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A great little record from the days before George Benson had totally hit his smooth jazz sound of the 70s, and was being pushed by Columbia as a hard wailing soul jazz leader! The record features his classic quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ – grooving away hard hard hard, sometimes even harder than George! Benson's fresh off his work with the Jack McDuff quartet, and his style's nice and lean, with some good riffs, and a very tight approach to the strings. Titles include "The Cooker", "Benny's Back", "Bossa Rocka", and "Benson's Rider". The CD adds four tracks, including "Slow Scene", "The Man From Toledo". and the previously unreleased "Let Them Talk"! CD

Unreleased work from the glory days of the Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet – a legendary free jazz ensemble that's playing here at the height of their powers! The group have a vibe here that's wonderful – both as playful and as sinister as the title might imply – stretched out to a performance that's almost 20 minutes in length, and which almost has a sort of cinematic sense of dynamism at times – although still with all the unscripted energy that made the group so great. Brotzmann is in the lead on tenor, with Mars Williams on tenor and soprano, Ken Vandermark on baritone, Mats Gustafsson on alto, Joe McPhee on valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass, and Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums. The first-ever issue of this music comes in a limited one-sided record – with music on side a, and a silkscreen of Peter Brotzmann artwork on side B! LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning duets from these key improvisers – a set recorded in Paris, and done with a stripped-down and freely playful vibe that's very much like some of the best AACM material of the time! Wadada Leo Smith blows trumpet, Marion Brown is on alto – and both players bring percussion into the mix too – as they shift between shorter and longer improvisations, all handled with that special ear for sonic textures that makes them such subtle giants in their field! The style is very different than the more spiritual vibe of some of Brown's larger group performances from the period – and very much in the spirit of more intimate improvisational recordings that Wadada would issue more often in years to come. Titles include "Rhythmus 1", "Centering", "And Then They Danced", and "Njung Lumumba Malcolm". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great meeting between Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Smith – and a set that's one of Jimmy's standout small combo sessions for Verve! The feel here is much more Jimmy Smith at Blue Note than some of the bigger group Verve dates of the 60s – and Kenny Burrell's sensitive guitar lines provide wonderful company for Smith on the date – shading in his Hammond lines with a nice sense of color, in ways that really fit the late nite setting of the record. Other players on the date include either Bill English or Mel Lewis on drums, George Duvivier or Milt Hinton on bass, Vince Gambella on guitar, and Art Marotti on percussion – and titles include "Kenny's Sound", "Blues For Del", "Blue Bash", "Travelin", and "Soft Winds". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the heaviest electric sets from UK trumpeter Ian Carr – and that's really saying a lot, given how much heavy work he cut with his group Nucleus! The sound here is a groundbreaking mix of acoustic horns and keyboards – trumpet from Carr, and a mix of tenor, soprano, alto, and flute from Brian Smith – coming into contact with the Fender Rhodes of Dave MacRae and the Hohner electric of Gordon Beck! The pairing of keys is wonderful – and the whole thing is sewn together by the guitar of a young Allan Holdsworth, who's very much in the sway of Carr's sound here, instead of the later directions he'd take as a leader. The set might be worth it alone for the massive "Summer Rain" – a slow funk track that trips along beautifully – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Belladonna", "Mayday", "Suspension", and "Hector's House". LP, Vinyl record album

Two jazz rock classics – back to back as a 2CD set! Solar Plexus was a pivotal album in the career of British jazzman Ian Carr – one that had him really opening up into some trippy, spacey grooves – adding in a lot of keyboards, kicking up the grooves, yet still never losing the strong jazzy finish that was the best part of his earlier work. Players on the set include trumpeters Harry Beckett and Kenny Wheeler, guitarist Chris Spedding, and keyboardist Karl Jekins, who really throws in some groovy lines on the set! Titles include "Elements 1 & 2", "Snakehips Dream", "Torso", "Spirit Level", and "Bedrock Deadlock". Belladonna is one of the heaviest electric sets from UK trumpeter Ian Carr – and that's really saying a lot, given how much heavy work he cut with his group Nucleus! The sound here is a groundbreaking mix of acoustic horns and keyboards – trumpet from Carr, and a mix of tenor, soprano, alto, and flute from Brian Smith – coming into contact with the Fender Rhodes of Dave MacRae and the Hohner electric of Gordon Beck! The pairing of keys is wonderful – and the whole thing is sewn together by the guitar of a young Allan Holdsworth, who's very much in the sway of Carr's sound here, instead of the later directions he'd take as a leader. The set might be worth it alone for the massive "Summer Rain" – a slow funk track that trips along beautifully – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Belladonna", "Mayday", "Suspension", and "Hector's House". CD

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We never tire of the saxophone work of Sonny Criss – and this mid 70s gem is a perfect example of his brilliance! Sonny's sound on alto here is completely his own – raspily, soulful style that's really unique – and which draws strongly from Criss' rich life experience, including his years away from music (he'd been retired for most of the 70s before the time of this album.) The group's laidback and open – with Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – a group that's all well with Criss on his journey – but also lets him sparkle brightly in the lead. Titles include the extended track "Isle Of Celia", plus "This Is For Benny", "Blues In My Heart", and "Crisscraft". CD features 2 bonus tracks – an alternate of "Blues In My Heart", and "All The Things You Are". CD

A beautiful tribute to one of the first great pairings of Hammond and tenor – the saxophone of Eddie Lockjaw Davis and the organ of Shirley Scott – presented here in four classic albums that would forever change the face of jazz! The "cookbook" in the title is a reference to the name of the first three records in the set – The Eddie Lockjaw Davis Cookbook records, volumes 1 to 3 – and the set is completed with the great album Smokin, which also pairs Scott and Davis together! The records were key dates for both players – for Davis, a way to firmly move into the world of jazz after roots in more R&B-styled recordings – on long tracks that really showed the world what a tremendous soloist he could be when he had the chance to stretch out. And for Scott, a way to showcase her budding talents on the Hammond – in ways that have a lot more bite than her later trio sides, and which also mark her as a different organ jazz stylist from contemporary Jimmy Smith. All four records here are presented with a new set of notes, and in a really wonderful package overall – finally together after all these years! CD

