The dawn of the 90s debut of the Black Crowes! This is a record that really stood out at the time, a strange period in mainstream rock between the hard rock/hair metal of the late 80s and the moodier alternative rock to come – and here was the Crowes, carrying a torch for the old school swagger of the Rolling Stones and especially the Faces – and doing a pretty damn convincing job! Includes "Twice As Hard", "Jealous Again", "She Talks To Angels", "Struttin' Blues", "Stare It Cold", "Hard To Handle" and more. CD

The album may not have been much of a Money Maker for Studio One Records – given that it's one of the rarest in their catalog – but it stands as a key illustration of the label's genius, and just how far away they were from most of their contemporaries! The set's a bit of a split effort in the studio – mostly tracks credited to the duo of Im & David, who are Cedric Im Brooks and David Madden – plus a few others handled by keyboardist Jackie Mittoo, and a few by others thrown in for good measure! Yet as on most indie reggae efforts of the time, there's a very unified vibe to the whole thing – especially as the album's a mostly instrumental outing, and most likely features the same players working together on different tracks – contributions from Sound Dimension, Soul Vendors, and Soul Brothers – plus some sweet guitar from Ernest Ranglin. Titles include "Money Maker", "Black Is Black", "Soul Brother", "Soul Walk", and "Candid Eye" by Im & David; "Stormy Night", "Mixing", and "Feel It" by Jackie Mittoo; "Black Man's Train" by Lloyd Williams; and "Great Gu Gu Mu Ga" by The Boss. CD

A fantastically beautiful record that stands as the first meeting between Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land – an album that's possibly even better than the more famous Blue Note work by the pair! This is one of those "once in a lifetime" jazz sessions – filled with magical interplay that's made the record a favorite with collectors for years, and done with a sound that's as lyrically graceful as it is soulful and righteous! Hutcherson's vibes are at their warmest 60s mode, but still have some of the angularity of his more modern sides for Blue Note – but Land is the real discovery here – as he steps out with a fluidity that surpasses any of his earlier hardbop albums, a flowing exploratory style expressed on both flute and tenor – with a mode that's years ahead of its time, and sounds a lot more like work on labels like Strata East or Muse from the 70s. Tracks are nearly all originals by Land, and are the kind of thoughtful jazz compositions that show up on a rare few records from the 60s – all of them are great, and sparkle with creativity and a subdued sense of righteousness. The other players on the date include Joe Sample on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Donald Bailey on drums – and titles include "One For Nini", "Angel Dance", "The Peace Maker", "40 Love", "Stylin", and "The Aquarian". CD

John Zorn with The Masada String Trio & The Bar Kokhba Sextet. CD

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Right from the start, guitarist Pat Martino had a sound that was unlike anyone else – and that quality still holds strong on this overlooked later date – a Japanese session that shows that Martino was still working through a great range of new ideas in his instrument! The setting is subtle – a quartet with Marc Johnson on bass, James Ridl on piano, and Joe Bonadio on drums – but that format also gives Martino lots of room to move on his own – without any other electricity in the mix, and able to sometimes focus on single line moments that are clear and clean, sometimes play with these wider chromes that are equally stunning. The balance between Ridl's piano and Pat's guitar is really great – and titles include "The Changing Tides", "Noshufuru", "You're Welcome To A Prayer", and "Yoshiko". CD

Great mid 70s work from Jimmy Cliff – and a record from that moment when he was trying to really burst out globally, and not just as a straight reggae artist too! By that, we don't mean that Jimmy was going for anything too commercial – as he still arranged and produced the set himself, but with a really universal vibe that wraps influences from soul into a Jamaican groove – in a way that really does a great job of transcending standards, and helping Cliff find his own groove! Titles include the standout cuts "Brother" and "No 1 Rip Off Man" – plus "Long Time No See", "Look What You've Done To My Life Devil Woman" and "Money Won't Save You". CD

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Features Bishop Dready Manning, Adolphus Bell, the Glorifying Vine Sisters, Elder Anderson Johnson, Guitar Slim Stephens, and others. CD

