... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Their first LP, foretelling the shape of things to come out of Atlanta, alongside Southernplayalistic. . .with "Cell Therapy", "Blood", "The Coming", "Free", "Dirty South", "Thought Process", "Soul Food" and "Goodie Bag". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Mo Wax singles, from the label's heyday, or at least our favorite period, when they still had the Swifty graphics with the band down one side of the cover. Funky French club cuts, from the days just before Bob Sinclair and the Yellow Productions folks took it to the big time, with a heavy house influence showing, but a lot more going on here too, Latin beats and jazzy sensibilities as well as tough hip hop and break influenced funk showing up! 6 tracks: "La Doctoresse", "Motor Bass Get Phunked Up", "Suspense", "Ravers Suck Our Sound And Get F*ck", "357 Magnum Force" and "Blunt Konnection". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best blue-eyed soul of the 70s – material by a really wonderful group with raspy soul leads and full, soaring harmonies! The Mob had a groove that was partly influenced by crossover soul of the late 60s, but which also had a touch of the jazz/rock modes of their generation – tight horns that swing along with the rhythms wonderfully – all in a way that almost links the group to some of the southern party circuit combos, like The Swinging Medallions or Tempests. Lead vocalist Al Herrero has a totally great way of putting over a tune – a style that never tries too hard, and which always keeps things right on the edge without going over the top. This approach is heard especially well on the classic "I Dig Everything About You", but the whole album's great too – overflowing with fresh original tracks that include "Maybe I'll Find A Way", "Lost", "Give It To Me", "Love's Got A Hold On Me", and "For A Little While". LP, Vinyl record album

Many years back, Brian Eno gave us a record called Music For Films – a set that came out during his initial run of Ambient recordings, showing us how strong his instrumental creations could be when and if applied to a cinematic mode! The tracks there were half imagined works for film – and those of us who loved Eno were always hoping that it would lead to more prominent scoring for the electrosonic genius. Turns out, that happened anyway – as this set of 17 tracks will attest – a rising Eno role in the film soundtrack world, served up on contributions from big productions and lesser-known gems. The set features work from films that include Heat, We Are As Gods, Trainspotting, Married To The Mob, Jubilee, Top Boy, Sebastiane, Hammerhead, Rams, Lovely Bones, Francis Bacon's Arena, and Cool World – a surprisingly rich array of material! LP, Vinyl record album

Cube's anger goes full throttle on his second post NWA full-length. He takes every aspect of his social commentator standpoints to another level from his solo debut – the roles of the angry and educated leader, and the finger-pointing blamer each get their say here, and so do those furiously funky Lench Mob beats. One of the last great gangsta era records to be so propulsive and exciting – Dre's Chronic was waiting just around the corner to haze this sound out of the picture for good. Quite tough to find on wax in it's original pressing – includes "Givin Up The Nappy Dug Out", "The Funeral", "Wrong Ni**a To –- Wit", "My Summer Vacation", "No Vaseline" and "Steady Mobbin". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the crowning moment on record of the mighty McSolaar – certainly the first French MC to conquer the global world of hip hop, and also maybe one of the first non-American artists to show that other languages could work equally well with the music! The production here is every bit as great as Solaar's lyrics – handled by Jimmy Jay and La Funk Mob, the latter of whom you might know from albums of their own – definitely pioneering European talents in taking the best US modes of the early 90s, and mixing them with a fresher array of beats and samples! Titles include "Obsolete", "Dix De Mes Disciples", "La Fin Justifie Les Moyens", "Sequelles", "Prose Combat", "Nouveau Western", "Superstarr", and "Temps Mort". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from The Meters – and an album that's essential for just about any collection of old school funk! The record's a blueprint for grooves that have been copied for generations to come – yet nobody does it better than these Crescent City kings – working here with a sound that's lean, mean, and completely on the money! The mix of organ, guitar, and bad-walking rhythms is completely sublime throughout – and made even better by massive production from the team of Marshall Sehorn and Allen Toussaint. Imagine taking the best instrumental funk 45s from your collection, then playing them back to back – and you'll get a good idea of the solid sound of this landmark set. Titles include "Funky Miracle", "Oh Calcutta", "Yeah You're Right", "Pungee", "Look-Ka Py Py", "Dry Spell", "Little Old Money Maker", "The Mob", "9 Til 5", "Rigor Mortis", and "This Is My Last Affair". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from The Meters – and an album that's essential for just about any collection of old school funk! The record's a blueprint for grooves that have been copied for generations to come – yet nobody does it better than these Crescent City kings – working here with a sound that's lean, mean, and completely on the money! The mix of organ, guitar, and bad-walking rhythms is completely sublime throughout – and made even better by massive production from the team of Marshall Sehorn and Allen Toussaint. Imagine taking the best instrumental funk 45s from your collection, then playing them back to back – and you'll get a good idea of the solid sound of this landmark set. Titles include "Funky Miracle", "Oh Calcutta", "Yeah You're Right", "Pungee", "Look-Ka Py Py", "Dry Spell", "Little Old Money Maker", "The Mob", "9 Til 5", "Rigor Mortis", and "This Is My Last Affair". LP, Vinyl record album

