You gotta love Ken Boothe – a guy who can take familiar pop tunes like "Impossible Dream" and "Theme From The Godfather", and turn them into surprisingly soulful reggae classics! Yet that kind of magic is exactly what makes a great reggae album so great – the kind of special inflection and inversion of source material, especially when mixed with original inspiration – and served up in a classic Kingston setting that features the great Lloyd Charmers on piano and organ, as well as production of the entire set! But it's the soulful style of Boothe that really makes the whole thing great – as he presents the tunes with one of the most unique voices in 70s Jamaican music – almost a Caribbean trill at points, but mixed with raspier soul at other times. Titles include "Speak Softly Love", "Everything I Own", "Evil Girl", "Crying Over You", "Sad & Lonely", "Impossible Dream", "You Will Reach Your Goal", "Time Passage", and "My Kid". LP, Vinyl record album

Bottazz keep things nice and lean here – drawing on a style of vintage funk, but also coming across with energy that's more suited to the 21st Century – really bridging generations with their music, which is heavy on basslines, wah wah guitar, and mighty sweet keyboard parts – all delivered with the spare energy of the sound library scene, but on cuts that stretch out a bit more too! There's a no-nonsense approach to the record that's totally great – these guys never try to be something they're not, and instead focus on their strong instrumental and rhythmic skills – while occasionally using the production to trip things out just slightly. Titles include "Metadone", "Cardosa", "Palamito", "Mokaba", and "Saturno Nudo". LP, Vinyl record album

Pressure Sounds does it again, with another fine collection of mighty, mighty dub! A much needed Blackbeard retrospective collecting 16 hard to get cuts from British dubmeister Dennis Bovell, rare dubs and instrumentals, plus a couple of outstanding vocal tracks from the man at the epicenter of the British reggae scene. Focusing on Bovell's early work, this collection brings some of his heaviest productions out for the first time since their original release in the mid-seventies, all propelled by his chubby bass playing and rounded out by his deft touch on the console. 16 tracks in all: "The Grunwick Affair", "Harmoniser Dub", "Dominion Dub", "Rowing (12" version)", "Zombie Zones", "Zion Dub", "Higher Ranking", "Ranking High", "Scientific", "Shi-cago", "None Jah Jah Children (Melodica version)", "Uganda Crisis", "Ah Fi Wi Dis", "Entebbe", "Blood Ah Go Run" and "Dub'er". As always, a wonderful package, with new liner notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful early work from British singer Vashti Bunyan – an important figure in the acid folk scene at the end of the 60s, heard here on some really wonderful work from a few years before! Some of the tracks have a really trippy style, and others are a bit more like conventional Brit girl pop of the time – but given a very weird twist overall, with a sound that's quite hard to describe! Vashti's vocals have these really dark qualities overall – and even when the backings are fuller (which often they are not), there's a sad, earthy feel to her singing. But equally great is her guitar work – heard with more prominence on most of the album's previously-unissued tracks from mid 60s tapes. Bunyan plays with these warm harmonics that kind of nestle and bristle underneath her vocals – pushing the tunes up with a sense of brightness in contrast to the voice – almost in a Nick Drake sort of way (and trust us, we don't throw around comparisons to his music easily!) The package is a wonderful look at these almost-lost years of Vashti's career – and it features both sides of her Decca and Columbia singles, an unreleased Immediate single, and a lot more tracks pulled from rare tapes from 1964, 1966, and 1967! Set features 25 tracks that include "Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind", "Train Song", "Love Song", "Winter Is Blue", "Leave Me", "How Do I Know", "Go Before Dawn", "Girl's Song In Winter", "Don't Believe", "17 Pink Sugar Elephants", "Someday", and "I Know". LP, Vinyl record album

The last album in a legendary run of music from keyboardist Doug Carn – his final album for the Black Jazz label, and a set that pushes even farther than his previous efforts! Jean Carn isn't in the group this time around, but the set does feature a totally great twin-vocal approach – with singing by Joyce Green and John Conner, blending their voices together in a style that's right up there with the most righteous 70s jazz experiments by Horace Silver or Billy Gault! This vocal balance really brings a new sort of power to Carn's music – furthering the righteous spirit of earlier years with a hell of a lot of energy – also aided by great instrumental work from Ronnie Laws on tenor and soprano sax, Thurman Green on trombone, Calvin Keys and Nathan Page on guitars, and Big Black on percussion. Titles include the classic "Higher Ground" – plus "Adam's Apple", "Western Sunrise", "Chant", "Sanctuary", "The Messenger", and "Mighty Mighty". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued album from Cali surf legends The Chantays – and a set that offers up a surprisingly nice twist at this late point in their career! The surf guitars of before are still very much in place, but the rhythms and production have changed in a nice way – reflecting that moment when surf records were becoming a strong pathway to Sunshine Pop – a mode that's echoed here especially on three surprising vocal numbers on the album too! The shift also makes for a subtle current of darkness that the group never had before – one echoed on the sun setting down on them in the cover, and which really deepens the feel of the record in a wonderful way. Titles include "A Dawning Sun", "Copenhagen", "Raylene", "Now That It's Over", "Take It Like A Man", "Sentimental Guitar", "Mr Moto", and "Outside's Inside Sad". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued work from Don Cherry – and a really key piece of the puzzle in the career of this legendary trumpeter! The recordings were done for Swedish Radio, with great fidelity – more than just live tracks captured in a club, and instead some really thoughtful material that marks an early pairing of Cherry's talents with the Swedish scene that he would soon call home! Don plays cornet, and the music is maybe a bit inside compared to some of his later Swedish experiments – but still pretty amazing, and a great bridge from his work with Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins. Players include Mogens Bollerup on tenor, Atli Bjorn on piano, Benny Nielsen on bass, and Simon Koppel on drums – and titles include the Cherry originals "Priceless", "Nigeria", and "The Ambassador From Greenland" – plus a reading of "You Took Advantage Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little record that lives up to the name of the group – a record that's maybe jazz at the core, but served up in very cinematic ways – very much the spirit of the dark, moody image pictured on the cover! This isn't chase, crime, or cop music – but instead maybe the sounds you'd hear on the journey home after the battle – slow funk in the rhythms, peppered with great work on vibes, piano, and mellotron from Pierre Chretien – who also wrote, arranged, and produced the whole record too! Most tunes have a nice light melody over heavier drums and percussion on the bottom – never too over the top, but well-paced in a way that really makes this one stand out from the pack. Titles include "Les Corbeaux", "Eveil De La Cite", "Aube Sur La Ville", "Fleurs De Bitume", "Le Petit Cimetiere", "Apres Le Deluge", and "Illusions Perdues". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime soul from the great Otis Clay – early material done on the Chicago scene in the years before he hit bigger fame in the 70s – and tracks that may well be some of our favorite material ever by the singer! Otis already has that impeccable deep soul approach going on here – vocals that rival those of Otis Redding or any of the greats at Stax or Atlantic – often set to that gently grooving style that marked the Chicago vibe in the mid 60s – nicely sophisticated, but never too polished – and presented here so that Clay really shines in the lead! The choice of cuts is great, and the package is one that's a great introduction if you've not heard Clay at this point in his career – or a great addition to your collection if you've only got some of his singles from this non-album stretch. 16 tracks in all – including "I'm Satisfied", "Thank You Love", "I Lost Someone", "A Lasting Love", "Tired Of Falling In & Out Of Love With You", "Show Me What You Say", "Show Place", and "I Got Problems". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful revolution from Common – a set that's maybe got more of a message than most of his music of the past decade – but which also comes across with a more interesting musical palette as well! Part of the album's sound comes from heavy contributions from PJ – singer Paris Jones, whose well-crafted soul vocals make for a nice match with Common's rhymes – as PJ appears on six of the album's nine tracks, and could well be billed as a co-star on the set! Other guests include Lenny Kravitz Chuck D, Black Thought, and Stevie Wonder – on titles that include "What Do You Say", "Say Peace", "Fallin", "A Place In This World", "Riot In My Mind", "Don't Forget Who You Are", and "Courageous". LP, Vinyl record album

