A trippier set than usual from The Buckinghams – but still pretty darn nice! The group are clearly feeling the push of more psychedelic influences of their generation – and complicate their core pop sound with a fair bit of other modes here – bits of folk, roots rock, and some other more experimental styles that are perhaps the best of the lot. And they've also changed production a bit too – dropping James William Guerico for Jimmy Wiz Wisner (save for one track), and spreading out the arrangements to match the variety of styles on the set. Fortunately, the great voice of Dennis Tufano still makes even the rougher moments sound pretty sweet – and overall, there's a lot more solidity here than other filler-heavy records from the time. Titles include "Back In Love Again", "Our Wrong To Be Right", "Can't Find The Words", "Song Of The Breeze", "Simplicity", "What Is Love", "Are You There (With Another Girl)", and "The Time Of My Life". CD also features a whopping 12 bonus tracks – some stereo single versions of songs on the album, plus the tracks "It Took Forever", "You", "I Got A Feelin", and "I Just Don't Know How To Say Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from a rare Swedish film – noteworthy not just for the end result, but for the lineup of people who were part of the process! The movie itself starred rising soul star Johnny Nash – in the lead in a tale about interracial romance – and although Johnny sings on the score, his style is also quite different than his own music of the time – as his voice is set to really cool, complicated backdrops from John "Rabbit" Bundrick – who was part of a floating scene that included Nash and Bob Marley, with a better-known later stop in London. The film and music came together out of an almost communal vibe – with Bundrick's music at the core, plus some lyrics from Nash, and instrumentation from a lineup that includes Bob Marley on guitar, alongside local talents Janne Schaffer and Bjorn Linder – plus percussion from the great Reebop Kwaku Bah, who'd worked with Can and Traffic – as well as lots of Fender Rhodes and organ from Bundrick. Some tunes have a loose, percussive feel – others are more song structured with a lot of guitar – and the whole package comes with a great set of notes to tell the tale of the music and the movie. Titles on this second volume include "Mine All Mine", "Fire Sequence", "Live In The Country (inst)", "Song In Ferry Boat Sequence", "Church Tune", "Love Scene", and "Harp II". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from a rare Swedish film – noteworthy not just for the end result, but for the lineup of people who were part of the process! The movie itself starred rising soul star Johnny Nash – in the lead in a tale about interracial romance – and although Johnny sings on the score, his style is also quite different than his own music of the time – as his voice is set to really cool, complicated backdrops from John "Rabbit" Bundrick – who was part of a floating scene that included Nash and Bob Marley, with a better-known later stop in London. The film and music came together out of an almost communal vibe – with Bundrick's music at the core, plus some lyrics from Nash, and instrumentation from a lineup that includes Bob Marley on guitar, alongside local talents Janne Schaffer and Bjorn Linder – plus percussion from the great Reebop Kwaku Bah, who'd worked with Can and Traffic – as well as lots of Fender Rhodes and organ from Bundrick. Some tunes have a loose, percussive feel – others are more song structured with a lot of guitar – and the whole package comes with a great set of notes to tell the tale of the music and the movie. Titles on this first volume include "Mr Sea", "North Scene", "Masquerade Dance", "Second Wind", "Back To The North Scene", "Fanny Big Horn", "Rollin In Clover", and "More Questions Than Answers". LP, Vinyl record album

Great great stuff – and for some folks, THE album by Kenny Burrell! This classic set features the guitarist in a quintet with Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Major Holly on bass, Bill English on drums, and the great Ray Barretto on conga – a really great lineup that sparkles with soulful imagination, and moves with a very rhythmic groove – thanks to Ray's extra percussion contribution on the bottom! Burrell's guitar somehow seems a bit harder and grittier than ever – and titles include the classic groover "Chittlins Con Carne", an early jazz dance classic – plus "Soul Lament", "Wavy Gravy", and "Mule". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost little gem from Jerry – recorded towards the end of his years with Mercury. The record's got Jerry working in a much hipper style than before, drawing off the pool of younger Chicago soul talents that he'd begun to collect on some of his earlier albums for Mercury – and the album features tracks by Leroy Hutson, Terry Callier, Marvin Yancey, and the team of Hanks and Grey. Richard Evans handled the arrangements, and they're a good extension of his work at Cadet – with strong bass-heavy soul grooves, augmented by strings and some great funky clavinet work. Titles include the funky classics "I'm Your Mechanical Man" and "You've Been Around Too Long" – plus "High Stepper", "Start Living It Up", "Sing To Me", "Take The Time To Tell Her", and "Playing On You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earthiest albums ever cut by guitarist Charlie Byrd – a session that predates his better-known sides on Riverside and Columbia, and which definitely earns the "blues" in the title! Byrd's working here with his familiar trio of Keeter Betts on bass and Gus Johnson on drums – playing acoustic guitar, but in a way that's nicely laidback, and quite open overall – almost like Tiny Grimes, but a bit less hard-edged overall. Titles include the "Blues For Night People" suite on side one, plus "Blues My Naughtie Sweetie Taught Me", "Blue Prelude", and "Jive At Five". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little record from Joe Byrd – an artist with roots in serious music, but who's serving things up here with a wild hippie aesthetic that makes the whole thing come across more like a "happening" than the usual sort of studio album – but in ways that also echo an earlier generation of Americanist composition too. The process of the record mimics some of Byrd's famous work in New York – and has a very collaborative feel overall, with elements of electronics, acoustics, and vocals coming together beautifully! There's some great tabla, harpsichord, moog, and organ on the record – plus more serious woodwinds and brass – and vocals from Victoria Bond, Susan De Lange, Christie Thompson, and Ernie Anderson – plus Joe himself. Titles include "Kalyani", "Moonsong Pelog", "You Can't Ever Come Down", "Gospel Music", "Nightmare Train", "Leisure World", and "The Elephant At The Door". LP, Vinyl record album

Despite the "twisting" tag in the title – designed to cash in on the hit dance craze at the time the album was issued – this album's actually a nice batch of classic doo wop tracks by one of the craziest groups to come out of New York! The Cadillacs, despite having some mellow hits, were also a wild group who were sort of like an East Coast answer to the Coasters. This album's got some of their best crazy stuff – and titles include "Dum Dee Dum Dum", "My Girl Friend", "Sugar Sugar", "Speedo", and "Shock A Doo". LP, Vinyl record album

