A wonderful compilation of Lee Hazlewood songs performed by others in the 60s – magnificent pulp pop, girl groups, starlets, rockers and more covering prime era Lee tunes – songs about lovers, fools, rebels and heartbroken examples of all of the above! There's little we can add to the lore of Lee – but these songs are atypically diverse and the set as a hole does a terrific job of showing just have far the Hazlewood touch could reach! Features Lee duets with Nancy Sinatra & Suzi Jane Hokum, and covers by Duane Eddy, The Hondas, The Darlenes, Al Casey, Sanford Clark, Ann Margaret, The Wildcats, Dino, Desi & Billy, The Sharps, Peggy March and many more1 25 tracks in all: "Lady Bird' by Nancy & Lee, "Sweet Ride" by Dusty Springfield, "You Turned My Head" by Ann Margaret, "Don't Look Now, But I've Got The Blues" by BB King, "(I'm Afraid) You'll Hurt Me" by The Darlenes, "The City Never Sleeps At Night" by The Shacklefords, "Guitar On My Mind" by Duane & Miriam Eddy, "Das Ist Zauberei (And I Loved You Then)" by Peggy March, "Twelve Feet High" by The Hondas and many more. CD

Jackson 5, move over – because the folks at Numero Records have uncovered a whole host of rare kid soul acts from the 70s – most of them a fair bit funkier than their Motown contemporaries! The tracks here all clearly follow the lead started by Michael and his brothers at the end of the 60s – but the music is way more than just a simple copycat of Jackson modes – as each of these artists have a really individual approach, and a heck of a lot of personality in their music – despite their youthful years. In true Numero fashion, most of the cuts here are from tiny little labels – issued only as singles back in the day, but produced with a great deal of enthusiasm for the music – and a confident, competent sound that's quite striking, given the age of the performers. The package comes with complete notes on the music – opening up a whole world of lesser-known kid soul acts – and titles include the amazing "Trust Your Child" by Patrizia & Jimmy, plus "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "One Is Enough For One" by Jack & the Mods, "Now That School Is Through" by Cindy & The Playmates, "Jersey Slide (part 1)" by 3 Stars, "You Are My Dream" by 3 Simmons, "Can't Let You Break My Heart" by Quantrells, "If You're Looking For Love" by Triads, "Yellow Ribbons" by Atons, "Sweet Pea" by Altyrone Deno Brown, "Time After Time" by Step By Step, "Time" by Otis The 3rd, and "Little Girl" by Michael Washington. CD

Henry Allen on trumpet and vocals – with Joe Garland on tenor, JC Higginbotham on trombone, Tab Smith on alto, Lawrence Lucie on guitar, Elmer James on bass, and Cozy Cole on drums. Tracks include "Tormented", "Red Sails In The Sunset", "I Found A Dream", and "Until Today" – 24 tracks total. CD

A double-length set that brings together 2 key early live sets by Albert Ayler – both recorded on the New York scene of the mid 60s! Bells was an unusual one-sided record that featured only 20 minutes of music, performed with an intensity that hardly leaves room for complaints about the shortness of the album! The single track "Bells" was performed at Town Hall by Ayler with a group that includes Donald Ayler on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Sunny Murray on percussion – all coming together in a raw, real sense of freedom – beautifully explored here without ever getting too overindulgent. The tune may well be one of the greatest illustrations of the ESP format at its best – as Ayler and company never stray too far, but carve out some incredibly imaginative space through their starkly-blown horn solos! Prophecy is longer – a full album that was recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after Ayler's untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". CD

Some of the greatest work you could ever find by Lenny Bruce! This set is a brilliant re-creation of a live show that Lenny cut at midnight at Carnegie Hall on February 4, 1961. Unlike some of his LPs from the time - which often featured a lot of set routines – this one just has Lenny improvising freely, telling jokes, doing schtick, and bad-rapping on a variety of topics from pills, to homosexuality, to airlines, to the KKK, to VD, to other contemporary comedians. The album's one of the few to really capture Bruce's brilliance as a performer and a thinker – and the spontaneity of the very long recording is astounding. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice collection of Buarque's songs either sung by him or by others and they include "Pedro Pedreiro", "Roda-Viva", "Construcao" and "Partido Alto" performed by Caetano Veloso, "Folhetim" sung by Gal Costa, and "A Banda" by Nara Leao, plus many more! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little soundtrack from the prime years of the Rat Pack – for a film that featured Sammy Davis Jr as a trumpet player! The overall score features work by Benny Carter – nice and jazzy, with the 60s swing he was bringing to his best work at the time – and on top of this, Sammy Sings a bit, and so does Mel Torme and Louis Armstrong! Nat Adderley handles the trumpet solos for Sammy's role – blowing out in front of larger backings from Carter with a great sense of color and tone – quite different from some of his other work of the 60s. And while the jazz tracks alone are worth the price of admission, the vocal ones are wonderful too – and include "All That Jazz" by Mel Torme, "I Want To Be Wanted" and "Whisper To One" by Sammy Davis Jr, and "Back Of Town Blues" and "Someday Sweetheart" by Louis Armstrong. Instrumental titles include "Crack Up", which is a great variation on Cy Coleman's "Playboy Theme" – plus "Claudia", "Night Walk", and "Soft Touch". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set by Nat King Cole joined by conductor/bandleader Quincy Jones and his Big Band – performing live in Zurich on May 1, 1960 – and what an impeccable performance it is! Quincy was touring with a pretty amazing line-up in his Big Band at this point – with Benny Bailey, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Phil Woods, Sahib Shihab, Joe Harris and more – and they kick off the set with a couple gentler numbers before swinging more heavily on a couple, then introduce Nat – who's voice is in perfect form here. He sings his hits with the big band, some additional strings and a pared down trio format for a few – so we really get a broad representation of what these consummate performers can do in a number of settings, all in one concert, to boot. Wonderful stuff – released for the first time ever! Titles include "Moanin'", The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Airmail Special", "Unforgettable", "Sweet Lorraine", "Tea For Two", "Madrid", "The Phantom Blues", "Route 66", "Joe Turner's Blues", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set" and more. Also includes a 5 minute interview with Nat. CD

A deep, rootsy record for Bluesville by Blind Gary Davis – who sings and plays guitar on 12 spare songs with grit, soul and charm – on a mixture of traditional blues tunes and originals. Gary also recorded and performed as Reverend Gary Davis on stirring gospel blues records over the years, and while Harlem Street Singer has a strong spiritual side, it's got a downhome blues feel, too. Raw, wonderful recordings by a legend. Titles include "Tryin To Get Home", "Samson & Delilah", "Death Don't Have No Mercy", "I Belong To The Band", "Pure Religion", "I Am The Light Of This World", and "Twelve Gates To The City". CD

