Marcus Roberts on solo piano. CD

This great little series gets even better – as it breaks past the early 80s focus of previous volumes, to include some great 70s gems as well! As before, the focus is less disco than you'd expect – more uptempo soul, which includes some 70s mellow movers and early 80s boogie tracks – all brought together with a great ear for a mostly under-discovered cut! The package features 20 tunes in all – and titles include "Don't You Wanna Make Love" by Carl Carlton, "Do You Really Love Me" by Bryan Loren, "Let's Start The Dance (rmx)" by Bohannon with Perri Johnson, "Friends" by Shalamar, "Keep On Doin Whatcha Doin (12" long version)" by Ty Karim & George Griffin, "Don't Stop" by Asso, "Taj Mahal" by Paulina DaCosta, "Wet My Whistle" by Midnight Star, "Pack Up Your Things & Get Out Of My Life" by TC Curtis, "Way Out" by Dynasty, "Dreamin" by Loleatta Holloway, "Let Love Shine" by Skyy, "Now I'm Fine" by Grey & Hanks, "Make It Up To Me In Love" by Odia Coates, "Half The Day's Gone" by Kenny Lynch, "Stand Up" by Delegation, and "Single Handed" by Haywoode. CD

Featuring Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Gene Ammons, Coleman Hawkins, McCoy Tyner, John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson, and Red Garland. CD

Plenty of jazz giants here – some of the biggest heavyweights of John Coltrane's generation, working here either as leaders of the dates, or sidemen on some of Coltrane's earliest recordings for Prestige! The package features material originally issued under the names of Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Red Garland, and Thelonious Monk – with other tracks headed by Coltrane himself – a great collection of Prestige sides that runs for over an hour in length. Players include Garland or Monk on piano, Davis on trumpet, Donald Byrd or Wilbur Harden on trumpets, Paul Chambers or Wilbur Ware on bass, and Jimmy Cobb or Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Airegin", "Mating Call", "Monk's Mood", "Soft Lights & Sweet Music", "Russian Lullaby", "Lover", "Billie's Bounce", "Invitation", "Trinkle Trinkle", and "I Love You". CD

Two live performances, both featuring Dizzy Gillespie – other performers include Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, and Sonny Stitt. CD

Not just disco cuts from the 80s – as the title might imply – but a great range of work from the mid 70s onward, including a fair bit of funky numbers that are nicely different from more familiar disco! As with other volumes in the series, the approach here is maybe more towards upbeat soul – bits of boogie, 80s groove, and even some jazz funk styles too – brought together on tracks that include "It's Too Late" by Delight, "Do You Really Love Me" by Janice Bullock, "Touch Me In The Morning" by Marlena Shaw, "I Felt You Glancin" by Kimiko Kasai, "Lookin For A Lovin" by Dorothy Moore, "You're Lying (12" mix)" by Linx, "You're Number One" by Devarne, "Do You Love Me" by Marlene, "Girl You Are The One" by Alfonzo, "The Good Life" by Bobbi Humphrey, "We Belong Together" by Tony Valor, "Rejoice" by The Emotions, "Carnival" by Splendor, "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody" by Brick, "Be With Me (12" mix)" by Billy Griffin, "This Time" by Chocolate Jam Co, and "ASAP" by The Jones Girls. CD

Featuring Sonny Criss, Art Tatum, Herbie Mann, Dave Brubeck, Ray Bryant, Art Pepper, Ben Webster, and John Coltrane – 12 tracks in all. CD

Very much the sort of record that's made James Brandon Lewis such a key force on the tenor in recent years – an album that acts as a bridge between so many different modern modes, in part because of the strength of the group! Lewis is one of that rare breed who can improvise on the outside, yet still retain a soulful swing – almost a quality that hearkens back to 60s avant jazz giants – and we can say that same about the rest of the group here, a lineup that features Aruan Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums – the last of whom is especially marvelous in this endeavor! It almost seems as if Lewis gets better and better with each new record – and that's certainly the case here – n titles that include "Black Apollo", "Triptych", "Elan Vital", "Empirical Perception", "Transfiguration", and "Swerve". CD

One of the greatest sessions ever recorded by Ronnie Mathews – an excellent soul jazz pianist who's working here in a mode that's similar to that of Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton, or other 70s lyrical giants! Mathews' touch on the keys is incredible – at one moment extremely sensitive and pensive, at another racing forward with a searing searching spirituality that's driven on by the bass of Yoshio Suzuki and the drums of Louis Hayes – a great rhythm duo who really help give the record a very special, unique feel. The album features the original compositions "Ichiban", "K's Waltz", and "Jean-Marie" – plus a great version of "Manha Do Carnaval", which features Mathews on Fender Rhodes! CD

A great counterpart to the two famous Charles Mingus albums for the Candid label – really a third "lost" Candid album, recorded at the time of those sets, but never issued until many years later! As with those great dates, the work here is filled with righteous anger, unbridled emotion, and some of the most passionate jazz work of the 20th Century – directed by Mingus with unfailing energy on the bass, and featuring solo work from players who include Eric Dolphy on alto and bass clarinet, Booker Ervin on tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, Ted Curson and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpets, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Paul Bley on piano – all giants in their own right, most of whom gave the world some fantastic records under their own leadership too! Tracks are all nice and long, mostly from the November 11, 1960 date that featured two different groups – titles that include "Bugs", "R&R", "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird (2nd version)", "Body & Soul", and "All The Things You Are (all)". CD

