A boogaloo album, but one that's a lot trippier than most – and definitely worthy of the psychedelic reference in the group's name! As with so much of the best work from the Venezuelan scene of the late 60s, the music here draws on references from up north, but really abstracts the sound – almost as if the boogaloo had to go through a bit of a filter on the way down to Tono, where it picked up some cool production techniques, offbeat keyboards, and lots of other elements – often set to rhythms that aren't straight Spanish Harlem grooves, and instead also borrow bits from Colombia and Peru! Most of the record is instrumental – and titles include "Mr Boogaloo", "No Te Bote", "Chin Chin", "El Basuero", "Borinquen Bell", "El Guaycol", and "Las Hojas Secas". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sarah Vaughan's first albums of Latin-tinged tracks – showing the roots of her interest in Brazilian music that would develop even more fully into the 70s. The record features a large group arranged and conducted by Frank Foster – with a host of jazz soloists, plus Latin percussion by the likes of Willie Bobo, Jose Mangual, and Willie Rodriguez. Titles include lively versions of "Jive Samba", "The Boy From Ipanema", "Mr Lucky", "Quiet Nights", and "Moment Of Truth". Tasty stuff – and very groovy! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Tom Waits' final album for Asylum – and one that clearly points the way towards the rawly rhythmic, murky atmospherics of his wilder Island years to come – while still bringing out the woozy, gruff balladeer of the earlier albums! It's kind of amazing that the record works as well as it does, as you can sense the creative restlessness in the distinctly different styles. A great one! Includes "Heart Attack And Vine", "In Shades", "Saving All My Love For You", "Jersey Girl", "Downtown", "Mr. Diegal", "On The Nickel", "Ruby's Arm" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great Grover Washington record – and with 25 years behind us, we really now realize how fantastic all the early Kudu sessions really were! The record was recorded live at the Bijou, and is spread out over 2 long LPs, with lots of room for tasty open-ended solos by Grover and the group. Includes the great version of "Lock It In The Pocket", plus "Funkfoot", "Sausalito", "Summer Song", and a long version of "Mr Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

Features new recordings of work from Taras Bulba, The Paradine Case, Mr Roberts, Botany Bay, and The Bride Of Frankenstein. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record from alto saxophonist Norman Williams – also known as The Bishop – and the first record on the mighty Theresa label too! The sound here is maybe a bit funkier than some of the other Theresa sessions of the late 70s – in part because there's some monstrous bass on the record, courtesy of Michael Formanek – who works magic alongside the keyboards and warmly-rolling rhythms – which are a perfect foil for the sharper lines that Williams brings to the record on his alto! The approach has some of the warmth and soul of the best 70s sessions on Black Jazz or Catalyst – and titles include "Trane's Paradise", "Mr Peabody", "Figure Eight", "Terry's Song", and "Ole Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice stuff from Pat Williams! Although known for mostly groovy 60s stuff (ala his legendary Verve and soundtrack work), this album features Williams hitting more of a 70s jazz funk groove, with a nice electric edge. The tracks are long, and the solos are played by Tom Scott and Marvin Stamm (mostly) – and the rest of the group includes Mike Melvoin on keyboards, John Guerin on drums, and Larry Bunker on percussion. Cuts include "And on the Sixth Day", "The Witch", and "Mr. Smoke". LP, Vinyl record album