A great collection of Miles' classic work for Columbia – one that features a few really hard to find gems! To us, the highlight is 2 tracks – "Stella By Starlight" and "On Green Dolphin Street" – both of which are subtle modal gems lifted from Miles' rare Jazz Track albums, performed by a hip group that includes John Coltrane on tenor, Bill Evans on piano, Cannonball Adderley on alto, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Those 2 tracks sum up all that is excellent about Miles – but you also get some other great ones, like "Devil May Care", "Budo", "Little Melonae", "Miles Ahead", and "Fran-Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Part 3 to the Five Spot recordings from Eric Dolphy – issued here as a "memorial" to Booker Little, even though Little was still alive for the recording! The album features especially searing work from Dolphy, and was part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording. The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – and titles include "Number Eight" and "Booker's Waltz". CD

One of the most meditative albums we've ever heard from this legendary Chicago AACM group – very spiritual, and a record that shows lots of the energy that percussionist Kahil El'Zabar would soon bring to his work with the ritual trio! The group features fantastic work on woodwinds from both Light Henry Huff and Ed Wilkerson – the former playing soprano sax, the latter on tenor – mixing gently in sublime tones over Kahil's work on drums and percussion, which includes some beautiful kalimba too! In the best AACM tradition, all players handle other instruments too – Huff some harp and percussion, Wilkerson piano and additional woodwinds – improvising in these soulful styles over the cours of the album-length track "Impressions", which is divided up into seven different passages. LP, Vinyl record album

A synthy soul funk project from the team of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo – a set that's just trippy enough – and it's possibly the best full length from either party, ever! You don't need us to tell you that DM has had a finger in a handful of the best fringe pop/leftfield hip hop projects of the mid 00s, and Cee-Lo has been threatening to deliver a strange soul classic for years – and he brings it with Gnarls Barkley. The sound runs from stuttering synth funk, to bubbling hip hop soul, to funky modern pop in a way that equals any other genre blending cats out there – and probably betters them! Tracks include "Go Go Gadget Gospel", "Crazy", "St. Elsewhere", "Gone Daddy Gone" (Yup, THAT "Gone Daddy Gone"), "Smiley Faces", "The Boogie Monster", "Feng Shui", "Just A Thought", "Transformer", "Who Cares?", "Online", "Necromancer", "Storm Coming" and "The Last Time". CD

Don't hold the cover against it, because this is a pretty great little record – one with far more depth than you might guess from the image of Eydie holding oversized ice cream cones on the front! The album's an early solo effort from Gorme – an obscure Coral session that features arrangements from Neal Hefti, Dick Jacobs, and Monty Kelly – all of whom bring in a nice range of sensitivity to the setting. And while there's a bit less of the playful sort of tunes that Eydie usually sings with Steve, they're replaced by some great straight ballads. Steve guest stars on great versions of "Besame Mucho" and "Take A Deep Breath" – and other tracks include "Frenesi", "Fini", "That Night Of Heaven", "Give A Fool A Chance", "Don't Tell Lies", and "Tell Me More" CD

The complete collection of Hag's 60s singles at Capitol – with some of his most legendary songs – along with some equal treasures that just didn't hit as big on the charts! It's a pretty tightly-focused set that starts with the formative, Bakersfield honky tonk-honed style of the earlier singles and segues pretty early to his popular and creative peaks as both a performer and songwriter! That smoky smooth voice is as great as it would ever be during this period, and he really starts showing his storytelling excellence on these songs, too. To this day, Haggard doesn't get the credit he deserves for his empathetic songcraft – and many of his best songs are in this set! 28 tracks in all: "I'm Gonna Break Every Heart In Can", "Falling For You", "Swinging Doors", "The Bottle Let Me Down", "Silver Wings", "Branded Man", "Sing Me Back Home", "The Fugitive", "You'll Never Love Me Now", "If I Had Left It Up To You", "Someone Told My Story", "I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am", CD

No blues, and only a little bit of country – mostly in the song choice for the set, and in the way the whole thing is put together! The core stylings here are still the Ramsey Lewis Trio at their early 60s best – but the record does feature a slight country-meets-soul sort of style in the production – a vibe that's similar to some of Ray Charles' ABC work of the time, although taken to an instrumental jazz sound here! Arrangements are by Oliver Nelson and Lew Douglas – the latter of whom uses more strings and a bit of voice, the former who keeps things more in a soul jazz mode overall. Titles include "St Louis Blues", "High Noon", "I Need You So", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "Tangleweed Round My Heart", "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It", and "Your Cheatin Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete Josie work from the mighty Meters in a 2CD set – including the self-titled '69 album, Look-Ka Py Py and Struttin' from 1970, plus a bunch of great singles and numbers with Art Neville and Cyril Neville! Disc 1 features Meters & Look-Ka Py Py – the former simply one of the greatest albums in the history of funk – and the latter an all time classic funky instrumental LP, with a choppy tight guitar groove. Includes "Cissy Strut", "Cardova", "Art", "Stormy", "Look-Ka Py Py", "Dry Spell", "Little Old Money Maker" and more. Disc 2 starts with Struttin' – about as hard, heavy and funky as you can get – with "Chicken Strut", "Go For Yourself", "Ride Your Pony", "Hand Clappin Song" and more. Also includes the singles "Message From The Meters", "Zony Mash", "I Need More Time", "Sassy Lady" and more, plus "Bo Diddley" (Pts 1 & 2)", "Heartaches" and "I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You" with Art Neville from '68, plus "Gossip" and "Tell Me What's On Your Mind" with Cyril Neville circa '70. CD

The debut album for Mulgrew Miller as a leader – and a rock-solid session that really set the pianist up strongly for the 80s! At a time when other keyboardists where mixing in so many other elements to their music, Miller's work here is a wonderful return to basics – pure pianistic imagination, played with a sense of fire and creativity that brings us back to McCoy Tyner's best work of a decade before – yet always informed by a fresh style that's always Mulgrew's own, one that's always got dark corners and an undercurrent of tension. The trio's wonderful – and features Ira Coleman on bass and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – and the album features a number of original Miller tunes, including "Song For Darnell", "Saud's Run", "Portrait Of A Mountain", and "Promethean" – plus versions of "Milestones" and "Inner Urge". CD

Classic first album of avant noise and psych from the Texas underground, featuring seminal early work by Mayo Thompson, and a mind-blasting set of tracks that mixes straight songs with the group's trademark "free form freak outs". Essential to anyone with even the slightest affinity for the true psychedelic 60s – and especially so for true lovers of the influential psych forbears! Titles of the songs include "Hurricane Fighter Plane", "Transparent Radition" (an all-time classic), "War Sucks", "Former Reflections Enduring Doubt", and "Pink Stainless Tail" – and each track is separated by a freakout! CD

Jamila Woods already blew us away with her debut – but this second set has the singer ready to take on the world with a huge step forward in her style! Jamila caught us almost by surprise when she first emerged – a Chicago soul singer who wasn't on our radar, and who already had this fully-formed, completely unique style – but here, she embraces legacies of past musical and cultural inspirations, folding them into a instrumental settings created almost completely on her own, and which are topped by these shape-shifting lyrics that really live up to their references. The album shows a powerful, personal, and completely self-contained approach to the music – something that many of Jamila's contemporaries can hardly match – and titles include "Miles", "Baldwin", "Basquiat", "Eartha", "Giovanni", "Zora", "Betty", "Frida", "Sun Ra", and "Octavia". CD

