Mindblowing work from tenorist Sonny Rollins – a set of recordings that we'd rank right up there with his groundbreaking Village Vanguard sessions for Blue Note! As with those recordings, the setting here is live, and a trio – Sonny blowing with incredible imagination in the very open space of the tunes, many of which are very long – with accompaniment from the wonderful bassist Henry Grimes on all numbers, and a shifting lineup of very hip drummers – Pete LaRoca on most tracks, sometimes replaced by Joe Harris or Kenny Clarke. The huge package features a wealth of live tracks, including some material that has been bootlegged before – concerts from 1959 in Stockholm, Zurich, Aix-En-Provence, Frankfurt, and Laren – all presented here with superb sound, voluminous notes, and through cooperation with Sonny Rollins himself. Titles include "Lady Bird", "But Not For Me", "Cocktails For Two", "I Want To Be Happy", "Oleo", "Paul's Pal", "Love Letters", and "I've Told Every Little Star" – but as always with live Sonny Rollins at this point in his career, it's not the melodies, but what he does with them – which is amazing! CD

About as classic as you can get for Sonny Rollins during the 50s – from the cover right down to the incredible solos on the set! The album's got Rollins really stretching out – still not finding the freer trio mode of his Vanguard session, but still bringing in plenty of fresh ideas in both his phrasing and the construction of his tunes – way more than just the roots of his (still excellent) years as a boppish player. The group's nice and loose – with Wynton Kelly on soulful piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all able to snap into a groove when needed, but also letting Rollins really lay back into a solo too. Titles include the sublime "Asiatic Raes", plus "Namely You", "Tune Up", "Wonderful Wonderful", and "Blues For Philly Joe". If you've ever needed a record to convince you how great Rollins is, this might just be the one! LP, Vinyl record album

The complete recordings of sessions that led to one of the greatest Sonny Rollins records ever – and a genre-defining record that really introduced the world to the concept of a tenor saxophone trio! Rollins is incredible here – really at his best and most adventurous, and almost light years ahead of his work from just a few short years before – working just with the drums of Elvin Jones and bass of Wilbur Ware for accompaniment – as he spins out these long solos that are full of all sorts of sharp modern edges! The lack of piano really makes for something different and fresh in the music – and with this record, Rollins created a format that so many others would take up in years to come. Note that the record also features a small bit of work with Donald Bailey on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums – an equally great rhythm duo! This package features all the material recorded for the Village Vanguard album, plus lots more unissued at the time – titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Old Devil Moon", "Striver's Row", "Get Happy", "Four", "Woody N You", "All The Things You Are", "I Can't Get Started", and "I've Got You Under My Skin" – some in more than one version! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album from Sonny Rollins' prime 60s years at RCA – almost a return to basics, but always with that edge that makes Rollins stand out way more than most of his contemporaries – a subtle balance between straight and modern that really makes the album crackle! The album features Sonny working with Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter or Bob Cranshaw on bass, Roy McCurdy on drums – and a bit of welcome additional cornet from Thad Jones – sounding great here in a small group setting. Tracks are mostly jazz standards, but done with an incredible poise on the solos – completely transforming the tunes with Rollins' rich imagination! Titles include "52nd St Theme", "Round Midnight", "Four", "Afternoon In Paris", "St Thomas", and "I Remember Clifford". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing standard about this one – as the record's an excellent batch of work from Sonny and his "& Co" lineup that featured Jim Hall on guitar and Herbie Hancock on piano! The format's a bit unusual for Rollins, in that not all the players of the group play at once – so that the album features shifting assemblages of instruments behind Sonny's tenor, running through extremely creative versions of tracks like "Travelin' Light", "Night & Day", "Three Little Words", "My Ship", and "It Could Happen To You". Rollins is at the height of his powers here, and although the session is deceptively simple, his work on the tenor is incredible! CD

Incredible work by Nino Rota – and one of his best scores ever for Fellini! The tracks are done with a weird mix of instruments that include organ, vibes, electric guitar, clarinet, and some occasional wordless vocals that really sound crazy – almost Morricone-like at points, but with a bit more Rota whimsy! The score is easily a blueprint for countless other Italian soundtracks of the 60s – a divine bit of work from Rota, although oddly one of his lesser-remembered works. Titles include "Grandpa's Waltz", "The Little Theatre", "Master of Love", "Dance of the Frog", and "Behold the Devils". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible lost album from Motown's David Ruffin – material recorded for his third solo album, but unreleased at the time – and presented here with a whole bunch of rare bonus material too! The quality of the work is incredible – done in a soaring style that's a perfect summation of the genius of Motown at the end of the 60s. Ruffin really steps away from his work with the Temptations here, and moves masterfully into the role of a solo star – working with such strength that we're puzzled as to why Motown never issued the set – but even more delighted to finally have it back out in such a great package! The original album was supposed to feature 12 tracks, but the set adds in an additional 11 numbers that were recorded during the same time, including a few rare mono mixes. The whole thing's great – and includes the incredible track "Each Day Is A Lifetime", plus "Out In The Country", "I Want You Back", "Let Somebody Love Me", "It's Gonna Take A Whole Lot Of Doin", "Heaven Help Us All", "Mountain Of Memories", "You Make Me Do Things I Don't Want To Do", and "Don't Stop Lovin Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing debut from Rufus – a group so great, they were virtually a genre unto themselves during the 70s! Rufus came from the same totally hip Chicago scene that gave the world Minnie Riperton and Earth Wind & Fire – and like both of those greats, these guys have a way of drawing from mighty deep roots, then creating an incredible sound that's completely fresh – a mode that's funky in all the right places, plenty soulful from Chaka Khan's great lead vocals, yet fused together with a freshness that marks Rufus as one of the most inventive acts of their generation! And sure, lots of other folks copped their act as the years went on – but nobody could do it like these guys – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Haulin Coal", "Satisfied", "Feel Good", "Keep It Coming", "Slip N Slide", and "There's No Tellin". LP, Vinyl record album

Raucous R&B-flavored rock instrumentals by The Rumblers – the second great compilation of their early-to-mid 60s material put together by Ace UK – and a superior one! It's got more of their great Downey singles from the period, along with previously unreleased gems. The rhythms rumble, alright – and they're nice and raw, too – but even more appealing is the way the sax and guitars play off of each other so brilliantly! The tracks on Rumblin' & Rare seems to have a bit more of a focused vibe than on the previous comp – we're guessing because the group really found and honed in on their sound, come '63 or so – but whatever the reason, it's incredible stuff! 24 tracks in all – many of of which were previously unreleased! Includes "Boss Drums", "Poor Boy", "Wockytok", "Slippin'", "Rumblin' & Stumblin'", "Saxwax", "Walkin' With The Boss", "Till Always", "Wedgee", "Charger", "The Nervous Set", "Lost Weekend", "Sweet Potato" and more. CD

