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Seminal Art Blakey material from the early 70s – a real change from his 60s vibe on Blue Note, in a style that really opens up to a host of more spiritual touches! The album's a counterpart to the classic Buhania set, also issued on Prestige at the time – and like that record, this one features a very spiritual group of younger players, and some slight electric touches too – all with a sound that's almost at the level of work on the Strata East or Black Jazz labels! Players include Woody Shaw on trumpet, Ramon Morris on tenor and flute, George Cables on piano and Fender Rhodes, and Buddy Terry on soprano sax – and tracks are nice and long, often with a hip modal groove. Titles include "Child's Dance", "CC", and "Song For A Lonely Woman". CD also includes some nice bonus cuts: the amazing "Kaku Aka", which is 15 minutes long, and has never been reissued, plus "Anthenagain" and "I'm Not So Sure", which are both from another Blakey Prestige session. CD

A landmark set of grooves by this excellent Detroit group – a trio who recorded for the local indie Karen, but got a much bigger boost towards fame when their record was picked up by Atlantic! The set's one of the killer 60s Motor Town sets produced by Ollie McLaughlin – and like the rest, it's got a really special edge – music that goes way past any simple 60s soul cliches, and which will make the set one of the real standouts in your collection. Arrangements are by Dale Warren, Riley Hampton, and Mike Terry – and titles include The Capitols' big hit "Cool Jerk", and also includes loads of other great tracks written by Donald Storball of the group – like "Dog & Cat", "Zig Zaggin", "The Kick", and others – plus versions of "Hello Stranger", "Love Makes The World Go Round", and "Good Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark set of grooves by this excellent Detroit group – a trio who recorded for the local indie Karen, but got a much bigger boost towards fame when their record was picked up by Atlantic! The set's one of the killer 60s Motor Town sets produced by Ollie McLaughlin – and like the rest, it's got a really special edge – music that goes way past any simple 60s soul cliches, and which will make the set one of the real standouts in your collection. Arrangements are by Dale Warren, Riley Hampton, and Mike Terry – and titles include The Capitols' big hit "Cool Jerk", and also includes loads of other great tracks written by Donald Storball of the group – like "Dog & Cat", "Zig Zaggin", "The Kick", and others – plus versions of "Hello Stranger", "Love Makes The World Go Round", and "Good Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A fresh new chapter of the long legacy of drummer Joe Chambers – a key instrumental force in the hipper reaches of the Blue Note label in the late 60s, but an artist who seems to finally be catching up with his own work as a leader after all these years! Joe is every bit as wonderful here as on his famous recordings, and his more recent dates for Blue Note – a wonderfully inventive percussionist, and an inherently rhythmic player who's got this ability to spin sounds out in all these different directions, yet always make things feel wonderfully unified too. His group on the set has excellent vibes from Michael Davidson, almost recalling Joe's work with Bobby Hutcherson – and other players include Caoilainn Power on alto, Andres Vial on piano, Eli Miller Maboungou on ngoma drums, and Ira Coleman on bass. Titles include "Dance Kobina", "Intermezzo", "Gazelle Suite", "City Of Saints", "Moon Dance", "Power To The People", and "Caravanserai". CD

A fresh new chapter of the long legacy of drummer Joe Chambers – a key instrumental force in the hipper reaches of the Blue Note label in the late 60s, but an artist who seems to finally be catching up with his own work as a leader after all these years! Joe is every bit as wonderful here as on his famous recordings, and his more recent dates for Blue Note – a wonderfully inventive percussionist, and an inherently rhythmic player who's got this ability to spin sounds out in all these different directions, yet always make things feel wonderfully unified too. His group on the set has excellent vibes from Michael Davidson, almost recalling Joe's work with Bobby Hutcherson – and other players include Caoilainn Power on alto, Andres Vial on piano, Eli Miller Maboungou on ngoma drums, and Ira Coleman on bass. Titles include "Dance Kobina", "Intermezzo", "Gazelle Suite", "City Of Saints", "Moon Dance", "Power To The People", and "Caravanserai". CD

