Seminal work from Ian Hunter and group – recorded in 1969, and a great harbinger for the sound of the 70s! Titles include "Rock & Roll Queen", "Half Moon Bay", "Rabbit Foot & Toby Time", "Wrath & Wroll", "Laught At Me", "Backsliding Fearlessly", and "You Really Got Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A great trio set – with Fred Hopkins on bass and Steve McCall on drums – and Murray only on tenor on four long tracks that include "Coney Island", "Corazon", "The Hill", and "Hope/Scope". CD

A heady concept album from this legendary group – one that features a suite of tracks that all share concerns for the environment! Given the amount of electricity at play, the album's maybe not as "green" of a set as it might be – but Nektar definitely seem to create some energy of their own in a heady blend of keyboards, guitars, bass, and drums! The familiar instruments are used in really powerful, soaring styles – and the production has some cool touches around the edges that change things up nicely, and add in just the right sort of spacey currents. Lead vocals follow the message in the music – and titles include "Cybernetic Consumption", "Recycle Countdown", "Flight To Reality", "Unendless Imaginations", "Sao Paulo Sunrise", "It's All Over", and "Costa Del Sol". 5CD set features bonus tracks "Flight To Reality (single)" and "It's All Over (single) – plus the 2024 Geoff Emerick mix, and bonus live material recorded in Toronto and Long Island in 1976! CD

One of Ken Nordine's trippiest albums! This was released on Ken's own Snail Records label in the late 70's, and it's got a very different feel than his classic Word Jazz LPs on Dot. There's still a lot of cool processed vocals, and weird production in which Ken talks with himself in many different voices, but there's also some added instrumentation, and even a few tracks that you could call "songs". The musicians are an odd batch of players from the Chicago scene, including Odell Brown and Manfredo Fest, and Kitty Haywood also sings vocals on some of the album. Titles include "Smelts", "Scratch", "Angel's Lament", "Island", "Mister Blister", and "Cracks In the Ceiling". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album ever from this trippy little combo from the 60s Berkeley scene! Notes From The Underground were contemporaries of Country Joe & The Fish, and share a similar mix of folk and country-styled roots mixed with a bit of pre-hippie rock – but their overall sound is a bit more focused, and gets some nice jazzy inflections here from keyboardist Skip Rose – who plays piano, organ, and even a bit of harpsichord on the set! Rose's lines really help spin the album in a different path from some of its contemporaries – not just on the set's unusual instrumental take on Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island", but also on the vocal numbers as well – where rolling piano lines offset the guitar nicely. Titles include "Who Needs Me", "Tristesse", "Where I'm At", "Follow Me Down", "I Wish I Was A Punk", and "Down In The Basement". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary tenorist George Coleman adds his voice to the One For All combo on a number of tracks here – making the already-great combo even better! For years, One For All has always boasted tremendous tenor work from the mighty Eric Alexander – but more recently, Alexander has also begun to play alto work – which he does here on a few tracks that then allow Coleman to step up strongly – blowing with that soulful depth that he's been bringing to recording sessions from the 60s onwards, maybe even better here with the passage of years! And the rest of the all-star lineup is equally great – Jim Rotondi on trumpet, Steve Davis on trombone, David Hazeltine on piano, John Webber on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. Coleman blows on the titles "Oscar Winner", "This I Dig Of You", and "My Foolish Heart" – and other tracks include "Chainsaw", "In The Lead", and "Edgerly". CD has three bonus tracks – "Leemo", "Cove Island Breeze", and "The Nearness Of You". CD

An insanely wonderful album! Shuggie Otis is the son of Johnny Otis – the LA R&B maestro who was moving heavily into funk at the end of the 60s – and he has this tripped out, super-dope guitar style that he played to strong effect on Johnny's albums of the late 60s and early 70s, and on his first two solo albums, which were kind of bluesy in tone. For this album, though, he shocked the world by moving into a stripped-down mode that pairs his guitar with spare drum machine rhythms, flanged-out deeply soulful vocals, and one of the most laidback conceptions of funk you'll ever hear. The album's a landmark – one of those gems that's unlike anything else you can think of, but which will redefine your concept of what you want in a record for years to come. Every track's a winner – and the whole thing's a perfectly unified batch of tunes that includes instant classics like "Inspiration Information", "Island Letter", "Aht Uh Mi Hed", "XL 30", and "Rainy Day". Plus, this reissue features 4 tracks from Shuggie's Freedom Flight LP – including his original version of "Strawberry Letter 23", and "Sweet Thang", "Freedom Flight", and "Ice Cold Daydream". CD

A great introduction to the music of Shuggie Otis – the tripped-out guitarist who's best known for his early 70s classics for Columbia Records! This set comes from those three amazing albums – and showcase Shuggie's shift from bluesy funk guitar to the more laidback, tripped-out work of his classic Inspiration Information album! Cuts from that classic take up all of side two – including "Aht Uh Mi Hed", "Sparkle City", "Inspiration Information", and "Island Letter" – and side one features other gems that include his original recording of "Strawberry Letter 23", plus "Me & My Woman", "Hurricane", "Baby I Need You", "Sweet Thang", and "Ice Cold Daydream". LP, Vinyl record album

Japanese drummer George Otsuka is always one hell of a hip cat – one of those players whose name on a record always means that we'll pick it up – and never fail to hear something wonderful! And while Otsuka first got his start working with a piano trio at the end of the 60s, this sweet set from the mid 70s really has him stretching out nicely – working with a freewheeling group that has plenty of spiritual elements – but in that gentler avant mode you'd find in the Japanese scene of the time. The set's got some especially great Fender Rhodes and piano from Fumio Karashima, plus tenor and soprano sax from Shozo Sasaki – and all tracks are nice and long, and really let the instrumentation build up in this flowing, organic sort of way. Mitsuaki Furuno plays bass, and Norio Ohno adds in a bit of extra percussion too – and titles include a nice reading of "Naima", with lots of fast-moving congas – plus "Physical Structure", "Mustard Pot", and "Little Island". CD

A great lost album from the end of the Black Ark era! Originally recorded for Island records in the late 70s, this set has Scratch teaming up with a pair of Congolese musicians for an amazing fusion of his spacey reggae vision with their Zairian roots in Zouk music. Includes "African Root", "Bad Food", "Mengieb", "Wakoya","Nzube", "Masanga" and "African Freedom: Brotherhood". CD

A great bit of Aloha Soul from Phase 7 – a Hawaiian group who are right on the money from the very first note, and continue throughout with a wonderfully warm sound! The record's a bit upbeat, but not really clubby – more in the kind of sunny free soul vibe that we love from some of the best island soul groups of the time – delivered with a style that's upfront and unadorned, maybe a more honest take on some of the Cali soul that was coming out of the bigger studios on the west coast in the late 70s. The album's rock-solid throughout – crafted more as a whole set than going for a few singles – and titles include "Could It Be Love", "Chotto Matte Kudasai", "Playtime", "Slip Away", "You & Me", "So Good To Be In Love", and "Love Lifted Me". CD

Includes the songs "Cantaloupe Island", "Contact", "Pebble Beach Walk", "California", "The Loner", "Soul Summit", "Eighty-One", "Twenty Small Cigars", "How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That", "King Kong", and "With A Little Help From My Friends". CD

A nice little record – way different than Ponty's overblown sides from the 70s, and cut at a time when he was hanging out with George Duke and Frank Zappa! The record is a live session recorded at the hip Donte's nightclub in Hollywood at the end of the 60s – but not issued until a brief release in 1981. Ponty's on his trademark violin, grooving on long tracks with backing by George Duke on piano, John Heard on bass, and Al Cecchi on drums. Titles include "Hypomode Del Sol", "People", "California", and "Eighty One". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – including "Canteloupe Island", "Pamukkale", "Sara's Theme", and "Foosh". CD