Dynamite rootsy vibes from Wareika Hill, laid down by trombonist Calvin Bubbles Cameron. Very much in the vein of the fantastic Light Of Saba set, or some of the Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari material, with a nice, raw stripped down approach, featuring bold horn lines riding rhythms built up from Nyabinghi drumming and nicely bouncing basslines, plus some atmospheric dub-like effects laid in here and there. Collaborators include the Light of Saba family, Deadly Headly Bennet and Tony Allen, with 10 tracks in all, including "Coconut Head Version", "Joseph C", "Tears In Exile", "Uhuru Pujama", "Sweet Incense", "Jamaica Is reggae Land", "Africa Freedom March", "One People Version", "Queen Of Sheba" and "Moses". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A wonderful package – a very limited set that includes the first three albums from Cerrone, with bonus CD versions as well! First up is Love In C Minor – the fantastic first album by Cerrone – a landmark disco record that features the 16 minute long "Love In C Minor" – a swirling bit of strings, beats, and female voices – one of those tunes that forever went onto change the face of dance music in the 70s! Cerrone really set up a whole new blueprint for club here – stretching things out plenty, and layering in subtle time and chord shifts that expose the proggish influences that filtered into French club as the 70s wore on! The title track's got some nice keyboards by the great Alan Hawkshaw – who sounds even better on the album's cool disco version of "Black Is Black" and the tight snare-beat original, "Midnite Lady". Cerrone's Paradise is Cerrone's second album – a swirling mix of disco beats and strings that follows very clearly on the spirit of his landmark first one! Like that album, this one's got a title track that runs well over 15 minutes long – building in a slowly dancing way that says everything about European disco styles that one track could ever hope to do! Other tunes on the album are shorter and tighter – with soulful vocals dancing in and out, and some nice keyboard work that makes the tunes sparkle with a sweet electric groove. Titles include "Take Me", "Time For Love", and "Cerrone's Paradise". Supernature is the height of French disco – a huge worldwide hit for Cerrone, a nutty bit of space disco that actually holds up pretty darn well over the years! The guy's not really a looker – and the strange "animal operation" cover almost makes this look like a prog rock album – which is where Cerrone probably got his inspiration for the incredible keyboard work on the set – but the record's a killer bit of club that went onto influence generations to come – and is arguably one of Cerrone's best moments ever! Includes the classic "Supernature", a catchy disco groover you'll recognize instantly – plus the tracks "Love Is Here", "Love Is The Answer", and "Sweet Drums". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy soul with a good dose of rock – the trademark sound of The Chambers Brothers, heard here during the height of their Columbia Records years! Although previously more of a folksy sort of combo, the group really took off during their time with Columbia – hitting whole new strides in their sound with a rich blend of contemporary influences, all supported by a deeply soulful sound that was rooted in tradition. The approach is heard most famously on their classic "Time Has Come Today" – but the whole set's great, and other cuts include the massively funky "Funky" – plus the tracks "Love Peace & Happiness", "Let's Do It", "In The Midnight Hour", "I Can't Turn You Loose", and "All Strung Out Over You". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from one of the 70s greatest groups! The band had always been great at love songs and uptempo numbers – but this record has them moving into more righteous area, picking up on some of the more socially conscious soul of their generation that had been working its way up the charts. The album features excellent production by Chi-Lite Eugene Record, who also wrote a lot of the material – plus arrangements by Tom Tom and Sonny Sanders. Great stuff all around, with the righteous social tunes "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to The People", "Trouble's A Comin", and "We Are Neighbors" – plus classic love songs "Have You Seen Her" and "Love Uprising", which are still kind of the band's strongest point. Loads more great stuff on this one, the album that helped the second wave of Chicago soul break out into the international market! LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth-stepping soul from singer Chuck Cissel – a lean-voiced talent whose approach was perfect for the 80s adult soul generation! The album's got a great batch of mellow ballads that drift along in a quiet storm sort of mode – and Chuck's slightly high vocal range works well to bring a sense of humanity to these numbers, without hitting male soul modes that are too cliched. The album's got a few groovers too, but the real strength is the mellow cuts, which Cissel delivers with ease. Tracks include the minor hit "If I Had the Chance", a duet with Marva King – plus "All I See Is You", "Love is Missing From Our Lives", "Night Miracles", "Possessed", and "Understanding Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A great later album from this legendary San Francisco crossover soul combo! The set moves off the style of some of their earlier work for Reprise, and Cold Blood are really opening up their sound here – still staying quite soulful, but also going for the fuller finish of the west coast early 70s scene – and not trying to sound so much like a straight soul cover band. The shift is a good one – and while the mellower cuts may be a bit too mellow at times, the group's also still got enough of a groove on the best numbers, and makes good use of the studio to work up their funky playing. Includes a nice cover of "Kissing My Love", plus versions of "Baby I Love You", "Sleeping", and "I'll Be Long Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

The second Arthur Conley album for Atlantic – and like the first, a record that really cooks with some great Otis Redding production! The sound and style is very similar to Otis' work for Stax during the 60s – but the album was recorded at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, with engineering by Jimmy Johnson, and it's got a bit of a different sound from the Memphis soul of Otis' records. There's more horns, and less organ and guitars, and Conley's vocals are produced in a raw style that brings out the best of his work. Includes versions of the Otis Redding tracks "Ha Ha Ha" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long", plus Conley's own "Love's Got Me", "Hand & Glove", and "I'll Take The Blame". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant mix of soul and jazz from the legendary Norman Connors – a key album in breaking Norman out back in the 70s – and a record that's still pretty darn perfect all these many years later! You can hear Connors' deep roots throughout the set – but they're often used towards a more sophisticated soul agenda, too – blending in elements of jazz vocals and modern R&B, at a level that so many other artists would copy in years to come – but which Norman virtually helped invent with this landmark album! There's some mellow moments on the record that are every bit as wonderful as the funky ones – some laidback tracks that feature sublime vocals from Jean Carn, pre-Philly – and which also really introduce the soul side of Michael Henderson – an artist who most folks had previously known as a bass player. Connors mixes the funky and the smooth at a level that rivals the best Roy Ayers material of the same time – and titles include the massive hit "Valentine Love" – plus "Saturday Night Special", "Kwasi", "Dindi", "Akia", "Skin Diver", and a sweet version of "Maiden Voyage"! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set from the British scene at the start of the 70s – a record that's got a fairly folksy tone, but lots of jazzy currents as well! The set was issued on the seminal Dawn Records label – and really shows that imprint's commitment to the left side of the spectrum – as Mike Cooper's vocals and acoustic guitar come into play with more guitar from Stefan Grossman – plus alto sax from Mike Osborne, tenor and soprano from Alan Skidmore, piano from John Taylor, and bass from the late Harry Miller – all key players on the UK avant jazz scene of the time! The mix of these players with Cooper's core inspiration is not unlike some of the most progressive material coming from Island Records – or, even better, the special jazzy moments on records by Tim Buckley or Tim Hardin – company that Cooper could very easily keep, given the strength of his songwriting. Titles include "Don't Talk Too Fast", "On My Way", "Hope You See", "Weeping Rose", "Trout Steel", "I've Got Mine", "That's How", and "Pharoah's March". LP, Vinyl record album

