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Tracks from Volker Meitz, Lonnie Liston Smith, Tweak, Extended Spirit, Sven Van Hees, Minus 8, Groove Armada, Yonderboi, Bobby Hughes Experience, Rozzo, Femi Kuti, Le Wax, and more. CD

The seminal debut of Hatfield & The North – a group that maybe came a bit late in the UK prog scene of the early 70s, but who had a huge influence for decades to come! The quartet are a late transformation of the earlier Canterbury sound – leaner, maybe jazzier, and with a great ear for warm tones and organic elements that help hold the complexity of their music to the surface of the planet. Plus, there's this more open, honest quality to some of the work – especially the vocals – that quality, say, that made Matching Mole so different than Soft Machine. The whole lineup is an all-star affair – Richard Sinclair on bass and vocals, Pip Pyle on drums, Phil Miller on guitars, and Dave Stewart on organ, piano, and tone generator – plus some nice guest sax and flute from Geoff Leigh of Henry Cow, and vocals from Robert Wyatt on one track. Titles include "The Stubbs Effect", "Calyx", "Licks For Ladies", "Bossa Nochance", "Big Jobs No 2", "Lobster In A Cleavage Probe", and "Rifferama". This CD edition includes the bonus tracks "Let's Eat Real Soon", "Fitter Stoke Has A Bath" and "Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut". CD

Mindblowing music from Robert Wyatt – never-heard demos, but cuts that are every bit as essential as his music in Soft Machine, and his early solo sides as well! Robert handles almost all the instrumentation here himself – except for one guest solo from Jimi Hendrix on bass, and some other guest bass from Hugh Hopper and guest organ from Mike Ratledge – and the drums are plenty heavy, with surprisingly funky currents – set loose on these studio tracks that are also heavy on Hammond, and both acoustic and electric piano. Wyatt sings on all numbers, already with that unique voice we love so much – and tracks include the incredible "Chelsa", which is a precursor to a later Matching Mole classic – plus "Rivmic Melodies", "Slow Walkin Talk", and "Moon In June". CD

A really great take on the sort of territory that's usually covered in Cramps-related compilations like this – a set of tracks that still trawls through the weird and wooly world of the 7" single in the late 50s and early 60s, but one that does so here with a special ear towards British 45s from the time – stacked up with a whole host of cool, offbeat tracks we never would have heard otherwise! The set mixes instrumentals, rockers, vocal numbers, and other modes together – with a total of 28 weird tracks that really work wonders together – and make you feel like you've found some very old jukebox in the back room of some east end pub that has been standing in the same place for decades. Titles include "Cool Gool" by Sharkey Todd & The Monsters, "Demon Lover" by Lynn Cornell, "The Mole In The Hole" by The Southlanders, "My Baby's Crazy Bout Elvis" by Billy Boyle, "Diabolical Twist" by Max Bygraves, "Taboo" by Sounds Inc, "Death Valley" by Charles Blackwell, "Fried Onions" by Ted Taylor Four, "African Waltz" by Johnny Dankworth, "Payroll" by Reg Owen, "Juvenile Delinquent" by Suzy Cope, and "Just Couldn't Resist Her With Her Pocket Transistor" by Alma Cogan. CD

A deep deep dig into the vaults of King/Federal Records – initial home to James Brown and a host of other R&B acts in the 50s – lots of whom are featured here! The collection includes many tracks never reissued before – all hand-picked by vintage 45 expert Mr Fine Wine, and laid out at a level that's both fresher than most King Records collections – and most of the 50s R&B sets we know as well! Fine Wine comes at the project almost with a "roots of funk" approach – which means that there's loads of unusual rhythms, weird cultural hybrids, and raw pre-soul vocals over the top – a killer range of cuts that include "Space Guitar" by Young John Watson, "Bossa Nova & Grits" by Little Joe Washington, "The Way You Do" by Jimmy Nolen, "Good Mambo Tonight" by Wynonie Harris, "Somewhere Down The Line" by Little Jimmy Scott, "You Can't Hide" by Lula Reed & Freddie King, "Back On The Block" by Sam Anderson & The Telstars, "Same Old Thing" by Amos Milburn, "You're Lower Than A Mole" by Camille Howard, "Be Bop Wino" by The Lamplighters, "Cherry Wine" by Little Esther, and "Stop Knockin" by Juanita Nixon. CD