One of Lasha & Simmons firey collaborations from the mid 60's! Both players are at the top of their form, and the backing – by Bobby Hutcherson, Buster Williams, and Charles Moffett – provides a hard rythmic drive that sets their solos on edge and really gives them focus. Lasha plays flute, alto, and alto clarinet, and Simmons plays alto and a bit of English horn. Great stuff, and beautiful mix of out sensibilities and tight rhythm playing. With the tracks "Island Song", "Firebirds", and "Psalms Of Solomon". CD

Killer Latin soul from Pucho and crew – and an album that's one of their greatest! The record is also one of the earliest by the group, and it features a different lineup than later ones – with William Bivens on vibes, Claude Bartee on tenor, and Vince McEwan on trumpet. There's a bit more of a pop Latin influence here than on some of the funk outings – but the jazz component is equally high, and even numbers like "Goldfinger" and "Walk On By" come off sounding nice and groovy! The real strength, though, is the original material – which includes the tracks "Vietnam Mambo", "Strange Thing Mambo", and "Just For Kicks", all pretty nice groovers. The album also features a good version of Herbie Hancock's "Cataloupe Island", which is always a treat! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic take on the music of Sun Ra – a set that looks at the way his sounds dovetailed with the exotica movement in American music of the postwar years! Given that he claimed to be from outer space, Ra was already pretty darn exotic himself – but his music also arose at a time when artists like Martin Denny and Les Baxter were taking global sounds and fusing them into more mainstream American music, including jazz – with results that have become legendary over the years! And while Denny, Baxter, and other contemporaries were more involved with mood music, Ra was part of a generation of jazz musicians – such as Yusef Lateef or Wilbur Harden – who were working a richer vein of the territory for jazz – as you'll hear in these wonderful tracks. The set brings together key sides from the earliest Ra recordings, plus some unissued material too – done in the really great style of the other Modern Harmonic reissues in recent years. Unissued titles include "April In Paris", "Paradise", "Star Bright", "Spontaneous Simplicity", "Somewhere In Space", and "Cha Cha In Outer Space" – and other titles include "Overtones Of China", "Tiny Pyramids", "The Nile (part 1)", "Kingdom Of Thunder", "Ancient Aiethopia", "India", "Friendly Galaxy", and "Africa" – plus the complete version of "Island In The Sun". CD

A really wonderfully-done collection of work from the legendary Sun Ra – put together by longtime musical partner Marshall Allen, and way way different than the typical mish-mash of tracks you'd find on some of the budget or public domain titles on the market! First off, the track selection is really thoughtful – music that definitely defines the Arkestra in the 60s and 70s, but which also highlights some of its overlooked corners too – pulled together from recordings that appeared on the Saturn, Impulse, and other labels – all curated and remastered by Art Yard, who've done their share of great Ra reissues over the years. Plus, the package features a few unreleased performances as well – and although it would serve as a great introduction to the music of Sun Ra, it's also really perfectly put together for longtime Ra fans as well – given the focus, track selection, and overall quality of the whole thing. The sounds are sublime – maybe one of the best summations of the righteous, cosmic genius of the Arkestra at its best – and titles include "Reflects Motion", "Island In The Sun (extended)", "Somewhere In Space", "The Lady With The Golden Stockings", "Somebody Else's World", "Ancient Aethiopia", "Astro Black", "Have You Heard The Latest News From Neptune", "We Travel The Spaceways", and "Plutonian Nights". 2CD version also includes the never-heard "Trying To Put The Blame On Me". CD

A really wonderfully-done collection of work from the legendary Sun Ra – put together by longtime musical partner Marshall Allen, and way way different than the typical mish-mash of tracks you'd find on some of the budget or public domain titles on the market! First off, the track selection is really thoughtful – music that definitely defines the Arkestra in the 60s and 70s, but which also highlights some of its overlooked corners too – pulled together from recordings that appeared on the Saturn, Impulse, and other labels – all curated and remastered by Art Yard, who've done their share of great Ra reissues over the years. Plus, the package features a few unreleased performances as well – and although it would serve as a great introduction to the music of Sun Ra, it's also really perfectly put together for longtime Ra fans as well – given the focus, track selection, and overall quality of the whole thing. The sounds are sublime – maybe one of the best summations of the righteous, cosmic genius of the Arkestra at its best – and titles include "Reflects Motion", "Island In The Sun (extended)", "Somewhere In Space", "The Lady With The Golden Stockings", "Somebody Else's World", "Ancient Aethiopia", "Astro Black", "Have You Heard The Latest News From Neptune", "We Travel The Spaceways", and "Plutonian Nights". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album from Sun Ra and the Arkestra – one that we'd rank right up there with our favorites on the Saturn Records label! The work here has never been issued, and it's extremely beautiful, too – pulled from a few just-discovered studio sessions done after the group was parting ways with Impulse Records, and mostly recording in a live environment! There's an intimacy to these studio tracks that's a nice difference from some of the more freewheeling live work of the period – moments that almost hearken back to the exotic jazz of the earliest Saturn years of the group, mixed with some other currents that seem to point the way towards the excellent Horo Records material to come – especially in the way Ra is phrasing things on his piano. Most groups are relatively small, and titles include the lovely "Island In The Sun" with Marshall Allen on some great flute; a studio take on "Unmask The Batman", better known from live sets, and a playful tune that hints at the group's work on the Dan & Dale Batman album in the 60s; a spiritual stormer "I'll Wait For You", with great piano from Ra and an excellent tenor solo from John Gilmore; and a take on "New Dawn" with work by Marshall Allen on alto, Elo Umoe on bass clarinet, and Danny Ray Thompson on baritone. CD

A killer set from percussionist Anthony Reebop Kwaku Bah – one done with the same sort of genre-crossing vibe as some of his work with the hipper members of the British rock scene – but at a level that's even cooler and groovier than his album for Island around the same time! The set's more of a jazz outing overall – and Reebop's tight skills are matched with a host of Swedish musicians – a lineup that includes Maffy Falay on trumpet, Ulf Andersson on tenor and flute, Bobo Stenson on electric piano, Jan Schaffer on guitar, and Rune Carlsson on drums! Tracks are long, and very groovy – often a bit of funk mixed with freer, more expressive passages – not unlike some of Don Cherry's experiments on the same scene at the time! Schaffer's guitar gets some good placement, and sounds even better here than usual – on cuts that include "Funkum", "Kwaku's Thing", "Africa", "Lovin You Baby", and "200 To 500 Years Ago". CD

Beautiful 70s work from the great John Renbourn – with titles that include "The Hermit", "Lord Inchiquin", "Mrs Power", "A Toye", "Pavana", "Caroline's Tune", and "Goat Island". LP, Vinyl record album

Sonny Rollins takes to global warming years before An Inconvenient Truth – blowing with a tone that's rich enough to power a whole city on its own! The album features Sonny in two different groups – one a quartet with Stephen Scott on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – the other a bit larger, still with Scott and Cranshaw, but also featuring Clifton Anderson on trombone, Perry Wilson on drums, and Victor See Yuen on percussion. Some tunes have that island-tinged style that Rollins started exploring from his RCA years onward – and titles include "Global Warming", "Island Lady", "Echo-Side Blue", "Change Partners", and "Mother Nature's Blues". CD