The legendary unreleased Motown recordings by The Contours – material that should have been issued as a full length LP in 1964 – but all but a couple tunes have languished in the vaults until now! The group simply kills on on these dancefloor ready stormers, with raucous, charismatic lead vocals and tight harmony backup – on a set of numbers that were no doubt ready and set to slay live audiences. We're sure The Contours were unbeatable live, but these recordings really should have made it out at the time. Better late than never, to say the very least! Includes the 60s singles "Can You Do It" and "Can You Jerk Like Me", plus the unreleased "Do The See Saw", "Foot Stomping Time", "Party Groove", "Okey Dokey", "Love Is Uncertain", "Wanted", "Boy Meets Girl", "You Hurt Me So", "Throw You Out Of My Mind", "Giant Steps", "Let's Do The Uncle Willie", "Tonight", "Nobody Fine As Dinah", "Somebody's Daughter Outta", "Let's Do The Uncle Willie" and more. 26 tracks in all! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of Cugat's early work for Columbia – presented here with great sound, good notes, and some of the best packaging we've seen for his work in years! The set's got a total of 26 titles in all – with vocals by Miguelito Valdes, Abbe Lane, Tito Rodriguez, and Pepita Arvelo. Titles include "Coco Seco", "Ritmo Tropical", "Mambo Jambo", "The Brand New Cha Cha", "Jamay", "Tumbao", "Besame Mucho", "Mambo Gordo", "Mondonguero", "Mondongo", and "Who Me?" CD

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

A great take on the funky styles of the 80s – as Dead End Boogie work here with a spare drum machine rhythm on "New Tires", sewn together with a wicked bassline, then given all these light guitar and keyboard touches along the way – but all with production that's a lot more lo-fi than any 80s groove – and we mean that in a really great way! The flipside has a similar approach – but is slower, murkier, and moodier too. 7-inch, Vinyl record

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Includes vocal and instrumental remixes of "First Cut", "Cool Blue", "Paint A Rumour", and "Regrets". LP, Vinyl record album

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A great little electro groover from Fatback – less funky and more beat-heavy than the group's other work – but a great crossover tune with a heck of a pretty hook! Dance version has a nice mix by Francois K, too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great one from bassist Henry Franklin – a player best known for his Black Jazz recordings of the mid 70s, but who here delivers a session that's every bit as tasty as those, and perhaps a bit more sophisticated! His group on the records includes some excellent west coast spiritual players – like the great Charles Owens on soprano and tenor sax, and the oft-overlooked but excellent pianist Dwight Dickerson – in a lineup that also includes Kenneth Climax on guitar, Jerry Rush on trumpet, All Hall on trombone, and Sonship on drums and percussion. The overall sound on the record is more Strata East spiritual than Black Jazz funky – and the writing and playing are very strong throughout. Titles include "Cosmos Dwellers", "Prime Mover", "Tribal Dance", and "Eric's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of Dave's funkier albums of the time – with cuts that include "Captain Caribe", "Rondo", "City Lights", "Rag Bag", and "Mountain Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums ever made by Bruce Haack – the mad musician who's best known for his electronic work, but who also left behind a huge legacy of self-produced work for children! This album was done in collaboration with Miss Nelson – Esther Nelson, a dance instructor who worked heavily with kids – and it's got a naive, post-beat sort of feel that predates Haack's later hippie work, but which is equally charming. There's some very primitive electronic work on the record, next to odd instrumentation, and some very weird vocals from both Nelson and Haack – aimed at the kids who were the supposed audience for this one, but which make the whole thing sound more like an Ernie Kovacs episode gone mad! Definitely songs in the key of z – with tracks that include "Clap Your Hands", "Sunflowers", "Sailing", "A Stuffy Story", "Pussycats", "Trains", and "My Bones". CD