A really great step forward for singer Alice Russell – an artist you might know best from heavier funk sets, but who comes across here in lean deep soul style that's even better for her incredible voice! In face, although we fell in love with Alice from her very first record many years ago, we'd kinda forgot how great she is – an error that's corrected strongly by this well-crafted album, which is also a set that may well catapult Russell into the world of superstardom! Titles include "Agreement", "Gravity", "Square", "I Am", "Things", "Sinner", "Light", "I See You", and "Rain". CD

A really great step forward for singer Alice Russell – an artist you might know best from heavier funk sets, but who comes across here in lean deep soul style that's even better for her incredible voice! In face, although we fell in love with Alice from her very first record many years ago, we'd kinda forgot how great she is – an error that's corrected strongly by this well-crafted album, which is also a set that may well catapult Russell into the world of superstardom! Titles include "Agreement", "Gravity", "Square", "I Am", "Things", "Sinner", "Light", "I See You", and "Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great step forward for singer Alice Russell – an artist you might know best from heavier funk sets, but who comes across here in lean deep soul style that's even better for her incredible voice! In face, although we fell in love with Alice from her very first record many years ago, we'd kinda forgot how great she is – an error that's corrected strongly by this well-crafted album, which is also a set that may well catapult Russell into the world of superstardom! Titles include "Agreement", "Gravity", "Square", "I Am", "Things", "Sinner", "Light", "I See You", and "Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from Curt Boettcher and Sandy Salisbury – best known for their collaboration in the fantastic groups Ballroom and Millennium – but heard here in a set of intimate demos the pair recorded around the same time! There's plenty of Sunshine Pop genius on these cuts, even if the production isn't at a full studio level – as the tunes are wonderful even at the core, and the vocals by either of the pair really make the magic of the tunes shine through – with a warmth and intimacy that's even more striking than some of their better-known material. We'd rank this right up there with similar material from Roger Nichols and Paul Williams – and titles include "Spell On Me", "Opus To A Friend", "Really & Truly", "Sweet Tangerine", "Next Day Sad", "Love Is Good", "Soft Words", "The Sun Is Shining Now", and "Oops". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from Curt Boettcher and Sandy Salisbury – best known for their collaboration in the fantastic groups Ballroom and Millennium – but heard here in a set of intimate demos the pair recorded around the same time! There's plenty of Sunshine Pop genius on these cuts, even if the production isn't at a full studio level – as the tunes are wonderful even at the core, and the vocals by either of the pair really make the magic of the tunes shine through – with a warmth and intimacy that's even more striking than some of their better-known material. We'd rank this right up there with similar material from Roger Nichols and Paul Williams – and titles include "Spell On Me", "Opus To A Friend", "Really & Truly", "Sweet Tangerine", "Next Day Sad", "Love Is Good", "Soft Words", "The Sun Is Shining Now", and "Oops". CD features three bonus tracks! CD

A wonderful album from Lalo Schfrin! This one mixes together bossa piano and sweeping string arrangements – in a style that's incredibly dark-edged and driving, with a sound that's at once spooky and lovely – a dancing groove that makes the best tracks really sparkle! The album's light years away from other "piano with strings" albums of the time – proof that Schifrin was easily one of the most imaginative forces of his generation, and an arranger who really helped reshape music in the 60s. Titles include the incredible version of "Maria" that's played quite often by Gilles Peterson – plus loads of other nice ones, like "The Wave", "Insensatez", "You And Me", "Murmurio", "Rapaz De Bem", "Rio After Dark", and "Time For Love". CD

An electronic masterpiece from Klaus Schulze – a set that's inspired by the famous novel Dune, but which has a landscape that's all its own – thanks to Klaus' incredible way of putting sonic elements together! As with most of his best from the 70s, the tracks here are very long, and build slowly, almost dreamily – using plenty of electronics and keyboards, but with some slight exotic elements in the phrasing to hint at the narrative in the book – but abstracted nicely, maybe in ways that Dead Can Dance would take up later, in a different style. Arthur Brown provides a small bit of vocals at one point, and there's some additional cello too – but overall, most of the sounds come from Klaus – on titles that include "Dune" and "Shadows Of Ignorance". CD features the bonus track "Le Mans". CD

An incredible album – and one of the most groundbreaking blends of jazz and global music ever recorded! Reedman Tony Scott plays here with a little-known group of Indonesian jazz players – brought together in a special project for MPS/Saba records, in a blend of modal jazz elements and other tunes that really find a way to echo the gamelan styles that you might expect from Indonesian music – emphasized by the group's phrasing on piano, guitar, and siter, as well as Scott's interweaving lines on clarinet! The sound is fantastic, completely other worldly, and must be heard to be believed – served up with other players who include Marjono on tenor and vocal, Bubi Chen on piano and sitar, Jack Lesmana on guitar, Yopi Chen on bass, and Benny Mustafa on drums. Tracks include "Ilir Ilir", "Gambang Suling", "Djanger Bali", and an amazing rendition of "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best tracks ever from the pair of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – some of most righteous, authoritative and thematically heavy soul music ever created – compiled in one incredible set! Messianic, emotive vocals from Gil and stunningly restrained, magical soul jazz arrangements from Brian – words can't express how dynamic these tunes are! Great stuff from classic LPs such as Winter In America, It's Your World, First Minute Of A New Day, Secrets and more! 15 tracks in all: "The Bottle", "It's Your World", "Johannesburg", "Winter In America", "The Liberation (Red, Black & Green)", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is (Live)", "We Almost Lost Detroit", "Angel Dust", "Show Bizness", "Madison Avenue", "Shut 'Em Down", "Alien (Hold On To Your Dreams)". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge book of jazz reviews from the UK – all penned by journalist Chris Searle from the Morning Star – and presented here with a bonus 2CD set of rare material from the UK scene! The CD is really incredible – and is almost worth the price of the package alone – as it features never-issued work that echoes some of the ideas in the book – served up by some of the luminaries we've come to love from the Jazz In Britain label! There's a huge amount of material from various groups led by pianist Chris McGregor – titles that include "New Year Carnival", "Sun Song", "Night Poem", and "Sabendye Baye" – plus more cuts that include "Saalfelden Encore" by Trevor Watts, "Live At The Albert" by Mujician, "Number Three" and "Sixes & Sevens" by John Stevens, "Six Piece Group Improvisation" by Splinters, and "How About You" by Bruce Turner. The book covers more contemporary musicians in UK performances – almost 400 pages of reviews from the Morning Star, on artists who include Susan Alcorn, Denys Baptiste, Fred Frith, Anthony Braxton, Mary Halvorsen, Oliver Lake, Frank Lowe, Myra Melford, Archie Shepp, Henry Grimes, and dozens of others. Book