A record with a very plain cover, but one that contains some of the most searing guitar work of the early 70s – the one and only album by a short-lived group from Brazil – one who mix Sabbath-style hard rock with some more experimental modes – all at a level that's completely unlike anything we can think of from the time! There's some really offbeat production twists that almost seem to be learned from the Tropicalia generation – although the music here is much more straightforward, and delivered with familiar guitar, organ, bass, and drums – familiar instruments that, as in the hands of some of the giants of the time, take on raw power and sounds of their own when pushed to their limits! Lyrics are all in Portuguese, but that hardly matters, given the instrumental intensity of the set – which includes the titles "Turpe Est Sine Crine Caput", "Nao Fale Com Paredes", "Metro Mental", "Animaia", and "Espelho". The CD version is loaded with bonus tracks, too – including rare singles released under the name Modulo 1000 and the pseudonymous Love Machine – with titles include including "Ferrugem E Fuligem", "The Cancer Stick", "Waiting For Tomorrow", "Gloriosa", "Cafusa" and more. 17 tracks in all! CD

A record that documents a meeting of two giants of modern jazz in the 50s – the angular genius Thelonious Monk, and the younger John Coltrane – a tenor player who was probably better-known for his work with Miles Davis during this period! The recordings are more Monk's than Coltrane's – Monk was signed to Riverside at the time – and the set mixes in three quartet tracks that have the pair working with Wilbur Ware on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums – plus two more from the sessions for the famous Monk's Music record – alternate takes from those sessions, with a larger group that features Gigi Gryce on alto, Coleman Hawkins on additional tenor, and Ray Copeland on trumpet! Quartet tracks include "Ruby My Dear", "Trinkle Trinkle", and "Nutty" – with the larger group on alternates of "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy" – and a solo performance by Monk on an alternate of "Functional". CD

The mighty Mulatu Astatke has given us lots of amazing music over the years – key records both home in Ethiopia and here in the US – yet this performance may well be one of his most special, as it unites the legendary musician with a host of giants from the American scene – all in a one-off performance that finally gave Mulatu his due! The leader handles vibes at the helm of an all-star group that includes Bennie Maupin on flute and soprano sax, Azar Lawrence on tenor, and Phil Ranelin on trombone – all spiritual jazz giants of the 70s who only further expand the genius of Mulatu's music – in the company of some younger musicians who include Miguel Atwood Ferguson on violin and Brandon Coleman on electric piano and organ. The whole thing is very much in keeping with the best Mulatu classics from back in the day, but also pushes things forward wonderfully too, with a lot more jazz in the mix – on titles that include "Yekermo Sew", "The Radcliffe", "Kasalefkut Hulu", "I Faram Gami", "Yekatit", "Mulatu", and "Ebo Lala". CD

A great relic from the cold wave scene of the early 80s – material that was originally issued on a small-run cassette, mostly as a demo for the group – but more than strong enough to finally be released as a full-length album! Mystery Plane work here in a spare, electric style that has that special warmth we love in a rare few UK acts from the same time – maybe some of the charm of Young Marble Giants, mixed with a few more tuneful tracks that almost seem to be going for the dark club territory of the early Sheffield scene. A few more tweaks, and these guys might have been huge – but we like them best this way, and love the honest approach of their music! Titles include "Telephone", "This Is Your Life", "Something To Prove", "Silence After Midnight", "Still Life", "Crying Again", and "Death Sentence". CD features bonus tracks "Heart Of Darkness" and "Graveyard In The Sky". CD

Beautiful work from The Paris Sisters – one of the coolest, grooviest girl groups of the 60s – and one who've got a sound that's really a cut above most of their contemporaries! There's something strangely sinister about this trio – not just the sweet sounds you might expect, but also this undercurrent of darkness that often seems emphasized in the hip production they receive – work on these cuts by 60s studio giants like Phil Spector, Jack Nitzsche, Nik Venet, and Terry Melcher – who move these gals past simple Brill Building pop, into territory that's often a lot spookier. The package is the first to really offer up the full spectrum of the trio's genius – and features five never-issued tracks, plus work the girls did for Reprise, MGM, Columbia, Mercury, and Capitol Records – all with the usual top-shelf Ace Records presentation and notes. Titles include "Stand Naked Clown", "You", "Baby That's Me", "Lonely Girl", "When I'm Alone With You", "See That Boy", "Greener Days", "He Knows I Love Him Too Much", "My Good Friend", "Be My Boy", "Play It One More Time", "I Came A Long Way To Nowhere", "Long After Tonight Is Over", "Dream Lover", and even a "Diet Rite Commercial". CD

A classic meeting of two giants from the early years of bop – altoist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie – brought together here in a session that Norman Granz would later list as one of the truest realizations of his vision for recording jazz music! Parker's sharp lines are a great contrast to the robust horn work of Diz – and the players work here with a rhythm section that features Thelonious Monk on piano, Curley Russell on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. Titles include "Relaxin With Lee", "Leap Frog", "Oscar For Treadwell", and "Mohawk". The LP also includes a number of alternate takes, and has a nice photo of the 2 jazz giants on the cover. This CD version includes all the takes from the sessions, including chatter between takes, 20 b9it restoration, new liner notes, photographs and cover art. CD

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD features a bonus version of "Star Child", a promo radio version! CD