A beautiful tribute to one of the first great pairings of Hammond and tenor – the saxophone of Eddie Lockjaw Davis and the organ of Shirley Scott – presented here in four classic albums that would forever change the face of jazz! The "cookbook" in the title is a reference to the name of the first three records in the set – The Eddie Lockjaw Davis Cookbook records, volumes 1 to 3 – and the set is completed with the great album Smokin, which also pairs Scott and Davis together! The records were key dates for both players – for Davis, a way to firmly move into the world of jazz after roots in more R&B-styled recordings – on long tracks that really showed the world what a tremendous soloist he could be when he had the chance to stretch out. And for Scott, a way to showcase her budding talents on the Hammond – in ways that have a lot more bite than her later trio sides, and which also mark her as a different organ jazz stylist from contemporary Jimmy Smith. All four records here are presented with a new set of notes, and in a really wonderful package overall – finally together after all these years! LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a bit hokey, but the group's a great one – a saxophone quartet, led by Elton Dean and augmented by bass and drums, for a very unique sound! The style here is quite different than that of the over-used 80s sax quartet style – as the bass and drums propel the group into a much stronger groove, and relieve the other sax parts of any rhythm keeping, yet still allow them to be relatively free without any piano in the group. Dean plays both alto and saxello – and is joined by Trevor Watts on alto, Simon Pickard on tenor sax, and Paul Dunmall on tenor and baritone saxes – all coming together in a style that swings wonderfully, yet still has plenty of modern moments – with sounds that almost recall the greatness of Roland Kirk or George Braith! Titles include "Unda", "Rising", "Seven For Lee", "Small Strides", and "Fall In Free". CD

2 classic bits of exotica on one CD! Forbidden Island is an excellent session that's one of the harder to find Martin Denny albums on Liberty! The record features the classic Denny exotica quartet with Augie Colon and Julius Wechter, plus some additional guest players on flute, percussion, and guitar. The expanded sound works nicely for Denny's style – and the set includes some good originals like "Goony Birds", "Cobra", "Exotica", and "Primitiva", plus the Les Baxter tunes "Port Au Prince" and "Sim Sim", as well as a perennial exotica fave, "March Of The Siamese Children". On Primitiva, Denny's classic quartet format is augmented by extra percussion that includes gongs, cymbals, tuned logs, steel drums, chimes, chromatic bamboo, and lots more! Tak Shindo also sits in and plays a bit of Koto, for a nice Eastern feel on some tracks. Titles include "M'Bira", "Burma Train", "Kalua", "M'Gambo Mambo", and "Mau Mau". Groovy cover, too, with a model standing waist-deep in ice water! CD

One of Martin Denny's greatest albums – thanks to some extra special added elements! For the record, Denny's classic quartet is augmented by a wealth of odd added percussion – including gongs, cymbals, tuned logs, steel drums, chimes, and "chromatic bamboo"! All of these elements take Denny's exotica sound way further than ever before – and if that's not enough, the legendary Tak Shindo plays a bit of Koto on the record too! Titles include "M'Bira", "Burma Train", "Kalua", "M'Gambo Mambo", and "Mau Mau". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweetly glowing grooves from Ebi Soda – a set that features some really fantastic keyboards on most tracks, making their way along electric rhythms that have a beautifully laidback vibe! The approach is almost a 21st Century reworking of classic jazz funk – more sophisticated, and less tied to familiar forms – and unafraid to use the right production elements from time to time to expand the color palette of the performance! Louis Jenkins handles the great keys on the record – and the core group features guitar, bass, trombone, and drums – augmented by guest tenor, alto, and trumpet. J Harli sings on "Summer One", and Chloe Bodur provides vocals to "Run For President" – and all other tunes are instrumental, and include "Spooki", "Zip Your Boots Up Lad", "Ecchi", "Meow Meow", "Playstation", and "Something To Do In The Future". CD features bonus Ash Walker dubs of "Playstation", "Ecchi", and "Spooki". LP, Vinyl record album

Another dynamite effort from The Ex! By 1985 the Dutch collective had their jackhammer guitar and sharp, intelligent lyrical roar honed to a precise, tense science – and it's at this point that they really started allowing the tribal, earthy percussion that would later help define the groove pound its way to the surface. Truly amazing stuff – a pivotal moment in the Ex's career and an easy choice as one of their finest. Tracks include "Nurse!", "Soviet Threat", "MMM Crisis", "Rock", "White Liberals", "Everything We Never Wanted", "Hit The Headlines", "Friendly Neighbours" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A never-heard album from this excellent Detroit vocal group – recorded for Motown at the end of the 60s, but appearing here for the first time ever – and compiled with lots of bonus tracks from the vaults! The Fantastic Four never hit the bigger heights of some of the big Motown male groups of the 60s – but in some way, especially at this time in the label's history, they were a much more cohesive, organic ensemble – one that's a bit like The Originals in their strong commitment to great harmonies, and ability to always hold onto their own sort of personality, even amidst the larger Motown production machine. As with most great "lost" projects, we're not sure why this record never saw the light of day – because every aspect is great, from the vocals down through the arrangements and instrumentation – and although a few shorter singles came out over the years the rest of the set is wonderful – and matched here by another 13 rare bonus tracks, including many other unreleased singles! Titles include "A Little Too Much", "We Can Work It Out", "Take Him Back If It Makes You Happy", "You Turn Me Around", "I Feel Like I'm Falling In Love Again", "How Big Is Your Heart", "It Keeps Raining Down Tears", "In A Bad Way", "Fan The Flame", "I Shall Not Be Moved", "Double Cross", and "Loving You Is Hurting Me". CD

An overlooked fusion set from the mighty Muse Records – an early 80s date recorded under the leadership of keyboardist Mitch Farber, and featuring work from Randy Brecker on trumpet, Gary Campbell on tenor and soprano, and Steve Khan on guitar! Given the players, there's almost a major label fusion feel to the set, although the overall sound is more open and laidback – not slick at all, and a nice reminder that in the farther corners of jazz in the early 80s, fusion didn't always have to be focused on commercial hits. Rhythm is from Mark Egan on bass, Danny Gottlieb on drums, and Sammy Figuera on percussion – and titles include "Monuments", "Sky Dance", "The Chooser", "Lonely Promises", and "Starclimber". CD also features the bonus track "Theme From Travels" – recorded in 1990. LP, Vinyl record album

A wild little concept album from the Four Seasons – one that's packaged in newspaper-style cover, and which presents tunes that almost have that late 60s British "snapshots of life" approach to pop – particularly that put forth by The Kinks on Village Green Preservation Society. The album's a true genius effort from Bob Gaudio – now risen to the ranks of producer for the group, and also the key songwriter for the album too – working here in tandem with the great Jake Holmes, a wonderful choice for a record like this! Arrangements are inventive, playful, and definitely at a level that shows some influence from Pet Sounds or Sgt Peppers – but there's also a focused, all-pop approach to the tunes too – one that's hook-heavy even when trippy, and which shows that the Four Seasons were as great at psychedelic and Sunshine Pop as any of the groups they'd inspired over the years. Titles include "Saturday's Father", "Wall Street Village Day", "Wonder What You'll Be", "Soul Of A Woman", "Something's On Her Mind", "American Crucifixion Resurrection", and "Mrs Stately's Garden". (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

