One of our all-time favorite albums from Brother Jack McDuff – not just for the cover (which is plenty appealing to us as BBQ fans!), but also for the tight, sharply focused grooves on the set – some of Jack's first really firey work on record! The combo here is great – with a young George Benson hard-wailing on guitar, cutting lines so fast and furious it's hard to believe – especially if you only know his later work. The legendary Joe Dukes is on drums – dancing all over the place under Brother Jack's great groovy solos – and Red Holloway completes the group on tenor sax! The title track's got a rare vocal refrain – with Jack shouting out "Hot Barbeque" over the organ – and other cuts include "Briar Patch", "Hippy Dip", "601 1/2 North Poplar", and "The Three Day Thang". LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic greasy grooves – hot off the grill from chef Jack McDuff! Hot Barbeque is one of our favorite all-time Jack McDuff albums, and one that features his classic quartet in totally amazing form. George Benson's wailing on guitar, and proving that he was a genius, even at this tender young age (and in fact, maybe only at this age!), Red Holloway's on tenor, and the amazing Joe Dukes' is skipping away on drums, dancing all over the place under Brother Jack's great groovy solos. With the short vocal ditty that comprises the title cut, plus other long groovers including "The Party's Over", "Happy Dip", and "Cry Me A River". All this, and the cover's got a great photo of Jack chompin' on a slab of ribs! The other half of this CD is one of three live sides McDuff cut, all with similar covers, but this one's got the red and orange lettering. Red Holloway blows and hollers over the fingerpoppin' grooves delivered by a young George Benson on his first major gig, and the soulful drums of Joe Dukes. Features cookin' live versions of "Rock Candy", "Sanctified Samba" and "A Real Goodun'". Jack McDuff Live is a killer, and one of three live sides McDuff cut for Prestige during the 60s – a monster session of stretched-out jazzy grooves, with many fine little dancers, and a raw soulful feel throughout! The group's one of Jack's best – as Red Holloway's tenor blows and hollers over the fingerpoppin' grooves delivered by a young George Benson on his first major guitar gig – and the soulful drums of Joe Dukes scatter across the place, taking the whole band into some incredible rhythms! Titles include cookin' live versions of "Rock Candy", "Sanctified Samba", "Undecided", and "A Real Goodun'". CD

2 of the greatest albums ever by Jack McDuff – back to back on one CD! Soulful Drums of Joe Dukes was originally issued under the name of McDuff's famous mid-60s funky drummer, Joe Dukes – but it's actually a McDuff session, recorded with the classic quartet lineup that includes Red Holloway on tenor and alto, George Benson on guitar, and Dukes on drums. The album's got an incredible sound, with Dukes' unique approach to drums scattering all over the kit, creating these complicated dancing rhythms for the organ, sax, and guitar lineup. The album's filled with excellent groovers, like "Moohah the D.J.", "Soulful Drums", "Greasy Drums", and "My Three Sons" – and the whole thing's great! Equally sublime is the album Hot Barbeque – probably the strongest of all of McDuff's mid 60s albums, with a coherency and a solidness to the playing that you'd have to work hard to find on other organ group sides from the time. Jack's work on the Hammond is incredible, filled with sharp changes and turns that will leave you breathless, and which will soon make him your favorite organist ever. Benson's guitar is incredible, too – filled with energy and intensity, vamping away at a pace and accuracy that's simply inexplicable. Every single cut's a gem – and the album includes the vocal-driven groover "Hot Barbeque", plus "Hippy Dip", "601 1/2 North Poplar", "The Three Day Thang", and "Briar Patch". All That, and the CD also includes the rare bonus track "Redwood City"! CD

An overlooked history in jazz – a huge book that not only documents important female-led groups and solo artists in the music, but also focuses on those that were heavily featured in visual media as well! The scope might seem small at first, but the author expands with a voluminous range of artists from the 20s through the 50s – leaders, musicians, and singers who were able to get exposure in film and television that they might not have received otherwise! The book has dozens of black and white photos – many illustrating the visual potential of the artists – and subjects include Hazel Scott, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, Ina Ray Hutton, Phil Spitalny & His Musical Queens, International Sweethearts Of Rhythm, The Ingenues, Carl Adams, and others. Softcover edition is 316 pages, with black and white photos. Book

