One of Bacharach's strangest records! The soundtrack was written for the huge flop musical Lost Horizon – and it features all vocal tracks, sung by the likes of Shawn Phillips, Sally Kellerman, and Diana Lee. The overall feel is very sing-songy, with kind of a children's them sort of sound – but there's actually a few nuggets of great songwriting in here, especially on the tracks "The World Is A Circle" and "Living Together, Growing Together". CD

A great early CTI session by George Benson, and one of the most stripped-down, straight-ahead funky records he did for the label! There's a sharpness here that's different than the larger feel of some of Benson 's later records – a sound that almost links back to his soul jazz roots in the 60s – played by a tight combo that features Benson on guitar, Clarence Palmer on organ, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus percussion from Michael Cameron and Albert Nicholson. There's a version of "So What" on here that's got to be one of the best funky takes of that standard ever – with great hard grooves on the intro – and on other cuts, the real genius is in the way the simple tracks are arranged to shift between darkly chromatic passages and slight bits of funk. Titles include "All Clear", "Ode To A Kudu", and "Somewhere In The East". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early CTI session by George Benson, and one of the most stripped-down, straight-ahead funky records he did for the label! There's a sharpness here that's different than the larger feel of some of Benson 's later records – a sound that almost links back to his soul jazz roots in the 60s – played by a tight combo that features Benson on guitar, Clarence Palmer on organ, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus percussion from Michael Cameron and Albert Nicholson. There's a version of "So What" on here that's got to be one of the best funky takes of that standard ever – with great hard grooves on the intro – and on other cuts, the real genius is in the way the simple tracks are arranged to shift between darkly chromatic passages and slight bits of funk. Titles include "All Clear", "Ode To A Kudu", and "Somewhere In The East". Plus, the CD features 3 bonus tracks – alternate versions of "Ode To A Kudu", "Somewhere In The East", and "All Clear". CD

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Rock-solid work from the legendary Benny Golson – part of an amazing run of late-life sessions that have had us falling in love with his talents all over again! The set's got a very firm core – piano from Mike LeDonne, bass from Buster Williams, and drums from Carl Allen – players who have all the sense of confidence, complication, and swing to match Golson's rich work on tenor – that raspy tone and careful way of phrasing that we always loved, even at the start, but which has emerged to make Benny a player who's touched whole new generations in recent years. Tracks include the original titles "Jump Start", "Horizon Ahead", "Domingo", and "Night Shade" – and the set also features Carl Allen's "Out Of The Darkness & Into The Light", which has a compelling spoken introduction too. CD

"Time 4 A New Horizon" features vocals and production from Grap Luva, and work by J Rocc from the Beat Junkies. 12-inch, Vinyl record

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Charlie Mariano on alto sax, Mal Waldron on piano, Paulo Cardoso on bass and John Betsch on drums. CD

A rare slice of Nujabes – his reworking of the Samurai Champloo theme, but in this really stripped down, moody instrumental – very nice piano solo in the middle, over beats that move back and forth with the "phase" you might expect! "Rainy Way Back Home" has more of that great piano over beats – one of the real trademark Nujabes moves – but also has maybe a bit more hip hop kick at the bottom, and these buried snippets of what sound like turntable work! "Horizon" is great too – longer than both, really jazzy on the piano tip, and with this kicking rhythm that almost likes the whole cut sound like some of the clubby jazzy piano groups that have sprung up on the Tokyo scene after the passing of Nujabes! 12-inch, Vinyl record

More sweet and smooth than muddy – but that's what we'd expect from James Taylor during these classic years! Titles include "You've Got A Friend", "Riding On A Railroad", "Highway Song", "You Can Close Your Eyes", and "Soldiers". CD

More sweet and smooth than muddy – but that's what we'd expect from James Taylor during these classic years! Titles include "You've Got A Friend", "Riding On A Railroad", "Highway Song", "You Can Close Your Eyes", and "Soldiers". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of a change for McCoy Tyner – but a set that's every bit as righteous as his other classics from the 70s! The lineup here is slightly different – with John Blake's violin playing a strong role in the sound, and lots of percussion from Guilherme Franco giving the set an almost Latin vibe at times – one that mixes in beautifully with Tyner's bold, modal lines on piano – and which are inflected with soulful reeds from Joe Ford and George Adams. The rest of the group features Charles Fambrough on bass and Al Foster on drums – both very hip cats – and Blake's instrument almost gives the album an early 70s Impulse Records sort of spirituality. Titles include "Horizon", "Motherland", "Woman Of Tomorrow", "One For Honor", and "Just Feelin". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful return to form for saxophonist Bobby Watson – one of the best albums we've heard from him in years, and a massive regrouping of his legendary Horizon ensemble! Watson first assembled the group back in the 80s – as a vehicle for the tightly-crafted soul jazz he was writing at the time – a fresh sound that brought a new level of joy to jazz expression, and which created some of our favorite jazz records of the period. On this new recording, Watson's fronting a quintet that features Victor Lewis on drums, Terell Stafford on trumpet and flugelhorn, Edward Simon on piano, and Essiet Essiet on bass – all playing a brilliant array of well-chosen tracks that sing and dance with all the joy that jazz has to offer. Titles include "Dark Days", "Xangongo", "Lemoncello", "The Love We Had Yesterday", "Horizon Reassembled", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD

Titles include "Heckle and Jeckle", "Shaw Of Newark", "Long Way Home", "Dreams So Real", "PD On Great Jones Street", and "The Inventor". CD

Bobby Watson on alto and soprano saxophone, Melton Mustafa on trumpet, Edward Simon on piano, Carroll Dashiell on bass viol, and Victor Lewis on drums. CD

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The Japanese scene of the 70s had plenty of experiments that blended contemporary and traditional instrumentation – but this album-length jam from percussionist Stomu Yamashta may well be one of the most striking from the time! You'll no doubt know Stomu from some of his later records that got more global circulation – but this set was originally only issued in Japan, and mixes some of his progressive leaning with a very free jazz sensibility – served up by a quartet that also features Masahiko Satoh on organ, Takehisa Kosugi on electric violin, and Hideakira Sakurai on electric koto, shamisen, and more percussion! Stomu himself is unbound, and plays with a frenzy we've not heard before – and the mix of the other instrumentation, especially koto and shamisen, creates all these really unusual sounds and tones throughout. The album features one long track, recorded live at Yamaha Hall in Tokyo! CD

One of the few truly great albums by one of the hippest guitarists we can think of! Zoller was a fantastic talent of the European scene – with an approach to the guitar that's unlike anyone else we've heard. Unfortunately, though, he didn't always make that many albums as a leader in a regular jazz format – where his modernist ideas were allowed free reign, without some sort of gimmicky presentation getting in the way. This album's one of the rare few that let Zoller really take hold of the direction of the record – and it might be the best ever to hear his amazing work in action. The group's a quartet of well-matched players that includes Don Friedman on piano, Barre Philips on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – and the album includes 4 originals by Zoller, including "Explorations", "Blizzards, and "The Hun", plus a version of Carla Bley's "Ictus". LP, Vinyl record album

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Mindblowing music from the great Don Cherry – quite a statement, given how much fantastic sounds Cherry had already given us by this point in his career! In the years before this set, Don had worked in some very free, avant modes – and also explored a fair bit of global styles too – yet this set has this great electric vibe – one that mixes the freedom of Cherry's trumpet with spacey instrumentation and really great production – almost even funky at points! Players include Ricky Cherry on electric and acoustic piano, Charlie Haden on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, and Frank Lowe on tenor – and one cut has Bunchie Fox on electric bongos and Verna Gillis on voice. All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Degi Degi", "Brown Rice", "Malkauns", and "Chenrezig". LP, Vinyl record album

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Features guest tenor from Johnny Almond, and some harmonica from Shakey Jake! LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of a change for Dr John, but a nice one too – a set that's somewhat more mature than some of his Atco albums, but in a really nice way! The album features fuller backings from Claus Ogerman, but a core groove that's still nice and soulful – jazzy leanings from a combo that includes Dr John and Richard Tee on keyboards, John Tropea on guitar, Will Lee on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom kicks in a nice groove at the bottom of most numbers, making a subtle undercurrent of older funk amidst the smoothness. Ogerman's backdrops are never too excessive, and help the Dr break out of some of his older modes in a good way – not rehashing the same New Orleans ideas, but taking them instead to cooler California territory – a bit in the way that Allen Toussaint was doing on his best mainstream work of the 70s. Titles include "Dance The Night Away With You", "Rain", "Wild Honey", "Street Side", "Snake Eyes", "Fire Of Love", and "City Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Keep That Music Simple", "Fonky Side", "Disco Therapy", "I Thought I Heard New Orleans Say", "Bon Temps Rouler", and "Something You Got". LP, Vinyl record album

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The cover image may look a bit sinister, but the album's a perfect early example of the genius of Fleetwood Mac during their heavy blues years – a non-nonsense approach to the music that still manages to move the whole genre forward from the styles of the mod generation! The legendary Peter Green is in amazing form on guitar – maybe not as experimental as on records to come, but already able to challenge his inspirations with razor-sharp dexterity and a real sense of feeling. The rest of the group features Mick Fleetwood on drums, John McVie on bass, and Jeremy Spencer on slide guitar and piano – and titles include the originals "Stop Messin Around", "Rollin Man", "Love That Burns", "Evenin Boogie", "Trying So Hard To Forget", and "Coming Home". LP, Vinyl record album

The pious bird of good omen might well be the track "Albatross" here – nestled in the middle of the record, and a key sign that Fleetwood Mac were ready to break from their roots! But this is no heavy bird hanging around the group's neck – as the groundbreaking instrumental really set them free from their straight blues rock expressions, and is mixed here with a great range of material that really shows Peter Green and the group ready to take on the 70s. If you loved Green's blues guitar work on other records, don't worry – there's still plenty of it here – but the range of songs is great, and in addition to the amazing "Albatross", other tunes include the fantastic original version of "Black Magic Woman", plus "The Big Boat", "Rambling Pony", "Just The Blues", "Looking For Somebody", "Stop Messin Round", "The Sun Is Shining", "I Believe My Time Ain't Long", and "Coming Home". LP, Vinyl record album