An incredible record from the glory days of the Vanguard Records psych scene – a really unique album by a group who manages to be thoughtful and trippy at the same time! David Meltzer handles all the songwriting and guitar, and shares lead vocals with Tina Meltzer – on titles that include "Don't You Listen To Her", "Gently Gently", "Sky Baby", "Forget", "Dope Again", "Endless Tunnel", and "Up & Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic sounds from the well-named "prince of power pop" – the mighty Phil Seymour, a singer who only gave us a few albums at the start of the 80s – but a singer who really helped to define a generation at the time! Seymour came onto the scene after the initial ripples of punk and new wave – and, in a way, his music was almost more of a basic return to standard rock and roll – but without all the overblown trappings of the 70s, in a way that really just focused on the singer and the song, and Seymour's incredible talent for putting over a hook! Titles include "Precious To Me", "I Found A Love", "Let Her Dance", "Won't Finish Here", "Baby It's You", "Love You So Much", "Trying To Get To You", and "Then We Get Up". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing album from this soon-to-be-famous group – a set that's even more incredible than their previous record – and that one really knocked us out of the park! Tenorist Shabaka Hutchings is in tremendous territory here – recording for Impulse Records, and completely reinventing the spiritual legacy of that famous label – by taking his roots in South African jazz and fusing them through the boundless imagination of the contemporary London scene – a place where Hutchings has gotten great attention in recent years, and has risen to become one of the most important talents to emerge in recent years. The group features alto, bass, drums, and plenty of percussion – plus vocal moments from Siyabonga Mthembu – all delivered with a righteous current of energy that really lives up to the promise of the title, and which may well make Shabaka an even more important messenger in jazz than Kamasi Washington. Titles include "You've Been Called", "They Who Must Die", "Beast Too Spoke Of Suffering", "Behold The Deceiver", "Til The Freedom Comes Home", "Finally The Man Cried", and "Teach Me How To Be Vulnerable". CD

Insanely wonderful work from Shango Dance Band – a group headed by onetime Fela Kuti bandmate Ojo Okeji – whose bass work here is worth the price of admission alone! Okeji was a key part of Fela's Koola Lobitos, until leaving the group in 1968 – and taking some of the best players with him – to form the amazing Shango Dance Band, which is this incredible bridge between older Afro jazz modes and the new funk styles to explode in the 70s! At some level, the groove's a bit like that which Fela was percolating at the start of the 70s – but there's also some jazzier currents on the horn solos, especially the trumpet – and Okeji's bass is very far up in the mix – dipping, turning, and crafting these amazing grooves throughout – with a snakey vibe that's completely sublime – as is the entire record. And sure, there have been plenty of Afro Funk reissued on the market in the past decade or so – but few as essential as this one – or as enjoyable! Titles include "Position Pass Power", "Women Are Great", "Son Of Thunder", "Alupandu Gbe", and "I Need Your Love". CD

A west coast classic – featuring some of Bud Shank's best small group work of the mid 50s! The album has Shank playing in two different groups, one with Shorty Rogers on trumpet, one with the great Bill Perkins on tenor – and we'll be honest in saying that Perkins' tone is incredible, a perfect match for Shank's well-honed sound of the time – blown with a nice edge that really deepens the sound of the record – a slight sense of soul that goes past traditional west coast modes, and really fits Shank's sometimes-edgey playing. Rogers is still pretty great too – and the casual setting of the album is a refreshing change from some of his more over-arranged work for other labels at the time! Titles include "Casa De Luz", "Jasmine", "Left Bank", "Paradise", "Fluted Columns", and "Royal Garden Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of a legend – a set that brings together all the important early recordings that made Ravi Shankar such a key ambassador for Indian music in the 60s – long tracks that mix his sitar with really incredible percussion, all spun out with pulsating modal energy that went on to have a huge impact on jazz, rock, and even more serious classical music too! Given that Shankar's cited as an influence by folks from Philip Glass to George Harrison to countless others, this package is really the place to start if you want to understand his music – and as with other titles from the Fremeaux label, the presentation is great, with lots of music in the set, and notes in French and English. Titles include "Raga Ramkali", "Raga Jog", "Raga Simhendra-Madhyamam", "Raga Ahir-Bhairav", "Dhun Kafi", "Raga Hamsadhwani", "Raga Rageshri", "Fire Night", and "Improvisation On The Theme Music From Panther Panchali". CD

An amazing record – bold, proud, and soulful – a set that we'd easily rank with any classic early 60s session on Blue Note – and for good reason too! This rare date is the debut as a leader for trumpeter Gene Shaw – also known as Clarence Shaw in an earlier history of work with Charles Mingus – and it's an incredible blend of hardbop grooving with sharper-edged modern jazz ideals – an incredible blend that comes off beautifully on every track in the set! Shaw's probably best known for his late 50s work on the Charles Mingus albums Tijuana Moods, East Coasting, and Modern Jazz Symposium Of Music & Poetry – but after a famous fight with Mingus, Clarence "hid out" in Chicago and worked under the name of Gene – but soon made big waves on his own with tremendous work like this. (In the liner notes to the 1963 release of Tijuana Moods, in which Mingus says that he loved Shaw, but can't get in touch with him anymore!) Every aspect of the record is superb – from the writing, to the rhythm section, to the incredibly well blown solos from trumpeter Shaw and tenorist Sherman Morrison – who himself is another vastly-overlooked talent in jazz. The rest of the group features James Taylor on piano, Sidney Robinson on bass, and Bernard Martin on drums – a totally crackling rhythm section who give most tunes a snapping sort of groove! Most tracks are originals, and titles include "Autum Walk", "Six Bits", "The Thing", "It's A Long Way", "AD's Blues", "Marj", and "Our Tune". CD

A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw – and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip – a mixture of jazz and soul, much more open-ended than some of Marlena's other albums, and with a more sophisticated feeling that was probably part of the way that she was presented to the crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The highlight of the set is a 10 minute long re-working of her classic "Woman Of The Ghetto" – done in an incredible way, with lots of extra lyrics, and a great jazzy groove that's been sampled more than once over the years. Also features an excellent reading of Marvin Gaye's "Save The Children", plus the cuts "Twisted", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "The Show Has Begun", and "But For Now". CD

An incredible early recording from avant tenor genius Archie Shepp – material recorded before his famous debut for Impulse Records, and with a group that's every bit as legendary as the leader! There's a vibe here that's a bit like ESP at times, but which both also echoes the Impulse Shepp to come, with maybe a slight nod to the direction he'd take in the 80s – thanks in part to a sublime reading of a Duke Ellington tune! The group features Steve Lacy on soprano sax, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Arthur Harper on bass, and Dennis Charles on drums – and the material is well-recorded, done at Bell Studios – with titles that include "Sophisticated Lady", and both long takes and alternates of "Dunbar Days & Miami Joys" and "Viva Jomo". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing duets between trombonist Steve Swell and pianist Matthew Shipp – both incredible players on their own, but musicians who really seem to unlock something special here together! The improvisations have a way of mixing boldness with personal expressions of humanity – at a level that gives us both some of the most striking sounds we've heard from Swell in recent years, alongside some surprisingly warm moments from Shipp on piano – even at points when he's playing relatively free! The whole thing is definitely one of those special records that perfectly illustrates the strengths of free improvisation, while also moving the format forward – and titles include "Dark Matter", "String Theory", "Space Hammer", "The Dumb Abyss", "Space Cube Jazz", "Ice & Water", and "Firmament". CD