Features Oscar Moore on guitar, Red Callender or Johnny Miller on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. Tracks include "Indiana", "Man I Love", "I Cover The Waterfront", "Somebody Loves Me", and "Lester Leaps In". CD

Jackson 5, move over – because the folks at Numero Records have uncovered a whole host of rare kid soul acts from the 70s – most of them a fair bit funkier than their Motown contemporaries! The tracks here all clearly follow the lead started by Michael and his brothers at the end of the 60s – but the music is way more than just a simple copycat of Jackson modes – as each of these artists have a really individual approach, and a heck of a lot of personality in their music – despite their youthful years. In true Numero fashion, most of the cuts here are from tiny little labels – issued only as singles back in the day, but produced with a great deal of enthusiasm for the music – and a confident, competent sound that's quite striking, given the age of the performers. The package comes with complete notes on the music – opening up a whole world of lesser-known kid soul acts – and titles include the amazing "Trust Your Child" by Patrizia & Jimmy, plus "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "One Is Enough For One" by Jack & the Mods, "Now That School Is Through" by Cindy & The Playmates, "Jersey Slide (part 1)" by 3 Stars, "You Are My Dream" by 3 Simmons, "Can't Let You Break My Heart" by Quantrells, "If You're Looking For Love" by Triads, "Yellow Ribbons" by Atons, "Sweet Pea" by Altyrone Deno Brown, "Time After Time" by Step By Step, "Time" by Otis The 3rd, and "Little Girl" by Michael Washington. LP also contains a bonus track – part 2 of "Trust Your Child" by Patrizia & Jimmy! LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work by Cannonball Adderley – recorded in the early 60s, but not issued until after his death! The album features live material – recorded in Tokyo and San Francisco – performed by Cannon's amazing sextet that includes Joe Zawinul on piano, Yusef Lateef on reeds, Nat Adderley on cornet, and the rhythm section of Sam Jones in bass and Louis Hayes on drums. Tracks are all long and grooving – with a sublime mix of the earlier soul jazz that Adderley forge in the late 50s, with some of the more exotic traces that were coming into the group through the work of Lateef. Titles include "New Delhi", "Peter & The Goats", "This Here", "Jive Samba", "Primitivo", "Autumn Leaves", "Dizzy's Business", and "Never Say Yes". CD

A wonderful album – one that takes us back to the early 70s sound of Hermeto, Airto, and Flora Purim! Hermeto Pascoal arrranged and produced the record, and it's based around the jazzy vocals of Brazilian singer Aleuda, who reminds us a bit of Flora in her early days, but with a tone that's a bit higher and sharper. The backing is performed by a crack group of Brazilian jazz and fusion players that includes Mauro Senise, Zeca Assumpcao, Robertinho Silva, and Hermeto himself – and the album feels like a rare lost session that might have been cut for Milestone during the heyday of the West Coast Latin scene of the mid 70s. Titles include "Ceara", "Oferenda", "Galope", "Jurema", "Passarinho", "Rede", and "Fofoca". CD

A double-length set that brings together 2 key early live sets by Albert Ayler – both recorded on the New York scene of the mid 60s! Bells was an unusual one-sided record that featured only 20 minutes of music, performed with an intensity that hardly leaves room for complaints about the shortness of the album! The single track "Bells" was performed at Town Hall by Ayler with a group that includes Donald Ayler on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Sunny Murray on percussion – all coming together in a raw, real sense of freedom – beautifully explored here without ever getting too overindulgent. The tune may well be one of the greatest illustrations of the ESP format at its best – as Ayler and company never stray too far, but carve out some incredibly imaginative space through their starkly-blown horn solos! Prophecy is longer – a full album that was recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after Ayler's untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". And then, if that's not enough, the 2CD package also features more material from the Prophecy sessions – 6 more tracks originally issued on the Albert Smiles With Sunny album – with titles that include "Saints", "Children", "Ghosts", "Spirits", and "Wizard" – all in different versions. CD

A sublime soundtrack from John Barry – common, to be sure, but also a wonderfully-crafted set that goes way beyond the stereotypes of his work for the James Bond films! The record is probably best known for Nilsson's famous version of the Fred Neil tune "Everybody's Talkin" – which is great in itself – but it's Barry's own work on the title theme that we totally love. "Midnight Cowboy" is a darkly turning slowly pondering tune that will haunt us until the day we die – performed here on the original number with a sad-tinged harmonica that unites both the country of Joe Buck's roots and the sleaze of the love generation. The tune's great – and is matched here by the whimsy of "Florida Fantasy", and the Barry tracks "Fun City" and "Science Fiction". But also, Barry acted as the overall music director for the film – and used some tracks from the hip group Elephant's Memory, plus others by The Groop – but offbeat acts who really fit the spirit of the film. The record's almost worth it just for the cut "Old Man Willow", a really tripped-out longer track from Elephant's Memory – swirling around in organ and hippie vocals, and oddly echoing the main Barry theme of the set at times! LP, Vinyl record album

A real oddity – a soundtrack on Vee Jay records, the label best known for their groundbreaking work in soul, blues, and jazz. Even stranger, the score is for a schlocky Vincent Price film, based on a Jules Verne story – written by Les Baxter, in the flowery style he used for some of his late 50s, non-exotic work at Capitol. The album is performed by the 100 Men, directed by Cal Carter of Vee Jay – and titles include "Topage", "Flight Concerto", "Philadelphia", "Drifting Clouds", and "Over The Rocks". Nice painted cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A gimmicky record, but one that's pretty darn great – thanks to a very unusual approach that mixes the music of Miles Davis with Indian instrumentation! The players are a big part of the album's success – as they include Miles Davis alums like Gary Bartz on alto sax, Lenny White and Jimmy Cobb on drums, Michael Henderson on bass, Pete Cosey on guitar, Dave Liebman on flute, and Ron Carter on bass – and although a few tracks feature Wallace Roney on trumpet, that instrument is possibly one of the least-featured in the set! Instead, Miles' legacy is traced through very different territory – with a much stronger emphasis on the sitar, sarod, and percussion used on the record – often played with a spacious, exploratory feel that's quite unusual. Most numbers are completely transformed from their famous original versions – and titles include "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down", "Blue In Green", "In A Silent Way", "All Blues", "Spanish Key", "So What", and "Miles From India". CD

