An early part of the On-U Sound legacy, even if the set wasn't issued on the label – a key effort by Creation Rebel that features recording work done both in London and Kingston, layered together in a beautifully dubby way! The sound here is definitely underground – full of message-oriented lyrics from Crucial Tony, who sings in a style that definitely earns him his name – with great melodica and organ flowing through the mix next to Lizard's bass – topped with added horn work from The Arabs in all the right spots! The production is superb – flat on the drums, wide on the sides, which makes for a really wonderful groove – on titles that include "Know Yourself", "Conspiring", "Creation Fever", "Natty Conscience Free", and "Joyful Noise". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that really pushes the Czarface legacy further, and maybe even away from its origins in hip hop – as the LP/comic book package has mostly instrumental contributions from 7L, but structured together as a film score for the comic! There's some narration too, but really just in a way to link together the tracks – and the whole thing bursts out with the sort of vivid energy you'd guess from the Marvel-styled image on the front! Artwork is by Gilberto Aguirre Mata – and titles include "A Falling Czar", "Squared Portal", "Funky Premonition", "Something Once Human", "Death Of A Comrade", and "Czartusi". LP, Vinyl record album

MF Doom left our planet all too soon, and he left behind a great legacy of music, too – including a previous collaboration with the Czarface collective, nicely matched by this posthumous set! The balance here is great, and the set brings the metal man of mystery into great play with his collaborators and guests who include DMC, Kendra Morris, and Del The Funky Homosapien – all coming together on an album that's every bit as fun as the first time around, and maybe even more essential, given that we're not going to hear that much more from the unissued archives of MF Doom. Titles include "This Is Canon Now", "So Strange", "Young World", "Mando Calrissian", "Doom Unto Others", "The King & Eye", and "Czarwyn's Theory Of People Getting Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare document of this unique project from trumpeter Ted Daniel – one of his strongest contributions to the New York scene of the time, even though the group never left behind much of their legacy on record! The ensemble is a large spiritual avant ensemble – a bit like the Music Inc band of Charles Tolliver, but often a lot more outside overall – with searing solo work from musicians who include Joe Rigby on tenor and sopranino saxes, Chris Capers on trumpet, baritone from Pablo Calogero, and John Betsch on percussion – plus a bit of vocals from Mary Driscoll. The tape of this performance that survived is a bit thin, but the magic of the music really comes through as you let your ears open up – on titles that include great versions of "Upper & Lower Egypt" and "Naima" – plus "Asagyefo", "Greetings", "Song Of The Salsa Spaceman", "Module", and "Dream Deferred". LP, Vinyl record album

Angel Bat Dawid is a completely mesmerizing artist on record, but she's even more mindblowing in a live setting – where she seems to channel the energy of the skies and the planet into her music – brimming over with righteous energy that guides the rest of the group with a hell of a lot of power! Angel plays clarinet, keyboards, and sings throughout – effortlessly shifting between those elements in a group that includes tenor, keyboards, electronics, bass, and lots of drums and percussion – bursting out with an effortless blend of larger conception and improvisation – at a level that may well have Dawid emerging as one of the few folks from Chicago that could ever hope to match the legacy of Sun Ra! That's not saying that Angel is anything like Ra at all – but in a similar way, she immediately comes across as a true visionary, a deeply spiritual talent, and an artist who's following a path that's completely her own. Features material recorded live in Chicago and Berlin – and titles include "Capetown", "Black Family", "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black", "The Wicked Shall Not Prevail", "Melo Deez From Heab'N", "VIKTORious Return", and "Enlightenment". LP, Vinyl record album

That's a cheesy 80s action shot on the cover, and the music within really carries through on that promise – from the starting cut "Black Inferno", which is a very groovy clubby sort of cut – to the more stark, keyboard-driven grooves from the brothers DeAngelis! The duo did plenty of great cop/crime work in the 70s – and hear they follow the more lean styles of their contemporaries in the early 80s – using lots of keyboards, basslines, and drum machine bits to make most of the music – kind of a John Carpenter mode, but a bit fuller and more groovy – definitely in keeping with the duo's legacy! There's two versions of "Black Inferno", one nice and long – plus 24 more instrumentals from the film. LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary drummer Tullio De Piscopo is all by himself on the cover, and that's how he sounds on the record – just playing solo, but with amazing grooves that hardly make you miss the other instruments at all! Tullio's got a long legacy in both jazz and club music – yet this set may be one of his most unique, and one of the purest demonstrations of his talents as a musician – as he manages to serve up these solo tracks that are all rhythmic and very groovy, with a melodic command of the drum kit that fills in all the other elements you might miss – on tracks that move between classic hip hop break cuts, to Brazilian-inflected groovers, to some other rhythmic masterpieces that were certainly years ahead of their time back in 1974! Titles include "Afro Cubano", "Samba Carnival", "Rocking Special", "Afro Jazz", "7/4 Rock", "Fast Afro Samba", "Drum Fantasy", "Onda Nueva 3/4", "Moderato Swing", and "Dodiciottavi". LP, Vinyl record album