One of the better tracks off Sade's Lover's Rock, with a mellow vibe that does justice to the title of the LP in the original, and a similarly spacious island inflection on the "Yard mix". Truthfully the more amped up Neptunes mix and the "Reggae mix" don't really do the track justice to our ears, but that doesn't mean you won't be feelin' them. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great setting for the reed talents of the legendary Akira Sakata – one that's nicely different than his work with Yosuke Yamashita, as the group is a trio – with Sakata on alto and alto clarinet, Hiroshi Yoshino on bass, and Nobuo Fuji on drums! The songs are long, lean, and open – with Akira blowing these tremendous lines – of the sort that makes his music like this every bit the match of some of the best European improvisers of the time, thanks to the inherent soulfulness that Sakata brings to his horns, which has every minute overflowing with meaning. Titles include a great version of "Comme A La Radio" – the song originally done by Brigitte Fontaine & Art Ensemble Of Chicago – plus "Inanaki 2nd", "Right Frankenstein In Saigne Legier", and "Strange Island". CD

A classic to end all classics – and the record that showed the world that the kung fu genre could be every bit as funky as American crime and action films! Lalo Schifrin's at the height of his powers on this set – working in a blend of raw guitars, rolling bass, and choppy rhythms that groove about as fast as Bruce Lee's hands move on the screen in the film – and the album's a real standout in the 70s soundtrack scene, well worth all the hype and attention that's been given to it over the years! The record's one you'll dig if you're a fan of funk, or a student of Schifrin – and even after the passage of decades, it's still a tough soundtrack to beat. Titles include the classic "Theme From Enter The Dragon", plus "Bamboo Bird Cage", "The Monk", "Han's Island", "The Big Battle", and "The Human Fly". LP, Vinyl record album

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A nice set for ECM for French avant garde jazz veteran Louis Sclavis – bit more linear in instrumentation than some of his more experimental work – but with a heavy mood and muscular angularity that hits the spot just right! Sclavis plays both soprano sax and clarinet on the set, with Matthieu Metzger on soprano and alto sax, electric guitarist Maxime Delpiere, Oliver Lete on bass and Francious Merville on drums. There's sinister, noirish edge to the composition that's working really well on this one, and the players are in fine form throughout. Titles include "De Charybde En Scylla", "La Premiere Ile", "Bain D'Aor", "Les Doutes Du Cyclope", "The Last Island", "L'Absence" and more. CD

A runaway hit for reedman Tom Scott – and the record that helped to elevate him to the ranks of studio and fusion superstardom in the 70s! By the time of the record, Scott had already done some key work under his own name, and was contributing heavily to countless other sessions in the jazz, pop, soul, and soundtrack worlds. But this album's the one that really helped Tom get his groove out there – a particular approach to smooth fusion that still kept things plenty funky overall! Part of the credit for the set really goes to bassist Max Bennett and drummer John Guerin – who bring in a tightly snapping bottom that lets Scott get a bit smoother on the top with his saxes, in a style that's augmented by plenty of great keyboard work from Larry Nash. Titles include "Keep On Doin It", "Tom Cat", "Rock Island Rocket", "Mondo", "Refried", "Backfence Cattin", and "Love Poem". LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely wonderful work from this great Chicago vocal group – one that many would argue were as important as The Moonglows or El Dorados! The 60s album is a short-lived pressing on the Constellation label, and brings together rare early singles – including "Forgotten", "Queen Of Hearts", "Never Let Me Go", "Island Of Love", "Tragic", "Elevator Operator", "Give A Hug To Me", "Glitter In Your Eyes", "I'm Not Wanted", and "Never Felt Like This Before". LP, Vinyl record album

Even at a tender young age, Wayne Shorter could exhibit the kind of sensitivity and creative lyricism that would make him one of the giants of modern jazz. This early set – which features playing by Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Higgins, and Jymie Merritt – is filled with haunting original compositions ("Devil's Island", "Dead End", "Powder Keg") and the kind of mature playing that you'd hardly expect from a little tike like Shorter (who, with Lee Morgan, was just a kid when the two of them were playing with Art Blakey). This excellent CD reissue delivers these early tracks in stunning fidelity, and includes 7 alternate takes of the tracks on the orginal LP! 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

Really wonderful live work from the great Horace Silver – some more obscure material that stands as a very nice companion to his Blue Note live album of the mid 60s! The first five tracks on the set features a superb group with Joe Henderson on tenor, and either Carmell Jones or Woody Shaw on trumpet, depending on the tracks – both fantastic players who really bring a sharp edge to the proceedings, and who give the music a slightly different vibe than some of Silver's studio material from the period. Tracks are long, and drums are by Roger Humphries, with bass by Larry Ridley and Teddy Smith – on extended takes of "Que Pasa", "The Natives Are Restless", "Song For My Father", and two versions of "African Queen". The CD has two more tracks recorded at the Cork & Bib club in 1964 – a club out on Long Island – again with Henderson and Shaw, on a 15 minute version of "Tokyo Blues", and a shorter version of "Senor Blues" – both great. CD

Korean singer Lee Sohn steps out here in a record for Miami's Place Pigalle – with backings from Don Ippolito, and titles that include "Luna Rossa", "Jezebel", "Day In The Life Of A Fool", "Island In The Sun", and "China Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Spooky Tooth have grown their hair since the cover of their first album – and they've also grown their sound a bit too – into a brew that's even headier and more powerful than before! The album's still got an undercurrent of soul – and begins with a fantastic drumbreak on the first cut – but these guys are also swirling their basslines, guitars, and keyboards into territory that's unabashedly hard rock – a mode that really has singer Gary Wright opening up with soaring vocals on most of the tracks! The album really represents that full turning of the UK scene from beat group modes into badass territory that's completely unique – a sound that Island Records was perfect to usher in for the group – and the whole thing's got an instant classic sort of vibe, and we've always wondered why it never had a greater place in the rock canon of the period. Titles include "That Was Only Yesterday", "Waiting For The Wind", "Feelin Bad", "Evil Woman", "Lost In My Dream", and "Hangman Hang My Shell On A Tree". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge amount of work from a reedman we'd never heard before – Martinique-born Alexandre Stellio – a hell of a clarinet player, and one who effortlessly weaves together island rhythms and early strands of jazz! All of the recordings here were done in Paris during the mid 30s, and provide a great illustration of the way that the crumbling French colonial empire was allowing all sorts of unusual criss-crossing in sound – in this case, the already-strong Parisian love of jazz mixed with the influence of new phrasings, colors, and rhythms from the French Caribbean – very much in the spirit that would soon become known as biguine! Stellio recorded a surprising amount of music during these years – and the set brings together every session with detailed notes and excellent sound – recordings that are all awash with his amazingly deft, edgey reed lines over romping rhythms, piano, and guitar – the last of which has some slight echoes of Parisian swing. 85 tracks in all – and notes in French and English! CD

A really great session from Sonny Stitt – and one with a slightly different vibe than usual! That vibe comes from the work of two Latin percussionists – Marcelino Valdez on congas and Osvaldo Martinez on bongos – both of whom really a a lot to the groove next to the drums of Herbie Lovelle – a rich bottom end that's maybe more Afro-styled than conventional Latin jazz! The mighty Ronnie Mathews is on piano, Herbie Lovell plays bass, and Stitt blows tenor throughout – on great titles that include "Blue Blood Ritual", "Slave Maidens", "Island Shout", and "Barefoot Ball". LP, Vinyl record album