Really stunning stuff – a never-heard live performance from early 70s London – one that features Gilberto Gil in exile, working alongside the great Gal Costa! The album's got a lean, stripped-down feel – similar acoustic instrumentation to both Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso's London recordings – a mode that's an especially great change from some of Costa's more produced albums of the period – at a level that really lets us hear how warmly collaborative and high spirited she could be! Both Gal and Gilberto play guitar – and backing is by a group of bass, percussion, and drums – the last of which are played by Tutty Moreno – and the performance has the singers working solo and in duet – the latter of which is especially great! The set includes a few English language numbers – "Brand New Dream" and "One O'Clock Last Morning 20th April 1970" – plus versions of "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Up From The Skies". And other titles include "Sai Do Sereno", "Coracao Vagabundo", "Procissao", "Acaua", "Chuva Suor E Cerveja", "Viramundo", "Como Dois E Dois", and "Maria Bethania/Bota A Mao Nas Cadeiras". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from The Cyrkle – post-folk, partly-sunshine, and a treasure trove of really groovy tunes! The record features a fair number of covers, but they're really redone here by the group in a mode that mixes youthful harmonies with slight acoustic guitar touches and some occasional more ambitious arrangements – never too much, but just with the right colors to shade in the gentler spaces. There's a cohesion here that's tremendous – making the record a no-filler set that really stands out from the other lesser-knowns of The Cyrkle's generation. We might go so far as to rank this one next to the perfect middle period Simon & Garfunkel albums on Columbia from the same stretch, but the overall sound here is a bit more varied, and honestly even deeper. Titles include the sublime "The Visit", plus "Two Rooms", "I'm Not Sure What I Want To Do", "Our Love Affair's In Question", "Don't Cry, No Fears, No Tears, Comin Your Way", and "The Weight Of Your Words". LP, Vinyl record album

James D-Train Williams' first album for a major label – and a really great follow-up to the indie success of his initial recordings for Prelude Records! The style here is very similar to the clubby grooves of D-Train's earlier sides – thanks to strong keyboards, production, and songwriting help from Hubert Eaves – the jazzy talent who helped give Williams' his trademark groove! Instrumentation veers slightly more towards mainstream 80s soul at times, but the Eaves' sound is still very firmly in place here – and titles include the groovers "Oh How I Love You (Girl)", "Misunderstanding", and "Let Me Love You" – plus "You Are Everything", "I Got Your Number", "Stand Up & Fight", and "Miracle Of The Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in jazz where an oft-played classic still resonates with power! The record itself is a key cap to Miles Davis' already-groundbreaking years of the 60s – a bold step forward, not just for his nascent electric sound, but also for jazz in general – and the benchmark by which so many other records would be judged (and fail) in years to come! The double-length set makes full use of all four sides of the record – expanding the flow (as well as the lineup) of the original Davis modal vision – and using all players to amazing effect, so much so that most players here turn out some of their best recorded work ever! The lineup is virtually a whose who for the sound of fusion in the 70s – including Wayne Shorter on soprano sax, Bennie Maupin on bass clarinet, Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea on keyboards, John McLaughlin on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Lenny White and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus Jumma Santos and Don Alias on added percussion. Titles include "Pharaoh's Dance", "Spanish Key", "Sanctuary", "Bitches Brew", "John McLaughlin", and "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A young man with a horn, and a hell of a lot of talent too – as this early Blue Note album really has Miles Davis coming into his own – and showing even more genius than on previous records! There's a really special quality to the record that may well make it one of the first great moments for Miles as a leader – a sense of phrasing and timing that comes through especially in his landmark recording of "Dear Old Stockholm" – a track that's well worth the price of the record alone! Davis is hardly in his "birth of the cool" mode here – but has a great way of arranging the group, too – with players who include JJ Johnson on trombone, Jackie McLean on alto, Gil Coggins on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. In addition to "Dear Old Stockholm", the set also features sublime versions of "Yesterdays" and "Woody N You" – plus "Chance It", "Donna", and "How Deep Is The Ocean". 2014 Blue Note Authorized Dealer pressing – in celebration of Blue Note's 75th Anniversary – and the indie retailers that support them! LP, Vinyl record album

A very nice record that bassist Davis did for Muse in the late 70s. As with previous recordings he works closely with fellow bass player Bill Lee. Lee plays on the record, co-produced and arranged the album and shares songwriting credit with Davis on a couple of the tracks. Davis is joined by Ted Dunbar on guitar, Consuela Moore on piano, Freddie Waits on drums, James Spaulding on flute and alto sax and Marvin 'Hannibal' Peterson on trumpet, among others. Tracks include the two Davis/Lee originals "Half Pass" and "A Third Away" plus in conjunction with the title, there are several songs with flowers in the titles such as"Windflower", "Forest Flower", and "Passion Flower". He also throws in some familiar tunes like "Take The A Train". 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

A real lost treasure – and an incredible session that offers a real meeting of minds that's far more than you'd expect from the simple cover and title! The set is a later one for Vee Jay, and it brings together half of the Jazz Messengers with a batch of west coast players – in a groove that wonderfully mixes together different traditions and rhythms in jazz – and which steps out with a sound that's far more than the sum of its parts! Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, and Curtis Fuller join a group headed by Buddy De Franco, and featuring Victor Feldman on piano and vibes, plus Victor Sproles on bass and Freddie Hill on trumpet. The sound of the group is quite unusual – and a lot lighter than you'd guess – giving Buddy plenty of room to solo in a breezy style that's grown tremendously since his 50s recordings – pushed along by some heavier soul from Art and the group. Titles include "Rain Dance", "Blues Bag", "Twelve Tone Blues", "Kush", and "Cousin Mary". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime spiritual jazz from the 70s scene in Detroit – and a record that really represents an evolution of the previous sounds that you might have heard on the Motorcity's Tribe Records! The sound here is straightforward and soulful – a bit of electricity at the bottom and some fluidly gliding horn work on the top – plus some key vocals from a group that includes Kim Weston in the lead, supported by other female singers – in a righteous mode that really makes the best tunes sparkle! Other players include Phil Ranelin on trombone, Nasi Hafiz on vibes, Miller Brisker on tenor and piano, and Sylvia Truner on harp – all working together in a largeish group with the best spiritual energy of groups on Strata East! The whole thing's great – a beautiful lost treasure, and the kind of record that's rarely carried off so perfectly – and titles include "Song For M", "A Little Love For You", "Mark I", "Ja-Mil", "Nobody Had To Tell Me", "Arjuna", and "Now You're Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Bass-heavy funk material by this obscure west coast group, and a record that features songwriting and production by Bob Crewe. The tracks have kind of a pop funk sort of sound, with lots of ensemble vocals, and tight compressed rhythm tracks behind the main instrumentation. Not that noteworthy – but also not a bad batch of stock funk tracks with a smooth production sound. Includes a cover of "Lady Marmalade", plus "Get On Or Get Off", "Sock It To Me/It's Your Thing", "Hollywood Hot", and "Bumper To Bumper". LP, Vinyl record album