At the height of his success, Pat tries to prove to the world that he's still got cred – and hooks up with Ornette, Charlie Haden, and Denardo Coleman for a little bit of harmelodic jamming. Thing is, we actually liked the slick stuff better! Titles include "Mob Job", "Video Games", "Song X Duo", and "Long Time No See". LP, Vinyl record album

The Revolutionaries are in fantastic formation on this rare dub set for GG's Records – serving up all sorts of deep, dark rhythms that get wonderfully transformed by the heady production from Alvin Ranglin! Ranglin's a real master of understatement here – and the album's definitely got the lean, sinister vibe of some of the best indie sets from the Jamaican underground – work that hardly saw much circulation at the time, and the record has all sorts of wonderful instrumental touches throughout – including very cool trombone from Vin Gordon, organ from Ansel Collins, and guitar from Bo Peep. Titles include "Macaback Rock", "Ital Collie", "Heartical Dub", "Runaway Dub", "Iron Gate", "Rockers Mob", "Black Star Dub", and "Dub On The Track". LP, Vinyl record album

Just about the only album the Rat Pack ever did together, and the soundtrack to the goofy mob spoof that starred Sinatra, Dino, Bing, Sammy, and Peter Falk. The movie stinks – which you'll know if you've ever seen it – but the score has some very nice moments, including "Mister Booze" with Bing, Dean, Sammy, and Frank; "Style" with Bing, Frank, and Dean; and "Don't Be A Do-Badder", with just about the whole group singing. Peter Falk even sings one track, and Sinatra does his famous "My Kind Of Town". Nelson Riddle arrangements throughout! LP, Vinyl record album

12 tracks in all, including Kool G Rap "Real Life", Xzibit & King Tee "You Better Believe", GZA "When The Fat Lady Sings", Goodie Mob "This Some'n Too", Kurupt "Armageddon", Cypress Hill "Don't Trip", Everlast "Razor To Your Throat" and Kurupt & Rasco "When The Pain Inflict". LP, Vinyl record album

Soundtrack to the much-hyped full length animated feature film – based on the popular sci-fi magazine of the time! The music here has little to do with the story, but there are plenty of great late 70s major label rockers in the lineup – on a set of tracks that includes "I Must Be Dreamin" and "Reach Out" by Cheap Trick, "Heavy Metal" by Sammy Hagar, "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" by Blue Oyster Cult, "Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath, "True Companion" by Donald Fagen, "Prefabricated" by Trust, "Blue Lamp" by Stevie Nicks, "Crazy" by Nazareth, "Open Arms" by Journey, "Queen Bee" by Grand Funk Railroad, "All Of You" and "Heavy Metal" by Don Felder, "Radar Rider" by Riggs, and "Working In The Coal Mine" by Devo. LP, Vinyl record album