Streetwise raps from Freddie Gibbs, backed by inventive production from Madlib – here on one of the best records yet on 'Lib's own Madlib Invazion imprint! If you'll forgive us a little bit of repetition – because we KNOW we've written this before – there's just something extra riveting about Madlib's production work for straight shooting, street lingo slinging, no nonsense MCs. The freewheeling inspiration and bottomless depth of unpredictable sample funk is there, as always. It's leaner, tighter and with a thicker backdrop of beats. Gibbs is sharply on point throughout here, and if it seems like an oddball pairing at first glance, rest assured, these guys work GREAT together. Guests include Danny Brown – who drops some top shelf wordplay of his own on "High" – plus the Wu legend Raekwon on "Bomb", Domo Genius & Earl Sweatshirt on "Robes", Domo Genius, G-Whiz, Mac Miller and more on the title cut, and more. Other titles include "Supplier", "Scarface", "Deeper", "Harold's", "Thuggin'", "Real" and "Uno". (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

Really heady sounds from Frightnrs – a group who've changed up their sound slightly since their last full length release – at a level that makes them even more interesting than ever before! The group still draw heavily from older rocksteady and soulful reggae modes – but it also feels as if they're leaning a bit more heavily on sweet soul modes from the early 70s too – coming across with the warmth of a harmony vocal record on the lyrics, while still also reveling in the best sort of slow-stepping, dub heavy rhythms in the music! Dan Klein handles the vocals, always with a great sense of echo – and Chuck Patel adds lots of great organ and keyboards to the music – including some great spacey effects. Victor Axelrod did a superb job with production – and titles include "30 56", "You Still", "Profilin", "Expectations", "Tuesday", "Always", "Maybe Isle", and "Why Does It Feel Like A Curse". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary first album by The Fugs – a set that was first issued on Folkways Records, then later on ESP – and which is maybe a perfect bridge between these different underground worlds in the 60s! Ed Sanders, Tuli Kupferberg, Peter Stampfel, and the others are clearly budding hippies – but there's also a quality here that's different than the scene a few years later – maybe pulled equally from the late beat world, and the underground film world – no surprise, as Harry Smith produced the record for the group, and really has a great ear for their rootsier elements on acoustic instruments. The whole thing was recorded in two afternoon sessions in 1965, and still remains a record with surprising power after all these years – on titles that include "Slum Goddess", "Swinburn Stomp", "Supergirl", "Boobs A Lot", "My Baby Done Left Me", and "I Couldn't Get High". CD adds in 11 more bonus tracks - additional material from the original sessions – plus material recorded at the Night Of Napalm at St Marks place in 1965! CD

A haunting score from Jerry Goldsmith – filled with dark and turgid orchestrations, set as the rich backdrop for this 1969 film based on the Ray Bradbury story of the same name! The scoring is often atonal, with lots of off-kilter string passage that have an eerie sound that reminds us of Morricone's more avant-styled work. The CD features 17 tracks from the film, plus notes on the music, and some great images – with titles that include "The Rain", "The Sun Dance", "The House", "The Illustrations", and "Angry Child". CD

A lean little groover from the Nigerian scene – an Edo funk set that's got a vibe that's more stripped-down than most – really focused on the rhythms, with a stark, spare quality that's very different than bigger groups of the decade before! There's almost an influence here going on from both post-punk and reggae – darker production with some echoey edges, heady basslines that often come across with a slightly spooky sound, and use of horns and guitars in ways that really have a sharpness that's unexpected – funky but lean too – on titles that include "Gaskya Kace", "Ekhueghamunu", "Onughara", "Aikemienaru Nanorunomwan", and "Bi Enu Ba Sahun". LP, Vinyl record album

British soundtrack great Ron Grainer makes a great American appearance here – turning in music for the early 70s film The Omega Man – the first film version of I Am Legend! The styles here are much more fitting for the time of the movie's release than the world of America in the future – as there are plenty of great blacksploitation and cop/crime elements that really fit the 70s urban setting of the story – really great elements that make the whole thing very different than the usual horror soundtrack of the period, and which also widen the palette of Grainer's style too! There's also a few familiar themes that are used almost tongue in cheek – instrumental hits that offset the darker mood of the action – and together, the blend of sounds is wonderful – presented here in an overstuffed collection that's well worth the 2.0 billing in the title. Given that the original score never showed up on record in the 70s, this release is long overdue – with titles that include "The Omega Man/Where Have All The People Gone", "Surprise Party/After The Ball", "Zachary Makes His Move", "Richie On The Roof", "The Trap/Nemesis For Neville/Matthias The Victor", "Dutch Takes Over", "Swinging At Nevilles", "Jumped By The Family/The Trial", and "Dutch Takes Over". CD

The legendary meeting of two of the greatest jazz violinists ever! Stephane Grappelli was one of the best-recorded European jazz artists by the time of this 1965 album – and here, he gets the chance to play with Stuff Smith, an American talent on the instrument who was decidedly less well-known, but every bit as great (actually, far better, and more expressive, at least in our book!) Steph and Stuff play with backing by a French rhythm section that includes Rene Urtreger, Michel Gaudry, and Michel Delaporte – and tracks include "S'posin", "Skip It", "Blues In The Dungeon", and "This Can't Be Love". CD

Warm wonderfulness from the great Al Green – a record that may have a pale-looking cover, but a set that's one of Green's most deeply soulful albums ever! There's a grace and a glow to the set right from the very first note – that really unique presentation and performance that makes these early 70s Green albums such enduring treasures – and so unlike anything else that's ever come since, no matter how many folks were influenced by Al's sound! The production is perfect – with Al helping Willie Mitchell at the helm, as they balance together the richness of the instrumentation with core elements in the rhythms – on titles that include Al's stone classic "Love & Happiness", plus "I'm Still In Love With You", "I'm Glad You're Mine", "What A Wonderful Thing Love Is", "Look What You Done For Me", and his great remake of Kris Kristofferson's "For The Good Times" – a country/soul classic if there ever was one! LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking live performance from these two Chicago blues legends – recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, but with a gritty electric vibe that's very much like the duo's best work back home! The approach is very stripped-down and unadorned – just vocals by both Guy and Wells – with Buddy on guitar and Junior on harmonica – plus additional piano from Pinetop Perkins, and even the mighty Bill Wyman on bass. Wyman produced the set – very faithfully too – and titles include "How Can One Woman Be So Mean", "Hoodoo Man Blues", "My Younger Days", "Messin With The Kid", and "Ten Years Ago". CD

