A big tone and a round bottom – Al Sears could always deliver the goods in any kind of setting, but sounds especially nice in this rare small group date with a keen focus on his wonderful tenor sax! The session's one of our favorite in the short-lived Swingville offshoot of Prestige – and is a perfect illustration why the label's format worked so well – taking Sears out of his more familiar large group setting (especially with Ellington), and setting him up in a late nite, laidback sort of mode! Other players here include Don Abney on piano, Wally Richardson on guitar, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Joe Marshall on drums – all grooving nicely, but letting Al get plenty of solo room in the spotlight! Tunes include "Moving Out", "Record Hop", "Take Off Road, " Already Alright", "In A Mellow Tone", "Out Of Nowhere", "Ain't No Use", and "The Thrill Is Gone". CD

A killer lost session on Prestige – one that takes the two players in the lead into some sweetly soul jazz territory! Hal Singer plays tenor, and really gets room to wail here in one of his strongest American jazz-based sessions of the 60s – and Charlie Shaver's also pretty great too, with a bit less of the sweet, tight sound of other records – and a bit more open groove! Thanks should probably go to the rhythm section – which features some especially nice piano from Ray Bryant, plus bass from Wendell Marshall and drums from Osie Johnson. Tracks are all longish, and titles include "Wendy", "Midnight", "Fancy Pants", "Blue Stompin", and "The Blast Off". CD

A wide-ranging book on soundtrack cultures from around the globe – presented as a series of different essays on the music by a variety of different academic who specialize in film music! Mark Slobin edited the volume, and contributes a few early essays on American film music – including a look at the cult around Max Steiner – and other essays look at Bollywood soundtracks, Hindi film music, other cinematic sounds in Chinese, Brazilian, Tamil, Indonesian, Egyptian, Mexican, and other cultures. The book is hefty – 383 pages for this softcover edition, with some black and white images – and contributors include Greg Booth, Abdalla Uba Adamu, Joseph Getter, Marilyn Miller, Sue MC Tuohy, Sumarsam, Eric Galm, Martin Stokes, and Brenda Berrian. Book

A hip little record – produced by Bob Thiele as pre-Flying Dutchman effort, and with some of the great vibe of the blues records on that label! The set's got an unusual lineup – with jazzman Richard Williams on trumpet, plus Ed Davis on tenor, Marshall Hooks on guitar, Curtis Tillman on bass, Robert Schedel on piano, and Big Jim Wynn on saxophones. One track also features guitar from Art Adams and harmonica from Lightnin Rod – and titles include "Blues For Reverend King", "Ode To Billie Joe", "If You Were A Rabbit", "Juicy Harmonica", "Help Me", and "A Letter To The President". CD

A hip little record – produced by Bob Thiele as pre-Flying Dutchman effort, and with some of the great vibe of the blues records on that label! The set's got an unusual lineup – with jazzman Richard Williams on trumpet, plus Ed Davis on tenor, Marshall Hooks on guitar, Curtis Tillman on bass, Robert Schedel on piano, and Big Jim Wynn on saxophones. One track also features guitar from Art Adams and harmonica from Lightnin Rod – and titles include "Blues For Reverend King", "Ode To Billie Joe", "If You Were A Rabbit", "Juicy Harmonica", "Help Me", and "A Letter To The President". LP, Vinyl record album

With Frank Chace on clarinet, Marty Grosz and Big Mike McKendrick on guitar, White Mitchell on bass, Art Gronwall onpiano, and Bob Saltmarsh on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A fierce, full-on session from British pianist Pat Smythe – a player you might know from more conventional settings, but who really lets loose here in this unreleased live set from the early 70s! Pat plays plenty of Fender Rhodes in addition to piano – and the set's got an especially strong electric component in the presence of Allan Holdsworth on guitar – who's at his searing best here, and really seems to push Smythe to new levels of energy! The group also features Daryl Runswick on bass and John Marshall on drums – and the set features material from two live French performances in 1973, with titles that include "Casa Forte", "Village Greene", "Floppy Hat", "Rank's Vibe", "Golden Lakes", "British Rail", and "Waiting For The Walrus". CD

A killer album from Soft Machine – one that's maybe a bit tighter and more rock oriented at times than the jazz workouts of their previous numbered albums – although still all instrumental, and with the kind of top-shelf instrumentation that we've always loved from the group! This time around, the guitar of Allan Holdsworth gets plenty of well-deserved time in the spotlight, and the keyboards of Mike Ratledge are too – while Karl Jenkins serves up some wonderfully sharp lines on reeds – as the group are driven by the heady bass of Roy Babbington, and monstrous drums of John Marshall! The set begins with the blistering five part "Hazard" – followed by other cuts that include "Gone Sailing", "Bundles", "The Floating World", "Four Gongs Two Drums", and "Peff". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully burning double-length set from Soft Machine – proof that the group were really at the height of their powers during the early 70s – magically blending together jazz, rock, and fusion into one soaringly spacey new sound! The work here is a key fore-runner of countless trends to come – including recent keyboard-heavy work on the cosmic club scene – particularly 4 Hero and the generation of others that sprang up in their wake. Soft Machine have a similar British bent for blending styles here – using jazz elements that are on a par with their best contemporaries in the straighter part of that genre – but fusing them together with a more pulsating approach to rhythm that pushes all the solo bits wonderfully! There's a fair bit of groove heavy tracks here that still sound as fresh today as when they were recorded – and the album features great drums from John Marshall, keyboards from Mike Ratledge, bass from Hugh Hopper, and a wide variety of reeds from Karl Jenkins. The album's a rich tapestry of long and short tracks, all woven together – and titles include "All White", "Between", "Riff", "EPV", "Stumble", "5 From 13", "Riff II", "The Soft Weed Factor", and "Chloe & The Pirates". LP, Vinyl record album

The very first album from Sons Of Kemet – and a set that already has the group burning hard, at the level that have made them one of the key forces on the brilliant British jazz scene over the past decade or so! The mighty Shabaka Hutchings is fantastic on both tenor and clarinet – and the group has a unique two-drum lineup, with work from Tom Skinner and Seb Rochford, who provide these great criss-crossing rhythms – while the tuba of Oren Marshall moves between both work as a bass-like instrument, and as a painter of deeper tones on the set! The blend of elements is wonderful – and titles include "Song For Galeano", "Beware", "Inner Babylon", "All Will Surely Burn", "The Godfather", "Rivers Of Babylon", and "The Junglist". LP, Vinyl record album