An amazing moment for singer Dianne Reeves – the first in a long line of excellent records for the Blue Note label – and a wonderfully tight blend of jazz and soul, put together at a level that instantly pushed Reeves into the territory of previous giants like Phyllis Hyman and Marlena Shaw! Like both of those singers, Dianne's got roots in jazz, but also pushes towards more of an R&B vibe at times – but never in a way that's commercially aimed at the charts, especially in comparison to some of her contemporaries. There's a really rich feel to the whole album – thanks to help from George Duke, who produced and played keyboards – alongside other musicians like Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Ndugu Chancler on drums. Titles include "Chan's Song (Never Said)", "I'm OK", "Sky Islands", "Harvest Time", "Yesterdays", and "Better Days". CD

It's hard to overstate the influence of Max Roach and Clifford Brown on the west coast scene of the 50s – as the two players helped draw out the bop sound of LA that was quickly getting lost in the cool jazz shuffle of the time, and gave it a strength and focus that not only made the group one of the strongest of the time, but which also sparked new life and a hardbop generation on the LA scene! This classic set of live recordings was one of the first great Brown/Roach moments – recorded during 2 different concerts by Gene Norman Presents, and featuring some great tenor work by LA giants Teddy Edwards and Harold Land, plus some piano by the amazing "sideways" player Carl Perkins, as well as Bud Powell's brother Richie – a key factor of the group's studio recordings on Mercury, and a player who would perish in the same accident that took the life of Clifford Brown. This CD features the full versions of most of the tracks that have been highly edited on the GNP albums over the years – including "Clifford's Axe", "Sunset Eyes", "Jordu", "I Can't Get Started", "Parisian Thoroughfare", and "Tenderly". A few edits persist in a few parts, as the unedited tapes appear to be lost – but many of the tracks are in nice longish versions! CD

A massive overview of the early years of the career of trumpeter Shorty Rogers – a 2CD set that brings together performances by Shorty in other groups (Woody Herman, Red Norvo, Stan Kenton, Lighthouse All Stars), plus some of Rogers' seminal early 50s sides as a leader! The package is a great way to look at Shorty in these "bubbling under" years – the time when he was making bold strides as a soloist in other artists' groups, then first forging the Giants sound that became one of the most popular in 50s jazz. Titles include "Bop" by Red Norvo, "Igor" and "Lemon Drop" with Woody Herman, "Short Wave" with Maynard Ferguson, "Jolly Rogers" and "Viva Prado" with Stan Kenton, "Punkin" with Louis Bellson, "What's New" with Lighthouse All Stars, and "Chino", "Coop De Graas", "Morpo", "Diablo's Dance", "Pesky Serpent", "Indian Club", "Powder Puff", "Didi", and "Four Mothers" all issued under Shorty's name. CD

Rare early material from one of the hippest singers on 70s Motown – the heavenly Syreeta, best known for her seminal work with Stevie Wonder – heard here in the years before, on a rare single and a huge amount of never-issued tracks! Syreeta first worked for Motown under the name of Rita Wright – but apart from a 1967 single on Gordy, and a handful of compilation tracks in recent years, almost all her work for the label at the time appears here for the first time ever – a massive 18 of the collection's total 24 tracks – offering up a huge look at the early days of this wonderful talent! Even at the start, Syreeta's got a style that's hipper than most – righteous currents that point the way towards the 70s, and set her apart from some of the other female singers on the label – with a vibe that's completely sublime. We're really not sure why these cuts have been hidden for so long – because on any other label, they'd be hit material – especially given that production his handled by giants like Hal Davis, Stevie Wonder, Ashford & Simpson, and the Holland-Dozier-Holland team. One of the coolest sets of female soul you'll buy in a long, long time – with titles that include "Bad Boy", "Ain't I Gonna Win Your Love", "Beware Of A Stranger", "Love Child", "Since You Came Back", "Mind Body & Soul", "May His Love Shine Forever", "Something On My Mind", "That's What He Told Me", "It Don't Mean Nothin To Me", "Give Back The Good Things", "Can You Feel It Babe", "Save The Country", "Hurtin Me", "Love My Lovin Man", and "Where There's A Will There's A Way". CD

A pair of classic albums from The Undisputed Truth! First up is Method To The Madness – a gem from the second chapter of the group – that time when they stepped away from Motown, and followed producer/creator Norman Whitfield to his own label in California! The shift of record companies also marks a cool shift in styles too – an approach that still has all the bold, bassy elements you'd know from the earlier hits – but one that also has some fuller, more cosmic elements too! The set begins with a weird electronic spoken number that's almost experimental – then brings up the bass for a bit of heavy funk, while also using electric elements in a way that really points the way to sounds that other big funk groups would cop at the start of the 80s – but which really sound fresh here. Titles include "Sunshine", "Take A Vacation From Life (And Visit Your Dreams)", "Life Ain't So Easy", "You + Me = Love", "Cosmic Contact", "Hole In The Wall", and "Let's Go Down To The Disco". Smokin has them still going strong with Whitfield, in a groove that's every bit as wonderful as their early years! There's a killer mix of funk and deeper soul here that few other acts could handle this well – a way of hitting the flashy funk of Sly & The Family Stone or Graham Central Station – but also not falling into any showbiz traps, either – in a mode that really his the group not only respecting the role of each member, but also working together in a very cohesive way on the album. The result is a great little set that balances funky grooves with some excellent cosmic soul cuts – supported by great session work from giants like Wah Wah Watson, Walt Downing, and Jack Ashford. Titles include "Show Time", "Space Machine", "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love", "Misunderstood", "Sandman", "Atomic Funk", and "Talkin To The Wind". CD