An incredible album – one of our favorite Blue Notes ever! Despite the fact that the album's a spare quartet session, the record is one of Wayne Shorter's richest – and features his gutsy young tenor soloing insanely with a rhythmically intense combo that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – a wonderfully free-thinking rhythm trio! Workman's bass is especially strong, and it underpins the cuts with a throbbing pulse that takes them past any simple hardbop conventions. Every cut's a winner – and this is one album we reach for time and time again over the years! Titles include "Adam's Apple", "El Gaucho", "Footprints", and "Teru". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album – one of our favorite Blue Notes ever! Despite the fact that the album's a spare quartet session, the record is one of Wayne Shorter's richest – and features his gutsy young tenor soloing insanely with a rhythmically intense combo that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – a wonderfully free-thinking rhythm trio! Workman's bass is especially strong, and it underpins the cuts with a throbbing pulse that takes them past any simple hardbop conventions. Every cut's a winner – and this is one album we reach for time and time again over the years! Titles include "Adam's Apple", "El Gaucho", "Footprints", and "Teru". CD features the bonus track "The Collector". CD

One of the most adventurous records we've heard from Wayne Shorter in years – a collection of live recordings made in Europe in the summer of 2001, featuring a free-thinking group that includes Danilo Perez on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. The sound here is almost end-of-the-60s Shorter – as the tracks have an incredible amount of space, and might at times almost be dubbed "out". Shorter returns to his angular genius on tenor and soprano sax – crafting long, complicated lines that have a lot more edginess than we've heard from him in years! Titles include "Go", "Valse Triste", "Sanctuary", "Masquelero", "Footprints", and "Atlantis". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most adventurous records we've heard from Wayne Shorter in years – a collection of live recordings made in Europe in the summer of 2001, featuring a free-thinking group that includes Danilo Perez on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. The sound here is almost end-of-the-60s Shorter – as the tracks have an incredible amount of space, and might at times almost be dubbed "out". Shorter returns to his angular genius on tenor and soprano sax – crafting long, complicated lines that have a lot more edginess than we've heard from him in years! Titles include "Go", "Valse Triste", "Sanctuary", "Masquelero", "Footprints", and "Atlantis". CD

Genius, pure genius! Like all of Wayne Shorter's Blue Note sessions from the mid 60s, this album's a beautiful blend of hard bop ideas with a modern spiritual soulful consciousness – as important in its own way as Coltrane's work of the time – an incredible precursor for sounds from generations to come! Shorter's tenor solos are the main focus here, and he plays with creativity and imagination that you don't often hear on his later works – a sharp, soulful approach – but one that's already light years ahead of some of his Blue Note contemporaries – reaching for new ideas, but without any sense of effort – none of the overly-tense notes you'd get later, and instead just a marvelously fluid feel that really makes sense from the very first note – tremendous listening for both the lifetime jazz fan or the newcomer. McCoy Tyner plays piano, and Reggie Workman and Elvin Jones complete the group – and titles include "House Of Jade", "Deluge", "Mahjong", and "Yes Or No". LP, Vinyl record album

An album of incredible beauty – and one of the key early sides that Shorter cut for Blue Note! It's nearly impossible to describe the genius of these records without playing them – and upon playing, all words disappear in the brilliance of Shorter's incredible tone, solo imagination, and writing! There's a nascent soulfulness here that would emerge quite strongly across the field of jazz in the late 60s and early 70s – bubbling forth here on the session, with a sound that we could only call Shorter-archetypal – and return to again and again over the years, as proof that few players ever measured up as greatly at such a young age! The group's a quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the set list includes "Speak No Evil", "Infant Eyes", "Witch Hunt", and "Wild Flower". CD features a bonus alternate take of "Dance Cadaverous". CD

An album of incredible beauty – and one of the key early sides that Shorter cut for Blue Note! It's nearly impossible to describe the genius of these records without playing them – and upon playing, all words disappear in the brilliance of Shorter's incredible tone, solo imagination, and writing! There's a nascent soulfulness here that would emerge quite strongly across the field of jazz in the late 60s and early 70s – bubbling forth here on the session, with a sound that we could only call Shorter-archetypal – and return to again and again over the years, as proof that few players ever measured up as greatly at such a young age! The group's a quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the set list includes "Speak No Evil", "Infant Eyes", "Witch Hunt", and "Wild Flower". CD

A legendary record from Show & AG – and one of the strongest full lengths of the early 90s from the DITC camp! Runaway Slave came about during the end of an era when major labels still seemed to be hungry for for dope underground MCs, so there's a gritty realness here, and on other great hip hop LPs of the early 90s that's still pretty incredible. This full length debut delivers very strongly on the Soul Clap EP – and titles include that classic track "Bounce Ta This", "Represent", "Catchin Wreck", "Fat Pockets", "40 Acres And My Props", "Hold Ya Head", "He Say, She Say", "Hard To Kill" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the greatest album ever from Side Effect – a wonderful set that mixes their soulful harmonies with some killer jazz funk from Wayne Henderson! The album may be the most perfect realization of the groove that Henderson was going for during his At Home Productions years – lots of funky fusion in the instrumentation, but all directed towards a tighter, more soul-based style – that perfect contribution that Fantasy Records made to the world in the 70s – after labels like Blue Note and Columbia first started setting things down. Whatever the chronology, though, this set's a standout no matter how you slice it – damn catchy tunes, incredible vocals, and a set of rhythms that are every bit as hip today as they were back when first recorded – really genre-defining grooves that you'll definitely recognize in the album's classics "Always There" and "Keep That Same Old Feeling" – and will go on to love in the cuts "Life Is What You Make It", "Changes", "I Know You Can", "SOS", "Time Has No Ending", "Finally Found Someone", and "Honky Tonk Scat". CD

A killer session from Horace Silver – a record that has the legendary Blue Note pianist working with his famous quintet that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The album's one of the group's first, and really showcases their sublime blend of rootsy soul jazz rhythms and more exotic, sophisticated approaches to arranging – playing in a style that mixes harder grooves with more meditative compositions with incredible lyrical beauty! The album includes tracks that mix both of these styles – and titles include the classic "Sister Sadie", plus "Baghdad Blues", "Melancholy Mood", "Break City", "St Vitus Dance", and the lovely "Peace". CD

A killer session from Horace Silver – a record that has the legendary Blue Note pianist working with his famous quintet that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The album's one of the group's first, and really showcases their sublime blend of rootsy soul jazz rhythms and more exotic, sophisticated approaches to arranging – playing in a style that mixes harder grooves with more meditative compositions with incredible lyrical beauty! The album includes tracks that mix both of these styles – and titles include the classic "Sister Sadie", plus "Baghdad Blues", "Melancholy Mood", "Break City", "St Vitus Dance", and the lovely "Peace". CD

Early 60s magic from Horace Silver – working here at the height of his youthful powers! The album's a perfect example of the sound that Silver created while at Blue Note – a lyrically melodic approach to soul jazz, but one that was able to open up the rhythms past stock riffs and gimmicks – and grow into a magnificent sound that never failed to excite! The group on the set is perfect – with Junior Cook on tenor, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Gene Taylor on bass, and the incredible Roy Brooks on drums – and the tunes sparkle with wit, warmth, and imagination throughout! Titles include "Where You At", "Without You", "Horace-Scope", "Nica's Dream", "Strollin", and "Yeah!". CD