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Kevin O' Connell on piano, Adam Brenner on alto and tenor saxophones, Paul Gill on bass, and Mark Taylor on drums. CD

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Notable sidemen include Buddy Tate, Earl Bostic, Skip Hall, Chips Outcalt, Walter Page, Joe Evans, George Nicholas, andJuimmy Buxton. CD

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A great collection of work from those key years when Hot Lips Page was setting the scene for R&B styles to come – on a record that also features a few tracks from Rubberlegs Williams too! LP, Vinyl record album

Features 22 tracks including "St. James Infirmary", "Walkin In A Daze", "Lovin Mama Blues", "Indiana", "When You're Smiling", "Limehouse Blues" and "Got An Uncle In Harlem" –plus alternate takes and a few unreleased cuts. CD

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Features Cecil Scott & Big Chief Moore. LP, Vinyl record album

The complete presentation of a legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – both of which are united here with additional material! The set features two takes on the Quintet material – without overdubs, and with them added – on titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are/52nd Street Theme", "Wee", and "Hot House". The package then also adds in the second half of the concert – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". Plus, the set features a stunning solo drum performance by Max Roach – "Drum Conversation". CD

The complete presentation of a legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – both of which are united here with additional material! The set features two takes on the Quintet material – without bass overdubs, and with them added – on titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are/52nd Street Theme", "Wee", and "Hot House". The package then also adds in the second half of the concert – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". Plus, the set features a stunning solo drum performance by Max Roach – "Drum Conversation". LP, Vinyl record album

A mega-hit from Peaches & Herb – best known for the crossover classic "Reunited", but equally great for a host of modern soul groovers! The duo first achieved fame at the end of the 60s – through a set of key pop soul tracks that had a warm and sweet finish. Here, though, the pair are stepping out with a bit more of an Ashford & Simpson vibe – more mature and groove-oriented – and getting some great help on production and arrangement from Freddie Perren. Titles include, of course, "Reunited" – plus "Shake Your Groove Thing", "We've Got Love", "Love It Up Tonight", "Easy As Pie", "Four's A Traffic Jam", and "All Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the most standout tracks on the Sign O The Times double LP – a tune that has the same catchy crossover vibe as Prince's material from the Purple Rain years – with a monster hook that really keeps the whole thing going! The core tune here is presented next to a whopping three versions of "Hot Thing" – one of which keeps the funky groove going for almost nine minutes! 12-inch, Vinyl record

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An amazing set of music – two rare albums from Ohio funk legend Lou Ragland, plus bonus tracks, and a whole set of unreleased sessions too – a huge amount of new music, even if you've got some of the previous reissues! First up is the legendary Hot Chocolate album – one of the greatest lost funk records of all time! The group is not the British pop band, but an Ohio funk group led by the great guitarist Lou Ragland. The album's originally from Canada, which makes it super rare – and these guys are funky funky funky, and kick some major booty with a heavy guitar sound that's just great! Some of the cuts are instrumental, and some of them have some excellent soul vocals that are produced with a nice deep sound that's brought out nicely by the excellent quality of the reissue. The record's got a bit of Sly Stone, a bit of Grant Green, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland – with a tasty raw indie soul vibe – and the original album was only pressed up at 500 copies. Titles include "So Dam Funky", "Ain't That A Groove", "Sexy Moods Of Your Mind", "Messin With Sly", and "What You Want To Do" – plus 8 more tracks from the same vintage – "Good For The Gander" by Hot Chocolate, "I Travel Alone" and Big Wheel" by Lou Ragland, "Red Robin" and "I've Got Something Going On" by Volcanic Eruption, and "I Can't Take It" and "What The Doctor Prescribed" by Lou Ragland & Hot Chocolate. Next is The Conveyor – the second album from Lou Ragland, stepping out here in a great set of mellow soul tracks! The album's quite different from the heavy funk of the Hot Chocolate album – more of a message-oriented approach to soul, in the vein of similar 70s indie work by Mike James Kirkland. The arrangements are also bigger – not smooth, but ambitious, in a style that perfectly matches the higher vision Lou's going for in tracks like "Understand Each Other", "What Should I Do?", "The Next World", and "It's Got To Change". Conveyor also comes with bonus tracks too – "Tend To Your Business" by Wildfire, plus "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" and "I Didn't Mean To Leave You" by Lou Ragland. And last up is an incredible batch of unreleased material – maybe the biggest and best so far from Ragland – tracks that have this really ambitious quality that mixes soul, funk, and larger orchestrations – especially some light strings, which really expand the sound, and push the music into this righteous territory that reminds us a lot of the creative experiments in Chicago during the Cadet/Concept years! Lou's vocals are great, and the message is totally righteous – and even though the tape quality is slightly aged, the soulful vibe really comes through – on cuts that include "Understand Each Other", "It Ain't My Fault", "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "Spend My Life Loving You", "Until I Met You", and "Brother Louie". Lovingly packaged by Numero – with a huge booklet of photos and history – and cool mini-LP sleeves too! CD