Trumpeter Jack Walrath is something of a secret hero in jazz – a player who's created amazing sounds for decades, both in his own groups and in lineups led by giants like Charles Mingus or Bobby Watson – but also an artist who's sometimes a bit under the radar, then pops up with an amazing record like this! Walrath is often at his best in a more open, freewheeling live setting – definitely the case in the way the Smalls Live series allows a key player to open up – often producing the kind of material that doesn't always get captured this well in the studio. And as with most Smalls sessions, the rest of the group is superb too – Abraham Burton on tenor, George Burton on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums – all stretching out on tracks that all hover nicely around the ten minute mark. Titles include "A Bite In Tunisia", "Roadkill", "Sacrifice", "Mood For Muhal", and "Left Turn On 86th Street". CD

Maybe the most fantastic record to date from the hands of Adrian Younge – a project done in collaboration with Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and one that features guest appearances from some of the musical giants who first inspired Dusty Groove many years Back! The core energy of the set comes from Younge and Muhammad – who are in a similar funky soul groove as their previous Midnight Hour recording serving up a blend of jazz and soul in a mode that clearly draws a lot of 70s inspiration, but which also has this very fresh, contemporary energy too. Yet there's also a strong difference here once each of the guests step into the mix – a stellar lineup that features alto from Gary Bartz, Fender Rhodes from Marcos Valle and Joao Donato, flute from Brian Jackson, drums from Ivan Mamao Conti, and Hammond B3 from the great Doug Carn – all players who really up the jazz ante for the record, and make the whole thing sound even deeper than most of Younge's other recordings. Titles include "Distant Mode", "Nancy Wilson, "Down Deep", "Apocaliptico", "Jazz Is Dead", "Hey Lover", "Nao Saia Da Praca", and "Conexao". CD

A wonderful pairing of sounds from these two giants of the New York downtown scene – John Zorn on alto and Bill Laswell on bass, both players who've really evolved a hell of a lot over the decades – and who come together here with a maturity that really marks the sound of the set! There's less in your face type energy going on here – as the tracks stretch out, and both players feel a sense of sonic freeplay more than overwrought improvisation – spinning out long, almost poetic tributes to three key musical inspirations – "Wayne Shorter", "Milford Graves", and "Pharoah Sanders". CD

Ten tracks from Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey, Kevin Welch, Widespread Panic, They Might Be Giants, Los Lobos, Indigo Girls, Steve Forbert, Pere Ubu, Subdudes, and John Trudell. CD

A massive look at the huge legacy of North American punk in the late 70s – culled together from scenes in New York, Ohio, Boston, and LA – plus other surprising spots around the country – as artists were working separately, but together, to completely reinvent both the sound of the nation, and the way that records were made! Because of the geographic range of the scenes, US and Canadian acts had a great sense of variety – the sometime wit of LA, the noisier experimentation of Ohio, oddball creations of San Francisco, and searing artistic side of New York – all brought together here with a range of other styles too. The package is great, and includes so many artists we'd forgotten about, next to giants of the field who are still completely crucial today – brought together in a book-style package with 130 tracks and very detailed notes – in support of work from groups who include X, Adolescents, Flesh Eaters, Lyres, The Jetsons, Slickee Boys, Feelies, Bush Tetras, Suburban Lawns, Mission Of Burma, The Bizarros, Nervous Rex, The Dickies, Pagans, The Last, Mars, Devo, Destroy All Monsters, Avengers, Residents, Pere Ubu, Suicide, and dozens of others! CD

Beautifully spiritual jazz from the post-Coltrane generation – a wealth of righteous grooves from the early 70s – brought together in one mighty collection! If you dig the work of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and other giants on Impulse Records, this is a great way to dig even deeper – and hear the way their late 60s legacy inspired other musicians to new heights in their own music – sounds that hit a new level of freedom in jazz, yet which are still filled with enough swing and soul to avoid some of the more avant modes of the free jazz scene! If that description sounds a bit obtuse, then just plug into the collection, and let the music do its thing – as it's got a very powerful vibe throughout – the kind of inspirational, socially conscious work that flourished best during the 70s – and which is finally getting its due all these many years later. The package is new territory for Ace/BGP, but they've done a great job as usual – picking key tracks from the era, and coming up with detailed notes on each of the long tracks. Titles include "Free Angela" by Bayete, "Bridge Into The New Age" by Azar Lawrence, "Tress Cun De O La" by Joe Henderson, "Ebony Queen" by McCoy Tyner, "Peace" by Idris Muhammad, "Mother Of The Future" by Norman Connors, "Brown Warm & Wintry" by Jack DeJohnette, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, and "Fire" by Joe Henderson & Alice Coltrane. CD

A reverent snapshot of the spiritual & soul jazz emanating from the Mainstream label in the early 70s – a well curated set featuring great numbers by Frank Foster, Blue Mitchell, Hadley Caliman, Roy Haynes and other giants of the scene! The material comes from a time in Mainstream label history when it was essentially relaunched as a jazz label, following some the psyche era rock albums of the previous few years. Soulful jazz sounds from a spiritual realm as well as some in a jazz funk mode, and excellent material all the way! 12 great tracks in all: The sprawling opener "The Loud Minority" by Frank Foster, "Mi Hermano" by Blue Mitchell, "Up And Down" by Harold Land, "Watercress" by Hadley Caliman, "Kamili" by Buddy Terry, "Senyah" by Roy Haynes, "EW Beautiful People" by Frank Foster, "Little One" by Hadley Caliman and "Petits Machins" by Johnny Coles/ CD

