An incredible performance from the great Don Cherry – one that's maybe the most perfect summation we've ever heard of his ability to embrace a globe's worth of influences and make them his own! The set was recorded live at a French jazz festival in 1972, and it has a very compelling group known as the New Researches Ensemble – a lineup that includes Nana Vasconcelos on percussion and berimbau, Christer Bothen on ngoni and piano, Dodou Gouirand on soprano and alto, and Moki Cherry on tanpura – all working in a larger stage setting designed by Moki, with puppet theater as well! The most striking thing might well be the vocals – much more prominent here than on other Cherry recordings, and very soulful as well – blended with jazz expressions and global instrumentation, with a vibe that's almost like some of the best work on the Saravah label during the period. The whole thing's fantastic – a great lost chapter of a musician whose well never seems to run dry – with titles that include "Resa", "Butterfly Friend", "Elixir", "Amazwe", "Witchi Tai To", "Ganesh", "North Brazilian Ceremonial Hymn", and "Dha Dhin Na Dha Tin Na". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful guitar work from Elizabeth Cotten – much more sensitive and lyrical than you might expect – with a warmth that really goes beyond the usual Folkways record of this nature! Elizabeth sings on the set at points – in this raspy, time-worn style that's pretty compelling on its own – but honestly, it's the guitar that really grabs us – played with deftness that's impressive, and a sense of greater sound that really shows some unique phrasing throughout. Titles include "Freight Train", "Run Run Mama Your Son Done Gone", "Spanish Flang Dang", "When I Get Home", "Vastopol", and "I Don't Love Nobody". CD

A rare set with a very unusual vibe – as the group features vocal harmonies that seem to echo Cuban and Mexican modes of the 60s, but set to grooves that are much more in keeping with their Peruvian roots! There's some especially great electric guitar in the mix – of the sort you'd hear on chicha cuts, but used with a stronger vibe overall – especially when some solos soar out as the vocal step aside – and the rhythms of the record are raw and rootsy, with an edge that's very different than Latin vocal groups were using anywhere up north at the start of the 70s! The whole thing is filled with plenty of fresh sounds and unusual groovers – and titles include "Me Voy A Monsefu", "Sandungueate", "Oye Mi Son", "El Tic Tac", "Flaca Y Despeinada", "Compay Gallo", and "Yo Me Voy De Aqui". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the hippest work so far from the mighty Mark De Clive-Lowe – an album that almost comes across more like a spiritual jazz session than some of Mark's clubbier sides of the past! There's a lot of live, spontaneous energy to most of the tracks – and although there's clearly some beats at the bottom of the tunes, the album's also filled with freely creative lines on tenor, flute, percussion, and keyboards – recorded with a wonderful sense of warmth, and given almost a sort of Impulse Records sense of righteousness. Bembe Segue also sings on the set, but at some points the main focus is definitely instrumental – with Mark playing Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano, in addition to percussion, bass, and synth. Titles include "Voices Whisper", "Northern Lights", "Peace Be Central", "Question XIII", "2 Blind 2 See", and "Another One Save Me". CD

Spacey piano work from Jordan De La Sierra – material that's clearly informed by the 60s experiments of La Monte Young and Terry Riley, but which also has a more open, spiritual quality too! The piano has a nice sense of tuning – one that's almost watery at points – and Jordan's in no rush to let the notes unfold, as he often waits for one to resonate out before starting the next – which creates this very spacious, meditative quality throughout – a mode that's also inspired by Indian music, but much more laidbck and North California! The package reproduces the original 2LP set – complete with artwork and original notes. CD

A set that definitely takes the title seriously – as it brings together lots and lots of upbeat groovers from Dion – a few early cuts with The Belmonts, and a lot more from his excellent solo years of the 60s! That stretch of Dion's career is often given focus as a time when DiMucci moved into more serious singer-songwriter modes – but at the same time, he was also still able to deliver the kind of catchy groovers that he first pioneered with The Belmonts – as you'll hear on this overstuffed collection that also features copious notes on this point in his career. CD features 29 tracks in all – with titles that include "The Majestic", "Unloved Unwanted Me", "I Got The Blues", "Lonely Teenager", "Little Diane", "Sweet Sweet Baby", "Shout", "Lovers Who Wander", "North End Of The Corner", "Flim Flam", "The Wanderer", and "Come Go With Me". CD

Killer keyboards from the legendary George Duke – and one of his most righteous albums for the MPS label! The album's a spectacular set that showcases both sides of Duke's genius at the time – his spacey, soulful approach to a laidback tune – and his more jamming styles on the harder cuts! Instrumentation is somewhat spare – just keyboards and piano from George, who also sings a bit – plus Ndugu Chancler on drums and John Heard on bass – both playing with a freely creative energy that's definitely motivated by Duke. There's a beautiful mix of electricity and acoustic warmth on the set – never too forced, and clearly an inspiration for countless players in years to come – maybe even more so than Herbie Hancock's work of the time. Drums are great too – and snap tightly for plenty of nice breaks on the set – which are in turn augmented by mellower keys from Duke, who also sings with a sweetly electric soul style. Titles include "Capricorn", "The Opening", "Psychosomatic Dung", "North Beach", "Faces In Reflection", "Maria Tres Filhos", and "Da Somba". LP, Vinyl record album

Early King Records material by Champion Jack Dupree – a hell of a pianist, and a heck of a great singer too – working almost as a raconteur on some of the best songs on this collection! The music has deep roots in New Orleans, where Jack must have really honed his piano skills – but there's also a more northern, more urban presentation of the music on these cuts – a strong current of wit that comes in the way that Jack puts over a tune, and a great mix of jazzy phrasing in both his piano and the electric guitar that sometimes provides strong accompaniment. Jack's vocals are almost more commentary than traditional lyrics – often with an undercurrent of raunch – and titles include "That's My Pa", "Failing Health Blues", "Big Leg Emma's", "Two Below Zero", "Camille", "Me & My Mule", "She Cooks Me Cabbage", and "Silent Partner". CD

Some of the darkest acoustic work that Bob Dylan ever recorded – a record of spare, stark beauty that really has the young singer knocking it out of the park! There's a brilliance to this record that makes it one of our key go-to Bob Dylan records over the years – mostly just the man and his guitar, but spinning out stories and messages with this understated genius – really setting himself apart from some of the overdone, over-hyped energy of the other rising folk singers of the time – and with politics that are still completely resonant after all of these years. The album's filled with beautiful songs – like "With God On Our Side", "North Country Blues", "Only A Pawn In Their Game", "The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll", "Boots Of Spanish Leather", and "The Times They Are A-Changin". Cassette

Some of the darkest acoustic work that Bob Dylan ever recorded – a record of spare, stark beauty that really has the young singer knocking it out of the park! There's a brilliance to this record that makes it one of our key go-to Bob Dylan records over the years – mostly just the man and his guitar, but spinning out stories and messages with this understated genius – really setting himself apart from some of the overdone, over-hyped energy of the other rising folk singers of the time – and with politics that are still completely resonant after all of these years. The album's filled with beautiful songs – like "With God On Our Side", "North Country Blues", "Only A Pawn In Their Game", "The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll", "Boots Of Spanish Leather", and "The Times They Are A-Changin". CD