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A really wonderful album by Sonny Fortune – recorded for a major label, sure, but with the soulful depth of some of his earlier work for the indies! Sonny's on alto, flute, and soprano sax – and also plays a bit of percussion and some slight mini moog – not too much, as the session only has slight electric touches, but mixed with additional Fender Rhodes from Michael Cochrane, which gives the record a shimmering finish that helps take Fortune's reed solos up to the heavens! Other players include Charles Sullivan on trumpet, Buster Williams on bass, and Chip Lyle on drums – and tracks include "In Waves Of Dreams", "A Space In Time", "Thoughts", "Revelation", and "Seeing Beyond The Obvious". LP, Vinyl record album

Charlie Haden has made many wonderful albums over the years, in many different formats, both large and small – but this set holds a really special place in our heart, as it's got this close-up and intimate approach that really shows the world what a special musician Haden can be! Each track on the album is a duet – one with Ornette Coleman on alto, one with Keith Jarrett on piano, one with Alice Coltrane on harp, and the last with Paul Motian on drums – on long tracks that feature some really magical interplay between the musicians. The spare format is an extremely wonderful showcase for Haden's expressive bass work – and the intimacy of the tracks is different from some of the ECM recordings made during the same stretch – as the feel here is less a muted exploration of sound than it is a deeply personal interaction with some of the best talents of his generation. Tracks include "Ellen David", "For Turiya", "OC", and "For A Free Portugal". LP, Vinyl record album

Bassist Charlie Haden in a really wonderful mode – stepping out here in a set of spare duets, each with a different hip player on each of the album's four long tracks – a masterful setting not just for his own work as an improviser, but also for the collaborative spirit that's always made Charlie such a great musical player! The vibe is similar to his Closeness album, but maybe a bit more relaxed and open – and the set has many wonderful moments – as Don Cherry plays trumpet and flutes on "Out Of Focus", Archie Shepp plays tenor on "Shepp's Way", Hampton Hawes plays piano on "Turnaround", and Ornette Coleman plays trumpet on the beautiful title track "Golden Number". CD

Features early vocals from Pete Wingfield – on titles that include "River's Invitation", "I've Got To Forget You", "Rusty Blade", "Boogie Sandwich", "I Pity The Fool", and "Chairman Mao's Boogaloo". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of west coast soulful fusion – filled with instrumental contributions from key Fantasy Records and soul session musicians who include George Bohannon, Ernie Watts, and Oscar Brashear – and also served up with some vocals by singers Syreeta and Deniece Williams! Titles include "Suite Syreeta", "Kwanzaa", "Well", and "Funk De Mambo". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Neil Larsen – a keyboardist who doesn't always get his due in the hipper sides of the jazz spectrum, but who sounds mighty nice on this solo album for A&M! The set's got Neil's keyboards very firmly in the lead, and also features lots of fuzzy guitar from Buzz Feiten – a player who has the same laidback groove as Larsen – and the record group gets some nice rhythmic help from the mighty Steve Gadd on drums and Paulinho Da Costa on percussion. There's a bit of horns on the set – courtesy of Michael Brecker on tenor and Joe Farrell on flute – and one track features a bit of backing vocals. Nick De Caro did Arp arrangements – and titles include "Nile Crescent", "Rio Este", "Night Letter", "Futurama", and "Demonette". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout set from keyboardist Neil Larsen – a record that crossed over big back in the 70s, and which still sounds pretty darn great in the 21st Century! Larsen's keys here are kind of a more mainstream take on territory Bob James was exploring a few years before – arguably hipper at this point that some of James' own recordings, and recorded in a relatively lean setting with guitar, bass, drums, and percussion – plus a bit of tenor or trumpet from time to time. The keyboards glide along gently on the spacey numbers, and get a bit more bite on some of the funkier ones – always with a good sense of space that means that Neil's never jamming too much, or getting in the way of his groove. Titles include the classic "Sudden Samba" – plus "Jungle Fever", "Red Desert", "Emerald City", "Last Tango In Paris", "Windsong", and "Promenade". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent solo set as a leader from drummer Mel Lewis – one that reminds us that he can still cook very strongly away from his big band with trumpeter Thad Jones! The set has Lewis in different groupings with an excellent set of the friends mentioned in the title – a top-shelf lineup that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Michael Brecker on tenor, Gregory Herbert on alto, Hank Jones on piano, and Ron Carter on bass – working their way through a mix of different material that really takes on some great new energy in Lewis' hands – that mix of swing and complexity he forged in the group with Jones, but maybe even more compelling here in a smaller combo format. Titles include "Windflower", "De Samba", "Ain't Nothin Nu", "A Child Is Born", and "Sho Nuff Did". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that will really blow your mind if you only know Christine McVie from her famous work in Fleetwood Mac – as the set's a debut solo effort, at a time when McVie was recording under the name of Christine Perfect as a singer in the UK blues band Chicken Shack! As with early Fleetwood Mac, there's a definite blues influence going on here – maybe no surprise, as the set was done by Mike Vernon for his Blue Horizon label – yet even at the start, McVie's got an approach that's very different than some of the more slavish blues-inspired singers on the scene – much more soulful overall, and already with plenty of hints at the superstardom to come! Titles include "I'm On My Way", "Close To Me", "When You Say", "I'm Too Far Gone", "No Road Is The Right Road", "For You", and "I Want You". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising release on A&M for the Revolutionary Ensemble – formerly a much more underground group, but still sounding great here recording for a bigger label! The lineup features Jerome Cooper on piano, bugle, drums, and a variety of percussion instruments – with Sirone on bass and trombone, and Leroy Jenkins on violin, thumb piano, recorder, and small gongs! Titles include "Trio for Trio", "Chinese Rock", and "Ponderous Planets". LP, Vinyl record album