The Beatles had Abbey Road – and Booker T & The MGs had McLemore Ave, the main street running outside the Stax studios, and a fitting title for the album that has them playing tunes from The Beatles' incredible Abbey Road album. If you've ever thought that Abbey Road was a soft-rock lowpoint in the Beatles' career, consider how many soul and jazz artists either covered the whole album, performed songs from it, or referenced it in their album covers. This little gem is proof that the compositions already had a life of their own within a short time of the release of the record – as Book and crew take the Beatles' tunes to whole new heights, working them together into a complicated batch of grooves that really pushes past their earlier work on Stax. Who knows, perhaps The Beatles were just the kick that Book needed – we can't ever tell the whole story, but we can say that the record marks a strong turning point for the group, and is well worth having for a variety of reasons. Titles include "The End", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Because", "I Want You/She's So Heavy", and "Polythene Pam". This Stax Remasters edition has 6 bonus tracks: "You Can't Do That", "Day Tripper", "Michelle", "Eleanor Rigby" and a previously unreleased alternate take of "You Can't Do That". CD

Mostly instrumental tracks from hip hop djs and producers including Rob Swift, Prince Paul, DXT, Invisible Scratch Pickles, Q-Bert, DJ Krush, New Kingdom, all overseen by Bill Laswell. Much better than your average Axiom stuff. Cover art by Rammellzee. 14 tracks in all, including "Reanimation" by Rob Swift, "ShinKi Row" by DJ Krush, "If 9 Was 6" by Prince Paul, "Invasion Of The Octopus People" by the Invisible Scratch Pickles and "Embryo" by DXT (formerly know as D. St). CD

A gem of a record – Eric Dolphy's last studio session, recorded in Paris with some very surprising guest stars! The work is really tremendous – every bit as great as Dolphy's monumental studio albums for Prestige, and written and performed with a similar blend of the free, the lyrical, the avant, and the soulful! Of course, the players help a lot – as the group includes Donald Byrd on trumpet, Nathan Davis on tenor, and the great Jack Dieval on piano. Titles include "245", "GW", "Serene", "Naima", and "Springtime". CD

Part 3 to the Five Spot recordings from Eric Dolphy – issued here as a "memorial" to Booker Little, even though Little was still alive for the recording! The album features especially searing work from Dolphy, and was part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording. The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – and titles include "Number Eight" and "Booker's Waltz". CD

Nedly Elstak may not be a household name – and he's certainly not going to win any charm contests with his pose on the cover – but he's a hell of a great trumpeter from the Dutch scene of the 60s, and comes across beautifully here on a collection of rare live material from back in the day! The set's a real revelation to us – as we'd never heard Elstak before – and in addition to these sparkling trumpet lines that lie somewhere between Clifford Brown and Ted Curson – with the warmth of the former, and bite of the latter – Nedly also plays some piano too – an instrument that he really handles wonderfully – with a real range on the keyboard, and this thoughtful depth of sound that really blows us away. Tracks are all live, but really well recorded – and players include Theo Loevendie on alto, Dick Vennik on tenor, Rein de Graaff on piano, and Willem Breuker on bass clarinet – on titles that include great Elstak originals like "Some Astronomers Wonder", "Love You So", "The Machine", "No One Around", "Double Eclipse", and "Beautiful Mountain". CD

An obscure 70s trio session from pianist Tommy Flanagan – and one that really gets at the full depths of his lyrical talents on the keys! As the title implies, the session features Tommy working through a host of Harold Arlen standards – all familiar numbers, but performed here with a fluid grace that's completely sublime – a gentle soul that almost has echoes of some of the later work of Bill Evans, but a bit more of a sense of presence overall. The trio features George Mraz on bass and Connie Kay on drums – but many passages just have Flanagan's piano gliding along on its own, magically setting the pace for the tunes before the rhythm even comes into the mix. Helen Merrill guests on vocals on a version of "Last Night When We Were Young" – and other tunes include "Out Of This World", "Sleepin Bee", "Ill Wind", "My Shining Hour", and "Get Happy". Produced by Helen Merrill, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Damn, these guys come on strong right from the start – a heady Greek quartet who got their one and only shot in the studio with this record – and who don't pull any punches in delivering the goods! The guitars are nice and raw – hard rock informed by psych, with tremendous solos that share every bit as much space on the tunes as the vocals – which are in Greek, and as such, maybe come across as just one more element in the overall music presentation to those of us who don't understand the lyrics – more about mood than content, and the mood is more than dark enough to match the guitar work! Titles include "Metamorphic", "When The Snow Melts", "Wilderness", "Insane Men's Trumpet", "Our Fight", and "Someday In Athens". CD

A very unique album by Curtis Fuller – quite different than any of his other records at the time! The session has Curtis blowing on tunes from the score to Cabin In The Sky – arranged by Manny Albam, and performed by a large group that includes Freddy Hubbard, Hank Jones, and Bob Brookmeyer. Far from the snoozy outing that you might guess from the title, the album's actually a deeply spiritual album that has Fuller playing in warm rich tones that he rarely achieves elsewhere. The backing is sensitive, and doesn't get in the way – and instead creates a magical pillow of sound that allows Fuller to craft these warm and sweet notes that are really wonderful. Titles include "The Prayer", "Savannah", "Love Turned The Light Out", and "Love Me Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little session from trombonist Curtis Fuller – and quite possibly the most obscure of all his Blue Note albums, all of which are pretty darn obscure! The Fuller heard here is in a softer, gentler mode than on some of his hardbop stormers for other labels – laying back with a sweet sense of lyricism and soulful soloing – and playing in an excellent group that includes Art Farmer on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Farmer's horn proves to be a perfect counterpoint to Fuller's trombone – and they both bring out the best qualities in each other's work – Farmer, by forcing Fuller to find a bit more space between the notes; and Fuller, by getting Farmer to bite into the groove a bit more. Tracks are long – and titles include "Carvon", "Two Quarters Of A Mile", and "Little Messenger". CD

One of the strangest records you'll ever buy! Even on our storied pages this one's a bit of anoddball to describe – kind of a sound play of words, songs, noises, and lots of odd effects – an effort of classic rock proportions, but the brainchild of Lol Creme and Kevin Godley after their departure from pop group 10CC. It's nearly impossible to believe how a record like this got made – especially in the year that punk was taking over the British record industry – but the fact that it became an instant cutout may say a lot about its ill-chosen release. Whatever that history, though, the album's a near-legendary one now – some where between Ivor Cutler-esque sound poetry and some of the weirder pop of British mid 70s groups. Peter Cook wrote and performed all the spoken bits on the record, and Sarah Vaughan even makes a guest appearance! LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from The Grass Roots – plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Leaving It All Behind – a really great shift for the Grass Roots – a set that has the group sounding more confident before, and maybe a bit more soulful too – really coming at things with this nice sense of punch both in the lead vocals, and the way the overall groove drives the set! The arrangements are superb – handled by Sid Feller and Jimmie Haskell – and we can especially hear the talents of the latter, in the way that Jimmie can take simple elements and make them sound groovy – but all in a very unassuming way. Titles include "Out Of This World", "I'm Lovin For You Girl", "Wait A Million Years", "Take Him While You Can", "Walking Through The Country", and "Truck Drivin Man". Move Along is a record with a big, bold sound – lots of soulful arrangements from Jimmie Haskell, full of horns and driven by great basslines – all of which really pushes the dynamic energy of the group! The Grass Roots look a bit more mature on the cover, and that comes through in their vocals too – some raspier charms that really reflect the passage of years, and enforce a bit more feeling in the lyrics – giving a heft to the album that's an unexpected surprise, especially if you only know their earlier hits. Titles include "Move Along", "Two Divided By Love", "Monday Love", "One Word", "Runnin Just To Get Her Home Again", and "Anyway The Wind Blows". Alotta Mileage is a 70s standout from The Grass Roots! Back in the 60s, the Grass Roots already had this tight, compressed energy that was totally great – a quality that also makes their 70s work like this so wonderful too! There's a focus here that's totally great – horns informed by earlier soul music styles, and vocals that borrow a bit too – upbeat and bubbling, but with maybe a nicely mature vibe too – still hook-heavy, but slightly different than the earlier hits – on titles that include "Just A Little Tear", "Pick Up Your Feet", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "Ballad Of Billy Joe", "We Almost Made It Together", "Ain't No Way To Go Home", and "Claudia". 2CD set features 14 more bonus tracks – including "Temptation Eyes", "Sooner Or Later", "Bella Linda (single version)", "Get It Together", "Baby Hold On", "I'd Wait A Million Years (single version)", "We Can't Dance To Your Music", and "I Can Turn Off The Rain". CD