Somehow, someway, Bob Dylan and Columbia Records can keep returning to the well of unreleased material – and draw jaw droppingly brilliant recordings that are mostly unheard to the general population of non Dylan diehard archaeologists! Here lies the fabled Witmark Demos – early recordings of treasured Dylan classics and rarities alike recorded raw and unencumbered, just Dylan's voice, guitar and occasional harmonica or piano – recorded in 1962 for Leeds Music (a few) and M. Witmark & Sons (most of 'em) in the early-to-mid 60s. Dylan was one of the first wave of 60s folk songwriters brought into the Tin Pan Alley machinations, a pretty amazing moment considering that this gruff, nasal voiced figure was soon to revolutionize popular music and there's no way Witmark could have known it. Hey, maybe this kid will make us a few bucks in the urban folk racket, eh? Wow. Of course many of these songs would be recorded by a who's who of 60s & 70s singers of all stripes, but it's always great to here Dylan's own early, raw sketches. Some of the performances come somewhat close to the way Dylan would cut them for his own landmark albums with just a bit more polish, others are close(ish) to how they sounded in earlier Dylan "bootlegs" (officially and not so official), and most of it has never been officially released commercially. Columbia continues the terrific Official Bootleg Series with a thick booklet of rare photos and notes by Colin Escott. Includes versions of "Hard Times In New York Town", "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown, "Long Time Gone", "Farewell", "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright", "Girl From North Country", "Only A Hobo", "Guess I'm Doing Fine", "Mr Tamborine Man", "I'll Keep It With Mine" and many more. 47 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax & clarinet, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Otto Hardwick on alto sax & clarinet, Barney Bigard on tenor sax & clarinet, Sonny Greer on drums, Freddy Guy on guitar & whistle, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown & Tricky Sam Nanton on trombones, Rex Stewart & Wallace Jones on trumpets, Ray Nance on trumpet, vibes & vocals & Herb Jeffries & Ivie Anderson on vocals. CD

An 80s fusion classic from saxophonist Bill Evans – working here on tenor and soprano sax, plus some keyboards as well! The music has a flowing, open sort of style – almost to saxophone what Pat Metheny's work of the time is to guitar – played with a nice sense of feeling on most numbers, and quite different from some of the slicker, more tune-tracked fusion that was beginning to emerge at the time. Many tunes have a spaciousness that offsets any electronics with an exploratory, almost ECM-like sense of sound – and other players on the date include Mitch Foreman on piano and keyboards, Mark Egan on bass, Adam Nussbaum on drums, and Manolo Badrena on percussion. Titles include "Reef Carnival", "Living In The Crest Of A Wave", "Past Thoughts", "The Young & The Old", and "Dawn In Wisconsin North Woods". CD

The Faithful Brothers are an Israeli duo, but one who come to their debut after years of collecting Northern Soul 45s – decades of listening, learning, and absorbing – all of which really shows through in this well-done debut! The pair work with a very full lineup of musicians – horns, Hammond, and even a bit of vibes – used like you might hear on some late 60s Detroit indie soul single, with soaring sounds over the romping grooves – all of which really do a great job of elevating the vocals! Yet since the Faithful Brothers themselves just handle instruments, they're also not slavish to the singer – and the album's equally strong on the instrumental tip as it is on the vocal one. Titles include "So Low", "Downtown Uptown", "Night Man", "The Town I Live In", "Joy", "They Don't Know", "Let's Break The Curfew", and "Tell Me One More Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool collaboration between Greg Foat and James Thorpe – a set that's billed more as a sound library session than some of Foat's other jazz projects – even though the sound is equally appealing if you love those records too! The set is self-described as "futuristic analogue cosmic synth library cues for TV, film, and radio" – but it's also got a much warmer sound than you might expect, very much in keeping with the natural image on the cover – as Foat and Thorpe eschew some of the colder keyboard styles of other library records, and instead really let things glow with that organic vibe that usually informs Greg's music, as gentle rhythms set the pace for Fender Rhodes, Hohner pianet, and a host of Korg and Roland keys. There's also a touch of vibes, some field recordings, and other cool touches – on tracks that include "Balloon Ride", "Circadian Rhythms", "Grockle Box", "Living The Dream", "Platform Game", "Stacey's Theme", and "Elementary Physiology (parts 1 & 2)". CD

A very cool collaboration between Greg Foat and James Thorpe – a set that's billed more as a sound library session than some of Foat's other jazz projects – even though the sound is equally appealing if you love those records too! The set is self-described as "futuristic analogue cosmic synth library cues for TV, film, and radio" – but it's also got a much warmer sound than you might expect, very much in keeping with the natural image on the cover – as Foat and Thorpe eschew some of the colder keyboard styles of other library records, and instead really let things glow with that organic vibe that usually informs Greg's music, as gentle rhythms set the pace for Fender Rhodes, Hohner pianet, and a host of Korg and Roland keys. There's also a touch of vibes, some field recordings, and other cool touches – on tracks that include "Balloon Ride", "Circadian Rhythms", "Grockle Box", "Living The Dream", "Platform Game", "Stacey's Theme", and "Elementary Physiology (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning tribute to one of the real giants of Colombian music in the 70s – the legendary Fruko, a man who almost singlehandedly kick-started a new groove for the decade! Fruko was clearly inspired by the hip late 60s sounds of New York – but his work here is almost headier and more powerful – as he seems to reach deep into the Colombian soil, to come up with a rootsy blend of piano and percussion that really drives most of the tunes – as the horns soar over the top, and the vocals urge the whole proceedings on with a sense of rawness that was almost disappearing from the scene up north as the 70s salsa boom took over. The collection is very well-done, with detailed notes on the man and his music – in support of 20 smoking tracks that include "El Coco", "Dame Un Break", "Bang Bang", "El Expresidiario", "Va A Llover", "La Loteria", "Fruko Presidente", "Caifaz", "Pa Los Bomberos", "Canto A Panama", "Algo Pa Goza", "Perlas Negras", and "Oriza". LP, Vinyl record album

Two rare albums from this great pianist – back to back on a single CD! First up is Jazz Argentino – key work from Ruben Lopez Furst, a wonderful pianist from the Argentine scene of the 60s – heard here on one of his greatest albums ever! Despite the local placement in the title, the set's got a really universal appeal – a quality that easily puts Baby Lopez Furst in the company of Bill Evans, Hampton Hawes, or a rare few imaginative pianists from up north! Furst's sense of color and timing are wonderful – ringing out fluidly, yet always with a sense of surprise that keeps us hanging on each new note – nothing that's ever hokey or heard-before – handled here with a vibrancy that's simply stunning. Many numbers are trio tracks, but the set also features guest trumpet and tenor on two tracks – and titles include "Israel", "Un Abajea Duriente", "Los Viejos", "Al Este Del Sol", "Sometime Ago", and "Cartas De Amor". Next is Jazz En La Universidad – one of the real highlights of the Argentine jazz scene of the 60s – a seminal album from pianist Ruben "Baby" Lopez – easily one of that country's greatest jazz musicians in the decade! Ruben's got a sound that opens up with the lyrical sense of space and tone first introduced by Bill Evans, but he's also more note-full at other moments – playing with a command of the piano that would have made him huge, had he recorded on the American or European scenes of the time! There's a warm balance between his instrument, the bass of Jorge Gonzalez, and drums of Nestor Astratta – one that goes past conventional piano trio modes, and which really reminds us of our favorite Saba/MPS sessions of the period. Titles include "Un Poco Alegre", "Hombre Amaestrado", "En Tu Dulce Modo", "Hermosoa Amor", and "Necesitare Alguien Mas". CD

