex Phountzi, Reunion, Sonic Surfer, The Green Man, uss Gabriel, and BTO Spider & Jeremiah. CD