A really great entry in this excellent series – one that not only features lots of great Fender Rhodes from Brazilian jazz legend Joao Donato, but also vocals from Loren Oden on almost every track – which makes the whole thing feel like a fantastic hybrid of Joao's genius with a righteous approach to spacey soul! Oden sounds maybe even better here than ever before – singing jazzily, and drifting in and out of the instrumentation – which often has a more dynamic lead in the mix, with lots of work on a variety of instruments from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – upbeat, but just a few shades short of funk, which works perfectly for the way that Donato slides his Rhodes in and out of the tunes. Titles include "Forever More", "Sua Beleza E Beleza", "Desejo De Amor", "Aquarius", "Nao Negue Seu Coracao", "Liaisons", and "Adrian Ali & Gregory". CD

Maybe the most fantastic record to date from the hands of Adrian Younge – a project done in collaboration with Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and one that features guest appearances from some of the musical giants who first inspired Dusty Groove many years Back! The core energy of the set comes from Younge and Muhammad – who are in a similar funky soul groove as their previous Midnight Hour recording serving up a blend of jazz and soul in a mode that clearly draws a lot of 70s inspiration, but which also has this very fresh, contemporary energy too. Yet there's also a strong difference here once each of the guests step into the mix – a stellar lineup that features alto from Gary Bartz, Fender Rhodes from Marcos Valle and Joao Donato, flute from Brian Jackson, drums from Ivan Mamao Conti, and Hammond B3 from the great Doug Carn – all players who really up the jazz ante for the record, and make the whole thing sound even deeper than most of Younge's other recordings. Titles include "Distant Mode", "Nancy Wilson, "Down Deep", "Apocaliptico", "Jazz Is Dead", "Hey Lover", "Nao Saia Da Praca", and "Conexao". CD

A very different entry in this always-great series – one that doesn't focus on a specific artist, or just the instrumentation of the two leaders – but instead has this great range of artists coming together in a very jazz-based style! Things here are even more organic and flowing than on some of the other volumes – as there's a very cool array of players that shift nicely from track to track, while still giving the record a unified vibe – work from Jeff Parker on guitar, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Tony Allen on drums, Henry Franklin on bass, Phil Ranelin on trombone, Wendell Harrison on bass clarinet, Jaman Laws on tenor, Phillip Wack on alto, and Scott Mayo on flute – all players who work with Younge and Muhammad to create soulful and funky elements that bring us back to the spirit of the Black Jazz label in the 70s Even if you've heard other titles in the series, this one still really advances the concept even further – and with more live, spontaneous energy in the studio – on titles that include "Running With The Tribe", "Phoenix", "Come As You Are", "Ebun", "El Cambio Es Necesario", "The Avenues", and "The Griot". CD

An all-instrumentals set of tracks from the Jazz Is Dead duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – but one that also has some ties to their previous projects as well! The set features some material written with Jean Carne, who doesn't sing at all – and some written with Lonnie Liston Smith, who does play Fender Rhodes on a number of tracks – making a great return to the format of the series, after his own volume! And speaking of Fender Rhodes, Adrian Younge plays plenty of that great instrument – as well as Hammond B3, flute and saxes, and even some monophonic synth and electric sitar – all of which makes for a mighty nice, wide array of instrumental flavors! Titles include "Black Rainbows", "The Summertime", "Cosmic Changes", "Black Love", "People Of The Sun", "Come As You Are", "Visions", and "Love Brings Happiness". CD

Key tracks from this long-running series – taken into new territory by a whole host of contemporary remix talents! The set's heavy on producers and musicians from the London scene – so that the earlier LA efforts of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad are given new cosmic inspiration in the hands of the mixers – really bringing new energy and imagination to tracks from the series recorded with artists who include Tony Allen, Lonnie Liston Smith, Phil Ranelin, Wendell Harrison, Jean Carne, and others! Titles include "African Sun (Shabaka Hutchings rmx)", "Phoenix (Theon Cross rmx)", "Black Rainbow (Melanie Charles mrmx)", "Love Brings Happiness (Tall Black Guy with Kaidi Tatham rmx)", "Don't Believe The Dancers (Monphono rmx)", "Reflections (Bei Ru rmx)", and "Running With The Tribe (DJ Nyack rmx)". CD

A special set of all-instrumental tracks – culled together from the sessions that went into some of the previous editions of this mighty great series – including collaborations with Gary Bartz, Joao Donato, Marcus Valle, and Roy Ayers! As the title implies, the cuts here are all instrumental – some are stated as being exclusive to the set, and likely in variations on the vocal versions – all given that impeccable studio production work of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who find a way to wrap together so many wonderful strands of music! The whole thing's funky, but there's plenty of jazz, soul, and Brazilian currents as well – on instrumental versions of titles that include "African Sounds", "Gravity", "Gotta Love Again", "Forever More", "Hey Lover", "Visions Of Love", "Aquarius", "Soulful & Unique", "A Gente Volta Amanha", "Nao Saia Da Praca", "Synchronized Vibration, "Day By Day", "Sunflowers", and "Quiera Bem". CD

A fantastic combination of funky grooves – the studio talents of Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and the Brazilian-tinged fusion of the legendary Azymuth! The jazzy trio are in great form here – tunes that are lean, and which really offer up all the best aspects that the group brought to their music back in the late 70s and early 80s – spun with a slightly different format by the lineup of Alex Malheiros on bass, Ivan Mamao Conti on drums, and Linklon Kiko Contentino on Fender Rhodes and keyboards – but handled perfectly by Adrian and Ali in the studio – with just the right sort of sound to avoid some of the slicker production that the group had on some of their other American recordings from years back. All tunes are new originals – and titles include "Pulando Corda", "Friendship Samba", "Apocolyptico", "Cat Jump", "Fall Afternoon", "Ao Redor Do Samba", and "Sumare". CD

A record with maybe the sharpest edge of any of the titles in this excellent series – a set that's certainly more jazz-based than most, thanks in part to the presence of the legendary Henry Franklin on bass, and some superb work on guitar from the great Jeff Parker! Although Franklin is best known for his famous 70s albums on the Black Jazz label, he's continued to be a strong force on the west coast scene for decades, and has issued some sublime records on his own label – and this time around, it's almost as if the team of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have stepped back a bit, and let Franklin act more as a leader than some of the other artists on previous Jazz Is Dead recordings. Tracks are long, and filled with a sense of exploration that's nicely different than some of Franklin's own records, but equally inspired – with work from other players who include Clinton Patterson on trumpet, David Urquidi on alto, Scott Mayo on tenor and flute, and Nicholas Baker on percussion. Titles include "African Sun", "Feedback", "Cafe Negro", "People's Revolution", "Karibu", "The Griot", and "Memories Lost". CD