Mike Bandoni soars to space on waves of funky drums – spread out here on long tracks that are often three times the length of a funky 45, which allows plenty of room for the drums to do all sorts of sharp changes and crackling passages – as plenty of cool keyboards, electronics, and other effects filter into the mix! The drums are at the core throughout, and Mike's a hell of a drummer – but he also really does a great job of bringing in all these other spooky, spacey sounds that really give the album a unique sort of vibe! Titles include "Gamma Ray Burst", "Event Horizon Approach", "Arrival", "The Long Nap", "Something Wonderful", and "It Might Be OK". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet CTI grooving from George Benson – one of his hardest-hitting albums of the time! In a way, the record returns George to his early years at CTI – particularly the album Beyond The Blue Horizon – as the set's got a stripped down smaller group, working in a tight blend of electric jazzy bits that's very nice! Ronnie Foster lays down some great keyboards on the set, Hubert Laws is on flute, and George himself plays a hollow body with a nice soulful tone – stretching out on some straight jazz on most cuts, but also hitting a few of his smoother notes from the mid 70s. Titles include "Take Five", "Octane", "Summertime", and "Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Sparely jazzy grooves from Butter Finger – aka producer Miztani Yukimasa, working in a mode that's kind of his own take on the club jazz sound of recent work from Japan! The record's got a much more programmed feel than some of the more acoustic work of groups like Sleepwalker and Soil & Pimp Sessions – but most tracks also have a focus on isolated instrumentation that steps out in the mix, either acoustic piano, tenor, or soprano sax. Plus, a few cuts have vocals, coming off with a warmer quality that reminds us of Jazztronik's best work – jazzy, with a bit of soul – and with plenty of organic grooves that more than offset the sequencing and programs on the tunes. Titles include "New Horizon", "Whispers Of Autumn", "The Moon", "Everything", "Nov 6", "Waiting For A Long Time", "Tek Blues", and "The Monster". CD

The US debut from Japanese pop genius Keigo Oyamada aka Cornelius! The set is a fabulous ride that careens in and out of all the various corners of Cornelius's imagination, bouncing from sunny pop moments to bursts of garagey then back to some sweet easy passages! 13 numbers in all, including "The Micro Disneycal World Tour","New Music Machine", "Count Five Or Six", "Magoo Opening", "Star Fruits Surf Rider", "Chapter 8 - Seashore & Horizon", "Freefall", "God OnlyKnows", "Thank You For The Music" and "Fantasma". LP, Vinyl record album

Cro-Magnon returns with a killer batch of cosmic grooves and electro funk jams – full of spacey synths, thunderous drums & percussion, and fusiony jazz funk – glorious grooves from one of the leading combos in the cosmic realm of the Japanese scene! The core Cro Magnon crew is just the 3 piece of percussionist Shigekazu Otake, guitar/bass/programming guru Tusuyoshi Kusuga and Takumi Kaneko on the keys– but they get a little help in the studio by a couple of horns from the mighty Soil & Pimp Sessions crew – sax by Motoharu and trumpet by Tabu Zombie, on the excellent "Chase After The Shadow" track – plus some addional percussion and vocals for the intro & outro. If Cro-Magnon's debut was a bit heavier with straight up keyboard heavy fusion funk, Great Triangle shoots further into the cosmos – full of ultra hypnotic jams with an insistent groove! Titles include "Riding The Storm", "ECLIPSE", "Keep Me Satisfied", "La Fusion", "SPARKLING", "Sign Of Fire", Take Me Higher" and "New Horizon". CD