Pee Wee Russell on clarinet with Eddie Condon on guitar, Bud Freeman on tenor sax, Jess Stacy on piano, Muggsy Spanier on cornet, Miff Mole on trombone, and many more. Includes "Jig Walk", "Last Time I Saw Chicago", "Deuces Wild", "Embraceable You", "Rosettta", "DA Blues", and "Squeeze Me" – plus a number of alternate takes. 22 cuts in all. CD

One of the darkest albums we've ever heard from Domenico – very different than his collaborations with Kassin and Moreno Veloso! The sound here has a lot more electronics and distortion – not unfamiliar with other records on the Mais Um Discos label, but a bit different than some of Domenico's other work – although there's some bossa-styled acoustic guitar and vocals at times, which really makes a great contrast and warms things up nicely! Producer Ricardo Dias Gomes had a big hand in the sound, and the album is maybe more of a collaboration between the two than just a Domenico solo set – and the whole thing definitely marks another amazing chapter in his wonderful run of records over the years. Titles include "Diga", "Nada Sera De Outra Maneira", "Mole", "Ta Brabo", "Aterrizar", and "Um Abraco No Faust". CD

The legendary Headhunters are still in mighty great shape after all these years – different in lineup, but still a sublime showcase for the work of Mike Clark on drums and Bill Summers on percussion – two of the core Headhunters who first worked with Herbie Hancock back in the 70s! The rest of the lineup features alto sax from Donald Harrison, plus keyboards from Kyle Roussel and bass from Chris Severin – and as with other later iterations of the group, there's a fair bit of jazz in the mix, alongside the more familiar funk of the Headhunters' own records from back in the day – a quality that's probably even more pronounced here in the live setting, which features extended tracks with plenty of room for solos! Titles include versions of "Chameleon", "Headhunter Jam", "Four String Drive", "Butterfly", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Rocking At The Mole House", and "Watermelon Man". CD

A great illustration of the sorts of qualities that always made the British scene so interesting over the years – as even in the big year of hits that was 1972, these groups still had a way of coming up with all sorts of interesting modes and really fresh styles – maturing the earlier experiments of prog rock, going for some continued inventiveness in more edgey groups, and furthering a new generation of songwriting that took things way past too-familiar pop themes! The depth of music here is really great – and although the set features a few bigger names, they're easily matched with a number of groups who never charted on our side of the Atlantic, and who were really part of the record-buying cognoscenti on both sides of the ocean – represented here by the kind of album nuggets that really pushed this generation past singles and 45s! As with other Esoteric packages in this series, the choice of cuts is great – never too familiar, but also never too obscure for obscure's sake – as the 55 track package moves through work by Khan, Bombadil, Pretty Things, Ten Years After, Skin Alley, Rare Bird, Edgar Broughton Band, Uriah Heep, Hawkwind, Atomic Rooster, Barclay James Harvest, Mellow Candle, Van Der Graaf Generator, Help Yourself, Matching Mole, Bond & Brown, Vinegar Joe, Nektar, Family, Free, and others! CD