A wonderful session by Andrew Hill – recorded in 1968, but issued only briefly in 1981 – and out of print for years! The session is a key one in understanding Hill's work – as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass Roots album. The set features wonderful frontline work in the trumpet of Charles Tolliver, and tenor and soprano of Joe Farrell – both players who open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a nice bottom – egged on by the rest of the combo, which includes Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The album's an enchanting one – not as dark as early years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own. Titles include "Dance With Death", "Love Nocturne", "Black Sabbath", "Partitions", and "Fish N Rice". CD features a bonus alternate take of the title cut. CD

A wonderful session by Andrew Hill – recorded in 1968, but issued only briefly in 1981 – and out of print for years! The session is a key one in understanding Hill's work – as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass Roots album. The set features wonderful frontline work in the trumpet of Charles Tolliver, and tenor and soprano of Joe Farrell – both players who open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a nice bottom – egged on by the rest of the combo, which includes Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The album's an enchanting one – not as dark as early years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own. Titles include "Dance With Death", "Love Nocturne", "Black Sabbath", "Partitions", and "Fish N Rice". CD features a bonus alternate take of the title cut. CD

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A rare early session from vibist Khan Jamal – recorded with his Philly-based Creative Arts Ensemble collective! The group follows strongly in the spirit of similar combos from Chicago and St Louis – particularly the latter – and Jamal's group is working here in a mode that's initiated by the original sonic experiments of the AACM, but taken to deeper, more organic levels. Given Khan's later work, the thing that's most surprising here is the sound texture of the record – because although seemingly improvised, there's also a greater feel towards a whole here – a spacey, ethereal quality that reminds us of some of Sun Ra's most creative moments. Jamal plays vibes, marimba, and clarinet – and the rest of the group includes Monette Sudler on guitar and percussion, Alex Ellison on drums, Dwight James on drums and clarinet, and Billy Mills on both electric and acoustic bass. Although not overly electric, there's a shimmering quality to the music here – as if the production abstracted the original acoustic sound with weird echo and other techniques! Titles include "Inner Peace", "Drum Dance", "Cosmic Echoes", and "Breath Of Life". LP, Vinyl record album

"Dance To The Drummer's Beat" was real stormer in the South Bronx back in the day, and a great bit of uptempo funk with congas – the break and chorus are both great, and the single's like finding a page in the history of hip hop book! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A relatively mellow vocal outing from Ithamara Koorax – a voice that was introduced to us from her appearances on some groovy Brazilian dancefloor tunes, including some of those from Dom Um Romao's albums! The style here is quite different – very laidback, and in the ballad mode you'd expect from the "love" in the title. Instrumentation is a blend of mellow Brazilian and American jazz styles – with work by Jose Roberto Bertrami, Dom Um Romao, Luiz Bonfa, and Nelson Angelo – on titles that include "I Loved You", "Love Dance", "La Puerta", "Man Alone", "Amparo", and "Someday". CD

Two wonderfully groovy tracks from vibist Roland Kovac – both lifted from his album Trip To The Mars! "Blue Dance" is great – a modal number that has plenty of vibes in the mix – moving up and down the wonderful bassline and piano part that really make the tune move! "Milky Way" is great too, but in a very different way – spacey and moody, with some sublime solo alto sax from Derek Humble! 7-inch, Vinyl record

The storm here is a gentle one – as it reverberates from the double acoustic basswork of Joelle Leandre and Vinicius Cajadao – sounding really wonderful here without any other instrumentation at all! Each track is a titled "dance" – but there's less of a sense of rhythm, than a way of the players moving together – each a very well-trained master of the more complicated sonic textures of their instruments, at a level that really elevates Cajado to a territory that we normally just expect from such a unique musician as Leandre! The sounds are free, but never without thoughtfulness and some sort of narrative capability – and the set features six improvisations overall, each a numbered "dance". CD