Soul legend Sam Cooke left our planet all too soon – but during his short time in the business, and during the height of his fame, he managed to start his own record company too – a really groundbreaking imprint that issued some great singles of his own, and helped to showcase a small group of well-chosen artists that Cooke really got behind! The date range here is a bit longer than the actual recording history of SAR – as Sam died in 1964, and was overseeing most of the artistic and creative direction of the label – along with help from partner JW Alexander – and the material here showcases both sides of Cooke's legacy, both secular and spiritual – with a focus on some great soul singers and groups, and a bit of gospel music too. The collection is nicely tight – not as wide-ranging as bigger label compilations, in part because of the elite group of artists who recorded for SAR – which makes for a sharp lineup of tracks, from artists who include Johnnie Taylor, The Valentinos, The Womack Brothers, Soul Stirrers, The Simms Twins, Billy Preston, Johnnie Morisette, RH Harris & His Gospel Paraders, and Sam Cooke himself! LP, Vinyl record album

A previously unissued album from Indian guitarist Amancio D'Silva – recorded during his legendary run of work at Lansdowne Studios, but making its first-ever appearance here! The work on the set is every bit as far-reaching and progressive as some of D'Silva's official releases – and like those sides, this one does a tremendous job of blending complicated guitar lines, unusual rhythms, and some super-hip instrumentation! Amancio has a way of playing guitar that's a bit like Gabor Szabo – airy and exotic at times, with a free-flowing quality that's really explored nicely here on the longish tunes on the set. Players include Don Rendell on saxophone, Stan Tracey on piano, and Alan Branscombe on flute, vibes, and electric piano – but best of all is the use of sitar and tabla on the record – often employed sparingly, but in a way that adds some great echoes of Indian music. Titles include "A Street In Bombay", "What Maria Sees", "A Song For Francesca", and "Konkan Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

The Drawbars definitely work here with more than just one finger – and they deliver a really great groove, with a style that's a nice change from some of their contemporaries! Part of the trio's uniqueness lies in the vintage keyboards handled by Chris Haertel – who has a way of going for tones that are nicely less familiar, and sometimes delivered with a spacious approach that's a cool change from just jamming work on organ or piano! The rhythms are often equally laidback, yet still tight and funky – served up with bass from David Nesselhauf and drums from Julian Gutjahr – on titles that include "Art Form", "Shout", "Two Face", "Cat Call", "One Finger Only", "Let's Do It Again", "Skyline", and "One Twenty Five". LP, Vinyl record album

Another dynamite effort from The Ex! By 1985 the Dutch collective had their jackhammer guitar and sharp, intelligent lyrical roar honed to a precise, tense science – and it's at this point that they really started allowing the tribal, earthy percussion that would later help define the groove pound its way to the surface. Truly amazing stuff – a pivotal moment in the Ex's career and an easy choice as one of their finest. Tracks include "Nurse!", "Soviet Threat", "MMM Crisis", "Rock", "White Liberals", "Everything We Never Wanted", "Hit The Headlines", "Friendly Neighbours" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A really well-chosen set of classic Afro Funk records from Fela Kuti – hand-picked by Idris Elba, and brought together in this limited box set! Open & Close is an early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! Fela teams up with vibist Roy Ayers on Music Of Many Colors – one of the best soul collaborations ever – a whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Opposite People is seminal work from one of Fela's most crucial periods – recorded at a time when his soul was the deepest! The album features 2 long tracks – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant" – and they both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Tremendous stuff – done in a style that shows that no matter how many people cop or remake Fela's sound, he's still the best one to do it! The rare Stalemate album features the side-long tracks "Stalemate" and "Don't Worry About My Mouth" – both really hard-driving numbers, with a fantastic mix of vocals and grooves! Live In Amsterdam is an excellent live set from Fela – one that shows that he was still very capable of going over the top during the 80s! The set's a double LP – and it features 4 great numbers by the group, with Fela on soprano sax, piano, and organ, and plenty of other great work on tenor, alto, and trumpet. Titles include "Gimme Shit I Give You Shit", "Custom Check Point", "Movement Of The People", and "Political Statement Number 1". I Go Shout Plenty is a great one from Fela – with a date of 1986, but a sound that's pure late 70s! The record features 2 long tracks – "I Go Shout Plenty" and "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – and they're both hard groovers with a strong political feel. "Why Black Man" is especially nice, and has some great keyboard riffing in the middle, with that great tinny sound that you'll hear on the best Fela albums. One that we almost never see – and issued on the Decca subsidiary Afrodisia. LP, Vinyl record album

The album begins with the side-long "Kalakuta Show" – one of the most powerful tunes ever recorded by Fela Kuti, as it describes a police attack on his compound and all the violence that followed – but all while Tony Allen and Africa 70 serve up these amazing riffing grooves that are topped by Fela's work on tenor and vocals! The flipside is an equally powerful political message – the great "Don't Make Ganran Ganran", a commentary on wealth inequality in Nigeria – and a cut that's every bit as great a groover as the first! The back cover also includes "real picture of police raid on Kalakuta Republic Africa 70 House and Fela's wound after". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet set from the digital generation, but one that shows that the best spirit of the roots reggae years were alive and well in the music of a singer like Horace Ferguson! Horace has this gently grooving style that's mighty nice – up in the higher range of the spectrum, which almost seems to bring a more human, youthful quality to his presentation of the message-oriented lyrics – all backed with production from Prince Jazzbo, who keeps things nice and lean in a mix of rhythms, basslines, and keyboards! Titles include "Tranquilizer", "Tickle Me", "Hunts Bay", "Slave", "Gazuma", "Great Stone", and "Sensi Addict". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last albums the Four Tops ever issued on Motown – but also one of the best, and a set that really has the group taking off in a strong new direction for the 70s! Frank Wilson's at the production helm, and the set has all these cool little twists and turns that work perfectly with the magnificent harmonies of Levi Stubbs and the group – a mode that draws on all their vocal highlights from older years, but also refits them with a more spacious, more mature sort of sound! The approach is different than that used with the Temptations at the same time – less political, but still flowing with plenty of new ideas – handled by arrangers Jerry Long, Jimmy Roach, and David Van DePitte. The title cut – "Still Waters (Run Deep)" – is a perfect example of this – as the tune's got weirdly wonderful production, almost as watery as the cover image, and a bit of moog buried in there – which comes forward even more on the reprise of the song at the end of the record. Other titles include "Love Is The Answer", "Reflections", "I Wish I Were Your Mirror", "Bring Me Together", "LA (My Town)", and "Everybody's Talkin". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features a great bonus single with two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from this legendary Ethiopian musician – a very haunting blend of voice and piano, often recorded with a very echoey tone – in a style that's completely unique! Emahoy Tsege Marian Gebru comes across in a very intimate mode here – on songs that have a deeply personal vibe, and which really go beyond the boundaries of language because of that – communicating these moments of fragile beauty and subtle spirituality with the way that Emahoy's vocals rise, float, and drift along with her spare, watery lines on piano! Titles include "Don't Forget Your Country", "Ethiopia MY Motherland", "Tenkou Why Feel Sorry", "Clouds Moving On The Sky", "Ready To Leave", and "Is It Sunny Or Cloudy In The Land You Live". LP, Vinyl record album