Spiritual keyboard giant Lonnie Liston Smith joins the duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – and the result is maybe one of the deepest records in this wonderful series! As you can imagine, Lonnie is on keyboards, and delivers some wonderful solos throughout – very much in the spirit of his classic Flying Dutchman albums of the 70s – at a level that even seems to bring out some deeper vibes from Younge and Muhammad as well! Vocalist Loren Oden joins the group on four tracks, recalling the great vocal style used on Lonnie's classic records, in this beautiful mix of jazz and soul that really shapes the tunes – in a set that that includes "A New Spring", "Love Brings Happiness", "Cosmic Changes", "Dawn", "Gratitude", "What May Come", and "Love Can Be". CD

Spiritual keyboard giant Lonnie Liston Smith joins the duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – and the result is maybe one of the deepest records in this wonderful series! As you can imagine, Lonnie is on keyboards, and delivers some wonderful solos throughout – very much in the spirit of his classic Flying Dutchman albums of the 70s – at a level that even seems to bring out some deeper vibes from Younge and Muhammad as well! Vocalist Loren Oden joins the group on four tracks, recalling the great vocal style used on Lonnie's classic records, in this beautiful mix of jazz and soul that really shapes the tunes – in a set that that includes "A New Spring", "Love Brings Happiness", "Cosmic Changes", "Dawn", "Gratitude", "What May Come", and "Love Can Be". CD

A fantastic setting for the sublime vocals of Marcos Valle – the Brazilian singer who first rose up during the bossa years, soon expanded into mindblowing styles of his own – and has then had a few great revivals over the years! Yet this record may well give Marcos the fresh spin he really needed – while also respecting the soulful, jazzy currents of his early 70s work – set up with the kind of perfect arrangements and production that Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have brought to this Jazz Is Dead series – but which comes out sounding completely different here, thanks to the qualities of Valle's vocals – which maybe sound more rhythmic and jazzy than we've heard in years. Incredible throughout – with titles that include "A Gente Volta Amanha", "Our Train", "Gotta Love Again", "Oi", "Isso E Que Eu Sei", "Quiera Bem", and "Nao Saia Da Praca". CD

The Jazz Is Dead series goes mighty deep with this gem of a record – opening the door for two legendary Tribe Records talents from the Detroit scene of the 70s – reedman Wendell Harrison and trombonist Phil Ranelin – both of whom sound superb throughout! As with other volumes in the JID series, the production pair really adapt their sound and strategy to fit the best modes of the guest – so that this time around, Ali Shaheed Muhammad's just adding some strong basslines to the tunes, and Adrian Younge plays a variety of keyboards and guitar – yet neither get in the way of the vision that's clearly coming from both Harrison and Ranelin! Tracks almost feel like an update of older Tribe Records modes – and drummer Greg Paul provides a nice crisp crackle at the bottom. Tunes include "Running With The Tribe", "Ursa Major", "Black Census", "Open Eye", "Genesis", and "Fire In Detroit". CD

An album with Roy Ayers in the title – but which also features the man himself in the music – really sounding wonderful here, and recreating some of the best sounds of his classic work from the 70s! For some reason, Adrian Younge always likes to put his name in the lead, even when working with classic artists – like The Delfonics – but as with his record with that group, this project never has Younge eclipsing the real star of the set too much – as the record is very much Roy's own, and is full of the kind of sublimely soulful sounds that have always made Ayers one of our favorite artists of all time! Roy plays vibes, sings, and delivers the kind of well-tuned soul tracks that we always love so much – alongside bass, Fender Rhodes, and other instruments from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – plus work from Phil Ranelin on trombone, and Wendell Harrison on tenor. Titles include "Hey Lover", "Synchronize Vibration", "Soulful & Unique", "Sunflowers", "Shadows Of The Past", "African Sounds", and "Solace". CD

The great drummer Tony Allen left our planet all too soon – but not before cutting this fantastic album as part of the Jazz Is Dead series – a killer record that may be one of the best he's given us in the past decade or so! The format here is different than some of Tony's other records, but also different than the other Jazz Is Dead records – as the instrumentation is fuller than those, with a brace of horns that really fills things up – while Tony delivers these amazing rhythm patterns on the bottom, supported with basslines from Adrian Younge, who also adds in all sorts of very cool keyboards! There's more noise and darkness at times than we've heard on some of Allen's bigger label sets – and we mean that in a really great way – and the drummer is maybe most up in the mix of all the instruments, so you can really hear Tony going to town at his funky best. Titles include "Don't Believe The Dancers", "Steady Tremble", "Ebun", "Oladipo", "No Beginning", "Lagos", and "Makoko". CD

A fantastic extension of the Jazz Is Dead series – a run of records that's already got a wonderfully collaborative vibe, which is taken even further with these tracks! As you might guess from the title, the album features remixes of cuts from the previous nine volumes – and the choice of remixers is really top-shelf – a great run of talents who now add their voices to the stunning sounds created by the host of famous jazz/funk talents who worked alongside Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad in the studio! Every track has a nicely different vibe, but not in a way that's schizophrenic – as the music really opens up from the sounds at the core, while still holding onto them as well. Titles include "Gotta Love Again (Kaidi Tatham rmx)" with Marcos Valle, "Soulful & Unique (Pink Sifu rmx)" with Roy Ayers, "Soulsea (Cut Chemist rmx)" with Gary Bartz, "Redor Do Samba (DJ Spinna rmx)" with Azymuth, "Liasons (Diabiase rmx)" with Joao Donato, "Nancy Wilson (Shigeto rmx)" with Brian Jackson, "Windfall (Natureboy Flako rmx)" with Doug Carn, and "Jazz Is Dead (Georgia Anne Muldrow geemix)" with The Midnight Hour. CD

A great new showcase for the legendary keyboard work of Doug Carn – and a set that's very different both from his famous albums for the Black Jazz label, and some of his organ jazz records in more recent years too! The set's maybe got a more pronounced influence from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad than some of the others in this series – as Carn's Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes still get center stage, but the grooves are very much in the heavy funk style of Younge's legacy of recent recordings – sharp drums, strong basslines, and horns that are sometimes jazzy, sometimes seemingly touched by currents of Ethiopian work from the past. All tracks are originals, and titles include "Processions", "Dimensions", "Windfall", "Down Deep", "Freedom At Sunset", "Nunca Um Malandro", and "Lion's Walk". CD