Wild! This is an amazing album that recreates a possible space trip using sound and music – and it's right in keeping with the best of these RCA stereo spectacular albums from the late 50s. The album works as a vocal narrative – kind of like a radio show – and has dialogue from some guys who are taking a rocket into space, to a space station, and onto Mars. The speaking is backed by a lot of sound effects, and some cool music by Marty Gold. Plus, the whole thing's packaged in a beautiful 50's painted space scene cover! LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great 70s album from Gil Evans – a set that's got some great use of electric instrumentation, and a mighty groove on the best cuts! The overall approach is different than the early modernist sound of Gil Evans, but still very striking – a 70s equivalent to Gil's famous 60s work – and as always with Evans, the players in the ensemble are impeccably well-chosen – as the lineup includes Hannibal Marvin Peterson on trumpet, Billy Harper on tenor, Ryo Kawasaki on guitar, and a young Dave Sanborn handling the solos. Includes the odd spacey Tony Williams number "There Comes A Time", plus a cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing" – both of which have vocals by Peterson. Other tracks include "Aftermath Of The Fourth Movement Children Of The Fire", "Anita's Dance", and "Makes Her Move". LP, Vinyl record album

One of three new vinyl reissues of long overlooked early 80s soul by the Fantastic Aleems – fronted by the great lead vocals of the legendary Leroy Burgess! The Aleems are so named for the songwriter brothers Tahar Qa & Tund-Ra Aleem, who briefly issued these early 80s soul groovers on their own NIA label. Get Down Friday Night contains the title single, which was actually a bit of a club hit upon its original release, plus the equally nice cuts "Hooked On Your Love" and "Release Yourself", all of which are sweetly jamming, club-paced groovers that each stretch past the six minute mark, and the first two jamming well past seven! It also features 3 previously unreleased cuts from the vaults: "I Gotta Get Myself Together", "Blame It On Love", and "Get Loose" – slightly rougher studio cuts the group were playing around with, complete with some studio chatter and countdowns. Essential lost 80s groovers! LP, Vinyl record album

Bryan Ferry, still going strong after all these years – and finding a new sort of sweet space that really seems to make the most of his aging vocal approach! Ferry's still very much in the best modes of his excellent solo records – especially the gems of the late 70s and early 80s – and working here with producer Rhett Davies, he hits very familiar territory that really seems to fit him well from a musical perspective. Yet there's also a different quality in his life – more of a sense of aged wisdom that makes the lyrics resonate even more than before, even when still silky smooth – kind of that detached observer that Ferry always did so well, but with a lot more life behind him to back up his vision. Titles include "Midnight Train", "Soldier Of Fortune", "Driving Me Wild", "Avonmore", "Loop De Li", and "Lost" – plus a surprising version of "Send In The Clowns", done in a nice spacey mood – and help from Todd Terje on a wicked remake of Robert Palmer's "Johnny & Mary" – which may well be the best track on the record! LP, Vinyl record album

Mellow sexy Aretha – with warm arrangements by Arif Mardin, and plenty of nice electric piano by the great Richard Tee. Includes a great version of Stevie Wonder's "I Love Every Little Thing About You", plus the tracks "You Move Me", "You'll Never Get To Heaven", "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", "Without Love", and "All Of These Things". LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty little album from Funkadelic – one that has Bootsy Collins joining the group, and really hitting the unique approach that would become the definitive P-Funk groove! And although tracks are shorter and even more focused, there's still a fair bit of guitar in the set – keeping the trademark Funkadelic sound in place, to set them aside from from the growing horn-heavy Parliament groove. Yet in both groups' work at the time, there's a growing emphasis on the rhythms at the bottom – a pulling up of the basslines in a way that was no doubt influenced by Bootsy's presence, and which would have a key influence on the sound of funk for years to come! Includes the massively infectious funk track "Get Off Your Ass and Jam", plus "Let's Take It To The Stage", "Be My Beach", "Baby I Owe You Something Good", "The Song Is Familiar", "No Head No Backstage Pass", "Atmosphere", "Stuffs & Things", and "Better By the Pound". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic Serge Gainsbourg album – and the BB initials in the title belong to Brigitte Bardot! This rare gem from 1968 is a second set of tracks that Serge cut with Brigitte Bardot – and it's a doozy! The record repeats a few tracks from their other effort (Bonnie & Clyde) – but it's also got some incredible cuts that are exclusive to this album, and which have that stone funky groove that makes the best late 60s work of Serge so in-demand these days! The best tracks include "Ford Mustang", "Initials BB", and "Black And White" – all of which have incredible funky intros that are totally sampleable – and the set also includes "Bonnie And Clyde", "Qui Est In Qui Est Out", "Marilu", "Shu Ba Du Ba La Loo Ba", "Hold Up", "Torrey Canyon", "Dr Jeckyll Et Monsieur Hyde", "Comic Strip", and "Bloody Jack". LP, Vinyl record album

Uptempo funky stuff recorded for the obscure Groove Time label. There's a lot of funky keyboards on here (like mini moog, Clavinet, and Hammond B3), plus sax solos, and vocals on most cuts. Tracks include "Snake & The Worm", "Jungle Music", "LRJ Pop", "We Are Soldiers", and "Heartbeat". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album recorded during the height of Benny Golson's powers as an arranger and tenor soloist! Benny leads two groups – a quintet and a nontet – both of which feature players that include Art Farmer, Wynton Kelly, Sahib Shihab, Gigi Gryce, and Paul Chambers – working with arrangements by Golson and Gryce that are very much in the spirit of Benny's classic The Modern Touch album – with a similar blend of tight conception and soulfully confident solo work! Titles include sharp arrangements of many Golson originals – like "Step Lightly", "Whisper Not", "Blues It", and "Just By Myself" – plus a good reading of Gryce's "Capri". LP, Vinyl record album