Funky nuggets from one of the greatest reggae labels of all time – a really wonderful collection that gets at some of the more hard-hitting material from Kingston powerhouse Studio One Records! Given the way that Studio One helped bridge the worlds of soul during the years of Jamaican ska and rocksteady, the funk is no surprise – and the package features both remakes of American funky numbers and plenty of homegrown cuts, all served up by some of the giants from the scene at the time. Titles include "Sidewalk Doctor" by Pablove Black, "007" by Soul Brothers, "Love Jah" by Sound Dimension, "Do Your Thing" by Leroy Sibbles, "Idleberg" by Cedric Im Brooks, "African Descendants" by Alton Ellis, "Reggae Feet" by Lloyd Williams, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "Beat Down Babylon" by Prince Frances, "Funky Broadway" by Delroy Wilson, "It's A Shame" by Alton Ellis, "Melting Pot" by Underground Vegetables, "Music Answer" by The Sharks, and a surprising remake of "Shaft" by the unlikely Cedric Im Brooks. CD

An incredibly cool collection – one that offers up all sorts of weird and wonderful soul music covers of mainstream mellow 70s hits – new versions of the famous tunes that pull them strongly over to the world of R&B, often with results that are better than the original versions! The set is both a great demonstration of how much soul there was lurking in the original AOR productions of the mid 70s, and how strongly those currents could be unlocked even more in the right hands – as you'll hear in these sublime takes on tunes by Hall & Oates, Toto, Seals & Crofts, The Doobie Brothers, and other 70s pop giants. Titles include "Dirty Work" by Pointer Sisters, "Minute By Minute" by Peabo Bryson, "Georgie Porgy" by Side Effect, "He's Gone" by Dee Dee Bridgewater, "Summer Breeze" by Main Ingredient, "Lazy Nina" by Greg Phillinganes, "In The Way" by Brothers Johnson, "This Is It" by Millie Jackson, "Takin It To The Streets" by Quincy Jones, "I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me" by Tavares, "God Only Knows" by Betty Lavette, "Let Em In" by Billy Paul, and "A Love Of Your Own" by The Ebonys. CD

The genius of Don Byas finally gets its due – served up here in a massive 10CD package that's overflowing with work from some of Byas' most fruitful years as a saxophonist! Byas is one of the sometimes-overlooked giants of his generation – a player with a tone and style that's every bit as distinct as that of Ben Webster and Lester Young. Yet for some reason, Byas has a much more checkered recording history – and one that sometimes doesn't really capture his strengths when he's completely on fire. That's definitely corrected here – as the package features some key recordings by Byas as a leader – then rolls into a stunning array of tenor performances in the groups of others – some originally issued on rare 78s, others never issued until this box – making the whole thing a mindblowing look at these seminal years in Don's career! The labels for some of the tracks include King, Manor, Jam, Savoy National, and HNS – and Byas blows as a leader in a few groups, and with other leaders who Hot Lips Page, Hank D'Amico, Cozy Cole, Earl Bostic, Joe Turner, Timmie Rogers, Oscar Pettiford, and Dizzy Gillespie – a really varied lot, which demonstrates the versatility that Byas could have as a performer. The box has 193 tracks in all, and a hugely detailed set of notes – a really ear-opening listen to this great tenorist! CD

The title's terrible, but the album's a great one – a really classic-styled jam session, of the sort that the Prestige label hardly ever recorded! The session features 4 tenor giants of slightly older vintage – Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Coleman Hawkins, Arnett Cobb, and Buddy Tate – all coming together in some loosely-structured arrangements that offer the same sympathetic blowing space that you might get from an all-star tenor date on Verve. Rhythm is by a trio with Shirley Scott on organ, George Duvivier on bass, and Art Edgehill on drums – and titles include "Very Saxy", "Fourmost", "Foot Pattin", and "Light & Lovely". CD

A classic pairing of postwar trumpets – those of Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge, each given plenty of space to speak their piece here in the best Verve all-star tradition! The group's great too – with Herb Ellis on guitar, Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Bellson on drums. The album's got some sweet stretched out tracks that feature the two trumpet giants really opening up! CD

Early work by Groove Holmes – the one organist who showed the scene that the west coast could boast a Hammond player as strong as the giants emerging from the east during the early 60s. The set features tracks recorded during the 1960s for the Pacific Jazz label, with Groove in groups that feature players like Teddy Edwards, Gene Ammons, Ben Webster, Joe Pass, and Les McCann. There's a total of 11 tracks in all – and titles include "Groovin Time", "Sweatin", "The Wailer", "This Here", "High Blues Pressure", "Comin Through The Apple", "Morris The Minor", and "That Healin Feeling". CD