Saxophonist Gary Bartz joins the duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – bringing a warm sense of soul to their soulful backings – which range from funky to spacey, and do a nice job of capturing the mid 70s feel of Gary on record! The sound isn't the Larry Mizell or Ntu Group version of Bartz – but a warm, spiritual take on alto sax – with strong solo that really soar out over the proceedings, even when the Young/Muhammad rhythms might not be as dynamic – but that's maybe no surprise, given that Gary Bartz always made the best of any situation – and really shines here amidst the Fender Rhodes, Hammond, guitars, and vibes that make up the rest of the music. Titles include "Soulsea", "The Message", "Day By Day", "Blue Jungles", "Spiritual Ideation", and "Black & Brown". CD

One of the most ambitious recordings in the excellent Jazz Is Dead series – and one that marks a long-overdue return for Garrett Sarracho – an artist who gave the world the excellent En Medio album for Impulse Records in the early 70s – but who has mostly kept his talents underground for the past few decades! Here, Saracho is really majestic on piano – and brings in all sorts of currents from Latin jazz, which makes for a very different sound than some of the leaner records in this series – heavy percussion, soaring horns, and all sorts of other wonderful elements – served up next to the core contributions of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. The duo have definitely let Sarracho loose to explore his own musical vision, and the record is very much his own – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Trucha", "The Gardens", "Altitude", "White Buffalo", "Sabor Del Ritmo", "El Cambio Es Neccesario", "73", and "Calo". CD

Saxophonist Gary Bartz joins the duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – bringing a warm sense of soul to their soulful backings – which range from funky to spacey, and do a nice job of capturing the mid 70s feel of Gary on record! The sound isn't the Larry Mizell or Ntu Group version of Bartz – but a warm, spiritual take on alto sax – with strong solo that really soar out over the proceedings, even when the Young/Muhammad rhythms might not be as dynamic – but that's maybe no surprise, given that Gary Bartz always made the best of any situation – and really shines here amidst the Fender Rhodes, Hammond, guitars, and vibes that make up the rest of the music. Titles include "Soulsea", "The Message", "Day By Day", "Blue Jungles", "Spiritual Ideation", and "Black & Brown". CD

An album that has the legendary Jean Carne in the most righteous setting we've heard in years – a mode that hearkens back to the vocals she provided for organist Doug Carn on their classic 70s albums together for the Black Jazz label! Jean's a singer that we love in just about any format – her huge Philly soul albums of the 70s, her sophisticated soul of the 80s, and even more indie projects of recent years. But here, she unleashes all the pride and power she brought to her music when she started out in jazz – soaring to the skies with a spiritual vibe throughout, next to Fender Rhodes, Hammond, and other keyboards from Adrian Younge – and some great rhythms from bassist Ali Shaheed Muhammad and drummer Mekala Session! Carne wrote all the music herself, and the vocals are wonderful – material we never would have guessed she still had locked within – bursting forth here with a vibe that's completely wonderful. Titles include "People Of The Sun", "Come As You Are", "My Mystical Life", "Visions", "The Summertime", "Black Rainbows", and "Black Love". CD

Another chapter of greatness from one of the greatest living tenorists in jazz – the mighty Eric Alexander, recording here in quartet formation with longtime partner Harold Mabern on piano! The album's got a fluid groove that's right up there with Alexander's best recent work for other Milestone – a timeless approach to soul jazz that's crafted with an ease and grace that few other players can match. Mabern's accompaniment is right on the money, and rhythm from the team of drummer Joe Farnsworth and bassist John Webber is never too cluttered, nor too laidback. As usual, Alexander's got a hell of an ear for a tune – and has come up with some great gems for the set, including Herbie Hancock's "Sonorisa", Mabern's classic "A Few Miles From Memphis", and Pat Martino's "Dead Center". Other tracks include "One For Steve", "It's Magic", and "Search For Peace". CD

A fantastic lost legacy in European free improvisation – the complete works of a group who were first known as Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe, then later as Fourmenonly – presented here in a beautiful 3CD set! First up is the album Trees – issued on a small label in 1968, but a set that matches the groundbreaking energy of the early work on FMP – played by a group that features Helmuth Zimmer on piano, Wilfreid Eichorn on tenor and soprano sax, Claus Buhler on bass, Rudi Thielmann on drums, and Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, Mellophon, piston, and percussion! The group have a melodic vibe at the core – often feeling out the initial space as a unit, then exploding with sound and color – and really making especially great work of the talents of Joos and Eichorn – players who work together with great power, driven on by the others. Titles include "Lonely Time", "Trees", "Schnee Verbrennt", "Change Of Beauty", and "The Devil Is Green Blue Yellow". CD also features a bonus unreleased improvisation too! Next is Position 2000 – a record of even longer improvisations, and one that shows the quintet really developing their sound – strongly aware of the farther reaches, but always beginning in some more colorful passages that almost have a melody, before exploding out with very vibrant energy! The lineup is the same as on the debut – with Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, mellophone, Indian flute, and percussion – and Wilfried Eichorn on tenor, soprano sax, bass clarinet, flute, and percussion – alongside Helmuth Zimmer on piano, Klaus Buhler on bass, and Rudi Thielmann on drums. Titles include "The Sun Is Coming Over", "Position 2000", and "Where Love Forever Shines". CD also features an unreleased improvisation. For the next album, bassist Buhler has departed the group – who are renamed Fourmenonly! Their first record is a brilliant set of free jazz from the German scene of the 70s – very different than other work of the time, in that there's maybe more of a future-thinking balance between sounds and silence, frenzy and fragility – all served up by a quartet that features Herbert Joos on trumpet and flugelhorn, Wilfried Eichhorn on tenor and soprano sax, Helmuth Zimmer on piano and percussion, and Rudi Theilmann on drums and percussion. Titles include "Viridiana/Ich Und Meine Bruder/Compulsion" and "Count Down/Excess". On the album Eight Science Fiction Stories, the Fourmenonly lineup is expanded by trombonist Wolfgang Czelusta – and perform some fantastic work billed as "science fiction stories", all composed by Herbert Joos. The sound is as revolutionary as on the group's earliest material, but also maybe more compact as well – nicely focused, with especially strong emphasis on the interplay between Czelusta on trombone, Wilifried Eichorn on bass clarinet, flute, and oboe, and Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, trumpet, and mellophone. The piano of Helmuth Zimmer is amazing – almost Cecil Taylor-like in intensity at times – and drummer Rudi Theilmann does a great job of moving from passages of full-on power to more spacious percussion. Titles include "Lucifer Is Marching On", "Dead Season", "The Beauty Without A Face", "Departure", "Plastic Happiness", and "Space Wall". 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