A really compelling blend of jazz and electronics – served up here in a way that's very different than any other project of its nature! This isn't one of those records where reed improvisations mix with free analog electronics, yet it's also not one where electric rhythms provide the base for jazz samples – as Konrad Agnas criss-crosses all sorts of lines and styles with the record – sometimes reveling in the acoustic warmth of the saxophone work of Per Texas Johanssen, other times letting rhythms get crisp and crackling from his own drums, informed with work on an OP1 synthesizer! Torbjorn Zetterberg provides some amazing bass – almost funky at times, and certainly some of his most soulful work on record – and the group also features Hammond B3 and piano from Johan Graden. Titles include "Manech Och Vargen", "Bismillah", "Half Year Song", "Siwa", "Untitled 1972", "Don Rythmicon", "Rite Of Passage", and "Arthur & Jeremiah". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Airto – recorded after his 70s years on bigger labels, but a set that almost tops all of them in the end! There's a wonderful mix going on here – a blend of rootsy and electric, and Latin and Brazilian – the former clearly from the placement of the record on New York's Montuno label – an imprint that did plenty of great sessions filled with Latin jazz! The shift makes for a fresh one for Airto – still plenty of room to show off his famous percussion impulses, yet in a slightly different way – often grooving in a Latin fusion mode that's a nice maturation from the CTI years. The set's filled with all-star players – including Jorge Dalto on electric piano, Raul De Souza on trombone, Joe Farrell on flute, Alphonso Johnson on bass, and Oscar Castro Neves on keyboards, guitar, and cavaquinho – and the lovely Flora's also on board to sing a bit on the set. Titles include the extended jammer "Tombo", plus "Aqui Se Pede", "Jump", "The Return", "Sin Salida", and "Anatelio". LP, Vinyl record album

The music here is as evocative as the title – almost a mix of contemporary Blue Note modes with older ECM styles – all served up as a perfect showcase for the ever-growing talents of trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire! We've really dug the last two records from Ambrose, and this one seems to push his voice even father than before – sometimes in smaller acoustic settings, sometimes with a bit of vocals, and sometimes a bit of strings – performed by a shifting lineup that includes guests Becca Stevens, Theo Bleckmann, and Cold Specks on vocals – plus a core group that includes Walter Smith on tenor and Sam Harris on piano. Titles include "Marie Christie", "Memo", "Ceasless Inexhaustible Child", "Rollcall For Those Absent", "Vartha", and "Our Basement". CD

Like many other 70s reissues in the Prestige/Milestone/fantasy family, this set compiles 2 early albums by Mose. Unlike a lot of his later material, this set's mostly instrumental, though he does get in some vocals on about a third of the tracks. The album features some great work by Allison's trio of the time – Addison Farmer on bass and Ronnie Free or Nick Stabulas on drums – simple piano-driven groovers, performed with a slight gutbuckety approach, and lots of sweet down home soul. 20 tracks in all, including "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand", "Stroll", "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", "Seventh Son", "If You Live", "Mule", "If I Didn't Care", "Moon & Cypress", and "Creek Bank". CD

A later album from Antonio Carlos E Jocafi – but one that still holds onto the lively samba roots of their best older sides! The instrumentation is a mix of acoustic and electric elements – but usually falls more towards the former – and arrangements are by Cesar Machado, who changes things up a bit throughout the set, shifting styles to fit the musical voice of each individual tune. Titles include "Olho D'Agua", "Teresa Batista", "Dona Flor E Seus Dois Maridos", "Capitaes De Areia", "Conversa P'Ra Boi Dormir", and "Jesuino Galo Doido". CD

Their classic double live set from the mid 70s, and as tight a batch of grooves as you'll find on their studio albums! In fact, this one might even be tighter, as it's got a good set of classic tracks performed live, with a sound that's a little bit more uptight and open than the studio versions– and which is especially freewheeling on the instrumental solos. Many tracks go for a lot longer than on the original versions – and there's a version of "Pick Up The Pieces" that runs for 18 minutes, a version of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" that grooves for 8 minutes, a version of "School Boy Crush" that jams for 7 minutes, plus nice takes on the cuts "Cut The Cake", "Love Your Life", and "Cloudy". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes Babbitt's "Phonemena For Soprano And Piano" performed by Lynn Webber and Jerry Kuderna, "Phonemena For Soprano And Tape" performed by Lynn Webber, and "Reflections For Piano And Synthesized Tape" and "Post-Partitions" performed by Robert Miller; Bassett's "Music For Saxophone And Piano" performed by Donald Sinta and Ellen Weckler; Smith's "Fancies For Clarinet Alone" performed by the composer; and Wuorinen's "Bassoon Variations" performed by Donald MacCourt, Susan Jolles, and Gordon Gottlieb. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic album of classy vocals – one that helped set a whole new tone in 80s soul music! Anita had already gained a bit of experience on the soul scene before this set, but with this record she emerged as a full-formed diva who could effortlessly blend jazz and soul into a magnificent new sound. The production has a few touches that date the record a bit, but there's a timelessness to the set that was apparent to listeners the moment it was released. Titles include "Mystery", "No One In The World", "Sweet Love", "You Bring Me Joy", and "Caught Up In The Rapture". CD

A sweet little quartet session from the mid 50s – one of Chet Baker's legendary albums recorded in Paris at the time, with a quality that's nicely different from some of his work in the US! Part of that quality is the group – an unusual lineup that includes Gerard Gustin on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Bert Dahlander on drums – but Baker is also changing things up a bit from the Pacific Jazz years too, and working with a more sophisticated understanding of sound and tone that would develop even more strongly in the later half of the 50s! As usual with Chet, the tunes are standards, but completely transformed by his handling – titles that include "I'll Remember April", "Tenderly", "Lover Man", "Summertime", and "You Go To My Head". CD