Few folks get a classic groove as right as T-Groove – and here, he's working with the George Kano Experience for an even more classic vibe – this wonderful blend of soul, jazz, funk, and boogie – all put together with the best sort of 80s groove production! The album's got a wonderfully understated vibe – so much so, the whole thing almost feels like the kind of lost major label production from back in the day – the sort of the set that was cut with top-shelf talents in the studio, then under-promoted by the record company – only to be discovered years later by rare groove hounds like us! Yet it's contemporary, and hopefully will get the attention it deserves – overflowing with great tracks that include a clubby remake of Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island", topped with the lyrics penned by Mark Murphy in the 70s – plus tracks that include "Shallow Naked Love", "Timeless Groove", "Haven", "Do It Baby", and "Secret Lover". CD

Few folks get a classic groove as right as T-Groove – and here, he's working with the George Kano Experience for an even more classic vibe – this wonderful blend of soul, jazz, funk, and boogie – all put together with the best sort of 80s groove production! The album's got a wonderfully understated vibe – so much so, the whole thing almost feels like the kind of lost major label production from back in the day – the sort of the set that was cut with top-shelf talents in the studio, then under-promoted by the record company – only to be discovered years later by rare groove hounds like us! Yet it's contemporary, and hopefully will get the attention it deserves – overflowing with great tracks that include a clubby remake of Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island", topped with the lyrics penned by Mark Murphy in the 70s – plus tracks that include "Shallow Naked Love", "Timeless Groove", "Haven", "Do It Baby", and "Secret Lover". CD

An underground funky gem – one that never made it past the collections of the elite sound library audience in the 70s – but which is well deserving of global acclaim! Yan Tregger works here in this style that's every bit as funky as his contemporaries on bigger library labels, but which also shows a strong love of club music too – not straight disco, at least not in any sort of "easy" way – but a real ear for just the right sort of basslines, keyboard parts, and uptempo rhythms to keep things moving throughout! Given the all-instrumental approach, think of this set as a jazzy take on clubby grooves – or maybe an instrumental funk record for the clubs – with great cuts that include "The Girl In The Gold", "Dawn & Darkness", "Friend Island", "The Last Girl", "Haunting Refrain", "Girls Will Be Girls", and "The Way Of All Flesh". CD

A set recorded in both Jamaica and Trinidad, and one that shows a great combination of both locations – with straighter reggae cuts at some points, and some more Caribbean flavored club at others! The music has some of the message that you'd guess from the cover and title, but the overall vibe is lighter and more aimed at the dancefloor – with some especially great cuts that almost lean more towards a jazz/funk sort of vibe than some of the other island disco records of the time! One of these gems is the wicked "Let's Party", which has a massive bassline and some cool keyboard bubbles – and other cuts include "Foreign Journalists", "Burning Eyes & Hungry Bellies", "Dancing", "Music Is Music", "Song Of Love", and "Power Struggle". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully spiritual sounds from the contemporary LA scene – served up in a record that mixes generations old and new, and with a really wonderful sound throughout! There's a timeless quality to the record right from the start – maybe because the great Phil Ranelin begins the set with a vocal performance over mellow electronics – in a laidback spirit that's followed by the rest of the set too – as a shifting array of artists under the direction of Jesse Peterson turn out a record with a subtle righteous power! Peterson previously worked with Carlos Nino – and there's definitely a bit of Nino spirit here, but with a different vibe – in a lineup that includes Sam Gendel on reeds, Randal Fisher on flute, Fabiano Do Nascimento on guitar, Josh Johnson on alto and keyboards, Aaron Shaw on tenor, Carlos Nino on percussion, and Photay and Diego Gaeta on electronics – plus vocal work from Phil Ranelin, Laraaji, Mia Doi Todd, and Dwight Trible. Titles include "Alive To Feel", "Island Bells", "Pandanus Grove", "Tune Up", "Ocean Garden", "Floating Sunset", and "Arukitai". CD

Beautifully spiritual sounds from the contemporary LA scene – served up in a record that mixes generations old and new, and with a really wonderful sound throughout! There's a timeless quality to the record right from the start – maybe because the great Phil Ranelin begins the set with a vocal performance over mellow electronics – in a laidback spirit that's followed by the rest of the set too – as a shifting array of artists under the direction of Jesse Peterson turn out a record with a subtle righteous power! Peterson previously worked with Carlos Nino – and there's definitely a bit of Nino spirit here, but with a different vibe – in a lineup that includes Sam Gendel on reeds, Randal Fisher on flute, Fabiano Do Nascimento on guitar, Josh Johnson on alto and keyboards, Aaron Shaw on tenor, Carlos Nino on percussion, and Photay and Diego Gaeta on electronics – plus vocal work from Phil Ranelin, Laraaji, Mia Doi Todd, and Dwight Trible. Titles include "Alive To Feel", "Island Bells", "Pandanus Grove", "Tune Up", "Ocean Garden", "Floating Sunset", and "Arukitai". LP, Vinyl record album

A mystical trip through the south seas – courtesy of Italian soundtrack composer Piero Umiliani, working here in a rare sound library setting! The tracks are moody and ethereal – with lots of spare percussion, and some dreamy island-type touches – like floating voices, isolated strings, and even a bit of moog, used to create some nice 70s exotica! There's one or two tracks that get harder-hitting, taking the percussion over the top with some snapping grooves – but most are in a 70s update of older exotica styles, including some of those that Piero might have used on some of his 60s soundtracks! Titles include "Tamburi Di Guerra", "Esorcismi", "Plenilunio", "Erbe Magiche", "Benvenuti All'Isola", "Canoe", "Sotto Le Palme", and "Pellegrinaggio Al Totem". CD

A groundbreaking blend of folksy elements and more driving prog – a perfectly balanced set that sums up the unique genius of Van Der Graaf Generator! The group is partly a showcase for the young Peter Hammill – who is vaguely in the territory of some of his acoustic contemporaries on Island Records – but the singer is also really able to open up and soar once the group gets going, and finds a way to ignite his energy amidst the more driving drums and organ lines! There's plenty of jamming instrumental moments to please the prog crowd, but also some more up-close and personal elements too – on titles that include "Octopus", "Afterwards", "Orthenian Street (parts 1 & 2)", "Black Smoke Yen", and "Ferret & Featherbird". LP, Vinyl record album

The Vaqueros created music hundreds of miles from the ocean – working in the Twin Cities in the 60s – but that didn't stop them from creating some mighty nice surf numbers at the time, which were then mixed with more rocking numbers that sported a very cool female singer in the lead! That singer is Linda Anderson, who's almost got a rockabilly inspiration, but a few years too late – a style that makes for a really unique combination with the excellent surf-styled guitar work of the group – who shine equally well on their own when Linda's not in the lead! The tracks here were all unearthed from the Kay Bank archives – and titles include "Growing Pains", "69", "Don't You Dare", "80 Foot Wave", "Space Journey Ranger 7", "Birds & The Bees", "Island In Paradise", and "Soft Summer Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing crazy and mixed up here, but a wonderful later date from Sarah Vaughan – one that's recorded with subtly sophisticated brilliance! The setting is easygoing and relaxed – far more so than most of Vaughan's records from many years past – and backing is provided by Roland Hanna on piano, Joe Pass on guitar, Andy Simpkins on bass, and Harold Jones on drums – all grooving in a warmly rounded mode that seems to further the already-great sound of Sarah's vocals at this point in her career. The record's one you might pass by because of the date, but it's easily one of the greatest Vaughan albums from later years – and tracks include "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "That's All", "Seasons", "Love Dance", "The Island", "In Love In Vain", and "Autumn Leaves". CD