A bit less well-known than some of the real Horace Silver classics on Blue Note – but an incredible record that shows the Silver Quintet at all its lyrical best! The record is a masterpiece of original voicings from Horace – not just in the unique tunes he penned for the set, but also in the strong direction he gives the group – a well-knit lineup that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums – all coming together with some of the most fluid, most intuitive energy of any combo of the time! The melodic themes are structured loosely, so that Mitchell, Cook, and Silver can extrapolate on beautifully-spun solos – and titles include "Sweet Sweetie Dee", "Nineteen Bars", "The Dragon Lady", "Silver's Serenade", and "Let's Get To The Nitty Gritty". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". This great CD reissue also adds a whole bunch of extra cuts to the original album, including new material never heard before, and a trio version of "Que Pasa". 10 cuts in all! CD

Wonderful material from Nina Simone – working here still with one foot in the jazzier style of early days, but with haunting elements of the later progressive style to come! The "pastel" in the title shouldn't imply any sort of softness on Nina's part, because if anything, she's really sharpening up her game a lot here – packing a punch that wasn't allowed so strongly on some of her earlier recordings. The album features an incredible 10 minute version of "Sinnerman", arranged by Nina with complicated jazzy riffing and a nice breakdown in the middle that's completely sublime – and other tracks include "Be My Husband", "End Of The Line", "Chilly Winds Don't Blow", "Strange Fruit", and "Ain't No Use". CD

A rare gem from Zoot Sims – very different than any of his other albums! The session features Zoot blowing over large backings arranged and conducted by Gary McFarland, a bit in the older Verve "with strings" mode, but also sparkling with a lot of the newer elements that McFarland was bringing to his work at the time. The approach is both light and lush at the same time – and Zoot's got a tone and approach that we've never heard on any other record, making the whole album an incredible treat that we'd rank up there with Stan Getz's experiments of the same type from the 60s. Titles include "I Wish I Knew", "Does The Sun Really Shine On The Moon", "Once We Loved", "Old Folks", "September Song", "Stella By Starlight", and "Once I Could Have Loved". CD

A rare gem from Zoot Sims – very different than any of his other albums! The session features Zoot blowing over large backings arranged and conducted by Gary McFarland, a bit in the older Verve "with strings" mode, but also sparkling with a lot of the newer elements that McFarland was bringing to his work at the time. The approach is both light and lush at the same time – and Zoot's got a tone and approach that we've never heard on any other record, making the whole album an incredible treat that we'd rank up there with Stan Getz's experiments of the same type from the 60s. Titles include "I Wish I Knew", "Does The Sun Really Shine On The Moon", "Once We Loved", "Old Folks", "September Song", "Stella By Starlight", and "Once I Could Have Loved". CD

One of Frank Sinatra's last great ballad albums for Capitol – a sad and dreamy batch of tunes that kicks off with the incredible "Only The Lonely" – one of those Sinatra torch songs that's so great, so sad, nobody else has ever been able to record a better version, nor have they really tried! The rest of the album's great, too – with arrangements by Nelson Riddle that are very much in the Wee Small Hours mode – expressive, but subtle and sophisticated – at that level that set Sinatra so far apart from most other male singers of the 50s. Despite the creepy cover, there's a mature, adult approach to the whole thing – a new level of emotion that most other singers wouldn't find for a decade. Titles include "Only The Lonely", "Angel Eyes", "What's New", "Ebb Tide", "Spring Is Here", "Goodbye", and the sublime "One For My Baby". CD

A sad little album that has Frank still in the throes of the emotional loss expressed on The Wee Small Hours album – working here with Gordon Jenkins arrangements that use a fair bit of strings to well up the darkness that lurks in the songs on the set. The album kicks off with the sublime "Where Are You?", one of the greatest songs of loss we could ever recommend – and then moves into some incredible readings of standards like "Where Is The One", "I'm A Fool To Want You", "I Cover the Waterfront", "Laura", and "Lonely Town" – all done in a style that's emotive, yet never overwrought, perfect sad Sinatra all the way! CD also features 4 bonus tracks – "Don't Worry Bout Me", "Rain (Falling From The Skies)", "It Worries Me", and "I Can Read Between The Lines". CD

A delightful little jukebox EP from one of Sinatra's greatest records ever – pure genius all the way through! Frank's backed here by the orchestra of Count Basie, with some incredible arrangements by Quincy Jones that really have a jazzy, syncopated kick to them. The move seems to be an unintentional way of covering for Frank's slightly failing pipes – but it also picks up on a seminal beat change in 60s pop, the same sort of gentle snapping groove that you'd find in the best work by Bacharach, a shift that really infuses Frank's vocals with a whole new sound, one that shows that he's ready to keep on growing and growing after being stuck in a Nelson Riddle rut. All tracks are superb – hip 60s pop and showtunes, like "Fly Me To the Moon", "More", "The Good Life", and "I Wanna Be Around". 7-inch, Vinyl record

Great later work from this 60s southern soul legend – a set that's maybe more rarities than hits – even though there's some classic Percy Sledge tunes in the mix as well, just served up in later versions! The collection's a great illustration of the way that true soul heroes keep on making great music long after the charts and radio play have kept them in the mainstream – and, apart from a rare few who get a late-life chance to work with a famous rock producer, or maybe get some Rolling Stone hype, there's plenty of others who never fully get that shot – yet keep on making wonderful music like this. As usual with Sunset Blvd, there's almost no details as to where the specific tracks are from – but we can say that the material is all from later in Sledge's career, and still has that incredible voice working through superb material – some lesser-known gems and remakes of some of his older Atlantic tracks. The set includes a few tracks on CD for the first time ever – remakes of "Spooky", "Warm & Tender Love", and "Sweet Soul Music" – plus "Hard Lovin Woman" – and other cuts include "Twine Time", "Honest As Daylight", "Blue Water", "It Tears Me Up", "Dark End Of The Street", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "She's Too Pretty To Cry", "Tell It Like It Is", and "If She Were Mine". CD

Sly's leaping into the air on the cover of this one – and for good reason too, given the overall groove of the set! The album's a bit more stripped-down and upbeat than the previous few – almost more of a return to the simple funky style of the first albums, but with a slightly more electric sound than before – especially in the keyboards, which almost slide into the mix here with a Stevie Wonder-like quality. The electricity bubbles and brews wonderfully at the bottom of the rhythms – charging things up a bit, but still hanging back with a super-cool, laidback quality that few other groups could muster! There's a great sense of balance here that's brilliant – and which makes the album one of Sly's undisputed masterpieces from the Columbia years. Titles include the incredible "If You Want Me To Stay" – one of our favorite Sly Stone cuts ever – plus "Keep on Dancin", "Babies Making Babies", "Que Sera Sera", "If It Were Left Up To Me", "In Time", and "Let Me Have It All". LP, Vinyl record album