A really well-titled set, especially given that as a drummer, Pierre Alain Dahan lent his talents to a whole host of French jazz, funk, and soul outings in the 70s – although his approach here is different than on some of his more famous work! The album's a set of duets with electronic musician/keyboardist Mat Camison, and the tunes have a sound that's rhythmic – sometimes very funky, with great drum breaks in the mix – other times maybe a bit darker or spacier, with the rhythms moving off into nicely moody territory! There's a great sense of variety here, even though the instrumentation is relatively spare on most numbers – and titles include "Rythmiques" numbered 4 through 11 – plus "Piano + Piano", "Gay Shopping", "Auto Rythmiques", and "Ocean Horizon". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer start to the 80s for the Dazz Band – with great tunes in a funky mode as well as more measured group soul numbers – and it all adds up one of their best albums ever! Tunes like the opener "Shake It", plus "Shake It Up" and "Magnetized" bring the funkier vibes – with a vamping guitar, thumping bass groove, punchy horns, and top notch vocals from the group – while tunes like the title track and "Beyond The Horizon" have a more soaring arrangement of horns and some strings,still with an impeccable core groove. It's not as smoothed out in the production booth as some of their later grooves of the 80s – a total gem! Other titles include " Skate Lovers", "Carry On", "Do It Again", "Do It Again", "Sooner Or Later" and "Beyond The Horizon". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure solo set from Andy Desmond – once a member of Gothic Horizon, but clearly an artist ready to break out on his own – given the sound and scope of the record! The set mixes acoustic elements with some larger arrangements handled by John Gosling, who also co-produced the set with Dave Davies – who also plays some guitar on the record too – bringing in some of the more subtle charms of his own solo work. Desmond's got a very particular style – one that almost feels as if it's reaching for some bigger crossover world, but which in this setting is much more down to earth, so that his charms are never too overwhelmed. Maybe the vibe is a bit like early Gerry Rafferty solo work, before the AOR hits – but you can be the judge, on titles that include "She Can Move Mountains", "In your Life", "Why Not Write Me A Letter", "Annie", "So It Goes", and "Beware". CD

Two cuts from Dwele's Subject LP – one of the most anticipated Nusoul releases on the horizon! "Find A Way" is a romantic groover with some REALLY sweet soul guitar work, a trippy synth backdrop, and breathy romantic lead vocals, clearly modeled after the giants of 70s soul, but firmly rooted in a modern sound. It's a nice single – one with as much of a new jack feel as latter day NuSoul! "Truth" is a similar groover, with the same kinda sweet synth work, with even more deeply expressive vocals that remind us a lot of Donnie's recent work, and delicately overdubbed backing vocals that send the track off like a sunnier D'Angelo. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Another one of their crazy LPs, which are sometimes hard to find amidst the pop stuff they normally did. This one's got them doing some originals and some standards, augmented by a tight little ensemble of three percussionists and one bassist. The added instruments drive their piano stuff – which is already percussive enough, what with weird keys and mallet designs – into a driving new dimension. 12 tracks in all, including "Che Si Dice", "Va Va Voom", "Aflame", "Parade Of The Bobbies", "Cielito Lindo", "Beyond The Blue Horizon", "Three O'Clock In The Morning" and "The Nearness Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

The group's grown plenty by the time of this set – hitting a new level of sophistication that takes them way beyond the familiar pop of earlier years! There's definitely a more adult feel to some of these tracks than before – a maturing quality that's really wonderful – probably summed up best in the lead vocals of Marilyn McCoo or Florence LaRue – but still sounding pretty great even when the whole group's singing together! Bones Howe is still at the helm, guiding the group with a heavenly sound that's the pinnacle of pop at the time – and titles include two great Burt Bacharach numbers – "Living Together,Growing Together", lifted from the Lost Horizon soundtrack, and "Let Me Be Lonely" – plus the tracks "Woyaya", "What Do I Need To Be Me", "Open Your Window", and "The Riverwitch". LP, Vinyl record album

Solo piano album – titles include "Horizon", "Wave Crest", "Light On The Sea Surface", "Voyage", "Cut The Painter", and "Torrent". CD

A well-titled album from Japanese pianist Ryo Fukui – one that's got a warm sense of flow that takes it well past conventional piano trio work! The group here features Fukui on piano, Satoshi Denpo on bass, and Yoshinori Fukui on drums – all working together beautifully as a unit – with a vibe set fire by Ryo's work on the keys, and a sense of imagination that makes even familiar tunes sound completely fresh. The whole thing's in the best Japanese piano tradition of the 70s – that wonderful new territory explored by key pianists like Fukui – with a sound that's open and free, but never avant either. Titles include "Mellow Dream", "Baron Potato Blues", "Horizon", "What's New", and "My Funny Valentine". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest contemporary talents on vibes – sounding great here in the company of a very tight quartet! In truth, the group was the "pod" of Behn Gillece during 2020 – players that really know each other, and who work together effortlessly here on a set of tunes that explode with the kinds of colors and tones we've always loved in Behn's music! All tracks are original, which furthers the special, intimate vibe of the group – written and performed by a quartet that features Art Hirihara on piano and Fender Rhodes, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – matching the energy of Gillece at every turn, on titles that include "Rattles", "Extraction", "Event Horizon", "Going On Well", "Don't Despair", "Outnumbered", and "Glad To Be Back". CD