Tom Waits' final album for Asylum – and one that clearly points the way towards the rawly rhythmic, murky atmospherics of his wilder Island years to come – while still bringing out the woozy, gruff balladeer of the earlier albums! It's kind of amazing that the record works as well as it does, as you can sense the creative restlessness in the distinctly different styles. A great one! Includes "Heart Attack And Vine", "In Shades", "Saving All My Love For You", "Jersey Girl", "Downtown", "Mr. Diegal", "On The Nickel", "Ruby's Arm" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A real revelation from pianist Cedar Walton – an unusual electric album from the 70s – quite a surprise, given the mostly-acoustic sound of most of Cedar's other records! The album's a killer, though – and has this fresh, full take on funky jazz for the time – not the usual CTI copycat mode, and instead this compelling hybrid of elements that includes lots of Fender Rhodes from Walton, sweet guitar likes from Ryo Kawasaki, and lots of rootsy percussion from Ray Mantilla and Omar Clay – two players who really make the album nice and earthy at the bottom. The rest of the group is wonderful, too – and includes tenor from Frank Foster, alto and baritone from Charles Davis, and trumpet from Roy Burrowes – all fresh players who open up a big can of soul for the set – on titles that include a classic break version of "Off Minor", plus "Blue Trane", "Soho", and "Road Island Red". LP, Vinyl record album

6 tracks: "BeatWave", "Master Of The Mix", "Nunk (New Wave Funk)", "Light Years Away","Light Years Away (dub version)" and "No Man Is An Island". LP, Vinyl record album

A great small club date from Ben Webster – different than some of his European concerts of his final years, in that this one was done at a lounge in Rhode Island, and maybe has a bit more bite and focus overall! The tracks are short, and Webster gets superb rhythm accompaniment from the trio of Junior Mance on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums – who really come out swinging, and push Ben to take some of his boldest solos of the period – plenty of bite throughout, and a fire that you don't always hear on his other 60s recordings. Titles include "Cookin For T", "Sunday", "Pennies From Heaven", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "Gone With The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from Ruth White – a set that's very different than her late 60s electronic experiments, yet one that also still manages to have a similarly sort of creepy vibe overall! The work is exactly what's promised in the title – a set of 24 lullabies, sung in different languages by both Marilyn Horne and Richard Robinson – with light piano backing from Ruth, and a recording quality that somehow makes these supposedly restful songs come across with a vibe that is quite unsettling – maybe the sorts of tunes used to put the kids to bed on the island in Wicker Man! Titles include "English Cradle Song", "Dormi Dormi", "Gaelic Lullaby", "All Through The Night", "Tigua Indian Lullaby", "Danish Cradle Song", and "Prayer Humperdinck". CD

Way more than just the "essence" of Nancy – an excellent 4CD set, with a huge amount of rare material! Here's the breakdown: Disc 1 features "Spanning The Decades" – a selection of rare singles and chart hits, most on CD in the US for the first time; Disc 2 is "From The Vaults", with 14 previously unreleased live recordings, and another 9 previously unissued studio tracks; Disc 3 is "Nancy's Choice", featuring 22 tracks that are Nancy's own personal favorites, 4 of which have never been issued in the US; Disc 4 is "Hidden Gems", 18 choice cuts from Nancy's albums, all issued on CD for the first time in the US! Wonderful throughout – with a total of 81 rare tracks on 4CDs, all packaged in a nice booklet style. Titles include "Hurry Change", "Are We Losin Touch", "But Only Sometimes", "Save Your Love For Me", "The Seventh Son", "Small World", "Just Go", "Go Away & Find Yourself", "Ribbon In The Sky", "Below Above", "Listen Little Girl", "Wave", "I'm Gonna Let Ya", "The Island", "Casablanca", "Dindi", "Godsend", "Suzanne", "I Remember", "Theme From Hotel", and "Free Again". CD

One of the most beautiful albums we've ever heard from either player involved – a set that's a tremendous showcase for the alto and soprano work of Steve Wilson, and an open presentation of the drum genius of Lewis Nash! The record comes as a bit of a surprise – especially in contrast to some of Wilson's work in larger groups, which can be more structured and sometimes darker – and although we love when Nash can swing a quintet or a quartet, we're also wonderfully impressed at his presentation here in a looser format. The set feels very improvised along themes, but still has a sense of melody and swing – as the pair deliver very unique readings of tunes that include "Equinox", "Con Alma", "Chelsea Bridge", "Senor Blues", "Island Birdie", and "Freedom Jazz Dance". CD

An album with a really beautiful sound – not just from the core work of the piano trio, but also from the guy who recorded the whole thing too – the legendary engineer for the Three Blind Mice label in Japan, Yoshihiko Kaminari! It's not often that the engineer gets billed on the back cover alongside the members of a jazz combo – but that credit is very well due here, as the album does a beautiful job of capturing all the subtle brilliance of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on the keys of the piano – stepping gently next to the bass of Hiroshi Kagawa and drums of Toshio Ohsumi – both very subtle players who let the pianist dominate the proceedings! The set features a fair bit of Erroll Garner numbers, which creates a nicely different setting for Yamamoto – and his pairing here with Kaminari reunites the same forces that gave the world Tsuyoshi's classic TBM albums Midnight Sugar and Misty. Titles include "Dreamy", "Mood Island", "Solitaire", "Night Wind", "Paris Bounce", "Garner Talk", "Sweet For K", and "When Paris Cries". LP, Vinyl record album

An album with a really beautiful sound – not just from the core work of the piano trio, but also from the guy who recorded the whole thing too – the legendary engineer for the Three Blind Mice label in Japan, Yoshihiko Kaminari! It's not often that the engineer gets billed on the back cover alongside the members of a jazz combo – but that credit is very well due here, as the album does a beautiful job of capturing all the subtle brilliance of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on the keys of the piano – stepping gently next to the bass of Hiroshi Kagawa and drums of Toshio Ohsumi – both very subtle players who let the pianist dominate the proceedings! The set features a fair bit of Erroll Garner numbers, which creates a nicely different setting for Yamamoto – and his pairing here with Kaminari reunites the same forces that gave the world Tsuyoshi's classic TBM albums Midnight Sugar and Misty. Titles include "Dreamy", "Mood Island", "Solitaire", "Night Wind", "Paris Bounce", "Garner Talk", "Sweet For K", and "When Paris Cries". CD

A great collection of work from this soulful Japanese singer - all of his best for RCA and Ariola, collected here in one sweet set! There were few cats on the Japanese scene of the time who could match the approach of US soul singers as well as Yamashita – and you'll definitely hear proof of that on Tatsuro's work on cuts that include "Windy Lady", "Bomber", "Loveland Island", "Ride On Time (single version)", "Door Into Summer", "Let's Dance Baby", "Your Eyes", "Solid Slider", and "Funky Flushin". LP, Vinyl record album

Images of the Caribbean in many styles – from the striking color image on the front, to vintage black and white shots throughout the book – all at a level that really illuminates the criss-crossing cultures of the island scene! The book's got a wonderfully sharp sensibility – as it mixes images of vacation paradise with rural poverty, American tourists with ongoing slavery, local ritual with political overthrow – all in a series of wonderfully well-chosen photographs! The book was put together by Stuart Baker – who's done so many other great books and records for Soul Jazz – and text is by Paul Gilroy, author of There Ain't No Black In The Union Jack. Book is hardcover, super-heavy, LP-sized, and full of glossy pages! Book