Two funky space albums – back to back on a single CD! An Astromusical Odyssey is a fantastic album of spacey funky tracks! The great John Keating put this whole thing together in the years before he cut his more famous space soul albums for EMI – and the record's a wonderful mix of spacey orchestrations, spare electronics, and haunting voices – a wicked journey to the stars with a hip Brit Easy feel! There's a lot more funk here than you'd expect from other Phase 4 albums of this generation – and plenty of the cuts have weird instrumental bits that are just waiting for sampling. The whole thing's wonderful, and titles include "Round Trip Mars", "Aquarius", "Nocturne", "Across The Universe", "Up, Up, & Away", and "Spinning Wheel". Nova Sounds Of The Stars is a second slice of Sounds Galactic work from the Phase 4 catalog – this time headed by Roland Shaw, but in the same moogy modes used by John Keating on the previous album! There's possibly even more cool electronics here than before – lots of cool analogue bits that bubble and squeak nicely – amidst more familiar instrumental modes from the Phase 4 universe, including some nice jazzy touches, bits of strings, and other styles – all blended nicely with plenty of odd production and sound effects! Titles include a great cover of "Pillow Talk", a version of "Live & Let Die", and the Carpenters' "Yesterday Once More" – plus the great "Mon Etoile (My Star)", "Summer", "Get Down", and "Love Is All". CD

Massive funkiness! This album ranks as one of the best from the early 70's period at Prestige, and it features a crack group of young heavy hitters like Sparks on guitar, Leon Spencer on organ, Grover Washington on tenor, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all wailing, just wailing, away on long funky tracks with solos that go waaaaay over the top! There's a full, extended brilliance here that has to be heard to be believed – an intensity of jazz funk energy that few groups or scenes in later years ever matched. Tracks include the wild "Conjunction Mars", "Spark Plug", and a funky cover of "Who's Gonna Take The Weight". LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut from singer Wanda Stafford – and the kind of set that makes you think she's been recording albums like this for years! Wanda's got a hell of a voice, right from the start – a nice punch that really fits with the choice of material on the date – and with the lively arrangements, which often have these playful horn parts moving up and down in the background – almost in a Capitol Records Jack Marshall or Billy May sort of style – although the instrumentation isn't credited here. The mix of great music and swinging vocals is great – and the album's a real knockout from Stafford, with cuts that include "Ridin On The Moon", "In Love For The Very First Time", "Hooray For Love", "Let There Be Love", "Late Late Show", and "Love". CD

A fantastic slice of rare Duke Ellington – a unique set that features both Duke and Billy Strayhorn on pianos, with just bass accompaniment – Wendell Marshall on side one, and Joe Shulman on side two! LP, Vinyl record album

A completely fresh take on the Charlie Parker aesthetic of the bop generation – updated for the 70s, but in ways that are still pretty classic overall! The group's a large one, but plays with a tightness that goes way past their gimmicky name – thanks to players who include Med Flory and Joe Lopes on alto, Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all of whom get in some great licks! Tunes are all short bop classics, played with very tight head arrangements, and some searing breakout solos. Titles include "Ko Ko", "Be Bop", "Repetition", "Night In Tunisia", "Hot House", "Star Eyes", and "Parker's Mood". CD

A completely fresh take on the Charlie Parker aesthetic of the bop generation – updated for the 70s, but in ways that are still pretty classic overall! The group's a large one, but plays with a tightness that goes way past their gimmicky name – thanks to players who include Med Flory and Joe Lopes on alto, Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all of whom get in some great licks! Tunes are all short bop classics, played with very tight head arrangements, and some searing breakout solos. Titles include "Ko Ko", "Be Bop", "Repetition", "Night In Tunisia", "Hot House", "Star Eyes", and "Parker's Mood". CD

A completely fresh take on the Charlie Parker aesthetic of the bop generation – updated for the 70s, but in ways that are still pretty classic overall! The group's a large one, but plays with a tightness that goes way past their gimmicky name – thanks to players who include Med Flory and Joe Lopes on alto, Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all of whom get in some great licks! Tunes are all short bop classics, played with very tight head arrangements, and some searing breakout solos. Titles include "Ko Ko", "Be Bop", "Repetition", "Night In Tunisia", "Hot House", "Star Eyes", and "Parker's Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Two MPS gems from this unusual 70s ensemble – back to back on the same CD! Chasin The Bird features classic bop modes, updated strongly for the 70s – and played by a hip group of older players who really know how to cook! Supersax is led by Med Flory on alto, who also did the arrangements – and works here with great reed help from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Joe Lopes on alto, and Jack Nimitz on baritone – plus soaring sounds from Conte Candoli and Blue Mitchell on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Lou Levy on piano – all of whom really help the reed players find their groove! Charts are large, as is the ensemble, but there's a nice sense of individual personalities too – even when all the saxophonists are taking a solo together at once. Titles include "Shaw Nuff", "Drifting On A Reed", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam", "Now's The Time", and "The Song Is You". Dynamite is a looser, more free-swinging album than usual for Supersax – one that still has the group working with some key contributions from west coast jazz luminaries, but in a vibe that's almost more small combo than larger ensemble! The tracks here include a fair bit of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker numbers, but the arrangements are mighty fresh – open, and swinging with some hipper 70s touches, thanks to rhythms from a trio that features Lou Levy on piano, Fred Atwood on bass, and John Dentz on drums – players that are never locked into a strict bop mode. As with other Supersax albums, there's a brace of reed players working together at the front – Lanny Morgan on alto, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and both Jay Migliori and Don Menza on tenors – coming together as one voice on the solos, and getting some key help from Conte Candoli on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone. Titles include "The Fruit", "Bambu", "Blues For Alice", "Tempus Fugit", "Parker's Mood", and a surprising, but great take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave". CD

John Surman on baritone and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, recorder, synthesizer, and keyboards, Miroslav Vitous on double-bass, Kenny Kirkland on piano, Jon Christensen on drums, John Abercrombie on guitar, Marc Johnson on double-bass, Peter Erskine on drums, Stephen Waterman, Henry Lowther, and Stuart Brooks on trumpet, Malcolm Griffiths and Chris Pyne on trombone, David Stewart and Richard Edwards on bass trombone, Chris Laurence on double bass, John Marshall on drums, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Barre Phillips on double-bass, Stu Martin on drums, Paul Bley on piano, Gary Peacock on double-bass, Tony Oxley on drums, Terje Rypdal on guitar, Vigleik Stgoraas on piano, Rita Manning on violin, Keith Pascoe on violin, Bill Hawkes on viola, and Nick Cooper on cello. CD