Deep deep funk from the legendary Westbound label – the important early home to Ohio Players and Funkadelic, but also host to some other great funky groups too! In keeping with the name, the cuts here focus on the kind of Westbound tracks that have great drum breaks in their groove – or which stand out as great selections for sampling, too – but all presented with the same sort of care, research, and attention to detail that the Ace label brings to all of their famous soul collections! In other words, the whole thing's got all the sharp edges and funky beats as one of those dodgy sample collections – but the sound is better, the tracks are legit, and the whole thing features detailed notes as well. Titles include "Kissing My Love" by Spanky Wilson, "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players, "Suzie Thundertussy" by Junie, "You & Your Folks Me & My Folks" by Funkadelic, "Music Man (part 2)" by Pleasure Web, "Back From The Dead" by King Errisson, "You're Gettin A Little Too Smart" by The Detroit Emeralds, "Pack Of Lies" by The Counts, "Funk It Down" by Caesar Frazier, "Good Old Music" by Mgictones, "The Fuz & Da Boog" by Fuzzy Haskins, "Heartbreaker Of The Year" by Denise LaSalle, "Does He Treat You Better" by Unique Blend, "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms" by Detroit Emeralds, "Mixed Up Moods & Attitudes (Tom Moulton mix)" by Fantastic Four, "Tightrope (single mix)" by Junie, and "I'll Bet You" by Funkadelic. CD

Maybe the moodiest record we've ever heard from trumpeter Theo Croker – a set that blends together his earthy Afrofuturist experiments with other electric horn-based modes – maybe currents of 70s Miles or Jon Hassell, but served up in much more soul-based territory overall! Many cuts have vocals – from singers who include Jamila Woods, Jill Scott, and Teedra Moses – which are often muted, and folded into the electric mix – so that the lyrics are just one more shimmering texture of sound, amidst the blend of keyboards, organ, alto, and other instrumentation on the set. There's also plenty of guests along the way – including Gary Bartz and Kassa Overall – on titles that include "Jazz Is Dead", "Royal Conversation", "To Be We", "She's Bad", "Humanity", "Divinity", and "Cosmic Intercourse (part 2)". CD

The fantastic debut of Gypsy – a group who blend wonderful harmonies with really well-crafted inspiration – very much in the jazz-inspired jamming of some of the headier California groups, like Spirit or Santana at their best! The group use a swirling blend of organ and guitar next to their really beautiful vocals – warm and sweet at some of the best moments, but never in a way that ever feels like soft rock – given the intensity of the instrumentation! The album was issued on the Metromedia label, and never got the attention it would have deserved had it hit the racks from a company like Columbia or Warner – but it's every bit as great as some of their giants from the time, with titles that include "Last December", "Man Of Reason", "Third Eye", "Tomorrow Is The Last To Be Heard", "Here In My Loneliness", "Dead & Gone", "Dream If You Can", "Decisions", and "Gypsy Queen". CD

Essential funk in a single set – three killer albums from James Brown's legendary backing group! First up is Food For Thought – the classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The band are incredible at this point – sharper, harder, and funkier than just about any other combo around – and that includes all the thousands of groups in the funky 45 underground who were always trying to copy their sound, but never got things this right! Not only are the rhythms the stuff of legend – but the use of the instruments is far far above the norm – as can be heard on the mindblowing "The Grunt", which was sampled heavily by Public Enemy to great fame – and which features a saxophone solo that sounds more like a whistling tea kettle! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks! Doing It To Death is an incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing hard, long, and loud, in the free funk improvisational mode that was James' real contribution to the music at the time. The tracks are all incredibly long, with James at the forefront, egging the band on with shouts and comments – but also letting them open up large instrumentally, playing in a mode that's as much jazz as it is funky soul. The whole thing's peppered with some nice shorter segues between tracks – but the long cuts are the winners, and are some of the best funk ever recorded! Titles include "Mo Peas", "Doing It To Death", "La Di Da La Di Day", "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight", and "Sucker". Last up is Damn Right I Am Somebody – quite possibly our favorite record by the JBs, ever! The set starts with a wonderful conversational bit – rapping and musing on the idea of "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" – showing the group in a political and righteous mode for the first time ever. The grooves then kick in – with the same heavy funk as on earlier records, but also a nice nod towards experimental production – from strange fade ups and fade downs, to stark time and rhythm changes, and even bits of electronics used to create some very cool moments in the grooves! The whole thing's as dead funky as can be, and is stuffed with insane classics like "Blow Your Head", "Same Beat", "Damn Right I am Somebody", "I'm Payin' Taxes, What am I Buyin'", and a great cover of Marvin Gaye's "You Sure Love to Ball"! CD

A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. CD

The debut of the J Davis Trio – Chicago's wholly unique late night jazz, spacey funk, leftfield live hip hop crew! The J Davis Trio combines some stripped down 70s soul jazz with a skewed, slightly sinister sense of humor – and can reference Roy Ayers and the Dead Milkmen on the same record – no mean feat. This Debut is a strong one! Tracks include "Bitchin Corrolla", "Keys To The Kingdom", "Car Talk", "Bossa Nova", "Thumb Piano", "Story, "Harmonics 5", 'Everythang'sEverythang" and more. CD

Dynamic jazz rock from the French scene of the 70s – combo with a strong penchant for stretching out strongly on organ and guitar – but one that also has a few more sensitive, folksy moments as well! The tracks shift nicely between longer numbers and shorter ones – the shorter tracks usually a bit more up-close and personal, with gentle vocals from Rose Podwojny – and the longer numbers usually hit more of a progressive feel, with some especially nice mellotron work at a few points. Titles include "Vision", "Never Good At Sayin Goodbye", "Underground Session", "Old Dom Is Dead", "To Take Him Away", and "Metakara". CD