Dramatic music from the Sirk film Written On The Wind – with even cooler music on the flipside – the "Rhapsody For Four Girls In Town", with piano from Andre Previn, trumpet from Ray Linn, and orchestrations by Henry Mancini! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning moments of genius from pianist Robert Glasper – a set recorded early in his career, and one that set the tone for all the greatness to come! Glasper's already a completely unique musician on his instrument – moving with these flowing waves of sound that turned out to be an inspiration for so many other younger musicians to come, but which here still sound the best in the hands of the originator – rolling forward with this soulful energy that's very different than anything that came before, and which still never fails to blow us away! The core trio features Vincente Archer on bass and Damion Reid on drums – and the set features guest vocals from Bilal on "Chant" and "I Remember" – and guest tenor from Mark Turner on "Riot" and "Rise & Shine". Other tracks include "Enoch's Meditation", "Canvas", "Portrait Of An Angel", "North Portland", and "Jelly's Da Beener". CD

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Completely sublime work from Beverly Glenn Copeland – a really unique artist who's almost a genre unto herself – and who sings here in a mix of folk, jazz, and soul – maybe resonant with work at the time by Terry Callier or Nina Simone, but every bit as individual as the best from those two giants too! The performance was recorded by CBC at a key moment in Beverly's career – after a time she'd spent on the scene in Montreal, really soaking up different influences and exploring musical pathways away from her American roots – to a point where she emerges here as a very righteous, yet very personal singer – clearly not immediately interested in chart success, even though she's got the power of a young Roberta Flack. Titles include "Northwind", "Swords Of Gold", "Don't Despair", "Nothing Beautiful", "Song From Beads", "Untitled", "Interval", "Reflections", and "Durocher". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first giant hits by the Grateful Dead – and a record that has the group tightening things up a bit more, and stepping into some of the country-tinged territory of The Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers! Turns out, the move is a great one – as the songs come across with a real down to earth charm that maybe humanizes the group a bit more for the uninitiated listener – a mix of northern Cali pastoral with some of the musical dexterity they'd brought with them from the Haight – folded together perfectly, with a quality that's made the album one of their best-remembered over the decades. Titles include "Uncle John's Band" – maybe their biggest hit at the time – plus "Dire Wolf", "New Speedway Boogie", "Cumberland Blues", "Casey Jones", "Easy Wind", "High Time", and "Black Peter". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most beautiful albums that Charlie Haden ever recorded – and if he only ever appeared on one record in his life, we'd still love him tremendously for this one! The album has a feel that's very much in keeping with both the "liberation" and "orchestra" in the title – "liberation", in that the music is filled with inspiration from South American sources, and has a strongly political feel at times; and "orchestra" because the group here is somewhat large, and filled with a tremendous array of expressive players – including Gato Barbieri on tenor, Dewey Redman on alto and tenor, Don Cherry on cornet and flutes, Michael Mantler on trumpet, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Robert Northern on French horn, Paul Motian and Andrew Cyrille on percussion, Carla Bley on piano, and Perry Robinson on clarinet. Haden leads these disparate talents through a set of tremendously focused music – filled with as many ideas as it is with a sense of humanity and soul – all to brilliantly point the way forward for the new sound of Impulse Records in the years after Coltrane's death! Titles include the classic "Song For Che", plus Ornette's "War Orphans", Carla Bley's "The Interlude", and "Song Of The United Front", by Hans Eisler, and with words by Brecht! CD

One of the most beautiful albums that Charlie Haden ever recorded – and if he only ever appeared on one record in his life, we'd still love him tremendously for this one! The album has a feel that's very much in keeping with both the "liberation" and "orchestra" in the title – "liberation", in that the music is filled with inspiration from South American sources, and has a strongly political feel at times; and "orchestra" because the group here is somewhat large, and filled with a tremendous array of expressive players – including Gato Barbieri on tenor, Dewey Redman on alto and tenor, Don Cherry on cornet and flutes, Michael Mantler on trumpet, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Robert Northern on French horn, Paul Motian and Andrew Cyrille on percussion, Carla Bley on piano, and Perry Robinson on clarinet. Haden leads these disparate talents through a set of tremendously focused music – filled with as many ideas as it is with a sense of humanity and soul – all to brilliantly point the way forward for the new sound of Impulse Records in the years after Coltrane's death! Titles include the classic "Song For Che", plus Ornette's "War Orphans", Carla Bley's "The Interlude", and "Song Of The United Front", by Hans Eisler, and with words by Brecht! LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work by one of the most unusual jazz talents of the 60s! Rufus Harley's best known for his use of bagpipes in jazz music – a re-cooption of the instrument from Scottish styles, taking it back to its roots in northern Africa. A number of Harley's other albums from the time are a bit gimmicky – but this later set is a soul jazz masterpiece, infused with rich Coltrane-like modes of expression, as Harley plays both soprano sax and bagpipes over some long modal original compositions! The group is a great one – with Oliver Collins playing some fantastic spiraling lines on piano, and great bass and drum work by James Glenn & Billy Abner. Titles include "Ali", "X", "About Trane", "Tribute To Courage", and a great version of "Sunny"! CD

A tremendous run of music from the great Keef Hartley – a British drummer who was maybe not the biggest name on the scene, but who created some wonderfully groovy music on the albums in this set! The records are a brilliant blend of jazz and rock elements, but in ways that are so different from so many other jazz rock records of the time – maybe in part because Hartley could always bring a lot of soul and a bit of funk to his drums, while still also keeping things in more of the rock side of the spectrum overall – yet opening the door to let in some key jazz musicians from session to session – including trumpeters Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther, reedmen Johnny Almond and Jimmy Jewell, and organist Wynder K Frog – just a few of the players who really give these records a special sort of vibe! It's a bit hard to peg the sound of the records in just a few words – in part because they each have their own flavor – but they're all great, not a weak one in the bunch – and the package features the full albums Halfbreed, Battle Of North West Six, Overdug, Time Is Near, Little Big Band, Seventy Second Brave, and Lancashire Hustler. PLUS, there's also 15 bonus tracks added to the set – mostly live, and some live in studio! CD

The seminal debut of Hatfield & The North – a group that maybe came a bit late in the UK prog scene of the early 70s, but who had a huge influence for decades to come! The quartet are a late transformation of the earlier Canterbury sound – leaner, maybe jazzier, and with a great ear for warm tones and organic elements that help hold the complexity of their music to the surface of the planet. Plus, there's this more open, honest quality to some of the work – especially the vocals – that quality, say, that made Matching Mole so different than Soft Machine. The whole lineup is an all-star affair – Richard Sinclair on bass and vocals, Pip Pyle on drums, Phil Miller on guitars, and Dave Stewart on organ, piano, and tone generator – plus some nice guest sax and flute from Geoff Leigh of Henry Cow, and vocals from Robert Wyatt on one track. Titles include "The Stubbs Effect", "Calyx", "Licks For Ladies", "Bossa Nochance", "Big Jobs No 2", "Lobster In A Cleavage Probe", and "Rifferama". This CD edition includes the bonus tracks "Let's Eat Real Soon", "Fitter Stoke Has A Bath" and "Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut". CD