Sam Dees was one of the greatest unsung talents in 70s soul music – an important writer, arranger, and general background talent who helped so many other singers hit the heights – but who hardly ever issued much work under his own name! Apart from key singles and an important album on Atlantic, the recorded legacy of Dees isn't what it should be – given his impact on music, especially deep soul – but fortunately, sets like this have come along to correct that lack! As part of Sam's creative process, he would often record songs first on his own – not as rough demo tracks, but as surprisingly well done studio versions to illustrate the material – tracks that were often better than later versions of his tunes, and most of the other commercial soul on the market. This sweet set brings together 12 of those tracks – private recordings from Sam, of songs he'd later give to singers like Loletta Holloway, Ben E King, and others – an essential record from the great Dees, pressed up on super-heavy vinyl! Titles include the previously unissued "Married But Not To Each Other" – plus "Good Guys Don't Always Win", "Who Are You Gonna Love", "Con Me", "Only Lonely People", "False Alarms", "Standing In The Wings Of A Heartache", "The World Don't Owe You Nothing", and "Black Tattler". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most beautiful record we've ever heard from bassist Dezron Douglas – an artist who hasn't given us many albums as a leader, but who always creates something special when he does! This set not only follows that legacy, but really knocks it out of the park – as there's a rich, soulful approach to the whole thing that represents a quality that we've always heard lurking in Dezron's music, but which never came through this strongly! The group is really well-matched with warm piano and Fender Rhodes from George Burton (another player we like a lot) – and these angular reed lines from Emilio Modeste, a player who can have a soulful swing at one minute, and a much freer sound the next – especially when driven on by dynamic drum work from Joe Dyson Jr – as the group effortlessly moves between spiritual/modal sounds, and more outside moments. Melvis Santa sings on one cut, "Wheeping Birch" – and other titles include "Luna Moth", "Atalaya", "Rose", "J Bird", "Octopus", "Foligno", "More Coffee Please", and "Jones Beach". LP, Vinyl record album

Earl Sweatshirt has always been at the forefront of hip hop – and here, he really continues that legacy, by also reaching backwards for the production skills of The Alchemist – whose special touch on the record really creates a whole new milieu for Earl's lyrics! There's a dreamlike quality to the record, but one that's also stripped-down enough to feel personal – a refinement of Alchemist's style, often with a great focus on just one or two instrumental elements – almost like spare spicing to really keep the vocals in the lead. Titles include "Dead Zone", "Free The Ruler", "27 Braids", "Mac Deuce", "My Brother The Wind", "100 High Street", "Sentry", "Sirius Black", "The Caliphate", and "Mancala" – the last two of which feature Vince Staples! LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool vocal group from the Brazilian scene of the 90s – a quintet who issued this album initially only on CD, but with a sound that's got a much more classic vibe than you'd expect from the date! The harmonies are great – and follow in a legacy that includes older groups like Trio Esperanca or Quarteto Em Cy – but the setting is a bit different, and borrows as much from Latin music at times as it does from Brazilian rhythms – often served up with some really bold, jazzy currents in the instrumentation that really send the whole thing over the top! Titles include "Pe No Chao", "Cristalina", "Horas", "Meu Lugar", "Rio Seco", "Ave No Ninho", "Sertao Mar", "Esse Amor", and "Pai Do Criacao". LP, Vinyl record album

Kahil El'Zabar reinvigorated his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble a few years back, and the results have been a really stunning reworking of his legacy on the Chicago scene in the 80s – especially on the great run of albums on the Spiritmuse label! All the rhythmic, hypnotic qualities of Kahil's past music informs these sounds – but there's also maybe more majesty and more spiritual power overall – as El'Zabar's work on a variety of percussion instruments is matched with bold baritone work from Alex Harding, and tremendous trumpet from Corey Wilkes! Kahil's vocals are also fantastic – an element that he never used this strongly in the past, and which open up a lost possible career as a soul singer from the more righteous side of the spectrum. The set also features work from James Sanders on violin and viola, and Ishmael Ali on cello – both musicians who add to the majesty of the music – on titles that include "Burundi", "All Blues", "Can You Find A Place", "Great Black Music", "Open Me", "Kari", "Return Of The Lost Tribe", and "Passion Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Fusion Affair are a group who definitely take their name seriously – as the album's got a mix of keyboards and other electric instrumentation that really lives up to the legacy of jazz fusion – yet also has a way of coming across here with a nicely contemporary vibe! The group's inspirations are as much 80s as they are 70s – yet they've also got more of a 21st Century sense of rhythms, which means that some of the best cuts almost have a contemporary clubby sort of groove. Mathieu Guillot handles Fender Rhodes and a range of other keyboards on the set – in a lineup that also includes guitar, bass, drums, percussion, and additional keys – on the tracks "Venom", "Bounce", "Missing Cat", "Bougie Noire", "Dasha", and "Fruits Rouges". LP, Vinyl record album