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 really unusual album from bassist William Parker – an artist whose musical world is usually quite far from the 70s soul of Curtis Mayfield – even though both Mayfield and Parker are pretty darn righteous individuals! Yet here, Curtis and William come together in a stunning way – as Parker reworks classic Mayfield songs, and transforms them into fantastic vehicles for spiritual jazz expression! The group has a warmly collaborative vibe, and energy that feels like some lost indie jazz project from the 70s – all held together by Parker's bold acoustic bass and masterful leadership – in a lineup that includes vocals from Leena Conquest, piano from Dave Burrell, saxes and flute from Sabir Mateen, tenor and soprano from Darryl Foster, trumpet from Lewis Barnes, drums from Hamid Drake, and poetry and voice from Amari Baraka. With a lineup like that, you can already guess the vibe – and we can promise that the whole is even better than you might have hoped! Titles include "I Plan To Stay A Believer", "If There's A Hell Below", "This Is My Country", "People Get Ready/The Inside Song", "It's Alright", "Freddie's Dead", "New World Order", and a great 17 minute take on "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue". CD

Soul and gospel, gospel and soul – a beautiful marriage in music that's summed up perfectly in this sweet little set! It's no secret that gospel music had plenty of influence on soul back in the early days – but as the genre went on, soul ended up throwing a mighty sound back at gospel too – so that by the late 60s, both musics were pretty well tied together in styles, themes, and spirit! This collection digs even deeper than the already-great first volume from Soul Jazz – and brings together a wide range of work that illustrates the powerful effect that soul had on gospel back in the late 60s and 1970s – righteous lessons learned from the secular side of the spectrum, folded back to make the spiritual even hipper than before! As always with Soul Jazz, plenty of care went into the set – and the music is provided with an extremely thoughtful track list that goes way past the obvious – as well as a good set of notes to back up the choices. Plus, the tunes here are often quite funky – almost making the package a "gospel funk" collection! 20 tracks in all – including "We Should All Thank The Lord" by The Lovers Of God, "I'll Keep A Light In My Window" by NYCC, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by Sweet Inspirations, "Let Him Come In" by Howard Lemon Singers, "Keep Trying" by Mildred Clark, "Dead End Street" by Clara Ward, "Since I've Been Born Again" by Martha Bass, "You'd Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "Do Your Thing" by Marion Gaines Singers, "Praise His Name" by The Stovall Singers, "Let Them Talk" by Meditation Singers, "When Will It End" by The Sensational Cymbals, and "After The Rain" by Pastor TL Barrett. CD

A pair of classics from Deodato – back to back on a single high-quality CD! First up is Prelude – a legendary album from the 70s funk scene – and one of the crowning achievements of keyboard maestro Eumir Deodato! Deodato got his start during the bossa years of the 60s – where his sophisticated charts were already enough to make his career a landmark – but in the following decade he picked up the Fender Rhodes, and really took off in a great new direction with classic records like this! The set's a wonderful blend of larger charts and jazzy soloing – with sublime Rhodes lines from the leader, plus a mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation in the best CTI mode – underscored by percussion from both Ray Barretto and Airto. The features Deodato's remake of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" into the funky "2001" – soaring with Fender Rhodes lines that set a new standard for the instrument, with a funky undercurrent that few would have expected for the tune. Other tracks are nice too – and include a great bossa-y version of "Baubles Bangles & Beads", plus "Spirit Of Summer", "September 13", and "Carly & Carole". Deodato 2 is filled with funky keyboards galore – and one of the greatest records ever from this legendary Brazilian jazz talent! The album follows nicely off Deodato's Prelude classic for CTI – and like that one, this set's built on long-flowing tunes that rise and fall with a wonderful sense of rhythm – a sublime electric piano groove that's quite different than anything Deodato recorded before – and possibly never realized this perfectly again after his CTI years. Other players include Stanley Clarke on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Hubert Laws on flute – and titles include the massive Latin funk track "Super Strut", plus the tunes "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Skyscrapers", and a great version of "Nights In White Satin". Plus, this CD reissue features 3 bonus tracks – "Venus", "Do It Again", and "Latin Flute"! CD

A pivotal album not just in the career of Quincy Jones, but in the development of the CTI Records sound as well – as this all-star effort is a perfect blend of all the hippest currents that were cooking up in the scene at the time! At one level, the record has Quincy taking back some of the sophisticated currents he was developing in soundtrack work of the 60s, but moving back to jazz – more groove than before, and more of a sense of space and timing – which is carried off by an excellent lineup that features plenty of electric piano from Bob James, plus work from Hubert Laws on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Toots Thielemans on guitar and harmonica. There's also added soulful vocals at a few points too – more chorus than lyrics, at a level that hints at the jazz/soul crossovers that Quincy would do in the 70s – on a set of tracks that's completely sublime, with titles that include "Killer Joe", "Dead End", "Walking In Space", and "Love & Peace". CD

A fantastic new chapter in music from Cecile McLorin Salvant – a singer who's only been with us for a little more than a decade, has already gotten a Grammy and a MacArthur Genius Grant – yet hasn't let that stop her from being even more creative than ever! Cecile's still very much a jazz singer at the core, but there's also an expressive range here that we might never have guessed on her earlier records – and that's saying a lot, as those albums really blew us away! The singer's really breaking out of just the world of jazz vocals here – rising with star power, ala Gregory Porter or Esperanza Spaulding – but also maybe going deeper at the same time too. Titles include a surprising remake of "Wuthering Heights", plus "Thunderclouds", "Unquiet Grae", "Moon Song", "Trail Mix", "The World Is Mean", "Obligation", "Optimistic Voices/No Love Dying", "I Lost My Mind", and "Dead Popular". CD

An incredible collection of work from the great John Cameron – kind of a secret hero on the British scene of the late 60s and early 70s – as most of his work was done for bigger artists at the time, or came out on obscure sound library sessions! Yet despite that obscurity, Cameron was a true hero of the time – a jazz musician who was able to bring a fresh sensibility to the studio when supporting the work of key artists on their important records – maybe most famously in collaboration with Donovan, but heard here working with a variety of different rock, folk, soul, and other artists – all of whom really benefit from the John Cameron touch! We've always loved Cameron's work in the studio, are always thrilled to see his name on a record – and this collection is maybe the first to really showcase his contributions to the world in a really unified way – all with the usual Ace Records strong attention to details and great liner notes too. Titles include "Barnes Bridge" by Harold McNair, "Willow's Harp" by World Of Oz, "Boat Trip" by Gordon Haskell, "Ding Dong The Wicked Witch Is Dead" by Julie Felix, "The Observation" by Donovan, "Avenues & Alleyways" by Tony Christie, "Everybody Needs Somebody" by The Fascinations, "Isn't This Where We Came In" by Lionel Bart, "A Road To Nowhere" by Lesly Duncan, "Open Your Window" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Primrose Hill" by Kathe Green, "Cleopatra Jones" by Bobby Harrison, and "Brother" by CCS – plus "Half Forgotten Daydreams", "Heat Haze", and "Kes" by Cameron himself. CD