A crackling little charmer from Raja-Nee – a set that has lots of new jack energy in the grooves, but a very fresh style of vocals from the singer herself! Raja-Nee has this way of changing up her phrasing from tune to tune, really keeping the album full of surprises as she twists each song with a special sort of quality – as production shifts too, with key contributions from the teams of Jam & Lewis, and Auto & Cherokee. Elements of dancehall creep into a few cuts, balanced by warmer soul vocals on others – all with a great groove throughout, on titles that include "I Wanna Get Next To You", "Bitchism", "Turn It Up", "Sex In A Jeep", "Hot & Ready", "Who's Been Givin It Up", "Dance Hall Druglord", and "Take Your Time". CD features the bonus track "Turn It Up (Jam & Lewis party jam)". CD

Gunz Still Hot Remix produced by Memo. 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Revert Andrews, Stafford Agee, and Tyrus Chapman on trombone. CD

The music of Sun Ra, taken into very different territory – every bit as cosmic as before, but maybe also a bit more down to earth in its presentation! Sun Ra classics are reworked here by a mix of different Brazilian musicians, with contributions from a few key American artists who really enrich the soulful qualities of the proceedings – with results that are tremendous, and which make the record one of the real standout projects in the long legacy of Red Hot recordings! The sounds here are all original, created for the project – and the Brazilian artists include some of our favorite underground talents of the past decade, mixed with a few who are more well-established, yet still very much on the left side of the spectrum! Titles include "Astroblack Orunmila" with Jazzmeia Horn & Orquestra Afrosinfonica, "Interstellar Low Ways" with Hamilton De Holanda Trio, "When There Is No Sun (Intergalactic version)" with Xenia Franca & Tigana Santana, "Eu Sou Um Instrumento" with Fabricio Boliveira & Jazzmeia Horn, "O Codigo" with Fabricio Boliveira & Edbrass Brasil, "Nature's God" with Meshell Ndegeocello & Munir Hossn, and "Nine Rocket For The Planet" with Meta Meta & Edgar. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest album so far in the Red Hot series – even amidst the unique Sun Ra subgroup – as the album's the brainchild of Meshell Ndegeocello, and comes together with all the complex soulfulness of her own recent albums! Back in the 90s, Meshell was a great but more mainstream soul artist – and over the years, she's developed into a really fascinating talent – one able to reach out with a complex blend of jazz, funk, and soul elements – woven into patterns that are always very much her own – a musical legacy that the great Sun Ra might have appreciated! Ndegeocello leads a very diverse lineup here – playing bass and keyboards, and singing a bit – next to other players who include longtime Arkestra giant Marshall Allen on alto and EWI, plus Immanuel Wilkins on alto, Christopher Bruce on guitar, Darius Jones on saxes, Daniel Mintseris on keyboards, and Justin Hicks, Pink Siifu, Kenita Miller, Nio Levon, and Hanna Benn on vocals. The album channels Ra's spirit through territory that's very much Meshell's own – and titles include "Yet Differently Not Mars Hall", "El Soul The Companion Traveler", "The World Of Shadow", "Reproductive Manatees/Sunny Said Up", "Bedlam Blues", "#9 Venus The Living Myth", and "Departure Guide Of The 7 Sisters". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest album so far in the Red Hot series – even amidst the unique Sun Ra subgroup – as the album's the brainchild of Meshell Ndegeocello, and comes together with all the complex soulfulness of her own recent albums! Back in the 90s, Meshell was a great but more mainstream soul artist – and over the years, she's developed into a really fascinating talent – one able to reach out with a complex blend of jazz, funk, and soul elements – woven into patterns that are always very much her own – a musical legacy that the great Sun Ra might have appreciated! Ndegeocello leads a very diverse lineup here – playing bass and keyboards, and singing a bit – next to other players who include longtime Arkestra giant Marshall Allen on alto and EWI, plus Immanuel Wilkins on alto, Christopher Bruce on guitar, Darius Jones on saxes, Daniel Mintseris on keyboards, and Justin Hicks, Pink Siifu, Kenita Miller, Nio Levon, and Hanna Benn on vocals. The album channels Ra's spirit through territory that's very much Meshell's own – and titles include "Yet Differently Not Mars Hall", "El Soul The Companion Traveler", "The World Of Shadow", "Reproductive Manatees/Sunny Said Up", "Bedlam Blues", "#9 Venus The Living Myth", and "Departure Guide Of The 7 Sisters". LP, Vinyl record album