A legendary album from the LA jazz underground of the 80s – one of a rare few sets recorded as a leader by the great pianist Nate Morgan! Morgan's something of a lost talent, but was a key part of the scene that was forming around Nimbus Records at the time – a great musician who has the same spiritual drive as giants like McCoy Tyner and Stanley Cowell, but working here in a spirit that's very much his own! On this set, Nate leads a quintet with Jesse Sharps on reeds and Danny Cortez on trumpet – and the record's filled with spiraling modal grooves that glisten with the best of the 70s underground spiritual vibes! The set's a great batch of original compositions by Morgan, including "UGMAAGER", "Impulse", and "Mass Madness" – and also includes versions of Herbie Hancock's "One Finger Snap" and Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday". CD

Even at a tender young age, Wayne Shorter could exhibit the kind of sensitivity and creative lyricism that would make him one of the giants of modern jazz. This early set – which features playing by Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Higgins, and Jymie Merritt – is filled with haunting original compositions ("Devil's Island", "Dead End", "Powder Keg") and the kind of mature playing that you'd hardly expect from a little tike like Shorter (who, with Lee Morgan, was just a kid when the two of them were playing with Art Blakey). This excellent CD reissue delivers these early tracks in stunning fidelity, and includes 7 alternate takes of the tracks on the orginal LP! CD

In the years before the emergence of MPB giants like Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, Geraldo Vandre was a huge talent that promised to break big – a young vibrant singer who pushed past the romantic stylings of other vocalists, a free thinker who embraced new styles but didn't succumb to the copycat rock of the "Jovem Guarda", and a new force in music who made it seem dangerous and exciting again. Most of his best work's been out of print since the years it came out, which is why we're super-pleased to have this set of 14 tracks from the mid 60s – featuring work that Vandre recorded for Continental, RGE, and BMG, work that we almost never see on vinyl. Titles include "Ladainha", "Vou Caminhando", "Asa Branca", "Disparada", "Hora De Lutar", "Despedida De Maria", "Dia Da Festa", and "Pra Nao Dizer Que Nao Falei Das Flores". CD

Genius work from one of the greatest Southern Soul studios ever – Muscle Shoals' legendary Fame Studios – the start of a huge wave of great music in the 60s, and a genre-changing sound that's still going strong today! The package is the best we've ever seen to look at Fame – not just a killer selection of the studio's music – 75 tracks that bring together rare singles, hits, and some lesser-known gems – but also a beautiful hardcover book, filled with pages and pages of great notes, vintage images, and more – really telling the unique take of Fame, producer Rick Hall, and all the mighty talents who helped make Muscle Shoals one of the most important sites for soul music in the 60s and 70s. Titles include "Ten Miles High" by David & The Giants, "Search Your Heart" by George Jackson, "Let Them Talk" by Dan Penn, "Two In The Morning" by Spooner's Crowd, "Lady In The Rain" by Lowell Fulson, "Wanted Lover" by James Govan, "Grits & Gravy" by The Fame Gang, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "What Color Is Love" by Roscoe Robinson, "Laugh It Off" by The Tams, "Thief In The Night" by Ben & Spence, "Take Me Just As I Am" by Mitty Collier, "I'm Just A Prisoner" by Candi Staton, "Thread The Needle" by Clarence & Calvin, and "Slippin Around With You" by Art Freeman. CD

Excellent work from one of our favorite young tenor players! When Alexander first started out in Chicago, we'd catch him at southside gigs, either on his own or in Charles Earland's group – and we'd marvel at the richness of his playing, even though he was just an unknown young player in his early 20s! Since those years (not long ago!) Alexander's turned into one of the strongest voices of his generation – with a sound that's steeped in the traditions of tenor giants like Sonny Rollins, Tubby Hayes, and Frank Foster, yet which also has a great deal of youthful creativity. This album's one of his best so far – and it features Alexander in the company of a group that includes Harold Mabern on piano and Pat Martino on guitar, both super-soulful players who are a great match of the playing of the leader. Titles include "The Phineas Trane", "Stand Pat", "Night Song", "First Milestone", and "34 Was Sweetness" (Chicagoans will get that reference!) CD

A famous pairing of talents from the early 60s – Columbia Records giants Dave Brubeck and Tony Bennett, both recorded at a time when that label was at the forefront of jazz in the US – joined up for a special performance at the end of the set! The special performance was done at the Kennedy-era White House – and features an initial instrumental set from the Dave Brubeck Quartet – with completely amazing alto from Paul Desmond, especially on the album's long reading of "Nomad" – one of our favorite overlooked tunes by the the group at the time – plus versions of "Take Five", "Castillian Blues", and "Thank You". Tony Bennett then takes the stage with backings by the Ralph Sharon trio – on titles that include "Make Someone Happy", "One For My Baby", "I Left My Heart In San Francisco", and "Just In Time". But the real highlight of the set is when Bennett sings with backings from the Dave Brubeck Trio – in a mode that's both different from Tony's work with Bill Evans or Basie, and from Brubeck's work with singers like Jimmy Rushing or Carmen McRae! Titles from the Brubeck/Bennett lineup include "That Old Black Magic", "There Will Never Be Another You", "Lullaby Of Broadway", and "Chicago". CD

There's nothing broken about this set – as the album's one of the strongest, most spiritual sessions we've ever heard from the Chicago Tentet of Peter Brotzmann – a really great group who gave us some amazing albums on the Okka Disk label! The set features two great guests – trumpeter Roy Campell and bassist William Parker – and at some level, the rest of the lineup seem to be opening up into modes that welcome the territory of both jazz giants – especially on the long first track, which is a very different reworking of a composition the group explored on another album! As usual, reedman Peter Brotzmann is at the helm – on tenor, alto clarinet, and tarogato – with Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams, and Mats Gustafsson on other reeds – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet and valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and violin, Kent Kessler on bass, Michael Zerang on drums, and Hamid Drake on drums and frame drum, plus some great vocalizations. Titles include "Stonewater" and "Broken English". CD