A masterclass in early rap from Sugar Hill Records – touchstone classics that thumped dancefloors from the early days to today, inspired the scene's kings and queens to follow, and helped pave the way for the sounds and styles to come! Bookended by the long versions of the good-natured party rocking namesake Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" and Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel equally iconic "White Lines (Don't Do It)", the rest of the tracks really find the sweet spot between always welcome familiarity and underappreciated gems – and it's great to have them all in a top notch package! Includes The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (single version), "That's the Joint" by Funky 4 Plus One, " Break Dance-Electric Boogie" (single) by West Street Mob, "Funk You Up (Long Version)" by The Sequence and more, LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of rare gems from the headiest days of the Texas scene – with selections by Blox, Murphy & Mob, Ninth Street Bridge, Brothers & Sisters, The Chants, Continental V, Barons, The Undertakers, The Visions, The Mods, The Shades Of Night, Circus, Shivas Head Band, Sweet Smoke, Minds Eye, and The Stereo Shoestring. LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Louis Bellson grooves it nice and hard in this excellent session from his early 50s Verve years! The record kicks off with the tremendous "Skin Deep" title cut – a number that features Louis really going to town in an extended drum solo that must be one of the longest ever recorded during the period – maybe even the "Moby Dick" of its time! Other titles include "Loris", "Claxton Hall Swing", and "Phalanges" – and though the notes don't name any of his hard swinging side men, the group's billed as his big band, and the set more than lives up to it's name! LP, Vinyl record album

From the Game Over II compilation. 12-inch, Vinyl record

The great solo debut of Big Noyd – an MC who'd gotten an earlier hand up from Mobb Deep, whose Havoc and Prodigy really help out on the set! Part of that help was due to the fact that Noyd was behind bars while the album was in process – but his contributions here are key, really echoing that energy he brought to his appearance before – and set up with that nice sense of darkness that Havoc could bring to his production! The approach is great – leaner and less full of itself than west coast work that might hit similar territory – and titles include "The Precinct", "Recognize & Realize", "All Pro", "Infamous Mobb", "Usual Suspect", "Episodes Of A Hustla", and "I Don't Wanna Love Again". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual albums we've ever heard on the Moserobie label – and that's saying a lot, given the groundbreaking material the Swedish imprint has given us for almost 20 years! Daniel Bingert heads up a group that's very heavy on reed interplay, on a set of tunes that are Monkish at points, but also have some surprising funky touches – not in a conventional way, but at a level that really keeps things interesting! Moussa Fadera handles some plenty heavy drums, and gets bass accompaniment from Torbjorn Zetterberg – a player we always love, but who shows off a whole new side of his talents here. The reeds soar, cross, and sparkle – work from Per Texas Johansson on tenor and bass clarinet, Jonas Kullhammar on alto, and Charlie Malberg on baritone – who also plays piano. The leader Bingert also brings in some moog at times, and Karl Olanderson provides key work on trumpet – on titles that include "Tom Of Norway", "Mobley Phone", "Ulla My Dear", "Soul Nedgangen", "Kennet Lemur", and "Latin Good Times Spela Roll". LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking live material from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – a set recorded at Birdland, aka The Jazz Corner Of The World – home to a number of key performances by the group! The lineup here features a key transitional version of the group – with the younger Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano, already setting the combo on fire with their new ideas and very bold work on solos – and the great Hank Mobley on tenor, who'd worked with Blakey for a few years at this time – and provides this deeply soulful grounding that's as great as his own records, but maybe even a bit more open in the live setting. The great Jymie Merritt is on bass – one of Art's secret weapons over the years – and the set list of this first volume includes "Hipsippy Blues", "Justice", "Just Coolin", and a nice version of "Close Your Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