Flip Wilson caught live at Mr Kelly's in Chicago – really grabbing the attention of the crowd with a range of routines – some straight jokes, mixed with some of the characters that would increasingly dominate Wilson's performance – all with the sort of crossover appeal that maybe makes his work an important precursor to the generation of Dave Chappelle! But there's also a hip-talking approach that links him back to the world of comics like Lenny Bruce or Mort Sahl – that style from a time when comics were only for adult audiences – something that's referenced not just in the subject material (which is never too blue here, given the Atlantic Records performance), but also in the matter of fact style of speaking. Titles include "The Millionaire", "The Joey Bishop Show", "The Gardener", "Days Of The Knights", "Herman's Berry", and "Paid To Die". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully groovy album from Nancy Wilson – filled with hip jazzy touches and lots of bouncy soul – in that sweet blend that was a perfect fit for the style of late 60s Capitol Records! Nancy really steps out from some of her more staid modes here – swinging a groove with some bad-rapping late 60s styles, yet still also reminding us that she's a sophisticated lady on some of the record's more adult tracks too. Arrangements are by the trio of Jimmy Jones, Phil Wright, and Joe Parnello – each of whom bring a different feel to the record, and help create a strong sense of variety amongst tracks that include "Son Of A Preacher Man", "Make The World Go Away", "I Made You This Way", "Husbands & Wives", "Mr Walker It's Over", "Almost Persuaded", and "Got It Together". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Amy Winehouse – even way better than her fantastic debut! Although a contemporary soul album, this one's steeped in tradition – soul styles that run the gamut from Detroit down to Kingston, and which are carried off here with a rougher, sharper-edged sound than before! The instrumentation on here is really mindblowing – almost at a Motown level, with isolated instruments really crackling out from the fuller backings – all set to rhythms that snap and bounce, and are almost a bit funky at times. Credit is definitely due to producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi – but Amy's vocals are really tremendous too – classic, but really personal and fresh! Titles include "Rehab", "Just Friends", "Back To Black", "Love Is A Losing Game", "He Can Only Hold Her", "Some Unholy War", and "Me & Mr Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

Jimmy Witherspoon pays tributes to his roots in rhythm and blues – but he does so in a wonderful way, by bringing a more jazz-focused approach to the material here – thanks to some nice tenor work from Ben Webster! Back in the 60s, Witherspoon always sat easily on the fence between jazz and blues – but a few key recordings really bring out that aspect of his work – and this obscure session for Reprise is one of them! Spoon's singing in a laidback, small combo setting here – very similar to the style he'd use on live dates in California – and Webster gets in some wonderful moments on the record too, blown with the boozy, late nite style used on his own Reprise album at the time. Titles include "Key To The Highway", "Confessing The Blues", "Did You Ever", "Rain Is Such A Lonesome Sound", "Cherry Red", "Just A Dream", and "Please Mr Webster". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Phill Woods on alto sax, Bill Goodwin on drums, Steve Gilmore on bass, and Hal Galper on piano. Titles include "Star Eyes", "Goodbye Mr Evans", "Petite Chanson", "Summer Night", "My Old Flame", and "Nica's Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that should be an insane dark mess, given the look of the cover – but which turns out to be a surprisingly well put-together effort all the way through! Zappa does a great job of hiding behind his hair here – never acting with the pomp that a pop genius like him could easily have enacted – and instead passing off the record as if it's just another freakout – despite the fact that the arrangements are some of his tightest, most focused, and downright groovy so far! There's plenty of key musical help to make the whole thing come out right – including bass from Shuggie Otis, the inimitable voice Captain Beefheart, on the cassic "Willie The Pimp", violin from Jean-Luc Ponty, drums from Paul Humphrey, and bass from Max Bennett – all players who really live up to the musical complexity of Zappa's compositions – often with a pre-fusion vibe that's almost unexpected. Other titles include "Son Of Mr Green Grass", "The Gumbo Variations", "It Must Be A Camel", "Peaches In Regalia", and "Little Umbrellas". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing movie in sound – supposedly music (and more) that was going to be used in a film project, issued to the public while Zappa was trying to raise money for production! The album's one of the most tripped-out studio efforts to date from the group – loads of overdubbing, and wonderfully complicated instrumentation – with some especially great keyboards from Don Preston and Ian Underwood, whose keys alone almost preface the future of fusion – while, at the same time, display some key links to 20th century avant music as well! Vocals are dropped in at just the right time, but the instrumental interplay is what really makes the record special – over many short tracks that include "Mr Green Genes", "We Can Shoot You", "Dog Breath Variations", "Sleeping In A Jar", "The Legend Of The Golden Arches", "Uncle Meat", "Cruising For Burgers", and "King Kong" in many variations. LP, Vinyl record album