Excellent early work by Leon Haywood – recorded way back in the mid 60s, when he was knocking around the LA indie scene with a very soulful groove! Back in those years, Leon wasn't singing as much, just playing piano and organ in a mixture of soul and jazz instrumental modes – all hard-stepping with a very strong northern soul groove, and some of the heaviest production ever to come out of the west coast in the 60s! The whole album's a killer – extremely grooving, and with a blend of styles that keeps things fresh all the way through. Titles include "Ray's Theme", "Soul Cargo", "Fat Fish", "The Sidewinder", "Spice Of The Blues", "River's Invitation", and "The Preacher". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful early 70s debut LP from a then 20 year old, Halifax-reared Catherine Howe – produced and arranged by US jazz pianist Bobby Scott in a mode that manages to feel lush and opulent while never belying Catherine's warmth, intimacy and maturity! The sound is warmly baroque, and Catherine's lovely vocals and evocative songwriting style is sheerly natural – recorded in a fairly stripped down setting and fleshed out with strings by the London Symphony Orchestra. The mix of intimacy and grandeur makes the record a bit of stylistic cousin to Nick Drake's Bryter Layter – we take our Drake seriously and we don't throw that comparison out lightly! Released by a doomed Reflection Records, which closed up shop the same year – the album was almost instantly relegated to obscurity, but has become the stuff of legend over the years – thanks to reissues, and interest in Howe's music from younger generations. Titles include "Up North", "On A Misty Morning", "Nothing More Than Strangers", "My Child", "The Innocence Of A Child", "It Comes With The Breezes" and more – plus the bonus demo "In The Hot Summer" – which led to the next phase of Catherine's career at RCA. CD

One of the greatest pop soul singles of all time! Even though we hear it lots of times on oldies stations, we still get a thrill from the great raw sound of "But It's Alright" – especially the great choppy guitar bit on the intro! Plus, this original Calla pressing of the track also features an amazing b-side – the hard storming "Boogaloo Baby", which is an incredible Northern Soul track with a groove that just won't quit! Pounding piano, great crowd sounds on the chorus, and a runaway groove that never stops! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A seminal album – a late 60s classic meeting of the brain trust of the avant garde jazz scene in New York, recorded for the young JCOA label – and put forth as one of their early attempts to prove that musicians could be in charge of the means of production! Michael Mantler provided the core composition, and directs the group – but the lineup is a who's who of forces who'd record for ESP, Impulse, and other labels – with bold solos from Don Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Larry Coryell on guitar, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Cecil Taylor on piano, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor – in a larger lineup of players who also include Steve Marcus, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Alan Silva, Carla Bley, Beaver Harris, Charles Davis, Robert Northern, Kent Carter, and many other key avant musicians! Titles include "Communications 8", "Communications 9", "Communications 10", and "Communications 11".' CD

A seminal album – a late 60s classic meeting of the brain trust of the avant garde jazz scene in New York, recorded for the young JCOA label – and put forth as one of their early attempts to prove that musicians could be in charge of the means of production! Michael Mantler provided the core composition, and directs the group – but the lineup is a who's who of forces who'd record for ESP, Impulse, and other labels – with bold solos from Don Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Larry Coryell on guitar, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Cecil Taylor on piano, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor – in a larger lineup of players who also include Steve Marcus, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Alan Silva, Carla Bley, Beaver Harris, Charles Davis, Robert Northern, Kent Carter, and many other key avant musicians! Titles include "Communications 8", "Communications 9", "Communications 10", and "Communications 11".' CD

A seminal album – a late 60s classic meeting of the brain trust of the avant garde jazz scene in New York, recorded for the young JCOA label – and put forth as one of their early attempts to prove that musicians could be in charge of the means of production! Michael Mantler provided the core composition, and directs the group – but the lineup is a who's who of forces who'd record for ESP, Impulse, and other labels – with bold solos from Don Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Larry Coryell on guitar, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Cecil Taylor on piano, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor – in a larger lineup of players who also include Steve Marcus, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Alan Silva, Carla Bley, Beaver Harris, Charles Davis, Robert Northern, Kent Carter, and many other key avant musicians! Titles include "Communications 8", "Communications 9", "Communications 10", and "Communications 11".' LP, Vinyl record album

The overdue debut as a leader for reedman Josh Johnson – once part of our scene here in Chicago, but also a musician with a wide range of experience that includes work with Leon Bridges, Jeff Parker, and Marquis Hill! Yet despite those ties, Josh breaks out here as a musician with a vibe that's completely his own – doubling up on other instruments at times, and working with contributions from Gergory Uhlmann on guitar, Anna Butterss on bass, and Aaron Steele on drums – in a fluid mix of live instrumentation, effects, and other touches – not as edited as some of the work on International Anthem, but also not a conventional jazz record either. We're hoping to hear plenty more from Johnson to come – but right now we're really digging the cuts that include "Western Ave", "Eclipsing", "Bowed", "Nerf Day", "856", "Return Recoil", and "False Choice". Japanese pressing features the bonus track "Western Ave (extended play)". CD

Early brilliance from Burt Bacharach – 2 early soul productions for singer Lou Johnson! "Magic Potion" is great – a lesser-known track that steps along with percolated arrangements in an early Northern groove – alongside more of those great backing vocals! A real gem through and through. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Strong solo work from saxophonist Darius Jones – a set that really lives up to both the "raw" and the "lone operation" in the title – as Jones blows here in a space that's very much all his own – with raw emotionality in the spotlight all the way through! Yet the work also draws key inspiration from earlier giants – as many of the tunes are reworkings of older compositions, from artists who include Roscoe Mitchell, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, and Georgia Anne Muldrow – taken to very personal territory by the performance. There's a strong sense of space to the recording – one that reminds us of hearing Mitchell play solo in a cathedral many years back – and titles include "Nonaah", "Love In Outer Space", "Figure No 2", "Sadness", and "Beautiful Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Finnish hard rock powerhouse Kalavala – renamed here as an Orchestra, but still working with the lean, sharp sound of their previous two albums! There's a nice evolution here from the earlier sound of the Scandia scene – maybe a bit of northern inspiration thrown into the music, which seems to elevate things to a new level – as does the subtle but sophisticated production! Titles include "Panamanian Red", "Playground", "Highland Temple", "Brown'll Suit You", "Forever Train", "Silver Fish", and "Lighthouse". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Stan's excellent later sides for Capitol – recorded during a flurry of incredible sessions that really pushed the already-great Kenton sound over the top! Here, Stan's working with a host of familiar ballads – but in a way that completely transforms the tunes, and turns them into sound sculptures crafted on blocks of rich color, tone, and hue. The sound is incredible – with perfectly-poised horn passages that shift in the dark like a musical version of the Northern Lights – all topped off by Stan's piano lines, recorded in a magical way that floats them effortlessly over the rest of the group. Titles include "Early Autumn", "How Am I To Know", "We'll Be Together Again", "The End Of A Love Affair", and "When Stars Looked Down". CD also features the bonus track "Ill Wind". CD