A full-length look at a group who only ever issued a few tracks back in the day, but who were clearly one of the leading lights of the scene way up in Minnesota during the 60s! These guys have a warmth and way of harmonizing that's a nice change from some of their contemporaries on the garagey scene – almost a slight Beatles inspiration, but hardly handled with George Martin production – as the guitars and rhythms are still plenty sharp around the edges, even while the group warm up the lyrics with some great vocal interplay! Titles include the originals "I'm Not Mad", "It Seems To Me", "When Does Linda Cry", "Savage World", "Candlelight", and "Stand By Me" – plus a great tale on the fab four tune "Things We Said Today". LP, Vinyl record album

There's plenty of drums and percussion on this sweet set of funky instrumentals – played both by Dan Hastie and Terin Ector, who also each handle bass, guitar, and keyboards too – an approach that makes for a very tight, wonderfully unified vibe on the set! The only other instrumentation is a bit of light strings added by Thomas Lea – who uses those elements in a great way, just to touch up the funky energy at the core – maybe inflecting things with a slight cinematic vibe, but never in a way that's overwhelming or too rich at all. The whole thing's nice and funky, yet also has a standout vibe from others in this Madlib sound library series – with titles that include "Mirage", "Timeless Tales", "Dorado", "Deep Waters", "Telescopics", "Better Days", "Blue Shade", "Vision", "When I Go", and "Streetwise". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge musical treasure – a full unreleased album by Weldon Irvine, plus a bonus video as well! The music is from the stage play Young Gifted & Broke – a short-lived production by Weldon, and one that's done with some of the same hip modes he was bringing to his own music of the 70s – as well as to other artists as well, especially Nina Simone! The style's more jazz than funk, but is still mighty nice – as the instrumentation features loads of electric piano lines from Weldon, and a sparklingly soulful style that's way hipper than most of what you'd find on the stage at the time. Most tunes have lyrics, but are still heavy on Fender Rhodes lines from Weldon – and titles include "Karate Dancer", "Pity for The Man", "Black Lightning's Song", "Musical Interlude", "Comin Home", "We Got A Deal", "No Now Never None", and "Ghetto Lament". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records we've ever heard from Japanese drummer Akira Ishikawa – even wilder than some of his famous funk sessions of the time! The set definitely lives up to its African Rock promise – as it features lots of sparely percussive tracks that build beautifully – clearly drawing from African inspiration, in the same way that other albums by Akira drew from American funk – then also adding in some cool production and hip effects that help further some of the "rock" side of the agenda! At points, the record almost feels like a solo percussion jam – but at others, the guitars really get heavy, with a jamming intensity that's simply mindblowing. There's lots of psychedelic overtones when the guitars come in – and they make for a wicked contrast with some of the more organic, percussion-oriented moments. All tunes are nice and long, and titles include the extended break cut "Pigmy", plus "Vita", "Na Tu Penda Sana", and "Wanyamana Mapambazuko". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest records ever from Akira Ishikawa and his Count Buffalos band – a hip little groover that stands head to head with some of the best funky jazz from the US and Europe of the time! Despite Akira's earthy look on the cover, the record's got a relatively electric feel overall – thanks to some sweet electric piano from Hiromasa Suzuki and organ from Norio Maeda – both of whom work together on most numbers, with a great sense of flow between the keyboards! The rhythms have some Latin and African percussion added on the bottom, which gives the grooves a nicely chunky feel – and some cuts have some sharp-edged tenor solos from Takeru Muraoka, who further deepens the soul of the set. The album's a really tremendous one through and through – as righteous as a lost American funky fusion set from the early 70s – and titles include "African Deer", "Sunrise", "Sandstorm", "Blue Soul", "Bakishinba", and "Mirage". LP, Vinyl record album

"This here is the victory lap," raps Hov midway through The Black Album, his supposed career-capper (for this stage, anyway), and if nothing here immediately dazzles us to the core the way the best of his past singles have done, overall this is probably the most consistent front-to-back listen of all his albums. One of the nicest things about the Black Album is the brevity. As tight as the best of his recent output has been over the last couple of years – from singles, to album tracks, to guest spots – Jay-Z's simply been TOO productive, which has diluted the overall power of his presence. That issue is addressed right off the bat here – with a very manageable 14 tracks, no guest rhymers, and a consistent overall sound and mood thanks in part to strong production by Kanye West, 9th Wonder, Neptunes, Timbaland, Eminem (who's baroque synth productions are getting dangerously close to going stale, but it fits Jay-Z's dramatic finale theme very well), Rick Rubin and DJ Quik. It's a wildly disparate cast behind the boards, but this thing flows incredibly well thanks to Jay-Z's predetermined mission to make a great album, not just a hot record. We may still have to lean towards Blueprint as his late masterpiece, but this is way up there. "December 4th", "What More Can I Say?", "Encore", "Change Clothes", "Dirt Off Your Shoulder", "Threat", "Moment Of Clarity", "99 Problems", "Justify My Thug", "Lucifer", "Allure", "My First Song", and a couple of brief interludes. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully ambitious project from these two legendary improvising musicians – a larger project for stage that was created by both pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach and drummer Sven Ake Johansson – the latter of whom here is very much into his later life role as a composer! The set features a mix of voice, vocals, and music – some spoken parts by Johansson, sung passages by the great Shelly Hirsch – and work from a very hip group that includes Wolfgang Fuchs and Dietmar Diesner on saxes, Paul Lovens on drums, Tristan Honsinger on cello, Anne Le Baron on harp, and Schlippenbach on piano. There's a mixture of free jazz, structure, and voice that almost feels as if Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill had the chance to record an album for FMP – and this beautiful set presents the first-ever release of the important 1994 performance of the material. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the highest-concept of all 70s Kinks album – a dark exploration of fame and the price of success, done as a mini-rock opera starring Norman & The Starmaker! As with some of these sets, the best tunes here are those that are the most subtle and less dramatic – and which revisit the more everyday themes of the group's Village Green years. Other tracks are a bit more showy and gimmicky, in a way that almost makes you feel silly for caring about the subject matter – even though Ray Davies's vision of the issues at hand is still as biting as ever. A few standout tracks move into straighter rocking territory, but without the kitsch of some of the other "oldies" styled numbers – and titles include "Holiday Romance", "Everybody's A Star", "Rush Hour Blues", "Nine To Five", "When Work Is Over", "Ducks On The Wall", "You Can't Stop The Music", and "Face In The Crowd". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of work from the European scene – recordings that were unissued at the time, but which feature fantastic performance by American soloists done for Austrian radio! The core group is led by trombonist Eich Kleinschuster – a player from Vienna who never got much notice on our side of the Atlantic, but who was a fantastic host for visiting musicians in a series of broadcast concerts done by the Austrian radio – with Erich as the leader, and a fair bit of work on piano and Fender Rhodes from the mighty Fritz Pauer – a talent you'll know from some key MPS Records sessions of the period! And the vibe here is very much like MPS at its best – a great meeting of talents, at a level that rises everyone else involved – which makes these sessions superb throughout, no matter the soloist. This Volume 3 features three great tracks with trumpeter Carmell Jones – "And Things Will Change", "Fantangolin", and "The J Dance" – and three more with trumpeter Art Farmer – "Eau Sauvage", "Red Jeans", and "Alisarb". There's also six great tracks with trombonist Slide Hampton, who also helps with arrangements – on titles that include "New World", "Spain", "Ok Persson", "Wide Slide", "Soulsides", and "TEE". LP, Vinyl record album