Our favorite album by this Brit jazz rock combo from the mid 70s! The groove on this one is the most straightforward of any of the band's albums – and there's a number of nice cuts that have a strong funk sound with plenty of Afro soul influences – a great straightforward sound that gets past some of the more jamming modes of other work. The band's almost got a style that recalls Mandrill or Cymande, but with a bit more fusion overall – on titles that include "Mr J", "Mah Jong", "Spanish Fly", "Amuso Fi", and "Cobra Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost legacy of work from Black Jazz Records – the important 70s imprint that's best known for its groundbreaking albums of spiritual and funky jazz – and a company who also issued some rare 45s back in the day! The cuts here represent some of the coolest, funkiest tracks these artists recorded for Black Jazz – all originally issued as 7" singles, some with a two-part approach that has both parts of a longer track spread out over both sides of the wax. The presentation here is as top-shelf as the other Black Jazz reissues handled by Real Gone – complete with notes by Pat Thomas – and titles include "Little B's Poem" and "Peace" by Doug & Jean Carn, "Chi Town Theme" by Cleveland Eaton, "Soul Daddy" and "Be All Your Own" by Kellee Patterson, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Me & Mrs Jones" by Gene Russell, "Coral Keys (parts 1 & 2)" by Walter Bishop, "Moon Child (parts 1 & 2)" by Doug Carn, "Mr TJ (single edit)" and "Devon Jean" by Rudolph Johnson, "Gee Gee (parts 1 & 2)" by Calvin Keys, and "Powerhouse (parts 1 & 2)" by Chester Thompson. LP, Vinyl record album

A fabulous look at a new wave of music that hit the American scene at the end of the 60s – sophisticated songs with a deep sense of narrative that went way beyond the usual – first sprung by the world of country music, but with an influence that went on to touch all other styles too! This set goes right to the core – and brings together cuts from the hippest songwriters of the period, delivered in versions that may well be the best to ever make it on records – including a few tunes that will really come as a surprise if you think you know the artists from their hits! As you'd guess from the title, the world here is very similar to that in "Ode To Billie Joe" – a world that's also given great illumination by the detailed notes within. Titles include "Endless Miles Of Highway" by Jerry Reed, "If Only She Had Stayed" by Chris Gantry, "July 12, 1939" by Charlie Rich, "What Am I Doing In LA" by Nat Stuckey, "The House Song" by Lee Hazlewood, "Mr Jackson's Got Nothing To Do" by John Hartford, "Widow Wimberley" by Tony Joe White, "Mr Walker It's All Over" by Billie Jo Spears, "Drivin Nails In The Walls" by Waylon Jennings, "Four Shades Of Love" by Henson Cargill, "The Back Side Of Dallas" by Jeanne C Riley, "Way Before The Time Of Towns" by Hoyt Axton, "Down From Dover" by Dolly Parton, "Fabulous Body & Smile" by Sir Robert Charles Griggs, and "Why Can't I Come Home" by Ed Bruce. LP, Vinyl record album

A now-legendary compilation – an early effort to reissue funk on the Stones Throw label – and a set that virtually gave birth to all the fantastic projects they've done under the Now Again banner over the years! Compiler Egon has gone through a range of rare singles, masters, and demos – and has come up with tunes that burn with a brightness that's undeniable. The grooves are all on the harder end of the James Brown Funky People side of the spectrum – and the whole thing is a massive dig into the funky 45 underground – featuring a few groups who rose to new fame over the years, thanks to the legendary status of this project! Titles include "Don't Go" by Aristocrats Organization, "Loaded To The Gills (edit)" by Michael Liggins & The Supersouls, "Mr Chicken (alternate)" by The Soul Seven, "Slipping Into Darkness" by Dayton Sidewinders, "James Brown Medley" by The Apollo Commanders, "Scorpio" by Kashmere Stage Band, "Sad Chicken" by Leroy & The Drivers, "Street Scene" by Leon Mitchinson, "Free Your Mind" by Amnesty, "The Thing" by Carleen & The Groovers, "Go For Yourself (edit)" by Kenny Smith & The Loveliters, and "The Stretch (edit)" by Detroit Sex Machines. LP, Vinyl record album