Easily one of the most powerful albums ever cut by Don Cherry – a searing set of tracks done for Blue Note in the late 60s – and featuring some tremendous tenor work by Pharoah Sanders! There's a tightness and level of energy here that surpasses even Cherry's other excellent Blue Note sessions – a rawness that recalls the style forged often on key ESP albums of the 60s, but honed here into a slightly tighter mode. Sanders' horn is especially well-placed in the set – and pushes Cherry past the spacier notes of other recordings, in a way that unlocks fire from the years with Ornette – but which opens up into a much freer groove. The rest of the group includes Henry Grimes on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums – both a perfect match for the quartet – and titles include the 17 minute "Unite", plus "There Is A Bomb", "Awake Nu", "Taste Maker", and "The Thing". CD

One of John Hammond's albums on Atlantic – much more obscure than his work for Vanguard – produced by the man himself, with a small combo that features Willie Bridges on tenor and baritone! Titles include "Sugar Mama", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Dust My Broom", "Evil Is Goign On", "That's Alright", and "Crosscut Saw". CD

Led Zeppelin at peak power – mixing hard rock bombast with deep, genuine love for blues and folk guitars! Houses Of The Holy is the essential the blueprint for countless imitators to come – but it's also got smarts, subtleties and creative ambitious that's just plain lost on the watered wannabes that floated up in Zeppelin's wake. Titles include "The Crunge", "Over The Hills & Far Away", "The Song Remains The Same", "The Rain Song", "Dancing Days", "Dyer Maker", "No Quarter", and "The Ocean". CD

A trio of mid 80s albums from Narada Michael Walden – all together in one 2CD set! First up is Looking At You Looking At Me – an album with plenty of beats– so much so you might forget that Narada Michael Walden first rose to fame as a drummer – but all the electricity is fine with us, given the 80s groove sound of the set! There's a nice sense of energy that informs most of the tracks – a somewhat funky undercurrent that almost shows traces of the Minneapolis influence on soul at the time, but without a too-Prince sort of sound overall. There's also a few key ballads too – some gentler cuts that round out the set nicely, and which showcase the increasing confidence Walden's had with his vocals over the years. Titles include "Reach Out", "Looking At You Looking At Me", "Burning Up", "Shake It Off", "Dream Maker", and "Tina". Nature Of Things is a highly electric set from Narada Michael Walden – a mid 80s effort that's filled with catchy little tunes! The style's certainly more mainstream than we might have guessed, given Walden's early career – but it's still much better than most of the pop of its generation – thanks to Michael's strong jazz pedigree, which does seem to inform some of his arrangements and instrumental choices on the album. Most of the percussion is in the form of beats, but Walden's also credited with playing drums (roto-toms, perhaps?) – and in addition to his own lead vocals, the set also features work by Patti Austin and Marth Wash. Titles include "Live It Up", "Nature Of Things", "High Above The Clouds", "Gimme Gimme Gimme", "Suspicion", and "Dancin On Main Street". Divine Emotion is sweet 80s soul from Narada Michael Walden – a set that has the singer/drummer very confidently in the tight R&B territory that served him so well during the decade! As with previous records, there's a fair bit of 80s electronic elements in the mix – bursting, bubbling, and exploding with a joyful groove that really fits Walden's spirit – and serves to emphasize his ever-growing talent for penning at catchy tune! Titles include "Wild Thing", "Explosion", "Jam The Night", "Divine Emotions", "Can't Get You Outta My Head", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", and "Certain Kind Of Lover". 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". CD

Easily one of the most powerful albums ever cut by Don Cherry – a searing set of tracks done for Blue Note in the late 60s – and featuring some tremendous tenor work by Pharoah Sanders! There's a tightness and level of energy here that surpasses even Cherry's other excellent Blue Note sessions – a rawness that recalls the style forged often on key ESP albums of the 60s, but honed here into a slightly tighter mode. Sanders' horn is especially well-placed in the set – and pushes Cherry past the spacier notes of other recordings, in a way that unlocks fire from the years with Ornette – but which opens up into a much freer groove. The rest of the group includes Henry Grimes on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums – both a perfect match for the quartet – and titles include the 17 minute "Unite", plus "There Is A Bomb", "Awake Nu", "Taste Maker", and "The Thing". CD

Forget the reggae in the title, as the album's a Miami funk classic through and through – done with maybe a very slight nod to the sounds of Jamaica, but served up with all those great TK Records styles of the mid 70s! Percussion is string, instrumentation nicely offbeat, and larger arrangements wrap nicely around the funky grooves at the core – a mix of acoustic percussion, bubbling basslines, and choppy guitars that never fail to delight! Labelmates Chocolate Clay helped produce the set – and titles include "Music Maker", "That's What My Whole Thing Is All About", "If It's Funky, Wake Me", "Safari", "Hold Down To The Funk", and "Searching". CD