A fantastic new chapter in music from Cecile McLorin Salvant – a singer who's only been with us for a little more than a decade, has already gotten a Grammy and a MacArthur Genius Grant – yet hasn't let that stop her from being even more creative than ever! Cecile's still very much a jazz singer at the core, but there's also an expressive range here that we might never have guessed on her earlier records – and that's saying a lot, as those albums really blew us away! The singer's really breaking out of just the world of jazz vocals here – rising with star power, ala Gregory Porter or Esperanza Spaulding – but also maybe going deeper at the same time too. Titles include a surprising remake of "Wuthering Heights", plus "Thunderclouds", "Unquiet Grae", "Moon Song", "Trail Mix", "The World Is Mean", "Obligation", "Optimistic Voices/No Love Dying", "I Lost My Mind", and "Dead Popular". CD

A set that features 15 tracks from Wayne Shorter's early years recording for Vee Jay Records! Some of the work is from the Introducing Wayne Shorter album – the birth of a genius! From the vantage point of the 21st century,Wayne Shorter hardly needs any introduction – but when he recorded this debut album in the late 50s, Shorter was just the new kid on the block – making a few important waves as the tenor star in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. The album wisely works off that fame, and pairs Shorter with co-Messenger Lee Morgan – in front line on the trumpet – but it's also got a slightly different groove too, thanks to a rhythm team that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. The Kelly trio approach makes for a nice change from the Blakey mode – and Shorter more than follows suit by blowing some wonderfully well-crafted solos, and working in a more introspective soul mode – really pointing the way towards his later genius as a leader on Blue Note. Shorter also emerges as a heck of a great writer too – contributing 5 great original tracks to the set, titles that include "Blues A La Carte", "Harry's Last Stand", "Black Diamond", "Pug Nose", and "Down in The Depths". The set also features material from the album Wayning Moments – a great 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). CD

Groundbreaking work, and a killer piece of Philly groove! MFSB were a large conglomeration of studio players who graced some of the first big Philly hits in the 70s, and here they break out on their own in a remarkable set of pre-disco tunes that form the blueprint for the rest of the 70s dancefloor action. The set pulls tracks from most of the band's best albums of the 70s – mixing uptempo numbers with other cuts that have a surprisingly sly approach to jazzy soul. Includes the classic "TSOP", which was also the theme to Soul Train, plus a great version of "Cheaper To Keep Her", the very familiar "Love Is The Message", "Zach's Fanfare", "Freddie's Dead", "Philadelphia Freedom", "Sexy", "Poinciana", "My Mood", and "TLC". 16 cuts in all! CD

A great little live set from Curtis – recorded in Europe in 1987, but with a sound that's pretty darn great! The music is played by a small jazzy combo that includes Master Henry Gibson on congas – and while the use of more modern keyboards make the set sound different than Curtis' classic Live album, the overall quality of the work is higher than you'd expect from the date. Titles include "We Gotta Have Peace", "Move On Up", "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Ice 9", "Back To The World", and "When Seasons Change". 13 cuts in all. CD

A smoking little set – an album of jazz takes on Curtis Mayfield classics, played by a hip combo that includes a few musicians from Mayfield's old band! The album's a straight jazz effort all the way through – and the interpretations are so soulful and swinging on their own, you might even forget that Curtis provided the inspiration for the tunes – thanks to work from Wallace Roney on trumpet, Ernie Watts on saxes, Phil Upchurch on guitar, Russ Ferrante on piano, Terri Lyne Carrington on drums, and Henry Gibson on congas! The album's one of the last that Gibson ever cut, and his percussion really helps the whole thing find its groove – providing a nice kick to the work of Roney, Watts, and Upchurch over the top. Titles include "Freddie's Dead", "Superfly", "Beautiful Brother Of Mine", "People Get Ready", "Amen", "Gypsy Woman", and "It's All Right". CD

Bob Frankich & Ian Nevins on alto saxophone, Kurt Berg on baritone saxophone, Jeff Hill on bass, Mike Meyers on bass trombone, Mark Walker on drums, Karl Montzka on piano, Brian Budzik & Mark Colby on tenor saxophone, Antonio Garcia, Brian Jacobi, Dan Johnson & Jack Schmidt on trombone, Art Davis, Carey Deadman, Mike McGrath, Rob Parton & Scott Wagstaff on trumpet & Kristy Smith on vocals. CD

Two jazz rock classics – back to back as a 2CD set! Solar Plexus was a pivotal album in the career of British jazzman Ian Carr – one that had him really opening up into some trippy, spacey grooves – adding in a lot of keyboards, kicking up the grooves, yet still never losing the strong jazzy finish that was the best part of his earlier work. Players on the set include trumpeters Harry Beckett and Kenny Wheeler, guitarist Chris Spedding, and keyboardist Karl Jekins, who really throws in some groovy lines on the set! Titles include "Elements 1 & 2", "Snakehips Dream", "Torso", "Spirit Level", and "Bedrock Deadlock". Belladonna is one of the heaviest electric sets from UK trumpeter Ian Carr – and that's really saying a lot, given how much heavy work he cut with his group Nucleus! The sound here is a groundbreaking mix of acoustic horns and keyboards – trumpet from Carr, and a mix of tenor, soprano, alto, and flute from Brian Smith – coming into contact with the Fender Rhodes of Dave MacRae and the Hohner electric of Gordon Beck! The pairing of keys is wonderful – and the whole thing is sewn together by the guitar of a young Allan Holdsworth, who's very much in the sway of Carr's sound here, instead of the later directions he'd take as a leader. The set might be worth it alone for the massive "Summer Rain" – a slow funk track that trips along beautifully – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Belladonna", "Mayday", "Suspension", and "Hector's House". CD

Funky keyboards galore – and one of the greatest records ever from this legendary Brazilian jazz talent! The album follows nicely off Deodato's Prelude classic for CTI – and like that one, this set's built on long-flowing tunes that rise and fall with a wonderful sense of rhythm – a sublime electric piano groove that's quite different than anything Deodato recorded before – and possibly never realized this perfectly again after his CTI years. Other players include Stanley Clarke on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Hubert Laws on flute – and titles include the massive Latin funk track "Super Strut", plus the tunes "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Skyscrapers", and a great version of "Nights In White Satin". Plus, this CD reissue features 3 bonus tracks – "Venus", "Do It Again", and "Latin Flute"! CD