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An album that definitely lives up to its title – but which also offers a lot more than you might expect – way more than just a few cash-in dancefloor tunes! True, the whole thing's pretty lively – and titles include the group's seminal version of "Dancing In The Street" – still the only version you'll really ever need, despite years and years of countless covers that always fall short of the mark. But the set's also got a wonderful range that really displays the lead power of Martha Reeves – hewn tightly to the supporting Vandellas backups – and filled with a rich sense of feeling on titles that include the classic "Nowhere To Run", plus other Motown goodies like "Hitch Hike", "Mickey's Monkey", and "The Jerk". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal session from the late 60s – one that has Jackie McLean pulling things back a bit from his "new thing" period, and turning towards the spiritual soulful groove that would characterize his early 70s work! The album bristles with excitement – still very much informed by a knowledge of the space explored during Jackie's avant years, but never quite willing to go to that space – especially if it means sacrificing the soulful swing of the set! The group's filled with young soulful modernists – including Woody Shaw on trumpet, Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and Jackie himself seems to be working out a whole new phase of his career with each new track – showing that even when he was at his "new thing" best, he was still ready to move on! Tremendous stuff, and one of our favorite Blue Notes from the time – and one of the most soulful too! Titles include "Floogeh", "Message From Trane", "Toyland", and "Boo Ann's Grind". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal session from the late 60s – one that has Jackie McLean pulling things back a bit from his "new thing" period, and turning towards the spiritual soulful groove that would characterize his early 70s work! The album bristles with excitement – still very much informed by a knowledge of the space explored during Jackie's avant years, but never quite willing to go to that space – especially if it means sacrificing the soulful swing of the set! The group's filled with young soulful modernists – including Woody Shaw on trumpet, Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and Jackie himself seems to be working out a whole new phase of his career with each new track – showing that even when he was at his "new thing" best, he was still ready to move on! Tremendous stuff, and one of our favorite Blue Notes from the time – and one of the most soulful too! Titles include "Floogeh", "Message From Trane", "Toyland", and "Boo Ann's Grind". CD

With Tony Scherr on bass and Francisco Mela on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

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Titles include "Dame Un Cacho", "Tu Regreso", "Walter Winchell Rumba", "Noro In Rumbaland", "Vamos Ya", "La Reina", and "Mambo". LP, Vinyl record album

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... CD

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The 1957 premiere recording of "The Bewitched – A Dance Satire", featuring members of the University of Illinois Musical Ensemble on instruments designed and built by the composer! CD

A seminal album from the American underground of the late 70s – the debut of Pere Ubu, bursting forth from the Cleveland scene with a sound to challenge the greatness of anything coming from New York or LA at the time! The album's not exactly punk, not exactly art rock, but has strong elements of both – all wrapped around the unique conception of singer Dave Thomas, whose vocals are some of the oddest ever recorded! The tunes here are a lot more straightforward and upfront than some of Pere Ubu's later work – in a way that definitely makes the album their biggest favorite with new generations of indie rockers. But there's also still a fair number of more experimental touches too – odd sonic tricks and almost-abstract moments that were quite revolutionary for the time – especially from Cleveland! Titles include "Non Alignment Pact", "The Modern Dance", "Chinese Radiation", "Real World", "Life Stinks", "Over My Head", and "Humor Me". LP, Vinyl record album

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With Raj Rathor on guitar, George Hawkins on bass, and Tris Imboden on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 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 soaring, spacey set from the mighty David Sancious – one of his 70s albums that's almost a genre unto itself, given the many different elements that David mixes into the music – touches of jazz, fusion, funk, and soul – but also delivered with the proficiency you might find in a record by a prog player too! No surprise, Sancious has backgrounds in all of those scenes, and wraps that experience together wonderfully here – playing keyboards, guitar, and handling lead vocals – with some added vocal support by female singers who emphasize some of the more soulful aspects of the music when the other musicians step out to solo and jam! Titles include "Dance Of The Glory & Playfulness", "The Dawn", "Dance Of Serenity & Strength", "Gone Is The Veil Of Illusion", "Dance Of Gratitude & Devotion", and "Dance Of Purification". CD

Features Gloria Estefan, Vikki Carr, Dave Valentin, Danilo Perez, Ed Calle, and others. CD