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 first and only full length from Luke Vibert's excellent drum and bas project, Plug. Tracks include "Me & Mr Jones", "Drum N Bass For Papa", "Cut", "Feelings", "I Freak Techniques", "The Life Of The Mind", "Subtle (In Your Face)", 'Delicious", "DBC" and "Maker Of All". CD

A lost bit of Sunshine pop – and one of our favorite indie sides from the late 60s! The Yellow Balloon may not have been a household name, but they've got a heck of a talent for harmonizing in the best sunny style of the time – matching The Association or The Beach Boys for sheer sweet vocal approach, and working with some nice Left Banke-ish touches that bring a baroque edge to the set. The tunes are all pretty darn catchy – sitting nicely between Pet Sounds and Pretty Ballerina for sheer charm – and although the set's an indie effort at heart, it comes across like the best from the bigger labels of the time! Titles include "Yellow Balloon", "Junk Maker Shoppe", "Springtime Girl", "Stained Glass Window", "How Can I Be Down", and "I've Got A Feeling For Love". CD

A classic album from one of the hippest groups on the UK scene of the 50s – Kenny Graham's excellent Afro-Cubists ensemble – an outfit with a sound as great as its name! There's a fair bit of percussion in the approach here – a sound that's definitely informed by the Cubop experiments of Dizzy Gillespie, Machito, and others on the US scene at the end of the 40s – and the music also features some slightly more exotic touches too, served up with an especially well-arranged approach to the horns. In addition to Graham's strong work on tenor, other players on the date include Stan Tracey on piano and vibes, Joe Hunter on trumpet, and Phil Seamen on drums – on titles that include "I'll Get By", "Olwen's Dream", "Swallowin The Blues", "Cuban Fantasy", "Rockin In Rhythm", and "Bongo Chant". CD features 4 bonus tracks – 2 from the album Tenorama, "Teddy Boy" and "Poinciana" – and 2 more from All The Winners, "Mood Indigo" and "Top Score" – played by the Melody Maker All Stars. CD

One of the best-ever Billy Harper records from the 70s – and one of the rare sessions of his that only ever came out in Japan! Billy is in incredible form throughout – and plays with a stunning sense of imagination and creativity on the 3 long tracks that make up this LP – stepping out with brilliant post-Coltrane energy that fires up his tenor, and takes him to the skies on these wonderfully long, creative solos. He's playing here with Harold Mabern on piano, Everett Hollins on trumpet, Billy Hart on drums, and Greg Maker on bass – and the session's got that warm spiritual sound that characterizes his best work – but also has a lot of hard-blowing solos with the haunting searching quality that keeps us coming back to Billy's work again and again over the years. Titles include "Loverhood", "Trying to Get Ready", and his classic, the title cut, "Soran-Bushi BH". CD

Led Zeppelin at peak power – mixing hard rock bombast with deep, genuine love for blues and folk guitars! Houses Of The Holy is the essential the blueprint for countless imitators to come – but it's also got smarts, subtleties and creative ambitious that's just plain lost on the watered wannabes that floated up in Zeppelin's wake. Titles include "The Crunge", "Over The Hills & Far Away", "The Song Remains The Same", "The Rain Song", "Dancing Days", "Dyer Maker", "No Quarter", and "The Ocean". CD

A really wonderful addition to the too-small body of work left behind by the great Albert Ayler – a set that brings together some really obscure performances done during a visit to Europe in 1966! We're not sure these have ever appeared elsewhere – at least that we can find in digging around ourselves – and the first three tracks on the set are especially nice, done for a film production in Munich, with variations on "Ghosts", "Our Prayer", and "Infinite Spirit" – all done in shortish takes that really focus on the "tune" more than longer live ones. And if you like the latter, don't worry – as there's plenty of that here too – served up on concert performances in Rotterdam and Helsinki from November of 1966 – with Ayler on tenor, Don Ayler on trumpet, Michel Samson on violin, William Folwell on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums. These live selections include "Bells/Infinite Spirit", "Prophet", "Truth Is Marching In", "Change Has Come", and "Divine Peace Maker". CD