T Rex's phenomenal second album since moving into a heavier glam mode, following the great Electric Warrior LP – still standing firmly as one of the best purely rocking, trashy fun rock & roll albums of the 70s! Marc Bolan's roots on spacier psyche folk melodies sort of float over beefier, fuzzier, sleazier hooks – a facet of the T Rex sound that always set them apart from the pack of more rote guitar rock guys & gals, and this peak material. Includes the eternal "Metal Guru" & "Telegram Sam", more classics like the title track, "Mystic Lady", "Baby Boomerang", "Ballrooms Of Mars", "Main Man" and more. CD

A brilliant debut from Bram Tchaikovsky – a power pop genius, and one who may not be that well remembered these days – but who was equally grabbed up by folks who drinking deep of late 70s sounds by artists like Elvis Costello, Marshall Crenshaw, and The Jam! There's a bit of Paul Weller in Bram's vocal style – but that might just come from the way he goes deeper than some of his contemporaries in range, all while keeping pace with the strong fast-riffing sound of his songs – which are almost always extra-catchy numbers! Titles include "Robber", "Lonely Danger", "Turn On The Light", "Sarah Smiles", "I'm The One That's Leaving", "Girl Of My Dreams", and "Bloodline". LP, Vinyl record album

Two great albums from Lucky Thompson! First up is Plays Jerome Kern – wonderful work from that early 60s moment when Lucky Thompson was really opening up with a newly soulful sound – and mixing in some great soprano sax work with his tenor! The tunes are familiar, but the execution is wonderful – Lucky blowing easily in a quartet with Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums – the last of whom really keeps things moving, even when mellow. Titles include " Long Ago And Far Away", "Lovely To Look At", "No More", "Look For The Silver Lining", "Who", "Dearly Beloved", "Why Do I Love You", "Why Was I Born", and "They Didn't Believe Me". Happy Days is an overlooked gem from Lucky Thompson's mid 60s years – that wonderful time when he'd returned to the fold even stronger than ever – filled with hip new musical ideas, and a great command for the soprano sax! This set's got Lucky working on both soprano and tenor, both of which are handled with these angular, soulful tones that are totally great – right at home in a group that features Tommy Flanagan on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – all marvelously sensitive rhythm accompanists. Jack Melady adds harp on 2 tracks on the set – a very nice touch – and titles include "Safari", "Cry Me A River", "People", "You Don't Know What Love Is", and "As Time Goes By". CD

Wonderful work from that early 60s moment when Lucky Thompson was really opening up with a newly soulful sound – and mixing in some great soprano sax work with his tenor! The tunes are familiar, but the execution is wonderful – Lucky blowing easily in a quartet with Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums – the last of whom really keeps things moving, even when mellow. Titles include " Long Ago And Far Away", "Lovely To Look At", "No More", "Look For The Silver Lining", "Who", "Dearly Beloved", "Why Do I Love You", "Why Was I Born", and "They Didn't Believe Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection of music from the great pianist Lennie Tristano – and maybe the first-ever set to truly get at the range of genius he could express on the piano! Given that Tristano only made a small amount of records during his too-short career, yet also left a major impact on the field of modern jazz – this set really documents the full span of everything that Tristano had to offer – pulled from a wonderful range of his own recordings, all of which appear here for the first time! These aren't casual solo recordings done in the basement – and instead, the package brings together a mixture of studio, live, and even television performances – all with a different spirit on each of the CDs in the set! One of the most revelatory is the final CD – which features a number of tracks in a "free session" in 1948 - with Tristano on piano, Lee Konitz on alto, Warne Marsh on tenor, and Billy Bauer on guitar – coming together with an amazing sound throughout. That same disc also features a superb 1962 live date at the Half Note – with Konitz on alto and Zoot Sims on tenor. CD1 is wonderful too – a selection of live material with the tremendous Billy Bauer on piano – a player, like Tristano, who was instrumental in shaping the sound of his instrument in modern jazz during the postwar years. CD3 features live performances by a sextet that includes Konitz, Marsh, and Bauer – plus Arnold Fishkin on bass and Jeff Morton on drums. CD2 features beautiful solo performances recorded from the early 50s through 1970. CD4 features trio session, most with Peter Ind on bass – while CD5 features different trio and duo material, but with Sonny Dallas on bass. The set is impeccably done – in cooperation with Tristano's family – and given the wealth of material, the whole thing may well have doubled his recording catalog in the process, while also really illuminating so many different aspects of his career! CD

Rare work from Lennie Tristano – some brilliant recordings made at the Half Note in 1958 and 1964, all of which feature Warne Marsh in the group on tenor sax! The first half of the set features Lennie's piano with Marsh's tenor – in a cool quartet with Henry Grimes on bass and Paul Motian on drums. Remaining tracks feature Tristano and Marsh with Lee Konitz on alto, Sonny Dallas on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – working in slightly more open territory than the other tracks. Titles include "Continuity", "My Baby", "She's Funny That Way", "Subconscious Lee", "317 East 52nd", and "Background Music". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Lennie Tristano – and proof that he'd developed all of his modernist ideals firmly in the years before his birth of the cool fame. The tracks are from obscure sources, and most likely appeared on 78 rpm records – and the dates given range from 1946 to 1949. Players include all the likely suspects – like Billy Bauer, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, and others – and although the recording quality isn't always excellent, the conception is, and the CD is perhaps one of the best on the market to give a clear picture of Tristano's true genius! There's a total of 26 cuts in all – including "Disgression", "Out On A Limb", "Interlude", "Blues", "Atonement", "Supersonic", and "On A Planet". CD

A great "birth of the cool" album from Capitol – a 10" record that brings together some key recordings from that pivotal jazz year of 1949! Titles include "Imagination" by a large group with Bill Harris in the lead on trombone; "Wow", "Marionette", and "Yesterdays" from a great Lennie Tristano group with Warne Marsh on tenor, Lee Konitz on alto, and Billy Bauer on guitar; "Boplicity" by Miles Davis with JJ Johnson and Lee Konitz; and "Penthouse Serenade", "Extrovert", and "Good For Nothin Joe" by a quintet with Buddy DeFranco on clarinet and Teddy Cohen on vibes. LP, Vinyl record album

Although this set was issued in the 70s, it features some excellent rare early work by Tristano, originally recorded for Capitol in 1949. The material features a core of his early devotees – Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, and Billy Bauer – and the selection of tracks includes 2 especially amazing tracks – "Intuition" and "Digression" – both of which were freely improvised in the studio during recording! Along with the other material in the set – "Yesterdays", "Wow", "Sax Of A Kind", and "Maironette" – the record's an essential one for any Tristano fan. The other side of the record features some slightly modernist stuff by Buddy DeFranco, and titles on that stuff include "Bird In Igor's Yard", "Extrovert", and "Aishie". LP, Vinyl record album