A long-overdue tribute to the fantastic soul trio of Pat Hodges, Denita James, and Jessica Smith – a group who were often joined by a young Carolyn Crawford, to cut some fantastic singles back in the 70s! The group is wonderfully dynamic – as if everybody could be a soaring soulful lead – which gives the girls this sound that's way more than just the usual slice of female group soul from the time – something you'd know if you were lucky enough to score one of their rare 45s! And while the group did get the chance to cut a few albums, their best moments were often on 7" singles – which lead here to a whole other host of unissued tracks that sits nicely with cuts they released on labels like Pride and Mpingo. We've been huge fans of the group for decades, and have always treasured their singles – but here, we're discovering even more greatness than we knew existed – as the set features 13 tracks that were never issued back in the day, joining up with another 8 to make a glorious set list that includes "Wishful Thining", "Nobody", "In My Fantasy", "Write Me A Letter", "Let's Pick Up The Pieces", "Again", "Baby My Love Is Showing", "Let It Out Let It In", "I'm A Woman Who Loves You", "Ain't That Right", "If You wanna Love Me", and "It Cracks Me Up". CD

Nothing innocent about this record – because the groove is hard and heavy, wild and trippy – a really heady brew of funky jazz and more psychedelic influences – all recorded with some weird sounds in the background too! The album's a great one from Japanese groove pioneer Takeshi Inomata – and it's almost a fusion of earlier 60s funky band jazz with some of the more tripped-out modes of the jazz rock era. Vamping rhythms and full-on organs are undercut by wiggy guitar parts and soaring organ lines – all augmented by spoken Japanese passages, sound effects, and production styles that abstract out some instruments into very unusual modes. There's plenty of soulful and funky moments throughout – and titles include "The Death Of Janis", "Child & I", "Blue", "Alone", and "Go For Nothing". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer funky group from early 70s Japan – a slightly large ensemble, but one with some really heavy drums at the bottom – plus some great use of organ and electric guitar! There's a tight brace of horns at the top – flute, tenor, trumpets, and trombone – but the rhythms are what really drive the record, and give the whole thing a sometimes-funky, always-groovy quality that never lets up! The mode is almost soundtrack funk at times – jazz, but filled with some rich colors and expansive tones too – and there's a sophistication here that really rewards repeated listenings, but never gets in the way of the groovier moments too. Titles include "Theme Mustache", "Tak's Tune", "Joint", "Monster", "Lullaby For Yuh", and "Scotland Scene". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully ambitious project from these two legendary improvising musicians – a larger project for stage that was created by both pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach and drummer Sven Ake Johansson – the latter of whom here is very much into his later life role as a composer! The set features a mix of voice, vocals, and music – some spoken parts by Johansson, sung passages by the great Shelly Hirsch – and work from a very hip group that includes Wolfgang Fuchs and Dietmar Diesner on saxes, Paul Lovens on drums, Tristan Honsinger on cello, Anne Le Baron on harp, and Schlippenbach on piano. There's a mixture of free jazz, structure, and voice that almost feels as if Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill had the chance to record an album for FMP – and this beautiful set presents the first-ever release of the important 1994 performance of the material. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most wonderfully lyrical records ever cut for Blue Note – and a shimmering early showcase for the genius of trumpeter Thad Jones! Jones is maybe best remembered for his work in bigger groups, but at the start of his career he's a lyrical genius – as you'll hear on this sublime session that also features tremendous tenor from Billy Mitchell – a player who was also often lost in larger groups, but who really shines wonderfully here next to Thad! The pair are perfect together, and move seamlessly through the session, trading solos with incomparable ease – yet never getting too perfect, and never lacking the humanity that makes a record like this so great. Barry Harris plays some wonderful piano – and the tracks include "If I Love Again", "Thedia", "If Someone Had Told Me", and "April In Paris". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "I've Got A Crush On You" and "Something To Remember You By". CD

One of the most wonderfully lyrical records ever cut for Blue Note – and a shimmering early showcase for the genius of trumpeter Thad Jones! Jones is maybe best remembered for his work in bigger groups, but at the start of his career he's a lyrical genius – as you'll hear on this sublime session that also features tremendous tenor from Billy Mitchell – a player who was also often lost in larger groups, but who really shines wonderfully here next to Thad! The pair are perfect together, and move seamlessly through the session, trading solos with incomparable ease – yet never getting too perfect, and never lacking the humanity that makes a record like this so great. Barry Harris plays some wonderful piano – and the tracks include "If I Love Again", "Thedia", "If Someone Had Told Me", and "April In Paris". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "I've Got A Crush On You" and "Something To Remember You By". CD

With Steve Smith on drums. CD

Exactly the kind of record that's got us digging Japanese trio sessions from the 70s so much – a set that's filled with lots of warm, soulful sounds, creatively compelling changes, and fresh rhythms that really keep the tunes interesting! There's a slight undercurrent of funk on most numbers, but never too much – as the set still preserves all the best lyrical lines of pianist Kichiro Sugino, who steps beautifully around the bass of Kishio Kitahara and drums of Mitsaki Katayama – a perfectly-hinged trio who soar plenty on the record – more than enough to earn the "flight" in the title! This one's really a cut above – filled with wonderful energy, and never a dull moment throughout – a real gem that's waiting to be re-discovered by the 21st Century generation. Titles include "Unknown Point", "Arizona High Way", "It's Over", "Louis", and "First Flight". CD

One of the best-remembered jazz albums from singer Bev Kelly – partly for the record's great use of guitar by Johnny Smith, but also for the great vocals from Bev herself! The album's one of a few that really set a new standard for small combo jazz in the 50s – different than the bigger band records with singers, but also not nearly as cabaret-styled as some of the other records with a small group behind the vocalist. Smith's tone is wonderful – that moody, mellow magic he did so well – and his pairing here is not unlike that of Barney Kessel with Julie London, but with much more of a New York vibe overall. Titles include "Looking For A Boy", "Destination Moon", "Tis Autumn", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Snuggled On Your Shoulder", and "Moe's Blues". CD