Tenorist Eero Koivistoinen first rose to fame with a handful of groundbreaking records in the 70s – but in more recent years, he's reemerged with maybe an even sharper sound and bolder sense of his talents! The music here feels like that of a young artist spreading his wings and on fire with new ideas – brilliantly fresh tenor lines from the leader, but tied to a unified group sound that's every bit as great – work from Alexi Tuomarila on piano, Jorhi Huhtala on bass, and Jussi Lehtonen on drums – all lesser-known players from the Finnish scene, but who really follow the visionary lead of Koisivistoinen as he moves between equal moments of darkness and light! Titles include "Stammer", "Played Twice", "Casa De Ferro", "Kelo", "Body Language", "Hokum", and "Diversity". LP, Vinyl record album

The second installment in the Videoclub – and like the first, a set of tracks that definitely lives up to the vintage action styles promised on the cover! The tracks are heavy on influences from classic crime, cop, and kung fu soundtracks – served up as shorter instrumental tracks that also make a nice nod to 70s sound library styles too – all with production that's totally great, and right on the money – so that the music never sounds too contemporary at all, and really has the spirit of analog funk from back in the day! Titles include "Trouble In Istanbul", "Bombay Sapphire", "Land Cruiser Radio", "Cairo City Limits", "High Voltage", "Golden VHS Awakening", and "She's An Agent". LP, Vinyl record album

Daisaku Kume did a fantastic job with the music for this excellent film from Takeshi Kitano – serving up a fair bit of the keyboard sounds that you'd know from his work in the famous fusion group T-Square, but in a way that's nicely different than those records too! There's definitely lots of 80s elements in the production, yet the sound is often nice and spare – matching the directorial genius of Kitano – with slow-moving drum machine rhythms, nicely chromatic keyboards, and a glow in the overall sound that's mighty nice. A few passages have lead tenor solos, and there's also two takes on work from Erik Satie – which might stand as a good inspiration for Kume's direction with the music. LP, Vinyl record album

The best album in years from Seun Kuti – recorded live in the studio, with no overdubs at all – in a way that really lives up to the best sound of his legacy in music! Tracks are all nice and long, and as spontaneous as they are hard-grooving – a perfect update of older Afro Funk modes from the 70s, refitted with newer ideas and an important sense of message in the music – one that comes through not just in the lyrics and the instrumentation, but also in the overall collaborative cohesion of the group in this setting! All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Struggle Sounds", "Bad Man Lighter", "Black Times", and "Theory Of Goat & Yam". LP, Vinyl record album

Damon Locks and Rob Mazurek are no musical strangers to each other – their paths have crossed often on the Chicago and global scenes over many years of creative activity. Yet this project is also the first they've co-led, and it's an incredible document of how much both artists have grown in recent years – especially when they let their talents flow together on a project like this! At some level, the core of the work is the voice that both artists have discovered – Locks, his own more focused message and ability to find other voices to sample in with his own – Mazurek, a way of using his own voice more directly, in addition to his well-known work on trumpets and electronics. Both Rob and Damon are in the forefront here, criss-crossing electric and acoustic elements with voices live and sampled – mixed with guest voices from others, in a swirlingly creative project that not only lives up to the current legacy of International Anthem and the Chicago scene, but also advances it a few notches too. Titles include "Breeze Of Time", "New Future", "Yes", "The Sun Returns", "Future City", "Las Ninas Estan Escuchando", "Support The Youth", "10 Mins Past The Hour", and "Polaris Radio". LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever". LP, Vinyl record album

An important early album from saxophonist Koichi Matsukaze – maybe not one of the biggest names in Japanese jazz during the 70s, but certainly one of that scene's most striking players! The approach here is quite spiritual – long, open tracks that pulsate strongly – thanks to work on Fender Rhodes and piano from Toshiyuki Daitoku, bass from Tamio Kawabata, and drums from Ryojiro Furusawa – all players that hew to the rhythm as strongly as Coltrane's rhythm section might have in the 70s – and who really let their leader soar to the skies, with magnificent solos on flute, alto, and tenor sax! The music is quite exploratory, but never too far outside – that perfect balance from the post-Coltrane generation – and titles include "Images In Alone", "Don't Worry About Tenor Saxophone", "Earth Mother", and "Zekatsuma Selbst". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal funk from the Brazilian scene of the 70s – one of those really rare, really one-of-a-kind albums – but one that also seems to perfectly sum up the sound of the times as well! Di Melo's a mighty funky cat – and works here with these bass-heavy arrangements from Geraldo Vespar – very groovy and filled with lots of influence from American soul of the time, yet delivered in a style that's decidedly Brazilian too! There's a sense of sparkle to the album that recalls the charm of Jorge Ben in his funkiest modes – but Vespar also brings in some nicely jazzy flourishes too – especially on the keyboards and horn passages, which really go past the usual EMI/Odeon modes of the time. The whole thing's great – a soulful treasure all the way through – and titles include the funky classic "A Vida Em Seus Metodos Diz Calma", plus "Kilario", "Aceito Tudo", "Pernalonga", "Jodao", "Alma Gemea", "Se O Mundo Acabasse Em Mel", and "Minha Estrela". LP, Vinyl record album

A calypso set, but not the sort that you'd know from big crossover records of the late 50s – as the Mighty Sparrow works here with that jazzy blend of horns and rootsy rhythms that kept a strong edge in his music, and made his sounds as important on the pre-reggae scene in London as they were at home in Trinidad! There's a nicely rattling vibe to the record that really matches the sharpness of the vocals – an important current of politics, social commentary, and personal brag – all of which had a huge impact on later sounds and styles of music. The saxophone lines really keep things soulful – and titles include "The Village Ram", "Martin Luther King", "I'll Be Around", "You Don't Love Me", "Castro Eating Banana", and "Tour Of Jamaica". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz trio, but one with a really unusual combination of instruments – vibes and marimba from Benoit Lavollee, drums from David Georgelet, and bass trombone from Stephane Montigny – who also plays some great work on shells as well! The music is heavy on currents from global sources, but is definitely jazz as well – and given the performance of Montigny, there are some aspects of the record that maybe remind us of a more stripped-down take on the territory of Steve Turre when he reaches for some non-American modes as well! The drumming of Georgelet is great – often more tribal and percussion-like than standard swing – and the use of vibes and marimba moves nicely between rhythm and melody. Titles include "Fauve", "Sancocho", "Traverse", "Rococo", "Lonnie's Lament", and "Tony". LP, Vinyl record album