The towering Marshall amps on the cover will give you a good idea of what's going on here – as this heavy 70s combo really turn things up to 11 with their searing power trio style! The group recall earlier efforts from that moment when three-member rock groups really set fire to the new generation of hard rock – drawing plenty of inspiration from lean blues of vintage years, but amping things up with all the fuzz of the psychedelic years, while also proving that guitar, bass, and drums were more than enough to resonate with a hell of a lot of power! Yet the album's also got a different vibe than work from bigger early 70s acts – cut almost in obscurity, with no attempts at commerciality, which really keeps things hard and heavy – on tracks that include "My Mind", "Remember", "Down The Road I Go", "No Rest For The Wicked", "The Light", and "It's All Above Us". LP, Vinyl record album

Although Marsha Wash and Izora Armstead later metamorphosed into the too-silly Weather Girls later in the 80s, at this point in their career, they were pretty decent singers – and were being produced by Harvey Fuqua in a great style that took bits of soul, bits of disco, and forged a modern club groove that worked very nicely for their strong vocal techniques. The best tracks are pretty darn catchy – and the record's a great soul album that shouldn't be passed up, even if you're scared of their Weather Girls reputation. Titles include "Never Like This", "I Depend On You", "Can't Do It By Myself", "I Been Down", and "Your Love Is Gonna See Me Through". LP, Vinyl record album

With Cal Collins on guitar, Marshal Royal on alto saxophone, Nat Pierce on piano, Phil Flanigan on bass, and Jake Hanna on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Mars Williams on saxophone. CD

With Mars Williams on saxophone. CD

Nate McBride on acoustic and electric bass, Kent Kessler on acoustic bass, Hamid Drake on drums, Curt Nevton on drums and percussion, Ken Vandermark on tenor saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet, and Mars Williams on clarinet and tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone. CD

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A very hip Japanese group from the 70s – one based in Tokyo, but a combo who also featured Japanese/American members too – and who soar out nicely here on one of their best-remembered albums! The set's got this cool, compressed style that's a bit like glam – but it's also never too over the top either, so that there's a hard rock style that dominates many of the tracks, with guitar lines that really benefit a lot from the compression – as do the vocals when they are folded nicely down into the grooves! Lyrics are both in English and Japanese, and titles include "Billy Mars", "Automatic Pilot", "Vacuum Girl", "Scratchin", and "Pontiac Pan". LP, Vinyl record album

Cool quirky post-punk work from The Waitresses – a group who maybe were never as big as Blondie or Romeo Void, but shared a very similar space at the time! This album's best known for the classic "I Know What Boys Want" – a naughty little number that got plenty of dancefloor and radio play back in the day – but the whole album's an equally enjoyable romp, with lots of jagged guitars, sharp-edged rhythms, and cool snot-nosed vocals from Patty Donahue! Mars Williams blows some mighty reeds in the group – and titles include "I Know What Boys Want", "Wise Up", "It's My Car", "No Guilt", "Heat Night", and "Go On". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of space age funk – and maybe one of the greatest moments ever from Philly Soul maestro Dexter Wansel! The album goes way beyond any of Wansel's other work – and blends his warm soulful styles with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s – a vibe that's every bit as electric and spacey as you'd guess from the cover! Some cuts have a bit more of a soul focus, but others have loads of jazzy keyboards from Dexter – driven on by some great drums at points too. Titles include Wansel's legendary version of "Theme From the Planets" with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning – plus the funky "Life On Mars", and the tracks "One Million Miles From The Ground", "You Can Be What You Wanna Be", "Prophet Named KG", "Rings Of Saturn", and "Stargazer". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of space age funk – and maybe one of the greatest moments ever from Philly Soul maestro Dexter Wansel! The album goes way beyond any of Wansel's other work – and blends his warm soulful styles with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s – a vibe that's every bit as electric and spacey as you'd guess from the cover! Some cuts have a bit more of a soul focus, but others have loads of jazzy keyboards from Dexter – driven on by some great drums at points too. Titles include Wansel's legendary version of "Theme From the Planets" with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning – plus the funky "Life On Mars", and the tracks "One Million Miles From The Ground", "You Can Be What You Wanna Be", "Prophet Named KG", "Rings Of Saturn", and "Stargazer". LP, Vinyl record album

Masterpiece records from Philly soul maestro Dexter Wansel – stepping out here in a beautiful blend of jazz and soul! Life On Mars is a fantastic bit of space age funk, easily the best album that Wansel ever recorded – and a sublime blend of Wansel's Philly grooving sensibility with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s. The result is a tight batch of crossover tracks that work well both as jazz funk groovers, and as smoother modern soul tracks. Includes the version of "Theme From the Planets" with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning – plus lots of other nice ones, including "Life On Mars", "Rings Of Saturn", and "Stargazer". What The World Is Coming To moves the focus back to soul a bit more than Life On Mars – but also keeps in plenty of jazzy touches! Dexter's groove here is similar to the best work he did with other Philly vocalists in the same time – and the set features guest vocals from Jean Carn and Terri Wells, sliding into a warmly soulful realm on the mellower tracks, and stepping out with a fully jazzed up groove on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "What The World Is Coming To", "Dreams Of Tomorrow", "Holdin On", "Dance With Me Tonight", "Disco Lights", and "Prelude #1". 1978's Voyager is a bit like Dexter's space jazz classic Life On Mars – and with those fat, thumping bass lines, elastic lead guitar, atmospheric soul vocals and loads and loads of keys – spatial work on Rhodes, Moogs and ARPs! It's all done in a funky style not always heard on Philly – plus Dexter arranged and produced just about everything! Tracks include "Solutions", "Voyager", "I'm In Love", "Latin Love", and "I Just Want To Love You". 1979's Time Is Slipping Away is a straighter Philly soul outing than some of Wansel's earlier work – a nice batch from a talent that was responsible for crafting some of the best smooth modern numbers at the end of the 70s! It features the killer cut "The Sweetest Pain" – a smooth stepper with some subtle keyboard grooving behind warm female vocals by Terri Well – plus "Funk Attack", "New Beginning", "One For the Road", "It's Been Cool", and "I'll Never Forget (My Favorite Disco)". CD