The long-overdue release of an unissued Blue Note session from 1959 – one that features a version of the Jazz Messengers right before Wayne Shorter joined the group, with the mighty Hank Mobley on the quintet lineup on tenor! The Messengers in 1959 and 1960 were really at the top of their game – and here feature the fantastic newcomers, Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano, both of whom were helping drummer Blakey to form a new, evolved version of the sound he'd been crafting with other lineups in previous years – aided here by the rock-solid Jymie Merritt on bass! As with some of the other unissued Blue Note dates of this type, the whole thing is fantastic – not an unformed, half-baked session – but the kind of material that could stand right next to Blakey classics of the time, like The Big Beat or Moanin. Titles include "Quick Trick", "M&M", "Just Coolin", "Jimerick", "Close Your Eyes", and "Hipsippy Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic early set featuring the Jazz Messengers back when the group was less of an Art Blakey project, and more of an all-around affair – as you might guess from a lineup that also includes Horace Silver on piano, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor, and Doug Watkins on bass! The live set is one of the earliest and purest versions of Blakey's hardbop vision, touched with the slightly exotic lyricism of Silver, which gives the tracks a wonderful edge. The playing is excellent throughout – and the album's the kind of live stormer that shows why the group were such a huge draw right out of the box, and why they performed as well (if not better) in a live setting than they did in a studio one! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer early album by Art Blakey and his first incarnation of The Messengers – recorded before Horace Silver left the group, and a rare non-Blue Note outing done for Columbia Records! The ensemble here features Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor, and Doug Watkins on bass – alongside Silver's piano and Blakey's thundering work on drums – and the album is virtually a blueprint for the sound of hardbop in years to come – focused and intense, but still with plenty of room for individual solo expression! Tracks include a classic reading of "Nica's Dream", plus Horace Silver's great "Ecaroh", and Mobley's own "Infra-Rae" and "Hank's Symphony". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes remixes by William Orbit, Moby, Adrian Sherwood, John McEntire, and Thurston Moore. LP, Vinyl record album

A great 2LP set that reissues two of the best blowing sessions on Prestige from the late 50s – All Day Long and All Night Long – proof that Kenny Burrell could hit a nice groove when he wanted to! The tracks are all long and very open-ended, with players that include Mal Waldron, Jerome Richardson, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Frank Foster, Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins, and Art Taylor. Side one features a great long track called "All Night Long", with loads of space and plenty of great soloing, and side three features "All Day Long", which is in a similar mode. Other tracks include "Flickers", "Boo Lu", "Slim Jim", "Say Listen", and "AT" – all a bit tighter, and still very nice. LP, Vinyl record album

A real hard-burner from Kenny Burrell – a set that was recorded for Blue Note in the guitarist's early career, but not issued by the label until the 70s – and even then only in Japan! Kenny's got the sharp edge and strong sense of leadership you'll hear on his classic Midnight Blue – and the lineup features strong tenor work from Hank Mobley, who seems to underscore the best elements in Burrell's tone – plus work from Horace Silver on piano – who plays with lots of soulful undercurrents, alongside Doug Watkins on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The record's got some slightly raspy edges, which may be why Blue Note originally held it back – but it's a real treasure for the deeper side of Kenny's tones – and titles include "Out For Blood", "Nica's Dream", "KB Blues", and "DB Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A real hard-burner from Kenny Burrell – a set that was recorded for Blue Note in the guitarist's early career, but not issued by the label until the 70s – and even then only in Japan! Kenny's got the sharp edge and strong sense of leadership you'll hear on his classic Midnight Blue – and the lineup features strong tenor work from Hank Mobley, who seems to underscore the best elements in Burrell's tone – plus work from Horace Silver on piano – who plays with lots of soulful undercurrents, alongside Doug Watkins on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! The record's got some slightly raspy edges, which may be why Blue Note originally held it back – but it's a real treasure for the deeper side of Kenny's tones – and titles include "Out For Blood", "Nica's Dream", "KB Blues", and "DB Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully lyrical session from trumpeter Donald Byrd – yet for some reason, the album's one of his most overlooked from the 60s! The session features material by 2 different groups – one that includes Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Duke Pearson; and another which features Byrd, alongside Jackie McLean and Pearson. Donald's playing is really opening up here – hitting some sweeter, more drifting notes, yet still referencing the heavier style of his hardbop years from time to time – and in a way, the record's almost a hint of the solo style that Byrd would take up on 70s recordings with Larry Mizell – still in a deep groove, but with a newfound ability to sail over the top with some nice light notes. Mobley and McLean are superb, as always, and Pearson plays nice and hard – with more of an edge than on his own recordings of the time. Tracks include "Ghana", "Lex", "My Girl Shirl", and "Bo". LP, Vinyl record album