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A fantastic album by Woody Shaw – spiritual, soulful, and filled with some nice modal grooving! The group's one of the best he ever worked with on Muse – with Billy Harper on tenor, plus Rene McLean, Steve Turre, Joe Bonner, and Cecil McBee – and the approach reminds us of some of the work on Strata East from the same time. The highlight of the record is the cut "Sunbath", which was done in a more famous jazz dance version by singer Joyce Hurley – but Shaw's version has a very similar groove. Harper makes many of the other tracks shine brilliantly, and titles include "Love Dance", "Obsequious", and Harper's own beautiful composition "Soulfully I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A session of spiritual avant genius from pianist Isac Skeidsvoll – only his first record as a leader, but a set that's bound to become the start of a really special run of music! Skeidsvoll has a quality that's very much his own – bold chains of sound from the piano that sometimes have the pulsing rhythmic quality of older South African styles, but which are always breaking free in more improvised ways too – then circling back to rhythms, all with a sense of interplay that's really amazing! And equally amazing is the horn work on the record – served up by Espen Songstad on tenor, Lauritz Skeidsvoll on soprano, Aksel Ovreas Roed on baritone, and Peter Skeidsvoll on pocket trumpet – all players who also add in percussion too. The rhythms are given plenty of kick by Anders Hjemmen on bass and Martin Mellem on drums – and titles include "Beer", "Hobo", "Wind Spirits", "Dance To Summon", and "Bury Me Under A Four Leaf Clover". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic funkiness from Sly & The Family Stone – an album that really pushed them to the top of their game, and exploded on the late 60s scene like a righteous funky bomb! The title cut's a mega-hit that you'll recognize right away – but the whole album's great, and is filled with the simple, joyous energy that made Sly's groove one of the freshest of his generation – and which helped foist all the great work going on in the 60s underground firmly into the light of a much wider mainstream audience. The messages are subtle here, but the group are already doing their part to change the world bit by bit – and the funky rhythms at the bottom assure that they'll be doing it ass by ass on the dancefloor! Titles include "Dance to The Music", "Ride The Rhythm", "Higher", "Don't Burn Baby", and the 12 minute "Dance To The Medley", with the groovy "Music Lover" passage! CD also features 6 bonus tracks, 4 previously unreleased – titles that include "Soul Clappin", "We Love All", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Never Do Your Woman Wrong (inst)", and "Higher (unissued single version)". CD

A big moment for the British ska scene – and the soundtrack to a film that featured live work by nearly all of the big names at the time! The album features live work by artists who owed a lot to 2 Tone, but who'd even moved onto bigger fame by the film – but who are working here in a nice back-to-basics mode – and titles include live versions of "Concrete Jungle", "Man At C&A", and "Nite Klub" by The Specials; "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Big Shot", and "Ranking Full Stop" by The English Beat; "Inner London Violence" and "Lip Up Fatty" by Bad Manners; "Easy Life" by The Bodysnatchers; and "Razor Blade Alley" and "One Step Beyond" by Madness. LP, Vinyl record album

Some rare non-Ellington material from Billy Strayhorn and Johnny Hodges – both sessions recorded as part of a series done by producer Stanley Dance at the end of the 50s! The feel here is a almost a bit more open and less restrained than the usual Ellington groove – with some standout longer tracks, plus a number of more familiar numbers crafted in that rich Strayhorn love of colors and tones – all topped with beautiful solo work by Johnny Hodges. The first 7 tracks feature a smaller group with Harold Baker and Quentin Jackson – and the remaining 11 feature a larger group augmented with even more Ellington bandmates. Titles include "Cue's Blue Now", "Gone With The Wind", "Cherry", "Gal From Joe's", "Jeep's Blues", "Day Dream", "Juice A Plenty", "Azure", "Star Dust", and "Tailor Made". CD