A massive tribute to this groundbreaking, genre-busting label – a short-lived imprint on Island Records that was put together by Brian Eno in the mid 70s – all to showcase some of the best new experiments in avant classical and minimalist music! There's a special sort of quality to these records – work that maybe has a bit more "heart" than some of the colder, more academic work of the period – even in comparison to some of the other records issued by some of these artists – warmer and more personal than the productions of Cramps or CRI, for example – and always seeming to have that special sort of sonic brilliance that Eno brought to his own music of the time! The label only issued ten full records, but that makes for a very unified vibe for the entire catalog – which is collected here with a huge booklet of notes inside the box set. Albums include The Sinking Of The Titanic by Gavin Bryars, Voices & Instrumentals by Jan Steele & John Cage, Irma by Tom Phillips, Pavilion Of Dreams by Harold Budd, Decay Music by Michael Nyman, Discreet Music by Brian Eno, New & Rediscovered Musical Instruments by Max Eastley & David Toop, Music From The Penguin Cafe by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Machine Music by John White & Gavin Bryars, and Ensemble Pieces by Christopher Hobbs, John Adams, & Gavin Bryars. CD

A massive tribute to this groundbreaking, genre-busting label – a short-lived imprint on Island Records that was put together by Brian Eno in the mid 70s – all to showcase some of the best new experiments in avant classical and minimalist music! There's a special sort of quality to these records – work that maybe has a bit more "heart" than some of the colder, more academic work of the period – even in comparison to some of the other records issued by some of these artists – warmer and more personal than the productions of Cramps or CRI, for example – and always seeming to have that special sort of sonic brilliance that Eno brought to his own music of the time! The label only issued ten full records, but that makes for a very unified vibe for the entire catalog – which is collected here with a huge booklet of notes inside the box set. Albums include The Sinking Of The Titanic by Gavin Bryars, Voices & Instrumentals by Jan Steele & John Cage, Irma by Tom Phillips, Pavilion Of Dreams by Harold Budd, Decay Music by Michael Nyman, Discreet Music by Brian Eno, New & Rediscovered Musical Instruments by Max Eastley & David Toop, Music From The Penguin Cafe by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Machine Music by John White & Gavin Bryars, and Ensemble Pieces by Christopher Hobbs, John Adams, & Gavin Bryars. LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy funk from the Bahamas – a whole bunch of groups that will show you that Nassau had a lot more to offer than The Beginning Of The End! The groove here is totally wonderful – somewhat like American funk of the late 60s and early 70s, but served up with some very unusual rhythmic patterns too – a bit Jamaican at times, but certainly not reggae – and somewhat sunny and Caribbean styled, but not in a way that's cheesy or filled with any hokey island-styled stereotypes. Instead, the tunes are deeply funk and soulful – grooving with plenty of dark edges and gritty instrumentation that's often heavy on the guitar. Many numbers have vocals, and those are great too – and as usual with the Numero label, the whole thing's put together with amazing notes and packaging, so that you get a full history lesson and a heck of a lot of photos to support the music too! Titles include "Gonna Build A Nation" by Cyril Ferguson, "Mustang Sally", "I Am The Man For You Baby", and "Funky Fever" by Jay Mitchell, "Theme From Shaft" by Esquires LTD, "Gimme Some Skin (inst)" by Frank Penn, "Words To My Song" by Dry Bread, "People Won't Change" by Willpower, "Take Five" by Ozzie Hall, "Watcha Gonna Do Bout It" and "The Time For Loving Is Now" by Mustangs, "Honesty Is The Best Policy" by Gospel Chandeliers, and "Don't Touch That Thing" by Sylvia Hall. CD

The third volume in this wonderful series – and like the other volumes, a record that really lives up to its name! The groove here mixes together 70s roots in disco and reggae – and comes up with a cool contemporary blend that's mighty nice – held together through top-shelf production from key French talents who include Mato and Patchworks – in a groove that's nicely unified throughout! Many tunes are covers and remakes – the set includes great versions of songs by Herbie Hancock, Rolling Stones, Donna Summer, and others – but all done in these very fresh new ways that are completely unique. Titles include "Feel Like Makin Love" by The Dynamics, "Disco Illusion" by Taggy Matcher, "Melt The Night (Mato reggae rmx)" by Lucas Arruda, "Miss You (ext disco version)" by The Dynamics, "Shake It Dub (ext 12" version)" by 7 Samurai, "Cantaloupe Island" by Taggy Matcher, "Movin In The Right Direction" by Mato, and "Loev To Love You Baby" by Rosemary Martins. LP, Vinyl record album

There's an island on the cover, but the music is all-soul, all the way through – a great collection of classic mellow moments from years back, plus a few excellent choices from more recent years as well! Still, the island's a great image for the sound of the set – as the music has this kicked-back vibe that provides a nice sort of escape from the everyday world – heavenly soul sounds that come both from rare classics, and some of the best of the current underground – brought together with the kind of care and class we've come to expect from the folks at Expansion Records. A wonderful mix of tunes – with titles that include "Remember To Remember" by Rick Holmes, "Under The Moon & Over The Sky" by Angela Bofil, "Living So Fast" by Novocento with Danni Gottlieb & Dave Liebman, "I Choose You" by Paris, "You Are My Starship" by Norman Connors, "It Should Be you" by Ashanti Munir & Neil Letendre, "He Mandu (mother mix)" by Mouth Music, "Far Beyond" by Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band, "It's Like Air" by Sunny Hawkins, "Blending Colors" by Debra Debs, "Unconditional Love" by Greg Dean with Chantae Cann & Jarrod Lawson, "Mississippi Delta Blues" by Lamar Thomas with Carrie K Thomas, and "Peace In The Middle East" by Miri Ben-Ari & Kerri Chandler. CD

A massive overview of work from the legendary Front Line label – an imprint started by Virgin Records in the mid 70s, and one that quickly became as important as Island or Trojan in the growing world of reggae! Front Line was heavy on roots, but also released some great dub material as well – all of which is brought together in this huge box of 92 tracks – which includes 11 previously unreleased selections, and 30 that had never been issued on CD! The package is divided up into sections – with a three chapter evolution of the label, plus additional 12" mixes on one CD, and another devoted entirely to material from the vaults – which makes the collection an essential set for collectors, and not just an introduction to the label. Artists include The Mighty Diamonds, U Roy, Twinkle Brothers, Gladiators, Gregory Issacs, Sly Dunbar, Jah Lloyd The Black Lion, Big Youth, Delroy Washington, I Roy, Tapper Zukie, Althea & Donna, Prince Far I, Poet & The Roots, Johnny Clarke, The Revolutionaries, Keith Hudson, and many many more! CD

A wonderful look at the Compass Point Studios in Nassau – a force that was as important to the sound of grooves in the early 80s as Stax and Fame were to soul in the 60s! Compass Point was the brainchild of Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, but it offered up way more than just a reggae-styled approach to the music – and although the house band at Compass featured both Sly and Robbie, the overall sound was a groundbreaking mix of funk, punk, and post-disco elements! Compass Point was a key recording site for a number of leftfield acts in its early years – and this package does a great job of showing the way the studio left an undeniable imprint on the sound of its time. The booklet features very detailed notes on the studio, its scene, and its key players – and the CD features 13 great 80s grooves that include "Genius Of Love" by Tom Tom Club, "Dance Sucker (Francois K rmx)" by Set The Tone, "Obsession (Nassau mix)" by Guy Cuevas, "Padlock (Larry Levan mix)" by Gwen Guthrie, "River Niger" by Sly Dunbar, "Don't Stop The Music" by Bits & Pieces, "Spasticus Autisticus (version)" by Ian Dury, "You Rented A Space" by Cristina, "Adventures In Success (dub copy)" by Will Powers, "Whisper" by Chaz Jankel, "Born Under Punches" by Talking Heads, and "My Jamaican Guy (12" version)" by Grace Jones. CD