A pair of early albums from the great Gordon Giltrap – both released by Transatlantic Records when Gordon was a very young fellow! The self-titled Gordon Giltrap is a gem from 1968 – a record that has Gordon stepping out as a hell of a guitarist, and a very dark-tinged songwriter – certainly of the generation that was budding with John Renbourn and Bert Jansch – but with a distinct quality that really set Giltrap apart from the rest, maybe making him as much of an individualist as Davy Graham! Although just 18, Giltrap's acoustic guitar work is fantastic– and his vocals are much more biting than some of his contemporaries – almost mean at times. Titles include "Window Pattern", "Blythe Hill", "Won't You Stay Awhile Suzanne", "Don't You Feel Good", "Birth Of Spring", "Don't You Hear Your Mother's Voice", and "Ives Horizon". Portrait is an amazing record – at one level filled with mastery of the 12 string guitar has has Gordon Giltrap matching the best of the Takoma generation in the US – but also graced with vocals that are very distinct, very pointed, and which make the tunes with lyrics such a contrast to the instrumentals! The whole thing is fantastic – a true testament to the legend that has grown up around Giltrap over the years – with titles that include "Thoughts In The Rain", "Never Ending Solitude", "Young Love", "Lucifer's Cage", "Portrait", "Tuxedo", and "Hands Of Fate". CD

One of the greatest Jackie Gleason albums ever! The album has these warm lush orchestrations, with wordless vocals by "The Voices of Artie Malvin" wispily dreaming over it, hence the "Ooooo!" in the title. Tracks include "Thine Alone", "It's All Right With Me", "Imagination", "Here Lies Love", "Beyond The Blue Horizon", "Can This Be Love?", "Secret Love", and "High On A Windy Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring London set, in the best tradition of the Jazz Refreshed label – served up by a group who know how to channel classic jazz funk modes, and really send them soaring to the skies! There's an electric piano on here that has all sorts of harder-edged, almost noisy qualities at times – really emphasizing the sharper edges that come from the massive drums of Jamie Murray, bass of Tom Driessler, and guitar of Luke Wynter – while Lyle Barton serves up all sorts of great sounds on the keys! The approach is maybe a leaner, more funk based take on 70s fusion – but filtered through a smaller combo sensibility, with a nicely tight approach to the tunes – on titles that include "The Breaks", "Miniature", "Red Horizon", "Intra", "Oumuamua", and "Terra". LP, Vinyl record album

Saxophonist Toshiyuki Honda evokes some of the spirit of his classic Burning Waves album here – working with some slight fusion touches, in a way that reminds us just how strongly his reedwork can soar in just the right setting! Honda blows both soprano and alto here, and shares arrangements on the album with Soichi Noriki, who plays both acoustic and electric piano – always with this soulful flow that really matches the crisp imagination of Honda's saxophone lines. The bassist, Gregg Lee, is also electric – and the rest of the combo features Shingo Okudaira on drums, and May Inoue on guitar, which is often used in these warmly chromatic ways. Titles include "Nile", "Magic Mushroom", "Horizon", "CC Rex", "Last Ballad", and a nice take on the Chick Corea classic "La Fiesta". CD

Spacey sounds from the enigmatic Iasos – a legendary figure in the 70s underground – and an artist with a heck of a great ear for organic electronics and unusual recording techniques! This cool collection of Iasos' music was put together by Carlos Nino with the guys at Numero – and as such, it's got a really sensitive feel – a way of bringing together the sounds and stories that really get at the subtle genius of Iasos – packaged in a lavish set that also features lots of vintage photos too. The style is often quite personal, and almost naive – as Iasos works on guitar, keyboards, amplified flute, and other odd tape and studio effects – all flowing out with a style that's often a bit cosmic, and pretty darn compelling. Titles include "Crystal Petals", "Procession On The Horizon", "Cloud Prayer", "Rainbow Canyon", "I Passion You A Leap Of Love Flame", and "Spring Temple Forest". CD

A much-needed slice of work from Juju – the group who later transformed into spiritual funk ensemble Oneness Of Juju! Juju only recorded two full albums in the early 70s, so this unissued live set is a key addition to their catalog – and the whole thing's got this bold quality that's much more jazz-based, and often more avant than the group's later work – more in line with work in the tradition of the AACM, or some of the earliest loft jazz talents. No surprise, the set was recorded at Ornette Coleman's space on the lower east side in the early 70s – with the mighty Plunky Nakbinde on saxes and flute, sounding a lot more searing than any of his records from the 80s onward – plus Babatunde on percussion, Lon Moshe on vibes and flute, and Al-Hammel Rasul on keyboards. There's a bit of vocalizations, and lots of percussion from group members too – and the sound is very spiritual, with touches of more percussive Afro-centric playing. Includes a great version of Eddie Palmieri's "Azucar Para Ti", plus "At Least We Have A Horizon Now", and "Live Mozambique". Includes unreleased tracks "Thembi" and "Rosalie/Juju's Door". CD