A treasure trove of work from the European scene – recordings that were unissued at the time, but which feature fantastic performance by American soloists done for Austrian radio! The core group is led by trombonist Eich Kleinschuster – a player from Vienna who never got much notice on our side of the Atlantic, but who was a fantastic host for visiting musicians in a series of broadcast concerts done by the Austrian radio – with Erich as the leader, and a fair bit of work on piano and Fender Rhodes from the mighty Fritz Pauer – a talent you'll know from some key MPS Records sessions of the period! And the vibe here is very much like MPS at its best – a great meeting of talents, at a level that rises everyone else involved – which makes these sessions superb throughout, no matter the soloist. This Volume 3 features three great tracks with trumpeter Carmell Jones – "And Things Will Change", "Fantangolin", and "The J Dance" – and three more with trumpeter Art Farmer – "Eau Sauvage", "Red Jeans", and "Alisarb". There's also six great tracks with trombonist Slide Hampton, who also helps with arrangements – on titles that include "New World", "Spain", "Ok Persson", "Wide Slide", "Soulsides", and "TEE". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of work from the European scene – recordings that were unissued at the time, but which feature fantastic performance by American soloists done for Austrian radio! The core group is led by trombonist Eich Kleinschuster – a player from Vienna who never got much notice on our side of the Atlantic, but who was a fantastic host for visiting musicians in a series of broadcast concerts done by the Austrian radio – with Erich as the leader, and a fair bit of work on piano and Fender Rhodes from the mighty Fritz Pauer – a talent you'll know from some key MPS Records sessions of the period! And the vibe here is very much like MPS at its best – a great meeting of talents, at a level that rises everyone else involved – which makes these sessions superb throughout, no matter the soloist. This Volume 1 features six tracks from the mighty tenorist Clifford Jordan – on "Looking Across", "872", "Leavin Train", "Impressions Of Scandinavia", "Vienna", and "Sandra". Trumpeter Charles Tolliver shows up on the remaining five titles – on titles that include his fantastic "On The Nile", plus "Lil's Paradise", "Paper Man", "Right Now", and "Household Of Saud". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of work from the European scene – recordings that were unissued at the time, but which feature fantastic performance by American soloists done for Austrian radio! The core group is led by trombonist Eich Kleinschuster – a player from Vienna who never got much notice on our side of the Atlantic, but who was a fantastic host for visiting musicians in a series of broadcast concerts done by the Austrian radio – with Erich as the leader, and a fair bit of work on piano and Fender Rhodes from the mighty Fritz Pauer – a talent you'll know from some key MPS Records sessions of the period! And the vibe here is very much like MPS at its best – a great meeting of talents, at a level that rises everyone else involved – which makes these sessions superb throughout, no matter the soloist. This Volume 2 features six tracks with the great tenorist Joe Henderson joining the group – on titles that include "Mamacita", "Recorda Me", "Inner Urge", "The Kicker", "Serenity", and "Chelsea Bridge". Seven more titles feature the fantastic trumpeter Dusko Goykovich, with work from Hans Salomon on tenor and bass clarinet, and Jimmy Woode on bass – on titles that include "Formel", "As Usual", "Moustache", "Sega Se Karame", and "Tell It Like It Is". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's noteworthy not just for the presence of alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, and for the leadership of baritonist Gerry Mulligan – but a record that also features the great Chet Baker on trumpet, working here as part of a trio of musicians who were really helping transform the sound of jazz in the early 50s! And maybe most noteworthy in the set is the lack of any piano at all – a strategy of Mulligan's at the time, but used in a way that also echoes some of Lee's sublime quartet sessions of the mid 50s too – and a nice setting for Chet, as he has plenty of space to open up and craft those magical notes of his youth! The rest of the group features Larry Bunker on drums, and either Carson Smith or Joe Mondragon on bass – and material was recorded partly live, and partly in the studio – with titles that include "Broadway", "Sextet", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Lover Man", "I'll Remember April", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

Features a sweet trio with Gene Krupa on drums and Charlie Ventura on tenor – with only piano, and no other instrumentation! The Stuff Smith group features Billy Taylor on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A fantastic lost slice of work from reedman Yusef Lateef – a performance recorded at the legendary Ronnie Scott's club in London, with backing from a trio that features the wonderful Stan Tracey! Tracey was a committed modernist who really helped shape the sound of the UK scene at the time – and his pairing here with Lateef is wonderful, as Stan seems to bring out some of the most spiritual, most exotic sounds from the saxphonist – shaping the music with his own creative and angular work on piano. Yusef blows flute, tenor, shenai, and xun – and overall, the whole thing's got a vibe that really takes us back to the brilliance of his late 50s sessions for Savoy – done with the same mix of modernism, exoticism, and soul. Titles include "Song Of Delilah", "Last Night Blues", "Yusef's Mood", "Angel Eyes", and "Blues For The Orient". LP, Vinyl record album

An album of theirs that you don't see that often – with Barry White's takes on popular movie hits. Some of this veers a little to close to the cheesy side of things, but it's worth it for the "Theme From King Kong" alone, an uptempo funk number that has a great almost afro-funk guitar, way up front in the mix. There's also a great take on the theme from Shaft, and "People of Tomorrow Are the Children of Today" from the Together Brothers soundtrack. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of later Maze albums – back to back in a single set, and with bonus tracks too! First up is Silky Soul – a late 80s album, but one that has the smooth soul genius very much at the top of his game! Frankie's work from the 70s inspired countless imitators in the next decade – but after so many other male singers trying to cop his game, Beverly can still do it better than the rest – with this easygoing, effortless style that's never commercial or cheesy – and which continues to raise the bar for sophisticated soul! Grooves are mostly in that perfect midtempo stepping style that seems to work best for Frankie – and the overall instrumentation and production are far more timeless than some of the other big records of the period – with a style that places the set very strongly in the best Maze tradition. Titles include "Can't Get Over You", "Silky Soul", "Just Us", "Love's On The Run", "Mandela", and "Songs Of Love". CD features bonus tracks – "Africa", "Mandela (radio edit)", and "Love's On The Run (rmx)". Next up is Back To Basics – a really well-titled set from Frankie Beverly & Maze – as the album takes the group right back to the mellow-stepping sound that first made them great back in the 70s! Production's a bit more updated, but still very laidback – and there's a smoothly-grooving glow to the record we totally love – a perfect format for Frankie's always-amazing vocals, updated just slightly for the 90s. The production values are never too polished, and the songwriting is still great – on titles that include "Love Is", "the Morning After", "Laid Back Girl", 'What Goes Up", "In Time", "All Night Long", "Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", and "Twilight". CD features bonus tracks – "Laid Back Girl (edit)", "What Goes Up (radio)", and "What Goes Up (smooth mix)". CD