One of the few 70s albums as a leader from reedman Ronnie Cuber – a player who'd already been making some great appearances on studio sessions with giants like George Benson, Mongo Santamria, and Lonnie Smith – as well as even a few Steely Dan records! But despite that ability to sound tight in the studio, Ronnie really shows a completely different side of his talents here – a hard-burning approach to baritone sax, with a deftness that rivals Pepper Adams in a similar setting – a quality that almost feels like a tenor at times, given Cuber's dexterity and speed of improvisation. The rest of the group's great, too – and includes Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – who really provide the right amount of soulful hardbop to keep things crackling. Titles include "Star Eyes", "Rifftide", "Tin Tin Deo", "Samba D'Orfeo", "Misty", "Sudwest Funk", and "Prince Albert". CD

A fantastic hard rock set from the Argentine scene of the 70s – and a record that shows that nation could boast the kind of power trio to match the giants on the UK and US scenes! Nacho Smilari may well be the powerhouse driving the whole thing – as his vocals are already strong, but he seems to sing even more strongly on his guitar – in modes that are clearly rooted in blues, but in that best blues-into-hard rock tradition – with plenty of sinister fuzz around the edges, and echoey production that really brings all the best elements out into the open. The group also features heavy drums from Carlos Calabro and rumbling bass from Enrique Masllorens – on titles that include "Jungla De Neon", "Nuevamente El Momento", "Tiempo Despues", "Parientes Del Mundo Interior", and "Escucha Mi Voz". CD

Beautiful solo sounds from Angel Bat Dawid – a Chicago clarinetist who works here with the same inventive spirit as the other contemporary artists on the International Anthem label! By that, we mean that although Angel's music starts in jazz, it quickly becomes something else – as she assembled the record not from a solitary solo performance, but by overdubbing sounds she'd recorded around the globe, and back home in Chicago – mixing her own very beautiful reed lines with a variety of other instrumentation – all recorded on cell phone, which gives the whole thing a wonderfully fresh feel! Don't worry about the album being too gimmicky, or too DIY – as it's got the same appeal as a studio-recorded spiritual session by a larger group – and there's plenty of focus on Dawid's incredible solos on her chosen instrument, with a vibe that's likely to have her rising to the level of clarinet giants like Jimmy Guiffre or John Carter. Titles include "Black Family", "Capetown", "The Oracle", "We Are Starzz", "London", and "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black". CD

Some of the most jazz-based work we've ever heard from keyboardist Mark De Clive-Lowe – continuing a progression that's been taking place over the past decade or so – to a point where the musician is turning out a record to rival the classics of some of the 70s giants who influenced his sound in the first place! Mark plays Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keyboards in the company of bassist Andrea Lombardini and drummer Tommaso Cappellato – on live tracks that are full of energy and life, driven with strong rhythms, and have lots of strong solos over the top. Titles include "Birds Of Prey", "Strolling Down Degnan", "Volta Ao Mundo", "Dreamweavers", "Kodama Shade", and "In Answer To Your Question". Features Japanese-only bonus tracks – "Masina's World" and "Mizugaki". CD

A really rare chapter of the soundtrack legacy of Italian giants Guido & Maurizio DeAngelis – a pair who are best known for their crime/cop movie work of the 70s, but who step out here in a whole host of different TV projects instead! There's definitely some music here that resonates with that famous legacy, but there's also projects with different scenes and stories too – and which provide a much richer palette of sounds than you might expect – as the DeAngelis brothers move effortlessly between contemporary 70s settings and more historical ones, depending on the program! There's a total of 69 tracks in the big 3CD set – which features many tracks each from programs that include Dedicato A Una Coppia, Guaranta Giorni Di Liberta, I Marsigliese, Sul Filo Della Memoria, Delitto Di Regime, and Ipotesi Sulla Scomparsa Di Un Fisco Atomico. CD

An excellent album of groovy jazz from the European scene of the mid 60s – and one that pairs the talents of the great (and nearly forgotten) Austrian tenor player Karl Drewo with the groovy small band of the legendary pianist Francy Boland! Although he hails from Vienna, Drewo's tone is nice and deep, with a heavy cutting tenor sound that's right up there with American giants like Johnny Griffin or Eddie Lockjaw Davis. He's playing here with a tight hardbop septet, fronted by Francy Boland, and featuring a unique 3-piece trombone section for the rhythm parts. Most of the solos are Drewos', and his tenor cuts nice and deep through the arrangements of the band as they groove with a good solid sound. Titles include "JLK", "Young Bucks", "Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie", "Limehouse Blues", "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" and "Foot Pattin". Nice cover, too! CD

The first album in many years from Caesar Frazier – the organist you might know from his early 70s funk classics on Westbound Records – still very much at the top of his game in this small combo set! Frazier's very well-recorded here – given the care and respect that we love from the Doodlin label and its handling of Hammond organ giants – and Caesar's deft work on the keys is heard in the company of Lyle Link on tenor and soprano sax, Jacques Lesure on guitar, and Leon Joyce on drums – a nice tight combo who really give the organ plenty of room to groove! Frazier has a more standard organ jazz vibe here than on his earlier records – almost a return to roots that he never put on any other album – served up on titles that include "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Night In Tunisia", "Street Of Dreams", "You will Know", "Thieves In The Temple", "Don't Misunderstand", and two versions of "Purposeful", one that stretches out past the 12 minute mark! CD