A sweet little quartet session from the mid 50s – one of Chet Baker's legendary albums recorded in Paris at the time, with a quality that's nicely different from some of his work in the US! Part of that quality is the group – an unusual lineup that includes Gerard Gustin on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Bert Dahlander on drums – but Baker is also changing things up a bit from the Pacific Jazz years too, and working with a more sophisticated understanding of sound and tone that would develop even more strongly in the later half of the 50s! As usual with Chet, the tunes are standards, but completely transformed by his handling – titles that include "I'll Remember April", "Tenderly", "Lover Man", "Summertime", and "You Go To My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

Atlantic's great early soul singer delivers 2 sides of fairly traditional material – both in her own gutsy R&B style. Precious Memories features LaVern singing 12 gospel tunes like "Didn't It Rain", "Too Close", "Without A God", "Touch Me, Lord Jesus", and "Journey To The Sky". LaVern's fine, but the real treat is the backing by Alex Bradford and his singers, one of the most soulful gospel groups of the late 50s! The next set of 12 tracks are all older Bessie Smith numbers – performed with small group backing that includes Sahib Shihab, Paul Quinichette, Buck Clayton, and Jimmy Cleveland. LaVern's versions are a bit jazzier than Bessie's – and titles include "After You've Gone", "preaching The Blues", "Empty Bed Blues", "Back Water Blues", and "Gimme A Pigfoot". CD

A great little set – despite our initial fears about the package – and a really wonderful pairing of the talents of Count Basie and Benny Carter! We'll admit that we're the first ones to shy away from anything that says "Kansas City" in the title – as we expect a lot of hoke – but this album's a surprisingly great batch of tunes, original numbers written by Benny Carter in honor of the KC of days past, but arranged and performed by the Basie group in a swinging style that's got the best touches of their Roulette years, plus a bit of Ellingtonish ambition in the horn charts. Titles include "Katy Do", "Miss Missouri", "Jackson County Jubilee", "Sunset Glow", "Meetin Time", and "The Wiggle Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from Jose Roberto Bertrami – the keyboardist who rose to fame with Azymuth in the 70s, but who's working here in an all-acoustic bossa mode! In keeping with Bertrami's later talent for an unusual groove, the album's got a feel that's slightly different than the other bossa records of the time – styles that are sometimes less percussive, but still quite flowing – and which are graced by a depth of tone and color that's really wonderful! At some points, Bertrami almost hits modes that are straighter jazz – with traces of Horace Silver or other American players in the mix – even though the tracks are nearly all numbers by Brazilian composers. Titles include "Balansamba", "Taluhama", "Lilos Walts", "Dorme Profundo", "Impulso", and "Da Me". CD

A classic early set featuring the Jazz Messengers back when the group was less of an Art Blakey project, and more of an all-around affair – as you might guess from a lineup that also includes Horace Silver on piano, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor, and Doug Watkins on bass! The live set is one of the earliest and purest versions of Blakey's hardbop vision, touched with the slightly exotic lyricism of Silver, which gives the tracks a wonderful edge. The playing is excellent throughout – and the album's the kind of live stormer that shows why the group were such a huge draw right out of the box, and why they performed as well (if not better) in a live setting than they did in a studio one! Tracks include "Minor's Holiday", "The Theme", "Prince Albert", and "Deciphering The Message" – and the CD features 3 bonus tracks, all long, plus great remastering! CD

Genius, pure genius from a young David Bowie – an album that we've always treasured as much as Ziggy Stardust! This set's pre-Hunky Dory, pre-Space Oddity – and it's an amazing little record that's almost completely devoid of guitars – instead using weird woodwinds (lots of oboe!), soaring strings, and offbeat orchestrations to carry off the tunes – all of which are as weird, mad, and wonderful as anything Bowie wrote in later years! The subject matter of the songs is almost a dark reflection of the picture postcard England that you'd find in work by The Kinks – the local pederast, weird guy who lives with his mum, old military geezer who can't get out of the past, cross-dressing soldiers, a gravedigger about to meet his death, and hip Londoners gallivanting all over town – all delivered with a sharpness that's stunning. We honestly think the record is flawless – incredibly complicated instrumentally, but incredibly groovy too – with all the edge you'll always love in Bowie, but in a fresh young flavor too. Years back, as young Bowie-heads, we always passed this one by – assuming it was unformed early roughness – but it's not, and is an incredible album that would have been more than enough for any other artist to build a career on. Titles include "Uncle Arthur", "Sell Me A Coat", "Rubber Band", "Love You Till Tuesday", "There Is A Happy Land", "When I Live My Dream", "Maids Of Bond Street", "We Are Hungry Men", "She's Got Medals", and "Please Mr Gravedigger". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly David Bowie's first complete moment of genius – an incredibly-formed album that's filled with tunes beyond definition and description! There's still some traces of the earlier madman in the mix, but the overall sound is much more rock-heavy – although not without the fuzzed-up and full-on guitars of Space Oddity or Man Who Sold the World – and often augmented with a bit of strings and softer touches that really bring out the humanity in the songs. The balance here is amazing – as is the fact that a few short years before, Bowie was singing "The Laughing Gnome", but is here one of the most sensitive songwriters of his generation. Tunes are quirky and personal, and titles include "Changes", "Oh You Pretty Things", "Andy Warhol", "Life On Mars", "Kooks", and "Queen Bitch". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Braxton's first recordings of his work for larger ensembles, and a masterpiece that gives a good example of the kind of early ideas that have informed some of his recent work in the same style. The orchestras vary from track to track, but they all include excellent players like Roscoe Mitchell, George Lewis, Seldon Powell, and Cecil Bridgewater – players who are more than capable of meeting the demands of Braxton's writing, and who can bring a lot of their own to the session. Great stuff, and with a good set of notes. CD

A lost gem from Anne Briggs – one of the lesser-known artists of the British underground folk scene at the end of the 60s – but a singer we'd rank right up there with the great Sandy Denny! Briggs works here in an ancient-sounding batch of material – the kind of tracks that conjure up the darker corners of the British landscape and its history – performed by Anne with mostly just vocals and guitar, but in a lyrical style that arcs, and turns, and dips with maybe more energy than if there were an entire group behind her. The style is spare, but never sleepy – and there's a hell of a lot of power in these tunes, especially on the few numbers that feature a bit of bouzouki as well. Titles include "Reynardine", "Young Tambling", "Living By The Water", "Maa Bonny Lad", "Blackwater Side", "The Snow It Melts The Soonest", and "Go Your Way". LP, Vinyl record album