The brilliant full length debut of Kings Go Forth – a set we'd been eagerly anticipating after hearing their first few fantastic singles! The group hail from Milwaukee, an unlikely spot for a combo this hip – and they've got a sound that's smoking 70s soul all the way through – not just the deep funk you might hear from other groups working today, but a deeper soul spectrum that brings in bits of Curtom, New Jersey soul, Philly Northern, and a handful of other great 70s soul moments we totally love! As longtime fans of classic soul, we're pretty picky about the contemporary stuff that we rate – so take it from us, when we give these guys a 10 out of 10, we definitely mean it – and they've definitely done what it takes to earn our respect with a record like this. Vocals are wonderful – harmonized like some group soul 45 on most of the best cuts – and titles include "Fight With Love", "You're The One", "I Don't Love You No More", "One Day", "Paradise Lost", "Don't Take My Shadow", and "1000 Songs". LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Julian Lage is working here with a slightly expanded group, yet still comes across with a sound that's as warm and intimate as some of his previous material! The core trio with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave Kings on drums is expanded with the addition of Levon Henry on saxes, Patrick Warren on keyboards, and Kris Davis on piano – elements that are often used in loose, spare ways – so that Lage's work on the strings is always center stage, and maybe captured with a moody vibe that's partly ECM, but with some of the Americanist leanings of projects from Bill Frisell in the phrasing. Titles include "Myself Around You", "Northern Shuffle", "Omission", "South Mountain", "Speak To Me", "Two & One", "Vanishing Points", "As It Were", "76", and "Nothing Happens Here". CD

Guitarist Julian Lage is working here with a slightly expanded group, yet still comes across with a sound that's as warm and intimate as some of his previous material! The core trio with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave Kings on drums is expanded with the addition of Levon Henry on saxes, Patrick Warren on keyboards, and Kris Davis on piano – elements that are often used in loose, spare ways – so that Lage's work on the strings is always center stage, and maybe captured with a moody vibe that's partly ECM, but with some of the Americanist leanings of projects from Bill Frisell in the phrasing. Titles include "Myself Around You", "Northern Shuffle", "Omission", "South Mountain", "Speak To Me", "Two & One", "Vanishing Points", "As It Were", "76", and "Nothing Happens Here". LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Julian Lage is working here with a slightly expanded group, yet still comes across with a sound that's as warm and intimate as some of his previous material! The core trio with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave Kings on drums is expanded with the addition of Levon Henry on saxes, Patrick Warren on keyboards, and Kris Davis on piano – elements that are often used in loose, spare ways – so that Lage's work on the strings is always center stage, and maybe captured with a moody vibe that's partly ECM, but with some of the Americanist leanings of projects from Bill Frisell in the phrasing. Titles include "Myself Around You", "Northern Shuffle", "Omission", "South Mountain", "Speak To Me", "Two & One", "Vanishing Points", "As It Were", "76", and "Nothing Happens Here". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty nice combination of sounds – nice and lean, recorded both live and in a home studio – then wrapped together with that special sort of magic that Ronald Langestraat brings to his albums! At the time of the date, Langestraat was playing daily in the Apollo Hotel in Amsterdam – and the music here features live cuts he recorded during those performances, which were then augmented back at home – in a mix of modes that has Ronald on both acoustic piano and plenty of Yamaha and Roland keyboards over drum machine rhythms – while also adding in some clarinet, soprano sax, and even a bit of voice in a few spots! The music isn't entirely jazz, but it's also leaner than soulful fusion too – a really personal, unique blend that's totally great – on titles that include "Music From Outer Space", "A Fast Drive Through The Universe", "Orpheus", "Worldwide Clarinet", "Space Train", and a nice take on the Boz Scaggs classic "Lowdown". LP, Vinyl record album

Ronald Langestraat has been in more jazz-based territory in the past, but here he adds in a bit more rhythm and opens up a groove – quite a surprise for this octogenarian musician! Ronald sings on many tracks, with this cool raspy voice that slides in and out of the grooves nicely – as keyboards dance over beats, often with a spacey quality that's got a bit of an 80s vibe, which is in keeping with Langestraat's work during that decade. Titles include the long groover "Mambo Magic" – hardly a Latin track, but one that has nice keyboards over skittish beats – next to other cuts that include "Energy In Space", "Working Every Day", "Alpha Centauri", "Freedom", and "Chet Baker". LP, Vinyl record album

Homegrown grooves, but with a wonderfully soulful vibe – music recorded in the mid 80s by Dutch jazz legend Ronald Langestraat, but in a way that's different than his projects with larger groups at the time! The record's got plenty of the funk and soul that Ronald was hitting with those acts – but is delivered with a leaner quality, as Langestraat captured this music at home on a four track recorder – with acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Farfisa organ, tenor, alto, and other instruments – all topped with some of his dreamily light vocals too! The approach is completely charming – somewhere between jazz funk and soul, but also very much its own thing too – on titles that include "Gotta Get Away", "Pandora's Box", "You Need To Cry", "I'm Ready For Dancing", "Girl Where Are You", "Then & Forever", and "In The Middle Of The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Trumpeter Josh Lawrence has a nicely compressed approach to his trumpet – a sound that's sometimes got the more focused vibe of an early Miles Davis, along with all the sense of sparkle that might imply – yet with a delivery that's got a lot more space between the notes, and which really catches the best sort of energy from his hip bandmates on the date! Willie Morris III provides some sharper lines on tenor, and the rhythm work is wonderfully warm and fluid – with Art Hirihara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and either Rudy Royston or Jason Tiemann on drums. Lawrence contributed some great original material to the record – "Left Hanging", "Cantus Firmus", "North Winds", and "Black Keys" – and Morris contributed the cuts "Grit" and "Hole In The Wall". CD

Trumpeter Josh Lawrence has a nicely compressed approach to his trumpet – a sound that's sometimes got the more focused vibe of an early Miles Davis, along with all the sense of sparkle that might imply – yet with a delivery that's got a lot more space between the notes, and which really catches the best sort of energy from his hip bandmates on the date! Willie Morris III provides some sharper lines on tenor, and the rhythm work is wonderfully warm and fluid – with Art Hirihara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and either Rudy Royston or Jason Tiemann on drums. Lawrence contributed some great original material to the record – "Left Hanging", "Cantus Firmus", "North Winds", and "Black Keys" – and Morris contributed the cuts "Grit" and "Hole In The Wall". CD

Very cool work from Les Abranis – a group with Algerian roots, but who also had a big influence on the post-colonial scene in France – where their unusual blend of elements was a key bridge between cultures! There's plenty of North African elements in the music, but mixed with 70s influences from funk, rock, and club music – in styles that are reminiscent of hybrids from the time in Iran and Turkey, with a vibe that really has scenes and generations coming together in a timeless sort of style! The package brings together a fair bit of cuts from the group's Album No 1 from 1983, plus earlier tracks too – and titles include "Chenar Le Blues", "Akoudar", "Id Ed Was", "Thilelli", "El Guoum Agui", and "Athedjaladde". CD