Mindblowing jazz from Japan – a tremendous introduction to the 70s scene in Tokyo if you've never heard this music at all – and a package that also includes a fair bit of rare tracks, even if you're not a newcomer! The Japanese love of American jazz is no secret – and the music was spread widely there by American forces after WWII – but during the 70s, something really special happened, and the scene found a voice that was all its own – exploding with new energy to create sounds that were soulful, spiritual, and powerfully poetic! By the end of the 70s, Japanese fusion would get more global exposure – but most of the tracks here are acoustic, save for Fender Rhodes lines – and feature completely inventive, imaginative sounds – often set to grooves that are modal and spiritual too. A fantastic collection throughout – with tracks that include "Blind Man" by Shintaro Quintet, "White Fire" by Takao Uematsu, "Aya's Samba" by Eiji Nakayama, "Earth Mother" by Koichi Matsukaze, "Dead Letter" by Tohru Aizawa, "Kaze" by Takeo Moriyama, "Long Neal" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, "Unknown Point" by Mitsuaki Katayama, and "Little Island" by Fumio Karashima. CD

Mindblowing jazz from Japan – a tremendous introduction to the 70s scene in Tokyo if you've never heard this music at all – and a package that also includes a fair bit of rare tracks, even if you're not a newcomer! The Japanese love of American jazz is no secret – and the music was spread widely there by American forces after WWII – but during the 70s, something really special happened, and the scene found a voice that was all its own – exploding with new energy to create sounds that were soulful, spiritual, and powerfully poetic! By the end of the 70s, Japanese fusion would get more global exposure – but most of the tracks here are acoustic, save for Fender Rhodes lines – and feature completely inventive, imaginative sounds – often set to grooves that are modal and spiritual too. A fantastic collection throughout – with tracks that include "Blind Man" by Shintaro Quintet, "White Fire" by Takao Uematsu, "Aya's Samba" by Eiji Nakayama, "Earth Mother" by Koichi Matsukaze, "Dead Letter" by Tohru Aizawa, "Kaze" by Takeo Moriyama, "Long Neal" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, "Unknown Point" by Mitsuaki Katayama, and "Little Island" by Fumio Karashima. 3LP set features bonus tracks – "Sea Breeze" by George Otsuka and "Ode To Workman" by Terumasa Hino and Reggie Workman. LP, Vinyl record album

An ear-opening set of Japanese jazz from a time when that nation's scene was really taking off – a period in the 70s when all sorts of new artists and new ideas were really flying around – and leaving behind a huge recorded legacy that's been mostly out of reach for us in the west! Japan always had a few big names in jazz that got exported overseas, but the work here is from some of the smaller names who were still turning out incredible music – much of it only issued on vinyl, and not reissued later – brought together here with copious notes that really tell you a heck of a lot about the music! There's definitely a post-Coltrane vibe going on – lots of spiritual elements, mixed with both moments that are funkier and more soulful, and others that are a bit more freewheeling – often stretched out on extended tracks that really let the artists take off and find their space. Titles include "Black Nile" by Hideyasu Terakawa, "Kirisame" by Ryusei Quartet, "Honey Sanba" by Katsuyuki Itakura, "Cumulonimbus" by Shigeharu Mukai, "Song Of Island" by Yasuhiro Kohno Trio + One, "Phoebus" by Hiroshi Murakami & Dancing Sphinx, "Morning Tiede" by Kohsuke Mine, "Kemo Sabe" by Masao Nakajima, "Song For Hope" by Aki Takase, "Planets" by Masaru Imada Trio + 1, "1/4 Samba" by Tatsuya Nakamura, "Acoustic Chicken" by Koichi Matsukaze, and "Cumorah" by Eiji Nakayama. CD features bonus tracks – "Wolf's Theme" by Seiichi Nakamura, "Burning Cloud" by Ryojiro Kurusawa, and "Groovy Samba" by Hideo Shiraki. CD

Fantastic sounds from the years before reggae became the international sound of Jamaica – music from the island nation's jazz scene, which was at the crossroads of so many different styles of music – jazz from the north, Latin rhythms from Cuba and Puerto Rico, and a fair bit of other Caribbean sounds too – all of which filter through the wonderful collection of music on the set! The title breaks down the different genres featured – but there's often a surprisingly unified feel to the whole record too – one that stands partly as a testament to the musical strengths of all the performers involved! In the days before Trojan and Studio One, Federal Records was an important Jamaican label – and did an especially great job of capturing some of the sounds that were part of that nation's club culture and resorts in the 60s. Titles include "Angelima" and "Like Falling In Love" by Ernest Ranglin, "Profile Cha Cha" and "Rhumbina" by Cecil Lloyd & The Starline Troubadors, "Estrellita" and "I Love Paris" by The Lennie Hibbert Combo, "Tis Wonderful" by Eric Grant, "Linstead Market" by Baba Motta & Ernest Ranglin, "Wheel & Turn Me" by Bertie King, "Go Fife Go" by Count Owen, "Mango Walk" by Bertie King & Ernest Ranglin, "String Of Pearls" by Auldey Williams & His Orchestra, "Solas Market" by Baba Motta, and "Monday Monday" by Winston Turner Quintet. LP, Vinyl record album

One of those 70s dub albums that's completely mysterious in terms of the cover notes and content – but which hardly needs any information at all to convey the majesty of its music! The album is reportedly one of the first dub records actually pressed in the US, with material sourced from King Tubby's and Randy's in Jamaica – served up in a spare, stripped-down groove that's completely wonderful – and which has gone onto give the record legendary status over the years. Percy Chin contributed his production talents – with the same rootsy vibe as his other classics from the period – and each track has a core simplicity that's wonderful, with a rough-edge feel that almost makes the album feel like a garage rock equivalent of dub at times. Titles include "Tribute To The King", "Conquering Dub Of Africa", "Another Lion Special", "Yard Man Dub", "Dread A Rikers Island", "Tracking To Africa", and "Rattle Snake Echo". LP, Vinyl record album

You might not know Les Cousins, but back in the city it was a very important club on the London scene – a crossroads of blues, folk, and other styles – with an influence that was every bit important in England as the Greenwich Village clubs were in the US! This massive 3CD set does a great job of documenting the sounds that passed through its stage – not via live recordings, but over a well-chosen array of cuts that demonstrate just how hip British work of the time could be – folk-plus material, of the sort you'd hear on the best albums on Island Records or Transatlantic, all very much of the generation of Nick Drake and Fairport Convention! The 3CD set does a really great job of showing the wide range of acts from this moment – including many we haven't had on other reissues in recent years – in a great box that features 72 tracks, and very detailed notes on the material. Includes work from The Levee Brothers, Roy Harper, Dr Strangely Strange, Strawbs, Owen Hand, Dave Evans, Anne Briggs, Tom Yates, Duffy Power, Ron Geesin, Jackson C Frank, Martin Carthy, Dando Shaft, Shelagh McDonald, Al Jones, Sweeney's Men, Sam Mitchell, Tir Na Nog, Beverly, Michael Chapman, and many others. CD

An overstuffed package of classic work from the Caribbean – most of it from midcentury, at a time before reggae and other styles would bring even more exposure to the scene! The music here is in a nice mix of modes – separate by island identity, but drawn together in a good way by the package, and given more detail in the large booklet of notes – which features details in both English and French. Styles run the gamut from mambo to voodoo, biguine to goombay, calypso to cha cha, and lots more in between – with a total of 48 cuts by artists who include Compay Segundo, Facundo Rivera, Dioris Vallardes, Luis Quintero, Joe Harriott, Ruben McCoy, Theophilus Beckford, Sidney Bean, Josephine Premice, The Mighty Terror, Blind Blake, Cout Ossie, Cecil Lloyd, Mongo Santamaria, Henri Salvador, and many others! CD