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Includes the songs "I Got Rhythm", "Crazy Rhythm", "My Melancholy Baby", "Jeepers Creepers", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Liza", "Nuages", "Nuits De Saint Germain Des Pres", "Just One Of Those Things", "I Cover The Waterfront",and "I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight". CD

10 inch LP issue of sides that Django recorded with a larger group, we believe in Brussels in the early 40s. Titles include "Nuages", "Dynamism", "Djangology", "Distraction", "Only Tonight", "Minor Blues", and "Studio 24". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Dial Records issue of French recordings by the famous Hot Club – a lineup here that features Django Reinhardt on electric guitar, Joe Reinhardt on rhythm guitar, Hubert Rostaing on clarinet, Manny Soudieux on bass, and Andy Jourdan on piano. The sound is somewhat traddish, but the mix of guitar lines is wonderful, especially given the balance between acoustic and electric. Titles include "Santos", "September Song", "Camp Meeting", "Mardi Gras", and "Swing 49". LP, Vinyl record album

Django Reinhardt on guitar and Stephane Grappelli on violin. CD

Classic work from this legendary group – including two tracks with Beryl Davis on vocals! CD

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Hot and wild – two of the best words you could use to describe the late 60s Latin Soul material of Pete Rodriguez – especially on an album like this! This album has Pete and his combo at their best – stepping effortlessly between English-language, soul-based tracks – and other material that has them showing their Latin chops in a straighter Pacheco-inspired style – really tight small combo grooving, with that Spanish Harlem sound that cats like Pete could do so well. The whole thing's a winner, and titles include "Here Comes the Judge" and "People Want to Know", plus "Tears on My Pillow", "Carmela", "Pa'Lla Va", "Arranca En Fa", and "Cata Con Tata". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary greatest hits collection from the Rolling Stones – one that was so popular back in the day, it was maybe the one Rolling Stones album that everyone had in their collection! The package was a great way for folks to go back and catch up after digging in deep on Exile On Main Street and Let It Bleed – and the set has work from the earliest years of The Stones all the way up to those classics – a killer set list that includes "Get Off Of My Cloud", "Gimme Shelter", "Brown Sugar", "Wild Horses", "Honky Tonk Women", "Sympathy For The Devil", "Satisfaction", "Ruby Tuesday", "Play With Fire", "Paint It Black", "Jumpin Jack Flash", "Street Fighting Man", "Midnight Rambler (live)", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "Time Is On My Side", "Heart Of Stone", "19th Nervous Breakdown", "Let's Spend The Night Together", and "Mother's Little Helper". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary greatest hits collection from the Rolling Stones – one that was so popular back in the day, it was maybe the one Rolling Stones album that everyone had in their collection! The package was a great way for folks to go back and catch up after digging in deep on Exile On Main Street and Let It Bleed – and the set has work from the earliest years of The Stones all the way up to those classics – a killer set list that includes "Get Off Of My Cloud", "Gimme Shelter", "Brown Sugar", "Wild Horses", "Honky Tonk Women", "Sympathy For The Devil", "Satisfaction", "Ruby Tuesday", "Play With Fire", "Paint It Black", "Jumpin Jack Flash", "Street Fighting Man", "Midnight Rambler (live)", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "Time Is On My Side", "Heart Of Stone", "19th Nervous Breakdown", "Let's Spend The Night Together", and "Mother's Little Helper". CD