A great little blowing session for Verve – one that has Dizzy Gillespie working here with two different "Sonnys" – Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins, both of whom play tenor on the set! The tracks here are all quite long and open – more loose vehicles for extended soloing than the usual sort of Verve tracks – almost a mini-jam session with the three horn giants in the lead. Rhythm is from the trio of Ray Bryant on piano, Tommy Bryant on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – but the real stars are the horn players – not just Diz, who cuts some of his hippest lines of the late 50s here, but also Rollins and Stitt, who seem to get a bit more care in recording than they did over at Prestige earlier in the decade. Album features 4 long tracks – "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "After Hours", "I Know That You Know", and "The Eternal Triangle". CD

An amazing set – all four of the legendary Warner Brothers albums by harmony giants Harpers Bizarre – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Feelin Groovy – the fab first LP by Harpers Bizarre! The group were one of the strangest pop ensembles operating in the seminal LA scene of the mid 60s – ostensibly a sweet harmony vocal group, but with a strangely childish approach that also had an ear open for the mind-blowing production styles of the Brian Wilson era. Van Dyke Parks was a big supporter of the group – and they perform a sublime version of his tune "Come To The Sunshine" as the leadoff track on the album – and even though Van Dyke didn't handle the arrangements of the record, the style of the music is very similar to his own, with guitar, bass, and drums coming into play with strings, woodwinds, and baroque orchestral touches. The record is as dark as it is sublime – one of those pop gems that hit big, but which has a brooding depth bubbling underneath the sugary coating – ala Pet Sounds. Tracks include "Happy Talk", "The Debutantes Ball", "I Can Hear The Darkness", "Raspberry Rug", and their huge hit version of "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)". Next is Anything Goes – the group's second album – and while it has a lot of similarities with the first, it's also a lot deeper of an expression of their strange blend of harmony vocals, sweet 60s pop, and the nostalgia for the early 20th century that was running through the Burbank Warner scene that included a young Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Lenny Waronker, and other LA underground of the mid 60s. The whole record fits together beautifully – beginning with an old-timey radio kind of announcer, then sliding into sublimely crafted harmony tunes that include originals from the LA luminaries and the group, plus a few other surprising covers. Titles include the hit version of "Anything Goes", plus "The Biggest Night Of Her Life", "Milord", "Virginia City", "High Coin", "Jessie", "This Is Only The Beginning", and "You Need A Change". The Secret Life Of Harpers Bizarre is the third album by Harpers Bizarre – and one that shows them growing in leaps and bounds with each new release! The record is a sublime fusion of sweet pop California 60s harmonies (ala The Sandpipers or The Lettermen), baroque arrangements with a fake dreamy nostalgia (ala Van Dyke Parks or Randy Newman), and drug-addled underground takes on the eazy sound of the generation (ala Brian Wilson or Love). This album is one of their most perfectly-realized visions, and it features a great blend of older songs, all hipped-up to modern LA arrangements by the likes of Nick De Caro, Perry Botkin, and others. The record has an approach that's simply mindblowing when you consider the amount of funds and effort that must have been put into a record that would only be truly appreciated 40 years later – and it's filled with great titles that include "Me, Japanese Boy", "Look To The Rainbow", "Funny How Love Can Be", "Mad", "Green Apple Tree", and "Las Mananitas". Last up is the group's fourth album, unfortunately, the last Warner album by Harpers Bizarre – one of the few testaments of genius left to us by this incredible group! The record shows the group moving past the sweet pop and dreamy nostalgia of earlier albums – tentatively stepping into the haze of the late 60s LA scene with a blend of songs that share a lot musically with earlier work, but which also seem to have a more adult approach to some of their themes. Arrangements are by the group mostly – with help from pop geniuses like Jack Nitzsche, Nick De Caro, Lenny Waronker, Harry Nilsson, and Perry Botkin Jr. The harmonies are sublime – and the group effortlessly blends original tunes like "Soft Soundin Music", "All Through The Night", "When The Band Begins To Play", and "There's No Time Like Today, along with bizarre covers like "Hard To Handle", "Something Better", "I Love You Alice B Toklas", and Jim Pepper's "Witchi Tai To", which is worth the price of the record alone! Bonus tracks include "Both Sides Now", "Small Talk", "Poly High", "If We Ever Needed The Lord Before", "Malibu U", "Cotton Candy Sandman", "Lost My Love Today", and "Bye Bye Bye". CD

A great later set from 70s guitar genius O'Donel Levy – slightly different than his earlier work for the Groove Merchant label, but equally great in its own sort of way! Levy's still working here with producer Sonny Lester on the LC label – and the tone is great, with this clear, clean, soulful line that should have made O'Donel one of the giants of his generation – tripping along with these well-crafted solos that are a perfect fit for the laidback rhythms of the tunes! And if you're worried that the later date and different cover style is too much of a shift for Levy, don't – because there's plenty of greatness within – and the record really knocks it out of the park compared to some of his more mainstream contemporaries. Titles include the great "Butta" – plus "Love Will Never Die", "Have You Heard", "Dancing Girl", and "Time Has Changed". CD