Five years of amazing sounds from Dexter Wansel – a keyboardist who could be as far out as his fiercest fusion contemporaries of the 70s, yet also groove with enough soulful styles to be a key part of the Philadelphia International explosion of the 70s! This massive collection really gets at all that made Wansel so great back in the day – his incredible ear for inventive arrangements, spacey way of spinning out a soul tune, and great sense of balance that never made his music sound overdone – always an effortless blend of jazz, soul, and funk – in ways that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to touch! Many of these tunes have vocals, but they also have plenty of keyboard solos too – kind of like CTI hitting a Philly groove, but one that was definitely reserved for the hipper spaces of the clubs – or the hipper clubs out there in outer space. 2CD set features great notes, sublime sound, and a killer batch of 32 tracks that includes "Life On Mars", "Disco Lights", "Let Me Rock You", "I'll Never Forget My Favorite Disco (12" version)", "The Sweetest Pain", "Holdin On", "One Million Miles From The Ground", "Rings Of Saturn", "Theme From The Planets", "Funk Attack", "Stargazer", "Ode Infinitum", "Latin Love", "Let Me Rock You", "Holdin On", "Prelude 1", "New Beginning", "Time Is The Teacher", "A Prophet Named KG", "I Just Want To Love You", "All Night Long", "It's Been Cool", "Voyager", and "Time Is Slipping Away". CD

Dexter Wansel keeps up the space jazz funk groove that was begun on Life On Mars – with those fat, thumping bass lines, elastic lead guitar, atmospheric soul vocals and loads and loads of keys – spatial work on Rhodes, Moogs and ARPs! It's all done in a funky style not always heard on Philly! Dexter arranged and produced just about everything – and cuts include "All Night Long", "Voyager", "Solutions", "Latin Love", and "Time Is The Teacher". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from Philly arranger Dexter Wansel – an album that moves the focus back to soul a bit more than on his Life On Mars set, but which also keeps in plenty of jazzy touches! Dexter's groove here is similar to the best work he did with other Philly vocalists in the same time – and the set features guest vocals from Jean Carn and Terri Wells, sliding into a warmly soulful realm on the mellower tracks, and stepping out with a fully jazzed up groove on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "What The World Is Coming To", "Dreams Of Tomorrow", "Holdin On", "Dance With Me Tonight", "Disco Lights", and "Prelude #1". LP, Vinyl record album

Featured guests include Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Marc Ribot, Bruce Hornsby, Branford Marsalis, Jerry Garcia, Willie Dixon, and Neil Young! CD

A gem of a record from the funk-heavy period of Muddy Waters – a moment that once made the traditional blues fans mad, but which has gone onto become the stuff of legend – thanks to a real criss-crossing of Chicago talents in the studio! The set was co-produced by Chess Records talents Charles Stepney, Gene Barge, and Marshall Chess – and features expanded instrumentation that includes Phil Upchurch on added guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Stepney on organ, and Morris Jennings on drums – plus even more guitar from Pete Cosey, who you might know from later work on some Miles Davis electric albums! Muddy is still very firmly the lead talent at the core, though – coming across with a badass kind of vibe that mixes his raw roots with the hipper soul of the new generation – a great Chess/Cadet hybird that was years ahead of its time. Titles include "I Am The Blues", "Hurtin Soul", "Bottom Of The Sea", "Honey Bee", "Rollin' And Tumblin'", "Screamin & Cryin", and "Blues & Trouble". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from the funk-heavy period of Muddy Waters – a moment that once made the traditional blues fans mad, but which has gone onto become the stuff of legend – thanks to a real criss-crossing of Chicago talents in the studio! The set was co-produced by Chess Records talents Charles Stepney, Gene Barge, and Marshall Chess – and features expanded instrumentation that includes Phil Upchurch on added guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Stepney on organ, and Morris Jennings on drums – plus even more guitar from Pete Cosey, who you might know from later work on some Miles Davis electric albums! Muddy is still very firmly the lead talent at the core, though – coming across with a badass kind of vibe that mixes his raw roots with the hipper soul of the new generation – a great Chess/Cadet hybird that was years ahead of its time. Titles include "I Am The Blues", "Hurtin Soul", "Bottom Of The Sea", "Honey Bee", "Rollin' And Tumblin'", "Screamin & Cryin", and "Blues & Trouble". LP, Vinyl record album

Trad jazz tunes played by a group led by Newport Jazz Fest impresario George Wein, and featuring players that include Ruby Braff, Marshall Brown, Bud Freeman, Pee Wee Rusell, and Bill Takas. Titles include "The Bends Blues", "Ja-Da", "Keepin Out Of Mischief Now", and "Blue Turning Grey Over You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great slice of New Orleans soul from the 70s – a record that replicates the "Indian" culture in the Mardi Gras scene – and which is most notable for featuring work by The Meters as well! The groove here is kind of Meters-styled funk, mixed with some fuller New Orleans mode – as the core Wild Tchoupitoulas group get a nice kick at the core – which makes their lyrics and calls come off even better than in a live setting! The album also gets kickass production from Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn – and is one of the crowning funk jewels in Toussaint's crown for the 70s. Tracks include "Brother John", "Indian Red", "Hey Hey", "Hey Mama", "Meet De Boys On The Battlefront", and a version of "Hey Pocky Way". CD

One of the best dates ever as a leader from trumpeter Joe Wilder – and one of the few to have a really relaxed, open sort of format! Joe's not tied up in gimmicks or larger groups here – and he really sparkles in the company of a quartet that features Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – players that really match Wilder's inherent sense of soul and lyricism, as he waxes some beautiful solos on the set. There's a nice sort of blueness in Joe's tone, but one that's never too forced or cliched – and titles include "Mad About The Boy", "Six Bit Blues", "Darn That Dream", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "My Heart Stood Still". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best dates ever as a leader from trumpeter Joe Wilder – and one of the few to have a really relaxed, open sort of format! Joe's not tied up in gimmicks or larger groups here – and he really sparkles in the company of a quartet that features Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – players that really match Wilder's inherent sense of soul and lyricism, as he waxes some beautiful solos on the set. There's a nice sort of blueness in Joe's tone, but one that's never too forced or cliched – and titles include "Mad About The Boy", "Six Bit Blues", "Darn That Dream", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "My Heart Stood Still". CD

Hard-swingin tracks from Ernie Wilkins – one of the most soulful arrangers of his time, working here in a wonderful all-star session from the 50s! The album's definitely got the "top brass" promised in the title – a lineup that features Donald Byrd, Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, and Joe Wilder on trumpets – all working at a level that allows plenty of space for well-blown solos, but tied up in tighter ensemble formation overall – all with that Wilkins sense of swing that really set Ernie apart at the time. Rhythm is from a trip that includes Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kelly Clarke on drums – and titles include "58 Market Street", "Trick Or Treat", "Speedway", "Dot's What", "Top Brass", "Imagination", and "Willow Weep For Me". Also features the album Trumpets All Out – an all-trumpet affair, one that features 5 different players on the instrument – Art Farmer, Emmet Berry, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Royal, and Harold Baker – supported by spare rhythm from the trio of Don Abney on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Bobby Donaldson on drums. There's a definite swing-based approach here – different than usual for some of Farmer's outings of the time – but the differences between the players are nicely pronounced, and the amazing thing about the album is how it manages to pack so much solo energy in such a relatively small space, in a way that still lets you hear the different voices clearly. Titles include "She's Just My Size", "Five Cats Swingin", "Blues In 6/4", "Trumpets All Out", and "Low Life". LP, Vinyl record album