We're not normally ones to stock urban fire books here at Dusty Groove – but as you probably know, our hometown is Chicago, a city with a pretty incredible history – part of which is a fantastic fire that burned the whole place to the ground back in the 19th century! This huge book dives into great detail about the fire – its origins, its too-long burnout, initial failed efforts to stop it, and the surprisingly quick rise from the ashes that Chicago experienced as a result – as the city turned the tragedy into a way of rethinking and modernizing itself, which made it very well-poised to become a global powerhouse in years to come! Carl Smith tells the tale with a nicely narrative voice, while also showcasing the long research that went into the project – and this hardcover edition is 374 pages, with some black and white images. Book

One of Jimmy's most classic albums for Blue Note – and a key example of why his solo skills on the organ surpassed most of his contemporaries! The record's got a stripped-down trio group of Jimmy, guitarist Quentin Warren, and drummer Donald Bailey – working through mostly familiar numbers, but taking them to places previously unheard of! The best example of this is the album's amazing version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" – a classic groover that takes the old snoozer and pumps it up with a snapping rhythm, then features Jimmy really working the whole thing over with an incredible solo! A similar format's applied to numbers that include "Mack the Knife", "Night in Tunisia", "What's New", and "Makin Whoopee" – and the album soars with an easy groove that's every bit of Jimmy at his best! CD features 2 bonus tracks too! CD

One of Jimmy's most classic albums for Blue Note – and a key example of why his solo skills on the organ surpassed most of his contemporaries! The record's got a stripped-down trio group of Jimmy, guitarist Quentin Warren, and drummer Donald Bailey – working through mostly familiar numbers, but taking them to places previously unheard of! The best example of this is the album's amazing version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" – a classic groover that takes the old snoozer and pumps it up with a snapping rhythm, then features Jimmy really working the whole thing over with an incredible solo! A similar format's applied to numbers that include "Mack the Knife", "Night in Tunisia", "What's New", and "Makin Whoopee" – and the album soars with an easy groove that's every bit of Jimmy at his best! LP, Vinyl record album

Jimmy Smith live was a killer – especially in the early days, when this one was recorded! Back in the late 50s, when Jimmy was shocking the world with his fantastically creative approach to the organ, Blue Note cut some of the first strong-selling live albums by following Jimmy to the clubs – where he would really let loose with some incredible work on the Hammond B-3. The albums recorded that time shine far brighter than Jimmy's studio work – as you'll hear in this great 2CD set that brings back the rare Groovin At Smalls vols 1 & 2, plus a whole bunch of unreleased material! There's a total of 13 tracks in all – many of them very very long – and all of them featuring Jimmy on organ, Eddie McFadden on guitar, and Donald Bailey on drums. A whopping batch of nice tracks – and titles include "After Hours", "Walkin", "My Funny Valentine", "Laura", "Slightly Monkish", and "The Champ". CD

An incredible live set by Dr. Lonnie Smith – recorded during his 75th birthday celebration at NYC's Jazz Standard! It's mostly in a trio setting with Jonathan Kreisberg on guitar and Johnathan Blake on drums, working through raucous and intimate moments with equal skill. We saw Lonnie play not too long before this impeccable set was recorded, so believe us when we tell you, the next best thing to seeing him do his inimitable thing in person – even as late in the game as his 75th year – is right here! He wastes no time pulling us in with a great take on Wayne Shorter's "Juju", which feels SO good with Lonnie's electric keys, along with some great space for Kreisberg to shine, and the set has some wonderful mellower moments, too. Includes a killer cover of Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", Smith's own "Alhambra" and "All In My Mind", plus "Devika", "On A Misty Night"and "Up Jumped Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever American release from French pianist Martial Solal – and one of the few, too – which is a real surprise, considering the huge recorded legacy he had overseas! The legendary European modernist is caught live at Newport, with backing by an American rhythm section of Teddy Kotick and Paul Motian – and although the tracks are mostly jazz standards – like "Stella By Starlight", "Round Midnight", "Boplicity", and "Poinciana" – but the album also features Solal's incredible "Suite Pour Une Frise", an extended work that is a perfect example of the kind of far-reaching piano work that was coming out of France at the time! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible early album by this legendary Brazilian band with a strong late 60s/early 70s progressive flair! While not as countercultural as Os Mutantes or other Tropicalia artists, Som Imaginario shared with them a sense of pure musical inventiveness, and a love of psychedelic flourishes – and they had a lasting impact upon MPB through their backup work for Milton Nascimento on some of his best albums. This rare first album is a killer – and features fantastic organ and piano riffs, heavy guitars, and stunning songwriting, with lots of jazzy touches – all very much in the best mode of the Minas Geras scene that also birthed Nascimento and Lo Borges. Wagner Tiso is on keyboards, but the whole band's great – and the vocals are produced to a very cool effect – and titles include "Hey Man", "Poison", "Nepal", "Pantera", "Super God", and "Morse". LP, Vinyl record album

Sonic Youth at their best – bringing the earlier, noisier impulses into an anthemic rock realm with incredible results! Daydream Nation's legancy looms as heavily over the indie rock to come in the next 20-or-so years as much as any other album album we can think of...hell, just the first 2 songs do that – and it doesn't let up 'til the end. Perfection! Includes "Teen Age Riot", "Silver Rocket", "The Sprawl", 'Cross The Breeze", "Eric's Trip", "Total Trash", "Hey Joni", "Providence", "Candle", "Rain King" and the closing "Kissability" suite. LP, Vinyl record album

This Japanese group have certainly grown up a lot – and this beautiful album is their most mature in years! The combo is fronted by singer Ann Sally – whose English language vocals add a tremendous amount of sophistication to the record – snaking forth in a cool jazzy style that goes way past the easy bossa remake mode of earlier albums. Sally's voice is incredible, and it's mixed with a well-constructed set of backings by the group, music that is especially heavy in its use of Fender Rhodes! The track list is great, too – with wonderful remakes of Fred Neil's "The Dolphins", Flora Purim's "Light As A Feather", Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance", and Coltrane's "Naima". Sweet, mellow, jazzy, and wonderfully rich – the group's best album in years! Italian version of the album features 2 tracks not on the Japanese one – "Butterfly (Incognito rmx)" and "Sky (Soul Bossa Trio blue rmx)". CD

Two beautiful albums by one of the greatest soul groups of all time! The Soul Children were a wonderful Memphis vocal group – with a two parts female/two parts male vocal style that just sounded incredible. All the members of the group were great singers, and the overall sound was a mixture of rootsy southern soul, and sweeter harmony sounds. There truly was no other group like them – and this CD brings together the band's first two, super-rare albums (which we almost never see on vinyl.) Titles include "I'll Understand", "Move Over", "The Hang Ups Of Holding On (parts 1 & 2)", "Don't Break Away", "Finish Me Off", "Doing Our Thang", "Take Up The Slack", and "Super Soul". Best Of Two Worlds is a beautiful album of Memphis soul by one of the sweetest vocal groups ever to come out of the south! The record's a bit more complicated than some of their earlier ones, and features some nice tracks with a more extended style, and more sophisticated arrangements that work great with the group's rich harmonies. Includes "The Hang Ups Of Holding On (parts 1 & 2)", "Wrap It Up", "Let's Make A Sweet Thing Sweeter", "Don't Break Away", and "Give Me One Good Reason Why". CD