The first full length from MF Doom – a record that set the standard for underground hip hop to come! On this modern classic, Doom caps off the 90s with more jazzy soul in the beats, and some semblance of straightforward rhyme mastery from both Doom & his guests – taken to the outer limits! What really pushes this one into legendary status are how well he works with creaky comic adventure samples – using them as the genesis of Doom's metal face supervillain persona. Looking back, the set is clearly the building blocks for deeper insanity to come – but the sense of structure may well make it his best album ever! Includes "Doomsday", "Rhymes Like Dimes" feat Cucumber Slice, "The Finest" feat Tommy Gun, "Go With The Flow", "Tick Tick", "Hey!", "The Mic", "Dead Bent", "?" feat Kurious and much more – including all of the classic skits (yeah, we said it, classic skits, creative sci fi sample genius that are creative as the proper tracks) – with 19 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little double-length set from British jazz rock genius Neil Ardley – one that has him working off the vibe explored on the Greek Variations album, but hitting a sound that's a fair bit funkier overall! As with other efforts, Ardley draws here on some really top-shelf talents for his ideas – soloists who include Ian Carr on trumpet, Ken Shaw on guitar, and Tony Coe, Barbara Thompson, and Brian Smith on saxes! The tracks are all quite longish, and unfold in a really organic way – building over an immediate rhythm at some points, or letting the soloists set the main vibe at others. There's nothing overly-obtuse about the record at all, and Ardley never lets anyone dominate too much – making the album a strong group effort with a really unified vision – but one with plenty of space for the feeling of the individual players. Titles include "Rainbow One", "Rainbow Two", "Rainbow Three", and so on. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more interesting later sessions from the Art Ensemble – one in which the group push their African influence strongly, by teaming up with the Amabutho Male Chorus for a real Soweto soul sound! Oddly, the Art Ensemble are the ones in African garb on the cover – while the chorus is going more for a late 80s American male fashion look – but in the grooves of the record, the two units come together nicely – and make for a set of tunes that have the AACM sound heading way way past Graceland (that's a Paul Simon/Ladysmith Black Mambazo reference, not an Elvis one!) – really coming up with some compelling cross-cultural sounds in the process. Titles include "African Woman", "Coming Soon", "Black Man", "Fresh Start", and "The Bottom Line". CD

Possibly the best entry in Art Ensemble Of Chicago's Dreaming Of The Masters series – as the set's devoted to the work of John Coltrane, and has a really unified feel throughout! About half the tunes are Coltrane compositions, and the rest are originals by the Art Ensemble – done with fluid, open sounds that are less a strict tribute to Coltrane, than an expression of the ideas in jazz he allowed! As you might guess, the reeds play strongly in the sound of the set – and both Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell hit some great moments on the Coltrane tunes especially – notes that are quite different than any Trane might have played, but which he would no doubt appreciate in his music. Titles include "Dreaming Of The Masters", "Impressions", "Spiritual", "Naima", "Song For Atala", and "Go Head". CD

A real moment of genius, even though we hate to admit it! At the time of its release, we hated this record – but have really come to respect it as a way of condensing and refining energy from the prog rock generation, and finding it a way to have new life in the 80s! The lineup is an all-star one, with roots in Yes, King Crimson, and other key groups – John Wetton on vocals and bass, Geoff Downes on keyboards, Steve Howe on guitars, and Carl Palmer on drums – on titles that include "Heat Of The Moment", "Only Time Will Tell", "Wildest Dreams", "Sole Survivor", "One Step Closer", and "Here Comes The Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

Brian Auger's first album away from singer Julie Driscoll – and a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky style that's clearly touched by chromatic inspirations from Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith – both of whom are referenced by some of the song structures on the set. The album's filled with killer organ-based instrumentals – some lean and stripped down, others full and rich – and all of them coming across with a richly soulful sound that you'd hardly expect from a member of the British rock scene! Titles include "Day In The Life", "Red Beans", "Definitely What!", and his classic "Bumpin' On Sunset". LP, Vinyl record album

A great return to form for drummer Donald Bailey – a player who's probably best known for his work in the classic Jimmy Smith Trio of the late 50s/early 60s – but who sounds especially amazing here in a recent, righteous recording! Bailey's working with some very tight talent – the mighty Odeon Pope on tenor sax, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, George Burton on piano, and Tyrone Brown on bass – all players with a lot of depth in their music, and a brooding intensity that makes the record burn a lot more fiercely than anything Bailey ever recorded back in the day. The horns are especially nice – and although Tolliver's only on two of the album's nine tracks, Pope more than holds his own on the others – blowing that heady tenor sound that always grabs attention right from the get-go. Titles include "Blues It", "Gone Now", "For All We Know", "USQ/Trilogy", "Blue Gardenia", "Plant Life", and "Variations". CD

A set recorded in Tokyo, but one that has the great Chet Baker working with players from the Dutch and American scenes – all coming together in a quartet session that's maybe one of the strongest records from Chet's later years! The material was recorded live – and Chet's got a surprisingly strong bite on his horn at times – very different than the wispier modes of European sessions from earlier in the decade – perhaps in part because of the superb rhythmic accompaniment he gets from Harold Danko on piano, Hein Van De Geyn on bass, and John Engels on drums! And as with all these late recordings, the shift in Chet's style is wonderful – even at times when he was "lost" to so many, he's still a master of phrasing – coming up with all these new modes of expression that are so different than his classic work – on long tracks that stretch out beautifully. Titles include "Arborway", "Broken Wing", "Four", "I'm A Fool To Want You", and "Seven Steps To Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

The last-ever Chet Baker recording with a quartet – and a set that shows just how completely magical the legendary trumpeter was even up to the end! Chet at this time is completely different than Chet in the 50s or 60s – as he'd really found a way to make all these amazing new sounds on his horn, partly as a way of getting around some of his physical limitations, but also as a way of opening up some of those mid 60s ideas that he barely explored on record at the time. He's working here with a very important musical partner from the last decade – getting great help on guitar and flute from Nicola Stilo – plus Marc Abrams on bass and Luca Flores on piano – on titles that include "Portrait In Black & White", "Funk In Deep Freeze", "Arborway", "In A Sentimental Way", and "If I Should Lose You". LP, Vinyl record album

Late work from Chet Baker, but great work too – and sounds that have Baker returning to an incredibly strong sense of force in the final year of his life! We love some of Chet's records from earlier in the decade, but many of those are a bit laidback – kind of a beautiful exploration of space and lanquidity. But here, Baker's got a hell of a fire – blowing crisp notes that are given a wonderful drive from a quartet that features Harold Danko on piano, Hein Van De Geyn on bass, and John Engels on drums! Chet sings a bit, but the real showcase is his trumpet work – superb, and maybe still at the top of the range of trumpeters working at the time on the planet – on titles that include "Portrait In Black & White", "Stella By Starlight", "For Minors Only", and "My Funny Valentine" – plus a nice reading of the Elvis Costello tune "Almost Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

