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Dang! Does David Murray ever stop re-inventing himself? We think not – and this album is great proof of that fact! The set's a really tasty batch of Latin Jazz numbers – played to perfection by Murray and a host of excellent New York musicians, working together in large group format with a sound and style that's at the peak of perfection for this sort of recording. Murray wrote all the tunes, so the album goes way past the cliches of Latin-ized standards that you're probably sick of hearing anyway – and it's steeped in a soulful approach to the genre that really grabbed our ears from the first note! Titles include "Giovanni's Mission", "Sad Kind Of Love", "Mambo Dominica", "Break Out", and "Aerol's Change". CD

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Featuring Bobby Shew on trumpet. CD

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Solo piano album – tracks include "Breakdown", "Blues Waltz", "8th Avenue", and "Nothing To Declare". CD

A wonderful set from Curtis Lundy – his third album as a leader, and a warmly intimate set that steps off of the strength of his Against All Odds album, moving into new territory, yet never losing its soul! Curtis is working here with a group that includes John Hicks on piano, Billy Hart on drums, and Steve Nelson on vibes – crafting a sound that's a bit more modern than some of his previous work, with more angles and sharp edges, yet never so many as to lose the warmth and soul that we've come to love in his work. The record's incredibly fresh, with a sound that reminds us of some of Bobby Hutcherson's best experiments in the early 70s, pushing into territory that's distinctly Lundy's own. Titles include "Pas De Trois", "Blues For JA", "Carmen", "Walk In Serendipity", "Snake Eyes", and "Shape Shifting". CD

Michael Marcus on saxophone, Rahn Burton on organ, Nasheet Waits on drums, and Carlos Patato Valdes on congas. CD

Features Hugh Ragin on trumpet, Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass, Amiri Baraka on vocals and spoken word, and many others! CD

David Murray on tenor sax and bass clarinet – with John Hicks on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Andrew Cyrille. CD

An ambitious project from David Murray – one that features an expanded string ensemble working with his core quartet – performing a set of original material that includes the long "Pushkin Suite" and some shorter numbers that revel in Murray's own soulful spirit. While the "Pushkin Suite" is supposedly the main focus of this effort, we're more partial to the shorter tracks – as they dance, glide, and soar with the freely exploratory spiritualism we love so much in Murray's earlier years – and get past the headier mode of the longer suite. Titles include "Waltz Again", "Dark Secrets", "Steps", and "Sparkle" – and players include Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Jaribu Shahid on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums. CD

Just Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and flugelhorn and Paul Bley on piano! CD

With Hamiet Bluiett, Olive Lake, David Murray, and John Purcell – on saxophones, clarinets, flutes, and bells! CD

David Murray on tenor sax & bass clarinet, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, Oliver Lake on alto & soprano sax & Bgruce Williams on curved soprano & alto saxes. CD

Dave Young with Oscar Peterson, Cedar Walton, Tommy Flanagan, John Hicks, and Mulgrew Miller. CD

Chet Baker on trumpet and vocals, Phil Markowitz on piano, Scott Lee on bass, and Jeff Brillinger on drums. CD

David Murray on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet, James Newton and Max Cilla on flute, DD Jackson on piano, Ray Drummond on violin, Gerard Lockel on guitar, Klod Kiavue on percussion and ka drum, Michel Cilla on dibass drum, Francois Landreseau on ka drum, and Billy Jabali Hart on drums, with vocals from Francois Landreseau. CD

A rich tapestry of Afro-Caribbean rhythms – and one of the most compelling albums we've heard in years from David Murray! The set features an expanded group of percussionists, vocalists, and other instrumentalists – fronted by lead solo stars David Murray and Pharoah Sanders – all jamming freely in styles that bring together bits of African, Haitian, and Cuban rhythms – forging them into a bold new sound for the project! Tracks are all quite longish, and given the previous skills that both Murray and Sanders have exhibited in such settings, they're more than up for the challenge of working with such a heady group of players! Titles include "Go To Jazz", "Gwotet", "Djolla Feeling", "La Jwa", "O Leonso", and "Ovwa". CD

Features Clark Terry on trumpet. CD

Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, wooden flute, and contra-alto clarinet; DD Jackson on piano, organ, bass synth, and keys; Kahil El'Zabar on drums, percussion, bells, kalimba, and vocals. CD

Starday/King work by Flatt & Scruggs, The Willis Brothers, Justin Tubb, Moon Millican, Cowboy Copas, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