One of those cool little albums of bass-heavy jazz tracks, designed as instructional records, but actually nice spare jazz funk albums that are great for sample mining! This one's got Jamey Abersold playing piano with a trio that includes Rufus Reid and Mike Hyman, and it includes the cut "Mr. Super Hip", which is a nice lost jazz funk number with some rolling modal grooves. A few other tracks on the album have the same trio, but with Dan Haerle on piano, mostly with kind of generic names like "8 Modal Blues", "Slow Blues In F Concert", "Long-Meter Jazz/Rock", "Minor Blues In C" and other cuts like "Horizontal" and "Home Stretch". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the warmest recordings we've ever heard from pianist Vijay Iyer – but that's maybe no surprise, as the session is graced with these sublime vocals from singer Arooj Aftab – and delivered in a style that's much more than standard jazz! Iyer plays Fender Rhodes and piano, and adds in a bit of electronics – while Shahzad Ismaily uses moog and a vintage Fender bass – all flowing effortlessly, while Aftab brings in these vocal moments that feel both ancient and yet have a sense of new global horizons too – recorded with just a touch of echo that might evoke vintage 4AD. Titles include "Sharabi", "Eyes Of The Endless", "Shadow Forces", "To Remain/To Return", and "Haseen Thi". CD

Maybe one of the warmest recordings we've ever heard from pianist Vijay Iyer – but that's maybe no surprise, as the session is graced with these sublime vocals from singer Arooj Aftab – and delivered in a style that's much more than standard jazz! Iyer plays Fender Rhodes and piano, and adds in a bit of electronics – while Shahzad Ismaily uses moog and a vintage Fender bass – all flowing effortlessly, while Aftab brings in these vocal moments that feel both ancient and yet have a sense of new global horizons too – recorded with just a touch of echo that might evoke vintage 4AD. Titles include "Sharabi", "Eyes Of The Endless", "Shadow Forces", "To Remain/To Return", and "Haseen Thi". LP, Vinyl record album

For years, AACM tenorist Fred Anderson labored in obscurity – playing the better part of the 70s and 80s with little or no recognition of his strong inventive talent, and of his never-ending committment to expanding his horizons as a musician. Fortunately, Anderson's been greatly rediscovered in the past decade – and the past few years has seen the reissue and first-issue of material that was recorded during Anderson's "lost years", but never properly handled before. This session is one of those "first issue" sets – as it was recorded in Milwaukee in 1980, yet lay in the can for years, due to lack of interest. The set's fantastic – and features Anderson playing in a quartet with trumpeter Billy Brimfield, bassist Larry Hayrod, and drummer Hamid Drake. What's most notable about the material is that it has kind of a mellow spiritual quality to it – showing the more soulful sound of the AACM, one that didn't always make an appearance on Anderson's other recordings. The strongest case of this is the fantastic track "Bombay", which features tablas by Drake, and some wonderful extended soloing by Brimfield and Anderson. All tracks are great, though – and titles include "Black Woman", "Ballad For Rita", and "The Bull". CD

Four incredible albums from Hammond legend Brian Auger – a key link between jazz and the headier sounds of the UK scene at the end of the 60s! First up is Open – one of the amazing early albums from the team of Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger – kind of a next-generation to the Brit beat group sound of the mid 60s – one that moves beyond simple R&B modes, to bring in more sophisticated soul and jazz touches! Driscoll's vocals are amazing – some of the boldest belted out in the British scene at the time – and Auger's Hammond work really cooks throughout – at a level that easily makes him one of the best UK organists to hit the scene, amidst some very heady company in the 60s. There's a few bluesy moments, but our favorites are the funky ones – especially the group's reading of "Season Of The Witch", which is tremendous. Other cuts include "In & Out", "Black Cat", "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph", and "Break It Up". Definitely What is a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky style that's clearly touched by chromatic inspirations from Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith – both of whom are referenced by some of the song structures on the set. The album's filled with killer organ-based instrumentals – some lean and stripped down, others full and rich – and all of them coming across with a richly soulful sound that you'd hardly expect from a member of the British rock scene! Titles include "Day In The Life", "Red Beans", "Definitely What!", and his classic "Bumpin' On Sunset". Streetwise is filled great funky grooves by the legendary Trinity group – featuring excellent keyboard work by Brian Auger, recorded during the period when he was really beginning to stretch out a bit, and hit a much more open-ended kind of sound. Julie Driscoll is still on vocals, singing in her raw sound, but Brian's Trinity group gets a fair number of nice instrumental moments on the set – which are greatly appreciated! Titles include the classic and sample laden "Light My Fire", "Czechoslovakia", "Finally Found You Out", "In Search Of The Sun", "Ellis Island", "I've Got Life", and "Save The Country". Befour is the third album from Brian Auger & The Trinity – and the first to feature the group recording without vocals from Julie Driscoll! The sound here is just as soulful as before – a tight take on American soul jazz and funky soul of the 60s – pushed along by Auger's mighty work on the Hammond organ, and featuring (this time around) some male lead vocals, which seem to give the album an even deeper feel than earlier work! Auger's included some great covers of American tunes like "I Want To Take You Higher", "Listen Here", and "Maiden Voyage" – all redone with some great Brit beat group touches – and the album also features a great take on Faure's "Pavane", and Auger's own "Just You Just Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A great live set from Azymuth – recorded in Rio in 1979, with a harder, more open feel than most of their studio work of the time! The set takes off with the intensity of a classic 70s fusion set – led by the majestic keyboards of Jose Roberto Bertrami, really kicking out here with a sound that's not nearly as restrained as on the group's studio albums for Fantasy. Aleuda joins the trio on vocals on a few cuts, and titles include "Jazz Carnival", "Partido Alto", "Light As A Feather", "Montreux", "Dona Olimpia", "Voo Sobre O Horizonte", and "Existe Isto". LP, Vinyl record album