One of the coolest compilations we've ever heard from Ace Records – a really special set that follows in the tradition of their other St Etienne cafe/pub collections – and like those gems, a very different package than usual! This time around, the duo of Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs (who you'll also know from the Croydon International label) focus on an overlooked strand of British sounds at the start of the 70s – music that's moody, often jazzy, and almost always touched with a hint of blue – a kind of melancholic moment after the heady 60s – one that takes into stock all the great changes that had happened in the music, but delivers them in this laidback style that's completely unselfconscious. This isn't singer/songwriter material, and it's not progressive either – although it carries light traces of some of the best of those scenes – and if we had to try to dig for a tag for these tracks at all, we might use the term "folk funk" that was bandied about years ago – for cuts that have a vibe that's complex yet personal, and lots of jazziness in the phrasing. Titles include "Last Cloud Home" by The Orange Bicycle, "Love Song With Flute" by Caravan, "Moon Bird" by The Roger Webb Sound, "Early Morning Eyes" by The Peacock Band, "JTL" by T2, "Evening Shade" by Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw, "Windfall" by Offspring, "Never Let Go" by Camel, "Bottles" by Belle Gonzalez, "Watching White Stars" by The Way We Live, "Wise Man In Your Heart" by Daevid Allen, "Til The Christ Come Back Home" by Bill Fay, "Pamela" by Scot Mist, and "O Caroline" by Matching Mole – a song which perfectly sums up the mood of the set. CD

Jazzy takes on familiar tunes – a great little record that rummages through the pop canon of the past few decades, then comes up with vocal jazz versions of the tunes that are totally great – really transforming the original compositions in a totally great way, all without any sort of gimmicks! Instrumentation is pretty spare – just keyboards, bass, and drums – with vocals handled by soulful Scandinavian singer Caroline Ekstrom, whose tones really bring a lot of magic to these tracks originally recorded by The Police, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, and others. The whole project's a lot like some of the Re:Jazz sides in recent years – save for the fact that these tracks were originally even more mainstream than those selected for the Re:Jazz project – which makes their transformation here all the more impressive. Titles include "Is It A Crime", "Dazed & Confused", "I Feel The Earth Move", "Money", "It's Too Late", "Message In A Bottle", and "In The Waiting Line". CD

A great lost album from the end of the Black Ark era! Originally recorded for Island records in the late 70s, this set has Scratch teaming up with a pair of Congolese musicians for an amazing fusion of his spacey reggae vision with their Zairian roots in Zouk music. Includes "African Root", "Bad Food", "Mengieb", "Wakoya","Nzube", "Masanga" and "African Freedom: Brotherhood". CD

An album that feels even more spiritual and soulful than anything we've heard before from tenorist James Brandon Lewis – and that's really saying a lot, given the records he's given us before! There's a lean, open energy to the record – a laidback group that features some especially nice drum work from Chad Taylor, who we always love in such a setting – alongside Aruan Ortiz on piano and Brad Jones on bass – all players who clearly recognize that Lewis needs plenty of space to stretch out, and make these magical notes on his instrument – voicing things in a way that's wonderfully fresh – never too far out, but always with an edge – a great reminder that in the right hands, the tenor continues to be one of the strongest modes of individual expression in jazz. Titles include "A Lotus Speaks", "Of First Importance", "Helix", "An Anguish Departed", "Cesaire", and "Neosho". CD

An overlooked bit of spiritual jazz from the 90s – issued at a time when the South African scene was really hitting a new level of creative energy, even though much of it wasn't always recognized by audiences over here in the US! The set's got this powerful fusion of ideas – older South African jazz styles mixed with new inspirations from other points of the globe, especially London – as keyboardist Moses Taiwa Molelekwa plays piano, Fender Rhodes, and other keyboards in shifting settings that are often very heavy on percussion and bass, used in differing ways that evoke a more global sense of rhythm. The album also features work from Dennis Rollins on trombone, Frances Reardon on bass clarinet, Khaya Mahlangu on soprano sax, Byron Wallen on trumpet, Rowland Sutherland on flute, and Lawrence Matshiza on guitar – and there's a bit of vocals on the record from Flora Purim, Max Mntambo, and Lungiswa Plaatijes, plus a bit from Moses himself. The vibe is somewhere in the territory of some of the excellent Sheer Sound jazz releases at the end of the last century – and titles include "Spirits Of Tembisa", "Sogra", "Genes & Spirits", "Tsala", "Wa Mpona", "Kwaze Kwangcono", "Rapela", "Dance To Africa", and "Ntatemoholo". CD

Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis just keeps getting deeper and deeper with each new release – very different than the artist who first emerged a number of records back, and one with a strong ability to explore the farther sides of the jazz spectrum! That's definitely the case here – as Lewis plays tenor at the head of a quartet with Aruan Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums – a lineup who are more than fluid enough to move with the ideas that flow effortlessly both from the compositional pen of the leader, and his well-crafted, very personal lines on tenor sax! The tunes vary in length, which further deepens the individuality of the set – and titles include "Helix", "Per 1", "Breaking Code", "An Anguish Departed", "Loverly", "Molecular", "Cesaire", and "A Lotus Speaks". CD

Mose Allison is one of the coolest, grooviest singers ever to grace the face of jazz – a voice you'll recognize instantly, even if you don't know his name – and an artist who had a huge influence on the sound of the London scene in the 60s! Mose was mod before mod was a thing – and was able to mix his sharp jazz skills on piano with a gutbuckety style of singing that drew heavily from the sound of New Orleans – as did his sense of rhythm – but always with an approach that was more upbeat and jazzy overall, with a hip sophistication that few other artists could hope to touch! And while Mose recorded excellent sounds for decades, this collection focuses in on some of the most important work he ever cut – music done for Prestige, Columbia, and Atlantic Records from the late 50s through the early 70s – served up in the most amazing tribute to Allison we've ever seen. 24 tracks in all – with cuts that include "Foolkiller", "I'm Not Talking", "If You Only Knew", "The Seventh Son", "I'm Smashed", "Wild Man On The Loose", "Back On The Corner", "I Love The Life I Live", "Jus Like Livin", "If You Live", "V8 Ford Blues", "Parchman Farm", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Western Man", "Your Molecular Structure", "Hellow There Universe", and "Swingin Machine". CD

Including tracks produced by Chicago's the Molemen CD

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A really great combo from the contemporary London scene – one who work with jazz instrumentation, but in ways that echo a variety of rhythmic styles – elements of North and West African modes, and touches of Caribbean as well – but all done with a lean, instrumental style! The group's led by drummer Ben Brown, who plays some equally great percussion next to Ernesto Maricholes – in rhythms that also get plenty of action from the guitar of Tal Jones and bass of Joe Downard. Tenor from Sam Rapley really sets the tunes on fire – often providing a raspy edge that's in a nice contrast to the rhythms, adding a real current of soul, and also opening up the sonic palette of the grooves! Titles include "Grown", "Wassoulou", "Time's Got A Hold", "Rollando", "Moleman", and "Listening Glasses". CD

Nothing weird here, just wonderful – a fantastic assortment of music from a time when the British scene was really changing things up – served up in a book-styled package with notes that are as dynamic as its music! The tracks here move way past the obvious – that's an image of John Lennon on the cover, but these aren't the tracks by The Beatles and bigger acts of the time – and instead, the collection really does a great job of digging around all the really wonderful groups that were recording for the bigger British labels of the period, but who were given a lot of freedom to really try out new ideas – both in their music, and in the way the music was recorded. The package is the best we've ever seen to present this slice of English rock – and the set features 122 titles on 5CDs – with work from Ron Geesin, Atlanta Roots, Simon Dupree, The Smoke, John's Children, Ivor Cutler, Tinsel Arcade, The Soft Machine, Canto, New Generation, Medium Rare, 117 Venusian Moonshine, Friday's Chyld, New Generation, Third Ear Band, Wimple Winch, The Deviants, Sorrows, Rupert's People, Orange Bicycle, Shuster, Felius Andromeda, Tomorrow, Crystal Ship, The Moles, and many others – and the set also features 9 never-issued tracks! CD