The first solo album from Johnny Bristol – a genius soul talent who did a bunch of great work for Motown as a writer and arranger, breaking out here on his own! Like so many other behind-the-scenes talents from the late 60s, Johnny turned out to be an excellent soul artist in his own right – even though he only got to cut a rare few albums during the 70s – and this debut album already has him emerging straight away as a fully-formed talent! The vibe is a great mix of Detroit and California Motown – arranged by HB Barnum, and produced with a style that's tight, but still open and fluid too. Backings mix soulful strings with sweet harmonies – and lots of the tunes have a great 70s mellow soul groove. Titles include "Woman Woman", "I Got Your Number", "You & I", "It Don't Hurt No More", and the anthemic "Hang On In There Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Dave Brubeck albums from later years – and one of the hippest! The record is noteworthy for its pairing of Anthony Braxton and Lee Konitz – the former a rising star at the time, influenced strongly by the latter in his roots – showcased here in some rare moments of Braxton straight-aheadness! Brubeck's contribution is heard most strongly on the album's extended trio "Jimmy Van Huesen Medley" – played by Dave with Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. But we're most partial to the saxophone tunes – Konitz playing a spare duet with Brubeck on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", soloing with the group on "Like Someone In Love", duetting with Braxton on "All The Things You Are" – and stepping back to let Anthony play with Dave on a version of "In Your Own Sweet Way". Really great stuff throughout – and a unique Brubeck moment! CD

One of the best Dave Brubeck albums from later years – and one of the hippest! The record is noteworthy for its pairing of Anthony Braxton and Lee Konitz – the former a rising star at the time, influenced strongly by the latter in his roots – showcased here in some rare moments of Braxton straight-aheadness! Brubeck's contribution is heard most strongly on the album's extended trio "Jimmy Van Huesen Medley" – played by Dave with Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. But we're most partial to the saxophone tunes – Konitz playing a spare duet with Brubeck on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", soloing with the group on "Like Someone In Love", duetting with Braxton on "All The Things You Are" – and stepping back to let Anthony play with Dave on a version of "In Your Own Sweet Way". Really great stuff throughout – and a unique Brubeck moment! LP, Vinyl record album

An archetypal album from the legendary Paul Butterfield – and a set that would shape the sound of countless blues rock records to come! Despite what you might think of the genre or its many later incarnations, there's a raw power here that's really amazing – the young Butterfield and his Chicago comperes, hanging out at clubs on the south side, drinking in the relatively new electric sound of the city, and turning out a groove that's a lot more hard-edged than some of the overseas imitators at the time! Paul's pretty darn great on vocals and harmonica – but the group has some even more powerful sounds in the twin guitar talents of Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop – the former on slide, the latter on rhythm – along with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin on some Hammond too. Titles include "Blues With A Feeling", "Born In Chicago", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Mystery Train", "Screamin", "Last Night", and "Look Over Yonders Wall". CD

An archetypal album from the legendary Paul Butterfield – and a set that would shape the sound of countless blues rock records to come! Despite what you might think of the genre or its many later incarnations, there's a raw power here that's really amazing – the young Butterfield and his Chicago comperes, hanging out at clubs on the south side, drinking in the relatively new electric sound of the city, and turning out a groove that's a lot more hard-edged than some of the overseas imitators at the time! Paul's pretty darn great on vocals and harmonica – but the group has some even more powerful sounds in the twin guitar talents of Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop – the former on slide, the latter on rhythm – along with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin on some Hammond too. Titles include "Blues With A Feeling", "Born In Chicago", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Mystery Train", "Screamin", "Last Night", and "Look Over Yonders Wall". LP, Vinyl record album

The genius of Don Byas finally gets its due – served up here in a massive 10CD package that's overflowing with work from some of Byas' most fruitful years as a saxophonist! Byas is one of the sometimes-overlooked giants of his generation – a player with a tone and style that's every bit as distinct as that of Ben Webster and Lester Young. Yet for some reason, Byas has a much more checkered recording history – and one that sometimes doesn't really capture his strengths when he's completely on fire. That's definitely corrected here – as the package features some key recordings by Byas as a leader – then rolls into a stunning array of tenor performances in the groups of others – some originally issued on rare 78s, others never issued until this box – making the whole thing a mindblowing look at these seminal years in Don's career! The labels for some of the tracks include King, Manor, Jam, Savoy National, and HNS – and Byas blows as a leader in a few groups, and with other leaders who Hot Lips Page, Hank D'Amico, Cozy Cole, Earl Bostic, Joe Turner, Timmie Rogers, Oscar Pettiford, and Dizzy Gillespie – a really varied lot, which demonstrates the versatility that Byas could have as a performer. The box has 193 tracks in all, and a hugely detailed set of notes – a really ear-opening listen to this great tenorist! CD

One of the first truly important records from Don Cherry as a leader – and an amazingly well-crafted session that brings together ideas from his early years with Ornette, and expands them with some of the freedoms he was learning from the European scene! The record boasts a format and lineup that's quite unusual for Blue Note at the time – 2 side-long "suite" tracks, performed by a group that features Cherry on cornet, Pharoah Sanders on tenor and piccolo, Karl Berger on vibes and piano, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Ed Blackwell on drums, and both Jean-Francois Jenny- Clark and Henry Grimes on bass! There's a fair bit of room for creative improvising on the session, but the overall album's a bit more structured than contemporary free jazz outings – and clearly shows the mark of Cherry's interpolation of styles at the time. Two long suites are entitled "Symphony For Improvisers" and "Manhattan Cry" – with shorter passages that include "Nu Creative Love", "Infant Happiness", "Manhattan Cry", and "Lunatic". CD

Brilliant work – John Coltrane really opening up in his new spiritual mode of the 60s, hinting at the changes to come, while still keeping the modal groove of previous recordings! The record features tracks from a few different sessions from the years 1961 to 1963, but it holds together beautifully – thanks to a unified creative spirit in the music! The centerpiece of the album is the stunning track "Impressions" – performed by the quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones – but all tracks are great, and titles include "After the Rain", and "Up 'Gainst The Wall" – plus the brilliant cut "India", which features guest work by Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet! CD

Brilliant work – John Coltrane really opening up in his new spiritual mode of the 60s, hinting at the changes to come, while still keeping the modal groove of previous recordings! The record features tracks from a few different sessions from the years 1961 to 1963, but it holds together beautifully – thanks to a unified creative spirit in the music! The centerpiece of the album is the stunning track "Impressions" – performed by the quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones – but all tracks are great, and titles include "After the Rain", and "Up 'Gainst The Wall" – plus the brilliant cut "India", which features guest work by Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet! LP, Vinyl record album

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

Warmly wonderful work from guitarist Larry Coryell – an album that's got a simple, straightforward feel – and a rock-solid rhythm section in the form of Stanley Cowell on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums! Despite the far-reaching resumes of all the players, things are pretty straight here – but always handled with a style that's informed by the deeper prospects of the musicians – especially Cowell, who throws in a few offbeat moments to keep the album on edge at some of its best points. Titles include "Toku Do", "Just Friends", "Sophisticated Lady", "Round Midnight", and "Moment's Notice". CD