With Dennis Gonzalez on trumpet – plus additional trumpet from Marlon Jordan, tenor from Charles Brackeen, sopranino from Kidd Jordan, and bass from Malachi Favors and Henry Franklin! LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of jazzy soul – recorded by an obscure female singer from Milwaukee! Penny's got a warm style that's pretty darn nice on its own – but it's made even better by the great arranger Richard Evans, who helped out a lot on the session. The feel is very much in the Chicago sophisti-soul mode – and at times, the record sounds a lot like Marlena Shaw's best work in the 70s, particularly her sides for Blue Note in the early part of the decade. Includes the great original "Too Soon You're Old" – a jazz dance classic for many years – plus a stellar cover of Gil Scott Heron's "Lady Day & John Coltrane", and the tracks "What's Goin On", "Slow Hot Wind", "He's Come Back", and "Rain Sometimes". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual album for Dexter Gordon – one that has him working in a quintet with vibes by Bobby Hutcherson! Hutcherson's sound really transforms the session, giving it a shimmering middleground that disperses the dominance that Gordon's tenor usually has – and creating a warm, fluid feel that's really great. Barry Harris is in the group on piano – providing some wonderful accompaniment that's a great fit for Hutcherson's vibes – and the rest of the group is completed by the excellent rhythm section of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Billy Higgins on drums! The album includes a great version of "Manha de Carnaval", plus a Dex original, "Le Coiffeur" – and the tracks "Heartaches", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool". LP, Vinyl record album

A stellar album from Grant Green – very different than most of his other work for Blue Note, and a sly electric groover recorded with vibist Billy Wooten! The sound here is a bit more spacious than some of Grant's earlier albums, yet no less funky – thanks to a hip undercurrent of soul in the drums, and arrangements from Wade Marcus that keep things fluid throughout. Wooten's vibes are wonderful, a ringing counterpoint to Green's great lines on guitar – and even the more familiar tunes on the record turn out to be really unique readings here – thanks to the arrangements and overall conception. Mellow moments are dripping with plenty of soul, and the funky ones are pretty great too – and titles include a killer medley of James Brown's "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing" and "Cold Sweat", a heavy version of his instrumental groover "In The Middle", and a great original called "California Green" – plus "Never My Love", "Sunrise Sunset", "Got To Be There", and "If You Really Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked late Blue Note album from Grant Green – quite different than his smaller combo work from the early years, and done with some great larger arrangements that feature some ultra-hip vibes from the legendary Billy Wooten! Wooten's as great here as on his famous work with the Ninteenth Whole, and his vibes bring a nice edge to the record – ringing out in bold chromatic tones behind Green's guitar – amidst some warm electric backings that feature keyboards from Emmanuel Riggins, drums from Idris Muhammad, and congas from Ray Armando. Wade Marcus helped a bit on the music, and there's some tracks that definitely show his sophisti-soul touches – and the whole thing's almost got a CTI-funk sort of feel overall – with a great undercurrent of soul, no matter what the choice of material. Titles include a very groovy version of "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" – plus "Cantaloupe Woman", "Blues For Abraham", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Maybe Tomorrow", "Love On A Two Way Street", and "We've Only Just Begun". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare European gem from Johnny Griffin – recorded in quartet formation with backing from the rhythm trio of the Clarke Boland Big Band! Johnny was working with the trio in the bigger group at the time, but he gets plenty of space to state his case here – stretching out on hard-bitten, almost-modern solos that are some of his most adventurous to date on record – supported strongly on the album's longish tracks by Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! There's a quality to Griffin's tone that's incredible – urgent, edgey, but never too far out – completely in command of itself, and able to run free, but without wasting at note at all – unlike some of his over-stretched European solos of later years. The set features beautiful long readings of Boland's "Night Lady" and "Old Stuff", plus Griffin's "Scrabble", and versions of "Summertime", "All The Things You Are", and "Little Man You've Had A Busy Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Massively groovy work from Chico Hamilton – one of his standout swingers for Impulse Records in the 60s, and a set that really showcases all the changes in music he'd made for the decade! The set features some wonderful reed work from Jerome Richardson and Charlie Mariano, plus some especially great guitar from Gabor Szabo – a player who was rising to fame in Hamilton's group, but also stands out here with lots of the breezy grooves he'd bring to his own dates for Impulse. Tracks are short, but in a good way that really keeps them focused – and other players who complete the groove include Clark Terry on trumpet and Ron Carter on bass – both of whom nicely pick up Chico's sense of adventure and humor. Titles include "Monday Monday", "Daydream", "Stella By Starlight", "Evil Eye", "Manila", "That Boy With The Long Hair", and "Monday Monday". LP, Vinyl record album

Great straight work from Duke's clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton – a set that features Jimmy in a slightly different setting than usual – without as much Ellington inflection, and a bit more small combo groove! Players here include frequent partner Clark Terry on trumpet, plus Tommy Flanagan on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums – and tracks are nicely open, in that best Swingville way. Titles include "Nits & Wits", "Stupid But Not Crazy", "Gone With The Blues", "Two For One", and "Mr Good Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great album from Lionel Hampton – recorded in Paris in jam session mode, with work by great French players like Rene Urtreger, Sacha Distel, and Guy Pederson, plus American players like Benny Bailey and Nat Adderley. Titles include "A La French", "Crazy Rhythm", "Night & Day", and "Red Ribbon". Nicely jamming – like Hamp's great sessions for Verve! LP, Vinyl record album

Acoustic magic from Herbie Hancock – proof that he wasn't only cutting electro records in the 80s! The set's got a fluid, open feel that's a bit like some of the VSOP Quintet work – although the group here is slightly different, with Hancock on acoustic piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – plus a young Wynton Marsalis on trumpet – stepping in where Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard left off. The tracks are somewhat sharp-edged and modern, but never in a way that's too outside – more just a continuation of the VSOP mode, with some of the Marsalis love of darker colors and tones. The double-length set has plenty of room for long solos – and titles include "Well You Needn't", "Round Midnight", "Clear Ways", "A Quick Sketch", "The Eye Of The Hurricane", "Parade", "The Sorcerer", "Pee Wee", and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Rufus Harley's beautiful albums for Atlantic, and a record that shouldn't work at all – but it does, and does so wonderfully! Harley plays bagpipes throughout the album – but in a way that sounds nothing like any of the snoozy Scottish assumptions you may have about the instrument – and instead draws from a rich tradition of African reed work, and creates these amazing off-kilter tones with a deeply spiritual feel! The rhythms help Rufus realize this goal quite strongly – with players who include Richard Tee on piano, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Eric Gale on guitar – plus some other added African instrumentation on a few cuts, which widens the groove nicely. Tracks include "Kings", "Queens", and surprisingly wonderful covers of "8 Miles High" and "Windy". LP, Vinyl record album