Bebel Gilberto's really grown a lot over the years – and here, she emerges strongly as a fully-formed artist with a voice that's all her own – and a style that doesn't need to rest on the laurels of her famous family legacy! The album's easily one of the most interesting we've ever heard from Bebel – and it's got this slight spiritual undercurrent that's a real change from just bossa modes – a richer, deeper sound that almost shows echoes of some of the more compelling jazz talents in recent years, yet while still balancing out just the right sort of lovely sound for the vocals! Bass is more pronounced than before – often acoustic, but with a rollingly deep quality – on performances by both Kassin and Liminha – and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson brings in some sweet strings at points, but in a very gentle, subtle way. Seu Jorge joins Bebel on the track "Novas Ideais" – and other titles include "Tout Est Bleu", "Tom De Voz", "Nada Nao", "Somwhere Else", "Lonely In My Heart", "Areia", and "Saudade Vem Correndo". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most righteous music we've ever heard from keyboardist Robert Glasper – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given his legacy of albums over the years! This project feels different than the previous Black Radio releases by Glasper – different than his initial blending of jazz modes and contemporary soul – and maybe more strongly driven by mission and purpose, with a quality that really comes through right from the very first note! Glasper's piano and keyboards still have that strong sense of shape we love so much – but they're maybe more heady and serious, and really set a fantastic tone for the album's many contributions from important voices like Esperanza Spaulding, BJ The Chicago Kid, Amir Sulaiman, Lalah Hathaway, Common, Posdnuos, Q Tip, Gregory Porter, Ledisi, HER, and others – a lineup who really elevate the already-sublime tone of the record. We've always found inspiration in the music of Robert Glasper – but it's also an amazing thing to see him rise to an almost statesman-like position with a project like this – on titles that include "Black Superhero", "Shine", "Why We Speak", "Better Than I Imagined", "Everybody Love", "It Don't Matter", "Heaven's Here", "Forever", and a surprisingly strong cover of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful album of obscure jazz recordings from the Chicago scene of the 70s – way more than just the usual school band record, as the tracks here are mostly originals, and performed by a very inventive group of musicians! Governor's State University was a very hip place at the time – a public college at the end of the main train line running through the south side of Chicago – which made the school a place of great opportunity and expression for the city's African-American community. Rather than a junior college, GSU had higher levels of learning – and had an especially strong jazz program, as you'll hear in this set – which features both sextet performances and work by a larger ensemble – both imbued with some of the best creative legacy of the Chicago scene. Things never go far outside, but there's definitely a deeper understanding of musical reaches taking place here – and the core quartet features Walter Henderson on cornet, John Pate on piano, Eugene Vineyard on tenor, Ronald Askew on guitar, Jeff Simon on bass, and Curtis Prince on drums. These players are in the larger group – which also features William Howell and Gerald Myrow on trombones, Vincent Carter and Steele Seales on saxes, and Kenneth Brass and Melvin Williams on trumpets. Titles include "Crabmeat", "Song For Suzanne", "Keishaz", "Give It One", "Listen Here", and "Spanish Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the first vocal album we've heard on London's Jazz Refreshed label, but one that really lives up to the high quality of the imprint's legacy of well-chosen music! Sofia Grant's got this style that warmly wraps around the jazzier backings of the music – relatively lean on most numbers, in a way that seems to have Grant pushing the more soulful qualities of her voice with these really nice inflections – not like standard jazz vocals, but also not commercial either, given that the presentation of the album is relatively laidback and easygoing. Sofia handled production and arrangements herself – and the set features guest trumpet from Poppy Daniels and flute from Sarah Wackett – on titles that include "Walk On Water", "Extinction", "Circular Motion", "Ochre", and "Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued live material from one of our favorite jazz musicians of all time – the mighty Billy Harper, a tenor saxophonist who took the initial legacy of John Coltrane, then really ran with it in the 70s! The album is stunning right from the very first note – a perfect encapsulation of the way that Harper worked at his best – balancing order and chaos, dark and light, all with a searing, searching style that was brimming over with a sense of righteous mission! The group features the tremendous Virgil Jones on trumpet – making a really spectacular appearance, and showing the hippest side of his talents – next to Joe Bonner on piano, David Friesen on bass, and Malcolm Pinson on drums – an unusual group for Harper, and one that really makes the album stand out from his other gems of the 70s. The set was recorded live at the jazz festival in Antibes in 1975 – and each side of the record features an extended performance of a key Harper tune – the soaring "Cry Of Hunger", and the pulsating rhythmic tune "Croquet Ballet", which was first debuted on Lee Morgan's last session. LP, Vinyl record album

John Hicks works in some really wonderful company here – a trio with bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Idris Muhammad – both of whom really add a lot to the date! We're always big fans of Lundy's sound on bass – and his approach here has the same warm-rolling quality you'd find in his own best 80s work – really helping to push Hicks' lyrical agenda on the piano with a rhythmic support that's tremendous. Muhammad's pretty great too – definitely on the understated side of his talents, that nicely subtle sound he developed in the 80s – and Hicks, as always, is more than a cut above most of his contemporaries, and continues a long legacy of extremely soulful work on the keys of the piano. Titles include "Pas De Trois", "Hold It Down", "Airegin", "Coral Keys", "Ted's Delight", and "Blue In Green". LP, Vinyl record album

Illa J seems ready to live up to his long legacy on the Detroit scene here – almost with a vibe that has him refining his sound even more than before, while also opening the door to some of the younger talents on the scene as well! We love the crisply cosmic energy of some of the beats – that way that post-techno roots, Detroit artists have of letting some of that earlier electronic magic flow through their music, but in a very subtle way – qualities that are also augmented by some of the guests on the set too! Tracks have features from Amp Fiddler, Dank, Kid Gotti, Frank Nitt, Maine Soul, SAM, Harleighblu, and others – and titles include "Doin It", "No Traffic", "Off The Tap", "Relapse", "Not Ever", "Shine Your Light", "Snaps", "Boom Bap", "Funny", "Showin Love", "OG Funk", "Good Life", "Plaques", and "Star Struck". LP, Vinyl record album