2 of Gato Barbieri's greatest albums of the 70s – back to back on one CD! Bolivia is one of Gato's better albums from the early 70s – and like a lot of his Latin-themed ones, a swirling mix of soulful soloing, modal grooves, and unbridled emotion. Lonnie Liston Smith is playing piano on most cuts, and he's a perfect blend for Barbieri's horn – giving it the same sort of soulful base as in his classic recordings with Pharoah Sanders. Titles include "Merceditas", "Eclypse", "Bolivia", and "Vidala Triste". Under Fire is filled with Latin rhythm influences forged on Gato's Impulse sessions of the same time, plus some nice spiritual blowing in the Pharoah Sanders tradition in which he was linked in the immediate post-Coltrane years. Airto and Mtume are on percussion on most tracks, and Lonnie Liston Smith plays some pretty outside piano on the set. All tracks are long, and titles include "El Parana", "Antonico", "El Sertao", and "Maria Domingas". CD

A real killer from Gato Barbieri – part of an excellent run of early 70s sessions for the Flying Dutchman label! The album was recorded live, and it's one of those real cookers that have him sounding a heck of a lot like Pharoah Sanders – blowing with these sharp, soulful tones – and really stretching out in this amazingly spiritual way – quite different than some of his more mainstream playing in later years, and his freer sounds of the 60s. The group features Pretty Purdie on drums, Sonny Morgan and Na-Na on percussion, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Lonnie Liston Smith on piano – and Smith lays out these modal spiraling lines that really work wonders with a groove – and Gato solos over them in searing ripping blasts of sound, never going too far out, but hitting that great soulful mode that made Sanders' best work so great. Titles include "El Pampero", "Mi Buenos Aires Querido", and "El Arreiro" – and all tracks are long. CD

A collection of Basie work from the year 1941 – featuring a lineup that includes Dickey Wells, Tab Smith, Buddy Tate, Don Byas, Freddie Green, and Buck Clayton. Tracks include "Down For Double", "Diggin For Dex", "Jump The Blues Away", "The Jitters", "Tuesday At Ten", "Tune Town Shuffle", "Basie Boogie", and "Fiesta In Blue". Great 50s cover, with some cool geometric cat designs! LP, Vinyl record album

Way before Sinatra first grabbed the "Chairman Of The Board" title for his own musical persona, Basie laid great claim to the tag with this tight little album for Roulette! The album's got the 50s Basie band working at the height of their powers – with original compositions written and arranged by Frank Foster, Ernie Wilkins, Thad Jones, and Frank Wess – all of whom play in the bad, along with other all-stars like Freddie Green, Billy Mitchell, and Al Grey. The sound is tight, soulful, and searing Basie all the way through – with tunes that include "Segue In C", "Blues In Hoss' Flat", "Who Me?", "The Deacon", "Half Moon Street", "Mutt & Jeff", "TV Time", "Speaking Of Sounds", and "HRH". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A great Tony Bennett LP – very different than others from the time (or any time!) in that the format pairs the master vocalist with the "who's who" of drummers and percussionists of the late 50s – including Art Blakey, Jo Jones, Candido, and Sabu. The sound is as majestic and crashing as you'd imagine, and cuts include "Let's Begin", "Love For Sale", "Crazy Rhythm", and "Let's Face the Music and Dance". A great LP, and one of his best. If you've ever doubted Tony's committment to jazz, check this one out, and be pleasantly surprised! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record from the days before George Benson had totally hit his smooth jazz sound of the 70s, and was being pushed by Columbia as a hard wailing soul jazz leader! The record features his classic quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ – grooving away hard hard hard, sometimes even harder than George! Benson's fresh off his work with the Jack McDuff quartet, and his style's nice and lean, with some good riffs, and a very tight approach to the strings. Titles include "The Cooker", "Benny's Back", "Bossa Rocka", and "Benson's Rider". LP, Vinyl record album

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". This is the earlier version of the CD – without the bonus tracks on the later reissue. CD

A rare early session from the lovely Elsie Bianchi – best known for her classic 60s sides on Saba/MPS, heard here in a very similar format! The set features Elsie working with her combo from the Swiss Atlantis nightclub in the early 60s – and was originally issued as a limited-number 10" LP, used only as a promotional item by the club! As on her classic Sweetest Sound album, Elsie sings on a number of tunes – always in English, and in a laidback and mellow way that sounds wonderfully sweet next to her work on piano. The rest of the group includes a bit of clarinet next to the bass and drums – and on a few tracks, Elsie's even overdubbed with a bit of accordion as well! Titles include the originals "Atlantis Blues" and "Baron Lazar" – plus versions of "I Got It Bad", "You're Driving Me Crazy", "Stormy Weather", "After You've Gone", and "No Moon At All". CD

A record with a nicely earthy vibe, and a sound that definitely lives up to the "misticismo percussivo" and "primitivismo sonoro" promise of the cover! The group's a quartet with plenty of percussion throughout – mixed with bass, keyboards, and some nicely moody woodwinds – all served up on a set of tracks dedicated to the four elements wind, water, fire, and air – in a style that's almost a contemporary blend of spiritual jazz currents with older exotica inspirations! The approach is great, and makes the record slide nicely between genres to a space that's all its own – on titles that include "Chango", "Oyanza", "Ile Aye", and "Omi Tuto". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from pianist Paul Bley – material that really shows his commitment to the songwriting strengths of the great Annette Peacock! The first two thirds of the set features European material recorded in Rome and Baarn in 1966 – Bley working alongside bassist Mark Levinson and drummer Barry Altschul, both of whom had joined Paul on the groundbreaking Blood album – and who work here in similar territory, but on shorter tracks that are still relatively free and open overall! The tracks represent key recordings of songs that Bley would rework later on – titles that include "Blood", "Touching", "Nothing Ever Was Anyway", "Kid Dynamite", "Mister Joy", "Albert's Love Theme", and "El Cordobes". The last third of the record features material from 1968, recorded in Seattle with a trio that features Gary Peacock on bass and Billy Elgart on drums – revisiting some of the same material, but with a very different vibe – on tracks that include "Mister Joy", "Touching", "Kid Dynamite", "El Cordobes", "Blood", and "Nothing Ever Was Anyway". CD