John Williams come back! All is forgiven! We'll hardly complain anymore about all those overblown top-selling scores after hearing this gem from the early 70s! The record is a treasure – completely unlike any work that Williams did in later years – quite possibly because the film itself is a quirky little love story, starring James Caan and Marsha Mason in the sort of offbeat "when losers meet" sort of film that could have only been made in the early 70s. Some of the tunes on the set are nicely funky – almost in a Lalo Schifrin way – and others are mellow, but nicely moody, in a really understated scene-setting style that's great. Toots Thielemans plays some great harmonica on a few of the mellower cuts, and Paul Williams sings vocals to 3 of the tracks on the set, all contributed by him. Titles include "Wednesday Special", "New Shooter", "Boxing Montage", "The Ferry Ride", "Neptune's Bar", "Nice To Be Around", and "Maggie Shoots Pool". LP, Vinyl record album

Mars Williams presents a great installment in this surprisingly long-running series – a really unusual mix of Christmas songs with the avant jazz inspiration of Albert Ayler – served up here in two different performances – one recorded in Chicago, the other in New York! As with the previous volumes, there's a stunning mix of sounds going on – some of the sentiment you might get in a Holiday tune, which seems to open up the more human corners of Ayler music – which includes snippets of "Spirits", "The Truth Is Marching In", "Omega", and "Change Has Come" – folded together with Christmas themes on these beautiful long improvisations! The Chicago group features Williams on saxes and toy instruments – plus Josh Berman on cornet, Jim Baker on piano and viola, Kent Kessler on bass, Brian Sandstrom on bass and guitar, and Steve Hunt on drums – and the New York group features Steve Swell on trombone, Hilliard Greene on bass, Chris Corsano on drums, Nels Cline on guitar, and Fred Lonberg Holm on cello. Vinyl version features two side-long tracks – two versions of "Noel Omega Change Has Come For The Three Kings Who Lit The Tiny Candles" – one by each group! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful entry in this surprisingly long-running series – a mad mix of music that happens every December, when reedman Mars Williams combines themes from Albert Ayler tunes with other snippets of festive holiday songs! But lest you think this is a standard Christmas record, think again – as the music is very freely improvised, and is much more like an album of free jazz than something you'd be likely to play around the fire with your family – unless your family happens to all be fans of improvised music! Given that Ayler was always hoping his music had the power to reach other audiences, we're thinking he'd be pleased with the project – at least as much as we are. In addition to Mars' own work on saxes, suona, and toy instruments – the group also features Josh Berman on cornet, Jim Baker on piano and viola, Peter Maunu on violin, Steve Hunt on drums, Kent Kessler on bass, and Brian Sandstrom on bass, guitar, and trumpet – on tunes that include "The Divine Peacemaker Plays Dreidel In Frightful Weather", "The Angels Sing With The Old & New Ghosts In The Manger", and "Did You Hear They Found Light In Darkness". CD

Maybe one of the most striking examples of the genius of reedman Mars Williams we've ever heard – a set of live improvisations with drummer Hamid Drake – done in this really open, unadorned style that also has Drake really moving at the height of his power too! Williams effortlessly moves between sonic intensity and tunefulness, shifting instruments throughout the set – while Hamid delivers some of his more sensitive work on the kit at just a few points, but mostly responds to the raw energy of Mars by really letting loose in a way you don't always hear! The whole set was recorded in very friendly Chicago territory – and titles include "The Worm", "But What Am I", "I Know", and "You Are". CD

Improvisations between two very playful artists here – each of whom do a great job of balancing between their core instruments and sounds from some other slight sources as well! Mars Williams handles saxes, and Vasco Trilla plays drums – but the latter opens up all these other percussion instruments too, while Williams uses toy instruments in very inventive ways – all with results that make the record very different than just a standard set of improvisations between drums and saxes! There's a sonic quality to the record that's very much its own – as you'll hear on long tracks that include "Fogo", "The Tongue Set Free", "Thin Air", "Critical Mass", and "The Shaking Hand That Leaves A Mark". CD

A really beautiful trio set from saxophonist Mars Williams – one that gets at the interplay between tunefulness and improvising ferocity he could deliver when he was at his best – set up here in a stunning trio with Darin Gray on bass and Chris Corsano on drums! The set's a strong demonstration of just how far the sax-led trio has evolved since the early experiments of Sonny Rollins – and with the boundless energy and non-stop imagination of a player like Williams, the open territory is a broad canvas for creative expression! The whole thing may well be one of the greatest moments on record that Mars has ever given us – and the package features the complete set of a live performance at Chicago's Elastic Arts in 2012. CD

Maybe the greatest album ever from vibist Lem Winchester – an early soulful star on his instrument, but one who was taken from us all too soon! Lem's got this groove that really brings the instrument forward a lot – a harder touch that rivals that of Johnny Lytle, but a looser, freer sense of lyricism – hinting a bit at the Roy Ayers to come. This album's got a biting hardbop vibe, mixed with soul jazz elements – and the group features key contributions from Benny Golson on tenor sax – plus Tommy Flanagan on piano, Wendell Marsall from bass, and the great Art Taylor on drums. Golson's at his rootsiest here, too – and titles include "Down Fuzz", "Mysticism", "The Dude", and "Will You Still Be Mine?". CD

A cool quintet session from the great trombonists JJ Johnson and Kai Winding – one that really lets their twin horns soar free together – with only a bit of light backing to spur them on! The group's got a great rhythm section – with Dick Katz on piano, Al Harewood on drums, and either Milt Hinton or Wendell Marshall on bass – and the format is simple, but wonderful – as Kai and JJ step out tightly on the leads, then trade solo lines with effortless easy – almost in the way a jazz vocal harmony group might at the time! The pair recorded often together, but this set's still one of their greatest – and titles include "Stolen Bass", "Out Of This World", "Gong Rock", "Lope City", and "That's How I Feel About You". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool quintet session from the great trombonists JJ Johnson and Kai Winding – one that really lets their twin horns soar free together – with only a bit of light backing to spur them on! The group's got a great rhythm section – with Dick Katz on piano, Al Harewood on drums, and either Milt Hinton or Wendell Marshall on bass – and the format is simple, but wonderful – as Kai and JJ step out tightly on the leads, then trade solo lines with effortless easy – almost in the way a jazz vocal harmony group might at the time! The pair recorded often together, but this set's still one of their greatest – and titles include "Stolen Bass", "Out Of This World", "Gong Rock", "Lope City", and "That's How I Feel About You". CD features a whopping 7 alternate takes of tracks on the album, too! CD