The original mix of Ruff Draft from J Dilla – a set cut back when he was still going by the name of Jay Dee, as one of the most powerful voices to emerge from the new scene in Detroit – working here alone in the studio, and with a raw power that's really wonderful! The record is supposedly music that Dilla originally made for himself, and which saw an initial limited release – but which, thanks to various reissues and variations, has gone on to become a key part of his too-short musical legacy. Tracks include "Reckless Driving", "Nothing Like This", "Let's Take It Back", "Crushin", "The $", and "Make Em NV" – plus some key interlude tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

A further fantastic pairing of drummer Karriem Riggins and production genius Madlib – a set that really seems to open up the flow of both musicians, with a vibe that's deeper, richer, and more sophisticated than most they've given us in the past – quite a claim, considering the great legacy involved! The record's a great illustration of the way that jazz-meets-hip hop sets have evolved since the earliest days of experiments on Stones Throw and other labels – handled with a real love and understanding of jazz deepened by Madlib's years of creating amazing sounds – and served with a continued crisp crackle from Riggins' inventive work on drums! Titles include "Massamba Afundance", "The Clappers Cousin", "Anointed Soul", "All Things", "Otis' Tambourine", and "JMU's Voyage". LP, Vinyl record album

The lost legacy of a Twin Cities group who gave the world two great singles back in the day – but also left behind a lot of other excellent material that never saw the light of day! Joker's Wild sound a lot like you might guess from their look on the cover – psychedelic, but down to earth too – that smaller city vibe from a point when garage rock groups were learning how to really play their instruments, write great songs, and expand their sound with a better understanding of the studio – all of which really marks the work on this set! The lineup is lean, and the sound is nice and raw throughout, but surprisingly tuneful too, thanks to strong production – and titles include rare singles "All I See Is You" and "Echo" – plus "Copper Penny", "Good Time", "Hard Road", "I See You", "Stranger", "Witch", "That Man's Not You", "River", "Dissatisfied", "American Dream", "Peace Man", "Park Music", and "Have You Ever Loved Somebody". LP, Vinyl record album

The stunning debut as a solo act for Durand Jones – a set that's even deeper and more powerful than his work with The Indications, at a level that shows that Jones is a soul singer with a hell of a lot of potential, and not just another voice working in a funk band! There's plenty of deep soul styles going on here – tunes that are more laidback and slow-stepping than before, so that Jones can really unfurl his vocal majesty, and create a sound that provides a fresh new chapter in the legacy of southern soul – not a retro rehash of modes from Stax or Atlantic, but a real 21st Century take on the territory! Titles include "See It Through", "I Want You", "Lord Have Mercy", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Letter To My 17 Year Old Self", "Sadie", "Wait Til I Get Over", "Gerri Marie", and "That Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that really helped push guitarist Ronny Jordan over the top – a set that took that sharp, clean sound that made him the 90s heir to the funky Grant Green sound – and updated it nicely with some help from DJ Krush! The record is one of the most successful blends of jazz and hip hop from the time – one of the few that really gets things right, and which knows when to lean into soul as well – and is maybe a key part of an early legacy that would later flourish in Blue Note projects from artists like Madlib and Robert Glasper! Titles include the killer "The Jackal (the illest mix)", which has Dana Bryant delivering a very hip spoken part – plus "S**t Goes Down (but I phunked up mix)", "Love I Never Had It So Good", "Season For Change (dawn of the season mix)", "Bad Brother (how ya like my wheel mix)", and a great remake of "So What (tuff n smooth mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those classic late 90s hip hop albums that initially got lost in the shuffle of record label politics and other issues – finally out for the rest of the world in the following century! The record's from a time when King Tee was allied strongly with Dr Dre – who produces part of the set, and also makes an appearance alongside other Cali all-stars – like MC Ren, DJ Quik, and Too $hort – royalty, for sure – but don't forget that King Tee was also on the scene pretty early himself! And while there were some issues that may have held the record back, the set's still a key part of that legacy that Tee brought to the west – with titles that include "Speak On It", "Stay Down", "Skweez Ya Ballz", "Monay", "Da'kron", "Big Boys", "Let's Make AV", "Tha Game", "Reel Raw", "2Gs from Compton", "Shake Da Pot", "Nna Moenin", "Step On By", "Big Ballin", "The Original", "Nuthin Has Changed", and "Where's T". LP, Vinyl record album

A heady set from these two longtime funk legends – Eric Krasno on guitar and Stanton Moore on drums – working in a tight trio that also features Eric Finland on Hammond, Wurlitzer, and Mellotron – all in a sharply soulful groove that definitely lives up to the legacy of both players! Krasno has a nicely sharp edge at times, which really rings out wonderfully in the lean setting – and although the trio get a few guest visits from Cory Henry, Branford Marsalis, and Robert Randolph, we like them best on their own. Titles include "Stay High", "Lost Cause", "Fever", "Nobody's Baby", "Carried Away", "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free", and "A Natural Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Edmondy Krater – an artist whose revival is long overdue! Krater's roots are in Guadeloupe, but he works here in a great fusion of original styles and jazzier elements – the best spirit of the Parisian scene's long legacy of opening new musical doors, supported strongly by the work of the Heavenly Sweetness label in recent years! Krater plays trumpet, but also sings – and the combo has a warmly jazzy vibe – lots of great keyboards next to acoustic percussion – all bubbling over with a great sense of spirit and collaboration. Titles include "Metew Byen", "Kontak", "Fo Kontinye Goume", "J'Ai Traverse La Mer", "Se Tan Nou", and "Yo Vini Pou Danse". LP, Vinyl record album