A really heady record from British drummer Brian Bennett – an artist known for both jazz and funky sound library work – here stretching out in a mode that really fits the image on the cover! The tunes are longer than some of Bennett's earlier sound library material – almost a mix of progressive energy with jazzier funk – a lot cooler than the disco reference in the title might imply! The set's got tremendous keyboards from Francis Monkman – who handles all the spacier elements, while the drums of Bennett works the rhythms with bass from Alan Jones – on long tracks with plenty of complexity, but also plenty of groove! Titles include "Voyage", "Solstice", "Chain Reaction", "Pendulum Force", "Air Quake", and "Ocean Glide". LP, Vinyl record album

Current Rage were one of the more obscure groups to come out of the Athens, GA scene in the early 80s – but they've also got all the instantly creative energy that made that short-lived world of music every bit as exciting as some of the best New York sounds at the time! There's a nicely choppy approach to the rhythms going on here, and plenty of strong guitar play too – deft music that's somewhere in the territory of Pylon, and like that group, maybe a warmer US answer to British post-punk sounds of the same time. Titles include "Right Side Of The Brain", "Bitte Schoen", "Sweet Torture", "My Dog Sam", "Looking Through Gels", and "Scream In The Dark". Expanded version features bonus tracks that include "Adventures In America", "Punch A Clock", "The Theme", "Constant Hiss", and live tracks "My Dog Sam", "AF", "Tequila", and "The Book Pressed Flowers". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible package – one that features all three variations on this legendary album, along with bonus material on other pieces of vinyl – plus complete replicas of all 17 issues of the legendary Tribe Magazine – a key outlet for knowledge and culture in the Detroit scene of the 70s! The package has all three variations of the record in their original artwork – and version 1 comes with a 7" single that includes short versions of "Where Am I" and "How Do We End All Of This Madness". Version 2 comes with a 10" album that features full instrumental versions of "What We Need", "How Do We End All Of This Madness", and "Angela's Dilemma". Version 3 is pressed on 2LPs, which each play at 45rpm! The core album is genius work from the Detroit underground of the 70s – one of the greatest records ever on the now-famous Tribe Records label, and a masterpiece of soul, jazz, and righteous spirit! The session's headed by tenor player Wendell Harrison – and it's got an all-star Motor City lineup that includes Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Phil Ranelin on trombone, Jeamel Lee on vocals, Charles Eubanks on electric piano, and Charles Moore on flugelhorn. The tracks have a spacious spiritual approach that recalls some of the later Archie Shepp on Impulse – a blend of soul jazz with slight touches of electric instrumentation, some vocals, and a very progressive spirit overall – stepping proud in the new freedoms of the 70s, yet still swinging and very groovy. Titles include "Angela's Dilemma", "What We Need", "How Do We End All Of This Madness", "Merciful", and "Beneficent". But maybe even cooler are the issues of Tribe Magazine – rare treasures from the Detroit underground, reproduced here for the first time ever – and maybe even worth the price of the heavy box set. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible package – one that features all three variations on this legendary album, along with bonus material on other pieces of vinyl – plus complete replicas of all 17 issues of the legendary Tribe Magazine – a key outlet for knowledge and culture in the Detroit scene of the 70s! The package has all three variations of the record in their original artwork – and version 1 comes with a 7" single that includes short versions of "Where Am I" and "How Do We End All Of This Madness". Version 2 comes with a 10" album that features full instrumental versions of "What We Need", "How Do We End All Of This Madness", and "Angela's Dilemma". Version 3 is pressed on 2LPs, which each play at 45rpm! The core album is genius work from the Detroit underground of the 70s – one of the greatest records ever on the now-famous Tribe Records label, and a masterpiece of soul, jazz, and righteous spirit! The session's headed by tenor player Wendell Harrison – and it's got an all-star Motor City lineup that includes Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Phil Ranelin on trombone, Jeamel Lee on vocals, Charles Eubanks on electric piano, and Charles Moore on flugelhorn. The tracks have a spacious spiritual approach that recalls some of the later Archie Shepp on Impulse – a blend of soul jazz with slight touches of electric instrumentation, some vocals, and a very progressive spirit overall – stepping proud in the new freedoms of the 70s, yet still swinging and very groovy. Titles include "Angela's Dilemma", "What We Need", "How Do We End All Of This Madness", "Merciful", and "Beneficent". But maybe even cooler are the issues of Tribe Magazine – rare treasures from the Detroit underground, reproduced here for the first time ever – and maybe even worth the price of the heavy box set. LP, Vinyl record album

Bassist Christian McBride's always got a great ear for the players he chooses to work with – and that's definitely the case here, as the group features the great Warren Wolf on vibes and reedman Steve Wilson on both alto and soprano sax! Wilson and Wolf have this great way of balancing each other out – the sometimes-sharp edges of Steve's saxophones, and the inherent warmth of Warren's vibes – dancing together joyfully and really opening up the sound, in the company of other players who include Peter Martin on piano and Carl Allen on drums. As always, McBride proves to be a really special sort of bassist-as-leader – and titles include "Ms Angelou", "The Shade Of The Cedar Tree", "Fair Hope Theme", and "Gang Gang" – all nice and long! LP, Vinyl record album

A really special album from our hometown hero Makaya McCraven – a set that's the drummer's debut on Blue Note, and which also has him bringing that label some of the magic that he's been cooking up for International Anthem! If you know Makaya's other records, you'll know that he works in a blend of jazz instrumentation and editing – a style that's much more sophisticated than previous "jazz remix" modes – as McCraven always has live jazz instrumentation at the core, but then uses editing to rework ideas after the performance. Here, the music is a blend of older classics from the Blue Note catalog, juxtaposed with contributions from Joel Ross on vibes, Jeff Parker and Matt Gold on guitar, Greg Ward on alto, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and De'Sean Jones on tenor and flute – a really well-chosen array of players who flesh out Makaya's ideas in a beautiful way. Titles include "Wail Bait", "Frank's Tune", "Slice Of The Top", "Sunset", "Ecaroh", "Black Rhythm Happening", "Monaco", and "Mr Jin". LP, Vinyl record album

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

An extremely rare Latin Soul treasure – the legendary Power Of Love set by Joe Acosta – served up with some killer soul vocals by a young Joe Cruz! As you might guess from the "love" in the title, the set's got a focus on the sweeter sounds of Latin Soul – particularly on the English language numbers, which come across with a soulfulness that recalls Joe Bataan during the same period – but even when the record is mellow, it's still got a nice sense of "bottom" – and there's a number of tracks on here that really groove along nicely – rolling with heavy piano or basslines! Instrumentation includes a Bataan-esque trombone section that provides plenty of dark notes alongside the rhythms – and titles include "I Need Her", "Bendita Illusion", "Una Tracion", "Phoenix", "La Bendicion", "La Realidad", and "Amor Perdido". LP, Vinyl record album