With Oscar Peterson, Cedar Walton, Tommy Flanagan, John Hicks, Mulgrew Miller, Ellis Marsalis, Cyrus Chestnut, Oliver Jones, Kenny Barron, Barry Harris, and Renee Rosnes. CD

An early classic from organist Larry Young – cut before his groundbreaking Blue Note work, in a style that's more straightforward soul jazz, but still pretty darn great! Larry's working in a group that features Jimmy Smith's frequent partner, Thornel Schwartz, on guitar – plus bass by Wendell Marshall, and drums by Jimmy Smith (a different musician than the organist!) Although there's less of the modal grooving of Larry's later years, the tracks still have a nicely off-center feel – with some great angular playing, and a great way of constructing the solos that pushes Larry away from other heavier organists of the time. Tracks include "African Blues", "Nica's Dream", "Minor Dream", and "Midnight Angel". Nice stuff! CD

A tremendous return to form for the great Brian Jackson – an artist that most folks know for his legendary 70s work with Gil Scott-Heron, but one who's kept on making great music for years after Gil departed our planet! Here, Jackson's the lead talent on Fender Rhodes, flute, and other instruments – working alongside core funky backdrops from Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad – in a mode that follows up the spirit of their other releases in the Jazz Is Dead series, but with a vibe that's darker and moodier overall! There's a great edge going on here – and the bassline are especially heavy at times, which seems to make Jackson push even stronger than he might – filling up all the spaces with beautiful sounds that show the musician at his jazziest. Titles include "Mars Walk", "Nancy Wilson", "Young Muhammad", "Guality", "Bain De Minuit", "Ethiopian Sunshower", and "Under The Bridge". LP, Vinyl record album

Miguel Zenon on alto saxophone, Carol McGonnell on clarinet and bass clarinet, Romie De Guise-Langlois on clarinet, Brad Balliett on bassoon, Keve Wilson on English horn, David Byrd-Marrow and Jennifer Kessler on French horn, James Austin Smith on oboe, Domenica Fossati, Julietta Curenton, and Nathalie Joachim on flute, Luis Perdomo on piano, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Henry Cole on drums, conducted by Guillermo Klein. CD

Miguel Zenon on alto sax – backed by Luis Perdomo on piano, Hans Glawischnig on bass and Antonio Sanchez on drums. The tracks are all originals and include "Farjardeno", "Chorreao", "Jibaro", and "Villaran". CD

The poetry of the title isn't lost on the group on the record – nor is the "sleep" reference that the famous phrase would imply – as the quartet work in much mellower territory than on some of the other Zorn-directed projects of this nature on Tzadik in recent years – often with a beautifully minimal and hypnotic vibe! The group features twin keyboards – organ from John Medeski, and piano and Fender Rhodes from Brian Marsella – both players who loop around each other in nice ways, and get these slight contributions from the guitar of Bill Frisell and drums of Kenny Wollesen – both musicians who really let the keys take the lead, almost like a small combo jam version of Terry Riley territory. Beautiful throughout – with titles that include "A Secret Twilight", "Eventide", "Introit", "Lacrimosa", and "Midnight Vespers". CD

Music from Dick Kent, Bobbi Blake, The MSR Singers, Norm Burns & Singers, Rod & The MSR Singers, Gene Marshall, The Music Magicians, Bill Joy, Rod Rogers With The "Swinging Strings", Teri Summers & The Librettos, Rodd Keith, and ,ore - 28 tracks in all. CD

A massive look at the huge legacy of North American punk in the late 70s – culled together from scenes in New York, Ohio, Boston, and LA – plus other surprising spots around the country – as artists were working separately, but together, to completely reinvent both the sound of the nation, and the way that records were made! Because of the geographic range of the scenes, US and Canadian acts had a great sense of variety – the sometime wit of LA, the noisier experimentation of Ohio, oddball creations of San Francisco, and searing artistic side of New York – all brought together here with a range of other styles too. The package is great, and includes so many artists we'd forgotten about, next to giants of the field who are still completely crucial today – brought together in a book-style package with 130 tracks and very detailed notes – in support of work from groups who include X, Adolescents, Flesh Eaters, Lyres, The Jetsons, Slickee Boys, Feelies, Bush Tetras, Suburban Lawns, Mission Of Burma, The Bizarros, Nervous Rex, The Dickies, Pagans, The Last, Mars, Devo, Destroy All Monsters, Avengers, Residents, Pere Ubu, Suicide, and dozens of others! CD

20 tracks across 2LPs – including Elephant Man, Mr Vegas, Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer, Wayne Marshall, Anthony B, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Not just rock and roll – but some rare Chess R&B, soul, and even a bit of rockabilly too! Excellent track selection – with some unreleased gems! Includes music from the Five Blazes, Clarence Samuel, the Dozier Boys, Bobby Lewis, Mitzi Mars, Bobby Charles, Chuck Berry, the Moonglows, Earl Hooker, Eddie Fontaine, the Moontones, Rusty York, the Gems, and more. CD

A whole host of very groovy groups from the southwest scene in the 60s – very much the kind of material that the Cicadelic label does such a great job of digging up and releasing to the world! Some of the groups here were actually recorded in Nashville, which fits a bit with the sound – as there's definitely some echoes of earlier southwest sounds, from The Crickets to the guitar style of some of the bigger instrumental groups – but served up here by smaller, more obscure artists who only ever issued rare singles! There's 10 unreleased tracks on the set, and an interview with the Lewallen Brothers too – who served up a few tracks here, next to The Marsades, The Rocks, Shandells Inc, Shadows, and The Feathers. CD

Includes tracks by Ron Trent, Martin Solveig, Bomac, Raw Instinct, DJ Deep & Jovonn, Powder Productions and more – 16 tracks in all. CD