The best album in years from Seun Kuti – recorded live in the studio, with no overdubs at all – in a way that really lives up to the best sound of his legacy in music! Tracks are all nice and long, and as spontaneous as they are hard-grooving – a perfect update of older Afro Funk modes from the 70s, refitted with newer ideas and an important sense of message in the music – one that comes through not just in the lyrics and the instrumentation, but also in the overall collaborative cohesion of the group in this setting! All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Struggle Sounds", "Bad Man Lighter", "Black Times", and "Theory Of Goat & Yam". LP, Vinyl record album

Music of a very different style than some of Laraaji's other work – more tuneful and song-based – with shorter tracks that show a whole different side of his talents! Laraaji's gotten great acclaim for his homespun spiritual sounds – long tracks that first found a home in Brian Eno's Ambient series, then came out on a variety of self-released records, and have even seen a big new revival in recent years. But the music here is a mixture of echoey vocals and rhythm patterns – songs that almost feel like special prayers of motivation and uplift – a karmic legacy stripped down more for an 80s generation, but still filled with a rich amount of spirit! The man's a surprisingly strong singer, with a trippy quality that really fits his lyrics – and almost gives some of the songs a late 60s sort of LA underground vibe. Titles include "Is This Clear", "Hare Jaya Jaya Rama", "Great Bells", "Laws Of Manifestation", "Cosmic Joe", "We Shall Be Lifted", and "I Can Only Bliss Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the strongest creative statement to date from tenorist James Brandon Lewis – an album of work inspired by the legacy of George Washington Carver – served up here with a sense of depth that's certain to open even more doors for Lewis in years to come! There's a majesty to the music that's apparent in the very first notes, and which keeps on coming as each song unfurls – that search for truth talked about in Carver's writings, quested here with a quintet that includes William Parker on bass, Chad Taylor on drums, Kirk Knuffke on cornet, and Chris Hoffman on cello! The energy of Parker and Taylor is sublime – and makes for a setting that's different than other recent records we've heard from Knuffke, who also seems to draw new currents of sonic inspiration from the gentle but powerful use of the cello. The tenor has a raw, sharp edge throughout – a personality that would be striking, even without the beautiful setting of Lewis' original material – and titles include "Lowlands Of Sorrow", "Jesup Wagon", "Experiment Station", "Fallen Flowers", "Seer", and "Arachis". LP, Vinyl record album

A really sprightly piano set from Kirk Lightsey – one that's maybe got even more kick than some of his classic work from years back! The pianist works here with Steve Watts on bass and Dave Wickins on drums and percussion – and the tunes are all nice and long, and really stretch out with plenty of space that lets Kirk show off that special side of his style – his way of being both warmly lyrical and more soulfully introspective at the same time, with a sense of color and phrasing that really leaves us breathless throughout! The set features some guest work from Lee Goodall on soprano and flute – and titles include "Golden Legacy", "Punjab", "Estate", "Escapade", "Fresh Air", and "Vappallia". LP, Vinyl record album

Damon Locks and Rob Mazurek are no musical strangers to each other – their paths have crossed often on the Chicago and global scenes over many years of creative activity. Yet this project is also the first they've co-led, and it's an incredible document of how much both artists have grown in recent years – especially when they let their talents flow together on a project like this! At some level, the core of the work is the voice that both artists have discovered – Locks, his own more focused message and ability to find other voices to sample in with his own – Mazurek, a way of using his own voice more directly, in addition to his well-known work on trumpets and electronics. Both Rob and Damon are in the forefront here, criss-crossing electric and acoustic elements with voices live and sampled – mixed with guest voices from others, in a swirlingly creative project that not only lives up to the current legacy of International Anthem and the Chicago scene, but also advances it a few notches too. Titles include "Breeze Of Time", "New Future", "Yes", "The Sun Returns", "Future City", "Las Ninas Estan Escuchando", "Support The Youth", "10 Mins Past The Hour", and "Polaris Radio". LP, Vinyl record album

The rich 70s legacy of the Lovelites – a Chicago trio who first sprang onto the soul with some wonderfully fragile work when they were young, and who continued to record some really great music – even though they never fully got their due at the time! The music here was all done after the girls got their one shot at an LP on the Uni label – and the set features rare work for a variety of different labels, all issued only as 7" singles – plus a few tracks that were never released at the time. All the strength of their early vocals is still in place here, but guided by a sense of maturity that makes the music even more powerful – and which seems to indicate that the trio have already lived a lot of life in the time since their first records – all of which they bring to play in the music. Most tracks have a groovy vibe – midtempo and mellow, but with a gentle groove too – one that brings out the best in lead singer Patti Hamilton, in a set of 16 tracks that includes "My Conscience", "Love So Strong", "Got To Be There", "Oh What A Day", "Get It Off My Conscience", "My Baby Loves Me", "Bumpy Road Ahead", "Man In My Life", "Love Is Pretty", "I'm The One You Need", "Come & Get It", and "Cravin For Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A really revolutionary album – both at the time it was released, and all these many years later! In a surprising nod to the younger generation, Blue Note opened the door to Madlib – already making a name with his array of great projects at the start of the century – an early part of his legacy of bringing in lots of jazz energy to hip hop production! The album wasn't the first effort of this nature, but certainly set a new standard – one that so many others have tried to match over the years, but never got this right. The set's got a fair bit of live jazz work – in the mode of Madlib's Yesterdays New Quintet project – mixed with all sorts of cool production elements too. We love the vibes of Ahmad Miller especially in the lineup – and titles include reworks of "Montara", "Song For My Father", "Footprints", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Peace/Dolphin Dance", "Stormy", "Distant Land", and "Slim's Return" – plus the original "Funky Blue Note". LP, Vinyl record album