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An overlooked gem from Diana Ross' 80s years – a record that's quite different than her Motown music of the 60s and 70s, but in a way that really shows the singer stepping out and trying something new! The album's maybe more soulful than some of Diana's previous albums – thanks to work from producer Tom Dowd – and the material is a surprising mix of songs, from sources as varied as Leonard Cohen, Luther Vandross, and Mick Hucknall! Ross does nice a nice job in reworking older soul classics – like Jackie Ross' "Selfish One" and The Drifters' "There Goes My Baby" – nestled in nicely next to more contemporary tracks that include "Dirty Looks", "Shockwaves", "Tell Me Again", "Shine", "Summertime", and "It's Hard For Me To Say". CD

An overlooked gem from Diana Ross' 80s years – a record that's quite different than her Motown music of the 60s and 70s, but in a way that really shows the singer stepping out and trying something new! The album's maybe more soulful than some of Diana's previous albums – thanks to work from producer Tom Dowd – and the material is a surprising mix of songs, from sources as varied as Leonard Cohen, Luther Vandross, and Mick Hucknall! Ross does nice a nice job in reworking older soul classics – like Jackie Ross' "Selfish One" and The Drifters' "There Goes My Baby" – nestled in nicely next to more contemporary tracks that include "Dirty Looks", "Shockwaves", "Tell Me Again", "Shine", "Summertime", and "It's Hard For Me To Say". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare funky gem from the Chicago scene in the pre-house years – but a set that also might be a crucial bridge between the city's 70s soul and the underground clubs that would soon give the world a new groove! The group have plenty of funk elements in the mix – kind of a tightened-up version of P-Funk at times, with lots of bass in the mix – and all these cool moogy keyboard touches – topped by vocals from the group – who often have a call to action sort of vibe, really urging on the groove! The record's definitely too hardcore to have gotten much national radio play – sharper and more wicked than the major label funk of the time – and the use of female vocals in the mix also have a very different vibe than in disco, too – a quality that's hard to describe, but which really stands out. The set features some arrangements by Floyd Morris and Tom Tom 84 – two mighty legends in the Chicago soul scene – and titles include "Doin' It To Def", which has sort of a "We Will Rock You" intro, plus "Hot Spot", "Grab Your Sexy Baby", and "Funk Power". LP, Vinyl record album

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Featuring some of Hurby Luv Bug's best production work on "I'll Take Your Man", "My Mike Sounds Nice", "Tramp", "It's Alright". LP, Vinyl record album

Latin big band led by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval – with special guests Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone, Tito Puente on timbales, and Patti Austin and Rey Ruiz on vocals. CD

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Sweet and lowdown funky grooves from legendary organist Lonnie Smith (that's DOCTOR Lonnie Smith, thank you!) – played in a style that's surprisingly fresh, and without the cliches of some of Smith's other albums of the past decade. The group on the set is wonderfully laidback – never trying to be overly funky, or to play to the current generation with easy tricks or gimmicks. And Lonnie's perfectly in the cut on most of the tracks – hitting the organ in a mode that recalls classic Prestige Records sessions of the 70s, but occasionally breaking out with styles from some of his freer Groove Merchant years. The group is spare – with just drums, lead guitar, and added rhythm guitar behind Smith's keys – making for plenty of space to jam on cuts that include "The Whip", "Back Track", "Evil Turn", "One Cylinder", "Silver Serenade", and "Your Mama's Got A Complex". CD