Very cool work from Les Abranis – a group with Algerian roots, but who also had a big influence on the post-colonial scene in France – where their unusual blend of elements was a key bridge between cultures! There's plenty of North African elements in the music, but mixed with 70s influences from funk, rock, and club music – in styles that are reminiscent of hybrids from the time in Iran and Turkey, with a vibe that really has scenes and generations coming together in a timeless sort of style! The package brings together a fair bit of cuts from the group's Album No 1 from 1983, plus earlier tracks too – and titles include "Chenar Le Blues", "Akoudar", "Id Ed Was", "Thilelli", "El Guoum Agui", and "Athedjaladde". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic fuzz from a French Canadian combo of the 60s – one of the coolest garage bands we've ever heard from up north at the time, romping here with a style that's equal parts Sunset Strip and some of the hipper Parisian groups of the time! Lyrics are all in French, and the production has this nice sense of darkness that makes echo out of the organ lines, jangly guitar, and nice touches of fuzz – all flowing together with a style that sounds plenty magic all the way through, even if you can't always understand the lyrics. Some of the guys in the group were still teens at the time of recording, which you can hear in the youthful energy of the songs – and titles include "Je T'Aime", "Abandonne", "La Solitude", "Seul Sur Terre", "Je Ne Veux Plus", "Aimes Proudemment", and "Soyons Differents". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just jazz from the Northwest, as the set also features some California material too – brought together in this great double-length set of unissued material from this legendary jazz drummer! The set begins with Shelly Manne leading a quintet at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1958 – playing both a more conceptual piece, and some looser jazz numbers – with work from Herb Geller on alto, Russ Freeman on piano, Stu Williamson on trumpet, and Monty Budwig on bass – a group who echo some of Shelly's work on Contemporary in the mid 50s – on the titles "Quartet – Suite In Four Movements", "Stop Look & Listen", and "The Vamp's Blues". The second half features material from that great 60s stretch when Manne was getting looser and really letting his groups open up – as on the classic Blackhawk recordings – especially great here as the combo features excellent flute and alto from the young Frank Strozier, next to Conte Candoli on trumpet, Hampton Hawes on piano, and Budwig on bass – all recorded live in Seattle in 1966. Ruth Price provides vocals on the two short tracks "Dearly Beloved" and "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" – but the long tracks are instrumentals, and the best – and include "Funny", "Secret Love", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Summertime". CD

Not just jazz from the Northwest, as the set also features some California material too – brought together in this great double-length set of unissued material from this legendary jazz drummer! The set begins with Shelly Manne leading a quintet at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1958 – playing both a more conceptual piece, and some looser jazz numbers – with work from Herb Geller on alto, Russ Freeman on piano, Stu Williamson on trumpet, and Monty Budwig on bass – a group who echo some of Shelly's work on Contemporary in the mid 50s – on the titles "Quartet – Suite In Four Movements", "Stop Look & Listen", and "The Vamp's Blues". The second half features material from that great 60s stretch when Manne was getting looser and really letting his groups open up – as on the classic Blackhawk recordings – especially great here as the combo features excellent flute and alto from the young Frank Strozier, next to Conte Candoli on trumpet, Hampton Hawes on piano, and Budwig on bass – all recorded live in Seattle in 1966. Ruth Price provides vocals on the two short tracks "Dearly Beloved" and "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" – but the long tracks are instrumentals, and the best – and include "Funny", "Secret Love", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album to ever feature drummer Lawrence Marable as the leader of a group – and a cooking little hardbop set that showed the world that LA wasn't just a source for cool jazz in the 50s! The record is quite different than anything you'd hear from Chet Baker or Shorty Rogers – much more a Blue Note or Prestige-styled session, thanks in large part to the bold work of James Clay on tenor – who's noted here in the title, but is also an undeniable force in the music, and part of a wave of Texas talent that was really helping to transform the Cali sound in the 50s. Other players include the great Sonny Clark on piano – making a strong pre-Blue Note appearance – and the equally great Jimmy Bond on bass. Titles include "Airtight", "Easy Living", "Minor Meeting", "Marbles", and "Three Fingers North". CD

The only album to ever feature drummer Lawrence Marable as the leader of a group – and a cooking little hardbop set that showed the world that LA wasn't just a source for cool jazz in the 50s! The record is quite different than anything you'd hear from Chet Baker or Shorty Rogers – much more a Blue Note or Prestige-styled session, thanks in large part to the bold work of James Clay on tenor – who's noted here in the title, but is also an undeniable force in the music, and part of a wave of Texas talent that was really helping to transform the Cali sound in the 50s. Other players include the great Sonny Clark on piano – making a strong pre-Blue Note appearance – and the equally great Jimmy Bond on bass. Titles include "Airtight", "Easy Living", "Minor Meeting", "Marbles", and "Three Fingers North". CD

The full story of one of the most important indie labels in the world of folk, roots, and acoustic music – an imprint who are maybe only second to Folkways Records fo the way they've not only preserved the past, but helped foster a new future as well! Rounder Records was begun as a labor of love in the Boston scene after the more popular folk boom of the 60s – and as the dust settled from the years of Kingston Trio and The Brothers Four, Rounder helped find a way forward for the more interesting, more important acoustic artists – while also opening the door to new sounds and styles along the way – a huge legacy that ended up including superstars as well as very obscure musicians and singers. The book has a great narrative drive, and really gets at the kind of enthusiasm that started the label and kept it going and growing for decades – tracing both its influence on other musical scenes, and the way that artists continued to help Rounder from ever falling into cliche. Hardcover edition is 196 pages, with some black and white images. Book

A really unique little album from Sergio Mendes and Brasil 77 – one that's in a much more rootsy style than any of his other work! The "primal roots" here are taken seriously, and like some of his other contemporaries in Brazilian music, Sergio's looking back a bit, and towards a rural setting for inspiration – pulling together some especially strong styles from the northeast of Brazil, and fusing them with his soaring, jazzier mode of the 60s. The blend is a great one – and the record is easily one of Sergio's greatest – with titles that include Dorival Caymmi's "Promise of a Fisherman", Oscar Castro Neves' "After Sunrise", and a great 18 minute version of Edu Lobo's "Circle Game", with great baroque arrangements. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever – completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible – soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy – and the instrumentation is great too – handled by the Pied Piper team, who were kind of a Motown offshoot that featured Jack Ashford on vibes and percussion, Dave Hamilton and Ray Monette on guitar, and Joe Hunter on piano. Hunter and Ashford handled the arrangements – with a pitch-perfect sound that's completely sublime – sweet and grooving at the same time, and put together with the same kind of care you'd find at Motown – but with all the harder-edge qualities that always made indie work from Detroit so great. Every cut is a winner, and the set is the only full album ever done by the group – with cuts that include "Egyptian Love", "Till The End Of Time", "Since I Found My Baby", "Sweetest One", "Unlucky Sun", "I'll Never Forget You", "Do The Pied Piper", and "I'm With You All The Way". Great reissue – fully remastered from the original tapes – with new liner notes too! CD