The very obscure third volume in the legendary Racional series from Brazilian soul legend Tim Maia – and like the other two, a record that really furthers the rich legacy of music he'd begun at the start of the 70s! There's a very righteous vibe going on here – music that soars for the skies in concept and execution – song mostly in Portuguese, but with a global sense of soul throughout – from the richness of the backings, to the majesty of Tim's vocals – which are some of the greatest on the Brazilian scene of the time. Even the mellower numbers are great – the kind of slinky soul numbers that you'd find balancing out the funky nuggets on a rare groove gem from the US – titles that include "Que Legal", "Nacao Cosmica", "I Am Rational", "E Prciso Ler E Reler", "Lendo O Livro", and "O Supermundo Racional". LP, Vinyl record album

A set with a large date range in the title, but one that actually just features work from two different albums, each recorded seven years apart – one in Nigeria, the other cooked up in San Francisco – both working together here as the fantastic but too-small 80s legacy of Ayo Manuel Ajisebutu! There's plenty of 80s groove in the music, often a lean approach that's heavy on basslines and keyboards, but warmed up with elements that nod back to older Nigerian funk modes, with a more contemporary vibe – yet one that's also not trying for the thinner or more commercial styles that sometimes marked the growth of world music at the time. Side one features titles from the Love Candidate album – including the instrumental "Song Of Love", plus "Fun Time" and "Don't Stop" – and side two features work from the Party Zone album, including "Sojourn", "Gboro Mi Ro", and "Do Good". LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from Ramuntcho Matta – a French artist with a long legacy of creative activity, heard here on a set of tracks that mix arty inclinations with some very cool new wave elements! The music is maybe a bit like some of the more experimental creations from the New York downtown scene of the early 80s – especially those recordings by artists who can work in more conventional modes, but are willing to be a bit more creative, especially when it comes to using new technologies to express themselves. Matta handles a range of guitars, organ, piano, bass, and all sorts of tapes and effects – with guest percussion on many tracks, and vocals from singer Elli Medeiros on two of the tracks. Titles include "Hop Hop", "Zoique 2", "Assemblage", "Jeunes Et Vielles", "Opi", "Gesti", "Irimi Nage", "Wallaroo", "All Those Years", and "Harpie". LP features the bonus unissued instrumental of "Une A Une". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget The Stooges, forget Alice Cooper, forget the White Stripes, and maybe even forget Funkadelic – because this landmark album is one that really put the ferocity of the Detroit scene on the map – rising up the city's legacy of raw sounds next to their better-known soul and pop of the 60s – and forever putting MC5 on the great rock and roll map! The group had been honing their craft in the city for a few years before this set – and it was the genius of Elektra Records to capture them live at the city's Grande Ballroom, and not in the studio – which is part of the intensity of the record's charm, especially on the sometimes-edited bit of profanity. Titles include the seminal "Kick Out The Jams", plus "Come Together", "Rocket Reducer No 62", "Borderline", "Motor City Is Burning", "I Want You Right Now", and "Starship". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever solo album from Doug McCombs – the well-known bassist with a huge legacy that includes work in Eleventh Dream Day and Tortoise – finally getting a chance to shine in the spotlight on his own! The vibe here is more like Doug's work in Brokeback, but even more open and improvised – as McCombs plays guitar and bass on the record, on long tracks that feature some guest instrumentation at points – electronics from Sam Prekop and drums from John Convertino on "Two To Coolness" – and drums and keyboards from James Elkington on "To Whose Falls Shallows". The album's remaining long song, "Green Crown's Step", is solo McCombs. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most majestic album that Makaya McCraven has recorded to date – and that's really saying a lot, given the power of his music on previous records! This time around, the group is large, and the performance is more organic than some of the more mixed/produced sessions that Makaya has given us – and great as those records have been, there's a sense of power here that really places McCraven strongly in the Chicago legacy of the 20th Century – a jazz spectrum that includes Eddie Harris, Ramsey Lewis, Charles Stepney, the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and so many other musical giants! The mix of instrumentation is almost like some Chess/Cadet session from the end of the 60s – but Makaya still adds in some samples and electronics next to his acoustic work on percussion, drums, and a variety of other instruments – next to Jeff Parker on guitar, Brandee Younger on harp, Joel Ross on vibes, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and Junius Paul on bass – all tremendous players and strong leaders in their own right – working here to make a special sort of magic with McCraven. There's other voices on the set too – more violins, cello, alto, tenor, piano, and other sounds – on titles that include "So Ubuji", "Seventh String", "This Place That Place", "The Fours", "Dream Another", "High Fives", "The Knew Untitled", and "In These Times". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of spiritual sounds from Japanese drummer Takahashi Miyasaka – one of those sublime 70s records that really carries the Coltrane legacy forward, and finds a whole new channel of inspiration in the universe! The group is led by Miyasaka, but features fantastic horn work from Koichi Matsukaze on alto and tenor, Genji Sawai on soprano and alto, and Hiroshi Itaya on trombone – the last of whom has a wonderfully distinct voice, with these crisp, concise notes that really make the record shine! Pianist Hiromachi Tsugaki is wonderful too – a player we don't know at all, but who ranks right up there with the best Japanese pianists of the decade – and bassist Kagehiro Ohba has a spacious stepping sound that really keeps things in line. All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Dog's Dance", "Pecker's Blues", "Ballad For Mammoth", and "Animals Garden". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue full length album from The Mojo Men – one that's comprised of rare singles and early demo cuts by the group – a killer act on the San Francisco scene who followed the same Beau Brummels path from Autumn Records to Warner Brothers! The music definitely echoes some of that legacy, but also has a vibe that's very much its own – psychedelic garage at times, and delivered in a way that's nicely lean, and unadorned by the kind of larger production that another label might have used to either muddle or ruin their sound. The lean brilliance is right up there with some heady Cali favorites that were issued by Warner and Reprise at the time – and had the label had the smarts, this record would have been another classic catalog release from those glory days! Titles include "Watch You Walk Away", "Sure Of Your Love", "When You're Down", "I Wish Today Was Yesterday", "Take Me Away", "Unaware Of Me", "Candy", and "It's Okay". LP, Vinyl record album