A masterpiece of east coast vocal group soul – one of the best independent harmony albums of the early 70s! Soul Generation had a fantastic approach – a style that was both sweet and tough at the same time, done with slight gangster/pimp touches that set them apart from some of the other more fragile groups of their era. The album's produced and arranged to perfection by Stan Vincent – and nearly every single cut on the record is an instant classic. Starts out with the incredible "Super Fine" – one of our favorite harmony tracks of all time – then rolls into "That's The Way It's Got To Be (Body & Soul)", "Black Man", "Black Man", "Million Dollars", and "In Your Way". CD features 4 bonus tracks too – "Mandingo Woman", "I Wonder What She's Doin", "Key To Your Heart", and "Praying For A Miracle". CD

Pure genius from this hardly-heard group – a really wonderful little record that mixes soul and funk with some slight Latin touches as well – all in a blend that's as incredible as the record is rare! The group have this really warm vibe on the vocal numbers – a mix of female lead and chorus bits that's not unlike Voices Of East Harlem, and equally righteous too. But there's also some instrumental bits that are even harder and heavier – almost funky descarga numbers with some really jamming instrumentation, including some fuzzy vibes at one point that almost recall Stark Reality. Titles include "Getting It Down", "Through No Fault Of Our Own", "It's Wonderful Baby/Gina", "Come On And Stay With Me", "Stuff N' Thing", 'Keep On Keepin' On", "Babylon", "Reality", "Judgement Day", and "My People". LP, Vinyl record album

A really incredible spiritual jazz treasure from the New Orleans scene – one that features a student group led by legendary Nola musician Alvin Batiste, but delivered in a style that's much more like some of the hipper jazz collectives in cities like Detroit, Chicago, or Philly at the time! The tracks are long and flowing – filled with rhythm progressions that run deep, often with some modal energy – and almost all tracks have these really great vocals from Eddie Perkins, a soulful singer with a style that's in the territory of Andy Bey or Joe Lee Wilson – which, as you can imagine, makes for a really great addition to the music! Other players include Batiste on clarinet, James McElroy on soprano, Ernest Nation on trumpet, Alphonso Rodriguez on guitar, Richard Hunter on percussion, and a young Charlie Singleton on bass – and this rare set was only originally given away as a souvenir for the group's trip to West Africa in 1973. Titles include "Clean Air", "Holdin Meetin", "Nanigo", "Samba Dee", "Ah Je Gu Da Ba", and "Music Came". This reissue also features two rare bonus instrumentals – "Samba Dee" and "Music Came". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible full length album from The Spaniels – one that's mostly still in the group's older doo wop mode, but which also shows them picking up a bit of the Atlantic Records group sound of the early 60s! Many tracks make strong use of The Spaniels' classic vocal approach – especially the great lead vocals of Pookie Hudson – but there's also a number of tunes that change the rhythms up a bit, and seem to show the light influence of Latin and Brazilian rhythms that were showing up in east coast doo wop during the time, most notably in the work of The Drifters. The blend is really great – and makes the record far more than just a straight set of doo wop from Chicago – and instead, the record's a great precursor of Chi-town group soul to come from The Impressions and others – a 60s legacy from which The Spaniels were sadly excluded! Titles include "I Know", "Bus Fare Home", "Heart & Soul", "Crazy Baby", "Everyone's Laughing", "Little Joe", "The Posse", "I Lost You", "Baby Sweets", and "So Deep Within". LP, Vinyl record album

This is the third movement in the fantastic pop symphony that is Spanky & Our Gang! The record's perhaps their oddest to date – and mixes groovy vocal stylings with some fairly advanced production approaches that work perfectly with the incredible songs written by Stuart Scharf and Bob Dorough. The voices swirl about in a mad rush – interweaving lines of melody and poetry, punctuated by strange sounds, spacey airy instrumentation, and wonderful little rhythms. Titles include "Anything You Choose", "1-3-5-8", "Without Rhyme Or Reason", "Give A Damn", and "Nowhere To Go". LP, Vinyl record album

The first, and perhaps the most conventional album by Spanky & Our Gang – but still pretty darn insane! The group are a strange mix of 60s styles – with bits of We Five, bits of Harpers Bizarre, bits of The Association – but a totally strange and totally fun approach to pop that's very much their own. Cuts on the album are a mix of originals and covers – and highlights include the incredible "5 Definitions Of Love" by Bob Dorough, "Distance" by Joe Renzetti, "Commercial" by the band, and the track "It Ain't Necessarily Bird Avenue". Great groovy stuff – and with arrangements by Renzetti, Dorough, and Stuart Scharf. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – served up by a group with a name that might be clunky, but which also belies one of that nation's heaviest combos of the time! The approach here is a bit like some of the tripped-out blues-influenced rock of the Led Zep generation in the UK – but as with some of this band's contemporaries in Japan, there's also a wilder, wiggier vibe going on too – more freewheeling, especially on the fuzz – and driven by tremendous drums that make for some great changes in some of the more hard-rocking numbers. Titles include "Mr Walking Drugstore Man", "Stoned Out Of My Mind", "Big Headed Woman", and "Ode To The Bad People" – plus the experimental "M Glue", and the acoustic "Sometime We'll All Fall Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from The Stark Reality – an obscure group from the early 70s, but one who've really risen to fame over the years – thanks to their groundbreaking ear for new music, and their freewheeling way with a funky groove! This package brings together all the incredible work recorded by the group in the late 60s and early 70s – a mindblowing assortment of funky and fuzzy jazz tracks – almost all of which are graced by the offbeat vibes work of Monty Stark! Stark often adds a bit of distortion into his instrument, which makes for a very tripped-out approach to vibes – one that blends perfectly with the heavy funk of some of the rhythms, and the freaky guitar lines added to most tracks by a young John Abercrombie. Yet at other times, things are very laidback and chilled-out – balanced beautifully from track to track, in a way that illustrates the larger picture the group were always going for in their music. This massive package brings together everything Stark Reality ever recorded – their famous Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop album, the Acting Thinking Feeling live performance, the Roller Coaster Ride/1969 album, and lots of rare singles too – more than enough music to please any fan of the group, and blow the minds of anyone who's just getting a first taste. Titles include "Roller Coaster Ride", "On Being Black", "New World Generation", "Theme To Say Brother", "Dreams", "Clouds", "All You Need To Make Music", "Rocket Ship", "Cooking", "The Old Prospector", and "Junkman's Song". Great package too – with two LP-styled CD sleeves inside a larger case, plus a big booklet of notes and photos! CD