An amazing tribute to the Bakersfield scene – one that finally gives the California city the same sort of attention that we usually see in sets dedicated to Nashville! Bakersfield is well-known as the home of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, but the city's got a long legacy of influencing country music for decades – a good deal of which is presented here, in a package that brings together loads of rare Cali country singles that we never would have heard otherwise, along with well-chosen cuts from some of its stars, and a fair bit of rare and unissued material too! At the center of the set is a huge hardcover book by Scott Bomar – hardcover, 12" square, and with 224 full color pages of notes and images on the genius of Bakersfield, and what made it such a unique country music spot. The 10 CDs feature nearly 300 songs in all – one disc of which is all rare live and unissued material – and in addition to work by Buck and Merle, the set features tracks by Wayne Morris, Jerry Cornelius, Vancie & Rita, Georgia Lynn, Kenny Hays, Tommy Lewis, Rollie Webber, Johnny Barnette, Bonnie Owens, Bobby Durham, George Latta, Owen Charles, Larry Daniels, Gene Moles, Al Brumley, Bill Handy, Leo Stephens, Faye Hardin, Tom Tall, Cliff Crofford, Kenny Vernon, Rose Lee Maphis, Oscar Whittington, Foyle Holley, Dick Curless, Red Simpson, Gary Paxton, Jim Ward, and many many more! CD

Groovy 20 track "best of" CD compiling tracks from his Atlantic recordings of the late 60's and early 70's, with loads of his usual cool hipster jazz vocals and New Orleans piano playing. Cuts include "Seventh Son", "Swingin' Machine", "Your Mind Is On Vacation", "Your Molecular Structure", "Night Club", "That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch", "If You're Goin' To The City", and lots lots more! CD

Another feather in the Six Degrees cap – and like the rest of their Brazilian music repertoire, an artist who seems bent on breaking down boundaries – both in styles and generations! Ceu's got the same "old is new" feeling as some of the label's other work in recent years – a mode that takes older bossa, samba, and other styles (including dub) – and reworks it using a lightly playful quality, and a relatively stripped-down feel overall. Instrumentation here is mostly acoustic – especially on the rhythms – but it does include some electric bits on keyboards and turntables, used lightly enough as to not interfere with the organic quality of the sound. Ceu's vocals are light, too – but also slightly raspy, in a way that makes them a lot better from some of the too-dreamy singing you might expect on a record like this. Titles include "Lenda", "Malemolencia", "10 Contados", "Vinheta Dorival", "Ave Cruz", "Concrete Jungle", "Vinheta Quebrante", "Samba Na Sola", and "Bobagem". CD

Never-issued live work from British jazz legend Graham Collier – a performance that follows hot on the heels of his classic Down Another Road album, and which continues with a very similar vibe! That album is a modal masterpiece that stands as one of the key moments in British jazz at the end of the 60s – and here, bassist Collier furthers the magic of that wonderful album, but with a freer, more spontaneous sort of live energy – leading a very cool group that features Nick Evans on trombone, Harry Beckett on trumpet and flugelhorn, Stan Sulzman on tenor and alto, Karl Jenkins on piano and oboe, and John Marshall on drums. Collier's basslines alone are worth the price of admission – but there's so many other wonderful touches too – even the oboe work by Jenkins, which echoes some of the exotic tones of Yusef Lateef a few years earlier. Titles include "Molewrenceh", "The Barley Mow", "Aberdeen Angus", "Down Another Road", "Lullaby For A Lonely Child", and "Burblings For Bob". CD

Music from Gilberto Gil, Molejo, Grupo Raca, Royce Do Cavaco, Chico Salles, Jorge Ben Jor, O Rappa, Leandro Sapucahy, Linha De Frente, Kiko, Waldir Azevedo, Molejo, Ze Maria E Seu Orgao, and Maria Alcina. CD