With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". LP, Vinyl record album

The tenor of Melissa Aldana fits right in here with the contemporary sound of Blue Note – especially given that labelmate Lage Lund is on guitar, and has a way of folding together all the tones from his strings very nicely next to the sharper edges of Aldana's tenor! The set begins with a dedication to Wayne Shorter – and that number maybe really sets the spirit of the album – as Melissa has a way of phrasing that's equally distinct, and very much her own – soulful and modern at the same time, set up in a quintet that also includes Fabian Almazan on piano, Pablo Menares on bass, and Kush Abadey on drums. Titles include "Echoes Of The Inner Prophet", "A Purpose", "I Know You Know", "The Solitary Seeker", "Unconscious Whispers", and "A Story". LP, Vinyl record album

Demonic sounds, but surprisingly sweet as well – done with this easy-flowing style that's really wonderful – and much more similar to the seductive sound library work of Alessandro Alessandroni, than to some of the starker, darker horror of the time! There's definitely some spooky passages, but they're almost always warmed up in really nice ways – both with keyboards, and with these wordless vocals from the lovely Giulia De Mutiis, who drifts through the record like some sexy ghost. Her vocals almost give the whole thing a more dream-like feel at times – not too atmospheric, but with clouds of sweet sounds that blow through the space in a wonderful way. Titles include "Demon Night II", "Demon Arise", "Dark Dreamer", "Devil's Nightmare", and "Erotic Demon". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool sounds from Baba Zula – a group who really keep the Turkish psychedelic sound strong well into the 21st Century – by working here on long, extended tracks that blend electric elements with plenty of earthy acoustic touches! The group is led by Osman Murat Ertel on electric saz – an instrument that he plays with the touches of a psychedelic guitar, but with a more open, fluid style overall – amidst other instrumentation that includes a fair bit of percussion, darbuka, davul, electronics, and even an electric oud! There's a bit of vocals on the record, but the main focus is on the long-spun instrumental passages – which stretch out nicely on tunes that include "Kucuk Kurbaga", "4 Nal", "Kelebekler Kuslar", "Tafus Havasi", "Col Aslanari", and "Sipa". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning European meeting of two great North American talents – the piano of Paul Bley and the trumpet of Chet Baker – coming together here without any other instrumentation in the mix! Bley is at a point where he's bringing back a bit more warmth to his music after so many years in both avant and colder territory – and Baker has that beautifully meditative tone of his late life recordings – which seems to encourage a sensitivity out of Bley's piano that you might not expect – making for a wonderful session throughout! Chet sings a bit, but his trumpet is his main voice – and titles include "Pent Up House", "If I Should Lose You"- "Diane", "Little Girl Blue", and "Skidadidlin". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark leaping-off point for The Beatles – and a record that really paved the way for countless new ideas to come! The mix of catchy pop and freer ideas here is really wonderful – tunes that introduce a whole new mature world in mainstream music – yet manage to have all the catchy complexity of the earlier years too. Production, songwriting, and delivery is superb – and this version features 14 songs that include "Drive My Car", "Norwegian Wood", "Nowhere Man", "Think For Yourself", "The Word", "What Goes On", "Girl", "I'm Looking Through You", and "Run For Your Life"". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last recordings ever made by the genius trumpeter Jaimie Branch – and a set that shows the bold new direction she was going in, right before she left our planet all too soon! The music here leaps forward from any of Branch's earlier recordings – with harder rhythms, more focus in the driving quality of the music, and even some lyrical passages that are quite stunning – vocals that add a lot to the music, and which could have had Jaimie finding an audience in a world far past just jazz! The core group is incredible – the drums of Chad Taylor have never been so powerful, urged on by the bass work of Jason Ajemian – and folded beautifully with the cello, voice, marimba, and keyboards of Lester St Louis. Branch herself also plays keyboards and percussion – and Daniel Villareal guests on some additional percussion too – and the whole thing comes together with an incredible sense of energy and vision, at a level that has us missing Jaimie's presence on the planet even more than before. Titles include "Aurora Rising", "Take Over The World", "Baba Louie", "Burning Grey", "The Mountain", and "Borealis Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

An early 70s gem from Captain Beefheart – not as wild-eyed and whacked out as the late 60s glories – but still a good stretch weirder than most of the post psych, blues-steeped rock of the time! Ultimately, it's still Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, despite it being billed solely to Captain Beefheart on the cover (and his only album NOT co-billed with The Magic Band) – and we'd say it's their first album to go for a consistent mood from beginning-to-end, and we love it for that! If the Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off Baby records are the more feral early twin masterpieces – we'd say this one and Clear Spot are the wiser and more focused siblings, but no less classic! Tracks include "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby","Grow Fins", "There Ain't No Santa Clause On The Evenin' Stage", "Blabbern Smoke", "Alice In Blunderland", "The Spotlight Kid", and "Glider". Great 2LP version features lots of rare tracks – the never issued full length versions of "I'm Gonna Booglarize You" and "Pompadour Stomp" – plus the instrumental "Semi Multicolored Caucasian", and the tracks "Harry Irene", "Best Batch Yet (version 1)", "I Can't Do This Unless I Can Do This/Seam Crooked Sam", "The Witch Doctor Life (inst)", and "Two Rips In A Haystack/Kiss Me My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Modern art, but of the sonic variety – served up here by composer Daniela Casa on a rare sound library album, but with a free-thinking quality that rivals the best of the avant garde at the time! Unlike some more staid, academic record, there's no overarching concept here – no detailed notes that you need to read to "get" the music. Instead, Casa creates these short, dark little passages of sound – sometimes very abstract, occasionally tuneful – with elements that move between free jazz, atonal piano and woodwinds, offbeat strings, and even a bit of Fender Rhodes! The whole thing's a great reminder of just how much genius was bubbling up in Italy during the 70s – so much so that a record like this, which would have been worthy of release by Columbia or Deutsche Grammophon in bigger scenes, was only pressed up in small quantities by the Flipper music label. Titles include "Concetto Informale", "Dimensione Umana", "Prima Maniera", "Ricerca Della Materia", "Visione Surreale", and "Ricerca Cromatica". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool Canadian group from the 60s – an all-native lineup of members from the Tsimshian Nation – but working here in a raw garagey style that's totally great! The drums are lean and powerful, guitar follows suit, and vocals often have a surprisingly charming quality – tuneful, and harmonized with a nice sort of sweetness at times. The group famously recorded on Wisconsin's powerhouse Cuca label, home to some great raw singles back in the day – and this set brings together their rare 45 for that label, plus rare demos and unissued material – in their first-ever full length set, with titles that include "Don't Let It Bother You", "Do Lord", "I Won't Be Around", "The Sun Is Shining", "Ebony Eyes", "You Don't Need Me Anymore", "Don't You Leave Me Behind", "I Shouldn't Have Did What I Done", and "I Need Your Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's got a leaner, looser vibe than some of the Zamrock classics of the 70s – a record that sometimes has a very raw, almost garagey approach to the instrumentation – but with guitar that also echoes high life and other West African styles too! Singer Teddy Chisi gets support from The Fireballs – a nicely cooking combo who clearly have lots of raw energy created in the clubs – a group who are out to just kick things up with a very spontaneous vibe behind Teddy's lead, almost with energy that makes you feel like you're sorting through a pile of rare 45s instead of a more polished album. Titles include "Drive That Funky Thing", "Rich Woman", "Shy Shy Man", "Maria", "Am Alive", "All I Got", "Chipadzuwa", and "Happy Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A mid 70s classic from Willie Colon – continuing the progression of his "gangster" image by supposedly having him break out of prison! (Previously, Willie had been brought to justice on the Juicio album – but now on the loose, is described in a wanted poster on the cover – "Willie Colon & Hector LaVoe have been known to kill people with little provocation with their exciting rhythm without a moment's notice"!) That claim might be a bit far-fetched, but considering the strength of Willie's work at the time, it's certainly well-founded – as he and Hector cook things up nicely on this set by bringing in some even-earthier grooves to their blend of 70s salsa modes! The group's got Colon's tight twin-trombone approach firmly in the lead, and other instrumentation is merely piano, bass, and lots of percussion – all very stripped down, and with lots of room for LaVoe's wonderfully evocative vocals. Titles include "Pa' Columbia", "Ghana'E", "No Cambiare", "Barrunto", and "Sigue Feliz". LP, Vinyl record album