A tripped-out batch of funk rock tracks – one of the biggest crossover successes of the MPS lable! Don Harris sings and plays violin – and he gets some very heavy backing by a trio that includes Harvey Mandel on guitar, wailing away with those slow choppy riffs that made him the west coast equivalent of Dennis Coffey's east of the Mississippi fuzzed-out guitar groove. Features the slow funk classic "The Pig's Eye", plus "No Inspiration", "The Buzzard's Cousin", and "Eleanor Rigby". LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark stuff, and a beautiful album that mixes soulful tracks with Donny's nascent jazz sensibility! The set's a key chapter in the history of soul music – a record that has Donny emerging from shadows of the Chicago studio scene to become one of the most promising soul artists of the 70s. The album was recorded in Chicago, with a host of great players that had been gigging for years in the Chess studios – and the record is the rich culmination of talents that had been brewing in the Windy City for years. Includes the monster hit "The Ghetto" – one of Donny's best-known tracks and a rollicking funky number – in a full extended version with a good instrumental breakdown. Also features a remake of "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)", which shows Donny's strong ties to the Earth, Wind, & Fire organization – plus moody spiritual numbers like "I Believe To My Soul", "Thank You Master", and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black". LP, Vinyl record album

The Hawk Relaxes, but never lets himself go – and a set like this is a great illustration of the gentle genius that made so many later Coleman Hawkins records so great! The relaxed setting for this record is a perfect setting for Hawkins to open up and stretch out – working his tenor with a sound that has surprising modern edges, and unusual twists and turns, yet still all the careful economy of his better-known classic sides. There's a command of the instrument here that few other aging players ever seemed to muster – always a sense of new discovery and invention that marks the work strongly, even at a time when Hawkins could have been sitting on his laurels, playing the same old tune! Titles are all standards, but don't let that fool you – because there's plenty of magic in Coleman's versions of "Moonglow", "Just A Gigolo", "Speak Low", "When Day Is Done", and "I'll Never Be The Same". Oh, and we almost forgot – just because we're so focused on Hawkins – the other players include Ronnell Bright on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums – making a surprising early appearance here! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album that hardly needs any introduction – as it's one of the most famous soundtracks, if not soul records, of the 70s! Isaac Hayes had already surprised music fans with the sophistication of his first few solo albums, which had been issued before this one – but with Shaft, he did the inconceivable, as the album was one of the first times a pop musician had scored, not just sung on, an entire soundtrack. Plus, the soundtrack's super-huge – running as a double-length batch of tracks that was a rarity for the often-slim soundtrack market. Includes many great funky numbers – both vocal and instrumental – including "Theme from Shaft", "Cafe Regio's", "Walk from Regio's", "Bumpy's Lament", and "Do Your Thing", in the nice 19 minute long version! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album that hardly needs any introduction – as it's one of the most famous soundtracks, if not soul records, of the 70s! Isaac Hayes had already surprised music fans with the sophistication of his first few solo albums, which had been issued before this one – but with Shaft, he did the inconceivable, as the album was one of the first times a pop musician had scored, not just sung on, an entire soundtrack. Plus, the soundtrack's super-huge – running as a double-length batch of tracks that was a rarity for the often-slim soundtrack market. Includes many great funky numbers – both vocal and instrumental – including "Theme from Shaft", "Cafe Regio's", "Walk from Regio's", "Bumpy's Lament", and "Do Your Thing", in the nice 19 minute long version! LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from the legendary Lee Hazlewood – music and images that blow away his previous generation of creation for MGM, Mercury, and Warner Brothers – served up here in a package that really captures all the genius of Hazlewood during these amazing years! The package features this incredible material on 8LPs and 4CDs, 107 tracks of music on each format – with every single album track, 45 cut, and unreleased masters that Lee Hazlewood recorded for his own LHI imprint (including the full albums Cowboy In Sweden, Cowboy & The Lady, and Requiem For An Almost Lady) – plus all the key tracks from LHI artists like International Submarine Band, Sanford Clark, Honey LTD, Lynn Castle, Hamilton Streetcar, and many others – including 14 unreleased tracks. Then, you also get this incredible 172 page hardcover book – as big as a giant LP box, with rare photos, liner notes, history, Lee Hazelwood timeline, and lots lots more. Then, you get the totally great film Cowboy In Sweden on a DVD – a rare 1970, hour-long film done by Lee in Sweden. The looooong awaited vinyl includes 8LPs AND 4CDs – 107 tracks in each format, and as an additional bonus, a 24" X 36" poster. Amazing! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent collaboration between two of Verve's best Brazilian artists of the late 60s – the groovy organist Walter Wanderley, and the breezy breathy vocalist Luiz Henrique! The set is a perfect example of the way that Verve took bossa playing and gave it a groovy production twist – turning it into something that was just a little bit different, in a mode that became America's best contribution to the bossa era! The legendary Sivuca puts in a great guest appearance on a few tracks – further enhancing the sound with his "singing" style of accordion work – and the whole thing bounces along in a magical groove that's hardly been duplicated again! Titles include a very unusual funk-based take on "Happy Birthday" – one that has a bit of a break to it – plus "Kee Ka Roo", "Popcorn" (not the Perry-Kingsley hit), "Florianopolis", "In My Automobile", "Dusty Road", and "Blue Island". LP, Vinyl record album

Hip Woody – recorded right after his years with Cadet, and in a similar funky big band vein! The record's got a very nice version of "Fat Mama", plus one of our all-time favorites, "Alone Again Naturally"! Players include Harold Danko on Fender Rhodes, Pat Martino on guitar, and Al Johnson on bass. Other tunes include "Bill's Blues", "Sandia Chicao", and "It's Too Late". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever from Martha High – a singer best known for her earlier work with James Brown, recording here with production from the Godfather himself! The vibe is more Salsoul disco than James Brown funk – although there's definitely some snapping grooves in the mix that recall some of Brown's own disco material of the time – and arrangements are from the great Tommy Stewart, of Atlanta club fame – who sets things up in a great way for High's deeper soul vocals! Titles include the surprisingly great (but poorly-titled) "He's My Ding Dong Man", which has some very tasty electronic funk – almost moogy P&P modes – plus a nice remake of "Don't Ask My Neighbors", and the tracks "Showdown", "Wallflower", and "Oh This Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

A full LP that appears to collect earlier sides recorded by Hope – presumably for the Aladdin label, and all featuring that lusty tenor sound that was his trademark during the 50s. Hope's tone alone is reason enough to purchase the record – as the album's 12 late nite dreamers are all lovely little tunes that will have you putting the disc at the top of your "after midnite" tenor play pile. Production is nice and echoey, and the whole thing's very moody. Titles include "Morocco", "Tenderly", "Blues For Anna Bacoa", "Blues In F", "September Song", "Brazil", "Driftin", and "Move It". LP, Vinyl record album

With a name like Chubby, the set ought to be a snoozer – but it swings nicely, thanks to some strong bass work by Jackson! The group's a Chicago ensemble, featuring lesser-known players of the 50s – like Vito Price, Cy Touff, Don Lamond, and Jimmy Gourley – plus trombone by Bill Harris, whose earlier work is clearly an influence on Jackson's own here. Tunes are in a swinging Basie/Hefti mode – and titles include "Flyin The Coop", "Plymouth Rock", "Tiny's Blues", and "Raffles". LP, Vinyl record album