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

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Billed as "The Original Walker Brothers" on the cover, this one features tracks that Scott cut in the US with John Stewart, in the years before he moved to England and became super-huge stars. The tracks have less of that "wall of sound" style than their later work, and more of a rock n roll type groove. Titles include "Greens", "Diskoteque", "Without Your Love", "Wallflower", "Ham Hocks", "Chick's Choice", and "Swingin At The Batcave". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare 70s funk from Andre Williams – one of the maddest funky artists of all time! These tunes are quite different from Andre's raw R&B of the 50s, and his funky 45s of the 60s – more in a tight ensemble groove, with a P-Funky approach that has weird vocals colliding with heavy basslines, sweet keyboards, and tight groove overall. The tracks were recorded in Chicago and Detroit – most with vocals by The Velvet Hammer – and titles include "I Don't Need Mary (Juana)", "The Vow", "I Betcha Gonna Like It", "There's A Party", "Man To Woman, Woman To Man", "I Wanna Be Your Show", and the "blue" and "red" versions of the instrumental track "The Velvet Groove"! CD includes the bonus tracks "Impossible" and "Call Me". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Key club cuts from the second generation of the industrial scene – that 80s moment when the music moved from the noisy, experimental territory of the Throbbing Gristle underground to a more mainstream world where the previous sonic breakthroughs were mixed with beats and lyrics to create some surprisingly danceable tracks! Here in Chicago, we had Wax Trax to thank us for introducing us to lots of this music – but on the other side of the Atlantic, some of these groups were getting plenty of play both on radio and in nite spots – using darker beats and basslines to surprisingly great effect. The package is maybe worth it alone for "Yon Yonson" by the Dave Howard Singers – a cut we thought nobody in the world remembered – and the 3CD package features 44 titles in all, with work from Attrition, Meat Beat Manifesto, A:Grumh, Lead Into Gold, Nocturnal Emissions, Test Dept, SPK, Front 242, Renegade Soundwave, Severed Heads, Age Of Chance, Laibach, Neon Judgement, The Weathermen, Section 25, Die Krupps, MAD, Legendary Pink Dots, Son Of Sam, Esplendor Geometrico, Hunting Lodge, Borghesia, Alein Sex Fiend, and others! CD

With selections by King Kong, Pampiedoo, Derrick Irie, Andy Williams, Frankie Jones, Nathan Skyers, Willie Joseph, Wayne Junior, and Double Ugly. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive batch of mixes from dancefloor maestro John Luongo – a set that's heavy on cuts from the 80s in many styles, and which has some other surprises in the mix as well! Luongo was one of those talents who did a great job of bringing underground dancefloor modes to a more mainstream audience – and he finds grooves in cuts that might not normally have gotten such strong club treatment on their own, or in the hands of another remix talent! This 2LP set features some of the best work that Luongo did back in the day – titles that include "The Best (ext mighty mix)" by Tina Turner, "Suspicious Minds (suspicious mix)" by Fine Young Cannibals, "The Chinese Way (New York rmx)" by Level 42, "Out In The Night (12" version)" by Serge Ponsar, "Give It Up (12" version)" by KC & The Sunshine Band, "Missing You (ext version)" by John Waite, "Eyes Without A Face (full length version)" by Billy Idol, "Look Of Love (part 3 – dance version)" by ABC, "Fade To Grey (US 12" version)" by Visage, "Blind Vision (ext version)" by Blancmange, "Shy Boy (US ext version)" by Bananarama, "Tarzan Boy (ext dance version)" by Baltimora, "Relight My Fire (historical 1979 rmx)" by Dan Hartman with Loleatta Holloway, "You Stepped Into My Life (John Luongo rmx)" by Melba Moore, and "Music Is My Way Of Life (John Luongo rmx)" by Patti Labelle. 2LP set features 16 tracks – and includes rare photos and an essay on Luongo's music! LP, Vinyl record album