A wailer! This rare 1955 album is one of Donald Byrd's first records as a leader – recorded for the tiny Transition label in Boston, but with a hardbop groove that's right up there with his early work for Savoy and Blue Note. The record is practically a Jazz Messengers session – as it features Art Blakey on drums, Horace Silver on piano, Hank Mobley on tenor, and Doug Watkins on bass – and it's also got the unique aspect of a two-trumpet frontline, as the young Joe Gordon joins Donald on the instrument for the session. Tracks are long and open-ended – with incredibly well-crafted playing that really keeps the set fresh, despite the young age of Donald at the time. Titles include "El Sino", "Doug's Blues", "Hank's Tune", and "Hank's Other Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A wailer! This rare 1955 album is one of Donald Byrd's first records as a leader – recorded for the tiny Transition label in Boston, but with a hardbop groove that's right up there with his early work for Savoy and Blue Note. The record is practically a Jazz Messengers session – as it features Art Blakey on drums, Horace Silver on piano, Hank Mobley on tenor, and Doug Watkins on bass – and it's also got the unique aspect of a two-trumpet frontline, as the young Joe Gordon joins Donald on the instrument for the session. Tracks are long and open-ended – with incredibly well-crafted playing that really keeps the set fresh, despite the young age of Donald at the time. Titles include "El Sino", "Doug's Blues", "Hank's Tune", and "Hank's Other Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A really landmark album in soulful jazz for the 60s – a set that takes the already-great energy of the young trumpeter Donald Byrd, and mixes it with some voices borrowed from gospel music bur turned towards modern jazz – all in a style that's very similar to some of the Max Roach experiments from the time! The core group is really great – with tenor from Hank Mobley, guitar from Kenny Burrell, and piano from Herbie Hancock – plus vibes from the obscure Donald Best, an instrument that you don't always hear on Donald Byrd's albums! Added to this group are voices directed by Coleridge Perkinson, a very hip cat who takes the voices far away from cliched modes of earlier years – and into some very righteous territory that makes the record one of Donald Byrd's first really powerful statements as a leader. Duke Pearson handled the arrangements, and the sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Titles include the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah". LP, Vinyl record album

A really landmark album in soulful jazz for the 60s – a set that takes the already-great energy of the young trumpeter Donald Byrd, and mixes it with some voices borrowed from gospel music bur turned towards modern jazz – all in a style that's very similar to some of the Max Roach experiments from the time! The core group is really great – with tenor from Hank Mobley, guitar from Kenny Burrell, and piano from Herbie Hancock – plus vibes from the obscure Donald Best, an instrument that you don't always hear on Donald Byrd's albums! Added to this group are voices directed by Coleridge Perkinson, a very hip cat who takes the voices far away from cliched modes of earlier years – and into some very righteous territory that makes the record one of Donald Byrd's first really powerful statements as a leader. Duke Pearson handled the arrangements, and the sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Titles include the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the most classic Blue Note sessions ever – and for good reason too! From the cover, to the title, to the hardbopping grooves of the set, this Sonny Clark late 50s smoker is one of the label's best – as pianist Clark is working here at the height of his powers – leading an all-star group that includes Art Farmer on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Hank Mobley on tenor, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – all coming together magically on open-ended tunes that tighten up from the blowing session format, and really send the groove home! Plus, Sonny's writing is also great – as the set's got a number of great originals by Clark – and titles include "Bootin' It", "Sonny's Mood", "Shoutin On A Riff", and "Dial S For Sonny". LP, Vinyl record album