Moor Mother continues to blend genres and come up with one that's all her own – a unique space between soul and poetry, music and message, all with a vibe that's unlike anything else we can think of! This set may be Moor Mother's heaviest to date – an unflinching examination of colonization, slavery, and their legacy on the human condition – served up in darkly textured soundscapes, layered voices, and instrumentation that goes beyond recognition – with key guest work from Lonnie Holley, Kyle Kidd, and Alya Al-Sultani. Titles include "All The Money", "Guilty", "Liverpool Wins", "Spem In Alium", "South Sea", "Compensated Emancipation", and "Death By Longitude". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! LP, Vinyl record album

The title's not right – as there's plenty of soul and plenty of blues throughout – just the sort of thing we'd expect from Stan Mosley's long legacy of indie recordings from the contemporary underground! We first started hearing Stan's music on the Malaco label at the end of the 90s – a great continuation of that company's way of keeping southern soul alive by mixing it with a bit of blues – a quality that definitely comes through on some of these cuts, with a bit of blues guitar solo in the lineup – while Stan soars out as more of a deep soul singer on others! The vocals are wonderful throughout – nicely unbridled, and very much up to Mosley's legacy – on titles that include "You Need Love", "Blues Man", "I Can't Get Next To You", "This Train", "Losing Hand", "Stomp", "Right Next Door", and "I'm Back To Collect". LP, Vinyl record album

A gentler set than some of David Murray's other US dates from the time – but in a really great way that nicely gets at the more sensitive side of his work on tenor and bass clarinet! There's a bit of a hardbop groove to the album, but also a bit more freedom too – a style that never goes that far out, but which reminds us through subtle cues that most of these players have a longer legacy in more avant-oriented work. The group features Dave Burrell on piano, Wilbur Morris on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – and Burrell especially echoes a range of influences here – almost pulling from older eras of jazz in the way that Jaki Byard used to – an approach that's often echoed by Murray in his horn. Titles include "Valley Talk", "Chazz", "As I Woke", "Abel's Blissed Out Blues", "Sharing", and "As I Woke". LP, Vinyl record album

Meshell Ndegeocello just seems to grow more and more with each new record – quite a feat, given how unique she was at the start! Yet this record clearly marks a new chapter in her wonderful legacy – effortlessly weaving together soul, funk, and plenty of jazzy inspiration – all with an approach that's complex, but with a very down to earth appeal – and served up with all sorts of great guests on the sessions – including Brandee Younger on harp, Joel Ross on vibes, Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet, and Jeff Parker on guitar! Yet it's Meshell who's clearly the leader, the visionary, and the artist who's never content to stay in one lane – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Clear Water", "ASR", "Good Good", "Omnipuss", "An Invitation", "Call The Tune", "Georgia Ave", "Virgo", "Perceptions", "Towers", and "Tha King". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer second album from the McNeal & Niles duo who gave us the legendary Thrust album – a record that's a lot less-known than that underground classic, and which almost has the group soaring in an even more fully-formed mode overall! There's definitely plenty of Ohio funk elements in the mix here – that special legacy the late 70s scene picked up from the influence of George Clinton and his P-Funk empire – but tuned towards some jazzier modes at times, especially given that the record has all this nice work on tenor from Bob Fried! The set's still got all the great keyboard work of before, but also adds in some wickedly sharp basslines, and even some occasional vocals one one track – the mighty "Survival Of The Fittest", next to other cuts that include "Electric Earth", "Parrot City", "Hang Ten", "First Time Home", and "Sevens Up". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge recorded legacy of this underground Chicago group – a set that features their full three albums, lots of other material, and a huge booklet of notes – at a level that's even heftier than some of their other packages! The set features the full albums Panda Park, To Everybody, and Critical Band – plus a full album of unissued Peel Session material, and another full album of singles, EP material, and outtakes – all accompanied by a 68 page book that features interview material, lots of images, and plenty more! LP, Vinyl record album

We've been following the music of Carlos Nino for many years, and during that time he's never failed to take us on an amazing journey – yet despite that legacy, this set may well be his most visionary record in years – a tremendous summation of ideas that have been brimming around the edges of some of his more subtle projects, really given focus, and set off into some great new directions! Make no mistake, this is no all-out jamming session – Carlos is hardly "on fire" – yet his creativity burns with a new sensibility that's wonderful, as he opens the door for a lineup of guests that includes heavyweights like Kamasi Washington, Jamael Dean, Andre 3000, and Laraaji – while still acting very strongly as the spiritual leader of the whole proceedings! The music is seeded with wisdom and knowlege throughout – and titles include "One For Derf", "Woo Acknowledgement", "Spacial", "Am I Dreaming", "Mighty Stillness", "Flutestargate", and "Maha Rose North". LP, Vinyl record album