A set that's even more searing and sonically intense than the debut of this genre-hopping group – served up in this bracing blend of electric and acoustic instrumentation that almost takes us back to the 90s experiments on Axiom Records from the Bill Laswell generation! there's plenty of guitar and bass here – the former from Javi Perez, the latter from Jamie Benzies – driven strongly by the fierce drum work of Tim Toyle, and topped with trumpet from Axel Kaner Lidstrom, tenor from James Mollison, keyboards and electronics from Tile Gichigi Lipere, and a mix of tenor, bass, clarinet, and flute from Rob Milne – all coming together with a very dark, textured, almost layered sort of sound – even though the performance here seems to be mostly live. Titles include "3301", "Fallacy", "The Cracks In The Bricks", "Ashen Faun", "Last Throes Of The Temporal Monolith", and "Crystalline Peaks". CD

From hipster comedian to schlocky roles in The Planet of The Apes, Severn Darden was one of the 60s more enigmatic performers. This early album has him doing intellectual standup and skits with the help of the Second City cast – including Alan Arkin, Paul Sand, and Barbara Harris. The stuff's a bit dated, but it has that nice pre-hippy early 60s intellectual camp sort of twist. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Bobby Darin albums ever! Gone are all the gimmicks of some of his teen records, and in their place is a solid, serious approach to jazz vocals that has Darin standing tall with the likes of Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. Honest, this is one of our favorite vocal albums from the time – and Darin glides effortlessly over arrangements by Torrie Zito, sort of in the way that Mel Torme could when he was at his best. Titles include "How About You", "No Greater Love", "Long Ago & Far Away", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", and "In Love In Vain". A real treasure – and one that we've loved for years! LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning achievement as a leader from Alabaster DePlume – material that's maybe some of the most powerful he's ever given us, even though the core of the record comes from the same sessions as his previous album, Gold! As with that record, the material here was originally performed at the Total Refreshment Centre in London, but is then completely transformed by DePlume as he works his way through the recordings – shifting things around, changing up the original sounds, and letting the selection and mixing process create the album's sound in the best International Anthem style – but also at a level that showcases DePlume's compositional ear! Alabaster plays tenor, guitar, and keyboards – and other musicians include James Howard on guitar, Tom Herbert on bass, and Sarathy Korwar on drums and tablas – and there's a number of other voices who drift through the mix as well, sometimes with full lyrical contributions, sometimes in more subtle ways. Titles include "Did You Know", "Levels Of Human", "Not Even Sobbing", "Sibomandi", "Greek Honey Slick", "Broken Again", "Naked Like Water", "The Best Thing In The World", and "To That Voice & Say". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning achievement as a leader from Alabaster DePlume – material that's maybe some of the most powerful he's ever given us, even though the core of the record comes from the same sessions as his previous album, Gold! As with that record, the material here was originally performed at the Total Refreshment Centre in London, but is then completely transformed by DePlume as he works his way through the recordings – shifting things around, changing up the original sounds, and letting the selection and mixing process create the album's sound in the best International Anthem style – but also at a level that showcases DePlume's compositional ear! Alabaster plays tenor, guitar, and keyboards – and other musicians include James Howard on guitar, Tom Herbert on bass, and Sarathy Korwar on drums and tablas – and there's a number of other voices who drift through the mix as well, sometimes with full lyrical contributions, sometimes in more subtle ways. Titles include "Did You Know", "Levels Of Human", "Not Even Sobbing", "Sibomandi", "Greek Honey Slick", "Broken Again", "Naked Like Water", "The Best Thing In The World", and "To That Voice & Say". LP, Vinyl record album

Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – sometimes billed as a "memorial", even though he was still alive when it was done – and titles on this volume include "Aggression" and "Like Someone In Love". CD

Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – sometimes billed as a "memorial", even though he was still alive when it was done – and titles on this volume include "Aggression" and "Like Someone In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of classics from Earth Wind & Fire – back to back on a single CD! First up is Spirit – a big hit for the group – and a great album of smooth funky soul! Spirit is a perfect example of the way that Earth Wind & Fire could tighten things up, yet still keep them real – holding onto the deeply spiritual side that first made them great – but also focusing their energy towards a wider audience that showed their influence for years! Of course, with Charles Stepney helping out on production, it's hard to miss – and he's one of the few cats who could handle a blend like this so well. The compression in the band's playing is impeccable – with just the right mix of spacey spiritualism, sophisticated jazzy playing, and a straight ahead love of the soulful hook. Includes the instrumentals "Biyo" and "Departure", plus the vocal tracks "Earth Wind & Fire","Burnin Bush", "Spirit", "Imagination", and "Getaway", all produced to perfection by Maurice White and Charles Stepney! That's The Way Of The World may be Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and Afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth, Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid-70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid 70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD also features 5 bonus tracks – "Shining Star (future star)", "All About Love (first impressions)", "Happy Feelin (anatomy of a groove)", "Caribou Chaser (jazzy jam)", and "That's The Way Of The World (Latin expedition)". CD

Leon Michels has given us plenty of hip hop-inspired funk over the years, but this might be his first real hip hop project overall – a stunning set that mixes the live instrumentation of El Michels Affair with rhymes from Black Thought of The Roots – all at a level that might well set a new standard for both styles of music! The grooves are great – that subtle sense of drama that Michels always brings to the music – informed by old school action scores, but with the lean energy of a funky 45 – and although Black Thought has had live backing before, the El Michels approach here really seems to unlock something different in his vocals – maybe more power and drama than we might have guessed. Titles include "I'm Still Somehow", "Miracle", "Glorious Game", "That Girl", "The Weather", "I Would Never", "Grateful", and "Hollow Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the Prince music from the first Batman film – but all those other sounds that were used in the movie, penned and produced at a surprisingly strong level by Danny Elfman – who shows the world that he's got a lot more to offer than just his previous work in the group Oingo Boingo! This isn't a rock soundtrack by a fading talent from the mainstream – and instead, it's one of Elfman's first full forays into scoring – performed by the Sinfonia of London with a richness that's given the music maybe a more enduring quality than the film! Titles include "Birth Of A Penguin", "The Lair", "Selena Transforms", "Cat Suite", "Rise And Fall From Grace", "The Children's Hour", and "Final Confrontation". CD

One of the great entries in Duke Ellington's "exotic" albums of the 60s – records that aren't exactly exotica by any stretch of the imagination, but which have musical themes that were inspired by the international travels of the Ellington band at the time! In this case, the locale is the Virgin Islands – where Ellington performed in 1965, and returned home to record this set as a memory of tunes played by the band in St Croix and St Thomas. The core of the set is the initial Virgin Islands suite – made up of four new tunes that include "Island Virgin", "Virgin Jungle", "Fiddler On The Diddle", and "Jungle Kitty" – all nicely rhythmic numbers that explore some fresh themes with especially nice horn solos from the members of the group. Other tracks are older numbers performed on the tour, given a bit of a new twist here – on titles that include "Fade Up", "Mysterious Chick", "The Opener", and "Big Fat Alice's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album