Two very unusual albums from the great Graham Bond – back to back in a single set! Holy Magick is quite spiritual, almost supernatural at times – very much what you'd expect from the cover and title! The record's light years away from Bond's British beat group work of a few years before – and has a quality that almost mixes headier rock influences with the spiritualism of the post-Coltrane generation – as the record almost goes farther in a direction that was somewhat initiated by Albert Ayler's more rock-like leanings at the end of his life. Many numbers have chorus vocals rising up behind Bond's lead – and while his own work on alto sax is somewhat displaced by strong use of guitar on many tracks, there's still a fair bit of jazzy elements going on in the mix – particularly on side two, which features Graham laying down some strong lines on the Hammond. Titles include "Aquarius Mantra", "Praise City Of Light", "12 Gates To The City", "Invocation To The Light", "The Qabalistic Cross", "The Pentagram Ritual", "The Holy Words", "The Judgement", and "The Magician". Holy Magick is an equally unusual record from a very unusual player! Altoist Graham Bond had a long and varied career before he made this groovy rock/jazz album in the early 70s. He started as a committed Brit modernist, playing in Don Rendell's early group, then moved into the Beat Group era, with his Graham Bond Organization that featured him on organ and alto. This session recorded with his group Magick shows a similar extension from the Beat Group sound that was taken by Brian Auger – lots of longer jamming cuts, still with the R&B tinged jazzy playing at its base, but with spiritual jazz on the vocals at times, and almost a bit of prog as well. The heart of the whole thing's still nice and jazzy, though – and titles include "Druid", "Ajama", "Forbidden Fruit", and "Moving Towards The Light". CD

One of the smartest books we've ever seen on album cover art – a lavish full color volume that not only presents loads of classic images, but also has plenty to say about them as well! The book is a bit smaller than LP format – maybe 8" square overall – but it's filled with loads of full page reproductions of classic hi fi, bachelor pad, and mood music album covers – most with a facing page of test that really examines the images, and also offers up other historical details too! The authors really follow a direction that's inspirational – treating these album covers not as kitsch, but as a rich document of midcentury America at the crossroads – full of deeper meaning if you know how to read things the right way. The book features chapters that include "Let's Have a Dinner Party", "Music For Hi Fi Living", "Cuba", "Airlines", "Adventures In Sound", "Sound Tour", and "Capitol Of The World" – and the hardcover volume is 420 pages, full color, with great notes at the end! Book

One of the most spiritual, most well-conceived sessions we've heard from reedman David Boykin in years – a single performance that runs for almost 30 minutes, featuring a totally hip lineup that includes Nicole Mitchell on flute, Joshua Abrams on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar, Eliel Sherman Storey on tenor, and Avreeyal Ra on drums! The key element here, though, is Lasana Kazembe – who delivers a powerful spoken passage at points – these righteous words about our fair city of Chicago, with a powerful message about the city and life within. Lawrence Jones adds congas to the proceedings, Zahra Glenda Baker sings a bit, and the whole thing resonates with a mix of jazz, spoken word, and spiritual message that takes us back to some of our favorite recordings of the 70s! CD

Hardly the sex tape you might expect from the title – and instead a really great ensemble performance from David Boykin – one that almost has him rising up to take on the Sun Ra legacy on the Chicago scene! The group here is full of wonderful sounds – not just tenor from Boykin, but also flute from Nicole Mitchell, alto from Matana Roberts, bass from Joshua Abrams, drums from Isaiah Spencer, Baritone from Aaron Getsung, keyboards from William Kurk, turntables from Besco, and Arp from Jim Baker – all coming together on long passages that mix rhythmic progressions with these freer flights of sound – very much the spirit of what you might have heard on a vintage Saturn Records release! And maybe as with one of the many self-issued live sets by Ra – this one features a familiar number, "47th Street Ghost", taken to an extended new height – and blended with another "untitled" composition – for one long performance recorded in concert. CD

A magical bit of music from Chicago free spirit David Boykin – a CD ep that features one extended track, the 16 minute "Diasporadiation", a really cosmic number with a classic 70s spiritual feel! The group on the set is a quintet with Boykin on saxes, Nicole Mitchell on piccolo, and Jim Baker on piano – plus additional drums and cello – and the track builds nicely over the course of the CD, with some really great solo work from both Mitchell and Boykin! CD

A set recorded many years back by Chicago spiritualist David Boykin – but one that's finally getting its debut on record, as part of the ever-evolving rich tapestry of sounds that Boykin's been giving us since the 90s! The set here captures David at a key moment – when he was maybe turning towards even more spiritual currents from more outside performances – working with an excellent lineup that features Nicole Mitchell on flute, Josh Abrams on bass, James Baker on piano, Mike Reed on drums, Renee Baker on violin, Chinatsu Nakano on alto, and Shirazette Tinnin on congas. Both Abrams and Reed are also at key points of their development, and together with Boykin and Mitchell, they beautifully point the way forward for a new generation of Chicago expression. The piece is one long live performance, over 45 minutes in length – with segments that include "Midnight", "Sunrise", "Herukhuti", and "Enocturnal Sun". CD

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

An amazing record – one of the best on Motown's short-lived Workshop Jazz subsidiary! The album is the first to feature Roy Brooks as a leader – and the super-hip drummer from Detroit really knows what to do with the opportunity! He's working here with a hip group that includes members of the Horace Silver quintet – including Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, and Gene Taylor on bass – as well as Detroit contemporaries George Bohannon on trombone and Hugh Lawson on piano. The overall style of the record is quite different from Brooks' work with Silver – and has a much more open-ended feeling emotionally – an early hint at the qualities that Roy would unveil on his rare indie sides at the start of the 70s. The tracks are a mix of soul jazz numbers and others with a rougher-hewn sense of modernism – almost like the excellent work coming out of Chicago during the early 60s, from artists like Gene Shaw or the MJT+3. All the players are at their best, and the album features some of the nicest tenor work we've ever heard from Cook. Titles include "Soulsphere", "Soulin", "Homestretch", "Passin The Buck", and "My Secret Passion". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record – maybe worth it alone for the duets between Marion Brown on alto and Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet! These tracks take up the first half of the record – while the second features Brown in duets with Elliott Schwartz on piano and keyboards! LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's heavy on percussion, and which really sticks to this group's commitment to the rootsier sound of Colombian music – particularly the coastal style of bullerengue, which is served up here in a bold mix of drums, percussion, and rising voices! There's a female singer in the lead, but it's clear that the whole group is joining in with some of the lyrics – rising up their voices joyously next to their rhythms – which are often augmented by handclaps and other gestures that really emphasize the very physical quality of the music! Titles include "Madre Fuego", "El Bocao", "Colombia Sin Panama", "San Antonio", "Madre Luna", and "Madre Sol". LP, Vinyl record album

Live recording from the Hammersmith Odeon. LP, Vinyl record album

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