MF Doom left our planet all too soon, and he left behind a great legacy of music, too – including a previous collaboration with the Czarface collective, nicely matched by this posthumous set! The balance here is great, and the set brings the metal man of mystery into great play with his collaborators and guests who include DMC, Kendra Morris, and Del The Funky Homosapien – all coming together on an album that's every bit as fun as the first time around, and maybe even more essential, given that we're not going to hear that much more from the unissued archives of MF Doom. Titles include "This Is Canon Now", "So Strange", "Young World", "Mando Calrissian", "Doom Unto Others", "The King & Eye", and "Czarwyn's Theory Of People Getting Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

A full and funky sound library gem from mid 70s France – a set that really takes advantage of the strong drum work of Pierre Alain Dahan, whose work on the kit is at the core of every one of the instrumental gems on the set! The mood changes up nicely from cut to cut – sometimes there's some heavy guitar, or soulful tenor, sweet keyboards, and more – and the record mixes funky rhythms with darker currents in a way that's really stunning – and which makes for a set that's all killer, no-filler all the way through! Titles include "Africa Semper", "Merci Boa", "Kuzi Kuza", "Soul Car", "Super Airship", "Electric Mutation", and "Happy Penalty". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that was an instant classic from the moment it was first released – and a set that's still pretty darn pleasing all these many years later! At a time when mainstream soul was often too smooth or too poppy, D'Angelo came along and not only found a way to return the music to the years of its power with singers like Al Green or Marvin Gaye – but also managed to bring in some of the best hip hop elements of his generation too, at a level that was far more successful than most other blends that had been tried before! Production is nice and lean, and super-crispy – at a level that so many folks are still copying all these years later – and the set's full of classics that include "Cruisin", "When We Get By", "Smooth", "Me & Those Dreamin Eyes Of Mine", "Brown Sugar", "Alright", and "Jonz In My Bonz". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first great Italian cop movies of the 70s – and a superbly-scored film with a really wonderful soundtrack! The DeAngelis brothers are clearly drawing heavily from an American tradition initiated by Lalo Schfrin – using heavy guitar, funky undercurrents, and even some soulfully righteous touches to really set this one apart from other Italian films of the time. Yet the approach here is also a bit more different, touches with some of the darker modes and more redemptive themes of Italian westerns – a sense of suspension and drama that's incredibly powerful, and heard to best effect on the solo instrumental passages – which include guitar by Maurizio and flute by Guido. Titles include "Festa A Genova", "Gangster Story", "Chicca", "The Life Of A Policeman", "Il Libanese", "Casa Di Moda", "Rock Al Porto", and "La Storia Comincia". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that became an instant legend in global music circles – the recorded debut of Victor Deme, a guitarist and singer who'd been working in his native Burkina Faso for over 30 years before getting the chance to step inside a studio! The turn "studio" might be a loose one here – as the album was recorded on a four track, in a distant space in the country – but has a vibrancy that beats most other bigger label releases of the time – thanks to a tremendous power in Deme's vocals, which have a raspy presence that grabs you far beyond just an understanding of language – and which are often matched by guitar work from Issouf Diabate, who inflects these subtle bluesy elements that spark new colors in the songs, but in a nicely understated way. A record with a very unique sound, and a lasting classic – with titles that include "Dankan", "Tama Ngogon", "Dala Mogoya", "Djon Maya", "Toungan", "Cherie", "Burkina Mousso", and "Djarabi". LP, Vinyl record album

A great companion album to the Les DeMerle Concerts By The Sea record – every bit as funky as that one, and for good reason too – as this set was recorded at exactly the same time! The package offers up the legendary drummer in a sweet 70s setup – great Fender Rhodes and Clavinet in the group from Ramsey Embick, who works perfectly with the dynamic drums of the leader – plus the great Don Menza on tenor, soprano, and flute – always a great musician on a record like this! There's some added congas in the group, the bass is electric, and the whole thing kicks nicely – on titles that include "Daggerpoint", "In Transit", "Transcendental Watusi", "Ear Food", "Manfred 8", and "Once Upon A Time". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual little session for Kenny Dorham – one in which he sings as well as plays trumpet – perhaps taking a page out of Chet Baker's book, but with a completely different approach! The group features Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, and Charlie Persip on drums – who is replaced by GT Hogan on a couple of numbers. The set's all standards, and Kenny's style is nicely raspy – not the best technically, but with some surprisingly gentle feeling that's a nice complement to his work on trumpet. Includes "Autumn Leaves", "Since I Fell For You", "From This Moment On", "This Is The Moment", "Angel Eyes", and "Golden Earrings". LP, Vinyl record album

Key work as a leader from bassist Johnny Dyani – one of his most soulful, spiritual outings ever – and a record dedicated to the important South African political prisoner Stephen Biko! There's a sense of flow and rhythmic focus here that's wonderful – as Dyani comes together with a tremendous quartet that features Don Cherry on cornet, Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, and Makaya Ntshoko on drums – players that are joined as one in meaning and message as they make their way through the original Dyani compositions on the set. The album features a wonderful extended tune, running for all of side two, entitled "Jo'Burg–New York" – a musical journey that's worth the price of the album alone – and the set also features a number of great shorter tunes that include "Wish You Sunshine", "Song For Biko", and "Confession of Moods" LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans meets Bill Evans – in a uniquely-styled session that features overdubbed solo lines from Bill, creating a multi-piano sound that's really great! The approach sounds gimmicky, but it's not – and Evans carries all the sensitivity you might expect from the title and image on the cover – a personal, up-close style that's nicely free from piano solo cliches, given the extra work of the overdubs. There's a nicely rhythmic feel to most numbers, and the piano lines often work in chromatic counterpoint to create a warmly sparkling quality to the set. Titles include "Round About Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Theme From Spartacus", "Stella By Starlight", and "NYC's No Lark". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the heaviest set of sound library grooves you'll ever hear – but that's probably no surprise, given that the package features some key Heliocentrics elements in the mix – including lots of psychedelic production next to fierce work on drums from Malcolm Catto and Jake Ferguson! There's plenty of breaks on the record, but settled in nicely amidst keyboards and other electronics from the great Jessica Lauren – an artist we've loved for years – plus bass and lots of other instruments from Jake, and bits of flute and trumpet too. Tracks are mostly instrumental, and while the record follows the sound library style of tight funky grooves, there's also some of the darker, more brooding Heliocentrics elements in the mix too. Titles include "Dune", "M For Drums", "Emotions Run Dry", "Freestyling", "Well Well Well", "String Fantasy", "Train A Coming", and "I Wonder". LP, Vinyl record album