Maybe the crowning achievement of DJ Cash Money – a sharp DJ from the early Philly scene – and a talent who was every bit as great at the time on as Jazzy Jeff on the wheels of steel! Cash is paired here with Marvelous, an MC whose sense of wit really matches the sharpness of the production on the record – and the album's a classic from a time when the indie underground was starting to burst out again with strong full length albums like this! There's plenty of deft, playful rhymes on the set – and titles include "Find An Ugly Woman", "Play It Kool", "Is It Real", "Time Is Up", "A Real Mutha For Ya", "Marvelous' Drawers", "Ugly People Be Quiet (rmx)", "Ugly People Be Quiet", "The Mighty Hard Rocker", and "The Music Maker". CD

Led Zeppelin at peak power – mixing hard rock bombast with deep, genuine love for blues and folk guitars! Houses Of The Holy is the essential the blueprint for countless imitators to come – but it's also got smarts, subtleties and creative ambitious that's just plain lost on the watered wannabes that floated up in Zeppelin's wake. Titles include "The Crunge", "Over The Hills & Far Away", "The Song Remains The Same", "The Rain Song", "Dancing Days", "Dyer Maker", "No Quarter", and "The Ocean". CD

Sublime early work from Magic Sam – an Chicago bluesman who never hit bigger fame until the last few years of his too-short career – but who's represented here with some killer sides from the legendary Cobra label! Sam's guitar playing alone is worth the price of admission – deft and sharp, with moments that really step out from some of his electric contemporaries – and his vocals have a great gritty sense of soul that really shows his ties to the west side scene of the 50s and 60s – almost with an R&B sort of inflection at times. The package brings back rare 78s with crystal-clear sound – and titles include "21 Days In Jail", "All Your Love", "Look Whatcha Done", "All Night Long", "Love Me With A Feeling", "Magic Rocker", and "Roll Your Money Maker". CD

Funky madness from the legendary Rhythm Makers – a dancefloor combo with a really incredible groove! The group has an approach that's a lot like Kool & The Gang at their best, or like some of the best mid 70s albums by the Kay Gees or Fatback – lots of bass at the bottom, very tight vamping by the band, and a wikki-wikki funky sound that's totally great! Many of the tracks on the set make good use of moog or keyboards – never too much, but just the right dose to spook things up a bit – and although many of the cuts have vocals, the overall focus is still in the instrumentation – which always comes across pretty darn great, and which is played with incredible precision throughout! The combo later morphed into GQ, but they've got a much rawer sound here – and titles include "Can You Feel It (parts 1 & 2)", "You Better Believe It", "Soul On Your Side", "Zone", "Funk N You", and "Street Dreamin". CD features an insane number of bonus tracks – 10 in all – with the unreleased cuts "Position", "Wonderful", and "Lover's Lane" – plus "Can You Feel It (orig special disco 12")", "You're Never Too Old (single)", "Prime Cut (single)", "Touch (single)", and "How Much I Love You (single)". CD

A full length Riverside album that brings together two different sessions from the 78rpm years! Side one features trombonist Jack Teagarden working with an octet that also includes Rex Stewart on cornet, Ben Webster on tenor, and Barney Bigard on clarinet – and side two features clarinet genius Pee Wee Russell working with Freddie Green on guitar, Max Kaminsky on trumpet, Al Gold on tenor, James P Johnson on piano, and Dicky Wells on trombone! CD

Count Basie and Quincy Jones were always a mighty mighty combination – and there's no finer proof of that fact than this sweet little set! Quincy had a way of swinging Basie's group even more than Neal Hefti did – really letting the piano step out front, and swinging the larger horn parts in this mode that was extremely soulful, yet never with the hoke that could sometimes mar a Basie set – a style that was very 60s groovy, and which really helped breathe new life into the Count's ensemble! The album's a killer all the way through – and the tunes are all originals – written by Quincy, and arranged especially for the set – great little numbers that include "Nasty Magus", "Dum Dum", "Boody Rumble", "Count Em", "Belly Roll", and "Lil Ol Groovemaker Basie"! CD

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Includes "Helicopter", "Bong Song", "Colored FBI Guy" and "Booze, Tobacco, Dope, Pu$$y, Cars". CD