An excellent box set that brings together all of the material recorded at the unique Newport Festival in 1972 – the historic shift to New York City after the previous year's effort in Rhode Island was shut down by demonstrators! The package features a whopping 6 albums in all – 4 of which are Jam session volumes, with material from players who include Charles Mingus, Jimmy Owens, Charles McPherson, Buddy Tate, Big Black, Milt Jackson, Max Roach, Jaki Byard, Nat Adderley, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, and many others – all playing long, open, live tracks. LP 5 features "The Jimmy Smith Jam" – a very jamming set of work by Smith, with help from Kenny Burrell on guitar and Zoot Sims on tenor. LP 6 is "The Soul Sessions" – featuring soul material from Roberta Flack, Curtis Mayfield, Les McCann, and Herbie Mann. LP, Vinyl record album

A compelling collection of work from the UK rockabilly revival of the late 70s – quite a surprise, given that these sounds were happening at the same time as punk! Includes work by Hotfoot Gale, Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers, Rock Island Line, Matchbox, and Screamin Lord Sutch! LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning tribute to the great Alan Lomax – the legendary musicologist, historian, and recording engineer who captured so many wonderful American sounds in the 20th Century! Lomax's work has been crucial to both the Library Of Congress and Smithsonian/Folkways Records – yet there's also a fair bit that has never seen the light of day before – amazing recordings that make up a surprisingly large part of this box set – which compiles work in many different styles recorded by Alan in the field – blues, folk, gospel, and global modes, plus compelling regional genres – all presented here in a special 6LP set. The box features 55 never-issued tracks, and lots more great ones too – with music by Shirley Collins, Fiddlin Joe Martin, Compagna Sacco, Calvin Frazier, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jelly Roll Morton, Ernest Williams, Neal Morris, Skip James, Son House, Elmer Barton, Brendan Behan, George Sea Island Singers, Big Bill Broonzy, Elizabeth Austin, Jean Ritchie, Bascomb Lamar Lunsford, Bessie Jones, Duke Of Iron, Charles Barnett, and many others. The box features a nice booklet of notes, too – and some rare photos from the archive! LP, Vinyl record album

A deep dive into the work of a wonderful record label – the Strata imprint from Detroit at the start of the 70s – a company who served up some very spiritual sounds in the short time they were issuing records! Don't confuse Strata with Strata East – although the labels do have some similarity – as Strata also brought in a bit more electricity on some of its cuts, and some slight touches of funk as well – a very special brew in which the Detroit jazz underground of the time were mixing things up in so many different ways – really given a lot of freedom to explore styles that are still ahead of their time all these many years later! Key albums on Strata have been reissued in recent years, but the set also features some overlooked gems by more obscure artists too – titles that include "Maiden Voyage" by Ursula Walker, "Salsa (part 1)" by Fito Foster, "Time Is Wasting" by TJ, "Joy Road" by Lyman Woodard Organization, "All But Blind" by Mixed Bag, "Island Song" by Kenny Cox, "Face At My Window" by Sam Sanders, "People We Got To Do Better" by The Soulmates, "You're The One" by TJ, "Noh Word" by Contemporary Jazz Quintet, "Tune For LN" by Larry Nozero, "Where Is The Place" by Maulawi, "Saturday Night Special" by Lyman Woodard, and "Beyond The Dream" by Kenny Cox. LP, Vinyl record album

Another round of Studio One butter from the folks at Soul Jazz! By this point you're well informed about the status of Coxsone Dodd's Studio One operation as the cornerstone of so much Jamaican music, and Soul Jazz has approached the catalog from just about every angle, covering nearly all the bases before landing here on this dub set. The sly Island grooves are stripped down to their bare essentials, then given a tasteful bit of dubby gloss at the hands of Sylvan Morris, for a massive collection that'll rule your stereo like Studio One rocked the sound systems back in the day. 17 tracks in all, wrapped in a nice package that includes interviews with Morris and Dodd, and fully annotated as to which numbers the rhythms were originally cut as the backing for. Includes "Bionic Dub", "Sky Rhythm", 'Taurus Dub 2", "Hooligan", "Dub Rock", "Hi Fashion Dub", In Cold Blood Version" and "Feel The Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Aahh, sweet lover's rock, and all from Studio One no less! Whether you're looking to set the mood for a late night rub up, or just want to cool out to some mellow island vibes, this batch of easy rockin' lover's numbers cut under the supervision of Coxsone Dodd is just the ticket. You get sweet soulful numbers from Studio One stalwarts, plus a number of nice tracks by some lesser known stars in the Studio One galaxy, and as you'd expect from a Soul Jazz set, it's wrapped up quite nicely. 18 tracks in all, including "I Don't Know Why" by Delroy Wilson, "Touch Me Baby" by Myrna Hague, "Darling I Need Your Loving" by John Holt & The Paragons, "Ten To One" by The Mad Lads, "Reggae Magic" by Jackie Mittoo, "Too Long Will Be Too Late" by Freddy & Jenny, "Let Him Try" by Alton Ellis, "Don't Wait For Me" by Albert Tomlinson, "Got To Be Sure" by Horace Andy, "Ready To Learn" by the Heptones, 'We're All Alone" by Doreen Schaefer and more! LP, Vinyl record album

More burning instrumentals from Coxsone Dodd and his mighty crew at Studio One! Soul Jazz has already established Dodd and Studio One as a near household name in bad, bold island grooves, and this set of fiery instrumentals keeps up the pressure, with 16 burning numbers! All flavors of Jamaican soul get represented here, from spacey, mellow grooves at the hands of Jackie Mittoo, to mellow snapping clavinet numbers from Pablove Black, deep roots from Cedric Brooks or jaunty ska numbers from the Soul Vendors and the Skatalites. As usual, the packaging is in the deluxe vein that has graced previous chapters in the series, and this set includes "Gumbay Jump" by the Dub Specialist, "A Big Car" by Jackie Mittoo, "Joe Grazer" and "Sidewalk Doctor" by VinGordon, "Sound Almighty" by the Soul Defenders, "Black Wax" by Pablove Black, Dick Tracy" by the Skatalites, "Cousin Joe Pt 1" by Sugar Belly, and "Black Is Black" by Im & David, plus many more! LP, Vinyl record album

A wealth of rare work from Jamaican studio genius Bunny Striker Lee – unusual cuts and unreleased material – all of it a further testament to his legendary ear for a mindblowing sound! These aren't half-baked cuts, or material that deserved to fall to the cutting room floor – because the style is years ahead of its time, and put together with techniques and styles that are still pretty darn revolutionary after all these many years! Some tracks have a strong vocal presence, others are more instrumental – and in addition to Lee's famous flying cymbals technique, there's lots more going on here too – including some totally cool space age sounds. Unreleased tracks include "Bell Road Rock" by The Aggrovators, "Joe Frazier" by Tommy McCook, "Go Jah Jah Pickney" by Linval Thompson, "No Man Is An Island" by Johnny Clarke & Horace Andy, "Bunny Lee & King Tubby's Dubplate Special" by Cornell Campbell, "Life Of My Own" by The Raver, "Look How Long Nyabinghi Calling You" by Linval Thompson, "King Tubby's Vs Arrows Dubplate" by Cornell Campbell, "Jamaican Fruit Of African Roots" by Lennox Brown & Sheila Richards, "No Babylon Shall Escape In This Time" by Johnny Clarke, and "Every Knee Shall Bow" by Ronnie Davis. LP, Vinyl record album