An instant party in a single package – a set that brings together a whole host of rare singles from back in the day – all work that's almost an equal blend of old school funk and early hip hop! The work here comes from the Spring label and related Posse imprint – a company who were around on the New York scene to issue plenty of soul and funk during the 70s – then made the move into hip hop at the end of the decade, yet in a way that also brought some of their funky currents forward! Where other labels were maybe using a lean approach and more records as the basis for cuts, Spring already had access to some great groups to back up the MCs – and the result is a batch of funky cuts that are already primed for a party crowd in the South Bronx! As the 80s move in, the cuts use more beats and electro elements – yet that older ear for funk is still nicely in place, and really keeps things moving throughout. Titles include "Money (Dollar Bill Y'All) (long version)" by Jimmy Spicer, "Charley Says (Roller Boogie Baby)" by King Tim III, "The Beach (long vocal)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, "Go For What You Know" by The Bally Boys, "Tearin It Up" by D4, "Rockin It" by MC Flex & The Crew, "I'm Hot" by The Rangers, "Magic's Message" by Mr Magic, "To Whoever It May Concern" by DJ Hollywood, "Cars (Zulu club mix)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, and "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by Fatback – a cut that some folks call the first-ever hip hop single! LP, Vinyl record album

A heady serving of work from the Drums label – a small and short-lived imprint on the Italian scene in the late 70s, but one that served up some mighty nice club singles at the time! The records definitely bristle with the kind of drums you might expect from the record's name – not heavy breakbeat, but nice work on the kit that provides a live groove for these sweet electric club tracks – most nice and lean, sometimes instrumental with a focus on a keyboard line – sometimes vocal, with a chorus soaring along in the lead! The set was put together by I-Robots, who've given us some great club comps over the years – and the set even features some unreleased material too – titles that include "Mr Sam" by TNT, "I Am Here" by Dublefas, "Me Ne Frego" by Balthazar, "Disco Magic" by Analisi 91, "Music On My Mind" by Gianfrasso Ensemble, "Manila Sound" by Fango, "Samedi Soir" by Drums Music Show, "You & Me" by I Mappet, "La Fioraia Di Via Po" by Gialma 3, "Mare & Amore" by Olga Melchionda, and "Quattro Lune" by Antonella Forte. LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic little package – one that's put together in collaboration between Island and Transatlantic Records, to document the hippest Brit folk and folk rock of the late 60s and early 70s. Features gems by Fairport Convention, Roy Harper, John Martyn, Pentangle, Ralph McTell, Martin Carthy, John Renbourn, Bert Jansch, Davey Graham, Jackson C Frank, Marc Brierley, Gryphon, Hedgehog Pie, Young Tradition, Shirley Collins, Mr Fox, Lindisfarne, Jack The Lad, and many others! LP, Vinyl record album