Not really the house of ages – given that most of these cuts are so rare, they're only making their first appearance here – but a great little collection that reminds us that there's still so much to discover in the funky underground of the last few years of the 20th Century! Jeremy Newell really knocks it out of the park with this one – and comes up with a deep, soulful collection of house tracks from the farthest reaches of the scene – either work that only appeared on very obscure singles, or didn't even make it past tape back in the day – leaping forth here with a wickedly groovy sound that's more than worth the wait. Titles include "Take Me Higher" by Jimi Polo, "I Promise (more beats for passion mix)" by Mark Rogers, "Keep On Pressing (KOT orig mix)" by Sean Grant, "More I Get" by Teleport feat Russell Patterson, "Yo Razor" by Arts & Craft with Razor Cain, "Don't Run Away" by Soul Dhamma, "When I See You (tight voc)" by Frank Youngwerth with Ernie, "Freak It (Tony Humprhies inst mix)" by Johanna, "Mainline (Roger S Ego trip mix)" by Tribal House, "We Can Make It (unreleased dub)" by UBQ Project, and "Deeper (Benji Candelario's deeper than deep unreleased mix)" by Susan Clark. CD

With selections by Ray Tellier's San Francisco Orchestra, Palais Royal Californians, Eric Pease & His Astoria Band, Jimmy Elkins & His Wintergarden Orchestra, Watson & His Green Mill Orchestra, Des Tooley, Cliff Clarke & His Kookaburras, Gil Deach, Maurice Gilman & His Orchestra, Frank Coughlans & His Trocadero Orchestra, Dudley Cantrell & The Grace Grenadiers, Seven Pearce Arrows, Jack Allen's Original Katzenjammers, and Les Welch & His Eight Beat Boys. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive assortment of tracks that go way past the familiar – not a collection of standard classics from Blue Note, Impulse, or Prestige – and instead a whole host of jazzy groovers that we'd never have discovered otherwise! This volume of the series does a great job mixing in contemporary cuts with rare nuggets from years past – in ways that never make you notice the passage of years, as almost all of this work is rooted in a solid blend of tight rhythms and inventive improvisation – heavy on acoustic instrumentation, but with occasional electric moments too! Imagine the kind of groove that Gilles Peterson used to turn us onto years back, when he was spinning rare jazz records, and you'll get the vibe here – served up on titles that include "Tape Your Beat" by Born 74 & Onj, "Still In Love" by GeeW, "46 To Somewhere" by The Sultan's Swing, "Unreachable Galaxy" by Stefano Di Santis, "Movin" by Charro Band De Emilio Guerro, "Caught In A Fever" by Moreen Meridian, "Mr Fool" by Alonson Gonzalez & Jazz Latino, "Cla Samba" by Juju, "I Face East" by Mary Greer Mudiku, "Mende" by Jacques Schwarz Bart, "Mother Of The Future" by Venus Dodson, "Wanting Touch (inst)" by Juju, "Mambo De Papi" by El Caballo Y Su Orquesta, "Ponteio" by Miho Nobuzane, "Samba De La Cruz" by Tres Men, and "I'll Bet You Thought I'd Never Find You" by Lifetime. CD