A mid-70s message from the legendary Fela Kuti – a record whose title and cover image are a commentary on the wrong directions the Nigerian elite were heading in at the time – served up here with all the fantastic frenzied grooves that Afrika 70 can deliver! "Ikoyi Blindness" begins with quick-stepping percussion and riffing guitar, then soon opens to a great keyboard part as the horns come in, and the whole thing flowers beautifully in both an instrumental and vocal level! The flipside also features the equally-great "Gba Mi Leti Ki N'Dolow" – translated as "Slap Me Make I Get Money", an attack on the way that the rich bend the system of justice to their own needs – and really set fire by Fela and the group. LP, Vinyl record album

A really killer 70s album from Fela Kuti – one that serves up a hell of a message, and some great slinky grooves too! "Yellow Fever" is a brutal attack on miscegenation, backed by a funky groove that makes the whole thing fall into place with an amazing riffing sound – bold, powerful, and Afrika 70 at their best! "Na Poi 75" begins with a cool spoken bit – then moves into this pulsating keyboard part which is almost eerily spare, until the rest of Afrika 70 come into the mix and really funk things up! Drums are wonderfully skittish – kind of double-snapping, while the bassline dips nicely below – and the tune ebbs and flows in this really great way. LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked early 80s punk from The Flesh Eaters – with some fun nods to trash culture and B-movies in the cover art, song titles and lyrical imagery – but it's also some of most slyly ambitious sounds from the west coast scene of the time! It's clear from the first track they're going for something more instrumentally adventurous than others at the time, with sax and off kilter hand percussion all over it – but Chris D's vision and caterwauling presence as front man keeps it nice and raucous. X's John Doe and DJ Bonebrake are both Flesh Eaters in this peak period, along with sax player Steve Berlin, later to join Los Lobos – and even roots rock hero Dave Alvin – that's a hell of a punk band, right?! Titles include "Digging My Grave", "Satan's Stomp", "So Long", "Cryan De Berger's Back", "Divine Horseman", "See You In The Boneyard" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Dreamy sounds from keyboardist Greg Foat – a set with a vibe that's very much in keeping with the cover image – which is a spot in Greece where Greg and the quartet recorded the music! Foat's keyboards are a bit more laidback than usual, and mixed with some very cool electronics – in a group that also features mellow guitar from Warren Hampshire, flute and bass clarinet from Sokratis Votskos, and drums from Ayo Salawu – a group who start slow at the beginning of the record, then really pick up the pace at the end! Titles include "Kiki's Tavern", "On The Rose Bush", and "Tsamykonos" – plus the long "Secret World" cut on side two, a number that soars into space with some nicely kicking drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A group that's not really folk, but who definitely have a special magic of their own – a collective ensemble who played on the Italian scene of the 70s, and who bring together free improvisation with a range of other earthy and organic elements! There's definitely some global currents going on here – and at points, the record's not far from some of the Don Cherry experiments of this nature – especially on passages that are heavy on percussion elements. But the size of the ensemble really gives them a strong force once they get going – and the saxes and flutes are sometimes merged with use of voice – only conventionally singing on one more straight ahead track on the record. Most musicians are ones that we don't recognize from other jazz efforts of the time – but the group does include flute from Nicola Stilo, who later played with Chet Baker – plus soprano and alto from Giancarlo Maurino, tenor from Mario Fulci, and altos from Sandro Satta and Luciano De Bonis. Titles include "Inno Per L'Imperatore", "Grass Leaf Rag", "Alice Alice Che Piange E Che Ride", "Free Bop New Bop", and "Monkey". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most hard-hitting early albums from the legendary Fruko – a set that really lives up to the powerful image on the cover and the title of the record – almost as if Fruko's trying to answer the badass energy of Willie Colon on the New York scene! The record definitely burns as hard as any of Willie's best from the time, but with that earthier groove that Fruko did so well – that quality that made his music from the time such a fresh, powerful new voice that showed the world that Colombia had plenty of great sounds of its own to offer – served up with styles that owned nothing to NYC or PR at all! Vocals are by Joe Arroyo and Wilson Saoko – and titles include "Salsa Na Ma", "Alma Navidena", "Mosaico Matancero", "La Nueva Bamba", "Vamos Pa'L Campo", "Rumba En Navidad", "Tronco Seco", "El Violento", "Nadando", and "Tu Solo Tu". LP, Vinyl record album

Raw funk from 70s Singapore – but a bunch of cats who really get their sound right! The album's got a surprisingly sharp edge – thanks to raspy guitars that work perfectly with the group's English language vocals – themselves sung with a nice sort of sharpness that makes the whole thing feel a bit more sinister and urgent than most of the US funk that clearly inspires these guys! Some of the guitar interplay is especially nice on more jamming tracks – never overdone, but more than you'd expect on an album with such strong rhythmic impulses. Titles include "Man With A Gun", "Once Upon A Time", "Memphis Soul Stew", "Everyday People", "I'll Take You There", and "Spill The Wine". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in the history of pop music where the record is worth all the hype! Marvin blew everyone's mind when he unleashed this amazing suite of political soul tunes – not only just because he'd moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was working with an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. David Van DePitte arranged and conducted the whole album – with soaring orchestrations mixed with smooth modern soul, in a style that reminds us a lot of the work of Charles Stepney at Cadet, who'd been doing this sort of thing for years but with less success. In the hands of Marvin Gaye, though, the material has an amazing quality – and all the disparate elements of the album are fused together in one powerful message by Marvin's incredible voice. One that we never tire of, and a record to be listened to all the way through every time. Titles include "What's Goin On", "Save The Children", "Flyin High (In The Friendly Sky)", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in the history of pop music where the record is worth all the hype! Marvin blew everyone's mind when he unleashed this amazing suite of political soul tunes – not only just because he'd moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was working with an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. David Van DePitte arranged and conducted the whole album – with soaring orchestrations mixed with smooth modern soul, in a style that reminds us a lot of the work of Charles Stepney at Cadet, who'd been doing this sort of thing for years but with less success. In the hands of Marvin Gaye, though, the material has an amazing quality – and all the disparate elements of the album are fused together in one powerful message by Marvin's incredible voice. One that we never tire of, and a record to be listened to all the way through every time. Titles include "What's Goin On", "Save The Children", "Flyin High (In The Friendly Sky)", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". This fantastic 50th Anniversary version features new mastering by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, an essay by Hanif Abdurraqib, and a full record of bonus material that includes "What's Going On (stripped)", "What's Going On (rhythm & strings inst)", "What's Going On (mix 1 with no strings or horns)", "Symphony (demo version)", and original mono single mixes of "What's Going On", "God Is Love", "Mercy Mercy Me", "Sad Tomorrows", "Inner City Blues", and "Wholy Holy". LP, Vinyl record album