Sir Lord Baltimore may have a British-sounding name – but the group are a trio from Brooklyn, and serve up a blistering pre-metal version of hard rock that maybe blows away some of their English contemporaries at the time! There's a tremendous amount of power going on here – heavy bass from Gary Justin, searing guitars from Louis Dampier, and monstrous drums from John Garner, who somehow manages to also give out these raw, eerie vocals while also completely destroying the drum kit – all with energy that really prefaces a metal generation to come – but with a stripped-down vibe that's completely free of hoke. On the second album the group expands to a quartet, which makes for an even heavier sound than their first album – and the whole thing is one of those lost gems from a group who got a great shot in the studio from a big label – who then let the record languish, as they never knew how to promote it! Titles include "Man From Manhattan" plus "Where Are We Going", "Chicago Lives", "Loe And Behold", "Woman Tamer" and "Caesar LXXI". CD

A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many others! The set list is superb – and while most of the tracks are well-remembered gems, and not the kind of rare cuts we usually hear from Ace Records – taken together, they're a tremendous reminder of a time when hip hop really came alive – bursting with wit, wisdom, and a whole new sense of musical imagination! As usual with Ace, the liner notes and other details are great – making this way more than just a slap-dash mix of hits – and titles include "You're Not Coming Home (Mase's funkay recall mix)" by Groove Garden, "Age Ain't Nothin But A #" by Chi Ali, "Bonita Applebum" by Tribe Called Quest, "Sunshine Men" by Freestyle Fellowship, "Peachfuzz" by KMD, "K Sera Sera" by Justin Warfield, "It's A Shame" by Monie Love, "Doin Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers, "OPP" by Naughty By Nature, "Doowutchyalike" by Digital Underground, "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays" by De La Soul, "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep, "All For One" by Brand Nubian, "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style" by Dream Warriors, "Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children" by Queen Latifah with De La Soul, "Where I'm From" by Digable Planets, and "We Run Things (It's Like Dat)" by Da Bush Babees. CD

A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many others! The set list is superb – and while most of the tracks are well-remembered gems, and not the kind of rare cuts we usually hear from Ace Records – taken together, they're a tremendous reminder of a time when hip hop really came alive – bursting with wit, wisdom, and a whole new sense of musical imagination! As usual with Ace, the liner notes and other details are great – making this way more than just a slap-dash mix of hits – and titles include "You're Not Coming Home (Mase's funkay recall mix)" by Groove Garden, "Age Ain't Nothin But A #" by Chi Ali, "Bonita Applebum" by Tribe Called Quest, "Sunshine Men" by Freestyle Fellowship, "Peachfuzz" by KMD, "K Sera Sera" by Justin Warfield, "It's A Shame" by Monie Love, "Doin Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers, "OPP" by Naughty By Nature, "Doowutchyalike" by Digital Underground, "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays" by De La Soul, "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep, "All For One" by Brand Nubian, "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style" by Dream Warriors, "Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children" by Queen Latifah with De La Soul, "Where I'm From" by Digable Planets, and "We Run Things (It's Like Dat)" by Da Bush Babees. LP features two bonus tracks – "Case Of The PTA" by Leaders Of The New School and "What's Up Doc (K-Cut's fat trac rmx)" by Fu Schnickens. LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary Iceberg Slim has given us plenty of his own story over the years – but this book is the first to look at the man behind the man – writer Robert Beck, who started as a pimp and became a surprisingly successful author – as well as an underground figure who inspired a later generation of hip hop artists as well! If you've ever read any of Slim's books, you'll know the world that he came from – but author Justin Gifford gets past the hype of the character, and looks at Beck's background and upbringing, his sometimes less-than-successful career as a hustler, and his move to convey the spirit of the streets on paper. Gifford's an academic, but presents the book in a nicely lively style – and the whole thing is hardcover, 265 pages, with some black and white images. Book

Pianist Gerald Clayton has always been a musician who's followed his own path in music – making different-sounding records right from the start – but it's also clear that he's really finding his way ahead in recent years, as this second album for Blue Note will attest! Clayton has a very spacious approach to the piano – not one that's sleepy or uncareful – but instead this way of waiting, thinking, and building the sound up in just the right way – much more rhythmic at the core than an ECM pianist might sound, as there's a lot of organic energy in the music next to contributions from John Clayton on bass, and Justin Brown on drums – pushed even further at times when vocalist Maro joins the group, or saxophonist Charles Lloyd sits in. Titles include "Peace Invocation", "Water's Edge", "Daumunt De Tu Nomes Les Flors", "That Roy", "Rip", and "There Is Music Where You're Going My Friends" – the last of which might be a good way to sum up Clayton's journey! CD