Michael Chapman's incredible first album for Harvest – one of the best British folk rock albums of the era! At this point, Chapman was working with unique mix of acoustic folk genius and electric experimentation – and this record features some of best songs in his canon. Guests include bassist Danny Thompson of Pentangle, plus Rick Kemp, Barry Morgan and Clem Clempson. Includes "It Didn't Work", "Rainmaker", "You Say", "No One Left To Care", "Small Stones", "No Song To Sing", "One Time Thing", "Sunday Morning", "Goodbye To Monday Night", "Not So Much A Garden-More Like A Maze" and more. This CD version on Light In The Attic has 6 bonus tracks: mono versions of "Anniversary", "Among The Trees", "Sleepy", "Mozart Lives Upstairs" and "Bert Jansch Meets Frankenstein", plus "On My Way Again". CD

Four albums on 2 CDs! CD

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A bit later than some of Lowell Fulsom's funk work for Kent Records – but a set that's almost more vintage overall! The album's recorded for the short-lived Big Town imprint – a late 70s venue that took older R&B artists back to the sounds of a few decades before – never too rootsy, thanks to the style of production – but with less attempt to crossover to a contemporary audience than the artists might have used on another label. There is a fair bit of heavy guitar in the 70s – a kind of post-blues revival feel that comes on loud and clear, and which sounds especially great on the title track "Lovemaker", which almost has a funky "Tramp" groove at the bottom! Other cuts include "Bending Like A Willow Tree", "Get The Cash & Let The Credit Go", "My Mind Is Trying To Leave Me Too", "When Things Go Wrong", and "I Am Not Worried". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Price For Love" and "All I Want Is For You To Love Me". CD

Pianist Per Husby is a player with a rich, warm tone – one that really sets the stage here for some wonderfully soulful explorations by a very hip group – a combo who sound perfect when they hit a modal mode, but can also do some other wonderful things as well! Husby's piano is rich at the core, but the record is balanced with all sorts of great reed work – Knut Riisnaes on tenor, Harald Bergsen on alto and tenor, and Bjorn Johansen on soprano, tenor, and baritone – balanced nicely by the trumpet work of Bernt Anker Steen, and given a strong rhythmic pulse from Carl Morten Iversen on bass and Svein Erik Gaardvik on drums. And if you think all these Norwegian names might add up to a sleepy session, you're totally wrong – as the record is a great example of the way the better players on the European scene were absorbing American spiritual jazz experiments, then using the energy to make something new of their own. The title track "The Peacemaker" is worth the price of admission alone – and other titles include "Introduction To No Particular Song", "Smatta", "Nokve", "Fantasy In D", and "Adgang F". CD

Alexander's second outing for the Milestone label (hence the title), and a wonderful album of soulful tenor tracks that has him working in a quintet with Harold Mabern on piano and Jim Rotondi on trumpet. Mabern and Alexander have, by this time, forged quite a sympathetic relationship – and, dare we say it, their pairing here reminds us a lot of the warmly soulful styles forged by Mabern and Frank Strozier in years past. The set's sparkling with original tunes that include "The Man From Hyde Park", "Luna Naranja", and "The Second Milestone" – plus Mabern's classic "John Neely Beautiful People", and great versions of "Estate" and "Matchmaker Matchmaker". CD

A gem of a record from the mid 70s west coast scene – a really overlooked set from vocalist Laura Allen, recorded with a wonderfully breezy, soulful sound! Laura's got a voice that's perfect if you dig singers like Linda Lewis or Maria Muldaur, particularly the former – a bit jazzy at points, but usually focused straight ahead – but with a gentle flow that's completely seductive. Production is nicely laidback – never too studio slick – but the instrumentation's also nice and tight, and Laura plays some cool instruments on the record – a bit of clay drums, zither, and dulcimer – which bring in some folksy touches to her music, especially alongside some of the electricity in the keyboards and guitar. Most songs are originals by Laura – and titles include "Opening Up To You", "Sunny Day", "Stairway", "Promises", "Love Can Be", "Come As You Are", and "Hole In My Bucket". CD also features enough bonus tracks for a full extra album – including "Looking At You", "Sweet Lovemaker", "Looking For The Right One", "Slip & Slide", "Back Door", and "Radio". CD

Essential stuff! This 2 CD set includes the entirety of Albert Ayler's Live In Greenwich Village album – plus a huge amount of previously unreleased live material, played by the Ayler group in New York, during 1966 and 1967. Ayler's brother Don is on trumpet, and other players include Joel Freedman, George Steele, Bill Fowell, Beaver Harris, Sunny Murray, Alan Silva, and Henry Grimes. The tracks have the same intensity of Ayler's ESP work – and many tunes are quite long, very free and open. Titles include "Light In Darkness", "Divine Peacemaker", "Angels", "Omega Is The Alpha", "Universal Thoughts", "Change Has Come", "Infinite Spirit", and "Spiritual Rebirth". 14 tracks in all – and one of the most important slices of Ayler's career! CD