We've been following the music of Carlos Nino for many years, and during that time he's never failed to take us on an amazing journey – yet despite that legacy, this set may well be his most visionary record in years – a tremendous summation of ideas that have been brimming around the edges of some of his more subtle projects, really given focus, and set off into some great new directions! Make no mistake, this is no all-out jamming session – Carlos is hardly "on fire" – yet his creativity burns with a new sensibility that's wonderful, as he opens the door for a lineup of guests that includes heavyweights like Kamasi Washington, Jamael Dean, Andre 3000, and Laraaji – while still acting very strongly as the spiritual leader of the whole proceedings! The music is seeded with wisdom and knowlege throughout – and titles include "One For Derf", "Woo Acknowledgement", "Spacial", "Am I Dreaming", "Mighty Stillness", "Flutestargate", and "Maha Rose North". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at Motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

Grooves unlike anything else you've ever heard before – the rightly legendary musical legacy of William Onyeabor, one of the most enigmatic talents to come from the African scene of the 70s! The work here is all plenty darn funky, but it's also very different from familiar Afro Funk too – as the instrumentation is heavy on keyboards, handled by William with incredible dexterity – and spun out in these soaring lines that bristle with righteous touches that really support the message of his tunes! The vibe mixes in some electro elements with long-drawn rhythms – and the vocals often step aside for lots of keyboard and rhythm interplay, then come in to send things home at just the right moment. Onyeabor's been a pretty elusive cat over the years, and it's taken Luaka Bop quite some time to put this collection together – amazing work that may well make the album one of the most important to ever come from the label – and the first introduction to the non-African world of Onyeabor's incredible sounds. Titles include "Body & Soul", "Atomic Bomb", "Something You'll Never Forget", "Why Go To War", "Love Is Blind", "Fantastic Man", and "Let's Fall In Love". 3LP set features four bonus tracks not on the CD! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic full length set from Verve Records – one of those key late 50s albums that helped piece together the scattered legacy of Charlie Parker for the label! This set has a focus on small combo work from Bird – all quartet sessions, captured by Verve with a crispness that really shows his maturing early 50s style at its best, and with a few alternates of some tracks, which also illustrate that way that Parker could effortlessly change a solo from recording to recording! The group features Al Haig on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Max Roach on drums – and titles include "Kim", "Cosmic Rays", "Laird Baird", "Chi Chi", and "Confirmation". LP, Vinyl record album

The music of Sun Ra, taken into very different territory – every bit as cosmic as before, but maybe also a bit more down to earth in its presentation! Sun Ra classics are reworked here by a mix of different Brazilian musicians, with contributions from a few key American artists who really enrich the soulful qualities of the proceedings – with results that are tremendous, and which make the record one of the real standout projects in the long legacy of Red Hot recordings! The sounds here are all original, created for the project – and the Brazilian artists include some of our favorite underground talents of the past decade, mixed with a few who are more well-established, yet still very much on the left side of the spectrum! Titles include "Astroblack Orunmila" with Jazzmeia Horn & Orquestra Afrosinfonica, "Interstellar Low Ways" with Hamilton De Holanda Trio, "When There Is No Sun (Intergalactic version)" with Xenia Franca & Tigana Santana, "Eu Sou Um Instrumento" with Fabricio Boliveira & Jazzmeia Horn, "O Codigo" with Fabricio Boliveira & Edbrass Brasil, "Nature's God" with Meshell Ndegeocello & Munir Hossn, and "Nine Rocket For The Planet" with Meta Meta & Edgar. LP, Vinyl record album

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

A wonderful double-length set – one that brings together the lost legacy of work from singer Norris Reid on the Kingston scene – tracks that were only issued as rare 7" singles, in the years before Reid packed up and left Jamaica for Pittsburgh, and stopped recording gems like this! The work here is wonderful – with Norris continuing a classic roots style well into the 80s, with work from a variety of key producers and hip backings throughout – including some great work from Augustus Pablo, who really took Norris under his wing and helped give him the righteous setting he deserved! The whole thing's great – and titles include "Poverty", "When You A Knotts", "Rise In The Strength Of Jah", "Those Tears", "Knowledge Of Now", "Feel No Pain", "Shaddai Children", "Give Jah The Praises", and "Black Forces". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful debut from Pedro Ricardo – an artist with a name that sounds like a contemporary of the MPB scene in 70s Brazil – and one who works here with a rock-solid sound that might easily place him in that legacy! Pedro's music is definitely contemporary, and he's Portuguese, not Brazilian – but shares the same language, and the same sort of temporal spanning of some of our current favorites from the Brazilian underground – effortlessly blending elements of jazz and more rootsy expressions, sometimes with modern inflections, sometimes a lot more earthy overall! There's plenty of wonderfulness happening here – a truly individual statement from an artist we'll be keeping our ears on for years to come – on titles that include "Soprem Bons Ventos", "Entre O Vale E O Eco", "Tema 2", "Deheba", "Ode Ao Gato", "A Marcha Que O Monte Parou", and "Cantar Das Kandakinhas". LP, Vinyl record album