A fantastic album from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire – a set that really kicks his career up to the next level, and which is easily the most powerful record he's ever given us! The music finds Ambrose in many moods, all of them righteous – sometimes blowing hard and fierce in a small combo, sometimes issuing out more personal statements in a more stripped-down setting – working with players that include Harish Raghavan on bass, Justin Brown on drums, and Sam Harris on piano – plus vocalist Genevieve Artadi on one especially beautiful number that features Akinmusire on Fender Rhodes! We've loved the music of Ambrose for many years – and this is one of those faith-rewarding sets that always makes it so wonderful to follow the career of any key jazz musician – as we hope you'll also find on titles that include "Roy", "4623", "Moon", "Tide Of Hyacinth", "Cynical Sideliners", and "Mr Roscoe". CD

Maybe the coolest album so far in the Red Hot series – even amidst the unique Sun Ra subgroup – as the album's the brainchild of Meshell Ndegeocello, and comes together with all the complex soulfulness of her own recent albums! Back in the 90s, Meshell was a great but more mainstream soul artist – and over the years, she's developed into a really fascinating talent – one able to reach out with a complex blend of jazz, funk, and soul elements – woven into patterns that are always very much her own – a musical legacy that the great Sun Ra might have appreciated! Ndegeocello leads a very diverse lineup here – playing bass and keyboards, and singing a bit – next to other players who include longtime Arkestra giant Marshall Allen on alto and EWI, plus Immanuel Wilkins on alto, Christopher Bruce on guitar, Darius Jones on saxes, Daniel Mintseris on keyboards, and Justin Hicks, Pink Siifu, Kenita Miller, Nio Levon, and Hanna Benn on vocals. The album channels Ra's spirit through territory that's very much Meshell's own – and titles include "Yet Differently Not Mars Hall", "El Soul The Companion Traveler", "The World Of Shadow", "Reproductive Manatees/Sunny Said Up", "Bedlam Blues", "#9 Venus The Living Myth", and "Departure Guide Of The 7 Sisters". LP, Vinyl record album

Heady sounds from a variety of different scenes – served up here in a compilation that was one of the first to turn western ears onto the sounds of the east! The music is a fuzzy blend of sounds from Southeast Asia, Korea, India, and even Turkey – and the package was one of the first times we'd ever heard some styles that have now become much more common in the psych market – the kind of groundbreaking overseas moments that we love on labels like Guerssen/Pharaway or Finders Keepers! Titles include "Simla Beat Theme" by The Fentones, "Gonul Sabreyle Sabreyle" by 3 Hur El, "26 Miles" by The Quest, "Korean Titel A2" by Jung Hyun & The Men, "Istemem" by Erkin Koray, "Magic Colors" by Teddy Robin & The Playboys, "A2" by Cambodian Rocks, "Blind Bird" by The Mpos, and "You Know What I Mean" by Justin Heathcliff. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest album so far in the Red Hot series – even amidst the unique Sun Ra subgroup – as the album's the brainchild of Meshell Ndegeocello, and comes together with all the complex soulfulness of her own recent albums! Back in the 90s, Meshell was a great but more mainstream soul artist – and over the years, she's developed into a really fascinating talent – one able to reach out with a complex blend of jazz, funk, and soul elements – woven into patterns that are always very much her own – a musical legacy that the great Sun Ra might have appreciated! Ndegeocello leads a very diverse lineup here – playing bass and keyboards, and singing a bit – next to other players who include longtime Arkestra giant Marshall Allen on alto and EWI, plus Immanuel Wilkins on alto, Christopher Bruce on guitar, Darius Jones on saxes, Daniel Mintseris on keyboards, and Justin Hicks, Pink Siifu, Kenita Miller, Nio Levon, and Hanna Benn on vocals. The album channels Ra's spirit through territory that's very much Meshell's own – and titles include "Yet Differently Not Mars Hall", "El Soul The Companion Traveler", "The World Of Shadow", "Reproductive Manatees/Sunny Said Up", "Bedlam Blues", "#9 Venus The Living Myth", and "Departure Guide Of The 7 Sisters". LP, Vinyl record album