Fantastic work from EABS – a combo who continue to amaze us with the diversity of sounds they create, and the depth of feeling they can get from a mix of acoustic and electric instruments! There's maybe an even deeper spiritual vibe going on here than previous records – music that's not afraid to borrow some currents from the world of contemporary soul, yet still stays strongly in jazz territory overall – electric rhythms at some points, acoustic at others – blended with a range of wonderful keyboards from Marek Latarnik Pedziwiatr, next to trumpet from Jakub Kurek, and tenor and soprano sax from Olaf Wegier. The great tenorist Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski guests on the track "A Farewell To Mother Earth" – and other tracks include "Lucifer", "Dead Silence", "Mystery Of Monolith", "Global Warning", "Ain't No Mercy", and "The Odyssey Of Dr Heywood Floyd". CD

Apes, fight like apes! This great CD pairs the soundtracks for the last two Planet Of The Apes films – Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes and Battle For The Planet Of The Apes both of which were much more low-budget and a bit more unbridled than the original movies. Conquest features 14 tracks written by funky jazzer Tom Scott – done in a mix of orchestral suspense and military themes, often handled with some nice touches of 70s electric instrumentation that's similar to that used by Scott in his TV show work. Battle features 17 tracks written by Leonard Rosenmann, who'd scored the earlier Beneath The Planet Of The Apes film, and who here returns to the moody feel of that score. A great package, with a wonderful booklet and nice images – limited to 3000 copies, with titles that include "Ape Servitude", "1991 Restaurant", "Teacher Teacher", "Caesar Departs", "Ricky's Theme", "Electrocution", "The King Is Dead", and "Subjugation Soul". CD

A great recent chapter in the rediscovery of 60s soul legend Howard Tate – a set that's arguably more laidback and relaxed than his initial comeback album, and which has some deeper, more complicated edges as well! Backings are by the orchestra of Steve Weisberg, who mix in some slightly jazzier moments with the bluesier ones you might expect from Tate – all in a style that opens him up somewhat, and covers some surprising ground with the choice of tunes on the set. Tate's vocals haven't dimmed at all with time, and the production has him right up front in the mix – on titles that include "Hell Is Just A Place On Earth", "Dear Lord", "Louisiana 1927", "Homewrecker", "Close To You", "I'll Be Home", "Left For Dead", "Every Time It Rains", and "Solid Ground". CD

Two jazz rock classics – back to back as a 2CD set! Solar Plexus was a pivotal album in the career of British jazzman Ian Carr – one that had him really opening up into some trippy, spacey grooves – adding in a lot of keyboards, kicking up the grooves, yet still never losing the strong jazzy finish that was the best part of his earlier work. Players on the set include trumpeters Harry Beckett and Kenny Wheeler, guitarist Chris Spedding, and keyboardist Karl Jekins, who really throws in some groovy lines on the set! Titles include "Elements 1 & 2", "Snakehips Dream", "Torso", "Spirit Level", and "Bedrock Deadlock". Belladonna is one of the heaviest electric sets from UK trumpeter Ian Carr – and that's really saying a lot, given how much heavy work he cut with his group Nucleus! The sound here is a groundbreaking mix of acoustic horns and keyboards – trumpet from Carr, and a mix of tenor, soprano, alto, and flute from Brian Smith – coming into contact with the Fender Rhodes of Dave MacRae and the Hohner electric of Gordon Beck! The pairing of keys is wonderful – and the whole thing is sewn together by the guitar of a young Allan Holdsworth, who's very much in the sway of Carr's sound here, instead of the later directions he'd take as a leader. The set might be worth it alone for the massive "Summer Rain" – a slow funk track that trips along beautifully – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Belladonna", "Mayday", "Suspension", and "Hector's House". CD

Way more than just the usual punk collection you might expect – not just LA hardcore or New York downtown, and instead a really wide range of work from the American underground of the 70s – including some really key tracks by artists who were working in a punkish mode a few years before the style ever had a name! Soul Jazz have really done an excellent job with this set – scanning a wealth of rare indie singles to come up with a set of tracks that virtually writes the history of the emergence of punk rock on the American shores – work that owes very little to the UK wave, and which instead really reflects the unique hybrid of styles that infected US material from the start. There's loads of cuts on here that we'd totally forgotten about – all brought together with the usual great Soul Jazz sense of history, reflected in the notes – and titles include "Let's Get Rid Of New York" by The Randoms, "I'm A Bug" by The Urinals, "Cakes In The Home" by Crash Course In Science, "Not Now No Way" by The Pagans, "Flash Of The Moment" by Pastiche, "Neutron Bomb" by The Controllers, "Action" by The Knots, "Dog Meat" by Flamin Groovies, "Kill The Hippies" by The Deadbeats, "US Millie" by Theoretical Girls, "Wild Weekend" by The Zeros, "Ice Age" by The Bizarros, and "Hillside Strangler" by Hollywood Squares. CD

Funky keyboards galore – and one of the greatest records ever from this legendary Brazilian jazz talent! The album follows nicely off Deodato's Prelude classic for CTI – and like that one, this set's built on long-flowing tunes that rise and fall with a wonderful sense of rhythm – a sublime electric piano groove that's quite different than anything Deodato recorded before – and possibly never realized this perfectly again after his CTI years. Other players include Stanley Clarke on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Hubert Laws on flute – and titles include the massive Latin funk track "Super Strut", plus the tunes "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Skyscrapers", and a great version of "Nights In White Satin". Plus, this CD reissue features 3 bonus tracks – "Venus", "Do It Again", and "Latin Flute"! CD

Funky keyboards galore – and one of the greatest records ever from this legendary Brazilian jazz talent! The album follows nicely off Deodato's Prelude classic for CTI – and like that one, this set's built on long-flowing tunes that rise and fall with a wonderful sense of rhythm – a sublime electric piano groove that's quite different than anything Deodato recorded before – and possibly never realized this perfectly again after his CTI years. Other players include Stanley Clarke on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Hubert Laws on flute – and titles include the massive Latin funk track "Super Strut", plus the tunes "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Skyscrapers", and a great version of "Nights In White Satin". Plus, this CD reissue features 3 bonus tracks – "Venus", "Do It Again", and "Latin Flute"! CD