The greatest DJ in the world spins live in a wonderful set of grooves that perfectly displays Petersen's huge rep as a genre-bending DJ! The set features unmixed tracks on 3LPs – and it blows away any expectations you'd have about the way genres should be put together, running through a stunning mix that includes funk, dub, Brazilian, jazz, jungle, and a heck of a lot more. Sounds like a mess, but the magical Mr P makes everything come out sparkly white in the wash – which is why he's still numero uno in our book! Titles include "The Ghetto/El Barrio" by George Benson, "Slowly Surely" by Jill Scott, "All I Have In Me (Original Musiquarium Mix)" by Young Disciples, "Manhood" by Vikter Duplaix, "Black Mary" by Pariss Clemons, "Waltz For Koop" by Koop, "Mystery Of Man" by Sarah Vaughan, and "Roun Soun" by Spacek. 14 tracks on 3LPs. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by The Vandals, Bouncing Souls, Mr T Experience, NOFX, Tilt, Sublime, New Bomb Turks, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive assortment of tracks that go way past the familiar – not a collection of standard classics from Blue Note, Impulse, or Prestige – and instead a whole host of jazzy groovers that we'd never have discovered otherwise! This volume of the series does a great job mixing in contemporary cuts with rare nuggets from years past – in ways that never make you notice the passage of years, as almost all of this work is rooted in a solid blend of tight rhythms and inventive improvisation – heavy on acoustic instrumentation, but with occasional electric moments too! Imagine the kind of groove that Gilles Peterson used to turn us onto years back, when he was spinning rare jazz records, and you'll get the vibe here – served up on titles that include "Tape Your Beat" by Born 74 & Onj, "Still In Love" by GeeW, "46 To Somewhere" by The Sultan's Swing, "Unreachable Galaxy" by Stefano Di Santis, "Movin" by Charro Band De Emilio Guerro, "Caught In A Fever" by Moreen Meridian, "Mr Fool" by Alonson Gonzalez & Jazz Latino, and "Cla Samba" by Juju. LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare funk from one of the greatest labels in the business! King Records is known to many for its classic work with singers like James Brown, Hank Ballard, and Wynonie Harris – but during the later years of the label, they also pressed up a great amount of excellent funky 45s, including many that are some of the rarest you'll ever try to find. This 24 track set is the first to really try to document King's rich funk legacy – and it's got some amazing tracks that blend together raw southern soul, hard northern rhythms, and sweet James Brown-produced grooves. Any one of these tunes would set you back at least $50 on a single – not just because they're rare, but because they're some of the best funk cuts ever recorded. Titles include "Mr Tuff Stuff" by Toby King, "Gold Walk" by The Presidents, "Butter Your Popcorn" by Hank Ballard, "Your Thing Ain't No Good Without My Thing" by Marie Queenie Lyons, "Down Home Girl" by The Coasters, "Don't Get Funky" by Gloria Walker, "Funky Lady (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul East, "From The Back Side (parts 1 & 2)" by The Sons Of Funk, "Camelot Time" by J Hines & The Fellows, and "Papa's Got The Wagon" by Gloria Walker. LP, Vinyl record album

Jungle Brothers - "Doin' Good For Yourself", Newkirk - "Small Thing", Terminator X - "The Blues", Nice & Smooth - "Paranoia", Slick Rick With Mr. Lee - "Slick Rick - The Ruler", Slick Rick - "I Shouldn't Have Done It", The Famlee - "Love Me", Jungle Brothers - "718 Kit", Alyson Williams - "She's Not Your Fool", Downtown Science - "If I Was", Herbie Hancock & The Don - "Livin' Large" LP, Vinyl record album

The kind of record that makes us mighty proud to live in the Windy City – and a long-overdue look at the wealth of rare club, disco, and soul cuts bubbling in the Chicago underground at the end of the 70s! During the early part of the decade, the city was widely known for some super-huge soul acts – and in the 80s, house would raise Chicago to international fame – but in the space between, the city kept on putting out some really wonderful music – wicked little cuts issued on small indie labels, most of which never got any circulation outside the midwest! The Mr Peabody crate-digging team's collected together the best of the best from these overlooked years – and also threw in a few of their own edits too – furthering the dancefloor potential of some of the best rare nuggets. 2LP version features 8 cuts – including "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" by Carmen Amez – plus seven Mr Peabody edits – versions of "Too Far Gone" by LaJohn & Sheela, "The Challenge" by Billy Hinton, "The Composer" by Fantasie, "Running To A Disco" by Lonnie Givens, "Bass Come Back" by The Moore Brothers, "Disco Ball" by Brighter Side Of Darkness, and "Your Love Is In The Pocket" by Premonition. LP, Vinyl record album

We can't figure out where the vengeance is going on – but who cares, this is funky funky funky! Like the first volume, this is a stellar selection of funky Reggae tracks, including many that have been sampled by others over the years, and plenty that stand out nice and funkily on their own! Titles include "Who Dunnit" by Byron Lee, "Hip Hugger" by The Sultans, "The Mixed Up Cup" by Mark Holder, "Mr. Magic" by Merging Traffic, "Soul Revival" by Zap Pow, "Think" by The Esquires, "Skin Tight" by The Tamlins, "Na Na Hey Hey" by Wayne McGhie, and "Popcorn" by The Upsetters. Lots more tracks, and a great looking package! LP, Vinyl record album