A late 50s Verve session by Stuff Smith – one in which the jazz violinist does a wonderful job shaking off his often quite hammy persona for a strong, straight up set of standards and well-known bop era cuts! He's got a great crew for these sessions, with the great Shirley Horn on piano on a number of cuts, Red Mitchell on bass, and Harry Saunders on the kit. Stuff does his vocal thing on "Oh, Lady, Be Good" and "Somebody Loves Me", but the by-and-large focus of the set is to shine a light on his skills as a leader. Other tracks include "Undecided", "The Man I Love", "Take The 'A' Train", "'S Wonderful" and more! CD

A funky funky bit of wax – one of the first releases on the Luv N Haight label, a long out of print reissue of these two funky sides by the Soul Toronadoes! Both cuts bristle with a JBs type groove – nice and tasty, and even louder on this 12" single than they'd be on a 45! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A funky funky bit of wax – one of the first releases on the Luv N Haight label, a long out of print reissue of these two funky sides by the Soul Toronadoes! Both cuts bristle with a JBs type groove – nice and tasty! 7-inch, Vinyl record

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A really massive package – one that features six full albums from Starpoint, plus 34 bonus tracks as well! The group began as a more conventional funk outfit, but by the time of these records, they'd really found a sound that was strongly their own – a way of taking older ensemble modes forward to the 80s generation, yet without losing any of the warmth and beating heart that made them so great in the first place! There's so many different elements that come into play that make these records great – including key lead vocal performances from Renee Diggs, and well-crafted production that kept things fresh from record to record. The package features loads of classics amidst the full albums within – including the cuts "It's So Delicious", "Don't Be So Serious", "Breakout", "Am I Still The One", "Let Go", "Restless", "Object Of My Desire", "He Wants My Body", "DYBO", "Another Night", "Touch Of Your Love", "Say You Will", "I Want You You Want Me", "Midnight Love", and "One Step Closer To Your Love" – and each album is expanded with bonus tracks that include all the rare single mixes issued at the time. CD

"Hot Hot" is by Mad Skillz with Lonnie B and Danja Mowf, "Supa" is by the Supafriendz: Lonnie B, Danja Mowf and Mad Skillz, and 'Throw Dem Bows" is by Jo Doja with Danja Mowf, Lonnie B and Shawnee Poo. 12-inch, Vinyl record

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A brilliant debut from Sylvester – quite different than his later disco and club work – although still pretty upbeat and groovy overall! The album's a really unique sort of effort – one that's unabashedly gender-bending, but also wonderfully solid from a musical perspective – funky at points, rootsy at others – with an odd blend of 70s soul and older R&B elements, all filtered through the genre-bending sound of the Bay Area scene of the time! Arrangements are by Sylvester and The Hot Band, but Ben Sidran produced, and we're sure that the record's offbeat qualities are partly due to his own great style of the time – that weird, slightly messed-up groove you'd find on Ben's Blue Thumb album. The set features wild covers of "Southern Man" and "My Country Tis Of Thee" – plus "Whiter Shade Of Pale", "Gimme A Pigfoot", "God Bless The Child", "I'm A Steam Roller", "That Is Rock n Roll", and "Come Back Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of crucial Cecil Taylor sessions from the 60s – both of which show the free-thinking pianist working amidst some larger arrangements! First up are three tracks from the Gil Evans album Into The Hot – all tunes written by Cecil Taylor – a very bold move for Evans, given Taylor's strongly out reputation even at this point in his career – and possibly even more bold, given that Taylor's on the tracks playing piano, alongside players who include Archie Shepp on tenor, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – plus work on one track from Ted Curson on trumpet and Roswell Rudd on trombone. The material's fantastic, and is a key part of Taylor's work at the time, and shows a very different setting for his piano – a bit of tension with the larger Evans group, in a way that's almost more compelling than his own early dates as a leader – on the titles "Pots", "Bulbs", and "Mixed". Next is the Unit Structures album – one of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". CD

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With Satoshi Arai and Kenji Hirose on guitar. CD