One of the first bold statements to come from Chicago's AACM underground of the 60s – a tremendous debut effort from the young Roscoe Mitchell! The album's got a "sense of the new" feel that's as gripping as anything recorded by ESP or Impulse around the same time – a rule-breaking, freely-creative approach to jazz that builds strongly off the changes already wrought by Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and Archie Shepp! The format is somewhat like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at times – with measured horn work from Mitchell on alto, clarinet, and recorder, Maurice McIntyre on tenor, Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Lester Lashley on trombone (as well as a bit of cello). Some tracks – like the brilliant "Sound" – offer a slow-building exploration of tones and textures – while others, like the blues-joke "Little Suite", or the harmelodic "Ornette", show a wry sense of humor that would become a Chicago avant hallmark as the years went on! LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from this blue-eyed soul group of the 70s – one who've been picked and kept alive by some key underground scenes over the years – like the Northern Soul world of the UK, and the beach music scene in the Carolinas! The group here have some key jazz contributions from Mike Melvoin on piano, Dennis Budimir on guitar, and Tom Scott on tenor – and as with their first record, there's a nice current of soul running through the music – a way of using soulful elements in subtle ways, which is really the appeal of these guys – as they really know how to slide in with a compelling style and a warm vocal approach! Titles include "Get It Up For Love", "I Can't Stop This Love Song", "When You Get Right Down To It", "Who's Foolin' Who", and "Magical Lady". CD features four bonus tracks, all singles – "Skysurf", "Can't Let You Down", "Gemini Lady", and "Love Connection". CD

Not much of a cover and a title, but a great little live date from Gerry Mulligan – material recorded in France in 1958, and easily on a par with any of his Verve work of the 50s! The tracks have a clean, crisp feel that hardly belies their concert setting – a sharpness that really brings out the best in Gerry's modern baritone lines, and which also showcases the talents of other players on the dates – including Art Farmer on trumpet, Billy Taylor or Claude Williamson on piano, and Dave Bailey on drums. There's a lean feel on most numbers – showcasing the sound that Mulligan was working on in his drum-based sextet and quartet groups – and titles include "North Atlantic Run", "Taurus Moon", "Out Back Of The Barn", "Festive Minor", and "Jeru". CD

A creatively freewheeling folk rock album from Bill Nelson – his Northern Dream from 1971 – a nice mix of consistent tunefulness, tripped out just so! Guitar and voice are the core elements, and on one level it's something of a post folk rock album, but the plaintive recording quality and boundless musicality of Nelson – who sings and plays guitars, bass, bottleneck, flutes, recorders and some of the drumming – backed by drums, some piano & harmonium. Includes "Photograph (A Beginning)", "Everyone's Hero", "House Of Sand", "End Of The Seasons", "Rejoice", "Love's A Way", "Northern Dreamer (1957)", "Sad Feelings", "Smiles". "Bloo Blues" and more. CD

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An unusual mix of jazz and acoustic elements – produced by George Winston – and featuring Lorin Noller on guitar and recorder, Doro Reeves on electric and acoustic piano, and Gary MacReady on tenor! LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy set from singer & songwriter Peter Gallway and his group Ohio Knox – with sort of oddball, yet totally catchy post psychedelic folk rock tunes taken to a deeper level thanks to impeccable musicianship! Guest players contribute vibes, congas, horns and chorus vocals on some tunes, one of whom is John Sebastian – whom Gallway feels like a kindred spirit to. Includes "Taking It Easy", "Land Of Music", "That Lady", "Calamity Jane", "There Comes A Time", "Baby Sox Knox", "No Sleep For The Wicked", "Abigail Archer", "North Country Laura" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Osby expanding his sound as ever – adding in a string quartet to a jazz recording performed on alto and soprano sax, in a quartet with Jason Moran on piano, Scott Colley on bass, and Marlon Browden on drums and percussion. The quartet are used in various interesting ways in kind of a post Kronos sort of groove – taking up a lot of the rhythm parts as well as filling in the tracks with washes of sound and color, but never dominating the jazz group that is at the core. Titles include "Northbound", "One Room", "Repay In Kind", "3 For Civility", "The Keep", "M", and "Golden Sunset". CD

The stellar early 70s collection of Pablo instrumental sides, tracked between the groundbreaking Java, Java, Java and East Of The River Nile LPs! Like those, this album features Pablo's melodica prominently, over some nice roots rhythms laid down by an all star cast, including Carlton Barrett, Santa Davis, Familyman, Fully Fullwood, Chinna Smith, Ansell Collins and many more. Includes "Dub Organizer", "Arabian Rock", "Pablo In Dub", "Skateland Rock", "Dread Eye" and "Lover's Mood", This sweet 2011 edition has 3 bonus tracks: "Java", "Guiding Red" and Marabi". LP, Vinyl record album

Chef Raekwon cooks up one of finest hip hop albums in history – a standout moment in the Wu Tang canon and the 90s in general! Given Ghostface's presence throughout, the prime RZA production and other top shelf guests, you could almost call this one a Wu Tang Clan album, if not for Raekwon's incredible leadership behind the mic. Guests include Nas, Method Man, Inspektah Deck and more from the Wu Tang family. An absolute standard-bearer! Titles include "Spot Rusherz", "Can It Be All So Simple", "Knuckleheadz", "Criminology", "Ice Water", "Wisdom Body", and "Wu-Gambinos". This beautiful Get On Down 2LP pressing includes the bonus track "North Star (Jewels)". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful Appalachian Americana from the late 20s & early 30s in a pretty broad pastiche of string band styles – from furiously sawed hillbilly numbers, to banjo & fiddle flavored vocal tunes, to popular tin pan alley songs of the time – the complete recordings of The Red Fox Chasers! The Chasers hailed from northwest North Carolina, and brought a more widely appealing style to the regional American music sounds of the period. It's pretty exciting and energetic stuff, exceptionally well packaged by Tompkins Square. 40 recordings on 2CDs: "Arkansas Traveler", "Honeysuckle Time", "Jim & Me", "Wreck On The Mountain Road", "Girl I Loved In Sunny Tennessee", "Mississippi Sawers", "May I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister?", "Pretty Polly", "The Blind Man & His Child", "Virginia Bootleggers", "Turkey In The Straw", "Something Wrong With My Gal", "Two False Lovers", "Tell My Mother I'll Meet Her", "Devilish Mary", "Making Licker In North Carolina" (Pts 1, 2, 3 & 4) and more. CD

A massive folkloric project – one that really shows how much the form has evolved since the early days of recording! This huge book-length collection looks at the rich legacy of Appalachian music as it moved north towards the Mason-Dixon line – from roots in Virginia and Tennessee, to northern spots in Maryland and Pennsylvania as those older communities languished. The first half of the collection focuses on important 60s recordings of Ola Belle Reed and the New River Boys – done by folklorist Henry Glassie, and very well recorded – and the second half looks at the long legacy of music that's continued in that area, sometimes after the sounds have faded from the source of their original roots. CD one features all recordings of Ola and her contemporaries – while CD two features recent material with a surprisingly vibrant feel – and artists include TJ Lundy, Ryan Paisley, Hugh Campbell, Zane Campell, Dave Reed, and John Miller – as well as the Debusk-Weaver Family. The book itself is worth the price of admission – hardcover, full of photos and writings – and over 250 pages long! CD

A really cool take on a classic hip hop album – one that's covered up from start to finish, as jazz musician Benny Reid serves up his instrumental reading of The Infamous Mobb Deep! All tracks are performed by Reid, who's clearly working in the studio, not live (as the title might imply) – and he layers some heavy drum beats with these dark piano passages, all topped with tenor solos that are nice and deep – and which don't make you miss the lyrics at all! If you know the original, you'll be wowed by this remake – and if you don't, but dig funky jazz, you'll find plenty here to love – on titles that include "Shook Ones (part 2)", "Survival Of The Fittest", "Temperature's Rising", "Up North Trip", "Trife Life", "Right Back At You", "Cradle To The Grave", and "Drink Away The Pain". CD