Solid-sending soul jazz from the great Willis Jackson! The album features Gator blowing in a group that includes Jack McDuff and Wild Bill Jennings on all cuts – plus bass by either Milt Hinton or Wendell Marshall, drums by Bill Elliott or Al Johnson, and some tasty added conga by Buck Clarke on a few cuts! The album's got a tight, yet laidback feel to – perfect kickback jam session material, in that classic Prestige soul jazz mode. Titles include "Contrasts", "Cookin Sherry", "Mellow Blues", and "Sportin". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of soul jazz tracks from Gator Tail and Brother Jack McDuff – recorded in a raw grooving style, very similar to that used on some of their live recordings from the same time. The core of the group features Bill Jennings on guitar and Wendell Marshall on bass, but some of the rhythm players change up over the course of the tracks, and Buck Clarke adds some nice conga on side 2! Includes the nice 10 minute groover "This'll Get To Ya", plus "Glad A See Ya", "Three Little Words", and "To' Gether". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark record – not only for Bob James, but a seminal release for CTI and the Fender Rhodes as well! This is the album where all the magic starts – the first of many extremely successful albums that Bob recorded during the 70s under his own name, and almost the birthplace of the modern hip hop keyboard sample line! The album's stuffed with great numbers – including a sublime reading of "Feel Like Making Love", and the classic "Nautilus" – a slow, dark, funky tune that's worth the price of the album alone! Other tracks include "Valley Of The Shadows", "Night On Bald Mountain", and "Soulero". LP, Vinyl record album

A monster – and quite possibly one of the greatest Fender Rhodes albums of all time! Bob James is really at the height of his powers here – stepping out with a sound that's a lot smoother than some of his earlier work, yet in a groove that's never too slick or too overproduced – as happened with some of his later records on the Tappan Zee imprint. Here, James is still a master of space and sound – using the Fender Rhodes with bell-like tones to craft some key grooves that are still having an amazing impact today, more than 30 years after the album was initially recorded! There's a darkness here that we totally love – and tracks include the legendary "Take Me To The Mardi Gras", which has been sampled by Run DMC and loads of others – plus"The Golden Apple", "I Feel A Song", "You're As Right As Rain", "Farandole", and "Dream Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential album for fans of early vocalese – and a record that brings together 3 of the greatest talents of the genre! The sides were pulled from early Prestige singles by the artists – and Eddie Jefferson's represented on 4 great numbers with backing by a group that includes Seldon Powell, plus some additional vocals from Irv Taylor. Jefferson titles include "Old Shoes", "Please Be Kind To Me", "Strictly Instrumental", and "Start Walkin Stop Talkin". Joe Carroll swings in next – laying down 4 straighter vocal tunes with a group that includes Bill Graham on baritone sax, on songs that include "Two Wrongs Won't Make It Right", "I Was In The Mood", and "Got A Penny Benny". Last up is Annie Ross, delivering some of the classic numbers from her Ross/Pleasure album – including "Twisted", "Farmer's Market" and "Jackie". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual albums we've ever heard from Swedish pianist Jan Johansson – a set that's somewhere between his previous jazz work and the style of a sound library session! The tracks are short, and relatively composed – and feature Jan's piano with different larger ensembles of shifting players – plus some tracks with the orchestra of Bengt-Arne Wallin – both groups that work here in these playful, scene-setting styles that feel like they're lifted right out of some 60s film soundtrack. The music is sometimes mannered, but never in a tedious way – and the short tracks and shifting instrumentation really keep things lively. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the lesser-known JJ Johnson albums of the mid 60s – and nice little session that's done with a fresh sort of style! The album's got JJ playing mostly with larger arrangements – penned by Dick Hyman, Slide Hampton, and Billy Byaers – in modes that range from upbeat, mod, and swinging – to mellow, lush, and soulful. A few cuts have vocalists – like the lovely Marlene Ver Planck, who sings wordlessly on the album's amazing groover "Pense A Moi" – a sweetly skipping jazz waltz that's almost worth the price of the record alone! Marlene returns on a great version of "Agua De Beber", and Osie Johnson sings on versions of "The Seventh Son" and "In The Name Of Love" – and other nice tracks include "008", "Feeling Good", and "G'Won Train". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of the blacksploitation scores of the early 70s – a masterpiece of music that we rate every bit as high as Shaft or Superfly – maybe even higher! The music here is incredible – a surprising funky turn for JJ Johnson, who most folks know for his straighter jazz work – and like Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and others who were surprising the world with their ability to score music for a full film during the early 70s, JJ really knocks it out of the park with this one – coming up with a batch of tunes that are a wonderful mix of sophisticated scoring, creative instrumentation, and some damn funky grooves! The title cut features Joe Simon on vocals, and Millie Jackson sings on the cuts "Love Doctor" and "It Hurts So Good". The rest of the set is instrumental, and other cuts include an instrumental take on "Cleopatra Jones", plus "Go Chase Cleo", "Goin To The Chase", "Wrap Up", and "Airport Fight". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Prestige jam session from the late 50's, with Thad Jones on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Teddy Charles on vibes, Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Charles is amazing, as he is on all of his Prestige recordings, and he plays with a dark edge that you seldom hear from other vibists at the time. Waldron's the great unsung hero of these sessions, as his playing and compositions are consistently remarkable, and which provide great accompaniment for the horn players. Tracks include the fantastic "Dakar", plus "Touche", "Blues Without Woe", and "Potpourri". 1965 repackaging of the Olio album from the 50s – with a different title and cover. LP, Vinyl record album