A great showcase for the alto talents of Arthur Blythe – a set that's maybe a bit more stripped-down than some of his bigger label albums of the 80s, but in a way that really lets you focus on his strength of tone and phrasing! The group's a quartet, working in an open live setting – John Hicks on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Bobby Battle on drums – and while all players certainly know how to go inside, they keep things swinging and relatively straight at the core – while Blythe waxes beautifully on the alto, with these sharp edges that mix nicely with more lyrical moments. Titles include "Jana's Delight", "JB Blues", "Lenox Avenue Breakdown", "Faceless Woman", and "Peacemaker". CD

Sure, they were hitmakers – but we love these guys, and find them to be one of the most radical vocal groups of all time! Under the impeccable guidance of Lieber & Stoller, the group recorded some of the fiercest vocal numbers of the 50s – mixing incredibly soulful vocals with an almost cartoonish ability to conjure up little pictures with words. This 50-track, 2CD set is an amazing tribute to the group's genius – and it includes a wonderful range of material that begins with their early days as The Robins, and which runs up to later sides cut as funky 45s for the Date label in the late 60s. Features the great funk numbers "Soul Pad", "DW Washburn", and "Down Home Girl" – plus totall excellent doo wop tunes like "Shoppin For Clothes", "Hitchin A Ride", "Girls Girls Girls", "The Slime", "Hongry", "Hey Sexy", "The Shadow Knows", "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass", "One Kiss", "What Is The Secret Of Your Success?", "Idol With The Golden Head", "Besame Mucho", "Stewball", "What About Us", and "Along Came Jones". Also includes the big hits – but the set goes way past that stuff too! CD

An excellent full length set of beats & genius from J Dilla – put together by fellow beatmaker extraordinaire Pete Rock, with all Dilla beats – a surprising triumph! Call us jaded, but honestly, we weren't sure how deep the well could go of ready-to-go beats from Dilla, but this stuff is truly top shelf – nearly as strong as the instant classic Donuts from a few years back! Pete Rock crafts the set as if it's a radio show or mixtape, but his skill in so doing is well above and beyond the norm – neither Pete's interjections nor the guest rappers ever get in the way of the flow, it's as smooth as can be. Vocal guests include Ma Dukes (the album was made under Ma's auspices), plus Lil Fame & MOP, Black Thought, Frank Nitty of Frank N Dank, Doom, Illa J & Cue D, Blu, and others. Titles include "King", "I Told Yall", "Smoke" feat Blu, "CaDILLAc". "Fire Wood Drumstix" feat Doom, "Big Day", "24K Rap" feat Havoc of Mobb Deep & Raekwon, "Coming Back", "Mythsysizer" and more. 28 tracks in all, about an hour of unreleased Dilla! CD

Includes the songs "Ciribiribin", "Feet Draggin' Blues", "It's Funny To Everyone But Me", "Concerto For Trumpet", "Two O'Clock Jump", "You Made Me Love You", "I'm In The Market For You", "Flight Of The Bumblebee", "My Silent Love", "Flash", "Trumpet Blues And Cantabile", "All Or Nothing At All", "Back Beat Boogie", "I Can't Begin To Tell You", "Music Makers", "I Had The Craziest Dream", "Willow Weep For Me", "I Don't Want To Walk Without You", "Cherry", "By The Sleepy Lagoon", and "I'm Beginning To See The Light". CD

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A really great later effort from Helen Merrill – one recorded in Paris at the end of the 80s with some excellent tenor sax work from Stan Getz! The mode of the record is similar to other Merrill records from the time – spare, gentle, and moody – sometimes threatening to lapse into its own blueness, but wonderfully redeemed by Stan's solo lines – which push a boldness and raspy edge into the tunes that really livens things up. The album's a great demonstration of the Getz power on a vocal session – a sound that never overtakes the presence of the singer, but really brings in something fresh – a voice of its own that helps redefine the tunes and create some of the most exciting moments on the record. Other players include Joachim Kuhn and Torrie Zito on piano, JF Jenny-Clark on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – and titles include "Music Makers", "Cavatina", "It's Not Easy Being Green", "Yesterdays", "If You Go Away", and "Just Friends". CD