A really cool take on a classic hip hop album – one that's covered up from start to finish, as jazz musician Benny Reid serves up his instrumental reading of The Infamous Mobb Deep! All tracks are performed by Reid, who's clearly working in the studio, not live (as the title might imply) – and he layers some heavy drum beats with these dark piano passages, all topped with tenor solos that are nice and deep – and which don't make you miss the lyrics at all! If you know the original, you'll be wowed by this remake – and if you don't, but dig funky jazz, you'll find plenty here to love – on titles that include "Shook Ones (part 2)", "Survival Of The Fittest", "Temperature's Rising", "Up North Trip", "Trife Life", "Right Back At You", "Cradle To The Grave", and "Drink Away The Pain". LP, Vinyl record album

A less tense and caustic Roots than the crew that hit us on the majority of Rising Down a couple years earlier – and this one's as strong of an album as they've delivered since moving over to Def Jam. In truth, we were a little scared when we saw some of the guests credited – Monsters Of Folk, John Legend, Joanna Newsom and other headscratchers on top of more likely collaborators such as Phonte, Blu, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw – unfounded worry, it turns out, as this set gets over very, very well! How I Got Over is a Roots effort through and through, with contemplative and soulful tracks that simmer and stew in tried and true fashion. The songs with those indie rock guests turn out to be among the Roots-iest tracks on the record. Believe that! So you can rest easy, the Roots are The Roots here, just what we wanted and just what we get! Includes "A Peace Of Light" feat Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle, "Walk Alone" feat Truck North, PORN & Dice Raw, "Now Or Never" with Phonte & Dice Raw, "Dear God 2.0" with Monsters Of Folk, "The Day" feat Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash, "Doin It Again", "Tunnel Vision" and more. CD

A less tense and caustic Roots than the crew that hit us on the majority of Rising Down a couple years earlier – and this one's as strong of an album as they've delivered since moving over to Def Jam. In truth, we were a little scared when we saw some of the guests credited – Monsters Of Folk, John Legend, Joanna Newsom and other headscratchers on top of more likely collaborators such as Phonte, Blu, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw – it gets over very, very well here! How I Got Over is a Roots effort through and through, with contemplative and soulful tracks that simmer and stew in tried and true fashion. The tracks with those indie rock guests turn out to be among the Roots-iest tracks on the record. Believe that! So you can rest easy, the Roots are The Roots here, just what we wanted and just what we get! Includes "A Peace Of Light" feat Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle, "Walk Alone" feat Truck North, PORN & Dice Raw, "Now Or Never" with Phonte & Dice Raw, "Dear God 2.0" with Monsters Of Folk, "The Day" feat Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash, "Doin It Again", "Tunnel Vision" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive set of rhythms from the legendary Roots Radics – one that's definitely got the dubby elements you'd expect from the title, but which also showcases the kind of rock-solid instrumentation the group always had at the core! The sound is almost effortless here – the kind of spare but brilliant music that only a few studio groups could do this well – with guitar from Eric Lamont, bass from Errol holt, keyboards from Steely Johnson, and all these fantastic echoey drums from Lincoln Valentine Scott – all produced to perfection by Henry Junjo Lawes. The whole thing's great – a mindbending trip through sound and space – with titles that include "Young Banana Dub", "Headlamp Dub", "Dub In Flames", "Confessions Of A Dub Engineer", "Young Gal Dub", and "Carry On Dubbing". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavenly blend of jazz and spiritual modes – one of the best jazz mass projects of the 70s, presented here with bonus alternate takes as well! Pianist Heikki Sarmanto composed the work, and leads the core instrumental group on piano – often working in a sweet modal style with help from Pekka Poyry and Seppo Paakkunainen on flutes and saxes – bringing some really soulful currents to the larger arrangements, which feature voices conducted by Gregg Smith, with some occasional solos from singer Maija Hapuoja! As with most projects of this nature, the music takes off from an older mass style, but in a mode that bridges to the spiritual jazz traditions of the 70s too – mixing familiar themes with new compositions, on titles that include "Duke & Trane", "Gracious Father", "Northern Dance", "Intercessions", "Hymn For The Day", "Holy Holy Holy", and "Through Him". CD

Guitarist Bola Sete made some of his most important American recordings of the 60s on the San Francisco scene – but this huge set of unreleased tracks captures the Brazilian player farther up north, as he works in a sweet set of trio recordings captured at a small club in Seattle! The music is a great counterpart to some of Bola's recordings for Fantasy Records during the same time, but also captures the guitarist with a bit more complexity too – some of the qualities that he wouldn't always show on record at this level until the 70s, but which were clearly part of his sound right from the start! The group's a trio – with Sebastiao Neto on bass and Paulinho Magalhaes on drums – and titles include "Soul Samba", "Deve Ser Amor", "Malaguena", "Garota De Ipanema", "Astrurias", "Consolacao", "Tristeza", "A Feliciade", "Prelude No 3", "Spanish Dance No 5", "Shadow Of Your Smile", "Satin Doll", "One Note Samba", and "Corcovado". CD

Rare Canadian funk from the 70s – played by a hip little group who've also got a jazzy flavor too! The Sidewinders are a bit like American ensemble funk acts of the time – in that they can have an upbeat, tight approach to the groove when they want – but they also have a great ear for some gentler moments too, and sparkle almost even more on some of the ballad numbers on the set. Even the fuller groovers have some great standout elements – including sax bits that soar nicely out of the larger horn section – and overall, the album's got a great sense of character and personality, and is far more than just a few cats from up north trying to copy an American groove. Titles include "I Like Your Stuff", "A Voyage", "I Like To Dance", "Time For Loving", "Flat Foot Hustlin", "Can't You Feel The Fire", and "Gift To The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Mighty raw work on thumb piano from Ekuka Morris Sirikiti – mostly pulled from radio broadcasts in northern Uganda, and served up here with a very timeless vibe! Most tracks feature vocals and percussion alongside Ekuka's lead instrument – which itself has some of the chromatic warmth as on other recordings of kalimba and other variations – but also a much rougher edge, too – certainly more percussive than melodic at most moments, but in a really hypnotic way. Titles include "Omaro Cil Pacu", "Peko Me Kin Calo", "In Balonyo For Ayinet", "Jo Ame Aparo Loc", "Acoc Acoc Twol Iye Akayi", "Pwan En Obalo Gum Waa", and "Wilo Koti Me Kwalo Orango". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's gotta be one of the most righteous school band records ever – way more than just a bunch of students doing big band numbers, and instead a killer batch of spiritual jazz numbers, directed by the legendary Alvin Batiste! The record's one of a rare few 70s sets of this nature – one that shows a group of younger musicians really reaching out for bold new sounds – every bit as complex and soulful as work on labels like Strata East or Black Jazz, with a fiery power that signals a new generation of the jazz underground! And while Batiste is at the head of the group, there's plenty of other great younger players too – including Henry Butler on piano, Henry Scott on flute, Kirk Ford on tenor, Reginald Houston on baritone, Raymond Deggs on trumpet, Julius Farmer on bass, and Herman Jackson on drums! Side one features burning ensemble numbers that include "Music Came", "Tunjii", "Straight Life", and "North American Idiosyncrasy" – and side two features early material by the Henry Butler Trio, on titles that include "So What", "In My Solitude", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album