The Bad Plus have cut down their groove a bit more on this set – going for a style that's even more introspective than before, but which also shows them expanding their horizons nicely! The group's lineup of bass, piano, and drums is played with a dynamism that recalls some of the acoustic work of the Medeski Martin & Wood trio – but there's also a lyrical sense of freedom here that recalls some of the more exploratory work coming out of French and Japanese trio scenes in the 70s. There's almost a Steve Kuhn-esque sense of color and shading to some of the tunes – one that mixes equal parts sadness and joy in a beautiful way, and which leaps out with surprising energy from time to time. Titles include "Lost Of Love", "OG", "Forces", "Knows The Difference", "The Empire Strikes Backwards", and "Let Our Garden Grow". CD

A really fantastic idea for a project – and one that comes off even better than we would have guessed – new versions of classic grooves from the nations of Cabo Verde and Guinea Bissau, performed by a really well-matched group of singers and musicians, in a mode that's quite different than the usual revival record of this nature! The songs are definitely classics, but the presentation is very contemporary – directed by producer Guts, and Francisco Sousa, with a special ear for avoiding the sorts of cliches that both mar a project like this, and some of the stereotypes that get reinforced by reissues on the market. Instead, there's a fresh criss-crossing of cultures, but one that never waters down the roots at all – maybe a bit like some of the best Parisian productions of the 70s and 80s post-colonial years. Titles include "Dunia Be Tene", "Riba Bass Di Mi", "Citi Ku Liti", "No Guinea", "Mulato Ferrera", "Segunda", and "Di Mas". LP, Vinyl record album

A really surprising step forward for two members of the legendary group Blossom Toes – guitarist Brian Godding and bassist Brian Belshaw – both musicians who were already blowing the scene away in their previous group, but who here expand their sound with a whole range of influences they'd just picked up! One of those is the voice of Julie Driscoll, who sings on a few tracks here with Godding – and another is some jazz elements they'd absorbed in the Centipede group of Keith Tippett – carried off here by guest work from Mark Charig on trumpet, Nick Evans on trombone, and even some piano from Brian Auger! Yet it's clear that Belshaw and Godding are having more than enough fun experimenting on their own with drummer Kevin Westlake – and there's an open, creative style to the record that really keeps things interesting throughout – and moves past the guitar-based modes that were the Blossom Toes stock in trade. Titles include "Rocky Yagbag", "Seed", "Moondance", "Rise", "Lost Horizons", "You're So Young", "Sticky Living", and "New Day". 2CD version features loads of bonus tracks and rare material – including "Square Dance", "Snippet With Tippett", "Come On Eyes", "Black Crow's Nest", "Freedom", "When I was In The Country", "Backstreet", "Waltz", "Earache", and "Hard Day's Night" – plus BBC live recordings of "Sticky Living" and "Go Have Yourself A Good Time". CD

Early Bee Gees at their best – springing forth into the world of pop with a sound that's completely their own – and which grabs us right from the very first note on classic albums like this! The vocals are full, flowery, and sung in a style that's completely sublime – backed by a brilliant blend of simple acoustic elements and some fuller, ambitious arrangements that really make the whole thing soar – partly psych, fully pop, and put together with a thoughtfulness that's still compelling so many decades later! Titles include the classic "Massachusetts", plus "The Change Is Made", "Horizontal", "Harry Braff", "Lemons Never Forget", and "World". LP, Vinyl record album

The genius of Terry Callier – remixed! One of the greatest things to happen to Chicago soul legend Callier in recent years was his discovery by a host of cutting edge producers and DJs on the European scene – important talents who took his work to a whole new audience, by fusing Terry's original grooves with some more ambitious rhythmic progressions, keyboard lines, and other studio touches. And while you might fear that such knob-twiddling would muddy the waters and dampen Callier's spirit, such was not the case – as work in this vein only seemed to inspire Terry further, to stretch out his wings and reach new musical horizons. The tracks on this set offer a number of recent Callier recordings, remixed by the cream of the current UK and European scene – all as proof of how great this format is when applied to Callier's work. Titles include "Monuments Of Mars (Hopper mix)", "Running Around (Fug city mix)", "Love Theme From Spartacus (4 Hero No Skins mix)", "Sierra Leone (Block 16 mix)", "Darker Than A Shadow (Mitchell & Dewbury mix)", "Love Theme (Zero 7 rmx)", "Imagine A Nation (Funky Lowlives mix)", and "Just My Imagination (Tom Findlay & Keeling Lee mix)". CD

One of the hardest soul hits of the 60s! The cut's got a rolling piano and bass groove that's simply sublime – made even better because the horns didn't show up for the session, so the vocals and piano carry all the grooves, making the track work harder than most of its contemporaries from the time! "Hello Stranger" is the group's version of Barbara Lewis' hit – originally produced by Ollie McLaughlin, who's working with the boys here, and done in a very different style than Barbara's version! 7-inch, Vinyl record