A killer set of rare club and underground disco – filled with lots of tracks we haven't seen on other collections! Andy Smith has given us many amazing compilations over the years – sets that have a special mix magic, made up of rocksteady, reggae, vintage funk, and even some rockabilly too! Yet as Andy says here in the notes, he first got hooked on music in the disco generation – and has always had a life-long love of unusual and underground grooves – which he definitely demonstrates here, in a stunning selection of cuts that focus on the funkier side of the disco generation – with a good number of tracks that have turned out to be sample cuts over the years. Titles include "For The Love Of Money" by Disco Dub Band, "Patty Duke" by Cloud One, "Times Are Tight" by Jimmy Young, "Share The Night" by World Premiere, "Is It In" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Let It Flow" by Tamiko Jones, "Main Thing" by Shot with Kim Marsh, "Give It Up" by Neddy Smith, "Groove To Get Down" by T-Connection, "Holding You Tight (ext DJ mix)" by Sure Thing, "First True Love Affair (Andy Smith & Nick Halke reach up edit)" by Jimmy Ross, "Got To Have You (Whiskey Barons re-edit)" by Joanne Wilson, "I Wanna Be Myself" by Don Laka, "Get Up & Boogie" by Freedom, and "Take Me To The Top" by Advance. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue return to form for this legendary compilation series – and one that presents a huge number of rare cuts, with a very cool approach! Side one is vocal, and side two is instrumental – and together, both sides serve up the kind of hard-edged material that make the New Orleans scene of the late 60s/early 70s such a treasure trove for lovers of funky 45s – maybe even more fantastic in this generation than in the better-known Crescent City scene of the early 60s. There's loads of killers here – vocal tracks that include "Get On Up (part 1)" by Chuck Conway & The Amars, "Sooky Feeling (part 2)" by Brotherhood, "Fly In My Pie" by Tommy Ridgley, "You Got To Do Better" by Lonnie Jones, "Little Boy Blue" by Buck Sinegal, and "You Don't Know How To Turn Me On" by Deacon John – and instrumental tracks that include "Funky Jaws" by Larry Jones, "Bumping" by Tyrone Chestnut, "Accept What You Expect" by Louisiana Purchase, "Don't Change Nothin" by The Scram Band, "Getting To The Middle (part 2)" by Eddie Bo, and "Hard To Handle" by Anthony Butler & The Invaders. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great genre-hopping Christmas collection – one that features jazzy tunes, vocal numbers, and a few rock and country tracks as well – all of which really live up to the vintage spirit of the image on the cover! The set follows nicely in the style of the similarly-titled predecessor – and features an array of 29 postwar tracks that come from that moment when the marketing of Holiday spirit was a very big part of the music business! There's plenty of familiar tunes here, done in unusual versions – and some more obscure Christmas cuts that definitely make the set worthwhile – on titles that include "Mrs Santa Claus" by Nat King Cole, "Peace On Earth" by Peggy Lee, "Hello Mr New Year" by The Coolbreezers, "Merry Christmas To You All" by Elton Britt, "Christmas Candy" by Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely, "It's A Marshmallow World" by Vic Damone, "Snowbound For Christmas" by The DeCastro Sisters, "Be A Santa" by McGuire Sisters, "When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter" by Gene Autry, "Sleigh Ride" by Johnny Desmond, "Here Comes Santa Claus" by Sammy Kaye with Don Cornell, "Christmas Is A Feeling In Your Heart" by Andy Williams, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by 101 Strings, "Jingle Bell Rock" by Eddy Arnold, and "Snowy White Snow & Jingle Bells" by Vaughn Monroe. CD

A heavy package of treasures from the vaults of Studio One – tracks from the early days of the label that really illustrate the special touch that Studio One had right from the start! The work here is some of the most soulful from the early years of reggae – Jamaican music that's clearly drawn strong inspiration from American work, but which is already really finding its own sort of special groove – mellow burning rocksteady, early reggae, and more – still sounding every bit as righteous and powerful as it did back in the day! This double-length set brings together both volumes of the original compilations – and titles include "Peeping Tom" by Brentford All Stars, "Honey Come Back" by Jerry James, "Get You Off My Mind" by Larry Marshall, "I'll Be Waiting" by Alton Ellis, "Got To Be Sure" by Horace Andy, "My Eyes" by John Holt, "He Don't Love You" by Larry Williams, "Psychedelic Rock" by Ernest Ranglin, "Life" by Hortense Ellis, "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Winston Francis, "Old Time Saying" by Burning Spear, "Riddle I This" by Dennis Alcapone, "Feel Good All Over" by King Sporty, "Zion Higher" by Burning Spear, and "Home Home Version" by Dennis Alcapone & Ken Boothe. CD

Jamie 3:26 bills himself as "the next level of house" – and that definitely feels like the case here, as the Chicago DJ serves up very long edits and mixes of a host of great tracks – one club cut from the mid 70s, Chicago house classics from the late 80s, and a few underground tracks from more recent years! Jamie really brings a lot to the music here – emphasizing the greatness of the tunes in ways that we never would have expected, yet still keeping the genius of the originals intact – at a level that finally gives the rest of the world a chance to hear what he can bring to a well-crafted set on the dancefloor! Titles include "Venus & Mars (Jamie 3:26 edit)" by BSTC, "Comin On Strong (Jamie 3:26 basement edit)" by Calendar, "It's House (Jamie's basement edit)" by Chip E, "Jungle (Jamie's jungle sounds edit)" by Jungle Wonz, "Lesson (Doc Brucio's orig mix – Jamie 3:26 edit)" by Mighty Science, "Mind Games (underground mix – Jamie 3:26 edit)" by Quest, and "Stomps N Shouts (Jamie 3:26 edit)" by Braxton Holmes. LP, Vinyl record album

Decades of jazz recordings, pulled together in support of the famous documentary series – with a total of 94 tracks in all! Music from Louis Armstrong, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Horace Silver, Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Weather Report, Dexter Gordon, Wynton Marsalis, and much more. CD

If there's one thing we love more than Christmas songs, it's novelty Christmas songs – the kind of silly, goofy tunes that somehow do a great job of cutting through the overwrought sentiment that sometimes mars other Holiday music! This set definitely gets the spirit of novelty Christmas songs right – as it brings together 28 cool cuts from those years when the 45rpm single meant that new and unusual Christmas tunes were recorded every single year – and often in ways that tried to be wilder than usual, in hopes of getting attention! There's plenty of tracks like that here – in a set list that includes "I Want A Big White Cadillac For Christmas" by Little Joey Far, "Rockin Santa Claus" by The Moods, "Rockin N Rollin With Santa Claus" by The Hepsters, "Elvis For Christmas" by Mad Milo, "Santa Claus Is Watching You" by Ray Stevens, "Baby Sittin Santa" by Barry Richards, "I Saw Mommy Do The Mambo With You Know Who" by Barry Richards, "Jingle Rock" by Tommy Lee & The Orbits, and "Santa's Got A Coupe De Ville" by The Four Imperials. CD

Music from Dave Brubeck, Cannonball Adderley, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Carmen McRae, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Sonny Rollins, and more. CD