Probably the greatest album by Tamiko Jones – and one that does an excellent job of matching arrangements to her sweet seductive vocal style. Tamiko put the whole thing together herself, and the album features lots of nice keyboard work, and some arranging help from Paul Riser and Tommy Stewart. The whole thing's got a nice slinky style to it, with good tight rhythm parts, sweeping strings, and nice choppy instrumentation under Tamiko's sultry vocals. Includes a nice cover of "Creepin", plus the cuts "Make Love To Your Mind", "Feel Like Makin Love", "Cloudy", "Let It Flow", "Reachin Out For Your Love", and "Boy, You're Growin On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unique Afro jazzy soundtrack you could ever hope to hear – African drummer, keyboard player and composer Remi Kabaka's soundtrack to Black Goddess! The film is from Nigerian director Ola Balogun, but was actually cast and shot in Brazil – and this soundtrack is really amazing and covers a whole lot of territory! The opening track is heavy with this fuzzed out bit of keyboards that's almost a precursor to 80s computer grooves – mixed with some laid back electric guitar and sax, it's a strange, really cool vibe that's totally unlike most Nigerian recordings we can think of. As the tracks roll on, though, the sax and percussion get more play and the sound as a whole more dexterously Afro jazzy and funky. Recorded in Lagos, it features Dele Okonkwo on tenor and soprano sax and BD Wright on keys and bass – both contribute additional percussion - plus Joni Haastrup on guitar and keyboard. Includes "Brothers And Sisters", "The Quest", "Slave March", "Black Goddess", "The Quest (Piano Solo)" and "The Warrior". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing performances from Kesarbia Kerkar – a key Indian singer of the postwar years, heard here in a variety of beautiful vintage recordings! Kerkar's got a voice that influenced many in generations to come – but the original sound here is much more mindblowing than so many others from later years – often set to simple tabla and sitar accompaniment, with an open, flowing quality that's quite spiritual overall – an amazing forum for her really vibrant inflections, which give even simple lyrics a great deal of power. The package is amazing – one of the nicest we've ever seen from Mississippi, with a beautiful booklet of notes and lyric translations, plus lots of history too. Titles include "Mare Dere Aao", "Devi Durge", "Main San Meet", "Ghatan Lagi Rain", and "Nevar Baju Re". LP, Vinyl record album

Anita Kerr and her singers take on the baroque pop sound of the late 60s – working here in a way that mixes their smoother vocals with more complicated arrangements and some nice use of electric harpsichord! The approach isn't as over the top baroque as other albums like this – thanks to a key core of Kerr vocals from the quartet – but the harpsichord's used on nearly every track, and it really helps to bring a nice new flavor to the record – a sound that's quite different than the bag Kerr was hitting a few years before! Plus, there's some great jazzy moments from conductor Dick Marx – never too over the top, but nicely sunny at all the best points. Tracks are pretty hip too – and include "Love At Last You Found Me", "Love Lies", "It's Not Unusual", "One Note Samba", "How Insensitive", "Cast Your Fate To the Wind", and "My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album of mellow modern soul tracks recorded in Chaka's post-Rufus years! The record was produced by the great Arif Mardin, the man who made so many of the 70s Atlantic soul records work so well – and he handled Chaka's voice with a sweet sweet sound that you don't always get on her other albums. Includes the great "Papillon", her remake of "Hot Butterfly", plus "Move Me No Mountain", "So Naughty", "Too Much Love", and "Clouds". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorites by King Crimson – and a very underrated record from their earlier years – with a lot more jazz than some of their others! Spacey jazz rock mastery from an incredible group of players – including Mel Collins on lots of flutes and saxes – plus guests Keith Tippett on piano, Mark Charig on cornet, and Harry Miller on bass! This great Fripp-approved 2014 pressing is in the original stereo mix! Includes "Formentera Lady", "Sailor's Tale", "The Letters", "Ladies Of The Road", "Prelude: Song Of The Gulls" and "Islands". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the heaviest early King Crimson albums – a set that really has the group taking off even more than before – pushing the needles way into the red with their own sort of sonic intensity! The group's a trio this time around – with the legendary Robert Fripp on guitar, really carving out the sound with an edge that's incredibly sharp – plus the great John Wetton on vocals and bass, giving the group an unexpected sense of soul – and lots of mighty drums from Bill Bruford too! Additional instrumentation comes from some cats who really help round out the more complicated edges of the Crimson sound – David Cross on violin, Mel Collins on soprano sax, Marc Charig on cornet, and Ian McDonald on soprano sax. Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include "Starless", "Providence", "One More Red Nightmare", and "Red". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout classic from Fern Kinney – and a set that not only marked a big moment of evolution for southern soul, but also for the Mississippi scene as well! The set was recorded at the Malaco studios in Jackson, but has a vibe that's much closer to some of the TK Records material from Miami – that maturation of southern soul during the disco era – as warmer, more modern touches came into play with rootsier styles of vocals! Mike Lewis handled the string arrangements – giving the record the same disco vibe as some of his other work of the time, including Anita Ward's big debut – and Fern's vocals have this higher range than usual for a southern singer – almost more innately tuned towards clubby rhythms. Titles include a big hit remake of King Floyd's "Groove Me" – really marking the change from the original version – plus "Baby Let Me Kiss You", "Pillow Talk", "Sun Moon Rain", "Angel On The Ground", and "Under Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

A hip jazz treasure from early 60s Germany – and an album that's noteworthy not just for the two players featured in the lead, but also for pianist Horst Jankowski – who's much groovier here than on his easy listening work! Horst demonstrates some great jazz chops – and a strong left hand at times, which makes for a solid soulful groove to the tunes – plenty of inspiration for great solo work from Rolf Kuhn on clarinet and Wolfgang Schluter on vibes – plus a bit of alto from Bernd Rabe, a great player we've only discovered from this set! The group also features a bit of trumpet from Conny Jackel – and titles include "Wolf's Blues", "Shine", "Nato Blues March", "Cute", "Metro Gnome", and "Straight Talk". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record from saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar – a batch of work that was originally done for the film Gentlemen, but a set that you'll be listening to long after the film has faded from the screens! The set may well be one of Jonas' most traditional jazz records – a set that really gets to show off his tremendous talents in a straight jazz setting – with a richness of tone, and overall sense of presentation that makes us feel like Kullhammar would have been a great addition to the Blue Note catalog in the 60s. Yet the music also has a very contemporary sense of vibrancy too – as Jonas works here with key modern partners Tobjorn Zetterberg on bass, Carl Bagge on piano, and Johan Holmegard on drums – plus tremendous work on half the record from musicians who include Swedish jazz giant Bernt Rosengren on tenor, as well as Goran Kajfes on cornet and Mattias Stahl on vibes. Kulhammar plays tenor, baritone, stritch, and saxello – and titles include "Le Boulevardier", "Montmartre", "Paris Art Ensemble", "The Bear Quartet", "So Long Henry", "Danish Blow", and "Gazell". LP, Vinyl record album

Weird and wonderful work from the enigmatic Bruce Lacey – a character whose life and ideals are as compelling as his music! This package is really the first to ever do Lacey justice – and it brings together a rich range of electronic explorations and a few more acoustic improvisations as well – all material that really marks Bruce as being on the forefront of experimentation, especially in the years before the 70s Brit electronicians, even Throbbing Gristle! Lacey's music is stark, but has a sense of humanity – often as spacey as the title promises, but never in a careless way – and always filled with subtle shadings and thoughtful passages. Many of the sounds are electronic, but they also have very unusual sources too – and titles include various parts of "Earth Spirit", plus "Kissing Film", "Experiment 1", "Funky Dance", and "Cycles Of The Serpent (parts 1 & 3)". LP, Vinyl record album