The second album from the legendary Nick Drake – one of those records we could never ever live without – and a true piece of genius that's been turning on generations of listeners since Nick first recorded it back at the start of the 70s! The format is folksy, but the execution is something else entirely – filled with jazzy phrasing, hypnotic lyrics, and arrangements that really go far beyond any cliches or contemporary work you might expect. The great Joe Boyd produced – and really helps give a strong focus to Nick's vocals and guitar – and the cool mix of added instrumentation – which includes organ and celeste from John Cale, flute and alto from Ray Warleigh, piano from Chris McGregor, and guitar from Richard Thompson. Drake's work is impossible to describe adequately, but if you've ever heard him, you probably stopped dead in your tracks the minute you first caught his voice. We still do the same – and it's a pleasure to have this one in stock! Titles include "Fly", "At The Chime Of A City Clock", "Hazy Jane", "Poor Boy", and "One Of These Things First". CD

The second album from the legendary Nick Drake – one of those records we could never ever live without – and a true piece of genius that's been turning on generations of listeners since Nick first recorded it back at the start of the 70s! The format is folksy, but the execution is something else entirely – filled with jazzy phrasing, hypnotic lyrics, and arrangements that really go far beyond any cliches or contemporary work you might expect. The great Joe Boyd produced – and really helps give a strong focus to Nick's vocals and guitar – and the cool mix of added instrumentation – which includes organ and celeste from John Cale, flute and alto from Ray Warleigh, piano from Chris McGregor, and guitar from Richard Thompson. Drake's work is impossible to describe adequately, but if you've ever heard him, you probably stopped dead in your tracks the minute you first caught his voice. We still do the same – and it's a pleasure to have this one in stock! Titles include "Fly", "At The Chime Of A City Clock", "Hazy Jane", "Poor Boy", and "One Of These Things First". CD

A much-needed look at an overlooked side of the genius of Quincy Jones – not his jazz work, not his productions for famous soul artists, but instead his huge legacy of soundtrack material – a part of Q's career that really took off in the 60s! By the time he started working in films, Jones had already had a decade under his belt as one of the hippest arrangers, leaders, and composers in jazz – and the film business really respected those talents, and allowed Quincy to bring some really fresh styles into play – modes that really opened up the vibe of American cinema, and also paved the way for the funky styles of the 70s! As that decade approached, Jones left behind the cinema to take on some more higher-profile records of his own – but all the charms of those great albums can be found here at their roots – in this stunning collection of soundtrack material, some of which has never been on CD. The package is way more than just a sampler – and includes an album's worth of material from the films The Pawnbroker, Slender Thread, Mirage, The Deadly Affair, In The Heat Of The Night, In Cold Blood, Walk Don't Run, The Italian Job, Lost Man, and John & Mary – plus two versions of the love theme from The Getaway, and a bonus CD with 18 tracks – titled Q's highlights, and featuring tracks from his Mercury records – plus more by Billy Preston, Arthur Prysock, Bill Cosby, Shirley Horn, Letta Mbulu, Toots Thielemans, and others. Even features the "Sanford & Son" and "Ironside" themes! CD

A much-needed look at an overlooked side of the genius of Quincy Jones – not his jazz work, not his productions for famous soul artists, but instead his huge legacy of soundtrack material – a part of Q's career that really took off in the 60s! By the time he started working in films, Jones had already had a decade under his belt as one of the hippest arrangers, leaders, and composers in jazz – and the film business really respected those talents, and allowed Quincy to bring some really fresh styles into play – modes that really opened up the vibe of American cinema, and also paved the way for the funky styles of the 70s! As that decade approached, Jones left behind the cinema to take on some more higher-profile records of his own – but all the charms of those great albums can be found here at their roots – in this stunning collection of soundtrack material, some of which has never been on CD. The package is way more than just a sampler – and includes an album's worth of material from the films The Pawnbroker, Slender Thread, Mirage, The Deadly Affair, In The Heat Of The Night, In Cold Blood, Walk Don't Run, The Italian Job, Lost Man, and John & Mary – plus two versions of the love theme from The Getaway, and a bonus CD with 18 tracks – titled Q's highlights, and featuring tracks from his Mercury records – plus more by Billy Preston, Arthur Prysock, Bill Cosby, Shirley Horn, Letta Mbulu, Toots Thielemans, and others. Even features the "Sanford & Son" and "Ironside" themes! CD

Blue Note boy genius Jason Moran rolls forward with another fine set for the label – leading a quartet session with a keen ear for 40s deep south jazz with groundwork in the blues – without sacrificing the freedom and fervor of bop or more contemporary sounds! Moran's been moving very well for a few years in the comfort of his great trio, featuring Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on the kit – this time adding a stellar guitar in Marvin Sewell. It's only appropriate that the measured piano firebrand would jump back a couple generations after lending his attention to hip hop and electro on the last studio album – and he does so with the same geniune passion, and perhaps even more appealing results! Tracks include "Gangsterism On The Rise", "Jump Up", "Aubade", "G Suit Saltation", "I'll Play The Blues For You", Mal Waldron's hot "Fire Waltz", "Field Of The Dead", "Restin'", "Gangsterism On The Set" and more. CD

A really wonderful project that was years in the making – a mix of American club and Brazilian elements – put together by a group that includes members of Azymuth and Banda Black Rio, as well as the legendary Arthur Verocai! Jose Roberto Bertrami's the strongest contributor here – and the music really echoes that great late 70s/early 80s point when the Azymuth fusion groove crossed over into tighter, funkier territory – coming off here with a sound that's got really universal appeal and a wickedly classic vibe overall – like some unusual cross-breeding of Brazilian grooves and Salsoul Records! Vocals are by Mia Mendes and Marcina Arnold, but the instrumentation is even better than the lyrics – filled with jazzy touches, blended with bits of strings, and perfectly produced all the way through. Really tremendous stuff – one of the freshest records we've heard from Far Out in years – with titles that include "Mystery", "Keep Believing", "Dead Dance", "The Last Carnival", "A Disco Supreme", "Vendetta", and "Don't Cha Know He's Alright". 2CD set features 8 more bonus remix tracks too! CD

A very cool soundtrack with a very unusual history – part of a brief sub-genre of films that were created during a time when the Italian and Spanish scene were doing their version of British horror and mystery! As such, the album does a great job of mixing groovy styles that you'd know from Italian films with some of the darker modes of gothic horror – these deeper tones and starker moments that are then offset by more upbeat and jazzy passages in a really great way! The strings can move between offbeat/atonal and more traditional – and there's also some very nice use of echoey percussion too. Titles include "Surreal", "Trance", "John Dalton Street", "The Living Dead", "Mysterious Country", "The Torment Of The Dead", and "Aggression". CD