Genius, pure genius – and a record that will completely revise your thinking about Rod Stewart – a set that will blow away all the cliches you might know from later years, and will have you re-examining his early years in all their glorious brilliance! The sound is amazing right from the start – heavy on acoustic instrumentation that offers up a much rootsier side of Stewart than his work with The Faces or Jeff Beck – yet at a level that still packs a hell of a lot of punch, thanks to these incredible drums that get the whole thing going right from the start – urging on the vocals to a crackling charm that's even more powerful here away from any big chart hits. Even familiar tunes are completely remade by the godlike early Rod – as you'll year on tracks that include "Only A Hobo", "Gasoline Alley", "My Way Of Giving", "Cut Across Shorty", "Lady Day", "Jo's Lament", and "Country Comforts". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible snapshot of the funky soul genius of Sly Stone in an early transitional period – featuring all the known recordings of his short-lived Stone Flower label and production house from 1969-1970! Sly was a rising star at this point, and while the Stone Flower Productions name had been established already for Sly & The Family Stone's work-to-date, there was a brief period when he and manager David Kapralik set out make Stone Flower an official management and production house – and recorded some great tunes with female vocal trio Little Sister, funky soul singer and harmonica player Joe Hicks and funk rock sextet 6ix – as well as some gems sung by Sly himself. Sly & The Family Stone were soon to take off in a really huge way, his business relationship with Kapalik was becoming strained, and other factors behind-the-scenes made it impossible for Stone Flower Productions to really take root, but this brief period is fantastic. We're so glad it's been dug up and collected here! The cuts are primarily written and produced by Sly Stone – with Sly out front on "Just Like A Baby", "Africa", "Spirit" and "Scared" – and other great tracks include "You're The One" and "Somebody's Watching You" by Little Sister, "Home Sweet Home (Part 2)" and "I'm Going Home (Part 1)" by Joe Hicks, "Trying To Make You Feel Good", "You Can, We Can" by 6ix and more. 18 tracks in all – with a nice booklet of notes by Alec Palao, and an interview with the elusive Sly Stone himself! LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible second album from saxophonist Frank Strozier – recorded for Vee Jay records after his initial debut, but for some reason never issued at the time! Strozier was really hitting on all burners at this point – fusing the Memphis soul of his roots with the soulful hardbop he was crafting in Chicago with Harold Mabern and the MJT+3 – a sound that he replicates nicely here, in an intimate quartet setting with Bill Lee on bass, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Billy Wallace on piano. The tunes are moody and soulful – a masterpiece in understatement, and proof that Strozier was one of the most inventive non-Charlie Parker inspired altoists of his time! The CD adds a huge amount of alternate takes to the original sessions – making for a total of 15 numbers in all, with titles that include "Day In Day Out", "Stairway To The Stars", "Cloudy & Cool", "She", "Chris", and "No More". CD

A seminal early recording from one of our favorite reed players ever! In the late 1950s, the young Frank Strozier came up to Chicago from Memphis, along with his longtime friend, pianist Harold Mabern. The two of them both settled nicely in the city's MJT+3 combo, where they proceeded to record some incredible hardbop sessions for Vee Jay. During that same time, Strozier began to emerge as a strong soloist and a competent leader in his own right, and Vee Jay gave him a much-needed crack at this debut album. The session's a perfect showcase for Strozier's lyrical beauty, and given the quality of the work, it's a wonder he was never more famous. The group's a quintet, and Strozier's ably teamed with Booker Little, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. Titles include "WK Blues", "Waltz Of The Demons", "Runnin", and "Off Shore". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary vocal work from the postwar years – some of the earliest recordings from the enigmatic Yma Sumac – an artist whose records really laid the groundwork for an entire generation of exotica records to come! Sumac's authenticity has been debated over the years – but there's no denying that she's got this incredible vocal range – a many-octave approach that almost makes her sound like a human theremin – as she works with exotic backings from Les Baxter to offer up a take on Peruvian roots, styled towards a 50s bachelor pad listener! Titles include "Xtaby", "Wayra", "Taita Inty", "Monos", and "Tumpa". LP, Vinyl record album

There's maybe more jazz here than folk – some incredible work on horns amidst the percussion and guitars of the large lineup of Super Biton De Segou – a legendary group from Mali, and one whose roots are given great presentation in this double-length set! The music has a rawness that's different than work from other parts of the West African scene at the time – maybe not so much as to be folksy, but with a strong highlight of acoustic instrumentation, and very unassuming production that gives these tracks an honest sense of power after all these years. Titles include "Bouguel", "Nantan", "Djiri Maridie", "Kibaru 75", "Mariana", "Moriba", "Waraba Tchatcho", and "Farafina". LP, Vinyl record album

A supremely fantastic album, and one that's always woefully overlooked in discussions of James Brown's incredible People label! Sweet Charles, Charles Sherell, was a great lost soul vocalist who had a voice that was warm and mellow, with a sweetness that was often missing from James' singing – but which sounded great with his arrangements and production. Fred Wesley and Dave Matthews arranged this one and only album, and the record's a great blend of sweet soul tracks, funky numbers, and other stellar grooves. There's a killer version of "Soul Man", that begins with a very tasty break; the monster "Yes, It's You", which has a sweetly sliding intro that's ripe for sampling; the righteous political "Why Can't I Be Treated Like A Man" – and lots of other nice ones too! CD

Trombonist Steve Swell works here in a shifting set of groups, all recorded during a festival performance in Poland – with smaller group outings on the first CD, and much larger ensemble expressions on the final two discs! Swell is a hell of an improviser, but here he's clearly stepping into a huge role as a visionary leader in free jazz – as great as you'd know in smaller groupings, and majestically elevated to the level of a Barry Guy or Misha Mengelberg as he creates incredible sounds with the larger group. Other players include Gebhard Ullman on bass clarinet and tenor, Niklas Barno on trumpet, Signe Emmeluth on alto, Hanne De Backer on baritone, Per Ake Holmlander on tuba, Elisabeth Coudoux on cello, Jon Rune Strome on bass, and Paal Nilssen Love on drums and percussion – all players who seem to find explosive new energy in their company together here! CD

Simply incredible work from Swing Out Sister – a group who left the charts decades ago, it seems, but who sound better and better with each passing year! This album may well be their best so far – a swirling blend of soul, jazz, bossa, and 60s mod touches – put together with an amazing approach to songwriting that takes the album far beyond any sort of simple reference to its influences. Singer Corinne Drewey has one of those voices that grabs you instantly, and holds your attention again and again with lyrics that are surprisingly fresh, never cliched, and show an evolution in the group that's simply astounding. The album's one that had us hitting "repeat" as soon as it was finished – and every track's a delight! Titles include "Capirinha", "From My Window", "Where Our Love Grows", "Love Won't Let You Down", "Happy Ending", "La Source", "We'll Find A Place", and "Let The Stars Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge collection – a series of different live performances from Japanese improvising saxophonist Mototeru Takagi, most recorded in the late 80s – plus one more from the following decade too! Takagi is solo throughout most of the set – and he has an amazing ability to rework familiar themes and then explode out on his own – bringing occasional older melodies into the mix to remind us that he is rooted to a tradition in jazz, even though his own longer improvisations are maybe even more incredible. Work is mostly on tenor, with a few soprano sax performances – and in addition to a series of dated "Love Dance" long improvisations, titles also include takes on "Going Home", "Petite Fleur", "Il Pleut Sur La Rute", "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. On the final disc, one long improvisation has additional work from Taku Sugimoto on guitar – but all other titles are solo. CD