A massive assortment of tracks that go way past the familiar – not a collection of standard classics from Blue Note, Impulse, or Prestige – and instead a whole host of jazzy groovers that we'd never have discovered otherwise! This volume of the series does a great job mixing in contemporary cuts with rare nuggets from years past – in ways that never make you notice the passage of years, as almost all of this work is rooted in a solid blend of tight rhythms and inventive improvisation – heavy on acoustic instrumentation, but with occasional electric moments too! Imagine the kind of groove that Gilles Peterson used to turn us onto years back, when he was spinning rare jazz records, and you'll get the vibe here – served up on titles that include "Tape Your Beat" by Born 74 & Onj, "Still In Love" by GeeW, "46 To Somewhere" by The Sultan's Swing, "Unreachable Galaxy" by Stefano Di Santis, "Movin" by Charro Band De Emilio Guerro, "Caught In A Fever" by Moreen Meridian, "Mr Fool" by Alonson Gonzalez & Jazz Latino, and "Cla Samba" by Juju. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive assortment of tracks that go way past the familiar – not a collection of standard classics from Blue Note, Impulse, or Prestige – and instead a whole host of jazzy groovers that we'd never have discovered otherwise! This volume of the series does a great job mixing in contemporary cuts with rare nuggets from years past – in ways that never make you notice the passage of years, as almost all of this work is rooted in a solid blend of tight rhythms and inventive improvisation – heavy on acoustic instrumentation, but with occasional electric moments too! Imagine the kind of groove that Gilles Peterson used to turn us onto years back, when he was spinning rare jazz records, and you'll get the vibe here – served up on titles that include "I Face East" by Mary Greer Mudiku, "Mende" by Jacques Schwarz Bart, "Mother Of The Future" by Venus Dodson, "Wanting Touch (inst)" by Juju, "Mambo De Papi" by El Caballo Y Su Orquesta, "Ponteio" by Miho Nobuzane, "Samba De La Cruz" by Tres Men, and "I'll Bet You Thought I'd Never Find You" by Lifetime. LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy stuff! Most of the cuts on these albums were pulled from rare 50s and 60s sides – and although you might recognize the artists, the material is hard to find, especially on vinyl! There's a total of 16 cuts in a groovy package, and titles include "Milestones" by Mark Murphy, "The Squash" by Hank Marr, "Dem Tambourines" by Don Wilkerson, "Soul Dressing" by Booker T & The MGs, "Mambo With Moody" by James Moody, "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf (part 2)" by Jimmy Smith, "Kingston Calypso" by John Barry, "Goodness Gracious Me" by Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren, and "Just One Of Those Things" by Lalo Schifrin & Bob Brookmeyer. CD

The most upbeat groovers from one of the rarest soul labels of the 60s – Washington DC's Shrine Records label – a small imprint who recorded some mighty fine singles that have been the gold standard for collectors for years! The company's output was quite small, and the label, as the title implies, never got much exposure at the time – but overall, Shrine's work is extremely great, and the tracks on this set soar with the best Philly and New York soul of the time, especially the male vocal group numbers, which are especially strong. The LP mixes two rare cuts that were not issued in the 60s with other singles on the label – and titles include "My Only Love" by The Counts, "Hey Boy" by The DC Blossoms, "No Other Way" by The Cautions, "Guess Who Loves You" by Eddie Daye & The 4 Bars, "Shame" by The Enjoyables, "I Won't Be Coming Back" by JD Bryant, "I Won't Believe It Till I See It" by Little Bobby Parker, "Takin My Time" by Leroy Taylor & The Four Kays, "Stop Overlooking Me" by The Cairos, and "Don't Let Him Hurt You" by Les Chansonettes. LP, Vinyl record album

Alan Lomax recordings – features Fred McDowell, John Dudley, Ervin Webb, and others! CD

Really rare grooves from an incredibly obscure scene – and that's saying a lot, given how many global sounds have been circulating in recent years! The cuts here represent a unique outpouring of funky club styles from the nation of Surinam – tracks recorded by a handful of groups in the wake of their mid-70s independence – and as filled with as much joy and positive energy as you might imagine from such a political moment! The grooves are surprisingly great – upbeat funk, with lots of jazzy inflections – in a space that's somewhere between the sound of Fantasy Records in the mid 70s, and Capitol soul at the start of the 80s – tight, but never too slick – and as cool as it is classy. Lyrics are in English, and titles include "Sweet Dream" by Alwin Reingoud, "Groovy Weekend" and "Disco Party" by Erwin Bouterse & The Group Roetoe, "Try Try Try" and "You Are Gonna Miss Me" by Solat, "Funkin In Your Mind" and "Going Insane" by Sumy, "Here's To You" by Thunderstorm, and "Waiting For Your Love" by Usje Sukatma. CD

Sure it was a hit, but it's also a great track too – complete with lots of production twists and turns from Trevor Horn, as well as impeccable string arrangements from Anne Dudley! USA remix is actually a "dub version" – one that really cuts the song up a lot, and almost sounds more like Art Of Noise than ABC! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Features a vocal tune with lyrics penned by Norman Mailer! LP, Vinyl record album